Effect of cracks on the service life of RC structures exposed to chlorides

To move towards a more sustainable concrete, the enhancement of its durability is strongly encouraged and, dealing in particular with reinforced concrete (RC), this mainly means to prevent the damage due to environmental actions, e.g. due to chloride-induced corrosion. Therefore, there is the need of models aimed at designing durable structures. Usually the service life design models consider concrete in uncracked condition. In real structures, however, several phenomena can generate cracks on concrete surface, leading to an acceleration of the corrosion of steel rebar. A number of studies have been recently carried out in order to evaluate the influence of cracks on reinforced concrete durability in chloride-contaminated environment, however the knowledge of the effect of cracks on the initiation and propagation periods is still lacking. Furthermore, few studies have considered additional protection strategies, such as the use of stainless steel rebar. In this work, experimental results are presented concerning the influence of cracks on the service life of reinforced concrete structures in order to evaluate if cracks lead to an earlier corrosion initiation induced by chlorides. Prismatic specimens, reinforced with carbon steel and 304L stainless steel bars, were longitudinally cracked and exposed to ponding with 3.5% NaCl solution. The monitoring of corrosion behaviour showed that when cracks reached the steel surface corrosion initiated immediately

Measurement of the very rare K+→π+ννˉK^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar\nu decay

The decay K+→π+νν¯ , with a very precisely predicted branching ratio of less than 10−10 , is among the best processes to reveal indirect effects of new physics. The NA62 experiment at CERN SPS is designed to study the K+→π+νν¯ decay and to measure its branching ratio using a decay-in-flight technique. NA62 took data in 2016, 2017 and 2018, reaching the sensitivity of the Standard Model for the K+→π+νν¯ decay by the analysis of the 2016 and 2017 data, and providing the most precise measurement of the branching ratio to date by the analysis of the 2018 data. This measurement is also used to set limits on BR(K+→π+X ), where X is a scalar or pseudo-scalar particle. The final result of the BR(K+→π+νν¯ ) measurement and its interpretation in terms of the K+→π+X decay from the analysis of the full 2016-2018 data set is presented, and future plans and prospects are reviewed

Search for exotic particle at NA62

The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS is currently taking data to measure the ultra-rare decay $K^+ \rightarrow \pi^+\nu\bar\nu$. Owing to the high beam-energy and a hermetic detector coverage, NA62 also has the opportunity to directly search for a plaethora of long-lived beyond-the Standard Model particles, such as Heavy Neutral Leptons, Axion-like Particles and Dark Photons. We will review the status of this searches and give prospects for future data taking at NA62

Study of the upstream background for the measurement of the branching ratio of the K+→π+ννˉK^+ \to \pi^+ \nu\bar\nu decay with the NA62 experiment at CERN

The $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu\bar\nu$ decay is one of the most sensitive channels suitable for finding indirect signal of new physics at high energy scales. The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS plans on measuring the branching ratio of this decay with an unprecedented precision using a decay-in-flight technique. The kinematic selection of the signal is based on the reconstruction of the squared missing mass, obtained from the momentum of the parent $K^+$ and the $\pi^+$ in the final state. The main background sources include more abundant kaon decays such as $K^+ \to \pi^+ \pi^0$ , $K^+ \to \mu^+ \nu_{\mu}$ and $K^+ \to \pi^+ \pi^+ \pi^-$, that under certain circumstances can mimic the experimental signature of the signal; in order to reduce the background due to these kaon decays, NA62 relies on the kinematic selection, an excellent timing between the sub-detectors, a good particle identification and muon rejection, and a hermetic photon veto. The main residual source of background is due to the so-called upstream background, which is any kaon decay or interaction happening before the fiducial decay region, matched to a pile-up particle in the upstream part of the detector. In this thesis I performed a $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu\bar\nu$ selection that allowed to study and understand the features of the upstream background and measure it in the 2017 data set. This task is particularly difficult because of the non-trivial topology that these kind of events has in order to contribute to the background

The RICH detector of NA62

NA62 is a high-energy physics experiment located at the CERN SPS. NA62 aims at measuring the ultra-rare decay K+ → π+ν¯ ν with a 10% precision. The K+ → μ+ν decay is the main background which needs to be suppressed by a factor 2×1012. This goal can be achieved by kinematical cuts, different stopping power of μ+/π+ and a RICH detector able to measure particles velocity in a momentum range between 15 and 35GeV/c. Moreover, the RICH detector measures the pion crossing time with a resolution of 100ps and produces the L0 trigger for a charged track. In this paper the NA62 RICH will be described, and the preliminar results regarding pion/muon separation in the 2015 data taking will be presented

