Metal-poor, Strongly Star-Forming Galaxies in the DEEP2 Survey: The Relationship between Stellar Mass, Temperature-based Metallicity, and Star Formation Rate

We report on the discovery of 28 $z\approx0.8$ metal-poor galaxies in DEEP2. These galaxies were selected for their detection of the weak [OIII]$\lambda$4363 emission line, which provides a "direct" measure of the gas-phase metallicity. A primary goal for identifying these rare galaxies is to examine whether the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR) between stellar mass, gas metallicity, and star formation rate (SFR) holds for low stellar mass and high SFR galaxies. The FMR suggests that higher SFR galaxies have lower metallicity (at fixed stellar mass). To test this trend, we combine spectroscopic measurements of metallicity and dust-corrected SFRs, with stellar mass estimates from modeling the optical photometry. We find that these galaxies are $1.05\pm0.61$ dex above the z~1 stellar mass-SFR relation, and $0.23\pm0.23$ dex below the local mass-metallicity relation. Relative to the FMR, the latter offset is reduced to 0.01 dex, but significant dispersion remains (0.29 dex with 0.16 dex due to measurement uncertainties). This dispersion suggests that gas accretion, star formation and chemical enrichment have not reached equilibrium in these galaxies. This is evident by their short stellar mass doubling timescale of $\approx100^{+310}_{-75}$ Myr that suggests stochastic star formation. Combining our sample with other z~1 metal-poor galaxies, we find a weak positive SFR-metallicity dependence (at fixed stellar mass) that is significant at 94.4% confidence. We interpret this positive correlation as recent star formation that has enriched the gas, but has not had time to drive the metal-enriched gas out with feedback mechanisms.Comment: Resubmitted to ApJ on March 6, 2015. Revised to discuss selection biases and methodologies, and address the former by including more metal-rich galaxies with robust non-detections of [OIII]4363. Primary results on FMR analyses are unchanged. Additional figures are included to illustrate selection biases; previous figures have been revised to improve presentatio

Dynamic Interchanging Native States of Lymphotactin Examined by SNAPP-MS

The human chemokine lymphotactin (Ltn) is a remarkable protein that interconverts between two unrelated native state structures in the condensed phase. It is possible to shift the equilibrium toward either conformation with selected sequence substitutions. Previous results have shown that a disulfide-stabilized variant preferentially adopts the canonical chemokine fold (Ltn10), while a single amino acid change (W55D) favors the novel Ltn40 dimeric structure. Selective noncovalent adduct protein probing (SNAPP) is a recently developed method for examining solution phase protein structure. Herein, it is demonstrated that SNAPP can easily recognize and distinguish between the Ltn10 and Ltn40 states of lymphotactin in aqueous solution. The effects of organic denaturants, acid, and disulfide bond reduction and blocking were also examined using SNAPP for the CC3, W55D, and wild type proteins. Only disulfide reduction was shown to significantly perturb the protein, and resulted in considerably decreased adduct formation consistent with loss of tertiary/secondary structure. Cold denaturation experiments demonstrated that wild-type Ltn is the most temperature sensitive of the three proteins. Examination of the higher charge states in all experiments, which are presumed to represent transition state structures between Ltn-10 and Ltn-40, reveals increased 18C6 attachment relative to the more folded structures. This observation is consistent with increased competitive intramolecular hydrogen bonding, which may guide the transition. Experiments examining the gas phase structures revealed that all three proteins can be structurally distinguished in the gas phase. In addition, the gas phase experiments enabled identification of preferred adduct binding sites

The Wyoming Survey for H-alpha. III. H-alpha Luminosity Functions at z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40

The Wyoming Survey for H-alpha, or WySH, is a large-area, ground-based imaging survey for H-alpha-emitting galaxies at redshifts of z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40. The survey spans up to four square degrees in a set of fields of low Galactic cirrus emission, using twin narrowband filters at each epoch for improved stellar continuum subtraction. H-alpha luminosity functions are presented for each Delta(z) ~ 0.02 epoch based on a total of nearly 1200 galaxies. These data clearly show an evolution with lookback time in the volume-averaged cosmic star formation rate. Integrals of Schechter fits to the incompleteness- and extinction-corrected H-alpha luminosity functions indicate star formation rates per co-moving volume of 0.010, 0.013, 0.020, 0.022 h_70 M_sun yr^{-1} Mpc^{-3} at z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40, respectively. Statistical and systematic measurement uncertainties combined are on the order of 25% while the effects of cosmic variance are at the 20% level. The bulk of this evolution is driven by changes in the characteristic luminosity L_* of the H-alpha luminosity functions, with L_* for the earlier two epochs being a factor of two larger than L_* at the latter two epochs; it is more difficult with this data set to decipher systematic evolutionary differences in the luminosity function amplitude and faint-end slope. Coupling these results with a comprehensive compilation of results from the literature on emission line surveys, the evolution in the cosmic star formation rate density over 0 < z < 1.5 is measured to be rho_dot_SFR(z) = rho_dot_SFR(0) (1+z)^{3.4+/-0.4}.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Global Star Formation Rate Density over 0.7<z<1.9

