KOI-126: a triply eclipsing hierarchical triple with two low-mass stars

The Kepler spacecraft has been monitoring the light from 150,000 stars in its primary quest to detect transiting exoplanets. Here, we report on the detection of an eclipsing stellar hierarchical triple, identified in the Kepler photometry. KOI-126 [A, (B, C)], is composed of a low-mass binary [masses M(B) = 0.2413 ± 0.0030 solar mass (M(⊙)), M(C) = 0.2127 ± 0.0026 M(⊙); radii R(B) = 0.2543 ± 0.0014 solar radius (R(⊙)), R(C) = 0.2318 ± 0.0013 R(⊙); orbital period P(1) = 1.76713 ± 0.00019 days] on an eccentric orbit about a third star (mass M(A) = 1.347 ± 0.032 M(⊙); radius R(A) = 2.0254 ± 0.0098 R(⊙); period of orbit around the low-mass binary P(2) = 33.9214 ± 0.0013 days; eccentricity of that orbit e(2) = 0.3043 ± 0.0024). The low-mass pair probe the poorly sampled fully convective stellar domain offering a crucial benchmark for theoretical stellar models.     

Aldosterone breakthrough in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease

Introduction

Aldosterone breakthrough (ABT) is the condition in which angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and/or angiotensin receptor blockers fail to effectively suppress the activity of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system. The objective of this study was to determine if ABT occurs in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease receiving an ACEI, using the urine aldosterone to creatinine ratio (UAldo:C) as a measure of renin angiotensin aldosterone system activation.

Mineralogy and petrology of comet 81P/Wild 2 nucleus samples

The bulk of the comet 81P/Wild 2 (hereafter Wild 2) samples returned to Earth by the Stardust spacecraft appear to be weakly constructed mixtures of nanometer-scale grains, with occasional much larger (over 1 micrometer) ferromagnesian silicates, Fe-Ni sulfides, Fe-Ni metal, and accessory phases. The very wide range of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene compositions in comet Wild 2 requires a wide range of formation conditions, probably reflecting very different formation locations in the protoplanetary disk. The restricted compositional ranges of Fe-Ni sulfides, the wide range for silicates, and the absence of hydrous phases indicate that comet Wild 2 experienced little or no aqueous alteration. Less abundant Wild 2 materials include a refractory particle, whose presence appears to require radial transport in the early protoplanetary disk.     

Effect of Multiple Substitution of Glutenin and Gliadin Proteins on Flour Quality of Canada Prairie Spring Wheat

The effect of genetic substitution of two to four glutenin and gliadin subunits from a Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) cv. Biggar BSR into Alpha 16, another CPS wheat line, was studied for rheological and baking quality. Results from double substitution showed that the presence of a gliadin component from Biggar BSR (BGGL) and low molecular weight glutenin subunit 45 (LMW 45) contributed to improved dough strength characteristics. Presence of BGGL in combination with high molecular weight glutenin subunit 1 (HMW 1) or 17+18 (HMW 17+18) also showed improved dough strength over control Alpha lines. When three or four protein subunits were substituted, even though improved quality performance was observed, it was associated with the negative effect of lowered flour water absorptions in spite of similar protein contents. The study confirms that LMW glutenins, as well as gliadins, play an important role along with HMW glutenins in wheat flour quality. CPS wheat lines with improved dough strength properties can be selected from the double substitution lines with the combination of BGGL/LMW 45 and BGGL/HMW 1.