Heterogeneity of lipopolysaccharide counteracts macrophage and antimicrobial peptide defenses.

S is comprised of over 2,500 serovars, in which non-typhoidal serovars (NTS), Enteritidis (SE), and Typhimurium (STM) are the most clinically associated with human infections. Although NTS have similar genetic elements to cause disease, phenotypic variation including differences in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) composition may control immune evasion. Here, we demonstrate that macrophage host defenses and LL-37 antimicrobial efficacy against SE and STM are substantially altered by LPS heterogeneity.

Frailty in an Adult Acute Hospital Population: Predictors, Prevalence, and Outcomes.

Frailty is common among older hospital inpatients. While studies describe frailty prevalence in acute hospitals, it is usually based upon retrospective hospital-coded data or brief screening on admission rather than comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Further, little is known about differences between pre-admission and current frailty status.

Is there a sicker sex? Dose relationships modify male-female differences in infection prevalence.

Throughout the animal kingdom, there are striking differences in the propensity of one sex or the other to become infected. However, precisely when we should expect males or females to be the sicker sex remains unclear. A major barrier to answering this question is that very few studies have considered how the susceptibility of males and females changes across the full range of pathogen doses encountered in nature.

Patient and Partner Perspectives of Pregnancy-Related Counseling and Information Needs in Women With Kidney Disease: An Australian National Survey.

Introduction: The experiences and information needs for reproductive health counseling in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are poorly defined, despite the known importance of pregnancy planning in this higher-risk cohort.

Methods: Australian adult women with CKD and their partners or family members completed a consumer codesigned survey about experiences of and preferences for pregnancy-related counseling, support, and education. Data were analyzed descriptively and with qualitative content analysis of free-text responses.

Permafrost thaw causes large carbon loss in boreal peatlands while changes to peat quality are limited.

Rapid, ongoing permafrost thaw of peatlands in the discontinuous permafrost zone is exposing a globally significant store of soil carbon (C) to microbial processes. Mineralization and release of this peat C to the atmosphere as greenhouse gases is a potentially important feedback to climate change. Here we investigated the effects of permafrost thaw on peat C at a peatland complex in western Canada.

In utero exposures to mint-flavored JUUL aerosol impair lung development and aggravate house dust mite-induced asthma in adult offspring mice.

There are few reports concerning electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use during pregnancy and no studies on asthma in prenatally JUUL-exposed offspring. Here, we tested the hypothesis that in utero JUUL exposure causes unfavorable birth outcomes and lasting pulmonary health effects in adult offspring. BALB/c dams were exposed to either air or mint-flavored JUUL aerosol, 1-hr/d, 20 consecutive days during gestation.

Host Sex Modulates the Energetics of Pathogen Proliferation and Its Dependence on Environmental Resources.

AbstractSex differences in immunity are predicted to underlie much of the frequently observed sex differences in the prevalence or severity of infection. We propose the additional hypothesis that differences in the ability of males and females to acquire and use resources will also affect how readily a pathogen can convert host energy into transmission stages, thereby contributing to sex differences in infection dynamics. To test this we manipulated the resource environment of male and female by altering the availability of food and then exposed hosts to a bacterial pathogen.

In utero exposure to electronic-cigarette aerosols decreases lung fibrillar collagen content, increases Newtonian resistance and induces sex-specific molecular signatures in neonatal mice.

Approximately 7% of pregnant women in the United States use electronic-cigarette (e-cig) devices during pregnancy. There is, however, no scientific evidence to support e-cig use as being 'safe' during pregnancy. Little is known about the effects of fetal exposures to e-cig aerosols on lung alveologenesis.

2D-GolgiTrack-a semi-automated tracking system to quantify morphological changes and dynamics of the Golgi apparatus and Golgi-derived membrane tubules.

The Golgi apparatus and membrane tubules derived from this organelle play essential roles in membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells. High-resolution live cell imaging is one highly suitable method for studying the molecular mechanisms of dynamics of organelles during membrane trafficking events. Due to the complex morphological changes and dynamic movements of the Golgi apparatus and associated membrane tubules during membrane trafficking, it is challenging to accurately quantify them.

Constraints on potential enzyme activities in thermokarst bogs: Implications for the carbon balance of peatlands following thaw.

Northern peatlands store a globally significant amount of soil organic carbon, much of it found in rapidly thawing permafrost. Permafrost thaw in peatlands often leads to the development and expansion of thermokarst bogs, where microbial activity will determine the stability of the carbon storage and the release of greenhouse gases. In this study, we compared potential enzyme activities between young (thawed ~30 years ago) and mature (~200 years) thermokarst bogs, for both shallow and deep peat layers.

