UV photon-counting CCD detectors that enable the next generation of UV spectroscopy missions: AR coatings that can achieve 80-90% QE

We describe recent progress in the development of anti-reflection coatings for use at UV wavelengths on CCDs and other Si-based detectors. We have previously demonstrated a set of coatings which are able to achieve greater than 50% QE in 4 bands from 130nm to greater than 300nm. We now present new refinements of these AR-coatings which will improve performance in a narrower bandpass by 50% over previous work. Successful test films have been made to optimize transmission at 190nm, reaching 80% potential transmission

Singlet Oxygen Chemistry in Water: A Porous Vycor GlassSupported Photosensitizer

Singlet molecular oxygen [1O2 (1Δg)] is generated cleanly in aqueous solution upon irradiation of a heterogeneous complex, meso-tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine (1) adsorbed onto porous Vycor glass (PVG). The cationic photosensitizer 1 tightly binds onto PVG and gives a stable material, which does not dissociate 1 into the surrounding aqueous phase. The production of 1O2 was measured by monitoring the time-resolved 1O2 (1Δg) phosphorescence at 1270 nm. Indirect analysis of 1O2 generation was also carried out with the photooxidation oftrans-2-methyl-2-pentenoate anion, which afforded the corresponding hydroperoxide. Sensitizer-1-impregnated PVG gives rise to a new singlet oxygen generator but more importantly provides a heterogeneous system for use in water

Sunyaev Zel'dovich Effect Observations of Strong Lensing Galaxy Clusters: Probing the Over-Concentration Problem

We have measured the Sunyaev Zel'dovich (SZ) effect for a sample of ten strong lensing selected galaxy clusters using the Sunyaev Zel'dovich Array (SZA). The SZA is sensitive to structures on spatial scales of a few arcminutes, while the strong lensing mass modeling constrains the mass at small scales (typically < 30"). Combining the two provides information about the projected concentrations of the strong lensing clusters. The Einstein radii we measure are twice as large as expected given the masses inferred from SZ scaling relations. A Monte Carlo simulation indicates that a sample randomly drawn from the expected distribution would have a larger median Einstein radius than the observed clusters about 3% of the time. The implied overconcentration has been noted in previous studies with smaller samples of lensing clusters. It persists for this sample, with the caveat that this could result from a systematic effect such as if the gas fractions of the strong lensing clusters are substantially below what is expected.Comment: submitte

A forgotten figure in Siouan and Caddoan linguistics: Samuel Stehman Haldeman.

The Siouan family comprises some twenty languages, historically spoken across a broad swath of the central North American plains and woodlands, as well as in parts of the southeastern United States. In spite of its geographical extent and diversity, and the size and importance of several Siouan-speaking tribes, this family has received relatively little attention in the linguistic literature and many of the individual Siouan languages are severely understudied. This volume aims to make work on Siouan languages more broadly available and to encourage deeper investigation of the myriad typological, theoretical, descriptive, and pedagogical issues they raise. The 17 chapters in this volume present a broad range of current Siouan research, focusing on various Siouan languages, from a variety of linguistic perspectives: historical-genetic, philological, applied, descriptive, formal/generative, and comparative/typological. The editors' preface summarizes characteristic features of the Siouan family, including head-final and "verb-centered" syntax, a complex system of verbal affixes including applicatives and subject-possessives, head-internal relative clauses, gendered speech markers, stop-systems including ejectives, and a preference for certain prosodic and phonotactic patterns. The volume is dedicated to the memory of Professor Robert L. Rankin, a towering figure in Siouan linguistics throughout his long career, who passed away in February of 2014

First Results from COPSS: The CO Power Spectrum Survey

We present constraints on the abundance of carbon monoxide in the early universe from the CO Power Spectrum Survey. We utilize a data set collected between 2005 and 2008 using the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich Array (SZA), which was previously used to measure arcminute-scale fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background. This data set features observations of 44 fields, covering an effective area of 1.7 square degrees, over a frequency range of 27–35 GHz. Using the technique of intensity mapping, we are able to probe the CO(1–0) transition, with sensitivity to spatial modes between k = 0.5–2 h Mpc^(−1) over a range in redshift of z = 2.3–3.3, spanning a comoving volume of 3.6 × 10^6 h^(−3) Mpc^3. We demonstrate our ability to mitigate foregrounds, and present estimates of the impact of continuum sources on our measurement. We constrain the CO power spectrum to P_(CO) < 2.6 × 10^4 μK^2 (h^(−1) Mpc)^3, or Δ^2_(CO)(k = 1 h Mpc^(−1)) < 1.3 × 10^3 μK^2, at 95% confidence. This limit resides near optimistic predictions for the CO power spectrum. Under the assumption that CO emission is proportional to halo mass during bursts of active star formation, this corresponds to a limit on the ratio of CO(1–0) luminosity to host halo mass of A_(CO) < 1.2 × 10^(−5) L⊙_ M_⊙^(−1). Further assuming a Milky Way-like conversion factor between CO luminosity and molecular gas mass (α_(CO) = 4.3 M_⊙ (K km s^(−1) pc^(−2))^(−1)), we constrain the global density of molecular gas to ρ_(z~3) (M_H_2) ⩽ 2.8 x 10^8 M_☉ Mpc^(-3)

Incident venous thromboembolic events in the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER)

