Exoplanet Atmosphere Measurements from Transmission Spectroscopy and other Planet-Star Combined Light Observations

It is possible to learn a great deal about exoplanet atmospheres even when we cannot spatially resolve the planets from their host stars. In this chapter, we overview the basic techniques used to characterize transiting exoplanets - transmission spectroscopy, emission and reflection spectroscopy, and full-orbit phase curve observations. We discuss practical considerations, including current and future observing facilities and best practices for measuring precise spectra. We also highlight major observational results on the chemistry, climate, and cloud properties of exoplanets.Comment: Accepted review chapter; Handbook of Exoplanets, eds. Hans J. Deeg and Juan Antonio Belmonte (Springer-Verlag). 22 pages, 6 figure

Interferon regulatory factor 8-deficiency determines massive neutrophil recruitment but T cell defect in fast growing granulomas during tuberculosis

Following Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, immune cell recruitment in lungs is pivotal in establishing protective immunity through granuloma formation and neogenesis of lymphoid structures (LS). Interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF-8) plays an important role in host defense against Mtb, although the mechanisms driving anti-mycobacterial immunity remain unclear. In this study, IRF-8 deficient mice (IRF-8−/−) were aerogenously infected with a low-dose Mtb Erdman virulent strain and the course of infection was compared with that induced in wild-type (WT-B6) counterparts. Tuberculosis (TB) progression was examined in both groups using pathological, microbiological and immunological parameters. Following Mtb exposure, the bacterial load in lungs and spleens progressed comparably in the two groups for two weeks, after which IRF-8−/− mice developed a fatal acute TB whereas in WT-B6 the disease reached a chronic stage. In lungs of IRF-8−/−, uncontrolled growth of pulmonary granulomas and impaired development of LS were observed, associated with unbalanced homeostatic chemokines, progressive loss of infiltrating T lymphocytes and massive prevalence of neutrophils at late infection stages. Our data define IRF-8 as an essential factor for the maintenance of proper immune cell recruitment in granulomas and LS required to restrain Mtb infection. Moreover, IRF-8−/− mice, relying on a common human and mouse genetic mutation linked to susceptibility/severity of mycobacterial diseases, represent a valuable model of acute TB for comparative studies with chronically-infected congenic WT-B6 for dissecting protective and pathological immune reactions

Distal junctional kyphosis in patients with Scheuermann’s disease: a retrospective radiographic analysis

Purpose To investigate the relationship between preoperative and postoperative spinopelvic alignment and occurrence of DJK/DJF. Study design/setting This was a retrospective observational cohort study. Patient sample The sample included 40 patients who underwent posterior correction of SK from January 2006 to December 2014. Outcome measures Correlation analysis between the preoperative and postoperative spinopelvic alignment parameters and development of DJK over the course of the study period were studied. Methods Whole spine X-rays obtained before surgery, 3 months after surgery and at the latest follow-up were analyzed. The following parameters were measured: maximum of thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), lower instrumented vertebra (LIV) and LIV plumb line. Development of DJK was considered as the primary end point of the study. The patient population was split into a control and DJK group, with 34 patients and 6 patients, respectively. Statistic analysis was performed using unpaired t test for normal contribution and Mann–Whitney test for skew distributed values. The significance level was set to 0.05. Results DJK occurred in 15% (n = 6) over the study period. There was a significantly lower postoperative TK for the group with DJK (42.4 ± 5.3 vs 49.8 ± 6.7, p = 0.015). LIV plumb line showed higher negative values in the DJK group (−43.6 ± 25.1 vs −2.2 ± 17.8, p = 0.0435). Furthermore, postoperative LL changes were lower for the DJK group (33.84 ± 13.86% vs 31.77 ± 14.05, p < 0.0001.) The age of the patients who developed DJK was also significantly lower than that of the control group (16.8 ± 1.7 vs 19.6 ± 4.9, p = 0.0024.) Conclusions SK patients who developed DJK appeared to have a significantly higher degree of TK correction and more negative LIV plumb line. In addition, there may be a higher risk for DJK in patients undergoing corrective surgery at a younger age

Histone deacetylases as new therapy targets for platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer

Introduction: In developed countries, ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. Due to the nonspecific symptomatology associated with the disease many patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed late, which leads to significantly poorer prognosis. Apart from surgery and radiotherapy, a substantial number of ovarian cancer patients will undergo chemotherapy and platinum based agents are the mainstream first-line therapy for this disease. Despite the initial efficacy of these therapies, many women relapse; therefore, strategies for second-line therapies are required. Regulation of DNA transcription is crucial for tumour progression, metastasis and chemoresistance which offers potential for novel drug targets. Methods: We have reviewed the existing literature on the role of histone deacetylases, nuclear enzymes regulating gene transcription. Results and conclusion: Analysis of available data suggests that a signifant proportion of drug resistance stems from abberant gene expression, therefore HDAC inhibitors are amongst the most promising therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Together with genetic testing, they may have a potential to serve as base for patient-adapted therapies

A study protocol to investigate the management of depression and challenging behaviors associated with dementia in aged care settings

Background:&nbsp;The high occurrence and under-treatment of clinical depression and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) within aged care settings is concerning, yet training programs aimed at improving the detection and management of these problems have generally been ineffective. This article presents a study protocol to evaluate a training intervention for facility managers/registered nurses working in aged care facilities that focuses on organisational processes and culture as well as knowledge, skills and self-efficacy. Methods. A Randomised Control Trial (RCT) will be implemented across 18 aged care facilities (divided into three conditions). Participants will be senior registered nurses and personal care attendants employed in the aged care facility. The first condition will receive the training program (Staff as Change Agents - Enhancing and Sustaining Mental Health in Aged Care), the second condition will receive the training program and clinical support, and the third condition will receive no intervention. Results: Pre-, post-, 6-month and 12-month follow-up measures of staff and residents will be used to demonstrate how upskilling clinical leaders using our transformational training approach, as well as the use of a structured screening, referral and monitoring protocol, can address the mental health needs of older people in residential care. Conclusions: The expected outcome of this study is the validation of an evidence-based training program to improve the management of depression and BPSD among older people in residential care settings by establishing routine practices related to mental health. This relatively brief but highly focussed training package will be readily rolled out to a larger number of residential care facilities at a relatively low cost.</div

Aurora-A/STK15/BTAK overexpression induces centrosome amplification, chromosomal instability, and transformation in human urothelial cells

Aurora-A/STK15/BTAK kinase encoding gene, located on chromosome 20q13, is frequently amplified and overexpressed in human cancers. Sen et al. previously demonstrated that Aurora-A amplification and overexpression are associated with aneuploidy and clinically aggressive bladder cancer (J Natl Cancer Inst (2002) 94, 1320-1329). To examine if this association is the direct result of Aurora-A gene amplification and overexpression, an immortalized human urothelial cell line (SV-HUC) was infected with an adenoviral Aurora-A-green fluorescent protein (Ad-Aurora-A-GFP) fusion construct inducing ectopic expression of the resulting fusion protein. Controls included mock-infected and adenoviral-GFP infected cells. Ectopic expression of transduced Aurora-A did not alter the doubling time of the SV-HUC cells but significantly increased the number of cells with multiple centrosomes displaying aneuploidy and increased colony formation in soft agar. This is the first report demonstrating that overexpression of Aurora-A induces centrosome anomalies together with chromosomal instability and malignant transformation-associated phenotypic changes in immortalized human urothelial cells, thus supporting the hypothesis that this gene plays an important role in the development of aggressive bladder cancer

Exercise Program Design Considerations for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

The present study aimed to establish exercise preferences, barriers, and perceived benefits among head and neck cancer survivors, as well as their level of interest in participating in an exercise program. Patients treated for primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck between 2010 and 2014 were identified from the hospital database and sent a postal questionnaire pack to establish exercise preferences, barriers, perceived benefits, current physical activity levels, and quality of life. A postal reminder was sent to non-responders 4 weeks later. The survey comprised 1021 eligible patients of which 437 (43%) responded [74% male, median (interquartile range) age, 66 (60-73) years]. Of the repondents, 30% said ‘Yes’ they would be interested in participating in an exercise program and 34% said ‘Maybe’. The most common exercise preferences were a frequency of three times per week, moderate-intensity, and 15-29 minutes per bout. The most popular exercise types were walking (68%), flexibility exercises (35%), water activites/swimming (33%), cycling (31%), and weight machines (19%). Home (55%), outdoors (46%) and health club/gym (33%) were the most common preferred choices for where to regularly exercise. Percieved exercise benefits relating to improved physical attributes were commonly cited, whereas potential social and work-related benefits were less well acknowledged. The most commonly cited exercise barriers were dry mouth or throat (40%), fatigue (37%), shortness of breath (30%), muscle weakness (28%) difficulty swallowing (25%), and shoulder weakness and pain (24%). The present findings inform the design of exercise programs for head and neck cancer survivors

