Evaluation of a point-of-care test for canine C-reactive protein

Background: In veterinary medicine, there is increasing interest in measuring C‐reactive protein (CRP) as a tool for diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory diseases. Reported CRP concentrations for healthy dogs have ranged from 0 to 8.9 mg/L. Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate a canine‐specific point‐of‐care (POC) lateral flow immunoassay for qualitative CRP measurement in healthy and diseased dogs and to compare results with those obtained by a quantitative ELISA. Methods: Blood samples from 73 client‐owned dogs were available for testing: 16 healthy dogs and 57 dogs with a variety of infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic diseases. CRP was measured in heparinized whole blood samples and serum with the TECOmedical Dog CRP‐visual POC test. A red line develops in the POC device if CRP is ≥5 mg/L, and results are scored as negative or positive. An ELISA validated previously for canine serum was used as the reference method. Results: For all dogs, serum CRP concentrations measured by the ELISA ranged from 0.1 to ≥350 mg/L (median=38 mg/L). Percentages of the CRP POC test results that agreed with the ELISA results were 98.6% for whole blood and 97.3% for serum samples. For serum samples, sensitivity of the POC test was 96.4% and specificity was 81.3%. For whole blood, sensitivity was 94.7% and specificity was 93.8%. Conclusions: The POC test had very good agreement with the ELISA test and had high sensitivity and specificity; therefore, it can be used as a qualitative test to screen for increases in CRP concentrations.     

Immunisation against ovine caseous lymphadenitis: efficacy of monocomponent Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis toxoid vaccine and combined clostridial-corynebacterial vaccines

Sheep were immunised with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis toxoid formulated as a monocomponent vaccine with aluminium adjuvant or in combination with 5 clostridial antigens, and also in the combined form with sodium selenate. Immunised and control sheep were experimentally infected 16 days after vaccination and slaughtered and inspected after a further 3 months to determine their resistance to infection. All 3 vaccines afforded an equal and high level of protection; 91% of vaccinated sheep exhibiting no lesions of caseous lymphadenitis compared with 51.5% affected sheep in the control group. Average lesion counts were 1.2 per affected vaccinated sheep and 4.5 per affected control sheep. Antitoxin responses to the clostridial toxoids incorporated in the combined vaccines were not affected by inclusion of the C pseudotuberculosis toxoid or the sodium selenate.     

Immunisation against ovine caseous lymphadenitis: comparison of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis vaccines with and without bacterial cells

Sheep were immunised with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis vaccines prepared from cell-free toxoid or from toxoid with formalin-killed cells of C pseudotuberculosis added. Resistance of sheep to infection was tested 6 months after immunisation by inoculation with caseous lymphadenitis pus. The outcome was assessed 3 months later by slaughter and inspection of the sheep for lesions of caseous lymphadenitis. immunised sheep were adequately protected against infection as shown by a significant reduction in the number of sheep exhibiting lesions compared with control sheep, and by fewer abscesses in affected vaccinated sheep than in affected control sheep. The protective potency of the vaccines was not improved by the inclusion of cells of C pseudotuberculosis.     

New sources of resistance to Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease in a mini-core collection of pigeonpea germplasm

Fusarium wilt (FW) and Sterility mosaic disease (SMD) are important biotic constraints to pigeonpea production worldwide. Host plant resistance is the most durable and economical way to manage these diseases. A pigeonpea mini-core collection consisting of 146 germplasm accessions developed from a core collection of 1290 accessions from 53 countries was evaluated to identify sources of resistance to FW and SMD under artificial field epiphytotic conditions during 2007–08 and 2008–09 crop seasons. Resistant sources identified in the field were confirmed in the greenhouse using a root dip screening technique for FW and a leaf stapling technique for SMD. Six accessions (originated from India and Italy were found resistant to FW (<10% mean disease incidence). High level of resistance to SMD was found in 24 accessions (mean incidence <10%). These SMD resistant accessions originated from India, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines and United Kingdom. Combined resistance to FW and SMD was found in five accessions (ICPs 6739, 8860, 11015, 13304 and 14819). These diverse accessions that are resistant to FW or SMD will be useful to the pigeonpea resistance breeding program.     

Design of Nonionic Surfactants for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Interfacially active block copolymer amphiphiles have been synthesized and their self-assembly into micelles in supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) has been demonstrated with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). These materials establish the design criteria for molecularly engineered surfactants that can stabilize and disperse otherwise insoluble matter into a CO2 continuous phase. Polystyrene-b-poly(1,1-dihydroperfluorooctyl acrylate) copolymers self-assembled into polydisperse core-shell-type micelles as a result of the disparate solubility characteristics of the different block segments in CO2. These nonionic surfactants for CO2 were shown by SANS to be capable of emulsifying up to 20 percent by weight of a CO2-insoluble hydrocarbon into CO2. This result demonstrates the efficacy of surfactant-modified CO2 in reducing the large volumes of organic and halogenated solvent waste streams released into our environment by solvent-intensive manufacturing and process industries.