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Abstract: As the first step towards control of a strain specific epidemic of meningococcal disease in New Zealand (NZ), this study, an observer-blind, randomised controlled trial in 75 healthy adults, evaluated safety and immunogenicity of two different dosages of a meningococcal group B vaccine administered in a three dose regime. The “tailor-made” outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine (candidate vaccine) developed using a New Zealand meningococcal group B strain (B:4:P1.7b,4) was well tolerated with no vaccine related serious adverse events. Similar local and systemic reactions were observed in those receiving the New Zealand candidate vaccine and the control parent Norwegian vaccine (MenBvac™). A four-fold rise in serum bactericidal antibodies (SBAb) against the vaccine strain 4–6 weeks after the third vaccination was achieved in 100% of New Zealand candidate vaccine 2519μg participants and in 87% of 50μg participants. The safety and immunogenicity profile observed in this study of healthy adults enabled studies in children to be initiated using 25μg dosage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Air-to-water heat pumps are regarded as a fundamental part of many proposed climate action plans in heating dominated climates. However, individual studies have concluded that this technology generally underperforms in practice when compared to its rated performance. This study aims to harmonise these conclusions and propose reasons for this reported underperformance. The European standards used to rate the performance of heat pumps are first reviewed and deconstructed, a review and analysis of all past research that report air-to-water heat pump performance is then conducted. Finally, a novel in-situ monitoring study of an air-to-water heat pump in Ireland is presented. Of the 378 heat pumps reviewed, it was found that the average seasonal performance was 2.59, significantly lower than typical product rated performances. Three reasons for this underperformance include, misrepresentative weather data for certain locations, unaccounted for losses in the distribution pipes and unaccounted for effects of cycling. The measured seasonal performance factor of the case study heat pump monitored in this paper was 2.49 for space heating. This 40% reduction in performance, when compared to the product rated performance of 4.12, was attributed to the three reasons identified. Because these reasons are largely due to inadequate installation practice, environmental policy should focus not just on the quantity of these technologies to be installed but critically also on the quality of the installation itself. • Review of heat pump field studies evidences consistent underperformance. • Heat pump rating in the EU and heat pump in-use performance are analysed. • Heat pump performance metrics are defined, compared and evaluated. • A case study analysis reports ∼40% lower performance in-use than product rating. • The difference is primarily due to losses in the pipe run and unaccounted for cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy (INS) gives vibrational spectra of zeolite catalysts over a full frequency range. • All vibrational modes involving hydrogen atoms seen with comparable intensities. • INS spectra recorded at all stages of the methanol to hydrocarbons catalytic process. • INS interrogates industrial catalysts with no sample preparation required. This article reviews recently published work showing how inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy can be used to identify species found in zeolite ZSM-5 used as a catalyst for conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique are illustrated, and current challenges identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]