A catalogue of nuclear stellar velocity dispersions of nearby galaxies from \u2009H\u3b1 STIS spectra to constrain supermassive black hole masses

We present new measurements for the nuclear stellar velocity dispersion \u3c3* within sub-arcsecond apertures for 28 nearby galaxies. Our data consist of Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) long-slit spectra obtained with the G750M grating centred on the H\u3b1 spectral range. We fit the spectra using a library of single stellar population models and Gaussian emission lines, while constraining in most cases the stellar-population content from an initial fit to G430L STIS spectra. We illustrate how these \u3c3* measurements can be useful for constraining the mass M\u2022 of supermassive black holes (SBHs) by concentrating on the cases of the lenticular galaxies NGC 4435 and NGC 4459. These are characterized by similar ground-based half-light radii stellar velocity dispersion \u3c3e values but remarkably different M\u2022 as obtained from modelling their central ionized-gas kinematics, where NGC 4435 appears to host a significantly undermassive SBH compared to what is expected from the M\u2022 - \u3c3e relation. For both galaxies, we build Jeans axisymmetric dynamical models to match the ground-based stellar kinematics obtained with Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae integral-field spectrograph, including an SBH with M\u2022 value as predicted by the M\u2022 - \u3c3e relation and using high-resolution HST images taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys to construct the stellar-mass model. By mimicking the HST observing conditions we use such reference models to make a prediction for the nuclear \u3c3* value. Whereas this was found to agree with our nuclear \u3c3* measurement for NGC 4459, for NGC 4435 the observed \u3c3* is remarkably smaller than the predicted one, which further suggests that this galaxy could host an undermassive SBH

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF ADRENAL GLAND LESIONS IN DOGS CAN AID IN DIAGNOSIS

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography to visualize adrenal gland lesions and evaluate incidentally discovered adrenal masses in dogs has become more reliable with advances in imaging techniques. However, correlations between sonographic and histopathological changes have been elusive. The goal of our study was to investigate which ultrasound features of adrenal gland abnormalities could aid in discriminating between benign and malignant lesions. To this end, we compared diagnosis based on ultrasound appearance and histological findings and evaluated ultrasound criteria for predicting malignancy. RESULTS: Clinical records of 119 dogs that had undergone ultrasound adrenal gland and histological examination were reviewed. Of these, 50 dogs had normal adrenal glands whereas 69 showed pathological ones. Lesions based on histology were classified as cortical adrenal hyperplasia (n = 67), adenocarcinoma (n = 17), pheochromocytoma (n = 10), metastases (n = 7), adrenal adenoma (n = 4), and adrenalitis (n = 4). Ultrasonographic examination showed high specificity (100%) but low sensitivity (63.7%) for identifying the adrenal lesions, which improved with increasing lesion size. Analysis of ultrasonographic predictive parameters showed a significant association between lesion size and malignant tumors. All adrenal gland lesions >20 mm in diameter were histologically confirmed as malignant neoplasms (pheochromocytoma and adenocarcinoma). Vascular invasion was a specific but not sensitive predictor of malignancy. As nodular shape was associated with benign lesions and irregular enlargement with malignant ones, this parameter could be used as diagnostic tool. Bilaterality of adrenal lesions was a useful ultrasonographic criterion for predicting benign lesions, as cortical hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal appearance of structural features on ultrasound images (e.g., adrenal gland lesion size, shape, laterality, and echotexture) may aid in diagnosis, but these features alone were not pathognomic. Lesion size was the most direct ultrasound predictive criterion. Large and irregular masses seemed to be better predictors of malignant neoplasia and lesions <20 mm in diameter and nodular in shape were often identified as cortical hyperplastic nodules or adenomas

Evidence for Cortical Functional Changes in Patients With Migraine and White Matter Abnormalities on Conventional and Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background— In this study, we used functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate the pattern of cortical activations after a simple motor task in patients with migraine and white matter (WM) abnormalities on conventional MRI scans of the brain. We also investigated whether the extent of brain activations was correlated with WM structural pathology measured using diffusion tensor (DT) MRI. Methods— From 15 right-handed patients with migraine and 15 sex- and age-matched, right-handed healthy volunteers, we obtained the following: (1) fMRI (repetitive flexion-extension of the last 4 fingers of the right hand), (2) dual-echo turbo spin echo scans, and (3) pulsed-gradient spin-echo echo-planar sequence to calculate DT-MRI maps. fMRI analysis was performed using SPM99 and cluster detection. We measured the volume, the average mean diffusivity ( ), and the average fractional anisotropy of all lesions seen on the dual-echo scans. histograms of the normal-appearing WM were also produced. Results— Compared with healthy volunteers, migraine patients had a larger relative activation of the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex ( P =0.01) and a rostral displacement of the supplementary motor area ( P =0.03). The shapes of the curves reflecting the time course for fMRI signal intensity changes were similar between migraine patients and controls for all of the cortical areas we studied. Compared with healthy subjects, migraine patients had significantly lower histogram peak height of the normal-appearing WM histogram ( P =0.02), which was found to be correlated with the extent of displacement of the supplementary motor area ( r =−0.80, P <0.001). Conclusions— This study suggests that functional cortical changes occur in patients with migraine and brain MRI abnormalities and that they might be secondary to the extent of subcortical structural damage

