A phase IV, multi-centre, randomized clinical trial comparing two pertussis-containing vaccines in pregnant women in England and vaccine responses in their infants.

BACKGROUND: Pertussis vaccines containing three or five pertussis antigens are recommended in pregnancy in many countries, but no studies have compared the effect on infants' antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations. The aim of this study was to compare anti-pertussis IgG responses following primary immunization in infants of mothers vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV (low dose diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis [five antigens] and inactivated polio) or TdaP3-IPV in pregnancy (three pertussis antigens). METHODS: This multi-centre phase IV randomized clinical trial was conducted in a tertiary referral centre and primary care sites in England. Women were randomized to receive TdaP5-IPV (n = 77) or TdaP3-IPV (n = 77) at 28-32 gestational weeks. A non-randomized control group of 44 women who had not received a pertussis-containing vaccine in pregnancy and their 47 infants were enrolled post-partum. RESULTS: Following infant primary immunization, there was no difference in the geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of anti-pertussis toxin, filamentous haemagglutinin or pertactin IgG between infants born to women vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV (n = 67) or TdaP3-IPV (n = 63). However, the GMC of anti-pertussis toxin IgG was lower in infants born to TdaP5-IPV- and TdaP3-IPV-vaccinated mothers compared to infants born to unvaccinated mothers (n = 45) (geometric mean ratio 0.71 [0.56-0.90] and 0.78 [0.61-0.98], respectively); by 13 months of age, this difference was no longer observed. CONCLUSION: Blunting of anti-pertussis toxin IgG response following primary immunization occurs in infants born to women vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV and TdaP3-IPV, with no difference between maternal vaccines. The blunting effect had resolved by 13 months of age. These results may be helpful for countries considering which pertussis-containing vaccine to recommend for use in pregnancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02145624 , registered 23 May 2014

On the antifungal mode of action of tridemorph

Tridemorph (2,6-dimethyl-N-tridecylmorpholine) was active against representative of nearly all taxonomic groups of fungi; gram-positive bacteria were also sensitive although gram-negative were not. Tridemorph, 3–10 μg/ml, inhibited the multiplication of sporidia of Ustilago maydis more strongly than the increase of dry weight. The treated sporidia appeared swollen, multicellular, and sometimes branched. Unsaturated lipophilic compounds like α-tocopherol and trilinolein alleviated the toxicity of tridemorph to Botrytis allii and U. maydis. Protein and RNA syntheses were inhibited slightly. DNA synthesis was rather strongly affected already after 2 hr. Lipid synthesis was first inhibited but later stimulated. At an early stage (2 hr) treated cells differed already from control cells by a higher content of free fatty acids. Tridemorph also inhibited sterol biosynthesis. The antimicrobial spectrum, the characteristic morphology of treated cells of U. maydis, the observations on cross-resistance, the alleviating effect of unsaturated lipophilic compounds, and the alterations in neutral lipid pattern suggest strong similarity of the mode of action of tridemorph with that of the known inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis

Rapid methods : for food and feed quality determination

There is an ever-increasing need for rapid methods and instrumentation in the field of food and feed quality. Key issues dealt with in the food and feed industry include: monitoring of processes at all stages; showing due diligence in the control of food and nutritional quality; achieving rapid results for detecting (micro)biological, chemical and physical deterioration of food and feed; and finally, detecting rapidly and reliably food authenticity and/or adulteration. Developments in analytical techniques have led to the emergence of a wide range of rapid methods to complement the traditional methods. Faster results, higher productivity, lower costs and increased sensitivity are key concepts for all those involved in writing this book. Key topics include: - emerging rapid technologies; - rapid monitoring of food and nutritional quality; - rapid testing of quality deterioration and spoilage; - rapid testing of authenticity and adulteration; - quality tracking & tracing and rapid testing. The methods and techniques presented here, in their varying degree of complexity, will be a valuable resource for researchers and professionals from the food and feed industry as well as from the scientific community

Rapid methods for biological and chemical contaminants in food and feed

The rapid and reliable detection of biological and chemical contaminants is extremely important in managing the safety of food and feed. "Rapid Methods" is a comprehensive reference resource for anyone interested in this subject. Developments in analytical techniques have led to the emergence of a wide range of rapid methods to complement the traditional methods. At the same time, the importance of method validation, proficiency testing, quality management, sampling and legislation have all become more widely recognised. "Rapid Methods" presents a firm base and structured framework for considering rapid analysis of biological and chemical contaminants in food and feed. The various chapters concentrate on the state of the art in rapid methods in regards to: legislation, sampling, method validation, microbial pathogens, biological materials like GMOs and allergens, toxins like bacterial food poisoning toxins, marine toxins and bio

A study on the relationship between arbitrage risk and stock mispricing in the Philippine stock market in the years 2007 to 2014

The proponents of the paper investigate the existence of stock mispricing in the Philippine stock market, examine its relation to arbitrage risk, and explore its practical implications regarding investment portfolio construction. Two mispricing measures are constructed to measure price deviations: first is based on relative valuation and excess valuation second is based on residual income valuation. After establishing the presence of mispricing, multiple regression tests are conducted to see the relationship between mispricing and arbitrage risk. More than the market factor (beta) from the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), the application of the Fama-French 3-factor and 4-factor model allowed for other stock return determinants to be taken into account specifically size, value and momentum.Through univariate test, findings demonstrated the existence of price deviations in the market. Mutlivariate results, on the other hand, showed the direct relationship between arbitrage risk and stock mispricing. it was also proven that the book-to-market (BM) ratio is a weaker indicator of mispricing - which is consistent with the results of Doukas, Kim and Pantzalis (2010), and is contradictory with the results of Ali, Hwang and Trombley (2003). Furthermore, a different multiple regression test on the Fama-French models indicated that, excluding the factor of size, the variables of market, value and momentum are all statistically significant at conventional levels-- indicating that they are stock returns determinants. Summarily, these results imply that greater mispriced stocks exhibit higher arbitrage risk and therefore, have higher excess returns and hence, in line with the theory that the existence of mispricing is brought by the failure of investors to hedge arbitrage risk, particularly idiosyncratic risk. Therefore, with premium as compensation, the found relationship between stock return and arbitrage risk provides another practical avenue for practitioners to engineer and monitor their investment portfolios