196,038 research outputs found

    Whole-cell pneumococcal vaccines: a future-proof approach to overcoming pneumococcal serotype replacement

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    Published: 7 February 2024Serotype replacement is an issue associated with currently licensed pneumococcal vaccines, all of which target the serotype-specific capsular polysaccharide. The use of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in particular, have profoundly reduced the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease. However, these advances are being offset by the steady rise in the incidence of disease caused by non-vaccine-covered serotypes, which may be observed soon after the introduction of capsule-based vaccines in a given region [1–3].Erin Brazel, Mohammed Alsharifi, Lauren Giorgio, Timothy R Hirst, James C Pato

    Restricted Semliki Forest virus replication in communication perforin and Fas-ligand double-deficient mice

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    Previously, we have shown that mice defective in granule exocytosis and/or Fas.L/Fas-mediated cytolytic pathways are significantly more resistant to alphavirus, Semliki Forest virus (SFV), infection compared with wild-type mice. Here, we evaluated SFV replication in different tissues of mice defective in both cytolytic pathways (perf−/−xgld) relative to that in wild-type counterparts and found that viral replication in perf−/−xgld mice is remarkably restricted. Although the mechanism responsible for this observation is yet to be established, the lower virus titres found in these mice indicate that the role of cytolytic effector molecules in antiviral immunity needs to be re-evaluated.Mohammed Alsharifi, Mario Lobigs, Jayaram Bettadapura, Aulikki Koskinen and Arno Müllbache

    Interferon type I responses in primary and secondary infections

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    The mammalian host responds to a microbial infection with a rapid innate immune reaction that is dominated by type I interferon (IFN-I) release. Most cells of vertebrates can respond to microbial attack with IFN-I production, but the cell type responsible for most of the systemic IFN-I release is thought to be plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Besides its anti-microbial and especially anti-viral properties IFN-I also exerts a regulatory role on many facets of the sequential adaptive immune response. One of these is being the recently described partial, systemic activation of the vast majority of B and T lymphocytes in mice, irrespective of antigen reactivity. The biological significance of this partial activation of lymphocytes is at present speculative. Secondary infections occurring within a short time span of a primary infection fail to elicit a similar lymphocyte activation response due to a refractory period in systemic IFN-I production. This period of exhaustion in IFN-I responses is associated with an increased susceptibility of the host to secondary infections. The latter correlates with well-established clinical observations of heightened susceptibility of patients to secondary microbial infections after viral episodes.Mohammed Alsharifi, Arno Müllbacher and Matthias Regne

    Dr. Duane M. Jackson, Morehouse College, July 2011

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    This video is a conversation with Dr. Duane M. Jackson. Dr. Jackson talks about his paper, "Recall and the Serial Position Effect: The Role of Primacy and Recency on Accounting Students' Performance." Jackie Daniel, AUC Woodruff Library, is the interviewer

    "Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States" By M. Carey.

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    "Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States: containing bried sketches of the moral and political character of those states. By M. Carey, member of the American philosophical, and of the American Antiquarian Society, and author of The Olive Branch, Cindiciae Hibernicae, essays on banking, on political economy, and on internal improvement. To which are now added the English editor's comments on the subject; together with Important Advice to Emigrants, and Cautions Against Impositions Practiced in the Outports

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more sophisticated methods

    Dr. Glendon Swarthout

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    Hosted by Roger M. Busfield, MSU Assistant Professor of Speech and Theater, Meet the Author is designed to introduce a general audience to a contemporary author and their work through in-depth interviews. This episode features a conversation between Dr. Glendon Swarthout, prolific author and English professor at MSU, and assistant professors Sam S. Baskett and Theodore B. Strandness

    Simulation of thermal plant optimization and hydraulic aspects of thermal distribution loops for large campuses

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    Following an introduction, the author describes Texas A&M University and its utilities system. After that, the author presents how to construct simulation models for chilled water and heating hot water distribution systems. The simulation model was used in a $2.3 million Ross Street chilled water pipe replacement project at Texas A&M University. A second project conducted at the University of Texas at San Antonio was used as an example to demonstrate how to identify and design an optimal distribution system by using a simulation model. The author found that the minor losses of these closed loop thermal distribution systems are significantly higher than potable water distribution systems. In the second part of the report, the author presents the latest development of software called the Plant Optimization Program, which can simulate cogeneration plant operation, estimate its operation cost and provide optimized operation suggestions. The author also developed detailed simulation models for a gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator and identified significant potential savings. Finally, the author also used a steam turbine as an example to present a multi-regression method on constructing simulation models by using basic statistics and optimization algorithms. This report presents a survey of the author??s working experience at the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at Texas A&M University during the period of January 2002 through March 2004. The purpose of the above work was to allow the author to become familiar with the practice of engineering. The result is that the author knows how to complete a project from start to finish and understands how both technical and nontechnical aspects of a project need to be considered in order to ensure a quality deliverable and bring a project to successful completion. This report concludes that the objectives of the internship were successfully accomplished and that the requirements for the degree of Degree of Engineering have been satisfied
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