Reactor Antineutrinos Signal all over the world

We present an updated estimate of reactor antineutrino signal all over the world, with particular attention to the sites proposed for existing and future geo-neutrino experiment. In our calculation we take into account the most updated data on Thermal Power for each nuclear plant, on reactor antineutrino spectra and on three neutrino oscillation mechanism.Comment: 4 pages including 1 figur

Mantle geoneutrinos in KamLAND and Borexino

The KamLAND and Borexino experiments have observed, each at ~4 sigma level, signals of electron antineutrinos produced in the decay chains of thorium and uranium in the Earth's crust and mantle (Th and U geoneutrinos). Various pieces of geochemical and geophysical information allow an estimation of the crustal geoneutrino flux components with relatively small uncertainties. The mantle component may then be inferred by subtracting the estimated crustal flux from the measured total flux. To this purpose, we analyze in detail the experimental Th and U geoneutrino event rates in KamLAND and Borexino, including neutrino oscillation effects. We estimate the crustal flux at the two detector sites, using state-of-the-art information about the Th and U distribution on global and local scales. We find that crust-subtracted signals show hints of a residual mantle component, emerging at ~2.4 sigma level by combining the KamLAND and Borexino data. The inferred mantle flux slightly favors scenarios with relatively high Th and U abundances, within +-1 sigma uncertainties comparable to the spread of predictions from recent mantle models.Comment: Slight changes and improvements in the text & figures. Results unchanged. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Geoneutrinos and reactor antineutrinos at SNO+

In the heart of the Creighton Mine near Sudbury (Canada), the SNO+ detector is foreseen to observe almost in equal proportion electron antineutrinos produced by U and Th in the Earth and by nuclear reactors. SNO+ will be the first long baseline experiment to measure a reactor signal dominated by CANDU cores ($\sim$55\% of the total reactor signal), which generally burn natural uranium. Approximately 18\% of the total geoneutrino signal is generated by the U and Th present in the rocks of the Huronian Supergroup-Sudbury Basin: the 60\% uncertainty on the signal produced by this lithologic unit plays a crucial role on the discrimination power on the mantle signal as well as on the geoneutrino spectral shape reconstruction, which can in principle provide a direct measurement of the Th/U ratio in the Earth.Comment: 7 pages including 2 figures and 1 table, in XIV International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2015) IOP Publishing , published on Journal of Physics: Conference Series 718 (2016) 06200

The role of virtual reality in built environment education

This study builds upon previous research on the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) within the built environment curriculum and aims to investigate the role of VR and three-dimensional (3D) computer modelling on learning and teaching in a school of the built environment. In order to achieve this aim, a number of academic experiences were analysed to explore the applicability and viability of 3D computer modelling and VR into built environment subject areas. Although two-dimensional (2D) representations have been greatly accepted by built environment professions and education, 3D computer representations and VR applications, offering interactivity and immersiveness, are not yet widely accepted. The study attempts to understand the values and challenges of integrating visualisation technologies into built environment teaching and investigates tutors’ perceptions, opinions and concerns with respect to these technologies. The study reports on the integration process and considers how 3D computer modelling and VR technologies can combine with, and extend, the existing range of learning and teaching methods appropriate to different disciplines and programme areas

Misure di resistività mediante OhmMapper finalizzate allo studio del sito di Torraccia di Chiusi

The paper describes the findings of a geo-electric study conducted at the archaeological site of Torraccia di Chiusi (Siena Province) with the use of soil resistivity modelling. In collaboration with the Département d’Archéologie et Histoire de l’Art (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium) and the Centro di GeoTecnologie (Università degli Studi di Siena), a new, non-invasive instrument, named the OhmMapper, was used for the first time in an archaeological context to provide geophysical sections of the terrain. The aim of the study was to evaluate the nature and distribution of the buried anthropogenic structures and to properly locate them on the map without the necessity of excavating. The site, located in the valley of the Foci river, has been described as a long lasting settlement (III to VII centuries A.D., although ceramics dating to the II century B.C. have been uncovered). Belgian and Italian archaeologists, who have been digging at the site for the last two years, have also discovered that it had undergone multiple additions and modifications throughout the years (initially a villa, and later perhaps a mansio). The OhmMapper is a capacitively coupled resistivity meter that measures the electrical properties of rocks and soil without ground stakes used in traditional resistivity surveys. A simple coaxial-cable array with transmitter and receiver sections is pulled along the ground either by a single person or attached to an all-terrain vehicle. The dipole-dipole configuration enables the instrument to immediately pick up the horizontal variations in resistivity, thereby enabling the user to identify structures such as walls or cavities. With the OhmMapper, nine sections were made around the perimeter of the area already excavated to collect data on the presence, depth, and dimensions of anthropogenic structures. The results from the sections were refined and placed on a map using an ArcGIS platform. The interpretation of the nine sections resulted in a new hypothesis on the buried anthropogenic structures and a new model of the natural landscape that existed at the site prior to its construction

