Adherence to prescribing restrictions for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in Australia: A national population-based observational study (2001-2016)

Background: Targeted cancer therapy is often complex, involving multiple agents and chemotherapeutic partners. In Australia, prescribing restrictions are put in place to reflect existing evidence of cost-effectiveness of these medicines. As therapeutic options continue to expand, these restrictions may not be perceived to align with best practice and it is not known if their use in the real-world clinic adheres to these restrictions. We examined the treatment of women receiving trastuzumab for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2+MBC) to determine the extent to which treatment adhered to national prescribing restrictions. Patients and methods: Our population-based, retrospective cohort study used dispensing records for every Australian woman initiating publicly-subsidised trastuzumab for HER2+MBC between 2001±2013, followed through 2016. We used group-based trajectory models (GBTMs) to cluster patients, first on their patterns of trastuzumab exposure, and then on their patterns of lapatinib and chemotherapy exposure. We described the characteristics of patients within each cluster, and examined their treatments and combinations of treatments to determine restriction adherence. Results: Of 5,052 patients initiating trastuzumab, 1,795 (36%) received at least one non-adherent HER2-targeted treatment. The most common non-adherent treatments were trastuzumab combinations involving vinorelbine (24% of non-adherent treatments); capecitabine (24%); and anthracyclines (10%). Non-adherent lapatinib use was observed in 4% of patients. GBTM identified three trastuzumab exposure clusters, each containing three further subclusters. The largest proportions of non-adherent treatments were in sub-clusters with longer trastuzumab exposure and more non-taxane chemotherapy. Patients in these sub-clusters were younger than those in sub-clusters with less non-adherent treatment. Conclusions: Our study highlights that, even during the relatively simpler treatment era of our study period, a substantial amount of treatment did not adhere to prescribing restrictions. As more trials are conducted exploring pertuzumab and T-DM1 in combination with different chemotherapies and other HER2-targeted therapies, the regulation and funding of HER2-targeted treatment will become more challenging

Repositioning BCS Degree Accreditation

Professional body accreditation must better communicate its value to higher education institutions, industry and society as a whole. We explore the value of, and future enhancements to, BCS Accreditation

Skipping a beat: Assessing the state of gender equality in the Australian music industry

This report demonstrates that male advantage is a pervasive feature of the Australian music industry. Using publicly available published data the report interrogates the industry dynamics that have produced a contemporary music scene in which radio playlists, festival line-ups, industry awards, peak bodies and major industry boards are dominated by male contributions and voices. We make 5 key recommendations, discussed in more detail in the report, to begin the process of addressing the industry’s chronic gender inequality: 1. Collect more and better data on the music industry on a gender disaggregated basis; 2. Establish a well-resourced independent gender equality industry advocacy body; 3. Use gender equality criteria in deciding public funding outcomes; 4. Increase women’s representation in decision-making structures; 5. Address gender bias in the Australian music industry by prioritising inclusivity and representation as core industry values (for example through funding and implementing training programs). The music industry is skipping a beat when it comes to gender equality. We hope that our report will stimulate industry thinking and action for change.Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA

Enhancing climate change mitigation ambition after Paris : Messages from economic literature

The Paris Agreement starts a new era in global climate policy. The agreement includes a landmark target of limiting global warming to well below 2°C degrees. Since the initial contributions of the Parties do not fulfill that target, additional ways and mechanisms to increase climate change mitigation ambition are required. Increased cooperation and decreased costs of mitigation that result from enhanced policy can help to achieve the current contributions and also increase the ambition of future targets. The objective of this report is to bridge the realities of the UNFCCC negotiations and theoretical academic understanding of increasing the climate change mitigation ambition. Especially we focus on the fields of environmental economics and international environmental agreements. We have analyzed the possibilities which the Paris Agreement opens up for increasing the ambition of climate change mitigation in the form of (1) cyclical improvements, (2) market mechanisms, (3) technology transfer and information sharing, and (4) low-carbon investments and finance to increase the ambition of climate mitigation. We find that the implementation of the Paris Agreement requires increased multilevel cooperation between Parties. Also, the Parties’ climate change mitigation targets and actions should be clearly formulated and comparable. In order for the global ambition enhancements to be measurable, a trustworthy review process is necessary. In addition, new international market and non-market mechanisms are needed. We also find that for their role to be optimal, UNFCCC’s key means of implementation require strengthening. The Green Climate Fund could play an active role in enhancing the maturity and market growth of low-carbon investment instruments. The Climate Technology Centre and Network could help to advance the Parties’ technology cooperation as well as technology transfer to developing countries. The Paris Agreement itself is a significant step towards more ambitious global climate policy. However, the implementation of the agreement will define how well its objectives are met. Upcoming negotiations can help to shape future climate policy design towards a positive cycle of increasing climate change mitigation ambition

