Gradual weaning of 3-month-old calves from foster cows in dairy production.

When calves are reared by cows, separation can be stressful, and it is often advised to use gradual weaning to minimize this stress. In foster cow systems, one gradual weaning method is to remove the foster cows, one by one, from the cow-calf group. The response to one-by-one removal of foster cows of 32 calves housed in 5 groups was studied. Calves were fostered to a designated foster cow individually, in pairs, or in trios, at the age of 1 to 2 wk and then housed in groups of 4 to 6 foster cows and 6 to 11 calves until gradual weaning started at 3 mo of age. Calf behavior and aggression received by calves from cows were recorded using video during 18 h before any foster cow was removed, as well as 18 h before and 18 h after the designated foster cow was removed from the group. Before any foster cow was removed, the calves spent a similar amount of time sucking the designated foster cow and other cows (in total 43 ± 5 min/18 h). The total duration of sucking was similar before and after the designated foster was removed, as the duration of sucking other cows increased. The number of aggressive events received from other cows also increased. The results indicate that milk availability for the group of calves decreases as foster cows are gradually removed and that the older and heavier calves increasingly compete with the younger and lighter calves for the available milk. This weaning method may also compromise the welfare of the foster cows that are left to wean off an increasing number of calves, and this warrants further research.

Nursing Home Workers' Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: To understand nursing home workers' experience during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and investigate the prevalence of health-related quality of life, emotional distress, job satisfaction, and the impact of the pandemic. METHOD: The Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) Registry served as the data source for this descriptive cross-sectional analysis. Recruitment was conducted nationally. Eligible nursing home workers (N = 1,409) enrolled in the study online, self-reported demographic and employment characteristics, and completed electronic surveys. RESULTS: Nursing home workers reported overall good physical health, frequent depressive symptoms, burnout, and a high prevalence of feeling tired, stressed, having trouble sleeping, and feeling worried. Age and race were found to be positively associated with the impact of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrate the difficulties and challenges nursing home workers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research needs to evaluate the relationships among nursing home workers' roles, mental health, depressive symptoms, and prevalence of burnout with a larger, more diverse sample. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 17(3), 131-140.].

Circadian rhythms and diurnal patterns in the feed intake behaviour of growing-finishing pigs.

The feeding behaviour of growing-finishing pigs is an important indicator of performance, health and welfare, but this use is limited by its large, poorly-understood variation. We explored the variation in basal feed intake of individual pigs by detecting circadian rhythms, extracting features of diurnal patterns and assessing consistency over time, from day-to-day and across age. Hourly feed intake data of individual pigs (n = 110) was obtained during one growing-finishing phase, using electronic feeding stations. We applied wavelet analysis to assess rhythms and a hurdle generalised additive model to extract features of diurnal patterns. We found that circadian rhythms could be detected during 58 ± 3% (mean ± standard error) of days in the growing-finishing phase (range 0-100%), predominantly at older ages. Although the group diurnal intake pattern was alternans (small morning peak, larger afternoon peak), individual pigs showed a range of diurnal patterns that changed with age, differing mostly in the extent of night fasting and day-to-day consistency. Our results suggest that the type, day-to-day consistency and age development of diurnal patterns in feed intake show general group patterns but also differ between pigs. Using this knowledge, promising features may be selected to compare against production, health and welfare parameters.

Challenge in Predicting Persistence to P2Y12 Inhibitors: A Perspective From the ARTEMIS Trial.

Background Premature discontinuation of P2Y12 inhibitor therapy has been associated with adverse cardiac events, which might be preventable by improving medication persistence. Current risk models have limited ability to predict patients at risk of P2Y12 inhibitor nonpersistence. Methods and Results ARTEMIS (Affordability and Real-World Antiplatelet Treatment Effectiveness after Myocardial Infarction Study) was a randomized, controlled trial testing the impact of a copayment assistance intervention on P2Y12 inhibitor persistence and outcomes. Among 6212 patients post myocardial infarction with a planned 1-year course of P2Y12 inhibitor therapy, nonpersistence was defined as a gap in P2Y12 inhibitor filled >30 days by pharmacy fill data. We developed a predictive model for 1-year P2Y12 inhibitor nonpersistence among patients randomized to usual care. P2Y12 inhibitor nonpersistence rates were 23.8% (95% CI, 22.7%-24.8%) at 30 days and 47.9% (46.6%-49.1%) at 1 year; the majority of these patients had in-hospital percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients who received the copayment assistance intervention had nonpersistence rates of 22.0% (20.7%-23.3%) at 30 days and 45.3% (43.8%-46.9%) at 1 year. A 53-variable multivariable model predicting 1-year persistence had a C-index of 0.63 (optimism-corrected C-index 0.58). Model discrimination did not improve with inclusion of patient-reported perceptions about disease, medication-taking beliefs, and prior medication-filling behavior in addition to demographic and medical history data (C-index 0.62). Conclusions Despite addition of patient-reported variables, models predicting persistence with P2Y12 inhibitor therapy performed poorly, thereby suggesting the need for continued patient and clinician education on the importance of P2Y12 inhibitor therapy after acute myocardial infarction. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02406677.

