Near-infrared radiation induced attenuation in nested anti-resonant nodeless fibers.

This Letter reports the first, to the best of our knowledge, spectral radiation induced attenuation (RIA) measurements of nested anti-resonant nodeless hollow-core fibers (NANFs). A 5-tube NANF, alongside a solid-core single-mode radiation resistant fiber (SM-RRF), was irradiated under γ-ray up to 101 kGy (SiO2) and under x-ray up to 241 kGy (SiO2). No RIA was observed in the NANF in the second half of the O-band, the S-band, the C-band, and the L-band. The NANF showed a reduction of absorption bands associated with water and HCl under irradiation. Three new attenuation peaks were radiolytically induced and are attributed to the creation of HNO3. These peaks are centered respectively at 1441 nm, 1532 nm, and 1628 nm, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of, respectively, 10 nm, 12 nm, and 12 nm. These results demonstrate that the wide bandwidth range of NANFs is essentially unaffected by radiation, but the internal gas contents of the NANF must be managed to avoid producing undesirable spectral features through radiolytic reactions. Wide spectral regions almost unaffected by the ionizing radiation could open new possibilities for the use of NANF in harsh radiation environments.

Low radiation dose calibration and theoretical model of an optical fiber dosimeter for the International Space Station.

The optical-fiber-based dosimeter of the LUMINA project was deployed in August 2021 in the International Space Station in the framework of the Alpha mission. The sensing elements of the dosimeter are P-doped optical fibers, which were proven to be excellent candidates for dosimetry applications. The twofold objective of this paper is to provide a theoretical model for the radiation response of the dosimeter and to report on the experimental work carried out at CERN for the qualification and calibration of the engineering model of the LUMINA dosimeter. Combining the theoretical response and experimental data, the calibration curve of the flight model is obtained. Finally, this study broadens the investigation of the room temperature radiation response of P-doped optical fibers in a range of dose rates 104 times lower than previously reported, from 21µGy(SiO2)/h to145mGy(SiO2)/h.

In-situ regeneration of P-doped optical fiber dosimeter.

We demonstrate the feasibility of resetting and reusing dosimeters exploiting the measurement of the infrared radiation-induced attenuation (IR-RIA) in phosphosilicate optical fibers (OFs) to provide point or distributed dose measurements in radiation environments. To bleach the room temperature stable IR-RIA, we used the photobleaching (PB) phenomenon. The PB efficiency was evaluated for different wavelengths in the [400-1100] nm range. The best identified PB resetting condition consists in using a continuous-wave Argon-ion laser at 514 nm. This treatment successfully bleached ∼97% of the IR-RIA at 1550 nm of a 30 m-long P-doped single mode optical fiber X-ray irradiated at a dose of 100 Gy. Successive re-irradiations of the same OF sample, regenerated after each run, confirm that the dosimeter keeps the same calibration curve during the whole process.

The power of the patient question: A secret shopper study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of one standardized patient question on the length, number and type of new topics pharmacists addressed. To explore how community pharmacists counsel secret shoppers on two types of over-the-counter (OTC) medications-ibuprofen (IB) and emergency contraceptives (EC). METHODS: 25 pharmacists from 7 independent, midwestern community pharmacies consented to have secret shoppers purchase an OTC medication and to have their consultations audio-recorded. Following standardized scenarios, 5 secret shoppers audio-recorded 73 encounters. At the end of 36 encounters secret shoppers asked one standard question, "What else should I know before taking this product?" Role Theory informed the study design with apriori hypotheses that topics assessed, topics discussed, and consultation length would vary by the OTC medication (IB or EC) and whether secret shoppers asked a question. Audio-recording coding had high inter-rater reliability (kappa=0.94). RESULTS: Length of encounter was significantly associated with patients asking the question (p<0.05), but not type of OTC medication. On average 1.22 new topics were discussed with a patient question. New topics included information about safe and efficacious use of the OTC's. CONCLUSION: Results highlight the importance of encouraging patients to ask pharmacists their questions about OTC products for safe use and thorough consultations.

Acompañamiento terapéutico: notas orientadoras para la actividad

Contenido: Historia del acompañamiento terapéutico. Diferencias entre acompañante terapéutico y cuidador domiciliario. Conceptos básicos en el acompañamiento terapéutico. Discapacidad. Adicciones. Primeros auxilios en crisis psicológica. Para seguir re-pensando la función del AT y su importancia