Extrapolating SMBH correlations down the mass scale: the case for IMBHs in globular clusters

Empirical evidence for both stellar mass black holes M_bh<10^2 M_sun) and supermassive black holes (SMBHs, M_bh>10^5 M_sun) is well established. Moreover, every galaxy with a bulge appears to host a SMBH, whose mass is correlated with the bulge mass, and even more strongly with the central stellar velocity dispersion sigma_c, the `M-sigma' relation. On the other hand, evidence for "intermediate-mass" black holes (IMBHs, with masses in the range 1^2 - 10^5 M_sun) is relatively sparse, with only a few mass measurements reported in globular clusters (GCs), dwarf galaxies and low-mass AGNs. We explore the question of whether globular clusters extend the M-sigma relationship for galaxies to lower black hole masses and find that available data for globular clusters are consistent with the extrapolation of this relationship. We use this extrapolated M-sigma relationship to predict the putative black hole masses of those globular clusters where existence of central IMBH was proposed. We discuss how globular clusters can be used as a constraint on theories making specific predictions for the low-mass end of the M-sigma relation.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science; fixed typos and a quote in Sec.

Melatonin treatment in old mice enables a more youthful response to LPS in the brain

Melatonin modulates the expression of a number of genes related to inflammation and immunity. Declining levels of melatonin with age may thus relate to some of the changes in immune function that occur with age. mRNA expression levels in murine CNS were measured using oligonucleotide microarrays in order to determine whether a dietary melatonin supplement may modify age-related changes in the response to an inflammatory challenge. CB6F1 male mice were fed 40ppm melatonin for 9 weeks prior to sacrifice at 26.5 months of age, and compared with age-matched untreated controls and 4.5-month-old controls. A subset of both young and old animals was injected i.p. with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 3 hours, total RNA was extracted from whole brain (excluding brain stem and cerebellum), and individual samples were hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse 430-2.0 arrays. Data were analyzed in Dchip and GeneSpring. Melatonin treatment markedly altered the response in gene expression of older animals subjected to an LPS challenge. These changes in general, caused the response to more closely resemble that of young animals subjected to the same LPS challenge. Thus melatonin treatment effects a major shift in the response of the CNS to an inflammatory challenge, causing a transition to a more youthful mRNA expression profile

Gamma Prime Precipitate Evolution During Aging of a Model Nickel-Based Superalloy

The microstructural stability of nickel-based superalloys is critical for maintaining alloy performance during service in gas turbine engines. In this study, the precipitate evolution in a model polycrystalline Ni-based superalloy during aging to 1000 hours has been studied via transmission electron microscopy, atom probe tomography and neutron diffraction. Variations in phase composition and precipitate morphology, size and volume fraction were observed during aging, whilst the constrained lattice misfit remained constant at approximately zero. The experimental composition of the γ matrix phase was consistent with thermodynamic equilibrium predictions, whilst significant differences were identified between the experimental and predicted results from the γʹ phase. These results have implications for the evolution of mechanical properties in service and their prediction using modeling methods.The authors wish to acknowledge Mrs. S. Rhodes, Dr. H.T. Pang, Dr. D.M. Collins, and Dr. O.M.D.M. Messé for their assistance with the experiments performed. Funding was provided by the EPSRC/Rolls-Royce Strategic Partnership under EP/M005607/1 and EP/H022309/1. The Oxford Atom Probe facility was funded by the EPSRC under EP/M022803/1. Neutron diffraction beam time was supported through the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre under Experiment number 1258

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity relative to the spectator plane in Pb–Pb and Xe–Xe collisions

Measurements of the elliptic flow coefficient relative to the collision plane defined by the spectator neutrons v2{ SP} in collisions of Pb ions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon pair √ 2.76 TeV and Xe ions at √ sNN = sNN =5.44 TeV are reported. The results are presented for charged particles produced at midrapidity as a function of centrality and transverse momentum for the 5–70% and 0.2–6 GeV/c ranges, respectively. The ratio between v2{ SP} and the elliptic flow coefficient relative to the participant plane v2{4}, estimated using four-particle correlations, deviates by up to 20% from unity depending on centrality. This observation differs strongly from the magnitude of the corresponding eccentricity ratios predicted by the TRENTo and the elliptic power models of initial state fluctuations that are tuned to describe the participant plane anisotropies. The differences can be interpreted as a decorrelation of the neutron spectator plane and the reaction plane because of fragmentation of the remnants from the colliding nuclei, which points to an incompleteness of current models describing the initial state fluctuations. A significant transverse momentum dependence of the ratio v2{ SP}/v2{4} is observed in all but the most central collisions, which may help to understand whether momentum anisotropies at low and intermediate transverse momentum have a common origin in initial state f luctuations. The ratios of v2{ SP} and v2{4} to the corresponding initial state eccentricities for Xe–Xe and Pb–Pb collisions at similar initial entropy density show a difference of (7.0 ±0.9)%with an additional variation of +1.8% when including RHIC data in the TRENTo parameter extraction. These observations provide new experimental constraints for viscous effects in the hydrodynamic modeling of the expanding quark–gluon plasma produced in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC

First measurement of Ωc0 production in pp collisions at s=13 TeV

The inclusive production of the charm–strange baryon 0 c is measured for the first time via its hadronic √ decay into −π+ at midrapidity (|y| &lt;0.5) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy s =13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 &lt; pT &lt; 12 GeV/c. The pT dependence of the 0 c-baryon production relative to the prompt D0-meson and to the prompt 0 c-baryon production is compared to various models that take different hadronisation mechanisms into consideration. In the measured pT interval, the ratio of the pT-integrated cross sections of 0 c and prompt + c baryons multiplied by the −π+ branching ratio is found to be larger by a factor of about 20 with a significance of about 4σ when compared to e+e− collisions

Spatial variation in void volume during charged particle bombardment: the effects of injected interstitials

Experimental observations of the void volume at several depths along the range of 4 MeV Ni ions in 316 stainless steel are reported. The specimens were first preconditioned by neutron irradiation at temperatures of 450 and 584/sup 0/C to fluences of approximately 8 x 10/sup 26/ n/m/sup -2/. The void volume after ion bombardment to 60 dpa at the peak damage depth is significantly lower at the peak damage depth than in the region between that and the free surface. The ratio of the step height to void volume at the depth of peak energy deposition between regions masked from and exposed to the beam is strongly dependent on bombardment temperature. The reduction of void volume near the peak damage depth is larger for the 584/sup 0/C than for the 450/sup 0/C preconditioned material. These observations are consistent with recent theoretical results which account for the injection of the bombarding ions as self-interstitials. The theory necessary to understand the effect is developed