Enhancement of the IceCube surface instrumentation by a hybrid radio and scintillation detector array

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic kilometer scale detector deployed in the antarctic ice, capable of detecting neutrinos of energies ranging from approximately 10 GeV to PeV and above. In addition to being a powerful neutrino observatory, IceCube is extensively involved in cosmic ray physics. The surface array of IceCube, IceTop, consisting of frozen water tanks equipped with photomultipliers, detects secondary particles like electrons, protons and muons from cosmic ray air showers of energies up to 1 EeV. In addition, it is also used to function as a veto for the astrophysical neutrino searches and calibration detector for the IceCube in-ice instrumentation. Despite the valuable scientific results obtained so far, the snow accumulation on top of these detectors contributes to an increased energy uncertainty in the detected signals, and consequently, the shower reconstruction. Moreover, improvements to the array are needed to understand the astrophysics of the high-energy cosmic-ray sky. Enhancing IceTop with a hybrid array of scintillation detectors and radio antennas will lower the energy threshold for air-shower measurements, provide more efficient veto capabilities, enable the separation of the electromagnetic and muonic shower components and improve the detector calibration by compensating for snow accumulation. Following the success of the first prototype station consisting of three radio antennas and eight scintillation detectors deployed at the South Pole in 2018, the production of detectors for a total 32 stations is ongoing. The deployment status, calibration methods, and science goals of the enhancement will be discussed in this contribution

R&D and production of the scintillation detectors for the IceCube Surface Array Enhancement

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic kilometer scale detector deployed in the Antarctic ice. The surface array of IceCube, IceTop, serves as an air-shower detector for primary cosmic rays in the PeV energy range and operates as a veto and calibration detector for the astrophysical neutrino searches for the IceCube in-ice instrumentation. Enhancing IceTop with a hybrid array of scintillation detectors and radio antennas will lower the energy threshold for air-shower measurements, provide more efficient veto capabilities, enable the separation of the electromagnetic and muonic shower components, and significantly improve the detector calibration by compensating for snow accumulation. A prototype station consisting of 3 radio antennas and 8 scintillation detectors was deployed at the South Pole in 2020, and has yielded promising results since. The production of the full surface array enhancement is ongoing. In this contribution we will focus on the status of the production and calibration methods for the scintillation panels. A brief introduction to the expected data and proposed analysis from the enhancement is also discussed

Matamata Piako District: Socio-Demographic Profile 1986-2031

Matamata-Piako District has a larger proportion of those of European/New Zealand/Other ethnicity than either the Waikato Region or Total New Zealand, and a smaller proportion of both Maori and Pacific Island than the Waikato. Matamata-Piako also has substantially fewer people of Asian origin. In all cases, the number in each ethnic group has grown except for European/NZ/other. This group saw a small decline in its number in the 1996-2006 period, while Maori grew by 8 per cent, accounting for approximately 34 per cent of Matamata-Piako District’s growth, compared with 16 per cent of the Waikato’s

Matamata Piako District: Demographic Profile 1986 - 2031

This report outlines the demographic changes that have occurred in Matamata -Piako District, as well as what trends are expected in the future

Cost Effectiveness Of Non-Laboratory Cvd Screening In Uzbekistan

Background-- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores that require laboratory testing (e.g., cholesterol testing) are often used to identify high- and low-risk individuals for primary CVD prevention interventions, such as statin treatment. However, laboratory testing can be expensive and difficult to conduct in resource-limited settings. The aim of this study was to compare CVD risk characterization and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of non-laboratory based and laboratory-based CVD risk scores for adults in Tashkent City, Uzbekistan. Methods--CVD risk for 853 adults (376 men, 477 women) from Tashkent City, Uzbekistan was assessed using laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based scores calculated from 2002 Uzbekistan Health Examination Survey (UHES) data. Non-laboratory-based risk predictions were compared to the six laboratory-based scores (SCORE for high-risk and low-risk countries, three versions of Framingham risk scores, and CUORE) using Spearman rank correlation. The agreement of risk characterization for men was also evaluated by calculating the proportion of the male population equivalently characterized as high or low risk using either type of score. Using the UHES data, model populations of 10,000 men and 10,000 women were generated and used for cost-effectiveness modeling. A micro-simulation model that projected lifetime CVD-associated costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) was used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for non-laboratory and SCORE (for high risk countries) risk screening approaches. Results - The Spearman rank correlation coefficients for the laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based CVD risk scores ranged from 0.872-0.984 for men and 0.937-0.980 for women. The ICERs for the non-laboratory-based strategies on the efficient frontier (nondominated strategies) ranged from $843 to$6,551 for men and $6,249 to$16,193 for women. Almost all SCORE strategies for both men and women were dominated (higher cost and lower QALYs); the only exception had an ICER of $91,799. Conclusions - For both men and women, there was a high correlation between the laboratory-based and nonlaboratory-based risk assessment methods. In men, there was also a high level of agreement in risk characterization between the laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based risk scores. It is cost-effective to use the non laboratory based risk score to assess and then treat the top 1.60$5,150/QALY). No CVD screening is cost-effective for women in Uzbekistan

A socio-demographic profile of Māori living in Australia

This report provides a comprehensive demographic and socio-economic profile of the Māori population in Australia using data from the 2011 Australia Census of Population and Housing. The purpose is to provide an evidence base with which to inform future policy approaches with respect to Māori in Australia. It focuses on five key areas: Population size and composition; Identity and culture; Year of arrival and citizenship; Education and work; Lone parenting and unpaid childcare. Comparisons are undertaken with Māori in the 2006 Australia Census, as well as with two reference groups: the total Australia population and migrant non-Māori New Zealanders. Where appropriate, we also distinguish Māori migrants born in New Zealand and Māori born in Australia. This captures important differences within the Māori population in Australia that have been under-examined in previous studies

Healthy Communities for Young and Old: How Transit and Better Community Design Help The Most Vulnerable Generations

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute held a Congressional Briefing to examine ways to protect and enhance the health and well-being of the youngest and oldest members of society through improvements in the way our communities and transportation systems are designed. Mobility for the young and old is especially limited in the United States due to our heavy reliance on personal automobiles. Several major health problems, including obesity, asthma, and social isolation, are exacerbated by our overdependence on this single mode of transportation and the spread-out land-use patterns that developed around the automobile. The briefing highlighted the need to provide alternatives to the car, including transit, walking, and other options as well as to support the use of such modes through improved community design. Briefing speakers described transportation and land use policies and programs that could help to alleviate health problems and better address the needs of youth and the elderly

India and the agreement on agriculture : civil society and citizens' engagement

This paper explores civil society advocacy on the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and how it influences the trade policy process and facilitates citizen engagement in the Indian context. It uses the concepts of actornetworks, discourse and spaces and strategies, to analyse the role five civil society organisation’s (CSO) actor-networks play in advocacy on agriculture and trade policy. The empirical cases suggest that CSO advocacy in India has an indirect impact on the state’s trade policy process. The cases also indicate that informed citizen engagement on global trade policies is challenging given the process of global trade policymaking and the nature of long-term grassroots mobilisation. Issues of representation and mediation, global-local discourses on economic policies, long-term versus short-term advocacy concerns and capacity constraints shape the extent to which direct citizen engagement can occur on the AoA. The paper concludes with some challenges that CSOs must confront in order to address long-term citizen action on agriculture and trade issues in India. Keywords: trade, agriculture, policy, civil society, advocacy, India, participatio

Waitomo District: Demographic profile 1986-2031

This report outlines the demographic changes that have occurred in Waitomo Region, as well as what trends are expected in the future