Catalog of Radio Galaxies with z>0.3. I:Construction of the Sample

The procedure of the construction of a sample of distant ($z>0.3$) radio galaxies using NED, SDSS, and CATS databases for further application in statistical tests is described. The sample is assumed to be cleaned from objects with quasar properties. Primary statistical analysis of the list is performed and the regression dependence of the spectral index on redshift is found.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Performance of the infrared array camera (IRAC) for SIRTF during instrument integration and test

The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of three focal plane instruments in the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). IRAC is a four-channel camera that obtains simultaneous images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 microns. Two adjacent 5.12x5.12 arcmin fields of view in the SIRTF focal plane are viewed by the four channels in pairs (3.6 and 5.8 microns; 4.5 and 8 microns). All four detector arrays in the camera are 256x256 pixels in size, with the two shorter wavelength channels using InSb and the two longer wavelength channels using Si:As IBC detectors. We describe here the results of the instrument functional and calibration tests completed at Ball Aerospace during the integration with the cryogenic telescope assembly, and provide updated estimates of the in-flight sensitivity and performance of IRAC in SIRTF

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Manipulating Phospholipid Vesicles at the Nanoscale: A Transformation from Unilamellar to Multilamellar by an n-Alkyl-poly(ethylene oxide)

© 2021 American Chemical Society. We investigated the influence of an n-alkyl-PEO polymer on the structure and dynamics of phospholipid vesicles. Multilayer formation and about a 9% increase in the size in vesicles were observed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small-angle neutron/X-ray scattering (SANS/SAXS). The results indicate a change in the lamellar structure of the vesicles by a partial disruption caused by polymer chains, which seems to correlate with about a 30% reduction in bending rigidity per unit bilayer, as revealed by neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy. Also, a strong change in lipid tail relaxation was observed. Our results point to opportunities using synthetic polymers to control the structure and dynamics of membranes, with possible applications in technical materials and also in drug and nutraceutical delivery

Identical Mitochondrial DNA Deletion in a Woman with Ocular Myopathy and in Her Son with Pearson Syndrome

Single deletions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are associated with three major clinical conditions: Kearns-Sayre syndrome, a multisystem disorder; Pearson syndrome (PS), a disorder of the hematopoietic system; and progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), primarily affecting the ocular muscles. Typically, single mtDNA deletions are sporadic events, since the mothers, siblings, and offspring of affected individuals are unaffected. We studied a woman who presented with PEO, ptosis, and weakness of pharyngeal, facial, neck, and limb muscles. She had two unaffected children, but another of her children, an infant son, had sideroblastic anemia, was diagnosed with PS, and died at age 1 year. Morphological analysis of a muscle biopsy sample from the mother showed cytochrome c oxidase–negative ragged-red fibers—a typical pattern in patients with mtDNA deletions. Southern blot analysis using multiple restriction endonucleases and probed with multiple mtDNA fragments showed that both the mother and her infant son harbored an identical 5,355-bp single deletion in mtDNA, without flanking direct repeats. The deletion was the only abnormal species of mtDNA identified in both patients, and there was no evidence for duplications. We conclude that, although the vast majority of single large-scale deletions in mtDNA are sporadic, in rare cases, single deletions can be transmitted through the germline

Virioplankton Community Structure in Tunisian Solar Salterns

The microbial community inhabiting Sfax solar salterns on the east coast of Tunisia has been studied by means of different molecular and culture-dependent tools that have unveiled the presence of novel microbial groups as well as a community structure different from that of other coastal hypersaline environments. We have focused on the study of the viral assemblages of these salterns and their changes along the salinity gradient and over time. Viruses from three ponds (C4, M1, and TS) encompassing salinities from moderately hypersaline to saturated (around 14, 19, and 35%, respectively) were sampled in May and October 2009 and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Additionally, for all three October samples and the May TS sample, viral metagenomic DNA was cloned in fosmids, end sequenced, and analyzed. Viral concentration, as well as virus-to-cell ratios, increased along the salinity gradient, with around 1010 virus-like particles (VLPs)/ml in close-to-saturation ponds, which represents the highest viral concentration reported so far for aquatic systems. Four distinct morphologies could be observed with TEM (spherical, tailed, spindled, and filamentous) but with various proportions in the different samples. Metagenomic analyses indicated that every pond harbored a distinct viral assemblage whose G+C content could be roughly correlated with that of the active part of the microbial community that may have constituted the putative hosts. As previously reported for hypersaline metaviromes, most sequences did not have matches in the databases, although some were conserved among the Sfax metaviromes. BLASTx, BLASTp, and dinucleotide frequency analyses indicated that (i) factors additional to salinity could be structuring viral communities and (ii) every metavirome had unique gene contents and dinucleotide frequencies. Comparison with hypersaline metaviromes available in the databases indicated that the viral assemblages present in close-to-saturation environments located thousands of kilometers apart presented some common traits among them in spite of their differences regarding the putative hosts. A small core metavirome for close-to-saturation systems was found that contained 7 sequences of around 100 nucleotides (nt) whose function was not hinted at by in silico search results, although it most likely represents properties essential for hyperhalophilic viruses.This work was funded by projects A/018342/08 from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) and CGL2009-12651-C02-01 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), including FEDER funds