TLR4 adjuvanted vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor, Pf bacteriophage, induces increased immunoglobulin response and highly mutated antigen-specific B-cell receptors

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is listed as a priority 1 pathogen by the World Health Organization. Although this Gram-negative bacterium is ubiquitous and can naturally be found in the environment, it is opportunistic. P. aeruginosa has a wide range of host immune evasion strategies; one such strategy is the establishment of biofilms. Pf bacteriophage, a P. aeruginosa virulence factor, can strengthen the integrity of biofilms and can also misdirect the host immune response from an appropriate anti-bacterial response to an anti-viral response. Previous studies have established that antibodies against Pf bacteriophage can enhance clearance of P. aeruginosa infections. Next generation adjuvants such as TLR adjuvants have the ability to increase the magnitude of antigen-specific antibodies and generate a lasting immune response against pathogens. In this dissertation, we hypothesized incorporation of a TLR4 agonist will result in an enhanced immune response against the Pf bacteriophage. Herein, we demonstrate antibodies generated from the optimized vaccine are functional and able to recognize Pf virions and disrupt phage replication cycle. Additionally, we have optimized a Pf-bacteriophage-adjuvanted vaccine which incorporates antigen from two distinct clades and optimized a Pf-bacteriophage-adjuvanted vaccine for intranasal administration. Vaccination lead to mucosal immune response and broadened antibody response. Furthermore, after isolating antigen-specific B-cells we used single-cell sequencing techniques to explore the adjuvant effects on the humoral response. We discovered adjuvants affect clonality and heavy chain mutation accumulation in antigen specific B-cell population

The Occupy and Indignados movement and the importance of political context: differences between occasionals and regulars in Spain and the UK

In this work we look into the individuals’ reasons that led Occupy protesters to participate in this movement. We interviewed Occupy participants in the UK and Spain. We wanted to find out if the reasons that lead them to participate are the same in both countries. The context of the country where the demonstration was held was taken into account, as well as the differences there may be in the reasons for participation if we consider whether they are occasional or regular participants in collective protest actions. Using a two-by-two design defined by country of demonstration and the history of mobilisation (occasional vs. regular), our results show important differences in both factors. The study contributes to the literature, highlighting the importance of analysing the context where the demonstration takes place and which motives must be underlined in order to attract participants to protests

Первичная коррекция деформации носа у пациентов с односторонней pасщелины губы

Introduction. Orofacial clefts, is a group of conditions that includes cleft lip, cleft palate, and both together. Symmetry of the face can be obtained with primary nose reconstruction. The goal: Analysis of patients with unilateral complete cleft lip patients treated with or without a primary nasal correction at the time of cleft lip repair were compared to evaluate the relevance of early surgical correction of the nose Material and method. The 5 unilateral cleft subjects were operated on in 2022 by a technique of primary cleft nose correction (PCR), and 5 were operated without primary nose reconstruction (NNC). The anteroposterior and inferior facial appearances of each of the cases have been evaluated. A computer-based method of measuring nasal asymmetry was used to objectively analyze the results and compare them between children with and without primary nasal reconstruction. Measuring was done before and after the surgery and include qualitative and quantitative measurements. Results: The results support the observation that nasal shape become symmetric in children that support primary nasal reconstruction and asymmetric in children without primary nasal reconstruction. Conclusion: Primary nose reconstruction result in better cosmetic outcomes.Rezumat. Plastia primară a buzei superioare cu reconstrucția primară a nasului la copiii cu despicături labio/ palatine. Introducere. Despucăturile oro faciale include întreruperea continuității buzei superioare, palatului cît și ambele structure. Simetria facială obținută prin reconstrucția primară a nasului la copiii cu despicături totale unilateral definește și funcția precoce. Materiale și metode. Au fost examinați 5 copii cu despicături labio/palatine la care plastia primară s-a efectuat cu reconstrucția nasului (PNC) și 5 pacienți cu despicături labio/palatine fără reconstrucția primară a nasului (NNC). Preo- peratoriu și postoperatoriu au fost estimate măsurările calitative și cantitative în poziție anterioposterioară și inferioară. Rezultate. Copiii cu plastia primară a buzei superioare și reconstrucția primară a nasului au arătat că măsurările au devenita identice la parte sănătoasă. Pe cînd copiii fără reconstrucții primare ale nasului în timpul plastiei primare a buzei măsurările au arătat că modificările nu au fist esențiale și asimetriile aproape că au rămas la cele preoperatorii. Concluzie. Plastia primară a buzei superioare cu elementele de reconstrucție primară a nasului demonstrează rezul- tate cosmetic satisfăcătoare.Введение. Pасщелины — это группа состояний, включающая расщелину губы, расщелину неба. Симметрию лица можно получить при первичной реконструкции носа.Анализ пациентов с односторонней полной заячьей губой пациентов, получавших первичную коррекцию носа или без нее во время пластики губы сравнивали.Цель. 5 пациентов с односторонней расщелиной были прооперированы c первичной коррекцией носа (ПKH), а 5 — без первичной реконструкции носа (БПКН). Были оценены передний и нижний вид лица в каждом из случаев. Для объективного анализа результаты были сравнены между детьми с первичной реконструкцией носа и без нее. Измерения проводились до и после операции и включали качественные и количественные измерения. Результаты. Подтверждается наблюдение, что форма носа становится симметричной у детей, которые поддерживают первичную реконструкцию носа, и асимметричной у детей без первичной реконструкции носа. Вывод: первичная реконструкция носа дает лучшие косметические результаты

Analysis of the Romanian’s attitude towards purchasing a mobile phone- between hedonic and utilitarian

Abstract: Attitude is the basis of consumer behaviour. To better understand this aspect of the behaviour all relevant attributes of a product or service must be studied. Therefore, the main purpose is to better understand the individual and make him your customer. Thus, the behaviour combines logical, cognitive, utilitarian aspects, as well as aspects related to emotions, feelings, affectivity (the hedonic component) and the attitude takes these two hypotheses to which it is added the intentional side. This concerns the intention of an individual after he has formed an idea, an opinion regarding a service or a product. Objectives: This paper deals with only two aspects of the attitude, namely the utilitarian/cognitive side and the hedonic/affective side. To obtain concrete results in what concerns the attitude of the consumers between hedonic and utilitarian we have conducted a quantitative research through which we analyzed the attitude of the inhabitants of Iasi towards buying a mobile phone, using a sample of 200 people living in Iasi. Prior Work: We, as researchers, have conducted previous researches using either the same topic (hedonic vs. utilitarian motivation), or the same product/industry (mobile phone/telephony) Approach: The problem that we submit to research is determining the proportion of hedonic and utilitarian that is involved in the purchase of a mobile phone in a temporal horizon of 6 months. Mobile phones are becoming more and more necessary, this being the reason why a growing number of persons have such an item. But the great rate to which they are renewed shows that the concept of pleasure interferes more and more in buying and having them. Thus, the purchase of a mobile phone must respond to both rational and emotional demands. Results: Starting from the main objective, we want to determine the proportion of the cognitive components as well as affective ones of the attitude of the mobile phone buyers from the inhabitants of Iasi- the biggest city from the North-East of Romania. Implications: As a direction for further researches we thing that it could be attempted to find out the consumption or the daily use of the mobile phone or what applications are mostly used on a mobile phone (in this situation, there should be taken into consideration a new aspect, namely the occupation, which will be an important factor to influence consumption). Once this aspect is discovered, it could be attempted to find out if the mainly utilitarian attitude derives from this factor. As it is used a lot, the mobile phone may lose some of the features that meet people's affective needs. Value Starting from the constitutive components of the attitude, we have studied the utilitarian/cognitive dimensions

Propuesta de intervención innovadora para la Unidad Didáctica Tectónica de Placa

Este trabajo surge como fruto de una reflexión tras la experiencia durante las prácticas del máster. Por ello, se realiza una propuesta didáctica mejorada e innovadora, que permita un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de calidad de la Unidad Didáctica “Tectónica de Placas”. Se realiza una revisión sobre los principales fundamentos didácticos en los que se basa la propuesta, seguidamente se presenta dicha Unidad Didáctica, en la que se determinan los contenidos, actividades y evaluación. Para finalizar, se hace una valoración a modo de síntesis en la que se destacan las principales mejoras y se propone una futura línea de innovación.This dissertation arises from the reflection on the experience as a teacher during the practicum. Therefore, it suggests an innovative educational improvement for the unit “Plate Tectonics Theory”, which would make possible better quality learning. Before there will be an analysis of the main educational fundaments. Then there will be the description of the aforementioned unit and its corresponding sequence of activities and contents. Finally, there will be some conclusions that will summarize the result of all work done and a suggestion will be done as a possible future new innovation

Aircraft-borne spectroscopic limb measurements of trace gases absorbing in the UV-A spectral range : investigations of bromine monoxide in the Arctic troposphere

Reactive halogen species (i.e., RHS=X, XO, X2, XY, OXO, HOX, XONO2, XNO2, with X,Y being I, Br and Cl) are known to be key compounds for the oxidation capacity of the troposphere, affecting the lifetime of relevant species such as O3, HOx, NOx, hydrocarbons, dimethylsulfide and gaseous elementary mercury. Furthermore, recent observations link iodine species to the formation of new aerosol particles. This work aims at the characterization of the abundance of BrO in the Arctic troposphere during the spring season, when the auto-catalytic release of bromine species from sea ice related halides is known to cause tropospheric Ozone Depletion Events (ODEs). A novel limb scanning mini-DOAS spectrometer for the detection of UV/vis absorbing radicals (e.g., O3, BrO, IO) was deployed on the DLR-Falcon (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) aircraft and tested during a field campaign that took place at Svalbard (78°N) in spring 2007. Herein, a new algorithm for inferring concentration vertical profiles of tropospheric trace gases from aircraft-borne DOAS limb observations is presented, characterized and validated through the profile retrieval of the UV-A absorber O4. The method is then applied for retrieving tropospheric vertical profiles of BrO during the polar campaign. For deployments during ODEs, the retrieved BrO vertical profiles consistently indicate high BrO mixing ratios (~ 15 pptv) within the boundary layer, low BrO mixing ratios (< 1.5 pptv) in the free troposphere, occasionally enhanced BrO mixing ratios in the upper troposphere (~ 1.5 pptv), and increasing BrO mixing ratios with altitude in the lowermost stratosphere. These findings are well in agreement with satellite and balloon-borne soundings of total and partial BrO atmospheric column densities. Moreover, the capabilities of the aircraft-borne measurements are further exploited by analyzing the sources, photochemistry and transport processes of BrO in the boundary layer above the sea ice

Quality in Higher Education: A Comparison Between Legal and Academic Approaches

The pursuit of quality in higher education it’s always an actual concern, this article aims to point out the multifaceted nature of quality assurance by undertaking a comparison between the legal and academic approaches. Grounded in the understanding that both legal and academic approaches shape educational quality, the research analyzes these two perspectives. The legal framework is explored in terms of performance indicators established by Romanian law, while the academic perspective encompasses the approach of extended research that takes into consideration the organizational elements that play an important role in assuring quality. Through comparative analysis, the article uncovers the intersections between these approaches. By identifying the common areas and identifying opportunities for alignment, this research contributes valuable perspectives for institutions seeking to strike an optimal balance between legal and academic considerations in their pursuit of educational excellence

The determination of the antioxidant activity of hawthorn dry extract

Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie „Nicolae Testemiţanu” din Republica MoldovaIntroducere. Crataegus monogyna Jacq., fam. Rosaceae reprezintă o plantă valorificată până în prezent. Preparatele medicamentoase, obţinute din frunze, flori sau fructe se utilizează în tratamentul diferitor patologii cardiac şi cerebrale vasculare. Efectele farmacoterapeutice simt datorate prezenţei diverselor grupe de principii active, cei mai importanţi fiind compuşii fenolici.Scopul studiului a fost de a determina activitatea antioxidantă a extractului uscat din frunze şi flori de păducel (Crataegi monoginae folia etflores). Material şi metode. Acţiunea antioxidantă a fost evaluată utilizând trei metode: de captare a radicalului DPPH, de neutraliare a radicalului ABTS, de chelare a fierului (testul ferrozina). Rezultate. Activitatea faţă de radicalul DPPH a extractului uscat de păducel este variabilă în funcţie de concentraţie. Soluţia alcoolică a extractului a prezentat IC50 85.44 pg/ml. Activitatea de chelatare a ionului feros a fost de 77.18±0.18 %, fiind comparată cu activitatea martorului EDTA (92,21 ±1.16% activitate). Activitatea de scavenger faţă de radicalul ABTS+ a fost exprimată în echivalentul Troloxului, egală cu 1,45 pM ET/g masă uscată. Concluzii. Conform datelor obţinute în urma determinării capacităţii antioxidante a extractului uscat de păducel prin trei metode diferite, s-a stabilit că valorile corelează între ele. în plus, rezultatele relevă capacitate pronunţată de chelare a fierului. Astfel, putem concluziona că extractul de păducel poate servi ca sursă de antioxidanţi.Introduction. Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna Jacq., fam. Rosaceae, is currently a valorified plant. Phytopreparations obtained from leaves, flowers and fruits of this plant are used to treat different cardiac pathologies and cerebral vascular diseases. Pharmacotherapeutic effects are due to the presence of various groups of active ingredients, while phenolic compounds are the most important one. The aim of the study was to determine the antioxidant effect of hawthorn dry extract obtained from leaves and flowers of the species C. monogyna Jacq. (Crataegi monoginae folia et flores). Material and methods. The antioxidant effect was determined using three methods: DPPH scavenging, ABTS assay and the ferrozine test. Results. The activity of the hawthorn dry extract towards DPPH radical depends upon the concentration. Alcoholic solution of the extract represents IC50 85.44 pg/ml. The chelation of the iron ions is 77.18±0.18 % and it is compared to the standard EDTA (92,21±1.16 % activity). The scavanger activity towards ABTS+ radical compared to Trolox is 1,45 pM ET/g dry weight. Conclusions. The obtained results from the determination of the antioxidant activity of hawthorn dry extract by three different methods correlates between them. The results also revealed that Crataegi monoginae folia et flores extract had high iron chelating capacity. It was demonstrated that hawthorn extract could be an important source of antioxidants

Some Socio-Economic Effects of Labour Migration on the Sending Country. Evidence from Romania

The paper presents the recent labor migration flows and trends and the impacts of these movements on Romanian economic and social life. After Romania joined the EU, the travel of Romanians inside the EU is totally free and they fructified this opportunity. There are important economic consequences of this movement. In the paper we analyze the demographic consequences, since category that emigrated for economic reasons in the last years is composed of youngsters (around 30). There are also important economic consequences on financial aspects and life quality of Romanians, since the volume of remittances was about 7 billion euros in 2007. There is also a social impact particularly on the lives of migrant families. The most problematic issue is the temporary abandonment of minors by their labour migrant parents, and that forced authorities to formulate policies to monitor the situation