Effects of recent Leptospira vaccination on whole blood real-time PCR testing in healthy client-owned dogs.

BACKGROUND: Bacterin-based canine Leptospira vaccines could present a challenge for the use of whole blood real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a diagnostic tool. Recent vaccination could induce positive results if the targeted DNA fragment is present within the vaccine and in the blood of the recently vaccinated dog. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess whether 2 available 4-serovar vaccines induce a positive real-time PCR reaction in the blood of healthy recently vaccinated dogs. ANIMALS: Twenty healthy dogs. METHODS: This was a prospective study. Dogs were assigned to 1 of 2 vaccine groups. Both vaccines were culture-based and include Leptospira interrogans serovars Pomona, Canicola, and Icterohaemorrhagiae and Leptospira kirschneri serovar Grippotyphosa. Whole blood for real-time PCR and serum for the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) were collected prior to and 3 and 7 days after vaccination and weekly thereafter for 8 weeks. Two real-time PCR tests targeting 2 different genes were performed independently in a blinded fashion. RESULTS: Both Leptospira vaccines produced positive real-time PCR reactions when assayed undiluted or diluted 1 : 100 in canine blood. However, blood samples drawn from all dogs at all time points after vaccination were negative on PCR. All dogs developed MAT titers. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Recent vaccination with 2 commercially available vaccines does not interfere with the use of real-time PCR for the identification of acute Leptospira infection in dogs.

Property loss estimation for wind and earthquake perils.

This article describes the development of a generic loss assessment methodology, which is applicable to earthquake and windstorm perils worldwide. The latest information regarding hazard estimation is first integrated with the parameters that best describe the intensity of the action of both windstorms and earthquakes on building structures, for events with defined average return periods or recurrence intervals. The subsequent evaluation of building vulnerability (damageability) under the action of both earthquake and windstorm loadings utilizes information on damage and loss from past events, along with an assessment of the key building properties (including age and quality of design and construction), to assess information about the ability of buildings to withstand such loadings and hence to assign a building type to the particular risk or portfolio of risks. This predicted damage information is then translated into risk-specific mathematical vulnerability functions, which enable numerical evaluation of the probability of building damage arising at various defined levels. By assigning cost factors to the defined damage levels, the associated computation of total loss at a given level of hazard may be achieved. This developed methodology is universal in the sense that it may be applied successfully to buildings situated in a variety of earthquake and windstorm environments, ranging from very low to extreme levels of hazard. As a loss prediction tool, it enables accurate estimation of losses from potential scenario events linked to defined return periods and, hence, can greatly assist risk assessment and planning.

School breakfast improves verbal fluency in undernourished Jamaican children.

School feeding programs exist in many countries, but few have been properly evaluated. In this study, the short-term effects of breakfast on children's cognitive functions were examined. The subjects were 97 undernourished (weight-for-age < or = -1 SD of reference) and 100 adequately nourished (weight-for-age > -1 SD) children in four primary schools in rural Jamaica. The children were randomly assigned to a group provided with breakfast or a group given a quarter of an orange as a placebo, and then given a battery of four cognitive function tests. After a few weeks the treatments were reversed and the tests repeated. Undernourished children's performance improved significantly on a test of verbal fluency when they received breakfast, whereas that of the adequately nourished children did not change (breakfast x group interaction, P < 0.05). There were no other effects of breakfast on test scores. The findings extend those of a previous Jamaican study conducted under more controlled conditions, and support the targeting of school meals to undernourished children.

Changes in hepatic RNA, poly(A)+RNA, and poly(A)-RNA during the acute phase response to inflammation.

The steady state changes in total rat hepatic cytoplasmic RNA, poly(A)+ RNA and poly(A)-RNA were assessed in response to turpentine induced inflammation. From 18 to 24 h after injury, cytoplasmic RNA doubled, while poly(A)+ RNA peaked at 24 h, 3.5 times over control animals. Cell-free translation showed significant increases in messenger RNA levels beginning at 18 h. Gel electrophoresis of translation products revealed significant increases in several polypeptides and a decrease in others. Poly(A)-RNA from control and injured rats translated to an insignificant level and the electrophoretic gel patterns of their proteins were similar. Furthermore, no change had occurred in the 3' poly(A)-sequences during the course of inflammation.

Plasma proteinase inhibitors in Morris hepatoma-bearing rats: changes in the blood level and synthesis in tissue slices.

The antiproteinase activities against trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, papain and rat leucocyte proteinases were determined in plasma from control and Morris hepatoma-bearing rats. Bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin were similarly inhibited by the two types of plasma whereas porcine pancreatic elastase, papain and rat leucocyte neutral proteinases were more efficiently inhibited by plasma from tumour-bearing rats. The increased plasma concentrations of some proteinase inhibitors, as determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis, are suggested to be responsible for the observed differences in inhibition. The highest increases in plasma of tumour-bearing rats were observed for alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 1-acute-phase globulin. The synthesis and secretion of six proteinase inhibitors: antithrombin III, alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor, alpha 1-macroglobulin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-acute-phase globulin and haptoglobin, as well as albumin, were measured in tissue slices from rat liver and Morris hepatoma after incubation with [14C]leucine. Local inflammation inflicted upon the tumour-bearing rats increased formation of acute-phase proteins in liver slices but not in hepatoma slices.

Effects of injury on the concentration of alpha1-macroglobulin and alpha2-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and remale rats.

The effects of injury on the concentration of alpha1-macroglobulin and alpha2-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and remale rats has been investigates. At 5 days after injury to the male rats the alpha1-macroglobulin concentration increased to 131% of its preinjury value. The alpha2-macroglobulin concentration increased more rapidly to a maximum of 86 times its initial value. In the female rats alpha2-macroglobulin increased only slightly and alpha1-macroglobulin not at all.

Changes in liver and gastric mucosal hexosamine synthesis after restraint.

The specific activity of L-glutamine: D-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase was measured in the oxyntic gland mucosa and liver of fasted, male rats after immobilization in a cold environment. Immobilization for 3 hr resulted in 100% frequency of lesion formation associated with decreased enzyme activity in oxyntic gland mucosa (70.1 plus or minus 5.9% of control) and liver 25.2 plus or minus 5.2% of control). Enzyme activity had returned to control level in the stomach 9 hr after immobilization, and in the liver 21 hr after immobilization. Immobilization for 1 1/2 hr decreased oxyntic gland mucosa enzyme activity to 21.0 plus or minus 9.8% of control, although the frequency of lesion formation was only 62.5%. Liver enzyme activity was 51.3 plus or minus 12.8% of control. Concentrations of UDP-N-acetylhexosamines, feedback inhibitors of this enzyme, were not altered in either tissue. Adrenalectomy, which increased the frequency of damage after 1 hr of immobilization, enhanced the decreases in enzyme activity in both tissues, while atropine sulfate, which decreased the frequency of damage after 3 hr of immobilization, had no significant effect on the enzyme. Thus, immobilization of rats in a cold environment decreases or alters the synthesis of hexosamine-containing compounds through a mechanism not dependent on acid secretion or adrenocorticoids. This alteration in synthesis may result not only in abnormal mucus secretion, but also in altered cell membrane structure and function.