Nucleic acid peptide nanogels for the treatment of bacterial keratitis.

Cage-shaped nucleic acid nanocarriers are promising molecular scaffolds for the organization of polypeptides. However, there is an unmet need for facile loading strategies that truly emulate nature's host-guest systems to drive encapsulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) without loss of biological activity. Herein, we develop DNA nanogels with rapid in situ loading of L12 peptide during the thermal annealing process. By leveraging the binding affinity of L12 to the polyanionic core, we successfully confine the AMPs within the DNA nanogel. We report that the thermostability of L12 in parallel with the high encapsulation efficiency, low toxicity and sustained drug release of the pre-loaded L12 nanogels can be translated into significant antimicrobial activity. Using an S. aureus model of infectious bacterial keratitis, we observe fast resolution of clinical symptoms and significant reduction of bacterial bioburden. Collectively, this study paves the way for the development of DNA nanocarriers for caging AMPs with immense significance to address the rise of resistance.

Proteomic analysis of vascular smooth muscle cells with S- and R-enantiomers of atenolol by iTRAQ and LC-MS/MS.

The term "proteome" was first introduced by referring to the complete determination of proteins expressed in a given cell, tissue, or organism. In HPLC-based proteomics technique, the mixture of the cleaved peptides are bonded, separated sequentially on the multidimensional columns based on charge or hydrophobicity of the ionized analytes, and then eluted into the MS for identification. Among the developed stable isotope-based quantification methods, iTRAQ has recently gained popularity as its simple iTRAQ labeling procedures and up to eight labeled samples examined in a single experiment.

Disparities in completion of substance abuse treatment between and within racial and ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate disparities in substance abuse treatment completion between and within racial and ethnic groups in publicly funded treatment in Los Angeles County, California. DATA SOURCE: The Los Angeles County Participant Reporting System with multicross-sectional annual data (2006-2009) for adult participants (n = 16,637) who received treatment from publicly funded programs (n = 276) for the first time. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analyses of county discharge and admission data. Hierarchical linear regressions models were used to test the hypotheses. DATA COLLECTION: Client data were collected during personal interviews at admission and discharge for most participants. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: African Americans and Latinos reported lower odds of completing treatment compared with Whites. Within-group analysis revealed significant heterogeneity within racial and ethnic groups, highlighting primary drug problem, days of drug use before admission, and homelessness as significant factors affecting treatment completion. Service factors, such as referral by the criminal justice system, enabled completion among Latinos and Whites only. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for reducing health disparities among members of racial and ethnic minorities by identifying individual and service factors associated with treatment adherence, particularly for first-time clients.

Physical inactivity and overweight among Los Angeles County adults.

OBJECTIVES: The present study examines sociodemographic, health status, health behavioral, and health-related self-perception correlates of physical inactivity in a large, multiethnic urban population. METHODS: A random-digit-dialed telephone survey of a representative sample of 8353 Los Angeles County adults aged >/= 18 years was conducted between September 17, 1999 and December 31, 2000. Data were analyzed to assess the prevalence and identify independent correlates of physical inactivity, defined as <10 minutes of continuous physical activity weekly ("sedentary"). RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of sedentary adults was 41%. Lower educational attainment, female gender, advancing age, non-U.S. birthplace, poorer self-perceived health status, self-perceived depression, smoking, leisure-time television watching/computer use, and receiving a diabetes diagnosis were significantly related to sedentariness in both bivariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Mental and physical health status were prominent correlates of sedentariness. Lower socioeconomic class was also associated with sedentary behavior. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between self-perceived overweight and sedentary behavior.