HHV6 INFECTION OF THYROID CELLS MAY PROMOTE AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSES LEADING TO HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS

Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the Western world. It is an autoimmune disease, where thyroid follicles are gradually destroyed by a variety of cell and antibody mediated immune processes. The involvement of viral infections has been frequently suggested as a major environmental factor, but no conclusive data are available. We analyzed fine needle biopsies from 34 HT patients for the presence and the transcriptional state of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6). Controls, represented by 28 patients with benign follicular epithelial lesions, showed a low prevalence of HHV6 (10%, 3/28), with low viral load, and the transcriptional pattern showed a latent infection. Instead, samples from HT had a high prevalence of infection (82% vs 10%, p= 0.001), significantly higher viral load, and low-grade acute infection in 71% of HHV6 positive HT biopsies. HHV6 was latent in the blood of the same HT patients with acute thyroid infection. Purification of epithelial cells show that HHV6 is 100-fold more abundant in thyroid cells than in lymphocytes infiltrating the lesion. The tropism of HHV6 for thyroid cells was verified by infection of Nthy-ori3-l, a thyroid follicular epithelial cell line. The results showed that Nthy-ori3-l cells are permissive to HHV6 replication. Both HHV6 variants support productive infection for the first 7 days p.i., and subsequently persist establishing latency. HHV6 infection induce the expression of HLA class 11 antigens on thyroid infected cells, whereas HLA class 1 antigen expression is not affected. Furthermore, Nthy-ori3-l cells infected with HHV6 become target for innate NK cell killing and NK cells from HT patients show a significantly more efficient killing of HHV6 infected thyroid cells than healthy controls. These observations suggest a potential role for HHV6 in the development or triggering of HT

Noisy quantum walks of two indistinguishable interacting particles

We investigate the dynamics of continuous-time two-particle quantum walks on a one-dimensional noisy lattice. Depending on the initial condition, we show how the interplay between particle indistinguishability and interaction determines distinct propagation regimes. A realistic model for the environment is considered by introducing non-Gaussian noise as time-dependent fluctuations of the tunneling amplitudes between adjacent sites. We observe that the combined effect of particle interaction and fast noise (weak coupling with the environment) provides a faster propagation compared to the noiseless case. This effect can be understood in terms of the band structure of the Hubbard model, and a detailed analysis as a function of both noise and system parameters is presented.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Diskursus Tuan Guru Dalam Novel TUAN GURU Karya Salman Faris

Tulisan ini merupakan hasil penelitian “ Diskursus “Tuan Guru” dalam Novel Tuan Guru karya Salman Faris”. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengungkap dan mengetahui motivasi tindakan Tuan Guru di tengah masyarakat yang didiskursuskan dalam novel “Tuan Guru”. Untuk mencapai tujuan penelitian, ada tiga poin yang dirumuskan sebagai permasalahannya,yaitu: 1) Mengapa terdapat diskursus karisma Tuan Guru dalam novel Tuan Guru karya Salman Faris; 2) Bagaimana proses diskursus karisma Tuan Guru dalam novel Tuan Guru karya Salman Faris di bangun; 3) Bagaimana implikasi diskursus Karisma Tuan Guru terhadap kehidupan masyarakat Lombok di dalam novel Tuan Guru karya Salman Faris. Penelitian ini berada dalam lingkup bidang ilmu Kajian Budaya yang paradigma ilmunya berada pada wilayah kritis postmodern. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis data kualitatif, sehingga data-data yang berupa hasil pengamatan terhadap teks menjadi data primer yang diolah secara kritis untuk memperoleh hasil penelitian yang diperlukan. Untuk menganalisis data, digunakan teknik deskriptif analitik yang dilakukan secara kritis melalui teori-teori kritis yang diterapkan. Teori-teori yang digunakan adalah teori-teori yang berkembang di wilayah pemikiran postmodern, yaitu diskursus Michel Foucault dan simulacra Jean Baudrillard. Berdasarkan penelitian yang telah dilakukan, dapat dikemukakan tiga temuan. Pertama, Tuan Guru dalam novel Tuan Guru karya Salman Faris mengklaim bahwa, kharisma Tuan Guru terbentuk karena pengaruh perbedaan religiusitas antara masyarakat dengan Tuan Guru dan perbedaan tingkat pendidikan. Kedua, subjektivitas pengarang dalam membangun proses diskursus karisma Tuan Guru yang membongkar siklus perjalanan seseorang yang sudah terencana, dahulunya masyarakat biasa kemudian menjelma seperti wakil Tuhan di muka bumi, dari tokoh agama menjadi pusat kebenaran dan dari pimpinan agama menjadi penguasa politis. Ketiga, keberhasilan diskursus karisma Tuan Guru di tengah masyarakat Lombok mengimplikasikan mereka dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, seperti; kepatuhan masyarakat dalam beragama dan bermasyarakat, Tuan Guru memiliki strata sosial tertinggi di tengah masyarakat dan banyak Tuan Guru memiliki pondok pesantren. Kata Kunci: Diskursus, Tuan Guru, Nove

Modulation of the activity of histone acetyltransferases by long chain alkylidenemalonates (LoCAMs)

n/

Use of digital technologies to combat loneliness and social isolation : a cross-sectional study in Swiss outpatient care during COVID-19 pandemic

Background: There is limited data on the use of digital technologies in outpatient care in Switzerland. Our objectives were therefore to determine which digital technologies are used and whether they had an impact on loneliness and social isolation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 1272 outpatient care providers in Switzerland. The questionnaire used is based on an unsystematic literature review and a previous qualitative study with six outpatient caregivers and two caring relatives, based on which the 30 items for this questionnaire were developed. Data were analyzed descriptively, and group comparisons were made using the Kruskal Wallis test. Changes over time were measured using Friedman test with Bonferroni post hoc tests and Wilcoxon test for paired samples. Results: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was evident both on the part of the health care system, e.g., inadequate protective equipment; on the part of health care providers, e.g., increasing fatigue in keeping abreast of the virus as the pandemic progressed; and on the part of clients, who reduced services of care, e.g., out of fear of infection. According to the assessment of the outpatient caregivers, loneliness and social isolation of the clients was high in spring 2020 and increased strongly in the following winter. Alternative solutions, such as digital technologies, were hardly used or not used at all by the clients. Conclusions: The results suggest that the pandemic is dramatically impacting clients. This highlights the urgent need to invest in the development of appropriate digital technologies reducing the impact of social isolation and loneliness and the associated long-term costs to the healthcare system

DISFUNÇÕES DA GLÂNDULA TIREOIDE E ODONTOLOGIA

A glândula tireoide é responsável pela produção dos hormônios triiodotironina (T3) e tiroxina (T4), os quais são importantes ao crescimento, desenvolvimento e metabolismo celular. O hipotireoidismo é um estado clínico resultante de quantidades insuficientes ou ausência de hormônios tireoidianos circulantes, e o hipertireoidismo é um estado hipermetabólico causado pelo aumento da função da glândula tireoide e dos seus hormônios. Os objetivos neste trabalho são descrever as alterações que as disfunções da tireoide provocam na cavidade oral e demonstrar as implicações na odontologia do tratamento medicamentoso do hipo e do hipertireoidismo. O levantamento bibliográfico foi realizado nas bases de dados PubMed, SciELO e EBSCO e em livros de farmacologia e terapêutica. Entre as manifestações orais mais comuns relacionadas ao hipertireoidismo estão: alterações nos tecidos ósseos da face (osteoporose do osso alveolar), os dentes e maxilares se desenvolvem rapidamente, perda prematura dos dentes decíduos, erupção precoce dos dentes permanentes, cáries dentárias e doença periodontal. As alterações bucais encontradas no hipotireoidismo são: hipoplasia condilar, atresia maxilar ou mandibular, prognatismo maxilar, maloclusão, hipoplasia de esmalte e dentina, retardo na erupção dentária e no desenvolvimento radicular, hipossalivação, macroglossia, demora maior na reparação dos tecidos e cicatrização de úlceras em boca. Uma das abordagens terapêuticas mais utilizadas é por meio dos medicamentos, sejam eles para repor hormônios no caso do hipotireoidismo (levotiroxina), ou para inibir a síntese deles no caso do hipertireoidismo (propiltiouracila). O cirurgião-dentista deve atentar para os pacientes hipotireóideos que fazem reposição hormonal, porque toleram menos os analgésicos opióides, e para os pacientes com hipertireoidismo, tratados com propiltiouracila, porque podem se queixar de parotidites e úlceras bucais e apresentar quadros de agranulocitose. Os pacientes com hipertireoidismo não controlado são altamente sensíveis à adrenalina, e neles o emprego de anestésicos locais com adrenalina é formalmente contraindicado com o risco de surgimento de crise tireotóxica.Palavras-chave: Hipertireoidismo. Hipotireoidismo. Odontologia

Genotype-phenotype characterization of novel variants in six Italian patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a complex disorder characterized by incomplete development of the retinal vasculature. Here, we report the results obtained on the spectrum of genetic variations and correlated phenotypes found in a cohort of Italian FEVR patients. Eight probands (age range 7-19 years) were assessed by genetic analysis and comprehensive age-appropriate ophthalmic examination. Genetic testing investigated the genes most widely associated in literature with FEVR: FZD4, LRP5, TSPAN12, and NDP. Clinical and genetic evaluations were extended to relatives of probands positive to genetic testing. Six out of eight probands (75%) showed a genetic variation probably related to the phenotype. We identified four novel genetic variants, one variant already described in association with Norrie disease and one previously described linked to autosomal dominant FEVR. Pedigree analysis of patients led to the classification of four autosomal dominant cases of FEVR (caused by FZD4 and TSPAN12 variants) and two X-linked FEVR probands (NDP variants). None of the patients showed variants in the LRP5 gene. This study represents the largest cohort study in Italian FEVR patients. Our findings are in agreement with the previous literature confirming that FEVR is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous retinal disorder, even when it manifests in the same family