Nervous necrosis virus (NNV), the causative agent of viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER), is one of the most threatening viruses affecting marine and freshwater fish species worldwide. Senegalese sole is a promising fish species in Mediterranean aquaculture but also highly susceptible to NNV and VER outbreaks, that puts its farming at risk. The development of vaccines for aquaculture is one of best tools to prevent viral spread and sudden outbreaks, and virus inactivation is the simplest and most cost-effective method available. In this work, we have designed two inactivated vaccines based on the use of formalin or binary ethylenimine (BEI) to inactivate a reassortant NNV strain. After vaccination, the BEI-inactivated vaccine triggered the production of specific IgM-NNV antibodies and stimulated innate and adaptive immune responses at transcriptional level (rtp3, mx, mhcii and tcrb coding genes). Moreover, it partially improved survival after an NNV in vivo challenge, reducing the mid-term viral load and avoiding the down-regulation of immune response post-challenge. On the other hand, the formalin-inactivated vaccine improved the survival of fish upon infection without inducing the production of IgM-NNV antibodies and only stimulating the expression of herc4 and mhcii genes (in head-kidney and brain, respectively) during the vaccination period; this suggests that other immune-related pathways may be involved in the partial protection provoked. Although these vaccines against NNV showed encouraging results, further studies are needed to improve sole protection and to fully understand the underlying immune mechanism.Background An understanding of factors associated with health behaviours is critical for the design of appropriate health promotion programmes. Important influences of social cohesion, education, and income on people's health behaviours have been recognised in Western countries. However, little is known about these influences in the older Chinese population. Objective To investigate associations of social cohesion and socioeconomic status (SES) with health behaviours among middle-aged and older adults in China. Methods We used data from the World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health. Logistic regression and multivariate linear regression were performed.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/selonsertib-gs-4997.html  Results Participants who reported greater social cohesion were more likely to have adequate vegetable and fruit (VF) consumption, be socially active, and less likely to smoke daily, but were not physically more active; participants with lower education levels were less likely to have adequate VF consumption and be socially active, and more likely to smoke daily; higher incomes were associated with decreased odds of daily smoking, increased odds of adequate VF consumption, increased likelihood to be socially active, but also less likelihood to have sufficient physical activity (PA). Associations of social cohesion and SES with health behaviours (smoking, PA, and VF consumption) differed between men and women. Discussion Our findings are an essential step toward a fuller understanding of the roles of social cohesion and SES in protecting healthy behaviours among older adults.The glycocalyx (GCX), a pericellular carbohydrate rich hydrogel, forms a selective barrier that shields the cellular membrane, provides mechanical support, and regulates the transport and diffusion of molecules. The GCX is a fragile structure, making it difficult to study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Sample preparation by conventional chemical fixation destroys the GCX, giving a false impression of its organization. An additional challenge is to process the GCX in a way that preserves its morphology and enhanced antigenicity to study its cell-specific composition. The aim of this study was to provide a protocol to preserve both antigen accessibility and the unique morphology of the GCX. We established a combined high pressure freezing (HPF), osmium-free freeze substitution (FS), rehydration, and pre-embedding immunogold labeling method for TEM. Our results showed specific immunogold labeling of GCX components expressed in human monocytic THP-1 cells, hyaluronic acid receptor (CD44) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), and maintained a well-preserved GCX morphology. We adapted the protocol for antigen localization by CLSM and confirmed the specific distribution pattern of GCX components. The presented combination of HPF, FS, rehydration, and immunolabeling for both TEM and CLSM offers the possibility for analyzing the morphology and composition of the unique GCX structure.Vitamin D and beta-glucans are both immunostimulants. Vitamin D exerts its beneficial effects on many components of the immune system. In macrophages, the hormone modulates both phagocytic activity and cytokine production; therefore, it plays an important role in mediating the innate immune response to infection. The immunomodulatory properties of beta-glucans are attributed to the ability of these fungal cell wall polysaccharides to bind to different receptors expressed on the cell surface of phagocytic and cytotoxic innate immune cells, including monocytes and macrophages. The intracellular signaling pathways activated by beta-glucans lead to enhanced phagocytosis and cytokine response. In this study we investigated the possible potentiation of immunomodulatory properties of the combined treatment with vitamin D and beta-glucans. The effects of 100 nM 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or 100 µg/mL beta-glucans were evaluated in human macrophages in terms of cytokine production, intracellular vesicle acidification and changes in energy metabolism, three hallmarks of macrophage antimicrobial activation. We found that all the analyzed parameters were enhanced by the co-treatment compared to the response to single molecules. The results of this study support the validity of a novel therapeutic approach that could boost the immune response, taking advantage of the synergy between two natural compounds.Antimicrobial resistance remains a significant public health issue, and to a greater extent, caused by the misuse of antimicrobials. Monitoring and benchmarking antimicrobial use is critical for the antimicrobial stewardship team to enhance prudent use of antimicrobial and curb antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings. Employing a comprehensive and established tool, this study investigated the trends and compliance of antimicrobial prescribing in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Malaysia to identify potential target areas for quality improvement. A point prevalence survey method following the National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (NAPS) was used to collect detailed data on antimicrobial prescribing and assessed a set of quality indicators associated with antimicrobial use. The paper-based survey was conducted across 37 adult wards, which included all adult in-patients on the day of the survey to form the study population. Of 478 patients surveyed, 234 (49%) patients received at least one antimicrobial agent, with 357 antimicrobial prescriptions.