Converting the United States and United Kingdom defence sector to civil production: the views of defence workers

There are many social, environmental, and economic reasons for converting from defence manufacturing to civil production. Importantly, such a transformation could support more peace in the world while still ensuring the secure jobs that the defence sector has historically provided. The views of defence workers on such a transition are important to understanding how this change could effectively and equitably occur. To capture some of these views, the research project on which this paper is based involved interviewing 58 former and current defence sector workers in the United States and the United Kingdom and convening key leadership focus groups which included their trade union representatives. Though these workers' opinions were not entirely polarized and some interviewees had mixed and nuanced views, they loosely fell into three categories (a) opposed to defence diversification, (b) supportive of defence diversification, and (c) supportive in principle but thought that it would be unlikely to happen. The (a) category of defence workers primarily based their view on the idea that the defence sector is necessary for security and a feeling of pride in supporting this endeavor. The (b) category views were built on the perceived harm of the sector, the potential ‘peace dividend’ that would arise from transition, and feelings of guilt about working in the sector. The (c) group of workers identified the profit motive, worker attachment to defence jobs, technological issues, and the economic and political power of the defence companies as the key barriers to change. Proposals for effectively converting included economic incentives, government regulation, and organizing trade unions to push for change. A unified view was that workers want to be involved in discussions about these issues in their workplace and unions

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival in international airports

Background  The highest achievable survival rate following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is unknown. Data from airports serving international destinations (international airports) provide the opportunity to evaluate the success of pre-hospital resuscitation in a relatively controlled but real-life environment.  Methods  This retrospective cohort study included all cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at international airports with resuscitation attempted between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2015. Crude incidence, patient, event characteristics and survival to hospital discharge/survival to 30 days (survival) were calculated. Mixed effect logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of survival. Variability in survival between airports/countries was quantified using the median odds ratio.  Results  There were 800 cases identified, with an average of 40 per airport. Incidence was 0.024/100,000 passengers per year. Percentage survival for all patients was 32%, and 58% for patients with an initial shockable heart rhythm.  In adjusted analyses, initial shockable heart rhythm was the strongest predictor of survival (odds ratio, 36.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 15.5 to 87.0). In the bystander-witnessed subgroup, delivery of a defibrillation shock by a bystander was a strong predictor of survival (odds ratio 4.8; 95% CI, 3.0 to 7.8). Grouping of cases was significant at country level and survival varied between countries.  Conclusions  In international airports, there was 32% of patients survived an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, substantially more than in the general population. Our analysis suggested similarity between airports within countries, but differences between countries. Systematic data collection and reporting is essential to ensure international airports continually maximise activities to increase survival

A second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils.

Clonally transmissible cancers are somatic cell lineages that are spread between individuals via the transfer of living cancer cells. There are only three known naturally occurring transmissible cancers, and these affect dogs, soft-shell clams, and Tasmanian devils, respectively. The Tasmanian devil transmissible facial cancer was first observed in 1996, and is threatening its host species with extinction. Until now, this disease has been consistently associated with a single aneuploid cancer cell lineage that we refer to as DFT1. Here we describe a second transmissible cancer, DFT2, in five devils located in southern Tasmania in 2014 and 2015. DFT2 causes facial tumors that are grossly indistinguishable but histologically distinct from those caused by DFT1. DFT2 bears no detectable cytogenetic similarity to DFT1 and carries a Y chromosome, which contrasts with the female origin of DFT1. DFT2 shows different alleles to both its hosts and DFT1 at microsatellite, structural variant, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, confirming that it is a second cancer that can be transmitted between devils as an allogeneic, MHC-discordant graft. These findings indicate that Tasmanian devils have spawned at least two distinct transmissible cancer lineages and suggest that transmissible cancers may arise more frequently in nature than previously considered. The discovery of DFT2 presents important challenges for the conservation of Tasmanian devils and raises the possibility that this species is particularly prone to the emergence of transmissible cancers. More generally, our findings highlight the potential for cancer cells to depart from their hosts and become dangerous transmissible pathogens.We thank Bill Brown, Phil Iles, Billie Lazenby, Jacinta Marr, Jane McGee, Sarah Peck, Holly Wiersma and Phil Wise for assistance with sample collection and curation. Adrian Baez-Ortega, Andrew Davis, Jo Hanuszewicz, Gina Kalodimos, Amanda Patchett, Narelle Phillips, Elizabeth Reid Swainscoat, Jim Richley, Rachel Stivicic and Jim Taylor assisted with surveying, laboratory analysis, data processing and display. We are grateful for support received from Mike Stratton, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI) sequencing and informatics teams and the WTSI Cancer Genome Project. This work was supported by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (102942/Z/13/Z) and by grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC-DP130100715; ARC-LP130100218). Support was provided by Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Grants and by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. JMCT was partly supported by a Marie Curie Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE- 2012-IEF, 328364). Sequences associated with this paper have been deposited in Genbank with accession numbers KT188437 and KT188438

Longitudinal Assessment of Growth in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Results From the Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial

Background: We sought to characterize growth between birth and age 3 years in infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who underwent the Norwood procedure. Methods and Results: We performed a secondary analysis using the Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial database after excluding patients 2 SD below normal). Failure to find consistent risk factors supports the strategy of tailoring nutritional therapies to patient‐ and stage‐specific targets. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT00115934

2nd Annual Faculty Research & Innovation Day Program

https://first.fanshawec.ca/cri_cripublications/1001/thumbnail.jp

Mast Cells Express 11 beta-hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1: A Role in Restraining Mast Cell Degranulation:a role in restraining mast cell degranulation

Mast cells are key initiators of allergic, anaphylactic and inflammatory reactions, producing mediators that affect vascular permeability, angiogenesis and fibrosis. Glucocorticoid pharmacotherapy reduces mast cell number, maturation and activation but effects at physiological levels are unknown. Within cells, glucocorticoid concentration is modulated by the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11β-HSDs). Here we show expression and activity of 11β-HSD1, but not 11β-HSD2, in mouse mast cells with 11β-HSD activity only in the keto-reductase direction, regenerating active glucocorticoids (cortisol, corticosterone) from inert substrates (cortisone, 11-dehydrocorticosterone). Mast cells from 11β-HSD1-deficient mice show ultrastructural evidence of increased activation, including piecemeal degranulation and have a reduced threshold for IgG immune complex-induced mast cell degranulation. Consistent with reduced intracellular glucocorticoid action in mast cells, levels of carboxypeptidase A3 mRNA, a glucocorticoid-inducible mast cell-specific transcript, are lower in peritoneal cells from 11β-HSD1-deficient than control mice. These findings suggest that 11β-HSD1-generated glucocorticoids may tonically restrain mast cell degranulation, potentially influencing allergic, anaphylactic and inflammatory responses

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on seven research projects split into three sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 PO1 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS18682)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07047)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 F33 NS07202-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS10916)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS12846)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS16917)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS14092-05)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS 77 21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS11080)National Institutes of Health (Grant GM-21189

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives and reports on eight research projects split into three sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 PO1 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS18682)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS20322)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS 20269)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 NS 07047)Symbion, Inc.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS10916)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO NS 16917)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS83-19874)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS83-19887)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS12846)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS21322-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32-NS07099-07)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS14092-06)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS11080

Process evaluation of the Bridging the Age Gap in Breast Cancer decision support intervention cluster randomised trial

Background The Bridging the Age Gap in Breast Cancer research programme sought to improve treatment decision-making for older women with breast cancer by developing and testing, in a cluster randomised trial (n = 1339 patients), two decision support interventions (DESIs). Both DESIs were used in the intervention arm and each comprised an online risk prediction model, brief decision aid and information booklet. One DESI supported the decision to have either primary endocrine therapy (PET) or surgery with adjuvant therapies and the second supported the decision to have adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery or not. Methods Sixteen sites were randomly selected to take part in the process evaluation. Multiple methods of data collection were used. Medical Research Council (MRC) guidelines for the evaluation of complex interventions were used. Results Eighty-two patients, mean age 75.5 (range 70–93), provided data for the process evaluation. Seventy-three interviews were completed with patients. Ten clinicians from six intervention sites took part in telephone interviews. Dose: Ninety-one members of staff in the intervention arm received intervention training. Reach: The online tool was accessed on 324 occasions by 27 clinicians. Reasons for non-use of the online tool were commonly that the patient had already made a decision or that there was no online access in the clinic. Of the 32 women for whom there were data available, fifteen from the intervention arm and six from the usual care arm were offered a choice of treatment. Fidelity: Clinicians used the online tool in different ways, with some using it during the consultation and others checking the online survival estimates before the consultation. Adaptation: There was evidence of adaptation when using the DESIs. A lack of infrastructure, e.g. internet access, was a barrier to the use of the online tool. The brief decision aid was rarely used. Mediators: Shared decision-making: Most patients felt able to contribute to decision-making and expressed high levels of satisfaction with the process. Participants’ responses to intervention: Six patients reported the DESIs to be very useful, one somewhat useful and two moderately useful. Conclusions Clinicians who participated were mainly supportive of the interventions and had attempted some adaptations to make the interventions applicable, but there were practical and engagement barriers that led to sub-optimal adoption in routine practice