The Vimos VLT Deep Survey: Global properties of 20000 galaxies in the I_AB<=22.5 WIDE survey

The VVDS-Wide survey has been designed with the general aim of tracing the large-scale distribution of galaxies at z~1 on comoving scales reaching ~100Mpc/h, while providing a good control of cosmic variance over areas as large as a few square degrees. This is achieved by measuring redshifts with VIMOS at the ESO VLT to a limiting magnitude I_AB=22.5, targeting four independent fields with size up to 4 sq.deg. each. The whole survey covers 8.6 sq.deg., here we present the general properties of the current redshift sample. This includes 32734 spectra in the four regions (19977 galaxies, 304 type I AGNs, and 9913 stars), covering a total area of 6.1 sq.deg, with a sampling rate of 22 to 24%. The redshift success rate is above 90% independently of magnitude. It is the currently largest area coverage among redshift surveys reaching z~1. We give the mean N(z) distribution averaged over 6.1 sq.deg. Comparing galaxy densities from the four fields shows that in a redshift bin Deltaz=0.1 at z~1 one still has factor-of-two variations over areas as large as ~0.25 sq.deg. This level of cosmic variance agrees with that obtained by integrating the galaxy two-point correlation function estimated from the F22 field alone, and is also in fairly good statistical agreement with that predicted by the Millennium mocks. The variance estimated over the survey fields shows explicitly how clustering results from deep surveys of even ~1 sq.deg. size should be interpreted with caution. This paper accompanies the public release of the first 18143 redshifts of the VVDS-Wide survey from the 4 sq.deg. contiguous area of the F22 field at RA=22h, publicly available at http://cencosw.oamp.frComment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy & Astrophysic

