Σύγχρονο Μεντιακό Περιβάλλον και Έφηβοι: Διερεύνηση, Ανάλυση και Πρόσληψη των Vlogs

Η παρούσα έρευνα στοχεύει στη διερεύνηση του δίπολου “Έφηβοι - Vlogs”. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, μελετώνται τα οπτικοακουστικά κείμενα, με τα οποία έρχονται σε επαφή οι νέοι ηλικίας 14 -18 ετών, μέσα από τη νέα διαδικτυακή τάση των vlogs, το περιεχόμενό τους, καθώς και η πρόσληψή τους από τη συγκεκριμένη πληθυσμιακή ομάδα. Με βασικό στόχο την ολιστική προσέγγιση του αντικειμένου και την ορθότερη εξαγωγή συμπερασμάτων, εξετάστηκε τόσο η παραγωγή των οπτικοακουστικών κειμένων όσο και η πρόσληψή τους από τη μελετώμενη πληθυσμιακή ομάδα, μέσα από την εφαρμογή τριγωνοποιημένων ερευνητικών μεθόδων. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, πραγματοποιήθηκαν 2 ποσοτικές έρευνες κοινού, με χρήση ηλεκτρονικού ερωτηματολογίου και τη συμμετοχή νέων ηλικίας 14 - 18 ετών, και ποιοτική ανάλυση περιεχομένου επιλεγμένων οπτικοακουστικών κειμένων. Τα αποτελέσματα, που προέκυψαν και συζητούνται, αφορούν τη στάση, τις χρήσεις και τις προτιμήσεις των νέων σε σχέση με τη νέα διαδικτυακή τάση των vlogs καθώς και το περιεχόμενο των εν λόγω κειμένων. Η παρούσα έρευνα ευελπιστούμε να συμβάλλει στην παραγωγή νέας γνώσης σχετικά με το συνεχώς διαμορφούμενο σύγχρονο μεντιακό περιβάλλον και τους εφήβους.This study aims at investigating the dipole “teens - vlogs”. In particular, we attempt to analyze the audiovisual texts that teens, at the age of 14 - 18, prefer to watch through the new online trend of vlogging. Furthermore, we analyze vlogs’ content and their reception from the target population in Greece. In order to achieve a holistic approach and draw some accurate conclusions, we examine both production and reception of vlogs, using the research method of triangulation. Our study includes two quantitative surveys and a qualitative content analysis of selected audiovisual texts. The obtained survey data interpret how adolescents react to vlogs and, hopefully, this study makes a useful contribution to the growing field of “new media environment and teens”

Modulation of vaccine response by concomitant probiotic administration

Evidence suggests that probiotic bacteria modulate both innate and adaptive immunity in the host, and in some situations can result in reduced severity of common illnesses, such as acute rotavirus infection and respiratory infections. Responses to vaccination are increasingly being used to provide high quality information on the immunomodulatory effects of dietary components in humans. The present review focuses on the effect of probiotic administration upon vaccination response. The majority of studies investigating the impact of probiotics on responses to vaccination have been conducted in healthy adults, and at best they show modest effects of probiotics on serum or salivary IgA titres. Studies in infants and in elderly subjects are very limited, and it is too early to draw any firm conclusions regarding the potential for probiotics to act as adjuvants in vaccination. Although some studies are comparable in terms of duration of the intervention and age and characteristics of the subjects, most differ in terms of the probiotic selected. Further well designed, randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed to fully understand the immunomodulatory properties of probiotics, whether the effects exerted are strain-dependent and age-dependent, and their clinical relevance in enhancing immune protection following vaccination

Workshop on Immunizations in Older Adults: Identifying Future Research Agendas

Goals for immunization in older adults may differ from those in young adults and children, in whom complete prevention of disease is the objective. Often, reduced hospitalization and death but also averting exacerbation of underlying chronic illness, functional decline, and frailty are important goals in the older age group. Because of the effect of age on dendritic cell function, T cell-mediated immune suppression, reduced proliferative capacity of T cells, and other immune responses, the efficacy of vaccines often wanes with advanced age. This article summarizes the discussion and proceedings of a workshop organized by the Association of Specialty Professors, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Geriatrics Society, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Leading researchers and clinicians in the fields of immunology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, geriatrics, and gerontology reviewed the current status of vaccines in older adults, identified knowledge gaps, and suggest priority areas for future research. The goal of the workshop was to identify what is known about immunizations (efficacy, effect, and current schedule) in older adults and to recommend priorities for future research. Investigation in the areas identified has the potential to enhance understanding of the immune process in aging individuals, inform vaccine development, and lead to more-effective strategies to reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable illness in older adults.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79340/1/j.1532-5415.2010.02772.x.pd

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection during pregnancy induces CD4 T-cell differentiation and modulates responses to Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in HIV-uninfected infants

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative infants born to HIV-positive mothers frequently exhibit a range of immunological abnormalities. We tested the hypothesis that HIV during pregnancy affects the ability of CD4 T cells of HIV-negative infants to respond to vaccine challenge by recruiting HIV-negative infants born to HIV-negative and HIV-positive mothers and measuring their responses to Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine given at birth. At 2 weeks, maternal HIV status did not influence CD4 T-cell counts or differentiation, but by 10 weeks CD4 counts of infants born to HIV-positive mothers fell to a level characteristic of HIV-positive infants. Among the CD4 T-cell populations, markers of differentiation (CCR7− CD45RA− CD27−) and senescence (CD57, PD-1) were more common among infants born to HIV-positive mothers than among infants born to HIV-negative mothers. At 2 weeks of age, we assessed the effector response to heat-killed BCG and tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) by overnight interferon (IFN)-γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot-forming cell assay (ELISpot), but found no measurable effect of maternal HIV status. At 10 weeks, we assessed CD4 T-cell memory by measuring proliferation in response to the same antigens. We observed a bimodal response that allowed infants to be classified as high or low responders and found that fewer infants born to HIV-positive mothers were able to mount a robust proliferative response, suggesting that their reduced CD4 counts and increased differentiation indicated a deficiency in their ability to develop immunological memory

CD4+ T cell surface alpha enolase is lower in older adults

To identify novel cell ageing markers in order to gain insight into ageing mechanisms, we adopted membrane enrichment and comparison of the CD4+ T cell membrane proteome (purified by cell surface labelling using Sulfo-NHS-SS-Biotin reagent) between healthy young (n=9, 20-25y) and older (n=10; 50-70y) male adults. Following two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) to separate pooled membrane proteins in triplicates, the identity of protein spots with age-dependent differences (p1.4 fold difference) was determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Seventeen protein spot density differences (ten increased and seven decreased in the older adult group) were observed between young and older adults. From spot intensity analysis, CD4+ T cell surface α-enolase was decreased in expression by 1.5 fold in the older age group; this was verified by flow cytometry (n=22) and qPCR with significantly lower expression of cellular α-enolase mRNA and protein compared to young adult CD4+ T cells (p<0.05). In an independent age-matched case-control study, lower CD4+ T cell surface α-enolase expression was observed in age-matched patients with cardiovascular disease (p<0.05). An immune-modulatory role has been proposed for surface α-enolase and our findings of decreased expression suggest that deficits in surface α-enolase merit investigation in the context of immune dysfunction during ageing and vascular disease