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The megaureter accounts for almost a quarter of all urinary tract dilations diagnosed in utero and is the second leading cause of hydronephrosis in newborns, following pyeloureteral junction obstruction. The current standard treatment for progressive or persistent, symptomatic primary obstructive megaureter is ureteral anti-reflux reimplantation, which can be associated with ureteral remodeling or plication. Due to the associated morbidity, postoperative recovery challenges, and the complications that may arise from the open surgical approach, there has been a natural inclination towards validating new minimally invasive techniques. This study reviews the literature, extracting data from three major international databases, from 1998 to 2022. Out of 1172 initially identified articles, only 52 were deemed eligible, analyzing 1764 patients and 1981 renal units. Results show that 65% of cases required surgical intervention, with minimally invasive techniques constituting 56% of these procedures. High-pressure endoscopic balloon dilation was the preferred endourologic technique. The degree of ureterohydronephrosis is considered one of the factors indicating the need for surgery. There is an inverse relationship between the diameter of the ureter and the likelihood of spontaneous resolution. Conditions such as renal hypoplasia, renal dysplasia, or ectopic ureteral insertion strongly indicate a poor prognosis. Endoscopic surgical techniques for treating primary obstructive megaureter can be definitive, firstline treatment options. In selected cases, they might be at least as effective and safe as the open approach, but with advantages like quicker recovery, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and reduced costs.

Abstract Proteins play critical roles across all facets of biology, with their abundance frequently used as markers of cell identity and state. The most popular method for detecting proteins on single cells, flow cytometry, is limited by considerations of fluorescent spectral overlap. While mass cytometry (CyTOF) allows for the detection of upwards of 40 epitopes simultaneously, it requires local access to specialized instrumentation not commonly accessible to many laboratories. To overcome these limitations, we independently developed a method to quantify multiple protein targets on single cells without the need for specialty equipment other than access to widely available next generation sequencing (NGS) services. We demonstrate that this combinatorial indexing method compares favorably to traditional flow-cytometry, and allows over two dozen target proteins to be assayed at a time on single cells. To showcase the potential of the technique, we analyzed peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirates from human clinical samples, and identified pathogenic cellular subsets with high fidelity. The ease of use of this technique makes it a promising technology for high-throughput proteomics and for interrogating complex samples such as those from patients with leukemia.

Abstract Objectives The SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic poses a great threat to global health, particularly in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). A 3‐dose mRNA vaccination protocol has been implemented for the majority of SOTRs, yet their immune responses are less effective compared to healthy controls (HCs). Methods We analyzed the humoral immune responses against the vaccine strain and variants of concern (VOC), including the highly mutated‐omicron variant in 113 SOTRs, of whom 44 had recovered from COVID‐19 (recovered‐SOTRs) and 69 had not contracted the virus (COVID‐naïve). In addition, 30 HCs, 8 of whom had recovered from COVID‐19, were also studied. Results Here, we report that three doses of the mRNA vaccine had only a modest effect in eliciting anti‐viral antibodies against all viral strains in the fully vaccinated COVID‐naive SOTRs (n = 47). Only 34.0% of this group of patients demonstrated both detectable anti‐RBD IgG with neutralization activities against alpha, beta, and delta variants, and only 8.5% of them showed additional omicron neutralizing capacities. In contrast, 79.5% of the recovered‐SOTRs who received two doses of vaccine demonstrated both higher anti‐RBD IgG levels and neutralizing activities against all VOC, including omicron. Conclusion These findings illustrate a significant impact of previous infection on the development of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 immune responses in vaccinated SOTRs and highlight the need for alternative strategies to protect a subset of a lesser‐vaccine responsive population.

Background. Allospecific anti-HLA antibodies (Abs) are associated with rejection of solid organ grafts. The 2 main kits to detect anti-HLA Ab in patient serum are commercialized by Immucor and One Lambda/ThermoFisher. We sought to compare the performance of both platforms. Methods. Background-adjusted mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) values were used from both platforms to compare sera collected from 125 pretransplant and posttransplant heart and lung transplant recipients. Results. Most HLA class I (94.5%) and HLA class II (89%) Abs with moderate to high MFI titer (≥4000) were detected by both assays. A modest correlation was observed between MFI values obtained from the 2 assays for both class I (r = 0.3, r2 = 0.09, P < 0.0001) and class II Ab (r = 0.707, r2 = 0.5, P < 0.0001). Both assays detected anti–class I and II Ab that the other did not; however, no specific HLA allele was detected preferentially by either of the 2 assays. For a limited number of discrepant sera, dilution resulted in comparable reactivity profiles between the 2 platforms. Conclusions. Immucor and One Lambda/ThermoFisher assays have a similar, albeit nonidentical, ability to detect anti-HLA Ab. Although the correlation between the assays was present, significant variances exist, some of which can be explained by a dilution-sensitive “prozone” effect.

Bidirectional interactions between dendritic cells (DC) and Ag-experienced T cells initiate either a tolerogenic or immunogenic pathway. The outcome of these interactions is of crucial importance in malignancy, transplantation, and autoimmune diseases. Blockade of co-stimulation results in the induction of T helper cell anergy and subsequent differentiation of antigen specific CD8+ T suppressor/regulatory cells (Ts). Ts. Primed in the presence of inhibitory signals exert their inhibitory function in an antigen specific manner, a feature with tremendous clinical potential. In transplantation or autoimmunity, antigen specific Ts can enforce tolerance to auto- or alloantigens, while otherwise leaving the immune response to pathogens uninhibited. Alternatively, blockade of inhibitory receptors results in the generation of cytolytic CD8+ T cells (CTL), which is vital towards defense against tumors and viral diseases. Because CD8 T cells are MHC Class I restricted, they are able to recognize HLA-bound antigenic peptides presented not only by APC, but also on parenchymal cells, thus eliciting or suppressing auto- or allo- immune reactions.

Immunoglobulin-like transcript (ILT) 3 and 4 are inhibitory receptors that modulate immune responses. Their expression has been reported to be affected by interferon, offering a possible mechanism by which this cytokine exerts its therapeutic effect in multiple sclerosis, a condition thought to involve excessive immune activity. To investigate this possibility, we measured expression of ILT3 and ILT4 on immune cells from multiple sclerosis patients, and in post-mortem brain tissue. We also studied the ability of interferon beta, alone or in combination with vitamin D, to induce upregulation of these receptors in vitro, and compared expression levels between interferon-treated and untreated multiple sclerosis patients. In vitro interferon beta treatment led to a robust upregulation of ILT3 and ILT4 on monocytes, and dihydroxyvitamin D3 increased expression of ILT3 but not ILT4. ILT3 was abundant in demyelinating lesions in postmortem brain, and expression on monocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid was higher than in peripheral blood, suggesting that the central nervous system milieu induces ILT3, or that ILT3 positive monocytes preferentially enter the brain. Our data are consistent with involvement of ILT3 and ILT4 in the modulation of immune responsiveness in multiple sclerosis by both interferon and vitamin D.

