Sample records for enigmatic young brown

  1. Astronaut John Young displays drawing of Charlie Brown

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1969-01-01

    Astronaut John W. Young, Apollo 10 command module pilot, displays drawing of Charlie Brown in this color reproduction taken from the fourth telecast made by the color television camera aboard the Apollo 10 spacecraft. When this picture was made the Apollo 10 spacecraft was about half-way to the moon, or approximately 112,000 nautical miles from the earth. Charlie Brown will be the code name of the Command Module (CM) during Apollo 10 operations when the Lunar Module and CM are separated (34075); Young displays drawing of Snoopy in this reproduction taken from a television transmission. Snoopy will be the code name of the Lunar Module (LM) during Apollo 10 operations when the LM and CM are separated (34076).

  2. Observational diagnostics of accretion on young stars and brown dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stelzer, Beate; Argiroffi, Costanza

    I present a summary of recent observational constraints on the accretion properties of young stars and brown dwarfs with focus on the high-energy emission. In their T Tauri phase young stars assemble a few percent of their mass by accretion from a disk. Various observational signatures of disks around pre-main sequence stars and the ensuing accretion process are found in the IR and optical regime: e.g. excess emission above the stellar photosphere, strong and broad emission lines, optical veiling. At high energies evidence for accretion is less obvious, and the X-ray emission from stars has historically been ascribed to magnetically confined coronal plasmas. While being true for the bulk of the emission, new insight obtained from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations has unveiled contributions from accretion and outflow processes to the X-ray emission from young stars. Their smaller siblings, the brown dwarfs, have been shown to undergo a T Tauri phase on the basis of optical/IR observations of disks and measurements of accretion rates. Most re-cently, first evidence was found for X-rays produced by accretion in a young brown dwarf, complementing the suspected analogy between stars and substellar objects.

  3. Imaging accretion sources and circumbinary disks in young brown dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reiners, Ansgar

    2010-09-01

    We propose to obtain deep WFC3/UVIS imaging observations of two accreting, nearby, young brown dwarf binaries. The first, 2M1207, is a brown dwarf with a planetary mass companion that became a benchmark in low-mass star formation and low-mass evolutionary models. The second, 2M0041, is a nearby young brown dwarf with clear evidence for accretion, but its space motion suggests a slightly higher age than the canonical accretion lifetime of 5-10 Myr. It has recently been discovered to be a binary and is likely to become a second benchmark object in this field. With narrow band images centered on the Halpha line that is indicative of accretion, we aim to determine the accretion ratio between the two components in each system. Halpha was observed in both systems but so far not spatially resolved. In particular, we want to search for accretion in the planetary mass companion of 2M1207. The evidence for accretion in 2M0041 and the possibility that it is in fact older than 10Myr suggests that the accretion lifetime is longer in brown dwarfs than in stars, and in particular that it is longer in brown dwarf binaries. Accretion could be sustained for a longer time if the accreting material is replenished by a circumbinary disk that might exist in both systems. We propose deep WFC/UVIS observations in the optical to search for circumbinary disks, similar to the famous disk around the binary TTauri system GG Tau.

  4. Organochlorine residues in females and nursing young of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, D.R.; Lamont, T.G.

    1976-01-01

    Carcasses and brains of 18 big brown bats from Gaithersburg, Maryland, were analyzed for residues of organochlorine insecticides and PCB's. Eleven bats were adult females, and six of these had seven nursing young associated with them....Young bats resembled their parents in microgram amounts of PCB and DDE present in carcasses. However, concentrations of chemicals (expressed as ppm) were significantly higher in young. Brains of three young contained detectable residues of PCB and DDE....Younger adult females contained higher levels of PCB and DDE than did older ones. However, among the oldest females, amounts appeared to begin rising again. This pattern resembles that in free-tailed bats from Bracken Cave, Texas, but differs from the continuous linear decline seen in a Laurel, Maryland population of big brown bats, in which initial levels among younger females were higher than those in the Gaithersburg population....DDE was transferred from female to young more readily than was PCB by nursing. Five of 51 neonate big brown bats from the Laurel population were thought to have been born dead because of residues of PCB that were transferred across the placenta. Present data show that even greater amounts of PCB may be transferred to young by lactation and nursing.

  5. Weather and Rotation on Young Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vos, Johanna; Biller, Beth; Allers, Katelyn; Manjavacas, Elena; Liu, Michael; Best, William; Metchev, Stanimir; Buenzli, Esther; Bonavita, Mariangela; Eriksson, Simon; Dupuy, Trent; Kopytova, Taisiya; Brandner, Wolfgang; Henning, Thomas; Bonnefoy, Mickael; Crossfield, Ian; Schlieder, Joshua; Homeier, Derek; Janson, Markus; Radigan, Jacqueline

    2018-05-01

    As part of a large, ground-based survey for weather patterns on exoplanet analogues, we have detected J-band variability in 5 young exoplanet analogues. We have already carried out followup Spitzer monitoring of two objects and here we propose Spitzer 3.6um and 4.5um monitoring of three early-mid-L detections in our survey. The proposed observations will enable us to assess the role of gravity in the variability properties of these young objects by providing a full measure of mid-IR amplitude across the full L spectral sequence for low-gravity objects. The proposed observations will also allow us to measure the rotational periods of our three targets. This will provide vital information on the angular momentum of young brown dwarfs, while enabling us to correct for geometric effects when considering the variability properties of our targets. This study will act as a necessary pathfinder for future variability studies of free-floating and companion exoplanets with JWST.

  6. Isolated and companion young brown dwarfs in the taurus and chamaeleon molecular clouds

    PubMed

    Tamura; Itoh; Oasa; Nakajima

    1998-11-06

    Infrared imaging observations have detected a dozen faint young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Taurus and Chamaeleon molecular clouds whose near-infrared colors are similar to those of classical T Tauri stars (TTS). They are around four magnitudes fainter than low-luminosity YSOs in Taurus detected in earlier surveys and as much as eight magnitudes fainter than typical TTS. The extreme faintness of the objects and their lower luminosity relative to previously identified brown dwarfs in the Pleiades indicate that these faint YSOs are very young brown dwarfs on the order of 1 million years old.

  7. ROTATION PERIODS OF YOUNG BROWN DWARFS: K2 SURVEY IN UPPER SCORPIUS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Scholz, Alexander; Kostov, Veselin; Jayawardhana, Ray

    2015-08-20

    We report rotational periods for 16 young brown dwarfs in the nearby Upper Scorpius association, based on 72 days of high-cadence, high-precision photometry from the Keplerspace telescope’s K2 mission. The periods range from a few hours to two days (plus one outlier at five days), with a median just above one day, confirming that brown dwarfs, except at the very youngest ages, are fast rotators. Interestingly, four of the slowest rotators in our sample exhibit mid-infrared excess emission from disks; at least two also show signs of disk eclipses and accretion in the light curves. Comparing these new periods withmore » those for two other young clusters and simple angular momentum evolution tracks, we find little or no rotational braking in brown dwarfs between 1–10 Myr, in contrast to low-mass stars. Our findings show that disk braking, while still at work, is inefficient in the substellar regime, thus providing an important constraint on the mass dependence of the braking mechanism.« less

  8. A Search for Pulsation in Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cody, Ann Marie

    2012-05-01

    In 2005, Palla and Baraffe proposed that brown dwarfs and very low mass stars (<0.1 solar masses) may be unstable to radial oscillations during the pre-main-sequence deuterium burning phase. With associated oscillation periods of 1--4 hours, this potentially new class of pulsation offers unprecedented opportunities to probe the interiors and evolution of low-mass objects in the 1--15 million year age range. Furthermore, several previous reports of short-period variability have suggested that deuterium-burning pulsation is in fact at work in young clusters. For my dissertation, I developed a photometric monitoring campaign to search for low-amplitude periodic variability in young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars using meter-class telescopes from both the ground and space. The resulting high-precision, high-cadence time-series photometry targeted four young clusters and achieved sensitivity to periodic oscillations with photometric amplitudes down to several millimagnitudes. This unprecedented variability census probed timescales ranging from minutes to weeks in a sample of 200 young, low-mass cluster members of IC 348, Sigma Orionis, Chamaeleon I, and Upper Scorpius. While I find a dearth of photometric periods under 10 hours, the campaign's high time resolution and precision have enabled detailed study of diverse light curve behavior in the clusters: rotational spot modulation, accretion signatures, and occultations by surrounding disk material. Analysis of the data has led to the establishment of a lower limit for the timescale of periodic photometric variability in young low-mass and substellar objects, an extension of the rotation period distribution to the brown dwarf regime, as well as insights into the connection between variability and circumstellar disks in the Sigma Orionis and Chamaeleon I clusters.

  9. JVLA Observations of Young Brown Dwarfs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rodríguez, Luis F.; Zapata, Luis A.; Palau, Aina, E-mail: l.rodriguez@crya.unam.mx, E-mail: l.zapata@crya.unam.mx, E-mail: a.palau@crya.unam.mx

    We present sensitive 3.0 cm JVLA radio continuum observations of six regions of low-mass star formation that include twelve young brown dwarfs (BDs) and four young BD candidates. We detect a total of 49 compact radio sources in the fields observed, of which 24 have no reported counterparts and are considered new detections. Twelve of the radio sources show variability in timescales of weeks to months, suggesting gyrosynchrotron emission produced in active magnetospheres. Only one of the target BDs, FU Tau A, was detected. However, we detected radio emission associated with two of the BD candidates, WL 20S and CHLTmore » 2. The radio flux densities of the sources associated with these BD candidates are more than an order of magnitude larger than expected for a BD and suggest a revision of their classification. In contrast, FU Tau A falls on the well-known correlation between radio luminosity and bolometric luminosity, suggesting that the emission comes from a thermal jet and that this BD seems to be forming as a scaled-down version of low-mass stars.« less

  10. VLA Observations of the Disk around the Young Brown Dwarf 2MASS J044427+2512

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ricci, L.; Rome, H.; Pinilla, P.

    We present multi-wavelength radio observations obtained with the VLA of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young brown dwarf 2MASS J04442713+2512164 (2M0444) in the Taurus star-forming region. 2M0444 is the brightest known brown dwarf disk at millimeter wavelengths, making this an ideal target to probe radio emission from a young brown dwarf. Thermal emission from dust in the disk is detected at 6.8 and 9.1 mm, whereas the 1.36 cm measured flux is dominated by ionized gas emission. We combine these data with previous observations at shorter sub-mm and mm wavelengths to test the predictions of dust evolution models in gas-richmore » disks after adapting their parameters to the case of 2M0444. These models show that the radial drift mechanism affecting solids in a gaseous environment has to be either completely made inefficient, or significantly slowed down by very strong gas pressure bumps in order to explain the presence of mm/cm-sized grains in the outer regions of the 2M0444 disk. We also discuss the possible mechanisms for the origin of the ionized gas emission detected at 1.36 cm. The inferred radio luminosity for this emission is in line with the relation between radio and bolometric luminosity valid for for more massive and luminous young stellar objects, and extrapolated down to the very low luminosity of the 2M0444 brown dwarf.« less

  11. Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets Around Young Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahmud, Naved; Crockett, C.; Johns-Krull, C.; Prato, L.; Hartigan, P.; Jaffe, D.; Beichman, C.

    2011-01-01

    How dry is the brown dwarf (BD) desert at young ages? Previous radial velocity (RV) surveys have revealed that the frequency of BDs as close companions to solar-age stars in the field is extraordinarily low compared to the frequency of close planetary and stellar companions. Is this a formation or an evolutionary effect? Do close-in BDs form at lower rates, or are they destroyed by migration via interactions with a massive circumstellar disk, followed by assimilation into the parent star? To answer these questions, we are conducting an RV survey of 130 T Tauri stars in Taurus-Auriga (a few Myr old) and a dozen stars in the Pleiades (100 Myr old) to search for stellar reflex motions resulting from close substellar companions. Our goal is to measure the frequency of BDs at young ages. Detecting a higher frequency of BDs in young systems relative to the field will provide evidence for the migration theory as well as set limits on the migration timescale. Two additional goals are (1) to investigate the effect of star spots in young stars on RV observations, and (2) to detect the youngest-known giant exoplanet. We present results from the first few years of this survey. Strikingly, after completing observations of a third of our sample, we have yet to detect a single BD. Thus we can set limits on the dryness of the BD desert at young ages and shed light on the mysterious early lives of these objects.

  12. Brown dwarfs in young stellar clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stringfellow, Guy S.

    1991-01-01

    The present calculations of the early evolution of brown dwarfs and very low mass stars (LMSs) yield isochrones spanning 0.01-0.2 solar masses for ages in the 1 to 300 million year range. Since the brown dwarfs remain sharply segregated in T(eff) from LMSs for ages of less than 100 million years, it follows that for coeval populations of known age, a domain exists in the H-R diagram in which only brown dwarfs exist. These theoretical results are compared with recent observations of the Pleiades brown dwarf candidates, using two new sets of color-T(eff) transformations. Both sets yield consistent interpretations.

  13. BROWN DWARFS IN YOUNG MOVING GROUPS FROM PAN-STARRS1. I. AB DORADUS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aller, Kimberly M.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.

    Substellar members of young (≲150 Myr) moving groups are valuable benchmarks to empirically define brown dwarf evolution with age and to study the low-mass end of the initial mass function. We have combined Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) proper motions with optical–IR photometry from PS1, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and WISE to search for substellar members of the AB Dor Moving Group within ≈50 pc and with spectral types of late M to early L, corresponding to masses down to ≈30 M {sub Jup} at the age of the group (≈125 Myr). Including both photometry and proper motions allows us tomore » better select candidates by excluding field dwarfs whose colors are similar to young AB Dor Moving Group members. Our near-IR spectroscopy has identified six ultracool dwarfs (M6–L4; ≈30–100 M {sub Jup}) with intermediate surface gravities (int-g) as candidate members of the AB Dor Moving Group. We find another two candidate members with spectra showing hints of youth but consistent with field gravities. We also find four field brown dwarfs unassociated with the AB Dor Moving Group, three of which have int-g gravity classification. While signatures of youth are present in the spectra of our ≈125 Myr objects, neither their J – K nor W 1 – W 2 colors are significantly redder than field dwarfs with the same spectral types, unlike younger ultracool dwarfs. We also determined PS1 parallaxes for eight of our candidates and one previously identified AB Dor Moving Group candidate. Although radial velocities (and parallaxes, for some) are still needed to fully assess membership, these new objects provide valuable insight into the spectral characteristics and evolution of young brown dwarfs.« less

  14. "Brown Paper Packages"? A Sociocultural Perspective on Young Children's Ideas in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Jill

    2005-01-01

    How do we see young children's thinking in science? Is it, as much previous research has led us to believe, that their ideas can be neatly boxed like "brown paper packages tied up with strings"--as the song from "The Sound of Music" goes? Or are their ideas like "wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings" ("Sound of Music"): fluid, complex,…

  15. Effect of Chronic Athletic Activity on Brown Fat in Young Women.

    PubMed

    Singhal, Vibha; Maffazioli, Giovana D; Ackerman, Kate E; Lee, Hang; Elia, Elisa F; Woolley, Ryan; Kolodny, Gerald; Cypess, Aaron M; Misra, Madhusmita

    2016-01-01

    The effect of chronic exercise activity on brown adipose tissue (BAT) is not clear, with some studies showing positive and others showing negative associations. Chronic exercise is associated with increased resting energy expenditure (REE) secondary to increased lean mass and a probable increase in BAT. Many athletes are in a state of relative energy deficit suggested by lower fat mass and hypothalamic amenorrhea. States of severe energy deficit such as anorexia nervosa are associated with reduced BAT. There are no data regarding the impact of chronic exercise activity on BAT volume or activity in young women and it is unclear whether relative energy deficiency modifies the effects of exercise on BAT. We assessed cold induced BAT volume and activity in young female athletes compared with non-athletes, and further evaluated associations of BAT with measures of REE, body composition and menstrual status. The protocol was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to study initiation. This was a cross-sectional study of 24 women (16 athletes and8 non-athletes) between 18-25 years of age. Athletes were either oligo-amenorrheic (n = 8) or eumenorrheic (n = 8).We used PET/CT scans to determine cold induced BAT activity, VMAX Encore 29 metabolic cart to obtain measures of REE, and DXA for body composition. Athletes and non-athletes did not differ for age or BMI. Compared with non-athletes, athletes had lower percent body fat (p = 0.002), higher percent lean mass (p = 0.01) and trended higher in REE (p = 0.09). BAT volume and activity in athletes trended lower than in non-athletes (p = 0.06; p = 0.07, respectively). We found negative associations of BAT activity with duration of amenorrhea (r = -0.46, p = 0.02).BAT volume correlated inversely with lean mass (r = -0.46, p = 0.02), and positively with percent body fat, irisin and thyroid hormones. Our study shows a trend for lower BAT in young female athletes

  16. Effect of Chronic Athletic Activity on Brown Fat in Young Women

    PubMed Central

    Singhal, Vibha; Maffazioli, Giovana D.; Ackerman, Kate E.; Lee, Hang; Elia, Elisa F.; Woolley, Ryan; Kolodny, Gerald; Cypess, Aaron M.; Misra, Madhusmita

    2016-01-01

    Background The effect of chronic exercise activity on brown adipose tissue (BAT) is not clear, with some studies showing positive and others showing negative associations. Chronic exercise is associated with increased resting energy expenditure (REE) secondary to increased lean mass and a probable increase in BAT. Many athletes are in a state of relative energy deficit suggested by lower fat mass and hypothalamic amenorrhea. States of severe energy deficit such as anorexia nervosa are associated with reduced BAT. There are no data regarding the impact of chronic exercise activity on BAT volume or activity in young women and it is unclear whether relative energy deficiency modifies the effects of exercise on BAT. Purpose We assessed cold induced BAT volume and activity in young female athletes compared with non-athletes, and further evaluated associations of BAT with measures of REE, body composition and menstrual status. Methods The protocol was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to study initiation. This was a cross-sectional study of 24 women (16 athletes and8 non-athletes) between 18–25 years of age. Athletes were either oligo-amenorrheic (n = 8) or eumenorrheic (n = 8).We used PET/CT scans to determine cold induced BAT activity, VMAX Encore 29 metabolic cart to obtain measures of REE, and DXA for body composition. Results Athletes and non-athletes did not differ for age or BMI. Compared with non-athletes, athletes had lower percent body fat (p = 0.002), higher percent lean mass (p = 0.01) and trended higher in REE (p = 0.09). BAT volume and activity in athletes trended lower than in non-athletes (p = 0.06; p = 0.07, respectively). We found negative associations of BAT activity with duration of amenorrhea (r = -0.46, p = 0.02).BAT volume correlated inversely with lean mass (r = -0.46, p = 0.02), and positively with percent body fat, irisin and thyroid hormones. Conclusions Our study

  17. Ozone Induces Glucose Intolerance and Systemic Metabolic Effects in Young and Aged Brown Norway Rats

    EPA Science Inventory

    Air pollutants have been associated with increased diabetes in humans. We hypothesized that ozone could impair glucose homeostasis by altering insulin signaling and/or endoplasmic reticular (ER) stress in very young and aged rats. Brown Norway (BN) rats, 1,4, 12, and 24 months ol...

  18. Polarization of Young Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manjavacas, Elena; Miles-Páez, Paulo A.; Zapatero-Osorio, Maria Rosa; Goldman, Bertrand; Buenzli, Esther; Henning, Thomas; Pallé, Enric

    2016-08-01

    Linear polarization due to scattering processes can be used as a probe of the existence of atmospheric condensates in ultracool dwarfs. Models predict that the observed linear polarization increases with the degree of oblateness, which is inverse to the surface gravity.We aimed to measure optical linear polarization from a sample of six young brown dwarfs, with spectral types between M6 to L2, and cataloged previously as objects with low gravity using spectroscopy. These targets are believed to have dusty atmospheres as a consequence of their low gravity, therefore linearly polarized light is expected from these objects.Linear polarimetric data were collected in I and R-band using CAFOS at the 2.2m telescope in Calar Alto Observatory.We obtained results of linear polarization in the I-band compatible with non polarization for all the objects, and similar results for the polarization degree in the R-band for all objects with the exception of 2M0422. For this object we find a linear polarization degree of 0.81+-0.18%. 2M0422 is 10 deg to the south of the Taurus star-forming region, thus, we suspect that its polarization is caused by the dust in the cloud in which 2M0422 might be embedded.

  19. [Human brown adipose tissue].

    PubMed

    Virtanen, Kirsi A; Nuutila, Pirjo

    2015-01-01

    Adult humans have heat-producing and energy-consuming brown adipose tissue in the clavicular region of the neck. There are two types of brown adipose cells, the so-called classic and beige adipose cells. Brown adipose cells produce heat by means of uncoupler protein 1 (UCP1) from fatty acids and sugar. By applying positron emission tomography (PET) measuring the utilization of sugar, the metabolism of brown fat has been shown to multiply in the cold, presumably influencing energy consumption. Active brown fat is most likely present in young adults, persons of normal weight and women, least likely in obese persons.

  20. Multiplicity among Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmic, Mirza; Jayawardhana, Ray; Brandeker, Alexis; Scholz, Alexander; van Kerkwijk, Marten H.; Delgado-Donate, Eduardo; Froebrich, Dirk

    2007-12-01

    We report on a near-infrared adaptive optics imaging survey of 31 young brown dwarfs and very low mass (VLM) stars, 28 of which are in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, using the ESO Very Large Telescope. We resolve the suspected 0.16'' (~26 AU) binary Cha Hα 2 and present two new binaries, Hn 13 and CHXR 15, with separations of 0.13'' (~20 AU) and 0.30'' (~50 AU), respectively; the latter is one of the widest VLM systems known. We find a binary frequency of 11+9-6%, thus confirming the trend for a lower binary frequency with decreasing mass. By combining our work with previous surveys, we arrive at the largest sample of young VLM objects (72) with high angular resolution imaging to date. Its multiplicity fraction is in statistical agreement with that for VLM objects in the field. Furthermore, we note that many field stellar binaries with lower binding energies and/or wider cross sections have survived dynamical evolution and that statistical models suggest tidal disruption by passing stars is unlikely to affect the binary properties of our systems. Thus, we argue that there is no significant evolution of multiplicity with age among brown dwarfs and VLM stars in OB and T associations between a few megayears to several gigayears. Instead, the observations so far suggest that VLM objects are either less likely to be born in fragile multiple systems than solar-mass stars or such systems are disrupted very early. We dedicate this paper to the memory of our coauthor, Eduardo Delgado-Donate, who died in a hiking accident in Tenerife earlier this year.

  1. A Self-consistent Cloud Model for Brown Dwarfs and Young Giant Exoplanets: Comparison with Photometric and Spectroscopic Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Charnay, B.; Bézard, B.; Baudino, J.-L.; Bonnefoy, M.; Boccaletti, A.; Galicher, R.

    2018-02-01

    We developed a simple, physical, and self-consistent cloud model for brown dwarfs and young giant exoplanets. We compared different parametrizations for the cloud particle size, by fixing either particle radii or the mixing efficiency (parameter f sed), or by estimating particle radii from simple microphysics. The cloud scheme with simple microphysics appears to be the best parametrization by successfully reproducing the observed photometry and spectra of brown dwarfs and young giant exoplanets. In particular, it reproduces the L–T transition, due to the condensation of silicate and iron clouds below the visible/near-IR photosphere. It also reproduces the reddening observed for low-gravity objects, due to an increase of cloud optical depth for low gravity. In addition, we found that the cloud greenhouse effect shifts chemical equilibrium, increasing the abundances of species stable at high temperature. This effect should significantly contribute to the strong variation of methane abundance at the L–T transition and to the methane depletion observed on young exoplanets. Finally, we predict the existence of a continuum of brown dwarfs and exoplanets for absolute J magnitude = 15–18 and J-K color = 0–3, due to the evolution of the L–T transition with gravity. This self-consistent model therefore provides a general framework to understand the effects of clouds and appears well-suited for atmospheric retrievals.

  2. Modular Spectral Inference Framework Applied to Young Stars and Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gully-Santiago, Michael A.; Marley, Mark S.

    2017-01-01

    In practice, synthetic spectral models are imperfect, causing inaccurate estimates of stellar parameters. Using forward modeling and statistical inference, we derive accurate stellar parameters for a given observed spectrum by emulating a grid of precomputed spectra to track uncertainties. Spectral inference as applied to brown dwarfs re: Synthetic spectral models (Marley et al 1996 and 2014) via the newest grid spans a massive multi-dimensional grid applied to IGRINS spectra, improving atmospheric models for JWST. When applied to young stars(10Myr) with large starpots, they can be measured spectroscopically, especially in the near-IR with IGRINS.

  3. `Brown Paper Packages'? A Sociocultural Perspective on Young Children's Ideas in Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robbins, Jill

    2005-09-01

    How do we see young children's thinking in science? Is it, as much previous research has led us to believe, that their ideas can be neatly boxed like “brown paper packages tied up with strings” - as the song from The Sound of Music goes? Or are their ideas like “wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings” ( Sound of Music): fluid, complex, rich. . .? Drawing on the author's research into young children's ideas about natural phenomena such as the rain and clouds, and on Rogoff's three foci of analysis (personal, interpersonal and contextual), this paper illustrates how a consideration of sociocultural theory can be useful in framing research with young children, and allow us to see beyond the boxes. Emphasis is placed on recognising that children's thinking in science is embedded within particular sociocultural contexts, is guided by others and integrated with their use of certain mental and physical cultural tools. Thus, the article aims to present an alternative method for the generation of data on young children's thinking. Specific analysis of this data will, it is intended, be presented in a subsequent article.

  4. Multiplicity Among Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmic, Mirza; Jayawardhana, R.; Brandeker, A.; Scholz, A.; van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Delgado-Donate, E.; Froebrich, D.

    2007-05-01

    Characterizing multiplicity in the very low mass (VLM) domain is a topic of much current interest and fundamental importance. Here we report on a near-infrared adaptive optics imaging survey of 28 young brown dwarfs and VLM stars, 26 of which are in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, using the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our findings in Cha I -- the low multiplicity frequency of 8%, the preference for equal mass pairs, and the lack of wide binaries -- are strikingly similar to what has previously been reported for VLM objects in the field and in open clusters. Thus, we argue that there is no significant evolution of multiplicity with age among brown dwarfs and VLM stars between a few Myr to several Gyr. Instead, the observations to date suggest that VLM objects are either less likely to be born in wide multiple systems than solar mass stars or such systems are disrupted very early (within the first couple of Myr). Our results also imply that systems like 2MASSW J1207334-393254 and Oph 162225-240515, with planetary mass companions at wide separations, are rare. This research was supported by an NSERC grant, University of Toronto research funds and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

  5. BANYAN. V. A SYSTEMATIC ALL-SKY SURVEY FOR NEW VERY LATE-TYPE LOW-MASS STARS AND BROWN DWARFS IN NEARBY YOUNG MOVING GROUPS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gagné, Jonathan; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, René

    2015-01-10

    We present the BANYAN All-Sky Survey (BASS) catalog, consisting of 228 new late-type (M4-L6) candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMGs) with an expected false-positive rate of ∼13%. This sample includes 79 new candidate young brown dwarfs and 22 planetary-mass objects. These candidates were identified through the first systematic all-sky survey for late-type low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in YMGs. We cross-matched the Two Micron All Sky Survey and AllWISE catalogs outside of the galactic plane to build a sample of 98,970 potential ≥M5 dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and calculated their proper motions with typical precisions of 5-15more » mas yr{sup –1}. We selected highly probable candidate members of several YMGs from this sample using the Bayesian Analysis for Nearby Young AssociatioNs II tool (BANYAN II). We used the most probable statistical distances inferred from BANYAN II to estimate the spectral type and mass of these candidate YMG members. We used this unique sample to show tentative signs of mass segregation in the AB Doradus moving group and the Tucana-Horologium and Columba associations. The BASS sample has already been successful in identifying several new young brown dwarfs in earlier publications, and will be of great interest in studying the initial mass function of YMGs and for the search of exoplanets by direct imaging; the input sample of potential close-by ≥M5 dwarfs will be useful to study the kinematics of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and search for new proper motion pairs.« less

  6. Brown Dwarf Companion Frequencies and Dynamical Interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sterzik, Michael F.; Durisen, Richard H.

    2003-06-01

    Numerical simulations are used to explore how gravitational interactions within young multiple star systems may determine the binary properties of brown dwarfs. We compare different scenarios for cluster formation and decay and find that brown dwarf binaries, although possible, generally have a low frequency. We also discuss the frequencies of brown dwarf companions to normal stars expected from these models.

  7. A Brown Dwarf Joins the Jet-Set

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2007-05-01

    Jets of matter have been discovered around a very low mass 'failed star', mimicking a process seen in young stars. This suggests that these 'brown dwarfs' form in a similar manner to normal stars but also that outflows are driven out by objects as massive as hundreds of millions of solar masses down to Jupiter-sized objects. The brown dwarf with the name 2MASS1207-3932 is full of surprises [1]. Its companion, a 5 Jupiter-mass giant, was the first confirmed exoplanet for which astronomers could obtain an image (see ESO 23/04 and 12/05), thereby opening a new field of research - the direct detection of alien worlds. It was then later found (see ESO 19/06) that the brown dwarf has a disc surrounding it, not unlike very young stars. ESO PR Photo 24/07 ESO PR Photo 24/07 Jets from a Brown Dwarf (Artist's Impression) Now, astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) have found that the young brown dwarf is also spewing jets, a behaviour again quite similar to young stars. The mass of the brown dwarf is only 24 Jupiter-masses. Hence, it is by far the smallest object known to drive an outflow. "This leads us to the tantalizing prospect that young giant planets could also be associated with outflows," says Emma Whelan, the lead-author of the paper reporting the results. The outflows were discovered using an amazing technique known as spectro-astrometry, based on high resolution spectra taken with UVES on the VLT. Such a technique was required due to the difficulty of the task. While in normal young stars - known as T-Tauri stars for the prototype of their class - the jets are large and bright enough to be seen directly, this is not the case around brown dwarfs: the length scale of the jets, recovered with spectro-astrometry is only about 0.1 arcsecond long, that is, the size of a two Euro coin seen from 40 km away. The jets stretch about 1 billion kilometres and the material is rushing away from the brown dwarf with a speed of a few kilometres per second. The

  8. Young Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets as Companions to Weak-Line T Tauri Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandner, Wolfgang; Frink, Sabine; Kohler, Rainer; Kunkel, Michael

    Weak-line T Tauri stars, contrary to classical T Tauri stars, no longer possess massive circumstellar disks. In weak-line T Tauri stars, the circumstellar matter was either accreted onto the T Tauri star or has been redistributed. Disk instabilities in the outer disk might result in the formation of brown dwarfs and giant planets. Based on photometric and spectroscopic studies of ROSAT sources, we have selected an initial sample of 200 weak-line T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon T association and the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association. In the course of follow-up observations, we identified visual and spectroscopic binary stars and excluded them from our final list, as the complex dynamics and gravitational interaction in binary systems might aggravate or even completely inhibit the formation of planets (depending on physical separation of the binary components and their mass ratio). The membership of individual stars to the associations was established from proper motion studies and radial velocity surveys. Our final sample consists of 70 single weak-line T Tauri stars. We have initiated a program to spatially resolve young brown dwarfs and young giant planets as companions to single weak-line T Tauri stars using adaptive optics at the ESO 3.6 m telescope and HST/NICMOS. In this poster we describe the observing strategy and present first results of our adaptive optics observations. An update on the program status can be found at http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~brandner/text/bd/bd.html

  9. Late summer and fall use of stream margins by young-of year brown trout in a high-elevation stream

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    La Voie, W. J.; Hubert, W.A.

    1997-01-01

    We determined the relative abundance of young-of-year (YOY) brown trout (Salmo trutta) from late summer to fall during day and night in stream margin habitats of Douglas Creek, Wyoming. No significant differences in relative abundance were observed from August 14 through October 26. Few YOY brown trout were observed during the day over the entire sampling period, but significantly greater numbers were seen at night. Within stream margins, YOY brown trout of 36-75 mm total length primarily resided in concealment cover among interstices of cobbie during the day and emerged at night. Because no significant change in relative abundance was observed throughout the study period, we conclude that a shift to winter habitat did not occur up until three days prior to ice formation when the diurnal range in water temperature was 2.5-7.5??C.

  10. Testing the existence of optical linear polarization in young brown dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manjavacas, E.; Miles-Páez, P. A.; Zapatero-Osorio, M. R.; Goldman, B.; Buenzli, E.; Henning, T.; Pallé, E.; Fang, M.

    2017-07-01

    Linear polarization can be used as a probe of the existence of atmospheric condensates in ultracool dwarfs. Models predict that the observed linear polarization increases with the degree of oblateness, which is inversely proportional to the surface gravity. We aimed to test the existence of optical linear polarization in a sample of bright young brown dwarfs, with spectral types between M6 and L2, observable from the Calar Alto Observatory, and cataloged previously as low gravity objects using spectroscopy. Linear polarimetric images were collected in I and R band using CAFOS at the 2.2-m telescope in Calar Alto Observatory (Spain). The flux ratio method was employed to determine the linear polarization degrees. With a confidence of 3σ, our data indicate that all targets have a linear polarimetry degree in average below 0.69 per cent in the I band, and below 1.0 per cent in the R band, at the time they were observed. We detected significant (I.e. P/σ ≥ 3) linear polarization for the young M6 dwarf 2MASS J04221413+1530525 in the R band, with a degree of p* = 0.81 ± 0.17 per cent.

  11. Sonora: A New Generation Model Atmosphere Grid for Brown Dwarfs and Young Extrasolar Giant Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marley, Mark S.; Saumon, Didier; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Morley, Caroline; Lupu, Roxana E.; Freedman, Richard; Visscher, Channon

    2017-06-01

    Brown dwarf and giant planet atmospheric structure and composition has been studied both by forward models and, increasingly so, by retrieval methods. While indisputably informative, retrieval methods are of greatest value when judged in the context of grid model predictions. Meanwhile retrieval models can test the assumptions inherent in the forward modeling procedure.In order to provide a new, systematic survey of brown dwarf atmospheric structure, emergent spectra, and evolution, we have constructed a new grid of brown dwarf model atmospheres. We ultimately aim for our grid to span substantial ranges of atmospheric metallilcity, C/O ratios, cloud properties, atmospheric mixing, and other parameters. Spectra predicted by our modeling grid can be compared to both observations and retrieval results to aid in the interpretation and planning of future telescopic observations.We thus present Sonora, a new generation of substellar atmosphere models, appropriate for application to studies of L, T, and Y-type brown dwarfs and young extrasolar giant planets. The models describe the expected temperature-pressure profile and emergent spectra of an atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium for ranges of effective temperatures and gravities encompassing 200 ≤ Teff ≤ 2400 K and 2.5 ≤ log g ≤ 5.5. In our poster we briefly describe our modeling methodology, enumerate various updates since our group's previous models, and present our initial tranche of models for cloudless, solar metallicity, and solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio, chemical equilibrium atmospheres. These models will be available online and will be updated as opacities and cloud modeling methods continue to improve.

  12. The Young and the Restless: Revealing the Turbulent, Cloudy Nature of Young Brown Dwarfs and Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faherty, Jacqueline; Cruz, Kelle; Rice, Emily; Gagne, Jonathan; Marley, Mark; Gizis, John

    2018-05-01

    Emerging as an important insight into cool-temperature atmospheric physics is evidence for a correlation between enhanced clouds and youth. With this Spitzer Cycle 14 large GO program, we propose to obtain qualifying evidence for this hypothesis using an age calibrated sample of brown dwarf-exoplanet analogs recently discovered and characterized by team members. Using Spitzer's unparalleled ability to conduct uninterrupted, high-cadence observations over numerous hours, we will examine the periodic brightness variations at 3.5 microns, where clouds are thought to be most disruptive to emergent flux. Compared to older sources, theory predicts that younger or lower-surface gravity objects will have cooler brightness temperatures at 3.5 microns and larger peak to peak amplitude variations due to higher altitude, more turbulent clouds. Therefore we propose to obtain light curves for 26 sources that span L3-L8 spectral types (Teff 2500-1700 K), 20-130 Myr ages, and predicted 8-30 MJup masses. Comparing to the variability trends and statistics of field (3-5 Gyr) Spitzer Space Telescope General Observer Proposal equivalents currently being monitored by Spitzer, we will have unequivocal evidence for (or against) the turbulent atmospheric nature of younger sources. Coupling this Spitzer dataset with the multitude of spectral information we have on each source, the light curves obtained through this proposal will form the definitive library of data for investigating atmosphere dynamics (rotation rates, winds, storms, changing cloud structures) in young giant exoplanets and brown dwarfs.

  13. Young Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in IC 348

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luhman, K. L.

    1999-11-01

    I present new results from a continuing program to identify and characterize the low-mass stellar and substellar populations in the young cluster IC 348 (0.5-10 Myr). Optical spectroscopy has revealed young objects with spectral types as late as M8.25. The intrinsic J-H and H-K colors of these sources are dwarflike, whereas the R-I and I-J colors appear intermediate between the colors of dwarfs and giants. Furthermore, the spectra from 6500 to 9500 Å are reproduced well with averages of standard dwarf and giant spectra, suggesting that such averages should be used in the classification of young late-type sources. An H-R diagram is constructed for the low-mass population in IC 348 (K6-M8). The presumably coeval components of the young quadruple system GG Tau (White et al.) and the locus of stars in IC 348 are used as empirical isochrones to test the theoretical evolutionary models. The calculations of Burrows et al. do not appear to be consistent with the data at these earliest stages of stellar evolution. There is fair agreement between the data and the model isochrones of D'Antona & Mazzitelli, except near the hydrogen-burning limit. The agreement cannot be improved by changing the conversion between spectral types and effective temperatures. On the other hand, for the models of Baraffe et al., an adjustment of the temperature scale to progressively warmer temperatures at later M types, intermediate between dwarfs and giants, brings all components of GG Tau onto the same model isochrone and gives the population of IC 348 a constant age and age spread as a function of mass. When other observational constraints are considered, such as the dynamical masses of GM Aur, DM Tau, and GG Tau A, the models of Baraffe et al. are the most consistent with observations of young systems. With compatible temperature scales, the models of both D'Antona & Mazzitelli and Baraffe et al. suggest that the hydrogen-burning mass limit occurs near M6 at ages of <~10 Myr. Thus, several

  14. Examining Cloud, Metallicity, and Gravity signatures in Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzales, Eileen; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne; BDNYC

    2018-01-01

    The nearby solar neighborhood is littered with low mass, low temperature objects called brown dwarfs. This population of ultracool objects do not have enough mass to sustain stable hydrogen burning so they never enter the main sequence and simply cool through time. Brown dwarfs span effective temperatures in the range 250 to 3000K. They also have age dependent observable properties. Young brown dwarfs appear to have redder near infrared colors than field age sources, while old objects tend to have bluer colors. Over the past several years, the research group entitled “Brown Dwarfs in New York City” (BDNYC) has been collecting optical, near and mid-infrared spectra, as well as photometry for sources that have well defined distances. In this poster, I will compare the distance calibrated spectral energy distributions of a sample of old, young, and field age brown dwarfs of the same effective temperature. In so doing, I will discern observables linked to gravity, atmosphere, metallicity and age effects.

  15. A resolved outflow of matter from a brown dwarf.

    PubMed

    Whelan, Emma T; Ray, Thomas P; Bacciotti, Francesca; Natta, Antonella; Testi, Leonardo; Randich, Sofia

    2005-06-02

    The birth of stars involves not only accretion but also, counter-intuitively, the expulsion of matter in the form of highly supersonic outflows. Although this phenomenon has been seen in young stars, a fundamental question is whether it also occurs among newborn brown dwarfs: these are the so-called 'failed stars', with masses between stars and planets, that never manage to reach temperatures high enough for normal hydrogen fusion to occur. Recently, evidence for accretion in young brown dwarfs has mounted, and their spectra show lines that are suggestive of outflows. Here we report spectro-astrometric data that spatially resolve an outflow from a brown dwarf. The outflow's characteristics appear similar to, but on a smaller scale than, outflows from normal young stars. This result suggests that the outflow mechanism is universal, and perhaps relevant even to the formation of planets.

  16. Initial Results from the Palomar Adaptive Optics Survey of Young Solar-Type Stars: A Brown Dwarf and Three Stellar Companions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metchev, Stanimir A.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.

    2004-12-01

    We present first results from the Palomar Adaptive Optics Survey of Young Stars conducted at the Hale 5 m telescope. Through direct imaging we have discovered a brown dwarf and two low-mass stellar companions to the young solar-type stars HD 49197, HD 129333 (EK Dra), and V522 Per and confirmed a previously suspected companion to RX J0329.1+0118 (Sterzik et al.), at respective separations of 0.95" (43 AU), 0.74" (25 AU), 2.09" (400 AU), and 3.78" (380 AU). Physical association of each binary system is established through common proper motion and/or low-resolution infrared spectroscopy. Based on the companion spectral types, we estimate their masses at 0.06, 0.20, 0.13, and 0.20 Msolar, respectively. From analysis of our imaging data combined with archival radial velocity data, we find that the spatially resolved companion to HD 129333 is potentially identical to the previously identified spectroscopic companion to this star (Duquennoy & Mayor). However, a discrepancy with the absolute magnitude suggests that the two companions could also be distinct, with the resolved one being the outermost component of a triple system. The brown dwarf HD 49197B is a new member of a growing list of directly imaged substellar companions at 10-1000 AU separations from main-sequence stars, indicating that such brown dwarfs may be more common than initially speculated.

  17. Sonora: A New Generation Model Atmosphere Grid for Brown Dwarfs and Young Extrasolar Giant Planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marley, Mark S.; Saumon, Didier; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Morley, Caroline; Lupu, Roxana Elena; Freedman, Richard; Visscher, Channon

    2017-01-01

    Brown dwarf and giant planet atmospheric structure and composition has been studied both by forward models and, increasingly so, by retrieval methods. While indisputably informative, retrieval methods are of greatest value when judged in the context of grid model predictions. Meanwhile retrieval models can test the assumptions inherent in the forward modeling procedure. In order to provide a new, systematic survey of brown dwarf atmospheric structure, emergent spectra, and evolution, we have constructed a new grid of brown dwarf model atmospheres. We ultimately aim for our grid to span substantial ranges of atmospheric metallilcity, C/O ratios, cloud properties, atmospheric mixing, and other parameters. Spectra predicted by our modeling grid can be compared to both observations and retrieval results to aid in the interpretation and planning of future telescopic observations. We thus present Sonora, a new generation of substellar atmosphere models, appropriate for application to studies of L, T, and Y-type brown dwarfs and young extrasolar giant planets. The models describe the expected temperature-pressure profile and emergent spectra of an atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium for ranges of effective temperatures and gravities encompassing 200 less than or equal to T(sub eff) less than or equal to 2400 K and 2.5 less than or equal to log g less than or equal to 5.5. In our poster we briefly describe our modeling methodology, enumerate various updates since our group's previous models, and present our initial tranche of models for cloudless, solar metallicity, and solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio, chemical equilibrium atmospheres. These models will be available online and will be updated as opacities and cloud modeling methods continue to improve.

  18. K2 Ultracool Dwarfs Survey. II. The White Light Flare Rate of Young Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gizis, John E.; Paudel, Rishi R.; Mullan, Dermott; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Williams, Peter K. G.

    2017-08-01

    We use Kepler K2 Campaign 4 short-cadence (one-minute) photometry to measure white light flares in the young, moving group brown dwarfs 2MASS J03350208+2342356 (2M0335+23) and 2MASS J03552337+1133437 (2M0355+11), and report on long-cadence (thirty-minute) photometry of a superflare in the Pleiades M8 brown dwarf CFHT-PL-17. The rotation period (5.24 hr) and projected rotational velocity (45 km s-1) confirm 2M0335+23 is inflated (R≥slant 0.20 {R}⊙ ) as predicted for a 0.06 {M}⊙ , 24 Myr old brown dwarf βPic moving group member. We detect 22 white light flares on 2M0335+23. The flare frequency distribution follows a power-law distribution with slope -α =-1.8+/- 0.2 over the range 1031 to 1033 erg. This slope is similar to that observed in the Sun and warmer flare stars, and is consistent with lower-energy flares in previous work on M6-M8 very-low-mass stars; taking the two data sets together, the flare frequency distribution for ultracool dwarfs is a power law over 4.3 orders of magnitude. The superflare (2.6× {10}34 erg) on CFHT-PL-17 shows higher-energy flares are possible. We detect no flares down to a limit of 2× {10}30 erg in the nearby L5γ AB Dor moving group brown dwarf 2M0355+11, consistent with the view that fast magnetic reconnection is suppressed in cool atmospheres. We discuss two multi-peaked flares observed in 2M0335+23, and argue that these complex flares can be understood as sympathetic flares, in which fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic waves similar to extreme-ultraviolet waves in the Sun trigger magnetic reconnection in different active regions.

  19. Under the radar: mitigating enigmatic ecological impacts.

    PubMed

    Raiter, Keren G; Possingham, Hugh P; Prober, Suzanne M; Hobbs, Richard J

    2014-11-01

    Identifying the deleterious ecological effects of developments, such as roads, mining, and urban expansion, is essential for informing development decisions and identifying appropriate mitigation actions. However, there are many types of ecological impacts that slip 'under the radar' of conventional impact evaluations and undermine the potential for successful impact mitigation (including offsets). These 'enigmatic' impacts include those that are small but act cumulatively; those outside of the area directly considered in the evaluation; those not detectable with the methods, paradigms, or spatiotemporal scales used to detect them; those facilitated, but not directly caused, by development; and synergistic impact interactions. Here, we propose a framework for conceptualising enigmatic impacts and discuss ways to address them. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Spectral energy distribution simulations of a possible ring structure around the young, red brown dwarf G 196-3 B

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakhozhay, Olga V.; Zapatero Osorio, María Rosa; Béjar, Víctor J. S.; Boehler, Yann

    2017-01-01

    The origin of the very red optical and infrared colours of intermediate-age (˜10-500 Myr) L-type dwarfs remains unknown. It has been suggested that low-gravity atmospheres containing large amounts of dust may account for the observed reddish nature. We explored an alternative scenario by simulating debris disc around G 196-3 B, which is an L3 young brown dwarf with a mass of ˜15 MJup and an age in the interval 20-300 Myr. The best-fit solution to G 196-3 B's photometric spectral energy distribution from optical wavelengths through 24 μm corresponds to the combination of an unreddened L3 atmosphere (Teff ≈ 1870 K) and a warm (≈1280 K), narrow (≈0.07-0.11 R⊙) debris disc located at very close distances (≈0.12-0.20 R⊙) from the central brown dwarf. This putative, optically thick, dusty belt, whose presence is compatible with the relatively young system age, would have a mass ≥7 × 10-10 M⊕ comprised of submicron/micron characteristic dusty particles with temperatures close to the sublimation threshold of silicates. Considering the derived global properties of the belt and the disc-to-brown dwarf mass ratio, the dusty ring around G 196-3 B may resemble the rings of Neptune and Jupiter, except for its high temperature and thick vertical height (≈6 × 103 km). Our inferred debris disc model is able to reproduce G 196-3 B's spectral energy distribution to a satisfactory level of achievement.

  1. Understanding Young Exoplanet Analogs with WISE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rice, Emily

    We propose to tackle outstanding questions about the fundamental properties of young brown dwarfs, which are atmospheric analogs to massive gas giant exoplanets, using public archive data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) combined with our extensive dataset of optical and near-infrared observations, including spectra, proper motions, and parallaxes. Using WISE data we will construct color-color diagrams, color- magnitude diagrams, and spectral energy distributions for our sample of candidate young brown dwarfs. We will fully characterize the spectral properties of the candidates and evaluate their membership in nearby young moving groups in order to obtain independent age estimates. The practical outcomes of this project will allow the research community to use observed colors and spectra to reliably constrain the properties - including effective temperature, gravity, and dust/cloud properties - of both brown dwarfs and gas giant exoplanets. We will also search for new young brown dwarfs in the WISE archive using colors and proper motions. The expanded sample of young brown dwarfs will be used to create a self-contained feedback loop to identify and address the shortcomings of cool atmosphere models and low-mass evolutionary tracks, both of which are already being used to infer the properties of massive exoplanets. Disentangling the effects of physical parameters on the observed properties of young brown dwarfs is directly relevant to studies of exoplanets. Direct observations of exoplanets are currently very limited, and young brown dwarfs are the laboratories in which we can solve existing problems before the onslaught of new observations from instruments capable of directly imaging exoplanets, including the Gemini Planet Imager, Project 1640 at the Palomar Observatory, SPHERE on the VLT, and the James Webb Space Telescope. This project addresses the goal of the NASA Science Mission Directorate to discover how the universe works; in particular

  2. Recovery of young brown trout (Salmo trutta) in acidified streams: What are the critical values for acid-neutralizing capacity?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hesthagen, T.; Fiske, P.; Saksgård, R.

    2016-12-01

    The recovery of young allopatric brown trout (Salmo trutta) grouped into YoY (age 0+) and older parr (age ≥1+) fish, was studied in acid-sensitive streams in a Norwegian watershed during a 24-year-period (1987-2010). Their abundance was assessed by electrofishing. Most sites typically had 5.0-5.5 in pH, 0.4-0.7 mg L-1 Ca, 10-20 μg L-1 inorganic toxic aluminum (Ali) and acid-neutralizing capacity adjusted for organic acids (ANCOAA) of - 15 to +25 μeq L-1. Densities of both YoY and older parr increased significantly during the study period. Water quality also improved in recent years with respect to pH (5.8-6.0), Ali (5-15 μg L-1) and ANCOAA (10-20 μeq L-1). However, some negative trends in both fish density and water chemistry were found during both the first (1987-1993) and last years (2004-2008) of the study. Initially, YoY densities remained at about 16-20 specimens 100 m-2 (1987-1990), declined to 10-15 specimens 100 m-2 in the early/mid 1990s, and rosed to 30-50 specimens 100 m-2 in recent years (1997-2010). Their densities correlated significantly with ANCOAA, and at least three stages in the recovery process were recognised: (i) Low density with 10-20 specimens 100 m-2 at -18 to -5 μeq L-1, (ii) medium and unstable density with 20-30 specimens 100 m-2 at -5 to 10 μeq L-1, and (iii) increasing density to 40-50 specimens 100 m-2 at 10-25 μeq L-1. The decline in brown trout density in the early-mid 1990s coincided with high sea salt depositions, which caused increased acidification. Component 1 in a PCA explained 51% of the variation in fish densities, including conductivity, Mg, Ca, Na, alkalinity and TOC. Component 2 explained an additional 31% of the variation, including pH, Ali and ANCOAA. Multiple regression analysis coefficients showed that the two components explained 41% of the variance in total fish density. Young brown trout suffered a high mortality during the initial phase of the study in spite of relative low levels of Ali. This is

  3. Determining the Locations of Brown Dwarfs in Young Star Clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Porter, Lauren A.

    2005-01-01

    Brown dwarfs are stellar objects with masses less than 0.08 times that of the Sun that are unable to sustain nuclear fusion. Because of the lack of fusion, they are relatively cold, allowing the formation of methane and water molecules in their atmospheres. Brown dwarfs can be detected by examining stars' absorption spectra in the near-infrared to see whether methane and water are present. The objective of this research is to determine the locations of brown dwarfs in Rho Ophiuchus, a star cluster that is only 1 million years old. The cluster was observed in four filters in the near-infrared range using the Wide-Field Infra-Red Camera (WIRC) on the 100" DuPont Telescope and Persson's Auxiliary Nasymith Infrared Camera (PANIC) on the 6.5-m Magellan Telescope. By comparing the magnitude of a star in each of the four filters, an absorption spectrum can be formed. This project uses standard astronomical techniques to reduce raw frames into final images and perform photometry on them to obtain publishable data. Once this is done, it will be possible to determine the locations and magnitudes of brown dwarfs within the cluster.

  4. NEW BROWN DWARF COMPANIONS TO YOUNG STARS IN SCORPIUS-CENTAURUS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Janson, Markus; Jayawardhana, Ray; Bonavita, Mariangela

    2012-10-10

    We present the discoveries of three faint companions to young stars in the Scorpius-Centaurus region, imaged with the NICI instrument on Gemini South. We have confirmed all three companions through common proper motion tests. Follow-up spectroscopy has confirmed two of them, HIP 65423 B and HIP 65517 B, to be brown dwarfs, while the third, HIP 72099 B, is more likely a very low mass star just above the hydrogen burning limit. The detection of wide companions in the mass range of {approx}40-100 M{sub jup} complements previous work in the same region, reporting detections of similarly wide companions with lowermore » masses, in the range of {approx}10-30 M{sub jup}. Such low masses near the deuterium burning limit have raised the question of whether those objects formed like planets or stars. The existence of intermediate objects as reported here could represent a bridge between lower-mass companions and stellar companions, but in any case demonstrate that mass alone may not provide a clear-cut distinction for the formation of low-mass companions to stars.« less

  5. 21 CFR 890.3675 - Denis Brown splint.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3675 Denis Brown splint. (a... on young children with tibial torsion (excessive rotation of the lower leg) or club foot. (b...

  6. Polar and brown bear genomes reveal ancient admixture and demographic footprints of past climate change.

    PubMed

    Miller, Webb; Schuster, Stephan C; Welch, Andreanna J; Ratan, Aakrosh; Bedoya-Reina, Oscar C; Zhao, Fangqing; Kim, Hie Lim; Burhans, Richard C; Drautz, Daniela I; Wittekindt, Nicola E; Tomsho, Lynn P; Ibarra-Laclette, Enrique; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Peacock, Elizabeth; Farley, Sean; Sage, George K; Rode, Karyn; Obbard, Martyn; Montiel, Rafael; Bachmann, Lutz; Ingólfsson, Olafur; Aars, Jon; Mailund, Thomas; Wiig, Oystein; Talbot, Sandra L; Lindqvist, Charlotte

    2012-09-04

    Polar bears (PBs) are superbly adapted to the extreme Arctic environment and have become emblematic of the threat to biodiversity from global climate change. Their divergence from the lower-latitude brown bear provides a textbook example of rapid evolution of distinct phenotypes. However, limited mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence conflicts in the timing of PB origin as well as placement of the species within versus sister to the brown bear lineage. We gathered extensive genomic sequence data from contemporary polar, brown, and American black bear samples, in addition to a 130,000- to 110,000-y old PB, to examine this problem from a genome-wide perspective. Nuclear DNA markers reflect a species tree consistent with expectation, showing polar and brown bears to be sister species. However, for the enigmatic brown bears native to Alaska's Alexander Archipelago, we estimate that not only their mitochondrial genome, but also 5-10% of their nuclear genome, is most closely related to PBs, indicating ancient admixture between the two species. Explicit admixture analyses are consistent with ancient splits among PBs, brown bears and black bears that were later followed by occasional admixture. We also provide paleodemographic estimates that suggest bear evolution has tracked key climate events, and that PB in particular experienced a prolonged and dramatic decline in its effective population size during the last ca. 500,000 years. We demonstrate that brown bears and PBs have had sufficiently independent evolutionary histories over the last 4-5 million years to leave imprints in the PB nuclear genome that likely are associated with ecological adaptation to the Arctic environment.

  7. Polar and brown bear genomes reveal ancient admixture and demographic footprints of past climate change

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, Webb; Schuster, Stephan C.; Welch, Andreanna J.; Ratan, Aakrosh; Bedoya-Reina, Oscar C.; Zhao, Fangqing; Kim, Hie Lim; Burhans, Richard C.; Drautz, Daniela I.; Wittekindt, Nicola E.; Tomsho, Lynn P.; Ibarra-Laclette, Enrique; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Peacock, Elizabeth; Farley, Sean; Sage, George K.; Rode, Karyn D.; Obbard, Martyn E.; Montiel, Rafael; Bachmann, Lutz; Ingólfsson, Ólafur; Aars, Jon; Mailund, Thomas; Wiig, Øystein; Talbot, Sandra L.; Lindqvist, Charlotte

    2012-01-01

    Polar bears (PBs) are superbly adapted to the extreme Arctic environment and have become emblematic of the threat to biodiversity from global climate change. Their divergence from the lower-latitude brown bear provides a textbook example of rapid evolution of distinct phenotypes. However, limited mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence conflicts in the timing of PB origin as well as placement of the species within versus sister to the brown bear lineage. We gathered extensive genomic sequence data from contemporary polar, brown, and American black bear samples, in addition to a 130,000- to 110,000-y old PB, to examine this problem from a genome-wide perspective. Nuclear DNA markers reflect a species tree consistent with expectation, showing polar and brown bears to be sister species. However, for the enigmatic brown bears native to Alaska's Alexander Archipelago, we estimate that not only their mitochondrial genome, but also 5–10% of their nuclear genome, is most closely related to PBs, indicating ancient admixture between the two species. Explicit admixture analyses are consistent with ancient splits among PBs, brown bears and black bears that were later followed by occasional admixture. We also provide paleodemographic estimates that suggest bear evolution has tracked key climate events, and that PB in particular experienced a prolonged and dramatic decline in its effective population size during the last ca. 500,000 years. We demonstrate that brown bears and PBs have had sufficiently independent evolutionary histories over the last 4–5 million years to leave imprints in the PB nuclear genome that likely are associated with ecological adaptation to the Arctic environment.

  8. The link between rapid enigmatic amphibian decline and the globally emerging chytrid fungus.

    PubMed

    Lötters, Stefan; Kielgast, Jos; Bielby, Jon; Schmidtlein, Sebastian; Bosch, Jaime; Veith, Michael; Walker, Susan F; Fisher, Matthew C; Rödder, Dennis

    2009-09-01

    Amphibians are globally declining and approximately one-third of all species are threatened with extinction. Some of the most severe declines have occurred suddenly and for unknown reasons in apparently pristine habitats. It has been hypothesized that these "rapid enigmatic declines" are the result of a panzootic of the disease chytridiomycosis caused by globally emerging amphibian chytrid fungus. In a Species Distribution Model, we identified the potential distribution of this pathogen. Areas and species from which rapid enigmatic decline are known significantly overlap with those of highest environmental suitability to the chytrid fungus. We confirm the plausibility of a link between rapid enigmatic decline in worldwide amphibian species and epizootic chytridiomycosis.

  9. X-Rays Found From a Lightweight Brown Dwarf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2003-04-01

    Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, scientists have detected X-rays from a low mass brown dwarf in a multiple star system, which is as young as 12 million years old. This discovery is an important piece in an increasingly complex picture of how brown dwarfs - and perhaps the very massive planets around other stars - evolve. Chandra's observations of the brown dwarf, known as TWA 5B, clearly resolve it from a pair of Sun-like stars known as TWA 5A. The system is about 180 light years from the Sun and a member of a group of about a dozen young stars in the southern constellation Hydra. The brown dwarf orbits the binary stars at a distance about 2.75 times that of Pluto's orbit around the Sun. This is first time that a brown dwarf this close to its parent star(s) has been resolved in X-rays. "Our Chandra data show that the X-rays originate from the brown dwarf's coronal plasma which is some 3 million degrees Celsius," said Yohko Tsuboi of Chuo University in Tokyo and lead author of the April 10th issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters paper describing these results. "The brown dwarf is sufficiently far from the primary stars that the reflection of X-rays is unimportant, so the X-rays must come the brown dwarf itself." TWA 5B is estimated to be only between 15 and 40 times the mass of Jupiter, making it one of the least massive brown dwarfs known. Its mass is rather near the currently accepted boundary (about 12 Jupiter masses) between planets and brown dwarfs. Therefore, these results may also have implications for very massive planets, including those that have been discovered as extrasolar planets in recent years. Brown Dwarf size comparison schematic Brown Dwarf size comparison schematic "This brown dwarf is as bright as the Sun today in X-ray light, while it is fifty times less massive than the Sun," said Tsuboi. "This observation, thus, raises the possibility that even massive planets might emit X-rays by themselves during their youth!" This research on TWA 5

  10. VLA Detects Unexplained Radio Emission From Three Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2005-01-01

    Astronomers have discovered three brown dwarfs -- enigmatic objects that are neither stars nor planets -- emitting radio waves that scientists cannot explain. The three newly-discovered radio-emitting brown dwarfs were found as part of a systematic study of nearby brown dwarfs using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. The VLA The Very Large Array CREDIT: NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for VLA gallery) Until 2001, scientists believed that brown dwarfs, which are intermediate in mass between stars and planets, could not emit detectable amounts of radio waves. That year, summer students at the VLA made the first discovery of radio emission from a brown dwarf. Subsequently, as many as a half- dozen more radio-emitting brown dwarfs were discovered. "It clearly had become time to make a systematic study and try to find out just what percentage of brown dwarfs are emitting radio waves," said Rachel Osten, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia. Osten was assisted in the project in the summer of 2004 by Lynnae Quick, a student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Tim Bastian, also an astronomer at NRAO; and Suzanne Hawley, an astronomer at the University of Washington. The research team presented their results to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in San Diego, CA. The three new detections of radio-emitting brown dwarfs are just the first results from the systematic study, which aims to observe all the known brown dwarfs within about 45 light-years of Earth. "We want to be able to say definitively just how common radio emission is among brown dwarfs," Osten explained. The study involves observing 65 individual brown dwarfs, so these new detections represent just the beginning of the results expected from the study. Brown dwarfs are too big to be planets but too small to be true stars, as they have too little mass to trigger hydrogen fusion reactions

  11. NTT Observations Indicate that Brown Dwarfs Form Like Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2001-06-01

    Dusty Disks Detected around Very Young Substellar Objects in the Orion Nebula Summary An international team of astronomers [2] is announcing today the discovery of dusty disks surrounding numerous very faint objects that are believed to be recently formed Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula [3]. This finding is based on detailed observations with SOFI, a specialised infrared-sensitive instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory. It is of special interest because it sheds light on the origin and nature of substellar objects, known as "Brown Dwarfs" . In particular, these results suggest that Brown Dwarfs share a common origin with stars and that Brown Dwarfs are more similar in nature to stars than to planets and, like stars, have the potential to form with accompanying systems of planets. Moreover, the presence of dusty protoplanetary disks around the faintest objects in the Orion Nebula cluster confirms both the membership of these faint stars in the cluster and their nature as bona-fide substellar objects, making this the largest population of Brown Dwarf objects yet known . These important results are being reported today to the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Pasadena (California, USA). PR Photo 22a/01 : Infrared picture of the Orion Nebula (NTT + SOFI). PR Photo 22b/01 : "Finding Chart" for Very Young Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula. PR Photo 22c/01 : Animated GIF presentation of PR Photos 22a+b/01. Faint substellar objects in the Milky Way Over the past 5 years, several groups of astronomers have identified a type of very faint, substellar objects within our Milky Way galaxy. These gaseous objects have very low masses and will never shine like normal stars because they cannot achieve central temperatures high enough for sustained thermal nuclear reactions to occur in their cores. Such objects weigh less than about 7% of our Sun and have been variously called "Brown Dwarfs" , "Failed Stars" or "Super Planets

  12. The onset of planet formation in brown dwarf disks.

    PubMed

    Apai, Dániel; Pascucci, Ilaria; Bouwman, Jeroen; Natta, Antonella; Henning, Thomas; Dullemond, Cornelis P

    2005-11-04

    The onset of planet formation in protoplanetary disks is marked by the growth and crystallization of sub-micrometer-sized dust grains accompanied by dust settling toward the disk mid-plane. Here, we present infrared spectra of disks around brown dwarfs and brown dwarf candidates. We show that all three processes occur in such cool disks in a way similar or identical to that in disks around low- and intermediate-mass stars. These results indicate that the onset of planet formation extends to disks around brown dwarfs, suggesting that planet formation is a robust process occurring in most young circumstellar disks.

  13. Understanding of variability properties in very low mass stars and brown dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mondal, Soumen; Ghosh, Samrat; Khata, Dhrimadri; Joshi, Santosh; Das, Ramkrishna

    2018-04-01

    We report on photometric variability studies of a L3.5 brown dwarf 2MASS J00361617+1821104 (2M0036+18) in the field and of four young brown dwarfs in the star-forming region IC 348. From muti-epoch observations, we found significant periodic variability in 2M0036+18 with a period of 2.66 ± 0.55 hours on one occasion while it seemed to be non-variable on three other occasions. An evolving dust cloud might cause such a scenario. Among four young brown dwarfs of IC 348 in the spectral range M7.25 - M8, one brown dwarf 2MASS J03443921+3208138 shows significant variability. The K-band spectra (2.0-2.4 μm) of nine very low mass stars (M1 - M9 V) are used to characterize the water band index (H20-K2). We found that it is strongly correlated with the surface temperature of M dwarfs.

  14. Ron Brown Scholar Program. Evaluation Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broton, Katie; Mueller, Dan

    2009-01-01

    The Ron Brown Scholar Program aims to be a major force in producing this nation's next generation of leaders by providing academic scholarships, service opportunities, and leadership experiences to exemplary young African Americans. The program is highly selective, with several hundred applicants per scholarship awarded. Students are selected…

  15. An ERβ agonist induces browning of subcutaneous abdominal fat pad in obese female mice.

    PubMed

    Miao, Yi-Fei; Su, Wen; Dai, Yu-Bing; Wu, Wan-Fu; Huang, Bo; Barros, Rodrigo P A; Nguyen, Hao; Maneix, Laure; Guan, You-Fei; Warner, Margaret; Gustafsson, Jan-Åke

    2016-12-06

    Estrogen, via estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), exerts several beneficial effects on metabolism and energy homeostasis by controlling size, enzymatic activity and hormonal content of adipose tissue. The actions of estrogen on sympathetic ganglia, which are key players in the browning process, are less well known. In the present study we show that ERβ influences browning of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) via its actions both on sympathetic ganglia and on the SAT itself. A 3-day-treatment with a selective ERβ agonist, LY3201, induced browning of SAT in 1-year-old obese WT and ERα -/- female mice. Browning was associated with increased expression of ERβ in the nuclei of neurons in the sympathetic ganglia, increase in tyrosine hydroxylase in both nerve terminals in the SAT and sympathetic ganglia neurons and an increase of β3-adrenoceptor in the SAT. LY3201 had no effect on browning in young female or male mice. In the case of young females browning was already maximal while in males there was very little expression of ERβ in the SAT and very little expression of the β3-adrenoceptor. The increase in both sympathetic tone and responsiveness of adipocytes to catecholamines reveals a novel role for ERβ in controlling browning of adipose tissue.

  16. An ERβ agonist induces browning of subcutaneous abdominal fat pad in obese female mice

    PubMed Central

    Miao, Yi-fei; Su, Wen; Dai, Yu-bing; Wu, Wan-fu; Huang, Bo; Barros, Rodrigo P. A.; Nguyen, Hao; Maneix, Laure; Guan, You-fei; Warner, Margaret; Gustafsson, Jan-Åke

    2016-01-01

    Estrogen, via estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), exerts several beneficial effects on metabolism and energy homeostasis by controlling size, enzymatic activity and hormonal content of adipose tissue. The actions of estrogen on sympathetic ganglia, which are key players in the browning process, are less well known. In the present study we show that ERβ influences browning of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) via its actions both on sympathetic ganglia and on the SAT itself. A 3-day-treatment with a selective ERβ agonist, LY3201, induced browning of SAT in 1-year-old obese WT and ERα−/− female mice. Browning was associated with increased expression of ERβ in the nuclei of neurons in the sympathetic ganglia, increase in tyrosine hydroxylase in both nerve terminals in the SAT and sympathetic ganglia neurons and an increase of β3-adrenoceptor in the SAT. LY3201 had no effect on browning in young female or male mice. In the case of young females browning was already maximal while in males there was very little expression of ERβ in the SAT and very little expression of the β3-adrenoceptor. The increase in both sympathetic tone and responsiveness of adipocytes to catecholamines reveals a novel role for ERβ in controlling browning of adipose tissue. PMID:27922125

  17. Organochlorine residues and reproduction in the big brown bat

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, D.R.; Lamont, T.G.

    1976-01-01

    Twenty-six pregnant big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were collected at Montpelier Barn, Laurel, Maryland, and kept in individual cages until parturition. Seven young in 5 litters were born dead; 21 litters contained only living young. Polychlorinated bipbenyl (PCB, Aroclor 1260) crossed the placenta two to three times more readily than did DDE. Concentrations of PCB were significantly greater in litters with dead young than in litters where both young were born alive. The concentration of PCB in adult females plus their litters declined with increasing age of the female.

