Trypanosoma brucei: Protein Expression Microarrays and Circulating miRNA during Infection

The last decades have been galvanized by efforts to reduce the ever widening gap that exist between functional genomics and proteomics. Assigning molecular functions to, and breaking through the complex networks in which each and every individual protein of the cellular proteome is involved is the breathtaking task that needs to be overcome in order to understand the molecular and physiological basis underlying health and disease. System-wide analysis is an approach that can permit a better understanding of the proteome, and there is need for robust and reliable platforms for such analysis to be developed. To contribute to current efforts, I have developed and optimized methods for the production of functional protein microarrays in a miniaturized form from cDNA products and genomic DNA as template source. I have further shown that such arrays are very useful and reliable in various applications such as protein-protein interactions, protein-RNA interactions, Kinase substrate identification and antibody selection. I have validated some data obtained from these arrays in vivo in a model organism, Trypanosoma brucei. This confirms that the platform can well contribute to the already existing proteomic tools in generating reliable biological data. Moreover, using cDNA products allow for the analysis of disease-related and rare transcripts as well as other spliced variants. Current diagnostic tools for human African trypanosomiases are very invasive and in some cases are not sensitive enough, and this is compounded by a highly heterogeneous seropositive patient population that is difficult to classify. To address this, I have equally analyzed the miRNA and mRNA expression pattern in the peripheral blood of patients in search for new markers. Thirteen differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, three of which (miRNA-199a-3p, miRNA-27b and miRNA-126*) were highly selective (>95%). These miRNAs have also been reported to be differentially regulated in other diseases and miRNA-199a-3p for example is used as a diagnostic biomarker. They are therefore not suitable as specific biomarkers in sleeping sickness. I have however shown that there is deregulation of miRNA expression following T. brucei infection, and most of the differentially regulated miRNAs are related to immune responses to infectious agents and other inflammatory responses influencing disease outcome

878-6 Stenting under intravascular ultrasound guidance of coronary bifurcation lesions with a new device allowing provisional side branch treatment

Vallmitjana Barbany, Venanci (escultor)Gran pla general de la font del 1919. Construida en marbre blanc, mesura 6,53 x 4,14 x 4,14 metres

Social Work and Human Rights:The International Context

This publication is a companion to ‘Social Work and Human Rights: A Practice Guide’. Both publications can be read separately or together. To maintain continuity between the two the numbering of ‘Social Work and Human Rights: The International Context’ starts where ‘Social Work and Human Rights: A Practice Guide’ ends and thus this publication starts at Section 13. Social work is an international profession and human rights in the UK are set in the context of international laws and treaties. Section 13 covers the development of human rights in an international context, Section 14 examines the contemporary global challenges of human rights while Section 15 concludes with emerging thinking on human rights development and practice

Nursing and leadership: perceptions of nurse managers from a hospital in southern Brazil

OBJETIVO: identificar como enfermeiros gestores definem e exercem a liderança em um Hospital filantrópico do Sul do Brasil; identificar as formas de preparação destes enfermeiros para a atuação de liderança. MÉTODO: estudo quantitativo, realizado com 15 enfermeiros que trabalhavam nos cargos de gestão do referido hospital no ano de 2011. Para coleta de dados utilizou-se um questionário estruturado aplicado no campo da pesquisa. RESULTADOS: verificou-se que o conceito de liderança é reconhecido positivamente pelos enfermeiros e está associado à comunicação eficaz e eficiente e à ética, entretanto, a formação para tal, foi reduzida e limitada apenas ao período da graduação. Identificou-se ainda, que a resistência da equipe constitui a principal barreira para o exercício da liderança. CONCLUSÃO: se faz necessária uma formação específica no tocante à liderança para enfermagem, qualificando os profissionais para uma atuação mais competente, humanizada e ética

Supporting Innovation in Organic Agriculture: A European Perspective Using Experience from the SOLID Project

Organic farming is recognized as one source for innovation helping agriculture to develop sustainably. However, the understanding of innovation in agriculture is characterized by technical optimism, relying mainly on new inputs and technologies originating from research. The paper uses the alternative framework of innovation systems describing innovation as the outcome of stakeholder interaction and examples from the SOLID (Sustainable Organic Low-Input Dairying) project to discuss the role of farmers, researchers and knowledge exchange for innovation. We used a farmer-led participatory approach to identify problems of organic and low-input dairy farming in Europe and develop and evaluate innovative practices. Experience so far shows that improvements of sustainability can be made through better exploitation of knowledge. For example, it is recognized that optimal utilization of good quality forage is vitally important, but farmers showed a lack of confidence in the reliability of forage production both in quantity and quality. We conclude that the systems framework improves the understanding of innovation processes in organic agriculture. Farmer-led research is an effective way to bring together the scientific approach with the farmers’ practical and context knowledge in finding solutions to problems experienced by farmers and to develop sustainability

Nursing and leadership: perceptions of nurse managers from a hospital in southern Brazil

OBJETIVO: identificar como enfermeiros gestores definem e exercem a liderança em um Hospital filantrópico do Sul do Brasil; identificar as formas de preparação destes enfermeiros para a atuação de liderança. MÉTODO: estudo quantitativo, realizado com 15 enfermeiros que trabalhavam nos cargos de gestão do referido hospital no ano de 2011. Para coleta de dados utilizou-se um questionário estruturado aplicado no campo da pesquisa. RESULTADOS: verificou-se que o conceito de liderança é reconhecido positivamente pelos enfermeiros e está associado à comunicação eficaz e eficiente e à ética, entretanto, a formação para tal, foi reduzida e limitada apenas ao período da graduação. Identificou-se ainda, que a resistência da equipe constitui a principal barreira para o exercício da liderança. CONCLUSÃO: se faz necessária uma formação específica no tocante à liderança para enfermagem, qualificando os profissionais para uma atuação mais competente, humanizada e ética

Human papillomavirus ‘reflex' testing as a screening method in cases of minor cytological abnormalities

The aim was to evaluate human papillomavirus (HPV) ‘reflex genotyping' in cases of minor cytological abnormalities detected in the gynaecological screening programme in Stockholm, Sweden. Liquid-based cytology samples showing minor cytological abnormalities were analysed using HPV genotyping (Linear Array, Roche diagnostics). Colposcopically directed cervical biopsies were obtained and the HPV test results were correlated with the histological results. In all, 63% (70/112) of the samples were high-risk (HR) HPV (HR-HPV) positive. A statistically significant correlation was found between high-grade cervical lesions and HR-HPV (P=0.019), among which HPV 16, 18, and 31 were the most important. The negative predictive value of HR-HPV detection for histologically confirmed high-grade lesions was 100%. An age limit for HPV reflex testing may be motivated in cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (LSIL), because of high HR-HPV prevalence among younger women. By using HPV reflex genotyping, additional extensive workup can safely be avoided in about 50% of all cases of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and LSIL among women ⩾30 years. This screening strategy could potentially reduce the total abnormal cytology-reporting rate in the Swedish screening programme by about 1% and provide more accurately directed follow-up, guided by cytological appearance and HPV test results