title: Cracking the resistance of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium against existing antibiotics

authors: Hodson, Callie Jane

subjects: Mycobacterium

abstract: Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) is quickly becoming the most prevalent Mycobacterium infection in western countries. M. avium is an opportunistic pulmonary pathogen, infecting patients who often are vulnerable due to existing medical conditions. Antibiotic therapy of M. avium is long (generally 18 months) and often unsuccessful at eliminating the infection, promoting resistance to commonly used antibiotics, such as clarithromycin. 
M. avium exists as a biofilm in lung infections, adding to the difficulty in eradicating the infection. My research investigated potential M. avium biofilm dispersing agents, as well as antibiotic synergy for improved M. avium eradication.
Our findings show that ten clinically isolated M. avium samples were all highly resistant (>16μg/mL) to antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of M. avium infections, both in planktonic and biofilm phenotypes. Some isolates were found to have MICs of >128μg/mL.
M. avium isolates differed in biofilm phenotype, and correspondingly, their susceptibility to antibiotics and potential biofilm dispersing agents. 
No antibiotics tested during this research had significant bactericidal or bacteriostatic action on any M. avium isolates, in planktonic or biofilm phenotype.  
The addition of 3.6mg/mL aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) or 3.6mg/mL ibuprofen to planktonic and biofilm cells showed significant increase in M. avium cell death. Previously identified biofilm dispersing agents, such as mannitol, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, active manuka honey, methylglyoxal, Lipitor®, 2,4-dinitrophenol and EDTA,  had no significant effect on dispersing M. avium biofilms or increasing their susceptibility to antibiotics. A concentrations of 4mg/mL aspirin combined with 8mg/mL of EDTA had significant effects, sterilizing and completely eradicating in vitro three week old mature M. avium biofilms.
Future work should be conducted into the specific pathways aspirin and ibuprofen effect. Furthermore, development of effective agonists/antagonists of those pathways to disperse M. avium biofilms should be researched. Research into improved and novel Mycobacterial antibiotics are needed to develop drugs capable of successfully treating M. avium infections.

text: Cracking the resistance of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium against existing antibiotics Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) is quickly becoming the most prevalent Mycobacterium infection in western countries. M. avium is an opportunistic pulmonary pathogen, infecting patients who often are vulnerable due to existing medical conditions. Antibiotic therapy of M. avium is long (generally 18 months) and often unsuccessful at eliminating the infection, promoting resistance to commonly used antibiotics, such as clarithromycin. 
M. avium exists as a biofilm in lung infections, adding to the difficulty in eradicating the infection. My research investigated potential M. avium biofilm dispersing agents, as well as antibiotic synergy for improved M. avium eradication.
Our findings show that ten clinically isolated M. avium samples were all highly resistant (>16μg/mL) to antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of M. avium infections, both in planktonic and biofilm phenotypes. Some isolates were found to have MICs of >128μg/mL.
M. avium isolates differed in biofilm phenotype, and correspondingly, their susceptibility to antibiotics and potential biofilm dispersing agents. 
No antibiotics tested during this research had significant bactericidal or bacteriostatic action on any M. avium isolates, in planktonic or biofilm phenotype.  
The addition of 3.6mg/mL aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) or 3.6mg/mL ibuprofen to planktonic and biofilm cells showed significant increase in M. avium cell death. Previously identified biofilm dispersing agents, such as mannitol, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, active manuka honey, methylglyoxal, Lipitor®, 2,4-dinitrophenol and EDTA,  had no significant effect on dispersing M. avium biofilms or increasing their susceptibility to antibiotics. A concentrations of 4mg/mL aspirin combined with 8mg/mL of EDTA had significant effects, sterilizing and completely eradicating in vitro three week old mature M. avium biofilms.
Future work should be conducted into the specific pathways aspirin and ibuprofen effect. Furthermore, development of effective agonists/antagonists of those pathways to disperse M. avium biofilms should be researched. Research into improved and novel Mycobacterial antibiotics are needed to develop drugs capable of successfully treating M. avium infections.

