The Swift X-ray Telescope Cluster Survey III: Cluster Catalog from 2005-2012 Archival Data

We present the Swift X-ray Cluster Survey (SWXCS) catalog obtained using archival data from the X-ray telescope (XRT) on board the Swift satellite acquired from 2005 to 2012, extending the first release of the SWXCS. The catalog provides positions, soft fluxes, and, when possible, optical counterparts for a flux-limited sample of X-ray group and cluster candidates. We consider the fields with Galactic latitude |b| > 20 degree to avoid high HI column densities. We discard all of the observations targeted at groups or clusters of galaxies, as well as particular extragalactic fields not suitable to search for faint extended sources. We finally select ~3000 useful fields covering a total solid angle of ~400 degree^2. We identify extended source candidates in the soft-band (0.5-2keV) images of these fields using the software EXSdetect, which is specifically calibrated for the XRT data. Extensive simulations are used to evaluate contamination and completeness as a function of the source signal, allowing us to minimize the number of spurious detections and to robustly assess the selection function. Our catalog includes 263 candidate galaxy clusters and groups down to a flux limit of 7E-15 erg/cm^2/s in the soft band, and the logN-logS is in very good agreement with previous deep X-ray surveys. The final list of sources is cross-correlated with published optical, X-ray, and SZ catalogs of clusters. We find that 137 sources have been previously identified as clusters, while 126 are new detections. Currently, we have collected redshift information for 158 sources (60% of the entire sample). Once the optical follow-up and the X-ray spectral analysis of the sources are complete, the SWXCS will provide a large and well-defined catalog of groups and clusters of galaxies to perform statistical studies of cluster properties and tests of cosmological models.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables, published on ApJS in Jan 201

Models for the Type Ic Hypernova SN 2003lw associated with GRB 031203

The Gamma-Ray Burst 031203 at a redshift z=0.1055 revealed a highly reddened Type Ic Supernova, SN 2003lw, in its afterglow light. This is the third well established case of a link between a long-duration GRB and a type Ic SN. The SN light curve is obtained subtracting the galaxy contribution and is modelled together with two spectra at near-maximum epochs. A red VLT grism 150I spectrum of the SN near peak is used to extend the spectral coverage, and in particular to constrain the uncertain reddening, the most likely value for which is E_{G+H}(B-V) about 1.07 +/- 0.05. Accounting for reddening, SN 2003lw is about 0.3 mag brighter than the prototypical GRB-SN 1998bw. Light curve models yield a 56Ni mass of about 0.55 solar mass. The optimal explosion model is somewhat more massive (ejecta mass about 13 solar mass) and energetic (kinetic energy about 6 times 10^52 erg) than the model for SN 1998bw, implying a massive progenitor (40 - 50 solar mass). The mass at high velocity is not very large (1.4 solar mass above 30000 km/s, but only 0.1 solar mass above 60000 km/s), but is sufficient to cause the observed broad lines. The similarity of SNe 2003lw and 1998bw and the weakness of their related GRBs, GRB031203 and GRB980425, suggest that both GRBs may be normal events viewed slightly off-axis or a weaker but possibly more frequent type of GRB.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Safety and efficacy of nonacog alfa for the treatment of haemophilia B in children younger than 6 years of age in a routine clinical care setting: the EUREKIX registry study.

INTRODUCTION European regulatory authorities request postmarketing safety and efficacy data for factor IX (FIX) products. AIM Collect additional clinical data from routine nonacog alfa use in children aged <6 years with haemophilia B. METHODS The EUREKIX registry included retrospective and prospective data collection phases. Safety was assessed via adverse drug reactions (ADRs)/adverse events (AEs) and events of special interest (ESIs) as the primary objective; efficacy was evaluated via annualised bleeding rates (ABRs). RESULTS The retrospective phase comprised 37 subjects. Of these, 25 had severe haemophilia B. One subject experienced 2 ADRs; another experienced 4 ESIs of hypersensitivity. Median ABR in subjects receiving a predominantly on-demand regimen (prophylaxis <50% of time; n = 11) was 2.0; median ABR was 3.8 in those receiving predominantly prophylactic treatment (prophylaxis ≥50% of time; n = 24). Joint bleeding was infrequent (median ABR, 0.4; n = 35). The prospective phase included 26 subjects, with 17 continuing from the retrospective phase. A total of 20 subjects had severe haemophilia B. Three subjects experienced 7 treatment-related AEs; 3 experienced 4 ESIs. Median ABR was 4.5 and 1.1 in subjects who received predominantly on-demand (n = 5) or prophylactic treatment (n = 19), respectively; the overall median ABR for joint bleeding events was 0.0. CONCLUSIONS Overall, nonacog alfa treatment effectively controlled bleeding events, with no new safety signals identified. These data support the safety and efficacy of nonacog alfa in routine clinical settings in children aged <6 years

Magnetic resonance imaging in locally advanced rectal cancer : quantitative evaluation of the complete response to neoadjuvant therapy

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for the discrimination of complete responder (CR) from the non-complete responder (n-CR) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) undergoing chemotherapy and radiation (CRT). Material and methods: Between December 2009 and January 2014, 32 patients (33 lesions: one patient had two synchronous lesions) were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent a pre- and post-CRT conventional MRI study completed with DWI. For both data sets (T2-weighted and DWI), the pre- and post-CRT tumour volume (VT2; VDWI) and the tumour volume reduction ratio (ΔV%) were determined as well as pre- and post-CRT apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and ADC change (ΔADC%). Histopathological findings were the standard of reference. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to compare performance of T2-weighted and DWI volumetry, as well as ADC. Results: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) revealed a good accuracy of pre- and post-CRT values of VT2 (0.86; 0.91) and VDWI (0.82; 1.00) as well as those of ΔVT2% (0.84) and ΔVDWI% (1.00) for the CR assessment, with no statistical difference. The AUC of pre- and post-CRT ADC (0.53; 0.54) and that of ΔADC% (0.58) were significantly lower. Conclusions: Both post-CRT VDWI and ΔVDWI% (AUC = 1) are very accurate for the assessment of the CR, in spite of no significant differences in comparison to the conventional post-CRT VT2 (AUC = 0.91) and ΔVT2% (AUC = 0.84). On the contrary, both ADC and ΔADC% values are not reliable

Il riallestimento del Museo Astronomico di Brera

Grazie a uno stanziamento della Regione Lombardia ottenuto tramite il bando “Progetti di valorizzazione e promozione di Istituti, Luoghi della cultura, siti UNESCO, itinerari culturali e di catalogazione del patrimonio culturale - ambito museo 2019” tra il maggio e il dicembre 2020 è stato realizzato il nuovo allestimento della galleria del MusAB. Il MusAB ha in questa nuova esposizione l’ambizione di rispondere alla domanda “Cosa fa l’astronoma/o”? “Osservare, scoprire, misurare, rappresentare, sono queste le operazioni che compiono gli astronomi; noi cercheremo di illustrarle con l’aiuto degli antichi strumenti della Specola di Brera.” Così si legge nella rinnovata pannellistica del Museo mentre il telescopio Gualtieri, il Magnetometro, Boscovich e Napoleone ci guidano in prima persona alla scoperta di questa straordinaria disciplina. Van Gogh, Shakespeare, Tomasi di Lampedusa fanno da cornice alla visita e ci conducono fino a Marte dove il ricco patrimonio archivistico dell’INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera viene illustrato grazie alle riproduzioni digitali

Fulvestrant and trastuzumab in patients with luminal HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC): an Italian real-world experience (HERMIONE 9)

