Automated Morphological Classification of SDSS Red Sequence Galaxies

(abridged) In the last decade, the advent of enormous galaxy surveys has motivated the development of automated morphological classification schemes to deal with large data volumes. Existing automated schemes can successfully distinguish between early and late type galaxies and identify merger candidates, but are inadequate for studying detailed morphologies of red sequence galaxies. To fill this need, we present a new automated classification scheme that focuses on making finer distinctions between early types roughly corresponding to Hubble types E, S0, and Sa. We visually classify a sample of 984 non-starforming SDSS galaxies with apparent sizes >14". We then develop an automated method to closely reproduce the visual classifications, which both provides a check on the visual results and makes it possible to extend morphological analysis to much larger samples. We visually classify the galaxies into three bulge classes (BC) by the shape of the light profile in the outer regions: discs have sharp edges and bulges do not, while some galaxies are intermediate. We separately identify galaxies with features: spiral arms, bars, clumps, rings, and dust. We find general agreement between BC and the bulge fraction B/T measured by the galaxy modeling package GIM2D, but many visual discs have B/T>0.5. Three additional automated parameters -- smoothness, axis ratio, and concentration -- can identify many of these high-B/T discs to yield automated classifications that agree ~70% with the visual classifications (>90% within one BC). Both methods are used to study the bulge vs. disc frequency as a function of four measures of galaxy 'size': luminosity, stellar mass, velocity dispersion, and radius. All size indicators show a fall in disc fraction and a rise in bulge fraction among larger galaxies.Comment: 24 pages, 20 figures, MNRAS accepte

The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Mean Ages and Metallicities of Red Field Galaxies at z ~ 0.9 from Stacked Keck/DEIMOS Spectra

As part of the DEEP2 galaxy redshift survey, we analyze absorption line strengths in stacked Keck/DEIMOS spectra of red field galaxies with weak to no emission lines, at redshifts 0.7 <= z <= 1. Comparison with models of stellar population synthesis shows that red galaxies at z ~ 0.9 have mean luminosity-weighted ages of the order of only 1 Gyr and at least solar metallicities. This result cannot be reconciled with a scenario where all stars evolved passively after forming at very high z. Rather, a significant fraction of stars can be no more than 1 Gyr old, which means that star formation continued to at least z ~ 1.2. Furthermore, a comparison of these distant galaxies with a local SDSS sample, using stellar populations synthesis models, shows that the drop in the equivalent width of Hdelta from z ~ 0.9 to 0.1 is less than predicted by passively evolving models. This admits of two interpretations: either each individual galaxy experiences continuing low-level star formation, or the red-sequence galaxy population from z ~ 0.9 to 0.1 is continually being added to by new galaxies with younger stars.Comment: A few typos were corrected and numbers in Table 1 were revise

High-density Au nanorod optical field-emitter arrays

We demonstrate the design, fabrication, characterization, and operation of high-density arrays of Au nanorod electron emitters, fabricated by high-resolution electron beam lithography, and excited by ultrafast femtosecond near-infrared radiation. Electron emission characteristic of multiphoton absorption has been observed at low laser fluence, as indicated by the power-law scaling of emission current with applied optical power. The onset of space-charge-limited current and strong optical field emission has been investigated so as to determine the mechanism of electron emission at high incident laser fluence. Laser-induced structural damage has been observed at applied optical fields above 5 GV m[superscript −1], and energy spectra of emitted electrons have been measured using an electron time-of-flight spectrometer.United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Contract N66001-11-1-4192)Gordon and Betty Moore Foundatio

Diagnosing Capnocytophaga canimorsus Infections

We reviewed clinical and epidemiologic features of 56 human Capnocytophaga canimorsus isolates submitted during a 32-year period to California's Microbial Diseases Laboratory for identification. An increasing number of isolates identified as C. canimorsus have been submitted since 1990. Many laboratories still have difficulty correctly identifying this species

Preliminary validity of the Draw a Shape Test for upper extremity assessment in multiple sclerosis

Objective To validate the smartphone sensor-based Draw a Shape Test - a part of the Floodlight Proof-of-Concept app for remotely assessing multiple sclerosis-related upper extremity impairment by tracing six different shapes. Methods People with multiple sclerosis, classified functionally normal/abnormal via their Nine-Hole Peg Test time, and healthy controls participated in a 24-week, nonrandomized study. Spatial (trace accuracy), temporal (mean and variability in linear, angular, and radial drawing velocities, and dwell time ratio), and spatiotemporal features (trace celerity) were cross-sectionally analyzed for correlation with standard clinical and brain magnetic resonance imaging (normalized brain volume and total lesion volume) disease burden measures, and for capacity to differentiate people with multiple sclerosis from healthy controls. Results Data from 69 people with multiple sclerosis and 18 healthy controls were analyzed. Trace accuracy (all shapes), linear velocity variability (circle, figure-of-8, spiral shapes), and radial velocity variability (spiral shape) had a mostly fair/moderate-to-good correlation (|r| = 0.14-0.66) with all disease burden measures. Trace celerity also had mostly fair/moderate-to-good correlation (|r| = 0.18-0.41) with Nine-Hole Peg Test performance, cerebellar functional system score, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, partial correlation analysis related these results to motor impairment. People with multiple sclerosis showed greater drawing velocity variability, though slower mean velocity, than healthy controls. Linear velocity (spiral shape) and angular velocity (circle shape) potentially differentiate functionally normal people with multiple sclerosis from healthy controls. Interpretation The Draw a Shape Test objectively assesses upper extremity impairment and correlates with all disease burden measures, thus aiding multiple sclerosis-related upper extremity impairment characterization

