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Ear acupuncture can be a useful mean for controlling migraine pain. It has been shown that a technique called the Needle Contact Test (NCT) can identify the most efficacious ear acupoints for reducing current migraine pain through just a few seconds of needle contact. The majority of the points were located on the antero-internal part of the antitragus (area M) on the same side of pain. The aim of this study was to verify the therapeutic value of area M and to compare it with an area of the ear (representation of the sciatic nerve, area S) which probably does not have a therapeutic effect on migraine attacks. We studied 94 females suffering from migraine without aura, diagnosed according to the ICHD-II criteria, during the attack. They were randomly subdivided into two groups: in group A, tender points located in area M, positive to NCT were inserted; in group B, the unsuitable area (S) was treated. Changes in pain intensity were measured using a VAS scale at various times of the study. During treatment, there was a highly significant trend in the reduction of the VAS value in group A (Anova for repeated measures: p  < 0.001), whereas no significance was observed in group B. VAS values were significantly lower in group A than in group B at 10, 30, 60 and 120 min after needle insertion. This study suggests that the therapeutic specificity of auricular points exists and is linked to the somatotopic representation of our body on the ear.

L'edificio Garbasso ha ospitato per circa 10 anni a partire dal 2002 il Dipartimento di Astronomia e Scienza dello Spazio e ospita tuttora ricercatori e docenti del gruppo astrofisico del Dipartimento di Fisica e Astrofisica che lavorano in vari settori di ricerca dal Sole agli esopianeti, dai plasmi astrofisici alla cosmologia. Parole chiave. Astrofisica, sole, plasma, galassie, cosmologia, esopianeti. The Garbasso building was home to the Department of Astronomy and Space Science for about 10 years, from 2002, and still hosts researchers and lecturers from the astrophysics group of the Department of Physics and Astrophysics who work in various areas of research, from the Sun to exoplanets, from astrophysical plasma to cosmology. Keywords. Astrophysics, sun, plasma, galaxies, cosmology, exoplanets.

The Garbasso building was home to the Department of Astronomy and Space Science for about 10 years, from 2002, and still hosts researchers and lecturers from the astrophysics group of the Department of Physics and Astrophysics who work in various areas of research, from the Sun to exoplanets, from astrophysical plasma to cosmology.

The first systematic review on the efficacy of Auriculotherapy concerning insomnia and sleep disorders was published in 2007. In recent years (2007–2015) further reviews have been issued on pain management, smoking and preoperative anxiety. The “delayed” number of systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analyses (MA) reported in literature seems to be indica tive of the insufficient quantity and quality of RCTs published in the last 40 years on the potentials of our innovative discipline. Almost all SR and MA are written in English, but there is one in French language which should be carefully consulted and understood by our readers entitled “Évaluation de l’efficacité de la pratique de l’Auriculothérapie”, published 25-07-2013 by the “Institute National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale” (INSERM). In this review several inadequacies and biases were found in the reported RCTs which may represent an obstacle in the development of research and the achievement of a solid scientific basis. The insufficient quality of the studies is mainly of methodological order and appears to be associated with an incomplete application of EBM guidelines. Further specific factors are discussed in this article, which slow down a qualitative research in this field, such as the insufficiently validated auricular diagnostic methods, the bi-dimensional representation of auricular zones and the proliferation of new auricular charts without any proof of clinical value.

The Metis coronagraph onboard Solar Orbiter and the LASCO-C2 coronagraph onboard SoHO both acquire white light polarized brightness (pB) images of the solar corona. When the Sun–Solar Orbiter distance is less than 0.85 AU, i.e., outside orbital segments around aphelia, the range of elongations covered by the fields-of-view of the two instruments overlap significantly, allowing a quantitative comparison of their images. We report on such a comparison during September 2022, with images taken during a superior conjunction of the two spacecraft with the Sun, as well as close to that event. In each comparison, the two instruments observed the corona from opposite viewpoints, within ≈ 1 ∘ in both Carrington longitude and latitude, with Metis at a distance of about half an astronomical unit from the Sun. We find that the Metis measurements are systematically larger than those of LASCO-C2 throughout the corona, with the Metis-to-C2 ratio of pB exhibiting a median value of ≈ 1.6 . The discrepancy is observed comparing essentially simultaneous observations, so it cannot be explained as an effect of coronal dynamics. Synthetic images of the solar corona computed from a stationary three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic model, replicating the geometry of the observations, are photometrically consistent. This rules out the small departure of the two instruments from observing from opposite viewpoints, or their different distance to the Sun, as the cause of their discrepant measurements. We conclude that the reported discrepancy has its root in the calibration methods of the two instruments, which should be further investigated.

ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter (SO) enables us to study the solar corona at closer distances and from different perspectives, which helps us to gain significant insights into the origin of the solar wind. In this work, we present the analysis of solar wind outflows from two locations: a narrow open-field corridor and a small, mid-latitude coronal hole. These outflows were observed off-limb by the Metis coronagraph onboard SO and on-disk by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. Magnetic field extrapolations suggest that the upflow regions seen in EIS were the sources of the outflowing solar wind observed with Metis. We find that the plasma associated with the narrow open-field corridor has higher electron densities and lower outflow velocities compared to the coronal hole plasma in the middle corona, even though the plasma properties of the two source regions in the low corona are found to be relatively similar. The speed of the solar wind from the open-field corridor also shows no correlation with the magnetic field expansion factor, unlike the coronal hole. These pronounced differences at higher altitudes may arise from the dynamic nature of the low-middle corona, in which reconnection can readily occur and may play an important role in driving solar wind variability.

