Searching for Faint Comoving Companions to the α Centauri system in the VVV Survey Infrared Images

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. © 2017 Crown Copyright. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.The VVV survey has observed the southern disk of the Milky Way in the near infrared, covering 240 deg$^{2}$ in the $ZYJHK_S$ filters. We search the VVV Survey images in a $\sim$19 deg$^{2}$ field around $\alpha$ Centauri, the nearest stellar system to the Sun, to look for possible overlooked companions that the baseline in time of VVV would be able to uncover. The photometric depth of our search reaches $Y\sim$19.3 mag, $J\sim$19 mag, and $K_S\sim$17 mag. This search has yielded no new companions in $\alpha$ Centauri system, setting an upper mass limit for any unseen companion well into the brown dwarf/planetary mass regime. The apparent magnitude limits were turned into effective temperature limits, and the presence of companion objects with effective temperatures warmer than 325K can be ruled out using different state-of-the-art atmospheric models. These limits were transformed into mass limits using evolutionary models, companions with masses above 11 M$_{Jup}$ were discarded, extending the constraints recently provided in the literature up to projected distances of dPeer reviewedFinal Published versio

Fall 1983

Canada Geese Control (page 3) Coloring the Course (5) Irrigation\u27s Role for Turf and Landscape (7) Perennial Ryegrass Update (12) Crabgrass - A Common Troublesome Weed in Turfgrass (15) Thatch and Its Control (18

Evidence of strong stabilizing effects on the evolution of boreoeutherian (Mammalia) dental proportions.

The dentition is an extremely important organ in mammals with variation in timing and sequence of eruption, crown morphology, and tooth size enabling a range of behavioral, dietary, and functional adaptations across the class. Within this suite of variable mammalian dental phenotypes, relative sizes of teeth reflect variation in the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. Two ratios of postcanine tooth lengths capture the relative size of premolars to molars (premolar-molar module, PMM), and among the three molars (molar module component, MMC), and are known to be heritable, independent of body size, and to vary significantly across primates. Here, we explore how these dental traits vary across mammals more broadly, focusing on terrestrial taxa in the clade of Boreoeutheria (Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria). We measured the postcanine teeth of N = 1,523 boreoeutherian mammals spanning six orders, 14 families, 36 genera, and 49 species to test hypotheses about associations between dental proportions and phylogenetic relatedness, diet, and life history in mammals. Boreoeutherian postcanine dental proportions sampled in this study carry conserved phylogenetic signal and are not associated with variation in diet. The incorporation of paleontological data provides further evidence that dental proportions may be slower to change than is dietary specialization. These results have implications for our understanding of dental variation and dietary adaptation in mammals

Enhanced cell deconvolution of peripheral blood using DNA methylation for high-resolution immune profiling

DNA methylation microarrays can be employed to interrogate cell-type composition in complex tissues. Here, we expand reference-based deconvolution of blood DNA methylation to include 12 leukocyte subtypes (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, naïve and memory B cells, naïve and memory CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, natural killer, and T regulatory cells). Including derived variables, our method provides 56 immune profile variables. The IDOL (IDentifying Optimal Libraries) algorithm was used to identify libraries for deconvolution of DNA methylation data for current and previous platforms. The accuracy of deconvolution estimates obtained using our enhanced libraries was validated using artificial mixtures and whole-blood DNA methylation with known cellular composition from flow cytometry. We applied our libraries to deconvolve cancer, aging, and autoimmune disease datasets. In conclusion, these libraries enable a detailed representation of immune-cell profiles in blood using only DNA and facilitate a standardized, thorough investigation of immune profiles in human health and disease

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 Promotes Pancreatic β-Cell Survival via Fak-Akt Signaling Pathways

ObjectiveCyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 has recently been linked to type 2 diabetes by genome-wide association studies. While CDK5 and its regulatory protein p35 are both expressed and display enzymatic activity in pancreatic β-cells, their precise role in the β-cell remains unknown. Because type 2 diabetes is characterized by a deficit in β-cell mass and increased β-cell apoptosis, we investigated the role of CDK5 in β-cell survival.Research design and methodsWe used INS 832/13 cells, rat islets isolated from wild-type or human islet amyloid polypeptide (h-IAPP) transgenic rats, and pancreatic tissue from rats and humans with and without type 2 diabetes and investigated the effect of CDK5/p35 inhibition (by small interfering RNA or by chemical inhibition) as well as CDK5/p35 overexpression on β-cell vulnerability to apoptosis.ResultsCDK5 inhibition led to increased β-cell apoptosis. To identify the mechanisms involved, we examined the phosphorylation state of focal adhesion kinase (Fak)(Ser732), a known target of CDK5. Following CDK5 inhibition, the phosphorylation of Fak(Ser732) decreased with resulting attenuation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt survival pathway. Conversely, CDK5 overexpression increased Fak(Ser732) phosphorylation and protected β-cells against apoptosis induced by the inhibition of the β-1 integrin signaling pathway. Also, Fak(Ser732) phosphorylation was less abundant in β-cells in both h-IAPP transgenic rats and humans with type 2 diabetes.ConclusionsThis study shows that by regulating Fak phosphorylation and subsequently PI3K/Akt survival pathway, CDK5 plays a previously unrecognized role in promoting β-cell survival

Conceptions of ‘research’ and their gendered impact on research activity: A UK case study

