1,388 research outputs found
The SseC translocon component in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is chaperoned by SscA
Background: Salmonella enterica is a causative agent of foodborne gastroenteritis and the systemic disease known as typhoid fever. This bacterium uses two type three secretion systems (T3SSs) to translocate protein effectors into host cells to manipulate cellular function. Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-2 encodes a T3SS required for intracellular survival of the pathogen. Genes in SPI-2 include apparatus components, secreted effectors and chaperones that bind to secreted cargo to coordinate their release from the bacterial cell. Although the effector repertoire secreted by the SPI-2 T3SS is large, only three virulence-associated chaperones have been characterized. Results: Here we report that SscA is the chaperone for the SseC translocon component. We show that SscA and SseC interact in bacterial cells and that deletion of sscA results in a loss of SseC secretion, which compromises intracellular replication and leads to a loss of competitive fitness in mice. Conclusions: This work completes the characterization of the chaperone complement within SPI-2 and identifies SscA as the chaperone for the SseC translocon
The DEEP2 Redshift Survey: Lyman Alpha Emitters in the Spectroscopic Database
We present the first results of a search for Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in
the DEEP2 spectroscopic database that uses a search technique that is different
from but complementary to traditional narrowband imaging surveys. We have
visually inspected ~20% of the available DEEP2 spectroscopic data and have
found nine high-quality LAEs with clearly asymmetric line profiles and an
additional ten objects of lower quality, some of which may also be LAEs. Our
survey is most sensitive to LAEs at z=4.4-4.9 and that is indeed where all but
one of our high-quality objects are found. We find the number density of our
spectroscopically-discovered LAEs to be consistent with those found in
narrowband imaging searches. The combined, averaged spectrum of our nine
high-quality objects is well fit by a two-component model, with a second,
lower-amplitude component redshifted by ~420 km/s with respect to the primary
Lyman-alpha line, consistent with large-scale outflows from these objects. We
conclude by discussing the advantages and future prospects of blank-sky
spectroscopic surveys for high-z LAEs.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Color and Luminosity Dependence of Galaxy Clustering at z~1
We present measurements of the color and luminosity dependence of galaxy
clustering at z~1 in the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey. Using volume-limited
subsamples in bins of both color and luminosity, we find that: 1) The
clustering dependence is much stronger with color than with luminosity and is
as strong with color at z~1 as is found locally. We find no dependence of the
clustering amplitude on color for galaxies on the red sequence, but a
significant dependence on color for galaxies within the blue cloud. 2) For
galaxies in the range L/L*~0.7-2, a stronger large-scale luminosity dependence
is seen for all galaxies than for red and blue galaxies separately. The
small-scale clustering amplitude depends significantly on luminosity for blue
galaxies, with brighter samples having a stronger rise on scales r_p<0.5 Mpc/h.
3) Redder galaxies exhibit stronger small-scale redshift-space distortions
("fingers of god"), and both red and blue populations show large-scale
distortions in xi(r_p,pi) due to coherent infall. 4) While the clustering
length, r_0, increases smoothly with galaxy color (in narrow bins), its
power-law exponent, gamma, exhibits a sharp jump from the blue cloud to the red
sequence. The intermediate color `green' galaxy population likely includes
transitional galaxies moving from the blue cloud to the red sequence; on large
scales green galaxies are as clustered as red galaxies but show infall
kinematics and a small-scale correlation slope akin to the blue galaxy
population. 5) We compare our results to a semi-analytic galaxy formation model
applied to the Millenium Run simulation. Differences between the data and the
model suggest that in the model star formation is shut down too efficiently in
satellite galaxies.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures, emulateapj format, accepted to ApJ, updated to
match published versio
The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Clustering of Groups and Group Galaxies at z~1
We study the clustering properties of groups and of galaxies in groups in the
DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey dataset at z~1. Four clustering measures are
presented: 1) the group correlation function for 460 groups with estimated
velocity dispersions of sigma>200 km/s, 2) the galaxy correlation for the full
galaxy sample, using a flux-limited sample of 9800 objects between 0.7<z<1.0,
3) the galaxy correlation for galaxies in groups, and 4) the group-galaxy
cross-correlation function. Using the observed number density and clustering
amplitude of the groups, the estimated minimum group dark matter halo mass is
M_min~6 10^12 h^-1 M_Sun for a flat LCDM cosmology. Groups are more clustered
than galaxies, with a relative bias of b=1.7 +/-0.04 on scales r_p=0.5-15
Mpc/h. Galaxies in groups are also more clustered than the full galaxy sample,
with a scale-dependent relative bias which falls from b~2.5 +/-0.3 at r_p=0.1
Mpc/h to b~1 +/-0.5 at r_p=10 Mpc/h. The correlation functions for all galaxies
and galaxies in groups can be fit by a power-law on scales r_p=0.05-20 Mpc/h.
We empirically measure the contribution to the projected correlation function
for galaxies in groups from a `one-halo' term and a `two-halo' term by counting
pairs of galaxies in the same or in different groups. The projected
cross-correlation between shows that red galaxies are more centrally
concentrated in groups than blue galaxies at z~1. DEEP2 galaxies in groups
appear to have a shallower radial distribution than that of mock galaxy
catalogs made from N-body simulations, which assume a central galaxy surrounded
by satellite galaxies with an NFW profile. We show that the clustering of
galaxies in groups can be used to place tighter constraints on the halo model
than can be gained from using the usual galaxy correlation function alone.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, in emulateapj format, accepted to ApJ, minor
changes made to match published versio
Development of Large Bandgap Materials Using Reactive Growth in Al-SI Eutectic for Optical and RF Applications
Carbon was utilized as reactive element to modify the microstructure using forced mixing during crystallization of the Al-Si alloy by rotation and stirring. We nucleated the material on SiC substrates while the Al-Si melt was rotated with a speed of 30rpm in a graphite crucible. Several experiments were performed and parameters such as time of mixing, soaking temperature, rotation rate of the substrate and rate of cooling during the solidification was changed. We observed dendrite and cell morphologies during the solidification of rotating melt. The microstructure was characterized by optical microscopy and SEM-EDX and compositional spectroscopy. The effect of carbon impurities was studied on the solidifying microstructure. When we used the longer soak time of the melt in presence of carbon impurities we observed the destruction of dendritic morphology and the formation of cellular and colony structures. Similar approach has been used for Ga2O3, a novel large bandgap material also
The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: The Evolution of Void Statistics from z~1 to z~0
We present measurements of the void probability function (VPF) at z~1 using
data from the DEEP2 Redshift Survey and its evolution to z~0 using data from
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We measure the VPF as a function of galaxy
color and luminosity in both surveys and find that it mimics trends displayed
in the two-point correlation function, ; namely that samples of brighter,
red galaxies have larger voids (i.e. are more strongly clustered) than fainter,
blue galaxies. We also clearly detect evolution in the VPF with cosmic time,
with voids being larger in comoving units at z~0. We find that the reduced VPF
matches the predictions of a `negative binomial' model for galaxies of all
colors, luminosities, and redshifts studied. This model lacks a physical
motivation, but produces a simple analytic prediction for sources of any number
density and integrated two-point correlation function, \bar{\xi}. This implies
that differences in the VPF across different galaxy populations are consistent
with being due entirely to differences in the population number density and
\bar{\xi}. The robust result that all galaxy populations follow the negative
binomial model appears to be due to primarily to the clustering of dark matter
halos. The reduced VPF is insensitive to changes in the parameters of the halo
occupation distribution, in the sense that halo models with the same \bar{\xi}
will produce the same VPF. For the wide range of galaxies studied, the VPF
therefore does not appear to provide useful constraints on galaxy evolution
models that cannot be gleaned from studies of \bar{\xi} alone. (abridged)Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, ApJ accepte
Robot Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP)
The Robot Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP) is being used in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission for downlink data visualization and command sequence generation. RSVP reads and writes downlink data products from the operations data server (ODS) and writes uplink data products to the ODS. The primary users of RSVP are members of the Rover Planner team (part of the Integrated Planning and Execution Team (IPE)), who use it to perform traversability/articulation analyses, take activity plan input from the Science and Mission Planning teams, and create a set of rover sequences to be sent to the rover every sol. The primary inputs to RSVP are downlink data products and activity plans in the ODS database. The primary outputs are command sequences to be placed in the ODS for further processing prior to uplink to each rover. RSVP is composed of two main subsystems. The first, called the Robot Sequence Editor (RoSE), understands the MSL activity and command dictionaries and takes care of converting incoming activity level inputs into command sequences. The Rover Planners use the RoSE component of RSVP to put together command sequences and to view and manage command level resources like time, power, temperature, etc. (via a transparent realtime connection to SEQGEN). The second component of RSVP is called HyperDrive, a set of high-fidelity computer graphics displays of the Martian surface in 3D and in stereo. The Rover Planners can explore the environment around the rover, create commands related to motion of all kinds, and see the simulated result of those commands via its underlying tight coupling with flight navigation, motor, and arm software. This software is the evolutionary replacement for the Rover Sequencing and Visualization software used to create command sequences (and visualize the Martian surface) for the Mars Exploration Rover mission
