Soil CO2 emissions in cropland with fodder maize (Zea mays L.) with and without riparian buffer strips of differing vegetation

Vegetated land areas play a significant role in determining the fate of carbon (C) in the global C cycle. Riparian buffer vegetation is primarily implemented for water quality purposes as they attenuate pollutants from immediately adjacent croplands before reaching freashwater systems. However, their prevailing conditions may sometimes promote the production and subsequent emissions of soil carbon dioxide (CO₂). Despite this, the understanding of soil CO₂ emissions from riparian buffer vegetation and a direct comparison with adjacent croplands they serve remain elusive. In order to quantify the extent of CO₂ emissions in such an agro system, we measured CO₂ emissions simultaneously with soil and environmental variables for six months in a replicated plot-scale facility comprising of maize cropping served by three vegetated riparian buffers, namely: (i) a novel grass riparian buffer; (ii) a willow riparian buffer, and; (iii) a woodland riparian buffer. These buffered treatments were compared with a no-buffer control. The woodland (322.9 ± 3.1 kg ha^- 1) and grass (285 ± 2.7 kg ha^- 1) riparian buffer treatments (not significant to each other) generated significantly (p = < 0.0001) the largest CO₂ compared to the remainder of the treatments. Our results suggest that during maize production in general, the woodland and grass riparian buffers serving a maize crop pose a CO₂ threat. The results of the current study point to the need to consider the benefits for gaseous emissions of mitigation measures conventionally implemented for improving the sustainability of water resources.

CO2 fluxes from three different temperate grazed pastures using Eddy covariance measurements

Grasslands cover around 25% of the global ice-free land surface, they are used predominantly for forage and livestock production and are considered to contribute significantly to soil carbon (C) sequestration. Recent investigations into using 'nature-based solutions' to limit warming to <2 °C suggest up to 25% of GHG mitigation might be achieved through changes to grassland management. In this study we evaluate pasture management interventions at the Rothamsted Research North Wyke Farm Platform, under commercial farming conditions, over two years and consider their impacts on net CO₂ exchange. We investigate if our permanent pasture system (PP) is, in the short-term, a net sink for CO₂ and whether reseeding this with deep-rooting, high-sugar grass (HS) or a mix of high-sugar grass and clover (HSC) might increase the net removal of atmospheric CO₂. In general CO₂ fluxes were less variable in 2018 than in 2017 while overall we found that net CO₂ fluxes for the PP treatment changed from a sink in 2017 (-5.40 t CO₂ ha^-1 y^-1) to a source in 2018 (6.17 t CO₂ ha^-1 y^-1), resulting in an overall small source of 0.76 t CO₂ ha^-1 over the two years for this treatment. HS showed a similar trend, changing from a net sink in 2017 (-4.82 t CO₂ ha^-1 y^-1) to a net source in 2018 (3.91 t CO₂ ha^-1 y^-1) whilst the HSC field was a net source in both years (3.92 and 4.10 t CO₂ ha^-1 y^-1, respectively). These results suggested that pasture type has an influence in the atmospheric CO₂ balance and our regression modelling supported this conclusion, with pasture type and time of the year (and their interaction) being significant factors in predicting fluxes.

Strong Constraints on Neutrino Nonstandard Interactions from TeV-Scale ν_{μ} Disappearance at IceCube

We report a search for nonstandard neutrino interactions (NSI) using eight years of TeV-scale atmospheric muon neutrino data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. By reconstructing incident energies and zenith angles for atmospheric neutrino events, this analysis presents unified confidence intervals for the NSI parameter ε_{μτ}. The best-fit value is consistent with no NSI at a p value of 25.2%. With a 90% confidence interval of -0.0041≤ε_{μτ}≤0.0031 along the real axis and similar strength in the complex plane, this result is the strongest constraint on any NSI parameter from any oscillation channel to date.

POS0965 MAGNETIC RESONANCE ENTEROGRAPHY AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS IN CROHN’S DISEASE: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE-CENTER CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY USING MRE SCREENING FOLLOWED BY CLINICAL ASSESSMENT (ProSpA-CD)

Background

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an excess burden of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) (1), but currently there are no reliable screening tools available. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) is an oral contrast MRI of the small bowel used to aid the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD) (2). MRE also captures the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) but the radiological assessment of this is often overlooked. MRE scans therefore contain potentially valuable unreported data, which could be used to screen for axSpA in CD patients.

Objectives

To determine: (i) the validity, sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of MRE as a screening tool for axSpA in CD, using dedicated axial MRI scans with clinical assessment as the gold standard; (ii) the proportion of patients with evidence of axSpA on MRE who fulfill the 2009 Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria for axSpA; (iii) whether the presence of extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs) or CD location can predict the occurrence of axSpA in CD.

Methods

ProSpA-CD was a pair of linked prospective observational studies conducted at a large secondary care university hospital in the UK. In ProSpA-CD-Screen, patients who had undergone MRE between 2015-2019 were assessed for eligibility. The consenting participants‘ MRE images were evaluated by a rheumatologist and a radiologist, using a scoring system for evidence of axSpA. Participants with evidence of axSpA and a control group of participants without evidence of axSpA were invited to participate in ProSpA-CD-Assess, in which the performance of MRE as a screening test was assessed against a gold standard of clinical assessment, serological testing and dedicated MRI of the spine and pelvis of each participant. ROC curve and logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

A total of 1344 MRE scans were performed between 2015-2019, of which 501 eligible patients were identified. For ProSpA-CD-Screen, 259 participants were recruited. MRE SIJ abnormalities were identified in 94/259 participants and from these, 90 cases were recruited to ProSpA-CD-Assess. For the control group, 71/165 participants with normal SIJs were recruited to ProSpA-CD-Assess (total cases + controls = 161). A clinical diagnosis of axSpA was made in 41/161 (25.47%) participants, of which 25/161 (15.53%) fulfilled ASAS criteria. We constructed a ROC curve to assess test performance using different thresholds on the MRE scoring system. The optimum threshold corresponded to a sensitivity of 0.60 (95%CI 0.39, 0.79) and specificity of 0.85 (95%CI 0.78, 0.91) for MRE as a screening tool for axSpA (ASAS criteria) with an AUC value of 0.78 (95%CI 0.65, 0.86, p<0.05). We did not find a significant association between axSpA and CD location. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated significant associations between axSpA (ASAS criteria) and inflammatory back pain (OR 11.03; 95%CI 2.53, 48.10; p<0.05), HLA B27 (OR 9.94; 95%CI 1.84, 53.87; p<0.05), history of dactylitis (OR 51.01; 95%CI 1.07, 2423.90; p<0.05) and plantar fasciitis (OR 9.08; 95%CI 1.30, 63.55; p<0.05).

Conclusion

We have shown that MRE as a screening tool for axSpA in a cohort of CD patients has good specificity, but poor sensitivity, suggesting that its use as a screening tool is limited. There was no significant association between axSpA and CD location or CD EIMs.

References

[1]Garber A, Regueiro M. Extraintestinal Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Epidemiology, Etiopathogenesis, and Management. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2019;21(7):31.

[2]Rimola J, Ordas I, Rodriguez S, Garcia-Bosch O, Aceituno M, Llach J, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of Crohn’s disease: validation of parameters of severity and quantitative index of activity. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011;17(8):1759-68.

Figure 1.

MRE score ROC curve for participants fulfilling ASAS criteria for axial spondyloarthritis.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement is given to Dr Beverly Ng, Katherine Hodges and CARE for their contribution to this study.

Disclosure of Interests

Jobie Evans Grant/research support from: Clinical study (ProSpA-CD) funded by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD), Tim Raine: None declared, Scott McDonald: None declared, Ken Poole: None declared, Richard Samworth: None declared, Philippe Riede: None declared, Elliott Rees: None declared, Simona D’Amore: None declared, Miles Parkes: None declared, Deepak Jadon Grant/research support from: Clinical study (ProSpA-CD) funded by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD)

Search for Relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with Eight Years of IceCube Data

We present an all-sky 90% confidence level upper limit on the cosmic flux of relativistic magnetic monopoles using 2886 days of IceCube data. The analysis was optimized for monopole speeds between 0.750c and 0.995c, without any explicit restriction on the monopole mass. We constrain the flux of relativistic cosmic magnetic monopoles to a level below 2.0×10^{-19}  cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} over the majority of the targeted speed range. This result constitutes the most strict upper limit to date for magnetic monopoles with β≳0.8 and up to β∼0.995 and fills the gap between existing limits on the cosmic flux of nonrelativistic and ultrarelativistic magnetic monopoles.

Soil N2O and CH4 emissions from fodder maize production with and without riparian buffer strips of differing vegetation

PURPOSE

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) are some of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the 21st century. Vegetated riparian buffers are primarily implemented for their water quality functions in agroecosystems. Their location in agricultural landscapes allows them to intercept and process pollutants from adjacent agricultural land. They recycle organic matter, which increases soil carbon (C), intercept nitrogen (N)-rich runoff from adjacent croplands, and are seasonally anoxic. Thus processes producing environmentally harmful gases including N₂O and CH₄ are promoted. Against this context, the study quantified atmospheric losses between a cropland and vegetated riparian buffers that serve it.

METHODS

Environmental variables and simultaneous N₂O and CH₄ emissions were measured for a 6-month period in a replicated plot-scale facility comprising maize (Zea mays L.). A static chamber was used to measure gas emissions. The cropping was served by three vegetated riparian buffers, namely: (i) grass riparian buffer; (ii) willow riparian buffer and; (iii) woodland riparian buffer, which were compared with a no-buffer control.

RESULTS

The no-buffer control generated the largest cumulative N₂O emissions of 18.9 kg ha^- 1 (95% confidence interval: 0.5-63.6) whilst the maize crop upslope generated the largest cumulative CH₄ emissions (5.1 ± 0.88 kg ha^- 1). Soil N₂O and CH₄-based global warming potential (GWP) were lower in the willow (1223.5 ± 362.0 and 134.7 ± 74.0 kg CO₂-eq. ha^- 1 year^- 1, respectively) and woodland (1771.3 ± 800.5 and 3.4 ± 35.9 kg CO₂-eq. ha^- 1 year^- 1, respectively) riparian buffers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that in maize production and where no riparian buffer vegetation is introduced for water quality purposes (no buffer control), atmospheric CH₄ and N₂O concerns may result.

The SToICAL trial: study protocol for the soft tissue injection of corticosteroid and local anaesthetic trial-a single site, non-inferiority randomised control trial evaluating pain after soft tissue corticosteroid injections with and without local anaesthetic

BACKGROUND

Corticosteroid injections are used in the treatment of hand and wrist conditions. The co-administration of a local anaesthetic and corticosteroid aims to reduce pain after the injection, although no studies have directly compared this with using corticosteroid alone. The aim is to determine whether pain experienced during the 24 h after a corticosteroid injection to the hand and wrist is no worse than (not inferior to) the pain experienced after a corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection.

METHODS

A single-site, patient- and assessor-blinded, non-inferiority randomised control trial recording pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores in patients with a clinical diagnosis of trigger finger, de Quervains tenosynovitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, treated with a 1-ml triamcinolone (40 mg/1 ml) injection co-administered with or without 1 ml of 1% lidocaine. The primary aim is to investigate a difference in pain VAS scores at 1 h after the injection using a mean change score. A 95% power calculation was made using a minimally clinical important difference of 20 mm as the clinically admissible margin of non-inferiority and an assumed standard deviation of 25 mm, from previous studies. Including a 20% fall out rate, 100 patients are required.

DISCUSSION

Patients with a clinical diagnosis of trigger finger, de Quervains and carpal tunnel syndrome, are over the age 18 years old and who are able to give written informed consent will be included. Patients will be excluded if they have had previous surgery or corticosteroid injection for the condition being treated at the site considered for injection. Patients will be electronically randomised and injections delivered during their clinic appointment. Pain is assessed using a 100-mm VAS score taken, before and at the time of injection and at 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 24 h after the injection. The secondary outcomes are to determine a difference in pain VAS score at the time of injection and during the 24 h after.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered on the IRAS (259336) on November 11, 2019, and EudraCT database on October 31, 2019 (2019-003742-32). REC/HRA approval was given in January 2020, and Clinical Trial Authorisation from the MHRA was given in December 2019. The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04253457 ) on February 5, 2020.

Menstrual fluid endometrial stem/progenitor cell and supernatant protein content: cyclical variation and indicative range

STUDY QUESTION

Does natural variation exist in the endometrial stem/progenitor cell and protein composition of menstrual fluid across menstrual cycles in women?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Limited variation exists in the percentage of some endometrial stem/progenitor cell types and abundance of selected proteins in menstrual fluid within and between a cohort of women.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Menstrual fluid is a readily available biofluid that can represent the endometrial environment, containing endometrial stem/progenitor cells and protein factors. It is unknown whether there is natural variation in the cellular and protein content across menstrual cycles of individual women, which has significant implications for the use of menstrual fluid in research and clinical applications.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Menstrual fluid was collected from 11 non-pregnant females with regular menstrual cycles. Participants had not used hormonal medications in the previous 3 months. Participants collected menstrual fluid samples from up to five cycles using a silicone menstrual cup worn on Day 2 of menstrual bleeding.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Menstrual fluid samples were centrifuged to separate soluble proteins and cells. Cells were depleted of red blood cells and CD45+ leucocytes. Menstrual fluid-derived endometrial stem/progenitor cells were characterized using multicolour flow cytometry including markers for endometrial stem/progenitor cells N-cadherin (NCAD) and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) (for endometrial epithelial progenitor cells; eEPC), and sushi domain containing-2 (SUSD2) (for endometrial mesenchymal stem cells; eMSC). The clonogenicity of menstrual fluid-derived endometrial cells was assessed using colony forming unit assays. Menstrual fluid supernatant was analyzed using a custom magnetic Luminex assay.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Endometrial stem/progenitor cells are shed in menstrual fluid and demonstrate clonogenic properties. The intraparticipant agreement for SUSD2+ menstrual fluid-derived eMSC (MF-eMSC), SSEA-1+ and NCAD+SSEA-1+ MF-eEPC, and stromal clonogenicity were moderate-good (intraclass correlation; ICC: 0.75, 0.56, 0.54 and 0.52, respectively), indicating limited variability across menstrual cycles. Endometrial inflammatory and repair proteins were detectable in menstrual fluid supernatant, with five of eight (63%) factors demonstrating moderate intraparticipant agreement (secretory leukocyte protein inhibitor (SLPI), lipocalin-2 (NGAL), lactoferrin, follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), human epididymis protein-4 (HE4); ICC ranges: 0.57-0.69). Interparticipant variation was limited for healthy participants, with the exception of key outliers of which some had self-reported menstrual pathologies.

LARGE SCALE DATA

N/A. There are no OMICS or other data sets relevant to this study.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The main limitations to this research relate to the difficulty of obtaining menstrual fluid samples across multiple menstrual cycles in a consistent manner. Several participants could only donate across <3 cycles and the duration of wearing the menstrual cup varied between 4 and 6 h within and between women. Due to the limited sample size used in this study, wider studies involving multiple consecutive menstrual cycles and a larger cohort of women will be required to fully determine the normal range of endometrial stem/progenitor cell and supernatant protein content of menstrual fluid. Possibility for selection bias and true representation of the population of women should also be considered.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Menstrual fluid is a reliable source of endometrial stem/progenitor cells and related endometrial proteins with diagnostic potential. The present study indicates that a single menstrual sample may be sufficient in characterizing a variety of cellular and protein parameters across women's menstrual cycles. The results also demonstrate the potential of menstrual fluid for identifying endometrial and menstrual abnormalities in both research and clinical settings as a non-invasive method for assessing endometrial health.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This study was supported by grants from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council to C.E.G. (Senior Research Fellowship 1024298 and Investigator Fellowship 1173882) and to J.E. (project grant 1047756), the Monash IVF Research Foundation to C.E.G. and the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. K.A.W., M.L.D.-T., S.G.S. and J.E. declare no conflicts of interest. C.E.G. reports grants from NHMRC, during the conduct of the study; grants from EndoFound USA, grants from Ferring Research Innovation, grants from United States Department of Defence, grants from Clue-Utopia Research Foundation, outside the submitted work. CEF reports grants from EndoFound USA, grants from Clue-Utopia Research Foundation, outside the submitted work.

O-026 Advanced Glycation Endproducts: A new player in obesity related infertility

Globally, 39% of the adult population is overweight or obese, with the prevalence of obesity following an upward trajectory over the recent decades (WHO). Up to 30% of women of reproductive age in Western countries are obese before conception, and obese women experience higher rates of infertility and pregnancy complications than lean women; however, the mechanisms underpinning obesity-related infertility are poorly understood. Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) are a proinflammatory modification of proteins exposed to sugars, formed through the Maillard reaction. AGEs are elevated four-fold in the uterine fluid of obese, infertile women, compared to lean. AGEs equimolar to those in the obese microenvironment negatively impact the functions of endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and adhesion and invasion of trophoblast cells, reducing the potential for successful maternal-fetal interactions (Antoniotti et al., 2018). This research further investigated preimplantation embryo development and endometrial cell functions in the presence of AGEs equimolar to those in obese uterine fluid.

Altered local environments in very early life can set offspring up for a lifetime of health or disease (DoHAD); thus, uterine AGEs may contribute to the prevalence of non-communicable disease in children of obese parents. Preimplantation mouse embryos were cultured in vitro with AGEs equimolar with uterine fluid concentrations from lean and obese women, and their development and implantation potential assessed. “Obese” AGEs did not impact the proportion of embryos reaching blastocyst stage by day 4, but significantly reduced the proportion of blastocysts hatching by day 5 (P &lt; 0.01). AGEs equimolar with the obese uterine environment detrimentally impacted trophectoderm formation and function: reduced trophectoderm cell number (P &lt; 0.01), reduced outgrowth on fibronectin (indicative of reduced implantation potential, (P &lt; 0.01), but did not increase cell apoptosis (TUNEL assay). RAGE antagonism, but neither metformin nor antioxidants, improved trophectoderm cell number. Thus, obesity-associated AGEs link obesity and reduced fertility through poor placentation potential of embryos (Hutchison et al, 2020).

Endometrial epithelial cell function was examined in the presence of lean and obese concentrations of AGEs. Obese AGEs significantly reduced the rate of proliferation (xCelligence real time cell analysis) of the endometrial epithelial cell line ECC-1 versus lean AGEs (P = 0.04). Antioxidants successfully restored the rate of proliferation in the presence of obese AGEs (P = 0.7 versus lean AGEs). Subsequently, human endometrial epithelial organoid culture was utilised as a more physiologically relevant experimental paradigm. When cultured as organoids, primary endometrial epithelial cells were functionally responsive to obesity-associated AGEs, expressing both RAGE and TLR4. The morphology of organoids in culture was not impacted by the presence of obese AGEs versus lean; however, the proliferation of epithelial cells retrieved from organoid culture was altered by obese AGEs versus lean. Obese AGEs also increased the secretion of proinflammatory CXCL16 versus vehicle control (P = 0.04) while increased secretion of other proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines including TNFa approached significance in the presence of obese AGEs. As the inflammatory milieu is altered in the uterine fluid of infertile women, elevated AGEs may promote an infertile endometrial inflammatory environment.

AGEs link obesity and reduced fertility, being detrimental to preimplantation embryo development and endometrial cell function when present at concentrations equal to those in obese uterine fluid. Antioxidants and RAGE antagonism provide beneficial effects to cell function in the presence of obesity-associated AGEs. This research provides evidence supporting AGEs as a factor contributing to obesity related infertility, and as an emerging frontier for reproductive health. Clinically, reduction of uterine AGEs may improve fertility for obese couples wishing to conceive.

Antoniotti et al (2018). Hum Rep. 33(4), 654-665. PMID: 29471449

Hutchison et al (2020). RBMO. 41(5), 757-766. PMID: 32972872

POS1453 OVERLAPPING FEATURES OF RELAPSING POLYCHONDRITIS AND SWEET’S SYNDROME: COULD THIS BE VEXAS (VACUOLES, UBIQUITIN A1E MUTATION, X-LINKED, AUTOINFLAMMATORY, SOMATIC) SYNDROME?

