A Faroese perspective on decoding life for sustainable use of nature and protection of biodiversity.

Biodiversity is under pressure, mainly due to human activities and climate change. At the international policy level, it is now recognised that genetic diversity is an important part of biodiversity. The availability of high-quality reference genomes gives the best basis for using genetics and genetic diversity towards the global aims of (1) the protection of species, biodiversity, and nature, and (2) the management of biodiversity for achieving sustainable harvesting of nature.

Extensive clinical testing of Deep Learning Segmentation models for thorax and breast cancer radiotherapy planning.

Background: The performance of deep learning segmentation (DLS) models for automatic organ extraction from CT images in the thorax and breast regions was investigated. Furthermore, the readiness and feasibility of integrating DLS into clinical practice were addressed by measuring the potential time savings and dosimetric impact.

Material And Methods: Thirty patients referred to radiotherapy for breast cancer were prospectively included.

Changes in friluftsliv (outdoor recreation) activities among Norwegian adolescents during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Introduction: Friluftsliv (outdoor recreation) activities can provide both physical activity and experiences in nature, and improve quality of life. Regular physical activity is critical for young people's physical, social, and mental health. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020-2022, schools, gyms, and swimming pools were closed, and athletic teams and other physical activity services were prohibited from holding events.

Study of the long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) bile content - An indicator of ocean health.

Globicephala melas has been harvested in the Faroe Islands for centuries. Given the distances travelled by this species, tissue/body fluid samples represent unique matrices to be considered as an integration of environmental condition and pollution status of their prey. For the first time, bile samples were analysed for presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites and protein content.

Atlantic herring () population structure in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.

The Atlantic herring L has a vast geographical distribution and a complex population structure with a few very large migratory units and many small local populations. Each population has its own spawning ground and/or time, thereby maintaining their genetic integrity. Several herring populations migrate between common feeding grounds and over-wintering areas resulting in frequent mixing of populations.

Bacterial species diversity of traditionally ripened sheep legs from the Faroe Islands (skerpikjøt).

Skerpikjøt is a traditionally ripened sheep leg product from the Faroe Islands, constituting a relatively underexplored microbial ecosystem. The objective of this study is to achieve a deeper understanding of the microbial composition of this artisanal product. Nine ripened hind legs, obtained from three different producers, were assessed regarding their bacterial communities and contents of biogenic amines, including both surface and core samples.

Surface-guided positioning eliminates the need for skin markers in radiotherapy of right sided breast cancer: A single center randomized crossover trial.

Background And Purpose: To prospectively investigate whether surface guided setup of right sided breast cancer patients can increase efficiency and accuracy compared to traditional skin marker/tattoo based setup.

Material And Methods: Twenty-five patients were included in this study. Each patient was positioned using skin marks and tattoos (procedure A) for half of the fractions and surface guidance using AlignRT (procedure B) for the other half of the fractions.

Participation and quality of life in persons living with spinal cord injury in Norway.

Objectives: To describe the association between sociodemographic and spinal cord injury characteristics, of people living with spinal cord injury, and participation and quality of life, and to study the association between participation and quality of life in this group of people.

Design: Persons registered in the Norwegian Spinal Cord Injury Registry after post-acute rehabilitation between 2011 and 2017 were invited to participate in a survey in 2019 when they were in a community setting.

Subjects: A total of 339 people living with spinal cord injury.

Connexins during 500 Million Years-From Cyclostomes to Mammals.

It was previously shown that the connexin gene family had relatively similar subfamily structures in several vertebrate groups. Still, many details were left unclear. There are essentially no data between tunicates, which have connexins that cannot be divided into the classic subfamilies, and teleosts, where the subfamilies are easily recognized.

Low serum sodium concentrations in patients with obesity normalizes with weight loss.

Background & Aims: Obesity is associated with higher extracellular fluid (ECF) compared to intracellular fluid (ICF) volume and this dysregulation is associated with hypertension and abdominal obesity, associated with metabolic syndrome. As sodium is predominantly an extracellular cation, a higher ECF/ICF ratio will lower serum sodium concentration. The aim of the study was to see whether weight loss, due to dieting and bariatric surgery, had any impact on serum sodium concentrations in patients with severe obesity.

Identification of male heterogametic sex-determining regions on the Atlantic herring Clupea harengus genome.

The sex determination system of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L., a commercially important fish, was investigated. Low coverage whole-genome sequencing of 48 females and 55 males and a genome-wide association study revealed two regions on chromosomes 8 and 21 associated with sex.

Phylogeny of teleost connexins reveals highly inconsistent intra- and interspecies use of nomenclature and misassemblies in recent teleost chromosome assemblies.

Background: Based on an initial collecting of database sequences from the gap junction protein gene family (also called connexin genes) in a few teleosts, the naming of these sequences appeared variable. The reasons could be (i) that the structure in this family is variable across teleosts, or (ii) unfortunate naming. Rather clear rules for the naming of genes in fish and mammals have been outlined by nomenclature committees, including the naming of orthologous and ohnologous genes.

