Probing the nature of high‐<i>z</i> short GRB 090426 with its early optical and X‐ray afterglows

Xin, Li‐,Ping,Liang, En‐,Wei,Wei, Jian‐,Yan,Zhang, Bing,Lv, Hou‐,Jun,Zheng, Wei‐,Kang,Urata, Yuji,Im, Myungshin,Wang, Jing,Qiu, Yu‐,Lei,Deng, Jin‐,Song,Huang, Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 MONTHLY NOTICES- ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Vol.410 No.1

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>GRB 090426 is a short‐duration burst detected by <I>Swift</I> (<IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/> s in the observer frame and <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu2.gif' alt ='inline image'/> s in the burst frame at <I>z</I>= 2.609). Its host galaxy properties and some gamma‐ray‐related correlations are analogous to those seen in long‐duration gamma‐ray bursts (GRBs), which are believed to be of a massive star origin (so‐called Type II GRBs). We present the results of its early optical observations with the 0.8‐m Tsinghua University–National Astronomical Observatory of China Telescope (TNT) at Xinglong Observatory and the 1‐m LOAO telescope at Mt Lemmon Optical Astronomy Observatory in Arizona. Our well‐sampled optical afterglow light curve covers from <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu3.gif' alt ='inline image'/> to 10<SUP>4</SUP> s after the GRB trigger. It shows two shallow decay episodes that are likely due to energy injection, which end at <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu4.gif' alt ='inline image'/> and 7100 s, respectively. The decay slopes after the injection phases are consistent with each other (<IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu5.gif' alt ='inline image'/>). The X‐ray afterglow light curve appears to trace the optical, although the second energy‐injection phase was missed due to visibility constraints introduced by the <I>Swift</I> orbit. The X‐ray spectral index is <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu6.gif' alt ='inline image'/> without temporal evolution. Its decay slope is consistent with the prediction of the forward shock model. Both X‐ray and optical emission are consistent with being in the same spectral regime above the cooling frequency (<IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu7.gif' alt ='inline image'/>). The fact that <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17419_mu8.gif' alt ='inline image'/> is below the optical band from the very early epoch of the observation provides a constraint on the burst environment, which is similar to that seen in classical long‐duration GRBs. We therefore suggest that death of a massive star is the possible progenitor of this short burst.</P>

Rescue of epithelial HCO₃⁻ secretion in murine intestine by apical membrane expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutant F508del

Xiao, Fang,Li, Junhua,Singh, Anurag Kumar,Riederer, Brigitte,Wang, Jiang,Sultan, Ayesha,Park, Henry,Lee, Min Goo,Lamprecht, Georg,Scholte, Bob J.,De Jonge, Hugo R.,Seidler, Ursula Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012 The Journal of physiology Vol.590 No.21

<P><B>Key points</B></P><P><P>Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lethal disease characterized by low rates of epithelial Cl<SUP>−</SUP> and HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretion and obstruction of the airways and gastrointestinal and reproductive organs by sticky mucus. HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretion has recently been demonstrated to be necessary for mucus hydration.</P><P>The most frequent CF mutation is F508del. This mutant protein is usually degraded in the proteasome. New therapeutic strategies have been developed which deliver F508del to the plasma membrane.</P><P>Utilizing transgenic F508del mutant and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) knockout mice, apical membrane expression of F508del protein was found to be associated with enhanced stimulation of intestinal HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretion.</P><P>The predominant molecular mechanism for enhanced F508del HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> stimulation appeared to be the activation of a Cl<SUP>−</SUP> recycling pathway, with Cl<SUP>−</SUP> exit via membrane‐resident F508del protein and Cl<SUP>−</SUP> entry in exchange for HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> by apical Cl<SUP>−</SUP>/HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> exchange. In contrast, the predominant molecular mechanism for cAMP‐activated HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretion in WT intestine appears to be HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> exit via CFTR itself.</P></P><P><B>Abstract </B> This study investigated whether expression of the common cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutant F508del in the apical membrane of enterocytes confers increased bicarbonate secretory capacity on the intestinal epithelium of F508del mutant mice compared to that of CFTR knockout (KO) mice. CFTR KO mice, F508del mutant mice (F508del) and wild‐type (WT) littermates were bred on the FVB/N background. F508del isolated brush border membrane (BBM) contained approximately 5–10% fully glycosylated band C protein compared to WT BBM. Similarly, the forskolin (FSK)‐induced, CFTR‐dependent short‐circuit current (Δ<I>I</I><SUB>sc</SUB>) of F508del mucosa was approximately 5–10% of WT, whereas the HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretory response (<IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/TJP_5291_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/>) was almost half that of WT in both duodenum and mid‐colon studied <I>in vitro</I> and <I>in vivo.</I> While WT intestine retained full FSK‐induced <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/TJP_5291_mu2.gif' alt ='inline image'/> in the absence of luminal Cl<SUP>−</SUP>, the markedly higher <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/TJP_5291_mu3.gif' alt ='inline image'/> than Δ<I>I</I><SUB>sc</SUB> in F508del intestine was dependent on the presence of luminal Cl<SUP>−</SUP>, and was blocked by CFTR inhibitors. The Ste20‐related proline–alanine‐rich kinases (SPAK/OSR1), which are downstream of the with‐no‐lysine (K) protein kinases (WNK), were rapidly phosphorylated by FSK in WT and F508del, but significantly more slowly in CFTR KO intestine. In conclusion, the data demonstrate that low levels of F508del membrane expression in the intestine of F508del mice significantly increased FSK‐induced HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretion mediated by Cl<SUP>−</SUP>/HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> exchange. However, in WT mucosa FSK elicited strong SPAK/OSR1 phosphorylation and Cl<SUP>−</SUP>‐independent HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> efflux. This suggests that therapeutic strategies which deliver F508del to the apical membrane have the potential to significantly enhance epithelial HCO<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> secretion.</P>

Fourier analysis of non‐Blazhko ab‐type RR Lyrae stars observed with the <i>Kepler</i> space telescope

Nemec, J. M.,Smolec, R.,Benkő,, J. M.,Moskalik, P.,Kolenberg, K.,Szabó,, R.,Kurtz, D. W.,Bryson, S.,Guggenberger, E.,Chadid, M.,Jeon, Y.‐,B.,Kunder, A.,Layden, A. C.,Kinemuchi, K.,Kis Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol.417 No.2

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>Nineteen of the ∼40 RR Lyr stars in the <I>Kepler</I> field have been identified as candidate non‐Blazhko (or unmodulated) stars. In this paper we present the results of Fourier decomposition of the time‐series photometry of these stars acquired during the first 417 d of operation (Q0–Q5) of the <I>Kepler</I> telescope. Fourier parameters based on ∼18 400 long‐cadence observations per star (and ∼150 000 short‐cadence observations for FN Lyr and for AW Dra) are derived. None of the stars shows the recently discovered ‘period‐doubling’ effect seen in Blazhko variables; however, KIC 7021124 has been found to pulsate simultaneously in the fundamental and second overtone modes with a period ratio <I>P</I><SUB>2</SUB>/<I>P</I><SUB>0</SUB>∼ 0.593 05 and is similar to the double‐mode star V350 Lyr. Period change rates are derived from O − C diagrams spanning, in some cases, over 100 years; these are compared with high‐precision periods derived from the <I>Kepler</I> data alone. Extant Fourier correlations by Kovács, Jurcsik et al. (with minor transformations from the <I>V</I> to the <I>Kp</I> passband) have been used to derive underlying physical characteristics for all the stars. This procedure seems to be validated through comparisons of the <I>Kepler</I> variables with Galactic and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) RR Lyr stars. The most metal‐poor star in the sample is NR Lyr, with [Fe/H] =−2.3 dex; and the four most metal‐rich stars have [Fe/H] ranging from −0.6 to +0.1 dex. Pulsational luminosities and masses are found to be systematically smaller than <I>L</I> and <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_19317_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/> values derived from stellar evolution models, and are favoured over the evolutionary values when periods are computed with the Warsaw linear hydrodynamics code. Finally, the Fourier parameters are compared with theoretical values derived using the Warsaw non‐linear convective pulsation code.</P>

The H <small>i</small> environment of counter‐rotating gas hosts: gas accretion from cold gas blobs

Chung, Aeree,Bureau, Martin,van Gorkom, J. H.,Koribalski, Bä,rbel Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012 Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol.422 No.2

