Mitochondrial ATP generation is more proteome efficient than glycolysis.

Metabolic efficiency profoundly influences organismal fitness. Nonphotosynthetic organisms, from yeast to mammals, derive usable energy primarily through glycolysis and respiration. Although respiration is more energy efficient, some cells favor glycolysis even when oxygen is available (aerobic glycolysis, Warburg effect). A leading explanation is that glycolysis is more efficient in terms of ATP production per unit mass of protein (that is, faster). Through quantitative flux analysis and proteomics, we find, however, that mitochondrial respiration is actually more proteome efficient than aerobic glycolysis. This is shown across yeast strains, T cells, cancer cells, and tissues and tumors in vivo. Instead of aerobic glycolysis being valuable for fast ATP production, it correlates with high glycolytic protein expression, which promotes hypoxic growth. Aerobic glycolytic yeasts do not excel at aerobic growth but outgrow respiratory cells during oxygen limitation. We accordingly propose that aerobic glycolysis emerges from cells maintaining a proteome conducive to both aerobic and hypoxic growth.

Dying to retire or living to work: Challenges facing aging nurses.

ABSTRACT: Nurses who work in high-stress positions may be at risk for health problems that may result in early retirement. This article identifies health risks to aging nurses who continue to work in clinical settings and suggests methods for reducing negative health impacts to prevent them from retiring prematurely.

Nursing faculty shortage in Canada: A scoping review of contributing factors.

BACKGROUND: Strong nursing faculty is paramount to promote disciplinary leadership and to prepare future nurses for practice. Our understanding of the factors associated with or predictive of nurse faculty retention and/or turnover is lacking. PURPOSE: The aim of this review is to identify and synthesize the existing literature on factors contributing to nurse faculty shortage in Canada and implications on nursing practice. METHODS: A scoping review based on the Arskey and O'Malley's five stage framework for scoping reviews was undertaken. Utilizing the PRISMA protocol, a comprehensive and structured literature search was conducted in five databases of studies published in English. FINDINGS: Limited through search inclusion and relevance of research, nine studies out of 220 papers met the criteria for this review and were thematically analyzed. Identified themes were supply versus demand; employment conditions; organizational support; and personal factors. DISCUSSION: Impending retirement of faculty, unsupportive leadership, and stressful work environments were frequently reported as significant contributing factors to the faculty shortage. CONCLUSION: This scoping review provides insights into how Canada's schools of nursing could engage in grounded efforts to lessen nursing faculty shortage, both nationally and globally. We identified a gap in the literature that indicates that foundational work is needed to create context-specific solutions. The limited studies published in Canada suggest that this is a critical area for future research and funding.

Functional analysis tools for post-translational modification: a post-translational modification database for analysis of proteins and metabolic pathways.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are critical regulators of protein function, and nearly 200 different types of PTM have been identified. Advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry have led to the identification of an unprecedented number of PTM sites in numerous organisms, potentially facilitating a more complete understanding of how PTMs regulate cellular behavior. While databases have been created to house the resulting data, most of these resources focus on individual types of PTM, do not consider quantitative PTM analyses or do not provide tools for the visualization and analysis of PTM data. Here, we describe the Functional Analysis Tools for Post-Translational Modifications (FAT-PTM) database (https://bioinformatics.cse.unr.edu/fat-ptm/), which currently supports eight different types of PTM and over 49 000 PTM sites identified in large-scale proteomic surveys of the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. The FAT-PTM database currently supports tools to visualize protein-centric PTM networks, quantitative phosphorylation site data from over 10 different quantitative phosphoproteomic studies, PTM information displayed in protein-centric metabolic pathways and groups of proteins that are co-modified by multiple PTMs. Overall, the FAT-PTM database provides users with a robust platform to share and visualize experimentally supported PTM data, develop hypotheses related to target proteins or identify emergent patterns in PTM data for signaling and metabolic pathways.

Associations between phytohormones and cellulose biosynthesis in land plants.

