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Objective: To develop a set of core outcomes to be minimally reported in trials on induction of labour.Design: Two-round Delphi survey and consensus meeting.Population: Four stakeholder groups: midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists, and women's representatives.Methods: Protocol registered with COMET (Registration Number: 695). Stakeholders rated reported outcomes for importance (1-limited to 9-critical). The median rating of each outcome was calculated. The consensus criteria to include outcomes were as follows: ≥70% participants rated outcomes as critical and <15% rated outcomes as limited importance. Outcomes that did not achieve consensus were taken to round two and, if there was still no consensus, to the final consensus meeting.Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes in trials of induction of labour.Results: Of the 159 invited participants, 54% (86/159) completed the first round, and 83% completed the second round (71/86). The core outcome set included 28 core outcomes in four domains: Short-term maternal outcomes (n = 18)-cardiorespiratory arrest, damage to internal organs, death, haemorrhage, hysterectomy, infection, intensive care admission, length of hospital stay, mode of delivery, need for more than one induction agent, oxytocin augmentation, postnatal depression, pulmonary embolus, satisfaction with care, stroke, time from induction to delivery, uterine hyperstimulation, uterine scar dehiscence/rupture; short-term offspring outcomes (n = 8)-admission to the neonatal unit, birth trauma, death, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy/need for therapeutic hypothermia, meconium aspiration syndrome, need for respiratory support, infection, and seizures; long-term maternal outcomes (n = 1)-operative pelvic floor repair; long-term offspring outcomes (n = 1)-disability including neurodevelopmental delay.Conclusion: Trials on induction of labour should include this core outcome set to standardise reporting.Tweetable Abstract: International multistakeholder Delphi study identifies a core outcome set for trials on induction of labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral and dental disease is a major cause of long-term morbidity following allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (Allo-BMT). This study aimed to describe the extent and range of oral and dental complications in BMT recipients and to identify gaps in service provision provided to this high-risk group.Methods: Participants were Allo-BMT recipients, aged >18 years, and received transplants between 2000 and 2012 in NSW. They completed seven surveys, the purpose-designed Sydney Post-BMT Study survey and six other validated instruments.Results: Of 441 respondents, many reported dry mouth (45.1%), dental caries (36.7%), mouth ulcers (35.3%), oral GVHD (35.1%), gingivitis (16.2%), tooth abscess (6.1%) and oral cancer (1.5%). Regular dental visits were reported by 66.2% of survivors. Middle-high income, older age and geographic location showed a positive association with regular dental visits. Of those who did not visit the dentist regularly, 37% stated they did not feel it necessary, 36% reported cost and 20% stated it was not advised by the treating team.Conclusion: Despite oral complications commonly occurring after Allo-BMT, many survivors receive inadequate dental care. These results emphasize the need for improved oral health education, the importance of regular dental checks and improvement in the delivery of dental health services for BMT survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Alpha-tocopherol (α- TP) supplementation is recommended for the prevention of various equine neuromuscular disorders. Formulations available include RRR-α- TP acetate powder and a more expensive but rapidly water-dispersible liquid RRR-α- TP ( WD RRR-α- TP). No cost-effective means of rapidly increasing serum and cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) α- TP with WD RRR-α- TP and then sustaining concentrations with RRR-α- TP acetate has yet been reported. Objectives To evaluate serum, CSF and muscle α- TP concentrations in an 8-week dosing regimen in which horses were transitioned from WD RRR-α- TP to RRR-α- TP acetate. Study design Non-randomised controlled trial. Methods Healthy horses with serum α- TP of <2 μg/mL were divided into three groups and followed for 8 weeks. In the control group (n = 5), no α- TP was administered. In the second group (Group A; n = 7), 5000 IU/day RRR-α- TP acetate was administered. In the third group (Group WD-A; n = 7), doses of 5000 IU/day of WD RRR-α- TP were administered over 3 weeks, followed by a 4-week transition from WD RRR-α- TP to RRR-α- TP acetate, and a final 1 week of treatment with RRR-α- TP acetate. Serum samples were obtained weekly; muscle biopsies were obtained before, at 2.5 weeks and after supplementation. CSF samples were obtained before and after the 8-week period of supplementation. Results Serum α- TP increased significantly in Group WD-A at week 1 and remained significantly higher than in Group A and the control group throughout the transition, with inter-individual variation in response. Serum α- TP increased significantly by week 7 in Group A. CSF α- TP increased significantly in Group WD-A only. Muscle α- TP concentrations did not differ significantly across groups. Serum and CSF α- TP were closely correlated ( r = 0.675), whereas serum and muscle-α- TP concentrations were not correlated. Main limitations The study duration was short and data on pre-transition CSF was lacking. Conclusions The administration of 5000 IU/day of water-dispersible RRR-α- TP rapidly increases serum α- TP. Serum and CSF α- TP concentrations are sustained with a gradual transition to 5000 IU/day of RRR-α- TP acetate. Periodic evaluation of serum α- TP concentrations is recommended because responses vary among individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract : Multidisciplinary chronic pain management programs have proliferated widely in recent decades. The clinical characteristics of patients attending these clinics are becoming the subject of increased research. Recent European data suggests that patients attending these clinics report very low quality of life. The present study profiles an Australian popu­lation in terms of demographics, clinical characteristics and quality of life, as measured by the Short Form 36 Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36). Data were collected prospectively from consecutive patients presenting to a multidisciplinary chronic pain clinic at a major Sydney metropolitan teaching ­hospital. Cross-sectional analysis of demographic and clin­ical characteristics and quality of life were then undertaken. Descriptive analysis of demographics and clin­ical characteristics suggest a patient population group reporting significant pain severity and reduced quality of life. The comparison of SF-36 domain scores between clinic patients and Australian norm values indicates a greatly reduced score on all SF-36 domains for clinic patients. Pain clinic patients reported the most profound effect upon quality of life in the role physical, physical function and social function domains of the SF-36. Stepwise multiple regression indicated impaired coping ability and depressive disability as the most significant correlates of low quality of life. Patients who attend chronic pain clinics are likely to report low quality of life with an inability to cope. These findings suggest that future intervention research should explore the impacts of behavioural and self-management interventions. Psychological distress and ability to cope could be used as indices of improvement. (Intern Med J 2004; 34: 403−409) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To update the likelihood ratio for trisomy 21 in fetuses with absent nasal bone at the 11–14-week scan. Methods Ultrasound examination of the fetal profile was carried out and the presence or absence of the nasal bone was noted immediately before karyotyping in 5918 fetuses at 11 to 13+6 weeks. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of maternal ethnic origin and fetal crown-rump length (CRL) and nuchal translucency (NT) on the incidence of absent nasal bone in the chromosomally normal and trisomy 21 fetuses. Results The fetal profile was successfully examined in 5851 (98.9%) cases. In 5223/5851 cases the fetal karyotype was normal and in 628 cases it was abnormal. In the chromosomally normal group the incidence of absent nasal bone was related first to the ethnic origin of the mother, being 2.2% for Caucasians, 9.0% for Afro-Caribbeans and 5.0% for Asians; second to fetal CRL, being 4.7% for CRL of 45–54 mm, 3.4% for CRL of 55–64 mm, 1.4% for CRL of 65–74 mm and 1% for CRL of 75–84 mm; and third to NT, being 1.6% for NT ≤95th centile, 2.7% for NT >95th centile-3.4 mm, 5.4% for NT 3.5–4.4 mm, 6% for NT 4.5–5.4 mm and 15% for NT ≥5.5 mm. In the chromosomally abnormal group there was absent nasal bone in 229/333 (68.8%) cases with trisomy 21 and in 95/295 (32.2%) cases with other chromosomal defects. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that in the chromosomally normal fetuses significant independent prediction of the likelihood of absent nasal bone was provided by CRL, NT and Afro-Caribbean ethnic group, and in the trisomy 21 fetuses by CRL and NT. The likelihood ratio for trisomy 21 for absent nasal bone was derived by dividing the likelihood in trisomy 21 by that in normal fetuses. Conclusion At the 11–14-week scan the incidence of absent nasal bone is related to the presence or absence of chromosomal defects, CRL, NT and ethnic origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that failure or defeat increases group cohesion where members feel personally responsible for acting on the basis of group membership. Experiment 1 manipulated success or failure on a cooperative task where subjects (40 male and 40 female undergraduates) experienced high or low choice about doing the group task. Experiment 2 manipulated victory or defeat in intergroup competition under conditions of high or low commitment to the group (the subjects were 64 13- and 14-year-old schoolgirls). It was predicted and found that negative outcomes produced more cohesiveness than positive outcomes with high choice or high commitment, but less with low choice or low commitment. In addition, counter-intuitive interaction effects were obtained on measures of self-esteem and the causal attribution of group performance: in Expt 2 under high commitment, defeat increased cohesion and self-esteem at the same time that it was attributed to internal factors. It is argued that