Double Parton Scattering, Multi-Parton Interactions, underlying event and identified hadrons: summary of recent results

Recent results related to Double-Parton Scattering (DPS) and Multi-Parton Interactions (MPI) from the LHC experiments (ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb) are reviewed and discussed together with a brief overview of relevant literature. The robust evidence collected for DPS in different channels at LHC energies is complemented by an increasing understanding of our description of MPI in high energy collisions and the corresponding modelling of the underlying event (UE) in hadronic interactions. Potential new results expected during Run 2 at the LHC are also anticipated. The relation and the interplay between the relevant observables for DPS, MPI and UE analyses are discussed presenting recent attempts to bring together their description in a single Monte Carlo tune. Identified hadron spectra at the LHC have been now measured by all collaborations and results are reviewed with an emphasis on strangeness production and baryon/meson ratio. The data collected during Run 1 at the LHC with different collision systems (pp, p-Pb, Pb-Pb) show that several particle production features appear to be more correlated with the event multiplicity than the collision system itself.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, LHCP2014 conference proceeding

MONOLITH: a next generation experiment for athospheric neutrinos

MONOLITH is a massive magnetized tracking calorimeter, optimized for the detection of atmospheric muon neutrinos, proposed at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy. The main goal is to establish (or reject) the neutrino oscillation hypothesis through an explicit observation of the full first oscillation swing (the ``L/E pattern''). Its performance, status and prospects are briefly reviewed.Comment: Talk given at Europhysics Neutrino Oscillation Workshop (NOW2000), Otranto, Italy, September 9-16, 2000 (4 pages, 3 figures

Estimations of the Distances of Stellar Collapses in the Galaxy by Analyzing the Energy Spectrum of Neutrino Bursts

The neutrino telescopes of the present generation, depending on their specific features, can reconstruct the neutrino spectra from a galactic burst. Since the optical counterpart could be not available, it is desirable to have at hand alternative methods to estimate the distance of the supernova explosion using only the neutrino data. In this work we present preliminary results on the method we are proposing to estimate the distance from a galactic supernova based only on the spectral shape of the neutrino burst and assumptions on the gravitational binding energy released an a typical supernova explosion due to stellar collapses.Comment: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Strong Electromagnetic Fields and Neutron Stars (SMFNS 2011) Instituto de Cibern\'etica, Matem\'atica y F\'isica (ICIMAF) Sociedad Cubana de F\'isica (SCF) Varadero, Cuba, 5-7 May 201

The Purinergic System as a Pharmacological Target for the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) encompass a wide range of seemingly unrelated conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Despite differing etiologies, these diseases share common inflammatory pathways, which lead to damage in primary target organs and frequently to a plethora of systemic effects as well. The purinergic signaling complex comprising extracellular nucleotides and nucleosides and their receptors, the P2 and P1 purinergic receptors, respectively, as well as catabolic enzymes and nucleoside transporters is a major regulatory system in the body. The purinergic signaling complex can regulate the development and course of IMIDs. Here we provide a comprehensive review on the role of purinergic signaling in controlling immunity, inflammation, and organ function in IMIDs. In addition, we discuss the possible therapeutic applications of drugs acting on purinergic pathways, which have been entering clinical development, to manage patients suffering from IMIDs

Física e cultura popular : a poesia do samba na sala de aula

A criatividade é um elemento comum, tanto no trabalho do cientista como do artista e, uma aproximação entre esses dois campos do conhecimento pode facilitar a compreensão da Ciência como lugar de construção de conhecimento que está baseado, dentre outros aspectos, em concepções prévias trazidas por aqueles que participam dessa construção. Este trabalho apresenta parte de uma pesquisa que se baseou na aproximação entre a Física e elementos da cultura popular – a poesia do samba – como mediadora da investigação da origem das concepções alternativas de alunos do ensino médio sobre a reflexão da luz, através de um projeto de parceria entre a universidade e escolas, que envolveu alunos de graduação e ensino médio e que ocorreu no âmbito das escolas, para estudar a origem das concepções alternativas dos alunos, levando-se em conta as concepções de autores de músicas populares

