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A bstract The European Spallation Source (ESS), presently well on its way to completion, will soon provide the most intense neutron beams for multi-disciplinary science. Fortuitously, it will also generate the largest pulsed neutrino flux suitable for the detection of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CE ν NS), a process recently measured for the first time at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source. We describe innovative detector technologies maximally able to profit from the order-of-magnitude increase in neutrino flux provided by the ESS, along with their sensitivity to a rich particle physics phenomenology accessible through high-statistics, precision CE ν NS measurements.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus threatens animal and human health globally. Innovative strategies are crucial for mitigating risks associated with airborne transmission and preventing outbreaks. In this study, we sought to investigate the efficacy of microwave inactivation against aerosolized A(H5N1) virus by identifying the optimal frequency band for a 10-min exposure and evaluating the impact of varying exposure times on virus inactivation. A(H5N1) was aerosolized and exposed to various microwave frequencies ranging from 8 to 16 GHz for a duration of 10 min. Viral titers were quantified using TCID 50 , and inactivation was assessed by comparing irradiated samples to controls. The 11–13 GHz band yielded the highest inactivation, with an average 89% mean reduction in A(H5N1) titer, particularly within the 11–12 GHz range, which exhibited peak efficacy. Based on the overall results, the optimal frequency band (8–12 GHz) was further tested with exposure durations of 1, 3, and 5 min. Inactivation was time-dependent, with a 5-minute exposure resulting in a 94% mean reduction, compared to 58% and 48% for 3- and 1-minute exposures, respectively. We conclude that optimized microwave emitters in high-risk environments like poultry farms and veterinary clinics could offer a novel, non-chemical approach to mitigating avian influenza spread and outbreaks.

Spectral imaging is a fluorescence microscopy technique with several applications, including imaging of environment-sensitive probes, spectral unmixing and identification of fluorescent species. In confocal microscopes not equipped with a spectral detection unit, spectral images can be obtained using the lambda scan mode of the microscope, namely the sequential acquisition of images using a tunable emission filter or other dispersive optical elements. Unfortunately, the lambda scan mode has poor temporal resolution, is a photon-wasting technique, and is not ideal for the spectral imaging of live samples. Here, we describe a spectral imaging method that can be implemented on commercial confocal microscopes not equipped with a spectral detector. The method is based on simultaneous image acquisition in 4 contiguous spectral channels and spectral phasor analysis. We demonstrate that this method can be easily implemented on a Leica confocal laser scanning microscope, with better photon efficiency and temporal resolution than the lambda scan mode. We perform a 4-channel (4 C) spectral phasor analysis of live cells stained with the environment-sensitive ACDAN and Nile Red dyes. We can distinguish changes in spectral emission in the order of 5 nm between different subcellular compartments. We show that 4 C-spectral phasor can be used to decompose the Nile Red signal into 2 components and perform 3-color imaging in combination with a DNA dye in live organoids. Finally, we show that the 4 C-spectral phasor can be also used to unmix the signal of fluorescent proteins with overlapping emission spectra such as mEmerald and EYFP.

In point-scanning microscopy, optical sectioning is achieved using a small aperture placed in front of the detector, i.e. the detection pinhole, which rejects the out-of-focus background. The maximum level of optical sectioning is theoretically obtained for the minimum size of the pinhole aperture, but this is normally prevented by the dramatic reduction of the detected signal when the pinhole is closed, leading to a compromise between axial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. We have recently demonstrated that, instead of closing the pinhole, one can reach a similar level of optical sectioning by tuning the pinhole size in a confocal microscope and by analyzing the resulting image series. The method, consisting in the application of the separation of photons by lifetime tuning (SPLIT) algorithm to series of images acquired with tunable pinhole size, is called SPLIT-pinhole (SPLIT-PIN). Here, we share and describe a SPLIT-PIN software for the processing of series of images acquired at tunable pinhole size, which generates images with reduced out-of-focus background. The software can be used on series of at least two images acquired on available commercial microscopes equipped with a tunable pinhole, including confocal and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopes. We demonstrate applicability on different types of imaging modalities: (1) confocal imaging of DNA in a non-adherent cell line; (2) removal of out-of-focus background in super-resolved STED microscopy; (3) imaging of live intestinal organoids stained with a membrane dye.

A promising energy range to look for angular correlations between cosmic rays of extragalactic origin and their sources is at the highest energies, above a few tens of EeV (1 EeV ≡ 1018 eV). Despite the flux of these particles being extremely low, the area of ∼3000 km2 covered at the Pierre Auger Observatory, and the 17 yr data-taking period of the Phase 1 of its operations, have enabled us to measure the arrival directions of more than 2600 ultra-high-energy cosmic rays above 32 EeV. We publish this data set, the largest available at such energies from an integrated exposure of 122,000 km2 sr yr, and search it for anisotropies over the 3.4π steradians covered with the Observatory. Evidence for a deviation in excess of isotropy at intermediate angular scales, with ∼15° Gaussian spread or ∼25° top-hat radius, is obtained at the 4σ significance level for cosmic-ray energies above ∼40 EeV.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to redefine the healthcare workforce (HCW) competencies to face future emergencies linked to emerging infectious diseases, environmental, climate and social crises. As recently stated by WHO, there is a need to identify standards for education and competencies training for HCW in emergency and preparedness (E&P). The Italian National Institute of Health, in agreement with the deliberation of the G20 Health Ministers under the Italian Presidency, is developing an educational program named “Laboratorium” which includes a free access digital repository aimed to share selected documents and tools at the International Public HCW (PHCW) to increase the competencies in E&P response. Objectives A range of web domains selected according to their reliability was monitored using a keyword search tool for any relevant material published from February 14th up to April 28th, 2022. We included any publications, training materials, epidemiological data, initiatives, and communication items that addressed the topic of interest. Each item was submitted for approval by a scientific board and, if appropriate, classified by typology, language, topic, and country before publication. Results To date, out of 6197 items, 418 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. For the type of content, we included guidelines/recommendations (75), epidemiological data (58), websites (34), online courses (15) and books (16). PHCW was the most representative target group (361), followed by other stakeholders (127), hospital practitioners (90), primary care (87). The most represented topic was infectious diseases/SARS-CoV-2 (277) followed by vaccines (88), emergency interventions (34), emerging diseases (17), policies (26), public health preparedness (32). Conclusions Future training for PHCW should be designed with a modular approach with different levels of usability. The Laboratorium Repository provides a core of items for learning according to one's training needs Key messages The Laboratorium repository offers to PHCW a tool for updating their emergency and preparedness competencies. This repository has a user-friendly interface, accessible also through mobile devices.

A catalog containing details of the highest-energy cosmic rays recorded through the detection of extensive air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory is presented with the aim of opening the data to detailed examination. Descriptions of the 100 showers created by the highest-energy particles recorded between 2004 January 1 and 2020 December 31 are given for cosmic rays that have energies in the range 78–166 EeV. Details are also given on a further nine very energetic events that have been used in the calibration procedure adopted to determine the energy of each primary. A sky plot of the arrival directions of the most energetic particles is shown. No interpretations of the data are offered.

DAMIC (Dark Matter in CCDs) is an experiment searching for dark matter particles employing fully-depleted charge-coupled devices. Using the bulk silicon which composes the detector as target, we expect to observe coherent WIMP-nucleus elastic scattering. Although located in the SNOLAB laboratory, 2 km below the surface, the CCDs are not completely free of radioactive contamination, in particular coming from radon daughters or from the detector itself. We present novel techniques for the measurement of the radioactive contamination in the bulk silicon and on the surface of DAMIC CCDs. Limits on the Uranium and Thorium contamination as well as on the cosmogenic isotope 32 Si, intrinsically present on the detector, were performed. We have obtained upper limits on the 238 TJ (232 Th) decay rate of 5 (15) kg_1 d_1 at 95% CL. Pairs of spatially correlated electron tracks expected from 32 Si-32 P and 210 Pb-210 Bi beta decays were also measured. We have found a decay rate of 80+l10 -65 kg_1 d_1 for 32 Si and an upper limit of - 35 kg-1 d-1 for 210 Pb, both at 95% CL.

Results are presented for the measurement of large-scale anisotropies in the arrival directions of ultra–high-energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory during 19 yr of operation, prior to AugerPrime, the upgrade of the observatory. The 3D dipole amplitude and direction are reconstructed above 4 EeV in four energy bins. Besides the established dipolar anisotropy in R.A. above 8 EeV, the Fourier amplitude of the 8–16 EeV energy bin is now also above the 5σ discovery level. No time variation of the dipole moment above 8 EeV is found, setting an upper limit to the rate of change of such variations of 0.3% yr−1 at the 95% confidence level. Additionally, the results for the angular power spectrum are shown, demonstrating no other statistically significant multipoles. The results for the equatorial dipole component down to 0.03 EeV are presented, using for the first time a data set obtained with a trigger that has been optimized for lower energies. Finally, model predictions are discussed and compared with observations, based on two source emission scenarios obtained in the combined fit of spectrum and composition above 0.6 EeV.

Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays are known to be mainly of extragalactic origin, and their propagation is limited by energy losses, so their arrival directions are expected to correlate with the large-scale structure of the local Universe. In this work, we investigate the possible presence of intermediate-scale excesses in the flux of the most energetic cosmic rays from the direction of the supergalactic plane region using events with energies above 20 EeV recorded with the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory up to 2022 December 31, with a total exposure of 135,000 km2 sr yr. The strongest indication for an excess that we find, with a posttrial significance of 3.1σ, is in the Centaurus region, as in our previous reports, and it extends down to lower energies than previously studied. We do not find any strong hints of excesses from any other region of the supergalactic plane at the same angular scale. In particular, our results do not confirm the reports by the Telescope Array Collaboration of excesses from two regions in the Northern Hemisphere at the edge of the field of view of the Pierre Auger Observatory. With a comparable integrated exposure over these regions, our results there are in good agreement with the expectations from an isotropic distribution.