FLASH redshift survey - I. Observations and Catalogue

The FLAIR Shapley-Hydra (FLASH) redshift survey catalogue consists of 4613 galaxies brighter than \bJ = 16.7 (corrected for Galactic extinction) over a 605 sq. degree region of sky in the general direction of the Local Group motion. The survey region is an approximately 60\degr \times 10\degr strip spanning the sky from the Shapley Supercluster to the Hydra cluster, and contains 3141 galaxies with measured redshifts. Designed to explore the effect of the galaxy concentrations in this direction (in particular the Supergalactic plane and the Shapley Supercluster) upon the Local Group motion, the 68% completeness allows us to sample the large-scale structure better than similar sparsely-sampled surveys. The survey region does not overlap with the areas covered by ongoing wide-angle (Sloan or 2dF) complete redshift surveys. In this paper, the first in a series, we describe the observation and data reduction procedures, the analysis for the redshift errors and survey completeness, and present the survey data.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, mn.sty, submitted to MNRA

PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES TO MEET FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN WHEAT SHIPMENTS

Consistency of functional characteristics in wheat is a concern confronting buyers and sellers. This research analyzes the cost and risk of different procurement strategies for importers. A stochastic simulation model is used to determine the probability of a functional characteristic being satisfied subject to quality targets. Joint probabilities of meeting specifications and costs were determined for alternative functional characteristics. Results indicate that, as more specific characteristics are incorporated into a contract, the probabilities of meeting end-use requirements increase. Specific characteristics come with a higher cost, due to increased testing costs related to identity preservation. The results are summarized as cost/risk tradeoffs confronting buyers in wheat procurement.buying strategies, location, variety, functional characteristic tests, costs, risks, Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

The Interpretation of Near-Infrared Star Counts at the South Galactic Pole

We present new deep $K'$ counts of stars at the South Galactic Pole (SGP) taken with the NAOJ PICNIC camera to $K'=17.25$. Star-galaxy separation to $K'=17.5$ was accomplished effectively using image profiles because the pixel size we used is 0.509 arcsec. We interpret these counts using the SKY (Cohen 1994) model of the Galactic point source sky and determine the relative normalization of halo-to-disk populations, and the location of the Sun relative to the Galactic plane, within the context of this model. The observed star counts constrain these parameters to be: halo/disk $\sim$ 1/900 and z$_\odot$=16.5$\pm$2.5 pc. These values have been used to correct our SGP galaxy counts for contamination by the point source Galactic foreground.Comment: accepted for publication in AJ, 15 pages with 2 figure

JHK' Imaging Photometry of Seyfert 1 AGNs and Quasars I: Multi-Aperture Photometry

Near-infrared $JHK'$ imaging photometry was obtained of 331 AGNs consisting mainly of Seyfert 1 AGNs and quasars (QSOs). This sample was selected to cover a range of radio emission strength, redshift from $z=0$ to 1, and absolute $B$-magnitude from $M_B=-29$ mag to -18 mag. Among low-$z$ AGNs with $z<0.3$, Seyfert $1-1.5$ AGNs are distributed over a region from a location typical of ``galaxies'' to a location typical of ``QSOs'' in the two-color $J-H$ to $H-K'$ diagram, but Seyfert $1.8-2$ AGNs are distributed around the location of ``galaxies''. Moreover, bright AGNs with respect to absolute $B$-magnitude are distributed near the location of ``QSOs'', while faint AGNs are near the location of ``galaxies''. The distribution of such low-$z$ AGNs in this diagram was found to have little dependence on their 6 cm radio flux. The near-infrared colors of the AGNs observed with an aperture of 7 pixels ($7.49''$) are more QSO-like than those observed with larger apertures up to 15 pixels ($16.1''$). This aperture effect may be explained by contamination from the light of host galaxies within larger apertures. This effect is more prominent for less luminous AGNs

The Drosophila Caspase DRONC Cleaves following Glutamate or Aspartate and Is Regulated by DIAP1, HID, and GRIM

The caspase family of cysteine proteases plays important roles in bringing about apoptotic cell death. All caspases studied to date cleave substrates COOH-terminal to an aspartate. Here we show that the Drosophila caspase DRONC cleaves COOH-terminal to glutamate as well as aspartate. DRONC autoprocesses itself following a glutamate residue, but processes a second caspase, drICE, following an aspartate. DRONC prefers tetrapeptide substrates in which aliphatic amino acids are present at the P2 position, and the P1 residue can be either aspartate or glutamate. Expression of a dominant negative form of DRONC blocks cell death induced by the Drosophila cell death activators reaper, hid, and grim, and DRONC overexpression in flies promotes cell death. Furthermore, the Drosophila cell death inhibitor DIAP1 inhibits DRONC activity in yeast, and DIAP1's ability to inhibit DRONC-dependent yeast cell death is suppressed by HID and GRIM. These observations suggest that DRONC acts to promote cell death. However, DRONC activity is not suppressed by the caspase inhibitor and cell death suppressor baculovirus p35. We discuss possible models for DRONC function as a cell death inhibitor

