Expression profiling reveals Spot 42 small RNA as a key regulator in the central metabolism of Aliivibrio salmonicida

Spot 42 was discovered in Escherichia coli nearly 40 years ago as an abundant, small and unstable RNA. Its biological role has remained obscure until recently, and is today implicated in having broader roles in the central and secondary metabolism. Spot 42 is encoded by the spf gene. The gene is ubiquitous in the Vibrionaceae family of gamma-proteobacteria. One member of this family, Aliivibrio salmonicida, causes cold-water vibriosis in farmed Atlantic salmon. Its genome encodes Spot 42 with 84% identity to E. coli Spot 42. We generated a A. salmonicida spf deletion mutant. We then used microarray and Northern blot analyses to monitor global effects on the transcriptome in order to provide insights into the biological roles of Spot 42 in this bacterium. In the presence of glucose, we found a surprisingly large number of ≥ 2X differentially expressed genes, and several major cellular processes were affected. A gene encoding a pirin-like protein showed an on/off expression pattern in the presence/absence of Spot 42, which suggests that Spot 42 plays a key regulatory role in the central metabolism by regulating the switch between fermentation and respiration. Interestingly, we discovered an sRNA named VSsrna24, which is encoded immediately downstream of spf. This new sRNA has an expression pattern opposite to that of Spot 42, and its expression is repressed by glucose. We hypothesize that Spot 42 plays a key role in the central metabolism, in part by regulating the pyruvat dehydrogenase enzyme complex via pirin

Impact of the Norwegian National Patient Safety Program on implementation of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and on perioperative safety culture

Objectives Our primary objective was to study the impact of the Norwegian National Patient Safety Campaign and Program on Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) implementation and on safety culture. Secondary objective was associations between SSC fidelity and safety culture. We hypothesised that the programme influenced on SSC use and operating theatre personnel’s safety culture perceptions. Setting A longitudinal cross-sectional study was conducted in a large Norwegian tertiary teaching hospital. Participants We invited 1754 operating theatre personnel to participate in the study, of which 920 responded to the surveys at three time points in 2009, 2010 and 2017. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcome was the results of the patient safety culture measured by the culturally adapted Norwegian version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Our previously published results from 2009/2010 were compared with new data collected in 2017. Secondary outcome was correlation between SSC fidelity and safety culture. Fidelity was electronically recorded. Results Survey response rates were 61% (349/575), 51% (292/569) and 46% (279/610) in 2009, 2010 and 2017, respectively. Eight of the 12 safety culture dimensions significantly improved over time with the largest increase being ‘Hospital managers’ support to patient safety’ from a mean score of 2.82 at baseline in 2009 to 3.15 in 2017 (mean change: 0.33, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.44). Fidelity in use of the SSC averaged 88% (26 741/30 426) in 2017. Perceptions of safety culture dimensions in 2009 and in 2017 correlated significantly though weakly with fidelity (r=0.07–0.21). Conclusion The National Patient Safety Program, fostering engagement from trust boards, hospital managers and frontline operating theatre personnel enabled effective implementation of the SSC. As part of a wider strategic safety initiative, implementation of SSC coincided with an improved safety culture.publishedVersio

Characteristics associated with organic food consumption during pregnancy; data from a large cohort of pregnant women in Norway

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little is known about the use of organic food during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to describe characteristics associated with the use of organic food among pregnant women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The present study includes 63,561 women who during the years 2002-2007 answered two questionnaires, a general health questionnaire at gestational week 15 and a food frequency questionnaire at weeks 17-22. We used linear binomial regression with frequent versus rare use of organic food as outcome variable and characteristics of the respondent as independent variables. The outcome variable was derived from self-reported frequency of organic food use in six main food groups (milk/dairy, bread/cereal, eggs, vegetables, fruit and meat).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Organic eggs and vegetables were the food items which were most frequently reported to be used "often" or "mostly". The proportion of women reporting frequent intake of organic food was 9.1% (n = 5754). This group included more women in the lower (<25 years) and higher (>40 years) age-groups, with normal or low body mass index, who were vegetarians, exercised regularly (3+times weekly), consumed alcohol and smoked cigarettes during pregnancy (p < 0.001 for all, except alcohol: p=0.044). Further, participants with frequent organic consumption included more women in the lower (≤12 years) or higher (17 years +) category of educational attainment, women who were students or had a partner being a student, who belonged to the lowest household income group (both respondent and her partner earned <300 000 NOK), who entered the study 2005-2007, and who lived in an urban area (p < 0.001 for all).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The socio-economic characteristics of pregnant Norwegian women with frequent organic consumption did not unambiguously follow those typically associated with better health, such as higher levels of education and income. Rather, lower household income, and both lowest and highest levels of education were associated with a higher prevalence of frequent organic consumption. The results indicate that personal and socio-economic characteristics are important covariates and need to be included in future studies of potential health outcomes related to organic food consumption during pregnancy.</p

