402 research outputs found
School closure in response to epidemic outbreaks: Systems-based logic model of downstream impacts [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
Background: School closures have been a recommended non-pharmaceutical intervention in pandemic response owing to the potential to reduce transmission of infection between children, school staff and those that they contact. However, given the many roles that schools play in society, closure for any extended period is likely to have additional impacts. Literature reviews of research exploring school closure to date have focused upon epidemiological effects; there is an unmet need for research that considers the multiplicity of potential impacts of school closures.
Methods: We used systematic searching, coding and synthesis techniques to develop a systems-based logic model. We included literature related to school closure planned in response to epidemics large and small, spanning the 1918-19 âflu pandemic through to the emerging literature on the 2019 novel coronavirus. We used over 170 research studies and a number of policy documents to inform our model.
Results: The model organises the concepts used by authors into seven higher level domains: childrenâs health and wellbeing, childrenâs education, impacts on teachers and other school staff, the school organisation, considerations for parents and families, public health considerations, and broader economic impacts. The model also collates ideas about potential moderating factors and ethical considerations. While dependent upon the nature of epidemics experienced to date, we aim for the model to provide a starting point for theorising about school closures in general, and as part of a wider system that is influenced by contextual and population factors.
Conclusions: The model highlights that the impacts of school closures are much broader than those related solely to health, and demonstrates that there is a need for further concerted work in this area. The publication of this logic model should help to frame future research in this area and aid decision-makers when considering future school closure policy and possible mitigation strategies
Comments on alternative calculations of the broadening of spectral lines of neutral sodium by H-atom collisions
With the exception of the sodium D-lines recent calculations of line
broadening cross-sections for several multiplets of sodium by Leininger et al
(2000) are in substantial disagreement with cross-sections interpolated from
the tables of Anstee and O'Mara (1995) and Barklem and O'Mara (1997). The
discrepancy is as large as a factor of three for the 3p-4d multiplet. The two
theories are tested by using the results of each to synthesize lines in the
solar spectrum. It is found that generally the data from the theory of Anstee,
Barklem and O'Mara produce the best match to the observed solar spectrum. It is
found, using a simple model for reflection of the optical electron by the
potential barrier between the two atoms, that the reflection coefficient is too
large for avoided crossings with the upper states of subordinate lines to
contribute to line broadening, supporting the neglect of avoided ionic
crossings by Anstee, Barklem and O'Mara for these lines. The large
discrepancies between the two sets of calculations is a result of an
approximate treatment of avoided ionic crossings for these lines by Leininger
et al (2000).Comment: 18 pages, 5 ps figures included, to appear in J Phys B: At. Mol. Opt.
Phy
The Human Behaviour-Change Project: An artificial intelligence system to answer questions about changing behaviour [version 1; peer review: not peer reviewed]
Changing behaviour is necessary to address many of the threats facing human populations. However, identifying behaviour change interventions likely to be effective in particular contexts as a basis for improving them presents a major challenge. The Human Behaviour-Change Project harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and behavioural science to organise global evidence about behaviour change to predict outcomes in common and unknown behaviour change scenarios
Scientific, Back-Illuminated CCD Development for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
We describe the development of the fully depleted, back illuminated charge coupled devices for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which includes a set of four wide angle telescopes, each having a 2x2 array of CCDs. The devices are fabricated on the newly upgraded 200-mm wafer line at Lincoln Laboratory. We discuss methods used to produce the devices and present early performance results from the 100- micron thick, 15x15-microns, 2k x 4k pixel frame transfer CCDs
The Human Behaviour-Change Project: Harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for evidence synthesis and interpretation
Background
Behaviour change is key to addressing both the challenges facing human health and wellbeing and to promoting the uptake of research findings in health policy and practice. We need to make better use of the vast amount of accumulating evidence from behaviour change intervention (BCI) evaluations and promote the uptake of that evidence into a wide range of contexts. The scale and complexity of the task of synthesising and interpreting this evidence, and increasing evidence timeliness and accessibility, will require increased computer support.
The Human Behaviour-Change Project (HBCP) will use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to (i) develop and evaluate a âKnowledge Systemâ that automatically extracts, synthesises and interprets findings from BCI evaluation reports to generate new insights about behaviour change and improve prediction of intervention effectiveness and (ii) allow users, such as practitioners, policy makers and researchers, to easily and efficiently query the system to get answers to variants of the question âWhat works, compared with what, how well, with what exposure, with what behaviours (for how long), for whom, in what settings and why?â.
Methods
The HBCP will: a) develop an ontology of BCI evaluations and their reports linking effect sizes for given target behaviours with intervention content and delivery and mechanisms of action, as moderated by exposure, populations and settings; b) develop and train an automated feature extraction system to annotate BCI evaluation reports using this ontology; c) develop and train machine learning and reasoning algorithms to use the annotated BCI evaluation reports to predict effect sizes for particular combinations of behaviours, interventions, populations and settings; d) build user and machine interfaces for interrogating and updating the knowledge base; and e) evaluate all the above in terms of performance and utility.
Discussion
The HBCP aims to revolutionise our ability to synthesise, interpret and deliver evidence on behaviour change interventions that is up-to-date and tailored to user need and context. This will enhance the usefulness, and support the implementation of, that evidence.The project is funded by a Wellcome Trust collaborative award [The Human Behaviour-Change Project: Building the science of behaviour change for complex intervention developmentâ, 201,524/Z/16/Z]. During the preparation of the manuscript RWâs salary was funded by Cancer Research UK
PCN2 SAFETY AND TREATMENT PATTERNS OF ANGIOGENESIS INHIBITORS IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (MRCC) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF AN ONGOING CHARTS REVIEW STUDY
Neutron stars from young nearby associations the origin of RXJ1605.3+3249
Many neutron stars (NSs) and runaway stars apparently come from the same
regions on the sky. This suggests that they share the same birth places, namely
associations and clusters of young massive stars. To identify NS birth places,
we attempt to and NS-runaway pairs that could be former companions that were
disrupted in a supernova (SN). The remains of recent (<few Myr) nearby (< 150
pc) SNe should still be identifiable by observing the emission of rare
radioisotopes such as 26Al and 60Fe that can also be used as additional
indicators to confirm a possible SN event. We investigated the origin of the
isolated NS RXJ1605.3+3249 and found that it was probably born ~100 pc far from
Earth 0.45 Myr ago in the extended Corona-Australis or Octans associations, or
in Sco OB4 ~1 kpc 3.5 Myr ago. A SN in Octans is supported by the
identification of one to two possible former companions the runaway stars HIP
68228 and HIP 89394, as well as the appearance of a feature in the gamma ray
emission from 26Al decay at the predicted SN place. Both, the progenitor masses
estimated by comparison with theoretical 26Al yields as well as derived from
the life time of the progenitor star, are found to be ~11MSun.Comment: accepted for publication in PASA, special volume Astronomy with
Radioactivities; 10 pages, 4 figures, 5 table
Pancreatic cancer in type 1 and young-onset diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis
We conducted a systematic review of the risk of pancreatic cancer in people with type I and young-onset diabetes. In three cohort and six caseâcontrol studies, the relative risk for pancreatic cancer in people with (vs without) diabetes was 2.00 (95% confidence interval 1.37â3.01) based on 39 cases with diabetes
Measurement of the diffractive structure function in deep inelastic scattering at HERA
This paper presents an analysis of the inclusive properties of diffractive
deep inelastic scattering events produced in interactions at HERA. The
events are characterised by a rapidity gap between the outgoing proton system
and the remaining hadronic system. Inclusive distributions are presented and
compared with Monte Carlo models for diffractive processes. The data are
consistent with models where the pomeron structure function has a hard and a
soft contribution. The diffractive structure function is measured as a function
of \xpom, the momentum fraction lost by the proton, of , the momentum
fraction of the struck quark with respect to \xpom, and of . The \xpom
dependence is consistent with the form \xpoma where
in all bins of and
. In the measured range, the diffractive structure function
approximately scales with at fixed . In an Ingelman-Schlein type
model, where commonly used pomeron flux factor normalisations are assumed, it
is found that the quarks within the pomeron do not saturate the momentum sum
rule.Comment: 36 pages, latex, 11 figures appended as uuencoded fil
Improving smoking cessation care in pregnancy at Aboriginal Medical Services: 'ICAN QUIT in Pregnancy' step-wedge cluster randomised study
Objectives This study aimed to examine the impact of the
âICAN QUIT in Pregnancyâ intervention on individual health
providers (HPs) smoking cessation care (SCC) knowledge,
attitudes and practices in general, and specifically
regarding nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prescription.
Design Step-wedge clustered randomised controlled
study. HPs answered a preintervention and 1â6 months
postintervention survey.
Setting Six Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs) in three
states of Australia.
Participants All HPs were invited to participate. Of 93
eligible, 50 consented (54%), 45 completed the presurvey
(90%) and 20 the post (40%).
Intervention Included three 1-hour webinar sessions,
educational resource package and free oral NRT.
Outcomes HPs knowledge was measured using
two composite scoresâone from all 24 true/false
statements, and one from 12 NRT-specific statements.
Self-assessment of 22 attitudes to providing SCC were
measured using a five-point Likert scale (Strongly disagree
to Strongly agree). Two composite mean scores were
calculatedâone for 15 general SCC attitudes, and one for
7 NRT-specific attitudes. Self-reported provision of SCC
components was measured on a five-point Likert scale
(Never to Always). Feasibility outcomes, and data collected
on the service and patient level are reported elsewhere.
Results Mean knowledge composite scores improved
from pre to post (78% vs 84% correct, difference 5.95,
95%CI 1.57 to 10.32). Mean NRT-specific knowledge
composite score also improved (68% vs 79% correct,
difference 9.9, 95%CI 3.66 to 16.14). Mean attitude
composite score improved (3.65 (SD 0.4) to 3.87 (SD 0.4),
difference 0.23, 95%CI 0.05 to 0.41). Mean NRT-specific
attitudes composite score also improved (3.37 (SD 0.6) to
3.64 (SD 0.7), difference 0.36, 95%CI 0.13 to 0.6). Selfreported practices were unchanged, including prescribing
NRT.
Conclusions A multicomponent culturally sensitive
intervention in AMSs was feasible, and might improve HPs
provision of SCC to pregnant Aboriginal women. Changes
in NRT prescription rates may require additional intensive
measures
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