Microbiological and Molecular Assessment of Bacteriophage ISP for the Control of Staphylococcus aureus

The increasing antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations requires alternatives for classical treatment of infectious diseases and therefore drives the renewed interest in phage therapy. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major problem in health care settings and live-stock breeding across the world. This research aims at a thorough microbiological, genomic, and proteomic characterization of S. aureus phage ISP, required for therapeutic applications. Host range screening of a large batch of S. aureus isolates and subsequent fingerprint and DNA microarray analysis of the isolates revealed a substantial activity of ISP against 86% of the isolates, including relevant MRSA strains. From a phage therapy perspective, the infection parameters and the frequency of bacterial mutations conferring ISP resistance were determined. Further, ISP was proven to be stable in relevant in vivo conditions and subcutaneous as well as nasal and oral ISP administration to rabbits appeared to cause no adverse effects. ISP encodes 215 gene products on its 138,339 bp genome, 22 of which were confirmed as structural proteins using tandem electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), and shares strong sequence homology with the ‘Twort-like viruses’. No toxic or virulence-associated proteins were observed. The microbiological and molecular characterization of ISP supports its application in a phage cocktail for therapeutic purposes

Intelektualna ometenost u visokom obrazovanju - samoprocena potreba za obukom univerzitetskih nastavnika

Introduction. The inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education is a fundamental right recognised by the legal system since its recognition in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, the measures adopted by European countries to promote their incorporation are not always accompanied by parallel training actions that provide university professors with the necessary knowledge to incorporate people with intellectual disabilities into the classroom with the same guarantees and opportunities as people without intellectual disabilities. Objective. This paper aims to provide specific data on the self-perceived training needs of university teaching staff and thus lay the foundations for a specific training programme. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out by means of a survey designed to collect the teachers' perceptions of their own competences and the effectiveness of their knowledge, as well as the importance they attached to some aspects of intellectual disability. The survey was administered to teachers in Serbia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and Spain, with a total sample of 1009 teachers. Results. The results obtained showed that the perception of self-perceived competence in educational skills is dependent on three main factors: previous specific training, teaching experience with people with intellectual disabilities and own personal experiences. Conclusion. The present study demonstrated the concern and need of the teaching staff to obtain specific training on people with intellectual disabilities in higher education.Uvod: Inkluzija studenata sa ometenošću u visokom obrazovanju je fundamentalno pravo koje prepoznaje pravni sistem od usvajanja Konvencije Ujedinjenih nacija o pravima osoba sa ometenošću. Međutim, mere koje su preduzele evropske zemlje u promovisanju tih prava nisu uvek praćene obukama koje bi univerzitetskim nastavnicima obezbedile neophodna znanja za uključivanje osoba sa intelektualnom ometenošću u nastavu sa istim garancijama i mogućnostima koje se nude osobama tipičnog razvoja. Cilj: Cilj ovog istraživanja je da utvrdi potrebe za obukom na osnovu vlastite percepcije univerzitetskog nastavnog osoblja i da na taj način postavi temelje specifčnog programa obuke. Metode: Sprovedeno je transferzalno istraživanje pomoću upitnika kojim su prikupljeni podaci o vlastitoj proceni nastavnika u pogledu kompetencija i efektivnosti njihovog znanja, kao i o značaju koji oni pridaju pojedinim aspektima intelektualne ometenosti. Ispitivanje je izvršeno na uzorku od 1009 nastavnika iz Srbije, Holandije, Portugalije, Italije i Španije. Rezultati: Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da je samoprocena kompetencija u edukativnim veštinama zavisna od tri glavna činioca: specifčnog treninga u prošlosti, iskustva u podučavanju osoba sa intelektualnom ometenošću i ličnih iskustava, Zaključak: Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na potrebu za specifčnom obukom nastavnog osoblja u oblasti rada sa osobama sa intelektualnom ometenošću u visokom obrazovanju

