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Possible definitions for vaccina

vaccine
Preparation containing either killed or weakened live microorganisms, or a toxoid, introduced by mouth, by injection, or by nasal spray to stimulate production of antibodies against an infectious agent. This confers immunity to that agent, since the B lymphocytes remain sensitized to it and respond to later infection by producing more antibodies. The first vaccine, against smallpox, was introduced by E. Jenner in 1798. Vaccines have been developed against diseases caused by bacteria (e.g., typhoid, whooping cough, tuberculosis) and by viruses (e.g., measles, influenza, rabies, poliomyelitis). Effectiveness varies, and a small percentage of people have adverse reactions. Those with immunodeficiency should not receive live vaccines.


Caccini
Italian composer and singer. He accompanied his patron, Cosimo I de Medici, to Florence in the 1570s; there he became associated with the Camerata, an academy that dedicated much attention to producing an equivalent of ancient Greek drama. His Euridice (1600), embodying the Camerata's ideals, was the first opera to be published, and one of the first two surviving operas; the other, also titled Euridice, is largely by Jacopo Peri (1561-1633), whose lost Dafne (1598) was the first opera of all. Caccini's Le nuove musiche (1602), a collection of songs with basso continuo, was of landmark importance, centrally important in establishing the new monodic style.


kachina
Ancestral spirit of the Pueblo Indians. There are more than 500 of these spirits, who act as intermediaries between humans and the gods. Each tribe has its own kachinas, which are believed to reside with a tribe for half of each year. They can be seen by the community if men properly perform a ritual while wearing kachina masks. The spirit depicted on the mask is thought to be actually present with the performer, temporarily transforming him. Kachinas are also represented by small wooden dolls, carved and decorated by the men of the tribe.


Mackinac
Channel connecting Lake Michigan with Lake Huron. Forming an important waterway between the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan, the straits are 30 mi (48 km) long and 4 mi (6 km) wide at their narrowest point. They are spanned by the Mackinac Bridge, a 3,800-ft (1,158-m) suspension bridge built in 1957.


vagina
Genital canal in females. Together with the cavity of the uterus, it forms the birth canal. In most virgins, its external opening is partially closed by a thin fold of tissue (hymen), which has various forms, not all of which significantly obstruct the opening. The vagina's lining thickens and thins during the menstrual cycle (see menstruation) in response to estrogen from the ovaries, being thickest and most elastic during ovulation and pregnancy. Its normally slightly acid environment discourages disease-causing microorganisms. Thick, elastic muscle walls accommodate movement of the penis during ...

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