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The ExoClock project has been created with the aim of increasing the efficiency of the Ariel mission. It will achieve this by continuously monitoring and updating the ephemerides of Ariel candidates over an extended period, in order to produce a consistent catalogue of reliable and precise ephemerides. This work presents a homogenous catalogue of updated ephemerides for 450 planets, generated by the integration of \\(\\sim\\)18000 data points from multiple sources. These sources include observations from ground-based telescopes (ExoClock network and ETD), mid-time values from the literature and light-curves from space telescopes (Kepler/K2 and TESS). With all the above, we manage to collect observations for half of the post-discovery years (median), with data that have a median uncertainty less than one minute. In comparison with literature, the ephemerides generated by the project are more precise and less biased. More than 40\\% of the initial literature ephemerides had to be updated to reach the goals of the project, as they were either of low precision or drifting. Moreover, the integrated approach of the project enables both the monitoring of the majority of the Ariel candidates (95\\%), and also the identification of missing data. The dedicated ExoClock network effectively supports this task by contributing additional observations when a gap in the data is identified. These results highlight the need for continuous monitoring to increase the observing coverage of the candidate planets. Finally, the extended observing coverage of planets allows us to detect trends (TTVs - Transit Timing Variations) for a sample of 19 planets. All products, data, and codes used in this work are open and accessible to the wider scientific community.

The ExoClock project is an inclusive, integrated, and interactive platform that was developed to monitor the ephemerides of the Ariel targets to increase the mission efficiency. The project makes the best use of all available resources, i.e., observations from ground telescopes, mid-time values from the literature and finally, observations from space instruments. Currently, the ExoClock network includes 280 participants with telescopes capable of observing 85\\% of the currently known Ariel candidate targets. This work includes the results of \\(\\sim\\)1600 observations obtained up to the 31st of December 2020 from the ExoClock network. These data in combination with \\(\\sim\\)2350 mid-time values collected from the literature are used to update the ephemerides of 180 planets. The analysis shows that 40\\% of the updated ephemerides will have an impact on future scheduling as either they have a significantly improved precision, or they have revealed biases in the old ephemerides. With the new observations, the observing coverage and rate for half of the planets in the sample has been doubled or more. Finally, from a population perspective, we identify that the differences in the 2028 predictions between the old and the new ephemerides have an STD that is double what is expected from gaussian uncertainties. These findings have implications for planning future observations, where we will need to account for drifts potentially greater than the prediction uncertainties. The updated ephemerides are open and accessible to the wider exoplanet community both from our Open Science Framework (OSF) repository and our website.

This work aims at constraining the size, shape, and geometric albedo of the dwarf planet candidate 2002 MS4 through the analysis of nine stellar occultation events. Using multichord detection, we also studied the object's topography by analyzing the obtained limb and the residuals between observed chords and the best-fitted ellipse. We predicted and organized the observational campaigns of nine stellar occultations by 2002 MS4 between 2019 and 2022, resulting in two single-chord events, four double-chord detections, and three events with three to up to sixty-one positive chords. Using 13 selected chords from the 8 August 2020 event, we determined the global elliptical limb of 2002 MS4. The best-fitted ellipse, combined with the object's rotational information from the literature, constrains the object's size, shape, and albedo. Additionally, we developed a new method to characterize topography features on the object's limb. The global limb has a semi-major axis of 412 \\(\\pm\\) 10 km, a semi-minor axis of 385 \\(\\pm\\) 17 km, and the position angle of the minor axis is 121 \\(^\\circ\\) \\(\\pm\\) 16\\(^\\circ\\). From this instantaneous limb, we obtained 2002 MS4's geometric albedo and the projected area-equivalent diameter. Significant deviations from the fitted ellipse in the northernmost limb are detected from multiple sites highlighting three distinct topographic features: one 11 km depth depression followed by a 25\\(^{+4}_{-5}\\) km height elevation next to a crater-like depression with an extension of 322 \\(\\pm\\) 39 km and 45.1 \\(\\pm\\) 1.5 km deep. Our results present an object that is \\(\\approx\\)138 km smaller in diameter than derived from thermal data, possibly indicating the presence of a so-far unknown satellite. However, within the error bars, the geometric albedo in the V-band agrees with the results published in the literature, even with the radiometric-derived albedo.

