3,118 research outputs found
A comparison of the galaxy populations in the Coma and distant clusters: the evolution of k+a galaxies and the role of the intracluster medium
The spectroscopic properties of galaxies in the Coma cluster are compared
with those of galaxies in rich clusters at , to investigate the
evolution of the star formation history in clusters. Luminous galaxies with
and post-starburst/post-starforming (k+a) spectra which
constitute a significant fraction of galaxies in distant cluster samples are
absent in Coma, where spectacular cases of k+a spectra are found instead at
and represent a significant proportion of the cluster dwarf galaxy
population. A simple inspection of their positions on the sky indicates that
this type of galaxy does not show a preferential location within the cluster,
but the bluest and strongest-lined group of k+a's lies in projection towards
the central 1.4 Mpc of Coma and have radial velocities significantly higher
than the cluster mean. We find a striking correlation between the positions of
these young and strong post-starburst galaxies and substructure in the hot
intracluster medium (ICM) identified from {\it XMM-Newton} data, with these
galaxies lying close to the edges of two infalling substructures. This result
strongly suggests that the interaction with the dense ICM could be responsible
for the quenching of the star formation (thus creating the k+a spectrum), and
possibly, for any previous starburst. The evolution with redshift of the
luminosity distribution of k+a galaxies can be explained by a ``downsizing
effect'', with the maximum luminosity/mass of actively star-forming galaxies
infalling onto clusters decreasing at lower redshift. We discuss the possible
physical origin of this downsizing effect and the implications of our results
for current scenarios of environmental effects on the star formation in
galaxies.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, to appear in ApJ, version after referee's
change
The search for mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) A3243G mutation among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in the Nigerian population
The study aimed to compare the incidence of the pathogenic point mutation A3243G in the gene tRNALeu(UUR) indicating sub-type 2 diabetes mellitus conducted within the Nigerian population with that reported in other populations. 112 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) mellitus according to the World Health Organization criteria were selected based on family history and re-evaluated for associated disorders from the diabetic clinics in the Northern part of Nigeria. The mtDNA of these patients was extracted and the tRNALeu(UUR) gene screened for A3243G by PCR-RFLP method. Probands with maternal history were further investigated for other mutations using PCR-sequencing methods. None of the 112 patients were found to carry the A3243G mutation in the mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) gene in the homoplasmic or in the heteroplasmic form. However, C3254T was identified in two of our patients. This mutation was reported to be associated with gestational diabetes and linked with population from sub-Saharan Africa. The A3243G mutation in mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) is not a frequent cause of maternal diabetes in the Nigerian population contrary to other reported populations. However, further screening of an enlarged selected study group is necessary to fully determine the prevalence of this mutation in this population. This further search will help to fully appreciate the prevalence of maternal inheritance and diabetic deafness (MIDD) as extensively reported in other populations.Key words: Maternal diabetes, mitochondrial gene, maternal Inheritance and diabetic deafness, Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa
Dissecting the luminosity function of the Coma cluster of galaxies using CFHT wide field images
[Abridged] We determined the luminosity function (LF) of the Coma cluster
galaxies selected by luminosity, and the LF bi-variate in central brightness.
The Coma cluster and control fields were imaged using the CFH12K (42x28 arcmin)
and UH8K (28x28 arcmin) wide-field cameras at the CFHT. Selected HST images
were used for testing. Quantities were derived from measurements in at least
two colors, which have the following features: (1) Galaxies as faint as three
times the luminosity of the brightest globular clusters are in the completeness
region of our data. (2) We have a complete census (in the explored region) of
low surface brightness galaxies with central surface brightness galaxies almost
as low as the faintest so far cataloged ones. (3) The explored area is among
the largest ever sampled with CCDs at comparable depth for any cluster of
galaxies. (4) The error budget includes all sources of errors known to date.
Using HST images we also discovered that blends of globular clusters, not
resolved in individual components due to seeing, look like dwarf galaxies when
observed from the ground and are numerous and bright. The derived Coma LF is
relatively steep (alpha=-1.4) over the 11 magnitudes sampled, but the slope and
shape depend on color. A large population of faint low surface brightness
galaxies was discovered, representing the largest contributor (in number) to
the LF at faint magnitudes. We found a clear progression for a faintening of
the LF from high surface brightness galaxies (mu~20 mag/arcsec2) to galaxies of
very faint central brightnesses (mu~24.5 mag/arcsec2), and some evidence for a
steepening. Compact galaxies, usually classified as stars and therefore not
included in the LF, are found to be a minor population in Coma.Comment: ApJ, in pres
The Luminosity Function of Low-Redshift Abell Galaxy Clusters
We present the results from a survey of 57 low-redshift Abell galaxy clusters
to study the radial dependence of the luminosity function (LF). The dynamical
radius of each cluster, r200, was estimated from the photometric measurement of
cluster richness, Bgc. The shape of the LFs are found to correlate with radius
such that the faint-end slope, alpha, is generally steeper on the cluster
outskirts. The sum of two Schechter functions provides a more adequate fit to
the composite LFs than a single Schechter function. LFs based on the selection
of red and blue galaxies are bimodal in appearance. The red LFs are generally
flat for -22 < M_Rc < -18, with a radius-dependent steepening of alpha for M_Rc
> -18. The blue LFs contain a larger contribution from faint galaxies than the
red LFs. The blue LFs have a rising faint-end component (alpha ~ -1.7) for M_Rc
> -21, with a weaker dependence on radius than the red LFs. The dispersion of
M* was determined to be 0.31 mag, which is comparable to the median measurement
uncertainty of 0.38 mag. This suggests that the bright-end of the LF is
universal in shape at the 0.3 mag level. We find that M* is not correlated with
cluster richness when using a common dynamical radius. Also, we find that M* is
weakly correlated with BM-type such that later BM-type clusters have a brighter
M*. A correlation between M* and radius was found for the red and blue galaxies
such that M* fades towards the cluster center.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 16 pages, 4 tables, 24 figure
A Synthetic Lethality Screen Using a Focused siRNA Library to Identify Sensitizers to Dasatinib Therapy for the Treatment of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
Molecular targeted therapies have been the focus of recent clinical trials for the treatment of patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The majority have not fared well as monotherapies for improving survival of these patients. Poor bioavailability, lack of predictive biomarkers, and the presence of multiple survival pathways can all diminish the success of a targeted agent. Dasatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the Src-family kinases (SFK) and in preclinical studies shown to have substantial activity in EOC. However, when evaluated in a phase 2 clinical trial for patients with recurrent or persistent EOC, it was found to have minimal activity. We hypothesized that synthetic lethality screens performed using a cogently designed siRNA library would identify second-site molecular targets that could synergize with SFK inhibition and improve dasatinib efficacy. Using a systematic approach, we performed primary siRNA screening using a library focused on 638 genes corresponding to a network centered on EGFR, HER2, and the SFK-scaffolding proteins BCAR1, NEDD9, and EFS to screen EOC cells in combination with dasatinib. We followed up with validation studies including deconvolution screening, quantitative PCR to confirm effective gene silencing, correlation of gene expression with dasatinib sensitivity, and assessment of the clinical relevance of hits using TCGA ovarian cancer data. A refined list of five candidates (CSNK2A1, DAG1, GRB2, PRKCE, and VAV1) was identified as showing the greatest potential for improving sensitivity to dasatinib in EOC. Of these, CSNK2A1, which codes for the catalytic alpha subunit of protein kinase CK2, was selected for additional evaluation. Synergistic activity of the clinically relevant inhibitor of CK2, CX-4945, with dasatinib in reducing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis was observed across multiple EOC cell lines. This overall approach to improving drug efficacy can be applied to other targeted agents that have similarly shown poor clinical activity
The Color-Magnitude Relation in CL 1358+62 at z=0.33: Evidence for Significant Evolution in the S0 Population
We use a large mosaic of HST WFPC2 images to measure the colors and
morphologies of 194 spectroscopically confirmed members of the rich galaxy
