A tetravalent dengue nanoparticle stimulates antibody production in mice.

BACKGROUND: Dengue is a major public health problem worldwide, especially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Infection with a single Dengue virus (DENV) serotype causes a mild, self-limiting febrile illness called dengue fever. However, a subset of patients experiencing secondary infection with a different serotype progresses to the severe form of the disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat dengue infections. Biodegradable nanoparticles coated with proteins represent a promising method for in vivo delivery of vaccines. FINDINGS: Here, we used a murine model to evaluate the IgG production after administration of inactivated DENV corresponding to all four serotypes adsorbed to bovine serum albumin nanoparticles. This formulation induced a production of anti-DENV IgG antibodies (p < 0.001). However, plaque reduction neutralization assays with the four DENV serotypes revealed that these antibodies have no neutralizing activity in the dilutions tested. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that while the nanoparticle system induces humoral responses against DENV, further investigation with different DENV antigens will be required to improve immunogenicity, epitope specicity, and functional activity to make this platform a viable option for DENV vaccines.

Voltando o olhar para o professor: a psicologia e pedagogia caminhando juntas / Turning our eyes to the teacher: psychology and pedagogy walking together

O presente estudo busca apresentar o trabalho da Equipe de Estágio do 5º ano de Psicologia da Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), em uma escola pública, no ano de 2000. A importância deste trabalho está na reflexão sobre o papel do psicólogo escolar, bem como de suas práticas, considerando que o trabalho realizado desenvolveu um processo de questionamento das relações estabelecidas nessa escola no que diz respeito à indisciplina e à prática pedagógica. Uma intervenção foi proposta a partir das queixas apresentadas, relacionadas à indisciplina dos alunos das quintas séries. O trabalho envolveu os integrantes da instituição escolar: professores, pais, equipe técnico-pedagógica e alunos. Como resultados pôde-se verificar que alguns integrantes do grupo de professores conseguiram perceber as relações existentes entre indisciplina, contexto escolar e social e prática pedagógica. Além disso, ocorreu uma integração entre os alunos, diminuindo a rivalidade e a indisciplina existentes entre eles.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the work of a group of Psychology students from the "State University of Maringá (UEM)" at a public school, in 2000. The importance of their work is the characterization the role of the school psychologist, as well as his practices, which was made possible through a critical examination of the relationships established in that school in regard to indiscipline and teaching practices. The idea of an intervention arose from the complaints expressed and which were related to indiscipline among students in the first year of grammar school. The work involved teachers, parents, the technical-pedagogical team and students. It was observed that some teachers were capable of identifying a relationship between indiscipline, social context, teaching practice and school context. Besides that, it was observed integration among students along with the decline of rivalry and unruly behavior.