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1.
Phys Chem Chem Phys ; 26(20): 14637-14650, 2024 May 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38742831

ABSTRACT

Hydration water dynamics, structure, and thermodynamics are crucially important to understand and predict water-mediated properties at molecular interfaces. Yet experimentally and directly quantifying water behavior locally near interfaces at the sub-nanometer scale is challenging, especially at interfaces submerged in biological solutions. Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (ODNP) experiments measure equilibrium hydration water dynamics within 8-15 angstroms of a nitroxide spin probe on instantaneous timescales (10 picoseconds to nanoseconds), making ODNP a powerful tool for probing local water dynamics in the vicinity of the spin probe. As with other spectroscopic techniques, concurrent computational analysis is necessary to gain access to detailed molecular level information about the dynamic, structural, and thermodynamic properties of water from experimental ODNP data. We chose a model system that can systematically tune the dynamics of water, a water-glycerol mixture with compositions ranging from 0 to 0.3 mole fraction glycerol. We demonstrate the ability of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to compute ODNP spectroscopic quantities, and show that translational, rotational, and hydrogen bonding dynamics of hydration water align strongly with spectroscopic ODNP parameters. Moreover, MD simulations show tight correlations between the dynamic properties of water that ODNP captures and the structural and thermodynamic behavior of water. Hence, experimental ODNP readouts of varying water dynamics suggest changes in local structural and thermodynamic hydration water properties.

2.
Women Health ; 64(3): 235-249, 2024 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38273717

ABSTRACT

Gender gaps in physical activity (PA) exist with women being less active than men. Multiple cultural and psychosocial factors influence women's ability to successfully negotiate barriers to PA and other health promoting behaviors. The goal of this exploratory descriptive study was to better understand the daily experiences of mothers in making health promoting decisions for themselves and their families. Semi-structured interviews (N = 17) were conducted with rural dwelling mothers who were the primary caregivers of children in the home. Participants were asked to share their experiences with PA and other health behaviors, focusing on their motivators, barriers, and facilitators. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Emerging themes focused on 1) feeling internal and external pressures to prioritize family's needs over one's health, 2) family exerting both positive and negative influences on health choices, and 3) living in a rural community often resulting in a lack of opportunities to engage in physical activity and feelings of being isolated from social networks. To close the gender gap in PA, interventions should support mothers in navigating their multiple roles and competing demands while engaging in health promoting behaviors such as physical activity.


Subject(s)
Exercise , Rural Population , Male , Child , Female , Humans , Exercise/psychology , Mothers , Health Behavior , Decision Making
3.
J Am Chem Soc ; 144(4): 1766-1777, 2022 02 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35041412

ABSTRACT

At aqueous interfaces, the distribution and dynamics of adsorbates are modulated by the behavior of interfacial water. Hydration of a hydrophobic surface can store entropy via the ordering of interfacial water, which contributes to the Gibbs energy of solute binding. However, there is little experimental evidence for the existence of such entropic reservoirs, and virtually no precedent for their rational design in systems involving extended interfaces. In this study, two series of mesoporous silicas were modified in distinct ways: (1) progressively deeper thermal dehydroxylation, via condensation of surface silanols, and (2) increasing incorporation of nonpolar organic linkers into the silica framework. Both approaches result in decreasing average surface polarity, manifested in a blue-shift in the fluorescence of an adsorbed dye. For the inorganic silicas, hydrogen-bonding of water becomes less extensive as the number of surface silanols decreases. Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (ODNP) relaxometry indicates enhanced surface water diffusivity, reflecting a loss of enthalpic hydration. In contrast, organosilicas show a monotonic decrease in surface water diffusivity with decreasing polarity, reflecting enhanced hydrophobic hydration. Molecular dynamics simulations predict increased tetrahedrality of interfacial water for the organosilicas, implying increased ordering near the nm-size organic domains (relative to inorganic silicas, which necessarily lack such domains). These findings validate the prediction that hydrophobic hydration at interfaces is controlled by the microscopic length scale of the hydrophobic regions. They further suggest that the hydration thermodynamics of structurally heterogeneous silica surfaces can be tuned to promote adsorption, which in turn tunes the selectivity in catalytic reactions.

