Galactic Archaeology with TESS: Prospects for Testing the Star Formation History in the Solar Neighbourhood

A period of quenching between the formation of the thick and thin disks of the Milky Way has been recently proposed to explain the observed age-[{\alpha}/Fe] distribution of stars in the solar neighbourhood. However, robust constraints on stellar ages are currently available for only a limited number of stars. The all-sky survey TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) will observe the brightest stars in the sky and thus can be used to investigate the age distributions of stars in these components of the Galaxy via asteroseismology, where previously this has been difficult using other techniques. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine whether TESS will be able to provide evidence for quenching periods during the star formation history of the Milky Way. Using a population synthesis code, we produced populations based on various stellar formation history models and limited the analysis to red-giant-branch stars. We investigated the mass-Galactic-disk-height distributions, where stellar mass was used as an age proxy, to test for whether periods of quenching can be observed by TESS. We found that even with the addition of 15% noise to the inferred masses, it will be possible for TESS to find evidence for/against quenching periods suggested in the literature (e.g. between 7 and 9 Gyr ago), therefore providing stringent constraints on the formation and evolution of the Milky Way.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of "Seismology of the Sun and the Distant Stars 2016", Mario J. P. F. G. Monteiro, Margarida S. Cunha, Joao Miguel T. Ferreira editor

Stigma as a fundamental hindrance to the United States opioid overdose crisis response.

Alexander Tsai and co-authors discuss the role of stigma in responses to the US opioid crisis

Gut microbiota of patients with different subtypes of gastric cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Background Gastric adenocarcinoma is associated with H. pylori infection and inflammation that can result in the dysbiosis of gastric microbiota. The association of intestinal microbiota with gastric adenocarcinoma subtypes or with gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is however not well known. Therefore, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing on DNA isolated from stool samples of Finnish patients and controls to study differences in microbiota among different histological subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric GIST and healthy controls. Results We found that gut microbiota alpha diversity was lowest in diffuse adenocarcinoma patients, followed by intestinal type and GIST patients, although the differences were not significant compared to controls. Beta-diversity analysis however showed significant differences in microbiota composition for all subtypes compared to controls. Significantly higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was observed in both adenocarcinoma subtypes, whereas lower abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was seen only in diffuse adenocarcinoma and of Oscillibacter in intestinal adenocarcinoma. Both GIST and adenocarcinoma patients had higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and lower abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Oscillibacter while lower abundance of Lachnoclostridium, Bifidobacterium, Parabacteroides and Barnesiella was seen only in the adenocarcinoma patients. Conclusions Our analysis shows association of higher Enterobacteriaceae abundance with all types of gastric tumors. Therefore it could be potentially useful as a marker of gastric malignancies. Lower gut microbiota diversity might be indicative of poorly differentiated, invasive, advanced or aggressive tumors and could possibly be a prognostic marker for gastric tumors.Peer reviewe

Prescription pattern of NSAIDS and the prevalence of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal risk factors of orthopaedic patients

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most commonly used medications in the world. NSAID-induced adverse reactions involve upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract complications, which can be life-threatening. Objectives: The study was conducted to explore the current prescription pattern of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the prevalence of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal(GI) risk factors of orthopedic adult inpatient.Materials and methods: A prospective observational NSAIDs induced GI risk related study was conducted over a period of 6 months by clinical pharmacist. Study cohort included 105 orthopaedic inpatients who are taking or will be taking NSAIDs for more than a week. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by each patient. A simplified risk scoring scale (the Standardized Calculator of Risk for Events; SCORE) was used to measure patients‟ risk for GI complications. The pattern of NSAIDs prescription was identified from medical recordings.Results: The study groups were stratified into four risk groups according to GI SCORE tool, 27.6% of the patients belonged to high risk or very high risk groups for GI complications. Analysis of prescription pattern revealed that 11.4% of the patients aged over 65 yr, 19% with co morbid disease were prescribed with COX-2 selective inhibitor. Conclusion: In this study assessment of prescription pattern and GI risk factors for NSAIDs were evaluated and in conclusion, physician‟s considerate prescription of NSAIDs with well-understanding of each patient‟s GI risk factors is strongly encouraged to prevent serious GI complication

Crystal-Induced Podocytopathy Producing Collapsing Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in Monoclonal Gammopathy of Renal Significance: A Case Report

Glomeruloesclerosis focal y segmentaria; Queratopatía cristalina; PodocitopatíaGlomeruloesclerosi focal i segmentària; Queratopatia cristal·lina; PodocitopatiaFocal and segmental glomerulosclerosis; Crystalline keratopathy; PodocytopathyMonoclonal gammopathy–associated crystalline podocytopathy causing collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is very rare and has been associated with pamidronate therapy. We present the case of a 53-year-old man with vision loss secondary to corneal crystals deposition, nephrotic-range proteinuria, and reduced glomerular filtration rate without associated comorbid conditions. Two kidney biopsies were initially reported as primary FSGS but the patient did not respond to high-dose corticosteroid immunosuppression therapy. Re-review of biopsies with additional electron microscopy analysis revealed crystalline inclusions in podocytes leading to collapsing FSGS. Subsequent workup revealed an immunoglobulin G κ serum monoclonal protein. Bone marrow biopsy revealed 5% κ-restricted plasma cells with cytoplasmic crystalline inclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first case of monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance manifesting as crystalline podocytopathy leading to collapsing FSGS and keratopathy leading to vision loss. Crystalline podocytopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of collapsing glomerulopathy, and careful ultrastructural examination of the kidney biopsy specimen is crucial to establish this diagnosis.The authors declare that they have no relevant financial interests

Gut microbiota of patients with different subtypes of gastric cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Background Gastric adenocarcinoma is associated with H. pylori infection and inflammation that can result in the dysbiosis of gastric microbiota. The association of intestinal microbiota with gastric adenocarcinoma subtypes or with gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is however not well known. Therefore, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing on DNA isolated from stool samples of Finnish patients and controls to study differences in microbiota among different histological subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric GIST and healthy controls. Results We found that gut microbiota alpha diversity was lowest in diffuse adenocarcinoma patients, followed by intestinal type and GIST patients, although the differences were not significant compared to controls. Beta-diversity analysis however showed significant differences in microbiota composition for all subtypes compared to controls. Significantly higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was observed in both adenocarcinoma subtypes, whereas lower abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was seen only in diffuse adenocarcinoma and of Oscillibacter in intestinal adenocarcinoma. Both GIST and adenocarcinoma patients had higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and lower abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Oscillibacter while lower abundance of Lachnoclostridium, Bifidobacterium, Parabacteroides and Barnesiella was seen only in the adenocarcinoma patients. Conclusions Our analysis shows association of higher Enterobacteriaceae abundance with all types of gastric tumors. Therefore it could be potentially useful as a marker of gastric malignancies. Lower gut microbiota diversity might be indicative of poorly differentiated, invasive, advanced or aggressive tumors and could possibly be a prognostic marker for gastric tumors

Autoreactivity to Glucose Regulated Protein 78 Links Emphysema and Osteoporosis in Smokers

