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Background: Providing patients an opportunity to give feedback to optometry students on their communication and interpersonal skills allows for a unique learning opportunity. The aim of the current project was to determine if the Doctors’ Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire (DISQ) was suitable for use with optometry students in a large teaching clinic and if it provided useful feedback to the students for learning purposes. Methods: The DISQ is a 12-item questionnaire that utilises a five-point Likert scale; a higher score indicates better performance. The DISQ was modified for an optometry context and developed into an online questionnaire. Patients were invited to complete the survey following their consultation with a final year student. Patients provided feedback on the interpersonal skills of the student optometrist who conducted the consultation under supervision. Students were provided with both individual and collated feedback obtained for the entire student group; strategies for improving communication were discussed. This activity did not form part of the grades of the students. Results: Patients were very satisfied with the interpersonal skills of final year optometry students. Highest scores were given for questions relating to the warmth of greeting, respect shown and time given. Lowest scores were for questions relating to explanations, reassurance and confidence. There was a significant improvement in the communication and interpersonal skills of students following the provision of patient feedback and strategies for improving these skills, and an additional period of clinical experience. Conclusion: Patients can provide feedback on the interpersonal skills of optometry students using the DISQ. This feedback results in further skill development for students and makes patients feel valued within the teaching clinic environment. This activity assisted in ensuring that graduating optometri

Quorum sensing signalling molecules (QSSMs) are important to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm development which aid establishment and persistence of these bacteria in the host. Recent progress in quorum sensing (QS) research has demonstrated that the two QSSMs, 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS interact with eukaryotic cells and modulate immune responses. Early research has indicated these two QSSMs are immunosuppressive, and because T cells play an important role in defending the host against the attack of P. aeruginosa (Stevenson et al., 1995), this warrants investigations into the interactions between QSSMs and T cells. Previous studies have shown 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS can exert differential immune-modulatory effects on mammalian immune responses, however, no studies have confirmed these activities using pure human T cells. The purpose of my PhD was to investigate for the first time, the effects of these two QSSMs on pure human T cells in a staged manner, beginning with mouse splenocytes, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) and finally pure T cells, then if successful, paving the way for gene array technology. This present work confirms inhibitory effects by QSSMs on mouse splenocytes stimulated to proliferate using the lectin concanavalin (ConA) or anti-CD3 antibody, and hPBMCs stimulated to proliferate using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibody. In order to further understand interactions between QSSMs and the immune system, the effects of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS on pure human T cell proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation of T cells with monoclonal antibodies directed against CD3 and CD28 were compared, using CsA as the positive control. All three compounds inhibited pure T cell proliferation. CsA and PQS were the more potent anti-proliferative compounds with IC50 values of 3.2±0.31 µM and 3.8±0.15 µM respectively compared to 19±1.62 µM for 3-oxo-C12-HSL, indicating the QSSMs ability to suppress T cell activity and therefore ad

Quorum sensing signalling molecules (QSSMs) are important to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm development which aid establishment and persistence of these bacteria in the host. Recent progress in quorum sensing (QS) research has demonstrated that the two QSSMs, 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS interact with eukaryotic cells and modulate immune responses. Early research has indicated these two QSSMs are immunosuppressive, and because T cells play an important role in defending the host against the attack of P. aeruginosa (Stevenson et al., 1995), this warrants investigations into the interactions between QSSMs and T cells. Previous studies have shown 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS can exert differential immune-modulatory effects on mammalian immune responses, however, no studies have confirmed these activities using pure human T cells. The purpose of my PhD was to investigate for the first time, the effects of these two QSSMs on pure human T cells in a staged manner, beginning with mouse splenocytes, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) and finally pure T cells, then if successful, paving the way for gene array technology. This present work confirms inhibitory effects by QSSMs on mouse splenocytes stimulated to proliferate using the lectin concanavalin (ConA) or anti-CD3 antibody, and hPBMCs stimulated to proliferate using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibody. In order to further understand interactions between QSSMs and the immune system, the effects of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS on pure human T cell proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation of T cells with monoclonal antibodies directed against CD3 and CD28 were compared, using CsA as the positive control. All three compounds inhibited pure T cell proliferation. CsA and PQS were the more potent anti-proliferative compounds with IC50 values of 3.2±0.31 µM and 3.8±0.15 µM respectively compared to 19±1.62 µM for 3-oxo-C12-HSL, indicating the QSSMs ability to suppress T cell activity and therefore ad

Quorum sensing signalling molecules (QSSMs) are important to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm development which aid establishment and persistence of these bacteria in the host. Recent progress in quorum sensing (QS) research has demonstrated that the two QSSMs, 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS interact with eukaryotic cells and modulate immune responses. Early research has indicated these two QSSMs are immunosuppressive, and because T cells play an important role in defending the host against the attack of P. aeruginosa (Stevenson et al., 1995), this warrants investigations into the interactions between QSSMs and T cells. Previous studies have shown 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS can exert differential immune-modulatory effects on mammalian immune responses, however, no studies have confirmed these activities using pure human T cells. The purpose of my PhD was to investigate for the first time, the effects of these two QSSMs on pure human T cells in a staged manner, beginning with mouse splenocytes, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) and finally pure T cells, then if successful, paving the way for gene array technology. This present work confirms inhibitory effects by QSSMs on mouse splenocytes stimulated to proliferate using the lectin concanavalin (ConA) or anti-CD3 antibody, and hPBMCs stimulated to proliferate using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibody. In order to further understand interactions between QSSMs and the immune system, the effects of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS on pure human T cell proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation of T cells with monoclonal antibodies directed against CD3 and CD28 were compared, using CsA as the positive control. All three compounds inhibited pure T cell proliferation. CsA and PQS were the more potent anti-proliferative compounds with IC50 values of 3.2±0.31 µM and 3.8±0.15 µM respectively compared to 19±1.62 µM for 3-oxo-C12-HSL, indicating the QSSMs ability to suppress T cell activity and therefore ad

Quorum sensing signalling molecules (QSSMs) are important to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm development which aid establishment and persistence of these bacteria in the host. Recent progress in quorum sensing (QS) research has demonstrated that the two QSSMs, 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS interact with eukaryotic cells and modulate immune responses. Early research has indicated these two QSSMs are immunosuppressive, and because T cells play an important role in defending the host against the attack of P. aeruginosa (Stevenson et al., 1995), this warrants investigations into the interactions between QSSMs and T cells. Previous studies have shown 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS can exert differential immune-modulatory effects on mammalian immune responses, however, no studies have confirmed these activities using pure human T cells. The purpose of my PhD was to investigate for the first time, the effects of these two QSSMs on pure human T cells in a staged manner, beginning with mouse splenocytes, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) and finally pure T cells, then if successful, paving the way for gene array technology. This present work confirms inhibitory effects by QSSMs on mouse splenocytes stimulated to proliferate using the lectin concanavalin (ConA) or anti-CD3 antibody, and hPBMCs stimulated to proliferate using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibody. In order to further understand interactions between QSSMs and the immune system, the effects of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS on pure human T cell proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation of T cells with monoclonal antibodies directed against CD3 and CD28 were compared, using CsA as the positive control. All three compounds inhibited pure T cell proliferation. CsA and PQS were the more potent anti-proliferative compounds with IC50 values of 3.2±0.31 µM and 3.8±0.15 µM respectively compared to 19±1.62 µM for 3-oxo-C12-HSL, indicating the QSSMs ability to suppress T cell activity and therefore ad

Quorum sensing signalling molecules (QSSMs) are important to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm development which aid establishment and persistence of these bacteria in the host. Recent progress in quorum sensing (QS) research has demonstrated that the two QSSMs, 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS interact with eukaryotic cells and modulate immune responses. Early research has indicated these two QSSMs are immunosuppressive, and because T cells play an important role in defending the host against the attack of P. aeruginosa (Stevenson et al., 1995), this warrants investigations into the interactions between QSSMs and T cells. Previous studies have shown 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS can exert differential immune-modulatory effects on mammalian immune responses, however, no studies have confirmed these activities using pure human T cells. The purpose of my PhD was to investigate for the first time, the effects of these two QSSMs on pure human T cells in a staged manner, beginning with mouse splenocytes, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) and finally pure T cells, then if successful, paving the way for gene array technology. This present work confirms inhibitory effects by QSSMs on mouse splenocytes stimulated to proliferate using the lectin concanavalin (ConA) or anti-CD3 antibody, and hPBMCs stimulated to proliferate using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibody. In order to further understand interactions between QSSMs and the immune system, the effects of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and PQS on pure human T cell proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation of T cells with monoclonal antibodies directed against CD3 and CD28 were compared, using CsA as the positive control. All three compounds inhibited pure T cell proliferation. CsA and PQS were the more potent anti-proliferative compounds with IC50 values of 3.2±0.31 µM and 3.8±0.15 µM respectively compared to 19±1.62 µM for 3-oxo-C12-HSL, indicating the QSSMs ability to suppress T cell activity and therefore ad