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Higher Education Research and Development in 2020, available online: DOI to be added when available.The last twenty years have seen an increased emphasis around the world on the quality and quantity of research in response to national research assessments, international league tables, and changes in government funding. The prevailing attitude in higher education embeds research as the ‘gold standard’ in the context of academic activity. However, a key feature of this trend is significant gender differences in research activity. We argue that research productivity is related to identification as a researcher, and that identifying as ‘research-active’ or not would appear to depend upon how an individual academic subjectively defines ‘research’. This article brings together two hitherto separate bodies of work 1) the impact of gender on academic research careers, and 2) academic conceptions of research. Through a combination of interviews, focus groups and questionnaires, we investigate the extent to which interpretations of ‘research’ and ‘research activity’ differ by gender within an institution in the UK and the potential impact of these interpretations. Although the research found that there are many similarities in the interpretations of ‘research activity’ between genders, we found one important difference between male and female participants’ conceptions of research and its relationship to teaching. Significantly, our findings suggest that there is a need to expand our existing conceptualisations of ‘research’ to include ‘research as scholarship’ in order to address the obstacles that current understanding of ‘research’ have placed on some academics. Self-definition as a researcher underlies research activity. A narrow conception of ‘research’ may prevent individuals from identifying as ‘research-active’ and therefore engaging with research

UWISH2 -- The UKIRT Widefield Infrared Survey for H2

We present the goals and preliminary results of an unbiased, near-infrared, narrow-band imaging survey of the First Galactic Quadrant (10deg<l<65deg ; -1.3deg<b<+1.3deg). This area includes most of the Giant Molecular Clouds and massive star forming regions in the northern hemisphere. The survey is centred on the 1-0S(1) ro-vibrational line of H2, a proven tracer of hot, dense molecular gas in star-forming regions, around evolved stars, and in supernova remnants. The observations complement existing and upcoming photometric surveys (Spitzer-GLIMPSE, UKIDSS-GPS, JCMT-JPS, AKARI, Herschel Hi-GAL, etc.), though we probe a dynamically active component of star formation not covered by these broad-band surveys. Our narrow-band survey is currently more than 60% complete. The median seeing in our images is 0.73arcsec. The images have a 5sigma detection limit of point sources of K=18mag and the surface brightness limit is 10^-19Wm^-2arcsec^-2 when averaged over our typical seeing. Jets and outflows from both low and high mass Young Stellar Objects are revealed, as are new Planetary Nebulae and - via a comparison with earlier K-band observations acquired as part of the UKIDSS GPS - numerous variable stars. With their superior spatial resolution, the UWISH2 data also have the potential to reveal the true nature of many of the Extended Green Objects found in the GLIMPSE survey.Comment: 14pages, 8figures, 2tables, accepted for publication by MNRAS, a version with higher resolution figures can be found at http://astro.kent.ac.uk/~df

The signature of orbital motion from the dayside of the planet tau Bootis b

The giant planet orbiting tau Bootis was among the first extrasolar planets to be discovered through the reflex motion of its host star. It is one of the brightest known and most nearby planets with an orbital period of just a few days. Over the course of more than a decade, measurements of its orbital inclination have been announced and refuted, and have subsequently remained elusive until now. Here we report on the detection of carbon monoxide absorption in the thermal day-side spectrum of tau Bootis b. At a spectral resolution of R~100,000, we trace the change in the radial velocity of the planet over a large range in phase, determining an orbital inclination of i=44.5+-1.5 degrees and a true planet mass of 5.95+-0.28 MJup. This result extends atmospheric characterisation to non-transiting planets. The strong absorption signal points to an atmosphere with a temperature that is decreasing towards higher altitudes. This is a stark contrast to the temperature inversion invoked for other highly irradiated planets, and supports models in which the absorbing compounds believed to cause such atmospheric inversions are destroyed by the ultraviolet emission from the active host star.Comment: To appear in the June 28 issue of Nature: main article + supplementary informatio

How communication affects prescription decisions in consultations for acute illness in children:a systematic review and meta-ethnography

BACKGROUND: Communication within primary care consultations for children with acute illness can be problematic for parents and clinicians, with potential misunderstandings contributing to over–prescription of antibiotics. This review aimed to synthesise the evidence in relation to communication and decision making in consultations for children with common acute illness. METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SSCI, SIGLE, Dissertation Express and NHS economic evaluation databases was conducted. Studies of primary care settings in high income countries which made direct observations of consultations and reported qualitative data were included. Included studies were appraised using the process recommended by the Cochrane Qualitative Methods Group. Credibility was assessed as high for most studies but transferability was usually assessed low or unclear. Data were synthesised using a meta–ethnographic approach. RESULTS: Thirty–five papers and 2 theses reporting on 13 studies were included, 7 of these focussed on children with respiratory tract infections (RTI) and the remaining 6 included children with any presenting illness. Parent communication focussed on their concerns and information needs, whereas clinician communication focussed on diagnosis and treatment decisions. During information exchanges, parents often sought to justify the need for the consultation, while clinicians frequently used problem minimising language, resulting in parents and clinicians sometimes talking at cross–purposes. In the context of RTIs, a range of parent communication behaviours were interpreted by clinicians as indicating an expectation for antibiotics; however, most were ambiguous and could also be interpreted as raising concerns or requests for further information. The perceived expectation for antibiotics often changed clinician decision making into clinician–parent negotiation. CONCLUSIONS: Misunderstandings occurred due to parents and clinicians talking at cross purposes about the ‘seriousness’ of the illness and because parents’ expressions of concern or requests for additional information were sometimes perceived as a challenge to the clinicians’ diagnosis or treatment decision. This modifiable problem may be an important contribution to the unnecessary and unwanted prescribing of antibiotics. Primary care clinicians should be offered training to understand parent communication primarily as expressions of concern or attempts at understanding and always to check rather than infer parental expectations