A study of physico-chemical interactions between Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcus group C conjugate vaccines.

Background: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Meningococcal group C (MenC) conjugate vaccines, which protect against otitis media, bacteremia and invasive diseases, including pneumonia and meningitis, are attractive candidates for combination, since they are both administered to infants and children. A Hib-MenC combination booster at 12 mo has recently been introduced in the U.K. Objectives: To rule out the possibility for the individual vaccine components in a Hib-MenC combination to interact, rendering one or both of them less effective, this work assessed whether these two saccharide-protein conjugates, namely, Hib oligosaccharide-CRM197 (Cross-Reacting Material 197) and MenC-CRM197, interact in solution. Furthermore an evaluation of the size and integrity of the vaccines was also performed. Methods: HPLC Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with UV-adsorption and refractive index detection was performed with a phosphate and non-phosphate saline buffer to characterize the size of Hib and MenC conjugates as individual components or when combined. Results: Hib-CRM197 eluted significantly earlier than MenC-CRM197 in both phosphate-saline and MOPS-saline buffers on a TSK5000 PWXL column. When combined, there was no significant change in their elution. Refractive index monitoring showed no evidence of significant free saccharide or free protein. Conclusions: By size-exclusion chromatography and refractive index detection methods, there was no indication of degradation, and no evidence of significant associative interactions between Hib-CRM197 and MenC-CRM197 in saline-based buffers, pH 7.2. African Health Sciences Vol. 7 (4) 2007: pp.190-19

Evidences of Bolgiano scaling in 3D Rayleigh-Benard convection

We present new results from high-resolution high-statistics direct numerical simulations of a tri-dimensional convective cell. We test the fundamental physical picture of the presence of both a Bolgiano-like and a Kolmogorov-like regime. We find that the dimensional predictions for these two distinct regimes (characterized respectively by an active and passive role of the temperature field) are consistent with our measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

A prospective study of von Willebrand factor levels and bleeding in pregnant women with type 1 von Willebrand disease

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134934/1/hae13086.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134934/2/hae13086_am.pd

Evaluation of a candidate International Standard for Meningococcal Serogroup C polysaccharide

Meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) plain polysaccharide (PS) and conjugate vaccines are primarily evaluated by physicochemical methods to ensure that batches are consistently manufactured. As different assays are employed to quantify the MenC PS content of final formulations and bulk intermediaries, there is a need for an International MenC PS Standard to calibrate internal references used in the different laboratories. Twelve laboratories from nine different countries participated in a collaborative study to assess the suitability and determine the MenC PS content of a candidate International Standard MenC PS preparation (08/214). On the basis of the results from this study, it is recommended that the candidate standard 08/214 is established as an International Standard for the quantification of MenC PS content in vaccines and components. It has a content of 1.192 0.192 mg MenC PS/ampoule (expanded uncertainty with coverage factor of k=2.365 corresponding to a 95% level of confidence), as determined by the resorcinol assays carried out by eight of the participating laboratories.</p

Reactions of the membrane-bound cytochrome-bo terminal oxidase of escherichia-coli with carbon-monoxide and oxygen

The cytochrome 'bo' quinol oxidase of Escherichia coli contains 2 mol of haem, one or both of which are 'haem O'. One of the haems forms, with the single copper present, a binuclear site for ligand binding and oxygen reduction. Cytoplasmic membranes from a strain of E. coli lacking the alternative cytochrome bd quinol oxidase, and having amplified levels of cytochrome bo, were used to study oxygen and carbon monoxide reactivity with this oxidase. The high-spin ligand-binding haem was identified from its contribution to the Soret region and the shift in midpoint potential from +211 to +477 mV in the presence of CO. Oxidative titration of a CO-liganded sample was accompanied by a decrease in the contribution from a photodissociable CO-binding haem. The photodissociation spectrum was typical of a high-spin haem. Photolysis of CO-liganded, reduced membranes in the presence of O2 at sub-zero temperatures revealed 02 binding and cytochrome oxidation characterized by differential absorbance changes in the alpha-spectral region. Monitoring by epr spectroscopy of the same reaction sequence at - 80-degrees-C revealed a slight increase in g = 6 signal intensity immediately after photolysis attributable to cytochrome o oxidation prior to Cu oxidation. Subsequent decline in the g = 6 signal and appearance of a g = 3 signal indicated sequential electron flow from low-spin to high-spin haems and copper oxidation, suggesting that a second haem carries electrons from ubiquinol to the binuclear centre

A study of physico-chemical interactions between Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcus group C conjugate vaccines

Background: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Meningococcal group C (MenC) conjugate vaccines, which protect against otitis media, bacteremia and invasive diseases, including pneumonia and meningitis, are attractive candidates for combination, since they are both administered to infants and children. A Hib-MenC combination booster at 12 mo has recently been introduced in the U.K. Objectives: To rule out the possibility for the individual vaccine components in a Hib-MenC combination to interact, rendering one or both of them less effective, this work assessed whether these two saccharide-protein conjugates, namely, Hib oligosaccharide-CRM197 (Cross-Reacting Material 197) and MenC-CRM197, interact in solution. Furthermore an evaluation of the size and integrity of the vaccines was also performed. Methods: HPLC Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with UV-adsorption and refractive index detection was performed with a phosphate and non-phosphate saline buffer to characterize the size of Hib and MenC conjugates as individual components or when combined. Results: Hib-CRM197 eluted significantly earlier than MenC-CRM197 in both phosphate-saline and MOPS-saline buffers on a TSK5000 PWXL column. When combined, there was no significant change in their elution. Refractive index monitoring showed no evidence of significant free saccharide or free protein. Conclusions: By size-exclusion chromatography and refractive index detection methods, there was no indication of degradation, and no evidence of significant associative interactions between Hib-CRM197 and MenC-CRM197 in saline-based buffers, pH 7.2. African Health Sciences Vol. 7 (4) 2007: pp.190-19