Stellar Astrophysics with a Dispersed Fourier Transform Spectrograph. II. Orbits of Double-lined Spectroscopic Binaries

We present orbital parameters for six double-lined spectroscopic binaries (iota Pegasi, omega Draconis, 12 Bootis, V1143 Cygni, beta Aurigae, and Mizar A) and two double-lined triple star systems (kappa Pegasi and eta Virginis). The orbital fits are based upon high-precision radial velocity observations made with a dispersed Fourier Transform Spectrograph, or dFTS, a new instrument which combines interferometric and dispersive elements. For some of the double-lined binaries with known inclination angles, the quality of our RV data permits us to determine the masses M_1 and M_2 of the stellar components with relative errors as small as 0.2%.Comment: 41 pages, 8 figures, accepted by A

Social Acceptance of Smoking Restrictions During 10 Years of Policy Implementation, Reversal, and Reenactment in the Netherlands:Findings From a National Population Survey

Introduction: Little is known about the extent to which smoking restrictions are socially accepted in a country such as the Netherlands where smoking restrictions have been implemented and reversed several times. The current study assessed trends as well as factors associated with two indicators of social acceptance of smoking restrictions in the Netherlands: acceptance of smoking in public places and implementation of home smoking bans. Methods: We used data from the Dutch Continuous Survey of Smoking Habits (DCSSH) between 2005 and 2014 (n = 182 826). The DCSSH is a national population survey with a cross-sectional design in which respondents aged 15 years and older are surveyed weekly. Results: Acceptance of smoking in public places decreased for six out of eight included venues, with the largest decrease for smoking in restaurants. The decrease in acceptance was larger among younger respondents and smokers. Smoking on terraces was an exception: decrease in acceptance there was larger among older respondents and ex-smokers. Implementation of home smoking bans increased over time. Having implemented a home smoking ban was associated with being male, being younger, having a high socioeconomic status, and being ex-or never smoker. Conclusions: Social acceptance of smoking restrictions has increased in the Netherlands, despite a suboptimal implementation process of smoking restrictions. However, there is still potential for improvement as acceptance of smoking is still quite high for some public venues like bars. It is important to strengthen smoking restrictions in order to further denormalize smoking in the Netherlands. Implications: We examined the extent to which smoking restrictions are socially accepted in the Netherlands where smoking restrictions have been implemented and reversed several times. Acceptance of smoking in public places decreased and implementation of home smoking bans increased between 2005 and 2014. Social acceptance of smoking restrictions increased in the Netherlands despite a suboptimal implementation process of smoking restrictions. However, acceptance of smoking in bars remains relatively high

The Two-dimensional XMM-Newton Group Survey: z<0.012 groups

We present the results of the 2-dimensional XMM-Newton Group Survey (2dXGS), an archival study of nearby galaxy groups. In this paper we consider eleven nearby systems (z<0.012) in Mulchaey et al. (2003), which span a broad range in X-ray luminosity from 10^40 to 10^43 ergs/s. We measure the iron abundance and temperature distribution in these systems and derive pressure and entropy maps. We find statistically significant evidence for structure in the entropy and pressure of the gas component of seven groups on the 10-20% level. The XMM-Newton data for the three groups with best statistics also suggest patchy metalicity distributions within the central 20--50 kpc of the brightest group galaxy, probed with 2-10 kpc resolution. This provides insights into the processes associated with thermalization of the stellar mass loss. Analysis of the global properties of the groups reveals a subclass of X-ray faint groups, which are characterized by both higher entropy and lower pressure. We suggest that the merger history of the central elliptical is responsible for both the source and the observed thermodynamical properties of the hot gas of the X-ray faint groups.Comment: 18 pages, ApJ, 646, 143, 200

Safety of Thioguanine in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease:A Multi-Center Case Series

Thioguanine (TG) has been shown as a safe alternative in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who did not tolerate conventional thiopurines [azathioprine (AZA)/mercaptopurine]. However, data in pediatric IBD are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to assess the safety of TG as maintenance therapy. METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study of children with IBD on TG was performed in the Netherlands. TG-related adverse events (AE) were assessed and listed according to the common terminology criteria for AE. RESULTS: Thirty-six children with IBD (median age 14.5 years) on TG (median dose 15 mg/day) were included in 6 centers. Five AE occurred during follow-up [pancreatitis (grade 3), hepatotoxicity (grade 3) (n = 2), Clostridium difficile infection (grade 2), and abdominal pain (grade 2)]. All patients (n = 8) with a previously AZA-induced pancreatitis did not redevelop pancreatitis on TG. CONCLUSIONS: In pediatric IBD, TG seems a safe alternative in case of AZA-induced pancreatitis. Further research assessing long-term TG-related safety and efficacy is needed

Microarray and deep sequencing cross-platform analysis of the mirRNome and isomiR variation in response to epidermal growth factor

BACKGROUND: Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) plays an important function in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation by binding to its receptor (EGFR) and providing cancer cells with increased survival responsiveness. Signal transduction carried out by EGF has been extensively studied at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Little is known about the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the EGF signaling pathway. miRNAs have emerged as major players in the complex networks of gene regulation, and cancer miRNA expression studies have evidenced a direct involvement of miRNAs in cancer progression. RESULTS: In this study, we have used an integrative high content analysis approach to identify the specific miRNAs implicated in EGF signaling in HeLa cells as potential mediators of cancer mediated functions. We have used microarray and deep-sequencing technologies in order to obtain a global view of the EGF miRNA transcriptome with a robust experimental cross-validation. By applying a procedure based on Rankprod tests, we have delimited a solid set of EGF-regulated miRNAs. After validating regulated miRNAs by reverse transcription quantitative PCR, we have derived protein networks and biological functions from the predicted targets of the regulated miRNAs to gain insight into the potential role of miRNAs in EGF-treated cells. In addition, we have analyzed sequence heterogeneity due to editing relative to the reference sequence (isomiRs) among regulated miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the use of global genomic miRNA cross-validation derived from high throughput technologies can be used to generate more reliable datasets inferring more robust networks of co-regulated predicted miRNA target genes

Multiple platform assessment of the EGF dependent transcriptome by microarray and deep tag sequencing analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is a key regulatory growth factor activating many processes relevant to normal development and disease, affecting cell proliferation and survival. Here we use a combined approach to study the EGF dependent transcriptome of HeLa cells by using multiple long oligonucleotide based microarray platforms (from Agilent, Operon, and Illumina) in combination with digital gene expression profiling (DGE) with the Illumina Genome Analyzer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By applying a procedure for cross-platform data meta-analysis based on RankProd and GlobalAncova tests, we establish a well validated gene set with transcript levels altered after EGF treatment. We use this robust gene list to build higher order networks of gene interaction by interconnecting associated networks, supporting and extending the important role of the EGF signaling pathway in cancer. In addition, we find an entirely new set of genes previously unrelated to the currently accepted EGF associated cellular functions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We propose that the use of global genomic cross-validation derived from high content technologies (microarrays or deep sequencing) can be used to generate more reliable datasets. This approach should help to improve the confidence of downstream <it>in silico </it>functional inference analyses based on high content data.</p

