CO, NO_<i>x</i>, PCDD/F, and Total Particulate Matter Emissions from Two Small Scale Combustion Appliances Using Agricultural Biomass Type Test Fuels

In Germany, solid biomass fuels based on agricultural byproducts are only used in marginal amounts for small scale combustion. This is the consequence of several regulatory constraints, in particular requirements defined in the first ordinance of the German emission control act (1. BImSchV) including the mandatory utilization of dedicated licensed boilers for such fuels. For the licensing, test fuels with defined fuel composition representing straw and cereal grain like fuels are demanded, and strict emission thresholds have to be met both during type testing and during periodic chimney sweep measurements. To facilitate the market introduction of the first licensed boiler, agricultural biomass test fuels with characteristics being representative for the composition of these assortments were produced and utilized for combustion tests. Emission measurements (i.e., for CO, NO_<i>x</i>, PCDD/F, and total particulate matter) were performed by an accredited institute according to the relevant methods. It was demonstrated that test fuels with dedicated fuel composition can be produced on the bench scale. The results prove that compliance with the strict emission thresholds of 1. BImSchV in Germany can be realized even with challenging fuels if an appropriate boiler is combined with an efficient dust separator. Accordingly, PCDD/F emission levels and toxicity almost as low as for wood combustion were observed

Correlation of immunological assays with rOspA-1/2 vaccine-induced protective efficacy.

<p>Serum antibody titers quantified by ELISA, CI-ELISA, SB assay and killing assay are shown for OspA-1/2-immunized mice which were either protected from or infected by (<b>A</b>) needle challenge with <i>B. burgdorferi s.s.</i> strain ZS7 or (<b>B</b>) tick challenge with <i>B. afzelii</i>. Shown are the geometric mean titers of each group as well as individual serum titers. P values represent the strength of the correlation of assay titers with protective efficacy as calculated by the Mann-Whitney U test. Two serum samples were unavailable for evaluation in the <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.s CI and killing assays; one serum sample was unavailable for evaluation in the <i>B. afzelii</i> CI assay.</p

Antibody GMTs in infected and non-infected mice; sensitivity, specificity, AUC and maximum Youden Index for each assay; and cutoff titers derived from the Youden Index which could be used as correlates of protection.

<p>Antibody GMTs in infected and non-infected mice; sensitivity, specificity, AUC and maximum Youden Index for each assay; and cutoff titers derived from the Youden Index which could be used as correlates of protection.</p

ROC curve analysis of four immunological assays.

<p>Assays were evaluated for their ability to discriminate non-infected from infected mice in challenge experiments using (<b>A</b>) <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.s. and (<b>B</b>) <i>B. afzelii</i>. Area under the curve (AUC) values are included.</p

GMT antibody titers and protection of vaccinated mice against challenge with <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.s. and <i>B. afzelii</i>.

<p>GMT antibody titers and protection of vaccinated mice against challenge with <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.s. and <i>B. afzelii</i>.</p

Weight loss after H5N1, H9N2 and H7N1 challenge.

<p>Mice were immunized twice, three weeks apart, with MVA vectors and challenged three weeks later with (<b>A and B</b>) 42 LD₅₀ of H5N1 VN1203, (<b>C</b>) 32 LD₅₀ of mouse-adapted H9N2 HK/G9 or (<b>D</b>) 16 LD₅₀ of H7N1 RO/34. (<b>B</b>) Primed mice were infected intranasally with 100 TCID₅₀ H1N1pdm09 virus, six weeks before immunization. Animals were monitored for 14 days after challenge. Shown are the daily variations in weight, as percentages compared to before virus challenge.</p

Protective efficacy of MVA vectors in Balb/c mice.

<p>Data are n/N (%) protected mice, 14 days after challenge with with 42 LD₅₀ of H5N1 VN1203, 32 LD₅₀ of mouse-adapted H9N2 HK/G9 or 16 LD₅₀ of H7N1 RO/34.</p>a<p>mice were immunologically primed by infecting with H1N1 six weeks prior to immunization.</p

Symptom scores after H5N1, H9N2 and H7N1 challenge.

<p>Mice were immunized twice, three weeks apart, with MVA vectors and challenged three weeks later with (<b>A and B</b>) 42 LD₅₀ of H5N1 VN1203, (<b>C</b>) 32 LD₅₀ of mouse-adapted H9N2 HK/G9 or (<b>D</b>) 16 LD₅₀ of H7N1 RO/34. (<b>B</b>) Primed mice were infected intranasally with 100 TCID₅₀ H1N1pdm09 virus, six weeks before immunization. Animals were monitored for 14 days after challenge. Shown are the cumulative mean symptom scores whereby ruffled fur, curved posture, apathy and death were scored as 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively.</p

Conserved M2e sequences used to generate quadrivalent M2e coding sequence.

a<p>Example of a specific virus strain coding the respective M2e sequence.</p>b<p>Amino acid sequence of the respective M2e. Differences to the H5N1 M2e sequence are highlighted in bold.</p>C<p>Amino acid sequence of H1N1 is identical to that of H2N2 A/Korea/426/68 and H3N2 A/NewYork/392/2004.</p