Knockout of the inhibitory receptor TIGIT enhances the antitumor response of ex vivo expanded NK cells and prevents fratricide with therapeutic Fc-active TIGIT antibodies.

Background: Inhibitory receptor T-cell Immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) expressed by Natural Killer (NK) and T cells regulates cancer immunity and has been touted as the next frontier in the development of cancer immunotherapeutics. Although early results of anti-TIGIT and its combinations with antiprogrammed death-ligand 1 were highly exciting, results from an interim analysis of phase III trials are disappointing. With mixed results, there is a need to understand the effects of therapeutic anti-TIGIT on the TIGIT immune cells to support its clinical use.

Delayed postoperative diet is associated with a greater incidence of prolonged postoperative ileus and longer stay in hospital for patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

Aim: Recent evidence favours a move away from delaying postoperative nutrition towards early feeding practices for better patient outcomes after gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of the present study was to investigate postoperative diet progression and patient outcomes in a secondary hospital with a view to inform future practice.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of gastrointestinal surgery patients (n = 69) at a Western Australian general hospital.

Cognitive impairment following consumption of alcohol with and without energy drinks.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the relative effects of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) versus alcohol alone on cognitive performance across the ascending and descending breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) limb using doses similar to real-world intake.

Methods: Using a single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 19 participants completed 4 sessions where they received: (i) placebo, (ii) alcohol, (iii) AmED 500 ml energy drink (ED), and (iii) AmED 750 ml ED. Performance on measures of psychomotor function (Compensatory Tracking Task [CTT]), information processing (Digit Symbol Substitution Task [DSST]; Inspection Time Task [ITT]), and response inhibition (Brief Stop-Signal Task [Brief SST]) was assessed at ~0.

Detecting impairment: sensitive cognitive measures of dose-related acute alcohol intoxication.

The cognitive impairment that results from acute alcohol intoxication is associated with considerable safety risks. Other psychoactive substances, such as medications, pose a similar risk to road and workplace safety. However, there is currently no legal limit for operating vehicles or working while experiencing drug-related impairment.

Day-by-day variation in affect, arousal and alcohol consumption in young adults.

Introduction And Aims: Alcohol consumption has a well-established relationship with mood, with higher positive and negative affect predicting alcohol use. More recently, researchers have explored whether alcohol consumption occurs as a response to affect variability as an attempt to self-medicate and stabilise affect. Studies have revealed a positive association between alcohol use and intra- and inter-individual affect variability in clinical and university student samples; however not much is known of this relationship among the general community.

Changes in cystic fibrosis mortality in Australia, 1979-2005.

Objective: To assess mortality trends among people with cystic fibrosis (CF) in Australia.

Design And Setting: We augmented Australian summary data for deaths from CF registered during 1979-2005 with information from Australian transplant centres on lung transplantation among CF patients for 1989-2005 to allow us to follow trends in all "mortality events" (death or lung transplantation).

Main Outcome Measure: Age at death or lung transplantation.