Yunis Varon Syndrome

We have reported a case of Yunis-Varon syndrome which is a rare, autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by growth retardation, defective growth of the cranial bones, characteristic facial features, abnormalities of the fingers and/or toes & cleidocranial dysplasia. Additional features in this case were patent ductus arteriosus, CT brain findings suggestive of ischemic changes, CSF examination suggestive of pyogenic meningitis & cystic changes in right adrenal gland

A BeppoSAX observation of the supersoft source 1E 0035.4-7230

Results from a 37,000 s BeppoSAX Low-Energy Concentrator Spectrometer (LECS) observation of the supersoft source SMC 13 (=1E 0035.4-7230) in the Small Magellanic Cloud are reported. The BeppoSAX spectrum is fitted either with a blackbody spectrum with an effective temperature kT = 26-58 eV, an LTE white dwarf atmosphere spectrum with kT = 35-50 eV, or a non-LTE white dwarf atmosphere spectrum with kT = 25-32 eV. The bolometric luminosity is < 8 10^37 erg s-1 and < 3 10^37 erg s^-1 for the LTE and the non-LTE spectrum. We also applied a spectral fit to combined spectra obtained with BeppoSAX LECS and with ROSAT PSPC. The kT derived for the non-LTE spectrum is 27-29 eV, the bolometric luminosity is 1.1-1.2 10^37 erg s^-1. We can exclude any spectrally hard component with a luminosity > 2 10^35 erg s^-1 (for a bremmstrahlung with a temperature of 0.5 keV) at a distance of 60 kpc. The LTE temperature is therefore in the range 5.5+/-0.2 10^5 K and the non-LTE temperature in the range 3.25+/-0.16 10^5 K. Assuming the source is on the stability line for atmospheric nuclear burning, we constrain the white dwarf mass from the LTE and the non-LTE fit to ~1.1 M-solar and ~0.9 M-solar respectively. However, the temperature and luminosity derived with the non-LTE model for 1E 0035.4-7230 is consistent with a lower mass M~0.6-0.7 M-solar white dwarf as predicted by Sion and Starrfield (1994). At the moment, neither of these two alternatives for the white dwarf mass can be excluded.Comment: 6 pages, accepted by A&A March 30th 199

Status of ψ\psi (3686), ψ\psi (4040), ψ\psi (4160), Y (4260), ψ\psi (4415) and X (4630) charmonia like states

We examine the status of charmonia like states by looking into the behaviour of the energy level differences and regularity in the behaviour of the leptonic decay widths of the excited charmonia states. The spectroscopic states are studied using a phenomenological Martin-like confinement potential and their radial wave functions are employed to compute the di-leptonic decay widths. Their deviations from the expected behaviour provide a clue to consider them as admixtures of the nearby S and D states. The present analysis strongly favour \\backslash$psi \$ (3686) as admixture of $c \bar{c}$ (2S) and $c \bar{c}$g (4.1 GeV) hybrid, \\backslash$psi \$ (4040) and \$$\backslash$psi \$ (4160) as admixture states of charmonia (3S, 3D) states with mixing angle \$$\backslash$theta \$ = 11$^\circ$and 45$^\circ$respectively. We identify Y (4260) as a pure$c \bar{c}$(4S) state whose leptonic decay is predicted as 0.65 keV. While X(4630) is closer to the$c \bar{c}$(6S) state. The status of \$$\backslash$psi \$ (4415) is still not clear as it does not fit to be pure or admixture state

Luminous supersoft X-ray emission from the recurrent nova U Scorpii

BeppoSAX detected luminous 0.2-2.0 keV supersoft X-ray emission from the recurrent nova U Sco ~19-20 days after the peak of the optical outburst in February 1999. U Sco is the first recurrent nova to be observed during a luminous supersoft X-ray phase. Non-LTE white dwarf atmosphere spectral models (together with a ~0.5 keV optically thin thermal component) were fitted to the BeppoSAX spectrum. We find that the fit is acceptable assuming enriched He and an enhanced N/C ratio. This implies that the CNO cycle was active during the outburst, in agreement with a thermonuclear runaway scenario. The best-fit temperature is ~9 10^5 K and the bolometric luminosity those predicted for steady nuclear burning on a WD close to the Chandrasekhar mass. The fact that U~Sco was detected as a supersoft X-ray source is consistent with steady nuclear burning continuing for at least one month after the outburst. This means that only a fraction of the previously accreted H and He was ejected during the outburst and that the WD can grow in mass, ultimately reaching the Chandrasekhar limit. This makes U~Sco a candidate type Ia supernova progenitor.Comment: 4 pages, accepted by A&A Letters 15 June 199

Detection of human papillomavirus from liquid-based cytology specimens by in-house PCR: a pilot study

The Papanicolaou smear remains the most common method for the detection of precancerous changes in cervical cytology. However, the introduction of a liquidbased cytology (LBC) technique expands the possibility of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) diagnosis, and permits detection of precancerous changes and human papillomavirus (HPV) simultaneously. In the pilot study reported here, using an in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, high-grade HPV was detected in 32% of a cohort of 38 patients. This conventional PCR method could be developed for use on a real-time PCR platform or in a microtitre-well format and subsequently automated