Report from the World Health Organization's immunization and vaccines-related implementation research advisory committee (IVIR-AC) ad hoc meeting, 28 June - 1 July 2024.

The World Health Organization's Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC) serves to independently review and evaluate vaccine-related research to maximize the potential impact of vaccination programs. From 28 June - 1 July 2024, IVIR-AC was convened for an ad hoc meeting to discuss new evidence on criteria for rubella vaccine introduction and the risk of congenital rubella syndrome. This report summarizes background information on rubella virus transmission and the burden of congenital rubella syndrome, meeting structure and presentations, proceedings, and recommendations.

Students' perspectives of providing sexual acts, materials, and services for financial compensation at a large, public, Midwestern university.

Objective: To understand university students' experiences with sex trading for financial compensation at a large public, Midwestern university.

Participants: 34 university students (26.5% graduate, 70% white, 70% cisgender women, 38% heterosexual).

Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Services Acts Materials for Pay (SSAMP) Index: Identifying the Virtual, In-Person, and Material Sex Trades for Financial Compensation.

Exchanging sex for financial compensation is thought to be underreported primarily because extant studies (1) use a single item to capture a complex, stigmatized phenomenon, and (2) do not capture the complex types or reasons why people engage in the sex trades. Few survey studies have explored the sex trades among university students. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure, the Sexual Services Acts and Materials for Pay (SSAMP), among university students.

Progress Toward Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination - Worldwide, 2012-2022.

Rubella virus is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable birth defects. Infection during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, fetal death, stillbirth, or a constellation of birth defects, including cataracts, deafness, heart defects, and developmental delay, known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). A single dose of rubella-containing vaccine can provide lifelong protection against rubella.

Toward a Multi-item Measure to Identify Involvement in and Circumstances of the Sex Trades: Findings from Cognitive Interviews.

Quantitative studies in the United States that identify involvement in the sex trades predominantly use a single item to address a complex, stigmatized phenomenon. This item typically does not differentiate between in-person or virtual forms, nor does it assess the associated compensation types, circumstances, and perceived consequences. University students' involvement in the sex trades is also critically understudied.

Past as Prologue-Use of Rubella Vaccination Program Lessons to Inform COVID-19 Vaccination.

The rapid rollout of vaccines against COVID-19 as a key mitigation strategy to end the global pandemic might be informed by lessons learned from rubella vaccine implementation in response to the global rubella epidemic of 1963-1965. That rubella epidemic led to the development of a rubella vaccine that has been introduced in all but 21 countries worldwide and has led to elimination of rubella in 93 countries. Although widespread introduction and use of rubella vaccines was slower than that for COVID-19 vaccines, the process can provide valuable insights for the continued battle against COVID-19.

Anesthesia-Related Malpractice Claims in Maryland 1994-2017.

This article presents data on anesthesia cases filed with the Maryland Health Claims Alternative Dispute Office between 1994 and 2017, a publicly available resource that includes all anesthesia-related claims filed in Maryland, regardless of whether they were reported to any national claims repository. Analysis of anesthesia malpractice claims offers critical information that can both decrease legal liability and improve patient outcomes for those receiving anesthesia. A total of 276 claims were filed.

Adaptive Immunity in Reptiles: Conventional Components but Unconventional Strategies.

Recent studies have established that the innate immune system of reptiles is broad and robust, but the question remains: What role does the reptilian adaptive immune system play? Conventionally, adaptive immunity is described as involving T and B lymphocytes that display variable receptors, is highly specific, improves over the course of the response, and produces a memory response. While reptiles do have B and T lymphocytes that utilize variable receptors, their adaptive response is relatively non-specific, generates a prolonged antibody response, and does not produce a typical memory response. This alternative adaptive strategy may allow reptiles to produce a broad adaptive response that complements a strong innate system.

Progress Toward Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Control and Elimination - Worldwide, 2012-2020.

Rubella virus is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable birth defects and can cause epidemics. Although rubella virus infection usually produces a mild febrile rash illness in children and adults, infection during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, can result in miscarriage, fetal death, stillbirth, or an infant born with a constellation of birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). A single dose of rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) can provide lifelong protection against rubella (1).

Progress Toward Rubella Elimination - World Health Organization European Region, 2005-2019.

In 2005, the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region (EUR) passed a resolution calling for the regional elimination of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) (1). In 2010, all 53 countries in EUR* reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating measles, rubella, and CRS (2); this goal was included in the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015-2020 (3,4). Rubella, which typically manifests as a mild febrile rash illness, is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects.

Risk factors for measles deaths among children during a Nationwide measles outbreak - Romania, 2016-2018.

Background: Case fatality ratio (CFR) among all age groups during the 2016-2018 measles outbreak in Romania was increased compared with previous outbreaks. To identify risk factors for measles death, we conducted a case-control study among infants and children hospitalized for measles.

Methods: National surveillance data were used to identify hospitalized cases of laboratory-confirmed or epidemiologically linked measles in infants and children aged < 59 months with rash onset from January 2016 to July 2018.

The reptilian perspective on vertebrate immunity: 10 years of progress.

Ten years ago, 'Understanding the vertebrate immune system: insights from the reptilian perspective' was published. At the time, our understanding of the reptilian immune system lagged behind that of birds, mammals, fish and amphibians. Since then, great progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms of reptilian immunity.

