Paolo Spagnolo

A search has been performed for the Standard Model Higgs boson in the data sample collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP, at centre-of-mass energies up to 209GeV. An excess of 3sigma beyond the background expectation is found, consistent with the production of the Higgs boson with a mass near 114GeV/c2. Much of this excess is seen in the four-jet analyses, where three high purity events are selected.

The fragmentation of b quarks into B mesons is studied with four million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH experiment during the years 1991–1995. A semi-exclusive reconstruction of B→ℓνD(★) decays is performed, by combining lepton candidates with fully reconstructed D(★) mesons while the neutrino energy is estimated from the missing energy of the event. The mean value of xBwd, the energy of the weakly-decaying B meson normalised to the beam energy, is found to be 〈xBwd〉=0.716±0.006(stat)±0.006(syst), using a model-independent method; the corresponding value for the energy of the leading B meson is 〈xBL〉=0.736±0.006(stat)±0.006(syst). The reconstructed spectra are compared with different fragmentation models.

We propose a variation, based on very low energy and extremely intense photon sources, on the well established technique of Light-Shining-through-Wall (LSW) experiments for axion-like particle searches. With radiation sources at 30 GHz, we compute that present laboratory exclusion limits on axion-like particles might be improved by at least four orders of magnitude, for masses ma≲0.01 meV. This could motivate research and development programs on dedicated single-photon sub-THz detectors.

The Italian institute for nuclear physics (INFN) has financed the SIMP project (2019–2021) in order to strengthen its skills and technologies in the field of meV detectors with the ultimate aim of developing a single microwave photon detector. This goal will be pursued by improving the sensitivity and the dark-count rate of two types of photodetectors: current-biased Josephson junction (CBJJ) for the frequency range 10–50 GHz and transition-edge sensor (TES) for the frequency range 30–100 GHz. Preliminary results on materials and devices characterization are presented.

The decay B0 -> J/psi K0_S is reconstructed with J/psi -> e+ e- or mu+ mu- and K0_S -> pi+ pi-. From the full ALEPH dataset at LEP1 of about 4 million hadronic Z decays, 23 candidates are selected with an estimated purity of 71%. They are used to measure the CP asymmetry of this decay, given by sin 2beta in the Standard Model, with the result sin 2beta = 0.84 +0.82-1.04 +-0.16. This is combined with existing measurements from other experiments, and increases the confidence level that CP violation has been observed in this channel to 98%.

Terahertz (THz) and sub-terahertz (sub-THz) band detection has a key role in both fundamental interactions physics and technological applications, such as medical imaging, industrial quality control, and homeland security. In particular, transition edge sensors (TESs) and kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) are the most employed bolometers and calorimeters in the THz and sub-THz band for astrophysics and astroparticles research. Here, we present the electronic, thermal, and spectral characterization of an aluminum/copper bilayer sensing structure that, thanks to its thermal properties and a simple miniaturized design, could be considered a perfect candidate to realize an extremely sensitive class of nanoscale TES (nano-TES) for the giga–terahertz band. Indeed, thanks to the reduced dimensionality of the active region and the efficient Andreev mirror heat confinement, our devices are predicted to reach state-of-the-art TES performance. In particular, as a bolometer the nano-TES is expected to have a noise equivalent power of 5×10−20 W/Hz and a relaxation time of ∼10 ns for the sub-THz band, typical of cosmic microwave background studies. When operated as a single-photon sensor, the devices are expected to show a remarkable frequency resolution of 100 GHz, pointing toward the necessary energy sensitivity requested in laboratory axion search experiments. Finally, different multiplexing schemes are proposed and sized for imaging applications.

Data taken with the ALEPH detector at LEP1 have been used to search for gamma gamma production of the glueball candidates f0(1500) and fJ(1710) via their decay to pi+pi-. No signal is observed and upper limits to the product of gamma gamma width and pi+pi- branching ratio of the f0(1500) and the fJ(1710) have been measured to be Gamma_(gamma gamma -> f0(1500)). BR(f0(1500)->pi+pi-) < 0.31 keV and Gamma_(gamma gamma -> fJ(1710)). BR(fJ(1710)->pi+pi-) < 0.55 keV at 95% confidence level.

In the recent years, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has gained considerably popularity among computer vision researchers for its potential in solving remote sensing problems, especially in agriculture field. However, HSI classification is a complex task due to the high redundancy of spectral bands, limited training samples, and non-linear relationship between spatial position and spectral bands. Fortunately, deep learning techniques have shown promising results in HSI analysis. This literature review explores recent applications of deep learning approaches such as Autoencoders, Convolutional Neural Networks (1D, 2D, and 3D), Recurrent Neural Networks, Deep Belief Networks, and Generative Adversarial Networks in agriculture. The performance of these approaches has been evaluated and discussed on well-known land cover datasets including Indian Pines, Salinas Valley, and Pavia University.

Quantum Sensing is a rapidly expanding research field that finds one of its applications in Fundamental Physics, as the search for Dark Matter. Devices based on superconducting qubits have already been successfully applied in detecting few-GHz single photons via Quantum Non-Demolition measurement (QND). This technique allows us to perform repeatable measurements, bringing remarkable sensitivity improvements and dark count rate suppression in experiments based on high-precision microwave photon detection, such as for Axions and Dark Photons search. In this context, the INFN Qub-IT project goal is to realize an itinerant single-photon counter based on superconducting qubits that will exploit QND for enhancing Axion search experiments. In this study, we present Qub-IT's status towards the realization of its first superconducting qubit device, illustrating design and simulation procedures and the characterization of fabricated Coplanar Waveguide Resonators (CPWs) for readout. We match target qubit parameters and assess a few-percent level agreement between lumped and distributed element simulation models. We reach a maximum internal quality factor of 9.2×10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">5</sup> for -92 dBm on-chip readout power.

Abstract Josephson junctions, in appropriate configurations, can be excellent candidates for detection of single photons in the microwave frequency band. Such possibility has been recently addressed in the framework of galactic axion detection. Here are reported recent developments in the modelling and simulation of dynamic behaviour of a Josephson junction single microwave photon detector. For a Josephson junction to be enough sensitive, small critical currents and operating temperatures of the order of ten of mK are necessary. Thermal and quantum tunnelling out of the zero-voltage state can also mask the detection process. Axion detection would require dark count rates in the order of 0.001 Hz. It is, therefore, is of paramount importance to identify proper device fabrication parameters and junction operation point.

The data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 188.6 GeV by ALEPH at LEP, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 176.2 pb−1, are analysed in a search for pair-produced charged Higgs bosons H±. Three analyses are employed to select the τ+νττ−ν̄τ, cs̄τ−ν̄τ and cs̄sc̄ final states. No evidence for a signal is found. Upper limits are set on the production cross section as a function of the branching fraction B(H+→τ+ντ) and of the mass mH±, assuming that the sum of the branching ratios is equal to one. In the framework of a two-Higgs-doublet model, charged Higgs bosons with masses below 65.4 GeV/c2 are excluded at 95% confidence level independently of the decay mode.

Inclusive γ∗γ interactions to hadronic final states where one scattered electron or positron is detected in the electromagnetic calorimeters have been studied in the LEP 1 data taken by ALEPH from 1991 to 1995. The event sample has been used to measure the hadronic structure function of the photon F2γ in three bins with 〈Q2〉 of 9.9, 20.7 and 284 GeV2.

The e+e−→ZZ cross section at s=182.7 and 188.6GeV has been measured using the ALEPH detector. A cut-based analysis yields cross section measurements ofσZZ(182.7GeV)=0.11±0.160.11(stat.)±0.04(syst.)pbandσZZ(188.6GeV)=0.69±0.130.12(stat.)±0.03(syst.)pb.A neural network-based analysis yieldsσZZ(188.6GeV)=0.64±0.120.11(stat.)±0.04(syst.)pb.These measurements are consistent with the Standard Model expectations.

The data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV by ALEPH at LEP, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 173.6 pb−1, are analysed in a search for the scalar partners of quarks and leptons predicted in supersymmetric models. No evidence for any such particles was found in the decay channels ℓ̃→ℓχ, t̃→cχ, t̃→bℓν̃, b̃→bχ, and q̃→qχ. Improved mass lower limits have been obtained in the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.

