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In this paper, we introduce a Meshfree Variational-Physics-Informed Neural Network. It is a Variational-Physics-Informed Neural Network that does not require the generation of the triangulation of the entire domain and that can be trained with an adaptive set of test functions. In order to generate the test space, we exploit an a posteriori error indicator and add test functions only where the error is higher. Four training strategies are proposed and compared. Numerical results show that the accuracy is higher than the one of a Variational-Physics-Informed Neural Network trained with the same number of test functions but defined on a quasi-uniform mesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Metacarpal fractures account for 25%-50% of all hand fractures and may negatively impact hand function and ability to work. Percutaneous transverse pinning of non-articular metacarpal fractures allows mobilisation immediately after the procedure. Methods: Between March 2017 and February 2022, 56 patients undergoing percutaneous transverse pinning for unstable metacarpal fractures were prospectively recruited. We investigated surgical outcomes in terms of Patient-rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRWHE) and pre-and post-operative radiographic evaluation. The Student t-test was used to compare the means of PRWHE values after surgery. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age was 40.21 ± 17.9 years (range of 16 to 86 years). The average operating time was 27.96 min. The mean follow-up period was 14.3 ± 6.4 months (from 2 to 41 months). The mean PRWHE score was 6.5 ± 1.8. None of the patients had clinically observable rotational deformities, and the functional outcomes were satisfactory. Conclusion: Percutaneous transverse pinning for non-articular metacarpal fractures restores excellent function, and imaging results are satisfactory. Further high-quality clinical trials are required to validate these results on a larger scale. Level of evidence: II, prospective cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Following posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture, autografts and allografts are routinely used for its reconstruction. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of allografts for primary PCL reconstruction, comparing them to autografts in terms of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), functional tests, and complications. Methods: This study followed the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, and Scopus were accessed in October 2022. All the clinical studies investigating the outcomes of primary PCL reconstruction using allografts, or comparing the outcomes of allografts versus autografts, were accessed. The outcomes of interests were: instrumental laxity, range of motion (ROM), Telos stress radiography, drawer test, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner Activity Scale, and the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale. Data on complications were also recorded. Results: A total of 445 patients were included. The mean follow-up was 45.2 ± 23.8 months. The mean age of the patients was 30.6 ± 2.2 years. The time span between the injury and surgical intervention was 12.9 ± 10 months. Overall, 28% (125 of 445 patients) were women. Good baseline comparability was found between the two cohorts. No difference was found in terms of Lysholm Score, ROM, Tegner Scale, IKDC, arthrometer laxity, drawer test, and Telos stress radiography. No difference was found in the rates of anterior knee pain and revision. Conclusion: Allografts can be considered a suitable alternative to autografts for PCL reconstruction. Level of evidence: III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual dimorphism is challenging to detect among fossils due to a lack of statistical representativeness. The Angeac- Charente Lagerstätte (France) represents a remarkable 'snapshot' from a Berriasian (Early Cretaceous) ecosystem and offers a unique opportunity to study intraspecific variation among a herd of at least 61 coeval ornithomimosaurs. Herein, we investigated the hindlimb variation across the best- preserved specimens from the herd through 3D Geometric Morphometrics and Gaussian Mixture Modeling. Our results based on complete and fragmented femora evidenced a dimorphism characterized by variations in the shaft curvature and the distal epiphysis width. Since the same features vary between sexes among modern avian dinosaurs, crocodilians, and more distant amniotes, we attributed this bimodal variation to sexual dimorphism based on the extant phylogenetic bracketing approach. Documenting sexual dimorphism in fossil dinosaurs allows a better characterization and accounting of intraspecific variations, which is particularly relevant to address ongoing taxonomical and ecological questions relative to dinosaur evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We determined whether autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) injections provide clinical and functional improvements in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients, and whether the results differ between autologous bone marrow cells (BMAC) and adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs). Methods: Between January 2021 and April 2022, 51 patients undergoing intra-articular injection of BMAC and 51 patients undergoing intra-articular injection of ADSCs were prospectively recruited. The Kellgren and Lawrence (K–L) classification was used to grade the severity of osteoarthritis. Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and visual analog scale (VAS) were collected for all 102 patients in the previous week before the procedures, and at the one and 6 months from injection. Results: Knee KOOS scores, knee OKS scores, and VAS pain scores changed in similar ways in the two treatment groups. Both treatment groups demonstrated significant improvement pre-procedure to post-procedure in knee KOOS scores (p < 0.0001), knee OKS scores (p < 0.0001), and VAS pain scores (p < 0.0001). Patients with K–L grade 2 showed better functional and clinical outcomes than patients with K–L grades 3 and 4 (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Both intra-articular BMAC and ADSC injections significantly improved pain and functional outcomes at 6-month follow-up in patients with KOA. The difference between BMAC and ADCSs groups as tissue sources of MSCs was not statistically significant in terms of clinical and functional outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furnariida (i.e. ovenbirds, woodcreepers and antbirds) cover diverse ecologies and locomotor habits, ranging from strictly terrestrial to climbing birds, with different degrees of acrobatic performances. We know that this variety of locomotor modes is linked to different limb morpho‐functional adaptations in other climbing clades of birds, such as woodpeckers and nuthatches. Here, we link the morphological variations to ecological categories, such as different locomotor habits and a gradient of acrobatic performances, in a phylogenetically informed analysis. We used a high‐density three‐dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric approach on foot bones (tarsometatarsus and all toes) of 55 specimens from 39 species of Furnariida. We found a significant correlation between acrobatic performances and foot bone shapes, partly explained by the phylogenetic relationship between species. Dendrocolaptidae show specific anatomical features, linked to their acrobatic locomotor habits. More specifically, we found that: (1) foot bones are more robust amongst climbing Furnariida, (2) the spread between toes is wider amongst highly acrobatic Furnariida, (3) dermal syndactyly between digits II and III is linked to special osteological features interpreted as functional osteological syndactyly in woodcreepers (tail‐assisted climbers) and (4) the hallux claw is straighter than other claws in climbing Furnariida. Our study demonstrates that climbing Furnariida evolved common foot adaptations with subtle phenotypic variations depending on their climbing performances, refining our understanding of how evolution shapes interactions amongst structure, function and ecological traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Communicating bad news is of great interest in the geriatric field, but few works have considered the physician's point of view in this regard. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore possible differences related to physicians' gender and work experience in how a terminal diagnosis is disclosed to older patients. Methods: Study participants were 420 Italian physicians (277 M, 143 F) working in clinical medicine (58.2%), surgery (33.3%), or other medical departments (8.5%). They completed an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire that investigated various issues associated with communicating bad news to terminally ill older patients. Results: Men had more work experience than women (55.6% vs. 44.8% had worked for ≥23 years) and were more likely to work in surgery departments, while more women worked in clinical medicine. Most physicians declared that terminally ill older patients, if mentally competent, should always (14.4%) or generally (64.3%) be directly and openly informed of their condition. With no difference in gender, length of work experience, or specialty area, 36.9% of physicians thought that this was a human right and 18% that it would improve the patient's quality of life. Where older patients were alone, male physicians were more likely than female (30.2% vs. 8.9%) to always communicate bad news directly to them. More than 70% of physicians, especially those with longer work experience, declared that they always or often took enough time to inform the patient. Female physicians and those working in clinical medicine were more likely to need psychological help when deciding to break bad news, but only a smaller proportion declared to have received it. Conclusions: Gender and work experience may influence how physicians communicate with patients and how often they seek psychological support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce a multistep generalization of the guess-and-determine or hybrid strategy for solving a system of multivariate polynomial equations over a finite field. In particular, we propose performing the exhaustive evaluation of a subset of variables stepwise, that is, by incrementing the size of such subset each time that an evaluation leads to a polynomial system which is possibly unfeasible to solve. The decision about which evaluation to extend is based on a preprocessing consisting in computing an incomplete Gröbner basis after the current evaluation, which possibly generates linear polynomials that are used to eliminate further variables. If the number of remaining variables in the system is deemed still too high, the evaluation is extended and the preprocessing is iterated. Otherwise, we solve the system by a complete Gröbner basis computation. Having in mind cryptanalytic applications, we present an implementation of this strategy in an algorithm called MultiSolve which is designed for polynomial systems having at most one solution. We prove explicit formulas for its complexity which are based on probability distributions that can be easily estimated by performing the proposed preprocessing on a testset of evaluations for different subsets of variables. We prove that an optimal complexity of MultiSolve is achieved by using a full multistep strategy with a maximum number of steps and in turn the standard guess-and-determine strategy, which essentially is a strategy consisting of a single step, is the worst choice. Finally, we extensively study the behaviour of MultiSolve when performing an algebraic attack on the well-known stream cipher Trivium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some patients have demonstrated evidence of heterotopic ossification (HO) following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Selective and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used as prophylaxis for HO following THA. This meta-analysis compared selective versus non-selective NSAIDs as prophylaxis for HO following THA.Material and Methods: The present study was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. All the clinical investigations comparing selective versus non-selective NSAIDs as prophylaxis for HO following THA were accessed in February 2022. An assessment of the methodological quality and statistical analyses were performed through the risk of bias summary tool of the Review Manager 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen). The modified Brooker staging system was used to rate the efficacies of the interventions.Results: Data from 8 studies and 1526 patients were collected. 60.8% were female. No difference was found in the sample size, mean age, and percentage of females between the two groups at baseline. No statistically significant difference was found between selective and non-selective NSAIDs in term of efficacy. 72% (1078 of 1502) of the patients were classified as Brooker 0, 21% (322 of 1502) as Brooker I, 5% (80 of 1502) as Brooker II, 1% (16 of 1502) as Brooker III, and 0.1% (2 of 1502) as Brooker IV.Conclusion: Selective and non-selective NSAIDs were equally effective when used as prophylaxis for HO following THA.Level Of Evidence: Level III, systematic review and meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study investigated the type of sport and activity level of athletes before they underwent knee and/or hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis (OA), and compared them with a control group of subjects who did not undergo knee and hip arthroplasty. We hypothesed athletes exposed to high physical loads during sports had the highest risk of developing OA requiring arthroplasty.Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. All the comparative clinical trials to August 2021 investigating the sport activity level between subjects who underwent arthroplasty versus those who did not undergo arthroplasty for OA were considered.Results: Data from 5 studies and 3638 patients were collected. The mean age for both groups was 47.61±15.5 years, and the mean body mass index was 24.6±2.1 kg/m2 17.6% were women. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale attested good quality of the methodology of the investigations included in the present study.Conclusion: Intense physical exercise, implying a high cumulative number of hours of exercise which can lead to excessive joint overload, in both sexes is associated with greater likelihood of early knee and hip OA which may lead to prosthetic surgery. Moderate and recreational exposure to sport has minor degenerative effects, and is not associated with early onset OA requiring arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a pairing e : G 1 × G 2 → G T , on an elliptic curve E defined over a finite field F q , is exploited for an identity-based protocol, there is often the need to hash binary strings into G 1 and G 2 . Traditionally, if E admits a twist E ~ of order d, then G 1 = E (F q) ∩ E [ r ] , where r is a prime integer, and G 2 = E ~ (F q k / d ) ∩ E ~ [ r ] , where k is the embedding degree of E w.r.t. r. The standard approach for hashing into G 2 is to map to a general point P ∈ E ~ (F q k / d ) and then multiply it by the cofactor c = # E ~ (F q k / d ) / r . Usually, the multiplication by c is computationally expensive. In order to speed up such a computation, two different methods—by Scott et al. (International conference on pairing-based cryptography. Springer, Berlin, pp 102–113, 2009) and by Fuentes-Castaneda et al. (International workshop on selected areas in cryptography)—have been proposed. In this paper we consider these two methods for BLS pairing-friendly curves having k ∈ { 12 , 24 , 30 , 42 , 48 } , providing efficiency comparisons. When k = 42 , 48 , the application of Fuentes et al. method requires expensive computations which were infeasible for the computational power at our disposal. For these cases, we propose hashing maps that we obtained following Fuentes et al. idea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present systematic review investigated possible factors which may influence the surgical outcome of minimally invasive surgery for total hip arthroplasty (MIS THA). Methods: In January 2022, the Embase, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases were accessed. All the clinical trials investigating the clinical outcome of MIS THA were considered. Results: Data from 9486 procedures were collected. Older age was moderately associated with greater Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (P = 0.02) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) (P = 0.009) at last follow-up, and shorter surgical duration (P = 0.01). Greater body mass index (BMI) at baseline was moderately associated with greater cup anteversion (P = 0.0009), Oxford Hip Score (OHS) at last follow-up (P = 0.04), longer surgical duration (P = 0.04), increased leg length discrepancy (P = 0.02), and greater rate of infection (P = 0.04). Greater VAS at baseline was weakly associated with greater VAS at last follow-up (P < 0.0001), total estimated blood lost (P = 