WIRED: World Wide Web Interactive Remote Event Display

WIRED is a framework, written in Java, to build High Energy Physics event displays that can be used across the network. To guarantee portability across all platforms, WIRED is implemented in the Java language and uses the Swing user interface component set. It can be used as a stand-alone application or as an applet inside a WWW browser. The graphical user interface allows for multiple views and for multiple controls acting on those views. A detector tree control is available to toggle the visibility of parts of the events and detector geometry. XML (Extensible Markup Language), RMI (Remote Method Invocation) and CORBA loaders can be used to load event data as well as geometry data, and to connect to FORTRAN, C, C++ and Java reconstruction programs. Non-linear and non-Cartesian projections (e.g. fish-eye, rho-phi, rho-Z, phi-Z) provide special views to get a better understanding of events. WIRED has grown to be a framework in use and under development in several HEP experiments (ATLAS, CHORUS, DELPHI, LHCb, BaBar, D0 and ZEUS). WIRED event displays have also proven to be useful to explain High Energy Physics to the general public. Both CERN, in its travelling exhibition and MicroCosm, and RAL, during its open days, have displays set up

Interference of a commercial catalase preparation in laccase and peroxidase activities

The influence of commercial catalase preparations (fungal and bovine origin) on laccase and peroxidase activity assays was evaluated using enzymatic extracts obtained from several basidiomycetes grown under different culture conditions. No hydrogen peroxide was detected in the extracts. Inhibition of laccase activity by 40 to 80% was related to the catalase source. In addition, oxidation of the substrate (ABTS) by fungal catalase in the absence of the enzymatic extract from basidiomycetes was observed. The results demonstrated the need for the evaluation of interference of the commercial catalase preparation when its use was required in the reaction mixture.<br>A influência da preparação comercial de catalase (origem fúngica e bovina) nos ensaios de atividade absence and presence of a fungal or bovine de lacase e de peroxidases foi avaliada empregando-se extratos enzimáticos obtidos do crescimento de diversos basidiomicetos em diferentes condições de cultivo. Não foi detectado H2O2 nos extratos. Inibição de 40 a 80% da atividade de lacase foi relacionada à fonte de catalase. Além disso, foi observada oxidação do substrato (ABTS) pela catalase fúngica, na ausência de extrato enzimático do basidiomiceto. Os resultados evidenciaram a necessidade de se proceder a uma avaliação da interferência da preparação comercial de catalase, quando o seu uso se fizer necessário na mistura reacional

Safety and immunogenicity of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2: a preliminary report of a phase 1/2, single-blind, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might be curtailed by vaccination. We assessed the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a viral vectored coronavirus vaccine that expresses the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We did a phase 1/2, single-blind, randomised controlled trial in five trial sites in the UK of a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein compared with a meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) as control. Healthy adults aged 18-55 years with no history of laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or of COVID-19-like symptoms were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 at a dose of 5 × 1010 viral particles or MenACWY as a single intramuscular injection. A protocol amendment in two of the five sites allowed prophylactic paracetamol to be administered before vaccination. Ten participants assigned to a non-randomised, unblinded ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 prime-boost group received a two-dose schedule, with the booster vaccine administered 28 days after the first dose. Humoral responses at baseline and following vaccination were assessed using a standardised total IgG ELISA against trimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, a muliplexed immunoassay, three live SARS-CoV-2 neutralisation assays (a 50% plaque reduction neutralisation assay [PRNT50]; a microneutralisation assay [MNA50, MNA80, and MNA90]; and Marburg VN), and a pseudovirus neutralisation assay. Cellular responses were assessed using an ex-vivo interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay. The co-primary outcomes are to assess efficacy, as measured by cases of symptomatic virologically confirmed COVID-19, and safety, as measured by the occurrence of serious adverse events. Analyses were done by group allocation in participants who received the vaccine. Safety was assessed over 28 days after vaccination. Here, we report the preliminary findings on safety, reactogenicity, and cellular and humoral immune responses. The study is ongoing, and was registered at ISRCTN, 15281137, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and May 21, 2020, 1077 participants were enrolled and assigned to receive either ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (n=543) or MenACWY (n=534), ten of whom were enrolled in the non-randomised ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 prime-boost group. Local and systemic reactions were more common in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and many were reduced by use of prophylactic paracetamol, including pain, feeling feverish, chills, muscle ache, headache, and malaise (all p<0·05). There were no serious adverse events related to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. In the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, spike-specific T-cell responses peaked on day 14 (median 856 spot-forming cells per million peripheral blood mononuclear cells, IQR 493-1802; n=43). Anti-spike IgG responses rose by day 28 (median 157 ELISA units [EU], 96-317; n=127), and were boosted following a second dose (639 EU, 360-792; n=10). Neutralising antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 32 (91%) of 35 participants after a single dose when measured in MNA80 and in 35 (100%) participants when measured in PRNT50. After a booster dose, all participants had neutralising activity (nine of nine in MNA80 at day 42 and ten of ten in Marburg VN on day 56). Neutralising antibody responses correlated strongly with antibody levels measured by ELISA (R2=0·67 by Marburg VN; p<0·001). INTERPRETATION: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 showed an acceptable safety profile, and homologous boosting increased antibody responses. These results, together with the induction of both humoral and cellular immune responses, support large-scale evaluation of this candidate vaccine in an ongoing phase 3 programme. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midland's NIHR Clinical Research Network, and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Gießen-Marburg-Langen

The late complications of totally implantable central venous access ports: The results from an Italian multicenter prospective observation study

a b s t r a c t Purpose: The principal aim of this study is to analyze the incidence of late complications in oncologic patients with totally implanted central venous access ports. Methods: A prospective multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 Italian oncologic outpatient clinics. 1076 cancer patients with Totally Implanted Central Venous Access Ports (TIAP) were observed. 515 devices were observed in patients under treatment and 561 in patients who went to the outpatient clinic only for flushing. Results: Late complications observed in patients under treatment were: 3 pocket infections (0.09/1000 days of port observation), 1 cutaneous infection (0.03/1000 days of port observation), 8 occlusions (0.24/ 1000 days of port observation) and 12 others. In patients using the device only for flushing we observed 4 cases of device related bacteremia (0.04/ 1000 days of port observation), 1 pocket infection (0.01/1000 days of port observation), 1 cutaneous infection (0.01/1000 days of port observation), 3 occlusions (0.03/1000 days of port observation) and 7 other complications. Conclusions: The low incidence of complications suggests that TIAP is safe and reliable for long term intermittent venous access. Our results support the use of TIAP in the oncology patients