Are nursing home employees ready for the technical evolution? German-wide survey on the status quo of affinity for technology and technology interaction.

Background: Technological devices can support nursing home employees; however, their perspective is not sufficiently studied. Our aims were thus to (a) examine affinity for technology and technology interaction and related sociodemographic confounders, as well as (b) detect possible requirements and boundary conditions relevant for the development and implementation of assistive technologies among nursing home employees. Methods: We conducted an online survey between May and July of 2022 among 200 nursing home employees in Germany. The survey included two questionnaires, that is, Affinity for Technology Interaction (ATI) and Affinity for Technology-Electronic Devices (TA-EG; subscales TA-EG-Enthusiasm, TA-EG-Competence, TA-EG-Positive Consequences, and TA-EG-Negative Consequences), as well as sociodemographic variables, that is, age, gender, professional groups, education/graduation level. We carried out factorial variance and multiple regression analyses. Results: There were differences between age groups in ATI (lower score with increasing age) and between gender, age, and professional group in TA-EG (lower score for females, participants with higher ages, and nursing home managers). Predictors of ATI were age and professional group, predictors of TA-EG, TA-EG-Enthusiasm, and TA-EG-Competence were gender, age, and professional group. Predictors of TA-EG-Positive Consequences were education and professional group. Conclusions: We observed rather high affinity for technology and technology interaction values overall, and particularly for nursing home employees compared to managers. Significant predictors for technology affinity and interaction may have important implications, for example the perspectives of nursing home employees and managers should be considered separately in the technological design, development, and implementation process. Furthermore, an open dialogue between all stakeholders should be encouraged to increase the probability of actual technology use.

Adjuvant Allergen Fusion Proteins as Novel Tools for the Treatment of Type I Allergies.

While acute allergic symptoms can be managed by emergency medication, to date, allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) with allergen extracts is the only available curative treatment option. However, the risk of anaphylactic reactions, long treatment duration, varying extract quality, and underrepresentation of certain allergens currently prevent many patients from successfully undergoing SIT. Novel strategies are needed to enhance efficacy, safety, and convenience of allergy treatment. Fusion proteins combining allergen and adjuvant into a single molecule can efficiently induce immune responses by targeting the allergen to the relevant immune cells in vivo. Simultaneous co-delivery of both antigen and adjuvant to the same cell in a fixed molecular ratio triggers the uptake and presentation of the conjugated allergen in the context of the adjuvant-induced immune cell activation. This review summarizes the published strategies to improve the treatment of type I allergies using fusion proteins consisting of allergen (peptides) and either (1) immune-activating bacterial (flagellin, MPLA, S-layer, cholera-, and tetanus toxin), (2) viral (PreS, VP-1, TAT), or (3) fungal (FIP-fve) components, (4) immune-activating DNA motifs, (5) forced delivery of allergens to the MHC-II loading pathway, and (6) killing of immune cells expressing allergen-specific IgE by fusion of the allergen to diphtheria toxin.

Targeting of Immune Cells by Dual TLR2/7 Ligands Suppresses Features of Allergic Th2 Immune Responses in Mice.

BACKGROUND: TLR ligands can promote Th1-biased immune responses, mimicking potent stimuli of viruses and bacteria. AIM: To investigate the adjuvant properties of dual TLR2/7 ligands compared to those of the mixture of both single ligands. METHODS: Dual TLR2/7 ligands: CL401, CL413, and CL531, including CL264 (TLR7-ligand) and Pam2CysK4 (TLR2-ligand), were used. Immune-modulatory capacity of the dual ligands with the individual ligands alone or as a mixture in mouse BMmDCs, BMmDC:TC cocultures, or BMCMCs was compared and assessed in naïve mice and in a mouse model of OVA-induced intestinal allergy. RESULTS: CL413 and CL531 induced BMmDC-derived IL-10 secretion, suppressed rOVA-induced IL-5 secretion from OVA-specific DO11.10 CD4+ TCs, and induced proinflammatory cytokine secretion in vivo. In contrast, CL401 induced considerably less IL-10 secretion and led to IL-17A production in BMmDC:TC cocultures, but not BMCMC IL-6 secretion, or IL-6 or TNF-α production in vivo. No immune-modulating effects were observed with single ligands. All dual TLR2/7 ligands suppressed DNP-induced IgE-and-Ag-specific mast cell degranulation. Compared to vaccination with OVA, vaccination with the mixture CL531 and OVA, significantly suppressed OVA-specific IgE production in the intestinal allergy model. CONCLUSIONS: Based on beneficial immune-modulating properties, CL413 and CL531 may have utility as potential adjuvants for allergy treatment.

P-chiral 1-phosphanorbornenes: from asymmetric phospha-Diels-Alder reactions towards ligand design and functionalisation.

The principle of stereotopic face differentiation was successfully applied to 2H-phospholes which undergo a very efficient and highly stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction giving phosphorus-chiral 1-phosphanorbornenes with up to 87% yield. The observed reaction pathway has been supported by theoretical calculations showing that the cycloaddition reaction between 2H-phosphole 3a and the dienophile (5R)-(-)-menthyloxy-2(5H)-furanone (8) is of normal electron demand. Optically pure phosphanes were obtained by separation of the single diastereomers and subsequent desulfurisation of the sulfur-protected phosphorus atom. Finally, divergent ligand synthesis is feasible by reduction of the chiral auxiliary, subsequent stereospecific intramolecular Michael addition, and various functionalisations of the obtained key compound 13a. Furthermore, the unique structural properties of phospanorbornenes are presented and compared to those of phosphanorbornanes.

P-chiral phosphorus heterocycles: a straightforward synthesis.

A straightforward synthesis of P-chiral polycyclic 7-phospha-norbornenes via an asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction is presented. The employed starting materials are cheap, easily accessible and of structural diversity facilitating a new flexible route towards differently functionalised P-chiral phosphanes.

Asymmetric phospha-Diels-Alder reaction: a stereoselective approach towards P-chiral phosphanes through diastereotopic face differentiation.

Old principles, new chemistry: a facile stereoselective synthesis of P-chiral phosphanes is described in which the principle of enantiotopic and diastereotopic face differentiation used in carbon chemistry is extended to a phosphorus atom in a planar environment, that is, 2H-phospholes.

[Serious infection with Lactococcus garvieae]. / Alvorlig infektion med Lactococcus garvieae.

Lactococcus garvieae are Gram-positive, facultative anaerobe cocci. The bacterium is a known pathogen in fish, but is also described in mastitis among ruminants. In recent years it has been found in a Danish fish farm. Only 15 cases documenting infection in humans are found in English literature. We present an 83 year-old female in antihypertensive treatment admitted to hospital because of hypothermia and sepsis. In two of two blood cultures L. garvieae were found. No infection site was found. The patient received ampicillin and ciprofloxacin and was discharged to her home after 18 days.