Commissioning of the Silicon Drift Detectors of the ALICE experiment at the LHC

Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD) equip the two central layers of the Inner Tracking System of the ALICE experiment at the LHC. Main results of systematic studies of detector performance including noise, gain, drift speed and charge collection measurements will be reportedComment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Measurement of identified charged hadron spectra in proton-proton collisions using the Inner Tracking System of the ALICE experiment at the LHC

The measurement of the identified charged hadron p_t spectra using the ITS energy loss signal in the p-p data at sqrt{s}=900 GeV collected by the ALICE experiment at LHC will be discussed. It is performed using the Inner Tracking System (ITS) in stand-alone mode, both for track reconstruction and particle identification, allowing one to detect low momentum particles with p_t below 200 MeV/c. A second method using the tracks reconstructed by both the ITS and the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) has also been developed. The obtained results will be compared with the ones obtained from the TPC and from the Time Of Flight detector and used to extract the mean p_t value.Comment: 3 pages, 8 figures, conference proceedings of the Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum I

Calibrating self-reported church attendance questions in online surveys ; Experimental evidence from the Italian context

Despite widespread use in survey research, the accuracy and validity of self-reported church attendance questions have often been debated. Since the seminal article by Hadaway et al. (1993), that this indicator leads to an overestimation of the number of regular churchgoers has entered common knowledge. However, no systematic work to improve the understanding and command of the measurement instrument has been carried out. This contribution analyses the effect of different formulations of the self-reported church attendance question in online questionnaires, by means of survey experiments on a sample of Italian Catholics. In particular the most common \u2018how often\u2019 version of the question is compared to an alternative version asking how many times respondents went to church in the last month. The experimental results show that, despite criticism, the \u2018how often\u2019 version remains the best option for obtaining information on individual religious practice in survey research. This version is robust to changes in the formulation of answer categories and produces more informative results for respondents with low attendance. Finally, the study supplies evidence consistent with the growing body of literature that underlines the role of religious identity and self-conception in answering questions on church attendance

Development of the Substance Use Motives Measure (SUMM): A comprehensive eight-factor model for alcohol/drugs consumption

A wide range of literature (e.g. Cooper, Kuntsche, Levitt, Barber, & Wolf, 2016) supports the assumption that substance use behaviors are driven by different needs, such as socializing with friends or escaping negative mood, that result in diverse consequences. Starting from the four factors identified by Cooper (1994), in the present research we developed the Substance Use Motives Measure (SUMM). SUMM identifies eight motives for alcohol and substance use (Enhancement, Social, Conformity, Anxiety-Coping, Depression-Coping, Boredom-Coping, Self expansion and Performance) that are assumed to be differentially related to specific patterns of substance use. The current study is a preliminary investigation of the psychometric properties of the SUMM in a nonclinical sample. The results support the internal reliability and validity of the measure and suggest that the eight motives may be linked to the use of diverse substances through different reinforcement processes. Additional results show distinct patterns of correlations between the eight motives and personality traits, as an indication of different profiles of alcohol-drug consumers. This flexible assessment measure may have important implications for research, prevention and clinical interventions

Sensitivity of the Drop Length in a Rise and Fall Absolute Gravimeter: Simulation and Data from the IMGC-02 Instrument Operating in Different Measurement Sites

In ballistic absolute gravimeters, the length of the analyzed trajectory of the falling object plays a crucial role in the accuracy and the precision of the determination of the gravity value. The effect is generated by different known and unknown sources. They depend both on the instrument setup, e.g. mechanical systems or fringe signal processing, and the measurement site, namely the stiffness of the floor. The dominant aspect concerns the recoil which appears at the start of the drop. In the case of rise and fall method, as for the IMGC-02 apparatus, the magnitude of such recoil is higher with a respect to the freefall one. A detailed analysis of the sensitivity of the drop length for this absolute gravimeter was never done before. The goal of the study is to evaluate how the variation of drop length can affect the measurement of the free fall acceleration, in order to achieve best solution to minimize the perturbation without reduce the resolution. The solution must be found as a function of the different measurement site and its associated uncertainty were evaluated

"I cannot stand the boredom." Binge drinking expectancies in adolescence

Introduction: The main aim of this study is to improve our knowledge on binge drinking behavior in adolescents. In particular, we tested a model of predictors of binge drinking focusing on boredom proneness; we also examined the predictive and mediating role of drinking expectancies on binge drinking. Methods: A questionnaire designed to assess current drinking behavior, such as binge drinking, drinking expectancies and boredom proneness, was administered to 721 Italian adolescents (61% females) aged between 13 and 19 years (M = 15.98, SD = 1.61). Results: Structural equation modeling confirmed the evidence on drinking expectancies as predicted by boredom proneness and as predictive of adolescents' binge drinking. Interestingly, disinhibition and relief from pain seem to play a more important mediating role between boredom and alcohol outcome. Conversely, no mediation was found for interpersonal and social confidence expectancies on binge drinking. Conclusions: In general, the results suggest that preventative interventions on alcohol misuse should focus on personality traits and underlying drinking expectancies

‘And yet I’m an adult now’. The influence of parental criticism on women’s body satisfaction/dissatisfaction during emerging adulthood

Body dissatisfaction is widely recognized as an important public health concern mainly for women because of its increasing incidence worldwide. The aim of this exploratory study was to test the predictive role of family influence on body satisfaction (BS) among young Italian women, during a decade conceptualized as \u2018emerging adulthood\u2019. Instruments designed to assess BS, appearance-focused parental comments, maternal and paternal criticism were administered to 688 women aged between 18 and 28 years (M age = 23.40; SD = 2.33). Two regression analyses were used with life satisfaction levels, parental comments, and maternal/paternal criticism as independent variables to explain variance in BS for younger (18\u201323 years) and older (24\u201328 years) women. The data reveal an interesting difference in the influence of parental criticism on BS depending on the age cohort: maternal criticism negatively predicts BS in younger women, while paternal criticism is a risk factor for BS in older women