Immunization with recombinant canarypox vectors expressing membrane-anchored glycoprotein 120 followed by glycoprotein 160 boosting fails to generate antibodies that neutralize R5 primary isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Antibodies generated by candidate HIV-1 vaccines in a phase I clinical trial were assessed for neutralizing activity with a panel of eight well-characterized, genetically diverse clade B primary isolates having an R5 phenotype. The vaccines consisted of one of three different recombinant canarypox vectors expressing membrane-anchored HIV-1(MN)gp120 (ALVAC vCP205, vCP1433, and vCP1452) followed by boosting with a soluble gp160 hybrid consisting of MNgp120 and the majority of gp41 from strain IIIB. Serum samples from a subset of volunteers in each arm of the trial, containing moderate to high titers of neutralizing antibodies to HIV-1 MN, were analyzed. Competition assays with peptides revealed that the majority of neutralizing activity was specific for the MN-V3 loop. Despite MN-specific neutralization titers that sometimes exceeded 1:500, no neutralization of primary isolates was detected and, in some cases, mild infection enhancement was observed. In addition, little or no neutralization of the HIV-1 IIIB heterologous T cell line-adapted strain of virus was detected. These results reinforce the notion that monovalent HIV-1 ENV is a poor immunogen for generating cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies.

Coordination of activities in the development of microbial culture databases.

The article deals with the problem of microbial culture data processing. In this field two tasks must be solved. First, data processing within collections themselves, and second, communicating the data to potential users.

Migration and the life course: is there a retirement transition?

"This paper focuses on pre-elderly (ages 55-64) net migration in the United States for the period 1980-90, to explore the hypothesis that there exists a ¿retirement transition' that characterizes pre-elderly migration.... This research uses ordinary least squares regression to compare the effects of demographic, economic, and amenity factors on county-level net migration rates for five age groups: the young (25-44), the middle-aged (45-54), the pre-elderly (55-64), the young-old (65-74), and the old-old (75+). Pre-elderly migration patterns emerge as distinct from those of both younger and older age groups. Their net migration patterns are not fully shaped by labour force considerations. At the same time, pre-elderly migration appears to be driven by factors beyond retirement. These findings are discussed in the context of life-course change and their implications for the ageing baby-boom cohorts [considered]."

Twenty-four hour pattern of lutropin and progesterone pulsatile secretion base line in postpartum dairy cows.

Twenty-four hour patterns of lutropin and progesterone pulsatile secretion base line were studied in six postpartum dairy cows. The base line of lutropin showed three peaks within 24 hours. The base line of progesterone showed two peaks which coincided in the time with the nadirs of lutropin base line. These peaks show up clearly irrespective of the stage of puerperium.