Alessandro Rossi

This chapter of the report of the “Flavor in the era of the LHC” Workshop discusses the theoretical, phenomenological and experimental issues related to flavor phenomena in the charged lepton sector and in flavor conserving CP-violating processes. We review the current experimental limits and the main theoretical models for the flavor structure of fundamental particles. We analyze the phenomenological consequences of the available data, setting constraints on explicit models beyond the standard model, presenting benchmarks for the discovery potential of forthcoming measurements both at the LHC and at low energy, and exploring options for possible future experiments.

A precise measurement of the cross section of the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-(\gamma)$ from threshold to an energy of 3GeV is obtained with the initial-state radiation (ISR) method using 232fb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the BaBar detector at $e^+e^-$ center-of-mass energies near 10.6GeV. The ISR luminosity is determined from a study of the leptonic process $e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-(\gamma)\gamma_{\rm ISR}$, which is found to agree with the next-to-leading-order QED prediction to within 1.1%. The cross section for the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-(\gamma)$ is obtained with a systematic uncertainty of 0.5% in the dominant $\rho$ resonance region. The leading-order hadronic contribution to the muon magnetic anomaly calculated using the measured $\pi\pi$ cross section from threshold to 1.8GeV is $(514.1 \pm 2.2({\rm stat}) \pm 3.1({\rm syst}))\times 10^{-10}$.

During 1997 JET operation with D-T plasmas, 35 g of tritium were introduced into the torus, mainly by gas puffing. It was found that during this period, the torus tritium inventory would accumulate at a rate of about 40% of the input. After tritium operation ceased, the experimental program continued with deuterium- and hydrogen-fuelled experiments, during which time the tritium inventory decreased to about 17% of the total input. Techniques aimed at detritiation of the torus included methods using deuterium gas (such as deuterium pulsing) which were used in the middle of the experimental campaign, and methods which could adversely affect the torus vacuum conditions (such as air purges) which were reserved for the period after the experimental campaign. Whilst it was found that the plasma tritium fraction could be reduced to below the 1% level in a few days, the tritium inventory reached a virtually steady level of about 6 g by the end of the campaign.

Summary for non-specialistsAs a result of the financial crisis, cyclically corrected indicators have taken on a greater degree of significance and are firmly back at the forefront of economic policy making. This heightened level of policy interest not only reflects the anxiousness of policy makers to avoid the well-documented mistakes made in assessing the supply side impact of historical crises but is also linked with the primary role of such indicators in calculating cyclically adjusted budget balances & in designing successful exit strategies from the current crisis (and especially the requirement to unwind the large increases in EU public debt).

The high design luminosity of the SuperKEKB electron–positron collider is expected to result in challenging levels of beam-induced backgrounds in the interaction region. Properly simulating and mitigating these backgrounds is critical to the success of the Belle II experiment. We report on measurements performed with a suite of dedicated beam background detectors, collectively known as BEAST II, during the so-called Phase 1 commissioning run of SuperKEKB in 2016, which involved operation of both the high energy ring (HER) of 7 GeV electrons as well as the low energy ring (LER) of 4 GeV positrons. We describe the BEAST II detector systems, the simulation of beam backgrounds, and the measurements performed. The measurements include standard ones of dose rates versus accelerator conditions, and more novel investigations, such as bunch-by-bunch measurements of injection backgrounds and measurements sensitive to the energy spectrum and angular distribution of fast neutrons. We observe beam–gas, Touschek, beam–dust, and injection backgrounds. As there is no final focus of the beams in Phase 1, we do not observe significant synchrotron radiation, as expected. Measured LER beam–gas backgrounds and Touschek backgrounds in both rings are slightly elevated, on average three times larger than the levels predicted by simulation. HER beam–gas backgrounds are on average two orders of magnitude larger than predicted. Systematic uncertainties and channel-to-channel variations are large, so that these excesses constitute only 1–2 sigma level effects. Neutron background rates are higher than predicted and should be studied further. We will measure the remaining beam background processes, due to colliding beams, in the imminent commissioning Phase 2. These backgrounds are expected to be the most critical for Belle II, to the point of necessitating replacement of detector components during the Phase 3 (full-luminosity) operation of SuperKEB.

JET's 1997 Deuterium Tritium Experiment (DTE1) allows a detailed study of hydrogenic isotope recycling and retention in a pumped divertor configuration relevant to ITER. There appear to be two distinct forms of retained tritium. (1) A dynamic inventory which controls the fueling behaviour of a single discharge, and in particular determines the isotopic composition. This is shown to be consistent with neutral particle implantation over the whole vessel surface area. (2) A continually growing inventory, which plays a small role in the particle balance of a single discharge, but ultimately dominates the hydrogenic inventory for an experimental campaign comprising thousands of pulses. This will be the dominant retention mechanism in long-pulse devices like ITER. The JET retention scaled-up to ITER proportions suggests that ITER may reach its tritium inventory limit in less than 100 pulses.

Abstract Diffractive optical elements such as periodic gratings are fundamental devices in X‐ray imaging – a technique that medical, material science, and security scans rely upon. Fabrication of such structures with high aspect ratios at the nanoscale creates opportunities to further advance such applications, especially in terms of relaxing X‐ray source coherence requirements. This is because typical grating‐based X‐ray phase imaging techniques (e.g., Talbot self‐imaging) require a coherence length of at least one grating period and ideally longer. In this paper, the fabrication challenges in achieving high‐aspect ratio nanogratings filled with gold are addressed by a combination of laser interference and nanoimprint lithography, physical vapor deposition, metal assisted chemical etching (MACE), and electroplating. This relatively simple and cost‐efficient approach is unlocked by an innovative post‐MACE drying step with hexamethyldisilazane, which effectively minimizes the stiction of the nanostructures. The theoretical limits of the approach are discussed and, experimentally, X‐ray nanogratings with aspect ratios >40 are demonstrated. Finally, their excellent diffractive abilities are shown when exposed to a hard (12.2 keV) monochromatic X‐ray beam at a synchrotron facility, and thus potential applicability in phase‐based X‐ray imaging.

The SuperB project is an asymmetric e+e− accelerator of 1036cm−2s−1 design luminosity, capable of collecting a data sample of 50–75ab−1 in five years running. The SuperB electromagnetic calorimeter (EMC) provides energy and direction measurement of photons and electrons, and is used for identification of electrons versus other charged particles. In particular we present its design, geometry study and related simulations, as well as R&D on LYSO crystals and developments on readout electronics. A matrix of 25 crystals has been tested at the Beam Test Facility of Frascati (BTF) in May 2011 at energies between 200 MeV and 500 MeV. Results from this test are presented.

The Future Circular Collider (FCC) Study is aimed at assessing the physics potential and the technical feasibility of a new collider with centre-of-mass energies, in the hadron-hadron collision mode, seven times larger than the nominal LHC energies. Operating such machine with heavy ions is an option that is being considered in the accelerator design studies. It would provide, for example, Pb-Pb and p-Pb collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 39 and 63 TeV, respectively, per nucleon-nucleon collision, with integrated luminosities above 30 nb^-1 per month for Pb-Pb. This is a report by the working group on heavy-ion physics of the FCC Study. First ideas on the physics opportunities with heavy ions at the FCC are presented, covering the physics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma, of gluon saturation, of photon-induced collisions, as well as connections with other fields of high-energy physics.

The LHC machine is planning an upgrade program which will smoothly bring the instantaneous luminosity to about 5–7.5 ×1034 cm−2 s−1, to reach an integrated luminosity of 3000−4000 fb−1 by the end of 2039. This High Luminosity LHC scenario, HL-LHC, will require an upgrade program of the LHC detectors known as Phase-2 upgrade. The current CMS Tracker, already running beyond design specifications, and CMS Pixel Detector will not be able to survive HL-LHC radiation conditions and CMS will need completely new devices, in order to fully exploit the HL-LHC data which will be recorded under highly demanding background conditions. The Phase-2 Tracker will be made of two sections, an Inner Tracker and an Outer Tracker. Both detectors will feature increased radiation hardness, higher granularity and capability to handle higher data rate and longer trigger latency in order to ensure at least the same performances of the current detector, in terms of tracking and vertex reconstruction capabilities, at the high pileup (140–200 collisions per bunch crossing) expected at HL-LHC. Moreover the Phase-2 Outer Tracker will have also trigger capabilities since tracking information will be used at L1 trigger stage. This report is focusing on the replacement of the CMS Tracker system, describing new layout and technological choices together with some highlights on research and development activities.

Objective. Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is an alternative emerging radiotherapy treatment modality which has demonstrated effective radioresistant tumour control while sparing surrounding healthy tissue in preclinical trials. This apparent selectivity is achieved through MRT combining ultra-high dose rates with micron-scale spatial fractionation of the delivered x-ray treatment field. Quality assurance dosimetry for MRT must therefore overcome a significant challenge, as detectors require both a high dynamic range and a high spatial resolution to perform accurately.Approach. In this work, a series of radiation hard a-Si:H diodes, with different thicknesses and carrier selective contact configurations, have been characterised for x-ray dosimetry and real-time beam monitoring applications in extremely high flux beamlines utilised for MRT at the Australian Synchrotron.Results. These devices displayed superior radiation hardness under constant high dose-rate irradiations on the order of 6000 Gy s-1, with a variation in response of 10% over a delivered dose range of approximately 600 kGy. Dose linearity of each detector to x-rays with a peak energy of 117 keV is reported, with sensitivities ranging from (2.74 ± 0.02) nC/Gy to (4.96 ± 0.02) nC/Gy. For detectors with 0.8μm thick active a-Si:H layer, their operation in an edge-on orientation allows for the reconstruction of micron-size beam profiles (microbeams). The microbeams, with a nominal full-width-half-max of 50μm and a peak-to-peak separation of 400μm, were reconstructed with extreme accuracy. The full-width-half-max was observed as 55 ± 1μm. Evaluation of the peak-to-valley dose ratio and dose-rate dependence of the devices, as well as an x-ray induced charge (XBIC) map of a single pixel is also reported.Significance. These devices based on novel a-Si:H technology possess a unique combination of accurate dosimetric performance and radiation resistance, making them an ideal candidate for x-ray dosimetry in high dose-rate environments such as FLASH and MRT.

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) treatment has recently been revolutionized by the introduction of newer targeted agents, that helped tailoring therapies around the single patient. Along with increased survival rates, a careful evaluation of diet, lifestyle habits, physical activity, emotional and psychological experiences linked to the treatment journey, is now mandatory. However, a true proposal for an omnicomprehensive and “integrative” approach is still lacking in literature. Methods A scientific board of internationally recognized specialists throughout different disciplines designed a shared proposal of holistic approach for BC patients. Results A narrative review, containing information on BC treatment, endocrinological and diet aspects, physical activity, rehabilitation, integrative medicine, and digital narrative medicine, was developed. Conclusions In the context of a patient-centered care, BC treatment cannot be separated from a patient’s long-term follow-up and care, and an organized interdisciplinary collaboration is the future in this disease’s cure, to make sure that our patients will live longer and better. Trial Registration NCT05893368 : New Model for Integrating Person-based Care (PbC) in the Treatment of Advanced HER2-negative Breast Cancer (PERGIQUAL). Registration date: 29th May 2023.

Abstract Background. Pathogenetic variants (PVs) in the BRCA1/2 genes can be found in 20% of patients with breast (BC) or/and ovarian (OC) cancers. In subjects carrying PVs in these genes, the absence of repair of damage to the DNA double helix causes its accumulation favoring neoplasm development. Exposure to environmental pollutants (e.g. Cadmium (Cd), through contaminated food and drinking water, cigarette smoke, dust and fumes inhalation) may play a role in the development of BC and OC. Cd acts as an “endocrine disruptor” through its binding to the estrogen receptor, promoting cell proliferation and increase in mutation rate. Individual lifestyle habits may be associated with cancer onset and progression in these patients. Our aim was to evaluate the interference of environmental factors in the development of BC and/or OC in women carrying PVs in BRCA1/2 genes. Methods. We conducted an observational, multicentric, case-control, retrospective study of patients with PV in BRCA1/2 genes and with BC, OC, or both diagnosed from 2012 to 2020 (Group 1, G1), or without cancer (Group 2, G2). 89 patients (82.4%) developed BC, 17 (15.8%) OC, and 2 (1.8%) experienced both BC and OCs. We collect data about demographics, body mass index (BMI), occupation (divided in employed, educative professions/students, healthcare professions, unemployed/retired and other), type of BRCA mutation (mBRCA), smoking habits (SH), pack/year index, estroprogestinic (EP) use and duration, adherence to Mediterranean diet (with PREDIMED questionnaire) and physical activity (using IPAQ questionnaire). Fisher's exact test and Anova were used to compare patient’s features among the two group. A univariate and multivariable model were fitted to investigate the relationship between adherence to Mediterranean diet, physical activity, Cd exposure through smoking habits (SH), EP use, and cancer development. Results. We evaluated 208 patients, 108 (51.9%) in Group 1 and 100 (48.1%) in Group 2. Table 1 shows ed the features of enrolled patients. 128 (61.5%) had a mBRCA1, 80 (38.5%) a mBRCA2. Analysis of the two groups revealed significative differences in age (47.2 vs 35.6years in G1 and G2, respectively; p< .001), SH (38.9% in G1 and 20.0% in G2; p=.002), EP use (36.1% in G1 and 21.0% in G2; p=.021), and occupation (office workers develop cancer more easily, while professions associated with education/students have a lower possibility of developing cancer). No difference was found regarding pack/year index, EP intake duration, adherence to Mediterranean diet, and physical activity. At univariate analysis, predictive factors for cancer incidence were: SH (OR 2.545; 95% CI 1.363 – 4.752 - p=.003); EP use (OR 2.126; 95% CI 1.143 – 3.957 - p=.017); adherence to Mediterranean diet (OR 1.500; 95% CI 1.016 – 2.215 – p=.041). No relationship was found with BMI, occupation and physical activity. At multivariable analysis, SH (OR 2.606; 95% CI 1.370 – 4.959 - p=.004), EP use (2.340; 95% CI 1.224 – 4.474 - p=.010), and adherence to Mediterranean diet (OR 1.544; 95% CI 1-027 – 2.320 – p=.037) were predictive of cancer development. Conclusion. In this preliminary analysis, the risk of development of BC or/and OC in patients with BRCA mutation was influenced by SH, EP use, and adherence to Mediterranean diet. Many environmental factors seem to play a role in the carcinogenesis of mBRCA VP patients. Paths of lifestyle education are highly recommended in BRCAm-carrying women. Table 1. Characteristics of enrolled patients Citation Format: Antonio Franco, Alessandro Rossi, Daniela Andreina Terribile, Emanuela Lucci Cordisco, Ida Paris, Margherita Muratore, Elena Florio, Vanda Salutari, Francesco Pavese, Federica Francesca L'Erario, Antonella Palazzo, Enrico Di Guglielmo, Giulia Borghesiani, Ludovica Cardinali, Elisabetta Ferretti, Giovanni Terrana, Diana Giannarelli, Giovanni Scambia, Silvia Migliaccio, Alessandra Fabi. Endocrine Disruptors and Life STILe in Patients Carrying BRCA Pathogenic VAriants With Breast and/or Ovarian CAncer and Women Without Neoplasm: the STILVARCA study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-08-02.

The Future Circular Collider (FCC) Study is aimed at assessing the physics potential and the technical feasibility of a new collider with centre-of-mass energies, in the hadron-hadron collision mode, seven times larger than the nominal LHC energies. Operating such machine with heavy ions is an option that is being considered in the accelerator design studies. It would provide, for example, Pb-Pb and p-Pb collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 39 and 63 TeV, respectively, per nucleon-nucleon collision, with integrated luminosities above 30 nb^-1 per month for Pb-Pb. This is a report by the working group on heavy-ion physics of the FCC Study. First ideas on the physics opportunities with heavy ions at the FCC are presented, covering the physics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma, of gluon saturation, of photon-induced collisions, as well as connections with other fields of high-energy physics.

Abstract Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H) is a well known material for its intrinsic radiation hardness and is primarily utilized in solar cells as well as for particle detection and dosimetry. Planar p-i-n diode detectors are fabricated entirely by means of intrinsic and doped PECVD of a mixture of Silane (SiH 4 ) and molecular hydrogen. In order to develop 3D detector geometries using a-Si:H, two options for the junction fabrication have been considered: ion implantation and charge selective contacts through atomic layer deposition. In order to test the functionality of the charge selective contact electrodes, planar detectors have been fabricated utilizing this technique. In this paper, we provide a general overview of the 3D fabrication project followed by the results of leakage current measurements and X-ray dosimetric tests performed on planar diodes containing charge selective contacts to investigate the feasibility of the charge selective contact methodology for integration with the proposed 3D detector architectures.

Fragmentation pathways of Avermectins were studied by electron impact (EI), chemical ionisation (CI), electrospray ionisation (ESI) and by collision experiments. Structure characterisation was obtained using ESI combined with multi-stage (MS(n)) tandem mass spectrometry, analysis of homologues, and effects on fragment masses of H/D exchange. By these approaches the structures of two new derivatives of Avermectins were characterised.

A method for fish monitoring by high-frequency acoustic camera, coupled with an automated method for counting fish, was implemented that allowed to analyze very large amounts of data with reduced costs. The acoustic camera was mounted in the tidal channel of the Caprolace lagoon (central Italy) and programmed for 12 h. continuous recording at night time, between October 2016 and February 2017, for a total of 413 h, that were automatically processed by a specific software routine. A total of 266,717 fishes passed across the acoustic cone of the camera, and two typologies of schooling events were documented, based on fish numbers making up the groups. Large (n° ≥ 10 fish) school events (n = 884) maximum density occurred in early morning hours, in coincidence with low tide; on the other hand, small (n° ≥ 5 and < 10 fish) schools were more numerous (n = 5,394), and did not show a clear distribution pattern related to night hour and tidal phase. The individual acoustic area was different in the two schooling typologies, average single fish size being significantly higher in large schools. Acoustic images recording effectiveness was tested by evaluating fish movements dynamics between a Mediterranean coastal lagoon and the adjacent sea. The method proved to be an efficient, versatile and portable system for fish monitoring in coastal lagoons and in general in transitional environments, and it allowed to describe schooling behavior and abundance of marine migratory fish during the winter migration season.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is a well-known detector material for its radiation resistance. For this reason it has been used in particle beam flux measurements and in solar panels designed for space applications. This study concern 10μm thickness, p-i-n and charge selective contacts planar diode detectors which were irradiated with neutrons to two fluence values: 1016 neq/cm2 and 5 × 1016 neq/cm2. In order to evaluate their radiation resistance, detector leakage current and response to x-ray photons have been measured. The effect of annealing for performance recovery at 100 °C for 12 and 24 h has also been studied. The results for the 1016 neq/cm2 irradiation show a factor 2 increase in leakage current that is completely recovered after annealing for p-i-n devices while charge selective contacts devices show an overall decrease of the leakage current at the end of the annealing process compared to the measurement before the irradiation. X-ray dosimetric sensitivity degrades, for this fluence, at the end of irradiation, but partially recovers for charge selective contact devices and increases for p-i-n devices at the end of the annealing process. Concerning the 5 × 1016 neq/cm2 irradiation test (for p-i-n structures only), due to the activation that occurred during the irradiation phase, the measurements were taken after 146 days of storage at around 0 °C, during this period, a self-annealing effect may have occurred. Therefore, the results after irradiation and storage show a noticeable degradation in leakage current and x-ray sensitivity with a small recovery after annealing.

A process (international patent publication N. WO 2009/125444 A1) capable of producing large amounts of energy by a nuclear fusion process between nickel and hydrogen, occurring below 1000 K, is described. Experimental values of the ratios between output and input energies obtained in a certain number of experiments are reported. The occurrence of the

Abstract The experience at JET and in other tokamaks shows that the achievement of reproducible plasma conditions and the improvement on overall plasm performance depend crucially on vessel conditioning. The new pumped divertor, with its coils internal to the vacuum vessel, introduces new elements in the problem of JET wall conditioning the presence inside the vessel of hidden surfaces not fully exposed to the glow discharge and of non bakable elements, such as the divertor coils case and heat shields. The new cleaning and conditioning techniques, adapted to the changes of the in-vessel configuration, are described in this paper, and the results of the vessel glow cleaning with an improved GDC system presented. For the first time at JET, the glow discharge cleaning has been extensively diagnosed and the glow current distribution, edge potential, density and temperature measured in conjunction with systematic scan of the glow species current and pressure. A statistical survey of a large number of plasma pulses shows that the “base level” impurity content of the plasma is low, and comparable to the 1991 levels.

Introduction: the term drunkorexia refers to the act of self-imposed utilization of extreme weight control methods to compensate for alcohol consumption typically observed among university students. Despite its diffusion, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of this new alarming trend in Italy. Aim: this study estimates the frequency of drunkorexia behaviours in a sample of Italian youth aged 14-24, explores the motivations for alcohol consumption among those presenting drunkorexia-type behaviours, and examines the relationship between drunkorexia and disordered eating. Methods: drunkorexia behaviors, eating habits and motives for alcohol use were investigated in 403 subjects (F=301, M=102) aged 14-24 through self-report questionnaires. A series of analyses, including descriptive statistics, univariate analysis of the variance and multiple regressions were run. Results: 62.5% of the sample showed drunkorexia-type behaviours. Drunkorexia was related to disordered eating, especially among females older than eighteen. Discussion and Conclusions: this the first study investigating the incidence of drunkorexia behaviors in a sample of youth living in Northern Italy. Evidence-based interventions for eating disorders and drinking problems should inspire the development of ad hoc preventive and treatment actions for drunkorexia.

Large area Silicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPMs) are the new frontier of the development of readout systems for scintillating detectors. A SiPM consists of a matrix of parallel-connected silicon micropixels operating in limited Geiger–Muller avalanche mode, and thus working as independent photon counters with a very high gain (~106). This contribution presents the performance in terms of linearity and energy resolution of an electromagnetic homogeneous calorimeter composed of 9~18X0 LYSO crystals. The crystals were readout by 36 4×4 mm2 SiPMs (4 for each crystal) produced by FBK-irst. This calorimeter was tested at the Beam Test Facility at the INFN laboratories in Frascati with a single- and multi-particle electron beam in the 100–500 MeV energy range.

The SuperB project is an asymmetric e+e− accelerator of 1036cm−2s−1 luminosity, capable of collecting a data sample of 50–75 ab−1 in five years of running. The SuperB electromagnetic calorimeter (EMC), that will be described in this paper, provides energy and direction measurement of photons and electrons, and is used for identification of electrons versus other charged particles. In particular we will present its design, geometry study and related simulations, as well as R&D on LYSO crystals, a project for the mechanical structure and development on readout and electronics. A matrix of 6 crystals has been tested this year June 2010 at the Beam Test Facility of Frascati (BTF) at energies between 200 MeV and 500 MeV, and a beam test with the complete prototype of 25 crystals is foreseen at CERN in October 2010 to cover the energy range between 500 MeV and 7 GeV.

Abstract The vertex detectors for the future hadronic colliders will operate under proton fluencies above 10 16 p/cm 2 . Crystalline Silicon detector technology, up to now, has kept the pace of the increasing fluencies in the LHC era and it is still the prevalent vertex detector material for the present and for the immediate future. Looking ahead in time, an alternative solution for such a detector has to be found because for the future there is no guarantee that Crystalline Silicon will hold this challenge. For this reason the development of hydrogenated amorphous silicon vertex detectors based on 3D-technology have been proposed and the technological solutions in order to build these detectors are described in this paper.

The new SuperKEKB collider will be an upgrade of the existing KEKB electron-positron asymmetric collider, with a target luminosity of 8×1035cm−2s−1, about 40 times greater than the previous one. The accelerator upgrade is based on the novel low-emittance “nanobeams” scheme. The detector will also be upgraded to cope with the higher luminosity, pile-up and occupancy. We report on the development of the new pure CsI calorimeter for the forward region. An intensive R&D has been carried out to study the performance of pure CsI crystals with Avalanche Photodiodes readout. Results on the signal to noise ratio for different sensors and front end electronics configurations will be presented. A matrix of 16 crystals has been tested with the electron beam at the BTF facility in Frascati. Results in terms of energy resolution of this prototype will also be discussed.

&lt;p&gt;Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is a well known detector material for its radiation resistance. This study concern 10 µm thickness, p-i-n and charge selective contacts planar diode detectors which were irradiated with neutrons at two fluence values: 1016 neq/cm2 and 5 x 1016 neq/cm2. In order to evaluate their radiation resistance, detector leakage current and response to X-ray photons have been measured. The effect of annealing for performance recovery at 100°C for 12 and 24 hours has also been studied. The results for the 1016 neq/cm2 irradiation show a factor 2 increase in leakage current that is completely recovered after annealing for p-i-n devices while charge selective contacts devices show an overall decrease of the leakage current at the end of the annealing process compared to the measurement before the irradiation. X-ray dosimetric sensitivity degrades, for this fluence, at the end of irradiation but partially recovers for charge selective contacts devices and increases for p-i-n devices at the end of the annealing process. Concerning the 5 x 1016 neq/cm2 irradiation test (for p-i-n structures only), due to the activation that occurred during the irradiation phase, the results were taken after 146 days of storage at around 0° C, during this period, a self-annealing effect may have occurred. Therefore the results after annealing show a small but noticeable degradation in leakage current and x-ray sensitivity, after irradiation and storage. &lt;/p&gt;

In this paper, by means of high-resolution photoemission, soft X-ray absorption and atomic force microscopy, we investigate, for the first time, the mechanisms of damaging, induced by neutron source, and recovering (after annealing) of p-i-n detector devices based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). This investigation will be performed by mean of high-resolution photoemission, soft X-Ray absorption and atomic force microscopy. Due to dangling bonds, the amorphous silicon is a highly defective material. However, by hydrogenation it is possible to reduce the density of the defect by several orders of magnitude, using hydrogenation and this will allow its usage in radiation detector devices. The investigation of the damage induced by exposure to high energy irradiation and its microscopic origin is fundamental since the amount of defects determine the electronic properties of the a-Si:H. The comparison of the spectroscopic results on bare and irradiated samples shows an increased degree of disorder and a strong reduction of the Si-H bonds after irradiation. After annealing we observe a partial recovering of the Si-H bonds, reducing the disorder in the Si (possibly due to the lowering of the radiation-induced dangling bonds). Moreover, effects in the uppermost coating are also observed by spectroscopies.

The nexus of security, migration and development in Africa is crucial, but certainly not only because of the flows of migrants coming to Europe. It is evident that development, migration, peace and security are connected in several ways, but more light needs to be shed on the concrete effects of their interactions. In this complex framework, the Sahel region represents an important region where the security– migration–development nexus is particularly present and deserves further analysis. This research aims at re-conceptualizing this nexus through the analysis of this linkage in the Sahel region, and in particular vis-a-vis three case countries: Niger, Senegal and Sudan. The publication also recasts the European Union and the United States approaches to these dynamics and explores current and potential partnerships in the region.

Ego proinde fateor me ex eorum numero esse conari, qui proficiendo scribunt et scribendo proficiunt. (Augustinus Ep 143, 2)

Governments’ interest in free/open source software is steadily increasing. Several policies aimed at supporting free/open source software have been taken or are currently under discussion all around the world. In this chapter, we review the basic (economic) rationales for such policy interventions and we present some summary statistics on policies taken within the European countries. We claim that in order to evaluate correctly the consequences of such interventions one has to consider both the role and the administrative level at which such decisions are taken as well as the typology of software that is involved. Moreover, we argue that the level playing field cannot be taken for granted in software markets. Therefore, non-intrusive public policies that currently prevail at the European level in terms, for instance, of the promotion of open standards or in terms of campaigns aimed at informing IT decision-makers, are likely to be welfare enhancing.Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is considered feasible for the nerve plexuses' imaging and quantitative evaluation but its value in the clinical practice is still virtually unexplored. We present the DTI profile of a case of acute varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-related brachial plexopathy. A 72-year-old woman presented with left upper-limb segmental paresis involving the spinal metamers C6-C7, preceded by a painful dermatomal vesicular eruption in C5-T1 dermatomes. Clinical and electrophysiological findings and magnetic resonance imaging indicated a plexus involvement. DTI analysis showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and an increase of all the other diffusivity indexes, i.e., mean, axial, and radial diffusivity. The mechanisms underlying DTI parameter differences between healthy and pathologic brachial plexus sides could be related to microstructural fiber damage. Water diffusion is affected within the nerve roots by increasing the diffusion distance, leading to increased diffusion perpendicular to the largest eigenvalue and therefore to decreased FA values The role of DTI in clinical practice has not been defined yet. Additional quantitative and qualitative DTI information could improve the assessment and follow-up of brachial plexopathy.

On some views, we can be sure that parties to a dispute over the logic of `exists' are not talking past each other if they can characterise `exists' as the only monadic predicate up to logical equivalence obeying a certain set of rules of inference. Otherwise, we ought to be suspicious about the reality of their disagreement. This is what we call a proof-theoretic argument. Pace some critics, who have tried to use proof-theoretic arguments to cast doubts about the reality of disagreements about the logic of `exists', we argue that proof-theoretic arguments can be deployed to establish the reality of several such disagreements. Along the way, we will also utilise this technique to establish similar results about some disagreements over the logic of identity.

The diffusion of screening programs has resulted in a decrease of cT4 breast cancer diagnosis. The standard care for cT4 was neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NA), surgery, and locoregional or adjuvant systemic therapies. NA allows two outcomes: 1. improve survival rates, and 2. de-escalation of surgery. This de-escalation has allowed the introduction of conservative breast surgery (CBS). We evaluate the possibility of submitting cT4 patients to CBS instead of radical breast surgery (RBS) by assessing the risk of locoregional disease-free survival, (LR-DFS) distant disease-free survival (DDFS), and overall survival (OS).This monocentric, retrospective study evaluated cT4 patients submitted to NA and surgery between January 2014 and July 2021. The study population included patients undergoing CBS or RBS without immediate reconstruction. Survival curves were obtained using the Kaplan-Meyer method and compared using a Log Rank test.At a follow-up of 43.7 months, LR-DFS was 70% and 75.9%, respectively, in CBS and RBS (p = 0.420). DDFS was 67.8% and 29.7%, respectively, (p = 0.122). OS was 69.8% and 59.8%, respectively, (p = 0.311).In patients with major or complete response to NA, CBS can be considered a safe alternative to RBS in the treatment of cT4a-d stage. In patients with poor response to NA, RBS remained the best surgical choice.

This paper will describe a trustworthy blockchain-based framework to ensure secure, immutable and pseudo anonymized data collection at field level. This paper will describe the context in which the framework is being conceived and developed, starting from the analysis of the state of the art of DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) and Blockchain, to highlight the potential uses cases in terms of data management, in particular. A specific focus will be given to the FIWARE framework, since the final objective is the creation of a tool for data gathering, as a FIWARE context broker extension. The core of the tool will be the two smart contracts implementing the PoE (Proof of Existence) and the RT-MDN (Reat Time-Monitoring Data Notarization). The smart contracts will be used for the certification of single documents and bulk of monitoring data, respectively. The second case is characterized by a periodicity of production and represent the most innovative part of the work. A first PoC (Proof of Concept) will be implemented, and first early results will be presented as well. The work is being developed in the framework of the EU co-funded “DigiBUILD” project.

In this paper a method for the calculation of the wall particle inventory in a Tokamak is proposed and applied for a series of discharges carried out during the recent Joint European Torus (JET) D–T experiments. These results are subsequently used to validate a new model for the calculation and prediction of the wall particle inventory on the pulse by pulse time scale. This model, known as the `Wall Retention' model, includes the effect of codeposition and is able to reproduce both the total and the tritium wall inventory if it is assumed that between 0.8% to 2% of the ion flux to the divertor is codeposited. It is demonstrated that the Wall Retention model can be used predictively while maintaining good agreement with the experiments. Extrapolations to ITER give a tritium retention per pulse of 54 g.

&lt;p&gt;Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is a well known detector material for its radiation resistance. This study concern 10 µm thickness, p-i-n and charge selective contacts planar diode detectors which were irradiated with neutrons at two fluence values: 1016 neq/cm2 and 5 x 1016 neq/cm2. In order to evaluate their radiation resistance, detector leakage current and response to X-ray photons have been measured. The effect of annealing for performance recovery at 100°C for 12 and 24 hours has also been studied. The results for the 1016 neq/cm2 irradiation show a factor 2 increase in leakage current that is completely recovered after annealing for p-i-n devices while charge selective contacts devices show an overall decrease of the leakage current at the end of the annealing process compared to the measurement before the irradiation. X-ray dosimetric sensitivity degrades, for this fluence, at the end of irradiation but partially recovers for charge selective contacts devices and increases for p-i-n devices at the end of the annealing process. Concerning the 5 x 1016 neq/cm2 irradiation test (for p-i-n structures only), due to the activation that occurred during the irradiation phase, the results were taken after 146 days of storage at around 0° C, during this period, a self-annealing effect may have occurred. Therefore the results after annealing show a small but noticeable degradation in leakage current and x-ray sensitivity, after irradiation and storage. &lt;/p&gt;

We report a Dalitz plot analysis of charmless hadronic decays of charged $B$ mesons to the final state $K_{\rm S}^{0}\pi^{+}\pi^{0}$ using the full BaBar dataset of $470.9\pm2.8$ million $B\bar{B}$ events collected at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance. We measure the overall branching fraction and $CP$ asymmetry to be ${\cal B}\left(B^{+}\to K^{0}\pi^{+}\pi^{0}\right) = \left(45.9 \pm 2.6 \pm 3.0^{+8.6}_{-0.0}\right)\times10^{-6}$ and $A_{CP}\left(B^{+}\to K^{0}\pi^{+}\pi^{0}\right) = 0.07 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.03^{+0.02}_{-0.03}$, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the signal model, respectively. This is the first measurement of the branching fraction for $B^{+} \to K^{0}\pi^{+}\pi^{0}$. We find first evidence of a $CP$ asymmetry in $B^{+}\to K^{*}(892)^{+}\pi^{0}$ decays: $A_{CP}\left(B^{+}\to K^{*}(892)^{+}\pi^{0}\right)=-0.52 \pm 0.14 \pm 0.04^{+0.04}_{-0.02}$. The significance of this asymmetry, including systematic and model uncertainties, is $3.4$ standard deviations. We also measure the branching fractions and $CP$ asymmetries for three other intermediate decay modes.

The SuperB project is an asymmetric e+e− accelerator of 1036 cm−2s−1 luminosity, capable of collecting a 50–75 ab−1 data sample in five years of running. The SuperB electromagnetic calorimeter (EMC) provides energy and direction measurement of photons and electrons and identification versus other charged particles for electrons. A matrix of 25 LYSO crystals has been tested at the Beam Test Facility at Frascati in May 2011 at energies between 100 MeV and 500 MeV. Results from this test will be presented. Design and Monte Carlo studies for the general EMC system will also be presented.

Fragmentation pathways of Avermectins were studied by electron impact (EI), chemical ionisation (CI), electrospray ionisation (ESI) and by collision experiments. Structure characterisation was obtained using ESI combined with multi-stage (MSn) tandem mass spectrometry, analysis of homologues, and effects on fragment masses of H/D exchange. By these approaches the structures of two new derivatives of Avermectins were characterised. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

3.1 La comunita donatista romana 3.1.1 Vittore, un “cittadino in affitto” Apparentemente confutando la pretesa di “cattolicita” dei suoi avversari, nel libro secondo del suo trattato contro i donatisti Ottato di Milevi nega loro il diritto di rivendicare la comunione con la chiesa romana: dopo averne ricostruito l’ininterrotta successione episcopale di parte cattolica, egli accusa i vescovi donatisti dell’Urbe di non poter risalire oltre Vittore di Garbi, giunto appositamente dall’Africa nel ...

The above-mentioned measurements, on crystals, photodetectors and optical couplings, performed at INFN and ENEA laboratories and irradiation facilities, represent a thorough study of options, that will allow the optimal solution for the upgrade of the Belle II end cap calorimeter to be found.

Con questo lavoro di diploma ho cercato di stabilire quale fosse il livello di alfabetizzazione probabilistica in entrata alla scuola media. Come campione di riferimento e stata scelta una classe prima della scuola media di Agno. Sono quindi stati somministrati due test da cui sono stati ricavati sei profili che sono in seguito stati comparati ad un benchmark, elaborato partendo dalle competenze che mi aspetto abbia un allievo alfabetizzato probabilisticamente. E emersa una diffusa influenza da parte di paure e pregiudizi sulla stima delle probabilita effettuate dai ragazzi. Questo e altri elementi indicano un’alfabetizzazione probabilistica ancora carente, anche se sono presenti alcuni elementi che mostrano la presenta di ragionamenti probabilistici. La conclusione a cui sono giunto e che l’alfabetizzazione probabilistica del campione di riferimento e ancora in una fase di sviluppo, e presenta notevoli differenze all’interno del campione di riferimento. Relatore: Alberto Piatti. Materia: matematica

La storia evolutiva della fotosintesi negli eucarioti e lunga 1,5 milardi di anni. In questo lasso di tempo l'evoluzione ha dato origine a molte e variegate strategie per la raccolta della luce.

Creazione di un modello su base sperimentale, basato sulla tecnica del cohesive zone model. Valutazione tramite tecnica doe dell'influenza dei parametri processuali, sulla resistenza meccanica dell'interfaccia di un giunto ibrido

Corporate income taxation (CIT) in most countries favors debt over equity financing, leading to over-indebtedness. This problem is particularly acute for the financial sector. We estimate financial-stability benefits of eliminating this debt bias. We estimate the long-run effects of CIT on bank leverage and, using a Vasicek-based model of banking crisis losses, we find that eliminating this debt bias could reduce public finance losses in the range of 30 to 70%. These results hold even for conservative estimates of bank-leverage and portfolio-risk effects of CIT changes.

During the period 2008-2012, EU governments incurred substantial costs bailing out banks. As corporate income taxation (CIT) in most countries still favors debt- over equityfinancing, reducing or eliminating this debt bias would complement regulatory reforms reducing costs of financial crises. To estimate this effect, we use a two-step approach. First, using panel regressions on a dataset of 32,833 bank-year observations we find sizable long-run effects of CIT on leverage in the EU. Second, we simulate the effect of tax reforms on bank losses using a Vasicek-based model with actual banks’ balance sheets to estimate costs of systemic crises for six large EU member states. Even if the tax elasticity of bank leverage is taken at the lower end of the ranges found in recent literature, eliminating the debt bias could lead to reductions of public finance losses in the range of 60 to 90%. The results hold even when considering much smaller effects for banks that are close to the regulatory minimum capital requirement of the Basel III framework. Even when asset portfolio risk is allowed to increase endogenously and considering conservative ranges of the parameter space, we conclude that tax reforms to remove the debt bias can result in very sizable reductions in risks and costs of financial crises.

We report electron counting experiments in a silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor quantum dot architecture which has been previously demonstrated to generate a quantized current in excess of 80 pA with uncertainty below 30 parts per million. Single-shot detection of electrons pumped into a reservoir dot is performed using a capacitively coupled single-electron transistor. We extract the full probability distribution of the transfer of n electrons per pumping cycle for n = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. We find that the probabilities extracted from the counting experiment are in agreement with direct current measurements in a broad range of dc electrochemical potentials of the pump. The electron counting technique is also used to confirm the improving robustness of the pumping mechanism with increasing electrostatic confinement of the quantum dot.

Recent studies have shown that the medium-Earth orbit (MEO) region of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems is permeated by a devious network of lunisolar secular resonances, which can interact to produce chaotic and diffusive motions. The precarious state of the four navigation constellations, perched on the threshold of instability, makes it understandable why all past efforts to define stable graveyard orbits, especially in the case of Galileo, were bound to fail; the region is far too complex to allow of an adoption of the simple geosynchronous disposal strategy. We retrace one such recent attempt, funded by ESA's General Studies Programme in the frame of the GreenOPS initiative, that uses a systematic parametric approach and the straightforward maximum-eccentricity method to identify long-term stable regions, suitable for graveyards, as well as large-scale excursions in eccentricity, which can be used for post-mission deorbiting of constellation satellites. We then apply our new results on the stunningly rich dynamical structure of the MEO region toward the analysis of these disposal strategies for Galileo, and discuss the practical implications of resonances and chaos in this regime. We outline how the identification of the hyperbolic and elliptic fixed points of the resonances near Galileo can lead to explicit criteria for defining optimal disposal strategies.

Semiconductor-based quantum dot single-electron pumps are currently the most promising candidates for the direct realization of the emerging quantum standard of the ampere in the International System of Units. Here, we discuss a silicon quantum dot single-electron pump with radio frequency control over the transparencies of entrance and exit barriers as well as the dot potential. We show that our driving protocol leads to robust bidirectional pumping: one can conveniently reverse the direction of the quantized current by changing only the phase shift of one driving waveform with respect to the others. We also study the improvement in the robustness of the current quantization owing to the introduction of three control voltages in comparison with the two-waveform driving. We anticipate that this pumping technique may be used in the future to perform error counting experiments by pumping the electrons into and out of a reservoir island monitored by a charge sensor.

Software design and development in Free/Open Source projects are analyzed through the lens of the theory of modularity applied to complex systems. We show that both the architecture of the artifacts (software) and the organization of the projects benefited from the paradigm of modularity in an original and effective manner. In particular, our analysis on empirical evidence suggests that three main shortcuts to modular design have been introduced and effectively applied. First, some successful projects inherited previously existing modular architecture, rather than designing new modular systems from scratch. Second, popular modular systems, like GNU/Linux kernel, evolved from an initial integrated structure through a process of evolutionary adaptation. Third, the development of modular software took advantage of the violation of one fundamental rule of modularity, that is, information hiding. Through these three routines, the projects can exploit the benefits of modularity, such as concurrent engineering, division of labor, decentralized and parallel development; at the same time, these routines lessen some of the problems posed by the design of modular architectures, namely imperfect decompositions of interdependent components. Implications and extensions of Free/Open Source projects experience are discussed in the conclusions.Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to produce detailed topologies of the Internet. Although Internet topology data have been brought to the attention of a wide and somewhat diverse audience of scholars, so far they have been overlooked by economists. In this paper, we suggest that such data could be effectively treated as a proxy to characterize the size of the "digital economy" at country level and outsourcing: thus, we analyse the topological structure of the network of trade in digital services (trade in bits) and compare it with that of the more traditional flow of manufactured goods across countries. To perform meaningful comparisons across networks with different characteristics, we define a stochastic benchmark for the number of connections among each country-pair, based on hypergeometric distribution. Original data are thus filtered by means of different thresholds, so that we only focus on the strongest links, i.e., statistically significant links. We find that trade in bits displays a sparser and less hierarchical network structure, which is more similar to trade in high-skill manufactured goods than total trade. Lastly, distance plays a more prominent role in shaping the network of international trade in physical goods than trade in digital services.

The new facility SuperKEKB will be an upgrade of the existing KEKB electron–positron asymmetric collider, with a target luminosity of 8×1035cm−2s−1, about 40 times greater than that of KEKB. The detector will also be upgraded to cope with the higher luminosity, pile-up and occupancy. We report here on the design and development of the new pure CsI calorimeter for the forward region. An intensive R&D is being carried on to study the performance of pure CsI crystals with Avalanche Photodiodes readout. Results about the relative energy resolution of this detector, along with radiation hardness studies of all the components, are presented. A matrix of 16 crystals has been put on an electron beam at the BTF facility in Frascati and results in terms of energy resolution of this prototype are also discussed.

The new SuperKEKB collider will be an upgrade of the existing KEKB electron-positron asymmetric machine, with a target luminosity of 8×1035 cm−2s−1, about 40 times greater than the previous one. The accelerator upgrade is based on the novel low-emittance "nanobeams" scheme. The detector will also be upgraded to cope with the higher luminosity, pile-up and occupancy. We report on the development of the new pure CsI calorimeter for the forward region. An intensive R&D has been carried out to study the performance of pure CsI crystals with Large Area Avalanche Photodiodes readout (LAAPD). Results on the signal to noise ratio for different sensors and front end electronics configurations will be presented as well as the use of filters and wavelength shifters. Measurements with a source, simulating the background machine, have been performed and will also be presented.

Chi di noi non ha subito il fascino dell’ipotesi che quelle coloratissime ‘carte geografiche’ del cervello prodotte dalle tecniche di neuroimaging potessero svelare tutti i segreti della mente? In realta il sensazionalismo che spesso accompagna le scoperte fatte utilizzando queste tecniche non e sempre giustificato perche le neuroimmagini non possono leggerci nel pensiero. Ma sono comunque un prezioso strumento – sempre piu sofisticato – per studiare come funziona il nostro cervello.

Questo documento, scritto a seguito di tirocinio aziendale, dopo una breve introduzione relativa all'azienda in cui si e svolto, e fondamentalmente una relazione di qualita sul tema della virtualizzazione dei server applicativi aziendali, utile ai fini di una possibile implementazione di questa tecnologia sulle macchine presenti nel datacenter aziendale. Dopo aver fatto un excursus storico partendo dalla fine degli anni '60 del secolo scorso fino ai giorni nostri, si vedranno i vantaggi legati ad una sua implementazione, per poi passare a vedere i legami tra CPU e sistema operativo e conseguente progettazione della VMM, il cuore delle macchine virtualizzate. Il documento terminera con una rapida visitazione dei tipi di virtualizzazione dei server: full virtualization, paravirtualizzazione, virtualizzazione del sistema operativo e virtualizzazione nativa.

We analyze a new approach to Machine Learning coming from a modification of classical regularization networks by casting the process in the time dimension, leading to a sort of collapse of dimensionality in the problem of learning the model parameters. This approach allows the definition of a online learning algorithm that progressively accumulates the knowledge provided in the input trajectory. The regularization principle leads to a solution based on a dynamical system that is paired with a procedure to develop a graph structure that stores the input regularities acquired from the temporal evolution. We report an extensive experimental exploration on the behavior of the parameter of the proposed model and an evaluation on artificial dataset.

In this document we shows a first implementation and some preliminary results of a new theory, facing Machine Learning problems in the frameworks of Classical Mechanics and Variational Calculus. We give a general formulation of the problem and then we studies basic behaviors of the model on simple practical implementations.

&lt;p&gt;Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is a well known detector material for its radiation resistance. This study concern 10 µm thickness, p-i-n and charge selective contacts planar diode detectors which were irradiated with neutrons at two fluence values: 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; and 5 x 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. In order to evaluate their radiation resistance, detector leakage current and response to X-ray photons have been measured. The effect of annealing for performance recovery at 100°C for 12 and 24 hours has also been studied. The results for the 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; irradiation show a factor 2 increase in leakage current that is completely recovered after annealing for p-i-n devices while charge selective contacts devices show an overall decrease of the leakage current at the end of the annealing process compared to the measurement before the irradiation. X-ray dosimetric sensitivity degrades, for this fluence, at the end of irradiation but partially recovers for charge selective contacts devices and increases for p-i-n devices at the end of the annealing process. Concerning the 5 x 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; irradiation test (for p-i-n structures only), due to the activation occurred during the irradiation phase, the results were taken after 146 days of storage around 0° C when a self-annealing effect may have occurred. Nevertheless the results shows a degradation in leakage current and x-ray sensitivity which changes very little after annealing.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is a well known detector material for its radiation resistance. This study concern 10 µm thickness, p-i-n and charge selective contacts planar diode detectors which were irradiated with neutrons at two fluence values: 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; and 5 x 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. In order to evaluate their radiation resistance, detector leakage current and response to X-ray photons have been measured. The effect of annealing for performance recovery at 100°C for 12 and 24 hours has also been studied. The results for the 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; irradiation show a factor 2 increase in leakage current that is completely recovered after annealing for p-i-n devices while charge selective contacts devices show an overall decrease of the leakage current at the end of the annealing process compared to the measurement before the irradiation. X-ray dosimetric sensitivity degrades, for this fluence, at the end of irradiation but partially recovers for charge selective contacts devices and increases for p-i-n devices at the end of the annealing process. Concerning the 5 x 10&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; n&lt;sub&gt;eq&lt;/sub&gt;/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; irradiation test (for p-i-n structures only), due to the activation occurred during the irradiation phase, the results were taken after 146 days of storage around 0° C when a self-annealing effect may have occurred. Nevertheless the results shows a degradation in leakage current and x-ray sensitivity which changes very little after annealing.&lt;/p&gt;

The rapid progress of hole spin qubits in group IV semiconductors has been driven by their potential for scalability. This is owed to the compatibility with industrial manufacturing standards, as well as the ease of operation and addressability via all-electric drives. However, owing to a strong spin-orbit interaction, these systems present variability and anisotropy in key qubit control parameters such as the Landé $g-$factor, requiring careful characterisation for reliable qubit operation. Here, we experimentally investigate a hole double quantum dot in silicon by carrying out spin readout with gate-based reflectometry. We show that characteristic features in the reflected phase signal arising from magneto-spectroscopy convey information on site-dependent $g-$factors in the two dots. Using analytical modeling, we extract the physical parameters of our system and, through numerical calculations, we extend the results to point out the prospect of conveniently extracting information about the local $g-$factors from reflectometry measurements.

Challenge-based learning (CBL), the experiential learning and pedagogical approach through which learners (students, instructors, companies, stakeholders, communities) are actively involved in designing a sustainable solution for a real-world problem, is gaining momentum in various higher education institutions around the world. Despite this multiplication of learning initiatives, evaluation in CBL is still an overlooked topic both by scholars and practitioners. Moreover, assessment is closely linked to the teaching and learning process and can also influence the evolution of the challenge because it is directly involved in the feedback, teamwork, and relationship between students, instructors, challenge providers, and stakeholders. Explaining why assessment is so important in CBL is one of the objectives of this chapter. Therefore, in line with the spirit of the handbook, the aim of this chapter is also to inspire, and give suggestions and tools for novel ways of assessing the learning process in CBL.Through a challenge launched by the University of Trento, involving a local nonprofit integrative health fund, we understood the importance to integrate the formative with the summative assessment, to evaluate not only the final results but also the learning process. We experienced the fundamentals and the difficulties of self-directed learning through which students are called to codesign their learning experience, monitor teamwork, and assess their progress. Support and guidance from instructors are required to be successful in this cultural shift through which teachers are no more traditional professors and students are finally the experts in the challenge.

Power systems are undergoing a significant change and the main elements to address the new challenges is the new key-role played by the distribution grid and its transformation into a smart grid. While the distribution grid has traditionally operated with alternating current (AC), nowadays most devices operate with DC internally, and most distributed renewable resources generate power in DC. Furthermore, storage components, such as batteries and supercapacitors, have a DC character. DC seems to be the one of the most promising candidates to avoid stranded investments and to guarantee incredible saving for the community in Europe, making the transition to a fully decarbonised energy system an affordable reality. Anyway, hybrid AC/DC grids technologies make the control of these networks considerably complicated due to advent of the new power electronic devices with some critical controllable parameters. The protections of these parameters operate in a much short time in emergency states, leading to increase in cascade failures probability. In this framework, the HYPERRIDE project aims to enable a unique revolution in the electrical grid infrastructure creating the conditions to really unlock a wide application of DC technology in the distribution grid. Furthermore, HYPERRIDE provide a technology independent specification of a FIWARE-based interoperable and secure ICT platform. In this paper, the layered architecture of the platform will be described and a potential usage application of it for the predictions in resilient hybrid AC/DC grids will be presented.