Subsurface Geometry of the San Andreas Fault in Southern California: Results from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project (SSIP) and Strong Ground Motion Expectations

The San Andreas fault (SAF) is one of the most studied strike‐slip faults in the world; yet its subsurface geometry is still uncertain in most locations. The Salton Seismic Imaging Project (SSIP) was undertaken to image the structure surrounding the SAF and also its subsurface geometry. We present SSIP studies at two locations in the Coachella Valley of the northern Salton trough. On our line 4, a fault‐crossing profile just north of the Salton Sea, sedimentary basin depth reaches 4 km southwest of the SAF. On our line 6, a fault‐crossing profile at the north end of the Coachella Valley, sedimentary basin depth is ∼2–3  km and centered on the central, most active trace of the SAF. Subsurface geometry of the SAF and nearby faults along these two lines is determined using a new method of seismic‐reflection imaging, combined with potential‐field studies and earthquakes. Below a 6–9 km depth range, the SAF dips ∼50°–60° NE, and above this depth range it dips more steeply. Nearby faults are also imaged in the upper 10 km, many of which dip steeply and project to mapped surface fault traces. These secondary faults may join the SAF at depths below about 10 km to form a flower‐like structure. In Appendix D, we show that rupture on a northeast‐dipping SAF, using a single plane that approximates the two dips seen in our study, produces shaking that differs from shaking calculated for the Great California ShakeOut, for which the southern SAF was modeled as vertical in most places: shorter‐period (T<1  s) shaking is increased locally by up to a factor of 2 on the hanging wall and is decreased locally by up to a factor of 2 on the footwall, compared to shaking calculated for a vertical fault

Association between Hospital Admissions and Healthcare Provider Communication for Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease

Objective: To test the hypothesis that caregivers’ or adult participants’ low ratings of provider communication are associated with more hospital admissions among adults and children with sickle cell disease (SCD), respectively. Secondarily, we determined whether there was an association between the caregivers’ or participants’ health literacy and rating of providers’ communication. Methods: Primary data were collected from participants through surveys between 2014 and 2016, across six sickle cell centers throughout the U.S. In this cross-sectional cohort study, 211 adults with SCD and 331 caregivers of children with SCD completed surveys evaluating provider communication using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), healthcare utilization, health literacy, and other sociodemographic and behavioral variables. Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and logistic regression. Results: Participants with better ratings of provider communication were less likely to be hospitalized (odds ratio (OR) = 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.35, 0.83]). Positive ratings of provider communication were associated with fewer readmissions for children (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = [0.09, 0.57]). Participants with better ratings of provider communication were less likely to rate their health literacy as lower (regression coefficient (B) = −0.28, 95% CI = [−0.46, −0.10]). Conclusions: Low ratings of provider communication were associated with more hospitalizations and readmissions in SCD, suggesting the need for interventions targeted at improving patient-provider communication which could decrease hospitalizations for this population

U-turn speed is a valid and reliable smartphone-based measure of multiple sclerosis-related gait and balance impairment

Background: People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience impairments in gait and mobility, that are not fully captured with manually timed walking tests or rating scales administered during periodic clinical visits. We have developed a smartphone-based assessment of ambulation performance, the 5 U-Turn Test (5UTT), a quantitative self-administered test of U-turn ability while walking, for people with MS (PwMS). Research question: What is the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of U-turn speed, an unsupervised self-assessment of gait and balance impairment, measured using a body-worn smartphone during the 5UTT? Methods: 76 PwMS and 25 healthy controls (HCs) participated in a cross-sectional non-randomised interventional feasibility study. The 5UTT was self-administered daily and the median U-turn speed, measured during a 14-day session, was compared against existing validated in-clinic measures of MS-related disability. Results: U-turn speed, measured during a 14-day session from the 5UTT, demonstrated good-to-excellent test-retest reliability in PwMS alone and combined with HCs (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.87 [95 % CI: 0.80-0.92]) and moderate-to-excellent reliability in HCs alone (ICC = 0.88 [95 % CI: 0.69-0.96]). U-turn speed was significantly correlated with in-clinic measures of walking speed, physical fatigue, ambulation impairment, overall MS-related disability and patients' self-perception of quality of life, at baseline, Week 12 and Week 24. The minimal detectable change of the U-turn speed from the 5UTT was low (19.42 %) in PwMS and indicates a good precision of this measurement tool when compared with conventional in-clinic measures of walking performance. Significance: The frequent self-assessment of turn speed, as an outcome measure from a smartphone-based U-turn test, may represent an ecologically valid digital solution to remotely and reliably monitor gait and balance impairment in a home environment during MS clinical trials and practice