Prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 boosts and broadens Ad26.COV2.S immunogenicity in a variant-dependent manner

The Johnson and Johnson Ad26.COV2.S single-dose vaccine represents an attractive option for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in countries with limited resources. We examined the effect of prior infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants on Ad26.COV2.S immunogenicity. We compared participants who were SARS-CoV-2 naive with those either infected with the ancestral D614G virus or infected in the second wave when Beta predominated. Prior infection significantly boosts spike-binding antibodies, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and neutralizing antibodies against D614G, Beta, and Delta; however, neutralization cross-reactivity varied by wave. Robust CD4 and CD8 T cell responses are induced after vaccination, regardless of prior infection. T cell recognition of variants is largely preserved, apart from some reduction in CD8 recognition of Delta. Thus, Ad26.COV2.S vaccination after infection could result in enhanced protection against COVID-19. The impact of the infecting variant on neutralization breadth after vaccination has implications for the design of second-generation vaccines based on variants of concern

The majority legal status of women in Southern Africa: Implications for women and families

Women in many countries of southern Africa do not have majority status or have only recently gained this right. Majority status grants individuals adult legal status and the right to bring matters to court, own and administer property, have legal custody of children, and contract for marriage. This article summarizes the legal status of women in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Lack of majority status contributes to the ongoing risk of poverty for women and makes them overly dependent on men. Compounding the situation in these countries is the presence of a dual legal system. Improving the situation of women and their families involves targeting changes in the legal system, influencing implementation of laws, educating women about their rights, and giving women needed support to seek their legal rights. The legal status of women must be viewed in the context of historical changes in the economic, educational, political, and cultural developments of society.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44657/1/10834_2005_Article_BF02267045.pd

Endogenous rhythmic growth, a trait suitable for the study of interplays between multitrophic interactions and tree development

As long-lived organisms, trees use resources to support both growth and below- and aboveground trophic interactions. Resources fluctuate in relation to periods of growth cease that are regulated by internal and external factors, and these fluctuations feed backs to trophic partners. Some major forest trees display an endogenous growth rhythm, and related pulses of variation in allocation of resources have been detected. As this trait makes it possible to separate growth into defined phases, it offers an opportunity to disentangle the intermingled complex regulation of growth and multitrophic interactions in trees. We present “TrophinOak”, a platform using microcuttings of pedunculated oak, a tree that displays endogenous rhythmic growth characterized by alternating shoot and root growth flushes. We select seven beneficial or detrimental above- and belowground partners including animals (Lymantria dispar, Pratylenchus penetrans, Protaphorura armata), fungi (Piloderma croceum, Microsphaera alphitoides, Phytophthora quercina) and bacteria (Streptomyces sp.), to synthesize bi- and tripartite trophic interactions, including ectomycorrhizal symbioses, and monitor fluctuations of carbon and nitrogen allocation as well as plant gene expression at distinct phases of oak growth. We use this model to identify and resolve the experimental challenges inherent in synthesizing diverse types of associations in a common microcosm system, in labeling plants with stable N and C isotopes and in analyzing transcripts in a non-model plant, a process which requires generating a specific contig library. We develop hypotheses and experimental design to test them in order to identify core mechanisms that help trees to modulate their own development and their multitrophic interactions for optimizing their long term performance in their environment. First results constitute a proof of concept that the platform works and enables us to test the hypotheses