Immune Protection Induced on Day 10 Following Administration of the 2009 A/H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Vaccine

BACKGROUND: The 2009 swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) H1N1 pandemic has caused more than 18,000 deaths worldwide. Vaccines against the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza virus are useful for preventing infection and controlling the pandemic. The kinetics of the immune response following vaccination with the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza vaccine need further investigation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 58 volunteers were vaccinated with a 2009 A/H1N1 pandemic influenza monovalent split-virus vaccine (15 µg, single-dose). The sera were collected before Day 0 (pre-vaccination) and on Days 3, 5, 10, 14, 21, 30, 45 and 60 post vaccination. Specific antibody responses induced by the vaccination were analyzed using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After administration of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza vaccine, specific and protective antibody response with a major subtype of IgG was sufficiently developed as early as Day 10 (seroprotection rate: 93%). This specific antibody response could maintain for at least 60 days without significant reduction. Antibody response induced by the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza vaccine could not render protection against seasonal H1N1 influenza (seroconversion rate: 3% on Day 21). However, volunteers with higher pre-existing seasonal influenza antibody levels (pre-vaccination HI titer ≥1∶40, Group 1) more easily developed a strong antibody protection effect against the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza vaccine as compared with those showing lower pre-existing seasonal influenza antibody levels (pre-vaccination HI titer <1∶40, Group 2). The titer of the specific antibody against the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza was much higher in Group 1 (geometric mean titer: 146 on Day 21) than that in Group 2 (geometric mean titer: 70 on Day 21). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Recipients could gain sufficient protection as early as 10 days after vaccine administration. The protection could last at least 60 days. Individuals with a stronger pre-existing seasonal influenza antibody response may have a relatively higher potential for developing a stronger humoral immune response after vaccination with the 2009 A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine

Potential of Core-Collapse Supernova Neutrino Detection at JUNO

JUNO is an underground neutrino observatory under construction in Jiangmen, China. It uses 20kton liquid scintillator as target, which enables it to detect supernova burst neutrinos of a large statistics for the next galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN) and also pre-supernova neutrinos from the nearby CCSN progenitors. All flavors of supernova burst neutrinos can be detected by JUNO via several interaction channels, including inverse beta decay, elastic scattering on electron and proton, interactions on C12 nuclei, etc. This retains the possibility for JUNO to reconstruct the energy spectra of supernova burst neutrinos of all flavors. The real time monitoring systems based on FPGA and DAQ are under development in JUNO, which allow prompt alert and trigger-less data acquisition of CCSN events. The alert performances of both monitoring systems have been thoroughly studied using simulations. Moreover, once a CCSN is tagged, the system can give fast characterizations, such as directionality and light curve

Detection of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background with JUNO

As an underground multi-purpose neutrino detector with 20 kton liquid scintillator, Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is competitive with and complementary to the water-Cherenkov detectors on the search for the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB). Typical supernova models predict 2-4 events per year within the optimal observation window in the JUNO detector. The dominant background is from the neutral-current (NC) interaction of atmospheric neutrinos with 12C nuclei, which surpasses the DSNB by more than one order of magnitude. We evaluated the systematic uncertainty of NC background from the spread of a variety of data-driven models and further developed a method to determine NC background within 15\% with {\it{in}} {\it{situ}} measurements after ten years of running. Besides, the NC-like backgrounds can be effectively suppressed by the intrinsic pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) capabilities of liquid scintillators. In this talk, I will present in detail the improvements on NC background uncertainty evaluation, PSD discriminator development, and finally, the potential of DSNB sensitivity in JUNO

Feed for thought : factors predicting public support for funding and labelling preferences of alternative aquafeed

Alternative aquafeed is currently being researched as a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to help bolster aquaculture production, which plays an integral role in supplying global seafood demand. Guided by the cognitive miser model and knowledge deficit model, this study aims to examine factors predicting public support for funding the development of alternative aquafeed and public preference for labelling fish fed with alternative aquafeed. Using data collected from an online survey of 1011 respondents, this study found that heuristics and predispositions – namely, environmental involvement, affect, trust in regulatory bodies, and benefit perception – were more influential than knowledge in shaping the dependent variables. This study also investigated how heuristics serve as perceptual filters, interacting with knowledge when influencing public support for funding and preference for labelling. This indicates that dependent on their predispositions and available heuristic cues, individuals might interpret the same information differently. Most importantly, the findings suggest that labels may serve varying roles and can be an effective way for actors in the food industry to communicate to the consumer.Bachelor of Communication Studie

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of CaLAX and CaPIN gene families in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under various abiotic stresses and hormones treatments

Auxin plays key roles in regulating plant growth and development as well as in responses to environmental stresses. The intercellular transport of auxin is mediated by four gene families, with the ATP-binding cassette family B (ABCB), the Auxin resistant1/ like (AUX1AUX/LAX) family, the pin-formedďź PINďź families, and the PIN-LIKES (PILS) family. Here, the latest assembled pepper genome was used to characterise and analyse the CaLAX and CaPIN families. Genome-wide investigations into these families, including chromosomal distributions, phytogenic relationships and intron/exon structures, were performed. In total, 4 CaLAXs and 10 CaPINs were mapped to 10 chromosomes. Most of these genes exhibited varied tissue-specific expression patterns assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression profiles of the CaLAX and CaPIN genes under various abiotic stresses (salt, drought, and cold), exogenous phytohormones (IAA, 6-BA, ABA, SA and MeJA) and polar auxin transport inhibitors treatments were evaluated. Most CaLAX and CaPIN genes were altered by abiotic stress at the transcriptional level in both shoots and roots, and many CaLAX and CaPIN genes were regulated by exogenous phytohormones. Our study helps to identify candidate auxin transporter genes and to further analyse their biological functions in pepper development and in its adaptation to environmental stresses.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

A biomimetic VLP influenza vaccine with interior NP/exterior M2e antigens constructed through a temperature shift-based encapsulation strategy

Here we present a biomimetic strategy towards an influenza vaccine design based on hepatitis B virus core virus-like particles (HBc VLP). To this end, a temperature-shift based encapsulation process based on analysis of the unique thermal-associated structural flexibility of HBc VLP nanocages was proposed and proved efficient for encapsulation of antigen inside the VLP. By displaying a matrix protein 2 ectodomain (M2e) antigen on the exterior of HBc VLP through genetic fusion, and encapsulate a conserved internal nucleoprotein (NP) antigen peptide inside the VLP, a biomimetic dual-antigen influenza vaccine with interior NP/exterior M2e was constructed. For comparison, another non-biomimetic dual-antigen vaccine with interior M2e/exterior NP, and other four VLP-based single-antigen vaccines with NP or M2e either being encapsulated inside or genetically displayed outside the VLP were also constructed. Upon intraperitoneal immunization in mice, the dual-antigen VLP influenza vaccine elicited both NP and M2e-specific antibodies, which were stronger than those elicited by the single-antigen vaccines. Most importantly, after a lethal challenge of H1N1 virus, the biomimetic dual-antigen vaccine conferred the mice 100% protection without noticeable body weight loss in the absence of any adjuvant. While the protective efficacy conferred by the non-biomimetic one was only 62.5%, accompanying 12.5% body weight loss in the immunized mice. Besides the high level of antigen-specific antibodies, more efficient formation of total germinal center (GC) B cells and a higher level of effector memory CD8(+) T cell population were observed in the biomimetic vaccine group, as compared with the non-biomimetic one. All these results demonstrate that VLP assembly and display of antigens in a biomimetic manner making this a promising strategy for the production of efficient universal vaccines to influenza and other rapidly emerging pathogens. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p