Local starburst galaxies and their descendants

Despite strong interest in the starburst (hereafter SB) phenomenon, the concept remains ill-defined. We use a strict definition of SB to examine the statistical properties of local SB and post-starburst (hereafter PB) galaxies. We also seek relationships to active galaxies. Potential SB galaxies are selected from the SDSS DR7 and their stellar content is analysed. We apply an age dependent dust attenuation correction and derive star formation rates (SFR), ages and masses of the young and old populations. The photometric masses nicely agree with dynamical masses derived from the H-alpha emission line width. To select SB galaxies, we use the birthrate parameter b=SFR/, requiring b>=3. The PB sample is selected from the citerion EW(Hdelta_abs)>=6 A. Only 1% of star-forming galaxies are found to be SB galaxies. They contribute 3-6% to the stellar production and are therefore unimportant for the local star formation activity. The median SB age is 70 Myr, roughly independent of mass. The b-parameter strongly depends on burst age. Values close to b=60 are found at ages ~10 Myr, while almost no SBs are found at ages >1 Gyr. The median baryonic burst mass fraction of sub-L* galaxies is 5%, decreasing slowly with mass. The median mass fraction of the recent burst in the PB sample is 5-10%. The age-mass distribution of the progenitors of the PBs is bimodal with a break at log(M)~10.6 above which the ages are doubled. The SB and PB luminosity functions (hereafter LFs) follow each other closely until M_r~-21, when AGNs begin to dominate. The PB LF continues to follow the AGN LF while SB loose significance. This suggests that the number of luminous SBs is underestimated by about one dex at high luminosities, due to large amounts of dust and/or AGN blending. It also indicates that the SB phase preceded the AGN phase. We also discuss the conditions for global gas outflow caused by stellar feedback.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. This is an extended, substantially revised and corrected version with partly modified conclusion

Child Witness Policy: Law Interfacing with Social Science

The number of children testifying in court has posed serious practical and legal problems for the judicial system. One problem confronting the courts is how to protect children from experiencing the psychological trauma resulting from face-to-face confrontation with a defendant who may have physically harmed the child or threatened future harm to the child

The identification of allergen proteins in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) pollen causing occupational allergy in greenhouses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During production of sugar beet (<it>Beta vulgaris</it>) seeds in greenhouses, workers frequently develop allergic symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize possible allergens in sugar beet pollen.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sera from individuals at a local sugar beet seed producing company, having positive SPT and specific IgE to sugar beet pollen extract, were used for immunoblotting. Proteins in sugar beet pollen extracts were separated by 1- and 2-dimensional electrophoresis, and IgE-reactive proteins analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A 14 kDa protein was identified as an allergen, since IgE-binding was inhibited by the well-characterized allergen Che a 2, profilin, from the related species <it>Chenopodium album</it>. The presence of 17 kDa and 14 kDa protein homologues to both the allergens Che a 1 and Che a 2 were detected in an extract from sugar beet pollen, and partial amino acid sequences were determined, using inclusion lists for tandem mass spectrometry based on homologous sequences.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Two occupational allergens were identified in sugar beet pollen showing sequence similarity with <it>Chenopodium </it>allergens. Sequence data were obtained by mass spectrometry (70 and 25%, respectively for Beta v 1 and Beta v 2), and can be used for cloning and recombinant expression of the allergens. As for treatment of <it>Chenopodium </it>pollinosis, immunotherapy with sugar beet pollen extracts may be feasible.</p

Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiirin taidetoimikunta ja sen keräämä taidekokoelma