A satisfação dos utentes com os cuidados de saúde primários

Contexto: a satisfação dos utentes com as instituições de saúde é prioritária pois as necessidades e expectativas destes estão em constante transformação logo, as instituições devem adotar formas de organização e gestão empreendedoras, adaptadas a estas necessidades. Objetivos: conhecer a satisfação global dos utentes em relação aos fatores organizacionais e atendimento nos Centros de Saúde (CS) e Unidades de Saúde Familiares (USF). Método: estudo descritivo, cuja população alvo foram os utentes de 16 Serviços de Saúde Pública. A amostra aleatória foi composta por 2665 indivíduos que responderam a um questionário constituído, essencialmente, por indicadores de satisfação com a infraestrutura e o atendimento. Consideraram-se satisfeitos os utentes que, para cada questão, responderam estar “satisfeitos” e “muito satisfeitos”, tendo sido calculadas as respetivas frequências. Resultados: obtiveram-se frequências de utentes satisfeitos superiores a 50% (maioria dos utentes) nas 16 instituições em relação à infraestrutura, atendimento, acesso aos profissionais e consultas. A menor satisfação relacionou-se com o espaço lúdico para crianças. Conclusões: as frequências encontradas relativamente à satisfação parecem ser consensuais e consideravelmente altas, o que pode indiciar efeito de gratidão ou um baixo nível de expectativas

An observational study of children interacting with an augmented story book

We present findings of an observational study investigating how young children interact with augmented reality story books. Children aged between 6 and 7 read and interacted with one of two story books aimed at early literacy education. The books pages were augmented using animated virtual 3D characters, sound, and interactive tasks. Introducing novel media to young children requires system and story designers to consider not only technological issues but also questions arising from story design and the design of interactive sequences. We discuss findings of our study and implications regarding the implementation of augmented story books

Efeito da colheita mecanizada e da secagem artificial sobre a capacidade de expansão de milho-pipoca.

Neste trabalho foram estudados o efeito da colheita mecanica, variando-se a velocidade do cilindro debulhador e colhedora e o teor de umidade dos graos, assim como o efeito da temperatura do ar de secagem artificial sobre a capacidade de expansao de milho-pipoca. Dois cultivares de milho pipoca, Zelia e CMS 43, foram colhidos e debulhados manualmente, e mecanicamente com tres diferentes rotacoes do cilindro debulhador 500, 600 e 700 rpm. O produto foi submetido ao processo de secagem em camada fina ate atingir o teor de umidade de 12+/- 1% b.u., com o ar a temperatura ambiente em torno de 23 oC, e a altas temperaturas de 40, 50 e 60 oC, mantendo fluxo de ar constante de 1 m.s-1. Depois da secagem, foi realizado o teste-padrao de qualidade, teste da capacidade de expansao, utilizando-se um pipocador eletrico com temperatura de resistencia de 280oC, durante 4 min, para uma amostra de 30ml. A capacidade de expansao foi expressa pela relacao do volume de pipoca expandida pelo volume de graos de milho-pipoca. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, concluiu-se que a colheita mecanica e a secagem e altas temperaturas sao prejudiciais a capacidade de expansao do grao. O teor de umidade inicial de colheita de 15 +/- 1% b.u. resultou em menores porcentagens de perda da capacidade de expansao, quando comparado ao teor de umidade de 19 +/- 1% b.u. Quanto a secagem artificial, observou-se que o aumento de temperatura do ar provoca a diminuicao da capacidade de expansao do milho-pipoca, em ambos os cultivares. Pode-se afirmar, ainda, que o milho pipoca do cultivar Zelia apresentou os melhores resultados de capacidade de expansao, para todos os tratamentos, quando comparado ao cultivar CMS 43, o que provavelmente ocorreu em virtude de suas caracteristicas geneticas que lhe conferem maior susceptibilidade aos danos, relativamente ao primeiro cultivar

Flux density measurements of a complete sample of faint blazars

We performed observations with the Effelsberg 100-m radio telescope to measure flux densities and polarised emission of sources selected from the "Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey" (DXRBS) to better define their spectral index behaviour in the radio band, with the aim to construct a homogeneous sample of blazars. Sources were observed at four different frequencies with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope. We complemented these measurements with flux density data at 1.4GHz derived from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey.The spectral indices of a sample of faint blazars were computed making use of almost simultaneous measurements. Sixty-six percent of the sources can be classified as "bona fide" blazars. Seven objects show a clearly inverted spectral index. Seventeen sources previously classified as flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) are actually steep spectrum radio quasars (SSRQs). The flux densities obtained with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope at 5GHz are compared with the flux densities listed in the Green Bank GB6 survey and in the Parkes-MIT-NRAO PMN catalogue. About 43% of the sources in our sample exhibit flux density variations on temporal scales of 19 or 22 years. We confirm that 75 out of 103 sources of the DXRBS are indeed FSRQs. Twenty-seven sources show a spectral index steeper than -0.5 and should be classified as SSRQs. Polarised emission was detected for 36 sources at 4.85GHz. The median value of the percentage of polarised emission is (5.8+-0.9$)%. Five sources show rotation measure (RM) values >200 rad m^-2.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic