We analyze the physics opportunities that would be made possible by upgrades
of CERN's proton accelerator complex. These include the new physics possible
with luminosity or energy upgrades of the ...LHC, options for a possible future
neutrino complex at CERN, and opportunities in other physics including rare
kaon decays, other fixed-target experiments, nuclear physics and antiproton
physics, among other possibilities. We stress the importance of inputs from
initial LHC running and planned neutrino experiments, and summarize the
principal detector R&D issues.
We analyze the physics opportunities that would be made possible by upgrades of CERN's proton accelerator complex. These include the new physics possible with luminosity or energy upgrades of the ...LHC, options for a possible future neutrino complex at CERN, and opportunities in other physics including rare kaon decays, other fixed-target experiments, nuclear physics and antiproton physics, among other possibilities. We stress the importance of inputs from initial LHC running and planned neutrino experiments, and summarize the principal detector R&D issues.
A chitin nanofiber‐silk biomimetic nanocomposite with enhanced mechanical properties is self‐assembled from solution to yield ultrafine chitin nanofibers embedded in a silk matrix.
Breathalyzers estimate Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from the concentration of ethanol in the breath. Breathalyzers are easy to use but are limited either by their high price and by environmental ...concerns, or by a short lifetime and the need for continuous recalibration. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept disposable breathalyzer using an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) modified with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as the sensor. The OECT is made with the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (
PSS), and is printed on paper. ADH and its cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) are immobilized onto the OECT with an electrolyte gel. When the OECT-breathalyzer is exposed to ethanol vapor, the enzymatic reaction of ADH and ethanol transforms NAD(+) into NADH, which causes a decrease in the OECT source drain current. In this fashion, the OECT-breathalyzer easily detects ethanol in the breath equivalent to BAC from 0.01% to 0.2%. The use of a printed OECT may contribute to the development of breathalyzers that are disposable, ecofriendly, and integrated with wearable devices for real-time BAC monitoring.
The Italian institute for nuclear physics (INFN) has financed the SIMP project (2019–2021) in order to strengthen its skills and technologies in the field of meV detectors with the ultimate aim of ...developing a single microwave photon detector. This goal will be pursued by improving the sensitivity and the dark-count rate of two types of photodetectors: current-biased Josephson junction (CBJJ) for the frequency range 10–50 GHz and transition-edge sensor (TES) for the frequency range 30–100 GHz. Preliminary results on materials and devices characterization are presented.
Background
In the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the validation of biomarkers for early AD diagnosis and for use as a surrogate outcome in AD clinical trials is of considerable research interest.
...Objective
To characterize the clinical profile and genetic, neuroimaging and neurophysiological biomarkers of prodromal AD in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients enrolled in the IMI WP5 PharmaCog (also referred to as the European ADNI study).
Methods
A total of 147 aMCI patients were enrolled in 13 European memory clinics. Patients underwent clinical and neuropsychological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG) and lumbar puncture to assess the levels of amyloid β peptide 1–42 (Aβ42), tau and p‐tau, and blood samples were collected. Genetic (APOE), neuroimaging (3T morphometry and diffusion MRI) and EEG (with resting‐state and auditory oddball event‐related potential (AO‐ERP) paradigm) biomarkers were evaluated.
Results
Prodromal AD was found in 55 aMCI patients defined by low Aβ42 in the cerebrospinal fluid (Aβ positive). Compared to the aMCI group with high Aβ42 levels (Aβ negative), Aβ positive patients showed poorer visual (P = 0.001), spatial recognition (P < 0.0005) and working (P = 0.024) memory, as well as a higher frequency of APOE4 (P < 0.0005), lower hippocampal volume (P = 0.04), reduced thickness of the parietal cortex (P < 0.009) and structural connectivity of the corpus callosum (P < 0.05), higher amplitude of delta rhythms at rest (P = 0.03) and lower amplitude of posterior cingulate sources of AO‐ERP (P = 0.03).
Conclusion
These results suggest that, in aMCI patients, prodromal AD is characterized by a distinctive cognitive profile and genetic, neuroimaging and neurophysiological biomarkers. Longitudinal assessment will help to identify the role of these biomarkers in AD progression.
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