Performances of multi-gap timing RPCs for relativistic ions in the range Z=1-6

We present the performance of Multi-gap timing RPCs under irradiation by fully stripped relativistic ions (gamma*beta=2.7, Z=1-6). A time resolution of 80 ps at high efficiency has been obtained by just using standard `off the shelf' 4-gap timing RPCs from the new HADES ToF wall. The resolution worsened to 100 ps for ~ 1 kHz/cm2 proton flux and for ~ 100 Hz/cm2 Carbon flux. The chambers were operated at a standard field of E=100 kV/cm and showed a high stability during the experiment, supporting the fact that RPCs are a convenient choice when accommodating a very broad range of ionizing particles is needed. The data provides insight in the region of very highly ionizing particles (up to x 36 mips) and can be used to constrain the existing avalanche and Space-Charge models far from the usual `mip valley'. The implications of these results for the general case of detection based on secondary processes (n, gamma) resulting in highly ionizing particles with characteristic energy distributions will be discussed, together with the nature of the time-charge correlation curve.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures, submitted to JINS

Voltage Regulation in a Buck Converter for an Unknown CPL: An Extended Feedback Control Design

This paper deals with the problem of the output voltage regulation in a buck converter for an unknown constant power terminal (CPL) which generates a nonlinear dynamical model that requires an efficient control technique. An extended feedback linearization (EFL) approach is proposed to regulate the voltage provided to the CPL. The main characteristic of the EFL control is that it is based on the linearization of the dynamical model around the desired operative point, making it equivalent in this point to the classical approximated feedback control design. However, the EFL, even if designed with the linearized model, provides a nonlinear feedback control law that extends the action area near the operating point with better performance than linear controllers. To estimate the unknown load value, the estimation technique known as the inverse and invariant approach is applied with the main advantage that the load estimation has exponential convergence to the real value of the CPL. Numerical simulations in the PLECs software for MATLAB/Simulink reveal the effectiveness of the proposed EFL control compared to the exact feedback linearization controller

Extended Feedback Linearization Control for Voltage Regulation in a Buck Converter with an Unknown Resistive Load

This paper deals with the control problem in a buck converter while considering an unknown resistive load. The control design is based on extended feedback linearization (EFL) theory, which allows finding a general control law equivalent to the approximated feedback control method when the state variables are at the desired equilibrium point. The main advantage of an EFL controller is that the final feedback gains are independent of the converter parameters if and only if all the capacitances and inductances of the converter are perfectly known. To define the resistive load value, the inverse and invariance estimation method was employed, aiming to ensure the exponential convergence of the real resistive value. Numerical comparisons with an integral-action, passivity-based control design demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed EFL approach. All numerical simulations were conducted in the PLECs simulation tool of the MATLAB/Simulink environment. © 2023 IEE

Analisi scientifiche sulle tempere murali di Villa Pace

International audienceThe morphology, mineralogy, and solid-liquid phase separation of the Cu and Zn precipitates formed with sulfide produced in a sulfate-reducing bioreactor were studied at pH 3, 5, and 7. The precipitates formed at pH 7 display faster settling rates, better dewaterability, and higher concentrations of settleable solids as compared to the precipitates formed at pH 3 and 5. These differences were linked to the agglomeration of the sulfidic precipitates and coprecipitation of the phosphate added to the bioreactor influent. The Cu and Zn quenched the intensity of the dissolved organic matter peaks identified by fluorescence-excitation emission matrix spectroscopy, suggesting a binding mechanism that decreases supersaturation, especially at pH 5. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy analyses confirmed the precipitation of Zn-S as sphalerite and Cu-S as covellite in all samples, but also revealed the presence of Zn sorbed on hydroxyapatite. These analyses further showed that CuS structures remained amorphous regardless of the pH, whereas the ZnS structure was more organized at pH 5 as compared to the ZnS formed at pH 3 and 7, in agreement with the cubic sphalerite-type structures observed through scanning electron microscopy at pH 5

Brentwood Community Health Care Assessment

BACKGROUND: The Community Alliance for Research Empowering Social Change (CARES) is an academic–community research partnership designed to train community members on research methods and develop the infrastructure for community-based participatory research (CBPR) to examine and address racial/ethnic health disparities. The Brentwood Community Health Assessment (BCHA) was developed through a CBPR pilot project grant from CARES. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the BCHA is to assess health care utilization and identify existing barriers to health care access among a multi-ethnic community in the Hamlet of Brentwood, New York. METHODS: Using CBPR approaches, the community–academic research partnership develop the study design and survey instrument. Trained Bilingual (English/Spanish) data collectors verbally administered surveys door-to-door to residents of Brentwood from October 2010 to May 2011. Inclusion criteria required participants to be at least 18 years of age and speak either English or Spanish. RESULTS: Overall, 232 residents completed the BCHA; 49% were male, 66% Hispanic, 13% non-Hispanic White, 13% non-Hispanic Black, 29% had less than a high school education, and 33% were born in United States. The assessment results revealed that most residents are able to access health care when needed and the most significant barriers to health care access are insurance and cost. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the community–academic partnered process used to develop and implement the BCHA and report assessment findings; the community-partnered approach improved data collection and allowed access into one of Suffolk County’s most vulnerable communities

Protocol of sterile personal protective equipment for surgical personnel against SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: COVID-19 represents the major pandemic seen the last years generating morbidity and mortality around the world. It is well known the propagation of the virus occurs by air mostly, so it is needed a barrier when the medic personal is treating suspect or confirm patients. Personal protective equipment represents a barrier between the health personnel and the patient during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surgical team during a COVID-19 confirmed o suspicious case procedure requires using PPE to be protected and keep the sterility for the patient safety.Methods: A team of surgeons from a 100% COVID-19 hospital of the Mexican institute of social security developed an inner protocol of safe use PPE maintaining sterility for the surgery.Conclusions: The protocol described provides safety to surgical team and the patient minimizing risk of surgical infections

Differences between individuals with schizophrenia or obsessive-compulsive disorder and healthy controls in social cognition and mindfulness skills: A controlled study

The study of social cognition (SC) has emerged as a key domain of mental health, supporting the notion that poorer performance in SC tasks is linked to psychopathology, although most studies have primarily addressed only schizophrenia (SZ). Some recent studies have also shown deficits of SC in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients; however, little is known about how individuals with OCD may differ on SC performance from individuals with SZ. Moreover, initial research in this field suggests that mindfulness skills may be related to SC abilities such as theory of mind (ToM), emotion processing and empathy. Given the potential benefits of mindfulness for treating OCD and SZ, further efforts are needed to understand the association between mindfulness and SC in these populations. The main objective of this study was to compare samples of patients with SZ and OCD to healthy controls (HCs) on several social cognition (SC) domains and mindfulness measures. In total, 30 outpatients diagnosed with SZ, 31 outpatients diagnosed with OCD and 30 healthy controls were assessed in emotion recognition (the Eyes Test), ToM (the Hinting Task), attributional style (the Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire), empathy (the Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and dispositional mindfulness (the MAAS and the FFMQ). Both clinical groups showed poorer performance in emotion recognition and ToM than the HCs. The OCD and SZ patients did not significantly differ in impairment in SC, but the OCD group had higher scores in attributional style (intentionality and anger bias). With regard to mindfulness, the results found lower levels of acting with awareness for the HCs than for either clinical group and higher non-reactivity to inner experience for the HCs than for the individuals with OCD; the results also yielded significant correlations between SC and mindfulness. In conclusion, these findings revealed that SC abilities were impaired in the SZ and OCD groups compared to the HC group, suggesting a similar disrupted pattern in both clinical groups. Aspects of dispositional mindfulness were differentially associated with SC, which may suggest their potential role in novel transdiagnostic interventions

Anaerobic digestion of whole-crop winter wheat silage for renewable energy production

With biogas production expanding across Europe in response to renewable energy incentives, a wider variety of crops need to be considered as feedstock. Maize, the most commonly used crop at present, is not ideal in cooler, wetter regions, where higher energy yields per hectare might be achieved with other cereals. Winter wheat is a possible candidate because, under these conditions, it has a good biomass yield, can be ensiled, and can be used as a whole crop material. The results showed that, when harvested at the medium milk stage, the specific methane yield was 0.32 m3 CH4 kg–1 volatile solids added, equal to 73% of the measured calorific value. Using crop yield values for the north of England, a net energy yield of 146–155 GJ ha–1 year–1 could be achieved after taking into account both direct and indirect energy consumption in cultivation, processing through anaerobic digestion, and spreading digestate back to the land. The process showed some limitations, however: the relatively low density of the substrate made it difficult to mix the digester, and there was a buildup of soluble chemical oxygen demand, which represented a loss in methane potential and may also have led to biofoaming. The high nitrogen content of the wheat initially caused problems, but these could be overcome by acclimatization. A combination of these factors is likely to limit the loading that can be applied to the digester when using winter wheat as a substrat

Under-five mortality: spatial-temporal clusters in Ifakara HDSS in South-eastern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND\ud \ud Childhood mortality remains an important subject, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where levels are still unacceptably high. To achieve the set Millennium Development Goals 4, calls for comprehensive application of the proven cost-effective interventions. Understanding spatial clustering of childhood mortality can provide a guide in targeting the interventions in a more strategic approach to the population where mortality is highest and the interventions are most likely to make an impact.\ud \ud METHODS\ud \ud Annual child mortality rates were calculated for each village, using person-years observed as the denominator. Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic was used for the identification and testing of childhood mortality clusters. All under-five deaths that occurred within a 10-year period from 1997 to 2006 were included in the analysis. Villages were used as units of clusters; all 25 health and demographic surveillance sites (HDSS) villages in the Ifakara health and demographic surveillance area were included.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud \ud Of the 10 years of analysis, statistically significant spatial clustering was identified in only 2 years (1998 and 2001). In 1998, the statistically significant cluster (p < 0.01) was composed of nine villages. A total of 106 childhood deaths were observed against an expected 77.3. The other statistically significant cluster (p < 0.05) identified in 2001 was composed of only one village. In this cluster, 36 childhood deaths were observed compared to 20.3 expected. Purely temporal analysis indicated that the year 2003 was a significant cluster (p < 0.05). Total deaths were 393 and expected were 335.8. Spatial-temporal analysis showed that nine villages were identified as statistically significant clusters (p < 0.05) for the period covering January 1997-December 1998. Total observed deaths in this cluster were 205 while 150.7 were expected.\ud \ud CONCLUSION\ud \ud There is evidence of spatial clustering in childhood mortality within the Ifakara HDSS. Further investigations are needed to explore the source of clustering and identify strategies of reaching the cluster population with the existing effective interventions. However, that should happen alongside delivery of interventions to the broader population

Chandra Smells a RRAT: X-ray Detection of a Rotating Radio Transient

"Rotating RAdio Transients" (RRATs) are a newly discovered astronomical phenomenon, characterised by occasional brief radio bursts, with average intervals between bursts ranging from minutes to hours. The burst spacings allow identification of periodicities, which fall in the range 0.4 to 7 seconds. The RRATs thus seem to be rotating neutron stars, albeit with properties very different from the rest of the population. We here present the serendipitous detection with the Chandra X-ray Observatory of a bright point-like X-ray source coincident with one of the RRATs. We discuss the temporal and spectral properties of this X-ray emission, consider counterparts in other wavebands, and interpret these results in the context of possible explanations for the RRAT population.Comment: 5 pages, 2 b/w figures, 1 color figure. To appear in the proceedings of "Isolated Neutron Stars", Astrophysics & Space Science, in pres