Perceptions, experiences and opportunities for occupational safety and health professionals arising out of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explored perceptions, experiences and opportunities for the occupational safety and health professional (OSHP) as a result of COVID-19. Using qualitative methods, interviews took place with OSHPs in two organisations to understand how their role developed during the pandemic. Additionally, seven focus groups were organised and met virtually, using the Zoom platform, each addressing a different topic identified by the researchers. Participants (n = 45) from 10 different countries were distributed among the focus groups. Topics were separated into four themes: impact on the workplace; the psychosocial dynamic; medical and health issues and occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. Results were subsequently divided into seven action categories and compared with the findings from the organisational interviews. Comparison pointed to an expanded role for the OSHP including business continuity, resilience and wellbeing in addition to assessing and controlling risks emerging during the pandemic. There is also the need for a means to adequately disseminate trustworthy information. Results indicated that there was no single ‘average’ role of the OSHP, demonstrating essential contributions as a member of the management team. Results also stressed that the pandemic carried three health-related co-morbidities, stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and burnout. Directions for future research included: the education of the OSHP to support a move away from compliance towards risk management; determining how mental health issues in organisations should be managed; expanded roles for OSHPs within business; and implications for professional bodies, membership institutions and academia in supporting the above-mentioned emerging roles

Animation prototyping of formal specifications

At the present time one of the key issues relating to the design of real-time systems is the specification of software requirements. It is now clear that specification correctness is an essential factor for the design and implementation of high quality software. As a result considerable emphasis is placed on producing specifications which are not only correct, but provably so. This has led to the application of mathematically-based formal specification techniques in the software life-cycle model. Unfortunately, experience in safety-critical systems has shown that specification correctness is not, in itself, sufficient. Such specifications must also be comprehensible to all involved in the system development. The topic of this thesis—Animation Prototyping—is a methodology devised to make such specifications understandable and usable. Its primary objective is to demonstrate key properties of formal specifications to non-software specialists. This it does through the use of computer-animated pictures which respond to the dictates of the formal specification. [Continues.

Fate of Irgarol 1051, diuron and their main metabolites in two UK marine systems after restrictions in antifouling paints

Two major antifouling biocides used worldwide, Irgarol 1051 and diuron, and their degradation products in Shoreham Harbour and Brighton Marina, UK were studied during 2003-2004. The highest concentrations of Irgarol 1051 were 136 and 102 ng L(-1) in water and 40 and 49 ng g(-1) dry weight in sediments for Shoreham Harbour and Brighton Marina, respectively. As the degradation product of Irgarol 1051, M1 was also widespread, with the highest concentration of 59 ng L(-1) in water and 23 ng g(-1) in sediments in Shoreham Harbour, and 37 ng L(-1) in water and 5.6 ng g(-1) in sediments in Brighton Marina. The target compounds showed enhanced concentrations during the boating season (May-July), when boats were being re-painted (January-February), and where the density of pleasure crafts was high. Overall, the concentration of Irgarol 1051 decreased significantly from late 2000 to early 2004, indicating the effectiveness of controlling its concentrations in the marine environment following restricted use. Diuron was only detected in 14% of water samples, and mostly absent from sediment samples

An integrated discrete event simulation and particle swarm optimisation model for optimising efficiency of cancer diagnosis pathways

The National Health Service (NHS) constitution sets out minimum standards for rights of access of patients to NHS services. The ‘Faster Diagnosis Standard’ (FDS) states that 75% of patients should be told whether they have a diagnosis of cancer or not within 28 days of an urgent GP referral. Timely diagnosis and treatment lead to improved outcomes for cancer patients, however, compliance with these standards has recently been challenged, particularly in the context of operational pressures and resource constraints relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to minimise diagnostic delays, the National Physical Laboratory in collaboration with the Royal Free London (RFL) NHS Foundation Trust address this problem by treating it as a formal resource optimisation, aiming to minimise the number of patients who breach the FDS. We use discrete event simulation and particle swarm optimisation to identify areas for improving the efficiency of cancer diagnosis at the RFL. We highlight capacity-demand mismatches in the current cancer diagnosis pathways at the RFL, including imaging and endoscopy investigations. This is due to the volume of patients requiring these investigations to meet the 28-day FDS target. We find that increasing resources in one area alone does not fully solve the problem. By looking at the system as a whole we identify areas for improvement which will have system-wide impact even though individually they do not necessarily seem significant. The outcomes and impact of this project have the potential to make a valuable impact on shaping future hospital activity

Friendship and support.

Cover title.Prepared by Robert Hughes, Jr.; editor, Charles S. Thomas.Bibliography: p. 7

How divorce affects kids.

Cover title.Prepared by Robert Hughes, Jr.; editor, Charles S. Thomas.Bibliography: p. [7

Managing stress.

Prepared by Robert Hughes, Jr.; editor, Charles S. Thomas.Cover title

Identity and belonging in social learning groups : the importance of distinguishing social, operational and knowledge-related identity congruence

Collaborative learning has much to offer but not all learners participate fully and peer groups can be exclusive. The paper examines how belonging or 'congruence' in learning groups is related to identities of gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic status. A study of student experiences of collaborative learning on three different blended learning courses illustrated how learners negotiate identity congruence with peer groups to belong and engage. An analytical framework that distinguishes social, operational and knowledge-related identity congruence has emerged. Contrary to received wisdom, the social aspect appears least important for learner engagement while knowledge-related identity congruence is fundamental. Some of the consequences of identity incongruence, particularly concerning gender and maturity, are discussed and the paper points towards the pedagogies which might enable identities of group members to shift so that collaborative learning can flourish

Protocol for a case-control diagnostic accuracy study to develop diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (DIPSOC study): a multicentre study recruiting in UK paediatric dermatology clinics

Introduction Diagnosing psoriasis in children can be challenging. Early and accurate diagnosis is important to ensure patients receive psoriasis specific treatment and monitoring. It is recognised that the physical, psychological, quality of life, financial and comorbid burden of psoriasis are significant. The aim of this study is to develop clinical examination and history-based diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children to help differentiate psoriasis from other scaly inflammatory rashes. The criteria tested in this study were developed through a consensus study with a group of international psoriasis experts (International Psoriasis Council). Methods and analysis Children and young people (<18 years) with psoriasis (cases) and other scaly inflammatory skin diseases (controls) diagnosed by a dermatologist are eligible for recruitment. All participants complete a single research visit including a diagnostic criteria assessment by a trained investigator blinded to the participant’s diagnosis. The reference standard of a dermatologist’s diagnosis is extracted from the medical record. Sensitivity and specificity of the consensus derived diagnostic criteria will be calculated and the best predictive criteria developed using multivariate logistic regression. Ethics and dissemination Health Regulatory Authority and National Health Service Research Ethics Committee approvals were granted in February 2017 (REC Ref: 17/ EM/0035). Dissemination will be guided by stakeholders; patients, children and