  18. Finding the Kool Mixx: how Brown & Williamson used music marketing to sell cigarettes.

    PubMed

    Hafez, Navid; Ling, Pamela M

    2006-10-01

    To describe the history of Kool's music-themed promotions and analyse the role that music played in the promotion of the brand. Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents, legal documents, and promotional materials. Brown & Williamson started Kool sponsorship of musical events in 1975 with Kool Jazz concerts. Music was considered to be an effective marketing tool because: (1) music helped consumers make emotional connections with the brand; (2) music concerts were effective for targeted marketing; (3) music tied together an integrated marketing campaign; and (4) music had potential to appeal widely to a young audience. Brown & Williamson's first music campaigns successfully targeted young African-American male audiences. Subsequent campaigns were less effective, exploring different types of music to achieve a broader young adult appeal. This case study suggests Brown & Williamson used music most successfully for targeted marketing, but they failed to develop a wider audience using music because their attempts lacked consistency with the Kool brand's established identity. The 2004 "Kool Mixx" campaign both returned to Brown & Williamson's historic practice targeting young African-American males, and also exploited a musical genre with much more potential to bring Kool more universal appeal, as hip-hop music is increasingly popular among diverse audiences. Tobacco control efforts led by African-American community activists to oppose these marketing strategies should continue; expanding these coalitions to include the hip-hop community may further increase their effectiveness.

  19. Finding the Kool Mixx: how Brown & Williamson used music marketing to sell cigarettes

    PubMed Central

    Hafez, Navid; Ling, Pamela M

    2006-01-01

    Objective To describe the history of Kool's music‐themed promotions and analyse the role that music played in the promotion of the brand. Methods Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents, legal documents, and promotional materials. Results Brown & Williamson started Kool sponsorship of musical events in 1975 with Kool Jazz concerts. Music was considered to be an effective marketing tool because: (1) music helped consumers make emotional connections with the brand; (2) music concerts were effective for targeted marketing; (3) music tied together an integrated marketing campaign; and (4) music had potential to appeal widely to a young audience. Brown & Williamson's first music campaigns successfully targeted young African‐American male audiences. Subsequent campaigns were less effective, exploring different types of music to achieve a broader young adult appeal. Conclusions This case study suggests Brown & Williamson used music most successfully for targeted marketing, but they failed to develop a wider audience using music because their attempts lacked consistency with the Kool brand's established identity. The 2004 “Kool Mixx” campaign both returned to Brown & Williamson's historic practice targeting young African‐American males, and also exploited a musical genre with much more potential to bring Kool more universal appeal, as hip‐hop music is increasingly popular among diverse audiences. Tobacco control efforts led by African‐American community activists to oppose these marketing strategies should continue; expanding these coalitions to include the hip‐hop community may further increase their effectiveness. PMID:16998169

  20. Eta Carinae: Enigmatic Eta Carinae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pittard, J. M.

    2003-02-01

    Eta Carinae is perhaps the most massive and luminous star in our galaxy, and is also one of the most enigmatic. Despite over a century and a half of study since an enormous eruption which expelled several solar masses of material into interstellar space, and which guaranteed its infamy, astronomers have struggled to understand its true nature. With a key event in the cycle of this star expected during the summer of 2003, an unprecedented programme of observations has been organized by astronomers around the world. Eta Carinae may at last be about to reveal some of its most fundamental secrets.

  1. Brown adipose and central nervous system glucose uptake is lower during cold exposure in older compared to young men: a preliminary PET study.

    PubMed

    Kindred, John H; Tuulari, Jetro J; Simon, Stacey; Luckasen, Gary J; Bell, Christopher; Rudroff, Thorsten

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the central nervous system (CNS) during cold exposure in young and older men. Two young, 24 and 21 years, and two older, 76 and 74 years, men participated in the study. Positron emission tomography images showed cold-induced BAT activity was absent in older men but clearly present in the clavicular region of the young men (Standardized Uptake Value: SUVmean: 3.12 and 3.71). Statistical parametric mapping revealed cortical brain activity was lower in the older men within areas of the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, and the thalamus (peak-level p uncorr  < 0.036). Cervical spinal cord SUVmean values tended to be lower for older (SUVmean: 1.64 and 1.61) compared to young men (SUVmean: 1.91 and 1.71). These preliminary findings suggest lower BAT activity in older men may in part be due to lower CNS activity.

  2. Finding the elusive substellar members of young moving groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aller, Kimberly Mei

    Young moving groups (YMGs) consist of coeval, comoving stars, with ages between 10-100Myrs, that have migrated from their origins after formation. They provide a valuable link between ongoing star formation in molecular clouds (˜1Myr) and old field stars (≥1Gyr). However, previous searches based on optical surveys such as Hipparcos and the Palomar Sky Survey were insensitive to these very faint cool dwarfs. More recent surveys with GALEX have begun to reveal the nearby (<25 pc) low-mass members (≥ 0.1 M solar massses) but the cool, substellar members have remained elusive. We have increased the search volume by a factor of ˜10 using a novel combination of photometry and proper motions from Pan-STARRS, WISE, and 2MASS in order to uncover the missing substellar members down to ≥ 00.1 M solar massses (at 10Myr). We have obtained NIR low-resolution spectroscopy and confirmed the youth of 65 new ultracool dwarf YMG candidates. We also obtained high-resolution NIR spectroscopy to determine radial velocities for our young brown dwarfs. With our RVs and PS1 parallaxes, we have nearly doubled the number of confirmed bona fide substellar YMG members, which are also brown dwarf age benchmarks. Our new young brown dwarfs empirically define the substellar spectral evolution with age and provide us with a snapshot of brown dwarf evolution. Finally, our resulting young brown dwarfs will be valuable targets for future surveys of brown dwarf binarity and young exoplanet characterization.

  3. Brown adipose tissue in young adults who were born preterm or small for gestational age.

    PubMed

    Kistner, Anna; Rydén, Henric; Anderstam, Björn; Hellström, Ann; Skorpil, Mikael

    2018-06-27

    Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is present and functions to dissipate energy as heat in young adults and can be assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to estimate the voxel fat fraction, i.e. proton density fat fraction (PDFF). It is hypothesized that subjects born preterm or small for gestational age (SGA) may exhibit disrupted BAT formation coupled to metabolic factors. Our purpose was to assess the presence of BAT in young adults born extremely preterm or SGA in comparison with controls. We studied 30 healthy subjects (median age, 21 years): 10 born extremely preterm, 10 full term but SGA and 10 full term with a normal birth weight (controls). We utilized an MRI technique combining multiple scans to enable smaller echo spacing and an advanced fat-water separation method applying graph cuts to estimate B0 inhomogeneity. We measured supraclavicular/cervical PDFF, R2*, fat volume, insulin-like growth factor 1, glucagon, thyroid stimulating hormone and the BAT-associated hormones fibroblast growth factor 21 and irisin. The groups did not significantly differ in supraclavicular/cervical PDFF, R2*, fat volume or hormone levels. The mean supraclavicular/cervical PDFF was equivalent between the groups (range 75-77%). Young adults born extremely preterm or SGA show BAT development similar to those born full term at a normal birth weight. Thus, the increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in these groups is not due to the absence of BAT, although our results do not exclude possible BAT involvement in this scenario. Larger studies are needed to understand these relationships.

  4. Precision Photometric Monitoring of Young Low-mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs: Shedding Light on Rotation, Pulsation, and the Star-disk Connection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cody, Ann Marie; Hillenbrand, L. A.

    2010-01-01

    Young star-forming regions are host to a variety of optically variable sources, from accreting and flaring stars to those whose light is modulated by surface spots. In addition, recent theory has suggested that a new type of variability-- pulsation powered by deuterium burning-- may be at work on hour timescales in young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars. Photometric studies of these diverse phenomena are key in probing the underlying physics governing the evolution of few-Myr-old cluster members. High-cadence time series provide insight into not only the stochastic nature of accretion, but also trends in rotation via monitoring of magnetic surface spots. Nevertheless, a complete characterization of variability down to low amplitudes, and particularly amongst very-low-mass (0.01-0.3 M⊙) objects, remains elusive. The lower limit to rotation periods in young clusters is not well established, and mechanisms regulating angular momentum down through the substellar regime are not well understood. To expand the census of variability to very low mass and short timescales, as well as assess the possibility of deuterium-burning pulsation, we have carried out a dedicated monitoring campaign on confirmed low-mass members in several 2-5 Myr clusters. Using meter-class telescopes, our survey achieves sensitivity to periodic variations with photometric amplitudes down to the millimagnitude level on timescales ranging from a fraction of an hour to several weeks. We present results from the 5 Myr Sigma Orionis cluster, including a new compilation of rotation rates and a strong correspondence between variability type and presence of a disk, as indicated by Spitzer/IRAC excesses. In contrast to previous reports of 1-4-hour variability amongst brown dwarfs, we find a dearth of periods under 10 hours. However, we identify a significant positive correlation between rotation period and mass.

  5. Who killed Laius?: On Sophocles' enigmatic message.

    PubMed

    Priel, Beatriz

    2002-04-01

    Using Laplanche's basic conceptualisation of the role of the other in unconscious processes, the author proposes a reading of Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus the King, according to basic principles of dream interpretation. This reading corroborates contemporary literary perspectives suggesting that Sophocles' tragedy may not only convey the myth but also provide a critical analysis of how myths work. Important textual inconsistencies and incoherence, which have been noted through the centuries, suggest the existence of another, repressed story. Moreover, the action of the play points to enigmatic parental messages of infanticide and the silencing of Oedipus's story, as well as their translation into primordial guilt, as the origins of the tragic denouement. Oedipus's self-condemnation of parricide follows these enigmatic codes and is unrelated to, and may even contradict, the evidence offered in the tragedy as to the identity of Laius's murderers. Moreover, Sophocles' text provides a complex intertwining of hermeneutic and deterministic perspectives. Through the use of the mythical deterministic content, the formal characteristics of Sophocles' text, mainly its complex time perspective and extensive use of double meaning, dramatise in the act of reading an acute awareness of interpretation. This reading underscores the fundamental role of the other in the constitution of unconscious processes.

  6. Dimerization deficiency of enigmatic retinitis pigmentosa-linked rhodopsin mutants

    PubMed Central

    Ploier, Birgit; Caro, Lydia N.; Morizumi, Takefumi; Pandey, Kalpana; Pearring, Jillian N.; Goren, Michael A.; Finnemann, Silvia C.; Graumann, Johannes; Arshavsky, Vadim Y.; Dittman, Jeremy S.; Ernst, Oliver P.; Menon, Anant K.

    2016-01-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a blinding disease often associated with mutations in rhodopsin, a light-sensing G protein-coupled receptor and phospholipid scramblase. Most RP-associated mutations affect rhodopsin's activity or transport to disc membranes. Intriguingly, some mutations produce apparently normal rhodopsins that nevertheless cause disease. Here we show that three such enigmatic mutations—F45L, V209M and F220C—yield fully functional visual pigments that bind the 11-cis retinal chromophore, activate the G protein transducin, traffic to the light-sensitive photoreceptor compartment and scramble phospholipids. However, tests of scramblase activity show that unlike wild-type rhodopsin that functionally reconstitutes into liposomes as dimers or multimers, F45L, V209M and F220C rhodopsins behave as monomers. This result was confirmed in pull-down experiments. Our data suggest that the photoreceptor pathology associated with expression of these enigmatic RP-associated pigments arises from their unexpected inability to dimerize via transmembrane helices 1 and 5. PMID:27694816

  7. Dimerization deficiency of enigmatic retinitis pigmentosa-linked rhodopsin mutants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ploier, Birgit; Caro, Lydia N.; Morizumi, Takefumi; Pandey, Kalpana; Pearring, Jillian N.; Goren, Michael A.; Finnemann, Silvia C.; Graumann, Johannes; Arshavsky, Vadim Y.; Dittman, Jeremy S.; Ernst, Oliver P.; Menon, Anant K.

    2016-10-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a blinding disease often associated with mutations in rhodopsin, a light-sensing G protein-coupled receptor and phospholipid scramblase. Most RP-associated mutations affect rhodopsin's activity or transport to disc membranes. Intriguingly, some mutations produce apparently normal rhodopsins that nevertheless cause disease. Here we show that three such enigmatic mutations--F45L, V209M and F220C--yield fully functional visual pigments that bind the 11-cis retinal chromophore, activate the G protein transducin, traffic to the light-sensitive photoreceptor compartment and scramble phospholipids. However, tests of scramblase activity show that unlike wild-type rhodopsin that functionally reconstitutes into liposomes as dimers or multimers, F45L, V209M and F220C rhodopsins behave as monomers. This result was confirmed in pull-down experiments. Our data suggest that the photoreceptor pathology associated with expression of these enigmatic RP-associated pigments arises from their unexpected inability to dimerize via transmembrane helices 1 and 5.

  8. The SEEDS High-Contrast Imaging Survey: Exoplanet and Brown Dwarf Survey for Nearby Young Stars Dated with Gyrochronology and Activity Age Indicators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuzuhara, Masayuki; Tamura, Motohide; Helminiak, Kris; Mede, Kyle; Brandt, Timothy; Janson, Markus; Kandori, Ryo; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Kusakabe, Nobuhiko; Hashimoto, Jun

    2015-12-01

    The SEEDS campaign has successfully discovered and characterized exoplanets, brown dwarfs, and circumstellar disks since it began in 2009, via the direct imaging technique. The survey has targeted nearby young stars, as well as stars associated to star-forming regions, the Pleiades open cluster, moving groups, and debris disks. We selected the nearby young stars that have been dated with age indicators based on stellar rotation periods (i.e., gyrochronology) and chromoshperic/coronal activities. Of these, nearly 40 were observed, with ages mainly between 100 and 1000 Myr and distances less than 40 pc. Our observations typically attain the contrast of ~6 x 10-6 at 1'' and better than ~1 x 10-6 beyond 2'', enabling us to detect a planetary-mass companion even around such old stars. Indeed, the SEEDS team reported the discovery that the nearby Sun-like star GJ 504 hosts a Jovian companion GJ 504b, which has a mass of 3-8.5 Jupiter masses that is inferred according to the hot-start cooling models and our estimated system age of 100-510 Myr. The remaining observations out of the selected ~40 stars have resulted in no detection of additional planets or brown dwarf companions. Meanwhile, we have newly imaged a low-mass stellar companion orbiting the G-type star HIP 10321, for which the presence of companion was previously announced via radial velocity technique. The astrometry and radial velocity measurements are simultaneously analyzed to determine the orbit, providing constraints on the dynamical mass of both objects and stellar evolution models. Here we summarize our direct imaging observations for the nearby young stars dated with gyrochrolorogy and activity age indicators. Furthermore, we report the analysis for the HIP 10321 system with the imaged low-mass companion.

  9. Spatial differences between stars and brown dwarfs: a dynamical origin?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parker, Richard J.; Andersen, Morten

    2014-06-01

    We use N-body simulations to compare the evolution of spatial distributions of stars and brown dwarfs in young star-forming regions. We use three different diagnostics: the ratio of stars to brown dwarfs as a function of distance from the region's centre, {R}_SSR, the local surface density of stars compared to brown dwarfs, ΣLDR, and we compare the global spatial distributions using the ΛMSR method. From a suite of 20 initially statistically identical simulations, 6/20 attain {R}_SSR ≪ 1 and ΣLDR ≪ 1 and ΛMSR ≪ 1, indicating that dynamical interactions could be responsible for observed differences in the spatial distributions of stars and brown dwarfs in star-forming regions. However, many simulations also display apparently contradictory results - for example, in some cases the brown dwarfs have much lower local densities than stars (ΣLDR ≪ 1), but their global spatial distributions are indistinguishable (ΛMSR = 1) and the relative proportion of stars and brown dwarfs remains constant across the region ({R}_SSR = 1). Our results suggest that extreme caution should be exercised when interpreting any observed difference in the spatial distribution of stars and brown dwarfs, and that a much larger observational sample of regions/clusters (with complete mass functions) is necessary to investigate whether or not brown dwarfs form through similar mechanisms to stars.

  10. Changes in the use of young bulls

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Availability of genomic information since 2008 has increased accuracy of genetic evaluations for young bulls in Holstein (HO), Jersey (JE), and Brown Swiss (BS). As a result, AI organizations have been aggressively promoting young bulls and producers have been using young bulls more extensively. Num...

  11. Brown Dwarfs: A New Class of Stellar Lighthouse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2007-04-01

    Brown dwarfs, thought just a few years ago to be incapable of emitting any significant amounts of radio waves, have been discovered putting out extremely bright "lighthouse beams" of radio waves, much like pulsars. A team of astronomers made the discovery using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. Artist's Conception of Brown Dwarf Artist's conception of "mini-aurorae" at poles of brown dwarf, producing beams of strong radio emission. CREDIT: Hallinan et al., NRAO/AUI/NSF Click on image for page of graphics and full information "These beams rotate with the brown dwarf, and we see them when the beam passes over the Earth. This is the same way we see pulses from pulsars," said Gregg Hallinan of the National University of Ireland Galway. "We now think brown dwarfs may be a missing link between pulsars and planets in our own Solar System, which also emit, but more weakly," he added. Brown dwarfs are enigmatic objects that are too small to be stars but too large to be planets. They are sometimes called "failed stars" because they have too little mass to trigger hydrogen fusion reactions at their cores, the source of the energy output in larger stars. With roughly 15 to 80 times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, brown dwarfs were long thought to exist. However, it was not until 1995 that astronomers were able to actually find one. A few dozen now are known. In 2001, a group of summer students at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory used the VLA to observe a brown dwarf, even though they had been told by seasoned astronomers that brown dwarfs are not observable at radio wavelengths. Their discovery of a strong flare of radio emission from the object surprised astronomers and the students' scientific paper on the discovery was published in the prestigous scientific journal Nature. Hallinan and his team observed a set of brown dwarfs with the VLA last year, and found that three of the objects emit extremely

  12. HUBBLE SPIES BROWN DWARFS IN NEARBY STELLAR NURSERY

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Probing deep within a neighborhood stellar nursery, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope uncovered a swarm of newborn brown dwarfs. The orbiting observatory's near-infrared camera revealed about 50 of these objects throughout the Orion Nebula's Trapezium cluster [image at right], about 1,500 light-years from Earth. Appearing like glistening precious stones surrounding a setting of sparkling diamonds, more than 300 fledgling stars and brown dwarfs surround the brightest, most massive stars [center of picture] in Hubble's view of the Trapezium cluster's central region. All of the celestial objects in the Trapezium were born together in this hotbed of star formation. The cluster is named for the trapezoidal alignment of those central massive stars. Brown dwarfs are gaseous objects with masses so low that their cores never become hot enough to fuse hydrogen, the thermonuclear fuel stars like the Sun need to shine steadily. Instead, these gaseous objects fade and cool as they grow older. Brown dwarfs around the age of the Sun (5 billion years old) are very cool and dim, and therefore are difficult for telescopes to find. The brown dwarfs discovered in the Trapezium, however, are youngsters (1 million years old). So they're still hot and bright, and easier to see. This finding, along with observations from ground-based telescopes, is further evidence that brown dwarfs, once considered exotic objects, are nearly as abundant as stars. The image and results appear in the Sept. 20 issue of the Astrophysical Journal. The brown dwarfs are too dim to be seen in a visible-light image taken by the Hubble telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 [picture at left]. This view also doesn't show the assemblage of infant stars seen in the near-infrared image. That's because the young stars are embedded in dense clouds of dust and gas. The Hubble telescope's near-infrared camera, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, penetrated those clouds to capture a view of those

  13. Toluene effects on the motor activity of adolescent, young-adult, middle-age and senescent male Brown Norway rats.

    PubMed

    MacPhail, R C; Farmer, J D; Jarema, K A

    2012-01-01

    Life stage is an important risk factor for toxicity. Children and aging adults, for example, are more susceptible to certain chemicals than are young adults. In comparison to children, relatively little is known about susceptibility in older adults. Additionally, few studies have compared toxicant susceptibility across a broad range of life stages. Results are presented for behavioral evaluations of male Brown Norway rats obtained as adolescents (1 month), or young (4 months), middle-age (12 months) and senescent (24 months) adults. Motor activity was evaluated in photocell devices during 30-min sessions. Age-related baseline characteristics and sensitivity to toluene (0, 300, 650, or 1000mg/kg, p.o.) were determined. In Experiment 1, young-adult, middle-age and senescent rats were treated with corn-oil vehicle before five weekly test sessions. Baselines of horizontal and vertical activity decreased with age, but each age-group's averages remained stable across weeks of testing. Baseline activity of older rats was more variable than that of the young adults; older rats were also more variable individually from week to week. Toluene (1000mg/kg) increased horizontal activity proportionately more in senescent rats (ca. 300% of control) than in middle-age or young-adult rats (ca.145-175% of control). Experiment 2 established toluene dose-effect functions in individual adolescent, young-adult, middle-age and senescent rats; each rat received all treatments, counterbalanced across four weekly sessions. Toluene produced dose-related increases in horizontal activity that increased proportionately with age. Experiment 3 replicated the effects of toluene (1000mg/kg) in Experiment 1, showing that toluene-induced increases in horizontal activity were greatest in the oldest rats. Collectively, the results show that aging increased susceptibility to toluene and also increased variability in toluene response. Given the rapid growth of the aged population, further research is

  14. Coulomb Interactions in Hanbury Brown-Twiss Experiments with Electrons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shen, Kan

    2009-01-01

    This dissertation examines the effect of Coulomb interactions in Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT) type experiments with electrons. HBT experiments deal with intensity interference, which is related to the second-order correlation function of the particle field. This is an extension of the usual amplitude interference experiment, such as Young's…

  15. Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae infection affects the expression of genes involved in cellular signal transduction and iron metabolism in the kidney of the brown trout Salmo trutta.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Gokhlesh; Sarker, Subhodeep; Menanteau-Ledouble, Simon; El-Matbouli, Mansour

    2015-06-01

    Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae is an enigmatic endoparasite which causes proliferative kidney disease in various species of salmonids in Europe and North America. The life cycle of the European strain of T. bryosalmonae generally completes in an invertebrate host freshwater bryozoan and vertebrate host brown trout (Salmo trutta) Linnaeus, 1758. Little is known about the gene expression in the kidney of brown trout during the developmental stages of T. bryosalmonae. In the present study, quantitative real-time PCR was applied to quantify the target genes of interest in the kidney of brown trout at different time points of T. bryosalmonae development. PCR primers specific for target genes were designed and optimized, and their gene expression levels were quantified in the cDNA kidney samples using SYBR Green Supermix. Expression of Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor beta, integral membrane protein 2B, NADH dehydrogenase 1 beta subcomplex subunit 6, and 26S protease regulatory subunit S10B were upregulated significantly in infected brown trout, while the expression of the ferritin M middle subunit was downregulated significantly. These results suggest that host genes involved in cellular signal transduction, proteasomal activities, including membrane transporters and cellular iron storage, are differentially upregulated or downregulated in the kidney of brown trout during parasite development. The gene expression pattern of infected renal tissue may support the development of intraluminal sporogonic stages of T. bryosalmonae in the renal tubular lumen of brown trout which may facilitate the release of viable parasite spores to transmit to the invertebrate host bryozoan.

  16. Imprints of dynamical interactions on brown dwarf pairing statistics and kinematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sterzik, M. F.; Durisen, R. H.

    2003-03-01

    We present statistically robust predictions of brown dwarf properties arising from dynamical interactions during their early evolution in small clusters. Our conclusions are based on numerical calculations of the internal cluster dynamics as well as on Monte-Carlo models. Accounting for recent observational constraints on the sub-stellar mass function and initial properties in fragmenting star forming clumps, we derive multiplicity fractions, mass ratios, separation distributions, and velocity dispersions. We compare them with observations of brown dwarfs in the field and in young clusters. Observed brown dwarf companion fractions around 15 +/- 7% for very low-mass stars as reported recently by Close et al. (\\cite{CSFB03}) are consistent with certain dynamical decay models. A significantly smaller mean separation distribution for brown dwarf binaries than for binaries of late-type stars can be explained by similar specific energy at the time of cluster formation for all cluster masses. Due to their higher velocity dispersions, brown-dwarfs and low-mass single stars will undergo time-dependent spatial segregation from higher-mass stars and multiple systems. This will cause mass functions and binary statistics in star forming regions to vary with the age of the region and the volume sampled.

  17. Correction: Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic parasite, Polypodium hydriforme, within the Phylum Cnidaria.

    PubMed

    Evans, Nathaniel M; Lindner, Alberto; Raikova, Ekaterina V; Collins, Allen G; Cartwright, Paulyn

    2009-07-15

    Correction to Evans, N.M., Lindner, A., Raikova, E.V., Collins, A.G. and Cartwright, P. Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic parasite, Polypodium hydriforme, within the phylum Cnidaria. BMC Evol Biol, 2008, 8:139.

  18. "Brown v. Board of Education": A South African Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Neville

    2006-01-01

    Although this author knew very little about the details of "Brown v. Board of Education" as a legal matter when he read about it as a young second-year student at the University of Cape Town in 1954, the Court's verdict had a direct influence on his political perspectives and on his aspirations as a would-be teacher for the rest of his…

  19. Correction: Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic parasite, Polypodium hydriforme, within the Phylum Cnidaria

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Correction to Evans, N.M., Lindner, A., Raikova, E.V., Collins, A.G. and Cartwright, P. Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic parasite, Polypodium hydriforme, within the phylum Cnidaria. BMC Evol Biol, 2008, 8:139. PMID:19604374

  20. Direct Test of the Brown Dwarf Evolutionary Models Through Secondary Eclipse Spectroscopy of LHS 6343

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albert, Loic

    2015-10-01

    As the number of field Brown Dwarfs counts in the thousands, interpreting their physical parameters (mass, temperature, radius, luminosity, age, metallicity) relies as heavily as ever on atmosphere and evolutionary models. Fortunately, models are largely successful in explaining observations (colors, spectral types, luminosity), so they appear well calibrated in a relative sense. However, an absolute model-independent calibration is still lacking. Eclipsing BDs systems are a unique laboratory in this respect but until recently only one such system was known, 2M0535-05 - a very young (<3 Myr) binary Brown Dwarfs showing a peculiar temperature reversal (Stassun et al. 2006). Due to its young age, 2M0535-05 is an ill-suited test for Gyr-old field Brown Dwarfs whose population is by far the most common in the solar neighborhood. Recently, a second system - an evolved BD (>1 Gyr) - was identified (62.1+/-1.2 MJup, 0.783+/-0.011 RJup) transiting LHS6343 with a 12.7-day period. We propose to use WFC3 in drift scan mode and 5 HST orbits to determine the spectral type (a proxy for temperature) as well as the near-infrared luminosity of this brown dwarf. We conducted simulations that predict a signal-to-noise ratio ranging between 10 and 30 per resolution element in the peaks of the spectrum. These measurements, coupled with existing luminosity measurements with Spitzer at 3.6 and 4.5 microns, will allow us to trace the spectral energy distribution of the Brown Dwarf and directly calculate its blackbody temperature. It will be the first field Brown Dwarfs with simultaneous measurements of its radius, mass, luminosity and temperature all measured independently of models.

  1. Four Brown Dwarfs in the Taurus Star-Forming Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martín, E. L.; Dougados, C.; Magnier, E.; Ménard, F.; Magazzù, A.; Cuillandre, J.-C.; Delfosse, X.

    2001-11-01

    We have identified four brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. They were first selected from R and I CCD photometry of 2.29 deg2 obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Subsequently, they were recovered in the Two Micron All Sky Survey second incremental data release point source catalog. Low-resolution optical spectra obtained at the William Herschel Telescope allow us to derive spectral types in the range M7-M9. One of the brown dwarfs has very strong Hα emission (EW=-340 Å). It also displays Brγ emission in an infrared spectrum obtained with the Infrared Camera and Spectrograph on the Subaru telescope, suggesting that it is accreting matter from a disk. The K I resonance doublet and the Na I subordinate doublet at 818.3 and 819.5 nm in these Taurus objects are weaker than in field dwarfs of similar spectral type, consistent with low surface gravities as expected for young brown dwarfs. Two of the objects are cooler and fainter than GG Tau Bb, the lowest mass known member of the Taurus association. We estimate masses of only 0.03 Msolar for them. The spatial distribution of brown dwarfs in Taurus hints at a possible anticorrelation between the density of stars and the density of brown dwarfs. Based on data collected at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

  2. Youngest Brown Dwarf Yet in a Multiple Stellar System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2000-07-01

    ... and the Sharpest Optical Image (0.18 arcsec) from the VLT so far...! Astronomers are eager to better understand the formation of stars and planets - with an eye on the complex processes that lead to the emergence of our own solar system some 4600 million years ago. Brown Dwarfs (BDs) play a special role in this context. Within the cosmic zoo, they represent a class of "intermediate" objects. While they are smaller than normal stars, they shine by their own energy for a limited time, in contrast to planets. Recent observations with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) of a "young" Brown Dwarf in a multiple stellar system are taking on a particular importance in this connection. An evaluation of the new data by an international team of astronomers [1] shows that it is by far the youngest of only four such objects found in a stellar system so far. The results are now providing new insights into the stellar formation process. This small object is known as TWA-5 B and with a mass of only 15 - 40 times that of Jupiter, it is near the borderline between planets and Brown Dwarfs, cf. the explanatory Appendix to this Press Release. However, visible and infrared VLT spectra unambiguously classify it in the latter category. Accurate positional measurements with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the VLT hint that it is orbiting the central, much heavier and brighter star in this system, TWA-5 A (itself a close double star of which each component presumably has a mass of 0.75 solar masses), with a period that may be as long as 900 years. And, by the way, an (I-band) image of the TWA-5 system is the sharpest delivered by the VLT so far, with an image size of only 0.18 arcsec [2]! Brown Dwarfs: a cool subject In current astronomical terminology, Brown Dwarfs (BDs) are objects whose masses are below those of normal stars - the borderline is believed to be about 8% of the mass of our Sun - but larger than those of planets, cf. [3]. Unlike normal stars, Brown Dwarfs are unable

  3. A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gómez, José F.; Palau, Aina; Uscanga, Lucero; Manjarrez, Guillermo; Barrado, David

    2017-05-01

    We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L ⊙. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L bol ≳ 1 L ⊙. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission. Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L bol ≃ 3.6-5.3 L ⊙) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L bol ≤ 1 L ⊙ or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.

  4. A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gómez, José F.; Manjarrez, Guillermo; Palau, Aina

    We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L {sub ⊙}. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L {sub bol} ≳ 1 L {sub ⊙}. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission.more » Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L {sub bol} ≃ 3.6–5.3 L {sub ⊙}) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L {sub bol} ≤ 1 L {sub ⊙} or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.« less

  5. Lipid-sensors, enigmatic-orphan and orphan nuclear receptors as therapeutic targets in breast-cancer.

    PubMed

    Garattini, Enrico; Bolis, Marco; Gianni', Maurizio; Paroni, Gabriela; Fratelli, Maddalena; Terao, Mineko

    2016-07-05

    Breast-cancer is heterogeneous and consists of various groups with different biological characteristics. Innovative pharmacological approaches accounting for this heterogeneity are needed. The forty eight human Nuclear-Hormone-Receptors are ligand-dependent transcription-factors and are classified into Endocrine-Receptors, Adopted-Orphan-Receptors (Lipid-sensors and Enigmatic-Orphans) and Orphan-receptors. Nuclear-Receptors represent ideal targets for the design/synthesis of pharmacological ligands. We provide an overview of the literature available on the expression and potential role played by Lipid-sensors, Enigmatic-Orphans and Orphan-Receptors in breast-cancer. The data are complemented by an analysis of the expression levels of each selected Nuclear-Receptor in the PAM50 breast-cancer groups, following re-elaboration of the data publicly available. The major aim is to support the idea that some of the Nuclear-Receptors represent largely unexploited therapeutic-targets in breast-cancer treatment/chemo-prevention. On the basis of our analysis, we conclude that the Lipid-Sensors, NR1C3, NR1H2 and NR1H3 are likely to be onco-suppressors in breast-cancer. The Enigmatic-Orphans, NR1F1 NR2A1 and NR3B3 as well as the Orphan-Receptors, NR0B1, NR0B2, NR1D1, NR2F1, NR2F2 and NR4A3 exert a similar action. These Nuclear-Receptors represent candidates for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at increasing their expression or activating them in tumor cells. The group of Nuclear-Receptors endowed with potential oncogenic properties consists of the Lipid-Sensors, NR1C2 and NR1I2, the Enigmatic-Orphans, NR1F3, NR3B1 and NR5A2, as well as the Orphan-Receptors, NR2E1, NR2E3 and NR6A1. These oncogenic Nuclear-Receptors should be targeted with selective antagonists, reverse-agonists or agents/strategies capable of reducing their expression in breast-cancer cells.

  6. Variability of Young Stars: the Importance of Keeping an Eye on Children

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herbst, W.

    2013-06-01

    (Abstract only) I will review the state of our understanding of young stars with an emphasis on how and why they vary in brightness. The main causes of the variations will be reviewed, including the rotation of spotted weak-lined T Tauri stars, accretion onto classical T Tauri stars, the eruptive behavior of FUors, and the enigmatic variations of the UXors. The important role that amateurs have and will continue to play in these studies is highlighted. I will also discuss the latest results on two unusual young binaries, BM Orionis in the Trapezium asterism and KH 15D in NGC 2264.

  7. ROSAT X-ray detection of a young brown dwarf in the chamaeleon I dark cloud

    PubMed

    Neuhauser; Comeron

    1998-10-02

    Photometry and spectroscopy of the object Cha Halpha 1, located in the Chamaeleon I star-forming cloud, show that it is a approximately 10(6)-year-old brown dwarf with spectral type M7.5 to M8 and 0.04 +/- 0.01 solar masses. Quiescent x-ray emission was detected in a 36-kilosecond observation with 31.4 +/- 7.7 x-ray photons, obtained with the Rontgen Satellite (ROSAT), with 9final sigma detection significance. This corresponds to an x-ray luminosity of 2.57 x 10(28) ergs per second and an x-ray to bolometric luminosity ratio of 10(-3.44). These are typical values for late M-type stars. Because the interior of brown dwarfs may be similar to that of convective late-type stars, which are well-known x-ray sources, x-ray emission from brown dwarfs may indicate magnetic activity.

  8. Mapping of human brown adipose tissue in lean and obese young men

    PubMed Central

    Leitner, Brooks P.; Huang, Shan; Brychta, Robert J.; Duckworth, Courtney J.; Baskin, Alison S.; McGehee, Suzanne; Tal, Ilan; Dieckmann, William; Gupta, Garima; Kolodny, Gerald M.; Pacak, Karel; Herscovitch, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Human brown adipose tissue (BAT) can be activated to increase glucose uptake and energy expenditure, making it a potential target for treating obesity and metabolic disease. Data on the functional and anatomic characteristics of BAT are limited, however. In 20 healthy young men [12 lean, mean body mass index (BMI) 23.2 ± 1.9 kg/m2; 8 obese, BMI 34.8 ± 3.3 kg/m2] after 5 h of tolerable cold exposure, we measured BAT volume and activity by 18F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT). Obese men had less activated BAT than lean men (mean, 130 vs. 334 mL) but more fat in BAT-containing depots (mean, 1,646 vs. 855 mL) with a wide range (0.1–71%) in the ratio of activated BAT to inactive fat between individuals. Six anatomic regions had activated BAT—cervical, supraclavicular, axillary, mediastinal, paraspinal, and abdominal—with 67 ± 20% of all activated BAT concentrated in a continuous fascial layer comprising the first three depots in the upper torso. These nonsubcutaneous fat depots amounted to 1.5% of total body mass (4.3% of total fat mass), and up to 90% of each depot could be activated BAT. The amount and activity of BAT was significantly influenced by region of interest selection methods, PET threshold criteria, and PET resolutions. The present study suggests that active BAT can be found in specific adipose depots in adult humans, but less than one-half of the fat in these depots is stimulated by acute cold exposure, demonstrating a previously underappreciated thermogenic potential. PMID:28739898

  9. Spectroscopic Confirmation of Young Planetary-mass Companions on Wide Orbits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, Michael C.; Kraus, Adam L.; Mann, Andrew W.

    2014-03-01

    We present moderate-resolution (R ~ 4000-5000) near-infrared integral field spectroscopy of the young (1-5 Myr) 6-14 M Jup companions ROXs 42B b and FW Tau b obtained with Keck/OSIRIS and Gemini-North/NIFS. The spectrum of ROXs 42B b exhibits clear signs of low surface gravity common to young L dwarfs, confirming its extreme youth, cool temperature, and low mass. Overall, it closely resembles the free-floating 4-7 M Jup L-type Taurus member 2MASS J04373705+2331080. The companion to FW Tau AB is more enigmatic. Our optical and near-infrared spectra show strong evidence of outflow activity and disk accretion in the form of line emission from [S II], [O I], Hα, Ca II, [Fe II], Paβ, and H2. The molecular hydrogen emission is spatially resolved as a single lobe that stretches ≈0.''1 (15 AU). Although the extended emission is not kinematically resolved in our data, its morphology resembles shock-excited H2 jets primarily seen in young Class 0 and Class I sources. The near-infrared continuum of FW Tau b is mostly flat and lacks the deep absorption features expected for a cool, late-type object. This may be a result of accretion-induced veiling, especially in light of its strong and sustained Hα emission (EW(Hα) >~ 290 Å). Alternatively, FW Tau b may be a slightly warmer (M5-M8) accreting low-mass star or brown dwarf (0.03-0.15 M ⊙) with an edge-on disk. Regardless, its young evolutionary stage is in stark contrast to its Class III host FW Tau AB, indicating a more rapid disk clearing timescale for the host binary system than for its wide companion. Finally, we present near-infrared spectra of the young (~2-10 Myr) low-mass (12-15 M Jup) companions GSC 6214-210 B and SR 12 C and find they best resemble low-gravity M9.5 and M9 substellar templates. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National

  10. Brown recluse spider (image)

    MedlinePlus

    ... The brown recluse is brown with a characteristic dark violin-shaped marking on its head. It is ... brown recluse wanders indoors they will go to dark closets, shoes, or attics. The brown recluse is ...

  11. A Pan-STARRS1 Proper-Motion Survey for Young Brown Dwarfs in the Nearest Star-Forming Regions and a Reddening-Free Classification Method for Ultracool Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Zhoujian; Liu, Michael C.; Best, William M. J.; Magnier, Eugene; Aller, Kimberly

    2018-01-01

    Young brown dwarfs are of prime importance to investigate the universality of the initial mass function (IMF). Based on photometry and proper motions from the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) 3π survey, we are conducting the widest and deepest brown dwarf survey in the nearby star-forming regions, Taurus–Auriga (Taurus) and Upper Scorpius (USco). Our work is the first to measure proper motions, a robust proxy of membership, for brown dwarf candidates in Taurus and USco over such a large area and long time baseline (≈ 15 year) with such high precision (≈ 4 mas yr-1). Since extinction complicates spectral classification, we have developed a new approach to quantitatively determine reddening-free spectral types, extinctions, and gravity classifications for mid-M to late-L ultracool dwarfs (≈ 100–5 MJup), using low-resolution near-infrared spectra. So far, our IRTF/SpeX spectroscopic follow-up has increased the substellar and planetary-mass census of Taurus by ≈ 50% and almost doubled the substellar census of USco, constituting the largest single increases of brown dwarfs and free-floating planets found in both regions to date. Most notably, our new discoveries reveal an older (> 10 Myr) low-mass population in Taurus, in accord with recent studies of the higher-mass stellar members. In addition, the mass function appears to differ between the younger and older Taurus populations, possibly due to incompleteness of the older stellar members or different star formation processes. Upon completion, our survey will establish the most complete substellar and planetary-mass census in both Taurus and USco associations, make a significant addition to the low-mass IMF in both regions, and deliver more comprehensive pictures of star formation histories.

  12. Proliferative kidney disease in brown trout: infection level, pathology and mortality under field conditions.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Posthaus, Heike; Hirschi, Regula; Schneider, Ernst

    2015-05-21

    Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is an emerging disease threatening wild salmonid populations. In temperature-controlled aquaria, PKD can cause mortality rates of up to 85% in rainbow trout. So far, no data about PKD-related mortality in wild brown trout Salmo trutta fario are available. The aim of this study was to investigate mortality rates and pathology in brown trout kept in a cage within a natural river habitat known to harbor Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. Young-of-the-year (YOY) brown trout, free of T. bryosalmonae, were exposed in the River Wutach, in the northeast of Switzerland, during 3 summer months. Samples of wild brown trout caught by electrofishing near the cage location were examined in parallel. The incidence of PKD in cage-exposed animals (69%) was not significantly different to the disease prevalence of wild fish (82 and 80% in the upstream and downstream locations, respectively). The mortality in cage-exposed animals, however, was as low as 15%. At the termination of the exposure experiment, surviving fish showed histological lesions typical for PKD regression, suggesting that many YOY brown trout survive the initial infection. Our results at the River Wutach suggest that PKD in brown trout does not always result in high mortality under natural conditions.

  13. The enigmatic fire regime of coast redwood forests and why it matters

    Treesearch

    J. Morgan Varner; Erik S. Jules

    2017-01-01

    Of perhaps all forests in North America, the fire regime of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) is most enigmatic. Widely considered a temperate rainforest, a large number of fire history studies depict a forest dominated by frequent surface fire regimes. Coast redwood also has a long list of traits that allow it to persist and...

  14. Reproductive maturation and senescence in the female brown bear

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schwartz, Charles C.; Keating, Kim A.; Reynolds III, Harry V.; Barnes, Victor G.; Sellers, Richard A.; Swenson, J.E.; Miller, Sterling D.; McLellan, B.N.; Keay, Jeffrey A.; McCann, Robert; Gibeau, Michael; Wakkinen, Wayne F.; Mace, Richard D.; Kasworm, Wayne; Smith, Rodger; Herrero, Steven

    2003-01-01

    Changes in age-specific reproductive rates can have important implications for managing populations, but the number of female brown (grizzly) bears (Ursus arctos) observed in any one study is usually inadequate to quantify such patterns, especially for older females and in hunted areas. We examined patterns of reproductive maturation and senescence in female brown bears by combining data from 20 study areas from Sweden, Alaska, Canada, and the continental United States. We assessed reproductive performance based on 4,726 radiocollared years for free-ranging female brown bears (age 3); 482 of these were for bears 20 years of age. We modeled age-specific probability of litter production using extreme value distributions to describe probabilities for young- and old-age classes, and a power distribution function to describe probabilities for prime-aged animals. We then fit 4 models to pooled observations from our 20 study areas. We used Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) to select the best model. Inflection points suggest that major shifts in litter production occur at 4–5 and 28–29 years of age. The estimated model asymptote (0.332, 95% CI ¼ 0.319–0.344) was consistent with the expected reproductive cycle of a cub litter every 3 years (0.333). We discuss assumptions and biases in data collection relative to the shape of the model curve. Our results conform to senescence theory and suggest that female age structure in contemporary brown bear populations is considerably younger than would be expected in the absence of modern man. This implies that selective pressures today differ from those that influenced brown bear evolution.

  15. Brown Syndrome

    MedlinePlus

    ... Does Brown syndrome cause eye problems besides abnormal eye movements? In the more severely affected cases of Brown ... acquired and congenital cases. In congenital cases, the eye movement problem is usually constant and unlikely to resolve ...

  16. Nonhealing Wounds Caused by Brown Spider Bites: Application of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

    PubMed

    Hadanny, Amir; Fishlev, Gregory; Bechor, Yair; Meir, Oshra; Efrati, Shai

    2016-12-01

    Bites by Loxosceles spiders (also known as recluse spiders or brown spiders) can cause necrotic ulcerations of various sizes and dimensions. The current standard of care for brown spider bites includes analgesics, ice, compression, elevation, antihistamines, and surgical debridement. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in the treatment of brown spider bites has been administered in the early stage of ulceration, or 2 to 6 days after the bite. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of spider bite-related ulcers is often delayed and weeks or months may elapse before HBOT is considered. To evaluate the effect of HBOT on nonhealing wounds caused by brown spider bites in the late, chronic, nonhealing stage. Analysis of 3 patients with brown spider-bite healing wounds treated at The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel. Patients presented 2 to 3 months after failure of other therapies including topical dressings, antibiotics, and corticosteroids. All patients were treated with daily 2 ATA (atmospheres absolute) with 100% oxygen HBOT sessions. All 3 patients were previously healthy without any chronic disease. Their ages were 30, 42, and 73 years. They were treated once daily for 13, 17, and 31 sessions, respectively. The wounds of all 3 patients healed, and there was no need for additional surgical intervention. There were no significant adverse events in any of the patients. Microvascular injury related to brown spider bites may culminate in ischemic nonhealing wounds even in a relatively young, healthy population. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be considered as a valuable therapeutic tool even months after the bite.

  17. 7 CFR 29.3505 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Type 95) § 29.3505 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a light brown to a dark brown. These... standards, the colors are expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), reddish brown (R), and dark brown... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.3505 Section 29.3505 Agriculture...

  18. 7 CFR 29.3505 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Type 95) § 29.3505 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a light brown to a dark brown. These... standards, the colors are expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), reddish brown (R), and dark brown... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.3505 Section 29.3505 Agriculture...

  19. 7 CFR 29.3505 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Type 95) § 29.3505 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a light brown to a dark brown. These... standards, the colors are expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), reddish brown (R), and dark brown... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.3505 Section 29.3505 Agriculture...

  20. 7 CFR 29.3505 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Type 95) § 29.3505 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a light brown to a dark brown. These... standards, the colors are expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), reddish brown (R), and dark brown... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.3505 Section 29.3505 Agriculture...

  1. Uptake of dietary PCB by pregnant big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and their fetuses

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, D.R.

    1978-01-01

    In a previous study (CLARK and LAMONT 1976), 26 pregnant big brown bats were captured, caged, and fed uncontaminated mealworms until their litters were born. Immediately after parturition, female bats and litters were frozen. Five litters included at least one dead young, and these five litters contained significantly more of the PCB, Aroclor 1260, than did the 21 litters with only living young....The present study attempted to verify that Aroclor 1260 could cause stillbirths. I fed 18 of 36 pregnant big brown bats mealworms containing 6.36 ppm of Aroclor 1260 prior to birth of their litters. Both carcasses and litters of dosed females contained approximately 10 times more PCB than their respective controls, but no additional stillbirths resulted. Three of 18 control litters included dead young, whereas the comparable ratio among litters from dosed females was one of 18. Additional comparisons involving means of litter weight, adult female weight, parturition date, days in captivity, tooth wear, and percentage fat also failed to show any effect of the PCB....The association found earlier between PCB and dead young (CLARK and LAMONT 1976) was not one of cause and effect. In both studies, bats that had not been dosed showed greater PCB residues among younger females. Among control bats in the present series, females that produced dead young were significantly younger (that is, showed significantly less tooth wear) than other females. In sum, whereas dead young seemed to have been caused by greater residues, these two factors were actually independent of each other but associated with a third factor--age of the female parent bat.

  2. Enigmatic mounds in 'Subglacial Meltwater Corridors' on the Canadian Shield: a record of channelised, subglacial meltwater drainage during Laurentide deglaciation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haiblen, Anna; Ward, Brent; Normandeau, Philippe; Campbell, Janet

    2017-04-01

    Esker networks have traditionally been invoked to represent the channelised subglacial drainage system in shield terrains. However, eskers are only one landform found within 'subglacial meltwater corridors' (SMCs) on the Canadian Shield. SMCs are tracts where till has been eroded, bedrock is exposed, and glaciofluvial sediments have been deposited. SMCs are regularly spaced, parallel deglacial ice-flow directions, have undulating longitudinal profiles, and cross modern drainage divides. Our lidar- and field-based mapping near Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories, west of the Keewatin Ice Divide (KID), reveals that eskers are not present in the majority of SMCs. Instead, enigmatic mounds are commonly the dominant landform type. Enigmatic mounds typically occur in groups of 20 to 200. They are commonly composed of sandy diamicton that is coarser grained and better sorted than regional till. This diamicton is occasionally draped with well-sorted, stratified glaciofluvial sediments. Some enigmatic mounds have a single highpoint (individual mounds) while others have a complex, irregular form (complex mounds). Individual mounds have an average long-axis length of 43 m and an average height of < 2 m, however, their size is highly variable: the largest mounds are 170 m long and 15 m high. Complex mounds are typically larger than individual mounds. Our morphometric analysis shows that individual mounds have a mean length-to-width ratio of 1.8. The average mound elongation direction parallels the final ice flow that affected the area. However, where meltwater- and ice-flow directions differ, mound long-axis orientations typically cluster about meltwater flow directions. We have also observed SMCs and enigmatic mounds in the South Rae region of Northwest Territories, 450 km SE of Lac de Gras. Multiple types of enigmatic mounds are present in this area: some are similar to those near Lac de Gras, some are composed of till, and some are composed of sorted and stratified sediments

  3. First Detection of a Strong Magnetic Field on a Bursty Brown Dwarf: Puzzle Solved

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berdyugina, S. V.; Harrington, D. M.; Kuzmychov, O.; Kuhn, J. R.; Hallinan, G.; Kowalski, A. F.; Hawley, S. L.

    2017-09-01

    We report the first direct detection of a strong, 5 kG magnetic field on the surface of an active brown dwarf. LSR J1835+3259 is an M8.5 dwarf exhibiting transient radio and optical emission bursts modulated by fast rotation. We have detected the surface magnetic field as circularly polarized signatures in the 819 nm sodium lines when an active emission region faced the Earth. Modeling Stokes profiles of these lines reveals the effective temperature of 2800 K and log gravity acceleration of 4.5. These parameters place LSR J1835+3259 on evolutionary tracks as a young brown dwarf with the mass of 55+/- 4{M}{{J}} and age of 22 ± 4 Myr. Its magnetic field is at least 5.1 kG and covers at least 11% of the visible hemisphere. The active region topology recovered using line profile inversions comprises hot plasma loops with a vertical stratification of optical and radio emission sources. These loops rotate with the dwarf in and out of view causing periodic emission bursts. The magnetic field is detected at the base of the loops. This is the first time that we can quantitatively associate brown dwarf non-thermal bursts with a strong, 5 kG surface magnetic field and solve the puzzle of their driving mechanism. This is also the coolest known dwarf with such a strong surface magnetic field. The young age of LSR J1835+3259 implies that it may still maintain a disk, which may facilitate bursts via magnetospheric accretion, like in higher-mass T Tau-type stars. Our results pave a path toward magnetic studies of brown dwarfs and hot Jupiters.

  4. A Universal Spin–Mass Relation for Brown Dwarfs and Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scholz, Aleks; Moore, Keavin; Jayawardhana, Ray; Aigrain, Suzanne; Peterson, Dawn; Stelzer, Beate

    2018-06-01

    While brown dwarfs show similarities to stars early in their lives, their spin evolutions are much more akin to those of planets. We have used light curves from the K2 mission to measure new rotation periods for 18 young brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. Our sample spans masses from 0.02 to 0.08 M ⊙ and has been characterized extensively in the past. To search for periods, we utilize three different methods (autocorrelation, periodogram, Gaussian processes). The median period for brown dwarfs with disks is twice as long as for those without (3.1 versus 1.6 days), a signature of rotational braking by the disk, albeit with small numbers. With an overall median period of 1.9 days, brown dwarfs in Taurus rotate slower than their counterparts in somewhat older (3–10 Myr) star-forming regions, consistent with spin-up of the latter due to contraction and angular momentum conservation, a clear sign that disk braking overall is inefficient and/or temporary in this mass domain. We confirm the presence of a linear increase of the typical rotation period as a function of mass in the substellar regime. The rotational velocities, when calculated forward to the age of the solar system, assuming angular momentum conservation, fit the known spin–mass relation for solar system planets and extra-solar planetary-mass objects. This spin–mass trend holds over six orders of magnitude in mass, including objects from several different formation paths. Our result implies that brown dwarfs by and large retain their primordial angular momentum through the first few Myr of their evolution.

  5. Sympathetic Innervation of Cold-Activated Brown and White Fat in Lean Young Adults

    PubMed Central

    Mangner, Tom J.; Leonard, William R.; Kumar, Ajay; Granneman, James G.

    2017-01-01

    Recent work in rodents has demonstrated that basal activity of the local sympathetic nervous system is critical for maintaining brown adipocyte phenotypes in classic brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). Accordingly, we sought to assess the relationship between sympathetic innervation and cold-induced activation of BAT and WAT in lean young adults. Methods: Twenty adult lean normal subjects (10 women and 10 men; mean age ± SD, 23.3 ± 3.8 y; body mass index, 23.7 ± 2.5 kg/m2) underwent 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrin (11C-HED) and 15O-water PET imaging at rest and after exposure to mild cold (16°C) temperature. In addition, 18F-FDG images were obtained during the cold stress condition to assess cold-activated BAT mass. Subjects were divided into 2 groups (high BAT and low BAT) based on the presence of 18F-FDG tracer uptake. Blood flow and 11C-HED retention index (RI, an indirect measure of sympathetic innervation) were calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT and WAT. Whole-body daily energy expenditure (DEE) during rest and cold stress was measured by indirect calorimetry. Tissue level oxygen consumption (MRO2) was determined and used to calculate the contribution of cold-activated BAT and WAT to daily DEE. Results: 18F-FDG uptake identified subjects with high and low levels of cold-activated BAT mass (high BAT, 96 ± 37 g; low-BAT, 16 ± 4 g). 11C-HED RI under thermoneutral conditions significantly predicted 18F-FDG uptake during cold stress (R2 = 0.68, P < 0.01). In contrast to the significant increase of 11C-HED RI during cold in BAT (2.42 ± 0.85 vs. 3.43 ± 0.93, P = 0.02), cold exposure decreased the 11C-HED RI in WAT (0.44 ± 0.22 vs. 0.41 ± 0.18) as a consequence of decreased perfusion (1.22 ± 0.20 vs. 1.12 ± 0.16 mL/100 g/min). The contribution of WAT to whole-body DEE was approximately 150 kcal/d at rest (149 ± 52 kcal/d), which decreased to approximately 100 kcal/d during cold (102 ± 47 kcal/d). Conclusion: The

  6. Sympathetic Innervation of Cold-Activated Brown and White Fat in Lean Young Adults.

    PubMed

    Muzik, Otto; Mangner, Tom J; Leonard, William R; Kumar, Ajay; Granneman, James G

    2017-05-01

    Recent work in rodents has demonstrated that basal activity of the local sympathetic nervous system is critical for maintaining brown adipocyte phenotypes in classic brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). Accordingly, we sought to assess the relationship between sympathetic innervation and cold-induced activation of BAT and WAT in lean young adults. Methods: Twenty adult lean normal subjects (10 women and 10 men; mean age ± SD, 23.3 ± 3.8 y; body mass index, 23.7 ± 2.5 kg/m 2 ) underwent 11 C-meta-hydroxyephedrin ( 11 C-HED) and 15 O-water PET imaging at rest and after exposure to mild cold (16°C) temperature. In addition, 18 F-FDG images were obtained during the cold stress condition to assess cold-activated BAT mass. Subjects were divided into 2 groups (high BAT and low BAT) based on the presence of 18 F-FDG tracer uptake. Blood flow and 11 C-HED retention index (RI, an indirect measure of sympathetic innervation) were calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT and WAT. Whole-body daily energy expenditure (DEE) during rest and cold stress was measured by indirect calorimetry. Tissue level oxygen consumption (MRO 2 ) was determined and used to calculate the contribution of cold-activated BAT and WAT to daily DEE. Results: 18 F-FDG uptake identified subjects with high and low levels of cold-activated BAT mass (high BAT, 96 ± 37 g; low-BAT, 16 ± 4 g). 11 C-HED RI under thermoneutral conditions significantly predicted 18 F-FDG uptake during cold stress ( R 2 = 0.68, P < 0.01). In contrast to the significant increase of 11 C-HED RI during cold in BAT (2.42 ± 0.85 vs. 3.43 ± 0.93, P = 0.02), cold exposure decreased the 11 C-HED RI in WAT (0.44 ± 0.22 vs. 0.41 ± 0.18) as a consequence of decreased perfusion (1.22 ± 0.20 vs. 1.12 ± 0.16 mL/100 g/min). The contribution of WAT to whole-body DEE was approximately 150 kcal/d at rest (149 ± 52 kcal/d), which decreased to approximately 100 kcal/d during cold (102 ± 47 kcal

  7. A Mistaken Account of the Age-Crime Curve: Response to Males and Brown (2013)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shulman, Elizabeth P.; Steinberg, Laurence; Piquero, Alex R.

    2014-01-01

    The present article responds to Males and Brown's "Teenagers' High Arrest Rates: Features of Young Age or Youth Poverty?" which claims that the widely observed pattern of crime rates peaking in late adolescence or early adulthood is an artifact of age differences in poverty. We note that the authors' interpretation of their aggregated…

  8. 7 CFR 29.2254 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2254 Section 29.2254 Agriculture... colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to... expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), and dark brown (D). ...

  9. 7 CFR 29.2254 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2254 Section 29.2254 Agriculture... colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to... expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), and dark brown (D). ...

  10. 7 CFR 29.2254 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2254 Section 29.2254 Agriculture... colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to... expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), and dark brown (D). ...

  11. 7 CFR 29.2254 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2254 Section 29.2254 Agriculture... colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to... expressed as light brown (L), medium brown (F), and dark brown (D). ...

  12. Students Use VLA to Make Startling Brown-Dwarf Discovery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2001-03-01

    A group of summer students making a long-shot astronomical gamble with the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Very Large Array (VLA) have found the first radio emission ever detected from a brown dwarf, an enigmatic object that is neither a star nor a planet, but something in between. Their surprising discovery is forcing experts to re-think their theories about how brown dwarfs work. The Very Large Array "Many astronomers are surprised at this discovery, because they didn't expect such strong radio emission from this object," said Shri Kulkarni, a Caltech professor who was on the team that first discovered a brown dwarf in 1995, and advisor to one of the students. "What is so cool is that this is research that probably nobody else would have tried to do because of its low chance of success. That made it ideal for summer students -- we had almost nothing to lose," said Kate Becker, a student at Oberlin College in Ohio. "The radio emission these students discovered coming from this brown dwarf is 10,000 times stronger than anyone expected," said Dale Frail, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, NM. "This student project is going to open up a whole new area of research for the VLA," Frail added. The students, in addition to Becker, are: Edo Berger from Caltech; Steven Ball from New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM; Melanie Clarke from Carleton College in Northfield, MN; Therese Fukuda from the University of Denver; Ian Hoffman from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque; Richard Mellon from The Pennsylvania State University; Emmanuel Momjian from the University of Kentucky; Nathanial Murphy from Amherst College in Amherst, MA; Stacey Teng from the University of Maryland; Timothy Woodruff from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX; Ashley Zauderer from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA; and Robert Zavala from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. Frail also is an author of the research paper, published in the March

  13. The enigmatic fast leaflet rotation in Desmodium motorium

    PubMed Central

    Lev-Yadun, Simcha

    2013-01-01

    I propose that the enigmatic leaflet movements in elliptical circles every few minutes of the Indian telegraph (semaphore) plant Desmodium motorium ( = D. gyrans = Hedysarum gyrans = Codariocalyx motorius), which has intrigued scientists for centuries, is a new type of butterfly or general winged arthropod mimicry by this plant. Such leaflet movement may deceive a passing butterfly searching for an un-occupied site suitable to deposit its eggs, that the plant is already occupied. It may also attract insectivorous birds, reptiles or arthropods to the plant because it looks as if it is harboring a potential prey and while they patrol there, they can find insects or other invertebrates that indeed attack the plant. The possibility that diurnal mammalian herbivores may also be deterred by these movements should not be dismissed. PMID:23603964

  14. The dark side of browning.

    PubMed

    Tamucci, Kirstin A; Namwanje, Maria; Fan, Lihong; Qiang, Li

    2018-02-01

    The induction of brown-like adipocyte development in white adipose tissue (WAT) confers numerous metabolic benefits by decreasing adiposity and increasing energy expenditure. Therefore, WAT browning has gained considerable attention for its potential to reverse obesity and its associated co-morbidities. However, this perspective has been tainted by recent studies identifying the detrimental effects of inducing WAT browning. This review aims to highlight the adverse outcomes of both overactive and underactive browning activity, the harmful side effects of browning agents, as well as the molecular brake-switch system that has been proposed to regulate this process. Developing novel strategies that both sustain the metabolic improvements of WAT browning and attenuate the related adverse side effects is therefore essential for unlocking the therapeutic potential of browning agents in the treatment of metabolic diseases.

  15. Complex interaction between proliferative kidney disease, water temperature and concurrent nematode infection in brown trout.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Posthaus, Heike; Steiner, Pascale; Müller, Barbara; Casanova-Nakayama, Ayako

    2013-04-29

    Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is a temperature-dependent disease caused by the myxozoan Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. It is an emerging threat to wild brown trout Salmo trutta fario populations in Switzerland. Here we examined (1) how PKD prevalence and pathology in young-of-the-year (YOY) brown trout relate to water temperature, (2) whether wild brown trout can completely recover from T. bryosalmonae-induced renal lesions and eliminate T. bryosalmonae over the winter months, and (3) whether this rate and/or extent of the recovery is influenced by concurrent infection. A longitudinal field study on a wild brown trout cohort was conducted over 16 mo. YOY and age 1+ fish were sampled from 7 different field sites with various temperature regimes, and monitored for infection with T. bryosalmonae and the nematode Raphidascaris acus. T. bryosamonae was detectable in brown trout YOY from all sampling sites, with similar renal pathology, independent of water temperature. During winter months, recovery was mainly influenced by the presence or absence of concurrent infection with R. acus larvae. While brown trout without R. acus regenerated completely, concurrently infected brown trout showed incomplete recovery, with chronic renal lesions and incomplete translocation of T. bryosalmonae from the renal interstitium into the tubular lumen. Water temperature seemed to influence complete excretion of T. bryosalmonae, with spores remaining in trout from summer-warm rivers, but absent in trout from summer-cool rivers. In the following summer months, we found PKD infections in 1+ brown trout from all investigated river sites. The pathological lesions indicated a re-infection rather than a proliferation of remaining T. bryosalmonae. However, disease prevalence in 1+ trout was lower than in YOY.

  16. Characterizing a New Candidate Benchmark Brown Dwarf Companion in the β Pic Moving Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillips, Caprice; Bowler, Brendan; Liu, Michael C.; Mace, Gregory N.; Sokal, Kimberly R.

    2018-01-01

    Benchmark brown dwarfs are objects that have at least two measured fundamental quantities such as luminosity and age, and therefore can be used to test substellar atmospheric and evolutionary models. Nearby, young, loose associations such as the β Pic moving group represent some of the best regions in which to identify intermediate-age benchmark brown dwarfs due to their well-constrained ages and metallicities. We present a spectroscopic study of a new companion at the hydrogen-burning limit orbiting a low-mass star at a separation of 9″ (650 AU) in the 23 Myr old β Pic moving group. The medium-resolution near-infrared spectrum of this companion from IRTF/SpeX shows clear signs of low surface gravity and yields an index-based spectral type of M6±1 with a VL-G gravity on the Allers & Liu classification system. Currently, there are four known brown dwarf and giant planet companions in the β Pic moving group: HR 7329 B, PZ Tel B, β Pic b, and 51 Eri b. Depending on its exact age and accretion history, this new object may represent the third brown dwarf companion and fifth substellar companion in this association.

  17. Significance of brown dwarfs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Black, D. C.

    1986-01-01

    The significance of brown dwarfs for resolving some major problems in astronomy is discussed. The importance of brown dwarfs for models of star formation by fragmentation of molecular clouds and for obtaining independent measurements of the ages of stars in binary systems is addressed. The relationship of brown dwarfs to planets is considered.

  18. Brown Dwarf Comparison

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-11-17

    NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer will uncover many failed stars, or brown dwarfs, in infrared light. This diagram shows a brown dwarf in relation to Earth, Jupiter, a low-mass star and the sun.

  19. A Search for Companions to Nearby Brown Dwarfs: The Binary DENIS-P J1228.2-1547

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martin, E.; Brandner, W.; Basri, G.

    1999-01-01

    Hubble Space Telescope near infrared camera and multiobject spectrometer (NICMOS) imaging observations of two nearby young brown dwarfs, DENIS-P J1228.2-1547 and Kelu 1, show that the DENIS object is resolved into two components of nearly equal brightness with a projected separation of 0.275 arcsec.

  20. CFBDSIR 2149-0403: young isolated planetary-mass object or high-metallicity low-mass brown dwarf?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delorme, P.; Dupuy, T.; Gagné, J.; Reylé, C.; Forveille, T.; Liu, M. C.; Artigau, E.; Albert, L.; Delfosse, X.; Allard, F.; Homeier, D.; Malo, L.; Morley, C.; Naud, M. E.; Bonnefoy, M.

    2017-06-01

    Aims: We conducted a multi-wavelength, multi-instrument observational characterisation of the candidate free-floating planet CFBDSIR J214947.2-040308.9, a late T-dwarf with possible low-gravity features, in order to constrain its physical properties. Methods: We analysed nine hours of X-shooter spectroscopy with signal detectable from 0.8 to 2.3 μm, as well as additional photometry in the mid-infrared using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Combined with a VLT/HAWK-I astrometric parallax, this enabled a full characterisation of the absolute flux from the visible to 5 μm, encompassing more than 90% of the expected energy emitted by such a cool late T-type object. Our analysis of the spectrum also provided the radial velocity and therefore the determination of its full 3D kinematics. Results: While our new spectrum confirms the low gravity and/or high metallicity of CFBDSIR 2149, the parallax and kinematics safely rule out membership to any known young moving group, including AB Doradus. We use the equivalent width of the K I doublet at 1.25 μm as a promising tool to discriminate the effects of low-gravity from the effects of high-metallicity on the emission spectra of cool atmospheres. In the case of CFBDSIR 2149, the observed K I doublet clearly favours the low-gravity solution. Conclusions: CFBDSIR 2149 is therefore a peculiar late-T dwarf that is probably a young, planetary-mass object (2-13 MJup, <500 Myr) possibly similar to the exoplanet 51 Eri b, or perhaps a 2-40 MJup brown dwarf with super-solar metallicity. Based on observations obtained with X-shooter on VLT-UT2 at ESO-Paranal (run 091.D-0723). Based on observations obtained with HAWKI on VLT-UT4 (run 089.C-0952, 090.C-0483, 091.C-0543,092.C-0548,293.C-5019(A) and run 086.C-0655(A)). Based on observations obtained with ISAAC on VLT-UT3 at ESO-Paranal (run 290.C-5083). Based on observation obtained with WIRCam at CFHT (program 2012BF12). Based on Spitzer Space telescope DDT observation (program 10166).

  1. Metals-contaminated benthic invertebrates in the Clark Fork River, Montana: Effects on age-0 brown trout and rainbow trout

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Woodward, Daniel F.; Farag, Aïda M.; Bergman, Harold L.; Delonay, Aaron J.; Little, Edward E.; Smiths, Charlie E.; Barrows, Frederic T.

    1995-01-01

    Benthic organisms in the upper Clark Fork River have recently been implicated as a dietary source of metals that may be a chronic problem for young-of-the-year rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In this present study, early life stage brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout were exposed for 88 d to simulated Clark Fork River water and a diet of benthic invertebrates collected from the river. These exposures resulted in reduced growth and elevated levels of metals in the whole body of both species. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, and Pb increased in whole brown trout; in rainbow trout, As and Cd increased in whole fish, and As also increased in liver. Brown trout on the metals-contaminated diets exhibited constipation, gut impaction, increased cell membrane damage (lipid peroxidation), decreased digestive enzyme production (zymogen), and a sloughing of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells. Rainbow trout fed the contaminated diets exhibited constipation and reduced feeding activity. We believe that the reduced standing crop of trout in the Clark Fork River results partly from chronic effects of metals contamination in benthic invertebrates that are important as food for young-of-the-year fish.

  2. Observations of mixed-aged litters in brown bears

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Swenson, J.E.; Haroldson, M.A.

