Macrophage Ontogeny Underlies Differences in Tumor-Specific Education in Brain Malignancies.

Extensive transcriptional and ontogenetic diversity exists among normal tissue-resident macrophages, with unique transcriptional profiles endowing the cells with tissue-specific functions. However, it is unknown whether the origins of different macrophage populations affect their roles in malignancy. Given potential artifacts associated with irradiation-based lineage tracing, it remains unclear if bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) are present in tumors of the brain, a tissue with no homeostatic involvement of BMDMs. Here, we employed multiple models of murine brain malignancy and genetic lineage tracing to demonstrate that BMDMs are abundant in primary and metastatic brain tumors. Our data indicate that distinct transcriptional networks in brain-resident microglia and recruited BMDMs are associated with tumor-mediated education yet are also influenced by chromatin landscapes established before tumor initiation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that microglia specifically repress Itga4 (CD49D), enabling its utility as a discriminatory marker between microglia and BMDMs in primary and metastatic disease in mouse and human

Early age hydration and application of blended magnesium potassium phosphate cements for reduced corrosion of reactive metals

Magnesium potassium phosphate cements (MKPC) were investigated to determine their efficacy towards retardation of reactive uranium metal corrosion. Optimised low-water content, fly ash (FA) and blast furnace slag (BFS) blended MKPC formulations were developed and their fluidity, hydration behaviour, strength and phase assemblage investigated. In-situ time resolved synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction was used to detail the early age (~60 h) phase assemblage development and hydration kinetics, where the inclusion of BFS was observed to delay the formation of struvite-K by ~14 h compared to FA addition (~2 h). All samples set within this period, suggesting the possible formation of a poorly crystalline binding phase prior to struvite-K crystallisation. Long-term corrosion trials using metallic uranium indicated that MKPC systems are capable of limiting uranium corrosion rates (reduced by half), when compared to a UK nuclear industry grout, which highlights their potential application radioactive waste immobilisation

Consistent assignment of the vibrations of symmetric and asymmetric ortho-disubstituted benzenes

The form of molecular vibrations, and changes in these, give valuable insights into geometric and electronic structure upon electronic excitation or ionization, and within families of molecules. Here, we give a description of the phenyl-ring-localized vibrational modes of the ground (S₀) electronic states of a wide range of ortho-disubstituted benzene molecules including both symmetrically- and asymmetrically-substituted cases. We conclude that the use of the commonly-used Wilson or Varsányi mode labels, which are based on the vibrational motions of benzene itself, is misleading and ambiguous. In addition, we also find the use of the Mi labels for monosubstituted benzenes [A. M. Gardner and T. G. Wright. J. Chem. Phys. 135 (2011) 114305], or the recently-suggested labels for para-disubstituted benzenes [A. Andrejeva, A. M. Gardner, W. D. Tuttle, and T. G. Wright, J. Molec. Spectrosc. 321, 28 (2016)] are not appropriate. Instead, we label the modes consistently based upon the Mulliken (Herzberg) method for the modes of ortho-difluorobenzene (pDFB) under Cs symmetry, since we wish the labelling scheme to cover both symmetrically- and asymmetrically-substituted molecules. By studying the vibrational wavenumbers from the same force field while varying the mass of the substituent, we are able to identify the corresponding modes across a wide range of molecules and hence provide consistent assignments. We assign the vibrations of the following sets of molecules: the symmetric o-dihalobenzenes, o-xylene and catechol (o-dihydroxybenzene); and the asymmetric o-dihalobenzenes, o-halotoluenes, o-halophenols and o-cresol. In the symmetrically-substituted species, we find a pair of in-phase and out-of-phase carbon-substituent stretches, and this motion persists in asymmetrically-substituted molecules for heavier substituents. When at least one of the substituents is light, then we find that these evolve into localized carbon-substituent stretches

The Milky Way Bulge: Observed properties and a comparison to external galaxies

The Milky Way bulge offers a unique opportunity to investigate in detail the role that different processes such as dynamical instabilities, hierarchical merging, and dissipational collapse may have played in the history of the Galaxy formation and evolution based on its resolved stellar population properties. Large observation programmes and surveys of the bulge are providing for the first time a look into the global view of the Milky Way bulge that can be compared with the bulges of other galaxies, and be used as a template for detailed comparison with models. The Milky Way has been shown to have a box/peanut (B/P) bulge and recent evidence seems to suggest the presence of an additional spheroidal component. In this review we summarise the global chemical abundances, kinematics and structural properties that allow us to disentangle these multiple components and provide constraints to understand their origin. The investigation of both detailed and global properties of the bulge now provide us with the opportunity to characterise the bulge as observed in models, and to place the mixed component bulge scenario in the general context of external galaxies. When writing this review, we considered the perspectives of researchers working with the Milky Way and researchers working with external galaxies. It is an attempt to approach both communities for a fruitful exchange of ideas.Comment: Review article to appear in "Galactic Bulges", Editors: Laurikainen E., Peletier R., Gadotti D., Springer Publishing. 36 pages, 10 figure

Young and Intermediate-age Distance Indicators

Distance measurements beyond geometrical and semi-geometrical methods, rely mainly on standard candles. As the name suggests, these objects have known luminosities by virtue of their intrinsic proprieties and play a major role in our understanding of modern cosmology. The main caveats associated with standard candles are their absolute calibration, contamination of the sample from other sources and systematic uncertainties. The absolute calibration mainly depends on their chemical composition and age. To understand the impact of these effects on the distance scale, it is essential to develop methods based on different sample of standard candles. Here we review the fundamental properties of young and intermediate-age distance indicators such as Cepheids, Mira variables and Red Clump stars and the recent developments in their application as distance indicators.Comment: Review article, 63 pages (28 figures), Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews (Chapter 3 of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Instruction in General and Special Education: Thematic Units and Technology

This article discusses interdisciplinary thematic units in the context of special and general education curricula and focuses on ways technology can be used to enhance interdisciplinary thematic units. Examples of curriculum integration activities enhanced by technology are provided in the context of productivity tools, presentation and multimedia tools, contextual themed software, and Web-based activities.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline