Extragalactic Radio Continuum Surveys and the Transformation of Radio Astronomy

Next-generation radio surveys are about to transform radio astronomy by discovering and studying tens of millions of previously unknown radio sources. These surveys will provide new insights to understand the evolution of galaxies, measuring the evolution of the cosmic star formation rate, and rivalling traditional techniques in the measurement of fundamental cosmological parameters. By observing a new volume of observational parameter space, they are also likely to discover unexpected new phenomena. This review traces the evolution of extragalactic radio continuum surveys from the earliest days of radio astronomy to the present, and identifies the challenges that must be overcome to achieve this transformational change.Comment: To be published in Nature Astronomy 18 Sept 201

Toward unraveling the correlates of fatigue in glioma

Background: Even though fatigue is one of the most prevalent and burdensome symptoms in patients with glioma, its etiology and determinants are still poorly understood. We aimed to identify which demographic, tumor- and treatment-related characteristics and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are associated with or are predictors of fatigue in glioma. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we included glioma patients with preoperative and postoperative assessments including PROMs on fatigue, depression, cognitive functioning, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Linear mixed models were used to identify which clinical factors and PROMs were associated with fatigue and linear multiple regression was used to detect predictors of postoperative fatigue. Results: In this study, 222 patients were included (78% grade II–III glioma, 22% grade IV). These patients had performed 333 assessments (193 preoperative and 116 one year postoperatively). Of all assessments, 39% was indicative of severe fatigue. Several HRQoL domains, depression, and right-sided tumors were significantly associated with fatigue (marginal R2 = 0.63). Contrary to common expectations, tumor type, treatment-related factors, and timing of the assessment, were not associated with fatigue. In a subgroup of 70 patients with follow-up assessments, preoperative fatigue, and physical functioning were predictors of postoperative fatigue (adjusted R2 = 0.31). Conclusion: Fatigue is a complex symptom, which should not solely be attributed to the tumor or its treatment, but is instead related to different aspects of mood and HRQoL. These insights are important in understanding fatigue and could guide symptom management, especially in patients with lower-grade tumors

Frequency and burden of potentially treatable symptoms in glioma patients with stable disease

Background & aims: Glioma patients experience a multitude of symptoms that negatively affect their health-related quality of life. Symptoms vary greatly across disease phases, and the patients' stable phase might be particularly suitable for assessing and treating symptoms. Identifying symptoms and patients' needs is a first step toward improving patient care. In glioma patients with stable disease, we assessed the frequency and burden of patient-reported symptoms, examined how these symptoms co-occur, and also determined whether patients would consider treatment to ameliorate specific symptoms. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients rated the frequency and burden of seventeen symptoms on a seven-point Likert scale and stated whether they would consider treatment for these symptoms. Correlations between frequency, burden, and considering treatment were evaluated with Kendall’s Tau correlation coefficients. Based on partial correlations between symptom frequencies we visualized the symptoms as a network. Results: Fifty-two glioma patients with stable disease were included (31 WHO grade II/III, 21 WHO grade IV). The top five symptoms were fatigue, memory problems, reduced physical fitness, concentration problems, and drowsiness. Fatigue had the highest median frequency (4.5, interquartile range 2.5). Over half of the patients experienced three or more symptoms simultaneously and associations between all symptoms were depicted as a network. Overall, 35% of patients would consider treatment for at least one symptom. The wish to undergo symptom treatment correlated only moderately with symptom frequency and burden (range of correlations 0.24–0.57 and 0.28–0.61, respectively). Conclusion: Glioma patients with stable disease experience multiple symptoms with a consequently high symptom burden. Despite the high prevalence of symptoms, the inclination for symptom management interventions was relatively low. The most frequent and burdensome symptoms and the way they are interrelated could serve as a roadmap for future research on symptom management in these patients