Protective immunity elicited by recombinant bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) expressing outer surface protein A (OspA) lipoprotein: a candidate Lyme disease vaccine.

The current vaccine against tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis strain bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), offers potential advantages as a live, innately immunogenic vaccine vehicle for the expression and delivery of protective recombinant antigens (Stover, C.K., V.F. de la Cruz, T.R. Fuerst, J.E. Burlein, L.A. Benson, L.T. Bennett, G.P. Bansal, J.F. Young, M.H. Lee, G.F. Hatfull et al. 1991. Nature [Lond]. 351:456; Jacobs, W.R., Jr., S.B. Snapper, L. Lugosi and B.R. Bloom. 1990. Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 155:153; Jacobs, W.R., M. Tuckman, and B.R. Bloom. 1987. Nature [Lond.]. 327:532); but as an attenuated intracellular bacterium residing in macrophages, BCG would seem to be best suited for eliciting cellular responses and not humoral responses. Since bacterial lipoproteins are often among the most immunogenic of bacterial antigens, we tested whether BCG expression of a target antigen as a membrane-associated lipoprotein could enhance the potential for a recombinant BCG vaccine to elicit high-titered protective antibody responses to target antigens. Immunization of mice with recombinant BCG vaccines expressing the outer surface protein A (OspA) antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi as a membrane-associated lipoprotein resulted in protective antibody responses that were 100-1,000-fold higher than responses elicited by immunization with recombinant BCG expressing OspA cytoplasmically or as a secreted fusion protein. Furthermore, these improved antibody responses were observed in heterogeneous mouse strains that vary in their immune responsiveness to OspA and sensitivity to BCG growth. Thus, expression of protective antigens as chimeric membrane-associated lipoproteins on recombinant BCG may result in the generation of new candidate vaccines against Lyme borreliosis and other human or veterinary diseases where humoral immunity is the protective response

The first unbound states of mirror 9

The structures of the first excited states of mirror 9Be and 9B nuclei are studied by using the α + α + N three-body model and the complex scaling method. The resonance energy with a decay width of the 1/2+ state of 9B is calculated by taking into account the consistency with photodisintegration cross sections of 9Be into the 1/2+ state. We also compare the results with the measured data and other theories

Evaluation of the low density polyethylene (LDPE), poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and mixtures with castor cake

A procura por novos materiais que possam substituir parcial ou totalmente os derivados do petróleo, representa um desafio para os pesquisadores na área de ciências dos materiais. Dentro deste contexto, o desenvolvimento de materiais biodegradáveis surge como uma das opções viáveis. A introdução de biopolímeros ou aditivos naturais nas formulações de poliolefinas, utilizadas na indústria de embalagens, tem sido objeto de estudo de vários trabalhos de pesquisa. Acelerar a degradação desses materiais, de modo que a razão custo/benefício de sua produção seja favorável, é um dos objetivos desses estudos. Tem sido relatado que a adição de polidroxibutirato (PHB) à poliolefinas pode contribuir para acelerar a degradação desses materiais. Neste trabalho, misturas de polietileno (PEBD) e PHB foram preparadas em extrusora de rosca dupla, utilizando como carga, a torta de mamona, subproduto do biodiesel. Há um número muito escasso de trabalhos versando sobre a utilização da torta de mamona como aditivo na indústria de plásticos. Há, entretanto, necessidade de se encontrar maiores aplicações para esse resíduo, de forma a tornar a cadeia produtiva do biodiesel mais viável. A avaliação da biodegradação dos produtos obtidos é um dos objetivos específicos deste trabalho. A processabilidade dos materiais e as propriedades mecânicas foram avaliadas por meio dos ensaios convencionais prescritos pelas normas ASTM.. As metodologias de planejamento de experimentos: planejamento fatorial e modelagem de misturas foram utilizadas, respectivamente, para determinação das melhores condições de processamento e para avaliar o efeito da proporção dos componentes das misturas nas propriedades obtidas. O software Minitab foi usado com esta finalidade. A morfologia das misturas foi avaliada através de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). A biodegradação foi avaliada em solo simulado por diferentes períodos de tempo através de determinações de perda de massa das amostras. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a adição do PHB e da mamona ao PEBD levam a obtenção de propriedades superiores de flexão e ao aumento de Módulo de Young. A resistência à tração e as propriedades de impacto do PEBD se deterioraram com a adição do PHB, assim como com a adição da carga. As misturas ternárias com maior teor de PHB apresentaram biodegradação mais acentuada. A mistura com a composição polietileno, poli(3-hidroxibutirato) e torta de mamona ( 70%/20%/10%) sofreu degradação mais acelerada que as misturas binárias. Este fato sugere que a torta de mamona catalisa a degradação dos materiais, fato este que pode ser atribuído à morfologia da mistura ternária

A Canadian online survey of oncology nurses’ perspectives on the defining characteristics and assessment of breakthrough pain in cancer

