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The estimation of interstellar dust masses is an important pursuit in our understanding of both local and early Universe – see e.g. the “dust budget crisis”. One of the most used methods of estimating dust masses – dust emission fitting – requires an estimate of the dust opacity at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths, but in most models this quantity is based on extrapolation rather than on actual measurements. It is becoming more and more evident that the opacity in typical dust models differs from that of dust analogs measured in the lab, meaning that astronomical dust mass estimations may need to be revised. To estimate the systematic errors introduced by this mismatch, we calculated dust emission for a model where dust far-infrared opacity is the same as that measured in lab samples, then we fit the synthetic emission with a typical (modified blackbody) dust model. Our results show that, if interstellar dust is indeed similar to the lab dust analogs, most fits may overestimate dust masses by as much as an order of magnitude.

We present the core mass function (CMF) of the massive star-forming clump G33.92+0.11 using 1.3 mm observations obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). With a resolution of 1000 au, this is one of the highest resolution CMF measurements to date. The CMF is corrected by flux and number incompleteness to obtain a sample that is complete for gas masses $M\gtrsim2.0\ M_\odot$. The resulting CMF is well represented by a power-law function ($dN/d\log M\propto M^\Gamma$), whose slope is determined using two different approaches: $i)$ by least-squares fitting of power-law functions to the flux- and number-corrected CMF, and $ii)$ by comparing the observed CMF to simulated samples with similar incompleteness. We provide a prescription to quantify and correct a flattening bias affecting the slope fits in the first approach, which is caused by small-sample or edge effects when the data is represented by either classical histograms or a kernel density estimate, respectively. The resulting slopes from both approaches are in good agreement each other, with $\Gamma=-1.11_{-0.11}^{+0.12}$ being our adopted value. Although this slope appears to be slightly flatter than the Salpeter slope $\Gamma=-1.35$ for the stellar initial mass function (IMF), we find from Monte Carlo simulations that the CMF in G33.92+0.11 is statistically indistinguishable from the Salpeter representation of the stellar IMF. Our results are consistent with the idea that the form of the IMF is inherited from the CMF, at least at high masses and when the latter is observed at high-enough resolution., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

The nearby ($\sim$500 kpc) metal-poor ([Fe/H] $\approx$ -1.2; $Z$ $\approx$ 30% $Z_{\odot}$) star-forming galaxy NGC 6822 has a metallicity similar to systems at the epoch of peak star formation. Through identification and study of dusty and dust-producing stars, it is therefore a useful laboratory to shed light on the dust life cycle in the early Universe. We present a catalog of sources combining near- and mid-IR photometry from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT; $J$, $H$, and $K$) and the $Spitzer$ $Space$ $Telescope$ (IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 $\mu$m and MIPS 24 $\mu$m). This catalog is employed to identify dusty and evolved stars in NGC 6822 utilizing three color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). With diagnostic CMDs covering a wavelength range spanning the near- and mid-IR, we develop color cuts using kernel density estimate (KDE) techniques to identify dust-producing evolved stars, including red supergiant (RSG) and thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) star candidates. In total, we report 1,292 RSG candidates, 1,050 oxygen-rich AGB star candidates, and 560 carbon-rich AGB star candidates with high confidence in NGC 6822. Our analysis of the AGB stars suggests a robust population inhabiting the central stellar bar of the galaxy, with a measured global stellar metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.286 $\pm$ 0.095, consistent with previous studies. In addition, we identify 277 young stellar object (YSO) candidates. The detection of a large number of YSO candidates within a centrally-located, compact cluster reveals the existence of an embedded, high-mass star-formation region that has eluded previous detailed study. Spitzer I appears to be younger and more active than the other prominent star-forming regions in the galaxy., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; 27 pages, 13 figures, 12 tables (master catalog will be available from publisher)

