A centi-pc-scale compact radio core in the nearby galaxy M60

M60, an elliptical galaxy located 16.5~Mpc away, has an active nucleus with a very low luminosity and an extremely low accretion rate. Its central supermassive black hole has a mass of $M_{\rm BH}\sim4.5\times10^{9}\, M_{\odot}$ and a Schwarzschild radii corresponding to $R_{\rm S}\sim5.4\,\mu\mathrm{as}$. To investigate the nature of its innermost radio nucleus, data from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 4.4 and 7.6~GHz were reduced. The VLBA images reveal a compact component with total flux densities of $\sim$20~mJy at both frequencies, a size of $\leq$0.27~mas (99.7$\%$ confidence level), about 0.022~pc ($50\,R_{\rm S}$) at 7.6~GHz, and a brightness temperature of $\geq6\times10^{9}$~K. This suggests that the observed centi-parsec-scale compact core could be attributed to a nonthermal jet base or an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) with nonthermal electrons. The extremely compact structure also supports the presence of an SMBH in the center. Our results indicate that M60 is a promising target for broad-band VLBI observations at millimeter wavelengths to probe ADAF scenarios and tightly constrain the potential photon ring (about 28\,$\mu$as) around its SMBH.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

GSK3 Inhibitor-BIO Regulates Proliferation of Immortalized Pancreatic Mesenchymal Stem Cells (iPMSCs)

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The small molecule 6-bromoindirubin-30-oxime (BIO), a glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitor, is a pharmacological agent known to maintain self-renewal in human and mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, the precise role of GSK3 in immortalized pancreatic mesenchymal stem cells (iPMSCs) growth and survival is not completely understood at present.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>To determine whether this molecule is involved in controlling the proliferation of iPMSCs, we examined the effect of BIO on iPMSCs. We found that the inactivation of GSK3 by BIO can robustly stimulate iPMSCs proliferation and mass formation as shown by QRT-PCR, western blotting, 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunostaining assay and tunel assay. However, we did not find the related roles of BIO on β cell differentiation by immunostaining, QRT-PCR assay, glucose-stimulated insulin release and C-peptide content analysis.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These results suggest that BIO plays a key role in the regulation of cell mass proliferation and maintenance of the undifferentiated state of iPMSCs.</p> </div

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Dof Transcription Factor Gene Family in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Gossypium hirsutum L. is a worldwide economical crop; however, premature leaf senescence reduces its production and quality which is regulated by stresses, hormones, and genes. DNA binding with the one zinc finger (Dof) transcription factors (TFs) participate widely in plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, but there have been few reports of these TFs in cotton. Here, we perform a genome-wide study of G. Hirsutum L. Dof (GhDof) genes and analyze their phylogeny, duplication, and expression. In total, 114 GhDof genes have been identified and classified into nine subgroups (A, B1, B2.2, B2.1, C1, C2.1, C2.2, D1, and D2) based on phylogenetic analysis. An MCScanX analysis showed that the GhDof genes expanded due to segmental duplications. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that GhDofD9.6 was not only differentially expressed between CCRI10 (with premature senescence) and Liao4086 (without premature senescence) but also responded to salinity stress; GhDofA5.7, GhDofA7.4, GhDofA8.2, GhDof11.1, GhDofD7.2, and GhDofD11.3 signfificantly responded to cold (4 &deg;C) stress. This work lays the foundation for further analysis of the function of GhDof genes in G. hirsutum, which will be helpful for improving the production and quality of cotton