Tämän pro gradu –tutkielman tavoite on selvittää, miksi HUS taidetoimikunta perustettiin ja mitkä sen tehtävät ovat, mitkä sen keräämän taidekokoelman muodostumiseen vaikuttavat tekijät ja kartuttamisen periaatteet ovat, sekä mitkä HUS taidetoimikunnan kokoelmanhallinnan käytännöt ovat. Lisäksi pyritään kartoittamaan sitä, mil-laista taidetta taidekokoelmaan kuuluu ja millaista taidetta siihen on hankittu HUS taidetoimikunnan toimesta sen perustamisvuodesta 2013 lähtien. Pro gradu –tutkielmassa esitellään sairaalataiteen keräämisen historiaa, HUS taidetoimikunnan tehtäviä ja peruslinjauksia, toimikunnan taidehankintaprosessia periaatteineen, sekä ko-koelmanhallinnan käytäntöjä ja lyhyesti HUS:n taidekokoelman sisältöjä. Lopuksi käydään lävitse niin sanottua in-tegroitua taidetta sekä HUS taidetoimikunnan tulevaisuuden näkymiä. Tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen ja ajallinen tarkastelujakso on lähihistoria tai nykyhetki. Merkittävää lähdemateriaalia kuten hankintalistoja, vuosikertomuksia, esitteitä, toimikunnan asettamispäätös, kirjallisuutta sekä Galleria Or-tonin (nyk. Galleria Live) vuosikirjoja karttui syksystä 2017 alkaen muun lähdemateriaalin lisäksi. Tutkimusmenetelmäksi valittiin haastattelututkimus. Haastattelut toteutettiin 3.9.2018−18.10.2018. Otos oli 11 henkilöä. Haastattelututkimuksesta kertynyt 33 sivun litteroitu materiaali, sähköpostikirjeenvaihto, havainnointi, kohdekäynnit ja muistiinpanot muodostavat merkittävän aineiston, koska aiheesta on toistaiseksi löytynyt kirjallisia lähteitä vain vähän. HUS sairaalataiteesta tai taidekokoelmasta ei ole olemassa katalogeja tai historioita. Pro gradu –tutkielmassa keskitytään sairaalataiteeseen, joka on taidetoimikunnan hallinnoimaa ja HUS:n omis-tamaa. HUS taidetoimikuntaa tarkastellaan tässä tutkielmassa erillisenä, itsenäisenä instituutiona, joka toimii sille myönnettyjen määrärahojen ja tiettyjen peruslinjausten puitteissa HUS:n alueella. Se perustettiin tai-detoimikunnan puheenjohtajan, HUS:n hallituksen jäsenen dosentti, psykiatri Ilkka Taipaleen aloitteesta 3.12.2012. Sen tehtäviin kuuluu HUS:n taidekokoelman kartuttamisen lisäksi siitä huolehtiminen, että HUS:n sairaaloiden tiloissa ylipäätään on taidetta ja että se säilyy osana HUS:n sairaalaympäristöä. Toisekseen toi-mikunnan tehtävänä on huolehtia siitä, että taide on tavoitteiden mukaista, sellaista, joka sopii sai-raalympäristöön. Taiteen sijoittaminen sairaaloihin sekä taidekokoelman luetteloiminen ja kokoelmanhallinta ovat taidekokoelman kartuttamisen ohessa HUS taidetoimikunnan tärkeimpiä tehtäviä. Toimikunnan toiminnassa ovat vuosien 2013−2018 aikana korostuneet taidehankintojen lisäksi paitsi verkostoituminen myös taideteosten inventointi ja luettelointi. Lisäksi taidetoimikunnalla on näyttely− ja julkaisutoimintaa. Taidehankinnoissa pyritään huomioimaan sekä potilaat että sairaaloiden henkilökunta. Tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi on tehty paljon konkreettista organisointityötä. HUS taidetoimikunta tekee yhteistyötä eri säätiöiden ja muiden kulttuurialan organisaatioiden kanssa. Vuoteen 2014 mennessä HUS taidetoimikunta oli lyhyessä ajassa lisännyt niin HUS:n henkilöstön mutta myös suomalaisten taidepiirien kiinnostusta taiteeseen sairaalassa. HUS:n omistama taidekokoelma sisältää korkean profiilin taidetta. Siihen kuuluu tällä hetkellä yli 3000 teosta pääasiassa suomalaisilta kuvataiteilijoilta, mutta myös virolaisilta ja latvialaisilta kuvataiteilijoilta. Taidekokoelma käsittää paitsi marmori− myös kivi−, puu− ja pronssiveistoksia, öljyväritöitä, julisteita, graffiteja, grafiikanlehtiä ja litografioita. Kokoelman vanhin teos on vuodelta 1921. HUS:n taidekokoelma karttuu kuukausittain paitsi tai-dehankintojen myös lahjoituksien ja deponointien kautta. Taideostoilla pyritään tukemaan etenkin nuoria tai-teilijoita. HUS taidetoimikunnan työ kattaa oletettavasti lähes kaikki HUS:n sairaanhoitopiirin sairaanhoitoalueet

Pathogenic Variant Spectrum in Breast Cancer Risk Genes in Finnish Patients

Recurrent pathogenic variants have been detected in several breast and ovarian cancer (BC/OC) risk genes in the Finnish population. We conducted a gene-panel sequencing and copy number variant (CNV) analysis to define a more comprehensive spectrum of pathogenic variants in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, BARD1, RAD51C, RAD51D, BRIP1, and FANCM genes in Finnish BC patients. The combined frequency of pathogenic variants in the BRCA1/2 genes was 1.8% in 1356 unselected patients, whereas variants in the other genes were detected altogether in 8.3% of 1356 unselected patients and in 12.9% of 699 familial patients. CNVs were detected in 0.3% of both 1137 unselected and 612 familial patients. A few variants covered most of the pathogenic burden in the studied genes. Of the BRCA1/2 carriers, 70.8% had 1 of 10 recurrent variants. In the other genes combined, 92.1% of the carrier patients had at least 1 of 11 recurrent variants. In particular, PALB2 c.1592delT and CHEK2 c.1100delC accounted for 88.9% and 82.9%, respectively, of the pathogenic variation in each gene. Our results highlight the importance of founder variants in the BC risk genes in the Finnish population and could be used in the designing of population screening for the risk variants

Koiran krooninen hepatiitti, kirjallisuuskatsaus

Peer reviewe

Motivational valence is determined by striatal melanocortin 4 receptors

It is critical for survival to assign positive or negative valence to salient stimuli in a correct manner. Accordingly, harmful stimuli and internal states characterized by perturbed homeostasis are accompanied by discomfort, unease, and aversion. Aversive signaling causes extensive suffering during chronic diseases, including inflammatory conditions, cancer, and depression. Here, we investigated the role of melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4Rs) in aversive processing using genetically modified mice and a behavioral test in which mice avoid an environment that they have learned to associate with aversive stimuli. In normal mice, robust aversions were induced by systemic inflammation, nausea, pain, and κ opioid receptor- induced dysphoria. In sharp contrast, mice lacking MC4Rs displayed preference or indifference toward the aversive stimuli. The unusual flip from aversion to reward in mice lacking MC4Rs was dopamine dependent and associated with a change from decreased to increased activity of the dopamine system. The responses to aversive stimuli were normalized when MC4Rs were reexpressed on dopamine D1 receptor-expressing cells or in the striatum of mice otherwise lacking MC4Rs. Furthermore, activation of arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin neurons projecting to the ventral striatum increased the activity of striatal neurons in an MC4R-dependent manner and elicited aversion. Our findings demonstrate that melanocortin signaling through striatal MC4Rs is critical for assigning negative motivational valence to harmful stimuli

Логістика туризму: комплексний підхід

It is well-established that prostaglandins (PGs) affect tumorigenesis, and evidence indicates that PGs also are important for the reduced food intake and body weight loss, the anorexia–cachexia syndrome, in malignant cancer. However, the identity of the PGs and the PG producing cyclooxygenase (COX) species responsible for cancer anorexia–cachexia is unknown. Here, we addressed this issue by transplanting mice with a tumor that elicits anorexia. Meal pattern analysis revealed that the anorexia in the tumor-bearing mice was due to decreased meal frequency. Treatment with a non-selective COX inhibitor attenuated the anorexia, and also tumor growth. When given at manifest anorexia, non-selective COX-inhibitors restored appetite and prevented body weight loss without affecting tumor size. Despite COX-2 induction in the cerebral blood vessels of tumor-bearing mice, a selective COX-2 inhibitor had no effect on the anorexia, whereas selective COX-1 inhibition delayed its onset. Tumor growth was associated with robust increase of PGE2 levels in plasma – a response blocked both by non-selective COX-inhibition and by selective COX-1 inhibition, but not by COX-2 inhibition. However, there was no increase in PGE2-levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Neutralization of plasma PGE2 with specific antibodies did not ameliorate the anorexia, and genetic deletion of microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1) affected neither anorexia nor tumor growth. Furthermore, tumor-bearing mice lacking EP4 receptors selectively in the nervous system developed anorexia. These observations suggest that COX-enzymes, most likely COX-1, are involved in cancer-elicited anorexia and weight loss, but that these phenomena occur independently of host mPGES-1, PGE2 and neuronal EP4 signaling.Funding Agencies|Swedish Cancer Foundation||Swedish Research Council||Swedish Brain Foundation||</p

Risk of primary lung cancer after adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer-a large population-based study

Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer (BC) has been associated with an increased risk of later radiation-induced lung cancer (LC). We examined the risk of primary LC in a population-based cohort of 52300 women treated for BC during 1992 to 2012, and 253796 age-matched women without BC. Cumulative incidence of LC was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the risk of LC after BC treatment was estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Women with BC receiving RT had a higher cumulative incidence of LC compared to women with BC not receiving RT and women without BC. This became apparent 5 years after RT and increased with longer follow-up. Women with BC receiving RT had a Hazard ratio of 1.59 (95% confidence interval 1.37-1.84) for LC compared to women without BC. RT techniques that lower the incidental lung doses, e.g breathing adaption techniques, may lower this risk.Peer reviewe