Ray Cursons - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ray Cursons

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1980

The amoebicidal properties of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and deciquam 222 were examined i... more The amoebicidal properties of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and deciquam 222 were examined in axenic conditions. Naegleria spp. were found to be more sensitive to chlorine and chlorine dioxide than Acanthamoeba spp. No marked difference in sensitivity to ozone or deciquam 222 could be detected between the pathogenic (A-1) and nonpathogenic (1501) strains of Acanthamoeba and the pathogenic (MsT) and nonpathogenic (P1200f) strains of Naegleria. Methods of disinfection are discussed with reference to suitability of the disinfectants to real conditions.

Journal of Dairy Science, 2002

The discriminatory power of two polymerase chain reaction-based DNA fingerprinting methods, rando... more The discriminatory power of two polymerase chain reaction-based DNA fingerprinting methods, random amplified polymorphic DNA and repetitive extragenic palindrome were compared by subtyping 128 isolates of Streptococcus uberis cultured from cows in six different dairy herds in New Zealand. The typing results demonstrated that the majority of isolates possessed unique fingerprint profiles except on occasions where multiple isolates were obtained from individual cows. On these occasions, individual quarters of the mammary gland were generally, but not exclusively, infected by the same strain of bacteria. Both random amplified polymorphic DNA and repetitive extragenic palindromic typing assays were simple to perform, relatively inexpensive ($11.00 per reaction), and provided reliable and reproducible results. Furthermore, when these assays were used in conjunction with each other, they provided a means of confirmation of the specific DNA fingerprint patterns obtained.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2006

We recently developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to differentiate S. uberis isola... more We recently developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to differentiate S. uberis isolates and facilitate an understanding of the population biology of this pathogen. The scheme was initially used to study a collection of 160 bovine milk isolates from the United Kingdom and showed that the majority of isolates were from one clonal complex (designated the ST-5 complex). Here we describe the MLST analysis of a collection of New Zealand isolates. These were obtained from diverse sources, including bovine milk, other bovine anatomical sites, and environmental sources. The complete allelic profiles of 253 isolates were determined. The collection was highly diverse and included 131 different sequence types (STs). The New Zealand and United Kingdom populations were distinct, since none of the 131 STs were represented within the previously studied collection of 160 United Kingdom S. uberis isolates. However, seven of the STs were members of the ST-5 clonal complex, the major compl...

Objectives: Genetic variation is an important contributor to postsurgical pain and thereby analge... more Objectives: Genetic variation is an important contributor to postsurgical pain and thereby analgesia requirements. A description of the potential predictive power of genetic variants in pain should instruct improvements in pain management postoperatively. We set out to examine whether a set of genetic variants in pain related genes would show any association with actual pain outcomes in a typical surgical population. Methods: A candidate gene study was carried out in 135 surgical patients with 12 DNA variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms or ‘SNPs’) in known or putative pain pathway genes to detect associations with postoperative pain -measured by a verbal rating score (VRS) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) usage rate. Standard PCR based molecular biology approaches were used. Results: At 20-24h after surgery, patients with the 1032G/1032G variant pair for the A1032G variant of the potassium channel KCNJ6 gene had a slightly higher median VRS than those with 1032A/1032A or ...

The VapBC toxin-antitoxin (TA) family is the largest of nine identified TA families. The toxin, V... more The VapBC toxin-antitoxin (TA) family is the largest of nine identified TA families. The toxin, VapC, is a metal-dependent ribonuclease that is inhibited by its cognate antitoxin, VapB. Although the VapBCs are the largest TA family, little is known about their biological roles. Here we describe a new general method for the overexpression and purification of toxic VapC proteins and subsequent determination of their RNase sequence-specificity. Functional VapC was isolated by expression of the nontoxic VapBC complex, followed by removal of the labile antitoxin (VapB) using limited trypsin digestion. We have then developed a sensitive and robust method for determining VapC ribonuclease sequence-specificity. This technique employs the use of Pentaprobes as substrates for VapC. These are RNA sequences encoding every combination of five bases. We combine the RNase reaction with MALDI-TOF MS to detect and analyze the cleavage products and thus determine the RNA cut sites. Successful MALDI-T...

During the 10 years 1968-78, eight fatal cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis occurred in... more During the 10 years 1968-78, eight fatal cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis occurred in the Waikato area. All had been swimming at places along the primeval course of the Waikato River between Taupo and Matamata. This paper reports a ninth fatal case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, involving a 10-year-old girl who swam at Okauia Springs in one or more of the 'Opal Springs' pools on the west bank of the Waihou River (just opposite the 'Crystal Springs' pool area) over Easter (21-24 April 2000), as well as in natural warm pools in the Rotorua area during the same period.

The equine disease strangles, which is characterized by the formation of abscesses in the lymph n... more The equine disease strangles, which is characterized by the formation of abscesses in the lymph nodes of the head and neck, is one of the most frequently diagnosed infectious diseases of horses around the world. The causal agent, Streptococcus equi subspecies equi , establishes a persistent infection in approximately 10 % of animals that recover from the acute disease. Such ‘carrier’ animals appear healthy and are rarely identified during routine veterinary examinations pre-purchase or transit, but can transmit S. equi to naïve animals initiating new episodes of disease. Here, we report the analysis and visualization of phylogenomic and epidemiological data for 670 isolates of S. equi recovered from 19 different countries using a new core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) web bioresource. Genetic relationships among all 670 S. equi isolates were determined at high resolution, revealing national and international transmission events that drive this endemic disease in horse p...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

e13583 Background: Preclinical work has demonstrated that Se compounds potentiate anticancer effe... more e13583 Background: Preclinical work has demonstrated that Se compounds potentiate anticancer effects of CT and RT while reducing normal tissue toxicities. The molecular basis for the therapeutic selectivity has yet to be fully elucidated but includes modulation of intracellular glutathione (GSH) concentrations, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses, DNA repair, induction of apoptosis and cellular resistance to CT and RT. Our aim was to evaluate the dose-response relationship of the Se compound methylseleninic acid (MSA) on molecular pathways involved in the response of normal and malignant cells to CT and RT. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from healthy blood donors and malignant THP-1 human monocytic leukaemia cells were exposed in vitro to MSA 2.5, 5 or 15 µM in varying combinations with MSA, RT, cisplatin (Pt), doxorubicin (Dox) and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). GSH concentration was measured by ELISA, DNA damage and repair by COMET assay, cell v...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Selenium, a trace element with anticancer properties, can reduce harmful toxicities of chemothera... more Selenium, a trace element with anticancer properties, can reduce harmful toxicities of chemotherapy and radiotherapy without compromising efficacy. However, the dose-response relationship in normal versus malignant human cells is unclear. We evaluated how methylseleninic acid (MSA) modulates the toxicity and efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation on malignant and non-malignant human mononuclear blood cells in vitro. We specifically investigated its effects on endoplasmic reticulum stress induction, intracellular glutathione concentration, DNA damage and viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and THP1 monocytic leukaemia cells in response to radiation, cytosine arabinoside or doxorubicin chemotherapy. MSA, at lower concentrations, induced protective responses in normal cells but cytotoxic effects in malignant cells, alone and in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation. However, in normal cells higher concentrations of MSA were directly toxic and increased the cytotoxicity...

Chronic respiratory disease, 2018

Vitamin D supplementation prevents acute respiratory infections and, through modulating innate an... more Vitamin D supplementation prevents acute respiratory infections and, through modulating innate and adaptive immunity, could have a potential role in bronchiectasis management. The primary aims of this pilot study were to assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in New Zealand adults with bronchiectasis, and their 25(OH)D levels after vitamin Dsupplementation. Adults with bronchiectasis received an initial 2.5 mg vitamin Doral loading dose and 0.625 mg vitamin Dweekly for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was serum 25(OH)D levels before and after vitamin Dsupplementation. Secondary outcomes (time to first infective exacerbation, exacerbation frequency, spirometry, health-related quality of life measures, sputum bacteriology and cell counts and chronic rhinosinusitis) were also assessed. This study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12612001222831). The initial, average 25(OH)D level was 71 nmol/L (95% confidence interval (CI): [58, 84])...

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 2017

Despite New Zealand being a low-tuberculosis (TB) burden country, there are disproportionately hi... more Despite New Zealand being a low-tuberculosis (TB) burden country, there are disproportionately high rates of TB in particular populations. Here, we report a rapid molecular diagnosis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rangipo strain responsible for the largest recurring TB cluster in New Zealand.

Biology, Jan 8, 2016

DNA damage quantitation assays such as the comet assay have focused on the measurement of total n... more DNA damage quantitation assays such as the comet assay have focused on the measurement of total nuclear damage per cell. The adoption of PCR-based techniques to quantify DNA damage has enabled sequence- and organelle-specific assessment of DNA lesions. Here we report on an adaptation of a qPCR technique to assess DNA damage in nuclear and mitochondrial targets relative to control. Novel aspects of this assay include application of the assay to the Rotor-Gene platform with optimized DNA polymerase/fluorophore/primer set combination in a touchdown PCR protocol. Assay validation was performed using ultraviolet C radiation in A549 and THP1 cancer cell lines. A comparison was made to the comet assay applied to peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and an estimation of the effects of cryopreservation on ultraviolet C-induced DNA damage was carried out. Finally, dose responses for DNA damage were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following exposure to the cytotoxic agents bleomy...

Heart, Lung and Circulation, 2016

greater than 10 years is unknown. Method: Only patients with all three conduits: internal mammary... more greater than 10 years is unknown. Method: Only patients with all three conduits: internal mammary (IMA), radial artery (RA) and venous grafts (SVG) enrolled in non-randomised prospective research protocol angiography where the duration postoperative was a minimum of 10 years. Within each patient, all three conduits were exposed to the same patient, systemic disease and medication factors. Graft patency for each anastomosis was recorded as patent or occluded. Patency was a widely open lumen even in the presence of lumen irregularity; and perfect patency was patent grafts where there was no irregularity of the conduit lumen (entirely normal conduit). An irregular lumen occurs with conduit atheroma and predicts ongoing graft failure in the longer term. Results: 40 patients, 39 male, underwent elective research coronary angiography at 13.2 2.6 (10-18) yr postoperative. Age at operation was 61.3 8.2 yr, and at late angiography was 74.5 7.7 yr. Symptoms of any kindwere infrequent; CCS 0/I in 98% and NYHA I/II in 98%. 155 grafts by distal anastomosis; IMA 48, RA 62, SVG 45. Patency was IMA 96% (46/48) and was not different to RA 94% (58/62) (p=0.695). All patent arterial conduits were perfectly patent. SVG patency was 78% (35/45), which was inferior to arterial grafts (p=0.003), but higher than that expected from the literature. Perfect patency was 16% (7/45), which is significantly lower than IMA (p 10 years, RA patency is not significantly different to IMA patency and all patent arterial grafts appeared normal. Venous grafts had significantly lower patency and perfect patency compared to arterial grafts.

Geoderma, 2016

(D.J. Lowe). environments in volcanic landscapes, datable using tephrochronology, and also aid bi... more (D.J. Lowe). environments in volcanic landscapes, datable using tephrochronology, and also aid biodiversity understanding of andic soils and paleosols.