0.01), and lower value of Harris Hip Score (HHS) (P = 0.0005). Greater OHS at baseline was associated with greater post-operative VAS (P = 0.01). Greater WOMAC at baseline was associated with lower cup anteversion (P = 0.009) and greater VAS (P = 0.02). Greater HHS at baseline was associated with shorter hospitalisation (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Older age and greater BMI may represent negative prognostic factors for MIS THA. The clinical outcome is strongly influenced by the preoperative status of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutionary history of archosaurs and their closest relatives is characterized by a wide diversity of locomotor modes, which has even been suggested as a pivotal aspect underlying the evolutionary success of dinosaurs vs. pseudosuchians across the Triassic–Jurassic transition. This locomotor diversity (e.g., more sprawling/erect; crouched/upright; quadrupedal/bipedal) led to several morphofunctional specializations of archosauriform limb bones that have been studied qualitatively as well as quantitatively through various linear morphometric studies. However, differences in locomotor habits have never been studied across the Triassic–Jurassic transition using 3D geometric morphometrics, which can relate how morphological features vary according to biological factors such as locomotor habit and body mass. Herein, we investigate morphological variation across a dataset of 72 femora from 36 different species of archosauriforms. First, we identify femoral head rotation, distal slope of the fourth trochanter, femoral curvature, and the angle between the lateral condyle and crista tibiofibularis as the main features varying between bipedal and quadrupedal taxa, all of these traits having a stronger locomotor signal than the lesser trochanter's proximal extent. We show a significant association between locomotor mode and phylogeny, but with the locomotor signal being stronger than the phylogenetic signal. This enables us to predict locomotor modes of some of the more ambiguous early archosauriforms without relying on the relationships between hindlimb and forelimb linear bone dimensions as in prior studies. Second, we highlight that the most important morphological variation is linked to the increase of body size, which impacts the width of the epiphyses and the roundness and proximodistal position of the fourth trochanter. Furthermore, we show that bipedal and quadrupedal archosauriforms have different allometric trajectories along the morphological variation in relation to body size. Finally, we demonstrate a covariation between locomotor mode and body size, with variations in femoral bowing (anteroposterior curvature) being more distinct among robust femora than gracile ones. We also identify a decoupling in fourth trochanter variation between locomotor mode (symmetrical to semi‐pendant) and body size (sharp to rounded). Our results indicate a similar level of morphological disparity linked to a clear convergence in femoral robusticity between the two clades of archosauriforms (Pseudosuchia and Avemetatarsalia), emphasizing the importance of accounting for body size when studying their evolutionary history, as well as when studying the functional morphology of appendicular features. Determining how early archosauriform skeletal features were impacted by locomotor habits and body size also enables us to discuss the potential homoplasy of some phylogenetic characters used previously in cladistic analyses as well as when bipedalism evolved in the avemetatarsalian lineage. This study illuminates how the evolution of femoral morphology in early archosauriforms was functionally constrained by locomotor habit and body size, which should aid ongoing discussions about the early evolution of dinosaurs and the nature of their evolutionary "success" over pseudosuchians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we suggest a method adapted to the retrodeformation of asymmetrical objects - such as limb bones - by quantitatively estimating the effectiveness of the Thin-Plate Splines (TPS) interpolation function as a retrodeformation tool. To do so, taphonomic deformations were first simulated on a single horse femur. The original bone was then used as a reference in order to drive the retrodeformation using anatomical landmarks. This approach, based on a single bone, enabled us to evaluate the performance of the retrodeformation procedure. Then, the same approach was performed on a sample of rhino femora but using a different specimen (from the same species) as the reference in order to account for morphological variation. We also added sliding semi-landmarks on anatomical curves. Finally, retrodeformation was applied on a sample of sauropodomorph dinosaur femora by building a mean shape based on several well-preserved fossil specimens. Results show that entirely flattened and stretched bones are more efficiently retrodeformed than bent and twisted bones. Introduction of morphological variation increased the efficiency of retrodeformation for bent and locally stretched bones. The application to the sample of fossils produced similar results but also highlighted the difficulty of retrodeforming bones with a combination of different deformations. TPS interpolation is an efficient tool of retrodeformation for asymmetrical objects, especially for bones with only one affine deformation such as flattening or stretching. Finding a threshold of landmark number to use for this process would be the next step because it would allow us to ensure the quality of retrodeformation while keeping available a reasonable number of landmarks in order to perform shape analysis on retrodeformed bones. Twisted and bent fossils are frequently discovered and we suggest that these kinds of deformations should be studied with caution, especially when combined with other types of taphonomic distortions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction can be performed using single bundle (SB) and double bundle (DB) techniques. The present study investigated whether DB PCL reconstruction is superior to SB reconstruction in terms of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) and joint stability. In December 2021 Embase, Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus databases were accessed. All clinical trials comparing SB versus DB reconstruction to address PCL insufficiency in skeletally mature patients were considered. Data from 483 procedures were retrieved. The mean follow-up was 31.0 (28.0 to 107.6) months, and the mean timespan between injury and surgery was 11.3 (6 to 37) months. The mean age of the patients was 29.3 ± 3.8 years. 85 of 483 patients (18%) were women. At a mean of 31.0 months post reconstruction, ROM (P = 0.03) was slightly greater in the SB group, while the Tegner score (P = 0.03) and the Telos stress (P = 0.04) were more favorable in the DB cohort. Similarity was found in instrumental laxity (P = 0.4) and Lysholm score (P = 0.3). The current evidence does not support the use of DB techniques for PCL reconstruction. Both methods could restore knee stability and motion with satisfactory short term patient reported outcome measures. Further high quality clinical trials are required to validate these results on a larger scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binder Jetting technology is well established for the production of sand molds and cores for foundry use, owing to its flexibility and expansive design capabilities. A wide array of sand, aggregate, and binder combinations is commercially available. Utilizing these types of refractory materials in the casting process presents both technical and economic benefits and drawbacks. For intricate cast components, foundry technologists must assess the thermophysical properties of the mold material systems. With this knowledge, specialized high-performance material combinations may be employed in specific areas of the mold, while more economically viable systems are used for shaping the external mold support. This study primarily focuses on determining the heat capacity and thermal diffusivity and consequently the thermal conductivity using a specially developed analytical method. It investigates three different fundamental aggregates: silica, cerabeads®, and chromite. The result’s range provides an overview of relevant characteristics for the selected material systems. Given that the properties of sand affect heat flow during casting and solidification, these newly determined values can be utilized in future simulations. Consequently, these findings aid in maintaining and enhancing the quality of critically stressed cast parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraluminous X-ray sources are considered amongst the most extremely accreting objects in the local Universe. The recent discoveries of pulsating neutron stars in ULXs strengthened the scenario of highly super-Eddington accretion mechanisms on stellar mass compact objects. In this work, we present the first long-term light curve of the source NGC 4559 X7 using all the available Swift/XRT, XMM–Newton, Chandra , and NuSTAR data. Because of the high quality 2019 XMM–Newton and NuSTAR observations, we investigated in an unprecedented way the spectral and temporal properties of NGC 4559 X7. The source displayed flux variations of up to an order of magnitude and an unusual flaring activity. We modelled the spectra from NGC 4559 X7 with a combination of two thermal components, testing also the addition of a further high energy cut-off power law. We observed a spectral hardening associated with a luminosity increase during the flares, and a spectral softening in the epochs far from the flares. Narrow absorption and emission lines were also found in the RGS spectra, suggesting the presence of an outflow. Furthermore, we measured hard and (weak) soft lags with magnitudes of a few hundreds of seconds whose origin is possibly due to the accretion flow. We interpret the source properties in terms of a super-Eddington accretion scenario assuming the compact object is either a light stellar mass black hole or a neutron star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of the most common physical phenomena can be described using partial differential equations (PDEs). However, they are very often characterized by strong nonlinearities. Such features lead to the coexistence of multiple solutions studied by the bifurcation theory. Unfortunately, in practical scenarios, one has to exploit numerical methods to compute the solutions of systems of PDEs, even if the classical techniques are usually able to compute only a single solution for any value of a parameter when more branches exist. In this work, we implemented an elaborated deflated continuation method that relies on the spectral element method (SEM) and on the reduced basis (RB) one to efficiently compute bifurcation diagrams with more parameters and more bifurcation points. The deflated continuation method can be obtained combining the classical continuation method and the deflation one: the former is used to entirely track each known branch of the diagram, while the latter is exploited to discover the new ones. Finally, when more than one parameter is considered, the efficiency of the computation is ensured by the fact that the diagrams can be computed during the online phase while, during the offline one, one only has to compute one-dimensional diagrams. In this work, after a more detailed description of the method, we will show the results that can be obtained using it to compute a bifurcation diagram associated with a problem governed by the Navier-Stokes equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new materials for the controlled release of molecules represents a topic of primary importance in medicine, as well as in food science. In recent years, eutectic solvents have been applied as releasing media due to their improved capacity to interact with specific molecules, offering a broad range of tunability. Nevertheless, their application in essential oil dissolution are rare and more data are needed to develop new generations of effective systems. Herein, three eutectic systems, respectively, composed of choline chloride and ethylene glycol (1:2 molar ratio), methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide and ethylene glycol (molar ratio 1:5), and choline chloride and glycerol (molar ratio 1:1.5) were tested as materials for the controlled release of an essential oil derived from Citrus lemon leaves. Through static headspace fractionation, followed by gas chromatographic analysis, the performances of the three systems were assessed. The specific composition of DESs was pivotal in determining the releasing polar molecules as aldehydes and alcohols. A sustainability ranking based on the EcoScale tool highlighted the superior characteristics of the choline chloride–glycerol DES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce an innovative approach to automatically generate and explore immersive stereoscopic indoor environments derived from a single monoscopic panoramic image in an equirectangular format. Once per 360 ° shot, we estimate the per-pixel depth using a gated deep network architecture. Subsequently, we synthesize a collection of panoramic slices through reprojection and view-synthesis employing deep learning. These slices are distributed around the central viewpoint, with each slice's projection center placed on the circular path covered by the eyes during a head rotation. Furthermore, each slice encompasses an angular extent sufficient to accommodate the potential gaze directions of both the left and right eye and to provide context for reconstruction. For fast display, a stereoscopic multiple-center-of-projection stereo pair in equirectangular format is composed by suitably blending the precomputed slices. At run-time, the pair is loaded in a lightweight WebXR viewer that responds to head rotations, offering both motion and stereo cues. The approach combines and extends state-of-the-art data-driven techniques, incorporating several innovations. Notably, a gated architecture is introduced for panoramic monocular depth estimation. Leveraging the predicted depth, the same gated architecture is then applied to the re-projection of visible pixels, facilitating the inpainting of occluded and disoccluded regions by incorporating a mixed Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). The resulting system works on a variety of available VR headsets and can serve as a base component for immersive applications. We demonstrate our technology on several indoor scenes from publicly available data. [Display omitted] • We create and explore immersive stereo indoor environments from a 360 ∘ image • Light-weight gated architecture synthesizes novel views to cover head rotations • View slices are composed into two MCOP images for omidirectional stereo • A lightweight WebXR viewer render per-eye perspective views from the MCOP images • Exploration responds to head rotations with both motion and stereo cues [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an experimental die casting setup is designed and various composite casting experiments are performed to create Cu–Al bilayer compounds. The influence of thermal conditions and Al/Cu volume ratio on the growth of intermetallic phases and the mechanical and electrical properties is investigated. A distinctive correlation, especially with the thickness of eutectic phase, is detected that increases with higher process temperatures and volume ratios. An increased phase thickness leads to higher electrical resistance, but on the other hand, no clear influence on shear or bending strength could be determined. However, large layers of brittle and hard phases negatively influence a successive forming process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sardinian coloured donkey Equus asinus (Perissodactyla: Equidae) and its albino colour morph represent the wildlife species most typical of the island of Asinara. This Mediterranean island represents a favourable context for ticks and tick‐borne diseases; however, knowledge of the tick fauna on Asinara is scarce. A total of 106 Sardinian donkeys were inspected for tick infestation from June to November 2015. All ticks found were collected, classified by stage and sex, and identified to species level. The level of infestation of each donkey was determined; both the overall tick infestation and infestations of each detected species were classified on a scale of 1–3 to give an infestation score (IS). Overall, 256 hard ticks were collected from 60 of 106 donkeys (56.6%). Rhipicephalus bursa, Haemaphysalis punctata and Hyalomma marginatum (all: Ixodida: Ixodidae) infested 26.4%, 28.3% and 6.6% of donkeys, respectively. Different variables affected the IS. With reference to overall tick infestation, a higher IS was observed in donkeys grazing on grassland and Mediterranean shrubland and in albino donkeys compared with coloured donkeys. The collected ticks included species involved in the transmission of pathogens to humans, which highlights the risks for public health in a tourist destination such as Asinara National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2003, the magnetar XTE J1810−197 started an outburst that lasted until early 2007. In the following 11 yr, the source stayed in a quiescent/low-activity phase. XTE J1810−197 is one of the closest magnetars, hence its X-ray properties can be studied in detail even in quiescence and an extended monitoring has been carried out to study its long-term timing and spectral evolution. Here, we report the results of new X-ray observations, taken between 2017 September and 2018 April, with XMM–Newton, Chandra, and NICER. We derived a phase-connected timing solution yielding a frequency derivative of −9.26(6) × 10−14 Hz s−1. This value is consistent with that measured between 2009 and 2011, indicating that the pulsar spin-down rate remained quite stable during the long quiescent period. A spectral analysis of all the X-ray observations taken between 2009 and 2018 does not reveal significant spectral and/or flux variability. The spectrum of XTE J1810−197 can be described by the sum of two thermal components with temperatures of 0.15 and 0.3 keV, plus a power-law component with photon index 0.6. We also found evidence for an absorption line at ∼1.2 keV and width of 0.1 keV. Due to the long exposure time of the summed XMM–Newton observations, we could also carry out a phase-resolved spectral analysis for this source in quiescence. This showed that the flux modulation can be mainly ascribed to the warmer of the two thermal components, whose flux varies by ∼45 per cent along the pulse phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CSIDH is a post-quantum key-exchange scheme based on the action of ideal class groups on supersingular elliptic curves over prime fields. Its short keys and ciphertexts, together with its flexibility as a building block to construct complex cryptographic primitives, has motivated significant research on the efficiency of CSIDH and its resistance against side-channel attacks. In this work, some cutting-edge results from recent contributions are reviewed in a unified treatment, focusing on the mathematical ideas lying behind them rather than on cryptographic and low-level implementation techniques. In particular, we first describe ways to speed up the class-group-action evaluation, which range from the use of different models of elliptic curves to working with different ideal class groups. We then survey some constant-time variants of CSIDH, that make the time and memory consumption during the computation of a public/shared key independent of the secret key. Finally, we examine the computation of the ideal class action when the structure of the ideal class group is known, which is the case for a specific set of CSIDH parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We take as input a small set of spherical images of a multi-room indoor environment. • We recover the as-built 3D room layout using a robust-to-occlusion auto- mated method. • We automatically map the position of functional elements located on room boundaries. • As a result, we obtain an existing-conditions 3D model. Graphical abstract Abstract We present a vision-based approach to automatically recover the 3D existing-conditions information of an indoor structure, starting from a small set of overlapping spherical images. The recovered 3D model includes the as-built 3D room layout with the position of important functional elements located on room boundaries. We first recover the underlying 3D structure as interconnected rooms bounded by walls. This is done by combining geometric reasoning under an Augmented Manhattan World model and Structure-from-Motion. Then, we create, from the original registered spherical images, 2D rectified and metrically scaled images of the room boundaries. Using those undistorted images and the associated 3D data, we automatically detect the 3D position and shape of relevant wall-, floor-, and ceiling-mounted objects, such as electric outlets, light switches, air-vents and light points. As a result, our system is able to quickly and automatically draft an as-built model coupled with its existing conditions using only commodity mobile devices. We demonstrate the effectiveness and performance of our approach on real-world indoor scenes and publicly available datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the spectral and timing properties of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SWIFT J1756.9−2508 observed by XMM–Newton, NICER, and NuSTAR during the X-ray outburst occurred in April 2018. The spectral properties of the source are consistent with a hard state dominated at high energies by a non-thermal power-law component with a cut-off at ∼70 keV. No evidence of iron emission lines or reflection humps has been found. From the coherent timing analysis of the pulse profiles, we derived an updated set of orbital ephemerides. Combining the parameters measured from the three outbursts shown by the source in the last ∼11 yr, we investigated the secular evolution of the spin frequency and the orbital period. We estimated a neutron magnetic field of |$3.1\times 10^{8}\, \lt B_{\mathrm{ PC}}\lt 4.5\times 10^{8}\, \textrm{G}$| and measured an orbital period derivative of |$-4.1\times 10^{-12} \lt \dot{P}_{\mathrm{ orb}}\lt 7.1\times 10^{-12}$| s s−1. We also studied the energy dependence of the pulse profile by characterizing the behaviour of the pulse fractional amplitude in the energy range 0.3–80 keV. These results are compared with those obtained from the previous outbursts of SWIFT J1756.9−2508 and other previously known accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NGC 925 ULX-1 and ULX-2 are two ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in the galaxy NGC 925, at a distance of 8.5 Mpc. For the first time, we analysed high quality, simultaneous XMM–Newton and NuSTAR data of both sources. Although at a first glance ULX-1 resembles an intermediate mass black hole candidate (IMBH) because of its high X-ray luminosity [(2–4) × 1040 erg s−1] and its spectral/temporal features, a closer inspection shows that its properties are more similar to those of a typical super-Eddington accreting stellar black hole and we classify it as a 'broadened disc' ULX. Based on the physical interpretation of this spectral state, we suggest that ULX-1 is seen at small inclination angles, possibly through the evacuated cone of a powerful wind originating in the accretion disc. The spectral classification of ULX-2 is less certain, but we disfavour an IMBH accreting at sub-Eddington rates as none of its spectral/temporal properties can be associated with either the soft or the hard state of Galactic accreting black hole binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SAX J1748.9-2021 is an accreting X-ray millisecond pulsar observed in outburst five times since its discovery in 1998. In early October 2017, the source started its sixth outburst, which lasted only ∼13 days, significantly shorter than the typical 30 days duration of the previous outbursts. It reached a 0.3–70 keV unabsorbed peak luminosity of ∼3 × 1036 erg s−1. This is the weakest outburst ever reported for this source to date. We analysed almost simultaneous XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and INTEGRAL observations taken during the decaying phase of its 2017 outburst. We found that the spectral properties of SAX J1748.9-2021 are consistent with an absorbed Comptonization plus a blackbody component. The former, characterized by an electron temperature of ∼20 keV, a photon index of ∼1.6–1.7 keV, and seed photon temperature of 0.44 keV, can be associated to a hot corona or the accretion column, while the latter is more likely originating from the neutron star surface (kT bb ∼ 0.6 keV, R bb ∼ 2.5 km). These findings suggest that SAX J1748.9-2021 was observed in a hard spectral state, as it is typically the case for accreting millisecond pulsars in outburst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of different fungicides, belonging to different chemical groups, was in vitro and in vivo tested in glasshouse trials against Allophoma tropica, the causal agent of a new leaf spot on lettuce. The in vitro trials showed that only a few fungicides were effective in inhibiting the mycelial growth of the four tested strains of A. tropica: the most effective fungicide, with the lowest ED50 and MIC values, was penconazole. Prochloraz, propiconazole, boscalid and fludioxonil showed low ED50 values, but high MIC values. The results from the in vivo trials showed that all the tested fungicides significantly reduced Phoma leaf spot incidence and severity, although differences were observed in the achieved disease pressure in the four trials. Generally, in the presence of an average disease severity in the untreated control, the best disease severity reduction (up to 90%) was provided 9 days after the application of fludioxonil, mancozeb, pyraclostrobin + boscalid, propiconazole and iprodione. Fludioxonil and iprodione showed a persistent effect (up to 90%) still being evident 12 days after the application. Generally, in the presence of a high disease severity in the untreated control, 9 days after the application of fludioxonil, mancozeb, iprodione and pyraclostrobin + boscalid provided a disease severity reduction up to 80%. Moreover, copper provided a disease severity reduction from 84 to 89%, applied as preventative treatment, resulting of special interest, particularly for crops grown under organic farming rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years several papers have appeared that investigate the classical discrete logarithm problem for elliptic curves by means of the multivariate polynomial approach based on the celebrated summation polynomials, introduced by Semaev in 2004. With a notable exception by Petit et al. in 2016, all numerous papers on the subject have investigated only the composite-field case, leaving apart the laborious prime-field case. In this paper we propose a variation of Semaev's original approach that reduces to only one the relations to be found among points of the factor base, thus decreasing drastically the necessary Groebner basis computations. Our proposal holds for any finite field but it is particularly suitable for the prime-field case, where it outperforms both the original Semaev's method and the specialised algorithm by Petit et al.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic material compounds are of technical interest as they allow the combining of specific properties of different materials into one component. In particular, compounds of copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) are a current object of research. There are different fabrication processes, such as roll cladding or overlay welding. In recent years, a variety of alternative bonding methods were investigated, among other composite casting processes. A notable problem of Cu-Al composites is the formation of hard and brittle interface layers which reduce the mechanical properties of the compounds. Therefore, the reduction of these layers is one of the objectives of the development of new fabrication processes to realize suitable industrial applications. In this study, gravity casting experiments are carried out to produce Cu-Al bilayer composites and to determine the influence of the thermal process parameters on their properties. Two experimental setups using sand molds are developed, and casting experiments with varying thermal parameters are carried out. Specimens of the cast composites are extracted, metallographic examined and the hardness profile is determined. Hence, it is possible to identify the influence of thermal parameters on microstructure and hardness of cast Cu-Al bilayer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the X-ray dust-scattering features observed around the afterglow of the gammaray burst GRB 160623A. With an XMM-Newton observation carried out ∼2 d after the burst, we found evidence of at least six rings, with angular size expanding between ∼2 and 9 arcmin, as expected for X-ray scattering of the prompt gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission by dust clouds in our Galaxy. From the expansion rate of the rings, we measured the distances of the dust layers with extraordinary precision: 528.1 ± 1.2, 679.2 ± 1.9, 789.0 ± 2.8, 952 ± 5, 1539 ± 20 and 5079 ± 64 pc. A spectral analysis of the ring spectra, based on an appropriate dust-scattering model (BARE-GR-B) and the estimated burst fluence, allowed us to derive the column density of the individual dust layers, which are in the range 7 × 1020-1.5 ×1022 cm-2. The farthest dust layer (i.e. the one responsible for the smallest ring) is also the one with the lowest column density and it is possibly very extended, indicating a diffuse dust region. The properties derived for the six dust layers (distance, thickness and optical depth) are generally in good agreement with independent information on the reddening along this line of sight and on the distribution of molecular and atomic gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines and juxtaposes Mario Jori's and Frederick Schauer's ideas on legal formalism. Although developed independently of each other, these ideas show remarkable similarities: both focus on the notion of norm or rule as a tool for clarifying the notion of legal formalism; both defend legal formalism from the criticisms routinely moved against it. The author maintains that Jori's and Schauer's theories may contribute to shed light on (and criticize) the controversial notion of defeasibility of legal rules; they may also contribute to scale down, from a legal-theoretical point of view, the novelties of contemporary constitutional orders; finally, it may help to better understand their working machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines and juxtaposes Mario Jori's and Frederick Schauer's ideas on legal formalism. Although developed independently of each other, these ideas show remarkable similarities: both focus on the notion of norm or rule as a tool for clarifying the notion of legal formalism; both defend legal formalism from the criticisms routinely moved against it. The author maintains that Jori's and Schauer's theories may contribute to shed light on (and criticize) the controversial notion of defeasibility of legal rules; they may also contribute to scale down, from a legal-theoretical point of view, the novelties of contemporary constitutional orders; finally, it may help to better understand their working machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bright burst, followed by an X-ray tail lasting ~10 ks, was detected during an XMM-Newton observation of the magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 carried out on 2009 February 3. The burst, also observed by Swift/BAT, had a spectrum well fitted by the sum of two blackbodies with temperatures of ~4 and 10 keV and a fluence in the 0.3-150 keV energy range of ~10-5 erg cm-2. The X-ray tail had a fluence of ~4 x 10-8 erg cm-2. Thanks to the knowledge of the distances and relative optical depths of three dust clouds between us and 1E 1547.0-5408, we show that most of the X-rays in the tail can be explained by dust scattering of the burst emission, except for the first ~20-30 s. We point out that other X-ray tails observed after strong magnetar bursts may contain a non-negligible contribution due to dust scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the spectral and timing properties of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J00291+5934 observed by XMM-Newton and NuSTAR during its 2015 outburst. The source is in a hard state dominated at high energies by a Comptonization of soft photons (~0.9 keV) by an electron population with kTe ~30 keV, and at lower energies by a blackbody component with kT ~0.5 keV. A moderately broad, neutral Fe emission line and four narrow absorption lines are also found. By investigating the pulse phase evolution, we derived the best-fitting orbital solution for the 2015 outburst. Comparing the updated ephemeris with those of the previous outbursts, we set a 3σ confidence level interval -6.6 × 10-13 s s-1 < Porb < 6.5 × 10-13 s s-1 on the orbital period derivative. Moreover, we investigated the pulse profile dependence on energy finding a peculiar behaviour of the pulse fractional amplitude and lags as a function of energy. We performed a phase-resolved spectroscopy showing that the blackbody component tracks remarkably well the pulse profile, indicating that this component resides at the neutron star surface (hotspot). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the spectral and timing properties of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J00291+5934 observed by XMM-Newton and NuSTAR during its 2015 outburst. The source is in a hard state dominated at high energies by a Comptonization of soft 0 (~photons.9 keV) by an electron population with kTe ~30 keV, and at lower energies by a blackbody component with kT ~ 0.5 keV. A moderately broad, neutral Fe emission line and four narrow absorption lines are also found. By investigating the pulse phase evolution, we derived the best-fitting orbital solution for the 2015 outburst. Comparing the updated ephemeris with those of the previous outbursts, we set a 3σ confidence level interval -6.6 × 10-13 s s-1 < P orb < 6.5 × 10-13 s s-1 on the orbital period derivative. Moreover, we investigated the pulse profile dependence on energy finding a peculiar behaviour of the pulse fractional amplitude and lags as a function of energy. We performed a phase-resolved spectroscopy showing that the blackbody component tracks remarkably well the pulse profile, indicating that this component resides at the neutron star surface (hotspot). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A fatal case of meningoencephalitis was reported in a 13-year-old Koninklijk Warmbloed Paard Nederland stallion, suspected of West Nile virus (WNV) infection, in the Piedmont region of Italy. Clinical signs included right head tilt and circling, depression alternated with excitability, fever and lateral strabismus. Combined treatment consisting of dimethylsulfoxide, dexamethasone, sulphonamides and sedative was administered, but because of the poor conditions the horse was euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. Results: At post-mortem examination no skin lesions were observed, all organs appeared normal on gross evaluation and only head and blood samples were further investigated. Neuropathological findings consisted of granulomatous meningoencephalitis and larvae and adult females of Halicephalobus gingivalis were isolated and identified from the digested brain. Frozen brain was submitted to PCR amplification and 220 bp multiple sequence alignment was analysed by Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Conclusions: Phylogenetic inference revealed that the isolate belongs to H. gingivalis Lineage 3. WN surveillance can help to deepen our knowledge of horse neurological disorders investigating their causes and incidence. Moreover, it can help to understand the geographic distribution of the H. gingivalis, to unravel epidemiological information, and to estimate risk for humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemics of basil downy mildew (DM) incited by Peronospora belbahrii have been very severe in Italy since 2013, in part due to the very favorable weather conditions, and losses have occurred in many commercial farms, even after repeated mefenoxam treatments. DM populations from basil plants and seeds, which are associated with failure in downy mildew control under field and greenhouse conditions, have been tested for their sensitivity to mefenoxam. Basil plants were inoculated with a sporangial suspension of seven DM populations and treated, before and after inoculation with the pathogen, with different dosages of mefenoxam: 100 μg/ml, which corresponds to the currently applied field dosage, 200 μg/ml and 1000 μg/ml. Azoxystrobin was used at the field dosage as the chemical control. Three out of four DM populations from seeds and two out of three from basil plants were found to be able to infect basil plants in the presence of 100 μg/ml and 200 μg/ml of mefenoxam, while the field dosage of azoxystrobin (186 μg/ml) was found to be completely effective. The sensitive populations of P. belbahrii were completely controlled by the field dosage of both chemicals also 14 days after the last treatment. This study provides new information on the potential risk of introducing mefenoxam-resistant P. belbahrii inoculum in the field through seeds infected by resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AX J1845-0258 is a transient X-ray pulsar, with spin period of 6.97 s, discovered with the ASCA satellite in 1993. Its soft spectrum and the possible association with a supernova remnant suggest that AX J1845-0258 might be a magnetar, but this has not been confirmed yet. A possible counterpart one order of magnitude fainter, AX J184453-025640, has been found in later X-ray observations, but no pulsations have been detected. In addition, some other X-ray sources are compatible with the pulsar location, which is in a crowded region of the Galactic plane. We have carried out a new investigation of all the X-ray sources in the ASCA error region of AX J1845-0258, using archival data obtained with Chandra in 2007 and 2010, and with XMM-Newton in 2010. We set an upper limit of 6 per cent on the pulsed fraction of AX J184453-025640 and confirmed its rather hard spectrum (power-law photon index of 1.2 ± 0.3). In addition to the other two fainter sources already reported in the literature, we found other X-ray sources positionally consistent with AX J1845-0258. Although many of them are possibly foreground stars likely unrelated to the pulsar, at least another new source, CXOU J184457.5-025823, could be a plausible counterpart of AX J1845-0258. It has a flux of 6 × 10-14 erg cm-2 s-1 and a spectrum well fitted by a power law with photon index ∼1.3 and NH ∼ 1022 cm-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sub-set of the brightest ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), with X-ray luminosities well above 1040 erg s-1, typically have energy spectra which can be well described as hard power laws, and short-term variability in excess of ~10 per cent. This combination of properties suggests that these ULXs may be some of the best candidates to host intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), which would be accreting at sub-Eddington rates in the hard state seen in Galactic X-ray binaries. In this work, we present a temporal and spectral analysis of all of the available XMM-Newton data from one such ULX, the previously poorly studied 2XMM J143242.1-440939, located in NGC 5643. We report that its high-quality EPIC spectra can be better described by a broad, thermal component, such as an advection-dominated disc or an optically thick Comptonizing corona. In addition, we find a hint of a marginal change in the short-term variability which does not appear to be clearly related to the source unabsorbed luminosity. We discuss the implications of these results, excluding the possibility that the source may be host an IMBH in a low state, and favouring an interpretation in terms of super- Eddington accretion on to a black hole of stellar origin. The properties of NGC 5643 ULX1 allow us to associate this source to the population of the hard/ultraluminous ULX class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot subdwarf HD 49798 has an X-ray emitting compact companion with a spin-period of 13.2 s and a dynamically measured mass of 1.28 ± 0.05 M☉, consistent with either a neutron star or a white dwarf. Using all the available XMM-Newton and Swift observations of this source, we could perform a phase-connected timing analysis extending back to the ROSAT data obtained in 1992. We found that the pulsar is spinning up at a rate of (2.15 ± 0.05) ? 10-15 s s-1. This result is best interpreted in terms of a neutron star accreting from the wind of its subdwarf companion, although the remarkably steady period derivative over more than 20 yr is unusual in wind-accreting neutron stars. The possibility that the compact object is a massive white dwarf accreting through a disc cannot be excluded, but it requires a larger distance and/or properties of the stellar wind of HD 49798 different from those derived from the modelling of its optical/UV spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have analysed XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of the transient magnetar XTE J1810-197 spanning more than 11 yr, from the initial phases of the 2003 outburst to the current quiescent level. We investigated the evolution of the pulsar spin period and we found evidence for two distinct regimes: during the outburst decay, vṀ was highly variable in the range -(2-4.5) × 10-13 Hz s-1, while during quiescence the spin-down rate was more stable at an average value of -1 × 10-13 Hz s-1. Only during ~3000 d (from MJD 54165 to MJD 56908) in the quiescent stage it was possible to find a phase-connected timing solution, with vṀ=-4.9×10-14 Hz s-1, and a positive second frequency derivative, v=1.8×10-22 Hz s-2. These results are in agreement with the behaviour expected if the outburst of XTE J1810-197 was due to a strong magnetospheric twist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed a 115-ks XMM-Newton observation and the stacking of 8 d of INTEGRAL observations, taken during the raise of the 2015 outburst of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1748.9-2021. The source showed numerous type-I burst episodes during the XMM-Newton observation, and for this reason we studied separately the persistent and burst epochs. We described the persistent emission with a combination of two soft thermal components, a cold thermal Comptonization component (~2 keV) and an additional hard X-ray emission described by a power law (г ~ 2.3). The continuum components can be associated with an accretion disc, the neutron star (NS) surface and a thermal Comptonization emission coming out of an optically thick plasma region, while the origin of the high-energy tail is still under debate. In addition, a number of broad (σ = 0.1-0.4 keV) emission features likely associated with reflection processes have been observed in the XMM-Newton data. The estimated 1.0-50 keV unabsorbed luminosity of the source is ~5 × 1037 erg s -1, about 25 per cent of the Eddington limit assuming a 1.4 M☉ NS. We suggest that the spectral properties of SAX J1748.9-2021 are consistent with a soft state, differently from many other accreting X-ray millisecond pulsars which are usually found in the hard state. Moreover, none of the observed type-I burst reached the Eddington luminosity. Assuming that the burst ignition and emission are produced above the whole NS surface, we estimate an NS radius of ~7-8 km, consistent with previous results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full-term male foal born in a farm holidays in Maremma (Tuscany, Italy) was euthanized shortly after birth due to the presence of several malformations. The rostral maxilla and the nasal septum were deviated to the right (wry nose), and a severe cervico-thoracic scoliosis and anus atresia were evident. Necropsy revealed ileum atresia and agenesis of the right kidney. The brain showed an incomplete separation of the hemispheres of the rostral third of the forebrain and the olfactory bulbs and tracts were absent (olfactory aplasia). A diagnosis of semilobar holoprosencephaly (HPE) was achieved. This is the first case of semilobar HPE associated with other organ anomalies in horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four experimental trials were carried out in order to evaluate the efficacy of different products (chemicals, resistance inducers and natural products) as well as heat air when applied to basil seeds naturally infested by Peronospora belbahrii, the causal agent of downy mildew of basil, a pathogen which is seed transmitted. Seed quality, as vigour index, was also evaluated. In general, seed treatment had a positive effect on the reduction of disease incidence and on plant biomass at the end of each trial, with very satisfactory results when disease incidence was lower than 10% and still satisfactory results with a higher disease incidence. Although many of the fungicides, resistance inducers and thyme oil treatments tested showed a significant disease reduction compared with the untreated control, the protection offered was only partial. Moreover, the effectiveness of the tested seed treatments varied considerably between the trials. The seeds treatment with heat air (65°C for 10 min) significantly reduced the number of infected plants per container. The interaction effect between the fungicides (at the lowest dosage tested, with the exception of acibenzolar-S-methyl, and dimethomorph), thyme oil and the heat air treatment was also significant. In terms of biomass, most treatments not significantly improved the fresh weight in comparison with the untreated control. The highest biomass was observed in the plots where seeds were dressed with mancozeb combined with heat air. Interestingly, thiram is also effective against other pathogens affecting basil and the thermal treatment and potassium phosphite are fully compatible with the rules of organic farming. Seed dressing represents the starting point of a full integrated approach for downy mildew management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following reports of human cases of Lyme borreliosis from the Ossola Valley, a mountainous area of Piemonte, north-western Italy, the abundance and altitudinal distribution of ticks, and infection of these vectors with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were evaluated. A total of 1662 host-seeking Ixodes ricinus were collected by dragging from April to September 2011 at locations between 400 and 1450 m above sea level. Additional 104 I. ricinus were collected from 35 hunted wild animals (4 chamois, 8 roe deer, 23 red deer). Tick density, expressed as the number of ticks per 100 m2, resulted highly variable among different areas, ranging from 0 to 105 larvae and from 0 to 22 nymphs. A sample of 352 ticks (327 from dragging and 25 from wild animals) was screened by a PCR assay targeting a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of B. burgdorferi s.l. Positive samples were confirmed with a PCR assay specific for the 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and sequenced. Four genospecies were found: B. afzelii (prevalence 4.0%), B. lusitaniae (4.0%), B. garinii (1.5%) and B. valaisiana (0.3%). Phylogenetic analysis based on the ospC gene showed that most of the Borrelia strains from pathogenic genospecies had the potential for human infection and for invasion of secondary body sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broad emission features of abundant chemical elements, such as iron, are commonly seen in the X-ray spectra of accreting compact objects and their studies can provide useful information about the geometry of the accretion processes. In this work, we focus our attention on GX 3+1, a bright, persistent accreting low-mass X-ray binary, classified as an atoll source. Its spectrum is well described by an accretion disc plus a stable Comptonizing, optically thick corona which dominates the X-ray emission in the 0.3-20 keV energy band. In addition, four broad emission lines are found and we associate them with reflection of hard photons from the inner regions of the accretion disc, where Doppler and relativistic effects are important. We used self-consistent reflection models to fit the spectra of the 2010 XMM-Newton observation and the stacking of the whole data sets of 2010 INTEGRAL observations. We conclude that the spectra are consistent with reflection produced at ~10 gravitational radii by an accretion disc with an ionization parameter of ξ ~ 600 erg cm s-1 and viewed under an inclination angle of the system of ~35°. Furthermore, we detected for the first time for GX 3+1, the presence of a power-law component dominant at energies higher than 20 keV, possibly associated with an optically thin component of non-thermal electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NGC 55 ULX1 is a bright Ultraluminous X-ray source located 1.78 Mpc away. We analysed a sample of 20 Swift observations, taken between 2013 April and August, and two Chandra observations taken in 2001 September and 2004 June. We found only marginal hints of a limited number of dips in the light curve, previously reported to occur in this source, although the uncertainties due to the low counting statistics of the data are large. The Chandra and Swift spectra showed clearly spectral variability which resembles those observed in other ULXs. We can account for this spectral variability in terms of changes in both the normalization and intrinsic column density of a two-component model consisting of a blackbody (for the soft component) and a multicolour accretion disc (for the hard component). We discuss the possibility that strong outflows ejected by the disc are in part responsible for such spectral changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the EPIC-pn instrument on board XMM–Newton is operated in Timing mode, high count rates (>100 counts s−1) of bright sources may affect the calibration of the energy scale, resulting in a modification of the real spectral shape. The corrections related to this effect are then strongly important in the study of the spectral properties. Tests of these calibrations are more suitable in sources which spectra are characterized by a large number of discrete features. Therefore, in this work, we carried out a spectral analysis of the accreting neutron star GX 13+1, which is a dipping source with several narrow absorption lines and a broad emission line in its spectrum. We tested two different correction approaches on an XMM–Newton EPIC-pn observation taken in Timing mode: the standard rate-dependent charge transfer inefficiency (RDCTI or epfast) and the new, rate-dependent pulse height amplitude (RDPHA) corrections. We found that, in general, the two corrections marginally affect the properties of the overall broad-band continuum, while hints of differences in the broad emission line spectral shape are seen. On the other hand, they are dramatically important for the centroid energy of the absorption lines. In particular, the RDPHA corrections provide a better estimate of the spectral properties of these features than the RDCTI corrections. Indeed the discrete features observed in the data, applying the former method, are physically more consistent with those already found in other Chandra and XMM–Newton observations of GX 13+1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]