| 1. |
- van der Harst, Pim, et al.
(författare)
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Seventy-five genetic loci influencing the human red blood cell
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 492:7429, s. 369-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anaemia is a chief determinant of global ill health, contributing to cognitive impairment, growth retardation and impaired physical capacity. To understand further the genetic factors influencing red blood cells, we carried out a genome-wide association study of haemoglobin concentration and related parameters in up to 135,367 individuals. Here we identify 75 independent genetic loci associated with one or more red blood cell phenotypes at P < 10(-8), which together explain 4-9% of the phenotypic variance per trait. Using expression quantitative trait loci and bioinformatic strategies, we identify 121 candidate genes enriched in functions relevant to red blood cell biology. The candidate genes are expressed preferentially in red blood cell precursors, and 43 have haematopoietic phenotypes in Mus musculus or Drosophila melanogaster. Through open-chromatin and coding-variant analyses we identify potential causal genetic variants at 41 loci. Our findings provide extensive new insights into genetic mechanisms and biological pathways controlling red blood cell formation and function.
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| 2. |
- Elmegreen, Debra Meloy, et al.
(författare)
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HIERARCHICAL STAR FORMATION IN NEARBY LEGUS GALAXIES
- 2014
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205. ; 787:1, s. L15-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hierarchical structure in ultraviolet images of 12 late-type LEGUS galaxies is studied by determining the numbers and fluxes of nested regions as a function of size from similar to 1 to similar to 200 pc, and the number as a function of flux. Two starburst dwarfs, NGC 1705 and NGC 5253, have steeper number-size and flux-size distributions than the others, indicating high fractions of the projected areas filled with star formation. Nine subregions in seven galaxies have similarly steep number-size slopes, even when the whole galaxies have shallower slopes. The results suggest that hierarchically structured star-forming regions several hundred parsecs or larger represent common unit structures. Small galaxies dominated by only a few of these units tend to be starbursts. The self-similarity of young stellar structures down to parsec scales suggests that star clusters form in the densest parts of a turbulent medium that also forms loose stellar groupings on larger scales. The presence of super star clusters in two of our starburst dwarfs would follow from the observed structure if cloud and stellar subregions more readily coalesce when self-gravity in the unit cell contributes more to the total gravitational potential.
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| 3. |
- Adamo, A., et al.
(författare)
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Revealing a ring-like cluster complex in a tidal tail of the starburst galaxy NGC 2146
- 2012
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 426:2, s. 1185-1194
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery of a ring-like cluster complex in the starburst galaxy NGC?2146. The Ruby Ring, so named due to its appearance, shows a clear ring-like distribution of star clusters around a central object. It is located in one of the tidal streams that surround the galaxy. NGC?2146 is part of the Snapshot Hubble U-band Cluster Survey (SHUCS). The WFC3/F336W data have added critical information to the available archival Hubble Space Telescope imaging set of NGC?2146, allowing us to determine ages, masses and extinctions of the clusters in the Ruby Ring. These properties have then been used to investigate the formation of this extraordinary system. We find evidence of a spatial and temporal correlation between the central cluster and the clusters in the ring. The latter are about 4?Myr younger than the central cluster, which has an age of 7?Myr. This result is supported by the Ha emission which is strongly coincident with the ring, and weaker at the position of the central cluster. From the derived total Ha luminosity of the system, we constrain the star formation rate density to be quite high (SSFR = 0.47?M??yr-1?kpc-2). The Ruby Ring is the product of an intense and localized burst of star formation, similar to the extended cluster complexes observed in M?51 and the Antennae, but more impressive because it is quite isolated. The central cluster contains only 5 per cent of the total stellar mass in the clusters that are determined within the complex. The ring-like morphology, the age spread and the mass ratio support a triggering formation scenario for this complex. We discuss the formation of the Ruby Ring in a collect and collapse framework. The predictions made by this model agree quite well with the estimated bubble radius and expansion velocity produced by the feedback from the central cluster, making the Ruby Ring an interesting case of triggered star formation.
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| 4. |
- Konstantopoulos, I. S., et al.
