Search results for "General Immunology and Microbiology"

Short-Term Changes in Light Distortion in Orthokeratology Subjects

2015

Purpose. Quantifying adaptation to light distortion of subjects undergoing orthokeratology (OK) for myopia during the first month of treatment. Methods. Twenty-nine healthy volunteers (age: 22.34 ± 8.08 years) with mean spherical equivalent refractive error −2.10 ± 0.93D were evaluated at baseline and days 1, 7, 15, and 30 of OK treatment. Light distortion was determined using an experimental prototype. Corneal aberrations were derived from corneal topography for different pupil sizes. Contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was analyzed for frequencies of 1.50, 2.12, 3.00, 4.24, 6.00, 8.49, 12.00, 16.97, and 24.00 cpd under photopic conditions. Results. Average monocular values of all light di…

Modelling genetic regulation of growth and form in a branching sponge

2008

We present a mathematical model of the genetic regulation controlling skeletogenesis and the influence of the physical environment on a branching sponge with accretive growth (e.g.Haliclona oculataorLubomirskia baikalensis). From previous work, it is known that high concentrations of silicate induce spicule formation and upregulate thesilicateingene. The upregulation of this gene activates locally the production of spicules in the sponge and the deposition of the skeleton. Furthermore, it is known that the expression of the geneIroquoisinduces the formation of an aquiferous system, consisting of exhalant and inhalant pores. We propose a model of the regulatory network controlling the separa…

Effectiveness of MF59-adjuvanted subunit influenza vaccine in preventing hospitalisations for cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and pne…

2007

Annual circulation of influenza virus coincides with a peak in cardiovascular and pneumonia mortality/morbidity. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of MF59-adjuvanted subunit influenza vaccine in preventing hospitalisation due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and pneumonia in the elderly. Three case-control studies were performed during the 2004-2005 influenza season in three health districts in Valencia, Spain (total elderly [>64 years of age] population: n=105,454). Controls were patients admitted for an acute surgical process or trauma within 10 days of case admission. In total, 159 patients were hospitalised for ACS, 148 for CVA and 242 for p…

Proton Transfer and Protein Conformation Dynamics in Photosensitive Proteins by Time-resolved Step-scan Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy

2014

Monitoring the dynamics of protonation and protein backbone conformation changes during the function of a protein is an essential step towards understanding its mechanism. Protonation and conformational changes affect the vibration pattern of amino acid side chains and of the peptide bond, respectively, both of which can be probed by infrared (IR) difference spectroscopy. For proteins whose function can be repetitively and reproducibly triggered by light, it is possible to obtain infrared difference spectra with (sub)microsecond resolution over a broad spectral range using the step-scan Fourier transform infrared technique. With -10(2)-10(3) repetitions of the photoreaction, the minimum num…

Validation of the French national health insurance information system as a tool in vaccine safety assessment: Application to febrile convulsions afte…

2013

In the French national health insurance information system (SNIIR-AM), routine records of health claimed reimbursements are linked to hospital admissions for the whole French population. The main focus of this work is the usability of this system for vaccine safety assessment programme. Self-controlled case series analyses were performed using an exhaustive SNIIR-AM extraction of French children aged less than 3 years, to investigate the relationship between MMR immunization and children hospitalizations for febrile convulsions, a well-documented rare adverse event, over 2009-2010. The results suggest a significant increase of febrile convulsions during the 6-11 days period following any MM…

Emergence in 2017-2019 of novel reassortant equine-like G3 rotavirus strains in Palermo, Sicily.

2021

Rotavirus A (RVA) is a major etiologic agent of gastroenteritis in children worldwide. Hospital-based surveillance of viral gastroenteritis in paediatric population in Palermo (Italy) from 2017 onwards revealed a sharp increase in G3P[8] RVAs, accounting for 71% of all the RVAs detected in 2019. This pattern had not been observed before in Italy, with G3 RVA usually being detected at rates lower than 3%. In order to investigate this unique epidemiological pattern, the genetic diversity of G3 RVAs identified during a 16-year long surveillance (2004-2019) was explored by systematic sequencing of the VP7 and VP4 genes and by whole genome sequencing of selected G3 strains, representative of the…

Different profile and distribution of antigen specific T cells induced by intranasal and intrarectal immunization with rotavirus 2/6-VLP with and wit…

2013

International audience; In this study, we compared both the profile and distribution of antigen specific primed T cells after intrarectal (IR) and intranasal (IN) immunization with rotavirus (RV) 2/6-VLP, alone or in the presence of LT-R192G, in order to highlight the differences between the two routes and the impact of the adjuvant. Adult BALB/c mice were immunized once with 2/6-VLP with or without adjuvant and the T cell response was analyzed in lymphoid tissues after in vitro restimulation with the antigen. IN, but not IR, immunization of mice with 2/6-VLP alone induced antigen-specific IL-10 and IL-17 secreting T cells. IL-10-, in contrast to IL-17-, secreting T cells did not migrate to…

Erratum to “A combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine (Priorix-Tetra™): Immunogenicity and safety profile” by Czajka et al. [Vaccine 2…

2012

Corrigendum to “A combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine (Priorix-Tetra 〈trade〉): Immunogenicity and safety profile” Vaccine 27 (2009…

2010

Pathogenic microorganisms carried by migratorybirds passing through the territory of the island ofUstica, Sicily (Italy)

2011

Several studies have shown that migratory birds play an important role in the ecology, circulation and dissemination of pathogenic organisms. In October 2006, a health status evaluation was performed on a large population of migratory birds passing through the territory of Ustica (Italy), an island located on the migration route of many species of birds to Africa, and various laboratory tests were conducted. In total, 218 faecal swabs and the internal organs of 21 subjects found dead in nets were collected for bacteriological and virological examination, including avian influenza and Newcastle disease. In addition, 19 pooled fresh faecal samples were collected for mycological examination. T…