An antigen-driven B-cell response within the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

Infection with a bacterium or virus induces the production of antibodies, specialised protein molecules that bind to and eliminate the microorganism. These antibodies are produced by B-cells that are stimulated by antigen (any foreign protein or carbohydrate) in the lymph nodes and spleen. During this process, they diversify their variable region genes (V-genes), encoding the antigen-binding region of the antibody, by switching on machinery that mutates the V-genes at a very high rate (somatic hypermutation). In autoimmune diseases, B-cells produce autoantibodies against self-antigens present on the patient's own tissues. Clusters of B- and T-cells are frequently found in the target organs of autoimmune disease. The aim of the work described here was to determine whether these clusters of cells are responding to stimulation by antigen. For this purpose we investigated the B-cell response in patients with an autoimmune disease affecting the salivary and lachrymal glands. By cloning and sequencing the expressed V-genes from indvidual clusters of cells in the salivary glands, we were able to show that the B-cells in these clusters are undergoing clonal proliferation, somatic hypermutation and antigen selection. The presence of similar structures in the target tissues of other autoimmune diseases suggests that this is a widespread phenomenon

Factors Associated with Unsafe Behavior among Construction Workers in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

Background: Earlier studies have shown that about 90% of accidents in the work settings occur because of unsafe behavior and human errors. If workers do not have the right knowledge, favorable attitude, and proper behavior toward safety measures in a safe workplace, all efforts for an accident-free workplace will be in vain. This study aimed to determine factors associated with unsafe occupational behavior among construction workers in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. Subjects and Method: This was a cross sectional study carried out in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. A sample of 200 construction workers were selected at random for this study. The endogenous variables were perceive benefit, favorable attitude, and unsafe occupational behavior. The exogenous was good knowledge. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by a path analysis model. Results: Good knowledge increased perceived benefit (b= 0.25; 95% CI= 0.06 to 0.56; p= 0.038). Perceived benefit increased favorable attitude (b= 0.56; 95% CI= 0.25 to 0.86; p<0.001). Favorable attitude decreased unsafe occupational behavior (b= -0.56; 95% CI= -0.32 to -0.80; p<0.001). Conclusion: Good knowledge, perceived benefit, and favorable attitude, respectively, decrease unsafe behavior among the construction workers in the work settings. Keywords: good knowledge, perceived benefit, favorable attitude, respectively, unsafe behavior, construction workers

An antigen-driven B-cell response within the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

Infection with a bacterium or virus induces the production of antibodies, specialised protein molecules that bind to and eliminate the microorganism. These antibodies are produced by B-cells that are stimulated by antigen (any foreign protein or carbohydrate) in the lymph nodes and spleen. During this process, they diversify their variable region genes (V-genes), encoding the antigen-binding region of the antibody, by switching on machinery that mutates the V-genes at a very high rate (somatic hypermutation). In autoimmune diseases, B-cells produce autoantibodies against self-antigens present on the patient's own tissues. Clusters of B- and T-cells are frequently found in the target organs of autoimmune disease. The aim of the work described here was to determine whether these clusters of cells are responding to stimulation by antigen. For this purpose we investigated the B-cell response in patients with an autoimmune disease affecting the salivary and lachrymal glands. By cloning and sequencing the expressed V-genes from indvidual clusters of cells in the salivary glands, we were able to show that the B-cells in these clusters are undergoing clonal proliferation, somatic hypermutation and antigen selection. The presence of similar structures in the target tissues of other autoimmune diseases suggests that this is a widespread phenomenon

Antigen-driven clonal proliferation of B cells within the target tissue of an autoimmune disease: the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Structures resembling germinal centers are seen in the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, but it is not known whether the microenvironment of these cell clusters is sufficient for the induction of a germinal center response. Therefore, we cloned and sequenced rearranged Ig V genes expressed by B cells isolated from sections of labial salivary gland biopsies from two Sjögren's syndrome patients. Rearranged V genes from B cells within one cell cluster were polyclonal and most had few somatic mutations. Two adjacent clusters from another patient each contained one dominant B cell clone expressing hypermutated V genes. None of the rearranged V genes was found in both clusters, suggesting that cells are unable to migrate out into the surrounding tissue and seed new clusters. The ratios of replacement to silent mutations in the framework and complementarity determining regions suggest antigen selection of high-affinity mutants. These results show that an antigen-driven, germinal center-type B cell response is taking place within the salivary glands of Sjögren's syndrome patients. In view of the recent demonstration of a germinal center response within the rheumatoid synovial membrane and the existence of similar structures in the target tissues of other autoimmune. diseases, we propose that germinal center- type responses can be induced in the nonlymphoid target tissues of a variety of autoimmune diseases

Pharmacological activation of FOXO3 suppresses triple-negative breast cancer in vitro and in vivo

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most lethal form of breast cancer. Lacking effective therapeutic options hinders treatment of TNBC. Here, we show that bepridil (BPD) and trifluoperazine (TFP), which are FDA-approved drugs for treatment of schizophrenia and angina respectively, inhibit Akt-pS473 phosphorylation and promote FOXO3 nuclear localization and activation in TNBC cells. BPD and TFP inhibit survival and proliferation in TNBC cells and suppress the growth of TNBC tumors, whereas silencing FOXO3 reduces the BPD- and TFP-mediated suppression of survival in TNBC cells. While BPD and TFP decrease the expression of oncogenic c-Myc, KLF5, and dopamine receptor DRD2 in TNBC cells, silencing FOXO3 diminishes BPD- and TFP-mediated repression of the expression of these proteins in TNBC cells. Since c-Myc, KLF5, and DRD2 have been suggested to increase cancer stem cell-like populations in various tumors, reducing these proteins in response to BPD and TFP suggests a novel FOXO3-dependent mechanism underlying BPD- and TFP-induced apoptosis in TNBC cells

Analisis Dinamika Psikologis Korban Kekerasan Dalam Pacaran Dari Perspektif Teori Konflik Galtung

This study intends to describe the psychological dynamics by revealing more deeply about the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors experienced by female students who are victims of dating violence. This study uses a qualitative approach in a descriptive form and uses a case study technique. This study uses observation, interview and documentation techniques to understand the attitudes, views, feelings, and behavior of victims in depth. Researchers try to explore the response that appears in victims of dating violence. There were 5 participants in this study, who were obtained through the snowball sampling technique. Based on the research conducted, it can be concluded that each victim who experiences dating violence has different psychological dynamics, namely actions or real events that occur to participants in the study, as well as an overview of psychological dynamics from the perspective of Galtung's ABC conflict theory which includes Contradiction, Attitude and BehaviorPenelitian ini bermaksud untuk mendeskripsikan dinamika psikologis dengan mengungkap lebih mendalam tentang kondisi perasaan, pikiran, dan perilaku yang dialami oleh mahasiswi yang menjadi korban kekerasan dalam pacaran. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dalam bentuk deskriptif dan menggunakan teknik studi kasus. Penelitian ini menggunakan teknik observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi untuk memahami sikap, pandangan, perasaan, dan perilaku korban secara mendalam. Peneliti mencoba menggali respon yang muncul pada korban kekerasan dalam pacaran. Partisipan dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 5 orang, yang didapat melalui teknik snowball sampling. Berdasarkan penelitian yang dilakukan, dapat disimpulkan bahwa setiap korban yang mengalami kekerasan dalam berpacaran memiliki dinamika psikologis yang berbeda-beda yakni dari cara menanggapi suatu konflik, penyelesaian terhadap suatu konflik, serta tindakan atau keputusan yang terjadi dalam hubungan. Gambaran dinamika psikologis dari perspektif teori konflik ABC Galtung yang diantaranya adanya keterkaitan antar aspek Contradiction (kontradiksi), Attitude (sikap)&nbsp;dan&nbsp;Behavior (perilaku) dalam menanggapi konflik kekerasan dalam berpacaran

Galactic properties that favour star cluster formation: a statistical view

The presence or absence of star clusters in galaxies, and the properties of star cluster populations compared to their host galaxy properties, are important observables for validating models of cluster formation, galaxy formation, and galaxy assembly. In this work, we apply a Bayesian approach to fit two models to data from surveys of young clusters in star forming galaxies. The first model is a logistic regression, which allows us to include galaxies which do not have any young clusters. The second model is a hurdle model, which includes galaxies with zero clusters and also incorporates information about the total mass in the cluster system. We investigate two predictors (star formation rate and total stellar mass in the galaxy) and look at clusters younger than 10 or 100 Myr. We find that in all cases, star formation rate is the better predictor for both the probability of hosting clusters and the total mass in the cluster system. We compare our results to similar models for old globular clusters, and conclude that star cluster formation was more abundant and more efficient at higher redshifts, likely because of the high gas content of galaxies at that time.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted by MNRA

Analysis of Differences in Knowledge and Attitudes of Bagan Apung Fishermen About Work Safety Before and After Participating in K3 Promoting

Peluang kecelakaan juga dapat ditimbulkan oleh sikap, kemampuan, dan rendahnya informasi Nelayan Bagan Apung tentang keselamatan kerja di laut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis apakah ada perbedaan pengetahuan dan sikap Nelayan Bagan Apung tentang keselamatan kerja sebelum dan sesudah mengikuti promosi K3. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian quasi experimental, menggunakan analisis data kuantitatif dengan desain penelitian one group pretest posttest design. Analisis data pada penelitian ini menggunakan program komputer SPSS yaitu uji Wilcoxon Signed Test, pada tingkat kepercayaan 95% dan batas kemaknaan P&lt;0,05. Sampel berjumlah 32 yang diambil menggunakan teknik convenience sampling. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan p-value = 0,000 pada pengetahuan nelayan bagan apung dan p-value = 0,00 pada sikap nelayan bagan apung. Dalam penelitian ini terdapat perbedaan pengetahuan dan sikap nelayan bagan apung yang dapat dilihat dari hasil pengetahuan terdapat peningkatan dari perlakuan 1 – perlakuan ke 4 sebanyak 68,75% dan hasil sikap terdapat peningkatan dari perlakuan 1 – perlakuan ke 4 sebanyak 75%. Kesimpulan yang dapat diperoleh yaitu terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan pada pengetahuan dan sikap nelayan bagan apung. Saran dari penelitian ini yaitu nelayan bagan apung di Kecamatan Kelapa Lima Kota Kupang perlu menerapkan keselamatan kerja dalam proses kerja, khususnya pada penggunaan alat pelindung diri seperti pelampung dan sarung tangan

Analisis Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Perilaku Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Kerja (K3) pada Petugas Kesehatan di RSUD Prof. Dr. W. Z. Johanes Kupang

A good occupational health safety at hospital can reduce the incidence of work accidents and increase the productivity of each officer. This study was to analyze the factors related to knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of health workers with occupational safety and health behavior. The study design was a cross sectional study. The population was 709 people with a simple random sampling technique of 97 people. The inclusion criteria are all health workers who have been selected by all hospital medical personnel who have contact with patients compared to hospital personnel in the field of management, where their presence has a greater risk of experiencing occupational diseases or occupational accidents (doctors, specialists, nurses, midwives and health analysis) and willing to be research subjects by signing the informed consent. Meanwhile, the exclusion criteria were respondents who were not willing to be the subject of research and medical officers who were on leave/sickness/ permission when collecting data. the instrument used was a questionnaire. The results of statistical tests showed p &lt; 0.05, that is, there was a significant relationship between the level of knowledge, attitudes and K3 RS behavior, while the statistical results of the perception level with behavior were p &gt; 0.005. Health and safety behavior of health workers is an action or activity in an effort to prevent occupational diseases and accidents. Therefore, it is hoped that the K3 Hospital can promote health and safety at the hospital regularly with various themes tailored to the needs of the workers