The influence of anastomotic techniques on postoperative anastomotic complications: Results of the Oesophago-Gastric Anastomosis Audit

BACKGROUND

The optimal anastomotic techniques in esophagectomy to minimize rates of anastomotic leakage and conduit necrosis are not known. The aim of this study was to assess whether the anastomotic technique was associated with anastomotic failure after esophagectomy in the international Oesophago-Gastric Anastomosis Audit cohort.

METHODS

This prospective observational multicenter cohort study included patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer over 9 months during 2018. The primary exposure was the anastomotic technique, classified as handsewn, linear stapled, or circular stapled. The primary outcome was anastomotic failure, namely a composite of anastomotic leakage and conduit necrosis, as defined by the Esophageal Complications Consensus Group. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify the association between anastomotic techniques and anastomotic failure, after adjustment for confounders.

RESULTS

Of the 2238 esophagectomies, the anastomosis was handsewn in 27.1%, linear stapled in 21.0%, and circular stapled in 51.9%. Anastomotic techniques differed significantly by the anastomosis sites (P < .001), with the majority of neck anastomoses being handsewn (69.9%), whereas most chest anastomoses were stapled (66.3% circular stapled and 19.3% linear stapled). Rates of anastomotic failure differed significantly among the anastomotic techniques (P < .001), from 19.3% in handsewn anastomoses, to 14.0% in linear stapled anastomoses, and 12.1% in circular stapled anastomoses. This effect remained significant after adjustment for confounding factors on multivariable analysis, with an odds ratio of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.46-0.86; P = .004) for circular stapled versus handsewn anastomosis. However, subgroup analysis by anastomosis site suggested that this effect was predominantly present in neck anastomoses, with anastomotic failure rates of 23.2% versus 14.6% versus 5.9% for handsewn versus linear stapled anastomoses versus circular stapled neck anastomoses, compared with 13.7% versus 13.8% versus 12.2% for chest anastomoses.

CONCLUSIONS

Handsewn anastomoses appear to be independently associated with higher rates of anastomotic failure compared with stapled anastomoses. However, this effect seems to be largely confined to neck anastomoses, with minimal differences between techniques observed for chest anastomoses. Further research into standardization of anastomotic approach and techniques may further improve outcomes.

POS0186 VOCLOSPORIN FOR LUPUS NEPHRITIS: RESULTS OF THE TWO-YEAR AURORA 2 CONTINUATION STUDY

Background

Voclosporin (VCS), a novel calcineurin inhibitor, was approved in the US in January 2021 for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis (LN) in combination with background immunosuppressive therapy. The Phase 3 AURORA 1 study showed that the addition of VCS to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and low-dose steroids in patients with LN significantly increased rates of complete renal response at 52 weeks.

Objectives

Here we report the results of the completed continuation study, AURORA 2, which assessed the long-term safety and tolerability of VCS compared to placebo in patients with LN receiving treatment for an additional 24 months following completion of the AURORA 1 study

Methods

Key inclusion criteria for the parent AURORA 1 study included a diagnosis of biopsy-proven active LN (Class III, IV, or V ± III/IV), proteinuria ≥1.5 mg/mg (≥2 mg/mg for Class V) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >45 mL/min/1.73 m2. Patients who completed AURORA 1 and who elected and were eligible to enter AURORA 2 continued on the same blinded therapy as at the end of AURORA 1 (either VCS or placebo twice daily in combination with MMF and low-dose steroids). Safety and tolerability were monitored, and eGFR, serum creatinine (SCr), and urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR) were also assessed.

Results

In total, 116 and 100 patients in the VCS and control arms enrolled in AURORA 2, with 92 (79.3%) and 73 (73.0%) patients in each respective arm receiving treatment to the end of AURORA 2. There were no unexpected safety signals in the VCS arm compared to control, with similar rates of serious adverse events reported in both arms (VCS [18.1%] vs. control [23.0%]; Table 1). Eight patients in each arm experienced serious adverse events of infection; serious coronavirus infections were observed in 2 patients in the voclosporin arm and 5 patients in the control arm. There were 4 and 2 adverse events by preferred term of renal impairment reported in the VCS and control arms, respectively, none of which were considered serious, and no reports of acute kidney injury by preferred term in either arm. There were no deaths in the VCS arm during AURORA 2; four deaths were reported in the control arm (pulmonary embolism [n=1], coronavirus infection [n=3]). Mean eGFR and SCr levels remained stable through the end of AURORA 2. The difference between the VCS and control arms in LS mean change from baseline in eGFR was 2.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 at 4 weeks following study drug discontinuation (Figure 1). The mean reductions in UPCR observed in patients treated with VCS in AURORA 1 were maintained in AURORA 2 with no increase in UPCR noted at the follow-up visit 4 weeks after study drug discontinuation.

Table 1.

Overall Summary of Adverse Events

Control(n=100)Voclosporin(n=116)n (%)n (%)Any AE80 (80.0)100 (86.2) Renal Impairment2 (2.0)4 (3.4) Acute Kidney Injury00Treatment-related AE21 (21.0)28 (24.1)Serious AE23 (23.0)21 (18.1)Serious Treatment-related AE2 (2.0)1 (0.9)AE Leading to Study Drug Discontinuation17 (17.0)11 (9.5)Death4 (4.0)0Treatment-related Death00Figure 1.

LS Mean eGFR over Time

Conclusion

Voclosporin was well-tolerated over 3 years of treatment with no unexpected safety signals detected. Further, eGFR remained stable throughout the study period, and the significant and meaningful reductions in proteinuria achieved in AURORA 1 were maintained. These data provide evidence of a long-term treatment benefit of VCS in patients with LN.

Includes adverse events starting on or after the first dose of study drug in AURORA 2 up to 30 days after the last dose and all events of death reported during study follow-up. Adverse events were aggregated by System Organ Class and Preferred Term and coded using Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) Version 20.0. AE, adverse event.

Disclosure of Interests

Amit Saxena Speakers bureau: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Consultant of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Y.K. Onno Teng Consultant of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Chris Collins Shareholder of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Employee of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Nicole England Shareholder of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Employee of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Henry Leher Shareholder of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Employee of: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals

Textbook outcome following oesophagectomy for cancer: international cohort study

Background

Textbook outcome has been proposed as a tool for the assessment of oncological surgical care. However, an international assessment in patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer has not been reported. This study aimed to assess textbook outcome in an international setting.

Methods

Patients undergoing curative resection for oesophageal cancer were identified from the international Oesophagogastric Anastomosis Audit (OGAA) from April 2018 to December 2018. Textbook outcome was defined as the percentage of patients who underwent a complete tumour resection with at least 15 lymph nodes in the resected specimen and an uneventful postoperative course, without hospital readmission. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with textbook outcome, and results are presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent c.i.).

Results

Of 2159 patients with oesophageal cancer, 39.7 per cent achieved a textbook outcome. The outcome parameter ‘no major postoperative complication’ had the greatest negative impact on a textbook outcome for patients with oesophageal cancer, compared to other textbook outcome parameters. Multivariable analysis identified male gender and increasing Charlson comorbidity index with a significantly lower likelihood of textbook outcome. Presence of 24-hour on-call rota for oesophageal surgeons (OR 2.05, 95 per cent c.i. 1.30 to 3.22; P = 0.002) and radiology (OR 1.54, 95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 2.24; P = 0.027), total minimally invasive oesophagectomies (OR 1.63, 95 per cent c.i. 1.27 to 2.08; P &lt; 0.001), and chest anastomosis above azygous (OR 2.17, 95 per cent c.i. 1.58 to 2.98; P &lt; 0.001) were independently associated with a significantly increased likelihood of textbook outcome.

Conclusion

Textbook outcome is achieved in less than 40 per cent of patients having oesophagectomy for cancer. Improvements in centralization, hospital resources, access to minimal access surgery, and adoption of newer techniques for improving lymph node yield could improve textbook outcome.

Textbook outcome following oesophagectomy for cancer: international cohort study

BACKGROUND

Textbook outcome has been proposed as a tool for the assessment of oncological surgical care. However, an international assessment in patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer has not been reported. This study aimed to assess textbook outcome in an international setting.

METHODS

Patients undergoing curative resection for oesophageal cancer were identified from the international Oesophagogastric Anastomosis Audit (OGAA) from April 2018 to December 2018. Textbook outcome was defined as the percentage of patients who underwent a complete tumour resection with at least 15 lymph nodes in the resected specimen and an uneventful postoperative course, without hospital readmission. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with textbook outcome, and results are presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent c.i.).

RESULTS

Of 2159 patients with oesophageal cancer, 39.7 per cent achieved a textbook outcome. The outcome parameter 'no major postoperative complication' had the greatest negative impact on a textbook outcome for patients with oesophageal cancer, compared to other textbook outcome parameters. Multivariable analysis identified male gender and increasing Charlson comorbidity index with a significantly lower likelihood of textbook outcome. Presence of 24-hour on-call rota for oesophageal surgeons (OR 2.05, 95 per cent c.i. 1.30 to 3.22; P = 0.002) and radiology (OR 1.54, 95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 2.24; P = 0.027), total minimally invasive oesophagectomies (OR 1.63, 95 per cent c.i. 1.27 to 2.08; P < 0.001), and chest anastomosis above azygous (OR 2.17, 95 per cent c.i. 1.58 to 2.98; P < 0.001) were independently associated with a significantly increased likelihood of textbook outcome.

CONCLUSION

Textbook outcome is achieved in less than 40 per cent of patients having oesophagectomy for cancer. Improvements in centralization, hospital resources, access to minimal access surgery, and adoption of newer techniques for improving lymph node yield could improve textbook outcome.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia associated with ACVRL1 mutation: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an autosomal dominant condition with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 5000. It is characterized by the presence of abnormalities of vascular structures, and may affect many organ systems, including the lungs, brain, spinal cord, gastrointestinal tract, and liver. A causative mutation is identified in approximately 97% of patients with definite hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia in one of three genes including a mutation in endoglin, a mutation in a locus mapped to chromosome 5, and an activin receptor-like kinase-1 (ACVRL1) mutation that is associated with an increased incidence of primary pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare (15-25 cases per million people) but severe vascular disorder. Heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension is associated with several gene mutations, with 75% having a mutation in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2). However, the remaining 25% of patients have other associated genetic mutations including ACVLR1, which is also associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare complication in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (< 1% of the hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia population). We describe a case report with this rare occurrence.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 70-year-old white/caucasian Irish male presented for screening for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia due to a history of recurrent epistaxis (once/week) and a family history suggestive of pulmonary hypertension. Genetic testing confirmed an ACVRL1 mutation, while an echocardiogram and right heart catheterization confirmed pulmonary arterial hypertension. On examination, he had several mucocutaneous telangiectasia across his face. He was commenced on tadalafil and macitentan. However, this led to increased iron deficiency anemia and pedal edema. Selexipag was also added to his drug regime. He continues to require intermittent admissions for diuresis and blood transfusions.

CONCLUSION

The association of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension is rare (< 1%). Here we describe a case of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia complicated with pulmonary arterial hypertension as a result of an ACVRL1 mutation. We also describe the clinical challenges of treating these two conditions together, as treatment options for pulmonary arterial hypertension tend to worsen hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia symptoms.

Postoperative outcomes in oesophagectomy with trainee involvement

BACKGROUND

The complexity of oesophageal surgery and the significant risk of morbidity necessitates that oesophagectomy is predominantly performed by a consultant surgeon, or a senior trainee under their supervision. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of trainee involvement in oesophagectomy on postoperative outcomes in an international multicentre setting.

METHODS

Data from the multicentre Oesophago-Gastric Anastomosis Study Group (OGAA) cohort study were analysed, which comprised prospectively collected data from patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer between April 2018 and December 2018. Procedures were grouped by the level of trainee involvement, and univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to compare patient outcomes across groups.

RESULTS

Of 2232 oesophagectomies from 137 centres in 41 countries, trainees were involved in 29.1 per cent of them (n = 650), performing only the abdominal phase in 230, only the chest and/or neck phases in 130, and all phases in 315 procedures. For procedures with a chest anastomosis, those with trainee involvement had similar 90-day mortality, complication and reoperation rates to consultant-performed oesophagectomies (P = 0.451, P = 0.318, and P = 0.382, respectively), while anastomotic leak rates were significantly lower in the trainee groups (P = 0.030). Procedures with a neck anastomosis had equivalent complication, anastomotic leak, and reoperation rates (P = 0.150, P = 0.430, and P = 0.632, respectively) in trainee-involved versus consultant-performed oesophagectomies, with significantly lower 90-day mortality in the trainee groups (P = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Trainee involvement was not found to be associated with significantly inferior postoperative outcomes for selected patients undergoing oesophagectomy. The results support continued supervised trainee involvement in oesophageal cancer surgery.

