1. |
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2. |
- Campbell, PJ, et al.
(author)
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Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes
- 2020
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 578:7793, s. 82-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cancer is driven by genetic change, and the advent of massively parallel sequencing has enabled systematic documentation of this variation at the whole-genome scale1–3. Here we report the integrative analysis of 2,658 whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We describe the generation of the PCAWG resource, facilitated by international data sharing using compute clouds. On average, cancer genomes contained 4–5 driver mutations when combining coding and non-coding genomic elements; however, in around 5% of cases no drivers were identified, suggesting that cancer driver discovery is not yet complete. Chromothripsis, in which many clustered structural variants arise in a single catastrophic event, is frequently an early event in tumour evolution; in acral melanoma, for example, these events precede most somatic point mutations and affect several cancer-associated genes simultaneously. Cancers with abnormal telomere maintenance often originate from tissues with low replicative activity and show several mechanisms of preventing telomere attrition to critical levels. Common and rare germline variants affect patterns of somatic mutation, including point mutations, structural variants and somatic retrotransposition. A collection of papers from the PCAWG Consortium describes non-coding mutations that drive cancer beyond those in the TERT promoter4; identifies new signatures of mutational processes that cause base substitutions, small insertions and deletions and structural variation5,6; analyses timings and patterns of tumour evolution7; describes the diverse transcriptional consequences of somatic mutation on splicing, expression levels, fusion genes and promoter activity8,9; and evaluates a range of more-specialized features of cancer genomes8,10–18.
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4. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(author)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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In: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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5. |
- Tinetti, Giovanna, et al.
(author)
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The EChO science case
- 2015
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In: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 40:2-3, s. 329-391
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The discovery of almost two thousand exoplanets has revealed an unexpectedly diverse planet population. We see gas giants in few-day orbits, whole multi-planet systems within the orbit of Mercury, and new populations of planets with masses between that of the Earth and Neptune-all unknown in the Solar System. Observations to date have shown that our Solar System is certainly not representative of the general population of planets in our Milky Way. The key science questions that urgently need addressing are therefore: What are exoplanets made of? Why are planets as they are? How do planetary systems work and what causes the exceptional diversity observed as compared to the Solar System? The EChO (Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory) space mission was conceived to take up the challenge to explain this diversity in terms of formation, evolution, internal structure and planet and atmospheric composition. This requires in-depth spectroscopic knowledge of the atmospheres of a large and well-defined planet sample for which precise physical, chemical and dynamical information can be obtained. In order to fulfil this ambitious scientific program, EChO was designed as a dedicated survey mission for transit and eclipse spectroscopy capable of observing a large, diverse and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. The transit and eclipse spectroscopy method, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allows us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of at least 10(-4) relative to the star. This can only be achieved in conjunction with a carefully designed stable payload and satellite platform. It is also necessary to provide broad instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect as many molecular species as possible, to probe the thermal structure of the planetary atmospheres and to correct for the contaminating effects of the stellar photosphere. This requires wavelength coverage of at least 0.55 to 11 mu m with a goal of covering from 0.4 to 16 mu m. Only modest spectral resolving power is needed, with R similar to 300 for wavelengths less than 5 mu m and R similar to 30 for wavelengths greater than this. The transit spectroscopy technique means that no spatial resolution is required. A telescope collecting area of about 1 m(2) is sufficiently large to achieve the necessary spectro-photometric precision: for the Phase A study a 1.13 m(2) telescope, diffraction limited at 3 mu m has been adopted. Placing the satellite at L2 provides a cold and stable thermal environment as well as a large field of regard to allow efficient time-critical observation of targets randomly distributed over the sky. EChO has been conceived to achieve a single goal: exoplanet spectroscopy. The spectral coverage and signal-to-noise to be achieved by EChO, thanks to its high stability and dedicated design, would be a game changer by allowing atmospheric composition to be measured with unparalleled exactness: at least a factor 10 more precise and a factor 10 to 1000 more accurate than current observations. This would enable the detection of molecular abundances three orders of magnitude lower than currently possible and a fourfold increase from the handful of molecules detected to date. Combining these data with estimates of planetary bulk compositions from accurate measurements of their radii and masses would allow degeneracies associated with planetary interior modelling to be broken, giving unique insight into the interior structure and elemental abundances of these alien worlds. EChO would allow scientists to study exoplanets both as a population and as individuals. The mission can target super-Earths, Neptune-like, and Jupiter-like planets, in the very hot to temperate zones (planet temperatures of 300-3000 K) of F to M-type host stars. The EChO core science would be delivered by a three-tier survey. The EChO Chemical Census: This is a broad survey of a few-hundred exoplanets, which allows us to explore the spectroscopic and chemical diversity of