A population of intermediate-mass black holes in dwarf starburst galaxies up to redshift=1.5

We study a sample of $\sim$50,000 dwarf starburst and late-type galaxies drawn from the COSMOS survey with the aim of investigating the presence of nuclear accreting black holes (BHs) as those seed BHs from which supermassive BHs could grow in the early Universe. We divide the sample into five complete redshift bins up to $z=1.5$ and perform an X-ray stacking analysis using the \textit{Chandra} COSMOS-Legacy survey data. After removing the contribution from X-ray binaries and hot gas to the stacked X-ray emission, we still find an X-ray excess in the five redshift bins that can be explained by nuclear accreting BHs. This X-ray excess is more significant for $z<0.5$. At higher redshifts, these active galactic nuclei could suffer mild obscuration, as indicated by the analysis of their hardness ratios. The average nuclear X-ray luminosities in the soft band are in the range 10$^{39}-10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Assuming that the sources accrete at $\geq$ 1\% the Eddington rate, their BH masses would be $\leq$ 10$^{5}$ M$_{\odot}$, thus in the intermediate-mass BH regime, but their mass would be smaller than the one predicted by the BH-stellar mass relation. If instead the sources follow the correlation between BH mass and stellar mass, they would have sub-Eddington accreting rates of $\sim$ 10$^{-3}$ and BH masses 1-9 $\times$ 10$^{5}$ M$_{\odot}$. We thus conclude that a population of intermediate-mass BHs exists in dwarf starburst galaxies, at least up to $z$=1.5, though their detection beyond the local Universe is challenging due to their low luminosity and mild obscuration unless deep surveys are employed.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, ApJ in pres

Intermediate-mass black holes in dwarf galaxies out to redshift ∼\sim 2.4 in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey

We present a sample of 40 AGN in dwarf galaxies at redshifts $z \lesssim$ 2.4. The galaxies are drawn from the \textit{Chandra} COSMOS-Legacy survey as having stellar masses $10^{7}\leq M_{*}\leq3 \times 10^{9}$ M$_{\odot}$. Most of the dwarf galaxies are star-forming. After removing the contribution from star formation to the X-ray emission, the AGN luminosities of the 40 dwarf galaxies are in the range $L_\mathrm{0.5-10 keV} \sim10^{39} - 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$. With 12 sources at $z > 0.5$, our sample constitutes the highest-redshift discovery of AGN in dwarf galaxies. The record-holder is cid\_1192, at $z = 2.39$ and with $L_\mathrm{0.5-10 keV} \sim 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$. One of the dwarf galaxies has $M_\mathrm{*} = 6.6 \times 10^{7}$ M$_{\odot}$ and is the least massive galaxy found so far to host an AGN. All the AGN are of type 2 and consistent with hosting intermediate-mass black holes (BHs) with masses $\sim 10^{4} - 10^{5}$ M$_{\odot}$ and typical Eddington ratios $> 1\%$. We also study the evolution, corrected for completeness, of AGN fraction with stellar mass, X-ray luminosity, and redshift in dwarf galaxies out to $z$ = 0.7. We find that the AGN fraction for $10^{9}< M_{*}\leq3 \times 10^{9}$ M$_{\odot}$ and $L_\mathrm{X} \sim 10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ is $\sim$0.4\% for $z \leq$ 0.3 and that it decreases with X-ray luminosity and decreasing stellar mass. Unlike massive galaxies, the AGN fraction seems to decrease with redshift, suggesting that AGN in dwarf galaxies evolve differently than those in high-mass galaxies. Mindful of potential caveats, the results seem to favor a direct collapse formation mechanism for the seed BHs in the early Universe.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Pathogenetic, Clinical, and Prognostic Features of Adult t(4;11)(q21;q23)/MLL-AF4 Positive B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Translocation t(4;11)(q21;q23) leading to formation of MLL-AF4 fusion gene is found in about 10% of newly diagnosed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adult patients. Patients expressing this chromosomal aberration present typical biological, immunophenotypic, and clinical features. This form of leukemia is universally recognized as high-risk leukemia and treatment intensification with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in first complete remission (CR) could be a valid option to improve prognosis, but data obtained from the literature are controversial. In this review, we briefly describe pathogenetic, clinical, and prognostic characteristics of adult t(4;11)(q21;q23)/MLL-AF4 positive ALL and provide a review of the clinical outcome reported by the most important cooperative groups worldwide

DTPA-Functionalized silica-based monoliths for the removal of transition and lanthanide ions from aqueous phase

