An Evaluation of the All-Wales Dietetic Capacity Grant Scheme: Final Report

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Non-excitable fluorescent protein orthologs found in ctenophores

Background: Fluorescent proteins are optically active proteins found across many clades in metazoans. A fluorescent protein was recently identified in a ctenophore, but this has been suggested to derive from a cnidarian, raising again the question of origins of this group of proteins. Results: Through analysis of transcriptome data from 30 ctenophores, we identified a member of an orthologous group of proteins similar to fluorescent proteins in each of them, as well as in the genome of Mnemiopsis leidyi. These orthologs lack canonical residues involved in chromophore formation, suggesting another function. Conclusions: The phylogenetic position of the ctenophore protein family among fluorescent proteins suggests that this gene was present in the common ancestor of all ctenophores and that the fluorescent protein previously found in a ctenophore actually derives from a siphonophore

A comparison across non-model animals suggests an optimal sequencing depth for de novo transcriptome assembly

Background: The lack of genomic resources can present challenges for studies of non-model organisms. Transcriptome sequencing offers an attractive method to gather information about genes and gene expression without the need for a reference genome. However, it is unclear what sequencing depth is adequate to assemble the transcriptome de novo for these purposes. Results: We assembled transcriptomes of animals from six different phyla (Annelids, Arthropods, Chordates, Cnidarians, Ctenophores, and Molluscs) at regular increments of reads using Velvet/Oases and Trinity to determine how read count affects the assembly. This included an assembly of mouse heart reads because we could compare those against the reference genome that is available. We found qualitative differences in the assemblies of whole-animals versus tissues. With increasing reads, whole-animal assemblies show rapid increase of transcripts and discovery of conserved genes, while single-tissue assemblies show a slower discovery of conserved genes though the assembled transcripts were often longer. A deeper examination of the mouse assemblies shows that with more reads, assembly errors become more frequent but such errors can be mitigated with more stringent assembly parameters. Conclusions: These assembly trends suggest that representative assemblies are generated with as few as 20 million reads for tissue samples and 30 million reads for whole-animals for RNA-level coverage. These depths provide a good balance between coverage and noise. Beyond 60 million reads, the discovery of new genes is low and sequencing errors of highly-expressed genes are likely to accumulate. Finally, siphonophores (polymorphic Cnidarians) are an exception and possibly require alternate assembly strategies

Development and psychometric testing of the clinical leadership needs analysis (CLeeNA) instrument for nurses and midwives

Aim: The aim of this study is to report the development and psychometric testing of the clinical leadership needs analysis instrument (CLeeNA). Background: Limited emphasis is placed on the clinical leadership needs of nurses and midwives that are fundamental to supporting the delivery of high quality, safe patient care. Methods: A development and validation study of CLeeNA was undertaken using cross-sectional data. A sample of 324 registered nurses and midwives completed the questionnaire using a 7-point adjectival scale. Principal component analysis was conducted to explore scale grouping of items (n = 103 items). Results: Principal component analysis, item reduction and parallel analysis on the items of the instrument resulted in seven factors consisting of 56 items. These factors were identified as: Staff and Care Delivery; Technology and Care Initiatives; Self and Team Development; Standards of Care; Financial and Service Management; Leadership and Clinical Practice; Patient Safety and Risk Management. Conclusion: The identified factors are reflective of an ever-changing health care environment. Implications for Nursing Management: Potentially, after further testing, this instrument could be used by nursing management and educators to measure clinical leadership needs, inform the design of clinical leadership training programmes and provide valuable information about health care leadership development

Revisiting Ruddick: Feminism, pacifism and non-violence

This article explores feminist contentions over pacifism and non-violence in the contextof the Greenham Common Peace Camp in the 1980s and later developments offeminist Just War Theory. We argue that Sara Ruddick’s work puts feminist pacifism, its radical feminist critics and feminist just war theory equally into question. Although Ruddick does not resolve the contestations within feminism over peace, violence and the questions of war, she offers a productive way of holding the tension between them. In our judgment, her work is helpful not only for developing a feminist political response to the threats and temptations of violent strategies but also for thinking through the question of the relation between violence and politics as such

Conserved novel ORFs in the mitochondrial genome of the ctenophore Beroe forskalii

To date, five ctenophore species’ mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced, and each contains open reading frames (ORFs) that if translated have no identifiable orthologs. ORFs with no identifiable orthologs are called unidentified reading frames (URFs). If truly protein-coding, ctenophore mitochondrial URFs represent a little understood path in early-diverging metazoan mitochondrial evolution and metabolism. We sequenced and annotated the mitochondrial genomes of three individuals of the beroid ctenophore Beroe forskalii and found that in addition to sharing the same canonical mitochondrial genes as other ctenophores, the B. forskalii mitochondrial genome contains two URFs. These URFs are conserved among the three individuals but not found in other sequenced species. We developed computational tools called pauvre and cuttlery to determine the likelihood that URFs are protein coding. There is evidence that the two URFs are under negative selection, and a novel Bayesian hypothesis test of trinucleotide frequency shows that the URFs are more similar to known coding genes than noncoding intergenic sequence. Protein structure and function prediction of all ctenophore URFs suggests that they all code for transmembrane transport proteins. These findings, along with the presence of URFs in other sequenced ctenophore mitochondrial genomes, suggest that ctenophores may have uncharacterized transmembrane proteins present in their mitochondria

SOCS3 Is a Critical Physiological Negative Regulator of G-CSF Signaling and Emergency Granulopoiesis

AbstractTo determine the importance of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) in the regulation of hematopoietic growth factor signaling generally, and of G-CSF-induced cellular responses specifically, we created mice in which the Socs3 gene was deleted in all hematopoietic cells. Although normal until young adulthood, these mice then developed neutrophilia and a spectrum of inflammatory pathologies. When stimulated with G-CSF in vitro, SOCS3-deficient cells of the neutrophilic granulocyte lineage exhibited prolonged STAT3 activation and enhanced cellular responses to G-CSF, including an increase in cloning frequency, survival, and proliferative capacity. Consistent with the in vitro findings, mutant mice injected with G-CSF displayed enhanced neutrophilia, progenitor cell mobilization, and splenomegaly, but unexpectedly also developed inflammatory neutrophil infiltration into multiple tissues and consequent hind-leg paresis. We conclude that SOCS3 is a key negative regulator of G-CSF signaling in myeloid cells and that this is of particular significance during G-CSF-driven emergency granulopoiesis

Re:Chicago

https://via.library.depaul.edu/museum-publications/1012/thumbnail.jp

Significance of left ventricular apical-basal muscle bundle identified by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Aims Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has improved diagnostic and management strategies in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by expanding our appreciation for the diverse phenotypic expression. We sought to characterize the prevalence and clinical significance of a recently identified accessory left ventricular (LV) muscle bundle extending from the apex to the basal septum or anterior wall (i.e. apical-basal). Methods and results CMR was performed in 230 genotyped HCM patients (48 ± 15 years, 69% male), 30 genotype-positive/phenotype-negative (G+/P−) family members (32 ± 15 years, 30% male), and 126 controls. Left ventricular apical-basal muscle bundle was identified in 145 of 230 (63%) HCM patients, 18 of 30 (60%) G+/P− family members, and 12 of 126 (10%) controls (G+/P− vs. controls; P < 0.01). In HCM patients, the prevalence of an apical-basal muscle bundle was similar among those with disease-causing sarcomere mutations compared with patients without mutation (64 vs. 62%; P = 0.88). The presence of an LV apical-basal muscle bundle was not associated with LV outflow tract obstruction (P = 0.61). In follow-up, 33 patients underwent surgical myectomy of whom 22 (67%) were identified to have an accessory LV apical-basal muscle bundle, which was resected in all patients. Conclusion Apical-basal muscle bundles are a unique myocardial structure commonly present in HCM patients as well as in G+/P− family members and may represent an additional morphologic marker for HCM diagnosis in genotype-positive statu

Ultraviolet Extinction Properties in the Milky Way

We have assembled a homogeneous database of 417 ultraviolet (UV) extinction curves for reddened sightlines having International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectra. We have combined these with optical and 2MASS photometry allowing estimates of the ratio of total-to-selective extinction, R(V), for the entire sample. Fitzpatrick-Massa (FM) parameters have also been found for the entire sample. This is the largest study of parameterized UV extinction curves yet published and it covers a wide range of environments, from dense molecular clouds to the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), with extinctions A(V) ranging from 0.50 to 4.80. It is the first to extend far beyond the solar neighborhood and into the Galaxy at large, with 30 sightlines having distances > 5 kpc. Previously, the longest sightlines with FM parameters and R(V) extended ~ 1 kpc. We find that (1.) the CCM extinction law applies for 93% of the sightlines, implying that dust processing in the Galaxy is efficient and systematic; (2.) the central wavelength of the 2175 A bump is constant; (3.) the 2175 A bump width is dependent on environment. Only four sightlines show systematic deviations from CCM, HD 29647, 62542, 204827, and 210121. These sightlines all sample dense, molecule-rich clouds. The new extinction curves and values of R(V) allow us to revise the CCM law.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figure