Immunity, safety and protection of an Adenovirus 5 prime--Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara boost subunit vaccine against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in calves.

Vaccination is the most cost effective control measure for Johne's disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) but currently available whole cell killed formulations have limited efficacy and are incompatible with the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis by tuberculin skin test. We have evaluated the utility of a viral delivery regimen of non-replicative human Adenovirus 5 and Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara recombinant for early entry MAP specific antigens (HAV) to show protection against challenge in a calf model and extensively screened for differential immunological markers associated with protection. We have shown that HAV vaccination was well tolerated, could be detected using a differentiation of infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA) test, showed no cross-reactivity with tuberculin and provided a degree of protection against challenge evidenced by a lack of faecal shedding in vaccinated animals that persisted throughout the 7 month infection period.

Principal component and causal analysis of structural and acute in vitro toxicity data for nanoparticles.

Structure toxicity relationship analysis was conducted using principal component analysis (PCA) for a panel of nanoparticles that included dry powders of oxides of titanium, zinc, cerium and silicon, dry powders of silvers, suspensions of polystyrene latex beads and dry particles of carbon black, nanotubes and fullerene, as well as diesel exhaust particles. Acute in vitro toxicity was assessed by different measures of cell viability, apoptosis and necrosis, haemolytic effects and the impact on cell morphology, while structural properties were characterised by particle size and size distribution, surface area, morphology, metal content, reactivity, free radical generation and zeta potential. Different acute toxicity measures were processed using PCA that classified the particles and identified four materials with an acute toxicity profile: zinc oxide, polystyrene latex amine, nanotubes and nickel oxide.

Monitoring intracellular redox potential changes using SERS nanosensors.

Redox homeostasis and signaling are critically important in the regulation of cell function. There are significant challenges in quantitatively measuring intracellular redox potentials, and in this paper, we introduce a new approach. Our approach is based on the use of nanosensors which comprise molecules that sense the local redox potential, assembled on a gold nanoshell.

Increased platelet activation in patients with stable and acute exacerbation of COPD.

Rationale: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Interaction between inflammatory cells and activated platelets is important in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis and may contribute to cardiovascular risk in patients with COPD.

Objectives: To assess platelet-monocyte aggregation in patients with COPD and matched controls, and in patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD.

Surface derivatization state of polystyrene latex nanoparticles determines both their potency and their mechanism of causing human platelet aggregation in vitro.

There is evidence that nanoparticles (NP) can enter the bloodstream following deposition in the lungs, where they may interact with platelets. Polystyrene latex nanoparticles (PLNP) of the same size but with different surface charge-unmodified (umPLNP), aminated (aPLNP), and carboxylated (cPLNP)-were used as model NP to study interactions with human blood and platelets. Both the cPLNP and the aPLNP caused platelet aggregation, whereas the umPLNP did not.