The thermal emission of dust is one of the most important tracers of the interstellar medium: multi-wavelength photometry in the far-infrared (FIR) and submillimeter (submm) can be fitted with a model, providing estimates of the dust mass. The fit results depend on the assumed value for FIR/submm opacity, which in most models - due to the scarcity, until recently, of experimental measurements - is extrapolated from shorter wavelengths. Lab measurements of dust analogues, however, show that FIR opacities are usually higher than the values used in models and depend on temperature, which suggests that dust mass estimates may be biased. To test the extent of this bias, we create multi-wavelength synthetic photometry for dusty galaxies at different temperatures and redshifts, using experimental results for FIR/submm dust opacity, then we fit the synthetic data using standard dust models. We find that the dust masses recovered by typical models are overestimated by a factor 2 to 20, depending on how the experimental opacities are treated. If the experimental dust samples are accurate analogues of interstellar dust, therefore, current dust masses are overestimated by up to a factor 20. The implications for our understanding of dust, both Galactic and at high redshift, are discussed., Comment: 26 pages, 23 figures, to be published in MNRAS

SPICA Science Conference from Exoplanets to Distant Galaxies: SPICA's New Window on the Cool Universe (June 18-21, 2013. Ito Hall, the University of Tokyo), Bunkyou-ku, Tokyo, Japan, Typical galaxies emit about one third of their energy in the infrared. The origin of this emission reprocessed starlight absorbed by interstellar dust grains and reradiated as thermal emission in the infrared. In particularly dusty galaxies, such as starburst galaxies, the fraction of energy emitted in the infrared can be as high as 90%. Dust emission is found to be an excellent tracer of the beginning and end stages of a star’s life, where dust is being produced by post-main-sequence stars, subsequently added to the interstellar dust reservoir, and eventually being consumed by star and planet formation. This work reviews the current understanding of the size and properties of this interstellar dust reservoir, by using the Large Magellanic Cloud as an example, and what can be learned about the dust properties and star formation in galaxies from this dust reservoir, using SPICA, building on previous work performed with the Herschel and Spitzer Space Telescopes, as well as the Infrared Space Observatory., 形態: カラー図版あり, Physical characteristics: Original contains color illustrations, 資料番号: AA1730027043, レポート番号: JAXA-SP-17-010E

We have conducted a highly sensitive census of the evolved-star population in the metal-poor dwarf galaxy Leo P and detected four asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star candidates. Leo P is one of the best examples of a nearby analog of high-redshift galaxies because of its primitive metal content (2% of the solar value), proximity, and isolated nature, ensuring a less complicated history. Using medium-band optical photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have classified the AGB candidates by their chemical type. We have identified one oxygen-rich source which appears to be dusty in both the HST and Spitzer observations. Its brightness, however, suggests it may be a planetary nebula or post-AGB object. We have also identified three carbon-rich candidates, one of which may be dusty. Follow-up observations are needed to confirm the nature of these sources and to study the composition of any dust that they produce. If dust is confirmed, these stars would likely be among the most metal-poor examples of dust-producing stars known and will provide valuable insight into our understanding of dust formation at high redshift., Accepted for publication in ApJ

