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Copyright of Canadian Foreign Policy Journal (CFPJ) is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: While next‐generation sequencing technologies provide excellent strategies to screen for newly defined genetic abnormalities of prognostic or therapeutic significance in patients with B‐other‐acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), they are not widely available. We used a dual screening approach, incorporating fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and Multiplex Ligation‐dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA), to establish the frequency and long‐term outcome of a representative cohort of specific subgroups of B‐other‐ALL recruited to the childhood ALL trial, UKALL2003. We focussed on abnormalities of known prognostic significance, including ABL‐class fusions and ERG deletions, as a surrogate marker for DUX4‐rearranged ALL. ABL‐class fusions accounted for ~4% of B‐other‐ALL and were associated with high levels of minimal residual disease (MRD; 14/23 with MRD >5%) and a high relapse rate (55·7%) following treatment without tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), confirming the importance of prospective screening with a view to incorporating TKI into therapy. Patients with deletions of ERG (~10% of B‐other‐ALL) had a 10‐year event‐free‐survival of 97·2%, validating previous reports of their excellent outcome. Rearrangements of ZNF384, MEF2D and NUTM1 were observed at low frequencies. Here, we estimate that approximately one third of B‐other‐ALL patients can be reliably classified into one of the known genetic subgroups using our dual screening method. This approach is rapid, accurate and readily incorporated into routine testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 5 years the UK has led the world in the introduction of new vaccines with substantial changes in the childhood vaccination schedules. These have been both in response and in anticipation of changes in the epidemiology of illness and demonstrate the importance of public health screening and the notification of infectious diseases. This review article briefly outlines the rationale and history behind these most recent developments and highlights potential changes on the horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex anatomy of the tooth limits the ability to eradicate pathogens by mechanical means alone. Irrigation is the key to solving this problem. This paper highlights the importance of irrigation, the key irrigants available and methods of improving the performance of irrigants within the canal. CPD/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: To provide advice on which irrigants to use, how to use them effectively and safely and what to do if irrigants are extruded beyond the apex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond cardiovascular disease protection, the health consequences of very low concentrations of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) remain a matter of debate. In primary hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL), liver steatosis and cirrhosis have occasionally been reported. Here, we aimed to investigate the association between HBL and the risk of hepatic complications (cirrhosis complications and/or primary liver cancer) in the general population. A cohort study was conducted in the French population-based cohort CONSTANCES. Participants with primary HBL (LDL-C <5th percentile for age and sex, [HBL]) were compared with those with normal LDL-C concentrations (40th-60th percentile, [Control]). Participants on lipid-lowering therapies were excluded. For hepatic complications, follow-up events were compared by calculating the incidence density ratio (IDR). The same analyses were replicated in the UK Biobank (UKBB) cohort. In the CONSTANCES and UKBB cohorts, 34,653 and 94,666 patients were analyzed, with median ages of 45 and 56 years, mean LDL-C concentrations (HBL vs. control) of 71 vs. 128 mg/dl and 86 vs. 142 mg/dl, and mean follow-up durations of 5.0 and 11.5 years, respectively. The HBL group presented a higher incidence of hepatic complications than the control group: 0.32/ vs. 0.07/1,000 person-years (IDR = 4.50, 95% CI 1.91-10.6) in CONSTANCES, and 0.69/ vs. 0.21/1,000 person-years (IDR = 3.27, 95% CI 2.63-4.06) in the UKBB. This risk proved to be independent of classic risk factors for liver disease (obesity, alcohol consumption, diabetes, viral hepatitis), including in a 5-year landmark analysis excluding early events. Sensitivity analyses based on apoliprotein-B levels (instead of LDL-C levels) or genetically defined HBL showed similar results. HBL is associated with a markedly increased risk of hepatic complications. HBL must be considered as a substantial independent risk factor for liver diseases which justifies specific prevention and screening. Hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL) is a lipid disorder characterized by permanent, inherited low levels (below the 5th percentile) of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. While HBL is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, some studies suggest that it may be associated with a potential risk of hepatic steatosis and hepatic complications. Here, we studied the association between HBL and hepatic complications (defined as cirrhosis complications and/or primary liver cancer) in two populations of several hundred thousand people, both in France (CONSTANCES cohort) and the United Kingdom (UKBB). The results show that HBL is associated with a significant and independent excess risk of hepatic complications, including primary liver cancer. Thus, in people with HBL, the value of regular liver monitoring must be studied. [Display omitted] • Hypobetalipoproteinemia is defined by permanent, inherited low LDL-cholesterol levels. • In two large population cohorts, hypobetalipoproteinemia increased the risk of cirrhosis complications and/or liver cancer. • This risk was observed independently of classical risk factors for liver disease (obesity, alcohol, diabetes, viral hepatitis). • Hypobetalipoproteinemia is a risk factor for liver disease complications that requires appropriate monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]