Characterisation of GLUT4 trafficking in HeLa cells: comparable kinetics and orthologous trafficking mechanisms to 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Insulin-stimulated glucose transport is a characteristic property of adipocytes and muscle cells and involves the regulated delivery of glucose transporter (GLUT4)-containing vesicles from intracellular stores to the cell surface. Fusion of these vesicles results in increased numbers of GLUT4 molecules at the cell surface. In an attempt to overcome some of the limitations associated with both primary and cultured adipocytes, we expressed an epitope- and GFP-tagged version of GLUT4 (HA-GLUT4-GFP) in HeLa cells.

Comparison of Frailty Screening Instruments in the Emergency Department.

Early identification of frailty through targeted screening can facilitate the delivery of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and may improve outcomes for older inpatients. As several instruments are available, we aimed to investigate which is the most accurate and reliable in the Emergency Department (ED). We compared the ability of three validated, short, frailty screening instruments to identify frailty in a large University Hospital ED.

Impact of a blizzard on an Irish Emergency Department.

Aim: To examine the effect of a blizzard in March 2018 on presentations to TUH ED.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of ED records from 1-5th of March 2018.

Results: Of 479 presentations, 71 were related to the blizzard.

Wood ash residue causes a mixture of growth promotion and toxicity in Lemna minor.

The use of wood as a sustainable biofuel results in the generation of residual wood ash. The ash contains high amounts of plant macronutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium as well as several micronutrients. To explore the potential use of wood ash as a fertiliser, the growth enhancing properties of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Bong.

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviour for the Reduction of Severe Nail Biting.

The effects of differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO) were investigated for the treatment of severe self-injurious nail biting in an individual diagnosed with autism. A functional behaviour assessment (FBA) identified that the behaviour was maintained by automatic reinforcement. Following the implementation of the DRO procedure and access to reinforcing stimuli that were believed to provide similar sensory feedback to that of the self-injurious nail biting, the results indicate that the nail biting was successfully reduced and maintained at near zero levels.

Photopolymerization of mixed monolayers and black lipid membranes containing gramicidin A and diacetylenic phospholipids.

We formed monolayers and black lipid membranes (BLMs) of photopolymerizable lipids mixed with the channel-forming protein gramicidin A to evaluate their miscibility and the potential for improved stability of the BLM scaffold through polymerization. Analyses of surface pressure vs area isotherms indicated that gramicidin A dispersed with three different synthetic, polymerizable, diacetylene-containing phospholipids, 1,2-di-10,12-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DTPC), 1,2-di-10,12-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DTPE), and 1-palmitoyl-2,10,12-tricosadiynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (PTPE) to form mixed monolayers at the air-water interface on a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) trough. Conductance measurements across a diacetylenic lipid-containing BLM confirmed dispersion of the gramicidin channel with the lipid layer and demonstrated gramicidin ion-channel activity before and after UV exposure.

Electrospray diagnostics by Fourier analysis of current oscillations and fast imaging.

The different spraying modes in electrospray ionization sources exhibit large variations in their ion yield and stability. To achieve consistently optimal ion production, active control of the spray parameters is desirable. To diagnose the changes in spraying mode, the spray current and its Fourier spectrum were monitored under a wide range of conditions, that is, as a function of the spray voltage, liquid flow rate, and composition.

Flexing the electrified meniscus: the birth of a jet in electrosprays.

Spraying of liquids through an electrified meniscus has become a method of choice to produce ions from large biomolecules. Using mass spectrometry, the generated ions can be analyzed to provide detailed information on their composition and structure. This technique enables high-throughput protein analysis that is a prerequisite for answering the questions presented by proteomics.

Distribution of microsomal CO-binding chromophores and EROD activity in sea anemone tissues.

Our previous studies indicated that sea anemone microsomes contain cytochrome P450 (CYP) and have ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylation (EROD) activity. Other marine invertebrates have discrete organs which concentrate cytochromes P450, whereas cnidarians have evolved only to the tissue level of development. To examine the distribution of CYP in sea anemones, microsomes were prepared from the following tissue regions of two sea anemones, Anthopleura xanthogrammica: outer (heavy muscular wall), inner (imperfect and perfect mesentery, and retractor muscle), soft (digestive sac, gonads, and mesentery filaments), and tentacular (including algal/diatom symbiont).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: To determine the frequency of carpal tunnel syndrome in type 2 diabetic patients, its clinical profile and its other predisposing factors.

Methods: One hundred and forty six consecutive patients (57 male, 89 female) with type 2 diabetes mellitus seen in the diabetic clinic were examined prospectively and submitted to comprehensive electrophysiological studies to detect carpal tunnel syndrome and sensorimotor neuropathy. Those with carpal tunnel syndrome were compared to others to determine the additional predisposing factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients.