Paramagnetic thermosensitive liposomes for MR-thermometry.

MR-thermometry methods have been developed for the guidance and control of thermal therapies such as thermal ablation or regional hyperthermia. However, they are limited to the measurement of temperature changes and, thus, cannot be used to assess absolute temperature values. Paramagnetic thermosensitive liposomes are innovative contrast agents offering the potential to overcome these limitations. They are composed of a gadolinium- or manganese-based compound enclosed by a phospholipid membrane with a distinct gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (Tm). At this temperature, the phospholipid membrane changes from a gel-phase to a liquid-crystalline phase which is associated with an increased transmembrane permeability towards solutes and water. Under these conditions, both types of paramagnetic thermosensitive liposomes demonstrate a significant increase in longitudinal (T1) relaxivity, attributed to the release of paramagnetic material from the liposome and/or to the increased water exchange rate between the liposome interior and exterior. Paramagnetic thermosensitive liposomes have already been successfully studied in animal models and have demonstrated a clear correlation between tissue temperature changes and signal intensity changes in MRI. Nevertheless, before entering clinical trials they have to be studied in more detail with regard to dose, pharmacokinetics and toxicity.     

Papers Please - Predictive Factors of National and International Attitudes Toward Immunity and Vaccination Passports: Online Representative Surveys

BackgroundIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are introducing digital passports that allow citizens to return to normal activities if they were previously infected with (immunity passport) or vaccinated against (vaccination passport) SARS-CoV-2. To be effective, policy decision-makers must know whether these passports will be widely accepted by the public and under what conditions. This study focuses attention on immunity passports, as these may prove useful in countries both with and without an existing COVID-19 vaccination program; however, our general findings also extend to vaccination passports.ObjectiveWe aimed to assess attitudes toward the introduction of immunity passports in six countries, and determine what social, personal, and contextual factors predicted their support.MethodsWe collected 13,678 participants through online representative sampling across six countries—Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom—during April to May of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and assessed attitudes and support for the introduction of immunity passports.ResultsImmunity passport support was moderate to low, being the highest in Germany (775/1507 participants, 51.43%) and the United Kingdom (759/1484, 51.15%); followed by Taiwan (2841/5989, 47.44%), Australia (963/2086, 46.16%), and Spain (693/1491, 46.48%); and was the lowest in Japan (241/1081, 22.94%). Bayesian generalized linear mixed effects modeling was used to assess predictive factors for immunity passport support across countries. International results showed neoliberal worldviews (odds ratio [OR] 1.17, 95% CI 1.13-1.22), personal concern (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00-1.16), perceived virus severity (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.14), the fairness of immunity passports (OR 2.51, 95% CI 2.36-2.66), liking immunity passports (OR 2.77, 95% CI 2.61-2.94), and a willingness to become infected to gain an immunity passport (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.51-1.68) were all predictive factors of immunity passport support. By contrast, gender (woman; OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.82-0.98), immunity passport concern (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.57-0.65), and risk of harm to society (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.67-0.76) predicted a decrease in support for immunity passports. Minor differences in predictive factors were found between countries and results were modeled separately to provide national accounts of these data.ConclusionsOur research suggests that support for immunity passports is predicted by the personal benefits and societal risks they confer. These findings generalized across six countries and may also prove informative for the introduction of vaccination passports, helping policymakers to introduce effective COVID-19 passport policies in these six countries and around the world.     

Venous drainage patterns in a case of pseudotumor cerebri following unilateral radical neck dissection

We report the extracranial venous ultrasound findings in a case of pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) following unilateral radical neck dissection (rND). PTC is known to be a rare complication following bilateral rND, and is caused by venous outflow obstruction. Single cases of PTC have been reported after unilateral rND, and are thought to be due to resection of the dominant internal jugular vein (IJV) in the presence of a hypoplastic or aplastic contralateral transverse sinus. Our patient developed PTC despite prominent flow in the contralateral IJV as shown by venous ultrasound. No compensatory increase in flow in the vertebral veins was observed, as confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. We conclude that the physiological collateral function of the vertebral venous system and deep neck veins was insufficient and contributed to global venous outflow obstruction in our case of unilateral rND.     

Vaccine prevention in perinatal health care: parents, children and professionals

Recent legislative texts have changed vaccinal policy and reinforced the role of midwives in vaccine prevention in perinatal healthcare. Quite as paediatricians and obstetricians-gynecologists, midwives can now prescribe and carry out, for the mothers, vaccines against rubella, tetanus, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, hepatitis B, influenza and whooping-cough and for the newborns vaccines against hepatitis B and tuberculosis. Concerning vaccinations, practitioners have to respect the vaccination calendar and a collaborative action is useful and necessary. These national guidelines are regularly updated when new vaccines and new recommendations come to light, for example for children (papillomavirus, tuberculosis, pneumococcus...), young adults (varicella, whooping-cough) and health professions in contact with very young children (varicella, measles, influenza and whooping-cough). The recent changes in tuberculosis prevention from routine vaccination of all newborn infants to selective vaccination lead to reinforce measures to detect the infants at higher risk, for them to be vaccinated before discharge at home. Midwives and nurses occupy a central place in family policy and become, with obstetricians-gynecologists and pediatricians, key actors for the effectiveness and the success of vaccine strategies in perinatal health.     

Über den Einfluß von Extrakten aus dem endokrinen Drüsensystem auf die Entwicklung des Mäusecarcinoms

Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchungen am transplantablen Mäusekrebs ergaben, daß die Extrakte der Leber, der Milz, des Pankreas, des zentralen Nervensystems und das Insulin in systematischen Gaben das Angehen des Krebses, das Tempo seines Wachstums und schließlich die Bildung von Metastasen hemmend zu beeinflussen vermochten.In einem geringerem Maße wird das Carcinomwachstum auch durch die Extrakte des Knochenmarkes, der Nebenschilddrüse, des Eierstockes und des Corpus luteum gehemmt.Nebenniere, Hypophysenhinterlappen, Glandula pinealis und Thymus vermögen das Carcinomwachstum nicht zu beeinflussen, hingengen üben die Extrakte der Nebennierenrinde, der Schilddrüse und des Hypophysenvorderlappens eine fördernde Wirkung aus.Die verschiedene Kombination der hemmenden Substanzen ergab, daß die Hemmung dann am allerstärksten war, wenn die Extrakte des Knochenmarkes, der Milz, der Leber, des Pankreas und der Parathyreoidea gleichzeitig gegeben wurden.Jene Organe, deren Extrakte auf Grund unserer Untersuchungen das Carcinomwachstum hemmend beeinflussen, vermögen gleichzeitig die Zuckerassimilationsfähigkeit des Organismus zu erhöhen, die glykolysierende Tätigkeit der Zellen zu dämpfen und den Cholesteringehalt des Blutserums zu senken. Hingegen erhöhen sie den Lipoidgehalt des Blutes, sie arbeiten der Senkung, der Oberflächenspannung entgegen, sie erleichtern die Sauerstoffversorgung der Zellen, der Wassergehalt der Zellen wird durch sie beeinflußt, sie verschieben das Säurebasengleichgewicht in die Säurerichtung, der Kaliumgehalt des Blutes wird durch sie herabgesetzt, sie erhöhen den Calciumgehalt im Blute, der Schwefelhaushalt wird durch sie beeinflußt, und schließlich bedingen sie eine vagotonische Einstellung des vegetativen Nervensystems. Mit einem Worte vermögen sie die Vorbedingungen des Krebses, alle Faktoren des carcinomatösen Milieus in einer ungünstigen Richtung zu beeinflussen.Die Wirkungen der fördernden endokrinen Organe sind den erwähnten gerade entgegengesetzt, also sie wirken auf jene Eigenschaften des Organismus, die in ihrer Gemeinschaft das carcinomatöse Milieu bilden, fördernd ein.Eine derartige experimentelle Beeinflussung des Organismus durch das endokrine System und die Wirkung desselben auf die Entwicklung des carcinomatösen Gewebes macht es wahrscheinlich, daß unter den ätiologischen Faktoren der Krebsbildung die Zustandsänderung dieses Systems eine wichtige Rolle spielt.     

Experimentelle Erzeugung einer Disposition zum Teerkrebs an Tieren

Ohne ZusammenfassungVortrag, gehalten auf der Konferenz des Deutschen Zentralkomitees zur Erforschung und Bekämpfung der Krebskrankheit am 24. und 25. September 1926 in Düsseldorf.