We have started a long-term reverberation mapping (RM) project using the Wyoming Infrared Observatory 2.3 m telescope titled "Monitoring AGNs with Hβ Asymmetry" (MAHA). The motivations of the project ...are to explore the geometry and kinematics of the gas responsible for complex Hβ emission-line profiles, ideally leading to an understanding of the structures and origins of the broad-line region (BLR). Furthermore, such a project provides the opportunity to search for evidence of close binary supermassive black holes. We describe MAHA and report initial results from our first campaign, from 2016 December to 2017 May, highlighting velocity-resolved time lags for four active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with asymmetric Hβ lines. We find that 3C 120, Ark 120, and Mrk 6 display complex features different from the simple signatures expected for pure outflow, inflow, or a Keplerian disk. While three of the objects have been previously reverberation mapped, including velocity-resolved time lags in the cases of 3C 120 and Mrk 6, we report a time lag and corresponding black hole mass measurement for SBS 1518+593 for the first time. Furthermore, SBS 1518+593, the least asymmetric of the four, does show velocity-resolved time lags characteristic of a Keplerian disk or virialized motion more generally. Also, the velocity-resolved time lags of 3C 120 have significantly changed since previously observed, indicating an evolution of its BLR structure. Future analyses of the data for these objects and others in MAHA will explore the full diversity of Hβ lines and the physics of AGN BLRs.
Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of end‐stage liver disease in children and the primary indication for pediatric liver transplantation, yet underlying etiologies remain unknown. ...Approximately 10% of infants affected by BA exhibit various laterality defects (heterotaxy) including splenic abnormalities and complex cardiac malformations—a distinctive subgroup commonly referred to as the biliary atresia splenic malformation (BASM) syndrome. We hypothesized that genetic factors linking laterality features with the etiopathogenesis of BA in BASM patients could be identified through whole‐exome sequencing (WES) of an affected cohort. DNA specimens from 67 BASM subjects, including 58 patient–parent trios, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases–supported Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) underwent WES. Candidate gene variants derived from a prespecified set of 2,016 genes associated with ciliary dysgenesis and/or dysfunction or cholestasis were prioritized according to pathogenicity, population frequency, and mode of inheritance. Five BASM subjects harbored rare and potentially deleterious biallelic variants in polycystic kidney disease 1 like 1 (PKD1L1), a gene associated with ciliary calcium signaling and embryonic laterality determination in fish, mice, and humans. Heterozygous PKD1L1 variants were found in 3 additional subjects. Immunohistochemical analysis of liver from the one BASM subject available revealed decreased PKD1L1 expression in bile duct epithelium when compared to normal livers and livers affected by other noncholestatic diseases. Conclusion: WES identified biallelic and heterozygous PKD1L1 variants of interest in 8 BASM subjects from the ChiLDReN data set; the dual roles for PKD1L1 in laterality determination and ciliary function suggest that PKD1L1 is a biologically plausible, cholangiocyte‐expressed candidate gene for the BASM syndrome.
Abstract
Transmission spectroscopy offers an invaluable opportunity to characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets. We present new ground-based optical transmission spectra of the hot Jupiter HD ...189733b, derived from nine transits observed over a six year time span (2016–2021) using near-simultaneous
u
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g
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r
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i
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broadband observations. We achieve an average (best) precision of 435 (280) ppm by implementing an optical diffuser on the prime focus spectrograph from the 2.3 m Wyoming Infrared Observatory telescope. The data provide new measurements of the apparent planetary radius with respect to the stellar radius, the spectral index of atmospheric opacity, and the time variability of the two quantities. Our results indicate an enhanced spectral slope in the optical regime ≈2.4 times steeper than would be expected from canonical Rayleigh scattering and that is consistent with earlier measurements of a super-Rayleigh slope (SRS). While the effect of stellar activity on the transmission spectrum complicates the measurement of the spectral slope, our multiepoch data set over six years can measure and average over stellar variations, yielding a mean spectral index of −9.9 ± 4.4. The 1200 K equilibrium temperature of HD 189733b places it in a sweet spot for the formation of SRSs and is consistent with vigorously mixing hazes in the atmosphere. Additionally, we find variations in the depth of the lightcurve during two of the transits, explainable as an increase in occulted star spots during June 2021. Although the star is active, the mean level of stellar activity does not seem to vary dramatically over our six years of observations, leading us to conclude that the variability in stellar activity is modest at most.
Abstract
In this third paper of the series reporting on the reverberation mapping campaign of active galactic nuclei with asymmetric H
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emission-line profiles, we present results for 15 ...Palomar–Green quasars using spectra obtained between the end of 2016–2021 May. This campaign combines long time spans with relatively high cadence. For eight objects, both the time lags obtained from the entire light curves and the measurements from individual observing seasons are provided. Reverberation mapping of nine of our targets has been attempted for the first time, while the results for six others can be compared with previous campaigns. We measure the H
β
time lags over periods of years and estimate their black hole masses. The long duration of the campaign enables us to investigate their broad-line region (BLR) geometry and kinematics for different years by using velocity-resolved lags, which demonstrate signatures of diverse BLR geometry and kinematics. The BLR geometry and kinematics of individual objects are discussed. In this sample, the BLR kinematics of Keplerian/virialized motion and inflow is more common than that of outflow.
This report ascribes ataxia and hypogonadism to mutations affecting two proteins in a ubiquitination pathway, which affects the cellular disposal of specific proteins.
In recent years, we have seen ...great advances in the elucidation of genetic causes of cerebellar ataxia, with newly identified genes regulating a wide spectrum of cellular functions, including intracellular signaling, tau regulation, and mitochondrial function.
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However, a genetic defect cannot be found in approximately 40% of patients with ataxia,
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including those in whom ataxia is associated with reproductive endocrine failure, a syndrome first reported by Gordon Holmes in 1908.
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Most patients with this syndrome have a hypogonadotropic condition, with defective secretion of gonadotropins by the pituitary gland.
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Strikingly, genes associated with ataxia have little functional overlap with genes . . .
We report the results of reverberation mapping of three bright Seyfert galaxies, Mrk 79, NGC 3227, and Mrk 841, from a campaign conducted from 2016 December to 2017 May with the Wyoming Infrared ...Observatory (WIRO) 2.3 m telescope. All three of these targets have shown asymmetric broad Hβ emission lines in the past, although their emission lines were relatively symmetric during our observations. We measured Hβ time lags for all three targets and estimated masses of their black holes-for the first time in the case of Mrk 841. For Mrk 79 and NGC 3227, the data are of sufficient quality to resolve distinct time lags as a function of velocity and to compute two-dimensional velocity-delay maps. Mrk 79 shows smaller time lags for high-velocity gas, but the distribution is not symmetric, and its complex velocity-delay map could result from the combination of both inflowing and outflowing Hβ emitting disks that may be part of a single larger structure. NGC 3227 shows the largest time lags for blueshifted gas, and the two-dimensional velocity-delay map suggests a disk with some inflow. We compare our results with previous work and find evidence for different time lags despite similar luminosities, as well as evolving broad-line region structures.
We present the discovery of KELT-21b, a hot Jupiter transiting the V = 10.5 A8V star HD 332124. The planet has an orbital period of P = 3.6127647 0.0000033 days and a radius of . We set an upper ...limit on the planetary mass of at confidence. We confirmed the planetary nature of the transiting companion using this mass limit and Doppler tomographic observations to verify that the companion transits HD 332124. These data also demonstrate that the planetary orbit is well-aligned with the stellar spin, with a sky-projected spin-orbit misalignment of . The star has K, , , and km s−1, the highest projected rotation velocity of any star known to host a transiting hot Jupiter. The star also appears to be somewhat metal poor and -enhanced, with and /Fe = 0.145 0.053; these abundances are unusual, but not extraordinary, for a young star with thin-disk kinematics like KELT-21. High-resolution imaging observations revealed the presence of a pair of stellar companions to KELT-21, located at a separation of 1 2 and with a combined contrast of with respect to the primary. Although these companions are most likely physically associated with KELT-21, we cannot confirm this with our current data. If associated, the candidate companions KELT-21 B and C would each have masses of ∼0.12 , a projected mutual separation of ∼20 au, and a projected separation of ∼500 au from KELT-21. KELT-21b may be one of only a handful of known transiting planets in hierarchical triple stellar systems.
Infliximab (IFX) is commonly used to treat children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We previously reported that patients with extensive disease started on IFX at a dose of 10 mg/kg had greater ...treatment durability at year one. The aim of this follow-up study is to assess the long-term safety and durability of this dosing strategy in pediatric IBD.
We performed a retrospective single-center study of pediatric IBD patients started on IFX over a 10-year period.
Two hundred ninety-one patients were included (mean age = 12.61, 38% female) with a follow-up range of 0.1-9.7 years from IFX induction. One hundred fifty-five (53%) were started at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Only 35 patients (12%) discontinued IFX. The median duration of treatment was 2.9 years. Patients with ulcerative colitis ( P ≤ 0.01) and patients with extensive disease ( P = 0.01) had lower durability, despite a higher starting dose of IFX ( P = 0.03). Adverse events (AEs) were observed to occur at a rate of 234 per 1000 patient-years. Patients with a higher serum IFX trough level (≥20 µg/mL) had a higher rate of AEs ( P = 0.01). Use of combination therapy had no impact on risk of AEs ( P = 0.78).
We observed an excellent IFX treatment durability, with only 12% of patients discontinuing therapy over the observed timeframe. The overall rate of AEs was low, the majority being infusion reactions and dermatologic conditions. Higher IFX dose and serum trough level> 20 µg/mL were associated with higher risk of AEs, the majority being mild and not resulting in cessation of therapy.
We studied here the independent associations of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria with mortality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in individuals with chronic kidney ...disease (CKD). We performed a collaborative meta-analysis of 13 studies totaling 21,688 patients selected for CKD of diverse etiology. After adjustment for potential confounders and albuminuria, we found that a 15ml/min per 1.73m2 lower eGFR below a threshold of 45ml/min per 1.73m2 was significantly associated with mortality and ESRD (pooled hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.47 and 6.24, respectively). There was significant heterogeneity between studies for both HR estimates. After adjustment for risk factors and eGFR, an eightfold higher albumin- or protein-to-creatinine ratio was significantly associated with mortality (pooled HR 1.40) without evidence of significant heterogeneity and with ESRD (pooled HR 3.04), with significant heterogeneity between HR estimates. Lower eGFR and more severe albuminuria independently predict mortality and ESRD among individuals selected for CKD, with the associations stronger for ESRD than for mortality. Thus, these relationships are consistent with CKD stage classifications based on eGFR and suggest that albuminuria provides additional prognostic information among individuals with CKD.
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