Spectrometers configured with charge-coupled devices (CCD) or other array-based detectors require calibration to convert from the pixel coordinate to a spectral coordinate. A CCD calibration method well suited for Raman spectroscopy has been developed based on the 514.5 nm Ar(+) laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectrum of room-temperature molecular iodine vapor. Over 360 primary and secondary I(2) LIF calibration lines spanning 510-645 nm were identified as calibrant peaks using an instrumental resolution of 1 cm(-1). Two instrument calibration functions were evaluated with these peaks: a second-order polynomial and a function derived from simple optomechanical considerations. The latter function provided better fitting characteristics. Calibration using I(2) LIF was tested with measurements of both laser light scattering and Raman spectra. The I(2) LIF reference spectra and the signal spectra were recorded simultaneously, with no cross talk, by separating the two signals spatially along the vertical axis of the CCD imager. In this way, every CCD image could be independently calibrated. An accuracy and a precision of +/-0.05 cm(-1) were achieved with this calibration technique.

Rhipicephalus Boophilus microplus cattle tick is a scourge for livestock production. The infestations produced by this pathogen are incompletely contained by chemical treatments, with the associated environmental pollution risks. Vaccination against cattle ticks has emerged as a feasible and environmentally friendly strategy to control tick-borne diseases. In this setting, Gavac® vaccine has proven effective in decreasing cattle tick populations through antibody responses against the tick Bm86 antigen, as part of an Integrated Control Program. However, animal vaccination programs require easy and ready-to-use screening tests to follow up the immune response in vaccinated animals under field conditions. This study reports the evaluation HeberFast® Line Gavac, a lateral flow immunochromatographic system for the rapid detection of anti Bm86 antibodies in vaccinated cattle. The system was tested on 598 serum samples taken from immunized animals, arranged in three groups according to their anti-Bm86 antibody response in ELISA (209 high, 150 medium or 239 low and 100 samples from non-immunized animals. The HeberFast® Line Gavac system was assessed for sensitivity, specificity, and concordance against the ELISA reference test. Consistency was evaluated among production batches and inter-analyst reading-independent consistency at two moments: ten minutes after completing the test and after strip drying. The system showed high sensitivity (81.6%, 82.2%, and 81%), specificity (96.7, 94.6, and 93.3%), and agreement with the ELISA reference test (75%; 74%, and 71%) for high, medium and low anti-Bm86 sera, respectively. The effectiveness of the diagnosis was 87.6; 87.1; 85.9 for high, medium, and low antibody titers, respectively. Consistency among production batches and analysts was documented, and no significant differences between evaluation times were found. These results indicate that HeberFast® Line Gavac is a valuable tool for the serological surveillance of Gavac vaccinated cattle.