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1.
Biol Psychiatry ; 96(1): 34-43, 2024 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38141910

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression, a common psychiatric illness and global public health problem, remains poorly understood across different life stages, which hampers the development of novel treatments. METHODS: To identify new candidate genes for therapeutic development, we performed differential gene expression analysis of single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of older adults (n = 424) in relation to antemortem depressive symptoms. Additionally, we integrated genome-wide association study results for depression (n = 500,199) along with genetic tools for inferring the expression of 14,048 unique genes in 7 cell types and 52 cell subtypes to perform a transcriptome-wide association study of depression followed by Mendelian randomization. RESULTS: Our single-nucleus transcriptome-wide association study analysis identified 68 candidate genes for depression and showed the greatest number being in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Of the 68 genes, 53 were novel compared to previous studies. Notably, gene expression in different neuronal subtypes had varying effects on depression risk. Traits with high genetic correlations with depression, such as neuroticism, shared more transcriptome-wide association study genes than traits that were not highly correlated with depression. Complementing these analyses, differential gene expression analysis across 52 neocortical cell subtypes showed that genes such as KCNN2, SCAI, WASF3, and SOCS6 were associated with late-life depressive symptoms in specific cell subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: These 2 sets of analyses illustrate the utility of large single-nucleus RNA sequencing data both to uncover genes whose expression is altered in specific cell subtypes in the context of depressive symptoms and to enhance the interpretation of well-powered genome-wide association studies so that we can prioritize specific susceptibility genes for further analysis and therapeutic development.


Subject(s)
Genome-Wide Association Study , Transcriptome , Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Depression/genetics , Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex , Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Middle Aged , Mendelian Randomization Analysis , Neurons/metabolism
2.
Nat Neurosci ; 26(7): 1267-1280, 2023 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37336975

ABSTRACT

The role of different cell types and their interactions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex and open question. Here, we pursued this question by assembling a high-resolution cellular map of the aging frontal cortex using single-nucleus RNA sequencing of 24 individuals with a range of clinicopathologic characteristics. We used this map to infer the neocortical cellular architecture of 638 individuals profiled by bulk RNA sequencing, providing the sample size necessary for identifying statistically robust associations. We uncovered diverse cell populations associated with AD, including a somatostatin inhibitory neuronal subtype and oligodendroglial states. We further identified a network of multicellular communities, each composed of coordinated subpopulations of neuronal, glial and endothelial cells, and we found that two of these communities are altered in AD. Finally, we used mediation analyses to prioritize cellular changes that might contribute to cognitive decline. Thus, our deconstruction of the aging neocortex provides a roadmap for evaluating the cellular microenvironments underlying AD and dementia.


Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Cognitive Dysfunction , Neocortex , Humans , Alzheimer Disease/metabolism , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Brain/metabolism , Aging/pathology , Cognitive Dysfunction/pathology , Neocortex/pathology
3.
medRxiv ; 2023 Mar 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37034737

ABSTRACT

Background: Depression is a common psychiatric illness and global public health problem. However, our limited understanding of the biological basis of depression has hindered the development of novel treatments and interventions. Methods: To identify new candidate genes for therapeutic development, we examined single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snucRNAseq) data from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (N=424) in relation to ante-mortem depressive symptoms. To complement these direct analyses, we also used genome-wide association study (GWAS) results for depression (N=500,199) along with genetic tools for inferring the expression of 22,159 genes in 7 cell types and 55 cell subtypes to perform transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) of depression followed by Mendelian randomization (MR). Results: Our single-nucleus TWAS analysis identified 71 causal genes in depression that have a role in specific neocortical cell subtypes; 59 of 71 genes were novel compared to previous studies. Depression TWAS genes showed a cell type specific pattern, with the greatest enrichment being in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as astrocytes. Gene expression in different neuron subtypes have different directions of effect on depression risk. Compared to lower genetically correlated traits (e.g. body mass index) with depression, higher correlated traits (e.g., neuroticism) have more common TWAS genes with depression. In parallel, we performed differential gene expression analysis in relation to depression in 55 cortical cell subtypes, and we found that genes such as ANKRD36, MADD, TAOK3, SCAI and CHUK are associated with depression in specific cell subtypes. Conclusions: These two sets of analyses illustrate the utility of large snucRNAseq data to uncover both genes whose expression is altered in specific cell subtypes in the context of depression and to enhance the interpretation of well-powered GWAS so that we can prioritize specific susceptibility genes for further analysis and therapeutic development.

