The asymptomatic follicular lymphoma (AFL) trial: single-agent rituximab immunotherapy versus 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy (RIT) for patients with new, untreated follicular lymphoma.

Patients with asymptomatic follicular lymphoma (AFL) are candidates for observation or immunotherapy. Given the effectiveness of radiation therapy in FL, another option is 90Yttrium-ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy (RIT). We conducted a trial where untreated AFL patients were randomized to rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly × 4 or rituximab 250 mg/m days 1, 8, and 0.

Fibrinogen Early In Severe paediatric Trauma studY (FEISTY junior): protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Trauma causes 40% of child deaths in high-income countries, with haemorrhage being a leading contributor to death in this population. There is a growing recognition that fibrinogen and platelets play a major role in trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) but the exact physiological mechanisms are poorly understood.

Methods And Analysis: This is a prospective multicentre, open-label, randomised, two-arm parallel feasibility study conducted in the emergency departments, intensive care units and operating theatres of participating hospitals.

Real World Long-term Follow-up Experience with Yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan in Previously Untreated Patients with Low-Grade Follicular Lymphoma and Marginal Zone Lymphoma.

Introduction: Yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan [(90)Y-IT] is a CD20-targeted radio-immuno conjugate. Clinical trials of (90)Y-IT as a first-line stand-alone treatment in follicular lymphoma (FL) and/or marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) showed high efficacy. However, long-term survival outcomes and toxicities are not well-defined.

Clinician perspectives on reasons for, implications and management of unplanned patient returns to the Emergency Department: A descriptive study.

Background: Unplanned return visits to the emergency department (ED) have been associated with adverse outcomes and may reflect the quality of care delivered. Several studies speculate the reasons for return and suggest clinician behaviour as potentially influencing a patient's decision to return to the ED. There is little research about this issue from the clinician's perspective, which is necessary to inform future practice improvement.

Management of Pediatric Thoracic Empyema in the North Queensland Region of Australia and Impact of a Local Evidence-based Treatment Guideline.

Aim: The North Queensland region of Australia has a high incidence of pediatric thoracic empyema (pTE). We describe the management of empyema at the Townsville University Hospital which is the regional referral center for these children. The impact of a newly developed institutional guideline is also discussed.

Impact of a care bundle for patients with blunt chest injury (ChIP): A multicentre controlled implementation evaluation.

Background: Blunt chest injury leads to significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary chest injury care bundle (ChIP) on patient and health service outcomes. ChIP provides guidance in three key pillars of care for blunt chest injury-respiratory support, analgesia and complication prevention.

Ibritumomab Tiuxetan Radioimmunotherapy for Primary Gastrointestinal Follicular Lymphoma.

Primary gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma (PGIFL) is characterized by localized involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. PGIFL usually runs an indolent course. External beam radiation therapy is curative in a substantial proportion of localized follicular lymphomas, but GI toxicities may discourage its use in PGIFL.

F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography of giant cell arteritis with lower extremity involvement in association with polymyalgia rheumatica.

An 80-year-old man presented with new-onset pain in the shoulders and lower extremities and elevated serum inflammatory markers. A clinical diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) was made, but there was a suboptimal response to glucocorticoid therapy, prompting further evaluation. F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) revealed intense FDG uptake in the arteries of the bilateral lower extremities, head, and neck, but sparing the aorta, suggestive of an uncommon pattern of giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Inability of Radioiodine Remnant Ablation to Improve Postoperative Outcome in Adult Patients with Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Objective: To determine whether radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) reduces cause-specific mortality (CSM) or tumor recurrence (TR) rate after bilateral lobar resection (BLR).

Patients And Methods: There were 2952 low-risk adult papillary thyroid cancer (LRAPTC) patients (with MACIS scores <6) who underwent potentially curative BLR during 1955-2014. During 1955-1974, 1975-1994, and 1995-2014, RRA was administered in 3%, 49%, and 28%.

The efficacy, safety, and predictors of outcomes of transarterial radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Objectives: Yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a safe, effective modality of locoregional therapy for intermediate and advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to identify novel predictors of important outcomes of TARE therapy.

Methods: A single-center retrospective study of 166 patients treated with TARE for HCC at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 2005-2015 and followed until December 2017.

Impact of symptom severity in patients with diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D): results from two separate surveys of HCPs and patients with IBS-D.

Background: Management of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is generally based on patient-reported symptoms; however, limited information on symptom severity exists. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of IBS-D severity on patient burden and patient and healthcare professional attitudes towards IBS.

Methods: We conducted two web-based surveys of healthcare professionals and patients from Australia, Canada and Europe.

Economic burden of moderate to severe irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in six European countries.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome with predominant constipation (IBS-C) is a complex disorder with gastrointestinal and nervous system components. The study aim was to assess the economic burden of moderate to severe IBS-C in six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK).

Methods: An observational, one year retrospective-prospective (6 months each) study of patients diagnosed in the last five years with IBS-C (Rome III criteria) and moderate to severe disease at inclusion (IBS Symptom Severity Scale score ≥ 175).

Understanding symptom burden and attitudes to irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea: Results from patient and healthcare professional surveys.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea (IBS-D) comprises multiple troublesome symptoms and negatively impacts patients' quality of life.

Objective: The objective of this article is to assess IBS-D patient burden and patient and healthcare professional (HCP) attitudes towards IBS.

Methods: Patients and HCPs from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom completed internet-based surveys via market research panels.

Non-invasive visualization of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a pilot study.

Early in the course of immunotherapy there is frequently a transient enlargement of tumor masses (pseudo-progression) due to tumor infiltration by TILs. Current clinical imaging modalities are not able to distinguished pseudo-progression from true tumor progression. Thus, patients often remain on treatment 4-8 weeks longer to confirm disease progression.

Efficacy and tolerability of linaclotide in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in a real‑world setting - results from a German noninterventional study.

Background: Linaclotide is a minimally absorbed peptide guanylate cyclase-C agonist approved for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). This study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of linaclotide in IBS-C in routine clinical practice in Germany.

Methods: This was a 52-week, noninterventional study of linaclotide in patients aged ≥ 18 years with moderate to severe IBS-C.

Paediatric thoracic empyema in the tropical North Queensland region of Australia: Epidemiological trends over a decade.

Aim: The Townsville Hospital and Health Service is the regional referral centre for children in the north of Queensland. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people make up 7-10% of the population. Increasing numbers of children with paediatric thoracic empyema (pTE) are being referred to Townsville Hospital and Health Service for management.

Case Report: Fatal Pediatric Melioidosis Despite Optimal Intensive Care.

With prompt administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy and access to modern intensive care support, fatal pediatric melioidosis is very unusual. We describe cases of two children in whom the possibility of melioidosis was recognized relatively early, but who died of the disease, despite receiving optimal supportive care. We discuss the resulting implications for bacterial virulence factors in disease pathogenesis.

A phase 1 trial of Y-Zevalin radioimmunotherapy with autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma.

This phase 1 study (clinical trial NCT00477815) was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan (Y-Zevalin) with high dose melphalan (HDM) therapy in multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). In a 3+3 trial design, 30 patients received rituximab 250 mg/m with indium-111 ibritumomab tiuxetan (In-Zevalin) for dosimetry (day -22); rituximab 250 mg/m with escalating doses of Y-Zevalin (day -14); melphalan 100 mg/m (days -2,-1) followed by ASCT (day 0) and sargramostim (GM-CSF, day 0) until neutrophil engraftment. Each patient's In-Zevalin dosimetry data were used to calculate the dose of Y-Zevalin (in mCi) to deliver 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 or 20 Gy to the liver.

18F-FDG PET response and clinical outcomes after stereotactic body radiation therapy for metastatic melanoma.

Background: Clinical data that support stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) metastatic malignant melanoma (MM) are limited. Furthermore, functional imaging with 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) may offer a more accurate post-SBRT assessment. Therefore, we assessed the clinical outcomes and metabolic response of metastatic MM after SBRT.

Stable, Fluorescent Polymethylmethacrylate Particles for the Long-Term Observation of Slow Colloidal Dynamics.

Suspensions of solid micron-scale colloidal particles in liquid solvents are a foundational model system used to explore a wide range of phase transitions, including crystallization, gelation, spinodal decomposition, and the glass transition. One of the most commonly used systems for these investigations is the fluorescent spherical particles of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) suspended in a mixture of nonpolar solvents that match the density and the refractive index of the particles to minimize sedimentation and scattering. However, the particles can swell in these solvents, changing their size and density, and may leak the fluorescent dye over days to weeks; this constrains the exploration of slow and kinetically limited processes, such as near-boundary phase separation or the glass transition.

Risk of histological transformation and therapy-related myelodysplasia/acute myeloid leukaemia in patients receiving radioimmunotherapy for follicular lymphoma.

Histological transformation (HT) of follicular lymphoma (FL) to an aggressive lymphoma after chemotherapy remains a key issue. The incidence of HT after radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is unknown. This single institution study analysed the risk of HT in FL after treatment with yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan in 115 consecutive patients treated during 1987-2012.

Pembrolizumab in patients with CLL and Richter transformation or with relapsed CLL.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients progressed early on ibrutinib often develop Richter transformation (RT) with a short survival of about 4 months. Preclinical studies suggest that programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway is critical to inhibit immune surveillance in CLL. This phase 2 study was designed to test the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab, a humanized PD-1-blocking antibody, at a dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks in relapsed and transformed CLL.

Accuracy of 18-F FDG PET/CT to detect bone marrow clearance in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma - tissue remains the issue.

Staging of peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PTCL) is determined by 18-F FDG PET scan and bone marrow biopsy. This study addressed the accuracy of PET at detecting bone marrow (BM) involvement at restaging in patients with known involvement pretreatment. We identified patients with biopsy proven BM PTCL at diagnosis and concomitant BM and PET at the end of therapy.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in North Queensland: the paediatric experience.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a fulminant, diffuse haemorrhagic meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri, with an almost invariably fatal outcome. In Australia and the developed world, PAM remains a rare disease, although it is very likely that large numbers of cases go undetected in developing countries. N.

Measurement issues associated with quantitative molecular biology analysis of complex food matrices for the detection of food fraud.

Following a report on a significant amount of horse DNA being detected in a beef burger product on sale to the public at a UK supermarket in early 2013, the Elliott report was published in 2014 and contained a list of recommendations for helping ensure food integrity. One of the recommendations included improving laboratory testing capacity and capability to ensure a harmonised approach for testing for food authenticity. Molecular biologists have developed exquisitely sensitive methods based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or mass spectrometry for detecting the presence of particular nucleic acid or peptide/protein sequences.