The Seventh Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

This paper describes the Seventh Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), marking the completion of the original goals of the SDSS and the end of the phase known as SDSS-II. It includes 11663 deg^2 of imaging data, with most of the roughly 2000 deg^2 increment over the previous data release lying in regions of low Galactic latitude. The catalog contains five-band photometry for 357 million distinct objects. The survey also includes repeat photometry over 250 deg^2 along the Celestial Equator in the Southern Galactic Cap. A coaddition of these data goes roughly two magnitudes fainter than the main survey. The spectroscopy is now complete over a contiguous area of 7500 deg^2 in the Northern Galactic Cap, closing the gap that was present in previous data releases. There are over 1.6 million spectra in total, including 930,000 galaxies, 120,000 quasars, and 460,000 stars. The data release includes improved stellar photometry at low Galactic latitude. The astrometry has all been recalibrated with the second version of the USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC-2), reducing the rms statistical errors at the bright end to 45 milli-arcseconds per coordinate. A systematic error in bright galaxy photometr is less severe than previously reported for the majority of galaxies. Finally, we describe a series of improvements to the spectroscopic reductions, including better flat-fielding and improved wavelength calibration at the blue end, better processing of objects with extremely strong narrow emission lines, and an improved determination of stellar metallicities. (Abridged)Comment: 20 pages, 10 embedded figures. Accepted to ApJS after minor correction

Characterization of the subjects included for screening of TcG1-,TcG2-, and TcG4-specific antibody responses in this study.

a<p>Subjects in Argentina were screened for <i>T. cruzi</i>-specific antibodies by Wiener Chagatest-ELISA and Wiener Chagatest-HAI kits. Clinical exam included physical exam, electrocardiography and echocardiography. Confirmation of leishmaniasis was obtained by parasitological test, Montenegro reaction, clinical demonstration, and two PCR approaches. One of the seropositive patient presenting acute infection was referred for chemotherapeutic treatment with Benznidazole.</p>b<p>Five of the seropositive/chagasic subjects from Argentina were positive for Leishmania infection, determined by two PCR approaches.</p>c<p>Sera samples from Chiapas Mexico were screened by epimastigote antigenic lysate-based ELISA, trypomastigote-based flow cytometry, and Chagas Stat-Pak immuno-chromatograpic test.</p>d<p>Seronegative subjects from non-endemic areas were screened for <i>T. cruzi</i>-specific antibody response using <i>T. cruzi</i> trypomastigote lysate as antigen source in ELISA assays. Seronegative/cardiomyopathy patients were identified based upon blood levels of NT-proBNP to be >2000 pg/ml (normal<450 pg/ml).</p><p>N/A: not available.</p

Pair-wise correlation analysis.

<p>Shown is pair-wise correlation analysis of antibody response to TcG_mix (A) and TcTL (B) with clinical disease category in patients enrolled in the study from Argentina-Bolivia border area. For this, seronegative/healthy subjects were labeled as 0, and patients classified as 0, I, II and III (<a href="http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002018#s2" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>) were labeled as 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Dots, individual subjects.</p

B cell epitopes in candidate antigens.

<p>Linear B cell epitopes (12 amino acid lengths) were predicted using a BCPred tool (<a href="http://ailab.cs.iastate.edu/bcpreds/" target="_blank">http://ailab.cs.iastate.edu/bcpreds/</a>).</p

Antigenicity of TcG1, TcG2 and TcG4 in inhabitants of Salta Argentina.

<p>Sera (A–C) and plasma (D–I) samples obtained in year 2010 (A–F) and year 2009 (G–I) from volunteers in Salta Argentina were identified as seropositive (+ve) or seronegative (−ve) in 1^st-phase screening by using conventional approaches. The 2^nd-phase screening for antigen-specific antibody response was conducted by an ELISA using the recombinant TcG1, TcG2 and TcG4 proteins. Data (mean of four observations from each sample) are presented as box plot. The horizontal lines of the box (bottom to top) depict the lower quartile (Q1, cuts off lowest 25% of the data), median (Q2, middle value), and upper quartile (Q3, cuts off the highest 25% of the data). The lower and upper whiskers depict the smallest and largest non-outlier observations, respectively, and solid dots represent the outliers. The spacing between the different parts of the box indicates the degree of dispersion (spread). Standard deviation for all samples was <12%.</p

TcG1, TcG2 and TcG4 are recognized by antibody response in human subjects from Mexico.

<p>Sera samples obtained from volunteers living in the endemic areas of Chiapas Mexico were characterized as seropositive (+ve) and seronegative (−ve) by whole-parasite antigen based serology tests in the 1^st phase. The TcG1 (A), TcG2 (B) and TcG4 (C) specific antibody response was measured by ELISA, and data are presented as box plot (details in <a href="http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002018#pntd-0002018-g001" target="_blank">Fig. 1</a>).</p