First-year transition, mental health and the attainment of undergraduate students at a UK university: A pilot study to understand the role played by ethnicity

In UK Higher Education, differential degree outcomes have persisted for many years between White students and students from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. The present study investigates whether these ethnic differences also exist in transitional challenges first-year students experience and how those transitional challenges have impacted student wellbeing and academic attainment. The online questionnaire adopted engaged 99 undergraduate students including 15 from BAME backgrounds taking social sciences courses at one UK university. Whilst there was no statistically significant difference in transitional challenges faced by different ethnic groups there were marked differences in individual experiences, and findings do suggest BAME students are less likely to access the university’s student support services if they encounter challenges during the transition period. In addition, it was found that the most prevalent transitional challenge among students of all ethnicities was encountering both homesickness and financial difficulties, whilst struggling with the course was perceived to have the largest impact on students’ perceived attainment

Understanding the sleep-aggression relationship in a forensic mental health sample

The contribution of cognition to the sleep-aggression relationship is explored via three connected studies, involving adult male forensic patients detained in a high secure hospital. Study 1 included 31 patients, interviewed to examine their experiences of specific sleep problems. In Study 2, 42 patients completed a series of measures examining sleep dysfunction, aggression, and cognition, while Study 3 was designed to impact on sleep via a cognitive approach. In the latter, 48 patients were randomly assigned as part of a feasibility trial to one of three conditions: mindfulness (cognitive approach), sleep education, and treatment as usual. Collectively, the studies demonstrated the multifaceted nature of cognition in the sleep-aggression relationship, with a need to account fully for cognitive factors. A preliminary conceptual model is outlined - the Cognitive Sleep Model for Aggression and Self Harm (CoSMASH), as a direction for future research to consider

American Family Cohort, a data resource description

This manuscript is a research resource description and presents a large and novel Electronic Health Records (EHR) data resource, American Family Cohort (AFC). The AFC data is derived from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certified American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) PRIME registry. The PRIME registry is the largest national Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for Primary Care. The data is converted to a popular common data model, the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM). The resource presents approximately 90 million encounters for 7.5 million patients. All 100% of the patients present age, gender, and address information, and 73% report race. Nealy 93% of patients have lab data in LOINC, 86% have medication data in RxNorm, 93% have diagnosis in SNOWMED and ICD, 81% have procedures in HCPCS or CPT, and 61% have insurance information. The richness, breadth, and diversity of this research accessible and research ready data is expected to accelerate observational studies in many diverse areas. We expect this resource to facilitate research in many years to come

Clinical Registries Could Improve Influenza Like Illness and COVID-19 Surveillance

Capacity for tracking COVID-19 prevalence patterns is hampered by insufficient data, particularly from rural and small communities. The PRIME Registry holds data for 5.4 million patients in 47 states who made 638,983 Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) visits in 2019, mirroring CDC’s ILINet temporal patterns but with higher volume and greater rural penetration. Clinical data registries are viable partners that could fill gaps for epidemic sentinel functions and have rich patient data which may identify factors predictive of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154853/1/ILI-PRIME_AnnalsFamMed_FINAL.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154853/2/RehkopfILIFig1.docxhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154853/3/RehkopfILIFig2.docxDescription of ILI-PRIME_AnnalsFamMed_FINAL.pdf : Main ArticleDescription of RehkopfILIFig1.docx : Figure 1Description of RehkopfILIFig2.docx : Figure

Phenotypic/Genotypic Profile of Oxa-10-like-Harboring, Carbapenem-Resistant \u3cem\u3ePseudomonas aeruginosa: \u3c/em\u3eUsing Validated Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic \u3cem\u3ein Vivo \u3c/em\u3eModels to Further Evaluate Enzyme Functionality and Clinical Implications

In vitro MICs and in vivo pharmacodynamics of ceftazidime and cefepime human-simulated regimens (HSR) against modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM)-positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates harboring different OXA-10-like subtypes were described. The murine thigh model assessed ceftazidime (2 g every 8 h [q8h] HSR) and cefepime (2 g and 1 g q8h HSR). Phenotypes were similar despite possessing OXA-10-like subtypes with differing spectra. Ceftazidime produced ≥1-log10 killing in all isolates. Cefepime activity was dose dependent and MIC driven. This approach may be useful in assessing the implications of β-lactamase variants

Lessons learned during down referral of antiretroviral treatment in Tete, Mozambique

As sub-Saharan African countries continue to scale up antiretroviral treatment, there has been an increasing emphasis on moving provision of services from hospital level to the primary health care clinic level. Delivery of antiretroviral treatment at the clinic level increases the number of entry points to care, while the greater proximity of services encourages retention in care

Hearing effects from intermittent and continuous noise exposure in a study of Korean factory workers and firefighters

