An RPC-based Technical Trigger for the CMS Experiment

In the CMS experiment, sub-detectors may send special trigger signals, called "Technical Triggers", for special purposes like test and calibration. The Resistive Plate Chambers are part of the Muon Trigger System of the experiment, but might also produce a cosmic muon trigger as Technical Trigger to be used during the commissioning to the detectors, the CMS magnet Test Cosmic Challenge and the later running of CMS. The proposed implementation is based on the development of a new board, the RBC Balcony Collector (RBC); the test results on prototypes and their performance during the recent CMS Cosmic Challenge are presented

Fatality rate and predictors of mortality in an Italian cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Clinical features and natural history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) differ widely among different countries and during different phases of the pandemia. Here, we aimed to evaluate the case fatality rate (CFR) and to identify predictors of mortality in a cohort of COVID-19 patients admitted to three hospitals of Northern Italy between March 1 and April 28, 2020. All these patients had a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection by molecular methods. During the study period 504/1697 patients died; thus, overall CFR was 29.7%. We looked for predictors of mortality in a subgroup of 486 patients (239 males, 59%; median age 71 years) for whom sufficient clinical data were available at data cut-off. Among the demographic and clinical variables considered, age, a diagnosis of cancer, obesity and current smoking independently predicted mortality. When laboratory data were added to the model in a further subgroup of patients, age, the diagnosis of cancer, and the baseline PaO2/FiO2 ratio were identified as independent predictors of mortality. In conclusion, the CFR of hospitalized patients in Northern Italy during the ascending phase of the COVID-19 pandemic approached 30%. The identification of mortality predictors might contribute to better stratification of individual patient risk

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Un nuovo cubicolo dipinto nella catacomba di S. Ippolito sulla via Tiburtina

The research aimed to verify the still today accessible areas of the catacomb of St. Hippolytus - carried out specifically to its southern regions in respect of the martyrial basilica - has led to the discovery of a completely unknown frescoed cubiculum, never until now documented. In its first part, the paper investigates the reasons of this absence, in considering the history of the explorations in the southern and western sectors of the catacomb, carried out between the 19 th and 20 th centuries. The papers continues with an architectural reading of the cubiculum and an iconographic analysis of the paintings. The discovery of the cubiculum and the very recent identification of a new region to the East of the martyrial basilica open new and relevantperspectives for the knowledge of st. Hippolytus’ catacomb

L'area sacra di Largo Argentina tra IV e VI secolo. Nuove osservazioni topografiche ed epigrafiche

In this paper we propose the re-examination of the corpus of inscriptions datable between the 4th-6th centuries A.D., found during the excavations conducted by G. Marchetti Longhi in the Area Sacra of Largo Argentina, between the 1920s and 1930s. The study of this epigraphic repertory, carried out through the analysis of the forms, onomastics and palaeography, was guided by the question regarding the condition of reuse of some fragments. The result of the research sees in the late antique epigraphic fragments possible elements of the cosmatesque flooring of the medieval church of S. Nicola de Calcarario, built in temple A of the Area Sacra

Preliminary Mechanical Characterization of Thermal Filters for the X-IFU Instrument on Athena

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is one of the two instruments of the Athena astrophysics space mission approved by ESA in the Cosmic Vision Science Program. The X-IFU consists of a large array of TES microcalorimeters that will operate at ~ 50 mK inside a sophisticated cryostat. A set of thin filters, highly transparent to X-rays, will be mounted on the cryostat thermal shields in order to attenuate the IR radiative load, to attenuate RF electromagnetic interferences, and to protect the detector from contamination. In this paper, we present the current thermal filters design, describe the filter samples developed/procured so far, and present preliminary results from the ongoing characterization tests

La giustizia tra storia, genealogia e sociologia

Il presente contributo mostra come l'analisi dei rapporti tra giurisdizione, potere e sapere, all'incrocio delle metodologie proprie dell’epistemologia storica, della sociologia e della genealogia, possa ampliare l’orizzonte tradizionale della filosofia del diritto e delle teorie dell’interpretazione, pensando la giustizia nella sua ontologica instabilità e nella sua fondamentale storicità, nonché come uno dei luoghi decisivi di costituzione delle categorie che ordinano l’esperienza

Simple Parameters from Complete Blood Count Predict In-Hospital Mortality in COVID-19

Introduction. The clinical course of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly heterogenous, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal forms. The identification of clinical and laboratory predictors of poor prognosis may assist clinicians in monitoring strategies and therapeutic decisions. Materials and Methods. In this study, we retrospectively assessed the prognostic value of a simple tool, the complete blood count, on a cohort of 664 patients (F 260; 39%, median age 70 (56-81) years) hospitalized for COVID-19 in Northern Italy. We collected demographic data along with complete blood cell count; moreover, the outcome of the hospital in-stay was recorded. Results. At data cut-off, 221/664 patients (33.3%) had died and 453/664 (66.7%) had been discharged. Red cell distribution width (RDW) (χ2 10.4; p4.68 was characterized by an odds ratio for in-hospital mortality OR=3.40 (2.40-4.82), while the OR for a RDW>13.7% was 4.09 (2.87-5.83); a platelet count>166,000/μL was, conversely, protective (OR: 0.45 (0.32-0.63)). Conclusion. Our findings arise the opportunity of stratifying COVID-19 severity according to simple lab parameters, which may drive clinical decisions about monitoring and treatment