IMMUNE RESPONSES IN VITRO : VI. GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IN VIVO-IN VITRO DISCREPANCIES IN 19S ANTIBODY SYNTHESIS

The finding that the relationship of the in vitro and in vivo responses of different strains of mice is under genetic control indicates that at least two mechanisms must operate under in vivo conditions to control 19S antibody synthesis. One is involved in the termination of 19S antibody synthesis; the other has a regulatory role on the magnitude of the response. In light of these findings, various concepts based on other genetically controlled immune responses and on the limiting dilution technique should be reassessed. Furthermore, the suppressive in vivo mechanism may be an important type of control in the resistance or susceptibility to the establishment or maintainance of neoplasms

Aseptic Meningitis Epidemic during a West Nile Virus Avian Epizootic

While enteroviruses have been the most commonly identified cause of aseptic meningitis in the United States, the role of the emerging, neurotropic West Nile virus (WNV) is not clear. In summer 2001, an aseptic meningitis epidemic occurring in an area of a WNV epizootic in Baltimore, Maryland, was investigated to determine the relative contributions of WNV and enteroviruses. A total of 113 aseptic meningitis cases with onsets from June 1 to September 30, 2001, were identified at six hospitals. WNV immunoglobulin M tests were negative for 69 patients with available specimens; however, 43 (61%) of 70 patients tested enterovirus-positive by viral culture or polymerase chain reaction. Most (76%) of the serotyped enteroviruses were echoviruses 13 and 18. Enteroviruses, including previously rarely detected echoviruses, likely caused most aseptic meningitis cases in this epidemic. No WNV meningitis cases were identified. Even in areas of WNV epizootics, enteroviruses continue to be important causative agents of aseptic meningitis

Synthesizing Grasp Configurations with Specified Contact Regions

This paper presents a new method to solve the configuration problem on robotic hands: determine how a hand should be configured so as to grasp a given object in a specific way, characterized by a number of hand-object contacts to be satisfied. In contrast to previous algorithms given for the same purpose, the one presented here allows specifing such contacts between free-form regions on the hand and object surfaces, and always returns a solution whenever one exists. The method is based on formulating the problem as a system of polynomial equations of special form, and then exploiting this form to isolate the solutions, using a numerical technique based on linear relaxations. The approach is general, in the sense that it can be applied to any grasping mechanism involving lower-pair joints, and it can accommodate as many hand-object contacts as required. Experiments are included that illustrate the performance of the method in the particular case of the Schunk Anthropomorphic hand. o2 o3 o1 o4 h1 h2 h4 h

Pre- and postexposure protection against virulent anthrax infection in mice by humanized monoclonal antibodies to Bacillus anthracis capsule

One of the two essential virulence factors of Bacillus anthracis is the poly-γ-d-glutamic acid (γDPGA) capsule. Five γDPGA-specific antibody antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) were generated from immunized chimpanzees. The two selected for further study, Fabs 11D and 4C, were both converted into full-length IgG1 and IgG3 mAbs having human IgG1 or IgG3 constant regions. These two mAbs had similar binding affinities, in vitro opsonophagocytic activities, and in vivo efficacies, with the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses reacting similarly. The mAbs bound to γDPGA specifically with estimated binding affinities (Kd) of 35–70 nM and effective affinities (effective Kd) of 0.1–0.3 nM. The LD50 in an opsonophagocytic bactericidal assay was ≈10 ng/mL of 11D or 4C. A single 30-μg dose of either mAb given to BALB/c mice 18 h before challenge conferred about 50% protection against a lethal intratracheal spore challenge by the virulent B. anthracis Ames strain. More importantly, either mAb given 8 h or 20 h after challenge provided significant protection against lethal infection. Thus, these anti-γDPGA mAbs should be useful, alone or in combination with antitoxin mAbs, for achieving a safe and efficacious postexposure therapy for anthrax