Transition and rare-earth metals are essential raw materials used in a wide range of technological applications; moreover, their consumption is often associated with high production of wastes­. Therefore, their recycling and recovery from end-of-life products or metal-contaminated aqueous environments is of considerable importance from a circular economy perspective. In our study, synthetic mesoporous silica monoliths, obtained by sol-gel synthesis[1] and functionalized with chelating groups are used for the recovery of metal ions from aqueous matrices (MONO-DTPA). The monoliths were characterized using a multi-technique approach and were tested in the recovery of paramagnetic Gd3+, Cu2+ and Co2+ ions from aqueous solutions, using 1H-NMR relaxometry to evaluate their uptake performance in real time and in simple conditions[2]. Detailed information on the kinetics of the capture process was also extrapolated. Finally, the possibility to regenerate the solid sorbents was evaluated. The modified silica monoliths were able to recover an appreciable amount of both di- and trivalent metal ions. The best results were obtained in the case of Cu2+ after 24 hours of contact, with a recovered amount of 0.29 mmol/g corresponding to 18.48 mg/g (Fig. 1, A). The capture performance of MONO-DTPA has been shown to be superior to that of natural or synthetic materials commonly used for metal ion removal (Fig 1, B). [1] V. Miglio, C. Zaccone, C. Vittoni, I. Braschi, E. Buscaroli, G. Golemme, L. Marchese and C. Bisio, Molecules 2021, 26, 1316 [2] S. Marchesi, S. Nascimbene, M. Guidotti, C. Bisio and F. Carniato, Dalton Trans. 2022, 51, 4502–4509

The Xmm-Newton Spectrum of a Candidate Recoiling Supermassive Black Hole: An Elusive Inverted P-Cygni Profile

We present a detailed spectral analysis of new XMM-Newton data of the source CXOC J100043.1+020637, also known as CID-42, detected in the COSMOS survey at z = 0.359. Previous works suggested that CID-42 is a candidate recoiling supermassive black hole (SMBH) showing also an inverted P-Cygni profile in the X-ray spectra at ~6 keV (rest) with an iron emission line plus a redshifted absorption line (detected at 3σ in previous XMM-Newton and Chandra observations). Detailed analysis of the absorption line suggested the presence of ionized material flowing into the black hole at high velocity. In the new long XMM-Newton observation, while the overall spectral shape remains constant, the continuum 2-10 keV flux decrease of ~20% with respect to previous observation and the absorption line is undetected. The upper limit on the intensity of the absorption line is EW \u3c 162 eV. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations show that the nondetection of the line is solely due to variation in the properties of the inflowing material, in agreement with the transient nature of these features, and that the intensity of the line is lower than the previously measured with a probability of 98.8%. In the scenario of CID-42 as a recoiling SMBH, the absorption line can be interpreted as being due to an inflow of gas with variable density that is located in the proximity of the SMBH and recoiling with it. New monitoring observations will be requested to further characterize this line

Influence of Installation Conditions on Heating Bodies Thermal Output: Preliminary Experimental Results☆

Abstract Heating bodies are thermodynamic systems whose heat output is strongly dependent on boundary conditions and in about a century several attempts have been made for its experimental determination. To this aim, at the beginning of 60s, in Europe different national standards were adopted (e.g. in 1967 in Italy the UNI 6514/1967). At European level, the EN 442-1:2014 and EN 442-2:2014 allows the heating body heat output estimation with an expanded uncertainty lower than 1% and they are now accepted in various international markets. The EN 442 also allows heat output calculation in operating conditions different from standard ones by employing theoretical-experimental correlations that, by their nature, are not able to include any possible actual operating condition. In fact, in actual operating conditions the heating body heat output depends on several factors, among which: i) installation position with respect to the wall and the floor; ii) presence grid/shelf/niche or an obstruction caused by curtains on the heating body; iii) thermo-fluid-dynamic condition variations (inlet flow rate and temperature); iv) hydraulic connections. Radiators represent the most spread heating body (installed since the end of '800) and in the last decades different radiators typologies have been proposed on the market, characterized by different materials, sizes, shapes, etc. In the present paper the authors present the preliminary result of an experimental campaign on field for the heat output measurement of different radiators typologies (cast iron, aluminum) as a function of different installation and operating conditions. The influence on the heating body performance and the associate technical-economical consequences in terms of heat cost allocation accuracy have been investigated

Hepatobiliary surgeons meet immunologists : the case of colorectal liver metastases patients

The burgeoning field of cancer immunology demands a change in the paradigm of cancer patient management. The understanding of the course of a given malignant disease should also include the host immune system as one of the key factors in determining the patient's prognosis. Surgical and medical oncologists need to understand the basic and advanced applications of immunotherapies, which are rapidly evolving, and are nowadays an integral part of the armamentarium for the treatment of cancer patients. In the present work, we review the current knowledge concerning the immune landscape of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with liver metastases, as recently discovered

Mapping Asbestos-Cement Roofing with Hyperspectral Remote Sensing over a Large Mountain Region of the Italian Western Alps

The World Health Organization estimates that 100 thousand people in the world die every year from asbestos-related cancers and more than 300 thousand European citizens are expected to die from asbestos-related mesothelioma by 2030. Both the European and the Italian legislations have banned the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution in commerce of asbestos-containing products and have recommended action plans for the safe removal of asbestos from public and private buildings. This paper describes the quantitative mapping of asbestos-cement covers over a large mountainous region of Italian Western Alps using the Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer sensor. A very large data set made up of 61 airborne transect strips covering 3263 km2 were processed to support the identification of buildings with asbestos-cement roofing, promoted by the Valle d’Aosta Autonomous Region with the support of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency. Results showed an overall mapping accuracy of 80%, in terms of asbestos-cement surface detected. The influence of topography on the classification’s accuracy suggested that even in high relief landscapes, the spatial resolution of data is the major source of errors and the smaller asbestos-cement covers were not detected or misclassified