4.
Phys Rev Lett ; 128(13): 132003, 2022 Apr 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35426713

ABSTRACT

The ratio of the nucleon F_{2} structure functions, F_{2}^{n}/F_{2}^{p}, is determined by the MARATHON experiment from measurements of deep inelastic scattering of electrons from ^{3}H and ^{3}He nuclei. The experiment was performed in the Hall A Facility of Jefferson Lab using two high-resolution spectrometers for electron detection, and a cryogenic target system which included a low-activity tritium cell. The data analysis used a novel technique exploiting the mirror symmetry of the two nuclei, which essentially eliminates many theoretical uncertainties in the extraction of the ratio. The results, which cover the Bjorken scaling variable range 0.19

5.
Preprint in English | bioRxiv | ID: ppbiorxiv-456441

ABSTRACT

Prevention of COVID-19 is widely believed to depend on neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by vaccine-induced humoral immunity1,2, raising concern that emerging escape variants may perpetuate the pandemic3-6. Here we show that a single intramuscular injection of Adeno-Associated Virus-6 (AAV6) or AAV9 encoding a modified, N-terminal domain deleted ({Delta}NTD) spike protein induces robust cellular immunity and provides long-term protection in k18-hACE2 transgenic mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge, associated weight loss and pneumonia independent of vaccine-induced neutralizing humoral immunity. In both mice and macaques, vaccine-induced cellular immunity results in the clearance of transduced muscle fibers coincident with macrophage and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell infiltration at the site of immunization. Additionally, mice demonstrate a strong Type-1 polarized cellular immunophenotype and equivalent ex vivo T cell reactivity to peptides of wt and alpha (B.1.1.7) variant spike. These studies demonstrate not only that AAV6 and AAV9 can function as effective vaccine platforms, but also that vaccines can provide long-term efficacy primarily through the induction of cellular immunity. The findings may provide an alternative approach to containment of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and have broader implications for the development of variant-agnostic universal vaccines against a wider range of pathogens.

6.
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol ; 34(4): 274-279, 2021 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34219522

ABSTRACT

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease seen in older adults after Alzheimer's disease, with increasing prevalence worldwide. Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP) is a common, non-motor feature of PD, which increases caregiver stress and is a risk-factor for nursing home placement. In this paper we review PDP epidemiology, features, diagnosis, and treatment. PDP most often presents with sequential development of minor and then increasingly complex visual hallucinations mediated by dopaminergic-serotonergic interactions activating the mesolimbic pathway, with contributions from other structures and neurotransmitters. Appropriate evaluation of differential diagnoses for psychosis is vital before diagnosing PDP. Initial treatment should involve non-pharmacologic approaches. If these are unsuccessful and PDP symptoms significantly impact the patient's and or their caregivers' quality of life and functions, then pharmacotherapy is indicated. Pimavanserin is a recently FDA-approved pharmacologic treatment for PDP with a better profile of balanced effectiveness and safety compared to previous use of atypical antipsychotics. Early diagnosis and safer, more effective treatments for PDP should help reduce caregiver burden and enable caregivers to continue to provide care at home versus institutionalization.


Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents , Neurodegenerative Diseases , Parkinson Disease , Psychotic Disorders , Aged , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Caregivers , Humans , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Parkinson Disease/epidemiology , Psychotic Disorders/diagnosis , Psychotic Disorders/drug therapy , Psychotic Disorders/epidemiology , Quality of Life
7.
Cell ; 184(11): 3056-3074.e21, 2021 05 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33932339

ABSTRACT

The choroid plexus (ChP) in each brain ventricle produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and forms the blood-CSF barrier. Here, we construct a single-cell and spatial atlas of each ChP in the developing, adult, and aged mouse brain. We delineate diverse cell types, subtypes, cell states, and expression programs in epithelial and mesenchymal cells across ages and ventricles. In the developing ChP, we predict a common progenitor pool for epithelial and neuronal cells, validated by lineage tracing. Epithelial and fibroblast cells show regionalized expression by ventricle, starting at embryonic stages and persisting with age, with a dramatic transcriptional shift with maturation, and a smaller shift in each aged cell type. With aging, epithelial cells upregulate host-defense programs, and resident macrophages upregulate interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) signaling genes. Our atlas reveals cellular diversity, architecture and signaling across ventricles during development, maturation, and aging of the ChP-brain barrier.


Subject(s)
Choroid Plexus/embryology , Choroid Plexus/metabolism , Age Factors , Aging/physiology , Animals , Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism , Brain/metabolism , Brain/physiology , Brain Diseases/genetics , Brain Diseases/physiopathology , Cell Differentiation/genetics , Cell Lineage/genetics , Choroid Plexus/physiology , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Female , Male , Mice/embryology , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Signal Transduction , Single-Cell Analysis
8.
Phys Rev Lett ; 124(21): 212501, 2020 May 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32530643

ABSTRACT

We report the first measurement of the (e,e^{'}p) three-body breakup reaction cross sections in helium-3 (^{3}He) and tritium (^{3}H) at large momentum transfer [⟨Q^{2}⟩≈1.9 (GeV/c)^{2}] and x_{B}>1 kinematics, where the cross section should be sensitive to quasielastic (QE) scattering from single nucleons. The data cover missing momenta 40≤p_{miss}≤500 MeV/c that, in the QE limit with no rescattering, equals the initial momentum of the probed nucleon. The measured cross sections are compared with state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Overall good agreement, within ±20%, is observed between data and calculations for the full p_{miss} range for ^{3}H and for 100≤p_{miss}≤350 MeV/c for ^{3}He. Including the effects of rescattering of the outgoing nucleon improves agreement with the data at p_{miss}>250 MeV/c and suggests contributions from charge-exchange (SCX) rescattering. The isoscalar sum of ^{3}He plus ^{3}H, which is largely insensitive to SCX, is described by calculations to within the accuracy of the data over the entire p_{miss} range. This validates current models of the ground state of the three-nucleon system up to very high initial nucleon momenta of 500 MeV/c.

9.
Vaccine ; 37(31): 4344-4353, 2019 07 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31230881

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), especially that caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection, is a public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region. We report a phase I clinical trial of an EV71 candidate vaccine (INV21) based on a binary ethylenimine inactivated B2 sub-genotype formulated with aluminum hydroxide. METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, dose escalation study adult volunteers received two vaccinations 28 days apart of low or high dose formulations of the candidate vaccine and were then monitored for safety and reactogenicity for four weeks after each dose, and for their immune responses up to 28 weeks. RESULTS: Of 36 adults enrolled, 35 completed the study as planned. Either no or mild adverse events were observed, mainly injection site pain and tiredness. Seroconversion was 100% after two vaccinations. High geometric mean neutralizing antibody titers (GMT) were observed 14 days post first dose, peaking 14 days post second dose (at Day 42) in both high and low dose groups; GMTs on days 14, 28, 42, and 56 were 128, 81, 323, 203 and 144, 100, 451, 351 in low- and high-dose groups, respectively. Titers for both doses declined gradually to Day 196 but remained higher than baseline and the placebo groups, which had low GMTs throughout the duration of the study. Cross-neutralizing antibody activity against heterologous sub-genotypes was demonstrated. CONCLUSION: These data show that the EV71 candidate vaccine is safe and immunogenic in adults and supports further clinical development as a potential pediatric vaccine by initiating a dose-escalation study for determining the dose-dependent safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in young naïve children.


Subject(s)
Enterovirus A, Human/immunology , Enterovirus Infections/immunology , Enterovirus Infections/prevention & control , Immunogenicity, Vaccine , Vaccines, Inactivated , Viral Vaccines/immunology , Adult , Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood , Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Cross Protection , Female , Healthy Volunteers , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neutralization Tests , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Vaccination , Viral Vaccines/administration & dosage , Viral Vaccines/adverse effects , Young Adult
10.
Microvasc Res ; 122: 71-77, 2019 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30481493

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary alveolar septal capillaries receive their perfusion from a web of larger surrounding acinar vessels. Using 4 µm diam. Latex particles, we showed that positive pressure ventilation narrowed the acinar vessels as evidenced by venous 4 µm particle concentrations and perfusate flows <50% of particle concentrations in negative pressure ventilated lungs. We aimed to understand the effects of positive and negative pressure ventilation on flows of larger particles through the lung. Isolated, ventilated rat lungs (air, transpulmonary pressures of 15/5 cm H2O, 25 breaths/min) were perfused with a hetastarch solution at Ppulm art/PLA pressures of 10/0 cm H2O. Red latex 7 µm (2.5 mg, 4.8 × 106) or 15 µm (2.5 mg, 5.5 × 105) particles were infused into each lung during positive or negative pressure ventilation. An equal number of green particles was infused 20 min later. Flows through lungs infused with 7 µm and 15 µm particles were not different from flows through lungs infused with 4 µm particles (p = 0.811). Venous particle concentrations of 7 µm particles relative to infused particles were lower in positive pressure lungs (0.03 ±â€¯0.03%) compared to negative pressure lungs (0.17 ±â€¯0.12%) (p = 0.041). Venous particle concentrations of 15 µm particles were not different between positive (2.3 ±â€¯1.9%) and negative (3.3 ±â€¯1.8%) pressure ventilation (p = 0.406). Together with our previous study, we conclude that 4 µm and 7 µm particles both enter acinar vessels but that the 7 µm particles are too large to flow through those vessels. In contrast, we conclude that 15 µm particles bypass the acinar vessels, flowing instead through larger intrapulmonary vessels to enter the venous outflow. These findings suggest that intrapulmonary vessels are organized as a web that allows bypass of the acinar vessels by large particles and, that these bypass vessels are not compressed by positive pressure ventilation.


Subject(s)
Microcirculation , Microvessels/physiology , Positive-Pressure Respiration , Pulmonary Alveoli/blood supply , Pulmonary Circulation , Ventilators, Negative-Pressure , Animals , Blood Flow Velocity , Fluorescent Dyes/administration & dosage , Male , Microspheres , Particle Size , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Regional Blood Flow , Respiration , Time Factors
11.
Pulm Circ ; 8(1): 2045893217753596, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29283015

ABSTRACT

We compared acinar perfusion in isolated rat lungs ventilated using positive or negative pressures. The lungs were ventilated with air at transpulmomary pressures of 15/5 cm H2O, at 25 breaths/min, and perfused with a hetastarch solution at Ppulm art/PLA pressures of 10/0 cm H2O. We evaluated overall perfusability from perfusate flows, and from the venous concentrations of 4-µm diameter fluorescent latex particles infused into the pulmonary circulation during perfusion. We measured perfusion distribution from the trapping patterns of those particles within the lung. We infused approximately 9 million red fluorescent particles into each lung, followed 20 min later by an infusion of an equal number of green particles. In positive pressure lungs, 94.7 ± 2.4% of the infused particles remained trapped within the lungs, compared to 86.8 ± 5.6% in negative pressure lungs ( P ≤ 0.05). Perfusate flows averaged 2.5 ± 0.1 mL/min in lungs ventilated with positive pressures, compared to 5.6 ± 01 mL/min in lungs ventilated with negative pressures ( P ≤ 0.05). Particle infusions had little effect on perfusate flows. In confocal images of dried sections of each lung, red and green particles were co-localized in clusters in positive pressure lungs, suggesting that acinar vessels that lacked particles were collapsed by these pressures thereby preventing perfusion through them. Particles were more broadly and uniformly distributed in negative pressure lungs, suggesting that perfusion in these lungs was also more uniformly distributed. Our results suggest that the acinar circulation is organized as a web, and further suggest that portions of this web are collapsed by positive pressure ventilation.