Leadership = Communication? The relations of leaders' communication styles with leadership styles, knowledge sharing and leadership outcomes

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between leaders' communication styles and charismatic leadership, human-oriented leadership (leader's consideration), task-oriented leadership (leader's initiating structure), and leadership outcomes. Methodology: A survey was conducted among 279 employees of a governmental organization. The following six main communication styles were operationalized: verbal aggressiveness, expressiveness, preciseness, assuredness, supportiveness, and argumentativeness. Regression analyses were employed to test three main hypotheses. Findings: In line with expectations, the study showed that charismatic and human-oriented leadership are mainly communicative, while task-oriented leadership is significantly less communicative. The communication styles were strongly and differentially related to knowledge sharing behaviors, perceived leader performance, satisfaction with the leader, and subordinate's team commitment. Multiple regression analyses showed that the leadership styles mediated the relations between the communication styles and leadership outcomes. However, leader's preciseness explained variance in perceived leader performance and satisfaction with the leader above and beyond the leadership style variables. Implications: This study offers potentially invaluable input for leadership training programs by showing the importance of leader's supportiveness, assuredness, and preciseness when communicating with subordinates. Originality/value: Although one of the core elements of leadership is interpersonal communication, this study is one of the first to use a comprehensive communication styles instrument in the study of leadership. © 2009 The Author(s)

Identification of metabolic pathways influenced by the G-protein coupled receptors GprB and GprD in Aspergillus nidulans

Heterotrimeric G-protein-mediated signaling pathways play a pivotal role in transmembrane signaling in eukaryotes. Our main aim was to identify signaling pathways regulated by A. nidulans GprB and GprD G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). When these two null mutant strains were compared to the wild-type strain, the DeltagprB mutant showed an increased protein kinase A (PKA) activity while growing in glucose 1% and during starvation. In contrast, the DeltagprD has a much lower PKA activity upon starvation. Transcriptomics and (1)H NMR-based metabolomics were performed on two single null mutants grown on glucose. We noted modulation in the expression of 11 secondary metabolism gene clusters when the DeltagprB and DeltagprD mutant strains were grown in 1% glucose. Several members of the sterigmatocystin-aflatoxin gene cluster presented down-regulation in both mutant strains. The genes of the NR-PKS monodictyphenone biosynthesis cluster had overall increased mRNA accumulation in DeltagprB, while in the DeltagprD mutant strain the genes had decreased mRNA accumulation. Principal component analysis of the metabolomic data demonstrated that there was a significant metabolite shift in the DeltagprD strain. The (1)H NMR analysis revealed significant expression of essential amino acids with elevated levels in the DeltagprD strain, compared to the wild-type and DeltagprB strains. With the results, we demonstrated the differential expression of a variety of genes related mainly to secondary metabolism, sexual development, stress signaling, and amino acid metabolism. We propose that the absence of GPCRs triggered stress responses at the genetic level. The data suggested an intimate relationship among different G-protein coupled receptors, fine-tune regulation of secondary and amino acid metabolisms, and fungal development

Collaborative care for depression and anxiety problems

This review is published as a Cochrane Review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 10. Cochrane Reviews are regularly updated as new evidence emerges and in response to comments and criticisms, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews should be consulted for the most recent version of the Review.Common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, are estimated to affect up to 15% of the UK population at any one time, and health care systems worldwide need to implement interventions to reduce the impact and burden of these conditions. Collaborative care is a complex intervention based on chronic disease management models that may be effective in the management of these common mental health problems