塞隆骨提取物对CFA诱导活化的小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞功能的影响

目的：研究塞隆骨提取物对弗氏完全佐剂诱导活化的腹腔巨噬细胞的免疫抑制作用。方法：小鼠腹腔注射弗氏完全佐剂诱导腹腔巨噬细胞活化并回收，体外加入LPS及IFN-γ刺激培养巨噬细胞，利用酶联免疫法测定培养上清中细胞因子（IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12p40、TNF-α水平。结果：塞隆骨水提物及90％醇沉部分体内给药均能够能显著抑制弗氏完全佐剂诱导的巨噬细胞向腹腔的浸润，能抑制巨噬细胞在LPS及IFN-γ刺激下生成细胞因子（IL-12p40、IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α。结论：塞隆骨提取物对巨噬细胞功能有一定程度的影响，能够抑制其产生炎症因子，可能是其治疗类风湿性关节炎的作用机理之一。

Étude économétrique de la convergence des pays du Franc CFA.

Rapport de recherche

Étude de l'efficacité de la dévaluation du franc CFA au Bénin

This paper examines the effectiveness of CFA franc devaluation in Benin. Our results show that the nominal devaluation generate a real exchange depreciation, thanks to strict anti-inflation measures implemented.

Est-ce que la zone du F CFA est une zone monetaire optimale ?

Rapport de recherche

Est-ce que la zone F CFA est une zone monetaire optimale?

Rapport de recherche

Boosting systemic and secreted antibody responses in mice orally immunized with recombinant Bacillus subtilis strains following parenteral priming with a DNA vaccine encoding the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) CFA/I fimbriae B subunit

Recombinant Bacillus subtilis strains, either spores or vegetative cells, may be employed as safe and low cost orally delivered live vaccine vehicles. In this study, we report the use of an orally delivered B. subtilis vaccine strain to boost systemic and secreted antibody responses in mice i.m. primed with a DNA vaccine encoding the structural subunit (CfaB) of the CFA/I fimbriae encoded by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), an important etiological agent of diarrhea among travelers and children living in endemic regions. DBA/2 female mice submitted to the prime-boost immunization regimen developed synergic serum (IgG) and mucosal (IgA) antibody responses to the target CfaB antigen. Moreover, in contrast to mice immunized only with one vaccine formulation, sera harvested from prime-boosted vaccinated individuals inhibited adhesion of ETEC cells to human red blood cells. Additionally, vaccinated dams conferred full passive protection to suckling newborn mice challenged with a virulent ETEC strain. Taken together the present results further demonstrate the potential use of recombinant B. subtilis strains as an alternative live vaccine vehicle. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical projection tomography reveals dynamics of HEV growth after immunization with protein plus CFA and features shared with HEVs in acute autoinflammatory lymphadenopathy

The vascular-stromal compartment of lymph nodes is important for lymph node function, and high endothelial venules (HEVs) play a critical role in controlling the entry of recirculating lymphocytes. In autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, lymph node swelling is often accompanied by apparent HEV expansion and, potentially, targeting HEV expansion could be used therapeutically to limit autoimmunity. In previous studies using mostly flow cytometry analysis, we defined three differentially regulated phases of lymph node vascular-stromal growth: initiation, expansion, and the re-establishment of vascular quiescence and stabilization. In this study, we use optical projection tomography to better understand the morphologic aspects of HEV growth upon immunization with ovalbumin/CFA (OVA/CFA). We find HEV elongation as well as modest arborization during the initiation phase, increased arborization during the expansion phase, and, finally, vessel narrowing during the re-establishment of vascular quiescence and stabilization. We also examine acutely enlarged autoinflammatory lymph nodes induced by regulatory T cell depletion and show that HEVs are expanded and morphologically similar to the expanded HEVs in OVA/CFA-stimulated lymph nodes. These results reinforce the idea of differentially regulated, distinct phases of vascular-stromal growth after immunization and suggest that insights gained from studying immunization-induced lymph node vascular growth may help to understand how the lymph node vascular-stromal compartment could be therapeutically targeted in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.