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>We probe the H <SMALL>i</SMALL> properties and the gas environments of three early‐type barred galaxies harbouring counter‐rotating ionized gas: NGC 128, NGC 3203 and NGC 7332. Each system has one or more optically identified galaxy at a similar or as yet unknown redshift within a 50‐kpc projected radius. Using H <SMALL>i</SMALL> synthesis imaging data, we investigate the hypothesis that the counter‐rotating gas in these galaxies has been accreted from their neighbours. In NGC 128 and NGC 3203, we find 9.6 × 10<SUP>7</SUP> and 2.3 × 10<SUP>8</SUP> M<SUB>⊙</SUB> of H <SMALL>i</SMALL>, respectively, covering almost the entire stellar bodies of dwarf companions that appear physically connected. Both the H <SMALL>i</SMALL> morphology and kinematics are suggestive of tidal interactions. In NGC 7332, we do not find any directly associated H <SMALL>i</SMALL>. Instead, NGC 7339, a neighbour of a comparable size at about 10 kpc, is found with 8.9 × 10<SUP>8</SUP> M<SUB>⊙</SUB> of H <SMALL>i</SMALL> gas. More recently in a single dish observation, however, another group discovered a large H <SMALL>i</SMALL> structure which seems to be an extension of NGC 7339’s H <SMALL>i</SMALL> disc and also covers NGC 7332. All these observations thus suggest that H <SMALL>i</SMALL> gas is being accreted in these three galaxies from their companions, which is likely responsible for the kinematically decoupled gas component present in their central region. In particular, the dynamical friction time‐scales of the nearest neighbours with H <SMALL>i</SMALL> gas of NGC 128 and NGC 3203 are comparable to their orbital time‐scales around the counter‐rotators, several ∼10<SUP>8</SUP> yr, implying that those neighbours will likely soon merge with the primary galaxies, fuelling them with gas. NGC 7332 also appears to be in the merging process with its neighbour through the common H <SMALL>i</SMALL> envelope. Besides, we find some other potential gas donors around NGC 128 and NGC 7332: two H <SMALL>i</SMALL>‐rich galaxies with <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_20679_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/> and 2.5 × 10<SUP>9</SUP> M<SUB>⊙</SUB> at a distance of ≈67 kpc from NGC 128 and two dwarf systems with <I>M</I><SUB>HI</SUB>= 3.9 × 10<SUP>7</SUP> and 7.4 × 10<SUP>7</SUP> M<SUB>⊙</SUB> at ≲100 kpc from NGC 7332. Among the seven H <SMALL>i</SMALL> features identified in this study, three of them are associated with dwarf galaxies, two of which have only been recently identified in a blind survey, while the third one is still not catalogued at optical wavelengths. Considering the incompleteness of existing studies of the faint dwarf galaxy population both in the optical and in H <SMALL>i</SMALL>, accretion from cold gas blobs, presumably gas‐rich dwarfs, is expected to occur even more frequently than what is inferred from such cases that have been observed to date.</P>

Microbial whole‐cell arrays

Elad, Tal,Lee, Jin Hyung,Belkin, Shimshon,Gu, Man Bock Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008 MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY -BLACKWELL- Vol.1 No.2

<P><B>Summary</B></P><P>The coming of age of whole‐cell biosensors, combined with the continuing advances in array technologies, has prepared the ground for the next step in the evolution of both disciplines – the whole‐cell array. In the present review, we highlight the state‐of‐the‐art in the different disciplines essential for a functional bacterial array. These include the genetic engineering of the biological components, their immobilization in different polymers, technologies for live cell deposition and patterning on different types of solid surfaces, and cellular viability maintenance. Also reviewed are the types of signals emitted by the reporter cell arrays, some of the transduction methodologies for reading these signals and the mathematical approaches proposed for their analysis. Finally, we review some of the potential applications for bacterial cell arrays, and list the future needs for their maturation: a richer arsenal of high‐performance reporter strains, better methodologies for their incorporation into hardware platforms, design of appropriate detection circuits, the continuing development of dedicated algorithms for multiplex signal analysis and – most importantly – enhanced long‐term maintenance of viability and activity on the fabricated biochips.</P>

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in children: characterized by subacute, predominantly motor dominant polyeuropathy with a favorable response to the treatment

Jo, H. Y.,Park, M.-G.,Kim, D.-S.,Nam, S.-O.,Park, K.-H. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010 Acta neurologica Scandinavica Vol.121 No.5

<P>Jo HY, Park M-G, Kim D-S, Nam S-O, Park K-H. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in children: characterized by subacute, predominantly motor dominant polyeuropathy with a favorable response to the treatment.Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 121: 342–347.© 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard.</P><P>Objectives – </P><P>Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy (CIDP) is less well-studied in children than in adults, probably due to its relative rarity. This study was performed in order to characterize the clinical features of CIDP in children.</P><P>Materials and methods – </P><P>Twenty-eight patients with CIDP who were followed up for more than 1 year were included, and were divided into a child (<I>n</I> = 7, age <16) and an adult group (<I>n</I> = 21, age ≥16). Then, we have assessed the initial progression pattern, clinical course, and serial nerve conduction findings in each patient. Finally, differential features in child and adult group were analyzed.</P><P>Results – </P><P>Distinguishing features in the child group include subacute progression within less than 2 months, predominant motor system involvement in lower extremities, and marked improvement in response to immune modulating therapy. Our study also suggested that serial nerve conduction study may be useful in assessing the effectiveness of the treatment in children. </P><P>Conclusions – </P><P>Our study showed that children with CIDP have some distinguishing features from adults in terms of clinical course and response to treatment.</P>

New light‐travel time models and orbital stability study of the proposed planetary system HU Aquarii

Hinse, T. C.,Lee, J. W.,Goź,dziewski, K.,Haghighipour, N.,Lee, C.‐,U.,Scullion, E. M. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012 Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol.420 No.4

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>In this work we propose a new orbital architecture for the two proposed circumbinary planets around the polar eclipsing binary HU Aquarii. We base the new two‐planet, light‐travel time model on the result of a Monte Carlo simulation driving a least‐squares Levenberg–Marquardt minimization algorithm on the observed eclipse egress times. Our best‐fitting model with <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_20283_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/> resulted in high final eccentricities for the two companions leading to an unstable orbital configuration. From a large ensemble of initial guesses, we examined the distribution of final eccentricities and semimajor axes for different <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_20283_mu2.gif' alt ='inline image'/> parameter intervals and encountered qualitatively a second population of best‐fitting parameters. The main characteristic of this population is described by low‐eccentric orbits favouring long‐term orbital stability of the system. We present our best‐fitting model candidate for the proposed two‐planet system and demonstrate orbital stability over one million years using numerical integrations.</P>

Properties of the planetary caustic perturbation

Chung, Sun‐,Ju,Lee, Chung‐,Uk Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol.411 No.1

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>Just two of 10 extrasolar planets found by microlensing have been detected by the planetary caustic, despite the higher probability of planet detection relative to the central caustic, which has been responsible for four extrasolar planet detections. This is because the perturbations induced by the planetary caustic are unpredictable, thus making it difficult to carry out strategic observations. However, if future high‐cadence monitoring surveys are conducted, the majority of planetary caustic events including the events by free‐floating planets and wide‐separation planets would be detected. Hence, understanding the planetary caustic perturbations becomes important. In this paper, we investigate in detail the pattern of the planetary caustic perturbations. From this study, we find three properties of the planetary caustic perturbations. First, planetary systems with the same star–planet separation (<I>s</I>) basically produce perturbations of constant strength, regardless of the planet‐to‐star mass ratio (<I>q</I>), but the duration of each perturbation scales with <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17664_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/>. Secondly, close planetary systems with the same separation produce essentially the same negative perturbations between two triangular‐shaped caustics, regardless of <I>q</I>, but the duration of the perturbations scales with <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_17664_mu2.gif' alt ='inline image'/>. Thirdly, the positive perturbations for planetary systems with the same mass ratio become stronger as the caustic shrinks with the increasing |log <I>s</I>|, while the negative perturbations become weaker. We estimate the degeneracy in the determination of <I>q</I> that occurs in planetary caustic events. From this, we find that the mass ratio can be more precisely determined as <I>q</I> increases and |log <I>s</I>| decreases. We also find that the degeneracy range of events for which the source star passes close to the planetary caustic is usually very narrow, and thus it would not significantly affect the determination of <I>q</I>.</P>

The SAURON project – XIX. Optical and near‐infrared scaling relations of nearby elliptical, lenticular and Sa galaxies

Falcó,n‐,Barroso, J.,van de Ven, G.,Peletier, R. F.,Bureau, M.,Jeong, H.,Bacon, R.,Cappellari, M.,Davies, R. L.,de Zeeuw, P. T.,Emsellem, E.,Krajnović,, D.,Kuntschner, H.,McDermid, R. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 MONTHLY NOTICES- ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Vol.417 No.3

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>We present ground‐based MDM Observatory <I>V</I>‐band and <I>Spitzer</I>/InfraRed Array Camera 3.6‐<IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_19372_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/>m‐band photometric observations of the 72 representative galaxies of the SAURON survey. Galaxies in our sample probe the elliptical E, lenticular S0 and spiral Sa populations in the nearby Universe, both in field and cluster environments. We perform aperture photometry to derive homogeneous structural quantities. In combination with the SAURON stellar velocity dispersion measured within an effective radius (σ<SUB>e</SUB>), this allows us to explore the location of our galaxies in the colour–magnitude, colour–σ<SUB>e</SUB>, Kormendy, Faber–Jackson and Fundamental Plane scaling relations. We investigate the dependence of these relations on our recent kinematical classification of early‐type galaxies (i.e. slow/fast rotators) and the stellar populations. Slow rotator and fast rotator E/S0 galaxies do not populate distinct locations in the scaling relations, although slow rotators display a smaller intrinsic scatter. We find that Sa galaxies deviate from the colour–magnitude and colour–σ<SUB>e</SUB> relations due to the presence of dust, while the E/S0 galaxies define tight relations. Surprisingly, extremely young objects do not display the bluest (<I>V</I>−[3.6]) colours in our sample, as is usually the case in optical colours. This can be understood in the context of the large contribution of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars to the infrared, even for young populations, resulting in a very tight (<I>V</I>−[3.6])–σ<SUB>e</SUB> relation that in turn allows us to define a strong correlation between metallicity and σ<SUB>e</SUB>. Many Sa galaxies appear to follow the Fundamental Plane defined by E/S0 galaxies. Galaxies that appear offset from the relations correspond mostly to objects with extremely young populations, with signs of ongoing, extended star formation. We correct for this effect in the Fundamental Plane, by replacing luminosity with stellar mass using an estimate of the stellar mass‐to‐light ratio, so that all galaxies are part of a tight, single relation. The new estimated coefficients are consistent in both photometric bands and suggest that differences in stellar populations account for about half of the observed tilt with respect to the virial prediction. After these corrections, the slow rotator family shows almost no intrinsic scatter around the best‐fitting Fundamental Plane. The use of a velocity dispersion within a small aperture (e.g. <I>R</I><SUB>e</SUB>/8) in the Fundamental Plane results in an increase of around 15 per cent in the intrinsic scatter and an average 10 per cent decrease in the tilt away from the virial relation.</P>

A wide‐field survey of satellite galaxies around the spiral galaxy M106

Kim, E.,Kim, M.,Hwang, N.,Lee, M. G.,Chun, M.‐,Y.,Ann, H. B. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol.412 No.3

<P><B>ABSTRACT</B></P><P>We present a wide‐field survey of satellite galaxies in M106 (NGC 4258) covering a <IMG src='/wiley-blackwell_img/equation/MNR_18022_mu1.gif' alt ='inline image'/>× 2° field around M106 using Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope/MegaCam. We find 16 satellite galaxy candidates of M106. Eight of these galaxies are found to be dwarf galaxies that are much smaller and fainter than the remaining galaxies. Three of these galaxies are new findings. Surface brightness profiles of 15 out of 16 satellite galaxies can be represented well by an exponential disc profile with varying scalelength. We derive the surface number density distribution of these satellite galaxies. The central number density profile (<I>d</I> < 100 kpc) is well fitted by a power law with a power index of −2.1 ± 0.5, similar to the expected power index of isothermal distribution. The luminosity function of these satellites is represented well by the Schechter function with a faint‐end slope of −1.19<SUP>+0.03</SUP><SUB>−0.06</SUB>. Integrated photometric properties (total luminosity, total colour and disc scalelength) and the spatial distribution of these satellite galaxies are found to be roughly similar to those of the Milky Way and M31.</P>