The coherent elastic scattering of neutrinos off nuclei has eluded detection for four decades, even though its predicted cross section is by far the largest of all low-energy neutrino couplings. This ...mode of interaction offers new opportunities to study neutrino properties and leads to a miniaturization of detector size, with potential technological applications. We observed this process at a 6.7σ̃ confidence level, using a low-background, 14.6-kilogram CsINa scintillator exposed to the neutrino emissions from the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Characteristic signatures in energy and time, predicted by the standard model for this process, were observed in high signal-to-background conditions. Improved constraints on nonstandard neutrino interactions with quarks are derived from this initial data set.
People experiencing incarceration (PEI) and people experiencing homelessness (PEH) have an increased risk of COVID-19 exposure from congregate living, but data on their hospitalization course ...compared with that of the general population are limited.
To compare COVID-19 hospitalizations for PEI and PEH with hospitalizations among the general population.
This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Premier Healthcare Database on 3415 PEI and 9434 PEH who were evaluated in the emergency department or were hospitalized in more than 800 US hospitals for COVID-19 from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.
Incarceration or homelessness.
Hospitalization proportions were calculated. and outcomes (intensive care unit admission, invasive mechanical ventilation IMV, mortality, length of stay, and readmissions) among PEI and PEH were compared with outcomes for all patients with COVID-19 (not PEI or PEH). Multivariable regression was used to adjust for potential confounders.
In total, 3415 PEI (2952 men 86.4%; mean SD age, 50.8 15.7 years) and 9434 PEH (6776 men 71.8%; mean SD age, 50.1 14.5 years) were evaluated in the emergency department for COVID-19 and were hospitalized more often (2170 of 3415 63.5% PEI; 6088 of 9434 64.5% PEH) than the general population (624 470 of 1 257 250 49.7%) (P < .001). Both PEI and PEH hospitalized for COVID-19 were more likely to be younger, male, and non-Hispanic Black than the general population. Hospitalized PEI had a higher frequency of IMV (410 18.9%; adjusted risk ratio aRR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.30) and mortality (308 14.2%; aRR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.11-1.47) than the general population (IMV, 88 897 14.2%; mortality, 84 725 13.6%). Hospitalized PEH had a lower frequency of IMV (606 10.0%; aRR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.58-0.70) and mortality (330 5.4%; aRR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.47-0.59) than the general population. Both PEI and PEH had longer mean (SD) lengths of stay (PEI, 9 10 days; PEH, 11 26 days) and a higher frequency of readmission (PEI, 128 5.9%; PEH, 519 8.5%) than the general population (mean SD length of stay, 8 10 days; readmission, 28 493 4.6%).
In this cross-sectional study, a higher frequency of COVID-19 hospitalizations for PEI and PEH underscored the importance of adhering to recommended prevention measures. Expanding medical respite may reduce hospitalizations in these disproportionately affected populations.
We measured the production of the long-lived nuclides 207Bi, 202Pb, and 194Hg in a sample of natural Pb due to high-energy neutron interactions using a neutron beam at the Los Alamos Neutron Science ...Center. The activated sample was counted by a HPGe detector tomeasure the amount of radioactive nuclides present. These nuclides are critical in understanding potential backgrounds in low background experiments utilizing large amounts of Pb shielding due to cosmogenic neutron interactions in the Pb while residing on the Earth’s surface. By scaling the LANSCE neutron flux to a cosmic neutron flux, we measure the sea level cosmic ray production rates of 8.0±1.3atoms/kg/day of 194Hg, 120±25atoms/kg/day 202Pb, and <0.17±0.04atoms/kg/day 207Bi.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Despite extensive literature on school‐based health center (SBHC) characteristics and outcomes, their quality of care has not been examined nationally. Standardized quality ...metrics can inform health care delivery and improvement.
METHODS
SBHC national performance measures (NPMs) were developed by reviewing measures from national child health quality initiatives and engaging stakeholders in a consensus‐building process. NPMs were pilot‐tested with 73 SBHCs and SBHCs nationally subsequently reported data.
RESULTS
Five NPMs were selected including the percentage of clients annually who received at least one: (1) well‐child visit, whether administered in the SBHC or elsewhere; (2) risk assessment; (3) body mass index screen with nutrition and physical activity counseling; and, if age‐appropriate, (4) depression screening with follow‐up treatment plan; and (5) chlamydia screening among sexually active clients. SBHCs experienced challenges with reporting during pilot‐testing, particularly related to extracting data from electronic health records, and identified strategies to address challenges. Approximately 20% of SBHCs nationally voluntarily reported data during the initial year.
IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH
Standardized performance measures can help SBHCs monitor and improve care delivery and demonstrate effectiveness compared to other child health delivery systems.
CONCLUSION
Ongoing data collection will help examine whether measure adoption drives quality improvement for SBHCs nationwide.
The C-4 dark matter experiment Bonicalzi, R.M.; Collar, J.I.; Colaresi, J. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
06/2013, Letnik:
712
Journal Article
Recenzirano
We describe the experimental design of C-4, an expansion of the CoGeNT dark matter search to four identical detectors each approximately three times the mass of the p-type point contact germanium ...diode presently taking data at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Expected reductions of radioactive backgrounds and energy threshold are discussed, including an estimate of the additional sensitivity to low-mass dark matter candidates to be obtained with this search.
CoGeNT employs p-type point-contact (PPC) germanium detectors to search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). By virtue of its low-energy threshold and ability to reject surface ...backgrounds, this type of device allows an emphasis on low-mass dark matter candidates (m sub( chi ) ~ 10 GeV /c super(2)). We report on the characteristics of the PPC detector presently taking data at the Soudan Underground Laboratory, elaborating on aspects of shielding, data acquisition, instrumental stability, data analysis, and background estimation. A detailed background model is used to investigate the low-energy excess of events previously reported and to assess the possibility of temporal modulations in the low-energy event rate. Extensive simulations of all presently known backgrounds do not provide a viable background explanation for the excess of low-energy events in the CoGeNT data or the previously observed temporal variation in the event rate. Also reported for the first time is a determination of the surface (slow pulse rise time) event contamination in the data as a function of energy. We conclude that the CoGeNT detector technology is well suited to search for the annual modulation signature expected from dark matter particle interactions in the region of WIMP mass and coupling favored by the DAMA/LIBRA results.
The atmospheric neutrino flavour ratio measured using a 1.52 kton-year exposure of Soudan 2 is found to be 0.72 ± 0.19
−0.07
+0.05 relative to the expected value from a Monte Carlo calculation. The ...possible background of interactions of neutrons and photons produced in muon interactions in the rock surrounding the detector has been investigated and is shown not to produce low values of the ratio.
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