Structural design of the optical bench and enclosure for MAORY, adaptive optics module for the ELT

This paper outlines an overview of the mechanical design of the optical bench and the enclosure for MAORY (Multi-conjugate Adaptive Optics RelaY) for the Extremely Large Telescope. MAORY will enable high-angular resolution observations in the near infrared by employing real-time compensation of the wave-front distortions due to atmospheric turbulence and other disturbances on the telescope. The main purpose of the optical bench is to provide support to the opto-mechanical mountings and subsystems that will be integrated on it. The design philosophy behind the proposed architecture is a truss spatial structure with the aim of optimizing the mass of the Main Structure. The enclosure has to protect the optomechanical elements and to achieve a uniform temperature distribution in its internal environment. The mechanical design of the bench and the enclosure was supported by a set of structural FE analyses, to verify the design compliance with ESO (European Southern Observatory) requirements

Time trend prevalence of artificial nutrition counselling in a university hospital.

Abstract Objectives The negative effects of malnutrition on the prognosis of hospitalized patients are well documented; however, less known is the awareness and knowledge of health care professionals about this complication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trend of the requests for nutritional consultation in years and the prescription of artificial nutrition (AN), for adult patients at a university hospital in southern Italy in the years 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 to assess the progress of medical teams concerning awareness of hospital malnutrition. Methods This was a retrospective study that evaluated the time trend of nutritional consultation requests and related prescription of AN, for adult patients at a university hospital in southern Italy in the years 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. Of 112 233 inpatients, 2505 received a nutritional consultation with the prescription of AN. Results The number of patients on AN increased from 507 of 33 240 (1.52%) in 2004 to 730 of 29 195 (2.5%) in 2008 (P The request for AN was quite equally distributed between surgical (51.5%) and medical wards (48.5%), with a prevalence among patients with oncologic diseases (806 patients [65.6%]). As for nononcologic diseases, 20.4% involved the gastrointestinal tract and 6.3% the nervous system. Throughout the 12 y of observation, parenteral nutrition was the main prescribed support (59.8%) followed by oral nutritional supplements (26.1%) and enteral nutrition (9.3%). Mean nutritional intervention duration was 11 d (±10.8 d). Conclusions The request of AN for hospitalized patients increased over time, probably owing to improved medical consciousness of the potential risks for malnutrition and the availability of a specialized clinical nutrition team

Nutritional Screening and Anthropometry in Patients Admitted From the Emergency Department

Background: Due to the high prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients, screening and assessment of nutritional status should be routinely performed upon hospital admission. The main objective of this observational study was to evaluate the prevalence of and the risk for malnutrition, as identified by using three nutritional screening tests, and to observe whether some anthropometric and functional parameters used for nutritional evaluation were related to these test scores. Methods: This single-center observational study included 207 patients admitted from the emergency department for hospitalization in either the internal medicine or surgery units of our institution from September 2017 to December 2018. The prevalence of malnutrition among this patient sample was evaluated by using the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Body mass index (BMI), bioimpedance analysis (BIA), handgrip strength (HGS) and calf circumference (CC) assessments were also performed. Results: According to the NRS-2002, 93% of the patients were at no risk or at low nutritional risk (NRS score < 3), and 7% were at a high nutritional risk (NRS score ≥ 3). On the other hand, according to the SGA, 46.3% of the patients were well-nourished (SGA-a), 49.8% were moderately malnourished (SGA-b), and 3.9% were severely malnourished (SGA-c). Finally, according to the GLIM criteria, 18% patients were malnourished. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), phase angle (PhA), CC and HGS were significantly lower in the patients with NRS scores ≥ 3, SGA-c and in patients with stage 1 and stage 2 malnutrition, according to the GLIM criteria. Conclusion: The NRS-2002, the SGA and the GLIM criteria appear to be valuable tools for the screening and assessment of nutritional status. In particular, the lowest NRS-2002, SGA and GLIM scores were associated with the lowest PhA and CC. Nevertheless, a weekly re-evaluation of patients with better screening and assessment scores is recommended to facilitate early detection of changes in nutritional status

ESPRESSO: The next European exoplanet hunter

The acronym ESPRESSO stems for Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations; this instrument will be the next VLT high resolution spectrograph. The spectrograph will be installed at the Combined-Coud\'e Laboratory of the VLT and linked to the four 8.2 m Unit Telescopes (UT) through four optical Coud\'e trains. ESPRESSO will combine efficiency and extreme spectroscopic precision. ESPRESSO is foreseen to achieve a gain of two magnitudes with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and to improve the instrumental radial-velocity precision to reach the 10 cm/s level. It can be operated either with a single UT or with up to four UTs, enabling an additional gain in the latter mode. The incoherent combination of four telescopes and the extreme precision requirements called for many innovative design solutions while ensuring the technical heritage of the successful HARPS experience. ESPRESSO will allow to explore new frontiers in most domains of astrophysics that require precision and sensitivity. The main scientific drivers are the search and characterization of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of quiet, nearby G to M-dwarfs and the analysis of the variability of fundamental physical constants. The project passed the final design review in May 2013 and entered the manufacturing phase. ESPRESSO will be installed at the Paranal Observatory in 2016 and its operation is planned to start by the end of the same year.Comment: 12 pages, figures included, accepted for publication in Astron. Nach

First light of the VLT planet finder SPHERE. II. The physical properties and the architecture of the young systems PZ Tel and HD 1160 revisited

[Abridged] Context. The young systems PZ Tel and HD 1160, hosting known low-mass companions, were observed during the commissioning of the new planet finder SPHERE with several imaging and spectroscopic modes. Aims. We aim to refine the physical properties and architecture of both systems. Methods. We use SPHERE commissioning data and REM observations, as well as literature and unpublished data from VLT/SINFONI, VLT/NaCo, Gemini/NICI, and Keck/NIRC2. Results. We derive new photometry and confirm the nearly daily photometric variability of PZ Tel A. Using literature data spanning 38 yr, we show that the star also exhibits a long-term variability trend. The 0.63-3.8 mic SED of PZ Tel B allows us to revise its properties: spectral type M7+/-1, Teff=2700+/-100 K, log(g)<4.5 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.51+/-0.10 dex, and mass 38-72 MJ. The 1-3.8 mic SED of HD 1160 B suggests a massive brown dwarf or a low-mass star with spectral type M5.5-7.0, Teff=3000+/-100 K, [M/H]=-0.5-0.0 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.81+/-0.10 dex, and mass 39-168 MJ. We confirm the deceleration and high eccentricity (e>0.66) of PZ Tel B. For e<0.9, the inclination, longitude of the ascending node, and time of periastron passage are well constrained. The system is seen close to an edge-on geometry. We reject other brown dwarf candidates outside 0.25" for both systems, and massive giant planets (>4 MJ) outside 0.5" for the PZ Tel system. We also show that K1-K2 color can be used with YJH low-resolution spectra to identify young L-type companions, provided high photometric accuracy (<0.05 mag) is achieved. Conclusions. SPHERE opens new horizons in the study of young brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets thanks to high-contrast imaging capabilities at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, as well as high signal-to-noise spectroscopy in the near-infrared from low (R~30-50) to medium resolutions (R~350).Comment: 25 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in A&A on Oct. 13th, 2015; version including language editing. Typo on co-author name on astroph page corrected, manuscript unchange