A lower limit to the accretion disc radius in the low-luminosity AGN NGC 1052 derived from high-angular resolution data

We investigate the central sub-arcsec region of the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 1052, using a high-angular resolution dataset that covers 10 orders of magnitude in frequency. This allows us to infer the continuum emission within the innermost $\sim {17}\,$pc around the black hole to be of non-thermal, synchrotron origin and to set a limit to the maximum contribution of a standard accretion disc. Assuming the canonical 10 per cent mass-light conversion efficiency for the standard accretion disc, its inferred accretion power would be too low by one order of magnitude to account for the observed continuum luminosity. We thus introduce a truncated accretion disc and derive a truncation radius to mass-light conversion efficiency relation, which we use to reconcile the inferred accretion power with the continuum luminosity. As a result we find that a truncated disc providing the necessary accretion power must be truncated at $r_\text{tr} \gtrsim {26}\, r_\text{g}$, consistent with the inner radius derived from the observations of the Fe K$\alpha$ line in the X-ray spectrum of this nucleus. This is the first time to derive a limit on the truncation radius of the accretion disc from high-angular resolution data only.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted MNRAS letter, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/sly07

High Prevalence of Obesity and Female Gender Among Patients With Concomitant Tibialis Posterior Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis.

UNLABELLED: The link between increased body weight and hindfoot complaints is largely based on correlation to single foot pathology. We retrospectively reviewed 6879 patients with tibialis posterior tendonitis (TPT), plantar fasciitis (PF), or both. Among patients with either TPT or PF, 1 in 11 (9%) had both. We then compared age, gender, and body mass index among these groups. Patients with both diagnoses were neither statistically older nor more obese than patients with single diagnoses. However, they were statistically more female. Given the overall high prevalence of obesity in the study population, we feel these data support the link between obesity and multiple foot pathology. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic, Level IV: Case series

An abnormality in glucocorticoid receptor expression differentiates steroid responders from nonresponders in keloid disease

Background: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are first-line treatment for keloid disease (KD) but are limited by high incidence of resistance, recurrence and undesirable sideeffects. Identifying patient responsiveness early could guide therapy. Methods: Nineteen patients with KD were recruited at week 0 (before treatment) and received intralesional steroids. At weeks 0, 2 and 4, noninvasive imaging and biopsies were performed. Responsiveness was determined by clinical response and a significant reduction in vascular perfusion following steroid treatment, using full-field laser perfusion imaging (FLPI). Responsiveness was also evaluated using (i) spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis to quantify changes in collagen and melanin and (ii) histology to identify changes in epidermal thickness and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) expression. Biopsies were used to quantify changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Results: At week 2, the FLPI was used to separate patients into steroid responsive (n = 12) and nonresponsive groups (n = 7). All patients demonstrated a signifccant decrease in GAG at week 2 (P < 0 05). At week 4, responsive patients exhibited significant reduction in melanin, GAG, epidermal thickness (all P < 0 05) and a continued reduction in perfusion (P < 0 001) compared with nonresponders. Steroid-responsive patients had increased GR expression at baseline and showed autoregulation of GR compared with nonresponders, who showed no change in GR transcription or protein. Conclusions: This is the first demonstration that keloid response to steroids can be measured objectively using noninvasive imaging. FLPI is a potentially reliable tool to stratify KD responsiveness. Altered GR expression may be the mechanism gating therapeutic response

ARPES: A probe of electronic correlations

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is one of the most direct methods of studying the electronic structure of solids. By measuring the kinetic energy and angular distribution of the electrons photoemitted from a sample illuminated with sufficiently high-energy radiation, one can gain information on both the energy and momentum of the electrons propagating inside a material. This is of vital importance in elucidating the connection between electronic, magnetic, and chemical structure of solids, in particular for those complex systems which cannot be appropriately described within the independent-particle picture. Among the various classes of complex systems, of great interest are the transition metal oxides, which have been at the center stage in condensed matter physics for the last four decades. Following a general introduction to the topic, we will lay the theoretical basis needed to understand the pivotal role of ARPES in the study of such systems. After a brief overview on the state-of-the-art capabilities of the technique, we will review some of the most interesting and relevant case studies of the novel physics revealed by ARPES in 3d-, 4d- and 5d-based oxides.Comment: Chapter to appear in "Strongly Correlated Systems: Experimental Techniques", edited by A. Avella and F. Mancini, Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences (2013). A high-resolution version can be found at: http://www.phas.ubc.ca/~quantmat/ARPES/PUBLICATIONS/Reviews/ARPES_Springer.pdf. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:cond-mat/0307085, arXiv:cond-mat/020850

Effect of Fasciola hepatica proteins on the functioning of rat hepatocytes

Fasciolosis is a hepatic parasitic infection that affects many mammal species and creates a great economic and veterinary problem. Molecular mechanisms of parasite–hepatocyte interactions have not been precisely characterized yet. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate alterations in the metabolic activity of rat liver cells exposed to Fasciola hepatica somatic proteins. Hepatocytes were incubated with 0–1 mg/ml of fluke's somatic proteins for various periods of time. Afterward, changes in hepatocytes metabolic activity were determined with MTT and enzyme leakage tests. Hepatocytes' capacity to synthesize albumin was also investigated. It was observed that protein concentration, as well as longevity of their action, influenced metabolic activity of rat liver cells. Diminution of hepatocytes survival rate, an increase in enzyme leakage and altered synthetic capacity after treatment with parasite's proteins were reported. It is concluded that somatic proteins of F. hepatica may play an important role in liver cell damaging