4,378 research outputs found
An eighth-century inscribed cross-slab in Dull, Perthshire
No full textThe discovery of a cross-inscribed slab with an inscription is described. Because of its importance it was decided to invite specialist comment on this piece of sculpture and to publish it in advance of the full report on the excavations. The form of the monument, its inscription and archaeological context are considered. The text appears to consist of a Gaelic personal name. The script is a form of geometrical lettering which can be dated to the opening quarter of the eighth century. The form of the cross has Columban associations which sit well with place-name and other evidence which points to Dull having been a monastery founded from Iona by c. AD 700
The nature of optically dull active galactic nuclei in COSMOS
No full textWe present infrared, optical, and X-ray data of 48 X-ray bright, optically dull active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the COSMOS field. These objects exhibit the X-ray luminosity of an AGN but lack broad and narrow emission lines in their optical spectrum. We show that despite the lack of optical emission lines, most of these optically dull AGNs are not well described by a typical passive red galaxy spectrum: instead they exhibit weak but significant blue emission like an unobscured AGN. Photometric observations over several years additionally show significant variability in the blue emission of four optically dull AGNs. The nature of the blue and infrared emission suggest that the optically inactive appearance of these AGNs cannot be caused by obscuration intrinsic to the AGNs. Instead, up to ~70% of optically dull AGNs are diluted by their hosts, with bright or simply edge-on hosts lying preferentially within the spectroscopic aperture. The remaining ~30% of optically dull AGNs have anomalously high fX /fO ratios and are intrinsically weak, not obscured, in the optical. These optically dull AGNs are best described as a weakly accreting AGN with a truncated accretion disk from a radiatively inefficient accretion flow. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA Inc, under NASA contract NAS 5-26555; the Magellan Telescope, which is operated by the Carnegie Observatories; and the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
A phase II randomized controlled trial of a multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, 4CMenB, in infants (II) : effects of variations of the OMV and protein content on immunogenicity and reactogenicity
No full textThe licensed meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, 4CMenB (Bexsero(®)), contains recombinant membrane proteins (rMenB) and outer membrane vesicles (OMV) of the New Zealand serogroup B strain. We investigated whether reducing the OMV and/or protein content influences 4CMenB immunogenicity and reactogenicity in healthy two month-old infants. Six formulations were studied: 4CMenB, rMenB with 0, 1⁄4 or 1⁄2 the OMV dose in 4CMenB, a half-dose of 4CMenB or a prelicensure formulation of 4CMenB, as a 4-dose primary/booster series, concomitantly with routine vaccines (DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib and 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate) at 2, 3, 4 and 12 months of age. Immunogenicity was assessed as serum bactericidal activity measured with human complement (hSBA) against indicator strains for Men B vaccine antigens before and after the 2,3,4-month series and 12-month dose. Parents recorded solicited reactions for 7 days after each vaccination, and any adverse events throughout the study period. All formulations elicited robust immune response against rMenB components at 5 months, there was some evidence of OMV and protein dose-dependence for Men B indicator strains tested. Titers waned up to the 12-month dose, which elicited further strong responses, which were still OMV and protein dose-dependent. Groups with no, or low-dose OMV displayed slightly lower reactogenicity profiles, but all formulations were generally well-tolerated, high fever was rare and transient, and only three transient SAEs were considered possibly vaccine-related. Decreasing or removing the OMV content reduced reactogenicity of 4CMenB to a certain extent, but had an unacceptable negative impact on the immunogenicity profile. Trial: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00937521
A phase 2 randomized controlled trial of a multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (I): efects of prophylactic paracetamol on immunogenicity and reactogenicity of routine infant vaccines and 4CMenB
No full textThe novel meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB, Bexsero®), recently approved in Europe and Australia, may soon be included in routine infant immunization schedules, subject to guidance from national or regional recommending bodies. In the development of 4CMenB and consistent with other newly introduced vaccines, clinical studies have shown concomitant administration with routine infant vaccines induces an incremental increase in some reactions, including fever. As this may hinder acceptability, we examined the impact of prophylactic paracetamol on the occurrence of fever and other solicited reactions, as well as the immune responses to study vaccines, in a prospectively designed study. 4CMenB was administered as a 4-dose series at 2, 3, 4, and 12 months of age concomitantly with routine infant vaccines: DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib and PCV7, with or without prophylactic paracetamol; a third group received MenC vaccine. Immune responses to 4CMenB were not decreased by the use of paracetamol prophylaxis and there were no clinically relevant effects on immune responses to routine vaccines. Occurrence of fever was higher in infants co-administered with 4CMenB compared with those given MenC vaccine, but was significantly decreased by prophylactic paracetamol, as were other solicited reactions to vaccination, both local and systemic. Co-administration of 4CMenB had an acceptable tolerability profile, with no withdrawals due to vaccination-related adverse events. Inclusion of 4CMenB in routine infant immunization schedules will be a major advance in the control of meningococcal disease, and our study indicates that by using paracetamol prophylaxis, post-vaccination reactions are reduced without clinically relevant negative consequences on vaccine immunogenicity
Appointee Vacancies in U.S. Executive Branch Agencies
No full textThese data contain the codes used for the following publications:
Resh, W. G. (2014). Appointee–Careerist Relations in the Presidential Transition of 2008‐2009. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 44(4), 697-723.
Resh, W. G. (2015). Rethinking the administrative presidency: Trust, intellectual capital, and appointee-careerist relations in the George W. Bush administration. JHU Press.
Resh, W. G., Hollibaugh, G. E., Roberts, P. S., & Dull, M. M. (2021). Appointee vacancies in US executive branch agencies. Journal of Public Policy, 41(4), 653-676.
Resh, W. G., Napolio, N. G., & Lee, E. (2022). The Pivotal and Distributive Politics of Senate‐Confirmed Appointee Vacancies. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 52(1), 60-83
Persistence of bactericidal antibodies following booster vaccination with 4CMenB at 12, 18 or 24 months and immunogenicity of a fifth dose administered at 4 years of age-a phase 3 extension to a randomised controlled trial
No full textBackground4CMenB is immunogenic in infants and toddlers. We assessed persistence of human complement serum bactericidal activity (hSBA) following a fourth dose administered at 12, 18 or 24 months and characterised the antibody response to a fifth dose administered at 4 years of age.MethodsA phase 3, open label, multi-centre extension to a randomised controlled trial conducted in four countries (number of centres): Czech Republic (nineteen), Italy (four), Spain (four) and the United Kingdom (four). Four-year-old children who were either 4CMenB-naïve or had previously received a variety of 3-dose infant priming schedules and a booster vaccine as toddlers (follow-on group) were recruited. Venous blood samples were obtained to determine hSBA against four reference strains; acting as targets to assess immunity to each of the vaccine antigens, NadA (5/99), fHbp (H44/76), PorA (NZ98/254), and NHBA (M10713) at baseline (prior to vaccination, all participants) and one month following a dose of 4CMenB for all vaccine-naïve and follow-on participants primed with