In Other Motes of Other Myths

A collaborative project with Dr Nicole Panizza, Dr Hannah Sanders and Dr Sally Bayley at the Emily Dickinson International Society Conference in Paris 2016 ‘The Angled Road Preferred against the Mind’ Experimental Dickinson. Our performance referenced Emily’s folio of pieces that she played on the piano and songs she sang, as well as the fragments of poetry that she wrote on the edges of envelopes and scraps of paper. Emily sang when she wrote her poetry. Her poetic form is ‘musical’ and has been scored, orchestrated and interpreted as choral and Art Music for over a hundred years. Her work is set in school curricula, and she has become familiar to a huge international community. The pieces she played included much of the salon music of the time, large orchestral pieces re-arranged for domestic performance, as well as scored folk music, such as Rose of Allandale. We approached our improvised live performance in the spirit of Experiment, the theme of the conference. The improvisation was built onto a structure of four sections, exploring Emily’s routine rhythms, her domestic daily life, interrupted by her passionate poetry. We also performed this in June 2017, as part of ReLit Summer School, Worcester College, Oxford

The Ursinus Weekly, February 27, 1950

Cytologists to give material on cancer from U.S. research • Clothing drive opens today for overseas • Steere to consider Sense of Vocation for emphasis week • Coed societies map strategy in rushing season\u27s candidates • Committee requests coeds\u27 suggestions on customs matter • Week-end promises full-time enjoyment with carnival, shag • Sophs to highlight velvet mood at hop; present Art Brown • Actors to produce one-act group plays • Pre-legals prepare for ICG convention • Cerone opens drive for heart patients in talk to students • Foreign service agent tells story of escape from Asia • Ann Royer receives award for highest Chem I average • Oil burner explosion rocks equilibrium of Hobson Hall • Omwake receives committee job to make school business survey • Dr. Armstrong receives position • Rue makes railroads life project • Editorial: Benign influence • Annex-dotes • Old Weeklies reveal fads, innovations as new dorm, gate appear on scene • Ruby staff leers as night of horrors augments treasury • Horseback riders meet to plan future activities at academies • Ruby staff to stage musical; begin tryouts for cast tonight • Gravediggers ply trade on hardwood lib tables • Emily loses face on Ursinus campus as student diners turn to rules, tux • Science lib offers rare secluded nook for deep pondering • Garnet whips bears 19-11 with experienced squad • Intramural news • Penn ties bearettes; Rosemont succumbs • Wrestlers face tourney for MA championship • Bruins drop two games as losing streak grows • Tank squad sweeps victory from Penn, taking five firsts • Bruin matmen take easy 34-0 decision from Cadet squad • WAA selects coed endmen for comedy, musical showhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1585/thumbnail.jp

Esterase-Responsive Polyglycerol-Based Nanogels for Intracellular Drug Delivery in Rare Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Rare gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are caused by mutations in the KIT and PDGFRA genes. Avapritinib (BLU-285) is a targeted selective inhibitor for mutated KIT and PDGFRA receptors that can be used to treat these tumors. However, there are subtypes of GISTs that exhibit resistance against BLU-285 and thus require other treatment strategies. This can be addressed by employing a drug delivery system that transports a combination of drugs with distinct cell targets. In this work, we present the synthesis of esterase-responsive polyglycerol-based nanogels (NGs) to overcome drug resistance in rare GISTs. Using inverse nanoprecipitation mediated with inverse electron-demand Diels–Alder cyclizations (iEDDA) between dPG-methyl tetrazine and dPG-norbornene, multi-drug-loaded NGs were formed based on a surfactant-free encapsulation protocol. The obtained NGs displayed great stability in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and did not trigger hemolysis in red blood cells over a period of 24 h. Exposing the NGs to Candida Antarctica Lipase B (CALB) led to the degradation of the NG network, indicating the capability of targeted drug release. The bioactivity of the loaded NGs was tested in vitro on various cell lines of the GIST-T1 family, which exhibit different drug resistances. Cell internalization with comparable uptake kinetics of the NGs could be confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and flow cytometry for all cell lines. Cell viability and live cell imaging studies revealed that the loaded NGs are capable of intracellular drug release by showing similar IC50 values to those of the free drugs. Furthermore, multi-drug-loaded NGs were capable of overcoming BLU-285 resistance in T1-α-D842V + G680R cells, demonstrating the utility of this carrier system

Haplós: Vibrotactile somaesthetic technology for body awareness

Inspired by somatic methodologies and neurophysiology, Haplós is a low-cost, wearable technology that applies vibrotactile patterns to the skin, can be incorporated in existing clothing and implements, and can be programmed and activated remotely. We review existing vibrotactile technologies and known uses of vibrotactile stimuli; describe the hardware, textile, and software components of Haplós; describe results from a quasi-experimental workshop to evaluate Haplós; and discuss future research and development directions