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Electronic products, including the iPhone 12, Apple Watch Series 6, and 2nd Generation AirPods, contain magnets to facilitate wireless charging. Permanent magnets may affect CIED magnet mode features by causing pacemakers to pace asynchronously and defibrillators to suspend arrhythmia detection. This study determined if CIEDs are affected by static magnetic fields from commonly used portable electronics (PE) at any distance and intends to reinforce FDA recommendations concerning consumer PE which contain permanent magnets.The maximum magnet field measurement was evaluated by a Gauss meter. The interaction between PE and CIEDs from Boston Scientific and Medtronic were tested ex vivo using a body torso model. The CIED was placed in physiologic saline, and the PE was placed at the surface and at increasing distances of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 cm. Interactions were recorded by assessment of magnet mode status.The iPhone 12 had almost three times the static magnetic field measured at the surface as the iPhone XR, but magnetic field strength decreased dramatically with increasing distance. At the surface of the model, PE triggered magnet mode in all CIEDs. The maximum interaction distance for all combinations of CIEDs and Apple products was 1.5 cm.The iPhone 12 produces a stronger static magnetic field than previous iPhone models. Magnets in PE tested will not interact with CIEDs when they are 15 cm from the implanted device. Since no interaction was observed beyond 1.5 cm, it is unlikely that magnet mode activation will occur during most daily activities.

Early product performance issues involving a new leadless pacemaker result in potentially harmful exchanges during device implantation.

The Parkinson Associated Risk Syndrome (PARS) study was designed to evaluate whether screening with olfactory testing and dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging could identify participants at risk for developing Parkinson's disease (PD).Hyposmia on a single test has been associated with increased risk of PD, but, taken alone, lacks specificity. We evaluated whether repeating olfactory testing improves the diagnostic characteristics of this screening approach.Participants completed up to 10 years of clinical and imaging evaluations in the PARS cohort. Olfaction was assessed with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test at baseline and on average 1.4 years later. Multiple logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the hazard of development of clinical PD or abnormal DAT imaging.Of 186 participants who were initially hyposmic, 28% reverted to normosmia on repeat testing (reverters). No initially normosmic subjects and only 2% of reverters developed DAT imaging progression or clinical PD, compared to 29% of subjects with persistent hyposmia who developed abnormal DAT and 20% who developed clinical PD. The relative risk of clinical conversion to PD was 8.3 (95% CI:0.92-75.2, p = 0.06) and of abnormal DAT scan was 12.5 (2.4-156.2, p = 0.005) for persistent hyposmia, compared to reversion.Persistent hyposmia on serial olfactory testing significantly increases the risk of developing clinical PD and abnormal DAT imaging, compared to hyposmia on a single test. Repeat olfactory testing may be an efficient and cost-effective strategy to improve identification of at-risk patients for early diagnosis and disease modification studies.

Introduction Rehabilitation therapies are critical for optimizing quality-of-life and daily functions for individuals living with Parkinson's disease (PD). Thus, understanding the patterns of and under what conditions physicians make rehabilitation referrals is important for optimizing care. Method We analyzed data from 5020 participants (4 countries) collected from 1/3/2016 to 4/20/2018 as part of the Parkinson's Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative (PF QII). Data were analyzed for single discipline and multidiscipline referrals to speech language pathology (SLP), physical therapy (PT), and occupational therapy (OT). Group comparisons (referred vs. not-referred) and regression procedures were implemented to determine demographic and clinical variables that were associated with an increased likelihood of rehabilitation referral. Results 35.3% of participants were referred to rehabilitation services. Of these, 25.1% received a multidiscipline referral. There was a statistically significant effect of disease stage on both single discipline (χ2(2) = 45.1, p ≥ 1, Range = 1.08 to 1.62). Conclusions Despite evidence supporting multidiscipline and proactive rehabilitation in PD, the majority of referrals were made to a single service and may be reactions to falls or advancing disease. Data suggest there may be missed opportunities for optimizing care through proactive rehabilitation interventions.