Purpose The most appropriate therapy for HR+/HER2-positive (HER2+) advanced breast cancer (ABC) is a matter of debate. Co-targeting of both receptors represents an attractive strategy to overcome the cross-talk between them. Methods The HERMIONE 9 is an observational retrospective multicentric study which aimed to describe the clinical outcome of patients with HR+/HER2+ABC who received the combination of Fulvestrant (F) and Trastuzumab (T) as part of their routine treatment at 10 Italian Institutions. Results Eighty-seven patients were included. Median age was 63 (range, 35–87) years. The median number of previous treatments was 3 (range, 0–10) and F and T were administered as≥3rd line in 67 patients. Among the 86 evaluable patients, 6 (6.9%) achieved CR, 18 (20.7%) PR, and 44 (50.6%) had SD ≥24 weeks with an overall CBR of 78.2%. At a median follow-up of 33.6 months, mPFS of the entire cohort was 12.9 months (range, 2.47–128.67). No diference was observed in mPFS between patients treated after progression or as maintenance therapy (mPFS 12.9 and 13.9 months in 64 and 23 patients, respectively), neither considering the number of previous treatment lines (≤3 or&lt;3). Conclusion The combination of F and T was active in this cohort at poor prognosis and deserves further investigations possibly in combination with pertuzumab in patients with high ER expression

Phase II trial of bevacizumab and dose/dense chemotherapy with cisplatin and metronomic daily oral etoposide in advanced non-small-cell-lung cancer patients.

Bevacizumab, is a humanized monoclonal antibody to vasculo-endothelial- growth-factor, with anticancer activity in non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Our previous results from a dose/finding phase I trial in NSCLC patients, demonstrated the anti-angiogenic effects and toxicity of a newest bevacizumab-based combination with fractioned cisplatin and daily oral etoposide. We designed a phase II trial to evaluate in advanced NSCLC patients the antitumor activity and the safety of this novel regimen. In particular, 45 patients (36 males and 9 females), with a mean age of 54 years, an ECOG ≤2, stage III B/IV and NSCLC (28 adenocarcinomas, 11 squamous-cell carcinomas, 2 large-cell carcinomas, 4 undifferentiated carcinomas), were enrolled. They received cisplatin (30 mg/sqm, days 1-3), oral etoposide (50 mg, days 1-15) and bevacizumab (5 mg/kg, day 3) every 3 weeks (mPEBev regimen). Patients who achieved an objective response or stable disease received maintenance treatment with bevacizumab in combination with erlotinib until progression. Grade I-II hematological, mucosal toxicity and alopecia were the most common adverse events. The occurrence of infections (17%), thromboembolic events (4.4%) and severe mood depression (6.7%) was also recorded. A partial response was achieved in 31 (68.8%) patients, disease remained stable in 8 (17.8%) and disease progressed in 6 (13.3%) with a progression-free-survival of 9.53 months (95% CI, 7.7-11.46). Our bio-chemotherapy regimen resulted very active in advanced NSCLC, however, the toxicity associated with the treatment requires strict selection of the patients to enroll in future studies. © 2011 Landes Bioscience

Convolutional neural network based on fluorescein angiography images for retinopathy of prematurity management

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of fluorescein angiography (FA) images in a convolutional neural network (CNN) in the management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).Methods: The dataset involved a total of 835 FA images of 149 eyes (90 patients), where each eye was associated with a binary outcome (57 "untreated" eyes and 92 "treated"; 308 "untreated" images, 527 "treated"). The resolution of the images was 1600 and 1200 px in 20% of cases, whereas the remaining 80% had a resolution of 640 and 480 px. All the images were resized to 640 and 480 px before training and no other preprocessing was applied. A CNN with four convolutional layers was trained on 90% of the images (n = 752) randomly chosen. The accuracy of the prediction was assessed on the remaining 10% of images (n = 83). Keras version 2.2.0 for R with Tensorflow backend version 1.11.0 was used for the analysis.Results: The validation accuracy after 100 epochs was 0.88, whereas training accuracy was 0.97. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) presented an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.91.Conclusions: Our study showed, we believe for the first time, the applicability of artificial intelligence (CNN) technology in the ROP management driven by FA. Further studies are needed to exploit different fields of applications of this technology.Translational Relevance: This algorithm is the basis for a system that could be applied to both ROP as well as experimental oxygen induced retinopathy

The Highly Energetic Expansion of SN2010bh Associated with GRB 100316D

We present the spectroscopic and photometric evolution of the nearby (z = 0.059) spectroscopically confirmed type Ic supernova, SN 2010bh, associated with the soft, long-duration gamma-ray burst (X-ray flash) GRB 100316D. Intensive follow-up observations of SN 2010bh were performed at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) using the X-shooter and FORS2 instruments. Owing to the detailed temporal coverage and the extended wavelength range (3000--24800 A), we obtained an unprecedentedly rich spectral sequence among the hypernovae, making SN 2010bh one of the best studied representatives of this SN class. We find that SN 2010bh has a more rapid rise to maximum brightness (8.0 +/- 1.0 rest-frame days) and a fainter absolute peak luminosity (L_bol~3e42 erg/s) than previously observed SN events associated with GRBs. Our estimate of the ejected (56)Ni mass is 0.12 +/- 0.02 Msun. From the broad spectral features we measure expansion velocities up to 47,000 km/s, higher than those of SNe 1998bw (GRB 980425) and 2006aj (GRB 060218). Helium absorption lines He I lambda5876 and He I 1.083 microm, blueshifted by ~20,000--30,000 km/s and ~28,000--38,000 km/s, respectively, may be present in the optical spectra. However, the lack of coverage of the He I 2.058 microm line prevents us from confirming such identifications. The nebular spectrum, taken at ~186 days after the explosion, shows a broad but faint [O I] emission at 6340 A. The light-curve shape and photospheric expansion velocities of SN 2010bh suggest that we witnessed a highly energetic explosion with a small ejected mass (E_k ~ 1e52 erg and M_ej ~ 3 Msun). The observed properties of SN 2010bh further extend the heterogeneity of the class of GRB supernovae.Comment: 37 pages and 12 figures (one-column pre-print format), accepted for publication in Ap

BeppoSAX Observations of Unprecedented Synchrotron Activity in the BL Lac Object Mkn 501

The BL Lac object Mkn 501, one of the only three extragalactic sources (with Mkn 421 and 1ES 2344+514) so far detected at TeV energies, was observed with the BeppoSAX satellite on 7, 11, and 16 April 1997 during a phase of high activity at TeV energies, as monitored with the Whipple, HEGRA and CAT Cherenkov telescopes. Over the whole 0.1-200 keV range the spectrum was exceptionally hard (alpha =< 1, with F_nu ~ nu^{-alpha}) indicating that the X-ray power output peaked at (or above) ~100 keV. This represents a shift of at least two orders of magnitude with respect to previous observations of Mkn 501, a behavior never seen before in this or any other blazar. The overall X-ray spectrum hardens with increasing intensity and, at each epoch, it is softer at larger energies. The correlated variability from soft X-rays to the TeV band points to models in which the same population of relativistic electrons produces the X-ray continuum via synchrotron radiation and the TeV emission by inverse Compton scattering of the synchrotron photons or other seed photons. For the first time in any blazar the synchrotron power is observed to peak at hard X-ray energies. The large shift of the synchrotron peak frequency with respect to previous observations of Mkn 501 implies that intrinsic changes in the relativistic electron spectrum caused the increase in emitted power. Due to the very high electron energies, the inverse Compton process is limited by the Klein-Nishina regime. This implies a quasi-linear (as opposed to quadratic) relation of the variability amplitude in the TeV and hard X-ray ranges (for the SSC model) and an increase of the inverse Compton peak frequency smaller than that of the synchrotron peak frequency.Comment: 11 pages, Latex, 4 Postscript figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letter