The BeppoSAX WFC X-ray source catalogue

We present the catalogue of X-ray sources detected by the two Wide Field Cameras (WFCs) in complete observations on board BeppoSAX during its 6 years of operational lifetime, between April 1996 and April 2002. The BeppoSAX WFCs were coded mask instruments sensitive in the 2-28 keV energy band with a 40x40 square degree fields of view, pointing in opposite directions and perpendicularly to the BeppoSAX Narrow Field Instruments (NFI). The WFCs were usually operated simultaneously to NFI observations, each lasting up to several days. WFCs observed thus the entire sky several times with a typical sensitivity of 2 to 10 mCrab. A systematic analysis of all WFC observations in the BeppoSAX archive has been carried out using the latest post-mission release of the WFC analysis software and calibrations. The catalogue includes 253 distinct sources, obtained from a total sample of 8253 WFC detections. We describe the basic statistical properties of the sample and present a six-year history of two celestial calibration X-ray sources.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, Catalogue, Accepted for publication on A&

A seasonal succession of physical/biological interaction mechanisms in the Sargasso Sea

Six months of concurrent, co-located physical and bio-optical time series from a moored array deployed in the Sargasso Sea during 1987 have been analyzed by combining standard Fourier analysis techniques with a unique presentation method. The spectral information obtained from the time series analysis covers four orders of magnitude in frequency space. This is especially useful for revealing temporal variations in high frequency variance and the physical/biological interactions that occur at these frequencies. The presentation method used here consists of time/frequency distributions of normalized variance and squared coherence that resulted from the time series analysis. These reveal a seasonal succession of physical/biological interaction mechanisms. It is apparent that the onset, and ongoing development, of water-column stratification initiates an evolution from a regime dominated by horizontal advection, within which phytoplankton act as a passive tracer, to one where physical processes impact the biology on spatial and temporal scales which are consonant with phytoplankton physiology. The observed interactions include: (1) transport of distinct bio-optical properties within advected mesoscale features; (2) significant phytoplankton patchiness associated with the regional evolution of the spring bloom and; (3) high frequency bio-optical variability associated with the interaction of the deep chlorophyll maximum with internal wave motions

Transition into adulthood: Tuberous sclerosis complex, S turge‐ W eber syndrome, and R asmussen encephalitis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108590/1/epi12722.pd

The Hubble Space Telescope UV Legacy Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. XIII. ACS/WFC Parallel-Field Catalogues

As part of the Hubble Space Telescope UV Legacy Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters, 110 parallel fields were observed with the Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys, in the outskirts of 48 globular clusters, plus the open cluster NGC 6791. Totalling about $0.3$ square degrees of observed sky, this is the largest homogeneous Hubble Space Telescope photometric survey of Galalctic globular clusters outskirts to date. In particular, two distinct pointings have been obtained for each target on average, all centred at about $6.5$ arcmin from the cluster centre, thus covering a mean area of about $23\,{\rm arcmin^{2}}$ for each globular cluster. For each field, at least one exposure in both F475W and F814W filters was collected. In this work, we publicly release the astrometric and photometric catalogues and the astrometrised atlases for each of these fields.Comment: 30 pages, 23 figures. Accepted by MNRA

Seasonal Changes of Serum Gonadotropins and Testosterone in Men Revealed by a Large Data Set of Real-World Observations Over Nine Years

Environmental rhythmicity is able to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in several animals to achieve reproductive advantages. However, conflicting results were obtained when assessing the environmental-dependent rhythmicity on reproductive hormone secretion in humans. This study was designed to evaluate seasonal fluctuations of the main hormones involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in men, using a big data approach. An observational, retrospective, big data trial was carried out, including all testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements performed in a single laboratory between January 2010 and January 2019 using Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay. Subjects presenting any factor interfering with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis were excluded. The trend and seasonal distributions were analyzed using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. A total of 12,033 data, accounting for 7,491 men (mean age 47.46 \ub1 13.51 years, range 18\u201391 years) were included. Testosterone serum levels (mean 5.34 \ub1 2.06 ng/dL, range 1.70\u201315.80 ng/dL) showed a seasonal distribution with higher levels in summer and a direct correlation to environmental temperatures and daylight duration. LH levels (mean 4.64 \ub1 2.54 IU/L, range 1.00\u201315.00 IU/L) presented 2 peaks of secretion in autumn and spring, independently from environmental parameters. FSH levels (mean 5.51 \ub1 3.24 IU/L) did not show any seasonal distribution. A clear seasonal fluctuation of both LH and testosterone was demonstrated in a large cohort of adult men, although a circannual seasonality of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormones in humans could be not strictly evolutionarily required. Testosterone seasonality seems independent from LH fluctuations, which could be regulated by cyclic central genes expression, and more sensible to environmental temperatures and daylight duration.Environmental rhythmicity is able to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in several animals to achieve reproductive advantages. However, conflicting results were obtained when assessing the environmental-dependent rhythmicity on reproductive hormone secretion in humans. This study was designed to evaluate seasonal fluctuations of the main hormones involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in men, using a big data approach. An observational, retrospective, big data trial was carried out, including all testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements performed in a single laboratory between January 2010 and January 2019 using Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay. Subjects presenting any factor interfering with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis were excluded. The trend and seasonal distributions were analyzed using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. A total of 12,033 data, accounting for 7,491 men (mean age 47.46 \ub1 13.51 years, range 18\u201391 years) were included. Testosterone serum levels (mean 5.34 \ub1 2.06 ng/dL, range 1.70\u201315.80 ng/dL) showed a seasonal distribution with higher levels in summer and a direct correlation to environmental temperatures and daylight duration. LH levels (mean 4.64 \ub1 2.54 IU/L, range 1.00\u201315.00 IU/L) presented 2 peaks of secretion in autumn and spring, independently from environmental parameters. FSH levels (mean 5.51 \ub1 3.24 IU/L) did not show any seasonal distribution. A clear seasonal fluctuation of both LH and testosterone was demonstrated in a large cohort of adult men, although a circannual seasonality of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormones in humans could be not strictly evolutionarily required. Testosterone seasonality seems independent from LH fluctuations, which could be regulated by cyclic central genes expression, and more sensible to environmental temperatures and daylight duration

Neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism in an Italian Centre: a 5-years real-life retrospective study

Introduction: Congenital hypothyroidism is an endocrine disease with a significant incidence in the general population (1:2000–1:3000 newborns in Italy) and a different geographical distribution, partially explained by endemic iodine deficiency, genetic traits and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Objectives: Aims of this study are: to evaluate the incidence of positive neonatal blood spot screening for CH in western Sicily, identified by the screening centre of the Children Hospital “G. Di Cristina”, ARNAS, Palermo; to evaluate the impact of a lower TSH cutoff in the neonatal blood spot screening for CH. Materials and methods: The TSH threshold of the neonatal screening was established as ≥6 mU/L of whole blood. We analysed the screening centre data in the period January 2013–April 2018, for a total number of 85.373 babies (45.7% males; 54.3% females). Results: 4.082 Babies (4.8%) required a second screening. Among these, 372 (0.44%) were out of range. The diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) was confirmed in 182 babies (0.21%). 77/372 newborns (20.7%) with confirmed high TSH levels showed whole blood TSH levels ≥6 - < 7 mU/L. In synthesis, 48.9% of the out of range re-testing had a confirmed diagnosis of CH. Conclusion: The reduction of TSH cutoff to 6 mU/L allowed to identify 77/372 neonates (20.7%) with confirmed out of range TSH, otherwise not recruited by the previously employed TSH cutoff

The occurrence of two morphologically similar Chaetozone (Annelida: Polychaeta: Cirratulidae) species from the Italian seas: Chaetozone corona Berkeley & Berkeley, 1941 and C. carpenteri McIntosh, 1911

The present study reports the spread of the cirratulids Chaetozone corona Berkeley & Berkeley, 1941 and Chaetozone carpenteri McIntosh, 1911 in the Western Central Adriatic Sea, off the coasts of Pescara (Italy). The two species were collected between 2014 and 2016 from soft bottom stations (at depths from 16.5 to 130 m) where the environment was more or less disturbed due to fishing activities. One specimen of C. corona was found also off the coast of Calafuria (Livorno, Italy), representing the first record of this species in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Chaetozone carpenteri could be a native species present in the Mediterranean for a long time but rarely recorded because of taxonomic confusion. Chaetozone corona was already known from the eastern Mediterranean Sea (except from the Adriatic Sea), where it is considered an established alien species. Our results extend the geographic range of these two cirratulid species, providing some information on their ecology and habitat preference. We also suggest a likely vector of spread of C. corona from the easternmost part of the Mediterranean towards the study area. The finding of reproducing specimens of C. corona and C. carpenteri supports the hypothesis that these two species have found a suitable habitat in the Western Central Adriatic Sea, and there will become well established. Although nothing suggests that C. corona would be invasive, it may, however, compete with native species. These findings also seem particularly relevant in order to improve the knowledge of Mediterranean biodiversity

Mitochondrial Complex III Deficiency Caused by TTC19 Defects : Report of a Novel Mutation and Review of Literature

We report about a patient with infantile-onset neurodegenerative disease associated with isolated mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III (cIII) deficiency. The boy, now 13 years old, presented with language regression and ataxia at 4 years of age and then showed a progressive course resulting in the loss of autonomous gait and speaking during the following 2 years. Brain MRI disclosed bilateral striatal necrosis. Sequencing of a panel containing nuclear genes associated with cIII deficiency revealed a previously undescribed homozygous rearrangement (c.782_786delinsGAAAAG) in TTC19 gene, which results in a frameshift with premature termination (p.Glu261Glyfs(*)8). TTC19 protein was absent in patient's fibroblasts. TTC19 encodes tetratricopeptide 19, a putative assembly factor for cIII. To date TTC19 mutations have been reported only in few cases, invariably associated with cIII deficiency, but presenting heterogeneous clinical phenotypes. We reviewed the genetic, biochemical, clinical and neuroradiological features of TTC19 mutant patients described to date

The influence of environment on the sperm quality: a comprehensive, retrospective, cohort study.

influence of environment on the sperm quality: a comprehensive, retrospective, cohort stud