Simulation-based design study for the passive shielding of the COSINUS dark matter experiment.

The COSINUS (Cryogenic Observatory for SIgnatures seen in Next-generation Underground Searches) experiment aims at the detection of dark matter-induced recoils in sodium iodide (NaI) crystals operated as scintillating cryogenic calorimeters. The detection of both scintillation light and phonons allows performing an event-by-event signal to background discrimination, thus enhancing the sensitivity of the experiment. The choice of using NaI crystals is motivated by the goal of probing the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA results using the same target material. The construction of the experimental facility is foreseen to start by 2021 at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy. It consists of a cryostat housing the target crystals shielded from the external radioactivity by a water tank acting, at the same time, as an active veto against cosmic ray-induced events. Taking into account both environmental radioactivity and intrinsic contamination of materials used for cryostat, shielding and infrastructure, we performed a careful background budget estimation. The goal is to evaluate the number of events that could mimic or interfere with signal detection while optimising the geometry of the experimental setup. In this paper we present the results of the detailed Monte Carlo simulations we performed, together with the final design of the setup that minimises the residual amount of background particles reaching the detector volume.

Free electron laser-driven ultrafast rearrangement of the electronic structure in Ti.

High-energy density extreme ultraviolet radiation delivered by the FERMI seeded free-electron laser has been used to create an exotic nonequilibrium state of matter in a titanium sample characterized by a highly excited electron subsystem at temperatures in excess of 10 eV and a cold solid-density ion lattice. The obtained transient state has been investigated through ultrafast absorption spectroscopy across the Ti M2,3-edge revealing a drastic rearrangement of the sample electronic structure around the Fermi level occurring on a time scale of about 100 fs.

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of the classical nucleation process.

We implemented a kinetic Monte Carlo computer simulation of the nucleation process in the framework of the coarse grained scenario of the Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT). The computational approach is efficient for a wide range of temperatures and sample sizes and provides a reliable simulation of the stochastic process. The results for the nucleation rate are in agreement with the CNT predictions based on the stationary solution of the set of differential equations for the continuous variables representing the average population distribution of nuclei size. Time dependent nucleation behavior can also be simulated with results in agreement with previous approaches. The method, here established for the case in which the excess free-energy of a crystalline nucleus is a smooth-function of the size, can be particularly useful when more complex descriptions are required.

Reflectivity enhancement in titanium by ultrafast XUV irradiation.

The study of highly photo-excited matter at solid state density is an emerging field of research, which is benefitting the development of free-electron-laser (FEL) technology. We report an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) reflectivity experiment from a titanium (Ti) sample irradiated with ultrafast seeded FEL pulses at variable incident photon fluence and frequency. Using a Drude formalism we relate the observed increase in reflectivity as a function of the excitation fluence to an increase in the plasma frequency, which allows us to estimate the free electron density in the excited sample. The extreme simplicity of the experimental setup makes the present approach potentially a valuable complementary tool to determine the average ionization state of the excited sample, information of primary relevance for understanding the physics of matter under extreme conditions.

Revisión de indicación de tiroidectomía y su correlación con la anatomía patológica / Review of Indication for Thyroidectomy and its Correlation with the Pathological Anatomy

Objetivo: 1. Determinar el porcentaje de patología tiroidea maligna en tiroidectomía en un hospital interzonal de la provincia de Buenos Aires. 2. Evaluar la indicación de tiroidectomías por motivos clínicos y/o citológicos, relacionándolos con la anatomía patológica. Materiales y Métodos: Evaluamos retrospectivamente las historias clínicas de 214 pacientes sometidos a cirugía tiroidea desde junio de 2004 a junio de 2010, correlacionando la indicación quirúrgica con la anatomía patológica. Para su análisis se dividieron a los mismos en dos grupos: 1) aquellos a los que se les indicó tiroidectomía utilizando criterios clínicos como bocio de gran tamaño, endotoráxico, crecimiento rápido del nódulo, fijeza, etc., presentando los mismos punciones tiroideas (PAF) benignas o insatisfactorias (n = 152), 2) aquellos a los que se les indicó tiroidectomía por presentar citología maligna o sospechosa de malignidad (n = 62). Resultados: De los 214 pacientes evaluados, 203 fueron mujeres y 11 varones, con una edad media de 43,3 años (17-64 años); realizándose tiroidectomía total en 117 casos y subtotal en 97. El 98 % de los pacientes (n = 210), tenían punciones prequirúrgicas, de las cuales el 24,7 %, fueron insatisfactorias. Presentaron hipocalcemia transitoria 17 pacientes (7,9 %), definitiva 3 (1,4 %) y parálisis recurrencial unilateral 3 (1,4 %). El 21,5 % (n = 46) del total de casos presentó patología maligna. De los 152 pacientes operados por criterio clínico presentaron malignidad el 10,5 % (n = 16); mientras que los operados por sospechas de malignidad por PAF (n = 62) presentaron carcinoma el 48,4 % (n = 30). De los pacientes con bocio nodular operados por criterio clínico teniendo PAF insatisfactorias (n = 50), presentaron carcinoma 14 pacientes (28 %). Conclusiones: Del total de pacientes tiroidectomizados hemos hallado un alto porcentaje de patología benigna (78,5 %). De los pacientes con bocio nodular operados por criterio clínico, con punciones insatisfactorias, el 28 % fueron malignos. Consideramos que es fundamental utilizar el criterio citológico al momento de indicar la tiroidectomía; y ante un alto porcentaje de citologías insatisfactorias, sería de importancia revisar la metodología diagnóstica en nuestro lugar de trabajo.(AU)

Objective: 1. To determine the percentage of malignant thyroid pathology in thyroidectomy in an Hospital inside the province of Buenos Aires. 2. To evaluate the indication for thyroidectomy due to medical and/or cytological reasons relating them to the pathological anatomy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 214 patients who had a thyroid surgery from June 2004 to June 2010, relating the surgical indication to the pathological anatomy. For its analysis, the patients were divided into two groups: 1) those ones who were treated as thyroidectomy using medical criteria such as: a large endothoracic goiter, a fast growing nodule, firmness, etc. These patients showed negative or unsatisfactory thyroid cytology (n = 152); 2) those ones who were treated as thyroidectomy because they showed a cytology suspected to be malignant (n = 62). Results: From 214 patients evaluated, 203 were women and 11 men, with an average age of 43.3 years old (17-64 years old); a total thyroidectomy was carried out in 117 cases and a subtotal one in 97 cases. Of all the patients 98 % (n = 210) had thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA), 24.7 % of which were unsatisfactory. Seventeen patients had temporary hypoparathyroidism (7.9 %), 3 patients had permanent one (1.4 %) and 3 patients had unilateral vocal cord paralysis (1.4 %). Of all the cases 21.5 % (n = 46) showed malignant pathology. From 152 patients who had surgery due to medical criteria, 10.5 % (n=16) showed malignancy; whereas the patients who had surgery for FNA (n = 62) suspected to be malignant showed thyroid cancer in 48.4 % (n = 30). From the patients with nodular goiter operated due to medical criteria having unsatisfactory FNA (n = 50), 14 patients had carcinoma (28 %). Conclusions: From the total of patients with thyroidectomy we have found a high percentage of benign pathology (78.5 %). From the patients with nodular goiter who were operated due to medical criteria, with unsatisfactory cytology, 28 % were malignant. We consider that it is essential to use cytological criteria upon the thyroidectomy indication however, if there were high percentage of unsatisfactory cytology, it would be necessary to check the diagnostic methodology where we work.(AU)

Revisión de indicación de tiroidectomía y su correlación con la anatomía patológica / Review of Indication for Thyroidectomy and its Correlation with the Pathological Anatomy

Objetivo: 1. Determinar el porcentaje de patología tiroidea maligna en tiroidectomía en un hospital interzonal de la provincia de Buenos Aires. 2. Evaluar la indicación de tiroidectomías por motivos clínicos y/o citológicos, relacionándolos con la anatomía patológica. Materiales y Métodos: Evaluamos retrospectivamente las historias clínicas de 214 pacientes sometidos a cirugía tiroidea desde junio de 2004 a junio de 2010, correlacionando la indicación quirúrgica con la anatomía patológica. Para su análisis se dividieron a los mismos en dos grupos: 1) aquellos a los que se les indicó tiroidectomía utilizando criterios clínicos como bocio de gran tamaño, endotoráxico, crecimiento rápido del nódulo, fijeza, etc., presentando los mismos punciones tiroideas (PAF) benignas o insatisfactorias (n = 152), 2) aquellos a los que se les indicó tiroidectomía por presentar citología maligna o sospechosa de malignidad (n = 62). Resultados: De los 214 pacientes evaluados, 203 fueron mujeres y 11 varones, con una edad media de 43,3 años (17-64 años); realizándose tiroidectomía total en 117 casos y subtotal en 97. El 98 % de los pacientes (n = 210), tenían punciones prequirúrgicas, de las cuales el 24,7 %, fueron insatisfactorias. Presentaron hipocalcemia transitoria 17 pacientes (7,9 %), definitiva 3 (1,4 %) y parálisis recurrencial unilateral 3 (1,4 %). El 21,5 % (n = 46) del total de casos presentó patología maligna. De los 152 pacientes operados por criterio clínico presentaron malignidad el 10,5 % (n = 16); mientras que los operados por sospechas de malignidad por PAF (n = 62) presentaron carcinoma el 48,4 % (n = 30). De los pacientes con bocio nodular operados por criterio clínico teniendo PAF insatisfactorias (n = 50), presentaron carcinoma 14 pacientes (28 %). Conclusiones: Del total de pacientes tiroidectomizados hemos hallado un alto porcentaje de patología benigna (78,5 %). De los pacientes con bocio nodular operados por criterio clínico, con punciones insatisfactorias, el 28 % fueron malignos. Consideramos que es fundamental utilizar el criterio citológico al momento de indicar la tiroidectomía; y ante un alto porcentaje de citologías insatisfactorias, sería de importancia revisar la metodología diagnóstica en nuestro lugar de trabajo.

Objective: 1. To determine the percentage of malignant thyroid pathology in thyroidectomy in an Hospital inside the province of Buenos Aires. 2. To evaluate the indication for thyroidectomy due to medical and/or cytological reasons relating them to the pathological anatomy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 214 patients who had a thyroid surgery from June 2004 to June 2010, relating the surgical indication to the pathological anatomy. For its analysis, the patients were divided into two groups: 1) those ones who were treated as thyroidectomy using medical criteria such as: a large endothoracic goiter, a fast growing nodule, firmness, etc. These patients showed negative or unsatisfactory thyroid cytology (n = 152); 2) those ones who were treated as thyroidectomy because they showed a cytology suspected to be malignant (n = 62). Results: From 214 patients evaluated, 203 were women and 11 men, with an average age of 43.3 years old (17-64 years old); a total thyroidectomy was carried out in 117 cases and a subtotal one in 97 cases. Of all the patients 98 % (n = 210) had thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA), 24.7 % of which were unsatisfactory. Seventeen patients had temporary hypoparathyroidism (7.9 %), 3 patients had permanent one (1.4 %) and 3 patients had unilateral vocal cord paralysis (1.4 %). Of all the cases 21.5 % (n = 46) showed malignant pathology. From 152 patients who had surgery due to medical criteria, 10.5 % (n=16) showed malignancy; whereas the patients who had surgery for FNA (n = 62) suspected to be malignant showed thyroid cancer in 48.4 % (n = 30). From the patients with nodular goiter operated due to medical criteria having unsatisfactory FNA (n = 50), 14 patients had carcinoma (28 %). Conclusions: From the total of patients with thyroidectomy we have found a high percentage of benign pathology (78.5 %). From the patients with nodular goiter who were operated due to medical criteria, with unsatisfactory cytology, 28 % were malignant. We consider that it is essential to use cytological criteria upon the thyroidectomy indication however, if there were high percentage of unsatisfactory cytology, it would be necessary to check the diagnostic methodology where we work.

Determination of the ion temperature in a stainless steel slab exposed to intense ultrashort laser pulses.

We present an effective approach to determine the amount of energy absorbed by solid samples exposed to ultrashort laser pulses, thus, retrieving the maximum temperature attained by the ion lattice in the picosecond time scale. The method is based on the pyrometric detection of a slow temperature fluctuation on the rear side of a sample slab associated with absorption of the laser pulse on the front side. This approach, successfully corroborated by theoretical calculations, can provide a robust and practical diagnostic tool for characterization of laser-generated warm dense matter.

Crystalline nucleation in undercooled liquids: a Bayesian data-analysis approach for a nonhomogeneous Poisson process.

A Bayesian data-analysis approach to data sets of maximum undercooling temperatures recorded in repeated melting-cooling cycles of high-purity samples is proposed. The crystallization phenomenon is described in terms of a nonhomogeneous Poisson process driven by a temperature-dependent sample nucleation rate J(T). The method was extensively tested by computer simulations and applied to real data for undercooled liquid Ge. It proved to be particularly useful in the case of scarce data sets where the usage of binned data would degrade the available experimental information.