Using long and linked reads to improve an Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) genome assembly.

Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. It is an important economical and nutritional resource, as well as a crucial part of the North Atlantic ecosystem. In 2016, a draft herring genome assembly was published.

Characterization of Glycosaminoglycans in Gaping and Intact Connective Tissues of Farmed Atlantic Salmon () Fillets by Mass Spectrometry.

In the Atlantic salmon () aquaculture industry, gaping (the separation of muscle bundles from the connective tissue) is a major quality problem. This study characterized chondroitin sulfate (CS) and heparan sulfate (HS) in the connective tissue of intact and gaping salmon fillets from 30 salmon by mass spectrometry. Statistical difference was detected between gaping and intact tissues only when comparing pairwise samples from the same individual ( = 10).

Composition and dynamics of the bacterial communities present in the post-slaughter environment of farmed Atlantic salmon ( L) and correlations to gelatin degrading activity.

Background: Microbial analyses performed in connection with the post-slaughter environment of farmed Atlantic salmon ( L.) have mostly focused on specific bacteria that may have negative effects on the health of consumers. However, bacteria may also affect other quality variables.

Cadmium, lead and mercury in Norwegian obese patients before and 12 months after bariatric surgery.

Purpose: Previous studies have suggested a role for the toxic elements lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) in the development of insulin resistance and hypertension. Increased blood Pb levels have been reported after bariatric surgery and weight loss. As about 80% of patients undergoing bariatric surgery are women, most of them of childbearing age, there are concerns regarding fetal exposure to toxic trace elements.

Improved Magnesium Levels in Morbidly Obese Diabetic and Non-diabetic Patients After Modest Weight Loss.

Serum magnesium (Mg) is reported to be reduced in individuals with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus and has been suggested as a marker for metabolic syndrome. We have studied changes in serum Mg concentrations in a group of obese patients (n = 92) with and without diabetes mellitus after weight loss induced by dieting and bariatric surgery. At inclusion, 11% (10/92) of the population had severe Mg deficiency (< 0.

Low dose-rate irradiation with [H]-labelled valine to selectively target hypoxic cells in a human colorectal cancer xenograft model.

Background: Earlier in vitro studies show that irradiation with an ultra-low dose-rate of 15 mGy/h delivered with [H]-valine leads to loss of clonogenicity in hypoxic T-47D cells. Here, the aim was to determine if [H]-valine could be used to deliver low dose-rate irradiation in a colorectal cancer model.

Methods: Clonogenicity was measured in cultured cancer cell line HT29 irradiated with 15 mGy/h combined with intermittent hypoxia.

Cutting through the smoke: the diversity of microorganisms in deep-sea hydrothermal plumes.

There are still notable gaps regarding the detailed distribution of microorganisms between and within insular habitats such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents. This study investigates the community composition of black smoker vent microorganisms in the Southern Hemisphere, and changes thereof along a spatial and chemical gradient ranging from the vent plume to surrounding waters. We sampled two hydrothermal vent fields, one at the South West Indian Ridge (SWIR), the other at the East Scotia Ridge (ESR).

Microbe biogeography tracks water masses in a dynamic oceanic frontal system.

Dispersal limitation, not just environmental selection, plays an important role in microbial biogeography. The distance-decay relationship is thought to be weak in habitats where dispersal is high, such as in the pelagic environment, where ocean currents facilitate microbial dispersal. Most studies of microbial community composition to date have observed little geographical heterogeneity on a regional scale (100 km).

Separation of two sub-groups with different DNA content after treatment of T-47D breast cancer cells with low dose-rate irradiation and intermittent hypoxia.

Background Previous studies have shown that combined treatment with internal ultra-low dose-rate irradiation selectively inactivated hypoxic T-47D breast cancer cells after three to five weeks of treatment. However, 2-3% of the hypoxic cells were found to survive and restart proliferation upon re-oxygenation. Purpose To investigate the metastatic potential and characteristics of radiosensitivity of these surviving cells, named T - 47 D.

Proteomics made more accessible.

MS-based proteomics is a bioinformatic-intensive field. Additionally, the instruments and instrument-related and analytic software are expensive. Some free Internet-based proteomics tools have gained wide usage, but there have not been any single bioinformatic framework that in an easy and intuitive way guided the user through the whole process from analyses to submission.

Ischemia induces closure of gap junctional channels and opening of hemichannels in heart-derived cells and tissue.

Aim: Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and hemichannel permeability may have important roles during an ischemic insult. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of ischemia on gap junction channels and hemichannels.

Methods: We used neonatal rat heart myofibroblasts and simulated ischemia with a HEPES buffer with high potassium, low pH, absence of glucose, and oxygen tension was reduced by dithionite.