Potential Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Recombinant Bacille Calmette-Guerin Expressing Prostate Specific Molecules

Purpose: The emergence of prostate cancer as a major health issue and the absence of curative treatment for metastatic disease requires the development of new treatment modalities. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are possible targets for prostate cancer immunotherapy. We have previously shown that PSA and PSMA can be expressed in recombinant bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) strains.Methods: The in vivo immunogenicity of the prostate-specific proteins produced by this recombinant BCG strain were examined by detection of specific antibody responses and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses in mice vaccinated with these strains. These immune responses were compared with those of control mice vaccinated with phosphate buffered saline diluent or soluble PSA or PSMA.Results: Mice vaccinated with rBCG-PSA developed low levels of anti-PSA antibodies and strong DTH to PSA.  Mice vaccinated with rBCG-PSMA developed strong DTH to PSMA and no anti-PSMA antibodies. Conclusions: We conclude that recombinant BCG expressing PSA or PSMA induce strong cellular immune responses to these antigens. We propose that the innate adjuvant capacity of BCG could help stimulate a specific immune response against prostate-specific proteins produced by the bacteria, which in turn, could lead to the eradication of undetected metastatic prostate cancer cells in post-surgical patients

Does a Family Meetings Intervention Prevent Depression and Anxiety in Family Caregivers of Dementia Patients? A Randomized Trial

Family caregivers of dementia patients are at increased risk of developing depression or anxiety. A multi-component program designed to mobilize support of family networks demonstrated effectiveness in decreasing depressive symptoms in caregivers. However, the impact of an intervention consisting solely of family meetings on depression and anxiety has not yet been evaluated. This study examines the preventive effects of family meetings for primary caregivers of community-dwelling dementia patients.A randomized multicenter trial was conducted among 192 primary caregivers of community dwelling dementia patients. Caregivers did not meet the diagnostic criteria for depressive or anxiety disorder at baseline. Participants were randomized to the family meetings intervention (n = 96) or usual care (n = 96) condition. The intervention consisted of two individual sessions and four family meetings which occurred once every 2 to 3 months for a year. Outcome measures after 12 months were the incidence of a clinical depressive or anxiety disorder and change in depressive and anxiety symptoms (primary outcomes), caregiver burden and quality of life (secondary outcomes). Intention-to-treat as well as per protocol analyses were performed.A substantial number of caregivers (72/192) developed a depressive or anxiety disorder within 12 months. The intervention was not superior to usual care either in reducing the risk of disorder onset (adjusted IRR 0.98; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.38) or in reducing depressive (randomization-by-time interaction coefficient = -1.40; 95% CI -3.91 to 1.10) or anxiety symptoms (randomization-by-time interaction coefficient = -0.55; 95% CI -1.59 to 0.49). The intervention did not reduce caregiver burden or their health related quality of life.This study did not demonstrate preventive effects of family meetings on the mental health of family caregivers. Further research should determine whether this intervention might be more beneficial if provided in a more concentrated dose, when applied for therapeutic purposes or targeted towards subgroups of caregivers.Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN90163486

International capital mobility in an era of globalisation: adding a political dimension to the 'Feldstein–Horioka Puzzle'

The debate about the scope of feasible policy-making in an era of globalisation continues to be set within the context of an assumption that national capital markets are now perfectly integrated at the international level. However, the empirical evidence on international capital mobility contradicts such an assumption. As a consequence, a significant puzzle remains. Why is it, in a world in which the observed pattern of capital flows is indicative of a far from globalised reality, that public policy continues to be constructed in line with more extreme variants of the globalisation hypothesis? I attempt to solve this puzzle by arguing that ideas about global capital market integration have an independent causal impact on political outcomes which extends beyond that which can be attributed to the extent of their actual integration

A versatile reactor for continuous monitoring of biofilm properties in laboratory and industrial conditions

Aims: The understanding of the dynamics of surface microbial colonization with concomitant monitoring of biofilm formation requires the development of biofilm reactors that enable direct and real-time evaluation under different hydrodynamic conditions. Methods and Results: This work proposes and discusses a simple flow cell reactor that provides a means to monitoring biofilm growth by periodical removing biofilm-attached slides for off-line, both non-destructive and destructive biofilm analyses. This is managed without the stoppage of the flow, thus reducing the contamination and the disturbance of the biofilm development. With this flow cell, biofilm growth and respiratory activity can be easily followed, either in well-defined laboratory conditions or in an industrial environment. Conclusions, Significance and Impact of the Study: The reproducible and typical biofilm development curves obtained, validated this flow cell and confirmed its potential for different biofilm-related studies, which can include biocidal treatment.Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina(IBQF)

(Cost)-effectiveness of family meetings on indicated prevention of anxiety and depressive symptoms and disorders of primary family caregivers of patients with dementia: design of a randomized controlled trial

Contains fulltext : 70773.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Dementia is a major public health problem with enormous costs to society and major consequences for both patients and their relatives. Family members of persons with dementia provide much of the care for older adults with dementia in the community. Caring for a demented relative is not easy and fraught with emotional strain, distress, and physical exhaustion. Family caregivers of dementia patients have an extremely high risk developing affective disorders such as major depression and anxiety disorder. Family meetings appear to be among the most powerful psychosocial interventions to reduce depression in caregivers.An American landmark study reported substantial beneficial effects of a multifaceted intervention where family meetings had a central place on depression in family caregivers as well as on delay of institutionalization of patients. These effects were not replicated in other countries yet. We perform the first trial comparing only structured family meetings with significant others versus usual care among primary family caregivers of community dwelling demented patients and measure the effectiveness on both depression and anxiety in the primary caregiver, both on disorder and symptom levels. METHODS/DESIGN: In this randomized controlled trial effectiveness as well as cost-effectiveness of family meetings is evaluated. The intervention group receives four family meetings with family and close friends of the primary family caregiver of a community dwelling patient with a clinical diagnosis of dementia. Dyads of patients and their primary caregiver are followed up to one year after baseline assessment. The main outcome measures are the incidence of anxiety and depressive disorders assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms in caregivers is measured by validated self report instruments: the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for depression and the anxiety scales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scales (HADS) for anxiety. The economic evaluation is performed from a societal perspective. DISCUSSION: By evaluating the effectiveness of only structured family meetings organized in the Netherlands, this study will contribute to the existing literature about the value of psychosocial interventions for dementia caregivers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Registry ISRCTN90163486

Duality properties of Gorringe-Leach equations

In the category of motions preserving the angular momentum's direction, Gorringe and Leach exhibited two classes of differential equations having elliptical orbits. After enlarging slightly these classes, we show that they are related by a duality correspondence of the Arnold-Vassiliev type. The specific associated conserved quantities (Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector and Fradkin-Jauch-Hill tensor) are then dual reflections one of the othe

The drying of sewage sludge by immersion frying

The objective of this work was to dry sewage sludge using a fry-drying process. The frying experiments were carried out in commercial fryers modified by adding thermocouples to the setup. During frying, typical drying curves were obtained and it was verified that, in relation to the parameters: oil temperature, oil type and shape of the sample, the shape factor the most effect on the drying rate, at least within the range chosen for the variables studied. Oil uptake and calorific value were also analyzed. The calorific value of the samples increased with frying time, reaching values around 24MJ/kg after 600s of frying (comparable to biocombustibles such as wood and sugarcane bagasse). The process of immersion frying showed great potential for drying materials, especially sewage sludge, obtaining a product with a high energy content, thereby increasing its value as a combustible

Mixing Quantum and Classical Mechanics

Using a group theoretical approach we derive an equation of motion for a mixed quantum-classical system. The quantum-classical bracket entering the equation preserves the Lie algebra structure of quantum and classical mechanics: The bracket is antisymmetric and satisfies the Jacobi identity, and, therefore, leads to a natural description of interaction between quantum and classical degrees of freedom. We apply the formalism to coupled quantum and classical oscillators and show how various approximations, such as the mean-field and the multiconfiguration mean-field approaches, can be obtained from the quantum-classical equation of motion.Comment: 31 pages, LaTeX2