Maxillary sinus elevation in conjunction with transnasal endoscopic treatment of rhino-sinusal pathoses: preliminary results on 10 consecutively treated patients

A one-step surgical procedure is presented, including maxillary sinus floor elevation in association with functional endoscopic sinus surgery to remove rhino-sinusal malformations or pathoses that might contraindicate sinus floor elevation. Over a 2-year period, 10 patients requiring a sinus floor augmentation procedure to restore the missing dentition with endosseous implants, but presenting with local and reversible rhinologic contraindications to the augmentation procedure were consecutively treated with a surgical approach that included simultaneously functional endoscopic sinus surgery and a sinus floor elevation procedure through an intra-oral approach. Then 4-6 months after this procedure, oral implants were inserted and after a further waiting period, ranging from 3 to 6 months, patients were restored with prostheses and followed for 1 to 3 years after the completion of prosthetic restoration. In all 10 patients, complete recovery of para-nasal sinuses function was demonstrated and occurred in all cases within one month. All cases showed good integration and consolidation of the graft material used for maxillary sinus floor augmentation. None of the implants placed were lost during the follow-up period after completion of prosthetic loading. In conclusion, despite the limits of this study (which included only 10 patients), the combination of maxillary sinus augmentation procedures and functional endoscopic sinus surgery, to treat local contraindications to sinus augmentation has proven to be both effective and safe and has allowed the patient to avoid a second surgical procedure and a longer waiting period before final prosthetic rehabilitation. No sinusal complications related to sinus floor augmentation were encountered and the survival rate of implants placed in the augmented areas was consistent with those reported in cases of sinus floor augmentation performed in patients presenting with a healthy rhino-sinusal system

AGILE Observations of GRB 220101A: A "new Year's Burst" with an Exceptionally Huge Energy Release

We report the AGILE observations of GRB 220101A, which took place at the beginning of 2022 January 1 and was recognized as one of the most energetic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) ever detected since their discovery. The AGILE satellite acquired interesting data concerning the prompt phase of this burst, providing an overall temporal and spectral description of the event in a wide energy range, from tens of kiloelectronvolts to tens of megaelectronvolts. Dividing the prompt emission into three main intervals, we notice an interesting spectral evolution, featuring a notable hardening of the spectrum in the central part of the burst. The average fluxes encountered in the different time intervals are relatively moderate, with respect to those of other remarkable bursts, and the overall fluence exhibits a quite ordinary value among the GRBs detected by MCAL. However, GRB 220101A is the second farthest event detected by AGILE, and the burst with the highest isotropic equivalent energy of the entire MCAL GRB sample, releasing Eiso = 2.54 × 1054 erg and exhibiting an isotropic luminosity of Liso = 2.34 × 1052 erg s−1 (both in the 400 keV–10 MeV energy range). We also analyzed the first 106 s of the afterglow phase, using the publicly available Swift-XRT data, carrying out a theoretical analysis of the afterglow, based on the forward shock model. We notice that GRB 220101A is with high probability surrounded by a wind-like density medium, and that the energy carried by the initial shock shall be a fraction of the total Eiso, presumably near ∼50%.publishedVersio

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto- noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of 11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far

The lowest frequency Fast Radio Bursts: Sardinia Radio Telescope detection of the periodic FRB 180916 at 328 MHz

We report on the lowest-frequency detection to date of three bursts from the fast radio burst FRB 180916, observed at 328 MHz with the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT). The SRT observed the periodic repeater FRB 180916 for five days from 2020 February 20 to 24 during a time interval of active radio bursting, and detected the three bursts during the first hour of observations; no more bursts were detected during the remaining ~ 30 hours. Simultaneous SRT observations at 1548 MHz did not detect any bursts. Burst fluences are in the range 37 to 13 Jy ms. No relevant scattering is observed for these bursts. We also present the results of the multi-wavelength campaign we performed on FRB 180916, during the five days of the active window. Simultaneously with the SRT observations, others with different time spans were performed with the Northern Cross at 408 MHz, with XMM-Newton, NICER, INTEGRAL, AGILE, and with the TNG and two optical telescopes in Asiago, which are equipped with fast photometers. XMM-Newton obtained data simultaneously with the three bursts detected by the SRT, and determined a luminosity upper limit in the 0.3-10 keV energy range of ~$10^{45}$ erg/s for the burst emission. AGILE obtained data simultaneously with the first burst and determined a fluence upper limit in the MeV range for millisecond timescales of $10^{-8}$ erg cm$^{-2}$.Our results show that absorption from the circumburst medium does not significantly affect the emission from FRB 180916, thus limiting the possible presence of a superluminous supernova around the source, and indicate that a cutoff for the bursting mechanism, if present, must be at lower frequencies. Our multi-wavelength campaign sensitively constrains the broadband emission from FRB 180916, and provides the best limits so far for the electromagnetic response to the radio bursting of this remarkable source of fast radio bursts.Comment: ApJL, 896 L4

AGILE gamma-ray detection of the exceptional GRB 221009A

Gamma-ray emission in the MeV-GeV range from explosive cosmic events is of invaluable relevance to understanding physical processes related to the formation of neutron stars and black holes. Here we report on the detection by the AGILE satellite in the MeV-GeV energy range of the remarkable long-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A. The AGILE onboard detectors have good exposure to GRB 221009A during its initial crucial phases. Hard X-ray/MeV emission in the prompt phase lasted hundreds of seconds, with the brightest radiation being emitted between 200 and 300 seconds after the initial trigger. Very intense GeV gamma-ray emission is detected by AGILE in the prompt and early afterglow phase up to 10,000 seconds. Time-resolved spectral analysis shows time-variable MeV-peaked emission simultaneous with intense power-law GeV radiation that persists in the afterglow phase. The coexistence during the prompt phase of very intense MeV emission together with highly non-thermal and hardening GeV radiation is a remarkable feature of GRB 221009A. During the prompt phase, the event shows spectrally different MeV and GeV emissions that are most likely generated by physical mechanisms occurring in different locations. AGILE observations provide crucial flux and spectral gamma-ray information regarding the early phases of GRB 221009A during which emission in the TeV range was reported.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL on September 19, 202

