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Fundamental questions remain about the origin of newly formed atmospheric aerosol particles because data from laboratory measurements have been insufficient to build global models. In contrast, gas-phase chemistry models have been based on laboratory kinetics measurements for decades. We built a global model of aerosol formation by using extensive laboratory measurements of rates of nucleation involving sulfuric acid, ammonia, ions, and organic compounds conducted in the CERN CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) chamber. The simulations and a comparison with atmospheric observations show that nearly all nucleation throughout the present-day atmosphere involves ammonia or biogenic organic compounds, in addition to sulfuric acid. A considerable fraction of nucleation involves ions, but the relatively weak dependence on ion concentrations indicates that for the processes studied, variations in cosmic ray intensity do not appreciably affect climate through nucleation in the present-day atmosphere.

At the CERN LHC experiments several gaseous detectors are operated with gas mixtures based on Fluorinated gases. CF 4 is used for wire chambers and Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors while C 2 H 2 F 4 and SF 6 for Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs). Under the effects of electric field and radiation, these gases undergo radiolytic dissociation producing new molecules and radicals, which could be detrimental to detector long term operation. During LHC Run 2 several gas analyses were performed on the gas mixtures of RPCs and GEMs operated in ALICE, CMS and LHCb experiments. It was observed that several impurities and F-radicals are created inside the detectors and their concentration depends on several factors. Systematic studies on F-production in RPC and GEM detectors have been performed at CERN GIF++ with high background radiation. Correlations between impurities, gas flow, integrated charge, rate and detector currents were established. A comprehensive overview of the obtained results is presented.

The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of different modeling techniques for a COMAU six-axis robot arm. The robot manipulator represents one of the most used robots in the mechanical industry. For robots, with a high number of degrees of freedom, to obtain a kinematic model, Denavit-Hartemberg parameters allow representing geometric transformations in the Euclidean space through the minimum number of parameters. Furthermore, the use of detailed multibody models and the use of sophisticated tools like the Robotics Toolbox System, allow performing, in a very efficient way, inverse kinematic analysis and trajectory planning to control the robot move from one configuration to another.

Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors have been successfully operated in the LHCb experiment and they will be installed in the CMS and ALICE experiments during LHC Long Shutdown 2. As for others LHC gaseous detector systems, gas mixture is individually provided by dedicated Gas Systems. Several studies have been performed in laboratory to characterize GEM performance from the point of view of their use in LHC Gas Systems, where many variables can influence detectors operation. A Triple-GEM prototype was tested with the aim of probing the possible effects of specific changes that could occur in the Gas System, such as variations in gas mixture composition, input gas flow and presence of impurities. A complete overview of the obtained results will be presented. The test confirms the importance of having a stable gas mixture composition, as it influences GEMs working point, with significant variations in the amplification gain. It was also seen how the input gas flow can affect GEMs performance, since it conditions the accumulation of humidity and air. Moreover, it was found that the presence of pollutants such as O2, N2 and H2O, commonly present during operation in the experiments, influences GEMs performance in terms of signal efficiency and amplification gain. While detector gain is weakly affected by the presence of N2, the presence of even small concentrations of O2 causes a significant performance decrease in terms of amplification gain.

In the last few years, an intense R &D activity on particle detectors for future HEP applications has been carried on with the aim of developing new techniques as well as studying the performance of already existing detectors when operated in a high rate environment. As for Resistive Plate Chamber detectors, the main challenges to face are the improvement of their detection capabilities and longevity at very high-rates, and the search for new eco-friendly gasmixtures free from greenhouse components. Results obtained in the framework of the RPC ECOGas@GIF++ Collaboration on a thin-Resistive Plate Chamber exposed at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility and operated with eco-friendly gas mixtures based on Tetrafluoropropene and Carbon dioxide will be discussed in this paper.

Results obtained by the RPC ECOgas@GIF++ Collaboration, using Resistive Plate Chambers operated with new, eco-friendly gas mixtures, based on tetrafluoropropene and carbon dioxide, are shown and discussed in this paper. Tests aimed to assess the performance of this kind of detectors in high-irradiation conditions, analogous to the ones foreseen for the coming years at the Large Hadron Collider experiments, were performed, and demonstrate a performance basically similar to the one obtained with the gas mixtures currently in use, based on tetrafluoroethane, which is being progressively phased out for its possible contribution to the greenhouse effect. Long term aging tests are also being carried out, with the goal to demonstrate the possibility of using these eco-friendly gas mixtures during the whole High Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider.

Visual impairment (VI) can significantly interfere in the child’s daily activities and quality of life, having a negative effect on their development and learning. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of VI and associated demographic factors in students examined during the program “Moçambique te vejo melhor”. This study was cross-sectional and retrospective, based on the 2018/19 edition of the program. Eye examinations were performed in secondary school students, aged between 12 and 20 years, of five districts in Nampula province. The examination included visual acuity, non-cycloplegic refraction and assessment of the anterior and posterior segment and ocular adnexa. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting and best-corrected VI found was 18.3%, 10.8%, and 5.0%, respectively. Refractive error (RE) had a prevalence of 24.7%, and the age groups between 15–17 years and 18–20 years were significantly associated with myopia (with OR: 4.9 and OR: 8.8, respectively), as well as the 11th and 12th grade (OR: 8.1 and OR: 10.7, respectively), and Malema district had association with myopia (ORa: 0.4) and hyperopia (ORa: 0.4 and OR: 0.3) as a protective factor. The prevalence of RE and VI was relatively high, showing the need for greater intervention at the school level.

Crystal Eye idea comes from the analysis of two gravitational waves events: GW170817 and GW190425. Both events were referred to neutron star mergers. In the first case Fermi-GBM and INTEGRAL claimed the detection of a short Gamma Ray Burst (GRB 170817A) and in order to follow up and target the GW electromagnetic counterparts, a huge effort has been made by other satellites and ground-based experiments. In the second case, only INTEGRAL claimed the detection of a faint GRB (GRB 190425) while Fermi satellite was in Earth occultation. Crystal Eye is a space-based X and γ ray all-sky monitor sensitive in the 10 keV - 30 MeV energy range. In its baseline configuration, it consists of a hemisphere, made by 112 pixels, with a wide (about 6 sr) field of view (FOV), a full sky coverage and a very large effective area (6 times Fermi-GBM at 1 MeV) in the energy range of interest. Given the pixel structure – a two-layer crystal scintillator and a plastic scintillator veto layer – and the hemispherical design, Crystal Eye concentrate the pointing capability of a γ-ray telescope and the sky coverage of an all-sky monitor in a single detector. Moreover, the use of Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) at the place of traditional PMs, besides being a challenge for their qualification for space missions, allows a more compact and less power-consuming design. A Crystal Eye pathfinder has been designed and realized to be tested in view of the mission on the Space Rider by ESA. The prototype is made by 4 pixels. The mission is aimed at testing in the space environment the LYSO crystals, the MPPC-arrays and the DAQ board.

Rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases or RMD [rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA)] are systemic inflammatory diseases for which there are no biomarkers capable of predicting treatments with a higher likelihood of response in naive patients. In addition, the expiration of the anti-TNF blocking drugs’ patents has resulted in the availability of anti-TNF biosimilar drugs with the same efficacy and safety than originators but at significantly reduced prices. To guarantee a personalized therapeutic approach to RMD treatment, a board of rheumatologists and stakeholders from the Campania region, Italy, developed a clinically applicable arthritis therapeutic algorithm to guide rheumatologists (DATA project). The general methodology relied on a Delphi technique forecast to produce a set of statements that summarized the experts’ consensus. Selected clinical scenarios were discussed in light of the available evidence, and there were two rounds of voting on the therapeutic approaches. Separate discussions were held regarding rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. The decision-making factors for each disease were clinical presentation, demographics, and comorbidities. In this paper, we describe a virtuous process between rheumatologists and healthcare system stakeholders that resulted in the development of a shared therapeutic algorithm for RMD patients naive to bDMARDs.

Since 2019, a collaboration between researchers from various institutes and experiments (i.e., ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, LHCb/SHiP and the CERN EP-DT group) has been operating several RPCs with diverse electronics, gas gap thicknesses and detector layouts at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF++). The studies aim at assessing the performance of RPCs when filled with new eco-friendly gas mixtures in avalanche mode and in view of evaluating possible aging effects after long high background irradiation periods, for example, high-luminosity LHC phase. This challenging research is also part of a task of the European AidaInnova project. A promising eco-friendly gas identified for RPC operation is the tetrafluoruropropene (C 3 H 2 F 4 , commercially known as HFO-1234ze) that has been studied at the CERN GIF++ in combination with different percentages of CO 2 . Between the end of 2021 and 2022, several beam tests have been carried out to establish the performance of RPCs operated with such mixtures before starting the irradiation campaign for the aging study. Results of these tests for different RPCs layouts and different gas mixtures, under increasing background rates are presented here, together with the preliminary outcome of the detector aging tests.