the exoplanet population as a whole. The EChO Origin: This is a deep survey of a subsample of tens of exoplanets for which significantly higher signal to noise and spectral resolution spectra can be obtained to explain the origin of the exoplanet diversity (such as formation mechanisms, chemical processes, atmospheric escape). The EChO Rosetta Stones: This is an ultra-high accuracy survey targeting a subsample of select exoplanets. These will be the bright "benchmark" cases for which a large number of measurements would be taken to explore temporal variations, and to obtain two and three dimensional spatial information on the atmospheric conditions through eclipse-mapping techniques. If EChO were launched today, the exoplanets currently observed are sufficient to provide a large and diverse sample. The Chemical Census survey would consist of > 160 exoplanets with a range of planetary sizes, temperatures, orbital parameters and stellar host properties. Additionally, over the next 10 years, several new ground- and space-based transit photometric surveys and missions will come on-line (e.g. NGTS, CHEOPS, TESS, PLATO), which will specifically focus on finding bright, nearby systems. The current rapid rate of discovery would allow the target list to be further optimised in the years prior to EChO's launch and enable the atmospheric characterisation of hundreds of planets.
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6. |
- Kueppers, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Triple F-a comet nucleus sample return mission
- 2009
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In: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 23:3, s. 809-847
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Triple F (Fresh From the Fridge) mission, a Comet Nucleus Sample Return, has been proposed to ESA's Cosmic Vision program. A sample return from a comet enables us to reach the ultimate goal of cometary research. Since comets are the least processed bodies in the solar system, the proposal goes far beyond cometary science topics (like the explanation of cometary activity) and delivers invaluable information about the formation of the solar system and the interstellar molecular cloud from which it formed. The proposed mission would extract three sample cores of the upper 50 cm from three locations on a cometary nucleus and return them cooled to Earth for analysis in the laboratory. The simple mission concept with a touch-and-go sampling by a single spacecraft was proposed as an M-class mission in collaboration with the Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS.
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8. |
- Tinetti, G., et al.
(author)
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A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL
- 2018
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In: Experimental Astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 46:1, s. 135-209
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10–100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.
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9. |
- Jaffee, E. M., et al.
(author)
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Future cancer research priorities in the USA: a Lancet Oncology Commission
- 2017
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In: Lancet Oncology. - 1470-2045. ; 18:11
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We are in the midst of a technological revolution that is providing new insights into human biology and cancer. In this era of big data, we are amassing large amounts of information that is transforming how we approach cancer treatment and prevention. Enactment of the Cancer Moonshot within the 21st Century Cures Act in the USA arrived at a propitious moment in the advancement of knowledge, providing nearly US$ 2 billion of funding for cancer research and precision medicine. In 2016, the Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP) set out a roadmap of recommendations designed to exploit new advances in cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Those recommendations provided a high-level view of how to accelerate the conversion of new scientific discoveries into effective treatments and prevention for cancer. The US National Cancer Institute is already implementing some of those recommendations. As experts in the priority areas identified by the BRP, we bolster those recommendations to implement this important scientific roadmap. In this Commission, we examine the BRP recommendations in greater detail and expand the discussion to include additional priority areas, including surgical oncology, radiation oncology, imaging, health systems and health disparities, regulation and financing, population science, and oncopolicy. We prioritise areas of research in the USA that we believe would accelerate efforts to benefit patients with cancer. Finally, we hope the recommendations in this report will facilitate new international collaborations to further enhance global efforts in cancer control.
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10. |
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The Seventeenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys : Complete Release of MaNGA, MaStar, and APOGEE-2 Data
- 2022
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In: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 259:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper documents the seventeenth data release (DR17) from the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys; the fifth and final release from the fourth phase (SDSS-IV). DR17 contains the complete release of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, which reached its goal of surveying over 10,000 nearby galaxies. The complete release of the MaNGA Stellar Library accompanies this data, providing observations of almost 30,000 stars through the MaNGA instrument during bright time. DR17 also contains the complete release of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 survey that publicly releases infrared spectra of over 650,000 stars. The main sample from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), as well as the subsurvey Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey data were fully released in DR16. New single-fiber optical spectroscopy released in DR17 is from the SPectroscipic IDentification of ERosita Survey subsurvey and the eBOSS-RM program. Along with the primary data sets, DR17 includes 25 new or updated value-added catalogs. This paper concludes the release of SDSS-IV survey data. SDSS continues into its fifth phase with observations already underway for the Milky Way Mapper, Local Volume Mapper, and Black Hole Mapper surveys.
