Characterization of Tryptophanase from Vibrio cholerae O1

AbstractTryptophanase (Trpase) encoded by the tnaA gene catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan to indole, which is an extracellular signaling molecule detected in various bacteria including Vibrio cholerae. Indole has been demonstrated to regulate biofilm formation, drug resistance, plasmid maintenance and spore formation of bacteria. In the present study, the tnaA gene from V. cholerae O1 (VcTrpase) was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) tn5:tnaA (a Trpase-deficient competent). VcTrpase was purified by Ni2+-NTA chromatography. The obtained VcTrpase had a molecular mass of approximately 49 kDa, a specific activity of 3 U/mg protein, and absorption peaks at 330 and 435nm. Using a site-directed mutagenesis technique, replacement of Arg419 by Val resulted in a VcTrpase completely devoid of activity. Thus, this site can be a target for drug design for controlling V. cholerae

Exploration of Explainable AI in Context of Human-Machine Interface for the Assistive Driving System

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Liberação intraocular de ofloxacina associada a lente de contato biossintética em ceratite bacteriana experimental em cães

Avaliou-se a concentração de ofloxacina liberada por uma lente de contato de membrana de celulose biossintética, para tratamento de ceratite bacteriana experimental em cães, pela inoculação de Staphylococcus aureus intraestromal. Comparou-se o tratamento com a lente de contato biossintética impregnada com ofloxacina à terapia tópica convencional. Realizou-se avaliação microbiológica e dosagem de ofloxacina no humor aquoso por meio do método de cromatografia líquida de alto rendimento (HPLC). Houve diferença estatística na contagem de colônias bacterianas entre os olhos com ceratite e os demais grupos, no primeiro dia de coleta. O biomaterial, impregnado com ofloxacina, promoveu liberação gradual durante o período de avaliação, aos três e sete dias; no terceiro dia, o grupo tratado com a lente de contato obteve mediana de 3,72μg/mL, enquanto o grupo tratado com colírio resultou em 49,56μg/mL. Apesar do valor inferior, o grupo com lente de contato atingiu a concentração inibitória mínima, sendo eficaz no controle da infecção bacteriana

Using global team science to identify genetic parkinson's disease worldwide.

No abstract available

Validation of the Polish version of the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS)

Background. In 2008, the Movement Disorders Society (MDS) published a new Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) as the official benchmark scale for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). We have translated and validated the Polish version of the MDS-UPDRS, explored its dimensionality, and compared it to the original English one. Methods. The MDS-UPDRS was translated into Polish by a team of Polish investigators led by JS and GO. The back-translation was completed by colleagues fluent in both languages (Polish and English) who were not involved in the original translation, and was reviewed by members of the MDS Rating Scales Programme. Then the translated version of the MDS-UPDRS underwent cognitive pretesting, and the translation was modified based on the results. The final translation was approved as the Official Working Document of the MDS-UPDRS Polish version, and was tested on 355 Polish PD patients recruited at movement disorders centres all over Poland (at Katowice, Gdańsk, Łódź, Warsaw, Wrocław, and Kraków). Confirmatory and explanatory factor analyses were applied to determine whether the factor structure of the English version could be confirmed in the Polish version. Results. The Polish version of the MDS-UPDRS showed satisfactory clinimetric properties. The internal consistency of the Polish version was satisfactory. In the confirmatory factor analysis, all four parts had greater than 0.90 comparative fit index (CFI) compared to the original English MDS-UPDRS. Explanatory factor analysis suggested that the Polish version differed from the English version only within an acceptable range. Conclusions and clinical implications. The Polish version of the MDS-UPDRS meets the requirements to be designated as the Official Polish Version of the MDS-UPDRS, and is available on the MDS web page. We strongly recommend using the MDS-UPDRS instead of the UPDRS for research purposes and in everyday clinical practice.

Split resonances for simultaneous detection and control measurements in a single bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensor

A self-referenced resonator consisting of two distinct areas of the top electrode made from Mo and a thin (5-30 nm) functional Au layer is shown. The fundamental frequencies for both the shear (∼1 GHz) and longitudinal (∼2 GHz) modes are split in two, such that mass attachment on the functional layer region causes frequency shifts in only one of the resonances, allowing a new approach of using the difference between the two frequencies to be used to measure mass attachment; this reduces the importance of device-to-device variability in absolute resonant frequency as a result of device fabrication