12.
Phys Rev Lett ; 119(18): 182501, 2017 Nov 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29219591

ABSTRACT

We report the measurement of the beam-vector and tensor asymmetries A_{ed}^{V} and A_{d}^{T} in quasielastic (e[over →],e^{'}p) electrodisintegration of the deuteron at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center up to missing momentum of 500 MeV/c. Data were collected simultaneously over a momentum transfer range 0.1

13.
Endocr Connect ; 6(8): 847-855, 2017 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29038331

ABSTRACT

Ghrelin plasma concentration increases in parallel to cortisol after a standardized psychological stress in humans, but the physiological basis of this interaction is unknown. We aimed to elucidate this question by studying the ghrelin response to pharmacological manipulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Six lean, healthy male volunteers were examined under four experimental conditions. Blood samples were collected every 30 min for two sequential periods of two hours. Initially, a baseline period was followed by intravenous injection of a synthetic analog of ACTH (250 µg). Subsequently, a single dose of metyrapone was administered at midnight and in the following morning, blood samples were collected for 2 h, followed by an intravenous injection of hydrocortisone (100 mg) with continued sampling. We show that increased cortisol serum levels secondary to ACTH stimulation or hydrocortisone administration are positively associated with plasma ghrelin levels, whereas central stimulation of the HPA axis by blocking cortisol synthesis with metyrapone is associated with decreased plasma ghrelin levels. Collectively, this suggests that HPA-axis-mediated elevations in ghrelin plasma concentration require increased peripheral cortisol levels, independent of central elevation of ACTH and possibly CRH levels.

14.
Physiol Rep ; 4(21)2016 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27821718

ABSTRACT

Several studies have suggested that large-diameter (>25 µm) arterio-venous shunt pathways exist in the lungs of rats, dogs, and humans. We investigated the nature of these pathways by infusing specific-diameter fluorescent latex particles (4, 7, 15, 30, or 50 µm) into isolated, ventilated rat lungs perfused at constant pressure. All lungs received the same mass of latex (5 mg), which resulted in infused particle numbers that ranged from 1.7 × 107 4 µm particles to 7.5 × 104 50 µm particles. Particles were infused over 2 min. We used a flow cytometer to count particle appearances in venous effluent samples collected every 0.5 min for 12 min from the start of particle infusion. Cumulative percentages of infused particles that appeared in the samples averaged 3.17 ± 2.46% for 4 µm diameter particles, but ranged from 0.01% to 0.17% for larger particles. Appearances of 4 µm particles followed a rapid upslope beginning at 30 sec followed by a more gradual downslope that lasted for up to 12 min. All other particle diameters also began to appear at 30 sec, but followed highly irregular time courses. Infusion of 7 and 15 µm particles caused transient but significant perfusate flow reductions, while infusion of all other diameters caused insignificant reductions in flow. We conclude that small numbers of bypass vessels exist that can accommodate particle diameters of 7-to-50 µm. We further conclude that our 4 µm particle data are consistent with a well-developed network of serial and parallel perfusion pathways at the acinar level.


Subject(s)
Arteriovenous Anastomosis/drug effects , Lung/blood supply , Microcirculation/drug effects , Microspheres , Perfusion/methods , Pulmonary Artery/drug effects , Animals , Arteriovenous Anastomosis/physiology , Embolization, Therapeutic , Flow Cytometry/methods , Lung/physiology , Male , Microcirculation/physiology , Microscopy, Confocal , Pulmonary Alveoli/blood supply , Pulmonary Artery/physiology , Pulmonary Circulation/physiology , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley
15.
J Infect Dis ; 213(10): 1562-72, 2016 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26704612

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A safe, effective tetravalent dengue vaccine is a global health priority. The safety and immunogenicity of a live attenuated, recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TDV) were evaluated in healthy volunteers from dengue-endemic countries. METHODS: This multicenter, double-blind, phase 2 study was conducted in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Singapore, and Thailand. During stage I, 148 volunteers aged 1.5-45 years were sequentially enrolled into 4 age-descending groups and randomized at a ratio of 2:1 to receive TDV or placebo. In stage II (group 5), 212 children aged 1.5-11 years were randomized at a ratio of 3:1 to receive TDV or placebo. Participants received a subcutaneous injection of TDV or placebo on days 0 and 90 and were followed for analysis of safety, seropositivity, and neutralizing antibodies to DENV-1-4. RESULTS: Injection site pain, itching, and erythema (mostly mild) were the only solicited adverse events more frequently reported with TDV than with placebo in all age groups. After 2 TDV doses, seropositivity was >95% in all 5 groups for DENV-1-3 and 72.7%-100% for DENV-4; geometric mean titers ranged from 582 to 1187 for DENV-1, from 582 to 1187 for DENV-2, from 196 to 630 for DENV-3, and from 41 to 210 for DENV-4 among the 5 groups. CONCLUSIONS: TDV was well tolerated and immunogenic in volunteers aged 1.5-45 years, irrespective of prevaccination dengue exposure.


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Dengue Vaccines/immunology , Dengue Virus/immunology , Dengue/prevention & control , Adolescent , Adult , Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology , Child , Child, Preschool , Colombia , Dengue/immunology , Dengue Vaccines/administration & dosage , Dengue Vaccines/standards , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Infant , Injections, Subcutaneous , Male , Middle Aged , Puerto Rico , Safety , Singapore , Thailand , Vaccines, Attenuated/administration & dosage , Vaccines, Attenuated/immunology , Vaccines, Attenuated/standards , Young Adult
16.
Phys Rev Lett ; 115(17): 172502, 2015 Oct 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26551107

ABSTRACT

We report the first measurement of the target single-spin asymmetry, A(y), in quasielastic scattering from the inclusive reaction (3)He(↑)(e,e') on a (3)He gas target polarized normal to the lepton scattering plane. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero for one-photon exchange. A nonzero A(y) can arise from the interference between the one- and two-photon exchange processes which is sensitive to the details of the substructure of the nucleon. An experiment recently completed at Jefferson Lab yielded asymmetries with high statistical precision at Q(2)=0.13, 0.46, and 0.97 GeV(2). These measurements demonstrate, for the first time, that the (3)He asymmetry is clearly nonzero and negative at the 4σ-9σ level. Using measured proton-to-(3)He cross-section ratios and the effective polarization approximation, neutron asymmetries of -(1-3)% were obtained. The neutron asymmetry at high Q(2) is related to moments of the generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Our measured neutron asymmetry at Q(2)=0.97 GeV(2) agrees well with a prediction based on two-photon exchange using a GPD model and thus provides a new, independent constraint on these distributions.

17.
Vaccine ; 33(46): 6351-9, 2015 Nov 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26384447

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: A safe, effective dengue vaccine that can simultaneously induce immunity to all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1-4) is a public health priority. A chimeric tetravalent dengue vaccine (TDV) based on an attenuated DENV-2 serotype backbone was evaluated in healthy, flavivirus-seronegative adults. METHODS: In this randomized, multicenter, Phase 1b study conducted in the United States, the safety and immunogenicity of TDV were evaluated in 140 participants aged 18-45 years in six dosing regimen study groups. Participants were injected subcutaneously on Days 0 and 90; placebo (saline) was injected where appropriate to maintain double blinding. Three different TDV dosages (TDV, a vaccine in which TDV-4 had been increased three-fold, and a one-tenth TDV dose), and single or double dosing were evaluated in one and/or both arms. Primary endpoints were solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) and seroconversion rates to DENV-1-4 at Day 120. RESULTS: The severity of all AEs was generally mild. The most common unsolicited AEs were headache (52%), fatigue (43%) and myalgia (29%). The incidence of injection site pain ranged from 29 to 64% and 5 to 52% among study groups after the first and second doses, respectively. At Day 120, the ranges of seroconversion rates among the groups were DEN-1: 84-100%; DEN-2: 96-100%; DEN-3: 83-100%; and DEN-4: 33-77%. More than 80% of participants in each group seroconverted to at least three dengue serotypes. Substantial GMT increases from baseline were observed for DEN-1-3 at all time points from Day 30 onward; DEN-4 GMT increases were lower. Increasing TDV-4 slightly increased DEN-4 GMT, did not impact DEN-2 and DEN-3 GMT, but reduced DEN-1 GMT. Neither multiple dosing in both arms, nor one-tenth TDV dosing meaningfully impacted GMT increases relative to TDV. CONCLUSIONS: All TDV doses and dosing schedules were well tolerated and immunogenic in healthy flavivirus-naive adults (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01511250).


Subject(s)
Dengue Vaccines/adverse effects , Dengue Vaccines/immunology , Dengue/prevention & control , Immunization Schedule , Adolescent , Adult , Dengue Vaccines/administration & dosage , Double-Blind Method , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/epidemiology , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/pathology , Female , Healthy Volunteers , Humans , Incidence , Injections, Subcutaneous , Male , Middle Aged , Placebos/administration & dosage , United States , Vaccines, Attenuated/administration & dosage , Vaccines, Attenuated/adverse effects , Vaccines, Attenuated/immunology , Young Adult
18.
Phys Rev Lett ; 114(19): 192503, 2015 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26024167

ABSTRACT

New results are reported from a measurement of π^{0} electroproduction near threshold using the p(e,e^{'}p)π^{0} reaction. The experiment was designed to determine precisely the energy dependence of s- and p-wave electromagnetic multipoles as a stringent test of the predictions of chiral perturbation theory (ChPT). The data were taken with an electron beam energy of 1192 MeV using a two-spectrometer setup in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. For the first time, complete coverage of the ϕ_{π}^{*} and θ_{π}^{*} angles in the pπ^{0} center of mass was obtained for invariant energies above threshold from 0.5 up to 15 MeV. The 4-momentum transfer Q^{2} coverage ranges from 0.05 to 0.155 (GeV/c)^{2} in fine steps. A simple phenomenological analysis of our data shows strong disagreement with p-wave predictions from ChPT for Q^{2}>0.07 (GeV/c)^{2}, while the s-wave predictions are in reasonable agreement.

19.
Phys Rev Lett ; 113(23): 232505, 2014 Dec 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25526124

ABSTRACT

We present a precise measurement of double-polarization asymmetries in the ^{3}He[over →](e[over →],e^{'}d) reaction. This particular process is a uniquely sensitive probe of hadron dynamics in ^{3}He and the structure of the underlying electromagnetic currents. The measurements have been performed in and around quasielastic kinematics at Q^{2}=0.25(GeV/c)^{2} for missing momenta up to 270 MeV/c. The asymmetries are in fair agreement with the state-of-the-art calculations in terms of their functional dependencies on p_{m} and ω, but are systematically offset. Beyond the region of the quasielastic peak, the discrepancies become even more pronounced. Thus, our measurements have been able to reveal deficiencies in the most sophisticated calculations of the three-body nuclear system, and indicate that further refinement in the treatment of their two-and/or three-body dynamics is required.

20.
Science ; 346(6209): 614-7, 2014 Oct 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25323697

ABSTRACT

The atomic nucleus is composed of two different kinds of fermions: protons and neutrons. If the protons and neutrons did not interact, the Pauli exclusion principle would force the majority of fermions (usually neutrons) to have a higher average momentum. Our high-energy electron-scattering measurements using (12)C, (27)Al, (56)Fe, and (208)Pb targets show that even in heavy, neutron-rich nuclei, short-range interactions between the fermions form correlated high-momentum neutron-proton pairs. Thus, in neutron-rich nuclei, protons have a greater probability than neutrons to have momentum greater than the Fermi momentum. This finding has implications ranging from nuclear few-body systems to neutron stars and may also be observable experimentally in two-spin-state, ultracold atomic gas systems.

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