The role of the innate immune system in a murine gammaherpesvirus infection

Members of the Gammaherpesvirinae are characterised by their ability to establish latency within lymphoid cells. Gammaherpesviruses include the human pathogens Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Symptomatic disease and long-term persistence has been widely studied both in vivo and in vitro. However, as primary infection is largely asymptomatic, it has not been possible to determine virus-host interactions prior to the onset of symptoms. This has been further complicated by the narrow host range of the gammaherpesvirinae. Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV-68) is able to replicate in a number of cell lines in vitro and readily infects laboratory mice. It is therefore an important and flexible small animal model which provides a unique system for studying host-virus interactions at early time points post-infection.The aim of this project was to determine the role of the innate immune system in the control of gammaherpesvirus infections. It has previously been shown that type 1 interferons (IFN) are critical for host survival. RT-PCR analysis confirmed that MHV-68 infection leads to induction of type I IFN at early time points post¬ infection. In addition, in vitro studies indicated that type 1 IFNs play a role in the inhibition of the exit of viral particles from the cell. A strong trend towards higher titres of cell-free virus from cells lacking type I IFN receptor compared to titres of cell-free virus from wt cells was observed. IFNp knockout mice were utilised to show that IFNP is important at early time points but does not play a role in long term control of infection. MHV-76 is a deletion mutant of MHV-68, lacking four genes (M1-M4) and eight vtRNAs unique to MHV-68 and present at the left hand end of the genome. This study found no difference in the type I IFN response following infection with either MHV-68 or MHV-76. These results suggest that M1-M4 and the 8 vtRNAs do not play an extensive role in the regulation of the type 1 IFN response. IFN stimulated genes (ISGs) are important for establishing an anti-viral response. Mice lacking ISG12a were utilised to show that ISG12a plays a role in the early stages of the establishment of latency following MHV-68 infection. In vivo studies showed that virus titres and the degree of splenomegaly were increased in the spleens of lSG12a knockout mice resulting in an elevated latent infection compared to wt spleens. However, the mechanism by which ISG12a affects latency is not clear. No difference in viral titres was observed in the lungs or mediastinal lymph nodes between ISG12a knockout and wt mice. The role of NK cells was investigated by in vivo depletion ofNK cells and by monitoring NK activation following infection. The NK cell population is expanded and activated at day 2 compared to day 4 post¬ infection and is capable of cytotoxic killing following infection with MHV-68. However, a lack of NK cells in vivo did not result in significantly elevated virus titres suggesting that NK cells are not essential for the control of MHV-68 infection. No difference was observed between MHV-68 or MHV-76 infection in the presence or absence of NK cells, nor in the expansion or activation of NK cells post-infection. It was therefore concluded that the genes M1-M4 and the 8 vtRNAs do not play a role in the regulation of NK cells

A ship-based methodology for high precision atmospheric oxygen measurements and its application in the Southern Ocean region

A method for achieving continuous high precision measurements of atmospheric O-2 is presented based on a commercially available fuel-cell instrument, (Sable Systems, Oxzilla FC-II) with a precision of 7 per meg (approximately equivalent to 1.2 ppm) for a 6-min measurement. The Oxzilla was deployed on two voyages in the Western Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, in February 2003 and in April 2004, making these the second set of continuous O-2 measurements ever made from a ship. The results show significant temporal variation in O-2, in the order of +/- 10 per meg over 6-hourly time intervals, and substantial spatial variation. Data from both voyages show an O-2 maximum centred on 50 degrees S, which is most likely to be the result of biologically driven O-2 outgassing in the region of subtropical convergence around New Zealand, and a decreasing O-2 trend towards Antarctica. O-2 from the ship-based measurements is elevated compared with measurements from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography flask-sampling network, and the O-2 maximum is also not captured in the network observations. This preliminary study shows that ship-based continuous measurements are a valuable addition to current fixed site sampling programmes for the understanding of ocean-atmosphere O-2 exchange processes. [References: 39

A gene-targeted mouse model of P102L Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome

Rona Barron - ORCID: 0000-0003-4512-9177 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4512-9177Item not available from this repository.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-2712(02)00067-723

Pengaruh Kualitas Pelayanan dan Kemampuan Manajerial Pengurus terhadap Kepuasan Anggota Koperasi Pegawai Republik Indonesia (Kpri) Universitas Riau

The purpose of the research is to find out the influence of service quality and managerial ability of the administrator to the customer satisfaction of Koperasi Pegawai Republik Indonesia University of Riau. This research is a quantitative research, with amount of population is 1.949 members and amount sample is 94 members. The method that used to gathering data is quisioner. Analysis data method uses descriptive analysis, multiple linier regression and classical assumption test. The result of the research shows there is influence of service quality and managerial ability of the administator to the customer satisfaction with significance value of 0,001. Partially, service quality has influence to the customer satisfaction with significance value of 0,038 and managerial ability has influence to the customer satisfaction with significance of 0,003. With good service quality and good managerial ability, so that will increase customer satisfaction

