High-fidelity tracking data gathered on minibus taxis in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Minibus taxis, a form of informal shared mobility that carries up to 16 passengers, is the main mode of public transport in sub-Saharan Africa, and given global trends, a large-scale shift to electric paratransit is imminent in the coming decades. Modeling the energy consumption (kWh/km) of electric vehicle (EV) fleets is a pre-requisite for planning for fleet deployment, especially in energy-constrained contexts. Given the paucity of EVs in sub-Saharan Africa, ground-truth data on the energy consumption of electric paratransit does not exist for many developing contexts.

Placental pathology and neonatal morbidity: exploring the impact of gestational age at birth.

Aim: To evaluate placental pathology in term and post-term births, investigate differences in clinical characteristics, and assess the risk of adverse neonatal outcome.

Methods: This prospective observational study included 315 singleton births with gestational age (GA) > 36 weeks + 6 days meeting the local criteria for referral to placental histopathologic examination. We applied the Amsterdam criteria to classify the placentas.

Genetic Counseling in Kidney Disease: A Perspective.

As genetic testing is increasingly integrated into nephrology practice there is a growing need for partnership with genetic experts. Genetic counselors are ideally suited to fill this role. The value of genetic counseling is born out of the clinical value of genetic test results against the backdrop of the complexity of genetic testing.

Histologic chorioamnionitis in extremely preterm births, microbiological findings and infant outcome.

Background: Histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) is most often caused by ascending bacterial infection originating from the cervicovaginal tract.

Objectives: To investigate whether HCA with a fetal inflammatory response (FIR) has a worse clinical outcome than HCA alone. Further, if FIR or a positive maternal microbiologic culture obtained prior to birth were related to adverse neonatal outcomes in a cohort of extremely preterm (EP) neonates.

Forecast of electric vehicle uptake across counties in England: Dataset from S-curve analysis.

Regional data from the UK Government's Department for Transport has been analyzed to produce a forecasted dataset of the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) within Counties of England to the first quarter of the year 2100 using an S-curve methodology. This data includes all vehicles, not just cars. The historic proportion of electric vehicles in the fleets of these regions is calculated using data from 2011 Q4 to 2021 Q1.

Calcium regulates the interplay between the tight junction and epithelial adherens junction at the plasma membrane.

The apical junctional complex (AJC) is a membrane protein ultrastructure that regulates cell adhesion and homeostasis. The tight junction (TJ) and the adherens junction (AJ) are substructures of the AJC. The interplay between TJ and AJ membrane proteins to assemble the AJC remains unclear.

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.

Stress hematopoiesis induces a proliferative advantage in TET2 deficiency.

TET2 loss-of-function mutations are recurrent events in a wide range of hematological malignancies and a physiologic occurrence in blood cells of healthy older adults. It is currently unknown what determines if a person harboring a somatic TET2 mutation will progress to myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia. Here we develop a zebrafish tet2 mutant through which we show that tet2 loss leads to restricted hematopoietic differentiation combined with a modest upregulation of p53, which is also characteristic of many inherited bone marrow failure syndromes.

Zebrafish Cancer Predisposition Models.

Cancer predisposition syndromes are rare, typically monogenic disorders that result from germline mutations that increase the likelihood of developing cancer. Although these disorders are individually rare, resulting cancers collectively represent 5-10% of all malignancies. In addition to a greater incidence of cancer, affected individuals have an earlier tumor onset and are frequently subjected to long-term multi-modal cancer screening protocols for earlier detection and initiation of treatment.

Nrl Is Dispensable for Specification of Rod Photoreceptors in Adult Zebrafish Despite Its Deeply Conserved Requirement Earlier in Ontogeny.

The transcription factor NRL (neural retina leucine zipper) has been canonized as the master regulator of photoreceptor cell fate in the retina. NRL is necessary and sufficient to specify rod cell fate and to preclude cone cell fate in mice. By engineering zebrafish, we tested if NRL function has conserved roles beyond mammals or beyond nocturnal species, i.

Cholesterol Crystals and NLRP3 Mediated Inflammation in the Uterine Wall Decidua in Normal and Preeclamptic Pregnancies.

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive and inflammatory pregnancy disorder associated with cholesterol accumulation and inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface. Preeclampsia can be complicated with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and shares risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms with cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol crystal mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation is central to cardiovascular disease and the pathway has been implicated in placental inflammation in preeclampsia.

Stathmin expression associates with vascular and immune responses in aggressive breast cancer subgroups.

Studies indicate that stathmin expression associates with PI3K activation in breast cancer, suggesting stathmin as a marker for targetable patient subgroups. Here we assessed stathmin in relation to tumour proliferation, vascular and immune responses, BRCA1 germline status, basal-like differentiation, clinico-pathologic features, and survival. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on breast cancers from two series (cohort 1, n = 187; cohort 2, n = 198), and mass spectrometry data from 24 cases and 12 breast cancer cell lines was examined for proteomic profiles.

Frizzled 4 regulates ventral blood vessel remodeling in the zebrafish retina.

Background: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by a lack of blood vessel growth to the periphery of the retina with secondary fibrovascular proliferation at the vascular-avascular junction. These structurally abnormal vessels cause leakage and hemorrhage, while the fibroproliferative scarring results in retinal dragging, detachment and blindness. Mutations in the FZD4 gene represent one of the most common causes of FEVR.

Placental inflammation by HMGB1 activation of TLR4 at the syncytium.

Introduction: Normal pregnancy is characterized by an elevated inflammatory state involving the placenta. The placental inflammation is further increased in preeclampsia, resulting in release of harmful danger signals to the maternal circulation. Activation of toll-like receptors (TLR)2 and TLR4 by endogenous danger signals plays a role in inflammatory diseases.

Placenta, cord and membranes: a dual center validation study of midwives' classifications and notifications to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway.

Introduction: A validation of data regarding the placenta, cord and membranes in Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN) is lacking. Here we investigate the inter- and intra-observer agreement of observations regarding the placenta, cord and membranes to the MBRN in two institutions.

Material And Methods: We conducted a dual center validation study of data regarding placenta, cord and membranes.

Tumour cell invasion into blood vessels is significantly related to breast cancer subtypes and decreased survival.

Aims: Vascular invasion in breast cancer is associated with increased risk of recurrence, metastases and death from disease. However, there are few studies discriminating between blood vessel invasion (BVI) and lymphatic vessel involvement (LVI).

Methods: A population-based series of 282 breast cancers was examined (200 screen-detected and 82 interval patients) with respect to BVI and LVI in addition to basic features and molecular subtypes, using CD31 and D2-40 antibodies.

QSOX1 expression is associated with aggressive tumor features and reduced survival in breast carcinomas.

The biological role of quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase 1 (QSOX1) in tumor development is not well known, and its relation to breast cancer progression and prognosis is controversial. Here, our aim was to study the expression pattern and prognostic impact of QSOX1 in breast cancer, in relation to molecular subgroups and tumor cell proliferation. We examined a population-based series as part of the prospective Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program, including all women (50-69 years) diagnosed with breast cancer in one county of Norway during 1996-2003.

Evaluation of Ki67 expression across distinct categories of breast cancer specimens: a population-based study of matched surgical specimens, core needle biopsies and tissue microarrays.

Introduction: Tumor cell proliferation in breast cancer is strongly prognostic and may also predict response to chemotherapy. However, there is no consensus on counting areas or cut-off values for patient stratification. Our aim was to assess the matched level of proliferation by Ki67 when using different tissue categories (whole sections, WS; core needle biopsies, CNB; tissue microarrays, TMA), and the corresponding prognostic value.

Microvessel proliferation by co-expression of endothelial nestin and Ki-67 is associated with a basal-like phenotype and aggressive features in breast cancer.

Background: To quantify tumour angiogenesis, microvessel density (MVD) has been widely used. We here present a novel angiogenesis marker, microvessel proliferation (MVP), based on dual immunohistochemical staining of nestin and Ki-67. Immature endothelial cells express nestin, and when co-expressed with the proliferation marker Ki-67, the number of proliferating immature blood vessels can be measured.

Suppression of heat shock protein 27 induces long-term dormancy in human breast cancer.

The mechanisms underlying tumor dormancy have been elusive and not well characterized. We recently published an experimental model for the study of human tumor dormancy and the role of angiogenesis, and reported that the angiogenic switch was preceded by a local increase in VEGF-A and basic fibroblast growth factor. In this breast cancer xenograft model (MDA-MB-436 cells), analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) was significantly up-regulated in angiogenic cells compared with nonangiogenic cells.

Axl is an essential epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-induced regulator of breast cancer metastasis and patient survival.

Metastasis underlies the majority of cancer-related deaths. Thus, furthering our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that enable tumor cell dissemination is a vital health issue. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) endow carcinoma cells with enhanced migratory and survival attributes that facilitate malignant progression.