New developments in the management of advanced melanoma – role of pembrolizumab

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have achieved astonishing results and improved overall survival (OS) in several types of malignancies, including advanced melanoma. However, due to a peculiar type of anti-cancer activity provided by these drugs, the response patterns during ICI treatment are completely different from that with “old” chemotherapeutic agents. Objective: To provide an overview of the available literature and potentials of 18F-FDG PET/CT in advanced melanoma during the course of therapy with ICI in the context of treatment response evaluation. Methods: Morphologic criteria, expressed by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), immune-related response criteria (irRC), irRECIST, and, more recently, immune-RECIST (iRECIST), along with response criteria based on the metabolic parameters with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18FFDG), have been explored. Results: To overcome the limits of traditional response criteria, new metabolic response criteria have been introduced on time and are being continuously updated, such as the PET/CT Criteria for the early prediction of Response to Immune checkpoint inhibitor Therapy (PECRIT), the PET Response Evaluation Criteria for Immunotherapy (PERCIMT), and “immunotherapy-modified” PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (imPERCIST). The introduction of new PET radiotracers, based on monoclonal antibodies combined with radioactive elements (“immune-PET”), are of great interest. Conclusion: Although the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in malignant melanoma has been widely validated for detecting distant metastases and recurrences, evidences in course of ICI are still scarce and larger multicenter clinical trials are needed.

Download Full-text

Contemporary management of locoregionally advanced melanoma in Australia and New Zealand and the role of adjuvant systemic therapy

ANZ Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1111/ans.17051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 91 (S2) ◽

pp. 3-13

Author(s):

B. Mark Smithers ◽

Robyn P. M. Saw ◽

David E. Gyorki ◽

Richard C. W. Martin ◽

Victoria Atkinson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Systemic Therapy ◽

Advanced Melanoma ◽

Adjuvant Systemic Therapy ◽

Contemporary Management

Download Full-text

Emerging Silk Material Trends: Repurposing, Phase Separation and Solution-Based Designs

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14051160 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 1160

Author(s):

F. Philipp Seib

Keyword(s):

Phase Separation ◽

Recent Progress ◽

Fiber Formation ◽

Live Cells ◽

Specific Reference ◽

New Developments ◽

Silk Fabrics ◽

Induced Crystallization ◽

Liquid Liquid Phase Separation

Silk continues to amaze. This review unravels the most recent progress in silk science, spanning from fundamental insights to medical silks. Key advances in silk flow are examined, with specific reference to the role of metal ions in switching silk from a storage to a spinning state. Orthogonal thermoplastic silk molding is described, as is the transfer of silk flow principles for the triggering of flow-induced crystallization in other non-silk polymers. Other exciting new developments include silk-inspired liquid–liquid phase separation for non-canonical fiber formation and the creation of “silk organelles” in live cells. This review closes by examining the role of silk fabrics in fashioning facemasks in response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Download Full-text

ESDR289 - The effect of immune checkpoint Inhibitors on the CD4+ T-cell population by patients with advanced melanoma and the role of these cells in immune related adverse events

10.26226/morressier.61081ff8bc981037240fe4ae ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tereza Jakovljevicova

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Cell Population ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Advanced Melanoma ◽

Cd4 T Cell

Download Full-text

The Role of Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry in Biological Research — New Developments and Applications

Mass Spectrometry in the Biological Sciences ◽

10.1007/978-1-4612-0229-5_3 ◽

1996 ◽

pp. 25-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

R. D. Smith ◽

J. E. Bruce ◽

Q. Wu ◽

X. Cheng ◽

S. A. Hofstadler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Fourier Transform ◽

Cyclotron Resonance ◽

Biological Research ◽

Ion Cyclotron Resonance ◽

New Developments ◽

Ion Cyclotron

Download Full-text

The Hygiene Hypothesis and New Perspectives—Current Challenges Meeting an Old Postulate

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.637087 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Holger Garn ◽

Daniel Piotr Potaczek ◽

Petra Ina Pfefferle

Keyword(s):

Immune Cells ◽

Hygiene Hypothesis ◽

Fine Tuning ◽

Global Changes ◽

Industrialized Countries ◽

New Developments ◽

Asthma Phenotypes ◽

Adaptive Immune ◽

Adaptive Immune Cells

During its 30 years history, the Hygiene Hypothesis has shown itself to be adaptable whenever it has been challenged by new scientific developments and this is a still a continuously ongoing process. In this regard, the mini review aims to discuss some selected new developments in relation to their impact on further fine-tuning and expansion of the Hygiene Hypothesis. This will include the role of recently discovered classes of innate and adaptive immune cells that challenges the old Th1/Th2 paradigm, the applicability of the Hygiene Hypothesis to newly identified allergy/asthma phenotypes with diverse underlying pathomechanistic endotypes, and the increasing knowledge derived from epigenetic studies that leads to better understanding of mechanisms involved in the translation of environmental impacts on biological systems. Further, we discuss in brief the expansion of the Hygiene Hypothesis to other disease areas like psychiatric disorders and cancer and conclude that the continuously developing Hygiene Hypothesis may provide a more generalized explanation for health burden in highly industrialized countries also relation to global changes.

Download Full-text

Teacher Education and Development in Africa: A Modern Perspective

Journal of International Cooperation and Development ◽

10.36941/jicd-2020-0009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 107

Author(s):

Peter Wekesa Wamalwa ◽

Edwin Nyongesa Masibo

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Education Programme ◽

New Developments ◽

Teacher Education Programme ◽

Emerging Issues ◽

Education And Development ◽

Education And Society ◽

The Relationship

Teacher education programme is a critical component of education and the life of any society. It normally lays the very foundations of the society. It spurs and pushes the various aspects of development in the society through well-established culture and character of such a society. But for this programme of education to perform this development function efficiently it must be well designed, developed and constantly reformed and modernized so as to keep it abreast with the emerging issues both in education and society. This process is only possible through the conduct of regular studies in education and society to establish new developments and also facilitate the generation of relevant innovations to promote the quality of Teacher education programme. However, there is no evidence that such a process has ever been initiated and conducted in Teacher education programme since the inception of this programme in modern Africa. This paper is designed to explore the importance of Teacher education programme in modern Africa, the relationship between Teacher education programme and development in modern Africa, the roe of this programme in modern Africa, strategies of harnessing the programme for development in modern Africa and the challenges of the programme in modern Africa. This narrative is likely to shade light on the need of Teacher education programme in development in modern Africa and the role of innovative research in this process. Hence, set in motion the desired development in modern Africa.

Download Full-text

Enabling characteristics of new budgeting practice and the role of controller

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management ◽

10.1108/qram-09-2014-0058 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 31-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Tiina Henttu-Aho

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Management Control ◽

Holistic View ◽

New Developments ◽

Role Change ◽

Content Type ◽

Paper Company

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the emergence of the enabling characteristics of new budgetary practices and their implications for the role of controller. Design/methodology/approach The longitudinal perspective of this qualitative case study is based on interviews of controllers and managers involved in budgetary work. This study monitored the four enabling characteristics of management control, namely, repair, internal transparency, global transparency and flexibility (Adler and Borys, 1996), related to the new budgeting practices in one global paper company. Findings The findings of the study demonstrate that the implementation of rolling forecasting was a major attempt at “repair” to remedy the incompleteness of accounting information, which made controllers experts in producing and delivering more realistic forward-looking information in the organization. The increasing internal and global transparency of new budgetary practices enabled controllers at various levels of organization to develop new competences, which helped controller network to build a holistic view of the totality of control and supply more relevant information in organization. Moreover, the inherent flexibility of the system was a major condition for improving organizational effectiveness in budgetary work. However, the study shows that the controller’s attitude towards enabling formalization is not necessarily positive if the system is not aligned with professional mindset and competence. Originality/value This study adds to the understanding of the complementarity between new developments of budgeting and controller role by addressing the enabling uses of management control systems, which have the potential to enhance the controller role change.

Download Full-text

The Maintenance of Holiness and the Contours of Leadership: Form and Characterization in the Book of Numbers

10.5642/cguetd/207 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Nathan Daily

Keyword(s):

Critical Theory ◽

21St Century ◽

Biblical Studies ◽

Structure Characterization ◽

Biblical Text ◽

Methodological Study ◽

New Developments ◽

Divine Violence ◽

Literary Setting

The book of Numbers presents numerous problems for interpreters who attempt to garner a sense of meaning from the disparate texts and genres found interspersed throughout the work. This dissertation is a methodological study that incorporates features of form-critical theory, which developed over the course of the 20th century and continues to evolve in the 21st century, alongside literary approaches to the biblical text, specifically the analysis of characterization, to present a new reading of the book of Numbers. After surveying recent research on the book of Numbers, new developments in form-critical method, and approaches to characterization in biblical studies, the work offers a methodological proposal for reading Numbers along synchronic lines, according to the rubrics of structure, characterization, and literary setting. The approach analyzes the form rather than the formation of the text, and, by highlighting the role of characterization within the form-critical enterprise, provides a reading that considers the structure and flow of the book of Numbers as well as, through intertextual readings, the significance of Numbers in the broader structure of the Torah. The remainder of the work analyzes four texts from the book of Numbers: The Commission of the Levites (3:5-51); The Purification of the Levites (8:5-22); The Three-Day Journey from Sinai (10:33-11:34); and The Complaint of Miriam and Aaron (11:35-12:15). Each text is read in relation to the dominant structural marker of the Torah, the toledoth formula, and, particularly, the final formulaic marker in 3:1. Each of the four texts presents a model of Judean leadership set in a narrative that sequentially builds by using the Levites as characters that are assigned roles and appear as illustrations for additional roles necessary to maintain holiness in the camp. As the Torah is structured as a creation text (Gen 1-2; Exod 40:17), the dissertation finds that material in Numbers, which follows the completion of the creation narrative in Exod 40:17 by resetting the narrative chronologically to the same time (Num 3:1; 7:1; 9:15; cf. 1:1), is designed to illustrate the levitical task to maintain creation through attending to holiness. Now that creation has reached completion with the dangerous presence of the holy deity residing within Israel, proper management under proper leadership will result in blessing, but inattentiveness to holiness by the leadership or others is liable to incite danger. The new reading attends to discussions of structure, plot, and coherence in Numbers as well as theological concerns related to leadership, holiness, and divine violence.

Download Full-text