The European FP7 project DIANA has performed a coherent analysis of a large set of observational data of protoplanetary disks by means of thermo-chemical disk models. The collected data include ...extinction-corrected stellar UV and X-ray input spectra (as seen by the disk), photometric fluxes, low and high resolution spectra, interferometric data, emission line fluxes, line velocity profiles and line maps, which probe the dust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the gas in these objects. We define and apply a standardized modeling procedure to fit these data by state-of-the-art modeling codes (ProDiMo, MCFOST, MCMax), solving continuum and line radiative transfer (RT), disk chemistry, and the heating and cooling balance for both the gas and the dust. 3D diagnostic RT tools (e.g., FLiTs) are eventually used to predict all available observations from the same disk model, the DIANA-standard model. Our aim is to determine the physical parameters of the disks, such as total gas and dust masses, the dust properties, the disk shape, and the chemical structure in these disks. We allow for up to two radial disk zones to obtain our best-fitting models that have about 20 free parameters. This approach is novel and unique in its completeness and level of consistency. It allows us to break some of the degeneracies arising from pure Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) modeling. In this paper, we present the results from pure SED fitting for 27 objects and from the all inclusive DIANA-standard models for 14 objects. Our analysis shows a number of Herbig Ae and T Tauri stars with very cold and massive outer disks which are situated at least partly in the shadow of a tall and gas-rich inner disk. The disk masses derived are often in excess to previously published values, since these disks are partially optically thick even at millimeter wavelength and so cold that they emit less than in the Rayleigh–Jeans limit. We fit most infrared to millimeter emission line fluxes within a factor better than 3, simultaneously with SED, PAH features and radial brightness profiles extracted from images at various wavelengths. However, some line fluxes may deviate by a larger factor, and sometimes we find puzzling data which the models cannot reproduce. Some of these issues are probably caused by foreground cloud absorption or object variability. Our data collection, the fitted physical disk parameters as well as the full model output are available to the community through an online database (http://www.univie.ac.at/diana).
The European FP7 project DIANA has performed a coherent analysis of a large set of observational data of protoplanetary disks by means of thermo-chemical disk models. The collected data include ...extinction-corrected stellar UV and X-ray input spectra (as seen by the disk), photometric fluxes, low and high resolution spectra, interferometric data, emission line fluxes, line velocity profiles and line maps, which probe the dust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the gas in these objects. We define and apply a standardized modeling procedure to fit these data by state-of-the-art modeling codes (ProDiMo, MCFOST, MCMax), solving continuum and line radiative transfer (RT), disk chemistry, and the heating and cooling balance for both the gas and the dust. 3D diagnostic RT tools (e.g., FLiTs) are eventually used to predict all available observations from the same disk model, the DIANA-standard model. Our aim is to determine the physical parameters of the disks, such as total gas and dust masses, the dust properties, the disk shape, and the chemical structure in these disks. We allow for up to two radial disk zones to obtain our best-fitting models that have about 20 free parameters. This approach is novel and unique in its completeness and level of consistency. It allows us to break some of the degeneracies arising from pure Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) modeling. In this paper, we present the results from pure SED fitting for 27 objects and from the all inclusive DIANA-standard models for 14 objects. Our analysis shows a number of Herbig Ae and T Tauri stars with very cold and massive outer disks which are situated at least partly in the shadow of a tall and gas-rich inner disk. The disk masses derived are often in excess to previously published values, since these disks are partially optically thick even at millimeter wavelength and so cold that they emit less than in the Rayleigh-Jeans limit. We fit most infrared to millimeter emission line fluxes within a factor better than 3, simultaneously with SED, PAH features and radial brightness profiles extracted from images at various wavelengths. However, some line fluxes may deviate by a larger factor, and sometimes we find puzzling data which the models cannot reproduce. Some of these issues are probably caused by foreground cloud absorption or object variability. Our data collection, the fitted physical disk parameters as well as the full model output are available to the community through an online database (http://www.univie.ac.at/diana).
In June 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a pandemic alert concerning the spread of an influenza A (H1N1) virus that showed distinctive genetic characteristics vis-à-vis both seasonal ...influenza strains and vaccine strains. The main mutation occurred in the gene coding for hemagglutinin (HA). Mathematical models were developed to calculate the transmissibility of the virus; the results indicated a significant overlap with the transmissibility of previous pandemic strains and seasonal strains. The remarkable feature of A/(H1N1)pdm09, compared with seasonal strains, is its high fatality rate and its higher incidence among younger people. Data provided by the WHO on the number of deaths caused by A/(H1N1)pdm09 only include laboratory-confirmed cases. Some authors suggest that these data could underestimate the magnitude of the event, as laboratory confirmation is not obtained in all cases. It is important to bear in mind that the A/(H1N1)pdm09 virus is still circulating in the population. It is therefore essential to maintain its epidemiological and virological surveillance.
Abstract The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses challenges to global surveillance efforts, necessitating swift actions in their detection, evaluation, and management. Among the most recent ...variants, Omicron BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages have gained attention due to their potential immune evasion properties. This study describes the development of a digital PCR assay for the rapid detection of BA.2.86 and its descendant lineages, in wastewater samples. By using this assay, we analyzed wastewater samples collected in Italy from September 2023 to January 2024. Our analysis revealed the presence of BA.2.86 lineages already in October 2023 with a minimal detection rate of 2% which then rapidly increased, becoming dominant by January 2024, accounting for a prevalence of 62%. The findings emphasize the significance of wastewater-based surveillance in tracking emerging variants and underscore the efficacy of targeted digital PCR assays for environmental monitoring.
Context. Quantifying the gas surface density inside the dust cavities and gaps of transition disks is important to establish their origin. Aims. We seek to constrain the surface density of warm gas ...in the inner disk of HD 139614, an accreting 9 Myr Herbig Ae star with a (pre-)transition disk exhibiting a dust gap from 2.3 ± 0.1 to 5.3 ± 0.3 AU. Methods. We observed HD 139614 with ESO/VLT CRIRES and obtained high-resolution (R ~ 90 000) spectra of CO ro-vibrational emission at 4.7 μm. We derived constraints on the disk’s structure by modeling the CO isotopolog line-profiles, the spectroastrometric signal, and the rotational diagrams using grids of flat Keplerian disk models. Results. We detected υ = 1 → 0 12CO, 2→1 12CO, 1→0 13CO, 1→0 C18O, and 1→0 C17O ro-vibrational lines. Lines are consistent with disk emission and thermal excitation. 12CO υ = 1 → 0 lines have an average width of 14 km s-1, Tgas of 450 K and an emitting region from 1 to 15 AU. 13CO and C18O lines are on average 70 and 100 K colder, 1 and 4 km s-1 narrower than 12CO υ = 1 → 0, and are dominated by emission at R ≥ 6 AU. The 12CO υ = 1 → 0 composite line-profile indicates that if there is a gap devoid of gas it must have a width narrower than 2 AU. We find that a drop in the gas surface density (δgas) at R < 5–6 AU is required to be able to simultaneously reproduce the line-profiles and rotational diagrams of the three CO isotopologs. Models without a gas density drop generate 13CO and C18O emission lines that are too broad and warm. The value of δgas can range from 10-2 to 10-4 depending on the gas-to-dust ratio of the outer disk. We find that the gas surface density profile at 1 < R < 6 AU is flat or increases with radius. We derive a gas column density at 1 < R < 6 AU of NH = 3 × 1019−1021 cm-2 (7 × 10-5−2.4 × 10-3 g cm-2) assuming NCO = 10-4NH. We find a 5σ upper limit on the CO column density NCO at R ≤ 1 AU of 5 × 1015 cm-2 (NH ≤ 5 × 1019 cm-2). Conclusions. The dust gap in the disk of HD 139614 has molecular gas. The distribution and amount of gas at R ≤ 6 AU in HD 139614 is very different from that of a primordial disk. The gas surface density in the disk at R ≤ 1 AU and at 1 < R < 6 AU is significantly lower than the surface density that would be expected from the accretion rate of HD 139614 (10-8 M⊙ yr-1) assuming a standard viscous α-disk model. The gas density drop, the non-negative density gradient in the gas inside 6 AU, and the absence of a wide (>2 AU) gas gap, suggest the presence of an embedded <2 MJ planet at around 4 AU.
Pneumonia remains a common reason for hospitalizing infants and the elderly worldwide, and streptococcal infection is often responsible. The aim of this study was to assess the burden of pneumonia in ...a large general population.
All pneumonia-related hospitalizations from 2004 to 2013 in north-east Italy were identified from the hospital records with a first-listed diagnosis on discharge of bacterial pneumonia, or a first-listed diagnosis on discharge of meningitis, septicemia or empyema associated with a secondary diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia. We identified major comorbidities, calculated agespecific case-fatality rates (CFR), and estimated the related cost to the health care system.
Of the 125,722 hospitalizations identified, 96.9% were cases of pneumonia, 2.4% of septicemia, 0.4% of meningitis, and 0.3% of empyema; 75.3% of hospitalizations involved ≥ 65-yearolds. The overall CFR was 12.4%, and it increased with age, peaking in people over 80 (19.6%). The mean annual pneumonia-associated hospitalization rate was 204.6 per 100,000 population, and it peaked in 0- to 4-year-old children (325.6 per 100,000 in males, 288.9 per 100,000 in females), and adults over 65 (844.9 per 100,000 in males, 605.7 per 100,000 in females). Hospitalization rates dropped over the years for the 0-4 year-olds, and rose for people over 80. The estimated overall annual cost of these pneumonia-related hospitalizations was approximately € 41 million.
This study shows that the burden on resources for pneumonia-related hospitalization is an important public health issue. Prevention remains the most valuable tool for containing pneumonia, and vaccination strategies can help in the primary prevention of infection, possibly reducing the number of cases in all age groups.
The elderly are involved in an ever-increasing proportion of Emergency Department (ED) visits, consuming a large share of the available resources. The aim of this study was to assess elderly ...individuals' demand for ED hospital care, in terms of the management process and outcomes by level of urgency at triage.
The design was a retrospective cohort study. Details on ED attendance were drawn from the 2010 dataset of the Local Health Agency n°18 (n=18,648) in the Veneto Region, North-East Italy and the participants were resident seniors seen at the ED aged 65 or more.
At triage on arrival, their priority was most often (in 38.63% of cases) considered non-urgent (white triage tag - Wt). In the majority of these cases, the elderly patients were self-referred, although about 1 in 5 of them had been referred by their General Practitioners. The consumption of resources for specialist visit and routine X-rays is higher for non-urgent patients. Injuries, requests for specialist examinations and musculoskeletal disorders account for a large proportion of the reasons why elderly people classified as Wt at triage had gone to the ED.
Our findings show that older patients have high rates of non-urgent ED attendance, especially for minor traumatic events or requests to see a specialist. This picture emphasizes the need to develop new organizational models for delivering care to meet the most common health care needs of this special frail population.
We propose a set of standard assumptions for the modelling of Class II and III protoplanetary disks, which includes detailed continuum radiative transfer, thermo-chemical modelling of gas and ice, ...and line radiative transfer from optical to cm wavelengths. The first paper of this series focuses on the assumptions about the shape of the disk, the dust opacities, dust settling, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In particular, we propose new standard dust opacities for disk models, we present a simplified treatment of PAHs in radiative equilibrium which is sufficient to reproduce the PAH emission features, and we suggest using a simple yet physically justified treatment of dust settling. We roughly adjust parameters to obtain a model that predicts continuum and line observations that resemble typical multi-wavelength continuum and line observations of Class II T Tauri stars. We systematically study the impact of each model parameter (disk mass, disk extension and shape, dust settling, dust size and opacity, gas/dust ratio, etc.) on all mainstream continuum and line observables, in particular on the SED, mm-slope, continuum visibilities, and emission lines including OI 63 μm, high-J CO lines, (sub-)mm CO isotopologue lines, and CO fundamental ro-vibrational lines. We find that evolved dust properties, i.e. large grains, often needed to fit the SED, have important consequences for disk chemistry and heating/cooling balance, leading to stronger near- to far-IR emission lines in general. Strong dust settling and missing disk flaring have similar effects on continuum observations, but opposite effects on far-IR gas emission lines. PAH molecules can efficiently shield the gas from stellar UV radiation because of their strong absorption and negligible scattering opacities in comparison to evolved dust. The observable millimetre-slope of the SED can become significantly more gentle in the case of cold disk midplanes, which we find regularly in our T Tauri models. We propose to use line observations of robust chemical tracers of the gas, such as O, CO, and H2, as additional constraints to determine a number of key properties of the disks, such as disk shape and mass, opacities, and the dust/gas ratio, by simultaneously fitting continuum and line observations.
The ability of influenza vaccination to provide cross-protection against heterovariant influenza strains was evaluated in a double-blind, randomized, trial in north-east Italy during the winter of ...2005-2006. Of 238 adult subjects with underlying chronic diseases, 120 received MF59-adjuvanted subunit vaccine (Sub/MF59) and 118 received a conventional subunit vaccine (Subunit). Immunogenicity was measured for A/H3N2 and B influenza strains against both the homologous vaccine strains (A/New York/55/2004 and B/Jiangsu/10/2003), and the heterovariant strains recommended for the 2006-2007 season (A/Wisconsin/67/2005 and B/Malaysia/2506/2004). Although both vaccines conferred serological protection against the homologous vaccine strains and the 2006-2007 heterovariant A/H3N2 strain for a majority of subjects, the antibody response was highest in the Sub/MF59 vaccine group. For example, MF59-adjuvanted vaccination conferred significantly greater (P = 0.002) protection against the heterovariant A/H3N2 strain than the conventional subunit vaccine (79.2% vs. 61.0% of subjects, respectively). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that protection provided by influenza vaccination in adults affected by chronic diseases is lower against heterovariant strains than for homologous strains. However, addition of MF59 adjuvant to a subunit vaccine enhances immunogenicity against the A/H3N2 heterovariant strain, conferring broader protection than a conventional subunit vaccine in this population, who are at higher risk of influenza-related complications.
The Ne II line 12.81 mu m was proposed to be a good tracer of gas in the environments of proto-planetary disks; its origin is explained by different mechanisms: jets in outflows, photo-evaporative ...disk winds driven by stellar X-rays/EUV or by the X-ray irradiated proto-planetary disk atmosphere. The authors obtained high-resolution ground-based observations with VISIR-VLT for 15 stars and UVES-VLT for three of them. The stars were chosen for having bright neon emission lines detected with Spitzer/IRS. The velocity shifts and profiles are used to disentangle the different emitting mechanisms producing the Ne II line. A comparison between results from this study and previous high-resolution studies is also presented. The Ne II line was detected in seven stars, among them the first confirmed detection of Ne II in a Herbig Be star, V892 Tau. In four cases, the large blueshifted lines indicate an origin in a jet. In two stars, the small shifts and asymmetric profiles indicate an origin in a photo-evaporative wind.
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