Immune response induced by a Streptococcus suis multi-serotype autogenous vaccine used in sows to protect post-weaned piglets

Streptococcus suis is a bacterial pathogen that causes important economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Since there are no current commercial vaccines, the use of autogenous vaccines applied to gilts/sows to enhance transfer of passive immunity is an attractive alternative to protect weaned piglets. However, there is no universal standardization in the production of autogenous vaccines and the vaccine formulation may be highly different among licenced manufacturing laboratories. In the present study, an autogenous vaccine that included S. suis serotypes 2, 1/2, 5, 7 and 14 was prepared by a licensed laboratory and administrated to gilts using a three-dose program prior to farrowing. The antibody response in gilts as well as the passive transfer of antibodies to piglets was then evaluated. In divergence with previously published data with an autogenous vaccine produced by a different company, the increased response seen in gilts was sufficient to improve maternal antibody transfer to piglets up to 5 weeks of age. However, piglets would still remain susceptible to S. suis disease which often appears during the second part of the nursery period. Vaccination did not affect the shedding of S. suis (as well as that of the specific S. suis serotypes included in the vaccine) by either gilts or piglets. Although all antibiotic treatments were absent during the trial, the clinical protective effect of the vaccination program with the autogenous vaccine could not be evaluated, since limited S. suis cases were present during the trial, confirming the need for a complete evaluation of the clinical protection that must include laboratory confirmation of the aetiological agent involved in the presence of S. suis-associated clinical signs. Further studies to evaluate the usefulness of gilt/sow vaccination with autogenous vaccines to protect nursery piglets should be done.

Treatment Tolerance and Toxicity in Elderly Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients and Implication on Outcomes

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To investigate the tolerance level and toxicity for standard of care treatment for oropharyngeal cancer (OP) in elderly patients and their impact on outcomes.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Using our in-house head and neck cancer database, we looked for non-metastatic OP cases that received definitive treatment between 1/2009-6/2020. All patients received either definitive radiation therapy (RT) +/- concomitant systemic therapy (ST), or surgery followed by adjuvant RT or RT-ST. For the elderly (age at diagnosis ≥65 years) and young (<65 years) patients, we compared treatment package time (TPT) (time from surgery to RT conclusion) for adjuvant RT, total RT duration and unplanned RT interruptions. ST details and dose/protocol modifications were also compared. We evaluated worst grade of pain and mucositis, hospitalization for non-hydration causes and febrile neutropenia (FN) during RT. Feeding tube (FT) use and weight loss were compared. The independent effect of these indicators on locoregional (LRFS), distant (DRFS) recurrence free and overall (OS) survival was assessed using multivariate analyses (MVA).

RESULTS

A cohort of 326 patients was included: 36% elderly (n = 118) and 64% young (n = 208), with no differences in AJCC stage distribution (8th), treatment received and HPV status (HPV+ve: 73% vs 74.6%; p = 0.86). In 23.6 % who received adjuvant RT, median TPT was 86 (range 72-128) and 81 (65-137) days for elderly vs young (p = 0.27); whereas in the definitive RT cases 76.4%, total RT duration was 49 days for both age groups. Overall, prescribed RT course was not completed in 4% and unplanned RT interruptions occurred in 22.8% and both were non-significant between age groups. Among the 261 patients that received ST, elderly utilized more cetuximab (26 vs 12%; p = 0.007). For those who received cisplatin, 20% of elderly had cumulative dose <200 mg/m2 compared to 6% among the younger age group (p = 0.006); and cisplatin was changed to carboplatin or cetuximab in 18% vs 8% (p = 0.019). Delayed/cancelled cycles and dose reductions were similar. There were more hospitalizations (47% vs 27%; p<0.001) and a trend for more FN (9% vs 3%; p = 0.09) with older age, while worst pain and mucositis was similar. FTs were used more in elderly patients (64% vs 50%; p = 0.02), for a median of 97 vs 64 days (p = 0.31); of which 19.5% vs 11% (p = 0.28) were inserted before RT start. However, % weight loss was non-significant. On MVA, longer RT duration, FT use and hospitalizations predicted worse LRFS and DRFS; and they were prognostic for OS in addition to TPT >90 days (p<0.05 for all). Nevertheless, elderly vs young had non-significant 3-year LRFS (91% vs 90% and 67% vs 69%), DRFS (86% vs 90% and 79% vs 81%) & OS (85% vs 81% and 39% vs 52%) for HPV+ve and HPV-ve respectively (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients with OP need more multi-disciplinary supportive care when receiving RT and concurrent ST. However, survival outcomes are equivalent to younger patients. Ongoing studies should enroll more elderly candidates and stratify endpoints with age.

Definitive and Salvage Radiotherapy Compared to Other Modalities for Laryngeal Carcinoma in Situ

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

We sought to analyze survival endpoints for laryngeal carcinoma in situ (CIS) undergoing definitive radiotherapy (RT) compared to other modalities.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Usingour prospectively maintained head and neck cancer database, we identified laryngeal CIS patients treated between 6/2001 and 12/2021. We excluded low-grade dysplasia, CIS with any synchronous invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) within 3 months of the initial CIS biopsy and cases with inadequate follow up. Patients were offered either definitive RT, CO2/KTP laser ablation, photodynamic therapy (PDT) or any sort of therapeutic excision. After first line treatment, follow-up includes visits every 3-6 months with laryngoscopy and biopsies as appropriate. For recurrent CIS beyond 6 months of first line treatment, we reported salvage therapies received and long-term outcomes were reported. Using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test we investigated recurrence free (RFS), progression to invasive SCC free (IFS) and overall (OS) survival across treatment groups. Patients managed with salvage RT were compared to first line RT recipients.

RESULTS

Atotal of 85 CIS cases were included: median age 65 years (IQR: 55-74), 73 males (85%) and 70 white (82.4%). 86% had a history of smoking with median pack year of 38 (IQR: 20-55) and 66% had a history of alcohol use. CIS was glottic in most of the cases (90.6%: 66% unilateral, 21% bilateral & 13% involved commissure); with only 9.4% in the supraglottic region. RT was used in 49.4% (n = 42) after biopsy (55%) or surgery (45%) with median dose of 63 Gy/28 fractions, mainly by 3D conformal RT (76%). The remaining 50.6% (n = 43) got therapeutic excision alone (commonly microflap excision) (46.5%), CO2/KTP laser (32.6%) or PDT (20.9%). Demographics and clinicopathological details were non-different between RT and non-RT patients except for Charlson comorbidity index: median 2 (IQR 1-3) in non-RT vs 1 (IQR 0-2) in 1ry RT; p = 0.007. After a median follow-up of 4.8 years (IQR 3.5), 51.8% had recurrent disease, 21.2% progressed to invasive SCC and 9.4% had laryngectomies mainly for invasive SCC after RT. First line RT had improved 2-(83% vs 39%) and 5-(74% vs 22%) year RFS vs non-RT therapies (p<0.001). Nevertheless, 2- and 5-year IFS (89% vs 98% and 80% vs 79%) and OS (92% vs 93% and 81% vs 77%) were non-significant among both (p>0.05 for all). Among non-RT cases with CIS recurrences, 12/35 (34%) had salvage RT. Following RT, salvage RT patients had similar 2- and 5-year RFS (81% vs 83% and 81% vs 74%) and IFS (81% vs 89% and 81% vs 80%) compared to first line RT (p>0.05 for all). All cases with CIS recurrences were salvaged successfully with 100% living with no CIS at latest follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Laryngeal CIS can be treated with a wide range of modalities including 1ry RT which has better recurrence free survival. Nevertheless, non-RT recurrent CIS can be salvaged successfully with many options including RT with equivalent long-term results.

Feasibility of Using Zero-Shot Learning in Transformer-Based Natural Language Processing Algorithm for Key Information Extraction from Head and Neck Tumor Board Notes

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Natural language processing (NLP) technology has the potential to automate information aggregation and summarization in oncology. One example is the automation of patient registry creation. In this work, we aim to show (1) the feasibility of using modern NLP algorithms to extract key information from tumor board notes, and (2) the impact of prompt engineering on the quality of the results.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this IRB-approved study, we obtained the texts of head and neck tumor board notes for 306 unique patients. Five key pieces of information used to create a patient registry were predefined: age, gender, tumor histology, tumor stage, and primary location. The NLP algorithm used was a modified Text-To-Text Transfer Transformer (T5) model that was initially trained on the Colossal Clean Crawled Corpus (C4) dataset and subsequently fine-tuned on the Stanford Question Answering Dataset (SQuAD) to perform the downstream task of extractive question answering. The NLP model and trained weights were obtained from the Hugging Face platform. During inference, the entire body of the tumor board note and a related question were fed as inputs, and the model predicted a sequence of texts in response to the question. Two sets of questions of similar semantic meanings were used. Questions in prompt set #1 included "What is the gender?", "What is the age?", "What is the type of carcinoma in pathological diagnosis?", "What is the stage?", and "Where is the carcinoma located at?". Questions in prompt set #2 include "Is the patient male or female?", "How old is the patient?", "What kind of cancer?", "What is the cancer stage?", and "What is the tumor location?". Each model-predicted response was compared to the ground truth extracted from the tumor board notes. A response was classified as true if it is consistent with the ground truth, otherwise, it was deemed false. The response accuracy for each question was subsequently calculated.

RESULTS

The median number of words in each tumor board note was 448 (range, 219 - 1505). The accuracy of the NLP algorithm for each question from either set is reported in Table 1. Algorithm performance is higher for extracting objective information such as age, gender, and histology. In addition, it was found that questions of similar semantic meanings but with different wording can lead to significantly different results.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that a transformer-based extractive question-answering NLP algorithm can be successfully used for extracting information from head and neck tumor board notes with zero-shot learning. Furthermore, our results highlight the significance of prompt engineering for applying NLP for this task. Future work on finetuning these algorithms to oncology-specific texts can potentially enhance algorithm performance for more difficult tasks.

Disease Characteristics, Treatment and Survival for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Elderly

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Incidence of oropharyngeal cancers (OP) has been increasing over the past few decades, mainly driven by human papilloma virus (HPV) associated cancers in younger men. However, a large number of OP patients in recent years are ≥65 years of age. We wanted to determine if there is a difference in outcomes in elderly patients with OP as compared to younger patients.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We queried our institutional prospectively maintained head and neck cancer database for patients with non-metastatic OP treated between 1/2009-6/2020. We excluded patients who did not receive any definitive treatment. We analyzed clinicopathological and treatment characteristics for elderly (age at diagnosis ≥65 years) compared to young (<65 years) across HPV subtypes. We also studied survival endpoints among age groups using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. Independent predictors were estimated using multivariate (MVA) Cox regression models for each HPV subtype.

RESULTS

We identified 340 patients who met our inclusion criteria: elderly 123 (36%) and young 213 (64%). The proportion of elderly HPV+ve patients showed an increasing trend over the years studied. Median age was 70 years (range 65-91) in elderly and 56 years (38-64) in young (p<0.001); and HPV+ve/-ve were 73.2/26.8% vs 74.6/25.3% for both age groups respectively (p = 0.86). Elderly patients had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and included more divorcees (p<0.05). There were more elderly current/former smokers (97% vs 82%; p = 0.007) within HPV-ve cases. Definitive radiotherapy (RT) +/- systemic therapy (CRT) was utilized in 73.2% (n = 249), while the remainder had surgery +/- adjuvant RT/CRT. There was no difference with age for OP subsite, 8th edition AJCC stage and treatment received except for more use of cetuximab (22.5% vs 10.2%; p<0.001) and weekly cisplatin (32.4% vs 25.8%; p<0.001) among elderly patients. After a median follow up of 5.24 years (IQR: 3.53), 3-year overall (OS) (HPV+ve: 85 vs 81%; HPV-ve: 39 vs 52%), locoregional free (LRFS) (HPV+ve: 86 vs 90%; HPV-ve: 67 vs 69%) and distant metastasis free (DMFS) survival (HPV+ve: 91 vs 90%; HPV-ve: 79 vs 81%) were all non-significant for elderly vs young respectively. On MVA, CCI and AJCC stage for HPV+ve; and smoking, T-stage and lymphovascular space invasion for HPV- were associated with OS. For HPV+ve, AJCC stage, adjuvant vs definitive RT and treatment in later years were predictive of better LRFS, whereas smoking index and extracapsular space invasion were deterministic for DMFS. Interestingly, outcomes among those who received cetuximab was similar to those who received concurrent cisplatin for all endpoints.

CONCLUSION

We did not note any significant difference in outcomes among elderly patients treated for OP when compared to the younger patients when multi-disciplinary head and neck cancer care is provided. This was noted even though a significantly larger proportion of elderly patients received cetuximab concurrent with RT as opposed to standard of care cisplatin.

Presence of SARS-CoV-2-like coronaviruses in bats from east coast Malaysia

Most of the public health importance coronaviruses, such as Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 are likely originated from bats and spread to humans through intermediate hosts; civet cats, dromedary camel and Malayan pangolin, respectively. SARS-CoV-2-like coronaviruses were detected in Thailand, which is neighbouring with Kelantan in East Coast Malaysia. To date, there is no report on the presence of public health concerns (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV) coronaviruses in bats from Malaysia. This study was aimed to elucidate the presence of these coronaviruses in bat samples from East Coast, Malaysia. A total of hundred seventy oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from three states of East Coast Malaysia. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted based on partial 3' Untranslated region (3'UTR) or ORF10 gene and the products were sequenced. The sequences were compared with all coronavirus sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information-GenBank (NCBI-GenBank) using NCBI-Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (NCBI-BLAST) software. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the genetic relationship among the detected coronaviruses with the reference coronaviruses from the NCBI-GenBank. Our results showed that SARSCoV-2-like viruses were present in 3% (5/170) of the bats from East Coast Malaysia that have 98-99% sequence identities and are genetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from humans. This finding indicates the presence of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses in bats from East Coast Malaysia that may become a public health concern in the future.

Childhood-Onset Lupus Nephritis in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry: Short-Term Kidney Status and Variation in Care

OBJECTIVE

The goal was to characterize short-term kidney status and describe variation in early care utilization in a multicenter cohort of patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and nephritis.

METHODS

We analyzed previously collected prospective data from North American patients with cSLE with kidney biopsy-proven nephritis enrolled in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry from March 2017 through December 2019. We determined the proportion of patients with abnormal kidney status at the most recent registry visit and applied generalized linear mixed models to identify associated factors. We also calculated frequency of medication use, both during induction and ever recorded.

RESULTS

We identified 222 patients with kidney biopsy-proven nephritis, with 64% class III/IV nephritis on initial biopsy. At the most recent registry visit at median (interquartile range) of 17 (8-29) months from initial kidney biopsy, 58 of 106 patients (55%) with available data had abnormal kidney status. This finding was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.88, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.21-12.46) and age at cSLE diagnosis (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.49). Patients with class IV nephritis were more likely than class III to receive cyclophosphamide and rituximab during induction. There was substantial variation in mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab ever use patterns across rheumatology centers.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort with predominately class III/IV nephritis, male sex and older age at cSLE diagnosis were associated with abnormal short-term kidney status. We also observed substantial variation in contemporary medication use for pediatric lupus nephritis between pediatric rheumatology centers. Additional studies are needed to better understand the impact of this variation on long-term kidney outcomes.