Differences in obstetrical care and outcomes associated with the proportion of the obstetrician's shift completed

BACKGROUND

Understanding and improving obstetrical quality and safety is an important goal of professional societies, and many interventions such as checklists, safety bundles, educational interventions, or other culture changes have been implemented to improve the quality of care provided to obstetrical patients. Although many factors contribute to delivery decisions, a reduced workload has addressed how provider issues such as fatigue or behaviors surrounding impending shift changes may influence the delivery mode and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to assess whether intrapartum obstetrical interventions and adverse outcomes differ based on the temporal proximity of the delivery to the attending's shift change.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a secondary analysis from a multicenter obstetrical cohort in which all patients with cephalic, singleton gestations who attempted vaginal birth were eligible for inclusion. The primary exposure used to quantify the relationship between the proximity of the provider to their shift change and a delivery intervention was the ratio of time from the most recent attending shift change to vaginal delivery or decision for cesarean delivery to the total length of the shift. Ratios were used to represent the proportion of time completed in the shift by normalizing for varying shift lengths. A sensitivity analysis restricted to patients who were delivered by physicians working 12-hour shifts was performed. Outcomes chosen included cesarean delivery, episiotomy, third- or fourth-degree perineal laceration, 5-minute Apgar score of <4, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. Chi-squared tests were used to evaluate outcomes based on the proportion of the attending's shift completed. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic models fitting a cubic spline (when indicated) were used to determine whether the frequency of outcomes throughout the shift occurred in a statistically significant, nonlinear pattern RESULTS: Of the 82,851 patients eligible for inclusion, 47,262 (57%) had ratio data available and constituted the analyzable sample. Deliveries were evenly distributed throughout shifts, with 50.6% taking place in the first half of shifts. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of cesarean delivery, episiotomy, third- or fourth-degree perineal lacerations, or 5-minute Apgar scores of <4 based on the proportion of the shift completed. The findings were unchanged when evaluated with a cubic spline in unadjusted and adjusted logistic models. Sensitivity analyses performed on the 22.2% of patients who were delivered by a physician completing a 12-hour shift showed similar findings. There was a small increase in the frequency of neonatal intensive care unit admissions with a greater proportion of the shift completed (adjusted P=.009), but the findings did not persist in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Clinically significant differences in obstetrical interventions and outcomes do not seem to exist based on the temporal proximity to the attending physician's shift change. Future work should attempt to directly study unit culture and provider fatigue to further investigate opportunities to improve obstetrical quality of care, and additional studies are needed to corroborate these findings in community settings.

BSHI/BTS guidance on crossmatching before deceased donor kidney transplantation

All UK H&I laboratories and transplant units operate under a single national kidney offering policy, but there have been variations in approach regarding when to undertake the pre‐transplant crossmatch test. In order to minimize cold ischaemia times for deceased donor kidney transplantation we sought to find ways to be able to report a crossmatch result as early as possible in the donation process. A panel of experts in transplant surgery, nephrology, specialist nursing in organ donation and H&I (all relevant UK laboratories represented) assessed evidence and opinion concerning five factors that relate to the effectiveness of the crossmatch process, as follows: when the result should be ready for reporting; what level of donor HLA typing is needed; crossmatch sample type and availability; fairness and equity; risks and patient safety. Guidelines aimed at improving practice based on these issues are presented, and we expect that following these will allow H&I laboratories to contribute to reducing CIT in deceased donor kidney transplantation.

Multisensory Facilitation of Working Memory Training

Research suggests that memorization of multisensory stimuli benefits performance compared to memorization of unisensory stimuli; however, little is known about multisensory facilitation in the context of working memory (WM) training and transfer. To investigate this, 240 adults were randomly assigned to an N-back training task that consisted of visual-only stimuli, alternating visual and auditory blocks, or audio-visual (multisensory) stimuli, or to a passive control group. Participants in the active groups completed 13 sessions of N-back training (6.7 hours in total) and all groups completed a battery of WM tasks: untrained N-back tasks, Corsi Blocks, Sequencing, and Symmetry Span. The Multisensory group showed similar training N-level gain compared to the Visual Only group, and both of these groups outperformed the Alternating group on the training task. As expected, all three active groups significantly improved on untrained visual N-back tasks compared to the Control group. In contrast, the Multisensory group showed significantly greater gains on the Symmetry Span task and to a certain extent on the Sequencing task compared to other groups. These results tentatively suggest that incorporating multisensory objects in a WM training protocol can benefit performance on the training task and potentially facilitate transfer to complex WM span tasks.

Mortality from esophagectomy for esophageal cancer across low, middle, and high-income countries: An international cohort study

BACKGROUND

No evidence currently exists characterising global outcomes following major cancer surgery, including esophageal cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to characterise impact of high income countries (HIC) versus low and middle income countries (LMIC) on the outcomes following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

METHOD

This international multi-center prospective study across 137 hospitals in 41 countries included patients who underwent an esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, with 90-day follow-up. The main explanatory variable was country income, defined according to the World Bank Data classification. The primary outcome was 90-day postoperative mortality, and secondary outcomes were composite leaks (anastomotic leak or conduit necrosis) and major complications (Clavien-Dindo Grade III - V). Multivariable generalized estimating equation models were used to produce adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI95%).

RESULTS

Between April 2018 to December 2018, 2247 patients were included. Patients from HIC were more significantly older, with higher ASA grade, and more advanced tumors. Patients from LMIC had almost three-fold increase in 90-day mortality, compared to HIC (9.4% vs 3.7%, p < 0.001). On adjusted analysis, LMIC were independently associated with higher 90-day mortality (OR: 2.31, CI95%: 1.17-4.55, p = 0.015). However, LMIC were not independently associated with higher rates of anastomotic leaks (OR: 1.06, CI95%: 0.57-1.99, p = 0.9) or major complications (OR: 0.85, CI95%: 0.54-1.32, p = 0.5), compared to HIC.

CONCLUSION

Resections in LMIC were independently associated with higher 90-day postoperative mortality, likely reflecting a failure to rescue of these patients following esophagectomy, despite similar composite anastomotic leaks and major complication rates to HIC. These findings warrant further research, to identify potential issues and solutions to improve global outcomes following esophagectomy for cancer.

Response to "isolated head tremor: A DAT SPECT and somatosensory temporal discrimination study."

In response to Ferrazano and colleagues' observation of normal DAT binding in patients with isolated head tremor but with abnormal STDT, we report normal 123-IBZM SPECT in a cohort of patients with adult-onset idiopathic focal dystonia with cervical dystonia and their unaffected first-degree relatives both with normal and abnormal TDTs. We discuss molecular imaging findings in dystonia.

How many general practice consultations occur in Ireland annually? Cross-sectional data from a survey of general practices

Background

General practice plays a central role in the Irish health system. This study aimed to determine a baseline estimate of the number of consultations completed in general practice in Ireland annually to facilitate evidence-based healthcare planning.

Methods

A survey was emailed to all 3378 individual members of the Irish College of General Practitioners in February 2020 asking each practice to report on consultations by general practitioners and practice nurses occurring on the previous day of practice.

Results

A total of 507 practices responded to the survey, reporting 34,594 general practitioner consultations and 13,161 nurse consultations on one day. Extrapolating this figure nationally, we estimate 21,353,731 GP consultations and 7,749,615 practice nurse consultations occur in Ireland annually. An Irish person visits their GP an estimated 4.34 times a year and the average consultation time is 13.7 min.

Conclusions

This study shows that over 29.1 million consultations take place in Irish general practice every year. Innovative interventions to increase the capacity of general practice are needed to ensure high-quality care continues to be accessible in Ireland.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-021-01377-0.

Challenges in Evaluating Interactive Visual Machine Learning Systems

In interactive visual machine learning (IVML), humans and machine learning algorithms collaborate to achieve tasks mediated by interactive visual interfaces. This human-in-the-loop approach to machine learning brings forth not only numerous intelligibility, trust, and usability issues, but also many open questions with respect to the evaluation of the IVML system, both as separate components, and as a holistic entity that includes both human and machine intelligence. This article describes the challenges and research gaps identified in an IEEE VIS workshop on the evaluation of IVML systems.

GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M_{⊙}

On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black holes with masses of 85_{-14}^{+21}  M_{⊙} and 66_{-18}^{+17}  M_{⊙} (90% credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova processes, with only a 0.32% probability of being below 65  M_{⊙}. We calculate the mass of the remnant to be 142_{-16}^{+28}  M_{⊙}, which can be considered an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The luminosity distance of the source is 5.3_{-2.6}^{+2.4}  Gpc, corresponding to a redshift of 0.82_{-0.34}^{+0.28}. The inferred rate of mergers similar to GW190521 is 0.13_{-0.11}^{+0.30}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}.

Factors that influence family and parental preferences and decision making for unscheduled paediatric healthcare - systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Health systems offer access to unscheduled care through numerous routes; however, it is typically provided by general practitioners (GPs), by emergency medicine doctors in in emergency departments (EDs) and by GPs in out-of-hours GP services such as practitioner cooperatives. Unscheduled healthcare constitutes a substantial portion of healthcare delivery. A systematic review was conducted to establish the factors that influence parents' decision making when seeking unscheduled healthcare for their children. The systematic review question was "What are the factors that influence the decision making of parents and families seeking unscheduled paediatric healthcare?"

METHOD

Five databases (CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycInfo, EconLit) and four grey literature databases (Proquest, Lenus, OpenGrey, Google Scholar) were searched. The titles and abstracts of 3746 articles were screened and full-text screening was performed on 177 of these articles. Fifty-six papers were selected for inclusion in the review. Data relating to different types of unscheduled health services (namely primary care, the emergency department and out-of-hours services) were extracted from these articles. A narrative approach was used to synthesise the extracted data.

RESULTS

Several factors were identified as influencing parental preferences and decision making when seeking unscheduled healthcare for their children. A number of the included studies identified pre-disposing factors such as race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) as impacting the healthcare-seeking behaviour of parents. Unscheduled healthcare use was often initiated by the parent's perception that the child's condition was urgent and their need for reassurance. The choice of unscheduled service was influenced by a myriad of factors such as: waiting times, availability of GP appointments, location of the ED, and the relationship that the parent or caregiver had with their GP.

CONCLUSION

Policy and planning initiatives do not always reflect how patients negotiate the health system as a single entity with numerous entry points. Altering patients' behaviour through public health initiatives that seek to improve, for instance, health literacy or reducing emergency hospital admissions through preventative primary care requires an understanding of the relative importance of factors that influence behaviour and decision making, and the interactions between these factors.

Patient deprivation and perceived scan burden negatively impact the quality of whole-body MRI

AIM

To evaluate the association between the image quality of cancer staging whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) and patient demographics, distress, and perceived scan burden.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A sample of patients recruited prospectively to multicentre trials comparing WB-MRI with standard scans for staging lung and colorectal cancer were invited to complete two questionnaires. The baseline questionnaire, administered at recruitment, collated data on demographics, distress and co-morbidity. The follow-up questionnaire, completed after staging investigations, measured perceived WB-MRI scan burden (scored 1 low to 7 high). WB-MRI anatomical coverage, and technical quality was graded by a radiographic technician and grading combined to categorise the scan as "optimal", "sub-optimal" or "degraded". A radiologist categorised 30 scans to test interobserver agreement. Data were analysed using the chi-square, Fisher's exact, t-tests, and multinomial regression.

RESULTS

One hundred and fourteen patients were included in the study (53 lung, 61 colorectal; average age 65.3 years, SD=11.8; 66 men [57.9%]). Overall, 45.6% (n=52), scans were classified as "optimal" quality, 39.5% (n=45) "sub-optimal", and 14.9% (n=17) as "degraded". In adjusted analyses, greater deprivation level and higher patient-reported scan burden were both associated with a higher likelihood of having a sub-optimal versus an optimal scan (odds ratio [OR]: 4.465, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.454 to 13.709, p=0.009; OR: 1.987, CI: 1.153 to 3.425, p=0.013, respectively). None of the variables predicted the likelihood of having a degraded scan.

CONCLUSIONS

Deprivation and patients' perceived experience of the WB-MRI are related to image quality. Tailored protocols and individualised patient management before and during WB-MRI may improve image quality.

Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA

We present our current best estimate of the plausible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next several years, with the intention of providing information to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals for the third (O3), fourth (O4) and fifth observing (O5) runs, including the planned upgrades of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. We study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source for gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary systems of compact objects, that is binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems. The ability to localize the sources is given as a sky-area probability, luminosity distance, and comoving volume. The median sky localization area (90% credible region) is expected to be a few hundreds of square degrees for all types of binary systems during O3 with the Advanced LIGO and Virgo (HLV) network. The median sky localization area will improve to a few tens of square degrees during O4 with the Advanced LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA (HLVK) network. During O3, the median localization volume (90% credible region) is expected to be on the order of 10 5 , 10 6 , 10 7 Mpc 3 for binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems, respectively. The localization volume in O4 is expected to be about a factor two smaller than in O3. We predict a detection count of 1 - 1 + 12 ( 10 - 10 + 52 ) for binary neutron star mergers, of 0 - 0 + 19 ( 1 - 1 + 91 ) for neutron star-black hole mergers, and 17 - 11 + 22 ( 79 - 44 + 89 ) for binary black hole mergers in a one-calendar-year observing run of the HLV network during O3 (HLVK network during O4). We evaluate sensitivity and localization expectations for unmodeled signal searches, including the search for intermediate mass black hole binary mergers.

Abstract B130: Elevated cancer-intrinsic type I interferon signaling confers a dependency on the RNA editor ADAR1

The deamination of adenosine to inosine (known as A-to-I editing) is one of the most prevalent RNA modifications that occurs in metazoans and is mediated by the Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA (ADAR) family of enzymes. The enzyme ADAR/ADAR1 catalyzes the majority of A-to-I editing where it has been demonstrated to effect coding sequence, miRNA function and silencing of Alu repetitive elements1. A critical function of ADAR1 is to edit double stranded RNA (dsRNA) structures that can activate the cytoplasmic nucleoside sensors MDA5 and PKR, preventing aberrant activation of an innate immune type I interferon (IFN) response2,3. Consistent with this hypothesis, mutations in ADAR1 and other enzymes involved in nucleoside metabolism and/or sensing are found in Aicardi-Goutiéres Syndrome (AGS), an interferonopathy associated with spontaneous interferon production4. Through analysis of pooled CRISPR and shRNA screening data, we have identified that cancer cell lines with elevated expression of specific type I interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) are dependent on ADAR1 for their survival. Tumor cells can display elevated intrinsic type I interferon signaling and associated dsRNA burden due to multiple factors, including chronic cytoplasmic DNA activation of STING, oncovirus infection and other proinflammatory signals. We have identified a core subset of 26 ISGs that predict a cellular dependency on ADAR1 and demonstrate elevated expression of these ISGs in a diverse range of tumor types including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer. Utilizing an isogenic cell line with low basal type I interferon signaling and knockout of ADAR1, we demonstrate that we can induce cell death through exogenous treatment with the dsRNA mimetic poly-(I:C) or type I interferons (IFNα or IFNβ) but not the type II interferon IFNγ. We believe that chronic ISG expression and dsRNA burden creates a dependency on ADAR1 to prevent activation of MDA5 and PKR. These data suggest an ADAR1 inhibitor could be beneficial for the treatment of tumors with elevated ISG expression.

Eisenberg et al., Nature Review Genetics (2018)

Ahmad et al., Cell (2018)

Chung et al., Cell (2018)

Crow et al., Nature Review Immunology (2015)

Citation Format: Alexandra K. Gardino, Cindy Collins, Maureen S. Lynes, P. Ann Boriack-Sjodin, Robert A. Copeland, Scott A. Ribich. Elevated cancer-intrinsic type I interferon signaling confers a dependency on the RNA editor ADAR1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B130. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-B130

Benchmarking an 11-qubit quantum computer

The field of quantum computing has grown from concept to demonstration devices over the past 20 years. Universal quantum computing offers efficiency in approaching problems of scientific and commercial interest, such as factoring large numbers, searching databases, simulating intractable models from quantum physics, and optimizing complex cost functions. Here, we present an 11-qubit fully-connected, programmable quantum computer in a trapped ion system composed of 13 ¹⁷¹Yb⁺ ions. We demonstrate average single-qubit gate fidelities of 99.5\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\%$$\end{document}%, average two-qubit-gate fidelities of 97.5\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\%$$\end{document}%, and SPAM errors of 0.7\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\%$$\end{document}%. To illustrate the capabilities of this universal platform and provide a basis for comparison with similarly-sized devices, we compile the Bernstein-Vazirani and Hidden Shift algorithms into our native gates and execute them on the hardware with average success rates of 78\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\%$$\end{document}% and 35\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\%$$\end{document}%, respectively. These algorithms serve as excellent benchmarks for any type of quantum hardware, and show that our system outperforms all other currently available hardware.

The growing complexity of quantum computing devices makes presents challenges for benchmarking their performance as previous, exhaustive approaches become infeasible. Here the authors characterise the quality of their 11-qubit device by successfully computing two quantum algorithms.

Evaluation of the BAX® System for Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods: Collaborative Study

A multilaboratory study was conducted to compare the automated BAX® system and the standard cultural methods for detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods. Six food types (frankfurters, soft cheese, smoked salmon, raw, ground beef, fresh radishes, and frozen peas) were analyzed by each method. For each food type, 3 inoculation levels were tested: high (average of 2 CFU/g), low (average of 0.2 CFU/g) and uninoculated controls. A total of 25 laboratories representing government and industry participated. Of the 2335 samples analyzed, 1109 were positive by the BAX system and 1115 were positive by the standard method. A Chi square analysis of each of the 6 food types, at the 3 inoculation levels tested, was performed. For all foods, except radishes, the BAX system performed as well as or better than the standard reference methods based on the Chi square results.

Search for Subsolar Mass Ultracompact Binaries in Advanced LIGO's Second Observing Run

We present a search for subsolar mass ultracompact objects in data obtained during Advanced LIGO's second observing run. In contrast to a previous search of Advanced LIGO data from the first observing run, this search includes the effects of component spin on the gravitational waveform. We identify no viable gravitational-wave candidates consistent with subsolar mass ultracompact binaries with at least one component between 0.2  M_{⊙}-1.0  M_{⊙}. We use the null result to constrain the binary merger rate of (0.2  M_{⊙}, 0.2  M_{⊙}) binaries to be less than 3.7×10^{5}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1} and the binary merger rate of (1.0  M_{⊙}, 1.0  M_{⊙}) binaries to be less than 5.2×10^{3}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}. Subsolar mass ultracompact objects are not expected to form via known stellar evolution channels, though it has been suggested that primordial density fluctuations or particle dark matter with cooling mechanisms and/or nuclear interactions could form black holes with subsolar masses. Assuming a particular primordial black hole (PBH) formation model, we constrain a population of merging 0.2  M_{⊙} black holes to account for less than 16% of the dark matter density and a population of merging 1.0  M_{⊙} black holes to account for less than 2% of the dark matter density. We discuss how constraints on the merger rate and dark matter fraction may be extended to arbitrary black hole population models that predict subsolar mass binaries.

