Performance and Early Results from the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) Imaging Spectroscopy Mission

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) acquires new observations of the Earth from a state-of-the-art, optically fast F/1.8 visible to short wavelength infrared imaging spectrometer with high signal-to-noise ratio and excellent spectroscopic uniformity. EMIT was launched to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 14, 2022 local time. The EMIT instrument is the latest in a series of more than 30 imaging spectrometers and testbeds developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, beginning with the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer that first flew in 1982. EMIT's science objectives use the spectral signatures of minerals observed across the Earth's arid and semi-arid lands containing dust sources to update the soil composition of advanced Earth System Models (ESMs) to better understand and reduce uncertainties in mineral dust aerosol radiative forcing at the local, regional, and global scale, now and in the future. EMIT has begun to collect and deliver high-quality mineral composition determinations for the arid land regions of our planet. Over 1 billion high-quality mineral determinations are expected over the course of the one-year nominal science mission. Currently, detailed knowledge of the composition of the Earth's mineral dust source regions is uncertain and traced to less than 5,000 surface sample mineralogical analyses. The development of the EMIT imaging spectrometer instrumentation was completed successfully, despite the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EMIT Science Data System is complete and running with the full set of algorithms required. These tested algorithms are open source and will be made available to the broader community. These include calibration to measured radiance, atmospheric correction to surface reflectance, mineral composition determination, aggregation to ESM resolution, and ESM runs to address the science objectives. In this paper, the instrument characteristics, ground calibration, in-orbit performance, and early science results are reported. © 2023 IEEE.

Can Procalcitonin Values Track the Presence of Secondary Infections in Covid-19 Patients?

INTRODUCTION: We set out to analyse the efficacy of Procalcitonin in identifying secondary infections in Covid-19 patients. METHOD(S): In this Retrospective Observational Study, inclusion criteria comprised patients admitted to the Grange University Hospital intensive care unit with SARS-CoV-2 infection throughout the second and third waves of the pandemic. Data collected included daily biomarkers of inflammation such as white blood cell (WBC) counts and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) values and the presence of microbiologically proven secondary infections, quantifying the clinical burden of co-infections in these patients and calculating the microorganism prevalence. Continuous variables are presented as median (interquartile ranges). Differences in continuous variables were analysed using independent Mann-Whitney-U tests and one-way Analysis of Variances (ANOVA). RESULT(S): 121 patients were analysed in Wave 2 and 118 in Wave 3. Of these patients, 69 (57%) tested positive for an infection in Wave 2 and 52 (44%) in Wave 3. The median Procalcitonin levels (ng/mL) on Day 0 were 0.21 (IQR 0.1-1.44) in the No infection Group, compared to 0.24 (0.1-0.44) in the Infection Group for Wave 2. For Wave 3, the Procalcitonin levels (ng/mL) on Day 0 were 0.23 (0.1-.5325) in the No infection Group, compared to 0.14 (0.09-0.44) in the Infection Group. There was no significant difference between the two cohorts over the 14 days period. Similarly, no significant difference was observed in Wave 3 between the Infection vs No infection group. WCB and CRP values were also almost identical in the groups in both waves. Length of ICU stay was higher in the Infection Group in both Wave 2 (median 15 [IQR 0-48]) and Wave 3 (12.05 [0-72.5]) compared to the No Infection Group (Wave 2: 5 [0.08-23.8], Wave 3: 4 [0.6-12.9]). The mean 1st day of infection was Day 6 (SD 3.9) in Wave 2 and Day 4 (SD 3) in Wave 3. The most common pathogen associated with a bloodstream infection was Escherichia Coli (ECOL) in Wave 2 (n=3) and Staphylococcus Aureus (SAUR) in Wave 3 (n=3). The most common pathogen found in sputum culture results was Candida Albicans (CALB) in both Wave 2 (n=32) and Wave 3 (n=19). CONCLUSION(S): Despite initial promise, absolute Procalcitonin values failed to indicate the emergence of critical care-acquired infection in COVID-19 Patients.

Antimicrobial Use in the Second and Third Wave of Covid-19 Infections in a Uk Intensive Care Unit

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 imposed a great amount of challenge and stress on global health care professionals. Critically ill patients were started on empirical antibiotics and antimicrobials at the beginning of the pandemic. However, studies have later shown that less than 10% of the patients with COVID-19 had a co-existing bacterial infection. METHOD(S): The aim of this study was to calculate the prevalence of antimicrobial use on patients with COVID-19 in both waves two and three. The prime objective was to audit the use of antibiotics in patients with COVID-19 using the UK NICE guidelines and to observe the initial antimicrobials started for the patients in both waves. Information on patient demographic, antibiotics, laboratory results, and patient outcome were collected. Microsoft Excel Version 16.62 and IBM SPSS Statistics Version 28.0.1.1 (14) were used for statistical analysis. RESULT(S): In total 57.02% of patients from wave 2 had a confirmed infection. However, 80.2% of the wave 2 cohort were prescribed antibiotics. The antibiotics density for wave 2 averaged 0.92. 44.07% of the patients admitted during wave 3 had a laboratory-confirmed infection and 52.1% of the cohort were prescribed antibiotics. The average antibiotic density for wave three patients was 0.71. A higher proportion of this cohort had less cumulative days on antibiotics. 90 patients had 0-1 density in wave 3 compared to 84 in wave 2. Tazocin (Tazobactam and Pipercillin) was used the most in both cohort. It was used much more in wave 2 than wave 3. Tazocin is recommended by NICE as the first-line antimicrobial if the patient has severe symptoms, signs of sepsis, or is at higher risk of resistance. The second most common combination of initial antimicrobial was Amoxicillin and Clarithromycin. CONCLUSION(S): Physicians have become increasingly confident in diagnosing and managing patients with COVID-19 however, identification of a biomarker that can aid in distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections is necessary. During times of intense pressure and high demand, an objective marker, infection control liaison, and early microbiological input, helps minimise unnecessary antibiotic use.

Boerhaave syndrome: Provision of emergency services during the COVID era

Background: The provision of emergency surgery was significantly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was due to limited intensive care beds and the risk of catching COVID-19 in the post-operative period. The aim of this study was to determine whether outcomes for patients with Boerhaave syndrome were negatively affected by service constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): Single centre case control study of patients with Boerhaave syndrome before and during the COVID pandemic. Univariate and multivariate analyses was employed to determine whether patient outcomes following Boerhaave syndrome were influenced by the COVID pandemic (defined here as 2020-2022) compared to a pre-pandemic period (2013-2019). Result(s): During the COVID pandemic, 7 patients presented with Boerhaave syndrome, although none of these patients tested positively for COVID-19. Patient characteristics and outcome data of these patients were compared to a group of 14 patients with Boerhaave syndrome during a pre-pandemic period. The median age of patients presenting with Boerhaave syndrome was statistically significantly lower during the pandemic compared to those presenting before the pandemic (28 years versus 60 years, p=0.04). There was no significant difference in the treatment approach between the two groups, with non-operative and operative measures being employed in both groups equally (p=0.66), suggesting that the pandemic did not influence treatment decision. There was no difference in the use of endoscopic stenting between the groups (p=0.25). 30-day mortality was equal between patients admitted during the pandemic and those admitted before the pandemic (p=0.13). Conclusion(s): This study demonstrated that the median age of patients presenting with Boerhaave syndrome during the pandemic was significantly lower than it was historically. This may have reflected shifts in behaviour and lifestyle during the pandemic. Never-the-less, the impact on services during the pandemic did not appear to influence treatment choice, and 30-day mortality remained the same for both patient groups. This may have reflected provision of COVID-secure pathways and locations.

Ten year experience of treating Boerhaave syndrome: A single centre analysis

Background: Boerhaave syndrome is a rare condition characterised by spontaneous barogenic, transmural rupture of the oesophagus. We aimed to examine a ten-year experience of Boerhaave syndrome at our centre. Method(s): Cohort analysis of Boerhaave syndrome over a ten year period (2012-2022). Univariate analysis was employed to determine risk factors associated with inferior patient survival. Result(s): During the study period, 40 patients presented with oesophageal perforation, of which 21 (52.5%) were spontaneous transmural rupture. Median age of patients with Boerhaave syndrome was 51 years, in predominantly male (15, 71.4%), non-smokers (13, 61.9%). The most common site of rupture was the lower oesophagus (12, 57.1%), although the exact site of rupture was unknown in 5 (23.8%) patients. 14 (66.7%) patients were treated conservatively with antibiotics. Three (14.3%) patients underwent endoscopic oesophageal stent insertion (either alone or in combination with surgical treatment). Five (23.0%) underwent thoracoscopic washout and drain insertion and 1 (4.8%) underwent open thoracotomy washout and drain insertion. Overall 10-year survival was 80.8%. There was no association between mortality and patient age, sex, smoking status, length of stay, location of perforation, coronavirus status or mode of nutrition on univariate analysis (p>0.05 throughout). Patient age was the greatest predictor of prolonged length of stay beyond 10 days (c-statistic 0.74). Modality of surgery also had no bearing on 1- and 10-year mortality (p=0.95). Conclusion(s): Boerhaave syndrome is an uncommon condition which may be treated with an array of approaches, including non-operative measures, endoscopic and surgical intervention, depending on individual patient characteristics. The availability of multimodal treatment at a specialist oesophagogastric centre may have contributed to favourable patient outcomes. Given the rarity of Boerhaave syndrome, identification of risk factors for poor patient outcomes is difficult to determine, due to statistical underpowering.

American international students' motivation to study abroad in Thailand

As the transnational education market continues to grow, Asian universities are experiencing a more significant influx of short-term visiting and exchange students from western nations. This article summarises research on the motivations of American international students studying in Thailand. The purpose of this study is to better understand the impact of push pull factors that influenced the study abroad decision-making process. During 2019-2020 both qualitative and quantitative inquiries were utilised through primary data collecting using in-depth interviews and hard copy surveys. This study aims to contribute to higher education service delivery, the design of nation-specific marketing materials, and assist policymakers regarding appropriate steps needed to facilitate the continuation of this trend in higher education within the Asian context. Although the data were collected longitudinally, generalizability may be limited as this study was conducted in one institute of higher learning prior to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

POLLINATOR-FLOWER INTERACTIONS IN GARDENS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN OF 2020

During the main COVID-19 global pandemic lockdown period of 2020 an impromptu set of pollination ecologists came together via social media and personal contacts to carry out standardised surveys of the flower visits and plants in gardens. The surveys involved 67 rural, suburban and urban gardens, of various sizes, ranging from 61.18° North in Norway to 37.96° South in Australia, resulting in a data set of 25,174 rows, with each row being a unique interaction record for that date/site/plant species, and comprising almost 47,000 visits to flowers, as well as records of flowers that were not visited by pollinators, for over 1,000 species and varieties belonging to more than 460 genera and 96 plant families. The more than 650 species of flower visitors belong to 12 orders of invertebrates and four of vertebrates. In this first publication from the project, we present a brief description of the data and make it freely available for any researchers to use in the future, the only restriction being that they cite this paper in the first instance. The data generated from these global surveys will provide scientific evidence to help us understand the role that private gardens (in urban, rural and suburban areas) can play in conserving insect pollinators and identify management actions to enhance their potential. © 2022 The authors.

Monitoring public engagement with nature using Google Trends

How humans interact with nature affects the health of both people and ecosystems. Yet, long-term data on nature engagement are scarce because traditional survey methods are expensive, time consuming and require commitment over multiple years. Digital data sources (e.g. aggregated data from online searches) have major potential as a supplementary source of information and, in the absence of available data, as a proxy for more direct measurement of nature engagement. Using Google Trends, we created a list of refined and relevant search terms relating to diverse outdoor spaces and activities. We then compared trends in Google search volumes in England across both a 1-year and 10-year period to those from Google Community Mobility Reports, and from nationally representative survey data (Natural England's People and Nature Survey and the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment). Search, survey and mobility data all support a general increase in public engagement with nature since 2009, and a more substantial increase during, or following, the initial national 'lockdown' period of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. Search volumes increased for many urban and rural outdoor green spaces (e.g. woodlands), blue spaces (e.g. reservoirs), exercise activities (e.g. walking, running and hiking) and explicitly nature-based activities (e.g. fishing, wild swimming and encouraging wildlife). Overall, volumes of Google searches were more closely related with longer-term (10-year) trends from survey data, than shorter-term changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were statistically significant relationships between search volumes, survey data (self-reported past behaviour) and mobility data (movement trends) for around half of comparisons. Of these, an average of 13-44% of variation in the data was explained. The findings show that Google Trends provides valuable information about public engagement with nature, which can help to supplement existing survey data by providing new insights about behavioural trends. The paper also provides a proof of concept for using Google Trends to understand changes in public engagement with nature, which could be applied to the many countries that lack long-term survey monitoring. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Click and connect - a virtual group for young people with cystic fibrosis transitioning to high school