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11. |
- Weinstein, John N., et al.
(author)
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The cancer genome atlas pan-cancer analysis project
- 2013
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 45:10, s. 1113-1120
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network has profiled and analyzed large numbers of human tumors to discover molecular aberrations at the DNA, RNA, protein and epigenetic levels. The resulting rich data provide a major opportunity to develop an integrated picture of commonalities, differences and emergent themes across tumor lineages. The Pan-Cancer initiative compares the first 12 tumor types profiled by TCGA. Analysis of the molecular aberrations and their functional roles across tumor types will teach us how to extend therapies effective in one cancer type to others with a similar genomic profile. © 2013 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.
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13. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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14. |
- Hamilton, B. R., et al.
(author)
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Integrating Transwomen and Female Athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD) into Elite Competition: The FIMS 2021 Consensus Statement
- 2021
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In: Sports Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0112-1642 .- 1179-2035. ; 51:7, s. 1401-1415
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sport is historically designated by the binary categorization of male and female that conflicts with modern society. Sport's governing bodies should consider reviewing rules determining the eligibility of athletes in the female category as there may be lasting advantages of previously high testosterone concentrations for transwomen athletes and currently high testosterone concentrations in differences in sex development (DSD) athletes. The use of serum testosterone concentrations to regulate the inclusion of such athletes into the elite female category is currently the objective biomarker that is supported by most available scientific literature, but it has limitations due to the lack of sports performance data before, during or after testosterone suppression. Innovative research studies are needed to identify other biomarkers of testosterone sensitivity/responsiveness, including molecular tools to determine the functional status of androgen receptors. The scientific community also needs to conduct longitudinal studies with specific control groups to generate the biological and sports performance data for individual sports to inform the fair inclusion or exclusion of these athletes. Eligibility of each athlete to a sport-specific policy needs to be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence made available to policymakers from all scientific communities. However, even the most evidence-based regulations are unlikely to eliminate all differences in performance between cisgender women with and without DSD and transwomen athletes. Any remaining advantage held by transwomen or DSD women could be considered as part of the athlete's unique makeup.
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15. |
- Hudson, Thomas J., et al.
(author)
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International network of cancer genome projects
- 2010
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 464:7291, s. 993-998
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) was launched to coordinate large-scale cancer genome studies in tumours from 50 different cancer types and/or subtypes that are of clinical and societal importance across the globe. Systematic studies of more than 25,000 cancer genomes at the genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic levels will reveal the repertoire of oncogenic mutations, uncover traces of the mutagenic influences, define clinically relevant subtypes for prognosis and therapeutic management, and enable the development of new cancer therapies.
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16. |
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17. |
- Yakneen, S, et al.
(author)
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Butler enables rapid cloud-based analysis of thousands of human genomes
- 2020
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In: Nature biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1696 .- 1087-0156. ; 38:3, s. 288-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present Butler, a computational tool that facilitates large-scale genomic analyses on public and academic clouds. Butler includes innovative anomaly detection and self-healing functions that improve the efficiency of data processing and analysis by 43% compared with current approaches. Butler enabled processing of a 725-terabyte cancer genome dataset from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) project in a time-efficient and uniform manner.
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18. |
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19. |
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20. |
- Svantesson, Eleonor, et al.
(author)
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Clinical Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Panther Symposium ACL Injury Clinical Outcomes Consensus Group.
