Registration Management System (RMS)

The Registration Service at CERN is responsible for the registration of all the external staff working for CERN. There are many agreements with the host states, distinguishing the different work permits. Registration is carried out via the Human Resource (HR) database interface, based on Oracle Forms. This interface is very flexible but allows faulty or non-consistent database entries. Official documents are archived as paper copies. The RMS project was launched to define and develop the utilities for a new 'easy to use' user interface allowing the pre-registration of persons by their employers. Guided system and error detection procedures ensure consistent data. Powerful data retrieval systems simplify the search for persons and allow a large variety of listings. Official documents are also stored electronically and are accessible to authorized users

AMS-AC (Authorization Management System) and databases for access control

The concept for AMS-AC (Authorization Management System for Access Control) was developed in 1996/1997 with the participation of the Divisions AS, DSU, PE, PPE, ST and TIS. It covers the entrance rules to CERN, the types of CERN cards, and the access authorizations to controlled areas. The former paper-based procedure to obtain an access authorization has been transferred to a database driven system with electronic signatures. All necessary information are stored in the human resource database (HR). From there, the data is distributed to all card readers at CERN. A UNIX server controls the updating of the authorization data and performs automatic data transfers. Additionally, several procedures have been developed: 1) HTML-based on-line database checks for immediate data control; 2) Database verification procedures; 3) Automatic information distribution

Is the CERN recommended SCADA useable for the ST division?

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are widely used at CERN and in industrial control environments. In order to limit the costs of purchase, maintenance and support, a recommendation for one SCADA system is in preparation by the SCADA working group. This SCADA system should be used for all CERN in-house developed applications as they exist today e.g. in the Technical Control Room (TCR). This presentation will show the actual environment for the control and monitoring of the technical infrastructure at CERN and the needs for the future LHC infrastructure monitoring. The presentation will cover the control activities of all ST groups represented in the ST Control System WG. A possible solution for the integration of the technical infrastructure data into a SCADA system and a solution for the data exchange with the accelerators and the experiments will be presented. This includes a short term planning for the evaluation period as well as the long-term strategy on how to implement the chosen solution

TCR remote monitoring for the LHC technical infrastructure

The remote monitoring of the LHC technical infrastructure will mainly be done in CERN’s Technical Control Room (TCR). The technical infrastrucure consists of specialised equipment from different groups and divisions, mainly cooling and ventilation and electrical equipment. The responsibility for the definition, operation and maintenance of the equipment is covered by the relevant equipment group. However the monitoring and alerting for action in case of equipment failure is initiated by the TCR and is based on alarms that are sent by the equipment. This implies the correct integration of the equipment and the establishment of rules to follow during the commissioning and start-up of the equipment in order to ensure proper operation. This paper shows the integration possibilities and the different tasks and steps to follow by the different parties for smooth equipment integration and avoiding organizational problems

Summary of ST-MA deliverables for LHC

The ST/MA group is responsible for the monitoring of the CERN Technical Infrastructure as well as the design, installation and maintenance of personnel protection system such as access control system, fire and gas leak detection, safety alarm monitoring systems and radiation monitoring systems (in collaboration with TIS). This paper provides an overview of the main projects and services managed in the group and outlines the scope, the organisation and the planning of the main deliverables for LHC

CERN LHC Technical Infrastructure Monitoring (TIM)

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will start to deliver particles to its experiments in the year 2005. However, all the primary services such as electricity, cooling, ventilation, safety systems and others such as vacuum and cryogenics will be commissioned gradually between 2001 and 2005. This technical infrastructure will be controlled using industrial control systems, which have either already been purchased from specialized companies or are currently being put together for tender. This paper discusses the overall architecture and interfaces that will be used by the CERN Technical Control Room (TCR) to monitor the technical services at CERN and those of the LHC and its experiments. The issue of coherently integrating existing and future control systems over a period of five years with constantly evolving technology is addressed. The paper also summarizes the functionality of all the tools needed by the control room such as alarm reporting, data logging systems, man machine interfaces and the console manager. Particular attention is paid to networking aspects, so that reliable and timely transmission of data can be assured. A pyramidal layered component architecture is compared with a complete SCADA solution

The first year of the ST Operation Committee: is there a future ?

The main objective of the ST Operation Committee (STOC) was to develop a proactive and homogeneous service of operation that satisfies the needs of the service users. Furthermore, the role of the Technical Control Room (TCR) should have been developed to a unique and competent entry point for ST operation by bringing the operation teams closer together on a daily basis. Have these objectives been achieved and to what extend? Is there a future for this committee and what could it look like? What are the implications of the first year of work on ST operation as a whole? This paper answers these questions and gives recommendations how to make best use of the STOC for the ST partners and ST, respectively

Heat-Killed Trypanosoma cruzi Induces Acute Cardiac Damage and Polyantigenic Autoimmunity

Chagas heart disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a potentially fatal cardiomyopathy often associated with cardiac autoimmunity. T. cruzi infection induces the development of autoimmunity to a number of antigens via molecular mimicry and other mechanisms, but the genesis and pathogenic potential of this autoimmune response has not been fully elucidated. To determine whether exposure to T. cruzi antigens alone in the absence of active infection is sufficient to induce autoimmunity, we immunized A/J mice with heat-killed T. cruzi (HKTC) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant, and compared the resulting immune response to that induced by infection with live T. cruzi. We found that HKTC immunization is capable of inducing acute cardiac damage, as evidenced by elevated serum cardiac troponin I, and that this damage is associated with the generation of polyantigenic humoral and cell-mediated autoimmunity with similar antigen specificity to that induced by infection with T. cruzi. However, while significant and preferential production of Th1 and Th17-associated cytokines, accompanied by myocarditis, develops in T. cruzi-infected mice, HKTC-immunized mice produce lower levels of these cytokines, do not develop Th1-skewed immunity, and lack tissue inflammation. These results demonstrate that exposure to parasite antigen alone is sufficient to induce autoimmunity and cardiac damage, yet additional immune factors, including a dominant Th1/Th17 immune response, are likely required to induce cardiac inflammation