Retinoblastoma: Identifying the Diagnostic Signs for Early Treatment

Retinoblastoma is a rare but significant cause of childhood eye cancer world-wide. The prognosis depends upon early diagnosis and treatment but also upon accurate classification of the tumours. Unilateral incidence is normally non-hereditary compared with bilateral incidence where secondary tumours are more common. Survivorship is much better for unilateral compared with bilateral and trilateral retinoblastoma. Early signs are important to detect and photography can assist in identifying no return of “red-eye” during flash photography and yellow appearance of the tumour. Treatment options are discussed together with new psycho-oncology approaches that address potential trauma in the survivor as well as in the family of the survivor

Rare quantum metastable states in the strongly dispersive Jaynes-Cummings oscillator

We present evidence of metastable rare quantum-fluctuation switching for the driven dissipative Jaynes-Cummings oscillator coupled to a zero-temperature bath in the strongly dispersive regime. We show that single-atom complex amplitude bistability is accompanied by the appearance of a low-amplitude long-lived transient state, hereinafter called `dark state', having a distribution with quasi-Poissonian statistics both for the coupled qubit and cavity mode. We find that the dark state is linked to a spontaneous flipping of the qubit state, detuning the cavity to a low-photon response. The appearance of the dark state is correlated with the participation of the two metastable states in the dispersive bistability, as evidenced by the solution of the Master Equation and single quantum trajectories.Comment: Extensively revised text, 18 revised figures (16 in main and 2 in appendix), 38(+1) references, appendi

Resistivity network and structural model of the oxide cathode for CRT application

In this paper, the electrical properties of oxide cathode and oxide cathode plus, supplied by LG Philips Displays, have been investigated in relation to different cathode activation regimes and methods. Oxide cathode activation treatment for different durations has been investigated. The formations of the compounds associated to the diffusion of reducing elements (Mg, Al, and W) to the Ni cap surface of oxide cathode were studied by a new suggestion method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used as analytical techniques. Al, W, and Mg doping elements take place during heating to 1080 K (Ni-Brightness) under a rich controlled Ba–SrO atmosphere through an acceleration life test. The chemical transport of these elements was occurred mainly by the Ni cap grain boundary mechanism with significant pile-up of Mg compounds. Al and W show a superficial concentrations and distribution. A new structural and resistivity network model of oxide cathode plus are suggested. The new structural model shows a number of metallic and metallic oxide pathways are exist at the interface or extended through the oxide coating. The effective values of the resistances and the type of the equivalent circuit in the resistivity network model are temperature and activation time dependent.</p

Distinguishing personal use of drugs from drug supply: Approaches and challenges

The ability to fairly and justly distinguish between drug possession for personal use and drug possession for supply is a central feature of drug laws across the globe. Whether such distinctions pertain to decriminalisation of simple possession, or to the penalties associated with drug offences, such differentiation remains a core problem for policymakers. In this commentary, taking 91 different jurisdictions into consideration, we identify five different approaches to distinguishing personal use from supply: four of these involved quantification of an amount of drug (whether in weight or number of doses). The other approach relied on case-by-case judgement. Drawing upon survey data of drug use from nine countries, we provide an example of how the quantity bears little resemblance to drug use patterns, and does not take heterogeneity of drug use into account. While the non-quantified approach can lead to discriminatory and racialised policing, all of the quantification approaches also pose problems, largely concerned with arbitrary amounts. There appears to be no perfect way to differentiate possession for personal use from intentions to supply. This commentary opens up a number of important policy-relevant research questions given this central feature of drug policy design

