Reliability and validity of PRO-CTCAE® daily reporting with a 24-hour recall period.

PURPOSE: The standard recall period for the patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse events (PRO-CTCAE®) is the past 7 days, but there are contexts where a 24-hour recall may be desirable. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the reliability and validity of a subset of PRO-CTCAE items captured using a 24-hour recall. METHODS: 27 PRO-CTCAE items representing 14 symptomatic adverse events (AEs) were collected using both a 24-hour recall (24 h) and the standard 7 day recall (7d) in a sample of patients receiving active cancer treatment (n = 113). Using data captured with a PRO-CTCAE-24h on days 6 and 7, and 20 and 21, we computed intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC); an ICC ≥ 0.70 was interpreted as demonstrating high test-retest reliability. Correlations between PRO-CTCAE-24h items on day 7 and conceptually relevant EORTC QLQ-C30 domains were examined. In responsiveness analysis, patients were deemed changed if they had a one-point or greater change in the corresponding PRO-CTCAE-7d item (from week 0 to week 1). RESULTS: PRO-CTCAE-24h captured on two consecutive days demonstrated that 21 of 27 items (78%) had ICCs ≥ 0.70 (day 6/7 median ICC 0.76), (day 20/21 median ICC 0.84). Median correlation between attributes within a common AE was 0.75, and the median correlation between conceptually relevant EORTC QLQ-C30 domains and PRO-CTCAE-24 h items captured on day 7 was 0.44. In the analysis of responsiveness to change, the median standardized response mean (SRM) for patients with improvement was - 0.52 and that for patients with worsening was 0.71. CONCLUSION: A 24-hour recall period for PRO-CTCAE items has acceptable measurement properties and can inform day-to-day variations in symptomatic AEs when daily PRO-CTCAE administration is implemented in a clinical trial.

Timing of the martian dynamo: New constraints for a core field 4.5 and 3.7 Ga ago.

The absence of crustal magnetic fields above the martian basins Hellas, Argyre, and Isidis is often interpreted as proof of an early, before 4.1 billion years (Ga) ago, or late, after 3.9 Ga ago, dynamo. We revisit these interpretations using new MAVEN magnetic field data. Weak fields are present over the 4.5-Ga old Borealis basin, with the transition to strong fields correlated with the basin edge. Magnetic fields, confined to a near-surface layer, are also detected above the 3.7-Ga old Lucus Planum. We conclude that a dynamo was present both before and after the formation of the basins Hellas, Utopia, Argyre, and Isidis. A long-lived, Earth-like dynamo is consistent with the absence of magnetization within large basins if the impacts excavated large portions of strongly magnetic crust and exposed deeper material with lower concentrations of magnetic minerals.

Mars environment and magnetic orbiter scientific and measurement objectives.

In this paper, we summarize our present understanding of Mars' atmosphere, magnetic field, and surface and address past evolution of these features. Key scientific questions concerning Mars' surface, atmosphere, and magnetic field, along with the planet's interaction with solar wind, are discussed. We also define what key parameters and measurements should be performed and the main characteristics of a martian mission that would help to provide answers to these questions. Such a mission--Mars Environment and Magnetic Orbiter (MEMO)--was proposed as an answer to the Cosmic Vision Call of Opportunity as an M-class mission (corresponding to a total European Space Agency cost of less than 300 Meuro). MEMO was designed to study the strong interconnection between the planetary interior, atmosphere, and solar conditions, which is essential to our understanding of planetary evolution, the appearance of life, and its sustainability. The MEMO main platform combined remote sensing and in situ measurements of the atmosphere and the magnetic field during regular incursions into the martian upper atmosphere. The micro-satellite was designed to perform simultaneous in situ solar wind measurements. MEMO was defined to conduct: * Four-dimensional mapping of the martian atmosphere from the surface up to 120 km by measuring wind, temperature, water, and composition, all of which would provide a complete view of the martian climate and photochemical system; Mapping of the low-altitude magnetic field with unprecedented geographical, altitude, local time, and seasonal resolutions; A characterization of the simultaneous responses of the atmosphere, magnetic field, and near-Mars space to solar variability by means of in situ atmospheric and solar wind measurements.

[The efficacy of water ozonation on the inactivation of oocysts of Cryptosporidium]. / Efficacité de l'ozonation des eaux sur l'inactivation des oocystes de Cryptosporidium.

Cryptosporidium oocysts are currently found in surface waters. Their incomplete removal by sand filtration and their high resistance to chlorinated disinfectants make possible waterborne cryptosporidiosis outbreaks after drinking treated water. Because ozone is an alternative to chlorine for final drinking water disinfection the aim of our study was to determine the ozonation conditions able to eliminate the infectivity of oocysts. Feces from horses naturally infected by C. parvum were mixed with distilled water. The obtained suspension was clarified by passing through a graded series of four sieves (pore sizes, 315, 200, 125 and 63 microns). The clarified suspension was decontaminated by adding a 10% sodium hypochlorite solution. After a 10 minute contact time at room temperature, the chlorine residual was neutralised by the exactly requisite volume of a 0.01 N sodium thiosulfate solution. Oocysts in the suspension were purified by centrifugation and washing of pellets in distilled water. Oocysts in the finally obtained suspension were numerated by counting in a Malassez haemocytometer. Ozonated water containing dissolved ozone residuals ranging from 0.44 mg/l to 1.09 mg/l were inoculated with a number of oocysts ranging from 1.10(6) to 1.10(8). Contact times with ozone were 4.6 or 8 minutes. After destroying the ozone residual by sodium thiosulfate, ozonated oocysts were administered by oral route to male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 180 to 200 g and beforehand immunosuppressed by a regimen of 25 mg hydrocortisone acetate subcutaneously twice a week, 5 weeks before and 3 weeks after Cryptosporidium challenge. Oocyst shedding was daily controlled by phase contrast microscoy in smears of fecal suspension mixed with carbolfuchsine solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)