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For decades, vaccines have played a significant role in protecting public and personal health against infectious diseases and proved their great potential in battling cancers as well. This review focused on the current progress of therapeutic subunit vaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Antigens and adjuvants are key components of vaccine formulations. We summarized several classes of tumor antigens and bioinformatic approaches of identification of tumor neoantigens. Pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-targeting adjuvants and their targeted delivery platforms have been extensively discussed. In addition, we emphasized the interplay between multiple adjuvants and their combined delivery for cancer immunotherapy.

Home monitors of blood glucose (HMBGs) are gaining acceptance as part of the standard of care for ambulatory self-monitoring and treatment of diabetic patients. Currently there are several HMBGs marketed in the United States, each claiming reliability, accuracy, and "user friendliness," with most of these claims largely unsubstantiated. The objective of our study was to analyze and statistically compare the accuracy and precision of the HMBGs produced by the major competitors in this ever-expanding medical field. Accuracy of each monitor was studied by comparing the glucose value reported by each HMBG with that determined by a reference method (YSI 23A). Precision or reproducibility of results was performed by testing a single, known whole-blood glucose sample 20 times on each monitor. The precision of each device was tested on known low, normal, and elevated samples. Actual and absolute deviations from the reference standard demonstrate that the Accuchek bG and Glucoscan 2000 monitors provide relatively unbiased estimates of blood glucose, whereas the Glucokey, Glucochek II, Glucometer II, and Trendsmeter generally underestimate the true values. The Diascan and Accuchek II monitors, in a separate evaluation, demonstrated acceptable accuracy and precision. We conclude that the Accuchek bG and Glucoscan 2000 statistically are the most accurate and precise HMBGs.