Critical Care Medicine, May 1, 1999

To describe the use of bacterial DNA amplification of conserved bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA nucle... more To describe the use of bacterial DNA amplification of conserved bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA nucleotide sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence of septicemia in critically ill septic patients. Case series of blood samples from septic patients comparing the PCR results with conventional blood culture results. A general intensive care unit in a tertiary referral hospital. Two sets of samples (n = 101 and n = 55) from patients diagnosed as clinically septic and requiring blood cultures. They were classified by internationally accepted criteria into systemic inflammatory response syndrome, severe sepsis, and septic shock groups. Blood samples taken in a sterile fashion concurrently for blood culture, and PCR of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene in leukocytes and plasma. Two different DNA extraction techniques for PCR were tried sequentially. Blood culture and PCR positivity were measured in relation to the clinical classification of severity of sepsis. Using the initial extraction method (n = 101), ten patients were positive by both PCR and blood culture, eight patients were PCR positive and blood culture negative, and seven patients were blood culture positive and PCR negative. From the clinical criteria, PCR detected at least six true positives that had been missed on blood culture and missed four true Gram-positive bacteremias. When the initial code was broken, this deficiency was rectified using the improved extraction technique (n = 55), in which ten patients were positive by PCR and blood culture, 29 patients were PCR positive and blood culture negative, and two patients were PCR negative and PCR positive. We conclude that the use of PCR (for the 16S ribosomal DNA in the plasma) was significantly more sensitive than the use of conventional blood culturing techniques for the detection of bacteremia in seriously ill patients. This could prove to be a valuable adjunct to conventional blood cultures.

Biological Invasions, 2016

We mapped the distribution and diversity of mitochondrial D-loop haplotypes among 502 New Zealand... more We mapped the distribution and diversity of mitochondrial D-loop haplotypes among 502 New Zealand house mice (Mus musculus). By widespread sampling from 74 sites, we identified 14 new haplotypes. We used Bayesian phylogenetic reconstructions to estimate the genetic relationships between the New Zealand representatives of Mus musculus domesticus (all six known clades) and M. m. castaneus (clade HG2), and mice from other locales. We defined four distinct geographic regions of New Zealand with differing haplotype diversity indices. Our Results suggest (a) two independent pre-1840 invasions by mice of different origin (domesticus clade E and castaneus clade HG2) at opposite ends of the country; (b) multiple later invasions by domesticus clades E and F accompanying the post-1840 development of New Zealand port facilities in the central regions, plus limited local incursions by domesticus clades A, B, C and D1; (c) a separate invasion of Chatham I. by castaneus clade HG2; (d) previously undescribed New Zealand haplotypes, potentially the products of localised indigenous mutation, and (e) hybridisation between different lineages.

The New Zealand medical journal

An acute case of endophthalmitis following ocular trauma involving barbary branches is presented.... more An acute case of endophthalmitis following ocular trauma involving barbary branches is presented. Bacillus cereus var. mycoides was cultured from lens material obtained via a limbal incision.

The New Zealand medical journal

The case history and identification of the aetiological agent of a case of primary amoebic mening... more The case history and identification of the aetiological agent of a case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis contracted from a natural thermal steam is presented. The diagnosis and treatment of suspected cases is discussed.

The New Zealand medical journal

Between 1982 and 1986 virus infections were identified in 16,372 cases. These identifications wer... more Between 1982 and 1986 virus infections were identified in 16,372 cases. These identifications were based on virus isolation and/or serological evidence of infection by the main virus diagnostic laboratories at Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch and Dunedin hospitals, and at the National Health Institute. The most frequent virus identifications reported were herpes simplex (46.7%), rotavirus (11.8%), respiratory syncytial virus (5.7%), and adenovirus (5.6%). During this period of surveillance, the most prominent feature has been the high incidence of herpes simplex which reached a peak in 1983 but which has abated only slightly since. Significant trends and virus outbreaks or epidemics were detected with the regular reporting of monthly virus identifications in the New Zealand Virus Report (NZVR); these included a measles epidemic in Auckland in 1984/85, major influenza A outbreaks in 1983, 1985 and 1986, the respiratory syncytial virus epidemic in the winter of 1986, the increased inci...

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1980

The amoebicidal properties of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and deciquam 222 were examined i... more The amoebicidal properties of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and deciquam 222 were examined in axenic conditions. Naegleria spp. were found to be more sensitive to chlorine and chlorine dioxide than Acanthamoeba spp. No marked difference in sensitivity to ozone or deciquam 222 could be detected between the pathogenic (A-1) and nonpathogenic (1501) strains of Acanthamoeba and the pathogenic (MsT) and nonpathogenic (P1200f) strains of Naegleria. Methods of disinfection are discussed with reference to suitability of the disinfectants to real conditions.

Journal of Dairy Science, 2002

The discriminatory power of two polymerase chain reaction-based DNA fingerprinting methods, rando... more The discriminatory power of two polymerase chain reaction-based DNA fingerprinting methods, random amplified polymorphic DNA and repetitive extragenic palindrome were compared by subtyping 128 isolates of Streptococcus uberis cultured from cows in six different dairy herds in New Zealand. The typing results demonstrated that the majority of isolates possessed unique fingerprint profiles except on occasions where multiple isolates were obtained from individual cows. On these occasions, individual quarters of the mammary gland were generally, but not exclusively, infected by the same strain of bacteria. Both random amplified polymorphic DNA and repetitive extragenic palindromic typing assays were simple to perform, relatively inexpensive ($11.00 per reaction), and provided reliable and reproducible results. Furthermore, when these assays were used in conjunction with each other, they provided a means of confirmation of the specific DNA fingerprint patterns obtained.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2006

We recently developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to differentiate S. uberis isola... more We recently developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to differentiate S. uberis isolates and facilitate an understanding of the population biology of this pathogen. The scheme was initially used to study a collection of 160 bovine milk isolates from the United Kingdom and showed that the majority of isolates were from one clonal complex (designated the ST-5 complex). Here we describe the MLST analysis of a collection of New Zealand isolates. These were obtained from diverse sources, including bovine milk, other bovine anatomical sites, and environmental sources. The complete allelic profiles of 253 isolates were determined. The collection was highly diverse and included 131 different sequence types (STs). The New Zealand and United Kingdom populations were distinct, since none of the 131 STs were represented within the previously studied collection of 160 United Kingdom S. uberis isolates. However, seven of the STs were members of the ST-5 clonal complex, the major compl...

Objectives: Genetic variation is an important contributor to postsurgical pain and thereby analge... more Objectives: Genetic variation is an important contributor to postsurgical pain and thereby analgesia requirements. A description of the potential predictive power of genetic variants in pain should instruct improvements in pain management postoperatively. We set out to examine whether a set of genetic variants in pain related genes would show any association with actual pain outcomes in a typical surgical population. Methods: A candidate gene study was carried out in 135 surgical patients with 12 DNA variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms or ‘SNPs’) in known or putative pain pathway genes to detect associations with postoperative pain -measured by a verbal rating score (VRS) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) usage rate. Standard PCR based molecular biology approaches were used. Results: At 20-24h after surgery, patients with the 1032G/1032G variant pair for the A1032G variant of the potassium channel KCNJ6 gene had a slightly higher median VRS than those with 1032A/1032A or ...

The VapBC toxin-antitoxin (TA) family is the largest of nine identified TA families. The toxin, V... more The VapBC toxin-antitoxin (TA) family is the largest of nine identified TA families. The toxin, VapC, is a metal-dependent ribonuclease that is inhibited by its cognate antitoxin, VapB. Although the VapBCs are the largest TA family, little is known about their biological roles. Here we describe a new general method for the overexpression and purification of toxic VapC proteins and subsequent determination of their RNase sequence-specificity. Functional VapC was isolated by expression of the nontoxic VapBC complex, followed by removal of the labile antitoxin (VapB) using limited trypsin digestion. We have then developed a sensitive and robust method for determining VapC ribonuclease sequence-specificity. This technique employs the use of Pentaprobes as substrates for VapC. These are RNA sequences encoding every combination of five bases. We combine the RNase reaction with MALDI-TOF MS to detect and analyze the cleavage products and thus determine the RNA cut sites. Successful MALDI-T...

During the 10 years 1968-78, eight fatal cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis occurred in... more During the 10 years 1968-78, eight fatal cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis occurred in the Waikato area. All had been swimming at places along the primeval course of the Waikato River between Taupo and Matamata. This paper reports a ninth fatal case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, involving a 10-year-old girl who swam at Okauia Springs in one or more of the 'Opal Springs' pools on the west bank of the Waihou River (just opposite the 'Crystal Springs' pool area) over Easter (21-24 April 2000), as well as in natural warm pools in the Rotorua area during the same period.

The equine disease strangles, which is characterized by the formation of abscesses in the lymph n... more The equine disease strangles, which is characterized by the formation of abscesses in the lymph nodes of the head and neck, is one of the most frequently diagnosed infectious diseases of horses around the world. The causal agent, Streptococcus equi subspecies equi , establishes a persistent infection in approximately 10 % of animals that recover from the acute disease. Such ‘carrier’ animals appear healthy and are rarely identified during routine veterinary examinations pre-purchase or transit, but can transmit S. equi to naïve animals initiating new episodes of disease. Here, we report the analysis and visualization of phylogenomic and epidemiological data for 670 isolates of S. equi recovered from 19 different countries using a new core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) web bioresource. Genetic relationships among all 670 S. equi isolates were determined at high resolution, revealing national and international transmission events that drive this endemic disease in horse p...

Journal of Clinical Oncology

e13583 Background: Preclinical work has demonstrated that Se compounds potentiate anticancer effe... more e13583 Background: Preclinical work has demonstrated that Se compounds potentiate anticancer effects of CT and RT while reducing normal tissue toxicities. The molecular basis for the therapeutic selectivity has yet to be fully elucidated but includes modulation of intracellular glutathione (GSH) concentrations, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses, DNA repair, induction of apoptosis and cellular resistance to CT and RT. Our aim was to evaluate the dose-response relationship of the Se compound methylseleninic acid (MSA) on molecular pathways involved in the response of normal and malignant cells to CT and RT. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from healthy blood donors and malignant THP-1 human monocytic leukaemia cells were exposed in vitro to MSA 2.5, 5 or 15 µM in varying combinations with MSA, RT, cisplatin (Pt), doxorubicin (Dox) and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). GSH concentration was measured by ELISA, DNA damage and repair by COMET assay, cell v...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Selenium, a trace element with anticancer properties, can reduce harmful toxicities of chemothera... more Selenium, a trace element with anticancer properties, can reduce harmful toxicities of chemotherapy and radiotherapy without compromising efficacy. However, the dose-response relationship in normal versus malignant human cells is unclear. We evaluated how methylseleninic acid (MSA) modulates the toxicity and efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation on malignant and non-malignant human mononuclear blood cells in vitro. We specifically investigated its effects on endoplasmic reticulum stress induction, intracellular glutathione concentration, DNA damage and viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and THP1 monocytic leukaemia cells in response to radiation, cytosine arabinoside or doxorubicin chemotherapy. MSA, at lower concentrations, induced protective responses in normal cells but cytotoxic effects in malignant cells, alone and in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation. However, in normal cells higher concentrations of MSA were directly toxic and increased the cytotoxicity...

Chronic respiratory disease, 2018

Vitamin D supplementation prevents acute respiratory infections and, through modulating innate an... more Vitamin D supplementation prevents acute respiratory infections and, through modulating innate and adaptive immunity, could have a potential role in bronchiectasis management. The primary aims of this pilot study were to assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in New Zealand adults with bronchiectasis, and their 25(OH)D levels after vitamin Dsupplementation. Adults with bronchiectasis received an initial 2.5 mg vitamin Doral loading dose and 0.625 mg vitamin Dweekly for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was serum 25(OH)D levels before and after vitamin Dsupplementation. Secondary outcomes (time to first infective exacerbation, exacerbation frequency, spirometry, health-related quality of life measures, sputum bacteriology and cell counts and chronic rhinosinusitis) were also assessed. This study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12612001222831). The initial, average 25(OH)D level was 71 nmol/L (95% confidence interval (CI): [58, 84])...

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 2017

Despite New Zealand being a low-tuberculosis (TB) burden country, there are disproportionately hi... more Despite New Zealand being a low-tuberculosis (TB) burden country, there are disproportionately high rates of TB in particular populations. Here, we report a rapid molecular diagnosis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rangipo strain responsible for the largest recurring TB cluster in New Zealand.

Biology, Jan 8, 2016

DNA damage quantitation assays such as the comet assay have focused on the measurement of total n... more DNA damage quantitation assays such as the comet assay have focused on the measurement of total nuclear damage per cell. The adoption of PCR-based techniques to quantify DNA damage has enabled sequence- and organelle-specific assessment of DNA lesions. Here we report on an adaptation of a qPCR technique to assess DNA damage in nuclear and mitochondrial targets relative to control. Novel aspects of this assay include application of the assay to the Rotor-Gene platform with optimized DNA polymerase/fluorophore/primer set combination in a touchdown PCR protocol. Assay validation was performed using ultraviolet C radiation in A549 and THP1 cancer cell lines. A comparison was made to the comet assay applied to peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and an estimation of the effects of cryopreservation on ultraviolet C-induced DNA damage was carried out. Finally, dose responses for DNA damage were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following exposure to the cytotoxic agents bleomy...

Heart, Lung and Circulation, 2016

greater than 10 years is unknown. Method: Only patients with all three conduits: internal mammary... more greater than 10 years is unknown. Method: Only patients with all three conduits: internal mammary (IMA), radial artery (RA) and venous grafts (SVG) enrolled in non-randomised prospective research protocol angiography where the duration postoperative was a minimum of 10 years. Within each patient, all three conduits were exposed to the same patient, systemic disease and medication factors. Graft patency for each anastomosis was recorded as patent or occluded. Patency was a widely open lumen even in the presence of lumen irregularity; and perfect patency was patent grafts where there was no irregularity of the conduit lumen (entirely normal conduit). An irregular lumen occurs with conduit atheroma and predicts ongoing graft failure in the longer term. Results: 40 patients, 39 male, underwent elective research coronary angiography at 13.2 2.6 (10-18) yr postoperative. Age at operation was 61.3 8.2 yr, and at late angiography was 74.5 7.7 yr. Symptoms of any kindwere infrequent; CCS 0/I in 98% and NYHA I/II in 98%. 155 grafts by distal anastomosis; IMA 48, RA 62, SVG 45. Patency was IMA 96% (46/48) and was not different to RA 94% (58/62) (p=0.695). All patent arterial conduits were perfectly patent. SVG patency was 78% (35/45), which was inferior to arterial grafts (p=0.003), but higher than that expected from the literature. Perfect patency was 16% (7/45), which is significantly lower than IMA (p 10 years, RA patency is not significantly different to IMA patency and all patent arterial grafts appeared normal. Venous grafts had significantly lower patency and perfect patency compared to arterial grafts.

Geoderma, 2016

(D.J. Lowe). environments in volcanic landscapes, datable using tephrochronology, and also aid bi... more (D.J. Lowe). environments in volcanic landscapes, datable using tephrochronology, and also aid biodiversity understanding of andic soils and paleosols.

Critical Care Medicine, May 1, 1999

To describe the use of bacterial DNA amplification of conserved bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA nucle... more To describe the use of bacterial DNA amplification of conserved bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA nucleotide sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence of septicemia in critically ill septic patients. Case series of blood samples from septic patients comparing the PCR results with conventional blood culture results. A general intensive care unit in a tertiary referral hospital. Two sets of samples (n = 101 and n = 55) from patients diagnosed as clinically septic and requiring blood cultures. They were classified by internationally accepted criteria into systemic inflammatory response syndrome, severe sepsis, and septic shock groups. Blood samples taken in a sterile fashion concurrently for blood culture, and PCR of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene in leukocytes and plasma. Two different DNA extraction techniques for PCR were tried sequentially. Blood culture and PCR positivity were measured in relation to the clinical classification of severity of sepsis. Using the initial extraction method (n = 101), ten patients were positive by both PCR and blood culture, eight patients were PCR positive and blood culture negative, and seven patients were blood culture positive and PCR negative. From the clinical criteria, PCR detected at least six true positives that had been missed on blood culture and missed four true Gram-positive bacteremias. When the initial code was broken, this deficiency was rectified using the improved extraction technique (n = 55), in which ten patients were positive by PCR and blood culture, 29 patients were PCR positive and blood culture negative, and two patients were PCR negative and PCR positive. We conclude that the use of PCR (for the 16S ribosomal DNA in the plasma) was significantly more sensitive than the use of conventional blood culturing techniques for the detection of bacteremia in seriously ill patients. This could prove to be a valuable adjunct to conventional blood cultures.

Biological Invasions, 2016

We mapped the distribution and diversity of mitochondrial D-loop haplotypes among 502 New Zealand... more We mapped the distribution and diversity of mitochondrial D-loop haplotypes among 502 New Zealand house mice (Mus musculus). By widespread sampling from 74 sites, we identified 14 new haplotypes. We used Bayesian phylogenetic reconstructions to estimate the genetic relationships between the New Zealand representatives of Mus musculus domesticus (all six known clades) and M. m. castaneus (clade HG2), and mice from other locales. We defined four distinct geographic regions of New Zealand with differing haplotype diversity indices. Our Results suggest (a) two independent pre-1840 invasions by mice of different origin (domesticus clade E and castaneus clade HG2) at opposite ends of the country; (b) multiple later invasions by domesticus clades E and F accompanying the post-1840 development of New Zealand port facilities in the central regions, plus limited local incursions by domesticus clades A, B, C and D1; (c) a separate invasion of Chatham I. by castaneus clade HG2; (d) previously undescribed New Zealand haplotypes, potentially the products of localised indigenous mutation, and (e) hybridisation between different lineages.

The New Zealand medical journal

An acute case of endophthalmitis following ocular trauma involving barbary branches is presented.... more An acute case of endophthalmitis following ocular trauma involving barbary branches is presented. Bacillus cereus var. mycoides was cultured from lens material obtained via a limbal incision.

The New Zealand medical journal

The case history and identification of the aetiological agent of a case of primary amoebic mening... more The case history and identification of the aetiological agent of a case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis contracted from a natural thermal steam is presented. The diagnosis and treatment of suspected cases is discussed.

The New Zealand medical journal

Between 1982 and 1986 virus infections were identified in 16,372 cases. These identifications wer... more Between 1982 and 1986 virus infections were identified in 16,372 cases. These identifications were based on virus isolation and/or serological evidence of infection by the main virus diagnostic laboratories at Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch and Dunedin hospitals, and at the National Health Institute. The most frequent virus identifications reported were herpes simplex (46.7%), rotavirus (11.8%), respiratory syncytial virus (5.7%), and adenovirus (5.6%). During this period of surveillance, the most prominent feature has been the high incidence of herpes simplex which reached a peak in 1983 but which has abated only slightly since. Significant trends and virus outbreaks or epidemics were detected with the regular reporting of monthly virus identifications in the New Zealand Virus Report (NZVR); these included a measles epidemic in Auckland in 1984/85, major influenza A outbreaks in 1983, 1985 and 1986, the respiratory syncytial virus epidemic in the winter of 1986, the increased inci...