The Little Red Caboose Behind The Train

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2014/thumbnail.jp

Mutt And Jeff

Photograph of Sam D. Drane and Gus Alexander, the original actors that portrayed Mutt and Jeffhttps://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cht-sheet-music/13792/thumbnail.jp

There\u27s a mother old and gray who needs me now

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2594/thumbnail.jp

Unobscured Type 2 Active Galactic Nuclei

Type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with intrinsically weak broad emission lines (BELs) would be exceptions to the unified model. After examining a number of proposed candidates critically, we find that the sample is contaminated significantly by objects with BELs of strengths indicating that they actually contain intermediate-type AGNs, plus a few Compton-thick sources as revealed by extremely low ratios of X-ray to nuclear IR luminosities. We develop quantitative metrics that show two (NGC 3147 and NGC 4594) of the remaining candidates to have BELs 2-3 orders of magnitude weaker than those of typical type 1 AGNs. Several more galaxies remain as candidates to have anomalously weak BELs, but this status cannot be confirmed with the existing information. Although the parent sample is poorly defined, the two confirmed objects are well under 1% of its total number of members, showing that the absence of a BEL is possible, but very uncommon in AGN. We evaluate these two objects in detail using multi-wavelength measurements including new IR data obtained with Spitzer and ground-based optical spectropolarimeteric observations. They have little X-ray extinction with N_H < ~10^(21) cm^(–2). Their IR spectra show strong silicate emission (NGC 4594) or weak aromatic features on a generally power-law continuum with a suggestion of silicates in emission (NGC 3147). No polarized BEL is detected in NGC 3147. These results indicate that the two unobscured type 2 objects have circumnuclear tori that are approximately face-on. Combined with their X-ray and optical/UV properties, this behavior implies that we have an unobscured view of the nuclei and thus that they have intrinsically weak BELs. We compare their properties with those of the other less-extreme candidates. We then compare the distributions of bolometric luminosities and accretion rates of these objects with theoretical models that predict weak BELs

Local Luminous Infrared Galaxies. III. Co-evolution of Black Hole Growth and Star Formation Activity?

Local luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (LIRGs) have both high star formation rates (SFR) and a high AGN (Seyfert and AGN/starburst composite) incidence. Therefore, they are ideal candidates to explore the co-evolution of black hole (BH) growth and star formation (SF) activity, not necessarily associated with major mergers. Here, we use Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy of a complete volume-limited sample of local LIRGs (distances of <78Mpc). We estimate typical BH masses of 3x10^7 M_sun using [NeIII]15.56micron and optical [OIII]5007A gas velocity dispersions and literature stellar velocity dispersions. We find that in a large fraction of local LIRGs the current SFR is taking place not only in the inner nuclear ~1.5kpc region, as estimated from the nuclear 11.3micron PAH luminosities, but also in the host galaxy. We next use the ratios between the SFRs and BH accretion rates (BHAR) to study whether the SF activity and BH growth are contemporaneous in local LIRGs. On average, local LIRGs have SFR to BHAR ratios higher than those of optically selected Seyferts of similar AGN luminosities. However, the majority of the IR-bright galaxies in the RSA Seyfert sample behave like local LIRGs. Moreover, the AGN incidence tends to be higher in local LIRGs with the lowest SFRs. All this suggests that in local LIRGs there is a distinct IR-bright star forming phase taking place prior to the bulk of the current BH growth (i.e., AGN phase). The latter is reflected first as a composite and then as a Seyfert, and later as a non-LIRG optically identified Seyfert nucleus with moderate SF in its host galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Computer-assisted diagnosis in the noninvasive evaluation of patients with suspected coronary artery disease

A microcomputer program called CADENZA, which employs Bayes' theorem to analyze and report the results of various clinical descriptors and noninvasive tests relative to the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, was evaluated in 1,097 consecutive patients without previous myocardial infarction. With this program, each patient was characterized by a probability for coronary artery disease, based on Framingham risk factor analysis, symptom characterization, electrocardiographic stress testing, cardiokymography, cardiac fluoroscopy, thallium perfusion scintigraphy and technetium equilibrium-gated blood pool scintigraphy. A total of 11,808 probability estimates derived from various combinations of the available observations were analyzed: 2,180 in 170 patients undergoing coronary angiography and 9,628 in 969 patients who completed a 1 year follow-up for coronary events.The predicted probability of disease correlated linearly with observed angiographic prevalence in the 170 patients who subsequently had coronary angiography (prevalence = [0.001 ± 0.011] + [0.966 ± 0.019] x probability). The difference between probability and prevalence averaged 3.1%, and the magnitude of this correlation was not affected by the type or amount of data analyzed. The prevalence of multivessel disease in these patients increased as a monotonic function of disease probability. Below a probability of 25%, single vessel disease was slightly more common than multivessel disease. Above a probability of 75%, multivessel disease predominated. In the 969 patients followed up for 1 year from the date of testing, the incidence of cardiac death and nonfatal infarction increased as a cubic function of disease probability (from approximately 0 to 8% per year for each). Above a probability of 90%, however, the standard deviation for predicting these events was wide.These data indicate that Bayes' theorem in general— and CADENZA in particular—is an accurate, clinically applicable means for quantifying the prevalence of angiographic coronary artery disease, the risk of multivessel disease and the incidence of morbid coronary events in the year after testing

