A molecular recombination map of Antirrhinum majus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genetic recombination maps provide important frameworks for comparative genomics, identifying gene functions, assembling genome sequences and for breeding. The molecular recombination map currently available for the model eudicot <it>Antirrhinum majus </it>is the result of a cross with <it>Antirrhinum molle</it>, limiting its usefulness within <it>A. majus</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We created a molecular linkage map of <it>A</it>. <it>majus </it>based on segregation of markers in the F2 population of two inbred lab strains of <it>A. majus</it>. The resulting map consisted of over 300 markers in eight linkage groups, which could be aligned with a classical recombination map and the <it>A. majus </it>karyotype. The distribution of recombination frequencies and distorted transmission of parental alleles differed from those of a previous inter-species hybrid. The differences varied in magnitude and direction between chromosomes, suggesting that they had multiple causes. The map, which covered an estimated of 95% of the genome with an average interval of 2 cM, was used to analyze the distribution of a newly discovered family of MITE transposons and tested for its utility in positioning seven mutations that affect aspects of plant size.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The current map has an estimated interval of 1.28 Mb between markers. It shows a lower level of transmission ratio distortion and a longer length than the previous inter-species map, making it potentially more useful. The molecular recombination map further indicates that the <it>IDLE </it>MITE transposons are distributed throughout the genome and are relatively stable. The map proved effective in mapping classical morphological mutations of <it>A. majus</it>.</p

Addressing Barriers to Housing in Reentry Programs Working to Address a Variety of Needs: A Qualitative Study of Second Chance Act Grantees

Using data from an evaluation of three Second Chance Act grantees, we explore formerly incarcerated people’s (FIP) access to housing. This study is unique in that it includes the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences and the insights of the reentry program providers working to meet their overall needs, including in the area of housing. The data come from reentry programs in three regions of the United States. Although the needs of the people with lived experiences have similarities, regional differences exist, particularly related to housing costs and supply, including the availability of transitional housing. Also, variations exist between FIP who are able to live with family compared with those who do not have this option. The three programs this study examined worked to address housing needs in distinctive ways and explores the housing needs of FIP and the strategies the three programs use to address these needs. Incorporating a two-pronged approach, this article includes analyses of (1) interview data with 31 FIP from 3 months to 3 years post-incarceration and (2) interviews and program materials to support formulative case analyses of the housing-related work that program enacted. Through this work, highlighting program efforts to remove barriers to housing for this population, the study seeks to promote the advancement of relevant policy, practice, and research in this arena

Structure in the Velocity Space of Globular Clusters

We present an analysis of the velocity space of a sample of globular clusters (GC) with absolute proper motions. The vertical component of the velocity is found to be correlated with luminosity and galactocentric radius. We divided the sample into two luminosity groups above and below the peak of the luminosity function (LF), MV=-7.5, for Galactic GCs. The two groups display different kinematic behaviour according to the first and second statitical moments of the velocity distribution as well as distinct velocity ellipsoids. The velocity ellipsoid of the high luminosity clusters is aligned with the symmetry axes of the Galaxy, whereas the minor axis of the Low Luminosity group is strongly inclined relative to the Galactic rotation axis.Comment: 4 pages, 2 Poscript figures, uses new aa.cls. Astronomy and Astrophysics (Letters) accepte

Insight Into the Formation of the Milky Way Through Cold Halo Substructure. I. The ECHOS of Milky Way Formation

We identify ten -- seven for the first time -- elements of cold halo substructure (ECHOS) in the volume within 17.5 kpc of the Sun in the inner halo of the Milky Way. Our result is based on the observed spatial and radial velocity distribution of metal-poor main sequence turnoff (MPMSTO) stars in 137 Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) lines of sight. We point out that the observed radial velocity distribution is consistent with a smooth stellar component of the Milky Way's inner halo overall, but disagrees significantly at the radial velocities that correspond to our detections. We show that all of our detections are statistically significant and that we expect no false positives. We also use our detections and completeness estimates to infer a formal upper limit of 0.34 +/- 0.02 on the fraction of the MPMSTO population in the inner halo that belong to ECHOS. Our detections and completeness calculations suggest that there is a significant population of low fractional overdensity ECHOS in the inner halo, and we predict that 1/3 of the inner halo (by volume) harbors ECHOS with MPMSTO star number densities n ~ 15 kpc^-3. ECHOS are likely older than known surface brightness substructure, so our detections provide us with a direct measure of the accretion history of the Milky Way in a region and time interval that has yet to be fully explored. In concert with previous studies, our result suggests that the level of merger activity has been roughly constant over the past few Gyr and that there has been no accretion of single stellar systems more massive than a few percent of a Milky Way mass in that interval. (abridged)Comment: 47 pages, 23 figures, and 6 tables in emulaetapj format; accepted for publication in Ap

