TY - JOUR AB - Biomarkers of aging can be used to assess the health of individuals and to study aging and age-related diseases. We generate a large dataset of genome-wide RNA-seq profiles of human dermal fibroblasts from 133 people aged 1 to 94 years old to test whether signatures of aging are encoded within the transcriptome. We develop an ensemble machine learning method that predicts age to a median error of 4 years, outperforming previous methods used to predict age. The ensemble was further validated by testing it on ten progeria patients, and our method is the only one that predicts accelerated aging in these patients. AU - Fleischer, Jason G. AU - Schulte, Roberta AU - Tsai, Hsiao H. AU - Tyagi, Swati AU - Ibarra, Arkaitz AU - Shokhirev, Maxim N. AU - Huang, Ling AU - HETZER, Martin W AU - Navlakha, Saket ID - 11064 JF - Genome Biology SN - 1474-760X TI - Predicting age from the transcriptome of human dermal fibroblasts VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Distant luminous Lyman-α emitters (LAEs) are excellent targets for spectroscopic observations of galaxies in the epoch of reionisation (EoR). We present deep high-resolution (R = 5000) VLT/X-shooter observations, along with an extensive collection of photometric data of COLA1, a proposed double peaked LAE at z = 6.6. We rule out the possibility that COLA1’s emission line is an [OII] doublet at z = 1.475 on the basis of i) the asymmetric red line-profile and flux ratio of the peaks (blue/red=0.31 ± 0.03) and ii) an unphysical [OII]/Hα ratio ([OII]/Hα >  22). We show that COLA1’s observed B-band flux is explained by a faint extended foreground LAE, for which we detect Lyα and [OIII] at z = 2.142. We thus conclude that COLA1 is a real double-peaked LAE at z = 6.593, the first discovered at z >  6. COLA1 is UV luminous (M1500 = −21.6 ± 0.3), has a high equivalent width (EW0,Lyα = 120−40+50 Å) and very compact Lyα emission (r50,Lyα = 0.33−0.04+0.07 kpc). Relatively weak inferred Hβ+[OIII] line-emission from Spitzer/IRAC indicates an extremely low metallicity of Z <  1/20 Z⊙ or reduced strength of nebular lines due to high escape of ionising photons. The small Lyα peak separation of 220 ± 20 km s−1 implies a low HI column density and an ionising photon escape fraction of ≈15 − 30%, providing the first direct evidence that such galaxies contribute actively to the reionisation of the Universe at z >  6. Based on simple estimates, we find that COLA1 could have provided just enough photons to reionise its own ≈0.3 pMpc (2.3 cMpc) bubble, allowing the blue Lyα line to be observed. However, we also discuss alternative scenarios explaining the detected double peaked nature of COLA1. Our results show that future high-resolution observations of statistical samples of double peaked LAEs at z >  5 are a promising probe of the occurrence of ionised regions around galaxies in the EoR. AU - Matthee, Jorryt J AU - Sobral, David AU - Gronke, Max AU - Paulino-Afonso, Ana AU - Stefanon, Mauro AU - Röttgering, Huub ID - 11508 JF - Astronomy & Astrophysics KW - Space and Planetary Science KW - Astronomy and Astrophysics KW - galaxies: high-redshift / galaxies: formation / dark ages / reionization / first stars / techniques: spectroscopic / intergalactic medium SN - 0004-6361 TI - Confirmation of double peaked Lyα emission at z = 6.593: Witnessing a galaxy directly contributing to the reionisation of the universe VL - 619 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Deep narrow-band surveys have revealed a large population of faint Ly α emitters (LAEs) in the distant Universe, but relatively little is known about the most luminous sources (⁠LLyα≳1042.7 erg s−1; LLyα≳L∗Lyα⁠). Here we present the spectroscopic follow-up of 21 luminous LAEs at z ∼ 2–3 found with panoramic narrow-band surveys over five independent extragalactic fields (≈4 × 106 Mpc3 surveyed at z ∼ 2.2 and z ∼ 3.1). We use WHT/ISIS, Keck/DEIMOS, and VLT/X-SHOOTER to study these sources using high ionization UV lines. Luminous LAEs at z ∼ 2–3 have blue UV slopes (⁠β=−2.0+0.3−0.1⁠) and high Ly α escape fractions (⁠50+20−15 per cent) and span five orders of magnitude in UV luminosity (MUV ≈ −19 to −24). Many (70 per cent) show at least one high ionization rest-frame UV line such as C IV, N V, C III], He II or O III], typically blue-shifted by ≈100–200 km s−1 relative to Ly α. Their Ly α profiles reveal a wide variety of shapes, including significant blue-shifted components and widths from 200 to 4000 km s−1. Overall, 60 ± 11  per cent appear to be active galactic nucleus (AGN) dominated, and at LLyα > 1043.3 erg s−1 and/or MUV < −21.5 virtually all LAEs are AGNs with high ionization parameters (log U = 0.6 ± 0.5) and with metallicities of ≈0.5 − 1 Z⊙. Those lacking signatures of AGNs (40 ± 11  per cent) have lower ionization parameters (⁠logU=−3.0+1.6−0.9 and log ξion = 25.4 ± 0.2) and are apparently metal-poor sources likely powered by young, dust-poor ‘maximal’ starbursts. Our results show that luminous LAEs at z ∼ 2–3 are a diverse population and that 2×L∗Lyα and 2×M∗UV mark a sharp transition in the nature of LAEs, from star formation dominated to AGN dominated. AU - Sobral, David AU - Matthee, Jorryt J AU - Darvish, Behnam AU - Smail, Ian AU - Best, Philip N AU - Alegre, Lara AU - Röttgering, Huub AU - Mobasher, Bahram AU - Paulino-Afonso, Ana AU - Stroe, Andra AU - Oteo, Iván ID - 11557 IS - 2 JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society KW - Space and Planetary Science KW - Astronomy and Astrophysics KW - galaxies: active KW - galaxies: evolution KW - galaxies: high-redshift KW - galaxies: ISM KW - galaxies: starburst KW - cosmology: observations SN - 0035-8711 TI - The nature of luminous Ly α emitters at z ∼ 2–3: Maximal dust-poor starbursts and highly ionizing AGN VL - 477 ER - TY - JOUR AB - We present and explore deep narrow- and medium-band data obtained with the Subaru and the Isaac Newton Telescopes in the ∼2 deg2 COSMOS field. We use these data as an extremely wide, low-resolution (R ∼ 20–80) Integral Field Unit survey to slice through the COSMOS field and obtain a large sample of ∼4000 Ly α emitters (LAEs) from z ∼ 2 to 6 in 16 redshift slices (SC4K). We present new Ly α luminosity functions (LFs) covering a comoving volume of ∼108 Mpc3. SC4K extensively complements ultradeep surveys, jointly covering over 4 dex in Ly α luminosity and revealing a global (2.5 < z < 6) synergy LF with α=−1.93+0.12−0.12⁠, log10Φ∗Lyα=−3.45+0.22−0.29 Mpc−3, and log10L∗Lyα=42.93+0.15−0.11 erg s−1. The Schechter component of the Ly α LF reveals a factor ∼5 rise in L∗Lyα and a ∼7 × decline in Φ∗Lyα from z ∼ 2 to 6. The data reveal an extra power-law (or Schechter) component above LLy α ≈ 1043.3 erg s−1 at z ∼ 2.2–3.5 and we show that it is partially driven by X-ray and radio active galactic nucleus (AGN), as their Ly α LF resembles the excess. The power-law component vanishes and/or is below our detection limits above z > 3.5, likely linked with the evolution of the AGN population. The Ly α luminosity density rises by a factor ∼2 from z ∼ 2 to 3 but is then found to be roughly constant (⁠1.1+0.2−0.2×1040 erg s−1 Mpc−3) to z ∼ 6, despite the ∼0.7 dex drop in ultraviolet (UV) luminosity density. The Ly α/UV luminosity density ratio rises from 4 ± 1 per cent to 30 ± 6 per cent from z ∼ 2.2 to 6. Our results imply a rise of a factor of ≈2 in the global ionization efficiency (ξion) and a factor ≈4 ± 1 in the Ly α escape fraction from z ∼ 2 to 6, hinting for evolution in both the typical burstiness/stellar populations and even more so in the typical interstellar medium conditions allowing Ly α photons to escape. AU - Sobral, David AU - Santos, Sérgio AU - Matthee, Jorryt J AU - Paulino-Afonso, Ana AU - Ribeiro, Bruno AU - Calhau, João AU - Khostovan, Ali A ID - 11558 IS - 4 JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society KW - Space and Planetary Science KW - Astronomy and Astrophysics KW - galaxies: evolution KW - galaxies: formation KW - galaxies: high-redshift KW - galaxies: luminosity function KW - mass function KW - galaxies: statistics SN - 0035-8711 TI - Slicing COSMOS with SC4K: The evolution of typical Ly α emitters and the Ly α escape fraction from z ∼ 2 to 6 VL - 476 ER - TY - JOUR AB - We investigate the morphology of the [C II] emission in a sample of ‘normal’ star-forming galaxies at 5 < z < 7.2 in relation to their UV (rest-frame) counterpart. We use new Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) observations of galaxies at z ∼ 6–7, as well as a careful re-analysis of archival ALMA data. In total 29 galaxies were analysed, 21 of which are detected in [C II]. For several of the latter the [C II] emission breaks into multiple components. Only a fraction of these [C II] components, if any, is associated with the primary UV systems, while the bulk of the [C II] emission is associated either with fainter UV components, or not associated with any UV counterpart at the current limits. By taking into account the presence of all these components, we find that the L[CII]–SFR (star formation rate) relation at early epochs is fully consistent with the local relation, but it has a dispersion of 0.48 ± 0.07 dex, which is about two times larger than observed locally. We also find that the deviation from the local L[CII]–SFR relation has a weak anticorrelation with the EW(Ly α). The morphological analysis also reveals that [C II] emission is generally much more extended than the UV emission. As a consequence, these primordial galaxies are characterized by a [C II] surface brightness generally much lower than expected from the local Σ[CII]−ΣSFR relation. These properties are likely a consequence of a combination of different effects, namely gas metallicity, [C II] emission from obscured star-forming regions, strong variations of the ionization parameter, and circumgalactic gas in accretion or ejected by these primeval galaxies. AU - Carniani, S AU - Maiolino, R AU - Amorin, R AU - Pentericci, L AU - Pallottini, A AU - Ferrara, A AU - Willott, C J AU - Smit, R AU - Matthee, Jorryt J AU - Sobral, D AU - Santini, P AU - Castellano, M AU - De Barros, S AU - Fontana, A AU - Grazian, A AU - Guaita, L ID - 11555 IS - 1 JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society KW - Space and Planetary Science KW - Astronomy and Astrophysics KW - galaxies: evolution KW - galaxies: high-redshift KW - galaxies: ISM KW - galaxies: formation SN - 0035-8711 TI - Kiloparsec-scale gaseous clumps and star formation at z = 5–7 VL - 478 ER -