Genome-wide analysis in German shepherd dogs reveals association of a locus on CFA 27 with atopic dermatitis

Humans and dogs are both affected by the allergic skin disease atopic dermatitis (AD), caused by an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The German shepherd dog (GSD) is a high-risk breed for canine AD (CAD). In this study, we used a Swedish cohort of GSDs as a model for human AD. Serum IgA levels are known to be lower in GSDs compared to other breeds. We detected significantly lower IgA levels in the CAD cases compared to controls (p = 1.1 × 10(-5)) in our study population. We also detected a separation within the GSD cohort, where dogs could be grouped into two different subpopulations. Disease prevalence differed significantly between the subpopulations contributing to population stratification (λ = 1.3), which was successfully corrected for using a mixed model approach. A genome-wide association analysis of CAD was performed (n cases = 91, n controls = 88). IgA levels were included in the model, due to the high correlation between CAD and low IgA levels. In addition, we detected a correlation between IgA levels and the age at the time of sampling (corr = 0.42, p = 3.0 × 10(-9)), thus age was included in the model. A genome-wide significant association was detected on chromosome 27 (praw = 3.1 × 10(-7), pgenome = 0.03). The total associated region was defined as a ~1.5-Mb-long haplotype including eight genes. Through targeted re-sequencing and additional genotyping of a subset of identified SNPs, we defined 11 smaller haplotype blocks within the associated region. Two blocks showed the strongest association to CAD. The ~209-kb region, defined by the two blocks, harbors only the PKP2 gene, encoding Plakophilin 2 expressed in the desmosomes and important for skin structure. Our results may yield further insight into the genetics behind both canine and human AD.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COLONIZATION FACTOR ANTIGEN II PLASMID (CFA/II) FROM ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI

The etiological role of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in diarrheal diseases of man and domestic animals is firmly established. Besides the production of enterotoxins (ST and LT), ETEC produces other important virulence factors; the colonization factor antigens (CFAs). CFAs mediate the attachment of ETEC to the epithelial cells of the small intestine, and this favors colonization by the bacteria and facilitates delivery of the enterotoxins to the intestinal cells.^ The production of enterotoxin and CFA is determined by plasmids and has been found to be restricted to a select number of E. coli serotypes.^ In this work, plasmid DNA analysis was performed in twenty-three CFA/II-producing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains and their spontaneous CFA/II-negative derivatives. In some cases, strains lost the high molecular weight plasmid and also the ability to produce CFA/II, ST and LT. In other cases there was a deletion of the plasmid, which produced strains that were CFA/II('-), ST('-), LT('-) or CFA/II('-), ST('+), LT('+).^ The CFA/II plasmid from strain PB-176 (06:H16:CFA/II('+), ST('+), LT('+)) was transferred by transformation into E. coli K12 with concomitant transfer of the three characteristics: CFA/II, ST and LT.^ A physical map of the prototype CFA/II:ST:LT (pMEP60) plasmid was constructed by restriction endonuclease analysis and compared to plasmids from three other CFA/II-producing strains. A CFA/II-negative (but ST and LT positive) deletion derivative of pMEP60 (pMEP30) was also included in the map. The four CFA/II plasmids analyzed had a common region of approximately 30 kilobase pairs. The toxin genes were approximately 5 kbp apart and about 20 kbp from the common region. The information given by this physical map could be of great value when constructing a clone that will express the CFA/II genes but not the toxin genes. ^

A conserved residue in the tip proteins of CS1 and CFA/I pili of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli that is essential for adherence

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli associated with human diarrheal disease utilize any of a limited group of serologically distinguishable pili for attachment to intestinal cells. These include CS1 and CFA/I pili. We show here that chemical modification of arginyl residues in CS1 pili abolishes CS1-mediated agglutination of bovine erythrocytes, which serves as a model system for attachment. Alanine substitution of the single arginyl residue in CooA, the major pilin, had no effect on the assembly of pili or on hemagglutination. In contrast, substitution of alanine for R181 in CooD, the minor pilin associated with the pilus tip, abolished hemagglutination, and substitution of R20 reduced hemagglutination. Neither of these substitutions affected CS1 pilus assembly. This shows that CooD is essential for CS1-mediated attachment and identifies specific residues that are involved in receptor binding but not in pilus assembly. In addition to mediating agglutination of bovine erythrocytes, CFA/I also mediates agglutination of human erythrocytes. Substitution of R181 by alanine in the CooD homolog, CfaE, abolished both of these reactions. We conclude that the same region of the pilus tip protein is involved in adherence of CS1 and CFA/I pili, although their receptor specificities differ. This suggests that the region of the pilus tip adhesin protein that includes R181 might be an appropriate target for therapeutic intervention or for a vaccine to protect against human diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli strains that have serologically different pili.

Dévaluation et commerce international : une étude sur quelques pays de la zone CFA

Le travail examine le rôle des prix dans le processus d’ajustement de la balance commerciale des pays de la zone CFA et vérifie la pertinence de la condition Marshall Lerner. Nous avons dérivé des fonctions d'importation et d'exportation à partir d'un problème d'optimisation dynamique puisé dans l'article de Reinhart (1994). Nous nous sommes servis des tests de cointégration. L'étude est calibrée sur le Cameroun, la Côte d'Ivoire, le Gabon et le Togo. Les résultats laissent croire qu'il n'existe pas de relation de long terme entre les prix, les exportations et les importations. La condition Marshall Lerner s'est révélée non valable à court terme. La révision des hypothèses sous-jacentes à cette condition a mis en exergue les élasticités des importations dans les possibilités de réussite de cette dévaluation.

Entrepreneurial Motivations Questionnaire: AFC and CFA in academy.

Background Entrepreneurship has been considered essential to create value, being a powerful driver of economic and social development. Academy must invest in the development of entrepreneurial skills in students ("Entrepreneurial Academy"). Objective: To analyse the psychometric proprieties of the EMQ-Entrepreneurial Motivations Questionnaire. Methods Sample: 6,532 students from 17 polytechnic Institutes of Portugal. Measure: EMQ, composed by measures of Entrepreneurial motives for the business, Entrepreneurial influences, and Support Services. Results Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for Entrepreneurial-Motives-for-thebusiness (KMO = .921, X2 = 54387.94, p < .001) extracted 4 factors, explaining 53.81 % of variance (EV): F1-Family security (19.92 % EV; M= 4.07, SD = 0.67), F2-Prestige (14.60 % EV; M= 3.25, SD = 0.75), F3- Independence (13.13 % EV; M= 3.33, SD = 0.75), and F4-Realization of an opportunity (11.15 % EV; M= 4.08, SD = 0.56). This factorial structure was supported by Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), with an acceptable fit: RMSEA = .084. EFA of Entrepreneurial-Influences (KMO = .916, X2 = 60584.93, p < .001), extracted 4 factors, EV 60.08 %: F1-Resources availability (21.25 % EV; M= 3.86, SD = 0.68), F2-Stable customers and incentives (19.70 % EV; M= 3.82, SD = 0.65), F3-Social and economic instability (11.11 % EV; M= 2.96, SD = 1.06), and F4-Opportunities in the sector and residence area (8.03 % EV; M= 3.29, SD = 0.95). This factorial structure was supported by CFA, with an acceptable fit: RMSEA = .073. EFA of Support-Services (KMO = .995, X2 = 57311.43, p < .001) extracted 2 factors, EV 58.43 %: F1-Financial support (32.59 % EV; M= 3.93, SD = 0.69) and F2-Prestige (25.84 % EV; M= 3.95, SD = 0.65). This factorial structure was supported by CFA, with an acceptable fit: RMSEA = .090. The health group showed scores mostly above global average in factors. Conclusions EMQ showed adequate psychometric properties. The instrument is useful for measuring entrepreneurships motivations in health.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Way of Coping Checklist-Revised (WCCL-R) in the Asian context

Industrial employment growth has been one of the most dynamic areas of expansion in Asia; however, current trends in industrialised working environments have resulted in greater employee stress. Despite research showing that cultural values affect the way people cope with stress, there is a dearth of psychometrically established tools for use in non-Western countries to measure these constructs. Studies of the "Way of Coping Checklist-Revised" (WCCL-R) in the West suggest that the WCCL-R has good psychometric properties, but its applicability in the East is still understudied. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is used to validate the WCCL-R constructs in an Asian population. This study used 1,314 participants from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand. An initial exploratory factor analysis revealed that original structures were not confirmed; however, a subsequent EFA and CFA showed that a 38-item, five-factor structure model was confirmed. The revised WCCL-R in the Asian sample was also found to have good reliability and sound construct and concurrent validity. The 38-item structure of the WCCL-R has considerable potential in future occupational stress-related research in Asian countries.