The Star Formation History in The Far Outer Disc of M33

The outer regions of disc galaxies are becoming increasingly recognized as key testing sites for models of disc assembly and evolution. Important issues are the epoch at which the bulk of the stars in these regions formed and how discs grow radially over time. To address these issues, we use Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging to study the star formation history (SFH) of two fields at 9.1 and 11.6 kpc along M33's northern major axis. These fields lie at ~ 4 and 5 V-band disc scale-lengths and straddle the break in M33's surface brightness profile. The colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) reach the ancient main sequence turnoff with a signal-to-noise ratio of ~ 5. From detailed modelling of the CMDs, we find that the majority of stars in both fields combined formed at z < 1. The mean age in the inner field, S1, is ~ 3 +/- 1 Gyr and the mean metallicity is [M/H] ~ -0.5 +/- 0.2 dex. The star formation history of S1 unambiguously reveals how the inside-out growth previously measured for M33's inner disc out to ~ 6 kpc extends out to the disc edge at ~ 9 kpc. In comparison, the outer field, S2, is older (mean age ~ 7 +/- 2 Gyr), more metal-poor (mean [M/H] ~ -0.8 +/- 0.3 dex), and contains ~ 30 times less stellar mass. These results provide the most compelling evidence yet that M33's age gradient reverses at large radii near the disc break and that this reversal is accompanied by a break in stellar mass surface density. We discuss several possible interpretations of this behaviour including radial stellar mixing, warping of the gaseous disc, a change in star formation efficiency, and a transition to another structural component. These results offer one of the most detailed views yet of the peripheral regions of any disc galaxy and provide a much-needed observational constraint on the last major epoch of star formation in the outer disc.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted to MNRAS, hi-res version available at http://www.roe.ac.uk/~mkb/astroph/m33hires.pd

The stellar halo of the Galaxy

Stellar halos may hold some of the best preserved fossils of the formation history of galaxies. They are a natural product of the merging processes that probably take place during the assembly of a galaxy, and hence may well be the most ubiquitous component of galaxies, independently of their Hubble type. This review focuses on our current understanding of the spatial structure, the kinematics and chemistry of halo stars in the Milky Way. In recent years, we have experienced a change in paradigm thanks to the discovery of large amounts of substructure, especially in the outer halo. I discuss the implications of the currently available observational constraints and fold them into several possible formation scenarios. Unraveling the formation of the Galactic halo will be possible in the near future through a combination of large wide field photometric and spectroscopic surveys, and especially in the era of Gaia.Comment: 46 pages, 16 figures. References updated and some minor changes. Full-resolution version available at http://www.astro.rug.nl/~ahelmi/stellar-halo-review.pd

Treatment of Late Stage Disease in a Model of Arenaviral Hemorrhagic Fever: T-705 Efficacy and Reduced Toxicity Suggests an Alternative to Ribavirin

A growing number of arenaviruses are known to cause viral hemorrhagic fever (HF), a severe and life-threatening syndrome characterized by fever, malaise, and increased vascular permeability. Ribavirin, the only licensed antiviral indicated for the treatment of certain arenaviral HFs, has had mixed success and significant toxicity. Since severe arenaviral infections initially do not present with distinguishing symptoms and are difficult to clinically diagnose at early stages, it is of utmost importance to identify antiviral therapies effective at later stages of infection. We have previously reported that T-705, a substituted pyrazine derivative currently under development as an anti-influenza drug, is highly active in hamsters infected with Pichinde virus when the drug is administered orally early during the course of infection. Here we demonstrate that T-705 offers significant protection against this lethal arenaviral infection in hamsters when treatment is begun after the animals are ill and the day before the animals begin to succumb to disease. Importantly, this coincides with the time when peak viral loads are present in most organs and considerable tissue damage is evident. We also show that T-705 is as effective as, and less toxic than, ribavirin, as infected T-705-treated hamsters on average maintain their weight better and recover more rapidly than animals treated with ribavirin. Further, there was no added benefit to combination therapy with T-705 and ribavirin. Finally, pharmacokinetic data indicate that plasma T-705 levels following oral administration are markedly reduced during the latter stages of disease, and may contribute to the reduced efficacy seen when treatment is withheld until day 7 of infection. Our findings support further pre-clinical development of T-705 for the treatment of severe arenaviral infections

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations