Binocular summation enhances visual performance. This enhancement may be disrupted in visual conditions that introduce interocular asymmetries, e.g., glaucoma. Reaction times provide a direct index of visual processing efficiency. However, they have not been studied systematically under binocular conditions in glaucoma. This investigation quantified monocular and binocular saccadic reaction times (RTs) across the visual field using eye-movement perimetry (EMP), compared binocular summation between healthy and glaucoma participants and evaluated correspondence with computational models. Saccadic RTs were measured monocularly/binocularly at 54/56 visual-field locations in seven healthy participants and eight participants with glaucoma of varying severity. Each location was tested with six to ten repetitions under low (74
This study evaluated the antibiofilm potential of stylicin from Penaeus vannamei against Vibrio harveyi. Stylicin was found to significantly affect cell morphology and biofilm density, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging at a minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (100 μg). Produced 74,107,048 clean reads (control: 36,354,900; stylicin-treated: 37,752,148) and identified 215 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 131 were upregulated and 84 were downregulated. Genes, such as the NO-inducible flavohemoprotein, the NnrS family protein and the cryptochrome/photolyase family protein, which mainly help to maintain physiological activity, were found to be upregulated by stylicin. The downregulated genes were mainly associated with the Type VI secretion system, adhesion, and biofilm formation, which are associated with the main virulence factors of V. harveyi. Further protein-protein interaction analysis identified five potential target proteins for stylicin (CysD, MetK, GroEL, Gap, and TssJ). Docking studies showed strong binding affinity, and optimal docking scores, indicating highly favourable interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the enhanced stability and compactness of the protein-stylicin complexes which exhibited stable hydrogen bonds and non-bonded contacts. These findings highlight the potential of stylicin by targeting key virulence factors of V. harveyi, paving the way for further validation and therapeutic development.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by Leptospira spirochetes, with limited therapeutic options, symptoms ranging from mild flu-like illness to severe organ failure and death. It presents a broad clinical spectrum, complicating diagnosis and treatment. This study targets Leptospira thiamine monophosphate kinase (ThiL), an essential enzyme conserved across the pathogenic species of Leptospira that is crucial for bacterial survival, with no known human homolog, making it a promising and selective therapeutic candidate for drug development. This study aims to discover effective inhibitors of Leptospira ThiL using Structure-Based Virtual Screening (SBVS). Potential hits were evaluated for drug-like properties, followed by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to assess electronic structure properties. Further molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations were performed using the MM/PBSA approach to confirm the stability and affinity of the inhibitor. High-throughput Virtual Screening (HTVS) of phytochemicals revealed five promising candidates, namely, IMPHY004345, IMPHY005869, IMPHY006284, IMPHY002964, and IMPHY005688, exhibiting better docking scores (-12.36 to -10.54 kcal/mol) and strong MM/GBSA binding energies (-47.26 to -40.72 kcal/mol), along with optimal pharmacokinetic profiles. DFT analysis assessed the electronic properties of these compounds, providing insights into their chemical reactivity. MD simulations demonstrated stable binding and persistent hydrogen-bond interactions in the ThiL-ligand complexes. The conformational stability was monitored through MD-based distance plot analysis, revealing sustained interactions with catalytically significant residues (Glu9, Gln23, Asp39, Arg140, Thr209 Lys218) across all pathogenic Leptospira species, underscoring ThiL's evolutionary and functional importance. MM/PBSA calculations also support the high-affinity binding, with key residues emerging as crucial for maintaining complex stability and contributing to energy. This study establishes ThiL as a structurally stable, evolutionarily conserved, and highly druggable target in Leptospira. The identified leads, IMPHY006284 and IMPHY004345, emerged as the most potent broad-spectrum ThiL inhibitors, exhibiting multi-target inhibition across pathogenic species. This offers a promising strategy to overcome strain-specific variability and deliver broad-spectrum therapeutics for leptospirosis management.
Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of colour vision deficiency (CVD) on driving performance, challenges and related factors among licensed male drivers. Methods: This prospective observational study recruited drivers with normal and colour vision deficiency. Initial screening used the Ishihara plates, followed by AO-HRR plates to confirm the type of congenital CVD, and the Farnsworth Lantern signal test to assess signal perception. Drivers with best-corrected visual acuity less than 6/12 or acquired CVD were excluded. Detailed eye examinations and occupational/driving histories were also collected. Results: The study included 63 male drivers: 30 with normal colour vision (mean age 41.1±6.6 years) and 33 with congenital CVD (mean age 38.7±8.9 years). Drivers with CVD were eight times more likely to experience difficulties compared to the normal vision group (OR: 7.80, 95% CI: 2.22-27.39, p=0.001), and nearly five time more likely to report difficulties under adverse conditions such as rain, fog, bright sunlight, (OR: 4.79, 95% CI: 1.36-16.87, p=0.015). No statistically significant association was found between CVD and road traffic accidents (RTA) in current study (p=0.07). However, CVD did affect the driving performance and self-reported difficulties. Conclusions: No statistically significant association was found between CVD and RTA in current study; however, it significantly affects driving performance, with protans experiencing delayed signal recognition and deutans experiencing more colour confusions, especially under adverse weather conditions when secondary cues were absent.