Introduction: The Micra leadless intracardiac pacemaker (LICP) is an FDA-approved right ventricular pacemaker that has been available worldwide since 2016. It is frequently implanted in patients who have atrial fibrillation and who undergo atrioventricular node ablation (AVN-AB) for rate control. The potential adverse effects of AVN-AB on LICP performance and function are unknown. Hypothesis: AVN-AB may increase LICP pacing thresholds and/or cause exit block or damage the LICP's electronics. Methods: The FDA Manufacturers and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database was searched for Micra LICP adverse events associated with AVN-AB that were submitted by the manufacturer and received by the Food and Drug Administration from 2016-April 2021. Results: The search found 19 cases of pacing threshold elevation following AVN-AB that were performed during (n=9) or after (n=10) LICP implantation. Exit block resulted in asystole or marked bradycardia in 12 patients (63.2%); 2 of these patients required cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In 8 patients, a persistently high threshold or exit block required LICP replacement with either a new LICP or a transvenous pacemaker. Four explanted LICPs were returned and analyzed by the manufacturer and no pulse generator electronic abnormalities were found. Conclusions: AVN-AB during or after LICP implantation may result in persistently high pacing thresholds or exit block and necessitate LICP replacement; this appears to be a local effect at the LICP electrode-tissue interface rather than effects on LICP electronic function. Additional clinical safety data are needed, especially since patients may be rendered pacemaker-dependent after AVN-AB.

Introduction Sleep disruptions in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) include difficulty falling/staying asleep, which can contribute to daytime sleepiness and overall worsening of health, mood, and quality of life. Although sleep disturbances in PD are multifactorial, nighttime motor symptoms can negatively affect sleep. To better understand how “OFF”-episodes affect sleep, post-hoc analyses were conducted using baseline data from two phase 3 studies of opicapone, an approved once-daily adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) in patients with PD experiencing motor fluctuations. Methods In BIPARK-1 and BIPARK-2, participants recorded sleep/awake periods, “OFF”-time, and “ON”-time in 24-hour PD diaries. Sleep metrics included sleep duration, awakenings after sleep onset, and percent of sleep time spent awake. “OFF”-times included “OFF” before sleep (OBS), nighttime “OFF” (NTO), and early morning “OFF” (EMO). Data at baseline were pooled across treatment groups and analyzed descriptively. Mean values are presented with standard deviations (±SD). Results Baseline data from 1010 participants were pooled for analysis. Among 964 participants with available sleep metrics, mean total sleep duration was 7.6 (±1.5) hours and longest duration of uninterrupted sleep was 7.2 (±1.9) hours. 332/964 (34.4%) participants experienced an “OFF”-episode before going to sleep and the mean duration of this OBS was 1.8±1.2 hours. 158/964 (16.4%) participants awoke after sleep onset; of these, 128/158 (81.0%) awoke in an “OFF”-state and the mean duration of this NTO was 1.0 (±0.5) hours. Among these 128 participants, the mean number of awakenings was 1.3 (±0.7) and percent of sleep time spent awake was 15.4% (±9.6%). 898/1005 (89.4%) participants experienced an “OFF”-episode upon waking up in the morning and the mean duration of this EMO was 1.5 (±0.9) hours. Conclusion Results from this pooled analysis indicate that 34.4% of participants experienced an “OFF”-episode before going to sleep. Moreover, 81.0% of participants who woke up during the night were in an “OFF”-state upon awakening. Reducing “OFF”-episodes before and during the nighttime may help improve sleep in patients with PD, in turn potentially improving quality of life and daytime motor performance. Support (If Any) Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