We present a comprehensive study of massive young stellar objects (YSOs) in the metal-poor galaxy NGC 6822 using IRAC and MIPS data obtained from the {\em Spitzer Space Telescope}. We find over 500 new YSO candidates in seven massive star-formation regions; these sources were selected using six colour-magnitude cuts. Via spectral energy distribution fitting to the data with YSO radiative transfer models we refine this list, identifying 105 high-confidence and 88 medium-confidence YSO candidates. For these sources we constrain their evolutionary state and estimate their physical properties. The majority of our YSO candidates are massive protostars with an accreting envelope in the initial stages of formation. We fit the mass distribution of the Stage I YSOs with a Kroupa initial mass function and determine a global star-formation rate of 0.039 $M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$. This is higher than star-formation rate estimates based on integrated UV fluxes. The new YSO candidates are preferentially located in clusters which correspond to seven active high-mass star-formation regions which are strongly correlated with the 8 and 24 $\mu$m emission from PAHs and warm dust. This analysis reveals an embedded high-mass star-formation region, Spitzer I, which hosts the highest number of massive YSO candidates in NGC 6822. The properties of Spitzer I suggest it is younger and more active than the other prominent H\,{\sc ii} and star-formation regions in the galaxy., Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, 9 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present the highest resolution single-dish submillimetre observations of the detached shell source U Antliae to date. The observations were obtained at $450~\micron$ and $850~\micron$ with SCUBA-2 instrument on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the Nearby Evolved Stars Survey. The emission at $850~\micron$ peaks at $40\arcsec$ with hints of a second peak seen at $\sim 20\arcsec$. The emission can be traced out to a radius of $56\arcsec$ at a $3\sigma$ level. The outer peak observed at $850~\micron$ aligns well with the peak observed at Herschel/PACS wavelengths. With the help of spectral energy distribution fitting and radiative transfer calculations of multiple-shell models for the circumstellar envelope, we explore the various shell structures and the variation of grain sizes along the in the circumstellar envelope. We determine a total shell dust mass of $(2.0 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-5}$ M$_{\odot}$ and established that the thermal pulse which gave rise to the detached shell occurred 3500 $\pm$ 500 years ago., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Nearly all exogenous loading models of bone adaptation apply dynamic loading superimposed upon a time invariant static preload (SPL) in order to ensure stable, reproducible loading of bone. Given that SPL may alter aspects of bone mechanotransduction (eg, interstitial fluid flow), we hypothesized that SPL inhibits bone formation induced by dynamic loading. As a first test of this hypothesis, we utilized a newly developed device that enables stable dynamic loading of the murine tibia with SPLs ≥ −0.01 N. We subjected the right tibias of BALB/c mice (4‐month‐old females) to dynamic loading (−3.8 N, 1 Hz, 50 cycles/day, 10 s rest) superimposed upon one of three SPLs: −1.5 N, −0.5 N, or −0.03 N. Mice underwent exogenous loading 3 days/week for 3 weeks. Metaphyseal trabecular bone adaptation (μCT) and midshaft cortical bone formation (dynamic histomorphometry) were assessed following euthanasia (day 22). Ipsilateral tibias of mice loaded with a −1.5‐N SPL demonstrated significantly less trabecular bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) than contralateral tibias (−12.9%). In contrast, the same dynamic loading superimposed on a −0.03‐N SPL significantly elevated BV/TV versus contralateral tibias (12.3%) and versus the ipsilateral tibias of the other SPL groups (−0.5 N: 46.3%, −1.5 N: 37.2%). At the midshaft, the periosteal bone formation rate (p.BFR) induced when dynamic loading was superimposed on −1.5‐N and −0.5‐N SPLs was significantly amplified in the −0.03‐N SPL group (>200%). These data demonstrate that bone anabolism induced by dynamic loading is markedly inhibited by SPL magnitudes commonly implemented in the literature (ie, −0.5 N, −1.5 N). The inhibitory impact of SPL has not been recognized in bone adaptation models and, as such, SPLs have been neither universally reported nor standardized. Our study therefore identifies a previously unrecognized, potent inhibitor of mechanoresponsiveness that has potentially confounded studies of bone adaptation and translation of insights from our field. © 2018 The Authors. JBMR Plus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

We present JCMT SCUBA-2 $450\mu$m and $850\mu$m observations of 14 Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars (9 O--rich, 4 C-rich and 1 S--type) and one Red Supergiant (RSG) in the Solar Neighbourhood. We combine these observations with \emph{Herschel}/PACS observations at $70\mu$m and $160\mu$m and obtain azimuthally-averaged surface-brightness profiles and their PSF subtracted residuals. The extent of the SCUBA-2 850 $\mu$m emission ranges from 0.01 to 0.16 pc with an average of $\sim40\%$ of the total flux being emitted from the extended component. By fitting a modified black-body to the four-point SED at each point along the radial profile we derive the temperature ($T$), spectral index of dust emissivity ($\beta$) and dust column density ($\Sigma$) as a function of radius. For all the sources, the density profile deviates significantly from what is expected for a constant mass-loss rate, showing that all the sources have undergone variations in mass-loss during this evolutionary phase. In combination with results from CO line emission, we determined the dust-to-gas mass ratio for all the sources in our sample. We find that, when sources are grouped according to their chemistry, the resulting average dust-to-gas ratios are consistent with the respective canonical values. However we see a range of values with significant scatter which indicate the importance of including spatial information when deriving these numbers., Comment: 18 pages plus 13 pages of supplementary figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS on 24/05/2018. Updated 05/07/2018: Fixed secondary axes (pc axes) on Radial Profiles in all figures

Transient muscle paralysis engendered by a single injection of botulinum toxin A (BTxA) rapidly induces profound focal bone resorption within the medullary cavity of adjacent bones. While initially conceived as a model of mechanical disuse, osteoclastic resorption in this model is disproportionately severe compared with the modest gait defect that is created. Preliminary studies of bone marrow following muscle paralysis suggested acute upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1. We therefore hypothesized that BTxA-induced muscle paralysis would rapidly alter the inflammatory microenvironment and the osteoclastic potential of bone marrow. We tested this hypothesis by defining the time course of inflammatory cell infiltration, osteoinflammatory cytokine expression, and alteration in osteoclastogenic potential in the tibia bone marrow following transient muscle paralysis of the calf muscles. Our findings identified inflammatory cell infiltration within 24 h of muscle paralysis. By 72 h, osteoclast fusion and pro-osteoclastic inflammatory gene expression were upregulated in tibia bone marrow. These alterations coincided with bone marrow becoming permissive to the formation of osteoclasts of greater size and greater nuclei numbers. Taken together, our data are consistent with the thesis that transient calf muscle paralysis induces acute inflammation within the marrow of the adjacent tibia and that these alterations are temporally consistent with a role in mediating muscle paralysis-induced bone resorption.

The tori around active galactic nuclei (AGN) are potential formation sites for large amounts of dust, and they may help resolve the so-called dust budget crisis at high redshift. We investigate the dust composition in 53 of the 87 Palomar Green (PG) quasars showing the 9.7 micron silicate feature in emission. By simultaneously fitting the mid-infrared spectroscopic features and the underlying continuum, we estimate the mass fraction in various amorphous and crystalline dust species. We find that the dust consists predominantly of alumina and amorphous silicates, with a small fraction in crystalline form. The mean crystallinity is 8 +/- 6%, with more than half of the crystallinities greater than 5%, well above the upper limit determined for the Galaxy. Higher values of crystallinity are found for higher oxide fractions and for more luminous sources., 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Planetary and Space Science

Data in a MTP device can be viewed on MTP host by simply opening it (without any intentional copying), but it has a pitfall that the data first gets transferred to temporary location before it's available for viewing. User may not be working on a trusted system and such a loophole can be exploited for unethical access to the data later. In this paper, a unique methodology is presented to encrypt any such data which were opened on MTP host with no intention of copying to avoid any such misuse.

We present the detection and analysis of molecular hydrogen emission toward ten interstellar regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We examined low-resolution infrared spectral maps of twelve regions obtained with the Spitzer infrared spectrograph (IRS). The pure rotational 0--0 transitions of H$_2$ at 28.2 and 17.1${\,\rm \mu m}$ are detected in the IRS spectra for ten regions. The higher level transitions are mostly upper limit measurements except for three regions, where a 3$\sigma$ detection threshold is achieved for lines at 12.2 and 8.6${\,\rm \mu m}$. The excitation diagrams of the detected H$_2$ transitions are used to determine the warm H$_2$ gas column density and temperature. The single-temperature fits through the lower transition lines give temperatures in the range $86-137\,{\rm K}$. The bulk of the excited H$_2$ gas is found at these temperatures and contributes $\sim$5-17% to the total gas mass. We find a tight correlation of the H$_2$ surface brightness with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and total infrared emission, which is a clear indication of photo-electric heating in photodissociation regions. We find the excitation of H$_2$ by this process is equally efficient in both atomic and molecular dominated regions. We also present the correlation of the warm H$_2$ physical conditions with dust properties. The warm H$_2$ mass fraction and excitation temperature show positive correlations with the average starlight intensity, again supporting H$_2$ excitation in photodissociation regions., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present radiative transfer modelling of the dust around U Ant, a well-studied detached-shell source. U Ant is among the >400 sources targeted by the Nearby Evolved Stars Survey (NESS; PI: P. Scicluna), and the procedure used to model this source will be applied to the rest of the AGB sample in NESS.