Background:

An 83-year-old male presented to the infectious diseases team with intermittent fevers associated with tension headaches, malaise and fatigue for two years, with recent worsening. He had noted a progressive decline in his mobility over the past year following replacement of his right knee for osteoarthritis. His past medical history included atopic eczema, malaria and bilateral cataract extractions.

On examination, he had a widespread non-scaly annular urticated rash. He had persistently raised inflammatory markers (CRP 40mg/L, ESR 82mm/hour), normocytic anaemia (Hb 102 g/L, MCV 101.9 fL), lymphopenia (0.70 x10^9/L), fluctuating eosinophilia (0.88-1.25 x10^9/L) and a mildly elevated lactate dehydrogenase (243IU/L). A thorough work up for pyrexia of unknown origin showed no evidence of infection/ vasculitis/ immune pathology. The only positive finding was prior exposure to schistosomiasis, treated with a single dose of praziquantel. An echocardiogram and serial PET-CT scans were normal. Given the deterioration in mobility since the right knee replacement, an MRI knee was performed, and cobalt/ chromium levels to look for allergic responses to the prosthesis, but these tests did not reveal any findings of significance.

An initial haematology work-up did not identify an abnormality of concern (screening for a myeloproliferative neoplasm including BCR-ABL studies were negative and mast cell tryptase was not elevated). Due to a worsening skin rash, he was reviewed by dermatology where a skin biopsy showed features of superficial neutrophilic dermatosis which can be observed with Sweet’s syndrome. However, it was felt that this was an unlikely explanation for the persistent systemic symptoms. He proceeded to a bone marrow biopsy which showed reactive features including vacuolation of myeloid precursors with normal cytogenics.

During follow up appointments, the patient described new recurrent violaceous patches with episodes of inflammation of the pinna of the ear, suggesting a diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis and so the patient was started on high dose prednisolone (80mg per day [1mg per kg]) and referred for rheumatological assessment. He had an excellent response to prednisolone (fever, ear swelling and rash subsided). The overlapping features of relapsing polychondritis and Sweet’s syndrome in an elderly man suggested a diagnosis of VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory and somatic) syndrome. The prednisolone dose was rapidly reduced to 10mg per day and the patient was commenced on methotrexate, as a steroid-sparing agent. Further blood tests have been sent for genetic analysis for VEXAS syndrome but results are pending.

Objectives:

N/A

Methods:

N/A

Results:

N/A

Conclusion:

VEXAS syndrome is a newly identified genetically defined syndrome, described by Beck et al in October 2020 consisting of somatic mutations in the UBA1 gene, affecting bone marrow stem cells. In a study of 25 patients with this mutation, diagnostic/ classification criteria for relapsing polychondritis (n=15), Sweet’s syndrome (n=8), polyarteritis nodosa (n=3) or giant cell arteritis (n=1) were met and patients often had severe refractory disease with overlapping systemic inflammatory and haematologic features. Features of VEXAS include the presence of vacuoles in myeloid cells, somatic mutations in the UBA1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme) gene, X-linkage (therefore only occurring in males), in older people with autoinflammatory syndromes. Although VEXAS syndrome is a relatively rare condition, it was a relevant consideration in this case.

References:

[1]Beck et al. Somatic Mutations in UBA1 and Severe Adult-Onset Autoinflammatory Disease. N Engl J Med 2020; 383:2628-2638. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2026834

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

50 Using A Targeted Teaching Intervention to Drive up the Quality of Discharge Summaries. Shop 75+

Background

Quality improvement project examining discharge communication, and a targeted teaching intervention.

Introduction

Poor quality, incomplete or missing discharge summaries (DSs) are associated with avoidable/ameliorable adverse events after discharge [1]; preventable readmission [2,3]; failure to implement discharge plans [4]; and medication continuity errors [4,5].

Methods

To review the quality of DSs produced, each month forty representative DSs are randomly selected from four clinical areas and qualitatively assessed (total &gt; 1,000, August 2017—to date). Alongside this, in August 2018, incoming foundation doctors were surveyed on perceptions of the purpose/importance of DSs, and training provided on writing them. They were resurveyed after teaching delivery in November 2018 and April 2019.

