ePIC will be a general-purpose detector designed to enalbe the entire physics program of the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at BNL, USA. Several key physics measurements depend on efficient Particle Identification (PID). The PID system of ePIC covers a wide pseudorapidity (−3.3 < 𝜂 < 3.5) and momentum range. Several technologies have been identified to serve such a purpose. In the forward region (1.5 < 𝜂 < 3.5) a Dual Ring Imaging Cerenkov detector (dRICH) will be employed to provide efficient and continuous hadron PID from 3 GeV/c to 50 GeV/c and to support the electromagnetic calorimeter by pion rejection in the lower momentum region. The dRICH comprises two different radiators, aerogel and gas (𝐶2𝐹6), to cover the entire momentum range. SiPM based photosensors are placed in six spherical sectors to detect Cherenkov photons which are focused by six corresponding spherical mirrors. Here we introduce the dRICH detector and discuss results from simulation studies, with a special focus on the separation power for pions and kaons and its dependency on the particle momentum and pseudorapidity.

The current status of the R&D performed for the ePIC-dRICH detector at the EIC is presented. A special focus will be given to the beam test results obtained with the dRICH prototype SiPM optical readout. A large-area readout plane consisting of a total of 1280 3 x3 mm2 2 SiPM sensors was built and tested with particle beams at CERN-PS in October 2023. The modular photodetector is based on a novel EIC-driven prototype photodetection unit (PDU) developed by INFN, which integrates 256 SiPM pixel sensors, cooling and TDC electronics in a volume of roughly 5x5x 14 cm3. 3 . The data have been collected with a complete chain of front-end and readout electronics based on the ALCOR chip, developed by INFN Torino. The features of the PDU and the performance of the full dRICH SiPM prototype system will be highlighted.

The ePIC experiment at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) aims to use silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) as the photodetector technology for the dual-radiator ring-imaging Cherenkov detector (dRICH). Despite their advantages for this low light application and insensitivity to high magnetic fields, SiPMs are sensitive to radiation and require rigorous testing to ensure that their single-photon counting capabilities and dark count rate are kept under control over the years of operation. The presented results show the successful use of a complete prototype readout chain based on the ALCOR chip for SiPM characterization measurements and assembled in an optical plane for test-beam measurements using the dRICH prototype.

SiPMs are the baseline photodetector technology for the dual-radiator Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (dRICH) detector of the ePIC experiment at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). SiPMs offer significant advantages being cheap devices, highly efficient and insensitive to the high magnetic field (similar to 1 T) at the expected location of the sensors in the experiment. However, they are not radiation tolerant and one has to test whether the increase in dark count rate (DCR) can be mitigated to maintain single-photon performance with current SiPM technology in a moderately hostile radiation environment of < 10(11) 1-MeV equivalent neutrons/cm(2) (n(eq)). Several options are available to maintain the DCR to an acceptable rate (below similar to 100 kHz/mm(2)) by reducing the SiPM operating temperature and by recovering the radiation damage with high-temperature annealing cycles. Moreover, by utilising high-precision TDC electronics the use of timing information can effectively reduce background due to DCR. We present the current status of the R&D and the results of studies performed on significant samples of commercial and prototype SiPM sensors. The devices have undergone proton irradiation in two campaigns aimed at studying the device performance with increasing NIEL doses up to 10(11) 1-MeV n(eq), the device recovery with long high-temperature annealing cycles and the reproducibility of the performance in repeated irradiation-annealing cycles. In October 2022 the sensors were mounted inside the dRICH detector prototype and successfully tested with particle beams at the CERN PS accelerator. The results are obtained with a complete chain of front-end and readout electronics based on the first 32-channel prototypes of the ALCOR chip, a new ASIC designed for SiPM readout.

We present a mixed-signal ASIC, called ALCOR (A Low-power Chip for Optical sensor Readout), designed for the readout and digitization of signals from Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) in the framework of the dualradiator RICH (dRICH) detector of the electron-Proton/Ion Collider (ePIC) experiment at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). ALCOR features 32 channels arranged in an 8x4 matrix. The amplifier input stage is a low impedance current conveyor based on a regulated common-gate topology. The versatile front-end is able to work with positive or negative input polarity signals and includes four gain settings and two discriminators with 6-bit DAC programmable thresholds. Each channel also incorporates quad-buffered low-power TDCs based on analogue interpolation providing precise timestamping with a 25-50 ps time bin. ALCOR is designed in a 110 nm CMOS technology and the power consumption is about 10-12 mW per channel. The ASIC has been extensively tested in the laboratory standalone and coupled to different SiPM models to assess its functionality and performance. The results have been validated in a beam test campaign with a prototype of the dRICH detector and 1280 3 x 3 mm(2) SiPM sensors.

A bstract A search for the exclusive decays of the Higgs and Z bosons to a ϕ or ρ meson and a photon is performed with a pp collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 35 . 6 fb −1 collected at $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. These decays have been suggested as a probe of the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks. No significant excess of events is observed above the background, as expected from the Standard Model. Upper limits at 95% confidence level were obtained on the branching fractions of the Higgs boson decays to ϕ γ and ρ γ of 4 . 8 × 10 −4 and 8 . 8 × 10 −4 , respectively. The corresponding 95% confidence level upper limits for the Z boson decays are 0 . 9 × 10 −6 and 25 × 10 −6 for ϕ γ and ρ γ, respectively.

A search for leptoquarks decaying into the bτ final state is performed using Run 2 proton-proton collision data from the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 at √(s) = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector. The benchmark models considered in this search are vector leptoquarks with electric charge of 2/3e and scalar leptoquarks with an electric charge of 4/3e. No significant excess above the Standard Model prediction is observed, and 95

The total and differential Higgs boson production cross-sections are measured through a combined statistical analysis of the H → ZZ* → 4ℓ and H → γγ decay channels. The results are based on a dataset of 139 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measured total Higgs boson production cross-section is 55.5_-3.8^+4.0 pb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction of 55.6 ± 2.5 pb. All results from the two decay channels are compatible with each other, and their combination agrees with the Standard Model predictions. A combined statistical interpretation of the measured fiducial cross-sections as a function of the Higgs boson transverse momentum is performed in order to probe the Yukawa couplings to the bottom and charm quarks. A similar interpretation is performed by including also the constraints from the measurements of Higgs boson production in association with a W or Z boson in the H → bb and cc decay channels.

ATHENA has been designed as a general purpose detector capable of delivering the full scientific scope of the Electron-Ion Collider. Careful technology choices provide fine tracking and momentum resolution, high performance electromagnetic and hadronic calorimetry, hadron identification over a wide kinematic range, and near-complete hermeticity. This article describes the detector design and its expected performance in the most relevant physics channels. It includes an evaluation of detector technology choices, the technical challenges to realizing the detector and the R D required to meet those challenges.

The paper industry produces tons of deinked paper sludge (DPS) with high disposal costs and negative impacts for the environment. The recycling of DPS in growing media for ornamental plants could be a sustainable strategy to reduce greenhouse gases and improve soil properties, in a circular economy prospective. For this purpose, Primula obconica Hance, Viola x wittrockiana Gams 'Cool Wave Frost' and Dianthus caryophyllus L. were grown in control (commercial substrate), 30 and 50% S and 30 and 50% P (S = sludge, P = pelletised sludge) growing media. The substrates were analysed in terms of chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, and nutrient elements). Plant performance was assessed measuring the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Phi PSII), the electron transport rate (ETR) and plant growth (n of flowers, biomass). The substrates containing 30% S, 50% S and 50% P had lower electrical conductivity than control; 30% S had values of exchangeable nutrients (Mn, Ni and Mg) similar to the control. When nutrient deficiency symptoms appeared in Primula and Viola from substrates containing DPS, as suggested by their reduction of Phi PSII and ETR photosynthetic properties, a complete fertilization was given. After the fertilization, these plants showed a similar photosynthetic performance in all substrates. At the end of the cultivation cycle, Primula showed a reduced number of flowers and biomass in all DPS substrates, while Viola produced the same number of flowers in 30% S substrate and in the control and showed reduced biomass in DPS substrates. Dianthus was less affected by N deficiency and DPS treatment. Dianthus did not show significant difference as flower numbers and biomass in all substrates. In general, the growing media composed of 30% S resulted the most suitable for plant growth and amongst the tested ornamental plants, Dianthus responded positively to the amendment with DPS. DPS can be utilised as amendment, but the resulted substrate needs fertilization and must have compatible properties with the original growing media (e.g., pH).