We have characterised a new Atmospheric-Pressure-interface Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer, equipped with an octapole ion trap for accumulating the sampled ions before orthogonally accelerating them into the mass analyser. The characterisation has been carried out using ion standards produced by electrospray ionisation, that were subsequently mobility-selected by a differential mobility analyser operated at atmospheric pressure. Our results show that the detection sensitivity (or limit of detection) of the mass spectrometer is in the parts per quintillion (i.e., 10−3 parts per quadrillion, ppq; which is ∼ 30 ions cm−3) range with temporal resolutions of 1 s. When increasing the temporal resolution up to 1 min, the detection sensitivity can be reduced to the 10 parts per sextillion (i.e., 10−5 ppq; which is ∼ 0.3 ions cm−3) range, enabling the system to measure gaseous ions of extremely low concentrations. In contrast to other mass spectrometers that employ spectra accumulation to improve the detection sensitivity for atmospheric observations, ion accumulation amplifies the signal without increasing the noise level; something that among others is highly important for probing short-lived ionic clusters during new particle formation events in the atmospheric environment. We also show that the mass spectrometer has a transmission of up to 1 %, and a mass resolution of 23 000 for ionic masses of ca. 600 Da, while it can be used in ways to induce collision dissociation of the sampled ions by tuning the operating conditions of the Atmospheric-Pressure-interface stage.

The circular economy paradigm can be beneficial for urban sustainability by eliminating waste and pollution, by circulating products and materials and by regenerating nature. Furthermore, under an urban circular development scheme, environmental noise can be designed out. The current noise control policies and actions, undertaken at a source–medium–receiver level, present a linearity with minimum sustainability co-benefits. A circular approach in noise control strategies and in soundscape design could offer numerous ecologically related co-benefits. The global literature documenting the advantages of the implementation of circular economy in cities has highlighted noise mitigation as a given benefit. Research involving circular economy actions such as urban green infrastructure, green walls, sustainable mobility systems and electro-mobility has acknowledged reduced noise levels as a major circularity outcome. In this research paper, we highlight the necessity of a circularity and bioeconomy approach in noise control. To this end, a preliminary experimental noise modeling study was conducted to showcase the acoustic benefits of green walls and electric vehicles in a medium-sized urban area of a Mediterranean island. The results indicate a noise level reduction at 4 dB(A) when simulating the introduction of urban circular development actions.

On 30 October 2020, an Mw = 7.0 earthquake struck the Eastern Aegean Sea with considerable impact on Samos Island in Greece and the area of Izmir in Turkey. It was the most lethal seismic event in 2020 worldwide, and the largest and most destructive in the Aegean Sea since the 1955 earthquake that also affected both countries. The Civil Protection authorities in Greece and Turkey were effectively mobilized responding to the earthquake emergency. The main response actions comprised initial announcements of the earthquake and first assessment of the impact, provision of civil protection guidelines through emergency communication services, search and rescue operations,medical care, set up of emergency shelters and provisions of essential supplies, psychological support, as well as education, training activities and financial support to the affected population. From the comparison of the Civil Protection framework and the implemented response actions, it is seen that actions at both sides of the eastern Aegean Sea, followed a single-hazard approach in disaster management with similar response activities coordinated by a main Civil Protection agency, which was in close cooperation with the respective authorities at a national, regional and local level. Based on the presented information, it is concluded that the post-earthquake response and emergency management were satisfactory in both countries, with valuable lessons learnt ahead of the next major earthquake. To this end, many aspects can be further addressed to enhance community resilience and introduce a multi-hazard approach in (natural and man-made) disaster management.

