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Improving adjuvant responses is a promising pathway to develop vaccines against some pathogens (e.g., HIV or dengue). One challenge in adjuvant development is modulating the inflammatory response, which can cause excess side effects, while maintaining immune activation and protection. No approved adjuvants yet have the capability to independently modulate inflammation and protection. Here, we demonstrate a method to limit inflammation while retaining and often increasing the protective responses. To accomplish this goal, we combined a partial selective nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) inhibitor with several current adjuvants. The resulting vaccines reduce systemic inflammation and boost protective responses. In an influenza challenge model, we demonstrate that this approach enhances protection. This method was tested across a broad range of adjuvants and antigens. We anticipate these studies will lead to an alternative approach to vaccine formulation design that may prove broadly applicable to a wide range of adjuvants and vaccines.
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Photochemical transformations are greatly improved in yield by fluidic reactor technology. However, the delivery of synthetically-active light to the reactants is a challenge. Here, we use upconversion in a bio-inspired microreactor to augment the flux of critical wavelengths of light. This new technology increased of a model reaction by converting a greater portion of sunlight to photochemically-available photons.
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INTRODUCTION: Infrequent in children, benign intracranial hypertension (or pseudotumor cerebri) is most often observed in adults. Careful diagnosis requires eliminating all the other etiologies of intracranial hypertension. Most often medical, its treatment must be rapid to avoid permanent visual loss. However, a surgical procedure is necessary when vision is threatened. We present our experience with this pathology and discuss its clinical aspects, its etiologies, and the physiopathological mechanisms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on children who presented benign intracranial hypertension confirmed by neuroradiological and neurosurgical examinations. These examinations also served to specify the responsible etiologies. The ophthalmologic examinations, adapted to the child's age and clinical status, included visual acuity testing, optic disc evaluation, ocular motility testing, and visual field evaluation. Progression of visual acuity and the topic disc was analyzed after treatment. RESULTS: The diagnosis of benign intracranial hypertension was confirmed in 22 children (12 boys and 10 girls). Clinical presentation included headache and visual disturbance such as visual loss and oculomotor nerve palsy. Papilledema was present in nearly all cases. Medical treatment was successful in 7 children; however, the remaining 15 patients required a lumboperitoneal shunt because of elevated intracranial pressure, no response to the medical therapy, or threatened vision. DISCUSSION: The physiopathological mechanisms of benign intracranial hypertension, an uncommon condition in children, are still unclear. It can be associated with severe visual loss. All other intracranial or medullary expansive lesions should be eliminated before diagnosis. The causes of this syndrome are not the same for pediatric and adult patients. Although medical therapy is usually sufficient to normalize the intracranial pressure, a lumboperitoneal shunt is at times required. The role of the ophthalmologist is important in detecting a possible visual loss or papilla abnormality and in ensuring proper treatment follow-up. CONCLUSION: Ophtalmologists are involved in the detection of pseudotumor cerebri and the monitoring of visual function, an important element in evaluating treatment efficacy.
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Seudotumor Cerebral/fisiopatología , Pruebas de Visión , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Femenino , Cefalea , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Enfermedades del Nervio Oculomotor/diagnóstico , Enfermedades del Nervio Oculomotor/etiología , Papiledema/epidemiología , Papiledema/etiología , Seudotumor Cerebral/terapia , Estudios Retrospectivos , Agudeza VisualRESUMEN
The clinical, radiologic, and pathologic data from a series of 234 patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Neurosurgical Department of the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, for congenital intraspinal lipomas and operated on from 1976 to 1995 were examined. Histological studies showed that these lesions may be simple lipomas, similar to those developing elsewhere in the body, or they may be more complex forms including in addition to the lipomatous component a variety of unusual ectopic tissues of ectodermal, mesodermal, and/or endodermal origin. These complex forms indica te the malformative nature of these tumors. When they contain elements that are truly foreign to the region, the possibility of teratoma with a tumoral potential should be considered. Data found in the literature and from Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital are discussed.
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Lipoma/patología , Neoplasias de la Médula Espinal/patología , Médula Espinal/anomalías , Niño , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Femenino , Humanos , Lipoma/congénito , Lipoma/cirugía , Masculino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Distribución por Sexo , Espina Bífida Oculta/patología , Neoplasias de la Médula Espinal/congénito , Neoplasias de la Médula Espinal/cirugía , Teratoma/patologíaRESUMEN
To improve professional communications skills of students, a pilot course in "Scientific Communications" was included as a requirement in the new baccalaureate program in the Department of Radiological Sciences, School of Related Health Sciences, University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, in 1973-74. During four years, the course has been revised to meet recognized needs of students. Learning objectives and course content are described as an encouragement to other schools to train radiologic technologists in professional communications.