Experiences of U.S. Nurses Compared With Nonnurses in the First Year of COVID-19: Findings From a National Registry.

BACKGROUND: Nursing professional organizations and media sources indicated early in the pandemic that the physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 might be distinct and possibly greater in nurses than in other types of healthcare workers (HCWs). OBJECTIVES: Based on survey data collected in Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO), a national registry of U.S. HCWs, this study compared the self-reported experiences of nurses with other HCWs during the first 13 months of the pandemic. METHODS: Nurse responses were compared to responses of nonnurse HCWs in terms of viral exposure, testing and infection, access to personal protective equipment (PPE), burnout, and well-being. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between nurse and nonnurse roles for the binary end points of viral testing and test positivity for COVID-19. We also examined differences by race/ethnicity and high-risk versus low-risk practice settings. RESULTS: Of 24,343 HCWs in the registry, one third self-identified as nurses. Nurses were more likely than other HCWs to report exposure to SARS-CoV-2, problems accessing PPE, and decreased personal well-being, including burnout, feeling tired, stress, trouble sleeping, and worry. In adjusted models, nurses were more likely than nonnurse HCWs to report viral testing and test positivity for COVID-19 infection. Nurses in high-risk settings were more likely to report viral exposure and symptoms related to well-being; nurses in low-risk settings were more likely to report viral testing and test positivity. Black or Hispanic nurses were most likely to report test positivity. DISCUSSION: Differences were identified between nurses and nonnurse HCWs in access to PPE, physical and mental well-being measures, and likelihood of reporting exposure and infection. Among nurses, testing and infection differed based on race and ethnicity, and type of work setting. Our findings suggest further research and policy are needed to elucidate and address social and occupational disparities.

The effect of hides and parity on behavior of periparturient dairy cows at pasture.

Under natural conditions, most parturient cows seek visual cover or seclude themselves from the herd when calving becomes imminent. Studies on calving site selection of dairy cows housed indoors show that predominantly older and dominant cows calve in secluded areas. This study aimed to investigate whether cows distance themselves further from herd members under spacious outdoor conditions and whether artificial hides on a pasture motivate cows to seek visual isolation from the herd. One hundred eighty-two Danish Holstein cows were allocated to 1 of 13 groups of 14 cows according to expected calving date. In 2 paddocks (each 75 × 150 m), 5 zones (75 m × 30 m) were defined; zone 0 contained the feeding and shade area, and zone 4 bordered an area with trees. Weekly and according to calving date, a group of 14 cows was moved either to a paddock that had 12 hides distributed evenly throughout zones 1 to 4 (7 groups) or to a paddock without hides (6 groups). The hides were wooden structures (3.3 m long × 1.0 m wide × 1.2 m high) that the cows could hide behind. One hundred seven cows calved within 14 d of having been moved to the paddock, and 82 of these (38 primiparous and 44 multiparous), and their calves, were included in the study. From 3 h before until 3 h after calving, the location, posture, and behavior of cows were recorded continuously from video recordings. In addition, location, posture, and behavior of the calves were recorded for the first 3 h after birth. Continuous variables were analyzed by linear mixed effects models, whereas binary data were analyzed using mixed effects logistic regression. The presence of hides did not affect selection of calving location in the paddock, but more primiparous than multiparous cows calved in zone 4; that is, furthest away from the feeding area. Before calving, primiparous cows were more likely to be positioned in zone 4 and less likely to approach and contact herd members. After calving, primiparous cows and their calves tended to be more likely to be positioned in zone 4. The more cows present in the paddock, the less likely the cows were to isolate (i.e., be further than 30 m away from any other cow) at the time of calving. In addition, the more cows in the paddock when a calf was born, the less time these calves spent in a lying posture. The results show that primiparous cows move further away from herd members at calving than multiparous cows and suggest that primiparous cows prefer to isolate themselves through distance rather than seeking artificial cover. Contrary to expectation, the hides did not make more cows select a calving site away from the feeding area.

