Potential use of a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus vector carrying the C-terminal portion of the P97 adhesin protein as a vaccine against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in swine.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes severe economic losses to the swine industry worldwide and the prevention of its related disease, enzootic porcine pneumonia, remains a challenge. The P97 adhesin protein of M. hyopneumoniae should be a good candidate for the development of a subunit vaccine because antibodies produced against P97 could prevent the adhesion of the pathogen to the respiratory epithelial cells in vitro. In the present study, a P97 recombinant replication-defective adenovirus (rAdP97c) subunit vaccine efficiency was evaluated in pigs. The rAdP97c vaccine was found to induce both strong P97 specific humoral and cellular immune responses. The rAdP97c vaccinated pigs developed a lower amount of macroscopic lung lesions (18.5 ± 9.6%) compared to the unvaccinated and challenged animals (45.8 ± 11.5%). rAdP97c vaccine reduced significantly the severity of inflammatory response and the amount of M. hyopneumoniae in the respiratory tract. Furthermore, the average daily weight gain was slightly improved in the rAdP97c vaccinated pigs (0.672 ± 0.068 kg/day) compared to the unvaccinated and challenged animals (0.568 ± 0.104 kg/day). A bacterin-based commercial vaccine (Suvaxyn® MH-one) was more efficient to induce a protective immune response than rAdP97c even if it did not evoke a P97 specific immune response. These results suggest that immunodominant antigens other than P97 adhesin are also important in the induction of a protective immune response and should be taken into account in the future development of M. hyopneumoniae subunit vaccines.

Spectrum simulation of rough and nanostructured targets from their 2D and 3D image by Monte Carlo methods

Corteo is a program that implements Monte Carlo (MC) method to simulate ion beam analysis (IBA) spectra of several techniques by following the ions trajectory until a sufficiently large fraction of them reach the detector to generate a spectrum. Hence, it fully accounts for effects such as multiple scattering (MS). Here, a version of Corteo is presented where the target can be a 2D or 3D image. This image can be derived from micrographs where the different compounds are identified, therefore bringing extra information into the solution of an IBA spectrum, and potentially significantly constraining the solution. The image intrinsically includes many details such as the actual surface or interfacial roughness, or actual nanostructures shape and distribution. This can for example lead to the unambiguous identification of structures stoichiometry in a layer, or at least to better constraints on their composition. Because MC computes in details the trajectory of the ions, it simulates accurately many of its aspects such as ions coming back into the target after leaving it (re-entry), as well as going through a variety of nanostructures shapes and orientations. We show how, for example, as the ions angle of incidence becomes shallower than the inclination distribution of a rough surface, this process tends to make the effective roughness smaller in a comparable 1D simulation (i.e. narrower thickness distribution in a comparable slab simulation). Also, in ordered nanostructures, target re-entry can lead to replications of a peak in a spectrum. In addition, bitmap description of the target can be used to simulate depth profiles such as those resulting from ion implantation, diffusion, and intermixing. Other improvements to Corteo include the possibility to interpolate the cross-section in angle-energy tables, and the generation of energy-depth maps.

Is Breast Asymmetry Present in Girls with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?

Study Design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Objectives To characterize breast asymmetry (BA), as defined by breast volume difference, in girls with significant adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Summary and Background BA is a frequent concern among girls with AIS. It is commonly believed that this results from chest wall deformity. Although many women exhibit physiological BA, the prevalence is not known in adolescents and it remains unclear if it is more frequent in AIS. Breasts vary in shape and size and many ways of measuring them have been explored. MRI shows the highest precision at defining breast tissue. Methods Thirty patients were enrolled on the basis of their thoracic curvature, skeletal and breast maturity, without regard to their perception on their BA. MRI acquisitions were performed in prone with a 1.5-Tesla system using a 16-channel breast coil. Segmentation was achieved using the ITK-SNAP 2.4.0 software and subsequently manually refined. Results The mean left breast volume (528.32 ± 205.96 cc) was greater compared with the mean right breast volume (495.18 ± 170.16 cc) with a significant difference between them. The mean BA was found to be 8.32% ± 6.43% (p < .0001). A weak positive correlation was observed between BA and thoracic Cobb angle (0.177, p = .349) as well as thoracic gibbosity angle (0.289, p = .122). The left breast was consistently larger in 65.5% of the patients. Twenty patients (66.7%) displayed BA ≥5%. Conclusions We have described BA in patients with significant AIS using MRI. This method is feasible, objective, and very precise. The majority of patients had a larger left breast, which could compound the apparent BA secondary to trunk rotation. In many cases, BA is present independently of thoracic deformity. This knowledge will assist in counseling AIS patients in regards to their concerns with BA.