Experimental Assembly and Sterilization Laboratory - Clothing study

Effect of clothing on control of microorganism shedding from worker constructing printed circuit board assembl

Study of chemical germicides

Chemical germicides as decontamination agents for spacecraft sterilizatio

Sterilization Assembly Development Laboratory - Routine cleaning and decontamination of the SADL facility

Procedures for preparing cleaning and germicidal solutions and cleaning equipment for spacecraft sterilizatio

Effectiveness of utilizing assay coupons for biological load prediction

Bioassay coupons for predicting biological loads and contamination following exposure to vertical laminar flo

Ancient agriculture in Southeast Arabia: A three thousand year record of runoff farming from central Oman (Rustaq)

Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Research in Arabia on the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was conducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE, 13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth, but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which archaeological traces are very scarce

How is performance at selection to general practice related to performance at the endpoint of GP training?

Background The selection process for entry to speciality training for general practice (GP) in the UK was changed in 2016. Doctors scoring above an agreed threshold in the computer-marked Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) were deemed appointable on that score alone and were offered a direct pathway (DP) to training, exempting them from further assessment at the final Selection Centre (SC). The SC was subsequently suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to be reinstated. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between performance at selection and outcomes of GP training at licensing, to reassess the threshold score in MSRA used to bypass the SC, and to estimate the incremental predictive value of the SC after MSRA. Methods We used a longitudinal design linking selection, licensing and demographic data from doctors applying to enter GP specialty training in 2016. MSRA scores were divided into 12 score bands and SC scores into seven score bands to better identify MSRA or SC scores that corresponded to dffering GP performance on licensing assessments. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to establish the predictive validity of the MSRA scores and score bands for passing or failing the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) licensing assessments including the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) or Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA), Workplace Based Assessment - Annual Review of Competence Progression (WPBA-ARCP), and performance overall. The model adjusted for sex, ethnicity, country of qualification, and declared disability. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves of MSRA scores against performance outcomes were constructed to determine the optimal MSRA threshold scores for achieving licensing. Results We included 3338 doctors who entered specialty training for general practice in 2016 of different sex (female 63.81% vs male 36.19%), ethnicity (White British 53.95%, minority ethnic 43.04% or mixed 3.01%), country of qualification (UK 76.76%, non-UK 23.24%), and declared disability (disability declared 11.98%, no disability declared 88.02%). MSRA scores or score bands were highly predictive for all assessments of GP training outcome (AKT, CSA, RCA, and WPBA-ARCP). Lower SC score bands were predictive of lower pass rates on summative assessments and /or ARCP outcomes 2, 3, or 4. Adding SC scores did not change the predictive validity of the MSRA, and therefore the SC did not add further information to MSRA scores. An MSRA threshold of 500 (or, more precisely, 497) was optimal for correctly identifying pass/fail rates on the AKT, RCA, and CSA within the study period, and only standard outcomes on WPBA-ARCP. Thirty-five percent of candidates in the lowest two MSRA Bands (i.e., scores below 420) had at least one developmental outcome (2, 3) or outcome 4. Ethnicity did not reduce the chance of passing GP licensing tests once sex, place of primary medical qualification, declared disability and MSRA scores were taken into account. Conclusion MSRA scores predict licensing outcomes for AKT, CSA, RCA, and WPBA-ARCP within five years of starting training. The optimal MSRA threshold score for predicting an uncomplicated training pathway to licensing was around 500 in this large cohort. The SC added little to the predictive validity of the MSRA. Doctors scoring below this threshold may need additional support during training to maximise their chances of achieving licensing

On correctness in RDF stream processor benchmarking

Two complementary benchmarks have been proposed so far for the evaluation and continuous improvement of RDF stream processors: SRBench and LSBench. They put a special focus on different features of the evaluated systems, including coverage of the streaming extensions of SPARQL supported by each processor, query processing throughput, and an early analysis of query evaluation correctness, based on comparing the results obtained by different processors for a set of queries. However, none of them has analysed the operational semantics of these processors in order to assess the correctness of query evaluation results. In this paper, we propose a characterization of the operational semantics of RDF stream processors, adapting well-known models used in the stream processing engine community: CQL and SECRET. Through this formalization, we address correctness in RDF stream processor benchmarks, allowing to determine the multiple answers that systems should provide. Finally, we present CSRBench, an extension of SRBench to address query result correctness verification using an automatic method

Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy of Extended Molecular Systems: Applications to Energy Transport and Relaxation in an α-Helix

A simulation study of the coupled dynamics of amide I and amide II vibrations in an α-helix dissolved in water shows that two-dimensional (2D) infrared spectroscopy may be used to disentangle the energy transport along the helix through each of these modes from the energy relaxation between them. Time scales for both types of processes are obtained. Using polarization-dependent 2D spectroscopy is an important ingredient in the method we propose. The method may also be applied to other two-band systems, both in the infrared (collective vibrations) and the visible (excitons) parts of the spectrum.

Perceptions and experiences of medical student first responders: a mixed methods study

Context Medical Student First Responders (MSFRs) are volunteers who respond to emergency calls, managing patients before ambulance staff attend. The MSFR role provides opportunities to manage acutely unwell patients in the prehospital environment, not usually offered as part of formal undergraduate medical education. There are few previous studies describing activities or experiences of MSFRs or exploring the potential educational benefits. We aimed to investigate the activity of MSFRs and explore their experiences, particularly from an educational perspective. Methods We used a mixed methods design, combining quantitative analysis of ambulance dispatch data with qualitative semi-structured interviews of MSFRs. Dispatch data were from South Central and East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trusts from 1st January to 31st December 2019. Using propensity score matching, we compared incidents attended by MSFRs with those attended by other Community First Responders (CFRs) and ambulance staff. We interviewed MSFRs from five English (UK) medical schools in those regions about their experiences and perceptions and undertook thematic analysis supported by NVivo 12. Results We included 1,939 patients (median age 58.0 years, 51% female) attended by MSFRs. Incidents attended were more urgent category calls (category 1 n = 299, 14.9% and category 2 n = 1,504, 77.6%), most commonly for chest pain (n = 275, 14.2%) and shortness of breath (n = 273, 14.1%). MSFRs were less likely to attend patients of white ethnicity compared to CFRs and ambulance staff, and more likely to attend incidents in areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation (IMD – index of multiple deprivation) (p < 0.05). Interviewees (n = 16) consistently described positive experiences which improved their clinical and communication skills. Conclusion MSFRs’ attendance at serious medical emergencies provide a range of reported educational experiences and benefits. Further studies are needed to explore whether MSFR work confers demonstrable improvements in educational or clinical performance

Wheat Poisoning of Cattle.

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