ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC THYMUS CELL FACTORS IN THE GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO POLY-(TYROSYL, GLUTAMYL)-POLY-D, L-ALANYL--POLY-LYSYL

The genetic control of the antibody response to a synthetic polypeptide antigen designated poly-L(Tyr, Glu)-poly-D,L-Ala--poly-L-Lys [(T, G)-A--L] has been studied in congenic high responder C3H.SW (H-2b) and low responder C3H/HeJ (H-2k) strains of mice. This response is controlled by the Ir-1 gene and is H-2 linked. The method employed was to study the ability of specifically primed or "educated" T cells of each strain to produce cooperative factors for (T, G)-A--L in vitro. Such factors have been shown to be capable of replacing the requirement for T cells in the thymus-dependent antibody response to (T, G)-A--L in vivo. The T-cell factors produced were tested for their ability to cooperate with B cells of either high or low responder origin by transfer together with bone marrow cells and (T, G)-A--L into heavily irradiated, syngeneic (for bone marrow donor) recipients. Direct anti-(T, G)-A--L plaque-forming cells were measured later in the spleens of the recipients. The results showed that (a) educated T cells of both high and low responder origin produced active cooperative factors to (T, G)-A--L, and no differences between the strains in respect to production of T-cell factors could be demonstrated; and (b) such factors, whether of high or low responder origin, cooperated efficiently with B cells of high responder origin only, and hardly at all with B cells of low responder origin. The conclusion was drawn that the cellular difference between the two strains lies in the responsiveness of their B cells to specific signals or stimuli received from T cells. As far as could be discerned by the methods used, no T-cell defect existed in low responder mice and the expression of the controlling Ir-1 gene was solely at the level of the B cells in this case

Violence against female sex workers in Karnataka state, south India: impact on health, and reductions in violence following an intervention program.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Violence against female sex workers (FSWs) can impede HIV prevention efforts and contravenes their human rights. We developed a multi-layered violence intervention targeting policy makers, secondary stakeholders (police, lawyers, media), and primary stakeholders (FSWs), as part of wider HIV prevention programming involving >60,000 FSWs in Karnataka state. This study examined if violence against FSWs is associated with reduced condom use and increased STI/HIV risk, and if addressing violence against FSWs within a large-scale HIV prevention program can reduce levels of violence against them. METHODS: FSWs were randomly selected to participate in polling booth surveys (PBS 2006-2008; short behavioural questionnaires administered anonymously) and integrated behavioural-biological assessments (IBBAs 2005-2009; administered face-to-face). RESULTS: 3,852 FSWs participated in the IBBAs and 7,638 FSWs participated in the PBS. Overall, 11.0% of FSWs in the IBBAs and 26.4% of FSWs in the PBS reported being beaten or raped in the past year. FSWs who reported violence in the past year were significantly less likely to report condom use with clients (zero unprotected sex acts in previous month, 55.4% vs. 75.5%, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3 to 0.5, p < 0.001); to have accessed the HIV intervention program (ever contacted by peer educator, 84.9% vs. 89.6%, AOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.0, p = 0.04); or to have ever visited the project sexual health clinic (59.0% vs. 68.1%, AOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6 to 1.0, p = 0.02); and were significantly more likely to be infected with gonorrhea (5.0% vs. 2.6%, AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.3, p = 0.02). By the follow-up surveys, significant reductions were seen in the proportions of FSWs reporting violence compared with baseline (IBBA 13.0% vs. 9.0%, AOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.9 p = 0.01; PBS 27.3% vs. 18.9%, crude OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.5, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This program demonstrates that a structural approach to addressing violence can be effectively delivered at scale. Addressing violence against FSWs is important for the success of HIV prevention programs, and for protecting their basic human rights

Lessons learned from the 'turbot war'

En 1995, la extrema escasez y el elevado valor de los recursos pesqueros contenidos en el Atlántico noroeste derivaron en un conflicto de intereses entre la potente flota a distancia proyectada por España y el estado ribereño de Canadá, que trató de contrarrestar esta acción mediante la nacionalización de los recursos pesqueros adyacentes a sus costas. las tensiones derivadas de aquella disputa han sido analizadas desde el grupo de investigación de crisis internacionales (GICI), dependiente del campus internacional para la seguridad y la defensa (CISDE), con el propósito de extraer una nueva herramienta para la detección de amenazas y la gestión de crisis similares que pudieran surgir en los océanos del siglo XXiIn 1995, the extreme shortage and high value of the fishing resources of the northwest Atlantic resulted in the rivalry between the distant fleet projected by Spain and the coastal state of Canada, Which tried to counteract the Spanish action by nationalizing of fisheries resources adjacent to its coasts. The tensions derived from that dispute have been analyzed from the International Crisis Research Group, dependent on the International Campus for Security and Defense, in order to extract a new tool for detecting threats and manage similar crises that may arise in the oceans of the 21st centur

Electronic temperatures, densities and plasma X-ray emission of a 14.5 GHz Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source

We have performed a systematic study of the Bremsstrahlung emission from the electrons in the plasma of a commercial 14.5 GHz Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source. The electronic spectral temperature and the product of ionic and electronic densities of the plasma are measured by analyzing the Bremsstrahlung spectra recorded for several rare gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) as a function of the injected power. Within our uncertainty, we find an average temperature of ? 48 keV above 100W, with a weak dependency on the injected power and gas composition. Charge state distributions of extracted ion beams have been determined as well, providing a way to disentangle the ionic density from the electronic density. Moreover X-ray emission from highly charged argon ions in the plasma has been observed with a high-resolution mosaic crystal spectrometer, demonstrating the feasibility for high-precision measurements of transition energies of highly charged ions, in particular of the magnetic dipole (M1) transition of He-like of argon ions

