Influence of Apolipoprotein E Plasma Levels and Tobacco Smoking on the Induction of Neutralising Antibodies to Interferon-Beta

Interferon-beta (IFN-beta) therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with a potential for induction of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). Because immune reactivity depends on changes in lipoprotein metabolism, we investigated whether plasma lipoprotein profiles could be associated with the development of NAbs. Thirty-one female MS patients treated with subcutaneously administered IFN-beta were included. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between NAbs response groups using t tests for continuous and logistic regression analysis and Fisher's exact tests for categorical data, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of potential confounders. Patients who developed NAbs had lower apoE levels before treatment, 67 (47-74) mg/L median (interquartile range), and at the moment of NAb analysis, 53 (50-84) mg/L, in comparison to those who remained NAb-negative, 83 (68-107) mg/L, P = 0.03, and 76 (66-87) mg/L, P = 0.04, respectively. When adjusting for age and smoking for a one-standard deviation decrease in apoE levels, a 5.6-fold increase in the odds of becoming NAb-positive was detected: odds ratios (OR) 0.18 (95% CI 0.04-0.77), P = 0.04. When adjusting for apoE, smoking habit became associated with NAb induction: OR 5.6 (95% CI 1.3-87), P = 0.03. These results suggest that apoE-containing lipoprotein metabolism and, possibly, tobacco smoking may be associated with risk of NAb production in female MS patients treated with IFN-beta.

Differentiation between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis using hypertonic Sabouraud broth and tobacco agar

INTRODUCTION: Opportunistic fungal infections in immunocompromised hosts are caused by Candida species, and the majority of such infections are due to Candida albicans. However, the emerging pathogen Candida dubliniensis demonstrates several phenotypic characteristics in common with C. albicans, such as production of germ tubes and chlamydospores, calling attention to the development of stable resistance to fluconazole in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of biochemistry identification in the differentiating between C. albicans and C. dubliniensis, by phenotyping of yeast identified as C. albicans. METHODS: Seventy-nine isolates identified as C. albicans by the API system ID 32C were grown on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 30°C for 24-48h and then inoculated on hypertonic Sabouraud broth and tobacco agar. RESULTS: Our results showed that 17 (21.5%) isolates were growth-inhibited on hypertonic Sabouraud broth, a phenotypic trait inconsistent with C. albicans in this medium. However, the results observed on tobacco agar showed that only 9 (11.4%) of the growth-inhibited isolates produced characteristic colonies of C. dubliniensis (rough colonies, yellowish-brown with abundant fragments of hyphae and chlamydospores). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that this method is a simple tool for screening C. albicans and non-albicans yeast and for verification of automated identification.

Donations of non-financial resources: The motivation and consequences of measuring and accounting for it

This thesis focus on the measurement and accounting of contributions received by nonprofit organizations, as they are a significant component of revenues nowadays. A survey was developed and forward to 38 different NPOs, with the goal of understanding their motivations and what advantages and disadvantages they believe would result if they start to measure and account for all kinds of contributions. They presented many advantages from this practice; however, some are not doing it due to the difficulties in valuing contributions with no market value which would require a higher workload, waste of resources and time to be taken from other important activities.

Re: Cost effectiveness of strategies to combat cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and tobacco use in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: mathematical modelling study.

Rapid response to: Ortegón M, Lim S, Chisholm D, Mendis S. Cost effectiveness of strategies to combat cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and tobacco use in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: mathematical modelling study. BMJ. 2012 Mar 2;344:e607. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e607. PMID: 22389337.

Proactive motivation and engagement in career behaviors: Investigating direct, mediated, and moderated effects

Proactive career behaviors become increasingly important in today's career environment, but little is known about how and when motivational patterns affect individual differences. In a six-month longitudinal study among German university students (Study 1; N = 289) it was demonstrated that motivation in terms of "can do" (self-efficacy and context beliefs), "reason to" (autonomous career goals), and "energized to" (positive affect) significantly predicted career behaviors. Contrary to expectation, negative context beliefs had a positive effect when combined with other motivational states. Study 2 replicated and extended those results by investigating whether "can do" motivation mediates the effect of proactive personality and whether those effects are conditional upon the degree of career choice decidedness. We tested a moderated multiple mediation model with a unique sample of 134 German students, assessed three times, each interval being 6 weeks apart. The results showed that effects of proactivity were partially carried through higher self-efficacy beliefs but not context beliefs. Supporting a moderation model, indirect effects through self-efficacy beliefs were not present for students with very low decidedness.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, January 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, February 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, March 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, April 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, May 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, June 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, July 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, August 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, September 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.

Cigarette and Tobacco Receipts Report, October 2008

This is a report for the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance about the receipts on cigarettes and tobacco for each month of the year. This receipt is the tax of each sale of cigarettes and tobacco.