Characterization of distributions having a value at a point in the sense of Robinson

We characterize Schwartz distributions having a value at a single point in the sense introduced by means of nonstandard analysis by A. Robinson. They appear to be distributions continuous in a neighborhood of the point.Comment: 5 page

Opsonophagocytic Killing Assay to Measure Anti–Group A Streptococcus Antibody Functionality in Human Serum

The opsonophagocytic killing assay (OPKA) is designed to measure the functionality of strain-specific antibodies and, therefore, assess protective immunity or the immunogenicity of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) (type A Streptococcus pyogenes) vaccines. Opsonization of GAS for phagocytosis is an important mechanism by which antibodies protect against disease in vivo. The Opsonophagocytic Index or Opsonic Index (OI) is the estimated dilution of antisera that kills 50% of the target bacteria. Here, we describe the protocol of the standardized GAS OPKA developed by Jones et al., 2018

Chromosome characterization and variability in some Iridaceae from Northeastern Brazil

The chromosomes of 15 species of Iridaceae of the genera Alophia, Cipura, Eleutherine, Neomarica and Trimezia (subfamily Iridoideae) were examined after conventional Giemsa staining. The karyotypes of Alophia drummondii (2n = 14+1B, 28, 42 and 56), Cipura paludosa (2n = 14), C. xanthomelas (2n = 28) and Eleutherine bulbosa (2n = 12) were asymmetric; Neomarica candida, N. caerulea, N. humilis, N. glauca, N. gracilis, N. northiana and Neomarica sp. (2n = 18); N. cf. paradoxa (2n = 28), Trimezia fosteriana (2n = 52), T. martinicensis (2n = 54) and T. connata (2n = 82) were all generally symmetric. New diploid numbers of 2n = 56 for Alophia drummondii, 2n = 18 for N. candida, N. humilis, N. glauca, and N. gracilis, 2n = 28 for N. cf. paradoxa, and 2n = 82 for T. connata are reported. The karyotypic evolution of the studied species is discussed

Introduction to Categories and Categorical Logic

The aim of these notes is to provide a succinct, accessible introduction to some of the basic ideas of category theory and categorical logic. The notes are based on a lecture course given at Oxford over the past few years. They contain numerous exercises, and hopefully will prove useful for self-study by those seeking a first introduction to the subject, with fairly minimal prerequisites. The coverage is by no means comprehensive, but should provide a good basis for further study; a guide to further reading is included. The main prerequisite is a basic familiarity with the elements of discrete mathematics: sets, relations and functions. An Appendix contains a summary of what we will need, and it may be useful to review this first. In addition, some prior exposure to abstract algebra - vector spaces and linear maps, or groups and group homomorphisms - would be helpful.Comment: 96 page

The influence of paediatric HIV infection on circulating B cell subsets and CXCR5+ T helper cells

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) only partially restores HIV-induced alterations in lymphocyte populations. We assessed B and T cell phenotypes in a cohort of children from a single centre in the United Kingdom with perinatally acquired HIV compared to healthy controls. The majority of HIV infected children (44 of 56) were on fully suppressive combination ART. Children with perinatally acquired HIV had significantly lower memory B and CD4(+) CD45RO(+) CXCR5(+) [follicular T helper cell (Tfh)-like] T cell percentages. Detectable viraemia was associated with higher CD21(-) (activated and exhausted/tissue-like memory) B cells. A greater proportion of life spent on suppressive ART was associated with higher memory B cell percentages. These results suggest that early and sustained suppressive ART may preserve B and T cell phenotypes in perinatally acquired HIV and limit deficits in humoral immunity. A lower proportion of circulating Tfh-like cells in HIV infected children appears to be independent of HIV treatment history and ongoing HIV viraemia and warrants further investigation

Antibody responses to nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults: A longitudinal household study

Background. Natural immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae is thought to be induced by exposure to S. pneumoniae or cross-reactive antigens. No longitudinal studies of carriage of and immune responses to S. pneumoniae have been conducted using sophisticated immunological laboratory techniques.Methods. We enrolled 121 families with young children into this study. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs were collected monthly for 10 months from all family members and were cultured in a standard fashion. Cultured S. pneumoniae isolates were serotyped. At the beginning (month 0) and end (month 10) of the study, venous blood was collected from family members 118 years old. Serotype-specific antipolysaccharide immunoglobulin G (IgG) and functional antibody and antibodies to pneumolysin, pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), and pneumococcal surface antigen A (PsaA) were measured in paired serum samples.Results. Levels of anticapsular IgG increased significantly after carriage of serotypes 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F by an individual or family member. For serotype 14, a higher level of anticapsular IgG at the beginning of the study was associated with reduced odds of carriage (P = .0006). There was a small (similar to 20%) but significant increase in titers of antibodies to PsaA and pneumolysin but no change in titers of antibody to PspA.Conclusions. Adults respond to NP carriage by mounting anticapsular and weak antiprotein antibody responses, and naturally induced anticapsular IgG can prevent carriage

A logic road from special relativity to general relativity

We present a streamlined axiom system of special relativity in first-order logic. From this axiom system we "derive" an axiom system of general relativity in two natural steps. We will also see how the axioms of special relativity transform into those of general relativity. This way we hope to make general relativity more accessible for the non-specialist

Reply Brief. Crouse v. Caldwell, 138 S.Ct. 470 (2017) (No. 17-242), 2017 U.S. S. Ct. Briefs LEXIS 4102, 2017 WL 4918297

QUESTIONS PRESENTED (1) When disputes of fact arise regarding whether speech by a public employee is protected by the First Amendment, should those factual issues be resolved by a trier of fact (the rule in the Second, Third, Sixth, Eighth and Tenth Circuits), or by the court as a matter of constitutional law (the rule in the Fourth Circuit)? (2) When a government employee engages in speech on a subject of public concern, and a court applying Pickering balances the First Amendment interest against any contrary interests of the employer, should the extent of that First Amendment interest be “lessened” -as the Fourth Circuit holds - if the speaker directed his or her statements to one person rather than the “larger public,” was motivated by some “ personal concern” in speaking about that subject, or was “not providing a particularly informed opinion”? (3) Can a defendant establish qualified immunity under Garcetti v. Ceballos, by showing that he or she could reasonably have believed that the action of the plaintiff was in his “capacity” as an employee (the rule in the Fourth Circuit), or only by showing he or she could reasonably have believed that the plaintiff spoke “pursuant to his professional responsibilities” (the rule in the First, Fifth and Ninth Circuits)

Serological response to 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV infection

BACKGROUND: Children with perinatally acquired HIV (paHIV) remain at an increased risk of pneumococcal infection despite highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Beyond infancy, responses to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) remain under-investigated. There are currently no published data on serological response to 13-valent PCV (PCV13) in the HIV-infected populations. METHODS: We measured pneumococcal serotype-specific IgG in 48 paHIV-infected child patients (CP), 27 young adult healthy controls (AHC) and 30 child healthy controls (CHC). Opsonophagocytic assay (OPA) titres for three PCV13-exclusive serotypes were measured in a subset of children. Serotype-specific IgG was repeated 1 and 6 months following PCV13 vaccination of CP and AHC groups. OPA titres for four serotypes were measured at the 1-month time-point. RESULTS: The majority of CP, CHC and AHC had serotype-specific IgG above 0.35 μg/ml at baseline, although OPA activity was undetectable for two of the three serotypes studied. Baseline IgG concentrations were significantly lower in CP than AHC for a proportion of serotypes and were strongly predictive of responses to vaccine. After adjusting for baseline, postvaccination IgG concentrations were comparable, although responses to some serotypes were impaired for CP. OPA correlated well with IgG after vaccination. Detectable HIV viral load was associated with significantly lower IgG concentration and OPA titre. CONCLUSION: Children with paHIV mount a robust serological response to PCV13 for most but not all vaccine serotypes. Viral load suppression with HAART and higher baseline IgG concentration are associated with higher postvaccination antibody levels. This has implications for HAART treatment and vaccination practices