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Following the rivers: historical reconstruction of California voles Microtus californicus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the deserts of eastern California
The California vole, Microtus californicus, restricted to habitat patches where water is available nearly year-round, is a remnant of the mesic history of the southern Great Basin and Mojave deserts of eastern California. The history of voles in this region is a model for species-edge population dynamics through periods of climatic change. We sampled voles from the eastern deserts of California and examined variation in the mitochondrial cytb gene, three nuclear intron regions, and across 12 nuclear microsatellite markers. Samples are allocated to two mitochondrial clades: one associated with southern California and the other with central and northern California. The limited mtDNA structure largely recovers the geographical distribution, replicated by both nuclear introns and microsatellites. The most remote population, Microtus californicus scirpensis at Tecopa near Death Valley, was the most distinct. This population shares microsatellite alleles with both mtDNA clades, and both its northern clade nuclear introns and southern clade mtDNA sequences support a hybrid origin for this endangered population. The overall patterns support two major invasions into the desert through an ancient system of riparian corridors along streams and lake margins during the latter part of the Pleistocene followed by local in situ divergence subsequent to late Pleistocene and Holocene drying events. Changes in current water resource use could easily remove California voles from parts of the desert landscape
Bulk Majorons at Colliders
Lepton number violation may arise via the spontaneous breakdown of a global
symmetry. In extra dimensions, spontaneous lepton number violation in the bulk
implies the existence of a Goldstone boson, the majoron J^(0), as well as an
accompanying tower of Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations, J^(n). Even if the
zero-mode majoron is very weakly interacting, so that detection in low-energy
processes is difficult, the sum over the tower of KK modes may partially
compensate in processes of relevance at high-energy colliders. Here we consider
the inclusive differential and total cross sections for e^- e^- --> W^- W^- J,
where J represents a sum over KK modes. We show that allowed parameter choices
exist for which this process may be accessible to a TeV-scale electron
collider.Comment: 11 pages LaTeX, 3 eps figures (references added
Galaxy clustering in the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey: the relationship between stellar mass and dark matter halo mass at 1 < z < 2
We present an analysis of the clustering of galaxies as a function of their
stellar mass at 1 < z < 2 using data from the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey
(NMBS). The precise photometric redshifts and stellar masses that the NMBS
produces allows us to define a series of mass limited samples of galaxies more
massive than 0.7, 1 and 3x10^10 Msun in redshift intervals centered on z = 1.1,
1.5 and 1.9 respectively. In each redshift interval we show that there exists a
strong dependence of clustering strength on the stellar mass limit of the
sample, with more massive galaxies showing a higher clustering amplitude on all
scales. We further interpret our clustering measurements in the LCDM
cosmological context using the halo model of galaxy clustering. We show that
the typical halo mass of central and satellite galaxies increases with stellar
mass, whereas the satellite fraction decreases with stellar mass, qualitatively
the same as is seen at z < 1. We see little evidence of any redshift dependence
in the stellar mass-to-halo mass relationship over our narrow redshift range.
However, when we compare with similar measurements at z~0, we see clear
evidence for a change in this relation. If we assume a universal baryon
fraction, the ratio of stellar mass to halo mass reveals the fraction of
baryons that have been converted to stars. We see that the peak in this star
formation efficiency for central galaxies shifts to higher halo masses at
higher redshift, moving from ~7x10^11 Msun at z~0 to ~3x10^12 Msun at z~1.5,
revealing evidence of `halo downsizing'. Finally we show that for highly biased
galaxy populations at z > 1 there may be a discrepancy between the measured
space density and clustering and that predicted by the halo model. This could
imply that there is a problem with one or more ingredients of the halo model at
these redshifts, for instance the halo bias relation or the halo profile.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Correction made to typo in halo
masses in conclusion
A Substantial Population of Low Mass Stars in Luminous Elliptical Galaxies
The stellar initial mass function (IMF) describes the mass distribution of
stars at the time of their formation and is of fundamental importance for many
areas of astrophysics. The IMF is reasonably well constrained in the disk of
the Milky Way but we have very little direct information on the form of the IMF
in other galaxies and at earlier cosmic epochs. Here we investigate the stellar
mass function in elliptical galaxies by measuring the strength of the Na I
doublet and the Wing-Ford molecular FeH band in their spectra. These lines are
strong in stars with masses <0.3 Msun and weak or absent in all other types of
stars. We unambiguously detect both signatures, consistent with previous
studies that were based on data of lower signal-to-noise ratio. The direct
detection of the light of low mass stars implies that they are very abundant in
elliptical galaxies, making up >80% of the total number of stars and
contributing >60% of the total stellar mass. We infer that the IMF in massive
star-forming galaxies in the early Universe produced many more low mass stars
than the IMF in the Milky Way disk, and was probably slightly steeper than the
Salpeter form in the mass range 0.1 - 1 Msun.Comment: To appear in Natur
Constraining halo occupation properties of X-ray AGNs using clustering of Chandra sources in the Bootes survey region
We present one of the most precise measurement to date of the spatial
clustering of X-ray selected AGNs using a sample derived from the Chandra X-ray
Observatory survey in the Bootes field. The real-space two-point correlation
function over a redshift interval from z=0.17 to z~3 is well described by the
power law, xi(r)=(r/r0)^-gamma, for comoving separations r<~20h^-1 Mpc. We find
gamma=1.84+-0.12 and r0 consistent with no redshift trend within the sample
(varying between r0=5.5+-0.6 h^-1 Mpc for =0.37 and r0=6.9+-1.0 h^-1 Mpc for
=1.28). Further, we are able to measure the projections of the two-point
correlation function both on the sky plane and in the line of sight. We use
these measurements to show that the Chandra/Bootes AGNs are predominantly
located at the centers of dark matter halos with the circular velocity Vmax>320
km/s or M_200 > 4.1e12 h^-1 Msun, and tend to avoid satellite galaxies in halos
of this or higher mass. The halo occupation properties inferred from the
clustering properties of Chandra/Bootes AGNs --- the mass scale of the parent
dark matter halos, the lack of significant redshift evolution of the clustering
length, and the low satellite fraction --- are broadly consistent with the
Hopkins et al. scenario of quasar activity triggered by mergers of
similarly-sized galaxies.Comment: Accepted to ApJ. The revision matches the accepted version. The most
significant changes include the recalculation of uncertainties using mock
catalogs and explicit comparison with the AGN HOD studies based on projected
correlation function, w(rp
Whole-tree chambers for elevated atmospheric CO<inf>2</inf> experimentation and tree scale flux measurements in south-eastern Australia: The Hawkesbury Forest Experiment
Resolving ecophysiological processes in elevated atmospheric CO2 (Ca) at scales larger than single leaves poses significant challenges. Here, we describe a field-based experimental system designed to grow trees up to 9m tall in elevated Ca with the capacity to control air temperature and simultaneously measure whole-tree gas exchange. In western Sydney, Australia, we established the Hawkesbury Forest Experiment (HFE) where we built whole-tree chambers (WTC) to measure whole-tree CO2 and water fluxes of an evergreen broadleaf tree, Eucalyptus saligna. A single E. saligna tree was grown from seedling to small tree within each of 12 WTCs; six WTCs were maintained at ambient Ca and six WTCs were maintained at elevated Ca, targeted at ambient Ca +240μmolmol-1. All 12 WTCs were controlled to track ambient outside air temperature (Tair) and air water vapour deficit (Dair). During the experimental period, Tair, Dair and Ca in the WTCs were within 0.5°C, 0.3kPa, and 15μmolmol-1 of the set-points for 90% of the time, respectively. Diurnal responses of whole-tree CO2 and water vapour fluxes are analysed, demonstrating the ability of the tree chamber system to measure rapid environmental responses of these fluxes of entire trees. The light response of CO2 uptake for entire trees showed a clear diurnal hysteresis, attributed to stomatal closure at high Dair. Tree scale CO2 fluxes confirm the hypothesised deleterious effect of chilling night-time temperatures on whole-tree carbon gain in this subtropical Eucalyptus. The whole-tree chamber flux data add an invaluable scale to measurements in both ambient and elevated Ca and allow us to elucidate the mechanisms driving tree productivity responses to elevated Ca in interaction with water availability and temperature. © 2010 Elsevier B.V
Relationship between Tibial conformation, cage size and advancement achieved in TTA procedure
Previous studies have suggested that there is a theoretical discrepancy between the cage size and the resultant tibial tuberosity advancement, with the cage size consistently providing less tibial tuberosity advancement than predicted. The purpose of this study was to test and quantify this in clinical cases. The hypothesis was that the advancement of the tibial tuberosity as measured by the widening of the proximal tibia at the tibial tuberosity level after a standard TTA, will be less than the cage sized used, with no particular cage size providing a relative smaller or higher under-advancement, and that the conformation of the proximal tibia will have an influence on the amount of advancement achieved
Adverse drug reactions and off-label and unlicensed medicines in children: a nested case control study of inpatients in a pediatric hospital
Off-label and unlicensed (OLUL) prescribing has been prevalent in pediatric practice. Using data from a prospective cohort study of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among pediatric inpatients, we aimed to test the hypothesis that OLUL status is a risk factor for ADRs
Satellite abundances around bright isolated galaxies
We study satellite galaxy abundances in SDSS by counting photometric galaxies
around isolated bright primaries. We present results as a function of the
luminosity, stellar mass and colour of the satellites, and of the stellar mass
and colour of the primaries. For massive primaries the luminosity and stellar
mass functions of satellites are similar in shape to those of field galaxies,
but for lower mass primaries they are significantly steeper. The steepening is
particularly marked for the stellar mass function. Satellite abundance
increases strongly with primary stellar mass, approximately in proportion to
expected dark halo mass. Massive red primaries have up to a factor of 2 more
satellites than blue ones of the same stellar mass. Satellite galaxies are
systematically redder than field galaxies of the same stellar mass. Satellites
are also systematically redder around more massive primaries. At fixed primary
mass, they are redder around red primaries. We select similarly isolated
galaxies from mock catalogues based on the simulations of Guo et al.(2011) and
analyze them in parallel with the SDSS data. The simulation reproduces all the
above trends qualitatively, except for the steepening of the satellite
luminosity and stellar mass functions. Model satellites, however, are
systematically redder than in the SDSS, particularly at low mass and around
low-mass primaries. Simulated haloes of a given mass have satellite abundances
that are independent of central galaxy colour, but red centrals tend to have
lower stellar masses, reflecting earlier quenching of their star formation by
feedback. This explains the correlation between satellite abundance and primary
colour in the simulation. The correlation between satellite colour and primary
colour arises because red centrals live in haloes which are more massive, older
and more gas-rich, so that satellite quenching is more efficient.Comment: 29 pages, 24 figure
Incidence, characteristics and risk factors of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized children - a prospective observational cohort study of 6,601 admissions
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are an important cause of harm in children. Current data are incomplete due to methodological differences between studies: only half of all studies provide drug data, incidence rates vary (0.6% to 16.8%) and very few studies provide data on causality, severity and risk factors of pediatric ADRs. We aimed to determine the incidence of ADRs in hospitalized children, to characterize these ADRs in terms of type, drug etiology, causality and severity and to identify risk factors
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