Active Galactic Nuclei at the Crossroads of Astrophysics

Over the last five decades, AGN studies have produced a number of spectacular examples of synergies and multifaceted approaches in astrophysics. The field of AGN research now spans the entire spectral range and covers more than twelve orders of magnitude in the spatial and temporal domains. The next generation of astrophysical facilities will open up new possibilities for AGN studies, especially in the areas of high-resolution and high-fidelity imaging and spectroscopy of nuclear regions in the X-ray, optical, and radio bands. These studies will address in detail a number of critical issues in AGN research such as processes in the immediate vicinity of supermassive black holes, physical conditions of broad-line and narrow-line regions, formation and evolution of accretion disks and relativistic outflows, and the connection between nuclear activity and galaxy evolution.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures; review contribution; "Exploring the Cosmic Frontier: Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century", ESO Astrophysical Symposia Serie

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

AM-879, a PPARy non-agonist and Ser273 phosphorylation blocker, promotes insulin sensitivity without adverse effects in mice

Obesity is one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is considered a promising pathway on insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue metabolism. The search for molecules acting as insulin sensitizers have increased, especially for molecules that block PPARγ-Ser273 phosphorylation, without reaching full agonism. We evaluated the in vivo effects of AM-879, a PPARγ non-agonist, and found that AM-879 exerts different effects in mice depending on the dose. At lower doses, this ligand decreased BAT, increased leptin and Crh expression. However, at a higher dose, it promoted improvement on insulin sensitivity, ameliorates expression of metabolism-related genes, decreased the expression of genes related to liver toxicity, maintaining body weight and adipocyte size. These results present a new lead molecule to ameliorates insulin resistance and confirm AM-879 as a PPARγ non-agonist which blocks Ser273 phosphorylation as a good strategy to modulate insulin sensitivity without developing the adverse effects promoted by PPARγ full agonists

On the growth and mechanical properties of nanostructured cobalt foams by dynamic hydrogen bubble template electrodeposition

The growth mechanism of nanostructured cobalt foams prepared by hydrogen bubble template electrodeposition has been studied. To that end, cobalt foams have been synthesized under different electrodeposition times and studied with various characterization techniques, namely scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy in reflection mode. In addition, the mechanical properties of the resulting foams have been tested by bending and tensile tests. To study the influence of chemical additives in the growth mechanism and final properties of the foams, agar-agar has been added to the electrolytic bath during foam preparation. Results evidence that the addition of agar has successfully modified the microstructure of the final foams, creating a denser porous structure with smaller pore area and reduced growth rate that translates into better mechanical properties. By studying the evolution of the microstructure under different deposition conditions, a growth model of cobalt metallic foams by dynamic hydrogen bubble template is proposed. This easy and scalable route paves the way to produce tailored foams for numerous applications that include, for instance, energy storage and energy conversion.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity and antifungal activity of the total ethanolic extract and fractions from teloschistes exilis (Michx.) vain.

Teloschistes exilis (Michx.) Vain is an underexplored lichen. In the last decades, there has been a growing interest for the study of lichenic biodiversity, as a source of new natural products, because these produce potential secondary metabolites for pharmacological and industrial uses, highlighting their antioxidant and antifungal properties. For that reason, this study evaluated the antioxidant capacity with 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS*+ assay) and the antifungal activity of the total ethanolic extract (EtOH) and different polarity fractions from Teloschistes exilis (Michx.) Vain against Penicillium digitatum and Aspergillus niger using disk diffusion technique. According to antioxidant activity, the best-obtained value was for the EtOH with 37.58 mg/L MeOH, with ascorbic acid. In terms of antifungal activity, for equivalent sensitivity, against Penicillium digitatum, for each mg of ketoconazole, 213.4 mg of Petroleum ether fraction were required, while for each mg of fluconazole, 228.3 mg of Petroleum ether fraction were required. Regarding to antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, for each mg of ketoconazole, 465.6 mg of Petroleum ether fraction are required, while for each mg of fluconazole, 174.6 mg of Petroleum ether fraction are needed. The highest polarity solvents have a better relative antioxidant activity in relation with standard solutions, whereas susceptibility tests applied for Aspergillus niger and Penicillium digitatum showed the best antifungal activity for the low polarity fraction of Petroleum ether for both controls. Considering that are fractions, the antioxidant and antifungal potential of Teloschistes exilis (Michx.) Vain should be elucidated in posterior studies

Ocorrência e distribuição de pteridófitas na reserva florestal Walter Egler, Amazônia Central, Brasil Occurrence and distribution of the pteridophytes in the Walter Egler Forest reserve, Central Amazonian, Brazil

Na Reserva Florestal Walter Egler, localizada a 64 km de Manaus, no município de Rio Preto da Eva, foi investigada a ocorrência de Pteridófitas ao longo de uma toposseqüência. O grupo ocorre nos três ambientes observados na área (baixio, vertente e platô) com diferença tanto qualitativa quanto quantitativa. Foram registrados 375 indivíduos, distribuídos em oito famílias, 10 gêneros e 17 espécies; entre epífitas, hemiepífitas, herbáceas e arbóreas. Das 8 famílias, 4 ocorrem em todos os ambientes: Dennstaedtiaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, Dryopteridaceae e Lomariopsidaceae, enquanto, Cyatheaceae e Vittariaceae ocorrem apenas no baixio. Das 17 espécies encontradas, sete ocorrem apenas no baixio, três na vertente e cinco são comuns em todos os ambientes.<br>The occurrence of Pteridophytes was investigated along a transect at the Walter Egler Forest reserve, located 64 km from Manaus in the municipality of Rio Preto da Eva. The group occurs on the three landscapes observed in the area (lowland, slope and plateau) with a both qualitative and quantitative difference. Three hundred and seventy five (375) individuals were established, distributed in 8 families, 10 genera and 17 species; among epiphytes, hemepiphytes, herbaceous and arboreal. Of the 8 families, 4 occur on all landscapes: Dennstaedtiaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, Dryopteridaceae and Lomariopsidaceae, whereas, Cyatheaceae and Vittariaceae occur only on lowland. Of the 17 identified species, 7 occur only lowland, 3 on slope, and 5 are common on all landscapes