VLT spectroscopy of globular clusters in the Sombrero galaxy

We have obtained intermediate-resolution VLT spectroscopy of 75 globular cluster candidates around the Sa galaxy M104 (NGC4594). Fifty-seven candidates out to ~ 40 kpc in the halo of the galaxy were confirmed to be bona-fide globular clusters, 27 of which are new. A first analysis of the velocities provides only marginal evidence for rotation of the cluster system. From Hbeta line strengths, almost all of the clusters in our sample have ages that are consistent, within the errors, with Milky Way globular clusters. Only a few clusters may be 1-2 Gyr old, and bulge and halo clusters appear coeval. The absorption line indices follow the correlations established for the Milky Way clusters. Metallicities are derived based upon new empirical calibrations with Galactic globular clusters taking into account the non-linear behavior of some indices (e.g., Mg2). Our sample of globular clusters in NGC4594 spans a metallicity range of -2.13 < [Fe/H] < +0.26 dex, and the median metallicity of the system is [Fe/H] = -0.85. Thus, our data provide evidence that some of the clusters have super-solar metallicity. Overall, the abundance distribution of the cluster system is consistent with a bimodal distribution with peaks at [Fe/H] ~- 1.7 and -0.7. However, the radial change in the metallicity distribution of clusters may not be straightforwardly explained by a varying mixture of two sub-populations of red and blue clusters.Comment: 6 pages (incl. 4 figures) to appear in the proceedings of the ESO workshop "Extragalactic Globular Cluster Systems", ESO Astrophysics Symp., Garching bei Muenchen (Germany), ed. Kissler-Patig M., Springer-Verlag: Heidelber

A novel stepwise micro-TESE approach in non obstructive azoospermia

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether micro-TESE can improve sperm retrieval rate (SRR) compared to conventional single TESE biopsy on the same testicle or to contralateral multiple TESE, by employing a novel stepwise micro-TESE approach in a population of poor prognosis patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Methods: Sixty-four poor prognosis NOA men undergoing surgical testicular sperm retrieval for ICSI, from March 2007 to April 2013, were included in this study. Patients inclusion criteria were a) previous unsuccessful TESE, b) unfavorable histology (SCOS, MA, sclerahyalinosis), c) Klinefelter syndrome. We employed a stepwise micro-TESE consisting three-steps: 1) single conventional TESE biopsy; 2) micro-TESE on the same testis; 3) contralateral multiple TESE. Results: SRR was 28.1 % (18/64). Sperm was obtained in both the initial single conventional TESE and in the following micro-TESE. The positive or negative sperm retrieval was further confirmed by a contralateral multiple TESE, when performed. No significant pre-operative predictors of sperm retrieval, including patients’ age, previous negative TESE or serological markers (LH, FSH, inhibin B), were observed at univariate or multivariate analysis. Micro-TESE (step 2) did not improve sperm retrieval as compared to single TESE biopsy on the same testicle (step 1) or multiple contralateral TESE (step 3). Conclusions: Stepwise micro-TESE could represent an optimal approach for sperm retrieval in NOA men. In our view, it should be offered to NOA patients in order to gradually increase surgical invasiveness, when necessary. Stepwise micro-TESE might also reduce the costs, time and efforts involved in surgery

Centrosome and retroviruses: The dangerous liaisons

Centrosomes are the major microtubule organizing structures in vertebrate cells. They localize in close proximity to the nucleus for the duration of interphase and play major roles in numerous cell functions. Consequently, any deficiency in centrosome function or number may lead to genetic instability. Several viruses including retroviruses such as, Foamy Virus, HIV-1, JSRV, M-PMV and HTLV-1 have been shown to hamper centrosome functions for their own profit, but the outcomes are very different. Foamy viruses, HIV-1, JSRV, M-PMV and HTLV-1 use the cellular machinery to traffic towards the centrosome during early and/or late stages of the infection. In addition HIV-1 Vpr protein alters the cell-cycle regulation by hijacking centrosome functions. Enthrallingly, HTLV-1 Tax expression also targets the functions of the centrosome, and this event is correlated with centrosome amplification, aneuploidy and transformation

Numerical simulation of a wawe generator: a case of study

The aim of present work is the numerical simulation of a linear generator, capable of directly converting the kinetic energy, available by the wave, into electrical energy, through the device linear motion (up and down). In this paper, we intend to propose a numerical simulation approach to immersed devices by applying the Immersed Boundary Method. The Theory of linear wave is used to study and reproduce sea conditions and the computational domain is created based on observations available for the site in which it is envisaged the positioning of the devic

Cell-specific and region-specific transcriptomics in the multiple sclerosis model: Focus on astrocytes.

Changes in gene expression that occur across the central nervous system (CNS) during neurological diseases do not address the heterogeneity of cell types from one CNS region to another and are complicated by alterations in cellular composition during disease. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is multifocal by definition. Here, a cell-specific and region-specific transcriptomics approach was used to determine gene expression changes in astrocytes in the most widely used MS model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Astrocyte-specific RNAs from various neuroanatomic regions were attained using RiboTag technology. Sequencing and bioinformatics analyses showed that EAE-induced gene expression changes differed between neuroanatomic regions when comparing astrocytes from spinal cord, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus. The top gene pathways that were changed in astrocytes from spinal cord during chronic EAE involved decreases in expression of cholesterol synthesis genes while immune pathway gene expression in astrocytes was increased. Optic nerve from EAE and optic chiasm from MS also showed decreased cholesterol synthesis gene expression. The potential role of cholesterol synthesized by astrocytes during EAE and MS is discussed. Together, this provides proof-of-concept that a cell-specific and region-specific gene expression approach can provide potential treatment targets in distinct neuroanatomic regions during multifocal neurological diseases

Design of a transverse flux machine for power generation from seawaves

In this paper, we present a transverse flux linear generator. We investigate the possibility to use this generator to extract energy from seawaves. We propose an optimization procedure that allows us to obtain an optimized design of the generator. The optimized design of the converter shows a power generation capability index much higher than other renewable systems

Nalaz leptospira u nutrije (Myocastor coypus) i štakora selca (Rattus norvegicus) koji nastanjuju zaštićeno močvarno područje u Toskani u Italiji.

From September 2009 to February 2011, 122 coypus (Myocastor coypus) and 74 rats (Rattus norvegicus) were captured employing cage traps in a protected wetland in Tuscany (central Italy). Blood serum samples were collected from the animals and successively examined by the microagglutination test for several serovars of Leptospira: Bratislava, Ballum, Bataviae, Grippothyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Copenhageni, Mini, Pomona, Zanoni, Sejroe, Hardjo and Tarassovi. Kidney samples were collected from each animal and tested by bacteriological methods and submitted to Polymerase Chain Reaction. Thirty-four (27.87 %) coypu sera were positive to Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava, with antibody titers ranging from 1:100 to 1:400; no strain was isolated from coypu by bacteriological examination, while 12 (9.83 %) subjects were positive to PCR. All rats resulted seronegative; thirty-seven (50 %) Leptospira strains were isolated from rat kidneys; 30 were classified as Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae and 7 as Leptospira interrogans serovar Ballum by the cross-agglutination test. Forty-five (60.81 %) rats resulted positive to PCR: 37 subjects positive to bacteriological examination and there were eight from which no strain were isolated from kidneys. These results would seem to suggest the minor zooepidemiological role of coypu in leptospirosis, which is widespread according to literature.Od rujna 2009. do veljače 2011. u zamke su bile uhvaćene 122 nutrije (Myocastor coypus) i 74 štakora selca (Rattus norvegicus) u zaštićenoj močvari u Toskani u središnjoj Italiji. Prikupljeni uzorci krvnog seruma bili su pretraženi mikroaglutinacijskim testom na nekoliko serovarova leptospira: Bratislava, Ballum, Bataviae, Grippothyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Copenhageni, Mini, Pomona, Zanoni, Sejroe, Hardjo i Tarassovi. Uzorci tkiva bubrega, uzeti od svake životinje, bili su pretraženi bakteriološki i lančanom reakcijom polimerazom. Tridesetčetiri (27,87 %) uzorka seruma nutrije bila su pozitivna na vrstu Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava s titrom protutijela od 1:100 do 1:400. Bakteriološkom pretragom iz nutrija nije bio izdvojen nijedan izolat, dok je 12 uzoraka (9,83 %) bilo pozitivno PCR-om. Svi štakori bili su serološki negativni, ali je 37 (50 %) izolata leptospira bilo izdvojeno iz tkiva njihovih bubrega. Od toga je 30 izolata pripadalo vrsti Leptospira interrogans serovaru Icterohaemorrhagiae, a 7 serovaru Ballum pretragom križnim aglutinacijskim testom. Ukupno su 45 štakora (60,81 %) bila pozitivna pretragom PCR-om, a 37 bakteriološkom pretragom. Od osam štakora nije bio izdvojen nijedan izolat leptospira iz bubrega. Ti rezultati upućuju na neznatnu zooepidemiološku ulogu nutrija u širenju leptospiroze

Occurrence of Coxiella burnetii in goat and ewe unpasteurized cheeses: Screening and genotyping

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii which infects humans as well as several animal species; sheep, goats and cattle are the primary animal reservoir. The main route of human exposure to Coxiella burnetii is inhalation of contaminated aerosols from excreta, especially birth products, while the role of unpasteurized dairy products in the transmission of Q fever to humans remains still controversial. The aim of this work was to evaluate the presence of Coxiella burnetii in unpasteurized cheese samples (n=84) by PCR and to genotype the circulating strains by Multispacer sequence typing (MST) analysis. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected in 27/84 (32.14%) cheeses and positivity rate of handicraft cheeses reached 17.24%, while positivity rate of non-handicraft cheeses reached 65.38%. In addition, the MST profile of Coxiella burnetii detected in 5 cheese samples have shown the circulation of ST12 and ST32 genotypes in Tuscany