BDAQ53, a versatile pixel detector readout and test system for the ATLAS and CMS HL-LHC upgrades

BDAQ53 is a readout system and verification framework for hybrid pixel detector readout chips of the RD53 family. These chips are designed for the upgrade of the inner tracking detectors of the ATLAS and CMS experiments. BDAQ53 is used in applications where versatility and rapid customization are required, such as in laboratory testing environments, test beam campaigns, and permanent setups for quality control measurements. It consists of custom and commercial hardware, a Python-based software framework, and FPGA firmware. BDAQ53 is developed as open source software with both software and firmware being hosted in a public repository.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Status of the BELLE II Pixel Detector

The Belle II experiment at the super KEK B-factory (SuperKEKB) in Tsukuba, Japan, has been collecting $e^+e^−$ collision data since March 2019. Operating at a record-breaking luminosity of up to $4.7×10^{34} cm^{−2}s^{−1}$, data corresponding to $424 fb^{−1}$ has since been recorded. The Belle II VerteX Detector (VXD) is central to the Belle II detector and its physics program and plays a crucial role in reconstructing precise primary and decay vertices. It consists of the outer 4-layer Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) using double sided silicon strips and the inner two-layer PiXel Detector (PXD) based on the Depleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor (DePFET) technology. The PXD DePFET structure combines signal generation and amplification within pixels with a minimum pitch of $(50×55) μm^2$. A high gain and a high signal-to-noise ratio allow thinning the pixels to $75 μm$ while retaining a high pixel hit efficiency of about $99$. As a consequence, also the material budget of the full detector is kept low at $≈0.21$$\frac{X}{X_0}$ per layer in the acceptance region. This also includes contributions from the control, Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), and data processing Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) as well as from cooling and support structures. This article will present the experience gained from four years of operating PXD; the first full scale detector employing the DePFET technology in High Energy Physics. Overall, the PXD has met the expectations. Operating in the intense SuperKEKB environment poses many challenges that will also be discussed. The current PXD system remains incomplete with only 20 out of 40 modules having been installed. A full replacement has been constructed and is currently in its final testing stage before it will be installed into Belle II during the ongoing long shutdown that will last throughout 2023

Role of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of gallbladder metastatic melanoma. A review of the literature and a case report

Abstract Background Primary and secondary gallbladder melanomas are rare, and only 58 cases have been reported in scientific literature to date. This paper aimed to explore the role of minimally invasive surgery in the management of gallbladder metastatic melanomas. Case Herein, we present the case of a 68‐year‐old man with metastatic gallbladder melanoma who was treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Our case management was then compared with that of other cases reported in the literature. Conclusion Currently, metastatic melanomas can be considered as a potentially curable disease. Palliation of symptoms and fast recovery following minimally invasive procedures could be beneficial for these patients. Particularly, laparoscopic procedures appear to prolong the survival of gallbladder melanoma patients

Post-injection retroperitoneal abscess in a drug-addicted patient: Case report

Abscesses developing within the retroperitoneal space are complicated and serious infections, with insidious presentation, which leads to high rates of mortality and morbidity. We describe a rare case of retroperitoneal abscess formation in a drug addicted patient after attempt of intravenous injection of morphine in the right femoral vein. A 22-year-old male presented to our emergency department with high fever (40OC) since two days. The patient mentioned that he was addicted to narcotics and that he used to make morphine injections in both femoral veins. The clinical examination revealed the presence of an abscess in the right inguinofemoral region as well as a second in the left thigh. Both abscesses were drained under sedation. However, despite drainage, the fever persisted over the next few days. The patient underwent computed tomography of the abdomen which showed the presence of a retroperitoneal abscess extending along the right psoas muscle and reaching the inguinal region. The patient was led again to the operating room, where the retroperitoneal abscess was drained through a right paramedian incision under general anesthesia. The residual cavity was irrigated and a wide drain tube was placed. The cultures showed the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The patient was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit for 46 days and was discharged from our clinic after approximately three months in good general condition.It is concluded that the extension of post-injection abscesses of the inguinal region in the retroperitoneal space is a rare but extremely life-threatening situation, which has to be diagnosed and treated abruptly

Data quality monitors of vertex detectors at the start of the Belle II experiment

The Belle II experiment features a substantial upgrade of the Belle detector and will operate at the SuperKEKB energy-asymmetric e+e− collider at KEK in Tsukuba, Japan. The accelerator completed its first phase of commissioning in 2016, and the Belle II detector saw its first electron-positron collisions in April 2018. Belle II features a newly designed silicon vertex detector based on double-sided strip layers and DEPFET pixel layers. A subset of the vertex detector was operated in 2018 to determine background conditions (Phase 2 operation). The collaboration completed full detector installation in January 2019, and the experiment started full data taking. This paper will report on the final arrangement of the silicon vertex detector part of Belle II with a focus on online monitoring of detector conditions and data quality, on the design and use of diagnostic and reference plots, and on integration with the software framework of Belle II. Data quality monitoring plots will be discussed with a focus on simulation and acquired cosmic and collision data