You never arrive at a place where you can put your feet up or put your foot down. A study of conscious and unconscious processes in assessments of black and ethnic minority families.

This psychosocial study examines some processes at work when commissioners outsource to independent social worker experts (from a black and ethnic minority background social work), assessments involving black and ethnic minority children and families in cases where here are serious child protection issues. Eight participants, (three commissioners, four independent social workers and one parent). were interviewed using the Free Associative Narrative interview method (FANI). The psychosocial research method used values the subjectivity of the researcher, and the FANI method is consistent with this. (Holloway and Jefferson 2000). Data was analysed using a blend of thematic and narrative approaches, supported by reflections on the researcher's own emotional experience of the interviews. The findings of this study centre on assessments of parents from black and ethnic minority backgrounds who had experienced structural inequalities, discrimination and in some cases racism. The independent social work experts have used a particular framework to undertake the assessments and this has assisted them in formulating recommendations. Anxiety and conflict have featured heavily in the assessments. These anxieties are interwoven with the impact of racism on families, independent social work experts and commissioners working in modern social work organisations. Alongside this the importance of anti-racist social work is considered. Anti-racist social work recognises that racism exists within social work and offers a framework to tackle racism within social work. However, currently anti-racist social work appears to have slipped off the professional agenda and has been replaced by more 'neutral' discourses such as 'diversity'. This allows one not to think about race and racism. lt is a study of how anxieties are delegated to independent social work experts. My interest in this study stems from being a black, female, ethnic minority researcher and independent social work expert. The key research findings are firstly, there are conscious and unconscious processes that have influenced the independent social work expert's approach, which included being motivated and affected by their personal experiences with their own parents and families of origin. Secondly, the way an assessment was presented by the independent social work expert was influenced by unresolved issues from their background. Thirdly, the independent social work expert's biographical material is significant both in shaping their capacity to do the work sensitively and in depth, but also in creating blind spots for them. There are significant implications for social work practice. There is a need for a different model and approach to supervision in social work, which is informed by a recognition of the impact of conscious and especially unconscious influences of a practitioner's biographical material. The importance of intersectionality is considered. This is thinking about how family/emotional/biographical factors are interacting with the dynamics of race/ethnicity, and how anxieties about all these in commissioners and practitioners produce a complex psycho-social knot that has to be understood and worked with if we are to do justice to these cases. This deep and complex biographical investment in this work is both a source of strength and vulnerability. lt is evident that there is something professionally and personally reparative for the independent social work experts, and myself as the researcher, in engaging in the discussions and reflections that make up the data and the findings of this research

Assessment of semi-mechanistic bubble departure diameter modelling for the CFD simulation of boiling flows

Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models are increasingly applied to predict multiphase and boiling flows in nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics. In these models, nucleate boiling is usually accounted for by partitioning the heat flux between the different mechanisms of heat transfer involved. Although structured in a mechanistic fashion, heat flux partitioning models are still forced to rely on mainly empirical closure relations. Between the numerous closures required, the bubble departure diameter in particular has a significant influence on the predicted interfacial area concentration and void distribution within the flow. There is now abundant evidence in the literature of the limited accuracy and reliability of the empirically-based correlations that are normally applied in CFD models. In view of this, in this work more mechanistic formulations of bubble departure have been introduced into the STAR-CCM+ code. The models are based on a balance of the hydrodynamic forces that act on a bubble at the nucleation site. Their performance, and compatibility with existing implementations in a CFD framework, are assessed against two different data sets for vertically upward subcooled boiling flows. In general, a significant number of modelling choices is required by these mechanistic models and some recommendations are made. The models are extended to include a more physically-consistent coupled calculation of the frequency of bubble departure. In general, predictions of the wall temperature reach a satisfactory accuracy, even if numerous numerical and modelling uncertainties are still present. In view of this, several areas for future work and modelling improvement are identified, such as the proper modelling of the local subcooling acting on the bubble cap

Assessment of Semi-Mechanistic Bubble Departure Diameter Modelling for the CFD Simulation of Boiling Flows

In Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, increasingly often applied to the prediction of nucleate boiling in nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics, boiling at the wall is usually accounted for by partitioning the heat flux between the different mechanisms of heat transfer involved. Between the numerous closures required, the bubble departure diameter in particular has a significant influence on the predicted interfacial area concentration and void distribution within the flow. In the present work, and following evidence of the limited accuracy and reliability of the empirically-based correlations which are applied normally in CFD models, more mechanistic formulations of bubble departure have been introduced into the STAR-CCM+ code. The performance of these models, based on a balance of the hydrodynamic forces acting on a bubble, and their compatibility with existing implementations in a CFD framework, are assessed against two different data sets for vertically upward subcooled boiling flows. In general, a significant amount of modelling is required by these mechanistic models and some recommendations are made on different modelling choices. The model is extended to include a more physically-consistent coupled calculation of the frequency of bubble departure and the modelling of the local subcooling acting on the bubble cap is analyzed. In general, predictions of void distribution and wall temperature reach a satisfactory accuracy, even if numerous numerical and modelling uncertainties are still present. In view of this, several areas for future work and modelling improvement are identified

An empirical investigation of the emergent issues around OER adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa

In the past few years, Africa has joined the rest of the world as an active participant in the Open Educational Resource (OER) movement with a number of home-grown and externally driven initiatives. These have the potential to make an immense contribution to teaching and learning in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, certain barriers prevent full participation. This paper reports on qualitative research that sought to investigate SSA's readiness to adopt OERs. This study involves three case studies based in higher education institutions involved in OER projects and located in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Contrary to the popular belief, findings indicate that low technological levels in Africa do not necessarily impede the adoption of such educational technologies; the real challenges facing the readiness to adopt OERs appear to be related to socio-economic, cultural, institutional and national issues. This paper argues for a complete mind shift in how people perceive OERs. It also proposes raising awareness of OERs at all levels, involving institutions and government, versioning OERs for the African context and conducting more research on OER adoption

Mass spectrometry detection of inhaled drug in distal fibrotic lung

BACKGROUND: Currently the only available therapies for fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease are administered systemically, often causing significant side effects. Inhaled therapy could avoid these but to date there is no evidence that drug can be effectively delivered to distal, fibrosed lung. We set out to combine mass spectrometry and histopathology with rapid sample acquisition using transbronchial cryobiopsy to determine whether an inhaled drug can be delivered to fibrotic, distal lung parenchyma in participants with Interstitial Lung Disease. METHODS: Patients with radiologically and multidisciplinary team confirmed fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease were eligible for this study. Transbronchial cryobiopsies and endobronchial biopsies were taken from five participants, with Interstitial Lung Disease, within 70 min of administration of a single dose of nebulised ipratropium bromide. Thin tissue cryosections were analysed by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry imaging and correlated with histopathology. The remainder of the cryobiopsies were homogenised and analysed by Liquid Chromatography—tandem Mass Spectrometry. RESULTS: Drug was detected in proximal and distal lung samples from all participants. Fibrotic regions were identified in research samples of four of the five participants. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry imaging showed co-location of ipratropium with fibrotic regions in samples from three participants. CONCLUSIONS: In this proof of concept study, using mass spectrometry, we demonstrate for the first-time that an inhaled drug can deposit in distal fibrotic lung parenchyma in patients with Interstitial Lung Disease. This suggests that drugs to treat pulmonary fibrosis could potentially be administered by the inhaled route

Investigation into Geomagnetic storms and ionospheric scintillation

Understanding how space weather phenomenon affects daily life has been a main focus of space weather studies. In particular, identifying the relationship between solar activities, ionospheric irregularities and consequently ionospheric scintillation has inspired numerous research efforts. Geomagnetic storms fueled by solar activities cause ionospheric irregularities. Ionospheric scintillation occurs when radio signals travel through these irregularities and experience rapid fluctuations in radio signal phase and amplitude. Such fluctuations have great consequences in radio wave based technology such as the Global Position system(GPS) as it causes a loss of lock. Therefore, through the implantation of two GPS Receivers, continuous data was obtained on phase and amplitude of radio signals from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems(GNSS). This data was then thoroughly analyzed to identify scintillation signatures. On January 31st, 2019, scintillation signatures that correlated to a G1 minor geomagnetic storm were observed. In this paper, the method of analysis is adapted from the aforementioned case study to identify past geomagnetic events that possibly correlated with observed scintillation. Through this study, it is hoped that a correlation between geomagnetic storms and ionospheric scintillation in the mid-latitude region will be highlighted

ChatGPT sits the DFPH exam: large language model performance and potential to support public health learning

Background Artificial intelligence-based large language models, like ChatGPT, have been rapidly assessed for both risks and potential in health-related assessment and learning. However, their applications in public health professional exams have not yet been studied. We evaluated the performance of ChatGPT in part of the Faculty of Public Health’s Diplomat exam (DFPH). Methods ChatGPT was provided with a bank of 119 publicly available DFPH question parts from past papers. Its performance was assessed by two active DFPH examiners. The degree of insight and level of understanding apparently displayed by ChatGPT was also assessed. Results ChatGPT passed 3 of 4 papers, surpassing the current pass rate. It performed best on questions relating to research methods. Its answers had a high floor. Examiners identified ChatGPT answers with 73.6% accuracy and human answers with 28.6% accuracy. ChatGPT provided a mean of 3.6 unique insights per question and appeared to demonstrate a required level of learning on 71.4% of occasions. Conclusions Large language models have rapidly increasing potential as a learning tool in public health education. However, their factual fallibility and the difficulty of distinguishing their responses from that of humans pose potential threats to teaching and learning

The meso scale as a frontier in interdisciplinary modeling of sustainability from local to global scales

Achieving sustainable development requires understanding how human behavior and the environment interact across spatial scales. In particular, knowing how to manage tradeoffs between the environment and the economy, or between one spatial scale and another, necessitates a modeling approach that allows these different components to interact. Existing integrated local and global analyses provide key insights, but often fail to capture 'meso-scale' phenomena that operate at scales between the local and the global, leading to erroneous predictions and a constrained scope of analysis. Meso-scale phenomena are difficult to model because of their complexity and computational challenges, where adding additional scales can increase model run-time exponentially. These additions, however, are necessary to make models that include sufficient detail for policy-makers to assess tradeoffs. Here, we synthesize research that explicitly includes meso-scale phenomena and assess where further efforts might be fruitful in improving our predictions and expanding the scope of questions that sustainability science can answer. We emphasize five categories of models relevant to sustainability science, including biophysical models, integrated assessment models, land-use change models, earth-economy models and spatial downscaling models. We outline the technical and methodological challenges present in these areas of research and discuss seven directions for future research that will improve coverage of meso-scale effects. Additionally, we provide a specific worked example that shows the challenges present, and possible solutions, for modeling meso-scale phenomena in integrated earth-economy models

Determining the impact of an artificial intelligence tool on the management of pulmonary nodules detected incidentally on CT (DOLCE) study protocol: a prospective, non-interventional multicentre UK study

\ua9 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. INTRODUCTION: In a small percentage of patients, pulmonary nodules found on CT scans are early lung cancers. Lung cancer detected at an early stage has a much better prognosis. The British Thoracic Society guideline on managing pulmonary nodules recommends using multivariable malignancy risk prediction models to assist in management. While these guidelines seem to be effective in clinical practice, recent data suggest that artificial intelligence (AI)-based malignant-nodule prediction solutions might outperform existing models. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a prospective, observational multicentre study to assess the clinical utility of an AI-assisted CT-based lung cancer prediction tool (LCP) for managing incidental solid and part solid pulmonary nodule patients vs standard care. Two thousand patients will be recruited from 12 different UK hospitals. The primary outcome is the difference between standard care and LCP-guided care in terms of the rate of benign nodules and patients with cancer discharged straight after the assessment of the baseline CT scan. Secondary outcomes investigate adherence to clinical guidelines, other measures of changes to clinical management, patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been reviewed and given a favourable opinion by the South Central-Oxford C Research Ethics Committee in UK (REC reference number: 22/SC/0142).Study results will be available publicly following peer-reviewed publication in open-access journals. A patient and public involvement group workshop is planned before the study results are available to discuss best methods to disseminate the results. Study results will also be fed back to participating organisations to inform training and procurement activities. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05389774

Weighing the Association Between BMI Change and Suicide Mortality

OBJECTIVE: Suicide rates continue to rise, necessitating the identification of risk factors. Obesity and suicide mortality rates have been examined, but associations among weight change, death by suicide, and depression among adults in the United States remain unclear. METHODS: Data from 387 people who died by suicide in 2000-2015 with a recorded body mass index (BMI) in the first and second 6 months preceding their death ( index date ) were extracted from the Mental Health Research Network. Each person was matched with five people in a control group (comprising individuals who did not die by suicide) by age, sex, index year, and health care site (N=1,935). RESULTS: People who died by suicide were predominantly male (71%), White (69%), and middle aged (mean age=57 years) and had a depression diagnosis (55%) and chronic health issues (57%) (corresponding results for the control group: 71% male, 66% White, 14% with depression diagnosis, and 43% with chronic health issues; mean age=56 years). Change in BMI within the year before the index date statistically significantly differed between those who died by suicide (mean change=-0.72±2.42 kg/m(2)) and the control group (mean change=0.06±4.99 kg/m(2)) (p\u3c0.001, Cohen\u27s d=0.17). A one-unit BMI decrease was associated with increased risk for suicide after adjustment for demographic characteristics, mental disorders, and Charlson comorbidity score (adjusted odds ratio=1.11, 95% confidence interval=1.05-1.18, p\u3c0.001). For those without depression, a BMI change was significantly associated with suicide (p\u3c0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An increased suicide mortality rate was associated with weight loss in the year before a suicide after analyses accounted for general and mental health indicators