Developing a feasible and sensitive judgement bias task in dairy cows.

Judgement bias tasks (JBTs) are used to assess the influence of farm practices on livestock affective states. The tasks must be adjusted to the species and age group of focus. In cattle, most JBTs were designed for calves instead of adult cows. This study aimed to develop a JBT suitable for adult dairy cows, combining feasibility, validity, sensitivity and repeatability. Three JBTs were developed in which cows were trained to reach or avoid reaching a feeder, the location of which signalled a reward or punisher. The tasks differed in terms of punisher-cows being allocated either to "no-reward", an air puff or an electric shock. Cows were then exposed twice to three ambiguous positions of the feeder, on two separate occasions. Speed of learning and proportions of correct responses to the conditioned locations were used to assess the feasibility of the task. Adjusted latencies to reach the ambiguous feeder positions were used to examine whether response patterns matched the linear and monotonic graded pattern expected in a valid and sensitive JBT at baseline. Latencies to reach the feeders in the two repeated testing sessions were compared to assess ambiguity loss over tasks' repetitions. The validity of using spatial JBTs for dairy cows was demonstrated. While the effect on JBT feasibility was nuanced, the punisher did influence JBT sensitivity. None of the JBTs' repeatability could be supported. We conclude that using an air puf as punisher led to the most sensitive, yet non-repeatable, JBT for dairy cows.

Housing and personality effects on judgement and attention biases in dairy cows.

Affective states can be inferred from responses to ambiguous and threatening stimuli, using Judgement Bias Tasks (JBTs) and Attention Bias Tasks (ABTs). We investigated the separate and interactive effects of personality and housing conditions on dairy cattle affective states. We assessed personality in 48 heifers using Open-Field, Novel-Object and Runway tests. Personality effects on responses to the JBT and to the ABT were examined when heifers were housed under reference conditions. Heifers were subsequently housed under positive or negative conditions, and housing effects on animal responses in both tasks were investigated while controlling for personality. A Principal Component Analysis revealed three personality traits labelled Activity, Fearfulness and Sociability. Under reference conditions, personality influenced heifers' responses to the JBT and to the ABT, therefore questioning the tasks' generalizability across individuals. Against expectations, housing did not influence responses to the  JBT and heifers in the negative conditions looked at the threat later than heifers in the positive or reference conditions. More research is warranted to confirm the validity and the repeatability of the JBT and of the ABT as appropriate measures of affective states in dairy cows.

Impact of the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic on US Healthcare Workers: Results from the HERO Registry.

BACKGROUND: The HERO registry was established to support research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US healthcare workers. OBJECTIVE: Describe the COVID-19 pandemic experiences of and effects on individuals participating in the HERO registry. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, self-administered registry enrollment survey conducted from April 10 to July 31, 2020. SETTING: Participants worked in hospitals (74.4%), outpatient clinics (7.4%), and other settings (18.2%) located throughout the nation. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 14,600 healthcare workers. MAIN MEASURES: COVID-19 exposure, viral and antibody testing, diagnosis of COVID-19, job burnout, and physical and emotional distress. KEY RESULTS: Mean age was 42.0 years, 76.4% were female, 78.9% were White, 33.2% were nurses, 18.4% were physicians, and 30.3% worked in settings at high risk for COVID-19 exposure (e.g., ICUs, EDs, COVID-19 units). Overall, 43.7% reported a COVID-19 exposure and 91.3% were exposed at work. Just 3.8% in both high- and low-risk settings experienced COVID-19 illness. In regression analyses controlling for demographics, professional role, and work setting, the risk of COVID-19 illness was higher for Black/African-Americans (aOR 2.32, 99% CI 1.45, 3.70, p < 0.01) and Hispanic/Latinos (aOR 2.19, 99% CI 1.55, 3.08, p < 0.01) compared with Whites. Overall, 41% responded that they were experiencing job burnout. Responding about the day before they completed the survey, 53% of participants reported feeling tired a lot of the day, 51% stress, 41% trouble sleeping, 38% worry, 21% sadness, 19% physical pain, and 15% anger. On average, healthcare workers reported experiencing 2.4 of these 7 distress feelings a lot of the day. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers are at high risk for COVID-19 exposure, but rates of COVID-19 illness were low. The greater risk of COVID-19 infection among race/ethnicity minorities reported in the general population is also seen in healthcare workers. The HERO registry will continue to monitor changes in healthcare worker well-being during the pandemic. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04342806.

