The PreAmplifier ShAper for the ALICE TPC-Detector

In this paper the PreAmplifier ShAper (PASA) for the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) of the ALICE experiment at LHC is presented. The ALICE TPC PASA is an ASIC that integrates 16 identical channels, each consisting of Charge Sensitive Amplifiers (CSA) followed by a Pole-Zero network, self-adaptive bias network, two second-order bridged-T filters, two non-inverting level shifters and a start-up circuit. The circuit is optimized for a detector capacitance of 18-25 pF. For an input capacitance of 25 pF, the PASA features a conversion gain of 12.74 mV/fC, a peaking time of 160 ns, a FWHM of 190 ns, a power consumption of 11.65 mW/ch and an equivalent noise charge of 244e + 17e/pF. The circuit recovers smoothly to the baseline in about 600 ns. An integral non-linearity of 0.19% with an output swing of about 2.1 V is also achieved. The total area of the chip is 18 mm$^2$ and is implemented in AMS's C35B3C1 0.35 micron CMOS technology. Detailed characterization test were performed on about 48000 PASA circuits before mounting them on the ALICE TPC front-end cards. After more than two years of operation of the ALICE TPC with p-p and Pb-Pb collisions, the PASA has demonstrated to fulfill all requirements

Clinical Mortality in a Large COVID-19 Cohort: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Northwell Health, an integrated health system in New York, has treated more than 15,000 inpatients with COVID-19 at the US epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: We describe the demographic characteristics of patients who died of COVID-19, observation of frequent rapid response team/cardiac arrest (RRT/CA) calls for non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and factors that contributed to RRT/CA calls. METHODS: A team of registered nurses reviewed the medical records of inpatients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via polymerase chain reaction before or on admission and who died between March 13 (first Northwell Health inpatient expiration) and April 30, 2020, at 15 Northwell Health hospitals. The findings for these patients were abstracted into a database and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Of 2634 patients who died of COVID-19, 1478 (56.1%) had oxygen saturation levels ≥90% on presentation and required no respiratory support. At least one RRT/CA was called on 1112/2634 patients (42.2%) at a non-ICU level of care. Before the RRT/CA call, the most recent oxygen saturation levels for 852/1112 (76.6%) of these non-ICU patients were at least 90%. At the time the RRT/CA was called, 479/1112 patients (43.1%) had an oxygen saturation of \u3c80%. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents one of the largest reviewed cohorts of mortality that also captures data in nonstructured fields. Approximately 50% of deaths occurred at a non-ICU level of care despite admission to the appropriate care setting with normal staffing. The data imply a sudden, unexpected deterioration in respiratory status requiring RRT/CA in a large number of non-ICU patients. Patients admitted at a non-ICU level of care suffered rapid clinical deterioration, often with a sudden decrease in oxygen saturation. These patients could benefit from additional monitoring (eg, continuous central oxygenation saturation), although this approach warrants further study

Noise spectra of SIU-GaAs pad detectors with guard rings

This paper presents current noise characterization of circular pad Schottky barrier diodes with guard rings. The diodes were fabricated from undopped semi-insulating GaAs, SIU-GaAs, at the University of Glasgow. Current noise spectra were obtained for the detectors for two pad sizes, with reverse bias applied. Three measurements were also made on one of the detectors under forward bias. The noise spectra show an excess noise component, with a low frequency corner at less than 1kHz, and a flat region at higher frequencies. The magnitude of the white noise is approximately half that expected from shot noise theory for the given leakage currents. A fall in the magnitude of the noise was observed at 20kHz which is attributed to the dielectric relaxation time of the material

In processu excelle[n]tissimae Ducillae Ioannae de Pernestan Ducissae Villaeformosae super Repulsione Iurisfirmae, pro ea

Enc. perg.Tít. tomado de las primeras palabras del texto y mención de responsabilidad tomada de p. 11.Enc. con procesos semejantes de principios del S. XVII.Sign.: A-C2.Sello: "Instituto y provª. de Huesca. Biblioteca

AXTAR: Mission Design Concept

The Advanced X-ray Timing Array (AXTAR) is a mission concept for X-ray timing of compact objects that combines very large collecting area, broadband spectral coverage, high time resolution, highly flexible scheduling, and an ability to respond promptly to time-critical targets of opportunity. It is optimized for submillisecond timing of bright Galactic X-ray sources in order to study phenomena at the natural time scales of neutron star surfaces and black hole event horizons, thus probing the physics of ultradense matter, strongly curved spacetimes, and intense magnetic fields. AXTAR's main instrument, the Large Area Timing Array (LATA) is a collimated instrument with 2-50 keV coverage and over 3 square meters effective area. The LATA is made up of an array of supermodules that house 2-mm thick silicon pixel detectors. AXTAR will provide a significant improvement in effective area (a factor of 7 at 4 keV and a factor of 36 at 30 keV) over the RXTE PCA. AXTAR will also carry a sensitive Sky Monitor (SM) that acts as a trigger for pointed observations of X-ray transients in addition to providing high duty cycle monitoring of the X-ray sky. We review the science goals and technical concept for AXTAR and present results from a preliminary mission design study.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, Proceedings of SPIE Volume 773

Management of osteoporosis in men: A narrative review

Male osteoporosis is a still largely underdiagnosed pathological condition. As a conse-quence, bone fragility in men remains undertreated mainly due to the low screening frequency and to controversies in the bone mineral density (BMD) testing standards. Up to the 40% of overall osteo-porotic fractures affect men, in spite of the fact that women have a significant higher prevalence of osteoporosis. In addition, in males, hip fractures are associated with increased morbidity and mortality as compared to women. Importantly, male fractures occur about 10 years later in life than women, and, therefore, due to the advanced age, men may have more comorbidities and, consequently, their mortality is about twice the rate in women. Gender differences, which begin during puberty, lead to wider bones in males as compared with females. In men, follicle-stimulating hormones, testosterone, estrogens, and sex hormone-binding levels, together with genetic factors, interact in determining the peak of bone mass, BMD maintenance, and lifetime decrease. As compared with women, men are more frequently affected by secondary osteoporosis. Therefore, in all osteoporotic men, a complete clinical history should be collected and a careful physical examination should be done, in order to find clues of a possible underlying diseases and, ultimately, to guide laboratory testing. Currently, the pharmacological therapy of male osteoporosis includes aminobisphosphonates, denosumab, and teriparatide. Hypogonadal patients may be treated with testosterone replacement therapy. Given that the fractures related to mortality are higher in men than in women, treating male subjects with osteoporosis is of the utmost importance in clinical practice, as it may impact on mortality even more than in women

The Front-end for the new focal plane detector for the NUMEN project

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