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The updated Empirical Ocean Tide model (EOT19p) currently available on limited regions is presented in this paper. Its implementation is focused on improving the accuracy of tidal estimation at the coast. EOT19p is derived using circa 27 years of coast-dedicated altimetric data and the FES2014 tide model, and it is based on a multi-mission, weighted least-squares approach. In this work the performance of EOT19p is assessed with respect to state-of-the-art tide models against in situ observations. The study is performed on two critical regions: the North Sea and the Malay Archipelago. Comparisons for eight major tidal constituents show that EOT19p improves coastal results with respect to its former version, EOT11a, of 35.39 % in the North Sea and 20.07 % in the Malay Archipelago, with large error reduction in the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The median absolute differences (MAD) against in situ data show that EOT19p is in line with the latest models, with lowest error occurring for single tidal constituents, such as M2 (with a MAD of 1.63 cm in the Malay Archipelago). Finally, the tidal height differences of three models (EOT19p, FES2014, and DTU16) compared with those obtained of their former versions (EOT11a, FES2012, and DTU10), show an increased agreement at coastal areas with the latest versions, and the regional average difference for M2 constituent drops from 3.75 cm to 0.70 cm in the North Sea, and from 3.02 to 1.44 cm in the Malay Archipelago.

The Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) onboard the NASA Juno mission monitored the evolution of Jupiter’s polar cyclones since their first observation ever in February 2017. Data acquired by JIRAM have revealed cloudy cyclones organized in a complex, yet stable geometrical pattern at both poles. Several studies have investigated the dynamics and the structure of these cyclones, to understand the physical mechanisms behind their formation and evolution. In this work, we present vorticity maps deduced from the wind fields for the region poleward of ∼−80°, which has been extensively covered over the last four years of observations. The cyclonic features related to the stable polar cyclones are embedded in a slightly, but diffused anticyclonic circulation, in which short-living anticyclones emerge with respect to the surroundings. Although the general stability of both the cyclones and the whole system is strongly confirmed by this work, variations in the shape of the vortices, as well as changes in the local structures, have been observed.

The regular polygons of circumpolar cyclones, discovered by Juno in 2017, are one of the most puzzling features of Jupiter. Here we show new recent global pictures of the North polar cyclones' structure. These are the first simultaneous images of the whole structure since 2017, and we find that it remained almost unperturbed, just like the South one. The observation of these long-lasting structures poses questions regarding the formation mechanism of cyclones, and on their vertical structure. Data by Juno/JIRAM infrared camera collected over the last 5 years show that cyclones migrate around what may seem like equilibrium positions, with timescales of a few months but, aside from that, the cyclones systems are very stable. Our analysis of the observations shows that the motion of cyclones around their equilibrium position is uncorrelated with their position if a barotropic approximation (β-drift) is assumed. Thus, a different dynamical explanation than the barotropic β-drift is needed to explain the stability of the observed features. Each cyclone has a peculiar morphology, which differs from the others and is stable over the observed lapse of time in most cases.

In the context of space missions, where science is the most important goal, careful planning and detailed commanding are fundamental. The planning and commanding phases are activities whose complexity depends on the instrument characteristics, environmental constraints and scientific goals. The purpose of this work is to describe in detail these activities for the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) on board the Juno spacecraft, a NASA mission to Jupiter. To maximize the scientific return, we fully employ the flexibility offered by the JIRAM operational modes to efficiently plan observations of various Jovian targets, in spite of the harsh Jovian radiation environment and the spinning state of the Juno spacecraft. Moreover, the JIRAM observations are limited by the challenging pointing and timing scheme of the mission, which impose constraints on both the observation planning and instrumental commanding.

NASA's Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter since August 2016, providing unprecedented insights into the giant planet's atmosphere. The Jupiter Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) experiment on board Juno has made spectroscopic observations of the trihydrogen cation (H3+) emissions in both northern and southern auroral regions (Dinelli et al., 2017; Adriani et al., 2017; Mura et al., 2017) and at mid-to-low latitudes (this paper). Observations targeting the limb of the planet from 60° North to 60° South latitudes were acquired with JIRAM's spectrometer in August 2016 and March 2017. We use these observations to characterize, for the first time, the vertical distribution of the H3+ emissions as a function of latitude across Jupiter's dayside. H3+ emission features in the 3-4 μm spectral band were used to retrieve the H3+ volume mixing ratio (VMR) and atmospheric temperatures as a function of altitude. The H3+ density profile has a quasi-symmetric distribution with latitude, decreasing from 5 × 104 cm-3 at 300 km to 2 × 103 cm-3 at 650 km altitude above the 1-bar level (column densities of 3.5 × 1012 cm-2 to 1.4 × 1011 cm-2, assuming a 700 km column depth). The H3+ VMR is higher in the Southern hemisphere than in the North with values at 500 km of 4 × 10-4 ppmv at 40°N and 8 × 10-4 ppmv at 40°S. Retrieved temperatures increase almost monotonically with increasing altitude, hovering around 400 K at 300 km and >900 K at about 700 km.

