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Rapid increase in number of male-to-female vaginoplasties emphasizes the need for preoperative measures to optimize final surgical and patient-reported outcomes. Hormonal therapy and socioeconomic factors may contribute to a higher incidence of pelvic floor dysfunction in patients undergoing male-to-female vaginoplasty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of pelvic floor dysfunction in this population and the role of physical therapy in its treatment.From July 2016 to July 2018, patients scheduled to undergo male-to-female vaginoplasty were evaluated by a physical therapist for pelvic floor dysfunction. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics, comorbidities, and length of hormonal therapy. Those with and without symptoms were compared. Symptomatic patients underwent therapy. Assessment of symptom severity and its impact on daily living were completed at 2- to 3-month intervals with physical therapy using the 6-item Urinary Distress Index 6 and 8-item Colorectal Anal Distress Index components of the 20-item Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) before and after surgery. A third component of the PFDI-20, the 6-item Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory, was also included in the postoperative assessment.Over a 24-month period, a total of 40 patients with a mean age of 40.7 (19-72) years and body mass index of 27.1 kg/m (22-39 kg/m) were enrolled. Comorbidities included 4 patients (10%) with diabetes and 6 patients (15%) with hypertension. Patients with symptoms had a significantly higher mean age (P0.01). Only 1 patient (2.5%) had new-onset pelvic floor dysfunction after surgery, and there was no significant increase in severity of symptoms in those with a previous pelvic floor dysfunction postoperatively. Physical therapy significantly (P0.01) reduced severity of symptoms and its impact on daily living as assessed by the Urinary Distress Index and Colorectal Anal Distress Index before and after surgery and by the PFDI-20 and 7-item Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Index postoperatively.A high incidence of pelvic floor dysfunction may exist in patients undergoing male-to-female vaginoplasty preoperatively. Screening at this early stage with both preoperative and postoperative therapy can significantly reduce pelvic floor dysfunction and improve symptoms and quality of life for this population.

While the number of gender-affirming procedures continues to boom all over the world, resulting complications from genital surgeries are on the rise as well. This paper aims to review some of the most commonly described complications of gender-affirming vaginoplasties and provide our expert opinion on how to mitigate them based on the senior author’s experience. Specifically, poor cosmesis, soft tissues related complications, rectal and urethral injuries, neovaginal stenosis, as well as intraoperative and postoperative bleeding will be addressed.

Purpose The lack of erogenous sensitivity in the neovagina is one of the major shortcomings for patients undergoing male-to-female genital confirmation surgery. Remnant fibers of the dorsal nerve of the penis (DNP) after clitroplasty can potentially be used for a second neurovascular pedicle flap for intravaginal erogenous sensation. Methods An anatomic dissection of the DNP was performed in 10 male frozen pelvises to identify major trunks and their branches. Lateral branches of DNP were preserved for a sensate "O" pedicle flap for the vagina. The number of main branches in the lateral dorsal aspect of the penis was calculated to ensure sufficient erogenous innervation to the vagina. Cross sections of the penis were used for histological analysis. Optimal width and length of the new sensate flap were described. Results There were 1, 2, and 3 main branches in the lateral compartment in 2 (20%), 6 (30.7%), and 2 (42.8%) cadavers, respectively. A sensate pedicle flap from the lateral aspect of the glans penis with a mean width of 1.14 cm (range, 0.9-1.28 cm) ensured at least one main branch of the DNP for erogenous sensitivity of the vagina. This sensate vaginal flap and its neurovascular pedicle had a mean length of 9.8 cm (range, 8.7-10.3 cm) allowing its inset into the anterior vaginal canal. Conclusion Lateral branches of the DNP can be preserved for a pedicle sensate flap to the vagina, which can provide patients with an erogenous vaginal "spot" during male-to-female confirmation surgery.

The testis has been described in animal models as a site of immune privilege, which protects spermatids against tissue damage during inflammation. Myeloid cells, including macrophages and dendritic cells (DC), are defined as key players in the testicular immune privilege in animal models. However, their distribution and frequency in human testis remain poorly described. To overcome the challenges related to tissue sampling, we obtained testicular tissue from men under hormonal therapy who elected to have sex reassignment surgery (SRS). We examined the distribution of myeloid cell populations in tissue sections using immunohistofluorescence and evaluated their relative frequencies in fresh testicular cell suspensions compared with matched blood using multi-parametric flow cytometry. We identified 4.9% of CD45+ leucocytes in testicular cell suspensions, of which 0.4% were B cells, demonstrating a low level of blood contamination. Myeloid cells (Lin-HLA-DR+) were located in the testicular interstitium and represented a median of 23.4% of testicular leucocytes, displaying higher HLA-DR expression compared to their counterparts in blood (p=0.001). The frequency of testicular myeloid cells was not linked with the duration of hormonal therapy. Resident macrophages (CD14+CD163+) constituted the most frequent myeloid cell subset and expressed high levels of CD163. Elevated proportion of myeloid DC (CD14-CD11c+) contrasted with the paucity of plasmacytoid DC (CD14-CD123+) in testis. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (Lin-HLA-DR-CD33hiCD11bhi) were not detected in the testis while constituting 0.5% of blood leucocytes. For the first time, we characterized myeloid cell subsets in human testes collected after SRS, providing a basis to assess their contribution to immune privilege.

Asteroseismic ‘sounding’ reveals the internal chemical stratification of the white dwarf KIC08626021, which has a central homogeneous core—composed of 86 per cent oxygen—that has a mass of 0.45 solar masses. White-dwarf stars are the end point of stellar evolution for most stars, and the merger of two of these bodies seems to be responsible for the type Ia supernovae used in cosmology. The interior structure of white-dwarf stars, however, is not well known. Noemi Giammichele and collaborators have used archival data and asteroseismic sounding methods to determine that the hydrogen-deficient white dwarf KIC08626021 contains a central homogeneous core that has a mass of 0.45 solar masses and is 86% oxygen. The core is larger, and the oxygen fraction higher, than predicted by standard models. White-dwarf stars are the end product of stellar evolution for most stars in the Universe1. Their interiors bear the imprint of fundamental mechanisms that occur during stellar evolution2,3. Moreover, they are important chronometers for dating galactic stellar populations, and their mergers with other white dwarfs now appear to be responsible for producing the type Ia supernovae that are used as standard cosmological candles4. However, the internal structure of white-dwarf stars—in particular their oxygen content and the stratification of their cores—is still poorly known, because of remaining uncertainties in the physics involved in stellar modelling codes5,6. Here we report a measurement of the radial chemical stratification (of oxygen, carbon and helium) in the hydrogen-deficient white-dwarf star KIC08626021 (J192904.6+444708), independently of stellar-evolution calculations. We use archival data7,8 coupled with asteroseismic sounding techniques9,10 to determine the internal constitution of this star. We find that the oxygen content and extent of its core exceed the predictions of existing models of stellar evolution. The central homogeneous core has a mass of 0.45 solar masses, and is composed of about 86 per cent oxygen by mass. These values are respectively 40 per cent and 15 per cent greater than those expected from typical white-dwarf models. These findings challenge present theories of stellar evolution and their constitutive physics, and open up an avenue for calibrating white-dwarf cosmochronology11.

We present the discovery and asteroseismic analysis of a new g-mode hot B subdwarf (sdB) pulsator, EC 21494-7018 (TIC 278659026), monitored in TESS first sector using 120-second cadence. The light curve analysis reveals that EC 21494-7018 is a sdB pulsator counting up to 20 frequencies associated with independent g-modes. The seismic analysis singles out an optimal model solution in full agreement with independent measurements provided by spectroscopy (atmospheric parameters derived from model atmospheres) and astrometry (distance evaluated from Gaia DR2 trigonometric parallax). Several key parameters of the star are derived. Its mass (0.391 +/- 0.009 Msun) is significantly lower than the typical mass of sdB stars, and suggests that its progenitor has not undergone the He-core flash, and therefore could originate from a massive (>2 Msun) red giant, an alternative channel for the formation of hot B subdwarfs. Other derived parameters include the H-rich envelope mass (0.0037 +/- 0.0010 Msun), radius (0.1694 +/- 0.0081 Rsun), and luminosity (8.2+/-1.1 Lsun). The optimal model fit has a double-layered He+H composition profile, which we interpret as an incomplete but ongoing process of gravitational settling of helium at the bottom of a thick H-rich envelope. Moreover, the derived properties of the core indicate that EC 21494-7018 has burnt ~43% (in mass) of its central helium and possesses a relatively large mixed core (Mcore = 0.198 +/- 0.010 Msun), in line with trends already uncovered from other g-mode sdB pulsators analysed with asteroseismology. Finally, we obtain for the first time an estimate of the amount of oxygen (in mass; X(O)core = 0.16 -0.05 +0.13) produced at this stage of evolution by an helium-burning core. This result, along with the core-size estimate, is an interesting constraint that may help to narrow down the still uncertain C12(alpha,gamma)O16 nuclear reaction rate., Published in A&A

Giammichele et al. (2018) proposed a full determination, largely independent of evolution calculations, of the chemical composition and stratification inside the hot pulsating DB white dwarf KIC 08626021. However, Timmes et al. (2018) pointed out that neglecting the effects of neutrino cooling, such as in the static models used in Giammichele et al. study, could impact significantly the derived seismic solution and compromise conclusions drawn upon it. Here we present a reanalysis of KIC 08626021, using improved static models which now incorporate more realistic luminosity profiles that reflect the still significant energy losses induced by neutrino emission mechanisms in hot DB white dwarfs. We show that this effect has only a limited impact on the derived seismic model properties and, more importantly, that all the conclusions brought by Giammichele et al. (2018) remain entirely valid.

We perform a calibration of the mixing length parameter at the bottom boundary of the convection zone for helium-dominated atmospheres of white dwarfs. This calibration is based on a grid of 3D DB (pure-helium) and DBA (helium-dominated with traces of hydrogen) model atmospheres computed with the CO5BOLD code, and a grid of 1D DB and DBA envelope structures. The 3D models span a parameter space of hydrogen-to-helium abundances between -10.0 and -2.0, surface gravities between 7.5 and 9.0 and effective temperatures between 12000 K and 34000 K. The 1D envelopes cover a similar atmospheric parameter range, but are also calculated with different values of the mixing length parameter, namely ML2/alpha between 0.4 and 1.4. The calibration is performed based on two definitions of the bottom boundary of the convection zone, the Schwarzschild and the zero convective flux boundaries. Thus, our calibration is relevant for applications involving the bulk properties of the convection zone including its total mass, which excludes the spectroscopic technique. Overall, the calibrated ML2/alpha is smaller than what is commonly used in evolutionary models and theoretical determinations of the blue edge of the instability strip for pulsating DB and DBA stars. With calibrated ML2/alpha we are able to deduce more accurate convection zone sizes needed for studies of planetary debris mixing and dredge-up of carbon from the core. We highlight this by calculating examples of metal-rich 3D DBAZ models and finding their convection zone masses. Mixing length calibration represents the first step of in-depth investigations of convective overshoot in white dwarfs with helium-dominated atmospheres., Comment: 17 pages (main text), 12 pages (appendix), 15 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

HIV's ability to persist during suppressive antiretroviral therapy is the main barrier to cure. Immune-privileged tissues, such as the testes, may constitute distinctive sites of HIV persistence, but this has been challenging to study in humans. We analyzed the proviral burden and genetics in the blood and testes of 10 individuals on suppressive therapy who underwent elective gender-affirming surgery. HIV DNA levels in matched blood and testes were quantified by quantitative PCR, and subgenomic proviral sequences (nef region) were characterized from single templates. HIV diversity, compartmentalization, and immune escape burden were assessed using genetic and phylogenetic approaches. Diverse proviruses were recovered from the blood (396 sequences; 354 nef-intact sequences) and testes (326 sequences; 309 nef-intact sequences) of all participants. Notably, the frequency of identical HIV sequences varied markedly between and within individuals. Nevertheless, proviral loads, within-host unique HIV sequence diversity, and the immune escape burden correlated positively between blood and testes. When all intact nef sequences were evaluated, 60% of participants exhibited significant blood-testis genetic compartmentalization, but none did so when the evaluation was restricted to unique sequences per site, suggesting that compartmentalization, when present, is attributable to the clonal expansion of HIV-infected cells. Our observations confirm the testes as a site of HIV persistence and suggest that individuals with larger and more diverse blood reservoirs will have larger and more diverse testis reservoirs. Furthermore, while the testis microenvironment may not be sufficiently unique to facilitate the seeding of unique viral populations therein, differential clonal expansion dynamics may be at play, which may complicate HIV eradication. IMPORTANCE Two key questions in HIV reservoir biology are whether immune-privileged tissues, such as the testes, harbor distinctive proviral populations during suppressive therapy and, if so, by what mechanism. While our results indicated that blood-testis HIV genetic compartmentalization was reasonably common (60%), it was always attributable to differential frequencies of identical HIV sequences between sites. No blood-tissue data set retained evidence of compartmentalization when only unique HIV sequences per site were considered; moreover, HIV immune escape mutation burdens were highly concordant between sites. We conclude that the principal mechanism by which blood and testis reservoirs differ is not via seeding of divergent HIV sequences therein but, rather, via differential clonal expansion of latently infected cells. Thus, while viral diversity and escape-related barriers to HIV eradication are of a broadly similar magnitude across the blood and testes, clonal expansion represents a challenge. The results support individualized analysis of within-host reservoir diversity to inform curative approaches.

International audience; Asteroseismology is a powerful tool to unravel the chemical composition and stratification inside white dwarfs, as recently achieved by Giammichele et al. (2018, Nature, 554, 73) for the pulsating DB star KIC 08626021. However, Timmes et al. (2018, ApJ, 867, L30) pointed out that neglecting the effects of neutrino cooling, such as in the models used in Giammichele et al. study, could significantly impact the derived seismic solution and compromise conclusions drawn upon it. In this context, we perform a complete reevaluation of the seismic solution uncovered for KIC 08626021, using improved static models which incorporate more realistic luminosity profiles that reflect the still significant energy losses induced by neutrino emission mechanisms in hot DB white dwarfs. We find that including (or neglecting) neutrino cooling for the specific case of KIC 08626021 induces frequency differences of ∼35 μHz on average (with variations up to ∼84 μHz) for the relevant g-modes, that is, similar to the frequency shifts estimated in Timmes et al. study. However, we show that the propagation of these variations into the derived seismic model properties remain limited and mainly trigger changes of the C/O and C/He composition ratio in the intermediate layers of the seismic model, while other important parameters are only slightly affected. In particular, the derived central oxygen mass fraction and extent of the homogeneous inner part of the core are essentially unchanged. Hence, as found by Timmes et al., seismic investigations of hot pulsating DB white dwarfs that rely on parameterized static models should include the non-negligible effects of neutrino cooling to provide more accurate solutions, but all the important conclusions brought by Giammichele et al. from the analysis of KIC 08626021 remain entirely valid.Key words: stars: oscillations / stars: interiors / white dwarfs / stars: individual: KIC 08626021

OBJECTIVES The testes are a potential viral sanctuary site for HIV-1 infection. Our study aims to provide insight into the expression and localization of key drug transporters and metabolic enzymes relevant to ART in this tissue compartment. METHODS We characterized gene and protein expression of 12 representative drug transporters and two metabolic enzymes in testicular tissue samples obtained from uninfected (n = 8) and virally suppressed HIV-1-infected subjects on ART (n = 5) and quantified antiretroviral drug concentrations in plasma and testicular tissues using LC/MS/MS from HIV-1-infected subjects. RESULTS Our data demonstrate that key ABC drug transporters (permeability glycoprotein, multidrug-resistance protein 1, 2 and 4, and breast cancer resistance protein), solute carrier transporters (organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B1 and 2B1, organic anion transporter 1, concentrative nucleoside transporter 1, equilibrative nucleoside transporter 2) and cytochrome P450 metabolic enzymes (CYP3A4 and CYP2D6) previously shown to interact with many commonly used antiretroviral drugs are expressed at the mRNA and protein level in the testes of both subject groups and localize primarily at the blood-testis barrier, with no significant differences between the two groups. Furthermore, we observed that PIs known to be substrates for ATP-binding cassette membrane transporters, displayed variable testicular tissue penetration, with darunavir concentrations falling below therapeutic values. In contrast, the NRTIs emtricitabine, lamivudine and tenofovir displayed favourable tissue penetration, reaching concentrations comparable to plasma levels. We also demonstrated that nuclear receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α and γ exhibited higher gene expression in the testicular tissue compared with pregnane X receptor and constitutive androstane receptor, suggesting a potential regulatory pathway governing drug transporter and metabolic enzyme expression in this tissue compartment. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest the testes are a complex pharmacological compartment that can restrict the distribution of certain antiretroviral drugs and potentially contribute to HIV-1 persistence.

The continuous cooling of a white dwarf is punctuated by events that affect its cooling rate. Probably the most significant of those is the crystallization of its core, a phase transition that occurs once the C/O interior has cooled down below a critical temperature. This transition releases latent heat as well as gravitational energy due to the redistribution of the C and O ions during solidification, thereby slowing down the evolution of the white dwarf. The unambiguous observational signature of core crystallization - a pile-up of objects in the cooling sequence - was recently reported. However, existing evolution models struggle to quantitatively reproduce this signature, casting doubt on their accuracy when used to measure the ages of stellar populations. The timing and amount of the energy released during crystallization depend on the exact form of the C/O phase diagram. Using the advanced Gibbs-Duhem integration method and state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulations of the solid and liquid phases, we have obtained a very accurate version of this phase diagram, allowing a precise modeling of the phase transition. Despite this improvement, the magnitude of the crystallization pile-up remains underestimated by current evolution models. We conclude that latent heat release and O sedimentation alone are not sufficient to explain the observations and that other unaccounted physical mechanisms, possibly $^{22}$Ne phase separation, play an important role., 4 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A Letters

We present a new asteroseismic modeling of the hot B subdwarf (sdB) pulsator PG 1219+534, based on a 3- month campaign with the Mont4K/Kuiper combination at Mt Bigelow (Arizona) and on updated atmospheric parameters from high S/N low and medium resolution spectroscopy. On the basis of the nine independent pulsation periods extracted from the photometric light curve, we carried out an astroseismic analysis by applying the forward modeling approach using our latest (third and fourth generation) sdB models. Atmospheric parameters (Teff = 34 258 ± 170 K, log g = 5.838 ± 0.030) were used as independent constraints, as well as partial mode identification based on observed multiplet structures we ascribed to stellar rotation. The optimal model found is remarkably consistent between various analyses with third and fourth generation of sdB models, and also with previously published analysis with second generation sdB models. It corresponds to a sdB with a canonical mass (0.46 ± 0.02 M⊙), rather thin H-He envelope (log q(envl) = −3.75 ± 0.12), and close to He-burning exhaustion (Xcore(C + O) = 0.86 ± 0.05).We also investigate the internal rotation of the star.We find that PG 1219+534 rotates very slowly (Prot = 34.91 ± 0.84 days) and that solid-body rotation is reached at least down to ∼60% of the radius.

