The impact of a regionally based translational cancer research collaborative in Australia using the FAIT methodology.

Background: Translating research, achieving impact, and assessing impact are important aspirations for all research collaboratives but can prove challenging. The Hunter Cancer Research Alliance (HCRA) was funded from 2014 to 2021 to enhance capacity and productivity in cancer research in a regional centre in Australia. This study aimed to assess the impact and benefit of the HCRA to help inform future research investments of this type.

Consensus statement on the interhospital transfer of patients with acute aortic syndrome: TRAVERSING Delphi study.

Background: Standardisation of referral pathways and the transfer of patients with acute aortic syndromes (AAS) to regional centres are recommended by NHS England in the Acute Aortic Dissection Toolkit. The aim of the Transfer of Thoracic Aortic Vascular Emergencies to Regional Specialist INstitutes Group study was to establish an interdisciplinary consensus on the interhospital transfer of patients with AAS to specialist high-volume aortic centres.

Methods: Consensus on the key aspects of interhospital transfer of patients with AAS was established using the Delphi method, in line with Conducting and Reporting of Delphi Studies guidelines.

Implications for the conservation of deep-water corals in the face of multiple stressors: A case study from the New Zealand region.

The waters around New Zealand are a global hotspot of biodiversity for deep-water corals; approximately one sixth of the known deep-water coral species of the world have been recorded in the region. Deep-water corals are vulnerable to climate-related stressors and from the damaging effects of commercial fisheries. Current protection measures do not account for the vulnerability of deep-water corals to future climatic conditions, which are predicted to alter the distribution of suitable habitat for them.

"We should be resourcing their liberation:" a qualitative formative study to guide introduction of a systems engineering intervention at a King County, WA juvenile detention center clinic.

Background: There are ongoing efforts to eliminate juvenile detention in King County, WA. An essential element of this work is effectively addressing the health needs of youth who are currently detained to improve their wellbeing and reduce further contact with the criminal legal system. This formative study sought to inform adaptation and piloting of an evidence-based systems engineering strategy - the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) - in a King County juvenile detention center clinic to improve quality and continuity of healthcare services.

Improving Research on Racial Disparities in Access to Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders.

Objectives: The aims of the study are to review the current research on the association between access to medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD) and race, to identify gaps in research methods, and to propose new approaches to end racialized disparities in access to MOUD.

Methods: We conducted a literature review of English language peer-reviewed published literature from 2010 to 2021 to identify research studies examining the association between race and use of, or access to, MOUD.

Results: We reviewed 21 studies related to access to MOUD for Black and White populations.

A very luminous jet from the disruption of a star by a massive black hole.

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) are bursts of electromagnetic energy that are released when supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies violently disrupt a star that passes too close. TDEs provide a window through which to study accretion onto supermassive black holes; in some rare cases, this accretion leads to launching of a relativistic jet, but the necessary conditions are not fully understood. The best-studied jetted TDE so far is Swift J1644+57, which was discovered in γ-rays, but was too obscured by dust to be seen at optical wavelengths.

Endovascular aneurysm repair offers a survival advantage and is cost-effective compared with conservative management in patients physiologically unfit for open repair.

Objective: The endovascular aneurysm repair-2 (EVAR-2) trial suggested that EVAR in patients unfit for open surgical repair (OSR) failed to provide a significant overall survival advantage compared with conservative management. The aim is to compare survival and cost-effectiveness in patients with poor cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) metrics who underwent EVAR or were managed conservatively.

Methods: A prospective database of all CPETs (1435 patients) performed to assess preoperative fitness for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair was maintained.

Resilience of seamount benthic communities to trawling disturbance.

Despite bottom trawling being the most widespread, severe disturbance affecting deep-sea environments, it remains uncertain whether recovery is possible once trawling has ceased. Here, we review information regarding the resilience of seamount benthic communities to trawling. We focus on seamounts because benthic communities associated with these features are especially vulnerable to trawling as they are often dominated by emergent, sessile epifauna, and trawling on seamounts can be highly concentrated.

Adapting to a global pandemic through live virtual delivery of a cancer collaborative trial group conference: The TROG 2020 experience.

Introduction: The global COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the TROG 2020 face to face Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). It was instead delivered as a live virtual meeting with 6 days of planning. Here, we report the participants' experience of this live virtual meeting.

Marrow adipose tissue in adolescent girls with obesity.