Background Vaginal digital examination is considered the gold standard to evaluate patients during labor and delivery. However, transperineal ultrasound has been suggested as an effective tool in determining fetal head station during labor. Angle of progression (AOP), head-perineal distance (HPD) and head-symphysis distance (HSD) are reliable parameters to assess fetal head station during labor. The study aims were to evaluate how midwives can use AOP, HSD, HPD to assess the accuracy of digital vaginal exploration limited to the fetal head station. Methods Trained midwives for ultrasound analyses performed transperineal ultrasounds during the first stage of labor with 2D-convex probe in 62 pregnant women at term with a single fetus in cephalic presentation. Immediately before the intrapartum ultrasound, the birth attendant performed a digital examination to assess cervical dilatation and head station. The ultrasound scans were compared to the digital vaginal examination through the Tutschek's formula. Results AOP was wider in women who delivered vaginally without any complication if compared to "complicated delivery" group. HPD and HSD were greater in women who underwent an operative vaginal delivery or caesarean section. The vaginal exploration accuracy was 34%, but when ±1 cm was considered as tolerated, the overall accuracy was 74.19%. Conclusions Midwives may include ultrasounds in their clinical practice after adequate training or under the supervision of an ultrasound professional as an adjunct tool during labor to evaluate its progress and prevent any deviation from physiology.

EOT20 is the latest in a series of empirical ocean tide (EOT) models derived using residual tidal analysis of multi-mission satellite altimetry at DGFI-TUM. The amplitudes and phases of seventeen tidal constituents are provided on a global 0.125-degree grid based on empirical analysis of eleven satellite altimetry missions. The EOT20 model shows significant improvements compared to the previous iteration of the global model (EOT11a) throughout the ocean, particularly in the coastal and shelf regions, due to the inclusion of more recent satellite altimetry data as well as more missions, the use of the updated FES2014 tidal model as a reference to estimated residual signals, the inclusion of the ALES retracker and improved coastal representation. In the validation of EOT20 using tide gauges and ocean bottom pressure data, these improvements in the model compared to EOT11a are highlighted with the root-square sum (RSS) of the eight major tidal constituents improving by ~3 cm for the entire global ocean with the major improvement in RSS (~3.5 cm) occurring in coastal regions (

INTRODUCTION Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. Its clinical manifestations are highly heterogeneous, but pelvic pain is the most frequent, causing functional disability. Cyclic or acyclic chronic pelvic pain (CPP), dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia are frequent symptoms which often compromise all aspects of the women's quality of life (QoL). The pathophysiology of endometriosis-related pain is extremely complex and not always clear. The aim of this systematic review was to focus on recent updates on the clinical presentation, the pathophysiology and the most important mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of pelvic pain in endometriosis. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A literature search in the Cochrane library, PubMed, Scopus and web of Science databases has been performed, identifying articles from January 1995 to November 2020. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Several processes seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of pain, but many aspects are still unclear. Scientific evidence has shown that a correlation between pain severity and stage of endometriosis rarely occurs, whereas there is a significant correlation between pain and the presence of deep endometriosis. Onset and intensity of pain may be due to a complex process involving central sensitization and peripheral activation of nociceptive pathways as well as dysfunction of the immune system and of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. CONCLUSIONS A deeper understanding of these different pathogenetic mechanisms may improve future treatments in women with painful endometriosis.

Background Adenomyosis has been considered for a long time a condition of advanced reproductive age. Recently, imaging techniques have allowed its diagnosis in young women. The aim of our study was to compare adenomyosis in early (18-35) and advanced (>35) reproductive age (ERA vs. ARA). Methods Between May 2019 and October 2020, 928 consecutive women underwent transvaginal ultrasounds (TV-US) in our Department. We enrolled 134 women of reproductive age (18-55) presenting at least 2 US features of adenomyosis, according to the MUSA consensus. We compared the two reproductive age groups (ERA and ARA) about both clinical and US features of adenomyosis. Results Severe dysmenorrhea was more frequent in the ERA group (78.7% vs. 54.8%), while menorrhagia was more frequent in the ARA group (64.4% vs. 37.7%). At US, the ARA group had a higher frequency of altered junctional zone (67.1% vs. 39.3%), diffuse (76.7% vs. 39.3%) and severe adenomyosis (24.7% vs. 9.8%), and adenomyoma (16.4% vs. 1.6%). Conclusions Adenomyosis may occur in young women, who present different clinical and sonographic features compared to older women. Young patients have a higher prevalence of severe dysmenorrhea and focal and mild adenomyosis at US, while older women present more frequently menorrhagia, and altered junctional zone, diffuse and severe adenomyosis at US. Early diagnosis in young women suffering from adenomyosis may help to interrupt the mechanisms that drive the development of adenomyosis, starting immediately the right treatment.

Introduction BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes mutations seems to impact female fertility, in addition to increasing the risk of ovarian and breast cancer. Several studies had investigated this issue but data available are still controversial. In order to clarify the role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in female fertility and ovarian function we carried out a systematic review of the literature with the aim to establish a possible management's strategy of these patients. Evidence acquisition A review of current literature regarding BRCA mutation (BRCAm) and fertility was conducted using the PubMed tool to select remarkable articles with the keywords "BRCA1/2 gene," "BRCA1/2 mutation," "anti-Mullerian hormone," "female fertility," "ovarian reserve" and "premature ovarian failure." Evidence synthesis In current literature there are controversial findings about the relation between BRCA genes mutations and lifespan of female reproductive age. Several studies showed an higher risk of premature ovarian insufficiency of BRCAs mutations carriers, according to lower serum AMH level, primordial follicle count, or fewer oocyte yield after ovarian stimulation; on the other hand more recent studies reported not significant differences in serum AMH level or in reproductive outcomes between mutated and non-mutated BRCA patients. For this reason, currently there is not a strict recommendation for routine evaluation of fertility in female carriers of BRCA mutations. Nevertheless, the strong advice to complete childbearing by age 40 and then to undergo a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy and the increased risk of infertility as a result of anticancer treatment in breast cancer BRCAm patients, make the issue of fertility and pregnancy planning in these women worthy of consideration. Conclusions A dedicated counseling to discuss these issues, eventually associated with a personalized assessment of serum AMH or antral follicle count in order to have a panoramic view of ovarian reserve, may be useful in the management of these patients.

Background Even if it is supposed damage of repeated ART (assisted reproductive technology) cycles on oocyte pool, there is still no evidence in literature. Aim of the study is to investigate whether infertile women who undergo to several ART cycles can show a lower ovarian reserve measured by AMH (Anti-Mullerian hormone) levels. Methods The study includes 282 infertile women, between 18 and 42 years, and allocated into two groups: 159 women previously submitted to two or more ART cycles (group A) and 123 women never submitted naive to-ART cycles (group B). We tested whether AMH, FSH, LH and E2 levels were significantly different between the two groups, stratifying according to age. Results Regardless to the age ranges bands, the AMH in group A was statistically significant lower than in group B with a statistical significance (P=0.047). In particular women aged over 35 previously submitted to one or more ART cycles showed lower AMH levels, than those paired with age, which had never been treated with ART. Conclusions Despite the limitations of the study, our data demonstrate a reduced AMH levels in women aged over 35 previously submitted to two or more repeated ART-cycles compared to patients never treated before. The strength of this study is the actuality of the topic that has not been discussed before in detail.

Introduction Sjogren syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that usually affects women more than man with a 9:1 ratio. It leads to a progressive functional impairment of exocrine glands. Tipically, its clinical presentation is characterized by xerostomia and xerophtalmia, but it can also affect, among others, female genital apparatus, causing vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. Evidence acquisition PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for articles in English indexed from January 1995 to November 2019 to assess evidence on the impact of primary Sjogren's syndrome on female sexual function. Our attention was directed specifically on the quality of sexual life of patients affected by primary SS. Evidence synthesis SS is associated with sexual dysfunction and it can significantly worsen patient's quality of life. Conclusions The genital disorders secondary to SS can strongly alter the quality of female life both physically and psychologically as they alter sexuality. However, the observation of certain behavioral norms and the use of appropriate local substances can alleviate the symptoms and effectively contribute to reducing the discomfort.

Introduction Myasthaenia gravis (MG) is the most common disease of the neuromuscular junction; clinical presentation of the disease includes a variety of symptoms, the most frequent beign the only ocular muscles involvement, to the generalized myasthenic crisis with diaphragmatic impairment and respiratory insufficiency. It is most common in women between 20 ad 40 years. Evidence acquisition We performed a comprehensive search of relevant studies from January1990 to Dicember 2019 to ensure all possible studies were captured. A systematic search of Pubmed databases was conducted. Evidence synthesis Pregnancy has an unpredictable and variable effect on the clinical course of MG; however, a stable disease before is likely not to relapse during pregnancy. exacerbations can still occur more often during the first trimester and the post partum period. The transplacental passage of antibodies results in a neonatal transient disease, whereas the major concern is related to foetal malformations such as fetal arthrogryposis and polyhydramnios. The overall neonatal outcome described in literature is variable, perinatal mortality in women with MG is generally the same as non affected patients, although in one study the risk of premature rupture of the membranes was higher. Treatment of MG in pregnangncy includes pyridostigmine and corticosteroids, although the latter have been associated with higher risk of cleft palate, premature rupture of the membranes and preterm delivery. These drugs appear also to be safe in breastfeeding. In MG patients spontaneous vaginal delivery should be encouraged, for surgery could cause acute worsening of myasthenic symptoms; also an accurate anesthesiological evaluation must be performed prior to both general and local anesthesia due to increased risk of complications. Conclusions Most of the myasthenic women could have uneventful pregnancy with good obstetrical outcomes, both for mother and neonate. However, a careful planning of pregnancy and multidisciplinary team approach, composed by neurologists, obstetricians, neonatologists and anesthesiologists, is required to manage these pregnancies.

We observed the evolution of Jupiter's polar cyclonic structures over two years between February 2017 and February 2019, using polar observations by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper, JIRAM, on the Juno mission. Images and spectra were collected by the instrument in the 5-μm wavelength range. The images were used to monitor the development of the cyclonic and anticyclonic structures at latitudes higher than 80° both in the northern and the southern hemispheres. Spectroscopic measurements were then used to monitor the abundances of the minor atmospheric constituents water vapor, ammonia, phosphine, and germane in the polar regions, where the atmospheric optical depth is less than 1. Finally, we performed a comparative analysis with oceanic cyclones on Earth in an attempt to explain the spectral characteristics of the cyclonic structures we observe in Jupiter's polar atmosphere.

Introduction Tubal patency is one of the mandatory and necessary conditions to be granted in order to guarantee a good pregnancy rate. Numerous studies have been conducted to compare the various testing techniques for tubal evaluation in order to optimize the diagnostic-therapeutic process. Aim of this review is to clarify if hysterosalpingo-foam sonography could be considered as a useful tool not only in the diagnostic procedure, but also in treatment of infertility. Evidence acquisition We performed a comprehensive search of relevant studies from January 2010 to December 2019 to ensure all possible studies were captured. A systematic search of PubMed databases was conducted. Evidence synthesis Over the years, increasingly less invasive approaches have been used to test tubal patency. For many years Laparoscopic with chromopertubation (DLS) has been considered the reference standard, then less invasive procedures have been introduced, such as hysterosalpingography (HSG). Sonohysterosalpingography (HyCoSy) represents a non-invasive procedure with accuracy comparable to HSG. Several studies have been made on different contrast agents that could be used on this procedure and recent studies considered hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) procedure as a new technique used for the study of tubal function performed on unfertile women. Nowadays, HyFoSy is largely used in the study of tubal patency, but it is not completely clear the role of this technique as treatment of imperviousness of Fallopian tubes, leading to an increase in pregnancy rate after its use. Conclusions As described in the literature for other procedures, similarly with HyFoSy, the tubal flushing improves the chance of an embryo implanting and establishing a spontaneous pregnancy. More prospective studies should be taken to better analyze the singular maternal risk fators, hoping to offer more complete indications to recommend HyFoSy.

The spatial distribution of water, ammonia, phosphine, germane, and arsine in the Jupiter's troposphere has been inferred from the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) Juno data. Measurements allow us to retrieve the vertically averaged concentration of gases between ~3 and 5 bars from infrared‐bright spectra. Results were used to create latitudinal profiles. The water vapor relative humidity varies with latitude from

Cleft lip and cleft palate (CP) are the most common facial malformations. Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) is the first-line examination in the prenatal diagnosis of CP. Three-dimensional, four-dimensional US and MRI provide a better detection of facial clefts. We present two fetuses with micrognathia and suspected secondary CP on 2D US: fetal tongue appeared in an unusual position (low tip and high dorsum position) and showed uncoordinated movements. MRI did not confirm the US suspicion, but at birth the two fetuses were affected by Pierre Robin sequence.

Full list of authors: Cremonese, G.; Capaccioni, F.; Capria, M. T.; Doressoundiram, A.; Palumbo, P.; Vincendon, M.; Massironi, M.; Debei, S.; Zusi, M.; Altieri, F.; Amoroso, M.; Aroldi, G.; Baroni, M.; Barucci, A.; Bellucci, G.; Benkhoff, J.; Besse, S.; Bettanini, C.; Blecka, M.; Borrelli, D.; Brucato, J. R.; Carli, C.; Carlier, V.; Cerroni, P.; Cicchetti, A.; Colangeli, L.; Dami, M.; Da Deppo, V.; Della Corte, V.; De Sanctis, M. C.; Erard, S.; Esposito, F.; Fantinel, D.; Ferranti, L.; Ferri, F.; Ficai Veltroni, I.; Filacchione, G.; Flamini, E.; Forlani, G.; Fornasier, S.; Forni, O.; Fulchignoni, M.; Galluzzi, V.; Gwinner, K.; Ip, W.; Jorda, L.; Langevin, Y.; Lara, L.; Leblanc, F.; Leyrat, C.; Li, Y.; Marchi, S.; Marinangeli, L.; Marzari, F.; Mazzotta Epifani, E.; Mendillo, M.; Mennella, V.; Mugnuolo, R.; Muinonen, K.; Naletto, G.; Noschese, R.; Palomba, E.; Paolinetti, R.; Perna, D.; Piccioni, G.; Politi, R.; Poulet, F.; Ragazzoni, R.; Re, C.; Rossi, M.; Rotundi, A.; Salemi, G.; Sgavetti, M.; Simioni, E.; Thomas, N.; Tommasi, L.; Turella, A.; Van Hoolst, T.; Wilson, L.; Zambon, F.; Aboudan, A.; Barraud, O.; Bott, N.; Borin, P.; Colombatti, G.; El Yazidi, M.; Ferrari, S.; Flahaut, J.; Giacomini, L.; Guzzetta, L.; Lucchetti, A.; Martellato, E.; Pajola, M.; Slemer, A.; Tognon, G.; Turrini, D. -- This is an open access article, The SIMBIO-SYS (Spectrometer and Imaging for MPO BepiColombo Integrated Observatory SYStem) is a complex instrument suite part of the scientific payload of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter for the BepiColombo mission, the last of the cornerstone missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) Horizon + science program. The SIMBIO-SYS instrument will provide all the science imaging capability of the BepiColombo MPO spacecraft. It consists of three channels: the STereo imaging Channel (STC), with a broad spectral band in the 400-950 nm range and medium spatial resolution (at best 58 m/px), that will provide Digital Terrain Model of the entire surface of the planet with an accuracy better than 80 m; the High Resolution Imaging Channel (HRIC), with broad spectral bands in the 400-900 nm range and high spatial resolution (at best 6 m/px), that will provide high-resolution images of about 20% of the surface, and the Visible and near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging channel (VIHI), with high spectral resolution (6 nm at finest) in the 400-2000 nm range and spatial resolution reaching 120 m/px, it will provide global coverage at 480 m/px with the spectral information, assuming the first orbit around Mercury with periherm at 480 km from the surface. SIMBIO-SYS will provide high-resolution images, the Digital Terrain Model of the entire surface, and the surface composition using a wide spectral range, as for instance detecting sulphides or material derived by sulphur and carbon oxidation, at resolutions and coverage higher than the MESSENGER mission with a full co-alignment of the three channels. All the data that will be acquired will allow to cover a wide range of scientific objectives, from the surface processes and cartography up to the internal structure, contributing to the libration experiment, and the surface-exosphere interaction. The global 3D and spectral mapping will allow to study the morphology and the composition of any surface feature. In this work, we describe the on-ground calibrations and the results obtained, providing an important overview of the instrument performances. The calibrations have been performed at channel and at system levels, utilizing specific setup in most of the cases realized for SIMBIO-SYS. In the case of the stereo camera (STC), it has been necessary to have a validation of the new stereo concept adopted, based on the push-frame. This work describes also the results of the Near-Earth Commissioning Phase performed few weeks after the Launch (20 October 2018). According to the calibration results and the first commissioning the three channels are working very well. © 2020, The Author(s)., We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) under ASI-INAF agreement 2017-47-H.0. The SIMBIO-SYS instrument has been developed by Leonardo under ASI contract I/054/10/0.

The immune system seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Peritoneal chronic inflammation is present and natural killer cells and macrophages abnormalities have been reported in women with the disease. Moreover, a higher production of serum autoantibodies has been found, which could be related to various factors; some still need to be clarified. The correlation between endometriosis and autoimmune diseases is still unclear with few and conflicting available data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of autoimmune diseases, as conditions with a possible common pathogenetic factor, in women affected by endometriosis, in order to address future research on its pathogenesis. This retrospective case-control study includes one hundred and forty-eight women with endometriosis and 150 controls. All women were aged between 18 and 45. Informed consent was obtained from all participants of the study. Considered autoimmune diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), celiac disease (CD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and autoimmune thyroiditis. Statistical comparison of patients and control group was performed by means of chi-square test or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Statistical comparison of parametric variable (age) among the groups was performed by

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has revolutionized the approach to prenatal diagnosis and, to date, it is the most superior screening method for the common autosomal aneuploidies, mostly trisomy 21. This screening is having a significant population-wide impact on the uptake of conventional screening and diagnostic testing. In recent years, emerging genomic technologies, largely based around next generation sequencing, have expanded the analyses to the sub-chromosomal aneuploidies. However, further clinical validation studies are needed to better characterize this technology. These tests bring advantage through providing a higher diagnostic yield, without risks of miscarriage than previously available diagnostic test, but also raise the question of harms related to an increase in uncertain and unknown results. In view of the revolution brought about by the NIPT, numerous scientific societies have published recommendations regarding the appropriate application of cell-free DNA screening in pregnancy. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made to date in NIPT.

The aim of this review is to describe the state of the art in the use of Arabin Pessary for the prevention of spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). We conducted a review of the literature in order to collect relevant studies concerning the efficacy of Arabin Pessary in preventing preterm birth, also considering it in addition or in comparison with other methods such as cervical cerclage or vaginal progesterone and in both singleton and twin pregnancy. Despite the large number of studies available there is not a clear consensus about the superiority of one of this methods over the others. In addition to this, although Arabin Pessary is widely used in clinical practice, no guidelines for management and use of cervical pessary during pregnancy have been assessed.

International audience; One of the striking features about Venus atmosphere is its temporal variability and dynamics, with a chaotic polar vortex, large-scale atmospheric waves, sheared features and variable winds that depend on local time and possibly orographic features. The aim of this research is to combine data accumulated over several years and obtain a global mean state of the atmosphere focusing in the global structure of the clouds using the cloud opacity and upper cloud temperatures.We have first produced global maps using the integrated radiance through the infrared atmospheric windows centred around 1.74 μm and 2.25 μm, that show the spatial variations of the cloud opacity in the lower clouds around 44–48 km altitude and also provide an indirect estimation of the possible particle size. We have also produced similar global maps using the brightness temperatures seen in the thermal region at 3.8 μm and 5.0 μm, which provide direct indication of the temperatures at the top of the clouds around 60–70 km altitude.These maps have been generated using the complete dataset of the Visible and InfraRed Thermal Imaging Spectrometer mapping channel (VIRTIS-M) on board Venus Express, with a wide spatial and long temporal coverage in the period from May 2006 until October 2008.Our results provide a global view of the cloud opacity, particle size and upper cloud temperatures at both hemispheres, showing the main different dynamical regions of the planet. The profiles obtained also provide the detailed dependencies with latitude, local time and longitude, diagnostic of the global circulation flow and dynamics at various altitude layers, from about 44 up to 70 km over the surface.

The Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) on board the NASA Juno spacecraft is a dual-band imager and spectrometer, primarily designed to study the Jovian atmosphere and aurorae. In addition to its primary goal, JIRAM has been used to obtain images and spectra of the Galilean satellites, Jupiter's largest moons, when the spacecraft attitude was favourable to achieve this goal. Here we present JIRAM's first images and spectra of Io. These observations are used to characterize the location and possible morphology, and some temperatures, of Io's volcanic thermal sources; the identification of SO2 and the possible identification of other materials. A new hot spot/volcano is identified close to the South Pole of Io, and others are seen in lower latitude regions, which were previously unmapped. Images of the same region taken 2 months apart also show variations of hot spot intensity, possibly due to new lava flows or to lava flow breakouts.

The familiar axisymmetric zones and belts that characterize Jupiter’s weather system at lower latitudes give way to pervasive cyclonic activity at higher latitudes. Two-dimensional turbulence in combination with the Coriolis β-effect (that is, the large meridionally varying Coriolis force on the giant planets of the Solar System) produces alternating zonal flows. The zonal flows weaken with rising latitude so that a transition between equatorial jets and polar turbulence on Jupiter can occur. Simulations with shallow-water models of giant planets support this transition by producing both alternating flows near the equator and circumpolar cyclones near the poles. Jovian polar regions are not visible from Earth owing to Jupiter’s low axial tilt, and were poorly characterized by previous missions because the trajectories of these missions did not venture far from Jupiter’s equatorial plane. Here we report that visible and infrared images obtained from above each pole by the Juno spacecraft during its first five orbits reveal persistent polygonal patterns of large cyclones. In the north, eight circumpolar cyclones are observed about a single polar cyclone; in the south, one polar cyclone is encircled by five circumpolar cyclones. Cyclonic circulation is established via time-lapse imagery obtained over intervals ranging from 20 minutes to 4 hours. Although migration of cyclones towards the pole might be expected as a consequence of the Coriolis β-effect, by which cyclonic vortices naturally drift towards the rotational pole, the configuration of the cyclones is without precedent on other planets (including Saturn’s polar hexagonal features). The manner in which the cyclones persist without merging and the process by which they evolve to their current configuration are unknown.

The Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) aboard Juno observed the Jovian South Pole aurora during the first orbit of the mission. H 3+ (trihydrogen cation) and CH 4 (methane) emissions have been identified and measured. The observations have been carried out in nadir and slant viewing both by a L-filtered imager and a 2–5 μm spectrometer. Results from the spectral analysis of the all observations taken over the South Pole by the instrument are reported. The coverage of the southern aurora during these measurements has been partial, but sufficient to determine different regions of temperature and abundance of the H 3+ ion from its emission lines in the 3–4 μm wavelength range. Finally, the results from the southern aurora are also compared with those from the northern ones from the data taken during the same perijove pass and reported by Dinelli et al. (2017).

Throughout the first orbit of the NASA Juno mission around Jupiter, the Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) targeted the northern and southern polar regions several times. The analyses of the acquired images and spectra confirmed a significant presence of methane (CH4) near both poles through its 3.3 μm emission overlapping the H3+ auroral feature at 3.31 μm. Neither acetylene (C2H2) nor ethane (C2H6) have been observed so far. The analysis method, developed for the retrieval of H3+ temperature and abundances and applied to the JIRAM-measured spectra, has enabled an estimate of the effective temperature for methane peak emission and the distribution of its spectral contribution in the polar regions. The enhanced methane inside the auroral oval regions in the two hemispheres at different longitude suggests an excitation mechanism driven by energized particle precipitation from the magnetosphere.

During the first orbit around Jupiter of the NASA/Juno mission, the Jovian Auroral Infrared Mapper (JIRAM) instrument observed the auroral regions with a large number of measurements. The measured spectra show both the emission of the H3+ ion and of methane in the 3-4 μm spectral region. In this paper we describe the analysis method developed to retrieve temperature and column density (CD) of the H3+ ion from JIRAM spectra in the northern auroral region. The high spatial resolution of JIRAM shows an asymmetric aurora, with CD and temperature ovals not superimposed and not exactly located where models and previous observations suggested. On the main oval averaged H3+ CDs span between 1.8 × 1012 cm-2 and 2.8 × 1012 cm-2, while the retrieved temperatures show values between 800 and 950 K. JIRAM indicates a complex relationship among H3+ CDs and temperatures on the Jupiter northern aurora.

