Building resilience in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) role: a qualitative grounded theory study

AIM

Staff retention, particularly in the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) workforce, has historically been challenging for Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services. This study sought to develop an explanatory model of the resilience-building process in PWPs working within the IAPT programme.

METHOD

A qualitative design was conducted, using a grounded theory methodology. Participants were recruited from two IAPT services in the National Health Service (NHS), which were part of the same Mental Health Trust. Ten PWPs were interviewed via videoconferencing using semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS

An explanatory model of resilience in PWPs encompassed three phases: the experience of work-related challenges, the connection with their values and the related appraisal of adversity in resilient ways, and the implementation of effective coping strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

The model highlights that PWPs develop resilience through values-based sensemaking and by proactively engaging in effective coping mechanisms. This study contributes to the current understanding of the process of resilience in PWPs. More research is needed to explore the developmental processes underlying PWPs' resilience. The implications of the findings in relation to existing conceptualisations of resilience, staff wellbeing and retention are explored. Recommendations for future research are also given.

A scoping review of dental practitioners' perspectives on perceived barriers and facilitators to preventive oral health care in general dental practice

BACKGROUND

Oral health has an important role in the general health and well-being of individuals. Dental teams are ideally placed to support patients in preventing ill-health. Understanding the barriers and facilitators to the adoption, promotion and facilitation of preventive advice and treatment is key to improving oral health services. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) is a useful psychological framework to help identify individual, interpersonal and environmental issues which could be impacting clinicians' ability to provide preventive advice and care. The aim of this review was to identify the perceived barriers and facilitators to preventive oral health care from the perspectives of the oral healthcare team within the general dental practice.

METHODS

A search strategy was developed, piloted, and run in: Medline via Ovid, PsycInfo, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and followed PRISMA guidelines. Identified records were screened independently by two researchers. Data were coded using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and analysed using narrative data synthesis.

RESULTS

5610 papers were identified, and 19 included in this review. Thirteen papers focussed on dentists. Of the 106 items mapped onto the TDF, 48 were facilitators. The domains most frequently represented were, environmental context and resources, beliefs about consequences, social professional role and identity, skills, beliefs about capabilities and knowledge. Six studies focussed on dental hygienists. There were 47 items mapped onto the TDF, 18 were facilitators. The domains most frequently represented were environmental context and resources, social influences, beliefs about consequences and knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

The review identified that the delivery of preventive activities did not focus solely on the patient and dental professional interaction as many previous studies have highlighted. The review found that multiple factors influence whether prevention is delivered to patients. The largest barrier and facilitator for the dental professionals identified in this review was the environmental context and resources. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions that aim to promote preventive oral health care in primary care settings to understand whether they address the barriers identified in this review.

Do routine outcome monitoring measures tell the same story? Evaluating outcome trajectories and clinical outcomes for the outcome rating scale and outcome questionnaire - 45

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) of psychotherapy improves client outcomes and reduces premature terminations. Two ROM systems with the most empirical support are the OQ System (Lambert, 2010) and the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS; Duncan, 2012; Miller et al., 2005). We evaluated if the global distress measures, the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS; PCOMS) and the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ-45; OQ System) show similar outcome trajectories and rates of reliable and clinically significant change when completed by the same clients.

Participants (N = 290) were clients from archived data collected in a training clinic for a psychology doctoral program in the western United States, who completed both the ORS and OQ-45 across treatment.

Bi-variate correlations between the ORS and OQ-45 were highly correlated at the first session (r = -.73), and for later sessions linear and quadratic estimates were only moderately related (rs = -.31 to -.57). Statistically significantly more clients indicated both reliable change and clinically significant change on the ORS compared to the OQ-45.

The results indicate that these measures are correlated but not interchangeable in relation to the conclusions they generate about treatment outcomes. Measurement tools should be carefully considered given the potential for different conclusions to be drawn regarding treatment progress and outcomes.

Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling and Stochastic Simulations to Support Pediatric Dose Selection of Pimavanserin

