Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the GEANT4 code for the investigation of γ-ray absorption in water in different spherical geometries and of the efficiency of a NaI(Tl) detector for ...different radionuclides in the aquatic environment. In order to test the reliability of these simulations, experimental values of the NaI(Tl) detector efficiency were deduced and seem to be in good agreement with the simulated ones. In addition, using the simulated efficiency, an algorithm was developed to determine the minimum detectable activity in becquerels per cubic meter in situ as a function of energy for typical freshwater and seawater spectra.
A new detection system named “KATERINA” is developed and applied for measuring marine radioactivity using NaI(Tl) as a crystal. This apparatus is designed for qualitative and quantitative ...radionuclide detection in the marine environment with maximum depth of deployment 400
m. A detailed study for the enclosure of the system and for the electronics development is performed. The system offers volumetric activities in Bq/m
3 using the marine efficiency calibration, which is measured by dilution of three reference sources (
99mTc,
137Cs, and
40K) in a special tank. The calibration procedures for energy, energy resolution and efficiency were analyzed with particular attention to the factors that affect the calibration parameters. The underwater detector is tested in the field for acquiring radon daughters (
214Pb and
214Bi) in a region where submarine groundwater discharge exists in the coastal zone.
GRBNeT is a project aiming at the detection of ultra–high energy neutrinos, for example neutrinos originating from Gamma Ray Bursts. The goal is to design, construct and deploy a prototype unit of an ...autonomous (data/energy–wise) neutrino detector. Being autonomous is crucial since for the detection of ultra–high energy neutrinos a very large volume of water is required. Large scale facilities such as IceCube and KM3NeT are designed to be more sensitive to galactic and diffuse flux neutrinos rather than extragalactic ultra–high energy neutrinos. However, their sensitivity to such neutrinos could be increased by placing around and at larger distances detectors such as the one of the GRBNeT project. This extension would increase the instrumented volume of neutrino telescopes to several cubic kilometres. In addition to that, as no cable connection to the shore is required, GRBNeT detection units cost significantly less than regular detection units and can become a cost effective extension of large scale facilities. For the GRBNeT prototype unit ultra low power electronics have been developed. The response to high energy neutrinos from GRBs and to the atmospheric muon background has been simulated.
This study aimed to describe the implementation of the empirically supported Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) for adolescent suicidality in emergency services (ES) settings.
Using an implementation ...science framework, the authors collaboratively evaluated the needs of ES providers; developed a plan; and trained ES psychiatrists, social workers, and mental health specialists for SPI implementation. The health care and social workers put the safety plan into practice in ES settings and, after involving stakeholders in addressing challenges during implementation, fully integrated the program into ES practice. This study examined providers' attitudes toward the structured SPI before and after training in this evidence-based intervention.
Providers reported a desire to learn evidence-based interventions for safety planning before the training. The effect of time from pre- to posttraining on provider attitudes and knowledge about the SPI was statistically significant (F=4.19, df=2 and 22, p=0.030), indicating that providers' attitudes toward using the structured SPI in their work improved after completing the training.
These findings are relevant for health care settings that seek to comply with new standards for hospital accreditation and improve overall patient care for suicidal youths. The results suggest that stakeholder collaboration and brief training in SPI may be effective for incorporating structured safety planning practices into pediatric ES settings.
The Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) helps patients use coping strategies when in a suicidal crisis. This project aimed to characterize SPI quality and determine if it is associated with reduced ...risk of readmission to psychiatric hospitals. The sample included 145 participants hospitalized on an adolescent psychiatric unit from May to December 2018 who met suicidal criteria per items 18 and 91 on the Youth Self Report. The Safety Plan Quality Metric was created to rate SPI quality. A significant association between higher-quality SPI and fewer instances of readmission was identified (X2 (1, N = 94) = 4.32, p = .038). A logistic regression conducted to determine the impact of other patient factors on readmission did not yield a statistically significant model, (X2 (5, N = 94) = 8.43, p = 0.13). The results suggest that patients with higher quality SPIs were less likely to be rehospitalized.
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