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Takes a look at where women stand in management circles today, how they view themselves as contenders for management positions, and what training they now need. (Author/JM)

Outlines some games and simulations for teaching health related issues to various age groups. Among the games discussed are CHOICE, CONSEQUENCES, GUTS, LIFE CHANCES, NO BED NO JOB, and TENEMENT. Eleven references are listed. (LLS)

Background: The addition of plasmid cytokine adjuvants, electroporation, and live attenuated viral vectors may further optimize immune responses to DNA vaccines in heterologous prime-boost combinations. The objective of this study was to test the safety and tolerability of a novel prime-boost vaccine regimen incorporating these strategies with different doses of IL-12 plasmid DNA adjuvant. Methods: In a phase 1 study, 88 participants received an HIV-1 multiantigen (gag/pol, env, nef/tat/vif) DNA vaccine (HIV-MAG, 3000 μg) co-administered with IL-12 plasmid DNA adjuvant at 0, 250, 1000, or 1500 μg (N = 22/group) given intramuscularly with electroporation (Ichor TriGrid™ Delivery System device) at 0, 1 and 3 months; followed by attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus, serotype Indiana, expressing HIV-1 Gag (VSV-Gag), 3.4 ⊆ 107 plaque-forming units (PFU), at 6 months; 12 others received placebo. Injections were in both deltoids at each timepoint. Participants were monitored for safety and tolerability for 15 months. Results: The dose of IL-12 pDNA did not increase pain scores, reactogenicity, or adverse events with the co-administered DNA vaccine, or following the VSV-Gag boost. Injection site pain and reactogenicity were common with intramuscular injections with electroporation, but acceptable to most participants. VSV-Gag vaccine often caused systemic reactogenicity symptoms, including a viral syndrome (in 41%) of fever, chills, malaise/fatigue, myalgia, and headache; and decreased lymphocyte counts 1 day after vaccination. Conclusions: HIV-MAG DNA vaccine given by intramuscular injection with electroporation was safe at all doses of IL-12 pDNA. The VSV-Gag vaccine at this dose was associated with fever and viral symptoms in some participants, but the vaccine regimens were safe and generally well-tolerated. Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A phase 1 trial of a clade B HIV vaccine in HIV-uninfected adults evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a DNA prime co-expressing GM-CSF (Dg) followed by different numbers and intervals of modified vaccinia Ankara Boosts (M). Both vaccines produce virus-like particles presenting membrane-bound Env. Methods: Four US sites randomized 48 participants to receiving 1/10th the DNA dose as DgDgMMM given at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 months, or full dose DgDgM_M or DgDgMM_M regimens, given at 0, 2, 4, and 8 months, and 0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 months, respectively. Peak immunogenicity was measured 2 weeks post-last vaccination. Results: All regimens were well tolerated and safe. Full dose DgDgM_M and DgDgMM_M regimens generated Env-specific IgG to HIV-1 Env in >90%, IgG3 in >80%, and IgA in <20% of participants. Responses to gp140 and gp41 targets were more common and of higher magnitude than to gp120 and V1V2. The gp41 antibody included reactivity to the conserved immunodominant region with specificities known to mediate virus capture and phagocytosis and did not cross-react with a panel of intestinal flora antigens. The 3rd dose of MVA increased the avidity of elicited antibody (7.5% to 39%), the ADCC response to Bal gp120 (14% to 64%), and the one-year durability of the IgG3 responses to gp41 by 4-fold (13% vs. 3.5% retention of peak response). The co-expressed GM-CSF did not enhance responses over those in trials testing this vaccine without GM-CSF. Conclusion: This DNA/MVA prime-boost regimen induced durable, functional humoral responses that included ADCC, high antibody avidity, and Env IgG1 and IgG3 binding responses to the immunodominant region of gp41. The third, spaced MVA boost improved the overall quality of the antibody response. These products without co-expressed GM-CSF but combined with protein boosts will be considered for efficacy evaluation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wereport on the rotational diffusion dynamics and fluorescencelifetime of lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl chloride (LRSC) in twothin-film experimental configurations. These are liquid|solid interfaces,where N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone (NOP) containing waterand ethylene glycol (EG) thin films are each supported on glass, anda liquid|liquid|solid interface where thin films of water and NOP,both supported on glass, are in contact with one another, formingan NOP|water interface. The reorientation dynamics and fluorescencelifetime of LRSC are measured as a function of distance from the NOP|glassand EG|glass interfaces and from the NOP|water and NOP|glass interfacesin the liquid|liquid|solid experimental configuration. Fluorescenceanisotropy decay data from the liquid|solid systems reveal a liquidfilm depth-dependent gradient spanning tens of micrometers from theNOP|glass interface into the wet NOP phase, while this gradient isabsent in EG. We interpret these findings in the context of a compositionalgradient in the NOP phase. The spatially resolved fluorescence lifetimeand anisotropy decay data for an NOP|water|glass interfacial structureexhibits the absence of a gradient in the anisotropy decay profilenormal to the NOP|water interface and the presence of a fluorescencelifetime gradient as a function of distance from the NOP|water interface.The compositional heterogeneity for both interfacial systems is inthe form of water nanodroplets in the NOP phase. We understand thiscompositional gradient in the context of the relative surface energiesof the water, NOP, and glass components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recombinant DNA and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA) vaccines represent a promising approach to an HIV/AIDS vaccine. This Phase 1 clinical trial compared the safety and immunogenicity of a rMVA vaccine administered with and without DNA vaccine primingMethods. GeoVax pGA2/JS7 DNA (D) and MVA/HIV62 (M) vaccines encode noninfectious virus-like particles. Intramuscular needle injections were used to deliver placebo, 2 doses of DNA followed by 2 doses of rMVA (DDMM), one dose of DNA followed by 2 doses of rMVA (DMM), or 3 doses of rMVA (MMM) to HIV-seronegative participants.Results. Local and systemic symptoms were mild or moderate. Immune response rates for CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were highest in the DDMM group and lowest in the MMM group (77% vs 43% CD4 + and 42% vs 17% CD8 +). In contrast, response rates for Env binding and neutralizing Ab were highest in the MMM group. The DMM group had intermediate response rates. A 1/10th-dose DDMM regimen induced similar T cell but reduced Ab response rates compared with the full-dose DDMM.Conclusions. MVA62 was well tolerated and elicited different patterns of T cell and Ab responses when administered alone or in combination with the JS7 DNA vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]