A first-in-human, randomized, controlled, subject- and reviewer-blinded multicenter study of Actamax™ Adhesion Barrier

Purpose: Post-surgical adhesions remain a significant concern following abdominopelvic surgery. This study was to assess safety, manageability and explore preliminary efficacy of applying a degradable hydrogel adhesion barrier to areas of surgical trauma following gynecologic laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgery. Methods: This first-in-human, prospective, randomized, multicenter, subject- and reviewer-blinded clinical study was conducted in 78 premenopausal women (18–46 years) wishing to maintain fertility and undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgery with planned clinically indicated second-look laparoscopy (SLL) at 4–12 weeks. The first two patients of each surgeon received hydrogel, up to 30 mL sprayed over all sites of surgical trauma, and were assessed for safety and application only (n = 12). Subsequent subjects (n = 66) were randomized 1:1 to receive either hydrogel (Treatment, n = 35) or not (Control, n = 31); 63 completed the SLL. Results: No adverse event was assessed as serious, or possibly device related. None was severe or fatal. Adverse events were reported for 17 treated subjects (17/47, 36.2%) and 13 Controls (13/31, 41.9%). For 95.7% of treated subjects, surgeons found the device “easy” or “very easy” to use; in 54.5%, some residual material was evident at SLL. For 63 randomized subjects who completed the SLL, adjusted between-group difference in the change from baseline adhesion score demonstrated a 41.4% reduction for Treatment compared with Controls (p = 0.017), with a 49.5% reduction (p = 0.008) among myomectomy subjects (n = 34). Conclusion: Spray application of a degradable hydrogel adhesion barrier during gynecologic laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgery was performed easily and safely, without evidence of clinically significant adverse outcomes. Data suggest the hydrogel was effective in reducing postoperative adhesion development, particularly following myomectomy

The Effect of Active Galactic Nuclei on the Mid-Infrared Aromatic Features

We present Spitzer measurements of the aromatic (also known as PAH) features for 35 Seyfert galaxies from the revised Shapley-Ames sample and find that the relative strengths of the features differ significantly from those observed in star-forming galaxies. Specifically, the features at 6.2, 7.7, and 8.6 micron are suppressed relative to the 11.3 micron feature in Seyferts. Furthermore, we find an anti-correlation between the L(7.7 micron)/L(11.3 micron) ratio and the strength of the rotational H2 (molecular hydrogen) emission, which traces shocked gas. This suggests that shocks suppress the short-wavelength features by modifying the structure of the aromatic molecules or destroying the smallest grains. Most Seyfert nuclei fall on the relationship between aromatic emission and [Ne II] emission for star-forming galaxies, indicating that aromatic-based estimates of the star-formation rate in AGN host galaxies are generally reasonable. For the outliers from this relationship, which have small L(7.7 micron)/L(11.3 micron) ratios and strong H2 emission, the 11.3 micron feature still provides a valid measure of the star-formation rate.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 17 pages, 12 figure

A selective ALDH-2 inhibitor reduces anxiety in rats

CVT-10216 is a highly selective, reversible inhibitor of ALDH-2 that reduces excessive alcohol drinking. Anxiety plays a role in alcoholism. The present study asks whether CVT-10216 has anxiolytic properties, as reflected in social interaction behavior in four unrelated rodent models: endogenous anxiety-like behavior in naïve Fawn-Hooded rats, repeated alcohol-withdrawal-induced anxiety, restraint stress-induced anxiety and drug-induced anxiety. CVT-10216 counteracted anxiety in all models except that produced by the 5-HT2C agonist, mCPP. CVT-10216 exhibited both acute and prophylactic inhibitions of repeated alcohol-withdrawal-induced anxiety. Importantly, anxiogenic behavior induced by the benzodiazepine receptor inverse agonist, DMCM, was counteracted dose-dependently by CVT-10216. Thus, a non-addictive selective inhibitor of ALDH-2 has both anxiolytic and antidipsotropic properties, which may be dependent, in part on the involvement of the GABA–benzodiazepine system

Transcription profiling reveals potential mechanisms of dysbiosis in the oral microbiome of rhesus macaques with chronic untreated SIV infection.

A majority of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have inadequate access to antiretroviral therapy and ultimately develop debilitating oral infections that often correlate with disease progression. Due to the impracticalities of conducting host-microbe systems-based studies in HIV infected patients, we have evaluated the potential of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected rhesus macaques to serve as a non-human primate model for oral manifestations of HIV disease. We present the first description of the rhesus macaque oral microbiota and show that a mixture of human commensal bacteria and "macaque versions" of human commensals colonize the tongue dorsum and dental plaque. Our findings indicate that SIV infection results in chronic activation of antiviral and inflammatory responses in the tongue mucosa that may collectively lead to repression of epithelial development and impact the microbiome. In addition, we show that dysbiosis of the lingual microbiome in SIV infection is characterized by outgrowth of Gemella morbillorum that may result from impaired macrophage function. Finally, we provide evidence that the increased capacity of opportunistic pathogens (e.g. E. coli) to colonize the microbiome is associated with reduced production of antimicrobial peptides