Pimavanserin is a selective serotonin-modulating agent with inverse agonist/antagonist activity at the 5-hydroxytryptamine2A (5-HT2A ) receptor. The safety and efficacy of pimavanserin 34 mg once daily were studied in adults with hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis and other neuropsychiatric conditions. This analysis used model-based simulations of pimavanserin steady-state exposures to identify a dose that generated pediatric exposures comparable with adult exposures achieved with 34 mg pimavanserin. A population pharmacokinetics model was developed using pooled plasma drug concentration (ie, actual) data from 13 clinical studies, including a phase 1 study of adolescent pediatric patients (aged 13-17 years) with various psychiatric conditions. Stochastic simulations were performed to predict exposures in a virtual (ie, simulated) group of pediatric patients (aged 5-17 years). Steady-state measures of the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum drug concentration (Cmax ) were simulated for relevant age and weight stratifications and compared with simulated exposures in adults (aged 18-49 years). The simulated mean AUC ranged from 47.41 to 54.73 ng d/mL and the mean Cmax ranged from 41.13 to 50.07 ng/mL in adults receiving pimavanserin 34 mg. The simulated mean (SD) Cmax of 56.54 (24.58) ng/mL with pimavanserin 34 mg in patients aged 10-17 years was similar to that in adults. Pimavanserin 20 mg yielded a mean (SD) Cmax of 45.30 (21.31) ng/mL in patients aged 5-9 years and 49.18 (22.91) ng/mL in the pediatric patient weight group of 14-25 kg, which are values close to the Cmax in adults treated with 34 mg. Pimavanserin 20 and 34 mg in pediatric patients aged 5-9 and 10-17 years, respectively, yielded exposures similar to daily pimavanserin 34 mg in adults aged 18-49 years.

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

INTRODUCTION

The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures.

METHODS

In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025.

FINDINGS

Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2-6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5-5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4-10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32-4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23-11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation.

INTERPRETATION

After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification.

FUNDING

UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research.

Impacts of metal mining on river systems: a global assessment

An estimated 23 million people live on floodplains affected by potentially dangerous concentrations of toxic waste derived from past and present metal mining activity. We analyzed the global dimensions of this hazard, particularly in regard to lead, zinc, copper, and arsenic, using a georeferenced global database detailing all known metal mining sites and intact and failed tailings storage facilities. We then used process-based and empirically tested modeling to produce a global assessment of metal mining contamination in river systems and the numbers of human populations and livestock exposed. Worldwide, metal mines affect 479,200 kilometers of river channels and 164,000 square kilometers of floodplains. The number of people exposed to contamination sourced from long-term discharge of mining waste into rivers is almost 50 times greater than the number directly affected by tailings dam failures.

Exposure-response Modeling From the CLARITY Trial of Pimavanserin for Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

In the 10-week, phase 2 CLARITY study of patients with major depressive disorder, adjunctive therapy to antidepressants with pimavanserin 34 mg once daily statistically significantly improved the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) total score (primary endpoint) and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) score (secondary endpoint) versus placebo. This analysis characterized the exposure-response (E-R) relationships of pimavanserin in this CLARITY patient population. Exposure measures were estimated for each patient based on population-pharmacokinetic empirical Bayesian estimates. E-R models were developed to describe exposure-efficacy (HAMD-17, SDS, and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement [CGI-I] scale) and exposure-safety relationships (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale [KSS], Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Functioning Inventory [MGH-SFI], and adverse events [AEs] of headache, sedation, and somnolence) relationships. For the primary efficacy endpoint (HAMD-17 scores), a sigmoid maximum-effect model described the time course of response, and a linear function of pimavanserin exposure was statistically significant. HAMD-17 scores decreased steadily over time following placebo and pimavanserin treatment; separation from placebo increased as peak pimavanserin plasma concentration (C_max ) increased. At median pimavanserin C_max (34-mg dose), the reduction from baseline in HAMD-17 scores was -11.1 and -13.5 at weeks 5 and 10, respectively. Relative to placebo, the model predicted comparable reductions in HAMD-17 scores at weeks 5 and 10. Similar improvements in favor of pimavanserin were detected with SDS, CGI-I, MGH-SFI, and KSS scores. No E-R relationship was found for AEs. E-R modeling predicted a relationship between higher pimavanserin exposure and improvement in HAMD-17 score and improvement across multiple secondary efficacy endpoints.

Psychological resilience: Connecting contemporary psychology to ancient practical philosophy

Over the last five decades, a substantial and increasing number of scholarly studies have appeared on the topic of resilience, but relatively little attention has been paid to the way in which it relates to a body of work in ancient Greek and Roman practical philosophy. In this article, I review contemporary research on psychological resilience alongside a discussion of ancient practical philosophy such as it was conceived of by philosophers such as Socrates, the Cynics, the Stoics, and the Epicureans. I suggest that acknowledging and exploring the connections between these two fields has the potential to enrich the study both of psychological resilience and of ancient practical philosophy. Having drawn attention to a number of important points of connection, I discuss some of the theoretical implications for our current understanding of resilience and finish by pointing towards several areas of potential interest for future exploration on this topic.

Bayesian emulation and history matching of JUNE

We analyze JUNE: a detailed model of COVID-19 transmission with high spatial and demographic resolution, developed as part of the RAMP initiative. JUNE requires substantial computational resources to evaluate, making model calibration and general uncertainty analysis extremely challenging. We describe and employ the uncertainty quantification approaches of Bayes linear emulation and history matching to mimic JUNE and to perform a global parameter search, hence identifying regions of parameter space that produce acceptable matches to observed data, and demonstrating the capability of such methods. This article is part of the theme issue 'Technical challenges of modelling real-life epidemics and examples of overcoming these'.

