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Planck 2015 results. I. Overview of products and scientific results
No full textThe European Space Agency's Planck satellite, dedicated to studying the early Universe and its subsequent evolution, was launched 14{\textasciitilde}May 2009and scanned the microwave and submillimetre sky continuously between12{\textasciitilde}August 2009 and 23{\textasciitilde}October 2013. In February{\textasciitilde}2015, ESA and the PlanckCollaboration released the second set of cosmology products based ondata from the entire Planck mission, including both temperature andpolarization, along with a set of scientific and technical papers and aweb-based explanatory supplement. This paper gives an overview of themain characteristics of the data and the data products in the release,as well as the associated cosmological and astrophysical science resultsand papers. The science products include maps of the cosmic microwavebackground (CMB), the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, and diffuseforegrounds in temperature and polarization, catalogues of compactGalactic and extragalactic sources (including separate catalogues ofSunyaev-Zeldovich clusters and Galactic cold clumps), and extensivesimulations of signals and noise used in assessing the performance ofthe analysis methods and assessment of uncertainties. The likelihoodcode used to assess cosmological models against the Planck data aredescribed, as well as a CMB lensing likelihood. Scientific resultsinclude cosmological parameters deriving from CMB power spectra,gravitational lensing, and cluster counts, as well as constraints oninflation, non-Gaussianity, primordial magnetic fields, dark energy, andmodified gravity
Critical Evaluation of Complete Root Coverage as a Successful Endpoint of Treatment for Gingival Recessions.
No full textTwo differing evaluation criteria for complete root coverage (CRC) were used to compare incidence of CRC after root coverage procedures. Clinical records of 363 patients (386 single recessions) treated between 1984 and 2012 were screened. CRC was assessed 1 year after surgery using two separate evaluation criteria: CRC1, in which the gingival margin was at or above the cementoenamel junction (CEJ), measured using a periodontal probe directly on patients by a single examiner; and CRC2, in which the gingival margin was above the CEJ, rendering it completely invisible based on a visual assessment of high-magnification digitalized images by two calibrated examiners. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. The k statistic was also calculated to test the agreement between the two examiners. Four treatment groups were identified: free gingival graft (FGG; n = 116), coronally advanced flap (CAF; n = 107), CAF + connective tissue graft (CTG; n = 131) and guided tissue regeneration (GTR; n = 32). The overall difference between the proportion of CRC1 and CRC2 was statistically significant (P <.0001), as were the intragroup differences for FGG (P = .0002), CAF (P = .0009), and CTG (P = .0002). Treatment of gingival recessions should only be deemed completely successful when root coverage is associated with a gingival margin and a crevice probing depth that is coronal to the CEJ. When root coverage is regarded as complete with gingival margin located at the level of CEJ, it does not represent complete treatment success
Consistency and utility of data items across European rheumatoid arthritis clinical cohorts and registers.
No full textBACKGROUND: Heterogeneity of data collection and data representation may limit comparative and collaborative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research. Defining data standards is important and should be informed by which data items are currently collected and their perceived utility in scientific analyses. OBJECTIVE: To identify overlaps, discrepancies, and perceived utility of the currently collected data in European clinical RA cohorts and registers. METHODS: A web-survey was sent to 27 European RA registers/clinical cohorts requesting information on which specific data items were collected, how and with what frequency they were collected, how often data were missing, and if the items collected were regarded as useful for research. RESULTS: 25 of 27 contacted RA cohorts/registers from 16 different European countries, totalling 189,633 patients (range 130 - 55,000) completed the survey. Items collected by the majority of data sources and used frequently for research were: composite disease activity scores, acute phase reactants, joint counts, information on RA specific treatments, physical function and patient global of disease activity. Many of the collected items showed large variability in terms of measurement and time-point of collection. Among all items collected, disease activity, RA treatment and joint counts were regarded as the most important. When not collected, smoking, imaging, and comorbidities were the top ranked variables felt to have been worth collecting. CONCLUSION: Even though certain items are regularly collected, the mode of data collection and the data definition are heterogeneous. Harmonization of data collection across European clinical RA data sources is thus pivotal for future collaborative studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Patient-centred professionalism in pharmacy: values and behaviours.
