Strategies for Deeper Integration: Case Study of the Baltics

When we talk about international integration, trade and investment, the it’s-all-about-geographic-proximity is a tempting argument to make. While the importance of geographic closeness cannot be denied, empirical evidence suggests existence of other, perhaps equally significant factors that bring countries closer together. The aim of this paper is to sketch some light on an often overlooked aspect of international integration, recently introduced as the ‘new regionalism’ paradigm. Based on the proposed ‘mentoring’ and ‘the training ground’ concepts we analyze such integration within the Baltic Sea region, suggesting an alternative approach to international economic convergence

The Power Board of the KM3NeT Digital Optical Module: design, upgrade, and production

The KM3NeT Collaboration is building an underwater neutrino observatory at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea consisting of two neutrino telescopes, both composed of a three-dimensional array of light detectors, known as digital optical modules. Each digital optical module contains a set of 31 three inch photomultiplier tubes distributed over the surface of a 0.44 m diameter pressure-resistant glass sphere. The module includes also calibration instruments and electronics for power, readout and data acquisition. The power board was developed to supply power to all the elements of the digital optical module. The design of the power board began in 2013, and several prototypes were produced and tested. After an exhaustive validation process in various laboratories within the KM3NeT Collaboration, a mass production batch began, resulting in the construction of over 1200 power boards so far. These boards were integrated in the digital optical modules that have already been produced and deployed, 828 until October 2023. In 2017, an upgrade of the power board, to increase reliability and efficiency, was initiated. After the validation of a pre-production series, a production batch of 800 upgraded boards is currently underway. This paper describes the design, architecture, upgrade, validation, and production of the power board, including the reliability studies and tests conducted to ensure the safe operation at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea throughout the observatory's lifespa

Toxicidade de antibióticos no cultivo in vitro da batata em meios semi-sólido e líquido Antibiotics toxicity on the in vitro potato cultivation in semi-solid and liquid media

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos fitotóxicos de antibióticos no crescimento e na taxa de multiplicação in vitro da batata. Brotações da cultivar Baronesa foram cultivadas em meio de multiplicação de consistência semi-sólida e líquida. O meio de multiplicação foi formado pelos sais e vitaminas de MS ao qual adicionou-se um dos seguintes antibióticos: ampicilina, cloranfenicol, estreptomicina e tetraciclina, previamente selecionados em razão da ação bactericida sobre contaminantes da cultura, nas concentrações de 0, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 e 1.024 mg L-1. Por 21 dias os materiais foram mantidos em sala de crescimento a 25±2°C, 16 horas de luz e fluxo de radiação de 35 µmol m-2 s-1. Nos tratamentos em que se utilizou meio de cultura líquido, os frascos foram mantidos sob constante agitação em mesa agitadora do tipo orbital. A ampicilina foi o único antibiótico que não afetou a sobrevivência e o desenvolvimento dos explantes de batata em meio de multiplicação, podendo ser indicada para trabalhos de descontaminação in vitro dessa espécie. O aumento das concentrações de cloranfenicol, estreptomicina e tetraciclina no meio de cultura apresentou efeitos fitotóxicos severos sobre o crescimento e taxa de multiplicação do material vegetal.<br>The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of antibiotics on the in vitro growth and multiplication rate of potato. Potato explants, cv. Baronesa, were cultivated in semi-solid and liquid multiplication culture medium. The medium was formed by MS salts, vitamins and one of the following antibiotics: ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin or tetracycline, previously selected by the bactericidal action on some culture contaminants, at 0, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 and 1,024 mg L-1. Each treatment had three replicates of ten explants. The materials were incubated for 21 days in a growth room at 25±2°C temperature, 16-hour-light and 35 µmol m-2 s-1 radiation. The flasks with liquid culture medium were kept under continuous agitation in an orbital shaker. Only ampicillin has not affected the survival and the normal development of potato explants in the culture medium, thereby being indicated for decontamination works in vitro of this specie. The increase of the concentrations of chloramphenicol, tetracycline and streptomycin presented severe phytotoxic effects on the growth and multiplication rate of potato explants

Searches for neutrino counterparts of gravitational waves from the LIGO/Virgo third observing run with KM3NeT

International audienceThe KM3NeT neutrino telescope is currently being deployed at two different sites in the Mediterranean Sea. First searches for astrophysical neutrinos have been performed using data taken with the partial detector configuration already in operation. The paper presents the results of two independent searches for neutrinos from compact binary mergers detected during the third observing run of the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave interferometers. The first search looks for a global increase in the detector counting rates that could be associated with inverse beta decay events generated by MeV-scale electron anti-neutrinos. The second one focuses on upgoing track-like events mainly induced by muon (anti-)neutrinos in the GeV--TeV energy range. Both searches yield no significant excess for the sources in the gravitational wave catalogs. For each source, upper limits on the neutrino flux and on the total energy emitted in neutrinos in the respective energy ranges have been set. Stacking analyses of binary black hole mergers and neutron star-black hole mergers have also been performed to constrain the characteristic neutrino emission from these categories

Searches for neutrino counterparts of gravitational waves from the LIGO/Virgo third observing run with KM3NeT

International audienceThe KM3NeT neutrino telescope is currently being deployed at two different sites in the Mediterranean Sea. First searches for astrophysical neutrinos have been performed using data taken with the partial detector configuration already in operation. The paper presents the results of two independent searches for neutrinos from compact binary mergers detected during the third observing run of the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave interferometers. The first search looks for a global increase in the detector counting rates that could be associated with inverse beta decay events generated by MeV-scale electron anti-neutrinos. The second one focuses on upgoing track-like events mainly induced by muon (anti-)neutrinos in the GeV--TeV energy range. Both searches yield no significant excess for the sources in the gravitational wave catalogs. For each source, upper limits on the neutrino flux and on the total energy emitted in neutrinos in the respective energy ranges have been set. Stacking analyses of binary black hole mergers and neutron star-black hole mergers have also been performed to constrain the characteristic neutrino emission from these categories

Searches for neutrino counterparts of gravitational waves from the LIGO/Virgo third observing run with KM3NeT

International audienceThe KM3NeT neutrino telescope is currently being deployed at two different sites in the Mediterranean Sea. First searches for astrophysical neutrinos have been performed using data taken with the partial detector configuration already in operation. The paper presents the results of two independent searches for neutrinos from compact binary mergers detected during the third observing run of the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave interferometers. The first search looks for a global increase in the detector counting rates that could be associated with inverse beta decay events generated by MeV-scale electron anti-neutrinos. The second one focuses on upgoing track-like events mainly induced by muon (anti-)neutrinos in the GeV--TeV energy range. Both searches yield no significant excess for the sources in the gravitational wave catalogs. For each source, upper limits on the neutrino flux and on the total energy emitted in neutrinos in the respective energy ranges have been set. Stacking analyses of binary black hole mergers and neutron star-black hole mergers have also been performed to constrain the characteristic neutrino emission from these categories