First Data Release of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program

The Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) is a three-layered imaging survey aimed at addressing some of the most outstanding questions in astronomy today, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy. The survey has been awarded 300 nights of observing time at the Subaru Telescope and it started in March 2014. This paper presents the first public data release of HSC-SSP. This release includes data taken in the first 1.7 years of observations (61.5 nights) and each of the Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep layers covers about 108, 26, and 4 square degrees down to depths of i~26.4, ~26.5, and ~27.0 mag, respectively (5sigma for point sources). All the layers are observed in five broad bands (grizy), and the Deep and UltraDeep layers are observed in narrow bands as well. We achieve an impressive image quality of 0.6 arcsec in the i-band in the Wide layer. We show that we achieve 1-2 per cent PSF photometry (rms) both internally and externally (against Pan-STARRS1), and ~10 mas and 40 mas internal and external astrometric accuracy, respectively. Both the calibrated images and catalogs are made available to the community through dedicated user interfaces and database servers. In addition to the pipeline products, we also provide value-added products such as photometric redshifts and a collection of public spectroscopic redshifts. Detailed descriptions of all the data can be found online. The data release website is https://hsc-release.mtk.nao.ac.jp/.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures, 7 tables, moderate revision, accepted for publication in PAS

The Eighth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Data from SDSS-III

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) started a new phase in August 2008, with new instrumentation and new surveys focused on Galactic structure and chemical evolution, measurements of the baryon oscillation feature in the clustering of galaxies and the quasar Ly alpha forest, and a radial velocity search for planets around ~8000 stars. This paper describes the first data release of SDSS-III (and the eighth counting from the beginning of the SDSS). The release includes five-band imaging of roughly 5200 deg^2 in the Southern Galactic Cap, bringing the total footprint of the SDSS imaging to 14,555 deg^2, or over a third of the Celestial Sphere. All the imaging data have been reprocessed with an improved sky-subtraction algorithm and a final, self-consistent photometric recalibration and flat-field determination. This release also includes all data from the second phase of the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Evolution (SEGUE-2), consisting of spectroscopy of approximately 118,000 stars at both high and low Galactic latitudes. All the more than half a million stellar spectra obtained with the SDSS spectrograph have been reprocessed through an improved stellar parameters pipeline, which has better determination of metallicity for high metallicity stars.Comment: Astrophysical Journal Supplements, in press (minor updates from submitted version

Characterizing Ham and Loin Quality as Hot Carcass Weight Increases to an Average of 119 Kilograms

The objective was to characterize ham and loin quality of carcasses ranging from 78 to 145 kg (average ∼119 kg). Hot carcass weight (HCW), back fat depth, and loin depth was measured on 666 carcasses. Loin pH, instrumental and visual color and iodine value of clear plate fat (all 3 layers) was measured on approximately 90% of the population. Quality measurements of the ham, 14 d aged loin and chop, and loin chop shear force (SSF) were evaluated on approximately 30% of the population. Myosin heavy chain fiber type determination was completed on 49 carcasses. Slopes of regression lines and coefficients of determination between HCW and quality traits were calculated using the REG procedure in SAS and considered significantly different from 0 at P ≤ 0.05. As HCW increased, loin depth (b1 = 0.2496, P 0.15) and did not explain more than 1% (R2 ≤ 0.01) of the variation in 1 d loin color or pH. Loins from heavier carcasses were more tender (decreased SSF; b1 = –0.0674, P 0.22) muscle fiber type percentage or area. These results suggest that increasing HCW to an average of 119 kg did not compromise pork quality

Effects of Increased Pork Hot Carcass Weights. II: Loin Quality Characteristics and Palatability Ratings

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increased pork hot carcass weight on loin quality and palatability of top loin chops. Pork loins (N = 200) were collected from 4 different hot carcass weight groups: A light weight (LT; less than 111.8 kg), medium-light weight (MLT; 111.8 to 119.1 kg), medium-heavy weight (MHVY; 119.1 to 124.4), and a heavyweight group (HVY; 124.4 and greater). Following fabrication, chops were assigned to fat and moisture analysis, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), consumer sensory panels, or trained sensory panels. Chops from the HVY group were rated as more (P 0.05) consumer flavor liking ratings. Hot carcass weight treatment did not contribute (P > 0.05) to the percentage of chops rated acceptable for flavor and overall liking. The greatest (P 0.05), with greater (P < 0.05) overall tenderness ratings compared to chops from LT carcasses. These results indicate chops from heavier weight carcasses may have improved tenderness and juiciness compared to chops from lighter carcasses

Effects of Increased Pork Hot Carcass Weights. I: Chop Thickness Impact on Consumer Visual Ratings