Cortical metabolic arrangement during olfactory processing:proposal for a 18F-FDG PET/CT methodological approach

The aim of this article is to investigate the cortical metabolic arrangements in olfactory processing by using 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Twenty-six normosmic individuals (14 women and 12 men; mean age 46.710 years) were exposed to a neutral olfactory condition (NC) and, after 1 month, to a pure olfactory condition (OC) in a relatively ecological environment, that is, outside the scanner. All the subjects were injected with 185-210 megabecquerel of 18F FDG during both stimulations. Statistical parametric mapping version 2 was used in order to assess differences between NC and OC. As a result, we found a significant higher glucose consumption during OC in the cuneus, lingual, and parahippocampal gyri, mainly in the left hemisphere. During NC, our results show a relative higher glucose metabolism in the left superior, inferior, middle, medial frontal, and orbital gyri as well as in the anterior cingulate cortex. The present investigation, performed with a widely available functional imaging clinical tool, may help to better understand the neural responses associated to olfactory processing in healthy individuals and in patients with olfactory disorders by acquiring data in an ecologic, noise-free, and resting condition in which possible cerebral activations related to unwanted attentional processes might be avoided

Cerebellar metabolic involvement and its correlations with clinical parameters in vestibular neuritis

Although vestibular neuritis (VN) cortical models are described in the literature, there is lack of knowledge regarding the exclusive cerebellar involvement. The aim of the present study was to analyze, by [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDGPET)/ computer tomography, regional cerebellar FDG uptake in eight right-handed VN patients (five females; three males; mean age 48 ? 7 years) during the first few days (PET0) and after 1 month (PET1) since symptoms onset. At both phases, patients underwent otoneurological examination and filled in a battery of validated questionnaires. Twenty-six cerebellar volumes of interest (VOI) were identified by the automated anatomical labeling library and normalized to thalamus FDG-PET uptake. Mean intensity within VOIs was calculated in both phases and processed by within-subjects ANOVA. A significantly lower (

Involvement of subcortical brain structures during olfactory stimulation in multiple chemical sensitivity

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) patients usually react to odour compounds and the majority of neuroimaging studies assessed, especially at the cortical level, many olfactory-related correlates. The purpose of the present study was to depict sub-cortical metabolic changes during a neutral (NC) and pure (OC) olfactory stimulation by using a recently validated 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computer tomography procedure in 26 MCS and 11 healthy (HC) resting subjects undergoing a battery of clinical tests. Twelve subcortical volumes of interest were identified by the automated anatomical labeling library and normalized to thalamus FDG uptake. In both groups, when comparing OC to NC, the within-subjects ANOVA demonstrated a relative decreased metabolism in bilateral putamen and hippocampus and a relative increased metabolism in bilateral amygdala, olfactory cortex (OLF), caudate and pallidum. The between-groups ANOVA demonstrated in MCS a significant higher metabolism in bilateral OLF during NC. As in HC subjects negative correlations were found in OC between FDG uptake in bilateral amygdala and hippocampus and odor pleasantness scale, the latter positively correlated with MCS subjects\u27 bilateral putamen FDG uptake in OC. Besides FDG uptake resemblances in both groups were found, for the first time a relative higher metabolism increase in OLF in MCS subjects at rest with respect to HC was found. When merging this aspect to the different subcortical FDG uptake correlations patterns in the two groups, the present study demonstrated to describe a peculiar metabolic index of behavioral and neurological aspects of MCS complaints

Rapid and sensitive detection of bla KPC gene in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae by a molecular real-time assay.

The aim of this study was the rapid identification of bla KPC gene in 38 Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates with reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. The modified Hodge Test (MHT) was carried out to phenotypically determine whether resistance to carbapenems was mediated by a carbapenemase. The detection of the bla KPC gene was performed by real-time acid nucleic sequence-based amplification (NASBA™™), specifically designed for the detection of KPC RNA target.Thirty-two/38 isolates evaluated by MHT showed the production of carbapenemases, while all the strains exhibited the production of KPC by inhibition test with phenylboronic acid (the combined disk test with IPM/IPM plus phenylboronic acid). The detection of bla KPC gene by Nuclisens EasyQ KPC yielded positive results in 38/38 (100\%) strains. The presence of bla KPC gene was confirmed in all K. pneumoniae isolates when tested by the gold standard PCR assay.In consideration of the serious challenge represented by infections due to K. pneumoniae it appears necessary the rapid identification of carbapenemases in clinical settings as it is made possible by the use of NASBA™ assay