A prospective, randomized, pragmatic, health outcomes trial evaluating the incorporation of hylan G-F 20 into the treatment paradigm for patients with knee osteoarthritis (Part 1 of 2): clinical results

Objective: First, to assess the clinical effectiveness of hylan G-F 20 in an appropriate care treatment regimen (as defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1995 guidelines) as measured by validated disease-specific outcomes and health-related quality of life endpoints for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Second, to utilize the measures of effectiveness and costs in an economic evaluation (see accompanying manuscript). Design: A total of 255 patients with OA of the knee were enrolled by rheumatologists or orthopedic surgeons into a prospective, randomized, open-label, 1-year, multi-centred trial, conducted in Canada. Patients were randomized to 'Appropriate care with hylan G-F 20' (AC+H) or 'Appropriate care without hylan G-F 20' (AC). Data were collected at clinic visits (baseline, 12 months) and by telephone (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months). Results: The AC+H group was superior to the AC group for all primary (% reduction in mean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scale: 38% vs 13%, P=0.0001) and secondary effectiveness outcome measures. These differences were all statistically significant and exceeded the 20% difference between groups seta priori by the investigators as the minimum clinically important difference. Health-related quality of life improvements in the AC+H group were statistically superior for the WOMAC pain, stiffness and physical function (all P

Production of the baculovirus-expressed dengue virus glycoprotein NS1 can be improved dramatically with optimised regimes for fed-batch cultures and the addition of the insect moulting hormone, 20-Hydroxyecdysone

A perennial problem in recombinant protein expression is low yield of the product of interest. A strategy which has been shown to increase the production of baculovirus-expressed proteins is to utilise fed-batch cultures. One disadvantage of this approach is the time-consuming task of optimising the feeding strategy. Previously, a statistical optimisation routine was applied to develop a feeding strategy that increased the yield of beta-Galactosidase (beta-Gal) by 2.4-fold (Biotechnol. Bioeng, 59 (1998) 178). This involves the single addition of nutrient concentrates (amino acids, lipids. glucose and yeastolate ultrafiltrate) into Sf9 cell cultures grown in SF900II medium. In this study, it is demonstrated that this optimised fed-batch strategy developed for a high-yielding intracellular product beta-Gal could be applied successfully to a relatively low-yielding glycosylated and secreted product such as the dengue virus glycoprotein NS1. Optimised batch infections yielded 4 mug/ml of NS1 at a peak cell density of 4.2 x 10(6) cells/ml. In contrast. optimised fed-batch infections exhibited a 3-fold improvement in yield, with 12 mug ml of NS1 produced at a peak cell density of 11.3 x 10(6) cells/ml. No further improvements in yield were recorded when the feed volumes were doubled and the peak cell density was increased to 23 x 10(6) cells/ml, unless the cultures were stimulated by the addition of 4 mug/ml of 20-Hydroxyecdysone (an insect moulting hormone). In this case, the NS1 yield was increased to 20 mug/ml. which was nearly 5-fold higher than optimised batch cultures. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in postural stability in women aged 20 to 80 years

Background. A study of postural stability was undertaken to identify the relationship between vision and support surface across age decades. Understanding when reliance on vision for postural stability emerges and the support conditions contributing to this instability may provide the evidence required to introduce falls-prevention strategies in younger age decades. Methods. We measured postural stability in 453 women aged 20 to 80 years using the Balance Master force-plate system while the women performed the modified Clinical Test for the Sensory Interaction and Balance (firm and foam surfaces, eyes open and closed) and the Single-Limb Stance Test (eyes open and closed). Results. Women in their 60s and 70s were more unstable than younger women in bilateral stance on a firm surface with the eyes closed. This instability was evident from the 50s when a foam surface was introduced and from the 40s when single-limb stance was tested with eyes closed. A further decline in stability was demonstrated for each subsequent decade when the eyes were closed in single-limb stance. Conclusions. Age, visual condition, and support surface were significant variables influencing postural stability in women. Reliance on vision for postural stability was evident for women from the 40s when single-limb stance was tested, from the 50s when bilateral stance on foam was tested, and from the 60s when a firm surface was used. The cause(s) of this decline in stability requires further investigation, and screening for postural instability between the ages of 40 and 60 is advocated.

