The lived experiences of international students who’s [sic] family remains at home

The significant increase of international students, who leave their family at home, to study abroad, especially in the discipline of nursing, has implications for educational practice. This study’s aim was to explore adult international students’ experiences of leaving spouse and children – for further education overseas. A descriptive phenomenological approach to inquiry using Colaizzi’s (1978) analysis framework revealed four themes: living with emotional turmoil, living in a world of negativity, living with an expectation to cope and driven by personal ambition. The findings identified a hidden world of emotional trauma, psychological stress, and negativity, specifically related to relinquishing their role in the family. The authors conclude that an ‘open door policy’ that provides individual counselling and timely support for academic and social purposes is necessary. © Journal of International Students

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a post-mortem CT service for adult non-suspicious death

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) service was expanded from three to seven cases per day to help mortuary services and avoid invasive autopsy. Additional targeted angiography and pulmonary ventilation procedures were stopped and triage rules relaxed to allow more indications to be scanned, including those requiring toxicology. A service evaluation was performed for the first 3-months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the equivalent period the previous year to study the impact of these changes. It was found that, despite the increase in deaths regionally, coronial referrals remained about 100 per month, a reduction in referral rate. The number undergoing PMCT rose from 28% to 74% of cases. Turnaround time remained the same. For cases triaged to PMCT, the need for subsequent autopsy increased from 7.9% to 15.8%. No significant changes were seen in diagnosis rates, including cardiac or respiratory. There was an increase in patients with coronary death without severe coronary calcification who underwent autopsy after PMCT. These may have been diagnosed by targeted coronary angiography. Fifty-three cases requiring toxicology/biochemistry had PMCT, with 38 having PMCT only. In 8/11 (72.7%) cases with normal PMCT and toxicology as the key diagnostic test, autopsy was performed prior to results. This suggests the pathology team were reluctant to risk an “unascertained” outcome. This study shows that it is possible to increase PMCT services by widening referral criteria and by limiting the use of enhanced imaging techniques, without significantly changing diagnosis rates of key diseases; however, selectively restarting targeted angiography may help avoid autopsy in some cases.</p

Impact of changing from autopsy to post-mortem CT in an entire HM Coroner region due to a shortage of available pathologists

A significant problem facing routine medicolegal coroner-referred autopsies is a shortfall of pathologists prepared to perform them. This was particularly acute in Lancashire, where the coroner decided to initiate a service that relied on post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT). This involved training anatomical pathology technologists (APTs) to perform external examinations, radiographers to perform scans, and radiologists to interpret them. The service started in 2018 and now examines over 1,500 cases per year. This study outlines the PMCT process using NHS staff, with CT equipment and logistics managed by the commercial sector. It compares the demographics and outcomes of PM investigations for two 6-month periods: the autopsy service prior to 2018, and then the PMCT service. These data were then compared with previous UK PMCT data. Referrals for adult non-suspicious deaths were made in 913 cases of which 793 (87%) had PMCT between 01/10/2018 and 31/03/2019. Fifty-six cases had autopsy after PMCT, so 81% of cases potentially avoided autopsy. The PMCT service did not delay release of bodies to the next-of-kin. Comparing the cause of death given shows no difference in the proportions of natural and unnatural deaths. There was an increase in diagnosis of coronary artery disease for PMCT, with less respiratory diagnoses, a feature not previously demonstrated. These data suggest PMCT is a practical solution for potentially failing autopsy services. By necessity, this involves changes in diagnoses, as PMCT and autopsy have different strengths and weakness, but the ability to pick up unnatural death appears unaffected.</p

Wholegrain particle size influences postprandial glycemia in type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover study comparing four wholegrain breads

© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association. OBJECTIVE: Wholegrain foods vary in the extent of processing. We investigated whether wholegrain particle size in bread influences postprandial glycemia in type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Postprandial glycemia (incremental area under the blood glucose curve [iAUC]) was measured after consumption of three breads made with roller-milled wholegrain flour and added grains and a fourth made with stone-ground flour. All flours and grains were 100% wholegrain wheat. Breads were nutrient matched. RESULTS: Fifteen adults (64 ± 10 years, HbA1c 58 ± 13 mmol/mol) completed the study. iAUC for the three breads made with roller-milled flour ranged from 376 to 641 mmol-1min-1, inverse linear trend for grain particle size P = 0.039. The iAUC for stone-ground wholegrain bread (503) was smaller than predicted from mean particle size. CONCLUSIONS: Wholegrain structural integrity in bread is a determinant of glycemic response. These findings have implications for dietary advice and the definition of the term '"wholegrain"

Interlaboratory comparison of angular-dependent photovoltaic device measurements: Results and impact on energy rating

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This paper presents the results from an extensive interlaboratory comparison of angular-dependent measurements on encapsulated photovoltaic (PV) cells. Twelve international laboratories measure the incident angle modifier of two unique PV devices. The absolute measurement agreement is ±2.0% to the weighted mean for angles of incidence (AOI) ≤ 65°, but from 70° to 85°, the range of measurement deviations increases rapidly from 2.5% to 23%. The proficiency of the measurements is analysed using the expanded uncertainties published by seven of the laboratories, and it is found that most of the angular-dependent measurements are reproducible for AOI ≤ 80°. However, at 85°, one laboratory's measurement do not agree to the weighted mean within the stated uncertainty, and measurement uncertainty as high as 16% is needed for the laboratories without uncertainty to be comparable. The poor agreement obtained at 85° indicates that the PV community should place minimal reliance on angular-dependent measurements made at this extreme angle until improvements can be demonstrated. The cloud-based Daidalos ray tracing model is used to simulate the angular-dependent losses of the mono-Si device, and it is found that the simulation agrees to the median measurement within 0.6% for AOI ≤ 70° and within 1.4% for AOI ≤ 80°. Finally, the impact that the angular-dependent measurement deviations have on climate specific energy rating (CSER) is evaluated for the six climates described in the IEC 61853-4 standard. When one outlier measurement is excluded, the angular-dependent measurements reported in this work cause a 1.0%–1.8% range in CSER and a 1.0%–1.5% range in annual energy yield, depending on the climate

The ODYSSEUS Survey. Motivation and First Results: Accretion, Ejection, and Disk Irradiation of CVSO 109

The Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) Director's Discretionary Program of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars, coupled with forthcoming data from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and James Webb Space Telescope, will provide the foundation to revolutionize our understanding of the relationship between young stars and their protoplanetary disks. A comprehensive evaluation of the physics of disk evolution and planet formation requires understanding the intricate relationships between mass accretion, mass outflow, and disk structure. Here we describe the Outflows and Disks around Young Stars: Synergies for the Exploration of ULLYSES Spectra (ODYSSEUS) Survey and present initial results of the classical T Tauri Star CVSO 109 in Orion OB1b as a demonstration of the science that will result from the survey. ODYSSEUS will analyze the ULLYSES spectral database, ensuring a uniform and systematic approach in order to (1) measure how the accretion flow depends on the accretion rate and magnetic structures, (2) determine where winds and jets are launched and how mass-loss rates compare with accretion, and (3) establish the influence of FUV radiation on the chemistry of the warm inner regions of planet-forming disks. ODYSSEUS will also acquire and provide contemporaneous observations at X-ray, optical, near-IR, and millimeter wavelengths to enhance the impact of the ULLYSES data. Our goal is to provide a consistent framework to accurately measure the level and evolution of mass accretion in protoplanetary disks, the properties and magnitudes of inner-disk mass loss, and the influence of UV radiation fields that determine ionization levels and drive disk chemistry.</p

The ODYSSEUS Survey. Motivation and First Results: Accretion, Ejection, and Disk Irradiation of CVSO 109

The Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) Director's Discretionary Program of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars, coupled with forthcoming data from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and James Webb Space Telescope, will provide the foundation to revolutionize our understanding of the relationship between young stars and their protoplanetary disks. A comprehensive evaluation of the physics of disk evolution and planet formation requires understanding the intricate relationships between mass accretion, mass outflow, and disk structure. Here we describe the Outflows and Disks around Young Stars: Synergies for the Exploration of ULLYSES Spectra (ODYSSEUS) Survey and present initial results of the classical T Tauri Star CVSO 109 in Orion OB1b as a demonstration of the science that will result from the survey. ODYSSEUS will analyze the ULLYSES spectral database, ensuring a uniform and systematic approach in order to (1) measure how the accretion flow depends on the accretion rate and magnetic structures, (2) determine where winds and jets are launched and how mass-loss rates compare with accretion, and (3) establish the influence of FUV radiation on the chemistry of the warm inner regions of planet-forming disks. ODYSSEUS will also acquire and provide contemporaneous observations at X-ray, optical, near-IR, and millimeter wavelengths to enhance the impact of the ULLYSES data. Our goal is to provide a consistent framework to accurately measure the level and evolution of mass accretion in protoplanetary disks, the properties and magnitudes of inner-disk mass loss, and the influence of UV radiation fields that determine ionization levels and drive disk chemistry.</p