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We present the analysis of three faint clusters of the Small Magellanic Cloud RZ82, HW42 and RZ158. We employed the SOAR telescope instrument SAM with adaptive optics, allowing us to reach to V~23-24 mag, unprecedentedly, a depth sufficient to measure ages of up to about 10-12Gyr. All three clusters are resolved to their centres, and the resulting colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) allow us to derive ages of 3.9, 2.6, and 4.8Gyr respectively. These results are significantly younger than previous determinations (7.1, 5.0, and 8.3Gyr, respectively), based on integrated photometry or shallower CMDs. We rule out older ages for these clusters based on deep photometry and statistical isochrone fitting. We also estimate metallicities for the three clusters of [Fe/H]=-0.68, -0.57 and -0.90, respectively. These updated ages and metallicities are in good agreement with the age-metallicity relation for the bulk of SMC clusters. Total cluster masses ranging from ~7-11x10^3Mo were estimated from integrated flux, consistent with masses estimated for other SMC clusters of similar ages. These results reduce the number of SMC clusters known to be older than about 5 Gyr and highlight the need of deep and spatially resolved photometry to determine accurate ages for older, low-luminosity SMC star clusters., Accepted for publication as MNRAS letter, 5 pages, 5 figures

Policymakers have attempted to preemptively address the concern of ethical issues with the regulation of automated vehicles. Unfortunately, both policymakers and designers of these technologies struggle to articulate ethical issues and their resolution. We propose a framework that engineers and designers of automated technologies can apply that allows them to identify and resolve ethical tensions within the design task. We demonstrate the practicability of the framework to the engineering design process through a human-subject study where engineers applied the framework in a workshop.

The structure of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is very complex, in particular in the periphery that suffers more from the interactions with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). A wealth of observational evidence has been accumulated revealing tidal tails and bridges made up of gas, stars and star clusters. Nevertheless, a full picture of the SMC outskirts is only recently starting to emerge with a 6D phase-space map plus age and metallicity using star clusters as tracers. In this work, we continue our analysis of another outer region of the SMC, the so-called West Halo, and combined it with the previously analysed Northern Bridge. We use both structures to define the Bridge and Counter-bridge trailing and leading tidal tails. These two structures are moving away from each other, roughly in the SMC-LMC direction. The West Halo form a ring around the SMC inner regions that goes up to the background of the Northern Bridge shaping an extended layer of the Counter-bridge. Four old Bridge clusters were identified at distances larger than 8 kpc from the SMC centre moving towards the LMC, which is consistent with the SMC-LMC closest distance of 7.5 kpc when the Magellanic Bridge was formed about 150Myr ago; this shows that the Magellanic Bridge was not formed only by pulled gas, but it also removed older stars from the SMC during its formation. We also found age and metallicity radial gradients using projected distances on sky, which are vanished when we use the real 3D distances., 14 pages, 8 figures + appendix. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Novel halogen ring-disubstituted propyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2C3H7 (where R is 2-fluoro-5-methyl, 3-iodo-4-methoxy, 5-iodo-2-methoxy, 3,5-dichloro, 3,4-difluoro, 3,5-difluoro, 2-chloro-4-fluoro, 2-chloro-6-fluoro, 3-chloro-2-fluoro, and 3-chloro-4-fluoro) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The propenoates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-disubstituted benzaldehydes and propyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR. All the propenoates were copolymerized with styrene (M1) in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H and 13C-NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200-500ºC range with residue (1-3% wt.), which then decomposed in the 500-800ºC range.

Aims. In this paper we analyze the chemical evolution of the main body of the SMC, adding six additional clusters to previously published samples, based on homogeneously determined and accurate metallicities. Methods. We derived radial velocities and Ca II Triplet (CaT) metallicity of more than 150 red giants stars in six SMC star clusters and their surrounding fields, with the instrument GMOS on GEMINI-S. The mean cluster radial velocity and metallicity were obtained with mean errors of 2.2 km s−1 and 0.03 dex, while the mean field metallicities have a mean error of 0.13 dex. We add this information to that available for another 51 clusters and 30 fields with CaT metallicities on the same scale. Using this expanded sample we analyze the chemical properties of the SMC main body, defined as the inner 3.4° in semimajor axis. Results. We found a high probability that the metallicity distribution of the main body clusters is bimodal with a metal-rich and a metal-poor cluster group, having mean metallicities with a dispersion of μ = −0.80, σ = 0.06 and μ = −1.15, σ = 0.10 dex, respectively. On the other hand, main body field stars show a unimodal metallicity distribution peaking at [Fe/H] ∼ −1 and dispersion of 0.3. Neither metal-rich nor metal-poor clusters present a metallicity gradient. However, the full main body cluster sample and field stars have a negative metallicity gradient consistent with each other, but the one corresponding to clusters has a large error due to the large metallicity dispersion present in the clusters studied in that region. Metal-rich clusters present a clear age–metallicity relation, while metal-poor clusters present no chemical enrichment throughout the life of the galaxy. Conclusions. We present observational evidence that the chemical enrichment is complex in the SMC main body. Two cluster groups with potential different origins could be coexisting in the main body. More data with precise and homogeneous metallicities and distances are needed and dynamical simulations are required to understand the possible different origins for the two cluster groups.

We present a study of the internal structure of 82 star clusters located at the outer regions of the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud using data of the VISCACHA Survey. Through the construction of the minimum spanning tree, which analyzes the relative position of stars within a given cluster, it was possible to characterize the internal structure and explore the fractal or subclustered distribution for each cluster. We computed the parameters m (which is the average length of the connected segments normalized by the area), s (which is the mean points separation in units of cluster radius), and Q (the ratio of these components). These parameters are useful to distinguish between radial, homogeneous, and substructured distributions of stars. The dependence of these parameters with the different characteristics of the clusters, such as their ages and spatial distribution, was also studied. We found that most of the studied clusters present a homogeneous stellar distribution or a distribution with a radial concentration. Our results are consistent with the models, suggesting that more dynamically evolved clusters seem to have larger Q values, confirming previous results from numerical simulations. There also seems to be a correlation between the internal structure of the clusters and their galactocentric distances, in the sense that for both galaxies, the more distant clusters have larger Q values. We also paid particular attention to the effects of contamination by non-member field stars and its consequences finding that field star decontamination is crucial for these kinds of studies., Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We aim to analyze the chemical evolution of the Small Magellanic Cloud adding 12 additional clusters to our existing sample having accurate and homogeneously derived metallicities. We are particularly interested in seeing if there is any correlation between age and metallicity for the different structural components to which the clusters belong. Spectroscopic metallicities of red giant stars are derived from the measurement of the equivalent width of the near-IR calcium triplet lines. Cluster membership analysis was carried out using criteria that include radial velocities, metallicities, proper motions and distance from the cluster center. The mean cluster radial velocity and metallicity were determined with a typical error of 2.1 km/s and 0.03 dex, respectively. We added this information to that available in the literature for other clusters studied with the same method, compiling a final sample of 48 clusters with metallicities homogeneously determined. Clusters of the final sample are distributed in an area of ~ 70 deg^2 and cover an age range from 0.4 Gyr to 10.5 Gyr. The metallicity distribution of our new cluster sample shows a lower probability of being bimodal than suggested in previous studies. The separate chemical analysis of clusters in the six components (Main Body, Counter-Bridge, West Halo, Wing/Bridge, Northern Bridge and Southern Bridge) shows that only clusters belonging to the Northern Bridge appear to trace a V-Shape, showing a clear inversion of the metallicity gradient in the outer regions. There is a suggestion of a metallicity gradient in the West Halo, similar to that previously found for field stars. It presents, however, a very large uncertainty. Also, clusters belonging to the West Halo, Wing/Bridge and Southern Bridge exhibit a well-defined age-metallicity relation with relatively little scatter in abundance at fixed age compared to other regions., Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures,Accepted for publication in A&A

Context. Globular clusters (GCs) are excellent tracers of the formation and early evolution of the Milky Way. The bulge GCs (BGCs) are particularly important because they can reveal vital information about the oldest in situ component of the Milky Way. Aims. Our aim is to derive the mean metallicities and radial velocities for 13 GCs that lie toward the bulge and are generally associated with this component. This region is observationally challenging because of high extinction and stellar density, which hampers optical studies of these and similar BGCs, making most previous determinations of these parameters quite uncertain. Methods. We used near-infrared low-resolution spectroscopy with the FORS2 instrument on the VLT to measure the wavelengths and equivalent widths of the CaII triplet (CaT) lines for a number of stars per cluster. We derived radial velocities, ascertained membership, and applied known calibrations to determine metallicities for cluster members, for a mean of 11 members per cluster. Unfortunately, one of our targets, VVV-GC002, which is the closest GC to the Galactic center, turned out not to have any members in our sample. Results. We derive mean cluster RV values to 3 km s−1, and mean metallicities to 0.05 dex. We find general good agreement with previous determinations for both metallicity and velocity. On average, our metallicities are 0.07 dex more metal-rich than those of Harris (2010, arXiv:1012.3224), with a standard deviation of the difference of 0.25 dex. Our sample has metallicities between −0.21 and −1.64, and the values are distributed between the traditional metal-rich BGC peak near [Fe/H] −0.5 and a more metal-poor peak around [Fe/H] −1.1, which has recently been identified. These latter are candidates for the oldest GCs in the Galaxy, if blue horizontal branches are present, and include BH 261, NGC 6401, NGC 6540, NGC 6642, and Terzan 9. Finally, Terzan 10 is even more metal-poor. However, dynamically, Terzan 10 is likely an intruder from the halo, possibly associated with the Gaia-Enceladus or Kraken accretion events. Terzan 10 is also confirmed as an Oosterhoff type II GC based on our results. Conclusions. The CaT technique is an excellent method for deriving mean metallicities and velocities for heavily obscured GCs. Our sample provides reliable mean values for these two key properties via spectroscopy of a significant number of members per cluster for this important yet previously poorly studied sample of BGCs. We emphasize that the more metal-poor GCs are excellent candidates for being ancient relics of bulge formation. The lone halo intruder in our sample, Terzan 10, is conspicuous for also having by far the lowest metallicity, and casts doubt on the possibility of any bona fide BGCs at metallicities below about −1.5.

(ABRIDGED) Context. The line strength of the Ca II triplet (CaT) lines are a proxy to measure metallicity from individual stellar spectra of bright red giant stars. It is a mandatory step to remove the magnitude (proxy for gravity, temperature and luminosity) dependence from the equivalent width (EW) of the lines before converting them into metallicities. The working empirical procedure used for decades is to use the relative magnitude with respect to the horizontal branch level. Aims. The V filter is broadly adopted as the reference magnitude, although a few works have used different filters (I and Ks, for example). In this work we investigate the dependence of the CaT calibration using griz filters from the DECam and the GMOS, G from Gaia, BVI filters from the MCPS, YJKs filters from VIRCAM. We use as a reference FORS2 V filter used in the original analysis of the sample. Methods. Red giant stars from clusters with known metallicity and available CaT equivalent widths are used as reference. Public photometric catalogues are taken from SMASH DR2, VMC, Gaia, MCPS surveys plus VISCACHA-GMOS data, for a selection of Small Magellanic Cloud clusters. The slopes are fitted using two and three lines to be applicable to most of the metallicity scales. Results. The magnitude dependence of the CaT EWs is well described by a linear relation using any filter analysed in this work. The slope increases with wavelength of the filters. The zero point (a.k.a. reduced equivalent width), that is the metallicity indicator, remains the same. Conclusions. If the same line profile function is used with the same bandpasses and continuum regions, and the total EW comes from the same number of lines (2 or 3), then the reduced EW is the same regardless the filter used. Therefore, any filter can be used to convert the CaT equivalent widths into metallicity for a given CaT calibration., 12 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication at Astronomy and Astrophysics

Objectives: State of the art CAD/CAM manufacturing of implant prosthodontic frameworks requires a high degree of accuracy and precision of the impressions, particularly in complex full arch prostheses. New VPS (VinylPolySiloxanes) with improved elastic properties have been developed to facilitate and match the strict clinical requirements of modern implant prosthodontics. Methods: A plexiglass master model simulating a mandibular all on four prosthesis was made by inserting four implants (Premium 3.8010, Sweden&Martina) angulated (5°, 10°, 0°, 0°). Eighty impressions were taken using a standardized tray and technique at 37°C in wet conditions. Eight groups (n=10) were created as follows, the first 2 groups having no solid resin splinting (NS): 1)Hydrorise Implant Monophase NS (Zhermack); 2)Hydrorise Implant Heavy & Light NS (Zhermack); 3)Hydrorise Implant Monophase; 4)Hydrorise Implant Heavy & Light; 5)Honigum Mono, (DMG); 6)Honigum Heavy&Light; 7)Impregum (3mESPE); 8)PermadyneH & GarantL. Accuracy and precision were determined directly on the impressions by comparing with an OCMM machine (OGP 300) the position of the transfer platforms with the corresponding position on the master model scanning. Each scanning was elaborated (Rhinoceros software) in order to calculate the transfer 3D positioning error (μm) existing with the reference model. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and SNK (alpha=.05). Results: Among splinted groups Hydrorise Implant Heavy&Light (4) and Hydrorise Implant Monophase (3) (Zhermack) showed the best combination of accuracy and precision (0.05), with Hydrorise Monophase NS (1) performing better than the other three (38.0 μm;+/13.7). The transfer splinting significantly reduced the 3D error. Conclusions: New VPS materials (Hydrorise Implant) designed for implant impressions showed significantly higher accuracy and precision when compared to polyether materials on an “all-on-four” simulation model; even in the “non-splinted” unfavorable condition, they behave similarly or better than polyethers.

This paper presents flux-calibrated integrated spectra obtained at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO, Argentina) for a sample of 9 Galactic open clusters of small angular diameter. The spectra cover the optical range (3800–6800 Å), with a resolution of ∼14 Å. With one exception (Ruprecht 158), the selected clusters are projected into the fourth Galactic quadrant (282 o l 345 o ) near the Galactic plane (∣b∣ ≤ 9 o ). We performed simultaneous estimates of foreground interstellar reddening and age by comparing the continuum distribution and line strenghts of the cluster spectra with those of template cluster spectra with known parameters. We thus provide spectroscopic information independent from that derived through color-magnitude diagram studies. We found three clusters (Collinder 249, NGC 4463 and Ruprecht 122) younger than ∼40 Myr, four moderately young ones (BH 92, Harvard 5, Hogg 14 and Pismis 23) with ages within 200–400 Myr, and two intermediate-age ones (Ruprecht 158 and ESO 065-SC07) with ages within 1.0–2.2 Gyr. The derived foreground E(B−V) color excesses vary from around 0.0 in Ruprecht 158 to ∼1.1 in Pismis 23. In general terms, the results obtained show good agreement with previous photometric results. In Ruprecht 158 and BH 92, however, some differences are found between the parameters here obtained and previous values in the literature. Individual spectra of some comparatively bright stars located in the fields of 5 out of the 9 clusters here studied, allowed us to evaluate their membership status. The current cluster sample complements that of 46 open clusters previously studied by our group in an effort to gather a spectral library with several clusters per age bin. The cluster spectral library that we have been building is an important tool to tie studies of resolved and unresolved stellar content. Fil: Claria Olmedo, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Ahumada, Andrea Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba. Departamento de Astrofísica Estelar; Argentina Fil: Bica, Eduardo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Pavani, D. B.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Parisi, Maria Celeste. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina

We examine four ancient Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) globular clusters (GCs) for evidence of multiple stellar populations using the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope Programme GO-14164. NGC 1466, NGC 1841, and NGC 2257 all show evidence for a redder, secondary population along the main-sequence. Reticulum does not show evidence for the presence of a redder population, but this GC has the least number of stars and Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the sample of main sequence stars is too small to robustly infer whether a redder population exists in this cluster. The second, redder, population of the other three clusters constitutes $\sim30-40\%$ of the total population along the main-sequence. This brings the total number of ancient LMC GCs with known split or broadened main-sequences to five. However, unlike for Hodge 11 and NGC 2210 (see arXiv:1904.01434), none of the clusters show evidence for multiple populations in the horizontal branch. We also do not find evidence of a second population along the Red Giant Branch (RGB)., Comment: Accepted in MNRAS

We present the analysis of 34 light curves in $V$ and $I$ of 17 giant stars in the globular cluster NGC 3201, to check if such stars are variable and if their variability has some kind of impact on the iron abundance as obtained from spectroscopic measurements. First, we computed the Generalized Lomb-Scargle and Phase Dispersion Minimization periodograms on the sample to check if the stars were variables. In this way, 7 stars of the sample were found to be non-variable, 2 stars are considered as possible variables, and 8 stars were found to be variable, with periods ranging from $0.0881\pm0.0001$ to $0.5418\pm0.0027$ days. According to the literature, the variables have distinct values of $\text{[Fe I/H]}$: the 3 most metal-rich stars are in the RGB stage, one has an $\text{[Fe I/H]}=-1.37$ dex, while the other two have $\text{[Fe I/H]}=-1.31$ dex. The two most metal-poor variables have $\text{[Fe I/H]}=-1.61$ dex and $\text{[Fe I/H]}=-1.62$ dex, and are AGB stars; the remaining variables have $\text{[Fe I/H]}=-1.44$, $-1.48$, and $-1.50$ dex, the first two being RGB while the last is AGB star. On the other hand, stars that appear to be non-variables have $-1.56\leq\text{[Fe I/H]}\leq-1.40$. We conclude that variability somehow affects the spectroscopic determination of the iron content of giant stars in NGC 3201 increasing the iron spread of the cluster. If variability is not taken into account, this spread could be wrongly interpreted as due to an intrinsic iron spread affecting the stars of the cluster., Comment: 23 pages, 30 idividual figure files distributed in 14 figures (1 figure is the Orcid figure), accepted in The Astronomical Journal (AJ)

Context. The interactions between the SMC and LMC created the Magellanic Bridge, a stream of gas and stars pulled out of the SMC towards the LMC about 150 Myr ago. The tidal counterpart of this structure, which should include a trailing arm, has been predicted by models but no compelling observational evidence has confirmed the Counter-Bridge so far. Aims. The main goal of this work is to find the stellar counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge. We use star clusters in the SMC outskirts as they provide 6D phase-space vector, age and metallicity that help characterise the outskirts of the SMC. Methods. Distances, ages and photometric metallicities are derived from fitting isochrones to the colour-magnitude diagrams from the VISCACHA survey. Radial velocities and spectroscopic metallicities are derived from the spectroscopic follow-up using GMOS in the CaII triplet region. Results. Among the seven clusters analysed in this work, five belong to the Magellanic Bridge and one belongs to the Counter-Bridge and the other to the transition region. Conclusions. The existence of the tidal counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge is evidenced by star clusters. The stellar component of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge are confirmed in the SMC outskirts. These results are an important constraint for models that seek to reconstruct the history of the orbit and interactions between LMC-SMC and constrain their future interaction including with the Milky Way., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Astronomy and Astrophysics Letter, accepted. For associated video file (fig.A.4), see https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mSx3z6vDjHUneEeVq1i-MHwXZ1O0pZ-f

Adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a higher risk of developing depression symptoms during their lives and new research shows that over 40% of T1Ds experience elevated diabetes-related distress (DD). Psychosocial assessment is recommended as a critical part of patient-centered care in order to promote better diabetes outcomes and psychosocial well-being. The goals of this study were to document the prevalence of and relationships among Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), depression symptoms and DD, and to determine the linkage each of these measures with glycemic control in a Brazilian sample of adults with T1D at The State University of Campinas, Brazil. In a cross-sectional study, 70 T1D adults were evaluated. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 and diagnosis of T1D ≥ 6 months. Exclusion criteria were cognitive impairment, history of major psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, drug addiction, dementia), and severe diabetes-related complications (blindness, need for hemodialysis, limb amputations, stroke). Diagnoses of MDD was made using DSM-5 criteria. Depression symptoms were evaluated by the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD-D). The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) assessed DD. Metabolic control was evaluated by HbA1c. The latest lipid panel results were recorded and BMI was calculated. Number of complications was obtained from medical records. Forty percent of T1Ds were male, mean age 31(±8,8), mean number of complications was 1 (± 1.2), and mean HbA1c was 10.0%(±2). Frequency of MDD was 30,0% and 35,7% reported high depression symptoms. Fifty-two percent reported high DD. Only DD and depression symptoms were each significantly and positively associated with HbA1C (p < .05). This study shows that several measures that reflect the emotional side of diabetes are related to glycemic control. They emphasize the need to incorporate the emotional side of diabetes into strategies of care for adults with T1D. Disclosure M.S.M. Silveira: None. M.C. Parisi: None. K. Ruppert: None. A. Moura Neto: None. L.M. Siminerio: None. A.C. Sposito: None. M. Funnell: Advisory Panel; Self; Sanofi US, Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc.. E.J. Pavin: None. L. Fisher: Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Abbott, Merck & Co., Inc..

The jaboticaba is a fruit tree with great potential, both for fresh consumption, as for industrialization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the shelf-life of jaboticabas’s fruits cv. ‘Sabará’ stored under refrigeration and at room temperature. After harvest, the fruits were washed, screened, packed in plastic trays, in single layer, and stored under refrigeration (5 °C, and 49% UR), and at room temperature (27 ºC, and 33% UR). The determinations performed in triplicate immediately after harvest and every other day, until the disposal of the fruit, were: pH, soluble solids (°Brix), total titratable acidity (% citric acid), total and reducer sugars (%), vitamin C (mg/100g) and phytopathological. The design adopted was entirely randomized, realized the analysis of variance (F test) and comparison of averages by Tukey test to 5% of significance. Under refrigeration, the storage was more than 9 days to 12 days, the fruits showed intense shriveling (loss of moisture), being unsuitable for marketing. The soluble solids remained stable during this period, but there was decrease of pH and the levels of total and reducer sugars, in addition to increased acidity, facts that indicate occurrence of fermentation process. The losses of vitamin C were of the order of 72,5, from 4,952mg/100g in zero time, and 3,593mg/100g at the end of this period. The stored fruits at room temperature were discarded at the beginning of storage, by shriveling, incidence of microorganisms and strange odor.

37 potential members of the red-giant branches of NGC 6192, NGC 6208 and NGC 6268 were observed in the UBV system, while 22 of them were also observed in the DDO system. The observations were made at La Silla and Cerro Tololo Inter-American observatories (Chile), using pulse-counting photoelectric photometers. Coravel radial velocities (RVs) were obtained at La Silla for 24 red giant candidates in the three clusters. Five stars of NGC 6192 have RVs in the narrow range -8.8 km/s < VR < -6.4 km/s, including two new spectroscopic binaries (SBs). Three stars of NGC 6208 - including a new SB - and three stars of NGC 6268 show similar RVs so that their physical membership to NGC 6208 and NGC 6268, respectively, is highly probable. Mean radial velocities are: -7.7 ± 0.38 km/s (NGC 6192), -32.21 ± 0.28 km/s (NGC 6208) and -15.11 ± 0.08 km/s (NGC 6268). We have also derived the following mean E(B-V) values from Janes (1977) iterative method: 0.63 ± 0.02 (NGC 6192), 0.31 ± 0.02 (NGC 6208) and 0.43 ± 0.02 (NGC 6268)

Complementing our Washington photometric studies on Galactic open clusters (OCs), we now focus on four poorly studied OCs located in the first and fourth Galactic quadrants, namely BH 84, NGC 5381, BH 211 and Czernik 37. We have obtained CCD photometry in the Washington system $C$ and $T_1$ passbands down to $T_1$ $\sim$ 18.5 magnitudes for these four clusters. Their positions and sizes were determined using the stellar density radial profiles. We derived reddening, distance, age and metallicity of the clusters from extracted $(C-T_1,T_1)$ color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), using theoretical isochrones computed for the Washington system. There are no previous photometric data in the optical band for BH 84, NGC 5381 and BH 211. The CMDs of the observed clusters show relatively well defined main sequences, except for Czernik 37, wherein significant differential reddening seems to be present. The red giant clump is clearly seen only in BH 211. For this cluster, we estimated the age in (1000$^{+260}_{-200}$) Myr, assuming a metallicity of $Z$ = 0.019. BH 84 was found to be much older than it was previously believed, while NGC 5381 happened to be much younger than previously reported. The heliocentric distances to these clusters are found to range between 1.4 and 3.4 kpc. BH 84 appears to be located at the solar galactocentric distance, while NGC 5381, BH 211 and Czernik 37 are situated inside the solar ring., Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, 10 tables

Background FOLFIRINOX-regime is a combination-chemotherapy that provides the best clinical benefit in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients, but is associated with severe toxicity. Aim of this study is to explore the role of miRNAs as modulators of chemosensitivity and their potential as biomarkers of sensitivity to FOLFIRINOX-therapy. Methods HTS of 997 LNA-MIR-inhibitors was performed in PDAC cell lines treated with a combination of Fluorouracil (F), Oxaliplatin (O) and Irinotecan (I) that mimics FOLFIRINOX-regime. Validation experiments were performed with miRvana probes. Apoptosis was measured by flow-cytometry and western-blotting. Knock-out of microRNA was achieved by CRISPR-CAS9 in MiaPaca2 cells. HITS-CLIP assay was used to identify MIR1307 target site. Drug sensitivity was tested in xenograft models. Plasma MIR1307 was assessed by ddPCR. Results 41 and 84 miRNA-inhibitors enhanced FOI activity by > 30% (p Conclusions We identified MIR1307 as a potential modulator of sensitivity to FOI-chemotherapy in PC. MIR1307 inhibition impairs the ability of the cells to recover from chemotherapy damage and therefore enhances its activity. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Pancreatic Cancer UK Research Innovation Fund, Cancer Research UK. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are functional diseases of the masticatory system; their symptoms are clicking, difficulty opening the mouth wide, ear pain, facial pain and headaches. The relationships among distress, emotional factors and TMD are well known. It was shown that patients with TMD have little awareness of their inner states and emotions, and it was found that those reporting oro-facial pain presented higher alexithymia than did asymptomatic people. Other authors confirmed that alexithymia was higher in the painful TMD group than controls. This study was aimed to evaluate whether alexithymia and its components can be considered as predisposing factors for pain severity, poor health and greater social difficulties in patients with TMD. One hundred thirty-three patients received a diagnosis of TMD and completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Multiple stepwise regressions showed that alexithymia and age explained 10% of the pain and 31% of poor health and also that alexithymia explained 7% of social difficulty. A direct comparison of patients with TMD based on alexithymia revealed a higher presence of pain in alexithymic patients with TMD than in those characterised by moderate or no alexithymia. In conclusion, alexithymia partly predicts pain, poor health and social difficulties in patients with TMD. Furthermore, alexithymic patients have more pain than those with moderate or low alexithymia.

This paper represents a major step forward in the systematic and homogeneous study of Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) star clusters and field stars carried out by applying the Calcium Triplet technique. We present in this study the radial velocity and metallicity of approximately 400 red giant stars in 15 SMC fields, with typical errors of about 7 km/sec and 0.16 dex respectively. We added to this information our previously determined metallicity values for 29 clusters and approximately 350 field stars using the identical techniques. Using this enlarged sample, we analize the metallicity distribution and gradient in this galaxy. We also compare the chemical properties of the clusters and of their surrounding fields. We find a number of surprising results. While the clusters, taken as a whole, show no strong evidence for a metallicity gradient, the field stars exhibit a clear negative gradient in the inner region of the SMC consistent with the recent results of Dobbie et al. (2014b). For distances to the center of the galaxy less than 4 degrees, field stars show a considerable smaller metallicity dispersion than that of the clusters. However, in the external SMC regions, clusters and field stars exhibit similar metallicity dispersions. Moreover, in the inner region of the SMC, clusters appear to be concentrated in two groups: one more metal-poor and another more metal-rich than field stars. Individually considered, neither cluster group presents a metallicity gradient. Most surprisingly, the metallicity gradient for both stellar populations (clusters and field stars) appears to reverse sign in the outer regions of the SMC. The difference between the cluster metallicity and the mean metallicity of the surrounding field stars turns out to be a strong function of the cluster metallicity. These results could be indicating different chemical evolution histories for these two stellar populations. They could also indicate variations in the chemical behavior of the SMC in its internal and external regions. Fil: Parisi, Maria Celeste. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba. Departamento de Astrofísica Estelar; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Concepción; Chile Fil: Geisler, D.. Universidad de Concepción; Chile Fil: Carraro, G.. European Southern Observatory; Chile Fil: Claria Olmedo, Juan Jose. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Villanova, S.. Universidad de Concepción; Chile Fil: Gramajo, Luciana Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Sarajedini, A.. University of Florida; Estados Unidos Fil: Grocholski, A.. State University of Louisiana; Estados Unidos

We present flux-calibrated integrated spectra for 7 star clusters belonging to the Small Magellanic Cloud in the optical range (≈3600–7000 A), obtained at CASLEO (Argentina). Three out of the 7 clusters were not previously studied so their ages and reddening values are determined for the first time in the current study. Using the equivalent widths of selected spectroscopic lines and comparing the cluster spectra with template spectra of known properties, we derive foreground interstellar reddening and age. The clusters are in the (5–300) Myr age range and their E (B – V) colour excesses were in all cases smaller than 0.12. The present data also contribute to enlarge the cluster spectral library at the metallicity level of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The buildup of such database, which also includes Galactic and Large Magellanic Cloud clusters, is a long-term project that we have been developing and which has proved to be useful in the analysis of stellar populations of extragalactic systems (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The metallicities of 15 Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters are determined from the Calcium ii-triplet lines in spectra obtained using the FORS2 multi-object spectrograph on the VLT (Paranal, Chile). The metallicity distribution, metallicity gradient and age–metallicity relationship in the SMC are determined and analyzed using new and literature data for these and other, previously studied SMC objects. Only the main results regarding these topics are presented and discussed.

We present CCD photometry in the Washington system C and T1 passbands down to T1 ~ 19.5 mag in the fields of Czernik 26, Czernik 30, and Haffner 11, three poorly studied open clusters located in the third Galactic quadrant. We measured T1 magnitudes and C-T1 colors for a total of 6472 stars distributed throughout cluster areas of 13.6´ x 13.6´ each. Cluster radii were estimated from star counts in appropriate-sized boxes distributed throughout the entire observed fields. Based on the best fits of isochrones computed by the Padova group to the (C-T_1,T_1) color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), we derived color excesses, heliocentric distances and ages for the three clusters. These are characterized by a relatively small angular size and by a high field star contamination. We performed a firm analysis of the field star contamination of the CMDs and examined different relationships between the position in the Galaxy of known open clusters located within 1 kpc around the three studied ones, their age and their interstellar visual absorption. We confirm previous results in the sense that the closer the cluster birthplace to the Galactic plane, the higher the interstellar visual absorption. We also found that the space velocity dispersion perpendicular to the Galactic plane diminishes as the clusters are younger. The positions, interstellar visual absorptions,ages, and metallicities of the three studied clusters favor the hypothesis that they were not born in the recently discovered Canis Major (CMa) dwarf galaxy before it was accreted by the Milky Way. Fil: Piatti, Andres Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentina Fil: Claria Olmedo, Juan Jose. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Parisi, Maria Celeste. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Ahumada, Andrea Veronica. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

We present flux-calibrated integrated spectra in the optical spectral range of concentrated star clusters in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC-SMC), approximately half of which constitute unstudied objects. We have mainly estimated ages and foreground interstellar reddening values from the comparison of the line strengths and continuum distribution of the cluster spectra with those of template spectra with known parameters. Also reddening values were estimated by interpolation between the extinction maps of Burstein & Heiles (1982) (BH). A good agreement between ages and reddenings derived through the different procedures was found. The ages of the 27 LMC star clusters range from 5 to 125 Myr, while those of the 13 SMC vary from 4 to 350 Myr.