    2008-01-01

    We report on 3 cases of mixed-aged litters (young born in different years) in brown bears (Ursus arctos); in 1 instance the cub-of-the-year (hereafter called cubs) died in the den. Two cases occurred in Sweden after mothers were separated from their young during the breeding season. In one, the mother was separated from the accompanying cub for at least 12.5 hours and possibly up to 3.3 days, and later possibly separated for 4 days. In the other, the mother was separated from her yearling at least 3 times for 1-14, 1-6 and 1-6 days. She was with a male during the first separation. Specific events that produced the mixed-aged litter observed in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem were unknown and our interpretation is based on estimates of ages of accompanying young from photographs. The observation of only 2 mixed-aged litters, after den emergence, from a sample of 406 observed cub litters accompanying radiomarked females confirms the rarity of this phenomenon. The mechanism apparently includes a short separation of mother and young, and, in the case of cubs, the mother must mate while lactating. Better understanding of the physiological mechanisms that allow mixed-age litters would help us in the debate about the occurrence of sexually selected infanticide in bears.

  3. Chapter 9: The ecology of brown-headed cowbirds and their effects on southwestern willow flycatchers

    Treesearch

    J. C. Uyehara; Mary J. Whitfield; Lloyd Goldwasser

    2000-01-01

    Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are obligate brood-parasites, that is, female cowbirds lay their eggs in nests of other species. If the cowbird eggs are accepted, the host pair may raise the young cowbird, often at a reduction of the hosts' reproductive success. Cowbird females are also known to remove host eggs and nestlings from nests,...

  4. The luminosities of the coldest brown dwarfs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tinney, C. G.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

    2014-11-20

    In recent years, brown dwarfs have been extended to a new Y-dwarf class with effective temperatures colder than 500 K and masses in the range of 5-30 Jupiter masses. They fill a crucial gap in observable atmospheric properties between the much colder gas-giant planets of our own solar system (at around 130 K) and both hotter T-type brown dwarfs and the hotter planets that can be imaged orbiting young nearby stars (both with effective temperatures in the range of 1500-1000 K). Distance measurements for these objects deliver absolute magnitudes that make critical tests of our understanding of very cool atmospheres.more » Here we report new distances for nine Y dwarfs and seven very late T dwarfs. These reveal that Y dwarfs do indeed represent a continuation of the T-dwarf sequence to both fainter luminosities and cooler temperatures. They also show that the coolest objects display a large range in absolute magnitude for a given photometric color. The latest atmospheric models show good agreement with the majority of these Y-dwarf absolute magnitudes. This is also the case for WISE0855-0714, the coldest and closest brown dwarf to the Sun, which shows evidence for water ice clouds. However, there are also some outstanding exceptions, which suggest either binarity or the presence of condensate clouds. The former is readily testable with current adaptive optics facilities. The latter would mean that the range of cloudiness in Y dwarfs is substantial with most hosting almost no clouds—while others have dense clouds, making them prime targets for future variability observations to study cloud dynamics.« less

  5. Brown Dwarf Microlensing (Illustration)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-10

    This illustration depicts a newly discovered brown dwarf, an object that weighs in somewhere between our solar system's most massive planet (Jupiter) and the least-massive-known star. This brown dwarf, dubbed OGLE-2015-BLG-1319, interests astronomers because it may fall in the "desert" of brown dwarfs. Scientists have found that, for stars roughly the mass of our sun, less than 1 percent have a brown dwarf orbiting within 3 AU (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the sun). This brown dwarf was discovered when it and its star passed between Earth and a much more distant star in our galaxy. This created a microlensing event, where the gravity of the system amplified the light of the background star over the course of several weeks. This microlensing was observed by ground-based telescopes looking for these uncommon events, and was the first to be seen by two space-based telescopes: NASA's Spitzer and Swift missions. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21076

  6. Brown adipose tissue

    PubMed Central

    Townsend, Kristy; Tseng, Yu-Hua

    2012-01-01

    Obesity is currently a global pandemic, and is associated with increased mortality and co-morbidities including many metabolic diseases. Obesity is characterized by an increase in adipose mass due to increased energy intake, decreased energy expenditure, or both. While white adipose tissue is specialized for energy storage, brown adipose tissue has a high concentration of mitochondria and uniquely expresses uncoupling protein 1, enabling it to be specialized for energy expenditure and thermogenesis. Although brown fat was once considered only necessary in babies, recent morphological and imaging studies have provided evidence that, contrary to prior belief, this tissue is present and active in adult humans. In recent years, the topic of brown adipose tissue has been reinvigorated with many new studies regarding brown adipose tissue differentiation, function and therapeutic promise. This review summarizes the recent advances, discusses the emerging questions and offers perspective on the potential therapeutic applications targeting this tissue. PMID:23700507

  7. Benchmarking Brown Dwarf Models With a Non-irradiated Transiting Brown Dwarf in Praesepe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beatty, Thomas; Marley, Mark; Line, Michael; Gizis, John

    2018-05-01

    We wish to use 9.4 hours of Spitzer time to observe two eclipses, one each at 3.6um and 4.5um, of the transiting brown dwarf AD 3116b. AD 3116b is a 54.2+/-4.3 MJ, 1.08+/-0.07 RJ object on a 1.98 day orbit about a 3200K M-dwarf. Uniquely, AD 3116 and its host star are both members of Praesepe, a 690+/-60 Myr old open cluster. AD 3116b is thus one of two transiting brown dwarfs for which we have a robust isochronal age that is not dependent upon brown dwarf evolutionary models, and the youngest brown dwarf for which this is the case. Importantly, the flux AD 3116b receives from its host star is only 0.7% of its predicted internal luminosity (Saumon & Marley 2008). This makes AD 3116b the first known transiting brown dwarf that simultaneously has a well-defined age, and that receives a negligible amount of external irradiation, and a unique laboratory to test radius and luminosity predictions from brown dwarf evolutionary models. Our goal is to measure the emission from the brown dwarf. AD 3116b should have large, 25 mmag, eclipse depths in the Spitzer bandpasses, and we expect to measure them with a precision of +/-0.50 mmag at 3.6um and +/-0.54 mmag at 4.5um. This will allow us to make measure AD 3116b?s internal effective temperature to +/-40K. We will also use the upcoming Gaia DR2 parallaxes to measure AD 3116b's absolute IRAC magnitudes and color, and hence determine the cloud properties of the atmosphere. As the only known brown dwarf with an independently measured mass, radius, and age, Spitzer measurements of AD 3116b's luminosity and clouds will provide a critical benchmark for brown dwarf observation and theory.

  8. Comparative study of proliferative kidney disease in grayling Thymallus thymallus and brown trout Salmo trutta fario: an exposure experiment.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Posthaus, Heike; Ros, Albert; Hirschi, Regula; Schneider, Ernst

    2017-03-21

    Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is an emerging disease threatening wild salmonid populations, with the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae as the causative agent. Species differences in parasite susceptibility and disease-induced mortality seem to exist. The aim of the present study was to compare incidence, pathology and mortality of PKD in grayling Thymallus thymallus and brown trout Salmo trutta under identical semi-natural conditions. Young-of-the-year grayling and brown trout, free of T. bryosalmonae, were jointly exposed in cage compartments in a river in the northeast of Switzerland during 3 summer months. Wild brown trout were caught by electrofishing near the cage, and PKD status was compared with that of caged animals. Cage-exposed grayling showed a PKD incidence of 1%, regardless of whether parasite infection was determined by means of real-time PCR or histopathology/immunohistochemistry. In contrast, PKD incidence of caged brown trout was 77%. This value was not significantly different to PKD prevalence of wild brown trout caught above and below the cage (60 and 91%, respectively). Mortality in grayling was significantly higher compared with that of brown trout (40 versus 23%); however, grayling mortality was not considered to be associated with PKD. Mortality of caged and infected brown trout was significantly higher than mortality of non-infected caged trout. Histopathology indicated an ongoing mostly acute or chronic active infection in brown trout, which survived until the end of exposure. The results suggest that grayling are less susceptible to infection with T. bryosalmonae compared with brown trout under the tested field conditions.

  9. A Survey for Planetary-mass Brown Dwarfs in the Chamaeleon I Star-forming Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esplin, T. L.; Luhman, K. L.; Faherty, J. K.; Mamajek, E. E.; Bochanski, J. J.

    2017-08-01

    We have performed a search for planetary-mass brown dwarfs in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region using proper motions and photometry measured from optical and infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based facilities. Through near-IR spectroscopy at Gemini Observatory, we have confirmed six of the candidates as new late-type members of Chamaeleon I (≥M8). One of these objects, Cha J11110675-7636030, has the faintest extinction-corrected M K among known members, which corresponds to a mass of 3-6 {M}{Jup} according to evolutionary models. That object and two other new members have redder mid-IR colors than young photospheres at ≤M9.5, which may indicate the presence of disks. However, since those objects may be later than M9.5 and the mid-IR colors of young photospheres are ill-defined at those types, we cannot determine conclusively whether color excesses from disks are present. If Cha J11110675-7636030 does have a disk, it would be a contender for the least-massive known brown dwarf with a disk. Since the new brown dwarfs that we have found extend below our completeness limit of 6-10 M {}{Jup}, deeper observations are needed to measure the minimum mass of the initial mass function in Chamaeleon I. Based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, Gemini Observatory, the ESO Telescopes at Paranal Observatory, Magellan Observatory, the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, and the ESA Gaia mission.

  10. Fundmental Parameters of Low-Mass Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montet, Benjamin; Johnson, John A.; Bowler, Brendan; Shkolnik, Evgenya

    2016-01-01

    Despite advances in evolutionary models of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, these models remain poorly constrained by observations. In order to test these predictions directly, masses of individual stars must be measured and combined with broadband photometry and medium-resolution spectroscopy to probe stellar atmospheres. I will present results from an astrometric and spectroscopic survey of low-mass pre-main sequence binary stars to measure individual dynamical masses and compare to model predictions. This is the first systematic test of a large number of stellar systems of intermediate age between young star-forming regions and old field stars. Stars in our sample are members of the Tuc-Hor, AB Doradus, and beta Pictoris moving groups, the last of which includes GJ 3305 AB, the wide binary companion to the imaged exoplanet host 51 Eri. I will also present results of Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses of LHS 6343 C, a T dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field. By combining these data with Kepler photometry and radial velocity observations, we can measure the luminosity, mass, and radius of the brown dwarf. This is the first non-inflated brown dwarf for which all three of these parameters have been measured, providing the first benchmark to test model predictions of the masses and radii of field T dwarfs. I will discuss these results in the context of K2 and TESS, which will find additional benchmark transiting brown dwarfs over the course of their missions, including a description of the first planet catalog developed from K2 data and a program to search for transiting planets around mid-M dwarfs.

  11. The Pan-STARRS1 Proper-motion Survey for Young Brown Dwarfs in Nearby Star-forming Regions. I. Taurus Discoveries and a Reddening-free Classification Method for Ultracool Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Zhoujian; Liu, Michael C.; Best, William M. J.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Aller, Kimberly M.; Chambers, K. C.; Draper, P. W.; Flewelling, H.; Hodapp, K. W.; Kaiser, N.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Metcalfe, N.; Wainscoat, R. J.; Waters, C.

    2018-05-01

    We are conducting a proper-motion survey for young brown dwarfs in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud based on the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey. Our search uses multi-band photometry and astrometry to select candidates, and is wider (370 deg2) and deeper (down to ≈3 M Jup) than previous searches. We present here our search methods and spectroscopic follow-up of our high-priority candidates. Since extinction complicates spectral classification, we have developed a new approach using low-resolution (R ≈ 100) near-infrared spectra to quantify reddening-free spectral types, extinctions, and gravity classifications for mid-M to late-L ultracool dwarfs (≲100–3 M Jup in Taurus). We have discovered 25 low-gravity (VL-G) and the first 11 intermediate-gravity (INT-G) substellar (M6–L1) members of Taurus, constituting the largest single increase of Taurus brown dwarfs to date. We have also discovered 1 new Pleiades member and 13 new members of the Perseus OB2 association, including a candidate very wide separation (58 kau) binary. We homogeneously reclassify the spectral types and extinctions of all previously known Taurus brown dwarfs. Altogether our discoveries have thus far increased the substellar census in Taurus by ≈40% and added three more L-type members (≲5–10 M Jup). Most notably, our discoveries reveal an older (>10 Myr) low-mass population in Taurus, in accord with recent studies of the higher-mass stellar members. The mass function appears to differ between the younger and older Taurus populations, possibly due to incompleteness of the older stellar members or different star formation processes.

  12. A Sample of Very Young Field L Dwarfs and Implications for the Brown Dwarf "Lithium Test" at Early Ages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Cruz, Kelle L.; Barman, Travis S.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Looper, Dagny L.; Tinney, C. G.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Lowrance, Patrick J.; Liebert, James; Carpenter, John M.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Stauffer, John R.

    2008-12-01

    Using a large sample of optical spectra of late-type dwarfs, we identify a subset of late-M through L field dwarfs that, because of the presence of low-gravity features in their spectra, are believed to be unusually young. From a combined sample of 303 field L dwarfs, we find observationally that 7.6% +/- 1.6% are younger than 100 Myr. This percentage is in agreement with theoretical predictions once observing biases are taken into account. We find that these young L dwarfs tend to fall in the southern hemisphere (decl . < 0°) and may be previously unrecognized, low-mass members of nearby, young associations like Tucana-Horologium, TW Hydrae, β Pictoris, and AB Doradus. We use a homogeneously observed sample of ~150 optical spectra to examine lithium strength as a function of L/T spectral type and further corroborate the trends noted by Kirkpatrick and coworkers. We use our low-gravity spectra to investigate lithium strength as a function of age. The data weakly suggest that for early- to mid-L dwarfs the line strength reaches a maximum for a few × 100 Myr, whereas for much older (few Gyr) and much younger (<100 Myr) L dwarfs the line is weaker or undetectable. We show that a weakening of lithium at lower gravities is predicted by model atmosphere calculations, an effect partially corroborated by existing observational data. Larger samples containing L dwarfs of well-determined ages are needed to further test this empirically. If verified, this result would reinforce the caveat first cited by Kirkpatrick and coworkers that the lithium test should be used with caution when attempting to confirm the substellar nature of the youngest brown dwarfs. Most of the spectroscopic data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous

  13. 7 CFR 29.2504 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2504 Section 29.2504 Agriculture...-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 22, 23, and Foreign Type 96) § 29.2504 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to medium saturation and from very...

  14. 7 CFR 29.2504 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2504 Section 29.2504 Agriculture...-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 22, 23, and Foreign Type 96) § 29.2504 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to medium saturation and from very...

  15. 7 CFR 29.2504 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2504 Section 29.2504 Agriculture...-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 22, 23, and Foreign Type 96) § 29.2504 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to medium saturation and from very...

  16. 7 CFR 29.2504 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2504 Section 29.2504 Agriculture...-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 22, 23, and Foreign Type 96) § 29.2504 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to medium saturation and from very...

  17. 7 CFR 29.3505 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.3505 Section 29.3505 Agriculture... Type 95) § 29.3505 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a light brown to a dark brown. These colors vary from medium to low saturation and from medium to very low brillance. As used in these...

  18. 7 CFR 29.2504 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2504 Section 29.2504 Agriculture...-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 22, 23, and Foreign Type 96) § 29.2504 Brown colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to medium saturation and from very...

  19. Organochlorine residues and reproduction in the little brown bat, Laurel, Maryland - June 1976

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, D.R.; Krynitsky, A.J.

    1978-01-01

    Twelve of 43 pregnant little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) collected at Montpelier Barn, Laurel, Maryland, gave birth to dead young. Eleven of these 12 dead neonates were abnormally small. Most of the stillbirths were attributable to unknown reproductive difficulties associated with first pregnancies, but four may have been due to high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the newborn. Residues of the PCB, DDE, and oxychlordane crossed the placenta at similar rates.

  20. Chandra Captures Flare From Brown Dwarf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2000-07-01

    The first flare ever seen from a brown dwarf, or failed star, was detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bright X-ray flare has implications for understanding the explosive activity and origin of magnetic fields of extremely low mass stars. Chandra detected no X-rays at all from LP 944-20 for the first nine hours of a twelve hour observation, then the source flared dramatically before it faded away over the next two hours. "We were shocked," said Dr. Robert Rutledge of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, the lead author on the discovery paper to appear in the July 20 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters. "We didn't expect to see flaring from such a lightweight object. This is really the 'mouse that roared.'" Chandra LP 944-20 X-ray Image Press Image and Caption The energy emitted in the brown dwarf flare was comparable to a small solar flare, and was a billion times greater than observed X-ray flares from Jupiter. The flaring energy is believed to come from a twisted magnetic field. "This is the strongest evidence yet that brown dwarfs and possibly young giant planets have magnetic fields, and that a large amount of energy can be released in a flare," said Dr. Eduardo Martin, also of Caltech and a member of the team. Professor Gibor Basri of the University of California, Berkeley, the principal investigator for this observation, speculated that the flare "could have its origin in the turbulent magnetized hot material beneath the surface of the brown dwarf. A sub-surface flare could heat the atmosphere, allowing currents to flow and give rise to the X-ray flare -- like a stroke of lightning." LP 944-20 is about 500 million years old and has a mass that is about 60 times that of Jupiter, or 6 percent that of the Sun. Its diameter is about one-tenth that of the Sun and it has a rotation period of less than five hours. Located in the constellation Fornax in the southern skies, LP 944-20 is one of the best studied brown dwarfs because it is

  1. The Challenge of Teaching "Brown"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waite, Cally L.

    2004-01-01

    This paper examines the issues on whether Brown really desegregate school. Study shows that many cases of large number of segregated schools still exist today. This was the complexity of addressing this issue that makes teaching Brown a challenge. The 1954 Supreme Court decision--Brown v. Board of Education was the basis of their study for the…

  2. Genomic Evidence for Island Population Conversion Resolves Conflicting Theories of Polar Bear Evolution

    PubMed Central

    Cahill, James A.; Green, Richard E.; Fulton, Tara L.; Stiller, Mathias; Jay, Flora; Ovsyanikov, Nikita; Salamzade, Rauf; St. John, John; Stirling, Ian; Slatkin, Montgomery; Shapiro, Beth

    2013-01-01

    Despite extensive genetic analysis, the evolutionary relationship between polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos) remains unclear. The two most recent comprehensive reports indicate a recent divergence with little subsequent admixture or a much more ancient divergence followed by extensive admixture. At the center of this controversy are the Alaskan ABC Islands brown bears that show evidence of shared ancestry with polar bears. We present an analysis of genome-wide sequence data for seven polar bears, one ABC Islands brown bear, one mainland Alaskan brown bear, and a black bear (U. americanus), plus recently published datasets from other bears. Surprisingly, we find clear evidence for gene flow from polar bears into ABC Islands brown bears but no evidence of gene flow from brown bears into polar bears. Importantly, while polar bears contributed <1% of the autosomal genome of the ABC Islands brown bear, they contributed 6.5% of the X chromosome. The magnitude of sex-biased polar bear ancestry and the clear direction of gene flow suggest a model wherein the enigmatic ABC Island brown bears are the descendants of a polar bear population that was gradually converted into brown bears via male-dominated brown bear admixture. We present a model that reconciles heretofore conflicting genetic observations. We posit that the enigmatic ABC Islands brown bears derive from a population of polar bears likely stranded by the receding ice at the end of the last glacial period. Since then, male brown bear migration onto the island has gradually converted these bears into an admixed population whose phenotype and genotype are principally brown bear, except at mtDNA and X-linked loci. This process of genome erosion and conversion may be a common outcome when climate change or other forces cause a population to become isolated and then overrun by species with which it can hybridize. PMID:23516372

  3. Genomic evidence for island population conversion resolves conflicting theories of polar bear evolution.

    PubMed

    Cahill, James A; Green, Richard E; Fulton, Tara L; Stiller, Mathias; Jay, Flora; Ovsyanikov, Nikita; Salamzade, Rauf; St John, John; Stirling, Ian; Slatkin, Montgomery; Shapiro, Beth

    2013-01-01

    Despite extensive genetic analysis, the evolutionary relationship between polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos) remains unclear. The two most recent comprehensive reports indicate a recent divergence with little subsequent admixture or a much more ancient divergence followed by extensive admixture. At the center of this controversy are the Alaskan ABC Islands brown bears that show evidence of shared ancestry with polar bears. We present an analysis of genome-wide sequence data for seven polar bears, one ABC Islands brown bear, one mainland Alaskan brown bear, and a black bear (U. americanus), plus recently published datasets from other bears. Surprisingly, we find clear evidence for gene flow from polar bears into ABC Islands brown bears but no evidence of gene flow from brown bears into polar bears. Importantly, while polar bears contributed <1% of the autosomal genome of the ABC Islands brown bear, they contributed 6.5% of the X chromosome. The magnitude of sex-biased polar bear ancestry and the clear direction of gene flow suggest a model wherein the enigmatic ABC Island brown bears are the descendants of a polar bear population that was gradually converted into brown bears via male-dominated brown bear admixture. We present a model that reconciles heretofore conflicting genetic observations. We posit that the enigmatic ABC Islands brown bears derive from a population of polar bears likely stranded by the receding ice at the end of the last glacial period. Since then, male brown bear migration onto the island has gradually converted these bears into an admixed population whose phenotype and genotype are principally brown bear, except at mtDNA and X-linked loci. This process of genome erosion and conversion may be a common outcome when climate change or other forces cause a population to become isolated and then overrun by species with which it can hybridize.

  4. Long-term results of silicone expander for moderate and severe Brown syndrome (Brown syndrome "plus").

    PubMed

    Stager, D R; Parks, M M; Stager, D R; Pesheva, M

    1999-12-01

    The treatment of Brown syndrome has been undergoing an evolution toward more effective procedures with fewer operative interventions. Dr Kenneth Wright has introduced a procedure of superior oblique muscle tenotomy with a silicone expander to reduce the incidence of overcorrection. There was a retrospective study of 20 eyes of 19 consecutive patients with moderate or severe Brown syndrome (Brown syndrome "plus"). Follow-up ranged from 12 to 72 months. The expander, which varies 6 to 10 mm in length, was placed in all patients in the tenotomized superior oblique muscle tendon 5 mm nasal to the nasal border of the superior rectus muscle using 7-0 or 8-0 Prolene suture without violating the inner layer of the intermuscular septum. The intermuscular septum was closed over the silicone expander. One hundred percent of patients had resolution of the down shoot in adduction and some or full ability to elevate the eye in adduction. Twenty percent of patients required reoperation (12.5% using 5-8 mm expanders) for overcorrection. Restriction of downgaze was not seen postoperatively. Patients often show an undercorrection 1 to 6 months postoperatively and improve or occasionally overcorrect at 1 to 2 years postoperatively. One patient with a 10-mm expander extruded the implant. Placement of a 5- to 8-mm silicone expander in the tenotomized superior oblique muscle tendon is an effective means of correcting Brown syndrome with a low rate of reoperation. Initial undercorrection should not discourage the surgeon because improvement may continue for up to 3 years. The goal of treatment should be to convert a moderate or severe Brown syndrome (Brown syndrome plus) to a mild Brown syndrome ("true" Brown syndrome). This technique reduces the need for either simultaneous or subsequent inferior oblique muscle weakening and represents an advance in the treatment of Brown syndrome.

  5. Indomethacin Enhances Brown Fat Activity.

    PubMed

    Hao, Lei; Kearns, Jamie; Scott, Sheyenne; Wu, Dayong; Kodani, Sean D; Morisseau, Christophe; Hammock, Bruce D; Sun, Xiaocun; Zhao, Ling; Wang, Shu

    2018-06-01

    Indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been shown to induce white adipocyte differentiation; however, its roles in brown adipocyte differentiation and activation in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and obesity are unknown. To address this issue, we treated mouse brown preadipocytes with different doses of indomethacin, and delivered indomethacin to interscapular BAT (iBAT) of obese mice using implanted osmotic pumps. Indomethacin dose dependently increased brown preadipocyte differentiation and upregulated both mRNA and protein expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ coactivator 1-alpha. The mechanistic study showed that indomethacin significantly activated the reporter driven by the PPAR response element, indicating that indomethacin may work as a PPAR γ agonist in this cell line. Consistently, indomethacin significantly decreased iBAT mass and fasting blood glucose levels in high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. Histologic analysis showed that brown adipocytes of indomethacin-treated mice contained smaller lipid droplets compared with control mice, suggesting that indomethacin alleviated the whitening of BAT induced by the high-fat diet. Moreover, indomethacin significantly increased UCP1 mRNA expression in iBAT. Taken together, this study indicates that indomethacin can promote mouse brown adipocyte differentiation, and might increase brown fat and glucose oxidation capacity in DIO mice. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  6. 50 Years after Brown v. the Board of Education: An Interview with Cheryl Brown Henderson

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carriuolo, Nancy E.

    2004-01-01

    This spring marks the 50th anniversary (May 17, 1954-2004) of the Supreme Courts' decision to outlaw segregation by ruling unanimously in favor of the plaintiffs in Brown v. the Board of Education. Of course, segregation never really ended, as will be explained in this interview with Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of Oliver Brown, the 10th of…

  7. Cloudless Atmospheres for Young Low-Gravity Substellar Objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tremblin, P.; Chabrier, G.; Baraffe, I.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, E. A.; Lagage, P.-O.; De Oliveira, C. Alves; Burgasser, A. J.; Amundsen, D. S.; Drummond, B.

    2017-01-01

    Atmospheric modeling of low-gravity (VL-G) young brown dwarfs remains challenging. The presence of very thick clouds is a possible source of this challenge, because of their extremely red near-infrared (NIR) spectra, but no cloud models provide a good fit to the data with a radius compatible with the evolutionary models for these objects. We show that cloudless atmospheres assuming a temperature gradient reduction caused by fingering convection provide a very good model to match the observed VL-G NIR spectra. The sequence of extremely red colors in the NIR for atmospheres with effective temperatures from approx. 2000 K down to approx. 1200 K is very well reproduced with predicted radii typical of young low-gravity objects. Future observations with NIRSPEC and MIRI on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will provide more constraints in the mid-infrared, helping to confirm or refute whether or not the NIR reddening is caused by fingering convection. We suggest that the presence or absence of clouds will be directly determined by the silicate absorption features that can be observed with MIRI. JWST will therefore be able to better characterize the atmosphere of these hot young brown dwarfs and their low-gravity exoplanet analogs.

  8. Histochemical study of brown-fat cells in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) in cultures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sokolov, V.E.; Boyadzhieva-Mikhailova, A.; Koncheva, L.

    1985-11-01

    The authors undertake the task of studying the synthesis of certain hormones by brown-fat cells. The authors used brown-fat cells from the golden hamster. The metabolism of brown-fat cells was studied on precultured cells, which made it possible to detect the synthesis of the studied substances rather than their accumulation in the organ. The authors conducted three experiments. First, fragments of brown fat were cultivated in diffusion chambers in vivo. Pieces of brown fat were cultivated in parallel in vitro on agar (organotypic cultures) and on plasma (histotypic cultures). During cultivation in diffusion chambers, the chambers were implanted in themore » abdominal cavity of young white rats. For in vitro cultivation, TCM 199 plus 15-20% calf serum was used. A total of 36 cultures with 12 cultures in each series of experiments were performed. The auto-radiographic studies of brown-fat cells were conducted on 24-hour cultures and on brown-fat fragments taken from the intact animal. The cultures were incubated with isotopes for 1 h. Either (/sup 3/H)lysine (87.3 Ci/mM specific activity), (/sup 3/H)arginine (16.7 Ci/mM), (/sup 3/H)glycerol (43 Ci/mM), or (/sup 3/H)cholesterol (43 Ci/mM) were added to the medium. After incubation, the cultures were washed three times in pure medium, fixed in Sierra fluid, and embedded in paraffin. The paraffin sections were covered with Ilford K/sub 2/ emulsion, and the preparations were exposed for 20 days at 4/sup 0/C temperature. Radio-immunological methods were used to study the accumulation of estradiol-17-beta in the culture medium by the Dobson method and that of testerone. The culture medium was taken on cultivation days 2,4,6,8, and 10. The medium was changed during cultivation every third day, which made it possible to judge the rates of accumulation of material with increase in the cultivation times.« less

  9. Enigmatic Sedimentary Deposits Within Partially Exhumed Impact Craters in the Aeolis Dorsa Region, Mars: Evidence for Past Crater Lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peel, S. E.; Burr, D. M.

    2018-06-01

    We mapped enigmatic sedimentary deposits within five partially exhumed impact craters within the Aeolis Dorsa Region of Mars. Ten units have been identified and are found to be consistent with deposition within and adjacent to lacustrine systems.

  10. Brood parasitic cowbird nestlings use host young to procure resources.

    PubMed

    Kilner, Rebecca M; Madden, Joah R; Hauber, Mark E

    2004-08-06

    Young brood parasites that tolerate the company of host offspring challenge the existing evolutionary view of family life. In theory, all parasitic nestlings should be ruthlessly self-interested and should kill host offspring soon after hatching. Yet many species allow host young to live, even though they are rivals for host resources. Here we show that the tolerance of host nestlings by the parasitic brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater is adaptive. Host young procure the cowbird a higher provisioning rate, so it grows more rapidly. The cowbird's unexpected altruism toward host offspring simply promotes its selfish interests in exploiting host parents.

  11. Storage stability of flour-blasted brown rice

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Brown rice was blasted with rice flour rather than sand in a sand blaster to make microscopic nicks and cuts so that water can easily penetrate into the brown rice endosperm and cook the rice in a shorter time. The flour-blasted American Basmati brown rice, long grain brown rice, and parboiled long...

  12. Explosive Disintegration of a Massive Young Stellar System in Orion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zapata, Luis A.; Schmid-Burgk, Johannes; Ho, Paul T. P.; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Menten, Karl M.

    2009-10-01

    Young massive stars in the center of crowded star clusters are expected to undergo close dynamical encounters that could lead to energetic, explosive events. However, there has so far never been clear observational evidence of such a remarkable phenomenon. We here report new interferometric observations that indicate the well-known enigmatic wide-angle outflow located in the Orion BN/KL star-forming region to have been produced by such a violent explosion during the disruption of a massive young stellar system, and that this was caused by a close dynamical interaction about 500 years ago. This outflow thus belongs to a totally different family of molecular flows that is not related to the classical bipolar flows that are generated by stars during their formation process. Our molecular data allow us to create a three-dimensional view of the debris flow and to link this directly to the well-known Orion H2 "fingers" farther out.

  13. 7 CFR 29.2254 - Brown colors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Brown colors. 29.2254 Section 29.2254 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... colors. A group of colors ranging from a reddish brown to yellowish brown. These colors vary from low to...

  14. IRX3 Promotes the Browning of White Adipocytes and Its Rare Variants are Associated with Human Obesity Risk.

    PubMed

    Zou, Yaoyu; Lu, Peng; Shi, Juan; Liu, Wen; Yang, Minglan; Zhao, Shaoqian; Chen, Na; Chen, Maopei; Sun, Yingkai; Gao, Aibo; Chen, Qingbo; Zhang, Zhiguo; Ma, Qinyun; Ning, Tinglu; Ying, Xiayang; Jin, Jiabin; Deng, Xiaxing; Shen, Baiyong; Zhang, Yifei; Yuan, Bo; Kauderer, Sophie; Liu, Simin; Hong, Jie; Liu, Ruixin; Ning, Guang; Wang, Weiqing; Gu, Weiqiong; Wang, Jiqiu

    2017-10-01

    IRX3 was recently reported as the effector of the FTO variants. We aimed to test IRX3's roles in the browning program and to evaluate the association between the genetic variants in IRX3 and human obesity. IRX3 expression was examined in beige adipocytes in human and mouse models, and further validated in induced beige adipocytes. The browning capacity of primary preadipocytes was assessed with IRX3 knockdown. Luciferase reporter analysis and ChIP assay were applied to investigate IRX3's effects on UCP1 transcriptional activity. Moreover, genetic analysis of IRX3 was performed in 861 young obese subjects and 916 controls. IRX3 expression was induced in the browning process and was positively correlated with the browning markers. IRX3 knockdown remarkably inhibited UCP1 expression in induced mouse and human beige adipocytes, and also repressed the uncoupled oxygen consumption rate. Further, IRX3 directly bound to UCP1 promoter and increased its transcriptional activity. Moreover, 17 rare heterozygous missense/frameshift IRX3 variants were identified, with a significant enrichment in obese subjects (P=0.038, OR=2.27; 95% CI, 1.02-5.05). IRX3 deficiency repressed the browning program of white adipocytes partially by regulating UCP1 transcriptional activity. Rare variants of IRX3 were associated with human obesity. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. The First Brown Dwarf/Planetary-mass Object in the 32 Orionis Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burgasser, Adam J.; Lopez, Mike A.; Mamajek, Eric E.; Gagné, Jonathan; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Tallis, Melisa; Choban, Caleb; Tamiya, Tomoki; Escala, Ivanna; Aganze, Christian

    2016-03-01

    The 32 Orionis group is a co-moving group of roughly 20 young (24 Myr) M3-B5 stars 100 pc from the Sun. Here we report the discovery of its first substellar member, WISE J052857.69+090104.2. This source was previously reported to be an M giant star based on its unusual near-infrared spectrum and lack of measureable proper motion. We re-analyze previous data and new moderate-resolution spectroscopy from Magellan/Folded-port InfraRed Echellette to demonstrate that this source is a young near-infrared L1 brown dwarf with very low surface gravity features. Spectral model fits indicate Teff = 1880{}-70+150 K and {log}g = 3.8{}-0.2+0.2, consistent with a 15-22 Myr object with a mass near the deuterium-burning limit. Its sky position, estimated distance, kinematics (both proper motion and radial velocity), and spectral characteristics are all consistent with membership in 32 Orionis, and its temperature and age imply a mass (M = {14}-3+4 MJ) that straddles the brown dwarf/planetary-mass object boundary. The source has a somewhat red J-W2 color compared to other L1 dwarfs, but this is likely a low-gravity-related temperature offset; we find no evidence of significant excess reddening from a disk or cool companion in the 3-5 μm waveband. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

  16. 21 CFR 184.1120 - Brown algae.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Brown algae. 184.1120 Section 184.1120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DIRECT FOOD....1120 Brown algae. (a) Brown algae are seaweeds of the species Analipus japonicus, Eisenia bicyclis...

  17. Actinous enigma or enigmatic actin

    PubMed Central

    Povarova, Olga I; Uversky, Vladimir N; Kuznetsova, Irina M; Turoverov, Konstantin K

    2014-01-01

    Being the most abundant protein of the eukaryotic cell, actin continues to keep its secrets for more than 60 years. Everything about this protein, its structure, functions, and folding, is mysteriously counterintuitive, and this review represents an attempt to solve some of the riddles and conundrums commonly found in the field of actin research. In fact, actin is a promiscuous binder with a wide spectrum of biological activities. It can exist in at least three structural forms, globular, fibrillar, and inactive (G-, F-, and I-actin, respectively). G-actin represents a thermodynamically instable, quasi-stationary state, which is formed in vivo as a result of the energy-intensive, complex posttranslational folding events controlled and driven by cellular folding machinery. The G-actin structure is dependent on the ATP and Mg2+ binding (which in vitro is typically substituted by Ca2+) and protein is easily converted to the I-actin by the removal of metal ions and by action of various denaturing agents (pH, temperature, and chemical denaturants). I-actin cannot be converted back to the G-form. Foldable and “natively folded” forms of actin are always involved in interactions either with the specific protein partners, such as Hsp70 chaperone, prefoldin, and the CCT chaperonin during the actin folding in vivo or with Mg2+ and ATP as it takes place in the G-form. We emphasize that the solutions for the mysteries of actin multifunctionality, multistructurality, and trapped unfolding can be found in the quasi-stationary nature of this enigmatic protein, which clearly possesses many features attributed to both globular and intrinsically disordered proteins. PMID:28232879

  18. Control of brown and beige fat development

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Wenshan; Seale, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Brown and beige adipocytes expend chemical energy to produce heat and are therefore important in regulating body temperature and body weight. Brown adipocytes develop in discrete and relatively homogenous depots of brown adipose tissue, whereas beige adipocytes are induced to develop in white adipose tissue in response to certain stimuli — notably, exposure to cold. Fate-mapping analyses have identified progenitor populations that give rise to brown and beige fat cells and revealed unanticipated cell-lineage relationships between vascular smooth muscle and beige adipocytes, and between brown fat and skeletal muscle cells. Additionally, non-adipocyte cells in adipose tissue, including neurons, blood vessel-associated cells and immune cells play crucial roles in regulating the differentiation and function of brown and beige fat. PMID:27552974

  19. Influences of landscape heterogeneity on home-range sizes of brown bears

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mangipane, Lindsey S.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Hiller, Tim L.; Colvin, Michael E.; Gustine, David; Mangipane, Buck A.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.

    2018-01-01

    Animal space use is influenced by many factors and can affect individual survival and fitness. Under optimal foraging theory, individuals use landscapes to optimize high-quality resources while minimizing the amount of energy used to acquire them. The spatial resource variability hypothesis states that as patchiness of resources increases, individuals use larger areas to obtain the resources necessary to meet energetic requirements. Additionally, under the temporal resource variability hypothesis, seasonal variation in available resources can reduce distances moved while providing a variety of food sources. Our objective was to determine if seasonal home ranges of brown bears (Ursus arctos) were influenced by temporal availability and spatial distribution of resources and whether individual reproductive status, sex, or size (i.e., body mass) mediated space use. To test our hypotheses, we radio collared brown bears (n = 32 [9 male, 23 female]) in 2014–2016 and used 18 a prioriselected linear models to evaluate seasonal utilization distributions (UD) in relation to our hypotheses. Our top-ranked model by AICc, supported the spatial resource variability hypothesis and included percentage of like adjacency (PLADJ) of all cover types (P < 0.01), reproductive class (P > 0.17 for males, solitary females, and females with dependent young), and body mass (kg; P = 0.66). Based on this model, for every percentage increase in PLADJ, UD area was predicted to increase 1.16 times for all sex and reproductive classes. Our results suggest that landscape heterogeneity influences brown bear space use; however, we found that bears used larger areas when landscape homogeneity increased, presumably to gain a diversity of food resources. Our results did not support the temporal resource variability hypothesis, suggesting that the spatial distribution of food was more important than seasonal availability in relation to brown bear home range size.

  20. Enzymatic browning reactions in apple and apple products.

    PubMed

    Nicolas, J J; Richard-Forget, F C; Goupy, P M; Amiot, M J; Aubert, S Y

    1994-01-01

    This review examines the parameters of enzymatic browning in apple and apple products that is, phenolic compounds, polyphenoloxidases, and other factors (ascorbic acid and peroxidases), both qualitatively and quantitatively. Then the relationships between intensity of browning and the browning parameters are discussed, including a paragraph on the methods used for browning evaluation. Finally, the different methods for the control of browning are presented.

  1. 21 CFR 184.1120 - Brown algae.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Brown algae. 184.1120 Section 184.1120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1120 Brown algae. (a) Brown algae are seaweeds of the species Analipus...

  2. 21 CFR 184.1120 - Brown algae.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Brown algae. 184.1120 Section 184.1120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1120 Brown algae. (a) Brown algae are seaweeds of the species Analipus...

  3. 21 CFR 184.1120 - Brown algae.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Brown algae. 184.1120 Section 184.1120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1120 Brown algae. (a) Brown algae are seaweeds of the species Analipus...

  4. 21 CFR 184.1120 - Brown algae.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Brown algae. 184.1120 Section 184.1120 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1120 Brown algae. (a) Brown algae are seaweeds of the species Analipus...

  5. The Unevenly Distributed Nearest Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bihain, Gabriel; Scholz, Ralf-Dieter

    2016-08-01

    To address the questions of how many brown dwarfs there are in the Milky Way, how do these objects relate to star formation, and whether the brown dwarf formation rate was different in the past, the star-to-brown dwarf number ratio can be considered. While main sequence stars are well known components of the solar neighborhood, lower mass, substellar objects increasingly add to the census of the nearest objects. The sky projection of the known objects at <6.5 pc shows that stars present a uniform distribution and brown dwarfs a non-uniform distribution, with about four times more brown dwarfs behind than ahead of the Sun relative to the direction of rotation of the Galaxy. Assuming that substellar objects distribute uniformly, their observed configuration has a probability of 0.1 %. The helio- and geocentricity of the configuration suggests that it probably results from an observational bias, which if compensated for by future discoveries, would bring the star-to-brown dwarf ratio in agreement with the average ratio found in star forming regions.

  6. Questioning hagfish affinities of the enigmatic Devonian vertebrate Palaeospondylus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johanson, Zerina; Smith, Moya; Sanchez, Sophie; Senden, Tim; Trinajstic, Kate; Pfaff, Cathrin

    2017-07-01

    Palaeospondylus gunni Traquair, 1890 is an enigmatic Devonian vertebrate whose taxonomic affinities have been debated since it was first described. Most recently, Palaeospondylus has been identified as a stem-group hagfish (Myxinoidea). However, one character questioning this assignment is the presence of three semicircular canals in the otic region of the cartilaginous skull, a feature of jawed vertebrates. Additionally, new tomographic data reveal that the following characters of crown-group gnathostomes (chondrichthyans + osteichthyans) are present in Palaeospondylus: a longer telencephalic region of the braincase, separation of otic and occipital regions by the otico-occipital fissure, and vertebral centra. As well, a precerebral fontanelle and postorbital articulation of the palatoquadrate are characteristic of certain chondrichthyans. Similarities in the structure of the postorbital process to taxa such as Pucapampella, and possible presence of the ventral cranial fissure, both support a resolution of Pa. gunni as a stem chondrichthyan. The internally mineralized cartilaginous skeleton in Palaeospondylus may represent a stage in the loss of bone characteristic of the Chondrichthyes.

  7. Microbial diversity and metabolite composition of Belgian red-brown acidic ales.

    PubMed

    Snauwaert, Isabel; Roels, Sanne P; Van Nieuwerburg, Filip; Van Landschoot, Anita; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter

    2016-03-16

    Belgian red-brown acidic ales are sour and alcoholic fermented beers, which are produced by mixed-culture fermentation and blending. The brews are aged in oak barrels for about two years, after which mature beer is blended with young, non-aged beer to obtain the end-products. The present study evaluated the microbial community diversity of Belgian red-brown acidic ales at the end of the maturation phase of three subsequent brews of three different breweries. The microbial diversity was compared with the metabolite composition of the brews at the end of the maturation phase. Therefore, mature brew samples were subjected to 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (bacteria) and the internal transcribed spacer region (yeasts) and a broad range of metabolites was quantified. The most important microbial species present in the Belgian red-brown acidic ales investigated were Pediococcus damnosus, Dekkera bruxellensis, and Acetobacter pasteurianus. In addition, this culture-independent analysis revealed operational taxonomic units that were assigned to an unclassified fungal community member, Candida, and Lactobacillus. The main metabolites present in the brew samples were L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, and ethanol, whereas acetic acid was produced in lower quantities. The most prevailing aroma compounds were ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, and ethyl octanoate, which might be of impact on the aroma of the end-products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Adaptive Optics Observations of Exoplanets, Brown Dwarfs, and Binary Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinkley, Sasha

    2012-04-01

    The current direct observations of brown dwarfs and exoplanets have been obtained using instruments not specifically designed for overcoming the large contrast ratio between the host star and any wide-separation faint companions. However, we are about to witness the birth of several new dedicated observing platforms specifically geared towards high contrast imaging of these objects. The Gemini Planet Imager, VLT-SPHERE, Subaru HiCIAO, and Project 1640 at the Palomar 5m telescope will return images of numerous exoplanets and brown dwarfs over hundreds of observing nights in the next five years. Along with diffraction-limited coronagraphs and high-order adaptive optics, these instruments also will return spectral and polarimetric information on any discovered targets, giving clues to their atmospheric compositions and characteristics. Such spectral characterization will be key to forming a detailed theory of comparative exoplanetary science which will be widely applicable to both exoplanets and brown dwarfs. Further, the prevalence of aperture masking interferometry in the field of high contrast imaging is also allowing observers to sense massive, young planets at solar system scales (~3-30 AU)- separations out of reach to conventional direct imaging techniques. Such observations can provide snapshots at the earliest phases of planet formation-information essential for constraining formation mechanisms as well as evolutionary models of planetary mass companions. As a demonstration of the power of this technique, I briefly review recent aperture masking observations of the HR 8799 system. Moreover, all of the aforementioned techniques are already extremely adept at detecting low-mass stellar companions to their target stars, and I present some recent highlights.

  9. Trans-anethole ameliorates obesity via induction of browning in white adipocytes and activation of brown adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Kang, Nam Hyeon; Mukherjee, Sulagna; Min, Taesun; Kang, Sun Chul; Yun, Jong Won

    2018-05-24

    To treat obesity, suppression of white adipose tissue (WAT) expansion and activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) are considered as potential therapeutic targets. Recent advances have been made in the induction of brown fat-like adipocytes (beige) in WAT, which represents an attractive potential strategy for the management and treatment of obesity. Use of natural compounds for browning of white adipocytes can be considered as a safe and novel strategy against obesity. Here, we report that trans-anethole (TA), a flavoring substance present in the essential oils of various plants, alleviated high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice models via elevation of the expression of beige-specific genes such as Ppargc1α, Prdm16, Ucp1, Cd137, Cited1, Tbx1, and Trem26. TA also regulated lipid metabolism in white adipocytes via reduction of adipogenesis and lipogenesis as well as elevation of lipolysis and fat oxidation. Moreover, TA exhibited thermogenic activity by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipocytes and activating brown adipocytes. In addition, molecular docking analysis enabled us to successfully predict core proteins for fat browning such as β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) based on their low binding energy interactions with TA for promotion of regulatory mechanisms. Indeed, agonistic and antagonistic studies demonstrated that TA induced browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes through activation of β3-AR as well as the AMPK-mediated SIRT1 pathway regulating PPARα and PGC-1α. In conclusion, TA possesses potential therapeutic implications for treatment of obesity by playing multiple modulatory roles in the induction of white fat browning, activation of brown adipocytes, and promotion of lipid catabolism. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. The Mysterious Case of the Detective as Child Hero: Sherlock Holmes, Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew as Role Models?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sugarman, Sally

    In the mystery genre, the one characteristic that the enduring figures of Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and Encyclopedia Brown have in common is a rational mind. The source of their strength is their ability to think and think well. A study examined some typical examples of the mystery genre in young adult literature and surveyed children and…

  11. CHARACTERIZING THE BROWN DWARF FORMATION CHANNELS FROM THE INITIAL MASS FUNCTION AND BINARY-STAR DYNAMICS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thies, Ingo; Pflamm-Altenburg, Jan; Kroupa, Pavel

    2015-02-10

    The stellar initial mass function (IMF) is a key property of stellar populations. There is growing evidence that the classical star-formation mechanism by the direct cloud fragmentation process has difficulties reproducing the observed abundance and binary properties of brown dwarfs and very-low-mass stars. In particular, recent analytical derivations of the stellar IMF exhibit a deficit of brown dwarfs compared to observational data. Here we derive the residual mass function of brown dwarfs as an empirical measure of the brown dwarf deficiency in recent star-formation models with respect to observations and show that it is compatible with the substellar part ofmore » the Thies-Kroupa IMF and the mass function obtained by numerical simulations. We conclude that the existing models may be further improved by including a substellar correction term that accounts for additional formation channels like disk or filament fragmentation. The term ''peripheral fragmentation'' is introduced here for such additional formation channels. In addition, we present an updated analytical model of stellar and substellar binarity. The resulting binary fraction and the dynamically evolved companion mass-ratio distribution are in good agreement with observational data on stellar and very-low-mass binaries in the Galactic field, in clusters, and in dynamically unprocessed groups of stars if all stars form as binaries with stellar companions. Cautionary notes are given on the proper analysis of mass functions and the companion mass-ratio distribution and the interpretation of the results. The existence of accretion disks around young brown dwarfs does not imply that these form just like stars in direct fragmentation.« less

  12. Thyroid hormones induce browning of white fat

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-Sánchez, Noelia; Moreno-Navarrete, José M; Contreras, Cristina; Rial-Pensado, Eva; Fernø, Johan; Nogueiras, Rubén; Diéguez, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    The canonical view about the effect of thyroid hormones (THs) on thermogenesis assumes that the hypothalamus acts merely as a modulator of the sympathetic outflow on brown adipose tissue (BAT). Recent data have challenged that vision by demonstrating that THs act on the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) to inhibit AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which regulates the thermogenic program in BAT, leading to increased thermogenesis and weight loss. Current data have shown that in addition to activation of brown fat, the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) might also be an important thermogenic mechanism. However, the possible central effects of THs on the browning of white fat remain unclear. Here, we show that 3,3′,5,5′ tetraiodothyroxyne (T4)-induced hyperthyroidism promotes a marked browning of WAT. Of note, central or VMH-specific administration of 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3) recapitulates that effect. The specific genetic activation of hypothalamic AMPK in the VMH reversed the central effect of T3 on browning. Finally, we also showed that the expression of browning genes in human WAT correlates with serum T4. Overall, these data indicate that THs induce browning of WAT and that this mechanism is mediated via the central effects of THs on energy balance. PMID:27913573

  13. Thyroid hormones induce browning of white fat.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Sánchez, Noelia; Moreno-Navarrete, José M; Contreras, Cristina; Rial-Pensado, Eva; Fernø, Johan; Nogueiras, Rubén; Diéguez, Carlos; Fernández-Real, José-Manuel; López, Miguel

    2017-02-01

    The canonical view about the effect of thyroid hormones (THs) on thermogenesis assumes that the hypothalamus acts merely as a modulator of the sympathetic outflow on brown adipose tissue (BAT). Recent data have challenged that vision by demonstrating that THs act on the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) to inhibit AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which regulates the thermogenic program in BAT, leading to increased thermogenesis and weight loss. Current data have shown that in addition to activation of brown fat, the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) might also be an important thermogenic mechanism. However, the possible central effects of THs on the browning of white fat remain unclear. Here, we show that 3,3',5,5' tetraiodothyroxyne (T 4 )-induced hyperthyroidism promotes a marked browning of WAT. Of note, central or VMH-specific administration of 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T 3 ) recapitulates that effect. The specific genetic activation of hypothalamic AMPK in the VMH reversed the central effect of T 3 on browning. Finally, we also showed that the expression of browning genes in human WAT correlates with serum T 4 Overall, these data indicate that THs induce browning of WAT and that this mechanism is mediated via the central effects of THs on energy balance. © 2017 The authors.

  14. A Survey for Circumstellar Disks around Young Substellar Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Michael C.; Najita, Joan; Tokunaga, Alan T.

    2003-03-01

    We have completed the first systematic survey for disks around spectroscopically identified young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars. For a sample of 38 very cool objects in IC 348 and Taurus, we have obtained L'-band (3.8 μm) imaging with sufficient sensitivity to detect objects with and without disks. The sample should be free of selection biases for our purposes. Our targets span spectral types from M6 to M9.5, corresponding to masses of ~15-100 MJup and ages of <~5 Myr, based on current models. None appear to be binaries at 0.4" resolution (55-120 AU). Using the objects' measured spectral types and extinctions, we find that most of our sample (77%+/-15%) possess intrinsic IR excesses, indicative of circum(sub)stellar disks. Because the excesses are modest, conventional analyses using only IR colors would have missed most of the sources with excesses. Such analyses inevitably underestimate the disk fraction and will be less reliable for young brown dwarfs than for T Tauri stars. The observed IR excesses are correlated with Hα emission, consistent with a common accretion disk origin. In the same star-forming regions, we find that disks around brown dwarfs and T Tauri stars are contemporaneous; assuming coevality, this demonstrates that the inner regions of substellar disks are at least as long-lived as stellar disks and evolve slowly for the first ~3 Myr. The disk frequency appears to be independent of mass. However, some objects in our sample, including the very coolest (lowest mass) ones, lack IR excesses and may be diskless. The observed excesses can be explained by disk reprocessing of starlight alone; the implied accretion rates are at least an order of magnitude below typical values for classical T Tauri stars. The observed distribution of IR excesses suggests inner disk holes with radii of >~2R*, consistent with the idea that such holes arise from disk-magnetosphere interactions. Altogether, the frequency and properties of young circumstellar disks

  15. Molecular phylogeny of two unusual brown algae, Phaeostrophion irregulare and Platysiphon glacialis, proposal of the Stschapoviales ord. nov. and Platysiphonaceae fam. nov., and a re-examination of divergence times for brown algal orders.

    PubMed

    Kawai, Hiroshi; Hanyuda, Takeaki; Draisma, Stefano G A; Wilce, Robert T; Andersen, Robert A

    2015-10-01

    The molecular phylogeny of brown algae was examined using concatenated DNA sequences of seven chloroplast and mitochondrial genes (atpB, psaA, psaB, psbA, psbC, rbcL, and cox1). The study was carried out mostly from unialgal cultures; we included Phaeostrophion irregulare and Platysiphon glacialis because their ordinal taxonomic positions were unclear. Overall, the molecular phylogeny agreed with previously published studies, however, Platysiphon clustered with Halosiphon and Stschapovia and was paraphyletic with the Tilopteridales. Platysiphon resembled Stschapovia in showing remarkable morphological changes between young and mature thalli. Platysiphon, Halosiphon and Stschapovia also shared parenchymatous, terete, erect thalli with assimilatory filaments in whorls or on the distal end. Based on these results, we proposed a new order Stschapoviales and a new family Platysiphonaceae. We proposed to include Phaeostrophion in the Sphacelariales, and we emended the order to include this foliose member. Finally, using basal taxa not included in earlier studies, the origin and divergence times for brown algae were re-investigated. Results showed that the Phaeophyceae branched from Schizocladiophyceae ~260 Ma during the Permian Period. The early diverging brown algae had isomorphic life histories, whereas the derived taxa with heteromorphic life histories evolved 155-110 Ma when they branched from the basal taxa. Based on these results, we propose that the development of heteromorphic life histories and their success in the temperate and cold-water regions was induced by the development of the remarkable seasonality caused by the breakup of Pangaea. Most brown algal orders had diverged by roughly 60 Ma, around the last mass extinction event during the Cretaceous Period, and therefore a drastic climate change might have triggered the divergence of brown algae. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Phycology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Phycological

  16. The Low Mass IMF in Young Open Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Douglas M.

    1995-01-01

    We present the results of the investigation of the Initial Mass Function at the end of the Main Sequence in young open clusters. We find that over a large range in age and environment the IMFs are similar to each other, and to recent determinations of the field star IMF. We have obtained V, I, and K band photometry of fields in the three relatively unembedded open clusters. The photometry reaches down to various masses in each cluster: 0.08{cal M}_⊙ for Praesepe, 0.04{cal M}odot for the Pleiades, and 0.15{cal M}_⊙ for NGC 7160. We compare the methods for estimating the masses of young, embedded stars developed by Comeron et al. (1993 - CRBR) and by Strom, Kepner, & Strom (1995) and show them to be in good agreement. Spectra in the 2 mu m region of six low mass objects from CRBR are also in agreement with the mass estimates using these methods. The spectrum of a brown dwarf candidate is used to place an upper limit on its mass of 60% of the minimum required for hydrogen burning. The IMFs from these four clusters plus NGC 2024 are shown to be in agreement with each other. The composite MF can be fitted with a power law between 0.04 and 0.5 {cal M}_⊙ with a slope of -0.75 +/- 0.3. There is no evidence for a cutoff at the bottom of the main sequence (0.08{cal M}odot); brown dwarfs appear to be abundant in open clusters. However, the slope of the MF is well above the value of _sp {~}<-2 required for very low mass stars and brown dwarfs to contribute a significant portion of the mass of open clusters. The composite cluster MF also is in agreement with recent determinations of the field star IMF for stellar masses. The field star data do not extend into the brown dwarf range; however, if we extrapolate in accordance with the cluster MF, we conclude that brown dwarfs probably do not contribute significantly to the dark matter.

  17. Increasing the Career Choice Readiness of Young Adolescents: An Evaluation Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hirschi, Andreas; Lage, Damian

    2008-01-01

    A career workshop that applies models of the Cognitive Information Processing Approach (Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004) and incorporates critical ingredients (Brown and Ryan Krane, 2000) to promote the career choice readiness of young adolescents was developed and evaluated with 334 Swiss students in seventh grade applying a Solomon…

  18. Is this a Brown Dwarf or an Exoplanet?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2005-04-01

    Since the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting a normal star other than the Sun, there are now more than 150 candidates of these so-called exoplanets known. Most of them are detected by indirect methods, based either on variations of the radial velocity or the dimming of the star as the planet passes in front of it (see ESO PR 06/03, ESO PR 11/04 and ESO PR 22/04). Astronomers would, however, prefer to obtain a direct image of an exoplanet, allowing them to better characterize the object's physical nature. This is an exceedingly difficult task, as the planet is generally hidden in the "glare" of its host star. To partly overcome this problem, astronomers study very young objects. Indeed, sub-stellar objects are much hotter and brighter when young and therefore can be more easily detected than older objects of similar mass. Based on this approach, it might well be that last year's detection of a feeble speck of light next to the young brown dwarf 2M1207 by an international team of astronomers using the ESO Very Large Telescope (ESO PR 23/04) is the long-sought bona-fide image of an exoplanet. A recent report based on data from the Hubble Space Telescope seems to confirm this result. The even more recent observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope of the warm infrared glows of two previously detected "hot Jupiter" planets is another interesting result in this context. This wealth of new results, obtained in the time span of a few months, illustrates perfectly the dynamic of this field of research. Tiny Companion ESO PR Photo 10a/05 ESO PR Photo 10a/05 The Sub-Stellar Companion to GQ Lupi (NACO/VLT) [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 429 pix - 22k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 875 pix - 132k] [Full Res - JPEG: 1042 x 1116 pix - 241k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 10a/05 shows the VLT NACO image, taken in the Ks-band, of GQ Lupi. The feeble point of light to the right of the star is the newly found cold companion. It is 250 times fainter than the star itself and it located 0

  19. Social Interactions of Juvenile Brown Boobies at Sea as Observed with Animal-Borne Video Cameras

    PubMed Central

    Yoda, Ken; Murakoshi, Miku; Tsutsui, Kota; Kohno, Hiroyoshi

    2011-01-01

    While social interactions play a crucial role on the development of young individuals, those of highly mobile juvenile birds in inaccessible environments are difficult to observe. In this study, we deployed miniaturised video recorders on juvenile brown boobies Sula leucogaster, which had been hand-fed beginning a few days after hatching, to examine how social interactions between tagged juveniles and other birds affected their flight and foraging behaviour. Juveniles flew longer with congeners, especially with adult birds, than solitarily. In addition, approximately 40% of foraging occurred close to aggregations of congeners and other species. Young seabirds voluntarily followed other birds, which may directly enhance their foraging success and improve foraging and flying skills during their developmental stage, or both. PMID:21573196

  20. White Adipose Tissue Browning: A Double-edged Sword.

    PubMed

    Abdullahi, Abdikarim; Jeschke, Marc G

    2016-08-01

    The study of white adipose tissue (WAT) 'browning' has become a 'hot topic' in various acute and chronic metabolic conditions, based on the idea that WAT browning might be able to facilitate weight loss and improve metabolic health. However, this view cannot be translated into all areas of medicine. Recent studies identified effects of browning associated with adverse outcomes, and as more studies are being conducted, a very different picture has emerged about WAT browning and its detrimental effect in acute and chronic hypermetabolic conditions. Therefore, the notion that browning is supposedly beneficial may be inadequate. In this review we analyze how and why browning in chronic hypermetabolic associated diseases can be detrimental and lead to adverse outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Inhibition of browning in foodstuffs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosenthal, N. A.

    1969-01-01

    Addition of water-soluble sulfur-containing compounds, thio compounds or potential thio compounds, to a mixture of carbohydrates, and either proteins, peptides, or amino acids can retard or completely eliminate the browning process. Determining factor is dependent upon the concentration of the anti-browning agent in the aqueous media.

  2. Ozone induces glucose intolerance and systemic metabolic effects in young and aged brown Norway rats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bass, V.; Gordon, C.J.; Jarema, K.A.

    Air pollutants have been associated with increased diabetes in humans. We hypothesized that ozone would impair glucose homeostasis by altering insulin signaling and/or endoplasmic reticular (ER) stress in young and aged rats. One, 4, 12, and 24 month old Brown Norway (BN) rats were exposed to air or ozone, 0.25 or 1.0 ppm, 6 h/day for 2 days (acute) or 2 d/week for 13 weeks (subchronic). Additionally, 4 month old rats were exposed to air or 1.0 ppm ozone, 6 h/day for 1 or 2 days (time-course). Glucose tolerance tests (GTT) were performed immediately after exposure. Serum and tissue biomarkersmore » were analyzed 18 h after final ozone for acute and subchronic studies, and immediately after each day of exposure in the time-course study. Age-related glucose intolerance and increases in metabolic biomarkers were apparent at baseline. Acute ozone caused hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in rats of all ages. Ozone-induced glucose intolerance was reduced in rats exposed for 13 weeks. Acute, but not subchronic ozone increased α{sub 2}-macroglobulin, adiponectin and osteopontin. Time-course analysis indicated glucose intolerance at days 1 and 2 (2 > 1), and a recovery 18 h post ozone. Leptin increased day 1 and epinephrine at all times after ozone. Ozone tended to decrease phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 in liver and adipose tissues. ER stress appeared to be the consequence of ozone induced acute metabolic impairment since transcriptional markers of ER stress increased only after 2 days of ozone. In conclusion, acute ozone exposure induces marked systemic metabolic impairments in BN rats of all ages, likely through sympathetic stimulation. - Highlights: • Air pollutants have been associated with increased diabetes in humans. • Acute ozone exposure produces profound metabolic alterations in rats. • Age influences metabolic risk factors in aging BN rats. • Acute metabolic effects are reversible and repeated exposure reduces these effects. • Ozone

  3. Serum vitamin B12 levels in young vegans who eat brown rice.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, H

    1995-12-01

    A nutritional analysis was conducted on the dietary intake of a group of 6 vegan children aged 7 to 14 who had been living on a vegan diet including brown rice for from 4 to 10 years, and on that of an age-matched control group. In addition, their serum vitamin B12 levels and other data (red blood cell count, hematocrit, hemoglobin, etc.) were determined in the laboratory. In vegans' diets, 2-4 g of nori (dried laver), which contained B12, were consumed daily. Not a single case of symptoms due to B12 deficiency was found. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to any of the examination data, including B12 levels (p < 0.05). Therefore, consumption of nori may keep vegans from suffering B12 deficiency.

  4. 40 CFR 721.10532 - Tar, brown coal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tar, brown coal. 721.10532 Section 721... Tar, brown coal. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as tar, brown coal (PMN P-12-167, CAS No. 101316-83-0) is subject to...

  5. 40 CFR 721.10532 - Tar, brown coal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tar, brown coal. 721.10532 Section 721... Tar, brown coal. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as tar, brown coal (PMN P-12-167, CAS No. 101316-83-0) is subject to...

  6. Influence of selected factors on browning of Camembert cheese.

    PubMed

    Carreira, Alexandra; Dillinger, Klaus; Eliskases-Lechner, Frieda; Loureiro, Virgílio; Ginzinger, Wolfgang; Rohm, Harald

    2002-05-01

    Experimental Camembert cheeses were made to investigate the effects on browning of the following factors: inoculation with Yarrowia lipolytica, the use of Penicillium candidum strains with different proteolytic activity, the addition of tyrosine, and the addition of Mn2+ thus leading to 16 different variants of cheese. Two physical colour parameters were used to describe browning, depending on the location in the cheeses: a whiteness index for the outside browning (mould mycelium), and a brownness index for the inside browning (surface of the cheese body). Mn2+ promoted a significant increase of browning at both locations, whereas Yar. lipolytica had the opposite effect. Outside browning was significantly more intense when using the Pen. candidum strain with higher proteolytic activity. A significant interaction was found between Yar. lipolytica and Pen. candidum. The yeast had no effect in combination with a low proteolytic strain of Pen. candidum, but significantly reduced proteolysis and browning in combination with a high proteolytic strain of Pen. candidum. We further confirmed that both strains of Pen. candidum were able to produce brown pigments from tyrosine and thus both are presumably responsible for the browning activity in this type of cheese.

  7. "Brown" and Black-White Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armor, David J.

    2006-01-01

    "Brown v. Board of Education" only presumed to eliminate the "de jure" apartheid that existed in 1954. It was never intended to resolve the "de facto" gap in minority achievement that still faces education policymakers today. Sociologist David J. Armor goes beyond "Brown" to identify a set of definite risk…

  8. Brown adipogenesis of mouse embryonic stem cells in alginate microstrands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Unser, Andrea Mannarino

    The ability of brown adipocytes (fat cells) to dissipate energy as heat shows great promise for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. Employing pluripotent stem cells, with an emphasis on directed differentiation, may overcome many issues currently associated with primary fat cell cultures. However, brown adipocytes are difficult to transplant in vivo due to the instability of fat, in terms of necrosis and neovascularization, once injected. Thus, 3D cell culture systems that have the potential to mimic adipogenic microenvironments are needed, not only to advance brown fat implantation, but also to better understand the role of brown adipocytes in treating obesity. To address this need, we created 3D "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" by microfluidic synthesis of alginate hydrogel microstrands that encapsulated cells and directly induced cell differentiation into brown adipocytes, using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as a model of pluripotent stem cells and brown preadipocytes as a positive control. The effect of hydrogel formation parameters on brown adipogenesis was studied, leading to the establishment of "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands". Brown adipocyte differentiation within microstrands was confirmed by lipid droplet accumulation, immunocytochemistry and qPCR analysis of gene expression of brown adipocyte marker uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in addition to adipocyte marker expression. Compared to a 2D approach, 3D differentiated "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" exhibited higher level of brown adipocyte marker expression. The functional analysis of "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" was attempted by measuring the mitochondrial activity of ESC-differentiated brown adipocytes in 3D using Seahorse XF24 3 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. The ability to create "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" from pluripotent stem cells opens up a new arena to understanding brown adipogenesis and its implications in obesity and metabolic disorders.

  9. DDE in brown and white fat of hibernating bats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, D.R.; Krynitsky, A.J.

    1983-01-01

    Samples of brown and white fat from hibernating bats (big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus; little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus; and eastern pipistrelle, Pipistrellus subflavus) collected in western Maryland, USA, were analysed to determine lipid and DDE content. Amounts of brown fat, expressed as percentages of total bat weight, were the same for all three species. Lipid content of brown fat was significantly less than that of white fat. Lipids of brown fat contained significantly higher (28%) concentrations of DDE than did lipids of white fat. In our mixed-species sample of 14 bats, concentrations of DDE increased exponentially in both brown and white fat as white fat reserves declined. Brown fat facilitates arousal from hibernation by producing heat through rapid metabolism of triglycerides. The question is raised whether organochlorine residues, such as DDE, may be concentrated and then liberated in lethal amounts by the processes of hibernation and arousal.

  10. Wnt inhibition enhances browning of mouse primary white adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Lo, Kinyui Alice; Ng, Pei Yi; Kabiri, Zahra; Virshup, David; Sun, Lei

    2016-01-01

    The global epidemic in obesity and metabolic syndrome requires novel approaches to tackle. White adipose tissue, traditionally seen as a passive energy-storage organ, can be induced to take on certain characteristics of brown fat in a process called browning. The "browned" white adipose tissue, or beige fat, is a potential anti-obesity target. Various signaling pathways can enhance browning. Wnt is a key regulator of adipocyte biology, but its role in browning has not been explored. In this study, we found that in primary mouse adipocytes derived from the inguinal depot, Wnt inhibition by both chemical and genetic methods significantly enhanced browning. The effect of Wnt inhibition on browning most likely targets the beige precursor cells in selected adipose depots.

  11. Spectral comparison of directly imaged, young substellar companions using integral field spectroscopy - construction of an empiric log g sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, T.; Neuhaüser, R.; Seifahrt, A.

    2010-10-01

    About 15 substellar companions with large separations (>∼50 AU) to their young primary stars and brown dwarfs are confirmed by both common proper motion and late-M / early-L type spectra. The origin and early evolution of these objects is still under debate. While often these substellar companions are regarded as brown dwarfs, they could possibly also be massive planets, the mass estimates are very uncertain so far. They are companions to primary stars or brown dwarfs in young associations and star forming regions like the TW Hya association, Upper Scorpius, Taurus, Beta Pic moving group, TucHor association, Lupus, Ophiuchus, and Chamaeleon, hence their ages and distances are well known, in contrast to free-floating brown dwarfs. An empirical classification is not possible, because a spectral sequence that is taking the lower gravity into account, is not existing. This problem leads to an apparent mismatch between spectra of old field type objects and young low-mass companions at the same effective temperature, hampering a determination of temperature and surface gravity independent from models. Now that about 15 such substellar candidates are found in associations of different ages, 1 - 35 Myrs, it is possible to study their spectra in comparison to each other using the advantage of light concentration by an adaptive optics system with their primary as guide star. Therefore we have begun the construction of an empirical log g sequence from beginning to observe all these substellar companions homogeneously using the AO-assisted integral field spectrograph SINFONI at VLT (ESO).

  12. Hunting for brown dwarf binaries with X-Shooter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manjavacas, E.; Goldman, B.; Alcalá, J. M.; Zapatero-Osorio, M. R.; Béjar, B. J. S.; Homeier, D.; Bonnefoy, M.; Smart, R. L.; Henning, T.; Allard, F.

    2015-05-01

    The refinement of the brown dwarf binary fraction may contribute to the understanding of the substellar formation mechanisms. Peculiar brown dwarf spectra or discrepancy between optical and near-infrared spectral type classification of brown dwarfs may indicate unresolved brown dwarf binary systems. We obtained medium-resolution spectra of 22 brown dwarfs of potential binary candidates using X-Shooter at the VLT. We aimed to select brown dwarf binary candidates. We also tested whether BT-Settl 2014 atmospheric models reproduce the physics in the atmospheres of these objects. To find different spectral type spectral binaries, we used spectral indices and we compared the selected candidates to single spectra and composition of two single spectra from libraries, to try to reproduce our X-Shooter spectra. We also created artificial binaries within the same spectral class, and we tried to find them using the same method as for brown dwarf binaries with different spectral types. We compared our spectra to the BT-Settl models 2014. We selected six possible candidates to be combination of L plus T brown dwarfs. All candidates, except one, are better reproduced by a combination of two single brown dwarf spectra than by a single spectrum. The one-sided F-test discarded this object as a binary candidate. We found that we are not able to find the artificial binaries with components of the same spectral type using the same method used for L plus T brown dwarfs. Best matches to models gave a range of effective temperatures between 950 K and 1900 K, a range of gravities between 4.0 and 5.5. Some best matches corresponded to supersolar metallicity.

  13. Apple Browning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chemecology, 1992

    1992-01-01

    Describes an activity in which students investigate the effects of selected natural and synthetic substances on the rate of apple browning. Includes background information for the teacher, a list of necessary materials, and student instructions. (KR)

  14. Habitable planets around white and brown dwarfs: the perils of a cooling primary.

    PubMed

    Barnes, Rory; Heller, René

    2013-03-01

    White and brown dwarfs are astrophysical objects that are bright enough to support an insolation habitable zone (IHZ). Unlike hydrogen-burning stars, they cool and become less luminous with time; hence their IHZ moves in with time. The inner edge of the IHZ is defined as the orbital radius at which a planet may enter a moist or runaway greenhouse, phenomena that can remove a planet's surface water forever. Thus, as the IHZ moves in, planets that enter it may no longer have any water and are still uninhabitable. Additionally, the close proximity of the IHZ to the primary leads to concern that tidal heating may also be strong enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse, even for orbital eccentricities as small as 10(-6). Water loss occurs due to photolyzation by UV photons in the planetary stratosphere, followed by hydrogen escape. Young white dwarfs emit a large amount of these photons, as their surface temperatures are over 10(4) K. The situation is less clear for brown dwarfs, as observational data do not constrain their early activity and UV emission very well. Nonetheless, both types of planets are at risk of never achieving habitable conditions, but planets orbiting white dwarfs may be less likely to sustain life than those orbiting brown dwarfs. We consider the future habitability of the planet candidates KOI 55.01 and 55.02 in these terms and find they are unlikely to become habitable.

  15. Observations of Disks around Brown Dwarfs in the TW Hydra Association with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morrow, A. L.; Luhman, K. L.; Espaillat, C.; D'Alessio, P.; Adame, L.; Calvet, N.; Forrest, W. J.; Sargent, B.; Hartmann, L.; Watson, D. M.; Bohac, C. J.

    2008-04-01

    Using SpeX at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph, we have obtained infrared spectra from 0.7 to 40 μm for three young brown dwarfs in the TW Hydra association (τ ~ 10 Myr), 2MASSW J1207334-393254, 2MASSW J1139511-315921, and SSSPM J1102-3431. The spectral energy distribution for 2MASSW J1139511-315921 is consistent with a stellar photosphere for the entire wavelength range of our data, whereas the other two objects exhibit significant excess emission at λ > 5μm. We are able to reproduce the excess emission from each brown dwarf using our models of irradiated accretion disks. According to our model fits, both disks have experienced a high degree of dust settling. We also find that silicate emission at 10 and 20 μm is absent from the spectra of these disks, indicating that grains in the upper disk layers have grown to sizes larger than ~5 μm. Both of these characteristics are consistent with previous observations of decreasing silicate emission with lower stellar masses and older ages. These trends suggest that either (1) the growth of dust grains, and perhaps planetesimal formation, occurs faster in disks around brown dwarfs than in disks around stars or (2) the radii of the mid-IR-emitting regions of disks are smaller for brown dwarfs than for stars, and grains grow faster at smaller disk radii. Finally, we note the possible detection of an unexplained emission feature near 14 μm in the spectra of both of the disk-bearing brown dwarfs. Based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407.

  16. Recovery of breeding success in a population of brown pelicans

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mendenhall, Vivian M.; Prouty, Richard M.; Southern, William E.

    1979-01-01

    Breeding populations of the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) declined during the 1960's on both east and west coasts of the United States. In 1969, colonies in South Carolina fledged an average of 0.78 young per nest (Blus et al. 1974b), and those in California only 0.004 (Anderson et al. 1975). The minimum production for population stability has been estimated to be 1.0 to 1.2 fledglings per nest (Henny 1972, Anderson et al. 1977). The South Carolina population may have decreased by as much as 80% during the previous decade (Blus 1970). Organochlorine pesticides were implicated as a cause of population decline. Eggs from South Carolina contained an average of 5.4 parts per million (ppm) of DDE (wet weight basis) in 1969, and those from California about 70 ppm wet weight (Blus et al. 1974a, Anderson et al. 1975). Shells of South Carolina brown pelican eggs were,17% thinner than normal, and those from California were 30% thinner, compared with shells of eggs laid before DDE was introduced in 1947 (Blus et al. 1974a, Anderson et al. 1975); crushed eggs were common in the colonies. DDE was the primary cause of shell thinning (Blus et al. 1971), but dieldrin was also associated with breeding failure, and both may be embryotoxic (Porter and Wiemeyer 1969, Longcore et al. 1971, Blus et al. 1974b). Brown pelicans also declined in Louisiana and Texas during this period, in association with shell thinning and relatively high organochlorine levels (Anderson and Hickey 1970, Blus et al. 1975, King et al. 1977). Eggs of pelicans in Florida, however, contained lower residues, and numbers have remained stable (Williams and Martin 1970). In 1969, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge initiated an intensive study of the South Carolina population. Size of the breeding colonies, production, eggshell thickness, and organochlorine residues were monitored each year. Between 1969 and 1976 organochlorines in the eggs declined gradually

  17. Searching for chemical signatures of brown dwarf formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maldonado, J.; Villaver, E.

    2017-06-01

    Context. Recent studies have shown that close-in brown dwarfs in the mass range 35-55 MJup are almost depleted as companions to stars, suggesting that objects with masses above and below this gap might have different formation mechanisms. Aims: We aim to test whether stars harbouring massive brown dwarfs and stars with low-mass brown dwarfs show any chemical peculiarity that could be related to different formation processes. Methods: Our methodology is based on the analysis of high-resolution échelle spectra (R 57 000) from 2-3 m class telescopes. We determine the fundamental stellar parameters, as well as individual abundances of C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Zn for a large sample of stars known to have a substellar companion in the brown dwarf regime. The sample is divided into stars hosting massive and low-mass brown dwarfs. Following previous works, a threshold of 42.5 MJup was considered. The metallicity and abundance trends of the two subsamples are compared and set in the context of current models of planetary and brown dwarf formation. Results: Our results confirm that stars with brown dwarf companions do not follow the well-established gas-giant planet metallicity correlation seen in main-sequence planet hosts. Stars harbouring massive brown dwarfs show similar metallicity and abundance distribution as stars without known planets or with low-mass planets. We find a tendency of stars harbouring less-massive brown dwarfs of having slightly higher metallicity, [XFe/Fe] values, and abundances of Sc II, Mn I, and Ni I than the stars having the massive brown dwarfs. The data suggest, as previously reported, that massive and low-mass brown dwarfs might present differences in period and eccentricity. Conclusions: We find evidence of a non-metallicity dependent mechanism for the formation of massive brown dwarfs. Our results agree with a scenario in which massive brown dwarfs are formed as stars. At high metallicities, the core

  18. Tony L. Brown and Joshua A. Brown d/b/a Riverview Cattle - Clean Water Act Public Notice

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The EPA is providing notice of a proposed Administrative Penalty Assessment against Tony L. Brown and Joshua A. Brown d/b/a Riverview Cattle, located in Emmet County, Iowa, for alleged violations at their concentrated animal feeding operation located at 18

  19. First record of proliferative kidney disease agent Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in wild brown trout and European grayling in Finland.

    PubMed

    Vasemägi, Anti; Nousiainen, Ilkka; Saura, Ari; Vähä, Juha-Pekka; Valjus, Jorma; Huusko, Ari

    2017-06-19

    The myxozoan endoparasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae causes temperature-driven proliferative kidney disease (PKD) in salmonid fishes. Despite the economic and ecological importance of PKD, information about the distribution of the parasite is still scarce. Here, we report for the first time the occurrence of T. bryosalmonae in wild brown trout Salmo trutta and European grayling Thymallus thymallus populations in Finland. We detected T. bryosalmonae at high prevalence in both brown trout and European grayling from the transboundary Finnish-Russian River Koutajoki system (Rivers Oulankajoki, Kuusinkijoki, Kitkajoki, Maaninkajoki, and Juumajoki) in north-eastern Finland. In southern Finland, T. bryosalmonae was detected in River Siuntionjoki young-of-the-year brown trout collected both in 2015 and 2016 (100% prevalence), while the parasite was not observed in fish from 3 other rivers (Ingarskila, Mustajoki, and Vantaanjoki) flowing to the Gulf of Finland. Our results, together with those from recent studies of Atlantic salmon, indicate that T. bryosalmonae is distributed over much higher latitudes in northern Europe than previously appreciated. We expect that increasing water temperatures will likely cause new PKD outbreaks in these more northerly regions in the future.

  20. L-rhamnose induces browning in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes and activates HIB1B brown adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Choi, Minji; Mukherjee, Sulagna; Kang, Nam Hyeon; Barkat, Jameel Lone; Parray, Hilal Ahmad; Yun, Jong Won

    2018-06-01

    Induction of the brown adipocyte-like phenotype in white adipocytes (browning) is considered as a novel strategy to fight obesity due to the ability of brown adipocytes to increase energy expenditure. Here, we report that L-rhamnose induced browning by elevating expression levels of beige-specific marker genes, including Cd137, Cited1, Tbx1, Prdm16, Tmem26, and Ucp1, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Moreover, L-rhamnose markedly elevated expression levels of proteins involved in thermogenesis both in 3T3-L1 white and HIB1B brown adipocytes. L-rhamnose treatment in 3T3-L1 adipocytes also significantly elevated protein levels of p-HSL, p-AMPK, ACOX, and CPT1 as well as reduced levels of ACC, FAS, C/EBPα, and PPARγ, suggesting its possible role in enhancement of lipolysis and lipid catabolism as well as reduced adipogenesis and lipogenesis, respectively. The quick technique of efficient molecular docking provided insight into the strong binding of L-rhamnose to the fat-digesting glycine residue of β 3 -adrenergic receptor (AR), indicating strong involvement of L-rhamnose in fat metabolism. Further examination of the molecular mechanism of L-rhamnose revealed that it induced browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes via coordination of multiple signaling pathways through β 3 -AR, SIRT1, PKA, and p-38. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that L-rhamnose plays multiple modulatory roles in the induction of white fat browning, activation of brown adipocytes, as well as promotion of lipid metabolism, thereby demonstrating its therapeutic potential for treatment of obesity. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(6):563-573, 2018. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  1. The enigmatic fast leaflet rotation in Desmodium motorium: butterfly mimicry for defense?

    PubMed

    Lev-Yadun, Simcha

    2013-06-01

    I propose that the enigmatic leaflet movements in elliptical circles every few minutes of the Indian telegraph (semaphore) plant Desmodium motorium ( = D. gyrans = Hedysarum gyrans = Codariocalyx motorius), which has intrigued scientists for centuries, is a new type of butterfly or general winged arthropod mimicry by this plant. Such leaflet movement may deceive a passing butterfly searching for an un-occupied site suitable to deposit its eggs, that the plant is already occupied. It may also attract insectivorous birds, reptiles or arthropods to the plant because it looks as if it is harboring a potential prey and while they patrol there, they can find insects or other invertebrates that indeed attack the plant. The possibility that diurnal mammalian herbivores may also be deterred by these movements should not be dismissed.

  2. An Enigmatic Death in Farm Chopping Machine: Is This the Perfect Murder?

    PubMed

    Gioia, Sara; Lancia, Massimo; Bacci, Mauro; Suadoni, Fabio

    2015-09-01

    Forensic autopsy, like the other sectors in medicine, has benefited from the technological progress and the creation of multidisciplinary teams to unveil more and more finely planned criminal intents.Forensic pathologists, however, can sometimes deal with very enigmatic cases, meeting so with the limits of their own knowledge. Therefore, in these cases, they must not allow themselves to be pressured by inquiring agencies, remaining instead always faithful to empiric observations.With regard to that, we present a peculiar case of death by shredding inside a grinding machinery. The magistrature consequently opened a dossier for willful murder. Lots of figures were appointed to solve the case and among them is the forensic pathologist. However, a great number of obstacles were put in the investigators' inquiries.Was it a perfect murder?

  3. Browning control of fresh-cut lettuce by phytoncide treatment.

    PubMed

    Kim, Do-Hee; Kim, Han-Bit; Chung, Hun-Sik; Moon, Kwang-Deog

    2014-09-15

    Phytoncide essential oil derived from pine leaves was applied for the control of enzymatic browning of fresh-cut lettuce. Changes in the browning characteristics of cut lettuce treated with phytoncide in an water or ethanol solution (1%, v/v) at 10°C were investigated for 12days at 4°C. Other samples dipped in distilled water or 95% ethanol were used as the controls. The samples treated with phytoncide in an ethanol solution showed significantly higher L* values and lower a* values, ΔE values, browning index, phenolic compounds, and enzyme activities (PPO, POD, PAL) related to browning. The samples dipped in distilled water showed the opposite tendency. On the basis of changes in the browning characteristics, anti-browning effects of each treatment, phytoncide in an ethanol solution was the most effective treatment applied. These results suggest that phytoncide treatment could be used as an effective method for controlling enzymatic browning in fresh-cut lettuce. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. African American Principals and the Legacy of "Brown"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tillman, Linda C.

    2004-01-01

    The 1954 "Brown v. Board of Education" decision is significant with respect to African Americans in the principalship for several reasons. First, teachers, principals, and parents were the most important influences in the education of Black children in the pre-"Brown" era of schooling. Thus, discussions about the "Brown" decision and the education…

  5. CDR Brown on middeck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1999-12-20

    S103-E-5007 (20 December 1999) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, mission commander, retrieves supplies from a mid deck stowage locker onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. He and six other astronauts will spend a great deal of time later in the week performing a variety of service tasks on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). As commander of the mission, Brown will remain inside Discovery while several of the other crew members will perform service tasks on HST. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 16:12:27 GMT, Dec. 20, 1999.

  6. Cause and control of Radix Ophiopogonis browning during storage.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hui; Qi, Jin; Han, Dong-Qi; Xu, Tian; Liu, Ji-Hua; Qin, Min-Jian; Zhu, Dan-Ni; Bo-Yang, Yu

    2015-01-01

    In the storage of Radix Ophiopogonis, browning often happens to cause potential risk with regard to safety. Previously few reports investigate the browning of Radix Ophiopogonis. In this research, the causes and mechanisms of the browning of Radix Ophiopogonis were preliminarily elucidated. Content determination by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometry, enzyme activity determination by colorimetry, and morphological observation by electron microscopy were performed in the present study. Uniform design and three-dimensional response surfaces were applied to investigate the relationship between browning and storage factors. The cortex cell wall of browned Radix Ophiopogonis was ruptured. Compared with the normal Radix Ophiopogonis, cellulase and polyphenol oxidase enzymes were activated, the levels of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), total sugars, and reducing sugars were increased, while the levels of polysaccharides and methylophiopogonanone A were decreased in browned Radix Ophiopogonis. The relationship between the storage factors and degree of browning (Y) could be described by following correlation equation: Y = - 0.625 4 + 0.020 84 × X3 + 0.001 514 × X1 × X2 - 0.000 964 4 × X2 × X3. Accompanied with browning under storage conditions, the chemical composition of Radix Ophiopogonis was altered. Following the activation of cellulase, the rupture of the cortex cell wall and the outflow of cell substances flowed out, which caused the Radix Ophiopogonis tissue to become soft and sticky. The main causes of the browning were the production of 5-HMF, the activation of polyphenol oxidase, Maillard reactions and enzymatic browning. Browning could be effectively prevented when the air relative humidity (HR), temperature, and moisture content were under 25% RH, 12 °C and 18%, respectively. Copyright © 2015 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Trustworthy-Looking Face Meets Brown Eyes

    PubMed Central

    Kleisner, Karel; Priplatova, Lenka; Frost, Peter; Flegr, Jaroslav

    2013-01-01

    We tested whether eye color influences perception of trustworthiness. Facial photographs of 40 female and 40 male students were rated for perceived trustworthiness. Eye color had a significant effect, the brown-eyed faces being perceived as more trustworthy than the blue-eyed ones. Geometric morphometrics, however, revealed significant correlations between eye color and face shape. Thus, face shape likewise had a significant effect on perceived trustworthiness but only for male faces, the effect for female faces not being significant. To determine whether perception of trustworthiness was being influenced primarily by eye color or by face shape, we recolored the eyes on the same male facial photos and repeated the test procedure. Eye color now had no effect on perceived trustworthiness. We concluded that although the brown-eyed faces were perceived as more trustworthy than the blue-eyed ones, it was not brown eye color per se that caused the stronger perception of trustworthiness but rather the facial features associated with brown eyes. PMID:23326406

  8. UCP1 in adipose tissues: two steps to full browning.

    PubMed

    Kalinovich, Anastasia V; de Jong, Jasper M A; Cannon, Barbara; Nedergaard, Jan

    2017-03-01

    The possibility that brown adipose tissue thermogenesis can be recruited in order to combat the development of obesity has led to a high interest in the identification of "browning agents", i.e. agents that increase the amount and activity of UCP1 in brown and brite/beige adipose tissues. However, functional analysis of the browning process yields confusingly different results when the analysis is performed in one of two alternative steps. Thus, in one of the steps, using cold acclimation as a potent model browning agent, we find that if the browning process is followed in mice initially housed at 21 °C (the most common procedure), there is only weak molecular evidence for increases in UCP1 gene expression or UCP1 protein abundance in classical brown adipose tissue; however, in brite/beige adipose depots, there are large increases, apparently associating functional browning with events only in the brite/beige tissues. Contrastingly, in another step, if the process is followed starting with mice initially housed at 30 °C (thermoneutrality for mice, thus similar to normal human conditions), large increases in UCP1 gene expression and UCP1 protein abundance are observed in the classical brown adipose tissue depots; there is then practically no observable UCP1 gene expression in brite/beige tissues. This apparent conundrum can be resolved when it is realized that the classical brown adipose tissue at 21 °C is already essentially fully differentiated and thus expands extensively through proliferation upon further browning induction, rather than by further enhancing cellular differentiation. When the limiting factor for thermogenesis, i.e. the total amount of UCP1 protein per depot, is analyzed, classical brown adipose tissue is by far the predominant site for the browning process, irrespective of which of the two steps is analyzed. There are to date no published data demonstrating that alternative browning agents would selectively promote brite/beige tissues

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging in congenital Brown syndrome.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jae Hyoung; Hwang, Jeong-Min

    2015-08-01

    Our aim was to elucidate the etiology of Brown syndrome by evaluating the trochlea position, morphologic characteristics of the extraocular muscles including superior oblique muscle/tendon complex, and the presence of the cranial nerves (CN) III, IV, and VI using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in eight patients with unilateral congenital Brown syndrome and one patient with bilateral congenital Brown syndrome. Nine consecutive patients diagnosed with congenital Brown syndrome had a comprehensive ocular examination and MRI for the CN III, CN VI, and the extraocular muscles. Five of the nine patients underwent additional high resolution MRI for CN IV. The distance from the annulus of Zinn to the trochlea was measured. Normal sized CN III, IV, and VI, as well as all extraocular muscles, could be identified bilaterally in all patients with available MRI. The distance from the annulus of Zinn to the trochlea was the same in both eyes. The findings for our patients, particularly in those who underwent additional high resolution MRI, did not provide evidence of a lack of CN IV as a cause of Brown syndrome.

  10. Brown Dwarf Weather (Artist's Concept)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-08-17

    This artist's concept animation shows a brown dwarf with bands of clouds, thought to resemble those seen on Neptune and the other outer planets in the solar system. By using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have found that the varying glow of brown dwarfs over time can be explained by bands of patchy clouds rotating at different speeds. Videos are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21752

  11. Relationship between the enzymatic browning and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity of cut lettuce, and the prevention of browning by inhibitors of polyphenol biosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Hisaminato, H; Murata, M; Homma, S

    2001-05-01

    Cut lettuce stored at 4 degrees C gradually turned brown on the cut section after several days of storage. Three factors for enzymatic browning, the polyphenol content, polyphenol oxidase activity, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, were examined during the cold storage of cut lettuce. A relationship between the browning and PAL activity was apparent. We tried to prevent this browning by using the two enzyme inhibitors, 2-aminoindane-2-phosphonic acid (AIP), an inhibitor of the phenylpropanoid pathway, and glyphosate, an inhibitor of the shikimate pathway. AIP and glyphosate significantly inhibited the browning of cut lettuce. The polyphenol content and PAL activity were both reduced by the treatment with AIP. These results show that regulating the biosynthesis of polyphenols is essential to prevent the browning of cut lettuce.

  12. Probing Cloud-Driven Variability on Two of the Youngest, Lowest-Mass Brown Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Adam; Cushing, Michael; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

    2016-08-01

    Young, late-type brown dwarfs share many properties with directly imaged giant extrasolar planets. They therefore provide unique testbeds for investigating the physical conditions present in this critical temperature and mass regime. WISEA 1147-2040 and 2MASS 1119-1137, two recently discovered late-type (~L7) brown dwarfs, have both been determined to be members of the ~10 Myr old TW Hya Association (Kellogg et al. 2016, Schneider et al. 2016). Each has an estimated mass of 5-6 MJup, making them two of the youngest and lowest-mass free floating objects yet found in the solar neighborhood. As such, these two planetary mass objects provide unparalleled laboratories for investigating giant planet-like atmospheres far from the contaminating starlight of a host sun. Condensate clouds play a critical role in shaping the emergent spectra of both brown dwarfs and gas giant planets, and can cause photometric variability via their non-uniform spatial distribution. We propose to photometrically monitor WISEA 1147-2040 and 2MASS 1119-1137 in order to search for the presence of cloud-driven variability to 1) investigate the potential trend of low surface gravity with high-amplitude variability in a previously unexplored mass regime and 2) explore the angular momentum evolution of isolated planetary mass objects.

  13. Legal Aspects of the Brown Decision.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Robert L.

    In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in the nation's public schools. This decision has not eliminated racial segregation, but it fundamentally altered the psychological pattern of race relations in the United States. Brown concerned a form of racial discrimination that has virtually vanished from…

  14. Dyslexics at Brown. A Student Perspective. Third Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cain, Carol; And Others

    An account of what it means to be a dyslexic student in higher education, put together by a group of Brown students who are dyslexic, is presented in an attempt to make the Brown community aware of dyslexia, its symptoms, and some study strategies for coping with it. Some of the resources that Brown offers its student body are listed. Nine…

  15. Cannabidiol promotes browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Parray, Hilal Ahmad; Yun, Jong Won

    2016-05-01

    Recruitment of the brown-like phenotype in white adipocytes (browning) and activation of existing brown adipocytes are currently being investigated as a means to combat obesity. Thus, a wide variety of dietary agents that contribute to browning of white adipocytes have been identified. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of cannabidiol (CBD), a major nonpsychotropic phytocannabinoid of Cannabis sativa, on induction of browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CBD enhanced expression of a core set of brown fat-specific marker genes (Ucp1, Cited1, Tmem26, Prdm16, Cidea, Tbx1, Fgf21, and Pgc-1α) and proteins (UCP1, PRDM16, and PGC-1α). Increased expression of UCP1 and other brown fat-specific markers contributed to the browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes possibly via activation of PPARγ and PI3K. In addition, CBD increased protein expression levels of CPT1, ACSL, SIRT1, and PLIN while down-regulating JNK2, SREBP1, and LPL. These data suggest possible roles for CBD in browning of white adipocytes, augmentation of lipolysis, thermogenesis, and reduction of lipogenesis. In conclusion, the current data suggest that CBD plays dual modulatory roles in the form of inducing the brown-like phenotype as well as promoting lipid metabolism. Thus, CBD may be explored as a potentially promising therapeutic agent for the prevention of obesity.

  16. Habitable Planets Around White and Brown Dwarfs: The Perils of a Cooling Primary

    PubMed Central

    Heller, René

    2013-01-01

    Abstract White and brown dwarfs are astrophysical objects that are bright enough to support an insolation habitable zone (IHZ). Unlike hydrogen-burning stars, they cool and become less luminous with time; hence their IHZ moves in with time. The inner edge of the IHZ is defined as the orbital radius at which a planet may enter a moist or runaway greenhouse, phenomena that can remove a planet's surface water forever. Thus, as the IHZ moves in, planets that enter it may no longer have any water and are still uninhabitable. Additionally, the close proximity of the IHZ to the primary leads to concern that tidal heating may also be strong enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse, even for orbital eccentricities as small as 10−6. Water loss occurs due to photolyzation by UV photons in the planetary stratosphere, followed by hydrogen escape. Young white dwarfs emit a large amount of these photons, as their surface temperatures are over 104 K. The situation is less clear for brown dwarfs, as observational data do not constrain their early activity and UV emission very well. Nonetheless, both types of planets are at risk of never achieving habitable conditions, but planets orbiting white dwarfs may be less likely to sustain life than those orbiting brown dwarfs. We consider the future habitability of the planet candidates KOI 55.01 and 55.02 in these terms and find they are unlikely to become habitable. Key Words: Extrasolar terrestrial planets—Habitability—Habitable zone—Tides—Exoplanets. Astrobiology 13, 279–291. PMID:23537137

  17. Drip tectonics and the enigmatic uplift of the Central Anatolian Plateau.

    PubMed

    Göğüş, Oğuz H; Pysklywec, Russell N; Şengör, A M C; Gün, Erkan

    2017-11-16

    Lithospheric drips have been interpreted for various regions around the globe to account for the recycling of the continental lithosphere and rapid plateau uplift. However, the validity of such hypothesis is not well documented in the context of geological, geophysical and petrological observations that are tested against geodynamical models. Here we propose that the folding of the Central Anatolian (Kırşehir) arc led to thickening of the lithosphere and onset of "dripping" of the arc root. Our geodynamic model explains the seismic data showing missing lithosphere and a remnant structure characteristic of a dripping arc root, as well as enigmatic >1 km uplift over the entire plateau, Cappadocia and Galatia volcanism at the southern and northern plateau margins since ~10 Ma, respectively. Models show that arc root removal yields initial surface subsidence that inverts >1 km of uplift as the vertical loading and crustal deformation change during drip evolution.

  18. Honokiol exerts dual effects on browning and apoptosis of adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Lone, Jameel; Yun, Jong Won

    2017-12-01

    Induction of brown adipocyte-like phenotype (browning) in white adipocytes and promotion of apoptosis by dietary and pharmacological compounds is considered a novel strategy against obesity. Here, we show that honokiol exerts dual modulatory effects on adipocytes via induction of browning in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes and apoptosis as well as activation of HIB1B brown adipocytes combined with inhibition of apoptosis. Honokiol-induced browning and apoptosis were investigated by determining expression levels of brown adipocyte-specific genes and proteins by RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis, respectively. Apoptotic data were validated by immunofluorescence and ROS levels were measured by FACS analysis. Honokiol treatment induced browning by elevating expression levels of brown adipocyte-specific genes such as Cidea, Cox8, Fgf21, Pgc-1α, and Ucp1. Honokiol promoted apoptosis of 3T3-L1 white adipocytes and inhibited apoptosis of HIB1B brown adipocytes via opposite regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Honokiol also significantly increased protein expression levels of ACOX1, CPT1, p-HSL, and p-PLIN and reduced ROS levels, suggesting its possible role in fat oxidation and lipid catabolism. Honokiol-induced browning could be mediated by activation of ERK, as inhibition of ERK by FR180204 abolished expression of PGC-1α and UCP1. Our findings suggest that honokiol exhibits a modulatory role in adipocytes via induction of browning and apoptosis in white adipocytes, promotion of catabolic lipid metabolism, as well as activation and inhibition of apoptosis in HIB1B brown adipocytes, thereby exhibiting therapeutic potential against obesity. Copyright © 2017 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  19. Brown Dwarfs: Discovery and Detailed Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.

    2001-01-01

    We obtained the optical and IR spectra of Gliese 229B and identified Cs, I, and CO features - as expected in theoretical models. Our optical IR spectrum showed that most of the refractory metals have condensed out of the atmosphere and the presence of Cs, I and CO shows evidence for disequilibrium chemistry. We reported orbital evidence for Gliese 229B. The HST measured optical magnitudes provide additional evidence for the absence of dust in the atmosphere of this cool object. The luminosity of brown dwarfs depend on their masses and ages and in order to interpret the results of the survey we have carried out an extensive Monte Carlo analysis. Our conclusion is that warm brown dwarfs are rare, as companions in the orbital period range beyond approximately 30 - 50 AU. The Palomer survey poses no constraint for brown dwarfs in planetary orbits similar to those of the outer planets. We have just started a program of imaging nearby stars with the newly commissioned AO system at Palomar and Keck and have already found a brown dwarf candidate.

  20. Glutathione suppresses the enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning in grape juice.

    PubMed

    Wu, Shengjun

    2014-10-01

    Browning tends to occur in grape juice during processing and storage and decreases the commercial value of it. Thus, browning inhibition is an important objective for manufacturers. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of glutathione as a browning inhibitor for use on grape juice. Grape juice browning treated with glutathione was monitored during processing and accelerated browning. 0.04% of glutathione inhibited 99.4% of the polyphenoloxidase activity in the grape juice. Consequently, during processing at room temperature and accelerated browning at 80 °C, the browning in the grape juice treated with glutathione was significantly lower than that in the control (p<0.05). The results indicate that glutathione is a promising browning inhibitor used in grape juice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism of the Black-throated Sparrow in central Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, M.J.; van Riper, Charles

    2004-01-01

    From 1994-1996 we investigated effects of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism on Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) nesting success in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. Of 56 Black-throated Sparrow nests, 52% were parasitized. Black-throated Sparrows appear to respond to natural parasitism by accepting the cowbird egg, deserting the nest, or burying the cowbird egg. Removal and damage of host eggs by female cowbirds effectively reduced clutch size from an average of 3.4 to 1.9 eggs. Because of this reduced clutch size, Black-throated Sparrow reproductive success was significantly lower in parasitized nests (0.2 young fledged/ nest) as compared to nonparasitized nests (1.6 young fledged/nest). When comparing cowbird parasitism between two habitat types, we found significantly higher parasitism frequencies in crucifixion-thorn (Canotia holacantha) versus creosote-bush (Larrea divaricata) habitat. We argue that this difference in parasitism is due to the greater number of tall perches (e.g., shrubs >4 m) available in crucifixion-thorn habitat, providing vantage points for female cowbirds to better find Black-throated Sparrow nests.

  2. Molecular and characterization of NnPPO cDNA from lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) in rhizome browning.

    PubMed

    Dong, C; Yu, A Q; Yang, M G; Zhou, M Q; Hu, Z L

    2016-04-30

    The complete cDNA (NnPPO) of polyphenol oxidase in Nelumbo nucifera was successfully isolated, using Rapid amplification cDNA end (RACE) assays. The full-length cDNA of NnPPO was 2069 bp in size, containing a 1791 bp open reading frame coding 597 amino acids. The putative NnPPO possessed the conserved active sites and domains for PPO function. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that NnPPO shared high homology with PPO of high plants, and the homology modeling proved that NnPPO had the typical structure of PPO family. In order to characterize the role of NnPPO, Real-time PCR assay demonstrated that NnPPO mRNA was expressed in different tissues of N. nucifera including young leave, rhizome, flower, root and leafstalk, with the highest expression in rhizome. Patterns of NnPPO expression in rhizome illustrated its mRNA level was significantly elevated, which was consistent with the change of NnPPO activity during rhizome browning. Therefore, transcriptional activation of NnPPO was probably the main reason causing rhizome browning.

  3. Speaking Personally--With John Seely Brown

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Journal of Distance Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This article presents an interview with John Seely Brown, a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California and a former chief scientist of Xerox Corporation and director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)--a position he held for nearly two decades. While head of PARC, Brown expanded the role of corporate research to include such…

  4. 49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

  5. 49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

  6. 49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

  7. 49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

  8. 49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

  9. The brown dwarf kinematics project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faherty, Jackie K.

    2010-10-01

    Brown dwarfs are a recent addition to the plethora of objects studied in Astronomy. With theoretical masses between 13 and 75 MJupiter , they lack sustained stable Hydrogen burning so they never join the stellar main sequence. They have physical properties similar to both planets and low-mass stars so studies of their population inform on both. The distances and kinematics of brown dwarfs provide key statistical constraints on their ages, moving group membership, absolute brightnesses, evolutionary trends, and multiplicity. Yet, until my thesis, fundamental measurements of parallax and proper motion were made for only a relatively small fraction of the known population. To address this deficiency, I initiated the Brown Dwarf Kinematics (BDKP). Over the past four years I have re-imaged the majority of spectroscopically confirmed field brown dwarfs (or ultracool dwarfs---UCDs) and created the largest proper motion catalog for ultracool dwarfs to date. Using new astrometric information I examined population characteristics such as ages calculated from velocity dispersions and correlations between kinematics and colors. Using proper motions, I identified several new wide co-moving companions and investigated binding energy (and hence formation) limitations as well as the frequency of hierarchical companions. Concurrently over the past four years I have been conducting a parallax survey of 84 UCDs including those showing spectral signatures of youth, metal-poor brown dwarfs, and those within 20 pc of the Sun. Using absolute magnitude relations in J,H, and K, I identified overluminous binary candidates and investigated known flux-reversal binaries. Using current evolutionary models, I compared the MK vs J-K color magnitude diagram to model predictions and found that the low-surface gravity dwarfs are significantly red-ward and underluminous of predictions and a handful of late-type T dwarfs may require thicker clouds to account for their scatter.

  10. Some Aspects of Enzymatic Browning in Apples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liffen, C. L.; Cleeve, H. N.

    1975-01-01

    Describes material modified from the Nuffield advanced chemistry course to make it meaningful and relevant to pupils in the middle school. Discusses a series of simple experiments on apple browning and summarizes the browning process and its control. (Author/GS)

  11. A possible brown dwarf companion to Gliese 569

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Forrest, W. J.; Shure, Mark; Skrutskie, M. F.

    1988-01-01

    A faint cool companion to Gliese 569, discovered during an IR imaging survey of nearby stars, may be the lowest-mass stellar object yet found. The companion is somewhat cooler in its 1.65-3.75-micron energy distribution than the coolest known main-sequence stars, indicating a low mass. Despite its lower temperature, it is more luminous than similar extremely low-mass stars, suggesting that it is either a young low-mass star evolving toward the main sequence or a cooling substellar brown dwarf. The primary star has emission lines and a low space velocity and exhibits flaring, all of which imply youth for this system. Observations of Gliese 569 and its companion over a period of 2 yr confirm the common proper motion expected of a true binary. The 5-arcsec apparent separation (50 AU) implies an orbital period of roughly 500 yr, which will permit an eventual direct determination of the mass of the companion.

  12. Brown Dwarf Microlensing Diagram

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-10

    For the first time, two space-based telescopes have teamed up with ground-based observatories to observe a microlensing event, a magnification of the light of a distant star due to the gravitational effects of an unseen object in the foreground. In this case, the cause of the microlensing event was a brown dwarf, dubbed OGLE-2015-BLG-1319, orbiting a star. In terms of mass, brown dwarfs fall somewhere between the size of the largest planets and the smallest stars. Curiously, scientists have found that, for stars roughly the mass of our sun, less than 1 percent have a brown dwarf orbiting within 3 AU (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the sun). This newly discovered brown dwarf may fall in that distance range. This microlensing event was observed by ground-based telescopes looking for these uncommon events, and subsequently seen by NASA's Spitzer and Swift space telescopes. As the diagram shows, Spitzer and Swift offer additional vantage points for viewing this chance alignment. While Swift orbits close to Earth, and saw (blue diamonds) essentially the same change in light that the ground-based telescopes measured (grey markers), Spitzer's location much farther away from Earth gave it a very different perspective on the event (red circles). In particular, Spitzer's vantage point resulted in a time lag in the microlensing event it observed, compared to what was seen by Swift and the ground-based telescope. This offset allowed astronomers to determine the distance to OGLE-2015-BLG-1319 as well as its mass: around 30-65 times that of Jupiter. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21077

  13. The mythic species Issus analis Brullé, 1833 (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Issidae): still an enigmatic taxon.

    PubMed

    Gnezdilov, Vladimir M; Bourgoin, Thierry

    2017-01-04

    One Issidae specimen stored in Paris museum historical collections is reported as holotype of Issus analis Brullé, 1833. From the original description, which is confirmed by study of this specimen, the species is moved to the genus Zopherisca Emeljanov, 2001 under a new combination Zopherisca analis (Brullé, 1833), comb. n. Date of description is discussed and modified from 1832 to 1833 accordingly. Unfortunately being a female as type specimen, the species remains quite enigmatic until some molecular analsysis could be undertaken on this old material.

  14. Race to the Top: Transiting Brown Dwarfs and Hot Jupiters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beatty, Thomas G.

    2015-12-01

    There are currently twelve known transiting brown dwarfs, nine of which orbit single main-sequence stars. These systems give us one of the only ways in which we may directly measure the masses and radii brown dwarfs, which in turn provides strong constraints on theoretical models of brown dwarf interiors and atmospheres. In addition, the transiting brown dwarfs allow us to forge a link between our understanding of transiting hot Jupiters, and our understanding of the field brown dwarf population. Comparing the two gives us a unique avenue to explore the role and interaction of surface gravity and stellar irradiation in the atmospheres of sub-stellar objects. It also allows us to leverage the detailed spectroscopic information we have for field brown dwarfs to interpret the broadband colors of hot Jupiters. This provides us with insight into the L/T transition in brown dwarfs, and the atmospheric chemistry changes that occur in hot Jupiter atmospheres as they cool. I will discuss recent observational results, with a particular focus on the transiting brown dwarf KELT-1b, and suggest how more of these important systems may be discovered in the future.

  15. Brown Dwarf Weather (Artist's Concept)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-06-06

    This artist's concept shows what the weather might look like on cool star-like bodies known as brown dwarfs. These giant balls of gas start out life like stars, but lack the mass to sustain nuclear fusion at their cores, and instead, fade and cool with time. Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that most brown dwarfs are roiling with one or more planet-size storms akin to Jupiter's "Great Red Spot." https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21475

  16. Phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA variation in brown bears and polar bears.

    PubMed

    Shields, G F; Adams, D; Garner, G; Labelle, M; Pietsch, J; Ramsay, M; Schwartz, C; Titus, K; Williamson, S

    2000-05-01

    We analyzed 286 nucleotides of the middle portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 61 brown bears from three locations in Alaska and 55 polar bears from Arctic Canada and Arctic Siberia to test our earlier observations of paraphyly between polar bears and brown bears as well as to test the extreme uniqueness of mitochondrial DNA types of brown bears on Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof (ABC) islands of southeastern Alaska. We also investigated the phylogeography of brown bears of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula in relation to other Alaskan brown bears because the former are being threatened by increased human development. We predicted that: (1) mtDNA paraphyly between brown bears and polar bears would be upheld, (2) the mtDNA uniqueness of brown bears of the ABC islands would be upheld, and (3) brown bears of the Kenai Peninsula would belong to either clade II or clade III of brown bears of our earlier studies of mtDNA. All of our predictions were upheld through the analysis of these additional samples. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  17. Phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA variation in brown bears and polar bears

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shields, Gerald F.; Adams, Deborah; Garner, Gerald W.; Labelle, Martine; Pietsch, Jacy; Ramsay, Malcolm; Schwartz, Charles; Titus, Kimberly; Williamson, Scott

    2000-01-01

    We analyzed 286 nucleotides of the middle portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 61 brown bears from three locations in Alaska and 55 polar bears from Arctic Canada and Arctic Siberia to test our earlier observations of paraphyly between polar bears and brown bears as well as to test the extreme uniqueness of mitochondrial DNA types of brown bears on Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof (ABC) islands of southeastern Alaska. We also investigated the phylogeography of brown bears of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula in relation to other Alaskan brown bears because the former are being threatened by increased human development. We predicted that: (1) mtDNA paraphyly between brown bears and polar bears would be upheld, (2) the mtDNA uniqueness of brown bears of the ABC islands would be upheld, and (3) brown bears of the Kenai Peninsula would belong to either clade II or clade III of brown bears of our earlier studies of mtDNA. All of our predictions were upheld through the analysis of these additional samples.

  18. Production and characterization of the healthy brown rice milk with sodium alginate addition from brown algae Sargassum binderi as emulsifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Latifah, R. N.; Warganegara, F. M.

    2018-03-01

    Brown rice milk, a plant milk, is potential to cure beriberi disease. Alginate was used as an emulsifier and increased the nutrition of brown rice milk. Alginate from Sargassum binderi was extracted by nonacidic treatment. The yield of alginate was 6.25 %. The moisture and water content of alginate were 18.27 % and 12.2 %, respectively. The density and viscosity of 0.1 % alginates in aqueous solution were 1.007 g·mL-1 and 7.651 × 10-3 kg·m-1s-1, respectively. The characteristics peaks of alginate appeared at 3,477; 1,633 and 1,419 cm-1, corresponding to hydroxyl (OH), carbonyl (C=O) and carboxyl (COOH), respectively. The best composition of alginate addition in brown rice milk was 0.2 %. The viscosity of the 0.2 % alginate in brown rice milk was 1.206 × 10-2 kg·m-1s-1 and showed a texture of small particle with closer spaces between the particles. The addition of alginate in brown rice milk also inhibited the process of sedimentation of milk which showed in the first order. The nutrition composition of the best brown rice milk was 40.21 mg·mL-1 carbohydrate; 1.3 mg·mL-1 protein; 0.158 mg·mL-1 fat and 13.1 mg·mL-1 total dietary fiber.

  19. Browning phenomenon of medieval stained glass windows.

    PubMed

    Ferrand, Jessica; Rossano, Stéphanie; Loisel, Claudine; Trcera, Nicolas; van Hullebusch, Eric D; Bousta, Faisl; Pallot-Frossard, Isabelle

    2015-04-07

    In this work, three pieces of historical on-site glass windows dated from the 13th to 16th century and one archeological sample (8th century) showing Mn-rich brown spots at their surface or subsurface have been characterized by optical microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The oxidation state of Mn as well as the Mn environment in the alteration phase have been characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Mn K-edge. Results show that the oxidation state of Mn and therefore the nature of the alteration phase varies according to the sample considered and is correlated with the extent of the brown alteration. The larger the brown areas the more oxidized the Mn. However, by contrast with literature, the samples presenting the more extended brown areas are not similar to pyrolusite and contain Mn mainly under a (+III) oxidation state.

  20. The detectability of brown dwarfs - Predictions and uncertainties

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nelson, L. A.; Rappaport, S.; Joss, P. C.

    1993-01-01

    In order to determine the likelihood for the detection of isolated brown dwarfs in ground-based observations as well as in future spaced-based astronomy missions, and in order to evaluate the significance of any detections that might be made, we must first know the expected surface density of brown dwarfs on the celestial sphere as a function of limiting magnitude, wavelength band, and Galactic latitude. It is the purpose of this paper to provide theoretical estimates of this surface density, as well as the range of uncertainty in these estimates resulting from various theoretical uncertainties. We first present theoretical cooling curves for low-mass stars that we have computed with the latest version of our stellar evolution code. We use our evolutionary results to compute theoretical brown-dwarf luminosity functions for a wide range of assumed initial mass functions and stellar birth rate functions. The luminosity functions, in turn, are utilized to compute theoretical surface density functions for brown dwarfs on the celestial sphere. We find, in particular, that for reasonable theoretical assumptions, the currently available upper bounds on the brown-dwarf surface density are consistent with the possibility that brown dwarfs contribute a substantial fraction of the mass of the Galactic disk.

  1. Brown-Spot Needle Blight of Pines

    Treesearch

    W.R. Phelps; A.G. Kais; T.H. Nicholls

    1978-01-01

    Brown-spot needle blight, caused by Scirrhia acicola (Dearn.) Siggers, delays growth and causes mortality of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Brown spot reduces total annual growth of southern pines by more than 16 million cubic feet (0.453 million cubic meters) of timber. Damage is most severe on longleaf seedlings in the grass stage; i.e., those that have not...

  2. Brown-Sequard Syndrome

    MedlinePlus

    ... infectious or inflammatory diseases such as tuberculosis, or multiple sclerosis. × Definition Brown-Sequard syndrome (BSS) is a rare ... infectious or inflammatory diseases such as tuberculosis, or multiple sclerosis. View Full Definition Treatment Generally treatment for individuals ...

  3. Collecting Brown Dwarfs in the Night Sky

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-11-09

    The green dot in the middle of this image might look like an emerald amidst glittering diamonds, but is a dim star belonging to a class called brown dwarfs; it is the first ultra-cool brown dwarf discovered by NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.

  4. Mechanisms and effective control of physiological browning phenomena in plant cell cultures.

    PubMed

    Dong, Yan-Shan; Fu, Chun-Hua; Su, Peng; Xu, Xiang-Ping; Yuan, Jie; Wang, Sheng; Zhang, Meng; Zhao, Chun-Fang; Yu, Long-Jiang

    2016-01-01

    Browning phenomena are ubiquitous in plant cell cultures that severely hamper scientific research and widespread application of plant cell cultures. Up to now, this problem still has not been well controlled due to the unclear browning mechanisms in plant cell cultures. In this paper, the mechanisms were investigated using two typical materials with severe browning phenomena, Taxus chinensis and Glycyrrhiza inflata cells. Our results illustrated that the browning is attributed to a physiological enzymatic reaction, and phenolic biosynthesis regulated by sugar plays a decisive role in the browning. Furthermore, to confirm the specific compounds which participate in the enzymatic browning reaction, transcriptional profile and metabolites of T. chinensis cells, and UV scanning and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) profile of the browning compounds extracted from the brown-turned medium were analyzed, flavonoids derived from phenylpropanoid pathway were found to be the main compounds, and myricetin and quercetin were deduced to be the main substrates of the browning reaction. Inhibition of flavonoid biosynthesis can prevent the browning occurrence, and the browning is effectively controlled via blocking flavonoid biosynthesis by gibberellic acid (GA3 ) as an inhibitor, which further confirms that flavonoids mainly contribute to the browning. On the basis above, a model elucidating enzymatic browning mechanisms in plant cell cultures was put forward, and effective control approaches were presented. © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  5. Loss of ADAMTS5 enhances brown adipose tissue mass and promotes browning of white adipose tissue via CREB signaling.

    PubMed

    Bauters, Dries; Cobbaut, Mathias; Geys, Lotte; Van Lint, Johan; Hemmeryckx, Bianca; Lijnen, H Roger

    2017-07-01

    A potential strategy to treat obesity - and the associated metabolic consequences - is to increase energy expenditure. This could be achieved by stimulating thermogenesis through activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and/or the induction of browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). Over the last years, it has become clear that several metalloproteinases play an important role in adipocyte biology. Here, we investigated the potential role of ADAMTS5. Mice deficient in ADAMTS5 ( Adamts5 -/- ) and wild-type ( Adamts5 +/+ ) littermates were kept on a standard of Western-type diet for 15 weeks. Energy expenditure and heat production was followed by indirect calorimetry. To activate thermogenesis, mice were treated with the β3-adrenergic receptor (β 3 -AR) agonist CL-316,243 or alternatively, exposed to cold for 2 weeks. Compared to Adamts5 +/+ mice, Adamts5 -/- mice have significantly more interscapular BAT and marked browning of their subcutaneous (SC) WAT. Thermogenic pathway analysis indicated, in the absence of ADAMTS5, enhanced β 3 -AR signaling via activation of the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). Additional β 3 -AR stimulation with CL-316,243 promoted browning of WAT in Adamts5 +/+ mice but had no additive effect in Adamts5 -/- mice. However, cold exposure induced more pronounced browning of WAT in Adamts5 -/- mice. These data indicate that ADAMTS5 plays a functional role in development of BAT and browning of WAT. Hence, selective targeting of ADAMTS5 could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for treatment/prevention of obesity and metabolic diseases.

  6. Phytochemical Profile of Brown Rice and Its Nutrigenomic Implications.

    PubMed

    Ravichanthiran, Keneswary; Ma, Zheng Feei; Zhang, Hongxia; Cao, Yang; Wang, Chee Woon; Muhammad, Shahzad; Aglago, Elom K; Zhang, Yihe; Jin, Yifan; Pan, Binyu

    2018-05-23

    Whole grain foods have been promoted to be included as one of the important components of a healthy diet because of the relationship between the regular consumption of whole-grain foods and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Rice is a staple food, which has been widely consumed for centuries by many Asian countries. Studies have suggested that brown rice is associated with a wide spectrum of nutrigenomic implications such as anti-diabetic, anti-cholesterol, cardioprotective and antioxidant. This is because of the presence of various phytochemicals that are mainly located in bran layers of brown rice. Therefore, this paper is a review of publications that focuses on the bioactive compounds and nutrigenomic implications of brown rice. Although current evidence supports the fact that the consumption of brown rice is beneficial for health, these studies are heterogeneous in terms of their brown rice samples used and population groups, which cause the evaluation to be difficult. Future clinical studies should focus on the screening of individual bioactive compounds in brown rice with reference to their nutrigenomic implications.

  7. Canine tooth wear in captive little brown bats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Donald R.

    1980-01-01

    Upper canine teeth of little brown bats Myotis lucifugus lucifugus held in stainless steel wire mesh cages underwent severe wear which exceeded that observed previously in caged big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus fuscus. This suggests a relationship between amount of wear and size of the caged bats with damage increasing as size decreases. Rapid wear of canine teeth by little brown bats resembled that observed in big brown bats in that it was limited to the first 2 weeks of captivity. This result indicates a universal interval for acclimation to cage conditions among vespertilionid bats. Dietary toxicants DDE and PCB did not affect the extent of wear. If bats are to be released to the wild, confinement in wire mesh cages should be avoided.

  8. Photometry, Astrometry, and Discoveries of Ultracool Dwarfs in the Pan-STARRS 3π Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Best, William M. J.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Liu, Michael C.; Deacon, Niall; Aller, Kimberly; Zhang, Zhoujian; Pan-STARRS1 Builders

    2018-01-01

    The Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey (PS1)'s far-red optical sensitivity makes it an exceptional new resource for discovering and characterizing ultracool dwarfs. We present a PS1-based catalog of photometry and proper motions of nearly 10,000 M, L, and T dwarfs, along with our analysis of the kinematics of nearby M6-T9 dwarfs, building a comprehensive picture of the local ultracool population. We highlight some especially interesting ultracool discoveries made with PS1, including brown dwarfs with spectral types in the enigmatic L/T transition, wide companions to main sequence stars that serve as age and metallicity bechmarks for substellar models, and free-floating members of the nearby young moving groups and star-forming regions with masses down to ≈5 MJup. With its public release, PS1 will continue to be a vital tool for studying the ultracool population.

  9. Calcifying Sorting and Segregating: "Brown" at 60

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graff, Cristina Santamaria; Kozleski, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    The 2007 "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1". Supreme Court 5:4 decision suggests that the Court is divided in its interpretation of "Brown" and its intent in addressing racial segregation. Although "Brown" intended equal educational opportunities through desegregation practices,…

  10. Browning of white adipose tissue: lessons from experimental models.

    PubMed

    Bargut, Thereza Cristina Lonzetti; Souza-Mello, Vanessa; Aguila, Marcia Barbosa; Mandarim-de-Lacerda, Carlos Alberto

    2017-01-18

    Beige or brite (brown-in-white) adipocytes are present in white adipose tissue (WAT) and have a white fat-like phenotype that when stimulated acquires a brown fat-like phenotype, leading to increased thermogenesis. This phenomenon is known as browning and is more likely to occur in subcutaneous fat depots. Browning involves the expression of many transcription factors, such as PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, and of uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, which is the hallmark of thermogenesis. Recent papers pointed that browning can occur in the WAT of humans, with beneficial metabolic effects. This fact indicates that these cells can be targeted to treat a range of diseases, with both pharmacological and nutritional activators. Pharmacological approaches to induce browning include the use of PPAR-α agonist, adrenergic receptor stimulation, thyroid hormone administration, irisin and FGF21 induction. Most of them act through the induction of PPAR-γ coactivator (PGC) 1-α and the consequent mitochondrial biogenesis and UCP1 induction. About the nutritional inducers, several compounds have been described with multiple mechanisms of action. Some of these activators include specific amino acids restriction, capsaicin, bile acids, Resveratrol, and retinoic acid. Besides that, some classes of lipids, as well as many plant extracts, have also been implicated in the browning of WAT. In conclusion, the discovery of browning in human WAT opens the possibility to target the adipose tissue to fight a range of diseases. Studies have arisen showing promising results and bringing new opportunities in thermogenesis and obesity control.

  11. Exposure of Brown Recluse and Brown Widow Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae, Theridiidae) to a Commercial Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation.

    PubMed

    Vetter, Richard S; Hoddle, Mark S; Choe, Dong-Hwan; Thoms, Ellen

    2014-10-01

    The body of pesticide research on spiders is sparse with most studies using topical or residual applications to assess efficacy. Data on the effects of fumigation on spider survivorship are scarce in the scientific literature. In this study, we exposed adult male and female brown recluse spiders, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, and female brown widow spiders, Latrodectus geometricus C. L. Koch, to a commercial fumigation event using sulfuryl fluoride directed at termite control. General consensus from the pest control industry is that fumigation is not always effective for control of spiders for a variety of reasons, including insufficient fumigant dosage, particularly, for contents of egg sacs that require a higher fumigant dosage for control. We demonstrated that a sulfuryl fluoride fumigation with an accumulated dosage of 162 oz-h per 1,000 ft(3) at 21°C over 25 h (≈1.7 × the drywood termite dosage) directed at termites was sufficient to kill adult brown recluse and brown widow spiders. The effectiveness of commercial fumigation practices to control spiders, and particularly their egg sacs, warrants further study. © 2014 Entomological Society of America.

  12. Mink predation on brown trout in a Black Hills stream

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Davis, Jacob L.; Wilhite, Jerry W.; Chipps, Steven R.

    2016-01-01

    In the early 2000’s, declines in the brown trout (Salmo trutta) fishery in Rapid Creek, South Dakota, caused concern for anglers and fisheries managers. We conducted a radio telemetry study in 2010 and 2011 to identify predation mortality associated with mink, using hatchery-reared (2010) or wild (2011) brown trout. Estimated predation rates by mink (Mustela vison) on radio-tagged brown trout were 30% for hatchery fish and 32% for wild fish. Size frequency analysis revealed that the size distribution of brown trout lost to predation was similar to that of other, radio-tagged brown trout. In both years, a higher proportion of predation mortality (83–92%) occurred during spring, consistent with seasonal fish consumption by mink. Predation by mink appeared to be a significant source of brown trout mortality in our study.

  13. Taming the Flames: Targeting White Adipose Tissue Browning in Hypermetabolic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Abdullahi, Abdikarim; Jeschke, Marc G

    2017-12-01

    In this era of increased obesity and diabetes prevalence, the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target to induce weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity in this population. The browning process entails a shift in the WAT from primarily storing excess energy to the dissipation of energy as heat. However, this idealistic view of WAT browning being the savior of the metabolic syndrome has been criticized by studies in burn and cancer patients that have shown browning to be detrimental rather than beneficial. In fact, in the context of hypermetabolic states, the browning of WAT has presented with substantial clinical adverse outcomes related to cachexia, hepatic steatosis, and muscle catabolism. Therefore, the previous thought construct of understanding browning as an all-beneficial physiologic event has now been met with skepticism. In this review, we focus on current knowledge of browning of WAT and its adverse metabolic alterations during hypermetabolic states. We also discuss the regulators and signaling pathways involved in the browning process and their potential for being targeted by new or existing drugs to inhibit or alleviate browning, potentially leading to decreased hypermetabolism and improved clinical outcomes. Lastly, the imminent clinical applications of pharmacological agents are explored in the perspective of attenuating WAT browning and its associated adverse side effects reported in burn patients. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

  14. On Browne's Solution for Oblique Procrustes Rotation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cramer, Elliot M.

    1974-01-01

    A form of Browne's (1967) solution of finding a least squares fit to a specified factor structure is given which does not involve solution of an eigenvalue problem. It suggests the possible existence of a singularity, and a simple modification of Browne's computational procedure is proposed. (Author/RC)

  15. The role of various amino acids in enzymatic browning process in potato tubers, and identifying the browning products.

    PubMed

    Ali, Hussein M; El-Gizawy, Ahmed M; El-Bassiouny, Rawia E I; Saleh, Mahmoud A

    2016-02-01

    The effects of five structurally variant amino acids, glycine, valine, methionine, phenylalanine and cysteine were examined as inhibitors and/or stimulators of fresh-cut potato browning. The first four amino acids showed conflict effects; high concentrations (⩾ 100mM for glycine and ⩾ 1.0M for the other three amino acids) induced potato browning while lower concentrations reduced the browning process. Alternatively, increasing cysteine concentration consistently reduced the browning process due to reaction with quinone to give colorless adduct. In PPO assay, high concentrations (⩾ 1.11 mM) of the four amino acids developed more color than that of control samples. Visible spectra indicated a continuous condensation of quinone and glycine to give colored adducts absorbed at 610-630 nm which were separated and identified by LC-ESI-MS as catechol-diglycine adduct that undergoes polymerization with other glycine molecules to form peptide side chains. In lower concentrations, the less concentration the less developed color was observed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. 21 CFR 890.3675 - Denis Brown splint.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Denis Brown splint. 890.3675 Section 890.3675 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3675 Denis Brown splint. (a...

  17. 21 CFR 890.3675 - Denis Brown splint.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Denis Brown splint. 890.3675 Section 890.3675 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3675 Denis Brown splint. (a...

  18. 21 CFR 890.3675 - Denis Brown splint.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Denis Brown splint. 890.3675 Section 890.3675 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3675 Denis Brown splint. (a...

  19. 21 CFR 890.3675 - Denis Brown splint.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Denis Brown splint. 890.3675 Section 890.3675 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3675 Denis Brown splint. (a...

  20. STS-107 Crew Interviews: David Brown MS1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    STS-107 Mission Specialist 1 David Brown is seen during this preflight interview where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career. Brown outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the conducting of on-board science experiments. Brown discusses the following instruments and experiments in detail: ARMS (Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System), MEIDEX (Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment), Combustion Module 2, and FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Enables Science Technology and Research). He also describes the new primary payload carrier, the SPACEHAB research double module which doubles the amount of space available for research. Brown shares his thoughts about the importance of international cooperation in mission planning and the need for scientific research in space.

  1. Platform construction of molecular breeding for utilization of brown macroalgae.

    PubMed

    Takagi, Toshiyuki; Kuroda, Kouichi; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi

    2018-01-01

    Brown macroalgae are characterized by a large size and high productivity without requiring arable land, fresh water, and fertilizer. Furthermore, since brown macroalgae contain little or no lignin, simple biorefinery processing can efficiently produce sugars from this material. Therefore, brown macroalgae have attracted attention as an alternative feedstock for bioethanol production. However, the utilization of biotechnologies previously developed for terrestrial biomass processing results in difficulties in the bioconversion of brown macroalgae. Recently, several studies have developed biotechnologies for using major carbohydrates of brown macroalgae, such as laminarin, mannitol, and alginate. This review focuses on these fermentation biotechnologies using natural or engineered microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Regulation of an unexploited brown trout population in Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carline, R.F.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the annual variations in the density of an unexploited population of lotic brown trout Salmo trutta that has been censused annually for 19 years and to explore the importance of density-independent and density-dependent processes in regulating population size. Brown trout density and indices of stream discharge and water temperature were related to annual variations in natural mortality, recruitment, and growth. Annual mortality of age-1 and older (age-1+) brown trout ranged from 0.30 to 0.75 and was best explained by discharge during spring and by brown trout density. Recruitment to age 1 varied fivefold. Density of age-1 brown trout was inversely related to spawner density and positively related to discharge during the fall spawning period. The median length of age-1 brown trout was positively related to discharge during summer and fall. Relative weight was inversely related to the density of age-2+ brown trout. The interactive effects of discharge and brown trout density accounted for most of the annual variation in mortality, recruitment, and growth during the first year of life. Annual trends in the abundance of age-1+ brown trout were largely dictated by natural mortality. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

  3. A new enigmatic Late Miocene mylodontoid sloth from northern South America

    PubMed Central

    Rincón, Ascanio D.; McDonald, H. Gregory; Solórzano, Andrés; Flores, Mónica Núñez; Ruiz-Ramoni, Damián

    2015-01-01

    A new genus and species of sloth (Eionaletherium tanycnemius gen. et sp. nov.) recently collected from the Late Miocene Urumaco Formation, Venezuela (northern South America) is herein described based on a partial skeleton including associated femora and tibiae. In order to make a preliminary analysis of the phylogenetic affinities of this new sloth we performed a discriminate analysis based on several characters of the femur and tibia of selected Mylodontoidea and Megatherioidea sloths. The consensus tree produced indicates that the new sloth, E. tanycnemius, is a member of the Mylodontoidea. Surprisingly, the new taxon shows some enigmatic features among Neogene mylodontoid sloths, e.g. femur with a robust lesser trochanter that projects medially and the straight distinctly elongated tibia. The discovery of E. tanycnemius increases the diversity of sloths present in the Urumaco sequence to ten taxa. This taxon supports previous studies of the sloth assemblage from the Urumaco sequence as it further indicates that there are several sloth lineages present that are unknown from the better sampled areas of southern South America. PMID:26064594

  4. Anthraquinones isolated from the browned Chinese chestnut kernels (Castanea mollissima blume)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Y. L.; Qi, J. H.; Qin, L.; Wang, F.; Pang, M. X.

    2016-08-01

    Anthraquinones (AQS) represent a group of secondary metallic products in plants. AQS are often naturally occurring in plants and microorganisms. In a previous study, we found that AQS were produced by enzymatic browning reaction in Chinese chestnut kernels. To find out whether non-enzymatic browning reaction in the kernels could produce AQS too, AQS were extracted from three groups of chestnut kernels: fresh kernels, non-enzymatic browned kernels, and browned kernels, and the contents of AQS were determined. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods were used to identify two compounds of AQS, rehein(1) and emodin(2). AQS were barely exists in the fresh kernels, while both browned kernel groups sample contained a high amount of AQS. Thus, we comfirmed that AQS could be produced during both enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning process. Rhein and emodin were the main components of AQS in the browned kernels.

  5. BRIC - Brown with canisters on middeck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-11-02

    STS095-E-5166 (2 Nov. 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown Jr. (left), STS-95 commander, and U.S. Sen. John H. Glenn Jr., payload specialist, are seen on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Discovery during Flight Day three activity. Brown has retrieved an experiment from a stowage locker and Glenn works out on the ergometer device. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 05:55:42 GMT, Nov. 2.

  6. HARPERS FERRY, A PLAY ABOUT JOHN BROWN.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    STAVIS, BARRIE

    THIS PLAY IS A DRAMATIC RENDERING OF JOHN BROWN'S ATTACK ON THE ARMORY AT HARPERS FERRY AND HIS SUBSEQUENT TRIAL FOR TREASON. ALTHOUGH IT ADHERES TO THE FACTS OF HISTORY, THEY ARE NOT TREATED REALISTICALLY. "HARPERS FERRY" PORTRAYS BROWN AS POSSESSING A PURE IDEALISM UNTAINTED IN THE SLIGHTEST DEGREE BY MATERIALISM OR SELF-SEEKING, WHICH…

  7. Chondrule-like objects and brown glasses in howardites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsen, Edward J.; Fredriksson, Kurt; Rajan, Sundar; Noonan, Albert

    1990-01-01

    Chondrulelike objects and brown glasses were analyzed in the howardites, Bununu, Malvern, Monticello, Pavlovka, and Yamato 7308. The objects are very similar to chondrules in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. Like the brown glasses, the chondrulelike objects could have been produced by impact melting that left some crystalline nuclei, followed by a slower cooling rate than for the glasses. Alternatively, these objects are chondrules implanted from chondrite impactors. They are, however, without rims or any adhering matrix. The brown glasses appear to represent melting of average regolithic surface material, except for Monticello and Y7308, both of which have some siliceous glasses. The siliceous glasses could not have been produced by vapor fractionation but by melting of differentiated lithologies such as fayalitic granites. Impact mechanics indicates that howardites with abundant brown glasses came from an asteroid larger than Vesta (greater than 400 km radius), upon which impacts occurred at relative velocities of up to 5 km/s. Howardites with little or no brown glasses came from a smaller parent body. It is concluded that at least two parent bodies are likely sources for the basaltic achondrites.

  8. 7 CFR 868.251 - Definition of brown rice for processing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definition of brown rice for processing. 868.251... REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES United States Standards for Brown Rice for Processing Terms Defined § 868.251 Definition of brown rice for processing. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) which...

  9. 7 CFR 868.251 - Definition of brown rice for processing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Definition of brown rice for processing. 868.251... REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES United States Standards for Brown Rice for Processing Terms Defined § 868.251 Definition of brown rice for processing. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) which...

  10. A novel brown adipocyte-enriched long non-coding RNA that is required for brown adipocyte differentiation and sufficient to drive thermogenic gene program in white adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Xiong, Yan; Yue, Feng; Jia, Zhihao; Gao, Yun; Jin, Wen; Hu, Keping; Zhang, Yong; Zhu, Dahai; Yang, Gongshe; Kuang, Shihuan

    2018-04-01

    The thermogenic activities of brown and beige adipocytes can be exploited to reduce energy surplus and counteract obesity. Recent RNA sequencing studies have uncovered a number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) uniquely expressed in white and brown adipose tissues (WAT and BAT), but whether and how these lncRNAs function in adipogenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we report the identification of a novel brown adipocyte-enriched LncRNA (AK079912), and its nuclear localization, function and regulation. The expression of AK079912 increases during brown preadipocyte differentiation and in response to cold-stimulated browning of white adipocytes. Knockdown of AK079912 inhibits brown preadipocyte differentiation, manifested by reductions in lipid accumulation and down-regulation of adipogenic and BAT-specific genes. Conversely, ectopic expression of AK079912 in white preadipocytes up-regulates the expression of genes involved in thermogenesis. Mechanistically, inhibition of AK079912 reduces mitochondrial copy number and protein levels of mitochondria electron transport chain (ETC) complexes, whereas AK079912 overexpression increases the levels of ETC proteins. Lastly, reporter and pharmacological assays identify Pparγ as an upstream regulator of AK079912. These results provide new insights into the function of non-coding RNAs in brown adipogenesis and regulating browning of white adipocytes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Relationship in between Chemical Oxidation and Browning of Flavanols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, X.; Zhang, Y. L.; Wang, F.; Pang, M. X.; Qi, J. H.

    2016-08-01

    Catechin, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. At present, influencing factors of phenol chemical oxidation is little research. In order to study non-enzymatic browning factors, this research utilized catechin, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid to establish simulation systems. The browning degree and products of flavanols were investigated by transmittance and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The main results and conclusions were follows. The brown generation is increased after phenols of chemical oxidation at 50°C and at pH 3.7 phosphate buffered saline, the sequence of influencing factor of browning is pH > kind of phenol > temperature. Oxidation of compounds of catechin and epicatechin results in formation of their Methylene quinone or o -Quinones. In addition, oxidation products of catechin, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid were mixture of different molecular sizes. The research has showed that brown generation correlated well with chemical oxidation of phenols and chemical oxidation reaction generated larger molecular weight polymers.

  12. Effect of Product Dimensions and Surface Browning Method on Salmonella Contamination in Frozen, Surface-Browned, Breaded Chicken Products Treated with Antimicrobials.

    PubMed

    Moschonas, Galatios; Geornaras, Ifigenia; Stopforth, Jarret D; Woerner, Dale R; Belk, Keith E; Smith, Gary C; Sofos, John N

    2015-12-01

    Not-ready-to-eat breaded chicken products formulated with antimicrobial ingredients were tested for the effect of sample dimensions, surface browning method and final internal sample temperature on inoculated Salmonella populations. Fresh chicken breast meat portions (5 × 5 × 5 cm), inoculated with Salmonella (7-strain mixture; 5 log CFU/g), were mixed with (5% v/w total moisture enhancement) (i) distilled water (control), (ii) caprylic acid (CAA; 0.0625%) and carvacrol (CAR; 0.075%), (iii) CAA (0.25%) and ε-polylysine (POL; 0.5%), (iv) CAR (0.15%) and POL (0.5%), or (v) CAA (0.0625%), CAR (0.075%) and POL (0.5%). Sodium chloride (1.2%) and sodium tripolyphosphate (0.3%) were added to all treatments. The mixtures were then ground and formed into 9 × 5 × 3 cm (150 g) or 9 × 2.5 × 2 cm (50 g) portions. The products were breaded, browned in (i) an oven (208 °C, 15 min) or (ii) deep fryer (190 °C, 15 s), packaged, and stored at -20 °C (8 d). Overall, maximum internal temperatures of 62.4 ± 4.0 °C (9 × 2.5 × 2 cm) and 46.0 ± 3.0 °C (9 × 5 × 3 cm) were reached in oven-browned samples, and 35.0 ± 1.1 °C (9 × 2.5 × 2 cm) and 31.7 ± 2.6 °C (9 × 5 × 3 cm) in fryer-browned samples. Irrespective of formulation treatment, total (after frozen storage) reductions of Salmonella were greater (P < 0.05) for 9 × 2.5 × 2 cm oven-browned samples (3.8 to at least 4.6 log CFU/g) than for 9 × 5 × 3 cm oven-browned samples (0.7 to 2.5 log CFU/g). Product dimensions did not (P ≥ 0.05) affect Salmonella reductions (0.6 to 2.8 log CFU/g) in fryer-browned samples. All antimicrobial treatments reduced Salmonella to undetectable levels (<0.3 log CFU/g) in oven-browned 9 × 2.5 × 2 cm samples. Overall, the data may be useful for the selection of antimicrobials, product dimensions, and surface browning methods for reducing Salmonella contamination. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

  13. Novel browning agents, mechanisms and therapeutic potentials of brown adipose tissue

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Non-shivering thermogenesis is the process of biological heat production in mammals and is primarily mediated by brown adipose tissue (BAT). Through ubiquitous expression of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) on the mitochondrial inner membrane, BAT displays uncoupling of fuel combustion and ATP production...

  14. Ouabain-sensitive component of brown fat thermogenesis.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Horwitz, B. A.

    1973-01-01

    The study discussed was undertaken to quantify the amount of energy utilized by the ouabain-sensitive Na(+)-K(+) membrane pump during the norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue. The data obtained indicate that the observed inhibition of the catecholamine-induced increase in brown fat thermogenesis by ouabain does not reflect an inhibition of cyclic AMP synthesis.

  15. Intercohort density dependence drives brown trout habitat selection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayllón, Daniel; Nicola, Graciela G.; Parra, Irene; Elvira, Benigno; Almodóvar, Ana

    2013-01-01

    Habitat selection can be viewed as an emergent property of the quality and availability of habitat but also of the number of individuals and the way they compete for its use. Consequently, habitat selection can change across years due to fluctuating resources or to changes in population numbers. However, habitat selection predictive models often do not account for ecological dynamics, especially density dependent processes. In stage-structured population, the strength of density dependent interactions between individuals of different age classes can exert a profound influence on population trajectories and evolutionary processes. In this study, we aimed to assess the effects of fluctuating densities of both older and younger competing life stages on the habitat selection patterns (described as univariate and multivariate resource selection functions) of young-of-the-year, juvenile and adult brown trout Salmo trutta. We observed all age classes were selective in habitat choice but changed their selection patterns across years consistently with variations in the densities of older but not of younger age classes. Trout of an age increased selectivity for positions highly selected by older individuals when their density decreased, but this pattern did not hold when the density of younger age classes varied. It suggests that younger individuals are dominated by older ones but can expand their range of selected habitats when density of competitors decreases, while older trout do not seem to consider the density of younger individuals when distributing themselves even though they can negatively affect their final performance. Since these results may entail critical implications for conservation and management practices based on habitat selection models, further research should involve a wider range of river typologies and/or longer time frames to fully understand the patterns of and the mechanisms underlying the operation of density dependence on brown trout habitat

  16. RADIAL VELOCITY VARIABILITY OF FIELD BROWN DWARFS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prato, L.; Mace, G. N.; Rice, E. L.

    2015-07-20

    We present paper six of the NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey, an analysis of multi-epoch, high-resolution (R ∼ 20,000) spectra of 25 field dwarf systems (3 late-type M dwarfs, 16 L dwarfs, and 6 T dwarfs) taken with the NIRSPEC infrared spectrograph at the W. M. Keck Observatory. With a radial velocity (RV) precision of ∼2 km s{sup −1}, we are sensitive to brown dwarf companions in orbits with periods of a few years or less given a mass ratio of 0.5 or greater. We do not detect any spectroscopic binary brown dwarfs in the sample. Given our target properties,more » and the frequency and cadence of observations, we use a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the detection probability of our sample. Even with a null detection result, our 1σ upper limit for very low mass binary frequency is 18%. Our targets included seven known, wide brown dwarf binary systems. No significant RV variability was measured in our multi-epoch observations of these systems, even for those pairs for which our data spanned a significant fraction of the orbital period. Specialized techniques are required to reach the high precisions sensitive to motion in orbits of very low-mass systems. For eight objects, including six T dwarfs, we present the first published high-resolution spectra, many with high signal to noise, that will provide valuable comparison data for models of brown dwarf atmospheres.« less

  17. Myrmica rubra ants are more communicative when young: Do they need experience?

    PubMed

    Atsarkina, Natalia V; Panteleeva, Sofia N; Reznikova, Zhanna I

    2017-05-01

    The role of experience in the development of communication in animals is a matter of special interest to many ethologists and psychologists. Ants are known to possess sophisticated and flexible communication systems based mainly on their antennal movements (Reznikova & Ryabko, 2011). However, it is still enigmatic whether young ants need stimulation performances by adults to develop their communication capacities. Experiments with pairwise interactions of Myrmica rubra ants revealed significant differences in individual behavior and the mode of communication in callow (newly emerged) and adult workers. Adult ants are much more mobile than callow ones, and they switch their behavior depending on what partner they interact with, whereas callows behave independently. Adults communicate with callows and queens much longer than with other adults. Both callows and queens seem to be rather attractive to adults, although in different ways. Adults pay close attention to callow ants and initiate prolonged antennal contacts with them, touching their bodies and not leaving them alone. Young (callow) ants appear to be more communicative than adults, and they are equally ready to communicate with each other and with adults. Antennal movements are slow and clumsy in young ants, and they often switch from communication to other activities. It is likely that patterns of antennal movements in callows change gradually. Peculiarities of the mode of communication enable us to speculate that young ants need prolonged contacts with adult nestmates to gain the experience of communication. Some parallels with the development of communication skills in vertebrate species are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. D-Galacturonic acid as a highly reactive compound in nonenzymatic browning. 1. Formation of browning active degradation products.

    PubMed

    Bornik, Maria-Anna; Kroh, Lothar W

    2013-04-10

    Thermal treatment of an aqueous solution of D-galacturonic acid at pH 3, 5, and 8 led to rapid browning of the solution and to the formation of carbocyclic compounds such as reductic acid (2,3-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one), DHCP (4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one), and furan-2-carbaldehyde, as degradation products in weak acidic solution. Studies on their formation revealed 2-ketoglutaraldehyde as their common key intermediate. Norfuraneol (4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-(2H)-furanone) is a typical alkaline degradation product and formed after isomerization. Further model studies revealed reductic acid as an important and more browning active compound than furan-2-carbaldehyde, which led to a red color of the model solution. This red-brown color is also characteristic of thermally treated uronic acid solutions.

  19. Parallax measurements of six brown dwarfs.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manjavacas, E.; Goldman, B.; Reffert, S.; Henning, T.

    Accurate parallax measurements allow us to determine physical properties of brown dwarfs, and help us to constrain evolutionary and atmospheric models and reveal unresolved binaries. We measured absolute trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of six cool brown dwarfs using background galaxies to establish an absolute reference frame. The brown dwarfs in our sample have spectral types between T2.5 and T7.5. The observations were taken in the J-band with the Omega2000 camera at the 3.5 m telescope at CAHA during a time period of 27 months. We obtained absolute parallaxes for our 6 brown dwarfs with a precision between 3 and 6 mas. We compared our results with the study by \\cite{Dupuy} and with the evolutionary models of \\cite{Allard}. For four of the six targets we found a good agreement in luminosity among objects of similar spectral types. The object 2MASS J11061197+2754225 is more than 1 mag overluminous in all bands pointing to binarity or higher order multiplicity. Based on observations taken with Omega-2000 at the 3.5 m telescope at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated by the Max Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

  20. MyomiR-133 regulates brown fat differentiation through Prdm16.

    PubMed

    Trajkovski, Mirko; Ahmed, Kashan; Esau, Christine C; Stoffel, Markus

    2012-12-01

    Brown adipose tissue (BAT) uses the chemical energy of lipids and glucose to produce heat, a function that can be induced by cold exposure or diet. A key regulator of BAT is the gene encoding PR domain containing 16 (Prdm16), whose expression can drive differentiation of myogenic and white fat precursors to brown adipocytes. Here we show that after cold exposure, the muscle-enriched miRNA-133 is markedly downregulated in BAT and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SAT) as a result of decreased expression of its transcriptional regulator Mef2. miR-133 directly targets and negatively regulates PRDM16, and inhibition of miR-133 or Mef2 promotes differentiation of precursors from BAT and SAT to mature brown adipocytes, thereby leading to increased mitochondrial activity. Forced expression of miR-133 in brown adipogenic conditions prevents the differentiation to brown adipocytes in both BAT and SAT precursors. Our results point to Mef2 and miR-133 as central upstream regulators of Prdm16 and hence of brown adipogenesis in response to cold exposure in BAT and SAT.

  1. Application of Exogenous Ethylene Inhibits Postharvest Peel Browning of 'Huangguan' Pear.

    PubMed

    Ma, Yurong; Yang, Mengnan; Wang, Jingjing; Jiang, Cai-Zhong; Wang, Qingguo

    2016-01-01

    Peel browning disorder has an enormous impact on the exterior quality of 'Huangguan' pear whereas the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Although different methods have been applied for inhibiting the peel browning of 'Huangguan' pear, there are numerous issues associated with these approaches, such as time cost, efficacy, safety and stability. In this study, to develop a rapid, efficient and safe way to protect 'Huangguan' pear from skin browning, the effect of exogenous ethylene on peel browning of pear fruits stored at 0°C was evaluated. Results showed that ethylene treatments at 0.70-1.28 μL/L significantly decreased the browning rate and browning index from 73.80% and 0.30 to 6.80% and 0.02 after 20 days storage at 0°C, respectively, whereas ethylene treatments at 5 μL/L completely inhibited the occurrence of browning. In addition, ethylene treatments at 5 μL/L decreased the electrolyte leakage and respiration rate, delayed the loss of total phenolic compounds. Furthermore, ethylene (5 μL/L) treatment significantly enhanced the activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl inhibition rate, but inhibited the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD). Our data revealed that ethylene prevented the peel browning through improving antioxidant enzymes (CAT, APX and SOD) activities and reducing PPO activity, electrolyte leakage rate and respiration rate. This study demonstrates that exogenous ethylene application may provide a safe and effective alternative method for controlling browning, and contributes to the understanding of peel browning of 'Huangguan' pear.

  2. How Long? Cosby, Brown and Racial Progress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malveaux, Julianne

    2004-01-01

    Bill Cosby ruffled feathers, raised eyebrows and said a mouthful when, at a Howard University black-tie celebration of the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, he launched into a rift about "the lower economic people" not holding up their end of the bargain in the wake of Brown. "We can't blame White people," Cosby said, for an array…

  3. Interspecific interactions between brown trout and slimy sculpin in stream enclosures

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ruetz, C. R.; Hurford, A.L.; Vondracek, B.

    2003-01-01

    We conducted a 30-d manipulative experiment in Valley Creek, Minnesota, to examine interspecific interactions between juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta and adult slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus. We measured the instantaneous growth of each species in the presence and absence of the other in 1-m2 enclosures. We tested single-species (three slimy sculpins/m2 or three brown trout/m2) and combined-species (three sculpins/m2 and three trout/m2) combinations in each of six riffles. We placed a clay tile in each enclosure to evaluate the effects of fish combinations on benthic macroinvertebrates. Growth of brown trout was unaffected by the presence of slimy sculpins (P = 0.647, power [to detect 50% increase in growth] = 0.92), whereas slimy sculpin growth was less in the presence of brown trout (P = 0.038). Densities of total benthic macroinvertebrates, Chironomidae, Trichoptera, and Physa did not differ among fish combinations (P > 0.3). However, densities of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus were significantly less in the presence of brown trout irrespective of the presence of slimy sculpins (P = 0.024), which could be a causal factor underlying the interaction between brown trout and slimy sculpins. We found asymmetrical competition between brown trout and slimy sculpins in stream enclosures, with brown trout being the superior competitor. Nevertheless, the size of enclosures may have biased our results, making it more likely to detect an effect of brown trout on slimy sculpins than vice versa.

  4. A Brown Dwarf Census from the SIMP Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robert, Jasmin; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne; Lafrenière, David; Nadeau, Daniel; Doyon, René; Malo, Lison; Albert, Loïc; Simard, Corinne; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella C.; Burgasser, Adam J.

    2016-10-01

    We have conducted a near-infrared (NIR) proper motion survey, the Sondage Infrarouge de Mouvement Propre, in order to discover field ultracool dwarfs (UCD) in the solar neighborhood. The survey was conducted by imaging ˜28% of the sky with the Caméra PAnoramique Proche-InfraRouge both in the southern hemisphere at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope, and in the northern hemisphere at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic 1.6 m telescope and comparing the source positions from these observations with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). Additional color criteria were used to further discriminate unwanted astrophysical sources. We present the results of an NIR spectroscopic follow-up of 169 M, L, and T dwarfs. Among the sources discovered are 2 young field brown dwarfs, 6 unusually red M and L dwarfs, 25 unusually blue M and L dwarfs, 2 candidate unresolved L+T binaries, and 24 peculiar UCDs. Additionally, we add 9 L/T transition dwarfs (L6-T4.5) to the already known objects.

  5. After Brown U.'s Report on Slavery, Silence (So Far)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartlett, Thomas

    2006-01-01

    This article, discusses Brown University's slavery report, a 106-page narrative examination of the early connections between Brown University and slavery, that has been greeted--so far--with silence. The report, done at the behest of Ruth J. Simmons, Brown's president and herself a descendant of slaves, is an unsparing look at a shameful side of…

  6. Large Brown Oval

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1996-01-29

    This large brown oval, photographed on Mar. 2, 1979 by NASA Voyager 1. Features of this sort are not rare on Jupiter and have an average lifetime of one to two years. Above the feature is the pale orange North Temperate Belt. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00015

  7. Brown on middeck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-10-30

    STS095-E-5054 (30 Oct. 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, STS-95 commander, has a handful of vials as he checks a notebook during Flight Day two activity onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera at 10:42:49 GMT, Oct. 30.

  8. First NICER Observations of the Enigmatic Be Star, Gamma Cassiopeiae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamaguchi, Kenji; Drake, Stephen; Corcoran, Michael; Gendreau, Keith C.; Steiner, Jack; NICER team

    2018-01-01

    Gamma Cassiopeiae is an enigmatic Be star with unusually hard, strong X-ray emission compared with normal main-sequence B stars (but a much lower X-ray luminosity than the classic X-ray binaries). The X-ray characteristics - hot (kT ~12 keV), thermal plasma spectrum and rapid time variations on timescales of 10-1000 sec - is reminiscent of accreting compact objects. Alternatively, its shot-like rapid variations somewhat resemble solar-type magnetic reconnection flares, so that plasma heating by the star-disk magnetic dynamo of the Be star has been proposed. A recent discovery of rapid X-ray color variations with the Suzaku X-ray observatory revealed the presence of rapidly moving absorbers in the X-ray line of sight, giving a strong constraint on the geometry of the X-ray emitting regions and absorbers.The X-ray observatory onboard ISS, NICER, has observed Gamma Cas multiple times. The large collecting area in the 0.3-10 keV band, tolerance to photon pile-ups, and decent energy resolution in particular below 1 keV, should provide excellent pieces of information on how the X-ray emission and/or absorbing column change on short timescales. We will present the first result of the gamma Cas observations made by the NICER observatory.

  9. The membrane may be an important factor in browning of fresh-cut pear.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhenghong; Zhang, Yuxing; Ge, Huibo

    2017-09-01

    Surface browning is an important cause of deterioration of fresh-cut fruit during postharvest handling. In this paper, four pear cultivars with different extents of natural browning were selected to analyse the factors involved in browning. The main results are as follows: the lipoxygenase (LOX) activity of 'Mantianhong' and 'Yali' pears was higher accompanied by a stronger degree of browning, while the LOX activity in 'Xueqing' and 'Xinli 7' pears was lower, with less browning. A higher unsaturated fatty acid ratio of pear resulted in reduced browning. The cell membranes disappeared 30min after being cut in 'Mantianhong' pear, which browns easily; however, the cell membranes were still intact 30min after being cut in 'Xueqing' pear, which does not brown easily. Therefore, it can be assumed that the stability of the cell membrane plays an important role in inhibiting browning of fresh-cut pears. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Monoterpene phenolic compound thymol promotes browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jae Heon; Kim, Sang Woo; Yu, Rina; Yun, Jong Won

    2017-10-01

    Appearance of brown-like adipocytes within white adipose tissue depots (browning) is associated with improved metabolic phenotypes, and thus a wide variety of dietary agents that contribute to browning of white adipocytes are being studied. The aim of this study was to assess the browning effect of thymol, a dietary monoterpene phenolic compound, in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes. Thymol-induced fat browning was investigated by determining expression levels of brown fat-specific genes and proteins by real-time RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis, respectively. Moreover, the molecular mechanism underlying the fat-browning effect of thymol was investigated by determining expression levels of key players responsible for browning in the presence of kinase inhibitors. Thymol promoted mitochondrial biogenesis and enhanced expression of a core set of brown fat-specific markers as well as increased protein levels of PPARγ, PPARδ, pAMPK, pACC, HSL, PLIN, CPT1, ACO, PGC-1α, and UCP1, suggesting its possible role in browning of white adipocytes, augmentation of lipolysis, fat oxidation, and thermogenesis, and reduction of lipogenesis. Increased expression of UCP1 and other brown fat-specific markers by thymol was tightly coordinated with activation of β3-AR as well as AMPK, PKA, and p38 MAPK. Our findings suggest that 3T3-L1 is a potential cell model for screening browning agents. Thymol plays multiple modulatory roles in the form of inducing the brown-like phenotype as well as enhancing lipid metabolism. Thus, thymol may be explored as a potentially promising food additive for prevention of obesity.

  11. Phospholipids of New Zealand Edible Brown Algae.

    PubMed

    Vyssotski, Mikhail; Lagutin, Kirill; MacKenzie, Andrew; Mitchell, Kevin; Scott, Dawn

    2017-07-01

    Edible brown algae have attracted interest as a source of beneficial allenic carotenoid fucoxanthin, and glyco- and phospholipids enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unlike green algae, brown algae contain no or little phosphatidylserine, possessing an unusual aminophospholipid, phosphatidyl-O-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl) glycine], PHEG, instead. When our routinely used technique of 31 P-NMR analysis of phospholipids was applied to the samples of edible New Zealand brown algae, a number of signals corresponding to unidentified phosphorus-containing compounds were observed in total lipids. NI (negative ion) ESI QToF MS spectra confirmed the presence of more familiar phospholipids, and also suggested the presence of PHEG or its isomers. The structure of PHEG was confirmed by comparison with a synthetic standard. An unusual MS fragmentation pattern that was also observed prompted us to synthesise a number of possible candidates, and was found to follow that of phosphatidylhydroxyethyl methylcarbamate, likely an extraction artefact. An unexpected outcome was the finding of ceramidephosphoinositol that has not been reported previously as occurring in brown algae. An uncommon arsenic-containing phospholipid has also been observed and quantified, and its TLC behaviour studied, along with that of the newly synthesised lipids.

  12. Doppler Imaging of Exoplanets and Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crossfield, I.; Biller, B.; Schlieder, J.; Deacon, N.; Bonnefoy, M.; Homeier, D.; Allard, F.; Buenzli, E.; Henning, T.; Brandner, W.; Goldman, Bertr; Kopytova, T.

    2014-03-01

    Doppler Imaging produces 2D global maps. When applied to cool planets or more massive brown dwarfs, it can map atmospheric features and track global weather patterns. The first substellar map, of the 2pc-distant brown dwarf Luhman 16B (Crossfeld et al. 2014), revealed patchy regions of thin & thick clouds. Here, I investigate the feasibility of future Doppler Imaging of additional objects. Searching the literature, I find that all 3 of P, v sin i, and variability are published for 22 brown dwarfs. At least one datum exists for 333 targets. The sample is very incomplete below ~L5; we need more surveys to find the best targets for Doppler Imaging! I estimate limiting magnitudes for Doppler Imaging with various hi-resolution near-infrared spectrographs. Only a handful of objects - at the M/L and L/T transitions - can be mapped with current tools. Large telescopes such as TMT and GMT will allow Doppler Imaging of many dozens of brown dwarfs and the brightest exoplanets. More targets beyond type L5 likely remain to be found. Future observations will let us probe the global atmospheric dynamics of many diverse objects.

  13. Investigation of metal ions sorption of brown peat moss powder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelus, Nadezhda; Blokhina, Elena; Novikov, Dmitry; Novikova, Yaroslavna; Chuchalin, Vladimir

    2017-11-01

    For regularities research of sorptive extraction of heavy metal ions by cellulose and its derivates from aquatic solution of electrolytes it is necessary to find possible mechanism of sorption process and to choice a model describing this process. The present article investigates the regularities of aliovalent metals sorption on brown peat moss powder. The results show that sorption isotherm of Al3+ ions is described by Freundlich isotherm and sorption isotherms of Na+ i Ni2+ are described by Langmuir isotherm. To identify the mechanisms of brown peat moss powder sorption the IR-spectra of the initial brown peat moss powder samples and brown peat moss powder samples after Ni (II) sorption were studied. Metal ion binding mechanisms by brown peat moss powder points to ion exchange, physical adsorption, and complex formation with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups.

  14. Young Nearby Loose Associations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torres, C. A. O.; Quast, G. R.; Melo, C. H. F.; Sterzik, M. F.

    2008-12-01

    A significant population of stars with ages younger than the Pleiades exists in the solar neighborhood. They are grouped in loose young associations, sharing similar kinematical and physical properties, but, due to their vicinity to the Sun, they are dispersed in the sky, and hard to identify. Their strong stellar coronal activity, causing enhanced X-ray emission, allows them to be identified as counterparts of X-ray sources. The analysis presented here is based mainly on the SACY project, aimed to survey in a systematic way counterparts of ROSAT all-sky X-ray sources in the Southern Hemisphere for which proper motions are known. We give the definition, main properties, and lists of high-probability members of nine confirmed loose young associations that do not belong directly to the well-known Oph-Sco-Cen complex. The youth and vicinity of many members of these new associations make them ideal targets for follow-up studies, specifically geared towards the understanding of planetary system formation. Searches for very low-mass and brown dwarf companions are ongoing, and it will be promising to search for planetary companions with next generation instruments.

  15. Prostaglandin E2 signals white-to-brown adipogenic differentiation

    PubMed Central

    García-Alonso, Verónica; Clària, Joan

    2014-01-01

    The formation of new adipocytes from precursor cells is a crucial aspect of normal adipose tissue function. During the adipogenic process, adipocytes differentiated from mesenchymal stem cells give rise to two main types of fat: white adipose tissue (WAT) characterized by the presence of adipocytes containing large unilocular lipid droplets, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) composed by multilocular brown adipocytes packed with mitochondria. WAT is not only important for energy storage but also as an endocrine organ regulating whole body homeostasis by secreting adipokines and other mediators, which directly impact metabolic functions in obesity. By contrast, BAT is specialized in dissipating energy in form of heat and has salutary effects in combating obesity and associated disorders. Unfortunately, WAT is the predominant fat type, whereas BAT is scarce and located in discrete pockets in adult humans. Luckily, another type of brown adipocytes, called beige or brite (brown-in-white) adipocytes, with similar functions to those of “classical” brown adipocytes has recently been identified in WAT. In this review, a close look is given into the role of bioactive lipid mediators in the regulation of adipogenesis, with a special emphasis on the role of the microsomal prostaglandin E (PGE) synthase-1, a terminal enzyme in PGE2 biosynthesis, as a key regulator of white-to-brown adipogenesis in WAT. PMID:26317053

  16. A Panchromatic View of Brown Dwarf Aurorae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pineda, J. Sebastian; Hallinan, Gregg; Kao, Melodie M.

    2017-09-01

    Stellar coronal activity has been shown to persist into the low-mass star regime, down to late M-dwarf spectral types. However, there is now an accumulation of evidence suggesting that at the end of the main sequence, there is a transition in the nature of the magnetic activity from chromospheric and coronal to planet-like and auroral, from local impulsive heating via flares and MHD wave dissipation to energy dissipation from strong large-scale magnetospheric current systems. We examine this transition and the prevalence of auroral activity in brown dwarfs through a compilation of multiwavelength surveys of magnetic activity, including radio, X-ray, and optical. We compile the results of those surveys and place their conclusions in the context of auroral emission as a consequence of large-scale magnetospheric current systems that accelerate energetic electron beams and drive the particles to impact the cool atmospheric gas. We explore the different manifestations of auroral phenomena, like Hα, in brown dwarf atmospheres and define their distinguishing characteristics. We conclude that large-amplitude photometric variability in the near-infrared is most likely a consequence of clouds in brown dwarf atmospheres, but that auroral activity may be responsible for long-lived stable surface features. We report a connection between auroral Hα emission and quiescent radio emission in electron cyclotron maser instability pulsing brown dwarfs, suggesting a potential underlying physical connection between quiescent and auroral emissions. We also discuss the electrodynamic engines powering brown dwarf aurorae and the possible role of satellites around these systems both to power the aurorae and seed the magnetosphere with plasma.

  17. maxwell brown | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Research Interests Optimization and modeling techniques Economic impacts of energy sector transformation . Transportation Research Record. Caron, J, S Cohen, J Reilly, M Brown. 2018. Exploring the Impacts of a National : Economic and GHG Impacts of a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Transportation Research Record: Journal of

  18. Kate Brown | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    -7721 Research Interests Kate Brown received her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008. While at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, her research has focused on the synthesis and ] hydrogenase complexes and implications for photochemical H2 generation," Journal of the American Chemical

  19. On a question of Brown, Douglas, and Fillmore

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jaewoong; Lee, Woo Young

    2007-12-01

    In this note we answer an old question of Brown, Douglas, and Fillmore [L. Brown, R.G. Douglas, P. Fillmore, Unitary equivalence modulo the compact operators and extensions of C*-algebras, in: Proc. Conf. Operator Theory, in: Lecture Notes in Math., vol. 345, Springer, Berlin, 1973, pp. 58-128].

  20. Physiological regulation and metabolic role of browning in white adipose tissue.

    PubMed

    Jankovic, Aleksandra; Otasevic, Vesna; Stancic, Ana; Buzadzic, Biljana; Korac, Aleksandra; Korac, Bato

    2017-09-01

    Great progress has been made in our understanding of the browning process in white adipose tissue (WAT) in rodents. The recognition that i) adult humans have physiologically inducible brown adipose tissue (BAT) that may facilitate resistance to obesity and ii) that adult human BAT molecularly and functionally resembles beige adipose tissue in rodents, reignited optimism that obesity and obesity-related diabetes type 2 can be battled by controlling the browning of WAT. In this review the main cellular mechanisms and molecular mediators of browning of WAT in different physiological states are summarized. The relevance of browning of WAT in metabolic health is considered primarily through a modulation of biological role of fat tissue in overall metabolic homeostasis.

  1. Proliferation and differentiation of brown adipocytes from interstitial cells during cold acclimation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bukowiecki, L.J.; Geloeen, A.; Collet, A.J.

    1986-06-01

    The mechanisms of brown adipocyte proliferation and differentiation during cold acclimation (and/or adaptation to hyperphagia) have been studied by quantitative photonic radioautography. (/sup 3/H)thymidine was injected to warm-acclimated (25/sup 0/C) rats and to animals exposed to 5/sup 0/C for 2 days. Samples of interscapular brown adipose tissue were collected for quantitative analysis of mitotic frequencies at various periods of time (4 h-15 days) after the injection of (/sup 3/H)thymidine, the rats being maintained at the temperatures to which they were initially exposed. It was found that cold exposure for 2 days markedly enhanced mitotic activity in endothelial cells, interstitial cells,more » and brown preadipocytes rather than in fully differentiated brown adipocytes. The total tissue labeling index (percent of labeled nuclei) increased approx.70 times over control values. The authors now report that cellular labeling progressively increased in mature brown adipocytes during cold acclimation, whereas it correspondingly decreased in interstitial cells and brown preadipocytes. This indicates that the sequence of events for cellular differentiation is interstitial cells ..-->.. brown preadipocytes ..-->.. mature brown adipocytes. Remarkable, labeling frequency did not change in endothelial cells during cold acclimation demonstrating that these cells cannot be considered as progenitors of brown adipocytes. It is suggested that brown adipocyte proliferation and differentiation from interstitial cells represent the fundamental phenomena explaining the enhanced capacity of cold-acclimated and/or hyperphagic rats to respond calorigenically to catecholamines.« less

  2. Obituary: Beth Brown (1969-2008)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bregman, Joel

    2011-12-01

    The astronomical community lost one of its most buoyant and caring individuals when Beth Brown died, unexpectedly, at the age of 39 from a pulmonary embolism. Beth Brown was born in Roanoke, Virginia where she developed a deep interest in astronomy, science, and science fiction (Star Trek). After graduating as the valedictorian of William Fleming High School's Class of 1987, she attended Howard University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in astrophysics. Following a year in the graduate physics program at Howard, she entered the graduate program in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Michigan, the first African-American woman in the program. She received her PhD in 1998, working with X-ray observations of elliptical galaxies from the Röntgen Satellite (ROSAT; Joel Bregman was her advisor). She compiled and analyzed the first large complete sample of such galaxies with ROSAT and her papers in this area made an impact in the field. Following her PhD, Beth Brown held a National Academy of Science & National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Subsequently, she became a civil servant at the National Space Science Data Center at GSFC, where she was involved in data archival activities as well as education and outreach, a continuing passion in her life. In 2006, Brown became an Astrophysics Fellow at GSFC, during which time she worked as a visiting Assistant Professor at Howard University, where she taught and worked with students and faculty to improve the teaching observatory. At the time of her death, she was eagerly looking forward to a new position at GSFC as the Assistant Director for Science Communications and Higher Education. Beth Brown was a joyous individual who loved to work with people, especially in educating them about our remarkable field. Her warmth and openness was a great aid in making accessible explanations of otherwise daunting astrophysical

  3. Optical visualisation of thermogenesis in stimulated single-cell brown adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Kriszt, Rókus; Arai, Satoshi; Itoh, Hideki; Lee, Michelle H; Goralczyk, Anna G; Ang, Xiu Min; Cypess, Aaron M; White, Andrew P; Shamsi, Farnaz; Xue, Ruidan; Lee, Jung Yeol; Lee, Sung-Chan; Hou, Yanyan; Kitaguchi, Tetsuya; Sudhaharan, Thankiah; Ishiwata, Shin'ichi; Lane, E Birgitte; Chang, Young-Tae; Tseng, Yu-Hua; Suzuki, Madoka; Raghunath, Michael

    2017-05-03

    The identification of brown adipose deposits in adults has led to significant interest in targeting this metabolically active tissue for treatment of obesity and diabetes. Improved methods for the direct measurement of heat production as the signature function of brown adipocytes (BAs), particularly at the single cell level, would be of substantial benefit to these ongoing efforts. Here, we report the first application of a small molecule-type thermosensitive fluorescent dye, ERthermAC, to monitor thermogenesis in BAs derived from murine brown fat precursors and in human brown fat cells differentiated from human neck brown preadipocytes. ERthermAC accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum of BAs and displayed a marked change in fluorescence intensity in response to adrenergic stimulation of cells, which corresponded to temperature change. ERthermAC fluorescence intensity profiles were congruent with mitochondrial depolarisation events visualised by the JC-1 probe. Moreover, the averaged fluorescence intensity changes across a population of cells correlated well with dynamic changes such as thermal power, oxygen consumption, and extracellular acidification rates. These findings suggest ERthermAC as a promising new tool for studying thermogenic function in brown adipocytes of both murine and human origins.

  4. 1. OVERALL VIEW OF BROWN DUCK LAKE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. OVERALL VIEW OF BROWN DUCK LAKE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST - High Mountain Dams in Upalco Unit, Brown Duck Lake Dam, Ashley National Forest, 4.4 miles North of Miners Gulch Campground, Mountain Home, Duchesne County, UT

  5. 2. OVERALL VIEW OF BROWN DUCK LAKE, LOOKING WEST ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. OVERALL VIEW OF BROWN DUCK LAKE, LOOKING WEST - High Mountain Dams in Upalco Unit, Brown Duck Lake Dam, Ashley National Forest, 4.4 miles North of Miners Gulch Campground, Mountain Home, Duchesne County, UT

  6. Development of artificial bait for brown treesnake suppression

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) was accidentally introduced to Guam in the late 1940s or early 1950s, probably from the Solomon Islands. A native of Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, the brown treesnake (BTS) continues to threaten the economy and ecology of Guam and is c...

  7. SCExAO and GPI Y JH band photometry and integral field spectroscopy of the young brown dwarf companion to HD 1160

    DOE PAGES

    Garcia, Eugenio Victor; Currie, Thayne; Guyon, Olivier; ...

    2017-01-10

    Here, we present high signal-to-noise ratio, precise Y JH photometry and Y band (0.957–1.120 μm) spectroscopy of HD 1160 B, a young substellar companion discovered from the Gemini NICI Planet Finding Campaign using the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics instrument and the Gemini Planet Imager. HD 1160 B has typical mid-M dwarf-like infrared colors and a spectral type of M5.5more » $${}_{-0.5}^{+1.0}$$, where the blue edge of our Y band spectrum rules out earlier spectral types. Atmospheric modeling suggests HD 1160 B has an effective temperature of 3000–3100 K, a surface gravity of log g = 4–4.5, a radius of 1.55 ± 0.10 R J, and a luminosity of log L/L ⊙ = –2.76 ± 0.05. Neither the primary's Hertzspring–Russell diagram position nor atmospheric modeling of HD 1160 B show evidence for a subsolar metallicity. Interpretation of the HD 1160 B spectroscopy depends on which stellar system components are used to estimate the age. Considering HD 1160 A, B and C jointly, we derive an age of 80–125 Myr, implying that HD 1160 B straddles the hydrogen-burning limit (70–90 M J). If we consider HD 1160 A alone, younger ages (20–125 Myr) and a brown dwarf-like mass (35–90 M J) are possible. Interferometric measurements of the primary, a precise Gaia parallax, and moderate-resolution spectroscopy can better constrain the system's age and how HD 1160 B fits within the context of (sub)stellar evolution.« less

  8. SCExAO and GPI Y JH band photometry and integral field spectroscopy of the young brown dwarf companion to HD 1160

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Garcia, Eugenio Victor; Currie, Thayne; Guyon, Olivier

    Here, we present high signal-to-noise ratio, precise Y JH photometry and Y band (0.957–1.120 μm) spectroscopy of HD 1160 B, a young substellar companion discovered from the Gemini NICI Planet Finding Campaign using the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics instrument and the Gemini Planet Imager. HD 1160 B has typical mid-M dwarf-like infrared colors and a spectral type of M5.5more » $${}_{-0.5}^{+1.0}$$, where the blue edge of our Y band spectrum rules out earlier spectral types. Atmospheric modeling suggests HD 1160 B has an effective temperature of 3000–3100 K, a surface gravity of log g = 4–4.5, a radius of 1.55 ± 0.10 R J, and a luminosity of log L/L ⊙ = –2.76 ± 0.05. Neither the primary's Hertzspring–Russell diagram position nor atmospheric modeling of HD 1160 B show evidence for a subsolar metallicity. Interpretation of the HD 1160 B spectroscopy depends on which stellar system components are used to estimate the age. Considering HD 1160 A, B and C jointly, we derive an age of 80–125 Myr, implying that HD 1160 B straddles the hydrogen-burning limit (70–90 M J). If we consider HD 1160 A alone, younger ages (20–125 Myr) and a brown dwarf-like mass (35–90 M J) are possible. Interferometric measurements of the primary, a precise Gaia parallax, and moderate-resolution spectroscopy can better constrain the system's age and how HD 1160 B fits within the context of (sub)stellar evolution.« less

  9. What Brown saw and you can too

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pearle, Philip; Collett, Brian; Bart, Kenneth; Bilderback, David; Newman, Dara; Samuels, Scott

    2010-12-01

    A discussion of Robert Brown's original observations of particles ejected by pollen of the plant Clarkia pulchella undergoing what is now called Brownian motion is given. We consider the nature of those particles and how he misinterpreted the Airy disk of the smallest particles to be universal organic building blocks. Relevant qualitative and quantitative investigations with a modern microscope and with a "homemade" single lens microscope similar to Brown's are presented.

  10. Top-of-atmosphere radiative forcing affected by brown carbon in the upper troposphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yuzhong; Forrister, Haviland; Liu, Jiumeng; Dibb, Jack; Anderson, Bruce; Schwarz, Joshua P.; Perring, Anne E.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Wang, Yuhang; Nenes, Athanasios; Weber, Rodney J.

    2017-07-01

    Carbonaceous aerosols affect the global radiative balance by absorbing and scattering radiation, which leads to warming or cooling of the atmosphere, respectively. Black carbon is the main light-absorbing component. A portion of the organic aerosol known as brown carbon also absorbs light. The climate sensitivity to absorbing aerosols rapidly increases with altitude, but brown carbon measurements are limited in the upper troposphere. Here we present aircraft observations of vertical aerosol distributions over the continental United States in May and June 2012 to show that light-absorbing brown carbon is prevalent in the troposphere, and absorbs more short-wavelength radiation than black carbon at altitudes between 5 and 12 km. We find that brown carbon is transported to these altitudes by deep convection, and that in-cloud heterogeneous processing may produce brown carbon. Radiative transfer calculations suggest that brown carbon accounts for about 24% of combined black and brown carbon warming effect at the tropopause. Roughly two-thirds of the estimated brown carbon forcing occurs above 5 km, although most brown carbon is found below 5 km. The highest radiative absorption occurred during an event that ingested a wildfire plume. We conclude that high-altitude brown carbon from biomass burning is an unappreciated component of climate forcing.

  11. Alternatively Activated Macrophages Drive Browning of White Adipose Tissue in Burns.

    PubMed

    Abdullahi, Abdikarim; Auger, Christopher; Stanojcic, Mile; Patsouris, David; Parousis, Alexandra; Epelman, Slava; Jeschke, Marc G

    2017-08-16

    The aim of this study was to uncover the mediators and mechanistic events that facilitate the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) in response to burns. In hypermetabolic patients (eg, burns, cancer), the browning of WAT has presented substantial clinical challenges related to cachexia, atherosclerosis, and poor clinical outcomes. Browning of the adipose tissue has recently been found to induce and sustain hypermetabolism. Although browning appears central in trauma-, burn-, or cancer-induced hypermetabolic catabolism, the mediators are essentially unknown. WAT and blood samples were collected from patients admitted to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital. Wild type, CCR2 KO, and interleukin (IL)-6 KO male mice were purchased from Jax laboratories and subjected to a 30% total body surface area burn injury. WAT and serum collected were analyzed for browning markers, macrophages, and metabolic state via histology, gene expression, and mitochondrial respiration. In the present study, we show that burn-induced browning is associated with an increased macrophage infiltration, with a greater type 2 macrophage profile in the fat of burn patients. Similar to our clinical findings in burn patients, both an increase in macrophage recruitment and a type 2 macrophage profile were also observed in post burn mice. Genetic loss of the chemokine CCR2 responsible for macrophage migration to the adipose impairs burn-induced browning. Mechanistically, we show that macrophages recruited to burn-stressed subcutaneous WAT (sWAT) undergo alternative activation to induce tyrosine hydroxylase expression and catecholamine production mediated by IL-6, factors required for browning of sWAT. Together, our findings uncover macrophages as the key instigators and missing link in trauma-induced browning.

  12. GLP-1 agonism stimulates brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and browning through hypothalamic AMPK.

    PubMed

    Beiroa, Daniel; Imbernon, Monica; Gallego, Rosalía; Senra, Ana; Herranz, Daniel; Villarroya, Francesc; Serrano, Manuel; Fernø, Johan; Salvador, Javier; Escalada, Javier; Dieguez, Carlos; Lopez, Miguel; Frühbeck, Gema; Nogueiras, Ruben

    2014-10-01

    GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is widely located throughout the brain, but the precise molecular mechanisms mediating the actions of GLP-1 and its long-acting analogs on adipose tissue as well as the brain areas responsible for these interactions remain largely unknown. We found that central injection of a clinically used GLP-1R agonist, liraglutide, in mice stimulates brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis and adipocyte browning independent of nutrient intake. The mechanism controlling these actions is located in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH), and the activation of AMPK in this area is sufficient to blunt both central liraglutide-induced thermogenesis and adipocyte browning. The decreased body weight caused by the central injection of liraglutide in other hypothalamic sites was sufficiently explained by the suppression of food intake. In a longitudinal study involving obese type 2 diabetic patients treated for 1 year with GLP-1R agonists, both exenatide and liraglutide increased energy expenditure. Although the results do not exclude the possibility that extrahypothalamic areas are also modulating the effects of GLP-1R agonists, the data indicate that long-acting GLP-1R agonists influence body weight by regulating either food intake or energy expenditure through various hypothalamic sites and that these mechanisms might be clinically relevant. © 2014 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

  13. The cochlea of the enigmatic pygmy right whale Caperea marginata informs mysticete phylogeny.

    PubMed

    Park, Travis; Marx, Felix G; Fitzgerald, Erich M G; Evans, Alistair R

    2017-06-01

    The pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata, is the least understood extant baleen whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti). Knowledge on its basic anatomy, ecology, and fossil record is limited, even though its singular position outside both balaenids (right whales) and balaenopteroids (rorquals + grey whales) gives Caperea a pivotal role in mysticete evolution. Recent investigations of the cetacean cochlea have provided new insights into sensory capabilities and phylogeny. Here, we extend this advance to Caperea by describing, for the first time, the inner ear of this enigmatic species. The cochlea is large and appears to be sensitive to low-frequency sounds, but its hearing limit is relatively high. The presence of a well-developed tympanal recess links Caperea with cetotheriids and balaenopteroids, rather than balaenids, contrary to the traditional morphological view of a close Caperea-balaenid relationship. Nevertheless, a broader sample of the cetotheriid Herpetocetus demonstrates that the presence of a tympanal recess can be variable at the specific and possibly even the intraspecific level. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Evolutionary history of enigmatic bears in the Tibetan Plateau–Himalaya region and the identity of the yeti

    PubMed Central

    Lan, Tianying; Gill, Stephanie; Bellemain, Eva; Bischof, Richard; Nawaz, Muhammad Ali

    2017-01-01

    Although anecdotally associated with local bears (Ursus arctos and U. thibetanus), the exact identity of ‘hominid’-like creatures important to folklore and mythology in the Tibetan Plateau–Himalaya region is still surrounded by mystery. Recently, two purported yeti samples from the Himalayas showed genetic affinity with an ancient polar bear, suggesting they may be from previously unrecognized, possibly hybrid, bear species, but this preliminary finding has been under question. We conducted a comprehensive genetic survey of field-collected and museum specimens to explore their identity and ultimately infer the evolutionary history of bears in the region. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences determined clade affinities of the purported yeti samples in this study, strongly supporting the biological basis of the yeti legend to be local, extant bears. Complete mitochondrial genomes were assembled for Himalayan brown bear (U. a. isabellinus) and black bear (U. t. laniger) for the first time. Our results demonstrate that the Himalayan brown bear is one of the first-branching clades within the brown bear lineage, while Tibetan brown bears diverged much later. The estimated times of divergence of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan bear lineages overlap with Middle to Late Pleistocene glaciation events, suggesting that extant bears in the region are likely descendants of populations that survived in local refugia during the Pleistocene glaciations. PMID:29187630

  15. Brown enters transfer tunnel

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-11-01

    STS095-E-5160 (1 Nov. 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown Jr., STS-95 commander, floats through airlock hatchway during Flight Day three activity. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 01:39:20 GMT, Nov. 1.

  16. A Panchromatic View of Brown Dwarf Aurorae

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pineda, J. Sebastian; Hallinan, Gregg; Kao, Melodie M.

    Stellar coronal activity has been shown to persist into the low-mass star regime, down to late M-dwarf spectral types. However, there is now an accumulation of evidence suggesting that at the end of the main sequence, there is a transition in the nature of the magnetic activity from chromospheric and coronal to planet-like and auroral, from local impulsive heating via flares and MHD wave dissipation to energy dissipation from strong large-scale magnetospheric current systems. We examine this transition and the prevalence of auroral activity in brown dwarfs through a compilation of multiwavelength surveys of magnetic activity, including radio, X-ray, andmore » optical. We compile the results of those surveys and place their conclusions in the context of auroral emission as a consequence of large-scale magnetospheric current systems that accelerate energetic electron beams and drive the particles to impact the cool atmospheric gas. We explore the different manifestations of auroral phenomena, like H α , in brown dwarf atmospheres and define their distinguishing characteristics. We conclude that large-amplitude photometric variability in the near-infrared is most likely a consequence of clouds in brown dwarf atmospheres, but that auroral activity may be responsible for long-lived stable surface features. We report a connection between auroral H α emission and quiescent radio emission in electron cyclotron maser instability pulsing brown dwarfs, suggesting a potential underlying physical connection between quiescent and auroral emissions. We also discuss the electrodynamic engines powering brown dwarf aurorae and the possible role of satellites around these systems both to power the aurorae and seed the magnetosphere with plasma.« less

  17. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling reveals novel insights into Luffa cylindrica browning.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xia; Tan, Taiming; Xu, Changcheng; Huang, Shuping; Tan, Jie; Zhang, Min; Wang, Chunli; Xie, Conghua

    2015-08-07

    Luffa cylindrica (sponge gourd) is one of the most popular vegetables in China. Production and consumption of L. cylindrica are limited due to postharvest browning; however, little is known about the genetic regulation of the browning process. In the present study, transcriptome profiles of L. cylindrica cultivars, YLB05 (browning resistant) and XTR05 (browning sensitive), were analyzed using next-generation sequencing to clarify the genes and mechanisms associated with browning. A total of 9.1 Gb of valid data including 116,703 unigenes (>200 bp) were obtained and 39,473 sequences were annotated by alignment against five public databases. Of these, there were 27,407 genes assigned to 747 Gene Ontology functional categories; and 12,350 genes were annotated with 25 Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) categories with 343 KOG functional terms. Additionally, by searching against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database, 8689 unigenes were mapped to 189 pathways. Furthermore, there were 24,556 sequences found to be differentially regulated, including 4344 annotated unigenes. Several genes potentially associated with phenolic oxidation, carbohydrate and hormone metabolism were found differentially regulated between the cultivars of different browning sensitivities. Our results suggest that elements involved in enzymatic processes and other pathways might be responsible for L. cylindrica browning. The present study provides a comprehensive transcriptome sequence resource, which will facilitate further studies on gene discovery and exploiting the fruit browning mechanism of L. cylindrica. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Mitochondrial haplotype variation and phylogeography of Iberian brown trout populations.

    PubMed

    MacHordom, A; Suárez, J; Almodóvar, A; Bautista, J M

    2000-09-01

    The biogeographical distribution of brown trout mitochondrial DNA haplotypes throughout the Iberian Peninsula was established by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment polymorphism analysis. The study of 507 specimens from 58 localities representing eight widely separated Atlantic-slope (north and west Iberian coasts) and six Mediterranean drainage systems served to identify five main groups of mitochondrial haplotypes: (i) haplotypes corresponding to non-native, hatchery-reared brown trout that were widely distributed but also found in wild populations of northern Spain (Cantabrian slope); (ii) a widespread Atlantic haplotype group; (iii) a haplotype restricted to the Duero Basin; (iv) a haplotype shown by southern Iberian populations; and (v) a Mediterranean haplotype. The Iberian distribution of these haplotypes reflects both the current fishery management policy of introducing non-native brown trout, and Messinian palaeobiogeography. Our findings complement and extend previous allozyme studies on Iberian brown trout and improve present knowledge of glacial refugia and postglacial movement of brown trout lineages.

  19. Use of Brown Algae to Demonstrate Natural Products Techniques.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Lee A.

    1985-01-01

    Background information is provided on the natural products found in marine organisms in general and the brown algae in particular. Also provided are the procedures needed to isolate D-mannitol (a primary metabolite) and cholesterol from brown algae. (JN)

  20. Comparative antioxidant activity of edible Japanese brown seaweeds.

    PubMed

    Airanthi, M K Widjaja-Adhi; Hosokawa, Masashi; Miyashita, Kazuo

    2011-01-01

    Japanese edible brown seaweeds, Eisenia bicyclis (Arame), Kjellmaniella crassifolia (Gagome), Alaria crassifolia (Chigaiso), Sargassum horneri (Akamoku), and Cystoseira hakodatensis (Uganomoku) were assayed for total phenolic content (TPC), fucoxanthin content, radical scavenging activities (DPPH, peroxyl radical, ABTS, and nitric oxide), and antioxidant activity in a liposome system. Among the solvents used for extraction, methanol was the most effective to extract total phenolics (TPC) from brown seaweeds. Among 5 kinds of brown seaweeds analyzed, methanol extract from C. hakodatensis was the best source for antioxidants. The high antioxidant activity of the extract was based not only on the high content of phenolics, but on the presence of fucoxanthin. No significant correlation (P > 0.05) was observed between TPC per gram extract with DPPH radical scavenging activity of the methanol extracts. These observed discrepancy would be due to structural variations in the phenolic compounds, and different levels of fucoxanthin in the extracts. The present study also demonstrated the synergy in the antioxidant activity of the combination of brown seaweed phenolics and fucoxanthin.

  1. Effects of a brown beans evening meal on metabolic risk markers and appetite regulating hormones at a subsequent standardized breakfast: a randomized cross-over study.

    PubMed

    Nilsson, Anne; Johansson, Elin; Ekström, Linda; Björck, Inger

    2013-01-01

    Dietary prevention strategies are increasingly recognized as essential to combat the current epidemic of obesity and related metabolic disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential prebiotic effects of indigestible carbohydrates in Swedish brown beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus) in relation to cardiometabolic risk markers and appetite regulating hormones. Brown beans, or white wheat bread (WWB, reference product) were provided as evening meals to 16 healthy young adults in a randomised crossover design. Glucose, insulin, appetite regulatory hormones, GLP-1, GLP-2, appetite sensations, and markers of inflammation were measured at a following standardised breakfast, that is at 11 to 14 h post the evening meals. Additionally, colonic fermentation activity was estimated from measurement of plasma short chain fatty acids (SCFA, including also branched chain fatty acids) and breath hydrogen (H2) excretion. An evening meal of brown beans, in comparison with WWB, lowered blood glucose (-15%, p<0.01)- and insulin (-16%, p<0.05) responses, increased satiety hormones (PYY 51%, p<0.001), suppressed hunger hormones (ghrelin -14%, p<0.05), and hunger sensations (-15%, p = 0.05), increased GLP-2 concentrations (8.4%, p<0.05) and suppressed inflammatory markers (IL-6 -35%, and IL-18 -8.3%, p<0.05) at a subsequent standardised breakfast. Breath H2 (141%, p<0.01), propionate (16%, p<0.05), and isobutyrate (18%, P<0.001) were significantly increased after brown beans compared to after WWB, indicating a higher colonic fermentative activity after brown beans. An evening meal with brown beans beneficially affected important measures of cardiometabolic risk and appetite regulatory hormones, within a time frame of 11-14 h, in comparison to a WWB evening meal. Concentrations of plasma SCFA and H2 were increased, indicating involvement of colonic fermentation. Indigestible colonic substrates from brown beans may provide a preventive tool in relation to

  2. Effects of a Brown Beans Evening Meal on Metabolic Risk Markers and Appetite Regulating Hormones at a Subsequent Standardized Breakfast: A Randomized Cross-Over Study

    PubMed Central

    Nilsson, Anne; Johansson, Elin; Ekström, Linda; Björck, Inger

    2013-01-01

    Background Dietary prevention strategies are increasingly recognized as essential to combat the current epidemic of obesity and related metabolic disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential prebiotic effects of indigestible carbohydrates in Swedish brown beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus) in relation to cardiometabolic risk markers and appetite regulating hormones. Methods Brown beans, or white wheat bread (WWB, reference product) were provided as evening meals to 16 healthy young adults in a randomised crossover design. Glucose, insulin, appetite regulatory hormones, GLP-1, GLP-2, appetite sensations, and markers of inflammation were measured at a following standardised breakfast, that is at 11 to 14 h post the evening meals. Additionally, colonic fermentation activity was estimated from measurement of plasma short chain fatty acids (SCFA, including also branched chain fatty acids) and breath hydrogen (H2) excretion. Results An evening meal of brown beans, in comparison with WWB, lowered blood glucose (−15%, p<0.01)- and insulin (−16%, p<0.05) responses, increased satiety hormones (PYY 51%, p<0.001), suppressed hunger hormones (ghrelin −14%, p<0.05), and hunger sensations (−15%, p = 0.05), increased GLP-2 concentrations (8.4%, p<0.05) and suppressed inflammatory markers (IL-6 −35%, and IL-18 −8.3%, p<0.05) at a subsequent standardised breakfast. Breath H2 (141%, p<0.01), propionate (16%, p<0.05), and isobutyrate (18%, P<0.001) were significantly increased after brown beans compared to after WWB, indicating a higher colonic fermentative activity after brown beans. Conclusions An evening meal with brown beans beneficially affected important measures of cardiometabolic risk and appetite regulatory hormones, within a time frame of 11–14 h, in comparison to a WWB evening meal. Concentrations of plasma SCFA and H2 were increased, indicating involvement of colonic fermentation. Indigestible colonic substrates from brown

  3. Application of Exogenous Ethylene Inhibits Postharvest Peel Browning of ‘Huangguan’ Pear

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Yurong; Yang, Mengnan; Wang, Jingjing; Jiang, Cai-Zhong; Wang, Qingguo

    2017-01-01

    Peel browning disorder has an enormous impact on the exterior quality of ‘Huangguan’ pear whereas the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Although different methods have been applied for inhibiting the peel browning of ‘Huangguan’ pear, there are numerous issues associated with these approaches, such as time cost, efficacy, safety and stability. In this study, to develop a rapid, efficient and safe way to protect ‘Huangguan’ pear from skin browning, the effect of exogenous ethylene on peel browning of pear fruits stored at 0°C was evaluated. Results showed that ethylene treatments at 0.70–1.28 μL/L significantly decreased the browning rate and browning index from 73.80% and 0.30 to 6.80% and 0.02 after 20 days storage at 0°C, respectively, whereas ethylene treatments at 5 μL/L completely inhibited the occurrence of browning. In addition, ethylene treatments at 5 μL/L decreased the electrolyte leakage and respiration rate, delayed the loss of total phenolic compounds. Furthermore, ethylene (5 μL/L) treatment significantly enhanced the activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl inhibition rate, but inhibited the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD). Our data revealed that ethylene prevented the peel browning through improving antioxidant enzymes (CAT, APX and SOD) activities and reducing PPO activity, electrolyte leakage rate and respiration rate. This study demonstrates that exogenous ethylene application may provide a safe and effective alternative method for controlling browning, and contributes to the understanding of peel browning of ‘Huangguan’ pear. PMID:28149298

  4. The VLT/NaCo large program to probe the occurrence of exoplanets and brown dwarfs at wide orbits. II. Survey description, results, and performances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chauvin, G.; Vigan, A.; Bonnefoy, M.; Desidera, S.; Bonavita, M.; Mesa, D.; Boccaletti, A.; Buenzli, E.; Carson, J.; Delorme, P.; Hagelberg, J.; Montagnier, G.; Mordasini, C.; Quanz, S. P.; Segransan, D.; Thalmann, C.; Beuzit, J.-L.; Biller, B.; Covino, E.; Feldt, M.; Girard, J.; Gratton, R.; Henning, T.; Kasper, M.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Messina, S.; Meyer, M.; Mouillet, D.; Moutou, C.; Reggiani, M.; Schlieder, J. E.; Zurlo, A.

    2015-01-01

    Context. Young, nearby stars are ideal targets for direct imaging searches for giant planets and brown dwarf companions. After the first-imaged planet discoveries, vast efforts have been devoted to the statistical analysis of the occurence and orbital distributions of giant planets and brown dwarf companions at wide (≥5-6 AU) orbits. Aims: In anticipation of the VLT/SPHERE planet-imager, guaranteed-time programs, we have conducted a preparatory survey of 86 stars between 2009 and 2013 to identify new faint comoving companions to ultimately analyze the occurence of giant planets and brown dwarf companions at wide (10-2000 AU) orbits around young, solar-type stars. Methods: We used NaCo at VLT to explore the occurrence rate of giant planets and brown dwarfs between typically 0.1 and 8''. Diffraction-limited observations in H-band combined with angular differential imaging enabled us to reach primary star-companion brightness ratios as small as 10-6 at 1.5''. Repeated observations at several epochs enabled us to discriminate comoving companions from background objects. Results: During our survey, twelve systems were resolved as new binaries, including the discovery of a new white dwarf companion to the star HD 8049. Around 34 stars, at least one companion candidate was detected in the observed field of view. More than 400 faint sources were detected; 90% of them were in four crowded fields. With the exception of HD 8049 B, we did not identify any new comoving companions. The survey also led to spatially resolved images of the thin debris disk around HD 61005 that have been published earlier. Finally, considering the survey detection limits, we derive a preliminary upper limit on the frequency of giant planets for the semi-major axes of [10, 2000] AU: typically less than 15% between 100 and 500 AU and less than 10% between 50 and 500 AU for exoplanets that are more massive than 5 MJup and 10 MJup respectively, if we consider a uniform input distribution and a

  5. Direct Evidence of Brown Adipocytes in Different Fat Depots in Children

    PubMed Central

    Rockstroh, Denise; Landgraf, Kathrin; Wagner, Isabel Viola; Gesing, Julia; Tauscher, Roy; Lakowa, Nicole; Kiess, Wieland; Bühligen, Ulf; Wojan, Magdalena; Till, Holger; Blüher, Matthias; Körner, Antje

    2015-01-01

    Recent studies suggested the persistence of brown adipocytes in adult humans, as opposed to being exclusively present in infancy. In this study, we investigated the presence of brown-like adipocytes in adipose tissue (AT) samples of children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years and evaluated the association with age, location, and obesity. For this, we analysed AT samples from 131 children and 23 adults by histological, immunohistochemical and expression analyses. We detected brown-like and UCP1 positive adipocytes in 10.3% of 87 lean children (aged 0.3 to 10.7 years) and in one overweight infant, whereas we did not find brown adipocytes in obese children or adults. In our samples, the brown-like adipocytes were interspersed within white AT of perirenal, visceral and also subcutaneous depots. Samples with brown-like adipocytes showed an increased expression of UCP1 (>200fold), PRDM16 (2.8fold), PGC1α and CIDEA while other brown/beige selective markers, such as PAT2, P2RX5, ZIC1, LHX8, TMEM26, HOXC9 and TBX1 were not significantly different between UCP1 positive and negative samples. We identified a positive correlation between UCP1 and PRDM16 within UCP1 positive samples, but not with any other brown/beige marker. In addition, we observed significantly increased PRDM16 and PAT2 expression in subcutaneous and visceral AT samples with high UCP1 expression in adults. Our data indicate that brown-like adipocytes are present well beyond infancy in subcutaneous depots of non-obese children. The presence was not restricted to typical perirenal locations, but they were also interspersed within WAT of visceral and subcutaneous depots. PMID:25706927

  6. Transcriptomic events associated with internal browning of apple during postharvest storage.

    PubMed

    Mellidou, Ifigeneia; Buts, Kim; Hatoum, Darwish; Ho, Quang Tri; Johnston, Jason W; Watkins, Christopher B; Schaffer, Robert J; Gapper, Nigel E; Giovannoni, Jim J; Rudell, David R; Hertog, Maarten L A T M; Nicolai, Bart M

    2014-11-28

    Postharvest ripening of apple (Malus x domestica) can be slowed down by low temperatures, and a combination of low O2 and high CO2 levels. While this maintains the quality of most fruit, occasionally storage disorders such as flesh browning can occur. This study aimed to explore changes in the apple transcriptome associated with a flesh browning disorder related to controlled atmosphere storage using RNA-sequencing techniques. Samples from a browning-susceptible cultivar ('Braeburn') were stored for four months under controlled atmosphere. Based on a visual browning index, the inner and outer cortex of the stored apples was classified as healthy or affected tissue. Over 600 million short single-end reads were mapped onto the Malus consensus coding sequence set, and differences in the expression profiles between healthy and affected tissues were assessed to identify candidate genes associated with internal browning in a tissue-specific manner. Genes involved in lipid metabolism, secondary metabolism, and cell wall modifications were highly modified in the affected inner cortex, while energy-related and stress-related genes were mostly altered in the outer cortex. The expression levels of several of them were confirmed using qRT-PCR. Additionally, a set of novel browning-specific differentially expressed genes, including pyruvate dehydrogenase and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase, was validated in apples stored for various periods at different controlled atmosphere conditions, giving rise to potential biomarkers associated with high risk of browning development. The gene expression data presented in this study will help elucidate the molecular mechanism of browning development in apples at controlled atmosphere storage. A conceptual model, including energy-related (linked to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the electron transport chain) and lipid-related genes (related to membrane alterations, and fatty acid oxidation), for browning development in apple is

  7. Inhibition of enzymatic browning of chlorogenic acid by sulfur-containing compounds.

    PubMed

    Kuijpers, Tomas F M; Narváez-Cuenca, Carlos-Eduardo; Vincken, Jean-Paul; Verloop, Annewieke J W; van Berkel, Willem J H; Gruppen, Harry

    2012-04-04

    The antibrowning activity of sodium hydrogen sulfite (NaHSO(3)) was compared to that of other sulfur-containing compounds. Inhibition of enzymatic browning was investigated using a model browning system consisting of mushroom tyrosinase and chlorogenic acid (5-CQA). Development of brown color (spectral analysis), oxygen consumption, and reaction product formation (RP-UHPLC-PDA-MS) were monitored in time. It was found that the compounds showing antibrowning activity either prevented browning by forming colorless addition products with o-quinones of 5-CQA (NaHSO(3), cysteine, and glutathione) or inhibiting the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase (NaHSO(3) and dithiothreitol). NaHSO(3) was different from the other sulfur-containing compounds investigated, because it showed a dual inhibitory effect on browning. Initial browning was prevented by trapping the o-quinones formed in colorless addition products (sulfochlorogenic acid), while at the same time, tyrosinase activity was inhibited in a time-dependent way, as shown by pre-incubation experiments of tyrosinase with NaHSO(3). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that sulfochlorogenic and cysteinylchlorogenic acids were not inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase.

  8. Black and brown pigment gallstones differ in microstructure and microcomposition.

    PubMed

    Malet, P F; Takabayashi, A; Trotman, B W; Soloway, R D; Weston, N E

    1984-01-01

    The two subtypes of pigment gallstones, black and brown stones, differ in chemical composition and pathogenesis. We examined a black bilirubinate stone and a black phosphate stone (which represented opposite ends of the compositional spectrum of black noncarbonate stones), a black carbonate stone, and a brown pigment stone using scanning electron microscopy and microchemical techniques to determine if stone microstructure and microcomposition reflected different patterns of formation. The cross-sectional surfaces of the black bilirubinate and black phosphate stones were smooth and homogenous. Electron probe microanalysis demonstrated high concentrations of sulfur and copper in the center of the black bilirubinate stone; sulfur was in a low valence state consistent with disulfide linkages in proteins. The brown stone was rough-surfaced with lamellated bands on cross-section. The lighter-colored bands in this stone contained virtually all of the detected calcium palmitate, while the darker sections contained much more calcium bilirubinate. Plasma oxygen etching demonstrated a network of protein interdigitating with calcium bilirubinate salts in the black bilirubinate and black phosphate stones but not in the black carbonate or brown stones. Argon ion etching demonstrated that calcium bilirubinate was in a closely packed rod-shaped arrangement in all three black stones but not in the brown stone. We conclude that the marked differences in structure and composition between the black noncarbonate and brown pigment gallstones support the hypothesis that the two major pigment gallstone types form by different mechanisms. In addition, the layered structures of the black carbonate and brown stones suggest that stone growth is affected by cyclic changes in biliary composition.

  9. New Brown Dwarf Discs in Upper Scorpius Observed with WISE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dawson, P.; Scholz, A.; Ray, T. P.; Natta, A.; Marsh, K. A.; Padgett, D.; Ressler, M. E.

    2013-01-01

    We present a census of the disc population for UKIDSS selected brown dwarfs in the 5-10 Myr old Upper Scorpius OB association. For 116 objects originally identified in UKIDSS, the majority of them not studied in previous publications, we obtain photometry from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer data base. The resulting colour magnitude and colour colour plots clearly show two separate populations of objects, interpreted as brown dwarfs with discs (class II) and without discs (class III). We identify 27 class II brown dwarfs, 14 of them not previously known. This disc fraction (27 out of 116, or 23%) among brown dwarfs was found to be similar to results for K/M stars in Upper Scorpius, suggesting that the lifetimes of discs are independent of the mass of the central object for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. 5 out of 27 discs (19 per cent) lack excess at 3.4 and 4.6 microns and are potential transition discs (i.e. are in transition from class II to class III). The transition disc fraction is comparable to low-mass stars.We estimate that the time-scale for a typical transition from class II to class III is less than 0.4 Myr for brown dwarfs. These results suggest that the evolution of brown dwarf discs mirrors the behaviour of discs around low-mass stars, with disc lifetimes of the order of 5 10 Myr and a disc clearing time-scale significantly shorter than 1 Myr.

