The OPERA experiment, designed to search for νμ→ντ oscillations, reached its main goal by observing the appearance of ντ in the CNGS νμ beam. Thanks to its location in the underground Gran Sasso ...laboratory, under 3800 m.w.e., it has also been exploited as an observatory for TeV muons produced by cosmic rays in the atmosphere. In this paper the preliminary measurement of the annual modulation of the atmospheric muon flux with the OPERA detector is reported.
The OPERA experiment reached its main goal by proving the appearance of tau-neutrinos in the CNGS muon-neutrino beam. A total sample of 5 candidates fulfilling the analysis defined in the proposal ...was detected with a S/B ratio of about ten allowing to reject the null hypothesis with a significance of 5.1 σ. The search was extended to ½T-like interactions failing the kinematical analysis defined in the experiment proposal, to obtain a statistically enhanced, lower purity, signal sample. One such interesting neutrino interaction showing a double vertex topology with a high probability of being a tau-neutrino interaction with charm production will be reported. Based on the enlarged data sample the estimation of (math) in appearance mode is presented. The search for ½e interactions has been extended over the full data set with a more than twofold increase in statistics with respect to published data. The analysis of the νμ → νe channel is updated and the implications of the electron-neutrino sample in the framework of the 3+1 sterile model is discussed. An analysis of the νμ → ντ oscillations in the framework of the sterile neutrino model has also been performed.
The atmospheric muon charge ratio, defined as the number of positive over negative charged muons, is a highly informative observable both for cosmic rays and particle physics. It allows studying the ...features of high-energy hadronic interactions in the forward region and the composition of primary cosmic rays. In this review results from underground experiments measuring the charge ratio around 1 TeV are discussed. The measurements in the TeV energy region constrain the associated kaon production, which is particularly important e.g. for the calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux.
The OPERA experiment has observed muon neutrino to tau neutrino oscillations in the atmospheric sector in appearance mode. Five ντ candidate events have been detected, a number consistent with the ...expectation from the “standard” 3ν framework. Based on this result new limits on the mixing parameters of a massive sterile neutrino have been set. The analysis is performed in the 3+1 neutrino model.
The OPERA experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory was designed to study vμ → vτ oscillations in appearance mode in the CNGS neutrino beam. Five vτ candidate events have been observed, ...allowing to assess the discovery of vμ → vτ transitions in the atmospheric sector with a significance of 5.1σ. In this paper the vτ data analysis will be discussed, with emphasis on the background constraints obtained using dedicated data-driven control samples. Results on the search for vμ → vτ oscillations, on the search for sterile neutrino mixing and on the atmospheric muon charge ratio will also be presented.
Food packaging has a crucial function in the modern food industry. New food packaging technologies seek to meet consumers and industrial's demands. Changes related to food production, sale practices ...and consumers' lifestyles, along with environmental awareness and the advance in new areas of knowledge (such as nanotechnology or biotechnology), act as driving forces to develop smart packages that can extend food shelf-life, keeping and supervising their innocuousness and quality and also taking care of the environment. This review describes the main concepts and types of active and intelligent food packaging, focusing on recent progress and new trends using biodegradable and biobased polymers. Numerous studies show the great possibilities of these materials. Future research needs to focus on some important aspects such as possibilities to scale-up, costs, regulatory aspects, and consumers' acceptance, to make these systems commercially viable.
In this work the effect of montmorillonite (MMT) addition to soy-protein-based films on the physicochemical properties of the resulting nanocomposites was studied and the structure–function ...relationship of these materials and the changes in phase structures, due to different interactions among the material components were analyzed. Flexible nanocomposite films consisting in a soy-protein (SP) matrix supplemented with different concentrations of montmorillonite (MMT) up to 10g/100g of SP were prepared by the casting technique. The resulting films were homogeneous, yellowish, and transparent and indistinguishable visually from films of pure protein. The process used for film formation—involving mechanical agitation and ultrasonication, in combination with the intrinsic affinity of MMT for the SPs—favors the dispersion of the clay so as to reach a high degree of intercalation into the protein matrix with consequent exfoliation of the layers of MMT among the proteins (verified by both transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction). The efficient dispersion and distribution of the MMT laminas within the films generated a significant strengthening of the nanolayer that was evident in the observed resistance to breakage; modulation of elasticity; and decrease in extension, moisture content, solubility, and permeability to water vapor. In the presence of MMT, the disulfide bridges in the SPs play a critical role in the stabilization of the protein matrix, whereas in the films composed of proteins alone the residues capable of participating in hydrogen bonding would be involved in other types of highly stabilizing interactions.
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•Soy Protein Isolate (SPI) films processed by casting were reinforced with natural clay.•Montmorillonite (MMT) was highly intercalated–exfoliated in SPI matrix.•MMT enhanced mechanical properties and susceptibility to water of protein films.•Disulfide bridges in SPI films play a critical role with MMT addition.
In this case report we present the rare case of a distally located peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) of the left ulnar nerve in a two-year-old female Rottweiler dog. We discuss the clinical and ...diagnostic findings and the challenges of the diagnosis. The dog was successfully treated with a limb sparing partial neurectomy. After surgery, the dog did not show any pain or lameness on long term follow-up.
The longitudinal segmentation of shashlik calorimeters is challenged by dead zones and non-uniformities introduced by the light collection and readout system. This limitation can be overcome by ...direct fiber–photosensor coupling, avoiding routing and bundling of the wavelength shifter fibers and embedding ultra-compact photosensors (SiPMs) in the bulk of the calorimeter. We present the first experimental test of this readout scheme performed at the CERN PS-T9 beamline in 2015 with negative particles in the 1–5GeV energy range. In this paper, we demonstrate that the scheme does not compromise the energy resolution and linearity compared with standard light collection and readout systems. In addition, we study the performance of the calorimeter for partially contained charged hadrons to assess the e/π separation capability and the response of the photosensors to direct ionization.
Changes in solubility and molecular properties of protein films obtained from soy protein isolate (SPI) solutions at different pH values (2, 8 and 11) were investigated to study protein behavior ...during film formation. Proteins retained their native conformation in films at pH 8, but were partially or extensively denatured at pH 11 and 2. Although film protein networks were maintained by the same type of interactions at different pH values - covalent (disulfide bonds) and non-covalent bonds (especially hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds) - the intensity of each type of interaction (predicted from solubility tests in buffers with different chemical action) depended on the pH of the initial solution. Films obtained at pH 8 presented the highest solubility in all the buffers, whereas films at formed pH 2 presented the lowest, except in the buffer of pH 8 that contained urea, SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol, which totally dissolved 100% of the film proteins. Films prepared at extreme pH values had a denser microstructure than those at pH 8. SDS-PAGE patterns indicated that films were mainly formed by β-conglycinin and glycinin, which aggregated in different forms during film formation, depending on the pH of the initial solutions. Some of these proteins remained weakly bonded and/or were held by the network of films. These differences in the protein networks structure would affect the physical, mechanical and barrier properties of the films.
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