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Recently, a cold moderator was designed and developed for use at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Linear Accelerator (RPI LINAC). This cold moderator proved to easily and safely couple to an existing neutron producing target, while enhancing neutron flux below 0.02 eV by up to a factor of 8 by cooling polyethylene down to 29 K. This cold moderator capability allowed for significantly improved counting statistics below 0.02 eV not previously possible due to a poor signal to background ratio. Additionally, testing was performed to characterize the energy resolution of the new cold moderator system and found the system easily capable of resolving resonances in Ta-181 at 4 and 10 eV, while also clearly resolving the Bragg edges found in Be metal below 0.01 eV. Following the design and development of a cold polyethylene moderator, a series of thermal total cross section measurements were performed for polyethylene, polystyrene, Plexiglas and yttrium hydride in the thermal region. These measurements serve to help validate thermal scattering law (TSL) evaluations in the 0.0005 – 1 eV energy range. For polyethylene and polystyrene, two sets of experiments were performed – one with the Enhanced Thermal Target (ETT) and another with the ETT plus the new cold moderator capability (ETTC). The yttrium hydride and Plexiglas measurements were only performed with the ETTC. The measurements for polyethylene help to validate the data processing methodology when using the ETTC, while extending the measured range of polyethylene down to 0.0005 eV. Two different Plexiglas, Plexiglas G and Plexiglas G-UVT, and two different concentrations of yttrium hydride, H/Y = 1.85 and 1.68, were measured. Overall, all materials had generally good agreement with their ENDF/B-VIII.0 TSL evaluations, though some discrepancies were noticed. In the case of the yttrium hydride, the high energy oscillations in the hydrogen cross section and the low energy Bragg edges in the yttrium cross section were clearly seen. These measurements represent the first total cross section measurements that encompass the entire thermal region from 0.0005 – 1 eV for polystyrene and yttrium hydride.

Background: Feedback and evaluation are important in the professional development of academic physiatrists. Yet, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) learners giving academic presentations receive limited narrative feedback through generic evaluation forms. Objective: To assess whether customizable evaluation forms that integrate a presenter's specific questions would be associated with an increase in quantity and quality of narrative feedback received from the audience. Design: Separate samples pre‐post intervention study. Setting: A large academic PM&R department's grand rounds. Participants: PM&R faculty and trainees attending grand rounds (10–50 attendees with one presenter per session). The study included 20 presentations pre intervention (across 1 year) and 38 presentations post intervention (across about 3 years). Intervention: A customizable evaluation form that integrates a presenter's own questions into a tailored evaluation form comprising both standardized and presenter‐built questions. Main Outcome Measure(s): Narrative feedback quantity was defined as the mean percentage and number of evaluation forms per presentation with at least one comment. Narrative feedback quality included three metrics: mean percentage and number of evaluation forms per presentation with comments that (1) contained ≥8 words, (2) referenced something specific, and (3) offered an actionable suggestion. Results: Compared to preintervention, presentations in the postintervention period had a greater mean percentage of evaluation forms containing at least one comment (pre = 33.4%, post =74.7%, p <.001), a comment that contained ≥8 words (pre = 20.2%, post = 44.2%, p <.001), a comment that referenced something specific (pre = 19.6%, post = 55.1%, p <.001), and a comment that offered an actionable suggestion (pre = 10.2%, post = 22.2%, p <.001). Conclusions: Use of a customizable evaluation form in PM&R grand rounds that integrates a presenter's own questions was associated with a greater mean percentage of evaluation forms containing comments as well as comments meeting quality metrics related to length, specificity, and actionability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction While the creation and exchange of scholarly and research information now takes place within digital environments and increasingly on the open web, traditional print-based workflows are recapitulated across the [...]

Cancer patients are at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a significant cause of cancer-related death. Historically, low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) were the gold standard therapy for cancer-associated VTE, but recent evidence supports the use of direct factor Xa inhibitors in cancer-associated VTE and this is now reflected in many guidelines. However, uptake of direct factor Xa inhibitors varies and guidance on the use of direct factor Xa inhibitors in specific cancer sub-populations and clinical situations is lacking. This review presents consensus expert opinion alongside evaluation of evidence to support healthcare professionals in the use of direct factor Xa inhibitors in cancer-associated VTE. Recent guidelines, meta-analyses, reviews and clinical studies on anticoagulation therapy for cancer-associated VTE were used to direct clinically relevant topics and evidence to be systematically discussed using nominal group technique. The consensus manuscript and recommendations were developed based on these discussions. Considerations when prescribing anticoagulant therapy for cancer-associated VTE include cancer site and stage, systemic anti-cancer therapy (including vascular access), drug-drug interactions, length of anticoagulation, quality of life and needs during palliative care. Treatment of patients with kidney or liver impairment, gastrointestinal disorders, extremes of bodyweight, elevated bleeding or recurrence risk, VTE recurrence and COVID-19 is discussed. Anticoagulant therapy for cancer-associated VTE patients should be carefully selected with consideration given to the relative benefits of specific drugs when individualizing care. Direct factor Xa inhibitors are typically the treatment of choice for preventing VTE recurrence in non-cancer patients and should also be considered as such for cancer-associated VTE in most situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This piece reflects on some resonances between Disability, Criminal Justice and Law and Decarcerating Disability, suggesting that they are part of a shared political and intellectual project that a) interrogates common sense practices of penalty and disability care through an interlocking oppression lens centring colonialism, racism, disability, and capitalism, and b) helps us to question the lines between violence and nonviolence in response to distress and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the theoretical context for service learning and the differences between service learning and community service. Examines research on effective service learning that emphasizes connections to political science content, are of a longer duration, and provide opportunities for reflection. States that the research on service learning raises some dilemmas. (CMK)