Bayesian emulation and history matching of JUNE

We analyze JUNE: a detailed model of COVID-19 transmission with high spatial and demographic resolution, developed as part of the RAMP initiative. JUNE requires substantial computational resources to evaluate, making model calibration and general uncertainty analysis extremely challenging. We describe and employ the uncertainty quantification approaches of Bayes linear emulation and history matching to mimic JUNE and to perform a global parameter search, hence identifying regions of parameter space that produce acceptable matches to observed data, and demonstrating the capability of such methods. This article is part of the theme issue 'Technical challenges of modelling real-life epidemics and examples of overcoming these'.

Clinical characteristics with inflammation profiling of long COVID and association with 1-year recovery following hospitalisation in the UK: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

No effective pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions exist for patients with long COVID. We aimed to describe recovery 1 year after hospital discharge for COVID-19, identify factors associated with patient-perceived recovery, and identify potential therapeutic targets by describing the underlying inflammatory profiles of the previously described recovery clusters at 5 months after hospital discharge.

METHODS

The Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study recruiting adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital with COVID-19 across the UK. Recovery was assessed using patient-reported outcome measures, physical performance, and organ function at 5 months and 1 year after hospital discharge, and stratified by both patient-perceived recovery and recovery cluster. Hierarchical logistic regression modelling was performed for patient-perceived recovery at 1 year. Cluster analysis was done using the clustering large applications k-medoids approach using clinical outcomes at 5 months. Inflammatory protein profiling was analysed from plasma at the 5-month visit. This study is registered on the ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN10980107, and recruitment is ongoing.

FINDINGS

2320 participants discharged from hospital between March 7, 2020, and April 18, 2021, were assessed at 5 months after discharge and 807 (32·7%) participants completed both the 5-month and 1-year visits. 279 (35·6%) of these 807 patients were women and 505 (64·4%) were men, with a mean age of 58·7 (SD 12·5) years, and 224 (27·8%) had received invasive mechanical ventilation (WHO class 7-9). The proportion of patients reporting full recovery was unchanged between 5 months (501 [25·5%] of 1965) and 1 year (232 [28·9%] of 804). Factors associated with being less likely to report full recovery at 1 year were female sex (odds ratio 0·68 [95% CI 0·46-0·99]), obesity (0·50 [0·34-0·74]) and invasive mechanical ventilation (0·42 [0·23-0·76]). Cluster analysis (n=1636) corroborated the previously reported four clusters: very severe, severe, moderate with cognitive impairment, and mild, relating to the severity of physical health, mental health, and cognitive impairment at 5 months. We found increased inflammatory mediators of tissue damage and repair in both the very severe and the moderate with cognitive impairment clusters compared with the mild cluster, including IL-6 concentration, which was increased in both comparisons (n=626 participants). We found a substantial deficit in median EQ-5D-5L utility index from before COVID-19 (retrospective assessment; 0·88 [IQR 0·74-1·00]), at 5 months (0·74 [0·64-0·88]) to 1 year (0·75 [0·62-0·88]), with minimal improvements across all outcome measures at 1 year after discharge in the whole cohort and within each of the four clusters.

INTERPRETATION

The sequelae of a hospital admission with COVID-19 were substantial 1 year after discharge across a range of health domains, with the minority in our cohort feeling fully recovered. Patient-perceived health-related quality of life was reduced at 1 year compared with before hospital admission. Systematic inflammation and obesity are potential treatable traits that warrant further investigation in clinical trials.

FUNDING

UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research.

Reflection on the proposed changes to dose quantities-an industrial perspective

In 2021, the ICRP initiated the revision of the general recommendations of the system of radiation protection, and part of it will focus on dose quantities. The recently published ICRP Publication 147 and ICRU Report 95 have described the extent of the proposed modifications and paved the way for the strategy to be adopted. These revisions would seek to simplify, improve the accuracy and extend the field of use of dose quantities. While the Radiological Protection Working Group of the World Nuclear Association recognises the notable improvement in the estimation of the protection quantities and the usefulness of such changes for the medical and research sector, the benefits of the proposed new system seem very limited for the nuclear industry and industries involving naturally occurring radioactive materials. The complexity associated with changing a long-standing and robust system and the risk incurred by the human factor seem unjustified, bearing in mind the likely cost.

Bone infection: a clinical priority for clinicians, scientists and educators

Bone infection has received increasing attention in recent years as one of the main outstanding clinical problems in orthopaedic-trauma surgery that has not been successfully addressed. In fact, infection may develop across a spectrum of patient types regardless of the level of perioperative management, including antibiotic prophylaxis. Some of the main unknown factors that may be involved, and the main targets for future intervention, include more accurate and less invasive diagnostic options, more thorough and accurate debridement protocols, and more potent and targeted antimicrobials. The underlying biology dominates the clinical management of bone infections, with features such as biofilm formation, osteolysis and vascularisation being particularly influential. Based on the persistence of this problem, an improved understanding of the basic biology is deemed necessary to enable innovation in the field. Furthermore, from the clinical side, better evidence, documentation and outreach will be required to translate these innovations to the patient. This review presents the findings and progress of the AO Trauma Clinical Priority Program on the topic of bone infection.

Reflections on low-dose radiation, the misconceptions, reality and moving forward

Low dose radiation has been widely accepted by the radiation protection community as presenting a very low risk to human health, if any. Over-conservatism in optimisation principles and regulations have resulted in a disproportionate fear of radiation amongst the general public and government authorities alike, overlooking the great benefits nuclear science and techniques have brought to society as a whole. As such, the World Nuclear Association advocates for a recontextualisation of the radiation hazards with regards to low dose radiation, and a greater awareness as to the absence of any discernible effects associated with it.

Population pharmacokinetics (Pop PK) of MYL-1402O (a proposed biosimilar to bevacizumab) and reference product (Avastin) in patients with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC)

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Background: MYL-1402O (MYL) is a proposed biosimilar to bevacizumab reference product. A multicenter, double blind randomized, phase 3 study compared the efficacy, safety, PK, and immunogenicity of MYL and Avastin in patients with Stage IV metastatic nsNSCLC. Patients received either MYL or reference product, in combination with carboplatin-paclitaxel up to 18 weeks (6 cycles) followed by monotherapy for up to an additional 24 weeks (8 cycles). The objective was to develop a Pop PK model based on data from a phase 3 study pooled with a single dose healthy volunteer phase 1 study data; to assess PK linearity across the dose levels of 1 mg/kg to 15 mg/kg in 2 clinical studies; to assess the PK similarity of MYL and reference product in patients with nsNSCLC; and to explore potential covariates to account for variability in Pop PK model parameters. Methods: A Pop PK model was developed based on preliminary analyses of MYL phase 1 data and published population analyses of reference product using a 2-compartment linear model (Han K et al., 2016). Individual empiric Bayesian parameter estimates of nsNSCLC patients were used to predict PK measures reflecting exposure to drug and were compared qualitatively between treatments. Results: The data subset used for model development consisted of 8724 records from 771 subjects. Population PK analyses indicated no differences between PK profiles of patients in the MYL and reference product arms. Importantly, treatment was not a significant covariate of clearance ( P = 0.453) or volume of the central compartment ( P = 0.161) using the likelihood ratio χ2 test. Model-based steady state exposure measures, predicted based on the final model for all patients, were also similar between treatment arms (Table). Conclusions: The model supported linear PK at clinical doses in patients with nsNSCLC; there were no clinically relevant/significant differences between the PK of MYL and reference product; and the findings were consistent with the PK study in normal, healthy volunteers. Bayesian Parameter Clinical trial information: 2015-005141-32. [Table: see text]

Abstract PS18-23: Population pharmacokinetics (Pop PK) of MYL-1401O (a trastuzumab biosimilar) and reference trastuzumab (Herceptin®) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC)

Background: Mylan trastuzumab (MYL-1401O) is a biosimilar to trastuzumab (Herceptin®). A multicenter, double blind, randomized, phase III study (HERITAGE) compared the efficacy, safety, Pop PK and immunogenicity of MYL-1401O and trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive mBC. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either MYL-1401O or Herceptin®, in combination with taxane Q3W for 24 weeks followed by monotherapy until unacceptable toxicity, disease progression or early discontinuation.Objectives: The objectives of the Pop PK analysis were to compare the Pop PK derived AUC, Cmax, clearance, Vd, and T1/2 profiles of MYL1401O and Herceptin® and to perform an exploratory assessment of the impact of shed extracellular domain (ECD) fragments of the HER2 receptor (HER2/ ECD) on PK parameters.Methods: One end of infusion PK sample was collected at Cycle 1 and Cycle 6, and 1 trough sample per cycle from all patients; additional samples were taken in a Pop PK subset (MYL-1401O: 45; Herceptin®: 37) in the first dosing interval and at subsequent times. Pop PK modeling was performed using NONMEM. Individual patient empiric Bayesian parameter estimates were used to estimate PK measures. The impact of HER2/ECD presence on PK levels was evaluated in the primary covariate analysis. Results: Two hundred forty-five (245) patients in the PK population received MYL-1401O, while 240 received Herceptin® of which 482 were included in the base model Pop PK analysis. 3170 concentration records with sufficient information were included in the Pop PK analysis. There were no notable demographic differences between the treatment groups. Bayesian parameter based exposure estimates at or near steady-state dosing were comparable between treatments, confirming similar PK (Table 1). Treatment was not a significant covariate of clearance (p=0.177) or volume of the central compartment (p=0.584) using the likelihood ratio Chi-square test.The test-to reference mean ratios of Cmin for Cycle 1 and Cycle 6 (end of cycle) were 103.11(90% CI = 90.61, 117.33) and 104.16 (90% CI = 94.00, 115.42), respectively.The HER2/ECD concentrations were a significant covariate of trastuzumab clearance.

Conclusion: Pop PK profiles of MYL-1401O vs. Herceptin® were similar in patients with HER2positive mBC. Model-based exposure measures were similar between treatments. HER2/ECD concentrations were a strong determinant of trastuzumab clearance, and clearance was similar between treatments. The observed trough concentrations were similar between treatments at the end of Cycle 1 and at Cycle 6.Clinical trial identification: EudraCT Number: 2011-001965-42Legal entity responsible for the study: Mylan GmbHFunding: Mylan GmbH

Table 1:Bayesian Parameter Based Exposure Estimates at Cycle 6MYL-1401O (N=245)Herceptin®(N=240)Total(N=485)Parametern*213202415Dose (mg)Mean (SD)420.70 (90.46)421.25 (97.67)420.97 (93.92)Clearance (L/day)0.27 (0.10)0.28 (0.08)0.27 (0.09)Volume of Central Compartment (L)3.16 (0.60)3.20 (0.60)3.18 (0.60)Volume at Steady State (L)6.36 (1.19)6.32 (1.14)6.34 (1.16)AUC (ug*day/mL)40501.40 (13037.04)38816.90 (11966.26)39681.40 (12540.58)Dose-normalized AUC (ug*day/mL/mg)98.50 (30.56)94.41 (28.90)96.51 (29.80)Cmax,ss (ug/mL)177.00 (37.76)171.52 (34.61)174.33 (36.32)Dose-normalized Cmax,ss (ug/mL/mg)0.43 (0.10)0.42 (0.09)0.43 (0.10)Half-life (day)Median (SD)25.12 (7.50)24.34 (6.89)24.74 (7.21)*concentrations below lower limit of quantification and samples before first dose with values &gt;zero were excluded from Pop PK analysis, as were some patients with incomplete information for covariates significant in the final model.

Citation Format: Joel Owen, Russell Rackley, Mark Liu, Adolfo Fuentes-Alburo, Tazeen Idris, Subramanian Loganathan, Abhijit Barve, Cornelius F. Waller, Hope S. Rugo. Population pharmacokinetics (Pop PK) of MYL-1401O (a trastuzumab biosimilar) and reference trastuzumab (Herceptin®) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS18-23.

Assessment of structural chromosomal instability phenotypes as biomarkers of carboplatin response in triple negative breast cancer: the TNT trial

BACKGROUND

In the TNT trial of triple negative breast cancer (NCT00532727), germline BRCA1/2 mutations were present in 28% of carboplatin responders. We assessed quantitative measures of structural chromosomal instability (CIN) to identify a wider patient subgroup within TNT with preferential benefit from carboplatin over docetaxel.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Copy number aberrations (CNAs) were established from 135 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary carcinomas using Illumina OmniExpress SNP-arrays. Seven published [allelic imbalanced CNA (AiCNA); allelic balanced CNA (AbCNA); copy number neutral loss of heterozygosity (CnLOH); number of telomeric allelic imbalances (NtAI); BRCA1-like status; percentage of genome altered (PGA); homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) scores] and two novel [Shannon diversity index (SI); high-level amplifications (HLAMP)] CIN-measurements were derived. HLAMP was defined based on the presence of at least one of the top 5% amplified cytobands located on 1q, 8q and 10p. Continuous CIN-measurements were divided into tertiles. All nine CIN-measurements were used to analyse objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Patients with tumours without HLAMP had a numerically higher ORR and significantly longer PFS in the carboplatin (C) than in the docetaxel (D) arm [56% (C) versus 29% (D), PHLAMP,quiet = 0.085; PFS 6.1 months (C) versus 4.1 months (D), Pinteraction/HLAMP = 0.047]. In the carboplatin arm, patients with tumours showing intermediate telomeric NtAI and AiCNA had higher ORR [54% (C) versus 20% (D), PNtAI,intermediate = 0.03; 62% (C) versus 33% (D), PAiCNA,intermediate = 0.076]. Patients with high AiCNA and PGA had shorter PFS in the carboplatin arm [3.4 months (high) versus 5.7 months (low/intermediate); and 3.8 months (high) versus 5.6 months (low/intermediate), respectively; Pinteraction/AiCNA = 0.027, Padj.interaction/AiCNA = 0.125 and Pinteraction/PGA = 0.053, Padj.interaction/PGA = 0.176], whilst no difference was observed in the docetaxel arm.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with tumours lacking HLAMP and demonstrating intermediate CIN-measurements formed a subgroup benefitting from carboplatin relative to docetaxel treatment within the TNT trial. This suggests a complex and paradoxical relationship between the extent of genomic instability in primary tumours and treatment response in the metastatic setting.

Management of nystagmus in children: a review of the literature and current practice in UK specialist services

Nystagmus is an eye movement disorder characterised by abnormal, involuntary rhythmic oscillations of one or both eyes, initiated by a slow phase. It is not uncommon in the UK and regularly seen in paediatric ophthalmology and adult general/strabismus clinics. In some cases, it occurs in isolation, and in others, it occurs as part of a multisystem disorder, severe visual impairment or neurological disorder. Similarly, in some cases, visual acuity can be normal and in others can be severely degraded. Furthermore, the impact on vision goes well beyond static acuity alone, is rarely measured and may vary on a minute-to-minute, day-to-day or month-to-month basis. For these reasons, management of children with nystagmus in the UK is varied, and patients report hugely different experiences and investigations. In this review, we hope to shine a light on the current management of children with nystagmus across five specialist centres in the UK in order to present, for the first time, a consensus on investigation and clinical management.

Age influences the thermal suitability of Plasmodium falciparum transmission in the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

Models predicting disease transmission are vital tools for long-term planning of malaria reduction efforts, particularly for mitigating impacts of climate change. We compared temperature-dependent malaria transmission models when mosquito life-history traits were estimated from a truncated portion of the lifespan (a common practice) versus traits measured across the full lifespan. We conducted an experiment on adult female Anopheles stephensi, the Asian urban malaria mosquito, to generate daily per capita values for mortality, egg production and biting rate at six constant temperatures. Both temperature and age significantly affected trait values. Further, we found quantitative and qualitative differences between temperature-trait relationships estimated from truncated data versus observed lifetime values. Incorporating these temperature-trait relationships into an expression governing the thermal suitability of transmission, relative R₀(T), resulted in minor differences in the breadth of suitable temperatures for Plasmodium falciparum transmission between the two models constructed from only An. stephensi trait data. However, we found a substantial increase in thermal niche breadth compared with a previously published model consisting of trait data from multiple Anopheles mosquito species. Overall, this work highlights the importance of considering how mosquito trait values vary with mosquito age and mosquito species when generating temperature-based suitability predictions of transmission.

A phase Ib study of oral Chk1 inhibitor LY2880070 in combination with gemcitabine in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer

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Background: LY2880070 (LY) is an oral, selective competitive inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1). Chk1 inhibitors are known to increase the anti-tumor efficacy of agents such as gemcitabine (GEM), which induce replication stress. Synergy between these two agents has been applied to the clinical setting. Methods: This two-part, open-label multi-center study explores the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and anti-tumor activity of LY in patients with advanced or metastatic cancers. The primary objective of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for multiple escalating oral doses of LY in combination with GEM. Secondary objectives were to: 1) Characterize the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and overall safety profile for LY; 2) Evaluate the PK of LY; and 3) Evaluate the anti-tumor activity of LY. Patients received LY in a variety of different dose regimens, in combination with GEM (50 to 800 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15 (optional) of a 21-day cycle. Results: The combination of LY with GEM required lower doses of both LY (vs 200 mg BID monotherapy RP2D dose) and GEM (vs approved doses). The dose levels explored ranged from LY:GEM of 10 mg QD:800 mg/m2 to 50 mg BID:100 mg/m2. BID dosing of LY was implemented in order to maximize the total daily dose and avoid the adverse events that appeared to correlate with Cmax. Treatment-emergent adverse events in > 40% of patients included vomiting, nausea, and fatigue. DLTs included reduced platelet count (Gr2), fatigue (Gr3), diarrhea (Gr3), and thrombocytopenia (x2, Gr2). The t1/2 of LY was ~ 5 h, and was not significantly affected by combination with GEM. Two patients had a best overall response of SD for a duration of ≥ 6 cycles, and a confirmed PR was observed in an ovarian cancer patient who had failed multiple regimens. Conclusions: LY was tolerated in combination with lower dose GEM. The toxicity profile can be modulated by changing the dosing frequency from QD to BID while administering the same daily dose. LY may be good candidate for combination therapy with DNA damaging agents. Clinical trial information: NCT02632448 .