year: 2015

title: An analysis of the relationships between multiple values and physical landscapes at a regional scale using public participation GIS and landscape character classification

authors: Brown, Greg

subjects: landscape

abstract: Human attribution of multiple values to landscapes is not well understood owing to the variability and complexity of both the landscape concept and the human valuation process. In this study, we extend psychophysical analysis of landscapes by examining the relationships between multiple landscape values and physical landscape character. Previous landscape research has tended to focus on the relationship between a single value such as landscape aesthetics and a single physical landscape component, such as vegetation or water. We spatially intersected eight landscape values collected through a regional public participation GIS (PPGIS) process with landscape components and classes from the New Zealand Land Classification (NZLC) system. We used chi-square residual analysis and correspondence analysis to identify significant spatial associations. The results indicate that the general public associate particular values with specific landscape components at a regional scale. Greater than expected landscape values were associated with urban areas, water features, indigenous landcover, and mountains. Fewer than expected landscape values were associated with flatter, agricultural landscapes. We discuss the benefits and limitations of these methods for landscape assessment in New Zealand, and in the absence of PPGIS data to directly measure landscape values, whether landscape components should be used to interpolate values for landscape assessment. We urge replication of the method in other regions to increase the external validity of the landscape value–physical landscape associations described herein.

text: An analysis of the relationships between multiple values and physical landscapes at a regional scale using public participation GIS and landscape character classification Human attribution of multiple values to landscapes is not well understood owing to the variability and complexity of both the landscape concept and the human valuation process. In this study, we extend psychophysical analysis of landscapes by examining the relationships between multiple landscape values and physical landscape character. Previous landscape research has tended to focus on the relationship between a single value such as landscape aesthetics and a single physical landscape component, such as vegetation or water. We spatially intersected eight landscape values collected through a regional public participation GIS (PPGIS) process with landscape components and classes from the New Zealand Land Classification (NZLC) system. We used chi-square residual analysis and correspondence analysis to identify significant spatial associations. The results indicate that the general public associate particular values with specific landscape components at a regional scale. Greater than expected landscape values were associated with urban areas, water features, indigenous landcover, and mountains. Fewer than expected landscape values were associated with flatter, agricultural landscapes. We discuss the benefits and limitations of these methods for landscape assessment in New Zealand, and in the absence of PPGIS data to directly measure landscape values, whether landscape components should be used to interpolate values for landscape assessment. We urge replication of the method in other regions to increase the external validity of the landscape value–physical landscape associations described herein.

year: 2012

title: Microsoft Translator Hub for Māori language

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

subjects: computer science

abstract: Recent improvements in Machine Translation (MT) software has opened new possibilities for applications of automatic language translation. But can these opportunities exist for the smaller, minority languages of the world? Training data was collected for the language pair of Māori and English which was used to build an MT system using Microsoft’s Translator Hub software. A comparative analysis was undertaken with this system and Google Translate. Various MT metrics and analysis software was considered before deciding to use the Asiya toolkit to undertake the comparative analysis. Māori language experts were also used to provide a human perspective on the output translations. The overall results showed no significant difference in the translation quality produced by the two systems. Despite some misgivings around the accuracy of the translations these results do show promise for MT usage by minority languages.

text: Microsoft Translator Hub for Māori language Recent improvements in Machine Translation (MT) software has opened new possibilities for applications of automatic language translation. But can these opportunities exist for the smaller, minority languages of the world? Training data was collected for the language pair of Māori and English which was used to build an MT system using Microsoft’s Translator Hub software. A comparative analysis was undertaken with this system and Google Translate. Various MT metrics and analysis software was considered before deciding to use the Asiya toolkit to undertake the comparative analysis. Māori language experts were also used to provide a human perspective on the output translations. The overall results showed no significant difference in the translation quality produced by the two systems. Despite some misgivings around the accuracy of the translations these results do show promise for MT usage by minority languages.

year: 2018