19 research outputs found
CANDELS: The Contribution of the Observed Galaxy Population to Cosmic Reionization
We present measurements of the specific ultraviolet luminosity density from a
sample of 483 galaxies at 6<z<8. These galaxies were selected from new deep
near-infrared HST imaging from the CANDELS, HUDF09 and ERS programs. In
contrast to the majority of previous analyses, which assume that the
distribution of galaxy ultraviolet (UV) luminosities follows a Schechter
distribution, and that the distribution continues to luminosities far below our
observable limit, we investigate the contribution to reionization from galaxies
which we can observe, free from these assumptions. We find that the observable
population of galaxies can sustain a fully reionized IGM at z=6, if the average
ionizing photon escape fraction (f_esc) is ~30%. A number of previous studies
have measured UV luminosity densities at these redshifts that vary by 5X, with
many concluding that galaxies could not complete reionization by z=6 unless a
large population of galaxies fainter than the detection limit were invoked, or
extremely high values of f_esc were present. The observed UV luminosity density
from our observed galaxy samples at z=7-8 is not sufficient to maintain a fully
reionized IGM unless f_esc>50%. Combining our observations with constraints on
the emission rate of ionizing photons from Ly-alpha forest observations at z=6,
we can constrain f_esc<34% (2-sigma) if the observed galaxies are the only
contributors to reionization, or <13% (2-sigma) if the luminosity function
extends to M_UV = -13. These escape fractions are sufficient to complete
reionization by z=6. These constraints imply that the volume ionized fraction
of the IGM becomes less than unity at z>7, consistent with a number of
complementary reionization probes. If faint galaxies dominate reionization,
future JWST observations will probe deep enough to see them, providing an
indirect constraint on the ionizing photon escape fraction [abridged].Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to the Astrophysical Journa
The Evolution of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function at z= 4-8: A Steepening Low-mass-end Slope with Increasing Redshift
We present galaxy stellar mass functions (GSMFs) at 4-8 from a
rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) selected sample of 4500 galaxies, found via
photometric redshifts over an area of 280 arcmin in the CANDELS/GOODS
fields and the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The deepest Spitzer/IRAC data
yet-to-date and the relatively large volume allow us to place a better
constraint at both the low- and high-mass ends of the GSMFs compared to
previous space-based studies from pre-CANDELS observations. Supplemented by a
stacking analysis, we find a linear correlation between the rest-frame UV
absolute magnitude at 1500 \AA\ () and logarithmic stellar mass
() that holds for galaxies with . We
use simulations to validate our method of measuring the slope of the - relation, finding that the bias is minimized with a hybrid
technique combining photometry of individual bright galaxies with stacked
photometry for faint galaxies. The resultant measured slopes do not
significantly evolve over 4-8, while the normalization of the trend
exhibits a weak evolution toward lower masses at higher redshift. We combine
the - distribution with observed rest-frame UV luminosity
functions at each redshift to derive the GSMFs, finding that the low-mass-end
slope becomes steeper with increasing redshift from
at to at
. The inferred stellar mass density, when integrated over
-, increases by a factor of
between and and is in good agreement with the time integral of the
cosmic star formation rate density.Comment: 27 pages, 17 figures, ApJ, in pres
The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Spectral classification of galaxies at z~1
We present a Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based spectral
classification, eta, for the first 5600 galaxies observed in the DEEP2 Redshift
Survey. This parameter provides a very pronounced separation between absorption
and emission dominated galaxy spectra - corresponding to passively evolving and
actively star-forming galaxies in the survey respectively. In addition it is
shown that despite the high resolution of the observed spectra, this parameter
alone can be used to quite accurately reconstruct any given galaxy spectrum,
suggesting there are not many `degrees of freedom' in the observed spectra of
this galaxy population. It is argued that this form of classification, eta,
will be particularly valuable in making future comparisons between high and
low-redshift galaxy surveys for which very large spectroscopic samples are now
readily available, particularly when used in conjunction with high-resolution
spectral synthesis models which will be made public in the near future. We also
discuss the relative advantages of this approach to distant galaxy
classification compared to other methods such as colors and morphologies.
Finally, we compare the classification derived here with that adopted for the
2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and in so doing show that the two systems are very
similar. This will be particularly useful in subsequent analyses when making
comparisons between results from each of these surveys to study evolution in
the galaxy populations and large-scale structure.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
The Evolution of the Galaxy Rest-Frame Ultraviolet Luminosity Function Over the First Two Billion Years
We present a robust measurement and analysis of the rest-frame ultraviolet
(UV) luminosity function at z=4-8. We use deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging
over the CANDELS/GOODS fields, the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and the Year 1
Hubble Frontier Field deep parallel observations. These surveys provides an
effective volume of 0.6-1.2 x 10^6 Mpc^3 over this epoch, allowing us to
perform a robust search for faint (M_UV=-18) and bright (M_UV < -21) galaxies.
We select candidate galaxies using a well-tested photometric redshift technique
with careful screening of contaminants, finding a sample of 7446 galaxies at
3.51000 galaxies at z~6-8. We measure the luminosity function
using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis to measure robust uncertainties. At
the faint end our results agree with previous studies, yet we find a higher
abundance of UV-bright galaxies at z>6, with M* ~ -21 at z>5, different than
that inferred based on previous trends at lower redshift. At z=8, a single
power-law provides an equally good fit to the UV luminosity function, while at
z=6 and 7, an exponential cutoff at the bright-end is moderately preferred. We
compare to semi-analytical models, and find that the lack of evolution in M* is
consistent with models where the impact of dust attenuation on the bright-end
of the luminosity function decreases at higher redshift. We measure the
evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate density, correcting for dust
attenuation, and find that it declines as (1+z)^(-4.3 +/- 0.5) at z>4,
consistent with observations at z>9. Our observations are consistent with a
reionization history that starts at z>10, completes at z>6, and reaches a
midpoint (x_HII = 0.5) at 6.7<z<9.4. Finally, our observations predict that the
abundance of bright z=9 galaxies is likely higher than previous constraints,
though consistent with recent estimates of bright z~10 galaxies. [abridged]Comment: Re-submitted to the Astrophysical Journal after first referee's
report. 34 pages, 21 figures, 7 tables. The source file includes a machine
readable table of our full galaxy sampl
A Multiancestral Genome-Wide Exome Array Study of Alzheimer Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Importance Previous studies have indicated a heritable component of the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, few have examined the contribution of low-frequency coding variants on a genome-wide level.
Objective To identify low-frequency coding variants that affect susceptibility to AD, FTD, and PSP.
Design, Setting, and Participants We used the Illumina HumanExome BeadChip array to genotype a large number of variants (most of which are low-frequency coding variants) in a cohort of patients with neurodegenerative disease (224 with AD, 168 with FTD, and 48 with PSP) and in 224 control individuals without dementia enrolled between 2005-2012 from multiple centers participating in the Genetic Investigation in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (GIFT) Study. An additional multiancestral replication cohort of 240 patients with AD and 240 controls without dementia was used to validate suggestive findings. Variant-level association testing and gene-based testing were performed.
Main Outcomes and Measures Statistical association of genetic variants with clinical diagnosis of AD, FTD, and PSP.
Results Genetic variants typed by the exome array explained 44%, 53%, and 57% of the total phenotypic variance of AD, FTD, and PSP, respectively. An association with the known AD gene ABCA7 was replicated in several ancestries (discovery P = .0049, European P = .041, African American P = .043, and Asian P = .027), suggesting that exonic variants within this gene modify AD susceptibility. In addition, 2 suggestive candidate genes, DYSF (P = 5.53 × 10−5) and PAXIP1 (P = 2.26 × 10−4), were highlighted in patients with AD and differentially expressed in AD brain. Corroborating evidence from other exome array studies and gene expression data points toward potential involvement of these genes in the pathogenesis of AD.
Conclusions and Relevance Low-frequency coding variants with intermediate effect size may account for a significant fraction of the genetic susceptibility to AD and FTD. Furthermore, we found evidence that coding variants in the known susceptibility gene ABCA7, as well as candidate genes DYSF and PAXIP1, confer risk for AD
Focus group participant characteristics (n = 84).
<p>Focus group participant characteristics (n = 84).</p
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CANDELS: The Contribution of the Observed Galaxy Population to Cosmic Reionization
We present measurements of the specific ultraviolet luminosity density from a sample of 483 galaxies at 6 . z . 8. These galaxies were selected from new deep near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope imaging from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey, Hubble UltraDeep Field 2009 and WFC3 Early Release Science programs. In contrast to the majority of previous analyses, which assume that the distribution of galaxy ultraviolet (UV) luminosities follows a Schechter distribution, and that the distribution continues to luminosities far below our observable limit, we investigate the contribution to reionization from galaxies which we can observe, free from these assumptions. Due to our larger survey volume, wider wavelength coverage, and updated assumptions about the clumping of gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM), we find that the observable population of galaxies can sustain a fully reionized IGMat z = 6, if the average ionizing photon escape fraction (fesc) is ∼30%. A number of previous studies have measured UV luminosity densities at these redshifts that vary by a factor of 5, with many concluding that galaxies could not complete reionization by z = 6 unless a large population of galaxies fainter than the detection limit were invoked, or extremely high values of fesc were present. The observed UV luminosity density from our observed galaxy samples at z = 7 and 8 is not sufficient to maintain a fully reionized IGM unless fesc \u3e 50%. We examine the contribution from galaxies in different luminosity ranges, and find that the sub-L∗ galaxies we detect are stronger contributors to the ionizing photon budget than the L \u3e L∗ population, unless fesc is luminosity dependent. Combining our observationswith constraints on the emission rate of ionizing photons from Lyα forest observations at z = 6, we find that we can constrain fesc \u3c 34% (2σ) if the observed galaxies are the only contributors to reionization, or \u3c 13% (2σ) if the luminosity function extends to a limiting magnitude of MUV = -13. These escape fractions are sufficient to complete reionization by z = 6. Current constraints on the high-redshift galaxy population imply that the volume ionized fraction of the IGM, while consistent with unity at z ≤ 6, appears to drop at redshifts not much higher than 7, consistent with a number of complementary reionization probes. If faint galaxies dominated the ionizing photon budget at z = 6–7, future extremely deep observations with the James Webb Space Telescope will probe deep enough to see them, providing an indirect constraint on the global ionizing photon escape fraction
Patient and Other Stakeholder Engagement in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Funded Studies of Patients with Kidney Diseases
Including target populations in the design and implementation of research trials has been one response to the growing health disparities endemic to our health care system, as well as an aid to study generalizability. One type of community-based participatory research is “Patient Centered-Research”, in which patient perspectives on the germane research questions and methodologies are incorporated into the study. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has mandated that meaningful patient and stakeholder engagement be incorporated into all applications. As of March 2015, PCORI funded seven clinically-focused studies of patients with kidney disease. The goal of this paper is to synthesize the experiences of these studies to gain an understanding of how meaningful patient and stakeholder engagement can occur in clinical research of kidney diseases, and what the key barriers are to its implementation. Our collective experience suggests that successful implementation of a patient- and stakeholder-engaged research paradigm involves: (1) defining the roles and process for the incorporation of input; (2) identifying the particular patients and other stakeholders; (3) engaging patients and other stakeholders so they appreciate the value of their own participation and have personal investment in the research process; and (4) overcoming barriers and challenges that arise and threaten the productivity of the collaboration. It is our hope that the experiences of these studies will further interest and capacity for incorporating patient and stakeholder perspectives in research of kidney diseases