An X-Ray Burst from a Magnetar Enlightening the Mechanism of Fast Radio Bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are short (millisecond) radio pulses originating from enigmatic sources at extragalactic distances so far lacking a detection in other energy bands. Magnetized neutron stars (magnetars) have been considered as the sources powering the FRBs, but the connection is controversial because of differing energetics and the lack of radio and X-ray detections with similar characteristics in the two classes. We report here the detection by the AGILE satellite on April 28, 2020 of an X-ray burst in coincidence with the very bright radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154. The burst detected by AGILE in the hard X-ray band (18-60 keV) lasts about 0.5 seconds, it is spectrally cutoff above 80 keV, and implies an isotropically emitted energy ~ $10^{40}$ erg. This event is remarkable in many ways: it shows for the first time that a magnetar can produce X-ray bursts in coincidence with FRB-like radio bursts; it also suggests that FRBs associated with magnetars may emit X-ray bursts of both magnetospheric and radio-pulse types that may be discovered in nearby sources. Guided by this detection, we discuss SGR 1935+2154 in the context of FRBs, and especially focus on the class of repeating-FRBs. Based on energetics, magnetars with fields B ~ $10^{15}$ G may power the majority of repeating-FRBs. Nearby repeating-FRBs offer a unique occasion to consolidate the FRB-magnetar connection, and we present new data on the X-ray monitoring of nearby FRBs. Our detection enlightens and constrains the physical process leading to FRBs: contrary to previous expectations, high-brightness temperature radio emission coexists with spectrally-cutoff X-ray radiation.Comment: Submitted to Nature Astronomy, May 18, 202

Simultaneous and panchromatic observations of the Fast Radio Burst FRB 20180916B

Aims. Fast Radio Bursts are bright radio transients whose origin has not yet explained. The search for a multi-wavelength counterpart of those events can put a tight constrain on the emission mechanism and the progenitor source. Methods. We conducted a multi-wavelength observational campaign on FRB 20180916B between October 2020 and August 2021 during eight activity cycles of the source. Observations were led in the radio band by the SRT both at 336 MHz and 1547 MHz and the uGMRT at 400 MHz. Simultaneous observations have been conducted by the optical telescopes Asiago (Galileo and Copernico), CMO SAI MSU, CAHA 2.2m, RTT-150 and TNG, and X/Gamma-ray detectors on board the AGILE, Insight-HXMT, INTEGRAL and Swift satellites. Results. We present the detection of 14 new bursts detected with the SRT at 336 MHz and seven new bursts with the uGMRT from this source. We provide the deepest prompt upper limits in the optical band fro FRB 20180916B to date. In fact, the TNG/SiFAP2 observation simultaneous to a burst detection by uGMRT gives an upper limit E_optical / E_radio < 1.3 x 10^2. Another burst detected by the SRT at 336 MHz was also co-observed by Insight-HMXT. The non-detection in the X-rays yields an upper limit (1-30 keV band) of E_X-ray / E_radio in the range of (0.9-1.3) x 10^7, depending on which model is considered for the X-ray emission.Comment: A&A accepte

Simultaneous and panchromatic observations of the fast radio burst FRB 20180916B

Aims. Fast radio bursts are bright radio transients whose origins are not yet understood. The search for a multi-wavelength counterpart of those events can set a tight constraint on the emission mechanism and the progenitor source.Methods. We conducted a multi-wavelength observational campaign on FRB 20180916B between October 2020 and August 2021 over eight activity cycles of the source. Observations were carried out in the radio band by the SRT both at 336 and 1547 MHz and the uGMRT at 400 MHz. Simultaneous observations were conducted by the optical telescopes Asiago (Galileo and Copernico), CMO SAI MSU, CAHA 2.2 m, RTT-150 and TNG, and X/?-ray detectors on board the AGILE, Insight-HXMT, INTEGRAL, and Swift satellites.Results. We present the detection of 14 new radio bursts detected with the SRT at 336 MHz and seven new bursts with the uGMRT from this source. We provide the deepest prompt upper limits in the optical band for FRB 20180916B to date. In fact, the TNG/SiFAP2 observation simultaneous to a burst detection by uGMRT gives an upper limit E-optical/E-radio < 1.3 x 10(2). Another burst detected by the SRT at 336 MHz was also co-observed by Insight-HXMT. The non-detection in the X-rays yields an upper limit (1 - 30 keV band) of EX - ray/E-radio in the range of (0.9 - 1.3) x 10(7), depending on the model that is considered for the X-ray emission

Advanced Virgo Plus: Future Perspectives

While completing the commissioning phase to prepare the Virgo interferometer for the next joint Observation Run (O4), the Virgo collaboration is also finalizing the design of the next upgrades to the detector to be employed in the following Observation Run (O5). The major upgrade will concern decreasing the thermal noise limit, which will imply using very large test masses and increased laser beam size. But this will not be the only upgrade to be implemented in the break between the O4 and O5 observation runs to increase the Virgo detector strain sensitivity. The paper will cover the challenges linked to this upgrade and implications on the detector's reach and observational potential, reflecting the talk given at 12th Cosmic Ray International Seminar - CRIS 2022 held in September 2022 in Napoli