bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expression of toll‐like receptors and their regulatory roles in murine cardiac telocytes
Authors: Li Shinan , Shen Xiaokun , He Shaoheng 
Published: June 2019

AbstractTelocytes, newly discovered in the last decade, are interstitial cells found in numerous organs, with multiple proposed potential biological functions. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in innate and adaptive immunity by recognizing pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). However, it is still unknown whether telocytes express these innate receptors. We sought to determine the expression and role of TLRs in telocytes. In our study, we primarily detected TLR1‐9 expression in telocytes. The proliferation, apoptosis and immunoregulatory activity of telocytes activated with or without TLR ligands were determined. Our results showed that purified telocytes expressed TLR2, TLR3 and TLR5. In particular, telocytes expressed high levels of TLR2 as observed using flow cytometry. When we stimulated telocytes with TLR2 or TLR3 agonists (Pam3CSK4, PolyI:C), iNOS expression was greatly increased after Pam3CSK4 treatment. Additionally, telocyte proliferation was reduced and cell apoptosis was increased after TLR agonist stimulation. A co‐culture experiment showed that supernatant from telocytes pretreated with Pam3CSK4 inhibited T cell activation much more than that from untreated telocytes and this effect was mediated by iNOS. Overall, our results demonstrated TLR expression on telocytes for the first time and provided evidence of an immunoregulatory role of telocytes, indicating their clinical potential.
Comprehensive proteogenomic analysis of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Parrotta Elvira Immacolata , Scalise Stefania , Taverna Domenico , De Angelis Maria Teresa , Sarro Gianmarco , Gaspari Marco , Santamaria Gianluca , Cuda Giovanni 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAlthough the concepts of somatic cell reprogramming and human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) generation have undergone several analyses to validate the usefulness of these cells in research and clinic, it remains still controversial whether the hiPSCs are equivalent to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), pointing to the need of further characterization for a more comprehensive understanding of pluripotency. Most of the experimental evidence comes from the transcriptome analysis, while a little is available on protein data, and even less is known about the post‐translational modifications. Here, we report a combined strategy of mass spectrometry and gene expression profiling for proteogenomic analysis of reprogrammed and embryonic stem cells. The data obtained through this integrated, multi‐“omics” approach indicate that a small, but still significant, number of distinct pathways is enriched in reprogrammed versus embryonic stem cells, supporting the view that pluripotency is an extremely complex, multifaceted phenomenon, with peculiarities that are characteristic of each cell type.
Differences between pure desmoplastic melanoma and superficial spreading melanoma in terms of survival, distribution and other clinicopathologic features
Authors: Howard M.D. , Wee E. , Wolfe R. , McLean C.A. , Kelly J.W. , Pan Y. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundPure desmoplastic melanoma (pDM) is an uncommon subtype of malignant melanoma with comparative high rates of local recurrence and low rates of sentinel lymph node positivity. The melanoma‐specific survival (MSS) of pDM compared to other melanoma subtypes is unclear, with conflicting reports and lack of multivariable analyses.ObjectivesWe aimed to describe clinicopathological characteristics of a cohort of patients with pDM and to compare the MSS of pDM with superficial spreading melanoma (SSM).MethodsA prospective cohort study was performed of all primary invasive cutaneous pDM with known tumour location and thickness reviewed at a tertiary referral centre over 21 years.ResultsA total of 119 primary cutaneous invasive pDMs from 3570 total invasive cutaneous melanomas were included. Compared to 2272 SSMs, and due largely to their greater average thickness, patients with pDM had worse MSS (unadjusted hazard ratio, HR, 2.56, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.56–4.22). After adjustment for clinicopathologic factors (including thickness, ulceration, mitotic rate, age and sex), there was evidence that patients with pDM had an improved MSS (adjusted HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28–0.87). Median thickness of head and neck pDM was greater than non‐head and neck pDM (P < 0.001). There was reduced univariable MSS in head and neck pDM compared to the rest of the body.ConclusionsDecreased univariable MSS of patients with pDM compared to SSM was explained by the increased frequency of adverse clinicopathologic features at diagnosis, in particular the greater Breslow thickness of pDM. After adjustment, patients with pDM had half the chance of melanoma‐specific death compared to SSM. Head and neck pDM were thicker at diagnosis compared to the rest of the body, which may account for its poorer survival compared to the rest of the body.
Identification and Expression Analyses of the Nitrate Transporter Gene (NRT2) Family Among Skeletonema species (Bacillariophyceae)
Authors: Kang Lee‐Kuo , Rynearson Tatiana A. 
Published: June 2019

High‐affinity nitrate transporters are considered to be the major transporter system for nitrate uptake in diatoms. In the diatom genus Skeletonema, three forms of genes encoding high‐affinity nitrate transporters (NRT2) were newly identified from transcriptomes generated as part of the marine microbial eukaryote transcriptome sequencing project. To examine the expression of each form of NRT2 under different nitrogen environments, laboratory experiments were conducted under nitrate‐sufficient, ammonium‐sufficient, and nitrate‐limited conditions using three ecologically important Skeletonema species: S. dohrnii, S. menzelii, and S. marinoi. Primers were developed for each NRT2 form and species and Q‐RT‐PCR was performed. For each NRT2 form, the three Skeletonema species had similar transcriptional patterns. The transcript levels of NRT2:1 were significantly elevated under nitrogen‐limited conditions, but strongly repressed in the presence of ammonium. The transcript levels of NRT2:2 were also repressed by ammonium, but increased 5‐ to 10‐fold under nitrate‐sufficient and nitrogen‐limited conditions. Finally, the transcript levels of NRT2:3 did not vary significantly under various nitrogen conditions, and behaved more like a constitutively expressed gene. Based on the observed transcript variation among NRT2 forms, we propose a revised model describing nitrate uptake kinetics regulated by multiple forms of nitrate transporter genes in response to various nitrogen conditions in Skeletonema. The differential NRT2 transcriptional responses among species suggest that species‐specific adaptive strategies exist within this genus to cope with environmental changes.
Selection at behavioural, developmental and metabolic genes is associated with the northward expansion of a successful tropical colonizer
Authors: Bourgeois Yann , Boissinot Stéphane 
Published: June 2019

AbstractWhat makes a species able to colonize novel environments? This question is key to understand the dynamics of adaptive radiations and ecological niche shifts, but the mechanisms that underlie expansion into novel habitats remain poorly understood at a genomic scale. Lizards from the genus Anolis are typically tropical, and the green anole (Anolis carolinensis) constitutes an exception since it expanded into temperate North America from subtropical Florida. Thus, we used the green anole as a model to investigate signatures of selection associated with colonization of a new environment, namely temperate North America. To this end, we analysed 29 whole‐genome sequences, covering the entire native range of the species. We used a combination of recent methods to quantify both positive and balancing selection in northern populations, including FST outlier methods, machine learning and ancestral recombination graphs. We naively scanned for genes of interest and assessed the overlap between multiple tests. Strikingly, we identified many genes involved in behaviour, suggesting that the recent successful colonization of northern environments may have been linked to behavioural shifts as well as physiological adaptation. Using a candidate genes strategy, we determined that genes involved in response to cold or behaviour displayed more frequently signals of selection, while controlling for local recombination rate, gene clustering and gene length. In addition, we found signatures of balancing selection at immune genes in all investigated genetic groups, but also at genes involved in neuronal and anatomical development.
