Investigating the Efficacy of a Canine Rabies Vaccine Following Storage Outside of the Cold-Chain in a Passive Cooling Device

Background: Thermostable vaccines greatly improved the reach and impact of large-scale programmes to eliminate infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio, and rinderpest. A study from 2015 demonstrated that the potency of the Nobivac® Rabies vaccine was not impacted following experimental storage at 30°C for 3 months. Whether the vaccine would remain efficacious following storage under more natural, fluctuating temperature conditions remains unknown. We carried out a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial to compare serological responses in dogs following vaccination with doses stored under cold chain conditions with those stored within a locally made Passive Cooling Device (“Zeepot”) under fluctuating temperature conditions.Materials and Methods: Nobivac® Rabies vaccine was stored under either cold-chain conditions or within the Zeepot for 2 months. Daily ambient temperatures and temperatures within the Zeepot were recorded every 3 h. Following storage, 412 domestic dogs were randomly assigned to receive either cold-chain or Zeepot stored Nobivac® Rabies vaccine. Baseline and day 28-post vaccination blood samples were collected. Serological analysis using the Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralisation assay was carried out with a threshold of 0.5 IU/ml to determine seroconversion. In addition, the impact of dog Body Condition Score, sex, and age on seroconversion was examined.Results: The serological response of dogs vaccinated using Nobivac® Rabies vaccine stored within the Zeepot was not inferior to the response of dogs vaccinated using cold-chain stored vaccine (z = 1.1, df = 313, p-value = 0.25). Indeed, the 28-day post-vaccination group geometric mean titre was 1.8 and 2.0 IU/ml for cold-chain vs. non-cold-chain storage, respectively. Moreover, the percentage of dogs that seroconverted in each arm was almost identical (85%). There was a positive linear trend between Body Condition Score (O.R. 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1–5.1) and seroconversion, suggesting dogs of poor condition may not respond as expected to vaccination.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the potency of Nobivac® Rabies vaccine is not impacted following storage under elevated fluctuating temperatures within a Zeepot. These results have potentially exciting applications for scaling up mass dog vaccination programmes in low-and-middle income countries, particularly for hard-to-reach populations with limited access to power and cold-chain vaccine storage.

Caliber and Chain Conditions in Soft Topologies

In this paper, we contribute to the growing literature on soft topology. Its theoretical underpinning merges point-set or classical topology with the characteristics of soft sets (a model for the representation of uncertain knowledge initiated in 1999). We introduce two types of axioms that generalize suitable concepts of soft separability. They are respectively concerned with calibers and chain conditions. We investigate explicit procedures for the construction of non-trivial soft topological spaces that satisfy these new axioms. Then we explore the role of cardinality in their study, and the relationships among these and other properties. Our results bring to light a fruitful field for future research in soft topology.

Sensory and Physicochemical Quality, Residual Fungicide Levels and Microbial Load in ‘Florida Radiance’ Strawberries from Different Disease Control Treatments Exposed to Simulated Supply Chain Conditions

Strawberries are greatly appreciated for their flavor and health-promoting properties. However, current agricultural and postharvest handling practices may result in decreased fruit quality. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of conventional or reduced fungicide applications on the quality of ‘Florida Radiance’ strawberries exposed to supply chain conditions. Strawberries held under steady temperature had better sensory and physicochemical quality than fruit exposed to supply chain conditions, regardless of the disease control treatment. Strawberries from the reduced fungicide treatment were firmer, lost less moisture, had higher sugar and higher or similar bioactive contents than fruit from the conventional treatment. Sensory scores were better for reduced fungicide fruit held under steady temperature conditions than other treatments at the consumer level. Microbial load increased during the supply chain but results strongly suggest that washing the fruit significantly reduces the microbial load and residual fungicide levels (fludioxonil, cyprodinil, pyraclostrobin, and captan) on the fruit. Overall, the use of reduced fungicide applications to control strawberry disease constitutes a promising alternative to conventional practices. It will help reduce costs by reducing labor and the amount of fungicides used while maintaining overall strawberry quality. Moreover, avoiding abusive and fluctuating temperature conditions during the supply chain will extend shelf-life and reduce strawberry waste.

Effects of Compostable Packaging and Perforation Rates on Cucumber Quality during Extended Shelf Life and Simulated Farm-to-Fork Supply-Chain Conditions

Cucumbers are highly perishable and suffer from moisture loss, shriveling, yellowing, peel damage, and decay. Plastic packaging helps to preserve cucumber quality, but harms the environment. We examined the use of compostable modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with different perforation rates as a possible replacement for conventional plastic packaging materials. The results indicate that all of the tested types of packaging reduced cucumber weight loss and shriveling. However, compostable MAP with micro-perforations that created a modified atmosphere of between 16–18% O2 and 3–5% CO2 most effectively preserved cucumber quality, as demonstrated by reduced peel pitting, the reduced appearance of warts and the inhibition of yellowing and decay development. Overall, micro-perforated compostable packaging extended the storage life of cucumbers under both extended shelf conditions and simulated farm-to-fork supply-chain conditions and thus may serve as a replacement for the plastic packaging currently used to preserve the postharvest quality of cucumbers.

Generalised Chain Conditions, Prime Ideals, and Classes of Locally Finite Lie Algebras

A Noetherian (Artinian) Lie algebra satisfies the maximal (minimal) condition for ideals. Generalisations include quasi-Noetherian and quasi-Artinian Lie algebras. We study conditions on prime ideals relating these properties. We prove that the radical of any ideal of a quasi-Artinian Lie algebra is the intersection of finitely many prime ideals, and an ideally finite Lie algebra is quasi-Noetherian if and only if it is quasi-Artinian. Both properties are equivalent to soluble-by-finite. We also prove a structure theorem for serially finite Artinian Lie algebras.

THE FINITISTIC DIMENSION AND CHAIN CONDITIONS ON IDEALS

Let Λ be an artin algebra and $0=I_{0}\subseteq I_{1} \subseteq I_{2}\subseteq\cdots \subseteq I_{n}$ a chain of ideals of Λ such that $(I_{i+1}/I_{i})\rad(\Lambda/I_{i})=0$ for any $0\leq i\leq n-1$ and $\Lambda/I_{n}$ is semisimple. If either none or the direct sum of exactly two consecutive ideals has infinite projective dimension, then the finitistic dimension conjecture holds for Λ. As a consequence, we have that if either none or the direct sum of exactly two consecutive terms in the radical series of Λ has infinite projective dimension, then the finitistic dimension conjecture holds for Λ. Some known results are obtained as corollaries.

Banach algebras satisfying certain chain conditions on closed ideals

Let 𝔄 be a unital Banach algebra and ℜ its Jacobson radical. This paper investigates Banach algebras satisfying some chain conditions on closed ideals. In particular, it is shown that a Banach algebra 𝔄 satisfies the descending chain condition on closed left ideals then 𝔄/ℜ is finite dimensional. We also prove that a C*-algebra satisfies the ascending chain condition on left annihilators if and only if it is finite dimensional. Moreover, other auxiliary results are established.

Introduction to Part 2

The chapter demonstrates the internal reforms undertaken in the mid-1980 and major internal and external reforms the early-1990 and their effect on product and factor markets and institutional conditions. It also shows inter-relationship between international trade and investment behaviour. The reforms allowed TNCs in most industries. It was argued the reforms in general resulted in positive outcomes because India possessed critical industrial and skill endowments and capitalist conditions. The reforms resulted in augmentation of economic growth rate between 6 and 7 per cent which increased market size. This, in turn, gave incentives TNCs to bring in their assets and compete in domestic market. Apart from product markets, the reforms improved competitive conditions in input markets such as labour in sectors like software and services and automobiles and electronics. Furthermore, supply chain conditions improved significantly with entry of Japanese and South Korean multinationals.