OPV strains circulation in HIV infected infants after National Immunisation Days in Bangui, Central African Republic

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Humans are the only host of polioviruses, thus the prospects of global polio eradication look reasonable. However, individuals with immunodeficiencies were shown to excrete vaccine derived poliovirus for long periods of time which led to reluctance to prolong the vaccination campaign for fear of this end result. Therefore, we aimed to assess the duration of excretion of poliovirus after the 2001 National Immunization Days according to Human immunodeficiency virus status.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Fifty three children were enrolled. Sequential stool samples were collected in between National Immunisation Days rounds and then every month during one year. Children were classified into 2 groups: no immunodepression (n = 38), immunodepression (n = 15) according to CD4+ lymphocytes cells count. Thirteen poliovirus strains were isolated from 11 children: 5 Human immunodeficiency virus positive and 6 Human immunodeficiency virus negative. None of the children excreted poliovirus for more than 4 weeks. The restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis showed that all strains were of Sabin origin including a unique Polio Sabine Vaccine types 2 and 3 (S2/S3) recombinant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>From these findings we assume that Human immunodeficiency virus positive children are not a high risk population for long term poliovirus excretion. More powerful studies are needed to confirm our findings.</p

Customer Focus in European Higher Education Systems

This article looks at the idea and practice of “customer focus” in higher education. As a global trend with origins in the business and corporate world, customer focus has come to increasingly shape public services worldwide. Influenced by business thinking, terminology, and practices, governmental organizations across policy areas have used customer focus to reform public services in order to bring them closer to the demands and expectations of their users. The paper particularly analyzes changes in customer focus understanding and its implications for the European higher education policies. The aim of the article is to contribute to a better conceptualization and policy understanding of this growing approach to higher education reform.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Limited duration of vaccine poliovirus and other enterovirus excretion among human immunodeficiency virus infected children in Kenya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Immunodeficient persons with persistent vaccine-related poliovirus infection may serve as a potential reservoir for reintroduction of polioviruses after wild poliovirus eradication, posing a risk of their further circulation in inadequately immunized populations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To estimate the potential for vaccine-related poliovirus persistence among HIV-infected persons, we studied poliovirus excretion following vaccination among children at an orphanage in Kenya. For 12 months after national immunization days, we collected serial stool specimens from orphanage residents aged <5 years at enrollment and recorded their HIV status and demographic, clinical, immunological, and immunization data. To detect and characterize isolated polioviruses and non-polio enteroviruses (NPEV), we used viral culture, typing and intratypic differentiation of isolates by PCR, ELISA, and nucleic acid sequencing. Long-term persistence was defined as shedding for ≥ 6 months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-four children (15 HIV-infected, 9 HIV-uninfected) were enrolled, and 255 specimens (170 from HIV-infected, 85 from HIV-uninfected) were collected. All HIV-infected children had mildly or moderately symptomatic HIV-disease and moderate-to-severe immunosuppression. Fifteen participants shed vaccine-related polioviruses, and 22 shed NPEV at some point during the study period. Of 46 poliovirus-positive specimens, 31 were from HIV-infected, and 15 from HIV-uninfected children. No participant shed polioviruses for ≥ 6 months. Genomic sequencing of poliovirus isolates did not reveal any genetic evidence of long-term shedding. There was no long-term shedding of NPEV.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results indicate that mildly to moderately symptomatic HIV-infected children retain the ability to clear enteroviruses, including vaccine-related poliovirus. Larger studies are needed to confirm and generalize these findings.</p

Studies Regarding the Eutrophication of the Negreni Reservoir In Botosani County

The deterioration through eutrophication of the waters from natural and/or artificial reservoirs represents one of the most important problems for administrators and customers of water resources systems. This work presents some studies performed at the Negreni reservoir in Botosani County, situated on The Baseu River. It can not be used as drinkable water anymore, due to the uncontrolled development of vegetation. The causes of this phenomenon are complex. Anthropological activities are mainly responsible for disturbing the fragile ecological balance. Cleaning may be a valid solution, but it is always better to preserve and prevent, than to repair

Emerging carbon-based nanosensor devices: structures, functions and applications

Bionanosensors and nanosensors have been devised in recent years with the use of various materials including carbon-based nanomaterials, for applications in diagnostics, environmental science and microelectronics. Carbon-based materials are critical for sensing applications, as they have physical and electronic properties which facilitate the detection of substances in solutions, gaseous compounds and pollutants through their conductive properties and resonance-frequency transmission capacities. In this review, a series of recent studies of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) based nanosensors and optical systems are reported, with emphasis on biochemical, chemical and environmental detection. This study also encompasses a background and description of the various properties of the nanomaterials, and the operation mechanism of the manufactured nanosensors. The use of computational chemistry is applied in describing the electronic properties and molecular events of the included nanomaterials during operation. This review shows that resonance-based sensing technologies reach detection limits for gases, such as ammonia down to 10(-24) level. The study also shows that the properties of the carbon nanomaterials give them unique features that are critical for designing new sensors based on electrocatalysis and other reactive detection mechanisms. Several research fields can benefit from the described emerging technologies, such as areas of research in environmental monitoring, rapid-on site diagnostics, in situ analyses, and blood and urine sampling in medical and sport industry. Carbon nanomaterials are critical for the operational sensitivity of nanosensors. Considering the low cost of fabrication, carbon nanomaterials can represent an essential step in the manufacturing of tomorrow's commercial sensors

Precarious Stateness and the Fleeting Boundaries of Sovereignty: Theoretical Considerations on Giorgio Agamben and the Indonesian Case

Vasilache A. Precarious Stateness and the Fleeting Boundaries of Sovereignty: Theoretical Considerations on Giorgio Agamben and the Indonesian Case. In: Hadiwinata BS, Schuck C, eds. Democracy in Indonesia. The Challenges of Consolidation. Baden-Baden: Nomos; 2007: 123-150

V-shape through wafer via manufactured by drie variable isotropy process

A new process for through-wafer interconnects was studied by our group. This new process was developed to facilitate metallised through wafer via holes manufacturing. V-shape profile can contribute to an easier metallisation process and better adhesion. Manufacturing process use the possibility to change the isotropy in the Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) equipments from anisotropic to completely isotropic. Two slightly different processes were used in order optimize the technology and to see the changes introduced by isotropic/anisotropic processes sequence

Fabrication of Through-Wafer Interconnections by Gold Electroplating

reserved5noA new method for conductive via’s using gold electroplating is presented. Tapered walls through wafer via (TWV) holes were made using a variable isotropy DRIE process, with a very good control over the obtained angles – angles of 11.3° and 21.8° were obtained with errors smaller than 10%. Barrier and seed layers were deposited in via’s performed by PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) techniques with a very good coverage of the walls. Finally, gold electroplating was used to fill the narrow part of via’s.D. Vasilache; S. Colpo; F. Giacomozzi; B. Margesin; M. ChistèVasilache, Dan Adrian; Colpo, Sabrina; Giacomozzi, Flavio; Margesin, Benno; Chistè, Matte