Comparative safety and immunogenicity of an acellular versus whole- cell pertussis component of Diphteria-Tetanus-Pertussis vaccines in senegalese infants

A diphtheria and tetanus toxoid two-component acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), consisting of 25 microg glutaraldehyde-detoxified pertussis toxin (PT) and 25 microg native filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), was compared with diphtheria and tetanus toxoid whole-cell pertussis vaccine (DTwP) in a randomized, double-blind manner in 286 Senegalese infants inoculated at two, four, and six months of age. In infants receiving DTaP a significantly lower rate of local reactions, crying and fever was observed than in infants receiving DTwP. One month after the third dose, the geometric mean titres for FHA antibodies were higher in the DTaP group, whereas increases in PT antibody titres were higher in the DTwP group. More than 90% of the infants had a fourfold or more increase in antibodies to both PT and FHA with either vaccine. Diphtheria, tetanus, and polio antibody responses were also measured and found to be comparable between the two groups. The results of this pilot study support the implementation of a field trial to compare the protective efficacy of these vaccines against pertussis in the same setting. (Résumé d'auteur

Implementation and Characterization of Vibrotactile Interfaces

While a standard approach is more or less established for rendering basic vibratory cues in consumer electronics, the implementation of advanced vibrotactile feedback still requires designers and engineers to solve a number of technical issues. Several off-the-shelf vibration actuators are currently available, having different characteristics and limitations that should be considered in the design process. We suggest an iterative approach to design in which vibrotactile interfaces are validated by testing their accuracy in rendering vibratory cues and in measuring input gestures. Several examples of prototype interfaces yielding audio-haptic feedback are described, ranging from open-ended devices to musical interfaces, addressing their design and the characterization of their vibratory output

Mapping Through Listening

Gesture-to-sound mapping is generally defined as the association between gestural and sound parameters. This article describes an approach that brings forward the perception-action loop as a fundamental design principle for gesture–sound mapping in digital music instrument. Our approach considers the processes of listening as the foundation – and the first step – in the design of action-sound relationships. In this design process, the relationship between action and sound is derived from actions that can be perceived in the sound. Building on previous works on listening modes and gestural descriptions we proposed to distinguish between three mapping strategies: instantaneous, temporal, and metaphoric. Our approach makes use of machine learning techniques for building prototypes, from digital music instruments to interactive installations. Four different examples of scenarios and prototypes are described and discussed

A Selectable and Excisable Marker System for the Rapid Creation of Recombinant Poxviruses

Genetic manipulation of poxvirus genomes through attenuation, or insertion of therapeutic genes has led to a number of vector candidates for the treatment of a variety of human diseases. The development of recombinant poxviruses often involves the genomic insertion of a selectable marker for purification and selection purposes. The use of marker genes however inevitably results in a vector that contains unwanted genetic information of no therapeutic value.Here we describe an improved strategy that allows for the creation of marker-free recombinant poxviruses of any species. The Selectable and Excisable Marker (SEM) system incorporates a unique fusion marker gene for the efficient selection of poxvirus recombinants and the Cre/loxP system to facilitate the subsequent removal of the marker. We have defined and characterized this new methodological tool by insertion of a foreign gene into vaccinia virus, with the subsequent removal of the selectable marker. We then analyzed the importance of loxP orientation during Cre recombination, and show that the SEM system can be used to introduce site-specific deletions or inversions into the viral genome. Finally, we demonstrate that the SEM strategy is amenable to other poxviruses, as demonstrated here with the creation of an ectromelia virus recombinant lacking the EVM002 gene.The system described here thus provides a faster, simpler and more efficient means to create clinic-ready recombinant poxviruses for therapeutic gene therapy applications

Playing "Air instruments": Mimicry of sound-producing gestures by novices and experts

Both musicians and non-musicians can often be seen making sound-producing gestures in the air without touching any real instruments. Such air playing can be regarded as an expression of how people perceive and imagine music, and studying the relationships between these gestures and sound might contribute to our knowledge of how gestures help structure our experience of music. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.co

Observations des dislocations associées au glissement prismatique dans des monocristaux d'alumine

Après déformation d'éprouvettes monocristallines d'alumine mettant en œuvre le glissement prismatique, on a procédé à l'observation des dislocations par figures d'attaque chimique et par microscopie électronique en transmission à 100 kV et 1 MV. Les figures d'attaque chimique révèlent des bandes de glissement assez localisées à faible déformation. La microscopie électronique a permis d'étudier la morphologie des dislocations associées au glissement mettant en évidence l'importance des phénomènes de montée ou de glissement dévié