4.
Appl Magn Reson ; 52(8): 971-994, 2021 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35250178

ABSTRACT

Proton Hyperfine Sublevel Correlation (1H-HYSCORE) experiments have been used to probe the ligation structure of the Fe(II) active site of taurine:2-oxoglutarate dioxygenase (TauD), a non-heme Fe(II) hydroxylase. To facilitate Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) experiments, Fe(II) derivatives of the enzyme were studied using nitric oxide as a substitute for molecular oxygen. The addition of NO to the enzyme yields an S = 3/2 {FeNO}7 paramagnetic center characterized by nearly axial EPR spectra with g⊥ = 4 and g|| = 2. Using results from (i) an X-ray crystallographic study of TauD crystallized under anaerobic conditions in the presence of both cosubstrate 2-oxoglutarate and substrate taurine, (ii) a published theoretical description of the {FeNO}7 derivative of this form of the enzyme, and (iii) previous 2H-Electron Spin Echo Envelope Modulation (ESEEM) studies, we were able to assign the proton cross peaks detected in orientation-selected 1H-HYSCORE spectra. Discrete contributions from the protons of two coordinated histidine ligands were resolved. If substrate taurine is absent from the complex, orientation-selective HYSCORE spectra show cross peaks that are less resolved and when combined with information obtained from continuous wave EPR, support an alternate binding scheme for 2-oxoglutarate. HYSCORE studies of TauD in the absence of 2-oxoglutarate show additional 1H cross peaks that can be assigned to two distinct bound water molecules. In addition, 1H and 14N cross peaks that arise from the coordinated histidine side chains show a change in NO coordination for this species. For all of the TauD species, 1H hyperfine couplings and their orientations are sensitive to the detailed electronic structure of the {FeNO}7 center.

5.
Infect Immun ; 86(1)2018 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29061709

ABSTRACT

Escherichia coli is a leading cause of bacterial mastitis in dairy cattle. It is most often transient in nature, causing an infection that lasts 2 to 3 days. However, E. coli has been shown to cause a persistent infection in a minority of cases. Mechanisms that allow for a persistent E. coli infection are not fully understood. The goal of this work was to determine differences between E. coli strains originally isolated from dairy cattle with transient and persistent mastitis. Using RNA sequencing, we show gene expression differences in nearly 200 genes when bacteria from the two clinical phenotypes are compared. We sequenced the genomes of the E. coli strains and report genes unique to the two phenotypes. Differences in the wca operon, which encodes colanic acid, were identified by DNA as well as RNA sequencing and differentiated the two phenotypes. Previous work demonstrated that E. coli strains that cause persistent infections were more motile than those that cause transient infections. Deletion of genes in the wca operon from a persistent-infection strain resulted in a reduction of motility as measured in swimming and swarming assays. Furthermore, colanic acid has been shown to protect bacteria from complement-mediated killing. We show that transient-infection E. coli strains were more sensitive to complement-mediated killing. The deletion of genes from the wca operon caused a persistent-infection E. coli strain to become sensitive to complement-mediated killing. This work identifies important differences between E. coli strains that cause persistent and transient mammary infections in dairy cattle.


Subject(s)
Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology , Escherichia coli/genetics , Mastitis, Bovine/microbiology , Polysaccharides/genetics , Animals , Cattle , Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics , Female , Gene Expression Profiling/methods , Genes, Bacterial/genetics , Genomics/methods , Mammary Glands, Animal/microbiology , Phenotype , Virulence/genetics
6.
Phys Chem Chem Phys ; 18(8): 5819-31, 2016 Feb 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26489725

ABSTRACT

The conformational landscape of HIV-1 protease (PR) can be experimentally characterized by pulsed-EPR double electron-electron resonance (DEER). For this characterization, nitroxide spin labels are attached to an engineered cysteine residue in the flap region of HIV-1 PR. DEER distance measurements from spin-labels contained within each flap of the homodimer provide a detailed description of the conformational sampling of apo-enzyme as well as induced conformational shifts as a function of inhibitor binding. The distance distribution profiles are further interpreted in terms of a conformational ensemble scheme that consists of four unique states termed "curled/tucked", "closed", "semi-open" and "wide-open" conformations. Reported here are the DEER results for a drug-resistant variant clinical isolate sequence, V6, in the presence of FDA approved protease inhibitors (PIs) as well as a non-hydrolyzable substrate mimic, CaP2. Results are interpreted in the context of the current understanding of the relationship between conformational sampling, drug resistance, and kinetic efficiency of HIV-1PR as derived from previous DEER and kinetic data for a series of HIV-1PR constructs that contain drug-pressure selected mutations or natural polymorphisms. Specifically, these collective results support the notion that inhibitor-induced closure of the flaps correlates with inhibitor efficiency and drug resistance. This body of work also suggests DEER as a tool for studying conformational sampling in flexible enzymes as it relates to function.


Subject(s)
Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy , HIV Protease/chemistry , HIV-1/chemistry , Amino Acid Sequence , Cloning, Molecular , Drug Resistance , Enzyme Activation/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , HIV Protease/genetics , HIV-1/drug effects , Humans , Models, Molecular , Protein Conformation
7.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun ; 450(1): 723-8, 2014 Jul 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24950408

ABSTRACT

Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for characterizing conformational sampling and dynamics in biological macromolecules. Here we demonstrate that nitroxide spectra collected at frequencies higher than X-band (∼9.5 GHz) have sensitivity to the timescale of motion sampled by highly dynamic intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). The 68 amino acid protein IA3, was spin-labeled at two distinct sites and a comparison of X-band, Q-band (35 GHz) and W-band (95 GHz) spectra are shown for this protein as it undergoes the helical transition chemically induced by tri-fluoroethanol. Experimental spectra at W-band showed pronounced line shape dispersion corresponding to a change in correlation time from ∼0.3 ns (unstructured) to ∼0.6 ns (α-helical) as indicated by comparison with simulations. Experimental and simulated spectra at X- and Q-bands showed minimal dispersion over this range, illustrating the utility of SDSL EPR at higher frequencies for characterizing structural transitions and dynamics in IDPs.


Subject(s)
Algorithms , Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Proteins/chemistry , Proteins/ultrastructure , Protein Conformation , Staining and Labeling/methods
8.
Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol ; 11: 23333928241284178, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39328808

ABSTRACT

Objective: Despite growing numbers of initiatives designed to address increasing diabetes prevalence in the U.S., the need remains for effective programs. Because family history is a diabetes risk factor, family focused programs may be a potential strategy to improve the health of the entire family. We present the development process and pretest results of a lifestyle change program for rural-dwelling mothers at risk for diabetes and their children. Methods: We completed semistructured interviews with mothers (N = 17) focusing on program content and activities. Findings informed program development by identifying specific barriers motivators and potential leverage points such as focusing on the intrinsic incentives of health activities. The resulting program was pretested with rural-dwelling mothers (N = 5) who completed program activities with their families and provided feedback via semistructured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: While pretest results showed that the program was generally acceptable and feasible, feedback was used to further refine the program. The revised program consists of 8 group sessions with family focused content around physical activity, healthy eating, and making connections while engaging in health activities. Between sessions, mothers tracked the family goals, activity levels, and mood, and documented barriers to discuss during the sessions. Conclusions: Our development process engaged intended program users to codesign a program that focuses on wellness and intrinsic incentives of engaging in health-enhancing activities as a family. By providing strategies to change behaviors as a family, this program aims to improve the mother's health while developing healthy habits in their children.

9.
Prev Med Rep ; 39: 102655, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38390312

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Family-based programs may be a strategy to prevent health conditions with hereditary risk such as diabetes. This review examined the state of the science regarding interventions that adapted the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle change curriculum to include family members. Methods: CINAHL, Cochrane Central, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for reports that were peer reviewed, written in English, evaluated interventions that adapted the DPP lifestyle change curriculum to be family-based, reported diabetes risk related outcomes, and published between 2002 and August 2023. Records were reviewed, data extracted, and quality assessed by two researchers working independently. A narrative synthesis was completed. Meta-analysis was not completed due to the small number of studies and the heterogeneity of the study characteristics. Results: 2177 records were identified with four meeting inclusion criteria. Primary participants for three studies were adults and one study focused on youth. Family participants were adult family members, children of the primary participant, or caregivers of the enrolled youth. For primary participants, two studies found significant intervention effects on weight-related outcomes. Of the studies with no intervention effects, one was a pilot feasibility study that was not powered to detect changes in weight outcomes. Three studies assessed outcomes in family participants with one finding significant intervention effects on weight. Conclusions: While DPP interventions adapted to include family showed promising or similar results as individual-based DPP interventions, additional studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms of action and the most effective methods to engage family members in the programs.

10.
J Healthy Eat Act Living ; 4(2): 92-106, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39372062

ABSTRACT

Although yoga improves physical functioning, balance, and quality of life in older adults, rural residents are less likely to participate due to issues related to availability, access, and beliefs regarding yoga practice. To address these barriers, we worked with community partners to adapt a yoga program designed for older adults for telehealth delivery. In this report, intervention development and process outcomes are presented. Community collaborators identified strategies to recruit and retain older adults and suggested modifications required to maximize the adoption and maintenance of a telehealth exercise program by local community organizations. Four rural serving organizations evaluated the program using a wait-list comparison group design. Process measures collected at post-intervention supplemented program evaluation measures collected pre- and post-intervention. The adapted 8-week program consisted of two weekly group sessions delivered over video conferencing software. Of 48 enrolled participants, 83% completed the program. Participants were on average 72.6 (SD=6) years old, majority white (98%), female (85.7%), and attended some college (92%). Most were satisfied with the telehealth delivery, program content, and yoga instructor with mixed results regarding logistical issues such as program length and duration. Community organizations similar to those that will ultimately disseminate the program, yoga teachers, and older adults were engaged to maximize the feasibility of this telehealth exercise program. The program appeared to be safe and acceptable, indicating telehealth may be a strategy to increase access to yoga programs for rural-dwelling older adults. Lessons learned will inform future telehealth iterations of this and similar exercise programming.

11.
Chem Sci ; 15(7): 2495-2508, 2024 Feb 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38362435

ABSTRACT

The separation and anti-fouling performance of water purification membranes is governed by both macroscopic and molecular-scale water properties near polymer surfaces. However, even for poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) - ubiquitously used in membrane materials - there is little understanding of whether or how the molecular structure of water near PEO surfaces affects macroscopic water diffusion. Here, we probe both time-averaged bulk and local water dynamics in dilute and concentrated PEO solutions using a unique combination of experimental and simulation tools. Pulsed-Field Gradient NMR and Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (ODNP) capture water dynamics across micrometer length scales in sub-seconds to sub-nanometers in tens of picoseconds, respectively. We find that classical models, such as the Stokes-Einstein and Mackie-Meares relations, cannot capture water diffusion across a wide range of PEO concentrations, but that free volume theory can. Our study shows that PEO concentration affects macroscopic water diffusion by enhancing the water structure and altering free volume. ODNP experiments reveal that water diffusivity near PEO is slower than in the bulk in dilute solutions, previously not recognized by macroscopic transport measurements, but the two populations converge above the polymer overlap concentration. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the reduction in water diffusivity occurs with enhanced tetrahedral structuring near PEO. Broadly, we find that PEO does not simply behave like a physical obstruction but directly modifies water's structural and dynamic properties. Thus, even in simple PEO solutions, molecular scale structuring and the impact of polymer interfaces is essential to capturing water diffusion, an observation with important implications for water transport through structurally complex membrane materials.

12.
PLoS One ; 17(5): e0268645, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35617366

ABSTRACT

Previously, we had demonstrated that Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) strain 86-24 expresses proteins involved in survival rather than virulence in vitro in rumen fluid from dairy cattle limit fed a maintenance diet. Here, we verified if this observation would be true for different O157 strains grown in vitro in rumen fluid from, and in vivo in the rumen of, animals on contrasting maintenance (high fiber) and lactation (high energy-protein) diets usually limit fed to dairy cattle. For the in vivo studies, an economical, novel, reusable and non-terminal rumen-fistulated animal model permitting simultaneous evaluation of multiple bacterial strains in the bovine rumen was developed. All experiments were conducted in duplicate using different animals to account for host-related variations. The O157 strains included, 86-24, EDL933 and the super shed SS-17. E. coli NalR (#5735), derived from a bovine intestinal commensal E. coli, was included as a control. As expected, diet influenced ruminal pH and volatile fatty acid (VFA) composition. The pH ranged from 6.2-7.0 and total VFA concentrations from 109-141 µM/ml, in animals fed the maintenance diet. In comparison, animals fed the lactation diet had a ruminal pH ranging between 5.18-6.0, and total VFA of 125-219 µM/ml. Strain dependent differences in O157 recovery from the rumen fluid of cattle fed either diet was observed, both in vitro and in vivo, with O157 strains 86-24 and EDL933 demonstrating similar survival patterns. Analysis of the O157 proteomes expressed in the rumen fluid/rumen verified previous observations of adaptive responses. Any difference in the adaptive response was mainly influenced by the animal's diet and growth conditions (in vitro and in vivo) and not the O157 strain. These new insights into the O157 responses could help formulate modalities to control O157 across strains in cattle at all stages of husbandry.


Subject(s)
Escherichia coli O157 , Animals , Cattle , Diet/veterinary , Escherichia coli O157/physiology , Fatty Acids, Volatile/analysis , Feces/microbiology , Female , Models, Animal , Rumen/microbiology
13.
Nat Commun ; 13(1): 7326, 2022 11 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36443315

ABSTRACT

Intrinsically disordered proteins rich in cationic amino acid groups can undergo Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation (LLPS) in the presence of charge-balancing anionic counterparts. Arginine and Lysine are the two most prevalent cationic amino acids in proteins that undergo LLPS, with arginine-rich proteins observed to undergo LLPS more readily than lysine-rich proteins, a feature commonly attributed to arginine's ability to form stronger cation-π interactions with aromatic groups. Here, we show that arginine's ability to promote LLPS is independent of the presence of aromatic partners, and that arginine-rich peptides, but not lysine-rich peptides, display re-entrant phase behavior at high salt concentrations. We further demonstrate that the hydrophobicity of arginine is the determining factor giving rise to the reentrant phase behavior and tunable viscoelastic properties of the dense LLPS phase. Controlling arginine-induced reentrant LLPS behavior using temperature and salt concentration opens avenues for the bioengineering of stress-triggered biological phenomena and drug delivery systems.


