The ALMaQUEST Survey XIV: do radial molecular gas flows affect the star-forming ability of barred galaxies?

We investigate whether barred galaxies are statistically more likely to harbour radial molecular gas flows and what effect those flows have on their global properties. Using 46 galaxies from the ALMA-MaNGA QUEnching and STar formation (ALMaQUEST) survey, we identify galaxies hosting optical bars using a combination of the morphological classifications in Galaxy Zoo 2 and HyperLEDA. In order to detect radial molecular gas flows, we employ full 3D kinematic modelling of the ALMaQUEST 12CO(1-0) datacubes. By combining our bar classifications with our radial bar-driven flow detections, we find that galaxies classed as barred are statistically more likely to host large-scale radial gas motions compared to their un-barred and edge-on galaxy counterparts. Moreover, the majority of barred galaxies require multi-component surface brightness profiles in their best-fit models, indicative of the presence of resonance systems. We find that galaxies classed as barred with radial bar-driven flows (“barred + radial flow” subset) have significantly suppressed global star-formation efficiencies compared to barred galaxies without radial bar-driven flows and galaxies in the other morphological sub-samples. Our “barred + radial flow” subset galaxies also possess consistently centrally concentrated molecular gas distributions, with no indication of depleted gas mass fractions, suggesting that gas exhaustion is not the cause of their suppressed star formation. Furthermore, these objects have higher median gas mass surface densities in their central 1 kpc, implying that a central gas enhancements do not fuel central starbursts in these objects. We propose that dynamical effects, such as shear caused by large-scale inflows of gas, act to gravitationally stabilise the inner gas reservoirs

SIOP Ependymoma I: Final results, long term follow-up and molecular analysis of the trial cohort: A BIOMECA Consortium Study

BACKGROUND: SIOP Ependymoma I was a non-randomised trial assessing event free and overall survival (EFS/OS) of non-metastatic intracranial ependymoma in children aged 3 to 21 years treated with a staged management strategy. A further aim was to assess the response rate (RR) of subtotally resected (STR) ependymoma to vincristine, etoposide and cyclophosphamide (VEC). We report final results with 12-year follow-up and post hoc analyses of recently described biomarkers. METHODS: 74 participants were eligible. Children with gross total resection (GTR) received radiotherapy, whilst those with STR received VEC before radiotherapy. DNA methylation, 1q, hTERT, ReLA, Tenascin-C, H3K27me3 and pAKT status were evaluated. RESULTS: Five- and ten-year EFS was 49.5% and 46.7%, OS was 69.3% and 60.5%. GTR was achieved in 33/74 (44.6%) and associated with improved EFS (p=0.003, HR=2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.1). Grade 3 tumours were associated with worse OS (p=0.005, HR=2.8, 95%CI 1.3-5.8). 1q gain and hTERT expression were associated with poorer EFS (p=0.003, HR=2.70, 95%CI 1.49-6.10 and p=0.014, HR=5.8, 95%CI 1.2-28) and H3K27me3 loss with worse OS (p=0.003, HR=4.6, 95%CI 1.5-13.2). Methylation profiles showed expected patterns. 12 participants with STR did not receive chemotherapy; a protocol violation. However, best chemotherapy RR was 65.5% (19/29, 95%CI 45.7-82.1), exceeding the prespecified 45%. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with totally resected ependymoma had the best outcomes. RR of STR to VEC exceeded the pre-specified efficacy criterion. However, cases of inaccurate stratification highlighted the need for rapid central review. 1q gain, H3K27me3 loss and hTERT expression were all associated with poorer survival outcomes

Exploring the Relationship Between Online Social Network Site Usage and the Impact on Quality of Life for Older and Younger Users: An Interaction Analysis

This is an Open Access journal. ©Darren Quinn, Liming Chen, Maurice D Mulvenna, Raymond Bond. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 29.09.2016. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited

Temperature- and thickness-dependent elastic moduli of polymer thin films

The mechanical properties of polymer ultrathin films are usually different from those of their counterparts in bulk. Understanding the effect of thickness on the mechanical properties of these films is crucial for their applications. However, it is a great challenge to measure their elastic modulus experimentally with in situ heating. In this study, a thermodynamic model for temperature- (T) and thickness (h)-dependent elastic moduli of polymer thin films Ef(T,h) is developed with verification by the reported experimental data on polystyrene (PS) thin films. For the PS thin films on a passivated substrate, Ef(T,h) decreases with the decreasing film thickness, when h is less than 60 nm at ambient temperature. However, the onset thickness (h*), at which thickness Ef(T,h) deviates from the bulk value, can be modulated by T. h* becomes larger at higher T because of the depression of the quenching depth, which determines the thickness of the surface layer δ

Intrinsic Thermal Sensing Controls Proteolysis of Yersinia Virulence Regulator RovA

Pathogens, which alternate between environmental reservoirs and a mammalian host, frequently use thermal sensing devices to adjust virulence gene expression. Here, we identify the Yersinia virulence regulator RovA as a protein thermometer. Thermal shifts encountered upon host entry lead to a reversible conformational change of the autoactivator, which reduces its DNA-binding functions and renders it more susceptible for proteolysis. Cooperative binding of RovA to its target promoters is significantly reduced at 37°C, indicating that temperature control of rovA transcription is primarily based on the autoregulatory loop. Thermally induced reduction of DNA-binding is accompanied by an enhanced degradation of RovA, primarily by the Lon protease. This process is also subject to growth phase control. Studies with modified/chimeric RovA proteins indicate that amino acid residues in the vicinity of the central DNA-binding domain are important for proteolytic susceptibility. Our results establish RovA as an intrinsic temperature-sensing protein in which thermally induced conformational changes interfere with DNA-binding capacity, and secondarily render RovA susceptible to proteolytic degradation

Astrocytic αVβ3 Integrin Inhibits Neurite Outgrowth and Promotes Retraction of Neuronal Processes by Clustering Thy-1

Thy-1 is a membrane glycoprotein suggested to stabilize or inhibit growth of neuronal processes. However, its precise function has remained obscure, because its endogenous ligand is unknown. We previously showed that Thy-1 binds directly to αVβ3 integrin in trans eliciting responses in astrocytes. Nonetheless, whether αVβ3 integrin might also serve as a Thy-1-ligand triggering a neuronal response has not been explored. Thus, utilizing primary neurons and a neuron-derived cell line CAD, Thy-1-mediated effects of αVβ3 integrin on growth and retraction of neuronal processes were tested. In astrocyte-neuron co-cultures, endogenous αVβ3 integrin restricted neurite outgrowth. Likewise, αVβ3-Fc was sufficient to suppress neurite extension in Thy-1(+), but not in Thy-1(−) CAD cells. In differentiating primary neurons exposed to αVβ3-Fc, fewer and shorter dendrites were detected. This effect was abolished by cleavage of Thy-1 from the neuronal surface using phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). Moreover, αVβ3-Fc also induced retraction of already extended Thy-1(+)-axon-like neurites in differentiated CAD cells as well as of axonal terminals in differentiated primary neurons. Axonal retraction occurred when redistribution and clustering of Thy-1 molecules in the plasma membrane was induced by αVβ3 integrin. Binding of αVβ3-Fc was detected in Thy-1 clusters during axon retraction of primary neurons. Moreover, αVβ3-Fc-induced Thy-1 clustering correlated in time and space with redistribution and inactivation of Src kinase. Thus, our data indicates that αVβ3 integrin is a ligand for Thy-1 that upon binding not only restricts the growth of neurites, but also induces retraction of already existing processes by inducing Thy-1 clustering. We propose that these events participate in bi-directional astrocyte-neuron communication relevant to axonal repair after neuronal damage

Renal primitive neuroectodermal tumor: does age at diagnosis impact outcomes?

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the kidney is a rare and highly malignant neoplasm. The median age for renal PNET is 27 years but it can be seen also in a wide age range between 3 and 78 years. We performed a Medline search for the term renal PNET and identified 79 cases up till December of 2010. We report here a new case of renal PNET and a literature review for published data for evaluation of clinicopathological prognostic factors, with an emphasis on prognosis in two groups of adults and children-adolescents: 18 years of age or under and over 18 years

Minimal stress shielding with a Mallory-Head titanium femoral stem with proximal porous coating in total hip arthroplasty

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As longevity of cementless femoral components enters the third decade, concerns arise with long-term effects of fixation mode on femoral bone morphology. We examined the long-term consequences on femoral remodeling following total hip arthroplasty with a porous plasma-sprayed tapered titanium stem.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Clinical data and radiographs were reviewed from a single center for 97 randomly selected cases implanted with the Mallory-Head Porous femoral component during primary total hip arthroplasty. Measurements were taken from preoperative and long-term follow-up radiographs averaging 14 years postoperative. Average changes in the proximal, middle and diaphyseal zones were determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>On anteroposterior radiographs, the proximal cortical thickness was unchanged medially and the lateral zone increased 1.3%. Middle cortical thickness increased 4.3% medially and 1.2% laterally. Distal cortical thickness increased 9.6% medially and 1.9% laterally. Using the anteroposterior radiographs, canal fill at 100 mm did not correlate with bony changes at any level (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of -0.18, 0.05, and 0.00; p value = 0.09, 0.67, 0.97). On lateral radiographs, the proximal cortical thickness increased 1.5% medially and 0.98% laterally. Middle cortical thickness increased 2.4% medially and 1.3% laterally. Distal cortical thickness increased 3.5% medially and 2.1% laterally. From lateral radiographs, canal fill at 100 mm correlated with bony hypertrophy at the proximal, mid-level, and distal femur (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.85, 0.33, and 0.28, respectively; p value = 0.001, 0.016, and 0.01, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Stress shielding is minimized with the Mallory-Head titanium tapered femoral stem with circumferential proximal plasma-sprayed coating in well-fixed and well-functioning total hip arthroplasty. Additionally, the majority of femora demonstrated increased cortical thickness in all zones around the stem prosthesis. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III.</p

A brief report on the associations amongst social media use, gender, and body esteem in a UK student sample

Research into the effects of social media on personal wellbeing have been controversial in recent years, with recent research highlighting links between social media use and body esteem. This conceptual replication study aimed to explore relationships amongst social media use, body esteem and gender amongst UK university students (n=100). Participants completed measures of social media use and body image esteem. It was hypothesised that social media intensity and usage would negatively predict body esteem, with high social media intensity relating to lower body esteem. We find that gender was the only significant predictor of body esteem, with women having lower body esteem compared to men. We were unable to replicate previous findings, as our findings show no relationships amongst social media intensity, use, and body esteem