What is animal happiness?

Today, we see a growing concern for the quality of life of nonhuman animals and an accompanying call for viable means of assessing how well animals thrive. Past research focused on minimizing negatives such as stress, while more recent endeavors strive to promote positives such as happiness. But what is animal happiness? Although often mentioned, the term lacks a clear definition. With recent advances in the study of animal emotion, current interest into positive rather than negative experiences, and the call for captive and domesticated animals to have good lives, the time is ripe to examine the concept of animal happiness. We draw from the human and animal literature to delineate a concept of animal happiness and propose how to assess it. We argue that animal happiness depends on how an individual feels generally-that is, a typical level of affect.

An Observational Study of the Association of Video- Versus Text-Based Informed Consent With Multicenter Trial Enrollment: Lessons From the PALM Study (Patient and Provider Assessment of Lipid Management).

BACKGROUND: Patient participation in clinical research is low, in part because of the length and complexity of the informed consent process. Video informed consent may enhance the appeal of research and help break down barriers to participation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The PALM study (Patient and Provider Assessment of Lipid Management) enrolled 7904 patients at cardiology, endocrinology, and primary care clinics across the United States to evaluate cholesterol management practices. Of 153 participating clinics, 67 (43.8%) secured institutional review board approval to use a tablet-based video informed consent tool that patients could select to navigate through the informed consent process instead of traditional text-based informed consent. At sites without institutional review board approval of video consent, all patients read a text-based informed consent document. Site activation times and enrollment volumes, as well as characteristics of enrolled patients, were compared between sites with and without video consent capability. Sites with video consent capability more often used a central institutional review board (89.6% versus 73.3%), were more often rural (16.7% versus 3.8%), and tended to have fewer providers. Compared with sites without video consent capability, sites with video consent capability had shorter times from site approach to first patient enrollment (median 178 versus 207 days; P=0.02). Sites with video consent capability enrolled similar numbers of patients as sites without video consent capability (P=0.48) but enrolled a greater proportion of patients who were ≥75 years old (27.5% versus 23.6%; P<0.001) and nonwhite (17.7% versus 14.2%; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study of recruitment in a multicenter registry, sites approved for video consent use enrolled the same number of patients as sites with only traditional text-based informed consent but had faster speed to first patient enrolled and more often enrolled older and nonwhite patients. Future randomized trials are needed to assess the impact of video consent on enrollment mechanics and demographics. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02341664.

Unexplained Variation for Hospitals' Use of Inpatient Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Facilities After an Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rehabilitation is recommended after a stroke to enhance recovery and improve outcomes, but hospital's use of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) or skilled nursing facility (SNF) and the factors associated with referral are unknown. METHODS: We analyzed clinical registry and claims data for 31 775 Medicare beneficiaries presenting with acute ischemic stroke from 918 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals who were discharged to either IRF or SNF between 2006 and 2008. Using a multilevel logistic regression model, we evaluated patient and hospital characteristics, as well as geographic availability, in relation to discharge to either IRF or SNF. After accounting for observed factors, the median odds ratio was reported to quantify hospital-level variation in the use of IRF versus SNF. RESULTS: Of 31 775 patients, 17 662 (55.6%) were discharged to IRF and 14 113 (44.4%) were discharged to SNF. Compared with SNF patients, IRF patients were younger, more were men, had less health-service use 6 months prestroke, and had fewer comorbid conditions and in-hospital complications. Use of IRF or SNF varied significantly across hospitals (median IRF use, 55.8%; interquartile range, 34.8%-75.0%; unadjusted median odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 2.44-2.77). Hospital-level variation in discharge rates to IRF or SNF persisted after adjustment for patient, clinical, and geographic variables (adjusted median odds ratio, 2.87; 95% confidence interval, 2.68-3.11). CONCLUSIONS: There is marked unexplained variation among hospitals in their use of IRF versus SNF poststroke even after accounting for clinical characteristics and geographic availability. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02284165.

Outcomes of a multi-community hypertension implementation study: the American Heart Association's Check. Change. Control. program.

