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Reproducibility is a defining feature of science, but the extent to which it characterizes current research is unknown. We conducted replications of 100 experimental and correlational studies published in three psychology journals using high-powered designs and original materials when available. Replication effects were half the magnitude of original effects, representing a substantial decline. Ninety-seven percent of original studies had statistically significant results. Thirty-six percent of replications had statistically significant results; 47% of original effect sizes were in the 95% confidence interval of the replication effect size; 39% of effects were subjectively rated to have replicated the original result; and if no bias in original results is assumed, combining original and replication results left 68% with statistically significant effects. Correlational tests suggest that replication success was better predicted by the strength of original evidence than by characteristics of the original and replication teams.
We present the Pristine survey, a new narrow-band photometric survey focused on the metallicity-sensitive Ca H&K lines and conducted in the Northern hemisphere with the wide-field imager MegaCam on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. This paper reviews our overall survey strategy and discusses the data processing and metallicity calibration. Additionally we review the application of these data to the main aims of the survey, which are to gather a large sample of the most metal-poor stars in the Galaxy, to further characterize the faintest Milky Way satellites, and to map the (metal-poor) substructure in the Galactic halo. The current Pristine footprint comprises over 1000 deg(2) in the Galactic halo ranging from b similar to 30 degrees to similar to 78 degrees and covers many known stellar substructures. We demonstrate that, for Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) stellar objects, we can calibrate the photometry at the 0.02-mag level. The comparison with existing spectroscopic metallicities from SDSS/Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) and Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope shows that, when combined with SDSS broad-band g and i photometry, we can use the CaHK photometry to infer photometric metallicities with an accuracy of similar to 0.2 dex from [Fe/H] = -0.5 down to the extremely metal-poor regime ([Fe/H] < -3.0). After the removal of various contaminants, we can efficiently select metal-poor stars and build a very complete sample with high purity. The success rate of uncovering [Fe/H](SEGUE) < -3.0 stars among [Fe/H](Pristine) < -3.0 selected stars is 24 per cent, and 85 per cent of the remaining candidates are still very metal poor ([Fe/H]<-2.0). We further demonstrate that Pristine is well suited to identify the very rare and pristine Galactic stars with [Fe/H] < -4.0, which can teach us valuable lessons about the early Universe.
Although quantitative isotope data from speleothems has been used to evaluate isotope-enabled model simulations, currently no consensus exists regarding the most appropriate methodology through which to achieve this. A number of modelling groups will be running isotope-enabled palaeoclimate simulations in the framework of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, so it is timely to evaluate different approaches to using the speleothem data for data–model comparisons. Here, we illustrate this using 456 globally distributed speleothem δ18O records from an updated version of the Speleothem Isotopes Synthesis and Analysis (SISAL) database and palaeoclimate simulations generated using the ECHAM5-wiso isotope-enabled atmospheric circulation model. We show that the SISAL records reproduce the first-order spatial patterns of isotopic variability in the modern day, strongly supporting the application of this dataset for evaluating model-derived isotope variability into the past. However, the discontinuous nature of many speleothem records complicates the process of procuring large numbers of records if data–model comparisons are made using the traditional approach of comparing anomalies between a control period and a given palaeoclimate experiment. To circumvent this issue, we illustrate techniques through which the absolute isotope values during any time period could be used for model evaluation. Specifically, we show that speleothem isotope records allow an assessment of a model's ability to simulate spatial isotopic trends. Our analyses provide a protocol for using speleothem isotope data for model evaluation, including screening the observations to take into account the impact of speleothem mineralogy on δ18O values, the optimum period for the modern observational baseline and the selection of an appropriate time window for creating means of the isotope data for palaeo-time-slices.
Moving in the Anthropocene
(2018)
Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission.
