Measurement of charmed-particle lifetimes and decay branching ratios

The lifetimes of charmed hadrons photoproduced in nuclear emulsion have been computed from a practically background-free sample of 44 neutral particle decays and 42 charged-particle decays including 27D±, 11Λc+, 1Ds+ and 3 ambiguous decays. The values obtained are τ(D0, bar D0) = (3.6-0.8+1.2 ± 0.7) 10-13 s, τ(D±) = (5.0-1.0+1.5 ± 1.9) 10-13 s, τ(Λc+) = = (2.3-0.6+0.9 ± 0.4) 10-13 s. Branching ratios of various decay topologies were also obtained.

Search for neutral Higgs bosons from supersymmetry in Z decays

The light scalar Higgs boson h and the pseudoscalar Higgs boson A of the minimal supersymmetric standard model have been searched for in the processes e+e−→hff and e+e−→hA using data collected by ALEPH at the LEP e+e− collider, with center of mass energies at and near the Z peak. Using a variety of signatures adapted to various mass ranges for h and A, we have excluded a large domain in the parameter space. For large values of ν2ν1, the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs fields, the whole range from 0 to 38.8 GeV is excluded for Mh and MA at 95% CL.

Public Health physicians and empathy: are we really emphatic? The Jefferson Scale applied to Italian resident doctors in Public Health.

Large gaps in care quality resulting from ineffective communication between health providers, patients, and other health care organizations have been documented. Research suggests that effective, empathic communication positively influences health outcomes. Many studies focused on the assessment of clinicians empathy, while there is still a lack of evidence on the role and level of empathy for public health medical doctors,especially during their postgraduate education. The aim of this study was to assess empathy level of public health residents, and to investigate differences in empathy scores using a validated questionnaire. The Italian version of the Jefferson scale of Physician Empathy …

Search for excited leptons in Z0 decay

Due to the severity of system-wide power outages, though their probability of occurrence is slight, regulatory authorities require that a system restoration plan be drawn up and kept up to date at all times. The power outage that affected northeastern North America in 2003 proved the need for such a requirement. The particular structure of Hydro-Quebec's power system requires the use of a highly specific system restoration procedure. The daily preparation of the system restoration plan is based on a strategy whose application requires that a restoration sequence be drawn up that uses available equipment, the electrical behavior of which has been validated using appropriate studies. Over the…

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18–49, 50–69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results NNVs were more favourable in su…

Search for supersymmetric particles using acoplanar charged-particle pairs from Z0 decays

We have performed a search for supersymmetric particles using acoplanar pairs of oppositely-charged particles in decays of the Z0. In 0.53 pb−1 of integrated luminosity near the Z0 peak, we observe two events where approximately four are expected from background, allowing limits to be extended on combined photino and slepton masses, and also on combined photino and chargino masses.

Investigation on the influence of the surface resin rich layer on the thermoelastic signal from different composite laminate lay-ups

This work presents a set of experimental results based on the measured thermoelastic signal from GRP composite coupons adopting different lay-ups. A comparison is made with the thermoelastic signal predicted by two different analytical models: one based on the classical law of the thermoelastic effect for orthotropic materials, and the other based on a novel theory accounting for the presence of a resin layer on the external surface of the composite structure. The composite coupons were designed such to determine a significant difference in the predictions made by the two theoretical models. Experimental results have shown a far better match with the predictions based on the novel theory ac…

Pruritus characteristics in a large Italian cohort of psoriatic patients

Background: Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64–98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus. Objective: To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity. Methods: Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded. Results: We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 ± 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and ve…

Search for decays of the Z0 into a photon and a pseudoscalar meson

Abstract A search is reported for decays of the Z 0 into π 0 γ , ηγ and η ′ (958) γ in e + e − collisions using data collected during a scan around the Z 0 mass. In order to search for π 0 γ final states, in which the two photons from the π 0 decay are unresolved, the production of pairs of high-energy electromagnetic clusters is studied. The data are compared with the expectations from the pure QED process e + e − → γγ , and a 95% confidence level upper limit on the branching ratio of the Z 0 into π 0 γ of 4.9 × 10 −4 is derived. For η′γ, the decay modes of the mesons that contain two charged particles are largely free from QED background. These modes are used to place upper limits of 4.6 …

Efficacy of switching between tumor necrosis factor-alfa inhibitors in psoriasis: results from the Italian Psocare registry

Background: Some studies have shown that switching patients from one tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alfa inhibitor to another may be beneficial when they have an inadequate response or an adverse event. Objective: We sought to assess the variables predicting the efficacy of the second TNF-alfa inhibitor in patients discontinuing the first TNF-alfa inhibitor. Methods: Data from all 5423 consecutive patients starting TNF-alfa inhibitor therapy for psoriasis between September 2005 and September 2010 who were included in the Italian Psocare registry were analyzed. Results: In 105 patients who switched to a second TNF-alfa inhibitor who had complete follow-up data, 75% improvement in the Psoriasis …

Impact of the environment on the health: From theory to practice

The Erice 56 Charter titled "Impact of the environment on the health: from theory to practice" was unanimously approved at the end of the 56th course of the "International School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine G. D'Alessandro" held from 3th to 7th November 2019 in Erice - Sicily (Italy) and promoted by the Study Group of "Environment and Health" of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. The course, that included lectures, open discussions and guided working groups, was aimed to provide a general training on epidemiological and toxicological aspects of the environmental health impact, to be used by public health professionals for risk assessment, with…

Surgery of Parkinson's disease. Experience in Messina

No abstract

Cross sections and some features of charm photoproduction at gamma energies of 20-70 GeV

Abstract We report some results on charm photoproduction at γ energies ranging from 20 to 70 GeV. 36 events with pairs of charmed particles have been found in emulsions. The computed total cross section is (230±57)nb/nucleon. Frequencies of different production channels and some distributions are presented and compared with the predictions from a photon-gluon fusion model with string fragmentation.

Measurement of the Lifetime of Neutral Charmed Mesons

Abstract The lifetime of neutral charmed particles photoproduced in emulsion has been measured. The lifetime value presented here was obtained from a sample of 22D 0 mesons, 18 of which have their charmed partner seen in emulsion. The sample is essentially background-free. The result obtained is τ D 0 =(2.11 +1.21 -0.63 )×10 13 s The D 0 mass derived from 8 3C events is m D 0 = 1856 ± 36 MeV/ c 2 .

Charged charmed particle lifetime

Abstract We present the lifetime values obtained for D ± and Λ c + , photoproduced in nuclear emulsion in the WA58 experiment. In photohadronic interactions, pairs of charmed particles are produced. Out of 20 charged charmed particles used for lifetime evaluation, 17 have their charmed partner seen emulsion, being then essentially free from any background. The values of the lifetime are τ D ± = (3.91 −1.25 +2.35 ) × 10 −13 s, τ Λ c + = (2.22 −0.75 +1.34 ) × 10 −13 s.

ALEPH: a Detector for Electron-Positron Annihilations at LEP

Process-centred Software Engineering Environments (PSEE) are the most recent generation of environments supporting software development activities. Most of PSEE are based on mechanisms promoting enforcement and automation of process activities. In this kind of mechanisms the process models are prescribed in a detailed and complete way. But the experience shows that supporting processes is more concerned with the flexibility of guidance offered during the process performance than with enforcement of a collection of predefined process models. In this paper, we present a solution to support strategic processes in a PSEE by providing a flexible guidance during process enactment.

17. Mainzer Allergie-Workshop