Discovery of periodic dips in the brightest hard X-ray source of M31 with EXTraS

We performed a search for eclipsing and dipping sources in the archive of the EXTraS project - a systematic characterization of the temporal behaviour of XMM-Newton point sources. We discovered dips in the X-ray light curve of 3XMM J004232.1+411314, which has been recently associated with the hard X-ray source dominating the emission of M31. A systematic analysis of XMM-Newton observations revealed 13 dips in 40 observations (total exposure time $\sim$0.8 Ms). Among them, four observations show two dips, separated by $\sim$4.01 hr. Dip depths and durations are variable. The dips occur only during low-luminosity states (L$_{0.2-12}<1\times10^{38}$ erg s$^{-1}$), while the source reaches L$_{0.2-12}\sim2.8\times10^{38}$ erg s$^{-1}$. We propose this system to be a new dipping Low-Mass X-ray Binary in M31 seen at high inclination (60$^{\circ}$-80$^{\circ}$), the observed dipping periodicity is the orbital period of the system. A blue HST source within the Chandra error circle is the most likely optical counterpart of the accretion disk. The high luminosity of the system makes it the most luminous dipper known to date.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

La forza degli arti inferiori negli studenti italiani

Introduzione Oltre agli elementi tecnici specifici, il karate richiedere buone abilt\ue0 motorie di base (coordinazione, forza esplosiva e rapidit\ue0 d\u2019azione) al fine di determinarne il livello prestativo (1). In particolare, la forza esplosiva rappresenta un\u2019abilit\ue0 decisiva per ottenere efficienza ed efficacia nel karate (3) (4). Ma quanto vale la forza esplosiva dei giovani italiani che si avvicinano allo sport del karate? Uno studio condotto A.N.S.A.S. Lombardia, nel 2009-2010 ha permesso di quantificare il livello motorio di un campione di studenti considerati sedentari. Materiali e metodi Nel corso delle lezioni di educazione fisica sono stati monitorati 1.084 studenti (555 femmine e 529 maschi) di et\ue0 compresa tra i 12 e i 14 anni (tab. 1) attraverso il test \u201csalto in lungo da fermo\u201d (SBJ, 2) in accordo col protocollo Eurofit (tab. 2). Tutte le fasi del test sono state condotte dagli insegnanti di che hanno raccolto i dati relativi alla potenza degli arti inferiori. In particolare qui di seguito riportiamo i dati descrittivi (tab. 2) della reale capacit\ue0 di forza utilizzata per spingersi piu\u2019 lontano possibile (fig. 1). Risultati Le studentesse hanno ottenuto delle performance che variano in media da 141 cm (12 anni) a 155 cm (14 anni). Il gap pi\uf9 evidente si riscontra nelle femmine di 13 e 14 anni (9 cm). La variazione risulta essere sempre molto alta per ogni et\ue0 (in media 21,5 cm). A 12 e 13 anni, le performance sono in media pari a 9 cm in pi\uf9 della loro statura media, mentre a 14 anni la differenza risulta ancora maggiore. Gli studenti maschi hanno ottenuto sempre migliori risultati rispetto alle coetanee (circa 13 cm). In media i ragazzi hanno saltato 3, 6 e 9 cm in pi\uf9 rispetto alla loro statura. La correlazione tra il SBJ e le caratteristiche antropometriche sono significative (valore minimo di r=0,860). femmine maschi Eta\u2019 n Peso Altezza IMC n Peso Altezza IMC 12 197 41,82\ub19,28 150\ub18,11 18,66\ub13,08 156 41,1\ub18,7 147,9\ub17 19,1\ub13,1 13 175 46,31\ub19,67 155\ub17,36 17,25\ub13,33 213 45\ub19,8 153,6\ub18,5 19,2\ub13,6 14 183 49,98\ub18,75 160,6\ub17,32 19,19\ub12,64 160 51\ub112,3 161,1\ub110,2 19,7\ub13,4 Tabella 1: dati antropometrici del campione esaminato Eta\u2019 femmine maschi 12 141,6\ub120,7 151,4\ub122 13 146\ub121,5 159,2\ub127,1 14 155,2\ub122,4 172,2\ub126,1 Tabella 2: risultati ottenuti nel test SBJ (media e deviazione standard) Discussione La forza esplosiva degli arti inferiori \ue8 una capacit\ue0 importante nella pratica del karate. Il SBJ \ue8 un semplice test per valutare la forza esplosiva degli arti inferiori, misurabile con risorse semplici ed economiche (tatami, cintura...) e che consente un monitoraggio costante dei progressi degli allievi paragonando i risultati con la propria statura (dato di facile rilevazione) e confrontando la propria performance con il campione della popolazione sedentaria. Bibliografia 1 Blazevi\u107 S, Kati\u107 R, Popovi\u107 D. Coll Antropol. 2006, 30(2):327-33. The effect of motor abilities on karate performance. 2 www.coe.int 3 Invernizzi P.L., Mauro F., Dugnani S., Mauro L. Comparison and analysis of explosive power in the context of two specialities in sporting karate (kumite, kata). 2\ub0 Congresso Internazionale \u201cMuscle and Exercise Physiology\u201d Mosca, Russia, 28 gennaio \u2013 1 febbraio 2003, Editore Slovo \u2013 Accademia Russa di Sport: 34 - 35 4 Invernizzi P.L., Scurati R., Michielon G., Roione R., Petruccioli M.G. Karate deportivo: analisis de la fuerza esplosiva de los membro inferiors en atletas profesionales italianos. II Congreso Internacional Canarias 2005 \u2013 Deporte y Ciencia: La Busqueda del Rendimiento. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias, 3-5 marzo 2005 \u2013 Edition \u2013 Direccion General de Deportes del Gobierno de Canarias: 220 - 22