The deformation pattern of the 6 and 7 April 2009 MW =6.3 and MW =5.6 earthquakes in L'Aquila is revealed by DInSAR analysis and compared with earthquake environmental effects. The DInSAR predicted fault surface ruptures coincide with localities where surface ruptures have been observed in the field, confirming that the ruptures observed near Paganica village are indeed primary. These ruptures are almost one order of magnitude lower than the ruptures that have been produced by other major surrounding faults in the past. These faults have not been activated during the 2009 event, but have the capacity to generate significantly stronger events. DInSAR analysis shows that 66% (or 305 km2 ) of the area deformed has been subsided whereas the remaining 34% (or 155 km2 ) has been uplifted. A footwall uplift versus hangingwall subsidence ratio of about 1/3 is extracted from the mainshock. The maximum subsidence (25 cm) was recorded about 4.5 km away from the primary surface ruptures and about 9 km away from the epicentre. In the immediate hangingwall, subsidence did not exceeded 15 cm, showing that the maximum subsidence is not recorded near the ruptured fault trace, but closer to the hangingwall centre. The deformation pattern is asymmetrical expanding significantly towards the southeast. A part of this asymmetry can be attributed to the contribution of the 7 April event in the deformation field.

MS SPIDOC is a novel sample delivery system designed for single (isolated) particle imaging at X-ray Free-Electron Lasers that is adaptable towards most large-scale facility beamlines. Biological samples can range from small proteins to MDa particles. Following nano-electrospray ionization, ionic samples can be m/z -filtered and structurally separated before being oriented at the interaction zone. Here, we present the simulation package developed alongside this prototype. The first part describes how the front-to-end ion trajectory simulations have been conducted. Highlighted is a quadrant lens; a simple but efficient device that steers the ion beam within the vicinity of the strong DC orientation field in the interaction zone to ensure spatial overlap with the X-rays. The second part focuses on protein orientation and discusses its potential with respect to diffractive imaging methods. Last, coherent diffractive imaging of prototypical T  = 1 and T  = 3 norovirus capsids is shown. We use realistic experimental parameters from the SPB/SFX instrument at the European XFEL to demonstrate that low-resolution diffractive imaging data ( q  < 0.3 nm −1 ) can be collected with only a few X-ray pulses. Such low-resolution data are sufficient to distinguish between both symmetries of the capsids, allowing to probe low abundant species in a beam if MS SPIDOC is used as sample delivery.

This article presents an effort to validate and further improve a previously published innovative approach for drawing macroseismic intensity maps from data extracted from sources of volunteered geographic information (VGI). Our approach involves classification of macroseismic observations (extracted from social media sources) to values of the EMS 98 intensity scale, leading to the drawing of isoseismal maps. The earthquake of June 12th, 2017 (Mw 6.3) that occurred off the south coast of Lesvos Island, Greece, was used as a case study; its main shock was located at depth of about 13 km. This specific event, which claimed the life of a woman and caused at least 15 injuries due to collapsing buildings and falling debris (mainly in the town of Vrissa), was chosen for the specific geomorphological characteristics of the meizoseismal area, time of occurrence and distribution of damage. Twitter was chosen as a VGI source mostly for reasons of consistency with the original published work, generating comparable findings that can be assessed more readily to facilitate further development of the methodology. Results of the dataset analysis include the drawing of the isoseismal maps from Tweets published within different time periods (6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h); and the identification of various text patterns regarding the evaluation of the macroseismic observations that result into intensity values. The present work offers additional empirical evidence regarding the validity of the methodology presented in the scientific literature, and further enriches it by providing additional text patterns and specific improvements related to the classification of the information in certain values of seismic intensity. Assessment of the results is enriched by the progress that has been noted in the field and has been presented in the international scientific literature since 2016.