The cloning of the genes encoding cancer antigens has opened new possibilities for the treatment of patients with cancer. In this study, immunodominant peptides from the gp100 melanoma-associated ...antigen were identified, and a synthetic peptide, designed to increase binding to HLA-A2 molecules, was used as a cancer vaccine to treat patients with metastatic melanoma. On the basis of immunologic assays, 91% of patients could be successfully immunized with this synthetic peptide, and 13 of 31 patients (42%) receiving the peptide vaccine plus IL-2 had objective cancer responses, and four additional patients had mixed or minor responses. Synthetic peptide vaccines based on the genes encoding cancer antigens hold promise for the development of novel cancer immunotherapies.
Anthropogenic changes to nutrient supply, numbers and behavior of grazers and interactions of these factors are known to change epilithon composition and biomass. In brackish waters, these changes ...occur across wide-ranging abiotic conditions (e.g. nutrient concentrations and salinity), which may alter their relative impacts on microphytobenthic communities. Such mediating processes are poorly understood, particularly in tropical brackish ecosystems. We examined the separate and interactive effects of nutrient additions and grazer exclusion on epilithon composition and biomass in eutrophic Hawaiian anchialine pools between contrasting levels of salinity and concomitant nutrient-rich groundwater influence (2.3 to 22.0 ppt; nitrite + nitrate, 6.3 to 102.6 μM; soluble reactive phosphorus, <0.5 to 5.18 μM). Across these conditions, we found no significant effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) enrichment treatments on chlorophyll a, biomass (ash-free dry mass) or autotrophic index (i.e. autotrophy) of epilithon communities, and nutrient addition did not alter the effects of grazing pressure. However, autotrophy and epilithon biomass were lower in low salinity, high groundwater influenced pools, and both were strongly reduced by grazing in all pools. Furthermore, effects from grazing pressure on relative autotrophy were more pronounced in low salinity, high groundwater influenced pools. Our results suggest that (1) grazing is the primary driver of epilithon composition and biomass across these nutrient-enriched systems, (2) microphytobenthic communities in these systems are not N or P limited irrespective of co-varying salinity and background nutrients and (3) selective feeding by endemic grazers mitigates potential bottom-up forces from salinity or increased nutrient-enriched groundwater influence on autotrophy in epilithon communities.
The 1975 Kalapana tsunami had waves that ran up to 14.6 m high. It deposited a discontinuous basalt boulder and carbonate sand veneer on the Halape–Apua Point coast of the island of Hawaii. These ...deposits fine up to 320 m inland and 10.4 masl. The deposit is an unusual sedimentary association in which sand-sized material is a minor component. Both boulders and sand fine inland over the same distance, not in a continuum, and they terminate at approximately the same point. Boulders were transported and deposited by only one wave, the second, whereas the sand deposit was, in part, reworked by subsequent smaller waves.
Boulder transport by one wave in association with a relative paucity of finer sediment reduced internal clast interference and helped to impart a marked fining-inland sequence. This fining-inland sequence is at odds with work that proposes a chaotic or random nature of boulder emplacement by tsunamis. Where there is abundant sediment, clast interference during entrainment will impede the fining inland of larger material. In cases where it is difficult to determine the nature of inundation or the number of tsunamis, a chaotic pattern may simply reflect deposition by storm, tsunami, or a combination of the two.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 834–845
Summary
Background There is little information on the effects of vaptans in patients with cirrhosis.
Aim To investigate the short‐term effects of satavaptan, a ...selective vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist on ascites in cirrhosis without hyponatraemia.
Methods A total of 148 patients with cirrhosis, ascites and serum sodium >130 mmol/L were included in a multicentre, double‐blind, randomized, controlled study of 14 days comparing three fixed doses of satavaptan (5 mg, 12.5 mg or 25 mg once daily) vs. placebo. Average MELD scores were: 13.4, 12.3, 13.8 and 13.1 respectively. All patients received spironolactone 100 mg/day plus furosemide 20–25 mg/day.
Results Satavaptan treatment was associated with a decrease in ascites (mean change in body weight was −0.36 kg (±3.03) for placebo vs. −2.46 kg (±3.11), −2.08 kg (±4.17) and −2.28 kg (±3.24) for the 5 mg, 12.5 mg and 25 mg doses respectively; P = 0.036, P = 0.041 and P = 0.036 for satavaptan 5, 12.5 and 25 mg/day vs. placebo respectively). Thirst and slight increases in serum sodium were more common in patients treated with satavaptan compared with placebo, while other adverse events were similar.
Conclusions The administration satavaptan for a 14‐day period is associated with reduction in ascites in patients with moderately severe cirrhosis without hyponatraemia under diuretic treatment.
Tackling Africa’s digital divide Lavery, Martin P. J.; Abadi, Mojtaba Mansour; Bauer, Ralf ...
Nature photonics,
05/2018, Letnik:
12, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Innovations in ‘sustainable’ photonics technologies such as free-space optical links and solar-powered equipment provide developing countries with new cost-effective opportunities for deploying ...future-proof telecommunication networks.
The age-specific infection and death profiles among confirmed human cases of influenza A(H5N1) infection in Egypt differ markedly from those recorded in other countries. The case fatality rate among ...human H5N1 cases in Egypt is 34%, versus an average of 66% in other countries. In Egypt, children younger than 10 years comprise 48% of reported cases, nearly twice the global average of approximately 25%, and no H5N1 fatalities have been confirmed among individuals in this age group as of 23 April 2009. Females outnumber males among confirmed H5N1 cases by a factor of nearly 2:1, and 90% of reported fatalities in Egypt have been females. The evident age and sex biases in morbidity and mortality among H5N1 cases in Egypt are phenomena that warrant further investigation and analysis.
The Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010 Target Balmford, Andrew; Bennun, Leon; Brink, Ben ten ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
01/2005, Letnik:
307, Številka:
5707
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Balmford et al discusses the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit's target on biological diversity for 2010. By adopting the 2010 target, governments are explicitly recognizing the value of biodiversity, ...setting goals for its conservation, and holding themselves accountable.
We present redshifts and optical richness properties of 21 galaxy clusters uniformly selected by their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signature. These clusters, plus an additional, unconfirmed candidate, ...were detected in a 178 deg2 area surveyed by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) in 2008. Using griz imaging from the Blanco Cosmology Survey and from pointed Magellan telescope observations, as well as spectroscopy using Magellan facilities, we confirm the existence of clustered red-sequence galaxies, report red-sequence photometric redshifts, present spectroscopic redshifts for a subsample, and derive R 200 radii and M 200 masses from optical richness. The clusters span redshifts from 0.15 to greater than 1, with a median redshift of 0.74; three clusters are estimated to be at z>1. Redshifts inferred from mean red-sequence colors exhibit 2% rms scatter in Delta *s z /(1 + z) with respect to the spectroscopic subsample for z < 1. We show that the M 200 cluster masses derived from optical richness correlate with masses derived from SPT data and agree with previously derived scaling relations to within the uncertainties. Optical and infrared imaging is an efficient means of cluster identification and redshift estimation in large SZ surveys, and exploiting the same data for richness measurements, as we have done, will be useful for constraining cluster masses and radii for large samples in cosmological analysis.
The combination of cyclosporin, azathioprine, and prednisolone (triple immunosuppression) is the most commonly used immunosuppressive regimen early after renal transplantation, but the risks and ...benefits of maintaining the steroid component of this regimen in the long term are uncertain.
A randomised controlled trial of steroid withdrawal was conducted among renal transplant patients receiving triple immunosuppression. Between one and six years after transplantation, 100 such patients were randomised either to reduce prednisolone treatment to zero over about four months or to maintain their triple immunosuppression unchanged. Outcome was analysed according to “intention-to-treat”.
In 42 (86%) of 49 patients allocated to steroid withdrawal, complete steroid withdrawal was achieved. Although these patients did not experience defined acute rejection episodes, insidious increases in plasma creatinine were observed more frequently in this group than in the controls. In 97 patients surviving one year after trial entry, plasma creatinine exceeded the baseline by more than 25% at some time in the first year in 25 (53%) of 47 in the steroid withdrawal group compared with 9 (18%) of 50 in the control group (p<0·001, chi-square test). In some cases these increases were transient. However, when corrected for the baseline (entry) value significant differences between groups were apparent in both mean plasma creatinine and mean creatinine clearance; mean (SD) plasma creatinine values at entry, immediately after withdrawal, and at one year were 138 (27), 151 (36), and 150 (36) μmol/L in the steroid withdrawal group versus 138 (34), 140 (51), and 139 (47) μmol/L in the control group (p=0·017, analysis of covariance). Steroid withdrawal patients showed a further rise in mean plasma creatinine to 160 (44) and 161 (65) μmol/L at two and three years from trial entry. Changes in several clinical and metabolic indices were also observed in association with steroid withdrawal. Blood pressure declined but the reduction was incompletely sustained, being more evident immediately after steroid withdrawal than at one year. Total cholesterol declined about 1 mmol/L in the steroid withdrawal group. Other changes associated with steroid withdrawal were reductions in white cell count and haemoglobin and increases in plasma phosphate and alkaline phosphatase.
Late steroid withdrawal is feasible in most patients with stable graft function on triple immunosuppression and has potentially beneficial metabolic effects. However, a substantial proportion of patients show a reduction in graft function, indicating a need for caution in considering the long term outcome.
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