Search

The project PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) is one of the three medium class (M class) missions selected in 2010 for definition study in the framework of the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program. The main scientific goals of PLATO are the i) discovery and study of extra-solar planetary systems, (including those hosting Earth-like planets in their habitable zone) by means of planetary transits detection from space and radial velocity follow-up from ground, and ii) the characterization of the hosting stars through seismic analysis, in order to determine with high accuracy planetary masses and ages. According to the study made by the PLATO Payload Consortium (PPLC) during the PLATO assessment phase, the scientific payload consists of 34 all refractive telescopes having small aperture (120 mm) and wide field of view (greater than 1000 degree2) observing over 0.5-1 micron wavelength band. The telescopes are mounted on a common optical bench and are divided in four families with an overlapping line-of-sight in order to maximize the science return. In this paper, we will describe the detailed design of the Telescope Optical Units (TOUs) focusing on the selected optical configuration and the expected performances.

To identify the major determinants of survival and nonsurvival for patients in need of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support after cardiac surgery and to define the role of ventilator-associated pneumonia.Retrospective study.University and general hospital.A total of 105 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring IABP support and prolonged mechanical ventilation for24 hours.All patients were assigned into 1 of 2 groups: survival (n = 69) and nonsurvival (n = 36).Differences between the survival and nonsurvival groups were tested with the Student's t-test, chi-square test, and frequency analysis. The overall survival rate was 65.7%. Nonsurvivors (34.3%) had higher rates of acute myocardial infarction (27.7% v 4.3%; p0.002), Canadian Cardiovascular Society functional class III and IV (44.4% and 13.8%; p0.001), and depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (31.3 +/- 6.4% v 42.4 +/- 7.2%; p0.001). The nonsurvival group had longer duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (165 +/- 74.3 minutes v 135 +/- 36 minutes; p0.006) and aortic occlusion (81.8 +/- 9 minutes v 68.6 +/- 25.7 minutes; p0.004). In the nonsurvival group, 21 patients were not weaned from the IABP, and 15 patients were weaned from the IABP but died from renal failure (26.6%), multiorgan failure (13.3%), infection, and respiratory failure (66.6%). In the nonsurvival group, mechanical ventilation time was longer in patients weaned from the IABP.These data suggest that for patients not weaned from the IABP, the major determinants of death are low cardiac output (33.3%) and multiorgan failure (47.6%). Patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of30% have a poorer outcome. In patients weaned from the IABP, ventilator-associated pneumonia (66.6%) was the major cause of death.

Objective: To evaluate morbidity and long-term survival in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods: We identified 22 such patients who underwent bypass grafting between 1987 and 1997. Symptomatic status of angina was rated using the classification of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) and the functional status, was assessed using the Karnofsky scoring system. The patients were hemodialyzed the day before surgery and 24‐48 h after surgery. Results: Two patients operated on for acute myocardial infarction died after 4 days. Follow-up was completed in the remaining 20 patients (the mean follow-up time was 25 ∠ 15 months). The survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years was 84.5%, 74% and 59%, respectively. The symptoms diminished and the functional status was significantly improved. Conclusion: We conclude that elective coronary artery bypass in dialysis patients can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. We advocate early surgical treatment. However, long-term survival is limited and this requires further investigation. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Partial left ventriculectomy (PLV) was recently introduced for end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy to improve ventricular function. Since November 1996 we have performed PLV in 14 patients; preoperatively 4 patients had idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and 10 had ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. 57.1% of patients were in New York Heart Association functional Class IV. The mitral valve was replaced in 11 patients. Postoperative echocardiography showed a reduction of left end-diastolic diameter (55.4 +/- 5.4 mm) and an increase in forward ejection (cardiac index from 2.19 +/- 0.571 min/m2 to 2.67 +/- 0.931/min/m2). The 30-day mortality was 28.6% and 20-month survival was 57.2%. Only one patient was not in NYHA functional class due to postoperative progressive mitral incompetence. Prognostic factors should be identified to avoid early failure. However, even if the mortality rate for PLV high, this operation is a valid choice for the treatment of end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy.

Son Of X-Shooter (SOXS) will be a new instrument designed to be mounted at the Nasmyth–A focus of the ESO 3.5 m New Technology Telescope in La Silla site (Chile). SOXS is composed of two high-efficiency spectrographs with a resolution slit product 4500, working in the visible (350 - 850 nm) and NIR (800 - 2000 nm) range respectively, and a light imager in the visible (the acquisition camera usable also for scientific purposes). The science case is very broad, it ranges from moving minor bodies in the solar system, to bursting young stellar objects, cataclysmic variables and X-ray binary transients in our Galaxy, supernovae and tidal disruption events in the local Universe, up to gamma-ray bursts in the very distant and young Universe, basically encompassing all distance scales and astronomy branches. At the moment, the instrument passed the Preliminary Design Review by ESO (July 2017) and the Final Design (with FDR in July 2018).