Inhalt: AUFSÄTZE Martin Winter „Der Untertan auf Posten“ - Deserteursverfolgung an der brandenburgisch-mecklenburgischen Grenze im 18. Jahrhundert Jan Willem Huntebrinker Geordneter Sozialverband oder Gegenordnung? Zwei Perspektiven auf das Militär im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert Ulrike Ludwig Strafverfolgung und Gnadenpraxis in Kursachsen unter dem Eindruck des Dreißigjährigen Krieges Heinrich Lang Der „zivile“ Krieg. Ordnungskonzepte zwischen städtischer Gesellschaft und Söldnerführern im Italien der Renaissance PROJEKTE Martin Meier „Zur Rolle des Militärs in der utopischen Literatur und im utopischen Denken der frühen Neuzeit“ (16.-18. Jahrhundert) Nicolas Disch „Lust am Krieg“? - Engelberger Talleute in Solddiensten (1600-1800) BERICHTE Protokoll der Mitgliederversammlung des Arbeitskreises „Militär und Gesellschaft in der Frühen Neuzeit“ e.V. (AMG) am 21. September 2006 (Konstanz) Urte Evert „Die Rückkehr der Condottieri? Krieg und Militär im Spannungsfeld zwischen Verstaatlichung und Privatisierung. Die Entwicklung vom 16. Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart.“, 12. bis 14. Mai 2006 (Potsdam) Elizabeth Harding und Christine D. Schmidt „Vormoderne Konfliktbewältigung aus regionalgeschichtlicher Perspektive“, 21. und 22. Juni 2006 (Münster) Jan Willem Huntebrinker „Kriegs-Bilder“: Epochenübergreifende Sektion des 46. Deutschen Historikertags, 20. September 2006(Konstanz) REZENSIONEN Dorit Schneider Gabriele Jochums (Bearb.), Bibliographie Friedrich Wilhelm I.: Schrifttum von 1688 bis 2005, Berlin 2005 ANKÜNDIGUNGEN Militär und Recht in der Frühen Neuzeit, 4.-7. Oktober 2007 auf Schloss Thurnau bei Bayreuth Markus Pöhlmann Anonyme und pseudonyme Militärliteratur
We use a background quasar to detect the presence of circumgalactic gas around a z = 0.91 low-mass star-forming galaxy. Data from the new Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope show that the galaxy has a dust-corrected star formation rate (SFR) of 4.7 +/- 2.0. M-circle dot yr(-1), with no companion down to 0.22 M-circle dot yr(-1) (5 sigma) within 240 h(-1) kpc ("30"). Using a high-resolution spectrum of the background quasar, which is fortuitously aligned with the galaxy major axis (with an azimuth angle alpha of only 15 degrees), we find, in the gas kinematics traced by low-ionization lines, distinct signatures consistent with those expected for a "cold-flow disk" extending at least 12 kpc (3 x R-1/2). We estimate the mass accretion rate M-in to be at least two to three times larger than the SFR, using the geometric constraints from the IFU data and the H (I) column density of log N-H (I)/cm(-2) similar or equal to 20.4 obtained from a Hubble Space Telescope/COS near-UV spectrum. From a detailed analysis of the low-ionization lines (e.g., Zn II, Cr II, Ti II, MnII, Si II), the accreting material appears to be enriched to about 0.4 Z(circle dot) (albeit with large uncertainties: log Z/Z(circle dot) = -0.4 +/- 0.4), which is comparable to the galaxy metallicity (12 + log O/H = 8.7 +/- 0.2), implying a large recycling fraction from past outflows. Blueshifted Mg II and Fe II absorptions in the galaxy spectrum from the MUSE data reveal the presence of an outflow. The Mg II and Fe II absorption line ratios indicate emission infilling due to scattering processes, but the MUSE data do not show any signs of fluorescent Fe II* emission.
The SISAL database
(2018)
Stable isotope records from speleothems provide information on past climate changes, most particularly information that can be used to reconstruct past changes in precipitation and atmospheric circulation. These records are increasingly being used to provide "out-of-sample" evaluations of isotope-enabled climate models. SISAL (Speleothem Isotope Synthesis and Analysis) is an international working group of the Past Global Changes (PAGES) project. The working group aims to provide a comprehensive compilation of speleothem isotope records for climate reconstruction and model evaluation. The SISAL database contains data for individual speleothems, grouped by cave system. Stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon (delta O-18, delta C-13) measurements are referenced by distance from the top or bottom of the speleothem. Additional tables provide information on dating, including information on the dates used to construct the original age model and sufficient information to assess the quality of each data set and to erect a standardized chronology across different speleothems. The metadata table provides location information, information on the full range of measurements carried out on each speleothem and information on the cave system that is relevant to the interpretation of the records, as well as citations for both publications and archived data.