Placental histology predicted adverse outcomes in extremely premature neonates in Norway-population-based study

Aim We evaluated the role of placental pathology in predicting adverse outcomes for neonates born extremely preterm (EPT) before 28 weeks of gestation. Methods This was a prospective observational study of 123 extremely preterm singletons born in a hospital in western Norway, and the placentas were classified according to the Amsterdam criteria. The associations between histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA), by the presence or the absence of a foetal inflammatory response (FIR+ or FIR−), maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) as a whole and adverse neonatal outcomes were evaluated by logistic regression analyses. Adverse outcomes were defined as perinatal death, necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), brain pathology by magnetic resonance imaging at term-equivalent age, retinopathy of prematurity and early-onset neonatal sepsis. The results are reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results HCA was associated with NEC (OR 12.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 137.1). HCA/FIR+ was associated with BPD (OR 14.9, 95% CI 1.8–122.3) and brain pathology (OR 9.8, 95% CI 1.4–71.6), but HCA/FIR− was not. The only neonatal outcome that MVM was associated with was low birthweight. Conclusion Placental histology provided important information when assessing the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes following EPT birth.publishedVersio

Влияние изменений климата на геоэкологические риски нефтегазовой отрасли в районах вечной мерзлоты

Objective: We hypothesize that high-quality implementation of the World Health Organization's Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) will lead to improved care processes and subsequently reduction of peri- and postoperative complications. Background: Implementation of the SSC was associated with robust reduction in morbidity and length of in-hospital stay in a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 2 Norwegian hospitals. Further investigation of precisely how the SSC improves care processes and subsequently patient outcomes is needed to understand the causal mechanisms of improvement. Methods: Care process metrics are reported from one of our earlier trial hospitals. Primary outcomes were in-hospital complications and care process metrics, e.g., patient warming and antibiotics. Secondary outcome was quality of SSC implementation. Analyses include Pearson's exact χ 2 test and binary logistic regression. Results: A total of 3702 procedures (1398 control vs. 2304 intervention procedures) were analyzed. High-quality SSC implementation (all 3 checklist parts) improved processes and outcomes of care. Use of forced air warming blankets increased from 35.3% to 42.4% (P < 0.001). Antibiotic administration postincision decreased from 12.5% to 9.8%, antibiotic administration preincision increased from 54.5% to 63.1%, and nonadministration of antibiotics decreased from 33.0% to 27.1%. Surgical infections decreased from 7.4% (104/1398) to 3.6% (P < 0.001). Adjusted SSC effect on surgical infections resulted in an odds ratio (OR) of 0.52 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.38–0.72) for intervention procedures, 0.54 (95% CI: 0.37–0.79) for antibiotics provided before incision, and 0.24 (95% CI: 0.11–0.52) when using forced air warming blankets. Blood transfusion costs were reduced by 40% with the use of the SSC. Conclusions: When implemented well, the SSC improved operating room care processes; subsequently, high-quality SCC implementation and improved care processes led to better patient outcomes

Prenatal iron exposure and childhood type 1 diabetes

Acknowledgements: We are grateful to all the participating families in Norway who take part in this on-going cohort study. We thank Dr. Maria Vistnes at Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway for help with cytokine assays, PM Ueland and Ø Midttun at BEVITAL, Bergen, Norway, for neopterin and KTR assay, and Kathleen Gillespie at Bristol University, UK for confirmatory HLA genotyping. The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research, NIH/NIEHS (contract no N01-ES-75558), NIH/NINDS (grant no. 1 UO1 NS 047537-01 and grant no. 2 UO1 NS 047537-06A1). The sub-study was funded by a research grant from the Research Council of Norway. The Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry is financed by the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. Dr London was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr Størdal was supported by an unrestricted grant from Oak Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

DNA-overvåking av brunbjørn i Tana 2023 ved bruk av hårfeller

Hår fra brunbjørn ble samlet inn i 20 hårfeller med luktstoff i et 500 km2 stort område i Tana kommune (Troms og Finnmark fylke) i løpet av 2 måneder fra juni til august i 2023. Det ble brukt et 5 x 5 km rutesystem med én hårfelle i hver rute, og der hårfellen ble flyttet etter én måned til en annen lokalitet i samme rute. Hårrøttene ble DNA-analysert med 8 genetiske markører for individbestemmelse, i tillegg til en kjønnsbestemt markør. Totalt ble det samlet inn 48 hårprøver (i tillegg til 3 ekskrementprøver). Av de innsamlede hårprøvene var 27 (56 %) positive for brunbjørn. Ingen av ekskrementprøvene ga treff på DNA fra brunbjørn. Det ble påvist 4 ulike bjørner (2 hannbjørner og 2 hunnbjørner). Av disse 4 bjørnene var alle tidligere identifiserte individer, og gir en bjørnetetthet på 0,08 bjørn/10km2. Det ble påvist flere bjørner i første halvdel (juni-juli) enn i andre halvdel (juli-august) av prosjektet. Hårfellemetoden med DNA-analyse av hårrøtter har i dette arbeidet gitt unik geografisk og tidsmessig informasjon om brunbjørn i det undersøkte området.DNA-overvåking av brunbjørn i Tana 2023 ved bruk av hårfellerpublishedVersio

A systematic procedure for process energy evaluation for post combustion CO2 capture: Case study of two novel strong bicarbonate-forming solvents

Process simulation is used for energetic evaluation of two novel strong bicarbonate forming solvents for post combustion CO2 capture, intended for coal- and natural gas based exhaust streams. An evaluation framework has been developed where process energy sinks are coupled to process energy balances based on the basic principles of a thermal heat engine. This procedure enables coupling of detailed solvent properties, such as reaction enthalpy, VLE, and kinetics, with the overall process operation, while accounting for the magnitude of the energy sinks in the process. The method identifies areas where there may be room for potential improvement, shows how the fundamental chemical properties of the solvents give rise to the overall capture potential, and highlights interdependencies between major energy sinks in the process. This framework is then used to clarify where heat is spent in the process for two novel solvent systems: activated 2-Piperidineethanol (2-PPE) and 1-(2-Hydroxyethyl)pyrrolidine (1-(2HE)PRLD). These novel solvents are compared with a base case of MEA and Cesar1. Activated 2-Piperidineethanol showed the best performance for the process setup evaluated in this work. The regenerative efficiency parameter for this solvent is 66% with an optimum specific reboiler duty of 2.78 MJ/kg CO2 removed; a 22% reduction compared to MEA in the coal case. Furthermore, the solvent seems to be sufficiently fast to be used in an industrial absorber and is a promising system for post combustion CO2 capture. This results in a power plant specific energy penalty for avoided CO2 of 0.27 kWhel/kg CO2. The evaluation framework can also identify the potential for additional energy improvements by economizing configurations for improved internal heat distribution.acceptedVersio

Indian Ocean: Validation of the Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model and ENSO events during 1958–1998

In the Indian Ocean, in situ data are sparse both in time and space. Therefore, numerical models are one of the major tools for further understanding of the ocean circulation. We have implemented, validated, and done a 40 year simulation experiment forced by synoptic atmospheric data by using the Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model (MICOM) not previously used for the Indian Ocean. The simulation results compare well to available observations including an extensive altimeter data set from ERS and TOPEX/Poseidon. The model simulation discovered an anticyclonic gyre in the southern Bay of Bengal, confirmed by altimeter data and previously unknown. This gyre is clearly influenced by the strength of the Indian Monsoon Current. From the 40 year interannual investigation, abnormal cooling as high as 4ºC was simulated off Indonesia, in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean, and warming in the west, off Somalia, during years which coincide with negative Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). These years also coincide with Pacific Ocean El Ninõ years, except for 1961. The cooling off Indonesia is normally followed by a warming the following year. We also observed a reduction in upwelling off the southwest coast of India, which is one of the major fishing areas along the continental shelf, which also coincide with El Ninõ–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years. We conclude that El Ninõ events occur very clearly in the Indian Ocean