Volume 98 Issue 5, pp. 899-1054

ECOLOGY-EPIDEMIOLOGY-BEHAVIOR Increased Surfacing Behavior in Longnose Killifish Infected by Brain-Encysting Trematode. B. L. FREDENSBORG and A. N. LONGORIA - 899 Spatial Structure of Helminth Communities in the Golden Grey Mullet, Liza aurata (Actinopterygii: Mugilidae), From the Western Mediterranean. RAUL MIGUEZ-LOZANO, TRINIDAD V. PARDO-CARRANZA, ISABEL BLASCO-COSTA, and JUAN ANTONIO BALBUENA - 904 Hepatozoon Infection Prevalence in Four Snake Genera: Influence of Diet, Prey Parasitemia Levels, or Parasite Type? BEATRIZ TOME, JOAD P. M. C. MAIA, and D. JAMES HARRIS - 913 ECTOPARASITOLOGY Molecular Identification and Description of the Female of Nothoaspis reddelli (Ixodida: Argasidae) From a Cave in Southeastern Mexico. CARMEN GUZMAN-CORNEJO, RICARDO PAREDES-LEON, MARCELO B. LABRUNA, SANTIAGO NAVA, and JOSE M. VENZAL - 918 Prevalence of Hemoproteus iwa in Galapagos Great Frigatebirds (Fregata minor) and Their Obligate Fly Ectoparasite (01- Jersia spiniJera). IRIS I. LEVIN and PATRICIA G. PARKER - 924 Variable Microsatellite Loci for Population Genetic Analysis of Old World Monkey Lice (Pedicinus sp.). KATLYN SCHOLL, JULIE M. ALLEN, FABIAN H. LEENDERTZ, COLIN A. CHAPMAN, and DAVID L. REED - 930 FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY Ultrastructural Study of Vitellogenesis of Aphallus tubarium (Rudolphi, 1819) Poche, 1926 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae), an Intestinal Parasite of Dentex dentex (Pisces: Teleostei). SAMUEL GREANI, YANN QUILICHINI, JOSEPHINE FOATA, and BERNARD MARCHAND - 938 IMMUNOLOGY Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Domestic Horses in Durango State, Mexico. C. ALVARADO-ESQUIVEL, S. RODRIGUEZ-PENA, I. VILLENA, and J. P. DUBEY - 944 INVERTEBRATE-PARASITE RELATIONSHIPS Excystation Signals Do Not Isolate Gregarine Gene Pools: Experimental Excystation of Blabericola migrator Among 11 Species of Cockroaches. SHELBY M. STEELE, DEBRA T. CLOPTON, and RICHARD E. CLOPTON - 946 LIFE CYCLES-SURVEY A New Sarcocystis Species (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) From the Rock Gecko Bunopus tuberculatus in Saudi Arabi. A. S. ABDEL-BAKI, H. M. ABDEL-HALEEM, and S. AL-QURAISHY - 951 A Retrospective Study of Abattoir Condemnation Due to Parasitic Infections: Economic Importance in Ahwaz, Southwestern Iran. HASSAN BORJI, MOHAMMAD AZIZZADEH, and MEHRAB KAMELLI - 954 Prevalence of Eimeria Infection in Yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. HUI DONG, CHUNHUA LI, QIPING ZHAO, JING LI, HONGYU HAN, LIANLIAN JIANG, SHUNHAI ZHU, TING LI, CHUNLIN KONG, BING HUANG, and JINZHONG CAI - 958 Prevalence of Coccidial Infection in Dairy Cattle in Shanghai, China. HUI DONG, QIPING ZHAO, HONGYU HAN, LIANLIAN JIANG, SHUNHAI ZHU, TING LI, CHUNLIN KONG, and BING HUANG - 963 Genetic Sequence Data Identifies the Cercaria of Drepanocephalus spathans (Digenea: Echinostomatidae), a Parasite of the Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), with Notes on Its Pathology in Juvenile Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). MATT J. GRIFFIN, LESTER H. KHOO, SYLVIE M. QUINIOU, MARY M. O\u27HEAR, LINDA M. POTE, TERRENCE E. GREENWAY, and DAVID J. WISE - 967 SYSTEMATICS-PHYLOGENETICS A New Species of Megalobatrachonema (Nematoda: Kathlaniidae) in Fojia bumui (Squamata: Scincidae) From Papua New Guinea. CHARLES R. BURSEY, STEPHEN R. GOLDBERG, and FRED KRAUS - 973 Two New Species of Schizorchis (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) From Leporids (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) in China. KUIZHENG CAI, JIALIN BAI, and SHIEN CHEN - 977 The Genus Guerrerostrongylus (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae) in Cricetid Rodents From the Atlantic Rain Forest of Misiones, Argentina: Emended Description of Guerrerostrongylus zetta (Travassos, 1937) and Description of a New Species. MARIA CELINA DIGIANI, JULIANA NOTARNICOLA, and GRACIELA T. NAVONE - 985 A New Microphallid (Digenea) Species From Lontra provocax (Mammalia: Mustelidae) From Freshwater Environments of Northwestern Patagonia (Argentina). VERONICA R. FLORES, NORMA L. BRUGNI, and CARLA M. POZZI - 992 Description of Riouxgolvania kapapkamui sp. n. (Nematoda: Muspiceoidea: Muspiceidae), a Peculiar Intradermal Parasite of Bats in Hokkaido, Japan. HIDEO HASEGAWA, MASAHIKO SATO, KISHIO MAEDA, and YOSHIKO MURAYAMA - 995 A New Species of Choleoeimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Meller\u27s Chameleon, Trioceros melleri (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae). CHRIS T. McALLISTER - 1001 A New Species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From the Northern Myotis, Myotis septentrionalis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), in Oklahoma. CHRIS T. McALLISTER, R. SCOTT SEVILLE, and ZACHARY P. ROEHRS - 1003 A New Spirurid (Nematoda) Parasite From Mormoopid Bats in Mexico. JORGE LUIS PERALTA-RODRIGUEZ, JUAN MANUEL CASPETA-MANDUJANO, and JOSE ANTONIO GUERRERO - 1006 THERAPEUTICS-DIAGNOSTICS Resistance of Rhipicephalus microplus to Amitraz and Cypermethrin in Tropical Cattle Farms in Veracruz, Mexico. AGUSTIN FERNANDEZ-SALAS, ROGER IVAN RODRIGUEZ-VIVAS, and MIGUEL ANGEL ALONSO-DIAZ - 1010 RESEARCH NOTES Seroprevalence Study on Theileria equi and Babesia caballi Antibodies in Horses From Central Province of Saudi Arabia. A. D. ALANAZI, M. S. ALYOUSIF, and M. M. HASSIEB - 1015 Influence of Rangelia vitalii (Apicomplexa: Piroplasmorida) on Copper, Iron and Zinc Bloodstream Levels in Experimentally Infected Dogs, ALEKSANDRO S, DA SILVA, RAQUELI T. FRANC;:A, MARCIO M. COSTA, CARLOS B. V. PAIM, FRANCINE C. PAIM, CLARISSA M. M. SANTOS, ERICO M. M. FLORES, TIAGO L. EILERS, CINTHIA M. MAZZANTI, SILVIA G. MONTEIRO, CARLOS H. DO AMARAL, and SONIA T. A. LOPES - 1018 Plagiorchis elegans (Trematoda) Induces Immune Response in an Incompatible Snail Host Biomphalaria glabrata (Pulmonata: Planorbidae). S. P. DAOUST, M. E. RAU, and J. D. McLAUGHLIN - 1021 Prevalence and Intensity of Fish-Borne Zoonotic Trematodes in Cultured Freshwater Fish From Rural and Urban Areas of Northern Vietnam. NGUYEN VAN DE, THANH HOA LE, and K. D. MURRELL - 1023 Details of the Paranephridial System of a Species of Prohyptiasmus (Cyclocoelidae: Hyptiasminae) From an American Coot, Fulica americana (Rallidae) in Oklahoma. NORMAN O. DRONEN, F. AGUSTIN JIMENEZ, and SCOTT L. GARDNER - 1026 Surface Ultrastructure of the Eggs of Malacopsylla grossiventris and Phthiropsylla agenoris (Siphonaptera: Malacopsyllidae). M. C. EZQUIAGA and M. LARES CHI - 1029 Prevalence of Ancylostoma braziliense in Cats in Three Northern Counties of Florida, United States. JANICE L. LIOTTA, KHUANCHAI N. KOOMPAPONG, JOSEPH P. YAROS, JOSEPH PRULLAGE, and DWIGHT D. BOWMAN - 1032 Obtaining an Isolate of Ancylostoma braziliense From Dogs Without the Need for Necropsy. JANICE L. LIOTTA, ALICE C. Y. LEE, SARP AKSEL, IBRAHIM ALKHALIFE, ALEJANDRO CRUZ-REYES, HEEJEONG YOUN, STEPHEN E. BIENHOFF, and DWIGHT D. BOWMAN - 1034 Obtaining an Isolate of Ancylostoma braziliense From Cats Without the Need for Necropsy. JANICE L. LIOTTA, ALICE C. Y. LEE, KHUANCHAI N. KOOMPAPONG, JOSEPH P. YAROS, JOSEPH PRULLAGE, MICHAEL A. ULRICH, and DWIGHT D. BOWMAN - 1037 Prevalence of Ancylostoma braziliense in Dogs From Alachua and Marion Counties, Florida, United States. JANICE L. LIOTTA, HEEJEONG YOUN, SARP AKSEL, STEPHEN E. BIENHOFF, and DWIGHT D. BOWMAN - 1039 Morphological Differentiation of Eggs of Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, and Ancylostoma braziliense From Dogs and Cats in the United States. ARACELI LUCIO-FORSTER, JANICE L. LIOTTA, JOSEPH P. YAROS, KAITLYN R. BRIGGS, HUSSNI O. MOHAMMED, and DWIGHT D. BOWMAN - 1041 Molecular and Immunological Characterization of a Novel 32-kDa Secreted Protein of Babesia microti. HIDEO OOKA, MOHAMAD A. TERKAWI, SHINUO CAO, GABRIEL ABOGE, YO UN-KYOUNG GOO, YUZI LUO, YAN LI, YOSHIFUMI NISHIKAWA, IKUO IGARASHI, and XUENAN XUAN - 1045 DNA Barcoding of Schistosome Cercariae Reveals a Novel Sub-Lineage within Schistosoma rodhaini From Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Lake Victoria. C. J. STANDLEY and J. R. STOTHARD - 1049 Host Susceptibility Is Altered by Light Intensity After Exposure to Parasites. MICHELLE L. STEINAUER and KAITLIN M. BONNER - 1052 ANNOUNCEMENT: Change in Editorship - 903 ERRATUM - 91

Transcriptional Profiling of Hypoxia-Regulated Non-coding RNAs in Human Primary Endothelial Cells

Hypoxia occurs in human atherosclerotic lesions and has multiple adverse effects on endothelial cell metabolism. Recently, key roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of atherosclerosis have begun to emerge. In this study, we investigate the lncRNA profiles of human umbilical vein endothelial cells subjected to hypoxia using global run-on sequencing (GRO-Seq). We demonstrate that hypoxia regulates the nascent transcription of ~1800 lncRNAs. Interestingly, we uncover evidence that promoter-associated lncRNAs are more likely to be induced by hypoxia compared to enhancer-associated lncRNAs, which exhibit an equal distribution of up- and downregulated transcripts. We also demonstrate that hypoxia leads to a significant induction in the activity of super-enhancers next to transcription factors and other genes implicated in angiogenesis, cell survival and adhesion, whereas super-enhancers near several negative regulators of angiogenesis were repressed. Despite the majority of lncRNAs exhibiting low detection in RNA-Seq, a subset of lncRNAs were expressed at comparable levels to mRNAs. Among these, MALAT1, HYMAI, LOC730101, KIAA1656, and LOC339803 were found differentially expressed in human atherosclerotic lesions, compared to normal vascular tissue, and may thus serve as potential biomarkers for lesion hypoxia

Biomechanical simulations of the scoliotic deformation process in the pinealectomized chicken: a preliminary study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The basic mechanisms whereby mechanical factors modulate the metabolism of the growing spine remain poorly understood, especially the role of growth adaptation in spinal disorders like in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). This paper presents a finite element model (FEM) that was developed to simulate early stages of scoliotic deformities progression using a pinealectomized chicken as animal model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The FEM includes basic growth and growth modulation created by the muscle force imbalance. The experimental data were used to adapt a FEM previously developed to simulate the scoliosis deformation process in human. The simulations of the spine deformation process are compared with the results of an experimental study including a group of pinealectomized chickens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The comparison of the simulation results of the spine deformation process (Cobb angle of 37°) is in agreement with experimental scoliotic deformities of two representative cases (Cobb angle of 41° and 30°). For the vertebral wedging, a good agreement is also observed between the calculated (28°) and the observed (25° – 30°) values.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proposed biomechanical model presents a novel approach to realistically simulate the scoliotic deformation process in pinealectomized chickens and investigate different parameters influencing the progression of scoliosis.</p

Search for composite and exotic fermions at LEP 2

A search for unstable heavy fermions with the DELPHI detector at LEP is reported. Sequential and non-canonical leptons, as well as excited leptons and quarks, are considered. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 48 pb^{-1} at an e^+e^- centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV and about 20 pb^{-1} equally shared between the centre-of-mass energies of 172 GeV and 161 GeV. The search for pair-produced new leptons establishes 95% confidence level mass limits in the region between 70 GeV/c^2 and 90 GeV/c^2, depending on the channel. The search for singly produced excited leptons and quarks establishes upper limits on the ratio of the coupling of the excited fermio

Search for charginos in e+e- interactions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV

An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Search for lightest neutralino and stau pair production in light gravitino scenarios with stau NLSP

Promptly decaying lightest neutralinos and long-lived staus are searched for in the context of light gravitino scenarios. It is assumed that the stau is the next to lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) and that the lightest neutralino is the next to NLSP (NNLSP). Data collected with the Delphi detector at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 183 \GeV are analysed. No evidence of the production of these particles is found. Hence, lower mass limits for both kinds of particles are set at 95% C.L.. The mass of gaugino-like neutralinos is found to be greater than 71.5 GeV/c^2. In the search for long-lived stau, masses less than 70.0 to 77.5 \GeVcc are excluded for gravitino masses from 10 to 150 \eVcc . Combining this search with the searches for stable heavy leptons and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model staus a lower limit of 68.5 \GeVcc may be set for the stau mas

Hadronization properties of b quarks compared to light quarks in e+e- -> q qbar from 183 to 200 GeV

The DELPHI detector at LEP has collected 54 pb^{-1} of data at a centre-of-mass energy around 183 GeV during 1997, 158 pb^{-1} around 189 GeV during 1998, and 187 pb^{-1} between 192 and 200 GeV during 1999. These data were used to measure the average charged particle multiplicity in e+e- -> b bbar events, _{bb}, and the difference delta_{bl} between _{bb} and the multiplicity, _{ll}, in generic light quark (u,d,s) events: delta_{bl}(183 GeV) = 4.55 +/- 1.31 (stat) +/- 0.73 (syst) delta_{bl}(189 GeV) = 4.43 +/- 0.85 (stat) +/- 0.61 (syst) delta_{bl}(200 GeV) = 3.39 +/- 0.89 (stat) +/- 1.01 (syst). This result is consistent with QCD predictions, while it is inconsistent with calculations assuming that the multiplicity accompanying the decay of a heavy quark is independent of the mass of the quark itself.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Search for supersymmetric particles in scenarios with a gravitino LSP and stau NLSP

Sleptons, neutralinos and charginos were searched for in the context of scenarios where the lightest supersymmetric particle is the gravitino. It was assumed that the stau is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Data collected with the DELPHI detector at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV were analysed combining the methods developed in previous searches at lower energies. No evidence for the production of these supersymmetric particles was found. Hence, limits were derived at 95% confidence level.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure