Gr1+IL-4-producing innate cells are induced in response to Th2 stimuli and suppress Th1-dependent antibody responses

Alum is used as a vaccine adjuvant and induces T<sub>h</sub>2 responses and T<sub>h</sub>2-driven antibody isotype production against co-injected antigens. Alum also promotes the appearance in the spleen of Gr1+IL-4+ innate cells that, via IL-4 production, induce MHC II-mediated signaling in B cells. To investigate whether these Gr1+ cells accumulate in the spleen in response to other T<sub>h</sub>2-inducing stimuli and to understand some of their functions, the effects of injection of alum and eggs from the helminth, Schistosoma mansoni, were compared. Like alum, schistosome eggs induced the appearance of Gr1+IL-4+ cells in spleen and promoted MHC II-mediated signaling in B cells. Unlike alum, however, schistosome eggs did not promote CD4 T cell responses against co-injected antigens, suggesting that the effects of alum or schistosome eggs on splenic B cells cannot by themselves explain the T cell adjuvant properties of alum. Accordingly, depletion of IL-4 or Gr1+ cells in alum-injected mice had no effect on the ability of alum to improve expansion of primary CD4 T cells. However, Gr1+ cells and IL-4 played some role in the effects of alum, since depletion of either resulted in antibody responses to antigen that included not only the normal T<sub>h</sub>2-driven isotypes, like IgG1, but also a T<sub>h</sub>1-driven isotype, IgG2c. These data suggest that alum affects the immune response in at least two ways: one, independent of Gr1+ cells and IL-4, that promotes CD4 T cell proliferation and another, via Gr1+IL-4+ cells, that participates in the polarization of the response

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of an anti-Streptococcus pyogenes vaccine candidate in multiple animal species

Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as Group A Streptococcus (GAS) has been associated with a range of diseases from the mild pharyngitis and pyoderma to more severe invasive infections such as streptococcal toxic shock. GAS also causes a number of non-suppurative post-infectious diseases such as rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease and glomerulonephritis. The large extent of GAS disease burden necessitates the need for a prophylactic vaccine that could target the diverse GAS emm types circulating globally. Anti-GAS vaccine strategies have focused primarily on the GAS M-protein, an extracellular virulence factor anchored to GAS cell wall. As opposed to the hypervariable N-terminal region, the C-terminal portion of the protein is highly conserved among different GAS emm types and is the focus of a leading GAS vaccine candidate, J8-DT/alum. The vaccine candidate J8-DT/alum was shown to be immunogenic in mice, rabbits and the non-human primates, hamadryas baboons. Similar responses to J8-DT/alum were observed after subcutaneous and intramuscular immunization with J8-DT/alum, in mice and in rabbits. Further assessment of parameters that may influence the immunogenicity of J8-DT demonstrated that the immune responses were identical in male and female mice and the use of alum as an adjuvant in the vaccine formulation significantly increased its immunogenicity, resulting in a long-lived serum IgG response. Contrary to the previous findings, the data in this thesis indicates that a primary immunization with J8-DT/alum (50ƒÊg) followed by a single boost is sufficient to generate a robust immune response in mice. As expected, the IgG response to J8- DT/alum was a Th2 type response consisting predominantly of the isotype IgG1 accompanied by lower levels of IgG2a. Intramuscular vaccination of rabbits with J8-DT/alum demonstrated that an increase in the dose of J8-DT/alum up to 500ƒÊg does not have an impact on the serum IgG titers achieved. Similar to the immune response in mice, immunization with J8-DT/alum in baboons also established that a 60ƒÊg dose compared to either 30ƒÊg or 120ƒÊg was sufficient to generate a robust immune response. Interestingly, mucosal infection of naive baboons with a M1 GAS strain did not induce a J8-specific serum IgG response. As J8-DT/alum mediated protection has been previously reported to be due to the J8- specific antibody formed, the efficacy of J8-DT antibodies was determined in vitro and in vivo. In vitro opsonization and in vivo passive transfer confirmed the protective potential of J8-DT antibodies. A reduction in the bacterial burden after challenge with a bioluminescent M49 GAS strain in mice that were passively administered J8-DT IgG established that protection due to J8-DT was mediated by antibodies. The GAS burden in infected mice was monitored using bioluminescent imaging in addition to traditional CFU assays. Bioluminescent GAS strains including the ‘rheumatogenic’ M1 GAS could not be generated due to limitations with transformation of GAS, however, a M49 GAS strain was utilized during BLI. The M49 serotype is traditionally a ‘nephritogenic’ serotype associated with post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Anti- J8-DT antibodies now have been shown to be protective against multiple GAS strains such as M49 and M1. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of J8-DT/alum in different species of experimental animals in preparation for phase I human clinical trials and provided the ground work for the development of a rapid non-invasive assay for evaluation of vaccine candidates

Performance assessment of cassava peel starch and alum as dual coagulant for turbidity removal in dam water

The agricultural and food processing industries generate a significant portion of residues, refuse and waste. Conversion of these wastes into useful end product would be beneficial not only to the economy but also the environment as it reducing the solid waste disposal problem. The present study was aimed to investigate the performance of cassava peel starch (CPS) extracted from cassava peel waste in combination with alum to act as dual coagulant for turbidity removal in raw water from Sembrong dam. Comparative studies by employing both alum and CPS as primary coagulant using several series of Jar test were also conducted. Results showed that the usage of alum-CPS as dual coagulant not only enhanced the turbidity removal with maximum achievement up to 91.47%, but also significantly improve the coagulation process by reducing both alum dosage and settling time up to 50% which indicates broad prospects to be further developed as emerging green coagulant

Playing in the Big Leagues

Alum Jamie McCourt lives out a dream, running the operations of the L.A. Dodgers

Environmental influence on the observed relaxation behaviour of two chromium systems

EPR recovery curves were measured for KCr alum and ruby with 2.7% chromium. A considerable influence of the heat transport properties of the bath is observed. Taking care of this influence a spin relaxation time τ = (0.7 ± 0.2) ms could be observed for ruby and a spin-lattice relaxation time T1 ∝ T-1. For KCr alum an anomalous behaviour of T1 was observed which may be due to a phonon bottleneck

EFEKTIFITAS PAC DAN TAWAS DALAM MENURUNKAN WARNA AIR GAMBUT DI SINGKAWANG, KALIMANTAN BARAT

Air merupakan kebutuhan pokok bagi kehidupan manusia, maka penyediaan air bersih bagi masyarakat harus memperhatikan segi kuantitas dan kualitas. Secara kuantitas, masyarakat Kota Singkawang yang terlayani oleh Sarana Air Bersih (SAB) baru mencapai 71,5%, sisanya 28,5% memperoleh air dari sumber air yang ada di sekitar tempat tinggalnya, seperti air Sungai Bulan yang airnya berwarna kuning kehitaman sebagai ciri fisik air gambut, dengan kadar warna sebesar 762 TCU. Untuk menurunkan warna ir gambut tersebut dapat dilakukan dengan proses koagulasi/flokulasi dengan PAC dan tawas. Untuk itu, peneliti tertarik untuk meneliti kemampuan PAC dan tawas dalam menurunkan warna air gambut. Penelitian ini jenis eksperimen semu (quasi experimental), dengan bentuk rancangan One Group Pretest - Posttest Design. Air gambut diberi perlakuan dengan PAC dan tawas dan 5 variasi dosis dan 5 kali pengulangan. Variasi dosis PAC yang digunakan, 75 mg/l, 100 mg/l, 125 mg/l, 150 mg/l, 175 mg/l. Sedangkan variasi dosis tawas yang digunakan 125 mg/l, 150 mg/l, 175 mg/l, 200 mg/l, dan 225 mg/l. Kadar warna air gambut yang dihasilkan dianalisa dengan uji statistik (Oneway Anova) untuk mengetahui persediaan rata-rata warna air gambut berdasarkan variasi dosis PAC maupun variasi dosis tawas. Hasil analisa menunjukan ada perbedaan rata-rata kadar warna air gambut hasil perlakuan berdasarkan variasi dosis, baik untuk PAC maupun tawas. Untuk PAC p-value= 0,0001 dan untuk tawas p-value=0,00001 dengan alpa=0,05. Kadar warna air gambut yang dihasilkan dengan penambahan PAC menunjukan rata-rata terendah sebesar 18 TCU, pada dosis 125 mg/l, dengan tingkat penurunan tertinggi sebesar 97,7%. Kadar warna air gambut yang dihasilkan dengan penambahan tawas menunjukan rata-rata terendah sebesar 59 TCU, pada dosis 225 mg/l, dengan tingkat penurunan tertinggi sebesar 92,3%. PAC efektif untuk menurunkan warna air gambut hingga memenuhi syarat air bersih, sedangkan tawas kurang efektif, karna warna air gambut yang dihasilkan belum memenuhi syarat air bersih. Saran yang disampaikan adalah koagulan PAC lebih baik digunakan untuk menurunkan warna air gambut di daerah Kota Singkawang, dibandingkan koagulan tawas. Kata Kunci: Warna air gambut, PAC, tawas, air bersih THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PAC AND ALUM IN DEGRADING THE COLOUR OF ORGANIC RICH COLOURED WATER AT SINGKAWANG CITY, WEST KALIMANTAN Water is abasic need for human life, hence the supply of fresh water for a community may considering quality and quality aspects. The community of Singkawang City served by pure water 71,5%, the rest 28,5% obtaining water from water source from surarounding their residence, such as from Bulan River. Quality water from Bulan River not yet complies as standart, because of it's presence in organic rich coloured water, with colour content 762 TCU. To degrade the colour of organic rich coloured water by coagulation/floculation processes using PAC and alum. Therefore, research aim are to check the ability of PAC and alum to degrade the colour of organic rich coloured water. This research quasi experimental type, with One Group Pretest - Posttest Design. The colour of organic rich coloured water treated with PAC and alum in 5 dose variation and 5 times repetition. Dose variation of PAC are 75 mg/l, 100 mg/l, 125 mg/l, 150 mg/l and 175 mg/l. While the alum of dose variation are 125 mg/l, 150 mg/l, 175 mg/l, 200 mg/l and 225 mg/l. Result of treatment analyzed with statistical test (Oneway Anova) to know the average difference of the presence of organic rich coloured water based to doses variation of PAC and alum. Result show that there is average difference of the colour of organic rich coloured water from treatment based to doses variation, both PAC and alum. For PAC, p-value=0,0001 and for alum, p-value=0,0001 with alpa=0,05. Result of treatment with PAC shows the lowest of average is 18 TCU, at dose of 125 mg/l, with highest degradation level is 97,7%. Result of treatment with alum shows the lowest of average is 59 TCU, at dose of 225 mg/l, with highest degradation level is 92,3%. PAC is more effective to degrade the colour of organic rich coloured water to comply the standart of fresh water than alum, because the colour of organic rich coloured water yielded not yet complies to standart of fresh water. It's suggested that it is better to use PAC to degrade the colour of organic rich coloured water in Singkawang City, compared alum. Keyword : The colour of organic rich coloured water, PAC, alum, fresh wate

