meningococcal AC/Haemophilus influenzae B type vaccine (Hi Becam / HibACon)

Comparison of four attenuation-compensation methods for backscatter coefficient estimation and characterization of focal liver lesions.

Héroux Arnaud A, Destrempes François F, Rafati Iman I, Barat Maxime M et al.

To compare four attenuation-compensation methods for backscatter coefficient (BSC) estimation, assessment of contrast, and classification of focal liver lesions (FLL). Approach: Ninety-seven patients with 100 FLL were scanned to collect radiofrequency ultrasound images. BSC methods relied on a reference phantom for system and operator-settings independent estimations. Method #1 employed a priori tissue layer segmentation and documented attenuation coefficients (AC) of each layer. Method #2 used a fixed total AC (0.85 dB/cm/MHz). Method #3 used local AC compensation. Method #4 jointly estimated total AC and BSC with a power law frequency model (bf^η). BSC@3MHz, b, η, total AC slope, and total AC were computed within segmented lesions. Lesion contrast was assessed with the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and classification performances were evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The composite reference standard was a combination of MRI and histopathology. Main results: The study included 30 primary and 26 secondary cancers, and 44 benign nodules. Parameter b provided the highest CNRs among BSC parameters (p < 0.0001) and gave higher CNRs than B-mode images (p < 0.0001). Method #3 was unsuitable with out-of-range values. Methods #1, #2, and #4 showed no significant differences for b, η, total AC slope, and total AC, whereas BSC@3MHz showed overestimations with Method #4 compared with Methods #1 and #2 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). For differentiating benign and malignant lesions, η provided the highest AUC of 0.73 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-0.82). For differentiating primary and secondary cancers, BSC@3MHz provided the highest AUC of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.55-0.83). Classification AUCs did not differ between Methods #1, #2 and #4. Significance: BSC imaging improved lesion contrast compared to B-mode and could classify FLL. Method #4 emerged as the most practical as it does not require any a priori AC or segmentation. .

Meningitis B: UK launches vaccine programme to protect students after fatal outbreaks.

Mahase Elisabeth E

Saving the first 24 hours: why public and frontline awareness must accompany meningococcal vaccination.

Nguyen Quynh-Giao QG, Abdullah Rohat Muhyadeen RM, Hassan Eman Fathy Abdeltwab EFA, Dang Van Tri VT et al.

Human vaccine responses regulated by parallel cytokine pathways.

Chen Guangbo G, Guo Jing J, Heath John J, Prestwood Tyler R TR et al.

Human vaccine responses vary widely, but the determinants remain incompletely defined. Here we analyzed 66 cytokines across four inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) cohorts over five seasons (n = 581) and identified baseline serum interleukin (IL)-18 and interferon (IFN)-β as correlates of day 28 antibody responses. To test causality, we evaluated 19 cytokines in human tonsil and spleen organoids and found that type I IFNs, IL-21 and IL-12, but not IL-18 or IFNγ, enhanced antibody production. The addition of IFNβ to IIV recapitulated key features of the live-vaccine cytokine program. IL-12 and IL-21 defined a parallel pathway independent of type I IFNs, with IL-12 inducing IL-21 in humans, unlike in mice. Delivery of IL-21 or IFNβ via mRNA lipid nanoparticles in vivo promoted long-lived plasma cell formation. Together, these findings define parallel pathways that regulate vaccine immunity. Our approach unites high-throughput organoid testing and human cohort studies, establishing a human-centric platform to identify adjuvant candidates.