Towards smart biocide-free anti-biofilm strategies: Click-based synthesis of cinnamide analogues as anti-biofilm compounds against marine bacteria.

A set of triazole-based analogues of N-coumaroyltyramine was designed to discover potential leads that may help in the control of bacterial biofilms. the most potent compounds act as inhibitors of biofilm development with EC50 closed to ampicillin (EC50 = 11 µM) without toxic effect on bacterial growth even at high concentrations(100 µM).

Evaluation of three competitive ELISAs and a fluorescence polarisation assay for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis.

Bovine brucellosis is an infectious disease of worldwide public health and economic importance. The usual tests for the diagnosis of this disease include the Rose-Bengal test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT), serum agglutination test (SAT) and indirect ELISA. New tests such as competitive ELISAs (C-ELISA) and fluorescence polarisation assay (FPA) have been developed. However, C-ELISA may correspond to different protocols and a wide variation may exist in their diagnostic performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate three commercially available C-ELISA kits (C-ELISA1-3) and FPA for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis and compare test performance with RBT, CFT, indirect ELISA and FPA. Sera submitted to EU laboratories in 2011 from 5111 adult cattle were tested. Individual test sensitivities (Se) and specificities (Sp) were estimated. Threshold assessment using the receiver operating characteristic method was also performed. The most sensitive tests were FPA (99.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 97.9-100%), C-ELISA1 (98.4%; 95% CI, 97.0-99.8%) and RBT (97.7%; 95% CI, 95.9-99.3%). The most specific tests were CFT (99.98%; 95% CI, 99.93-100%), SAT (99.98%; 95% CI, 99.93-100%) and RBT (99.89%; 95% CI, 99.79-99.99%). Among the new tests, none of the three C-ELISA kits studied could be recommended as a single screening test because of their low specificity, especially when used in a herd. C-ELISA3 could not be recommended as confirmatory test on individual animals to determine whether false positive serological test results had occurred.

Assessment of the sensitivity of the gamma-interferon test and the single intradermal comparative cervical test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis under field conditions.

In some French départements, the eradication of bovine tuberculosis is incomplete and usual skin tests [single intradermal tuberculin test (SIT) and single intradermal comparative cervical test (SICCT)] have poor specificity due to cross-reactions with non-pathogenic mycobacteria, causing economic losses. In Côte d'Or (Burgundy, France), an experimental serial testing scheme based on the combination of SICCT and gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) tests has been initiated in order to shorten the interval between suspicion and its invalidation in herds with false-positive results to skin tests. Our aim was to assess the scheme's sensitivity and to compare it to the sensitivity of the screening scheme recommended by the European Commission. Our study included 1768 animals from Côte d'Or. The sensitivities of both schemes were estimated using a Bayesian approach. The individual sensitivity of the IFN-γ test [88·1%, 95% credibility interval (CrI) 72·8-97·5] was not significantly different from individual SICCT sensitivity (80·3%, 95% CrI 61·6-98·0) and individual SIT sensitivity (84·2%, 95% CrI 59·0-98·2). The individual specificity of the IFN-γ test was 62·3% (95% CrI 60·2-64·5). No significant difference could be demonstrated between the sensitivities of the serial testing scheme used in Côte d'Or (73·1%, 95% CrI 41·1-100) and the European Union serial testing scheme (70·1%, 95% CrI 31·5-100·0).