  10. The Genetic Architecture Underlying the Evolution of a Rare Piscivorous Life History Form in Brown Trout after Secondary Contact and Strong Introgression.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Arne; Hughes, Martin R; Robinson, Paige C; Adams, Colin E; Elmer, Kathryn R

    2018-05-31

    Identifying the genetic basis underlying phenotypic divergence and reproductive isolation is a longstanding problem in evolutionary biology. Genetic signals of adaptation and reproductive isolation are often confounded by a wide range of factors, such as variation in demographic history or genomic features. Brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) in the Loch Maree catchment, Scotland, exhibit reproductively isolated divergent life history morphs, including a rare piscivorous (ferox) life history form displaying larger body size, greater longevity and delayed maturation compared to sympatric benthivorous brown trout. Using a dataset of 16,066 SNPs, we analyzed the evolutionary history and genetic architecture underlying this divergence. We found that ferox trout and benthivorous brown trout most likely evolved after recent secondary contact of two distinct glacial lineages, and identified 33 genomic outlier windows across the genome, of which several have most likely formed through selection. We further identified twelve candidate genes and biological pathways related to growth, development and immune response potentially underpinning the observed phenotypic differences. The identification of clear genomic signals divergent between life history phenotypes and potentially linked to reproductive isolation, through size assortative mating, as well as the identification of the underlying demographic history, highlights the power of genomic studies of young species pairs for understanding the factors shaping genetic differentiation.

  11. On enigmatic properties of the main belt asteroids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kochemasov, G.

    two warping waves cannot be inscribed in a sphere otherwise than to stretch a body in one direction and to press it in the perpendicular one. Thus, an enigmatic shape of Mars is explained by this way. Asteroids are subjected to a warping action of the wave that bulges one hemisphere and presses the opposite one making convexo-concave bean shape [1]. This wave resonate (1 to 1) with the fundamental wave causing dichotomy of all celestial bodies . This very strong resonance enhances a warping action. That is why asteroids are flat, oblong and bean-shaped. The bulging hemisphere is always cracked, and this cracking sometimes is so strong that "saddles" appear sometimes cutting body into two or more pieces (binaries, satellites). Eros and the small Trojan satellite of Saturn Calypso (PIA07633) are very similar in this typical shape (convexo-concave shape and a "saddle") though they have different compositions, sizes and strengths. It was 1 shown earlier that degassing and rotations of terrestrial planets may be tied by redistribution of their angular momentum between a solid body and its gaseous envelope [2]. Bodies with higher orb. fr. and thus more finely granulated (Mercury, Venus) are more thoroughly wiped out of its volatiles and rotate slower because a significant part of their momenta gone with atmosphere (The Mercury's atmosphere was destroyed by the solar wind). The main asteroid belt rather stretched (2.2-3.2 a.u.) is composed of metallic, stone and carbonaceous bodies (judging by spectra and meteorites) , the first two dominating its inner part, the third -the outer one (similarity with the inner planets in respect of volatiles distribution). Less degassed asteroids keeping their original mass and "original" momentum (i.e.,the larger bodies) differ from the smaller ones having lost their original mass by degassing and spalling and shared their momenta with gone off parts. That is why the larger bodies are fast, the smaller ones slow rotating. References: [1

  12. A Venus-mass Planet Orbiting a Brown Dwarf: A Missing Link between Planets and Moons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Udalski, A.; Jung, Y. K.; Han, C.; Gould, A.; Kozłowski, S.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Soszyński, I.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Mróz, P.; Szymański, M. K.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Ulaczyk, K.; Pietrzyński, G.; Shvartzvald, Y.; Maoz, D.; Kaspi, S.; Gaudi, B. S.; Hwang, K.-H.; Choi, J.-Y.; Shin, I.-G.; Park, H.; Bozza, V.

    2015-10-01

    The co-planarity of solar system planets led Kant to suggest that they formed from an accretion disk, and the discovery of hundreds of such disks around young stars as well as hundreds of co-planar planetary systems by the Kepler satellite demonstrate that this formation mechanism is extremely widespread. Many moons in the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter, also formed out of the accretion disks that coalesced into the giant planets. Here we report the discovery of an intermediate system, OGLE-2013-BLG-0723LB/Bb, composed of a Venus-mass planet orbiting a brown dwarf, which may be viewed either as a scaled-down version of a planet plus a star or as a scaled-up version of a moon plus a planet orbiting a star. The latter analogy can be further extended since they orbit in the potential of a larger, stellar body. For ice-rock companions formed in the outer parts of accretion disks, like Uranus and Callisto, the scaled masses and separations of the three types of systems are similar, leading us to suggest that the formation processes of companions within accretion disks around stars, brown dwarfs, and planets are similar.

  13. [Research progress and direction of atmospheric brown carbon].

    PubMed

    Yan, Cai-Qing; Zheng, Mei; Zhang, Yuan-Hang

    2014-11-01

    Organic aerosol is one of the most important components of atmospheric aerosols. In recent years, organic aerosol has been found and proved to be light absorbing in UV-Visible region. Light absorbing organic carbon (also named as brown carbon) has been one of the forefronts in the field of atmospheric research. Its light absorption contributions to radiative forcing, regional air quality, and global climate change have drawn much attention. Regional air pollution is complex in China. Frequent visibility decline and severe regional haze episodes occurred since January 2013. Previous studies showed high amount of estimated columnar light-absorbing organic carbon in China, and according to current research findings, major sources of fine particulate matter in China (e. g. biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion) were also recognized as the main sources for brown carbon. Considering the high abundance of brown carbon in atmosphere, there is a great need to reconsider and reevaluate contributions of organic aerosol to light absorption, especially its role in haze formation and radiative forcing. However, up to now, basic researches on light absorbing organic carbon are still limited in China. This study aimed to elucidate the need for basic research on brown carbon, summarize previous studies and research progress from different aspects such as sources, composition, measurement, mass concentration distribution, optical property, radiative forcing of brown carbon, point out the existing problems and deficiencies, and put forward suggestions for future study.

  14. Powerful Auroras Found at Brown Dwarf

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    This artist's concept shows an auroral display on a brown dwarf. If you could see an aurora on a brown dwarf, it would be a million times brighter than an aurora on Earth. Credits: Chuck Carter and Gregg Hallinan/Caltech --- Mysterious objects called brown dwarfs are sometimes called "failed stars." They are too small to fuse hydrogen in their cores, the way most stars do, but also too large to be classified as planets. But a new study in the journal Nature suggests they succeed in creating powerful auroral displays, similar to the kind seen around the magnetic poles on Earth. "This is a whole new manifestation of magnetic activity for that kind of object," said Leon Harding, a technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, and co-author on the study. On Earth, auroras are created when charged particles from the solar wind enter our planet's magnetosphere, a region where Earth's magnetic field accelerates and sends them toward the poles. There, they collide with atoms of gas in the atmosphere, resulting in a brilliant display of colors in the sky. Read more: www.nasa.gov/jpl/powerful-auroras-found-at-brown-dwarf NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  15. A mother alligator protects her young

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    American alligators feed and rest in the water, and lay their eggs in dens they dig into the banks. The young alligators spend their first several weeks in these dens. The Center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

  16. Thyroid hormone status defines brown adipose tissue activity and browning of white adipose tissues in mice.

    PubMed

    Weiner, Juliane; Kranz, Mathias; Klöting, Nora; Kunath, Anne; Steinhoff, Karen; Rijntjes, Eddy; Köhrle, Josef; Zeisig, Vilia; Hankir, Mohammed; Gebhardt, Claudia; Deuther-Conrad, Winnie; Heiker, John T; Kralisch, Susan; Stumvoll, Michael; Blüher, Matthias; Sabri, Osama; Hesse, Swen; Brust, Peter; Tönjes, Anke; Krause, Kerstin

    2016-12-12

    The present study aimed to determine the effect of thyroid hormone dysfunction on brown adipose tissue activity and white adipose tissue browning in mice. Twenty randomized female C57BL/6NTac mice per treatment group housed at room temperature were rendered hypothyroid or hyperthyroid. In-vivo small animal 18 F-FDG PET/MRI was performed to determine the effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on BAT mass and BAT activity. Ex-vivo 14 C-acetate loading assay and assessment of thermogenic gene and protein expression permitted analysis of oxidative and thermogenic capacities of WAT and BAT of eu-, hyper and hypothyroid mice. 18 F-FDG PET/MRI revealed a lack of brown adipose tissue activity in hypothyroid mice, whereas hyperthyroid mice displayed increased BAT mass alongside enhanced 18 F-FDG uptake. In white adipose tissue of both, hyper- and hypothyroid mice, we found a significant induction of thermogenic genes together with multilocular adipocytes expressing UCP1. Taken together, these results suggest that both the hyperthyroid and hypothyroid state stimulate WAT thermogenesis most likely as a consequence of enhanced adrenergic signaling or compensation for impaired BAT function, respectively.

  17. The Scientific Attack on Brown v. Board of Education, 1954-1964

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, John P.

    2004-01-01

    Psychologists' work was cited in the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). One criticism of the citation was that psychology could be used to overturn the Brown decision and return the country to segregation. A historical examination of such an attempt to overturn Brown in the early 1960s on the basis of new psychological…

  18. Black, White, and Brown: The Transformation of Public Education in America

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willie, Charles Vert; Willie, Sarah Susannah

    2005-01-01

    This article reflects upon changes in U.S. education since the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The authors reject both the naively hopeful and the bitterly cynical interpretations of the efficacy of Brown in favor of a more moderate assessment: Brown has had many positive effects, they…

  19. Brown at RMS controls on the aft flight deck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-11-24

    STS095-366-031 (29 Oct-7 Nov 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, Jr., mission commander, operates controls on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Brown was joined by four other NASA astronauts and two payload specialists for the nine-day mission.

  20. Lettucenin sesquiterpenes contribute significantly to the browning of lettuce.

    PubMed

    Mai, Franziska; Glomb, Marcus A

    2014-05-21

    Wound-induced changes in the composition of secondary plant compounds cause the browning of processed lettuce. Cut tissues near the lettuce butt end clearly exhibit increased formation of yellow-brown pigments. This browning reaction is typically been attributed to the oxidation of polyphenols by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO). However, in our previous study on Iceberg lettuce, we showed that, besides the enzymatic polyphenol browning, other reactions must be involved in the formation of colored structures. With the present study for the first time, we isolated yellow sesquiterpenes by multilayer countercurrent chromatography (MLCCC), followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Further analyses by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques identified lettucenin A and three novel derivatives. We call these compounds lettucenins A1, B, and B1. Color-dilution analyses revealed these lettucenins as key chromophores in the browning of Iceberg lettuce. A time formation curve showed the accumulation of lettucenins A and B within 40 h after cutting. Thereafter, these structures were degraded to unknown colored compounds. Lettucenin A was verified in five varieties of Lactuca. In contrast to that, lettucenin A was present only at trace levels in five varieties of Cichorium. Therefore, lettucenin A might be used as a chemosystematic marker of the genus Lactuca.

  1. Arctic Browning: vegetation damage and implications for carbon balance.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treharne, Rachael; Bjerke, Jarle; Emberson, Lisa; Tømmervik, Hans; Phoenix, Gareth

    2016-04-01

    'Arctic browning' is the loss of biomass and canopy in Arctic ecosystems. This process is often driven by climatic and biological extreme events - notably extreme winter warm periods, winter frost-drought and severe outbreaks of defoliating insects. Evidence suggests that browning is becoming increasingly frequent and severe at the pan-arctic scale, a view supported by observations from more intensely observed regions, with major and unprecedented vegetation damage reported at landscape (>1000km2) and regional (Nordic Arctic Region) scales in recent years. Critically, the damage caused by these extreme events is in direct opposition to 'Arctic greening', the well-established increase in productivity and shrub abundance observed at high latitudes in response to long-term warming. This opposition creates uncertainty as to future anticipated vegetation change in the Arctic, with implications for Arctic carbon balance. As high latitude ecosystems store around twice as much carbon as the atmosphere, and vegetation impacts are key to determining rates of loss or gain of ecosystem carbon stocks, Arctic browning has the potential to influence the role of these ecosystems in global climate. There is therefore a clear need for a quantitative understanding of the impacts of browning events on key ecosystem carbon fluxes. To address this, field sites were chosen in central and northern Norway and in Svalbard, in areas known to have been affected by either climatic extremes or insect outbreak and subsequent browning in the past four years. Sites were chosen along a latitudinal gradient to capture both conditions already causing vegetation browning throughout the Norwegian Arctic, and conditions currently common at lower latitudes which are likely to become more damaging further North as climate change progresses. At each site the response of Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange to light was measured using a LiCor LI6400 Portable Photosynthesis system and a custom vegetation chamber with

  2. Proteomic identification of fat-browning markers in cultured white adipocytes treated with curcumin.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sang Woo; Choi, Jae Heon; Mukherjee, Rajib; Hwang, Ki-Chul; Yun, Jong Won

    2016-04-01

    We previously reported that curcumin induces browning of primary white adipocytes via enhanced expression of brown adipocyte-specific genes. In this study, we attempted to identify target proteins responsible for this fat-browning effect by analyzing proteomic changes in cultured white adipocytes in response to curcumin treatment. To elucidate the role of curcumin in fat-browning, we conducted comparative proteomic analysis of primary adipocytes between control and curcumin-treated cells using two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with MALDI-TOF-MS. We also investigated fatty acid metabolic targets, mitochondrial biogenesis, and fat-browning-associated proteins using combined proteomic and network analyses. Proteomic analysis revealed that 58 protein spots from a total of 325 matched spots showed differential expression between control and curcumin-treated adipocytes. Using network analysis, most of the identified proteins were proven to be involved in various metabolic and cellular processes based on the PANTHER classification system. One of the most striking findings is that hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) was highly correlated with main browning markers based on the STRING database. HSL and two browning markers (UCP1, PGC-1α) were co-immunoprecipitated with these markers, suggesting that HSL possibly plays a role in fat-browning of white adipocytes. Our results suggest that curcumin increased HSL levels and other browning-specific markers, suggesting its possible role in augmentation of lipolysis and suppression of lipogenesis by trans-differentiation from white adipocytes into brown adipocytes (beige).

  3. Linkage and association mapping reveals the genetic basis of brown fibre (Gossypium hirsutum).

    PubMed

    Wen, Tianwang; Wu, Mi; Shen, Chao; Gao, Bin; Zhu, De; Zhang, Xianlong; You, Chunyuan; Lin, Zhongxu

    2018-02-24

    Brown fibre cotton is an environmental-friendly resource that plays a key role in the textile industry. However, the fibre quality and yield of natural brown cotton are poor, and fundamental research on brown cotton is relatively scarce. To understand the genetic basis of brown fibre cotton, we constructed linkage and association populations to systematically examine brown fibre accessions. We fine-mapped the brown fibre region, Lc 1 , and dissected it into 2 loci, qBF-A07-1 and qBF-A07-2. The qBF-A07-1 locus mediates the initiation of brown fibre production, whereas the shade of the brown fibre is affected by the interaction between qBF-A07-1 and qBF-A07-2. Gh_A07G2341 and Gh_A07G0100 were identified as candidate genes for qBF-A07-1 and qBF-A07-2, respectively. Haploid analysis of the signals significantly associated with these two loci showed that most tetraploid modern brown cotton accessions exhibit the introgression signature of Gossypium barbadense. We identified 10 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for fibre yield and 19 QTLs for fibre quality through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and found that qBF-A07-2 negatively affects fibre yield and quality through an epistatic interaction with qBF-A07-1. This study sheds light on the genetics of fibre colour and lint-related traits in brown fibre cotton, which will guide the elite cultivars breeding of brown fibre cotton. © 2018 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. A New Role for Browning as a Redox and Stress Adaptive Mechanism?

    PubMed

    Jeanson, Yannick; Carrière, Audrey; Casteilla, Louis

    2015-01-01

    The worldwide epidemic of obesity and metabolic disorders is focusing the attention of the scientific community on white adipose tissue (WAT) and its biology. This tissue is characterized not only by its capability to change in size and shape but also by its heterogeneity and versatility. WAT can be converted into brown fat-like tissue according to different physiological and pathophysiological situations. The expression of uncoupling protein-1 in brown-like adipocytes changes their function from energy storage to energy dissipation. This plasticity, named browning, was recently rediscovered and convergent recent accounts, including in humans, have revived the idea of using these oxidative cells to fight against metabolic diseases. Furthermore, recent reports suggest that, beside the increased energy dissipation and thermogenesis that may have adverse effects in situations such as cancer-associated cachexia and massive burns, browning could be also considered as an adaptive stress response to high redox pressure and to major stress that could help to maintain tissue homeostasis and integrity. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge concerning brown adipocytes and the browning process and also to explore unexpected putative role(s) for these cells. While it is important to find new browning inducers to limit energy stores and metabolic diseases, it also appears crucial to develop new browning inhibitors to limit adverse energy dissipation in wasting-associated syndromes.

  5. Activation of TRPV2 negatively regulates the differentiation of mouse brown adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Sun, Wuping; Uchida, Kunitoshi; Takahashi, Nobuyuki; Iwata, Yuko; Wakabayashi, Shigeo; Goto, Tsuyoshi; Kawada, Teruo; Tominaga, Makoto

    2016-09-01

    Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) acts as a Ca(2+)-permeable non-selective cation channel that has been reported to be sensitive to temperature, mechanical force, and some chemicals. We recently showed that TRPV2 is critical for maintenance of the thermogenic function of brown adipose tissue in mice. However, the involvement of TRPV2 in the differentiation of brown adipocytes remains unexplored. We found that the expression of TRPV2 was dramatically increased during the differentiation of brown adipocytes. Non-selective TRPV2 agonists (2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate and lysophosphatidylcholine) inhibited the differentiation of brown adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner during the early stage of differentiation of brown adipocytes. The inhibition was rescued by a TRPV2-selective antagonist, SKF96365 (SKF). Mechanical force, which activates TRPV2, also inhibited the differentiation of brown adipocytes in a strength-dependent manner, and the effect was reversed by SKF. In addition, the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by either TRPV2 ligand or mechanical stimulation was significantly smaller in the cells from TRPV2KO mice. Moreover, calcineurin inhibitors, cyclosporine A and FK506, partially reversed TRPV2 activation-induced inhibition of brown adipocyte differentiation. Thus, we conclude that TRPV2 might be involved in the modulation of brown adipocyte differentiation partially via a calcineurin pathway.

  6. Brown's Legacy: The Promises and Pitfalls of Judicial Relief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merritt, Deborah Jones

    2005-01-01

    "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954) is one of the greatest achievements of the American judicial system. It decisively declared racial segregation in the schools unconstitutional, inaugurating the modern civil rights era. In addition to advancing equality, "Brown" initiated a new type of judicial decision making. After…

  7. On the origin of Acochlidia and other enigmatic euthyneuran gastropods, with implications for the systematics of Heterobranchia.

    PubMed

    Jörger, Katharina M; Stöger, Isabella; Kano, Yasunori; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Knebelsberger, Thomas; Schrödl, Michael

    2010-10-25

    A robust phylogenetic hypothesis of euthyneuran gastropods, as a basis to reconstructing their evolutionary history, is still hindered by several groups of aberrant, more or less worm-like slugs with unclear phylogenetic relationships. As a traditional "order" in the Opisthobranchia, the Acochlidia have a long history of controversial placements, among others influenced by convergent adaptation to the mainly meiofaunal habitats. The present study includes six out of seven acochlidian families in a comprehensive euthyneuran taxon sampling with special focus on minute, aberrant slugs. Since there is no fossil record of tiny, shell-less gastropods, a molecular clock was used to estimate divergence times within Euthyneura. Our multi-locus molecular study confirms Acochlidia in a pulmonate relationship, as sister to Eupulmonata. Previous hypotheses of opisthobranch relations, or of a common origin with other meiofaunal Euthyneura, are clearly rejected. The enigmatic amphibious and insectivorous Aitengidae incerta sedis clusters within Acochlidia, as sister to meiofaunal and brackish Pseudunelidae and limnic Acochlidiidae. Euthyneura, Opisthobranchia and Pulmonata as traditionally defined are non-monophyletic. A relaxed molecular clock approach indicates a late Palaeozoic diversification of Euthyneura and a Mesozoic origin of the major euthyneuran diversity, including Acochlidia. The present study shows that the inclusion of small, enigmatic groups is necessary to solve deep-level phylogenetic relationships, and underlines that "pulmonate" and "opisthobranch" phylogeny, respectively, cannot be solved independently from each other. Our phylogenetic hypothesis requires reinvestigation of the traditional classification of Euthyneura: morphological synapomorphies of the traditionally defined Pulmonata and Opisthobranchia are evaluated in light of the presented phylogeny, and a redefinition of major groups is proposed. It is demonstrated that the invasion of the meiofaunal

  8. Effective production of fermentable sugars from brown macroalgae biomass.

    PubMed

    Wang, Damao; Kim, Do Hyoung; Kim, Kyoung Heon

    2016-11-01

    Brown macroalgae are renewable and sustainable biomass resources for the production of biofuels and chemicals, owing to their high levels of carbohydrates and low levels of lignin. To increase the biological usage of brown macroalgae, it is necessary to depolymerize the polysaccharides that generate macroalgal monomeric sugars or sugar derivatives and to convert them into fermentable sugars for the production of biofuels and chemicals. In this review, we discuss the chemical and enzymatic saccharification of the major carbohydrates found in brown macroalgae and the use of the resulting constituents in the production of biofuels and chemicals, as well as high-value health-benefiting functional oligosaccharides and sugars. We also discuss recently reported experimental results, novel enzymes, and technological breakthroughs that are related to polysaccharide depolymerization, fermentable sugar production, and the biological conversion of non-favorable sugars for fermentation using industrial microorganisms. This review provides a comprehensive perspective of the efficient utilization of brown macroalgae as renewable resources for the production of biofuels and chemicals.

  9. Browning of human adipocytes requires KLF11 and reprogramming of PPARγ superenhancers.

    PubMed

    Loft, Anne; Forss, Isabel; Siersbæk, Majken Storm; Schmidt, Søren Fisker; Larsen, Ann-Sofie Bøgh; Madsen, Jesper Grud Skat; Pisani, Didier F; Nielsen, Ronni; Aagaard, Mads Malik; Mathison, Angela; Neville, Matt J; Urrutia, Raul; Karpe, Fredrik; Amri, Ez-Zoubir; Mandrup, Susanne

    2015-01-01

    Long-term exposure to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonists such as rosiglitazone induces browning of rodent and human adipocytes; however, the transcriptional mechanisms governing this phenotypic switch in adipocytes are largely unknown. Here we show that rosiglitazone-induced browning of human adipocytes activates a comprehensive gene program that leads to increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity. Once induced, this gene program and oxidative capacity are maintained independently of rosiglitazone, suggesting that additional browning factors are activated. Browning triggers reprogramming of PPARγ binding, leading to the formation of PPARγ "superenhancers" that are selective for brown-in-white (brite) adipocytes. These are highly associated with key brite-selective genes. Based on such an association, we identified an evolutionarily conserved metabolic regulator, Kruppel-like factor 11 (KLF11), as a novel browning transcription factor in human adipocytes that is required for rosiglitazone-induced browning, including the increase in mitochondrial oxidative capacity. KLF11 is directly induced by PPARγ and appears to cooperate with PPARγ in a feed-forward manner to activate and maintain the brite-selective gene program. © 2015 Loft et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  10. Introgressive hybridization: brown bears as vectors for polar bear alleles.

    PubMed

    Hailer, Frank

    2015-03-01

    The dynamics and consequences of introgression can inform about numerous evolutionary processes. Biologists have therefore long been interested in hybridization. One challenge, however, lies in the identification of nonadmixed genotypes that can serve as a baseline for accurate quantification of admixture. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Cahill et al. (2015) analyse a genomic data set of 28 polar bears, eight brown bears and one American black bear. Polar bear alleles are found to be introgressed into brown bears not only near a previously identified admixture zone on the Alaskan Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof (ABC) Islands, but also far into the North American mainland. Elegantly contrasting admixture levels at autosomal and X chromosomal markers, Cahill and colleagues infer that male-biased dispersal has spread these introgressed alleles away from the Late Pleistocene contact zone. Compared to a previous study on the ABC Island population in which an Alaskan brown bear served as a putatively admixture-free reference, Cahill et al. (2015) utilize a newly sequenced Swedish brown bear as admixture baseline. This approach reveals that brown bears have been impacted by introgression from polar bears to a larger extent (up to 8.8% of their genome), than previously known, including the bear that had previously served as admixture baseline. No evidence for introgression of brown bear into polar bear is found, which the authors argue could be a consequence of selection. Besides adding new exciting pieces to the puzzle of polar/brown bear evolutionary history, the study by Cahill and colleagues highlights that wildlife genomics is moving from analysing single genomes towards a landscape genomics approach. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Interim reliability evaluation program, Browns Ferry 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mays, S.E.; Poloski, J.P.; Sullivan, W.H.

    1981-01-01

    Probabilistic risk analysis techniques, i.e., event tree and fault tree analysis, were utilized to provide a risk assessment of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1. Browns Ferry 1 is a General Electric boiling water reactor of the BWR 4 product line with a Mark 1 (drywell and torus) containment. Within the guidelines of the IREP Procedure and Schedule Guide, dominant accident sequences that contribute to public health and safety risks were identified and grouped according to release categories.

  12. A BROWN DWARF CENSUS FROM THE SIMP SURVEY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robert, Jasmin; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne

    We have conducted a near-infrared (NIR) proper motion survey, the Sondage Infrarouge de Mouvement Propre, in order to discover field ultracool dwarfs (UCD) in the solar neighborhood. The survey was conducted by imaging ∼28% of the sky with the Caméra PAnoramique Proche-InfraRouge both in the southern hemisphere at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope, and in the northern hemisphere at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic 1.6 m telescope and comparing the source positions from these observations with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). Additional color criteria were used to further discriminate unwanted astrophysical sources. Wemore » present the results of an NIR spectroscopic follow-up of 169 M, L, and T dwarfs. Among the sources discovered are 2 young field brown dwarfs, 6 unusually red M and L dwarfs, 25 unusually blue M and L dwarfs, 2 candidate unresolved L+T binaries, and 24 peculiar UCDs. Additionally, we add 9 L/T transition dwarfs (L6–T4.5) to the already known objects.« less

  13. Browning of White Fat: Novel Insight Into Factors, Mechanisms, and Therapeutics.

    PubMed

    Jeremic, Nevena; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Tyagi, Suresh C

    2017-01-01

    What is more interesting about brown adipose tissue (BAT) is its ability to provide thermogenesis, protection against obesity by clearing triglycerides, releasing batokines, and mitigating insulin resistance. White adipose tissue (WAT) on the other hand stores excess energy and secretes some endocrine factors like leptin for regulating satiety. For the last decade there has been an increasing interest in the browning of fat keeping in view its beneficial effects on metabolic disorders and protection in the form of perivascular fat. Obesity is one such metabolic disorder that leads to significant morbidity and mortality from obesity-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and cardiovascular disease risk. Browning of white fat paves the way to restrict obesity and obesity related disorders. Although exercise has been the most common factor for fat browning; however, there are other factors that involve: (1) beta aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA); (2) gamma amino butyric acid (GABA); (3) PPARɣ agonists; (4) JAK inhibition; and (5) IRISIN. In this review, we propose two novel factors musclin and TFAM for fat browning. Musclin a myokine released from muscles during exercise activates PPARɣ which induces browning of WAT that has beneficial metabolic and cardiac effects. TFAM is a transcription factor that induces mitochondrial biogenesis. Since BAT is rich in mitochondria, higher expression of TFAM in WAT or TFAM treatment in WAT cells can induce browning of WAT. We propose that fat browning can be used as a therapeutic tool for metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 61-68, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Widespread introgression of mountain hare genes into Fennoscandian brown hare populations.

    PubMed

    Levänen, Riikka; Thulin, Carl-Gustaf; Spong, Göran; Pohjoismäki, Jaakko L O

    2018-01-01

    In Fennoscandia, mountain hare (Lepus timidus) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) hybridize and produce fertile offspring, resulting in gene flow across the species barrier. Analyses of maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) show that introgression occur frequently, but unavailability of appropriate nuclear DNA markers has made it difficult to evaluate the scale- and significance for the species. The extent of introgression has become important as the brown hare is continuously expanding its range northward, at the apparent expense of the mountain hare, raising concerns about possible competition. We report here, based on analysis of 6833 SNP markers, that the introgression is highly asymmetrical in the direction of gene flow from mountain hare to brown hare, and that the levels of nuclear gene introgression are independent of mtDNA introgression. While it is possible that brown hares obtain locally adapted alleles from the resident mountain hares, the low levels of mountain hare alleles among allopatric brown hares suggest that hybridization is driven by stochastic processes. Interspecific geneflow with the brown hare is unlikely to have major impacts on mountain hare in Fennoscandia, but direct competition may.

  15. Lack of TRPV2 impairs thermogenesis in mouse brown adipose tissue.

    PubMed

    Sun, Wuping; Uchida, Kunitoshi; Suzuki, Yoshiro; Zhou, Yiming; Kim, Minji; Takayama, Yasunori; Takahashi, Nobuyuki; Goto, Tsuyoshi; Wakabayashi, Shigeo; Kawada, Teruo; Iwata, Yuko; Tominaga, Makoto

    2016-03-01

    Brown adipose tissue (BAT), a major site for mammalian non-shivering thermogenesis, could be a target for prevention and treatment of human obesity. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2), a Ca(2+)-permeable non-selective cation channel, plays vital roles in the regulation of various cellular functions. Here, we show that TRPV2 is expressed in brown adipocytes and that mRNA levels of thermogenic genes are reduced in both cultured brown adipocytes and BAT from TRPV2 knockout (TRPV2KO) mice. The induction of thermogenic genes in response to β-adrenergic receptor stimulation is also decreased in TRPV2KO brown adipocytes and suppressed by reduced intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations in wild-type brown adipocytes. In addition, TRPV2KO mice have more white adipose tissue and larger brown adipocytes and show cold intolerance, and lower BAT temperature increases in response to β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Furthermore, TRPV2KO mice have increased body weight and fat upon high-fat-diet treatment. Based on these findings, we conclude that TRPV2 has a role in BAT thermogenesis and could be a target for human obesity therapy. © 2016 The Authors.

  16. An enigmatic case presentation of Budd-Chiari syndrome with pulmonary embolism: An unusual syndrome with an uncommon complication.

    PubMed

    Al-Sharydah, A M; Al-Abdulwahhab, A H; Abu AlOla, H A

    2018-05-03

    In patients with a hypercoagulable state, such as patients with pulmonary embolism and/or Budd-Chiari syndrome, the complications from multiple gene mutations are more numerous than those from a single mutation. The authors present a woman with no major prior medical history who presented with pulmonary embolism and Budd-Chiari syndrome; this enigmatic co-occurrence has never been solely reported without underlying aetiology in a patient without prior medical conditions. A 20-year-old female presented to the emergency room complaining of a sudden onset of acute epigastric abdominal pain lasting for approximately 2 h. The patient's liver enzymes were severely elevated. Computed tomography of her abdomen showed thrombosed hepatic veins as well as supra-hepatic and hepatic portions of the inferior vena cava. She was becoming progressively hypotensive despite supplying intravenous fluid. Consequently, the patient received a contrast chest CT, which revealed the presence of acute pulmonary embolism; to confirm the diagnosis of a perfusion abnormality with normal ventilation, a clear radiograph in that region was obtained, denoting a V/Q study mismatch. Many details regarding the enigmatic mechanism behind the appearance of such a thrombotic co-occurrence in our patient are unclear. Since the anticardiolipin antibody IgG and IgM serum levels were normal, blood eosinophil count was persistently normal, and no signs of autoimmune disease were found, the diagnosis of autoimmune disease in the case under discussion is unlikely. Adding pulmonary embolism to the list of complications associated with Budd-Chiari syndrome is highly suggested, regardless of having predisposing condition(s). Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Low ambient temperature during early postnatal development fails to cause a permanent induction of brown adipocytes

    PubMed Central

    Chabowska-Kita, Agnieszka; Trabczynska, Anna; Korytko, Agnieszka; Kaczmarek, Monika M.; Kozak, Leslie P.

    2015-01-01

    The brown adipocyte phenotype (BAP) in white adipose tissue (WAT) is transiently induced in adult mammals in response to reduced ambient temperature. Since it is unknown whether a cold challenge can permanently induce brown adipocytes (BAs), we reared C57BL/6J (B6) and AxB8/PgJ (AxB8) mice at 17 or 29°C from birth to weaning, to assess the BAP in young and adult mice. Energy balance measurements showed that 17°C reduced fat mass in the preweaning mice by increasing energy expenditure and suppressed diet-induced obesity in adults. Microarray analysis of global gene expression of inguinal fat (ING) from 10-day-old (D) mice indicates that expression at 17°C vs. 29°C was not different. Between 10 and 21 days of age, the BAP was induced coincident with morphologic remodeling of ING and marked changes in expression of neural development genes (e.g., Akap 12 and Ngfr). Analyses of Ucp1 mRNA and protein showed that 17°C transiently increased the BAP in ING from 21D mice; however, BAs were unexpectedly present in mice reared at 29°C. The involution of the BAP in WAT occurred after weaning in mice reared at 23°C. Therefore, the capacity to stimulate thermogenically competent BAs in WAT is set by a temperature-independent, genetically controlled program between birth and weaning.—Chabowska-Kita, A., Trabczynska, A., Korytko, A., Kaczmarek, M. M., Kozak, L. P. Low ambient temperature during early postnatal development fails to cause a permanent induction of brown adipocytes. PMID:25896784

  18. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant radiological impact assessment report, January-June 1988

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, B.E.

    1988-01-01

    Potential doses to maximum individuals and the population around Browns Ferry are calcuated for each quarter. Measured plant releases for the reporting period are used to estimate these doses. Dispersion of radioactive effluents in the environment is estimated in accordance with the guidance provided and measuring during the period. Using dose calculation methodologies which are described in detail in the Browns Ferry Offsite Dose Calculation Manual, the doses are calculated and used to determine compliance with the dose limits contained in Browns Ferry's Operating License. In this report, the doses resulting from releases are described and compared to quarterly andmore » annual limits established for Browns Ferry.« less

  19. Fermented Brown Rice Flour as Functional Food Ingredient.

    PubMed

    Ilowefah, Muna; Chinma, Chiemela; Bakar, Jamilah; Ghazali, Hasanah M; Muhammad, Kharidah; Makeri, Mohammad

    2014-02-12

    As fermentation could reduce the negative effects of bran on final cereal products, the utilization of whole-cereal flour is recommended, such as brown rice flour as a functional food ingredient. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of fermented brown rice flour on white rice flour, white rice batter and its steamed bread qualities. Brown rice batter was fermented using commercial baker's yeast (Eagle brand) according to the optimum conditions for moderate acidity (pH 5.5) to obtain fermented brown rice flour (FBRF). The FBRF was added to white rice flour at 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% levels to prepare steamed rice bread. Based on the sensory evaluation test, steamed rice bread containing 40% FBRF had the highest overall acceptability score. Thus, pasting properties of the composite rice flour, rheological properties of its batter, volume and texture properties of its steamed bread were determined. The results showed that peak viscosity of the rice flour containing 40% FBRF was significantly increased, whereas its breakdown, final viscosity and setback significantly decreased. Viscous, elastic and complex moduli of the batter having 40% FBRF were also significantly reduced. However, volume, specific volume, chewiness, resilience and cohesiveness of its steamed bread were significantly increased, while hardness and springiness significantly reduced in comparison to the control. These results established the effectiveness of yeast fermentation in reducing the detrimental effects of bran on the sensory properties of steamed white rice bread and encourage the usage of brown rice flour to enhance the quality of rice products.

  20. Parallax measurements of cool brown dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manjavacas, E.; Goldman, B.; Reffert, S.; Henning, T.

    2013-12-01

    Context. Accurate parallax measurements allow us to determine physical properties of brown dwarfs and help us constrain evolutionary and atmospheric models, break age-mass degeneracy, and reveal unresolved binaries. Aims: We measured absolute trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of six cool brown dwarfs using background galaxies to establish an absolute reference frame. We derive the absolute J-band magnitude. The six T brown dwarfs in our sample have spectral types between T2.5 and T8 and magnitudes between 13.9 and 18.0 in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) with photometric distances below 25 pc. Methods: The observations were taken in the J-band with the Omega-2000 camera on the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto during a time period of 27 months between March 2011 and June 2013. The number of epochs varied between 11 and 12 depending on the object. The reduction of the astrometric measurements was carried out with respect to the field stars. The relative parallax and proper motions were transformed into absolute measurements using the background galaxies in our fields. Results: We obtained absolute parallaxes for our six brown dwarfs with a precision between 3 and 6 mas. We compared our results in a color-magnitude diagram with other brown dwarfs with determined parallax and with the BT-Settl 2012 atmospheric models. For four of the six targets, we found a good agreement in luminosity with objects of similar spectral types. We obtained an improved accuracy in the parallaxes and proper motions in comparison to previous works. The object 2MASS J11061197+2754225 is more than 1 mag overluminous in all bands, which point to binarity or high order multiplicity. Based on observations taken with Omega-2000 at the 3.5 m telescope at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated by the Max Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  1. Parallaxes for the Coldest Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dupuy, Trent; Kraus, Adam; Liu, Michael

    2014-12-01

    Understanding extremely cool atmospheres is a major goal of both brown dwarf and exoplanet studies. The WISE all-sky survey has uncovered the coolest brown dwarfs to date including the first unambiguous Y dwarfs. These discoveries are spectroscopically estimated to have temperatures of ~300-500 K and masses of ~5-20 Mjup, overlapping discoveries from radial velocity exoplanet surveys. However, direct distances are needed to determine model-independent temperatures and to test the observed properties against theoretical models in this new physical frontier. From our Cycle 8 program, we have successfully measured the first robust parallaxes for these extremely low-luminosity objects using Spitzer [3.6]-band astrometry, made possible with our improved distortion solution for IRAC. Our results, comprising less than half the currently known late-T/Y census, have uncovered a number of puzzles. Perhaps the most intriguing is the possibility that the observed near-IR spectral types and spectral energy distributions do not follow a simple correspondence with temperature, in contrast to all other (hotter) substellar and stellar objects. We propose here to obtain definitive parallaxes and temperatures to the ~2 dozen known coldest brown dwarfs. For our Cycle 8 sample, these new data will double the time baseline, leading to major improvements over our preliminary results. We will also double the total sample with parallaxes for more recent discoveries. Altogether, our work will establish the temperature scale as a function of spectral type, delineate the cooling (and intrinsic scatter) through the T/Y transition, and enable strong test of theoretical models for these coldest brown dwarfs, which are ~100x fainter than previously known objects at near-IR wavelengths.

  2. STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, MS Brown juggles food containers on middeck

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1989-01-01

    At open middeck stowage locker MF14G single tray assembly, Mission Specialist (MS) Mark N. Brown removes food containers during meal preparation activities. Fellow crewmember MS James C. Adamson looks on as food and beverage containers, cans, and bags freefloat in front of Brown and above the open locker. At Brown's left along the port side wall are the side hatch, galley, and control panel ML86B. Brown is wearing a t-shirt and light blue constant wear garment with notepad strapped above his knee.

  3. The brown adipocyte differentiation pathway in birds: An evolutionary road not taken

    PubMed Central

    Mezentseva, Nadejda V; Kumaratilake, Jaliya S; Newman, Stuart A

    2008-01-01

    Background Thermogenic brown adipose tissue has never been described in birds or other non-mammalian vertebrates. Brown adipocytes in mammals are distinguished from the more common white fat adipocytes by having numerous small lipid droplets rather than a single large one, elevated numbers of mitochondria, and mitochondrial expression of the nuclear gene UCP1, the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis. Results We have identified in vitro inductive conditions in which mesenchymal cells isolated from the embryonic chicken limb bud differentiate into avian brown adipocyte-like cells (ABALCs) with the morphological and many of the biochemical properties of terminally differentiated brown adipocytes. Avian, and as we show here, lizard species lack the gene for UCP1, although it is present in amphibian and fish species. While ABALCs are therefore not functional brown adipocytes, they are generated by a developmental pathway virtually identical to brown fat differentiation in mammals: both the common adipogenic transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), and a coactivator of that factor specific to brown fat differentiation in mammals, PGC1α, are elevated in expression, as are mitochondrial volume and DNA. Furthermore, ABALCs induction resulted in strong transcription from a transfected mouse UCP1 promoter. Conclusion These findings strongly suggest that the brown fat differentiation pathway evolved in a common ancestor of birds and mammals and its thermogenicity was lost in the avian lineage, with the degradation of UCP1, after it separated from the mammalian lineage. Since this event occurred no later than the saurian ancestor of birds and lizards, an implication of this is that dinosaurs had neither UCP1 nor canonically thermogenic brown fat. PMID:18426587

  4. Deep search for companions to probable young brown dwarfs. VLT/NACO adaptive optics imaging using IR wavefront sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chauvin, G.; Faherty, J.; Boccaletti, A.; Cruz, K.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Zuckerman, B.; Bessell, M. S.; Beuzit, J.-L.; Bonnefoy, M.; Dumas, C.; Lowrance, P.; Mouillet, D.; Song, I.

    2012-12-01

    Aims: We have obtained high contrast images of four nearby, faint, and very low mass objects 2MASS J04351455-1414468, SDSS J044337.61+000205.1, 2MASS J06085283-2753583 and 2MASS J06524851-5741376 (hereafter 2MASS0435-14, SDSS0443+00, 2MASS0608-27 and 2MASS0652-57), identified in the field as probable isolated young brown dwarfs. Our goal was to search for binary companions down to the planetary mass regime. Methods: We used the NAOS-CONICA adaptive optics instrument (NACO) and its unique capability to sense the wavefront in the near-infrared to acquire sharp images of the four systems in Ks, with a field of view of 28'' × 28''. Additional J and L' imaging and follow-up observations at a second epoch were obtained for 2MASS0652-57. Results: With a typical contrast ΔKs = 4.0-7.0 mag, our observations are sensitive down to the planetary mass regime considering a minimum age of 10 to 120 Myr for these systems. No additional point sources are detected in the environment of 2MASS0435-14, SDSS0443+00 and 2MASS0608-27 between 0.1-12'' (i.e. about 2 to 250 AU at 20 pc). 2MASS0652-57 is resolved as a ~230 mas binary. Follow-up observations reject a background contaminate, resolve the orbital motion of the pair, and confirm with high confidence that the system is physically bound. The J, Ks and L' photometry suggest a q ~ 0.7-0.8 mass ratio binary with a probable semi-major axis of 5-6 AU. Among the four systems, 2MASS0652-57 is probably the less constrained in terms of age determination. Further analysis would be necessary to confirm its youth. It would then be interesting to determine its orbital and physical properties to derive the system's dynamical mass and to test evolutionary model predictions. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile (ESO programmes 076.C-0554(A), 076.C-0554(B) and 085.C-0257(A).

  5. 37 NEW T-TYPE BROWN DWARFS IN THE CANADA-FRANCE BROWN DWARFS SURVEY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Albert, Loic; Artigau, Etienne; Delorme, Philippe

    2011-06-15

    The Canada-France Brown Dwarfs Survey is an i'- and z'-band survey realized with MegaCam at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope that covers a surface area of 780 deg{sup 2}. Image analysis is now completed while J-band follow-up campaigns are {approx}90% done. The survey identified about 70 T dwarf candidates, of which 43 now have near-infrared spectra obtained with NIRI and GNIRS at Gemini and ISAAC at the Very Large Telescope. Six of these were previously published and we present here the 37 new discoveries, all T dwarfs. They range from T0 to T8.5 with four being of type T7 or later. Bothmore » newly identified T8 dwarfs are possibly high log (g) massive brown dwarfs of thin disk age. One T4.5 dwarf shows signs of sub-metallicity. We present proper motions and near-infrared photometry, and discuss about the most peculiar/interesting objects in some details.« less

  6. Role of Reactive Carbonyl Species in non-enzymatic browning of apple juice during storage.

    PubMed

    Paravisini, Laurianne; Peterson, Devin G

    2018-04-15

    Non-enzymatic browning during storage of fruit juice causes the development of brown color and off-flavors that ultimately lead to a decrease in consumer acceptability. This study investigates the role of Reactive Carbonyl Species (RCS) from the Maillard reaction on browning formation in apple juice during storage. Over a 10-week period under accelerated conditions (35 °C), a significant increase in brown color development was observed and positively correlated to the RCS concentrations. Supplementation experiments established causality between specific RCS and browning and allowed for the identification of glyoxal and methylglyoxal as key browning intermediates in apple juice. Finally, phloretin, a ubiquitous apple dihydrochalcone, was reported as an efficient browning suppressor by significantly reducing the RCS levels and inhibiting the color formation during storage. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Integrated Circuitry: Catharine Brown across Gender, Race, and Religion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Joshua B.

    2006-01-01

    This article talks about a Cherokee woman named Catharine Brown who was converted to Christianity by missionaries, as well as historical and theoretical contexts regarding the Cherokee. The author presents views from critics, such as Theda Perdue, Carolyn Ross Johnston, and Arnold Krupat, on Catharine Brown's experiences across spheres such as…

  8. Brown CA et al 2016 Dataset

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This dataset contains the research described in the following publication:Brown, C.A., D. Sharp, and T. Mochon Collura. 2016. Effect of Climate Change on Water Temperature and Attainment of Water Temperature Criteria in the Yaquina Estuary, Oregon (USA). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 169:136-146, doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2015.11.006.This dataset is associated with the following publication:Brown , C., D. Sharp, and T. MochonCollura. Effect of Climate Change on Water Temperature and Attainment of Water Temperature Criteria in the Yaquina Estuary, Oregon (USA). ESTUARINE, COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 169: 136-146, (2016).

  9. Brown trout in the Lees Ferry reach of the Colorado River—Evaluation of causal hypotheses and potential interventions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Runge, Michael C.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Bair, Lucas S.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Valdez, Richard A.; Ellsworth, Craig; Kershner, Jeffrey L.; Rogers, R. Scott; Trammell, Melissa A.; Young, Kirk L.

    2018-04-17

    model, and without any changes to management, we predict there is a 36-percent chance the brown trout population at Lees Ferry will not show sustained growth, and will remain around a mean size of 5,800 adults, near its current size; in contrast, we predict there is a 64-percent chance that the population has a positive intrinsic growth rate and will increase 3–10 fold over the next 20 years. A humpback chub population model linked to the brown trout model suggests an increase of brown trout of this magnitude could lead to declines in the minimum adult humpback chub population over the same time period. Forecasts of rainbow trout abundance, however, suggest that increased abundance of brown trout in the Lees Ferry reach does not pose a threat to the rainbow trout fishery there. There are interventions that may be effective in moderating the growth of the brown trout population in the Lees Ferry reach of the Colorado River. Across causal hypotheses, we predict that removal strategies (for example, a concerted electrofishing effort or an incentivized take program targeted at large brown trout) could reduce brown trout abundance by approximately 50 percent relative to status quo management. Reductions in the frequency or a change in the seasonal timing of high-flow releases from Glen Canyon Dam could be even more effective, but only under the causal hypotheses that involve effects of such releases on immigration or reproduction. Brown trout management flows— dam releases designed to strand young fish at a vulnerable stage—may be able to reduce brown trout abundance to some degree, but are not forecast to be the most effective strategy under any causal hypothesis. We predict that the alternative management interventions would have effects on other resource goals as well, and the pattern of these effects differs across causal hypotheses. The removal strategies would incur direct costs (on the order of $7 million over 20 years) and the mechanical removal strategy is

  10. Behaviour of Solitary Adult Scandinavian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) when Approached by Humans on Foot

    PubMed Central

    Moen, Gro Kvelprud; Støen, Ole-Gunnar; Sahlén, Veronica; Swenson, Jon E.

    2012-01-01

    Successful management has brought the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) back from the brink of extinction, but as the population grows and expands the probability of bear-human encounters increases. More people express concerns about spending time in the forest, because of the possibility of encountering bears, and acceptance for the bear is decreasing. In this context, reliable information about the bear's normal behaviour during bear-human encounters is important. Here we describe the behaviour of brown bears when encountering humans on foot. During 2006–2009, we approached 30 adult (21 females, 9 males) GPS-collared bears 169 times during midday, using 1-minute positioning before, during and after the approach. Observer movements were registered with a handheld GPS. The approaches started 869±348 m from the bears, with the wind towards the bear when passing it at approximately 50 m. The bears were detected in 15% of the approaches, and none of the bears displayed any aggressive behaviour. Most bears (80%) left the initial site during the approach, going away from the observers, whereas some remained at the initial site after being approached (20%). Young bears left more often than older bears, possibly due to differences in experience, but the difference between ages decreased during the berry season compared to the pre-berry season. The flight initiation distance was longer for active bears (115±94 m) than passive bears (69±47 m), and was further affected by horizontal vegetation cover and the bear's age. Our findings show that bears try to avoid confrontations with humans on foot, and support the conclusions of earlier studies that the Scandinavian brown bear is normally not aggressive during encounters with humans. PMID:22363710

  11. Boron uptake, localization, and speciation in marine brown algae.

    PubMed

    Miller, Eric P; Wu, Youxian; Carrano, Carl J

    2016-02-01

    In contrast to the generally boron-poor terrestrial environment, the concentration of boron in the marine environment is relatively high (0.4 mM) and while there has been extensive interest in its use as a surrogate of pH in paleoclimate studies in the context of climate change-related questions, the relatively depth independent, and the generally non-nutrient-like concentration profile of this element have led to boron being neglected as a potentially biologically relevant element in the ocean. Among the marine plant-like organisms the brown algae (Phaeophyta) are one of only five lineages of photosynthetic eukaryotes to have evolved complex multicellularity. Many of unusual and often unique features of brown algae are attributable to this singular evolutionary history. These adaptations are a reflection of the marine coastal environment which brown algae dominate in terms of biomass. Consequently, brown algae are of fundamental importance to oceanic ecology, geochemistry, and coastal industry. Our results indicate that boron is taken up by a facilitated diffusion mechanism against a considerable concentration gradient. Furthermore, in both Ectocarpus and Macrocystis some boron is most likely bound to cell wall constituent alginate and the photoassimilate mannitol located in sieve cells. Herein, we describe boron uptake, speciation, localization and possible biological function in two species of brown algae, Macrocystis pyrifera and Ectocarpus siliculosus.

  12. Current status of brown bears in the Manasalu Conservation Area, Nepal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Aryal, Achyut; Sathyakumar, S.; Schwartz, Charles C.

    2010-01-01

    Although brown bears (Ursus arctos) are rare in the Himalayan region, populations have been documented in alpine habitats of Pakistan and India. Brown bears were once known to exist in both Nepal and Bhutan, but current information on their numbers and distributions was lacking. We document the presence of brown bears in the Manasalu Conservation Area (MCA) in Nepal using field surveys and interviews with local people. We were able to confirm the existence of a remnant population based on finding bear scat and locations where bears excavated for Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana). Based on interviews with local people, it appeared that the presence of brown bears in the area is relatively recent and likely a result of immigration of bears from the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Interviews with local herders also indicated that livestock losses from brown bear predation amounted to approximately 318,000 Nepali rupees (US $4,240) from February 2006 through July 2008.

  13. "Brown's" Far Reaching Impact

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chinn, Philip C.

    2004-01-01

    Although the 1954 "Brown v. Board of Education" U.S. Supreme Court decision changed the face of American education forever, few individuals at that time could have fully realized its far-reaching implications. Certainly, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Director Thurgood Marshall in his arguments was…

  14. Thirty Years After Brown.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hochschild, Jennifer L.

    Although many school districts and classrooms have desegregated since the 1954 Brown decision, desegregation is neither complete nor uniform. Moreover, racial isolation is growing in some regions and cities, and new forms of separation are arising within desegregated schools. New desegregation strategies and policies are needed, but these will be…

  15. Systemic control of brown fat thermogenesis: integration of peripheral and central signals.

    PubMed

    Schulz, Tim J; Tseng, Yu-Hua

    2013-10-01

    Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is of great scientific interest as a potential target to treat obesity. The development of novel strategies to quantify brown fat thermogenesis in adult humans now enables minimally invasive assessment of novel pharmacotherapeutics. Input from the central nervous system via sympathetic efferents is widely regarded as the key controller of BAT-mediated thermogenesis in response to changes in body temperature or nutrient availability. More recently, however, it has become clear that locally secreted signals and endocrine factors originating from multiple organs can control the recruitment of brown adipocytes and, more importantly, induce thermogenesis in brown fat. Thus, they provide an attractive strategy to fine-tune brown fat thermogenesis independent of classical temperature sensing. Here, we summarize recent findings on bone morphogenetic protein signaling as an example of secreted factors in the regulation of brown adipocyte formation and systemic control of energy metabolism. We further highlight endocrine communication routes between the different types of brown adipocytes and other organs that contribute to regulation of thermogenesis. Thus, emerging evidence suggests that the classical mechanisms of central temperature sensing and sympathetic nervous system-driven thermogenesis are complemented by local and endocrine signals to determine systemic energy homeostasis. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

  16. The Burden of Brown. Thirty Years of School Desegregation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolters, Raymond

    The Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs. Board of Education is one of the most important events in the recent history of the United States. Although "Brown" prohibited the use of racial discrimination to separate the races in the Topeka (Kansas) schools, similar cases from Delaware, South Carolina, and Virginia were consolidated on…

  17. The Road to Brown, Its Leaders, and the Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Frank

    2004-01-01

    The 50th anniversary of the historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Brown v. Board of Education" provides an opportunity to trace the origin of "Brown" and the long journey by African Americans to achieve quality elementary and secondary education in this country. This journey began with passage of the Fourteenth…

  18. Improvement Effect of Dewaxed Brown Rice on Constipation in Antibiotic-treated Mice

    PubMed Central

    INAGAWA, HIROYUKI; SAIKA, TOSHIYUKI; NISHIYAMA, NAOKI; NISIZAWA, TAKASHI; KOHCHI, CHIE; UENOBE, MAYA; SOMA, GEN-ICHIRO

    2017-01-01

    Background/Aim: A decrease in gastrointestinal motility causing weakened lipopolysaccharide (LPS) – toll-like receptor (TLR)4 signaling along with a decline in the number of enteric bacteria is known to be a cause of constipation due to the administration of antibiotics. A new type of brown rice with its wax layer removed, resulting in quick-cooking and tasty product, contains 100-times more LPS than polished white rice. In this study, the improvement effect on constipation due to intake of dewaxed brown rice was examined. Materials and Methods: Dewaxed brown rice was prepared at Toyo Rice from brown rice. Mice were given powdered feed to which powdered rice containing 0-50% of dewaxed brown rice was added. Antibiotics were administered for 10 or 27 days in drinking water containing vancomycin, metronidazole and neomycin. LPS, used as a control, was freely provided in drinking water. The defecation frequency, stool weight per hour and body weight were determined on the last day. Results: Although the 10-day administration of antibiotics reduced the stool weight per hour to half, the dewaxed brown rice and LPS groups showed a trend towards improvement at a level comparable to the group receiving no antibiotics. The body weight significantly decreased after the 27-day administration of antibiotics but was improved in the 50% dewaxed brown rice group at a level comparable to the group receiving no antibiotics. Though the defecation frequency and wet and dry stool weights per hour were reduced by as much as 50% in the group receiving antibiotics, a significant improvement in constipation was observed in the 50% dewaxed brown rice group. Conclusion: As the improvement effect of dewaxed brown rice on body weight loss and constipation caused by the long-term administration of antibiotics has been confirmed in animal experimentation, the introduction of dewaxed brown rice as a staple food to patients under long-term antibiotic treatment may improve constipation. PMID

  19. Improvement Effect of Dewaxed Brown Rice on Constipation in Antibiotic-treated Mice.

    PubMed

    Inagawa, Hiroyuki; Saika, Toshiyuki; Nishiyama, Naoki; Nisizawa, Takashi; Kohchi, Chie; Uenobe, Maya; Soma, Gen-Ichiro

    2017-01-01

    A decrease in gastrointestinal motility causing weakened lipopolysaccharide (LPS) - toll-like receptor (TLR)4 signaling along with a decline in the number of enteric bacteria is known to be a cause of constipation due to the administration of antibiotics. A new type of brown rice with its wax layer removed, resulting in quick-cooking and tasty product, contains 100-times more LPS than polished white rice. In this study, the improvement effect on constipation due to intake of dewaxed brown rice was examined. Dewaxed brown rice was prepared at Toyo Rice from brown rice. Mice were given powdered feed to which powdered rice containing 0-50% of dewaxed brown rice was added. Antibiotics were administered for 10 or 27 days in drinking water containing vancomycin, metronidazole and neomycin. LPS, used as a control, was freely provided in drinking water. The defecation frequency, stool weight per hour and body weight were determined on the last day. Although the 10-day administration of antibiotics reduced the stool weight per hour to half, the dewaxed brown rice and LPS groups showed a trend towards improvement at a level comparable to the group receiving no antibiotics. The body weight significantly decreased after the 27-day administration of antibiotics but was improved in the 50% dewaxed brown rice group at a level comparable to the group receiving no antibiotics. Though the defecation frequency and wet and dry stool weights per hour were reduced by as much as 50% in the group receiving antibiotics, a significant improvement in constipation was observed in the 50% dewaxed brown rice group. As the improvement effect of dewaxed brown rice on body weight loss and constipation caused by the long-term administration of antibiotics has been confirmed in animal experimentation, the introduction of dewaxed brown rice as a staple food to patients under long-term antibiotic treatment may improve constipation. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr

  20. Search for Wide Planetary-Mass Companions in Young Star-Forming Regions with UKIDSS and Pan-STARRS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aller, Kimberly M.; Kraus, A. L.; Liu, M. C.; Bowler, B. P.

    2013-01-01

    Over the past decade, planetary-mass (<15 MJup) companions have been discovered in very wide orbits (>100 AU) around young stars. It is unclear whether these objects formed like planets or like stars. If these are planets, then modifications to core accretion or disk instability models are needed to allow formation at such wide orbits, or planet scattering must be an important mechanism. On the other hand, if these objects formed like stars, we need to understand the frequency of these extremely low mass ratio binary companions which challenge brown dwarf formation models. Regardless of their origins, these wide companions are easier to observe than close-in planets and can be used as benchmarks to understand the properties of young planets. We have combined optical and NIR photometry from UKIDSS and Pan-STARRS-1 to search the young star-forming region of Upper Scorpius and Taurus for new planetary-mass objects, going ≈3 mag deeper than previous work with 2MASS. We identified several candidates with very wide separations (≈400-4000 AU) from known members using a combination of color selection and spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to templates of known low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. Furthermore, we have obtained followup NIR spectra of several Upper Scorpius candidates to spectroscopically identify three new wide very low-mass companions (≈15-25 MJup spectral type of M8-L0).

  1. Intravitreally Injected Anti-VEGF Antibody Reduces Brown Fat in Neonatal Mice.

    PubMed

    Jo, Dong Hyun; Park, Sung Wook; Cho, Chang Sik; Powner, Michael B; Kim, Jin Hyoung; Fruttiger, Marcus; Kim, Jeong Hun

    2015-01-01

    Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents are the mainstay treatment for various angiogenesis-related retinal diseases. Currently, bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized anti-VEGF antibody, is trailed in retinopathy of prematurity, a vasoproliferative retinal disorder in premature infants. However, the risks of systemic complications after intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF antibody in infants are not well understood. In this study, we show that intravitreally injected anti-VEGF antibody is transported into the systemic circulation into the periphery where it reduces brown fat in neonatal C57BL/6 mice. A considerable amount of anti-VEGF antibody was detected in serum after intravitreal injection. Furthermore, in interscapular brown adipose tissue, we found lipid droplet accumulation, decreased VEGF levels, loss of vascular network, and decreased expression of mitochondria-related genes, Ppargc1a and Ucp1, all of which are characteristics of "whitening" of brown fat. With increasing age and body weight, brown fat restored its morphology and vascularity. Our results show that there is a transient, but significant impact of intravitreally administered anti-VEGF antibody on brown adipose tissue in neonatal mice. We suggest that more attention should be focused on the metabolic and developmental significance of brown adipose tissue in bevacizumab treated retinopathy of prematurity infants.

  2. Intravitreally Injected Anti-VEGF Antibody Reduces Brown Fat in Neonatal Mice

    PubMed Central

    Powner, Michael B.; Kim, Jin Hyoung; Fruttiger, Marcus; Kim, Jeong Hun

    2015-01-01

    Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents are the mainstay treatment for various angiogenesis-related retinal diseases. Currently, bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized anti-VEGF antibody, is trailed in retinopathy of prematurity, a vasoproliferative retinal disorder in premature infants. However, the risks of systemic complications after intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF antibody in infants are not well understood. In this study, we show that intravitreally injected anti-VEGF antibody is transported into the systemic circulation into the periphery where it reduces brown fat in neonatal C57BL/6 mice. A considerable amount of anti-VEGF antibody was detected in serum after intravitreal injection. Furthermore, in interscapular brown adipose tissue, we found lipid droplet accumulation, decreased VEGF levels, loss of vascular network, and decreased expression of mitochondria-related genes, Ppargc1a and Ucp1, all of which are characteristics of “whitening” of brown fat. With increasing age and body weight, brown fat restored its morphology and vascularity. Our results show that there is a transient, but significant impact of intravitreally administered anti-VEGF antibody on brown adipose tissue in neonatal mice. We suggest that more attention should be focused on the metabolic and developmental significance of brown adipose tissue in bevacizumab treated retinopathy of prematurity infants. PMID:26226015

  3. Genome-wide transcriptome and expression profile analysis of Phalaenopsis during explant browning.

    PubMed

    Xu, Chuanjun; Zeng, Biyu; Huang, Junmei; Huang, Wen; Liu, Yumei

    2015-01-01

    Explant browning presents a major problem for in vitro culture, and can lead to the death of the explant and failure of regeneration. Considerable work has examined the physiological mechanisms underlying Phalaenopsis leaf explant browning, but the molecular mechanisms of browning remain elusive. In this study, we used whole genome RNA sequencing to examine Phalaenopsis leaf explant browning at genome-wide level. We first used Illumina high-throughput technology to sequence the transcriptome of Phalaenopsis and then performed de novo transcriptome assembly. We assembled 79,434,350 clean reads into 31,708 isogenes and generated 26,565 annotated unigenes. We assigned Gene Ontology (GO) terms, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations, and potential Pfam domains to each transcript. Using the transcriptome data as a reference, we next analyzed the differential gene expression of explants cultured for 0, 3, and 6 d, respectively. We then identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) before and after Phalaenopsis explant browning. We also performed GO, KEGG functional enrichment and Pfam analysis of all DEGs. Finally, we selected 11 genes for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis to confirm the expression profile analysis. Here, we report the first comprehensive analysis of transcriptome and expression profiles during Phalaenopsis explant browning. Our results suggest that Phalaenopsis explant browning may be due in part to gene expression changes that affect the secondary metabolism, such as: phenylpropanoid pathway and flavonoid biosynthesis. Genes involved in photosynthesis and ATPase activity have been found to be changed at transcription level; these changes may perturb energy metabolism and thus lead to the decay of plant cells and tissues. This study provides comprehensive gene expression data for Phalaenopsis browning. Our data constitute an important resource for further functional studies to prevent explant browning.

  4. Genome-Wide Transcriptome and Expression Profile Analysis of Phalaenopsis during Explant Browning

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Chuanjun; Zeng, Biyu; Huang, Junmei; Huang, Wen; Liu, Yumei

    2015-01-01

    Background Explant browning presents a major problem for in vitro culture, and can lead to the death of the explant and failure of regeneration. Considerable work has examined the physiological mechanisms underlying Phalaenopsis leaf explant browning, but the molecular mechanisms of browning remain elusive. In this study, we used whole genome RNA sequencing to examine Phalaenopsis leaf explant browning at genome-wide level. Methodology/Principal Findings We first used Illumina high-throughput technology to sequence the transcriptome of Phalaenopsis and then performed de novo transcriptome assembly. We assembled 79,434,350 clean reads into 31,708 isogenes and generated 26,565 annotated unigenes. We assigned Gene Ontology (GO) terms, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations, and potential Pfam domains to each transcript. Using the transcriptome data as a reference, we next analyzed the differential gene expression of explants cultured for 0, 3, and 6 d, respectively. We then identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) before and after Phalaenopsis explant browning. We also performed GO, KEGG functional enrichment and Pfam analysis of all DEGs. Finally, we selected 11 genes for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis to confirm the expression profile analysis. Conclusions/Significance Here, we report the first comprehensive analysis of transcriptome and expression profiles during Phalaenopsis explant browning. Our results suggest that Phalaenopsis explant browning may be due in part to gene expression changes that affect the secondary metabolism, such as: phenylpropanoid pathway and flavonoid biosynthesis. Genes involved in photosynthesis and ATPase activity have been found to be changed at transcription level; these changes may perturb energy metabolism and thus lead to the decay of plant cells and tissues. This study provides comprehensive gene expression data for Phalaenopsis browning. Our data constitute an important resource for further

  5. A genome-wide perspective on the evolutionary history of enigmatic wolf-like canids

    PubMed Central

    vonHoldt, Bridgett M.; Pollinger, John P.; Earl, Dent A.; Knowles, James C.; Boyko, Adam R.; Parker, Heidi; Geffen, Eli; Pilot, Malgorzata; Jedrzejewski, Wlodzimierz; Jedrzejewska, Bogumila; Sidorovich, Vadim; Greco, Claudia; Randi, Ettore; Musiani, Marco; Kays, Roland; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Ostrander, Elaine A.; Novembre, John; Wayne, Robert K.

    2011-01-01

    High-throughput genotyping technologies developed for model species can potentially increase the resolution of demographic history and ancestry in wild relatives. We use a SNP genotyping microarray developed for the domestic dog to assay variation in over 48K loci in wolf-like species worldwide. Despite the high mobility of these large carnivores, we find distinct hierarchical population units within gray wolves and coyotes that correspond with geographic and ecologic differences among populations. Further, we test controversial theories about the ancestry of the Great Lakes wolf and red wolf using an analysis of haplotype blocks across all 38 canid autosomes. We find that these enigmatic canids are highly admixed varieties derived from gray wolves and coyotes, respectively. This divergent genomic history suggests that they do not have a shared recent ancestry as proposed by previous researchers. Interspecific hybridization, as well as the process of evolutionary divergence, may be responsible for the observed phenotypic distinction of both forms. Such admixture complicates decisions regarding endangered species restoration and protection. PMID:21566151

  6. Planets around Low-mass Stars (PALMS). I. A Substellar Companion to the Young M Dwarf 1RXS J235133.3+312720

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, Michael C.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Cieza, Lucas A.; Kraus, Adam L.; Tamura, Motohide

    2012-07-01

    We report the discovery of a brown dwarf companion to the young M dwarf 1RXS J235133.3+312720 as part of a high contrast imaging search for planets around nearby young low-mass stars with Keck-II/NIRC2 and Subaru/HiCIAO. The 2farcs4 (~120 AU) pair is confirmed to be comoving from two epochs of high-resolution imaging. Follow-up low- and moderate-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of 1RXS J2351+3127 B with IRTF/SpeX and Keck-II/OSIRIS reveals a spectral type of L0+2 -1. The M2 primary star 1RXS J2351+3127 A exhibits X-ray and UV activity levels comparable to young moving group members with ages of ~10-100 Myr. UVW kinematics based the measured radial velocity of the primary and the system's photometric distance (50 ± 10 pc) indicate it is likely a member of the ~50-150 Myr AB Dor moving group. The near-infrared spectrum of 1RXS J2351+3127 B does not exhibit obvious signs of youth, but its H-band morphology shows subtle hints of intermediate surface gravity. The spectrum is also an excellent match to the ~200 Myr M9 brown dwarf LP 944-20. Assuming an age of 50-150 Myr, evolutionary models imply a mass of 32 ± 6 M Jup for the companion, making 1RXS J2351+3127 B the second lowest-mass member of the AB Dor moving group after the L4 companion CD-35 2722 B and one of the few benchmark brown dwarfs known at young ages. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

  7. Kinetics of browning and correlations between browning degree and pyrazine compounds in l-ascorbic acid/acidic amino acid model systems.

    PubMed

    Yu, Ai-Nong; Zhou, Yong-Yan; Yang, Yi-Ni

    2017-04-15

    The kinetics of browning and the correlation between browning products (BPs) and pyrazine compounds were investigated by heating equimolar l-ascorbic acid (ASA)/acidic amino acids under weak alkaline conditions at 120-150°C for 10-120min. The formations of BPs and pyrazine compounds from the reaction were monitored by UV-vis and SPME-GC-FID, respectively. The formation of BPs in both ASA/l-glutamic acid and ASA/l-aspartic acid model reaction systems followed zero order reaction kinetics with activation energies (E a ) of 90.13 and 93.38kJ/mol, respectively. ASA/l-aspartic acid browned at a slightly higher rate than ASA/l-glutamic acid. The total concentration of pyrazine compounds was highly and positively correlated with that of BPs. Based on the observed kinetic data, the formation mechanisms of BPs and pyrazine compounds were proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Swertiajaponin as an anti-browning and antioxidant flavonoid.

    PubMed

    Moon, Kyoung Mi; Lee, Bonggi; Cho, Won-Kyung; Lee, Bong-Seon; Kim, Choon Young; Ma, Jin Yeul

    2018-06-30

    Enzymatic browning is a major issue that needs to be solved in the food industry. Although swertiajaponin is a flavonoid rich in the whole herb of Swertia japonica that has been clinically used, its biological functions and applicat​ion in the foods have not been fully elucidated. Here, we showed that swertiajaponin efficiently blocked enzymatic browning in potatoes possibly by direct binding to and inactivating polyphenol oxidase. Furthermore, swertiajaponin showed potent antioxidant activity proven by markedly suppressed reactive oxygen species. Swertiajaponin significantly increased antioxidant properties of potato extract when it is added since it additively elevated total flavonoid content. Considering numerous beneficial effects of antioxidants, swertiajaponin may be used as a functional food additive to suppress enzymatic browning and elevate the antioxidant capacity of foods including beverages and soups by fortification of flavonoids. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Deep near-infrared adaptive-optics observations of a young embedded cluster at the edge of the RCW 41 H II region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neichel, B.; Samal, M. R.; Plana, H.; Zavagno, A.; Bernard, A.; Fusco, T.

    2015-04-01

    Aims: We investigate the star formation activity in a young star forming cluster embedded at the edge of the RCW 41 H ii region. As a complementary goal, we aim to demonstrate the gain provided by wide-field adaptive optics (WFAO) instruments to study young clusters. Methods: We used deep, JHKs images from the newly commissioned Gemini-GeMS/GSAOI instrument, complemented with Spitzer IRAC observations, in order to study the photometric properties of the young stellar cluster. GeMS is a WFAO instrument that delivers almost diffraction-limited images over a field of ~2' across. The exquisite angular resolution allows us to reach a limiting magnitude of J ~ 22 for 98% completeness. The combination of the IRAC photometry with our JHKs catalog is used to build color-color diagrams, and select young stellar object (YSO) candidates. The JHKs photometry is also used in conjunction with pre-main sequence evolutionary models to infer masses and ages. The K-band luminosity function is derived, and then used to build the initial mass function (IMF) of the cluster. Results: We detect the presence of 80 YSO candidates. Those YSOs are used to infer the cluster age, which is found to be in the range 1 to 5 Myr. More precisely, we find that 1/3 of the YSOs are in a range between 3 to 5 Myr, while 2/3 of the YSO are ≤3 Myr. When looking at the spatial distribution of these two populations, we find evidence of a potential age gradient across the field that suggests sequential star formation. We construct the IMF and show that we can sample the mass distribution well into the brown dwarf regime (down to ~0.01 M⊙). The logarithmic mass function rises to peak at ~0.3 M⊙, before turning over and declining into the brown dwarf regime. The total cluster mass derived is estimated to be 78 ± 18 M⊙, while the ratio derived of brown dwarfs to star is 18 ± 5%. When comparing it with other young clusters, we find that the IMF shape of the young cluster embedded within RCW 41 is

  10. Molecular selectivity of brown carbon chromophores.

    PubMed

    Laskin, Julia; Laskin, Alexander; Nizkorodov, Sergey A; Roach, Patrick; Eckert, Peter; Gilles, Mary K; Wang, Bingbing; Lee, Hyun Ji Julie; Hu, Qichi

    2014-10-21

    Complementary methods of high-resolution mass spectrometry and microspectroscopy were utilized for molecular analysis of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generated from ozonolysis of two structural monoterpene isomers: D-limonene SOA (LSOA) and α-pinene SOA (PSOA). The LSOA compounds readily formed adducts with Na(+) under electrospray ionization conditions, with only a small fraction of compounds detected in the protonated form. In contrast, a significant fraction of PSOA compounds appeared in the protonated form because of their increased molecular rigidity. Laboratory simulated aging of LSOA and PSOA, through conversion of carbonyls into imines mediated by NH3 vapors in humid air, resulted in selective browning of the LSOA sample, while the PSOA sample remained white. Comparative analysis of the reaction products in the aged LSOA and PSOA samples provided insights into chemistry relevant to formation of brown carbon chromophores. A significant fraction of carbonyl-imine conversion products with identical molecular formulas was detected in both samples. This reflects the high level of similarity in the molecular composition of these two closely related SOA materials. Several highly conjugated products were detected exclusively in the brown LSOA sample and were identified as potential chromophores responsible for the observed color change. The majority of the unique products in the aged LSOA sample with the highest number of double bonds contain two nitrogen atoms. We conclude that chromophores characteristic of the carbonyl-imine chemistry in LSOA are highly conjugated oligomers of secondary imines (Schiff bases) present at relatively low concentrations. Formation of this type of conjugated compounds in PSOA is hindered by the structural rigidity of the α-pinene oxidation products. Our results suggest that the overall light-absorbing properties of SOA may be determined by trace amounts of strong brown carbon chromophores.

  11. A Very Cool Pair of Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2011-03-01

    Observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, along with two other telescopes, have shown that there is a new candidate for the coldest known star: a brown dwarf in a double system with about the same temperature as a freshly made cup of tea - hot in human terms, but extraordinarily cold for the surface of a star. This object is cool enough to begin crossing the blurred line dividing small cold stars from big hot planets. Brown dwarfs are essentially failed stars: they lack enough mass for gravity to trigger the nuclear reactions that make stars shine. The newly discovered brown dwarf, identified as CFBDSIR 1458+10B, is the dimmer member of a binary brown dwarf system located just 75 light-years from Earth [1]. The powerful X-shooter spectrograph on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) was used to show that the composite object was very cool by brown dwarf standards. "We were very excited to see that this object had such a low temperature, but we couldn't have guessed that it would turn out to be a double system and have an even more interesting, even colder component," said Philippe Delorme of the Institut de planétologie et d'astrophysique de Grenoble (CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier), a co-author of the paper. CFBDSIR 1458+10 is the coolest brown dwarf binary found to date. The dimmer of the two dwarfs has now been found to have a temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius - the boiling point of water, and not much different from the temperature inside a sauna [2]. "At such temperatures we expect the brown dwarf to have properties that are different from previously known brown dwarfs and much closer to those of giant exoplanets - it could even have water clouds in its atmosphere," said Michael Liu of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, who is lead author of the paper describing this new work. "In fact, once we start taking images of gas-giant planets around Sun-like stars in the near future, I expect that many of them

  12. Functional and anatomical characteristics of the nerve-brown adipose interaction in the rat

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flaim, K. E.; Horowitz, J. M.; Horwitz, B. A.

    1976-01-01

    Experiments were conducted on 12 male rats to study the coupling of signals from the sympathetic nervous system to the brown adipose tissue. Analysis of electron photomicrographs revealed considerable morphological heterogeneity among the nerves entering and leaving the interscapular fat pad. In response to electrical simulation of the nerves, the temperature of the brown fat increased following a rapid but transient temperature drop. Such changes were observed only on the ipsilateral side, indicating that the innervation to the interscapular brown fat of the rat is functionally bilateral rather than diffuse. The finding that brown fat is capable of responding in a graded fashion correlates well with observations suggesting that clusters of brown adipocytes may be electrically coupled.

  13. Use of sibling relationship reconstruction to complement traditional monitoring in fisheries management and conservation of brown trout.

    PubMed

    Ozerov, Mikhail; Jürgenstein, Tauno; Aykanat, Tutku; Vasemägi, Anti

    2015-08-01

    Declining trends in the abundance of many fish urgently call for more efficient and informative monitoring methods that would provide necessary demographic data for the evaluation of existing conservation, restoration, and management actions. We investigated how genetic sibship reconstruction from young-of-the-year brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) juveniles provides valuable, complementary demographic information that allowed us to disentangle the effects of habitat quality and number of breeders on juvenile density. We studied restored (n = 15) and control (n = 15) spawning and nursery habitats in 16 brown trout rivers and streams over 2 consecutive years to evaluate the effectiveness of habitat restoration activities. Similar juvenile densities both in restored and control spawning and nursery grounds were observed. Similarly, no differences in the effective number of breeders, Nb(SA) , were detected between habitats, indicating that brown trout readily used recently restored spawning grounds. Only a weak relationship between the Nb(SA) and juvenile density was observed, suggesting that multiple factors affect juvenile abundance. In some areas, very low estimates of Nb(SA) were found at sites with high juvenile density, indicating that a small number of breeders can produce a high number of progeny in favorable conditions. In other sites, high Nb(SA) estimates were associated with low juvenile density, suggesting low habitat quality or lack of suitable spawning substrate in relation to available breeders. Based on these results, we recommend the incorporation of genetic sibship reconstruction to ongoing and future fish evaluation and monitoring programs to gain novel insights into local demographic and evolutionary processes relevant for fisheries management, habitat restoration, and conservation. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

  14. The tumor secretory factor ZAG promotes white adipose tissue browning and energy wasting.

    PubMed

    Elattar, Sawsan; Dimri, Manali; Satyanarayana, Ande

    2018-03-23

    Cachexia is a complex tissue-wasting syndrome characterized by inflammation, hypermetabolism, increased energy expenditure, and anorexia. Browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) is one of the significant factors that contribute to energy wasting in cachexia. By utilizing a cell implantation model, we demonstrate here that the lipid mobilizing factor zinc-α 2 -glycoprotein (ZAG) induces WAT browning in mice. Increased circulating levels of ZAG not only induced lipolysis in adipose tissues but also caused robust browning in WAT. Stimulating WAT progenitors with ZAG recombinant protein or expression of ZAG in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) strongly enhanced brown-like differentiation. At the molecular level, ZAG stimulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and early B cell factor 2 expression and promoted their recruitment to the PR/SET domain 16 (Prdm16) promoter, leading to enhanced expression of Prdm16, which determines brown cell fate. In brown adipose tissue, ZAG stimulated the expression of PPARγ and PPARγ coactivator 1α and promoted recruitment of PPARγ to the uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) promoter, leading to increased expression of Ucp1. Overall, our results reveal a novel function of ZAG in WAT browning and highlight the targeting of ZAG as a potential therapeutic application in humans with cachexia.-Elattar, S., Dimri, M., Satyanarayana, A. The tumor secretory factor ZAG promotes white adipose tissue browning and energy wasting.

  15. PD-L1 is an activation-independent marker of brown adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Ingram, Jessica R; Dougan, Michael; Rashidian, Mohammad; Knoll, Marko; Keliher, Edmund J; Garrett, Sarah; Garforth, Scott; Blomberg, Olga S; Espinosa, Camilo; Bhan, Atul; Almo, Steven C; Weissleder, Ralph; Lodish, Harvey; Dougan, Stephanie K; Ploegh, Hidde L

    2017-09-21

    Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is expressed on a number of immune and cancer cells, where it can downregulate antitumor immune responses. Its expression has been linked to metabolic changes in these cells. Here we develop a radiolabeled camelid single-domain antibody (anti-PD-L1 VHH) to track PD-L1 expression by immuno-positron emission tomography (PET). PET-CT imaging shows a robust and specific PD-L1 signal in brown adipose tissue (BAT). We confirm expression of PD-L1 on brown adipocytes and demonstrate that signal intensity does not change in response to cold exposure or β-adrenergic activation. This is the first robust method of visualizing murine brown fat independent of its activation state.Current approaches to visualise brown adipose tissue (BAT) rely primarily on markers that reflect its metabolic activity. Here, the authors show that PD-L1 is expressed on brown adipocytes, does not change upon BAT activation, and that BAT volume in mice can be measured by PET-CT with a radiolabeled anti-PD-L1 antibody.

  16. Central Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Browns White Fat via Sympathetic Action in Male Mice.

    PubMed

    Douris, Nicholas; Stevanovic, Darko M; Fisher, Ffolliott M; Cisu, Theodore I; Chee, Melissa J; Nguyen, Ngoc L; Zarebidaki, Eleen; Adams, Andrew C; Kharitonenkov, Alexei; Flier, Jeffrey S; Bartness, Timothy J; Maratos-Flier, Eleftheria

    2015-07-01

    Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has multiple metabolic actions, including the induction of browning in white adipose tissue. Although FGF21 stimulated browning results from a direct interaction between FGF21 and the adipocyte, browning is typically associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system through cold exposure. We tested the hypothesis that FGF21 can act via the brain, to increase sympathetic activity and induce browning, independent of cell-autonomous actions. We administered FGF21 into the central nervous system via lateral ventricle infusion into male mice and found that the central treatment increased norepinephrine turnover in target tissues that include the inguinal white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. Central FGF21 stimulated browning as assessed by histology, expression of uncoupling protein 1, and the induction of gene expression associated with browning. These effects were markedly attenuated when mice were treated with a β-blocker. Additionally, neither centrally nor peripherally administered FGF21 initiated browning in mice lacking β-adrenoceptors, demonstrating that an intact adrenergic system is necessary for FGF21 action. These data indicate that FGF21 can signal in the brain to activate the sympathetic nervous system and induce adipose tissue thermogenesis.

  17. Speciation and Localization of Arsenic in White and Brown Rice Grains

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meharg, Andrew A.; Lombi, Enzo; Williams, Paul N.

    2008-06-30

    Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (S-XRF) was utilized to locate arsenic (As) in polished (white) and unpolished (brown) rice grains from the United States, China, and Bangladesh. In white rice As was generally dispersed throughout the grain, the bulk of which constitutes the endosperm. In brown rice As was found to be preferentially localized at the surface, in the region corresponding to the pericarp and aleurone layer. Copper, iron, manganese, and zinc localization followed that of arsenic in brown rice, while the location for cadmium and nickel was distinctly different, showing relatively even distribution throughout the endosperm. The localization of As inmore » the outer grain of brown rice was confirmed by laser ablation ICP?MS. Arsenic speciation of all grains using spatially resolved X-ray absorption near edge structure (?-XANES) and bulk extraction followed by anion exchange HPLC?ICP?MS revealed the presence of mainly inorganic As and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). However, the two techniques indicated different proportions of inorganic:organic As species. A wider survey of whole grain speciation of white (n = 39) and brown (n = 45) rice samples from numerous sources (field collected, supermarket survey, and pot trials) showed that brown rice had a higher proportion of inorganic arsenic present than white rice. Furthermore, the percentage of DMA present in the grain increased along with total grain arsenic.« less

  18. Finely dispersed brown carbon in a smoggy atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gorchakov, G. I.; Vasiliev, A. V.; Verichev, K. S.; Semoutnikova, E. G.; Karpov, A. V.

    2016-11-01

    It is shown that the absorption capacity of smoke aerosol during mass forest and forest-peat fires is determined to a considerable degree by light absorbing organic compounds or brown carbon. According to the data from the AERONET global network of stations [1], the absorption spectra of smoke aerosol vary significantly if airborne particulate matter is contained in brown carbon. It is established that in several cases, the absorption spectra of smoke aerosol are approximated with satisfactory accuracy by exponents. It is shown that the finely dispersed (submicron) fraction of the smoke aerosol makes a major contribution to its optical characteristics in the 0.44-1.02 μm spectral region. Strong variation in the single scattering albedo is discovered in the presence of brown carbon in the smoke aerosol. It is shown that the optical characteristics of coarsely dispersed and finely dispersed fractions of smoke aerosol differ considerably.

  19. Broad-scale patterns of Brook Trout responses to introduced Brown Trout in New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McKenna, James E.; Slattery, Michael T.; Kean M. Clifford,

    2013-01-01

    Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis and Brown Trout Salmo trutta are valuable sport fish that coexist in many parts of the world due to stocking introductions. Causes for the decline of Brook Trout within their native range are not clear but include competition with Brown Trout, habitat alteration, and repetitive stocking practices. New York State contains a large portion of the Brook Trout's native range, where both species are maintained by stocking and other management actions. We used artificial neural network models, regression, principal components analysis, and simulation to evaluate the effects of Brown Trout, environmental conditions, and stocking on the distribution of Brook Trout in the center of their native range. We found evidence for the decline of Brook Trout in the presence of Brown Trout across many watersheds; 22% of sampled reaches where both species were expected to occur contained only Brown Trout. However, a model of the direct relationship between Brook Trout and Brown Trout abundance explained less than 1% of data variation. Ordination showed extensive overlap of Brook Trout and Brown Trout habitat conditions, with only small components of the hypervolume (multidimensional space) being distinctive. Subsequent analysis indicated higher abundances of Brook Trout in highly forested areas, while Brown Trout were more abundant in areas with relatively high proportions of agriculture. Simulation results indicated that direct interactions and habitat conditions were relatively minor factors compared with the effects of repeated stocking of Brown Trout into Brook Trout habitat. Intensive annual stocking of Brown Trout could eliminate resident Brook Trout in less than a decade. Ecological differences, harvest behavior, and other habitat changes can exacerbate Brook Trout losses. Custom stocking scenarios with Brown Trout introductions at relatively low proportions of resident Brook Trout populations may be able to sustain healthy populations of both

  20. Characterizing germinated brown rice milk beverage processes using green technologies

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rice feeds approximately half the world’s population. However, due to milling losses, white rice is a poor source of vitamins and minerals. Brown rice is nutritionally superior yet oils and rancidity can be problematic regarding storage and organoleptics. Germinating brown rice is known to increase ...

  1. Searching for brown dwarfs from submotions of binaries with speckle observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Hsieh-Hai

    1994-01-01

    The search for brown dwarfs in binary systems is of great scientific interest and is a quest that pushes observing accuracy to its limit. The study of brown dwarfs is related to the search for dark matter, the initial mass function for stars of all masses, and theories of stellar formation. On the other hand, searching for brown dwarfs is a challenge because of their faintness and very low mass. Although many techniques have been used to detect brown dwarfs, a direct measurement of mass is the only criterion for distinguishing a brown dwarf from a star, and binary observation is still the best way for determining the accurate masses of celestial objects through Kepler's third law. Since 1976, CHARA has accumulated thousands of binary star speckle observations with high precision that can be used to find masses of possible unseen companions in binary systems through astrometrically measured submotions. A modified discrete Fourier transform was used to detect periodicity in data sets having uneven temporal distributions. This dissertation, an extension of work initiated by Dr. Ali Al-Shukri in 1991, uses the CHARA speckle measurements to evaluate their limiting accuracy and then to search for unseen companions from submotions of binary orbital motions. The successful detection of the previously known 1.83-year period sub-motion of the astrometric system ADS 8119 Aa demonstrates that this analysis can be used to find other systems in future investigations, even though no convincing evidence was found for the existence of a brown dwarf. Four possible companions were found to the binaries ADS 8197, ADS 9392, ADS 9494, and ADS 14073 with periods of 3.3, 2.6, 0.3, and 3.78 years and minimum masses in the ranges of 0.015-0.019, 0.11-0.65, 0.04-0.19, and 0.14-0.16 solar masses, respectively. The overall null result for detecting brown dwarfs may be partially explained as a real lack of massive brown dwarfs as members of multiple systems.

  2. SERUM ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE LEVEL IN THE PATIENTS OF OPIOID (BROWN SUGAR) DEPENDENCE

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Nilesh; Dave, Kirti

    1992-01-01

    The authors compared the serum acetylcholinesterase level in the patients of brown sugar dependence and the normal volunteers. Significantly lower level of serum acetylcholinesterase was found in patients of brown sugar dependence. PMID:21776148

  3. Phylogeny and biogeography of South Chinese brown frogs (Ranidae, Anura).

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yu; Wang, Sirui; Zhu, Hedan; Li, Pipeng; Yang, Baotian; Ma, Jianzhang

    2017-01-01

    Few studies have explored the role of Cenozoic tectonic evolution in shaping the patterns and processes of extant animal distributions in and around East Asia. In this study, we selected South Chinese brown frogs as a model to examine the phylogenetic and biogeographical consequences of Miocene tectonic events within South China and its margins. We used mitochondrial and nuclear molecular data to reconstruct phylogenetic interrelationships among Chinese brown frogs using Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses. The phylogeny results show that there are four main clades of Chinese brown frogs. Excepting the three commonly known Chinese brown frog species groups, R. maoershanensis forms an independent clade nearest to the R. japonica group. Phylogeny and P-distance analyses confirmed R. maoershanensis as a valid species. Among South Chinese brown frogs, there are four subclades associated with four geographical areas: (I) R. maoershanensis; (II) R. japonica; (III) R. chaochiaoensis; and (IV) other species of the R. longicrus species group. Divergence times, estimated using mitochondrial sequences, place the vicariance events among the four subclades in the middle to late Miocene epoch. Our results suggest that (1) South Chinese brown frogs originated due to a vicariance event separating them from the R. chensinensis species group at the time of the Geological movement (~18 million years ago, Ma) in southern Tibet and the Himalayan region; (2) the separation and speciation of R. maoershanensis from the R. japonica group occurred due to the dry climate at approximately 16 Ma; (3) South Chinese brown frogs migrated from South China to Japan at the time (~10.8 Ma) that the global sea-level fell and the East China Sea Shelf Basin was swamp facies, when a land gallery may have formed across the sea to connect the two areas; and (4) R. chaochiaoensis separated from other species of the R. longicrus species group during the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau at approximately 9

  4. Myogenic regulatory factors during regeneration of skeletal muscle in young, adult, and old rats

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marsh, D. R.; Criswell, D. S.; Carson, J. A.; Booth, F. W.

    1997-01-01

    Myogenic factor mRNA expression was examined during muscle regeneration after bupivacaine injection in Fischer 344/Brown Norway F1 rats aged 3, 18, and 31 mo of age (young, adult, and old, respectively). Mass of the tibialis anterior muscle in the young rats had recovered to control values by 21 days postbupivacaine injection but in adult and old rats remained 40% less than that of contralateral controls at 21 and 28 days of recovery. During muscle regeneration, myogenin mRNA was significantly increased in muscles of young, adult, and old rats 5 days after bupivacaine injection. Subsequently, myogenin mRNA levels in young rat muscle decreased to postinjection control values by day 21 but did not return to control values in 28-day regenerating muscles of adult and old rats. The expression of MyoD mRNA was also increased in muscles at day 5 of regeneration in young, adult, and old rats, decreased to control levels by day 14 in young and adult rats, and remained elevated in the old rats for 28 days. In summary, either a diminished ability to downregulate myogenin and MyoD mRNAs in regenerating muscle occurs in old rat muscles, or the continuing myogenic effort includes elevated expression of these mRNAs.

  5. An siRNA-based method for efficient silencing of gene expression in mature brown adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Isidor, Marie S; Winther, Sally; Basse, Astrid L; Petersen, M Christine H; Cannon, Barbara; Nedergaard, Jan; Hansen, Jacob B

    2016-01-01

    Brown adipose tissue is a promising therapeutic target for opposing obesity, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. The ability to modulate gene expression in mature brown adipocytes is important to understand brown adipocyte function and delineate novel regulatory mechanisms of non-shivering thermogenesis. The aim of this study was to optimize a lipofection-based small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection protocol for efficient silencing of gene expression in mature brown adipocytes. We determined that a critical parameter was to deliver the siRNA to mature adipocytes by reverse transfection, i.e. transfection of non-adherent cells. Using this protocol, we effectively knocked down both high- and low-abundance transcripts in a model of mature brown adipocytes (WT-1) as well as in primary mature mouse brown adipocytes. A functional consequence of the knockdown was confirmed by an attenuated increase in uncoupled respiration (thermogenesis) in response to β-adrenergic stimulation of mature WT-1 brown adipocytes transfected with uncoupling protein 1 siRNA. Efficient gene silencing was also obtained in various mouse and human white adipocyte models (3T3-L1, primary mouse white adipocytes, hMADS) with the ability to undergo "browning." In summary, we report an easy and versatile reverse siRNA transfection protocol to achieve specific silencing of gene expression in various models of mature brown and browning-competent white adipocytes, including primary cells.

  6. Pre-germinated brown rice could enhance maternal mental health and immunity during lactation.

    PubMed

    Sakamoto, Shigeko; Hayashi, Takashi; Hayashi, Keiko; Murai, Fumie; Hori, Miyo; Kimoto, Koichi; Murakami, Kazuo

    2007-10-01

    Rice is a dietary staple worldwide, especially pre-germinated brown rice has recently been widely served in Japan because of its abundant nutrition. Relationship between lactation and pre-germinated brown rice has attracted interest in terms of mental health and immunity. To demonstrate that Japanese foods are beneficial for psychosomatic health, the effects of pre-germinated brown rice on the mental status and immunological features during lactation were investigated. Forty-one breast-feeding mothers were recruited, and randomly divided into two groups. One group took pre-germinated brown rice and the other white rice (control) as their staple diet for 2 weeks. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) and salivary amylase activity as psychological indices and secretory IgA (s-IgA) and lactoferrin (LTF) in breast milk as immunological indices were determined before and after dietary intervention, and changes were investigated. In the psychological assessment, the scores of depression, anger-hostility, and fatigue were decreased on POMS analysis in the pre-germinated brown rice diet group, resulting in a significant decrease in total mood disturbance (TMD). The salivary amylase activity measurement suggested that resistance to stress was increased in the pre-germinated brown rice diet group. On the immunological assessment, the s-IgA level was significantly increased in the pre-germinated brown rice diet group. We have shown that pre-germinated brown rice may have beneficial effects on psychosomatic health.

  7. a Faint and Lonely Brown Dwarf in the Solar Vicinity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1997-04-01

    identical to other known Brown Dwarfs, its measured characteristics indicate that it must be located at a distance of only 10 parsecs, that is about 33 light-years, from the solar system. Its temperature is obviously below 1700 degrees C (where TiO and VO condense as dust grains [3] so that the spectral lines of these molecules are no longer seen). Its mass can be no more than 75 times that of Jupiter, or 6 percent of that of the Sun. During recent years, several Brown Dwarf candidates have been de-masked as low-mass stars and only recently a few Brown Dwarfs were identified in the Pleiades star cluster. Those Brown Dwarfs are quite young and therefore comparatively hotter and brighter. Contrarily, KELU-1 is most probably somewhat older and its unique location so close to us greatly facilitates future investigations. Moreover, it is not at all `disturbed' by the presence of other objects in its immediate surroundings, as this is the case for all other known objects of this type. It will now be important to obtain accurate measurements of KELU-1's parallax , that is, the small annual change of its position in the sky that is caused by the Earth's motion around the Sun and thus the viewing angle of an Earth-based observer. This should be possible within the next year. Moreover, high resolution spectral investigations with large telescope facilities, soon to include the ESO Very Large Telescope at the Paranal observatory in northern Chile, will now for the first time enable us to investigate the processes that take place in the relatively cold upper layers of Brown Dwarfs. For instance, the observed presence of lithium shows that its atmosphere must be different from that of low-mass stars. KELU-1 and the `Dark Matter' From the fact that KELU-1 is so faint that it was barely detectable on the ESO Schmidt plates, it is possible to estimate that the total volume so far surveyed for this type of objects by this research programme is rather small, only about 23 cubic parsecs (800

  8. Clozapine modifies the differentiation program of human adipocytes inducing browning.

    PubMed

    Kristóf, E; Doan-Xuan, Q-M; Sárvári, A K; Klusóczki, Á; Fischer-Posovszky, P; Wabitsch, M; Bacso, Z; Bai, P; Balajthy, Z; Fésüs, L

    2016-11-29

    Administration of second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) often leads to weight gain and consequent cardio-metabolic side effects. We observed that clozapine but not six other antipsychotic drugs reprogrammed the gene expression pattern of differentiating human adipocytes ex vivo, leading to an elevated expression of the browning marker gene UCP1, more and smaller lipid droplets and more mitochondrial DNA than in the untreated white adipocytes. Laser scanning cytometry showed that up to 40% of the differentiating single primary and Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) adipocytes had the characteristic morphological features of browning cells. Furthermore, clozapine significantly upregulated ELOVL3, CIDEA, CYC1, PGC1A and TBX1 genes but not ZIC1 suggesting induction of the beige-like and not the classical brown phenotype. When we tested whether browning induced by clozapine can be explained by its known pharmacological effect of antagonizing serotonin (5HT) receptors, it was found that browning cells expressed 5HT receptors 2A, 1D, 7 and the upregulation of browning markers was diminished in the presence of exogenous 5HT. Undifferentiated progenitors or completely differentiated beige or white adipocytes did not respond to clozapine administration. The clozapine-induced beige cells displayed increased basal and oligomycin-inhibited (proton leak) oxygen consumption, but these cells showed a lower response to cAMP stimulus as compared with control beige adipocytes indicating that they are less capable to respond to natural thermogenic anti-obesity cues. Our data altogether suggest that novel pharmacological stimulation of these masked beige adipocytes can be a future therapeutic target for the treatment of SGA-induced weight gain.

  9. Clozapine modifies the differentiation program of human adipocytes inducing browning

    PubMed Central

    Kristóf, E; Doan-Xuan, Q-M; Sárvári, A K; Klusóczki, Á; Fischer-Posovszky, P; Wabitsch, M; Bacso, Z; Bai, P; Balajthy, Z; Fésüs, L

    2016-01-01

    Administration of second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) often leads to weight gain and consequent cardio-metabolic side effects. We observed that clozapine but not six other antipsychotic drugs reprogrammed the gene expression pattern of differentiating human adipocytes ex vivo, leading to an elevated expression of the browning marker gene UCP1, more and smaller lipid droplets and more mitochondrial DNA than in the untreated white adipocytes. Laser scanning cytometry showed that up to 40% of the differentiating single primary and Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome (SGBS) adipocytes had the characteristic morphological features of browning cells. Furthermore, clozapine significantly upregulated ELOVL3, CIDEA, CYC1, PGC1A and TBX1 genes but not ZIC1 suggesting induction of the beige-like and not the classical brown phenotype. When we tested whether browning induced by clozapine can be explained by its known pharmacological effect of antagonizing serotonin (5HT) receptors, it was found that browning cells expressed 5HT receptors 2A, 1D, 7 and the upregulation of browning markers was diminished in the presence of exogenous 5HT. Undifferentiated progenitors or completely differentiated beige or white adipocytes did not respond to clozapine administration. The clozapine-induced beige cells displayed increased basal and oligomycin-inhibited (proton leak) oxygen consumption, but these cells showed a lower response to cAMP stimulus as compared with control beige adipocytes indicating that they are less capable to respond to natural thermogenic anti-obesity cues. Our data altogether suggest that novel pharmacological stimulation of these masked beige adipocytes can be a future therapeutic target for the treatment of SGA-induced weight gain. PMID:27898069

  10. PROPERTIES OF THE NEARBY BROWN DWARF WISEP J180026.60+013453.1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gizis, John E.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Vrba, Frederick J.

    2015-12-15

    We present new spectroscopy and astrometry to characterize the nearby brown dwarf WISEP J180026.60+013453.1. The optical spectral type, L7.5, is in agreement with the previously reported near-infrared spectral type. The preliminary trigonometric parallax places it at a distance of 8.01 ± 0.21 pc, confirming that it is the fourth closest known late-L (L7–L9) dwarf. The measured luminosity, our detection of lithium, and the lack of low surface gravity indicators indicates that WISEP J180026.60+013453.1 has a mass 0.03 < M < 0.06 M{sub ⊙} and an age between 300 million and 1.5 billion years according to theoretical substellar evolution models. Themore » low space motion is consistent with this young age. We have measured the rotational broadening (v sin i = 13.5 ± 0.5 km s{sup −1}), and use it to estimate a maximum rotation period of 9.3 hr.« less

  11. Phylogeography of brown bears (Ursus arctos) of Alaska and paraphyly within the Ursidae.

    PubMed

    Talbot, S L; Shields, G F

    1996-06-01

    Complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b, tRNA(prolime), and tRNA(threonine) genes were described for 166 brown bears (Ursus arctos) from 10 geographic regions of Alaska to describe natural genetic variation, construct a molecular phylogeny, and evaluate classical taxonomies. DNA sequences of brown bears were compared to homologous sequences of the polar bear (maritimus) and of the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), which was used as an outgroup. Parsimony and neighbor-joining methods each produced essentially identical phylogenetic trees that suggest two distinct clades of mtDNA for brown bears in Alaska: one composed only of bears that now reside on some of the islands of southeastern Alaska and the other which includes bears from all other regions of Alaska. The very close relationship of the polar bear to brown bears of the islands of southeastern Alaska as previously reported by us and the paraphyletic association of polar bears to brown bears reported by others have been reaffirmed with this much larger data set. A weak correlation is suggested between types of mtDNA and habitat preference by brown bears in Alaska. Our mtDNA data support some, but not all, of the currently designated subspecies of brown bears whose descriptions have been based essentially on morphology.

  12. Irisin exerts dual effects on browning and adipogenesis of human white adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuan; Xie, Chao; Wang, Hai; Foss, Robin M; Clare, Morgan; George, Eva Vertes; Li, Shiwu; Katz, Adam; Cheng, Henrique; Ding, Yousong; Tang, Dongqi; Reeves, Westley H; Yang, Li-Jun

    2016-08-01

    To better understand the role of irisin in humans, we examined the effects of irisin in human primary adipocytes and fresh human subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT). Human primary adipocytes derived from 28 female donors' fresh scWAT were used to examine the effects of irisin on browning and mitochondrial respiration, and preadipocytes were used to examine the effects of irisin on adipogenesis and osteogenesis. Cultured fragments of scWAT and perirenal brown fat were used for investigating signal transduction pathways that mediate irisin's browning effect by Western blotting to detect phosphorylated forms of p38, ERK, and STAT3 as well as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Individual responses to irisin in scWAT were correlated with basal expression levels of brown/beige genes. Irisin upregulated the expression of browning-associated genes and UCP1 protein in both cultured primary mature adipocytes and fresh adipose tissues. It also significantly increased thermogenesis at 5 nmol/l by elevating cellular energy metabolism (OCR and ECAR). Treating human scWAT with irisin increased UCP1 expression by activating the ERK and p38 MAPK signaling. Blocking either pathway with specific inhibitors abolished irisin-induced UCP1 upregulation. However, our results showed that UCP1 in human perirenal adipose tissue was insensitive to irisin. Basal levels of brown/beige and FNDC5 genes correlated positively with the browning response of scWAT to irisin. In addition, irisin significantly inhibited adipogenic differentiation but promoted osteogenic differentiation. We conclude that irisin promotes "browning" of mature white adipocytes by increasing cellular thermogenesis, whereas it inhibits adipogenesis and promotes osteogenesis during lineage-specific differentiation. Our findings provide a rationale for further exploring the therapeutic use of irisin in obesity and exercise-associated bone formation.

  13. Educational Trends and U.S. Commitments Since the Brown Decision.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Kenneth

    The Supreme Court's landmark Brown decision changed the total pattern of race relations in the United States and helped to solidify the foundations of American democracy for the benefit of all Americans. Ironically, although the specific issue which resulted in the Brown decision was concerned with the constitutionality of racially segregated…

  14. Genomic evidence of geographically widespread effect of gene flow from polar bears into brown bears

    PubMed Central

    Cahill, James A; Stirling, Ian; Kistler, Logan; Salamzade, Rauf; Ersmark, Erik; Fulton, Tara L; Stiller, Mathias; Green, Richard E; Shapiro, Beth

    2015-01-01

    Polar bears are an arctic, marine adapted species that is closely related to brown bears. Genome analyses have shown that polar bears are distinct and genetically homogeneous in comparison to brown bears. However, these analyses have also revealed a remarkable episode of polar bear gene flow into the population of brown bears that colonized the Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof islands (ABC islands) of Alaska. Here, we present an analysis of data from a large panel of polar bear and brown bear genomes that includes brown bears from the ABC islands, the Alaskan mainland and Europe. Our results provide clear evidence that gene flow between the two species had a geographically wide impact, with polar bear DNA found within the genomes of brown bears living both on the ABC islands and in the Alaskan mainland. Intriguingly, while brown bear genomes contain up to 8.8% polar bear ancestry, polar bear genomes appear to be devoid of brown bear ancestry, suggesting the presence of a barrier to gene flow in that direction. PMID:25490862

  15. Genomic evidence of geographically widespread effect of gene flow from polar bears into brown bears.

    PubMed

    Cahill, James A; Stirling, Ian; Kistler, Logan; Salamzade, Rauf; Ersmark, Erik; Fulton, Tara L; Stiller, Mathias; Green, Richard E; Shapiro, Beth

    2015-03-01

    Polar bears are an arctic, marine adapted species that is closely related to brown bears. Genome analyses have shown that polar bears are distinct and genetically homogeneous in comparison to brown bears. However, these analyses have also revealed a remarkable episode of polar bear gene flow into the population of brown bears that colonized the Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof islands (ABC islands) of Alaska. Here, we present an analysis of data from a large panel of polar bear and brown bear genomes that includes brown bears from the ABC islands, the Alaskan mainland and Europe. Our results provide clear evidence that gene flow between the two species had a geographically wide impact, with polar bear DNA found within the genomes of brown bears living both on the ABC islands and in the Alaskan mainland. Intriguingly, while brown bear genomes contain up to 8.8% polar bear ancestry, polar bear genomes appear to be devoid of brown bear ancestry, suggesting the presence of a barrier to gene flow in that direction. © 2014 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Highly Viscous States Affect the Browning of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Initially transparent organic particulate matter (PM) can become shades of light-absorbing brown via atmospheric particle-phase chemical reactions. The production of nitrogen-containing compounds is one important pathway for browning. Semisolid or solid physical states of organic PM might, however, have sufficiently slow diffusion of reactant molecules to inhibit browning reactions. Herein, organic PM of secondary organic material (SOM) derived from toluene, a common SOM precursor in anthropogenically affected environments, was exposed to ammonia at different values of relative humidity (RH). The production of light-absorbing organonitrogen imines from ammonia exposure, detected by mass spectrometry and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, was kinetically inhibited for RH < 20% for exposure times of 6 min to 24 h. By comparison, from 20% to 60% RH organonitrogen production took place, implying ammonia uptake and reaction. Correspondingly, the absorption index k across 280 to 320 nm increased from 0.012 to 0.02, indicative of PM browning. The k value across 380 to 420 nm increased from 0.001 to 0.004. The observed RH-dependent behavior of ammonia uptake and browning was well captured by a model that considered the diffusivities of both the large organic molecules that made up the PM and the small reactant molecules taken up from the gas phase into the PM. Within the model, large-molecule diffusivity was calculated based on observed SOM viscosity and evaporation. Small-molecule diffusivity was represented by the water diffusivity measured by a quartz-crystal microbalance. The model showed that the browning reaction rates at RH < 60% could be controlled by the low diffusivity of the large organic molecules from the interior region of the particle to the reactive surface region. The results of this study have implications for accurate modeling of atmospheric brown carbon production and associated influences on energy balance. PMID:29532020

  17. Highly Viscous States Affect the Browning of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter.

    PubMed

    Liu, Pengfei; Li, Yong Jie; Wang, Yan; Bateman, Adam P; Zhang, Yue; Gong, Zhaoheng; Bertram, Allan K; Martin, Scot T

    2018-02-28

    Initially transparent organic particulate matter (PM) can become shades of light-absorbing brown via atmospheric particle-phase chemical reactions. The production of nitrogen-containing compounds is one important pathway for browning. Semisolid or solid physical states of organic PM might, however, have sufficiently slow diffusion of reactant molecules to inhibit browning reactions. Herein, organic PM of secondary organic material (SOM) derived from toluene, a common SOM precursor in anthropogenically affected environments, was exposed to ammonia at different values of relative humidity (RH). The production of light-absorbing organonitrogen imines from ammonia exposure, detected by mass spectrometry and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, was kinetically inhibited for RH < 20% for exposure times of 6 min to 24 h. By comparison, from 20% to 60% RH organonitrogen production took place, implying ammonia uptake and reaction. Correspondingly, the absorption index k across 280 to 320 nm increased from 0.012 to 0.02, indicative of PM browning. The k value across 380 to 420 nm increased from 0.001 to 0.004. The observed RH-dependent behavior of ammonia uptake and browning was well captured by a model that considered the diffusivities of both the large organic molecules that made up the PM and the small reactant molecules taken up from the gas phase into the PM. Within the model, large-molecule diffusivity was calculated based on observed SOM viscosity and evaporation. Small-molecule diffusivity was represented by the water diffusivity measured by a quartz-crystal microbalance. The model showed that the browning reaction rates at RH < 60% could be controlled by the low diffusivity of the large organic molecules from the interior region of the particle to the reactive surface region. The results of this study have implications for accurate modeling of atmospheric brown carbon production and associated influences on energy balance.

  18. Brown rice compared to white rice slows gastric emptying in humans.

    PubMed

    Pletsch, Elizabeth A; Hamaker, Bruce R

    2018-03-01

    Consumption of whole vs. refined grain foods is recommended by nutrition or dietary guideline authorities of many countries, yet specific aspects of whole grains leading to health benefits are not well understood. Gastric emptying rate is an important consideration, as it is tied to nutrient delivery rate and influences glycemic response. Our objective was to explore two aspects of cooked rice related to gastric emptying, (1) whole grain brown vs. white rice and (2) potential effect of elevated levels of slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) from high-amylose rice. Ten healthy adult participants were recruited for a crossover design study involving acute feeding and testing of 6 rice samples (50 g available carbohydrate). Gastric emptying rate was measured using a 13 C-labeled octanoic acid breath test. A rice variety (Cocodrie) with high-amylose content was temperature-cycled to increase SDS and RS fractions. In vitro starch digestibility results showed incremental increase in RS in Cocodrie after two temperature cycles. For low-amylose varieties, SDS was higher in the brown rice form. In human subjects, low-amylose and high-amylose brown rice delayed gastric emptying compared to white rices regardless of amylose content or temperature-cycling (p < 0.05). Whole grain brown rice had slower gastric emptying rate, which appears to be related to the physical presence of the bran layer. Extended gastric emptying of brown rice explains in part comparably low glycemic response observed for brown rice.

  19. Cold Brown Dwarfs with WISE: Y Dwarfs and the Field Mass Function

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

    2012-01-01

    Why study Brown Dwarf stars? They re the lowest mass byproducts of star formation.. They provide time capsules across the age of the Galaxy.. They show what low-T(sub eff) atmospheres look like.. They may be some of our closest neighbors in space..WISE is a 40cm Earth-orbiting telescope. There are 211 stars and only 33 brown dwarfs in this volume.. This means that stars outnumber brown dwarfs by a factor of 6:1 currently.. The number of brown dwarfs will continue to increase if:: (a) more nearby Y dwarf candidates are confirmed, or (b) our distances to known Y s are overestimated, or (c) there are colder BDs invisible to WISE..

  20. Receptor binding sites for atrial natriuretic factor are expressed by brown adipose tissue

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bacay, A.C.; Mantyh, C.R.; Vigna, S.R.

    1988-09-01

    To explore the possibility that atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is involved in thermoregulation we used quantitative receptor autoradiography and homogenate receptor binding assays to identify ANF bindings sites in neonatal rat and sheep brown adipose tissue, respectively. Using quantitative receptor autoradiography were were able to localize high levels of specific binding sites for {sup 125}I-rat ANF in neonatal rat brown adipose tissue. Homogenate binding assays on sheep brown fat demonstrated that the radioligand was binding to the membrane fraction and that the specific binding was not due to a lipophilic interaction between {sup 125}I-rat ANF and brown fat. Specific bindingmore » of {sup 125}I-rat ANF to the membranes of brown fat cells was inhibited by unlabeled rat ANF with a Ki of 8.0 x 10(-9) M, but not by unrelated peptides. These studies demonstrate that brown fat cells express high levels of ANF receptor binding sites in neonatal rat and sheep and suggest that ANF may play a role in thermoregulation.« less

  1. On the origin of Acochlidia and other enigmatic euthyneuran gastropods, with implications for the systematics of Heterobranchia

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background A robust phylogenetic hypothesis of euthyneuran gastropods, as a basis to reconstructing their evolutionary history, is still hindered by several groups of aberrant, more or less worm-like slugs with unclear phylogenetic relationships. As a traditional "order" in the Opisthobranchia, the Acochlidia have a long history of controversial placements, among others influenced by convergent adaptation to the mainly meiofaunal habitats. The present study includes six out of seven acochlidian families in a comprehensive euthyneuran taxon sampling with special focus on minute, aberrant slugs. Since there is no fossil record of tiny, shell-less gastropods, a molecular clock was used to estimate divergence times within Euthyneura. Results Our multi-locus molecular study confirms Acochlidia in a pulmonate relationship, as sister to Eupulmonata. Previous hypotheses of opisthobranch relations, or of a common origin with other meiofaunal Euthyneura, are clearly rejected. The enigmatic amphibious and insectivorous Aitengidae incerta sedis clusters within Acochlidia, as sister to meiofaunal and brackish Pseudunelidae and limnic Acochlidiidae. Euthyneura, Opisthobranchia and Pulmonata as traditionally defined are non-monophyletic. A relaxed molecular clock approach indicates a late Palaeozoic diversification of Euthyneura and a Mesozoic origin of the major euthyneuran diversity, including Acochlidia. Conclusions The present study shows that the inclusion of small, enigmatic groups is necessary to solve deep-level phylogenetic relationships, and underlines that "pulmonate" and "opisthobranch" phylogeny, respectively, cannot be solved independently from each other. Our phylogenetic hypothesis requires reinvestigation of the traditional classification of Euthyneura: morphological synapomorphies of the traditionally defined Pulmonata and Opisthobranchia are evaluated in light of the presented phylogeny, and a redefinition of major groups is proposed. It is demonstrated that

  2. An unsuccessful search for brown dwarf companions to white dwarf stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shipman, Harry L.

    1986-01-01

    The results of a survey to detect excess infrared emission from white dwarf stars which would be attributable to a low mass companion are reviewed. Neither a simple comparison of spectroscopically identified white dwarf stars with the IRAS Point Source Catalog nor the coadding of IRAS survey data resulted in a detection of a brown dwarf. The seven nearest stars where the most stringent limits to the presence of a brown dwarf were obtained are listed, and an effort to detect brown dwarfs in the solar neighborhood is discussed.

  3. LC-MS Untargeted Metabolomics To Explain the Signal Metabolites Inducing Browning in Fresh-Cut Lettuce.

    PubMed

    García, Carlos J; García-Villalba, Rocío; Gil, María I; Tomas-Barberan, Francisco A

    2017-06-07

    Enzymatic browning is one of the main causes of quality loss in lettuce as a prepared and ready-to-eat cut salad. An untargeted metabolomics approach using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS was performed to explain the wound response of lettuce after cutting and to identify the metabolites responsible of browning. Two cultivars of Romaine lettuce with different browning susceptibilities were studied at short time intervals after cutting. From the total 5975 entities obtained from the raw data after alignment, filtration reduced the number of features to 2959, and the statistical analysis found that only 1132 entities were significantly different. Principal component analysis (PCA) clearly showed that these samples grouped according to cultivar and time after cutting. From those, only 15 metabolites belonging to lysophospholipids, oxylipin/jasmonate metabolites, and phenolic compounds were able to explain the browning process. These selected metabolites showed different trends after cutting; some decreased rapidly, others increased but decreased thereafter, whereas others increased during the whole period of storage. In general, the fast-browning cultivar showed a faster wound response and a higher raw intensity of some key metabolites than the slow-browning one. Just after cutting, the fast-browning cultivar contained 11 of the 15 browning-associated metabolites, whereas the slow-browning cultivar only had 5 of them. These metabolites could be used as biomarkers in breeding programs for the selection of lettuce cultivars with lower browning potential for fresh-cut applications.

  4. Brown versus Board at 62: Marching Back into the Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown Henderson, Cheryl; Brown, Steven M.

    2017-01-01

    Sixty-two years after the "Brown" decision, American schools are collapsing under the weight of an antiquated system of school finance, pockets of poverty, and a "Black and Browning" urban core. This article focuses on the "march backwards" to the de facto re-segregation of our nation's public schools. In 2016, the…

  5. A mother alligator protects her young

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    In the water near Kennedy Space Center, a mother alligator gathers her six offspring. American alligators feed and rest in the water, and lay their eggs in dens they dig into the banks. The young alligators spend their first several weeks in these dens. The Center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

  6. Characterization and Comparative Expression Profiling of Browning Response in Medinilla formosana after Cutting.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan; Wang, Yiting; Li, Kunfeng; Song, Xijiao; Chen, Jianping

    2016-01-01

    Plant browning is a recalcitrant problem for in vitro culture and often leads to poor growth of explants and even failure of tissue culture. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying browning-induced physiological processes remain unclear. Medinilla is considered one of the most difficult genera for tissue culture owning to its severe browning. In the present study, intact aseptic plantlets of Medinilla formosana Hayata previously obtained by ovary culture, were used to explore the characteristics and molecular mechanism of the browning response. Successive morphological and anatomical observations after cutting showed that the browning of M. formosana was not lethal but adaptive. De novo transcriptome and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling using Illumina high-throughput sequencing were then used to explore molecular regulation after cutting. About 7.5 million tags of de novo transcriptome were obtained and 58,073 unigenes were assembled and annotated. A total of 6,431 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at three stages after cutting were identified, and the expression patterns of these browning-related genes were clustered and analyzed. A number of putative DEGs involved in signal transduction and secondary metabolism were particularly studied and the potential roles of these cutting-responsive mRNAs in plant defense to diverse abiotic stresses are discussed. The DGE profiling data were also validated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The data obtained in this study provide an excellent resource for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of browning processes during in vitro tissue culture, and lay a foundation for future studies to inhibit and eliminate browning damage.

  7. Characterization and Comparative Expression Profiling of Browning Response in Medinilla formosana after Cutting

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yan; Wang, Yiting; Li, Kunfeng; Song, Xijiao; Chen, Jianping

    2016-01-01

    Plant browning is a recalcitrant problem for in vitro culture and often leads to poor growth of explants and even failure of tissue culture. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying browning-induced physiological processes remain unclear. Medinilla is considered one of the most difficult genera for tissue culture owning to its severe browning. In the present study, intact aseptic plantlets of Medinilla formosana Hayata previously obtained by ovary culture, were used to explore the characteristics and molecular mechanism of the browning response. Successive morphological and anatomical observations after cutting showed that the browning of M. formosana was not lethal but adaptive. De novo transcriptome and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling using Illumina high-throughput sequencing were then used to explore molecular regulation after cutting. About 7.5 million tags of de novo transcriptome were obtained and 58,073 unigenes were assembled and annotated. A total of 6,431 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at three stages after cutting were identified, and the expression patterns of these browning-related genes were clustered and analyzed. A number of putative DEGs involved in signal transduction and secondary metabolism were particularly studied and the potential roles of these cutting-responsive mRNAs in plant defense to diverse abiotic stresses are discussed. The DGE profiling data were also validated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The data obtained in this study provide an excellent resource for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of browning processes during in vitro tissue culture, and lay a foundation for future studies to inhibit and eliminate browning damage. PMID:28066460

  8. Transcriptomic events associated with internal browning of apple during postharvest storage

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Although apple (Malus x domestica) is of economic importance, little information is available about the transriptomic profiling of postharvest disorders, particularly internal browning. This study aimed to explore changes in the apple transcriptome associated with development of flesh browning durin...

  9. DNA DAMAGE AND EXTERNAL LESIONS IN BROWN BULLHEAD FROM CONTAMINATED HABITATS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The single cell gel electrophoresis ("Comet") assay was used to compare levels of DNA damage in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) collected from three known contaminated locations, the Cuyahoga River, Ashtabula River, and Ashumet Pond (Cape Cod), with brown bullheads collected...

  10. DNA DAMAGE AND EXTERNAL LESIONS IN BROWN BULLHEADS FROM CONTAMINATED HABITATS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Comet assay was used to compare levels of DNA damage in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) collected from three known contaminated locations, the Cuyahoga River, Ashtabula River, and Ashumet Pond (Cape Cod), with brown bullheads collected from three paired reference sites, ...

  11. Molecular analysis of proanthocyanidins related to pigmentation in brown cotton fibre (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

    PubMed

    Feng, Hongjie; Li, Yanjun; Wang, Shaofang; Zhang, Liangliang; Liu, Yongchuang; Xue, Fei; Sun, Yuqiang; Wang, Yongmei; Sun, Jie

    2014-11-01

    The structural characteristics and component differences of proanthocyanidins in brown and white cotton fibres were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses. Proanthocyanidins in brown and white cotton fibres were found to contain mainly procyanidin (PC) and prodelphidin (PD) units with 2, 3-cis form (epigallocatechin and epicatechin). However, part of the proanthocyanidins in the white cotton fibres were modified by acylation and were constitutively different from the proanthocyanidins in brown cotton fibres. The relative amount of PD was similar to that of PC in white cotton fibres, while proanthocyanidins in brown cotton fibres consisted mainly of PD units with a relative ratio of 9:1. In brown cotton fibres, the proanthocyanidin monomeric composition was consistent with the expression profiles of proanthocyanidin synthase genes, suggesting that anthocyanidin reductase represented the major flow of the proanthocyanidin biosynthesis pathway. In addition, the structural characteristics and component differences of proanthocanidins in brown and white cotton fibres suggested that quinones, the oxidation products of proanthocyanidins, were the direct contributors to colour development in brown cotton fibre. This was demonstrated by vanillin-HCl staining and Borntrager's test. Collectively, these data demonstrated that the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins is a crucial pigmentation process in brown cotton fibre, and that quinones may represent the main pigments contributing to formation of the the brown colour. This study revealed the molecular basis of pigmentation in brown cotton fibres, and provided important insights for genetic manipulation of pigment production in cotton fibres. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. All things rhabdoid and SMARC: An enigmatic exploration with Dr. Louis P. Dehner.

    PubMed

    Fuller, Christine E

    2016-11-01

    Over the past several decades, our understanding of malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT) and the central nervous system equivalent atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) has undergone considerable refinement, particularly in terms of genetic characterization. MRT (both renal and extra-renal) and ATRT share phenotypic similarities and a common genetic signature, that being inactivating alterations of the SWI/SNF complex component SMARCB1 (or rarely SMARCA4). Unfortunately, a wide array of tumors bears significantly overlapping phenotypic characteristics to MRT/ATRT, posing a formidable diagnostic challenge. Likewise, the list of tumors bearing SMARC-related alterations has grown at a dizzying pace, and the original assumption that SMARCB1 alterations were unique to MRT/ATRT has been essentially negated. It should come as no surprise that Dr. Louis P. Dehner, no stranger to enigmatic lesions, participated significantly in this pathologic controversy, and the circuitous journey of entity discovery and clarification. This review aims to (1) summarize our current knowledge of MRT and ATRT with an emphasis on genetic characterization, (2) present insight into so-called "composite rhabdoid tumors" (CRTs), and (3) and provide an updated account of others tumors bearing SMARC alterations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. FIRE Spectroscopy Of The Ultracool Brown Dwarf, UGPS 0722-05

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bochanski, John J.; Burgasser, A. J.; Simcoe, R. A.

    2011-05-01

    We present FIRE spectroscopic observations of the ultracool (T ˜ 520 K) brown dwarf, UGPS 0722-05, obtained during instrument commissioning on the 6.5m Baade Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. At a distance of 4.1 pc, this cool brown dwarf is well-suited for detailed followup, and represents a keystone at the transition between the lowest-mass brown dwarfs and exoplanets. Our spectrum of UGPS 0722-05 covers the 0.8-2.5 micron bandpasses at a resolution of R ˜ 6,000, and is measured to high signal-to-noise, peaking at 80 near 1.27 microns. We derive radial and rotational velocities for the isolated brown dwarf, and examine its space motion and Galactic orbit. The spectrum of UGPS 0722-05 is also compared to theoretical spectral models to constrain its atmospheric parameters. Finally, we comment on the presence of unidentified absorption features reported in the discovery spectrum of Lucas et al. (2010). We thank Mauricio Martinez and the entire Magellan staff for assistance during FIRE commissioning and observations. JJB acknowledges the support of Kevin Luhman.

  14. Opportunities for Laboratory Opacity Chemistry Studies to Facilitate Characterization of Young Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marley, Mark; Freedman, Richard S.

    2015-01-01

    The thermal emission spectra of young giant planets is shaped by the opacity of atoms and molecules residing in their atmospheres. While great strides have been made in improving the opacities of important molecules, particularly NH3 and CH4, at high temperatures, much more work is needed to understand the opacity and chemistry of atomic Na and K. The highly pressure broadened fundamental band of Na and K in the optical stretches into the near-infrared, strongly influencing the shape of the Y and K spectral bands. Since young giant planets are bright in these bands it is important to understand the influences on the spectral shape. Discerning gravity and atmospheric composition is difficult, if not impossible, without both good atomic opacities as well as an excellent understanding of the relevant atmospheric chemistry. Since Na and K condense at temperatures near 500 to 600 K, the chemistry of the condensation process must be well understood as well, particularly any disequilibrium chemical pathways. Comparisons of the current generation of sophisticated atmospheric models and available data, however, reveal important shortcomings in the models. We will review the current state of observations and theory of young giant planets and will discuss these and other specific examples where improved laboratory measurements for alkali compounds have the potential of substantially improving our understanding of these atmospheres.

  15. Consortial brown tide - picocyanobacteria blooms in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

    PubMed

    Hall, Nathan S; Litaker, R Wayne; Kenworthy, W Judson; Vandersea, Mark W; Sunda, William G; Reid, James P; Slone, Daniel H; Butler, Susan

    2018-03-01

    A brown tide bloom of Aureoumbra lagunensis developed in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba during a period of drought in 2013 that followed heavy winds and rainfall from Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012. Based on satellite images and water turbidity measurements, the bloom appeared to initiate in January 2013. The causative species (A. lagunensis) was confirmed by microscopic observation, and pigment and genetic analyses of bloom samples collected on May 28 of that year. During that time, A. lagunensis reached concentrations of 900,000 cells ml -1 (28 ppm by biovolume) in the middle portion of the Bay. Samples could not be collected from the northern (Cuban) half of the Bay because of political considerations. Subsequent sampling of the southern half of the Bay in November 2013, April 2014, and October 2014 showed persistent lower concentrations of A. lagunensis, with dominance shifting to the cyanobacterium Synechococcus (up to 33 ppm in April), an algal group that comprised a minor bloom component on May 28. Thus, unlike the brown tide bloom in Laguna Madre, which lasted 8 years, the bloom in Guantánamo Bay was short-lived, much like recent blooms in the Indian River, Florida. Although hypersaline conditions have been linked to brown tide development in the lagoons of Texas and Florida, observed euhaline conditions in Guantánamo Bay (salinity 35-36) indicate that strong hypersalinity is not a requirement for A. lagunensis bloom formation. Microzooplankton biomass dominated by ciliates was high during the observed peak of the brown tide, and ciliate abundance was high compared to other systems not impacted by brown tide. Preferential grazing by zooplankton on non-brown tide species, as shown in A. lagunensis blooms in Texas and Florida, may have been a factor in the development of the Cuban brown tide bloom. However, subsequent selection of microzooplankton capable of utilizing A. lagunensis as a primary food source may have contributed to the short-lived duration

  16. Insights in the Fruit Flesh Browning Mechanisms in Solanum melongena Genetic Lines with Opposite Postcut Behavior.

    PubMed

    Docimo, T; Francese, G; De Palma, M; Mennella, D; Toppino, L; Lo Scalzo, R; Mennella, G; Tucci, M

    2016-06-08

    Color, taste, flavor, nutritional value, and shelf life are important factors determining quality and healthiness of food and vegetables. These factors are strongly affected by browning processes, occurring after fruit or vegetable cutting. Characterization of ten eggplant genotypes for chlorogenic acid (CGA) content, total phenols (TP), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity, and browning tendency corroborated a lack of significant correlations between biochemical factors and fruit flesh browning. Further in-depth molecular and biochemical analyses of two divergent eggplant genetic lines, AM199 (high browning) and AM086 (low browning), within 30 min from cutting, highlighted differences in the physiological mechanisms underlying the browning process. qRT-PCR analysis revealed distinct activation mechanisms of CGA biosynthetic and PPO genes in the two genetic lines. Metabolic data on CGA, sugars, and ascorbic acid contents confirmed that their different browning tendency matched with different metabolic responses to cutting. Our findings suggest that the complex mechanism of flesh browning in the two eggplant genetic lines might be mediated by multiple specific factors.

  17. Estimates of brown bear abundance on Kodiak Island, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barnes, V.G.; Smith, R.B.

    1998-01-01

    During 1987-94 we used capture-mark-resight (CMR) methodology and rates of observation (bears/hour and bears/100 km2) of unmarked brown bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) during intensive aerial surveys (IAS) to estimate abundance of brown bears on Kodiak Island and to establish a baseline for monitoring population trends. CMR estimates were obtained on 3 study areas; density ranged from 216-234 bears/1,000 km2 for independent animals and 292-342 bears/1,000 km2 including dependent offspring. Rates of observation during IAS ranged from 1.4-5.4 independent bears/hour and 2.9-18.0 independent bears/100 km2. Density estimates for independent bears on each IAS area were obtained by dividing mean number of bears observed during replicate surveys by estimated sightability (based on CMR-derived sightability in areas with similar habitat. Brown bear abundance on 21 geographic units of Kodiak Island and 3 nearby islands was estimated by extrapolation from CMR and IAS data using comparisons of habitat characteristics and sport harvest information. Population estimates for independent and total bears were 1,800 and 2,600. The CMR and IAS procedures offer alternative means, depending on management objective and available resources, of measuring population trend of brown bears on Kodiak Island.

  18. Influence of carbohydrate and fat intake on diet-induced thermogenesis and brown fat activity in rats fed low protein diets.

    PubMed

    Rothwell, N J; Stock, M J

    1987-10-01

    Voluntary intake of protein, fat and carbohydrate (CHO) was modified by feeding young rats either a control purified diet [% metabolizable energy (ME): protein 21, fat 7, CHO 72], a control diet plus sucrose solution (20%) to drink (final intakes 17, 6 and 77% ME as protein, fat and CHO, respectively) or a low protein diet substituted with either CHO (8, 7 and 85% ME as protein, fat and CHO, respectively) or fat (8, 20 and 72% ME as protein, fat and CHO, respectively). Total ME intakes corrected for body size were similar for all rats, but body weight, energy gain and net energetic efficiency were lower in both low protein-fed groups than in the control group. The acute thermogenic response (% rise in oxygen consumption) to a standard balanced-nutrient meal was higher (12%) in sucrose-supplemented and in low protein groups (15-16%) than in control rats (8%). Brown adipose tissue protein content and thermogenic capacity (assessed from purine nucleotide binding to isolated mitochondria) were greater than control values in sucrose-fed and protein-deficient animals, and the greatest levels of activity were seen in low protein-fed rats with a high fat intake. The results demonstrate that the changes in energy balance, thermogenesis and brown adipose tissue activity that result from protein deficiency cannot be ascribed to changes in the level of energy intake or to a specific increase in the amount or proportion of either CHO or fat. They suggest that the protein-to-energy ratio must be the primary influence on thermogenesis and brown fat activity in these animals.

  19. Zones, spots, and planetary-scale waves beating in brown dwarf atmospheres.

    PubMed

    Apai, D; Karalidi, T; Marley, M S; Yang, H; Flateau, D; Metchev, S; Cowan, N B; Buenzli, E; Burgasser, A J; Radigan, J; Artigau, E; Lowrance, P

    2017-08-18

    Brown dwarfs are massive analogs of extrasolar giant planets and may host types of atmospheric circulation not seen in the solar system. We analyzed a long-term Spitzer Space Telescope infrared monitoring campaign of brown dwarfs to constrain cloud cover variations over a total of 192 rotations. The infrared brightness evolution is dominated by beat patterns caused by planetary-scale wave pairs and by a small number of bright spots. The beating waves have similar amplitudes but slightly different apparent periods because of differing velocities or directions. The power spectrum of intermediate-temperature brown dwarfs resembles that of Neptune, indicating the presence of zonal temperature and wind speed variations. Our findings explain three previously puzzling behaviors seen in brown dwarf brightness variations. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  20. Enzymatic oxalic acid regulation correlated with wood degradation in four brown-rot fungi

    Treesearch

    Anne Christine Steenkjær Hastrup; Frederick Green III; Patricia K. Lebow; Bo Jensen

    2012-01-01

    Oxalic acid is a key component in the initiation of brown-rot decay and it has been suggested that it plays multiple roles during the degradation process. Oxalic acid is accumulated to varying degrees among brown-rot fungi; however, details on active regulation are scarce. The accumulation of oxalic acid was measured in this study from wood degraded by the four brown-...

  1. Role of ascorbic acid in the inhibition of polyphenol oxidase and the prevention of browning in different browning-sensitive Lactuca sativa var. capitata (L.) and Eruca sativa (Mill.) stored as fresh-cut produce.

    PubMed

    Landi, Marco; Degl'Innocenti, Elena; Guglielminetti, Lorenzo; Guidi, Lucia

    2013-06-01

    Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and, to a minor extent, peroxidase (POD) represent the key enzymes involved in enzymatic browning, a negative process induced by cutting fresh-cut produce such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and rocket salad (Eruca sativa). Although ascorbic acid is frequently utilised as an anti-browning agent, its mechanism in the prevention of the browning phenomenon is not clearly understood. The activity of PPO and POD and their isoforms in lettuce (a high-browning and low-ascorbic acid species) and rocket salad (a low-browning and high-ascorbic species) was characterised. The kinetic parameters of PPO and in vitro ascorbic acid-PPO inhibition were also investigated. In rocket salad, PPO activity was much lower than that in lettuce and cutting induced an increase in PPO activity only in lettuce. Exogenous ascorbic acid (5 mmol L(-1)) reduced PPO activity by about 90% in lettuce. POD did not appear to be closely related to browning in lettuce. PPO is the main enzyme involved in the browning phenomenon; POD appears to play a minor role. The concentration of endogenous ascorbic acid in rocket salad was related to its low-browning sensitivity after cutting. In lettuce, the addition of ascorbic acid directly inhibited PPO activity. The results suggest that the high ascorbic acid content found in rocket salad plays an effective role in reducing PPO activity. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  2. Seasonal movement of brown trout in a southern Appalachian river

    Treesearch

    Kyle H. Burrell; J. Jeffery Isely; David B. Bunnell; David H. Van Lear; C. Andrew Dolloff

    2000-01-01

    Radio telemetry was used to evaluate the seasonal movement, activity level, and home range size of adult brown trout Salmo trutta in the Chattooga River watershed, one of the southernmost coldwater stream systems in the United States. In all, 27 adult brown trout (262-452 mm total length) were successfully monitored from 16 November 1995 to 15...

  3. Arctic Tundra Greening and Browning at Circumpolar and Regional Scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Epstein, H. E.; Bhatt, U. S.; Walker, D. A.; Raynolds, M. K.; Yang, X.

    2017-12-01

    Remote sensing data have historically been used to assess the dynamics of arctic tundra vegetation. Until recently the scientific literature has largely described the "greening" of the Arctic; from a remote sensing perspective, an increase in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), or a similar satellite-based vegetation index. Vegetation increases have been heterogeneous throughout the Arctic, and were reported to be up to 25% in certain areas over a 30-year timespan. However, more recently, arctic tundra vegetation dynamics have gotten more complex, with observations of more widespread tundra "browning" being reported. We used a combination of remote sensing data, including the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling System (GIMMS), as well as higher spatial resolution Landsat data, to evaluate the spatio-temporal patterns of arctic tundra vegetation dynamics (greening and browning) at circumpolar and regional scales over the past 3-4 decades. At the circumpolar scale, we focus on the spatial heterogeneity (by tundra subzone and continent) of tundra browning over the past 5-15 years, followed by a more recent recovery (greening since 2015). Landsat time series allow us to evaluate the landscape-scale heterogeneity of tundra greening and browning for northern Alaska and the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia, Russia. Multi-dataset analyses reveal that tundra greening and browning (i.e. increases or decreases in the NDVI respectively) are generated by different sets of processes. Tundra greening is largely a result of either climate warming, lengthening of the growing season, or responses to disturbances, such as fires, landslides, and freeze-thaw processes. Browning on the other hand tends to be more event-driven, such as the shorter-term decline in vegetation due to fire, insect defoliation, consumption by larger herbivores, or extreme weather events (e.g. winter warming or early summer frost damage). Browning can also be caused by local or

  4. Controlled cellular energy conversion in brown adipose tissue thermogenesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Horowitz, J. M.; Plant, R. E.

    1978-01-01

    Brown adipose tissue serves as a model system for nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) since a) it has as a primary physiological function the conversion of chemical energy to heat; and b) preliminary data from other tissues involved in NST (e.g., muscle) indicate that parallel mechanisms may be involved. Now that biochemical pathways have been proposed for brown fat thermogenesis, cellular models consistent with a thermodynamic representation can be formulated. Stated concisely, the thermogenic mechanism in a brown fat cell can be considered as an energy converter involving a sequence of cellular events controlled by signals over the autonomic nervous system. A thermodynamic description for NST is developed in terms of a nonisothermal system under steady-state conditions using network thermodynamics. Pathways simulated include mitochondrial ATP synthesis, a Na+/K+ membrane pump, and ionic diffusion through the adipocyte membrane.

  5. Brown at aft controls during PAMS STU deploy

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1996-05-22

    S77-E-5066 (22 May 1996) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, Jr., pilot, is seen on the starboard side of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's aft flight deck just prior to the deployment of the Satellite Test Unit (STU), part of the Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite (PAMS). Brown's image was captured with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC). Minutes later the camera was being used to document the deployment of PAMS-STU. The six-member crew will continue operations (tracking, rendezvousing and station-keeping) with PAMS-STU periodically throughout the remainder of the mission.

  6. Heated apple juice supplemented with onion has greatly improved nutritional quality and browning index.

    PubMed

    Lee, Bonggi; Seo, Jeong Dae; Rhee, Jin-Kyu; Kim, Choon Young

    2016-06-15

    Although fruit juices are very popular, enzymatic browning occurs easily. Browning of fruit juice deteriorates nutrition value and product quality due to oxidation of polyphenol compounds. Therefore, development of natural food additives that reduce browning will be beneficial for improving quality of fruit juices. Onion has been reported to be a potent natural anti-browning agent. Here, we compared unheated and heated apple juices pre-supplemented with onion with respect to browning and nutritional quality. The unheated apple juice supplemented with onion showed reduced browning as well as increased total soluble solid, total phenol concentration, radical scavenging activities, and ferric reducing and copper chelating activities without any change in flavonoid concentration. On the other hand, heated juice supplemented with onion not only showed improved values for these parameters but also markedly increased flavonoid concentration. Thus, we conclude that application of heating and onion addition together may greatly improve quality of apple juice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Utilization of a major brown rust resistance gene in sugarcane breeding

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Brown rust, caused by Puccinia melanocephala has had devastating effects on sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) breeding programs and on commercial production. The discovery of Bru1, a major gene conferring resistance to brown rust represented a substantial breakthrough and markers for the detection of Bru1 ...

  8. Young Star Probably Ejected From Triple System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2003-01-01

    Astronomers analyzing nearly 20 years of data from the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array radio telescope have discovered that a small star in a multiple-star system in the constellation Taurus probably has been ejected from the system after a close encounter with one of the system's more-massive components, presumed to be a compact double star. This is the first time any such event has been observed. Path of Small Star, 1983-2001 "Our analysis shows a drastic change in the orbit of this young star after it made a close approach to another object in the system," said Luis Rodriguez of the Institute of Astronomy of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). "The young star was accelerated to a large velocity by the close approach, and certainly now is in a very different, more remote orbit, and may even completely escape its companions," said Laurent Loinard, leader of the research team that also included Monica Rodriguez in addition to Luis Rodriguez. The UNAM astronomers presented their findings at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Seattle, WA. The discovery of this chaotic event will be important for advancing our understanding of classical dynamic astronomy and of how stars evolve, including possibly providing an explanation for the production of the mysterious "brown dwarfs," the astronomers said. The scientists analyzed VLA observations of T Tauri, a multiple system of young stars some 450 light-years from Earth. The observations were made from 1983 to 2001. The T Tauri system includes a "Northern" star, the famous star that gives its name to the class of young visible stars, and a "Southern" system of stars, all orbiting each other. The VLA data were used to track the orbit of the smaller Southern star around the larger Southern object, presumed to be a pair of stars orbiting each other closely. The astronomers' plot of the smaller star's orbit shows that it followed an apparently elliptical orbit around its twin companions

  9. Brown carbon formation from ketoaldehydes of biogenic monoterpenest.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Tran B; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Nizkorodov, Sergey A

    2013-01-01

    Sources and chemical composition of brown carbon are poorly understood, and even less is known about the mechanisms of its atmospheric transformations. This work presents molecular-level investigations of the reactive compound ketolimononaldehyde (KLA, C9H14O3), a second-generation ozonolysis product of limonene (C10H16), as a potent brown carbon precursor in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) through its reactions with reduced nitrogen compounds, such as ammonium ion (NH4+), ammonia, and amino acids. The reactions of synthesized and purified KLA with NH4+ and glycine resulted in the formation of chromophores nearly identical in spectral properties and formation rates to those found in similarly-aged limonene/O3 SOA. Similar chemical reaction processes of limononaldehyde (LA, C10H16O2) and pinonaldehyde (PA, C10H16O2), the first-generation ozonolysis products of limonene and alpha-pinene, respectively, were also studied, but the resulting products did not exhibit the light absorption properties of brown carbon, suggesting that the unique molecular structure of KLA produces visible-light-absorbing compounds. The KLA/NH4+ and KLA/GLY reactions produce water-soluble, hydrolysis-resilient chromophores with high mass absorption coefficients (MAC = 2000-4000 cm2 g(-1)) at lambda - 500 nm, precisely at the maximum of the solar emission spectrum. Liquid chromatography was used to isolate the light-absorbing fraction, and UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) techniques were used to investigate the structures and chemical properties of the light-absorbing compounds. The KLA browning reaction generates a diverse mixture of light-absorbing compounds, with the majority of the observable products containing 1-4 units of KLA and 0-2 nitrogen atoms. Based on the HR-MS product distribution, conjugated aldol condensates, secondary imines (Schiff bases), and N-heterocycles like pyrroles may contribute in varying degree to the light-absorbing properties of the

  10. Direct bioconversion of brown algae into ethanol by thermophilic bacterium Defluviitalea phaphyphila.

    PubMed

    Ji, Shi-Qi; Wang, Bing; Lu, Ming; Li, Fu-Li

    2016-01-01

    Brown algae are promising feedstocks for biofuel production with inherent advantages of no structural lignin, high growth rate, and no competition for land and fresh water. However, it is difficult for one microorganism to convert all components of brown algae with different oxidoreduction potentials to ethanol. Defluviitalea phaphyphila Alg1 is the first characterized thermophilic bacterium capable of direct utilization of brown algae. Defluviitalea phaphyphila Alg1 can simultaneously utilize mannitol, glucose, and alginate to produce ethanol, and high ethanol yields of 0.47 g/g-mannitol, 0.44 g/g-glucose, and 0.3 g/g-alginate were obtained. A rational redox balance system under obligate anaerobic condition in fermenting brown algae was revealed in D. phaphyphila Alg1 through genome and redox analysis. The excess reducing equivalents produced from mannitol metabolism were equilibrated by oxidizing forces from alginate assimilation. Furthermore, D. phaphyphila Alg1 can directly utilize unpretreated kelp powder, and 10 g/L of ethanol was accumulated within 72 h with an ethanol yield of 0.25 g/g-kelp. Microscopic observation further demonstrated the deconstruction process of brown algae cell by D. phaphyphila Alg1. The integrated biomass deconstruction system of D. phaphyphila Alg1, as well as its high ethanol yield, provided us an excellent alternative for brown algae bioconversion at elevated temperature.

  11. Production of the blood pressure lowing peptides from brown alga ( Undaria pinnatifida)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minoru, Sato; Takashi, Oba; Takao, Hosokawa; Toshiyasu, Yamaguchi; Toshiki, Nakano; Tadao, Saito; Koji, Muramoto; Takashi, Kahara; Katsura, Funayama; Akio, Kobayashi; Takahisa, Nakano

    2005-07-01

    Brown alga ( Undaria pinnatifida) was treated with alginate lyase and hydrolyzed using 17 kinds of proteases and the inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates for the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) was measured. Four hydrolysates with potent ACE-inhibitory activity were administered singly and orally to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The systolic blood pressure of SHRs decreases significantly after single oral administration of the brown alga hydrolysates by protease S ‘Amano’ (from Bacillus stearothermophilus) at the concentration of 10 (mg protein) (kg body weight)-1. In the 17 weeks of feeding experiment, 7-week-old SHRs were fed standard diet supplemented with the brown alga hydrolysates for 10 weeks. In SHRs fed 1.0 and 0.1% brown alga hydrolysates, elevating of systolic bloodpressure was significantly suppressed for 7 weeks. To elucidate the active components, the brown alga hydrolysates were fractionated by 1-butanol extraction and HPLC on a reverse-phase column. Seven kinds of ACE-inhibitory peptides were isolated and identified by amino acid composition analysis, sequence analysis, and LC-MS with the results Val-Tyr, Ile-Tyr, Ala-Trp, Phe-Tyr, Val-Trp, Ile-Trp, and Leu-Trp. Each peptide was determined to have an antihypertensive effect after a single oral administration in SHRs. The brown alga hydrolysates were also confirmed to decrease the blood pressure in humans.

  12. Non-enzymatic browning and flavour kinetics of vacuum dried onion slices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitra, Jayeeta; Shrivastava, Shanker L.; Rao, Pavuluri S.

    2015-01-01

    Onion slices were dehydrated under vacuum to produce good quality dried ready-to-use onion slices. Colour development due to non-enzymatic browning and flavour loss in terms of thiosulphinate concentration was determined, along with moisture content and rehydration ratio. Kinetics of non-enzymatic browning and thiosulphinate loss during drying was analysed. Colour change due to non-enzymatic browning was found to be much lower in the case of vacuum dried onion, and improved flavour retention was observed as compared to hot air dried onion slices. The optical index values for non-enzymatic browning varied from 18.41 to 38.68 for untreated onion slices and from 16.73 to 36.51 for treated slices, whereas thiosulphinate concentration in the case of untreated onion slices was within the range of 2.96-3.92 μmol g-1 for dried sample and 3.71-4.43 μmol g-1 for the treated onion slices. Rehydration ratio was also increased, which may be attributed to a better porous structure attained due to vacuum drying. The treatment applied was found very suitable in controlling non-enzymatic browning and flavour loss during drying, besides increasing rehydration ratio. Hence, high quality dried ready- to-use onion slices were prepared.

  13. Quercetin, a functional compound of onion peel, remodels white adipocytes to brown-like adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang Gil; Parks, John S; Kang, Hye Won

    2017-04-01

    Adipocyte browning is a promising strategy for obesity prevention. Using onion-peel-derived extracts and their bioactive compounds, we demonstrate that onion peel, a by-product of onion, can change the characteristics of white adipocytes to those of brown-like adipocytes in the white adipose tissue of mice and 3T3-L1 cells. The expression of the following brown adipose tissue-specific genes was increased in the retroperitoneal and subcutaneous adipose tissues of 0.5% onion-peel-extract-fed mice: PR domain-containing 16, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α, uncoupling protein 1, fibroblast growth factor 21 and cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, onion peel extract induced the expression of brown adipose tissue-specific genes and increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1α. This effect was supported by decreased lipid levels and multiple small-sized lipid droplets. The ethyl acetate fraction of the onion peel extract that contained the highest proportion of hydrophobic molecules showed the same browning effect in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis further identified quercetin as a functional compound in the browning effect of onion peel. The quercetin-associated browning effect was mediated in part by the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase. In summary, our study provides the first demonstration of the browning effects of onion peel and quercetin using both animal and cell models. This result indicates that onion peel has the potential to remodel the characteristics of white adipocytes to those of brown-like adipocytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Galactose Is the Limiting Factor for the Browning or Discoloration of Cheese during Storage.

    PubMed

    Igoshi, Asuka; Sato, Yui; Kameyama, Kumi; Murata, Masatsune

    2017-01-01

    The browning or discoloration of cheese is often observed during long-time ripening or aging. In the present study, we identified galactose as a limiting factor for the browning, and clarified the involvement of the Maillard reaction for the discoloration. A precursor of browning of Cheddar cheese was isolated by procedures of solvent extraction and chromatography. D-Galactose and D-lactose were identified as a precursor of browning of Cheddar cheese A and B, respectively. Cheddar cheese (A, B, and C), sugar-added cheese, and nine kinds of retail cheese were stored at 4 to 70ºC for 0 to 10 d, before the L*-, a*-, and b*-values and sugar contents of each sample were measured. Cheese to which galactose was added turned brown more intensively during storage than the non-added control and the other sugar-added cheese. The more galactose was added, the more intensive the browning of the cheese appeared. The decrease in galactose correlated with the ΔL*-, Δa*-, Δb*-, and ΔE-values indicating the browning or discoloration of cheese samples. The decrease in sugars of nine kinds of retail cheese during storage also correlated with the ΔL*-, Δa*-, and ΔE-values of these cheese samples. These results clearly indicate that sugars, especially galactose, in cheese are an important factor for the browning of cheese during storage. In general, a high amount of amino acids, peptides, and proteins exists in ripe or mature cheese. Therefore, sugars, especially galactose, were considered to be the limiting factor for the Maillard reaction causing the browning of ripe or mature cheese during storage.

  15. Black-Brown Relations and Stereotypes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mindiola, Tatcho Jr.; Niemann, Yolanda Flores; Rodriguez, Nestor

    This book analyzes how African and Hispanic Americans perceive and interact with one another, highlighting black-brown relations in Houston, Texas, one of the largest cities with a majority ethnic population and one in which Hispanic Americans outnumber African Americans. Using results from several sociological studies, the book examines: how each…

  16. Efficient transmission of cassava brown streak disease viral pathogens by chip bud grafting.

    PubMed

    Wagaba, Henry; Beyene, Getu; Trembley, Cynthia; Alicai, Titus; Fauquet, Claude M; Taylor, Nigel J

    2013-12-06

    Techniques to study plant viral diseases under controlled growth conditions are required to fully understand their biology and investigate host resistance. Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) presents a major threat to cassava production in East Africa. No infectious clones of the causal viruses, Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) or Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) are available, and mechanical transmission to cassava is not effective. An improved method for transmission of the viruses, both singly and as co-infections has been developed using bud grafts. Axillary buds from CBSD symptomatic plants infected with virulent isolates of CBSV and UCBSV were excised and grafted onto 6-8 week old greenhouse-grown, disease-free cassava plants of cultivars Ebwanateraka, TME204 and 60444. Plants were assessed visually for development of CBSD symptoms and by RT-PCR for presence of the viruses in leaf and storage root tissues. Across replicated experiments, 70-100% of plants inoculated with CBSV developed CBSD leaf and stem symptoms 2-6 weeks after bud grafting. Infected plants showed typical, severe necrotic lesions in storage roots at harvest 12-14 weeks after graft inoculation. Sequential grafting of buds from plants infected with UCBSV followed 10-14 days later by buds carrying CBSV, onto the same test plant, resulted in 100% of the rootstocks becoming co-infected with both pathogens. This dual transmission rate was greater than that achieved by simultaneous grafting with UCBSV and CBSV (67%), or when grafting first with CBSV followed by UCBSV (17%). The bud grafting method described presents an improved tool for screening cassava germplasm for resistance to CBSD causal viruses, and for studying pathogenicity of this important disease. Bud grafting provides new opportunities compared to previously reported top and side grafting systems. Test plants can be inoculated as young, uniform plants of a size easily handled in a small greenhouse or large growth chamber and

  17. Monoterpene limonene induces brown fat-like phenotype in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Lone, Jameel; Yun, Jong Won

    2016-05-15

    Several dietary compounds that are able to induce the brown fat-like phenotype in white adipocytes have been considered for treatment of obesity due to their ability to increase energy expenditure. Here, we report that limonene induces the brown fat-like phenotype in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by increasing expression of brown adipocyte-specific genes and proteins. Limonene-induced browning in white adipocytes was investigated by determining expression levels of brown fat-specific genes and proteins by real-time RT-PCR, immunoblot analysis, and immunocytochemical staining. Limonene enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis, as evidenced by increased mitochondrial content and immunofluorescent intensity. Limonene also significantly elevated protein levels of HSL, PLIN, p-AMPK, p-ACC, ACO, COX4, CPT1, and CYT C, suggesting its possible role in enhancement of lipolysis and lipid catabolism. Increased expression of PRDM16, UCP1, C/EBPβ, and other brown fat-specific markers by limonene was possibly mediated by activation of β3-adnergenic receptor (β3-AR), as inhibition of β3-AR inhibited up-regulation of brown fat-specific markers. Similarly, limonene-mediated activation of ERK and up-regulation of key brown adipocyte specific markers were eliminated by treatment with ERK antagonist. Taken together, these results suggest that limonene induces browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes via activation of β3-AR and the ERK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our findings suggest that limonene plays a dual modulatory role in induction of the brown adipocyte-like phenotype as well as promotion of lipid metabolism and thus may have potential therapeutic implications for treatment of obesity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Hanbury Brown and Twiss interferometry with twisted light

    PubMed Central

    Magaña-Loaiza, Omar S.; Mirhosseini, Mohammad; Cross, Robert M.; Rafsanjani, Seyed Mohammad Hashemi; Boyd, Robert W.

    2016-01-01

    The rich physics exhibited by random optical wave fields permitted Hanbury Brown and Twiss to unveil fundamental aspects of light. Furthermore, it has been recognized that optical vortices are ubiquitous in random light and that the phase distribution around these optical singularities imprints a spectrum of orbital angular momentum onto a light field. We demonstrate that random fluctuations of intensity give rise to the formation of correlations in the orbital angular momentum components and angular positions of pseudothermal light. The presence of these correlations is manifested through distinct interference structures in the orbital angular momentum–mode distribution of random light. These novel forms of interference correspond to the azimuthal analog of the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect. This family of effects can be of fundamental importance in applications where entanglement is not required and where correlations in angular position and orbital angular momentum suffice. We also suggest that the azimuthal Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect can be useful in the exploration of novel phenomena in other branches of physics and astrophysics. PMID:27152334

  19. Hanbury Brown and Twiss interferometry with twisted light.

    PubMed

    Magaña-Loaiza, Omar S; Mirhosseini, Mohammad; Cross, Robert M; Rafsanjani, Seyed Mohammad Hashemi; Boyd, Robert W

    2016-04-01

    The rich physics exhibited by random optical wave fields permitted Hanbury Brown and Twiss to unveil fundamental aspects of light. Furthermore, it has been recognized that optical vortices are ubiquitous in random light and that the phase distribution around these optical singularities imprints a spectrum of orbital angular momentum onto a light field. We demonstrate that random fluctuations of intensity give rise to the formation of correlations in the orbital angular momentum components and angular positions of pseudothermal light. The presence of these correlations is manifested through distinct interference structures in the orbital angular momentum-mode distribution of random light. These novel forms of interference correspond to the azimuthal analog of the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect. This family of effects can be of fundamental importance in applications where entanglement is not required and where correlations in angular position and orbital angular momentum suffice. We also suggest that the azimuthal Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect can be useful in the exploration of novel phenomena in other branches of physics and astrophysics.

  20. Multi-party quantum key agreement with five-qubit brown states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Tao; Jiang, Min; Cao, Gang

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, we propose a multi-party quantum key agreement protocol with five-qubit brown states and single-qubit measurements. Our multi-party protocol ensures each participant to contribute equally to the agreement key. Each party performs three single-qubit unitary operations on three qubits of each brown state. Finally, by measuring brown states and decoding the measurement results, all participants can negotiate a shared secret key without classical bits exchange between them. With the analysis of security, our protocol demonstrates that it can resist against both outsider and participant attacks. Compared with other schemes, it also possesses a higher information efficiency. In terms of physical operation, it requires single-qubit measurements only which weakens the hardware requirements of participant and has a better operating flexibility.

  1. Acute and chronic cold exposure differentially affects the browning of porcine white adipose tissue.

    PubMed

    Gao, Y; Qimuge, N R; Qin, J; Cai, R; Li, X; Chu, G Y; Pang, W J; Yang, G S

    2018-07-01

    Piglets are characteristically cold intolerant and thus susceptible to high mortality. However, browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) can induce non-shivering thermogenesis as a potential strategy to facilitate the animal's response to cold. Whether cold exposure can induce browning of subcutaneous WAT (sWAT) in piglets in a similar manner as it can in humans remains largely unknown. In this study, piglets were exposed to acute cold (4°C, 10 h) or chronic cold exposure (8°C, 15 days), and the genes and proteins of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent and independent thermogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, lipogenic and lipolytic processes were analysed. Interestingly, acute cold exposure induced browning of porcine sWAT, smaller adipocytes and the upregulated expression of UCP1, PGC1α, PGC1β, C/EBPβ, Cidea, UCP3, CKMT1 and PM20D1. Conversely, chronic cold exposure impaired the browning process, reduced mitochondrial numbers and the expression of browning markers, including UCP1, PGC1α and PRDM16. The present study demonstrated that acute cold exposure (but not chronic cold exposure) induces porcine sWAT browning. Thus, browning of porcine sWAT could be a novel strategy to balance the body temperature of piglets, and thus could be protective against cold exposure.

  2. Recommendations related to Browns Ferry Fire

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1976-02-01

    Based on its review of the events transpiring before, during and after the Browns Ferry fire, the Review Group concludes that the probability of disruptive fires of the magnitude of the Browns Ferry event is small, and that there is no need to restrict operation of nuclear power plants for public safety. However, it is clear that much can and should be done to reduce even further the likelihood of disabling fires and to improve assurance of rapid extinguishment of fires that occur. Consideration should be given also to features that would increase further the ability of nuclear facilities tomore » withstand large fires without loss of important functions should such fires occur. The Review Group believes that improvements, especially in the areas of fire prevention and fire control, can and should be made in most existing facilities.« less

  3. Database for content of mercury in Polish brown coal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jastrząb, Krzysztof

    2018-01-01

    Poland is rated among the countries with largest level of mercury emission in Europe. According to information provided by the National Centre for Balancing and Management of Emissions (KOBiZE) more than 10.5 tons of mercury and its compounds were emitted into the atmosphere in 2015 from the area of Poland. Within the scope of the BazaHg project lasting from 2014 to 2015 and co-financed from the National Centre of Research and Development (NCBiR) a database was set up with specification of mercury content in Polish hard steam coal, coking coal and brown coal (lignite) grades. With regard to domestic brown coal the database comprises information on coal grades from Brown Coal Mines of `Bełchatów', `Adamów', `Turów' and `Sieniawa'. Currently the database contains 130 records with parameters of brown coal, where each record stands for technical analysis (content of moisture, ash and volatile particles), elemental analysis (CHNS), content of chlorine and mercury as well as net calorific value and combustion heat. Content of mercury in samples of brown coal grades under test ranged from 44 to 985 μg of Hg/kg with the average level of 345 μg of Hg/kg. The established database makes up a reliable and trustworthy source of information about content of mercury in Polish fossils. The foregoing details completed with information about consumption of coal by individual electric power stations and multiplied by appropriate emission coefficients may serve as the background to establish loads of mercury emitted into atmosphere from individual stations and by the entire sector of power engineering in total. It will also enable Polish central organizations and individual business entities to implement reasonable policy with respect of mercury emission into atmosphere.

  4. The first X-ray emitting brown dwarf.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Comerón, F.; Neuhäuser, R.; Kaas, A. A.

    1998-12-01

    The increasing number of brown dwarfs discovered in the last few years is rapidly opening the possibilities of studying a wide range of their properties and the ways in which these depend on essential parameters, such as the mass, the age, the rotation, or the environment. One of these properties is the magnetic field, which in principle should be expected to be important in fully convective objects such as brown dwarfs. The chromospheric X-ray emission, widely observed in M-type dwarfs (Neuhäuser 1997), has its origin in this magnetic activity. As such, it offers an observational tool to probe the interior of these objects, the mechanisms for the generation and maintenance of their magnetic fields, and the way in which the magnetic activity is affected by the basic parameters of the object. The detection of X-ray emission from brown dwarfs is thus of great importance to extend our understanding of the properties of stellar magnetic fields to the substellar domain, as well as to ascertain to what extent a small, substellar mass, and the consequent lack of a permanent nuclear energy source, can have an impact in the production and the evolution of a magnetic field.

  5. Molecular phylogeography of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Northeastern Asia based on analyses of complete mitochondrial DNA sequences.

    PubMed

    Hirata, Daisuke; Mano, Tsutomu; Abramov, Alexei V; Baryshnikov, Gennady F; Kosintsev, Pavel A; Vorobiev, Alexandr A; Raichev, Evgeny G; Tsunoda, Hiroshi; Kaneko, Yayoi; Murata, Koichi; Fukui, Daisuke; Masuda, Ryuichi

    2013-07-01

    To further elucidate the migration history of the brown bears (Ursus arctos) on Hokkaido Island, Japan, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of 35 brown bears from Hokkaido, the southern Kuril Islands (Etorofu and Kunashiri), Sakhalin Island, and the Eurasian Continent (continental Russia, Bulgaria, and Tibet), and those of four polar bears. Based on these sequences, we reconstructed the maternal phylogeny of the brown bear and estimated divergence times to investigate the timing of brown bear migrations, especially in northeastern Eurasia. Our gene tree showed the mtDNA haplotypes of all 73 brown and polar bears to be divided into eight divergent lineages. The brown bear on Hokkaido was divided into three lineages (central, eastern, and southern). The Sakhalin brown bear grouped with eastern European and western Alaskan brown bears. Etorofu and Kunashiri brown bears were closely related to eastern Hokkaido brown bears and could have diverged from the eastern Hokkaido lineage after formation of the channel between Hokkaido and the southern Kuril Islands. Tibetan brown bears diverged early in the eastern lineage. Southern Hokkaido brown bears were closely related to North American brown bears.

  6. Exoplanet exploration for brown dwarfs with infrared astrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamaguchi, Masaki

    The astrometry is one of the oldest method for the exoplanet exploration. However, only one exoplanet has been found with the method. This is because the planet mass is sufficiently smaller than the mass of the central star, so that it is hard to observe the fluctuation of the central star by the planet. Therefore, we investigate the orbital period and mass of planets which we can discover by the future astrometric satellites for brown dwarfs, with the mass less than a tenth of the solar mass. So far five planetary systems of brown dwarfs have been found, whose mass ratios are larger than a tenth. For example, for the system whose distance, orbital period and mass ratio are 10 pc, 1 year and a tenth, respectively, the apparent semi-major axis reaches 3 milli-arcsecond, which can be well detected with the future astrometric satellites such as Small-JASMINE and Gaia. With these satellite, we can discover even super-Earth for the above system. We further investigate where in the period-mass plane we can explore the planet for individual brown dwarf with Small-JASMINE and Gaia. As a result, we find that we can explore a wide region where period and mass are within 5 years and larger than 3 earth mass. In addition, we can explore the region around 0.1 day and 10 Jovian mass, where planets have never found for any central star, and where we can explore only with Small-JASMINE for most target brown dwarfs.

  7. Deep Near-Infrared Surveys and Young Brown Dwarf Populations in Star-Forming Regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamura, M.; Naoi, T.; Oasa, Y.; Nakajima, Y.; Nagashima, C.; Nagayama, T.; Baba, D.; Nagata, T.; Sato, S.; Kato, D.; Kurita, M.; Sugitani, K.; Itoh, Y.; Nakaya, H.; Pickles, A.

    2003-06-01

    We are currently conducting three kinds of IR surveys of star forming regions (SFRs) in order to seek for very low-mass young stellar populations. First is a deep JHKs-bands (simultaneous) survey with the SIRIUS camera on the IRSF 1.4m or the UH 2.2m telescopes. Second is a very deep JHKs survey with the CISCO IR camera on the Subaru 8.2m telescope. Third is a high resolution companion search around nearby YSOs with the CIAO adaptive optics coronagraph IR camera on the Subaru. In this contribution, we describe our SIRIUS camera and present preliminary results of the ongoing surveys with this new instrument.

  8. An historical perspective - Brown is not a color. [astrophysics of infrared dwarf stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tarter, J. C.

    1986-01-01

    Major shifts in theoretical understanding of the star formation process and the possible components of the local mass density are reviewed. Those aspects of brown dwarf structure and evolution that are still not well enough understood are outlined, and the types of observations that might force the modification of current theories to accommodate the existence of brown dwarfs are suggested. The appropriateness of the name 'brown dwarf' is defended.

  9. Antimicrobials for reduction of Salmonella contamination in uncooked, surface-browned breaded chicken products.

    PubMed

    Moschonas, Galatios; Geornaras, Ifigenia; Stopforth, Jarret D; Wach, Damien; Woerner, Dale R; Belk, Keith E; Smith, Gary C; Sofos, John N

    2012-06-01

    Surface-browned but uncooked frozen breaded chicken products have been associated with salmonellosis outbreaks due to inadequate or no cooking of the products before consumption. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three antimicrobials against Salmonella during manufacture of a surface-browned, uncooked frozen breaded chicken meat product. Fresh chicken breast meat portions (5 by 5 by 5 cm) were inoculated (4 to 5 log CFU/g) with Salmonella and mixed with caprylic acid (CAA; 0.5 and 1.0%), carvacrol (CAR; 0.3 and 0.5%), ε-polylysine (POL; 0.125 and 0.25%), or distilled water (control). Sodium chloride (1.2%) and sodium tripolyphosphate (0.3%) were added to all treatments, and the mixtures were ground (5% total moisture enhancement level) and formed into portions (9 by 5 by 3 cm). The products were breaded and surface browned by baking in an oven (208°C for 15 min) or deep frying in vegetable oil (190°C for 15 s), packaged in polyethylene bags, and stored at -20°C for 7 days. Total reductions of inoculated Salmonella in untreated control oven- or fryer-browned products after frozen storage were 1.2 and 0.8 log CFU/g, respectively. In comparison, treatment with CAA, CAR, or POL reduced initial pathogen counts by 3.3 to >4.5, 4.1 to >4.7, and 1.1 to 1.6 log CFU/g, respectively, regardless of the antimicrobial concentration and browning method. Treatment with 1.0% CAA (oven browned) or 0.5% CAR (oven or fryer browned) reduced Salmonella to nondetectable levels (<0.3 log CFU/g) in stored frozen products. These data may be useful for development of suitable antimicrobial treatments to reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination in surface-browned, uncooked frozen breaded chicken products.

  10. Physical changes in white and brown rice during simulated gastric digestion.

    PubMed

    Kong, Fanbin; Oztop, Mecit Halil; Singh, R Paul; McCarthy, Michael J

    2011-08-01

    Previous studies have shown that brown rice generates lower glycemic responses than white rice, a trait that may be beneficial in the dietary management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The objective of this study was to investigate influence of rice digestion on the physical properties of the gastric digesta that may further impact intestinal absorption. A dynamic stomach model, human gastric simulator, was used to simulate the gastric digestion of white and brown rice. The pH, solids content, and rheological properties of the gastric digesta, as well as the size distribution of particles were studied. Static soaking was conducted to reveal the changes in moisture absorption and texture in rice kernels during simulated gastric digestion, as affected by shaking and the acid in gastric juice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to image the diffusion of gastric juice into the rice kernels. The results indicate that the bran layer on brown rice had a profound effect in digestion, as it inhibited the absorption of moisture and acid leading to decreased texture degradation, thus delaying the rice disintegration as well as dissolution and slowing emptying of solids. MRI is effective in exhibiting the diffusion of gastric juice as affected by gastric acid and the influence of bran. This study provided quantitative evidence regarding the manner in which structural differences between white and brown rice affect their gastric digestion. The study presented in this paper focuses on how the structural differences in white and brown rice affect their gastric digestion. This information may help consumers to better understand the health benefits associated with eating brown rice. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

  11. Cardiac natriuretic peptides promote adipose 'browning' through mTOR complex-1.

    PubMed

    Liu, Dianxin; Ceddia, Ryan P; Collins, Sheila

    2018-03-01

    Activation of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the ability to increase uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) levels and mitochondrial biogenesis in white fat (termed 'browning'), has great therapeutic potential to treat obesity and its comorbidities because of the net increase in energy expenditure. β-adrenergic-cAMP-PKA signaling has long been known to regulate these processes. Recently PKA-dependent activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) was shown to be necessary for adipose 'browning' as well as proper development of the interscapular BAT. In addition to cAMP-PKA signaling pathways, cGMP-PKG signaling also promotes this browning process; however, it is unclear whether or not mTORC1 is also necessary for cGMP-PKG induced browning. Activation of mTORC1 by natriuretic peptides (NP), which bind to and activate the membrane-bound guanylyl cyclase, NP receptor A (NPRA), was assessed in mouse and human adipocytes in vitro and mouse adipose tissue in vivo. Activation of mTORC1 by NP-cGMP signaling was observed in both mouse and human adipocytes. We show that NP-NPRA-PKG signaling activate mTORC1 by direct PKG phosphorylation of Raptor at Serine 791. Administration of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) to mice induced Ucp1 expression in inguinal adipose tissue in vivo, which was completely blocked by the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin. Our results demonstrate that NP-cGMP signaling activates mTORC1 via PKG, which is a component in the mechanism of adipose browning. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

  12. Genetic characterization of Kenai brown bears (Ursus arctos): Microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA control region variation in brown bears of the Kenai Peninsula, south central Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jackson, J.V.; Talbot, S.L.; Farley, S.

    2008-01-01

    We collected data from 20 biparentally inherited microsatellite loci, and nucleotide sequence from the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, to determine levels of genetic variation of the brown bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758) of the Kenai Peninsula, south central Alaska. Nuclear genetic variation was similar to that observed in other Alaskan peninsular populations. We detected no significant inbreeding and found no evidence of population substructuring on the Kenai Peninsula. We observed a genetic signature of a bottleneck under the infinite alleles model (IAM), but not under the stepwise mutation model (SMM) or the two-phase model (TPM) of microsatellite mutation. Kenai brown bears have lower levels of mtDNA haplotypic diversity relative to most other brown bear populations in Alaska. ?? 2008 NRC.

  13. Functionally Enigmatic Genes: A Case Study of the Brain Ignorome

    PubMed Central

    Pandey, Ashutosh K.; Lu, Lu; Wang, Xusheng; Homayouni, Ramin; Williams, Robert W.

    2014-01-01

    What proportion of genes with intense and selective expression in specific tissues, cells, or systems are still almost completely uncharacterized with respect to biological function? In what ways do these functionally enigmatic genes differ from well-studied genes? To address these two questions, we devised a computational approach that defines so-called ignoromes. As proof of principle, we extracted and analyzed a large subset of genes with intense and selective expression in brain. We find that publications associated with this set are highly skewed—the top 5% of genes absorb 70% of the relevant literature. In contrast, approximately 20% of genes have essentially no neuroscience literature. Analysis of the ignorome over the past decade demonstrates that it is stubbornly persistent, and the rapid expansion of the neuroscience literature has not had the expected effect on numbers of these genes. Surprisingly, ignorome genes do not differ from well-studied genes in terms of connectivity in coexpression networks. Nor do they differ with respect to numbers of orthologs, paralogs, or protein domains. The major distinguishing characteristic between these sets of genes is date of discovery, early discovery being associated with greater research momentum—a genomic bandwagon effect. Finally we ask to what extent massive genomic, imaging, and phenotype data sets can be used to provide high-throughput functional annotation for an entire ignorome. In a majority of cases we have been able to extract and add significant information for these neglected genes. In several cases—ELMOD1, TMEM88B, and DZANK1—we have exploited sequence polymorphisms, large phenome data sets, and reverse genetic methods to evaluate the function of ignorome genes. PMID:24523945

  14. Functionally enigmatic genes: a case study of the brain ignorome.

    PubMed

    Pandey, Ashutosh K; Lu, Lu; Wang, Xusheng; Homayouni, Ramin; Williams, Robert W

    2014-01-01

    What proportion of genes with intense and selective expression in specific tissues, cells, or systems are still almost completely uncharacterized with respect to biological function? In what ways do these functionally enigmatic genes differ from well-studied genes? To address these two questions, we devised a computational approach that defines so-called ignoromes. As proof of principle, we extracted and analyzed a large subset of genes with intense and selective expression in brain. We find that publications associated with this set are highly skewed--the top 5% of genes absorb 70% of the relevant literature. In contrast, approximately 20% of genes have essentially no neuroscience literature. Analysis of the ignorome over the past decade demonstrates that it is stubbornly persistent, and the rapid expansion of the neuroscience literature has not had the expected effect on numbers of these genes. Surprisingly, ignorome genes do not differ from well-studied genes in terms of connectivity in coexpression networks. Nor do they differ with respect to numbers of orthologs, paralogs, or protein domains. The major distinguishing characteristic between these sets of genes is date of discovery, early discovery being associated with greater research momentum--a genomic bandwagon effect. Finally we ask to what extent massive genomic, imaging, and phenotype data sets can be used to provide high-throughput functional annotation for an entire ignorome. In a majority of cases we have been able to extract and add significant information for these neglected genes. In several cases--ELMOD1, TMEM88B, and DZANK1--we have exploited sequence polymorphisms, large phenome data sets, and reverse genetic methods to evaluate the function of ignorome genes.

  15. [Smoking: knowledge, attitudes, habits and degree of dependence of young adults in Salvador].

    PubMed

    de Almeida, Aline Farias; Mussi, Fernanda Carneiro

    2006-12-01

    This study was aimed at evaluating the degree of smoking dependence and to characterize social demographic data, habits and attitudes of young smokers. Answered the questionnairel02 students from Salvador, State of Bahia, of which 11 were smokers. Their mean age and the age in which they first smoked were 18.2 and 13.4 years respectively. Most of them were male, in the first year of senior high school, of brown skin color and had close relatives who smoke. The majority of those young smokers had been advised about the risks of smoking at home and in school, but few had knowledge about the benefits of quitting. Almost half of them had been smoking for more than three years and had started to smoke out of curiosity. More than half of them smoked one cigarette per day, with low levels of nicotine, bought the cigarettes in shops, and wanted and tried to quit smoking, but never succeeded. The degree of dependence was low for most of them. This study offers hints for nurses to act against smoking with young adults.

  16. OGLE-2016-BLG-1469L: Microlensing Binary Composed of Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, C.; Udalski, A.; Sumi, T.; Gould, A.; Albrow, M. D.; Chung, S.-J.; Jung, Y. K.; Ryu, Y.-H.; Shin, I.-G.; Yee, J. C.; Zhu, W.; Cha, S.-M.; Kim, S.-L.; Kim, D.-J.; Lee, C.-U.; Lee, Y.; Park, B.-G.; KMTNet Collaboration; Soszyński, I.; Mróz, P.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Szymański, M. K.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Kozłowski, S.; Ulaczyk, K.; Pawlak, M.; OGLE Collaboration; Abe, F.; Asakura, Y.; Bennett, D. P.; Bond, I. A.; Bhattacharya, A.; Donachie, M.; Freeman, M.; Fukui, A.; Hirao, Y.; Itow, Y.; Koshimoto, N.; Li, M. C. A.; Ling, C. H.; Masuda, K.; Matsubara, Y.; Muraki, Y.; Nagakane, M.; Ohnishi, K.; Oyokawa, H.; Rattenbury, N. J.; Saito, To.; Sharan, A.; Sullivan, D. J.; Suzuki, D.; Tristram, P. J.; Yamada, T.; Yamada, T.; Yonehara, A.; Barry, R.; MOA Collaboration

    2017-07-01

    We report the discovery of a binary composed of two brown dwarfs, based on the analysis of the microlensing event OGLE-2016-BLG-1469. Thanks to the detection of both finite-source and microlens-parallax effects, we are able to measure both the masses {M}1˜ 0.05 {M}⊙ and {M}2˜ 0.01 {M}⊙ , and the distance {D}{{L}}˜ 4.5 {kpc}, as well as the projected separation {a}\\perp ˜ 0.33 au. This is the third brown-dwarf binary detected using the microlensing method, demonstrating the usefulness of microlensing in detecting field brown-dwarf binaries with separations of less than 1 au.

  17. Brown-McLean Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient

    PubMed Central

    Tourkmani, Abdo Karim; Martinez, Jaime D.; Berrones, David; Juárez-Domínguez, Brenda Y.; Beltrán, Francisco; Galor, Anat

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this manuscript is to report the case of a 12-year-old patient who presented for routine ophthalmic examination after congenital cataract surgery performed at 2 months of age. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral Brown-McLean syndrome by slit lamp examination. No treatment was required because the patient was asymptomatic and had a clear central cornea. This is the first described case of Brown-McLean syndrome in a pediatric patient, representing the importance of clinical examination in the pediatric age group after cataract surgery because of the risk for patients of developing peripheral edema. PMID:26034485

  18. Brown-McLean Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient.

    PubMed

    Tourkmani, Abdo Karim; Martinez, Jaime D; Berrones, David; Juárez-Domínguez, Brenda Y; Beltrán, Francisco; Galor, Anat

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this manuscript is to report the case of a 12-year-old patient who presented for routine ophthalmic examination after congenital cataract surgery performed at 2 months of age. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral Brown-McLean syndrome by slit lamp examination. No treatment was required because the patient was asymptomatic and had a clear central cornea. This is the first described case of Brown-McLean syndrome in a pediatric patient, representing the importance of clinical examination in the pediatric age group after cataract surgery because of the risk for patients of developing peripheral edema.

  19. BRIC - Brown with canisters on middeck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-11-02

    STS095-E-5171 (2 Nov. 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, STS-95 commander, during Flight Day 3 activity aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 05:57:03 GMT, Nov. 2.

  20. Preservation of hyphal-forming brown- and white-rot wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes

    Treesearch

    Suki C. Croan

    2001-01-01

    Lyophilization is an excellent technique for the long-term preservation of hyphal-forming brown-and white-rot wood-inhabiting basidiomycotina. However, vegetative mycelial isolates are not lyophilizable. In this study, 10 brown-rot and 10 white-rot basidiomycetous non-sporulating, non-chlamydosporulating, and non-bubillerferous basidiomycetes fungi were tested for...

  1. THE HAWAII INFRARED PARALLAX PROGRAM. II. YOUNG ULTRACOOL FIELD DWARFS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Allers, Katelyn N., E-mail: mliu@ifa.hawaii.edu

    We present a large, uniform analysis of young (≈10–150 Myr) ultracool dwarfs, based on new high-precision infrared (IR) parallaxes for 68 objects. We find that low-gravity (vl-g) late-M and L dwarfs form a continuous sequence in IR color–magnitude diagrams, separate from the field population and from current theoretical models. These vl-g objects also appear distinct from young substellar (brown dwarf and exoplanet) companions, suggesting that the two populations may have a different range of physical properties. In contrast, at the L/T transition, young, old, and spectrally peculiar objects all span a relatively narrow range in near-IR absolute magnitudes. At a given spectralmore » type, the IR absolute magnitudes of young objects can be offset from ordinary field dwarfs, with the largest offsets occurring in the Y and J bands for late-M dwarfs (brighter than the field) and mid-/late-L dwarfs (fainter than the field). Overall, low-gravity (vl-g) objects have the most uniform photometric behavior, while intermediate gravity (int-g) objects are more diverse, suggesting a third governing parameter beyond spectral type and gravity class. We examine the moving group membership for all young ultracool dwarfs with parallaxes, changing the status of 23 objects (including 8 previously identified planetary-mass candidates) and fortifying the status of another 28 objects. We use our resulting age-calibrated sample to establish empirical young isochrones and show a declining frequency of vl-g objects relative to int-g objects with increasing age. Notable individual objects in our sample include high-velocity (≳100 km s{sup −1}) int-g objects, very red late-L dwarfs with high surface gravities, candidate disk-bearing members of the MBM20 cloud and β  Pic moving group, and very young distant interlopers. Finally, we provide a comprehensive summary of the absolute magnitudes and spectral classifications of young ultracool dwarfs, using a combined sample of 102

  2. Altered miRNA processing disrupts brown/white adipocyte determination and associates with lipodystrophy

    PubMed Central

    Mori, Marcelo A.; Thomou, Thomas; Boucher, Jeremie; Lee, Kevin Y.; Lallukka, Susanna; Kim, Jason K.; Torriani, Martin; Yki-Järvinen, Hannele; Grinspoon, Steven K.; Cypess, Aaron M.; Kahn, C. Ronald

    2014-01-01

    miRNAs are important regulators of biological processes in many tissues, including the differentiation and function of brown and white adipocytes. The endoribonuclease dicer is a major component of the miRNA-processing pathway, and in adipose tissue, levels of dicer have been shown to decrease with age, increase with caloric restriction, and influence stress resistance. Here, we demonstrated that mice with a fat-specific KO of dicer develop a form of lipodystrophy that is characterized by loss of intra-abdominal and subcutaneous white fat, severe insulin resistance, and enlargement and “whitening” of interscapular brown fat. Additionally, KO of dicer in cultured brown preadipocytes promoted a white adipocyte–like phenotype and reduced expression of several miRNAs. Brown preadipocyte whitening was partially reversed by expression of miR-365, a miRNA known to promote brown fat differentiation; however, introduction of other miRNAs, including miR-346 and miR-362, also contributed to reversal of the loss of the dicer phenotype. Interestingly, fat samples from patients with HIV-related lipodystrophy exhibited a substantial downregulation of dicer mRNA expression. Together, these findings indicate the importance of miRNA processing in white and brown adipose tissue determination and provide a potential link between this process and HIV-related lipodystrophy. PMID:24983316

  3. Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome.

    PubMed

    Francis, D A; Ponsford, J R; Wiles, C M; Thomas, P K; Duchen, L W

    1993-02-01

    The clinical and pathological findings of a male with the Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome are described. This rare and fatal affection of the nervous system involves mainly the brain stem with the prominent and early manifestation of sensorineural deafness. Increased awareness and documentation of this disorder has added information on the mode of inheritance.

  4. View southwest along Brown Road showing residential and commercial buildings ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    View southwest along Brown Road showing residential and commercial buildings on the north and south sides of the road - Brooklyn Green, North Green, South Green, & West Green, parts of Brown Road, Canterbury Road (Route 169), Hartford Road (Route 6), Hyde Road, Pomfret Road (Route 169), Prince Hill Road, Providence Road (Route 6), Wauregan Road (Routes 169 & 205), & Wolf Den Road, Brooklyn, Windham County, CT

  5. Adipocyte Browning and Higher Mitochondrial Function in Periadrenal But Not SC Fat in Pheochromocytoma.

    PubMed

    Vergnes, Laurent; Davies, Graeme R; Lin, Jason Y; Yeh, Michael W; Livhits, Masha J; Harari, Avital; Symonds, Michael E; Sacks, Harold S; Reue, Karen

    2016-11-01

    Patients with pheochromocytoma (pheo) show presence of multilocular adipocytes that express uncoupling protein 1 within periadrenal (pADR) and omental (OME) fat depots. It has been hypothesized that this is due to adrenergic stimulation by catecholamines produced by the pheo tumors. To characterize the prevalence and respiratory activity of brown-like adipocytes within pADR, OME, and SC fat depots in human adult pheo patients. This was an observational cohort study. The study took place in a university hospital. We studied 46 patients who underwent surgery for benign adrenal tumors (21 pheos and 25 controls with adrenocortical adenomas). We characterized adipocyte browning in pADR, SC, and OME fat depots for histological and immunohistological features, mitochondrial respiration rate, and gene expression. We also determined circulating levels of catecholamines and other browning-related hormones. Eleven of 21 pheo pADR adipose samples, but only one of 25 pADR samples from control patients exhibited multilocular adipocytes. The pADR browning phenotype was associated with higher plasma catecholamines and raised uncoupling protein 1. Mitochondria from multilocular pADR fat of pheo patients exhibited increased rates of coupled and uncoupled respiration. Global gene expression analysis in pADR fat revealed enrichment in β-oxidation genes in pheo patients with multilocular adipocytes. No SC or OME fat depots exhibited aspects of browning. Browning of the pADR depot occurred in half of pheo patients and was associated with increased catecholamines and mitochondrial activity. No browning was detected in other fat depots, suggesting that other factors are required to promote browning in these depots.

  6. Climate and land-use changes affecting river sediment and brown trout in alpine countries--a review.

    PubMed

    Scheurer, Karin; Alewell, Christine; Bänninger, Dominik; Burkhardt-Holm, Patricia

    2009-03-01

    that suspended sediments affect the health and behaviour of fish when available in high amounts. Point measurements in large rivers indicate no common lethal threat and suspended sediment is rarely measured continuously in small rivers. However, effects on fish can be expected under environmentally relevant conditions. River bed clogging impairs the reproductive performance of gravel-spawning fish. Overall, higher erosion and increased levels of fine sediment going into rivers are expected in future. Additionally, sediment loads in rivers are suspected to have considerably impaired gravel bed structure and brown trout spawning is impeded. Timing of discharge is put forward and is now more likely to affect brown trout spawning than in previous decades. Reports on riverbed clogging from changes in erosion and fine sediment deposition patterns, caused by climate change and land-use change are rare. This review identifies both a risk of increases in climate erosive forces and fine sediment loads in rivers of alpine countries. Increased river discharge and sediment loads in winter and early spring could be especially harmful for brown trout reproduction and development of young life stages. Recently published studies indicate a decline in trout reproduction from riverbed clogging in many rivers in lowlands and alpine regions. However, the multitude of factors in natural complex ecosystems makes it difficult to address a single causative factor. Further investigations into the consequences of climate change and land-use change on river systems are needed. Small rivers, of high importance for the recruitment of gravel-spawning fish, are often neglected. Studies on river bed clogging are rare and the few existing studies are not comparable. Thus, there is a strong need for the development of methods to assess sediment input and river bed clogging. As well, studies on the effects to fish from suspended sediments and consequences of gravel beds clogging under natural conditions

  7. The brain and brown fat

    PubMed Central

    Gonzalez, Francisco; Fernø, Johan; Diéguez, Carlos; Rahmouni, Kamal; Nogueiras, Rubén

    2015-01-01

    Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specialized organ responsible for thermogenesis, a process required for maintaining body temperature. BAT is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which activates lipolysis and mitochondrial uncoupling in brown adipocytes. For many years, BAT was considered to be important only in small mammals and newborn humans, but recent data have shown that BAT is also functional in adult humans. On the basis of this evidence, extensive research has been focused on BAT function, where new molecules, such as irisin and bone morphogenetic proteins, particularly BMP7 and BMP8B, as well as novel central factors and new regulatory mechanisms, such as orexins and the canonical ventomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) AMP- activated protein kinase (AMPK)–SNS–BAT axis, have been discovered and emerged as potential drug targets to combat obesity. In this review we provide an overview of the complex central regulation of BAT and how different neuronal cell populations co-ordinately work to maintain energy homeostasis. PMID:24915455

  8. Invasive Brown Treesnake movements at road edges indicate road-crossing avoidance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Siers, Shane R.; Savidge, Julie S; Reed, Robert N.

    2014-01-01

    Roads have significant impacts on the dispersal of wildlife. Although this poses a threat to the abundance and diversity of desirable flora and fauna, it also affords some opportunity for enhancing control of invasive species. Roads are the most common terrain features that may affect the rate of landscape-scale movements of invasive Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) throughout Guam. We radio tracked 45 free-ranging Brown Treesnakes in close proximity to two roads in Guam and recorded instances where daily relocations of snakes spanned roads. Then we reconstructed observed movement histories with randomized turning angles, which served as a useful null hypothesis for assessing the effect of roads or road edge habitat on Brown Treesnake movement patterns. Random walk simulations demonstrated that Brown Treesnakes crossed these roads at a rate far lower than would be expected if snake movement was random with respect to roads and road edge habitat. We discuss two alternative hypotheses for these results: 1) habitat gaps posed by roads physically or behaviorally restrict snake movement; or 2) road edges provide preferred foraging habitat from which snakes are reluctant to depart. Because roads often form the boundaries of jurisdictional and management units, the effects of roads on the movement of invasive Brown Treesnakes will influence the prospects for success of future landscape-level suppression efforts.

  9. Parkin-mediated mitophagy is downregulated in browning of white adipose tissue.

    PubMed

    Taylor, David; Gottlieb, Roberta A

    2017-04-01

    Browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) promotes increased energy expenditure through the action of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and is an attractive target to promote weight loss in obesity. Lowering of mitochondrial membrane potential by UCP1 is uniquely beneficial in this context; in other tissues, reduced membrane potential promotes mitochondrial clearance via mitophagy. It is unknown how parkin-mediated mitophagy is regulated in beige adipocytes. The relationship between parkin expression and WAT browning was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and parkin-deficient male C57BL/6 mice in response to pharmacological browning stimuli. Rosiglitazone treatment in 3T3-L1 adipocytes promoted mitochondrial biogenesis, UCP1 expression, and mitochondrial uncoupling. Parkin expression was decreased and reduced mitochondrial-associated parkin, and p62 indicated a reduction in mitophagy activity. Parkin overexpression prevented mitochondrial remodeling in response to rosiglitazone. In CL 316,243-treated wild-type mice, decreased parkin expression was observed in subcutaneous inguinal WAT, where UCP1 was strongly induced. CL 316,243 treatment weakly induced UCP1 expression in the gonadal depot, where parkin expression was unchanged. In contrast, parkin-deficient mice exhibited robust UCP1 expression in gonadal WAT following CL 316,243 treatment. WAT browning was associated with a decrease in parkin-mediated mitophagy, and parkin expression antagonized browning of WAT. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

  10. Multimodal imaging approach to monitor browning of adipose tissue in vivo.

    PubMed

    Chan, Xin Hui Derryn; Balasundaram, Ghayathri; Attia, Amalina Binte Ebrahim; Goggi, Julian L; Ramasamy, Boominathan; Han, Weiping; Olivo, Malini; Sugii, Shigeki

    2018-06-01

    The discovery that white adipocytes can undergo a browning process to become metabolically active beige cells has attracted significant interest in the fight against obesity. However, the study of adipose browning has been impeded by a lack of imaging tools that allow longitudinal and noninvasive monitoring of this process in vivo. Here, we report a preclinical imaging approach to detect development of beige adipocytes during adrenergic stimulation. In this approach, we expressed near-infrared fluorescent protein, iRFP720, driven under an uncoupling protein-1 ( Ucp1 ) promoter in mice by viral transduction, and used multispectral optoacoustic imaging technology with ultrasound tomography (MSOT-US) to assess adipose beiging during adrenergic stimulation. We observed increased photoacoustic signal at 720 nm, coupled with attenuated lipid signals in stimulated animals. As a proof of concept, we validated our approach against hybrid positron emission tomography combined with magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging modality, and quantified the extent of adipose browning by MRI-guided segmentation of 2-deoxy-2- 18 F-fluoro-d-glucose uptake signals. The browning extent detected by MSOT-US and PET/MR are well correlated with Ucp1 induction. Taken together, these systems offer great opportunities for preclinical screening aimed at identifying compounds that promote adipose browning and translation of these discoveries into clinical studies of humans. Copyright © 2018 Chan et al.

  11. Endocannabinoid regulation in white and brown adipose tissue following thermogenic activation

    PubMed Central

    Krott, Lucia M.; Piscitelli, Fabiana; Heine, Markus; Borrino, Simona; Scheja, Ludger; Silvestri, Cristoforo; Heeren, Joerg; Di Marzo, Vincenzo

    2016-01-01

    The endocannabinoids and their main receptor, cannabinoid type-1 (CB1), suppress intracellular cyclic AMP levels and have emerged as key players in the control of energy metabolism. CB1 agonists and blockers have been reported to influence the thermogenic function of white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT), affecting body weight through the inhibition and stimulation of energy expenditure, respectively. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the regulation of the endocannabinoid system in WAT and BAT following exposure to either cold or specific agonism of β3-adrenoceptors using CL316,243 (CL), conditions known to cause BAT activation and WAT browning. To address this question, we performed quantitative PCR-based mRNA profiling of genes important for endocannabinoid synthesis, degradation, and signaling, and determined endocannabinoid levels by LC-MS in WAT and BAT of control, cold-exposed, and CL-treated wild-type mice as well as primary brown adipocytes. Treatment with CL and exposure to cold caused an upregulation of endocannabinoid levels and biosynthetic enzymes in WAT. Acute β3-adrenoceptor activation increased endocannabinoids and a subset of genes of biosynthesis in BAT and primary brown adipocytes. We suggest that the cold-mediated increase in endocannabinoid tone is part of autocrine negative feed-back mechanisms controlling β3-adrenoceptor-induced BAT activation and WAT browning. PMID:26768656

  12. Elucidation of the mechanism of enzymatic browning inhibition by sodium chlorite.

    PubMed

    He, Qiang; Luo, Yaguang; Chen, Pei

    2008-10-15

    Sodium chlorite (SC) is a well known anti-microbial agent and its strong inhibitory effect on enzymatic browning of fresh-cut produce has recently been identified. We investigated the effect of SC on polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and its substrate, chlorogenic acid (CA), as it relates to the mechanisms of browning inhibition by SC. Results indicate that the browning reaction of CA (1.0mM) catalyzed by PPO (33U/mL) was significantly inhibited by 1.0mM SC at pH 4.6. Two PPO isoforms were identified by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and both were inactivated by SC (3.0mM). This suggests that SC serves as a PPO inhibitor to prevent enzymatic browning. Furthermore, the effect of SC on the stability of CA in both acidic (pH 4.5) and basic conditions (pH 8.3) was studied by UV-Vis scan and LC-MS analysis. The results showed that at the presence of SC (3.0mM), CA (0.1mM) degraded to quinic acid and caffeic acid as well as other intermediates. Hence, the anti-browning property of SC can be attributed to the two modes of action: the inactivation of polyphenol oxidase directly and the oxidative degradation of phenolic substrates. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Low accumulation of chlorogenic acids represses reddening during flesh browning in Japanese peach "Okayama PEH7".

    PubMed

    Yokotani, Naoki; Uraji, Misugi; Hara, Miyuki; Hihara, Seisuke; Hatanaka, Tadashi; Oda, Kenji

    2017-01-01

    In peaches, fruit flesh browns unattractively after peeling or cutting. A recently developed cultivar, Okayama PEH7, was distinct from other Japanese cultivars, including Okayama PEH8, with respect to its reduced browning potential. Homogenate prepared from Okayama PEH7 flesh had significantly less reddening during the browning reaction. Okayama PEH7 had less soluble phenolic compounds and higher polyphenol oxidase activity than Okayama PEH8. Reduced browning was observed even when phenols prepared from Okayama PEH7 were incubated with crude extract from Okayama PEH8, suggesting that phenols lower the browning potential of Okayama PEH7. In Okayama PEH7, contents of chlorogenic acid and its isomers were about one-tenth compared to Okayama PEH8. Exogenous addition of chlorogenic acid to Okayama PEH7 homogenate increased the browning potential and visibly enhanced reddening. These results indicate that the reduced browning of Okayama PEH7 flesh is due to a defect in chlorogenic acid accumulation.

  14. Behavioural Differences between Single Scandinavian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Females with Dependent Young When Experimentally Approached by Humans

    PubMed Central

    Sahlén, Veronica; Ordiz, Andrés; Swenson, Jon E.; Støen, Ole Gunnar

    2015-01-01

    Carnivore-human encounters that result in human injury present a conservation and management challenge and it is therefore important to understand under what conditions such incidents occur. Females with cubs are often involved when humans are injured by brown bears Ursus arctos. In Scandinavia, this is particularly true for unarmed recreational forest users. Our aim was to document behavioural differences between single bears and females with cubs in order to develop recommendations to minimize the risk of injuries to recreational forest users. We documented the reactions of GPS-collared females with cubs and single brown bears to experimental approaches by humans to 50 m from the bear on 42 and 108 occasions, respectively. The majority of females with cubs (95%) and single bears (89%) left when approached. Bears that left were passed at shorter distances and were in more open areas than those that stayed. Both groups had similar flight initiation distances, which were longer for bears that were active at the time of the disturbance. Females with cubs selected more open habitat than single bears, also for the new site they selected following disturbance. Females with cubs, particularly active females with cubs of the year, moved greater distances and spent more time active following the approach. Females with cubs and single bears were seen or heard in 26% and 14% of the approaches, respectively. None of the bears displayed any aggressive behaviour during the approaches. Females with cubs selected more open habitat, perhaps predisposing them to encountering people that are not involved in hunting activities, which might be the primary explanation why females with cubs are most frequently involved when unarmed people are injured by bears in Scandinavia. To mitigate injury risks, one must consider factors that bring bears closer to human activity in the first place. PMID:25830333

  15. Population-level resource selection by sympatric brown and American black bears in Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Belant, Jerrold L.; Griffith, Brad; Zhang, Yingte; Follmann, Erich H.; Adams, Layne G.

    2010-01-01

    Distribution theory predicts that for two species living in sympatry, the subordinate species would be constrained from using the most suitable resources (e.g., habitat), resulting in its use of less suitable habitat and spatial segregation between species. We used negative binomial generalized linear mixed models with fixed effects to estimate seasonal population-level resource selection at two spatial resolutions for female brown bears (Ursus arctos) and female American black bears (U. americanus) in southcentral Alaska during May–September 2000. Black bears selected areas occupied by brown bears during spring which may be related to spatially restricted (i.e., restricted to low elevations) but dispersed or patchy availability of food. In contrast, black bears avoided areas occupied by brown bears during summer. Brown bears selected areas near salmon streams during summer, presumably to access spawning salmon. Use of areas with high berry production by black bears during summer appeared in response to avoidance of areas containing brown bears. Berries likely provided black bears a less nutritious, but adequate food source. We suggest that during summer, black bears were displaced by brown bears, which supports distribution theory in that black bears appeared to be partially constrained from areas containing salmon, resulting in their use of areas containing less nutritious forage. Spatial segregation of brown and American black bears apparently occurs when high-quality resources are spatially restricted and alternate resources are available to the subordinate species. This and previous work suggest that individual interactions between species can result in seasonal population-level responses.

  16. Hematodinium sp. and its bacteria-like endosymbiont in European brown shrimp (Crangon crangon)

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Parasitic dinoflagellates of the genus Hematodinium are significant pathogens affecting the global decapod crustacean fishery. Despite this, considerable knowledge gaps exist regarding the life history of the pathogen in vivo, and the role of free living life stages in transmission to naïve hosts. Results In this study, we describe a novel disease in European brown shrimp (Crangon crangon) caused by infection with a parasitic dinoflagellate of the genus Hematodinium. This is the second example host within the Infraorder Caridea (shrimp) and significantly, the first description within the superfamily Crangonoidea. Based upon analysis of the rRNA gene (SSU) and spacers (ITS1), the parasite in C. crangon is the same as that previously described infecting Nephrops norvegicus and Cancer pagurus from European seas, and to the parasite infecting several other commercially important crab species in the Northern Hemisphere. The parasite is however distinct from the type species, H. perezi, found infecting type hosts (Carcinus maenas and Liocarcinus depurator) from nearby sites within Europe. Despite these similarities, the current study has also described for the first time, a bacteria-like endosymbiont within dinospore stages of the parasite infecting shrimp. The endosymbionts were either contained individually within electron lucent vacuoles within the parasite cell cytoplasm, or remained in direct contact with the parasite cytoplasm or in some cases, the nucleoplasm. In all of these cases, no apparent detrimental effects of colonization were observed within the parasite cell. Conclusions The presence of bacteria-like endosymbionts within dinospore life stages presumes that the relationship between the dinoflagellate and the bacteria is extended beyond the period of liberation of spores from the infected host shrimp. In this context, a potential role of endosymbiosis in the survival of free-living stages of the parasite is possible. The finding offers a

  17. Gastric emptying rate and chyme characteristics for cooked brown and white rice meals in vivo.

    PubMed

    Bornhorst, Gail M; Chang, Lucy Q; Rutherfurd, Shane M; Moughan, Paul J; Singh, R Paul

    2013-09-01

    Rice structure is important to rice grain and starch breakdown during digestion. The objective of this study was to determine the gastric emptying and rice composition during gastric digestion of cooked brown and white medium-grain (Calrose variety) rice using the growing pig as a model for the adult human. Brown and white rice did not show significantly different gastric emptying rates of dry matter or starch, but brown rice had slower protein emptying (P < 0.05). Moisture content was greater and pH was lower in the distal stomach compared to the proximal stomach (P < 0.0001), and varied with time (P < 0.0001). The mechanism of physical breakdown for brown and white rice varied. Brown rice exhibited an accumulation of bran layer fragments in the distal stomach, quantified by lower starch and higher protein content. The quantity of gastric secretions observed after a brown or white rice meal may be related to the meal buffering capacity, and are accumulated in the distal stomach. The delayed rate of protein emptying in brown rice compared to white rice was most likely due to the accumulation of bran layers in the stomach. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. Characterization of the Mysteriously Cool Brown Dwarf HD 4113

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ednie, Michaela; Follette, Katherine; Ward-Duong, Kimberly

    2018-01-01

    Characterizing the physical properties of brown dwarfs is necessary to expand and improve our understanding of low mass companions, including exoplanets. Systems with both close radial velocity companions and distant directly imaged companions are particularly powerful in understanding planet formation mechanisms. Early in 2017, members of the SPHERE team discovered a companion brown dwarf in the HD 4113 system, which also contains a known RV planet. Atmospheric model fits to the Y and J-band spectra and H2/H3 photometry of the brown dwarf suggested it is unusually cool. We obtained new Magellan data in the Z and K’ bands in mid-2017. This data will help us to complete a more detailed atmospheric and astrometric characterization of this unusually cool companion. Broader wavelength coverage will help in accurate spectral typing and estimations of luminosity, temperature, surface gravity, radius, and composition. Additionally, a second astrometric epoch will help constrain the architecture of the system.

  19. Population Genomics Reveals Speciation and Introgression between Brown Norway Rats and Their Sibling Species

    PubMed Central

    Teng, Huajing; Zhang, Yaohua; Shi, Chengmin; Mao, Fengbiao; Cai, Wanshi; Lu, Liang; Zhao, Fangqing; Sun, Zhongsheng; Zhang, Jianxu

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Murine rodents are excellent models for study of adaptive radiations and speciation. Brown Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are successful global colonizers and the contributions of their domesticated laboratory strains to biomedical research are well established. To identify nucleotide-based speciation timing of the rat and genomic information contributing to its colonization capabilities, we analyzed 51 whole-genome sequences of wild-derived Brown Norway rats and their sibling species, R. nitidus, and identified over 20 million genetic variants in the wild Brown Norway rats that were absent in the laboratory strains, which substantially expand the reservoir of rat genetic diversity. We showed that divergence of the rat and its siblings coincided with drastic climatic changes that occurred during the Middle Pleistocene. Further, we revealed that there was a geographically widespread influx of genes between Brown Norway rats and the sibling species following the divergence, resulting in numerous introgressed regions in the genomes of admixed Brown Norway rats. Intriguing, genes related to chemical communications among these introgressed regions appeared to contribute to the population-specific adaptations of the admixed Brown Norway rats. Our data reveals evolutionary history of the Brown Norway rat, and offers new insights into the role of climatic changes in speciation of animals and the effect of interspecies introgression on animal adaptation. PMID:28482038

  20. Old Business: From Brown to Now.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Kenneth B.

    1978-01-01

    During the past ten years, subtle White northern liberal racism, White backlash, and Black separatism have seriously threatened the gains of the civil rights movement that were triggered by the "Brown" decision. Fortunately, this negative tide is now being reversed. (Author/IRT)