Rationale: Emphysema and osteoporosis are epidemiologically associated diseases of cigarette smokers. The causal mechanism(s) linking these illnesses is unknown. We hypothesized autoimmune responses may be involved in both disorders. Objectives: To discover an antigen-specific autoimmune response associated with both emphysema and osteoporosis among smokers. Methods: Replicate nonbiased discovery assays indicated that autoimmunity to glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone and cell surface signaling receptor, is present in many smokers. Subject assessments included spirometry, chest CT scans, dual x-ray absorptiometry, and immunoblots for anti-GRP78 IgG. Anti-GRP78 autoantibodies were isolated from patient plasma by affinity chromatography, leukocyte functions assessed by flow cytometry, and soluble metabolites and mediators measured by immunoassays. Measurements and Main Results Circulating anti-GRP78 IgG autoantibodies were detected in plasma specimens from 86 (32%) of the 265 smoking subjects. Anti-GRP78 autoantibodies were singularly prevalent among subjects with radiographic emphysema (OR 3.1, 95%CI 1.7–5.7, p = 0.003). Anti-GRP78 autoantibodies were also associated with osteoporosis (OR 4.7, 95%CI 1.7–13.3, p = 0.002), and increased circulating bone metabolites (p = 0.006). Among emphysematous subjects, GRP78 protein was an autoantigen of CD4 T-cells, stimulating lymphocyte proliferation (p = 0.0002) and IFN-gamma production (p = 0.03). Patient-derived anti-GRP78 autoantibodies had avidities for osteoclasts and macrophages, and increased macrophage NFkB phosphorylation (p = 0.005) and productions of IL-8, CCL-2, and MMP9 (p = 0.005, 0.007, 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: Humoral and cellular GRP78 autoimmune responses in smokers have numerous biologically-relevant pro-inflammatory and other deleterious actions, and are associated with emphysema and osteoporosis. These findings may have relevance for the pathogenesis of smoking-associated diseases, and development of biomarker immunoassays and/or novel treatments for these disorders

Improved Cleaning Process for Textured ∼25 μm Flexible Mono-Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells with Metal Backing

An improved cleaning process is developed to remove front surface contamination for single heterojunction solar cells on textured surfaces on ∼25 μm thick exfoliated, flexible mono-crystalline silicon. The process is very effective in cleaning metallic and organic residues, without introducing additional contamination or degrading the supporting back metal used for ultrathin substrate handling. Quantitative analysis of the Auger electron spectra shows significant potassium contamination reduction (∼0.89% atomic) using the new cleaning process. An open-circuit voltage enhancement of 22 mV and an absolute 1.5% increase in conversion efficiency are observed with the new cleaning procedure for the exfoliated thin solar cells. Thin crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells are of much interest due to their potential to achieve high efficiency and reduce cost by using less Si material. However, there are significant challenges to commercialize sub-100 μm thin Si substrates as they can easily break or crack with wafer-handling, resulting in low yield in a solar cell manufacturing line. We have introduced in our earlier work, 1 a kerf-less process in which ultra-thin (∼25 μm) and flexible mono-crystalline Si substrates can be obtained through an exfoliation technique from a thicker (>450 μm) parent wafer. These substrates, when exfoliated, have thick (∼50 μm) electroplated nickel (Ni) metal backing, which provides mechanical support to the thin Si and enables ease of processing for semiconductor device fabrication. Previously we have demonstrated single heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells fabricated on this type of substrate exhibiting efficiencies 14.9% on as-exfoliated substrates. 2 However, on textured surfaces efficiency was limited to 11%. We postulated that one of the issues that could be limiting the performance of the cells is unintentional front surface contamination introduced during wet chemical processes before hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) deposition of the front surface emitter, which can limit the open-circuit voltage (V OC ) of these solar cells. This could happen due to the presence of potassium ions introduced from potassium hydroxide (KOH) during texturing. For decontamination we could not use SC-2 solution (5:1:1 ratio of H 2 O, H 2 O 2 , HCl at 80 o C) as it reacts rather aggressively with the electroplated Ni back metal. Instead, we used a piranha solution (1:1 ratio of H 2 O 2 , H 2 SO 4 ) for both decontamination from potassium ions and removal of organic contaminants, which did not seem to show corrosion degradation in the back side Ni. The pH level of HCl is slightly lower compared to H 2 SO 4, and SC-2 solution has a stronger effervescent action than piranha solution. This may explain why the Ni is much more affected by the SC-2 clean compared to the piranha clean. Nevertheless, piranha-treatment alone is probably inadequate for metal residues or potassium related contaminant removal after texturing. In this work, we attempted to address the front surface contamination issue by developing an improved cleaning procedure for textured silicon surfaces for mono-crystalline exfoliated Si substrate. We assumed the cleaning process employed for the rear surface is sufficient as it was done using traditional RCA cleaning 3 on a textured thick parent wafer. With the help of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) we have identified the chemical bonding nature of key contaminants at the surface i.e. carbon and potassium. We have also employed Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) to quantify the atomic concentration of the impurities before and after implementation of various wet chemical cleans. We have fabricated and characterized SHJ solar cells on z E-mail: [email protected] both exfoliated and bulk (∼180 μm) substrates to study the effect of contamination on device performance and how an improved surface clean procedure can affect the solar cell efficiency. Experimental A detailed process flow for the exfoliation process is discussed in previous work. 2 Sample 3 was treated with a 1:40 water based solution of SC-15 5 (Surface Chemistry Discoveries, Inc.) at 40 o C for 5 minutes. SC-15 is used as an alternative to RCA clean. It is well documented in the literature 6,7 that SC-1 step (5:1:1 ratio of H 2 O, H 2 O 2 , NH 4 OH at 80 o C) in RCA cleans causes micro-roughening and even pitting of silicon substrates, thereby introducing trap states (D it ) at the heterointerface. 8 We ensure extremely low anisotropic silicon etch rate to reduce roughening the surface by using high dilution (1:40) of SC-15 formulation. This is verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) done before and after SC-15 treatment. The surface morphology doesn't change as the solution was not concentrated enough and the temperature wasn't high enough to round off the peaks of the random pyramids that has been typically shown in previous literature 11,12 The chelating agent was used to increase the capacity of the cleaning bath to retain metals in solution by acting as a multi-dentate ligand forming a stable multi-dentate complex with the metal cations, which enhances the dissolution of metallic residues on the silicon surface. 13,14 The temperature of 40 o C aids in the contaminant removal, but is still not high enough to result in anisotropic etching of the silicon. Finally, sample 4 was treate

Mitigation of Pseudomonas syringae virulence by signal inactivation

Pseudomonas syringae is an important plant pathogen of many valuable crops worldwide, with more than 60 identified pathovars. The phytotoxins produced by these organisms were related to the severity of the damage caused to the plant. An emerging strategy to treat bacterial infections relies on interference with their signaling systems. In this study, we investigated P. syringae pv. syringae, which produces the virulence factor mangotoxin that causes bacterial apical necrosis on mango leaves. A previously unknown signaling molecule named leudiazen was identified, determined to be unstable and volatile, and responsible for mangotoxin production. A strategy using potassium permanganate, compatible with organic farming, was developed to degrade leudiazen and thus to attenuate the pathogenicity of P. syringae pv. syringae.Plant science

Targeted molecular-genetic imaging and ligand-directed therapy in aggressive variant prostate cancer

Aggressive variant prostate cancers (AVPC) are a clinically defined group of tumors of heterogeneous morphologies, characterized by poor patient survival and for which limited diagnostic and treatment options are currently available. We show that the cell surface 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), a receptor that binds to phage-display-selected ligands, such as the SNTRVAP motif, is a candidate target in AVPC. We report the presence and accessibility of this receptor in clinical specimens from index patients. We also demonstrate that human AVPC cells displaying GRP78 on their surface could be effectively targeted both in vitro and in vivo by SNTRVAP, which also enabled specific delivery of siRNA species to tumor xenografts in mice. Finally, we evaluated ligand-directed strategies based on SNTRVAP-displaying adeno-associated virus/phage (AAVP) particles in mice bearing MDA-PCa-118b, a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) of castration-resistant prostate cancer bone metastasis that we exploited as a model of AVPC. For theranostic (a merging of the terms therapeutic and diagnostic) studies, GRP78-targeting AAVP particles served to deliver the human Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase type-1 (HSVtk) gene, which has a dual function as a molecular-genetic sensor/reporter and a cell suicide-inducing transgene. We observed specific and simultaneous PET imaging and treatment of tumors in this preclinical model of AVPC. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of GPR78-targeting, ligand-directed theranostics for translational applications in AVPC