"L'amor de lluny", de Jaufré Rudel, i l'amor distant als xats; una aproximació metafòrica

Al llarg de la història de la literatura, l'amor cap a una persona desconeguda i distant en l'espai ha tingut un rendiment espectacular. Un dels autors emblemàtics que va tractar aquest enamorament a cegues va ser el trobador Jaufré Rudel; fins al punt que el podem considerar un paradigma literari. En analitzar la seva obra i la seva repercussió, hom no pot defugir la comparació amb el tipus de relacions amoroses que es poden establir als xats, que tenen el desconeixement de l'interlocutor com a base comuna. A més de la incògnita, lligada a un alt component d'idealització, pensem que hi ha altres vincles de comparació en clau metafòrica, com ara la distància, la identitat dels participants i l'especificitat del codi. Apuntarem aquí algunes idees amb la finalitat d'esperonar a fer ulteriors anàlisis en aquest sentit

A vaccine formulated with the major outer membrane protein can protect C3H/HeN, a highly susceptible strain of mice, from a Chlamydia muridarum genital challenge.

C3H/HeN female mice were vaccinated with native Chlamydia muridarum major outer membrane protein (MOMP), using Montanide+CpG or Alum+CpG as adjuvants. Negative control groups were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) and the same adjuvants. As positive control, mice were inoculated intranasally with live Chlamydia. Mice were challenged in the ovarian bursa with 10(5) C. muridarum inclusion forming units. Six weeks after the genital challenge the animals were caged with male mice and monitored for pregnancy. Mice vaccinated with MOMP+Montanide+CpG developed high levels of C. muridarum-specific antibodies, with a high IgG2a/IgG1 ratio and neutralizing titres. Animals immunized using Alum+CpG had low antibody levels. Cellular immune responses were significantly higher in mice vaccinated with MOMP and Montanide+CpG, but not with Alum+CpG, when compared with negative controls. Following the genital challenge, only 20% (4/20) of mice vaccinated with MOMP+CpG+Montanide had positive vaginal cultures whereas 100% (9/9) of mice immunized with MOMP+CpG+Alum had positive cultures. Of the positive control animals inoculated with live Chlamydia only 15% (3/20) had positive vaginal cultures. In contrast, 100% (20/20) of mice immunized with OVA+CpG+Montanide, or minimal essential medium, had positive cultures. Following mating, 80% (16/20) of mice vaccinated with MOMP+CpG+Montanide, and 85% (17/20) of animals inoculated intranasally with live C. muridarum carried embryos in both uterine horns. No protection against infertility was observed in mice immunized with MOMP and CpG+Alum or OVA. In conclusion, this is the first time that a subunit vaccine has been shown to elicit a protective immune response in the highly susceptible C3H/HeN strain of mice against an upper genital challenge

Bees, Birds, and Beyond: An Unexpected Journey on the Path to Conservation

UNH alum Molly Jacobson looks back on how her experiences as an undergraduate influenced her plans for the future