We aim to analyse the co-added Herschel images of various categories of evolved stars in the LMC and SMC from the Herschel HERITAGE survey in order to identify, in a statistical sense, a cool historic dust mass component emitted by these sources. The fluxes derived from the co-added stacks can then be compared with those predicted by the GRAMS model grid in order to refine the DPRs estimated for the SMC and LMC.

The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with the reddest colors have the largest amounts of circumstellar dust. AGB stars vary in their brightness, and studies show that the reddest AGB stars tend to have longer periods than other AGB stars and are more likely to be fundamental mode pulsators than other AGB stars. Such stars are difficult to study, as they are often not detected at optical wavelengths. Therefore, they must be observed at infrared wavelengths. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have observed a sample of very dusty AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) over Cycles 9 through 12 during the Warm Spitzer mission. For each cycle’s program, we typically observed a set of AGB stars at both 3.6 and 4.5 μm wavelength approximately monthly for most of a year. We present results from our analysis of the data from these programs.

In order to investigate the effect of dust production on the molecular absorption, we model the dust continuum and the 7.5 and 13.7 μm acetylene absorption features in the Spitzer IRS spectra of 148 carbon stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Our preliminary investigation does not find a strong correlation between the dust-production rate and the column density of acetylene for the LMC sample. However, we will construct more models at high optical depths and probe a larger range of dust properties for more robust results.

Gas-to-dust ratios in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are used to calculate gas masses from measured dust masses and vice versa, but can vary widely and are rarely directly measured. In this work, we present spatially resolved gas and dust masses for a sample of 8 nearby AGB stars, using JCMT CO-line and continuum observations, and compare them. This serves as a pilot study for the Nearby Evolved Stars Survey (NESS; PI: P. Scicluna) project which will provide similar observations of ∼400 AGB stars in a volume-limited sample.

Cognitive radio networks are software controlled radios with the ability to allocate and reallocate spectrum depending upon the demand. Although they promise an extremely optimal use of the spectrum, they also bring in the challenges of misuse and attacks. Selfish attacks among other attacks are the most challenging, in which a secondary user or an unauthorized user with unlicensed spectrum pretends to be a primary user by altering the signal characteristics. Proposed methods leverage advancement to efficiently detect and prevent primary user emulation future attack in cognitive radio using machine language techniques. In this paper novel method is proposed to leverage unique methodology which can efficiently handle during various dynamic changes includes varying bandwidth, signature changes etc… performing learning and classification at edge nodes followed by core nodes using deep learning convolution network. The proposed method is compared with that of two other state-of-art machine learning-based attack detection protocols and has found to significantly reduce the false alarm to secondary network, at the same time improve the overall detection accuracy at the primary network.

We present extensive optical photometric and spectroscopic observations, from 4 to 482 days after explosion, of the Type II-plateau (II-P) supernova (SN) 2017eaw in NGC 6946. SN 2017eaw is a normal SN II-P intermediate in properties between, for example, SN 1999em and SN 2012aw and the more luminous SN 2004et, also in NGC 6946. We have determined that the extinction to SN 2017eaw is primarily due to the Galactic foreground and that the SN site metallicity is likely subsolar. We have also independently confirmed a tip-of-the-red-giant-branch (TRGB) distance to NGC 6946 of 7.73+/-0.78 Mpc. The distances to the SN that we have also estimated via both the standardized candle method and expanding photosphere method corroborate the TRGB distance. We confirm the SN progenitor identity in pre-explosion archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Spitzer Space Telescope images, via imaging of the SN through our HST Target of Opportunity program. Detailed modeling of the progenitor's spectral energy distribution indicates that the star was a dusty, luminous red supergiant consistent with an initial mass of ~15 Msuns., Appearing in ApJ

The Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope observed 184 carbon stars in the Magellanic Clouds. This sample reveals that the dust-production rate (DPR) from carbon stars generally increases with the pulsation period of the star. The composition of the dust grains follows two condensation sequences, with more SiC condensing before amorphous carbon in metal-rich stars, and the order reversed in metal-poor stars. MgS dust condenses in optically thicker dust shells, and its condensation is delayed in more metal-poor stars. Metal-poor carbon stars also tend to have stronger absorption from C2H2 at 7.5 um. The relation between DPR and pulsation period shows significant apparent scatter, which results from the initial mass of the star, with more massive stars occupying a sequence parallel to lower-mass stars, but shifted to longer periods. Accounting for differences in the mass distribution between the carbon stars observed in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds reveals a hint of a subtle decrease in the DPR at lower metallicities, but it is not statistically significant. The most deeply embedded carbon stars have lower variability amplitudes and show SiC in absorption. In some cases they have bluer colors at shorter wavelengths, suggesting that the central star is becoming visible. These deeply embedded stars may be evolving off of the AGB and/or they may have non-spherical dust geometries., Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJ, 20 pages, 20 figures. Full versions of the tables are available at: http://isc.astro.cornell.edu/~sloan/library/2016/mcc

The lifecycle of dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) is heavily influenced by outflows from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and red supergiant (RSG) stars, a large fraction of which is contributed by a few very dusty sources. We compute the dust input to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by fitting the multi-epoch mid-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of AGB/RSG candidates with models from the {\em G}rid of {\em R}SG and {\em A}GB {\em M}odel{\em S} (GRAMS) grid, allowing us to estimate the luminosities and dust-production rates (DPRs) of the entire population. By removing contaminants, we guarantee a high-quality dataset with reliable DPRs and a complete inventory of the dustiest sources. We find a global AGB/RSG dust-injection rate of $(1.3\pm 0.1)\times 10^{-6}$ \msunperyr, in agreement with estimates derived from mid-infrared colours and excess fluxes. As in the LMC, a majority (66\%) of the dust arises from the extreme AGB stars, which comprise only $\approx$7\% of our sample. A handful of far-infrared sources, whose 24 \mic\ fluxes exceed their 8 \mic\ fluxes, dominate the dust input. Their inclusion boosts the global DPR by $\approx$1.5$\times$, making it necessary to determine whether they are AGB stars. Model assumptions, rather than missing data, are the major sources of uncertainty; depending on the choice of dust shell expansion speed and dust optical constants, the global DPR can be up to $\approx$10 times higher. Our results suggest a non-stellar origin for the SMC dust, barring as yet undiscovered evolved stars with very high DPRs., 28 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Context: Low- and intermediate-mass stars lose most of their stellar mass at the end of their lives on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Determining gas and dust mass-loss rates (MLRs) is important in quantifying the contribution of evolved stars to the enrichment of the interstellar medium. Aims: Attempt to, for the first time, spectrally resolve CO thermal line emission in a small sample of AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Methods: ALMA was used to observe 2 OH/IR stars and 4 carbon stars in the LMC in the CO J= 2-1 line. Results: We present the first measurement of expansion velocities in extragalactic carbon stars. All four C-stars are detected and wind expansion velocities and stellar velocities are directly measured. Mass-loss rates are derived from modelling the spectral energy distribution and Spitzer/IRS spectrum with the DUSTY code. Gas-to-dust ratios are derived that make the predicted velocities agree with the observed ones. The expansion velocities and MLRs are compared to a Galactic sample of well-studied relatively low MLRs stars supplemented with "extreme" C-stars that have properties more similar to the LMC targets. Gas MLRs derived from a simple formula are significantly smaller than derived from the dust modelling, indicating an order of magnitude underestimate of the estimated CO abundance, time-variable mass loss, or that the CO intensities in LMC stars are lower than predicted by the formula derived for Galactic objects. This could be related to a stronger interstellar radiation field in the LMC. Conclusions: Although the LMC sample is small and the comparison to Galactic stars is non-trivial because of uncertainties in their distances it appears that for C stars the wind expansion velocities in the LMC are lower than in the solar neighbourhood, while the MLRs appear similar. This is in agreement with dynamical dust-driven wind models., Accepted for publication by A&A

We investigate the occurrence of crystalline silicates in oxygen-rich evolved stars across a range of metallicities and mass-loss rates. It has been suggested that the crystalline silicate feature strength increases with increasing mass-loss rate, implying a correlation between lattice structure and wind density. To test this, we analyse Spitzer IRS and Infrared Space Observatory SWS spectra of 217 oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars and 98 red supergiants in the Milky Way, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and Galactic globular clusters. These encompass a range of spectral morphologies from the spectrally-rich which exhibit a wealth of crystalline and amorphous silicate features to 'naked' (dust-free) stars. We combine spectroscopic and photometric observations with the GRAMS grid of radiative transfer models to derive (dust) mass-loss rates and temperature. We then measure the strength of the crystalline silicate bands at 23, 28 and 33 microns. We detect crystalline silicates in stars with dust mass-loss rates which span over 3 dex, down to rates of ~10^-9 solar masses/year. Detections of crystalline silicates are more prevalent in higher mass-loss rate objects, though the highest mass-loss rate objects do not show the 23-micron feature, possibly due to the low temperature of the forsterite grains or it may indicate that the 23-micron band is going into absorption due to high column density. Furthermore, we detect a change in the crystalline silicate mineralogy with metallicity, with enstatite seen increasingly at low metallicity., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 24 pages, 16 figures

Physical exercise is thought to hold promise as a non-invasive countermeasure against skeletal fragility arising from post-menopausal and age-related osteoporosis. Importantly, mechanical loading and exercise are capable of increasing bone size via periosteal expansion, which by far, is the most effective means of strengthening the structure of a given bone. The focus of this review was to therefore explore whether exercise has the potential to increase periosteal modeling and bone size in the senescent skeleton. A survey of exercise trials in humans suggests that exercise interventions that enhance periosteal modeling in the young skeleton fail to do the same in the elderly skeleton. Underlying this ineffectiveness, in vitro studies indicate that aging lowers basal levels of cell function and degrades bone mechanotransduction at a variety of levels from altered second messenger signaling to gene expression driving proliferation and/or differentiation. Given these age-related alterations, the ultimate efficacy of an exercise intervention may depend upon concurrent supplementation that directly address deficits in signaling and/or cell function. In this context, in vivo animal models of mechanical loading that simulate the muted periosteal adaptation in the elderly hold potential to examine the efficacy of countermeasures. Preliminary in vivo experiments suggest that pharmacologically counteracting age-related deficits in cellular function can restore exercise induced periosteal modeling in the senescent skeleton to levels observed in young animals. If the safety and efficacy of this strategy were to be confirmed for human use, it would enable the utilization of exercise as a viable countermeasure against skeletal fragility at senescence.

Mechanical loading of the skeleton, as induced by muscle function during activity, plays a critical role in maintaining bone homeostasis. It is not understood, however, whether diminished loading (and thus diminished mechanical stimuli) directly mediates the bone resorption that is associated with disuse. Our group has recently developed a murine model in which we have observed rapid and profound bone loss in the tibia following transient paralysis of the calf muscles. As cortical bone loss is achieved via rapid endocortical expansion without alterations in periosteal morphology, we believe this model holds unique potential to explore the spatial relation between altered mechanical stimuli and subsequent bone resorption. Given the available literature, we hypothesized that endocortical resorption following transient muscle paralysis would be spatially homogeneous. To test this hypothesis, we first validated an image registration algorithm that quantified site-specific cortical bone alterations with high precision and accuracy. We then quantified endocortical expansion in the tibial diaphysis within 21 days following transient muscle paralysis and found that, within the analyzed mid-diaphyseal region (3.15 mm), site-specific bone loss was focused on the anterior surface in the proximal region but shifted to the posterior surface at the distal end of the analyzed volume. This site-specific, but highly repeatable biologic response suggests active osteoclast chemotaxis or focal activation of osteoclastic resorption underlies the spatially consistent endocortical resorption induced by transient muscle paralysis. Clarifying this relation holds potential to yield unique insight into how the removal of factors critical for bone homeostasis acutely precipitates local modulation of cellular responses within bone.

