Cl-inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency leads to recurrent attacks of mucocutaneous edema and may be inherited (hereditary angioedema HAE) or acquired (acquired angioedema AAE), which have the same clinical ...picture characterized by angioedema involving the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and larynx. Although cutaneous swelling is evident, abdominal angioedema is still a diagnostic challenge and attacks can mimic surgical emergencies. There is currently no laboratory marker for identifying angioedema attacks. As coagulation and fibrinolysis are activated during angioedema attacks, we assessed if plasma measurements of prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 (marker of thrombin generation) and D-dimer (marker of fibrin degradation) can be useful for the diagnosis of angioedema because of C1-INH deficiency, especially in case of hidden locations as abdominal attacks. In addition to complement, we measured plasma levels of F1 + 2 and D-dimer in 28 patients with C1-INH deficiency during acute attacks and remission, 35 patients without C1-INH deficiency during abdominal colics, and 20 healthy subjects. Plasma F1 + 2 levels were higher in patients with C1-INH deficiency during remission than in healthy controls (P = 0.001), and further increased during cutaneous and abdominal attacks (P = 0.0001); patients without C1-INH deficiency had normal F1 + 2 levels during abdominal colics. Plasma D-dimer levels were higher in patients with C1-INH deficiency during remission than in controls (P = 0.012) and increased during angioedema attacks, reaching higher levels than in patients without C1-INH deficiency during colics (P = 0.002). During acute angioedema attacks, patients with C1-INH deficiency have high prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 and D-dimer levels, the measurement of which may have an important diagnostic value.
Climate warming and land-use change are reshuffling the distribution of wild organisms on a global scale. Some species may expand their ranges and colonize new regions, which may greatly affect ...ecological interactions among pre-existing species and colonizers. In the last decades, such processes have originated a unique condition of sympatry among three Eurasian small Falco species (common kestrel F. tinnunculus, lesser kestrel F. naumanni, red-footed falcon F. vespertinus) in the intensively cultivated farmland habitats of the Po Plain (Northern Italy). This provides an excellent opportunity to investigate patterns of spatial niche overlap during the initial phases of the establishment of sympatry. To investigate spatial niche overlap of the three falcon species, we relied on Environmental Niche Models (ENMs) based on widespread breeding occurrence data obtained through field surveys and citizen science programs (during the 2018-2020 period). ENMs were based on bioclimatic and land-use variables in an ensemble modelling framework. We estimated species-specific relative contributions of each climatic and land-use variable and its response curves effect. Eventually, we generated spatial correlation maps of the potential species' distributions to derive spatially-explicit predictions of potential co-occurrence areas among the three species. Overall, eco-climatic determinants of the distribution of lesser kestrel and red-footed falcon were similar, resulting in a strong association with intensive arable lands and dry continental climate. Consistently, we found a high spatial correlation between the suitability maps of the two species, with highly suitable areas located in the Central-Eastern area of the Po Plain, corresponding to the core range of both species. Conversely, the common kestrel emerged as a habitat generalist and was widely distributed throughout the Po Plain. Our findings suggest that the recent sympatry between lesser kestrels and red-footed falcons in the Po Plain may promote ecological interactions and intra-guild competition.
We present a new solar radio imaging system implemented through the upgrade of the large single-dish telescopes of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), not originally conceived for ...solar observations.
During the development and early science phase of the project (2018 – 2020), we obtained about 170 maps of the entire solar disk in the 18 – 26 GHz band, filling the observational gap in the field of solar imaging at these frequencies. These solar images have typical resolutions in the 0.7 – 2 arcmin range and a brightness temperature sensitivity <10 K. Accurate calibration adopting the Supernova Remnant Cas A as a flux reference provided typical errors <3% for the estimation of the quiet-Sun level components and active regions flux measurements.
As the first early scientific result of the project, we present a catalog of radio continuum solar imaging observations with Medicina 32-m and SRT 64-m radio telescopes, including the multi-wavelength identification of active regions, their brightness and spectral characterization. The interpretation of the observed emission as thermal bremsstrahlung components combined with gyro-magnetic variable emission paves the way for the use of our system for long-term monitoring of the Sun. We also discuss useful outcomes both for solar physics (e.g., study of the chromospheric network dynamics) and space weather applications (e.g., flare precursors studies).
In the family of the High-Luminosity LHC high order correctors, the skew quadrupole was the most critical magnet as three assemblies with different solutions were needed to meet the design ...specifications. This paper summarizes the prototyping phase of the magnet, discussing the observed nonconformities, the subsequent root cause analyses, and the adopted solutions. A first-hand experience showed us the importance of adopting rigorous quality assurance methods for the electrical insulation, aimed at the early defect detection, and implementing a consistent measurement-to-simulations chain for the optimization of the coils mechanical support. The improvements discussed in the paper are integrated into the final magnet design for the series production of six skew quadrupole correctors.
Aims. The aim of this work is to study the contribution of the Lyα emitters to the star formation rate density (SFRD) of the Universe in the interval 2 < z < 6.6. Methods. We assembled a sample of ...217 Lyα emitters (LAE) from the Vimos-VLT Deep Survey (VVDS) with secure spectroscopic redshifts in the redshift range 2 < z < 6.62 and fluxes down to F ~ 1.5 × 10-18 erg/s/cm2. Of those Lyα emitters, 133 are serendipitous identifications in the 22 arcmin2 total slit area surveyed with the VVDS-Deep and the 3.3 arcmin2 from the VVDS Ultra-Deep survey, and 84 are targeted identifications in the 0.62 deg2 surveyed with the VVDS-DEEP and 0.16 deg2 from the Ultra-Deep survey. Among the serendipitous targets we estimate that 90% of the emission lines are most probably Lyα, while the remaining 10% could be either OII3727 or Lyα. We computed the luminosity function (LF) and derived the star-formation rate density using this sample of LAE. Results. The VVDS-LAE sample reaches faint line fluxes F(Lyα) = 1.5 × 10-18 erg/s/cm2 (corresponding to L(Lyα) ~ 1041 erg/s at z ~ 3), allows the faint-end slope of the luminosity function to be constrained to α ~ −1.6 ± 0.12 at redshift z ~ 2.5 and to \hbox{$\alpha\sim-1.78^{0.10}_{-0.12}$}α~−1.78-0.120.10 at redshift ~4, placing trends found in previous LAE studies on firm statistical grounds, and indicating that sub-L ∗ LAE (LLy − α ≲ 1042.5 erg/s) contribute significantly to the SFRD. The projected number density and volume density of faint LAE in 2 ≤ z ≤ 6.6 with F > 1.5 × 10-18 erg/s/cm2 are 33 galaxies/arcmin2 and ~4 × 10-2 Mpc-3, respectively. We find that the observed luminosity function (LF) of LAEs does not evolve from z = 2 to z = 6. This implies that, after correction for the redshift-dependent IGM absorption, the intrinsic luminosity function must have evolved significantly over 3 Gyr. The SFRD from LAE contributes around 20% of the SFRD at z = 2−3, while the LAE appear to be the dominant source of star formation producing ionizing photons in the early universe z ~ > 5−6, equivalent to Lyman Break galaxies.
Background
Angioedema due to hereditary deficiency of C1 inhibitor causes temporarily disability. Guidelines recommend early on‐demand treatment of attacks to reduce morbidity. In this prospective ...observational study, we evaluated the efficacy of on‐demand approach.
Methods
From January 2009 to August 2014, data on attacks and treatments were collected from 227 patients from our centre in Milan.
Results
A total of 4244 attacks were reported; 50% were treated with approved therapies (pdC1‐INH or icatibant), 15% were with tranexamic acid, and 35% were not treated. Attack locations were peripheral cutaneous (46%), abdominal (34%), multiple (12%), facial (5%) and laryngeal (3%). Attack severities were moderate (48%), mild (28%) and severe (24%). Median attack duration (data available for 2393 attacks) with approved therapies was 10 h, significantly shorter than without treatment (45 h) or with tranexamic acid (38 h). Most of the treatments were self‐administered: 93% with icatibant and 59% with pd‐C1‐INH. Median attack duration with icatibant was 8 and 11.5 h with pd‐C1 INH. Median time from onset of symptoms to drug administration was 1 h with icatibant and 2 h with pd‐C1INH and median time from drug administration to complete resolution was 5.5 and 8 h, respectively. Second treatment was required in 12.7% of icatibant‐treated attacks and in 1.9% of pdC1‐INH‐treated attacks.
Conclusion
This study provides evidence that on‐demand treatment is effective in reducing disease‐related morbidity. The use of on‐demand treatment in Italy has increased up to 50% of attacks in the last years, reflecting a better adherence to international guidelines.
We present a detailed analysis of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function (GSMF) of galaxies up to z =2.5 as obtained from the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey (VVDS). Our survey offers the possibility to investigate ...the GSMF using two different samples: (1) an optical ( I-selected 17.5 <I_{\rm AB}<24) main spectroscopic sample of about 6500 galaxies over 1750 arcmin super(2) and (2) a near-IR ( K-selected K_{\rm AB}<22.34 similar to {\rm and} similar to K_{\rm AB}<22.84) sample of about 10 200 galaxies, with photometric redshifts accurately calibrated on the VVDS spectroscopic sample, over 610 arcmin super(2). We apply and compare two different methods to estimate the stellar mass {\cal M}_{\rm stars} from broad-band photometry based on different assumptions about the galaxy star-formation history. We find that the accuracy of the photometric stellar mass is satisfactory overall, and show that the addition of secondary bursts to a continuous star formation history produces systematically higher (up to 40%) stellar masses. We derive the cosmic evolution of the GSMF, the galaxy number density and the stellar mass density in different mass ranges. At low redshift ( z\simeq0.2) we find a substantial population of low-mass galaxies (<10 { similar to M_\odot) composed of faint blue galaxies ( M_I-M_K \simeq 0.3). In general the stellar mass function evolves slowly up to z\sim0.9 and more rapidly above this redshift, in particular for low mass systems. Conversely, a massive population is present up to z =2.5 and has extremely red colours ( M_I-M_K\simeq 0.7-0.8). We find a decline with redshift of the overall number density of galaxies for all masses (59\pm5% for 10 proportional to similar to M_\odot$--> {\cal M}_{\rm stars} > 10 proportional to similar to M_\odot at z =1), and a mild mass-dependent average evolution ("mass-downsizing"). In particular our data are consistent with mild/negligible (<30%) evolution up to z\sim0.7 for massive galaxies ( }6\times10 6M_\odot$--> {>}6\times10 6M_\odot). For less massive systems the no-evolution scenario is excluded. Specifically, a large fraction ({\ge}50\%) of massive galaxies have been assembled and converted most of their gas into stars at z\sim1, ruling out "dry mergers" as the major mechanism of their assembly history below z\simeq1. This fraction decreases to {\sim}33\% at z\sim2. Low-mass systems have decreased continuously in number density (by a factor of up to 4.1\pm0.9) from the present age to z =2, consistent with a prolonged mass assembly also at z <1. The evolution of the stellar mass density is relatively slow with redshift, with a decrease of a factor of 2.3\pm0.1 at z =1 and about 4.5\pm0.3 at z =2.5.
The VIMOS VLT Deep Survey (VVDS), designed to measure 150,000 galaxy redshifts, requires a dedicated data reduction and analysis pipeline to process in a timely fashion the large amount of ...spectroscopic data being produced. This requirement has lead to the development of the VIMOS Interactive Pipeline and Graphical Interface (VIPGI), a new software package designed to simplify to a very high degree the task of reducing astronomical data obtained with VIMOS (Visible Multi–Object Spectrograph), the imaging spectrograph built by the VIRMOS Consortium for the European Southern Observatory and mounted on Unit 3 (Melipal) of the VLT (Very Large Telescope) at Paranal Observatory (Chile). VIPGI provides the astronomer with specially designed VIMOS data‐reduction functions, a VIMOS‐centric data organizer, and dedicated data browsing and plotting tools, which can be used to verify the quality and accuracy of the various stages of the data‐reduction process. The quality and accuracy of the data‐reduction pipeline are comparable to those obtained using well‐known IRAF tasks, but the speed of the data‐reduction process is significantly increased, because of the dedicated nature of VIPGI. In this paper we discuss the details of the multiobject spectroscopy (MOS) data‐reduction pipeline that has been implemented in VIPGI, as applied to the reduction of some 20,000 VVDS spectra, quantitatively assessing the accuracy of the various reduction steps. We also provide a more general overview of VIPGI capabilities, a tool that can be used for the reduction of any kind of VIMOS data.
We used the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS) final data release (PDR-2) to investigate the performance of colour-selected populations of galaxies as tracers of linear large-scale ...motions. We empirically selected volume-limited samples of blue and red galaxies as to minimise the systematic error on the estimate of the growth rate of structure fσ8 from the anisotropy of the two-point correlation function. To this end, rather than rigidly splitting the sample into two colour classes we defined the red or blue fractional contribution of each object through a weight based on the (U − V) colour distribution. Using mock surveys that are designed to reproduce the observed properties of VIPERS galaxies, we find the systematic error in recovering the fiducial value of fσ8 to be minimised when using a volume-limited sample of luminous blue galaxies. We modelled non-linear corrections via the Scoccimarro extension of the Kaiser model (with updated fitting formulae for the velocity power spectra), finding systematic errors on fσ8 of below 1–2%, using scales as small as 5 h−1 Mpc. We interpret this result as indicating that selection of luminous blue galaxies maximises the fraction that are central objects in their dark matter haloes; this in turn minimises the contribution to the measured ξ(rp,π) from the 1-halo term, which is dominated by non-linear motions. The gain is inferior if one uses the full magnitude-limited sample of blue objects, consistent with the presence of a significant fraction of blue, fainter satellites dominated by non-streaming, orbital velocities. We measured a value of f σ8 = 0.45 ± 0.11 over the single redshift range 0.6 ≤ z ≤ 1.0, corresponding to an effective redshift for the blue galaxies 〈z〉=0.85. Including in the likelihood the potential extra information contained in the blue-red galaxy cross-correlation function does not lead to an appreciable improvement in the error bars, while it increases the systematic error.
We present the full public data release (PDR-2) of the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS), performed at the ESO VLT. We release redshifts, spectra, CFHTLS magnitudes and ancillary ...information (as masks and weights) for a complete sample of 86 775 galaxies (plus 4732 other objects, including stars and serendipitous galaxies); we also include their full photometrically-selected parent catalogue. The sample is magnitude limited to iAB ≤ 22.5, with an additional colour-colour pre-selection devised as to exclude galaxies at z < 0.5. This practically doubles the effective sampling of the VIMOS spectrograph over the range 0.5 < z < 1.2 (reaching 47% on average), yielding a final median local galaxy density close to 5 × 10-3h3 Mpc-3. The total area spanned by the final data set is ≃ 23.5 deg2, corresponding to 288 VIMOS fields with marginal overlaps, split over two regions within the CFHTLS-Wide W1 and W4 equatorial fields (at RA ≃ 2 and ≃ 22 h, respectively). Spectra were observed at a resolution R = 220, covering a wavelength range 5500−9500 Å. Data reduction and redshift measurements were performed through a fully automated pipeline; all redshift determinations were then visually validated and assigned a quality flag. Measurements with a quality flag ≥ 2 are shown to have a confidence level of 96% or larger and make up 88% of all measured galaxy redshifts (76 552 out of 86 775), constituting the VIPERS prime catalogue for statistical investigations. For this sample the rms redshift error, estimated using repeated measurements of about 3000 galaxies, is found to be σz = 0.00054(1 + z). All data are available at http://vipers.inaf.it and on the ESO Archive.
PDF