This paper explores oncology nurses’ recognition of breakthrough pain in cancer (BTPc), methods they used for identification and assessment, and their perception of the burden to patients. An online questionnaire was distributed to 688 oncology nurses across Canada, and 201 participated. Sixty-four per cent of nurses surveyed reported that 41% to 80% of their patients experience BTPc, but many were unsure of the basic characteristics of the profile of a BTPc episode. Although a minority of respondents (33%) reported they did not use pain assessment tools/guidelines to help diagnose BTPc, those who did largely endorsed their use. Survey findings support the debilitating impact of BTPc, but further education is needed to advance the quality and consistency in pain assessment

Enquête en ligne canadienne relative aux perspectives du personnel infirmier en oncologie sur les caractéristiques déterminantes de la douleur aiguë liée au cancer et son évaluation

Cet article explore la reconnaissance, par les infirmières en oncologie, de la douleur aiguë liée au cancer (DAC), les méthodes qu’elles utilisaient pour l’identifier et l’évaluer et enfin, leur perception du fardeau qu’elle constitue pour les patients. Un questionnaire en ligne a été distribué à 688 infirmières en oncologie de l’ensemble du Canada, et 201 d’entre elles l’ont rempli. Soixante-quatre pour cent des infirmières sondées signalaient que 41-80 % de leurs patients éprouvaient de la DAC, mais beaucoup d’entre elles n’étaient pas sûres des caractéristiques fondamentales du profil d’un épisode de DAC. Quoiqu’une minorité des répondantes (33 %) indiquaient qu’elles n’utilisaient pas de lignes directrices ni d’outils d’évaluation de la douleur afin de faciliter le diagnostic de la DAC, celles qui s’en servaient soutenaient grandement leur utilisation. Les résultats de l’enquête confirment l’effet débilitant de la DAC, mais une formation additionnelle est exigée si l’on veut améliorer la qualité et l’uniformité de l’évaluation de la douleur

Enquête en ligne canadienne relative aux perspectives du personnel infirmier en oncologie sur la gestion de la douleur aiguë liée au cancer (DAC)

Cet article vise à explorer les perceptions du personnel infirmier en oncologie du Canada relativement à la gestion de la douleur aiguë liée au cancer (DAC). Un questionnaire en ligne a été distribué à 668 infirmières en oncologie de l’ensemble du Canada, et 201 d’entre elles l’ont rempli. Davantage d’infirmières ont rapporté que les patients recevaient de l’hydromorphone (99,5 %), de la morphine (97,0 %), de la codéine (88,1 %) ou de l’oxycodone (88,1 %) pour leur DAC plutôt que des préparations à base de fentanyl (64,7 %). Les problèmes liés à l’administration d’opioïdes signalés par les infirmières comprenaient notamment la lenteur d’apparition de leur effet (35,7 %), la difficulté à les avaler (16,6 %), le besoin de faire appel à un aidant (13,2 %), les lésions buccales (12,6 %) et la sécheresse de la bouche (11,5 %). Quoique la plupart des infirmières abordaient la gestion de la DAC avec leurs patients, la grande majorité (72,2 %) de ces derniers n’étaient pas très satisfaits des modalités de traitement actuelles. Un dialogue efficace avec les patients et l’accès à des outils/ressources pédagogiques pourraient contribuer à l’optimisation de la thérapie et à rehausser l’observation des recommandations en matière d’ordonnances contre la DAC

A Canadian online survey of oncology nurses’ perspectives on the management of breakthrough pain in cancer (BTPc)

This paper explores Canadian oncology nurses’ perception of management of breakthrough pain in cancer (BTPc). An online questionnaire was distributed to 668 oncology nurses across Canada, and 201 participated. More nurses reported that patients used hydromorphone (99.5%), morphine (97.0%), codeine (88.1%), or oxycodone (88.1%) for BTPc, than fentanyl preparations (64.7%). Problems with opioid administration reported by nurses included failure to work quickly enough (35.7%), difficulty swallowing (16.6%), need for caregiver assistance (13.2%), mouth sores (12.6%) and dry mouth (11.5%). Although most nurses discussed BTPc management with their patients, the vast majority (72.2%) were not very satisfied with current treatment modalities. Effective dialogue with patients and access to educational resources/tools may help optimize therapy and enhance concordance with BTPc medications

Pion inelastic scattering from sup 20 Ne

Angular distributions for {sup 20}Ne({pi}{sup {plus minus}}, {pi}{sup {plus minus}}{prime}) were measured on the Energetic Pion Channel and Spectrometer (EPICS) at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). Data were taken with both {pi}{sup {plus}} and {pi}{sup {minus}} over an angular range of 12{degree} to 90{degree} for T{sub {pi}}=180 MeV and with {pi}{sup +} from 15{degree} to 90{degree} for T{sub {pi}}=120 MeV. The data were analyzed using both the distorted-wave impulse approximation (DWIA) and the coupled-channels impulse approximation (CCIA) with collective transition densities. In addition, microscopic transition densities were used in the DWIA analysis for states in the lowest rotational bands. The transitions to the 6.73-MeV 0{sup +} and several 1{sup {minus}} states, including the states at 5.79 MeV and 8.71 MeV, were studied using several models for the transition density. Strong evidence for the importance of two-step routes in pion inelastic scattering was seen in several angular distributions, including the 5.79-MeV 1{sup {minus}}, the first three 4{sup +} states, and the 8.78-MeV 6{sup +}. 100 refs., 81 figs., 33 tabs