Large-area PhotoMultiplier Tubes (PMT) allow to efficiently instrument Liquid Scintillator (LS) neutrino detectors, where large target masses are pivotal to compensate for neutrinos' extremely ...elusive nature. Depending on the detector light yield, several scintillation photons stemming from the same neutrino interaction are likely to hit a single PMT in a few tens/hundreds of nanoseconds, resulting in several photoelectrons (PEs) to pile-up at the PMT anode. In such scenario, the signal generated by each PE is entangled to the others, and an accurate PMT charge reconstruction becomes challenging. This manuscript describes an experimental method able to address the PMT charge reconstruction in the case of large PE pile-up, providing an unbiased charge estimator at the permille level up to 15 detected PEs. The method is based on a signal filtering technique (Wiener filter) which suppresses the noise due to both PMT and readout electronics, and on a Fourier-based deconvolution able to minimize the influence of signal distortions ---such as an overshoot. The analysis of simulated PMT waveforms shows that the slope of a linear regression modeling the relation between reconstructed and true charge values improves from \(0.769 \pm 0.001\) (without deconvolution) to \(0.989 \pm 0.001\) (with deconvolution), where unitary slope implies perfect reconstruction. A C++ implementation of the charge reconstruction algorithm is available online at http://www.fe.infn.it/CRA .
We report on the design of a new type of electron gun to be used for experiments of infrared emission spectroscopy of rare gas excimers. It is based on a filament heated by means of a pack of ...rechargeable batteries floated atop the high-voltage power supply. The filament current is controlled by a feedback circuit including a superluminescent diode decoupled from the high voltage by means of an optical fiber. Our experiment requires that the charge injection is pulsed and constant and stable in time. This electron gun can deliver several tens of nC per pulse of electrons of energy up to \(100\,\)keV into the sample cell. This new design eliminates ripples in the emission current and ensures up to 12 hrs of stable performance.
Mongolian gerbils reared in standard laboratory cages and gerbils reared in cages containing a burrowlike shelter did not differ in their rate of development of escape responses to sudden visual ...stimulation. The presence of shelter in the rearing environment did, however, markedly slow the development of adult-like patterns of exploration. Reduced exposure to illumination, experienced by shelter-reared subjects, proved responsible for this retardation of development. The effect of shelter-rearing on the development of exploratory behavior is interpreted as demonstrating an environmentally induced maintenance of an adaptive juvenile pattern of behavior.
In the framework of the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector (SPD) project a system dedicated to the tests of the ALICE1LHCb chip wafers has been assembled and is now in use for the selection of pixel chips ...to be bump-bonded to sensor ladders. In parallel, radiation hardness tests of the SPD silicon sensors have been carried out using the 27 MeV proton beam delivered by the XTU TANDEM accelerator at the SIRAD facility in LNL. In this paper we describe the wafer probing and irradiation set-ups and we report the obtained results.
Child vaccination reduces infant mortality rates. HIV-infected children present higher risk of diseases than non-infected. We report the protection coverage rates for 6 vaccine-preventable diseases ...in a paediatric population from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the impact of HIV infection, providing the first data on the validity of dried blood samples (DBS) to monitor the immune protection. During 2016-2018 DBS from 143 children/adolescents were collected in Kinshasa (DRC), being 52 HIV-infected. Forty-two had a paired plasma sample. Protective IgG was quantified (VirClia-IgG,VIRCELL) to obtain the optimal cut-off in IgG detection in DBS. ROC curves were generated with R software and statistical analyses with Stata. Protective IgG levels varied across pathogens, not reaching herd immunity. HIV-infected presented lower vaccine protection than uninfected for all analyzed pathogens, except rubella, with statistically significant differences for measles (30.8% vs. 53.8%; p = 0.008) and tetanus (3.8% vs. 22%; p = 0.0034). New cut-offs were calculated when using DBS to improve test performance. We reinforce the necessity to increase pediatric vaccination coverage in Kinshasa, especially in HIV seropositive, with less capacity to maintain adequate antibody levels. DBS were useful to monitor vaccination coverage in seroprevalence studies in resource-limited settings, after optimizing the cut-off value for each pathogen.
Human cell reprogramming technologies offer access to live human neurons from patients and provide a new alternative for modeling neurological disorders in vitro. Neural electrical activity is the ...essence of nervous system function in vivo. Therefore, we examined neuronal activity in media widely used to culture neurons. We found that classic basal media, as well as serum, impair action potential generation and synaptic communication. To overcome this problem, we designed a new neuronal medium (BrainPhys basal + serum-free supplements) in which we adjusted the concentrations of inorganic salts, neuroactive amino acids, and energetic substrates. We then tested that this medium adequately supports neuronal activity and survival of human neurons in culture. Long-term exposure to this physiological medium also improved the proportion of neurons that were synaptically active. The medium was designed to culture human neurons but also proved adequate for rodent neurons. The improvement in BrainPhys basal medium to support neurophysiological activity is an important step toward reducing the gap between brain physiological conditions in vivo and neuronal models in vitro.
Significance Neuronal cultures are very valuable to learn about basic principles of the nervous system. In vivo, neural electrical activity is the essence of nervous system function, controlling emotion, memory, sensory modalities, and behavior. In this study, we discovered that many crucial neurophysiological properties were strongly altered in classic culture media that are widely used by the research community. To overcome this problem, we designed and tested a new tissue culture neuromedium that adequately supports in vitro neuronal activity. The improvements made in this medium reduce the gap between in vivo brain physiological conditions and neuronal models in vitro. Improving physiological conditions in vitro may lead to more successful translation from bench to clinics.
Spin‐crossover (SCO) complexes based on three‐dimensional coordination polymers (see Figure) exhibit unprecedented pressure‐tunable thermal and piezochromic bistability at room temperature. The ...thermal‐ and piezohysteresis loops of the material can be tuned, providing a step towards reliable pressure‐based memory systems or displays.
Even though dispersion operations have been the object of several investigations, the importance of the various parameters and especially the physicochemical and surface properties are rarely ...treated. Dry particle coating can be used to create new-generation materials by combining different powders exhibiting different physical and/or chemical properties. In such processes relatively large particles (host particles) are mechanically coated with fine particles (guest particles), without using solvents and subsequent drying, to create new functionalities or to improve initial characteristics. The purpose of this study is to modify the surface of Talc particles by dry coating with different concentrations of hydrophobic Silica (Aerosil R972®), to examine the effect of the coating on the wettability of the coated Talc particles and to study the effects on the dispersibility of these same composite particles. Dry coating is found to modify the surface of Talc particles and to control their wettability and dispersibility in aqueous solutions.
Dry coating with a Cyclomix high shear mixer is used to modify the surface of host Talc particles with different concentrations of guest Silica particles. The effect on the work of adhesion of the composite particles with respect to water is measured by the sessile drop method and these measurements are used to study the kinetics of dispersion of the particles in water.
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