BACKGROUND: Phytohormones are small molecules that regulate virtually every aspect of plant growth and development, from basic cellular processes, such as cell expansion and division, to whole plant environmental responses. While the phytohormone levels and distribution thus tell the plant how to adjust itself, the corresponding growth alterations are actuated by cell wall modification/synthesis and internal turgor. Plant cell walls are complex polysaccharide-rich extracellular matrixes that surround all plant cells. Among the cell wall components, cellulose is typically the major polysaccharide, and is the load-bearing structure of the walls. Hence, the cell wall distribution of cellulose, which is synthesized by large Cellulose Synthase protein complexes at the cell surface, directs plant growth. SCOPE: Here, we review the relationships between key phytohormone classes and cellulose deposition in plant systems. We present the core signalling pathways associated with each phytohormone and discuss the current understanding of how these signalling pathways impact cellulose biosynthesis with a particular focus on transcriptional and post-translational regulation. Because cortical microtubules underlying the plasma membrane significantly impact the trajectories of Cellulose Synthase Complexes, we also discuss the current understanding of how phytohormone signalling impacts the cortical microtubule array. CONCLUSION: Given the importance of cellulose deposition and phytohormone signalling in plant growth and development, one would expect that there is substantial cross-talk between these processes; however, mechanisms for many of these relationships remain unclear and should be considered as the target of future studies.

A Putative Protein O-Fucosyltransferase Facilitates Pollen Tube Penetration through the Stigma-Style Interface.

During pollen-pistil interactions in angiosperms, the male gametophyte (pollen) germinates to produce a pollen tube. To fertilize ovules located within the female pistil, the pollen tube must physically penetrate specialized tissues. Whereas the process of pollen tube penetration through the pistil has been anatomically well described, the genetic regulation remains poorly understood. In this study, we identify a novel Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) gene, O-FUCOSYLTRANSFERASE1 (AtOFT1), which plays a key role in pollen tube penetration through the stigma-style interface. Semi-in vivo growth assays demonstrate that oft1 mutant pollen tubes have a reduced ability to penetrate the stigma-style interface, leading to a nearly 2,000-fold decrease in oft1 pollen transmission efficiency and a 5- to 10-fold decreased seed set. We also demonstrate that AtOFT1 is localized to the Golgi apparatus, indicating its potential role in cellular glycosylation events. Finally, we demonstrate that AtOFT1 and other similar Arabidopsis genes represent a novel clade of sequences related to metazoan protein O-fucosyltransferases and that mutation of residues that are important for O-fucosyltransferase activity compromises AtOFT1 function in vivo. The results of this study elucidate a physiological function for AtOFT1 in pollen tube penetration through the stigma-style interface and highlight the potential importance of protein O-glycosylation events in pollen-pistil interactions.

The use of focused ethnography in nursing research.

AIM: To provide an overview of the relevance and strengths of focused ethnography in nursing research. The paper provides descriptions of focused ethnography and discusses using exemplars to show how focused ethnographies can enhance and understand nursing practice. BACKGROUND: Orthodox ethnographic approaches may not always be suitable or desirable for research in diverse nursing contexts. Focused ethnography has emerged as a promising method for applying ethnography to a distinct issue or shared experience in cultures or sub-cultures and in specific settings, rather than throughout entire communities. Unfortunately, there is limited guidance on using focused ethnography, particularly as applied to nursing research. DATA SOURCES: Research studies performed by nurses using focused ethnography are summarised to show how they fulfilled three main purposes of the genre in nursing research. Additional citations are provided to help demonstrate the versatility of focused ethnography in exploring distinct problems in a specific context in different populations and groups of people. DISCUSSION: The unique role that nurses play in health care, coupled with their skills in enquiry, can contribute to the further development of the discipline. Focused ethnography offers an opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation of nursing as a profession, and the role it plays in society. CONCLUSION: Focused ethnography has emerged as a relevant research methodology that can be used by nurse researchers to understand specific societal issues that affect different facets of nursing practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE/RESEARCH: As nurse researchers endeavour to understand experiences in light of their health and life situations, focused ethnography enables them to understand the interrelationship between people and their environments in the society in which they live.

