Preventing a shock to the system. Two-pore channel 1 negatively regulates anaphylaxis

The mammalian two-pore channels TPC1 and TPC2 are patho-physiologically relevant endo-lysosomal cation channels regulated by the Ca2+ mobilising messenger NAADP and the phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P2. Recent work by Arlt et al shows that genetic or chemical inhibition of TPC1 in mice promotes anaphylaxis in vivo through a mechanism involving enhanced endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and secretion in mast cells

English as an Additional Language (EAL) and educational achievement in England: An analysis of the National Pupil Database

The project was commissioned by three charitable groups – the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Unbound Philanthropy and The Bell Foundation – to analyse the evidence from national data in England on the achievement of students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and to review the literature on effective interventions to raise the attainment of pupils with EAL. The key questions addressed by the project were: - Who are the most at-risk groups of EAL learners and what are the predictors of low attainment for these learners? - What are the most promising programmes and interventions to address EAL achievement gaps on the basis of causal evidence? This report presents an analysis of the most recent England National Pupil Database (NPD) from 2013 with respect to the first question above. A sister report focuses on the second question concerning effective interventions and is published in parallel with this report. The overall purpose of the project is to help schools and policymakers to effectively target policy, interventions and funding to address achievement gaps.Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Unbound Philanthropy and The Bell Foundation

Overweight and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction - Is there a link?

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of body mass index with regard to exercise performance, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), and respiratory symptoms in 7- to 16-year-old children. Methods A total of 1120 outdoor running exercise challenge test results of 7- to 16-year-old children were retrospectively reviewed. Lung function was evaluated with spirometry, and exercise performance was assessed by calculating distance per 6 minutes from the running time and distance. Respiratory symptoms in the exercise challenge test were recorded, and body mass index modified for children (ISO-BMI) was calculated for each child from height, weight, age, and gender according to the national growth references. Results Greater ISO-BMI and overweight were associated with poorer exercise performance (P <.001). In addition, greater ISO-BMI was independently associated with cough (P = .002) and shortness of breath (P = .012) in the exercise challenge. However, there was no association between ISO-BMI and EIB or with wheeze during the exercise challenge. Conclusion Greater ISO-BMI may have a role in poorer exercise performance and appearance of respiratory symptoms during exercise, but not in EIB in 7- to 16-year-old children.Peer reviewe

The origin of very wide binary systems

The majority of stars in the Galactic field and halo are part of binary or multiple systems. A significant fraction of these systems have orbital separations in excess of thousands of astronomical units, and systems wider than a parsec have been identified in the Galactic halo. These binary systems cannot have formed through the 'normal' star-formation process, nor by capture processes in the Galactic field. We propose that these wide systems were formed during the dissolution phase of young star clusters. We test this hypothesis using N-body simulations of evolving star clusters and find wide binary fractions of 1-30%, depending on initial conditions. Moreover, given that most stars form as part of a binary system, our theory predicts that a large fraction of the known wide 'binaries' are, in fact, multiple systems.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of IAU Symposium 266, eds. R. de Grijs & J.R.D. Lepin

Vector solitons in (2+1) dimensions

We address the problem of existence and stability of vector spatial solitons formed by two incoherently interacting optical beams in bulk Kerr and saturable media. We identify families of (2+1)-dimensional two-mode self-trapped beams, with and without a topological charge, and describe their properties analytically and numerically.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Opt. Let

Is our Sun a Singleton?

Most stars are formed in a cluster or association, where the number density of stars can be high. This means that a large fraction of initially-single stars will undergo close encounters with other stars and/or exchange into binaries. We describe how such close encounters and exchange encounters can affect the properties of a planetary system around a single star. We define a singleton as a single star which has never suffered close encounters with other stars or spent time within a binary system. It may be that planetary systems similar to our own solar system can only survive around singletons. Close encounters or the presence of a stellar companion will perturb the planetary system, often leaving planets on tighter and more eccentric orbits. Thus planetary systems which initially resembled our own solar system may later more closely resemble some of the observed exoplanet systems.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure. To be published in the proceedings of IAUS246 "Dynamical Evolution of Dense Stellar Systems". Editors: E. Vesperini (Chief Editor), M. Giersz, A. Sill

Airway hyperresponsiveness in young children with respiratory symptoms A five-year follow-up

Background: Recurrent wheezing in early life is transient in most children. The significance of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) in persistence of respiratory symptoms from infancy to early childhood is controversial. Objective: We evaluated whether AHR in wheezy infants predicts doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA) or AHR at the age of 6 years. Methods: Sixty-one wheezy infants (age 6-24 months) were followed up to the median age of 6 years. Lung function and AHR with methacholine challenge test were assessed at infancy and 6 years. The exercise challenge test was performed at the age of 6 years. Atopy was assessed with skin prick tests. Results: At 6 years, 21 (34%) of the children had DDA. Children with DDA had higher logarithmic transformed dose-response slope (LOGDRS) to methacholine in infancy than children without DDA (0.047 vs 0.025; P = .033). Furthermore, AHR to methacholine in infancy and at 6 years were associated with each other (r = 0.324, P = .011). Children with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) at 6 years were more reactive to methacholine in infancy than those without EIB (P = .019). Conclusion: Increased AHR in symptomatic infants was associated with increased AHR, DDA, and EIB at median the age of 6 years, suggesting early establishment of AHR. (C) 2019 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe