Search

In this contribution, we achieve the primary goal of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) STORM campaign by recovering velocity-delay maps for the prominent broad emission lines (Lyα, C iv, He ii, and Hβ) in the spectrum of NGC 5548. These are the most detailed velocity-delay maps ever obtained for an AGN, providing unprecedented information on the geometry, ionization structure, and kinematics of the broad-line region. Virial envelopes enclosing the emission-line responses show that the reverberating gas is bound to the black hole. A stratified ionization structure is evident. The He ii response inside 5-10 lt-day has a broad single-peaked velocity profile. The Lyα, C iv, and Hβ responses extend from inside 2 to outside 20 lt-day, with double peaks at ±2500 km s-1 in the 10-20 lt-day delay range. An incomplete ellipse in the velocity-delay plane is evident in Hβ. We interpret the maps in terms of a Keplerian disk with a well-defined outer rim at R = 20 lt-day. The far-side response is weaker than that from the near side. The line-center delay days gives the inclination i ≈ 45°. The inferred black hole mass is M BH ≈ 7 × 107 M o˙. In addition to reverberations, the fit residuals confirm that emission-line fluxes are depressed during the "BLR Holiday"identified in previous work. Moreover, a helical "Barber-Pole"pattern, with stripes moving from red to blue across the C iv and Lyα line profiles, suggests azimuthal structure rotating with a 2 yr period that may represent precession or orbital motion of inner-disk structures casting shadows on the emission-line region farther out.

We present geometric and dynamical modeling of the broad line region (BLR) for the multi-wavelength reverberation mapping campaign focused on NGC 5548 in 2014. The data set includes photometric and spectroscopic monitoring in the optical and ultraviolet, covering the Hβ, C iv, and Ly broad emission lines. We find an extended disk-like Hβ BLR with a mixture of near-circular and outflowing gas trajectories, while the C iv and Ly BLRs are much less extended and resemble shell-like structures. There is clear radial structure in the BLR, with C iv and Ly emission arising at smaller radii than the Hβ emission. Using the three lines, we make three independent black hole mass measurements, all of which are consistent. Combining these results gives a joint inference of . We examine the effect of using the V band instead of the UV continuum light curve on the results and find a size difference that is consistent with the measured UV-optical time lag, but the other structural and kinematic parameters remain unchanged, suggesting that the V band is a suitable proxy for the ionizing continuum when exploring the BLR structure and kinematics. Finally, we compare the Hβ results to similar models of data obtained in 2008 when the active galactic nucleus was at a lower luminosity state. We find that the size of the emitting region increased during this time period, but the geometry and black hole mass remained unchanged, which confirms that the BLR kinematics suitably gauge the gravitational field of the central black hole.

We model the ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope during the 6 month reverberation mapping campaign in 2014. Our model of the emission from NGC 5548 corrects for overlying absorption and deblends the individual emission lines. Using the modeled spectra, we measure the response to continuum variations for the deblended and absorption-corrected individual broad emission lines, the velocity-dependent profiles of Ly and C iv, and the narrow and broad intrinsic absorption features. We find that the time lags for the corrected emission lines are comparable to those for the original data. The velocity-binned lag profiles of Ly and C iv have a double-peaked structure indicative of a truncated Keplerian disk. The narrow absorption lines show a delayed response to continuum variations corresponding to recombination in gas with a density of ∼105 cm-3. The high-ionization narrow absorption lines decorrelate from continuum variations during the same period as the broad emission lines. Analyzing the response of these absorption lines during this period shows that the ionizing flux is diminished in strength relative to the far-ultraviolet continuum. The broad absorption lines associated with the X-ray obscurer decrease in strength during this same time interval. The appearance of X-ray obscuration in ∼2012 corresponds with an increase in the luminosity of NGC 5548 following an extended low state. We suggest that the obscurer is a disk wind triggered by the brightening of NGC 5548 following the decrease in size of the broad-line region during the preceding low-luminosity state.

In the Hubble Space Telescope /Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectrum of the Seyfert 1 galaxy 2MASX J14292507+4518318, we have identified a narrow absorption line outflow system with a velocity of −151 km s−1. This outflow exhibits absorption troughs from the resonance states of ions like C  iv , N  v , S  iv , and Si  ii , as well as excited states from C  ii * and Si  ii *. Our investigation of the outflow involved measuring ionic column densities and conducting photoionization analysis. These allow the total column density of the outflow to be estimated as log  N H = 19.84 cm−2, its ionization parameter to be log  U H = −2.0, and its electron number density to be log  n e = 2.75 cm−3. These measurements enabled us to determine the mass-loss rate and the kinetic luminosity of the outflow system to be |$\dot{M}$|  = 0.22  |$\mathrm{ M}_{\odot } \, \mathrm{ yr}^{-1}$| and |$\log \dot{E_{\mathrm{ K}}}$|  = 39.3 erg s−1, respectively. We have also measured the location of the outflow system to be at ∼275 pc from the central source. This outflow does not contribute to the active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback processes due to the low ratio of the outflow's kinetic luminosity to the AGN's Eddington luminosity (⁠|$\dot{E_{\mathrm{ K}}}/{L_{\mathrm{ Edd}}}\approx 0.00025 {{\, \rm per\, cent}}$|⁠). This outflow is remarkably similar to the two bipolar lobe outflows observed in the Milky Way by XMM–Newton and Chandra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X, Y ∈ ℝn, X, Y > 0, we say X logarithm majorized by Y, written X ≺log Y if log X ≺ log Y . Let Mnm+ be the collection of matrices with positive entries. For X, Y ∈ Mnm+, it is said that X is logarithm column (row) majorized by Y, and is denoted as X ≺logcolumn Y (X ≺ logrow Y), if Xj ≺log Yj(Xi ≺log Yi) for all j = 1, 2, ⋯ m(i = 1, 2, ⋯ n), where Xj and Yj (Xi and Yi) are the ith column (row) of X and Y respectively. In the present paper, the relations column (row) logarithm majorization on Mnm+ are studied and also all linear operators T : Mnm+ → Mnm+ preserving column (row) logarithm majorization will be characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, we study the following functional equations: L(L(p, r) + L(q, r) + p + q,r) + L(L(p, r) + p, r) + L(q,r) =0, L(L(p, r) + p + q + e, r) + L(p, r) = L(p + q, r) + pL(q, r), and L(p, q) = L(ςp,q), |ς| < 1, without any regularity assumption for all p,q,r ∈ A, where L : A² → A is defined by L(p, q) := g(p + q) -- g(p) -- g(q) for all p,q ∈ A. Also, we find general solutions of the above functional equations on algebras, unital algebras and real numbers, respectively. Finally, we investigate the stability of those functional equations in algebras and unital algebras, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A matrix A is said to be multivariate majorized by a matrix B, written A < B, if there exists a doubly stochastic matrix D such that A = BD. In the present paper, we obtain a totally ordered subset of Mnm which contains a given matrix A. Also, we show that the totality of all extreme points of the collection of all matrices which are multivariately majorized by a matrix A is the set of all matrices obtained by permuting the columns of A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unusual behavior of the spectral lines of NGC5548 during the STORM campaign demonstrated a missing piece in the structure of AGNs. For a two-month period in the middle of the campaign, the spectral lines showed a deficit in flux and a reduced response to the variations of the UV continuum. This was the first time that this behavior was unequivocally observed in an AGN. Our previous papers explained this as being due to a variable disk wind that acts as a shield and alters the SED. Here, we use Cloudy to create an atlas of photoionization models for a variety of disk winds, in order to study their effects on the SED. We show that the winds have three different cases: Case 1 winds are transparent, fully ionized, and have minimal effects on the intrinsic SED, although they can produce some line emission, especially He ii or FeKα. We propose that this is the situation in most of the AGNs. Case 2 winds, which have a He++–He+ ionization front, block part of the XUV continuum but transmit much of the Lyman continuum. They lead to the observed abnormal behavior. Case 3 winds have a H+ ionization front and block much of the Lyman continuum. The results show that the presence of these winds has important effects on the spectral lines of AGNs. They will thus have an effect on the measurements of the black hole mass and the geometry of the AGN. This atlas of spectral simulations can serve as a guide to future reverberation campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let S be a ternary semigroup. In this article we introduce our notation and prove some elementary properties of a pair ideal (I, J) of a ternary semigroup S and give some characterizations of the minimality of pair left (right) and middle ideal in ternary semigroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of diseases generally referred to as cancer represents a serious threat to people's health all over the world and has a significant negative influence on every aspect of the lives of patients. The development of cancer is influenced by several environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, can alter the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, metastasis, and apoptosis, lead to the pathogenesis of cancer. Additionally, several effectors modify miRNAs directly, including methylation, circular RNAs, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In this review, we have explained the role of mir-337-3p in the pathways related to the pathogenesis of different cancers. Studying the functional role of miR-337-3p is necessary for detecting novel molecules as tumor markers and discovering novel targets for cancer treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Background: Endometriosis is a female reproductive system disease in which the endometrial tissue is found in other women's organs. Various factors are effective in the development of endometriosis, and because of the interaction of genetics and environmental factors, this disease is a multi-factorial disease. MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways are activated by growth factors and steroid hormones and are known as two important pathways involved in the processes of growth, proliferation, and survival of endometriosis cells. Raps, monomeric GTPase of the Ras family, are able to activate these pathways independent of Ras. The goal of our study was to evaluate the expression level of Rap1GAP and EPAC1 genes as two important RapGAPs (GTPase-activating proteins) and RapGEFs (guanine nucleotide exchange factors), respectively, in endometriosis tissues and normal endometrium tissues., Materials and Methods: In this study, 15 samples of women without signs of endometriosis were taken as control samples. Fifteen ectopic and 15 eutopic samples were taken from women with endometriosis using laparoscopic surgery. The expression of EPAC1 and Rap1GAP genes was investigated by the real-time polymerase chain reaction technique, and the results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA test., Results: EPAC1 upregulated significantly in ectopic tissues compared to eutopic and control tissues. Rap1GAP expression was lower in ectopic tissues compared to control and eutopic tissues., Conclusions: Based on these results, it may be concluded that changes in the expression of the Rap1GAP and Epca1 genes may play a role in the pathways involved in the pathogenesis, displacement, and migration of endometriosis cells., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Advanced Biomedical Research.)