An interesting opportunity offered by the detection of stellar oscillations is the possibility to infer the internal rotation rate of a star through the so-called rotational splittings. Such seismic measurements remained rather scarce for hot B subdwarf (sdB) stars until the advent of space observations with the Kepler spacecraft. Nowadays, however, a number of rotation measurements have become available, offering a glimpse on the global rotational properties of sdB stars. Here, we briefly discuss what asteroseismology starts to reveal on the rotation rate of these stars. We also make connections with the internal rotation of red-giant and white-dwarf stars. In particular, we show that the very slow rotation rates derived for single sdB stars, and their similarities with the dynamical properties of the cores of red-clump stars, strongly suggest that they evolved from red-giants rather than merger events.We also point out that no more angular momentum seems to be lost by stellar cores throughout the helium burning phase until the cooling white-dwarf stage, indicating that all the braking occurs before, most likely during red-giant branch evolution.

We present a brief progress report in our quest for deriving seismic models of pulsating white dwarfs that can account simultaneously for all the observed periods at the precision of the observations. We point out that this is possible from a pratical point of view only if parametrized models are used to complement evolutionary models. We adopt a double optimization procedure that insures that the best possible model in parameter space is found objectively and automatically. Our ultimate goal is to be able to account for the exquisite period data gathered withKeplerandKepler-2on key pulsating white dwarfs of both the DA (ZZ Ceti) and DB (V777 Her) type.

The evolved, core helium burning, extreme horizontal branch stars (also known as hot B subdwarfs) host several classes of pulsators showing either p- or g-modes, or both. They offer particularly favorable conditions for probing with asteroseismology their internal structure, thus constituting arguably the most interesting seismic window for this intermediate stage of stellar evolution. G-modes in particular have the power to probe deep inside these stars, down to the convective He-burning core boundary where uncertain physics (convection, overshooting, semi-convection) is at work. Space data recently obtained with CoRoT and Kepler are offering us the possibility to probe these regions in detail and possibly shed new light on how these processes shape the core structure. In this short paper, we present the most recent advances that have taken place in this field and we provide hints of the foreseen future achievements of hot subdwarf asteroseismology.

The recognition of the importance of pH and Eh as “master variables” has been a great contribution to environmental science, particularly to aquatic chemistry. An accurate determination of these two parameters would enable the prediction of concentrations and chemical forms of the major and trace elements in water and aquatic sediments. Each combination of Eh and pH values uniquely adjusts the proportions of all dissolved species in solution. The appreciation of this potential has led investigators of biogeochemical processes to study and refine methods for measuring Eh and pH in the sediments. However, the natural aquatic environment is not a thermodynamic system at perfect equilibrium. Chemical reactions proceed at variable rates, and instruments suffer biases. To be useful, the measured values require careful interpretation. The following questions usually arise and need to be considered during the interpretation of the results obtained by measuring pH and Eh. Is the system at equilibrium, and if not, can we assume a predictable offset from the theory? What are the important reactions influencing the instrument(s) used in the measurements? Are these reactions relevant to the study? Is the system really homogeneous, or are we just assuming that it is? These and similar questions exemplify the problems associated with instruments based on rigorous theoretical requirements that are often not maintained during the measurement. In a typical field operation, Eh and pH electrodes are first calibrated with standard solutions for the purpose of adjusting the instrument(s) under some well-defined equilibrium conditions. The instrument is then used in the real environmental conditions (i.e., measurements of Eh and pH of water and sediments), and the values of the measured 48parameters are recorded. The belief that the measurements actually indicate the real environmental conditions is based on two implicit points. First, we assume that somehow the real conditions can be extrapolated from those existing in the standard solutions. Second, we also assume that the instrument response is similar and predictable under both conditions. In the end, the reality of the measurements largely depends on the extent to which these two assumptions are respected.

Using the forward modeling approach and a new parameterization for the core chemical stratification in ZZ Ceti stars, we test several situations typical of the usually limited constraints available, such as small numbers of observed independent modes, to carry out asteroseismology of these stars. We find that, even with a limited number of modes, the core chemical stratification (in particular, the location of the steep chemical transitions expected in the oxygen profile) can be determined quite precisely due to the significant sensitivity of some confined modes to partial reflexion (trapping) effects. These effects are similar to the well known trapping induced by the shallower chemical transitions at the edge of the core and at the bottom of the H-rich envelope. We also find that success to unravel the core structure depends on the information content of the available seismic data. In some cases, it may not be possible to isolate a unique, well-defined seismic solution and the problem remains degenerate. Our results establish that constraining the core chemical stratification in white dwarf stars based solely on asteroseismology is possible, an opportunity that we have started to exploit.

Ultracool dwarfs have emerged as key targets for searches of transiting exoplanets. Precise estimates of the host parameters (including mass, age, and radius) are fundamental to constrain the physical properties of orbiting exoplanets. We have extended our evolutionary code CLES (Code Li\'egeois d'Evolution Stellaire) to the ultracool dwarf regime. We include relevant equations of state for H, He, as well as C and O elements to cover the temperature-density regime of ultracool dwarf interiors. For various metallicities, we couple the interior models to two sets of model atmospheres as surface boundary conditions. We show that including C and O in the EOS has a significant effect close the H-burning limit mass. The typical systematic error associated with uncertainties in input physics in evolutionary models is $\sim 0.0005 M_\odot$. We test model results against observations for objects whose parameters have been determined from independent techniques. We are able to reproduce dynamical mass measurements of LSPM J1314+1320AB within $1\sigma$ with the condition of varying the metallicity (determined from calibrations) up to $2.5\sigma$. For GJ 65AB, a $2\sigma$ agreement is obtained between individual masses from differential astrometry and those from evolutionary models. We provide tables of ultracool dwarf models for various masses and metallicities that can be used as reference when estimating parameters for ultracool objects., Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ

Asteroseismic modeling of subdwarf B (sdB) stars provides measurements of their fundamental parameters with a very good precision; in particular, the masses and radii determined from asteroseismology are found to typically reach a precision of 1% containing various uncertainties associated with their inner structure and the underlying microphysics (composition and transition zones profiles, nuclear reaction rates, etc.). Therefore, the question of the accuracy of the stellar parameters derived by asteroseismology is legitimate. We present here the seismic modeling of the pulsating sdB star in the eclipsing binary PG 1336–018, for which the mass and the radius are independently and precisely known from the modeling of the reflection/irradiation effect and the eclipses observed in the light curve. This allows us to quantitatively evaluate the reliability of the seismic method and test the impact of uncertainties in our stellar models on the derived parameters. We conclude that the sdB star parameters inferred from asteroseismology are precise, accurate, and robust against model uncertainties.

We first present a brief description of the six distinct families of pulsating white dwarfs that are now known. These are all opacity-driven pulsators showing low- to mid-order, low-degree gravity modes. We then discuss some recent highlights that have come up in the field of white dwarf asteroseismology.

We briefly introduce hot subdwarfs and their evolutionary status before discussing the different types of known pulsators in more detail. Currently, at least six apparently distinct types of variable are known among hot subdwarfs, encompassing p- as well as g-mode pulsators and objects in the Galactic field as well as in globular clusters. Most of the oscillations detected can be explained in terms of an iron opacity mechanism, and quantitative asteroseismology has been very successful for some of the pulsators. In addition to helping constrain possible evolutionary scenarios, studies focussing on stellar pulsations have also been used to infer planets and characterize the rotation of the host star.

We explore quantitatively the low but sufficient sensitivity of oscillation modes to probe both the core composition and the details of the chemical stratification of pulsating white dwarfs. Until recently, applications of asteroseismic methods to pulsating white dwarfs have been far and few, and have generally suffered from an insufficient exploration of parameter space. To remedy this situation, we apply to white dwarfs the same double-optimization technique that has been used quite successfully in the context of pulsating hot B subdwarfs. Based on the frequency spectrum of the pulsating white dwarf R548, we are able to unravel in a robust way the unique onion-like stratification and the chemical composition of the star. Independent confirmations from both spectroscopic analyses and detailed evolutionary calculations including diffusion provide crucial consistency checks and add to the credibility of the inferred seismic model. More importantly, these results boost our confidence in the reliability of the forward method for sounding white dwarf internal structure with asteroseismology.

Objective HIV persistence in long-lived infected cells and in anatomical sanctuary sites are major hurdles to HIV eradication. Testicular tissue may represent a significant viral sanctuary site as it constitutes an immunologically privileged compartment. We assessed immunotolerance properties of the testicular tissue in individuals receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Design and methods Testicular tissue and matched blood samples were collected from six virally suppressed adults and 10 HIV-uninfected controls prior to sex reassignment surgery. T cells were purified from freshly isolated testicular interstitial cell suspensions. T-cell subsets, expression of immune activation markers and HIV DNA were assessed in matched testicular cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results When compared with PBMCs, testes were characterized by a lower CD4 T-cell proportion among total T cells, a decrease in the frequency of naive cells, an increase in the frequency of effector-memory T cells and an increase in CCR5 expression in both the HIV+ and HIV- groups. In HIV-infected individuals on ART, testes displayed higher T-cell immune activation (Coexpression of CD38 and Human Leukocyte Antigen - antigen D Related) than PBMCs. In both groups, testes were characterized by higher frequencies of immunosuppressive CD39 regulatory T cells and a massive increase in CD73 expression on CD8 T cells. In addition, a remarkable increase in indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase immunosuppressive enzyme involved in tryptophan/kynurenine catabolism was observed in testes versus blood. Rare cells harboring HIV DNA were detected in testes from five out six participants. Conclusion These findings suggest that the adenosine and tryptophan/kynurenine immune-metabolic pathways contribute to immune tolerance in testicular tissue. Our results suggest that testes may represent a distinctive HIV sanctuary site during ART.

We present an extensive survey for rapid pulsators among Extreme Horizontal Branch (EHB) stars in omega Cen. The observations performed consist of nearly 100 hours of time-series photometry, as well as low-resolution spectroscopy. We obtained photometry for some 300 EHB stars. Based on the spectroscopy, we derive reliable values of log g, Teff and log(N(He)/N(H)) for 38 targets, as well as estimates of the effective temperature for another nine targets. The survey uncovered a total of five rapid variables with multi-periodic oscillations between 85 and 125 s. Spectroscopically, they form a homogeneous group of hydrogen-rich subdwarf O stars clustered between 48,000 and 54,000 K. For each of the variables we are able to measure between two and three significant pulsations believed to constitute independent harmonic oscillations. In addition to the rapid variables, we found an EHB star with an apparently periodic luminosity variation of ~2700 s, which we tentatively suggest may be caused by ellipsoidal variations in a close binary. Using the overlapping photometry and spectroscopy sample we are able to map an empirical omega Cen instability strip. This can be directly compared to the pulsation driving predicted from the Montreal "second-generation" models. We find that the region where p-mode excitation occurs is bifurcated, and the well-known instability strip between 29,000-36,000 K where the rapid subdwarf B pulsators are found is complemented by a second one above 50,000 K. While significant challenges remain at the quantitative level, we believe that the same kappa-mechanism that drives the pulsations in hot B subdwarfs is also responsible for the excitation of the rapid oscillations observed in the omega Cen variables., Comment: accepted for publication in A&A

Planets that orbit their parent star at less than about one astronomical unit (1 AU is the Earth-Sun distance) are expected to be engulfed when the star becomes a red giant. Previous observations have revealed the existence of post-red-giant host stars with giant planets orbiting as close as 0.116 AU or with brown dwarf companions in tight orbits, showing that these bodies can survive engulfment. What has remained unclear is whether planets can be dragged deeper into the red-giant envelope without being disrupted and whether the evolution of the parent star itself could be affected. Here we report the presence of two nearly Earth-sized bodies orbiting the post-red-giant, hot B subdwarf star KIC 05807616 at distances of 0.0060 and 0.0076 AU, with orbital periods of 5.7625 and 8.2293 hours, respectively. These bodies probably survived deep immersion in the former red-giant envelope. They may be the dense cores of evaporated giant planets that were transported closer to the star during the engulfment and triggered the mass loss necessary for the formation of the hot B subdwarf, which might also explain how some stars of this type did not form in binary systems.

V391 Peg (HS2201+2610) is an extreme horizontal branch subdwarf B (sdB) star, it is an hybrid pulsator showing p- and g-mode oscillations, and hosts a 3.2/sini M_Jup planet at an orbital distance of about 1.7 AU. In order to improve the characterization of the star, we measured the pulsation amplitudes in the u'g'r' SLOAN photometric bands using ULTRACAM at the William Herschel 4.2 m telescope and we compared them with theoretical values. The preliminary results presented in this article conclusively show that the two main pulsation periods at 349.5 and 354.1 s are a radial and a dipole mode respectively. This is the first time that the degree index of multiple modes has been uniquely identified for an sdB star as faint as V391 Peg (B=14.4), proving that multicolor photometry is definitely an efficient technique to constrain mode identification, provided that the data have a high enough quality., Proceedings of the 4th HELAS Conference (Lanzarote, 1-5 Feb. 2010), Astron. Nachrichten, in press

The hot pulsating sdB star PG 1605+072 exhibits uncommon spectroscopic and pulsation properties, and is one of the biggest challenge in the field of sdB star modeling. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain its unusually rich pulsation spectrum. The first is the natural explanation of a fast-rotating pulsator, which lifts the (2l+1)-fold degeneracy of the frequency components. Another approach, where PG 1605+072 can be seen as a slow rotator, considers that the numerous low amplitude frequency components are second- and third-order harmonics and nonlinear combinations of the highest amplitude frequencies. We investigated the two hypotheses in the light of asteroseismology, using our latest tools—including pulsation codes that incorporate star rotation and new generation complete sdB models. The results of both approaches are presented, showing interesting results and raising new questions for our understanding of this mysterious sdB star.

International audience; Context: Balloon 090100001, the brightest of the known pulsating hot B subdwarfs, exhibits simultaneoulsy both short- and long-period pulsation modes, and shows relatively large amplitudes for its dominant modes. For these reasons, it has been studied extensively over the past few years, including a successful experiment carried out at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to pin down or constrain the value of the degree index ℓ of several pulsation modes through multicolor photometry. Aims: The primary goal of this paper is to take advantage of such partial mode identification to test the robustness of our standard approach to the asteroseismology of pulsating subdwarf B stars. The latter is based on the forward approach whereby a model that best matches the observed periods is searched for in parameter space with no a priori assumption about mode identification. When successful, this method leads to the determination of the global structural parameters of the pulsator. As a bonus, it also leads, after the fact, to complete mode identification. For the first time, with the availability of partial mode identification for Balloon 090100001, we are able to evaluate the sensitivity of the inferred seismic model to possible uncertainty in mode identification. Methods: We carry out a number of exercises based on the double optimization technique that we developed within the framework of the forward modeling approach in asteroseismology. We use the set of ten periods corresponding to the independent pulsation modes for which values of ℓ have been either formally identified or constrained through multicolor photometry in Balloon 090100001. These exercises differ in that they assume different a priori mode identification. Results: Our primary result is that the asteroseismic solution stands very robust, whether or not external constraints on the values of the degree ℓ are used. Although this may come as a small surprise, the test proves to be conclusive, and small differences in mode identification among the ten modes do not affect in any significant way, at the typical accuracy presently achieved, the final emergent seismic model. This is due to the structure of the p-mode pulsation spectra in sdB stars. In all cases, the inferred structural parameters of Balloon 090100001 remain practically unchanged. They correspond, and this constitutes our second important result, to a star beyond the TAEHB with T_eff = 28 000 ± 1 200 K, log g = 5.383 ± 0.004, M⋆/Mȯ = 0.432 ± 0.015, and log{M_env/M⋆} = -4.89 ± 0.14. Other structural parameters are also derived. Based on photometric observations obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii. Some of the spectroscopic observations reported here were obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the University of Arizona and the Smithsonian Institution.

We present the results of a detailed stability study of models of GW Vir pulsators. These are extremely hot, evolved, and compact stars that are on their way to the white dwarf cooling phase and that show multiperiodic luminosity variations due to gravity-mode pulsational instabilities. Our nonadiabatic survey confirms that cyclic ionization of carbon and oxygen is at the origin of the GW Vir phenomenon. We find that the extent of the instability domain in the log g-Teff plane is a strong function of the C and O content in the envelopes of these stars. Given that GW Vir stars show important variations in atmospheric composition from one object to another, this implies that the notion of a blue edge for the GW Vir instability domain is necessarily a "fuzzy" concept. We investigate the effects of varying the total mass, of adding hydrogen, and of changing the metallicity. We summarize our results in the form of extensive stability maps in the log g-Teff diagram and produce tables and graphs showing the expected ranges of excited periods under various conditions.

We present the second part of our detailed analysis of the hot sdO and spectroscopic standard star BD+28 4211, in which we focus on the optical spectrum. In the first part of our study, we determined the abundances of some 11 metals detected in the atmosphere of BD+28 4211 using UV spectra of the star and corroborated the fundamental parameters estimated in past studies (Teff $\sim$ 82,000 K, log g $\sim$ 6.2, and solar N(He)/N(H)). In this work, we aim at rederiving these secured parameters on the sole basis of high-quality optical spectra. A first grid of non-LTE line-blanketed model atmospheres, including metals with the abundances derived from the UV spectrum, does not give satisfactory results when we apply a standard simultaneous fitting procedure to the observed H and He lines of our optical spectra. The line profiles are not finely reproduced and the resulting effective temperatures, in particular, are too low by $\sim$10,000 K. We next investigate the probable cause of this failure, that is, the importance of missing opacity sources on the atmospheric stratification. We compare line profiles computed from models with artificially boosted metallicities, from solar abundances to 15$\times$ these values. We find that the structural effects saturate for a metallicity of $\sim$10x solar, and use this to compute a second full grid of models and synthetic spectra. This metal-enriched grid allows us to achieve significantly improved spectral fits with models having the expected parameters. Our test case thus reveals that there is still a need for models with enhanced metallicity for better estimating the atmospheric parameters of objects such as hot subdwarfs and hot white dwarfs if only optical spectra are available., Accepted for publication in A&A, 15 pages

We present the first self-consistent seismic analysis of a white dwarf star, GD 1212, in the Kepler 2 field. We precisely establish the fundamental parameters of the star using the forward method based on physically sound models. We unravel the internal structure as well as the rotation profile of GD1212 deeper than in any other ZZCeti stars studied so far. This opens up interesting prospects for future analyses of the white dwarf pulsators monitored in the Kepler and Kepler 2 fields.

