Characterisation of immune responses and protective efficacy in mice after immunisation with Rift Valley Fever virus cDNA constructs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Affecting both livestock and humans, Rift Valley Fever is considered as one of the most important viral zoonoses in Africa. However, no licensed vaccines or effective treatments are yet available for human use. Naked DNA vaccines are an interesting approach since the virus is highly infectious and existing attenuated Rift Valley Fever virus vaccine strains display adverse effects in animal trials. In this study, gene-gun immunisations with cDNA encoding structural proteins of the Rift Valley Fever virus were evaluated in mice. The induced immune responses were analysed for the ability to protect mice against virus challenge.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immunisation with cDNA encoding the nucleocapsid protein induced strong humoral and lymphocyte proliferative immune responses, and virus neutralising antibodies were acquired after vaccination with cDNA encoding the glycoproteins. Even though complete protection was not achieved by genetic immunisation, four out of eight, and five out of eight mice vaccinated with cDNA encoding the nucleocapsid protein or the glycoproteins, respectively, displayed no clinical signs of infection after challenge. In contrast, all fourteen control animals displayed clinical manifestations of Rift Valley Fever after challenge.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The appearance of Rift Valley Fever associated clinical signs were significantly decreased among the DNA vaccinated mice and further adjustment of this strategy may result in full protection against Rift Valley Fever.</p

Association of Rift Valley fever virus infection with miscarriage in Sudanese women: a cross-sectional study

Background Rift Valley fever virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that causes infections in animals and human beings in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever lead to mass abortions in livestock, but such abortions have not been identifi ed in human beings. Our aim was to investigate the cause of miscarriages in febrile pregnant women in an area endemic for Rift Valley fever. Methods Pregnant women with fever of unknown origin who attended the governmental hospital of Port Sudan, Sudan, between June 30, 2011, and Nov 17, 2012, were sampled at admission and included in this cross-sectional study. Medical records were retrieved and haematological tests were done on patient samples. Presence of viral RNA as well as antibodies against a variety of viruses were analysed. Any association of viral infections, symptoms, and laboratory parameters to pregnancy outcome was investigated using Pearson’s χ² test. Findings Of 130 pregnant women with febrile disease, 28 were infected with Rift Valley fever virus and 31 with chikungunya virus, with typical clinical and laboratory fi ndings for the infection in question. 15 (54%) of 28 women with an acute Rift Valley fever virus infection had miscarriages compared with 12 (12%) of 102 women negative for Rift Valley fever virus (p<0·0001). In a multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, haemorrhagic disease, and chikungunya virus infection, an acute Rift Valley fever virus infection was an independent predictor of having a miscarriage (odds ratio 7·4, 95% CI 2·7–20·1; p<0·0001). Interpretation This study is the fi rst to show an association between infection with Rift Valley fever virus and miscarriage in pregnant women. Further studies are warranted to investigate the possible mechanisms. Our fi ndings have implications for implementation of preventive measures, and evidence-based information to the public in endemic countries should be strongly recommended during Rift Valley fever outbreaks

Utvärdering av ett specialpedagogiskt arbetssätt i matematik

Under senare år har matematikkunskaperna hos de svenska eleverna blivit allt sämre. År 2000 lämnade 7% av eleverna grundskolan utan ett godkänt betyg i matematik (Svenska kommunförbundet, 2001). I min uppsats har jag utvärderat ett specialpedagogiskt arbetssätt i matematik på en specifik skola. På skolan använder de ett material som heter SYLMA (synliggöra matematik). Med detta material kartläggs elevens kunskaper i matematik. Detta används senare för att de undervisande lärarna ska kunna stötta och stärka eleven i det som är svårt för honom/henne. Jag har beskrivit hur arbetet med SYLMA går till. Jag har intervjuat elever som gjort kartläggningen samt lärare som undervisar dessa elever. Detta har jag gjort för att få veta vilka åsikter de har om materialet. Resultatet visar på att eleverna över lag är nöjda med SYLMA och de anser att de blivit duktigare och matematiken blivit roligare. Lärarna är också positiva till SYLMA och tycker att det är mycket värt att specialpedagogerna är involverade i matematikundervisningen

Rift Valley fever : development of diagnostics and vaccines

Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) causes an infection with severe impact on animal and human health. The disease is endemic throughout almost the entire African continent and large regions of the Arabian Peninsula. During epidemics, high mortality is observed in animals, especially among cattle, goats, and sheep. In humans, the symptoms vary from a benign influenza-like disease to a life-threatening hemorrhagic fever. Due to the devastating effect on communities in endemic regions and the possibility of further spread of this virus, there is an imperative need to improve and develop control measurements against this emerging disease. Therefore, this thesis focuses on diagnostics and vaccines against RVFV. RVFV infection kinetics was studied in a mouse model system by detection and quantification of viral genomes, using a developed quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) method. This novel QRT-PCR method proved to be reliable and serves as a supplement to standard diagnostics, direct virus isolation and serological methods. High levels of viral RNA were found in blood and liver samples from experimentally infected mice during the first days post infection. Thereafter the levels declined rapidly and dropped below detection limit approximately seven days post infection. The QRT-PCR technique was also used in a study aimed to improve diagnosis of RVFV from field samples collected on filter strips. Today, the available RVFV vaccines are only approved for animal use and these vaccines have several shortcomings. Since RVFV is a highly pathogenic organism requiring bio-safety level 3 laboratories, two different none-replicating vaccine approaches have been applied and evaluated using a mouse model. A DNA based vaccine, administered via gene-gun, and the use of virus-like particles (VLP), by the intra-peritoneal route. RVFV specific and neutralising antibodies were raised with both vaccine approaches. However, VLP vaccination against Rift valley Fever proved to be more promising as a future vaccine, since higher titres of neutralising antibodies and improved survival rate were found upon a lethal RVFV challenge in mice. In conclusion, a sensitive and specific method for quantifying RVFV infection and a promising vaccine candidate against RVFV were developed

Coach, vän eller både och? : En kvalitativ studie om coachning inom arbetslivet

Abstract Title: Coach, vän eller både och? – en kvalitativ studie om coachning inom arbetslivet Authors: Jonas Näslund &amp; David Öhrling Tutors: Ulla Moberg &amp; Larsåke Larsson Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to examine how coaching in working life serves, aiming to find what influences the interaction between coach and client. To seek to answer the purpose we raised a number of research questions which discussed, among other the coach's intentions and the parties' relationship. Theories This thesis is based on a number of different theories, where the Leader-member Exchange Theory is considered the main theory. LMX is used when studying the relationship between a manager and an employee. Other theories used in this thesis are for example the Social exchange theory and one-on-one-coaching. Method The methods used in this thesis are semi-structured interviews, observations and recordings of coaching sessions. The interviews were conducted before and after three different coaching sessions. The participants were one coach and three clients, who all work at Tele Coaching, a company which offers manager and employee coaching. The recordings were transcribed and analyzed using a content analysis. Results The result shows that there is a difficult balance between the coach’s role as an expert and as a colleague and friend. How well the coach manages to handle this balance is crucial for the outcome of the coaching session. A strong relationship between coach and client can affect the coach’s possibilities to communicate a message to the client. The coach may withhold feedback, which he or she normally wouldn’t, in fear of damaging the relationship. Another risk is that the client doesn’t see the coach as an authoritarian. To prevent these risks we suggest that an external coach should be used when possible. Keywords Coaching, Leader-member Exchange theory, Qualitative interviews, Relationship, Coach, Client, Positioning, Communication

Rpyal Straight Flush

Internetcasinoindustrin är under många år kastat en lång och grå skugga över hela den samlade spelbranschen med dubiösa aktörer som mer eller mindre lurat klienter på deras pengar. Intresset för att undersöka om det gick att vända på steken blev därför stort, gladeligen kan påpekas att det i viss mån verkar finnas metoder och tillvägagångssätt som möjliggör säkra kassaflöden ut ur casinona istället för in. Resultaten som frambringas i denna uppsats visar att det genom bearbetade strukturer för spelgenomförande och nitiskt utformade strategier finns goda möjligheter att med vald risknivå utvinna pengar från internetcasinon. Det som presenteras blir således förklaringar och axplock av de metoder som använts och på så vis försöka ge en så illustrativ bild som möjligt av hur hela projektet möjliggjorts. Strategierna är utformade och prövade i sin helhet varpå det som publiceras är exempel på reella casinon som använts i sin helhet. Resultatet är således frukten av vårt eget spelande och inte endast en påhittad teori utan vederhäftig substans

Quantitative assessment of skin erythema due to radiotherapy—evaluation of different measurements

Background and purpose: Visual assessment is the most common clinical investigation of skin reactions in radiotherapy. Due to the unquantitative and subjective nature of this method additional non-invasive methods are needed for more accurate evaluation of the visible acute adverse skin reactions due to radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new objective measure with regard to reliability and validity and compare it with an established objective measure and a visual assessment. Patients and methods: A sample of 53 consecutive patients commencing curative tangential radiation therapy to the breast parenchyma were included in the study. The skin area of the treated breast was divided into five sections and assessed individually at 0, 24 and 50 Gy. The RTOG scoring system was used for the visual assessment of the skin reactions. The first objective measure included reflectance spectrometry (DermaSpectrometer) measures at fixed points within the treatment area. For the second objective measure digital images (Camera) were taken with a system using a digital camera and software. The images were analyzed using the Adobe Photoshop 5.0 software program. Results: The results provided significant evidence of the test–retest reliability of the camera. The correlation between the objective measures proved to be significant as the treatment progressed. Conclusions: The results suggest that the camera may be used in a reliable and valid way to measure skin erythema due to radiotherapy

The Rift Valley Fever virus protein NSm and putative cellular protein interactions

Rift Valley Fever is an infectious viral disease and an emerging problem in many countries of Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula. The causative virus is predominantly transmitted by mosquitoes and high mortality and abortion rates characterize outbreaks in animals while symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever are noticed among infected humans. For a better prevention and treatment of the infection, an increased knowledge of the infectious process of the virus is required. The focus of this work was to identify protein-protein interactions between the non-structural protein (NSm), encoded by the M-segment of the virus, and host cell proteins. This study was initiated by screening approximately 26 million cDNA clones of a mouse embryonic cDNA library for interactions with the NSm protein using a yeast two-hybrid system. We have identified nine murine proteins that interact with NSm protein of Rift Valley Fever virus, and the putative protein-protein interactions were confirmed by growth selection procedures and beta-gal activity measurements. Our results suggest that the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor subunit 2 (Cpsf2), the peptidyl-prolyl cistrans isomerase (cyclophilin)-like 2 protein (Ppil2), and the synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) are the most promising targets for the NSm protein of the virus during an infection