https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index en-au 5 https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:22765 Wed 11 Apr 2018 12:10:12 AEST ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:5144 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:49:43 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:5628 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:49:19 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:28144 2 +, Ba^{2 +} and Mn^{2 +}) on the kinetics of fluoride removal from solution by natural zeolite was investigated. In order to better understand the kinetics, the pseudo-second order (PSO), Hill (Hill 4 and Hill 5) and intra-particle diffusion (IPD) models were applied. Model fitting was compared using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the Schwarz Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The Hill models (Hill 4 and Hill 5) were found to be superior in describing the fluoride removal processes due to the sigmoidal nature of the kinetics. Results indicate that the presence of Mn (100 mg L^{- 1}) and Cd (100 mg L^{- 1}) respectively increases the rate of fluoride sorption by a factor of ~ 28.3 and ~ 10.9, the maximum sorption capacity is increased by ~ 2.2 and ~ 1.7. The presence of Ba (100 mg L^{- 1}) initially inhibited fluoride removal and very poor fits were obtained for all models. Fitting was best described with a biphasic sigmoidal model with the degree of inhibition decreasing with increasing temperature suggesting that at least two processes are involved with fluoride sorption onto natural zeolite in the presence of Ba.]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:36:37 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:3852 Sat 24 Mar 2018 07:19:57 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:44159 Acinetobacter baumannii is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium, that is associated with significant disease in immunocompromised individuals. The success of A. baumannii is partly attributable to its high level of antibiotic resistance. Further, A. baumannii expresses a broad arsenal of putative zinc efflux systems that are likely to aid environmental persistence and host colonization, but detailed insights into how the bacterium deals with toxic concentrations of zinc are lacking. In this study we present the transcriptomic responses of A. baumannii to toxic zinc concentrations. Subsequent mutant analyses revealed a primary role for the resistance-nodulation-cell division heavy metal efflux system CzcCBA, and the cation diffusion facilitator transporter CzcD in zinc resistance. To examine the role of zinc at the host-pathogen interface we utilized a murine model of zinc deficiency and challenge with wild-type and czcA mutant strains, which identified highly site-specific roles for zinc during A. baumannii infection. Overall, we provide novel insight into the key zinc resistance mechanisms of A. baumannii and outline the role these systems play in enabling the bacterium to survive in diverse environments.]]> Mon 10 Oct 2022 09:45:29 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:34759 Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the leading causative agents of nosocomial infections. Due to its high level of intrinsic and adapted antibiotic resistance, treatment failure rates are high, which allows this opportunistic pathogen to thrive during infection in immune-compromised patients. A. baumannii can cause infections within a broad range of host niches, with pneumonia and bacteraemia being associated with the greatest levels of morbidity and mortality. Although its resistance to antibiotics is widely studied, our understanding of the mechanisms required for dealing with environmental stresses related to virulence and hospital persistence, such as copper toxicity, is limited. Here, we performed an in silico analysis of the A. baumannii copper resistome, examining its regulation under copper stress. Using comparative analyses of bacterial P-type ATPases, we propose that A. baumannii encodes a member of a novel subgroup of P1B-1 ATPases. Analyses of three putative inner membrane copper efflux systems identified the P1B-1 ATPase CopA as the primary mediator of cytoplasmic copper resistance in A. baumannii. Using a murine model of A. baumannii pneumonia, we reveal that CopA contributes to the virulence of A. baumannii. Collectively, this study advances our understanding of how A. baumannii deals with environmental copper toxicity, and it provides novel insights into how A. baumannii combats adversities encountered as part of the host immune defence.]]> Fri 01 Apr 2022 09:29:40 AEDT ]]>