Check out the papers that were recently published by Vision Cluster members:
Journal: small
Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are increasingly being considered for a wide range of energy storage applications, and such devices rely on proton exchange membranes (PEMs) to function. PEMs are high-cost, petroleum-derived polymers that often possess limited durability, variable electrochemical performance, and are linked to discharge of perfluorinated compounds. Alternative PEMs that utilize biobased materials, including lignin and sulfonated lignin (SL), low-cost byproducts of the wood pulping process, have struggled to balance electrochemical performance with dimensional stability. Herein, SL nanoparticles are demonstrated for use as a nature-derived, ion-conducting PEM material. SL nanoparticles (NanoSLs) can be synthesized for increased surface area, uniformity, and miscibility compared with macrosized lignin, improving proton conductivity. After addition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as a structural backbone, membranes with the highest NanoSL concentration demonstrated an ion exchange capacity of 1.26 meq g-1, above that of the commercial PEM Nafion 112 (0.98 meq g-1), along with a conductivity of 80.4 mS cm-1 in situ, above that of many biocomposite PEMs, and a coulombic efficiency (CE), energy efficiency (EE) and voltage efficiency (VE) of 91%, 68% and 78%, respectively at 20 mA cm-2. These nanocomposite PEMs demonstrate the potential for valorization of forest biomass waste streams for high value clean energy applications.
Dos Santos FB, McMichael PS, Whitbeck A, Jalaee A, Gyenge E, Foster EJ. Proton Exchange Membranes from Sulfonated Lignin Nanocomposites for Redox Flow Battery Applications. Small. 2024 Mar 22:e2309459. doi: 10.1002/smll.202309459. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38519858.
Journal: Journal of Huntington's Disease
Background: Perivascular spaces (PVS) are fluid-filled cavities surrounding small cerebral blood vessels. There are limited reports of enlarged PVS across the grey matter in manifest Huntington's disease (HD). Little is known about how PVS morphometry in the white matter may contribute to HD. Enlarged PVS have the potential to both contribute to HD pathology and affect the distribution and success of intraparenchymal and intrathecally administered huntingtin-lowering therapies.
Objective: To investigate PVS morphometry in the global white matter across the spectrum of HD. Relationships between PVS morphometry and disease burden and severity measures were examined.
Methods: White matter PVS were segmented on 3T T2 W MRI brain scans of 33 healthy controls, 30 premanifest HD (pre-HD), and 32 early manifest HD (early-HD) participants from the Vancouver site of the TRACK-HD study. PVS count and total PVS volume were measured.
Results: PVS total count slightly increased in pre-HD (p = 0.004), and early-HD groups (p = 0.005), compared to healthy controls. PVS volume, as a percentage of white matter volume, increased subtly in pre-HD compared to healthy controls (p = 0.044), but not in early-HD. No associations between PVS measures and HD disease burden or severity were found.
Conclusions: This study reveals relatively preserved PVS morphometry across the global white matter of pre-HD and early-HD. Subtle morphometric abnormalities are implied but require confirmation in a larger cohort. However, in conjunction with previous publications, further investigation of PVS in HD and its potential impact on future treatments, with a focus on subcortical grey matter, is warranted.
Coleman A, Langan MT, Verma G, Knights H, Sturrock A, Leavitt BR, Tabrizi SJ, Scahill RI, Hobbs NZ. Assessment of Perivascular Space Morphometry Across the White Matter in Huntington's Disease Using MRI. J Huntingtons Dis. 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.3233/JHD-231508. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38517798.
Journal: PLoS ONE
Stomatal movement, initiated by specialized epidermal cells known as guard cells (GCs), plays a pivotal role in plant gas exchange and water use efficiency. Despite protocols existing for isolating GCs through proplasting for carrying out biochemical, physiological, and molecular studies, protocals for isolating GCs with their cell walls still intact have been lacking in the literature. In this paper, we introduce a method for the isolation of complete GCs from Vicia faba and show their membrane to remain impermeable through propidium iodide staining. This methodology enables further in-depth analyses into the cell wall composition of GCs, facilitating our understanding of structure-function relationship governing reversible actuation within cells.
Fleetwood SK, Kleiman M, Foster EJ. Preparation of isolated guard cells, containing cell walls, from Vicia faba. PLoS One. 2024 Mar 21;19(3):e0299810. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299810. PMID: 38513160; PMCID: PMC10957180.
Journal: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Introduction: Oral transmission of T. cruzi is probably the most frequent transmission mechanism in wild animals. This observation led to the hypothesis that consuming raw or undercooked meat from animals infected with T. cruzi may be responsible for transmitting the infection. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to investigate host-pathogen interactions between the parasite and gastric mucosa and the role of meat consumption from infected animals in the oral transmission of T. cruzi.
Methods: Cell infectivity assays were performed on AGS cells in the presence or absence of mucin, and the roles of pepsin and acidic pH were determined. Moreover, groups of five female Balb/c mice were fed with muscle tissue obtained from mice in the acute phase of infection by the clone H510 C8C3hvir of T. cruzi, and the infection of the fed mice was monitored by a parasitemia curve. Similarly, we assessed the infective capacity of T. cruzi trypomastigotes and amastigotes by infecting groups of five mice Balb/c females, which were infected orally using a nasogastric probe, and the infection was monitored by a parasitemia curve. Finally, different trypomastigote and amastigote inoculums were used to determine their infective capacities. Adhesion assays of T. cruzi proteins to AGS stomach cells were performed, and the adhered proteins were detected by western blotting using monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies and by LC-MS/MS and bioinformatics analysis.
Results: Trypomastigote migration in the presence of mucin was reduced by approximately 30%, whereas in the presence of mucin and pepsin at pH 3.5, only a small proportion of parasites were able to migrate (∼6%). Similarly, the ability of TCTs to infect AGS cells in the presence of mucin is reduced by approximately 20%. In all cases, 60-100% of the animals were fed meat from mice infected in the acute phase or infected with trypomastigotes or amastigotes developed high parasitemia, and 80% died around day 40 post-infection. The adhesion assay showed that cruzipain is a molecule of trypomastigotes and amastigotes that binds to AGS cells. LC-MS/MS and bioinformatics analysis, also confirmed that transialidase, cysteine proteinases, and gp63 may be involved in TCTs attachment or invasion of human stomach cells because they can potentially interact with different proteins in the human stomach mucosa. In addition, several human gastric mucins have cysteine protease cleavage sites.
Discussion: Then, under our experimental conditions, consuming meat from infected animals in the acute phase allows the T. cruzi infection. Similarly, trypomastigotes and amastigotes could infect mice when administered orally, whereas cysteinyl proteinases and trans-sialidase appear to be relevant molecules in this infective process.
Torres V, Contreras V, Gutiérrez B, San Francisco J, Catalán A, Vega JL, Moon KM, Foster LJ, de Almeida RF, Kalergis AM, González J. Oral infectivity through carnivorism in murine model of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Feb 22;14:1297099. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1297099. PMID: 38495650; PMCID: PMC10941204.
Journal: Environmental Research
Driven by long-term persistence and adverse health impacts of legacy perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), production has shifted towards shorter chain analogs (C4, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)) or fluorinated alternatives such as hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, known as GenX) and 6:2 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (6:2 FTCA). Yet, a thorough understanding of treatment processes for these alternatives is limited. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive study using an electrochemical approach with a boron doped diamond anode in Na2SO4 electrolyte for the remediation of PFOA common alternatives, i.e., PFBA, GenX, and 6:2 FTCA. The degradability, fluorine recovery, transformation pathway, and contributions from electro-synthesized radicals were investigated. The results indicated the significance of chain length and structure, with shorter chains being harder to break down (PFBA (65.6 ± 5.0%) < GenX (84.9 ± 3.3%) < PFOA (97.9 ± 0.1%) < 6:2 FTCA (99.4 ± 0.0%) within 120 min of electrolysis). The same by-products were observed during the oxidation of both low and high concentrations of parent PFAS (2 and 20 mg L-1), indicating that the fundamental mechanism of PFAS degradation remained consistent. Nevertheless, the ratio of these by-products to the parent PFAS concentration varied which primarily arises from the more rapid PFAS decomposition at lower dosages. For all experiments, the main mechanism of PFAS oxidation was initiated by direct electron transfer at the anode surface. Sulfate radical (SO4•-) also contributed to the oxidation of all PFAS, while hydroxyl radical (•OH) only played a role in the decomposition of 6:2 FTCA. Total fluorine recovery of PFBA, GenX, and 6:2 FTCA were 96.5%, 94.0%, and 76.4% within 240 min. The more complex transformation pathway of 6:2 FTCA could explain its lower fluorine recovery. Detailed decomposition pathways for each PFAS were also proposed through identifying the generated intermediates and fluorine recovery. The proposed pathways were also assessed using 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Asadi Zeidabadi F, Banayan Esfahani E, Moreira R, McBeath ST, Foster J, Mohseni M. Structural dependence of PFAS oxidation in a boron doped diamond-electrochemical system. Environ Res. 2024 Apr 1;246:118103. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118103. Epub 2024 Jan 3. PMID: 38181849.