We carried out tomographic reconstructions of the three-dimensional distribution of the electron density of the solar corona based on white light polarized brightness (pB) images taken by the Metis coronagraph on board the Solar Orbiter (SolO) mission. We selected three different time intervals during 2022, and further implemented independent synchronous reconstructions based on LASCO-C2 pB images for comparison purposes. The range of elongations covered by the field-of-view (FoV) of Metis considerably varies as SolO describes its highly eccentric orbit, whereas that of LASCO-C2 remains almost constant. During the selected time intervals, their FoVs partially overlap, allowing a comparison of the reconstructions within the regions in common. The shape and size of the reconstructed coronal structures, streamers and coronal holes, are consistent, demonstrating the suitability of the images of the synoptic program of Metis for tomographic reconstruction of the coronal electron density over its varying FoV. A comparison between the two tomographic reconstructions for each analyzed time interval, shows that the Metis-to-C2 ratio of reconstructed electron density has a median value of ≈ 1.7 . This is consistent with the observed ratio of the pB measurements of the two instruments. Our analysis thus also illustrates the value of tomography as a tool for intercalibrating solar coronagraphs irrespective of their spatial location, as long as their FoV partially overlap.

The Solar Orbiter/Metis coronagraph records full-Sun visible-light polarized brightness ( p B -) images of the solar corona. This work investigates the utility of a synoptic observational program of Metis for tomographic reconstruction of the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the electron density of the global solar corona. During its lifetime, the mission’s distance to the Sun will range over ≈ 0.3 − 1.0 AU , while its solar latitude will span ≈ ± 33 ∘ . The limitations that this orbital complexity poses on tomographic reconstructions are explored in this work. Using the predicted orbital information of Solar Orbiter and 3D-MHD simulations of the solar corona using the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM), time series of synthetic Metis p B -images were computed and used as data to attempt tomographic reconstruction of the model. These numerical experiments were implemented for solar-minimum and solar-maximum conditions. In both cases, images were synthesized from three orbital segments, corresponding to extreme geometrical conditions of observation by Metis : aphelion, perihelion, and maximum solar latitude. The range of heights that can be reconstructed, the required data-gathering period, and the accuracy of the reconstruction, are discussed in detail for each case. As a general conclusion, a Metis synoptic observational program with a cadence of at least four images day −1 provides enough data to attempt tomographic reconstructions during the whole lifetime of the mission, a requirement well within the two- to three-hour cadence of the current synoptic program. This program will allow implementation of tomography experimenting with different values for the cadence of the time series of images used to feed reconstructions. Its cadence will also provide continuous opportunities to select images avoiding highly dynamic events, which compromise the accuracy of tomographic reconstructions.

•Auricular Diagnosis (AAD): a helpful tool for every practitioner suitable for a complementary interpretation of somatic and mental disorders.•AAD in lumbar-sciatic pain: specific auricular areas allow the diagnosis of lumbar-sciatic pain in lumbar hernia.•Ear Acupuncture as a complementary/integrative treatment of lumbar-sciatic pain in lumbar hernia. Auricular Acupuncture Diagnosis is a diagnostic method which is essential for the topographic identification on the auricle of the anatomical parts of the body carrying a particular ailment or dysfunction. To identify the specific zones related to lumbar hernia in patients treated with a series of epidural infiltrations with corticosteroids. In a consecutive group of thirty patients with lumbar hernia 2 diagnostic methods used in Auricular Acupuncture Diagnosis, Pain Pressure Test and Electric Skin Resistance Test, were applied before the first infiltration (T0), before the second and the third infiltration (T1, T2) and one week after the third infiltration (T3). The parameters, whose variations were analyzed at T0-T3, were the following: the number of points identified; the intensity of pain on a verbal rating scale and the foot-hand distance in cm with bent spine and extended knees. The identified points were reported on the Auricular Sectogram which is a validated graphic system suitable for a correct transcription of the points and indicated for a statistical analysis of their distribution on the different sectors. A significant association was found for some auricular areas, along the series of epidural infiltrations, with a progressive reduction in the number of tender and low electrical resistance points together with a decrease of pain and hand–foot distance. The auricular zones found with Auricular Acupuncture Diagnosis in our group of patients seem of clinical relevance and could be included in the complementary treatment of lumbar-sciatic pain in lumbar hernia.

On February 21 and March 21 – 22, 2021, the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) onboard Solar Orbiter observed three prominence eruptions. The eruptions were associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by Metis, Solar Orbiter’s coronagraph. All three eruptions were also observed by instruments onboard the Solar–TErrestrial RElations Observatory (Ahead; STEREO-A), the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Here we present an analysis of these eruptions. We investigate their morphology, direction of propagation, and 3D properties. We demonstrate the success of applying two 3D reconstruction methods to three CMEs and their corresponding prominences observed from three perspectives and different distances from the Sun. This allows us to analyze the evolution of the events, from the erupting prominences low in the corona to the corresponding CMEs high in the corona. We also study the changes in the global magnetic field before and after the eruptions and the magnetic field configuration at the site of the eruptions using magnetic field extrapolation methods. This work highlights the importance of multi-perspective observations in studying the morphology of the erupting prominences, their source regions, and associated CMEs. The upcoming Solar Orbiter observations from higher latitudes will help to constrain this kind of study better.