Analytical determination of eclipse entry and exit points considering a conical shadow and oblate Earth

This paper presents a new analytical procedure to model the umbra generated during an eclipse considering an oblate ellipsoid of rotation as occulting body and a conical shadow. The method is based on purely geometrical considerations and results in the analytical definition of the entry and exit points from the conical shadow starting from the knowledge of the Sun position vector, the occulting body position vector and the orbital elements of the spacecraft orbiting the occulting body. The conical shadow also permits analytical definition of the entry and exit points of the penumbra region, which cannot be defined by using the classic cylindrical approach. Some numerical applications are proposed to test the effectiveness of the analytical formulations and to check the error in the prediction of the time spent in the shadow by the satellite. Finally, a discussion between the new conical shadow model and the classic cylindrical eclipse is carried out to see the improvements introduced by the refined geometry and the effects on space missions focusing on the cumulative error when multiple revolutions are considered

Natural methoxyphenol compounds: Antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria, and role in antioxidant processes

The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of three methoxyphenol phytometabolites, eugenol, capsaicin, and vanillin, were determined. The in vitro antimicrobial potential was tested on three common foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) and three food spoilage bacteria (Shewanella putrefaciens, Brochothrix thermosphacta, and Lactobacillus plantarum). The antioxidant assays were carried out for studying the free radical scavenging capacity and the anti-lipoperoxidant activity. The results showed that eugenol and capsaicin were the most active against both pathogens and spoilage bacteria. S. aureus was one of the most affected strains (median concentration of growth inhibition: IC50 eugenol = 0.75 mM; IC50 capsaicin = 0.68 mM; IC50 vanillin = 1.38 mM). All phytochemicals slightly inhibited the growth of L. plantarum. Eugenol was the most active molecule in the antioxidant assays. Only in the oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) test did vanillin show an antioxidant activity comparable to eugenol (eugenol ORAC value = 2.12 ± 0.08; vanillin ORAC value = 1.81 ± 0.19). This study, comparing the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of three guaiacol derivatives, enhances their use in future applications as food additives for contrasting both common pathogens and spoilage bacteria and for improving the shelf life of preserved food

Folfiri versus xeliri in untreated advanced colorectal cancer: A phase II randomised trial of the Gruppo Oncologico dell' Italia Meridionale (prot. GOIM 2405)

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Interessamento entesitico in bambini e adolescenti con malattia infiammatoria cronica intestinale: uno studio ecografico

Background: joint involvement is the most common extraintestinal manifestation in paediatric IBD patients. Several studies in adult population have shown that enthesis ultrasound (US) has a high sensitivity in the diagnosis of enthesitis. Objectives: The objective is to evaluate, using a high frequency ultrasound probe, the prevalence of subclinical entheseal involvement in paediatric IBD patients. Methods: 27 paediatric IBD patients [12 Crohn's disease, 13 ulcerative colitis and 2 IBD type unclassified; 15 females and 12 males, mean age of 13,7 years (ranging 7,2-21,0 years)] without clinical signs or symptoms of musculo-skeletal involvement were consecutively investigated with US (ESAOTE MyLAB 70 6-18 MHz linear array transducer) and compared with 24 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Twelve enthesis were scored according to the Madrid Sonographic Enthesis Index (MASEI) in both groups. Results: no patients reached the MASEI score value suggestive for an early spondyloarthritis involvement but the average MASEI score was significantly higher in IBD patients compared to controls (3.15\ub12.84 vs 0.96\ub11.12, p=0.0006).There was also a significantly higher percentage of patients with at least one enthesis with power Doppler (PD) score 652 (37% vs 16%; p= 0.037) and at least one enthesis with dishomogeneous echostructure (59% vs 0%; p= 0.000). No differences were found in terms of erosions, calcifications and structural thickness. In IBD patients, no correlation was found between MASEI total score and sex, age, disease duration and clinical activity scores. Conclusions: US detectable enthesopathy is frequent even in paediatric IBD patients

The Gene Ontology knowledgebase in 2023

The Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase (http://geneontology.org) is a comprehensive resource concerning the functions of genes and gene products (proteins and noncoding RNAs). GO annotations cover genes from organisms across the tree of life as well as viruses, though most gene function knowledge currently derives from experiments carried out in a relatively small number of model organisms. Here, we provide an updated overview of the GO knowledgebase, as well as the efforts of the broad, international consortium of scientists that develops, maintains, and updates the GO knowledgebase. The GO knowledgebase consists of three components: (1) the GO-a computational knowledge structure describing the functional characteristics of genes; (2) GO annotations-evidence-supported statements asserting that a specific gene product has a particular functional characteristic; and (3) GO Causal Activity Models (GO-CAMs)-mechanistic models of molecular "pathways" (GO biological processes) created by linking multiple GO annotations using defined relations. Each of these components is continually expanded, revised, and updated in response to newly published discoveries and receives extensive QA checks, reviews, and user feedback. For each of these components, we provide a description of the current contents, recent developments to keep the knowledgebase up to date with new discoveries, and guidance on how users can best make use of the data that we provide. We conclude with future directions for the project