Interventions

Data from QI review and survey were used to generate a teaching intervention, in the form of an interactive slide set for delivery in small group settings. This was delivered in weekly mandatory teaching sessions. PDSA cycles were completed for teaching sessions, and the slide set was developed accordingly.

Results

After the teaching sessions, we noted improvement in satisfaction with training provided on writing DSs (from 24% to 40%), as well as confidence in writing high-quality DSs (from 28% to 100%). We demonstrated increases in responses including the patient as an intended audience for the DS (from 51% to 84%), and rating “patient information in lay terms” of “high importance” (from 41% to 72%). These changes in perceptions were accompanied by improvement in the quality of DSs produced, particularly with respect to the quality of follow-up actions detailed and the quality of patient information provided in lay terminology. The average monthly proportion of DSs achieving a “great score” in these areas increased from 20% and 28% respectively (August 2017—June 2018), to 44% and 71% (August 2018—March 2019).

Conclusions

These data provide proof-of-principle that targeted teaching, constructed around prior questionnaire surveys, improves awareness of the purpose of DCs and leads to improvement in the quality of DSs produced and enhanced patient safety.

69 Continuous and Regular Live Feedback is Required to Maintain An Improvement in the Quality of Discharge Summaries. Shop 75 +

Background

This quality improvement project aims to improve communication between secondary and primary care at the time of hospital discharge of older patients.

Introduction

Discharge summaries (DS) are a key component of communication between secondary and primary care. Poor quality DS are associated with poorer outcomes in terms of adverse events [1], readmissions [2] and medication errors [3]. There is NICE and AMRC guidance on what constitutes a good DS [4, 5].

Method

Prospective review of DS from a range of wards was completed in August 2017 against a detailed data tool. A random selection of DS from the same wards was audited monthly from November 2017 onwards. A novel live-feedback system was introduced to the same wards in February 2018 so that the teams completing DS received feedback on how well their summaries complied with the recommendations and what areas needed improvement. A change in staffing lead to a break in the delivery of monthly feedback to the ward teams from April to September 2019 when it was re-commenced.

Results

In the majority of areas there has been an increase in the quality of the DS from the beginning of the project until March 2019 when the regular feedback interventions were suspended. There was a decrease in the quality of summaries in July and August 2019, followed by an increase as regular feedback interventions recommenced in September 2019. The aggregate results of the four main components of DS (follow-up actions, medicines, clinical summary, and functional assessment), scored “good” in 13% of DS at baseline, 40% in March 2019, 20% in July 2019 and 31% in October 2019.

Conclusions

The suspension of regular direct interventions resulted in a significant deterioration in the quality of discharge summaries, and this improved quickly after reintroduction of PDSA cycles in key areas. Continuous quality improvement requires uninterrupted focus on regular live feedback.

References

1. Clegg et al. Lancet 2013; 381: 752–62.

2. Samra et al. Age Ageing 2017; 46: 911–9.

3. Romero-Ortuno et al. Age Ageing 2012; 41: 684–9.

Evaluation of mental health first aid training for family members of military veterans with a mental health condition

BACKGROUND

A concerning proportion of former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members meet criteria for a mental health condition. Mental health difficulties not only affect the individual veteran. They have been found to negatively impact the mental health of family, with an increased likelihood for family members of veterans developing a mental health condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether participating in a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program improved family members of veterans mental health knowledge, reduced personal and perceived mental health stigma, reduced social distancing attitudes and increased confidence and willingness to engage in MHFA helping behaviours. Additionally, the study measured participant's general mental health and levels of burnout.

METHOD

The study utilised an uncontrolled design with assessment at three time points (baseline, post-program and three-month follow-up). Participants (N = 57) were immediate and extended family members of former ADF members with a mental health condition, who took part in a two-day standard adult MHFA program. At each time point, participants completed self-report measures assessing mental health knowledge, personal and perceived mental health stigma, social distancing attitudes, confidence and willingness to engage in MHFA helping behaviours, general mental health and burnout. Cochranes Q and repeated measures ANOVA was computed to measure the impact of time on the outcome variables.