Socioeconomic conditions across life related to multiple measures of the endocrine system in older adults:Longitudinal findings from a British birth cohort study
AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about how socioeconomic position (SEP) across life impacts on different axes of the endocrine system which are thought to underlie the ageing process and its adverse consequences. We examined how indicators of SEP across life related to multiple markers of the endocrine system in late midlife, and hypothesized that lower SEP across life would be associated with an adverse hormone profile across multiple axes.MethodsData were from a British cohort study of 875 men and 905 women followed since their birth in March 1946 with circulating free testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) measured at both 53 and 60–64 years, and evening cortisol at 60–64 years. Indicators of SEP were ascertained prospectively across life—paternal occupational class at 4, highest educational attainment at 26, household occupational class at 53, and household income at 60–64 years. Associations between SEP and hormones were investigated using multiple regression and logistic regression models.ResultsLower SEP was associated with lower free testosterone among men, higher free testosterone among women, and lower IGF-I and higher evening cortisol in both sexes. For example, the mean standardised difference in IGF-I comparing the lowest with the highest educational attainment at 26 years (slope index of inequality) was −0.4 in men (95% CI -0.7 to −0.2) and −0.4 in women (−0.6 to −0.2). Associations with each hormone differed by SEP indicator used and sex, and were particularly pronounced when using a composite adverse hormone score. For example, the odds of having 1 additional adverse hormone concentration in the lowest compared with highest education level were 3.7 (95% CI: 2.1, 6.3) among men, and 1.6 (1.0, 2.7) among women (P (sex interaction) = 0.02). We found no evidence that SEP was related to apparent age-related declines in free testosterone or IGF-I.ConclusionsLower SEP was associated with an adverse hormone profile across multiple endocrine axes. SEP differences in endocrine function may partly underlie inequalities in health and function in later life, and may reflect variations in biological rates of ageing. Further studies are required to assess the likely functional relevance of these associations
The Waldschmidt constant for squarefree monomial ideals
Given a squarefree monomial ideal , we show
that , the Waldschmidt constant of , can be expressed as
the optimal solution to a linear program constructed from the primary
decomposition of . By applying results from fractional graph theory, we can
then express in terms of the fractional chromatic number of
a hypergraph also constructed from the primary decomposition of . Moreover,
expressing as the solution to a linear program enables us
to prove a Chudnovsky-like lower bound on , thus verifying a
conjecture of Cooper-Embree-H\`a-Hoefel for monomial ideals in the squarefree
case. As an application, we compute the Waldschmidt constant and the resurgence
for some families of squarefree monomial ideals. For example, we determine both
constants for unions of general linear subspaces of with few
components compared to , and we find the Waldschmidt constant for the
Stanley-Reisner ideal of a uniform matroid.Comment: 26 pages. This project was started at the Mathematisches
Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach (MFO) as part of the mini-workshop "Ideals of
Linear Subspaces, Their Symbolic Powers and Waring Problems" held in February
2015. Comments are welcome. Revised version corrects some typos, updates the
references, and clarifies some hypotheses. To appear in the Journal of
Algebraic Combinatoric
X-ray selected AGN in groups at redshifts z~1
We explore the role of the group environment in the evolution of AGN at the
redshift interval 0.7<z<1.4, by combining deep Chandra observations with
extensive optical spectroscopy from the All-wavelength Extended Groth strip
International Survey (AEGIS). The sample consists of 3902 optical sources and
71 X-ray AGN. Compared to the overall optically selected galaxy population,
X-ray AGN are more frequently found in groups at the 99% confidence level. This
is partly because AGN are hosted by red luminous galaxies, which are known to
reside, on average, in dense environments. Relative to these sources, the
excess of X-ray AGN in groups is significant at the 91% level only. Restricting
the sample to 0.7<z<0.9 and M_B<-20mag in order to control systematics we find
that X-ray AGN represent (4.7\pm1.6) and (4.5\pm1.0)% of the optical galaxy
population in groups and in the field respectively. These numbers are
consistent with the AGN fraction in low redshift clusters, groups and the
field. The results above, although affected by small number statistics, suggest
that X-ray AGN are spread over a range of environments, from groups to the
field, once the properties of their hosts (e.g. colour, luminosity) are
accounted for. There is also tentative evidence, significant at the 98% level,
that the field produces more X-ray luminous AGN compared to groups, extending
similar results at low redshift to z~1. This trend may be because of either
cold gas availability or the nature of the interactions occurring in the denser
group environment (i.e. prolonged tidal encounters).Comment: To appear in MNRA
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