THE K+ -> pi(+)nu nu over bar DECAY AND NEW PHYSICS SEARCHES AT NA62

The NA62 experiment at CERN was designed to measure the branching ratio of the ultra-rare $(K^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\nu \bar {\nu })$ decay with a decay-in-flight technique. The Standard Model prediction for this branching ratio is very precise and this process is an ideal candidate for the indirect search of New Physics at high-mass scale. NA62 took physics data from 2016 to 2018: the results of the $(K^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\nu \bar {\nu })$ analysis in the 2016+2017 data sets are presented. Moreover, the high-intensity setup, the flexibility of its trigger system, and the hermetic coverage of the experiment make NA62 a useful tool for the search of exotic particles in the MeV–GeV range weakly coupled to the Standard Model, such as heavy neutral leptons and dark photons. The status of these analyses will be reviewed, along with other New Physics studies carried out at NA62, such as the search for lepton flavour and lepton number violating K + decays

State-of-the-art and SWOT analysis of building integrated solar envelope systems:deliverables A.1 and A.2

The present document includes a state-of-the-art review of solar envelope systems that are already on the market or that can potentially reach that stage in a short-medium timeframe. The analysis focuses on the technological integration of such solutions in the envelope and building, but non-technical issues such as aesthetic, architectural integration and customer acceptance are also tackled. The solar envelope systems are classified in: Solar harvesting systems: systems that generate electricity or heat; Solar gains control systems, controlling; Hybrid systems: combination of solar harvesting and solar gains control systems

A banchetto con gli amici. Scritti per Massimo Montanari

Massimo Montanari ha insegnato all’Università di Bologna per più di quarant’anni, prima Storia medievale e poi Storia dell'alimentazione, e ha dato vita al Master europeo in “Storia e cultura dell'alimentazione”. È senz’altro uno dei maggiori esperti internazionali di una storia dell’alimentazione intesa come sistema culturale che può restituire il passato nella sua interezza, ma è altrettanto noto per i suoi studi di storia agraria, anch’essi sempre intesi a raggiungere una ricostruzione a tutto tondo delle società medievali, indagandone le strutture economiche e sociali insieme con quelle politiche e culturali. Questo libro, concepito come omaggio alla sua figura di studioso e di maestro, cerca di restituire il poliedrico spettro dei suoi interessi intellettuali e delle relazioni professionali e umane che ha saputo costruire nel tempo. Studiosi, allievi, collaboratori e amici hanno partecipato a questo metaforico banchetto contribuendo, ciascuno secondo il proprio stile, alla vivace conversazione propria di una tavola riccamente imbandita

CSPG4: a prototype oncoantigen for translational immunotherapy studies

Abstract Thanks to striking progress in both the understanding of anti-tumor immune response and the characterization of several tumor associated antigens (TAA), a more rational design and more sophisticated strategies for anti-tumor vaccination have been possible. However, the effectiveness of cancer vaccines in clinical trial is still partial, indicating that additional studies are needed to optimize their design and their pre-clinical testing. Indeed, anti-tumor vaccination success relies on the choice of the best TAA to be targeted and on the translational power of the pre-clinical model used to assess its efficacy. The chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4 (CSPG4) is a cell surface proteoglycan overexpressed in a huge range of human and canine neoplastic lesions by tumor cells, tumor microenvironment and cancer initiating cells. CSPG4 plays a central role in the oncogenic pathways required for malignant progression and metastatization. Thanks to these features and to its poor expression in adult healthy tissues, CSPG4 represents an ideal oncoantigen and thus an attractive target for anti-tumor immunotherapy. In this review we explore the potential of CSPG4 immune-targeting. Moreover, since it has been clearly demonstrated that spontaneous canine tumors mimic the progression of human malignancies better than any other pre-clinical model available so far, we reported also our results indicating that CSPG4 DNA vaccination is safe and effective in significantly increasing the survival of canine melanoma patients. Therefore, anti-CSPG4 vaccination strategy could have a substantial impact for the treatment of the wider population of spontaneous CSPG4-positive tumor affected dogs with a priceless translational value and a revolutionary implication for human oncological patients