Expression of hemagglutinin protein from the avian influenza virus H5N1 in a baculovirus/insect cell system significantly enhanced by suspension culture.

BACKGROUND: Prevention of a possible avian influenza pandemic necessitates the development of rapid diagnostic tests and the eventual production of a vaccine. RESULTS: For vaccine production, hemagglutinin (HA1) from avian influenza H5N1 was expressed from a recombinant baculovirus. Recombinant HA1 was expressed in monolayer or suspension culture insect cells by infection with the recombinant baculovirus. The yield of rHA1 from the suspension culture was 68 mg/l, compared to 6 mg/l from the monolayer culture. Immunization of guinea pigs with 50 microg of rHA1 yielded hemagglutinin inhibition and virus neutralization titers of 1:160 after two times vaccination with rHA1 protein. CONCLUSION: Thus, the production of rHA1 using an insect suspension cell system provides a promising basis for economical production of a H5 antigen.

Bridging the transition from cancer patient to survivor: pilot study results of the Cancer Survivor Telephone Education and Personal Support (C-STEPS) program.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a feasibility study of a theory-driven telephone counseling program to enhance psychosocial and physical well-being for cancer survivors after treatment. METHODS: Participants (n=66) were recruited from two Colorado hospitals with self-administered questionnaires at baseline and two weeks post-intervention. The one group, intervention only design included up to six thematic telephone counseling sessions over three months. Topics included nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and medical follow-up. Primary outcomes were cancer-specific distress, self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. RESULTS: Of 66 subjects, 46 completed at least one counseling module and the follow-up assessment (70% retention rate). Mean satisfaction was 9 out of 10, and all participants would recommend C-STEPS to other survivors. Cancer-specific distress (Impact of Event Scale - Intrusion subscale) decreased for entire study population (p<0.001) and stress management session participants (p<0.001). Fruit and vegetable consumption increased for nutrition and exercise session participants (p=0.02) and the entire sample (p=NS). Physical activity increased in the entire group (p=0.006) and for nutrition and exercise session participants (p=0.01). CONCLUSION AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: C-STEPS is a feasible telephone counseling program that transcends geographic barriers, demonstrating the potential to decrease distress and promote coping and healthy lifestyles among cancer survivors.

TauG-guidance of dynamic balance control during gait initiation across adulthood.

Measurements from force plates were investigated to identify the life-span developmental course of dynamic balance control during gait initiation across adulthood. Center of pressure (CoP) data of the initial weight shift onto the supporting foot in the mediolateral (CoP(x)) direction were tauG analyzed, investigating the hypothesis that tau of the CoP(x) motion gap (τ(CoPx)) is tau-coupled onto an intrinsic tauG-guide (τ(G)), by maintaining the relation τ(CoPx)=Kτ(G), for a constant K. Participants were in their twenties, forties, sixties, and eighties. As regression analysis suggested a strong linear relationship between τ(CoPx) and τ(G), an investigation of the regression slope as an estimate of the coupling constant K in the tau-coupling equation was justified. Mean K values increased significantly with age from 0.40, 0.47, 0.67, to 0.79, suggesting that control of dynamic balance deteriorates from participants in their twenties making touch contact (K≤0.5) to participants in their sixties and eighties colliding with the boundaries of the base of support (K>0.5). The findings may prove useful as a measure for testing prospective balance control, a helpful tool for early detection of elderly people at increased risk of falling.

Comparison of the SurePath liquid-based Papanicolaou smear with the conventional Papanicolaou smear in a multisite direct-to-vial study.

BACKGROUND: Split-sample clinical trials for liquid-based Papanicolaou (Pap) smears demonstrated that the liquid-based Pap smear was a safe and effective replacement for the conventional Pap smear. However, clinical intended use of liquid-based technology employs direct-to-vial collection methods. The current study compared the cytologic detection rates of the liquid-based Pap smear with conventional Pap smears in a direct-to-vial study performed at three clinical sites. METHODS: Data from 58,580 prospective SurePath slides and 58,988 historic conventional slides were collected. Results were statistically compared with regard to disease prevalence and adequacy to include biopsy follow-up data for conventional and SurePath tests. RESULTS: The SurePath method was found to provide a statistically significantly greater detection rate for clinically important categories of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL+) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL+) (64% and 107%, respectively; P < 0.00001 for each lesion) compared with conventional slides. The clinical significance of increased cytologic detection using SurePath was supported by biopsy data that essentially demonstrated concordance with regard to biopsy interpretation for HSIL+ (P = 0.9105 at Site 1; P = 1.0000 at Site 2; and P = 1.0000 at Site 3) and LSIL+ (P = 0.6966 at Site 1; P = 0.8052 at Site 2; and P = 1.00 at Site 3). The detection rate of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS+) was found to be significantly increased (75.12%; P < 0.00001). A statistically significantly lower proportion of unsatisfactory slides using the SurePath test compared with conventional slides was noted (-58%; P < 0.00001). The ASCUS/LSIL+ ratio was found to be reduced overall when using SurePath (-28.9%), regardless of whether the study sites were combined or considered individually. The rate of false-negative results noted with SurePath (10.43%) and conventional slides (12.97%) was essentially equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: The SurePath Pap smear was found to outperform conventional slides in the detection of HSIL+ and LSIL+ cytologic lesions of the cervix and reduced the number of unsatisfactory diagnoses. The HSIL+ advantage for SurePath is not limited to HSIL but appears to extend to carcinoma as well.