Effects of elevated corticosterone on humoral innate and antibody-mediated immunity in southern leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) tadpoles.

As a free-living larval stage of a vertebrate, tadpoles are good subjects for the study of the development of physiological systems and the study of evolutionarily conserved, context-dependent responses to variable environments. While the basic components of innate and adaptive immune defenses in tadpoles are known, the impact of glucocorticoids on immune defenses in tadpoles is not well-studied. We completed four experiments to assess effects of elevation of corticosterone on humoral innate defenses and antibody-mediated immunity in southern leopard frog tadpoles (Lithobates sphenocephalus).

Mucosal antibody quantity but not avidity predicts likelihood of Salmonella infection in red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta).

Natural antibodies (NAbs) are polyreactive, have low avidity, and are a product of B-1 cells. Evidence suggests that NAbs may play a key role in immune defense in turtles, as increased total mucosal antibodies are associated with a decreased number of extracellular intestinal parasites. However, it is unknown if this trend extends to other types of pathogens and if avidity of the NAb to the pathogen is a factor in protection.

Using virtual standardized patients to accurately assess information gathering skills in medical students.

Practicing a medical history using standardized patients is an essential component of medical school curricula. Recent advances in technology now allow for newer approaches for practicing and assessing communication skills. We describe herein a virtual standardized patient (VSP) system that allows students to practice their history taking skills and receive immediate feedback.

Assessment of Economic Burden of Concurrent Measles and Rubella Outbreaks, Romania, 2011-2012.

We estimated the economic impact of concurrent measles and rubella outbreaks in Romania during 2011-2012. We collected costs from surveys of 428 case-patients and caretakers, government records, and health staff interviews. We then estimated financial and opportunity costs.

Progress Toward Measles Elimination - European Region, 2009-2018.

In 2010, all 53 countries* in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region (EUR) reconfirmed their commitment to eliminating measles and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (1); this goal was included as a priority in the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015-2020 (2). The WHO-recommended elimination strategies in EUR include 1) achieving and maintaining ≥95% coverage with 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) through routine immunization services; 2) providing measles and rubella vaccination opportunities, including supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), to populations susceptible to measles or rubella; 3) strengthening surveillance by conducting case investigations and confirming suspected cases and outbreaks with laboratory results; and 4) improving the availability and use of evidence for the benefits and risks associated with vaccination (3). This report updates a previous report (4) and describes progress toward measles elimination in EUR during 2009-2018.

DFN-M field characterization of sandstone for a process-based site conceptual model and numerical simulations of TCE transport with degradation.

Plumes of trichloroethene (TCE) with degradation products occur at a large industrial site in California where TCE as a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) entered the fractured sandstone bedrock at many locations beginning in the late 1940s. Groundwater flows rapidly in closely spaced fractures but plume fronts are strongly retarded relative to groundwater flow velocities owing largely to matrix diffusion in early decades and degradation processes in later decades and going forward. Multiple data types show field evidence for both biotic and abiotic dechlorination of TCE and its degradation products, resulting in non-chlorinated compounds.

Relationships between parasitic infection and natural antibodies, age, and sex in a long-lived vertebrate.

Reptilian immune systems are believed to rely more heavily on the innate response than the adaptive response. Past research on reptilian immune systems has indicated that natural antibodies (NAbs) play an important role in fighting antigens as the first responder and initiating the innate immune response. However, there is a gap in research on NAbs in reptiles as there is little data on how they may influence parasite prevalence in reptiles.

Effects of imidacloprid on Rana catesbeiana immune and nervous system.

Imidacloprid (IMD), a neonicotinoid, is generally considered to be of low toxicity in vertebrates. However, the inhibition of acetylcholine (ACh) receptors can have a profound effect on both the immune and nervous system due to the anti-inflammatory effects of ACh. Vertebrates, such as amphibians, might be affected by IMD because they breed in wetlands where the concentration of IMD is high.

Developing a Conversational Virtual Standardized Patient to Enable Students to Practice History-Taking Skills.

Introduction: Although traditional virtual patient simulations are designed to teach and assess clinical reasoning skills, few employ conversational dialogue with the patients. The virtual standardized patients (VSPs) described herein represent standardized patients that students interview using natural language. Students take histories and develop differential diagnoses of the VSPs as much as they would with standardized or actual patients.

Systematic Review of the Manifestations of Congenital Rubella Syndrome in Infants and Characterization of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) continues to cause disability among unvaccinated populations in countries with no or insufficient rubella vaccine coverage to prevent transmission. We systematically reviewed the literature on birth outcomes associated with CRS to estimate the duration, severity, and frequency of combinations of morbidities. We searched PubMed, the Science Citation Index, and references from relevant articles for studies in English with primary data on the frequency of CRS manifestations for ≥20 cases and identified 65 studies representing 66 study populations that met our inclusion criteria.

The western painted turtle genome, a model for the evolution of extreme physiological adaptations in a slowly evolving lineage.

Background: We describe the genome of the western painted turtle, Chrysemys picta bellii, one of the most widespread, abundant, and well-studied turtles. We place the genome into a comparative evolutionary context, and focus on genomic features associated with tooth loss, immune function, longevity, sex differentiation and determination, and the species' physiological capacities to withstand extreme anoxia and tissue freezing.

Results: Our phylogenetic analyses confirm that turtles are the sister group to living archosaurs, and demonstrate an extraordinarily slow rate of sequence evolution in the painted turtle.