Scientific Meetings Research Articles

Precision medicine preceptorship in breast and lung cancer for Latin American oncologists.

9040 Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Latin America. Integrating genomic discoveries into patient care could improve morbidity and mortality; however economic barriers to capacity development and access to therapeutics remain. In response to an RFP for a preceptorship for oncologists from Latin America, Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute (WCI) developed a 2-week immersion involving didactics, clinical exposures, and research meetings to increase knowledge and competence of breast and lung cancer genomics. Methods: Interviews with Latin American medical oncologists, Latin America Lung Cancer Association (LALCA) leadership, and literature review were conducted to understand areas of unmet need in oncology training. A gap in knowledge and practice of genomic management of breast and lung cancer was identified and informed development of didactic and clinical exposures. The WCI website, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and LALCA publicized the program. Medical oncologists within 6 years of final oncology training applied. Participants completed a baseline needs assessment, pre-program survey to assess goals and confidence in skills, and post-program interview to evaluate the program and reassess confidence in skills. Instruments were developed with WCI’s Intervention, Development, Dissemination and Implementation Shared Resource. WCI faculty were interviewed for feedback. Results: WCI hosted 12 Latin American oncologists over 3 two-week preceptorships between 2020-23, coinciding with local scientific meetings. All participants reported the program was a valuable use of time, valuable for career development and rated the program as excellent/very good. 92% reported the program met their goals and felt engaged all/most of the time. 75% rated attendance at breast and lung cancer clinics, didactics, research meetings, tumor boards as very/extremely valuable. Two-thirds intended to make changes (apply knowledge, improve communication, work with other providers like nurses, aid students in research, improve flow of activity when seeing patients, incorporate clinical research into daily practice, and add immunotherapy) in their practice at home institutions. Phase 1 and surgical oncology clinics were deemed least helpful. Themes emerged from faculty interviews: be strategic about the number of learners in clinic, characterize learner preferences and prior training/experience, articulate the preceptorship’s long-term goals, and include time to team-build. Conclusions: Participants gained exposure to the latest molecular diagnostics and systemic treatments, appreciation for optimal team-based cancer care, and how clinical research drives development of novel biomarkers and therapeutics. Future goals include expanding program access to oncologists from other low- and middle-income countries and promoting post-program collaborations.

Gliwice Scientific Meetings as a forum for discussion of research projects.Personal impressions.

The article has been written for the occasion of 25 Anniversary of Gliwice Scientific Meetings (GSN). For this reason, I am going to present scientific contacts of the Institute of Oncology at Gliwice with the Institute of Human Genetics of the Polish Academy of Sciences at Poznań not only at conference occasions but also in regular research manner.

Integration of Smart Home and Building Automation Systems in Virtual Reality and Robotics-Based Technological Environment for Neurorehabilitation: A Pilot Study Protocol.

Technological innovation has revolutionized healthcare, particularly in neurological rehabilitation, where it has been used to address chronic conditions. Smart home and building automation (SH&BA) technologies offer promising solutions for managing chronic disabilities associated with such conditions. This single group, pre-post longitudinal pilot study, part of the H2020 HosmartAI project, aims to explore the integration of smart home technologies into neurorehabilitation. Eighty subjects will be enrolled from IRCCS San Camillo Hospital (Venice, Italy) and will receive rehabilitation treatment through virtual reality (VR) and robotics devices for 15 h per day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks in the HosmartAI Room (HR), equipped with SH&BA devices measuring the environment. The study seeks to optimize patient outcomes and refine rehabilitation practices. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific meetings, contributing to advancements in neurological rehabilitation and guiding future research.

Outlining the Hidden Curriculum: Perspectives on Successfully Navigating Scientific Conferences.

Scientific conferences and meetings are valuable opportunities for researchers to network, communicate, and develop knowledge. For early career scientists, conferences can also be intimidating, confusing, and overwhelming, especially without having adequate preparation or experience. In this Perspective, we provide advice based on previous experiences navigating scientific meetings and conferences. These guidelines outline parts of the hidden curriculum around preparing for and attending meetings, navigating conference sessions, networking with other scientists, and participating in social activities while upholding a recommended code of conduct.

Comprehensive observational study evaluating the enduring effectiveness of 4CMenB, the meningococcal B vaccine against gonococcal infections in the Northern Territory and South Australia, Australia: study protocol

IntroductionThe effectiveness of antibiotics for treating gonococcal infections is compromised due to escalating antibiotic resistance; and the development of an effective gonococcal vaccine has been challenging. Emerging evidence suggests that...

Cognitive stimulation for people with dementia in nursing homes: a protocol for a feasibility study examining a new 24/7 approach (CogStim24)

IntroductionBased on the available evidence, cognitive stimulation is recommended as an intervention for people with dementia (PwD). Currently, cognitive stimulation is regularly offered as a group programme in care facilities....

Astronomy's climate emissions: Global travel to scientific meetings in 2019.

Travel to academic conferences-where international flights are the norm-is responsible for a sizeable fraction of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with academic work. In order to provide a benchmark for comparison with other fields, as well as for future reduction strategies and assessments, we estimate the CO2-equivalent emissions for conference travel in the field of astronomy for the prepandemic year 2019. The GHG emission of the international astronomical community's 362 conferences and schools in 2019 amounted to 42,500 tCO2e, assuming a radiative-forcing index factor of 1.95 for air travel. This equates to an average of 1.0 ± 0.6 tCO2e per participant per meeting. The total travel distance adds up to roughly 1.5 Astronomical Units, that is, 1.5 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. We present scenarios for the reduction of this value, for instance with virtual conferencing or hub models, while still prioritizing the benefits conferences bring to the scientific community.

Management of peri-surgical anemia in elective surgery. Conclusions and recommendations according to Delphi-UCLA methodology

IntroductionPreoperative anemia affects approximately one third of surgical patients. It increases the risk of blood transfusion and influences short- and medium-term functional outcomes, increases comorbidities, complications and costs. The “Patient Blood Management” (PBM) programs, for integrated and multidisciplinary management of patients, are considered as paradigms of quality care and have as one of the fundamental objectives to correct perioperative anemia. PBM has been incorporated into the schemes for intensified recovery of surgical patients: the recent Enhanced Recovery After Surgery 2021 pathway (in Spanish RICA 2021) includes almost 30 indirect recommendations for PBM. ObjectiveTo make a consensus document with RAND/UCLA Delphi methodology to increase the penetration and priority of the RICA 2021 recommendations on PBM in daily clinical practice. Material and MethodsA coordinating group composed of 6 specialists from Hematology-Hemotherapy, Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine with expertise in anemia and PBM was formed. A survey was elaborated using Delphi RAND/UCLA methodology to reach a consensus on the key areas and priority professional actions to be developed at the present time to improve the management of perioperative anemia. The survey questions were extracted from the PBM recommendations contained in the RICA 2021 pathway. The development of the electronic survey (Google Platform) and the management of the responses was the responsibility of an expert in quality of care and clinical safety.Participants were selected by invitation from speakers at AWGE-GIEMSA scientific meetings and national representatives of PBM-related working groups (Seville Document, SEDAR HTF section and RICA 2021 pathway participants).In the first round of the survey, the anonymized online questionnaire had 28 questions: 20 of them were about PBM concepts included in ERAS guidelines (2 about general PBM organization, 10 on diagnosis and treatment of preoperative anemia, 3 on management of postoperative anemia, 5 on transfusion criteria) and 8 on pending aspects of research. Responses were organized according to a 10-point Likter scale (0: strongly disagree to 10: strongly agree). Any additional contributions that the participants considered appropriate were allowed. They were considered consensual because all the questions obtained an average score of more than 9 points, except one (question 14).The second round of the survey consisted of 37 questions, resulting from the reformulation of the questions of the first round and the incorporation of the participants' comments. It consisted of 2 questions about general organization of PBM programme, 15 questions on the diagnosis and treatment of preoperative anemia; 3 on the management of postoperative anemia, 6 on transfusional criteria and finally 11 questions on aspects pending od future investigations.Statistical treatment: tabulation of mean, median and interquartiles 25–75 of the value of each survey question (Tables 1, 2 and 3). ResultsExcept for one, all the recommendations were accepted. Except for three, all above 8, and most with an average score of 9 or higher. They are grouped into:1.- “It is important and necessary to detect and etiologically diagnose any preoperative anemia state in ALL patients who are candidates for surgical procedures with potential bleeding risk, including pregnant patients”.2.- “The preoperative treatment of anemia should be initiated sufficiently in advance and with all the necessary hematinic contributions to correct this condition”.3.- “There is NO justification for transfusing any unit of packed red blood cells preoperatively in stable patients with moderate anemia Hb 8−10g/dL who are candidates for potentially bleeding surgery that cannot be delayed.”4.- “It is recommended to universalize restrictive criteria for red blood cell transfusion in surgical and obstetric patients.”5.- “Postoperative anemia should be treated to improve postoperative results and accelerate postoperative recovery in the short and medium term”. ConclusionsThere was a large consensus, with maximum acceptance,strong level of evidence and high recommendation in most of the questions asked. Our work helps to identify initiatives and performances who can be suitables for the implementation of PBM programs at each hospital and for all patients.

