517 research outputs found
A Catalog of 1022 Bright Contact Binary Stars
In this work we describe a large new sample of contact binary stars extracted
in a uniform manner from sky patrol data taken by the ROTSE-I telescope.
Extensive ROTSE-I light curve data is combined with J, H, and K band
near-infrared data taken from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) to add
color information. Contact binaries candidates are selected using the observed
period-color relation. Candidates are confirmed by visual examination of the
light curves. To enhance the utility of this catalog, we derive a new J-H
period-color-luminosity relation and use this to estimate distances for the
entire catalog. From these distance estimates we derive an estimated contact
binary space density of (1.7 +/- 0.6) x 10^-5 pcs^-3.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A
Abundances in Stars from the Red Giant Branch Tip to the Near the Main Sequence in M71: I. Sample Selection, Observing Strategy and Stellar Parameters
We present the sample for an abundance analysis of 25 members of M71 with
luminosities ranging from the red giant branch tip to the upper main sequence.
The spectra are of high dispersion and of high precision. We describe the
observing strategy and determine the stellar parameters for the sample stars
using both broad band colors and fits of H profiles. The derived
stellar parameters agree with those from the Yale stellar evolutionary
tracks to within 50 -- 100K for a fixed log g, which is within the level of the
uncertainties.Comment: Minor changes to conform to version accepted for publication, with
several new figures (Paper 1 of a pair
Photometric Analysis of Recently Discovered Eclipsing Binary GSC 00008-00901
Photometric analysis of light curves of newly discovered eclipsing
binary GSC 0008-00901 is presented. The orbital period is improved to
0.28948(11) days. Photometric parameters are determined, as well. The analysis
yielded to conclusion that system is an over-contact binary of W UMa type with
components not in thermal contact. The light curves from 2005 show the presence
of a spot on the surface of one of the components, while light curves from 2006
are not affected by maculation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Discordant assessment of tumor biomarkers by histopathological and molecular assays in the EORTC randomized controlled 10041/BIG 03-04 MINDACT trial breast cancer
Accurate identification of breast cancer patients most likely to benefit from adjuvant systemic therapies is crucial. Better understanding of differences between methods can lead to an improved ER, PgR, and HER-2 assessment. The purpose of this preplanned translational research is to investigate the correlation of central IHC/FISH assessments with microarray mRNA readouts of ER, PgR, and HER-2 status in the MINDACT trial and to determine if any discordance could be attributed to intratumoral heterogeneity or the DCIS and normal tissue components in the specimens. MINDACT is an international, prospective, randomized, phase III trial investigating the clinical utility of MammaPrint in selecting patients with early breast cancer for adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 6694 patients). Gene-expression data were obtained by TargetPrint; IHC and/or FISH were assessed centrally (n = 5788; 86 %). Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of centrally submitted FFPE blocks identified 1427 cases for which the very same sample was submitted for gene-expression analysis. TargetPrint ER had a positive agreement of 98 %, and a negative agreement of 95 % with central pathology. Corresponding figures for PgR were 85 and 94 % and for HER-2 72 and 99 %. Agreement of mRNA versus central protein was not different when the same or a different portion of the tumor tissue was analyzed or when DCIS and/or normal tissue was included in the sample subjected to mRNA assays. This is the first large analysis to assess the discordance rate between protein and mRNA analysis of breast cancer markers, and to look into intratumoral heterogeneity, DCIS, or normal tissue components as a potential cause of discordance. The observed difference between mRNA and protein assessment for PgR and HER-2 needs further research; the present analysis does not support intratumoral heterogeneity or the DCIS and normal tissue components being likely causes of the discordance.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe
Physical Orbit for Lambda Virginis and a Test of Stellar Evolution Models
Lambda Virginis (LamVir) is a well-known double-lined spectroscopic Am binary
with the interesting property that both stars are very similar in abundance but
one is sharp-lined and the other is broad-lined. We present combined
interferometric and spectroscopic studies of LamVir. The small scale of the
LamVir orbit (~20 mas) is well resolved by the Infrared Optical Telescope Array
(IOTA), allowing us to determine its elements as well as the physical
properties of the components to high accuracy. The masses of the two stars are
determined to be 1.897 Msun and 1.721 Msun, with 0.7% and 1.5% errors
respectively, and the two stars are found to have the same temperature of 8280
+/- 200 K. The accurately determined properties of LamVir allow comparisons
between observations and current stellar evolution models, and reasonable
matches are found. The best-fit stellar model gives LamVir a subsolar
metallicity of Z=0.0097, and an age of 935 Myr. The orbital and physical
parameters of LamVir also allow us to study its tidal evolution time scales and
status. Although currently atomic diffusion is considered to be the most
plausible cause of the Am phenomenon, the issue is still being actively debated
in the literature. With the present study of the properties and evolutionary
status of LamVir, this system is an ideal candidate for further detailed
abundance analyses that might shed more light on the source of the chemical
anomalies in these A stars.Comment: 43 Pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
A Consistency Test of Spectroscopic Gravities for Late-Type Stars
Chemical analyses of late-type stars are usually carried out following the
classical recipe: LTE line formation and homogeneous, plane-parallel,
flux-constant, and LTE model atmospheres. We review different results in the
literature that have suggested significant inconsistencies in the spectroscopic
analyses, pointing out the difficulties in deriving independent estimates of
the stellar fundamental parameters and hence,detecting systematic errors.
