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The article reports on a study conducted in Germany which found that repeated unemployment lowers a person's satisfaction with life below the level to which he or she sunk the first time. According to the author, the impact of certain repeated life events, such as unemployment and divorce, on one's well being varies. Psychologist Jim Stringham said that for people having a hard time coping with repeated unemployment, they must seek community support.

The article reports on a study which found promising activity with the combination of pembrolizumab and a stimulant of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) known as SD-101 in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Studies have shown that combination therapy can boost immune responses further. SD-101 is a synthetic oligonucleotide targeting TLR9 to stimulate plasmacytoid dendritic cells. The study was published in the journal "Cancer Discovery."

The article discusses a study led by Dr. Alexander T. Faje which showed that high doses of glucocorticoids could affect checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapy after an immune-related adverse event (irAE). Topics include link between defects in the immune response and primary and acquired resistance to CPIs, test made on whether glucocorticoid therapy can change outcomes with CPI treatment, and improved survival of the patients who received ipilimumab monotherapy and developed hypophysitis.

The article discusses a study published in the "Journal of Neuro-Oncology" which found that immune checkpoint inhibitors initiated soon before or after radiosurgery provide excellent outcomes in patients with melanoma brain metastases. Topics include advantage with regard to several outcomes for anti-programmed death 1(PD-1) agents, median follow-up time for all patients, and finding on patients that received anti-PD-1 therapy or combination therapy.

The article discusses research on the associations between baseline variables and survival outcomes in melanoma patients, published in the journal "JAMA Oncology." Topics include strongest determinant of progression-free survival (PFS), factors significantly prognostic of PFS, and remarks from Dr. Michael A. Davies on the results regarding elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels.

The article reports on the analysis of the AVAST-M trial on the treatment of high-risk melanoma with adjuvant bevacizumab after surgical resection. Study highlights include whether bevacizumab can improve outcomes in patients with resected cutaneous melanoma at high risk of recurrence, the hazard ratio for overall survival, and the five-year disease-free survival rate with bevacizumab.

The article discusses a study on the association between obesity and improved outcomes in metastatic melanomas, by Jennifer L. McQuade of the Universiy of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, which was published in the journal "Lancet Oncology."

The article discusses a study on the efficacy of vemurafenib in patients with fully resected stage IIC to IIIC melanoma, by Michele Maio of University Hospital of Sienna in Italy and colleagues, which was published in the journal "Lancet Oncology." Topics mentioned include the risk for disease reoccurrence in patients with stage IIC to III melanoma, and the adverse events in vemurafenib patients including rash and arthralgia.

The article discusses a study on the association between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and pseudoprogression of disease in patients with melanoma treated with programmed death 1 inhibitors, by Jenny H. Lee of Macquarie University, and colleagues, which was published in the journal "JAMA Dermatology." Topics mentioned include the survival rate for patients with progressive disease and favorable ctDNA, and the importance of the early recognition of pseudoprogression for patients.

The article discusses a study on the complete responses (CR) of metastatic melanoma patients after discontinuation of pembrolizumab therapy (PT), by Caroline Robert of Institut Gustave Roussy and colleagues, which was published in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology." Topics mentioned include the predictors of CR including the baseline tumor size and programmed death-ligand 1 status, and the disease free-survival rate in patients who discontinued the PT.

In 1971 and 1972, wheat crops in the Soviet Union suffered massive shortfalls. The U.S. government, which had no idea of the scope of the problem, blithely negotiated a three-year deal that allowed the Kremlin to buy U.S. grain on credit. The Soviets spent their entire credit limit (and more) right away, and global grain prices skyrocketed. Just weeks after this grain deal was announced, the Earth-observing satellite Landsat 1 achieved orbit. If the satellite had launched a few months earlier, the so-called Great Grain Robbery might never have happened. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Companies continue to push solar-cell efficiency records toward theoretical limits. Are actual production-line solar panels keeping up? — In late March, solar-panel manufacturer SunPower Corp. announced that it was beginning limited production of its record-breaking crystalline silicon solar cell, which can achieve up to 24 percent conversion of the sun's energy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This focuses on fibromyalgia in the brain. According to a study at the Louisiana State University, patients with fibromyalgia have reduced gray matter density in certain areas of the brain, as well as reduced levels of dopamine metabolism. The study's lead author, Patrick Wood, advises that investigations into drugs for the treatment of fibromyalgia should focus more closely on dopamine. INSET: Give it a Rest.

The article focuses on the decrease in available blood supply which led to the increasing importance of blood management, according to orthopedic surgeon Viktor E. Krebs. The doctor points out that there is a projected significant amount of blood loss from total joint replacement (TJR) procedures even in minimally invasive procedures. A 1999 study found an increase in the number of patients undergoing bilateral total knee replacement (TKR) to 28%. Krebs emphasized the importance of preoperative blood management phase.

