Rapid pre-explosion increase in dome extrusion rate at La Soufrière, St. Vincent quantified from synthetic aperture radar backscatter

The extrusion rate of a lava dome is a critical parameter for monitoring silicic eruptions and forecasting their development. Satellite radar backscatter can provide unique information about dome growth during a volcanic eruption when other datasets (e.g., optical, thermal, ground-based measurements, etc.) may be limited. Here, we present an approach for estimating volcanic topography from individual backscatter images. Using data from multiple SAR sensors we apply the method to the dome growth during the 2021 eruption at La Soufrière, St. Vincent. We measure an average extrusion rate of 1.8 m³s¯¹ between December 2020 and March 2021 before an acceleration in extrusion rate to 17.5 m³s¯¹ in the 2 days prior to the explosive eruption on 9 April 2021. We estimate a final dome volume of 19.4 million m³, extrapolated from the SAR sensors, with approximately 15% of the total extruded volume emplaced in the last 2 days. A possible explanation for the acceleration in extrusion rate could be the combined emptying of a conduit and reservoir of older material before the ascent of gas-rich magma in April 2021

Differential frequency of NKG2C/KLRC2 deletion in distinct African populations and susceptibility to Trachoma: a new method for imputation of KLRC2 genotypes from SNP genotyping data.

NKG2C is an activating receptor that is preferentially expressed on natural killer (NK) cells. The gene encoding NKG2C (killer cell lectin-like receptor C2, KLRC2) is present at different copy numbers in the genomes of different individuals. Deletion at the NKG2C locus was investigated in a case-control study of 1522 individuals indigenous to East- and West-Africa and the association with the ocular Chlamydia trachomatis infection and its sequelae was explored. The frequency of homozygous KLRC2 deletion was 13.7 % in Gambians and 4.7 % in Tanzanians. A significantly higher frequency of the deletion allele was found in West-Africans from the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau (36.2 % p = 2.105 × 10(-8), 26.8 % p = 0.050; respectively) in comparison to East-African Tanzanians where the frequency of the deletion is comparable to other human populations (20.9 %). We found no evidence for an association between the numbers of KLRC2 gene copies and the clinical manifestations of trachoma (follicular trachoma or conjunctival scarring). A new method for imputation of KLRC2 genotypes from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data in 2621 individuals from the Gambia further confirmed these results. Our data suggest that NKG2C does not play a major role in trachomatous disease. We found that the deletion allele is present at different frequencies in different populations but the reason behind these differences is currently not understood. The new method offers the potential to use SNP arrays from genome wide association studies to study the frequency of KLRC2 deletion in other populations and its association with other diseases

Analysis of Germline GLI1 Variation Implicates Hedgehog Signalling in the Regulation of Intestinal Inflammatory Pathways

Charlie Lees and colleagues identify a reduced-function variant of the hedgehog signaling pathway protein GLI1 that associates with inflammatory bowel disease, and investigate its role in a mouse model of colitis

Effectiveness of an implementation optimisation intervention aimed at increasing parent engagement in HENRY, a childhood obesity prevention programme - the Optimising Family Engagement in HENRY (OFTEN) trial: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Family-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity depend upon parents’ taking action to improve diet and other lifestyle behaviours in their families. Programmes that attract and retain high numbers of parents provide an enhanced opportunity to improve public health and are also likely to be more cost-effective than those that do not. We have developed a theory-informed optimisation intervention to promote parent engagement within an existing childhood obesity prevention group programme, HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young). Here, we describe a proposal to evaluate the effectiveness of this optimisation intervention in regard to the engagement of parents and cost-effectiveness. Methods/design: The Optimising Family Engagement in HENRY (OFTEN) trial is a cluster randomised controlled trial being conducted across 24 local authorities (approximately 144 children’s centres) which currently deliver HENRY programmes. The primary outcome will be parental enrolment and attendance at the HENRY programme, assessed using routinely collected process data. Cost-effectiveness will be presented in terms of primary outcomes using acceptability curves and through eliciting the willingness to pay for the optimisation from HENRY commissioners. Secondary outcomes include the longitudinal impact of the optimisation, parent-reported infant intake of fruits and vegetables (as a proxy to compliance) and other parent-reported family habits and lifestyle. Discussion: This innovative trial will provide evidence on the implementation of a theory-informed optimisation intervention to promote parent engagement in HENRY, a community-based childhood obesity prevention programme. The findings will be generalisable to other interventions delivered to parents in other community-based environments. This research meets the expressed needs of commissioners, children’s centres and parents to optimise the potential impact that HENRY has on obesity prevention. A subsequent cluster randomised controlled pilot trial is planned to determine the practicality of undertaking a definitive trial to robustly evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the optimised intervention on childhood obesity prevention

The sixth data release of the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE). I. Survey description, spectra and radial velocities

The Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) is a magnitude-limited (9<I<12) spectroscopic survey of Galactic stars randomly selected in the southern hemisphere. The RAVE medium-resolution spectra (R~7500) cover the Ca-triplet region (8410-8795A). The 6th and final data release (DR6 or FDR) is based on 518387 observations of 451783 unique stars. RAVE observations were taken between 12 April 2003 and 4 April 2013. Here we present the genesis, setup and data reduction of RAVE as well as wavelength-calibrated and flux-normalized spectra and error spectra for all observations in RAVE DR6. Furthermore, we present derived spectral classification and radial velocities for the RAVE targets, complemented by cross matches with Gaia DR2 and other relevant catalogs. A comparison between internal error estimates, variances derived from stars with more than one observing epoch and a comparison with radial velocities of Gaia DR2 reveals consistently that 68% of the objects have a velocity accuracy better than 1.4 km/s, while 95% of the objects have radial velocities better than 4.0 km/s. Stellar atmospheric parameters, abundances and distances are presented in subsequent publication. The data can be accessed via the RAVE Web (http://rave-survey.org) or the Vizier database.Comment: 32 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication to A

Evaluation of variables influencing success and complication rates in canine total hip replacement:Results from the British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association Canine Hip Registry (collation of data: 2010-2012)

The objective of this study was to assess the variables associated with complications of total hip replacement (THR) and report owner-assessed outcomes. Entries into the British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association-Canine Hip Registry (BVOA-CHR) between September 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed separately and in conjunction with previous data (January 2010-August 2011). An outcomes assessment questionnaire was used to collect data from owners. Incidences of surgeon-reported and owner-reported complications were 8.2 per cent and 4.3 per cent, respectively. THR using the BioMedtrix BFX cup/stem prosthesis had a greater incidence of complications compared with THR using the BioMedtrix CFX cup/stem prosthesis (P=0.002); complications were 4.48 times more likely when using the BioMedtrix BFX cup/stem prosthesis versus the BioMedtrix CFX cup/stem prosthesis. THR using the BioMedtrix BFX cup/stem prosthesis had a higher incidence of complications compared with THR using a hybrid prosthesis (BioMedtrix BFX cup/CFX stem, BioMedtrix CFX cup/BFX stem) (P=0.046); complications were 2.85 times more likely when using the BioMedtrix BFX cup/ stem prosthesis versus a hybrid prosthesis. In 95 per cent of cases, owner satisfaction with the outcome of THR was 'very good' or 'good'. Complication rates from the BVOA-CHR are similar to previous studies. The data suggest that prosthesis type is associated with complication rate, with BioMedtrix BFX (circa 2012) having a high short-term complication rate

Interplay of Nkx3.2, Sox9 and Pax3 Regulates Chondrogenic Differentiation of Muscle Progenitor Cells

Muscle satellite cells make up a stem cell population that is capable of differentiating into myocytes and contributing to muscle regeneration upon injury. In this work we investigate the mechanism by which these muscle progenitor cells adopt an alternative cell fate, the cartilage fate. We show that chick muscle satellite cells that normally would undergo myogenesis can be converted to express cartilage matrix proteins in vitro when cultured in chondrogenic medium containing TGFß3 or BMP2. In the meantime, the myogenic program is repressed, suggesting that muscle satellite cells have undergone chondrogenic differentiation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the myogenic factor Pax3 prevents chondrogenesis in these cells, while chondrogenic factors Nkx3.2 and Sox9 act downstream of TGFß or BMP2 to promote this cell fate transition. We found that Nkx3.2 and Sox9 repress the activity of the Pax3 promoter and that Nkx3.2 acts as a transcriptional repressor in this process. Importantly, a reverse function mutant of Nkx3.2 blocks the ability of Sox9 to both inhibit myogenesis and induce chondrogenesis, suggesting that Nkx3.2 is required for Sox9 to promote chondrogenic differentiation in satellite cells. Finally, we found that in an in vivo mouse model of fracture healing where muscle progenitor cells were lineage-traced, Nkx3.2 and Sox9 are significantly upregulated while Pax3 is significantly downregulated in the muscle progenitor cells that give rise to chondrocytes during fracture repair. Thus our in vitro and in vivo analyses suggest that the balance of Pax3, Nkx3.2 and Sox9 may act as a molecular switch during the chondrogenic differentiation of muscle progenitor cells, which may be important for fracture healing