scholarly journals Predicted Symptomatic Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 Vaccine Against Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg Volkov
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Booster Vaccination ◽  
Type A ◽  
Free Software ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
The Third

AbstractThis paper presents predictions of the symptomatic effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) vaccine against Omicron B.1.1.529, the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. They were obtained assuming fold decreases in Omicron neutralisation by vaccine-induced antibodies versus neutralisation of the virus Wild Type. A 25-fold decrease was assumed based on Omicron pseudovirus neutralisation study by Pfizer and BioNTech; a 94-fold, based on live-Omicron neutralisation study in South Africa; and 40, 80 and 120 folds, hypothesised based on genetic information. The effectiveness of two vaccine doses was predicted as 66% (42, 86), 48% (25, 72) and 42% (20, 66) for up to five months starting 2-4 weeks after the second dose, for the 25, 80 and 120 folds, respectively. The effectiveness of booster vaccination was predicted under a highly conservative assumption that the third dose would increase neutralisation by only 3.3 folds compared to the second dose. The predictions of effectiveness for up to five months, starting 2-4 weeks after the third dose, were 81% (59, 95), 67% (43, 87) and 61% (37, 82) for the 25, 80 and 120 folds, respectively. Despite the large fold decreases considered, the vaccine could still provide substantial protection, particularly after a booster and against severe disease. The paper is accompanied by free software which can be used to predict the symptomatic effectiveness of Comirnaty against Omicron under different neutralisation folds, including those obtained experimentally.

The geochemistry of Archaean plagioclase-rich granites as a marker of source enrichment and depth of melting

2009 ◽  
Vol 100 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-F. Moyen ◽  
D. Champion ◽  
R. H. Smithies
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
The Other ◽  
Individual Sample ◽  
The Third ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Pilbara Craton ◽  
Melting Degree ◽  
Extract Information

ABSTRACTIn geochemical diagrams, granitoids define ‘trends’ that reflect increasing differentiation or melting degree. The position of an individual sample in such a trend, whilst linked to the temperature of equilibration, is difficult to interpret. On the other hand, the positions of the trends within the geochemical space (and not the position of a sample within a trend) carry important genetic information, as they reflect the nature of the source (degree of enrichment) and the depth of melting. This paper discusses the interpretation of geochemical trends, to extract information relating to the sources of granitoid magmas and the depth of melting.%Applying this approach to mid-Archaean granitoids from both the Barberton granite–greenstone terrane (South Africa) and the Pilbara Craton (Australia) reveals two features. The first is the diversity of the group generally referred to as ‘TTGs’ (tonalites, trondhjemites and granodiorites). These appear to be composed of at least three distinct sub-series, one resulting from deep melting of relatively depleted sources, the second from shallower melting of depleted sources, and the third from shallow melting of enriched sources. The second feature is the contrast between the (spatial as well as temporal) distributions and associations of the granites in both cratons.

Good Governance

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henk Addink
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
National Level ◽  
Administrative Law ◽  
Modern State ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The Third ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
Further Development

The pivotal aim of this book is to explain the creation, development, and impact of good governance from a conceptual, principal perspective and in the context of national administrative law. Three lines of reasoning have been worked out: developing the concept of good governance; specification of this concept by developing principles of good governance; and implementation of these principles of good governance on the national level. In this phase of further development of good governance, it is important to have a clear concept of good governance, presented in this book as the third cornerstone of a modern state, alongside the concepts of the rule of law and democracy. That is a rather new national administrative law perspective which is influenced by regional and international legal developments; thus, we can speak about good governance as a multilevel concept. But the question is: how is this concept of good governance further developed? Six principles of good governance (which in a narrower sense also qualify as principles of good administration) have been further specified in a systematic way, from a legal perspective. These are the principles of properness, transparency, participation, effectiveness, accountability, and human rights. Furthermore, the link has been made with integrity standards. The important developments of each of these principles are described on the national level in Europe, but also in countries outside Europe (such as Australia, Canada, and South Africa). This book gives a systematic comparison of the implementation of the principles of good governance between countries.

scholarly journals Protective efficacy of a SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine in wild-type and immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters

npj Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Brocato ◽  
Steven A. Kwilas ◽  
Robert K. Kim ◽  
Xiankun Zeng ◽  
Lucia M. Principe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Vaccine ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Protective Efficacy ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Disease Model ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Jet Injection ◽  
Syrian Hamsters ◽  
Dna Targeting

AbstractA worldwide effort to counter the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in hundreds of candidate vaccines moving through various stages of research and development, including several vaccines in phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials. A relatively small number of these vaccines have been evaluated in SARS-CoV-2 disease models, and fewer in a severe disease model. Here, a SARS-CoV-2 DNA targeting the spike protein and delivered by jet injection, nCoV-S(JET), elicited neutralizing antibodies in hamsters and was protective in both wild-type and transiently immunosuppressed hamster models. This study highlights the DNA vaccine, nCoV-S(JET), we developed has a great potential to move to next stage of preclinical studies, and it also demonstrates that the transiently-immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters, which recapitulate severe and prolonged COVID-19 disease, can be used for preclinical evaluation of the protective efficacy of spike-based COVID-19 vaccines.

scholarly journals A potential krimpsiekte vaccine

2007 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.J. Botha ◽  
J.E. Crafford ◽  
V.P. Butler ◽  
M.N. Stojanovic ◽  
L. Labuschagne
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Bovine Serum Albumin ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Third ◽  
Protein Conjugate ◽  
Bovine Serum Albumin Conjugate ◽  
Small Stock ◽  
Antibody Titres ◽  
Glycoside Poisoning

Krimpsiekte, a chronic form of cardiac glycoside poisoning, is an important plant-induced intoxication of small stock in South Africa. It is caused by cumulative, neurotoxic bufadienolides, such as cotyledoside. A cotyledoside-bovine serum albumin conjugate was synthesized to immunize animals. The efficacy of the cotyledoside-conjugate in inducing an immunological response was ascertained in rabbits (n = 4) and sheep (n = 4) by determining cotyledoside antibody titres with an ELISA using cotyledoside-hen ovalbumin as antigen. The formation of anticotyledoside antibodies was induced in both rabbits and sheep following immunization with the cotyledoside-protein conjugate. Protection provided by the vaccine was demonstrated by challenging sheep (n = 4) with repeated, daily doses of cotyledoside (0.015 mg / kg) administered intravenously, commencing 45 days after the initial vaccination. One control animal died on Day 3 of the challenge period and the other was severely affected after administration of the third cotyledoside dose. The immunized ewes (n = 2) remained clinically unaffected and the challenge was suspended following six daily injections. Vaccination as a means of preventing krimpsiekte seems to be quite feasible and deserves further investigation.

Sequential cold-sensitive mutations in Aspergillus fumigatus

1978 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Nielsen ◽  
Kenneth F. Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
Type A ◽  
Maximum Growth ◽  
Cold Sensitivity ◽  
Nonpermissive Temperature ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cold Sensitive ◽  
Wild Type Parent ◽  
Thermotolerant Fungus

Mutants of the thermotolerant fungus Aspergillus fumigatus I-21 (ATCC 32722) unable to grow at 37 °C were sought. Cold-sensitive mutants were enriched from progeny spores of γ-irradiated conidia by two or more incubations at various nonpermissive temperatures alternating with filtrations through cheesecloth. The approximate minimum, optimum, and maximum growth temperatures of the parent were 12, 40, and 50 °C, respectively. Mutants unable to grow at 37 °C were not successfully isolated directly from the wild type. A mutant unable to grow at 25 °C was isolated and mutations further increasing the cold sensitivity by increments of 3–5 °C were found to occur. Mutants completely unable to grow at 37 °C were obtained by five sequential mutations. All mutants grew as fast as the wild-type parent at 45 °C and higher. Each mutant produced revenants able to grow not only at the nonpermissive temperature used for its isolation but also at lower temperatures.

The Effects of Isoflurane on Desensitized Wild-Type and ??1(S270H) ??-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptors

2004 ◽  
pp. 1297-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. Hall ◽  
Kathleen C. Rowan ◽  
Renna J. N. Stevens ◽  
Jill C. Kelley ◽  
Neil L. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Type A ◽  
Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Acid Type

New South African Review 3: The second phase – tragedy or farce? (John Daniel, Prishani Naidoo, Devan Pillay and Roger Southall, eds)

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Kotzé
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
New South ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Human Sciences ◽  
The South ◽  
Negotiated Settlement ◽  
The Third ◽  
Direct Competition

As the title indicates this publication is the third issue in a series of reviews. The first issue was subtitled 2010: Development or decline? (2010) and the second was New paths, old promises? (2011). These publications are edited in the Department of Sociology at Wits University as part of its Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) Programme. The series is intended to be a revival of the South African Review edited by the South African Research Service and published by Ravan Press in the 1980s and early 1990s. Arguably one of the best known of these series was issue seven edited by Steven Friedman and Doreen Atkinson, The Small Miracle: South Africa's negotiated settlement (1994). The latest publication should also be seen as direct competition for the Human Sciences Research Council's (HSRC) regular publication, State of the Nation. The New South African Review 3 is organised into four parts, namely Party, Power and Class; Ecology, Economy and Labour; Public Policy and Social Practice; and South Africa at Large. The four editors introduce each of the sections, consisting of 16 chapters in total. Thebook's format appears to be that of a yearbook but it is not linked to a specific year. It is therefore not in the same category as for example the South African Institute of Race Relations' annual South Africa Survey. The Review is organised around a theme, albeit very general in its formulation, and in the case of the third issue it is also not applicable to all its chapters. At the same time, though, it is not a yearbook as the choice of chapters and their foci are on the latest developments. 

scholarly journals E22Δ Mutation in Amyloidβ-Protein Promotesβ-Sheet Transformation, Radical Production, and Synaptotoxicity, But Not Neurotoxicity

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takayuki Suzuki ◽  
Kazuma Murakami ◽  
Naotaka Izuo ◽  
Toshiaki Kume ◽  
Akinori Akaike ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Conformational Change ◽  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Type A ◽  
Synaptic Dysfunction ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Radical Production

Oligomers of 40- or 42-mer amyloidβ-protein (Aβ40, Aβ42) cause cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. We proposed the importance of a turn at Glu22 and Asp23 of Aβ42 to induce its neurotoxicity through the formation of radicals. Recently, a novel deletion mutant at Glu22 (E22Δ) of Aβ42 was reported to accelerate oligomerization and synaptotoxicity. To investigate this mechanism, the effects of the E22Δ mutation in Aβ42 and Aβ40 on the transformation ofβ-sheets, radical production, and neurotoxicity were examined. Both mutants promotedβ-sheet transformation and the formation of radicals, while their neurotoxicity was negative. In contrast, E22P-Aβ42 with a turn at Glu22 and Asp23 exhibited potent neurotoxicity along with the ability to form radicals and potent synaptotoxicity. These data suggest that conformational change in E22Δ-Aβis similar to that in E22P-Aβ42 but not the same, since E22Δ-Aβ42 exhibited no cytotoxicity, unlike E22P-Aβ42 and wild-type Aβ42.

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