Protective Efficacy of Serially Up-Ranked Subdominant CD8+ T Cell Epitopes against Virus Challenges

Immunodominance in T cell responses to complex antigens like viruses is still incompletely understood. Some data indicate that the dominant responses to viruses are not necessarily the most protective, while other data imply that dominant responses are the most important. The issue is of considerable importance to the rational design of vaccines, particularly against variable escaping viruses like human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and hepatitis C virus. Here, we showed that sequential inactivation of dominant epitopes up-ranks the remaining subdominant determinants. Importantly, we demonstrated that subdominant epitopes can induce robust responses and protect against whole viruses if they are allowed at least once in the vaccination regimen to locally or temporally dominate T cell induction. Therefore, refocusing T cell immune responses away from highly variable determinants recognized during natural virus infection towards subdominant, but conserved regions is possible and merits evaluation in humans

Proteomic Modeling for HIV-1 Infected Microglia-Astrocyte Crosstalk

Background: HIV-1-infected and immune competent brain mononuclear phagocytes (MP; macrophages and microglia) secrete cellular and viral toxins that affect neuronal damage during advanced disease. In contrast, astrocytes can affect disease by modulating the nervous system’s microenvironment. Interestingly, little is known how astrocytes communicate with MP to influence disease. Methods and Findings: MP-astrocyte crosstalk was investigated by a proteomic platform analysis using vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotyped HIV infected murine microglia. The microglial-astrocyte dialogue was significant and affected microglial cytoskeleton by modulation of cell death and migratory pathways. These were mediated, in part, through F-actin polymerization and filament formation. Astrocyte secretions attenuated HIV-1 infected microglia neurotoxicity and viral growth linked to the regulation of reactive oxygen species. Conclusions: These observations provide unique insights into glial crosstalk during disease by supporting astrocytemediated regulation of microglial function and its influence on the onset and progression of neuroAIDS. The results open new insights into previously undisclosed pathogenic mechanisms and open the potential for biomarker discovery an

Exergy analysis of the performance of low-temperature district heating system with geothermal heat pump

Exergy analysis of low temperature geothermal heat plant with compressor and absorption heat pump was carried out. In these two concepts heat pumps are using geothermal water at 19.5°C with spontaneous outflow 24 m3/h as a heat source. The research compares exergy efficiency and exergy destruction of considered systems and its components as well. For the purpose of analysis, the heating system was divided into five components: geothermal heat exchanger, heat pump, heat distribution, heat exchanger and electricity production and transportation. For considered systems the primary exergy consumption from renewable and non-renewable sources was estimated. The analysis was carried out for heat network temperature at 50/40°C, and the quality regulation was assumed. The results of exergy analysis of the system with electrical and absorption heat pump show that exergy destruction during the whole heating season is lower for the system with electrical heat pump. The exergy efficiencies of total system are 12.8% and 11.2% for the system with electrical heat pump and absorption heat pump, respectively

The dependence of magnetic properties on crystallographic structure of electrochemically deposited Ni/Cu superlattices

Ni/Cu superlattices have been grown by electrodeposition from a single sulfamate bath (based on Ni(SO₃NH₂)₂ and CuSO₄) by using the potentiostatic method. Chemical composition of single layers was investigated with SIMS. The Cu layers were almost pure (99.85% Cu) while Ni layers contained 2 ÷ 5% Cu. The lambda period (L) and crystallographic structure of the superlattices were established by X-ray investigations. Good quality of the Ni-Cu interface was indicated, by the presence of second-order satellite peaks around the main multilayer peak. The changes of crystallographic orientation as a function of the total thickness of the deposit demonstrate also the influence of the preferential crystallographic orientation of the multilayers on the size and nature of the magnetoresistance effect. The giant magnetoresistance effect (GMR) was dominant in samples with strong (111) texture and the anisotropy magnetoresistance (AMR) effect was observed in sampIes without any preferential crystallographic orientation