Internationally educated nurses' experiences with an integrated bridge program.

BACKGROUND: Countries around the world are experiencing a current and projected ongoing shortage of nurses. Internationally educated nurses are an underused, valuable human resource that could reduce the nursing shortage. A bridge program, with several innovations bundled into one program, was developed specifically to meet the needs of internationally educated nurses. METHODS: A qualitative study using interviews was conducted with internationally educated nurses. Data were collected in the first semester, at the end of the program, and after nurses started work. RESULTS: Although knowledge of the health care system is critical, an understanding of the adopted country's educational philosophy is also important. Occupation-specific language training and ample clinical time are essential for program success and for helping participants to secure employment. CONCLUSION: "One-stop shopping" bridge programs that provide a range of curricular supports for internationally educated nurses are essential to support this pool of highly skilled nurses in preparing for practice in their new home.

Quality Improvement Approach to Increase Inpatient Pediatric Secondhand Smoke Exposure Screening.

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) is highly prevalent among children and has numerous adverse health effects. Consistent screening for SHSe is an essential first step to helping families break the toxic cycle of smoking. METHODS: With this quality improvement project, we evaluated a SHSe screening and cessation resource distribution protocol in a general pediatrics inpatient unit of a safety-net hospital. Our primary outcome measure was the percent of admissions screened for SHSe, with a goal of increasing our documented rate of SHSe screening from 0% to 70% within 6 months of implementation. Our secondary outcome measure was the percent of those who screened positive for SHSe who were offered smoking cessation resources. Process measures included tracking nurse confidence in screening and compliance with new workflow training. Balancing measures were nurse satisfaction and brevity of screening. RESULTS: From May 1, 2019, to April 30, 2020, nurses screened 97.2% of the 394 patients admitted to the pediatric unit for SHSe. Of the patients screened, 15.7% were exposed to cigarettes or other tobacco products, 5.6% to e-cigarettes, and 6.5% to marijuana. Nurses documented offering "Quit Kits" with cessation materials to 45 caregivers (72.6% of positive screen results) and offering 33 referrals to the California Smokers' Helpline (53.2% of positive screen results). CONCLUSION: In this project, we successfully implemented a screening protocol for SHSe to tobacco, e-cigarettes, and marijuana and a workflow for cessation resource distribution in an inpatient pediatric setting that far exceeded goals. Requiring minimal maintenance and using just a simple paper-based format, the workflow could be adopted at other institutions.

Nurse-pharmacist collaborations for promoting medication safety among community-dwelling adults: A scoping review.

Background: Despite good evidence that supports improved clinical health outcomes and the cost effectiveness of nurse-pharmacist collaboration for promoting medication safety among adults in acute care settings, there is limited research in community settings. Objective: This scoping review examines, maps, and identifies gaps in the existing literature on nurse-pharmacist collaboration to augment medication safety among community-dwelling adults. Design: Setting(s): Community setting. Participants: This review consists of 3,464 participants across 23 studies. Methods: We used the enhanced Arksey and O'Malley framework by Levac and colleagues. Studies from MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus, and PubMed databases implementing medication safety through nurse-pharmacist collaboration for community-dwelling adults were included. We extracted data according to country of origin, intervention, and relevance to the current review. Results: Twenty-three studies were included in this review. Nurse-pharmacist collaborations in community settings are still evolving and are in a nascent form. Five sub-themes emerged from literature review of collaboration between nurses and pharmacists in community settings for medication safety. They are creating new opportunities to address gaps in community medication safety, enabling complementary interprofessional roles in medication safety, facilitating of efficient and cost-effective measures for medication safety, diverse nature of assessments done by nurses and pharmacists, and incohesive teams due to poor collaborative practices. Conclusions: Nurse-pharmacist collaborations in community settings improved disease management, prevented adverse drug events, and reduced hospitalizations. They resulted in early identification and correction of medication safety related issues, reduced wait periods to see general practitioners, and enhanced chronic disease self-management skills among community-dwelling adults. There is a need to improve existing systems and policies through research for sustaining such collaborations especially in community settings.

