ABSTRACT We investigate the correlations between the black hole (BH) mass MBH, the velocity dispersion , the bulge mass MBu, the bulge average spherical density , and its spherical half-mass radius ...rh, constructing a database of 97 galaxies (31 core ellipticals, 17 power-law ellipticals, 30 classical bulges, and 19 pseudobulges) by joining 72 galaxies from the literature to 25 galaxies observed during our recent SINFONI BH survey. For the first time we discuss the full error covariance matrix. We analyze the well-known MBH- and MBH-MBu relations and establish the existence of statistically significant correlations between MBu and rh and anticorrelations between MBu and . We establish five significant bivariate correlations (MBH- - h, MBH- -rh, MBH-MBu- , MBH-MBu- h, MBH-MBu-rh) that predict MBH of 77 core and power-law ellipticals and classical bulges with measured and intrinsic scatter as small as dex and dex, respectively, or 0.26 dex when the subsample of 45 galaxies defined by Kormendy & Ho is considered. In contrast, pseudobulges have systematically lower MBH but approach the predictions of all of the above relations at spherical densities or scale lengths . These findings fit in a scenario of coevolution of BH and classical-bulge masses, where core ellipticals are the product of dry mergers of power-law bulges and power-law ellipticals and bulges the result of (early) gas-rich mergers and of disk galaxies. In contrast, the (secular) growth of BHs is decoupled from the growth of their pseudobulge hosts, except when (gas) densities are high enough to trigger the feedback mechanism responsible for the existence of the correlations between MBH and galaxy structural parameters.
Transplantation-accelerated arteriosclerosis is one of the major challenges for long-term survival of patients with solid organ transplantation. Although stem/progenitor cells have been implicated to ...participate in this process, the cells of origin and underlying mechanisms have not been fully defined.
The objective of our study was to investigate the role of c-Kit lineage cells in allograft-induced neointima formation and to explore the mechanisms underlying this process.
Using an inducible lineage tracing Kit-CreER;Rosa26-tdTomato mouse model, we observed that c-Kit is expressed in multiple cell types in the blood vessels, rather than a specific stem/progenitor cell marker. We performed allograft transplantation between different donor and recipient mice, as well as bone marrow transplantation experiments, demonstrating that recipient c-Kit
cells repopulate neointimal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and leukocytes, and contribute to neointima formation in an allograft transplantation model. c-Kit-derived SMCs originate from nonbone marrow tissues, whereas bone marrow-derived c-Kit
cells mainly generate CD45
leukocytes. However, the exact identity of c-Kit lineage cells contributing to neointimal SMCs remains unclear. ACK2 (anti-c-Kit antibody), which specifically binds and blocks c-Kit function, ameliorates allograft-induced arteriosclerosis. Stem cell factor and TGF (transforming growth factor)-β1 levels were significantly increased in blood and neointimal lesions after allograft transplantation, by which stem cell factor facilitated c-Kit
cell migration through the stem cell factor/c-Kit axis and downstream activation of small GTPases, MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase)/ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase)/MLC (myosin light chain), and JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase)/c-Jun signaling pathways, whereas TGF-β1 induces c-Kit
cell differentiation into SMCs via HK (hexokinase)-1-dependent metabolic reprogramming and a possible downstream O-GlcNAcylation of myocardin and serum response factor.
Our findings provide evidence that recipient c-Kit lineage cells contribute to vascular remodeling in an allograft transplantation model, in which the stem cell factor/c-Kit axis is responsible for cell migration and HK-1-dependent metabolic reprogramming for SMC differentiation.
Tissue-engineered vascular grafts with long-term patency are greatly needed in the clinical settings, and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are a critical graft component. Human mesenchymal stem cells ...(MSCs) are used for generating SMCs, and understanding the underlying regulatory mechanisms of the MSC-to-SMC differentiation process could improve SMC generation in the clinic. Here, we found that in response to stimulation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), human umbilical cord–derived MSCs abundantly express the SMC markers α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), smooth muscle protein 22 (SM22), calponin, and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC) at both gene and protein levels. Functionally, MSC-derived SMCs displayed contracting capacity in vitro and supported vascular structure formation in the Matrigel plug assay in vivo. More importantly, SMCs differentiated from human MSCs could migrate into decellularized mouse aorta and give rise to the smooth muscle layer of vascular grafts, indicating the potential of utilizing human MSC-derived SMCs to generate vascular grafts. Of note, microRNA (miR) array analysis and TaqMan microRNA assays identified miR-503 and miR-222-5p as potential regulators of MSC differentiation into SMCs at early time points. Mechanistically, miR-503 promoted SMC differentiation by directly targeting SMAD7, a suppressor of SMAD-related, TGFβ1-mediated signaling pathways. Moreover, miR-503 expression was SMAD4-dependent. SMAD4 was enriched at the miR-503 promoter. Furthermore, miR-222-5p inhibited SMC differentiation by targeting and down-regulating ROCK2 and αSMA. In conclusion, MSC differentiation into SMCs is regulated by miR-503 and miR-222-5p and yields functional SMCs for use in vascular grafts.
Context. Galaxy clusters provide unique laboratories to study astrophysical processes on large scales and are important probes for cosmology. X-ray observations are currently the best means of ...detecting and characterizing galaxy clusters. Therefore X-ray surveys for galaxy clusters are one of the best ways to obtain a statistical census of the galaxy cluster population. Aims. In this paper we describe the construction of the REFLEX II galaxy cluster survey based on the southern part of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. REFLEX II extends the REFLEX I survey by a factor of about two down to a flux limit of 1.8 × 10-12 erg s cm (0.1−2.4 keV). Methods. We describe the determination of the X-ray parameters, the process of X-ray source identification, and the construction of the survey selection function. Results. The REFLEX II cluster sample comprises currently 915 objects. A standard selection function is derived for a lower source count limit of 20 photons in addition to the flux limit. The median redshift of the sample is z = 0.102. Internal consistency checks and the comparison to several other galaxy cluster surveys imply that REFLEX II is better than 90% complete with a contamination less than 10%. Conclusions. With this publication we give a comprehensive statistical description of the REFLEX II survey and provide all the complementary information necessary for a proper modeling of the survey for astrophysical and cosmological applications.
•We present associations of executive functioning with place learning and memory.•Higher executive abilities correlated with better virtual navigation performance.•Men and women differed in the ...executive abilities recruited for virtual navigation.
Although effective spatial navigation requires memory for objects and locations, navigating a novel environment may also require considerable executive resources. The present study investigated associations between performance on the virtual Morris Water Task (vMWT), an analog version of a nonhuman spatial navigation task, and neuropsychological tests of executive functioning and spatial performance in 75 healthy young adults. More effective vMWT performance (e.g., lower latency and distance to reach hidden platform, greater distance in goal quadrant on a probe trial, fewer path intersections) was associated with better verbal fluency, set switching, response inhibition, and ability to mentally rotate objects. Findings also support a male advantage in spatial navigation, with sex moderating several associations between vMWT performance and executive abilities. Overall, we report a robust relationship between executive functioning and navigational skill, with some evidence that men and women may differentially recruit cognitive abilities when navigating a novel environment.
Shallow cores in bright, massive galaxies are commonly thought to be the result of scouring of stars by mergers of binary supermassive black holes. Past investigations have suggested correlations ...between the central black hole mass and the stellar light or mass deficit in the core, using proxy measurements of M sub(BH) or stellarmass-to-light ratios ( Upsilon ). Drawing on a wealth of dynamical models which provide both M sub(BH) and Upsilon , we identify cores in 23 galaxies, of which 20 have direct, reliable measurements of M sub(BH) and dynamical stellar mass-to-light ratios ( Upsilon sub(*,dyn)). These cores are identified and measured using Core-Sersic model fits to surface brightness profiles which extend out to large radii (typically more than the effective radius of the galaxy); for approximately one-fourth of the galaxies, the best fit includes an outer (Sersic) envelope component.We find that the core radius is most strongly correlated with the black hole mass and that it correlates better with total galaxy luminosity than it does with velocity dispersion. The strong core-size-M sub(BH) correlation enables estimation of black hole masses (in core galaxies) with an accuracy comparable to the M sub(BH-sigma) relation (rms scatter of 0.30 dex in log M sub(BH)), without the need for spectroscopy. The light and mass deficits correlate more strongly with galaxy velocity dispersion than they do with black hole mass. Stellar mass deficits span a range of 0.2-39 M sub(BH), with almost all (87%) being <10 M sub(BH); the median value is 2.2 M sub(BH).
Aims/hypothesis
Most pregnant women with type 1 diabetes mellitus achieve HbA
1c
targets; however, macrosomia remains prevalent and better pregnancy glycaemic markers are therefore needed. ...1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) is a short-term marker of glycaemia, reflecting a period of 1 to 2 weeks. Its excretion rate depends on the renal glucose threshold and thus it is unclear whether it may be used in pregnant type 1 diabetes women. We evaluated 1,5-AG as a glycaemic marker and birthweight predictor in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, and compared its performance with HbA
1c
.
Methods
1,5-AG and HbA
1c
were measured in 82 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. In addition, 58 continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) records were available. Macrosomia was defined as birthweight >90th centile. The data were analysed with Pearson’s correlations, and linear and logistic regression models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate third trimester 1,5-AG as a predictor of macrosomia.
Results
Unlike HbA
1c
, 1,5-AG strongly correlated with CGMS indices: the AUC above 7.8 mmol/l (
r
= −0.66;
p
< 0.001), average maximum glucose (
r
= −0.58;
p
< 0.001) and mean glucose (
r
= −0.54;
p
< 0.001). In the third trimester, 1,5-AG was the strongest predictor of macrosomia, with ROC AUC 0.81 (95% CI 0.70, 0.89). In contrast, HbA
1c
in the third trimester had a ROC AUC of 0.69 (95% CI 0.58, 0.81). The best discrimination was achieved when both markers were used jointly, yielding a ROC AUC of 0.84 (95% CI 0.76, 0.93).
Conclusions/interpretation
In pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, 1,5-AG is a better glycaemic marker than HbA
1c
, as assessed by CGMS. A decreased third trimester 1,5-AG level, either singly or with HbA
1c
, is a strong predictor of macrosomia.
We present the first results of an analysis of the properties of the molecular gas in the nuclear regions (r 300 pc) of a sample of six nearby galaxies, based on new high-spatial-resolution ...observations obtained in the K-band with the near-infrared integral field spectrograph SINFONI at the Very Large Telescope. We derive 2D distributions of the warm molecular and ionized gas from the H2, Brγ and He i emission lines present in the spectra of the galaxies. We find a range of morphologies, including bar- and ring-like distributions and either centrally peaked or off-centre emission. The morphologies of the molecular and the ionized gas are not necessarily coincident. The observed emission-line ratios point towards thermal processes as the principal mechanism responsible for the H2 excitation in the nuclear and circumnuclear regions of the galaxies, independently of the presence of an active nucleus. We find that a rescaling of the H2 2.12 μm emission-line luminosity by a factor β 1200 gives a good estimate (within a factor of 2) of the total (cold) molecular gas mass. The galaxies of the sample contain large quantities of molecular gas in their centres, with total masses in the ∼105-108 M range. Nevertheless, these masses correspond to less than 3 per cent of the stellar masses derived for the galaxies in these regions, indicating that the presence of gas should not affect black hole mass estimates based on the dynamical modelling of the stars. The high spatial resolution provided by the SINFONI data allowed us to resolve a circumnuclear ring (with a radius of ∼270 pc) in the galaxy NGC 4536. The measured values of the Brγ equivalent width and the He i/Brγ emission-line ratio suggest that bursts of star formation occurred throughout this ring as recently as 6.5 Myr ago.
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