Subject(s)
Arginine , Intrinsically Disordered Proteins , Lysine , Amino Acids , Sodium Chloride , Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
14.
Front Oncol ; 12: 849793, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35402250

ABSTRACT

With immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) having reshaped the treatment of many cancers, the next frontier is to identify and develop novel combination therapies to improve efficacy. Previously, we and others identified beneficial immunological effects of the vitamin A derivative tretinoin on anti-tumour immunity. Although it is known that tretinoin preferentially depletes myeloid derived suppressor cells in blood, little is known about the effects of tretinoin on the tumour microenvironment, hampering the rational design of clinical trials using tretinoin in combination with ICT. Here, we aimed to identify how tretinoin changed the tumour microenvironment in mouse tumour models, using flow cytometry and RNAseq, and we sought to use that information to establish optimal dosing and scheduling of tretinoin in combination with several ICT antibodies in multiple cancer models. We found that tretinoin rapidly induced an interferon dominated inflammatory tumour microenvironment, characterised by increased CD8+ T cell infiltration. This phenotype completely overlapped with the phenotype that was induced by ICT itself, and we confirmed that the combination further amplified this inflammatory milieu. The addition of tretinoin significantly improved the efficacy of anti-CTLA4/anti-PD-L1 combination therapy, and staggered scheduling was more efficacious than concomitant scheduling, in a dose-dependent manner. The positive effects of tretinoin could be extended to ICT antibodies targeting OX40, GITR and CTLA4 monotherapy in multiple cancer models. These data show that tretinoin induces an interferon driven, CD8+ T cell tumour microenvironment that is responsive to ICT.

15.
Nat Commun ; 13(1): 4895, 2022 08 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35986006

ABSTRACT

The biological determinants of the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer remain incompletely understood. Little is known about dynamic biological events that underpin therapeutic efficacy due to the inability to frequently sample tumours in patients. Here, we map the transcriptional profiles of 144 responding and non-responding tumours within two mouse models at four time points during ICB. We find that responding tumours display on/fast-off kinetics of type-I-interferon (IFN) signaling. Phenocopying of this kinetics using time-dependent sequential dosing of recombinant IFNs and neutralizing antibodies markedly improves ICB efficacy, but only when IFNß is targeted, not IFNα. We identify Ly6C+/CD11b+ inflammatory monocytes as the primary source of IFNß and find that active type-I-IFN signaling in tumour-infiltrating inflammatory monocytes is associated with T cell expansion in patients treated with ICB. Together, our results suggest that on/fast-off modulation of IFNß signaling is critical to the therapeutic response to ICB, which can be exploited to drive clinical outcomes towards response.


Subject(s)
Interferon Type I , Neoplasms , Animals , Interferon-alpha , Interferon-beta/genetics , Interferon-beta/therapeutic use , Mice , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/genetics , Signal Transduction
16.
iScience ; 25(1): 103571, 2022 Jan 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34984327

ABSTRACT

Mesothelioma is a cancer that typically originates in the pleura of the lungs. It rapidly invades the surrounding tissues, causing pain and shortness of breath. We compared cell lines injected either subcutaneously or intrapleurally and found that only the latter resulted in invasive and rapid growth. Pleural tumors displayed a transcriptional signature consistent with increased activity of nuclear receptors PPARα and PPARγ and with an increased abundance of endogenous PPAR-activating ligands. We found that chemical probe GW6471 is a potent, dual PPARα/γ antagonist with anti-invasive and anti-proliferative activity in vitro. However, administration of GW6471 at doses that provided sustained plasma exposure levels sufficient for inhibition of PPARα/γ transcriptional activity did not result in significant anti-mesothelioma activity in mice. Lastly, we demonstrate that the in vitro anti-tumor effect of GW6471 is off-target. We conclude that dual PPARα/γ antagonism alone is not a viable treatment modality for mesothelioma.

17.
Cureus ; 13(12): e20567, 2021 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35103146

ABSTRACT

Chronic canaliculitis is an uncommon condition secondary to an infection of the lacrimal canaliculus, frequently caused by Actinomyces israelii. It is often misdiagnosed due to its symptoms mimicking more common pathologies and regularly fails to respond to antibiotics alone. Surgical intervention is the definitive treatment. We present a case of chronic canaliculitis with an unusual presentation.