Differential nuclear import sets the timing of protein access to the embryonic genome.

The development of a fertilized egg to an embryo requires the proper temporal control of gene expression. During cell differentiation, timing is often controlled via cascades of transcription factors (TFs). However, in early development, transcription is often inactive, and many TF levels stay constant, suggesting that alternative mechanisms govern the observed rapid and ordered onset of gene expression. Here, we find that in early embryonic development access of maternally deposited nuclear proteins to the genome is temporally ordered via importin affinities, thereby timing the expression of downstream targets. We quantify changes in the nuclear proteome during early development and find that nuclear proteins, such as TFs and RNA polymerases, enter the nucleus sequentially. Moreover, we find that the timing of nuclear proteins' access to the genome corresponds to the timing of downstream gene activation. We show that the affinity of proteins to importin is a major determinant in the timing of protein entry into embryonic nuclei. Thus, we propose a mechanism by which embryos encode the timing of gene expression in early development via biochemical affinities. This process could be critical for embryos to organize themselves before deploying the regulatory cascades that control cell identities.

Improving Diversity in Pediatric Residency Selection: Using an Equity Framework to Implement Holistic Review.

BACKGROUND: Many programs struggle to recruit, select, and match a diverse class of residents, and the most effective strategies for holistic review of applications to enhance diversity are not clear. OBJECTIVE: We determined if holistic pediatric residency application review guided by frameworks that assess for bias along structural, interpersonal, and individual levels would increase the number of matched residents from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine (UiM). METHODS: Between 2017 and 2020, University of California San Francisco Pediatrics Department identified structural, interpersonal, and individual biases in existing selection processes and developed mitigation strategies in each area. Interventions included creating a shared mental model of desirable qualities in residents, employing a new scoring rubric, intentional inclusion of UiM faculty and trainees in the selection process, and requiring anti-bias training for everyone involved with recruitment and selection. RESULTS: Since implementing these changes, the percentage of entering interns who self-identify as UIM increased from 11% in 2015 to 45% (OR 6.8, P = .008) in 2019 and to 35% (OR 4.6, P = .035) in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Using an equity framework to guide implementation of a pediatric residency program's holistic review of applications increased the numbers of matched UiM residents over a 3-year period.

Strategies for effective education in a jail setting: the Tuberculosis Prevention Project.

Jails are a unique setting for health education. The Tuberculosis (TB) Prevention Project was designed to improve completion of care for latent TB infection in released inmates. As part of an ongoing clinical trial to improve rates of completion, educators provided TB-focused educational sessions to 1,027 inmates. This article describes the educational sessions and illustrates some of the barriers to working in a jail setting and strategies to overcome them. The nature of the jail itself, inmate characteristics, the characteristics of educators, and the educational sessions themselves interacted in different ways to enhance or impair the interaction. Jail is a setting in which the population is at high risk for a number of health problems and health education is increasingly important.

An ultrastructural analysis of the prototype single-step adhesive applied on enamel and dentin surfaces.

A new type of self-etching agent, the single-step adhesive, was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in the ultrastructural features of enamel and dentin surfaces following application of the prototype single-step adhesive (EXM618, 3M, MN, USA). Extracted caries-free human premolars were used in this study. Occlusal enamels of teeth--to be used as cut surface specimens--were removed perpendicular to the long axis of the specimens. The mesial and distal surfaces of these teeth, on the other hand, were used as uncut surface specimens in the test. In addition, Mega Bond (Kuraray Medical Inc., Tokyo, Japan) and Xeno CFII Bond (Dentsply Sankin, Tokyo, Japan) were used as controls. After covering half of the tooth surfaces with nail varnish (for control), the other half of each surface was treated with one of the three test adhesives--EXM618, Mega Bond, or Xeno CFII Bond--according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Conditioned enamel and dentin surfaces (i.e., decalcified depth and rugged surface) were observed with a scanning confocal laser microscope (SCLM 1100, Olympus, Tokyo, Japan; henceforth abbreviated as SCLM). Based on the findings of this study, the prototype single-step adhesive EXM618 appears to be suitable for use in dental clinics.