3 Clinical implications of the differential antibody response in mild-moderate SARS-CoV-2: a prospective multi-centre cross-sectional study

IntroductionSerological testing can augment delayed case identification programmes for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronoravirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Immunoassays employ anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NP; the majority) or potentially neutralising anti-spike (including anti-receptor binding domain; anti-RBD) antibody targets, yet correlation between assays and variability arising from disease symptomatology remains unclear. We explore these possibly differential immune responses across the disease spectrum.MethodsA multicentre prospective study was undertaken via a SARS-CoV-2 delayed case identification programme (08 May-11 July 2020). Matched samples were tested for anti-NP and anti-RBD (utilising an ‘inhouse’ double-antigen bridged assay), reactivity expressed as test/cut-off binding ratios (BR) and results compared. A multivariate linear regression model analysed age, sex, symptomatology, PCR positivity, anti-NP, and anti-RBD BRs. Participants were followed up for possible reinfection.Results902 individuals underwent matched testing; 109 were SARS-CoV-2 PCR swab positive. Anti-NP, anti-RBD immunoassay agreement was 87.5% (95% CI 85.3–89.6), with BRs strongly correlated (R=0.75). PCR confirmed cases were more frequently identified by anti-RBD (sensitivity 108/109, 99.1%, 95% CI 95.0–100.0) than anti-NP (102/109, 93.6%, 95% CI 87.2–97.4). Anti-RBD identified an additional 83/325 (25.5%) cases in those seronegative for anti-NP. Presence of anti-NP (p<0.0001), fever (p=0.005), or anosmia (p=0.002) were all significantly associated with an increased anti-RBD BR. Age was associated with reduced anti-RBD BR (p=0.052). Three cases with evidence of seroconversion (anti-RBD seropositive) presented with subsequent reactive PCR results, two of which coincided with first time onset of Public Heath England SARS-CoV-2 symptoms.ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 anti-RBD shows significant correlation with anti-NP for absolute seroconversion, and BRs. Higher BRs are seen in symptomatic individuals with significantly higher levels seen in those with fever and anosmia. The degree of discordant results (12.5%) limits the use of anti-NP as a stand-alone for delayed case finding programmes. Similarly, this discordance limits the utility of non-neutralising anti-NP assays in place of potentially neutralising anti-RBD to infer possible immunity.** this abstract presentation was awarded an Honourable Mention

Publication rates of hematology/oncology abstracts presented at major pharmacy association meetings

Introduction Professional conferences are where research findings are initially presented. Studies suggest many research ideas presented at conferences are never published. Previous studies have demonstrated that the full publication rate of abstracts presented at pharmacy meetings is approximately 20%. The objective of this study was to determine the full publication rate of hematology/oncology abstracts presented at major pharmacy organization annual meetings. Methods A systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed. Publication status was evaluated for hematology/oncology abstracts presented at annual meetings for the following organizations: American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting, Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Meeting, and International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners Annual Meeting. Data collected included the meeting of abstract presentation, number of authors, abstract study type, country of origin, journal of publication, and type of publication. Abstracts presented as trainee research were excluded. Results Of 451 oncology abstracts evaluated, the most common topic categories included pharmacotherapy (n = 244; 54.1%), clinical pharmacy practice (n = 84; 18.6%), and operational/compounding (n = 69; 15.3%). The overall publication rate was 17.5% (n = 79). Abstracts were published as full manuscripts over a spread of 48 different journals. Factors associated with full publication included abstracts with more than 5 authors (OR 3.86, 95% CI 2.32-6.43; p < 0.0001) and abstracts presented at oncology-focused pharmacy meetings (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.49-5.72; p = 0.0018). Conclusion This study showed an overall publication rate of 17.5% for abstracts presented at pharmacy meetings, consistent with prior studies.

Penulisan Abstrak Bahasa Inggris

This partnership program aims to provide knowledge and skills of writing an English abstract for English Teacher Association, Somba Opu district, Gowa used to express their ideas in a brief, concise, conclusive and informative manner to produce some scientific works. It is expected that it can develop skills, attitudes and a writing culture as a medium for sharing concrete thoughts, both through printed and non-printed media. This program is packaged in the form of training which consists of several activities , namely (1) presentation of material about the concept of basic writing of an abstract by utilizing the online facilities of information and technology in the current situation of a pandemic covid 19, namely Zoom, Google Meet, and Watch Application, (2) individual assignment to write an abstract , (3) abstract presentation , and (4 ) revision of abstract in terms of choice of diction or grammatical mistakes given during the presentation session. The methods used in this training are quite varied, namely lectures, discussions/presentations, and individual consultations to the team. The result of this program showed that (1) the participants gained a good understanding about the concepts and writing organization for English abstract, and (2) there were 85% of them were able to make up a well-organized abstract. It takes into account that this program has a positive impact toward their participant knowledge and skill of writing an English abstract.

Abstract to Publication in Microsurgery: What Are the Discrepancies?

Background The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) annual meeting is a forum to present new research abstracts prior to peer-reviewed publication. The aim of this study is to determine the conversion rate, discrepancies, and time between presentation and publication. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted cross-referencing ASRM abstracts presented between 2014 and 2018 with peer-reviewed manuscripts. The title and authors of the abstract and manuscript, the journal of manuscript publication, and time in months between presentation and publication were recorded. The conversion rate was calculated as the proportion of publications to abstracts. Major discrepancies were defined as changes in the purpose, study design, methods, sample size, statistical analysis, results, or conclusions. Minor discrepancies were defined as changes in the title or authorship. Results Out of 667 oral abstract presentations, 361 (54%) resulted in publication. Of these abstracts, 53 were presented after their corresponding manuscripts were published. The mean conversion rate was 55.52 ± 10.17%. The mean time from presentation to publication was 13.83 months. Minor discrepancies were more frequent than major discrepancies (91 vs. 76%). The most common major and minor discrepancies involved changes in the results (63%) and authorship (79%), respectively. There was a significant association between the year of abstract presentation and whether the conclusion was changed (p = 0.001), but interyear relationships with all other discrepancies failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusion Only around half of abstracts presented at the annual ASRM conference have reached full publication in peer-reviewed journals, and most are undergoing significant changes between presentation and publication. This may be due to panel discussions at meetings suggesting study modifications, as well as revisions after careful peer review. Altering surgical practices may not be recommended based on abstracts' content.

Report on the Canadian Cancer Research Conference 2019

The fifth Canadian Cancer Research Conference (CCRC) took place 3-5 November 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario. With nearly 1000 participants, scientists, oncologists, community members, and patients gathered together to share knowledge, foster collaborations, and fuel the future of cancer research in Canada. The scientific program included three plenary sessions, 26 concurrent sessions and two poster sessions presenting research described in over 600 submitted abstracts. These gave participants the opportunity to share their research that collectively encompassed the four pillars of health research recognized by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. In addition to the breadth of topics addressed by Canadian and international experts, the highlights of the meeting included the integration of patients/advocates, new rapid-fire sessions for abstract presentation, and events that enhanced the learning opportunities for trainees.