Journal: Biomedical Optics Express
The editors introduce the feature issue on "Novel Techniques in Microscopy," which was the topic of a symposium held on April 24-27, 2023, in Vancouver, BC. This symposium was part of the Optics in the Life Sciences Congress.
Tang S, Elson D, Durr N. Novel Techniques in Microscopy: introduction to the feature issue. Biomed Opt Express. 2024 Feb 22;15(3):1813-1814. doi: 10.1364/BOE.521511. PMID: 38495684; PMCID: PMC10942677.
Gideon Obasanmi, Manjosh Uppal, Jing Cui, Jeanne Xi, Myeong Jin Ju, Jun Song, Eleanor To, Siqi Li, Wania Khan, Lyden Irani, Julie Zhu, Hyung-Suk Yoo, Joanne Matsubara: Granzyme B degrades extracellular matrix and promotes inflammation and choroidal neovascularization
Journal: Angiogenesis
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common retinal neurodegenerative disease among the elderly. Neovascular AMD (nAMD), a leading cause of AMD-related blindness, involves choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which can be suppressed by anti-angiogenic treatments. However, current CNV treatments do not work in all nAMD patients. Here we investigate a novel target for AMD. Granzyme B (GzmB) is a serine protease that promotes aging, chronic inflammation and vascular permeability through the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and tight junctions. Extracellular GzmB is increased in retina pigment epithelium (RPE) and mast cells in the choroid of the healthy aging outer retina. It is further increased in donor eyes exhibiting features of nAMD and CNV. Here, we show in RPE-choroidal explant cultures that exogenous GzmB degrades the RPE-choroid ECM, promotes retinal/choroidal inflammation and angiogenesis while diminishing anti-angiogenic factor, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). The pharmacological inhibition of either GzmB or mast-cell degranulation significantly reduces choroidal angiogenesis. In line with our in vitro data, GzmB-deficiency reduces the extent of laser-induced CNV lesions and the age-related deterioration of electroretinogram (ERG) responses in mice. These findings suggest that targeting GzmB, a serine protease with no known endogenous inhibitors, may be a potential novel therapeutic approach to suppress CNV in nAMD.
Obasanmi G, Uppal M, Cui JZ, Xi J, Ju MJ, Song J, To E, Li S, Khan W, Cheng D, Zhu J, Irani L, Samad I, Zhu J, Yoo HS, Aubert A, Stoddard J, Neuringer M, Granville DJ, Matsubara JA. Granzyme B degrades extracellular matrix and promotes inflammation and choroidal neovascularization. Angiogenesis. 2024 Mar 18. doi: 10.1007/s10456-024-09909-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38498232.
Journal: Healthcare Papers
The World Health Organization envisions achieving "Health for All," to strive for equitable access to important health information and services to attain wellness (WHO 2023a). The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the Canadian health system toward increasing digital health services, which improved access for some but underserved others. Integrating digital health into holistic health services delivery deserves careful consideration. This paper introduces the concept of "essential digital health for the underserved," by first defining the terms "digital health," "essential" and "underserved." Then, we share a summary of a discussion at a May 2023 conference with stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, health professionals, health policy makers, private sectors and health researchers. A series of papers follow to explore how digital health can help chart a responsible course for the future of essential digital health in Canada. In this post-pandemic era - with a health human resources shortage through attrition and retirement, an increased health service demand from patients and a greater strain on our recovering economy - innovative solutions need to be implemented to strengthen our Canadian health system.