the 2, 3, 4 schedule, and a third of follow-on participants primed with a 2, 4, 6 month schedule.ResultsAt baseline (prior to vaccination), the proportion of participants (n = 468) with hSBA titers ⩾ 5 was similar across all followon groups: 89–100% against 5/99; 12–35% for H44/76; 8–12% for NZ98/254 and 53–80% for M10713 compared with 5%, 0%, 0%; and 60% respectively, for the vaccine-naïve controls (n = 206). Following a dose of 4CMenB at 4 years of age, this increased to 100% (5/99), 97–100% (H44/76), 80–95 % (NZ98/254) and 84–100% (M10713) (n = 210), compared with 89%, 70%, 24%, and 76% respectively for vaccine-naïve controls (n = 192).ConclusionWaning of protective antibodies occurred 12–36 months after toddler booster regardless of age at boost. This was least marked against target strains 5/99 and M10713. A robust memory response occurred after a booster dose given at 4 years of age
Spectropolarimetric evidence for radiatively inefficient accretion in an optically dull active galaxy
No full textWe present Subaru/FOCAS spectropolarimetry of two active galaxies in the Cosmic Evolution Survey. These objects were selected to be optically dull, with the bright X-ray emission of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) but missing optical emission lines in our previous spectroscopy. Our new observations show that one target has very weak emission lines consistent with an optically dull AGN, while the other object has strong emission lines typical of a host-diluted Type 2 Seyfert galaxy. In neither source do we observe polarized emission lines, with 3ÃÆ upper limits of P BLR <~ 2%. This means that the missing broad emission lines (and weaker narrow emission lines) are not due to simple anisotropic obscuration, e.g., by the canonical AGN torus. The weak-lined optically dull AGN exhibits a blue polarized continuum with P = 0.78% ñ 0.07% at 4400 Ã⦠< ûrest < 7200 Ã⦠(P = 1.37% ñ 0.16% at 4400 Ã⦠< ûrest < 5050 Ãâ¦). The wavelength dependence of this polarized flux is similar to that of an unobscured AGN continuum and represents the intrinsic AGN emission, either as synchrotron emission or the outer part of an accretion disk reflected by a clumpy dust scatterer. Because this intrinsic AGN emission lacks emission lines, this source is likely to have a radiatively inefficient accretion flow. Based on observations with the Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Corrigendum to “Persistence of bactericidal antibodies following booster vaccination with 4CMenB at 12, 18 or 24 months and immunogenicity of a fifth dose administered at 4 years of age-a phase 3 extension to a randomised controlled trial” (Vaccine (2017) 35(2) (395–402) (S0264410X16310404) (10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.11.009))
No full textThe authors regret that since the publication of this paper, they have discovered an error in the Conclusion of the Abstract. The corrected Conclusion is listed below. The authors would also like to correct the name of Dr. Miguel Tortajada-Girbés in The European Men B vaccine study group section. Conclusion: Waning of protective antibodies occurred 24–36 months after toddler booster regardless of age at boost. This was least marked against target strains 5/99 and M10713. A robust memory response occurred after a booster dose given at 4 years of age. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused
Xerophorus pakistanicus M. Asif, Saba & M. Raza, sp. nov.
No full text<i>Xerophorus pakistanicus</i> M. Asif, Saba & M. Raza, <i>sp. nov.</i> (Figs. 2, 3) <p>MycoBank: MB849110</p> <p>Fungi of Pakistan No. (FOP_5009)</p> <p> Etymology:—The specific epithet “ <i>pakistanicus</i> ” refers to the country in which the type specimen was collected.</p> <p>......continued on the next page</p> <p> Diagnosis:— <i>Xerophorus pakistanicus</i> differs from <i>X. olivascens</i> due to its brown to dull orange, parabolic to campanulate pileus, stipe turning yellowish brown on handling, amygdaliform to oblong basidiospores, welldifferentiated narrowly cylindrical to utriform cheilocystidia, pileipellis hyphae with clavate terminal cells, utriform to pyriform caulocystidia and presence of clamp connections only in the stipitipellis.</p> <p> Holotype:— PAKISTAN. Punjab, Pirowal Irrigated Forest, District Khanewal, 30°34′34″ N, 71°98′48″ E, 136 m elev., on nutrient-rich soil, 28 July 2022, SP-64, <i>Muhammad Asif</i> (LAH37886). GenBank accessions: ITS = OQ947795; 28 S = OQ947829.</p> <p> Description:— <i>Pileus</i> 0.8–1.3 cm diam., convex or parabolic to campanulate, brown (7.5YR4/4) at center, becoming dull orange (7.5Y7/4) towards margin, moderately depressed at center, dry and dull, tomentose or matted woolly, or fibrillose, margin straight and entire, rarely splitting at maturity, context thin. <i>Lamellae</i> pale yellow (2.5YR8/4), adnexed to sinuate, narrow to broad, margins entire rarely eroded, concolorous with faces, moderately crowded, 2 tiers of lamellulae. <i>Stipe</i> 1.4–2.8 × 0.3–0.5 cm, pale yellow (2.5YR8/4) near the cap becoming light brown (7.5YR6/3) towards the base, centrally attached, slightly bent or curved from middle, surface reticulate near the cap, becoming longitudinally striate towards the base, becoming light yellowish brown (2.5Y6/4) on handling, cylindrical, hollow, dry and shiny near the cap becoming dull towards the base, slightly bulbous base, solid interior. <i>Annulus</i> and <i>Volva</i> absent.</p> <p> <i>Basidiospores</i> [50/2/2], (4.8–) 5.3–6.6 (–7.2) × (3.2–) 4–4.6 (–5.2) µm, avl × avw = 6 × 4.3 μm, Q = 1.1–1.8, Qav = 1.4, amygdaliform, rarely oblong, thin-walled, smooth, apiculus present or sometimes absent, hyaline in 5 % KOH, inamyloid, congophilous, mono-guttulate with greenish internal content. <i>Basidia</i> (26.7–) 26.9–31.8 (–36.1) × (5.8–) 6.1–7.5 (–8.3) µm, avl × avw = 29.3 × 6.8 µm, clavate, bi-sporic, thin-walled, hyaline in 5 % KOH, greenish oil droplets present, congophilous. <i>Cheilocystidia</i> (16–) 17.7–21.4 (–24.5) × (2.9–) 3.3–4.4 (–5.2) µm, avl × avw = 19.7 × 3.9 µm, narrowly cylindrical to flexuose, sometimes narrowly clavate or utriform, sometimes constricted at middle, short cells at the base, thin-walled, no internal content observed. <i>Pleurocystidia</i> absent. <i>Pileipellis</i> a trichoderm of erect hyphae, 2.2–5.1 μm in diam., avw = 3.2 μm, irregularly arranged, cylindrical and hollow, terminal cells rarely modified into clavate elements, thin-walled, septate, rarely constricted at septa, smooth, rarely branched. <i>Pileocystidia</i> absent. <i>Stipitipellis</i> a cutis, made up of long and cylindrical hyphae 2.3–6.8 μm diam., avw = 3.5 μm., rounded terminal cells or rarely modified into clavate elements, thick-walled, septate, rarely constricted at septa, regularly arranged, clamp connections present, rarely branched. <i>Caulocystidia</i> (15.4–) 18.7–24.9 (–30.5) × (6.1–) 6.6–10.8 (–14.7) µm, avl × avw = 7.6 × 2.9 µm, utriform to pyriform or clavate, hyaline, thin-walled. <i>Clamp connections</i> present only in stipitipellis.</p> <p> Habit and habitat:—Collybioid, saprotrophic, mostly in pairs, rarely solitary on nutrient-rich loamy soil under <i>Dalbergia sissoo</i>.</p> <p>Geographical distribution:—So far, known only from the type locality, District Khanewal, Punjab, Pakistan.</p> <p> Additional specimen examined:— PAKISTAN. Punjab, Pirowal Irrigated Forest, District Khanewal, 30°34′34″ N, 71°98′48″ E, 136 m elev., on nutrient-rich soil, 30 July 2022, SP-77, <i>Muhammad Asif,</i> GenBank accessions: ITS = OQ947796; 28 S = OQ947830.</p>Published as part of <i>Asif, Muhammad, Saba, Malka & Raza, Mubashar, 2023, First report of the genus Xerophorus from Asia with the description of Xerophorus pakistanicus (Callistosporiaceae), a new species from Southern Punjab, Pakistan, pp. 38-48 in Phytotaxa 632 (1)</i> on pages 41-46, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.632.1.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10435188">http://zenodo.org/record/10435188</a>
Moulding Characteristics of Natural Moulding Sand Received from M/S Model Foundry, Madras-32.
No full textThis investigation was undertaken to study the moulding characteristics of sand received from M/S Model Foundry, Guindy, Madras-32. The sand, as received was dull brown in colour. Standard methods as specified by the American Foundry men’s Society for testing Sand were employed throughout the investigation using the Metrimplex Hungarian Sand Testing Equipments. Values reported are an average of three readings
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