Atmospheric aerosol attenuation effect on FD data analysis at the Pierre Auger Observatory

The atmospheric aerosol monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory has been operating smoothly since 2004. Two laser facilities (Central Laser Facility, CLF and eXtreme Laser Facility, XLF) fire sets of 50 shots four times per hour during FD shifts to measure the highly variable hourly aerosol attenuation to correct the longitudinal UV light profiles of the Extensive Air Showers detected by the Fluorescence Detector. Hourly aerosol attenuation loads (Vertical Aerosol Optical Depth) are used to correct the measured profiles. Two techniques are used to determine the aerosol profiles, which have been proven to be fully compatible. The uncertainty in the VAOD profiles measured consequently leads to an uncertainty on the energy and on the estimation of the depth at the maximum development of a shower (X max ) of the event in analysis. To prove the validity of the aerosol attenuation measurements used in FD event analysis, the flatness of the ratio of reconstructed SD to FD energy as a function of the aerosol transmission to the depth of shower maximum has been verified.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, poster at UHECR 2018 (Paris, Oct 2018

Identification of erythroferrone as an erythroid regulator of iron metabolism.

Recovery from blood loss requires a greatly enhanced supply of iron to support expanded erythropoiesis. After hemorrhage, suppression of the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin allows increased iron absorption and mobilization from stores. We identified a new hormone, erythroferrone (ERFE), that mediates hepcidin suppression during stress erythropoiesis. ERFE is produced by erythroblasts in response to erythropoietin. ERFE-deficient mice fail to suppress hepcidin rapidly after hemorrhage and exhibit a delay in recovery from blood loss. ERFE expression is greatly increased in Hbb(th3/+) mice with thalassemia intermedia, where it contributes to the suppression of hepcidin and the systemic iron overload characteristic of this disease

Precise determination of muon and electromagnetic shower contents from shower universality property

We consider two new aspects of Extensive Air Shower development universality allowing to make accurate estimation of muon and electromagnetic (EM) shower contents in two independent ways. In the first case, to get muon (or EM) signal in water Cherenkov tanks or in scintillator detectors it is enough to know the vertical depth of shower maximum and the total signal in the ground detector. In the second case, the EM signal can be calculated from the primary particle energy and the zenith angle. In both cases the parametrizations of muon and EM signals are almost independent on primary particle nature, energy and zenith angle. Implications of the considered properties for mass composition and hadronic interaction studies are briefly discussed. The present study is performed on 28000 of proton, oxygen and iron showers, generated with CORSIKA 6.735 for $E^{-1}$ spectrum in the energy range log(E/eV)=18.5-20.0 and uniformly distributed in cos^2(theta) in zenith angle interval theta=0-65 degrees for QGSJET II/Fluka interaction models.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

The bearing capacity of footings on sand with a weak layer

Minor details of the ground, such as thin weak layers, shear bands and slickensided surfaces, can substantially affect the behaviour of soil–footing and other geotechnical systems, despite their seeming insignificance. In this paper, the influence of the presence of a thin horizontal weak layer on the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing on dense sand is investigated by single-gravity tests on small-scale physical models of the soil–footing system. The test results show that the weak layer strongly influences both the failure mechanism and the ultimate bearing capacity if its depth is lower than about four times the footing width. It is found that the presence of a thin weak layer can cause decreases of the ultimate bearing capacity of up to 80%. Numerical simulations, by finite-element analysis, of the behaviour of the reduced-scale models are able to capture the failure mechanism and the ultimate bearing capacity correctly, only if the mean equivalent constant value of the secant angle of shearing resistance used in calculations is selected, taking into account the curvature of the shear strength envelope of the sand within the very low normal stress range existing in the tested models