Objectives: COVID-19 brought a huge change in working practices. The increase in available technology within the NHS opened up opportunities for engaging online with groups of patients with CF which previously wouldn’t have been possible. Transition points are key in the development of young people (YP), even more so in YP with chronic illness (Reed-Knight, 2014). Moving to high school is one of the first transition points a YP will hit, but in 2020 this was interrupted by COVID-19. Methods: ‘Click and Connect’was developed to determine the feasibility of online groups for YP with CF.We designed a closed, online group over 4 × 1 hour sessions. The group was facilitated by two qualified Clinical Psychologists, and a trainee Clinical Psychologist. Group sessions covered: Introductions and Ground rules;Stress and Strategies;Emotions and wellbeing;and Problem-solving skills. Sessions were structured to provide information, enable discussion, as well as practical ‘hands-on’ tasks. Packs were posted out each week with all materials required for each session. Results: 9 YP with CF were invited to the group, and 7 joined in total. The platform Zoom was used as it offered the best functions for group work whilst maintaining security. Parents consented to their children participating in the group;all correspondence was sent via the parents. Formal measures were not collected;instead we used the platform mentimeter to gauge feedback from the YP at the end of each session. Feedback from the YP was consistently positive. Conclusion: Despite some reservations about working online, and concerns over YP engagement, the online platform allowed more engagement than perhaps face-to-face might have. The YP appeared happy and comfortable working online, and functions such as the ‘chat’ allowed those who perhaps were wary of talking on camera to interact in the sessions. Following the success of this group, we will be further developing virtual groups for YP with CF.

Increased incidence of anti-synthetasesyndrome during COVID-19 pandemic

Background/AimsAnti-synthetase syndrome is an idiopathic inflammatory muscledisease, characterised by anti-Jo1 antibodies. Clinical presentationvaries between individuals. The diagnosis requires the detection of oneor more anti-synthetase antibodies and one or more of the followingclinical features: interstitial lung disease, myositis, and inflammatorypolyarthritis. Other supporting features include fever, Raynaud'sphenomenon, and 'mechanic's hands'. The severity and extent ofpulmonary involvement typically determines prognosis. It is a raredisease, with estimated prevalence of 1.5 cases per 100, 000. Our aimis to report an increase in the local prevalence, which coincides withthe COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all new diagnoses of anti-synthetasesyndrome made between March and July 2020 at the RoyalGlamorgan Hospital.Results3 new diagnoses of anti-synthetase syndrome were made during thestudy period. Based on the reported prevalence, we expect to seearound 2 cases every 6-months in our hospital (which serves apopulation of around 300, 000.) Anecdotally, the incidence has beenmuch lower than this previously, and in the experience of threerheumatology consultants working at this hospital, only 6 diagnoseshave been made over the last 15 years. This represents a 15-foldincrease in the annual diagnosis rate. This anecdotal rise in the numberof patients with anti-synthetase syndrome coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of COVID-19 in our health-board duringthis time period was 666 per 100, 000. This is higher than the nationalincidence (486 per 100, 000.) All three patients diagnosed with antisynthetase syndrome had prominent symptoms of shortness ofbreath, hypoxia and presented on multiple occasions before the finaldiagnosis was made. Notably, all patients presented acutely unwellwith severe symptoms, where ordinarily this diagnosis would be madein the outpatient setting. One case presented with a typicalconstellation of signs and symptoms. Specifically, progressive shortness of breath with evidence of bilateral interstitial pulmonary diseaseon imaging, myositis and anti-Jo1 positivity. The remaining two casespresented with primarily lung involvement. In both cases, chestimaging demonstrated extensive bilateral lower lobe pulmonaryinfiltrates, reported as being in-keeping with COVID-19. Despiterepeated negative COVID-19 PCR results, the clinical impressionwas of probable COVID-19 infection. Following repeated presentationswith worsening respiratory symptoms, specialist review was arranged, and ultimately anti-synthetase syndrome was diagnosed. With hindsight, one patient demonstrated extrapulmonary features of Raynaud'sphenomenon and 'mechanic's hands'. All cases received methylprednisolone and mycophenolate.ConclusionWe report an anecdotal local increase in the incidence of antisynthetase syndrome, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Thecases described demonstrate an overlap between the presentingclinical features of COVID-19 and anti-synthetase syndrome, and thatdue to high clinical suspicion of COVID-19 in the context of a globalpandemic, some diagnoses of anti-synthetase syndrome may bebeing missed or delayed.

