DinnerChatter-sovelluksen kehittäminen Androidille hybridimenetelmin

Projektin tavoitteena oli luoda ruokailusuunnitteluun tarkoitettu Android-sovellus käyttäen Cordova-hybridisovelluskehystä. Sovellus auttaa kaveriporukoita pääsemään yhteisymmärrykseen syömäpaikasta tarjoten mahdollisuuden lisätä ravintoloita listaa, näyttää ne kartalla ja keskustella niistä. Sovellus toteutettiin parityönä, ja tämä opinnäytetyö keskittyy puhelimeen asennettavaan ohjelmistoon. Teoriaosuudessa käsitellään sovelluksen kehittämisessä käytettyjä teknologioita kuten Cordova, AngularJS ja OnsenUi, sekä miten ne soveltuvat mobiilikehittämiseen. Luvussa käydään läpi AngularJS:n perusteet, jotka ovat olennainen osa kehitystä. Toiminnallisessa osuudessa perustellaan valitut teknologiat ja kerrotaan, miten niitä hyödynnettiin sovelluksen kehittämisessä. Luvussa käydään läpi sovelluksen käyttöliittymä näkymä kerrallaan ja nostetaan esille mielenkiintoisimpia ominaisuuksia, sekä miten ne toteutettiin. Lopuksi käsitellään palvelinpuolen integraatiota ja sovelluksen julkaisua Google Play-palvelussa. Viimeinen luku käy läpi projektin aikana nousseita mietteitä sovelluksen kehittämisestä ja käytetyistä teknologiosta sekä pohditaan myös sovelluksen tulevaisuutta ja jatkokehityssuunnitelmia. Sovellus saatiin valmiiksi juuri ennen opinnäytetyön päättämistä, minkä takia testaus laajemmassa mittakaavassa jäi toteuttamatta. Jatkokehitykseen jäi sovelluksen hienosäätämistä ja runsaasti kehityksen aikana nousseita ideoita uusista toiminnallisuuksista, joita ei vielä ehditty toteuttaa

Serum FGF19 predicts outcomes of Kasai portoenterostomy in biliary atresia

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Outcomes after Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) for biliary atresia remain highly variable for unclear reasons. As reliable early biomarkers predicting KPE outcomes are lacking, we studied the prognostic value of FGF19. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Serum and liver specimens, obtained from biliary atresia patients (N=87) at KPE or age-matched cholestatic controls (N=26) were included. Serum concentration of FGF19 and bile acids, liver mRNA expression of FGF19, and key regulators of bile acid synthesis were related to KPE outcomes and liver histopathology. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were used for the localization of liver FGF19 expression. Serum levels (223 vs. 61 pg/mL, p<0.001) and liver mRNA expression of FGF19 were significantly increased in biliary atresia. Patients with unsuccessful KPE (419 vs. 145 pg/mL, p=0.047), and those subsequently underwent liver transplantation (410 vs. 99 pg/mL, p=0.007) had significantly increased serum, but not liver, FGF19, which localized mainly in hepatocytes. In Cox hazard modeling serum FGF19 <109 pg/mL predicted native liver survival (HR: 4.31, p<0.001) also among patients operated <60 days of age (HR: 8.77, p=0.004) or after successful KPE (HR: 6.76, p=0.01). Serum FGF19 correlated positively with increased serum primary bile acids (R=0.41, p=0.004) and ductular reaction (R=0.39, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Increased serum FGF19 at KPE predicted inferior long-term native liver survival in biliary atresia and was associated with unsuccessful KPE, elevated serum primary bile acids, and ductular reaction

Inhibition of Pneumolysin Cytotoxicity by Hydrolysable Tannins

Streptococcus pneumoniae causes invasive infections such as otitis media, pneumonia and meningitis. It produces the pneumolysin (Ply) toxin, which forms a pore onto the host cell membrane and has multiple functions in the pathogenesis of S. pneumoniae. The Ply C-terminal domain 4 mediates binding to membrane cholesterol and induces the formation of pores composed of up to 40 Ply monomers. Ply has a key role in the establishment of nasal colonization, pneumococcal transmission from host to host and pathogenicity. Altogether, 27 hydrolysable tannins were tested for Ply inhibition in a hemolysis assay and a tannin-protein precipitation assay. Pentagalloylglucose (PGG) and gemin A showed nanomolar inhibitory activity. Ply oligomerization on the erythrocyte surface was inhibited with PGG. PGG also inhibited Ply cytotoxicity to A549 human lung epithelial cells. Molecular modelling of Ply interaction with PGG suggests that it binds to the pocket formed by domains 2, 3 and 4. In this study, we reveal the structural features of hydrolysable tannins that are required for interaction with Ply. Monomeric hydrolysable tannins containing three to four flexible galloyl groups have the highest inhibitory power to Ply cytotoxicity and are followed by oligomers. Of the oligomers, macrocyclic and C-glycosidic structures were weaker in their inhibition than the glucopyranose-based oligomers. Accordingly, PGG-type monomers and oligomers might have therapeutic value in the targeting of S. pneumoniae infections

Characterization of poultry egg-white avidins and their potential as a tool in pretargeting cancer treatment.

Chicken avidin and bacterial streptavidin are proteins used in a wide variety of applications in the life sciences due to their strong affinity for biotin. A new and promising use for them is in medical pretargeting cancer treatments. However, their pharmacokinetics and immunological properties are not always optimal, thereby limiting their use in these applications. To search for potentially beneficial new candidates, we screened egg white from four different poultry species for avidin. Avidin proteins, isolated from the duck, goose, ostrich and turkey, showed a similar tetrameric structure, similar glycosylation and stability against both temperature and proteolytic activity of proteinase K as chicken avidin. Biotin-binding properties of these avidins, measured using IAsys optical biosensor, were similar to those found in avidin from the chicken. Three of these novel avidins, however, showed different immunological cross-reactivities when compared with chicken avidin. The patient sera responses to duck, goose and ostrich avidins were also lower than those observed for chicken and turkey avidins. Our findings suggest that the use of these proteins offers advantages over chicken avidin and bacterial streptavidin in pretargeting applications

Serum FGF19 predicts outcomes of Kasai portoenterostomy in biliary atresia

Peer reviewe