In a context where European stock prices have been trending upwards, one of the main concerns is that stocks perceived as more sustainable from an environmental, social and governance (ESG) perspective could be particularly exposed to exuberance. To shed some light on the magnitude of the deviation of stock prices from fundamentals we apply a Markov-switching augmented version of the present-value model. Using monthly data on the European stock market from 2005 to 2022, our model suggests that at the beginning of 2022 the non-fundamental component was about one fourth of the total price. When looking at particular market segments, the model shows that green and ESG stocks behave broadly in line with the market. However, in recent years ESG stocks have shown a significant, though small, disconnect from the market. These findings suggest that investor preferences are shifting towards sustainability, while not posing immediate risks to market stability.

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is the first full-scale test of an asteroid deflection technology. Results from the hypervelocity kinetic impact and Earth-based observations, coupled with LICIACube and the later Hera mission, will result in measurement of the momentum transfer efficiency accurate to ~10% and characterization of the Didymos binary system. But DART is a single experiment; how could these results be used in a future planetary defense necessity involving a different asteroid? We examine what aspects of Dimorphos's response to kinetic impact will be constrained by DART results; how these constraints will help refine knowledge of the physical properties of asteroidal materials and predictive power of impact simulations; what information about a potential Earth impactor could be acquired before a deflection effort; and how design of a deflection mission should be informed by this understanding. We generalize the momentum enhancement factor $\beta$, showing that a particular direction-specific $\beta$ will be directly determined by the DART results, and that a related direction-specific $\beta$ is a figure of merit for a kinetic impact mission. The DART $\beta$ determination constrains the ejecta momentum vector, which, with hydrodynamic simulations, constrains the physical properties of Dimorphos's near-surface. In a hypothetical planetary defense exigency, extrapolating these constraints to a newly discovered asteroid will require Earth-based observations and benefit from in-situ reconnaissance. We show representative predictions for momentum transfer based on different levels of reconnaissance and discuss strategic targeting to optimize the deflection and reduce the risk of a counterproductive deflection in the wrong direction.

In this chapter, we reflect on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on an Innovation and Entrepreneurship educational programme by comparing two editions of the Start-up Lab, a three-month hands-on laboratory organised at the University of Trento (Italy), focused on the development of entrepreneurial ideas by international students. The 2019 edition of the course, before the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, was held in attendance, whereas the 2021 edition was held online. For the latter, the authors decided to introduce a self-directed learning approach, assuming it could better support remote teamwork and the acquisition of transversal skills. In this chapter, the authors critically question the effectiveness of remote working and the self-directed learning approach in innovation and entrepreneurship education programmes. The authors provide early evidence about some critical aspects of online and distance learning and teamwork, mostly related to self-efficacy skills, such as the ability to motivate others to work together and collaborative work. Despite the negative effects of distance working on some entrepreneurial skills, the authors demonstrate that the ability to reflect on learning experience is a driver for improving specific entrepreneurial and innovation skills. Students who have had the opportunity to reflect on their learning experiences feel more confident about becoming entrepreneurs or working in companies with a stronger entrepreneurial mindset.

Diffractive optical elements such as periodic gratings are fundamental devices in X-ray imaging - a technique that medical, material science and security scans rely upon. Fabrication of such structures with high aspect ratios at the nanoscale creates opportunities to further advance such applications, especially in terms of relaxing X-ray source coherence requirements. This is because typical grating-based X-ray phase imaging techniques (e.g., Talbot self-imaging) require a coherence length of at least one grating period and ideally longer. In this paper, the fabrication challenges in achieving high aspect-ratio nanogratings filled with gold are addressed by a combination of laser interference and nanoimprint lithography, physical vapor deposition, metal assisted chemical etching (MACE), and electroplating. This relatively simple and cost-efficient approach is unlocked by an innovative post-MACE drying step with hexamethyldisilazane, which effectively minimizes the stiction of the nanostructures. The theoretical limits of the approach are discussed and, experimentally, X-ray nanogratings with aspect ratios &gt;40 demonstrated. Finally, their excellent diffractive abilities are shown when exposed to a hard (12.2 keV) monochromatic x-ray beam at a synchrotron facility, and thus potential applicability in phase-based X-ray imaging.

Context . GRB 111209A, one of the longest gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) ever observed, is linked to SN 2011kl, which is the most luminous GRB supernova (SN) detected so far. Several lines of evidence indicate that this GRB-SN is powered by a magnetar central engine.Aims . We place SN 2011kl into the context of large samples of SNe, addressing in more detail the question of whether this GRB-SN could be radioactively powered, and whether it represents an extreme version of a GRB-SN or an underluminous superluminous SN (SLSN).Methods . We modelled SN 2011kl using SN 1998bw as a template and derived a bolometric light curve including near-infrared data. We compared the properties of SN 2011kl to literature results on stripped-envelope and SLSNe.Results . A comparison in the k , s context, i.e. comparing SN 2011kl to SN 1998bw templates in terms of luminosity and light-curve stretch, clearly shows SN 2011kl is the most luminous GRB-SN to date and is spectrally very dissimilar to other events because it is significantly bluer/hotter. Although SN 2011kl does not reach the classical luminosity threshold of SLSNe and evolves faster than any of these objects, it resembles SLSNe more than the classical GRB-associated broad-lined Type Ic SNe in several aspects.Conclusions . GRB 111209A was a very energetic event, both at early (prompt emission) and at very late (SN) times. We show in a companion publication that with the exception of the extreme duration, the GRB and afterglow parameters are in agreement with the known distributions for these parameters. SN 2011kl, on the other hand, is exceptional both in luminosity and spectral characteristics, indicating that GRB 111209A was likely not powered by a standard-model collapsar central engine, further supporting our earlier conclusions. Instead, it reveals the possibility of a direct link between GRBs and SLSNe.

One of the central concerns of the literature studying firms’ growth is the need for understanding the rationale underlying the growth process from the company perspective. The appearance of novel patterns of firms’ growth is linked to the emergence of new paradigms for the organization of industrial and manufacturing processes (that is, industrial revolution). The paper discusses evidence from a sample of fast-growing large companies taken from the Fortune 500 ranking. Results show patterns of firms’ growth more in line with traditional sectors which are fueled by scale and scope economies, and other patterns, observed more often in the case of high-tech “new economy” companies, which are instead fueled by network effects and platformization strategies. We label the latter phenomenon “metamorphosing,” a pattern of growth characterized by a constant reshaping of horizontal and vertical boundaries by the firm which aims at taking advantage of market opportunities by exploiting its keystone position in platform-based business.

While theories postulating a dual cognitive system take hold, quantitative confirmations are still needed to understand and identify interactions between the two systems or conflict events. Eye movements are among the most direct markers of the individual attentive load and may serve as an important proxy of information. In this work we propose a computational method, within a modified visual version of the well-known Stroop test, for the identification of different tasks and potential conflicts events between the two systems through the collection and processing of data related to eye movements. A statistical analysis shows that the selected variables can characterize the variation of attentive load within different scenarios. Moreover, we show that Machine Learning techniques allow to distinguish between different tasks with a good classification accuracy and to investigate more in depth the gaze dynamics.

In this paper we present a novel algorithm to solve the robot kinematic structure identification problem. Given a time series of data, typically obtained processing a set of visual observations, the proposed approach identifies the ordered sequence of links associated to the kinematic chain, the joint type interconnecting each couple of consecutive links, and the input signal influencing the relative motion. Compared to the state of the art, the proposed algorithm has reduced computational costs, and is able to identify also the joints' type sequence.