Functional genomic and serological analysis of the protective immune response resulting from vaccination of macaques with an NS1-truncated influenza virus

We are still inadequately prepared for an influenza pandemic due to the lack of a vaccine effective for subtypes to which the majority of the human population has no prior immunity and which could be produced rapidly in sufficient quantities. There is therefore an urgent need to investigate novel vaccination approaches. Using a combination of genomic and traditional tools, this study compares the protective efficacy in macaques of an intrarespiratory live influenza virus vaccine produced by truncating NS1 in the human influenza A/Texas/36/91 (H1N1) virus with that of a conventional vaccine based on formalin-killed whole virus. After homologous challenge, animals in the live-vaccine group had greatly reduced viral replication and pathology in lungs and reduced upper respiratory inflammation. They also had lesser induction of innate immune pathways in lungs and of interferon-sensitive genes in bronchial epithelium. This postchallenge response contrasted with that shortly after vaccination, when more expression of interferon-sensitive genes was observed in bronchial cells from the live-vaccine group. This suggested induction of a strong innate immune response shortly after vaccination with the NS1-truncated virus, followed by greater maturity of the postchallenge immune response, as demonstrated with robust influenza virus-specific CD4+ T-cell proliferation, immunoglobulin G production, and transcriptional induction of T- and B-cell pathways in lung tissue. In conclusion, a single respiratory tract inoculation with an NS1-truncated influenza virus was effective in protecting nonhuman primates from homologous challenge. This protection was achieved in the absence of significant or long-lasting adverse effects and through induction of a robust adaptive immune response

Consumption of hypoallergenic flour prevents gluten-induced airway inflammation in Brown Norway rats.

Brown Norway rats were immunized with gluten, and then fed a diet containing hypoallergenic fluor or an amino acid mixture. The rats were then made to inhale a solubilized gluten to induce gluten-specific bronchial asthma. The antibody levels in the serum of rats were measured by ELISA, and cell counts were done on cytospin preparations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Body weight was decreased after allergen challenge in rats fed the amino acid mixture but not in rats fed the hypoallergenic flour. Antibody levels in the serum were significantly lower in rats fed hypoallergenic flour than in those fed the amino acid mixture. Differential cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed that the numbers of eosinophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophils were significantly lower in rats fed the hypoallergenic flour than in those fed the amino acid mixture. These results suggest that hypoallergenic flour actively suppresses the allergic reactions, probably by inducing oral tolerance

Multi - lepton SUSY signals from R-parity violation at the Tevatron

The expected trilepton signals from $p \bar p \to \chi^\pm_1\chi^0_2 \to (\chi^0_1\ell^\pm\nu) (\chi^0_1\ell'^+\ell'^-)$ will be converted into hadronically quiet multilepton signals, if the two final $\chi^0_1$ have leptonic $R$-parity-violating (RPV) decays $\chi^0_1 \to \ell \ell' \nu$. We make illustrative calculations of the acceptance for these spectacular RPV signals, and point out that distinctive multilepton signals are possible even when the $R$-conserving trilepton signals are blocked by the ``spoiler mode" $\chi^0_2 \to h^0 \chi^0_1$. Other channels such as $p\bar p\to \chi_1^\pm \chi_2^0 \to (\chi_1^0\ell^\pm\nu) (\chi_1^0\nu\nu)$, $p\bar p\to \chi_1^\pm \chi_1^0 \to (\chi_1^0\ell\nu)\chi_1^0$ and $p\bar p\to\chi_1^+\chi_1^-\to(\chi_1^0\ell^+\nu)(\chi_1^0\ell'^-\nu)$ can also give quiet multileptons from RPV. We investigate these signals in the context of supersymmetric models with radiative electroweak symmetry breaking, using examples in the low-$\tan\beta$ $\lambda_t$ fixed-point region.Comment: 12 pages. Uses Revtex style files (available through hep-ph). 5 postscript figures included (uufiled). RAL-94-047, MAD/PH/83

Against the tyranny of PowerPoint: Technology-in-use and technology abuse

Over the past five years, PowerPoint has emerged as a powerful piece of communication technology, having profound consequences on presentations (business and educational), classroom communication and, possibly, on the nature of lecturing itself. An analysis of the ways in which PowerPoint is used offers considerable insights into, first, the nature of educational technologies and their organizational implementations, second, the effect of these technologies on the construction and dissemination of organizational knowledge, and, third, on the qualities and skills of a society of spectacle, where a great deal of organizational knowledge assumes the form of visual representations. Using illustrations from his personal experience, the author examines some uses to which the software is put and some of its potential short-comings. These include the parcelling of knowledge into bullet-points, reliance on visual aids to support weak analysis and the forced linearity of argumentation that limits improvisation, digression and inventiveness. The author, however, argues that PowerPoint can be used more creatively, to build on our culture’s emphasis on spectacle and image and related multi-tasking skills that lecturers and students develop. In this manner, PowerPoint can redefine the nature of a lecture, from the authoritative presentation of a text into a multi-media performance that elicits a critical, creative and active response from its audience