Use of Novel National Data Sets to Monitor Chemotherapy Use and Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Purpose: Te Aho o Te Kahu, the New Zealand Cancer Control Agency, is establishing a systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) database (Anti-Cancer Therapy-Nationally Organized Workstream [ACT-NOW]) which can be linked to other national health data collections. In this article, we explore the application of ACT-NOW data in the monitoring of uptake and outcomes after the public funding of pemetrexed in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Methods: We used the ACT-NOW collection to identify patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer, who were treated with first-line platinum-based doublet chemotherapy over an 8-year period.

Pelvic pain and venous congestion revisited: examining relationship between chronic pelvic pain and uterine venous size and blood flow.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between increased uterine venous plexus diameter and chronic pelvic pain in women attending a gynecology clinic.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients attending a tertiary university hospital in London, UK. Women presenting to the gynecology clinic undergoing transvaginal ultrasound examination were recruited into the study.

The Natural History of Uterine Venous Plexus Thrombosis.

The management of incidental or unusual site venous thrombosis (VT) is challenging and is often extrapolated from studies on symptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT). There is a tendency to treat with anticoagulation, due to the theoretical risk of propagation and embolism; however, this is not without risk. Furthermore, there is little guidance on how to monitor incidental VT.

Secondary effects of an opioid-focused academic detailing program on non-opioid controlled substance prescribing in primary care.

Educational outreach programs that focus on safe opioid prescribing and awareness of state prescription monitoring programs may modify clinicians' prescribing behavior. The objective of this study was to evaluate the secondary effects of an opioid-focused academic detailing (AD) program on non-opioid controlled substance prescribing in primary care. : A quasi-experimental pre-post study of primary care clinicians exposed and unexposed to the AD program was conducted using data from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program from December 2017 to February 2019.

The effect of pelvic pathology on uterine vein diameters.

Background: Transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) is a sensitive tool for detecting various conditions that contribute to pelvic pain. TVS can be also used to assess blood flow and measure the size of pelvic veins. Pelvic venous congestion (PVC) is characterised by enlargement of the pelvic veins and has been recognised as a cause of chronic pelvic pain.

The prevalence of incidental uterine venous plexus thrombosis in women attending a gynecology clinic.

Background: The uterine venous plexus (UVP) is an unusual site for venous thrombosis (VT). Our aim was to determine the prevalence of UVP thrombosis (UVPT) and identify associated risk factors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on consecutive nonpregnant women attending our general gynecology clinic with a wide variety of presenting symptoms over a 16-month period.

Precision nicotine metabolism-informed care for smoking cessation in Crohn's disease: A pilot study.

Introduction: Smoking is a strong risk factor for disease severity in Crohn's disease (CD) and cessation improves outcomes. The nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) predicts cessation success with pharmacotherapy: varenicline doubles cessation over nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for "normal", but not "slow" metabolizers. Varenicline side effects are heightened in slow metabolizers.

Reference ranges for uterine vein dimensions in non-pregnant women with normal pelvic organs.

Objective: To establish reference ranges for uterine vein (UtV) diameters in non-pregnant women with normal pelvic organs.

Methods: This was a prospective study of all women attending the general gynecological clinic of a university teaching hospital in the UK, between August 2015 and December 2016. All women aged ≥ 18 years underwent a transvaginal ultrasound examination in accordance with the study protocol.

Dietary carbohydrate intake, insulin resistance and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a pilot study in European- and African-American obese women.

Background: Although obesity rates are higher in African-American than European-American women, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its comorbidities are more prevalent in European-American women. A common denominator for increased adiposity, and consequent insulin resistance, is excess dietary macronutrient intake - which may promote greater prevalence and severity of GERD in women.

Aim: To investigate whether GERD is more robustly associated with dietary carbohydrate intake, particularly dietary simple carbohydrate intake, and insulin resistance in European-American women.

Outcomes of an extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam protocol implementation in a community teaching hospital adult intensive care unit.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcome differences between patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam pre- and post-implementation of an extended infusion dosing protocol in a community teaching hospital adult intensive care unit.

Methods: On December 19th, 2011, extended infusion dosing of piperacillin-tazobactam was implemented at St. John's Hospital's intensive and cardiac care units (ICU/CCU) following IRB-approval.

Australian trampoline injury patterns and trends.

Objectives: To examine national trampoline injury patterns and trends in the context of improved product safety standards and trampoline design modifications.

Method: Review of National Hospital Morbidity data.

Results: There were an average 1,737 trampoline injuries reported nationally each year from 2002 to 2011.

Routine use of administrative data for safety and quality purposes--hospital mortality.

Worldwide, current practice is to report hospital mortality using the hospital standardised mortality ratio (HSMR). An HSMR is generated by comparing an indirectly standardised expected mortality rate against a hospital's observed mortality rate. A hospital's HSMR can be compared with the overall outcomes for all hospitals in a population, or with peer hospitals.

Cell identity mediates the response of Arabidopsis roots to abiotic stress.

Little is known about the way developmental cues affect how cells interpret their environment. We characterized the transcriptional response to high salinity of different cell layers and developmental stages of the Arabidopsis root and found that transcriptional responses are highly constrained by developmental parameters. These transcriptional changes lead to the differential regulation of specific biological functions in subsets of cell layers, several of which correspond to observable physiological changes.

Effects of a sustained heroin shortage in three Australian States.

Background: In early 2001 in Australia there was a sudden and dramatic decrease in heroin availability that occurred throughout the country that was evidenced by marked increases in heroin price and decreases in its purity.

Aim: This study examines the impact of this change in heroin supply on the following indicators of heroin use: fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses; treatment seeking for heroin dependence; injecting drug use; drug-specific offences; and general property offences. The study was conducted using data from three Australian States [New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC) and South Australia (SA)].

Development of a neuronal pressure sensor.

Neuronal sensory systems are capable of performing very complex signal processing functions. Reconstruction of such sensory systems in vitro should enable whole-cell biological sensors to be generated that possess inherent signal processing capabilities. In this paper, the results of preliminary investigations to produce a mechanosensory neuronal network are presented.

Context-dependent memory: colour versus odour.

An olfactory stimulus and a visual stimulus were employed in a context-dependent memory study using a prose passage as the to-be-remembered item. Ninety-five university students (aged 17-35 years) learned the passage of prose in the presence of one of the stimuli and were then asked to recall the passage with the original context either reinstated or not reinstated. The results revealed a significant context-dependent memory effect for the olfactory cue but not for the visual cue.

Reducing the anxiety of children undergoing surgery: parental presence during anaesthetic induction.

Objective: The primary aim was to determine whether child anxiety could be reduced by the presence of a parent during anaesthetic induction. Secondary aims involved clarification of the effect of the timing of parental separation, the use of premedication, the seriousness of the surgical procedure, and the flow-on effect of parental anxiety on the level of child anxiety.

Methodology: Subjects were obtained by approaching all parents of children aged from 1 to 8 years admitted for day surgery to a private hospital in Adelaide, South Australia during a 3 month period.