Application of the principles of psychology to the development of effective advertising

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Predicting the long-term impact of antiretroviral therapy scale-up on population incidence of tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on long-term population-level tuberculosis disease (TB) incidence in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We used a mathematical model to consider the effect of different assumptions about life expectancy and TB risk during long-term ART under alternative scenarios for trends in population HIV incidence and ART coverage. RESULTS: All the scenarios we explored predicted that the widespread introduction of ART would initially reduce population-level TB incidence. However, many modelled scenarios projected a rebound in population-level TB incidence after around 20 years. This rebound was predicted to exceed the TB incidence present before ART scale-up if decreases in HIV incidence during the same period were not sufficiently rapid or if the protective effect of ART on TB was not sustained. Nevertheless, most scenarios predicted a reduction in the cumulative TB incidence when accompanied by a relative decline in HIV incidence of more than 10% each year. CONCLUSIONS: Despite short-term benefits of ART scale-up on population TB incidence in sub-Saharan Africa, longer-term projections raise the possibility of a rebound in TB incidence. This highlights the importance of sustaining good adherence and immunologic response to ART and, crucially, the need for effective HIV preventive interventions, including early widespread implementation of ART

Prognostic value of Ishak fibrosis stage: Findings from the hepatitis C antiviral long-term treatment against cirrhosis trial

Studies of the prognostic value of Ishak fibrosis stage are lacking. We used multi-year follow-up of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial to determine whether individual Ishak fibrosis stages predicted clinical outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Baseline liver biopsy specimens from 1050 patients with compensated chronic hepatitis C who had failed combination peginterferon and ribavirin were reviewed by a panel of expert hepatopathologists. Fibrosis was staged with the Ishak scale (ranging from 0 = no fibrosis to 6 = cirrhosis). Biopsy fragmentation and length as well as number of portal tracts were recorded. We compared rates of prespecified clinical outcomes of hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma across individual Ishak fibrosis stages. Of 1050 biopsy specimens, 25% were fragmented, 63% longer than 1.5 cm, 69% larger than 10 mm 2 , and 75% had 10 or more portal tracts. Baseline laboratory markers of liver disease severity were worse and the frequency of esophageal varices higher with increasing Ishak stage ( P < 0.0001). The 6-year cumulative incidence of first clinical outcome was 5.6% for stage 2, 16.1% for stage 3, 19.3% for stage 4, 37.8% for stage 5, and 49.3% for stage 6. Among nonfragmented biopsy specimens, the predictive ability of Ishak staging was enhanced; however, no association was observed between Ishak stage and outcomes for fragmented biopsy specimens because of high rates of outcomes for patients with noncirrhotic stages. Similar results were observed with liver transplantation or liver-related death as the outcome. Conclusion : Ishak fibrosis stage predicts clinical outcomes, need for liver transplantation, and liver-related death in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Patients with fragmented biopsy specimens with low Ishak stage may be understaged histologically. (H EPATOLOGY 2010;51:585–594.)Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64929/1/23315_ftp.pd

Transplantation of canine olfactory ensheathing cells producing chondroitinase ABC promotes chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan digestion and axonal sprouting following spinal cord injury

Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation is a promising strategy for treating spinal cord injury (SCI), as has been demonstrated in experimental SCI models and naturally occurring SCI in dogs. However, the presence of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans within the extracellular matrix of the glial scar can inhibit efficient axonal repair and limit the therapeutic potential of OECs. Here we have used lentiviral vectors to genetically modify canine OECs to continuously deliver mammalian chondroitinase ABC at the lesion site in order to degrade the inhibitory chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans in a rodent model of spinal cord injury. We demonstrate that these chondroitinase producing canine OECs survived at 4 weeks following transplantation into the spinal cord lesion and effectively digested chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans at the site of injury. There was evidence of sprouting within the corticospinal tract rostral to the lesion and an increase in the number of corticospinal axons caudal to the lesion, suggestive of axonal regeneration. Our results indicate that delivery of the chondroitinase enzyme can be achieved with the genetically modified OECs to increase axon growth following SCI. The combination of these two promising approaches is a potential strategy for promoting neural regeneration following SCI in veterinary practice and human patients

Donor KIR B Genotype Improves Progression-Free Survival of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients Receiving Unrelated Donor Transplantation

Donor killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genotypes are associated with relapse protection and survival after allotransplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia. We examined the possibility of a similar effect in a cohort of 614 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients receiving unrelated donor (URD) T cell-replete marrow or peripheral blood grafts. Sixty-four percent (n = 396) of donor-recipient pairs were 10/10 allele HLA matched and 26% were 9/10 allele matched. Seventy percent of donors had KIR B/x genotype; the others had KIR A/A genotype. NHL patients receiving 10/10 HLA-matched URD grafts with KIR B/x donors experienced significantly lower relapse at 5 years (26%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 21% to 32% versus 37%; 95% CI, 27% to 46%; P = .05) compared with KIR A/A donors, resulting in improved 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) (35%; 95% CI, 26% to 44% versus 22%; 95% CI, 11% to 35%; P = .007). In multivariate analysis, use of KIR B/x donors was associated with significantly reduced relapse risk (relative risk [RR], .63, P = .02) and improved PFS (RR, .71, P = .008). The relapse protection afforded by KIR B/x donors was not observed in HLA-mismatched transplantations and was not specific to any particular KIR-B gene. Selecting 10/10 HLA-matched and KIR B/x donors should benefit patients with NHL receiving URD allogeneic transplantation

The Grizzly, September 18, 2003

Senate Debates Future of Pell Grants • Presidential Address on Iraq • Downloading a Lawsuit • Working for the Weekend • How Accessible is Ursinus College? • Time of the Month not Every Month • Doors Close on an Urban Myth: Elevator Danger • Opinions: Zack\u27s: Not Always a Good Alternative; Have you Thanked Your Cleaning Staff Today?; The Negative Side of Reality TV; Out of the Middle East: Part Two • Nonsense! • An Off-campus Opportunity: Southlander • Potions, Pills and Prescriptions: Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry • Dance with the Best! • Dave Matthews\u27 Experience: From the Eyes of UC Students • Student Profile: Jennifer Cackowski Challenged at Frankfurt Consulate • Price Comparison: Gas Prices • Bears Defense Crushes Catholic • Volleyball Team Continues Streaky Play • UC Cross Country Battles Elements and Competition • Women\u27s Soccer Team off to Best Start Ever • Men\u27s Soccer: Continuing to Fight • Field Hockey: Bears Lose Tough Onehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1541/thumbnail.jp

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

Análisis de Contenido de Redes Sociales de Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas del Sector Turístico

Participar activamente en las redes sociales es indispensable especialmente para las Pymes, que buscan posicionarse en la mente del consumidor, generar mejor comunicación y mayor alcance optimizando sus limitados recursos. Para las empresas turísticas es aún más esencial y les permite atraer potenciales clientes dentro del país en el que operan y en diversas partes del mundo. El presente trabajo analiza perfiles y contenidos publicados en Facebook e Instagram, orientado a pequeñas y medianas empresas del sector turístico de España y Guatemala. Como resultado se identificaron características y oportunidades, enfocados a contenidos con mayor impacto y alcance.Participar activament a xarxes socials és indispensable especialment per a les Pimes, que busquen posicionar-se en la ment del consumidor, generar millor comunicació i major abast optimitzant els seus limitats recursos. Per a les empreses turístiques és encara més essencial i els permet atreure potencials clients dins del país en el qual operen i en diverses parts del món. El present treball analitza perfils i continguts publicats en Facebook i Instagram, orientat a petites i mitjanes empreses del sector turístic d'Espanya i Guatemala. Com a resultat es van identificar característiques i oportunitats, enfocats a continguts amb major impacte i abast