Fiber R and D for the CMS HCAL

This paper documents the fiber R and D for the CMS hadron barrel calorimeter (HCAL). The R and D includes measurements of fiber flexibility, splicing, mirror reflectivity, relative light yield, attenuation length, radiation effects, absolute light yield, and transverse tile uniformity. Schematics of the hardware for each measurement are shown. These studies are done for different diameters and kinds of multiclad fiber.Comment: 23 pages, 30 Figures 89 pages, 41 figures, corresponding author: H. Budd, [email protected]

Inhomogeneous Superconductivity in Comb-Shaped Josephson Junction Networks

We show that some of the Josephson couplings of junctions arranged to form an inhomogeneous network undergo a non-perturbative renormalization provided that the network's connectivity is pertinently chosen. As a result, the zero-voltage Josephson critical currents $I_c$ turn out to be enhanced along directions selected by the network's topology. This renormalization effect is possible only on graphs whose adjacency matrix admits an hidden spectrum (i.e. a set of localized states disappearing in the thermodynamic limit). We provide a theoretical and experimental study of this effect by comparing the superconducting behavior of a comb-shaped Josephson junction network and a linear chain made with the same junctions: we show that the Josephson critical currents of the junctions located on the comb's backbone are bigger than the ones of the junctions located on the chain. Our theoretical analysis, based on a discrete version of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation, leads to results which are in good quantitative agreement with experimental results.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, revte

Caracterização de linhagens comerciais de café através de marcadores moleculares.

Estudos sobre a diversidade genética de espécies com finalidade de melhoramento genético representam importante preocupação dos melhoristas. Diversas técnicas moleculares têm permitido revelar uma diversidade genética presente no genoma que até então era desconhecida pelos cientistas. Muitas espécies de interesse agronômico têm sido alvo de estudos que abordam a diversidade genética em nível molecular. De uma maneira geral, os resultados obtidos a partir do uso dos marcadores têm sido bastante satisfatórios, principalmente para aquelas espécies que apresentam ampla base genética e insuficiente número de descritores botânicos para diferenciação de genótipos, como é o caso da mandioca. A base genética formada pelos cultivares de C. arabica, principal espécie cultivada, é considerada estreita. Em relação ao Brasil, principal produtor mundial desta cultura, a própria história explica em parte a ausência de variação genética nos materiais atualmente em cultivo. Historicamente, as primeiras plantações de café formaram-se há mais de dois séculos a partir de poucas plantas, constituindo material muito uniforme e de pouca variabilidade genética. De fato, estudos sobre a diversidade genética de cafeeiros em cultivo realizados no IAC utilizando descritores botânicos e agronômicos têm revelado baixo nível de variação genética entre as diferentes linhagens que compõem um cultivar. Entre diferentes cultivares esta variação é mais notória, mão não tão acentuada como se pensava, mesmo quando diferentes espécies participam da genealogia destes cultivares. Desta maneira, este trabalho teve como objetivo principal a avaliação das técnicas de RAPD e AFLP para a identificação e caracterização de diversas linhagens comerciais de C. arabica selecionadas pelo IAC. Os resultados obtidos com estes marcadores confirmam os dados obtidos anteriormente de que a variabilidade genética entre as linhagens é pequena. Além disso, os dados sugerem que a técnica de RAPD não é eficiente para a identificação e determinação da distância genética entre as linhagens avaliadas, apesar de representar uma ferramenta adequada para avaliação da variabilidade no cafeeiro. No entanto, embora o nível de variação observado através dos marcadores moleculares seja baixo, sabe-se que estas linhagens apresentam comportamento agronômico bastante diferenciado. Isso nos leva a pensar que poucos genes diferenciam os principais materiais genéticos de cafeeiro de importância agronômica e que o uso de marcadores moleculares para estudos de diversidade genética e localização de genes de interesse agronômico deve ser repensada

The 1980 earthquake in southern Italy: rescue of trapped victims and mortality.

A retrospective survey was undertaken on the health effects of the 1980 earthquake in southern Italy. The study population included 3619 people living in 7 villages situated near the epicentre of the disaster. The overall casualty rate (dead and injured) was 19.7%. Nearly all the deaths (192/202) occurred among trapped people who died before they could be rescued. Eighty per cent of all the trapped people were extricated within 2 days, mostly without the use of sophisticated means. The probability of survival decreased sharply, the longer the time before extrication. The crude mortality during the 18 months following the earthquake was 19.0 per thousand among the injured people who received treatment, and 14.1 per thousand among non-injured people. After age standardization, there was no significant difference between these two figures and the expected mortality figures for the Italian population in normal times (14.4 per thousand). These results stress the importance of providing rescue activities in the first 48 hours after the impact. Strengthening the self-reliance of the community in disaster preparedness is suggested as the best way to improve the effectiveness of relief operations. In disaster-prone areas, training and education in methods of rescue should be an integral part of any primary health care programme

Multi-disciplinary analysis of light shelves application within a student dormitory refurbishment

The achievement of sustainable cities and communities is closely linked to an accurate design of the buildings. In this context, the transparent elements of the building envelope have a crucial role since, on one hand, they are a bottleneck in regards to heat and mass transfers and sound propagation, while, on the other hand, they must allow daylight penetration. Thus, they are responsible for occupants' thermal and visual comfort and their health. Considering passive solutions for windows, the light shelves can improve natural light penetration, reducing the lights' electricity demand and controlling windows' related thermal aspects. The scientific literature is characterized by several studies that analyze this topic, which, however, focus only on the daylight field and sometimes the energy saving for lights. Moreover, they often refer to fixed sky type for the simulations. The aim of the present study is to analyze the application of the light shelves with a multi-disciplinary approach, by means of dynamic simulations, in the EnergyPlus engine, for a whole year. A new methodological approach is presented in order to investigate the technology under different fields of interest: daylight, lighting energy, cooling and heating needs, and thermo-hygrometric comfort. The case study chosen is an existing building, a student dormitory belonging to the University of Athens. It is subject to a deep energy renovation to conform to the "nearly Zero Energy Building" target, in the frame of a European research project called Pro-GET-onE (G.A No. 723747). By means of the calibrated numerical model of this HVAC-building system, ten different configurations of light shelves have been investigated. The best solution is given by the application of an internal horizontal light shelf placed at 50 cm from the top of the window with a depth of 90 or 60 cm. It has been found that despite the reduction in electricity demand for lighting, the variation in heating and cooling needs does not always lead to a benefit

Application of light shelves in a refurbished student dormitory: Energy, lightings and comfort aspects

The transparent elements of the building envelope have a crucial role not only in term of heat and mass transfers control, but also for natural light penetration, sound insulation, thermal and visual comfort of the occupants and their health. Among passive technologies, the light shelves could be architectural solutions for improving daylight penetration and for controlling thermal loads. The available research papers usually focus on one aspect. For this reason, the aim of the present study is to analyse the application of the light shelves with multidisciplinary approach and thus, taking into account: daylight, electricity for lighting, cooling and heating needs and thermo-hygrometric comfort. The case study is a real dormitory building placed in Athens and subject to a deep energy renovation toward the nearly zero energy building target. EnergyPlus, by means of DesignBuilder interface, has been used as dynamic simulation tool. Among ten different configurations, the optimal one turns out to be the internal horizontal light shelf placed at 50 cm from the top of the window with a depth of 90 cm or 60 cm. It has been found that in some cases the reduction of electricity for lighting cannot balance the variation in heating and cooling needs

Tracker fields from nonminimally coupled theory

We extend the concept of quintessence to a flat nonminimally coupled scalar - tensor theories of gravity. By means of Noether's symmetries for the cosmological pointlike Lagrangian L, it is possible to exhibit exact solutions for a class of models depending on a free parameter s. This parameter comes out in the relationship existing between the coupling F(\phi) and the potential V(\phi) because of such a symmetry for L. When inverse power law potentials are taken in account, a whole family of exact solutions parametrized by such an s is proposed as a class of tracker fields, and some considerations are made about them.Comment: 17 pages, submitted to Physical Review

Wind direction data from a coastal HF radar system in the gulf of naples (central mediterranean sea)

Results on the accuracy of SeaSonde High Frequency (HF) radar wind direction measurements in the Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea) are here presented. The investigation was carried out for a winter period (2 February-6 March) and for one summer month (August) of the reference year 2009. HF radar measurements were compared with in situ recordings from a weather station and with model data, with the aim of resolving both small scale and large scale dynamics. The analysis of the overall performance of the HF radar system in the Gulf of Naples shows that the data are reliable when the wind speed exceeds a 5 m/s threshold. Despite such a limitation, this study confirms the potentialities of these systems as monitoring platforms in coastal areas and suggests further efforts towards their improvement

Validation of a patient-specific system for mandible-first bimaxillary surgery: ramus and implant positioning precision assessment and guide design comparison

In orthognathic surgery, the use of patient-specific osteosynthesis devices is a novel approach used to transfer the virtual surgical plan to the patient. The aim of this study is to analyse the quality of mandibular anatomy reproduction using a mandible-first mandibular-PSI guided procedure on 22 patients. Three different positioning guide designs were compared in terms of osteosynthesis plate positioning and mandibular anatomical outcome. PSIs and positioning guides were designed according to virtual surgical plan and 3D printed using biocompatible materials. A CBCT scan was performed 1 month after surgery and postoperative mandibular models were segmented for comparison against the surgical plan. A precision comparison was carried out among the three groups. Correlations between obtained rami and plates discrepancies and between planned rami displacements and obtained rami discrepancies were calculated. Intraoperatively, all PSIs were successfully applied. The procedure was found to be accurate in planned mandibular anatomy reproduction. Different guide designs did not differ in mandibular outcome precision. Plate positional discrepancies influenced the corresponding ramus position, mainly in roll angle and vertical translation. Ramus planned displacement was found to be a further potential source of inaccuracy, possibly due to osteosynthesis surface interference