Effect of various dietary regimens on oral challenge with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in a rabbit model

Rabbits are susceptible to infection by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in both wildlife and experimental conditions. Under the hypotheses that nutrient balance might influence the establishment of infection, we designed an experiment where MAP intestinal colonization was assessed under three dietary regimens: high fiber, high protein, and regular diet in New Zealand white rabbits submitted to oral challenge with MAP.Lowest weight gain (F=5.17, p=0.024), higher tissue culture positivity rates (X2=7.43, p=0.024) and especially extended MAP-compatible lesions (F=5.78, p=0.017) were detected in the regular diet.Taken altogether, results indicate that paratuberculosis infection was achieved affecting mostly regular diet animals and showing that dietary changes may modulate the course of the infection

Immune response profiles of calves following vaccination with live BCG and inactivated Mycobacterium bovis vaccine candidates

Conventional control and eradication strategies for bovine tuberculosis (BTB) face tremendous difficulties in developing countries; countries with wildlife reservoirs, a complex wildlifelivestock- human interface or a lack of veterinary and veterinary public health surveillance. Vaccination of cattle and other species might in some cases provide the only suitable control strategy for BTB, while in others it may supplement existing test-and-slaughter schemes. However, the use of live BCG has several limitations and the global rise of HIV/AIDS infections has furthermore warranted the exploration of inactivated vaccine preparations. The aim of this study was to compare the immune response profiles in response to parenteral vaccination with live BCG and two inactivated vaccine candidates in cattle. Twenty-four mixed breed calves (Bos taurus) aged 4±6 months, were allocated to one of four groups and vaccinated sub-cutaneously with live M. bovis BCG (Danish 1331), formalin- inactivated M. bovis BCG, heat-killed M. bovis or PBS/Montanide™ (control). Interferon- γ responsiveness and antibody production were measured prior to vaccination and at weekly intervals thereafter for twelve weeks. At nine weeks post-priming, animals were skin tested using tuberculins and MTBC specific protein cocktails and subsequently challenged through intranodular injection of live M. bovis BCG. The animals in the heat-killed M. bovis group demonstrated strong and sustained cellmediated and humoral immune responses, significantly higher than the control group in response to vaccination, which may indicate a protective immune profile. Animals in this group showed reactivity to the skin test reagents, confirming good vaccine take. Lastly, although not statistically significant, recovery of BCG after challenge was lowest in the heatkilled M. bovis group. In conclusion, the parenteral heat-killed M. bovis vaccine proved to be clearly immunogenic in cattle in the present study, urging further evaluation of the vaccine in challenge studies using virulent M. bovis and assessment of vaccine efficacy in field conditions.S1 Fig. Conventional PCR for the detection ofMycobacterium bovis. PCR targeting RD1, RD4 and RD9 as previously described. PCR products of +- 268bp (RD4 absent), +- 196bp (RD1 absent) and +- 108bp (RD9 absent) indicate M. bovis BCG. Animals 18, 21 and 31 belong to group 1 (live M. bovis BCG), animals 2, 6, 7, 16 and 29 belong to group 2 (formalin-inactivated M. bovis BCG), animals 8, 9, 10, 11 and 26 belong to group 3 (heat-killed M. bovis) and animals 12 and 15 belong to group 4 (control). R = right prescapular lymph node.S1 Dataset. Tables containing the raw data of the immunological assays. (A) BOVIGAM assay. OD-values for all stimulations and controls. (B) IDEXX TB ELISA. OD-values for the samples and controls as well as S/P-ratio. (C) Skin test. Skin fold thickness measurements at 0hrs, 72hrs and the difference (Δmm) in mm. Avian = PPD-A; Bovine = PPD-B; PC1 = protein cocktail 1; PC2 = protein cocktail 2. (D) Culture. Weights (g) and bacterial counts (CFU/g of PLN) of left and right PLNs.S2 Dataset. Tables describing the statistical models and their outcomes. (A) Linear mixed effects models describing PPD-B and the ratios of PPD-B/PPD-A and PPD-B/PPD-F. Outcome = a + b1 time + b2 group + b3 (time group). Data were log transformed in order to meet the model assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity. Back-transformed estimates and 95% confidence intervals are given. Significant results are in bold. (B) Linear mixed effects models describing ESAT-6 and CFP-10. Outcome = a + b1 time + b2 group + b3 (time group). Data were log transformed in order to meet the model assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity. Back-transformed estimates and 95% confidence are given. Significant results are in bold. (C) Linear mixed effects model describing the S/P ratio. Outcome = a + b1 time + b2 group + b3 (time group). Data were log transformed in order to meet the model assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity. Back-transformed estimates and 95% confidence intervals are given. Significant results are in bold. (D) Double generalized linear model describing ΔPPDBÐΔPPDA in the skin test. Outcome = a + b1 group. Estimates and 95% confidence intervals are given. Significant results are in bold. (E) A simple general linear model describing ΔPC1 and ΔPC2. Outcome = a + b1 group. Estimates and 95% confidence intervals are given. Significant results are in bold. (F) Linear mixed effects model describing the PLN weights. Outcome = a + b1 LN side + b2 group + b3 (LN side group) + b4 gender. Data (PLN weights) were log transformed in order to meet the model assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity. Estimates and 95% confidence intervals are given. Significant results are in bold. (G) Negative binomial generalized linear model describing the bacterial counts. Outcome = a + b1 group. Back-transformed estimates and 95% confidence intervals are given. Significant results are in bold.This work was supported by NWO- WOTRO Science for Global Development (grant W01.65.321.00) to VR & AL (https://www.nwo.nl/ en/about-nwo/organisation/nwo-domains/wotro), and NWO-WOTRO funding was used towards all experimental costs, including purchase of animals, consumables, test kits etc.; The Institutional Research Theme of the University of Pretoria on Animal Zoonotic Disease and the Third Framework Agreement Programme (FA3-III) through the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium to VR & AL (https://www.itg.be), and IRT funding was used towards all experimental costs, including purchase of animals, consumables, test kits etc.; MINECO and FEDER Plan Nacional (grant AGL2014-56305) to CG (http://www.idi.mineco. gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.26172fcf 4eb029fa6ec7da6901432ea0/?vgnextoid=4d 494d861a299210VgnVCM1000001d04140a RCRD), and MINECO & FEDER funding was used towards coordination among IREC members; and the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 EUROSA scholarship to EvdH (https://www.uantwerpen.be/ en/projects/eurosa/), and EUROSA funding was used towards the stipendium of EvdH.http://www.plosone.orgam2018Veterinary Tropical Disease

Evaluation of the bovine ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 13 (ABCA13) as a potential biomarker for sensitive detection of animals with focal pathological forms of subclinical paratuberculosis

Trabajo presentado al: ICP 15th International Association for Paratuberculous, Dublín, 12-16 Junio. 2022.Peer reviewe

Measurement of the p-pbar -> Wgamma + X cross section at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV and WWgamma anomalous coupling limits

The WWgamma triple gauge boson coupling parameters are studied using p-pbar -> l nu gamma + X (l = e,mu) events at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. The data were collected with the DO detector from an integrated luminosity of 162 pb^{-1} delivered by the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The cross section times branching fraction for p-pbar -> W(gamma) + X -> l nu gamma + X with E_T^{gamma} > 8 GeV and Delta R_{l gamma} > 0.7 is 14.8 +/- 1.6 (stat) +/- 1.0 (syst) +/- 1.0 (lum) pb. The one-dimensional 95% confidence level limits on anomalous couplings are -0.88 < Delta kappa_{gamma} < 0.96 and -0.20 < lambda_{gamma} < 0.20.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. D Rapid Communication

Measurement of the ttbar Production Cross Section in ppbar Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV using Kinematic Characteristics of Lepton + Jets Events

We present a measurement of the top quark pair ttbar production cross section in ppbar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV using 230 pb**{-1} of data collected by the DO detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We select events with one charged lepton (electron or muon), large missing transverse energy, and at least four jets, and extract the ttbar content of the sample based on the kinematic characteristics of the events. For a top quark mass of 175 GeV, we measure sigma(ttbar) = 6.7 {+1.4-1.3} (stat) {+1.6- 1.1} (syst) +/-0.4 (lumi) pb, in good agreement with the standard model prediction.Comment: submitted to Phys.Rev.Let

Measurement of the ttbar Production Cross Section in ppbar Collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV using Lepton + Jets Events with Lifetime b-tagging

We present a measurement of the top quark pair ($t\bar{t}$) production cross section ($\sigma_{t\bar{t}}$) in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV using 230 pb$^{-1}$ of data collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We select events with one charged lepton (electron or muon), missing transverse energy, and jets in the final state. We employ lifetime-based b-jet identification techniques to further enhance the $t\bar{t}$ purity of the selected sample. For a top quark mass of 175 GeV, we measure $\sigma_{t\bar{t}}=8.6^{+1.6}_{-1.5}(stat.+syst.)\pm 0.6(lumi.)$ pb, in agreement with the standard model expectation.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables Submitted to Phys.Rev.Let

Measurement of the Isolated Photon Cross Section in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

The cross section for the inclusive production of isolated photons has been measured in p anti-p collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The photons span transverse momenta 23 to 300 GeV and have pseudorapidity |eta|<0.9. The cross section is compared with the results from two next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The theoretical predictions agree with the measurement within uncertainties.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02