The Acute Administration of Carnosine and Beta-Alanine Does Not Improve Running Anaerobic Performance and has No Effect on the Metabolic Response to Exercise

An increase in muscle carnosine content, following its chronic supplementation, has been shown to im- prove anaerobic performance. In addition, carnosine can affect plasma glucose concentration and insulin response. However, it is not clear whether the acute ingestion of carnosine can have the same effects. Aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of carnosine ingestion on anaerobic intermittent per- formance and the responses of blood insulin, glucose, bicarbonate and lactate concentrations to exercise. Twelve healthy, young, active participants (BMI 23.5 \ub1 .6, age: 22 \ub1 2 years) underwent in two separate occasions (double-blind, randomized, crossover design) the running-based anaerobic test (RAST), con- sisting of 6 7 35-m sprints interspersed with 10 s rest after acute (4 hours before the test) ingestion of ei- ther 1 g of L-carnosine and 1 g of \u3b2-alanine or placebo. None significant difference was found between the acute ingestion of carnosine and the placebo conditions in terms of running performance (30.0 \ub1 .8 and 29.8 \ub1 .8, p = .302), perceptual response to exercise (RPE), blood lactate, insulin (23.8 \ub1 13.0 and 19.5 \ub1 9.0 \u3bcU\ub7ml 121, p = .329), blood glucose (109 \ub1 23 and 104 \ub1 12 mg\ub7dl 121, p = .969), and blood bicar-bonates (16 \ub1 2 and 16 \ub1 2 mEq\ub7l 121, p = .277). In conclusion, the acute ingestion of carnosine had no ef-fect on performance, perceptual response to exercise, blood lactate concentration, insulin, glucose, and bicarbonates responses to exercise compared to a placebo treatment. It is not clear whether these results may be attributed to an insufficient dose of carnosine or to a lack of acute effect per s\ue9

Effects of human recombinant type I IFNs (IFN-&#945;2b and IFN-&#946;1a) on growth and migration of primary endometrial stromal cells from women with deeply infiltrating endometriosis : a preliminary study

Objective(s): Endometriosis is a major cause of infertility and disability for women, caused by the presence of inflammatory endometrial implants in extrauterine locations. Among the constituents involved in the immune response during the development of endometriosis, several chemokines, including interferons (IFNs) may have a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activities of type I IFNs (IFN-\u3b12b and IFN-\u3b21a) in primary endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) isolated from women with deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). Study Design: The study subjects included 7 women ranged in the age from 27 to 37 years with diagnosis of DIE (Stage III and IV). Collected primary ESC monolayers, isolated from endometriotic nodules, were incubated with various concentrations (from 1 to 1000 IU/ml) of IFN-\u3b12b or IFN-\u3b21a. Result(s): IFN-\u3b21a had a significantly higher activity in hampering the proliferation of cells compared to IFN-\u3b12b. This effect could be related to the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in S phase, observed in ESCs during incubation with IFN-\u3b21a. Moreover, IFN-\u3b21a was more potent than IFN-\u3b12b in inhibiting migration and EGF-induced ERK activity of primary ESCs. Conclusion(s): The inhibitory in vitro effect on ESC proliferation and migration of IFN-\u3b21a was much more potent than IFN-\u3b12b. These preliminary data offer the rationale for future preclinical and clinical trials using IFN-\u3b21a as a new tool for the therapy and tertiary prevention in patients with DIE

Validation of a standardized method for enumerating circulating endothelial cells and progenitors: flow cytometry and molecular and ultrastructural analyses

Purpose: Antigenic overlap among circulating endothelial cells (CEC) and progenitors (CEP), platelets, and other blood cells led to the need to develop a reliable standardized method for CEC and CEP quantification. These cells are emerging as promising preclinical/clinical tools to define optimal biological doses of antiangiogenic therapies and to help stratify patients in clinical trials. Experimental Design: We report the experimental validation of a novel flow cytometry method that precisely dissects CEC/CEP from platelets and other cell populations and provides information about CEC/CEP viability. Results: Sorted DNA/Syto16 +CD45 -CD31 +CD146 + CECs, investigated by electron microscopy, were found to be bona fide endothelial cells by the presence of Weibel-Palade bodies. More than 75% of the circulating mRNAs of the endothelial-specific gene, VE-cadherin, found in the blood were present in the sorted population. CECs were 140 \ub1 171/mL in healthy subjects (n = 37) and 951 \ub1 1,876/mL in cancer patients (n - 78; P \uab 0.0001). The fraction of apoptotic/necrotic CECs was 77 \ub1 14% in healthy subjects and 43 \ub1 23% in cancer patients (P \uab 0.0001). CEPs were 181 \ub1 167/mL in healthy donors and 429 \ub1 507/mL in patients (P = 0.00019). Coefficients of variation were 4 \ub1 4% (intrareader), 17 \ub1 4% (interreader), and 17 \ub1 7% (variability over 0-72 h), respectively. Parallel samples were frozen by a standardized protocol. After thawing, coefficients of variation were 12 \ub1 8% (intrareader), 16 \ub1 10% (interreader), and 26 \ub1 16% (variability over 0-14 days of frozen storage), respectively. Conclusions: This procedure enumerates a truly endothelial cell population with limited intrareader and interreader variability. It appears possible to freeze samples for large-scale CEC enumeration during clinical trials. This approach could be enlarged to investigate other angiogenic cell populations as well