GRBlog: A Database for Gamma-Ray Bursts

GRBlog is an on-line database providing researchers with quick access to all information reported in the GCN Circulars. Users of the GRBlog web site (grad40.as.utexas.edu/grblog.php) can search the circulars and produce afterglow light curve plots, or compile data tables. The site also offers advanced search capabilities to aide in statistical studies or comparative research. Most of the GCNs have already been entered into the GRBlog database, with the remainder to follow shortly.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Proceedings for the 2003 GRB Conference (Santa Fe, NM, 2003 Sep 8-12

EOS image data processing system definition study

The Image Processing System (IPS) requirements and configuration are defined for NASA-sponsored advanced technology Earth Observatory System (EOS). The scope included investigation and definition of IPS operational, functional, and product requirements considering overall system constraints and interfaces (sensor, etc.) The scope also included investigation of the technical feasibility and definition of a point design reflecting system requirements. The design phase required a survey of present and projected technology related to general and special-purpose processors, high-density digital tape recorders, and image recorders

Dorsalization of the neural tube by the non-neural ectoderm

The patterning of cell types along the dorsoventral axis of the spinal cord requires a complex set of inductive signals. While the chordamesoderm is a well-known source of ventralizing signals, relatively little is known about the cues that induce dorsal cell types, including neural crest. Here, we demonstrate that juxtaposition of the non-neural and neural ectoderm is sufficient to induce the expression of dorsal markers, Wnt-1, Wnt-3a and Slug, as well as the formation of neural crest cells. In addition, the competence of neural plate to express Wnt-1 and Wnt-3a appears to be stage dependent, occurring only when neural tissue is taken from stage 8–10 embryos but not from stage 4 embryos, regardless of the age of the non-neural ectoderm. In contrast to the induction of Wnt gene expression, neural crest cell formation and Slug expression can be induced when either stage 4 or stage 8–10 neural plates are placed in contact with the non-neural ectoderm. These data suggest that the non-neural ectoderm provides a signal (or signals) that specifies dorsal cell types within the neural tube, and that the response is dependent on the competence of the neural tissue

Potent CRISPR-Cas9 inhibitors from Staphylococcus genomes.

Anti-CRISPRs (Acrs) are small proteins that inhibit the RNA-guided DNA targeting activity of CRISPR-Cas enzymes. Encoded by bacteriophage and phage-derived bacterial genes, Acrs prevent CRISPR-mediated inhibition of phage infection and can also block CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing in eukaryotic cells. To identify Acrs capable of inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (SauCas9), an alternative to the most commonly used genome editing protein Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpyCas9), we used both self-targeting CRISPR screening and guilt-by-association genomic search strategies. Here we describe three potent inhibitors of SauCas9 that we name AcrIIA13, AcrIIA14, and AcrIIA15. These inhibitors share a conserved N-terminal sequence that is dispensable for DNA cleavage inhibition and have divergent C termini that are required in each case for inhibition of SauCas9-catalyzed DNA cleavage. In human cells, we observe robust inhibition of SauCas9-induced genome editing by AcrIIA13 and moderate inhibition by AcrIIA14 and AcrIIA15. We also find that the conserved N-terminal domain of AcrIIA13-AcrIIA15 binds to an inverted repeat sequence in the promoter of these Acr genes, consistent with its predicted helix-turn-helix DNA binding structure. These data demonstrate an effective strategy for Acr discovery and establish AcrIIA13-AcrIIA15 as unique bifunctional inhibitors of SauCas9

Effect of Hatchery Rearing Environment on Survival an Performance of Outplanted Wetslope Cutthroat Trout Used for Population Recovery

Reintroduction of native fish stocks is an important management tool used to mitigate the effects of invasive species and loss of habitat. One means of reintroduction is the use of hatchery fish to create or supplement native populations in areas of their historic range. The use of hatchery fish for reintroduction can be inefficient as low survival and competition with wild fish has been noted. This study has attempted to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of enriched hatchery rearing strategies on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of hatchery reintroductions by examining behavioral, morphological, and physiological differences among westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) reared in varying levels of enriched environments. Social behavior, predator avoidance, cover seeking behavior, fin condition, growth, stress response, immune function, and muscle content have been evaluated during the first phase. Preliminary results show divergence in growth, fin condition, and social and cover seeking behaviors among the different rearing environments. Findings have suggested that manipulating hatchery rearing environments can alter behavior and morphology but determining if these alterations improve survival once outplanted is currently unknown

Composite Reflective/Absorptive IR-Blocking Filters Embedded in Metamaterial Antireflection Coated Silicon

Infrared (IR) blocking filters are crucial for controlling the radiative loading on cryogenic systems and for optimizing the sensitivity of bolometric detectors in the far-IR. We present a new IR filter approach based on a combination of patterned frequency selective structures on silicon and a thin (50 $\mu \textrm{m}$ thick) absorptive composite based on powdered reststrahlen absorbing materials. For a 300 K blackbody, this combination reflects $\sim$50\% of the incoming light and blocks \textgreater 99.8\% of the total power with negligible thermal gradients and excellent low frequency transmission. This allows for a reduction in the IR thermal loading to negligible levels in a single cold filter. These composite filters are fabricated on silicon substrates which provide excellent thermal transport laterally through the filter and ensure that the entire area of the absorptive filter stays near the bath temperature. A metamaterial antireflection coating cut into these substrates reduces in-band reflections to below 1\%, and the in-band absorption of the powder mix is below 1\% for signal bands below 750 GHz. This type of filter can be directly incorporated into silicon refractive optical elements