Calibration of AGN Reverberation Distance Measurements

In Yoshii et al. (2014), we described a new method for measuring extragalactic distances based on dust reverberation in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and we validated our new method with Cepheid variable stars. In this paper, we validate our new method with Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) which occurred in two of the AGN host galaxies during our AGN monitoring program: SN 2004bd in NGC 3786 and SN 2008ec in NGC 7469. Their multicolor light curves were observed and analyzed using two widely accepted methods for measuring SN distances, and the distance moduli derived are $\mu=33.47\pm 0.15$ for SN 2004bd and $33.83\pm 0.07$ for SN 2008ec. These results are used to obtain independently the distance measurement calibration factor, $g$. The $g$ value obtained from the SN Ia discussed in this paper is $g_{\rm SN} = 10.61\pm 0.50$ which matches, within the range of 1$\sigma$ uncertainty, $g_{\rm DUST} = 10.60$, previously calculated ab initio in Yoshii et al. (2014). Having validated our new method for measuring extragalactic distances, we use our new method to calibrate reverberation distances derived from variations of H$\beta$ emission in the AGN broad line region (BLR), extending the Hubble diagram to $z\approx 0.3$ where distinguishing between cosmologies is becoming possible.Comment: Astrophysical Journal Letters accepte

Separation of river network–scale nitrogen removal among the main channel and two transient storage compartments

Transient storage (TS) zones are important areas of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) processing in rivers. We assessed sensitivities regarding the relative impact that the main channel (MC), surface TS (STS), and hyporheic TS (HTS) have on network denitrification using a model applied to the Ipswich River in Massachusetts, United States. STS and HTS connectivity and size were parameterized using the results of in situ solute tracer studies in first‐ through fifth‐order reaches. DIN removal was simulated in all compartments for every river grid cell using reactivity derived from Lotic Intersite Nitrogen Experiment (LINX2) studies, hydraulic characteristics, and simulated discharge. Model results suggest that although MC‐to‐STS connectivity is greater than MC‐to‐HTS connectivity at the reach scale, at basin scales, there is a high probability of water entering the HTS at some point along its flow path through the river network. Assuming our best empirical estimates of hydraulic parameters and reactivity, the MC, HTS, and STS removed approximately 38%, 21%, and 14% of total DIN inputs during a typical base flow period, respectively. There is considerable uncertainty in many of the parameters, particularly the estimates of reaction rates in the different compartments. Using sensitivity analyses, we found that the size of TS is more important for DIN removal processes than its connectivity with the MC when reactivity is low to moderate, whereas TS connectivity is more important when reaction rates are rapid. Our work suggests a network perspective is needed to understand how connectivity, residence times, and reactivity interact to influence DIN processing in hierarchical river systems

Colors and K-Band Counts of Extremely Faint Field Galaxies

We combine deep K-band (Keck) with V- and I-band (NTT) observations of two high-Galactic latitude fields, surveying a total of ~2 sq. arcmin. The K-band galaxy counts continue to rise above K=22, reaching surface densities of few x 10^5 per sq. degree. The slope for the counts is (d log(N) per mag per sq. degree) = 0.23 +/- 0.02 between K=18-23, consistent with other deep K surveys. The numbers of galaxies in each mag bin is about two times greater than the galaxy counts of Djorgovski et al. (1995). The optical and near infrared magnitudes of all objects detected in the V+I+K image are discussed in the context of grids of isochrone synthesis galaxy evolutionary models (Bruzual & Charlot 1993, 1995). The colors of most of the observed galaxies are consistent with a population drawn from a broad redshift distribution. A few galaxies at K=19-20 are red in both colors (V-I>3; I-K>2), consistent with being early-type galaxies having undergone a burst of star formation at z>5 and viewed at z~1. At K>20, we find ~8 ``red outlier'' galaxies with I-K>4 and V-I<2.5, whose colors are difficult to mimic by a single evolving or non-evolving stellar population at any redshift. They are likely either low-metallicity, dusty dwarf galaxies, or old galaxies at high redshift (z>1.2). Their surface density is several per square arcminute, which is so high that they are probably common objects of low luminosity $L<L_*$.Comment: 28 pages, 9 Figures (2 Plates), uses aaspp4.sty. The complete paper (including large figures and the plates) are available via anonymous ftp at ftp://coma.berkeley.edu/pub/lmoustakas/ . To appear in the Astrophysical Journal, Feb 1 1997, vol. 47