The trigonometric parallaxes measured by the HIPPARCOS mission provide
accurate appraisals of the stellar surface gravity for nearby stars, which are
used here to check the gravities obtained from the photospheric iron ionization
balance. We find an approximate agreement for stars in the metallicity range -1
<= [Fe/H] <= 0, but the comparison shows that the differences between the
spectroscopic and trigonometric gravities decrease towards lower metallicities
for more metal-deficient dwarfs (-2.5 <= [Fe/H] <= -1.0), which casts a shadow
upon the abundance analyses for extreme metal-poor stars that make use of the
ionization equilibrium to constrain the gravity. The comparison with the
strong-line gravities derived by Edvardsson (1988) and Fuhrmann (1998a)
confirms that this method provides systematically larger gravities than the
ionization balance. The strong-line gravities get closer to the physical ones
for the stars analyzed by Fuhrmann, but they are even further away than the
iron ionization gravities for the stars of lower gravities in Edvardsson's
sample. The confrontation of the deviations of the iron ionization gravities in
metal-poor stars reported here with departures from the excitation balance
found in the literature, show that they are likely to be induced by the same
physical mechanism(s).Comment: AAS LaTeX v4.0, 35 pages, 10 PostScript files; to appear in The
Astrophysical Journa
Sprouty2 in the Dorsal Hippocampus Regulates Neurogenesis and Stress Responsiveness in Rats
Both the development and relief of stress-related psychiatric conditions such as major depression (MD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been linked to neuroplastic changes in the brain. One such change involves the birth of new neurons (neurogenesis), which occurs throughout adulthood within discrete areas of the mammalian brain, including the dorsal hippocampus (HIP). Stress can trigger MD and PTSD in humans, and there is considerable evidence that it can decrease HIP neurogenesis in laboratory animals. In contrast, antidepressant treatments increase HIP neurogenesis, and their efficacy is eliminated by ablation of this process. These findings have led to the working hypothesis that HIP neurogenesis serves as a biomarker of neuroplasticity and stress resistance. Here we report that local alterations in the expression of Sprouty2 (SPRY2), an intracellular inhibitor of growth factor function, produces profound effects on both HIP neurogenesis and behaviors that reflect sensitivity to stressors. Viral vector-mediated disruption of endogenous Sprouty2 function (via a dominant negative construct) within the dorsal HIP of adult rats stimulates neurogenesis and produces signs of stress resilience including enhanced extinction of conditioned fear. Conversely, viral vector-mediated elevation of SPRY2 expression intensifies the behavioral consequences of stress. Studies of these manipulations in HIP primary cultures indicate that SPRY2 negatively regulates fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), which has been previously shown to produce antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects via actions in the HIP. Our findings strengthen the relationship between HIP plasticity and stress responsiveness, and identify a specific intracellular pathway that could be targeted to study and treat stress-related disorders
The photometric-amplitude and mass-ratio distributions of contact binary stars
The distribution of the light-variation amplitudes, A(a), in addition to
determining the number of undiscovered contact binary systems falling below
photometric detection thresholds and thus lost to statistics, can serve as a
tool in determination of the mass-ratio distribution, Q(q), which is very
important for understanding of the evolution of contact binaries. Calculations
of the expected A(a) show that it tends to converge to a mass-ratio dependent
constant value for a->0. Strong dependence of A(a) on Q(q) can be used to
determine the latter distribution, but the technique is limited by the presence
of unresolved visual companions and by blending in crowded areas of the sky.
The bright-star sample to 7.5 magnitude is too small for an application of the
technique while the the Baade's Window sample from the OGLE project may suffer
stronger blending; thus the present results are preliminary and illustrative
only. Estimates based on the Baade's Window data from the OGLE project, for
amplitudes a>0.3 mag. where the statistics appear to be complete allowing
determination of Q(q) over 0.12<q<1, suggest a steep increase of Q(q) with
q->0. The mass-ratio distribution can be approximated by a power law, either
Q(q)~(1-q)^a1 with a1=6+/-2 or Q(q)~q^b1, with b1=-2+/-0.5, with a slight
preference for the former form. Both forms must be modified by the
theoretically expected cut-off caused by a tidal instability at about q_min
0.07-0.1. An expected maximum in Q(q), is expected to be mapped into a local
maximum in A(a) around 0.2-0.25 mag.Comment: AASTeX5, 12 figures, 5 tables, accepted by AJ, Aug.200
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