- 2020
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In: Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine. - 2325-9671. ; 8:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A stringent outcome assessment is a key aspect of establishing evidence-based clinical guidelines for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury treatment. To establish a standardized assessment of clinical outcome after ACL treatment, a consensus meeting including a multidisciplinary group of ACL experts was held at the ACL Consensus Meeting Panther Symposium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in June 2019. The aim was to establish a consensus on what data should be reported when conducting an ACL outcome study, what specific outcome measurements should be used, and at what follow-up time those outcomes should be assessed. The group reached consensus on 9 statements by using a modified Delphi method. In general, outcomes after ACL treatment can be divided into 4 robust categories: early adverse events, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), ACL graft failure/recurrent ligament disruption, and clinical measures of knee function and structure. A comprehensive assessment after ACL treatment should aim to provide a complete overview of the treatment result, optimally including the various aspects of outcome categories. For most research questions, a minimum follow-up of 2 years with an optimal follow-up rate of 80% is necessary to achieve a comprehensive assessment. This should include clinical examination, any sustained reinjuries, validated knee-specific PROs, and health-related quality of life questionnaires. In the midterm to long-term follow-up, the presence of osteoarthritis should be evaluated. This consensus paper provides practical guidelines for how the aforementioned entities of outcomes should be reported and suggests the preferred tools for a reliable and valid assessment of outcome after ACL treatment.
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21. |
- Breda, Leandro C D, et al.
(author)
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Fine Mapping of the Interaction between C4b-Binding Protein and Outer Membrane Proteins LigA and LigB of Pathogenic Leptospira interrogans.
- 2015
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In: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1935-2735. ; 9:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The complement system consists of more than 40 proteins that participate in the inflammatory response and in pathogen killing. Complement inhibitors are necessary to avoid the excessive consumption and activation of this system on host cells. Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by spirochetes from the genus Leptospira. Pathogenic leptospires are able to escape from complement activation by binding to host complement inhibitors Factor H [FH] and C4b-binding protein (C4BP) while non-pathogenic leptospires are rapidly killed in the presence of fresh serum. In this study, we demonstrate that complement control protein domains (CCP) 7 and 8 of C4BP α-chain interact with the outer membrane proteins LcpA, LigA and LigB from the pathogenic leptospire L. interrogans. The interaction between C4BP and LcpA, LigA and LigB is sensitive to ionic strength and inhibited by heparin. We fine mapped the LigA and LigB domains involved in its binding to C4BP and heparin and found that both interactions are mediated through the bacterial immunoglobulin-like (Big) domains 7 and 8 (LigA7-8 and LigB7-8) of both LigA and LigB and also through LigB9-10. Therefore, C4BP and heparin may share the same binding sites on Lig proteins.
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22. |
- Burley, John T., et al.
(author)
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Whole-genome phylogeography of the blue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) and discovery and characterization of a neo-Z chromosome
- 2023
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In: Molecular Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 32:6, s. 1248-1270
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Whole-genome surveys of genetic diversity and geographic variation often yield unexpected discoveries of novel structural variation, which long-read DNA sequencing can help clarify. Here, we report on whole-genome phylogeography of a bird exhibiting classic vicariant geographies across Australia and New Guinea, the blue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis), and the discovery and characterization of a novel neo-Z chromosome by long-read sequencing. Using short-read genome-wide SNPs, we inferred population divergence events within E. cyanotis across the Carpentarian and other biogeographic barriers during the Pleistocene (~0.3–1.7 Ma). Evidence for introgression between nonsister populations supports a hypothesis of reticulate evolution around a triad of dynamic barriers around Pleistocene Lake Carpentaria between Australia and New Guinea. During this phylogeographic survey, we discovered a large (134 Mbp) neo-Z chromosome and we explored its diversity, divergence and introgression landscape. We show that, as in some sylvioid passerine birds, a fusion occurred between chromosome 5 and the Z chromosome to form a neo-Z chromosome; and in E. cyanotis, the ancestral pseudoautosomal region (PAR) appears nonrecombinant between Z and W, along with most of the fused chromosome 5. The added recombination-suppressed portion of the neo-Z (~37.2 Mbp) displays reduced diversity and faster population genetic differentiation compared with the ancestral-Z. Yet, the new PAR (~17.4 Mbp) shows elevated diversity and reduced differentiation compared to autosomes, potentially resulting from introgression. In our case, long-read sequencing helped clarify the genomic landscape of population divergence on autosomes and sex chromosomes in a species where prior knowledge of genome structure was still incomplete.
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23. |
- Carlin, Aaron F., et al.
