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Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib) carriage and disease studies in Nepali children suggest a significant burden of infection. Hib conjugate vaccines (HibCV) do not have uniform immunogenicity between populations. We determined the immunogenicity of HibCV in Nepali infants, before its introduction into the routine immunization schedule.

ABSTRACTTyphoid fever is a major public health problem in developing countries, conservatively estimated to occur in 17 million cases and be responsible for 200,000 deaths annually. We investigated the acquisition of natural immunity to Salmonella entericaserovar Typhi in a region where typhoid is endemic by testing sera from an age-stratified sample of 210 healthy participants in Kathmandu, Nepal, for bactericidal activity toward S. Typhi and for anti-Vi capsular polysaccharide antibodies. Bactericidal titers in children were significantly lower than those in newborns and adults (P< 0.0001). Anti-S. Typhi bactericidal geometric mean titers were age dependent, increasing 10-fold during childhood. Anti-Vi polysaccharide antibody geometric mean concentrations were also lower in children than in adults. Data presented here indicate the possibility of a relationship between low levels of bactericidal activity toward S. Typhi in serum and susceptibility to disease, as observed for other polysaccharide-encapsulated bacteria. Bactericidal antibody may be a marker of protective immunity against S. Typhi.

The article presents comment on the works of Norbert Feinendegen regarding the clarification between the articles of C.S. Lewis and Owen Barfield during the philosophical Great War. It mentions that Feinendegen claims that Lewis remained consistent in his use of Alexander's technical terms enjoyment and contemplation. Moreover, it asserts that Feinendegen discusses Lewi's important Shakespeare and Hamlet analogy.

The binding of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) to thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) was quantitated in pooled serum from normal, hyperthyroid, hypothyroid and pregnant subjects. To aliquots of each pool was added a small quantity of 131I-T3and varying concentrations of unlabelled T3or thyroxine (T4). Following countercurrent electrophoresis in both barbital and trismaleate buffers at pH 8.6, the concentration of 131I-T3bound to TBG was calculated and the displacing effect of unlabelled T3and T4compared. The displacement of 131I-T3from TBG was greater with T4than with T3when normal, hypothyroid and pregnancy sera were electrophoresed in barbital buffer (which inhibits thyroid-binding prealbumin (TBPA) binding of T4). The same findings are seen when hyperthyroid serum which is deficient in TBPA is electrophoresed in trismaleate buffer (which does not inhibit TBPA binding of T4). The observed data indicate that T4has a greater binding affinity for TBG than has T3but only displaces T3to significant degree when TBG is saturated and when TBPA binding of T4is reduced or inhibited. TBG binding capacities for T3have been derived for each of the 4 clinical groups and appear to be less than corresponding binding capacities for T4.

Serum thyroxine concentrations were determined in 66 euthyroid, 30 hyperthyroid and 13 hypothyroid patients using both the established Murphy method and a simplified method of competitive protein binding analysis. A diagnosis compatibility of 96% was found with both methods indicating that the simplified method has comparable clinical application as an initial screen of thyroid status.

The author reflects on the arguments among authors including Norbert Feinendegen, C.S. Lewis and Alexander regarding the usage of the term activities. He notes that Feinendegen points out that his usage of the word activities did not conform to Alexander's technical use of the word. He mentions that Feinendegen's clarification can help in avoiding misunderstanding an important passage in Lewis's work.