Внешнеторговое сотрудничество Республики Корея со странами Северо-Восточной Азии

Вследствие быстрого развития и усложнения мирохозяйственных связей и торгово-экономического взаимодействия государств, тенденции развитие международного сотрудничества приобретают особую актуальность. Северо-Восточная Азия (СВА) – это регион, в котором очень тонко переплетаются исторические, идеологические, политические особенности и экономическая целесообразность торговли. Страновой состав региона Северо-Восточной Азии может рассматриваться с разных точек зрения, в рамках данного исследования под странами данного региона понимаются Республика Корея, Китай, Япония и вся Россия. Взаимодействие Республики Корея с каждым из трех государств имеет уникальную историю, достаточный потенциал для развития торговли, а также свои особенности формирования внешнеэкономических связей. Усиление роли Китая в качестве торгового партнера, снижение значимости Японии и сложная экономическая ситуация в России на текущий момент оказывают существенное влияние на развитие Республики Корея, опорой экономического роста которой традиционно являлась торговля. Эти три страны являются одними из важнейших партнеров для Республики Корея, поэтому изучение процессов формирования внешнеэкономических связей в рамках региона Северо-Восточной Азии необходимо для определения основных тенденций, качественных изменений и факторов, определяющих вектор торговых отношений. Цель исследования – выявить основные тенденции сотрудничества Республики Корея и стран Северо-Восточной Азии в сфере внешней торговли. Практическая значимость работы состоит в возможности получения всестороннего анализа внешнеторгового сотрудничества Республики Корея и стран Северо-Восточной Азии, глубоко раскрытия данной тематики, что может послужить основой для дальнейших исследований торговли Республики Корея со странами региона и определения будущих перспектив в сотрудничестве для формирования внешнеторговой политики страны.The final project is devoted to trade cooperation of the Republic of Korea and North-East Asian countries. This region is influenced by many factors and analyses of dynamics and structure of trade are extremely significant to reveal the reasons of current trends of international cooperation between countries

Homelessness. Merely an urban phenomenon? Exploring hidden homelessness in rural Belgium

status: publishe

Small data materials design with machine learning: When the average model knows best

Machine learning is quickly becoming an important tool in modern materials design. Where many of its successes are rooted in huge datasets, the most common applications in academic and industrial materials design deal with datasets of at best a few tens of data points. Harnessing the power of machine learning in this context is, therefore, of considerable importance. In this work, we investigate the intricacies introduced by these small datasets. We show that individual data points introduce a significant chance factor in both model training and quality measurement. This chance factor can be mitigated by the introduction of an ensemble-averaged model. This model presents the highest accuracy, while at the same time, it is robust with regard to changing the dataset size. Furthermore, as only a single model instance needs to be stored and evaluated, it provides a highly efficient model for prediction purposes, ideally suited for the practical materials scientist

Small data materials design with machine learning: When the average model knows best

Machine learning is quickly becoming an important tool in modern materials design. Where many of its successes are rooted in huge datasets, the most common applications in academic and industrial materials design deal with datasets of at best a few tens of data points. Harnessing the power of machine learning in this context is, therefore, of considerable importance. In this work, we investigate the intricacies introduced by these small datasets. We show that individual data points introduce a significant chance factor in both model training and quality measurement. This chance factor can be mitigated by the introduction of an ensemble-averaged model. This model presents the highest accuracy, while at the same time, it is robust with regard to changing the dataset size. Furthermore, as only a single model instance needs to be stored and evaluated, it provides a highly efficient model for prediction purposes, ideally suited for the practical materials scientist

Use of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the diagnosis of a liver lobe torsion in a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

A 1-year-old male French Lop rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was presented with a sudden onset of hyporexia. Physical examination revealed cranial abdominal discomfort. Liver enzymes were elevated on serum biochemistry profile. Abdominal radiographs showed diffusely gas-dilated small intestinal loops. On abdominal ultrasound, a lobe in the right aspect of the liver was hypoechoic with rounded margins and was surrounded by hyperechoic fat and anechoic fluid. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography showed complete lack of perfusion in the abnormal right liver lobe. Exploratory laparotomy revealed torsion of the quadrate liver lobe. Diffuse coagulation necrosis was noted on histopathologic examination. The rabbit fully recovered after surgery