Ho K, Adams O, Sayani A, Cheema G. Defining "Essential Digital Health for the Underserved". Healthc Pap. 2024 Jan;21(4):5-14. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2024.27276. PMID: 38482653.
Journal: Healthcare Papers
In this paper, we describe current pressures on health human resources (HHRs) in the Canadian context and related factors that impact equity-deserving communities/populations. We explore issues of HHR challenges in rural, remote and urban underserved contexts and explore the associated benefits and challenges of incorporating digital health (DH). We present examples and evidence of integrating hybrid models of care as a means of supporting HHRs via DH in the publicly funded health system.
Lauscher HN, Sing CK, Strong C, Palepu A, Jaswal J, Fürstenburg D, Oelke ND, Pearce PK, Ho K. Can Answers to the Health Workforce Crisis Be Found in Equity-Informed Digital Health? Healthc Pap. 2024 Jan;21(4):38-46. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2024.27273. PMID: 38482656.
Journal: Healthcare Papers
In this paper, we explore what is needed to generate quality research to guide evidence-informed digital health policy and call the Canadian community of patients, clinicians, policy (decision) makers and researchers to action in setting digital health research priorities for supporting underserved communities. Using specific examples, we describe how evidence is produced and implemented to guide digital health policy. We study how research environments must change to reflect and include the communities for whom the policy is intended. Our goal is to guide how future evidence reaches policy makers to help them shape healthcare services and how these services are delivered to underserved communities in Canada. Understanding the pathways through which evidence can make a difference to equitable and sustainable digital health policy is vital for guiding the types of research that attract priority resources.
Ardern CL, Haagaard A, MacPherson M, Nadigel J, Kasaai B, Cressman S, Cordeiro J, Ho K. Trustworthy Evidence to Support Quality Digital Healthcare Policy for Underserved Communities: What Needs to Happen to Translate Evidence into Policy? Healthc Pap. 2024 Jan;21(4):64-75. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2024.27270. PMID: 38482659.
Journal: Healthcare Papers
Learning health systems (LHSs) embed social accountability into everyday workflows and can inform how governments build bridges across the digital health divide. They shape partnerships using rapid cycles of data-driven learning to respond to patients' calls to action for equity from digital health. Adopting the LHS approach involves re-distributing power, which is likely to be met with resistance. We use the LHS example of British Columbia's 811 services to highlight how infrastructure was created to provide care and answer questions about access to digital health, outcomes from it and the financial impact passed on to patients. In the concluding section, we offer an accountability framework that facilitates partnerships in making digital health more equitable.
Cressman S, Abejirinde IO, Assali J, Dennis MB, Maybee A, Strom M, Ho K, Ardern CL, Sayani A, Markham R, Bhattacharyya O. Learning Health Systems: A Paradigm Shift in What We Can Do about Digital Health Inequities. Healthc Pap. 2024 Jan;21(4):76-84. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2024.27269. PMID: 38482660.
Journal: Healthcare Papers
This series of papers explores the concept of essential digital health for the underserved. Several cross-cutting themes are highlighted in this paper, for example: (1) harmonizing journeys of different patient groups to understand diverse perspectives; (2) engaging health professionals in interoperability, change management and health human resource capacity building; (3) ensuring harmonization of micro, meso and macro levels of health services delivery; and (4) integrating evaluation iteratively to enable continuous improvement and learning. Adopting a learning health system (LHS) approach facilitates iterative growth and evolution, incorporating concepts from the software industry, as well as participatory processes such as failing forward, developing ecosystems for collaboration and engagement of stakeholders. The example of HealthLink BC's 811 as a digital front door is used to demonstrate how an LHS approach can enable meaningful system change. We welcome further dialogues and discussion on existing and emerging examples of health system implementation approaches that can help our Canadian health systems move continuously and progressively closer toward the ultimate goal of Health for All (WHO 2023).