No full textPurpose - Research on patient-centred professionalism in pharmacy is scarce compared with other health professions and in particular with pharmacists early in their careers. The purpose of this paper is to explore patient-centred professionalism in early career pharmacists and to describe reported behaviours. Design/methodology/approach - This study explored patient-centred professional values and reported behaviours, taking a qualitative approach. In all, 53 early-career pharmacists, pharmacy tutors and pharmacy support staff, practising in community and hospital pharmacy in England took part; the concept of patient-centred professionalism was explored through focus group interviews and the critical incident technique was used to elicit real-life examples of professionalism in practice. Findings - Triangulation of the data revealed three constructs of pharmacy patient-centred professionalism: being professionally competent, having ethical values and being a good communicator. Research limitations/implications - It is not known whether our participants' perspectives reflect those of all pharmacists in the early stages of their careers. The data provide meaning for the concept of patient-centred professionalism. The work could be extended by developing a framework for wider application. Patient-centred professionalism in pharmacy needs further investigation from the patient perspective. Practical implications - The findings have implications for pharmacy practice and education, particularly around increased interaction with patients. Social implications - The data contribute to a topic of importance to patients and in relation to UK health policy, which allocates more directly clinical roles to pharmacists, which go beyond the dispensing and supply of medicines. Originality/value - The methods included a novel application of the critical incident technique, which generated empirical evidence on a previously under-researched topic
Supporting family caregivers to identify their own needs in end-of-life care: Qualitative findings from a stepped wedge cluster trial.
No full textINTRODUCTION: The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool encompasses the physical, psychological, social, practical, financial, and spiritual support needs that government policies in many countries emphasize should be assessed and addressed for family caregivers during end-of-life care. AIM: To describe the experience of family caregivers of terminally ill people of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention in home-based palliative care. METHODS: This study was conducted during 2012-2014 in Silver Chain Hospice Care Service in Western Australia. This article reports on one part of a three-part evaluation of a stepped wedge cluster trial. All 233 family caregivers receiving the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention provided feedback on their experiences via brief end-of-trial semi-structured telephone interviews. Data were subjected to a thematic analysis. RESULTS: The overwhelming majority reported finding the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool assessment process straightforward and easy. Four key themes were identified: (1) the practicality and usefulness of the systematic assessment; (2) emotional responses to caregiver reflection; (3) validation, reassurance, and empowerment; and (4) accessing support and how this was experienced. CONCLUSION: Family caregivers appreciated the value of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention in engaging them in conversations about their needs, priorities, and solutions. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool presented a simple, yet potentially effective intervention to help palliative care providers systematically assess and address family caregivers' needs. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool provided a formal structure to facilitate discussions with family caregivers to enable needs to be addressed. Such discussions can also inform an evidence base for the ongoing development of services for family caregivers, ensuring that new or improved services are designed to meet the explicit needs of family caregivers
Residential mobility and associated factors in relation to the assessment of exposure to naturally occurring radiation in studies of childhood cancer.
No full textMonoclonal Antibody-Targeted PEGylated Liposome-ICG encapsulating Doxorubicin as a Potential Theranostic Agent
No full textIndocyanine green (ICG) is an FDA-approved, strongly photo-absorbent/fluorescent probe that has been incorporated into a clinically-relevant PEGylated liposome as a flexible optoacoustic contrast agent platform. This study describes the engineering of targeted PEGylated liposome-ICG using the anti-MUC-1 "humanized" monoclonal antibody (MoAb) hCTM01 as a tumour-specific theranostic system. We aimed to visualise non-invasively the tumour accumulation of these MoAb-targeted liposomes over time in tumour-bearing mice using multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT). Preferential accumulation of targeted PEGylated liposome-ICG was studied after intravenous administration in comparison to non-targeted PEGylated liposome-ICG using both fast growing (4T1) and slow growing (HT-29) MUC-1 positive tumour models. Monitoring liposomal ICG in the tumour showed that both targeted and non-targeted liposome-ICG formulations preferentially accumulated into the tumour models studied. Rapid accumulation was observed for targeted liposomes at early time points mainly in the periphery of the tumour volume suggesting binding to available MUC-1 receptors. In contrast, non-targeted PEGylated liposomes showed accumulation at the centre of the tumour at later time points. In an attempt to take this a step further, we successfully encapsulated the anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX) into both targeted and non-targeted PEGylated liposome-ICG. The engineering of DOX-loaded targeted ICG liposome systems present a novel platform for combined tumour-specific therapy and diagnosis. This can open new possibilities in the design of advanced image-guided cancer therapeutics