18.
Ther Adv Ophthalmol ; 13: 25158414211027705, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34286213

ABSTRACT

A 65-year-old patient with history of keratoconus, mild cataract and penetrating keratoplasty over 30 years ago developed corneal oedema subsequent of graft failure with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of counting fingers. He underwent a successful cataract surgery combined with a 7.25 mm Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) with Sodium Hexafluoride (SF6) gas. His cornea remained oedematous inferiorly at 4 weeks, despite two subsequent re-bubbling due to persistent DMEK detachment inferiorly. This was managed by three radial full thickness 10-0 nylon sutures placed in the inferior cornea along with intracameral injection of air. Following this, his anterior segment ocular coherence tomography (OCT) confirmed complete attachment of the graft, and the sutures were removed 4 weeks later. Unaided visual acuity was 20/63 and BCVA was 20/32 after 8 months. DMEK suturing can be helpful in persistent DMEK detachments, which is refractory to repeated re-bubbling due to uneven posterior surface of previous PK.

19.
Anal Chem ; 82(10): 4097-101, 2010 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20411920

ABSTRACT

The feasibility of exploiting fluorescence spectra of the eye for diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) was examined. Retinas from scrapie-positive sheep were compared with scrapie-negative sheep using fluorescence spectroscopy, and distinct differences in the fluorescence intensity and spectroscopic signatures were observed. The characteristic fluorescent signatures are thought to be the result of an accumulation of lipofuscin in the retina. It appears that the eye, in particular the retina, is a useful tissue for noninvasive examination of some neurological pathologies such as scrapie. The development of procedures based on examinations of the eye that permit the detection of neurological disorders in animals holds great promise.


Subject(s)
Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform/diagnosis , Prion Diseases/diagnosis , Retina/pathology , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods , Animals , Brain/pathology , Cattle , Retina/physiopathology , Scrapie/diagnosis
20.
Anaerobe ; 16(2): 106-13, 2010 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19524056

ABSTRACT

Experiments were conducted to determine factors that affect sensitivity of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to sodium chlorate (5mM). In our first experiment, cultures grown without chlorate grew more rapidly than those with chlorate. An extended lag before logarithmic growth was observed in anaerobic but not aerobic cultures containing chlorate. Chlorate inhibition of growth during aerobic culture began later than that observed in anaerobic cultures but persisted once inhibition was apparent. Conversely, anaerobic cultures appeared to adapt to chlorate after approximately 10h of incubation, exhibiting rapid compensatory growth. In anaerobic chlorate-containing cultures, 20% of total viable counts were resistant to chlorate by 6h and had propagated to 100% resistance (>10(9)CFU mL(-1)) by 24h. In the aerobic chlorate-containing cultures, 12.9% of colonies had detectable resistance to chlorate by 6h, but only 1% retained detectable resistance at 24h, likely because these cultures had opportunity to respire on oxygen and were thus not enriched via the selective pressure of chlorate. In another study, treatment with shikimic acid (0.34 mM), molybdate (1mM) or their combination had little effect on aerobic or anaerobic growth of Salmonella in the absence of added chlorate. As observed in our earlier study, chlorate resistance was not detected in any cultures without added chlorate. Chlorate resistant Salmonella were recovered at equivalent numbers regardless of treatment after 8h of aerobic or anaerobic culture with added chlorate; however, by 24h incubation chlorate sensitivity was completely restored to aerobic but not anaerobic cultures treated with shikimic acid or molybdate but not their combination. Results indicate that anaerobic adaptation of S. Typhimurium to sodium chlorate during pure culture is likely due to the selective propagation of low numbers of cells exhibiting spontaneous resistance to chlorate and this resistance is not reversible by molybdenum supplementation.


Subject(s)
Chlorates/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Molybdenum/pharmacology , Salmonella typhimurium/drug effects , Shikimic Acid/pharmacology , Aerobiosis , Anaerobiosis , Colony Count, Microbial , Humans , Microbial Viability , Salmonella typhimurium/growth & development , Salmonella typhimurium/metabolism , Time Factors
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