Examining the Challenges Faced by International Women with Preschool Children Studying for a Postgraduate Built Environment Degree in the UK

This article examines the academic experiences of five mid-career female international students who were parents of preschool children. These women were studying on a 1-year Built Environment master’s degree in the United Kingdom. We applied Tinto’s “sense of belonging” as a theoretical framework to interview women who were studying full time while caring for a preschool-age child or children. Results revealed stresses arising from balancing the academic demands of a 1-year full-time degree with childcare, compounded by a lack of appropriate support from the university. Although universities in general were viewed as offering a welcoming environment, this group of students often felt disappointed with their experience overall. Strategies for addressing identified barriers are proposed that contribute to widening existing university policies to address the specific needs of full-time international student parents

A Process Mineralogy Approach to Gravity Concentration of Tantalum Bearing Minerals

This is the final version of the article. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record.The historic Penouta mine in northwest Spain is the focus of efforts to extract tantalum from tin mining waste. This paper describes the characterisation of the tantalum mineralogy of waste material from the deposit. Characterisation was realised using quantitative mineralogy and geochemistry. This paper further identifies other phases of interest and investigates the potential for extraction using gravity separation techniques. The gravity concentrate obtained through these tests was analysed using quantitative mineralogy and electron probe microanalysis. Following characterisation of the sample material to identify the key Ta-bearing mineral phases and assess liberation, a series of gravity separation trials were conducted using Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS), Mozley table, Knelson concentrator separation and shaking table. The laboratory shaking table used to conduct a rougher test and a rougher/cleaner test to simulate a spiral-table circuit using the Penouta material. Mass balance calculations were carried out to calculate the contained metal content of the feed material and concentrate products in order to assess recovery rates for Ta, Sn and Nb across a range of grains sizes. Ta was found to be present predominantly in the solid-solution columbite-group mineral, along with minor Ta present as microlite and as impurities within cassiterite. It was found that over 70% of the Ta is contained within the −125 μm fraction, with the Ta-bearing minerals tantalite and microlite being closely associated with quartz. Mozley table separation resulted in recoveries of 89% Ta and 85% Nb for the −125 μm fraction. The Knelson Concentrator trial was carried out on the −625 μm size fraction, thereby eliminating low grade material found in the coarsest fractions. Size analysis of the recovery rate for each product, shows that the Knelson concentrator is most efficient for recovery of −125 μm particles.This work is part of the OptimOre project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 642201. Authors are thankful from the Strategic Minerals enterprise for their help in sampling, visit and information provided

An In Vitro Model of Latency and Reactivation of Varicella Zoster Virus in Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) latency in sensory and autonomic neurons has remained enigmatic and difficult to study, and experimental reactivation has not yet been achieved. We have previously shown that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neurons are permissive to a productive and spreading VZV infection. We now demonstrate that hESC-derived neurons can also host a persistent non-productive infection lasting for weeks which can subsequently be reactivated by multiple experimental stimuli. Quiescent infections were established by exposing neurons to low titer cell-free VZV either by using acyclovir or by infection of axons in compartmented microfluidic chambers without acyclovir. VZV DNA and low levels of viral transcription were detectable by qPCR for up to seven weeks. Quiescently-infected human neuronal cultures were induced to undergo renewed viral gene and protein expression by growth factor removal or by inhibition of PI3-Kinase activity. Strikingly, incubation of cultures induced to reactivate at a lower temperature (34°C) resulted in enhanced VZV reactivation, resulting in spreading, productive infections. Comparison of VZV genome transcription in quiescently-infected to productively-infected neurons using RNASeq revealed preferential transcription from specific genome regions, especially the duplicated regions. These experiments establish a powerful new system for modeling the VZV latent state, and reveal a potential role for temperature in VZV reactivation and disease

Recognition of the latency-associated immediate early protein IE63 of varicella-zoster virus by human memory T-lymphocytes

peer reviewedVaricella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human alpha herpesvirus that establishes latency in sensory ganglia. Latency is characterized by the abundant expression of the immediate early protein 63 (IE63), whereas other viral proteins have not yet been detected during the quiescent phase of VZV infection. The IE63 protein is a component of the virion and is expressed very early in the infectious cycle. The IE63 protein is also expressed in skin during episodes of varicella and herpes zoster. We have evaluated the cell-mediated immune response against IE63 in naturally immune adults with a history of chickenpox, by T lymphoproliferation and cytotoxicity assays. Among donors who had T cell proliferation to unfractionated VZV Ags from infected cell extract, 59% had T cell recognition of purified IE63. The CTL response to IE63 was equivalent to CTL recognition of IE62, the major tegument component of VZV whose immunogenicity has been previously described. IgG Abs against IE63 were detected in serum from healthy immune adults. These results indicate that IE63 is an important target of immunity to VZV. T cell recognition of IE63 is likely to be involved in controlling VZV reactivation from latency

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of thiocholesteryl-coupled phosphodiester antisense oligonucleotides incorporated into immunoliposomes

Encapsulation of oligonucleotides in antibody-targeted liposomes (immunoliposomes) which bind to target cells permits intracellular delivery of the oligonucleotides. This approach circumvents problems of extracellular degradation by nucleases and poor membrane permeability which free phosphodiester oligonucleotides are subject to, but leaves unresolved the inefficiency of encapsulation of oligonucleotides in liposomes. We have coupled oligonucleotides to cholesterol via a reversible disulfide bond. This modification of oligonucleotides improved their association with immunoliposomes by a factor of about 10 in comparison to unmodified oligonucleotides. The presence of cholesteryl-modified oligonucleotides incorporated in the bilayer of liposomes did not interfere with the coupling of the targeting protein to the liposome surface. Free or cholesterol coupled oligonucleotides associated with liposomes and directed against the tat gene of HIV-1 were tested for inhibition of HIV-1 proliferation in acutely infected cells. We demonstrate that the cholesteryl-modified as well as unmodified oligonucleotides acquire the target specificity of the antibody on the liposome. Their antiviral activity when delivered into cells is sequence-specific. The activity of these modified or unmodified oligonucleotides to inhibit the replication of HIV was the same on an equimolar basis (EC50 around 0.1 μM). Cholesterol coupled oligonucleotides thus offer increased liposome association without loss of antiviral activity

Direct transfer of viral and cellular proteins from varicella-zoster virus-infected non-neuronal cells to human axons

10.1371/journal.pone.0126081PLoS ONE105e012608

Viral forensic genomics reveals the relatedness of classic herpes simplex virus strains KOS, KOS63, and KOS79

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a widespread global pathogen, of which the strain KOS is one of the most extensively studied. Previous sequence studies revealed that KOS does not cluster with other strains of North American geographic origin, but instead clustered with Asian strains. We sequenced a historical isolate of the original KOS strain, called KOS63, along with a separately isolated strain attributed to the same source individual, termed KOS79. Genomic analyses revealed that KOS63 closely resembled other recently sequenced isolates of KOS and was of Asian origin, but that KOS79 was a genetically unrelated strain that clustered in genetic distance analyses with HSV-1 strains of North American/European origin. These data suggest that the human source of KOS63 and KOS79 could have been infected with two genetically unrelated strains of disparate geographic origins. A PCR RFLP test was developed for rapid identification of these strains

The nursing work environment and quality of care: Content analysis of comments made by registered nurses responding to the Essentials of Magnetism II scale

Aim: To report a qualitative study of themes Registered Nurses raised spontaneously about their work environment, in a cross‐sectional survey study when responding to the Essentials of Magnetism II (EOMII) scale. Design: Qualitative descriptive survey. Methods: At the end of the EOMII scale, a free form text section was included asking nurses to add comments about their ward/work environment. Of the 247 nurses who completed the EOMII scale, 30% (N = 75) provided comments. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the textual information generated. Results: Three key themes emerged: “nurses need nurses to nurse”; working as a team and workplace environment. Participants described issues they were facing which comprised high turnover rates, inadequate staffing levels, increasing workload and high stress levels. Particular attention was drawn to the role of the ward manager in promoting a positive work environment, good teamwork and quality patient care

Herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus, the house guests who never leave.

Human alphaherpesviruses including herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) establish persistent latent infection in sensory neurons for the life of the host. All three viruses have the potential to reactivate causing recurrent disease. Regardless of the homology between the different virus strains, the three viruses are characterized by varying pathologies. This review will highlight the differences in infection pattern, immune response, and pathogenesis associated with HSV-1 and VZV

New Variant of Varicella-Zoster Virus

In 1998, a varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) mutant virus (VZV-MSP) was isolated from a child with chickenpox. VZV-MSP, representing a second VZV serotype, was considered a rarity. We isolated another VZV-MSP-like virus from an elderly man with herpes zoster. These gE mutant viruses may have arisen through independent mutation or may represent a distinct VZV subpopulation that emerged more than 50 years ago