Pauper Capital Green, David R.
2010, 20160513, 2010-04-01, 2016-05-13, 2016-05-20, 20100101
eBook
Few measures, if any, could claim to have had a greater impact on British society than the poor law. As a comprehensive system of relieving those in need, the poor law provided relief for a ...significant proportion of the population but influenced the behaviour of a much larger group that lived at or near the margins of poverty. It touched the lives of countless numbers of individuals not only as paupers but also as ratepayers, guardians, officials and magistrates.
This system underwent significant change in the nineteenth century with the shift from the old to the new poor law. The extent to which changes in policy anticipated new legislation is a key question and is here examined in the context of London. Rapid population growth and turnover, the lack of personal knowledge between rich and poor, and the close proximity of numerous autonomous poor law authorities created a distinctly metropolitan context for the provision of relief.
This work provides the first detailed study of the poor law in London during the period leading up to and after the implementation of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. Drawing on a wide range of primary and secondary sources the book focuses explicitly on the ways in which those involved with the poor law - both as providers and recipients - negotiated the provision of relief. In the context of significant urban change in the late eighteenth and nineteenth century, it analyses the poor law as a system of institutions and explores the material and political processes that shaped relief policies.
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major cause of hospital admissions, but recent data on the incidence and clinical characteristics of ADRs which occur following hospital admission, are lacking. ...Patients admitted to twelve wards over a six-month period in 2005 were assessed for ADRs throughout their admission. Suspected ADRs were recorded and analysed for causality, severity and avoidability and whether they increased the length of stay. Multivariable analysis was undertaken to identify the risk factors for ADRs. The 5% significance level was used when assessing factors for inclusion in multivariable models. Out of the 3695 patient episodes assessed for ADRs, 545 (14.7%, 95% CI 13.6-15.9%) experienced one or more ADRs. Half of ADRs were definitely or possibly avoidable. The patients experiencing ADRs were more likely to be older, female, taking a larger number of medicines, and had a longer length of stay than those without ADRs. However, the only significant predictor of ADRs, from the multivariable analysis of a representative sample of patients, was the number of medicines taken by the patient with each additional medication multiplying the hazard of an ADR episode by 1.14 (95% CI 1.09, 1.20). ADRs directly increased length of stay in 147 (26.8%) patients. The drugs most frequently associated with ADRs were diuretics, opioid analgesics, and anticoagulants. In conclusion, approximately one in seven hospital in-patients experience an ADR, which is a significant cause of morbidity, increasing the length of stay of patients by an average of 0.25 days/patient admission episode. The overall burden of ADRs on hospitals is high, and effective intervention strategies are urgently needed to reduce this burden.
Genome-editing technologies such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENS), and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat ...(CRISPR)-associated protein system have revolutionized biological research. Each biotechnology consists of a DNA-binding protein that can be programmed to recognize and initiate double-strand breaks (DSBs) for site-specific gene modification. These technologies have the potential to be harnessed to cure diseases caused by aberrant gene expression. To be successful therapeutically, their functionality depends on their safe and efficient delivery into the cell nucleus. This review discusses the challenges in the delivery of genome-editing tools, and highlights recent innovations in non-viral delivery that have potential to overcome these limitations and advance the translation of genome editing towards patient care.
ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas are programmable nucleases that can be designed to target virtually any gene in a highly site-specific manner.
Once bound to a target sequence, nucleases can initiate DSBs that enable gene knockout via non-homologous end-joining or gene knock-in via homology-directed repair or homology-independent targeted integration.
Successful intracellular delivery is crucial to functional genome editing.
Gene-editing complexes can be delivered to cells as plasmid DNA, mRNA, or proteins.
Non-viral nanoparticulate delivery using lipid-like and polymeric materials can overcome systemic delivery hurdles and bring gene editing closer to the clinic.
Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer in the UK (5-year survival < 13%). Early diagnosis can save lives. The USA-based National Lung Cancer Screening Trial reported a 20% relative ...reduction in lung cancer mortality and 6.7% all-cause mortality in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT)-screened subjects.
To (1) analyse LDCT lung cancer screening in a high-risk UK population, determine optimum recruitment, screening, reading and care pathway strategies; and (2) assess the psychological consequences and the health-economic implications of screening.
A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing intervention with usual care. A population-based risk questionnaire identified individuals who were at high risk of developing lung cancer (≥ 5% over 5 years).
Thoracic centres with expertise in lung cancer imaging, respiratory medicine, pathology and surgery: Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Merseyside, and Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire.
Individuals aged 50-75 years, at high risk of lung cancer, in the primary care trusts adjacent to the centres.
A thoracic LDCT scan. Follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans as per protocol. Referral to multidisciplinary team clinics was determined by nodule size criteria.
Population-based recruitment based on risk stratification; management of the trial through web-based database; optimal characteristics of CT scan readers (radiologists vs. radiographers); characterisation of CT-detected nodules utilising volumetric analysis; prevalence of lung cancer at baseline; sociodemographic factors affecting participation; psychosocial measures (cancer distress, anxiety, depression, decision satisfaction); and cost-effectiveness modelling.
A total of 247,354 individuals were approached to take part in the trial; 30.7% responded positively to the screening invitation. Recruitment of participants resulted in 2028 in the CT arm and 2027 in the control arm. A total of 1994 participants underwent CT scanning: 42 participants (2.1%) were diagnosed with lung cancer; 36 out of 42 (85.7%) of the screen-detected cancers were identified as stage 1 or 2, and 35 (83.3%) underwent surgical resection as their primary treatment. Lung cancer was more common in the lowest socioeconomic group. Short-term adverse psychosocial consequences were observed in participants who were randomised to the intervention arm and in those who had a major lung abnormality detected, but these differences were modest and temporary. Rollout of screening as a service or design of a full trial would need to address issues of outreach. The health-economic analysis suggests that the intervention could be cost-effective but this needs to be confirmed using data on actual lung cancer mortality.
The UK Lung Cancer Screening (UKLS) pilot was successfully undertaken with 4055 randomised individuals. The data from the UKLS provide evidence that adds to existing data to suggest that lung cancer screening in the UK could potentially be implemented in the 60-75 years age group, selected via the Liverpool Lung Project risk model version 2 and using CT volumetry-based management protocols.
The UKLS data will be pooled with the NELSON (Nederlands Leuvens Longkanker Screenings Onderzoek: Dutch-Belgian Randomised Lung Cancer Screening Trial) and other European Union trials in 2017 which will provide European mortality and cost-effectiveness data. For now, there is a clear need for mortality results from other trials and further research to identify optimal methods of implementation and delivery. Strategies for increasing uptake and providing support for underserved groups will be key to implementation.
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN78513845.
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 20, No. 40. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Summary Background Results from phase II studies in patients with stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer with ipsilateral mediastinal nodal metastases (N2) have shown the feasibility of resection ...after concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy with promising rates of survival. We therefore did this phase III trial to compare concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by resection with standard concurrent chemotherapy and definitive radiotherapy without resection. Methods Patients with stage T1-3pN2M0 non-small-cell lung cancer were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to concurrent induction chemotherapy (two cycles of cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 29, and 36 and etoposide 50 mg/m2 on days 1–5 and 29–33) plus radiotherapy (45 Gy) in multiple academic and community hospitals. If no progression, patients in group 1 underwent resection and those in group 2 continued radiotherapy uninterrupted up to 61 Gy. Two additional cycles of cisplatin and etoposide were given in both groups. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00002550. Findings 202 patients (median age 59 years, range 31–77) were assigned to group 1 and 194 (61 years, 32–78) to group 2. Median OS was 23·6 months (IQR 9·0–not reached) in group 1 versus 22·2 months (9·4–52·7) in group 2 (hazard ratio HR 0·87 0·70–1·10; p=0·24). Number of patients alive at 5 years was 37 (point estimate 27%) in group 1 and 24 (point estimate 20%) in group 2 (odds ratio 0·63 0·36–1·10; p=0·10). With N0 status at thoracotomy, the median OS was 34·4 months (IQR 15·7–not reached; 19 point estimate 41% patients alive at 5 years). Progression-free survival (PFS) was better in group 1 than in group 2, median 12·8 months (5·3–42·2) vs 10·5 months (4·8–20·6), HR 0·77 0·62–0·96; p=0·017); the number of patients without disease progression at 5 years was 32 (point estimate 22%) versus 13 (point estimate 11%), respectively. Neutropenia and oesophagitis were the main grade 3 or 4 toxicities associated with chemotherapy plus radiotherapy in group 1 (77 38% and 20 10%, respectively) and group 2 (80 41% and 44 23%, respectively). In group 1, 16 (8%) deaths were treatment related versus four (2%) in group 2. In an exploratory analysis, OS was improved for patients who underwent lobectomy, but not pneumonectomy, versus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. Interpretation Chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with or without resection (preferably lobectomy) are options for patients with stage IIIA(N2) non-small-cell lung cancer. Funding National Cancer Institute, Canadian Cancer Society, and National Cancer Institute of Canada.
Orbital imaging spectrometers, such as the proposed Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) mission, will provide global, multi-year Visible Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) reflectance maps. Monitoring ...the Earth's surface at high spectral resolution will advance our understanding of changing ecosystems and land use. These applications depend on reliable correction of atmospheric scattering and absorption. The HyspIRI Preparatory Campaign is an airborne precursor mission comprised of multiple flights by the “classic” Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS-C) over a wide geographic area. This article describes the atmospheric correction that we have implemented for the campaign. We first present the theoretical basis of our approach, which is grounded in the ATmospheric REMoval (ATREM) algorithm. We then describe new enhancements including retrieval of pressure altitude, which improves accuracy over widely varying topography, and joint retrieval of optical absorption for three phases of water (vapor, liquid, and ice), which improves accuracy over vegetated areas. Reflectance is validated using ground spectra acquired across a wide range of targets and elevations. Finally, we use the algorithm to map vapor, liquid, and ice phases of water over 6months across a 14,000km2 region of California.
•We enhance ATREM reflectance retrievals for global VSWIR imaging spectroscopy.•Our approach estimates pressure altitude and water vapor, liquid and ice absorption.•The method is evaluated on data spanning a year of the HyspIRI Preparatory Campaign.•We compare reflectances to ground truth spectra from diverse targets and elevations.•Simultaneous retrieval of three water phases improves biases in water vapor products.
CheckMate 568 is an open-label phase II trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab as first-line treatment of advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer ...(NSCLC). We assessed the association of efficacy with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB).
Two hundred eighty-eight patients with previously untreated, recurrent stage IIIB/IV NSCLC received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) in patients with 1% or more and less than 1% tumor PD-L1 expression. Efficacy on the basis of TMB (FoundationOne CDx assay) was a secondary end point.
Of treated patients with tumor available for testing, 252 patients (88%) of 288 were evaluable for PD-L1 expression and 98 patients (82%) of 120 for TMB. ORR was 30% overall and 41% and 15% in patients with 1% or greater and less than 1% tumor PD-L1 expression, respectively. ORR increased with higher TMB, plateauing at 10 or more mutations/megabase (mut/Mb). Regardless of PD-L1 expression, ORRs were higher in patients with TMB of 10 or more mut/Mb (n = 48: PD-L1, ≥ 1%, 48%; PD-L1, < 1%, 47%) versus TMB of fewer than 10 mut/Mb (n = 50: PD-L1, ≥ 1%, 18%; PD-L1, < 1%, 5%), and progression-free survival was longer in patients with TMB of 10 or more mut/Mb versus TMB of fewer than 10 mut/Mb (median, 7.1
2.6 months). Grade 3 to 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 29% of patients.
Nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab was effective and tolerable as a first-line treatment of advanced/metastatic NSCLC. TMB of 10 or more mut/Mb was associated with improved response and prolonged progression-free survival in both tumor PD-L1 expression 1% or greater and less than 1% subgroups and was thus identified as a potentially relevant cutoff in the assessment of TMB as a biomarker for first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab.