The origin of the local 1/4-keV X-ray flux in both charge exchange and a hot bubble.

The solar neighbourhood is the closest and most easily studied sample of the Galactic interstellar medium, an understanding of which is essential for models of star formation and galaxy evolution. Observations of an unexpectedly intense diffuse flux of easily absorbed 1/4-kiloelectronvolt X-rays, coupled with the discovery that interstellar space within about a hundred parsecs of the Sun is almost completely devoid of cool absorbing gas, led to a picture of a 'local cavity' filled with X-ray-emitting hot gas, dubbed the local hot bubble. This model was recently challenged by suggestions that the emission could instead be readily produced within the Solar System by heavy solar-wind ions exchanging electrons with neutral H and He in interplanetary space, potentially removing the major piece of evidence for the local existence of million-degree gas within the Galactic disk. Here we report observations showing that the total solar-wind charge-exchange contribution is approximately 40 per cent of the 1/4-keV flux in the Galactic plane. The fact that the measured flux is not dominated by charge exchange supports the notion of a million-degree hot bubble extending about a hundred parsecs from the Sun.

Energy calibration of high-resolution X-Ray TES microcalorimeters with 3 eV optical photons.

With the improving energy resolution of transitionedge sensor (TES) based microcalorimeters, performance verification and calibration of these detectors has become increasingly challenging, especially in the energy range below 1 keV where fluorescent atomic X-ray lines have linewidths that are wider than the detector energy resolution and require impractically high statistics to determine the gain and deconvolve the instrumental profile. Better behaved calibration sources such as grating monochromators are too cumbersome for space missions and are difficult to use in the lab. As an alternative, we are exploring the use of pulses of 3 eV optical photons delivered by an optical fiber to generate combs of known energies with known arrival times. Here, we discuss initial results of this technique obtained with 2 eV and 0.7 eV resolution X-ray microcalorimeters. With the 2 eV detector, we have achieved photon number resolution for pulses with mean photon number up to 133 (corresponding to 0.4 keV).

Mapping TES Temperature Sensitivity and Current Sensitivity as a Function of Temperature, Current, and Magnetic Field with IV curve and Complex Admittance Measurements.

We have specialized astronomical applications for X-ray microcalorimeters with superconducting transition edge sensors (TESs) that require exceptionally good TES performance, but which operate in the small-signal regime. We have therefore begun a program to carefully characterize the entire transition surface of TESs with and without the usual zebra stripes to see if there are reproducible local "sweet spots" where the performance is much better than average. These measurements require precise knowledge of the circuit parameters. Here, we show how the Shapiro effect can be used to precisely calibrate the value of the shunt-resistor. We are also investigating the effects of stress and external magnetic fields to better understand reproducibility problems.

Technique for Recovering Pile-up Events from Microcalorimeter Data.

We report here a technique for processing microcalorimeter data that offers improved live-time over conventional optimal filtering techniques without loss of spectral resolution. Separate filters optimized for pulse amplitude and pulse arrival time (constructed in the usual way from the averaged signal and noise spectral densities) are applied to the entire pixel data stream. Pulses in the resulting filtered streams are then simultaneously fit as the sum of scaled and shifted copies of an isolated filtered pulse template. Analysis using calibration data from the University of Wisconsin/Goddard Space Flight Center X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC) sounding rocket payload demonstrates the ability of this technique to recover pulses separated by as little as the rise-time of the detectors without observable spectral broadening.

Calibration of the microcalorimeter spectrometer on-board the Hitomi (Astro-H) observatory (invited).

The Hitomi Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) was a pioneering non-dispersive imaging x-ray spectrometer with 5 eV FWHM energy resolution, consisting of an array of 36 silicon-thermistor microcalorimeters at the focus of a high-throughput soft x-ray telescope. The instrument enabled astrophysical plasma diagnostics in the 0.3-12 keV band. We introduce the SXS calibration strategy and corresponding ground calibration measurements that took place from 2012-2015, including both the characterization of the microcalorimeter array and measurements of the x-ray transmission of optical blocking filters.

Factitious hypercortisoluria.

A case of factitious hypercortisoluria due to the presumed addition of glucocorticoid to the urine collections is presented. The discrepancy between urine and blood steroid hormone levels first suggested that the patient had tampered with the urine collections. Plasma steroid hormone levels were normal, whereas the urinary free cortisol level fluctuated in a totally random fashion. Urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid and urinary free corticosterone levels were normal. Partition chromatography of the urine indicated that the cortisol immunoactivity coeluted with authentic cortisol. This study illustrates the value of multiple urinary and plasma steroid determinations, especially urinary or plasma corticosterone measurements, in suspected cases of factitious Cushing's syndrome.

An androgenic affinity ligand covalently binds to cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase from human genital skin fibroblasts.

A 56 kDa protein expressed in human genital skin fibroblasts was first identified by independent laboratories on the basis of its specific expression in androgen target cells and its ability to covalently bind androgenic affinity ligands. Recently, immunoscreening of a cDNA library with antisera directed against this protein resulted in the isolation of a partial cDNA clone identical to human cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1). We report here the preparation of a full-length cDNA encoding ALDH1 from human genital fibroblasts. Translation of the encoded protein in a cell-free system yields a 56 kDa product that can be covalently radiolabeled with [3H]dihydrotestosterone 17 beta-bromoacetate (DHT-BA). Expression of the full-length clone in mammalian cells also results in expression of a 56 kDa DHT-BA binding protein. The covalent binding of DHT-BA by ALDH1 is an intrinsic property of the enzyme and is not dependent on androgen receptor expression.

Relations between physical activity, weight discrepancies, body-cathexis, and psychological well-being in college women.

This study examined the relations between physical activity, weight discrepancies, body-cathexis, and indicators of psychological well-being in college women. Factor analysis and zero-order correlation, and partial correlation analyses show that physical activity was not directly related to psychological well-being, however, physical activity did reduce weight discrepancies and improved body-cathexis. When specific body types were examined, there were distinctive patterns of satisfaction with body parts and processes depending on whether the women's body types conformed to or deviated from idealized weights and heights.

X-ray Emission Measurements following Charge Exchange Between C6+ and He.

X-ray spectra following charge exchange collisions between C6+ and He are presented for collision energies between 460 eV/u and 32,000 eV/u. Spectra were obtained at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Multicharged Ion Research Facility using a microcalorimeter X-ray detector capable of fully resolving the C VI Lyman series lines through Ly-γ. These line ratios are sensitive to the initial electron l-distribution and test our understanding of the charge exchange process. In addition, these line ratios are important for identifying charge exchange in astrophysical contexts involving the interaction of solar wind ions with neutrals. Our measurements are performed at collision velocities (300 km/s to 2500 km/s) which overlap most of the solar wind range. Additional data of this type can be combined with computations to provide an extensive set of reliable line ratios and absolute cross sections for the interpretation of a variety of astrophysical situations.

Note: Thermal properties of magnesium in the 60-150 mK range.

Refrigerators for space and other applications working around 100 mK require lightweight components with good thermal properties. We have measured the thermal properties of high-purity (99.95%) magnesium, which is five times lighter than copper, over the 60-150 mK range and found that it is well-behaved down to these temperatures. Both conductivity and heat capacity are in good agreement with extrapolations from measurements at higher temperatures. The heat capacity per unit volume is about the same as copper and the thermal conductivity about 2.7 times lower than copper of similar residual resistivity ratio, as expected from magnesium's higher room-temperature resistivity.

The Ludloff osteotomy: a critical analysis.

Fourteen Ludloff (oblique shaft) osteotomies were performed to reduce the first intermetatarsal angle on 12 female patients whose average age was 47 years. Average reduction of the first intermetatarsal angle was 6.5 degrees (postoperative average, 9.4 degrees). Average hallux abductus angle reduction was 16.7 degrees (postoperative average, 13.4 degrees). These reductions were statistically significant (P < or = 0.05). Average first metatarsal shortening was 1.4 mm. No transfer lesions nor lesser metatarsal stress fractures were noted. One patient (a 30+ pack/year smoker) sustained a delayed union. The average American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle rating score was 92.3 out of 100. Average follow-up was 48 months. This procedure is a viable alternative to closing base wedge osteotomies.

Direct measurement of the L/K ratio in (7)Be electron capture.

The ratio of L- to K-shell electron captures in light nuclei is particularly sensitive to electron overlap and exchange effects. Calculations of these effects in (7)Be disagree by more than 20%. We report a measurement of the L/K ratio in (7)Be, using a cryogenic microcalorimeter which clearly separates L- and K-shell captures. The obtained L/K ratio of 0.040(6) is less than half that of existing predictions for free (7)Be. The discrepancy is likely due to in-medium effects distorting the L-shell electron orbitals.