248 research outputs found
Forming a Primordial Star in a Relic HII Region
There has been considerable theoretical debate over whether photoionization
and supernova feedback from the first Population III stars facilitate or
suppress the formation of the next generation of stars. We present results from
an Eulerian adaptive mesh refinement simulation demonstrating the formation of
a primordial star within a region ionized by an earlier nearby star. Despite
the higher temperatures of the ionized gas and its flow out of the dark matter
potential wells, this second star formed within 23 million years of its
neighbor's death. The enhanced electron fraction within the HII region
catalyzes rapid molecular hydrogen formation that leads to faster cooling in
the subsequent star forming halos than in the first halos. This "second
generation" primordial protostar has a much lower accretion rate because,
unlike the first protostar, it forms in a rotationally supported disk of
approx. 10-100 solar masses. This is primarily due to the much higher angular
momentum of the halo in which the second star forms. In contrast to previously
published scenarios, such configurations may allow binaries or multiple systems
of lower mass stars to form. These first high resolution calculations offer
insight into the impact of feedback upon subsequent populations of stars and
clearly demonstrate how primordial chemistry promotes the formation of
subsequent generations of stars even in the presence of the entropy injected by
the first stars into the IGM.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Some revisions, including enhanced discussion of
angular momentum issues. Asrophysical Journal, accepte
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Genome-Wide Characterization of the Phosphate Starvation Response in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Background: Inorganic phosphate is an essential nutrient required by organisms for growth. During phosphate starvation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae activates the phosphate signal transduction (PHO) pathway, leading to expression of the secreted acid phosphatase, PHO5. The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, regulates expression of the ScPHO5 homolog (pho1+) via a non-orthologous PHO pathway involving genetically identified positive (pho7+) and negative (csk1+) regulators. The genes induced by phosphate limitation and the molecular mechanism by which pho7+ and csk1+ function are unknown. Here we use a combination of molecular biology, expression microarrays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to characterize the role of pho7+ and csk1+ in the PHO response.
Results: We define the set of genes that comprise the initial response to phosphate starvation in S. pombe. We identify a conserved PHO response that contains the ScPHO5 (pho1+), ScPHO84 (SPBC8E4.01c), and ScGIT1 (SPBC1271.09) orthologs. We identify members of the Pho7 regulon and characterize Pho7 binding in response to phosphate-limitation and Csk1 activity. We demonstrate that activation of pho1+ requires Pho7 binding to a UAS in the pho1+ promoter and that Csk1 repression does not regulate Pho7 enrichment. Further, we find that Pho7-dependent activation is not limited to phosphate-starvation, as additional environmental stress response pathways require pho7+ for maximal induction.
Conclusions: We provide a global analysis of the transcriptional response to phosphate limitation in S. pombe. Our results elucidate the conserved core regulon induced in response to phosphate starvation in this ascomycete distantly related to S. cerevisiae and provide a better understanding of flexibility in environmental stress response networks.Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMolecular and Cellular Biolog
A Test of Kangaroo Care on Preterm Infant Breastfeeding
To test the effects of kangaroo care (KC) on breastfeeding outcomes in preterm infants compared to two control groups and to explore whether maternal-infant characteristics and the mother’s choice to use KC were related to breastfeeding measures
Genomic biomarkers of prenatal intrauterine inflammation in umbilical cord tissue predict later life neurological outcomes
Preterm birth is a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental delays and disorders. This study aimed to identify genomic biomarkers of intrauterine inflammation in umbilical cord tissue in preterm neonates that predict cognitive impairment at 10 years of age
Sexual epigenetic dimorphism in the human placenta: implications for susceptibility during the prenatal period
Sex-based differences in response to adverse prenatal environments and infant outcomes have been observed, yet the underlying mechanisms for this are unclear. The placental epigenome may be a driver of these differences
Placental CpG methylation of infants born extremely preterm predicts cognitive impairment later in life
Abstract: Background The placenta is the central regulator of maternal and fetal interactions. Perturbations of placental structure and function have been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes later in life. Placental CpG methylation represents an epigenetic modification with the potential to impact placental function, fetal development and child health later in life. Study design Genome-wide placental CpG methylation levels were compared between spontaneous versus indicated deliveries from extremely preterm births (EPTBs) (n = 84). The association between the identified differentially methylated CpG sites and neurocognitive outcome at ten years of age was then evaluated. Results Spontaneous EPTB was associated with differential CpG methylation levels in 250 CpG sites (217 unique genes) with the majority displaying hypermethylation. The identified genes are known to play a role in neurodevelopment and are enriched for basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor binding sites. The placental CpG methylation levels for 17 of these sites predicted cognitive function at ten years of age. Conclusion A hypermethylation signature is present in DNA from placentas in infants with spontaneous EPTB. CpG methylation levels of critical neurodevelopment genes in the placenta predicted..
An Empirical Comparison of Tree-Based Methods for Propensity Score Estimation
To illustrate the use of ensemble tree-based methods (random forest classification [RFC] and bagging) for propensity score estimation and to compare these methods with logistic regression, in the context of evaluating the effect of physical and occupational therapy on preschool motor ability among very low birth weight (VLBW) children
Antecedents of inflammation biomarkers in preterm newborns on days 21 and 28
Most studies of systemic inflammation in very preterm newborns focus on assessments made during the first two weeks. The purpose of this study was to identify some of the antecedents of systemic inflammation evident during postnatal weeks three and four
Antenatal corticosteroids and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in adolescents born preterm
Antenatal corticosteroid (ANCS) treatment hastens fetal lung maturity and improves survival of premature infants, but the long-term effects of ANCS are not well-described. Animal models suggest ANCS increases the risk of cardiovascular disease through programmed changes in the renin-angiotensin (Ang)-aldosterone system (RAAS). We hypothesized that ANCS exposure alters the RAAS in adolescents born prematurely
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