DNA Vaccines Encoding Antigen Targeted to MHC Class II Induce Influenza-Specific CD8+ T Cell Responses, Enabling Faster Resolution of Influenza Disease

Current influenza vaccines are effective but imperfect, failing to cover against emerging strains of virus and requiring seasonal administration to protect against new strains. A key step to improving influenza vaccines is to improve our understanding of vaccine induced protection. Whilst it is clear that antibodies play a protective role, vaccine induced CD8+ T cells can improve protection. To further explore the role of CD8+ T cells we used a DNA vaccine that encodes antigen dimerised to an immune cell targeting module. Immunising CB6F1 mice with the DNA vaccine in a heterologous prime boost regime with the seasonal protein vaccine improved the resolution of influenza disease compared to protein alone. This improved disease resolution was dependent on CD8+ T cells. However, DNA vaccine regimes that induced CD8+ T cells alone were not protective and did not boost the protection provided by protein. The MHC targeting module used was an anti-I-Ed single chain antibody specific to the BALB/c strain of mice. To test the role of MHC targeting we compared the response between BALB/c, C57BL/6 mice and an F1 cross of the two strains (CB6F1). BALB/c mice were protected, C57BL/6 were not and the F1 had an intermediate phenotype; showing that the targeting of antigen is important in the response. Based on these findings, and in agreement with other studies using different vaccines, we conclude that in addition to antibody, inducing a protective CD8 response is important in future influenza vaccines

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of invasive versus conservative management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax

INTRODUCTION: Current management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is variable, with little evidence from randomised controlled trials to guide treatment. Guidelines emphasise intervention in many patients, which involves chest drain insertion, hospital admission and occasionally surgery. However, there is evidence that conservative management may be effective and safe, and it may also reduce the risk of recurrence. Significant questions remain regarding the optimal initial approach to the management of PSP

Kinematic characteristics of elite men's 50 km race walking.

Race walking is an endurance event which also requires great technical ability, particularly with respect to its two distinguishing rules. The 50 km race walk is the longest event in the athletics programme at the Olympic Games. The aims of this observational study were to identify the important kinematic variables in elite men's 50 km race walking, and to measure variation in those variables at different distances. Thirty men were analysed from video data recorded during a World Race Walking Cup competition. Video data were also recorded at four distances during the European Cup Race Walking and 12 men analysed from these data. Two camcorders (50 Hz) recorded at each race for 3D analysis. The results of this study showed that walking speed was associated with both step length (r=0.54,P=0.002) and cadence (r=0.58,P=0.001). While placing the foot further ahead of the body at heel strike was associated with greater step lengths (r=0.45,P=0.013), it was also negatively associated with cadence (r= -0.62,P<0.001). In the World Cup, knee angles ranged between 175 and 186° at initial contact and between 180 and 195° at midstance. During the European Cup, walking speed decreased significantly (F=9.35,P=0.002), mostly due to a decrease in step length between 38.5 and 48.5 km (t=8.59,P=0.014). From this study, it would appear that the key areas a 50 km race walker must develop and coordinate are step length and cadence, although it is also important to ensure legal walking technique is maintained with the onset of fatigue

Effect of first impressions on student evaluations of lecturers

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.Academic institutions (particularly historically White tertiary institutions) are experiencing challenges in attracting and retaining Black African and femail academic staff. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Black African academic staff at historically White universities in South Africa experience more resistance from students than White staff do. This study consequently investigated whether students rate lecturers differently on first impression, based on the lecturers' and students' race and gender

Dual-barrel conductance micropipet as a new approach to the study of ionic crystal dissolution kinetics

A new approach to the study of ionic crystal dissolution kinetics is described, based on the use of a dual-barrel theta conductance micropipet. The solution in the pipet is undersaturated with respect to the crystal of interest, and when the meniscus at the end of the micropipet makes contact with a selected region of the crystal surface, dissolution occurs causing the solution composition to change. This is observed, with better than 1 ms time resolution, as a change in the ion conductance current, measured across a potential bias between an electrode in each barrel of the pipet. Key attributes of this new technique are: (i) dissolution can be targeted at a single crystal surface; (ii) multiple measurements can be made quickly and easily by moving the pipet to a new location on the surface; (iii) materials with a wide range of kinetics and solubilities are open to study because the duration of dissolution is controlled by the meniscus contact time; (iv) fast kinetics are readily amenable to study because of the intrinsically high mass transport rates within tapered micropipets; (v) the experimental geometry is well-defined, permitting finite element method modeling to allow quantitative analysis of experimental data. Herein, we study the dissolution of NaCl as an example system, with dissolution induced for just a few milliseconds, and estimate a first-order heterogeneous rate constant of 7.5 (±2.5) × 10–5 cm s–1 (equivalent surface dissolution flux ca. 0.5 μmol cm–2 s–1 into a completely undersaturated solution). Ionic crystals form a huge class of materials whose dissolution properties are of considerable interest, and we thus anticipate that this new localized microscale surface approach will have considerable applicability in the future