Upper Limit on the Diffuse νμ\nu_\mu Flux with the ANTARES Telescope

A search for very-high energy cosmic muon neutrinos from unresolved sources is presented using data collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope. Data corresponding to 334 days of equivalent live time show that the observed number of events is compatible with the expected number of background events. A 90% c.l. upper limit on the diffuse $\nu_\mu$ flux is set at E^2\Phi_{90%} = 5.3 \times 10^{-8} \ \mathrm{GeV\ cm^{-2}\ s^{-1}\ sr^{-1}} in the energy range 20 TeV -- 2.5 PeV.Comment: Poster presented at Neutrino 2010, Athens, Greec

Search for a neutrino emission from the Fermi Bubbles with the ANTARES telescope

ANTARES is the largest neutrino telescope in the Northern hemisphere. The main scientific goal is the search for cosmic neutrinos coming from galactic and extragalactic sources. Neutrinos are detected through the Cherenkov light emitted along the path of charged particles produced in neutrino interactions inside or in the vicinity of the detector. ANTARES is sensitive to all flavors though it is optimized for muon neutrinos. The detector has been taking data in its complete configuration since May 2008. Using data collected in the period 2007-2010, the first analysis devoted to the search for neutrinos from the Fermi Bubbles is presented. The Fermi Bubbles are characterized by gamma emission with a E^{-2} spectrum and a relatively constant intensity all over the space. According to a proposed hadronic mechanism for this gamma-ray emission, the Fermi Bubbles can be a source of high-energy neutrinos. No evidence of a neutrino signal is found in the ANTARES data. Therefore upper limits are calculated for neutrino fluxes with different energy cutoffs.Comment: 2012 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C12102

Melanosis in eyelid margin with malignancy suspect: case report

A case of a patient with an irregular pigmented lesion of the lower eyelid margin simulating malignant tumor, which was treated based on the results of impression cytology and diagnosed by histopathological study is presented. The importance of cytological technique is emphasized as an effective and safe method that avoids unnecessary and extensive procedures.Apresenta-se relato de caso de paciente parda, com 47 anos de idade, havendo lesão pigmentada na margem palpebral inferior do olho direito, de aspecto irregular e heterogêneo, suspeitando-se clinicamente de lesão maligna. A paciente foi tratada com base no resultado da citologia de impressão e diagnosticada pelo exame histológico. Demonstra-se a importância da citologia para o planejamento da ressecção de lesões suspeitas como um método seguro e efetivo para assim se evitar cirurgias em áreas extensas da superfície ocular e de anexos.Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita FilhoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Instituto da Visão Departamento de OftalmologiaInstituto de Oftalmologia Tadeu CvintalIOTCUNESPUNIFESP, Instituto da Visão Depto. de OftalmologiaSciEL

KM3NeT/ARCA: Status of construction and recent physics results

KM3NeT is a multi-site detector devoted to the detection and study of cosmic neutrinos and their sources in the Universe, and to the measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters. Two underwater detectors are under construction in the Mediterranean Sea, ARCA (Portopalo di Capo Passero, Italy) and ORCA (Toulon, France), optimised respectively for neutrinos in the energy range of 1 TeV–100 PeV and 10 GeV–10 TeV. The mass construction of the detectors has started, and a long-term plan for the completion is in place. At the time of writing this article, 21 (14) detection units are already in operation in the ARCA (ORCA) site from a total of 230 (115). In these proceedings, the major milestones achieved for the construction of the ARCA telescope are discussed. The main physics results obtained with ARCA, in its partial configurations are reported. Finally, an overview of the expected performances of the full detectors will be given

Capabilities of a novel electrochemical cell for operando XAS and SAXS investigations for PEM fuel cells and water electrolysers

Catalyst stability is a key issue in current electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells (FCs) and water electrolysers (WEs). While for FCs, the main degradation process limiting catalyst stability have been highlighted, a clear picture is still missing concerning WEs. In this framework, in operando analyses are essential to characterize catalyst degradation over time. As X-Rays constitute the perfect probe for studying catalytic materials, we here present a reversible electrochemical cell designed for operando X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Small and Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering analyses, which was used: (i) to study Pt/C catalyst degradation coupling the evolution of specific electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) with catalyst morphology, supported by the analysis of Pt oxidation state. As a result, an increase of particle (and particle cluster) size is connected to the diminishing of ECSA and to the changes in the fraction of metallic-to-oxidised Pt, underlying that changes mainly develop in the first 2000 cycles of applied stress tests. Finally, (ii) we introduce some preliminary results underlying the change in Ir oxidation state for a standard Ir/IrOX catalyst material for WEs, showing as such a change is not sufficient to induce any remarkable morphological variations within 500 cycles of stress tests

Tissue-scale microbiota of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and its relationship with the environment

Abstract In this study, we characterize the structural variation of the microbiota of Mytilus galloprovincialis at the tissue scale, also exploring the connection with the microbial ecosystem of the surrounding water. Mussels were sampled within a farm located in the North-Western Adriatic Sea and microbiota composition was analyzed in gills, hemolymph, digestive glands, stomach and foot by Next Generation Sequencing marker gene approach. Mussels showed a distinctive microbiota structure, with specific declinations at the tissue level. Indeed, each tissue is characterized by a distinct pattern of dominant families, reflecting a peculiar adaptation to the respective tissue niche. For instance, the microbiota of the digestive gland is characterized by Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, being shaped to ferment complex polysaccharides of dietary origin into short-chain fatty acids, well matching the general asset of the animal gut microbiota. Conversely, the gill and hemolymph ecosystems are dominated by marine microorganisms with aerobic oxidative metabolism, consistent with the role played by these tissues as an interface with the external environment. Our findings highlight the putative importance of mussel microbiota for different aspects of host physiology, with ultimate repercussions on mussel health and productivity