Background: Marrow adipose tissue (MAT) is increasingly recognized as an active and dynamic endocrine organ that responds to changes in nutrition and environmental milieu. Compared to normal weight controls, adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa have higher MAT content, which is associated with impaired skeletal integrity, but data are limited regarding MAT content in adolescents with obesity and how this interacts with bone endpoints.

Objective: To evaluate (i) MAT content in adolescents with obesity compared to normal-weight controls, (ii) the association of MAT with bone endpoints, and (iii) whether these associations of MAT are affected by body weight.

Long-Term Evaluation of Percutaneous Groin Access for EVAR.

Background: Percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair (PEVAR) has been shown to have high success rates, shorter operating times and length of stay compared to open access. However, there exists a lack of long-term follow-up data on these patients, and questions remain regarding longer-term outcomes. This study aims to assess the long-term complications and evolution of accessed vessels post-PEVAR.

Effectiveness of a peer-mediated educational intervention in improving general practitioner diagnostic assessment and management of dementia: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: Test effectiveness of an educational intervention for general practitioners (GPs) on quality of life and depression outcomes for patients.

Design: Double-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: General practices in Australia between 2007 and 2010.

Putting the Brakes on Breaks: Osteoporosis Screening and Fracture Prevention.

Introduction: This prospective study sought to implement a screening tool to identify and risk stratify at-risk patients for osteoporosis and evaluate patient knowledge of osteoporosis and fragility fractures in an orthopedic trauma clinic affiliated with a level 1 trauma academic center.

Methods: Of 297 eligible patients, 291 were screened and risk stratified. Patients completed an osteoporosis screening questionnaire and were risk stratified.

A daily topical decontamination regimen reduces catheter-related bloodstream infections in haematology patients.

Objective: To assess impact of a topical decontamination regimen on rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) in intensively-treated haematology patients.

Methods: A historically-controlled cohort study was used to evaluate the effect of applying chlorhexidine or Octenisan® body washes and nasal Prontoderm® ointment for 5 days around the time of Hickman line insertion on the incidence of CRBSI and infection-free catheter time. Lines inserted during a 24 month period prior to implementation of the decolonisation regimen were compared with those inserted during a 12 month period after the intervention was applied.

Milestone-Based Tool for Learner Evaluation of Faculty Clinical Teaching.

Introduction: Traditional normative Likert-type evaluations of faculty teaching have several drawbacks, including lack of granular feedback, potential for inflation, and the halo effect. To provide more meaningful data to faculty on their teaching skills and encourage educator self-reflection and skill development, we designed and implemented a milestone-based faculty clinical teaching evaluation tool.

Methods: The evaluation tool contains 10 questions that assess clinical teaching skills with descriptive milestone behavior anchors.

Ten-year experience of retrievable inferior vena cava filters in a tertiary referral center.

Purpose: A significant proportion of patients undergoing surgery have an increased incidence of acute pulmonary embolus (PE). We analyzed all patients who had a retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placed preoperatively for PE prophylaxis and investigated the long-term outcomes of the patients who did not have their filter removed.

Methods: Patients who underwent retrievable IVC filter insertion and attempted removal were identified from the radiology information systems database in a large tertiary referral university teaching hospital.

Impaired Cerebrovascular Reactivity Predicts Recurrent Symptoms in Patients with Carotid Artery Occlusion: A Hypercapnia BOLD fMRI Study.

Background And Purpose: A key factor in predicting recurrent ischemic episodes in patients with carotid artery occlusion is the presence of hemodynamic impairment. There is, however, no consensus on how to best assess this risk in terms of imaging modalities or thresholds used. Here we investigated whether a predefined threshold of hemispheric asymmetry in hypercapnia fMRI predicts recurrent symptoms in patients with carotid artery occlusion.

Attitudes to Alzheimer's disease testing of Australian general practice patients: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

Objective: In view of proposed screening for presymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) with advanced imaging, and blood and cerebral spinal fluid analysis, we aimed to establish levels, and associations, of acceptance of AD testing modalities by general practice patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of consecutive patients (aged 50 years and over) of general practices of an Australian practice-based research network was used. The questionnaire elicited demographic data and attitudes to screening for other diseases and included the screening acceptance domain of the Perceptions Regarding Investigational Screening for Memory in Primary Care (PRISM-PC) instrument.