Developing power plant materials using the life cycle lens.

The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) environment will include magnetic, thermal, mechanical and environmental loads far greater than those seen in the Joint European Torus campaigns of the past decade or currently contemplated for ITER. Greater still are the neutron peak dose rates of 10 displacements per atom, per second, which in-vessel materials in STEP are anticipated to be exposed to. Reduced activation and high-fluence resilience therefore dominate the materials strategy to support the STEP Programme.

Demographics and deprivation in obstetric brachial plexus palsy: a retrospective cohort study.

The present study analyses the relationships between deprivation and obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP). A retrospective observational study was conducted of infants with OBPP seen between 2008 and 2020 ( = 321). The index of multiple deprivation (IMD) was used to assign an IMD rank to patients based on birth postcode and the relationship with OBPP was analysed, including deprivation, gestational diabetes, age at referral and at first assessment.

Receipt of mastectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy following breast conserving surgery (BCS) in New Zealand women with BCS-eligible breast cancer, 2010-2015: an observational study focusing on ethnic differences.

Background: Women with early breast cancer who meet guideline-based criteria should be offered breast conserving surgery (BCS) with adjuvant radiotherapy as an alternative to mastectomy. New Zealand (NZ) has documented ethnic disparities in screening access and in breast cancer treatment pathways. This study aimed to determine whether, among BCS-eligible women, rates of receipt of mastectomy or radiotherapy differed by ethnicity and other factors.

Development of the Dual-Beam Ion Irradiation Facility for Fusion Materials (DiFU).

The Dual-beam ion irradiation facility for Fusion materials (DiFU) has been developed and installed at the Ruđer Bošković Institute with the purpose to perform irradiation of samples of fusion materials by one or two ion beams. Ion beams are delivered to the DiFU chamber by a 6 MV EN Tandem Van de Graaff and a 1 MV HVE Tandetron accelerator, enabling irradiation of areas up to 30 × 30 mm. The sample holder enables the three-dimensional positioning of samples that can be irradiated while being heated, cooled, or kept at room temperature.

Prevalence and risk factors for nerve injury following shoulder dislocation.

Background: The glenohumeral joint dislocation can be associated with major nerve injury. The reported prevalence and risk factors for major nerve injury are variable and this injury can have a severe and life-long impact on the patient. The objectives of this study were to analyse the prevalence of major nerve injury following shoulder dislocation and examine risk factors.

Wound complications following surgery to the lymph nodes: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Malignancies that spread to the lymph nodes may be identified through surgical biopsy, and treatment of metastatic disease may be through lymph node dissection. These surgeries, however, may be associated with significant adverse outcomes, particularly wound complications, the true incidence of which remains unknown. Multiple studies have reported their individual rates of complications in isolation.

Provision and standards of care for treatment and follow-up of patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH).

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a substantial UK health burden, but there is variation in care, facilities and in opinion regarding management. We conducted an audit of service provision and care of patients with AIH in 28 UK hospitals.

Methods: Centres provided information about staffing, infrastructure and patient management (measured against predefined guideline-based standards) via a web-based data collection tool.

Treatment and Outcome of Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH): Audit of 28 UK centres.

Background: With few data regarding treatment and outcome of patients with AIH outside of large centres we present such a study of patients with AIH in 28 UK hospitals of varying size and facilities.

Methods: Patients with AIH were identified in 14 University and 14 District General hospitals; incident cases during 2007-2015 and prevalent cases, presenting 2000-2015. Treatment and outcomes were analysed.

Small-angle neutron scattering from CuCrZr coupons and components.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is performed to analyse the microstructural state of a reference CuCrZr material with carefully controlled heat treatments, small-scale manufacturing mock-ups of assemblies and high-heat-flux-exposed mock-ups for fusion reactor components. The information derived from the SANS data corresponds well to existing literature data based on microscopic-scale techniques, but is obtained at millimetre scale with minimal surface preparation. The manufacturing method and high-heat-flux testing conditions are confirmed to have little impact on the microstructural properties, demonstrating the validity of these treatments for scaled-up reactor components.

Maintaining cancer services during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Aotearoa New Zealand experience.

COVID-19 caused significant disruption to cancer services around the world. The health system in Aotearoa New Zealand has fared better than many other regions, with the country being successful, so far, in avoiding sustained community transmission. However, there was a significant initial disruption to services across the cancer continuum, resulting in a decrease in the number of new diagnoses of cancer in March and April 2020.

PET-CT for staging pT4b melanomas prior to sentinel lymph node biopsy: a 5-year review.

In this centre, patients with pT4b cutaneous melanoma are staged using 18F-FDG PET-computed tomography (PET-CT) prior to considering sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The objective was to assess the utility of PET-CT in terms of rates of detection of metastases leading to changes in planned treatment and if performing PET-CT was associated with a delay in surgical management. In this single-centre retrospective cohort study, 88 consecutive patients with pT4b melanoma were identified from February 2014 to May 2019.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnosis and service access in New Zealand-a country pursuing COVID-19 elimination.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer services globally. New Zealand has pursued an elimination strategy to COVID-19, reducing (but not eliminating) this disruption. Early in the pandemic, our national Cancer Control Agency () began monitoring and reporting on service access to inform national and regional decision-making.

The TRIM9/TRIM67 neuronal interactome reveals novel activators of morphogenesis.

TRIM9 and TRIM67 are neuronally enriched E3 ubiquitin ligases essential for appropriate morphogenesis of cortical and hippocampal neurons and fidelitous responses to the axon guidance cue netrin-1. Deletion of murine or results in neuroanatomical defects and striking behavioral deficits, particularly in spatial learning and memory. TRIM9 and TRIM67 interact with cytoskeletal and exocytic proteins, but the full interactome is not known.

The surgical management of cutaneous abscesses: A UK cross-sectional survey.

Aim: Cutaneous abscesses are one of the most common acute general surgery presentations. This study aimed to understand the current practice in the management of cutaneous abscesses in the United Kingdom (UK), once the decision has been made that acute surgical incision and drainage (I&D) is required.

Method: General surgeons from across the UK were surveyed on their opinions on the optimum management of cutaneous abscesses.

Pharmacists' Experiences, Perceptions, and Knowledge of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Coupons.

Background: Despite widespread use of manufacturer-sponsored prescription drug coupons and pharmacy network discount cards (i.e., direct-to-consumer prescription coupons), little is known about community pharmacists' experiences, perceptions, and knowledge of coupon cards.

Skin Tears in Older People.

Skin tears are a common occurrence in older people, though many are unfamiliar with them until late in life. These painful wounds are more likely to occur with age as the skin experiences age-related changes. Numerous factors including declining dermal thickness and loss of elasticity contribute to their development.

Pedagogical practices that influence professional identity formation in baccalaureate nursing education: A scoping review.

Objectives: The purpose of this review was to identify pedagogical practices that contribute to professional identity formation in undergraduate nursing education and to map the components of professional identity described within these practices.

Design: A scoping review using a six-stage methodological framework was used to capture a range of evidence describing how professional identity has been conceptualized and integrated into nursing curriculum.

Data Sources: Databases searched included: Ovid MEDLINE: Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE® Daily and Ovid MEDLINE® 1946-Present, EBSCO CINAHL (1981 to present), OVID PsycINFO (1806 to Present), ProQuest ERIC, ASSIA, and Sociological Abstracts.

Managing haematology and oncology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: interim consensus guidance.

Introduction: A pandemic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causes COVID-19, a potentially life-threatening respiratory disease. Patients with cancer may have compromised immunity due to their malignancy and/or treatment, and may be at elevated risk of severe COVID-19. Community transmission of COVID-19 could overwhelm health care services, compromising delivery of cancer care.

Improving management of comorbidity in patients with colorectal cancer using comprehensive medical assessment: a pilot study.

Background: Screening for and active management of comorbidity soon after cancer diagnosis shows promise in altering cancer treatment and outcomes for comorbid patients. Prior to a large multi-centre study, piloting of the intervention (comprehensive medical assessment) was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of the comorbidity screening tools and proposed outcome measures, and the feasibility, acceptability and potential effect of the intervention.

Methods: In this pilot intervention study, 72 patients of all ages (36 observation/36 intervention) with newly diagnosed or recently relapsed colorectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled and underwent comorbidity screening and risk stratification.

Exploitation of thermal gradients for investigation of irradiation temperature effects with charged particles.

The effects of radiation damage on materials are strongly dependant on temperature, making it arguably the most significant parameter of concern in nuclear engineering. Owing to the challenges and expense of irradiating and testing materials, material property data is often limited to few irradiation conditions and material variants. A new technique has been developed which enables the investigation of radiation damage of samples subject to a thermal gradient, whereby a wealth of data over a range of irradiation temperatures is produced from a single irradiation experiment.

Environmental Exposures Such as Smoking and Low Vitamin D Are Predictive of Poor Outcome in Cutaneous Melanoma rather than Other Deprivation Measures.

A lack of basic resources within a society (deprivation) is associated with increased cancer mortality, and this relationship has been described for melanoma. We have previously reported the association of smoking and low vitamin D levels with melanoma death. In this study, we further explored the associations of these with melanoma in addition to deprivation and socio-economic stressors.

Interprofessional Education for Cancer Care.

Background: Cancer care is typically delivered by a range of health professionals, and is frequently a uniprofessional pre-registration clinical placement. A workplace-based, 6-hour interprofessional education (IPE) pilot on cancer care, led by clinical tutors, was undertaken in a New Zealand hospital, accompanied by an external evaluation. The pilot involved a cohort of 21 dietetic, medicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy and radiation therapy students.

Diagnosis, presentation and initial severity of Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) in patients attending 28 hospitals in the UK.

Background & Aims: There is limited information regarding patients with AIH outside relatively few large centres. We describe here the presenting features of patients with AIH, collected as part of an audit involving 28 UK hospitals.

Methods: Patients (incident since 1/1/2007 or prevalent since 1/1/2000) were ≥18 years and either met 1999 International AIH Group (IAIHG) diagnostic criteria (n = 1164), or received immunosuppressive therapy for clinically diagnosed AIH (n = 103).