Collaborative medication management services: improving patient care

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia (10 January 2008). An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Objective: To implement and evaluate a collaborative medication management service model. Design: Participatory action research. Setting and participants: The study was conducted from March 1999 to March 2000; 1000 patients, 63 pharmacists and 129 general practitioners from six Divisions of General Practice in South Australia participated. Interventions: A collaborative service delivery model, involving a preliminary case conference, a home visit and a second case conference, was agreed through discussions with medical and pharmacy organisations and then implemented. Outcome measures: Medication-related problems; actions recommended; actions implemented; and outcomes after actions taken. Results: Overall, 2764 problems were identified. The most common medication-related problem (17.5% of all problems) was the need for additional tests. Thirty-seven per cent of problems related to medicine selection, 20% to patient knowledge, and 17% to the medication regimen. Of 2764 actions recommended to resolve medication-related problems, 42% were implemented. Of the 978 problems for which action was taken and follow-up data were available, 81% were reported to be "resolved", "well managed" or "improving". Conclusion: This implementation model was successful in engaging GPs and pharmacists and in assisting in the resolution of medication-related problems.Andrew L Gilbert, Elizabeth E Roughead, Justin Beilby, Kathy Mott and John D Barrat

Assortative roosting in the two phonic types of Pipistrellus pipistrellus during the mating season

The European pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, consists of two phonic types that echolocate with frequencies of maximum energy (FMAXE) averaging 46 kHz and 55 kHz (named the 45 kHz and 55 kHz phonic types for simplicity). These two phonic types occur in sympatry over much of Britain. Between 1993 and 1995 mating groups of P. pipistrellus were located in bat boxes between August and October, the main mating period for these bats. Mating groups comprised a single male and up to three females. Broadband, time-expanded recordings of search-phase echolocation calls were made from bats immediately after release. The average FMAXE of each bat was calculated: bats with an FMAXE less than 49 kHz were classed as 45 kHz phonic types and bats with an FMAXE greater than 52 kHz were classed as 55 kHz phonic types. A total of 16, 45 kHz groups and ten 55 kHz groups were located. No mating group ever contained more than one phonic type, although both types were known to be present at several of the study sites. Males emitted calls of higher frequency than females for both phonic types. The study suggests that the two phonic types are reproductively isolated and supports the hypothesis that P. pipistrellus should be considered as two cryptic sibling species

Detection of classic and cryptic Strongyloides genotypes by deep amplicon sequencing: A preliminary survey of dog and human specimens collected from remote Australian communities

© 2019 This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. Strongyloidiasis is caused by the human infective nematodes Strongyloides stercoralis, Strongyloides fuelleborni subsp. fuelleborni and Strongyloides fuelleborni subsp. kellyi. The zoonotic potential of S. stercoralis and the potential role of dogs in the maintenance of strongyloidiasis transmission has been a topic of interest and discussion for many years. In Australia, strongyloidiasis is prevalent in remote socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the north of the continent. Being an isolated continent that has been separated from other regions for a long geological period, description of diversity of Australian Strongyloides genotypes adds to our understanding of the genetic diversity within the genus. Using PCR and amplicon sequencing (Illumina sequencing technology), we sequenced the Strongyloides SSU rDNA hyper-variable I and hyper-variable IV regions using Strongyloides-specific primers, and a fragment of the mtDNA cox1 gene using primers that are broadly specific for Strongyloides sp. and hookworms. These loci were amplified from DNA extracted from Australian human and dog faeces, and one human sputum sample. Using this approach, we confirm for the first time that potentially zoonotic S. stercoralis populations are present in Australia, suggesting that dogs represent a potential reservoir of human strongyloidiasis in remote Australian communities

Screening for cervical, prostate and breast cancer: interpreting the evidence

Cancer screening is well-established in high income countries, but its evidence base is constantly evolving and often contentious. This leaves physicians and policymakers in a difficult position, forced to act in the context of methodological complexity and substantive disagreement.1,2 Three cases of screening for cancer or cancer risk are considered: cervical, prostate and breast screening. The unique characteristics of the disease, test and program in each case are outlined in Table 1. Tables 2-4, catalogue sources of controversy in each case; these are discussed in more depth below. The concluding section presents five common themes that may help explain the ongoing controversies. The aim is not to synthesize the evidence, but to provide the ‘backroom’ story of the evidence on cancer screening, and so illuminate why experts so often disagree.This work is supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), under Project Grant 1023197. SC is supported by NHMRC Career Development Fellowship 1032963. LP is supported by NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship 1038517. JG is supported by NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship 1074626. JW is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award