The megaureter accounts for almost a quarter of all urinary tract dilations diagnosed in utero and is the second leading cause of hydronephrosis in newborns, following pyeloureteral junction obstruction. The current standard treatment for progressive or persistent, symptomatic primary obstructive megaureter is ureteral anti-reflux reimplantation, which can be associated with ureteral remodeling or plication. Due to the associated morbidity, postoperative recovery challenges, and the complications that may arise from the open surgical approach, there has been a natural inclination towards validating new minimally invasive techniques. This study reviews the literature, extracting data from three major international databases, from 1998 to 2022. Out of 1172 initially identified articles, only 52 were deemed eligible, analyzing 1764 patients and 1981 renal units. Results show that 65% of cases required surgical intervention, with minimally invasive techniques constituting 56% of these procedures. High-pressure endoscopic balloon dilation was the preferred endourologic technique. The degree of ureterohydronephrosis is considered one of the factors indicating the need for surgery. There is an inverse relationship between the diameter of the ureter and the likelihood of spontaneous resolution. Conditions such as renal hypoplasia, renal dysplasia, or ectopic ureteral insertion strongly indicate a poor prognosis. Endoscopic surgical techniques for treating primary obstructive megaureter can be definitive, firstline treatment options. In selected cases, they might be at least as effective and safe as the open approach, but with advantages like quicker recovery, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and reduced costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a global geopolitical perspective, the US's and NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan reflects a radical shift în their strategic priorities: a departure from Halford Mackinder's concept of the Heartland, encapsulated în Z. Brzezinki's 1990s definition of Central Asia as the „Eurasian Balkans“, thus preferring to prioritize the Indo-Pacific Ocean (and implicitly its Rimland), most probably motivated by the strategic imperatives of the« containment »of China and Russia, în the internațional system of the 21st century. În the short term, it is still unclear whether the Taliban-led Afghanistan will have a stable government with liberal macroeconomic thinking, willing to work with Central Asian neighbors to complete projects beneficial to trade and regional development. The future will tell us whether Afghan leaders, including the Taliban, will be able to show that the blood and wealth shed by Western countries în Afghanistan over the past 20 years has not been wasted în vain just to return to a pre-modern war-torn country plagued by hatred and death and with a future very similar to its tragic past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the expansion of the Covid 19 pandemic in all Europe including the Caucasus, Azerbaijan decided to attack the Armenian forces from the separatist region Nagorno-Karabakh, with the massive diplomatic and military support given by Turkey. Since the negotiations under the umbrella of the Minsk Group did not produce a satisfactory outcome for Baku, the legal owner of the separatist area, Azerbaijan decided to use military power against Armenia, knowing that Russia will not provide military support to Armenia, which is a CSTO member, for the defense of Nagorno Karabakh since this territory is not covered by the CSTO guarantees. In the end, Russia and Turkey proved to be the main actors able to bring a peace proposal for Baku and Yerevan, while Iran remained disatisfied with the minor role it played in the conflict and during the peace negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some peptide anticancer vaccines elicit a strong T-cell memory response but fail to suppress tumor growth. To gain insight into tumor resistance, we compared two peptide vaccines, p20 and p30, against B16 melanoma, with both exhibiting good in vitro T-cell responses but different tumor suppression abilities. Methods: We compared activation markers and repertoires of T-lymphocytes from tumor-draining (dLN) and non-draining (ndLN) lymph nodes for the two peptide vaccines. Results: We showed that the p30 vaccine had better tumor control as opposed to p20. p20 vaccine induced better in vitro T-cell responsiveness but failed to suppress tumor growth. Efficient antitumor vaccination is associated with a higher clonality of cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) in dLNs compared with ndLNs and the convergence of most of the enriched clones. With the inefficient p20 vaccine, the most expanded and converged were clones of the bystander T-cells without an LN preference. Conclusions: Here, we show that the clonality and convergence of the T-cell response are the hallmarks of efficient antitumor vaccination. The high individual and methodological dependencies of these parameters can be avoided by comparing dLNs and ndLNs.

The main goal of this research has been to combine past-focused geopolitical analysis with future-focused scenario planning to enhance the foresight of interested political and business leaders on the evolving regional security environment in the area from the Baltic Sea to the Wider Black Sea (Inter-marium) over the next 10-15 years. The Ukrainian crisis, started in December 2013, signalled the beginning of a new stage defined by the predominance of the geopolitical confrontation between the West and Russia. This research will investigate the nature, potential outcomes and the drivers of change of the current confrontation between the West and Russia in the Inter-marium, as well as its strategic implications for 2025-2030. From a methodological perspective, this research aims to pave the way to combining classical geopolitical analysis and scenario planning. In practical terms, this research may consider at least four geopolitical scenarios for 2025-2030 that would also serve as research hypotheses: 1. An Inter-marium Alliance: New American Containment. 2. The Buffer Zone: Power Sharing and Limited/Controlled Stand-off. 3. Western Decline: European and Transatlantic Unity broken. 4. Regional Chaos: Turning Confrontation into War. Each of these scenarios will be processed according to the scenario planning methodological process. This article considered the security scenarios found in the researched literature against relevant drivers of change and external factors identified within the scenario planning methodology and it demonstrated that the four security scenarios proposed above are most suitable to covering all possible futures. To that end, a draft catalogue of drivers of change and external actors was drawn up from the assessment of the current geopolitical and strategic situation in the Inter-marium. Subsequently, the author went through the first steps of the scenario planning process with the aim to prepare a response to the focal issue: "What security scenarios would most accurately outline the confrontation between the West and Russia in the geopolitical area between the Baltic Sea and the Wider Black Sea, in 2025- 2030"? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conflict in Eastern Ukraine has signaled the end of cooperative security, and the shift to a new stage of evolution of the European system. This new stage seems to be defined by a geopolitical confrontation between the West and Russia, which seems to reshape the relations within todays' Europe. In June 2016, the EU Global Strategy suggested that Europeans must be able to protect Europe, respond to external crises, and assist in developing partners' security and defence capacities. It also referred to European security and defence efforts which should enable the EU to act autonomously, while also contributing to, and undertaking actions in, cooperation with NATO. The Eastern Partnership was supposed to advance regional cooperation but, so far, it has done little to do so. According to the lessons learned in the Balkans in the first decade of the 2000's, this approach should change on a medium to the long term, as necessary and possible, if the EU was to capitalize on the benefits of regional cooperation through increasing the synergies of its own policies with regional initiatives. A reshaping of existing EU policy instruments with greater concerted emphasis on the Baltic and Black Sea regionalisms will be critical, at that stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the energy savings in refurbishment of the buildings using Life Cycle Assessment at material level by comparing three insulation materials that offer higher thermal performance and greater environmental sustainability. The comparison is made on products having the same insulation performance ( U- value). After the enumeration of intervention practices for energy saving in buildings, the Life Cycle Assessment methodology in refurbishment of the buildings is applied at material level using Life Cycle Inventory to transform material volume input into impact on the environment as output. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out according to the requirements of the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). After assessing the building performance before and after isolation, the “embodied energy”, which comes from the materials manufacturing as phases of the refurbishment of the buildings, was determinate and compared with the operational energy of the building. This LCA methodology in refurbishment of the buildings at material level was evaluated for Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) and Rigid polyurethane (PUR) insulation products. This methodology has been used on a building in Galati, Romania (School No. 9). A spider diagram was used to represent the criteria in a consistent, graphical way in relative units. The extreme values for a given criteria indicate the poor performance of the insulation material. Finally, the assessment of the building performance before and after using the insulation and the determination of the “embodied energy” compared to the operational energy of the building resulted in a 55% energy saving in the use stage of the building after refurbishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is considerable clinical and fundamental value in measuring the clonal heterogeneity of T and B cell expansions in tumors and tumor-associated lymphoid structures—along with the associated heterogeneity of the tumor neoantigen landscape—but such analyses remain challenging to perform. Here, we propose a straightforward approach to analyze the heterogeneity of immune repertoires between different tissue sections in a quantitative and controlled way, based on a beta-binomial noise model trained on control replicates obtained at the level of single-cell suspensions. This approach allows to identify local clonal expansions with high accuracy. We reveal in situ proliferation of clonal T cells in a mouse model of melanoma, and analyze heterogeneity of immunoglobulin repertoires between sections of a metastatically-infiltrated lymph node in human melanoma and primary human colon tumor. On the latter example, we demonstrate the importance of training the noise model on datasets with depth and content that is comparable to the samples being studied. Altogether, we describe here the crucial basic instrumentarium needed to facilitate proper experimental setup planning in the rapidly evolving field of intratumoral immune repertoires, from the wet lab to bioinformatics analysis.

Smart Grids play a significant role in achieving the European Union's policies for a sustainable future. In this context, the present paper will analyze the role micro generation systems stand in the deployment of Smart Grids. By scrutinizing the latest legal developments in the field, the paper will emphasize the legal status microgeneration systems currently have under EU Energy Law and Romanian Energy law, pinpointing the trends. Moreover, it will highlight the implications on the internal electricity market from a dual perspective (both the Union and consumers\producers) and the role media plays for the successful implementation of microgeneration systems. The purpose of this paper is to exhibit the progress made to promote and develop microgeneration systems at the legislative level, while going in line with the European Union's policies and that the traditional way of regarding electricity is fundamentally changing. However, the road is still long ahead to reach the envisioned results and the newly proposed ways of action must be put into practice as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any mountain bike discipline is a complex one and requires a special care and to achieve the good results a lot of practice is needed. A component that is really important is the nutrition and hydration before, during and after an event. A good plan can increase the general performances and can make the difference between winning or loosing. For an amateur rider that can be something else: to finish or not to finish an epic race. In this article you can find some precious information about what should you eat, what should be totally avoided and also so to hydrate correctly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branding Romania is an oft-told story within national public debates. During the past years, the urgency of promoting a coherent Romanian brand to international audiences has been spurred by various factors. Amongst these factors we note general pressures caused by globalization and information abundance, pressures of delivering a European Union congruent brand and nevertheless internal pressures related to social changes. The present paper employs a comparative analysis of two widely used country brand indexes, in order to reveal the dimensions upon which a complex branding strategy could be developed. In light of our findings, we use an adapted model of the PESTEL analysis in order to evaluate Romania's stance in the strategic branding process. The main emphasis lies on the interdependent and mutually-reinforcing spheres that could constitute the foundation of a consistent, long-term brand management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial cells have been shown to activate T cell responses to alloantigens, triggering transplant rejection. However, they may also play a role in tolerance induction. Using RT–PCR we show here that alloantigen specific CD8+CD28− T suppressor cells generated in vitro are FOXP3 positive and interact with human endothelial cells. This interaction results in the induction of inhibitory receptors and down-regulation of costimulatory and adhesion molecules, thus rendering endothelial cells tolerogenic. In turn, tolerized endothelial cells elicit the differentiation of CD8+CD28− FOXP3+ T suppressor cells. Taken together our data demonstrate a functional and phenotypic overlap between tolerogenic dendritic cells and endothelial cells. Furthermore, alloantigen specific CD8+CD28− FOXP3+ T cells, which trigger the upregulation of inhibitory receptors in endothelial cells, are present in the circulation of heart allograft recipients in quiescence as demonstrated by flow cytometry, RT–PCR and luciferase transcription assays. Their detection facilitates the identification of patients who may benefit from partial or complete cessation of immunosuppressive therapy, a goal of obvious importance given the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic immunosuppression. Modulation of endothelial cells in favor of promoting tolerance may be important for long-term survival of organ allografts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis is one of the most frequently encountered diseases in dairy cattle, negatively affecting animal welfare and milk production. For this reason, contributions to understanding its genomic architecture are of great interest. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple loci associated with somatic cell score (SCS) and mastitis in cattle. However, most of the studies have been conducted in different parts of the world on various breeds, and none of the investigations have studied the genetic architecture of mastitis in Romanian dairy cattle breeds up to this point in time. In this study, we report the first GWAS for SCS in dairy cattle breeds from Romania. For GWAS, we used an Axiom Bovine v3 SNP-chip (>63,000 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism -SNPs) and 33,330 records from 690 cows belonging to Romanian Spotted (RS) and Romanian Brown (RB) cattle. The results found one SNP significantly associated with SCS in the RS breed and 40 suggestive SNPs with −log10 (p) from 4 to 4.9 for RS and from 4 to 5.4 in RB. From these, 14 markers were located near 12 known genes (AKAP8, CLHC1, MEGF10, SATB2, GATA6, SPATA6, COL12A1, EPS8, LUZP2, RAMAC, IL12A