A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access area to figures, tables at https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000

Viral respiratory tract infections in the neonatal intensive care unit : the VIRIoN-I Study

Objective: To determine the frequency of respiratory viral infections among infants who were evaluated for late-onset sepsis in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas; and Women & Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island. Study design: Prospective cohort study conducted from January 15, 2012 to January 31, 2013. Infants in the NICU were enrolled if they were inborn, had never been discharged home, and were evaluated for sepsis (at >72\ua0hours of age) and antibiotic therapy was initiated. Infants had a nasopharyngeal specimen collected for detection of respiratory viruses by multiplex polymerase chain reaction within 72\ua0hours of the initiation of antibiotic therapy. Their medical records were reviewed for demographic, clinical, radiographic, and laboratory data until NICU discharge. Results: During the 13-month study, 8 of 100 infants, or 8 (6%) of the 135 sepsis evaluations, had a respiratory virus detected by polymerase chain reaction (2, enterovirus/rhinovirus; 2, rhinovirus; 2, coronaviruses; and 2, parainfluenza-3 virus). By bivariate analysis, the infants with viral detection were older (41 vs 11\ua0days; P\ua0=\ua0.007), exposed to individuals with respiratory tract viral symptoms (37% vs 2%; P\ua0=\ua0.003), tested for respiratory viruses by provider (75% vs 11%; P\ua0<\ua0.001), and had lower total neutrophil counts (P\ua0=\ua0.02). In multivariate regression analysis, the best predictor of viral infection was the caregivers' clinical suspicion of viral infection (P\ua0=\ua0.006). Conclusions: A total of 8% of infants, or 6% of all NICU sepsis evaluations, had a respiratory virus detected when evaluated for bacterial sepsis. These findings argue for more respiratory viral testing of infants with suspected sepsis using optimal molecular assays to establish accurate diagnoses, prevent transmission, and inform antibiotic stewardship efforts. \ua9 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Antibiotic use in infants in the first year of life in five European countries

Aim:\u2002 To assess in infants the number of illness episodes treated with antibiotics and prescription rates in five European countries. Methods:\u2002 This study was embedded in a multicenter nutritional intervention study and was conducted in five European countries. Infants were followed until 1\u2003year of age. Illness episodes and prescriptions of systemic antibiotics were recorded by the parents. Results:\u2002 Illness episodes were caused by upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in 55-64% and by otitis media (OM) in 2-6.8%. URTIs were statistically significant and more frequently treated with antibiotics in Italy (18.8%), and less frequently in Switzerland (1.4%). OM was statistically significant and less frequently treated with antibiotics in the Netherlands (55%) when compared to Italy (82%). The antibiotic prescription rate varied between countries, ranging from 0.2 to 1.3 prescriptions per infant per year. Conclusions:\u2002 As the frequency of illness episodes did not differ between countries, other factors, such as physician's attitude, parental pressure or other socio-economic determinants, most likely play a role in antibiotic prescribing habits in the first year of life

Evaluation of clinically asymptomatic high risk infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection

To determine the frequency of abnormal findings on evaluation of neonates with congenital CMV infection who have a normal physical examination STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, 2-center study (1996-2017) that reviewed results of complete blood cell count and platelets, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and bilirubin concentrations, eye examination, cranial ultrasonography or other neuroimaging, and brainstem evoked responses performed on neonates with congenital CMV infection and a normal physical examination RESULTS: Of 34 infants with congenital CMV infection and a normal physical examination, 56% (19/34) had 651 abnormality: 39%, elevated ALT concentration; 45%, abnormal neuroimaging (five, lenticulostriate vasculopathy; six, intraventricular hemorrhage; four, calcifications); 12%, anemia; 16%, thrombocytopenia; and 3%, chorioretinitis. Seven (21%) infants had sensorineural hearing loss, and 18 infants received antiviral therapy