Peer‐supported faculty development and workplace teaching: an integrative review
Authors: Campbell Narelle , Wozniak Helen , Philip Robyn L , Damarell Raechel A 
Published: June 2019

ContextThe use of peer support as a faculty development technique to improve clinical teaching is uncommon in medical education, despite the benefits of situating learning in the workplace. The authors therefore conducted a broad search seeking theoretical and empirical literature describing peer support strategies for clinical teachers in health care workplaces. This included descriptive and non‐experimental studies that are often excluded from reviews. The review aimed to identify and assess existing initiatives and to synthesise key challenges and benefits.MethodsAn integrative literature review was undertaken (2004–2017), based on searches of eight international electronic databases and targeted manual searches. Key concepts, elements and models were mapped using an iterative, constant comparative method. An evaluative framework, drawing on previous research, informed conclusions regarding the quality of evidence.ResultsFrom a pool of 5735 papers, 34 met the inclusion criteria. The majority referred to studies conducted in the USA (59%) and in the medical profession (71%). Analysis revealed a trend towards using a collaborative model (56%), voluntary participation (59%), and direct workplace observation by a peer clinician (68%). Design features of the peer support strategy were commonly reported (65%), with half providing outcome measures (56%). Few papers reported on process evaluation (15%) or evidence of programme sustainability (15%). Despite logistical and time‐associated challenges, benefits accrued to individuals and the workplace, and included improved teaching practices. Embedding the peer support strategy into routine organisational practice proved effective.ConclusionsThe results indicated that a workplace‐based peer support model is an acceptable and effective faculty development strategy for health care clinical teachers. Conceptualising workplace‐based peer support via a sociocultural model that acknowledges the significance of educational design, peers as collaborators and the importance of workplace context and culture is emphasised. Future research should focus on clarification studies informed by contemporary models of faculty development, in which factors impacting the health care workplace are considered.
Examining unconscious bias embedded in provider language regarding children with autism
Authors: Como Dominique H. , Floríndez Lucía I. , Tran Christine F. , Cermak Sharon A. , Stein Duker Leah I. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractIn healthcare settings, language used by healthcare providers can influence provider–patient encounters with individuals with autism spectrum disorder, impacting feelings of stigma and marginalization. This study highlights the unconscious biases healthcare providers might have regarding their patients with autism spectrum disorder and how those beliefs are articulated. Seven pediatric dentists participated in two focus groups to describe strategies to improve oral care for children with autism spectrum disorder. While completing the primary analyses, additional codes emerged related to healthcare provider biases; these data are the focus of this study. Three themes were identified: (i) “healthcare microaggressions” describe how healthcare providers portray their patients in subtly negative ways; (ii) “marginalization” denotes the use of exclusionary language identifying children with autism spectrum disorder as different; and (iii) “preconceptions” include comments that highlight biases about patients. The findings provide insight into the implicit biases that might be held by healthcare providers and how they manifest in language. Despite increased emphasis on cultural competency, healthcare providers might unconsciously use language that could negatively impact patient–provider rapport and increase stigma in already marginalized populations. Further research is necessary to explore how these biases could relate to quality of care.
Experiences of partners of intensive care survivors and their need for support after intensive care
Authors: Nelderup Maria , Samuelson Karin 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundWhen a relative with a critical illness is admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), it can be a life‐changing event for the partner. There is a lack of studies that focus on the partners' experiences of the time after intensive care.Aims and objectivesThe aim of this study was to explore the experiences of partners of intensive care survivors and their need for support after intensive care.DesignA qualitative descriptive design was used.MethodsSix semi‐structured interviews was conducted in Sweden and analysed using inductive content analysis with inspiration from Graneheim and Lundman.ResultsThree categories emerged from the data: Being in chaos when a partner needs intensive care, Being the one who everyone depends on, and Life goes on after intensive care. The findings indicate that life goes on after intensive care even if recovery takes time, and during that time, the partners need comforting support from people around them.ConclusionPartners need extensive and continuous support from health care staff and others during and after intensive care. Intensive care leads, on the one hand, to a sense of chaos for the partner, but on the other hand, if the family relations are strengthened and the partner receives the right kind of comforting support, it can relieve the chaos and facilitate a smoother recovery path to help them view the future more positively.Relevance to clinical practiceThis study can contribute knowledge that guides nurses in the ICU and at the ICU follow‐up service and could also help nurses in other areas of care in communication with relatives.
Transtracheal jet oxygenation: Comparing the efficacy and safety of two self‐made Y‐connector devices with the ENK oxygen flow modulator™ in an infant animal model
Authors: Lim Evangeline H.L. , Tan Angela Y.J. , Sng David D.W. , Saffari Seyed Ehsan , Tan Josephine S.K. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundSelf‐made Y‐connector jet‐oxygenation devices with wide‐bore expiratory port have been described but not evaluated in infant models. Little is known about the effect of oxygen flow rates on jet oxygenation via transtracheal cannula.AimsThe aim of this study was to compare two self‐made Y‐connector jet‐oxygenation devices against the ENK oxygen flow modulator™, and the effects of three different oxygen flow rates based on body weight, in both unobstructed and obstructed airways, on the time to re‐oxygenate in a rabbit infant model. The aim was also to assess the effectiveness of an oxygen flow rate of 1 L/min, for re‐oxygenation using ENK oxygen flow modulator™.MethodsNine rabbits were grouped in threes: Group 1 had a Y‐connector attached to an intravenous infusion tubing, Group 2 the same Y‐connector attached to a perfusion oxygenator tubing and Group 3, ENK oxygen flow modulator™. From oxygen saturations of 75%, the rabbits were jet oxygenated using their assigned device for 10 minutes at each flow rate of 1 L/kg/min, 1.5 L/kg/min and 2 L/kg/min with their airways unobstructed and later, obstructed. Group 3 had additional experiments involving an absolute oxygen flow rate of 1 L/min.ResultsAll devices resulted in rapid re‐oxygenation within 40 seconds at flow rates of 1 L/kg/min. Oxygen flow rates beyond 1 L/kg/min in obstructed airways resulted in high airway pressures. All rabbits in Group 3 with obstructed airways died from barotrauma when jet oxygenated at a flow rate of 1.5 L/kg/min. When an oxygen flow rate of 1 L/min was used in Group 3, there was a failure to re‐oxygenate to SpO2 90% within 120 seconds in some rabbits.ConclusionOur animal model results suggest that self‐made Y‐connector jet‐oxygenation devices with wide‐bore expiratory port are efficacious and perhaps safer than ENK oxygen flow modulator™ in obstructed airways, and jet oxygenation with minimal oxygen flow rates starting at 1 L/kg/min or (age [years] + 4) L/min, whichever lower, should be considered.
Germline variants in oculocutaneous albinism genes and predisposition to familial cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Nathan Vaishnavi , Johansson Peter A. , Palmer Jane M. , Howlie Madeleine , Hamilton Hayley R. , Wadt Karin , Jönsson Göran , Brooks Kelly M. , Pritchard Antonia L. , Hayward Nicholas K. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractApproximately 1%–2% of cutaneous melanoma (CM) is classified as strongly familial. We sought to investigate unexplained CM predisposition in families negative for the known susceptibility genes using next‐generation sequencing of affected individuals. Segregation of germline variants of interest within families was assessed by Sanger sequencing. Several heterozygous variants in oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) genes: TYR, OCA2, TYRP1 and SLC45A2, were present in our CM cohort. OCA is a group of autosomal recessive genetic disorders, resulting in pigmentation defects of the eyes, hair and skin. Missense variants classified as pathogenic for OCA were present in multiple families and some fully segregated with CM. The functionally compromised TYR p.T373K variant was present in three unrelated families. In OCA2, known pathogenic variants: p.V443I and p.N489D, were present in three families and one family, respectively. We identified a likely pathogenic SLC45A2 frameshift variant that fully segregated with CM in a family of four cases. Another four‐case family harboured cosegregating variants (p.A24T and p.R153C) of uncertain functional significance in TYRP1. We conclude that rare, heterozygous variants in OCA genes confer moderate risk for CM.
Photoacidity of the 7‐Hydroxyflavylium Cation
Authors: Aqdas Amna , Siddique Farhan , Nieman Reed , Quina Frank H. , Aquino Adelia J. A. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractTheoretical descriptions of excited state proton transfer (ESPT) have had various degrees of success. This work presents a theoretical description of the photodissociation of the 7‐hydroxyflavylium cation (7‐HF), the fundamental chromophoric moiety of anthocyanin natural plant pigments. ESPT of 7‐HF is promoted by a significant shift of charge away from the OH group in the first singlet excited state, leading smoothly to the excited conjugate base and a protonated water cluster. Several factors contribute to the consistency of the results of the present study: (1) the theoretical approach (TD‐DFT with the B3‐LYP functional and def2‐TZVP basis set utilizing Grimme's D3 dispersion correction); (2) the modeling of the solvent effect combining hydrogen bonding of the photoacid to a cluster of discrete water molecules in a water‐like continuum solvent (COSMO); (3) the large S1‐S2 energy gap of flavylium cations; and (4) the electrostatics of the ESPT in which a proton is transferred from a cationic photoacid to water without Coulombic interaction between the proton and the conjugate base.
Distribution and genetic diversity amongAspergillus flavusisolates across three agro‐ecologies essential for maize cultivation in Ghana
Authors: Dadzie M. A. , Oppong A. , Ofori K. , Eleblu J. S. Y. , Ifie B. E. , Blay E. T. , Obeng‐Bio E. , Appiah‐Kubi Z. , Warburton M. L. 
Published: June 2019

Fungal mycotoxins are important contaminants of agricultural commodities that pose serious concerns to producers, consumers and exporters. Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic metabolite produced by the fungiAspergillus flavusandA. parasiticus. These fungi and other mould species living in the soil contaminate several crops including maize. This study was undertaken with the following objectives: (i) to assess the presence ofA. flavusand other moulds in Ghanaian soil; (ii) to determine the distribution and density ofA. flavusunder three agro‐ecologies noted for major maize production; and (iii) to assess the effect of percentage of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and soil pH onA. flavuspopulation densities and diversity in the isolates found across the agro‐ecologies. The data showed seven moulds that were common across the agro‐ecologies. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed in theA. flavusdensity and distribution within and across these agro‐ecologies. Fumesua soils recorded the highest levels ofA. flavus(1.185 × 103 cfu g−1) while Akomadan recorded the least (9.76 × 102 cfu g−1). Percentage available C, N and soil pH did not significantly influenceA. flavusdensity. TheA. flavusisolates identified in this study varied in genetic sequence within the aflatoxin gene cluster, but these differences were not distinguishable by origin.
Reconciling Storegga tsunami sedimentation patterns with modelled wave heights: A discussion from the Shetland Isles field laboratory
Authors: Dawson Alastair G. , Dawson Sue , Bondevik Stein , Costa Pedro J. M. , Hill Jon , Stewart Iain 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe Shetland Isles represent an ideal field laboratory for tsunami geoscience research. This is due to the widespread preservation of Holocene tsunami sediments in coastal peat deposits. This study uses published accounts of the Holocene Storegga Slide tsunami to illustrate how two different approaches – mapping of tsunami sediments and numerical modelling – produce radically different run‐up heights. The Storegga Slide is one of the world largest submarine slides and took place ca 8150 cal yr bp on the continental slope west of Norway. The tsunami generated by the landslide deposited locally extensive sheets of marine sand and gravel, as well as redeposited clasts of peat across the contemporary land surface. These sediment accumulations have subsequently been buried by peat growth during the Holocene while exposures of the deposits are locally visible in coastal cliff sections. In several areas, the tsunami sediments can be traced upslope and inland within the peat as tapering sediment wedges up to maximum altitudes of between ca 8·1 m and 11·8 m above present sea level. Since reconstructions of palaeo‐sea level for Shetland for ca 8150 cal yr bp suggest an altitude of 20 m below high tide on the day that the tsunami struck, it has been inferred that the minimum tsunami run‐up was locally between 28·1 m (8·1 + 20 m) and 31·8 m (11·8 + 20 m). However, numerical models of the tsunami for Shetland suggest that the wave height may only have reached a highest altitude in the order of +13 m above sea level on the day the tsunami took place. In this paper a description is given of the sedimentary evidence for tsunami run‐up in the Shetland Isles. This is followed by an evaluation of where the palaeo‐sea level was located when the tsunami occurred. Significant differences are highlighted in tsunami inundation estimates between those based on the observed (geological) data and the theoretically‐modelled calculations. This example from the Shetland Isles may have global significance since it exemplifies how two different approaches to the reconstruction of tsunami inundation at the coast can produce radically different results with modelled wave height at the coast being considerably less than the geological estimates of tsunami run‐up.