In a data sample of about four million hadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector from 1991 to 1995, the B0s→D(∗)+sD(∗)−s decay is observed, based on tagging the final state with two φ mesons in the same hemisphere. The Ds(∗)+Ds(∗)− final state is mostly CP even and corresponds to the short-lived B0s mass eigenstate. The branching ratio of this decay is measured to be BR(B0s(short)→D(∗)+sD(∗)−s) =(23±10−9+19)%. A measurement of the lifetime of the B0s(short) gives 1.27±0.33±0.08 ps. The lifetime and branching ratio measurements provide two essentially independent methods of estimating the relative decay width difference ΔΓ/Γ in the B0s–B̄0s system, corresponding to an average value ΔΓ/Γ=(25+21−14)%.

Searches for neutral Higgs bosons are performed with the 237 pb-1 of data collected in 1999 by the ALEPH detector at LEP, for centre-of-mass energies between 191.6 and 201.6 GeV. These searches apply to Higgs bosons within the context of the Standard Model and its minimal supersymmetric extension (MSSM) as well as to invisibly decaying Higgs bosons. No evidence of a signal is seen. A lower limit on the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson of 107.7 GeV/c2 at 95% confidence level is set. In the MSSM, lower limits of 91.2 and 91.6 GeV/c2 are derived for the masses of the neutral Higgs bosons h and A, respectively. For a Higgs boson decaying invisibly and produced with the Standard Model cross section, masses below 106.4 GeV/c2 are excluded.

The production of W+W− pairs is analysed in a data sample collected by ALEPH at a mean centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 174.2 pb−1. Cross sections are given for different topologies of W decays into leptons or hadrons. Combining all final states and assuming Standard Model branching fractions, the total W-pair cross section is measured to be 15.71±0.34(stat.)±0.18(syst.)pb. Using also the W-pair data samples collected by ALEPH at lower centre-of-mass energies, the decay branching fraction of the W boson into hadrons is measured to be B(W→hadrons)=66.97±0.65(stat.)±0.32(syst.)%, allowing a determination of the CKM matrix element |Vcs|=0.951±0.030(stat.)±0.015(syst.).

Bose-Einstein correlations are studied in semileptonic (WW→qq̄ℓν) and fully hadronic (WW→qq̄qq̄) W-pair decays with the ALEPH detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies of 172, 183 and 189 GeV. They are compared with those made at the Z peak after correction for the different flavour compositions. A Monte Carlo model of Bose-Einstein correlations based on the JETSET hadronization scheme was tuned to the Z data and reproduces the correlations in the WW→qq̄ℓν events. The same Monte Carlo reproduces the correlations in the WW→qq̄qq̄ channel assuming independent fragmentation of the two W's. A variant of this model with Bose-Einstein correlations between decay products of different W's is disfavoured.

Two-particle correlations of ΛΛ and Λ̄Λ̄ pairs have been studied in multihadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP in the years from 1992 to 1995. The correlations were measured as a function of the four-momentum difference Q of the pair. A depletion of events is observed in the region Q<2 GeV which could arise from the effects of Fermi–Dirac statistics. In addition the spin content of the Λ pair system has been determined. For Q>2 GeV the fraction of pairs with spin one is consistent with the value of 0.75 expected for a statistical spin mixture, whilst for Q<2 GeV this fraction is found to be lower. For ΛΛ̄ pairs, where no Fermi–Dirac correlations are expected, the spin one fraction is measured to be consistent with 0.75 over the entire analysed Q range.

Data collected at centre-of-mass energies from 189 GeV to 202 GeV by the ALEPH detector at LEP corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 411 pb−1, are analysed in a search for the scalar top in the decay channels t̃→c/uχ for small mass differences between the stop and the lightest neutralino. No evidence for deviations from the Standard Model expectation is found and a lower limit of 59 GeV/c2 is set for the stop mass, independent of the stop to neutralino mass difference and of the stop lifetime.

The data collected in 1998 by ALEPH at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 176.2 pb−1, are analysed to search for invisible decays of a Higgs boson produced in the reaction e+e−→hZ. The number of events found in the data and their properties are in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. This search results in an improved 95% C.L. lower limit on the Higgs boson mass of 95.4 GeV/c2, assuming it decays totally invisibly and for a production cross section equal to that of the Standard Model.