increased cohesion following failure or defeat is a product of identification with a group to justify and explain behaviour which incurs costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a set of core outcomes to be minimally reported in trials on induction of labour., Design: Two-round Delphi survey and consensus meeting., Population: Four stakeholder groups: midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists, and women's representatives., Methods: Protocol registered with COMET (Registration Number: 695). Stakeholders rated reported outcomes for importance (1-limited to 9-critical). The median rating of each outcome was calculated. The consensus criteria to include outcomes were as follows: ≥70% participants rated outcomes as critical and <15% rated outcomes as limited importance. Outcomes that did not achieve consensus were taken to round two and, if there was still no consensus, to the final consensus meeting., Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes in trials of induction of labour., Results: Of the 159 invited participants, 54% (86/159) completed the first round, and 83% completed the second round (71/86). The core outcome set included 28 core outcomes in four domains: Short-term maternal outcomes (n = 18)-cardiorespiratory arrest, damage to internal organs, death, haemorrhage, hysterectomy, infection, intensive care admission, length of hospital stay, mode of delivery, need for more than one induction agent, oxytocin augmentation, postnatal depression, pulmonary embolus, satisfaction with care, stroke, time from induction to delivery, uterine hyperstimulation, uterine scar dehiscence/rupture; short-term offspring outcomes (n = 8)-admission to the neonatal unit, birth trauma, death, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy/need for therapeutic hypothermia, meconium aspiration syndrome, need for respiratory support, infection, and seizures; long-term maternal outcomes (n = 1)-operative pelvic floor repair; long-term offspring outcomes (n = 1)-disability including neurodevelopmental delay., Conclusion: Trials on induction of labour should include this core outcome set to standardise reporting., Tweetable Abstract: International multistakeholder Delphi study identifies a core outcome set for trials on induction of labour., (© 2018 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Four hundred and twenty-one adult allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors participated in a cross-sectional study to assess sexual dysfunction and infertility post-transplant. Survey instruments included the Sydney Post-Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Survey, Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment (FACT) - BMT, the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (DASS 21), the Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease (cGVHD) Activity Assessment- Patient Self Report (Form B), the Lee cGVHD Symptom Scale and The Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory. Most HSCT survivors reported sexual difficulties (51% of males; 66% of females). Men reported erectile dysfunction (79%) and decreased libido (61·6%) and women reported loss of libido (83%), painful intercourse (73%) and less enjoyment of sex (68%). Women also commonly reported vaginal dryness (73%), vaginal narrowing (34%) and vaginal irritation (26%). Woman had much higher rates of genital cGvHD than men (22% vs. 5%). Age and cGVHD were significantly associated with sexual dysfunction. Few survivors had children following transplant (3·3%). However, for those of reproductive age at HSCT, 22% reported trying to conceive, with 10·3% reporting success. This study is the largest to date exploring sexual function in survivors of allo-HSCT. This data provides the basis for health service reform to better meet the needs of HSCT survivors, including evidence to support counselling and education both pre- and post-transplant., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Two experiments provided support for the central hypothesis--derived from social identity/self-categorization theories--that attitudes would be most likely to predict behaviour when they were supported by a congruent in-group norm. In the first experiment, norm congruency and mode of behavioural decision-making (spontaneous or deliberative) were orthogonally manipulated in a between-subjects study of career choice in psychology. Participants exposed to an attitudinally congruent in-group norm towards their preferred career choice were more likely to display attitude-behaviour consistency than those exposed to an attitudinally inconsistent group norm, an effect that was evident under both spontaneous and deliberative decision-making conditions. Using a mock jury paradigm, Expt 2 replicated and extended the first experiment by including a manipulation of in-group salience. As predicted, participants exposed to an incongruent norm displayed greater attitude-behaviour inconsistency than those exposed to a congruent norm. Contrary to predictions, this effect did not vary as a function of group salience, nor did the effects of group norms for high and low salience participants vary as a function of mode of behavioural decision-making. However, there was evidence that perceived identification with the group moderated the influence of norms on attitude-behaviour consistency.

The aim of the present study was to examine further the role that self-identity plays in the theory of planned behaviour and, more specifically, to: (1) examine the combined effects of self-identity and social identity constructs on intention and behaviour, and (2) examine the effects of self-identity as a function of past experience of performing the behaviour. The study was concerned with the prediction of intention to engage in household recycling and reported recycling behaviour. A sample of 143 community residents participated in the study. It was prospective in design: measures of the predictors and intention were obtained at the first wave of data collection, whereas behaviour was assessed two weeks later. Self-identity significantly predicted behavioural intention, a relationship that was not dependent on the extent to which the behaviour had been performed in the past. As expected, there was also evidence that the perceived norm of a behaviourally relevant reference group was related to behavioural intention, but only for participants who identified strongly with the group, whereas the relationship between perceived behavioural control (a personal factor) and intention was strongest for low identifiers.

Social categorization under minimal group conditions reliably produces intergroup discrimination. It is proposed that this might be because the minimal group paradigm engenders high levels of subjective uncertainty among participants, which causes them to use the categorization to define self and thus identify with the minimal group. Uncertainty is generally an aversive state which may be resolved by identification (Hogg, 1996; Hogg & Abrams, 1993). Thus, people may identify with social categories (and express discrimination) when identification resolves uncertainty. To investigate this idea a standard minimal group experiment was conducted, in which the three independent variables of categorizations, task uncertainty and situational uncertainty were manipulated in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial between-subjects design. Point distribution strategies were measured along with in-group identification, self-esteem, social awareness and, at three occasions, uncertainty about the task and situation. As predicted, under conditions of high task or situational uncertainty, categorized participants identified more with their minimal in-group and exhibited more intergroup discrimination than other participants. There was also some evidence that identification reduced uncertainty. There was only partial support for the mediational role of identification, and similarly, for self-esteem as a derivative motive. These findings are interpreted as supporting an uncertainty reduction model of social identification and group motivation.

We contrast two theoretical approaches to social influence, one stressing interpersonal dependence, conceptualized as normative and informational influence (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955), and the other stressing group membership, conceptualized as self-categorization and referent informational influence (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher & Wetherell, 1987). We argue that both social comparisons to reduce uncertainty and the existence of normative pressure to comply depend on perceiving the source of influence as belonging to one's own category. This study tested these two approaches using three influence paradigms. First we demonstrate that, in Sherif's (1936) autokinetic effect paradigm, the impact of confederates on the formation of a norm decreases as their membership of a different category is made more salient to subjects. Second, in the Asch (1956) conformity paradigm, surveillance effectively exerts normative pressure if done by an in-group but not by an out-group. In-group influence decreases and out-group influence increases when subjects respond privately. Self-report data indicate that in-group confederates create more subjective uncertainty than out-group confederates and public responding seems to increase cohesiveness with in-group - but decrease it with out-group - sources of influence. In our third experiment we use the group polarization paradigm (e.g. Burnstein & Vinokur, 1973) to demonstrate that, when categorical differences between two subgroups within a discussion group are made salient, convergence of opinion between the subgroups is inhibited. Taken together the experiments show that self-categorization can be a crucial determining factor in social influence.