Flat-spectrum radio sources as likely counterparts of unidentified INTEGRAL sources (Research Note)

Many sources in the fourth INTEGRAL/IBIS catalogue are still unidentified, since they lack an optical counterpart. An important tool that can help in identifying/classifying these sources is the cross-correlation with radio catalogues, which are very sensitive and positionally accurate. Moreover, the radio properties of a source, such as the spectrum or morphology, could provide further insight into its nature. Flat-spectrum radio sources at high Galactic latitudes are likely to be AGN, possibly associated to a blazar or to the compact core of a radio galaxy. Here we present a small sample of 6 sources extracted from the fourth INTEGRAL/IBIS catalogue that are still unidentified/unclassified, but which are very likely associated with a bright, flat-spectrum radio object. To confirm the association and to study the source X-ray spectral parameters, we performed X-ray follow-up observations with Swift/XRT. We report the results obtained from this search and discuss the nature of each source. 5 of the 6 radio associations are also detected in X-rays; in 3 cases they are the only counterpart found. IGR J06073--0024 is a flat-spectrum radio quasar at z=1.08, IGR J14488--4008 is a newly discovered radio galaxy, while IGR J18129--0649 is an AGN of a still unknown type. The nature of IGR J07225--3810 and IGR J19386--4653 is less well defined, since in both cases we find another X-ray source in the INTEGRAL error circle; nevertheless, the flat-spectrum radio source, likely to be a radio loud AGN, remains a viable and more convincing association in both cases. Only for IGR J11544--7618 could we not find any convincing counterpart since the radio association is not an X-ray emitter.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysic

Transglutaminase-catalyzed preparation of chitosan-ovalbumin films

Microbial transglutaminase was employed as catalyst for preparing chitosan–ovalbumin films. The films showed low solubility at a wide range of pH and underwent to a good enzymatic hydrolysis with trypsin. The degree of swelling was reduced and the mechanical resistance of the chitosan–ovalbumin films increased from 24 to 35MPa after enzymatic treatment with transglutaminase. The barrier efficiency toward water vapour was slightly improved for the films prepared by transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking

High-Energy Spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei. II. Absorption in Seyfert Galaxies

Absorption by cold material in a large sample of active galaxies has been analyzed in order to study statistically the behavior of absorbed sources. The analysis indicates that on the basis of the column density alone, sources can be divided into low-absorption ([NH/NHGal] ? 50) and high-absorption ([NH/NHGal] ? 50) objects. While the second group consists mostly of narrow emission line galaxies (Seyfert galaxies of type 1.9-2), the first group is less homogenous, being formed by a mixture of broad and narrow emission line objects (Seyfert 1-2 galaxies). A study of the distribution of the column density values by means of bootstrap analysis confirms the reality of this effect. One group consisting of optically selected objects is well explained within the unified theory as nuclei obscured by a molecular torus. The second group made up of X-ray- and IRAS-selected objects is more difficult to define: in these sources the absorption is underestimated owing to difficulties (1) in fitting complex absorption spectra or (2) in measuring NH values in Compton-thick sources or the absorption has a different origin than in the torus. Possible correlations of absorption with X-ray luminosity, axial ratio, and Balmer decrement have also been investigated. Previous suggestions that lower luminosity AGNs tend to be more highly absorbed than those with higher luminosity are not confirmed by the present data; neither is any evidence for a correlation of NH with axial ratio (b/a) found except for a preference of Seyfert 1-1.5 galaxies to be in face-on galaxies. While some sources (Seyfert 1-1.5 galaxies and low-absorption objects) have X-ray absorption compatible with Balmer decrement, high-absorption objects have column densities much higher than predicted from optical observations. These results are in agreement with the unified theory since the torus parameters are expected to be independent of luminosity, its orientation should be random with respect to the host galaxy, and its location should be in between the broad- and narrow-line regions. A study of the NH variability indicates that in a large fraction (70%) of the sources for which the analysis could be done, NH varies on timescales from months to years. In Seyfert 1-1.5 galaxies, the variability is associated with a region in or near the broad-line region and is explained in terms of partial covering and/or warm absorption models. In Seyfert 2 galaxies, the only variability observed is that associated with narrow emission line galaxies. The study of the column density distributions indicates that Seyfert 1-1.5 galaxies are characterized by NH = 18+9?7 ? 1021 atoms cm-2. Seyfert 1.9-2 galaxies have instead NH = 96+54?35 ? 1021 atoms cm-2 and a larger dispersion; if this group is divided into low- and high-absorption objects, NH = 14.5+7.2?5.3 ? 1021 atoms cm-2 and NH = 132.8+80.1?52.6 ? 1021 atoms cm-2, respectively, are obtained. The observed dispersion in each group is consistent with being entirely due to column density variability

