Black Hole Mass Estimates Based on CIV are Consistent with Those Based on the Balmer Lines

Using a sample of high-redshift lensed quasars from the CASTLES project with observed-frame ultraviolet or optical and near-infrared spectra, we have searched for possible biases between supermassive black hole (BH) mass estimates based on the CIV, Halpha and Hbeta broad emission lines. Our sample is based upon that of Greene, Peng & Ludwig, expanded with new near-IR spectroscopic observations, consistently analyzed high S/N optical spectra, and consistent continuum luminosity estimates at 5100A. We find that BH mass estimates based on the FWHM of CIV show a systematic offset with respect to those obtained from the line dispersion, sigma_l, of the same emission line, but not with those obtained from the FWHM of Halpha and Hbeta. The magnitude of the offset depends on the treatment of the HeII and FeII emission blended with CIV, but there is little scatter for any fixed measurement prescription. While we otherwise find no systematic offsets between CIV and Balmer line mass estimates, we do find that the residuals between them are strongly correlated with the ratio of the UV and optical continuum luminosities. Removing this dependency reduces the scatter between the UV- and optical-based BH mass estimates by a factor of approximately 2, from roughly 0.35 to 0.18 dex. The dispersion is smallest when comparing the CIV sigma_l mass estimate, after removing the offset from the FWHM estimates, and either Balmer line mass estimate. The correlation with the continuum slope is likely due to a combination of reddening, host contamination and object-dependent SED shapes. When we add additional heterogeneous measurements from the literature, the results are unchanged.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. 37 text pages + 8 tables + 23 figures. Updated with comments by the referee and with a expanded discussion on literature data including new observation

Infrared Narrow-Band Tomography of the Local Starburst NGC 1569 with LBT/LUCIFER

We used the near-IR imager/spectrograph LUCIFER mounted on the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) to image, with sub-arcsec seeing, the local dwarf starburst NGC 1569 in the JHK bands and HeI 1.08 micron, [FeII] 1.64 micron and Brgamma narrow-band filters. We obtained high-quality spatial maps of HeI, [FeII] and Brgamma emission across the galaxy, and used them together with HST/ACS images of NGC 1569 in the Halpha filter to derive the two-dimensional spatial map of the dust extinction and surface star formation rate density. We show that dust extinction is rather patchy and, on average, higher in the North-West (NW) portion of the galaxy [E_g(B-V) = 0.71 mag] than in the South-East [E_g(B-V) = 0.57 mag]. Similarly, the surface density of star formation rate peaks in the NW region of NGC 1569, reaching a value of about 4 x 10^-6 M_sun yr^-1 pc^-2. The total star formation rate as estimated from the integrated, dereddened Halpha luminosity is about 0.4 M_sun yr^-1, and the total supernova rate from the integrated, dereddened [FeII] luminosity is about 0.005 yr^-1 (assuming a distance of 3.36 Mpc). The azimuthally averaged [FeII]/Brgamma flux ratio is larger at the edges of the central, gas-deficient cavities (encompassing the super star clusters A and B) and in the galaxy outskirts. If we interpret this line ratio as the ratio between the average past star formation (as traced by supernovae) and on-going activity (represented by OB stars able to ionize the interstellar medium), it would then indicate that star formation has been quenched within the central cavities and lately triggered in a ring around them. The number of ionizing hydrogen and helium photons as computed from the integrated, dereddened Halpha and HeI luminosities suggests that the latest burst of star formation occurred about 4 Myr ago and produced new stars with a total mass of ~1.8 x 10^6 M_sun. [Abridged]Comment: accepted for publication in A

Novel Serial Positive Enrichment Technology Enables Clinical Multiparameter Cell Sorting

A general obstacle for clinical cell preparations is limited purity, which causes variability in the quality and potency of cell products and might be responsible for negative side effects due to unwanted contaminants. Highly pure populations can be obtained best using positive selection techniques. However, in many cases target cell populations need to be segregated from other cells by combinations of multiple markers, which is still difficult to achieve – especially for clinical cell products. Therefore, we have generated low-affinity antibody-derived Fab-fragments, which stain like parental antibodies when multimerized via Strep-tag and Strep-Tactin, but can subsequently be removed entirely from the target cell population. Such reagents can be generated for virtually any antigen and can be used for sequential positive enrichment steps via paramagnetic beads. First protocols for multiparameter enrichment of two clinically relevant cell populations, CD4high/CD25high/CD45RAhigh ‘regulatory T cells’ and CD8high/CD62Lhigh/CD45RAneg ‘central memory T cells’, have been established to determine quality and efficacy parameters of this novel technology, which should have broad applicability for clinical cell sorting as well as basic research

Beiträge zur Bestimmung der Eigenschaften von Zählrohren für das Sonnenneutrino-Experiment GNO

This diploma thesis is part of the solar neutrino experiment GNO (Gallium Neutrino Observatory) located at Gran Sasso (Italy). In GNO a solar neutrino is captured by the 71Ga(í, e-)71Ge nuclear reaction. The radioactive 71Ge nucleus decays with a 11.43 day halflife time back to 71Ga with the release of an Augerelectron. The Augerelectron is then measured in a miniaturized proportional counter. During 69Ge-calibrations of the proportional counters the fluctuations of the background rate of a NaJ(TI) are the first topic of this work. These calibrations reduce the systematical error of GNO. So that knowledge of the background rate during calibration is critical for determining this error. In the second part of this investigation a measurement system for background in the proportional counters was constructed and commissioned. This system is a more cost effective alternative to the current setup at Gran Sasso. For both parts of the thesis the setups are described and the results are discussed

Selection Criteria Limit Generalizability Of Smoking Pharmacotherapy Studies Differentially Across Clinical Trials And Laboratory Studies: A Systematic Review On Varenicline

Background The selection criteria used in clinical trials for smoking cessation and in laboratory studies that seek to understand mechanisms responsible for treatment outcomes may limit their generalizability to one another and to the general population. Methods We reviewed studies on varenicline versus placebo and compared eligibility criteria and participant characteristics of clinical trials (N = 23) and laboratory studies (N = 22) across study type and to nationally representative survey data on adult, daily USA smokers (2014 National Health Interview Survey; 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health). Results Relative to laboratory studies, clinical trials more commonly reported excluding smokers who were unmotivated to quit and for specific medical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, COPD), although both study types frequently reported excluding for general medical or psychiatric reasons. Laboratory versus clinical samples smoked less, had lower nicotine dependence, were younger, and more homogeneous with respect to smoking level and nicotine dependence. Application of common eligibility criteria to national survey data resulted in considerable elimination of the daily-smoking population for both clinical trials (≥47%) and laboratory studies (≥39%). Relative to the target population, studies in this review recruited participants who smoked considerably more and had a later smoking onset age, and were under-representative of Caucasians. Conclusions Results suggest that selection criteria of varenicline studies limit generalizability in meaningful ways, and differences in criteria across study type may undermine efforts at translational research. Recommendations for improvements in participant selection and reporting standards are discussed

Tracking the progeny of adoptively transferred virus-specific T cells in patients posttransplant using TCR sequencing

Adoptive cellular therapies with T cells are increasingly used to treat a variety of conditions. For instance, in a recent phase 1/2 trial, we prophylactically administered multivirusspecific T-cell products to protect recipients of T-cell–depleted allogeneic stem cell grafts against viral reactivation. To establish treatment efficacy, it is important to determine the fate of the individual transferred T-cell populations. However, it is difficult to unequivocally distinguish progeny of the transferred T-cell products from recipient- or stem cell graft–derived T cells that survived T-cell depletion during conditioning or stem cell graft manipulation. Using messenger RNA sequencing of the T-cell receptor β-chains of the individual virus-specific T-cell populations within these T-cell products, we were able to track the multiple clonal virus-specific subpopulations in peripheral blood and distinguish recipient- and stem cell graft–derived virus-specific T cells from the progeny of the infused T-cell products. We observed in vivo expansion of virus-specific T cells that were exclusively derived from the T-cell products with similar kinetics as the expansion of virus-specific T cells that could also be detected before the T-cell product infusion. In addition, we demonstrated persistence of virus-specific T cells derived from the T-cell products in most patients who did not show viral reactivation. This study demonstrates that virus-specific T cells from prophylactically infused multiantigen-specific T-cell products can expand in response to antigen encounter in vivo and even persist in the absence of early viral reactivation

LUCIFER1: performance results

LUCIFER1 is a NIR camera and spectrograph installed at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Working in the wavelength range of 0.9-2.5micron, the instrument is designed for direct imaging and spectroscopy with 3 different cameras. A set of longslit masks as well as up to 23 user defined (MOS) masks are available. The set of user defined masks can be exchanged while the instrument is at operating temperature. Extensive tests have been done on the electro-mechanical functions, image motion due to flexure, optical quality, instrument software, calibration and especially on the multi-object spectroscopy. Also a detailed characterization of the instrument's properties in the different observing modes has been carried out. Results are presented and compared to the specifications