Dense Molecular Filaments Feeding a Starburst: ALMA Maps of CO(3-2) in Henize 2-10

We present ALMA CO(3-2) observations at 0.3 arcsec resolution of He2-10, a starburst dwarf galaxy and possible high-z galaxy analogue. The warm dense gas traced by CO(3--2) is found in clumpy filaments that are kinematically and spatially distinct. The filaments have no preferred orientation or direction; this may indicate that the galaxy is not evolving into a disk galaxy. Filaments appear to be feeding the active starburst; the velocity field in one filament suggests acceleration onto an embedded star cluster. The relative strengths of CO(3-2) and radio continuum vary strongly on decaparsec scales in the starburst. There is no CO(3--2) clump coincident with the non-thermal radio source that has been suggested to be an AGN, nor unusual kinematics. The kinematics of the molecular gas show significant activity apparently unrelated to the current starburst. The longest filament, east of the starburst, has a pronounced shear of FWHM $\sim40$~\kms\ across its $\sim$50~pc width over its entire $\approx 0.5$ kpc length. The cause of the shear is not clear. This filament is close in projection to a `dynamically distinct' CO feature previously seen in CO(1--0). The most complex region and the most highly disturbed gas velocities are in a region 200~pc south of the starburst. The CO(3--2) emission there reveals a molecular outflow, of linewidth FWZI $\sim$ 120-140 \kms, requiring an energy $\gtrsim 10^{53} \rm~ erg/s$. There is at present {\it no} candidate for the driving source of this outflow.Comment: This was revised 31 October to correct some typos and to replace Figure

Infrared Emission from Clusters in the Starforming Disk of He2-10

We have made subarcsecond-resolution images of the central 10" of the Wolf-Rayet dwarf galaxy He 2-10 at 11.7 microns, using the Long Wavelength Spectrometer on the Keck Telescope. The spatial distribution of the infrared emission roughly agrees with that of the rising spectrum radio sources seen by Kobulnicky & Johnson (1999) and confirms that those sources are compact HII regions rather than SNR or other objects. The infrared sources are more extended than the subarcsecond rising spectrum radio sources, although the entire complex is still less than 5" in extent. On sizescales of 1" the infrared and radio emission are in excellent agreement, with each source requiring several hundred to a thousand O stars for excitation. The nebulae lie in a flattened disk-like distribution about 240 by 100 pc and provide all of the flux measured by IRAS for the entire galaxy in the 12 micron band; 30% of the total IRAS flux from the galaxy emanates from one 15-30 pc source. In this galaxy, intense star formation, probably triggered by an accretion event, is confined to a central disk which breaks up into distinct nebulae which presumably mark the sites of young super star clusters.Comment: Accepted for Publication in the Astronomical Journa

The Extraordinary Infrared Spectrum of NGC 1222 (Mkn 603)

The infrared spectra of starburst galaxies are dominated by the low-excitation lines of [NeII] and [SIII], and the stellar populations deduced from these spectra appear to lack stars larger than about 35 Msun. The only exceptions to this result until now were low metallicity dwarf galaxies. We report our analysis of the mid-infrared spectra obtained with IRS on Spitzer of the starburst galaxy NGC 1222 (Mkn 603). NGC 1222 is a large spheroidal galaxy with a starburst nucleus that is a compact radio and infrared source, and its infrared emission is dominated by the [NeIII] line. This is the first starburst of solar or near-solar metallicity, known to us, which is dominated by the high-excitation lines and which is a likely host of high mass stars. We model the emission with several different assumptions as to the spatial distibution of the high- and low-excitation lines and find that the upper mass cutoff in this galaxy is 40-100 Msun.Comment: accepted, Astronomical Journal. 29 pp, 4 figures. In replacement version an acknowledgment to NRAO is adde

Regulatory Mechanisms in Bone Following Mechanical Loading

Bone responds with increased bone formation to mechanical loading, and the time course of bone formation after initiating mechanical loading is well characterized. However, the regulatory activities governing the loading-dependent changes in gene expression are not well understood. The goal of this study was to identify the time-dependent regulatory mechanisms that governed mechanical loading-induced gene expression in bone using a predictive bioinformatics algorithm. A standard model for bone loading in rodents was employed in which the right forelimb was loaded axially for three minutes per day, while the left forearm served as a non-loaded, contralateral control. Animals were subjected to loading sessions every day, with 24 hours between sessions. Ulnas were sampled at 11 time points, from 4 hours to 32 days after beginning loading. Using a predictive bioinformatics algorithm, we created a linear model of gene expression and identified 44 transcription factor binding motifs and 29 microRNA binding sites that were predicted to regulate gene expression across the time course. Known and novel transcription factor binding motifs were identified throughout the time course, as were several novel microRNA binding sites. These time-dependent regulatory mechanisms may be important in controlling the loading-induced bone formation process

Electroconvulsive therapy for negative symptoms in schizophrenia: a literature review from 2000 to 2021

Negative symptoms in schizophrenia remain a clinical challenge with small effect sizes and evidence for pharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatment approaches. Studies suggest that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) holds some promise as a treatment option of often persistent negative symptoms with clinically meaningful effects. This review summarizes the existing evidence on the efficacy of ECT on negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Thirty-five publications were included in this literature review comprising 21 studies, two meta-analyses, eight reviews and four case reports. Conclusions should be interpreted cautiously, given the small number and methodological shortcomings of the included publications with a variation of study designs and missing standardized protocols. Implications for future research and practice are critically discussed. Recommendations are given to provide more evidence that will meet the clinical challenge of reducing the negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Study designs that focus explicitly on negative symptoms and assess patients over longer follow up periods could be helpful. Future research should include control groups, and possibly establish international multicentered studies to get a sufficient study population. Findings suggest that patients with schizophrenia resistant to pharmacological treatment might benefit from ECT. A risk and benefit assessment speaks in favour of the ECT treatment. Future practice of ECT should include a combination treatment with antipsychotics. Whereas the use of anaesthetics and electrode placement does not seem to play a role, the recommendation regarding frequency of ECT treatments is currently three times a week, For the assessment of negative symptoms the assessment tool should be chosen carefully

New Mexico 4-H Online Horse Bowl Tournament

Under COVID-19 public health order constraints, Extension professionals used readily available technology (e.g., Google Forms, Zoom, Facebook Live, and QuizBowl Pro) to conduct a traditional 4-H quiz bowl contest entirely in a virtual setting as an innovative means of offering positive youth development in a structured environment when most New Mexicans were homebound and unable to travel. Participation in the virtual contest was substantially greater than similar in-person contests in the preceding five-year period, and youth reported an increase in equine knowledge as well as life skill development

Three dimensional mapping of Fe dopants in ceria nanocrystals using direct spectroscopic electron tomography

Electron tomography is a powerful technique for the 3D characterization of the morphology of nanostructures. Nevertheless, resolving the chemical composition of complex nanostructures in 3D remains challenging and the number of studies in which electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is combined with tomography is limited. During the last decade, dedicated reconstruction algorithms have been developed for HAADF-STEM tomography using prior knowledge about the investigated sample. Here, we will use the prior knowledge that the experimental spectrum of each reconstructed voxel is a linear combination of a well-known set of references spectra in a so-called direct spectroscopic tomography technique. Based on a simulation experiment, it is shown that this technique provides superior results in comparison to conventional reconstruction methods for spectroscopic data, especially for spectrum images containing a relatively low signal to noise ratio. Next, this technique is used to investigate the spatial distribution of Fe dopants in Fe:Ceria nanoparticles in 3D. It is shown that the presence of the Fe2+ dopants is correlated with a reduction of the Ce atoms from Ce4+ towards Ce3+. In addition, it is demonstrated that most of the Fe dopants are located near the voids inside the nanoparticle

Alpha-fetoprotein detection of hepatocellular carcinoma leads to a standardized analysis of dynamic AFP to improve screening based detection

Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through screening can improve outcomes. However, HCC surveillance remains costly, cumbersome and suboptimal. We tested whether and how serum Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) should be used in HCC surveillance. Record linkage, dedicated pathways for management and AFP data-storage identified i) consecutive highly characterised cases of HCC diagnosed in 2009-14 and ii) a cohort of ongoing HCC-free patients undergoing regular HCC surveillance from 2009. These two well-defined Scottish patient cohorts enabled us to test the utility of AFP surveillance. Of 04 cases of HCC diagnosed over 6 years, 42% (129) were identified by a dedicated HCC surveillance programme. Of these 129, 47% (61) had a detectable lesion first identified by screening ultrasound (US) but 38% (49) were prompted by elevated AFP. Despite pre-HCC diagnosis AFP >20kU/L being associated with poor outcome, 'AFP-detected' tumours were offered potentially curative management as frequently as 'US-detected' HCCs; and had comparable survival. Linearity of serial log10 -transformed AFPs in HCC cases and in the screening 'HCC-free' cohort (n = 1509) provided indicators of high-risk AFP behaviour in HCC cases. An algorithm was devised in static mode, then tested dynamically. A case/control series in hepatitis C related disease demonstrated highly significant detection (p-5) of patients at high risk of developing HCC. These data support the use of AFP in HCC surveillance. We show proof-of-principle that an automated and further refineable algorithmic interpretation of AFP can identify patients at higher risk of HCC. This approach could provide a cost-effective, user-friendly and much needed addition to US surveillance

Description, Utilisation and Results from a Telehealth Primary Care Weight Management Intervention for Adults with Obesity in South Carolina

Introduction: In the US, obesity rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Rural access to treatment of obesity is limited by a lack of qualified clinicians and by transportation and financial barriers. We describe a telemedicine weight management programme, Wellness Connect, developed through a partnership of academic clinicians and rural primary care providers in South Carolina, and present utilisation and weight outcomes from seven patient cohorts. Methods: Eight bi-weekly sessions were provided via telemedicine videoconferencing for groups of patients at these rural primary care clinics. Protocol-based sessions were led by registered dietitians, exercise physiologists and clinical psychologists at a central urban location. Results: Of 138 patients who started the programme, 62% (N ¼ 86) of patients met the criteria for completion. Completers lost an average of 3.5% (standard deviation (SD) ¼ 3.9%) body weight, which was statistically significant (p \u3c.001) and corresponded with an average loss of 3.8 kg (SD ¼ 4.5 kg). There were no differences in weight change among clinics (p ¼.972). Overall, patients and providers reported satisfaction with the programme and identified several challenges to sustainability. Discussion: The use of innovative telemedicine interventions continues to be necessary to alleviate barriers to accessing evidence-based services to reduce chronic diseases and decrease obesity rates among rural populations

Polyclonal epitope mapping reveals temporal dynamics and diversity of human antibody responses to H5N1 vaccination

Novel influenza A virus (IAV) strains elicit recall immune responses to conserved epitopes, making them favorable antigenic choices for universal influenza virus vaccines. Evaluating these immunogens requires a thorough understanding of the antigenic sites targeted by the polyclonal antibody (pAb) response, which single-particle electron microscopy (EM) can sensitively detect. In this study, we employ EM polyclonal epitope mapping (EMPEM) to extensively characterize the pAb response to hemagglutinin (HA) after H5N1 immunization in humans. Cross-reactive pAbs originating from memory B cells immediately bound the stem of HA and persisted for more than a year after vaccination. In contrast, de novo pAb responses to multiple sites on the head of HA, targeting previously determined key neutralizing sites on H5 HA, expanded after the second immunization and waned quickly. Thus, EMPEM provides a robust tool for comprehensively tracking the specificity and durability of immune responses elicited by novel universal influenza vaccine candidates