An antigen-driven B-cell response within the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

Infection with a bacterium or virus induces the production of antibodies, specialised protein molecules that bind to and eliminate the microorganism. These antibodies are produced by B-cells that are stimulated by antigen (any foreign protein or carbohydrate) in the lymph nodes and spleen. During this process, they diversify their variable region genes (V-genes), encoding the antigen-binding region of the antibody, by switching on machinery that mutates the V-genes at a very high rate (somatic hypermutation). In autoimmune diseases, B-cells produce autoantibodies against self-antigens present on the patient's own tissues. Clusters of B- and T-cells are frequently found in the target organs of autoimmune disease. The aim of the work described here was to determine whether these clusters of cells are responding to stimulation by antigen. For this purpose we investigated the B-cell response in patients with an autoimmune disease affecting the salivary and lachrymal glands. By cloning and sequencing the expressed V-genes from indvidual clusters of cells in the salivary glands, we were able to show that the B-cells in these clusters are undergoing clonal proliferation, somatic hypermutation and antigen selection. The presence of similar structures in the target tissues of other autoimmune diseases suggests that this is a widespread phenomenon

Blood Presure Modul

Import 22/07/2015Předkládaná bakalářská práce se zabývá měřením krevního tlaku. Součástí práce je teoretický rozbor jednotlivých metod a praktická realizace jednoduchého modulu pro měření krevního tlaku. Data jsou zpracovávána pomocí měřící desky NI Elvis II a to pomocí programu vytvořeného v prostředí LabWiev. Rovněž je na modulu provedeno několik testovacích měření, jejichž výsledky jsou v práci zaznamenány a následně vyhodnoceny.In this bachelor thesis the blood pressure measuring will be dwelled. Parts of this thesis are theoretical analysis of measuring methods and practical realization of simple module for measure of blood pressure. The data will be processed with help of the laboratory platform NI Elvis II and programme which will be made in LabView. In the end of this thesis the results of several testing measurments will be presented as well as the discusion of these results.450 - Katedra kybernetiky a biomedicínského inženýrstvívýborn

Machtstrukturen und -beziehungen von Suchmaschinen

Rezension zu: Röhle, Theo. 2010. Der Google-Komplex: über Macht im Zeitalter des Internets. Kultur- und Medientheorie. Bielefeld: Transcript

Autonomous Vehicles from another Perspective – A Literature Analysis

Autonomous vehicles are part of our everyday lives, but with the rapid development of technology, this will become more and more common. Research on self-driving cars will replace conventional vehicles not only in passenger transport but also in the transport of goods and industrial materials. Car companies and research institutes are conducting more and more research in the face of serious economic interests. This study analyses published papers on self-driving vehicles and their security issues. A more detailed analysis of the publication output of the last six years is also included. The analysis of the publications by country shows that the Asian region has invested considerable efforts in the research and development of self-driving cars and their safety issues in the last three years

Researcher’s Choice or Just a Necessity? The Consequences of Publishing in a Predatory Journal

The research community has been continuously investigating the issue of predatory journals. With the rapid development of technology and the world, online publishing has also accelerated, making it crucial to publish and disseminate scientific results as quickly as possible due to the “publish-or-perish” phenomenon. The number of open-access, online-only journals is increasing each year. Predatory publishers and journals have taken advantage of this trend by engaging in profit-driven, unethical practices. This article discusses how the predator phenomenon affects those involved in scientific communication. The research aims to address the following questions: What are the detrimental impacts of predatory journals on individuals involved in scientific communication? What causes researchers to publish in predatory journals? What is the relationship between publication pressure and publishing in predator journals

Poverty and Employment in Timber-Dependent Counties

One of the most controversial aspects of federal and state policies aimed at protecting old-growth ecosystems has been the potential impact of job losses on local economies. A fundamental question for historically timber-dependent communities is whether these policies will result in local economic stagnation and enduring pockets of poverty. In this paper, we examine the long-run impact of changes in timber-related employment on other types of employment and participation in major federal poverty programs. We use monthly, multi-county time series data to estimate a vector autoregressive model of the experience of northern California counties during the 1980s and 1990s. We find that employment base multiplier effects of timber employment on other types of employment in each county are small, and state economic conditions rather than local employment conditions are the principal driver behind local poverty.

Antigen-driven clonal proliferation of B cells within the target tissue of an autoimmune disease: the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Structures resembling germinal centers are seen in the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, but it is not known whether the microenvironment of these cell clusters is sufficient for the induction of a germinal center response. Therefore, we cloned and sequenced rearranged Ig V genes expressed by B cells isolated from sections of labial salivary gland biopsies from two Sjögren's syndrome patients. Rearranged V genes from B cells within one cell cluster were polyclonal and most had few somatic mutations. Two adjacent clusters from another patient each contained one dominant B cell clone expressing hypermutated V genes. None of the rearranged V genes was found in both clusters, suggesting that cells are unable to migrate out into the surrounding tissue and seed new clusters. The ratios of replacement to silent mutations in the framework and complementarity determining regions suggest antigen selection of high-affinity mutants. These results show that an antigen-driven, germinal center-type B cell response is taking place within the salivary glands of Sjögren's syndrome patients. In view of the recent demonstration of a germinal center response within the rheumatoid synovial membrane and the existence of similar structures in the target tissues of other autoimmune. diseases, we propose that germinal center- type responses can be induced in the nonlymphoid target tissues of a variety of autoimmune diseases

Factors Associated with Unsafe Behavior among Construction Workers in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

Background: Earlier studies have shown that about 90% of accidents in the work settings occur because of unsafe behavior and human errors. If workers do not have the right knowledge, favorable attitude, and proper behavior toward safety measures in a safe workplace, all efforts for an accident-free workplace will be in vain. This study aimed to determine factors associated with unsafe occupational behavior among construction workers in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. Subjects and Method: This was a cross sectional study carried out in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. A sample of 200 construction workers were selected at random for this study. The endogenous variables were perceive benefit, favorable attitude, and unsafe occupational behavior. The exogenous was good knowledge. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by a path analysis model. Results: Good knowledge increased perceived benefit (b= 0.25; 95% CI= 0.06 to 0.56; p= 0.038). Perceived benefit increased favorable attitude (b= 0.56; 95% CI= 0.25 to 0.86; p<0.001). Favorable attitude decreased unsafe occupational behavior (b= -0.56; 95% CI= -0.32 to -0.80; p<0.001). Conclusion: Good knowledge, perceived benefit, and favorable attitude, respectively, decrease unsafe behavior among the construction workers in the work settings. Keywords: good knowledge, perceived benefit, favorable attitude, respectively, unsafe behavior, construction workers