Synovial Regulatory T Cells Occupy a Discrete TCR Niche in Human Arthritis and Require Local Signals To Stabilize FOXP3 Protein Expression

Although there is great interest in harnessing the immunosuppressive potential of FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) for treating autoimmunity, a sizeable knowledge gap exists regarding Treg fate in human disease. In juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients, we have previously reported that atypical CD25+FOXP32 Treg-like cells uniquely populate the inflamed site. Intrigu-ingly, their proportions relative to CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs associate with arthritis course, suggesting a role in disease. The ontogeny of these FOXP32 Treg-like cells is, however, unknown. In this study, we interrogated clonal relationships between CD4+ T cell subsets in JIA, using high-throughput TCR repertoire analysis. We reveal that FOXP3+ Tregs possess highly exclusive TCRb usage from conventional T cells, in blood, and also at the inflamed site, where they are clonally expanded. Intriguingly, the repertoires of FOXP3+ Tregs in synovial fluid are highly overlapping with CD25+FOXP32 Treg-like cells, indicating fluctuations in FOXP3 expression in the inflamed joint. Furthermore, cultured synovial Tregs rapidly downregulated FOXP3 protein (but not mRNA), and this process was prevented by addition of synovial fluid from JIA patients, through an IL-6–independent mechanism. Our findings suggest that most Tregs arise from a separate lineage from conventional T cells, and that this repertoire divergence is largely maintained under chronic inflammatory conditions. We propose that subsequent Treg expansions at the inflamed site creates an environment that leads to competition for limited resources within the synovium, resulting in the destabilization of FOXP3 expression in some Tregs. The Journal of Immunology, 2015, 195: 5616–5624.

Creation of a relational database for the collection and storage of data from tests of samples of bulk materials for the company Sklenář s.r.o

Diplomová práce se zabývá vytvořením relační databáze pro sběr a uchování dat ze zkoušek vzorků sypkých materiálů. V rámci této diplomové práce je popsána problematika teorie databázových systémů. V praktické části je vytvořena relační databáze, která slouží pro sběr a uchování dat ze zkoušek vzorků sypkých materiálů.The thesis deals with the creation of a relational database for collecting and storing data from tests of samples of bulk material. Within this thesis the issues of database systems theory are described. In the practical part, a relational database is created to collect and store data from bulk material sample tests

C the Light! Exploring Dynamic Changes in Hepatitis C Epidemiology, Screening, and Treatment

Background: Hepatitis C is common, deadly and curable. A major public health epidemic, it affects close to 4 million Americans, and kills more Americans than HIV, hepatitis B and tuberculosis combined. New all-oral therapies for hepatitis C can cure over 90% of those treated with few side effects and with a short 12-week course. However, many people with hepatitis C are unaware of their infection and access to curative therapy remains limited, especially for underserved populations. Methods: Our workshop will focus on areas of dynamic change in hepatitis C. We will discuss the changing epidemiology, focusing on the epidemic of new infections among young injection drug users. We will discuss hepatitis C screening recommendations and how these are applied in medical and public health settings, including barriers and facilitators to screening and linkage to care. We will describe current available therapies for hepatitis C and challenges to accessing these medications. Results: We will present results of our screening and linkage to care cascade, as well as the impact of our primary care-based hepatitis C clinic on antiviral treatment outcomes. We will focus on ways that workshop attendees can apply these principles to hepatitis C screening in their individual settings throughout the state of Georgia. Conclusions: We will conclude by making the compelling argument that combining public awareness of the disease, screening, linkage to care and treatment can lead to hepatitis C elimination in an unexpectedly short time frame

Judging by the Rules? The emergence of evaluation practices

How does evaluation work differently, and how do evaluation practices emerge, in different contexts? Drawing on a mixed-methods study of evaluation in figure skating and classical music, I discuss the divergent evaluative cultures in these settings, especially in terms of how formal and standardized they are, to consider how and why evaluation practices change over time and why different settings use different evaluation practices. I emphasize the importance of organizational structure, including context, competition structure, degree of centralization, and governance structure. My findings suggest that highly centralized settings governed by more powerful organizations and where competitions build on each other tend to use more formal and standardized evaluation practices compared to other settings with fewer constraints. Understanding how evaluation practices develop and what they look like in different contexts is important because in addition to influencing the objects of evaluation and perceived fairness and legitimacy, these practices often affect outcomes, which have significant consequences for participants

Tuftade ljudabsorbenter – väggpaneler för rumsliga och akustiska egenskaper

It is a well-known fact that textiles and carpets have benign sound-absorbing properties. It is desirable to have quantified values of these properties – especially for architects and interior designers. They often need to be able to give account for the acoustic properties of their designs at a relatively early stage and sometimes have strict acoustic classifications imposed upon them by their contractor. A product with documented acoustic properties would aid when prescribing interior elements. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a wall-mounted panel in hand-tufted material – aesthetically pleasing and versatile but also having documented and quantified acoustic properties. The thesis covers the process of design and production of the product as well as investigating different physical properties affecting the absorption factor. Throughout this project I have been cooperating with Kasthall Mattor och Golv AB and together we have manufactured nine panels. These panels have undergone tests at the acoustic laboratory at Division of Applied Acoustics Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Chalmers. The results show that the panels have indeed very good absorption qualities. I created an organic pattern for the panel utilizing variations in colour, pile height and density. The panel pattern is designed to harmonize with adjacent panels regardless of composition or individual rotation. This allows for a very versatile palette of expressiveness from a single pattern

Heterosporis anguillarum infections in farm cultured eels (Anguilla japonica) in Korea

Ten eels (Anguilla japonica) from a fish farm in Korea were examined and diagnosed with a Heterosporis infection. The gross lesions on the trunk were uneven and the concave parts were pasty. Histopathologically, lyses of the trunk muscles, degenerative muscle fibers and the scattered spores were observed. The sporophorocyst (SPC) contained several spores with a variety of shapes. Some SPC were disrupted and the spores in the SPC were scattered in the muscle tissues. Macrophages existed near the scattered spores. Electron microscopy revealed special structures such as sporophorocyst containing various developmental parasitic stages such as meronts, sporonts, sporophorous vesicles and spores