Correlation of high levels of antibodies to multiple pre-erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum antigens and protection from infection

High levels of antibodies to multiple antigens may be more strongly associated with protection from infection than antibodies to a single antigen. Antibody-associated protection against Plasmodium falciparum infection was assessed in a cohort of 68 adults living in an area of holoendemic malaria in Kenya. Antibodies to the pre-erythrocytic antigens circumsporozoite protein (CSP), liver-stage antigen-1 (LSA-1), thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP), and blood-stage antigens apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1), erythrocyte binding antigen-175 (EBA-175), and merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) were tested. Peptides were used for CSP (NANP repeat) and LSA-1 (central repeat), and recombinant antigens were used for TRAP (aa D(48)-K(394)), AMA-1 (ectodomain, non-glycosylated), EBA-175 (non-glycosylated), and MSP-1 (MSP-1(19)). Weekly microscopy testing for P. falciparum infection was performed over a 12-week period after drug-mediated clearance of P. falciparum parasitemia. Individuals with high levels of IgG antibodies (\u3e 2 arbitrary units) to CSP, LSA-1, and TRAP had a 57% decrease in the risk of infection (95% confidence interval = 20-77%, P = 0.016). This decreased risk remained significant after adjustment for age, prior parasitemia, bed net use, sickle cell trait, and village of residence. In contrast, protection against infection did not correlate with high levels of IgG antibodies to blood-stage antigens or IgM antibodies to pre-erythrocytic or blood-stage antigens. High levels of IgG antibodies to CSP, LSA-1, and TRAP may be useful immune correlates of protection against P. falciparum infection in malaria-endemic populations

Classifying Severity of Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease Using Longitudinal Pulmonary Function Data

Rationale: The study of genetic modifiers in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease requires rigorous phenotyping. One type of genetic association study design compares polymorphisms in patients at extremes of phenotype, requiring accurate classification of pulmonary disease at varying ages

Max Weber e o problema dos valores: as justificativas para a neutralidade axiológica

O presente artigo versa sobre um dos temas mais centrais das ciências sociais em geral e da obra weberiana em particular, qual seja, o debate em torno do engajamento ou do distanciamento do cientista em relação à realidade social que constitui seu objeto. No decorrer deste texto é realizado um escrutínio da posição de Max Weber em torno dessa questão, que é condensada na sua defesa de uma postura de "neutralidade axiológica". Mais do que identificar o sentido atribuído a esta ideia, o objetivo que norteou a pesquisa foi o de apreender as justificativas apresentadas por Weber para conferir sustentação a essa premissa. A primeira etapa da pesquisa consistiu em uma uma leitura estrutural de todos os textos de Max Weber que versam sobre o tema em questão e que compõem a coletânea Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Wissenschaftslehre, conforme explicitado de modo detalhado na segunda seção do artigo. A partir disso foram selecionados todos os trechos contendo a expressão "neutralidade axiológia" e outros termos correlatos, apresentados na tabela em anexo. Esses trechos foram então classificados e analisados em relação ao seu conteúdo, com o intuito de apreender as justificativas apresentadas pelo autor. Ao final, todos esses dados foram mobilizados e sintetizado de modo a se produzir considerações mais gerais sobre a teoria do autor em questão. O principal resultado da investigação, que é aqui apresentado, é uma compreensão mais ampla e profunda das justificativas subjacentes a uma das posições mais cruciais da sociologia weberiana, e que permite um posicionamento mais bem informado em relação a essa temática que ainda se mantém como um dos pilares das reflexões epistemológicas nas ciências sociais contemporâneas. Portanto, o artigo contribui para o debate lançando uma nova luz sobre as premissas que estruturam a defesa do princípio da neutralidade axiológica, explicitando que a defesa de tal princípio se deve a uma pluralidade de justificativas. Além disso, a discussão aqui apresentada permite compreender com mais clareza as consequências dessa defesa da neutralidade axiológica para a ciência e para a vida social

Cargo Cults in Information Systems Development: a Definition and an Analytical Framework

Organizations today adopt agile information systems development methods (ISDM), but many do not succeed with the adoption process and in achieving desired results. Systems developers sometimes fail in efficient use of ISDM, often due to a lack of understanding the fundamental intentions of the chosen method. In many cases organizations simply imitate the behavior of others without really understanding why. This conceptual paper defines this phenomenon as an ISDM cargo cult behavior and proposes an analytical framework to identify such situations. The concept of cargo cults originally comes from the field of social anthropology and has been used to explain irrational, ritualistic imitation of certain behavior. By defining and introducing the concept in the field of information systems development we provide a diagnostic tool to better understand one of the reasons why ISDM adoption sometimes fail

Topical Application of Activity-based Probes for Visualization of Brain Tumor Tissue

Several investigators have shown the utility of systemically delivered optical imaging probes to image tumors in small animal models of cancer. Here we demonstrate an innovative method for imaging tumors and tumor margins during surgery. Specifically, we show that optical imaging probes topically applied to tumors and surrounding normal tissue rapidly differentiate between tissues. In contrast to systemic delivery of optical imaging probes which label tumors uniformly over time, topical probe application results in rapid and robust probe activation that is detectable as early as 5 minutes following application. Importantly, labeling is primarily associated with peri-tumor spaces. This methodology provides a means for rapid visualization of tumor and potentially infiltrating tumor cells and has potential applications for directed surgical excision of tumor tissues. Furthermore, this technology could find use in surgical resections for any tumors having differential regulation of cysteine cathepsin activity