BackgroundThe Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) is an ongoing observational, longitudinal cohort study of participants with Parkinson's disease, healthy controls, and carriers of the most common Parkinson's disease-related genetic mutations, which aims to define biomarkers of Parkinson's disease diagnosis and progression. All participants are assessed annually with a battery of motor and non-motor scales, 123-I Ioflupane dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging, and biological variables. We aimed to examine whether non-manifesting carriers of LRRK2 and GBA mutations have prodromal features of Parkinson's disease that correlate with reduced DAT binding.MethodsThis cross-sectional analysis is based on assessments done at enrolment in the subset of non-manifesting carriers of LRRK2 and GBA mutations enrolled into the PPMI study from 33 participating sites worldwide. The primary objective was to examine baseline clinical and DAT imaging characteristics in non-manifesting carriers with GBA and LRRK2 mutations compared with healthy controls. DAT deficit was defined as less than 65% of putamen striatal binding ratio expected for the individual's age. We used t tests, χ2 tests, and Fisher's exact tests to compare baseline demographics across groups. An inverse probability weighting method was applied to control for potential confounders such as age and sex. To account for multiple comparisons, we applied a family-wise error rate to each set of analyses. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01141023.FindingsBetween Jan 1, 2014, and Jan 1, 2019, the study enrolled 208 LRRK2 (93% G2019S) and 184 GBA (96% N370S) non-manifesting carriers. Both groups were similar with respect to mean age, and about 60% were female. Of the 286 (73%) non-manifesting carriers that had DAT imaging results, 18 (11%) LRRK2 and four (3%) GBA non-manifesting carriers had a DAT deficit. Compared with healthy controls, both LRRK2 and GBA non-manifesting carriers had significantly increased mean scores on the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (total score 4·6 [SD 4·4] healthy controls vs 8·4 [7·3] LRRK2 vs 9·5 [9·2] GBA, p

e24016 Background: ICI therapy has become the standard of care for the treatment of most types of advanced lung cancer with an average age at diagnosis of 70 years old (yo). The objectives of this study were to describe the demographics and practice patterns of real-world ICI usage in lung cancer patients > 70 yo. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study utilizing statistically deidentified data sourced from CancerLinQ Discovery® ( www.cancerlinq.org/solutions/researchers ): Lung Cancer (2014-2019), October, 2018 data set release, American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO’s) CancerLinQ LLC. Of the 1632 patients in this data release, only those patients who received a single agent ICI of nivolumab, pembrolizumab or atezolizumab and had a known birthdate were included in the analyses. Results: The majority of the 1632 patients in the data set were male (46.9%) and Caucasian (43.4%), although a substantial percentage of patient Gender and Race data was not known (14.5% and 43.1% respectively). The majority of the patients were treated in the southern part of the United States (52.6%) and the median ages for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma histologies were 66 and 70, respectively, with interquartile ranges of 59-74 and 63-76. In the analyses, the major delineator was age at 70 yo, where age is based on when a patient received their first ICI dose. For patients < 70 yo, the mean (max) number of cycles in patients who received atezolizumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab was 5.4 (24), 8.7 (62) and 7.7 (32), respectively and for patients > 70 yo was 4.6 (30), 8.1 (64) and 6.5 (23), respectively. The median overall survival for patients < 70 yo who received atezolizumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab was 24, 12 and 24 months, respectively and for patients > 70 yo was 24, 12 and 18 months, respectively. Conclusions: The number of cycles and overall survival reported in this real-world dataset were similar between patients older and younger than 70 yo with lung cancer treated with ICI. Limitations included decreased power for multivariate analysis due to suppressed data elements which has been improved in more recent data releases.

Purpose A joint data quality initiative between the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and the ASCO big data health technology platform CancerLinQ® was initiated to document and codify the steps taken to evaluate, stratify, and determine the potential effect of data elements used for electronic clinical quality measures as captured within structured fields in electronic health records. Methods The processes involved the identification of clinical concepts required in measure population criteria and then to map these to the corresponding components of the CancerLinQ data model. A quantitative assessment of mappings between electronic clinical quality measure clinical concepts and attributes from the CancerLinQ clinical database was performed. In parallel, a qualitative analysis of high-impact data elements from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America clinical measures was made using local, expert consensus. Results An impact assessment was derived using a count of the data elements across measures and the specific population criteria affected. Conclusion A list of putative high-impact data elements can provide guidance for clinicians to facilitate specific data element capture related to quality metrics in an electronic environment.