The ARCADE Raman Lidar System for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation of ground-based very high energy gamma-ray instruments; the facility will be organized in two arrays, one for each hemisphere. The atmospheric calibration of the CTA telescopes is a critical task. The atmosphere affects the measured Cherenkov yield in several ways: the air-shower development itself, the variation of the Cherenkov angle with altitude, the loss of photons due to scattering and absorption of Cherenkov light out of the camera field-of-view and the scattering of photons into the camera. In this scenario, aerosols are the most variable atmospheric component in time and space and therefore need a continuous monitoring. Lidars are among the most used instruments in atmospheric physics to measure the aerosol attenuation profiles of light. The ARCADE Lidar system is a very compact and portable Raman Lidar system that has been built within the FIRB 2010 grant and is currently taking data in Lamar, Colorado. The ARCADE Lidar is proposed to operate at the CTA sites with the goal of making a first survey of the aerosol conditions of the selected site and to use it as a calibrated benchmark for the other Lidars that will be installed on site. It is proposed for CTA that the ARCADE Lidar will be first upgraded in Italy and then tested in parallel to a Lidar of the EARLINET network in L'Aquila. Upgrades include the addition of the water vapour Raman channel to the receiver and the use of new and better performing electronics. It is proposed that the upgraded system will travel to and characterize both CTA sites, starting from the first selected site in 2016

Políticas afirmativas e construção da identidade em universitários afrobrasileiros

En la última década las políticas de acción afirmativa han proporcionado transformaciones significativas en la sociedad brasileña fomentando el debate y la consolidación de la democratización en el acceso a la Educación Superior. Este estudio analiza las implicaciones de las políticas de acción afirmativa en la construcción de la identidad de los estudiantes afro-brasileños. Analizando el testimonio de veintidós estudiantes de la Universidad Federal de Paraná, que ingresaron en la universidad a través del sistema de cuotas raciales y participaron en el Proyecto Afroatitude, observándose un cambio significativo en la configuración de la identidad racial. Por lo tanto, si antes de su participación en el mencionado proyecto sus discursos mostraban una concepción naturalista de la constitución de la identidad racial y ocultaba las actitudes sociales sesgadas, después fue posible observar una redefinición de las dimensiones de la identidad racial, identidad académica, cuota identidad titular y la identidad del grupo. Esta redefinición de la identidad dio lugar a una mayor integración en el aparato institucional y en la cultura universitaria, a la apropiación de los conocimientos y lugares sociales, a la comprensión de los múltiples factores determinantes en el proceso de constitución social de la identidad y de la autonomía de los individuos, a la experiencia de la formación política capaz de movilizar a las fuerzas de cambio, a la sustitución de la inercia de la identidad mediante la participación activa del sujeto como un ser histórico en la construcción de la sociedad .In the last decade, affirmative action policies have provided significant transformations in Brazilian society by fostering debate and consolidating the democratization of access to higher education. This study analyzes the implications of affirmative action policies in the construction of the identity of Afro-Brazilian students. Analyzing the testimony of twenty-two students at the Federal University of Parana, which entered the university through the system of racial quotas and participated in the Project Afroatitude, we observed a significant change in the configuration of racial identity. Thus, if prior to their participation in the project mentioned his speeches showed a naturalisticconception of the racial constitution of identity and hiding biased social attitudes, after it was possible to observe a redefinition of the dimensions of racial identity, academic identity, quota holder identity and group identity. This redefinition of identity led to greater integration into the institutional apparatus and the university culture, appropriation of knowledge and social places, understanding of the multiple determinants in the process of social constitution of identity and empowerment of individuals, experience of political formation capable of mobilizing forces of change, replacing the inertia of stagnation identity through active participation of the subject as a historical being in the building society.Na última década as políticas de ações afirmativas vêm proporcionando transformações significativas na sociedade brasileira ao promoverem o debate e consolidando a democratização de acesso ao ensino superior. O presente estudo de caso analisa implicações das políticas de ação afirmativa na construção da identidade de universitários afrobrasileiros. Analisando os depoimentos de vinte e dois estudantes da Universidade Federal do Paraná que ingressaram pelo sistema de cotas raciais e participaram do Projeto Afroatitude, observou-se uma mudança significativa na configuração da identidade racial. Assim, se anteriormente à sua participação no mencionado Projeto seus discursos evidenciaram uma concepção naturalizante sobre a questão racial da constituição da identidade e do ocultamento de atitudes sociais preconceituosas, após a mesma pôde-se observar uma ressignificação das dimensões da identidade racial, da identidade universitária, da identidade de cotista e da identidade de grupo. Essa ressignificação identitária propiciou maior integração ao aparelho institucional universitário e à cultura, apropriação de saberes e de lugares sociais, compreensão das múltiplas determinações sociais no processo de constituição da identidade e de emancipação dos indivíduos, experiência de formação política capaz de mobilizar forças de transformação, substituindo a inércia de uma estagnação identitária pela participação ativa do sujeito enquanto ser histórico na construção da sociedade