The KINGFISH project (Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: a Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel) is an imaging and spectroscopic survey of 61 nearby (d < 30 Mpc) galaxies, chosen to cover a wide range of galaxy properties and local interstellar medium (ISM) environments found in the nearby Universe. Its broad goals are to characterize the ISM of present-day galaxies, the heating and cooling of their gaseous and dust components, and to better understand the physical processes linking star formation and the ISM. KINGFISH is a direct descendant of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS), which produced complete Spitzer imaging and spectroscopic mapping and a comprehensive set of multi-wavelength ancillary observations for the sample. The Herschel imaging consists of complete maps for the galaxies at 70, 100, 160, 250, 350, and 500 microns. The spectal line imaging of the principal atomic ISM cooling lines ([OI]63um, [OIII]88um, [NII]122,205um, and [CII]158um) covers the subregions in the centers and disks that already have been mapped in the mid-infrared with Spitzer. The KINGFISH and SINGS multi-wavelength datasets combined provide panchromatic mapping of the galaxies sufficient to resolve individual star-forming regions, and tracing the important heating and cooling channels of the ISM, across a wide range of local extragalactic ISM environments. This paper summarizes the scientific strategy for KINGFISH, the properties of the galaxy sample, the observing strategy, and data processing and products. It also presents a combined Spitzer and Herschel image atlas for the KINGFISH galaxies, covering the wavelength range 3.6 -- 500 microns. All imaging and spectroscopy data products will be released to the Herschel user generated product archives.

Galactic cirrus emission at far-infrared wavelengths affects many extragalactic observations. Separating this emission from that associated with extragalactic objects is both important and difficult. In this paper we discuss a particular case, the M81 group, and the identification of diffuse structures prominent in the infrared, but also detected at optical wavelengths. The origin of these structures has previously been controversial, ranging from them being the result of a past interaction between M81 and M82 or due to more local Galactic emission. We show that over of order a few arcminute scales the far-infrared (Herschel 250 &\mu&m) emission correlates spatially very well with a particular narrow velocity (2-3 km/s) component of the Galactic HI. We find no evidence that any of the far-infrared emission associated with these features actually originates in the M81 group. Thus we infer that the associated diffuse optical emission must be due to galactic light back scattered off dust in our galaxy. Ultra-violet observations pick out young stellar associations around M81, but no detectable far-infrared emission. We consider in detail one of the Galactic cirrus features, finding that the far-infrared HI relation breaks down below arc minute scales and that at smaller scales there can be quite large dust temperature variations.

Nearly all exogenous loading models of bone adaptation apply dynamic loading superimposed upon a time invariant static preload (SPL) in order to ensure stable, reproducible loading of bone. Given that SPL may alter aspects of bone mechanotransduction (eg, interstitial fluid flow), we hypothesized that SPL inhibits bone formation induced by dynamic loading. As a first test of this hypothesis, we utilized a newly developed device that enables stable dynamic loading of the murine tibia with SPLs ≥ -0.01 N. We subjected the right tibias of BALB/c mice (4-month-old females) to dynamic loading (-3.8 N, 1 Hz, 50 cycles/day, 10 s rest) superimposed upon one of three SPLs: -1.5 N, -0.5 N, or -0.03 N. Mice underwent exogenous loading 3 days/week for 3 weeks. Metaphyseal trabecular bone adaptation (μCT) and midshaft cortical bone formation (dynamic histomorphometry) were assessed following euthanasia (day 22). Ipsilateral tibias of mice loaded with a -1.5-N SPL demonstrated significantly less trabecular bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) than contralateral tibias (-12.9%). In contrast, the same dynamic loading superimposed on a -0.03-N SPL significantly elevated BV/TV versus contralateral tibias (12.3%) and versus the ipsilateral tibias of the other SPL groups (-0.5 N: 46.3%, -1.5 N: 37.2%). At the midshaft, the periosteal bone formation rate (p.BFR) induced when dynamic loading was superimposed on -1.5-N and -0.5-N SPLs was significantly amplified in the -0.03-N SPL group (>200%). These data demonstrate that bone anabolism induced by dynamic loading is markedly inhibited by SPL magnitudes commonly implemented in the literature (ie, -0.5 N, -1.5 N). The inhibitory impact of SPL has not been recognized in bone adaptation models and, as such, SPLs have been neither universally reported nor standardized. Our study therefore identifies a previously unrecognized, potent inhibitor of mechanoresponsiveness that has potentially confounded studies of bone adaptation and translation of insights from our field. © 2018 The Authors. JBMR Plus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.