A search for γγ decays of a Higgs boson is performed in the data sample collected at LEP with the ALEPH detector between 1991 and 1999. This corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 672 pb−1 at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 88 to 202 GeV. The search is based on topologies arising from a Higgs boson produced in association with a fermion pair via the Higgs-strahlung process e+e−→Hff̄, with ff̄=νν̄,e+e−,μ+μ−,τ+τ− or qq̄. Twenty-two events are selected in the data, while 28 events are expected from standard model processes. An upper limit is derived, as a function of the Higgs boson mass, on the product of the e+e−→Hff̄ cross section and the H→γγ branching fraction. In particular, a fermiophobic Higgs boson produced with the standard model cross section is excluded at 95% confidence level for all masses below 100.7GeV/c2.

Single top production via flavour changing neutral currents in the reactions e+e−→t̄c/u is searched for in approximately 411 pb−1 of data collected by ALEPH at centre-of-mass energies in the range between 189 and 202 GeV. In total, 58 events are selected in the data to be compared with 50.3 expected from Standard Model backgrounds. No deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. Upper limits at 95% CL on single top production cross sections at s=189–202 GeV are derived. A model-dependent limit on the sum of branching ratios BR(t→Zc)+BR(t→Zu)<17% is obtained.

The lifetimes of the B0 and B− mesons are measured using a sample of about four million hadronic Z decays collected from 1991 to 1995 with the Aleph detector at LEP. The data sample has been recently reprocessed, achieving a substantial improvement in the tracking performance. Semileptonic decays of B0 and B− mesons are partially reconstructed by identifying events containing a lepton with an associated D★+ or D0 meson. The proper time of the B meson is estimated from the measured decay length and the momentum of the D-lepton system. A fit to the proper time of 1880 D★+ℓ− and 2856 D0ℓ− candidates yields the following results: τB0=1.518±0.053±0.034 ps, τB−=1.648±0.049±0.035 ps, τB−/τB0=1.085±0.059±0.018.

The inclusive charm production rate in W decays is measured from a study of the properties of final state particles. The sample of W pairs is selected from 67.7 pb−1 collected by ALEPH in 1996 and 1997 at centre-of-mass energies near 172 and 183 GeV in the channels W+W−→4q and W+W−→ℓνqq̄. The branching fraction of hadronic W decays to a final state containing a c quark, RWc= Γ(W→cX)/Γ(W→hadrons), is measured to be 0.51±0.05stat±0.03syst. This allows a direct determination of the CKM matrix element |Vcs|=1.00±0.11stat±0.07syst.

article: Massive lung calcifications in a four times renal transplanted patient: the fight against dialysis, hyper and hypoparathyroidism - Minerva Endocrinology 2021 Nov 08 - Minerva Medica - Journals

Abstract A dark photon is one of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics and can be a dark matter candidate. Dark photons kinetically mix with ordinary photons. The mass range from 10 −4 to 10 −3 eV of such dark photons is underconstrained by laboratory‐based experiments and a new search is therefore motivated. In this mass range, dark photons behave like waves rather than particles and the corresponding electromagnetic waves are in the millimeter‐wave range. The technical difficulties of the millimeter waves have prevented so far dark photon experiments in this mass range. The use of coherent millimeter waves to search for dark photons in a Light‐Shining‐through‐a‐Wall (LSW) experiment is proposed. The merits and limitations of coherent wave detection are clarified and the potential of single photon sensors at microwaves is investigated. Development of millimeter‐wave technology is not only limited to dark photons. Technically, an experiment for dark photons by using electromagnetic waves resembles that for axions, another light dark matter candidate, with static magnetic fields. This paper represents an essential step toward axion LSW in the millimeter‐wave range (Sub‐THz‐AXion experiment; STAX) as a potential successor of an on‐going experiment in infrared.

Quantum Sensing is a rapidly expanding research field that finds one of its applications in Fundamental Physics, as the search for Dark Matter. Devices based on superconducting qubits have already been successfully applied in detecting few-GHz single photons via Quantum Non-Demolition measurement (QND). This technique allows us to perform repeatable measurements, bringing remarkable sensitivity improvements and dark count rate suppression in experiments based on high-precision microwave photon detection, such as for Axions and Dark Photons search. In this context, the INFN Qub-IT project goal is to realize an itinerant single-photon counter based on superconducting qubits that will exploit QND for enhancing Axion search experiments. In this study, we present Qub-IT's status towards the realization of its first superconducting qubit device, illustrating design and simulation procedures and the characterization of fabricated Coplanar Waveguide Resonators (CPWs) for readout. We match target qubit parameters and assess a few-percent level agreement between lumped and distributed element simulation models. We reach a maximum internal quality factor of 9.2x10^5 for -92 dBm on-chip readout power.

The existence of an inherited susceptibility to sarcoidosis (SA) is suggested by several lines of evidence, including familial clustering, differences in racial incidence, and genetic associations—mainly with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Most of the genetic findings, however, are strongly correlated with specific disease phenotypes, suggesting that SA may consist of more than one disease with varying triggers and genetic profiles. For the future there is an urgent need for a better understanding, in particular, of gene-gene as well as gene-environmental interactions, both likely to be important for the development and phenotypic expression of SA.

Radiative returns to the Z resonance (Zgamma events) are used to determine the LEP2 centre-of-mass energy from the data collected with the ALEPH detector in 1997. The average centre-of-mass energy is measured to be: E_CM = 182.50 +- 0.19(stat) +- 0.08(syst) GeV in good agreement with the precise determination by the LEP energy working group of 182.652 +- 0.050 GeV. If applied to the measurement of the W mass, its precision translates into a systematic error on M_W which is smaller than the statistical error achieved from the corresponding dataset.

We propose a variation, based on very low energy and extremely intense photon sources, on the well established technique of Light-Shining-through-Wall (LSW) experiments for axion-like particle searches. With radiation sources at 30 GHz, we compute that present laboratory exclusion limits on axion-like particles might be improved by at least four orders of magnitude, for masses m_a <~ 0.01~meV. This could motivate research and development programs on dedicated single-photon sub-THz detectors.

A dark photon, one of the candidates of light dark matter, will be searched around 0.1 meV range by using a gyrotron. The use of a Transition Edge Sensor is the key of this experiment and the expected result is promising. This search will pave a way to future axion search using similar instruments.

The review of the measurements of the gauge couplings in the boson sector at LEP is presented. The measurements of the charged triple gauge couplings (cTGC) parameters from the four LEP experiments are combined and the results are in good agreement with the Standard Model predictions, proving the non-abelian structure of the SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y gauge simmetry. Different measurements of these parameters are reviewed and all possible fit methods discussed. The current limits on the anomalous neutral triple gauge couplings (nTGC) and the quartic gauge coplings (QGC) are also presented.

An improved detection scheme for a light-shining-through-wall (LSW) experiment for axion-like particle searches is discussed. In this proposal it is suggested the use of gyrotrons as source of photons, which can provide extremely intense fluxes at frequencies around 30 GHz; transition- edge-sensors (TES) single photon detectors in this frequency domain, with efficiency ≈ 1; high quality factor Fabry-Perot cavities in the microwave domain, both on the photon-axion conversion and photon regeneration sides. With this set-up, current laboratory exclusion limits on axion-like particles might be improved by at least four orders of magnitude for axion masses 0.02 meV.

These proceedings report the results from the CMS experiment with data collected in 12 months of 7 TeV LHC collisions at CERN. With the first data collected all the major Standard Model processes have been studied: W, Z and other electroweak physics results, top and B physics. The main results are achieved with the di-leptons and di-jets reconstruction analyses. First results on searches for Higgs boson are then discussed with the prospects for the current 2011-12 running period. Search for new physics are also presented as deviations from the Standard Model distributions. First limits on new vector bosons, extra-dimensions and microscopic black holes are set depending on the theoretical models.

These proceedings report the results on the Higgs Searches beyond the Standard Model at the CMS experiment with data collected during the 2011 LHC run at 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 5 fb-1 . Many analyses performed by the CMS collaboration are reviewed and results for several models are shown. Most of these analyses are based on the same signature, like a resonance in the invariant mass of two b-quarks, muons or taus or an excess in the !''! spectrum. No significant deviation from the Standard Model is found and limits on the Higgs mass are set for each physics scenario.

