1,316 research outputs found
Star Formation Rates and Metallicities of K-selected Star Forming Galaxies at z~2
We present spectroscopy of 15 star-forming BzK galaxies (sBzKs) with K(AB)<23
in the Subaru Deep Field, for which Halpha and some other emission lines are
detected in 0.9 to 2.3 micron spectra with a resolution of R=500. Using Halpha
luminosities, we obtain star formation rates (SFRs), and then specific SFRs
(SSFRs) dividing SFRs by stellar masses, which are derived from SED fitting to
BVRi'z'K photometry. It is found that sBzKs with higher stellar masses have
larger SFRs. A negative correlation is seen between stellar mass and SSFR,
which is consistent with the previous results for z~2 galaxies. This implies
that a larger growth of stellar mass occurs in less massive galaxies. In
addition, gas-phase oxygen abundances, 12+log(O/H), are derived from the ratio
of NII(lambda 6584) to Halpha using the N2 index method. We have found a
correlation between stellar mass and oxygen abundance in the sense that more
massive sBzKs tend to be more metal rich, which is qualitatively consistent
with the relation for UV-selected z~2 galaxies. However, the metallicity of the
sBzKs is ~0.2 dex higher than that of UV-selected galaxies with similar stellar
masses, which is significant considering the small uncertainties. The sBzKs in
our sample have redder R-K colors than the UV-selected galaxies. This galaxy
color-dependence in the oxygen abundance may be caused by older or dustier
galaxies having higher metallicities at z~2.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in The
Astrophysical Journa
Using Markov Models and Statistics to Learn, Extract, Fuse, and Detect Patterns in Raw Data
Many systems are partially stochastic in nature. We have derived data driven
approaches for extracting stochastic state machines (Markov models) directly
from observed data. This chapter provides an overview of our approach with
numerous practical applications. We have used this approach for inferring
shipping patterns, exploiting computer system side-channel information, and
detecting botnet activities. For contrast, we include a related data-driven
statistical inferencing approach that detects and localizes radiation sources.Comment: Accepted by 2017 International Symposium on Sensor Networks, Systems
and Securit
Family composition and age at menarche: findings from the international Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study
This research was funded by The University of St Andrews and NHS Health Scotland.Background Early menarche has been associated with father absence, stepfather presence and adverse health consequences in later life. This article assesses the association of different family compositions with the age at menarche. Pathways are explored which may explain any association between family characteristics and pubertal timing. Methods Cross-sectional, international data on the age at menarche, family structure and covariates (age, psychosomatic complaints, media consumption, physical activity) were collected from the 2009–2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample focuses on 15-year old girls comprising 36,175 individuals across 40 countries in Europe and North America (N = 21,075 for age at menarche). The study examined the association of different family characteristics with age at menarche. Regression and path analyses were applied incorporating multilevel techniques to adjust for the nested nature of data within countries. Results Living with mother (Cohen’s d = .12), father (d = .08), brothers (d = .04) and sisters (d = .06) are independently associated with later age at menarche. Living in a foster home (d = −.16), with ‘someone else’ (d = −.11), stepmother (d = −.10) or stepfather (d = −.06) was associated with earlier menarche. Path models show that up to 89% of these effects can be explained through lifestyle and psychological variables. Conclusions Earlier menarche is reported amongst those with living conditions other than a family consisting of two biological parents. This can partly be explained by girls’ higher Body Mass Index in these families which is a biological determinant of early menarche. Lower physical activity and elevated psychosomatic complaints were also more often found in girls in these family environments.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
A Kennicutt-Schmidt Law for Intervening Absorption Line Systems
We argue that most strong intervening metal absorption line systems, where
the rest equivalent width of the MgII 2796A line is >0.5A, are interstellar
material in, and outflowing from, star-forming disks. We show that a version of
the Kennicutt-Schmidt law is readily obtained if the MgII equivalent widths are
interpreted as kinematic broadening from absorbing gas in outflowing winds
originating from star-forming galaxies. Taking a phenomenological approach and
using a set of observational constraints available for star-forming galaxies,
we are able to account for the density distribution of strong MgII absorbers
over cosmic time. The association of intervening material with star-forming
disks naturally explains the metallicity and dust content of strong MgII
systems as well as their high HI column densities, and does not require the
advection of metals from compact star-forming regions into the galaxy halos to
account for the observations. We find that galaxies with a broad range of
luminosities can give rise to absorption of a given rest-equivalent width, and
discuss possible observational strategies to better quantify true
galaxy-absorber associations and further test our model. We show that the
redshift evolution in the density of absorbers closely tracks the star
formation history of the universe and that strong intervening systems can be
used to directly probe the physics of both bright and faint galaxies over a
broad redshift range. By identifying strong intervening systems with galaxy
disks and quantifying a version of the Kennicutt-Schmidt law that applies to
them, a new probe of the interstellar medium is found which provides
complementary information to that obtained through emission studies of
galaxies. Implications of our results for galaxy feedback and enrichment of the
intergalactic medium are discussed. [abridged]Comment: 23 pages, 15 figure
A critical look at the mass-metallicity-star formation rate relation in the local universe. I. An improved analysis framework and confounding systematics
It has been proposed that the mass-metallicity relation of galaxies exhibits
a secondary dependence on star formation rate (SFR), and that the resulting
M-Z-SFR relation may be redshift-invariant, i.e., "fundamental." However,
conflicting results on the character of the SFR dependence, and whether it
exists, have been reported. To gain insight into the origins of the conflicting
results, we (a) devise a non-parametric, astrophysically motivated analysis
framework based on the offset from the star-forming ("main") sequence at a
given stellar mass (relative specific SFR), (b) apply this methodology and
perform a comprehensive re-analysis of the local M-Z-SFR relation, based on
SDSS, GALEX, and WISE data, and (c) study the impact of sample selection, and
of using different metallicity and SFR indicators. We show that metallicity is
anti-correlated with specific SFR regardless of the indicators used. We do not
find that the relation is spurious due to correlations arising from biased
metallicity measurements, or fiber aperture effects. We emphasize that the
dependence is weak/absent for massive galaxies (), and that the
overall scatter in the M-Z-SFR relation does not greatly decrease from the M-Z
relation. We find that the dependence is stronger for the highest SSFR galaxies
above the star-forming sequence. This two-mode behavior can be described with a
broken linear fit in 12+log(O/H) vs. log (SFR), at a given .
Previous parameterizations used for comparative analysis with higher redshift
samples that do not account for the more detailed behavior of the local M-Z-SFR
relation may incorrectly lead to the conclusion that those samples follow a
different relationship.Comment: ApJ. Several minor correction
Galactic star formation and accretion histories from matching galaxies to dark matter haloes
We present a new statistical method to determine the relationship between the
stellar masses of galaxies and the masses of their host dark matter haloes over
the entire cosmic history from z~4 to the present. This multi-epoch abundance
matching (MEAM) model self-consistently takes into account that satellite
galaxies first become satellites at times earlier than they are observed. We
employ a redshift-dependent parameterization of the stellar-to-halo mass
relation to populate haloes and subhaloes in the Millennium simulations with
galaxies, requiring that the observed stellar mass functions at several
redshifts be reproduced simultaneously. Using merger trees extracted from the
dark matter simulations in combination with MEAM, we predict the average
assembly histories of galaxies, separating into star formation within the
galaxies (in-situ) and accretion of stars (ex-situ). The peak star formation
efficiency decreases with redshift from 23% at z=0 to 9% at z=4 while the
corresponding halo mass increases from 10^11.8M\odot to 10^12.5M\odot. The star
formation rate of central galaxies peaks at a redshift which depends on halo
mass; for massive haloes this peak is at early cosmic times while for low-mass
galaxies the peak has not been reached yet. In haloes similar to that of the
Milky-Way about half of the central stellar mass is assembled after z=0.7. In
low-mass haloes, the accretion of satellites contributes little to the assembly
of their central galaxies, while in massive haloes more than half of the
central stellar mass is formed ex-situ with significant accretion of satellites
at z<2. We find that our method implies a cosmic star formation history and an
evolution of specific star formation rates which are consistent with those
inferred directly. We present convenient fitting functions for stellar masses,
star formation rates, and accretion rates as functions of halo mass and
redshift.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, submitted to MNRA
Evaluation of an influenza-like illness case definition in the diagnosis of influenza among patients with acute febrile illness in cambodia
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Influenza-like illness (ILI) is often defined as fever (>38.0°C) with cough or sore throat. In this study, we tested the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of this case definition in a Cambodia patient population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Passive clinic-based surveillance was established at nine healthcare centers to identify the causes of acute undifferentiated fever in patients aged two years and older seeking treatment. Fever was defined as tympanic membrane temperature >38°C lasting more than 24 hours and less than 10 days. Influenza virus infections were identified by polymerase chain reaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From July 2008 to December 2008, 2,639 patients were enrolled. From 884 (33%) patients positive for influenza, 652 presented with ILI and 232 acute fever patients presented without ILI. Analysis by age group identified no significant differences between influenza positive patients from the two groups. Positive predictive values (PPVs) varied during the course of the influenza season and among age groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ILI case definition can be used to identify a significant percentage of patients with influenza infection during the influenza season in Cambodia, assisting healthcare providers in its diagnosis and treatment. However, testing samples based on the criteria of fever alone increased our case detection by 34%.</p
Methods to study splicing from high-throughput RNA Sequencing data
The development of novel high-throughput sequencing (HTS) methods for RNA
(RNA-Seq) has provided a very powerful mean to study splicing under multiple
conditions at unprecedented depth. However, the complexity of the information
to be analyzed has turned this into a challenging task. In the last few years,
a plethora of tools have been developed, allowing researchers to process
RNA-Seq data to study the expression of isoforms and splicing events, and their
relative changes under different conditions. We provide an overview of the
methods available to study splicing from short RNA-Seq data. We group the
methods according to the different questions they address: 1) Assignment of the
sequencing reads to their likely gene of origin. This is addressed by methods
that map reads to the genome and/or to the available gene annotations. 2)
Recovering the sequence of splicing events and isoforms. This is addressed by
transcript reconstruction and de novo assembly methods. 3) Quantification of
events and isoforms. Either after reconstructing transcripts or using an
annotation, many methods estimate the expression level or the relative usage of
isoforms and/or events. 4) Providing an isoform or event view of differential
splicing or expression. These include methods that compare relative
event/isoform abundance or isoform expression across two or more conditions. 5)
Visualizing splicing regulation. Various tools facilitate the visualization of
the RNA-Seq data in the context of alternative splicing. In this review, we do
not describe the specific mathematical models behind each method. Our aim is
rather to provide an overview that could serve as an entry point for users who
need to decide on a suitable tool for a specific analysis. We also attempt to
propose a classification of the tools according to the operations they do, to
facilitate the comparison and choice of methods.Comment: 31 pages, 1 figure, 9 tables. Small corrections adde
Observation of an Exotic Baryon in Exclusive Photoproduction from the Deuteron
In an exclusive measurement of the reaction , a
narrow peak that can be attributed to an exotic baryon with strangeness
is seen in the invariant mass spectrum. The peak is at
GeV/c with a measured width of 0.021 GeV/c FWHM, which is largely
determined by experimental mass resolution. The statistical significance of the
peak is . The mass and width of the observed peak are
consistent with recent reports of a narrow baryon by other experimental
groups.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Measurement of the Polarized Structure Function for in the Resonance Region
The polarized longitudinal-transverse structure function
has been measured in the resonance region at and 0.65
GeV. Data for the reaction were taken at Jefferson Lab
with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) using longitudinally
polarized electrons at an energy of 1.515 GeV. For the first time a complete
angular distribution was measured, permitting the separation of different
non-resonant amplitudes using a partial wave analysis. Comparison with previous
beam asymmetry measurements at MAMI indicate a deviation from the predicted
dependence of using recent phenomenological
models.Comment: 5 pages, LaTex, 4 eps figures: to be published in PRC/Rapid
Communications. Version 2 has revised Q^2 analysi
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