(author)
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Group B Streptococcus suppression of phagocyte functions by protein-mediated engagement of human Siglec-5
- 2009
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In: Journal of Experimental Medicine. - : Rockefeller University Press. - 1540-9538 .- 0022-1007. ; 206:8, s. 1691-1699
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of invasive bacterial infections in human newborns. A key GBS virulence factor is its capsular polysaccharide (CPS), displaying terminal sialic acid (Sia) residues which block deposition and activation of complement on the bacterial surface. We recently demonstrated that GBS Sia can bind human CD33-related Sia-recognizing immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily lectins (hCD33rSiglecs), a family of inhibitory receptors expressed on the surface of leukocytes. We report the unexpected discovery that certain GBS strains may bind one such receptor, hSiglec-5, in a Sia-independent manner, via the cell wall-anchored beta protein, resulting in recruitment of SHP protein tyrosine phosphatases. Using a panel of WT and mutant GBS strains together with Siglec-expressing cells and soluble Siglec-Fc chimeras, we show that GBS. protein binding to Siglec-5 functions to impair human leukocyte phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and extracellular trap production, promoting bacterial survival. We conclude that protein-mediated functional engagement of an inhibitory host lectin receptor promotes bacterial innate immune evasion.
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24. |
- Ching, Yung-Hao, et al.
(author)
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High resolution mapping and positional cloning of ENU-induced mutations in the Rw region of mouse chromosome 5
- 2010
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In: BMC Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2156. ; 11, s. 106-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Forward genetic screens in mice provide an unbiased means to identify genes and other functional genetic elements in the genome. Previously, a large scale ENU mutagenesis screen was conducted to query the functional content of a similar to 50 Mb region of the mouse genome on proximal Chr 5. The majority of phenotypic mutants recovered were embryonic lethals. Results: We report the high resolution genetic mapping, complementation analyses, and positional cloning of mutations in the target region. The collection of identified alleles include several with known or presumed functions for which no mutant models have been reported (Tbc1d14, Nol14, Tyms, Cad, Fbxl5, Haus3), and mutations in genes we or others previously reported (Tapt1, Rest, Ugdh, Paxip1, Hmx1, Otoe, Nsun7). We also confirmed the causative nature of a homeotic mutation with a targeted allele, mapped a lethal mutation to a large gene desert, and localized a spermiogenesis mutation to a region in which no annotated genes have coding mutations. The mutation in Tbc1d14 provides the first implication of a critical developmental role for RAB-GAP-mediated protein transport in early embryogenesis. Conclusion: This collection of alleles contributes to the goal of assigning biological functions to all known genes, as well as identifying novel functional elements that would be missed by reverse genetic approaches.
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25. |
- Fong, K. F., et al.
(author)
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Residential building performance analysis at near extreme weather conditions in Hong Kong through a thermal-comfort-based strategy
- 2023
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In: Building Simulation. - : Springer Nature. - 1996-3599 .- 1996-8744. ; 16, s. 13-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The precise building performance assessment of residential housings in subtropical regions is usually more difficult than that for the commercial premises due to the much more complicated behavior of the occupants with regard to the change in indoor temperature. The conventional use of a fixed schedule for window opening, clothing insulation and cooling equipment operation cannot reflect the real situation when the occupants respond to the change in thermal comfort, thus affecting the appropriateness of the assessment results. To rectify the situation, a new modeling strategy in which the modification of the various operation schedules was based on the calculated thermal comfort (TC), was developed in this study. With this new TC-based strategy, the realistic building performances under different cooling provision scenarios applied to a high-rise residential building under the near extreme weather conditions were investigated and compared. It was found that sole provision of ventilation fans could not meet the zone thermal comfort by over 68% of the time, and air-conditioning was essential. The optimal use of ventilation fans for cooling could only help reduce the total cooling energy demand by less than 12% at best which could only be realistically evaluated by adopting the present strategy. Parametric studies were conducted which revealed that some design factors could offer opportunities for reducing the total cooling energy under the near extreme weather conditions.
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26. |
- Gruber, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Allantoin in human plasma, serum, and nasal-lining fluids as a biomarker of oxidative stress : avoiding artifacts and establishing real in vivo concentrations.
- 2009
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In: Antioxidants and Redox Signaling. - 1523-0864 .- 1557-7716. ; 11:8, s. 1767-1776
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Urate is the terminal product of purine metabolism in primates, including humans. Urate is also an efficient scavenger of oxidizing species and is thought to be an important antioxidant in human body fluids. Allantoin, the major oxidation product of urate, has been suggested as a candidate biomarker of oxidative stress because it is not produced metabolically. Although urate is converted to allantoin under strongly alkaline pH, such conditions have been used in the past to facilitate extraction of allantoin. We evolved a method for the determination of allantoin concentrations in human plasma and serum by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry without such artifact. With this method, we show that alkaline conditions do indeed cause breakdown of urate, leading to significant overestimation of allantoin concentration in human samples. By using our alternative method, serum samples from 98 volunteers were analyzed, and allantoin levels were found to be significantly lower than was previously reported. The in vivo utility and sensitivity of our method was further evaluated in human nasal-lining fluids. We were able to demonstrate an ozone-induced increase in allantoin, in the absence of increases in either ascorbate or glutathione oxidation products.
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27. |
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28. |
- Key, T. J., et al.
(author)
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Circulating sex hormones and breast cancer risk factors in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of 13 studies
- 2011
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In: British Journal of Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1532-1827 .- 0007-0920. ; 105:5, s. 709-722
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women is positively associated with circulating concentrations of oestrogens and androgens, but the determinants of these hormones are not well understood. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses of breast cancer risk factors and circulating hormone concentrations in more than 6000 postmenopausal women controls in 13 prospective studies. RESULTS: Concentrations of all hormones were lower in older than younger women, with the largest difference for dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), whereas sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was higher in the older women. Androgens were lower in women with bilateral ovariectomy than in naturally postmenopausal women, with the largest difference for free testosterone. All hormones were higher in obese than lean women, with the largest difference for free oestradiol, whereas SHBG was lower in obese women. Smokers of 15+ cigarettes per day had higher levels of all hormones than non-smokers, with the largest difference for testosterone. Drinkers of 20+ g alcohol per day had higher levels of all hormones, but lower SHBG, than non-drinkers, with the largest difference for DHEAS. Hormone concentrations were not strongly related to age at menarche, parity, age at first full-term pregnancy or family history of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Sex hormone concentrations were strongly associated with several established or suspected risk factors for breast cancer, and may mediate the effects of these factors on breast cancer risk. British Journal of Cancer (2011) 105, 709-722. doi:10.1038/bjc.2011.254 www.bjcancer.com Published online 19 July 2011 (C) 2011 Cancer Research UK
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29. |
- Koulaouzidis, Anastasios, et al.
(author)
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Macroscopic findings in collagenous colitis : A multi-center, retrospective, observational cohort study
- 2017
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In: Annals of Gastroenterology. - : Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology. - 1108-7471 .- 1792-7463. ; 30:3, s. 309-314
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Collagenous colitis (CC) is by definition a histological diagnosis. However, colonoscopy often reveals characteristic endoscopic findings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and type of endoscopic findings in patients diagnosed with CC in 4 participating centers. Methods This was a retrospective study; the databases of 2 university hospitals in Edinburgh (Scotland) and Malmö (Sweden), and 2 district general hospitals in Tomelloso (Spain) and Gateshead (England) were interrogated for patients diagnosed with CC between May 2008 and August 2013. Endoscopy reports and images were retrieved and reviewed; data on lesions, sedation, bowel preparation and endoscopist experience were abstracted. Categorical data are reported as mean±SD. Fischer’s exact, chi-square and t (unpaired) tests were used to compare datasets. A two-tailed P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results 607 patients (149 male, mean age 66.9±12.25 years) were diagnosed with CC. A total of 108/607 (17.8%) patients had one or more suggestive endoscopy findings: i.e., mucosal erythema/edema, 91/607 (15%); linear colonic mucosal defects, 12/607 (2%); or mucosal scarring, 5/607 (0.82%). For colonic mucosa erythema, there was no difference in the odds of finding erythema with the use of different bowel preparation methods (P=0.997). For colonic mucosal defects there was some evidence (P=0.005) that patients colonoscoped by experienced endoscopists had 87% less odds of developing such defects. Moreover, there was evidence that analgesia reduced the odds of developing mucosal defects by 84%. Conclusion A significant minority of patients with CC have endoscopic findings in colonoscopy. The description of such findings appears to be related to the endoscopist’s experience.
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30. |
- Lessard, Christopher J., et al.
(author)
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Identification of a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Susceptibility Locus at 11p13 between PDHX and CD44 in a Multiethnic Study
- 2011
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 88:1, s. 83-91
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is considered to be the prototypic autoimmune disease, with a complex genetic architecture influenced by environmental factors. We sought to replicate a putative association at 11p13 not yet exceeding genome-wide significance (p < 5 x 10(-8)) identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Our GWA scan identified two intergenic SNPs located between PDHX and CD44 showing suggestive evidence of association with SLE in cases of European descent (rs2732552, p = 0.004, odds ratio [OR] = 0.78; rs387619, p = 0.003, OR = 0.78). The replication cohort consisted of >15,000 subjects, including 3562 SLE cases and 3491 controls of European ancestry, 1527 cases and 1811 controls of African American (AA) descent, and 1265 cases and 1260 controls of Asian origin. We observed robust association at both rs2732552 (p = 9.03 x 10(-8), OR = 0.83) and rs387619 (p = 7.7 x 10(-7), OR = 0.83) in the European samples with p(meta) = 1.82 x 10(-9) for rs2732552. The AA and Asian SLE cases also demonstrated association at rs2732552 (p = 5 x 10(-3), OR = 0.81 and p = 4.3 x 10(-4), OR = 0.80, respectively). A meta-analysis of rs2732552 for all racial and ethnic groups studied produced p(meta) = 2.36 x 10(-13). This locus contains multiple regulatory sites that could potentially affect expression and functions of CD44, a cell-surface glycoprotein influencing immunologic, inflammatory, and oncologic phenotypes, or PDHX, a subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.
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31. |
- Lessard, Christopher J., et al.
(author)
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Identification of IRF8, TMEM39A, and IKZF3-ZPBP2 as Susceptibility Loci for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Large-Scale Multiracial Replication Study
- 2012
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 90:4, s. 648-660
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic heterogeneous autoimmune disorder characterized by the loss of tolerance to self-antigens and dysregulated interferon responses. The etiology of SLE is complex, involving both heritable and environmental factors. Candidate-gene studies and genome-wide association (GWA) scans have been successful in identifying new loci that contribute to disease susceptibility; however, much of the heritable risk has yet to be identified. In this study, we sought to replicate 1,580 variants showing suggestive association with SLE in a previously published GWA scan of European Americans; we tested a multiethnic population consisting of 7,998 SLE cases and 7,492 controls of European, African American, Asian, Hispanic, Gullah, and Amerindian ancestry to find association with the disease. Several genes relevant to immunological pathways showed association with SLE. Three loci exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold: interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8; rs11644034; p(meta-Euro) = 2.08 x 10(-10)), transmembrane protein 39A (TMEM39A; rs1132200; p(meta-all) 8.62 x 10(-9)), and 17q21 (rs1453560; p(meta-all) = 3.48 x 10(-10)) between IKAROS family of zinc finger 3 (AIOLOS; IKZF3) and zona pellucida binding protein 2 (ZPBP2). Fine mapping, resequencing, imputation, and haplotype analysis of IRF8 indicated that three independent effects tagged by rs8046526, rs450443, and rs4843869, respectively, were required for risk in individuals of European ancestry. Eleven additional replicated effects (5 x 10(-8) < p(meta-Euro) < 9.99 x 10(-5)) were observed with CFHR1, CADM2, LOC730109/IL12A, LPP, LOC63920, SLU7, ADAMTSL1, C10orf64, OR8D4 FAM19A2, and STXBP6. The results of this study increase the number of confirmed SLE risk loci and identify others warranting further investigation.
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32. |
- Martin, Alec, et al.
(author)
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UV-bright Star-forming Clumps and Their Host Galaxies in UVCANDELS at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 1
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 955:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Giant star-forming clumps are a prominent feature of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and contain important clues on galaxy formation and evolution. However, the basic demographics of clumps and their host galaxies remain uncertain. Using the Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 F275W images from the Ultraviolet Imaging of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey, we detect and analyze giant star-forming clumps in galaxies at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 1, connecting two epochs when clumps are common (at cosmic high noon, z ∼ 2) and rare (in the local Universe). We construct a clump sample whose rest-frame 1600 Å luminosity is 3 times higher than the most luminous local H ii regions (MUV ≤ −16 AB). In our sample, 35% ± 3% of low-mass galaxies (log[M∗/M⊙] < 10) are clumpy (i.e., containing at least one off-center clump). This fraction changes to 22% ± 3% and 22% ± 4% for intermediate (10 ≤ log[M∗/M⊙] ≤ 10.5) and high-mass (log[M∗/M⊙] > 10.5) galaxies, in agreement with previous studies. When compared to similar-mass nonclumpy SFGs, low- and intermediate-mass clumpy SFGs tend to have higher star formation rates (SFRs) and bluer rest-frame U − V colors, while high-mass clumpy SFGs tend to be larger than nonclumpy SFGs. However, clumpy and nonclumpy SFGs have similar Sérsic index, indicating a similar underlying density profile. Furthermore, we investigate how the UV luminosity of star-forming regions correlates with the physical properties of host galaxies. On average, more luminous star-forming regions reside in more luminous, smaller, and/or higher specific SFR galaxies and are found closer to their hosts' galactic centers.
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33. |
- Suiter, Chase C., et al.
(author)
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Massively parallel variant characterization identifies NUDT15 alleles associated with thiopurine toxicity
- 2020
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 117:10, s. 5394-5401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As a prototype of genomics-guided precision medicine, individualized thiopurine dosing based on pharmacogenetics is a highly effective way to mitigate hematopoietic toxicity of this class of drugs. Recently, NUDT15 deficiency was identified as a genetic cause of thiopurine toxicity, and NUDT15-informed preemptive dose reduction was quickly adopted in clinical settings. To exhaustively identify pharmacogenetic variants in this gene, we developed massively parallel NUDT15 function assays to determine the variants' effect on protein abundance and thiopurine cytotoxicity. Of the 3,097 possible missense variants, we characterized the abundance of 2,922 variants and found 54 hotspot residues at which variants resulted in complete loss of protein stability. Analyzing 2,935 variants in the thiopurine cytotoxicity-based assay, we identified 17 additional residues where variants altered NUDT15 activity without affecting protein stability. We identified structural elements key to NUDT15 stability and/or catalytical activity with single amino acid resolution. Functional effects for NUDT15 variants accurately predicted toxicity risk alleles in patients treated with thiopurines with far superior sensitivity and specificity compared to bioinformatic prediction algorithms. In conclusion, our massively parallel variant function assays identified 1,152 deleterious NUDT15 variants, providing a comprehensive reference of variant function and vastly improving the ability to implement pharmacogenetics-guided thiopurine treatment individualization.
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34. |
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35. |
- Yung, Hong Wa, et al.
(author)
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Perturbation of placental protein glycosylation by endoplasmic reticulum stress promotes maladaptation of maternal hepatic glucose metabolism
- 2023
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In: iScience. - : Cell Press. - 2589-0042. ; 26:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Placental hormones orchestrate maternal metabolic adaptations to support pregnancy. We hypothesized that placental ER stress, which characterizes early-onset pre-eclampsia (ePE), compromises glycosylation, reducing hormone bioactivity and these maladaptations predispose the mother to metabolic disease in later life. We demonstrate ER stress reduces the complexity and sialylation of trophoblast protein N-glycosylation, while aberrant glycosylation of vascular endothelial growth factor reduced its bioactivity. ER stress alters the expression of 66 of the 146 genes annotated with "protein glycosylation"and reduces the expression of sialyltransferases. Using mouse placental explants, we show ER stress promotes the secretion of mis-glycosylated glycoproteins. Pregnant mice carrying placentas with junctional zone-specific ER stress have reduced blood glucose, anomalous hepatic glucose metabolism, increased cellular stress and elevated DNA methyltransferase 3A. Using pregnancy-specific glycoproteins as a readout, we also demonstrate aberrant glycosylation of placental proteins in women with ePE, thus providing a mechanistic link between ePE and subsequent maternal metabolic disorders.
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36. |
- Zaidi, Syed H., et al.
(author)
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Landscape of somatic single nucleotide variants and indels in colorectal cancer and impact on survival
- 2020
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In: Nature Communications. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a biologically heterogeneous disease. To characterize its mutational profile, we conduct targeted sequencing of 205 genes for 2,105 CRC cases with survival data. Our data shows several findings in addition to enhancing the existing knowledge of CRC. We identify PRKCI, SPZ1, MUTYH, MAP2K4, FETUB, and TGFBR2 as additional genes significantly mutated in CRC. We find that among hypermutated tumors, an increased mutation burden is associated with improved CRC-specific survival (HR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.21-0.82). Mutations in TP53 are associated with poorer CRC-specific survival, which is most pronounced in cases carrying TP53 mutations with predicted 0% transcriptional activity (HR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.21-1.94). Furthermore, we observe differences in mutational frequency of several genes and pathways by tumor location, stage, and sex. Overall, this large study provides deep insights into somatic mutations in CRC, and their potential relationships with survival and tumor features. Large scale sequencing study is of paramount importance to unravel the heterogeneity of colorectal cancer. Here, the authors sequenced 205 cancer genes in more than 2000 tumours and identified additional mutated driver genes, determined that mutational burden and specific mutations in TP53 are associated with survival odds.
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