We describe the design and report baseline results of a cluster-randomized intervention to determine the importance of bovines for Schistosoma japonicum transmission in southern China. The study involves four matched village pairs in Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces, with a village within each pair randomly selected as intervention (human and bovine praziquantel treatment) or control (human praziquantel treatment only). Total study population prevalences at baseline were 12.4% (n = 5,390) and 15.2% (n = 1,573) for humans and bovines, respectively; village prevalences were similar within pairs. Bovine contamination index calculations showed that bovines less than 24 months of age were responsible for 74% of daily bovine environmental contamination with S. japonicum eggs. The village characteristics and baseline results underpin a rigorous study, which has major implications for deployment of a transmission-blocking bovine vaccine against S. japonicum. The combination of such a vaccine with other control strategies could potentially eliminate S. japonicum from southern China.

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Objectives: Resternotomy is a common part of cardiac surgical practice. Associated with resternotomy are the risks of cardiac injury and catastrophic hemorrhage and the subsequent elevated morbidity and mortality in the operating room or during the postoperative period. The technique of direct vision resternotomy is safe and has fewer, if any, serious cardiac injuries. The technique, the reduced need for groin cannulation and the overall l o w operative mortality and morbidity are the focus of this restrospective analysis. Methods: The records of 495 patients undergoing 546 resternotomies over a 21-year period t o January 2000 were reviewed. All consecutive reoperations by the one surgeon comprised patients over the age of 20 at first resternotomy: M:F 343:203, mean age 57 years (range 20 t o 85, median age 60). The mean NYHA grade was 2.3 [with 67 patients (I), 273 (II),159 (Ill), 43 (IV), and 4 (V classification)l with elective reoperation in 94.6%. Cardiac injury was graded into five

Oxygen is a life-saving therapy but, when given inappropriately, may also be hazardous. Therefore, in the acute medical setting, oxygen should only be given as treatment for hypoxaemia and requires appropriate prescription, monitoring and review. This update to the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) guidance on acute oxygen therapy is a brief and practical resource for all healthcare workers involved with administering oxygen therapy to adults in the acute medical setting. It does not apply to intubated or paediatric patients. Recommendations are made in the following six clinical areas: assessment of hypoxaemia (including use of arterial blood gases); prescription of oxygen; peripheral oxygen saturation targets; delivery, including non-invasive ventilation and humidified high-flow nasal cannulae; the significance of high oxygen requirements; and acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. There are three sections which provide (1) a brief summary, (2) recommendations in detail with practice points and (3) a detailed explanation of the reasoning and evidence behind the recommendations. It is anticipated that these recommendations will be disseminated widely in structured programmes across Australia and New Zealand. K E Y W O R D S acute oxygen therapy, oxygen prescription, position statement, target oxygen saturations, titrated oxygen This document has been endorsed by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Board on 18 February 2022. It is due for review in 2027. The authors are listed in alphabetical order.