The great auk was once abundant and distributed across the North Atlantic. It is now extinct, having been heavily exploited for its eggs, meat, and feathers. We investigated the impact of human hunting on its demise by integrating genetic data, GPS-based ocean current data, and analyses of population viability. We sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of 41 individuals from across the species' geographic range and reconstructed population structure and population dynamics throughout the Holocene. Taken together, our data do not provide any evidence that great auks were at risk of extinction prior to the onset of intensive human hunting in the early 16th century. In addition, our population viability analyses reveal that even if the great auk had not been under threat by environmental change, human hunting alone could have been sufficient to cause its extinction. Our results emphasise the vulnerability of even abundant and widespread species to intense and localised exploitation.
We present results from our on-going MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) survey, which consists of 22 quasar lines of sight, each observed with the integral field unit MUSE and the UVES spectrograph at the ESO Very Large Telescopes (VLT). The goals of this survey are to study the properties of the circumgalactic medium around z similar to 1 star-forming galaxies. The absorption-line selected survey consists of 79 strong MgII absorbers (with rest-frame equivalent width greater than or similar to 0.3 angstrom) and, currently, 86 associated galaxies within 100 projected kpc of the quasar with stellar masses (M-star) from 109 to 1011 M-circle dot. We find that the cool halo gas traced by MgII is not isotropically distributed around these galaxies from the strong bi-modal distribution in the azimuthal angle of the apparent location of the quasar with respect to the galaxy major axis. This supports a scenario in which outflows are bi-conical in nature and co-exist with a co-planar gaseous structure extending at least up to 60-80 kpc. Assuming that absorbers near the minor axis probe outflows, the current MEGAFLOW sample allowed us to select 26 galaxy-quasar pairs suitable for studying winds. From this sample, using a simple geometrical model, we find that the outflow velocity only exceeds the escape velocity when M-star less than or similar to 4 x 10(9) M-circle dot, implying the cool material is likely to fall back except in the smallest haloes. Finally, we find that the mass loading factor., the ratio between the ejected mass rate and the star formation rate, appears to be roughly constant with respect to the galaxy mass.
Gilbert et al. conclude that evidence from the Open Science Collaboration’s Reproducibility Project: Psychology indicates high reproducibility, given the study methodology. Their very optimistic assessment is limited by statistical misconceptions and by causal inferences from selectively interpreted, correlational data. Using the Reproducibility Project: Psychology data, both optimistic and pessimistic conclusions about reproducibility are possible, and neither are yet warranted.
An ‛Aukward’ tale
(2017)
One hundred and seventy-three years ago, the last two Great Auks, Pinguinus impennis, ever reliably seen were killed. Their internal organs can be found in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, but the location of their skins has remained a mystery. In 1999, Great Auk expert Errol Fuller proposed a list of five potential candidate skins in museums around the world. Here we take a palaeogenomic approach to test which—if any—of Fuller’s candidate skins likely belong to either of the two birds. Using mitochondrial genomes from the five candidate birds (housed in museums in Bremen, Brussels, Kiel, Los Angeles, and Oldenburg) and the organs of the last two known individuals, we partially solve the mystery that has been on Great Auk scholars’ minds for generations and make new suggestions as to the whereabouts of the still-missing skin from these two birds.
We report the discovery of six spatially extended (10-100 kpc) line-emitting nebulae in the z approximate to 0.57 galaxy group hosting PKS 0405-123, one of the most luminous quasars at z < 1. The discovery is enabled by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer and provides tantalizing evidence connecting large-scale gas streams with nuclear activity on scales of <10 proper kpc (pkpc). One of the nebulae exhibits a narrow, filamentary morphology extending over 50 pkpc toward the quasar with narrow internal velocity dispersion (50 km s(-1)) and is not associated with any detected galaxies, consistent with a cool intragroup medium filament. Two of the nebulae are 10 pkpc north and south of the quasar with tidal-arm-like morphologies. These two nebulae, along with a continuum-emitting arm extending 60 pkpc from the quasar, are signatures of interactions that are expected to redistribute angular momentum in the host interstellar medium (ISM) to facilitate star formation and quasar fueling in the nucleus. The three remaining nebulae are among the largest and most luminous [O III] emitting "blobs" known (1400-2400 pkpc(2)) and correspond both kinematically and morphologically to interacting galaxy pairs in the quasar host group, consistent with arising from stripped ISM rather than large-scale quasar outflows. The presence of these large- and small-scale nebulae in the vicinity of a luminous quasar bears significantly on the effect of large-scale environment on galaxy and black hole fueling, providing a natural explanation for the previously known correlation between quasar luminosity and cool circumgalactic medium.
This paper presents a study of the galactic environment of a chemically pristine (<0.6 per cent solar metallicity) Lyman Limit system (LLS) discovered along the sightline towards QSO SDSSJ 135726.27+043541.4 (Z(QSO) = 1.233) at projected distance d = 126 physical kpc (pkpc) from a luminous red galaxy (LRG) at z = 0.33. Combining deep Hubble Space Telescope images, MUSE integral field spectroscopic data, and wide-field redshift survey data has enabled an unprecedented, ultradeep view of the environment around this LRG-LLS pair. A total of 12 galaxies, including the LRG, are found at d less than or similar to 400 pkpc and line-of-sight velocity Delta v < 600 km S-1 of the LLS, with intrinsic luminosity ranging from 0.001 L-* to 2 L-* and a corresponding stellar mass range of M-star approximate to 10(7-11) M-circle dot. All 12 galaxies contribute to a total mass of M-star = 1.6 x 10(11) M-circle dot with approximate to 80 per cent contained in the LRG. The line-of-sight velocity dispersion of these galaxies is found to be sigma (group) = 230 km s(-1) with the centre of mass at d(group) = 118 pkpc and line-of-sight velocity offset of Delta v(group) = 181 km s(-1) from the LLS. Three of these are located at d less than or similar to 100 pkpc from the LLS, and they are all faint with intrinsic luminosity less than or similar to 0.02 L-* and gas-phase metallicity of approximate to 10 per cent solar in their interstellar medium. The disparity in the chemical enrichment level between the LLS and the group members suggests that the LLS originates in infalling intergalactic medium and that parts of the intergalactic gas near old and massive galaxies can still remain chemically pristine through the not too distant past.
We use the MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) survey to study the kinematics of extended disc-like structures of cold gas around z approximate to 1 star-forming galaxies. The combination of VLT/MUSE and VLT/UVES observations allows us to connect the kinematics of the gas measured through MgII quasar absorption spectroscopy to the kinematics and orientation of the associated galaxies constrained through integral field spectroscopy. Confirming previous results, we find that the galaxy-absorber pairs of the MEGAFLOW survey follow a strong bimodal distribution, consistent with a picture of MgII absorption being predominantly present in outflow cones and extended disc-like structures. This allows us to select a bona-fide sample of galaxy-absorber pairs probing these discs for impact paramometers of 10-70 kpc. We test the hypothesis that the disc-like gas is co-rotating with the galaxy discs, and find that for seven out of nine pairs the absorption velocity shares the sign of the disc velocity, disfavouring random orbits. We further show that the data are roughly consistent with inflow velocities and angular momenta predicted by simulations, and that the corresponding mass accretion rates are sufficient to balance the star formation rates.
Biomarkers are used to predict phenotypical properties before these features become apparent and, therefore, are valuable tools for both fundamental and applied research. Diagnostic biomarkers have been discovered in medicine many decades ago and are now commonly applied. While this is routine in the field of medicine, it is of surprise that in agriculture this approach has never been investigated. Up to now, the prediction of phenotypes in plants was based on growing plants and assaying the organs of interest in a time intensive process. For the first time, we demonstrate in this study the application of metabolomics to predict agronomic important phenotypes of a crop plant that was grown in different environments. Our procedure consists of established techniques to screen untargeted for a large amount of metabolites in parallel, in combination with machine learning methods. By using this combination of metabolomics and biomathematical tools metabolites were identified that can be used as biomarkers to improve the prediction of traits. The predictive metabolites can be selected and used subsequently to develop fast, targeted and low-cost diagnostic biomarker assays that can be implemented in breeding programs or quality assessment analysis. The identified metabolic biomarkers allow for the prediction of crop product quality. Furthermore, marker-assisted selection can benefit from the discovery of metabolic biomarkers when other molecular markers come to its limitation. The described marker selection method was developed for potato tubers, but is generally applicable to any crop and trait as it functions independently of genomic information.