cluster CL1358+62 at z=0.33. We study the color-magnitude (CM) relation as a
function of radius in the cluster. The intrinsic scatter in the restframe B-V
CM relation of the elliptical galaxies is very small: ~0.022 magnitudes. The CM
relation of the ellipticals does not depend significantly on the distance from
the cluster center. In contrast, the CM relation for the S0 galaxies does
depend on radius: the S0s in the core follow a CM relation similar to the
ellipticals, but at large radii (R>0.7Mpc) the S0s are systematically bluer and
the scatter in the CM relation approximately doubles to ~0.043 magnitudes. The
blueing of the S0s is significant at the 95% confidence level. These results
imply that the S0 galaxies in the outer parts of the cluster have formed stars
more recently than the S0s in the inner parts. A likely explanation is that
clusters at z=0.33 continue to accrete galaxies and groups from the field and
that infall extinguishes star formation. The apparent homogeneity of the
elliptical galaxy population implies that star formation in recently accreted
ellipticals was terminated well before accretion occurred. We have constructed
models to explore the constraints that these observations place on the star
formation history of cluster galaxies. We conclude that the population of S0s
in clusters is likely to evolve as star forming galaxies are converted into
passively evolving galaxies. Assuming a constant accretion rate after z=0.33,
we estimate ~15% of the present day early-type galaxy population in rich
clusters was accreted between z=0.33 and z=0. The ellipticals (and the
brightest S0s) are probably a more stable population, at least since z=0.6.Comment: Accepted for publication in the ApJ. 20 pages, 12 figures. Full
version and plates available at http://www.astro.rug.nl/~dokkum/papers.htm
Does the student-led osteopathy clinical learning environment prepare students for practice?
BACKGROUND: For many allied health disciplines, pre-professional clinical education takes place in student-led, on-campus clinic environments. In these environments, pre-professional students undertake patient care under the supervision of qualified health professionals. Literature exploring the benefits of the student-led clinical learning environment is limited and little is known about the role student-led clinics play in preparing pre-professional osteopathy students for professional practice. AIM: To explore the perceptions of osteopathy clinical educators about the role of the student-led clinic at Victoria University (VU) in preparing pre-professional students for professional practice. METHODS: A qualitative collective case study methodology was utilised to explore clinical educator perceptions. Individual interviews were conducted with clinical educators employed in the university osteopathy clinic. Interview questions were framed around the Capabilities for Osteopathic Practice which set the Australian osteopathy practice standards. Data were assessed by two of the authors using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Nine clinical educators out of 31 employed at the university clinic (29%) agreed to participate. Qualitative analysis generated three themes: perceptions of the student-led clinic (SLC) as a learning environment; clinical educator perception of their role in the SLC; and, challenges to and of the SLC environment. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical educators perceived that the student-led osteopathy clinical learning environment develops pre-professional learners to meet some, but not all, of the capabilities for professional practice as an osteopath in Australia. The environment may be improved through faculty development, fostering a proactive learning approach, addressing system-based issues, and providing opportunities to interact with other health professions
LIGO detector characterization in the second and third observing runs
The characterization of the Advanced LIGO detectors in the second and third observing runs has increased the sensitivity of the instruments, allowing for a higher number of detectable gravitational-wave signals, and provided confirmation of all observed gravitational-wave events. In this work, we present the methods used to characterize the LIGO detectors and curate the publicly available datasets, including the LIGO strain data and data quality products. We describe the essential role of these datasets in LIGO–Virgo Collaboration analyses of gravitational-waves from both transient and persistent sources and include details on the provenance of these datasets in order to support analyses of LIGO data by the broader community. Finally, we explain anticipated changes in the role of detector characterization and current efforts to prepare for the high rate of gravitational-wave alerts and events in future observing runs
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