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RNA helicases represent a large family of proteins implicated in many biological processes including ribosome biogenesis, splicing, translation and mRNA degradation. However, these proteins have little substrate specificity, making inhibition of selected helicases a challenging problem. The prototypical DEAD box RNA helicase, eIF4A, works in conjunction with other translation factors to prepare mRNA templates for ribosome recruitment during translation initiation. Herein, we provide insight into the selectivity of a small molecule inhibitor of eIF4A, hippuristanol. This coral-derived natural product binds to amino acids adjacent to, and overlapping with, two conserved motifs present in the carboxy-terminal domain of eIF4A. Mutagenesis of amino acids within this region allowed us to alter the hippuristanol-sensitivity of eIF4A and undertake structure/function studies. Our results provide an understanding into how selective targeting of RNA helicases for pharmacological intervention can be achieved.

Following a review of our present knowledge about blue subdwarf stars in globular clusters, we present an overview of the results of searches for close binaries among these stars, including results previously published in the literature and reporting recent and preliminary results of new data. Previous investigations revealed a lack of close systems in NGC 6752, which we confirm with new, more extensive observations. Our estimate of the close binary fraction in this cluster is only 4%. From a review of the relevant literature, there are indications that a low close binary fraction among extreme horizontal branch (EHB) stars is a common feature in globular star clusters. On the other hand, the field EHB population shows evidence of a remarkably high binary fraction. Such a difference among globular cluster and field populations, although not yet explained in detail on the basis of theoretical models, must necessarily be related to different formation histories for EHB stars in the field and in clusters. In this framework, preliminary results indicate that close systems could be relatively common in the peculiar globular cluster NGC 2808, although the sample of studied stars is still small. This would imply that not all clusters share the same behavior, as far as EHB star formation is concerned. We briefly explore possible explanations for these results., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, to appear in "Hot Subdwarf Stars and Related Objects", ASP Conf. Ser

We describe the status of a project whose main goal is to detect variability along the extreme horizontal branch of the globular cluster NGC 6752. Based on Magellan 6.5m data, preliminary light curves are presented for some candidate variables. By combining our time-series data, we also produce a deep CMD of unprecedented quality for the cluster which reveals a remarkable lack of main sequence binaries, possibly pointing to a low primordial binary fraction., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in "Hot Subdwarf Stars and Related Objects", ASP Conf. Ser

[Abridged] Contex. Young open clusters provide important clues to the interface between the main sequence and pre-main-sequence phases of stellar evolution. The young and nearby open cluster IC 2391 is well-suited to studies of these two evolutionary phases. Aims. We establish a bona fide set of cluster members and then analyze this set in terms of binary frequency, projected rotational velocities, [Fe/H], and lithium abundance. In the wake of the Hipparcos distance controversy for the Pleiades, we compare the main-sequence fitting distance modulus to the Hipparcos mean parallax for IC 2391. Results. The proper-motion survey covers a 6 times larger sky area than the prior targeted searches for cluster members in IC 2391. A total of 66 stars are considered bona fide cluster members down to a mass equivalent to 0.5M_sun. A quarter of them have been newly identified with many in the F2-K5 spectral range, which is crucial for a main-sequence fit. We find a mean [Fe/H] value of +0.06+/-0.06, when a solar abundance of log epsilon (Fe)=7.45 is adopted. The main sequence fitting yields a distance modulus that is 0.19 mag larger than that derived from Hipparcos parallaxes; thus this offset nearly has the size of a similar offset found for the Pleiades. The Li abundance pattern is similar to the earlier findings and is typical for a 40 Myr old open cluster., Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics, in press

We report the complete GNO solar neutrino results for the measuring periods GNO III, GNO II, and GNO I. The result for GNO III (last 15 solar runs) is [54.3 + 9.9 - 9.3 (stat.)+- 2.3 (syst.)] SNU (1 sigma) or [54.3 + 10.2 - 9.6 (incl. syst.)] SNU (1 sigma) with errors combined. The GNO experiment is now terminated after altogether 58 solar exposure runs that were performed between May 20, 1998 and April 9, 2003. The combined result for GNO (I+II+III) is [62.9 + 5.5 - 5.3 (stat.) +- 2.5 (syst.)] SNU (1 sigma) or [62.9 + 6.0 - 5.9] SNU (1 sigma) with errors combined in quadrature. Overall, gallium based solar observations at LNGS (first in GALLEX, later in GNO) lasted from May 14, 1991 through April 9, 2003. The joint result from 123 runs in GNO and GALLEX is [69.3 +- 5.5 (incl. syst.)] SNU (1 sigma). The distribution of the individual run results is consistent with the hypothesis of a neutrino flux that is constant in time. Implications from the data in particle- and astrophysics are reiterated., Comment: 22 pages incl. 9 Figures and 8 Tables. to appear in: Physics Letters B (accepted April 13, 2005) PACS: 26.65.+t ; 14.60.Pq

We present the kinematics of a sample of 398 DA white dwarfs from the SPY project (ESO SN Ia Progenitor surveY) and discuss kinematic criteria for distinguishing thin-disk, thick-disk, and halo populations. This is the largest homogeneous sample of white dwarfs for which 3D space motions have been determined. Since the percentage of old stars among white dwarfs is higher than among main-sequence stars, they are presumably valuable tools in studies of old populations, such as the halo and the thick disk. Radial velocities and spectroscopic distances were combined with our measurements of proper motions to derive 3D space motions. Galactic orbits were computed. Our kinematic criteria for assigning population membership were deduced from a sample of F and G stars, for which chemical criteria can be used to distinguish between a thin-disk, a thick-disk and a halo star. Our kinematic population classification scheme is based on the position in the U-V-velocity diagram, the position in the Jz-eccentricity diagram, and the Galactic orbit. We combined this with age information and found seven halo and 27 thick-disk white dwarfs in this brightness limited sample. Correspondingly 2% of the white dwarfs belong to the halo and 7% to the thick disk. The mass contribution of the thick-disk white dwarfs is found to be substantial, but is insufficient to account for the missing dark matter. (abbreviated), Comment: A&A, accepted

We present UBVRIz' optical images of the 0.32 square degree Extended Hubble Deep Field South. This is one of four fields comprising the MUSYC survey, which is optimized for the study of galaxies at z=3, AGN demographics, and Galactic structure. We calculate corrected aperture photometry and its uncertainties and find through tests that these provide a significant improvement upon standard techniques. Our photometric catalog of 62968 objects is complete to a total magnitude of R_AB=25. We select z=3 Lyman break galaxy (LBG) candidates from their UVR colors and find a sky surface density of 1.4/sq. arcmin and an angular correlation function w(theta) = 2.3+-1.0 theta^{-0.8}. (Abridged), Comment: Astrophysical Journal Supplements, in press, 19 pages including 19 figures. Images and catalog are available at http://www.astro.yale.edu/MUSYC

Radial velocity curves for 15 bright subdwarf B binary systems have been measured using high precision radial velocity measurements from high S/N optical high-resolution spectra. In addition, two bright sdB stars are discovered to be radial velocity variable but the period could not yet be determined. The companions for all systems are unseen. The periods range from about 0.18 days up to more than ten days. The radial velocity semi amplitudes are found to lie between 15 and 130 km/s. Using the mass functions, the masses of the unseen companions have been constrained to lower limits of 0.03 up to 0.55 M_sun, and most probable values of 0.03 up to 0.81 M_sun. The invisible companions for three of our program stars are undoubtedly white dwarfs. In the other cases they could be either white dwarfs or main sequence stars. For two stars the secondaries could possibly be brown dwarfs. As expected, the orbits are circular for most of the systems. However, for one third of the program stars we find slightly eccentric orbits with small eccentricities of e~0.02-0.06. This is the first time that non-circular orbits have been found in sdB binaries. No correlation with the orbital period can be found., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 10 pages, 5 figures, quality of Fig.2 is downgraded to fit in the astroph requirements

We report the complete GNO solar neutrino results for the measuring periods GNO III, GNO II, and GNO I. The result for GNO III (last 15 solar runs) is [54.3 + 9.9 - 9.3 (stat.)+- 2.3 (syst.)] SNU (1 sigma) or [54.3 + 10.2 - 9.6 (incl. syst.)] SNU (1 sigma) with errors combined. The GNO experiment is now terminated after altogether 58 solar exposure runs that were performed between May 20, 1998 and April 9, 2003. The combined result for GNO (I+II+III) is [62.9 + 5.5 - 5.3 (stat.) +- 2.5 (syst.)] SNU (1 sigma) or [62.9 + 6.0 - 5.9] SNU (1 sigma) with errors combined in quadrature. Overall, gallium based solar observations at LNGS (first in GALLEX, later in GNO) lasted from May 14, 1991 through April 9, 2003. The joint result from 123 runs in GNO and GALLEX is [69.3 +- 5.5 (incl. syst.)] SNU (1 sigma). The distribution of the individual run results is consistent with the hypothesis of a neutrino flux that is constant in time. Implications from the data in particle- and astrophysics are reiterated.