Cultural landscape as a tourist value

Termin „krajobraz” po raz pierwszy pojawił się w języku niemieckim już w VIII w. i oznaczał przestrzeń oraz ludność ją zamieszkującą. Stopniowo stawał się bardziej potoczny, by w XVI w. stać się już pojęciem używanym w celu opisania charakterystycznych cech określonej przestrzeni. Dopiero w wieku XVIII nadano słowu „krajobraz” znaczenie specjalistyczne, zwłaszcza w naukach geograficznych. Ustalono wtedy, że krajobraz to widok lub sceneria widziana z jednego miejsca i będąca odzwierciedleniem jakiegoś fragmentu powierzchni ziemi. Inni badacze wyróżnili strefy przyrodnicze, będące w pewnym sensie rodzajami krajobrazu, które dla potrzeb nauk geograficznych są badane nie tylko z punktu widzenia walorów przyrodniczych, ale również przez pryzmat materialnej oraz duchowej działalności człowieka. Założenia krajobrazowe stanowią kompleksy atrakcyjne pod względem charakterystycznego typu jak i formy czy też stylu krajobrazu. Wszystko to pozostaje w ścisłym związku z waloryzacją tworzoną na potrzeby kreowania produktu turystycznego.The notation of „landscape” first appeared in German as early as the 8th c. and referred to the space and people inhabiting it. It gradually became more common until the 16th century, when it became a nation used for describing characteristic features of given space. It was not until 18th century that the word “landscape” adopted a specialist meaning, especially in geography-related sciences. That was when “landscape” was agreed to mean a sight or scenery seen from one point and reflecting a fragment of the Earth’s surface. Other scientists distinguished environmental zones, being somewhat types of landscape, which are studied for the purposes of geography-related sciences, not only from the point of view of their natural values, but also in the light of material and spiritual activities of the man. Landscape formations may be composed of sets of components which are attractive in terms of both a characteristic type and form of landscape. All that is closely connected with valorization carried out for the needs of creating a tourist product

The demand analysis of the biogas plant with chp system on substrate, the aim to obtain required electrical and thermal power

Due to the ending resources of fossil fuels, as well as instability of the political situation on the world, especially in countries that are their main supplier, governments of poor countries in resources are forced to seek alternative sources of energy. Currently the most commonly used raw material to produce an electrical and thermal power in Poland are coal and lignite, However, in a result of an increase of their prices and an exacerbated by the EU of regulations about an emission of the greenhouse gas, emerged trends, that aim to transform the energy sector through the implementation of technologies based on alternative energy sources. The main focus is to put on renewable energy sources. The methodology, which is contained in this paper, presents a way to designation the demand of the biogas plant with CHP system on substrate of agricultural origin, the aim to obtain required electrical and thermal power. Moreover, the paper presents a simplified diagram of anaerobic fermentation, which is the basis of biogas production, as well as an illustrative diagram of a biogas plant with CHP system. In this paper also was mentioned the possibility of application biogas for transportation purposes

Analiza korozyjna materiałów spiekanych przeznaczonych do niskotemperaturowych ogniw paliwowych

A significant part of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) stack is the bipolar plates (BPs), which account for about 80% of total weight and 45% of stack cost. They are designed to accomplish many functions, e.g. they distribute reactants uniformly over the active areas, remove heat from active areas, carry current from cell to cell and prevent leakage of reactants and coolant. Furthermore, the plates must be of inexpensive, lightweight materials and must be easily manufactured. Materials designed for interconnectors must, among other things, be characterized by resistance to corrosion in the environment with pH= 2-3. This study presents opportunities of use of sintered stainless steel for this part of fuel cells. Resistance to corrosion of sintered materials was compared to properties of material (with the same ferritic phase composition) manufactured in conventional way (plastic forming), i.e. X20Cr13 stainless steel.Ważnym elementem budowy ogniw paliwowych z membraną jonowymienną są okładki/interkonektory. Okładki ogniw paliwowych stanowią około 80% masy całkowitej oraz 45% ceny ogniwa. Okładki do ogniw paliwowych muszą być zaprojektowane tak, aby spełniały wiele funkcji, takich jak jednorodna dystrybucja reagentów w obszarach aktywnych, przewodzenie prądu pomiędzy ogniwami i zabezpieczenie przed wyciekiem reagentów i medium chłodzącego. Poza tym okładki muszą być wykonane z tanich, łatwych w produkcji materiałów o małej masie. Materiały przeznaczone na interkonektory muszą między innymi charakteryzować się odpornością na korozję w środowiskach o pH= 2-3. W pracy przedstawiono możliwości zastosowania spiekanej stali nierdzewnej na ten element ogniwa paliwowego. Odporność na korozję materiału spiekanego porównano z własnościami materiału (posiadającego jednakową strukturę fazową, tj. ferrytyczną) wytwarzanego w sposób tradycyjny (tj. po obróbce plastycznej) - stali nierdzewnej X20Cr13

Respiratory Disorders - Measuring Method and Equipment

Respiratory disorders can occur from birth and accompany us throughout life. Very relevant and timely diagnosis of dysfunction is very important. Many currently performed examinations are not sufficient and do not give a full view of the cause of the disorder. In this paper the authors give several methods and pieces of equipment to do so. Furthermore, the proposed solution enables precise quantification of individual breaths, as well as their entire series. In addition to the above mentioned equipment, the authors present an example of software that works with the adopted solution. The considerations are illustrated with an example, along with calculations made using the authors’ software