Impact of a general practice based group parenting programme on the mental health of children and parents 12 months post intervention : quantitative and qualitative results from a controlled trial

Objective To test the effectiveness at one year of the Webster Stratton Parents and Children Series group parenting programme in a population sample of parents Design multicentre block randomised controlled trial Setting 3 urban General Practices in Oxford. Participants Parents of children aged 2-8 years in 116 families who scored in the upper 50% on a behaviour inventory. Intervention Webster-Stratton’s 10-week parenting programme led by health visitors. Outcome measures. Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory, Goodman Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Parenting Stress Index, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Qualitative interviews with volunteer parents from both intervention and control groups immediately post intervention. Results The intervention significantly reduced child behaviour problems and improved mental health at immediate and 6-month follow-ups. One-year differences between control and intervention groups were not significant. Possible methodological reasons for this are: Hawthorne effects and contamination of control group. At interview parents spoke of a need for further sessions and a desire for attendance by both parents. They also described how, as a result of the programme, they had gained in confidence, felt less stressed, shouted less and achieved more cooperation from their children. Conclusions Parenting programmes have the potential to promote mental health and reduce social inequalities, but further work is needed to improve long-term effectiveness

V348 Puppis: a new SW Sex star in the period gap

We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy and photometry of the nova-like cataclysmic variable V348 Puppis. The system displays the same spectroscopic behaviour as SW Sex stars, so we classify V348 Pup as a new member of the class. V348 Pup is the second SW Sex system (the first is V795 Herculis) which lies in the period gap. The spectra exhibit enhanced HeII 4686 emission, reminiscent of magnetic cataclysmic variables. The study of this emission line gives a primary velocity semi-amplitude of K1 ~= 100 km/s. We have also derived the system parameters, obtaining: M1 ~= 0.65 Msun, M2 ~= 0.20 Msun (q ~= 0.31), i ~= 80 deg and K2 ~= 323 km/s. The spectroscopic behaviour of V348 Pup is very similar to that of V795 Her, with the exception that V348 Pup shows deep eclipses. We have computed the ``0.5-absorption'' spectrum of both systems, obtaining spectra which resemble the absorption spectrum of a B0 V star. We propose that absorption in SW Sex systems can be produced by a vertically extended atmosphere which forms where the gas stream re-impacts the system, either at the accretion disc or at the white dwarf's magnetosphere (assuming a magnetic scenario).Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Comparative effectiveness of beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis : systematic review and network meta-analysis of trials including recommended dosages

This work is part of a larger report commissioned by the NIHR HTA Programme as project number ID809. Aileen Clarke and G.J. Melendez-Torres are partly supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West Midlands at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, NIHR, NICE or the Department of Health and Social Care.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Cataclysmic variables from the Calan-Tololo-Survey -- I. Photometric periods

In a search for cataclysmic variables in the Calan-Tololo Survey we have detected 21 systems, 16 of them previously unknown. In this paper we present detailed time-series photometry for those six confirmed cataclysmic variables that show periodic variability in their light curves. Four of them turned out to be eclipsing systems, while the remaining two show a modulation consisting of two humps. All derived periods are below, or, in one case, just at the lower edge of the period gap.Comment: 12 pages, 18 figures, figures reduced in size and quality, accepted by MNRA

677. Systematic Review of the Early Use Experince of Cefiderocol in Real World Practice

Abstract Background Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) with resistance to carbapenems is a growing global public health concern. The World Health Organisation have listed three priority GNB pathogens for the development of novel antimicrobial agents; Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacterales. The purpose of this systematic review (SR) was to report evidence on the use of cefiderocol (FDC), a siderophore cephalosporin, for patients with GNB infections in compassionate use or expanded access settings. Methods Searches were undertaken to identify relevant evidence up to December 2021. Two independent reviewers screened the records retrieved for relevance to the SR with disagreements adjudicated by a third reviewer. Patients receiving FDC in a compassionate use, expanded access setting or those with limited treatment options for the treatment of GNB infection were eligible. Eligible case reports and case series were assessed for quality using predefined tools and data were extracted (by a single reviewer with data checking performed by a second reviewer), tabulated and summarised. Results Forty-four studies (n=150 patients) were identified reporting the use of FDC; 3 case series studies and 41 case reports. The most commonly reported pathogens were P. aeruginosa (41.3%), A. baumannii (36.0%) and A. xylosoxidans (14.3%). The diagnoses varied widely across the included patients. All patients were administered FDC at a dose between 750 mg and 2 g per day on various schedules, adjusted for renal function for between one and six weeks. Clinical cure was reported in 137 patients using author-specified definitions with 74 patients (54.0%) reporting clinical cure and 18 (13.1%) reporting failure. Microbiological eradication was reported in 78 patients of whom 56 (71.8%) reported success, while 22 (28.2%) reported failure. For mortality (n=123) 80 patients (65.0%) remained alive at the end of treatment, while 43 (35.0%) died. Adverse event (AE) data was reported for 53 patients of whom 13 (24.5%) reported AEs, while 40 (75.5%) did not. See Table 1.0. Conclusion FDC is a promising therapy for patients with GNB infections with limited treatment options. Real world practice shows a high microbiological eradication rate and a small number of AEs. Disclosures Carlo Tascini, n/a, Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Aurelien Dinh, Professor of Infectious Disease, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant|Shionogi: Board Member Christopher M. Longshaw, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Anita C. Fitzgerald, MPH, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an associate, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Hannah Wood, BA MA, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an employee, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Jacoby Vivien M. Patterson, MA Cantab, MB BChir, FFPH MD, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an associate, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDW Deborah Watkins, MSc, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an employee, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Katy Wilson, LLM, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an employee to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Karan Gill, Master of Science, Shionogi: Employee

