The Evolution of Early-type Field Galaxies Selected from a NICMOS Map of the Hubble Deep Field North

The redshift distribution of well-defined samples of distant early-type galaxies offers a means to test the predictions of monolithic and hierarchical galaxy formation scenarios. NICMOS maps of the entire Hubble Deep Field North in the F110W and F160W filters, when combined with the available WFPC2 data, allow us to calculate photometric redshifts and determine the morphological appearance of galaxies at rest-frame optical wavelengths out to z ~ 2.5. Here we report results for two subsamples of early-type galaxies, defined primarily by their morphologies in the F160W band, which were selected from the NICMOS data down to H160_{AB} < 24.0. The observed redshift distributions of our two early-type samples do not match that predicted by a monolithic collapse model, which shows an overabundance at z > 1.5. A hierarchical formation model better matches the redshift distribution of the HDF-N early-types at z > 1.5, but still does not adequately describe the observed early-types. The hierarchical model predicts significantly bluer colors on average than the observed early-type colors, and underpredicts the observed number of early-types at z < 1. [abridged]Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal; 54 pages, 21 figures. Figures 10 and 11 are included separately in JPEG forma

Community professionals' management of client care : a mixed-methods systematic review

This is the final draft, after peer-review, of a manuscript published in Journal of Health Services Research & Policy. The definitive version, detailed above, is available online at www.rsmjournals.com.Peer reviewedPostprin

A Student\u27s Guide to giant Viruses Infecting Small Eukaryotes: From Acanthamoeba to Zooxanthellae

The discovery of infectious particles that challenge conventional thoughts concerning “what is a virus” has led to the evolution a new field of study in the past decade. Here, we review knowledge and information concerning “giant viruses”, with a focus not only on some of the best studied systems, but also provide an effort to illuminate systems yet to be better resolved. We conclude by demonstrating that there is an abundance of new host–virus systems that fall into this “giant” category, demonstrating that this field of inquiry presents great opportunities for future research

Red and Reddened Quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We investigate the continuum and emission line properties of 4576 SDSS quasars as a function of their optical/UV SEDs. The optical/UV color distribution of our sample is roughly Gaussian, but with a red tail; we distinguish between 1) intrinsically blue (optically flat) quasars, 2) intrinsically red (optically steep) quasars, and 3) the 273 (6%) of our quasars whose continua are inconsistent with a single power-law and appear redder due to SMC-like dust reddening rather than synchrotron emission. The color distribution suggests that the population of moderately dust reddened broad-line quasars is smaller than that of unobscured quasars, but we estimate that a further 10% of the luminous quasar population is missing from the SDSS sample because of dust extinction with E(B-V)<0.5. We also investigate the emission and absorption line properties of these quasars as a function of color with regard to Boroson & Green type eigenvectors. Intrinsically red (optically steep) quasars tend to have narrower Balmer lines and weaker CIV, CIII], HeII and 3000A bump emission as compared with bluer (optically flatter) quasars. The change in strength of the 3000A bump appears to be dominated by the Balmer continuum and not by FeII emission. The dust reddened quasars have even narrower Balmer lines and weaker 3000A bumps, in addition to having considerably larger equivalent widths of [OII] and [OIII] emission. The fraction of broad absorption line quasars (BALQSOs) increases from ~3.4% for the bluest quasars to perhaps as large as 20% for the dust reddened quasars, but the intrinsic color distribution is affected by dust reddening. (abridged)Comment: 37 pages, 10 figures (3 color), 2 tables, accepted by AJ. For a version with higher quality figures, see ftp://astro.princeton.edu/gtr/redqsos/RichardsGT_redqsos.revised3.preprint.p

Garden and landscape-scale correlates of moths of differing conservation status: significant effects of urbanization and habitat diversity

Moths are abundant and ubiquitous in vegetated terrestrial environments and are pollinators, important herbivores of wild plants, and food for birds, bats and rodents. In recent years, many once abundant and widespread species have shown sharp declines that have been cited by some as indicative of a widespread insect biodiversity crisis. Likely causes of these declines include agricultural intensification, light pollution, climate change, and urbanization; however, the real underlying cause(s) is still open to conjecture. We used data collected from the citizen science Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) to explore the spatial association between the abundance of 195 widespread British species of moth, and garden habitat and landscape features, to see if spatial habitat and landscape associations varied for species of differing conservation status. We found that associations with habitat and landscape composition were species-specific, but that there were consistent trends in species richness and total moth abundance. Gardens with more diverse and extensive microhabitats were associated with higher species richness and moth abundance; gardens near to the coast were associated with higher richness and moth abundance; and gardens in more urbanized locations were associated with lower species richness and moth abundance. The same trends were also found for species classified as increasing, declining and vulnerable under IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria

New Method to Calculate the Sign and Relative Strength of Magnetic Interactions in Low-Dimensional Systems on the Basis of Structural Data

The connection of strength of magnetic interactions and type ordering the magnetic moments with crystal chemical characteristics in low-dimensional magnets is investigated. The new method to calculate the sign and relative strength of magnetic interactions in low-dimensional systems on the basis of the structural data is proposed. This method allows to estimate magnetic interactions not only inside low-dimensional fragments but also between them, and also to predict the possibility of the occurrence of magnetic phase transitions and anomalies of the magnetic interactions. Moreover, it can be used for search of low-dimensional magnets among the compounds whose crystal structures are known. The possibilities of the method are illustrated in an example of research of magnetic interactions in familiar low-dimensional magnets SrCu2(BO3)2, CaCuGe2O6, CaV4O9, Cu2Te2O5Cl2, Cu2Te2O5Br2, BaCu2Si2O7, BaCu2Ge2O7, BaCuSi2O6, LiCu2O2, and NaCu2O2.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, published versio

Detection of segregation distortion loci in triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) based on a high-density DArT marker consensus genetic linkage map

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Triticale is adapted to a wide range of abiotic stress conditions, is an important high-quality feed stock and produces similar grain yield but more biomass compared to other crops. Modern genomic approaches aimed at enhancing breeding progress in cereals require high-quality genetic linkage maps. Consensus maps are genetic maps that are created by a joint analysis of the data from several segregating populations and different approaches are available for their construction. The phenomenon that alleles at a locus deviate from the Mendelian expectation has been defined as segregation distortion. The study of segregation distortion is of particular interest in doubled haploid (DH) populations due to the selection pressure exerted on the plants during the process of their establishment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The final consensus map, constructed out of six segregating populations derived from nine parental lines, incorporated 2555 DArT markers mapped to 2602 loci (1929 unique). The map spanned 2309.9 cM with an average number of 123.9 loci per chromosome and an average marker density of one unique locus every 1.2 cM. The R genome showed the highest marker coverage followed by the B genome and the A genome. In general, locus order was well maintained between the consensus linkage map and the component maps. However, we observed several groups of loci for which the colinearity was slightly uneven. Among the 2602 loci mapped on the consensus map, 886 showed distorted segregation in at least one of the individual mapping populations. In several DH populations derived by androgenesis, we found chromosomes (2B, 3B, 1R, 2R, 4R and 7R) containing regions where markers exhibited a distorted segregation pattern. In addition, we observed evidence for segregation distortion between pairs of loci caused either by a predominance of parental or recombinant genotypes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have constructed a reliable, high-density DArT marker consensus genetic linkage map as a basis for genomic approaches in triticale research and breeding, for example for multiple-line cross QTL mapping experiments. The results of our study exemplify the tremendous impact of different DH production techniques on allele frequencies and segregation distortion covering whole chromosomes.</p

Key interactions by conserved polar amino acids located at the transmembrane helical boundaries in Class B GPCRs modulate activation, effector specificity and biased signalling in the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor

Class B GPCRs can activate multiple signalling effectors with the potential to exhibit biased agonism in response to ligand stimulation. Previously, we highlighted key TM domain polar amino acids that were crucial for the function of the GLP-1 receptor, a key therapeutic target for diabetes and obesity. Using a combination of mutagenesis, pharmacological characterisation, mathematical and computational molecular modelling, this study identifies additional highly conserved polar residues located towards the TM helical boundaries of Class B GPCRs that are important for GLP-1 receptor stability and/or controlling signalling specificity and biased agonism. This includes (i) three positively charged residues (R3.30227, K4.64288, R5.40310) located at the extracellular boundaries of TMs 3, 4 and 5 that are predicted in molecular models to stabilise extracellular loop 2, a crucial domain for ligand affinity and receptor activation; (ii) a predicted hydrogen bond network between residues located in TMs 2 (R2.46176), 6 (R6.37348) and 7 (N7.61406 and E7.63408) at the cytoplasmic face of the receptor that is important for stabilising the inactive receptor and directing signalling specificity, (iii) residues at the bottom of TM 5 (R5.56326) and TM6 (K6.35346 and K6.40351) that are crucial for receptor activation and downstream signalling; (iv) residues predicted to be involved in stabilisation of TM4 (N2.52182 and Y3.52250) that also influence cell signalling. Collectively, this work expands our understanding of peptide-mediated signalling by the GLP-1 receptor

Quantitative PCR reveals strong spatial and temporal variation of the wasting disease pathogen, Labyrinthula zosterae in northern European eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds

Seagrass beds are the foundation species of functionally important coastal ecosystems worldwide. The world’s largest losses of the widespread seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) have been reported as a consequence of wasting disease, an infection with the endophytic protist Labyrinthula zosterae. During one of the most extended epidemics in the marine realm, ~90% of East and Western Atlantic eelgrass beds died-off between 1932 and 1934. Today, small outbreaks continue to be reported, but the current extent of L. zosterae in European meadows is completely unknown. In this study we quantify the abundance and prevalence of the wasting disease pathogen among 19 Z. marina populations in northern European coastal waters, using quantitative PCR (QPCR) with primers targeting a species specific portion of the internally transcribed spacer (ITS1) of L. zosterae. Spatially, we found marked variation among sites with abundances varying between 0 and 126 cells mg−1 Z. marina dry weight (mean: 5.7 L. zosterae cells mg−1 Z. marina dry weight ±1.9 SE) and prevalences ranged from 0–88.9%. Temporarily, abundances varied between 0 and 271 cells mg−1 Z. marina dry weight (mean: 8.5±2.6 SE), while prevalences ranged from zero in winter and early spring to 96% in summer. Field concentrations accessed via bulk DNA extraction and subsequent QPCR correlated well with prevalence data estimated via isolation and cultivation from live plant tissue. L. zosterae was not only detectable in black lesions, a sign of Labyrinthula-induced necrosis, but also occurred in green, apparently healthy tissue. We conclude that L. zosterae infection is common (84% infected populations) in (northern) European eelgrass populations with highest abundances during the summer months. In the light of global climate change and increasing rate of marine diseases our data provide a baseline for further studies on the causes of pathogenic outbreaks of L. zosterae

Drama and discounting in the relational dynamics of corporate social responsibility

Employing theoretical resources from Transactional Analysis (TA) and drawing from interviews with managers dealing with social or environmental issues in their role, we explain how CSR activity provides a context for dramas in which actors may ignore, or discount aspects of self, others, and the contexts of their work as they maintain and reproduce the roles of Rescuers, Persecutors and Victims. In doing so, we add to knowledge about CSR by providing an explanation for how the contradictions of CSR are avoided in practice even when actors may be aware of them. Specifically, we theorise how CSR work can produce dramatic stories where adversity is apparently overcome, whilst little is actually achieved at the social level. We also add to the range of psychoanalytic tools used to account for organisational behaviours, emphasising how TA can explain the relational dynamics of CSR