Mittelfristprognose: Arbeitsmarktdynamik bis 2025

Die in diesem Bericht erstmalig vorgestellte Mittelfristprognose (Prognosezeitraum: 5 Jahre) schließt die Lücke zwischen der Engpassanalyse der Bundesagentur für Arbeit zur aktuellen Fachkräftesituation und den bisherigen Langfristprognosen für den Zeitraum von 10 bis 20 Jahren des Fachkräftemonitorings. In der Mittelfristprognose sind Bevölkerungs- und Konjunkturprojektionen aktueller als in der zu letzt veröffentlichten Langfristprojektion "Digitalisierte Arbeitswelt", dennoch geht diese vom selben langfristen Entwicklungspfad und zueinander konsistenten Annahmen aus. Neben einer neu entwickelten QuBe-Indikatorik zur Identifikation von Berufen mit potentiellen Handlungsbedarfen (Fokusberufen) wird in diesem Bericht der Gender Employment Gap als Indikator zur Identifikation von Frauen- bzw. Männerberufen erstmals vorgestellt.The medium-term forecast presented in this report for the first time (forecast period: 5 years) closes the gap between the Engpassanalyse (tool to identify skills shortages by occupationA) of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) for the current situation and the previous long-term forecasts for the next 10 to 20 years of the Skilled Lobour Monitoring. In the medium-term forecast, population and economic projections are more up-to-date than in the long-term projection "Digitized world of work", yet the first assumes the same long-term development path and mutually consistent assumptions. In addition to a newly developed QuBe indicator for identifying occupations with potential mismatches (focus occupations), the Gender Employment Gap is presented for the first time in this report as an indicator for identifying female and male occupations

Genotype and Phenotype of Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloid Outcome Survey)

Background Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a heterogeneous disorder with multiorgan involvement and a genetic or nongenetic basis. Objectives The goal of this study was to describe ATTR in the United States by using data from the THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey) registry. Methods Demographic, clinical, and genetic features of patients enrolled in the THAOS registry in the United States (n&nbsp;= 390) were compared with data from patients from other regions of the world (ROW) (n&nbsp;= 2,140). The focus was on the phenotypic expression and survival in the majority of U.S. subjects with valine-to-isoleucine substitution at position 122 (Val122Ile) (n&nbsp;= 91) and wild-type ATTR (n&nbsp;= 189). Results U.S. subjects are older (70 vs. 46 years), more often male (85.4% vs. 50.6%), and more often of African descent (25.4% vs. 0.5%) than the ROW. A significantly higher percentage of U.S. patients with ATTR amyloid seen at cardiology sites had wild-type disease than the ROW (50.5% vs. 26.2%). In the United States, 34 different mutations (n&nbsp;= 201) have been reported, with the most common being Val122Ile (n&nbsp;= 91; 45.3%) and Thr60Ala (n&nbsp;= 41; 20.4%). Overall, 91 (85%) of 107 patients with Val122Ile were from the United States, where Val122Ile subjects were younger and more often female and black than patients with wild-type disease, and had similar cardiac phenotype but a greater burden of neurologic symptoms (pain, numbness, tingling, and walking disability) and worse quality of life. Advancing age and lower mean arterial pressure, but not the presence of a transthyretin mutation, were independently associated with higher mortality from a multivariate analysis of survival. Conclusions In the THAOS registry, ATTR in the United States is overwhelmingly a disorder of older adult male subjects with a cardiac-predominant phenotype. Val122Ile is the most common transthyretin mutation, and neurologic phenotypic expression differs between wild-type disease and Val122Ile, but survival from enrollment in THAOS does not. (Transthyretin-Associated Amyloidoses Outcome Survey [THAOS]; NCT00628745

Die Auswirkungen der Klimaschutzmaßnahmen auf den Arbeitsmarkt und die Wirtschaft

In diesem Bericht werden die Auswirkungen des Klimaschutzprogramms 2030, des Klimaschutz Sofortprogramms 2022 und der Aufstockung Bundesförderung energieeffiziente Gebäude (BEG) vom 22.09.2021 für Arbeitsmarkt und Wirtschaft für den Zeitraum bis 2025 abgeschätzt. Ob die Maßnahmen geeignet sind, die Treibhausgasemissionen bis 2030 um 65 Prozent zu mindern, wird im Rahmen dieses Berichts nicht untersucht.This report estimates the effects of the Climate Protection Program 2030, the Climate Protection Immediate Action Program 2022 and the increase in federal funding for energy-efficient buildings of September 22, 2021 on the labor market and the economy for the period 2021 to 2025. This report does not examine whether the measures are likely to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent by 2030