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Dietary Ca and osteocalcin (OC), parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were assessed simultaneously to bone mineral density (BMD) in 200 adolescent girls (aged 11-15 years) and 100 young women (aged 20-23 years), selected from the lowest and highest end of the Ca intake distribution of a larger population sample. Ca intake was evaluated by food frequency questionnaires, BMD was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry at ultradistal and proximal radius of non-dominant arm, bone age was estimated from x-rays of left hand and wrist according to Tanner et al. (1983). Surprisingly, mean Ca intakes were below the dietary reference intakes in the subgroups of girls and women with the highest measured Ca consumption. Postmenarcheal, but not premenarcheal girls showed radial densities as high as the women and in no group was BMD associated with Ca intake. In all adolescents serum PTH was negatively related to dietary Ca. In girls before menarche IGF-I was positively associated with bone age, while in the same subjects the negative relationship between SHBG and BMD pointed to the crucial role of bioavailable sex steroids on bone mass apposition in early puberty. OC levels decreased progressively with age, while serum 25-OH-D significantly increased after menarche. In conclusion, although in adolescents low Ca intake has not been shown to induce any immediate deleterious effect on radial density, the compensatory hypersecretion of PTH supports the need for an adequate Ca intake to achieve peak bone mass.

Systematic photometric monitoring of active RS CVn binaries carried out at Catania with the automatic telescope APT-80, is being complemented with Hα low- and high-resolution spectroscopy. The relationship between photospheric and chromospheric activity is investigated in order to shed light into the complex three-dimensional structure of surface activity. Preliminary results on the photometric and Hα monitoring of the active binaries, UX Ari, RS CVn, BM CVn, HK Lac, IM Peg, V 711 Tau, and EI Eri, are here reported.

Here we present preliminary results on the study of the chromosphere of Altair from Lα high dispersion profiles. We report also the detection of Lα chromospheric emission from α Cep (A7V) and β TrA (F0 V) with the IUE. We show that chromosphere may exist up to B – V = 0.22. The possible heating mechanism, magnetic or nonmagnetic, for the chromosphere of these stars is also discussed.

The Hα line of hydrogen is a very powerful tool for the study of the solar chromosphere (plages, flares, prominences). Although it is difficult to derive in a simple way quantitative information, like chromospheric temperature and electron density, because of the very extensive depth of its formation and the very complex mechanism of excitation, Hα has been successfully used to study the chromospheres of active stars (Herbig, 1985). Moreover this diagnostic has proved to be very useful for the study of surface inhomogeneities and transient phenomena like flares in systems of the RS CVn type and other active stars (Bopp, 1981; Bopp et al., 1988; Fraquelli, 1982).With the aim of investigating the behaviour of chromospheric activity, we have undertaken an extensive monitoring of Hα emission in a selected group of RS CVn binaries (Strassmeier et al., 1988). We report here preliminary results of the observations obtained in 1988–1989.

We present the results of the first three years of a single dish radio monitoring of HR 1099 we are carrying out using the the 32m radiotelescope at the Noto VLBI station of the Istituto di Radioastronomia of the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (C.N.R.).These data, together with other observations available from literature, constitute a database which shed light on the radio emission from this system.HR 1099 tends to undergo extended periods of strong activity, interrupted by periods of low flux density level, as can be seen from the radio behaviour on a timescale of several months. The switching between flaring and quiescent periods is not random and, at the moment, it is not possible to associate a characteristic duration to each phase.

This review presents a summary of observed photospheric phenomena on RS CVn stars: the amplitude, shape, evolution and migration rate of the photometric wave in relation to the rotational and orbital motion.The main points considered are: 1) the activity level (maximum amplitude, short and long timescale variability) versus rotation period; 2) the activity cycles as inferred from changes in the wave migration rate and direction and from the variation of its amplitude; 3) the detection of differential rotation; 4) the connection between the orbital period variation and activity.

We report on the first successful coordinated observations of stellar flares carried out on March 28, 1984 simultaneously over a wide range of wavelengths, from UV to microwaves, using the IUE satellite, three ESO telescopes at La Silla (Chile) and the VLA at Socorro (NM, USA).

We present a complete set of yearly seasonal light curves (LC) of RS CVn obtained from 1963 to 1982 at Catania Observatory, integrated with two LCs obtained by Ludington (1978) in 1975 and 1976. This unique observation set vividly shows (Figure l) the migrating outside of eclipse “photometric wave” (PW), which was first evidenced by Catalano and Rodonò (1967) and it is now considered the distinctive photometric feature of RS CVn binaries as well as of other spotted stars. By attributing the PW to surface inhomogeneities, or spots, whose visibility is modulated by the spotted star rotation, the present PW migration toward decreasing orbital phases indicates that the angular rotation of the KOIV spotted component is slightly lower than the orbital one. An inspection of Figure 1 readly shows that the almost sinusoidal PW has been fairly stable from 1963 up to 1981, when a double-peaked wave, still present in the 1982 LC, developed. Most probably the “unusual” 1949 LC by Keller and Limber (1951) and the 1976 one by Ludington (1978) were obtained at a similar activity phase.

The behaviour of the available light curves of Jupiter and Saturn satellites is shown to change steadily from inner to outer satellites.The change in reflectivity of satellites with orbital motion could be explained assuming that dark meteoroidal material accumulates on a given portion of the satellite's surface, which was once mainly covered with ice or snow. The preferential impact location on the satellite's surface could be a consequence of the perturbing action of the planet on the motion of interplanetary material.

The photoelectric observations of the close binary RS CVn carried out at Catania Observatory from 1963 to 1973 are presented. A new period of 9.48 years for the retrograde migration of the wave-like distortion on the light-curve has been determined. The wave amplitude is found to undergo cyclic changes with a period of about 4.74 years.Possible correlation between the wave amplitude and the inclination of the rotational axis and the spectral type of the spotted component for several RS CVn and BY Dra binaries is investigated.

Here we present a quatitative approach to the problem of the chromospheric emission and rotation in main sequence stars based on a consistent analysis of recent published data of stars from F8 to K5. This analysis has been performed using the following physical parameters:a) total power emission in the Call K line, Lk;b) stellar rotation period, Prot, from chromospheric emission variability;c) stellar ages from lithium abundance.

Short-term variations, typically with small amplitude (Δm < 0.1 mag.), time-scales of hours or near one day and in many cases correlated with the rotation period have been found to be commonplace among Be stars (see Harmanec and Pavlovski 1983 for review and papers). Radial and non-radial pulsation modes have been proposed to explain this variability. However, the light curves are often double-peaked, at first suggesting the stars may have large organized dipole magnetic fields and spots not unlike those in the Ap or Bp stars (Harmanec 1983). These rotationally modulated variations are not stable, and seem to vary in both amplitude and period in the sense that intervals with well defined light curves alternate with intervals when variations are absent. This phenomenon is very reminiscent of formation and apparent relative movement in longitude of spots (groups) in some RS CVn binaries (Catalano 1983, Rodono 1986), but on a much more rapid time scale.

Our study of the period distribution of about 200 FGKM-type unevolved close binaries has revealed a strong deficit of short-period systems.This finding may be connected with the occurrence of a very efficient mechanism of orbital angular momentum loss via magnetic braking by stellar wind, in the earliest evolutionary phases.

Continuing our previous analysis of the chromospheric emission (Blanco et al., 1974), absolute fluxes of the K emission line have been evaluated from 10 Å mm−1 spectrograms of the O. C. Wilson collection for 31 F5-K7 main sequence stars and 172 G2-M5 giants.