A phase Ib study of oral Chk1 inhibitor LY2880070 as monotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer

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Background: LY2880070 (LY) is an orally-administered, selective adenosine triphosphate-competitive inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1). LY blocks the checkpoint response, and Chk1 inhibition results in mitotic catastrophe to produce apoptosis. Methods: This 2-part, open-label multi-center study explores the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and anti-tumor activity of LY in patients with advanced or metastatic cancers. The primary objective of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for multiple escalating oral doses of LY. Secondary objectives were to: 1) Characterize the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and overall safety profile for LY; 2) Evaluate the PK of LY; and 3) Evaluate the anti-tumor activity of LY. Patients received LY orally in 21-day cycles in two treatment arms: 1) A multiple ascending dose (MAD) arm in patients with normal/intermediate CYP2D6 metabolism; or 2) An arm with LY administered as monotherapy to CYP2D6 poor metabolizers. Results: The MTD in normal/intermediate CYP2D6 metabolizers was 200 mg BID daily. A dose of 400 mg QD was not tolerated even with the use of anti-emetics. However, BID administration (same total daily dose) made LY tolerable. Dose-limiting toxicities were predominantly vomiting, nausea, and fatigue, and appeared to be correlated with Cmax. The mean half-life was 5.35 (+/- 2.3) hours. BID dosing provided maintenance of the AUC (3271.4 h∙ng/mL 200 mg BID vs 3377.9 h∙ng/mL 400 mg QD) while lowering Cmax (350.0 ng/mL 200 mg BID vs 691.9 ng/mL 400 mg QD) and increasing Cmin, compared to QD dosing of the same total daily dose. Importantly, BID administration of 200 mg LY resulted in a median Cmin at steady-state that remains above the IC80 for 12 h/day and above the IC50 for 24 h/day. Five patients had a best response of SD for a duration of ≥ 6 cycles. Conclusions: LY was tolerated in a daily BID schedule. The toxicity profile can be modulated by changing the dosing frequency from QD to BID while administering the same daily dose. LY may be a potential combination therapy with DNA damaging agents. Study #: NCT02632448 . This study is sponsored by Esperas Pharma Inc., 1255 boul. Robert-Bourassa #1610, Montreal, Qc, H3B 3X3. Clinical trial information: NCT02632448 .

Assessing the perceived impact of post Minamata amalgam phase down on oral health inequalities: a mixed-methods investigation

Background

Data from countries that have implemented a complete phase out of dental amalgam following the Minamata agreement suggest increased costs and time related to the placement of alternatives with consumers absorbing the additional costs. This aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a complete phase out of dental amalgam on oral health inequalities in particular for countries dependent on state run oral health services.

Methods

A mixed methods component design quantitative and qualitative study in the United Kingdom. The quantitative study involved acquisition and analysis of datasets from NHS Scotland to compare trends in placement of dental amalgam and a survey of GDPs in Yorkshire, UK. The qualitative study involved analysis of the free text of the survey and a supplementary secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with GDPs (private and NHS), dental school teaching leads and NHS dental commissioners to understand the impact of amalgam phase down on oral health inequalities.

Results

Time-trends for amalgam placement showed that there was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in amalgam use compared with composites and glass ionomers. However dental amalgam still represented a large proportion (42%) of the restorations (circa 1.8 million) placed in the 2016–2017 financial year.

Survey respondents suggest that direct impacts of a phase down were related to increased costs and time to place alternative restorations and reduced quality of care. This in turn would lead to increased tooth extractions, reduced access to care and privatisation of dental services with the greatest impact on deprived populations.

Conclusion

Amalgam is still a widely placed material in state run oral health services. The complete phase down of dental amalgam poses a threat to such services and threatens to widen oral health inequalities. Our data suggest that a complete phase out is not currently feasible unless appropriate measures are in place to ensure cheaper, long-lasting and easy to use alternatives are available and can be readily adopted by primary care oral health providers.

Ultrasound-activated microbubbles as a novel intracellular drug delivery system for urinary tract infection

The development of new modalities for high-efficiency intracellular drug delivery is a priority for a number of disease areas. One such area is urinary tract infection (UTI), which is one of the most common infectious diseases globally and which imposes an immense economic and healthcare burden. Common uropathogenic bacteria have been shown to invade the urothelial wall during acute UTI, forming latent intracellular reservoirs that can evade antimicrobials and the immune response. This behaviour likely facilitates the high recurrence rates after oral antibiotic treatments, which are not able to penetrate the bladder wall and accumulate to an effective concentration. Meanwhile, oral antibiotics may also exacerbate antimicrobial resistance and cause systemic side effects. Using a human urothelial organoid model, we tested the ability of novel ultrasound-activated lipid microbubbles to deliver drugs into the cytoplasm of apical cells. The gas-filled lipid microbubbles were decorated with liposomes containing the non-cell-permeant antibiotic gentamicin and a fluorescent marker. The microbubble suspension was added to buffer at the apical surface of the bladder model before being exposed to ultrasound (1.1 MHz, 2.5 Mpa, 5500 cycles at 20 ms pulse duration) for 20 s. Our results show that ultrasound-activated intracellular delivery using microbubbles was over 16 times greater than the control group and twice that achieved by liposomes that were not associated with microbubbles. Moreover, no cell damage was detected. Together, our data show that ultrasound-activated microbubbles can safely deliver high concentrations of drugs into urothelial cells, and have the potential to be a more efficacious alternative to traditional oral antibiotic regimes for UTI. This modality of intracellular drug delivery may prove useful in other clinical indications, such as cancer and gene therapy, where such penetration would aid in treatment.