Prevalence of the congenital long-QT syndrome

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of genetic arrhythmogenic diseases is unknown. For the long-QT syndrome (LQTS), figures ranging from 1:20 000 to 1:5000 were published, but none was based on actual data. Our objective was to define the prevalence of LQTS. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 18 maternity hospitals, an ECG was performed in 44 596 infants 15 to 25 days old (43 080 whites). In infants with a corrected QT interval (QTc) >450 ms, the ECG was repeated within 1 to 2 weeks. Genetic analysis, by screening 7 LQTS genes, was performed in 28 of 31 (90%) and in 14 of 28 infants (50%) with, respectively, a QTc >470 ms or between 461 and 470 ms. A QTc of 451 to 460, 461 to 470, and >470 ms was observed in 177 (0.41%), 28 (0.06%), and 31 infants (0.07%). Among genotyped infants, disease-causing mutations were found in 12 of 28 (43%) with a QTc >470 ms and in 4 of 14 (29%) with a QTc of 461 to 470 ms. One genotype-negative infant (QTc 482 ms) was diagnosed as affected by LQTS on clinical grounds. Among family members of genotype-positive infants, 51% were found to carry disease-causing mutations. In total, 17 of 43 080 white infants were affected by LQTS, demonstrating a prevalence of at least 1:2534 apparently healthy live births (95% confidence interval, 1:1583 to 1:4350). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first data-based estimate of the prevalence of LQTS among whites. On the basis of the nongenotyped infants with QTc between 451 and 470 ms, we advance the hypothesis that this prevalence might be close to 1:2000. ECG-guided molecular screening can identify most infants affected by LQTS and unmask affected relatives, thus allowing effective preventive measures

International Multicenter Experience of Isolated Limb Infusion for In-Transit Melanoma Metastases in Octogenarian and Nonagenarian Patients

BACKGROUND:Isolated limb infusion (ILI) is used to treat in-transit melanoma metastases confined to an extremity. However, little is known about its safety and efficacy in octogenarians and nonagenarians (ON). PATIENTS AND METHODS:ON patients (≥ 80 years) who underwent a first ILI for American Joint Committee on Cancer seventh edition stage IIIB/IIIC melanoma between 1992 and 2018 at nine international centers were included and compared with younger patients (< 80 years). A cytotoxic drug combination of melphalan and actinomycin-D was used. RESULTS:Of the 687 patients undergoing a first ILI, 160 were ON patients (median age 84 years; range 80-100 years). Compared with the younger cohort (n = 527; median age 67 years; range 29-79 years), ON patients were more frequently female (70.0% vs. 56.9%; p = 0.003), had more stage IIIB disease (63.8 vs. 53.3%; p = 0.02), and underwent more upper limb ILIs (16.9% vs. 9.5%; p = 0.009). ON patients experienced similar Wieberdink limb toxicity grades III/IV (25.0% vs. 29.2%; p = 0.45). No toxicity-related limb amputations were performed. Overall response for ON patients was 67.3%, versus 64.6% for younger patients (p = 0.53). Median in-field progression-free survival was 9 months for both groups (p = 0.88). Median distant progression-free survival was 36 versus 23 months (p = 0.16), overall survival was 29 versus 40 months (p < 0.0001), and melanoma-specific survival was 46 versus 78 months (p = 0.0007) for ON patients compared with younger patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:ILI in ON patients is safe and effective with similar response and regional control rates compared with younger patients. However, overall and melanoma-specific survival are shorter.Jüri Teras, Hidde M. Kroon, John T. Miura, Tim Kenyon-Smith, Georgia M. Beasley, Dean Mullen, Norma E. Farrow, Paul J. Mosca, Michael C. Lowe, Clara R. Farley, Aishwarya Potdar, Hala Daou, James Sun, Michael Carr, Jeffrey M. Farma, Michael A. Henderson, David Speakman, Jonathan Serpell, Keith A. Delman, B. Mark Smithers, Andrew Barbour, Douglas S. Tyler, Brendon J. Coventry, Jonathan S. Zager, and John F. Thompso