Chitosan-whey protein edible films produced in the absence or presence of transglutaminase: Analysis of their mechanical and barrier properties

Chitosan-whey protein edible films with different protein concentrations were prepared in the absence or presence of microbial transglutaminase as cross-linking agent. The films prepared in the presence of the enzyme showed low solubility at a wide range of pH, a lower degree of swelling, and good biodegradability following protease treatments. The presence of transglutaminase induced also an enhancement in film mechanical resistance and a reduction in their deformability. Finally, the barrier efficiency toward oxygen and carbon dioxide was found to be markedly improved in the cross-linked films which showed also a lower permeability to water vapor. Some potential practical applications of transglutaminase-treated chitosan-whey protein films are suggested

Insulin administration and rate of glucose appearance in people with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether prandial insulin, in addition to basal insulin, has an effect on the rate of glucose appearance from a meal in people with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The rate of glucose appearance from a mixed meal (Ra(meal)) was investigated in six adult (aged 24 +/- 2 years), lean (BMI 23.6 +/- 1.5 kg/m(2)) subjects with well-controlled type 1 diabetes (duration 7.9 +/- 6.9 years, A1C 7.6 +/- 0.9%) with/without prandial insulin. Actrapid was infused to maintain euglycemia before meals were consumed. Subjects consumed two identical meals on separate occasions, and Ra(meal) was measured using a dual isotope method. [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose was incorporated into the meal (0.081 g/kg body wt), and a primed constant/variable rate infusion of [1,2,3,4,5,6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose was administered. In the tests with prandial insulin, an additional bolus dose of Actrapid was given 20 min before the meal at 0.1 units/kg body wt. RESULTS: Insulin concentration with prandial insulin was significantly higher than during basal insulin studies (119 +/- 16 vs. 66 +/- 15 pmol/l, P = 0.03 by paired t test). Despite differences in insulin concentration, there were no differences in total glucose appearance (3,398 +/- 197 vs. 3,307 +/- 343 micromol/kg) or time taken for 25% (33.1 +/- 3.3 vs. 31.7 +/- 3.5 min), 50% (54.6 +/- 3.5 vs. 54.1 +/- 4.7 min), and 75% (82.9 +/- 7.1 vs. 82.8 +/- 5.8 min) of total glucose appearance. The fraction of the glucose dose appearing in the circulation was the same for basal (73 +/- 8%) and prandial (75 +/- 4%) study days. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that meal glucose appearance is independent of prandial insulin concentration in people with type 1 diabetes

Germplasm collection – valuable resources of variability for plant and ear traits in maize breeding

Maize is one of the most important crops, both worldwide and in Romania, and preserving the diversity of the biological material used in the breeding of this plant is of particular importance. The Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda, Romania, inbred lines collection includes both its own genotypes and some obtained as a result of germplasm exchanges with other institutions in the country or abroad. In the present study, 575 lines created at Turda were analysed regarding some traits of the plant (plant height, ear height, total number of leaves, number of tassel branches) and the ear (ear length and weight, number of kernel rows and number of kernels/row). The biological material used in this study shows a great diversity: a medium or high variability coefficient was identified for several of the traits analysed (number of tassel branches, ear height, ear height). Frequency histograms were made for the studied lines, for plant and ear traits. A great variability also was observed in the colours of the anther and silk, but also for kernel type and colour and cob colour

Coregulated Genes Link Sulfide:Quinone Oxidoreductase and Arsenic Metabolism in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC6803

Although the biogeochemistry of the two environmentally hazardous compounds arsenic and sulfide has been extensively investigated, the biological interference of these two toxic but potentially energy-rich compounds has only been hypothesized and indirectly proven. Here we provide direct evidence for the first time that in the photosynthetic model organism Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 the two metabolic pathways are linked by coregulated genes that are involved in arsenic transport, sulfide oxidation, and probably in sulfide-based alternative photosynthesis. Although Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 is an obligate photoautotrophic cyanobacterium that grows via oxygenic photosynthesis, we discovered that specific genes are activated in the presence of sulfide or arsenite to exploit the energy potentials of these chemicals. These genes form an operon that we termed suoRSCT, located on a transposable element of type IS4 on the plasmid pSYSM of the cyanobacterium. suoS (sll5036) encodes a light-dependent, type I sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase. The suoR (sll5035) gene downstream of suoS encodes a regulatory protein that belongs to the ArsR-type repressors that are normally involved in arsenic resistance. We found that this repressor has dual specificity, resulting in 200-fold induction of the operon upon either arsenite or sulfide exposure. The suoT gene encodes a transmembrane protein similar to chromate transporters but in fact functioning as an arsenite importer at permissive concentrations. We propose that the proteins encoded by the suoRSCT operon might have played an important role under anaerobic, reducing conditions on primordial Earth and that the operon was acquired by the cyanobacterium via horizontal gene transfer