We present the results of an observational campaign for the long-period variable subdwarf B star PG 1338+481. Seven continuous weeks of observing time at the Steward Observatory 1.55 m Kuiper telescope on Mount Bigelow, Arizona,andthe1.3mMDMtelescopeatKittPeakrendered � 250hrofsimultaneousU/Rtimeseriesphotometry,as well as an extra � 70 hr of R-band–only data. The analysis of the combined light curves resulted in the extraction of 13 convincing periodicities in the 2100–7200 s range, with amplitudes up to � 0.3% and � 0.2% in the U and R, respectively. Comparing the ratios of amplitudes in the two wave bands to those predicted from theory suggests the presence of dipole modes, a notion that is further supported by the period spacing between the highest amplitude peaks. If confirmed, this poses a challenge to current nonadiabatic theory. At the quantitative level, we find that the distribution of the observed period spectrum is highly nonuniform and much sparser than that predicted from a representative model. We provide a possible interpretation in the text. The asteroseismological analysis attempted for PG 1338+481 on the basis of six observed periodicities believed to constitute consecutive dipole modes renders encouragingresults.Fixingtheeffectivetemperatureand surfacegravitytothespectroscopicestimates, wesuccessfully isolate just one family of optimal models that can reproduce the measured periods to better than 1%. While the stellar parametersthusinferredmustberegardedaspreliminary,theachievedfitbodeswellforfutureasteroseismicanalyses of long-period variable subdwarf B stars. Subject headingg stars: individual (PG 1338+481) — stars: interiors — stars: oscillations — subdwarfs

We present the results of an extensive multisite campaign on the long-period variable subdwarf B star PG 1627+017. We gathered 300 hr of useful R-band and ~50 hr of simultaneous U/R differential photometry. From the R-band data we were able to extract 23 periodicities in the 4500-9000 s range with amplitudes between 0.05% and 0.5% of the star's mean brightness. The oscillations with the highest amplitudes cluster between 6300 and 7050 s and are thought to exhibit frequency splitting due to binary-synchronous stellar rotation. Interestingly, we find the observed period distribution to be extremely nonuniform, with dense frequency multiplets occurring in several narrow band passes. In order to compare the observed period spectrum to theoretical predictions, we constructed a set of newly updated and improved subdwarf B star models. We find that by invoking degree indices of l = 2, 3, and 4, nonadiabatic calculations can qualitatively reproduce the range of periodicities measured for PG 1627+017 if its atmospheric parameters are pushed to the lower end of their spectroscopic temperature uncertainties. However, the exploitation of rotational splitting and the U/R photometry, as well as the mean spacing between periodicities, indicate that at least the four highest amplitude peaks probably correspond to modes with l = 1. While this points to deficiencies in our models at the nonadiabatic level, the resulting constraints on mode identification are invaluable to first attempts at asteroseismology. Indeed, we identify only a few families of models that can closely reproduce the main periodicities observed in terms of dipole modes. This leaves us hopeful that, given a larger number of partially identified observed frequencies, asteroseismology may be achieved for long-period variable subdwarf B stars.

We report the detection of three discrete pulsation frequencies in the long-period variable subdwarf B star PG 0101+039 on the basis of ~400 hr of MOST wide-band photometry. The periodicities uncovered lie at 7235, 5227, and 2650 s, respectively, and are associated with amplitudes between 0.03% and 0.06% of the mean brightness, lower than those measured in any other variable of this kind. We also find evidence for luminosity variations consistent with an ellipsoidal deformation of the subdwarf in the rotationally locked short-period binary system predicted from radial velocity measurements and evolutionary models. Our atmospheric modeling of two independent time-averaged optical spectra of PG 0101+039 yields Teff 28,300 K and log g 5.52, making it one of the hottest long-period variable subdwarf B stars known. The fact that we nevertheless detect brightness variations in the data is in conflict with predictions from current models, which place the theoretical blue edge for observable long-period instabilities at a temperature around 4000 K cooler than that of PG 0101+039.

We present observations followed by a thorough analysis of the rapidly pulsating subdwarf B star (or EC 14026 star) Feige 48. This work is part of a long term multifaceted effort to exploit the strong asteroseismological potential of sdB pulsators which involves high sensitivity photometric observations, accurate spectroscopic measurements, and the development of appropriate modelling tools dedicated to the interpretation of the seismic data. Our model atmosphere analysis of the time averaged optical spectrum of Feige 48 obtained at the new Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) leads to estimates of T{eff}= 29 580 ± 370 K and log g=5.480±0.046 (with log N(He)/N(H)=-2.95±0.08), in excellent agreement with previous spectroscopic measurements of its atmospheric parameters. This places Feige 48 close to the red edge of the EC 14026 instability region in the log g-Teff plane. A standard Fourier analysis of our high signal-to-noise ratio Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) light curves reveals the presence of nine distinct harmonic oscillations with periods in the range 343{-}383 s, a significant improvement over previous reported observations that recovered only five periods (Koen et al. 1998, MNRAS, 300, 1105; Reed et al. 2004, MNRAS, 348, 1164). Out of these nine periods, only four turn out to be independent modes having different k and/or ℓ indices suitable for detailed asteroseismology. The remaining periods can be interpreted as rotationally split components of modes with the same (k, ℓ) values, but different m indices that bear the signature of the rotation of the star. On the basis of the four independent periods, we have carried out a detailed asteroseismic analysis of Feige 48 using the well-known forward method. Our analysis leads objectively to the identification of the (k, ℓ) indices of the four independent periods identified in the star, and to the determination of its structural parameters. The periods correspond to low-order modes with adjacent values of k and with ℓ=0, 1, and 2. They define a band of unstable modes, in agreement with nonadiabatic pulsation theory. Furthermore, the average dispersion between the observed periods and the periods of the corresponding theoretical modes of the optimal model is only 0.005%, quite close to the actual accuracy of the observations. We emphasise that radiative levitation is a key ingredient in the determination of accurate pulsation periods for sdB stars, and that standard models with uniform metallicity fail to reproduce the observed periods in Feige 48 because they do not incorporate this key piece of constitutive physics. On the basis of our combined spectroscopic and asteroseismic analysis, the inferred global structural parameters of Feige 48 are Teff= 29 580 ± 370 K, log g=5.4365±0.0060, log Menv/M*=-2.97±0.09, M*=0.460±0.008 M⊙ (i.e., close to the canonical mass of extreme horizontal branch stars), R/R⊙=0.2147±0.0034, and L/L⊙=31.62±2.58. Combined with detailed model atmosphere calculations, we estimate, in addition, that this star has an absolute visual magnitude MV=3.961±0.062 and is located at a distance d=794±30 pc (using V=13.46±0.02). Finally, the analysis of the fine structure indicate a rotation period of P=9.44±1.18 h, leading to an equatorial velocity of Veq=27.6±3.9 km s-1. With a Veq sin i≲5 km s-1 limit set by Heber et al. (2000, A&A, 363, 198), this result means that Feige 48 is a moderate rotator which, with an inclination angle i≲10.4±1.7°, is seen nearly pole-on.

