Supermassive black holes with high accretion rates in active galactic nuclei. XIII. Ultraviolet time lag of Hβ emission in Mrk 142

Funding: We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Discovery Grant RGPIN/04157. V.C.K. acknowledges the support of the Ontario Graduate Scholarships. C.H. acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation of China (12122305). The research of V.C.K. was partially supported by the New Technologies for Canadian Observatories, an NSERC CREATE program.We performed a rigorous reverberation-mapping analysis of the broad-line region (BLR) in a highly accreting (L/LEdd = 0.74–3.4) active galactic nucleus, Markarian 142 (Mrk 142), for the first time using concurrent observations of the inner accretion disk and the BLR to determine a time lag for the Hβ λ4861 emission relative to the ultraviolet (UV) continuum variations. We used continuum data taken with the Niel Gehrels Swift Observatory in the UVW2 band, and the Las Cumbres Observatory, Dan Zowada Memorial Observatory, and Liverpool Telescope in the g band, as part of the broader Mrk 142 multi-wavelength monitoring campaign in 2019. We obtained new spectroscopic observations covering the Hβ broad emission line in the optical from the Gemini North Telescope and the Lijiang 2.4-meter Telescope for a total of 102 epochs (over a period of eight months) contemporaneous to the continuum data. Our primary result states a UV-to-Hβ time lag of 8.68+0.75−0.72 days in Mrk 142 obtained from light-curve analysis with a Python-based Running Optimal Average algorithm. We placed our new measurements for Mrk 142 on the optical and UV radius-luminosity relations for NGC 5548 to understand the nature of the continuum driver. The positions of Mrk 142 on the scaling relations suggest that UV is closer to the “true” driving continuum than the optical. Furthermore, we obtain log(M•/M⊙) = 6.32 ± 0.29 assuming UV as the primary driving continuum.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Supermassive Black Holes with High Accretion Rates in Active Galactic Nuclei. XIII. Ultraviolet Time Lag of Hβ\beta Emission in Mrk 142

We performed a rigorous reverberation-mapping analysis of the broad-line region (BLR) in a highly accreting ($L/L_{\mathrm{Edd}}=0.74-3.4$) active galactic nucleus, Markarian 142 (Mrk 142), for the first time using concurrent observations of the inner accretion disk and the BLR to determine a time lag for the $H\beta$ $\mathrm{\lambda}$4861 emission relative to the ultraviolet (UV) continuum variations. We used continuum data taken with the Niel Gehrels Swift Observatory in the UVW2 band, and the Las Cumbres Observatory, Dan Zowada Memorial Observatory, and Liverpool Telescope in the g band, as part of the broader Mrk 142 multi-wavelength monitoring campaign in 2019. We obtained new spectroscopic observations covering the $H\beta$ broad emission line in the optical from the Gemini North Telescope and the Lijiang 2.4-meter Telescope for a total of 102 epochs (over a period of eight months) contemporaneous to the continuum data. Our primary result states a UV-to-$H\beta$ time lag of $8.68_{-0.72}^{+0.75}$ days in Mrk 142 obtained from light-curve analysis with a Python-based Running Optimal Average algorithm. We placed our new measurements for Mrk 142 on the optical and UV radius-luminosity relations for NGC 5548 to understand the nature of the continuum driver. The positions of Mrk 142 on the scaling relations suggest that UV is closer to the "true" driving continuum than the optical. Furthermore, we obtain $\log(M_{\bullet}/M_{\odot}) = 6.32\pm0.29$ assuming UV as the primary driving continuum.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, 11 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Melanoacanthoma: Uncommon presentation of an uncommon condition

Melanoacanthoma is very rare variant of seborrheic keratosis presenting as a deeply pigmented benign proliferation of melanocytes and keratinocytes usually presenting over the head, neck and trunk of elderly people. A sixty-two-years-old male was presented with a solitary slow growing asymptomatic hyperpigmented verrucous outgrowth with cerebriform surface measuring 15 cm by 8 cm present over the left inguinal region extending on to the scrotum since past 8 years. There was no associated lymphadenopathy. The histopathology revealed hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, acanthosis with presence of melanocytes at all levels of epidermis with abundant melanin giving the diagnosis of melanoacanthoma. The patient further underwent surgical excision of the lesion. The case is being reported for its rarity, unusual location, massive size and clinical resemblance to a verrucous carcinoma

Penicillamine-induced elastosis perforans serpiginosa with abnormal "lumpy-bumpy" elastic fibers in lesional and non-lesional skin

Four types of elastosis perforans serpiginosa (EPS) have been described in literature: 1) idiopathic EPS, 2) reactive perforating elastosis associated with connective tissue disorders, 3) in some instances of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), disease-specific calcified elastic tissue is extruded, producing a clinical picture indistinguishable from other types, may also be seen in patients undergoing hemodialysis and 4) EPS induced by long-term treatment with D-penicillamine is observed in patients suffering from Wilson′s disease. Long term D-penicillamine therapy causes an alteration in the dermal elastic tissue. D-penicillamine induced EPS has a distinctive histopathologic feature - serrated appearance of elastic fibers due to perpendicular budding from their surface giving a "lumpy-bumpy" look. D-penicillamine induced elastic fiber alteration may not always manifest clinically as EPS. We report a case of D-penicillamine induced widespread alteration in skin elastic tissue with distinct histopathologic features

A comparative study of psychosocial morbidity in stable versus unstable vitiligo

Context: Vitiligo is a cosmetically disfiguring condition especially in dark-skinned individuals, thereby adversely affecting their quality of life (QOL). Studies have reported higher psychiatric morbidity in patients with vitiligo, but a comparative study between patients with stable and unstable vitiligo has not been reported. Aims: To compare the psychiatric morbidity, perceived stress, and QOL in patients suffering from stable versus unstable vitiligo. Settings and Design: This was a clinical observational, cross-sectional liaison study conducted over a period of 2 years and included 100 consecutive patients with vitiligo, who came for treatment to the dermatology clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A dermatologist clinically assessed the patients and calculated their vitiligo area severity index score and dermatology life quality index. A psychiatrist evaluated the patients on the basis of the perceived stress scale (PSS), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and clinically established diagnosis using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Statistical Analysis: The aforementioned variables between the two groups were compared using chi-square test and independent t test. Results: High psychiatric morbidity (65%) was reported in patients with vitiligo, with adjustment disorder being the most common morbidity. The most common reported stress was grief or emotionally significant loss. Psychiatric morbidity, scores on HADS, and PSS were significantly higher in patients with unstable vitiligo in comparison to patients with stable vitiligo. The quality of life (QOL) was mildly affected among the patients in both the groups. Conclusions: There is higher psychiatric morbidity in patients with unstable vitiligo along with a worse QOL in comparison to those with stable vitiligo. Patients with vitiligo should be assessed for stability as well as psychiatric morbidity, because it will have significant management implications

Alkaptonuria: Case report

Alkaptonuria is a rare, autosomal-recessive disorder of phenylalanine/tyrosine metabolism due to congenital deficiency of the enzyme homogentisic acid oxidase. Herein, we are reporting a classical case of alkaptonuria with extensive skin pigmentation and skeletal involvement. Histopathological examination also revealed classical ochre-colored deposits in dermis

Acanthosis nigricans: A cutaneous marker for metabolic syndrome

Background: Acanthosis Nigricans (AN) is an easily identifiable dermatoses characterized by thickened, hyperpigmented plaques. Metabolic syndrome refers to a clustering of metabolic risk factors including central obesity, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and hypertension. AN is a skin marker associated with this syndrome. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between AN and metabolic syndrome by studying its clinico-epidemiological features and also the relation of severity of AN over neck with metabolic syndrome. Methodology: This is a case-control study. One hundred consecutive patients of AN attending dermatology OPD of a tertiary care hospital were included in this study. They were evaluated for AN and severity of AN over neck was assessed. Age and sex matched 100 controls were included in the study. Epidemiological, clinical and anthropometric characteristics (height, weight, waist circumference) were measured of all the cases and controls. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Fasting Blood Sugar, High Density Lipoprotein and Serum Triglyceride levels were estimated. Result: The average age of the patients was 32.4 years and females (62%) were more than the males (38%). Neck was involved in all the patients. There was statistically significant correlation of increasing severity of AN with each component of Metabolic syndrome. On comparing between cases and controls, each component of metabolic syndrome was raised in cases as compared to the controls. 70% cases had Metabolic syndrome which was statistically significant. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of AN in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Also there was a positive correlation between severity of AN and Metabolic syndrome