Purpose – To describe both the service and recent developments of FIZ AutoDoc. Design/methodology/approach – An in depth description with particular emphasis on copyright issues. Findings – That FIZ AutoDoc has developed to respond to the information needs of its customers primarily in the commercial sector internationally. Originality/value – A full description of a valuable service that draws upon the resources of many partners to provide commercial organizations with the information that they need.

Patients, health care providers, and payers all have a similar interest in a health care system that is both efficient and intelligent. The attributes of such a system are widely recognized: we want a system that provides widespread access to consistently high-quality, science-based medical care; we want that system to be efficient, avoiding unnecessary waste, while delivering the right treatments to the right patients in a timely fashion; we want a system that allows us to both learn from our experience and generate new knowledge that will inform future treatment options; and we want a system that is compassionate and caring. What we want from a health care system often runs up against real-life obstacles and challenges: a fragmented delivery system, varying levels (or lack of) insurance, a growing burden of regulation and paperwork, and an increasingly complex understanding of tumor biology and the therapeutic approaches derived from this biology. New challenges are on the horizon—emerging genomic and imaging technology, with their enormous cognitive and data burdens, and a looming demographic challenge, where inadequate personnel resources face an aging population and an explosion of new treatments. Not all problems have technologic solutions, but many of the issues described above have potential solutions related to information technology. ASCO's CancerLinQ, described in this article, is an evolving attempt by the Society to improve the quality and efficiency of cancer care, while supporting education and research in the cancer field.

ASCO's CancerLinQ, a learning information network for quality, collects clinical data in real time, analyzing and comparing it with existing guidelines and feeding that information back to participating physicians, driving higher quality and value and improving outcomes for our patients.

This review summarizes the clinical development of a family of ultra-rapid-acting recombinant human insulin formulations. These formulations use ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to chelate zinc and thereby destabilize insulin hexamers. In addition, insulin monomer surface charges are chemically masked with citrate to prevent reaggregation. The first phase 1 trials were performed using BIOD-090, an acidic 25 unit U/ml insulin formulation, which contained disodium-EDTA (NaEDTA). When compared with regular human insulin (RHI) and/or insulin lispro in multiple phase 1 studies, BIOD-090 consistently showed more rapid absorption and/or onset of action. A standard meal challenge study also demonstrated improved postprandial glucose profiles associated with BIOD-090. However, increased patient exposure in larger phase 3 trials showed that this formulation was associated with an increased incidence of local injection site reactions, most commonly pain. A next generation formulation, BIOD-100, contained the same excipients as a standard insulin concentration of 100 U/ml. BIOD-100 maintained an ultra-rapid action profile and was associated with modest but significantly improved toleration when compared with BIOD-090. In order to further improve toleration, the hypothesis that NaEDTA contributed to discomfort by chelating endogenous calcium was tested by either substituting calcium-EDTA for NaEDTA or by adding calcium chloride to the NaEDTA formulation. These calcium formulations essentially eliminated the excess discomfort associated with BIOD-090 but were associated with less optimal pharmacokinetic profiles in humans. Recent efforts have succeeded in developing ultra-rapid-acting human insulin formulations with acceptable injection site toleration by optimizing concentrations of calcium (BIOD-125) and with the use of magnesium sulfate to mitigate discomfort (BIOD-123). Similar formulation technology has also been shown to accelerate absorption of insulin analogs in animal models.

