The consultant practitioner: an evolving role to meet changing NHS needs.

Unlabelled: Since the introduction of the consultant practitioner role, with its huge variability in purpose and context, it has had to evolve in response to the changing needs of the NHS to achieve sustainability and transformation of services.

Aim: This article reflects on the relevance of the consultant practitioner role and the impact of an action learning set in hastening its evolution in one NHS foundation trust.

Method: From a process of collective critical reflection on their practice, six consultant practitioners analysed the impact they have had on influencing services and empowerment of their patients.

The Francisella tularensis FabI enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase gene is essential to bacterial viability and is expressed during infection.

Francisella tularensis is classified as a category A priority pathogen and causes fatal disseminated disease in humans upon inhalation of less than 50 bacteria. Although drugs are available for treatment, they are not ideal because of toxicity and route of delivery, and in some cases patients relapse upon withdrawal. We have an ongoing program to develop novel FAS-II FabI enoyl-ACP reductase enzyme inhibitors for Francisella and other select agents.

Conserved mycobacterial lipoglycoproteins activate TLR2 but also require glycosylation for MHC class II-restricted T cell activation.

CD4(+) T cell clones derived from a leprosy lesion and patient blood were used to monitor the isolation and identification of an Ag associated with the self-limited form of the disease. Biochemical purification and genetic analysis identified the T cell Ag as a conserved mycobacterial lipoglycoprotein LprG. LprG-mediated activation of CD4(+) T cells required specific MHC class II restriction molecules and intracellular processing.

Calcium-dependent regulation of secretion in biliary epithelial cells: the role of apamin-sensitive SK channels.

Background & Aims: Increases in intracellular Ca 2+ are thought to complement cAMP in stimulating Cl - secretion in cholangiocytes, although the site(s) of action and channels involved are unknown. We have identified a Ca 2+ -activated K + channel (SK2) in biliary epithelium that is inhibited by apamin. The purpose of the present studies was to define the role of SK channels in Ca 2+ -dependent cholangiocyte secretion.

Effects of Ape1 overexpression on cellular resistance to DNA-damaging and anticancer agents.

In vitro biochemical studies indicate that Ape1 is the major mammalian enzyme responsible for repairing abasic lesions in DNA and a significant factor in the processing of specific 3'-replication-blocking termini. Toward addressing the role of Ape1 in cellular resistance to specific DNA-damaging and anticancer agents, we constructed a chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line, AA8-Ape1, that exhibits a 7-fold higher Ape1-dependent nuclease activity; this overexpression is abolished upon exposure to tetracycline (Tc). In comparison to the AA8 parental control, our data indicates that Ape1 activity is not rate-limiting for the repair of cytotoxic damages induced by the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), the oxidizing agent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or ionizing radiation (IR).