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A bstract Neutrinoless double-beta decay is a key process in particle physics. Its experimental investigation is the only viable method that can establish the Majorana nature of neutrinos, providing at the same time a sensitive inclusive test of lepton number violation. CROSS (Cryogenic Rare-event Observatory with Surface Sensitivity) aims at developing and testing a new bolometric technology to be applied to future large-scale experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay of the promising nuclei 100 Mo and 130 Te. The limiting factor in large-scale bolometric searches for this rare process is the background induced by surface radioactive contamination, as shown by the results of the CUORE experiment. The basic concept of CROSS consists of rejecting this challenging background component by pulse-shape discrimination, assisted by a proper coating of the faces of the crystal containing the isotope of interest and serving as energy absorber of the bolometric detector. In this paper, we demonstrate that ultra-pure superconductive Al films deposited on the crystal surfaces act successfully as pulse-shape modifiers, both with fast and slow phonon sensors. Rejection factors higher than 99.9% of α surface radioactivity have been demonstrated in a series of prototypes based on crystals of Li 2 MoO 4 and TeO 2 . We have also shown that point-like energy depositions can be identified up to a distance of ∼ 1 mm from the coated surface. The present program envisions an intermediate experiment to be installed underground in the Canfranc laboratory (Spain) in a CROSS-dedicated facility. This experiment, comprising ∼ 3 × 10 25 nuclei of 100 Mo, will be a general test of the CROSS technology as well as a worldwide competitive search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, with sensitivity to the effective Majorana mass down to 70 meV in the most favorable conditions.

ContextCities are a challenging habitat for obligate nocturnal mammals because of the ubiquitous use of artificial light at night (ALAN). How nocturnal animals move in an urban landscape, particularly in response to ALAN is largely unknown.ObjectivesWe studied the movement responses, foraging and commuting, of common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) to urban landscape features in general and ALAN in particular.MethodsWe equipped 20 bats with miniaturized GPS loggers in the Berlin metropolitan area and related spatial positions of bats to anthropogenic and natural landscape features and levels of ALAN.ResultsCommon noctules foraged close to ALAN only next to bodies of water or well vegetated areas, probably to exploit swarms of insects lured by street lights. In contrast, they avoided illuminated roads, irrespective of vegetation cover nearby. Predictive maps identified most of the metropolitan area as non-favoured by this species because of high levels of impervious surfaces and ALAN. Dark corridors were used by common noctules for commuting and thus likely improved the permeability of the city landscape.ConclusionsWe conclude that the spatial use of common noctules, previously considered to be more tolerant to light than other bats, is largely constrained by ALAN. Our study is the first individual-based GPS tracking study to show sensitive responses of nocturnal wildlife to light pollution. Approaches to protect urban biodiversity need to include ALAN to safeguard the larger network of dark habitats for bats and other nocturnal species in cities.

This study presents a method based on retrofitted low-cost and easy to implement tracking devices, used to monitor the whole harvesting process in viticulture, to map yield and harvest quality parameters in viticulture. The method consists of recording the geolocation of all the machines (harvest trailers and grape harvester) during the harvest to spatially re-allocate production parameters measured at the winery. The method was tested on a vineyard of 30 ha during the whole 2022 harvest season. It has identified harvest sectors (HS) associated with measured production parameters (grape mass and harvest quality parameters: sugar content, total acidity, pH, yeast assimilable nitrogen, organic nitrogen) and calculated production parameters (potential alcohol of grapes, yield, yield per plant) over the entire vineyard. The grape mass was measured at the vineyard cellar or at the wine-growing cooperative by calibrated scales. The harvest quality parameters were measured on grape must samples in a commercial laboratory specialized in oenological analysis and using standardized protocols. Results validate the possibility of making production parameters maps automatically solely from the time and location records of the vehicles. They also highlight the limitations in terms of spatial resolution (the mean area of the HS is 0.3 ha) of the resulting maps which depends on the actual yield and size of harvest trailers. Yield per plant and yeast assimilable nitrogen maps have been used, in collaboration with the vineyard manager, to analyze and reconsider the fertilization process at the vineyard scale, showing the relevance of the information.

This paper presents a three-dimensional constitutive model for natural clay that includes creep, anisotropy and structure, as well as a theoretical means to estimate the range for anisotropy- and structure-related parameters, as needed for parameter optimisation. Creep-SCLAY1S is an extension of the Creep-SCLAY1 model proposed by Sivasithamparam et al. (Comput Geotech 69:46–57, 2015) which includes the effects of bonding and destructuration. The model needs 14 model parameters, of which five are similar to those used in the modified Cam–Clay model. A method is developed to quantify the range for the three parameters related to structure and anisotropy that cannot be derived directly from experimental data. The theoretically derived range compares favourably with the values found in the literature. As a result, the model now can be used with more confidence, enabling sensitivity analysis and systematic parameter derivation with optimisation techniques.

We investigated the behavior of a water liquid bridge formed between two grains. We mainly focused on tensile tests with suction control (capillary pressure). Theoretical and experimental studies are compared. A new experimental device involving suction control of the liquid bridge was developed specifically for this kind of test. Most of the liquid bridge variables and characteristics were measured by image analysis (gorge radius, volume, contact angles, filling angles). Capillary force was measured by differential weighting. Experimental conditions allows us to avoid viscous effects. Our experimental results were close to Young-Laplace equation solutions. The “gorge method”, commonly used for calculating the capillary force, was also validated by our experiments. Liquid bridge rupture was studied and a new rupture criterion is proposed. This criterion depends on the grain radius, contact angle, surface tension and suction and was in agreement with the experimental results.

Cations of differing chaotropic capacities (LiCl, NaCl, and KCl) were used in small-scale mixing and extensigraph studies to assess functional changes in dough behavior of wheat cultivars varying in total protein content and HMW glutenin composition. Salt addition, regardless of cationic type, caused an increase in dough strength and stability. The smaller (hydrated) and least chaotrophic cations (Li+12% protein). In the absence of genotypic variation, a significant interactive effect of cultivar type, protein amount, and salt addition was found for all functional dough parameters except extensibility. During mixing, there was a decrease in the amount of apparent unextractable polymeric protein (%UPP) in the dough. This phenomenon was ameliorated by the presence of salt in doughs formed from weaker flours and was most pronounced early on in the mixing process (t = 100-200 sec). Results show the importance of refining 2-g mixograph studies to include salt in the “flour and water” dough formula.

This study applied the use of a new small-scale apparatus, the micro Z-arm mixer, which has analogous mixing action to that of the traditional valorigraf and farinograph. A novel methodology has been developed for prediction of water absorption replacing the traditional titration method. The basis of this technique is a common characteristic of wheat flour samples: a reasonably constant slope (20-25.7 BU%) of the relationship between dough resistance and the amount of water present during mixing. Using an average slope value, prediction of water absorption was possible from a single measurement using a simple equation and with a standard error of 1.65%. Applications of the new mixer to cereal research are highlighted, including investigation of the effects of flour protein content and protein composition on mixing properties and water absorption. When protein content and protein composition have been systematically altered by the addition of isolated proteins into the flour, both dough development time (DDT) and water absorption increased when protein content was increased by glutenin addition and decreased when protein content was decreased by starch addition. Gliadin addition decreased DDT; gluten addition slightly increased DDT; glutenin addition significantly increased DDT. Water absorption was not affected by altering the glutenin-to-gliadin ratio, but it changed in proportion to the amount of protein added. The effect of HMW-GS composition on the mixing requirement obtained with the micro Z-arm mixer and with the 2-g mixograph was also investigated using a set of single-, double-, and triple-null lines for HMW-GS coding genes. While subunits coded on the GluD1 locus were most important for determining the mixing requirement in both cases, the sample ranking was different in the two mixing actions. A better differentiation ability of the micro Z-arm mixer was established for triple- and double-null lines.

For several years, a 1 m3 fixed bed anaerobic digestion process has been operated for the treatment of distillery vinasses. This reactor has been fully instrumented with the following variables available on-line: pH, temperature, liquid and gas flow rates, gas composition (i.e., CH4, CO2 and H2), concentration of bicarbonate, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, volatile fatty acids and partial and total alkalinity, these last four variables being measured twice by different techniques (i.e., using a TOC analyzer, a titrimetric sensor and an infrared spectrometer). The purpose of this paper is to compare the respective benefits of advanced instrumentation for the monitoring of wastewater treatment processes in general, and for anaerobic digestion in particular. It will also provide some statistical analysis of the time required to operate a fully instrumented wastewater treatment process. It is indeed well admitted in the literature that instrumentation is usually the main limitation step for using closed-loop control. However, it is our opinion that, in the near future, this situation will change. This point is discussed based on our four years practical experience.

This paper describes the use of a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectrometer as an on-line sensor to measure Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA), and Partial and Total Alkalinity (PA and TA) in anaerobic digestion processes for the treatment of industrial wastewaters. Comparison with manual off-line analysis and with an on-line industrial TOC analyser and an on-line titrimetric sensor (for the measurements of VFA, TA and PA) are provided to demonstrate the interest of spectral analysis in the mid infra-red domain for the monitoring of anaerobic digestion processes. In order to further illustrate the advantages of using such a technique, on-line measurements recorded during an accident of the pH regulation in the input (pH in the reactor went above 11 and biomass activity stopped) are shown. They demonstrate that, if carefully performed, the calibration can be extended outside its range while being still compatible with requirements of wastewater treatment processes.

The CUPID Collaboration is designing a tonne-scale, background-free detector to search for double beta decay with sufficient sensitivity to fully explore the parameter space corresponding to the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy scenario. One of the CUPID demonstrators, CUPID-Mo, has proved the potential of enriched Li2100MoO4 crystals as suitable detectors for neutrinoless double beta decay search. In this work, we characterised cubic crystals that, compared to the cylindrical crystals used by CUPID-Mo, are more appealing for the construction of tightly packed arrays. We measured an average energy resolution of (6.7±0.6) keV FWHM in the region of interest, approaching the CUPID target of 5 keV FWHM. We assessed the identification of α particles with and without a reflecting foil that enhances the scintillation light collection efficiency, proving that the baseline design of CUPID already ensures a complete suppression of this α-induced background contribution. We also used the collected data to validate a Monte Carlo simulation modelling the light collection efficiency, which will enable further optimisations of the detector.