We determine the global star formation rate density at 0.7<z<1.9 using emission-line selected galaxies identified in Hubble Space Telescope Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrograph (HST-NICMOS) grism spectroscopy observations. Observing in pure parallel mode throughout HST Cycles 12 and 13, our survey covers ~104 arcmin2 from which we select 80 galaxies with likely redshifted Ha emission lines. In several cases, a somewhat weaker [OIII] doublet emission is also detected. The Ha luminosity range of the emission-line galaxy sample is 4.4 x 10^41 < L(Ha) < 1.5 x 10^43 erg/s. In this range, the luminosity function is well described by a Schechter function with phi* = (4.24\pm3.55) x 10^-3 Mpc^-3, L* = (2.88\pm1.58) x 10^42 erg/s, and alpha = -1.39\pm0.43. We derive a volume-averaged star formation rate density of 0.138\pm0.058 Msun/yr/Mpc3 at z=1.4 without an extinction correction. Subdividing the redshift range, we find star formation rate densities of 0.088\pm0.056 Msun/yr/Mpc3 at z=1.1 and 0.265\pm0.174 Msun/yr/Mpc3 at z=1.6. The overall star formation rate density is consistent with previous studies using Ha when the same average extinction correction is applied, confirming that the cosmic peak of star formation occurs at z>1.5.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Nebular Attenuation in H\alpha-selected Star-forming Galaxies at z=0.8 from the NewH\alpha\ Survey

We present measurements of the dust attenuation of H\alpha-selected emission-line galaxies at z=0.8 from the NewH\alpha\ narrowband survey. The analysis is based on deep follow-up spectroscopy with Magellan/IMACS, which captures the strong rest-frame optical emission lines from [OII] \lambda 3727 to [OIII] \lambda 5007. The spectroscopic sample used in this analysis consists of 341 confirmed H\alpha\ emitters. We place constraints on the AGN fraction using diagnostics which can be applied at intermediate redshift. We find that at least 5% of the objects in our spectroscopic sample can be classified as AGN and 2% are composite, i.e. powered by a combination of star-formation and AGN activity. We measure the dust attenuation for individual objects from the ratios of the higher order Balmer lines. The H\beta\ and H\gamma\ pair of lines is detected with S/N>5 in 55 individual objects and the H\beta\ and H\delta\ pair is detected in 50 individual objects. We also create stacked spectra to probe the attenuation in objects without individual detections. The median attenuation at H\alpha\ based on the objects with individually detected lines is A(H\alpha)=0.9+-1.0 magnitudes, in good agreement with the attenuation found in local samples of star-forming galaxies. We find that the z=0.8 galaxies occupy a similar locus of attenuation as a function of magnitude, mass and SFR as a comparison sample drawn from the SDSS DR4. Both the results from the individual z=0.8 galaxies and from the stacked spectra show consistency with the mass -- attenuation and SFR -- attenuation relations found in the local Universe, indicating that these relations are also applicable at intermediate redshift.Comment: Submitted to AJ. Revised per referee's comment

The [O II] lambda 3727 Luminosity Function at z ~ 1

We measure the evolution of the [OII]lambda 3727 luminosity function at 0.75<z<1.45 using high-resolution spectroscopy of ~14,000 galaxies observed by the DEEP2 galaxy redshift survey. We find that brighter than L_{OII}=10^{42} erg s^(-1) the luminosity function is well-represented by a power law dN/dL ~ L^{\alpha} with slope \alpha ~ -3. The number density of [OII] emitting galaxies above this luminosity declines by a factor of >~2.5 between z ~ 1.35 and z ~ 0.84. In the limit of no number-density evolution, the characteristic [OII] luminosity, L^*_[OII], defined as the luminosity where the space density equals 10^{-3.5} dex^{-1} Mpc^{-3}, declines by a factor of ~1.8 over the same redshift interval. Assuming that L_[OII] is proportional to the star-formation rate (SFR), and negligible change in the typical dust attenuation in galaxies at fixed [OII] luminosity, the measured decline in L^*_[OII] implies a ~25% per Gyr decrease in the amount of star formation in galaxies during this epoch. Adopting a faint-end power-law slope of -1.3\pm0.2, we derive the comoving SFR density in four redshift bins centered around z~1 by integrating the observed [OII] luminosity function using a local, empirical calibration between L_[OII] and SFR, which statistically accounts for variations in dust attenuation and metallicity among galaxies. We find that our estimate of the SFR density at z~1 is consistent with previous measurements based on a variety of independent SFR indicators.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, resubmitted to ApJ, in emulateapj style. Comparison with narrow-band observations added. Wavelength coverage included into complete function, little effects. The data is available on http://bias.cosmo.fas.nyu.edu/galevolution

