Mapping Moho depth variations in central Italy from PsMoho-P delay times: Evidence of an E-W transition in the Adriatic Moho at 42°N latitude

Along the Italian peninsula adjoin two crustal domains, peri-Tyrrhenian and Adriatic, whose boundary is not univocal in central Italy. In this area, we attempt to map the extent of the Moho in the two terrains from variations of the travel time difference between the direct P wave and the P-to-S wave converted at the crust-mantle boundary, called PsMoho. We use teleseismic receiver functions computed at 38 broad-band stations in this and previous studies, and assigned each of the recording sites to the Adriatic or peri-Tyrrhenian terrains based on station location, geologic and geophysical data and interpretation, and consistency of delays with the regional Moho trend. The results of the present study show that the PsMoho arrival time varies from 2.3 to 4.1 s in the peri-Tyrrhenian domain and from 3.7 to 5.5 s in the Adriatic domain. As expected, the lowest time difference is observed along the Tyrrhenian coastline and the largest values are observed in the axial zone of the Apennine chain. A key new result of this study is a sharp E-W boundary in the Adriatic domain that separates a deeper Moho north of about 42 N latitude from a shallower Moho to the south. This feature is constrained for a length of about 40 km by the observations available in this study. The E-W boundary requires a revision of prior mapping of the Moho in central Italy and supports previous hypotheses of lithosphere segmentation

Aportaciones a la taxonomía del género Asplenium: Anatomía del aparato productor de esporas.

Se ha realizado una descripción de la anatomía del aparato productor de esporas, y de los elementos que lo constituyen, en el género Asplenium, basada en el estudio de nueve especies, representativas de los subgéneros Pleurosorus y Asplenium, secciones Ceterach y Asplenium, greges trichomanes, adiantumnigrum, septentrionale y scolopendrium. En vista de la confusión terminológica que habitualmente se encuentra en los trabajos sobre anatomía de helechos, se presenta un glosario en el que se proponen las defmiciones más adecuadas extraídas de la literatura, así como algunas precisiones a éstas y términos nuevos, en base a nuestros resultados.A description of the anatomy of the sporeproducer mechanism, and the elements that form it in the genus Asplenium has been realized, based on the study of nine species representative, of the subgenera Pleurosorus andAsplenium, sections Ceterach andAsplenium, greges trichomanes, adiantum-nigrum, septentrionale and scolopendrium. . In sight of the terminological confusion that is usually found in works on fern anatomy, a glossary -taken out from literature- is presented, in wich adecuate explanations are proposed, along with some precissions to these and new terms, according to our results

Lymphocyte Subsets and Inflammatory Cytokines of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance and Multiple Myeloma

Almost all multiple myeloma (MM) cases have been demonstrated to be linked to earlier monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Nevertheless, there are no identified characteristics in the diagnosis of MGUS that have been helpful in differentiating subjects whose cancer may progress to a malignant situation. Regarding malignancy, the role of lymphocyte subsets and cytokines at the beginning of neoplastic diseases is now incontestable. In this review, we have concentrated our attention on the equilibrium between the diverse lymphocyte subsets and the cytokine system and summarized the current state of knowledge, providing an overview of the condition of the entire system in MGUS and MM. In an age where the therapy of neoplastic monoclonal gammopathies largely relies on drugs capable of acting on the immune system (immunomodulants, immunological checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T), detailed knowledge of the the differences existing in benign and neoplastic forms of gammopathy is the main foundation for the adequate and optimal use of new drugs

Interpreting physical performance in professional soccer match-play: Should we be more pragmatic in our approach?

Academic and practitioner interest in the physical performance of male professional soccer players in the competition setting determined via time-motion analyses has grown substantially over the last four decades leading to a substantial body of published research and aiding development of a more systematic evidence-based framework for physical conditioning. Findings have forcibly shaped contemporary opinions in the sport with researchers and practitioners frequently emphasising the important role that physical performance plays in match outcomes. Time-motion analyses have also influenced practice as player conditioning programmes can be tailored according to the different physical demands identified across individual playing positions. Yet despite a more systematic approach to physical conditioning, data indicate that even at the very highest standards of competition, the contemporary player is still susceptible to transient and end-game fatigue. Over the course of this article, the author suggests that a more pragmatic approach to interpreting the current body of time-motion analysis data and its application in the practical setting is nevertheless required. Examples of this are addressed using findings in the literature to examine: a) the association between competitive physical performance and ‘success’ in professional soccer, b) current approaches to interpreting differences in time-motion analysis data across playing positions and, c) whether data can realistically be used to demonstrate the occurrence of fatigue in match-play. Gaps in the current literature and directions for future research are also identified

A possible cyclotron resonance scattering feature near 0.7 keV in X1822-371

We analyse all available X-ray observations of X1822-371 made with XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku and INTEGRAL satellites. The observations were not simultaneous. The Suzaku and INTEGRAL broad band energy coverage allows us to constrain the spectral shape of the continuum emission well. We use the model already proposed for this source, consisting of a Comptonised component absorbed by interstellar matter and partially absorbed by local neutral matter, and we added a Gaussian feature in absorption at $\sim 0.7$ keV. This addition significantly improves the fit and flattens the residuals between 0.6 and 0.8 keV. We interpret the Gaussian feature in absorption as a cyclotron resonant scattering feature (CRSF) produced close to the neutron star surface and derive the magnetic field strength at the surface of the neutron star, $(8.8 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{10}$ G for a radius of 10 km. We derive the pulse period in the EPIC-pn data to be 0.5928850(6) s and estimate that the spin period derivative of X1822-371 is $(-2.55 \pm 0.03) \times 10^{-12}$ s/s using all available pulse period measurements. Assuming that the intrinsic luminosity of X1822-371is at the Eddington limit and using the values of spin period and spin period derivative of the source, we constrain the neutron star and companion star masses. We find the neutron star and the companion star masses to be $1.69 \pm 0.13$ M$_{\odot}$ and $0.46 \pm 0.02$ M$_{\odot}$, respectively, for a neutron star radius of 10 km.In a self-consistent scenario in which X1822-371 is spinning-up and accretes at the Eddington limit, we estimate that the magnetic field of the neutron star is $(8.8 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{10}$ G for a neutron star radius of 10 km. If our interpretation is correct, the Gaussian absorption feature near 0.7 keV is the very first detection of a CRSF below 1 keV in a LMXB. (abridged)Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Interference Effects, Time Reversal Violation and Search for New Physics in Hadronic Weak Decays

We propose some methods for studying hadronic sequential two-body decays involving more spinning particles. It relies on the analysis of T-odd and T-even asymmetries, which are related to interference terms. The latter asymmetries turn out to be as useful as the former ones in inferring time reversal violating observables; these in turn may be sensitive, under some particular conditions, to possible contributions beyond the standard model. Our main result is that one can extract such observables even after integrating the differential decay width over almost all of the available angles. Moreover we find that the correlations based exclusively on momenta are quite general, since they provide as much information as those involving one or more spins. We generalize some methods already proposed in the literature for particular decay channels, but we also pick out a new kind of time reversal violating observables. Our analysis could be applied, for example, to data of LHCb experiment.Comment: 35 page

Mosaic structure of the penA gene in the oropharynx of men who have sex with men negative for gonorrhoea

The oropharynx represents a crucial site for the emergence of multi-drug resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The mosaic penA alleles, associated with decreased susceptibility to cephalosporins, have emerged by DNA recombination with partial penA genes, particularly those from commensal pharyngeal Neisseria species. Here, we investigated the prevalence of the mosaic structure of the penA gene in the oropharynx of men who have sex with men testing negative for pharyngeal gonorrhoea. From January 2016 to June 2018, 351 gonorrhoea-negative men who have sex with men attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Italy were enrolled. Pharyngeal swabs underwent a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of the mosaic penA gene. In case of positivity, PCR products were sequenced and searched against several sequences of Neisseria strains. Overall, 31 patients (8.8%) were found positive for the presence of the mosaic penA gene. The positivity was significantly associated with previous cases of pharyngeal gonorrhoea (relative risk [RR]: 3.56, 95% confidence interval 1.44\u20138.80) and with recent exposure to beta-lactams (RR: 4.29, 95% confidence interval 2.20\u20138.38). All penA-positive samples showed a high relatedness (90\u201399%) with mosaic-positive Neisseria strains. Our data underline that commensal Neisseria species of the oropharynx may be a significant reservoir for genetic material conferring antimicrobial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae

Signature of the presence of a third body orbiting around XB 1916-053

The ultra-compact dipping source \object{XB 1916-053} has an orbital period of close to 50 min and a companion star with a very low mass (less than 0.1 M$_{\odot}$). The orbital period derivative of the source was estimated to be $1.5(3) \times 10^{-11}$ s/s through analysing the delays associated with the dip arrival times obtained from observations spanning 25 years, from 1978 to 2002. The known orbital period derivative is extremely large and can be explained by invoking an extreme, non-conservative mass transfer rate that is not easily justifiable. We extended the analysed data from 1978 to 2014, by spanning 37 years, to verify whether a larger sample of data can be fitted with a quadratic term or a different scenario has to be considered. We obtained 27 delays associated with the dip arrival times from data covering 37 years and used different models to fit the time delays with respect to a constant period model.We find that the quadratic form alone does not fit the data. The data are well fitted using a sinusoidal term plus a quadratic function or, alternatively, with a series of sinusoidal terms that can be associated with a modulation of the dip arrival times due to the presence of a third body that has an elliptical orbit. We infer that for a conservative mass transfer scenario the modulation of the delays can be explained by invoking the presence of a third body with mass between 0.10-0.14 M$_{\odot}$, orbital period around the X-ray binary system of close to 51 yr and an eccentricity of $0.28 \pm 0.15$. In a non-conservative mass transfer scenario we estimate that the fraction of matter yielded by the degenerate companion star and accreted onto the neutron star is $\beta = 0.08$, the neutron star mass is $\ge 2.2$ M$_{\odot}$, and the companion star mass is 0.028 M$_{\odot}$. (Abridged)Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

GRO J1744-28: an intermediate B-field pulsar in a low mass X-ray binary

The bursting pulsar, GRO J1744-28, went again in outburst after $\sim$18 years of quiescence in mid-January 2014. We studied the broad-band, persistent, X-ray spectrum using X-ray data from a XMM-Newton observation, performed almost at the peak of the outburst, and from a close INTEGRAL observation, performed 3 days later, thus covering the 1.3-70.0 keV band. The spectrum shows a complex continuum shape that cannot be modelled with standard high-mass X-ray pulsar models, nor by two-components models. We observe broadband and peaked residuals from 4 to 15 keV, and we propose a self-consistent interpretation of these residuals, assuming they are produced by cyclotron absorption features and by a moderately smeared, highly ionized, reflection component. We identify the cyclotron fundamental at $\sim$ 4.7 keV, with hints for two possible harmonics at 10.4 keV and 15.8 keV. The position of the cyclotron fundamental allows an estimate for the pulsar magnetic field of (5.27 $\pm$ 0.06) $\times$ 10$^{11}$ G, if the feature is produced at its surface. From the dynamical and relativistic smearing of the disk reflected component, we obtain a lower limit estimate for the truncated accretion disk inner radius, ($\gtrsim$ 100 R$_g$), and for the inclination angle (18$^{\circ}$-48$^{\circ}$). We also detect the presence of a softer thermal component, that we associate with the emission from an accretion disk truncated at a distance from the pulsar of 50-115 R$_g$. From these estimates, we derive the magneto-spheric radius for disk accretion to be $\sim$ 0.2 times the classical Alfv\'en radius for radial accretion.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Effects of atomic diffraction on the Collective Atomic Recoil Laser

We formulate a wave atom optics theory of the Collective Atomic Recoil Laser, where the atomic center-of-mass motion is treated quantum mechanically. By comparing the predictions of this theory with those of the ray atom optics theory, which treats the center-of-mass motion classically, we show that for the case of a far off-resonant pump laser the ray optics model fails to predict the linear response of the CARL when the temperature is of the order of the recoil temperature or less. This is due to the fact that in theis temperature regime one can no longer ignore the effects of matter-wave diffraction on the atomic center-of-mass motion.Comment: plain tex, 10 pages, 10 figure