Single-site, intensive, community-based blood pressure (BP) intervention programs have led to BP improvements. The authors examined the American Heart Association's Check. Change. CONTROL: (CCC) program (4069 patients/18 cities) to determine whether BP interventions can effectively be scaled to multiple communities, using a simplified template and local customization. Effectiveness was evaluated at each site via site percent enrollment goals, participant engagement, and BP change from first to last measurement. High-enrolling sites frequently recruited at senior residential institutions and service organizations held hypertension management classes and utilized established and new community partners. High-engagement sites regularly held hypertension education classes and followed up with participants. Top-performing sites commonly distributed BP cuffs, checked BP at engagement activities, and trained volunteers. CCC demonstrated that simplified community-based hypertension intervention programs may lead to BP improvements, but there was high outcomes variability among programs. Several factors were associated with BP improvement that may guide future program development.

Design and rationale for the Patient and Provider Assessment of Lipid Management (PALM) registry.

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia among adults in the United States remains high. Data are limited on treatment patterns and patient perceptions of cardiovascular disease risk since the release of new lipid guidelines. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the PALM registry are to assess contemporary patterns of lipid-lowering therapy use among adults receiving care in a nationally representative cohort of community clinics, determine consistency of treatment with varying lipid guidelines, identify factors affecting use of lipid-lowering therapy including patient-reported statin intolerance, and assess patient and provider knowledge of cardiovascular risk reduction goals. STUDY DESIGN: The PALM registry will enroll 7,500 patients likely to be considered for lipid-lowering therapy from 175 cardiology, primary care, and endocrinology practices across the United States. In this cross-sectional, observational registry, a novel tablet-based platform will be used to collect patient-reported knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding cardiovascular risk reduction and lipid management. Chart abstraction and core laboratory lipid levels will describe current lipid management. Provider surveys will assess perception of current lipid-lowering goals and barriers to optimal cardiovascular risk reduction. CONCLUSION: The PALM registry will allow for better understanding of current practice patterns, patient experiences, and patient and provider attitudes toward cholesterol management for cardiovascular disease risk reduction. These data can be used to better understand gaps in care and design targeted interventions to improve uptake of lipid-lowering therapies for cardiovascular risk reduction.

Natural (auto)antibodies in calves are affected by age and diet.

BACKGROUND: Natural autoantibodies (N(a)ab) were found in every species tested so far, and are likely important in maintaining homeostasis. OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine N(a)ab in Bos taurus calves, (2) evaluate effects of diet and age on N(a)ab binding repertoires in calves, and (3) delineate bovine liver cell lysate (BLL) antigens related with variation in rumen score and body weight. ANIMALS AND METHODS: Effects of age and diet on staining of BLL fragments by IgM and IgG antibodies in serum samples collected at 20 or at 26 weeks of age from bull calves either fed a restricted or ad libitum diet were analyzed using quantitative Western blotting. Correlations between fragments stained and grouping of calves were done by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Redundancy analysis (RDA) was done to relate rumen score and body weight variation at slaughter at 27 weeks of age with stained BLL fragments. RESULTS: In sera from all calves IgM and IgG antibodies binding BLL antigens were found. Corresponding fragments were stained, but quantitative differences in staining intensities were related to diet and age for both IgM and IgG. PCA revealed that age had a greater influence than diet on BLL fragment staining. RDA suggested that staining by IgM or IgG of specific BLL fragments was related with variation in rumen score and body weight. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Analyses of N(a)ab in serum could be a potential tool to estimate the health status of cattle, and be used to evaluate effects of husbandry practices.

Chopped or long roughage: what do calves prefer? Using cross point analysis of double demand functions.

The present study aimed to quantify calves' (Bos taurus) preference for long versus chopped hay and straw, and hay versus straw, using cross point analysis of double demand functions, in a context where energy intake was not a limiting factor. Nine calves, fed milk replacer and concentrate, were trained to work for roughage rewards from two simultaneously available panels. The cost (number of muzzle presses) required on the panels varied in each session (left panel/right panel): 7/35, 14/28, 21/21, 28/14, 35/7. Demand functions were estimated from the proportion of rewards achieved on one panel relative to the total number of rewards achieved in one session. Cross points (cp) were calculated as the cost at which an equal number of rewards was achieved from both panels. The deviation of the cp from the midpoint (here 21) indicates the strength of the preference. Calves showed a preference for long versus chopped hay (cp = 14.5; P = 0.004), and for hay versus straw (cp = 38.9; P = 0.004), both of which improve rumen function. Long hay may stimulate chewing more than chopped hay, and the preference for hay versus straw could be related to hedonic characteristics. No preference was found for chopped versus long straw (cp = 20.8; P = 0.910). These results could be used to improve the welfare of calves in production systems; for example, in systems where calves are fed hay along with high energy concentrate, providing long hay instead of chopped could promote roughage intake, rumen development, and rumination.

Patterns of anticoagulation following bioprosthetic valve implantation: observations from ANSWER.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines recommend a three-month administration of warfarin following bioprosthetic valve replacement (BVR). However, strong evidence supporting this recommendation is lacking, making process variation likely. METHODS: In the ANSWER Registry, a total of 386 patients who had received either Epic or Biocor BVRs between May 2007 and August 2008 at 40 centers was enrolled. Patterns of discharge anticoagulation and outpatient International Normalized Ratio (INR) values were collected. Mortality, embolic, and bleeding events were assessed up to six months after BVR. RESULTS: The median patient age was 74 years (interquartile range (IQR): 67-80 years), 39% of patients were female, and 65% were classified as a high thromboembolic risk. Warfarin was prescribed in 38% of all BVR patients, and in 49% of those at high risk of thromboembolism. The median time to therapeutic INR was nine days (IQR: 1 to 18 days), and 20% of patients failed to reach therapeutic levels. Among those patients achieving a therapeutic INR, 78% and 57% respectively had at least one subtherapeutic or supratherapeutic INR during the subsequent follow up to three months. During the follow up, patients treated with warfarin had similar rates of embolic events (2.8% versus 3.1%, p = 0.884), but a substantially higher incidence of bleeding than those not treated with warfarin (12% versus 3%, p = 0.0012). Among patients who were anticoagulated, those with supratherapeutic INR-values had a seven-fold higher risk for overt bleeding events (26% versus 3%). CONCLUSION: Anticoagulation strategies after BVR are highly variable. In this population, challenges in achieving and maintaining therapeutic warfarin anticoagulation are common, and are associated with an increased risk of bleeding. Further studies are required to clarify the optimal post-BVR anticoagulation strategy.

Data quality in the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke): results from a national data validation audit.

BACKGROUND: Get With The Guidelines (GWTG)-Stroke is a national stroke registry and quality improvement program. We examined the accuracy and reliability of data entered in GWTG-Stroke. METHODS: Data entered by sites in the GWTG-Stroke database were compared with that abstracted from de-identified medical records by trained auditors. Accuracy for each individual data element and a composite accuracy measure were calculated. Reliability was assessed using kappa (κ) statistics for categorical variables and intraclass correlation (ICC) for continuous variables. RESULTS: A random selection of 438 medical records from 147 GWTG-Stroke hospitals was obtained. Overall accuracy was above 90% for all variables abstracted except for weight (84.9%), serum creatinine (88.1%), deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis (79.0%), and date/time last known well (85.3%). Intermediate to good (κ or ICC 0.40-0.75) or excellent agreement (κ or ICC ≥0.75) was observed for nearly all audited variables, including time-related performance measures such as arrival within 2 hours of symptom onset (κ = 0.90) and door-to-needle time ≤60 minutes (κ = 0.72). The overall composite accuracy rate was 96.1%. The composite measure varied slightly by region and hospital academic status, but there were no significant differences in composite accuracy by bed size, ischemic stroke volume, primary stroke center certification, or Coverdell Registry participation. CONCLUSIONS: This audit establishes the reliability of GWTG-Stroke registry data. Individual data elements with suboptimal accuracy should be targeted for further data quality improvement.

Pliocene eclogite exhumation at plate tectonic rates in eastern Papua New Guinea.

As lithospheric plates are subducted, rocks are metamorphosed under high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure conditions to produce eclogites and eclogite facies metamorphic rocks. Because chemical equilibrium is rarely fully achieved, eclogites may preserve in their distinctive mineral assemblages and textures a record of the pressures, temperatures and deformation the rock was subjected to during subduction and subsequent exhumation. Radioactive parent-daughter isotopic variations within minerals reveal the timing of these events. Here we present in situ zircon U/Pb ion microprobe data that dates the timing of eclogite facies metamorphism in eastern Papua New Guinea at 4.3 +/- 0.4 Myr ago, making this the youngest documented eclogite exposed at the Earth's surface. Eclogite exhumation from depths of approximately 75 km was extremely rapid and occurred at plate tectonic rates (cm yr(-1)). The eclogite was exhumed within a portion of the obliquely convergent Australian-Pacific plate boundary zone, in an extending region located west of the Woodlark basin sea floor spreading centre. Such rapid exhumation (> 1 cm yr(-1)) of high-pressure and, we infer, ultrahigh-pressure rocks is facilitated by extension within transient plate boundary zones associated with rapid oblique plate convergence.