Geochronology (Re–Os and U–Pb) and fluid inclusion studies of molybdenite mineralisation associated with the Shap, Skiddaw and Weardale granites, UK

Late Devonian magmatism in Northern England records key events associated with the Acadian phase of the Caledonian-Appalachian Orogen (C-AO). Zircon U-Pb and molybdenite Re-Os geochronology date emplacement and mineralisation in the Shap (405·2±1·8 Ma), Skiddaw (398·8±0·4 and 392·3±2·8 Ma) and Weardale granites (398·3±1·6 Ma). For the Shap granite, mineralisation and magmatism are contemporaneous, with mineralisation being directly associated with the boiling of CO2-rich magmatic fluids between 300 and 450°C, and 440 and 620 bars. For the Skiddaw granite, the Re-Os age suggests that sulphide mineralisation occurred post-magmatism (398·8±0·4 Ma) and was associated with the boiling (275 and 400°C and at 375-475 bars) of a non-magmatic fluid, enriched in N2, CH4 and S, which is isotopically heavy. In contrast, the co-magmatic molybdenite mineralisation of the Weardale granite formed from non-fluid boiling at 476 to 577°C at 1-1·7 kbars. The new accurate and precise ages indicate that magmatism and Mo-mineralisation occurred during the same period across eastern Avalonia (cf. Ireland). In addition, the ages provide a timing of tectonism of the Acadian phase of the C-AO in northern England. Based on the post-tectonic metamorphic mineral growth associated with the Shap and Skiddaw granite aureoles, Acadian deformation in the northern England continued episodically (before ∼405 Ma) throughout the Emsian (∼398 Ma)

The Development and Characterisation of a Red-sensitised Photopolymer Holographic Recording Material

The development and characterisation of a photopolymerisable photopolymer holographic recording material, for red sensitisation is described. The material comprises dye (methylene blue), an electron donor (triethanolamine) and monomer (acrylamide and methylene-bis-acrylamide). A binder is also included (poly(vinylalcohol) to allow recording in dry layer format. One of the main advantages of the material is its ability to self-develop, which makes it highly suitable for a range of applications which includes the fabrication of Holographic Optical Elements (HOEs). The optimisation of the material formula for red-sensitisation using holographic techniques is described. Diffraction efficiencies of over 70% were obtained in 25 seconds with the optimised material. Sensitivity was improved considerably from approx. 650mJ/cm² at the start of the optimisation study to approx. 130mJ/cm². The chemical characterisation of the material was conducted using spectroscopic techniques. Results have shown that no chemical interaction occurs between the material components prior to exposure at the desired wavelength. The holographic characterisation was also described in terms of optimum layer thickness, beam intensity and ration and spatial frequency response, for efficient recording. Some of the physical processes that occur during holographic recording were investigated. Through the study of amplitude gratings recorded in the material and the application of a mathematical model, it has been proven that the diffusion of dye molecules is the main contributing factor leading to the decay of this type of grating. The dependence of the rate of diffusion of dye on the molecular weight of the binder has also been demonstrated. This has lead to ideas on how to improve the spatial frequency response of the material. Aspects of the material’s physical and holographic recording characteristics, which are relevant to the recording of HOEs as well as practical limitations of elements recorded in this material, are discussed. It is shown that the material can tolerate a slant angle of up to 40° without significant loss of diffraction efficiency. The results obtained for on and off-axis focusing elements are presented as well as some work on stacked elements

Evidence-based strategies for reducing post-discharge Hospital E.R. Visits and Patient Initiated Calls in the post craniotomy population

Evidence-based Strategies for Reducing Post-discharge E.R. Visits and Patient Initiated Calls in the post Craniotomy Population Homira Feely, NP Katherine Curran, BSN Joseph Burkard, DNSc, CRNA University of San Diego OBJECTIVE Health-care professionals are generally compassionate and well-meaning, but the infrastructure in which they function often has made the continuum of care between hospitals, outpatient settings and patients’ homes far from seamless. The result is a persistently high rate of emergency room visits and hospital readmissions within 30 days of a patient’s discharge – an avoidable pattern that has cost the U.S. health system tens of billions of dollars over the decades. Using an evidence-based approach for our new project, we have found significant success in sharply reducing neurosurgery patients’ non-essential, post-discharge phone calls and E.R. visits. We have focused on three crucial time points with patients and their caregivers: education during pre-op clinic visits, followed by a phone call 24 hour after hospital discharge and finally another call 72 hours after discharge. These simple, clear, proactive steps can be adopted by hospitals and outpatient providers across the country in a variety of medical disciplines. BACKGROUND Post-cranial surgery patients have multiple health concerns, including those that can lead to emergency-room visits after discharge that could have been negated with key follow-up care measures. These individuals are part of a broad and ongoing challenge that has been long documented by various levels of research. Even though prominent medical organizations and government agencies have highlighted the problem, and despite Medicare’s relatively recent imposition of a financial penalty for preventable readmissions, the issue is far from resolved. The preventable post-discharge troubles largely stem from lack of – or poor – coordination between a patient’s medical providers. Experts have identified the following challenges as prime reasons for avoidable visits to the emergency room: Premature discharge from the hospital. Insufficient or unclear instructions regarding what medications a patient needs to take, the appropriate dosing, which side effects are common and which necessitate prompt attention by a medical professional, and any potentially troublesome interactions between drugs prescribed in the hospital and those the patient was already taking upon admission. Inadequate or no information about whom a patient should call with post-discharge treatment questions; this dearth of details can spur certain people to visit the emergency room for issues that can be managed by a primary-care physician, home health nurse, physical therapist, etc. Substandard discussion with a patient’s family members or other caregivers about post-discharge care. Subpar, minimal or even nonexistent communication between a patient’s hospital staff and his/her primary-care providers on issues ranging from the next required medical appointments, to rehabilitation needs, to whether the patient has help at home for daily routines. METHODOLOGY The project described in this abstract was launched in December 2016, January and February of 2017 with collection of pre implementation data. Implementation of its main steps began in December of 2017, January and February of 2018 and test interaction with patients and data accumulation is expected to finish by March. During patients’ pre-op clinic visits, we are educating them about what to expect before, during and after their brain surgeries. This includes going over details about their home environment, their caregiver(s), their transportation needs, the likely process for their post-discharge home health care, infection-control efforts, what symptoms are clear signs for needing emergency care (vs. symptoms that are part of the normal recovery process), what phone numbers are best to call if they have additional questions that have not been addressed by me or other staff members, etc. Using a daily list of newly discharged neurosurgery patients, we are making telephone calls to those individuals around 24 hours after their hospital departure, and then again at the 72-hour mark. In particular, we are relying on a standardized questionnaire and employing the 5 A’s Behavior Change Model: assess, advice, agree, assist and arrange. We are assessing each patient’s pain level and, with his/her collaboration, set a goal for what pain level is expected and manageable. We also discuss the status of home health nursing, plus what to anticipate for the patient’s next medical appointments. RESULTS The positive aspects of this project are that it is manageable, involving only small team that already works together closely; that it has well-defined protocols; and that its results can be quantified. Effectiveness is being measured by the number of patients’ post-discharge phone calls and visits to the emergency room. So far, we have seen reductions in both of these categories. Our goal is to achieve a 30 percent reduction in patients’ post-discharge E.R. visits during the three-month project period, as compared with the same three months from the previous year. Another central objective is to lower the number of patients’ post-discharge phone calls by 50 percent during the same project duration. CONCLUSION Improved pre-operative education along with well-timed post-discharge phone calls should reduce ER visits and patient’s calls and improve satisfaction. Widespread adoption of this proactive form of outreach can better bridge the current gap between hospital and home care, and the net result will be not only improved continuity of care and thus long-term outcomes, but also greater assurance and satisfaction on the part of patients

Dissolution dominating calcification process in polar pteropods close to the point of aragonite undersaturation

Thecosome pteropods are abundant upper-ocean zooplankton that build aragonite shells. Ocean acidification results in the lowering of aragonite saturation levels in the surface layers, and several incubation studies have shown that rates of calcification in these organisms decrease as a result. This study provides a weight-specific net calcification rate function for thecosome pteropods that includes both rates of dissolution and calcification over a range of plausible future aragonite saturation states (Omega_Ar). We measured gross dissolution in the pteropod Limacina helicina antarctica in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean) by incubating living specimens across a range of aragonite saturation states for a maximum of 14 days. Specimens started dissolving almost immediately upon exposure to undersaturated conditions (Omega_Ar,0.8), losing 1.4% of shell mass per day. The observed rate of gross dissolution was different from that predicted by rate law kinetics of aragonite dissolution, in being higher at Var levels slightly above 1 and lower at Omega_Ar levels of between 1 and 0.8. This indicates that shell mass is affected by even transitional levels of saturation, but there is, nevertheless, some partial means of protection for shells when in undersaturated conditions. A function for gross dissolution against Var derived from the present observations was compared to a function for gross calcification derived by a different study, and showed that dissolution became the dominating process even at Omega_Ar levels close to 1, with net shell growth ceasing at an Omega_Ar of 1.03. Gross dissolution increasingly dominated net change in shell mass as saturation levels decreased below 1. As well as influencing their viability, such dissolution of pteropod shells in the surface layers will result in slower sinking velocities and decreased carbon and carbonate fluxes to the deep ocean

Exploring the Relationships between Social Skills, Mental Health and Behavior In A Child Welfare Involved Population

Promoting child well-being is one of the three primary goals of the child welfare system. In contrast to safety and permanency, the other two primary goals, that are precisely defined in the federal statute, well-being remains undefined and poorly understood. Recently, the Administration on Children Youth and Families (ACYF) highlighted one facet of child well-being -- social and emotional well-being -- as a particular focus of the agency. These categories, i.e. behavior, emotional development and social functioning collectively are referred to as social and emotional well-being. The relationship between these constructs is unknown although it is likely that they are related to each other. Consequently, it is unclear which constructs, or if all, should be assessed to comprehensively measure social and emotional well-being. Unfortunately well-being cannot be directly analyzed because most of the available measures assess ill-being or the negative aspects of constructs. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop empirically based, conceptual models of social-emotional ill-being for child welfare-involved youth in two age groups, 8-10 year olds and 11-17 year olds. These models were built through a systematic process of confirmatory factor analyses, which is in the analytic family of structural equation modeling. Because of the ability to include latent variables, i.e. variables not directly observable, and to specify the relationships between constructs, structural equation modeling was uniquely suited to testing these relationships