The Clinical Features of Hereditary Alpha-Tryptasemia.

Hereditary alpha-tryptasemia (HAT) is a genetic predisposition of autosomal dominant inheritance that leads to a high normal (≥ 8-11.4 μg/L) or pathologically elevated (>11.4 μg/L) basal serum tryptase (BST) concentration. Its prevalence in the United Kingdom and France is reportedly 5%-6%; its prevalence in Germany is unknown. Symptomatic persons with HAT suffer from a complex constellation of symptoms. As described in this review, HAT is an important differential diagnosis in interdisciplinary practice. This review is based on publications about HAT retrieved by a selective search in PubMed, on relevant presentations at scientific meetings, and on our clinical experience. We also collected our own data on the prevalence and clinical manifestations of HAT. According to the literature, HAT is very common among patients in medical centers with BST values of 8 μg/L or above (64-74%). HAT is most commonly associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as exhaustion (85%), depressive episodes (59%), sleep disturbances (69%), and memory impairment (59%-68%), followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as irritable bowel (30%-60%), nausea (51%), and reflux (49%-77%). Typical mast cell-mediated symptoms, such as flushing (47%), itch (69%), urticaria (37%), and anaphylaxis (14%-28%), are reported as well. Less commonly reported are cardio vascular manifestations, such as hypotonia, dizziness, and tachycardia (34%), and joint hyper - mobility (28%). HAT is more common among patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM; 12%-21%). It is often associated with severe anaphylaxis induced by insect toxins or unknown triggers. The therapeutic options include treatment with antihistamines, mastcell stabilizers, or IgE antibodies. A diagnosis of hereditary alphatryptasemia can be strongly suspected on the basis of thorough history-taking and BST measurement and then confirmed by molecular genetic testing.

Short-duration aerobic high-intensity intervals versus moderate exercise training intensity in patients with peripheral artery disease: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (the Angiof-HIIT Study)

IntroductionSupervised exercise training is among the first-line therapies for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Current recommendations for exercise include guidance focusing on claudication pain, programme and session duration, and...

The Impact of the Pandemic on Postgraduate Nursing Students: Comparison of Master’s and Doctorate Studies

This study was conducted to determine the effect of the pandemic on the education and scientific research activities of nursing graduate students. The descriptive and cross-sectional research was carried out in Türkiye between February and March 2021 with 383 postgraduate students, 218 of whom are master's and 165 are doctoral students. The data were collected using an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistical methods, independent groups t-test and chi-square test were used to evaluate the data. The majority of the master’s students were nurses (83.5%), and the majority of doctorate students were academicians (79.4%). During the pandemic, 75.7% of master’s students and 80.6% of doctorate students completed their education online. While 50.3% of doctoral students made scientific publications and 44.8% participated in scientific events, only 18.8% of master’s students had publications and 21.6% participated in congresses and symposiums. Master’s students had more difficulties in communicating with the instructors, maintaining course attendance, and focusing on educational activities compared to doctorate students. Similarly, master’s students had lower satisfaction with the efficiency of the courses, achievement of learning objectives, course achievements, scientific meetings, scientific publications, and academic consulting activities. The lowest satisfaction in both groups was academic consulting and advisory processes (Master’s: 8.7%, Doctorate: 9.1%). The pandemic has affected master’s and doctorate students’ training and research activities. During the pandemic, nursing students enrolled in the master's program experienced more difficulties and were less satisfied with educational activities than doctoral students.

Defining predictors of responsiveness to advanced therapies in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis: protocol for the IBD-RESPONSE and nested CD-metaRESPONSE prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study in precision medicine

IntroductionCharacterised by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue can significantly impact patient’s quality of life. Therapeutic developments in the...

The fate of the abstract: presentation and publication characteristics of abstracts presented at the society of gynecologic surgeons annual scientific meetings 2013-2020

The fate of the abstract: presentation and publication characteristics of abstracts presented at the society of gynecologic surgeons annual scientific meetings 2013-2020

Exploring the experiences of minoritised groups at life sciences conferences in the UK: new perspectives and actions to improve inclusivity in the sector

Attending and participating in scientific research meetings and conferences is a key mechanism for researchers to share information and knowledge, build networks, and establish relationships and collaborations to support career development. In the UK, researchers from minoritised or underrepresented groups, may have a different experience at a conference than their peers. As a high profile provider of genomics-focussed life science conferences, Wellcome Connecting Science is committed to ensuring that our events are as inclusive as possible. Here we discuss our commitments to improving access and inclusion for everyone at our scientific conferences and research meetings, and we encourage others in the sector to reflect and consider how they can also support equitable experiences.

Liver transplantation in viral and autoimmune liver diseases

Despite substantial progress in the management of viral and autoimmune liver diseases, these entities remain relevant indications for liver transplantation. To provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding the management of viral and autoimmune liver diseases before and after liver transplantation. Selective literature search, including current guidelines and abstracts of key scientific meetings. Viral and autoimmune liver disease can be effectively treated in most cases, which has resulted in an overall decline in liver transplantations for this indication group. However, hepatitisD infection and primary sclerosing cholangitis remain difficult-to-treat liver diseases in some patients and may progress to end-stage liver disease despite best possible management. Viral or autoimmune hepatitis can lead to fulminant liver failure requiring emergency liver transplantation. In patients who are transplanted due to viral or autoimmune liver disease, specific measures to prevent recurrence of these diseases after transplantation are mandatory. In view of effective treatment modalities for chronic hepatitisB andC, even liver grafts from donors infected with these viruses can be considered for liver transplantation under certain circumstances.

Innovative services in home health nursing: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionAdvances in the use of technology in home health nursing (HHN) not only can facilitate the delivery of home care but can also influence the entire healthcare system. Additionally, it...

Clinical practice guideline recommendations to improve the mental health of adult trauma patients: protocol for a systematic review

IntroductionMental disorders are common in adult patients with traumatic injuries. To limit the burden of poor psychological well-being in this population, recognised authorities have issued recommendations through clinical practice guidelines...

Viroids, Satellite RNAs and Prions: Folding of Nucleic Acids and Misfolding of Proteins.

Theodor ("Ted") Otto Diener (* 28 February 1921 in Zürich, Switzerland; † 28 March 2023 in Beltsville, MD, USA) pioneered research on viroids while working at the Plant Virology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, in Beltsville. He coined the name viroid and defined viroids' important features like the infectivity of naked single-stranded RNA without protein-coding capacity. During scientific meetings in the 1970s and 1980s, viroids were often discussed at conferences together with other "subviral pathogens". This term includes what are now called satellite RNAs and prions. Satellite RNAs depend on a helper virus and have linear or, in the case of virusoids, circular RNA genomes. Prions, proteinaceous infectious particles, are the agents of scrapie, kuru and some other diseases. Many satellite RNAs, like viroids, are non-coding and exert their function by thermodynamically or kinetically controlled folding, while prions are solely host-encoded proteins that cause disease by misfolding, aggregation and transmission of their conformations into infectious prion isoforms. In this memorial, we will recall the work of Ted Diener on subviral pathogens.

Single-centre, randomised clinical trial of the immunomodulatory mechanisms of daily supplementation of palm tocotrienol-rich fraction in healthy human volunteers following influenza vaccination.

Vitamin E from palm oil, known as the tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), has been shown to have immune-enhancing activity. To date, only one dose of TRF (400 mg daily) has been tested in a clinical trial. The proposed study will evaluate the immune-enhancing activity effects of lower doses (200, 100 and 50 mg) in a clinical trial using an influenza vaccine as the immunological challenge. A single-centre, randomised, parallel, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial with balance allocation involving five arms will be conducted. The healthy volunteers recruited will be randomly assigned to one of the arms, and they will be asked to take the respective supplements (400 mg, 200 mg, 100 mg, 50 mg of TRF or placebo) daily with their dinner. The volunteers will receive the influenza vaccine after four weeks. They will be asked to return to the study site four weeks later. A blood sample will be taken for the study at baseline, four and eight weeks. Primary outcome measures will be antibody levels to influenza, blood leucocyte profile and cytokine production. Secondary outcomes will be correlating plasma vitamin E levels with immune responses, plasma proteins and gene expression patterns. The findings from this study will be published in relevant peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant national and international scientific meetings. The recent world events have created the awareness of having a healthy and functional immune system. Nutrition plays an important role in helping the immune system to function optimally. This study will show the effects of lower doses of TRF in boosting the immune response of healthy individuals and also elucidate the mechanisms through which TRF exerts its immune-enhancing effects. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) [ ACTRN12622000844741] dated 15 June 2022. 2.

A study protocol for a predictive model to assess population-based avoidable hospitalization risk: Avoidable Hospitalization Population Risk Prediction Tool (AvHPoRT)

IntroductionAvoidable hospitalizations are considered preventable given effective and timely primary care management and are an important indicator of health system performance. The ability to predict avoidable hospitalizations at the population level represents a significant advantage for health system decision-makers that could facilitate proactive intervention for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). The aim of this study is to develop and validate the Avoidable Hospitalization Population Risk Tool (AvHPoRT) that will predict the 5-year risk of first avoidable hospitalization for seven ACSCs using self-reported, routinely collected population health survey data.Methods and analysisThe derivation cohort will consist of respondents to the first 3 cycles (2000/01, 2003/04, 2005/06) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) who are 18–74 years of age at survey administration and a hold-out data set will be used for external validation. Outcome information on avoidable hospitalizations for 5 years following the CCHS interview will be assessed through data linkage to the Discharge Database (1999/2000–2017/2018) for an estimated sample size of 394,600. Candidate predictor variables will include demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, self-perceived health measures, health behaviors, chronic conditions, and area-based measures. Sex-specific algorithms will be developed using Weibull accelerated failure time survival models. The model will be validated both using split set cross-validation and external temporal validation split using cycles 2000–2006 compared to 2007–2012. We will assess measures of overall predictive performance (Nagelkerke R2), calibration (calibration plots), and discrimination (Harrell’s concordance statistic). Development of the model will be informed by the Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) statement.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board. The predictive algorithm and findings from this work will be disseminated at scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed publications.