Spectroscopy and interactions of metal and metal cation complexes

The work in this thesis looks at the spectroscopy and interactions of metals and metal cation complexes. There are two aspects of this vast subject that are considered: the electronic spectroscopy of Au-RG complexes and the ion-molecule chemistry of metals important in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region of the atmosphere. The spectroscopy of the molecular states in the vicinity of the strong Au 2P3/2, 1/2 ← 2S1/2 atomic transition, have been studied for the Au-RG (RG = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) series using resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). The spectroscopy of these systems was more involved than expected and high level ab initio calculations were required to complement and aid interpretation of the REMPI spectra obtained. Two main effects were seen to influence the spectroscopy in this energetic region — the mixing between D2Π1/2 and E2Σ1/2+ states through spin-orbit interactions and the interaction of lower lying states arising from the Au(2D) + RG (1S0) asymptote, resulting in predissociation being observed. The MLT is the only region of the Earth’s atmosphere in which metals exist in a free atomic state. It is known that their presence in this region occurs via the ablation of meteors entering the upper atmosphere, but certain aspects of their chemistry are still unclear. Using high level ab initio theory, spectroscopic constants were determined for metal cation complexes that can be formed in this region. These values are used by collaborators in conjunction with laboratory measurement to establish accurate rate coefficients that will allow the ion-molecule chemistry of calcium and magnesium in the MLT region to be modelled

Spectroscopy and interactions of metal and metal cation complexes

The work in this thesis looks at the spectroscopy and interactions of metals and metal cation complexes. There are two aspects of this vast subject that are considered: the electronic spectroscopy of Au-RG complexes and the ion-molecule chemistry of metals important in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region of the atmosphere. The spectroscopy of the molecular states in the vicinity of the strong Au 2P3/2, 1/2 ← 2S1/2 atomic transition, have been studied for the Au-RG (RG = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) series using resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). The spectroscopy of these systems was more involved than expected and high level ab initio calculations were required to complement and aid interpretation of the REMPI spectra obtained. Two main effects were seen to influence the spectroscopy in this energetic region — the mixing between D2Π1/2 and E2Σ1/2+ states through spin-orbit interactions and the interaction of lower lying states arising from the Au(2D) + RG (1S0) asymptote, resulting in predissociation being observed. The MLT is the only region of the Earth’s atmosphere in which metals exist in a free atomic state. It is known that their presence in this region occurs via the ablation of meteors entering the upper atmosphere, but certain aspects of their chemistry are still unclear. Using high level ab initio theory, spectroscopic constants were determined for metal cation complexes that can be formed in this region. These values are used by collaborators in conjunction with laboratory measurement to establish accurate rate coefficients that will allow the ion-molecule chemistry of calcium and magnesium in the MLT region to be modelled

Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife

Peer reviewe

Food for contagion : synthesis and future directions for studying host-parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common and have profound consequences for wildlife-pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape-and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) interspecific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modelling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human-wildlife conflicts over shared food resources and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'.Peer reviewe

Targeting HOX transcription factors in prostate cancer

YesBackground: The HOX genes are a family of transcription factors that help to determine cell and tissue identity during early development, and which are also over-expressed in a number of malignancies where they have been shown to promote cell proliferation and survival. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of HOX genes in prostate cancer and to establish whether prostate cancer cells are sensitive to killing by HXR9, an inhibitor of HOX function. Methods: HOX function was inhibited using the HXR9 peptide. HOX gene expression was assessed by RNA extraction from cells or tissues followed by quantitative PCR, and siRNA was used to block the expression of the HOX target gene, cFos. In vivo modelling involved a mouse flank tumour induced by inoculation with LNCaP cells. Results: In this study we show that the expression of HOX genes in prostate tumours is greatly increased with respect to normal prostate tissue. Targeting the interaction between HOX proteins and their PBX cofactor induces apoptosis in the prostate cancer derived cell lines PC3, DU145 and LNCaP, through a mechanism that involves a rapid increase in the expression of cFos, an oncogenic transcription factor. Furthermore, disrupting HOX/PBX binding using the HXR9 antagonist blocks the growth of LNCaP tumours in a xenograft model over an extended period. Conclusion: Many HOX genes are highly over-expressed in prostate cancer, and prostate cancer cells are sensitive to killing by HXR9 both in vitro and in vivo. The HOX genes are therefore a potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer.The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prostate Project charity (UK)

