Evaluation of the immune response to RTS,S/AS01 and RTS,S/AS02 adjuvanted vaccines : randomized, double-blind study in malaria-naïve adults

This phase II, randomized, double-blind study evaluated the immunogenicity of RTS, S vaccines containing Adjuvant System AS 01 or AS 02 as compared with non-adjuvanted RTS, S in healthy, malaria-naive adults (NCT00443131). Thirty-six subjects were randomized (1:1:1) to receive RTS, S/AS 01, RTS, S/AS 02, or RTS, S/saline at months 0, 1, and 2. Antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CS) and hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigens were assessed and cell-mediated immune responses evaluated by flow cytometry using intracellular cytokine staining on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Anti-CS antibody avidity was also characterized. Safety and reactogenicity after each vaccine dose were monitored. One month after the third vaccine dose, RTS, S/AS 01 (160.3 EU/mL [95%CI: 114.1-225.4]) and RTS, S/AS 02 (77.4 EU/mL (95%CI: 47.3-126.7)) recipients had significantly higher anti-CS antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) than recipients of RTS, S/saline (12.2 EU/mL (95%CI: 4.8-30.7); P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0011, respectively). The anti-CS antibody GMT was significantly higher with RTS, S/AS 01 than with RTS, S/AS 02 (P = 0.0135). Anti-CS antibody avidity was in the same range in all groups. CS- and HBs-specific CD4(+) T cell responses were greater for both RTS, S/AS groups than for the RTS, S/saline group. Reactogenicity was in general higher for RTS, S/AS compared with RTS, S/saline. Most grade 3 solicited adverse events (AEs) were of short duration and grade 3 solicited general AEs were infrequent in the 3 groups. No serious adverse events were reported. In conclusion, in comparison with non-adjuvanted RTS, S, both RTS, S/AS vaccines exhibited better CS-specific immune responses. The anti-CS antibody response was significantly higher with RTS, S/AS 01 than with RTS, S/AS 02. The adjuvanted vaccines had acceptable safety profiles

Compensating the dead? Yes we can!

An early death is, undoubtedly, a serious disadvantage. However, the compensation of short-lived individuals has remained so far largely unexplored, probably because it appears infeasible. Indeed, short-lived agents can hardly be identified ex ante, and cannot be compensated ex post. We argue that, despite the above difficulties, a compensation can be carried out by encouraging early consumption in the life cycle. In a model with heterogeneous preferences and longevities, we show how a specific social criterion can be derived from intuitive principles, and we study the corresponding optimal policy under various informational assumptions. We also study the robustness of our solution to alternative types of preferences and savings policies.compensation, longevity, mortality, fairness, redistribution

Processus d’évaluation des compétences en formation à distance dans une approche collaborative en enseignement supérieur

Comprend des références bibliographiquesCette recherche présente des résultats d’une recherche-action-formation visant à améliorer un processus d’évaluation des compétences en formation à distance dans une approche collaborative en enseignement supérieur. Recueillis principalement au moyen d’analyse de documentations produites, d’entrevues semi-structurées et d’artefacts conçus lors d’une formation auprès de concepteurs, de producteurs et de tuteurs engagés dans une genèse instrumentale, les résultats exposent un modèle de processus d’évaluation des compétences en formation à distance qui émergent de plusieurs processus impliquant la collaboration entre les groupes d’acteurs

Solar and proxy-sensitivity imprints on paleohydrological records for the last millennium in west-central Europe

International audienceThis paper presents a lake-level record established for the last millennium at Lake Saint-Point in the French Jura Mountains. A comparison of this lake-level record with a solar irradiance record supports the hypothesis of a solar forcing of variations in the hydrological cycle linked to climatic oscillations over the last millennium in west-central Europe, with higher lake levels during the solar minimums of Oort (around AD 1060), Wolf (around AD 1320), Spörer (around AD 1450), Maunder (around AD 1690), and Dalton (around AD 1820). Further comparisons of the Saint-Point record with the fluctuations of the Great Aletsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) and a record of Rhône River floods from Lake Bourget (French Alps) give evidence of possible imprints of proxy sensitivity on reconstructed paleohydrological records. In particular, the Great Aletsch record shows an increasing glacier mass from AD 1350 to 1850, suggesting a cumulative effect of the Little Ice Age cooling and/or a possible reflection of a millennial-scale general cooling until the mid-19th century in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, the Saint-Point and Bourget records show a general trend toward a decrease in lake levels and in flood magnitude anti-correlated with generally increasing solar irradiance