Correlation between Galaxy Mergers and Luminous AGN

It is not yet clear what triggers the activity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), but galaxy merging has been suspected to be one of the main mechanisms fuelling the activity. Using deep optical images taken at various ground-based telescopes, we investigate the fraction of galaxy mergers in 39 luminous AGNs (M$_{R}\, \lesssim$ -22.6 mag) at $z \leq$ 0.3 (a median redshift of 0.155), of which the host galaxies are generally considered as early-type galaxies. Through visual inspection of the images, we find that 17 of 39 AGN host galaxies (43.6%) show the evidence for current or past mergers like tidal tails, shells, and disturbed morphology. In order to see if this fraction is abnormally high, we also examined the merging fraction of normal early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Strip 82 data (a median redshift of 0.04), of which the surface-brightness limit is comparable to our imaging data. To correct for the effects related to the redshift difference of the two samples, we performed an image simulation by putting a bright point source as an artificial AGN in the images of SDSS early-type galaxies and placing them onto the redshifts of AGNs. The merging fraction in this realistic sample of simulated AGNs is only $\sim 5 - 15\%$ ($1/4$ to $1/8$ of that of real AGNs). Our result strongly suggests that luminous AGN activity is associated with galaxy merging.Comment: 57 pages, 19 figures, published in Astrophysical Journa

Syk/Src Pathway-Targeted Inhibition of Skin Inflammatory Responses by Carnosic Acid

Carnosic acid (CA) is a diterpene compound exhibiting antioxidative, anticancer, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-metabolic disorder, and hepatoprotective and neuroprotective activities. In this study, the effect of CA on various skin inflammatory responses and its inhibitory mechanism were examined. CA strongly suppressed the production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 from keratinocyte HaCaT cells stimulated with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and retinoic acid (RA). In addition, CA blocked the release of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) from RAW264.7 cells activated by the toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 ligands, Gram-positive bacterium-derived peptidoglycan (PGN) and pam3CSK, and the TLR4 ligand, Gram-negative bacterium-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). CA arrested the growth of dermatitis-inducing Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms such Propionibacterium acnes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. CA also blocked the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and its upstream signaling including Syk/Src, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) kinase (IKK), and IκBα for NF-κB activation. Kinase assays revealed that Syk could be direct enzymatic target of CA in its anti-inflammatory action. Therefore, our data strongly suggest the potential of CA as an anti-inflammatory drug against skin inflammatory responses with Src/NF-κB inhibitory properties

Biopsychosocial factors of gaming disorder: a systematic review employing screening tools with well-defined psychometric properties

Background and aimsConsidering the growing number of gamers worldwide and increasing public concerns regarding the negative consequences of problematic gaming, the aim of the present systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of gaming disorder (GD) by identifying empirical studies that investigate biological, psychological, and social factors of GD using screening tools with well-defined psychometric properties.Materials and methodsA systematic literature search was conducted through PsycINFO, PubMed, RISS, and KISS, and papers published up to January 2022 were included. Studies were screened based on the GD diagnostic tool usage, and only five scales with well-established psychometric properties were included. A total of 93 studies were included in the synthesis, and the results were classified into three groups based on biological, psychological, and social factors.ResultsBiological factors (n = 8) included reward, self-concept, brain structure, and functional connectivity. Psychological factors (n = 67) included psychiatric symptoms, psychological health, emotion regulation, personality traits, and other dimensions. Social factors (n = 29) included family, social interaction, culture, school, and social support.DiscussionWhen the excess amount of assessment tools with varying psychometric properties were controlled for, mixed results were observed with regards to impulsivity, social relations, and family-related factors, and some domains suffered from a lack of study results to confirm any relevant patterns.ConclusionMore longitudinal and neurobiological studies, consensus on a diagnostic tool with well-defined psychometric properties, and an in-depth understanding of gaming-related factors should be established to settle the debate regarding psychometric weaknesses of the current diagnostic system and for GD to gain greater legitimacy in the field of behavioral addiction

Discovery of a Supercluster at z ~ 0.91 and Testing the ΛCDM Cosmological Model

The ΛCDM cosmological model successfully reproduces many aspects of the galaxy and structure formation of the universe. However, the growth of large-scale structures (LSSs) in the early universe is not well tested yet with observational data. Here, we have utilized wide and deep optical–near-infrared data in order to search for distant galaxy clusters and superclusters (0.8 < z < 1.2). From the spectroscopic observation with the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph (IMACS) on the Magellan telescope, three massive clusters at z ~ 0.91 are confirmed in the SSA22 field. Interestingly, all of them have similar redshifts within Δ z ~ 0.01 with velocity dispersions ranging from 470 to 1300 km s−1. Moreover, as the maximum separation is ~15 Mpc, they compose a supercluster at z ~ 0.91, meaning that this is one of the most massive superclusters at this redshift to date. The galaxy density map implies that the confirmed clusters are embedded in a larger structure stretching over ~100 Mpc. ΛCDM models predict about one supercluster like this in our surveyed volume, consistent with our finding so far. However, there are more supercluster candidates in this field, suggesting that additional studies are required to determine if the ΛCDM cosmological model can successfully reproduce the LSSs at high redshift

Radical scavenging activitybased and AP-1-targeted anti-inflammatory effects of lutein in macrophage-like and skin keratinocytic cells,”

Lutein is a naturally occurring carotenoid with antioxidative, antitumorigenic, antiangiogenic, photoprotective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective properties. Although the anti-inflammatory effects of lutein have previously been described, the mechanism of its anti-inflammatory action has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory activity of lutein in the inflammatory responses of skin-derived keratinocytes or macrophages and to elucidate the mechanism of its inhibitory action. Lutein significantly reduced several skin inflammatory responses, including increased expression of interleukin-(IL-) 6 from LPS-treated macrophages, upregulation of cyclooxygenase-(COX-) 2 from interferon-/tumor necrosis-factor-(TNF-) -treated HaCaT cells, and the enhancement of matrix-metallopeptidase-(MMP-) 9 level in UV-irradiated keratinocytes. By evaluating the intracellular signaling pathway and the nuclear transcription factor levels, we determined that lutein inhibited the activation of redox-sensitive AP-1 pathway by suppressing the activation of p38 and c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK). Evaluation of the radical and ROS scavenging activities further revealed that lutein was able to act as a strong anti-oxidant. Taken together, our findings strongly suggest that lutein-mediated AP-1 suppression and anti-inflammatory activity are the result of its strong antioxidative and p38/JNK inhibitory activities. These findings can be applied for the preparation of anti-inflammatory and cosmetic remedies for inflammatory diseases of the skin