Red horizontal-branch (RHB) stars have been selected from the HIPPARCOS catalogue to investigate their kinematics and spatial distribution. HIPPARCOS parallaxes, literature radial velocities and HIPPARCOS proper motions, together with models for the gravitational potential of the Milky Way allow a calculation of the actual velocity vectors and the orbits of the RHB stars. The velocity characteristics are used to define a halo population sample (HPS) in the collection of RHBs. The orbits lead statistically to an overall z-distance probability distribution, showing that the RHBs exhibit two populations, a disk one having a scale height of h_disk ~0.6 kpc and a halo one of ~4 kpc. We have investigated the influence on our results of parallax accuracy and of a demarcation line in the HRD between the RHB and the red-giant (RG) star region. Neither of them show marked effects. We have performed the orbit analysis using the potential model of Allen & Santillan as well as of Dehnen & Binney. The results differ only slightly for the disk population, showing that these potential models are not a critical part of such orbit investigations. RHB scale height values are smaller than those found earlier for sdB stars, most likely because the samples of stars used had different spatial distributions a priori. The data do not allow us to specify a trend in the kinematic behaviour of star types along the horizontal branch., Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted by A&A 16/11/2004

MUSYC (MUltiwavelength Survey by Yale and Chile), and its predecessor, the CYDER (Cal'an Yale Deep Extragalactic Research) survey are both deep multiwavelength surveys mainly aiming at extragalactic issues; however they were both designed with a strong Galactic component in mind. Therefore they consist not only of multipassband imaging (UBVRIzJK) and wide field multi object spectroscopy - it is also foreseen to create a multi-epoch dataset, thus allowing proper motions to be derived using data of 1 and 4-5 years baseline. This enables us to identify fast moving objects, and derive tangential velocities of nearby and intrinsically faint objects, such as White Dwarfs (especially cool WDs) and Brown Dwarfs (BDs). For the former, we will be able to study the faint end of the halo-field luminosity function and determine the fraction of baryonic dark matter consisting of WDs. We will be able to put constraints on the volume density of BDs, and determine whether this density actually meets expectations. Here we give a report of work in progress., Comment: 4 pages, 2 Encapsulated PS-figures, to appear in the procedings of the 14th European Workshop on White Dwarfs, held in Kiel, Germany (July 2005), ASP Conference Series, eds. D. Koester, S. Moehler

We present kinematics of a sample of 398 DA white dwarfs from the SPY project (ESO SN Ia Progenitor surveY) and discuss kinematic criteria for a distinction of thin disk, thick disk, and halo populations. This is the largest homogeneous sample of white dwarfs for which 3D space motions have been determined. Radial velocities and spectroscopic distances obtained by the SPY project are combined with our measurements of proper motions to derive 3D space motions. Galactic orbits and further kinematic parameters are computed. Our kinematic criteria for assigning population membership are deduced from a sample of F and G stars taken from the literature for which chemical criteria can be used to distinguish between thin disk, thick disk and halo. Our kinematic population classification scheme is based on the position in the U-V-velocity diagram, the position in the J_z-eccentricity diagram and the Galactic orbit. We combine this with age estimates and find seven halo and 23 thick disk white dwarfs., Comment: 4 pages, 2 Fig., to appear in 14th European Workshop on White Dwarfs, ASP Conference Series, eds. D. Koester, S. Moehler

Short period sdB binaries with cool companions are crucial to understand pre-CV evolution, because they will evolve into cataclysmic variables, when the sdB will have left the extended horizontal branch. Recently we discovered the sixth such system, HS 2333+3927, consisting of an sdB star and an M dwarf (period: 0.172 d) with a very strong reflection effect, but no eclipses. The reflection is stronger than in any of the other similar systems which renders a quantitative spectral analysis very difficult because the Balmer line profiles may be disturbed by the reflected light. A spectroscopic analysis results in Teff = 36500 K, log g = 5.70, and log (n_He/n_H) = -2.15. Mass-radius relations were derived from the results of the analysis of light and radial-velocity curves. Comparison with the mass-radius relation derived from the surface gravity of the sdB star favours a rather low mass of 0.38 Msun for the primary. The mass of the companion is 0.29 M_sun. HS 2333+3927 is the only known sdB+dM system with a period above the CV period gap., Comment: 6 pages, 3 Fig., to appear in 14th European Workshop on White Dwarfs, ASP Conference Series, eds. D. Koester, S. Moehler

This Letter of Intent has been submitted to the Scientific Committee of the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in March 2004. It describes a novel facility at the LNGS to study the double beta decay of 76Ge using an (optionally active) cryogenic fluid shield. The setup will allow to scrutinize with high significance on a short time scale the current evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge using the existing 76Ge diodes from the previous Heidelberg-Moscow and IGEX experiments. An increase in the lifetime limit can be achieved by adding more enriched detectors, remaining thereby background-free up to a few 100 kg-years of exposure., Comment: 67 pages, 19 eps figures, 17 tables, gzipped tar file

We have analysed the kinematics of a sample of 114 hot subdwarf stars, for 2/3 of which we present new proper motions, spectroscopic and photometric data. The vast majority of the stars show a kinematic behaviour that is similar to that of Thick Disk stars. Some stars have velocities rather fitting to solar, i.e. Thin Disk, kinematics. 16 objects have orbital velocities which differ considerably from those of Disk stars. These are members of the Galactic Halo. We analysed the velocity dispersions and calculated orbits. Most stars feature orbits with disk character (eccentricity <= 0.5), a few reach far above the Galactic plane and have very eccentric orbits (ecc >= 0.7). The intermediate eccentricity range is poorly populated. This indicates that the (Thick) Disk and the Halo are kinematically disjunct. Plotting a histogram of the orbit data points along z leads to the z-distance probability distribution of the star; doing this for all stars leads to the z-distance probability distribution of the sample. The logarithmic histogram shows two slopes, each representing the scale height of a population. The disk component has a scale height of 0.9 (0.1) kpc, which is consistent with earlier results and is similar to that of the Thick Disk. The other slope represents a component with a scale height ~7 kpc, a much flatter gradient than for the disk component. This shows that the vast majority of the sdBs are Disk stars, but a Halo minority is present, too. The kinematic history and population membership of the sdB stars on the whole is different from that of the cooler HBA stars, which are predominantly or even exclusively Halo objects. This leads to the question, whether the Halo sdB stars are of similar origin as the HBAs, or whether their kinematical behaviour possibly represents another origin, such as infalling stellar aggregates., Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A), 20 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables

We present kinematics of a sample of 107 DA white dwarfs from the SPY project and discuss kinematic criteria for a distinction of thin disk, thick disk, and halo populations. This is the first homogeneous sample of white dwarfs for which 3D space motions have been determined. Studies of white dwarf kinematics can help determine the fraction of the total mass of our Galaxy contained in the form of thick disk and halo white dwarfs. Radial velocities and spectroscopic distances obtained by the SPY project are combined with our measurements of proper motions to derive 3D space motions. Galactic orbits and further kinematic parameters are computed. Candidates for thick disk and halo members are selected in a first step from the classical U-V-velocity diagram. Our final assignment of population membership is based on orbits and position in the angular-momentum-eccentricity diagram. We find four halo and twelve thick disk white dwarfs., Comment: 20 pages, 20 eps-figures, 2 latex-tables, uses natbib.sty, aa.bst, aa.cls accepted in A&A

Data taken by CRESST in 2000 with a cryogenic detector system based on 262 g sapphire crystals is used to place limits on WIMP dark matter in the Galactic Halo. The detector is especially sensitive for low-mass WIMPS with spin-dependent cross sections and improves on existing limits in this region. CRESST is now preparing for a second phase, which will use a 10 kg detector consisting of 300 g CaWO4 crystals with simultaneous detection of phonons and scintillation light to reduce background., Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, Paper contributed to the X International Symposium on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energies, 23rd-28th July 2001, Rome, Italy

We report the first GNO solar neutrino results for the measuring period GNOI, solar exposure time May 20, 1998 till January 12, 2000. In the present analysis, counting results for solar runs SR1 - SR19 were used till April 4, 2000. With counting completed for all but the last 3 runs (SR17 - SR19), the GNO I result is [65.8 +10.2 -9.6 (stat.) +3.4 -3.6 (syst.)]SNU (1sigma) or [65.8 + 10.7 -10.2 (incl. syst.)]SNU (1sigma) with errors combined. This may be compared to the result for Gallex(I-IV), which is [77.5 +7.6 -7.8 (incl. syst.)] SNU (1sigma). A combined result from both GNOI and Gallex(I-IV) together is [74.1 + 6.7 -6.8 (incl. syst.)] SNU (1sigma)., Comment: submitted to Physics Letters B, June 2000. PACS: 26.65. +t ; 14.60 Pq. Corresponding author: till.kirsten@mpi-hd.mpg.de ; bellotti@mi.infn.it