An effective 6DoF motion model for 3D-6DoF Monte Carlo Localization

This paper deals with the probabilistic 6DoF motion model of a wheeled road vehicle. It allows to correctly model the error introduced by dead reckoning. Furthermore, to stress the importance of an appropriate motion model, i.e., that different models are not equally good, we show that another model, which was previously developed, does not allow a correct representation of the uncertainty, therefore misguiding 3D-6DoF Monte Carlo Localization. We also present some field experiments to demonstrate that our model allow a consistent determination of the 6DoF vehicle pose

MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) -- V: Linking ionized gas traced by CIV and SiIV absorbers to Lyα{\alpha} emitting galaxies at z≈3.0−4.5z\approx 3.0-4.5

We use 28 quasar fields with high-resolution (HIRES and UVES) spectroscopy from the MUSE Analysis of Gas Around Galaxies survey to study the connection between Ly${\alpha}$ emitters (LAEs) and metal-enriched ionized gas traced by CIV in absorption at redshift $z\approx3-4$. In a sample of 220 CIV absorbers, we identify 143 LAEs connected to CIV gas within a line-of-sight separation ${\rm \pm 500\,km\,s^{-1}}$, equal to a detection rate of $36\pm 5$ per cent once we account for multiple LAEs connected to the same CIV absorber. The luminosity function of LAEs associated with CIV absorbers shows a $\approx 2.4$ higher normalization factor compared to the field. CIV with higher equivalent width and velocity width are associated with brighter LAEs or multiple galaxies, while weaker systems are less often identified near LAEs. The covering fraction in groups is up to $\approx 3$ times larger than for isolated galaxies. Compared to the correlation between optically-thick HI absorbers and LAEs, CIV systems are twice less likely to be found near LAEs especially at lower equivalent width. Similar results are found using SiIV as tracer of ionized gas. We propose three components to model the gas environment of LAEs: i) the circumgalactic medium of galaxies, accounting for the strongest correlations between absorption and emission; ii) overdense gas filaments connecting galaxies, driving the excess of LAEs at a few times the virial radius and the modulation of the luminosity and cross-correlation functions for strong absorbers; iii) an enriched and more diffuse medium, accounting for weaker CIV absorbers farther from galaxies.Comment: 28 pages, 21 figures, 10 tables. Submitted to MNRAS after accounting for reviewer's comment

Microplastic pollution in the Trieste Karst (Italy) protected habitats: preliminary analysis of cave and spring water sediments

Microplastic (MP) pollution in karst and subterranean areas is still poorly studied and research are generally focused on the water matrix. The Trieste Karst, Italy, is rich in peculiar karst habitats and species, including some endemics. To preserve these ecological heritages, different European, national and local laws are present. In this preliminary study we collected and investigated several sediment samples from aquatic environments in different protected habitats (three caves and a spring) of the Trieste Karst. Sediment samples were subjected to organic matter removal with 1:1 30% H2O2 solution and for each sample, three subsamples of 15g dried sediment were selected via coning and quartering. MPs were extracted from sediment via density separation and filtered. Particles on filters (5-0.1 mm) were counted and characterized by size, color and shape via visual identification under a microscope, with and without UV light, exploiting fluorescence given by additives added in many plastic materials. Finally, spectroscopic analyses were carried out on random particles on each filter. The concentration of MPs in cave water sediments varied from 911 to 2178 items/kg, instead, in the sediments of the spring it was of 889 items/kg. Fibre represented the most abundant shape (67.5%), followed by fragment (21.6%), bead (10%), and film (0.9%). Most MPs (86.4%) were smaller than 1 mm. The majority of the MPs were fluorescent under UV light (69.1%) and have 77.1% blue fluorescence, 8.1% red fluorescence, 6.1% green fluorescence and 8.7% other colors. Fluorescent particles were mainly transparent (63.8%), instead, in non-fluorescent ones predominated the black (56.2%) and brown (15.1%) MPs. Our results show the presence of MPs in all examined aquatic habitats, providing essential information for future research. The studied areas are adjacent to highways, roads and railways, therefore, most of the particles found in water sediment samples could come from surface pollution, transported by water and/or air. In addition, the waters of the sampling points are often stationary or poorly moved, therefore, there may be an accumulation of pollutants in the sediments. Vulnerable and troglobitic species hosted in these habitats could consume or assimilate MPs, which can irreversibly damage ecosystems and contaminate water resources too. Analyses on a greater number of aquatic surface and subterranean habitats should be done to better understand this kind of problem. Monitoring MPs pollution in karst areas should become a priority for the habitat conservation, the species protection and the water resources management

Resolving the physics of Quasar Lyα\alpha Nebulae (RePhyNe): I. Constraining Quasar host halo masses through Circumgalactic Medium kinematics

Ly$\alpha$ nebulae ubiquitously found around z>2 quasars can supply unique constraints on the properties of the Circumgalactic Medium, such as its density distribution, provided the quasar halo mass is known. We present a new method to constrain quasar halo masses based on the line-of-sight velocity dispersion maps of Ly$\alpha$ nebulae. By using MUSE-like mock observations obtained from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations under the assumption of maximal quasar fluorescence, we show that the velocity dispersion radial profiles of Ly$\alpha$-emitting gas are strongly determined by gravity and that they are thus self-similar with respect to halo mass when rescaled by the virial radius. Through simple analytical arguments and by exploiting the kinematics of HeII1640\.A emission for a set of observed nebulae, we show that Ly$\alpha$ radiative transfer effects plausibly do not change the shape of the velocity dispersion profiles but only their normalisation without breaking their self-similarity. Taking advantage of these results, we define the variable $\eta^{140-200}_{40-100}$ as the ratio of the median velocity dispersion in two specifically selected annuli and derive an analytical relation between $\eta^{140-200}_{40-100}$ and the halo mass which can be directly applied to observations. We apply our method to 37 observed quasar Ly$\alpha$ nebulae at 3<z<4.7 and find that their associated quasars are typically hosted by ~$10^{12.16 \pm 0.14}$ M$_{\odot}$ haloes independent of redshift within the explored range. This measurement, which is completely independent of clustering methods, is consistent with the lowest mass estimates based on quasar auto-correlation clustering at z~3 and with quasar-galaxies cross-correlation results.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Indici per la valutazione della qualit? ecologica dei laghi

Collection of methods to evaluate lake quality using biological element

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

Borexino : geo-neutrino measurement at Gran Sasso, Italy

Geo-neutrinos, electron anti-neutrinos produced in beta-decays of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the Earth, are a unique direct probe of our planet's interior. After a brief introduction of the geo-neutrinos' properties and of the main aims of their study, we discuss the features of a detector which has recently provided breakthrough achievements in the field, Borexino, a massive, calorimetric liquid scintillator detector installed at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory. With its unprecedented radiopurity levels achieved in the core of the detection medium, it is the only experiment in operation able to study in real time solar neutrino interactions in the challenging sub-MeV energy region. Its superior technical properties allowed Borexino also to provide a clean detection of terrestrial neutrinos. Therefore, the description of the characteristics of the detected geo-neutrino signal and of the corresponding geological implications are the main core of the discussion contained in this work

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Cloning of observables

We introduce the concept of cloning for classes of observables and classify cloning machines for qubit systems according to the number of parameters needed to describe the class under investigation. A no-cloning theorem for observables is derived and the connections between cloning of observables and joint measurements of noncommuting observables are elucidated. Relationships with cloning of states and non-demolition measurements are also analysed