130 research outputs found
Combining conventional and novel molecular diagnostic methods for the identification of bacteria and viruses
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Cognate HLA absence in trans diminishes human NK cell education
No full textNK cells are innate lymphocytes with protective functions against viral infections and tumor formation. Human NK cells carry inhibitory killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIRs), which recognize distinct HLAs. NK cells with KIRs for self-HLA molecules acquire superior cytotoxicity against HLA- tumor cells during education for improved missing-self recognition. Here, we reconstituted mice with human hematopoietic cells from donors with homozygous KIR ligands or with a mix of hematopoietic cells from these homozygous donors, allowing assessment of the resulting KIR repertoire and NK cell education. We found that co-reconstitution with 2 KIR ligand-mismatched compartments did not alter the frequency of KIR-expressing NK cells. However, NK cell education was diminished in mice reconstituted with parallel HLA compartments due to a lack of cognate HLA molecules on leukocytes for the corresponding KIRs. This change in NK cell education in mixed human donor-reconstituted mice improved NK cell-mediated immune control of EBV infection, indicating that mixed hematopoietic cell populations could be exploited to improve NK cell reactivity against leukotropic pathogens. Taken together, these findings indicate that leukocytes lacking cognate HLA ligands can disarm KIR+ NK cells in a manner that may decrease HLA- tumor cell recognition but allows for improved NK cell-mediated immune control of a human γ-herpesvirus
BEEYOND - Foundation of the Company & Market Entry
No full textThis bachelor thesis depicts the author's journey over the last months, from the discovery of a business idea inspired by an innovative blockchain application over the creation of a solid concept in the form of a business plan to the development & implementation on a strategic as well as functional level. By applying his theoretical knowledge acquired in the Major "International Entrepreneurship", the author gained the necessary skillset to establish the company, develop the market entry strategy and begin with its practical implementation
Exploring stabilisation techniques for the reduced basis approximation of avection-diffusion PDEs
No full textIn this thesis, we explore possible stabilisation methods for the reduce basis approximation of advection-diffusion problems, for which the advection term is dominating. The options we consider are mainly inspired by the Variational Multiscale method (VMS), which decomposes the solution of a variational problem into its coarse scale component, from a coarse scale space, and a fine scale component, from a fine scale space. Our stabilisation proposals are divided into three classes. The first one groups methods that rely on a stabilisation parameter. The second class uses VMS at the algebraic level to attempt stabilisation. Finally the third class is also inspired by VMS at the algebraic level, but with the additional constraint that the fine scale space is orthogonal to the coarse scale space. Numericals tests reported in this thesis show that the methods of the first class is not viable options as the best stabilisation parameter among those tested is the stabilisation parameter that is used at the high fidelity level. Although the stabilisation methods of the second class give accurate results when applied to stable problems, they were also dismissed by the numerical tests, as they did not improve the accuracy of the already stabilised problem. The third class also performs well when applied to stable problems. It has been shown in [7] one of those methods can improve accuracy. However in the current implementation, this result was not achieved here.CMCSMaster project in Applied Mathematic
Barthes, Bakhtin, Structuralism: A Reassessment
No full textPhDThe thesis is a comparative analysis of the shared ideas and concerns in the works of
Mikhail Bakhtin and Roland Barthes from the point of view of differences between
French and Slavic literary structuralisms. Its background argument is that the
structuralism developed in the later works of the Russian Formalists and by Prague
Structuralists and Soviet Semioticians is more historically and socially oriented than its
French version, defining the structure of a literary work as a system of all of its
elements and effects (even those that take us outside of the text, like literary tradition
and historical and political circumstances). In this sense, Bakhtin can be seen as a part
of the Slavic structuralist tradition (and not opposed to it as is often claimed), and
Barthes (seen throughout his career) is on the whole perhaps closer to the Slavic
structuralism than he is to the French.
The particular problems discussed are those of the relationship between
literature and ideology, the notions of intertextuality, heteroglossia, dialogism and
polyphony and the differences between them, and the role of the author.
Barthes and Bakhtin shared a lifelong interest in the role of ideology in literature
and the influence of authoritarian language or myth on culture in general and the literary
text in particular. They looked for ways in which the deadening effect of the
mythological (epic, monological) thought and word can be counteracted through
literature, and different versions of what Kristeva termed 'intertextuality' played an
important part in their treatment of the subject. They also both discussed the role of the
author and their voice in the literary text, and the question of their power over the text,
its characters (Bakhtin) and the reader (Barthes).
The main thread of Barthes and Bakhtin's thought focuses on the problem of
counteracting authoritarian language through literature, and the solutions they proposed
can fruitfully be seen in the light of Slavic structuralism's notions of literary structure
Case series of bifidobacterium longum bacteremia in three preterm infants on probiotic therapy
No full textBackground: The use of probiotics as prophylaxis for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants is being increasingly practised. Objective: We report, for the first time, a case series of 3 preterm, very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants who developed bacteremia with Bifidobacterium longum on probiotic therapy with Infloran® containing viable B. longum. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of 3 infants (of gestational age <30 weeks and birth weight <1,230 g). They were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Clinical data were retrieved from their medical records. Results: In infants 1 and 2, B. longum was isolated from the blood cultures when they were on probiotic therapy with Infloran or shortly after, respectively, and was interpreted as transient bacteremia. The clinical presentation of these infants did not require antibiotic treatment after the isolation of B. longum. Infant 3 developed an NEC despite probiotic therapy with Infloran and the blood cultures showed B. longum growth. This infant required explorative laparotomy and antibiotic treatment. The clinical isolates of B. longum and the strain of the Infloran capsule showed an identical profile on biochemical, mass-spectrometric and molecular analyses, suggesting a direct correlation between the administration of probiotics and bacteremia with B. longum in all 3 infants. Conclusions: The occurrence of bacteremia with bifidobacteria after its prophylactic administration in VLBW infants and its possible clinical consequences are a matter of concern. In the interests of safety, the use of probiotics in such a population should be indicated with caution and requires further investigation
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