1,318 research outputs found
The most metal-poor Galactic globular cluster: the first spectroscopic observations of ESO280-SC06
We present the first spectroscopic observations of the very metal-poor Milky
Way globular cluster ESO280-SC06. Using spectra acquired with the 2dF/AAOmega
spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope, we have identified 13 members
of the cluster, and estimate from their infrared calcium triplet lines that the
cluster has a metallicity of .
This would make it the most metal-poor globular cluster known in the Milky Way.
This result was verified with comparisons to three other metal-poor globular
clusters that had been observed and analyzed in the same manner. We also
present new photometry of the cluster from EFOSC2 and SkyMapper and confirm
that the cluster is located kpc from the Sun and kpc
from the Galactic centre, and has a radial velocity of km s. These new data finds the cluster to have a radius about
half that previously estimated, and we find that the cluster has a dynamical
mass of the cluster of solar masses. Unfortunately, we
lack reliable proper motions to fully characterize its orbit about the Galaxy.
Intriguingly, the photometry suggests that the cluster lacks a well-populated
horizontal branch, something that has not been observed in a cluster so ancient
or metal-poor.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Spectral matching for abundances of 848 stars of the giant branches of the globular cluster {\omega} Centauri
We present the effective temperatures, surface gravities and abundances of
iron, carbon and barium of 848 giant branch stars, of which 557 also have
well-defined nitrogen abundances, of the globular cluster {\omega} Centauri.
This work used photometric sources and lower resolution spectra for this
abundance analysis. Spectral indices were used to estimate the oxygen abundance
of the stars, leading to a determination of whether a particular star was
oxygen-rich or oxygen-poor.
The 557-star subset was analyzed in the context of evolutionary groups, with
four broad groups identified. These groups suggest that there were at least
four main four periods of star formation in the cluster. The exact order of
these star formation events is not yet understood.
These results compare well with those found at higher resolution and show the
value of more extensive lower resolution spectral surveys. They also highlight
the need for large samples of stars when working with a complex object like
{\omega} Cen.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Engineering stochasticity in gene expression
Stochastic fluctuations (noise) in gene expression can cause members of otherwise genetically identical populations to display drastically different phenotypes. An understanding of the sources of noise and the strategies cells employ to function reliably despite noise is proving to be increasingly important in describing the behavior of natural organisms and will be essential for the engineering of synthetic biological systems. Here we describe the design of synthetic constructs, termed ribosome competing RNAs (rcRNAs), as a means to rationally perturb noise in cellular gene expression. We find that noise in gene expression increases in a manner proportional to the ability of an rcRNA to compete for the cellular ribosome pool. We then demonstrate that operons significantly buffer noise between coexpressed genes in a natural cellular background and can even reduce the level of rcRNA enhanced noise. These results demonstrate that synthetic genetic constructs can significantly affect the noise profile of a living cell and, importantly, that operons are a facile genetic strategy for buffering against noise
ESO452-SC11: The lowest mass globular cluster with a potential chemical inhomogeneity
We present the largest spectroscopic investigation of one of the faintest and
least studied stellar clusters of the Milky Way, ESO452-SC11. Using the
Anglo-Australian Telescope AAOmega and Keck HIRES spectrographs we have
identified 11 members of the cluster and found indications of star-to-star
light element abundance variation, primarily using the blue cyanogen (CN)
absorption features. From a stellar density profile, we estimate a total
cluster mass of solar masses. This would make
ESO452-SC11 the lowest mass cluster with evidence for multiple populations.
These data were also used to measure the radial velocity of the cluster
( km s) and confirm that ESO452-SC11 is relatively
metal-rich for a globular cluster ([Fe/H]). All known massive
clusters studied in detail show multiple populations of stars each with a
different chemical composition, but many low-mass globular clusters appear to
be chemically homogeneous. ESO452-SC11 sets a lower mass limit for the multiple
stellar population phenomenon.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Comparing Ecological Sensitivity with Stream Flow Rates in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin
Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Seasonal Change in Countermovement Jump Performance in NCAA Women’s Golfers
Background of Study: The countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) task has been reported to have positive associations with golf-specific performance variables. Additionally, the CMJ is commonly used to assess neuromuscular fatigue in athletic populations. Objective: Thus, this investigation sought to examine the changes in CMJ performance throughout a competitive season in NCAA collegiate women’s golfers. Methods: Using a longitudinal study design, six collegiate women golfers completed three sessions (pre, mid, and post) of CMJ testing during the spring competition period. During each testing session, two successful jump trials were collected using a portable force platform sampling at 1000 Hz. During each trial, an arm swing was restricted by the use of a dowel placed across the upper back. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine if differences were present between testing sessions. Results: Propulsive net impulse significantly increased from pre to mid (p 0.05) and pre to post (p 0.05). No other variables showed a statistically significant change over the duration of the study, though moderate effect size increases were in countermovement depth from pre to mid-testing (0.73) and jump height from pre to post-testing (0.72). Conclusions: These findings support previous findings of an increase in vertical jump performance over the course of a season in collegiate golfers, though strategies for maximal performance may shift
Cytochrome B5 Protects Photoreceptors from Light Stress-Induced Lipid Peroxidation and Retinal Degeneration
Lipid peroxides are generated by oxidative stress in cells, and contribute to ageing and neurodegenerative disease. The eye is at special risk for lipid peroxidation because photoreceptors possess amplified sensory membranes rich in peroxidation-susceptible polyunsaturated fatty acids. Light-induced lipid peroxidation in the retina contributes to retinal degeneration, and lipid peroxidation has been implicated in the progression of age-associated ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Here, we show that exposing Drosophila melanogaster to strong blue light induces oxidative stress including lipid peroxidation that results in retinal degeneration. Surprisingly, very young flies are resilient to this acute light stress, suggesting they possess endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms. While lipophilic antioxidants partially suppressed blue light-induced retinal degeneration in older flies, we find that overexpression of cytochrome b5 (Cyt-b5) completely suppressed both blue light-induced lipid peroxidation and retinal degeneration. Our data identify Cyt-b5 as a neuroprotective factor that targets light-induced oxidative damage, particularly lipid peroxidation. Cyt-b5 may function via supporting antioxidant recycling, thereby providing a strategy to prevent oxidative stress in ageing photoreceptors that would be synergistic with dietary antioxidant supplementation
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