This article reports that the distribution of condoms in New York City has increased by 11.5 million between 2004 and 2006, according to data presented at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference. Tamar Renaud of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control said that sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are prevalent in the city. Particular focus is given to the initial objective of the Free Condom Initiative. A 94% condom availability was reported among the syringe exchange programs.

The article focuses on the Maraviroc in Treatment-native Patients (MERIT) study. In the study, the researchers compared the safety and effectiveness of a twice-daily dose of maraviroc with a daily dose of efavirenz in treatment-native patients. The researchers found that CXCR4-using virus is a vital predictor of failure with maraviroc in HIV patients.

The article reports on a study which investigated newer generations of polyethylene components used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Orthopedic surgeon Roy Crownshield presented the findings at the Tenth Annual Insall Scott Kelly Institute Sports Medicine and Total Knee & Hip Symposium. According to the article, the researchers found that crosslinked polyethylene improves top surface wear, improved backside wear, and improves wear when bone cement debris is present.

The article provides information on a study which investigated the benefits of preoperative cardiac stress testing in orthopedic surgery. Orthopedist S. Andrew Sems presented the findings at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Orthopedic Trauma Association. Sems and his colleagues found that preoperative cardiac stress testing resulted in low rates of cardiac intervention and increased time until surgery.

The article discusses findings of a study by Douglas A. Dennis, which revealed several factors that affect motion after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aside from preoperative motion. Other predictors include the patient, surgical errors, alterations in knee kinematics, postoperative complications and the design of the implant.

The article discusses findings of a prospective, observational study, which revealed that while mental health appears to improve quickly in patients with tibial plafond fractures, physical outcomes improve more slowly and do not fully recover after two years. The results of the study was presented by researcher J. Lawrence Marsh during the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Orthopedic Trauma Association that was held in Boston, Massachusetts.

The article presents a study which shows the efficacy of nonsurgical treatment for patients with chronic full-thickness rotator cuff tears in the U.S.

The article offers information on a study, which indicated that the use of platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) failed to improved the outcome of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

The article focuses on a study, which showed that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help predict the amount of time required for professional football players to recover from syndesmotic ankle sprains.

The article discusses research on the efficacy of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in treating human papillomavirus (HPV)-linked oropharyngeal tumors. The research revealed a high percentage of patients who received chemoradiotherapy and achieved a complete histologic response and positive survival rate. Diagnosis of HPV16, on the other hand, was associated with a number of factors.

The article reports on the efficiency of using mammography screening plus ultrasound in detecting breast cancers, according to a research published in "The Journal of the American Medical Association. A higher number of patients was diagnosed with breast cancer using mammography plus ultrasound compared to mammography alone. However, an increase in the number of false positives was observed.

The article reports on the findings of a study by Alia Al-Tayyib and colleagues on the association between sex with partners met online and the risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which was presented at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference. According to Al-Tayyib, the use of the Internet as a venue for meeting partners came to the attention of public health officials after an outbreak of syphilis. Seventeen percent of the individuals tested positive for one of the two infections--Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

This article explains that in revising total hip arthroplasty (THA) it is necessary to identify the areas of deficiency and classifying patients according to degree, area of osteolysis and component migration. According to surgeon Thomas S. Thornhill many things should be done when confronting a revision of THA. Thornhill recommends that surgeons use Wayne Paprosky's method of acetabular defect classification.

The article discusses a study on the impact of mammography screening on breast cancer mortality among women aged 70 to 75 years, which was presented at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin, Germany in April 2008. Results showed a detection rate of 7.8 per 1,000 screened in the older group. According to researcher Jacques Fracheboud, screening is effective up to the age of 75.

The article discusses a study on the impact of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the surgical treatment of breast cancer patients, which was presented at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin, Germany in April 2008. Surgeon David Martinez-Cecilia says MRI should be considered compulsory in preoperative staging in cancer patients. Results showed that MRI changed the surgical approach in 32 patients and found to be beneficial in 22 patients.

The article discusses a study on the use of lapatinib in tumorigenic breast cancer stem cells in women receiving neoadjuvant treatment, which was presented at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin, Germany in April 2008. Tumor regression was observed after six weeks of lapatinib treatment. According to instructor Angel A. Rodriguez, small subpopulations of cells with tumorigenic potential are resistant to conventional chemotherapy.

The article discusses a study of the efficiency of chemotherapeutic agents in BRCA2-associated metastatic breast cancer, which was presented at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin, Germany in April 2008. Results showed nonsignificant trends for a higher response rate and longer progression-free survival for patients with BRCA1-associated cancer. Researcher Mieke Kriege says BRCA2 mutation carriers had better objective response and progression-free survival.