Pengalaman Penggunaan Simple sebagai Aplikasi Manajemen Diri untuk Penderita Bipolar Disorder

Penanganan bipolar sangat memerlukan intensitas dukungan optimal di waktu yang tepat, namun jarak dan biaya terkadang menjadi kendala. Self-monitoring and psychoeducation in bipolar patients with a smart-phone application (SIMPLe) merupakan aplikasi berbasis smartphone dengan pendekatan psikoedukasi untuk untuk manajemen diri pada penderita bipolar disorder yang mudah dan hemat biaya. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meninjau dan menganalisis mengenai efektifitas dan kepuasaan penggunaan aplikasi SIMPLe dalam pengobatan bipolar disorder. Artikel ini dirancang dengan menggunakan desain literature review dengan sumber literatur yang didapatkan dari database science direct, proquest dan scopus. Penggunaan aplikasi SIMPLe selama tiga bulan atau lebih terbukti efektif dalam menekan angka kekambuhan. Pengguna aplikasi merasa puas dengan konten yang berada di dalam aplikasi. Penambahan konten aplikasi seperti  rencana krisis pribadi di kasus kekambuhan, menambah peristiwa stres pribadi dalam grafik suasana hati, variasi yang lebih besar dari pesan psikoedukasi dan label suasana hati interaktif menjadi harapan pengguna dalam pembaharuan aplikasi berikutnya

Factors Associated with Stunting in Children Under Five in Karawang, West Java

Background: Despite global efforts, stunting remains a public health problem in several developing countries. It is estimated that globally in 2016, 24% of children under age five were still stunted. Stunting during childhood can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to non-communicable diseases, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with stunting in children under five in Karawang, West Java. Subjects and Method: A case control study was conducted in 5 community health centers in Karawang, West Java, from April to May 2018. A sample 225 children under five consisting of 75 stunted children and 150 normal children was selected by fixed disease sampling. The dependent variable was stunting. The independent variables were maternal height, low birthweight, exclusive breast¬feeding, complementary feeding, and history of infectious disease. Data on children body height were measured by infantometer or microtoise. The other data were collected by questionnaire. The data were analyzed by a multiple logistic regression. Results: The risk of stunting increased with low birth weight (OR= 4.61; 95% CI= 1.73 to 12.24; p<0.001) and history of infectious illness (OR= 4.77; 95% CI= 1.95 to 11.69; p= 0.001). The risk of stunting reduced with maternal height ≥150 cm(OR= 0.20; 95% CI= 0.08 to 0.49; p<0.001), exclusive breastfeeding (OR= 0.39; 95% CI= 0.17 to 0.88; p= 0.024), and appropriate complementary feeding (OR= 0.24; 95% CI= 0.11 to 0.54; p= 0.001). Conclusion: The risk of stunting increases with low birth weight and history of infectious illness, but reduces with maternal height ≥150 cm, exclusive breastfeeding, and appropriate complementary feeding. Keywords: stunting, low birth weight, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, infectious illnes

Stable isotopes demonstrate intraspecific variation in habitat use and trophic level of non‐breeding albatrosses

The non‐breeding period is critical for restoration of body condition and self‐maintenance in albatrosses, yet detailed information on diet and distribution during this stage of the annual cycle is lacking for many species. Here, we use stable isotope values of body feathers (δ13C, δ15N) to infer habitat use and trophic level of non‐breeding adult Grey‐headed Albatrosses Thalassarche chrysostoma (n = 194) from South Georgia. Specifically, we: (1) investigate intrinsic drivers (sex, age, previous breeding outcome) of variation in habitat use and trophic level; (2) quantify variation among feathers of the same birds; and (3) examine potential carry‐over effects of habitat use and trophic level during the non‐breeding period on subsequent breeding outcome. In agreement with previous tracking studies, δ13C values of individual feathers indicate that non‐breeding Grey‐headed Albatrosses from South Georgia foraged across a range of oceanic habitats, but mostly in subantarctic waters, between the Antarctic Polar Front and Subtropical Front. Sex differences were subtle but statistically significant, and overlap in the core isotopic niche areas was high (62%); however, males exhibited slightly lower δ13C and higher δ15N values than females, indicating that males forage at higher latitudes and at a higher trophic level. Neither age nor previous breeding outcome influenced stable isotope values, and we found no evidence of carry‐over effects of non‐breeding habitat use or trophic level on subsequent breeding outcome. Repeatability among feathers of the same individual was moderate in δ13C and low in δ15N. This cross‐sectional study demonstrates high variability in the foraging and migration strategies of this albatross population