Tests of General Relativity with GW170817

The recent discovery by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo of a gravitational wave signal from a binary neutron star inspiral has enabled tests of general relativity (GR) with this new type of source. This source, for the first time, permits tests of strong-field dynamics of compact binaries in the presence of matter. In this Letter, we place constraints on the dipole radiation and possible deviations from GR in the post-Newtonian coefficients that govern the inspiral regime. Bounds on modified dispersion of gravitational waves are obtained; in combination with information from the observed electromagnetic counterpart we can also constrain effects due to large extra dimensions. Finally, the polarization content of the gravitational wave signal is studied. The results of all tests performed here show good agreement with GR.

Constraining the p-Mode-g-Mode Tidal Instability with GW170817

We analyze the impact of a proposed tidal instability coupling p modes and g modes within neutron stars on GW170817. This nonresonant instability transfers energy from the orbit of the binary to internal modes of the stars, accelerating the gravitational-wave driven inspiral. We model the impact of this instability on the phasing of the gravitational wave signal using three parameters per star: an overall amplitude, a saturation frequency, and a spectral index. Incorporating these additional parameters, we compute the Bayes factor (lnB_{!pg}^{pg}) comparing our p-g model to a standard one. We find that the observed signal is consistent with waveform models that neglect p-g effects, with lnB_{!pg}^{pg}=0.03_{-0.58}^{+0.70} (maximum a posteriori and 90% credible region). By injecting simulated signals that do not include p-g effects and recovering them with the p-g model, we show that there is a ≃50% probability of obtaining similar lnB_{!pg}^{pg} even when p-g effects are absent. We find that the p-g amplitude for 1.4  M_{⊙} neutron stars is constrained to less than a few tenths of the theoretical maximum, with maxima a posteriori near one-tenth this maximum and p-g saturation frequency ∼70  Hz. This suggests that there are less than a few hundred excited modes, assuming they all saturate by wave breaking. For comparison, theoretical upper bounds suggest ≲10^{3} modes saturate by wave breaking. Thus, the measured constraints only rule out extreme values of the p-g parameters. They also imply that the instability dissipates ≲10^{51}  erg over the entire inspiral, i.e., less than a few percent of the energy radiated as gravitational waves.

Reference Echocardiographic Measurements in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants

BACKGROUND

Echocardiography is an important technique in neonatal care. The heart of a premature baby is known to be different from that of a term baby, and there is a paucity of literature regarding reference cardiac measurements for this population, especially for the very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to present reference values for echocardiography in VLBW preterm infants.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective observational study taking place over an 11-year period. We collected data from the reports of echocardiographic examinations performed in a population of preterm infants born with gestational age ≤ 32 weeks and birth weight (BW) ≤ 1,500 g in the first week of life.

RESULTS

Our study population included 1,244 preterm infants. We found BW to be an adequate and practical variable to use in relation to the cardiac measurements. We propose reference values for seven cardiac measurements presented in tables for each 100 g weight subgroup.

CONCLUSION

Our study, to the best of our knowledge, has the largest sample of VLBW preterm infants and provides easy-to-use information on cardiac measurements by echocardiography for both pediatric cardiologists and neonatologists.

Modelling the accumulation and transport of floating marine micro-plastics around South Africa

Plastic pollution of South Africa's marine environment is widespread, yet limited research exists on the distribution, accumulation and transport of plastic debris around South Africa. In this paper, numerical modelling is used to provide a first approximation of the pathways and accumulation of marine micro-plastics around South Africa. To account for a range of plastic classes, particles with two different densities are considered. Low-density (LD) particles represent low- and high-density polyethylene while high-density (HD) particles are representative of Polyethylene terephthalate and Polyvinyl chloride. While the majority of micro-plastic particles that enter the ocean from the five major coastal urban-industrialised centers beach along the coastline of South Africa, a third is exported to the open ocean. LD and HD particles are primarily exported to the South Atlantic and South Indian Ocean, respectively. Particles that beach along South Africa's coastline tend to accumulate in close proximity to the coastal urban-industrialised centers.

Search for Subsolar-Mass Ultracompact Binaries in Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

We present the first Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo search for ultracompact binary systems with component masses between 0.2  M_{⊙}-1.0  M_{⊙} using data taken between September 12, 2015 and January 19, 2016. We find no viable gravitational wave candidates. Our null result constrains the coalescence rate of monochromatic (delta function) distributions of nonspinning (0.2  M_{⊙}, 0.2  M_{⊙}) ultracompact binaries to be less than 1.0×10^{6}  Gpc^{-3}  yr^{-1} and the coalescence rate of a similar distribution of (1.0  M_{⊙}, 1.0  M_{⊙}) ultracompact binaries to be less than 1.9×10^{4}  Gpc^{-3}  yr^{-1} (at 90% confidence). Neither black holes nor neutron stars are expected to form below ∼1  M_{⊙} through conventional stellar evolution, though it has been proposed that similarly low mass black holes could be formed primordially through density fluctuations in the early Universe and contribute to the dark matter density. The interpretation of our constraints in the primordial black hole dark matter paradigm is highly model dependent; however, under a particular primordial black hole binary formation scenario we constrain monochromatic primordial black hole populations of 0.2  M_{⊙} to be less than 33% of the total dark matter density and monochromatic populations of 1.0  M_{⊙} to be less than 5% of the dark matter density. The latter strengthens the presently placed bounds from microlensing surveys of massive compact halo objects (MACHOs) provided by the MACHO and EROS Collaborations.

GW170817: Measurements of Neutron Star Radii and Equation of State

On 17 August 2017, the LIGO and Virgo observatories made the first direct detection of gravitational waves from the coalescence of a neutron star binary system. The detection of this gravitational-wave signal, GW170817, offers a novel opportunity to directly probe the properties of matter at the extreme conditions found in the interior of these stars. The initial, minimal-assumption analysis of the LIGO and Virgo data placed constraints on the tidal effects of the coalescing bodies, which were then translated to constraints on neutron star radii. Here, we expand upon previous analyses by working under the hypothesis that both bodies were neutron stars that are described by the same equation of state and have spins within the range observed in Galactic binary neutron stars. Our analysis employs two methods: the use of equation-of-state-insensitive relations between various macroscopic properties of the neutron stars and the use of an efficient parametrization of the defining function p(ρ) of the equation of state itself. From the LIGO and Virgo data alone and the first method, we measure the two neutron star radii as R_{1}=10.8_{-1.7}^{+2.0}  km for the heavier star and R_{2}=10.7_{-1.5}^{+2.1}  km for the lighter star at the 90% credible level. If we additionally require that the equation of state supports neutron stars with masses larger than 1.97  M_{⊙} as required from electromagnetic observations and employ the equation-of-state parametrization, we further constrain R_{1}=11.9_{-1.4}^{+1.4}  km and R_{2}=11.9_{-1.4}^{+1.4}  km at the 90% credible level. Finally, we obtain constraints on p(ρ) at supranuclear densities, with pressure at twice nuclear saturation density measured at 3.5_{-1.7}^{+2.7}×10^{34}  dyn cm^{-2} at the 90% level.

Health system changes needed to support people consulting general practice out of hours services in Ireland

BACKGROUND

Mental illness acts as a barrier to accessing and obtaining effective medical care. It has been shown that out of hours services are an important first stop for emergency care for people experiencing mental health difficulties. However, little is in fact known about the use of out of hours general practice services by people experiencing mental health difficulties.

AIM

To establish the number and range of consultations that have a primary or related mental health issue attending general practitioner (GP) out of hours and to document adherence to their follow-up care referral.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Descriptive study in one large out of hours primary care service in the South East of Ireland (Caredoc).

METHODS

An anonymous extraction of retrospective data from 1 year of the out of hours' electronic database was undertaken. Patients who attended the out of hours with a possible mental health issue and were referred to the psychiatric services or back to their own GP, were tracked via phone follow-up with hospitals and GPs over 6 months to establish if they attended for the recommend follow-up care.

RESULTS

Over a 1 year period, there were 3844 out of hours presentations with a mental health component. Overall, 9.3% were referred by the out of hours GP for follow-up to a hospital emergency department (ED) or were advised to attend their own GP. A total of 104 patients who were advised to attend their GP or ED following their consultation with the out of hours GP were tracked. Twenty-seven patients were referred back to their GP of which the follow-up call to the GP revealed that 44.5% did not attend. Seventy-seven patients were referred to the hospital services, of whom 37.7% did not attend.

CONCLUSIONS

There are significant challenges at the interface of primary care and secondary mental health services in Ireland. As expounded by the WHO and WONCA, in order to be effective and efficient, care for mental health must be coordinated with services at different levels of care complemented by the broader health system.

Putting patients at the center of kidney care transitions: PREPARE NOW, a cluster randomized controlled trial

Care for patients transitioning from chronic kidney disease to kidney failure often falls short of meeting patients' needs. The PREPARE NOW study is a cluster randomized controlled trial studying the effectiveness of a pragmatic health system intervention, 'Patient Centered Kidney Transition Care,' a multi-component health system intervention designed to improve patients' preparation for kidney failure treatment. Patient-Centered Kidney Transition Care provides a suite of new electronic health information tools (including a disease registry and risk prediction tools) to help providers recognize patients in need of Kidney Transitions Care and focus their attention on patients' values and treatment preferences. Patient-Centered Kidney Transition Care also adds a 'Kidney Transitions Specialist' to the nephrology health care team to facilitate patients' self-management empowerment, shared-decision making, psychosocial support, care navigation, and health care team communication. The PREPARE NOW study is conducted among eight [8] outpatient nephrology clinics at Geisinger, a large integrated health system in rural Pennsylvania. Four randomly selected nephrology clinics employ the Patient Centered Kidney Transitions Care intervention while four clinics employ usual nephrology care. To assess intervention effectiveness, patient reported, biomedical, and health system outcomes are collected annually over a period of 36 months via telephone questionnaires and electronic health records. The PREPARE NOW Study may provide needed evidence on the effectiveness of patient-centered health system interventions to improve nephrology patients' experiences, capabilities, and clinical outcomes, and it will guide the implementation of similar interventions elsewhere.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02722382.

Active spectroscopy measurements of the deuterium temperature, rotation, and density from the core to scrape off layer on the DIII-D tokamak (invited)

Main-ion charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (MICER) uses the neutral beam induced D _α spectrum to measure the local deuterium ion (D⁺) temperature, rotation, and density, as well as parameters related to the neutral beams, fast ions, and magnetic field. An edge MICER system consisting of 16 densely packed chords was recently installed on DIII-D, extending the MICER technique from the core to the pedestal and steep gradient region of H-mode plasmas where the D⁺ and commonly measured impurity ion properties can differ significantly. A combination of iterative collisional radiative modeling techniques and greatly accelerated spectral fitting allowed the extension of this diagnostic technique to the plasma edge where the steep gradients introduce significant diagnostic challenges. The importance of including the fast ion D _α emission in the fit to the spectrum for the edge system is investigated showing that it is typically not important except for cases which can have significant fast ion fractions near the plasma edge such as QH-mode. Example profiles from an Ohmic L-mode and a high power ITER baseline case show large differences in the toroidal rotation of the two species near the separatrix including a strong co-current D⁺ edge rotation. The measurements and analysis demonstrate the state of the art in active spectroscopy and integrated modeling for diagnosing fusion plasmas and the importance of direct main ion measurements.

Neonatal outcomes of elective early-term births after demonstrated fetal lung maturity

BACKGROUND

Studies of early-term birth after demonstrated fetal lung maturity show that respiratory and other outcomes are worse with early-term birth (37⁰-38⁶ weeks) even after demonstrated fetal lung maturity when compared with full-term birth (39⁰-40⁶ weeks). However, these studies included medically indicated births and are therefore potentially limited by confounding by the indication for delivery. Thus, the increase in adverse outcomes might be due to the indication for early-term birth rather than the early-term birth itself.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the prevalence and risks of adverse neonatal outcomes associated with early-term birth after confirmed fetal lung maturity as compared with full-term birth in the absence of indications for early delivery.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a secondary analysis of an observational study of births to 115,502 women in 25 hospitals in the United States from 2008 through 2011. Singleton nonanomalous births at 37-40 weeks with no identifiable indication for delivery were included; early-term births after positive fetal lung maturity testing were compared with full-term births. The primary outcome was a composite of death, ventilator for ≥2 days, continuous positive airway pressure, proven sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis, treated hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia (phototherapy), and 5-minute Apgar <7. Logistic regression and propensity score matching (both 1:1 and 1:2) were used.

RESULTS

In all, 48,137 births met inclusion criteria; the prevalence of fetal lung maturity testing in the absence of medical or obstetric indications for early delivery was 0.52% (n = 249). There were 180 (0.37%) early-term births after confirmed pulmonary maturity and 47,957 full-term births. Women in the former group were more likely to be non-Hispanic white, smoke, have received antenatal steroids, have induction, and have a cesarean. Risks of the composite (16.1% vs 5.4%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-4.8 from logistic regression) were more frequent with elective early-term birth. Propensity scores matching confirmed the increased primary composite in elective early-term births: adjusted odds ratios, 4.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-10.5) for 1:1 and 3.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-6.5) for 1:2 matching. Among components of the primary outcome, CPAP use and hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy were significantly increased. Transient tachypnea of the newborn, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and prolonged neonatal intensive care unit stay (>2 days) were also increased with early-term birth.

CONCLUSION

Even with confirmed pulmonary maturity, early-term birth in the absence of medical or obstetric indications is associated with worse neonatal respiratory and hepatic outcomes compared with full-term birth, suggesting relative immaturity of these organ systems in early-term births.

Characterization of demographics and NS5A genetic diversity for hepatitis C virus genotype 4-infected patients with or without cirrhosis treated with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 (GT4) is genetically diverse with 17 confirmed and 4 provisional subtypes. In this report, HCV GT4-infected patient samples from Phase 2/3 clinical studies were analysed to characterize global demographics and genetic diversity of GT4 infection among patients treated with ombitasvir (OBV, NS5A inhibitor) plus paritaprevir/r (NS3/4A inhibitor codosed with ritonavir). Among 17 subtypes isolated from GT4-infected patients in the PEARL-I and AGATE-I studies, subtype prevalence by country of enrolment and country of origin suggested that subtypes 4a and 4d were likely circulating in Europe, while heterogeneous GT4 subtypes and a portion of GT4a detected in European and North American countries were likely due to immigration of HCV-infected patients from Africa. The distributions of birth cohort and race were also significantly different across GT4 subtypes 4a, 4d, and non-4a/4d. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of NS5A sequences revealed clustering within subtype 4a which segregated by the patient-reported country of origin and the presence of the L30R/S polymorphism. HCV NS5A sequences derived from GT4a-infected patients who originated from Europe and the United States clustered separately from sequences derived from patients who originated from Egypt, suggesting that genetically distinct strains of subtype 4a may be circulating globally. Finally, NS5A baseline polymorphisms were frequently detected at amino acid positions of interest for the inhibitor-class and OBV retained activity against 37 of 39 NS5A GT4 clinical isolates, with no impact on treatment outcome in the PEARL-I and AGATE-I studies.

Patient Texting in General Practice: Who, Why, Why Not? A National Survey of Text Messaging in Irish General Practice

Introduction The benefits of text messaging patients are well documented. The General Medical Council recently published guidance endorsing text messaging. The use of text messaging by GPs in Ireland is currently unknown. The survey aims to address this knowledge deficit and ascertain the extent, benefits, risks, barriers and clinical role of text messaging in Irish general practice. Methods An online survey was emailed to 1,375 members of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). Results A total of 536 GPs completed the questionnaire; a response rate of 40%. Overall, 66% (n=353) of respondents text patients and 27% have a written policy for texting patients. Texting is used primarily to send test results (71%), to advise the patient to phone the practice (52%) and as appointment reminders (43%). Discussion GPs text messaging patients is widespread. Complex issues to resolve include consent, confidentiality, children/young adults and the clinical content of text messages. Guidance is required to enable GPs and patients harness the benefits of text messaging, while minimising potential risks.

First Direct Observation of Runaway-Electron-Driven Whistler Waves in Tokamaks

DIII-D experiments at low density (n_{e}∼10^{19}  m^{-3}) have directly measured whistler waves in the 100-200 MHz range excited by multi-MeV runaway electrons. Whistler activity is correlated with runaway intensity (hard x-ray emission level), occurs in novel discrete frequency bands, and exhibits nonlinear limit-cycle-like behavior. The measured frequencies scale with the magnetic field strength and electron density as expected from the whistler dispersion relation. The modes are stabilized with increasing magnetic field, which is consistent with wave-particle resonance mechanisms. The mode amplitudes show intermittent time variations correlated with changes in the electron cyclotron emission that follow predator-prey cycles. These can be interpreted as wave-induced pitch angle scattering of moderate energy runaways. The tokamak runaway-whistler mechanisms have parallels to whistler phenomena in ionospheric plasmas. The observations also open new directions for the modeling and active control of runaway electrons in tokamaks.

Effect of repeated exposure to AQUI-S® on the viability and growth of Neoparamoeba perurans

There have been recent efforts amongst immunologists to develop approaches for following individual fish during challenges with viral and bacterial pathogens. This study contributes to assessing the feasibility of using such approaches to study amoebic gill disease (AGD). Neoparamoeba perurans, agent of AGD, has been responsible for widespread economic and fish loss in salmonid aquaculture. With the emergence of AGD in Europe, research into infection dynamics and host response has increased. This study investigated the effect of repeat exposure to anaesthesia, a necessary requirement when following disease progression in individual fish, on N. perurans. In vitro cultures of N. perurans were exposed every 4 days over a 28-day period to AQUI-S^® (isoeugenol), a popular anaesthetic choice for AGD challenges, at a concentration and duration required to sedate post-smolt salmonids. Population growth was measured by sequential counts of amoeba over the period, while viability of non-attached amoeba in the culture was assessed with a vital stain. AQUI-S^® was found to be a suitable choice for in vivo ectoparasitic challenges with N. perurans during which repetitive anaesthesia is required for analysis of disease progression.

The Flexible Unit Structure Engine (FUSE) for probe structure-based composition prediction

Computationally led materials discovery requires efficient methods to generate either exact or approximate crystal structures that span the composition range of a chosen phase space. Here we present a new tool, the Flexible Unit Structure Engine (FUSE), for the generation of approximate 'probe structures' to predict regions of composition space where compounds can be experimentally realised. We then test FUSE by applying it to 42 compositions in the Y3+-Sr2+-Ti4+-O2- phase field. FUSE correctly identifies all of the target compounds in the regions of stability and identifies the exact crystal structure for 8 out of the 10 compositions.