[OII] emitters in the GOODS field at z~1.85: a homogeneous measure of evolving star formation

We present the results of a deep, near-infrared, narrow band imaging survey at a central wavelength of 1.062 microns (FWHM=0.01 microns) in the GOODS-South field using the ESO VLT instrument, HAWK-I. The data are used to carry out the highest redshift search for [OII]3727 emission line galaxies to date. The images reach an emission line flux limit (5 sigma) of 1.5 x 10^-17 erg cm^-2 s^-1, additionally making the survey the deepest of its kind at high redshift. In this paper we identify a sample of [OII]3727 emission line objects at redshift z~1.85 in a co-moving volume of ~4100 Mpc^3. Objects are selected using an observed equivalent width (EW_obs) threshold of EW_obs = 50 angstroms. The sample is used to derive the space density and constrain the luminosity function of [OII] emitters at z=1.85. We find that the space density of objects with observed [OII] luminosities in the range log(L_[OII]) > 41.74 erg s^-1 is log(rho)=-2.45+/-0.14 Mpc^-3, a factor of 2 greater than the observed space density of [OII] emitters reported at z~1.4. After accounting for completeness and assuming an internal extinction correction of A_Halpha=1 mag (equivalent to A_[OII]=1.87), we report a star formation rate density of rho* ~0.38+/-0.06 Msun yr^-1 Mpc^-3. We independently derive the dust extinction of the sample using 24 micron fluxes and find a mean extinction of A_[OII]=0.98+/-0.11 magnitudes (A_Halpha=0.52). This is significantly lower than the A_Halpha=1 (A[OII]=1.86) mag value widely used in the literature. Finally we incorporate this improved extinction correction into the star formation rate density measurement and report rho*~0.24+/-0.06 Msun yr^-1 Mpc^-3.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The compact, ∼1 kpc host galaxy of a quasar at a redshift of 7.1

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the [C ii] fine-structure line and the underlying far-infrared (FIR) dust continuum emission in J1120+0641, the most distant quasar currently known ($z=7.1$). We also present observations targeting the CO(2–1), CO(7–6), and [C i] 369 μm lines in the same source obtained at the Very Large Array and Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We find a [C ii] line flux of ${F}_{[{\rm{C}}{\rm{II}}]}=1.11\pm 0.10$ Jy $\mathrm{km}\,{{\rm{s}}}^{-1}$ and a continuum flux density of ${S}_{227\mathrm{GHz}}=0.53\pm 0.04$ mJy beam−1, consistent with previous unresolved measurements. No other source is detected in continuum or [C ii] emission in the field covered by ALMA (~ 25''). At the resolution of our ALMA observations (0farcs23, or 1.2 kpc, a factor of ~70 smaller beam area compared to previous measurements), we find that the majority of the emission is very compact: a high fraction (~80%) of the total line and continuum flux is associated with a region 1–1.5 kpc in diameter. The remaining ~20% of the emission is distributed over a larger area with radius lesssim4 kpc. The [C ii] emission does not exhibit ordered motion on kiloparsec scales: applying the virial theorem yields an upper limit on the dynamical mass of the host galaxy of $(4.3\pm 0.9)\times {10}^{10}$ ${M}_{\odot }$, only ~20 × higher than the central black hole (BH). The other targeted lines (CO(2–1), CO(7–6), and [C i]) are not detected, but the limits of the line ratios with respect to the [C ii] emission imply that the heating in the quasar host is dominated by star formation, and not by the accreting BH. The star formation rate (SFR) implied by the FIR continuum is 105–340 ${M}_{\odot }\,{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}$, with a resulting SFR surface density of ~100–350 ${M}_{\odot }\,{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}$ kpc−2, well below the value for Eddington-accretion-limited star formation

Near-infrared colors of minor planets recovered from VISTA - VHS survey (MOVIS)

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) provide information about the surface composition of about 100,000 minor planets. The resulting visible colors and albedos enabled us to group them in several major classes, which are a simplified view of the diversity shown by the few existing spectra. We performed a serendipitous search in VISTA-VHS observations using a pipeline developed to retrieve and process the data that corresponds to solar system objects (SSo). The colors and the magnitudes of the minor planets observed by the VISTA survey are compiled into three catalogs that are available online: the detections catalog (MOVIS-D), the magnitudes catalog (MOVIS-M), and the colors catalog (MOVIS-C). They were built using the third data release of the survey (VISTA VHS-DR3). A total of 39,947 objects were detected, including 52 NEAs, 325 Mars Crossers, 515 Hungaria asteroids, 38,428 main-belt asteroids, 146 Cybele asteroids, 147 Hilda asteroids, 270 Trojans, 13 comets, 12 Kuiper Belt objects and Neptune with its four satellites. The colors found for asteroids with known spectral properties reveal well-defined patterns corresponding to different mineralogies. The distributions of MOVIS-C data in color-color plots shows clusters identified with different taxonomic types. All the diagrams that use (Y-J) color separate the spectral classes more effectively than the (J-H) and (H-Ks) plots used until now: even for large color errors (<0.1), the plots (Y-J) vs (Y-Ks) and (Y-J) vs (J-Ks) provide the separation between S-complex and C-complex. The end members A, D, R, and V-types occupy well-defined regions.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figure