Publications by authors named "Jenny Howard"

Emerging evidence suggests that T-cells play a significant role in COVID-19 immunity both in the context of natural infection and vaccination. Easy to use IGRA assays including QFN SARS are considered attractive alternatives to more "traditional" but laborious methods for detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses. In our Letter we are proposing explanations to an apparently lower than expected T-cell responses (44 % reactive individuals) reported by Krüttgen et al in a small cohort of healthy double vaccinated individuals.

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Introduction: There is an increasing body of evidence surrounding the importance of a T cell-mediated response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and after COVID-19 vaccination. In this internal feasibility study, we evaluated both the total antibody (IgA, IgM, and IgG) and T cell responses in a cohort of COVID-19 convalescents and vaccinated individuals.

Methods: Whole blood specimens were collected weekly from 12 subjects at different time points within/after the COVID-19 mRNA vaccination regimen, and from 4 PCR-confirmed convalescent donors to measure durability of humoral and cell-mediated immune response.

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In 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a global pandemic. Disease diagnosis, appropriate clinical management and infection control are all important factors in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The QIAreach™ Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Test (Anti-CoV2) is a rapid, qualitative serological test, using proprietary nanoparticle fluorescence technology to detect total antibody (IgA, IgM, and IgG) against SARS-CoV-2.

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Article Synopsis
  • The IGRA QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) has been updated to include two antigen tubes, TB1 and TB2, targeting specific T-cell responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  • TB1 primarily stimulates CD4 T-cells for cell-mediated responses, while TB2 is designed to also engage CD8 T-cells by utilizing newly developed peptides.
  • Research demonstrated that specific CD4 T-cell clones responded to both tubes, but CD8 T-cell clones showed a much stronger response (>140-fold difference) primarily to TB2, confirming its effectiveness in detecting CD8 T-cell activity.
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Background: Traditional nursing homes have been viewed as dominated by the medical model. Since the 1990s, the Eden Alternative(TM) has become a significant model in systemic transformations in nursing homes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric performance of the 20 items of the Eden Warmth Survey - Residents (EWS-R) in an aged-care home.

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Hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpoles spend most of their time attached to objects or the water surface by mucus secreted by a gland on the head. While attached, swimming activity and responsiveness to swim-initiating stimuli are reduced over long periods of time. We have investigated the mechanisms and significance of this apparent long-term inhibition.

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The Victorian Perinatal Data Collection Unit (PDCU) maintains a Birth Defects Register (BDR), including data on terminations of pregnancy for birth defects before 20 weeks. This study aimed to validate the completeness of reporting, and accuracy of diagnoses provided by hospitals on these terminations. From 1995-1999, 13 hospitals notified 321 terminations to the PDCU.

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