RESULTS

Results indicated significant improvements in MHFA knowledge and confidence in providing MHFA assistance. Significant reductions in personal mental health stigma (i.e. an individual's attitude towards mental health) for schizophrenia were observed and maintained at follow up. High levels of perceived mental health stigma (i.e. the belief an individual holds about others attitudes towards mental health) were reported with no significant changes observed following the MHFA program. Results did not indicate any significant benefit in improving general psychological distress or burnout at follow up. The participant sample had high levels of mental health difficulties with over half reporting a lifetime mental health diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The study is an important contribution to the international literature on MHFA. The provision of a MHFA program to family members of military veterans has not previously been evaluated. Implications of the findings are discussed with regards to future directions of MHFA research and implementing MHFA programs in this population.

Comparative analysis of three laboratory based serological assays for SARS-CoV-2 in an Australian cohort

Many unanswered questions remain regarding the role of SARS-CoV-2 serological assays in this unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. These include their utility for the diagnosis of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, past infection or exposure, correlation with immunity and the effective duration of immunity. This study examined the performance of three laboratory based serological assays, EUROIMMUN Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA/IgG, MAGLUMI 2000 Plus 2019-nCov IgM/IgG and EDI Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) IgM/IgG immunoassays. We evaluated 138 samples from a reference non-infected population and 71 samples from a cohort of 37 patients with SARS-CoV-2 confirmed positive by RT-PCR. The samples were collected at various intervals of 0-45 days post symptoms onset (PSO). Specificity and sensitivity of these assays was 60.9%/71.4% (IgA) and 94.2%/63.3% (IgG) for EUROIMMUN; 98.5%/18.4% (IgM) and 97.8%/53.1% (IgG) for MAGLUMI; and 94.9%/22.5% (IgM) and 93.5%/57.1% (IgG) for EDI, respectively. When samples collected ≥14 days PSO were considered, the sensitivities were 100.0 and 100.0%; 31.0 and 82.8%; 34.5 and 57.1%, respectively. Using estimated population prevalence of 0.1, 1, and 10%, the positive predictive value of all assays remained low. The EUROIMMUN Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA lacked specificity for acute diagnosis and all IgM assays offered poor diagnostic utility. Seroconversion can be delayed although all patients had seroconverted at 28 days in our cohort with the EUROIMMUN Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Despite this, with specificity of only 94% this assay would not be satisfactory for seroprevalence studies in the general Australian population given this is likely to be currently <1%.

Elucidating three-way interactions between soil, pasture and animals that regulate nitrous oxide emissions from temperate grazing systems

Pasture-based livestock farming contributes considerably to global emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a powerful greenhouse gas approximately 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Traditionally, the estimation of N2O emissions from grasslands is carried out by means of plot-scale experiments, where externally sourced animal excreta are applied to soils to simulate grazing conditions. This approach, however, fails to account for the impact of different sward types on the composition of excreta and thus the functionality of soil microbiomes, creating unrealistic situations that are seldom observed under commercial agriculture. Using three farming systems under contrasting pasture management strategies at the North Wyke Farm Platform, an instrumented ruminant grazing trial in Devon, UK, this study measured N2O emissions from soils treated with cattle urine and dung collected within each system as well as standard synthetic urine shared across all systems, and compared these values against those from two forms of controls with and without inorganic nitrogen fertiliser applications. Soil microbial activity was regularly monitored through gene abundance to evaluate interactions between sward types, soil amendments, soil microbiomes and, ultimately, N2O production. Across all systems, N2O emissions attributable to cattle urine and standard synthetic urine were found to be inconsistent with one another due to discrepancy in nitrogen content. Despite previous findings that grasses with elevated levels of water-soluble carbohydrates tend to generate lower levels of N2O, the soil under high sugar grass monoculture in this study recorded higher emissions when receiving excreta from cattle fed the same grass. Combined together, our results demonstrate the importance of evaluating environmental impacts of agriculture at a system scale, so that the feedback mechanisms linking soil, pasture, animals and microbiomes are appropriately considered.