Ho K, Bhattacharyya O, Adams O. From Today to Tomorrow: Leveraging Digital Health to Move toward Health for All. Healthc Pap. 2024 Jan;21(4):86-91. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2024.27268. PMID: 38482661.
Journal: Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases
Purpose: To assess the visual and anatomic outcomes of eyes that had secondary scleral buckle (SB) surgery after unsuccessful pneumatic retinopexy (PR) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods: A retrospective study, performed over a 12-year period, comprised patients who had secondary SB procedures after failed primary PR. Clinical parameters (eg, best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA], lens status, macula status, details of RRD and subretinal fluid) were assessed at presentation, before additional procedures, and at follow-up (6 months, 1 year, and last visit). Statistical comparisons were made using Brown-Forsythe and Welch analysis-of-variance tests, with significance levels set at P < .05. Results: Fifty-four eyes with adequate follow-up were included. Forty-four (81.5%) of 54 eyes had successful retinal reattachment with secondary SB alone. The remaining eyes had subsequent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Patients presenting with macula-on RRD who had successful secondary SB had no statistically significant change in BCVA from baseline (mean final, 0.23 ± 0.25 logMAR [Snellen 20/34]; P = .999). There was a statistically significant improvement in BCVA in patients presenting with macula-off RRD who had successful secondary SB (mean final, 0.32 ± 0.36 logMAR [20/42]; P < .001 and mean change, −1.06 ± 0.85 logMAR). Ten patients presenting with macula-off RRD who had failed secondary SB had a significant improvement in the final BCVA (mean final, 0.22 ± 0.28 logMAR [20/33]; P = .044), despite the need for an additional PPV to achieve reattachment. Conclusions: Secondary SB remains a good option for RRD repair after unsuccessful PR and may avoid the need for PPV.
Tran T, Chen H, He B, Albiani D, Kirker A, Merkur A, Maberley D, Mammo Z. Outcomes of Scleral Buckling After Failed Pneumatic Retinopexy. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2023 Dec 23;8(2):131-137. doi: 10.1177/24741264231216795. PMID: 38465366; PMCID: PMC10924597.
Journal: JAMA
No abstract available
Rezaeianzadeh R, Sodhi M, Etminan M. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Gastrointestinal Adverse Events-Reply. JAMA. 2024 Mar 12;331(10):885-886. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.0049. PMID: 38470387.
Journal: Eye (London)
No abstract available
Ling JYM, Mansournia MA, Etminan M. Disease latency bias and the protective effect of metformin against age-related macular degeneration. Eye (Lond). 2024 Mar 5. doi: 10.1038/s41433-024-02993-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38443542.
Journal: Scientific Reports
This study evaluated patient experiences with genetic testing for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) and the association between underlying knowledge, testing outcomes, and the perceived value of the results. An online survey was distributed to adults with IRDs and parents/guardians of dependents with IRDs who had had genetic testing. Data included details of genetic testing, pre- and post- test perceptions, Decision Regret Scale, perceived value of results, and knowledge of gene therapy. Of 135 responses (85% from adults with IRDs), genetic testing was primarily conducted at no charge through public hospitals (49%) or in a research setting (30%). Key motivations for genetic testing were to confirm IRD diagnosis and to contribute towards research. Those who had received a genetic diagnosis (odds ratio: 6.71; p < 0.001) and those self-reported to have good knowledge of gene therapy (odds ratio: 2.69; p = 0.018) were more likely to have gained confidence in managing their clinical care. For over 80% of respondents, knowing the causative gene empowered them to learn more about their IRD and explore opportunities regarding clinical trials. Key genetic counselling information needs include resources for family communications, structured information provision, and ongoing genetic support, particularly in the context of emerging ocular therapies, to enhance consistency in information uptake.
Britten-Jones AC, Schultz J, Mack HG, Kearns LS, Huq AJ, Ruddle JB, Mackey DA, Hewitt AW, Edwards TL, Ayton LN. Patient experiences and perceived value of genetic testing in inherited retinal diseases: a cross-sectional survey. Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 5;14(1):5403. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-56121-2. PMID: 38443430; PMCID: PMC10914714.