Chemodynamic subpopulations of the Carina dwarf galaxy

We study the chemodynamical properties of the Carina dwarf spheroidal by combining an intermediate spectroscopic resolution dataset of more than 900 red giant and red clump stars, with high-precision photometry to derive the atmospheric parameters, metallicities and age estimates for our targets. Within the red giant branch population, we find evidence for the presence of three distinct stellar sub-populations with different metallicities, spatial distributions, kinematics and ages. As in the Fornax and Sculptor dwarf spheroidals, the subpopulation with the lowest average metallicity is more extended and kinematically hotter than all other populations. However, we identify an inversion in the parallel ordering of metallicity, kinematics and characteristic length scale in the two most metal rich subpopulations, which therefore do not contribute to a global negative chemical gradient. Contrary to common trends in the chemical properties with radius, the metal richest population is more extended and mildly kinematically hotter than the main component of intermediate metallicity. More investigations are required to ascertain the nature of this inversion, but we comment on the mechanisms that might have caused it.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Overexpression of an activated REL mutant enhances the transformed state of the human B-lymphoma BJAB cell line and alters its gene expression profile

The human REL proto-oncogene encodes a transcription factor in the nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB family. Overexpression of REL is acutely transforming in chicken lymphoid cells, but has not been shown to transform any mammalian lymphoid cell type. In this report, we show that overexpression of a highly transforming mutant of REL (RELDeltaTAD1) increases the oncogenic properties of the human B-cell lymphoma BJAB cell line, as shown by increased colony formation in soft agar, tumor formation in SCID (severe combined immunodeficient) mice, and adhesion. BJAB-RELDeltaTAD1 cells also show decreased activation of caspase in response to doxorubicin. BJAB-RELDeltaTAD1 cells have increased levels of active nuclear REL protein as determined by immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Overexpression of RELDeltaTAD1 in BJAB cells has transformed the gene expression profile of BJAB cells from that of a germinal center B-cell subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (GCB-DLBCL) to that of an activated B-cell subtype (ABC-DLBCL), as evidenced by increased expression of many ABC-defining mRNAs. Upregulated genes in BJAB-RELDeltaTAD1 cells include several NF-kappaB targets that encode proteins previously implicated in B-cell development or oncogenesis, including BCL2, IRF4, CD40 and VCAM1. The cell system we describe here may be valuable for further characterizing the molecular details of REL-induced lymphoma in humans.P42 ES007381 - NIEHS NIH HHS; R01 CA047763 - NCI NIH HHS; CA047763 - NCI NIH HHS; R01 CA047763-20 - NCI NIH HHS; P42 ES007381-140019 - NIEHS NIH HHS; 5 P42 ES07381 - NIEHS NIH HHS; P42 ES007381-150019 - NIEHS NIH HHS; R01 CA047763-19 - NCI NIH HH

Caring for Transgender patients in the ICU: Current insights for equitable care

There is ever more focus on issues surrounding Transgender/Trans people and their healthcare needs, and while there is a dearth of evidence related to Intensive Care, this paper aims to address considerations for ICU nurses when caring for Trans patients. These include both the overall approach to person-centred care for Trans patients as well as the physiological considerations that necessitate nursing interventions

Ethical considerations for the nursing care of transgender patients in the intensive care unit

There is more discussion than ever surrounding the health and care needs of Transgender communities. However, there is limited research on the care of Transgender patients in the Intensive Care Unit which can contribute to knowledge gaps, inconsistencies and uncertainties surrounding health care practices. This article is not intended to address all of the specific needs of Transgender patients in ICU, but to explore the ethical considerations for caring for a Transgender woman in the ICU. In doing so, this article will explore some specific considerations around gender affirming care, challenging discrimination, physiological changes, and systems change to enhance car

The Inner Galaxy resolved at IJK using DENIS data

We present the analysis of three colour optical/near-infrared images, in IJK, taken for the DENIS project. The region considered covers 17.4 square deg and lies within |l|<5 deg, |b|<1.5 deg. The adopted methods for deriving photometry and astrometry in these crowded images, together with an analysis of the deficiencies nevertheless remaining, are presented. The numbers of objects extracted in I,J and K are 748000, 851000 and 659000 respectively, to magnitude limits of 17,15 and 13. 80% completeness levels typically fall at magnitudes 16, 13 and 10 respectively, fainter by about 2 magnitudes than the usual DENIS limits due to the crowded nature of these fields. A simple model to describe the disk contribution to the number counts is constructed, and parameters for the dust layer derived. We find that a formal fit of parameters for the dust plane, from these data in limited directions, gives a scalelength and scaleheight of 3.4+-1.0 kpc and 40+-5 pc respectively, and a solar position 14.0+-2.5 pc below the plane. This latter value is likely to be affected by localised dust asymmetries. We convolve a detailed model of the systematic and random errors in the photometry with a simple model of the Galactic disk and dust distribution, to simulate expected colour-magnitude diagrams. These are in good agreement with the observed diagrams, allowing us to isolate those stars from the inner disk and bulge. After correcting for local dust-induced asymmetries, we find evidence for longitude-dependent asymmetries in the distant J and K sources, consistent with the general predictions of some Galactic bar models. We consider complementary L-band observations in a second paper.Comment: 14 pages, 33 figures, LaTeX, MNRAS accepte

The Input Signal Step Function (ISSF), a Standard Method to Encode Input Signals in SBML Models with Software Support, Applied to Circadian Clock Models

LetterThis is the final version of the article. Available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this record.Time-dependent light input is an important feature of computational models of the circadian clock. However, publicly available models encoded in standard representations such as the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) either do not encode this input or use different mechanisms to do so, which hinders reproducibility of published results as well as model reuse. The authors describe here a numerically continuous function suitable for use in SBML for models of circadian rhythms forced by periodic light-dark cycles. The Input Signal Step Function (ISSF) is broadly applicable to encoding experimental manipulations, such as drug treatments, temperature changes, or inducible transgene expression, which may be transient, periodic, or mixed. It is highly configurable and is able to reproduce a wide range of waveforms. The authors have implemented this function in SBML and demonstrated its ability to modify the behavior of publicly available models to accurately reproduce published results. The implementation of ISSF allows standard simulation software to reproduce specialized circadian protocols, such as the phase-response curve. To facilitate the reuse of this function in public models, the authors have developed software to configure its behavior without any specialist knowledge of SBML. A community-standard approach to represent the inputs that entrain circadian clock models could particularly facilitate research in chronobiology.K.S. was supported by the UK BBSRC grant BB/E015263/1. SynthSys Edinburgh is a Centre for Integrative Systems Biology (CISB) funded by BBSRC and EPSRC, reference BB/D019621/1

The tidal stripping of satellites

We present an improved analytic calculation for the tidal radius of satellites and test our results against N-body simulations. The tidal radius in general depends upon four factors: the potential of the host galaxy, the potential of the satellite, the orbit of the satellite and {\it the orbit of the star within the satellite}. We demonstrate that this last point is critical and suggest using {\it three tidal radii} to cover the range of orbits of stars within the satellite. In this way we show explicitly that prograde star orbits will be more easily stripped than radial orbits; while radial orbits are more easily stripped than retrograde ones. This result has previously been established by several authors numerically, but can now be understood analytically. For point mass, power-law (which includes the isothermal sphere), and a restricted class of split power law potentials our solution is fully analytic. For more general potentials, we provide an equation which may be rapidly solved numerically. Over short times (\simlt 1-2 Gyrs $\sim 1$ satellite orbit), we find excellent agreement between our analytic and numerical models. Over longer times, star orbits within the satellite are transformed by the tidal field of the host galaxy. In a Hubble time, this causes a convergence of the three limiting tidal radii towards the prograde stripping radius. Beyond the prograde stripping radius, the velocity dispersion will be tangentially anisotropic.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. Final version accepted for publication in MNRAS. Some new fully analytic tidal radii have been added for power law density profiles (including the isothermal sphere) and some split power law

The mass of dwarf spheroidal galaxies and the missing satellite problem

We present the results from a suite of N-body simulations of the tidal stripping of two-component dwarf galaxies comprising some stars and dark matter. We show that recent kinematic data from the local group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies suggests that dSph galaxies must be sufficiently massive ($10^9 - 10^{10}$M$_\odot$) that tidal stripping is of little importance for the stars. We discuss the implications of these massive dSph galaxies for cosmology and galaxy formation.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of the IAUC198 "Near-Field Cosmology with Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies", H. Jerjen & B. Binggeli (eds.). Comments welcom