Treatment of insomnia in myasthenia gravis-A prospective study on non-benzodiazepine hypnotics in the treatment of myasthenia gravis patients with insomnia

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with insomnia. Methods: This is a prospective longitudinal study. Outpatients who met the criteria for stable MG and insomnia diagnosis according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (third edition) were included in the study. They took a regular dose of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (zolpidem 10 mg per night or zopiclone 7.5 mg per night) based on their own preferences. Patients received psychotherapy (including sleep health education) and were followed up for 4–5 weeks. Cases with lung diseases, respiratory disorders, or inappropriate use of hypnotic medications were excluded. The primary outcome is the difference in total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score between baseline and the end of follow-up period. Secondary outcomes include the difference in Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) between baseline and the end of follow-up period and the safety of medication. Results: A total of 75 MG patients with insomnia were included in this study. After 4–5 weeks of treatment, the total PSQI score and MG-ADL score were lower than baseline (p < 0.01). No patients had an increased MG-ADL score. The incidence rate of adverse events was 16.0% (12 cases), including dizziness (6 cases, 8.0%), drowsiness (3 cases, 4.0%), fatigue (2 cases, 2.7%), and nausea (1 case, 1.3%), all of which were mild. No patients had new onset breathing disorders. Conclusion: Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics are safe and effective for stable MG patients who need insomnia treatment

Large Area Survey for z=7 Galaxies in SDF and GOODS-N: Implications for Galaxy Formation and Cosmic Reionization

We present results of our large-area survey for z'-band dropout galaxies at z=7 in a 1568 arcmin^2 sky area covering the SDF and GOODS-N fields. Combining our ultra-deep Subaru/Suprime-Cam z'- and y-band (lambda_eff=1um) images with legacy data of Subaru and HST, we have identified 22 bright z-dropout galaxies down to y=26, one of which has a spectroscopic redshift of z=6.96 determined from Lya emission. The z=7 luminosity function (LF) yields the best-fit Schechter parameters of phi*=0.69 +2.62/-0.55 x10^(-3) Mpc^(-3), Muv*=-20.10 +/-0.76 mag, and alpha=-1.72 +/-0.65, and indicates a decrease from z=6 at a >95% confidence level. This decrease is beyond the cosmic variance in our two fields, which is estimated to be a factor of <~2. We have found that the cosmic star formation rate density drops from the peak at z=2-3 to z=7 roughly by a factor of ~10 but not larger than ~100. A comparison with the reionization models suggests either that the Universe could not be totally ionized by only galaxies at z=7, or more likely that properties of galaxies at z=7 are different from those at low redshifts having, e.g., a larger escape fraction (>~0.2), and/or a flatter IMF. Our SDF z-dropout galaxies appear to form 60-Mpc long filamentary structures, and the z=6.96 galaxy with Lya emission is located at the center of an overdense region consisting of four UV bright dropout candidates, which might suggest an existence of a well-developed ionized bubble at z=7.Comment: 20 pages; ApJ in press, measurements improved with HST/WFC3 data point

Optimizing extraction of cellulose and synthesizing pharmaceutical grade carboxymethyl sago cellulose from Malaysian sago pulp

Sago biomass is an agro-industrial waste produced in large quantities, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region and in particular South-East Asia. This work focuses on using sago biomass to obtain cellulose as the raw material, through chemical processing using acid hydrolysis, alkaline extraction, chlorination and bleaching, finally converting the material to pharmaceutical grade carboxymethyl sago cellulose (CMSC) by carboxymethylation. The cellulose was evaluated using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FESEM). The extracted cellulose was analyzed for cellulose composition, and subsequently modified to CMSC with a degree of substitution (DS) 0.6 by typical carboxymethylation reactions. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystallinity of the sago cellulose was reduced after carboxymethylation. FTIR and NMR studies indicate that the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose fibers were etherified through carboxymethylation to produce CMSC. Further characterization of the cellulose and CMSC were performed using FESEM and DSC. The purity of CMSC was analyzed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standards. In this case, acid and alkaline treatments coupled with high-pressure defibrillation were found to be effective in depolymerization and defibrillation of the cellulose fibers. The synthesized CMSC also shows no toxicity in the cell line studies and could be exploited as a pharmaceutical excipient