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>South Korea and surrounding countries in East Asia are believed to have the highest proportion in the world of high frequency hearing loss due to occupational noise exposure, yet there has been limited information published in international journals, and limited information for control of noise in local workplaces beyond strategies from western countries. We exploit medical surveillance information from two worker groups to enhance local knowledge about noise-induced hearing loss and explore the possible importance of shift work to risk.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Four-years of hearing data were evaluated for 81 male farm machine factory workers and 371 male firefighters who had successfully completed a health examination and questionnaires for the duration of the study period. The averages of hearing thresholds at 2, 3, and 4 kHz were used as the primary end-point for comparison. Repeat measure analysis adjusted for age, exposure duration and smoking status was used to measure the difference in hearing threshold between the two groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Noise levels were measured in the factory at a mean of 82 dBA, with a range of 66-97. No concurrent measurements were taken for the firefighters, but historic comparison values showed a wider range but a similar mean of 76-79 dBA. Although losses during follow-up were negligible, the factory workers had significantly (<it>P </it>< 0.0001) more hearing loss at the baseline of the study than the firefighters in both ears at 2, 3, and 4 kHz, adjusted for age, duration of employment and smoking status. Among those with 10 years of employment, mean losses at these frequencies among the factory workers fell into the impairment range (> 25 dB loss). Firefighters also showed increased losses associated with longer exposure duration, but these were significantly less marked. Losses at lower frequencies (< or = 1 kHz) were negligible in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Korean work environments with continuous noise exposure in the measured range should consider implementation of a hearing conservation program. Further evaluation of hearing loss in workers exposed to irregular or intermittent high noise levels, such as firefighters, is also warranted.</p

Measurement of the proton form factor by studying e+e−→ppˉe^{+} e^{-}\rightarrow p\bar{p}

Using data samples collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, we measure the Born cross section of $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow p\bar{p}$ at 12 center-of-mass energies from 2232.4 to 3671.0 MeV. The corresponding effective electromagnetic form factor of the proton is deduced under the assumption that the electric and magnetic form factors are equal $(|G_{E}|= |G_{M}|)$. In addition, the ratio of electric to magnetic form factors, $|G_{E}/G_{M}|$, and $|G_{M}|$ are extracted by fitting the polar angle distribution of the proton for the data samples with larger statistics, namely at $\sqrt{s}=$ 2232.4 and 2400.0 MeV and a combined sample at $\sqrt{s}$ = 3050.0, 3060.0 and 3080.0 MeV, respectively. The measured cross sections are in agreement with recent results from BaBar, improving the overall uncertainty by about 30\%. The $|G_{E}/G_{M}|$ ratios are close to unity and consistent with BaBar results in the same $q^{2}$ region, which indicates the data are consistent with the assumption that $|G_{E}|=|G_{M}|$ within uncertainties.Comment: 13 pages, 24 figure

Confirmation of a charged charmoniumlike state Zc(3885)∓Z_c(3885)^{\mp} in e+e−→π±(DDˉ∗)∓e^+e^-\to\pi^{\pm}(D\bar{D}^*)^\mp with double DD tag

We present a study of the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^{\pm}(D\bar{D}^*)^{\mp}$ using data samples of 1092~pb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=4.23$~GeV and 826~pb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=4.26$~GeV collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. With full reconstruction of the $D$ meson pair and the bachelor $\pi^{\pm}$ in the final state, we confirm the existence of the charged structure $Z_c(3885)^{\mp}$ in the $(D\bar{D}^*)^{\mp}$ system in the two isospin processes $e^+e^-\to\pi^+D^0D^{*-}$ and $e^+e^-\to\pi^+D^-D^{*0}$. By performing a simultaneous fit, the statistical significance of $Zc(3885)^{\mp}$ signal is determined to be greater than 10$\sigma$, and its pole mass and width are measured to be $M_{\rm{pole}}$=(3881.7$\pm$1.6(stat.)$\pm$1.6(syst.))~MeV/$c^2$ and $\Gamma_{\rm{pole}}$=(26.6$\pm$2.0(stat.)$\pm$2.1(syst.))~MeV, respectively. The Born cross section times the $(D\bar{D}^*)^{\mp}$ branching fraction ($\sigma(e^+e^-\to\pi^{\pm}Z_{c}(3885)^{\mp}) \times Br(Z_{c}(3885)^{\mp}\to(D\bar{D}^*)^{\mp})$) is measured to be $(141.6\pm7.9(\text{stat.})\pm12.3(\text{syst.}))~\text{pb}$ at $\sqrt{s}=4.23$~GeV and $(108.4\pm6.9(\text{stat.})\pm8.8(\text{syst.}))~\text{pb}$ at $\sqrt{s}=4.26$~GeV. The polar angular distribution of the $\pi^{\pm}$-$Z_c(3885)^{\mp}$ system is consistent with the expectation of a quantum number assignment of $J^P=1^+$ for $Z_c(3885)^{\mp}$

Observation of the isospin-violating decay J/ψ→ϕπ0f0(980)J/\psi \to \phi\pi^{0}f_{0}(980)

Using a sample of 1.31 billion $J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, the decays $J/\psi \to \phi \pi^{+}\pi^{-}\pi^{0}$ and $J/\psi \to \phi \pi^{0}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$ are investigated. The isospin violating decay $J/\psi \to \phi \pi^{0} f_{0}(980)$ with $f_{0}(980) \to \pi\pi$, is observed for the first time. The width of the $f_{0}(980)$ obtained from the dipion mass spectrum is found to be much smaller than the world average value. In the $\pi^{0} f_{0}(980)$ mass spectrum, there is evidence of $f_1(1285)$ production. By studying the decay $J/\psi \to \phi\eta'$, the branching fractions of $\eta' \to \pi^{+}\pi^{-}\pi^{0}$ and $\eta' \to \pi^{0}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$, as well as their ratio, are also measured.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, published in Phys. Rev.