Tube leukocyte adherence inhibition assay : the assessment of tumor immunity in cancer patients and in rats

For the past two decades, intensive search has been made for the existence of tumor-specific antigens of human cancer. The recent succesful development of monoclonal antibodies against TAA on human cell membrane has not yet resulted in the identification of any tumor-specific determinant(s) on cancer cells. An alternative approach for the identification of tumor-specific antigens has been to study the immune response of the host to cancer. Cell-mediated cytotoxicity was initially investigated using microcytotoxicity assays (47). Specific cytotoxicity against a variety of cultured cells from human tumors was observed with lymphoid cells from tumor-bearers or individuals whose tumor had been resected. The whole concept of specific cell-mediated cytotoxicity in human cancer was doubted when natural cytotoxicity was discovered (18, 19). However, investigators working with the tumor extract-induced leukocyte adherence inhibition (LA I) phenomenon have successfully provided much of the existing evidence for specific anti-tumor immunity in animals and human cancers (81,82). The ultimate objective of the present study was to use the tube LA! assay to monitor the purification of human TAA from crude tumor extracts. On the assumption that T AA are foreign or modified human major histocompatibility complex antigens (HLA antigens) or are closely associated with these antigens, the biochemical techniques used to study the nature of HLA antigens could be applied to obtain an insight into the biochemical nature of TAA and their relation (if any) to HLA antigens. The tube LAI assay was chosen since it was claimed to be simple, rapid and reproducible. In the first instance it was necessary to develop a reliable tube LAI technique of high sensitivity. In the initial studies it was investigated whether this could be achieved by using partially purified tumor extracts. Since the amount of patient tumor material severely restricted the amount of crude extracts that could be chroma to graphed and purified further using other physico-chemical techniques, LAI studies in rats were also pursued

Wave reflection, assessed by use of the ARCSolver Algorithm for pulse wave separation, is reduced under acute µg conditions in parabolic flight

Weightlessness during long-term space flight over 6-12 months leads to complex individual cardiovascular adaptation. The initial central blood volume expansion followed by a loss of plasma volume is accompanied by changes in vascular mechanoreceptor loads and responsive-ness, altered autonomic reflex control of heart rate and blood pressure, and hormonal changes in the long run. Hence, function and structure of the heart and blood vessels may change. Hemodynamic data obtained during short- and long-term space flight may indicate that the adaptation process resembles ageing of the cardiovascular system characterized by decreased diastolic blood pressure, increased central sympathetic nerve traffic and increased arterial pulse wave velocity. Experiments during parabolic flights in supine position suggest, that stroke volume does not change during transitions between µ-g and 1-g. We tested a novel method of pulse wave separation based on simple oscillometric brachial cuff waveform reading to investigate pulse wave reflection during acute weightlessness in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that the wave reflection magnitude (RM) remains unaltered during parabolic flights in supine position

Autonomous detection and anticipation of jam fronts from messages propagated by inter-vehicle communication

In this paper, a minimalist, completely distributed freeway traffic information system is introduced. It involves an autonomous, vehicle-based jam front detection, the information transmission via inter-vehicle communication, and the forecast of the spatial position of jam fronts by reconstructing the spatiotemporal traffic situation based on the transmitted information. The whole system is simulated with an integrated traffic simulator, that is based on a realistic microscopic traffic model for longitudinal movements and lane changes. The function of its communication module has been explicitly validated by comparing the simulation results with analytical calculations. By means of simulations, we show that the algorithms for a congestion-front recognition, message transmission, and processing predict reliably the existence and position of jam fronts for vehicle equipment rates as low as 3%. A reliable mode of operation already for small market penetrations is crucial for the successful introduction of inter-vehicle communication. The short-term prediction of jam fronts is not only useful for the driver, but is essential for enhancing road safety and road capacity by intelligent adaptive cruise control systems.Comment: Published in the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board 200

Implementation research for the prevention of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections; 2017 Geneva infection prevention and control (IPC)-think tank (part 1)

Background Around 5–15% of all hospital patients worldwide suffer from healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), and years of excessive antimicrobial use in human and animal medicine have created emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A considerable amount of evidence-based measures have been published to address these challenges, but the largest challenge seems to be their implementation. Methods In June 2017, a total of 42 experts convened at the Geneva IPC-Think Tank to discuss four domains in implementation science: 1) teaching implementation skills; 2) fostering implementation of IPC and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) by policy making; 3) national/international actions to foster implementation skills; and 4) translational research bridging social sciences and clinical research in infection prevention and control (IPC) and AMR. Results Although neglected in the past, implementation skills have become a priority in IPC and AMS. They should now be part of any curriculum in health care, and IPC career paths should be created. Guidelines and policies should be aligned with each other and evidence-based, each document providing a section on implementing elements of IPC and AMS in patient care. International organisations should be advocates for IPC and AMS, framing them as patient safety issues and emphasizing the importance of implementation skills. Healthcare authorities at the national level should adopt a similar approach and provide legal frameworks, guidelines, and resources to allow better implementation of patient safety measures in IPC and AMS. Rather than repeating effectiveness studies in every setting, we should invest in methods to improve the implementation of evidence-based measures in different healthcare contexts. For this, we need to encourage and financially support collaborations between social sciences and clinical IPC research. Conclusions Experts of the 2017 Geneva Think Tank on IPC and AMS, CDC, and WHO agreed that sustained efforts on implementation of IPC and AMS strategies are required at international, country, and hospital management levels, to provide an adequate multimodal framework that addresses (not exclusively) leadership, resources, education and training for implementing IPC and AMS. Future strategies can build on this agreement to make strategies on IPC and AMS more effective

Turkish Drones as a Foreign Policy Tool:A Technology-Mediated Search for Autonomy

​Over the last 3–5 years, Turkey has rapidly emerged as a new global exporting power of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. Turkish-made drones have played important roles in the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion and in Azerbaijan’s success in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Elsewhere, including in Ethiopia, Libya, and in the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border, their use has been surrounded by polemic. They have also been used by Turkey in operations against Kurdish forces both at home and abroad. Drones have granted the Turkish government a new instrument of foreign policy, projecting it as a regional rising power, and have myriad implications in regional and international politics, including as providing a model to be followed by other emerging powers