&lt;p&gt;Background: Venous thromboembolic events (VTE), including deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, are common in older age. It has been suggested that statins might reduce the risk of VTE however positive results from studies of middle aged subjects may not be generalisable to elderly people. We aimed to determine the effect of pravastatin on incident VTE in older people; we also studied the impact of clinical and plasma risk variables.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Methods: This study was an analysis of incident VTE using data from the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER), a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pravastatin in men and women aged 70-82. Mean follow-up was 3.2 years. Risk for VTE was examined in non-warfarin treated pravastatin (n = 2834) and placebo (n = 2865) patients using a Cox's proportional hazard model, and the impact of other risk factors assessed in a multivariate forward stepwise regression analysis. Baseline clinical characteristics, blood biochemistry and hematology variables, plasma levels of lipids and lipoproteins, and plasma markers of inflammation and adiposity were compared. Plasma markers of thrombosis and hemostasis were assessed in a nested case (n = 48) control (n = 93) study where the cohort was those participants, not on warfarin, for whom data were available.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: There were 28 definite cases (1.0%) of incident VTE in the pravastatin group recipients and 20 cases (0.70%) in placebo recipients. Pravastatin did not reduce VTE in PROSPER compared to placebo [unadjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.42 (0.80, 2.52) p = 0.23]. Higher body mass index (BMI) [1.09 (1.02, 1.15) p = 0.0075], country [Scotland vs Netherlands 4.26 (1.00, 18.21) p = 0.050 and Ireland vs Netherlands 6.16 (1.46, 26.00) p = 0.013], lower systolic blood pressure [1.35 (1.03, 1.75) p = 0.027] and lower baseline Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score [1.19 (1.01, 1.41) p = 0.034] were associated with an increased risk of VTE, however only BMI, country and systolic blood pressure remained significant on multivariate analysis. In a nested case control study of definite VTE, plasma Factor VIII levels were associated with VTE [1.52 (1.01, 2.28), p = 0.044]. However no other measure of thrombosis and haemostasis was associated with increased risk of VTE.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: Pravastatin does not prevent VTE in elderly people at risk of vascular disease. Blood markers of haemostasis and inflammation are not strongly predictive of VTE in older age however BMI, country and lower systolic blood pressure are independently associated with VTE risk.&lt;/p&gt

Observations of High-Redshift X-Ray Selected Clusters with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array

We report measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect in three high-redshift (0.89 ≤ z ≤ 1.03), X-ray selected galaxy clusters. The observations were obtained at 30 GHz during the commissioning period of a new, eight-element interferometer—the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array (SZA)—built for dedicated SZ effect observations. The SZA observations are sensitive to angular scales larger than those subtended by the virial radii of the clusters. Assuming isothermality and hydrostatic equilibrium for the intracluster medium and gas-mass fractions consistent with those for clusters at moderate redshift, we calculate electron temperatures, gas masses, and total cluster masses from the SZ data. The SZ-derived masses, integrated approximately to the virial radii, are 1.9^(+0.5)_(-0.4) × 10^(14) M_☉ for Cl J1415.1+3612, 3.4^(+0.6)_(-0.5) × 10^(14) M_☉ for Cl J1429.0+4241, and 7.2^(+1.3)_(-0.9) × 10^(14) M_☉ for Cl J1226.9+3332. The SZ-derived quantities are in good agreement with the cluster properties derived from X-ray measurements

Lysosome-mediated processing of chromatin in senescence

Cellular senescence is a stable proliferation arrest, a potent tumor suppressor mechanism, and a likely contributor to tissue aging. Cellular senescence involves extensive cellular remodeling, including of chromatin structure. Autophagy and lysosomes are important for recycling of cellular constituents and cell remodeling. Here we show that an autophagy/lysosomal pathway processes chromatin in senescent cells. In senescent cells, lamin A/C–negative, but strongly γ-H2AX–positive and H3K27me3-positive, cytoplasmic chromatin fragments (CCFs) budded off nuclei, and this was associated with lamin B1 down-regulation and the loss of nuclear envelope integrity. In the cytoplasm, CCFs were targeted by the autophagy machinery. Senescent cells exhibited markers of lysosomal-mediated proteolytic processing of histones and were progressively depleted of total histone content in a lysosome-dependent manner. In vivo, depletion of histones correlated with nevus maturation, an established histopathologic parameter associated with proliferation arrest and clinical benignancy. We conclude that senescent cells process their chromatin via an autophagy/lysosomal pathway and that this might contribute to stability of senescence and tumor suppression

Detection of intrinsic source structure at ~3 Schwarzschild radii with Millimeter-VLBI observations of SAGITTARIUS A*

We report results from very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations of the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center, Sgr A*, at 1.3 mm (230 GHz). The observations were performed in 2013 March using six VLBI stations in Hawaii, California, Arizona, and Chile. Compared to earlier observations, the addition of the APEX telescope in Chile almost doubles the longest baseline length in the array, provides additional {\it uv} coverage in the N-S direction, and leads to a spatial resolution of $\sim$30 $\mu$as ($\sim$3 Schwarzschild radii) for Sgr A*. The source is detected even at the longest baselines with visibility amplitudes of $\sim$4-13% of the total flux density. We argue that such flux densities cannot result from interstellar refractive scattering alone, but indicate the presence of compact intrinsic source structure on scales of $\sim$3 Schwarzschild radii. The measured nonzero closure phases rule out point-symmetric emission. We discuss our results in the context of simple geometric models that capture the basic characteristics and brightness distributions of disk- and jet-dominated models and show that both can reproduce the observed data. Common to these models are the brightness asymmetry, the orientation, and characteristic sizes, which are comparable to the expected size of the black hole shadow. Future 1.3 mm VLBI observations with an expanded array and better sensitivity will allow a more detailed imaging of the horizon-scale structure and bear the potential for a deep insight into the physical processes at the black hole boundary.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted to Ap