The first experience with a mini-rating scale for the assessment of sexual dysfunction and life-satisfaction in depressed patients in the practice

Even though many scales for the assessment of sexual dysfunction have been recently developed, most of them are suitable rather for the research purpose in clinical trials than to routine interviews in a daily, private practice. We report here the first experience with a simple, semi-quantitative scale for parallel assessment of sexual dysfunction and life-satisfaction (considered to globally reflect the quality of life), which was tested in depressed patients treated in the psychiatric, private practice setting. A combined Sexual Dysfunction(SD-S) and Life-Satisfaction Scale (LS-S), was constructed based on previous interviews with patients. Both consisted of 4-items, assumed to represent core elements of sexual function and individual well-being. The scales were applied to depressed patients treated with any of the SSRIs or with moclobemide, a reversible and selective MAO-A inhibitor. These two treatments were selected for testing the scales because it is known that SSRIs can induce or exacerbate them and moclobemide does not seem to affect them. The selection of treatment modality in this study was, however, entirely at the discretion of the physician. The assessments were done during 3 visits (at baseline, after 2 months and after 4 months). The results of this exploratory trial, testing the applicability, acceptance and utility of a combined mini- SD-S- and LS-S- scale, in 62 depressed patients, showed that the scale: a) was simple to use and well accepted by physicians and patients, b) was a suitable instrument for the practicing physician to control the success of the treatment and c) was sensitively assessing the presence and severity of sexual dysfunction

MIS 5.5 highstand and future sea level flooding at 2100 and 2300 in tectonically stable areas of central mediterranean sea: Sardinia and the pontina plain (Southern Latium), Italy

Areas of the Mediterranean Sea are dynamic habitats in which human activities have been conducted for centuries and which feature micro-tidal environments with about 0.40 m of range. For this reason, human settlements are still concentrated along a narrow coastline strip, where any change in the sea level and coastal dynamics may impact anthropic activities. We analyzed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and Copernicus Earth observation data. The aim of this research is to provide estimates and detailed maps (in three coastal plain of Sardinia (Italy) and in the Pontina Plain (southern Latium, Italy) of: (i) the past marine transgression occurred during MIS 5.5 highstand 119 kyrss BP; (ii) the coastline regression occurred during the last glacial maximum MIS 2 (21.5 krs cal BP); and (iii) the potential marine submersion for 2100 and 2300. The objective of this multidisciplinary study is to provide maps of sea level rise future scenarios using the IPCC RCP 8.5 2019 projections and glacio-hydro-isostatic movements for the above selected coastal zones (considered tectonically stable), which are the locations of touristic resorts, railways and heritage sites. We estimated a potential loss of land for the above areas of between about 146 km(2) (IPCC 2019-RCP8.5 scenario) and 637 km(2) along a coastline length of about 268 km

A Three-Dimensional Code for Muon Propagation through the Rock: MUSIC

We present a new three-dimensional Monte-Carlo code MUSIC (MUon SImulation Code) for muon propagation through the rock. All processes of muon interaction with matter with high energy loss (including the knock-on electron production) are treated as stochastic processes. The angular deviation and lateral displacement of muons due to multiple scattering, as well as bremsstrahlung, pair production and inelastic scattering are taken into account. The code has been applied to obtain the energy distribution and angular and lateral deviations of single muons at different depths underground. The muon multiplicity distributions obtained with MUSIC and CORSIKA (Extensive Air Shower simulation code) are also presented. We discuss the systematic uncertainties of the results due to different muon bremsstrahlung cross-sections.Comment: 24 pages, 11 Postscript figures, LaTeX, to be published in Astroparticle Physic

Evidence of relative sea level change and vertical motion of the land along the coast of Calabria inferred from maritime archaeological indicators

Calabria is one of the most complex regions of the Mediterranean basin, which experienced large earthquakes and uplift and is still undergoing to active tectonics. Along its coasts, are located several archaeological sites of roman and pre-roman age, that can be used as powerful indicators of the relative vertical movements between land and sea since their construction. In this paper we show and discuss data on the relative sea-level change as estimated from maritime archaeological indicators of the last ~2.3 ka BP existing along the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts of Calabria