Descobreixen un nou sistema binari de raigs-gamma a la nostra galàxia

L'equip de col∙laboració del telescopi espacial Fermi-LAT, integrat entre altres pels científics de l'Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (CSIC-IEEC), amb seu a la UAB, Andrea Caliandro, Daniela Hadasch i Diego Torres, ha descobert un nou sistema binari de raigs gamma en els voltants del centre Galàctic. El descobriment ha merescut la publicació de l'estudi a la prestigiosa revista Science ja que a dia d'avui, només es coneixen uns quants sistemes que emeten en raigs gamma.El equipo de colaboración del telescopio espacial Fermi-LAT, integrado entre otros por los científicos del Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio (CSIC-IEEC), ubicado en el campus de la UAB, Andrea Caliandro, Daniela Hadasch y Diego Torres, han descubierto un nuevo sistema binario de rayos gamma en los inmediaciones del Centro Galáctico tal descubrimiento ha merecido la publicación del estudio en la prestigiosa revista Science ya que a día de hoy, solo se conocen un puñado de sistemas que emiten en rayos gamma

Study of a New Trigger on Multiplicity and Primary Interaction Vertex using the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector

New trigger inputs for the ALICE Central Trigger Processor (CTP) are proposed. They are based on the use of Fast Multiplicity (FM) output signals generated by the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector (SPD). These can be used for a multiplicity based centrality trigger and for a fast on-line computation of the primary vertex. A simple algorithm for primary vertex location at the trigger level is proposed. The precision that can be achieved with this method on centrality selection and primary vertex location, is discussed for interactions with different pseudo-rapidity density level. The feasibility of background rejection is also considered

Enniatin and Beauvericin Biosynthesis in Fusarium Species: Production Profiles and Structural Determinant Prediction

Citation: Liuzzi, V. C., Mirabelli, V., Cimmarusti, M. T., Haidukowski, M., Leslie, J. F., Logrieco, A. F., . . . Mule, G. (2017). Enniatin and Beauvericin Biosynthesis in Fusarium Species: Production Profiles and Structural Determinant Prediction. Toxins, 9(2), 17. doi:10.3390/toxins9020045Members of the fungal genus Fusarium can produce numerous secondary metabolites, including the nonribosomal mycotoxins beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENNs). Both mycotoxins are synthesized by the multifunctional enzyme enniatin synthetase (ESYN1) that contains both peptide synthetase and S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent N-methyltransferase activities. Several Fusarium species can produce ENNs, BEA or both, but the mechanism(s) enabling these differential metabolic profiles is unknown. In this study, we analyzed the primary structure of ESYN1 by sequencing esyn1 transcripts from different Fusarium species. We measured ENNs and BEA production by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and Acquity QDa mass detector (UPLC-PDA-QDa) analyses. We predicted protein structures, compared the predictions by multivariate analysis methods and found a striking correlation between BEA/ENN-producing profiles and ESYN1 three-dimensional structures. Structural differences in the beta strand's Asn789-Ala793 and His797-Asp802 portions of the amino acid adenylation domain can be used to distinguish BEA/ENN-producing Fusarium isolates from those that produce only ENN

Exploring risk of falls and dynamic unbalance in cerebellar ataxia by inertial sensor assessment

Background. Patients suffering from cerebellar ataxia have extremely variable gait kinematic features. We investigated whether and how wearable inertial sensors can describe the gait kinematic features among ataxic patients. Methods. We enrolled 17 patients and 16 matched control subjects. We acquired data by means of an inertial sensor attached to an ergonomic belt around pelvis, which was connected to a portable computer via Bluetooth. Recordings of all the patients were obtained during overground walking. From the accelerometric data, we obtained the harmonic ratio (HR), i.e., a measure of the acceleration patterns, smoothness and rhythm, and the step length coefficient of variation (CV), which evaluates the variability of the gait cycle. Results. Compared to controls, patients had a lower HR, meaning a less harmonic and rhythmic acceleration pattern of the trunk, and a higher step length CV, indicating a more variable step length. Both HR and step length CV showed a high effect size in distinguishing patients and controls (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). A positive correlation was found between the step length CV and both the number of falls (R = 0.672; p = 0.003) and the clinical severity (ICARS: R = 0.494; p = 0.044; SARA: R = 0.680; p = 0.003). Conclusion. These findings demonstrate that the use of inertial sensors is effective in evaluating gait and balance impairment among ataxic patients

INTEGRAL observations of the gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856

The Fermi-LAT collaboration has recently reported that one of their detected sources, namely, 1FGL J1018.6-5856, is a new gamma-ray binary similar to LS 5039. This has prompted efforts to study its multi-frequency behavior. In this report, we present the results from 5.78-Ms INTEGRAL IBIS/ISGRI observations on the source 1FGL J1018.6-5856. By combining all the available INTEGRAL data, a detection is made at a significance level of 5.4 sigma in the 18-40 keV band, with an average intensity of 0.074 counts/s . However, we find that, there is non-statistical noise in the image that effectively reduces the significance to about 4 sigma and a significant part of the signal appears to be located in a 0.2-wide phase region, at phases 0.4-0.6 (where even the corrected significance amounts to 90% of the total signal found). Given the scarcity of counts, a variability is hinted at about 3 sigma at the hard X-rays, with an anti-correlation with the Fermi-LAT periodicity. Should this behavior be true, it would be similar to that found in LS 5039, and prompt observations with TeV telescopes at phases anti-correlated with the GeV maximum.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters; 6 pages, 1 figur