Amino acids 1-20 of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein specifically inhibit HCV IRES- dependent translation in Hep G2 cells, and inhibit both HCV IRES- and cap-dependent translation in HuH7 and CV-1 cells.

A self-modulating mechanism by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein has been suggested to influence the level of HCV replication, but current data on this subject are contradictory. We examined the effect of wild-type and mutated core protein on HCV IRES- and cap-dependent translation. The wild-type core protein was shown to inhibit both IRES- and cap-dependent translation in an in vitro system. This effect was duplicated in a dose-dependent manner with a synthetic peptide representing amino acids 1-20 of the HCV core protein. This peptide was able to bind to the HCV IRES as shown by a mobility shift assay. In contrast, a peptide derived from the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein that contained a similar proportion of basic residues was unable to inhibit translation or bind the HCV IRES. A recombinant vaccinia-HCV core virus was used to examine the effect of the HCV core protein on HCV IRES-dependent translation in cells and this was compared with the effects of an HBV core-recombinant vaccinia virus. In CV-1 and HuH7 cells, the HCV core protein inhibited translation directed by the IRES elements of HCV, encephalomyocarditis virus and classical swine fever virus as well as cap-dependent translation, whereas in HepG2 cells, only HCV IRES-dependent translation was affected. Thus, the ability of the HCV core protein to selectively inhibit HCV IRES-dependent translation is cell-specific. N-terminal truncated (aa 1-20) HCV core protein that was expressed from a novel recombinant vaccinia virus in cells abrogated the inhibitory phenotype of the core protein in vivo, consistent with the above in vitro data.

Bridgehead arylation: A direct route to advanced intermediates for the synthesis of C-20 diterpene alkaloids

[GRAPHICS] Rapid access to the ABCE ring system of the C-20 diterpene alkaloids was achieved by silver(I)-promoted intramolecular Friedel-Crafts arylation of a functional group-specific 5-bromo-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivative.

Texto para discuss??o 20: a reforma administrativa francesa: da crise da fun????o p??blica a uma nova racionalidade da a????o coletiva, uma dif??cil transi????o

Um dos marcos da reforma francesa ?? a crise da gest??o p??blica. Sabemos que a crise da gest??o p??blica ?? um fen??meno hoje universal que se tornou vis??vel a partir da d??cada de 70, especificamente com a crise do petr??leo.Com o fim do conflito Leste/Oeste em 1989, esta crise torna-se mais evidente e v??m-se refor??adas suas conota????es ideol??gicas. No caso franc??s, ao lado desta crise mundial, os analistas identificam uma crise espec??fica, a saber, a fal??ncia do modelo de Estado. Dentre os pa??ses industrializados do Ocidente, o Estado franc??s ??, sem d??vida, um dos que mais interv??m na vida social, econ??mica e pol??tica

ENAP 20 anos: caminhos de uma escola de governo

Apresenta????o da trajet??ria da ENAP Escola Nacional de Administra????o P??blica desde sua funda????o, em 1996. Pe??a importante na forma????o de um servi??o p??blico competente, a ENAP tem sua atua????o focada no desenvolvimento de compet??ncias dos servidores para aumentar a capacidade de governo na gest??o de pol??ticas p??blicas

Os 20 anos da carreira de Especialista em Pol??ticas P??blicas e Gest??o Governamental do governo federal e seu papel estrat??gico para o aprimoramento da gest??o e das pol??ticas p??blicas

O trabalho visa apresentar o atual est??gio de desenvolvimento dos processos de gest??o da carreira de Especialista em Pol??ticas P??blicas e Gest??o Governamental do governo federal. Assim, discorrer-se-?? sobre o modelo de gest??o adotado ?? luz dos estudos e discuss??es realizados pela Secretaria de Gest??o e consultores externos, com a participa????o dos pr??prios gestores. Essas reflex??es, realizadas ao longo do ??ltimo ano, permitiram identificar as estrat??gias que devem orientar todos os processos relacionados ?? carreira. O trabalho perpassa os temas: defini????o do perfil do ocupante do cargo de Especialista em Pol??ticas P??blicas e Gest??o Governamental; diretrizes para aprimorar o concurso p??blico; o processo de identifica????o das compet??ncias a serem desenvolvidas pelos seus membros, estrat??gias utilizadas para definir a aloca????o inicial; o acompanhamento do est??gio probat??rio; e algumas quest??es relacionadas ?? mobilidade funcional dos membros desta carreira. Constata-se que estas iniciativas refor??am a presen??a dos membros da carreira na condu????o das principais pol??ticas p??blicas e intensificam sua atua????o em rede, o que resulta em impactos positivos para a formula????o e execu????o de pol??ticas complexas, que demandam o envolvimento de m??ltiplos atores.

Alianças e coalizões internacionais do governo Lula: o Ibas e o G-20

O objetivo deste artigo é demonstrar que o protagonismo internacional do governo Lula busca ressuscitar a questão do desenvolvimento tendo como base tanto o regionalismo, quanto a recuperação da clivagem Norte/Sul na política internacional em benefício das novas demandas dos países em desenvolvimento. Baseado nessa constatação, indagamos se as estratégias internacionais e o diálogo Sul-Sul presente na retórica e na ação da política externa do governo Lula representam alianças duradouras ou coalizões efêmeras nas relações internacionais contemporâneas entre os países em desenvolvimento e menor desenvolvidos.

A Governança econômica global e os desafios do G-20 pós-crise financeira: análise das posições de Estados Unidos, China, Alemanha e Brasil

A crise financeira de 2008 teve impactos significativos no capitalismo global, sendo um de seus reflexos na estrutura da governança global a constituição e evolução do G-20. Neste contexto, o objetivo do artigo é analisar tais mudanças e, em especial, as posições de quatro dos principais atores nas cúpulas do G-20, a saber: Estados Unidos, China, Alemanha e Brasil.

China's proposing behavior in Global Governance: the cases of the WTO Doha Round negotiation and G-20 process

This article examines China's proposals on the reform of global governance, and discusses the main features of China's proposing behavior in the cases of the WTO Doha Round negotiation and G-20 Process. The main findings are: (1) in the critical junctures of global governance reform, China engaged the reform of the global governance institutions proactively, and put forward a series of reform proposals; (2) in proposing behavior, China argued the global governance institutions should be properly adjusted without intention to change the basic principles, refrained from playing a leadership role while proposing jointly with other countries, and upheld the principled idea of pro-development.

Factores determinantes do valor da empresa no mercado de capitais: evidência empírica para o PSI 20

El principal finalidad de la presente comunicación se traduce en el análisis del efecto de los indicadores de desempeño empresarial en la explicación del precio de las acciones que integran el principal índice bursátil de la Euronext Lisboa, el PSI 20. Para tal, recurrimos a un análisis fundamental, habiendo dividido los indicadores de desempeño empresarial en dos grupos, un con un cariz económico-financiero otro con un cariz bursátil. Utilizando una muestra de 17 empresas, los resultados son obtenidos a través de la aplicación del método OLS y reportan a 31 de Diciembre de 2007. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que los indicadores de desempeño empresarial se presentan susceptibles de explicar el precio de mercado de las acciones de las empresas que integran el PSI 20. Se destaca el efecto significativamente positivo del resultado líquido y del valor contable y el efecto significativamente negativo del cash-flow. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren la existencia de una expectativa positiva relativamente al desempeño futuro de las empresas que integran el PSI 20.