A tool to measure work adjustment in the post-pandemic economy: The Illinois work adjustment scale

OBJECTIVE: This article introduces the Illinois Work Adjustment Scale (IWAS) and sets out to confirm the internal validity of the IWAS as well as determine if there are meaningful dimensions among the items of the IWAS that can be further defined as instrument subscales. METHODS: In order to meet these objectives, a survey of 738 individuals, all of whom self-reported as having disabilities, was conducted online. RESULTS: As a result of this survey and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the IWAS was reduced from a 26-question scale to an 18-question scale consisting of two meaningful subscales, Work Context and Work Capacity. Significant and meaningful correlations between the two subscales indicate that Work Context and Work Capacity are related to the broader concept of work adjustment and assess unique aspects of work. CONCLUSION: The IWAS has the potential to be applied to facilitate positive career development and vocational rehabilitation outcomes for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. This is of greater importance now as the COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted the economy and workforce, leaving those with the greatest barriers to employment such as individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions further marginalized and disconnected from work. © 2021 - IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Impact of remote delivery on a pharmacists' patient care process capstone course on the development of patient work-up skills

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused colleges of pharmacy to abruptly change teaching strategies mid-semester in Spring 2020 due to campus closure and transition to remote learning. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of pandemic-induced remote learning on student skill acquisition in a third year pharmacy student (P3) Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP) capstone course. Methods: Student performance on weekly quizzes and mid-term and final practical examinations were evaluated before and after implementation of remote learning in 2020 and were compared with a previous class in 2019. Paired and anonymous student perceptions of their skill development were also compared within the same semester and between years. Independent sample and paired Student's t tests were used to compare means, the Pearson correlation was used to identify associations between continuous variables, and nonparametric tests were used to compare ordinal data. Results: In 2020, student performance was significantly higher on quizzes at the end of the semester after implementation of remote learning compared with pre-remote learning (8.2 ± 1.6 vs 7.7 ± 1.8 points, P <.05). Students performed significantly worse on the final examination compared with the mid-term examination (21.2 ± 5.4 vs 23.4 ± 5.3 points, P <.05) in 2020. Students also performed significantly worse on the final examination in 2020 compared with 2019 (21.3 ± 5.4 vs 23.1 ± 5.4, P <.01). In both 2019 and 2020, students rated their ability to meet course objectives higher at the end of the semester compared with the beginning of the semester (P <.05). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in course delivery, participation, and assessment had a mixed effect on development of a systematic process for patient work-up skills using the PPCP. Students progressed throughout the semester on early PPCP patient work-up skills, but performance decreased when higher level skills or later PPCP steps were assessed and was lower compared with a previous offering of the course.

A juggling act – being a parent/prospective parent and a clinician during covid-19

In writing this article, we hope to invite others to reflect on their experience of their personal and professional lives and how these have been impacted by Covid-19 and lockdown. It has been an exposing yet helpful experience to write this and we hope that it will open up the conversation for others. © 2020, British Psychological Society. All rights reserved.