Diversity of Profiles and Coping Among Adolescent Girl Victims of Sexual Dating Violence

Sexual dating violence (DV) is common among female adolescents, and victims may experience other forms of DV (physical, psychological, and cyberviolence) and report a history of child sexual abuse (CSA). Heterogeneity of these victimization experiences could influence how adolescent girls' cope. We aimed to identify distinct profiles of victimization experiences among adolescent girls who reported sexual DV and to explore if these profiles were associated to their coping strategies. Of an initial sample of 1,300 female adolescents who completed online questionnaires, 835 (M_age = 16.8 years) reported at least one experience of sexual DV and were included in the analyses. Hierarchical classification with the Two Step analysis revealed four distinct profiles of victimization. A first cluster named Moderate CSA & Cyber-sexual DV (21.4%) is characterized by moderate percentage of all forms of victimization. The second cluster CSA & DV excluding cyber-sexual DV (34.4%) included victims of traditional DV, moderate rates of CSA and no experience of cyber-sexual DV. A third cluster CSA & DV Co-occurrence (20.6%) regrouped victims who have experienced different forms of DV in co-occurrence and CSA. Finally, the fourth cluster, named No CSA & DV Co-occurrence (23.6%) involved victims who have experienced different forms of DV in co-occurrence, but did not report a history of CSA. Analyses revealed significant differences between the profiles on the use of avoidance coping, in their perceived social support, and on help-seeking strategies deployed toward a partner and a health professional. These findings offer cues for prevention and intervention efforts for victimized female adolescents.

Specificities of Meningitis and Meningo-Encephalitis After Kidney Transplantation: A French Retrospective Cohort Study

Kidney transplant recipients develop atypical infections in their epidemiology, presentation and outcome. Among these, meningitis and meningoencephalitis require urgent and adapted anti-infectious therapy, but published data is scarce in KTRs. The aim of this study was to describe their epidemiology, presentation and outcome, in order to improve their diagnostic and management. We performed a retrospective, multicentric cohort study in 15 French hospitals that included all 199 cases of M/ME in KTRs between 2007 and 2018 (0.9 case per 1,000 KTRs annually). Epidemiology was different from that in the general population: 20% were due to Cryptococcus neoformans, 13.5% to varicella-zoster virus, 5.5% to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 4.5% to Enterobacteria (half of which produced extended spectrum beta-lactamases), and 5% were Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders. Microorganisms causing M/ME in the general population were infrequent (2%, for Streptococcus pneumoniae) or absent (Neisseria meningitidis). M/ME caused by Enterobacteria, Staphylococci or filamentous fungi were associated with high and early mortality (50%-70% at 1 year). Graft survival was not associated with the etiology of M/ME, nor was impacted by immunosuppression reduction. Based on these results, we suggest international studies to adapt guidelines in order to improve the diagnosis and the probabilistic treatment of M/ME in SOTRs.

Intraarticular steroids as DMARD-sparing agents for juvenile idiopathic arthritis flares: Analysis of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry

BACKGROUND

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who achieve a drug free remission often experience a flare of their disease requiring either intraarticular steroids (IAS) or systemic treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). IAS offer an opportunity to recapture disease control and avoid exposure to side effects from systemic immunosuppression. We examined a cohort of patients treated with IAS after drug free remission and report the probability of restarting systemic treatment within 12 months.

METHODS

We analyzed a cohort of patients from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry who received IAS for a flare after a period of drug free remission. Historical factors and clinical characteristics and of the patients including data obtained at the time of treatment were analyzed.

RESULTS

We identified 46 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Of those with follow up data available 49% had restarted systemic treatment 6 months after IAS injection and 70% had restarted systemic treatment at 12 months. The proportion of patients with prior use of a biologic DMARD was the only factor that differed between patients who restarted systemic treatment those who did not, both at 6 months (79% vs 35%, p < 0.01) and 12 months (81% vs 33%, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

While IAS are an option for all patients who flare after drug free remission, it may not prevent the need to restart systemic treatment. Prior use of a biologic DMARD may predict lack of success for IAS. Those who previously received methotrexate only, on the other hand, are excellent candidates for IAS.

Social determinants of health influence disease activity and functional disability in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

BACKGROUND

Social determinants of health (SDH) greatly influence outcomes during the first year of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis, a disease similar to polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA). We investigated the correlation of community poverty level and other SDH with the persistence of moderate to severe disease activity and functional disability over the first year of treatment in pJIA patients enrolled in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry.

METHODS

In this cohort study, unadjusted and adjusted generalized linear mixed effects models analyzed the effect of community poverty and other SDH on disease activity, using the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score-10, and disability, using the Child Health Assessment Questionnaire, measured at baseline, 6, and 12 months.

RESULTS

One thousand six hundred eighty-four patients were identified. High community poverty (≥20% living below the federal poverty level) was associated with increased odds of functional disability (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.28-2.60) but was not statistically significant after adjustment (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 0.81-1.86) and was not associated with increased disease activity. Non-white race/ethnicity was associated with higher disease activity (aOR 2.48, 95% CI: 1.41-4.36). Lower self-reported household income was associated with higher disease activity and persistent functional disability. Public insurance (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.06-2.29) and low family education (aOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.14-3.12) was associated with persistent functional disability.

CONCLUSION

High community poverty level was associated with persistent functional disability in unadjusted analysis but not with persistent moderate to high disease activity. Race/ethnicity and other SDH were associated with persistent disease activity and functional disability.

How to reduce fetal scalp blood sampling? A retrospective study evaluating the diagnostic value of scalp stimulation to predict fetal wellbeing assessed by scalp blood sampling

BACKGROUND

The Fetal Blood Sample (FBS) is used as an indicator of fetal acidosis during labor. Its place is discussed through the lack of randomized trials, as well as the limitations related to the technical procedure. An alternative could be the Fetal Scalp Stimulation (FSS).

AIM

Our objective was to describe the FSS diagnostic value to predict fetal wellbeing defined from FBS.

METHODS

The FSS consisted in a digital scalp stimulation for 15 s. Test was negative when an acceleration and/or a normal variability were elicited in the 2 min following. FSS was performed before each FBS which was classified as normal when pH was > 7.25. The diagnostic value was assessed by sensibility, specificity, positive and negative predictive values.

FINDINGS

148 women were included in our center from February to December 2019. Of the 191 FBS procedures, when accelerations were elicited sensibility was 58,3 (36.8-77.1), specificity was 67,5 (59.3-75), positive predictive value was 20,9 (12.5-32.9) and negative predictive value was 91.7 % (95 %CI, 85-95.5).

DISCUSSION

FBS is considered as the gold standard in our study which could be discussed as it is abandoned in some countries because of its questioned reliability and the lack of controlled randomized trials.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that FSS could be an interesting alternative adjunctive test to perform in the first instance as it seems to be reliable, non-invasive and easy to perform in order to limit FBS only to absence of acceleration after FSS.

Early intensification of backyard poultry systems in the tropics: a case study

Poultry production is an important way of enhancing the livelihoods of rural populations, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). As poultry production in LMICs remains dominated by backyard systems with low inputs and low outputs, considerable yield gaps exist. Intensification can increase poultry productivity, production and income. This process is relatively recent in LMICs compared to high-income countries. The management practices and the constraints faced by smallholders trying to scale-up their production, in the early stages of intensification, are poorly understood and described. We thus investigated the features of the small-scale commercial chicken sector in a rural area distant from major production centres. We surveyed 111 commercial chicken farms in Kenya in 2016. We targeted farms that sell the majority of their production, owning at least 50 chickens, partly or wholly confined and provided with feeds. We developed a typology of semi-intensive farms. Farms were found mainly to raise dual-purpose chickens of local and improved breeds, in association with crops and were not specialized in any single product or market. We identified four types of semi-intensive farms that were characterized based on two groups of variables related to intensification and accessibility: (i) remote, small-scale old farms, with small flocks, growing a lot of their own feed; (ii) medium-scale, old farms with a larger flock and well located in relation to markets and (iii) large-scale recently established farms, with large flocks, (iii-a) well located and buying chicks from third-party providers and (iii-b) remotely located and hatching their own chicks. The semi-intensive farms we surveyed were highly heterogeneous in terms of size, age, accessibility, management, opportunities and challenges. Farm location affects market access and influences the opportunities available to farmers, resulting in further diversity in farm profiles. The future of these semi-intensive farms could be compromised by several factors, including the competition with large-scale intensive farmers and with importations. Our study suggests that intensification trajectories in rural areas of LMICs are potentially complex, diverse and non-linear. A better understanding of intensification trajectories should, however, be based on longitudinal data. This could, in turn, help designing interventions to support small-scale farmers.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a Belgian cohort of patients with cystic fibrosis

Background

In Belgium, COVID-19 epidemy began on February 4, 2020 with a peak on April 10, 2020. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) followed in the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc were rapidly isolated before the government lockdown.

Methods

After the peak of the epidemy, we measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in 149 patients and collected clinical data.

Results

Only 3 asymptomatic patients presented IgG against the virus. In one patient hospitalized for COVID-19 (positive molecular testing), we did not detect any anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, as in thirty-five other symptomatic patients considered as possible cases.

Conclusions

Even if respiratory symptoms linked to CF are frequent and compatible with COVID-19, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected only in 3 asymptomatic patients. This reassuring study concerning the risk of COVID-19 in patients with CF illustrates the difficulty to distinguish COVID-19 symptoms from respiratory exacerbations and the need of generalized molecular testing to make a precise diagnosis.

The addition of Valproic acid to concurrent radiation therapy and temozolomide improves patient outcome: a Correlative analysis of RTOG 0525, SEER and a Phase II NCI trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

Valproic Acid (VPA) is an antiepileptic agent with HDACi (histone deacetylase inhibitor) activity shown to radiosensitize glioblastoma (GBM) cells. We evaluated the addition of VPA to standard radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) in an open-label, phase II study (NCI-06-C-0112). The intent of the current study was to compare our patient outcomes with modern era standard of care data (RTOG 0525) and general population data (SEER 2006-2013).

MATERIALS/METHODS

37 patients with newly diagnosed GBM were treated in a phase II NCI trial with daily VPA (25 mg/kg) in addition to concurrent RT and TMZ (2006 - 2013) and 411 patients with newly diagnosed GBM were treated in the standard TMZ dose arm of RTOG 0525 (2006 - 2008). Using the SEER database, adult patients (age > 15) with diagnostic codes 9440-9443 (third edition (IDC-O-3) diagnosed between 2006 - 2013 were identified and 6083 were included in the analysis. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate OS and PFS. The effect of patient characteristics and clinical factors on OS and PFS was analyzed using univariate analysis and a Cox regression model. A landmark analysis was performed to correlate recurrence to OS and conditional probabilities of surviving an additional 12 months at diagnosis, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 months were calculated for both the trial data and the SEER data.

RESULTS

Updated median OS in the NCI cohort was 30.9m (22.2- 65.6m), compared to RTOG 0525 18.9m (16.8-20.3m) (p= 0.007) and the SEER cohort of 11m. Median PFS in the NCI cohort was 11.1m (6.6 - 49.6m) compared to RTOG 0525 with a median PFS of 7.5m (6.9-8.2m) (p = 0.004). Younger age, class V RPA and MGMT status were significant for PFS in both the NCI cohort and the RTOG 0525 cohort, in addition KPS was also significant for OS. In comparison to RTOG 0525, the population in the NCI cohort had a more favorable KPS and RPA, and a higher proportion of patients receiving bevacizumab after protocol therapy however with the exception of RPA (V) (8% vs 18%) (0.026), the effects of these factors on PFS and OS were not significantly different between the two cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Previously reported improvements in PFS and OS with the addition of VPA to concurrent RT and TMZ in the NCI phase II study were confirmed by comparison to both a trial population receiving standard of care (RTOG 0525) and a contemporary SEER cohort. These results provide further justification of a phase III trial of VPA/RT/TMZ.

The High-Energy Intra-Nuclear Cascade Liège-based Residual (HEIR) nuclear data library

It is standard practice for nuclear data files to include tabulated data for distinct reaction channels for incident energies up to 20-30 MeV. Above these energies, the assumptions implicit in the definition of individual channels break down and event generators are typically used within codes that simulate nuclear observables in applications. These offer robust simulation of the physics but increase the computational burden. So-called ‘high-energy’ nuclear data files have been produced, but the well-known libraries are more than a decade old and rely upon models developed many years before their release. This presentation describes a modern library with a high level of production automation that offers regular updates as the models it is based upon are improved.

The most recent versions of the intra-nuclear cascade and de-excitation models available within Geant4 were used to generate tabulated data of residual nuclide production. For the first released library, the INCL++5.3 and ABLA version within Geant4 v10.3 were used to calculate over 1012 incident protons over 2095 target isotopes with incident energies up to 1 GeV. These were collated into tabulated data in the international-standard ENDF-6 format. The resulting files were provided as group-wise files and were distributed as HEIR-0.1 with the FISPACT-II version 4.0 release.

A second library, HEIR-0.2, has been generated using the new INCL++6.0 and C++ translation of the ABLA07 model available within Geant4 v10.4. Simulations were performed using incident protons, neutrons, deuterons and π±. An improved agreement is observed in the comparison to experimental data not only between the two versions, but against the other well-known high-energy nuclear data files and models available within Geant4. This benchmark includes mass and isotopic distributions, as well as incident-energy dependent cumulative and independent cross sections from the EXFOR database.

Late diagnosis, delayed presentation and late presentation among persons enrolled in a clinical HIV cohort in Ontario, Canada (1999-2013)

OBJECTIVES

Timely HIV diagnosis and presentation to medical care are important for treatment and prevention. Our objective was to measure late diagnosis, delayed presentation and late presentation among individuals in the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study (OCS) who were newly diagnosed in Ontario.

METHODS

The OCS is a multi-site clinical cohort study of people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. We measured prevalence of late diagnosis [CD4 count < 350 cells/μL or an AIDS-defining condition (ADC) within 3 months of HIV diagnosis], delayed presentation (≥ 3 months from HIV diagnosis to presentation to care), and late presentation (CD4 count < 350 cells/μL or ADC within 3 months of presentation). We identified characteristics associated with these outcomes and explored their overlap.

RESULTS

A total of 1819 OCS participants were newly diagnosed in Ontario from 1999 to 2013. Late diagnosis (53.0%) and presentation (54.0%) were common, and a quarter (23.1%) of participants were delayed presenters. In multivariable models, the participants of delayed presentation decreased over calendar time, but that of late diagnosis/presentation did not. Late diagnosis contributed to the majority (> 87%) of late presentation, and the prevalence of delayed presentation was similar among those diagnosed late versus early (13.4 versus 13.4%, respectively; P = 0.99). Characteristics associated with higher odds of late diagnosis/presentation in multivariable analyses included older age at diagnosis/presentation; African, Caribbean and Black race/ethnicity; Indigenous race/ethnicity; female sex; and being a male who did not report sex with men. There were lower odds of late diagnosis/presentation among participants who had ever injected drugs. In contrast, delayed presentation risk factors included younger age at diagnosis and having ever injected drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

Late presentation is common in Ontario, as it is in other high-income countries. Our findings suggest that efforts to reduce late presentation should focus on facilitating earlier diagnosis for the populations identified in this analysis.

GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT OF ACCIDENTAL HYPOTHERMIA IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN NORTHERN NORWAY

Accidental hypothermia is defined as a trauma. Collaboration on the treatment of victims of accidental hypothermia shouldfollow a communication protocol for the seriously injured. Aim is to establish earliest possible contact with the doctor on duty at the regional University hospital to enable participation in the further communication and decision making process with relevance to technical and logistical issues. Victims of accidental hypothermia with adequate circulation and core temperature < 35⁰C can be treated with active remote heating (hot air blanket) at all hospitals providing emergency surgical care; active external warming should be started during transport to the nearest hospital. Hypothermic patients showing no signs of life, patients with inadequate circulation or hypothermia-induced circulatory arrest with core temperature < 32⁰C and serum K⁺ < 12 mmol-l⁻' should be transported directly to University hospital. Advanced life support in all these cases should be started immediately and continued without interruption during transportation until the patient is connected to a heart-lung machine for rewarming. If core temperature is < 28⁰C and/or the patient has inadequate circulation contact should be taken with the regional University hospital to discuss extracorporeal rewarming.

Advances in molecular and genomic research to safeguard food and feed supply from aflatoxin contamination

Worldwide recognition that aflatoxin contamination of agricultural commodities by the fungus Aspergillus flavus is a global problem has significantly benefitted from global collaboration for understanding the contaminating fungus, as well as for developing and implementing solutions against the contamination. The effort to address this serious food and feed safety issue has led to a detailed understanding of the taxonomy, ecology, physiology, genomics and evolution of A. flavus, as well as strategies to reduce or control pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination, including (1) biological control, using atoxigenic aspergilli, (2) proteomic and genomic analyses for identifying resistance factors in maize as potential breeding markers to enable development of resistant maize lines, and (3) enhancing host-resistance by bioengineering of susceptible crops, such as cotton, maize, peanut and tree nuts. A post-harvest measure to prevent the occurrence of aflatoxin contamination in storage is also an important component for reducing exposure of populations worldwide to aflatoxins in food and feed supplies. The effect of environmental changes on aflatoxin contamination levels has recently become an important aspect for study to anticipate future contamination levels. The ability of A. flavus to produce dozens of secondary metabolites, in addition to aflatoxins, has created a new avenue of research for understanding the role these metabolites play in the survival and biodiversity of this fungus. The understanding of A. flavus, the aflatoxin contamination problem, and control measures to prevent the contamination has become a unique example for an integrated approach to safeguard global food and feed safety.

Abstract OT2-06-01: Phase I/II study of T-DM1 alone versus T-DM1 and metronomic temozolomide in secondary prevention of HER2-Positive breast cancer brain metastases following stereotactic radiosurgery

Background: Brain metastases occur in up to 25-40% of HER2+ breast cancer patients. Standard treatment is limited to surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and/or whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), with high levels of recurrence or progression, limiting survival and quality of life in most patients. Our group has demonstrated that low doses of temozolomide (TMZ) administered in a prophylactic, metronomic fashion can significantly prevent development of brain metastases in murine models of breast cancer. Based on these findings, we propose a secondary-prevention clinical trial.

Trial Design: Phase I/II open label study. Phase I will follow a standard 3+3 design: T-DM1 3.6 mg/kg IV every 21 days plus TMZ 30, 40 or 50 mg/m2 daily. Phase II: randomization T-DM1 3.6 mg/kg versus T-DM1 3.6mg/kg plus TMZ at recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Patients will undergo radiology guided lumbar puncture at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment (C3D1) for correlative studies, brain MRI, systemic restaging CTs, and questionnaires for evaluation of symptoms and quality of life (MDASI-BT and PROMIS®) every 6 weeks.

Eligibility: HER2+ breast cancer with ≤3 brain metastases, treated with SRS and/or resection ≤6 weeks before enrollment, no leptomeningeal metastases, no previous WBRT, able to complete brain MRI with contrast evaluations, willing to undergo lumbar puncture, ECOG ≤2 and adequate organ and marrow function. HBV, HCV or HIV-positive patients are ineligible.

Specific Aims: Phase I: to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of TMZ combined with T-DM1. Phase II: to determine if the combination regimen of T-DM1 and TMZ improves the recurrence-free incidence from distant new brain metastases at one year as compared to T-DM1 alone. Biomarkers, including cell free DNA sequencing from CSF, serum and tumor block, serum markers for neuroinflammation, and patient reported outcomes, will be analyzed in an exploratory fashion.

Statistical Methods: Phase I, MTD will be identified based on the dose level at which 0 or 1 patient in 6 has a DLT. Phase II, to test whether TMZ will increase RFS from 50% to 65% at 12 months. RFS Kaplan-Meier curves will be created for each of the randomized arms and compared using a one-tailed log-rank test, with a one-sided 0.10 significance level of interest to be detected. Patients will be stratified for number of brain lesions and status of systemic metastases (controlled or not).

Target Accrual: 49 evaluable patients per arm (total 98), plus 9 to 18 patients during phase I. Trial will open in Summer 2017, at NIH in Bethesda, MD.

Contact Information: Principal Investigator: Alexandra S Zimmer, MD alexandra.zimmer@nih.gov

Citation Format: Zimmer AS, Gril B, Steinberg S, Smart D, Gilbert M, Armstrong T, Xiao L, Houston N, Biassou N, Brastianos P, Carter S, Lyden DC, Lipkowitz S, Steeg P. Phase I/II study of T-DM1 alone versus T-DM1 and metronomic temozolomide in secondary prevention of HER2-Positive breast cancer brain metastases following stereotactic radiosurgery [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-06-01.

Role of primary T-cell immunodeficiency and hepatitis B coinfection on spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C: The BC Hepatitis Testers Cohort

T-cell host immune response against hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been suggested to play an important role in determining HCV infection outcome. However, data from human studies are not available. This study examined the effect of primary T-cell deficiency along with other factors on the spontaneous clearance of HCV in a large population-based cohort in British Columbia, Canada. The BC Hepatitis Testers Cohort includes all individuals tested for HCV in BC in 1990-2013 linked with data on their medical visits, hospitalizations and prescription drugs. HCV-positive individuals with at least one valid HCV PCR test on/after HCV diagnosis (n=46 783) were included in this study. To examine factors associated with the spontaneous clearance of HCV, multivariable logistic regression was fitted on the full sample, and Cox proportional hazards model on the HCV seroconverters. Spontaneous clearance was observed in 25.1% (n=11 737) of those tested for HCV. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of spontaneous clearance of HCV was lower in people with primary T-cell immunodeficiency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32-0.94), and higher in females (aOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.54-1.68) and in those coinfected with HBV (aOR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.93-2.77). Similar results were observed in HCV seroconverters except HBV coinfection was not significant. In conclusion, primary T-cell immunodeficiency is associated with a lower spontaneous clearance of HCV while female sex and coinfection with HBV are associated with a higher spontaneous clearance.

Preparedness for use of the rapid result HIV self-test by gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM): a mixed methods exploratory study among MSM and those involved in HIV prevention and care

Objectives

The aim of the study was to explore preparedness for the HIV self‐test among men who have sex with men (MSM) and those involved in HIV prevention and care.

Methods

A mixed methods exploratory research design was employed, detailing awareness and willingness to use the self‐test and the perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation. Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis were completed in parallel. Descriptive and inferential analysis of cross‐sectional bar‐based survey data collected from MSM through a self‐completed questionnaire and oral fluid specimen collection (n = 999) was combined with qualitative, thematic, analysis of data collected through 12 expert focus groups (n = 55) consisting of gay men, National Health Service (NHS) staff, community organizations, entrepreneurs and activists. Findings were subsequently combined and assessed for synergies.

Results

Among MSM, self‐test awareness was moderate (55%). Greater awareness was associated with increased educational attainment [adjusted odds ratio 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–2.30; P = 0.05] and previous history of sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing (adjusted odds ratio 1.63; 95% CI 1.11–2.39; P = 0.01). Willingness to use the test was high (89%) and associated with meeting sexual partners online (unadjusted odds ratio 1.96; 95% CI 1.31–2.94; P < 0.001). Experts highlighted the overall acceptability of self‐testing; it was understood as convenient, discreet, accessible, and with a low burden to services. However, some ambivalence towards self‐testing was reported; it could reduce opportunities to engage with wider services, wider health issues and the determinants of risk.

Conclusions

Self‐testing represents an opportunity to reduce barriers to HIV testing and enhance prevention and access to care. Levels of awareness are moderate but willingness to use is high. Self‐testing may amplify health inequalities.

Photoinduced charge and energy transfer in molecular wires

Exploring charge and energy transport in donor-bridge-acceptor systems is an important research field which is essential for the fundamental knowledge necessary to develop future applications. These studies help creating valuable knowledge to respond to today's challenges to develop functionalized molecular systems for artificial photosynthesis, photovoltaics or molecular scale electronics. This tutorial review focuses on photo-induced charge/energy transfer in covalently linked donor-bridge-acceptor (D-B-A) systems. Of utmost importance in such systems is to understand how to control signal transmission, i.e. how fast electrons or excitation energy could be transferred between the donor and acceptor and the role played by the bridge (the "molecular wire"). After a brief description of the electron and energy transfer theory, we aim to give a simple yet accurate picture of the complex role played by the bridge to sustain donor-acceptor electronic communication. Special emphasis is put on understanding bridge energetics and conformational dynamics effects on the distance dependence of the donor-acceptor electronic coupling and transfer rates. Several examples of donor-bridge-acceptor systems from the literature are described as a support to the discussion. Finally, porphyrin-based molecular wires are introduced, and the relationship between their electronic structure and photophysical properties is outlined. In strongly conjugated porphyrin systems, limitations of the existing electron transfer theory to interpret the distance dependence of the transfer rates are also discussed.

Bystander first aid in trauma - prevalence and quality: a prospective observational study

Background

Bystander first aid and basic life support can likely improve victim survival in trauma. In contrast to bystander first aid and out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest, little is known about the role of bystanders in trauma response. Our aim was to determine how frequently first aid is given to trauma victims by bystanders, the quality of this aid, the professional background of first‐aid providers, and whether previous first‐aid training affects aid quality.

Methods

We conducted a prospective 18‐month study in two mixed urban–rural Norwegian counties. The personnel on the first ambulance responding to trauma calls assessed and documented first aid performed by bystanders using a standard form.

Results

A total of 330 trauma calls were included, with bystanders present in 97% of cases. Securing an open airway was correctly performed for 76% of the 43 patients in need of this first‐aid measure. Bleeding control was provided correctly for 81% of 63 patients for whom this measure was indicated, and prevention of hypothermia for 62% of 204 patients. Among the first‐aid providers studied, 35% had some training in first aid. Bystanders with documented first‐aid training gave better first aid than those where first‐aid training status was unknown.

Conclusions

A majority of the trauma patients studied received correct pre‐hospital first aid, but still there is need for considerable improvement, particularly hypothermia prevention. Previous first‐aid training seems to improve the quality of first aid provided. The effect on patient survival needs to be investigated.