Evaluación del tratamiento de pacientes con enfermedad de Graves Basedow y su relación con indicadores de necesidades básicas insatisfechas / Medical treatment evaluation in patients with Graves Basedow disease in relation to indicators of unsatisfied basic needs

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue, evaluar el cumplimiento del tratamiento médico de pacientes con diagnóstico de enfermedad de Graves Basedow y la evolución de la misma (remisión o recidiva) en relación a indicadores de necesidades básicas insatisfechas (NBI). Se practicó la revisión retrospectiva de 156 pacientes con diagnóstico de enfermedad de Graves Basedow, los cuales tuvieron un seguimiento entre 3 y 36 años (: 9.6 años), evaluándose en cada caso los diferentes tratamientos de inicio instituidos (metimazol-MMI-, yodo radiactivo o cirugía). De los pacientes que iniciaron y continuaron el tratamiento médico con metimazol (n=140), se revisó el cumplimiento y la eficacia del mismo, relacionándolo con los indicadores de privación (NBI). De los 156 pacientes estudiados, (137 mujeres Y 19 hombres), con una edad : 42.3 años, el tratamiento de inicio fue: con metimazol en 144, con radio yodo en 6 y con cirugía en 6 pacientes. De los 144 casos que comenzaron el tratamiento con MMI, 140 lo continuaron; de los cuales el 42,86% (n=60), presentaron indicadores de necesidades básicas insatisfechas mientras que el 57.14% (n=80) no presentaron indicadores de NBI. De los 140 pacientes que continuaron el tratamiento médico, el 24,28% (n=34), presentaron remisión de la enfermedad. El 90% de los casos que presentaron algún indicador/es de NBI no cumplieron con el tratamiento vs. el 17.5% de los pacientes NO NBI. La enfermedad remitió con tratamiento con metimazol en el 3.3% de los casos con NBI y en el 40% de los casos NO NBI. Teniendo en cuenta los resultados obtenidos, creemos que podría ser de utilidad, evaluar en los casos de pacientes con enfermedad de Graves Basedow la presencia de indicadores de privación, antes de instituir el tratamiento antitiroideo apropiado.

The objective of the present paper was to evaluate the compliance of medical treatment in patients with Graves Basedow disease diagnosis and the disease evolution (remission or relapse) in relation to indicators of unsatisfied basic needs. A retrospective review of 156 patients with Graves Basedow diagnosis was performed. They were followed up between 3 and 36 years (: 9.6 years), in each case, evaluating the different initial treatments implemented (methimazole-MMI, radioactive iodine or surgery). In those patients who started and followed medical treatment with methimazole (n= 140), compliance and efficacy were reviewed in relation to deprivation indicators. Out of the 156 patients studied (137 women and 19 men), with a mean age of : 42.3 years old, the initial treatment was: 144 patients with methimazole, 6 patients with radioiodine and 6 patients submitted to surgery. Out of the 144 cases who started treatment with MMI, 140 continued with it, of which 42.86% (n=60) showed unsatisfied basic needs indicators whereas 57.14% (n= 80) did not present indicators of unsatisfied basic needs. Out of the 140 patients who continued the medical treatment, 24.28 (n= 34) showed disease remission. Concerning the cases that showed some indicators of unsatisfied basic needs, 90% did not comply with the treatment versus 17.5% which did not present unsatisfied basic needs. The disease showed remission with methimazole treatment in 3.3% of the cases with unsatisfied basic needs and in 40% of the cases which did not present unsatisfied basic needs. Taking into account the results obtained, we believe that in the cases of patients with Graves Basedow disease, it might be useful to evaluate the presence of deprivation indicators before implementing the appropriate antithyroid treatment.

[Rubber industry and exposure to carcinogenic chemical agents: an Italian Multicentric Study in Lombardy]. / Stampaggio della gomma ed agenti chimici cancerogeni: l'esperienza dello Studio PPTP-Gomma.

Evaluating the chemical risks at the workplaces, the potential carcinogenic risk is a primary interest. Particularly, in the rubber forming industry the main attention was directed to the hot processing as a possible source of exposure to chemical agents, several of which were classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and/or the European Union (EU). A study on occupational exposure to chemical carcinogens in the rubber forming industry was planned during last two years, involving a representative sample of firms. In the first step the occupational exposure and the use of preventive measures were evaluated by an investigation at workplace supported with standardized questionnaires. The presence of above 100 chemical agents was registered; 15 agents were classified to carcinogenic or probably carcinogenic to human. The evaluation of exposure by air sampling and monitoring of most substances of interest (acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene, styrene, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), demonstrated a low level of occupational exposure, the common hygienic prevention measure being applied.

Measurement of the p to s wave branching ratio of 187Re beta decay from beta environmental fine structure.

The mixed occurrence of s-wave and p-wave contributions in a first forbidden unique Gamow-Teller beta decay has been investigated for the first time by measuring the beta environmental fine structure (BEFS) in a 187Re crystalline compound. The experiment has been carried out with an array of eight AgReO4 thermal detectors operating at a temperature of approximately 100 mK. A fit of the observed BEFS spectrum indicates the p-wave electron emission as the dominant channel. The complete understanding of the BEFS distortion of the 187Re beta decay spectrum is crucial for future experiments aiming at the precise calorimetric measurement of the antineutrino mass.

[Lombardy regional project: prevention of occupational tumors]. / Progetto regione lombardia: prevenzione dei tumori professionali.

In Lombardy, the regional project "Prevention of occupational cancers" is ongoing. The main objectives of this project are to identify work environments in which there might be a possible exposure to carcinogenic substances and to elaborate preventive measures. A casual sample of 250 working settings representing the different economic activities has been selected and evaluated. The 10% of the examined workplaces showed a possible exposure to chemical carcinogens. The most common carcinogens were trichloroethylene, preparation of plastics materials containing acrylonitrile-butadiene-stirene, formaldehyde, wood dust, hexavalent chromium, silica and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Galvanic industries, Bitumen production and placing companies and Plastics processing plants will be studied for environmental and biological monitoring and for the development of preventive measures.

High-frequency acoustic modes in liquid gallium at the melting point.

The microscopic dynamics in liquid gallium at melting has been studied by inelastic x-ray scattering. We demonstrate the existence of acousticlike modes up to wave vectors above one-half of the first maximum of the static structure factor, at variance with earlier results from inelastic neutron scattering [F. J. Bermejo et al., Phys. Rev. E 49, 3133 (1994)]. Despite structural (extremely rich polymorphism) and electronic (mixed valence) peculiarities, the collective dynamics is strikingly similar to the one of van der Waals and metallic fluids. This result speaks in favor of the universality of the short time dynamics in monatomic liquids rather than of system-specific dynamics.

Local structure of liquid and solid silver halides probed by XAFS.

Investigation of the local structure of the high-temperature liquid and solid phases in the 300-725 K range of AgBr has been performed using the x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Structural results are compared with existing diffraction studies and computer simulations demonstrating the reliability of the XAS technique in determining the short-range structure. Present results on solid AgBr are in agreement with known thermal expansion data. The short-range g(r) of liquid AgBr is reconstructed showing the unique insight provided by the XAS technique in measuring short-range atom-atom correlations in liquids.

Liquid Rb micrometric droplets confined in paraffin wax: an X-ray absorption spectroscopy study.

We have performed high-quality X-ray absorption measurements on crystalline (c-Rb) and liquid (l-Rb) Rubidium in the range from 15 K to 320 K. Performing a consistent analysis that takes into account the contribution of the medium range structure, we observe that the l-Rb spectrum is compatible with pair correlation function g(r) previously determined by neutron diffraction experiments. Due to the micrometric size of the liquid droplets we were able to observe a slight undercooling down to 290 K. We were also able to study the details of the very strong multielectron excitations channels in terms of resonances, edges and shake-off features at proper theoretical energy values.

Investigation of undercooled liquid metals using XAFS, temperature scans and diffraction.

Novel techniques and the experimental station for experiments on condensed matter under extreme conditions that have been developed at the BM29 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) are described. The experimental setup includes facilities to collect high-quality extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra, to perform controlled temperature scans while monitoring the sample absorption for the direct detection of phase transitions, and to collect high-resolution energy-scanning X-ray diffraction (ESXD) data, with recent enhancements through the installation of a two-channel collimator detector system. Facilities for X-ray absorption temperature scans, introduced five years ago, are now exploited for a wide variety of purposes. A method for the measurement of the nucleation rate in undercooled liquids has been proposed recently. All these advances in the experimental setup and techniques, combined with a simple but rigorous X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) data analysis scheme for disordered matter, have contributed to make feasible challenging experiments on undercooled liquid matter that were not even conceivable only a few years ago. An example of the application of these methods to undercooled liquid indium (In) is presented.