Associations between community health workers' home visits and education-based inequalities in institutional delivery and perinatal mortality in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: India's National Health Mission has trained community health workers called Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to visit and counsel women before and after birth. Little is known about the extent to which exposure to ASHAs' home visits has reduced perinatal health inequalities as intended. This study aimed to examine whether ASHAs' third trimester home visits may have contributed to equitable improvements in institutional delivery and reductions in perinatal mortality rates (PMRs) between women with varying education levels in Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, India. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from a representative sample of 52 615 women who gave birth in the preceding 2 months in rural areas of 25 districts of UP in 2014-2015. We analysed the data using generalised linear modelling to examine the associations between exposure to home visits and education-based inequalities in institutional delivery and PMRs. RESULTS: Third trimester home visits were associated with higher institutional delivery rates, in particular public facility delivery rates (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.32, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.34), and to a lesser extent private facility delivery rates (aRR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13), after adjusting for confounders. Associations were stronger among women with lower education levels. Having no compared with any third trimester home visits was associated with higher perinatal mortality (aRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.28). Having any versus no visits was more highly associated with lower perinatal mortality among women with lower education levels than those with the most education, and most notably among public facility births. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that ASHAs' home visits in the third trimester contributed to equitable improvements in institutional deliveries and lower PMRs, particularly within the public sector. Broader strategies must reinforce the role of ASHAs' home visits in reaching the sustainable development goals of improving maternal and newborn health and leaving no one behind

Changes in context, typology and programme outcomes between early and recent periods of sex work among young female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: The sex work context and typology change continuously and influence HIV related risk and vulnerability for young female sex workers (YFSW). We sought to describe changes in the context and typology of sex work between the first (early) and past month (recent) of sex work among YFSW to inform HIV prevention programming for sex workers. METHODS: We used data from a cross-sectional survey (April-November 2015), administered using physical location-based sampling to 408 cis-women, aged 14-24 years, who self-identified as sex workers, in Mombasa, Kenya. We collected self-reported data on the early and recent month of sex work. The analysis focused on changes in a) sex work context and typology (defined by setting where sex workers practice sex work) where YFSW operated, b) primary typology of sex work, and c) HIV programme outcomes among YFSW who changed primary typology, within the early and recent month of sex work. We analysed the data using a) SPSS27.0 and excel; b) bivariate analysis and χ2 test; and c) bivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Overall, the median age of respondents was 20 years and median duration in sex work was 2 years. Higher proportion of respondents in the recent period managed their clients on their own (98.0% vs. 91.2%), had sex with >5 clients per week (39.3% vs.16.5%); were able to meet > 50% of living expenses through sex work income (46.8% vs. 18.8%); and experienced police violence in the past month (16.4% vs. 6.5%). YFSW reported multiple sex work typology in early and recent periods. Overall, 37.2% reported changing their primary typology. A higher proportion among those who used street/ bus stop typology, experienced police violence, or initiated sex work after 19 years of age in the early period reported a change. There was no difference in HIV programme outcomes among YFSW who changed typology vs. those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: The sex work context changes even in a short duration of two years. Hence, understanding these changes in the early period of sex work can allow for development of tailored strategies that are responsive to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of YFSW

BANDGAP ANALYSIS OF NANO CRYSTALLINE L0.1ZY0.9BCCO CERAMICS

Crystalline Ceramic Lanthanum Zirconium Yttrium barium Calcium Copper oxide(L0.1ZY0.9BCCO)  was prepared by a high-energy ball milling process through mechanically assisted synthesis at a high temperature to acquire the desired homogeneity and phase formation. Inorder to study the optical properties like reflectivity, absorptivity, refractive index, the UV-VIS analysis of the above nonstochiometric sample was carried out. The dispersion of refractive index was analyzed by the Wemple-DiDomenico single-oscillator model.The band gap energy of the sample was elucidated from the Tauc plot. The refractive index n was calculated and  the results obtained are plotted  with the wavelength.Â

Reference-free measurements of the 1s 2s 2p 2PO1=2;3=2 ! 1s2 2s 2S1=2 and 1s 2s 2p 4P5=2 ! 1s2 2s 2S1=2 transition energies and widths in lithiumlike sulfur and argon ions

We have measured the widths and energies of the 1s2s2p 2 P 1/2,3/2 → 1s 2 2s 2 S 1/2 transitions in lithiumlike sulfur and argon, as well as the energies of the forbidden 1s2s2p 4 P 5/2 → 1s 2 2s 2 S 1/2 M2 transition in both elements. All measurements were performed with a double-flat crystal spectrometer without the use of any reference line. The transition energy measurements have accuracies ranging from 2.3 ppm to 6.4 ppm depending on the element and line intensity. The widths and the intensity ratios of the 1s2s2p 2 P 1/2,3/2 → 1s 2 2s 2 S 1/2 lines have also been measured. These are the first reference-free measurements of transitions in core-excited lithiumlike ions, and have an accuracy comparable to the best relative measurements. We have also performed multi-configuration Dirac-Fock calculations of the widths, energies and intensity ratios. Extensive comparison between existing experimental results and theory is performed, and Bayesian techniques employed to extract the energy of the 1s 2p 2 4 P 1/2 → 1s 2 2p 2 P 1/2 transition in sulfur and identify contaminant transitions

MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SUPERCONDUCTING NANO CRYSTALLINE CERAMIC YSrBiCuO BY THERMAL TECHNIQUES

The nano-sized ceramic superconducting material YSBCO having perovskite structure was prepared according to the chemical formula by the thermo chemical solid state reaction technique using a high-energy ball milling process through mechanically assisted synthesis. It was characterized by XRD, SEM and EDX. Here the authours studied the thermal characterization using TGA, DTA and DSC