We thank Reich for his comments. Assuming the association between sarcoidosis and malignancy is not fortuitous—in fact, the total incidence of sarcoidosis, including undiagnosed and asymptomatic cases, is uncertain and estimates of the expected frequency of associations with other diseases are subject to considerable error—assigning causation is puzzling, at best. Nevertheless, Reich's thoughts deserve some discussion. He states that “biologic considerations” favor “neoplasm as the inciting event.” However, the development of systemic sarcoidosis simultaneously with or shortly after cancer (or after chemotherapy) is a rare event, whereas in the majority of reported cases malignancy occurred after a history of sarcoidosis, usually 1 to 2 years.1Brinckern H. The sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome.Br J Cancer. 1986; 54: 467-473Crossref PubMed Scopus (258) Google Scholar, 2Cohen P.R. Kurzrock R. Sarcoidosis and malignancy.Clin Dermatol. 2007; 25: 326-333Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (182) Google Scholar In such cases, the impairment of the immune system typical of sarcoidosis might contribute to the predisposition to develop malignancy. In tissue from patients with sarcoidosis, there is an increase of activated CD4+(CD25+, human leukocyte antigen-DR+) T lymphocytes with concomitant dysfunctional T-cell subpopulations with regulatory function (ie, natural killer T cells and T-regulatory cells).3Grunewald J. Eklund A. Role of CD4+ T cells in sarcoidosis.Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2007; 4: 461-464Crossref PubMed Scopus (110) Google Scholar The decreased number of these latter lymphocytes could favor the emergence of a B-cell clone, resulting in a lymphoma. According to this hypothesis, the majority of lymphoma cases are of B-cell origin, whereas development of a T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is rare. Further, organs affected by sarcoidosis (eg, liver and skin) have been shown to be at increased risk of developing solid tumors, the putative link between the 2 conditions being sarcoidosis-associated chronic inflammation of the affected organ. We agree with Reich that the “cause” of sarcoidosis might not relate to a specific exposure but rather to an abnormal immunologic response to a variety (or combinations) of exposures in genetically predisposed hosts. In fact, although a specific class of T cells bearing Vα2.3 T-cell antigen receptors is strongly associated with acute sarcoidosis, suggesting that a single antigen paired with a single antigen-presenting molecule may trigger the immunologic response that results in this specific disease phenotype,4Grunewald J. Janson C.H. Eklund A. et al.Restricted V alpha 2.3 gene usage by CD4+ T lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from sarcoidosis patients correlates with HLA-DR3.Eur J Immunol. 1992; 22: 129-135Crossref PubMed Scopus (141) Google Scholar many other patients with sarcoidosis have no increase in oligoclonal T cells or express more than 1 T-cell clone in the same organ, supporting the hypothesis that multiple sarcoidosis antigens (including tumor antigens) or epitopes recognized by different T-cell clones paired with different human leukocyte antigen class II molecules exist. 5Newman L.S. Rose C.S. Maier L.A. Sarcoidosis.N Engl J Med. 1997; 336: 1224-1234Crossref PubMed Scopus (1436) Google Scholar Clearly, this would explain why so many studies have come to conflicting conclusions regarding the cause of the disease. Sarcoidosis may precede, follow, or occur concurrently with malignancy. The link between the 2 conditions remains far from clear, and the hypotheses about this association are not mutually exclusive. Neoplasia in the Etiology of SarcoidosisThe American Journal of MedicineVol. 126Issue 1PreviewSpagnolo et al1 note the difficulty in assigning causation in instances when neoplasia and sarcoidosis coexist. Assuming a nonfortuitous association, this decision depends on the temporal sequence, which is difficult to ascertain because the inception of each is insidious. Biologic considerations, however, favor neoplasia as the inciting event. First, decades are required following oncogen exposure for a solid neoplasm to become clinically evident (eg, cigarette smoking and lung cancer).2 Conversely, a granulomatous response can be mounted in weeks, as indicated in acute-onset sarcoidosis when a recent, fortuitous, normal chest radiograph is available. Full-Text PDF

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most common of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias, is a devastating condition that carries a prognosis worse than that of many cancers. As such, it represents one of the most challenging diseases for chest physicians. The diagnostic process is complex and relies on the clinician integrating clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and/or pathologic data. Therefore, a close collaboration between chest physicians, radiologists, and pathologists experienced in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) is necessary in order to minimize diagnostic uncertainty. Similarly, the management of IPF continues to pose major difficulties. However, while there are no proven effective therapies for IPF beyond lung transplantation, recent trials of novel agents suggest that pharmacological treatment may retard the progression of the disease. In this regard, enrolment of patients into clinical trials is considered the “best current practice”by the most recent guidelines as it offers IPF patients the chance to receive new agents that may be more effective than current therapies. A more recent trend focusing on improving quality of life in IPF patients has also been gaining ground. The diagnosis and management of IPF remains a constant challenge for even the most experienced of clinicians. However, a multidisciplinary approach to this complex disease is steadily improving diagnostic accuracy, while recent advances in the pharmacological therapy offer the genuine promise of future treatments for this devastating disease.

In this work three experimental schemes are described in the field of axion detection that are under investigation within the context of the research call What Next of INFN. AXIOMA is a project based on laser-spectroscopy techniques, QUAX exploits the interaction of the cosmological axion with the spin of fermions (electrons or nucleons) and STAX is an improved detection scheme for a light-shining-through-wall (LSW) experiment with sub-THz photons.

This talk is a review of possible discoveries of exotic not Standard Model Physics in the early stage of LHC (first two years), with the ATLAS and CMS experiments. LHC will be the first experiment ever to explore the TeV region and new exotic particles could be discovered at early stages of the LHC running if their masses are not too large. This talk is focused on three main search topics: new vector bosons, contact interaction and extra dimensions.

The inner portion of the CMS microstrip Tracker consists of 3540 silicon detector modules; its construction has been under full responsibility of seven INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) and University laboratories in Italy. In this note procedures and strategies, which were developed and perfected to qualify the Tracker Inner Barrel and Inner Disks modules for installation, are described. In particular the tests required to select highly reliable detector modules are illustrated and a summary of the results from the full Inner Tracker module test is presented. 1) INFN sez. di Catania and Universita di Catania, Italy 2) INFN sez. di Perugia and Universita di Perugia, Italy 3) INFN sez. di Pisa and Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy 4) INFN sez. di Pisa and Universita di Pisa, Italy 5) INFN sez. di Pisa, Italy 6) INFN sez. di Torino and Universita di Torino, Italy 7) INFN sez. di Torino, Italy 8) INFN sez. di Firenze, Italy 9) INFN sez. di Bari and Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica di Bari, Italy 10) INFN sez. di Bari, Italy 11) INFN sez. di Padova, Italy 12) INFN sez. di Firenze and Universita di Firenze, Italy 13) INFN sez. di Padova and Universita di Padova, Italy 14) INFN sez. di Perugia, Italy a) On leave from ISS, Bucharest, Romania b) On leave from IFIN-HH, Bucharest, Romania c) Corresponding Author

Skin prick testing (SPT) is a reliable method to diagnose IgE-mediated allergic disease in patients with rhino conjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria, anaphylaxis, atopic eczema and suspected food and drug allergy. Due to the the lack of wheals public available dataset and related diameters and due to expen-sive acquisition system, in this work we investigate the feasibility to have high performance and low cost device for wheals detection and measurements. Having cheap acquisition device, it would be easier to have more acquisition stations per clinic, also speeding up the process of building the dataset. Proposed paper aims to automate the wheals measuring process, by detecting multiple wheals and by isolating them from the rest of the image, which is an essential step for the dataset building. We also proposed a cheap acquisition system made by a consumer type depth camera, Intel Realsense d435, a 3D printed arm support, a touchscreen panel displaying a GUI for the acquisitions, a Raspberry Pi 4 computer. Preliminary results showing promising performance even if they are acquired with a very cheap acquisition station proposed.

We demonstrated that ultra narrowband filtering at 30 GHz dramatically enhances the signal-to-noise ratio to search for dark matter candidates which couple to millimeter waves. A coherent signal relatively locked between a synthesizer and a signal analyzer can be clearly distinguished from incoherent blackbody radiation after real time FFT over a long period. We propose a novel experiment for studying dark matter candidates.

A dark photon is one of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics and can be a dark matter candidate. Dark photons kinetically mix with ordinary photons. The mass range from $10^{-4}$ to $10^{-3}$ eV of such dark photons is under-constrained by laboratory-based experiments and a new search is therefore motivated. In this mass range, dark photons behave like waves rather than particles and the corresponding electromagnetic waves are in the millimeter-wave range. The technical difficulties of the millimeter waves have prevented so far dark photon experiments in this mass range. We propose the use of coherent millimeter waves to search for dark photons in a Light-Shining-through-a-Wall (LSW) experiment. We clarify the merit and limitations of coherent wave detection and briefly investigate the potential of single photon sensors at microwaves. Development of millimeter-wave technology is not only limited to dark photons. Technically, an experiment for dark photons by using electromagnetic waves resembles that for axions, another light dark matter candidate, with static magnetic fields. This paper represents an essential step towards axion LSW in the millimeter-wave range (STAX experiment) as a potential successor of an on-going experiment in infrared.

Terahertz and sub-terahertz band detection has a key role both in fundamental interactions physic sand technological applications, such as medical imaging, industrial quality control and homeland security. In particular, transition edge sensors (TESs) and kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) are the most employed bolometers and calorimeters in the THz and sub-THz band for astrophysics and astroparticles research. Here, we combine the widespread TES detection with the most advanced nano-technology to design, fabricate and experimentally demonstrate an innovative nanoscale TES (nano-TES). Thanks to the reduced dimensionality of the active region and the efficient Andreev mirror (AM) heat confinement, our devices reach state-of-the-art TES performance. In particular,as a bolomenter the nano-TES shows a noise equivalent power (NEP) of 5*10-20 W/Hz1/2 and a relaxation time of 10 ns for the sub-THz band, typical of cosmic microwave background studies. When operated as sisengle-photon sensor, the devices show a remarkable frequency resolution of 100 GHz, pointing towards the necessary energy sensitivity requested in laboratory axion arch experiments. Finally, different multiplexing schemes are proposed and sized for imaging applications.

A dark photon, one of the candidates of light dark matter, will be searched around 0.1 meV range by using a gyrotron. The use of a Transition Edge Sensor is the key of this experiment and the expected result is promising. This search will pave a way to future axion search using similar instruments.

The data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 188.6 GeV by ALEPH at LEP, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 176.2 pb-1, are analysed in a search for pair-produced charged Higgs bosons H+/-. Three analyses are employed to select the taunutaunu, taunucs and cscs final states. No evidence for a signal is found. Upper limits are set on the production cross section as a function of the branching fraction BR(H+ to tau nu) and of the mass M(H+), assuming that the sum of the branching ratios is equal to one. In the framework of a two-Higgs-doublet model, charged Higgs bosons with masses below 65.4 GeV/c2 are excluded at 95% confidence level independently of the decay mode.

Combined results on b-hadron lifetimes, b-hadron production rates, B{sub d}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub d}{sup 0} and B{sub s}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub s}{sup 0} oscillations, the decay width difference between the mass eigenstates of the B{sub s}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub s}{sup 0} system, the average number of c and {bar c} quarks in b-hadron decays, and searches for CP violation in the B{sub d}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub d}{sup 0} system are presented. They have been obtained from published and preliminary measurements available in Summer 2000 from the ALEPH, CDF, DELPHI, L3, OPAL and SLD Collaborations. These results have been used to determine the parameters of the CKM unitarity triangle.

The e+e- -> ZZ cross section at sqrt(s)=182.7 and 188.6 GeV has been measured using the ALEPH detector. The analysis covers all of the visible ZZ final states and yields cross section measurements of sigma_ZZ(182.7 GeV) = 0.11 +- (0.16,0.11) (stat.) +- 0.04 (syst.) pb and sigma_ZZ(188.6 GeV) = 0.67 +- 0.13 (stat.) +- 0.04 (syst.) pb consistent with the Standard Model expectations.