The effects of immunization with recombinant Sm14 (rSm14) in reducing worm burden and mortality of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni Os efeitos da imunização com Sm14 recombinante (Sm14r) na redução da carga de vermes e na mortalidade de camundongos infectados com Schistosoma mansoni

To investigate whether mice immunization with the recombinant form of a 14.7 KDa Schistosoma mansoni protein (rSm14) confers protection against a S. mansoni lethal challenge infection, rSm14-immunized mice were challenged with different cercarial burdens. A significant protection was detected in immunized mice challenged with 100 or 1,000 S. mansoni cercariae when compared with their controls (p< 0.004 and p< 0.01 respectively). Differently from previous report, none of the mice from the control group (not immunized and infected with 1000 cercariae) died before the 30th day post-infection. A direct correlation between the number of challenge cercariae and the precocity of mice death was found. IgM anti-rSm14 antibodies were significantly produced (p< 0.05) mainly in the groups of immunized mice infected with 500 or 1000 cercariae. IgG and IgA anti-rSm14 antibodies were not significantly detected. In Western immunoblots, all mice sera showed a specific antibody response with a 14.7 KDa antigen being reacted with particular intensity in sera from immunized mice. The results show that immunization with rSm14 reduced mice worm burden independently of the cercariae load of challenge infection. No correlation was found between serum antibodies and worm burden reduction. In relation to cercarial load and the rate and precocity of mice mortality a direct correlation was found.<br>A fim de investigar se a imunização de camundongos com a proteína recombinante de14,7 KDa (Sm14r) de Schistosoma mansoni confere proteção contra uma infecção letal por S. mansoni, camundongos imunizados com Sm14r foram infectados com diferentes cargas de vermes.Uma proteção significativa foi demonstrada nos camundongos imunizados e infectados com 100 ou 1.000 cercárias de S. mansoni quando comparados com os controles (p< 0,004 e p< 0,01 respectivamente). Diferentemente de resultados anteriores, nenhum camundongo do grupo controle (não imunizado e infectado com 1.000 cercárias) morreu antes do 30º dia após infecção. Uma correlação direta entre o número de cercárias e o tempo de morte dos camundongos foi detectada. Anticorpos IgM anti-Sm14r foram produzidos significativamente (p< 0,05), principalmente, nos grupos de camundongos imunizados e infectados com 500 ou 1.000 cercárias. Anticorpos IgG e IgA anti-Sm14r não foram produzidos em quantidades significativas. Os testes de immunoblots demonstraram que todos os soros de camundongos revelaram uma banda específica de aproximadamente 14,7 KDa, e com maior intensidade nos soros dos camundongos imunizados. A maior reatividade foi encontrada no soro no período da terceira imunização.Os resultados mostram que imunização com Sm14r reduz a carga de vermes independentemente da carga de cercárias da infecção. Nenhuma correlação foi encontrada entre tipos de anticorpos e redução da carga de vermes. Uma correlação direta foi encontrada em relação a carga de cercárias e a taxa e precocidade da mortalidade dos camundongos

Accounting for Voluntary Hospices in England: A Business Model Perspective

This paper accounts for the sustainability of voluntary hospices in England that provide palliative end of life care for patients. A critical evaluation of the challenges facing hospices in England can be located within a ‘descriptive business model’ that makes visible stakeholder relations. Changes to these stakeholder relations, and how they impact upon the viability of the hospice business model, can be captured within a ‘narratives and numbers’ investigative framework. Interviews with senior clinical and non-clinical managers in four hospices provide rich ‘narratives’ that reveal how the hospice business model is evolving. Whilst financial disclosures extracted from hospice financial statements generate ‘numbers’ which can be employed to explore the impact of changes in stakeholder relations upon financial viability. Our argument is that the hospice business model depends upon sustaining a complex network of stakeholder relations in order to maintain operational and financial viability

Delayed colorectal cancer care during covid-19 pandemic (decor-19). Global perspective from an international survey

Background The widespread nature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been unprecedented. We sought to analyze its global impact with a survey on colorectal cancer (CRC) care during the pandemic. Methods The impact of COVID-19 on preoperative assessment, elective surgery, and postoperative management of CRC patients was explored by a 35-item survey, which was distributed worldwide to members of surgical societies with an interest in CRC care. Respondents were divided into two comparator groups: 1) ‘delay’ group: CRC care affected by the pandemic; 2) ‘no delay’ group: unaltered CRC practice. Results A total of 1,051 respondents from 84 countries completed the survey. No substantial differences in demographics were found between the ‘delay’ (745, 70.9%) and ‘no delay’ (306, 29.1%) groups. Suspension of multidisciplinary team meetings, staff members quarantined or relocated to COVID-19 units, units fully dedicated to COVID-19 care, personal protective equipment not readily available were factors significantly associated to delays in endoscopy, radiology, surgery, histopathology and prolonged chemoradiation therapy-to-surgery intervals. In the ‘delay’ group, 48.9% of respondents reported a change in the initial surgical plan and 26.3% reported a shift from elective to urgent operations. Recovery of CRC care was associated with the status of the outbreak. Practicing in COVID-free units, no change in operative slots and staff members not relocated to COVID-19 units were statistically associated with unaltered CRC care in the ‘no delay’ group, while the geographical distribution was not. Conclusions Global changes in diagnostic and therapeutic CRC practices were evident. Changes were associated with differences in health-care delivery systems, hospital’s preparedness, resources availability, and local COVID-19 prevalence rather than geographical factors. Strategic planning is required to optimize CRC care

Konvergenzpotential in der Unternehmensberichterstattung. Eine Untersuchung international bedeutender Rahmenkonzepte zur Berichterstattung

Als Reaktion auf die sich schnell ändernden Anforderungen an die Unternehmensberichterstattung und zur Aufrechterhaltung deren Effektivität und Effizienz haben sich in den letzten Jahren verschiedene Initiativen zur Neukonzeption der Unternehmensberichterstattung herausgebildet. Eine davon ist der sog. Corporate Reporting Dialogue, in dem seit geraumer Zeit einige der bedeutendsten normsetzenden (internationalen) Institutionen im Bereich der Unternehmensberichterstattung die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer Konvergenz der verschiedenen Berichterstattungstypen sowie deren zugrundeliegenden Normen diskutieren und ausloten. Ziel des Dialogue ist es, der allseits beklagten Fülle und Komplexität der Unternehmensberichterstattung entgegen zu wirken. Ein zentraler erster Schritt derartiger Konvergenzüberlegungen stellt sicherlich die gemeinsame Analyse der bestehenden Rahmenkonzepte dar, denen die momentanen Berichtskonzepte und ‐typen zugrunde liegen. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht der folgende Beitrag in einer primär synoptischen Analyse die acht für die Unternehmensberichterstattung international relevantesten Rahmenkonzepte in Bezug auf die darin enthaltenen Ziele, Anforderungen und Prinzipien der Berichterstattung. Diese werden einander vergleichend gegenübergestellt, um einerseits die bestehenden Unterschiede und andererseits das Potential einer Konvergenz der Berichtstypen auf der Ebene der Rahmenkonzepte eruieren zu können. Die Untersuchung ergibt, dass bereits beträchtliche Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den Rahmenkonzepten bestehen und folglich diesbezüglich das konzeptionelle Konvergenzpotential in der Unternehmensberichterstattung als relativ hoch angesehen werden kann