Synergy in IR–Hybrid CT/C-arm in the setting of critical trauma

Emergency Radiology - Access to multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanning for interventional procedures can prove to be logistically challenging as resources are often in different areas...     

Working the edges of Posthuman disability studies: theorising with disabled young people with life‐limiting impairments

This paper is built upon an assumption: that social theory can be generated through a meaningful engagement with a co‐researcher group of disabled young people. Our co‐researchers are theoretical provocateurs and theorists in their own right who, through their activism and writing, are challenging us to reconsider the meaning of life, death and disability. Their work on our funded Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project has enabled us to consider the promise and potential of humanist and posthuman epistemologies, theories, methodologies, interventions and activisms. The paper introduces the research, the authors of this paper (academics and co‐researchers) and then explores three layers of analysis that work the edges of posthuman thinking; sovereign and assembled selves; affects and desires; mourning and affirmation. We conclude by asserting that as a research team we are engaging with a DisHuman approach to theory and activism: one that blends the pragmatics of humanism with posthuman possibilities.     

Integration of Genomic and Transcriptional Features in Pancreatic Cancer Reveals Increased Cell Cycle Progression in Metastases

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The success of Australia’s ‘No Jab,No Pay’ policy at a local level; retrospective clinical audit of a single medical practice assessing incidence of catch-up vaccinations

Vaccination is a vital health care initiative to prevent individual and population infection. To increase vaccination rates the federal government implemented the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy, where eligibility for several government benefits required children to be fully vaccinated by removing ‘conscientious objections’ and expanding the age range of children whose families receive benefits. This study assesses the impact of this policy at a local area within a single medical practice community in NSW, Australia. A retrospective clinical audit was performed between 2012 and 2017 on a single general practice's vaccination records for children ≤19 years. Catch-up vaccinations were assessed based on age at vaccination. Incidence of catch-up vaccinations was assessed for each of four years before and two years after the implementation of the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy in January 2016, along with the age of children and vaccination(s) given. Catch-up vaccinations were assessed temporally either side of implementation of ‘No Jab, No Pay’. Comparing the average annual vaccination catch-up incidence rate of 6.2% pre-implementation (2012–2015), there was an increase to 9.2% in 2016 (p < .001) and 7.8% in 2017 (p = .027). Secondary outcome measurement of catch-up vaccination incidence rates before (2012–2015) and after (2016–2017) ‘No Jab, No Pay’ implementation showed statistically significant increases for children aged 8–11 years (3.2%–5.6%, p = .038), 12–15 years (7.5%–14.7%, p < .001) and 16–19 years (3.3%–10.2%, p < .001) along with a statistically significant reduction in children aged 1–3 years (11.4%–6.2%, p = .015). Also, catch-up rates for DTPa significantly increased after program implementation. This study demonstrates that the Australian federal government vaccination policy ‘No Jab, No Pay’ was coincident with an increase in catch-up vaccinations within a rural NSW community served by one medical practice, especially for older children.     

Non-weightbearing imaging and standard knee radiographs are inferior to formal alignment radiographs for calculating coronal alignment of the knee

IntroductionRealignment knee osteotomy relies on accurate preoperative assessment of coronal alignment. Weightbearing (WB) ‘long-leg’ (LL) radiographs are the accepted gold-standard investigation, though in practice standard knee radiographs (short leg; SL) and non-weightbearing (NWB) cross-sectional imaging such as computed tomography (CT) scanograms have been used. We compare the accuracy of SL and NWB radiographs to formal LL alignment radiographs.MethodsA prospectively maintained osteotomy database was reviewed to identify the study population. All patients underwent standardised weightbearing long-leg alignment radiographs. The series was screened consecutively until 30 patients who also underwent WB SL radiographs (‘WB cohort’), and 30 with NWB SL (‘NWB cohort’) radiographs, were identified. Anatomic tibiofemoral angle was calculated by independent reviewers using a validated technique from both radiographs and contrasted.Results60 patients were identified as outlined in the study protocol. There were no differences in baseline demographics. Coronal alignment calculated from SL and LL radiographs differed significantly (median difference 2.1°, p < 0.001). Alignment values from weightbearing SL radiographs demonstrated markedly greater agreement with LL values than those from NWB radiographs (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.878 vs 0.657), with the NWB cohort also exhibiting greater outlier and extreme outlier incidence.ConclusionOur data adds to the growing evidence that SL radiographs are inadequate in the interpretation of knee alignment. In addition, we demonstrate that NWB radiographs (and by extension other NWB modalities such CT scanograms) demonstrate poorer agreement to gold-standard than WB methods. Coronal alignment of the knee cannot be reliably measured from non-weightbearing imaging modalities.Implications for practiceThough potentially useful as an adjunct, non-weightbearing cross-sectional imaging and standard knee radiographs should not be used as a proxy for formal weightbearing long-leg radiographs in osteotomy planning.     

Formation and Function of Liquid-Like Viral Factories in Negative-Sense Single-Stranded RNA Virus Infections

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) represents a major physiochemical principle to organize intracellular membrane-less structures. Studies with non-segmented negative-sense (NNS) RNA viruses have uncovered a key role of LLPS in the formation of viral inclusion bodies (IBs), sites of viral protein concentration in the cytoplasm of infected cells. These studies further reveal the structural and functional complexity of viral IB factories and provide a foundation for their future research. Herein, we review the literature leading to the discovery of LLPS-driven formation of IBs in NNS RNA virus-infected cells and the identification of viral scaffold components involved, and then outline important questions and challenges for IB assembly and disassembly. We discuss the functional implications of LLPS in the life cycle of NNS RNA viruses and host responses to infection. Finally, we speculate on the potential mechanisms underlying IB maturation, a phenomenon relevant to many human diseases.