Learning from good practice: a review of current oral health promotion materials for parents of young children

Objectives To examine the quality of UK-based oral health promotion materials (OHPM) for parents of young children aged 0-5 years old.Data sources OHPM were obtained via email request to dental public health consultants and oral health promotion teams in the UK, structured web-based searches or collected from oral health events.Data selection Materials were included if: they were freely available; they were in English; they were parent facing and included oral health advice aimed at children aged 0-5-years-old.Data extraction Quality assessment was based on: whether the oral health messages were consistent with Public Health England's Delivering better oral health guidance, and what barriers to good oral health were addressed by the OHPM using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).Data synthesis A wide range of printed and digital OHPM were identified (n = 111). However, only one piece of material covered all 16 guidance points identified in Public Health England's Delivering better oral health (mean 6, SD 4), and one other material addressed all 12 domains of the TDF (mean 6, SD 2).Conclusions Although there were examples of high quality, further development is required to ensure OHPM are clear, consistent and address a wider range of barriers to good oral health behaviours.

Estimating gestational age at birth from fundal height and additional anthropometrics: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Accurate assessment of gestational age (GA) is critical to paediatric care, but is limited in developing countries without access to ultrasound. Our objectives were to assess the accuracy of prediction of GA at birth and preterm birth classification using routinely collected anthropometry measures.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

United States.

POPULATION OR SAMPLE

A total of 2334 non-obese and 468 obese pregnant women.

METHODS

Enrolment GA was determined based on last menstrual period, confirmed by first-trimester ultrasound. Maternal anthropometry and fundal height (FH) were measured by a standardised protocol at study visits; FH alone was additionally abstracted from medical charts. Neonatal anthropometry measurements were obtained at birth. To estimate GA at delivery, we developed three predictor models using longitudinal FH alone and with maternal and neonatal anthropometry. For all predictors, we repeatedly sampled observations to construct training (60%) and test (40%) sets. Linear mixed models incorporated longitudinal maternal anthropometry and a shared parameter model incorporated neonatal anthropometry. We assessed models' accuracy under varied scenarios.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Estimated GA at delivery.

RESULTS

Prediction error for various combinations of anthropometric measures ranged between 13.9 and 14.9 days. Longitudinal FH alone predicted GA within 14.9 days with relatively stable prediction errors across individual race/ethnicities [whites (13.9 days), blacks (15.1 days), Hispanics (15.5 days) and Asians (13.1 days)], and correctly identified 75% of preterm births. The model was robust to additional scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS

In low-risk, non-obese women, longitudinal FH measures alone can provide a reasonably accurate assessment of GA when ultrasound measures are not available.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Longitudinal fundal height alone predicts gestational age at birth when ultrasound measures are unavailable.

Can the optimal cervical length for placing ultrasound-indicated cerclage be identified?

OBJECTIVE

To assess a continuum of cervical length (CL) cut-offs for the efficacy of ultrasound-indicated cerclage in women with previous spontaneous preterm birth (PTB).

METHODS

This was a planned secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized clinical trial of ultrasound-indicated cerclage for the prevention of PTB in high-risk women. The efficacy of cerclage for preventing recurrent PTB < 35, < 32 and < 24 weeks' gestation was assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) and CIs were estimated for a range of CL cut-offs using bootstrap regression. The 2.5(th) and 97.5(th) percentiles of bootstrapped ORs determined the CIs. Results were illustrated using smoothed curves superimposed on estimated ORs by CL cut-off.

RESULTS

Of 301 women with a CL < 25 mm, 142 underwent ultrasound-indicated cerclage and 159 did not have cerclage placement. The few cases with CL < 10 mm limited the evaluation to CL cut-offs between < 10 mm and < 25 mm. For PTB < 35 weeks, ORs in women with a cerclage and CL < 25 mm were statistically significantly lower than in those without cerclage, and efficacy was maintained at smaller CL cut-offs. Results were similar for PTB < 32 weeks. For PTB < 24 weeks, results differed, with ORs increasing toward unity (no benefit), with wide CIs, for CL cut-offs between < 10 mm and < 15 mm, attributed to the small number of births < 24 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of ultrasound-indicated cerclage in women with previous spontaneous PTB varies by action point CL cut-off and by PTB gestational age of interest. Cerclage significantly reduces the risk of PTB < 35 and < 32 weeks, at CL cut-offs between < 10 mm and < 25 mm, with the greatest reduction at shorter CL, affirming that women with prior spontaneous PTB and a short CL are appropriate candidates for ultrasound-indicated cerclage. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.