Quantifying direct and indirect contacts for the potential transmission of infection between species using a multilayer contact network

Detecting opportunities for between-species transmission of pathogens can be challenging, particularly if rare behaviours or environmental transmission are involved. We present a multilayer network framework to quantify transmission potential in multi-host systems, incorporating environmental transmission, by using empirical data on direct and indirect contacts between European badgers Meles meles and domestic cattle. We identify that indirect contacts via the environment at badger latrines on pasture are likely to be important for transmission within badger populations and between badgers and cattle. We also find a positive correlation between the role of individual badgers within the badger social network, and their role in the overall badger-cattle-environment network, suggesting that the same behavioural traits contribute to the role of individual badgers in within- and between-species transmission. These findings have implications for disease management interventions in this system, and our novel network approach can provide general insights into transmission in other multi-host disease systems

Ecology and Transmission of Buruli Ulcer Disease: A Systematic Review

Buruli ulcer is a neglected emerging disease that has recently been reported in some countries as the second most frequent mycobacterial disease in humans after tuberculosis. Cases have been reported from at least 32 countries in Africa (mainly west), Australia, Southeast Asia, China, Central and South America, and the Western Pacific. Large lesions often result in scarring, contractual deformities, amputations, and disabilities, and in Africa, most cases of the disease occur in children between the ages of 4–15 years. This environmental mycobacterium, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is found in communities associated with rivers, swamps, wetlands, and human-linked changes in the aquatic environment, particularly those created as a result of environmental disturbance such as deforestation, dam construction, and agriculture. Buruli ulcer disease is often referred to as the “mysterious disease” because the mode of transmission remains unclear, although several hypotheses have been proposed. The above review reveals that various routes of transmission may occur, varying amongst epidemiological setting and geographic region, and that there may be some role for living agents as reservoirs and as vectors of M. ulcerans, in particular aquatic insects, adult mosquitoes or other biting arthropods. We discuss traditional and non-traditional methods for indicting the roles of living agents as biologically significant reservoirs and/or vectors of pathogens, and suggest an intellectual framework for establishing criteria for transmission. The application of these criteria to the transmission of M. ulcerans presents a significant challenge

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome

Spectroscopy and interactions of metal and metal cation complexes

The work in this thesis looks at the spectroscopy and interactions of metals and metal cation complexes. There are two aspects of this vast subject that are considered: the electronic spectroscopy of Au-RG complexes and the ion-molecule chemistry of metals important in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region of the atmosphere. The spectroscopy of the molecular states in the vicinity of the strong Au 2P3/2, 1/2 ← 2S1/2 atomic transition, have been studied for the Au-RG (RG = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) series using resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). The spectroscopy of these systems was more involved than expected and high level ab initio calculations were required to complement and aid interpretation of the REMPI spectra obtained. Two main effects were seen to influence the spectroscopy in this energetic region — the mixing between D2Π1/2 and E2Σ1/2+ states through spin-orbit interactions and the interaction of lower lying states arising from the Au(2D) + RG (1S0) asymptote, resulting in predissociation being observed. The MLT is the only region of the Earth’s atmosphere in which metals exist in a free atomic state. It is known that their presence in this region occurs via the ablation of meteors entering the upper atmosphere, but certain aspects of their chemistry are still unclear. Using high level ab initio theory, spectroscopic constants were determined for metal cation complexes that can be formed in this region. These values are used by collaborators in conjunction with laboratory measurement to establish accurate rate coefficients that will allow the ion-molecule chemistry of calcium and magnesium in the MLT region to be modelled.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo