Taking a broader view of things: towards a transdisciplinary approach to cancer

Cancer is widely considered an abnormality that emerges from within the body and which must be destroyed and defeated. But we still do not know precisely how and why cancer starts, and while a ‘magic bullet’ cure has failed to materialise, those adopting a more pragmatic stance are increasingly arguing that if we cannot eradicate all cancer cells, we should look instead towards a ‘stalemate’ and find ways of managing cancer as a chronic disease. This article seeks to extend the reach of research in this field by taking a broader view and working towards a transdisciplinary approach in order to better understand cancer. First, we draw attention to obstacles that hinder progress in formulating new perspectives on cancer. Second, we ask why the genocentric approach to cancer remains dominant. One explanation is the legacy of Cartesian thinking. Third, we consider new ways of conceptualizing cancer so that it is not only a scientific object but also an object of life that has a framed existence within the body as part of a wider process of biological evolution. We draw on two key examples which highlight the importance of adopting a transdisciplinary approach: multi-drug resistance and cancer genomics

The Spirit of Global Health

Since the beginning of the World Health Organization, many of its staff members, regional offices, Member States, and directors-general have grappled with the question of what a ‘spiritual dimension’ of health looks like, and how it might enrich the health policies advocated by their organization. Contrary to the widespread perception that ‘spirituality’ is primarily related to palliative care and has emerged relatively recently within the WHO, this book shows that its history is considerably longer and more complex, and has been closely connected to the organization’s ethical aspirations, its quest for more holistic and equitable healthcare, and its struggle with the colonial legacy of international health organizations. Such ideals and struggles silently motivated many of its key actors and policies—such as the provision of universal primary healthcare—which for decades have embodied the organization’s loftiest aspirations. The WHO’s official relationship with ‘spirituality’ advanced in fits, leaps, and setbacks. At times creative and interdisciplinary, at others deeply political, this process was marked by cycles of institutional forgetting and remembering. Rather than a triumph of religious lobbyists, this book argues, the ‘spiritual dimension’ of health may be better understood as a ‘ghost’ that has haunted—and continues to haunt—the WHO as it comes to terms with its mandate of advancing health as a state of ‘complete well-being’ available to all

Kochen-Specker theorem studied with neutron interferometer

The Kochen-Specker theorem theoretically shows evidence of the incompatibility of noncontextual hidden variable theories with quantum mechanics. Quantum contextuality is a more general concept than quantum non-locality which is quite well tested in experiments by using Bell inequalities. Within neutron interferometry we performed an experimental test of the Kochen-Specker theorem with an inequality, which identifies quantum contextuality, by using spin-path entanglement in a single neutron system. Here entanglement is achieved not between different particles, but between degrees of freedom, i.e., between spin and path degree of freedom. Appropriate combinations of the spin analysis and the position of the phase shifter allow an experimental verification of the violation of an inequality of the Kochen-Specker theorem. The observed value of (2.291 +/- 0.008), which is above the threshold of 1, clearly shows that quantum mechanical predictions cannot be reproduced by noncontextual hidden variable theories.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Physical and biological characteristics of multi drug resistance (MDR): an integral approach considering pH and drug resistance in cancer

The role of the Warburg effect in cancer remains to be elucidated with a resurgence in research efforts over the past decade. Why a cancer cell would prefer to use energy inefficient glycolysis, leading to an alteration of pH both inside and outside of the cell, remains to be uncovered. The development of MDR represents a major challenge in the treatment of cancer and it is explained, so far, by the over expression of drug transporters such as the well-known and archetypal P-glycoprotein (Pgp). However, controversies exist regarding the function of Pgp in multi-drug resistance. We suggest here that Pgp-mediated MDR relies fundamentally on pH alterations mediated by the Warburg effect. Furthermore, we propose that the use of proton pump and/or transporters inhibitors (PPIs/PTIs) in cancer are key to controlling both MDR, i.e. sensitize tumors to antineoplastic agents, and drug-related adverse effects

Zum Einsatz von Bildschirmtext im IUD-Bereich

Nach der Erläuterung der Arbeitsweise von Bildschirmtext wird seine Funktion für den Bereich IuD untersucht und bewertet

The Spirit of Global Health

Since the beginning of the World Health Organization, many of its staff members, regional offices, Member States, and directors-general have grappled with the question of what a ‘spiritual dimension’ of health looks like, and how it might enrich the health policies advocated by their organization. Contrary to the widespread perception that ‘spirituality’ is primarily related to palliative care and has emerged relatively recently within the WHO, this book shows that its history is considerably longer and more complex, and has been closely connected to the organization’s ethical aspirations, its quest for more holistic and equitable healthcare, and its struggle with the colonial legacy of international health organizations. Such ideals and struggles silently motivated many of its key actors and policies—such as the provision of universal primary healthcare—which for decades have embodied the organization’s loftiest aspirations. The WHO’s official relationship with ‘spirituality’ advanced in fits, leaps, and setbacks. At times creative and interdisciplinary, at others deeply political, this process was marked by cycles of institutional forgetting and remembering. Rather than a triumph of religious lobbyists, this book argues, the ‘spiritual dimension’ of health may be better understood as a ‘ghost’ that has haunted—and continues to haunt—the WHO as it comes to terms with its mandate of advancing health as a state of ‘complete well-being’ available to all

Prospective Genetic Screening Decreases the Incidence of Abacavir Hypersensitivity Reactions in the Western Australian HIV Cohort Study

Abacavir therapy is associated with significant drug hypersensitivity in ∼8% of recipients, with retrospective studies indicating a strong genetic association with the HLA-B*5701 allelle. In this prospective study, involving 260 abacavir-naive individuals (7.7% of whom were positive for HLA-B*5701), we confirm the usefulness of genetic risk stratification, with no cases of abacavir hypersensitivity among 148 HLA-B*5701-negative recipient

Microwave cavity perturbation studies on H-form and Cu ion-exchanged SCR catalyst materials: correlation of ammonia storage and dielectric properties

Ammonia-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) has become the major control strategy for NOx emissions from light and heavy duty diesel engines. Before reducing NOx on the SCR active material, ammonia storage on the active sites of the catalyst is crucial. The in operando measurement of the dielectric properties of the catalyst material using microwave cavity perturbation is a promising indicator of ammonia loading. In this work, the influence of copper ion-exchange of the zeolite-based SCR material ZSM-5 on the NH3 storage and the dielectric properties is highlighted. The catalyst powder samples were monitored by microwave cavity perturbation as a function of the stored ammonia content at a frequency of approximately 1.2 GHz in a temperature range between 200 and 350 °C. Due to ion exchange, the NH3 storage behavior changes, what could be monitored in the sensitivity of the dielectric permittivity to NH3. The dependence of the complex dielectric permittivity on ammonia loading is decreased by ion exchange, hinting that mostly ammonia storage on Brønsted sites affects the dielectric permittivity. This finding adds new knowledge to the electrical conduction and polarization mechanisms occurring in these zeolite materials