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased pork hot carcass weights on consumer visual acceptability and purchase intent ratings of top loin chops cut to various thicknesses in a price labeled versus unlabeled retail display scenario. Pork loins (N = 200) were collected from 4 different hot carcass weight groups: light weight (LT; less than 111.8 kg), medium-light weight (MLT; 111.8 to 119. kg), medium-heavy weight (MHVY; 119.1 to 124.4 kg), and a heavy weight group (HVY; 124.4 kg and greater). Loins were fabricated into 4 pairs of chops of specified thicknesses (1.27, 1.91, 2.54, and 3.18 cm). One chop from each pair was assigned to be packaged with or without a label. Consumers assessed chops for appearance, desirability, and purchase intent. For both appearance and purchase intent ratings, chops from HVY carcasses were given more desirable (P < 0.05) ratings compared to LT chops. Consumers gave greater (P < 0.05) appearance ratings to thicker cut chops. There was a hot carcass weight × chop thickness interaction (P < 0.05) for the percentage of consumers that indicated the chop was desirable overall. Regardless of hot carcass weight group, chops with a thickness of 1.27 cm had the lowest (P < 0.05) percentage of consumers indicate they were desirable overall. A greater (P < 0.05) percentage of consumers indicated “yes” they would purchase chops cut to a thickness of 2.54 cm compared to all other thicknesses. Additionally, there was a greater (P < 0.05) percentage of consumers who indicated they would purchase unlabeled chops compared to labeled chops. These results, within the population sampled, indicate that carcass weight and chop thickness can affect consumer preference and thus should be considered by retailers when marketing fresh pork loin chops

Erratum: “The eighth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: first data from SDSS-III” (2011, ApJS, 193, 29)

Section 3.5 of Aihara et al. (2011) described various sources of systematic error in the astrometry of the imaging data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In addition to these sources of error, there is an additional and more serious error, which introduces a large systematic shift in the astrometry over a large area around the north celestial pole. The region has irregular boundaries but in places extends as far south as declination δ ≈ 41◦. The sense of the shift is that the positions of all sources in the affected area are offset by roughly 250 mas in a northwest direction. We have updated the SDSS online documentation to reflect these errors, and to provide detailed quality information for each SDSS field

Association of IFIH1 and pro-inflammatory mediators: Potential new clues in SLE-associated pathogenesis

This study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases under award numbers U01AI101934, R01AI024717, U19AI082714, U54GM104938, P30GM103510, P30GM110766, P30AR053483, RC1AR058554, U34AR067392, and HHSN266200500026C. This publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not represent the views of the National Institutes of Health.Antiviral defenses are inappropriately activated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and association between SLE and the antiviral helicase gene, IFIH1, is well established. We sought to extend the previously reported association of pathogenic soluble mediators and autoantibodies with mouse Mda5 to its human ortholog, IFIH1. To better understand the role this gene plays in human lupus, we assessed association of IFIH1 variants with soluble mediators and autoantibodies in 357 European-American SLE patients, first-degree relatives, and unrelated, unaffected healthy controls. Association between each of 135 genotyped SNPs in IFIH1 and four lupus-associated plasma mediators, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-β, and IP-10, were investigated via linear regression. No significant associations were found to SNPs orthologous to those identified in exon 13 of the mouse. However, outside of this region there were significant associations between IL-6 and rs76162067 (p = 0.008), as well as IP-10 and rs79711023 (p = 0.003), located in a region of IFIH1 previously shown to directly influence MDA-5 mediated IP-10 and IL-6 secretion. SLE patients and FDRs carrying the minor allele for rs79711023 demonstrated lower levels of IP-10, while only FDRs carrying the minor allele for rs76162067 demonstrated an increased level of IL-6. This would suggest that the change in IP-10 is genotypically driven, while the change in IL-6 may be reflective of SLE transition status. These data suggest that IFIH1 may contribute to SLE pathogenesis via altered inflammatory mechanisms.Yeshttp://www.plosone.org/static/editorial#pee

SDSS-III: Massive Spectroscopic Surveys of the Distant Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, and Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

Building on the legacy of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-I and II), SDSS-III is a program of four spectroscopic surveys on three scientific themes: dark energy and cosmological parameters, the history and structure of the Milky Way, and the population of giant planets around other stars. In keeping with SDSS tradition, SDSS-III will provide regular public releases of all its data, beginning with SDSS DR8 (which occurred in Jan 2011). This paper presents an overview of the four SDSS-III surveys. BOSS will measure redshifts of 1.5 million massive galaxies and Lya forest spectra of 150,000 quasars, using the BAO feature of large scale structure to obtain percent-level determinations of the distance scale and Hubble expansion rate at z<0.7 and at z~2.5. SEGUE-2, which is now completed, measured medium-resolution (R=1800) optical spectra of 118,000 stars in a variety of target categories, probing chemical evolution, stellar kinematics and substructure, and the mass profile of the dark matter halo from the solar neighborhood to distances of 100 kpc. APOGEE will obtain high-resolution (R~30,000), high signal-to-noise (S/N>100 per resolution element), H-band (1.51-1.70 micron) spectra of 10^5 evolved, late-type stars, measuring separate abundances for ~15 elements per star and creating the first high-precision spectroscopic survey of all Galactic stellar populations (bulge, bar, disks, halo) with a uniform set of stellar tracers and spectral diagnostics. MARVELS will monitor radial velocities of more than 8000 FGK stars with the sensitivity and cadence (10-40 m/s, ~24 visits per star) needed to detect giant planets with periods up to two years, providing an unprecedented data set for understanding the formation and dynamical evolution of giant planet systems. (Abridged)Comment: Revised to version published in The Astronomical Journa