(författare)
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THE SNAPSHOT HUBBLE U-BAND CLUSTER SURVEY (SHUCS). I. SURVEY DESCRIPTION AND FIRST APPLICATION TO THE MIXED STAR CLUSTER POPULATION OF NGC 4041
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 145:5, s. 137-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the Snapshot Hubble U-band Cluster Survey (SHUCS), a project aimed at characterizing the star cluster populations of 10 nearby galaxies (d < 23 Mpc, half within approximate to 12 Mpc) through new F336W (U-band equivalent) imaging from Wide Field Camera 3, and archival BVI-equivalent data with the Hubble Space Telescope. Completing the UBVI baseline reduces the age-extinction degeneracy of optical colors, thus enabling the measurement of reliable ages and masses for the thousands of clusters covered by our survey. The sample consists chiefly of face-on spiral galaxies at low inclination, in various degrees of isolation (isolated, in group, merging), and includes two active galactic nucleus hosts. This first paper outlines the survey itself, the observational datasets, the analysis methods, and presents a proof-of-concept study of the large-scale properties and star cluster population of NGC 4041, a massive SAbc galaxy at a distance of approximate to 23 Mpc, and part of a small grouping of six giant members. We resolve two structural components with distinct stellar populations, a morphology more akin to merging and interacting systems. We also find strong evidence of a truncated, Schechter-type mass function, and a similarly segmented luminosity function. These results indicate that binning must erase much of the substructure present in the mass and luminosity functions, and might account for the conflicting reports on the intrinsic shape of these functions in the literature. We also note a tidal feature in the outskirts of the galaxy in Galaxy Evolution Explorer UV imaging, and follow it up with a comprehensive multi-wavelength study of NGC 4041 and its parent group. We deduce a minor merger as a likely cause of its segmented structure and the observed pattern of a radially decreasing star formation rate. We propose that combining the study of star cluster populations with broadband metrics is not only advantageous, but often easily achievable thorough archival datasets.
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| 5. |
- O'Seaghdha, Conall M., et al.
(författare)
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Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies Identifies Six New Loci for Serum Calcium Concentrations
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 9:9, s. e1003796-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Calcium is vital to the normal functioning of multiple organ systems and its serum concentration is tightly regulated. Apart from CASR, the genes associated with serum calcium are largely unknown. We conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 39,400 individuals from 17 population-based cohorts and investigated the 14 most strongly associated loci in <= 21,679 additional individuals. Seven loci (six new regions) in association with serum calcium were identified and replicated. Rs1570669 near CYP24A1 (P = 9.1E-12), rs10491003 upstream of GATA3 (P = 4.8E-09) and rs7481584 in CARS (P = 1.2E-10) implicate regions involved in Mendelian calcemic disorders: Rs1550532 in DGKD (P = 8.2E-11), also associated with bone density, and rs7336933 near DGKH/KIAA0564 (P = 9.1E-10) are near genes that encode distinct isoforms of diacylglycerol kinase. Rs780094 is in GCKR. We characterized the expression of these genes in gut, kidney, and bone, and demonstrate modulation of gene expression in bone in response to dietary calcium in mice. Our results shed new light on the genetics of calcium homeostasis.
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| 6. |
- Pardy, Stephen A., et al.
(författare)
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THE LYMAN ALPHA REFERENCE SAMPLE. III. PROPERTIES OF THE NEUTRAL ISM FROM GBT AND VLA OBSERVATIONS
- 2014
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 794:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present new Hi imaging and spectroscopy of the 14 UV-selected star-forming galaxies in the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample (LARS), aimed for a detailed study of the processes governing the production, propagation, and escape of Ly alpha photons. New Hi spectroscopy, obtained with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT), robustly detects the Hi spectral line in 11 of the 14 observed LARS galaxies (although the profiles of two of the galaxies are likely confused by other sources within the GBT beam); the three highest redshift galaxies are not detected at our current sensitivity limits. The GBT profiles are used to derive fundamental Hi line properties of the LARS galaxies. We also present new pilot Hi spectral line imaging of five of the LARS galaxies obtained with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). This imaging localizes the Hi gas and provides a measurement of the total Hi mass in each galaxy. In one system, LARS 03 (UGC 8335 or Arp 238), VLA observations reveal an enormous tidal structure that extends over 160 kpc from the main interacting systems and that contains >10(9) M-circle dot of Hi. We compare various Hi properties with global Ly alpha quantities derived from Hubble Space Telescope measurements. The measurements of the Ly alpha escape fraction are coupled with the new direct measurements of Hi mass and significantly disturbed Hi velocities. Our robustly detected sample reveals tentative correlations between the total Hi mass and linewidth, and key Ly alpha tracers. Further, on global scales, these data support a complex coupling between Ly alpha propagation and the Hi properties of the surrounding medium.
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| 7. |
- Safari, Dodi, et al.
(författare)
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Gold nanoparticles as carriers for a synthetic Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 conjugate vaccine
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nanomedicine. - : Future Medicine Ltd. - 1743-5889 .- 1748-6963. ; 7:5, s. 651-662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Coupling of capsular polysaccharides of pathogens to immunogenic protein carriers (conjugate vaccines) improves carbohydrate immune response. Our idea is to explore gold nanoclusters as carriers to prepare fully synthetic carbohydrate vaccines. Materials & methods: Gold glyconanoparticles bearing a synthetic tetrasaccharide epitope related to the Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 capsular polysaccharide (Pn14PS), the T-helper ovalbumin 323-339 peptide (OVA(323-339)), and D-glucose were prepared by a one-pot method. Their immunogenicity was tested in mice. Cytokine levels after spleen cell stimulation with OVA(323-339) were analyzed using a luminex-multiplex cytokine assay. The capacity of the evoked antibodies to promote the uptake of S. pneumoniae type 14 by leukocytes was assessed. Results & discussion: Glyconanoparticles containing 45% of tetrasaccharide and 5% OVA(323-339) triggered specific anti-Pn14PS IgG antibodies. Cytokine levels confirmed that glyconanoparticles led to T-helper cell activation. The antisaccharide antibodies promoted the phagocytosis of type 14 bacteria by human leukocytes, indicating the functionality of the antibodies. Conclusion: Gold nanoparticles have great potential as carriers for the development of a great diversity of fully synthetic carbohydrate-based vaccines.
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| 8. |
- Silva-Villa, E., et al.
(författare)
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The age distribution of stellar clusters in M83
- 2014
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 440:1, s. L116-L120
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In order to empirically determine the time-scale and environmental dependence of stellar cluster disruption, we have undertaken an analysis of the unprecedented multipointing (seven), multiwavelength (U, B, V, H alpha, and I) Hubble Space Telescope imaging survey of the nearby, face-on spiral galaxy M83. The images are used to locate stellar clusters and stellar associations throughout the galaxy. Estimation of cluster properties (age, mass, and extinction) was done through a comparison of their spectral energy distributions with simple stellar population models. We constructed the largest catalogue of stellar clusters and associations in this galaxy to-date, with similar to 1800 sources with masses above similar to 5000 M-circle dot and ages younger than similar to 300 Myr. In this Letter, we focus on the age distribution of the resulting clusters and associations. In particular, we explicitly test whether the age distributions are related with the ambient environment. Our results are in excellent agreement with previous studies of age distributions in the centre of the galaxy, which gives us confidence to expand out to search for similarities or differences in the other fields which sample different environments. We find that the age distribution of the clusters inside M83 varies strongly as a function of position within the galaxy, indicating a strong correlation with the galactic environment. If the age distributions are approximated as a power law of the form dN/dt alpha t(zeta), we find zeta values between 0 and -0.62 (zeta similar to -0.40 for the whole galaxy), in good agreement with previous results and theoretical predictions.
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| 9. |
- Östlin, Göran, et al.
(författare)
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THE Ly alpha REFERENCE SAMPLE. I. SURVEY OUTLINE AND FIRST RESULTS FOR MARKARIAN 259
- 2014
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 797:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Ly alpha Reference Sample (LARS) is a substantial program with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) that provides a sample of local universe laboratory galaxies in which to study the detailed astrophysics of the visibility and strength of the Ly alpha line of neutral hydrogen. Ly alpha is the dominant spectral line in use for characterizing high-redshift (z) galaxies. This paper presents an overview of the survey, its selection function, and HST imaging observations. The sample was selected from the combined GALEX+Sloan Digital Sky Survey catalog at z = 0.028-0.19, in order to allow Ly alpha to be captured with combinations of long-pass filters in the Solar Blind Channel (SBC) of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) onboard HST. In addition, LARS utilizes H alpha and H beta narrowband and u, b, i broadband imaging with ACS and the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). In order to study galaxies in which large numbers of Ly alpha photons are produced (whether or not they escape), we demanded an H alpha equivalent width W(H alpha) >= 100 angstrom. The final sample of 14 galaxies covers far-UV (FUV, lambda similar to 1500 angstrom) luminosities that overlap with those of high-z Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) and Lyman break galaxies (LBGs), making LARS a valid comparison sample. We present the reduction steps used to obtain the Ly alpha images, including our LARS eXtraction software (LaXs), which utilizes pixel-by-pixel spectral synthesis fitting of the energy distribution to determine and subtract the continuum at Ly alpha. We demonstrate that the use of SBC long-pass-filter combinations increase the signal-to-noise ratio by an order of magnitude compared to the nominal Ly alpha filter available in SBC. To exemplify the science potential of LARS, we also present some first results for a single galaxy, Mrk 259 (LARS #1). This irregular galaxy shows bright and extended (indicative of resonance scattering) but strongly asymmetric Ly alpha emission. Spectroscopy from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on board HST centered on the brightest UV knot shows a moderate outflow in the neutral interstellar medium (probed by low ionization stage absorption features) and Ly alpha emission with an asymmetric profile. Radiative transfer modeling is able to reproduce the essential features of the Ly alpha line profile and confirms the presence of an outflow. From the integrated photometry we measure an Ly alpha luminosity of L-Ly alpha= 1.3x10(42) erg s(-1) an equivalent width W(Ly alpha) = 45 angstrom and an FUV absolute magnitude M-FUV = -19.2 (AB). Mrk 259 would hence be detectable in high-z Ly alpha and LBG surveys. The total Ly alpha escape fraction is 12%. This number is higher than the low-z average, but similar to that at z > 4, demonstrating that LARS provides a valid comparison sample for high-z galaxy studies.
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