RX J2133.7+5107 : Identification of a new long period Intermediate Polar

We report the first time-resolved photometric and spectroscopic optical observations of the X-ray source RX J2133.7+5107, identified in the ROSAT survey. A clear persistent optical light pulsation is discovered with fast photometry at a period of P_{omega} =(570.823 +/-0.013) s which we associate with the spin period of an accreting white dwarf. Radial velocity curves of the strong emission lines show modulation with a period of P_{Omega} =(7.193 +/- 0.016) hr, identified as the orbital period. These observations establish that the source is a member of the intermediate polar class (IPs) of magnetic cataclysmic variables. With only 4 IPs with longer orbital periods, RX J2133.7+5107 is among the widest systems. It is a unique IP with an orbital period in the middle of the so-called (6-10)hr IP gap and it shows a significant degree of asynchronism with a ratio P_{omega}/P_{Omega} of 0.02. When attributed to the motion of the white dwarf, the emission lines orbital modulation yields a mass function of f_m = (1.05 +/- 0.21) 10^{-2} Msun which, for a probable inclination i < 45 deg and a white dwarf mass M_{wd} = (0.6-1.0) Msun, corresponds to a secondary mass M_{s} > (0.27-0.37) Msun.Comment: 6 pages, 3 tables, 6 figures. accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Dio-sensimedia: a novel culture medium for rapid detection of extended spectrum β-lactamases

BACKGROUND: Resistance to contemporary broad-spectrum β-lactams, mediated by extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL), is an increasing problem worldwide. Many of the emerging antimicrobial resistance problems of this decade have been characterized by difficulty in the recognition of resistance in the laboratory, particularly by rapid susceptibility test methods. The plasmid-encoded ESBL represent such a resistance phenomenon that is difficult to recognize. We compared Dio-Sensimedia-ES (DSM-ES; Diomed, Istanbul, Turkey) and Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar in the double-disk synergy test (DDST) as a novel rapid system for detecting ESBL directly from bacterial culture. METHODS: Sixty ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates cultured from blood (30), endotracheal aspirates (20), urine (5) and pus (5), as well as 40 Escherichia coli isolates cultured from endotracheal aspirates (15), urine (10), blood (8) and pus (7) were studied. Isolates positive for ESBL by the combined disk tests were tested with the DDST using MH and DSM-ES agar to detect ESBL-mediated resistance in K. pneumoniae and E. coli. DSM-ES agar was also used to determine the susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae and staphylococci. RESULTS: Among 60 ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates, 59 (98.3%) were identified as ESBL-positive by the DDST using MH, and 58 (96.6%), using DSM-ES agar. Of 40 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, 38 (95%) were ESBL-positive by the DDST on MH agar, and 37 (92.5%), on DSM-ES agar. The average incubation period required for ESBL detection by the DDST on DSM-ES agar was 4 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Since the DDST results were available within 4 hours when DSM-ES agar was used, the use of this media may significantly lower the length of hospital stay, the total cost for patient care and even the mortality rate by fascilitating early treatment against ESBL-producing organisms

On the progenitors of millisecond pulsars by the recycling evolutionary channel

The recycling model suggested that low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) could evolve into binary millisecond pulsars (BMSPs). In this work, we attempt to investigate the progenitor properties of BMSPs formed by the recycling evolutionary channel, and if sub-millisecond pulsars can be produced by this channel. Using Eggleton's stellar evolution code, considering that the dead pulsars can be spun up to a short spin period by the accreting material and angular momentum from the donor star, we have calculated the evolution of close binaries consisting of a neutron star and a low-mass main-sequence donor star, and the spin evolution of NSs. In calculation, some physical process such as the thermal and viscous instability of a accretion disk, propeller effect, and magnetic braking are included. Our calculated results indicate that, all LMXBs with a low-mass donor star of 1.0 - 2.0 $M_\odot$ and a short orbital period (\la 3-4 \rm d) can form millisecond pulsars with a spin period less than 10 ms. However, it is difficult to produce sub-millisecond pulsars by this evolutionary channel. In addition, our evolutionary scenario cannot account for the existence of BMSPs with a long orbital period (P_{\rm orb}\ga 70-80\rm d).Comment: 7 pages,5 figures, MNRAS in pres

Zebrafish retinal ganglion cells asymmetrically encode spectral and temporal information across visual space

In vertebrate vision, the tetrachromatic larval zebrafish permits non-invasive monitoring and manipulating of neural activity across the nervous system in vivo during ongoing behavior. However, despite a perhaps unparalleled understanding of links between zebrafish brain circuits and visual behaviors, comparatively little is known about what their eyes send to the brain via retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Major gaps in knowledge include any information on spectral coding and information on potentially critical variations in RGC properties across the retinal surface corresponding with asymmetries in the statistics of natural visual space and behavioral demands. Here, we use in vivo two-photon imaging during hyperspectral visual stimulation as well as photolabeling of RGCs to provide a functional and anatomical census of RGCs in larval zebrafish. We find that RGCs’ functional and structural properties differ across the eye and include a notable population of UV-responsive On-sustained RGCs that are only found in the acute zone, likely to support visual prey capture of UV-bright zooplankton. Next, approximately half of RGCs display diverse forms of color opponency, including many that are driven by a pervasive and slow blue-Off system—far in excess of what would be required to satisfy traditional models of color vision. In addition, most information on spectral contrast was intermixed with temporal information. Taken together, our results suggest that zebrafish RGCs send a diverse and highly regionalized time-color code to the brain