Background: In order to enhance the absorption of insulin following subcutaneous injection, excipients were selected to hasten the dissociation rate of insulin hexamers and reduce their tendency to reassociate postinjection. A novel formulation of recombinant human insulin containing citrate and disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has been tested in clinic and has a very rapid onset of action in patients with diabetes. In order to understand the basis for the rapid insulin absorption, in vitro experiments using analytical ultracentrifugation, protein charge assessment, and light scattering have been performed with this novel human insulin formulation and compared with a commercially available insulin formulation [regular human insulin (RHI)]. Method: Analytical ultracentrifugation and dynamic light scattering were used to infer the relative distributions of insulin monomers, dimers, and hexamers in the formulations. Electrical resistance of the insulin solutions characterized the overall net surface charge on the insulin complexes in solution. Results: The results of these experiments demonstrate that the zinc chelating (disodium EDTA) and charge-masking (citrate) excipients used in the formulation changed the properties of RHI in solution, making it dissociate more rapidly into smaller, charge-masked monomer/dimer units, which are twice as rapidly absorbed following subcutaneous injection than RHI (Tmax 60 ± 43 versus 120 ± 70 min). Conclusions: The combination of rapid dissociation of insulin hexamers upon dilution due to the zinc chelating effects of disodium EDTA followed by the inhibition of insulin monomer/dimer reassociation due to the charge-masking effects of citrate provides the basis for the ultra-rapid absorption of this novel insulin formulation.

Background: A promising approach to treat diabetes is the development of an automated bihormonal pump administering glucagon and insulin. A physically and chemically stable glucagon formulation does not currently exist. Our goal is to develop a glucagon formulation that is stable as a clear ungelled solution, free of fibrils at a pH of 7 for at least 7 days at 37 °C. Methods: Experimental glucagon formulations were studied for stability at 25 and 37 °C. Chemical degradation was quantified by reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Physical changes were studied using light obscuration and visual observations. Results: Glucagon content of Biodel glucagon and Lilly glucagon at pH 2 and pH 4, as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography at 25 °C, was 100% at 7 days compared to 87% and Conclusions: Biodel glucagon is a stabilized formulation at physiological pH and remains chemically and physically stable beyond 7 days at 37 °C, suggesting its utility for use in a bihormonal pump.

e12577Background: Studies have shown obesity to be risk factor for many breast cancer (BC) subtypes, particularly in ER+ postmenopausal BC. Patients (pts) with BC and overweight/obesity have a wors...

The applicability of LiNbO/sub 3/, langasite and GaPO/sub 4/ for use as crystal substrates in high temperature surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors operating at radio frequencies was investigated. Material properties were determined by the use of SAW test devices processed with conventional lithography. On GaPO/sub 4/, predominantly surface defects limit the accessible frequencies to values of 1 GHz. Langasite SAW devices could be operated up to 3 GHz; however, high acoustic losses of 20 dB//spl mu/S were observed. On LiNbO/sub 3/, the acoustic losses measured up to 3.5 GHz are one order of magnitude less. Hence, SAW sensors capable of wireless interrogation were designed and processed on YZ-cut LiNbO/sub 3/. The devices could be successfully operated in the industrial-scientific-medical (ISM) band from 2.40 to 2.4835 GHz up to 400/spl deg/C.

The coercive field of annealed SmCo3Cu2 and SmCo2.5Cu2.5 alloys was measured for different pulsed-field rate, dH/dt, for temperatures between 4 and 600 K. The temperature dependency of the magnetic viscosity parameter, Sv, was investigated in this range of temperatures. Sv was determined from two different pulsed-field rates. We found that at a given temperature the magnetic viscosity is independent of dH/dt. The curve Sv versus temperature shows a maximum around 100 K. The Sv dependence of Hc shows also a maximum. An empiric equation that describes Sv versus Hc was found. The τ0 value of these magnets was estimated. It is suggested that measurements in pulsed field with high dH/dt are very practical method to determine the viscosity parameter.