Throughout the first orbit of the NASA Juno mission around Jupiter, the Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) targeted the northern and southern polar regions several times. The analyses of the acquired images and spectra confirmed a significant presence of methane (CH 4 ) near both poles through its 3.3 μm emission overlapping the H 3+ auroral feature at 3.31 μm. Neither acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) nor ethane (C 2 H 6 ) have been observed so far. The analysis method, developed for the retrieval of H 3+ temperature and abundances and applied to the JIRAM-measured spectra, has enabled an estimate of the effective temperature for methane peak emission and the distribution of its spectral contribution in the polar regions. The enhanced methane inside the auroral oval regions in the two hemispheres at different longitude suggests an excitation mechanism driven by energized particle precipitation from the magnetosphere.

The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) is an imager/spectrometer on board NASA/Juno mission for the study of the Jovian aurorae. The first results of JIRAM's imager channel observations of the H 3+ infrared emission, collected around the first Juno perijove, provide excellent spatial and temporal distribution of the Jovian aurorae, and show the morphology of the main ovals, the polar regions, and the footprints of Io, Europa and Ganymede. The extended Io “tail” persists for ~3 hours after the passage of the satellite flux tube. Multi- arc structures of varied spatial extent appear in both main auroral ovals. Inside the main ovals, intense, localized emissions are observed. In the southern aurora, an evident circular region of strong depletion of H 3+ emissions is partially surrounded by an intense emission arc. The southern aurora is brighter than the north one in these observations. Similar, probably conjugate emission patterns are distinguishable in both polar regions.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to compare 2D and 3D-sonohysterosalpingography (2D-3D-HyFoSy) with previous diagnostic laparoscopy in the diagnosis of tubal patency, and compare each procedure in terms of procedure's time, perceived pain and complication rate. METHODS We prospectively recruited infertile women, previously submitted to laparoscopy and randomly allocated into 2D-HyFoSy (group I) and 3D-HyFoSy (group II). We analyzed the results in term of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value in tubal patency evaluation of both procedures in comparison with laparoscopy. RESULTS We enrolled 50 women, 25 in group I and 25 in group II. 2D-HyFoSy findings obtained in group I, were concordant with laparoscopy in 81% of cases, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 92%. In group II, a correspondence was present in 88% of examinations, with a sensitivity and specificity of 98% and 91.4% respectively. 3D-HyFoSy was found to be faster and less painful than 2D (P

In this work we describe a model of the perturbation of the O2(a1Δg) nightglow limb profiles by the action of gravity waves (GWs) propagating in the Venus' upper atmosphere. Data have been acquired by the Visible and InfraRed Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on board the European Space Agency mission Venus Express (VEX). The high variability observed in the shape of the O2(a1Δg) nightglow limb profiles between 80 and 120 km, often characterized by the presence of a double peak, suggests the occurrence of GWs at the considered altitudes. In order to model and derive the GWs properties, we apply to Venus a well-known theory used to study terrestrial density fluctuations induced by the GWs propagation. The retrieved vertical wavelengths and amplitudes of the waves at the O2(a1Δg) layer altitude (~100 km) are of the order of 7–16 km and 3–14% respectively, complying with wave amplitude threshold for dynamical instability in the majority of the fitted cases. Temperature fluctuations would exceed 40% at higher altitudes (115–120 km) thus inducing either wave breaking or dissipation. Intrinsic horizontal phase velocities are expected to vary in the range 32 m/s and 85 m/s. GWs are detected in a wide range of latitudes from the midlatitudes up to the polar regions, and we cannot exclude existence of the sources of different nature. This study also confirms the high variability induced by the action of GW propagation in the airglow profiles of the terrestrial planets and points out the need for future missions to couple simultaneous complementary GW detection techniques in order to better constrain GW properties and understand their impact on the Venus general circulation.

In this contribution, we detail the retrieval scheme that has been developed in the last few years for the analysis of the spectral data expected from the JIRAM experiment on board of the Juno NASA mission [1], beginning from the second half of 2016. Our focus is on the analysis of the thermal radiation in the 5 micron transparency window, in regions of lesser cloud opacity (namely, hot-spots). Moving from the preliminary analysis presented in Grassi et al., 2010 [2], a retrieval scheme has been developed and implemented as a complete end-to-end processing software. Performances in terms of fit quality and retrieval errors are discussed from tests on simulated spectra. Few examples of usage on VIMS-Cassini flyby data are also presented. Following the suggestion originally presented in Irwin et al., 1998 [3] for the analysis of the NIMS data, the state vector to be retrieved has been drastically simplified on physically sounding basis, aiming mostly to distinguish between the 'deep' content of minor gaseous component (water, ammonia, phosphine) and their relative humidity or fractional scale height in the upper troposphere. The retrieval code is based on a Bayesian scheme [4], complemented by a Metropolis algorithm plus simulated thermal annealing [5] for most problematic cases. The key parameters retrievable from JIRAM individual spectra are the ammonia and phosphine deep content, the water vapour relative humidity as well as the total aerosol opacity. We discuss in extent also the technical aspects related to the forward radiative transfer scheme: completeness of line databases used to generate correlated-k tables, comparison of different schemes for the treatment of aerosol scattering, assumption on clouds radiative properties and issues related to the analysis of dayside data. This work has been funded through ASI grants: I/010/10/0 and 2014-050-R.0.

JIRAM is the imaging spectrometer on board the NASA Juno mission. Data collected since August 2016 on both Jupiter Northern and Southern aurora have an unprecedent spatial resolution. Moreover, JIRAM scanning mirror allows observations of the same area at serveral adiacent time frames. In this work we focus on the spatial and temporal variability of the Southern aurora. JIRAM data of the L imager channel have been averaged in bins of 2.5°LAT × 2°LON and variations of the signal have been investigated for 17h50m < time < 19h45m, 27 August 2016. Time frames have been carefully selected in order to avoid possibile instrumental residuals in the signal (Mura et al., 2017). We find that on the South Pole, for -87.5°

During the first perijove passage of the Juno mission, the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) observed a line of closely spaced oval features in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, between 30° and 45°S (Fig. 1), as well as other persistent vortices. In this work, we focused on the longitudinal region covering the three ovals having higher contrast at 5 micron, i.e. between 120° W and 60° W in System III coordinates. We used the JIRAM's full spectral capability in the range 2.4-3 micron together with a Bayesian data inversion approach to retrieve maps of column densities and altitudes for an NH3 cloud and a N2H4 haze. The deep (under the saturation level) volume mixing ratio and the relative humidity for gaseous ammonia were also retrieved. Our results suggest different vortex activity for the three ovals. Updraft and downdraft together with considerations about the ammonia condensation could explain our maps providing evidences of cyclonic and anticyclonic structures.

The NASA Juno mission has been investigating Jupiter's atmosphere since August 2016, providing unprecedented insight on the atmosphere of the planet. The Jupiter Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) experiment, on board Juno, performed spectroscopic observations of the H3+ emissions both in the auroral regions (Dinelli et al., 2017; Adriani et al.,2017; Mura et al., 2017) and at mid latitudes. In the present work, we concentrate on the observations acquired by the JIRAM spectrometer during the first Jupiter passage on 26-27 August 2016, when the spacecraft was at about 500,000-1,200,000 km from the planet. During a portion of the observations, the slit of the spectrometer was sampling Jupiter's limb in the latitude range from 30 to 60 deg for both hemispheres. In the 3-4 ?m spectral region, the limb spectra show the typical features of the H3+ emission, usually used to retrieve concentration and temperature of this species in the auroral region. In this work we exploit this spectral region to provide new insight on the H3+ vertical distribution and, more generally, on thecomposition of the atmosphere of Jupiter. The spatial resolution of the limb observations of Jupiter, ranging between 50 and 130 km, is favourable for investigating the vertical distribution of H3+. The vertical profiles of the integrated H3+ intensity will be presented along with the preliminary results of the retrieval of the H3+ vertical volume mixing ratio (VMR) distribution and compared with predictions from available atmospheric models of the planet (Achilleos et al. 1998). Possible variability of the altitude distribution of the peak emission with respect to latitude and longitude will also be discussed.

Infrared observations of the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko were carried out from July to September 2015, i.e., around perihelion (13 August 2015), with the high-resolution channel of the VIRTIS instrument onboard Rosetta. We present the analysis of fluorescence emission lines of H$_2$O, CO$_2$, $^{13}$CO$_2$, OCS, and CH$_4$ detected in limb sounding with the field of view at 2.7-5 km from the comet centre. Measurements are sampling outgassing from the illuminated southern hemisphere, as revealed by H$_2$O and CO$_2$ raster maps, which show anisotropic distributions, aligned along the projected rotation axis. An abrupt increase of water production is observed six days after perihelion. In the mean time, CO$_2$, CH$_4$, and OCS abundances relative to water increased by a factor of 2 to reach mean values of 32%, 0.47%, and 0.18%, respectively, averaging post-perihelion data. We interpret these changes as resulting from the erosion of volatile-poor surface layers. Sustained dust ablation due to the sublimation of water ice maintained volatile-rich layers near the surface until at least the end of the considered period, as expected for low thermal inertia surface layers. The large abundance measured for CO$_2$ should be representative of the 67P nucleus original composition, and indicates that 67P is a CO$_2$-rich comet. Comparison with abundance ratios measured in the northern hemisphere shows that seasons play an important role in comet outgassing. The low CO$_2$/H$_2$O values measured above the illuminated northern hemisphere are not original, but the result of the devolatilization of the uppermost layers., Comment: Accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society