Background: Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition with a substantial economic burden on society. It is known that both genetic and environmental factors are contributing to the phenotypic development of the disease. MicroRNAs have a vital role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. miR-1271 and its direct target gene, GRB2 (growth factor receptor-bound protein 2), expression have been studied in gynecologic cancers, while their role in endometriosis has not been studied., Objective: We measured miR-1271 and GRB2 gene expression in the eutopic and ectopic tissues of patients (endometrial tissues) in contrast to the control samples from healthy women., Materials and Methods: In this study, a total of 45 samples (15 control samples, 15 eutopic samples and 15 ectopic samples) were collected. We used qRT-PCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) to evaluate the expression levels of the miR-1271 and GRB2 gene., Results: We observed inverse expression of miR-1271 and GRB2 gene. MiR-1271 expression was significantly reduced in patients with endometriosis compared with healthy women. While there was a noticeable increase in the expression level of its target gene, GRB2, in tissues of endometriosis patients compared with normal control samples., Conclusion: We have shown an inverse relationship between the reduction of miR-1271 expression level and increase in the expression level of GRB2, therefore, increased GRB2 expression in endometriosis tissues can be due to decreased expression of this microRNA. Our findings suggested that miR-1271 maybe play a role as a biomarker in the diagnosis of patients with endometriosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Endometrios affecting 6-10% of women of reproductive ages around the globe. Important pathways, including the MAPK and PI3K / Akt pathways, have been identified in the disease. The NF1 and RASA1 genes inactivate Ras by their own GTPase activity and controlled the high activity of these pathways., Objective: In this study, we measured NF1 and RASA1 gene expression in the endometrial tissues of patients (eutopic and ectopic tissues) compared to the control samples., Materials and Methods: In our study, tissue samples were collected from 15 patients with endometriosis and 15 healthy women. We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to measure the NF1 and RASA1 gene expression levels in these samples., Results: We observed a significant decrease in the expression level of the NF1 gene in both eutopic and ectopic samples of endometriosis patients compared to control samples, while the expression of the RASA1 gene was significantly reduced only in ectopic tissues., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Phenolic compounds are plant secondary metabolites that play a vital role in plant resistance. They are mainly synthetized from the amino acid L-phenylalanine, which is converted to trans-cinnamic acid in a series of biochemical reactions. These compounds take part in the regulation of seed germination and cooperate in regulating the growth of plants, also taking part in defense responses during infection, UV exposure, injuries, and heavy metal stress. The aim of this review is to discuss the role of phenolic compounds in the interactions of plants with various stress factors, both biotic and abiotic with special attention to their antioxidant properties. Therefore, understanding the biochemical potential of the phenylpropanoid derivatives would be beneficial in sustaining the metabolic processes used by plants to thrive and endure under adverse conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Embryogenesis is regarded the 'miracle of life', yet numerous aspects of this process are not fully understood. As the embryo grows in the mother's womb, immune components, stem cells and microenvironmental cues cooperate among others to promote embryonic development. Evidently, these key players are frequently associated with transplantation failure and tumor growth. While the fields of transplantation and cancer biology do not overlap, both can be viewed from the perspective of an embryo. As an 'unrejected transplant' and a 'benign tumor', lessons from embryonic development may reveal features of transplants and tumors that have been overlooked. Therefore, eavesdropping at these natural complex events during pregnancy may inspire more durable approaches to arrest transplant rejection or cancer progression.

The passage of therapeutic molecules across the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) is a profound challenge for the management of the Central Nervous System (CNS)-related diseases. The ineffectual nature of traditional treatments for CNS disorders led to the abundant endeavor of researchers for the design the effective approaches in order to bypass BBB during recent decades. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) were found to be one of the promising strategies to manage CNS disorders. CPPs are short peptide sequences with translocation capacity across the biomembrane. With special regard to their two key advantages like superior permeability as well as low cytotoxicity, these peptide sequences represent an appropriate solution to promote therapeutic/theranostic delivery into the CNS. This scenario highlights CPPs with specific emphasis on their applicability as a novel theranostic delivery system into the brain., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)