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The COVID-19 pandemic commenced in March 2020. In May 2019, a new Medical Examiner system was introduced to scrutinise deaths of patients dying within acute National Health Service Trusts. The Coronavirus Act 2020 which came into force in March 2020 modified certification of death requirements. Newly formed Medical Examiner Services were advised they could suspend scrutiny during the pandemic. The Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital Medical Examiner Service (NNUH MES) continued to scrutinise patient deaths throughout. This study summarises the workload of the NNUH MES from 1st June 2020 to 31st May 2021 over which period 2856 deaths were recorded and 2687 scrutinised by the Medical Examiners.

As educational opportunities for women and girls expanded in the Victorian and Edwardian periods, science and domestic subjects were increasingly linked. This article draws upon research from the h...

Food and the home are central to the lived reality of people, both historically and presently. Thus domestic kitchens – as spaces within the home in which food is cooked and prepared for consumptio...

This article describes evidence suggesting that science curiosity counteracts politically biased information processing. This finding is in tension with two bodies of research. The first casts doubt on the existence of “curiosity” as a measurable disposition. The other suggests that individual differences in cognition related to science comprehension—of which science curiosity, if it exists, would presumably be one—do not mitigate politically biased information processing but instead aggravate it. The article describes the scale-development strategy employed to overcome the problems associated with measuring science curiosity. It also reports data, observational and experimental, showing that science curiosity promotes open-minded engagement with information that is contrary to individuals’ political predispositions. We conclude by identifying a series of concrete research questions posed by these results.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder which can cause neurological damage if left untreated. PKU is identified through newborn screening in developed countries, and treatment begins immediately to prevent these severe consequences. When a child is diagnosed, parents must assume immediate responsibility for the management of PKU and prevention of neurological damage. Quantitative studies have identified significant psychosocial stressors for parents, but little is known about how the parents experience this process. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with PKU under the age of two. It is the first study to examine these experiences in this way. Seven parents were interviewed about their experiences, and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Three main themes were identified: control, striving for normality and acceptance of PKU as a continuum. Links between the themes and processes underpinning the results were explored with relation to existing literature and theories from a clinical psychology perspective. The role of acceptance of PKU was central to the parent’s experiences. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10897-018-0227-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Retrospective.We aimed to determine if heavier patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) had more preserved thoracic kyphosis (TK), and as a result, more preserved pulmonary function.Some believe that childhood weight is predictive of adult sagittal plane parameters, with heavier children having greater TK as adults. Generally, thoracic scoliosis is coupled with loss of TK, which is associated with worsening pulmonary function.A total of 142 patients with AIS and a structural main thoracic curve were analyzed. We excluded patients with structural proximal thoracic curves (Lenke 2 and 4). Standing preoperative radiographs, pulmonary function tests, and preoperative body mass indices (BMIs) were reviewed. The main thoracic Cobb angle, T2-T12 TK, percentage predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) and BMI were recorded. Spearman correlation was determined. Linear regression analysis used FVC as the primary outcome and BMI, TK, and Cobb angle as the independent variables. BMI categories were overweight/obese (BMI ≥25) and normal (BMI25). Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were performed to detect a difference in TK and BMI between the 2 groups. The Cobb angles between the two groups were analyzed by t tests.Demonstrated correlations included BMI and FVC (0.37, p ≤.01), FVC and TK (0.26, p.01), BMI and TK (0.23, p = .01), and FVC and Cobb angle (-0.23, p = .01). Linear regression revealed that Cobb angle (p ≤.01), TK (p.01), and BMI (p.01) remained statistically significant predictors of FVC. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests revealed a statistically significant difference between TK (p = .03) and FVC (p.01) in the overweight/obese group and the normal group, with the overweight/obese group having greater values for both TK and FVC. The Cobb angles between the overweight/obese and normal group were not significantly different (p = .72).Heavier AIS patients have greater values of TK and percentage predicted FVC.Level III.

Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare metabolic disorder, causes cognitive impairment unless treated with a strict, protein-restricted diet, but few studies have examined the relationship between treatment compliance and parental wellbeing. In the present study, 46 primary caregivers of children with PKU completed measures of psychological distress, parenting stress (related to caring for a child with an illness), resilience, perceived social support and child dependency. Treatment adherence was assessed using the proportion of blood phenylalanine concentrations within target range in the preceding year. Results indicated that 59% of caregivers showed clinical levels of psychological distress, which was predicted by their parenting stress and resilience. Whilst the proportion of blood phenylalanine concentrations in range was not associated with parental distress, it was predicted by child age and caregiver’s perceived support from family. Despite experiencing high levels of distress, the results indicated that caregivers’ ability to adhere to treatment was not affected. Interventions to reduce parenting stress and boost caregiver resilience may have a positive effect on parental wellbeing. Additionally, interventions to promote treatment adherence benefit parents of older children, with a focus on promoting support from family members. Further research with larger sample sizes and longitudinal designs is needed to further establish causal mechanisms.

PurposeThe aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that Clozapine reduces rates of self injury and the use of restraint in a medium secure setting in female patients who have a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and mild learning disability.Design/methodology/approachA retrospective method of data collection was used with a requirement of six months baseline data on rates of self injury and the use of restraint. Patients were required to remain on Clozapine for a minimum of six months.FindingsThe mean number of incidents of self injury in the six months prior to Clozapine was 20.75 (SD 8.8) and 13.5 (SD 4.51) in the six months following Clozapine, a reduction of 35 per cent. The mean number of incidents of restraint in the six months prior to Clozapine was 17.75 (SD 6.86) compared with 9.25 (SD 4.96) in the six months following commencement of Clozapine therapy, a reduction of 48 per cent. The results were analysed using the paired t‐test and the difference between the means (self injury and use of restraint) was not statistically significant. This study demonstrates a reduction in the rates of self injury and use of restraint in women with a diagnosis of BPD when treated with Clozapine which was clinically significant although not statistically significant.Originality/valueThe authors are not aware of any published articles on the use of Clozapine in women with BPD and co‐morbid learning disability.

Metallic nitride fullerenes (MNFs) are of interest to fundamental studies and applications. However, MNF sample availability for these studies has been limited. The lack of samples is related to the currently used chromatographic (HPLC) separation protocol, a tedious approach that is solvent intensive, expensive, and has a limited throughput. To address these drawbacks, we developed an alternative method (non-chromatographic) for removing contaminant C60 and C70 empty-cage fullerenes and other classical metallofullerenes (i.e. non-nitrogen containing endohedrals) from soot extracts. Specifically, we present a purification approach based on differences of cage reactivity of MNFs versus other fullerenes. Results indicate that reactive silica can preferentially bind to contaminant fullerenes and metallofullerenes using our Stir and Filter Approach (SAFA). With this process, fullerene contaminants are immobilized onto reactive silica, while unreacted MNFs remain in the filtrate. In this manner, purified samples of Sc3N@C80 are readily obtained.

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