Associations between teachers' professional competencies and the quality of interactions and relationships in preschool: findings from Austria.

The professionalization of preschool teachers is considered an important factor for ensuring and improving the quality of interactions and relationships. Findings on associations between teachers' professional competencies and the quality of interactions and relationships in preschools are not only inconsistent in general but also rare for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Austria. Therefore, the aim of this study is to address this research gap by considering interaction quality at the child level (measured with the inCLASS) and preschool teachers' perceptions of the teacher-child relationship (measured with the STRS).

The impact of HIV infection on the frequencies, function, spatial localization and heterogeneity of T follicular regulatory cells (TFRs) within human lymph nodes.

Background: HIV eradication efforts have been unsuccessful partly due to virus persistence in immune sanctuary sites such as germinal centres within lymph node (LN) tissues. Recent evidence suggests that LNs harbour a novel subset of regulatory T cells, termed follicular regulatory T cells (TFRs), but their role in HIV pathogenesis is not fully elucidated.

Results: Paired excisional LN and peripheral blood samples obtained from 20 HIV-uninfected and 31 HIV-infected treated and 7 chronic untreated, were used to determine if and how HIV infection modulate frequencies, function and spatial localization of TFRs within LN tissues.

Hypermethylation at the CXCR5 gene locus limits trafficking potential of CD8+ T cells into B-cell follicles during HIV-1 infection.

CD8+ T cells play an important role in HIV control. However, in human lymph nodes (LNs), only a small subset of CD8+ T cells express CXCR5, the chemokine receptor required for cell migration into B-cell follicles, which are major sanctuaries for HIV persistence in individuals on therapy. Here, we investigate the impact of HIV infection on follicular CD8+ T cell (fCD8) frequencies, trafficking patterns, and CXCR5 regulation.

Transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 within-host diversity in two major hospital outbreaks in South Africa.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes acute, highly transmissible respiratory infection in humans and a wide range of animal species. Its rapid global spread has resulted in a major public health emergency, necessitating commensurately rapid research to improve control strategies. In particular, the ability to effectively retrace transmission chains in outbreaks remains a major challenge, partly due to our limited understanding of the virus' underlying evolutionary dynamics within and between hosts.

Inducing controlled cell cycle arrest and re-entry during asexual proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites.

The life cycle of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is tightly regulated, oscillating between stages of intense proliferation and quiescence. Cyclic 48-hour asexual replication of Plasmodium is markedly different from cell division in higher eukaryotes, and mechanistically poorly understood. Here, we report tight synchronisation of malaria parasites during the early phases of the cell cycle by exposure to DL-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), which results in the depletion of polyamines.

Chromium sequencing: the doors open for genomics of obligate plant pathogens.

It is challenging to sequence and assemble genomes of obligate plant pathogens and microorganisms because of limited amounts of DNA, comparatively large genomes and high numbers of repeat regions. We sequenced the 1.2 gigabase genome of an obligate rust fungus, Austropuccinia psidii, the cause of rust on Myrtaceae, with a Chromium 10X library.

Potential elucidation of a novel CTL epitope in HIV-1 protease by the protease inhibitor resistance mutation L90M.

The combination of host immune responses and use of antiretrovirals facilitate partial control of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and result in delayed progression to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Both treatment and host immunity impose selection pressures on the highly mutable HIV-1 genome resulting in antiretroviral resistance and immune escape. Researchers have shown that antiretroviral resistance mutations can shape cytotoxic T-lymphocyte immunity by altering the epitope repertoire of HIV infected cells.

An algorithmic approach to the treatment of Paget's disease of the spine.

An algorithmic approach to the treatment of Paget's disease of the spine is based on the authors' collective experience in managing 70 patients and a review of the literature. For patients with active disease, even if asymptomatic, cyclical treatment with etidronate is recommended until normalization of biochemical parameters is achieved. For patients with back pain and/or neurologic dysfunction, cyclical etidronate treatment in the blastic and mixed phase is advocated.

[Impotentia coeundi and penile extension in steers].

Penis extension (emissio penis) depends on the length of the penis and on the relaxation of the retractor muscle of the penis. When the relaxation is insufficient, penis extension is at its smallest just before intromission takes place. In severe cases this can lead to impotence (impotentia coeundi).

Changes in the composition of cervical mucus of the cow during the estrous cycle as parameters for predicting potential fertility.

Four experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that the composition of cervical mucus can be used as an indicator of reproductive efficiency in the cow. In Experiment 1, biochemical changes were studied in cervical mucus during the estrous cycle. Sorbitol concentration was observed to be highest at 1 to 3 days prior to estrus and lowest on Days 6 to 12 (P<0.

Short-term strength and pain changes in total hip arthroplasty patients.

The purpose of this study was to report on three case studies of patients that underwent cementless, total hip arthroplasties. The primary emphasis of the study was on short-term changes in pain and strength. The MEED 3000 system was used to obtain bilateral strength measurements for hip abductors (HA), hip flexors (HF), knee extensors (KE), and for straight leg raising (SLR).

[Blood titers of the bovine respiratory syncytial virus].

The variations in titre of the bovine respiratory syncytial virus were determined in young calves. As soon as maternal immunity was no longer detectable, the calves were inoculated. Inoculations in animals which were less than four months of age gave rise to only a slight increase in titres.

[Fertilization results of insemination with deep frozen sperm with various numbers of spermatozoa per dosage in Meuse-Rhine-Ijsel cattle].

Four groups of cows, each group comprising from 5,000 to 5,500 animals, were inseminated with 7.5, 10, 15 and 20 millions of living and dead spermatozoa respectively. This was deep frozen semen in 0.

Splanchnic blood flow during stimulation of gastrointestinal growth.

The primary objective of this study is to determine whether a relationship exists between the rate of blood flow and the gastrointestinal response to a trophic stimulus. A new prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) derivative, Ro 22-1327, was employed as a growth stimulus. Rats were treated by gavage for 14 days with Ro 22-1327 (0.

[Congenital flexure of the forelimbs in calves].

The incidence of congenital multiple arthrogryposis in newborn calves during the period from September 1982 to September 1983 was studied by conducting a questionnaire on 2,204 dairy farms in the province of Overijssel. This entity was observed on 19 per cent of the farms with Meuse-Rhine-IJssel breed and on 12 per cent of those with the Friesian-Dutch or Friesian-Dutch/Dutch-Friesian breed of cattle. Bull-calves showing normal or heavy birth weights following a normal period of gestation were mainly affected.

[Progesterone in mare's milk: suitable for early pregnancy detection?].

The concentrations of progesterone in milk were determined in twenty-one mares to establish a diagnosis of pregnancy in an early stage (15-19 days). Progesterone levels varied from 0.0 to 4.

[Progesterone determination in milk].

Samples of milk were taken every sixty minutes in ten cows for a period of ten hours to determine the concentrations of progesterone. The concentrations recorded were related to those in the strippings. All these samples furnished adequately reliable evidence of the presence of an active corpus luteum, with the possible exception of those taken during the last hours prior to milking in some cases.

[Improvement of fertility status in dairy farms by using the milk progesterone test].

On nine farms comprising a total number of 370 cows, studies were done for two years to determine whether the reproductive status (RS) could be improved by systematic performance of the milk progesterone test. Milk samples were taken on the day of insemination (day 0), day 8 and day 21 to verify oestrus detection, the observation of ovarian dysfunction and the early diagnosis of (non-)pregnancy. The RS on these nine farms increased from thirty-six to fifty-four, which was mainly due to the reduction of the number of inseminations required for each conception (from 2.

[Inability to have erections in male swine (author's transl)].

There are three degrees of impotence or diminished ability to have an erection: (a) there is no erection at all; (b) erection only occurs prior to ejaculation; (c) there is a short-lived erection at the beginning of ejaculation and occasionally also during the final stage of ejaculation. There are differences of degree in erection, ranging from the absence of erection to normal erection. When abnormalities such as those referred to under (b) and (c) are observed in young male swine, the mating pattern may be restored to normal as time goes on.