We report the detection of extended Ly alpha emission around individual star-forming galaxies at redshifts z = 3-6 in an ultradeep exposure of the Hubble Deep Field South obtained with MUSE on the ESO-VLT. The data reach a limiting surface brightness (1 sigma) of similar to 1 x 10(-19) erg s(-1) cm(-2) arcsec(-2) in azimuthally averaged radial profiles, an order of magnitude improvement over previous narrowband imaging. Our sample consists of 26 spectroscopically confirmed Ly alpha-emitting, but mostly continuum-faint (m(AB) greater than or similar to 27) galaxies. In most objects the Ly alpha emission is considerably more extended than the UV continuum light. While five of the faintest galaxies in the sample show no significantly detected Ly alpha haloes, the derived upper limits suggest that this is due to insufficient S/N. Ly alpha haloes therefore appear to be ubiquitous even for low-mass (similar to 10(8)-10(9) M-circle dot) star-forming galaxies at z > 3. We decompose the Ly alpha emission of each object into a compact component tracing the UV continuum and an extended halo component, and infer sizes and luminosities of the haloes. The extended Ly alpha emission approximately follows an exponential surface brightness distribution with a scale length of a few kpc. While these haloes are thus quite modest in terms of their absolute sizes, they are larger by a factor of 5-15 than the corresponding rest-frame UV continuum sources as seen by HST. They are also much more extended, by a factor similar to 5, than Ly alpha haloes around low-redshift star-forming galaxies. Between similar to 40% and greater than or similar to 90% of the observed Ly alpha flux comes from the extended halo component, with no obvious correlation of this fraction with either the absolute or the relative size of the Ly alpha halo. Our observations provide direct insights into the spatial distribution of at least partly neutral gas residing in the circumgalactic medium of low to intermediate mass galaxies at z > 3.
We present an excerpt of the document "Quantum Information Processing and Communication: Strategic report on current status, visions and goals for research in Europe", which has been recently published in electronic form at the website of FET (the Future and Emerging Technologies Unit of the Directorate General Information Society of the European Commission, http://www.cordis.lu/ist/fet/qipc-sr.htm). This document has been elaborated, following a former suggestion by FET, by a committee of QIPC scientists to provide input towards the European Commission for the preparation of the Seventh Framework Program. Besides being a document addressed to policy makers and funding agencies (both at the European and national level), the document contains a detailed scientific assessment of the state-of-the-art, main research goals, challenges, strengths, weaknesses, visions and perspectives of all the most relevant QIPC sub-fields, that we report here
Emission signatures from galactic winds provide an opportunity to directly map the outflowing gas, but this is traditionally challenging because of the low surface brightness. Using very deep observations (27 h) of the Hubble Deep Field South with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument, we identify signatures of an outflow in both emission and absorption from a spatially resolved galaxy at z = 1.29 with a stellar mass M-star = 8 x 10(9) M-circle dot, star formation rate SFR = 77(-25)(+40) M-circle dot yr(-1), and star formation rate surface brightness Sigma(SFR) = 1.6 M-circle dot kpc(-2) within the [OII] lambda lambda 3727, 3729 half-light radius R-1/2, ([OII]) = 2.76 +/- 0.17 kpc. From a component of the strong resonant Mg II and Fe II absorptions at -350 km s(-1), we infer a mass outflow rate that is comparable to the star formation rate. We detect non-resonant Fe II* emission, at lambda 2365, lambda 2396, lambda 2612, and lambda 2626, at 1.2-2.4-1.5-2.7 x 10-(18) erg s(-1) cm(-2) respectively. The flux ratios are consistent with the expectations for optically thick gas. By combining the four non-resonant Fe II* emission lines, we spatially map the Fe II* emission from an individual galaxy for the first time. The Fe II* emission has an elliptical morphology that is roughly aligned with the galaxy minor kinematic axis, and its integrated half-light radius, R-1/2, (Fe II*) = 4.1 +/- 0.4 kpc, is 70% larger than the stellar continuum (R-1/2,(star) similar or equal to 2.34 +/- 0.17) or the [O II] nebular line. Moreover, the Fe II* emission shows a blue wing extending up to -400 km s(-1), which is more pronounced along the galaxy minor kinematic axis and reveals a C-shaped pattern in a p - v diagram along that axis. These features are consistent with a bi-conical outflow.
During the second phase of the Alpine Fault, Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) in the Whataroa River, South Westland, New Zealand, bedrock was encountered in the DFDP-2B borehole from 238.5–893.2 m Measured Depth (MD). Continuous sampling and meso- to microscale characterisation of whole rock cuttings established that, in sequence, the borehole sampled amphibolite facies, Torlesse Composite Terrane-derived schists, protomylonites and mylonites, terminating 200–400 m above an Alpine Fault Principal Slip Zone (PSZ) with a maximum dip of 62°. The most diagnostic structural features of increasing PSZ proximity were the occurrence of shear bands and reduction in mean quartz grain sizes. A change in composition to greater mica:quartz + feldspar, most markedly below c. 700 m MD, is inferred to result from either heterogeneous sampling or a change in lithology related to alteration. Major oxide variations suggest the fault-proximal Alpine Fault alteration zone, as previously defined in DFDP-1 core, was not sampled.
We investigate whether the dust content of the circum-galactic medium (CGM) depends on the location of the quasar sightline with respect to the galaxy major-axis using 13 galaxy-Mg II absorber pairs (9-81 kpc distance) from the MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) survey at 0.4 < z < 1.4. The dust content of the CGM is obtained from [Zn/Fe] using ultraviolet and visual echelle spectrograph data. When a direct measurement of [Zn/Fe] is unavailable, we estimate the dust depletion from a method that consists in solving for the depletion from multiple singly ionized ions (e.g. Mn II, Cr II, and Zn II) since each ion depletes on dust grains at different rates. We find a positive correlation between the azimuthal angle and [Zn/Fe] with a Pearson's gamma = 0.70 +/- 0.14. The sightlines along the major axis show [Zn/Fe] < 0.5, whereas the [Zn/Fe] is > 0.8 along the minor axis. These results suggest that the CGM along the minor axis is on average more metal enriched (by approximate to 1 dex) than the gas located along the major axis of galaxies provided that dust depletion is a proxy for metallicity. This anisotropic distribution is consistent with recent results on outflow and accretion in hydro-dynamical simulations.
The occurrence of neritic microbial carbonates is often related to ecological refuges, where grazers and other competitors are reduced by environmental conditions, or to post-extinction events (e.g. in the Late Devonian, Early Triassic). Here, we present evidence for Middle Jurassic (Bajocian) microbial mounds formed in the normal marine, shallow neritic setting of an inner, ramp system from the High Atlas of Morocco. The microbial mounds are embedded in cross-bedded oolitic facies. Individual mounds show low relief domal geometries (up to 3 m high and 4.5 m across), but occasionally a second generation of mounds exhibits tabular geometries (<1 m high). The domes are circular in plan view and have intact tops, lacking evidence of current influence on mound preferred growth direction or distribution patterns, or truncation. The mound fades consists almost entirely of non-laminated, micritic thrombolites with branching morphologies and fine-grained, clotted and peloidal fabrics. Normal marine biota are present but infrequent. Several lines of evidence document that microbial mound growth alternates with time intervals of active ooid shoal deposition. This notion is of general significance when compared with modern Bahamian microbialites that co-exist with active sub-aquatic dunes. Furthermore, the lack of detailed studies of Middle Jurassic, normal marine shallow neritic microbial mounds adds a strong motivation for the present study. Specifically, Bajocian mounds formed on a firmground substratum during transgressive phases under condensed sedimentation. Furthermore, a transient increase in nutrient supply in the prevailing mesotrophic setting, as suggested by the heterotrophic-dominated biota, may have controlled microbial mound stages.
The physical properties of galactic winds are one of the keys to understand galaxy formation and evolution. These properties can be constrained thanks to background quasar lines of sight (LOS) passing near star-forming galaxies (SFGs). We present the first results of the MusE GAs FLOw and Wind survey obtained from two quasar fields, which have eight Mg II absorbers of which three have rest equivalent width greater than 0.8 angstrom. With the new Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), we detect six (75%) Mg II host galaxy candidates within a radius of 30. from the quasar LOS. Out of these six galaxy-quasar pairs, from geometrical argument, one is likely probing galactic outflows, where two are classified as "ambiguous,"two are likely probing extended gaseous disks and one pair seems to be a merger. We focus on the wind-pair and constrain the outflow using a high-resolution quasar spectra from the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph. Assuming the metal absorption to be due to ga;s flowing out of the detected galaxy through a cone along the minor axis, we find outflow velocities in the order of approximate to 150 km s(-1) (i.e., smaller than the escape velocity) with a loading factor, eta = M-out/SFR, of approximate to 0.7. We see evidence for an open conical flow, with a low-density inner core. In the future, MUSE will provide us with about 80 multiple galaxy-quasar pairs in two dozen fields.
This article presents comparisons among the five ground-motion models described in other articles within this special issue, in terms of data selection criteria, characteristics of the models and predicted peak ground and response spectral accelerations. Comparisons are also made with predictions from the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) models to which the models presented here have similarities (e.g. a common master database has been used) but also differences (e.g. some models in this issue are nonparametric). As a result of the differing data selection criteria and derivation techniques the predicted median ground motions show considerable differences (up to a factor of two for certain scenarios), particularly for magnitudes and distances close to or beyond the range of the available observations. The predicted influence of style-of-faulting shows much variation among models whereas site amplification factors are more similar, with peak amplification at around 1s. These differences are greater than those among predictions from the NGA models. The models for aleatory variability (sigma), however, are similar and suggest that ground-motion variability from this region is slightly higher than that predicted by the NGA models, based primarily on data from California and Taiwan.
We present the discovery of a new dwarf galaxy, Hydra II, found serendipitously within the data from the ongoing Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History conducted with the Dark Energy Camera on the Blanco 4 m Telescope. The new satellite is compact (r(h) = 68 +/- 11 pc) and faint (MV = -4.8 +/- 0.3), but well within the realm of dwarf galaxies. The stellar distribution of Hydra II in the color-magnitude diagram is well-described by a metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -2.2) and old (13 Gyr) isochrone and shows a distinct blue horizontal branch, some possible red clump stars, and faint stars that are suggestive of blue stragglers. At a heliocentric distance of 134 +/- 10 kpc, Hydra II is located in a region of the Galactic halo that models have suggested may host material from the leading arm of the Magellanic Stream. A comparison with N-body simulations hints that the new dwarf galaxy could be or could have been a satellite of the Magellanic Clouds.
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are unique local laboratories for studying the formation and evolution of small galaxies in exquisite detail. The Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History (SMASH) is an NOAO community Dark Energy Camera (DECam) survey of the Clouds mapping 480 deg2 (distributed over similar to 2400 square degrees at similar to 20% filling factor) to similar to 24th. mag in ugriz. The primary goals of SMASH are to identify low surface brightness stellar populations associated with the stellar halos and tidal debris of the Clouds, and to derive spatially resolved star formation histories. Here, we present a summary of the survey, its data reduction, and a description of the first public Data Release (DR1). The SMASH DECam data have been reduced with a combination of the NOAO Community Pipeline, the PHOTRED automated point-spread-function photometry pipeline, and custom calibration software. The astrometric precision is similar to 15 mas and the accuracy is similar to 2 mas with respect to the Gaia reference frame. The photometric precision is similar to 0.5%-0.7% in griz and similar to 1% in u with a calibration accuracy of similar to 1.3% in all bands. The median 5s point source depths in ugriz are 23.9, 24.8, 24.5, 24.2, and 23.5 mag. The SMASH data have already been used to discover the Hydra II Milky Way satellite, the SMASH 1 old globular cluster likely associated with the LMC, and extended stellar populations around the LMC out to R. similar to. 18.4 kpc. SMASH DR1 contains measurements of similar to 100 million objects distributed in 61 fields. A prototype version of the NOAO Data Lab provides data access and exploration tools.
Boolean networks provide a simple yet powerful qualitative modeling approach in systems biology. However, manual identification of logic rules underlying the system being studied is in most cases out of reach. Therefore, automated inference of Boolean logical networks from experimental data is a fundamental question in this field. This paper addresses the problem consisting of learning from a prior knowledge network describing causal interactions and phosphorylation activities at a pseudo-steady state, Boolean logic models of immediate-early response in signaling transduction networks. The underlying optimization problem has been so far addressed through mathematical programming approaches and the use of dedicated genetic algorithms. In a recent work we have shown severe limitations of stochastic approaches in this domain and proposed to use Answer Set Programming (ASP), considering a simpler problem setting. Herein, we extend our previous work in order to consider more realistic biological conditions including numerical datasets, the presence of feedback-loops in the prior knowledge network and the necessity of multi-objective optimization. In order to cope with such extensions, we propose several discretization schemes and elaborate upon our previous ASP encoding. Towards real-world biological data, we evaluate the performance of our approach over in silico numerical datasets based on a real and large-scale prior knowledge network. The correctness of our encoding and discretization schemes are dealt with in Appendices A-B. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.