Discovery of a Nearby Low-Surface-Brightness Spiral Galaxy

During the course of a search for compact, isolated gas clouds moving with anomalous velocities in or near our own Galaxy (Braun and Burton 1998 A&A, in press), we have discovered, in the data of the Leiden/Dwingeloo survey (Hartmann and Burton 1997, Atlas of Galactic Neutral Hydrogen, CUP) of Galactic hydrogen, the HI signature of a large galaxy, moving at a recession velocity of 282 km/s, with respect to our Galaxy. Deep multicolor and spectroscopic optical observations show the presence of star formation in scattered HII regions; radio HI synthesis interferometry confirms that the galaxy is rich in HI and has the rotation signature of a spiral galaxy; a submillimeter observation failed to detect the CO molecule. The radio and optical evidence combined suggest its classification as a low-surface-brightness spiral galaxy. It is located in close spatial and kinematic proximity to the galaxy NGC 6946. The newly-discovered galaxy, which we call Cepheus 1, is at a distance of about 6 Mpc. It is probably to be numbered amongst the nearest few LSB spirals.Comment: 13 page LaTeX, requires aastex, 4 GIF figures. Accepted for publication in the AJ, January 199

A transonic collisionless model of the solar wind

Because of the semi-collisional nature of the solar wind, the collisionless or exospheric approach as well as the hydrodynamic one are both inaccurate. However, the advantage of simplicity makes them useful for enlightening some basic mechanisms of solar wind acceleration. Previous exospheric models have been able to reproduce winds that were already nearly supersonic at the exobase, the altitude above which there are no collisions. In order to allow transonic solutions, a lower exobase has to be considered, in which case the protons are experiencing a non-monotonic potential energy profile. This is done in the present work. In this model, the electron velocity distribution in the corona is assumed non-thermal. Parametric results are presented and show that the high acceleration obtained does not depend on the details of the non-thermal distributions. This acceleration seems, therefore, to be a robust result produced by the presence of a sufficient number of suprathermal electrons. A method for improving the exospheric description is also given, which consists in mapping particle orbits in terms of their invariants of motion.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (1 May 2004

A counterfactual approach to measure the impact of wet grassland conservation on UK breeding bird populations

Wet grassland wader populations in the United Kingdom have experienced severe declines over the last three decades. To help mitigate these declines, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has restored and managed lowland wet grassland nature reserves to benefit these and other species. However, the impact that these reserves have on bird population trends has not been experimentally evaluated, as appropriate control populations do not readily exist. In this study, we compare population trends from 1994 ‐ 2018 for five bird species of conservation concern that breed on these nature reserves with counterfactual trends using matched breeding bird survey observations. Our results showed positive effects of conservation interventions for all four wader species that these reserves aim to benefit: Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Redshank (Tringa totanus), Curlew (Numenius arquata) and Snipe (Gallinago gallinago). There was no positive effect of conservation interventions on reserves for the passerine, Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava). We compared reserve trends with three different counterfactuals, based on different scenarios of how reserve populations could have developed in the absence of conservation, and found that reserve trends performed better regardless of the counterfactual used. Our approach using monitoring data to produce valid counterfactual controls is a broadly applicable method allowing large‐scale evaluation of conservation impact

Deep Sequencing Whole Transcriptome Exploration of the σE Regulon in Neisseria meningitidis

Bacteria live in an ever-changing environment and must alter protein expression promptly to adapt to these changes and survive. Specific response genes that are regulated by a subset of alternative σ70-like transcription factors have evolved in order to respond to this changing environment. Recently, we have described the existence of a σE regulon including the anti-σ-factor MseR in the obligate human bacterial pathogen Neisseria meningitidis. To unravel the complete σE regulon in N. meningitidis, we sequenced total RNA transcriptional content of wild type meningococci and compared it with that of mseR mutant cells (ΔmseR) in which σE is highly expressed. Eleven coding genes and one non-coding gene were found to be differentially expressed between H44/76 wildtype and H44/76ΔmseR cells. Five of the 6 genes of the σE operon, msrA/msrB, and the gene encoding a pepSY-associated TM helix family protein showed enhanced transcription, whilst aniA encoding a nitrite reductase and nspA encoding the vaccine candidate Neisserial surface protein A showed decreased transcription. Analysis of differential expression in IGRs showed enhanced transcription of a non-coding RNA molecule, identifying a σE dependent small non-coding RNA. Together this constitutes the first complete exploration of an alternative σ-factor regulon in N. meningitidis. The results direct to a relatively small regulon indicative for a strictly defined response consistent with a relatively stable niche, the human throat, where N. meningitidis resides

Bivalent Vaccine Effectiveness Against Type-Specific HPV Positivity: Evidence for Cross-Protection Against Oncogenic Types Among Dutch STI Clinic Visitors.

Observational postmarketing studies are important to assess vaccine effectiveness (VE). We estimated VE from the bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against HPV positivity of vaccine and nonvaccine types in a high-risk population

The CD14 functional gene polymorphism -260 C>T is not involved in either the susceptibility to Chlamydia trachomatis infection or the development of tubal pathology

BACKGROUND: The functional polymorphism -260 C>T in the LPS sensing TLR4 co-receptor CD14 gene enhances the transcriptional activity and results in a higher CD14 receptor density. Individuals carrying the T/T genotype also have significantly higher serum levels of soluble CD14. The T allele of this polymorphism has recently been linked to Chlamydia pneumoniae infection. We investigated the role of the CD14 -260 C>T polymorphism in the susceptibility to and severity (defined as subfertility and/or tubal pathology) of C. trachomatis infection in Dutch Caucasian women. METHODS: The different CD14 -260 C>T genotypes were assessed by PCR-based RFLP analysis in three cohorts: 1) A cohort (n = 576) of women attending a STD clinic, 2) a cohort (n = 253) of women with subfertility, and 3) an ethnically matched control cohort (n = 170). The following variables were used in the analysis: In cohort 1 the CT-DNA status, CT IgG serology status, self-reported symptoms and in cohort 2, the CT IgG serology status and the tubal status at laparoscopy. RESULTS: In the control cohort the CC, CT and TT genotype distribution was: 28.2%, 48.2%, and 23.5% respectively. No differences were found in the overall prevalence of CD14 -260 genotypes (28.1%, 50.7%, and 21.2%) in cohort 1 when compared to the control cohort. Also no differences were observed in women with or without CT-DNA, with or without serological CT responses, with or without symptoms, or in combinations of these three variables. In subfertile women with tubal pathology (cohort 2, n = 50) the genotype distribution was 28.0%, 48.0%, and 24.0% and in subfertile women without tubal pathology (n = 203), 27.6%, 49.3% and 23.2%. The genotype distribution was unchanged when CT IgG status was introduced in the analyses. CONCLUSION: The CD14 -260 C>T genotype distributions were identical in all three cohorts, showing that this polymorphism is not involved in the susceptibility to or severity of sequelae of C. trachomatis infection

Constraining the electric charges of some astronomical bodies in Reissner-Nordstrom spacetimes and generic r^-2-type power-law potentials from orbital motions

We put model-independent, dynamical constraints on the net electric charge Q of some astronomical and astrophysical objects by assuming that their exterior spacetimes are described by the Reissner-Nordstroem metric, which induces an additional potential U_RN \propto Q^2 r^-2. Our results extend to other hypothetical power-law interactions inducing extra-potentials U_pert = r^-2 as well (abridged).Comment: LaTex2e, 16 pages, 3 figures, no tables, 128 references. Version matching the one at press in General Relativity and Gravitation (GRG). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1112.351

Young stars and brown dwarfs surrounding Alnilam (eps Ori) and Mintaka (del Ori)

Aims: We look for new regions for the search of substellar objects. Methods: Two circular areas, 45 arcmin-radius each, centred on the young massive star systems Alnilam and Mintaka in the Orion Belt, have been explored. The regions are very young (less than 10 Ma), have low extinction, and are neighbours to sigma Orionis (~3 Ma), a young open cluster very rich in brown dwarfs and planetary-mass objects. We have used Virtual Observatory tools, the astro-photometric Tycho-2, DENIS and 2MASS catalogues, 10 control fields at similar galactic latitudes, and X-ray, mid-infrared and spectroscopic data from the literature. Results: We have compiled exhaustive lists of known young stars and new candidate members in the Ori OB1b association, and of fore- and background sources. A total of 136 stars display features of extreme youth, like early spectral types, lithium in absorption, or mid-infrared flux excess. Other two young brown dwarf and 289 star candidates have been identified from an optical/near-infrared colour-magnitude diagram. We list additional 74 known objects that might belong to the association. This catalogue can serve as an input for characterisation of the stellar and high-mass substellar populations in the Orion Belt. Finally, we have investigated the surface densities and radial distributions of young objects surrounding Alnilam and Mintaka, and compared them with those in the sigma Orionis cluster. We report a new open cluster centred on Mintaka. Conclusions: Both regions can be analogs to the sigma Orionis cluster, but more massive, more extended, slightly older, and less radially concentrated.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. It will be published on line in Sect. 14 (Catalogs and data). Tables in Appendix A will soon be available at the CD

Interstellar Grains -- The 75th Anniversary

The year of 2005 marks the 75th anniversary since Trumpler (1930) provided the first definitive proof of interstellar grains by demonstrating the existence of general absorption and reddening of starlight in the galactic plane. This article reviews our progressive understanding of the nature of interstellar dust.Comment: invited review article for the "Light, Dust and Chemical Evolution" conference (Gerace, Italy, 26--30 September 2004), edited by F. Borghese and R. Saija, 2005, in pres