The new quasi-static high-field installation at the T.U. Wien is described. With a regulated power supply of 10 MW, field pulses up to 40 T with a pulse duration of 1 s can be obtained. Polar and bipolar field pulses are possible. Three working stations were established: (i) a high-temperature magnetometer which allows magnetization measurements between room temperature and 500°C in external fields of 35°T; (ii) a low-temperature system with a maximum field of 40 T which operates between 1.5 and 300 K. Magnetization measurements between 1.5 and 800 K in high external fields are possible. (iii) An additional room temperature test system for developing new measurement methods. The construction of the high temperature set-up is described and an example of an experiment is shown. First magnetostriction measurements on an anisotropic technical barium ferrite are shown. Possibilities to improve the signal-to-noise ratio for magnetization measurements are discussed.

Electrical resistivity and calorimetric measurements on Dy 3 Coshow that below the Neel temperature (TN=44 K) the non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure exhibits field-induced magnetic phase transitions of a first-order type along all principal axes, accompanied by a strongly anisotropic giant magnetoresistance and by a change of the Sommerfeld coefficient of the specific heat. Quantum tunnelling of the magnetization appears to be possible for T < 0.6 K.

A comprehensive resistance study of erbium subjected to a hydrostatic pressure is presented. From the experimental results we derive a p-T phase diagram for the magnetic phases in erbium. In the zero-temperature limit, the conical structure is predicted to transform into the cycloidal one at a pressure of about 1.3 kbar. Experimentally, the transition is found to occur between 1 and 3 kbar at 4.5 K. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of a variational calculation of the resistivity using the model developed for erbium from previous experiments. The theory of Elliott and Wedgwood is utilized in the account of the superzone effects. The analysis indicates that the a-axis resistivity is slightly affected by the superzones. In the c-axis case the superzone effects do not simply scale with the magnetization, but also reflect the 20% change of the ordering wave vector. This occurs between T-N and T-C at ambient pressure, and at 4.5 K when the pressure is increased from 1 to 3 kbar. It is tentatively proposed that the tilted cycloidal structure exists in Er, just above T-C at ambient pressure and in the interval between 1.3 and 9 kbar at zero temperature.

The thermodynamic and transport properties of the ${\mathrm{Er}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Y}}_{x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{2}$ system were studied in the concentration range $0.0l~xl~1.0.$ In this system, the first-order magnetic phase transition observed in ${\mathrm{ErCo}}_{2}$ at ${T}_{\mathrm{C}}=32$ K is related to the itinerant electron metamagnetism of the d subsystem (Co sublattice) driven by the onset of magnetic ordering within the Er sublattice. By employing magnetic, specific heat, thermal expansion, and resistivity measurements we show that in a limited concentration range ${x}_{{\mathrm{cr}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}lxl{x}_{\mathrm{cr}}$ and pressure ${P}_{{\mathrm{cr}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}lPl{P}_{\mathrm{cr}}$ the itinerant Co sublattice orders magnetically at ${T}_{\mathrm{C}}^{\mathrm{Co}},$ which is lower than ${T}_{\mathrm{C}}^{R}$ of the Er sublattice. This is referred either to a weakening of the effective molecular field acting on the Co sites owing to the yttrium subsititution or to a pressure-driven increase of the critical field necessary to induce a magnetic moment on the Co sites. On further increasing the yttrium concentration or the pressure only the Er sublattice exhibits long-range order. The theoretical calculations within the molecular field approximation are in agreement with the experimental magnetic x-$T$ phase diagram of the ${\mathrm{Er}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Y}}_{x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{2}$ system and confirm the effect of a separate ordering of the magnetic sublattices with reasonable parameters used for the intrasublattice Er-Er and intersublattice Er-Co exchange interactions. A field-induced collapse of the Co moment, inverse itinerant electron metamagnetism, is well observable by magnetoresistance measurements at appropriate values of concentration and external pressure. The existence of itinerant electron metamagnetism in the Co sublattice is found to be limited in temperature by ${T}_{0},$ a characteristic temperature which is sensitive to substitution and pressure.

Our studies show that hydrostatic pressure causes a substantial increase in Kondo temperature TK and suppresses the magnetic order of the Ce-rich side of (Ce,U)Al2. For example, the magnetic transition of (Ce0.7U0.3)Al2 disappears above 5.5 kbar. Spin fluctuations dominant in the U-rich side become suppressed too, and simultaneously the U-rich systems are driven with pressure towards a simple metallic regime. A new scaling is found of the pressure-dependent resistivity of U-rich samples.

We report magnetic properties of the antiferromagnet ${\mathrm{YMn}}_{2}$ as functions of pressure and temperature $(T)$ obtained from the ${}^{55}\mathrm{Mn}$ spin-lattice relaxation rate and the Knight shift. An energy-band narrowing due to electron correlation is indicated by the Knight shift measurement and the application of pressure is found to enhance the conduction electron bandwidth. In the pressure-induced paramagnetic state, the system undergoes a crossover from an itinerant spin fluctuation (SF) regime at low $T$ to a local SF regime at high $T$. It is pointed out that this magnetic crossover of SF resembles that of high-temperature superconductors.

Studies of the electrical resistivity $\ensuremath{\rho}$ were carried out under applied hydrostatic pressures up to 20 kbar and in the temperature range from 1.5 K to room temperature. The pressure dependence of the magnetic-ordering temperatures and the suppression of spin fluctuations in the paramagnetic temperature regime have been deduced from the variation of characteristic features in $\ensuremath{\rho}(T,P)$. Gr\"uneisen parameters of the magnetic-ordering temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{C}}$ and the spin-fluctuation temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{SF}}$ have been obtained and discussed with respect to a pressure-induced destabilization of the itinerant $d$ subsystem. Finally, as the measurements are performed under hydrostatic conditions, a possible change in the character of the magnetic phase transition from first towards second order has been investigated.

Overview: Rising cancer care costs are no longer sustainable. Medical oncologists must focus on providing the maximum value to their patients; improving short-term, intermediate and long-term outcomes; and managing overall costs. Accurate measurement of outcomes and overall cost is essential to informing providers and institutions and in the quest for continuous improvement in value. The ASCO Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) is an excellent tool for sampling processes of care in medical oncology practices. To achieve the larger goal of improving the value of cancer care, ASCO is investing in the development of a Rapid Learning System, which will leverage emerging information technologies to more accurately measure outcomes (including those reported by the patient) and costs, resulting in highly efficient, effective, and safe cancer care.

Spectroscopic, magnetic, thermal, and transport measurements under pressure are presented which were performed on ${\mathrm{YbCu}}_{5\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Al}}_{x}$ intermetallics. The substitution of Cu by Al in ${\mathrm{YbCu}}_{5}$ drives the system from an almost divalent behavior of the Yb ion in ${\mathrm{YbCu}}_{5}$ to a trivalent state in ${\mathrm{YbCu}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$. A compensation between the normal thermal expansion and a valence-driven contraction was found for ${\mathrm{YbCu}}_{4}\mathrm{Al}$. Antiferromagnetic order sets in for $xg1.5$, where an increasing Al content causes both a growing transition temperature and rising saturation moments reaching 2 K and about 2.1${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}},$ respectively, for $x=2$. At the critical concentration $(x\ensuremath{\approx}1.5)$ the possibility of a non-Fermi-liquid state is analyzed together with its tuning by pressure.

Single crystals of the antiferromagnetic compound UGa3 were studied by means of pressure dependent electrical resistivity measurements. The Neel temperature was found to decrease with rising pressure at the rate of −1.4 K/bar. A rapid reduction of TN was also observed in the electrical resistivity studies of the pseudobinary system U(Ga1−xGex)3, where the substitution for Ga of a smaller atom was equivalent to a positive chemical pressure. The results corroborate an itinerant- electron nature of the magnetism in UGa3 which was suggested before on the basis of the peculiar magnetic and thermodynamic properties of this compound.