and ANKRD55) in RB cattle, 3 markers were close to ZDHHC19, DAPK1 and MMP7 genes, while one SNP overlapped the HERC3 gene in RS cattle. Four genes (HERC3, LUZP2, AKAP8 and MEGF10) associated with SCS in this study were previously reported in different studies. The most significant SNP (rs110749552) associated with SCS was located within the HERC3 gene. In both breeds, the SNPs and position of association signals were distinct among the three parities, denoting that mastitis is controlled by different genes that are dependent according to parity. The current results contribute to an expansion in the body of knowledge regarding the proportion of genetic variability explained by SNPs for SCS in dairy cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the energy efficiency of industrial products or manufacturing as compared to the framework legislative measures implemented by EU through the Eco-design and Energy Labeling Directives. The Eco-design implementing measures such as taking into account all phases of the life cycle (manufacturing, transport, use, disposal), as well as the essential environmental aspects (consumption, materials, emissions, waste, etc.) for each phase, are considered. The implementing measures should have no significant negative impact on the functionality, health and safety, affordability and industry's competitiveness, as well as they should not impose proprietary technology on manufacturers and not be an excessive administrative burden for them. In this paper a method for implementing Legislative measures concerning the Eco-design and Energy labeling of industrial product is proposed. It grounds on the analysis of particular interest versus general interest relation, for each product case. Method application consists in products classifying relative to the two types of interest, followed by a voluntary agreement between manufacturers operating on market and EU. Finally, the paper presents the limits and possibilities for Eco-design of industrial products and manufacturing industry.

We have investigated the mechanism underlying the immunoregulatory function of membrane Ig-like transcript 3 (ILT3) and soluble ILT3Fc. microRNA (miRNA) expression profile identified genes that were downregulated in ILT3-induced human CD8+ T suppressor cells (Ts) while upregulated in T cells primed in the absence of ILT3. We found that miR-21, miR-30b, and miR-155 target the 3'-untranslated region of genes whose expression was strongly increased in ILT3Fc-induced Ts, such as dual specificity phosphatase 10, B cell CLL/lymphoma 6, and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1, respectively. Transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors and site-specific mutagenesis of their 3'-untranslated region binding sites indicated that B cell CLL/lymphoma 6, dual specificity phosphatase 10, and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 are direct targets of miR-30b, miR-21, and miR-155. Primed CD8+ T cells transfected with miR-21&30b, miR-21&155, or miR-21&30b&155 inhibitors displayed suppressor activity when added to autologous CD3-triggered CD4 T cells. Luciferase reporter assays of miR-21 and miR-155 indicated that their transcription is highly dependent on AP-1. Analysis of activated T cells showed that ILT3Fc inhibited the translocation to the nucleus of the AP-1 subunits, FOSB and c-FOS, and the phosphorylation of ZAP70 and phospholipase C-&ggr; 1. In conclusion, ILT3Fc inhibits T cell activation and induces the generation of Ts targeting multiple inflammatory miRNA pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The megaureter accounts for almost a quarter of all urinary tract dilations diagnosed in utero and is the second leading cause of hydronephrosis in newborns, following pyeloureteral junction obstruction. The current standard treatment for progressive or persistent, symptomatic primary obstructive megaureter is ureteral anti-reflux reimplantation, which can be associated with ureteral remodeling or plication. Due to the associated morbidity, postoperative recovery challenges, and the complications that may arise from the open surgical approach, there has been a natural inclination towards validating new minimally invasive techniques. This study reviews the literature, extracting data from three major international databases, from 1998 to 2022. Out of 1172 initially identified articles, only 52 were deemed eligible, analyzing 1764 patients and 1981 renal units. Results show that 65% of cases required surgical intervention, with minimally invasive techniques constituting 56% of these procedures. High-pressure endoscopic balloon dilation was the preferred endourologic technique. The degree of ureterohydronephrosis is considered one of the factors indicating the need for surgery. There is an inverse relationship between the diameter of the ureter and the likelihood of spontaneous resolution. Conditions such as renal hypoplasia, renal dysplasia, or ectopic ureteral insertion strongly indicate a poor prognosis. Endoscopic surgical techniques for treating primary obstructive megaureter can be definitive, firstline treatment options. In selected cases, they might be at least as effective and safe as the open approach, but with advantages like quicker recovery, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and reduced costs.