Efficient transplacental IgG transfer in women infected with Zika virus during pregnancy

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly-identified infectious cause of congenital disease. Transplacental transfer of maternal IgG to the fetus plays an important role in preventing many neonatal infections. However, antibody transfer may also have negative consequences, such as mediating enhancement of flavivirus infections in early life, or trafficking of virus immune complexes to the fetal compartment. ZIKV infection produces placental pathology which could lead to impaired IgG transfer efficiency as occurs in other maternal infections, such as HIV-1 and malaria. In this study, we asked whether ZIKV infection during pregnancy impairs transplacental transfer of IgG. We enrolled pregnant women with fever or rash in a prospective cohort in Vitoria, Brazil during the recent ZIKV epidemic. ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV)-specific IgG, ZIKV and DENV neutralizing antibodies, and routine vaccine antigenspecific IgG were measured in maternal samples collected around delivery and 20 paired cord blood samples. We concluded that 8 of these mothers were infected with ZIKV during pregnancy and 12 were ZIKV-uninfected. The magnitude of flavivirus-specific IgG, neutralizing antibody, and vaccine-elicited IgG were highly correlated between maternal plasma and infant cord blood in both ZIKV-infected and -uninfected mother-infant pairs. Moreover, there was no difference in the magnitude of plasma flavivirus-specific IgG levels between mothers and infants regardless of ZIKV infection status. Our data suggests that maternal ZIKV infection during pregnancy does not impair the efficiency of placental transfer of flavivirus-specific, functional, and vaccine-elicited IgG. These findings have implications for the neonatal outomes of maternal ZIKV infection and optimal administration of antibody-based ZIKV vaccines and therapeutics

Reanalysis in Earth System Science: Towards Terrestrial Ecosystem Reanalysis

A reanalysis is a physically consistent set of optimally merged simulated model states and historical observational data, using data assimilation. High computational costs for modelled processes and assimilation algorithms has led to Earth system specific reanalysis products for the atmosphere, the ocean and the land separately. Recent developments include the advanced uncertainty quantification and the generation of biogeochemical reanalysis for land and ocean. Here, we review atmospheric and oceanic reanalyses, and more in detail biogeochemical ocean and terrestrial reanalyses. In particular, we identify land surface, hydrologic and carbon cycle reanalyses which are nowadays produced in targeted projects for very specific purposes. Although a future joint reanalysis of land surface, hydrologic and carbon processes represents an analysis of important ecosystem variables, biotic ecosystem variables are assimilated only to a very limited extent. Continuous data sets of ecosystem variables are needed to explore biotic-abiotic interactions and the response of ecosystems to global change. Based on the review of existing achievements, we identify five major steps required to develop terrestrial ecosystem reanalysis to deliver continuous data streams on ecosystem dynamics

Trace analysis of ceramics by laser ionization mass spectrometry

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RA 831(2628) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Inorganic trace analysis by mass spectrometry Review

Mass spectrometric methods for the trace analysis of inorganic materials with their ability to provide a very sensitive multielemental analysis have been established for the determination of trace and ultratrace elements in high-purity materials (metals, semiconductors and insulators), in different technical samples (e.g., alloys, pure chemicals, ceramics, thin films, ion-implanted semiconductors), in environmental samples (waters, soils, biological and medical materials) and geological samples. Whereas such techniques as spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS), laser ionization mass spectrometry (LIMS), laser ablation inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have multielemental capability, other methods such as thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) have been used for sensitive mono- or oligoelemental ultratrace analysis (and precise determination of isotopic ratios) in solid samples. The limits of detection for chemical elements using these mass spectrometric techniques are in the low ng g"-"1 concentration range. (orig.)269 refs.Available from TIB Hannover: RA 831(3468) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Entwicklung und Anwendung massenspektrometrischer Methoden zur Spuren-, Ultraspuren-, Isotopen- und Oberflaechenanalytik fuer Forschungsaufgaben des Forschungszentrums Juelich

Dieser Band enthaelt 15 Ergebnisberichte der Zentralabteilung fuer chemische Analysen des Forschungszentrums Juelich auf dem Gebiet der massenspektrometrischen Analysenmethoden. Die einzelnen Beitraege sind (Auswahl): Analysis of GaAs using a Combined rf Glow Discharge and Inductively Coupled Plasma Source Mass Spectrometer; Development of an rf GDMS technique for depth profiling analysis of thick Ni- and Co-doped oxide layers on Cr-based alloys of the interconnector of a solid oxide fuel cell; Analyse von keramischen Schichten der Hochtemperatur-Brennstoffzelle mittels LA-ICP-MS; MCs"+-SIMS-Studies Concerning the Effect of Y-Surface Modification on the Oxidation Behaviour of Cr-Based ODS Alloys; Quantitative SIMS-Analytik an Erbium-dotierten Bauelementen der integrierten Optik; Verwendung der SIMS in der Prozessentwicklung hochohmiger InP-Pufferschichten mittels metallorganischer Gasphasenepitaxie; Ultraspuren- und Isotopenanalytik des Urans mittels Sektorfeld-ICP-Massenspektrometrie; Bestimmung von langlebigen Radionukliden mittels Sektorfeld-ICP-Massenspektrometrie; Lithium-Analytik mittels ICP-MS im Zusammenhang mit Untersuchungen zum Transport von Lithium im Grundwasser. 8 Beitraege wurden separat aufgenommen. (orig./MM)This volume contains 15 reports of results of the Central Department for Chemical Analysis of the Juelich Research Centre in the field of mass spectrometry methods of analysis. The individual contributions are (selection): Analysis of GaAs using a combined rf glow discharge and inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometer; development of an rf GDMS technique for depth profiling analysis of thick Ni- and Co-doped oxide layers on Cr-based alloys of the interconnector of a solid oxide fuel cell; analysis of ceramic layers of high temperature fuel cell by means of LA-IC P-MS; MCS-SIMS studies concerning the effect of Y surface modification on the oxidation behaviour of Cr based ODS alloys; quantitative SIMS analysis on ecbium-doped components of integrated optics; the use of SIMS in process development of high resistance in P buffer layers by means of metal organic gas phase epitaxy; ultratrace and isotope analysis of uranium by means of sector field ICP mass spectrometry; determining of long life radionuclides by means of sector field ICP mass spectrometry; lithium analysis by means of ICP-MS in connection with investigations on the transport of lithium in groundwater. 8 separate abstracts were prepared. (orig./MM)Available from TIB Hannover: RA 831(3272) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Learning Analytics Cookbook. How to Support Learning Processes Through Data Analytics and Visualization

This book offers an introduction and hands-on examples that demonstrate how Learning Analytics (LA) can be used to enhance digital learning, teaching and training at various levels. While the majority of existing literature on the subject focuses on its application at large corporations, this book develops and showcases approaches that bring LA closer to smaller organizations, and to educational institutions that lack sufficient resources to implement a full-fledged LA infrastructure. In closing, the book introduces a set of software tools for data analytics and visualization, and explains how they can be employed in several LA scenarios