New light on plant ash glass found in Africa: evidence for Indian Ocean Silk Road trade using major, minor, trace element and lead isotope analysis of glass from the 15th—16th century AD from Malindi and Mambrui, Kenya

Seventeen glass vessels and twenty glass beads recovered from the excavations at the ancient city of Malindi and the archaeological site of Mambrui in Kenya, east Africa were analysed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The results show that all of the glass samples are soda-lime-silica glass. They belong to the high alumina -plant ash glass type, characterised by high alumina and relatively low calcium contents, widely distributed in eastern (10th- 16th centuries AD) and southern Africa (13th - 15th centuries AD), Central Asia (9th- 14th centuries AD) and southeast Asia (12th- 13th centuries AD), made with plant ashes and sands. This is an understudied glass type for which previous research has indicated there were three types. When compared with published research on such glasses using Zr, Ti, Ba, Cr, La, Li, Cs, Na2O, MgO and CaO we have identified at least four different compositional groups of v-Na-Al glass: Types A, B, C and D. By comparing the results with contemporary v-Na-Al glass vessels and beads from Central Asia, Africa, and southeast Asia we show that most of the Malindi and Mambrui glass share similar characteristics to the compositions of Mapungubwe Oblate and some of the Madagascar glass beads from southern Africa. They belong to Type A v-Na-Al glass which is characterised by an elevated level of Ti and Ba and a relatively high ratios of Cr/La, relatively low Zr concentrations and low ratios of Zr/ Ti. Differences in Zr, Li, MgO and Na2O concentrations in Type A glass indicates that there are subgroups which might derive from different glass workshop(s) specialising in Type A v- Na-Al glass production. Comparison with the chemical compositions of glass from Ghazni, Afghanistan and Termez, Uzbekistan, and by using lead isotope analysis, we suggest v-Na- Al glass was manufactured in Central Asia and possibly worked into vessels and beads there. Copyright: © 2020 Siu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Trust in Science: CRISPR-Cas9 and the Ban on Human Germline Editing

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.In 2015 scientists called for a partial ban on genome editing in human germline cells. This call was a response to the rapid development of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, a molecular tool that allows researchers to modify genomic DNA in living organisms with high precision and ease of use. Importantly, the ban was meant to be a trust-building exercise that promises a 'prudent' way forward. The goal of this paper is to analyse whether the ban can deliver on this promise. To do so the focus will be put on the precedent on which the current ban is modelled, namely the Asilomar ban on recombinant DNA technology. The analysis of this case will show (a) that the Asilomar ban was successful because of a specific two-step containment strategy it employed and (b) that this two-step approach is also key to making the current ban work. It will be argued, however, that the Asilomar strategy cannot be transferred to human genome editing and that the current ban therefore fails to deliver on its promise. The paper will close with a reflection on the reasons for this failure and on what can be learned from it about the regulation of novel molecular tools.The research leading to this paper has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement No. 324186

Medical research council trial of antilymphocyte globulin in renal transplantation. A multicenter randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical investigation.

A total of 173 patients who received live donor or cadaveric primary or secondary renal transplants at five British hospitals were entered into a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial of equine antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) administered prophylactically to prevent rejection. The ALG was prepared in the early 1970s and used cultured human lymphoblasts as antigen. Following transplantation all patients were treated with a standard immunosuppressant regimen of steroids and azathioprine and, in addition, were given either 30 mg/kg ALG or placebo daily for 10 days by intravenous infusion. In comparison with more recently produced materials, the ALG employed in this study was of moderate potency in prolonging skin graft survival in monkeys. Primary graft failure occurred in 27 patients (15/86 ALG and 12/87 placebo). At three to five years after transplantation 50 of the remaining patients had died, almost all from diseases relating to their renal condition, and 25 more had suffered complete graft failure. No significant differences were found between patients treated with ALG and placebo in the numbers with functioning grafts during the 3 years following transplantation, in the time between transplantation and the first rejection episode, or in the number of episodes during the first six months after transplantation. This applied whether live or cadaveric grafts were employed. Within the first 6 months of operation, infection was given as a major contributory cause of death in 12 patients treated with ALG and in 5 who received placebo (P greater than 0.1). Infections were also slightly more common during the two weeks following transplantation in those receiving ALG (13/86 ALG, 10/87 placebo). As expected, graft survival was significantly better in patients who received live donor grafts (P = 0.001) and in patients with the least donor-recipient histocompatibility mismatches (P = 0.008). The results of this multicenter trial show no therapeutic benefit to renal graft recipients from the administration of ALG, and suggest that the risks of fatal infection may have been aggravated. Use of such equine ALG in similar dose regimens is therefore, not, justified in renal transplantation, especially if some part of the apparent effects on fatal infections is real. It is stressed that these findings are relevant only to the equine ALG used in this study, which was raised with cultured human lymphoblasts as the antigen, and to ALG prepared in a similar way and of similar potency. It should not be inferred that these results are applicable to ALG prepared in other ways

Reactogenicity of yellow fever vaccines in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial Reatogenicidade de vacinas contra febre amarela em estudo randomizado, controlado com placebo

OBJECTIVE: To compare the reactogenicity of three yellow fever (YF) vaccines from WHO-17D and Brazilian 17DD substrains (different seed-lots) and placebo. METHODS: The study involved 1,087 adults eligible for YF vaccine in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Vaccines produced by Bio-Manguinhos, Fiocruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) were administered ("day 0") following standardized procedures adapted to allow blinding and blocked randomization of participants to coded vaccine types. Adverse events after immunization were ascertained in an interview and in diary forms filled in by each participant. Liver enzymes were measured on days 0, 4-20 and 30 of the study. Viremia levels were measured on days 4 to 20 of follow-up. The immune response was verified through serologic tests. RESULTS: Participants were mostly young males. The seroconversion rate was above 98% among those seronegative before immunization. Compared to placebo, the excess risk of any local adverse events ranged from 0.9% to 2.5%, whereas for any systemic adverse events it ranged from 3.5% to 7.4% across vaccine groups. The excess risk of events leading to search for medical care or to interruption of work activities ranged from 2% to 4.5%. Viremia was detected in 3%-6% of vaccinees up to 10 days after vaccination. Variations in liver enzyme levels after vaccination were similar in placebo and vaccine recipients. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of adverse events post-immunization against YF, accounting for the background occurrence of nonspecific signs and symptoms, was shown for the first time to be similar for vaccines from 17D and 17DD substrains. The data also provided evidence against viscerotropism of vaccine virus.<br>OBJETIVO: Comparar a reatogenicidade de três vacinas contra a febre amarela (FA) das sub-cepas WHO-17D e 17DD (diferentes lotes-semente), e placebo. MÉTODOS: Foram recrutados 1.087 adultos elegíveis para vacinação contra FA no Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Vacinas produzidas por Bio-Manguinhos, Fiocruz (Rio de Janeiro, RJ) foram administradas ("dia zero") seguindo procedimentos adaptados para alocação randômica em blocos e "cega" para o tipo de vacina. Eventos adversos pós-vacinação foram registrados em questionários e diários preenchidos pelos participantes. Enzimas hepáticas foram medidas nos dias 0, 4-20 e 30 do estudo. A viremia foi medida nos dias 4-20. A resposta imune foi verificada em testes sorológicos nos dias 0 e 30. RESULTADOS: Os participantes eram predominantemente homens jovens. A taxa de soroconversão foi superior a 98% no grupo soronegativo antes da vacinação. Comparado ao placebo, a diferença de risco de eventos adversos locais variou de 0,9% a 2,5%, e de 3,5% a 7,4% para eventos adversos sistêmicos nos grupos vacinados. A diferença de risco desses eventos com assistência médica e/ou falta ao trabalho variou de 2,0% a 4,5%. Viremia foi detectada em 3% a 6% dos vacinados até 10 dias após a vacinação. As variações nos níveis de enzimas hepáticas pós-vacinação foram semelhantes nos grupos vacinados e placebo. CONCLUSÕES: Foi demonstrada pela primeira vez a semelhança do perfil de reatogenicidade das vacinas contra FA das cepas 17D e 17DD, comparados entre si e com placebo. As variações das enzimas hepáticas constituem evidência contra o potencial de viscerotropismo do vírus vacinal