BPM 37093 is a pulsating white dwarf of the ZZ Ceti type massive enough to have undergone partial crystallization. Metcalfe et al. recently claimed to have measured the fraction of crystallized matter in that star on the basis of asteroseismological techniques and determined a value upward of 90%. If true, this is a most significant achievement, well worthy of further scrutiny. In this spirit, we have reexamined the data available—eight periods—with our own independent model-building code and period-matching code in parameter space. In contrast to the above authors, we find that the likely value of the fraction of solidified matter in BPM 37093 is substantially less than 90%, but also that we cannot pin it down with any reasonable accuracy. Our results instead suggest that the value probably lies between 32% and 82%, depending on the unknown chemical composition of the core. We stress that, in principle, asteroseismology can be used to derive the fundamental parameters of BPM 37093, possibly including its core composition, but that, in this specific case, the information contained in the current period data appears insufficient. Indeed, we find full families of different models in parameter space that provide equally valid matches to the available period data. We suggest that the "lack of information" that appears to characterize the set of eight observed periods in BPM 37093 is related to the fact that these periods all correspond to high-order modes reaching into the asymptotic regime (k 1). We also point out that asteroseismology cannot provide a direct test of crystallization theory; the crystallized mass fraction is merely a secondary quantity derived by fixing the interior equation of state of the models and using the inferred fundamental parameters (including the core composition).

We revisit the controversial question of the excitation of pulsation modes in models of PG 1159 stars that feature homogeneous envelopes with compositions comparable to those observed at the surface. We find, in agreement with some authors but contrary to others, that g-mode pulsations are naturally excited in such models and that there is no need to invoke composition gradients between the photosphere and the driving region in PG 1159 pulsators. We further find an excellent qualitative agreement between the range of predicted periods and the range of observed periods for all objects in our sample of pulsating stars, except for two models corresponding to the stars with the lowest surface gravities (central stars of planetary nebulae). We also address the problem of the coexistence of both variable and nonvariable PG 1159 stars in the same region of the log g-Teff diagram. We find a natural explanation for this cohabitation in terms of a dispersion in atmospheric parameters and in terms of a variation in surface composition from star to star. In particular, the most He-rich stars tend to be stable. We finally address the puzzling question of the existence of a correlation between pulsations and the presence of traces of nitrogen in the atmospheres of pulsating PG 1159 stars, a challenge that has remained unanswered so far.

Recent observational efforts and theoretical breakthroughs have encouraged the development of detailed asteroseismic analyses of rapidly oscillating sdB stars (the so-called EC14026 stars). This led to the first seismic determinations of the fundamental parameters that define the structure of EHB stars. We briefly review the current status of these analyses, discussing some of the properties of acoustic modes in EHB models that affect the asteroseismology of these stars. We then recall the basic ideas behind the method we developed in an attempt to objectively extract, from models, asteroseismic solutions suitable to any given sdB pulsator. A preliminary application of this method to the pulsating sdB star Feige 48 is also presented.

We briefly review the recent advances that have been made on the front of pulsating subdwarf B (sdB) stars. The first family of sdB pulsators, the EC 14026 stars, was discovered a few years ago and consists of short-period (∼100−200 s) p-mode variables. The second type of pulsating sdB’s consists of the PG 1716+426 stars, a group of variables showing long-period (∼1 h) g-mode pulsations. The existence of the latter was first reported less than a year ago. While the two types of sdB pulsators differ markedly in their observational characteristics, we recently found a unifying property in the sense that the observed modes in these objects are excited through the same driving process, a classic kappa mechanism associated with the radiative levitation of iron in the stellar envelope.

We present the results of a stability survey carried out for a sequence of representative models of subdwarf B stars spanning the range of effective temperature 22; 000 KTeff � 38; 000 K. We show that long-period, high-order g-modes are excited in the cooler models through the same � -mechanism that successfully explains the presence of short-period, low-order p-modes in the hotter EC 14026 pulsators. This is analogous to the case of theCep/slowly pulsating B stars on the main sequence. We stress that radiative levitation is needed to boost the iron abundance in the driving region for both types of pulsating subdwarf B stars. And indeed, we find that pulsation modes cannot be excited in B subdwarf models if the metallicity is assumed to be uniform and solar. On the basis of our current models, we propose that the pulsation modes detected in long- period pulsating subdwarf B stars have values of the degree index l ¼ 3 and/or 4, not the canonical values l ¼ 1; 2, a suggestion that is, in principle, testable through multicolor photometry or time-resolved spectros- copy. In this way, we are able to explain quite well, at least at the qualitative level, the main observed characteristics of these pulsators. On the first account, the excited high-order g-modes with l ¼ 3 and 4 in our models have periods that overlap with the range of quasi-periods observed in these stars. On the second account, if the observable modes in these pulsators have indeed such '' high '' values of l as we suggest, we find a natural explanation for the fact that their amplitudes are distinctly and systematically smaller than the amplitudes observed in EC 14026 stars. Finally, our results are also consistent with the observed fact that the long-period pulsators appear systematically cooler than the short-period EC 14026 stars. We point out, however, that our analysis suggests effective temperatures for the long-period B subdwarf pulsators that are somewhat lower than current spectroscopic estimates. The solution to this problem may come from future improvements in the models, the establishment of an effective temperature scale for subdwarf B stars that is free of systematic effects, or both. Subject headings: stars: horizontal-branch — stars: interiors — stars: oscillations — subdwarfs