Vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strains – What does genomics reveal on the Portuguese strain’s coverage

In Portugal, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) is the most common serogroup causing invasive meningococcal disease. To protect against MenB disease two protein based MenB vaccines are available in Portugal, the 4CMenB that was licenced in 2014 and included in the routine immunization program in October 2020, and the bivalent rLP2086 vaccine licensed in 2017. The aim of this study was to predict the coverage of the 4CMenB and rLP2086 vaccines against Portuguese isolates of Neisseria meningitidis sampled between 2012 and 2019 and to evaluate the diversity of vaccine antigens based on genomic analysis.Whole-genome sequence data from 324 Portuguese Neisseria meningitidis isolates were analysed. To predict strain coverage by 4CMenB and rLP2086, vaccine antigen reactivity was assessed using the MenDeVar index available on the PubMLST Neisseria website.This study included 235 (75.6%) MenB isolates of all invasive MenB strains reported between 2012 and 2019. Moreover, 89 non MenB isolates sampled in the same period, enrolling 68 from invasive disease and 21 from healthy carriers, were also studied.The predicted strain coverage of MenB isolates was 73.5% (95% CI: 64.8%–81.2%) for 4CMenB and 100% for rLP2086. Predicted strain coverage by 4CMenB in the age group from 0 to 4 years old, was 73.9%. Most of MenB isolates were covered by a single antigen (85.4%), namely fHbp (30.3%), P1.4 (29.2%), and NHBA (24.7%).In Portugal, the most prevalent peptides in MenB isolates were: P1.4 (16.2%), NHBA peptide 2 (14.0%), and fHbp peptide 14 (7.2%), from 4CMenB and fHbp peptide 19 (10.6%) from rLP2086. No significant temporal trends were observed concerning the distribution and diversity of vaccine antigen variants.4CMenB and rLP2086 vaccines showed potential coverage for isolates regardless serogroup.The use of both vaccines should be considered to control possible outbreaks caused by serogroups with no vaccine available.     

用宿主防御指数辅助诊断中医虚证和不同辩证虚证的探讨

以中医学“虚证”及不同辩证虚证为研究对象，以宿主防御指数为研究总指标，开展了营养学和免疫学的多指标观察，并借助于医学统计学的理论和方法，尝试对中医学“虚证”的诊断。结果显示；虚证患者与正常人相比营养条件差，免疫功能氏下，主要表现为细胞免疫功能低下和免疫调节紊乱，补体主要成分降低，将这些评价指标代入计算机进行逐步判断分析，得出可以判别正常人，气阳虚患者，血阴虚患者的方程式，方程式判别能力Ｆ＝３（Ｐ〈     

Simulation of time-resolved breast transillumination

A Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to predict the quality of time-resolved images of the breast by transillumination. The smallest diameter of a detectable carcinoma located in the breast has been computed. The simulation suggests that time-resolved imaging of the breast is possible and invaluable in the near infra-red (NIR) by transillumination. The enhancement of the transfer function by the introduction of time-resolved detection is limited by the contribution of noise at short integration times. The estimated diameter of the smallest detectable sphere is derived from the image quality index (IQI) theory and its value is around 4 mm. The simulated images of an absorbing sphere (approximating the carcinoma) within a homogeneous medium (approximating the surrounding tissue) show a significant improvement of the image with short integration time.     

一种测量视网膜锥体闪烁光ERG的改良方法：闪烁指数分析法

闪烁光ＥＲＧ是反映视网膜锥体活动的客观指标。但在诸如视网膜色素变性等一些视锥功能处于高度受累的疾病，反应波形呈现非窦状，使用以往在分析中采用的峰－峰值测量法，则不能有效地反应出波形所代表的真切含义。本文根据病理状态下闪烁光反应的波形特点，特此提出一项测量闪烁光ＥＲＧ振幅的改良方法，即闪烁指数（ｆｌｉｃｋｅｒｉｎｄｅｘｔ．ＦＩ）分析法，并通过数学方法推导出一项闪烁指数测量公式以代替方格卡尺测量法。应用本法已在实践中获得良好的验证，从而认为应用此项方法可以准确、客观、迅速地测量得锥体闪烁光的反应状态，特别是在对锥体功能呈病理状态的一些视网膜疾病的观测。通过计算机程序化处理，ＦＩ分析法可为临床视觉电生理研究提供一种有效的手段。     

Effect of stimulation of Kupffer cells by prodigiosan on regeneration of hepatocytes

The effect of the polysaccharide ofBacillus prodigiosus (prodigiosan) on DNA synthesis and mitotic activity of the hepatocytes was studied in the regenerating liver of male Wistar rats. After administration of the stimulator in a dose of 50 g per rat 24 h before partial hepatectomy the indices of labeled nuclei and mitotic indices were higher and reached their maximum sooner in the hepatocytes in the experimental animals than in the controls. It is suggested that the stimulating effect of prodigiosan is connected with activation of the Kupffer cells of the liver.Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Novosibirsk. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. P. Kaznacheev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 86, No. 7, pp. 69–71, July, 1978.     

示指血管神经的断面观测

用２７个成人示指作组织切片后，选取近侧、中间和远侧指横纹及相邻横纹１／２处的横断面切片，对指掌侧固有动脉、静脉和神经的位置、形态进行了观测。     

The Genetics of Obesity: What Have Genetic Studies Told Us About the Environment

Genetic studies have shown that both childhood and adult body mass index are substantially heritable. The evidence for shared family environmental influences is largely absent, even though there are clear indications that secular changes in energy expenditure have brought about a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity. This apparent inconsistency may be explained by the dual phenomena of the near-universality of access to environments that facilitate reductions in energy expenditure (e.g., TV as a recreational pastime), together with heritable individual differences in the response to or utilization of these environments. The impact of changes in nonshared environments on body weight can be estimated from biometrical genetical studies and is found to be both small and relatively short-lived. Genetic and environmental results from longitudinal studies are consistent with what is known about the changing distribution of adiposity during adulthood and clinical experience of the difficulty of maintaining behavioral-induced weight loss.     

鬼针草的细胞学研究

报道了鬼针草的核型公式:K(2n)=3X=36=27m+3sm+6sm(SAT),染色体相对长度组成:2n=36=6L+9M₂+18M₁+3S,核型为“2A”型,同时计算了鬼针草的染色体体积。