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The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) offers powerful new capabilities for studying the polarised and magnetised Universe at radio wavelengths. In this paper, we introduce the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a groundbreaking survey with three primary objectives: (1) to create a comprehensive Faraday rotation measure (RM) grid of up to one million compact extragalactic sources across the southern $\sim50$% of the sky (20,630 deg$^2$); (2) to map the intrinsic polarisation and RM properties of a wide range of discrete extragalactic and Galactic objects over the same area; and (3) to contribute interferometric data with excellent surface brightness sensitivity, which can be combined with single-dish data to study the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium. Observations for the full POSSUM survey commenced in May 2023 and are expected to conclude by mid-2028. POSSUM will achieve an RM grid density of around 30–50 RMs per square degree with a median measurement uncertainty of $\sim$1 rad m$^{-2}$. The survey operates primarily over a frequency range of 800–1088 MHz, with an angular resolution of 20” and a typical RMS sensitivity in Stokes Q or U of 18 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Additionally, the survey will be supplemented by similar observations covering 1296–1440 MHz over 38% of the sky. POSSUM will enable the discovery and detailed investigation of magnetised phenomena in a wide range of cosmic environments, including the intergalactic medium and cosmic web, galaxy clusters and groups, active galactic nuclei and radio galaxies, the Magellanic System and other nearby galaxies, galaxy halos and the circumgalactic medium, and the magnetic structure of the Milky Way across a very wide range of scales, as well as the interplay between these components. This paper reviews the current science case developed by the POSSUM Collaboration and provides an overview of POSSUM’s observations, data processing, outputs, and its complementarity with other radio and multi-wavelength surveys, including future work with the SKA.
The field of healthcare epidemiology is increasingly focused on identifying, characterizing, and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) to address inequities in healthcare quality. To identify evidence gaps, we examined recent systematic reviews examining the association of race, ethnicity, and SDOH with inpatient quality measures.
Methods:
We searched Medline via OVID for English language systematic reviews from 2010 to 2022 addressing race, ethnicity, or SDOH domains and inpatient quality measures in adults using specific topic questions. We imported all citations to Covidence (www.covidence.org, Veritas Health Innovation) and removed duplicates. Two blinded reviewers assessed all articles for inclusion in 2 phases: title/abstract, then full-text review. Discrepancies were resolved by a third reviewer.
Results:
Of 472 systematic reviews identified, 39 were included. Of these, 23 examined all-cause mortality; 6 examined 30-day readmission rates; 4 examined length of stay, 4 examined falls, 2 examined surgical site infections (SSIs) and one review examined risk of venous thromboembolism. The most evaluated SDOH measures were sex (n = 9), income and/or employment status (n = 9), age (n = 6), race and ethnicity (n = 6), and education (n = 5). No systematic reviews assessed medication use errors or healthcare-associated infections. We found very limited assessment of other SDOH measures such as economic stability, neighborhood, and health system access.
Conclusion:
A limited number of systematic reviews have examined the association of race, ethnicity and SDOH measures with inpatient quality measures, and existing reviews highlight wide variability in reporting. Future systematic evaluations of SDOH measures are needed to better understand the relationships with inpatient quality measures.
With the rise of online references, podcasts, webinars, self-test tools, and social media, it is worthwhile to understand whether textbooks continue to provide value in medical education, and to assess the capacity they serve during fellowship training.
Methods:
A prospective mixed-methods study based on surveys that were disseminated to seven paediatric cardiology fellowship programmes around the world. Participants were asked to read an assigned chapter of Anderson’s Pediatric Cardiology 4th Edition textbook, followed by the completion of the survey. Open-ended questions included theming and grouping responses as appropriate.
Results:
The survey was completed by 36 participants. When asked about the content, organisation, and utility of the chapter, responses were generally positive, at greater than 89%. The chapters, overall, were rated relatively easy to read, scoring at 6.91, with standard deviations plus or minus 1.72, on a scale from 1 to 10, with higher values meaning better results. When asked to rank their preferences in where they obtain educational content, textbooks were ranked the second highest, with in-person teaching ranking first. Several themes were identified including the limitations of the use of textbook use, their value, and ways to enhance learning from their reading. There was also a near-unanimous desire for more time to self-learn and read during fellowship.
Conclusions:
Textbooks are still highly valued by trainees. Many opportunities exist, nonetheless, to improve how they can be organised to deliver information optimally. Future efforts should look towards making them more accessible, and to include more resources for asynchronous learning.
We examined whether cannabis use contributes to the increased risk of psychotic disorder for non-western minorities in Europe.
Methods
We used data from the EU-GEI study (collected at sites in Spain, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands) on 825 first-episode patients and 1026 controls. We estimated the odds ratio (OR) of psychotic disorder for several groups of migrants compared with the local reference population, without and with adjustment for measures of cannabis use.
Results
The OR of psychotic disorder for non-western minorities, adjusted for age, sex, and recruitment area, was 1.80 (95% CI 1.39–2.33). Further adjustment of this OR for frequency of cannabis use had a minimal effect: OR = 1.81 (95% CI 1.38–2.37). The same applied to adjustment for frequency of use of high-potency cannabis. Likewise, adjustments of ORs for most sub-groups of non-western countries had a minimal effect. There were two exceptions. For the Black Caribbean group in London, after adjustment for frequency of use of high-potency cannabis the OR decreased from 2.45 (95% CI 1.25–4.79) to 1.61 (95% CI 0.74–3.51). Similarly, the OR for Surinamese and Dutch Antillean individuals in Amsterdam decreased after adjustment for daily use: from 2.57 (95% CI 1.07–6.15) to 1.67 (95% CI 0.62–4.53).
Conclusions
The contribution of cannabis use to the excess risk of psychotic disorder for non-western minorities was small. However, some evidence of an effect was found for people of Black Caribbean heritage in London and for those of Surinamese and Dutch Antillean heritage in Amsterdam.
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are disproportionately affected by diet-related disease such as type 2 diabetes, the rate of which is 20 fold higher than that of non-Indigenous young Australians(1). Before colonisation, Gomeroi and other First Nations people harvested, threshed and ground native grass seeds with water into a paste before cooking(2). The introduction of white refined flour has meant that time-consuming grass seed processing has mainly ceased, and native grains are no longer eaten habitually. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 10% incorporation of two native grain flours on postprandial blood glucose response and Glycemic Index (GI). Five male and five female subjects, with a mean age of 30 ± 0.9 and BMI of 21.6 ± 0.4 and normoglycemic, participated in GI testing of three flour + water pancake compositions matched for available carbohydrate: 100% wheat (Wheat) and 90% wheat:10% native grains (Native_a and Native_b). Effect on satiety was determined using subjective ratings of hunger/fullness over the time course of the GI testing. In comparison to the plain flour pancake, replacing 10% plain wheat flour with Native_b flour significantly reduced the GI by 28.8% from 73 ± 5 to 48 ± 5, having a profound effect on postprandial blood glucose levels in 9 of 10 subjects (p<0.05, paired t-test). The GI of 10% Native_a flour pancake was not different from 100% wheat flour pancake (75 ± 5). Satiety tended to be greater when native grains were incorporated but this study was not powered to detect effect on satiety. In conclusion, replacing only 10% of plain wheat flour with Native_b flour was sufficient to significantly reduce the blood glycemic response to the pancake. This replacement could be easily implemented for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. For Aboriginal people with access to grain Country, the nutritional health benefits associated with eating native grains, as well as the cultural benefits of caring for Country, will have a direct transformational impact on local communities. Our vision is to revitalise Gomeroi grains and to guide a sustainable Indigenous-led industry to heal Country and people through co-designed research.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Contingency management (CM) procedures yield measurable reductions in cocaine use. This poster describes a trial aimed at using CM as a vehicle to show the biopsychosocial health benefits of reduced use, rather than total abstinence, the currently accepted metric for treatment efficacy. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In this 12-week, randomized controlled trial, CM was used to reduce cocaine use and evaluate associated improvements in cardiovascular, immune, and psychosocial well-being. Adults aged 18 and older who sought treatment for cocaine use (N=127) were randomized into three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio: High Value ($55) or Low Value ($13) CM incentives for cocaine-negative urine samples or a non-contingent control group. They completed outpatient sessions three days per week across the 12-week intervention period, totaling 36 clinic visits and four post-treatment follow-up visits. During each visit, participants provided observed urine samples and completed several assays of biopsychosocial health. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Preliminary findings from generalized linear mixed effect modeling demonstrate the feasibility of the CM platform. Abstinence rates from cocaine use were significantly greater in the High Value group (47% negative; OR = 2.80; p = 0.01) relative to the Low Value (23% negative) and Control groups (24% negative;). In the planned primary analysis, the level of cocaine use reduction based on cocaine-negative urine samples will serve as the primary predictor of cardiovascular (e.g., endothelin-1 levels), immune (e.g., IL-10 levels) and psychosocial (e.g., Addiction Severity Index) outcomes using results from the fitted models. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This research will advance the field by prospectively and comprehensively demonstrating the beneficial effects of reduced cocaine use. These outcomes can, in turn, support the adoption of reduced cocaine use as a viable alternative endpoint in cocaine treatment trials.
Surgical repair of channels between the ventricles is enhanced when the surgeon knows precisely where to place a patch, or baffle, so as to restore septal integrity. The paediatric cardiologist should provide the necessary information. Communication will be enhanced if the same words are used to account for the structures in question. Currently, however, the same term, namely “ventricular septal defect,” is used to account for markedly different areas within the heart. Closure of perimembranous defects found in hearts with concordant or discordant ventriculo-arterial connections restores the integrity of the ventricular septum, at the same time separating the systemic and pulmonary blood streams. When both arterial trunks arise from the right ventricle, in contrast, the surgeon when placing a baffle so as to separate the blood streams, does not close the channel most frequently described as the “ventricular septal defect.” In this review, we show that the perimembranous lesions as found in hearts with concordant or discordant ventriculo-arterial connections are the right ventricular entrances to the areas subtended beneath the hinges of the leaflets of the aortic or pulmonary valves. When both arterial trunks arise from the right ventricle, and the channel between the ventricles is directly subaortic, then the channel termed the “ventricular septal defect” is the left ventricular entrance to the comparable space subtended beneath the aortic root. We argue that recognition of these fundamental anatomical differences enhances the appreciation of the underlying morphology of the various lesions that reflect transfer, during cardiac development, of the aortic root from the morphologically right to the morphologically left ventricle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) has been a leader in weed science research covering topics ranging from the development and use of integrated weed management (IWM) tactics to basic mechanistic studies, including biotic resistance of desirable plant communities and herbicide resistance. ARS weed scientists have worked in agricultural and natural ecosystems, including agronomic and horticultural crops, pastures, forests, wild lands, aquatic habitats, wetlands, and riparian areas. Through strong partnerships with academia, state agencies, private industry, and numerous federal programs, ARS weed scientists have made contributions to discoveries in the newest fields of robotics and genetics, as well as the traditional and fundamental subjects of weed–crop competition and physiology and integration of weed control tactics and practices. Weed science at ARS is often overshadowed by other research topics; thus, few are aware of the long history of ARS weed science and its important contributions. This review is the result of a symposium held at the Weed Science Society of America’s 62nd Annual Meeting in 2022 that included 10 separate presentations in a virtual Weed Science Webinar Series. The overarching themes of management tactics (IWM, biological control, and automation), basic mechanisms (competition, invasive plant genetics, and herbicide resistance), and ecosystem impacts (invasive plant spread, climate change, conservation, and restoration) represent core ARS weed science research that is dynamic and efficacious and has been a significant component of the agency’s national and international efforts. This review highlights current studies and future directions that exemplify the science and collaborative relationships both within and outside ARS. Given the constraints of weeds and invasive plants on all aspects of food, feed, and fiber systems, there is an acknowledged need to face new challenges, including agriculture and natural resources sustainability, economic resilience and reliability, and societal health and well-being.
Clinicians and laboratories routinely use urinalysis (UA) parameters to determine whether antimicrobial treatment and/or urine cultures are needed. Yet the performance of individual UA parameters and common thresholds for action are not well defined and may vary across different patient populations.
Methods:
In this retrospective cohort study, we included all encounters with UAs ordered 24 hours prior to a urine culture between 2015 and 2020 at 3 North Carolina hospitals. We evaluated the performance of relevant UA parameters as potential outcome predictors, including sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV). We also combined 18 different UA criteria and used receiver operating curves to identify the 5 best-performing models for predicting significant bacteriuria (≥100,000 colony-forming units of bacteria/mL).
Results:
In 221,933 encounters during the 6-year study period, no single UA parameter had both high sensitivity and high specificity in predicting bacteriuria. Absence of leukocyte esterase and pyuria had a high NPV for significant bacteriuria. Combined UA parameters did not perform better than pyuria alone with regard to NPV. The high NPV ≥0.90 of pyuria was maintained among most patient subgroups except females aged ≥65 years and patients with indwelling catheters.
Conclusion:
When used as a part of a diagnostic workup, UA parameters should be leveraged for their NPV instead of sensitivity. Because many laboratories and hospitals use reflex urine culture algorithms, their workflow should include clinical decision support and or education to target symptomatic patients and focus on populations where absence of pyuria has high NPV.
We present WALLABY pilot data release 1, the first public release of H i pilot survey data from the Wide-field ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind Survey (WALLABY) on the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Phase 1 of the WALLABY pilot survey targeted three $60\,\mathrm{deg}^{2}$ regions on the sky in the direction of the Hydra and Norma galaxy clusters and the NGC 4636 galaxy group, covering the redshift range of $z \lesssim 0.08$. The source catalogue, images and spectra of nearly 600 extragalactic H i detections and kinematic models for 109 spatially resolved galaxies are available. As the pilot survey targeted regions containing nearby group and cluster environments, the median redshift of the sample of $z \approx 0.014$ is relatively low compared to the full WALLABY survey. The median galaxy H i mass is $2.3 \times 10^{9}\,{\rm M}_{{\odot}}$. The target noise level of $1.6\,\mathrm{mJy}$ per 30′′ beam and $18.5\,\mathrm{kHz}$ channel translates into a $5 \sigma$ H i mass sensitivity for point sources of about $5.2 \times 10^{8} \, (D_{\rm L} / \mathrm{100\,Mpc})^{2} \, {\rm M}_{{\odot}}$ across 50 spectral channels (${\approx} 200\,\mathrm{km \, s}^{-1}$) and a $5 \sigma$ H i column density sensitivity of about $8.6 \times 10^{19} \, (1 + z)^{4}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ across 5 channels (${\approx} 20\,\mathrm{km \, s}^{-1}$) for emission filling the 30′′ beam. As expected for a pilot survey, several technical issues and artefacts are still affecting the data quality. Most notably, there are systematic flux errors of up to several 10% caused by uncertainties about the exact size and shape of each of the primary beams as well as the presence of sidelobes due to the finite deconvolution threshold. In addition, artefacts such as residual continuum emission and bandpass ripples have affected some of the data. The pilot survey has been highly successful in uncovering such technical problems, most of which are expected to be addressed and rectified before the start of the full WALLABY survey.
Gene x environment (G×E) interactions, i.e. genetic modulation of the sensitivity to environmental factors and/or environmental control of the gene expression, have not been reliably established regarding aetiology of psychotic disorders. Moreover, recent studies have shown associations between the polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia (PRS-SZ) and some risk factors of psychotic disorders, challenging the traditional gene v. environment dichotomy. In the present article, we studied the role of GxE interaction between psychosocial stressors (childhood trauma, stressful life-events, self-reported discrimination experiences and low social capital) and the PRS-SZ on subclinical psychosis in a population-based sample.
Methods
Data were drawn from the EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study, in which subjects without psychotic disorders were included in six countries. The sample was restricted to European descendant subjects (n = 706). Subclinical dimensions of psychosis (positive, negative, and depressive) were measured by the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) scale. Associations between the PRS-SZ and the psychosocial stressors were tested. For each dimension, the interactions between genes and environment were assessed using linear models and comparing explained variances of ‘Genetic’ models (solely fitted with PRS-SZ), ‘Environmental’ models (solely fitted with each environmental stressor), ‘Independent’ models (with PRS-SZ and each environmental factor), and ‘Interaction’ models (Independent models plus an interaction term between the PRS-SZ and each environmental factor). Likelihood ration tests (LRT) compared the fit of the different models.
Results
There were no genes-environment associations. PRS-SZ was associated with positive dimensions (β = 0.092, R2 = 7.50%), and most psychosocial stressors were associated with all three subclinical psychotic dimensions (except social capital and positive dimension). Concerning the positive dimension, Independent models fitted better than Environmental and Genetic models. No significant GxE interaction was observed for any dimension.
Conclusions
This study in subjects without psychotic disorders suggests that (i) the aetiological continuum hypothesis could concern particularly the positive dimension of subclinical psychosis, (ii) genetic and environmental factors have independent effects on the level of this positive dimension, (iii) and that interactions between genetic and individual environmental factors could not be identified in this sample.
This article is a clinical guide which discusses the “state-of-the-art” usage of the classic monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressants (phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and isocarboxazid) in modern psychiatric practice. The guide is for all clinicians, including those who may not be experienced MAOI prescribers. It discusses indications, drug-drug interactions, side-effect management, and the safety of various augmentation strategies. There is a clear and broad consensus (more than 70 international expert endorsers), based on 6 decades of experience, for the recommendations herein exposited. They are based on empirical evidence and expert opinion—this guide is presented as a new specialist-consensus standard. The guide provides practical clinical advice, and is the basis for the rational use of these drugs, particularly because it improves and updates knowledge, and corrects the various misconceptions that have hitherto been prominent in the literature, partly due to insufficient knowledge of pharmacology. The guide suggests that MAOIs should always be considered in cases of treatment-resistant depression (including those melancholic in nature), and prior to electroconvulsive therapy—while taking into account of patient preference. In selected cases, they may be considered earlier in the treatment algorithm than has previously been customary, and should not be regarded as drugs of last resort; they may prove decisively effective when many other treatments have failed. The guide clarifies key points on the concomitant use of incorrectly proscribed drugs such as methylphenidate and some tricyclic antidepressants. It also illustrates the straightforward “bridging” methods that may be used to transition simply and safely from other antidepressants to MAOIs.
Despite extensive paleoenvironmental research on the postglacial history of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, uncertainties remain regarding the region's deglaciation, vegetation development, and past hydroclimate. To elucidate this complex environmental history, we present new proxy datasets from Hidden and Kelly lakes, located in the eastern Kenai lowlands at the foot of the Kenai Mountains, including sedimentological properties (magnetic susceptibility, organic matter, grain size, and biogenic silica), pollen and macrofossils, diatom assemblages, and diatom oxygen isotopes. We use a simple hydrologic and isotope mass balance model to constrain interpretations of the diatom oxygen isotope data. Results reveal that glacier ice retreated from Hidden Lake's headwaters by ca. 13.1 cal ka BP, and that groundwater was an important component of Kelly Lake's hydrologic budget in the Early Holocene. As the forest developed and the climate became wetter in the Middle to Late Holocene, Kelly Lake reached or exceeded its modern level. In the last ca. 75 years, rising temperature caused rapid changes in biogenic silica content and diatom oxygen isotope values. Our findings demonstrate the utility of mass balance modeling to constrain interpretations of paleolimnologic oxygen isotope data, and that groundwater can exert a strong influence on lake water isotopes, potentially confounding interpretations of regional climate.
To determine the incidence of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare personnel (HCP) and to assess occupational risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Design:
Prospective cohort of healthcare personnel (HCP) followed for 6 months from May through December 2020.
Setting:
Large academic healthcare system including 4 hospitals and affiliated clinics in Atlanta, Georgia.
Participants:
HCP, including those with and without direct patient-care activities, working during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods:
Incident SARS-CoV-2 infections were determined through serologic testing for SARS-CoV-2 IgG at enrollment, at 3 months, and at 6 months. HCP completed monthly surveys regarding occupational activities. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify occupational factors that increased the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Results:
Of the 304 evaluable HCP that were seronegative at enrollment, 26 (9%) seroconverted for SARS-CoV-2 IgG by 6 months. Overall, 219 participants (73%) self-identified as White race, 119 (40%) were nurses, and 121 (40%) worked on inpatient medical-surgical floors. In a multivariable analysis, HCP who identified as Black race were more likely to seroconvert than HCP who identified as White (odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–14.2). Increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection was not identified for any occupational activity, including spending >50% of a typical shift at a patient’s bedside, working in a COVID-19 unit, or performing or being present for aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs).
Conclusions:
In our study cohort of HCP working in an academic healthcare system, <10% had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection over 6 months. No specific occupational activities were identified as increasing risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
We present the most sensitive and detailed view of the neutral hydrogen (${\rm H\small I}$) emission associated with the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), through the combination of data from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and Parkes (Murriyang), as part of the Galactic Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (GASKAP) pilot survey. These GASKAP-HI pilot observations, for the first time, reveal ${\rm H\small I}$ in the SMC on similar physical scales as other important tracers of the interstellar medium, such as molecular gas and dust. The resultant image cube possesses an rms noise level of 1.1 K ($1.6\,\mathrm{mJy\ beam}^{-1}$) $\mathrm{per}\ 0.98\,\mathrm{km\ s}^{-1}$ spectral channel with an angular resolution of $30^{\prime\prime}$ (${\sim}10\,\mathrm{pc}$). We discuss the calibration scheme and the custom imaging pipeline that utilises a joint deconvolution approach, efficiently distributed across a computing cluster, to accurately recover the emission extending across the entire ${\sim}25\,\mathrm{deg}^2$ field-of-view. We provide an overview of the data products and characterise several aspects including the noise properties as a function of angular resolution and the represented spatial scales by deriving the global transfer function over the full spectral range. A preliminary spatial power spectrum analysis on individual spectral channels reveals that the power law nature of the density distribution extends down to scales of 10 pc. We highlight the scientific potential of these data by comparing the properties of an outflowing high-velocity cloud with previous ASKAP+Parkes ${\rm H\small I}$ test observations.
Understanding the cognitive determinants of healthcare worker (HCW) behavior is important for improving the use of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Given a patient requiring only standard precautions, we examined the dimensions along which different populations of HCWs cognitively organize patient care tasks (ie, their mental models).
Design:
HCWs read a description of a patient and then rated the similarities of 25 patient care tasks from an infection prevention perspective. Using multidimensional scaling, we identified the dimensions (ie, characteristics of tasks) underlying these ratings and the salience of each dimension to HCWs.
Setting:
Adult inpatient hospitals across an academic hospital network.
Participants:
In total, 40 HCWs, comprising infection preventionists and nurses from intensive care units, emergency departments, and medical-surgical floors rated the similarity of tasks. To identify the meaning of each dimension, another 6 nurses rated each task in terms of specific characteristics of tasks.
Results:
Each HCW population perceived patient care tasks to vary along 3 common dimensions; most salient was the perceived magnitude of infection risk to the patient in a task, followed by the perceived dirtiness and risk of HCW exposure to body fluids, and lastly, the relative importance of a task for preventing versus controlling an infection in a patient.
Conclusions:
For a patient requiring only standard precautions, different populations of HCWs have similar mental models of how various patient care tasks relate to IPC. Techniques for eliciting mental models open new avenues for understanding and ultimately modifying the cognitive determinants of IPC behaviors.
We present the data and initial results from the first pilot survey of the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU), observed at 944 MHz with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. The survey covers $270 \,\mathrm{deg}^2$ of an area covered by the Dark Energy Survey, reaching a depth of 25–30 $\mu\mathrm{Jy\ beam}^{-1}$ rms at a spatial resolution of $\sim$11–18 arcsec, resulting in a catalogue of $\sim$220 000 sources, of which $\sim$180 000 are single-component sources. Here we present the catalogue of single-component sources, together with (where available) optical and infrared cross-identifications, classifications, and redshifts. This survey explores a new region of parameter space compared to previous surveys. Specifically, the EMU Pilot Survey has a high density of sources, and also a high sensitivity to low surface brightness emission. These properties result in the detection of types of sources that were rarely seen in or absent from previous surveys. We present some of these new results here.
We present a broadband radio study of the transient jets ejected from the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535–571, which underwent a prolonged outburst beginning on 2017 September 2. We monitored MAXI J1535–571 with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) at frequencies from 119 to 186 MHz over six epochs from 2017 September 20 to 2017 October 14. The source was quasi-simultaneously observed over the frequency range 0.84–19 GHz by UTMOST (the Upgraded Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope) the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), and the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA). Using the LBA observations from 2017 September 23, we measured the source size to be $34\pm1$ mas. During the brightest radio flare on 2017 September 21, the source was detected down to 119 MHz by the MWA, and the radio spectrum indicates a turnover between 250 and 500 MHz, which is most likely due to synchrotron self-absorption (SSA). By fitting the radio spectrum with a SSA model and using the LBA size measurement, we determined various physical parameters of the jet knot (identified in ATCA data), including the jet opening angle ($\phi_{\rm op} = 4.5\pm1.2^{\circ}$) and the magnetic field strength ($B_{\rm s} = 104^{+80}_{-78}$ mG). Our fitted magnetic field strength agrees reasonably well with that inferred from the standard equipartition approach, suggesting the jet knot to be close to equipartition. Our study highlights the capabilities of the Australian suite of radio telescopes to jointly probe radio jets in black hole X-ray binaries via simultaneous observations over a broad frequency range, and with differing angular resolutions. This suite allows us to determine the physical properties of X-ray binary jets. Finally, our study emphasises the potential contributions that can be made by the low-frequency part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA-Low) in the study of black hole X-ray binaries.