Flight Operations for the LCROSS Lunar Impactor Mission

The LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) mission was conceived as a low-cost means of determining the nature of hydrogen concentrated at the polar regions of the moon. Co-manifested for launch with LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), LCROSS guided its spent Centaur upper stage into the Cabeus crater as a kinetic impactor, and observed the impact flash and resulting debris plume for signs of water and other compounds from a Shepherding Spacecraft. Led by NASA Ames Research Center, LCROSS flight operations spanned 112 days, from June 18 through October 9, 2009. This paper summarizes the experiences from the LCROSS flight, highlights the challenges faced during the mission, and examines the reasons for its ultimate success

Seroepidemiology of Dengue Virus in Mayotte, Indian Ocean, 2006

BACKGROUND: Although Dengue virus (DENV) circulation had been documented in neighbouring South-western Indian Ocean Islands, its presence in Mayotte is poorly characterised. To address this issue, we aimed to assess the seroprevalence of dengue IgG antibodies (DENV-IgG Ab) among the population and to investigate potential associations with individual and household characteristics. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In November-December 2006 we conducted a cross-sectional serologic survey in Mayotte among 1,154 inhabitants aged≥2 years by using a multistage cluster random sampling method. The overall prevalence of DENV-specific IgG antibodies (ELISA) was 22.73% (95% CI, 18.16-27.31). The age-specific seroprevalence increased with age (χ2 for trend=11.86, P<0.0006), and was linked with previous known outbreaks in this region. In multivariate analysis, older age, being born in the Comoros and living in a household with a low socioeconomic index were positively associated with DENV IgG antibody positivity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings document substantial prior exposure of the population of Mayotte to DENV and highlight the risk of severe illness due to the possibility of sequential DENV infections. Further investigations characterizing current DENV circulation patterns and associated serotypes are needed

A226V Strains of Chikungunya Virus, Réunion Island, 2010

International audienceChikungunya virus (CHIKV) first emerged in Indian Ocean islands off the eastern coast of Africa in 2005 and was responsible for large-scale epidemics on the islands of Réunion, Comoros, Mayotte, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Seychelles (1–4). On Réunion Island, a French overseas territory of 810,000 inhabitants, herd immunity reached 38% in October 2006 (5). Molecular epidemiology of the strain responsible for these outbreaks indicated that it had originated in Kenya (6). The epidemic on Réunion Island was associated with a mutation in the envelope protein gene (E1-A226V) that improves replication and transmission efficiency in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes (7)

Lancet Glob Health

Ebola virus disease kills more than half of people infected. Since the disease is transmitted via close human contact, identifying individuals at the highest risk of developing the disease is possible on the basis of the type of contact (correlated with viral exposure). Different candidates for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP; ie, vaccines, antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies) each have their specific benefits and limitations, which we discuss in this Viewpoint. Approved monoclonal antibodies have been found to reduce mortality in people with Ebola virus disease. As monoclonal antibodies act swiftly by directly targeting the virus, they are promising candidates for targeted PEP in contacts at high risk of developing disease. This intervention could save lives, halt viral transmission, and, ultimately, help curtail outbreak propagation. We explore how a strategic integration of monoclonal antibodies and vaccines as PEP could provide both immediate and long-term protection against Ebola virus disease, highlighting ongoing clinical research that aims to refine this approach, and discuss the transformative potential of a successful PEP strategy to help control viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks

Enrolling study personnel in Ebola vaccine trials: from guidelines to practice in a non-epidemic context.

BACKGROUND: Enrolling participants in clinical trials can be challenging, especially with respect to prophylactic vaccine trials. The vaccination of study personnel in Ebola vaccine trials during the 2014-2016 epidemic played a crucial role in inspiring trust and facilitating volunteer enrollment. We evaluated the ethical and methodological considerations as they applied to an ongoing phase 2 randomized prophylactic Ebola vaccine trial that enrolled healthy volunteers in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Mali in a non-epidemic context. METHODS: On the assumption that the personnel on site involved in executing the protocol, as well as community mobilizers (not involved in the on-site procedures), might also volunteer to enter the trial, we considered both ethical and methodological considerations to set clear rules that can be shared a priori with these persons. We reviewed the scientific and gray literature to identify relevant references and then conducted an analysis of the ethical and methodological considerations. RESULTS: There are currently no regulations preventing a clinical investigator or site staff from participating in a trial. However, the enrollment of personnel raises the risk of undue influence and challenges the basic ethical principle of voluntary participation. The confidentiality of personal medical information, such as HIV test results, may also be difficult to ensure among personnel. There is a risk of disruption of trial operations due to the potential absence of the personnel for their commitment as trial participants, and there is also a potential for introducing differential behavior of on-site staff as they obtain access to accumulating information during the trial (e.g., the incidence of adverse events). Blinding could be jeopardized, given knowledge of product-specific adverse event profiles and the proximity to unblinded site staff. These aspects were considered more relevant for on-site staff than for community mobilizers, who have limited contact with site staff. CONCLUSION: In a non-epidemic context, ethical and methodological considerations limit the collective benefit of enrolling site staff in a vaccine trial. These considerations do not apply to community mobilizers, whose potential enrollment should be considered as long as they meet the inclusion criteria and they are not exposed to any form of coercion

Community-Level Responses to Iron Availability in Open Ocean Plankton Ecosystems

Predicting responses of plankton to variations in essential nutrients is hampered by limited in situ measurements, a poor understanding of community composition, and the lack of reference gene catalogs for key taxa. Iron is a key driver of plankton dynamics and, therefore, of global biogeochemical cycles and climate. To assess the impact of iron availability on plankton communities, we explored the comprehensive bio-oceanographic and bio-omics data sets from Tara Oceans in the context of the iron products from two state-of-the-art global scale biogeochemical models. We obtained novel information about adaptation and acclimation toward iron in a range of phytoplankton, including picocyanobacteria and diatoms, and identified whole subcommunities covarying with iron. Many of the observed global patterns were recapitulated in the Marquesas archipelago, where frequent plankton blooms are believed to be caused by natural iron fertilization, although they are not captured in large-scale biogeochemical models. This work provides a proof of concept that integrative analyses, spanning from genes to ecosystems and viruses to zooplankton, can disentangle the complexity of plankton communities and can lead to more accurate formulations of resource bioavailability in biogeochemical models, thus improving our understanding of plankton resilience in a changing environment

Global outbreak research: harmony not hegemony

No abstract available

Correction to: Partnership for Research on Ebola VACcination (PREVAC): protocol of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial evaluating three vaccine strategies against Ebola in healthy volunteers in four West African countries.

Following the publication of the original article [1], we were notified of an error in the affiliation of 3 authors of the article: Celine Roy, Laura Richert and Genevieve Chene. Their affiliation was initially mentioned as: “Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL), Monrovia, Liberia” However, their correct affiliation is: Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR 1219, CHU Bordeaux, CIC 1401, EUCLID/F-CRIN Clinical Trials Platform, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.tp

Safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in infants: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine regimen in infants aged 4-11 months in Guinea and Sierra Leone. METHODS: In this phase 2, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial, we randomly assigned healthy infants (1:1 in a sentinel cohort, 5:2 for the remaining infants via an interactive web response system) to receive Ad26.ZEBOV followed by MVA-BN-Filo (Ebola vaccine group) or two doses of meningococcal quadrivalent conjugate vaccine (control group) administered 56 days apart. Infants were recruited at two sites in west Africa: Conakry, Guinea, and Kambia, Sierra Leone. All infants received the meningococcal vaccine 8 months after being randomly assigned. The primary objective was safety. The secondary objective was immunogenicity, measured as EBOV glycoprotein-binding antibody concentration 21 days post-dose 2, using the Filovirus Animal Non-Clinical Group ELISA. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03929757) and the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR201905827924069). FINDINGS: From Aug 20 to Nov 29, 2019, 142 infants were screened and 108 were randomly assigned (Ebola vaccine n=75; control n=33). The most common solicited local adverse event was injection-site pain (Ebola vaccine 15 [20%] of 75; control four [12%] of 33). The most common solicited systemic adverse events with the Ebola vaccine were irritability (26 [35%] of 75), decreased appetite (18 [24%] of 75), pyrexia (16 [21%] of 75), and decreased activity (15 [20%] of 75). In the control group, ten (30%) of 33 had irritability, seven (21%) of 33 had decreased appetite, three (9%) of 33 had pyrexia, and five (15%) of 33 had decreased activity. The frequency of unsolicited adverse events was 83% (62 of 75 infants) in the Ebola vaccine group and 85% (28 of 33 infants) in the control group. No serious adverse events were vaccine-related. In the Ebola vaccine group, EBOV glycoprotein-binding antibody geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) at 21 days post-dose 2 were 27 700 ELISA units (EU)/mL (95% CI 20 477-37 470) in infants aged 4-8 months and 20 481 EU/mL (15 325-27 372) in infants aged 9-11 months. The responder rate was 100% (74 of 74 responded). In the control group, GMCs for both age groups were less than the lower limit of quantification and the responder rate was 3% (one of 33 responded). INTERPRETATION: Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo was well tolerated and induced strong humoral responses in infants younger than 1 year. There were no safety concerns related to vaccination. FUNDING: Janssen Vaccines & Prevention and Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking. TRANSLATION: For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section

Neurological manifestations of COVID-19 in adults and children

Different neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults and children and their impact have not been well characterized. We aimed to determine the prevalence of neurological manifestations and in-hospital complications among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and ascertain differences between adults and children. We conducted a prospective multicentre observational study using the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) cohort across 1507 sites worldwide from 30 January 2020 to 25 May 2021. Analyses of neurological manifestations and neurological complications considered unadjusted prevalence estimates for predefined patient subgroups, and adjusted estimates as a function of patient age and time of hospitalization using generalized linear models. Overall, 161 239 patients (158 267 adults; 2972 children) hospitalized with COVID-19 and assessed for neurological manifestations and complications were included. In adults and children, the most frequent neurological manifestations at admission were fatigue (adults: 37.4%; children: 20.4%), altered consciousness (20.9%; 6.8%), myalgia (16.9%; 7.6%), dysgeusia (7.4%; 1.9%), anosmia (6.0%; 2.2%) and seizure (1.1%; 5.2%). In adults, the most frequent in-hospital neurological complications were stroke (1.5%), seizure (1%) and CNS infection (0.2%). Each occurred more frequently in intensive care unit (ICU) than in non-ICU patients. In children, seizure was the only neurological complication to occur more frequently in ICU versus non-ICU (7.1% versus 2.3%, P &lt; 0.001). Stroke prevalence increased with increasing age, while CNS infection and seizure steadily decreased with age. There was a dramatic decrease in stroke over time during the pandemic. Hypertension, chronic neurological disease and the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were associated with increased risk of stroke. Altered consciousness was associated with CNS infection, seizure and stroke. All in-hospital neurological complications were associated with increased odds of death. The likelihood of death rose with increasing age, especially after 25 years of age. In conclusion, adults and children have different neurological manifestations and in-hospital complications associated with COVID-19. Stroke risk increased with increasing age, while CNS infection and seizure risk decreased with age