Endocardial cells are a distinct endothelial lineage derived from Flk1+ multipotent cardiovascular progenitors

Identification of multipotent cardiac progenitors has provided important insights into the mechanisms of myocardial lineage specification, yet has done little to clarify the origin of the endocardium. Despite its essential role in heart development, characterization of the endocardial lineage has been limited by the lack of specific markers of this early vascular subpopulation. To distinguish endocardium from other vasculature, we generated an BAC transgenic mouse line capable of labeling this specific endothelial subpopulation at the earliest stages of cardiac development. To further characterize endocardiogenesis, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from blastocysts were utilized to demonstrate that endocardial differentiation recapitulates the close temporal–spatial relationship observed between myocardium and endocardium seen . Endocardium is specified as a cardiac cell lineage, independent from other vascular populations, responding to BMP and Wnt signals that enhance cardiomyocyte differentiation. Furthermore, a population of Flk1+ cardiovascular progenitors, distinct from hemangioblast precursors, represents a mesodermal precursor of the endocardial endothelium, as well as other cardiovascular lineages. Taken together, these studies emphasize that the endocardium is a unique cardiac lineage and provides further evidence that endocardium and myocardium are derived from a common precursor

Effects of Detritus on the Mosquito Culex pipiens: Phragmites and Schedonorus (Festuca) Invasion Affect Population Performance

Partial funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.Species interactions that influence the performance of the exotic mosquito Culex pipiens can have important effects on the transmission risk of West Nile virus (WNV). Invasive plants that alter the vegetation communities of ephemeral ground pools may facilitate or resist the spread of C. pipiens (L.) by altering allochthonous inputs of detritus in those pools. To test this hypothesis, we combined field surveys of roadside stormwater ditches with a laboratory microcosm experiment to examine relationships between C. pipiens performance and water quality in systems containing detritus from invasive Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. Ex Steud., introduced Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort., or native Juncus effusus L. or Typha latifolia L. In ditches, C. pipiens abundance was unrelated to detritus species but female C. pipiens were significantly larger from ditches with S. arundinaceus and smaller with J. effusus. Larger and smaller C. pipiens were also produced in microcosms provisioned with S. arundinaceus and J. effusus, respectively, yet the per capita rate of population of change did not vary. Larger females from habitats with S. arundinaceus were likely caused by faster decay rates of S. arundinaceus and resultant increases in microbial food, but lower survival as a result of fouling and higher tannin-lignin concentrations resulted in little changes to overall population performance. Larger female mosquitoes have been shown to have greater potential for transmitting arboviruses. Our findings suggest that changed community-level interactions from plant invasions in urban ephemeral ground pools can affect the fitness of C. pipiens and possibly increase WNV risk

Spectroscopic follow-up of FIRBACK-South-Marano bright galaxies

We present optical spectroscopy of the brightest 170 microns sources in the FIRBACK South Marano (FSM) field. The survey is 90% complete at the 4 sigma level. The spectra are compared with those of a reference sample of faint IRAS (60 microns selected) sources observed in the same conditions . The galaxies in both samples are characterized by a predominance of emission-line spectra and moderate IR luminosities (10E10.5 < L_IR < 10E12 L_Sun). The fraction of AGN's is low (about 15%) and the majority of sources are nearby (z<0.3), dusty, star forming galaxies, with moderate star formation rates (a few 10 solar masses per year). The infrared emission of the FSM galaxies shows also a colder spectral energy distribution than was expected. The galaxies in both samples (IRAS faint sources and FSM) are essentially undistinguishable with the available data, and seem to represent a population of closeby, cold, star forming galaxies rather neglected up to now. Although their contribution to the far-IR background seems to be low, they deserve a more detailed study on their own. The contribution of fainter, presumably more distant, galaxies to the far-IR background will be discussed when we will have completed the follow-up of the fainter part of this 170 microns survey. It seems however already clear that the fraction of closeby, cold galaxies is much larger than expected by the earlier models, at least down to the sensitivity achieved by this ISO survey.Comment: 16 pages + 9 figures (Figs 1, 8 and 9 too big to be included) Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysic

An Optical Study of BG Geminorum: An Ellipsoidal Binary with an Unseen Primar Star

We describe optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the bright variable BG Geminorum. Optical photometry shows a pronounced ellipsoidal variation of the K0 I secondary, with amplitudes of ~0.5 mag at VRI and a period of 91.645 days. A deep primary eclipse is visible for wavelengths < 4400A; a shallower secondary eclipse is present at longer wavelengths. Eclipse timings and the radial velocity curve of the K0 secondary star indicate an interacting binary where a lobe-filling secondary, M_2 ~ 0.5 Msun, transfers material into a extended disk around a massive primary, M_1 ~ 4.5 Msun. The primary star is either an early B-type star or a black hole. If it did contain a black hole, BG Gem would be the longest period black hole binary known by a factor of 10, as well as the only eclipsing black hole binary system.Comment: 27 pages, includes 8 figures and 5 tables, accepted to A

X-Ray/Ultraviolet Observing Campaign of the Markarian 279 Active Galactic Nucleus Outflow: a close look at the absorbing/emitting gas with Chandra-LETGS

We present a Chandra-LETGS observation of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 279. This observation was carried out simultaneously with HST-STIS and FUSE, in the context of a multiwavelength study of this source. The Chandra pointings were spread over ten days for a total exposure time of ~360 ks. The spectrum of Mrk279 shows evidence of broad emission features, especially at the wavelength of the OVII triplet. We quantitatively explore the possibility that this emission is produced in the broad line region (BLR). We modeled the broad UV emission lines seen in the FUSE and HST-STIS spectra following the ``locally optimally emitting cloud" approach. We find that the X-ray lines luminosity derived from the best fit BLR model can match the X-ray features, suggesting that the gas producing the UV lines is sufficient to account also for the X-ray emission. The spectrum is absorbed by ionized gas whose total column density is ~5x10^{20} cm^{-2}. The absorption spectrum can be modeled by two distinct gas components (log xi ~ 0.47 and 2.49, respectively) both showing a significant outflow velocity. However, the data allow also the presence of intermediate ionization components. The distribution of the column densities of such extra components as a function of the ionization parameter is not consistent with a continuous, power law-like, absorber, suggesting a complex structure for the gas outflow for Mrk 279 (abridged).Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures. To appear in A&

Neutrons from multiplicity-selected La-La and Nb-Nb collisions at 400A MeV and La-La collisions at 250A MeV

Triple-differential cross sections for neutrons from high-multiplicity La-La collisions at 250 and 400 MeV per nucleon and Nb-Nb collisions at 400 MeV per nucleon were measured at several polar angles as a function of the azimuthal angle with respect to the reaction plane of the collision. The reaction plane was determined by a transverse-velocity method with the capability of identifying charged-particles with Z=1, Z=2, and Z > 2. The flow of neutrons was extracted from the slope at mid-rapidity of the curve of the average in-plane momentum vs the center-of-mass rapidity. The squeeze-out of the participant neutrons was observed in a direction normal to the reaction plane in the normalized momentum coordinates in the center-of-mass system. Experimental results of the neutron squeeze-out were compared with BUU calculations. The polar-angle dependence of the maximum azimuthal anisotropy ratio $r(\theta)$ was found to be insensitive to the mass of the colliding nuclei and the beam energy. Comparison of the observed polar-angle dependence of the maximum azimuthal anisotropy ratio $r(\theta)$ with BUU calculations for free neutrons revealed that $r(\theta)$ is insensitive also to the incompressibility modulus in the nuclear equation of state.Comment: ReVTeX, 16 pages, 17 figures. To be published in Physical Review

Spitzer reveals what's behind Orion's Bar

We present Spitzer Space Telescope observations of 11 regions SE of the Bright Bar in the Orion Nebula, along a radial from the exciting star theta1OriC, extending from 2.6 to 12.1'. Our Cycle 5 programme obtained deep spectra with matching IRS short-high (SH) and long-high (LH) aperture grid patterns. Most previous IR missions observed only the inner few arcmin. Orion is the benchmark for studies of the ISM particularly for elemental abundances. Spitzer observations provide a unique perspective on the Ne and S abundances by virtue of observing the dominant ionization states of Ne (Ne+, Ne++) and S (S++, S3+) in Orion and H II regions in general. The Ne/H abundance ratio is especially well determined, with a value of (1.01+/-0.08)E-4. We obtained corresponding new ground-based spectra at CTIO. These optical data are used to estimate the electron temperature, electron density, optical extinction, and the S+/S++ ratio at each of our Spitzer positions. That permits an adjustment for the total gas-phase S abundance because no S+ line is observed by Spitzer. The gas-phase S/H abundance ratio is (7.68+/-0.30)E-6. The Ne/S abundance ratio may be determined even when the weaker hydrogen line, H(7-6) here, is not measured. The mean value, adjusted for the optical S+/S++ ratio, is Ne/S = 13.0+/-0.6. We derive the electron density versus distance from theta1OriC for [S III] and [S II]. Both distributions are for the most part decreasing with increasing distance. A dramatic find is the presence of high-ionization Ne++ all the way to the outer optical boundary ~12' from theta1OriC. This IR result is robust, whereas the optical evidence from observations of high-ionization species (e.g. O++) at the outer optical boundary suffers uncertainty because of scattering of emission from the much brighter inner Huygens Region.Comment: 60 pages, 16 figures, 10 tables. MNRAS accepte