Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes.

Antibiotic persistence is a phenomenon in which a small number of bacterial cells in a genetically susceptible population survive antibiotic treatment that kills the other genetically identical cells. Bacterial persisters can resume replication once antibiotic treatment ends and are commonly thought to underlie clinical treatment failure. Recent work harnessing the power of time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, in which bacteria are labeled with fluorescent transcriptional reporters, translational reporters, and/or dyes for a variety of cellular features, has advanced our understanding of Escherichia coli persisters beyond what could be learned from population-level antibiotic survival assays.

Agar and agarose used for Staphylococcus aureus biofilm cultivation impact fluoroquinolone tolerance.

Aims: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen whose treatment is further complicated by its ability to form biofilms. In this study, we examine the impact of growing S. aureus biofilms on different polymerizing surfaces, specifically agar and agarose, on the pathogen's tolerance to fluoroquinolones.

Public engagement with genomic medicine: a summary of town hall discussions.

Engaging with the public for their input about genomic medicine is critical before it is implemented into routine healthcare practice. In order to inform discussion and planning for the introduction of genome sequencing into clinical care in an Eastern Canadian province, we implemented a program of public engagement activities. Here, we report a qualitative summary of two town hall discussions utilizing a hybrid information-consultation approach with 20 residents of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Mcl1 regulates the terminal mitosis of neural precursor cells in the mammalian brain through p27Kip1.

Cortical development requires the precise timing of neural precursor cell (NPC) terminal mitosis. Although cell cycle proteins regulate terminal mitosis, the factors that influence the cell cycle machinery are incompletely understood. Here we show in mice that myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl1), an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein required for the survival of NPCs, also regulates their terminal differentiation through the cell cycle regulator p27(Kip1).

Sorry, You Can't Have That Information: Data Holder Confusion Regarding Privacy Requirements for Personal Health Information and the Potential Chilling Effect on Health Research.

This study, conducted in Newfoundland and Labrador, assessed the level of awareness, perceptions and concerns of healthcare providers, health researchers, data managers and the general public about the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information (PHI) for research purposes. Data collection involved surveys and follow-up focus groups with participants. Results indicate a poor understanding generally with regard to privacy rights and responsibilities.