A search for the Higgs boson decaying into a photon and a pair of electrons or muons with an invariant mass m (cid:3)(cid:3) < 30 GeV is presented. The analysis is performed using 139 fb − 1 of proton–proton collision data, produced by the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and collected by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for the H → (cid:3)(cid:3) γ process is found with a significance of 3.2 over the background-only hypothesis, compared to an expected significance of 2.1 for the Standard Model prediction. The best-fit value of the signal-strength parameter, defined as the ratio of the observed signal yield to the one expected in the Standard Model, is μ = 1 . 5 ± 0 . 5. The Higgs boson production cross-section times the H → (cid:3)(cid:3) γ branching ratio for m (cid:3)(cid:3) < 30 GeV is determined to be 8 . 7 + 2 . 8 − 2 . 7 fb.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 2nd cause of cancer-related death. Despite standard therapies, more than 50% of patients experience relapse, eventually with metastatic disease. The CRC microenvironment is densely infiltrated by T-cells, which presence correlates with improved overall survival, thus sustaining the rational for immunotherapy. Here, we paired high-dimensional flow cytometry, bulk RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry to describe the phenotype and the exhaustion status of T-cells infiltrating primary and metastatic CRC. Analysis of the healthy, peritumoral and neoplastic tissues of treatment-naïve primary CRCs and of the peritumoral and tumoral tissues of CRC patients undergoing surgery for liver metastasis, revealed extensive transcriptional and spatial remodeling across tumors. Unsupervised analysis of flow cytometry data performed by an advanced pipeline of data handling by dimensionality reduction and clustering algorithms allowed the definition of a peculiar inhibitory receptors signature on TILs enriched both in primary CRCs and liver metastases. Of note, CD39 was upregulated in both the signatures retrieved from primary and metastatic CRC, thus suggesting its relevance as molecular target for T-cells engineering. By CRISPR/Cas9 we disrupted the CD39 gene in T cells with >80% efficiency. We combined CD39 knock-out with the genetic disruption of alpha and beta chains of the endogenous TCR, observing >90% efficiency for both genes, thus generating triple-knockout T-cells. By repetitively stimulating healthy donors’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells with autologous antigen-presenting cells loaded with a pool of peptides selected to be immunogenic and expressed by CRC, we obtained a library of anti-tumor TCRs to redirected the specificity of triple knock-out lymphocytes. Our preliminary experiments showed a functional advantage for TCR-redirected, CD39 disrupted T-cells in recognizing and killing CRC target cells. Citation Format: Alessia Potenza, Chiara Balestrieri, Luca Albarello, Federica Pedica, Lorena Stasi, Francesco Manfredi, Martina Spiga, Elena Tassi, Beatrice Claudia Cianciotti, Danilo Abbati, Ugo Elmore, Andrea Biondi, Luca Aldrighetti, Claudia De Lalla, Giulia Di Lullo, Paolo Dellabona, Eliana Ruggiero, Riccardo Rosati, Chiara Bonini. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated CD39 disruption can be combined with TCR editing in T cells to improve the adoptive T cell therapy of colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 567.

The first measurement of longitudinal decorrelations of harmonic flow amplitudes v_{n} for n=2-4 in Xe+Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV is obtained using 3  μb^{-1} of data with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The decorrelation signal for v_{3} and v_{4} is found to be nearly independent of collision centrality and transverse momentum (p_{T}) requirements on final-state particles, but for v_{2} a strong centrality and p_{T} dependence is seen. When compared with the results from Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, the longitudinal decorrelation signal in midcentral Xe+Xe collisions is found to be larger for v_{2}, but smaller for v_{3}. Current hydrodynamic models reproduce the ratios of the v_{n} measured in Xe+Xe collisions to those in Pb+Pb collisions but fail to describe the magnitudes and trends of the ratios of longitudinal flow decorrelations between Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb. The results on the system-size dependence provide new insights and an important lever arm to separate effects of the longitudinal structure of the initial state from other early and late time effects in heavy-ion collisions.

Article history: Received 19 March 2021 Received in revised form 11 May 2021 Accepted 25 May 2021 Available online 31 May 2021 Editor: M. Doser A search for the Higgs boson decaying into a photon and a pair of electrons or muons with an invariant mass m < 30 GeV is presented. The analysis is performed using 139 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data, produced by the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and collected by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for the H → γ process is found with a significance of 3.2 over the backgroundonly hypothesis, compared to an expected significance of 2.1 for the Standard Model prediction. The best-fit value of the signal-strength parameter, defined as the ratio of the observed signal yield to the one expected in the Standard Model, is μ = 1.5 ± 0.5. The Higgs boson production cross-section times the H → γ branching ratio for m < 30 GeV is determined to be 8.7+2.8 −2.7 fb. © 2021 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Funded by SCOAP3.

Two-particle azimuthal correlations have been measured in neutral current deep inelastic ep scattering with virtuality Q2> 5 GeV2 at a centre-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 318 GeV recorded with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The correlations of charged particles have been measured in the range of laboratory pseudorapidity −1.5 < η < 2.0 and transverse momentum 0.1 < pT< 5.0 GeV and event multiplicities Nch up to six times larger than the average 〈Nch〉 ≈ 5. The two-particle correlations have been measured in terms of the angular observables cn{2} = 〈〈cosnΔφ〉〉, where n is between 1 and 4 and ∆φ is the relative azimuthal angle between the two particles. Comparisons with available models of deep inelastic scattering, which are tuned to reproduce inclusive particle production, suggest that the measured two-particle correlations are dominated by contributions from multijet production. The correlations observed here do not indicate the kind of collective behaviour recently observed at the highest RHIC and LHC energies in high-multiplicity hadronic collisions.

This paper presents a search for direct top squark pair production in events with missing transverse momentum plus either a pair of jets consistent with Standard Model Higgs boson decay into b-quarks or a same-flavour opposite-sign dilepton pair with an invariant mass consistent with a Z boson. The analysis is performed using the proton–proton collision data at \n$$\\sqrt{s}=13$$\n\n TeV collected with the ATLAS detector during the LHC Run-2, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb\n$$^{-1}$$\n\n. No excess is observed in the data above the Standard Model predictions. The results are interpreted in simplified models featuring direct production of pairs of either the lighter top squark (\n$$\\tilde{t}_1$$\n\n) or the heavier top squark (\n$$\\tilde{t}_2$$\n\n), excluding at 95% confidence level \n$$\\tilde{t}_1$$\n\n and \n$$\\tilde{t}_2$$\n\n masses up to about 1220 and 875 GeV, respectively.

Introduction/Background In high grade serous ovarian cancer(HGSOC),the association between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs)and survival suggests a role for T cell immune surveillance. Despite this, initial attempts with PD1 checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell therapy(ACT) had limited efficacy. This highlights the need to characterize the phenotype of TILs and to find new potential tumor-associated antigens.Wilms tumor-1(WT-1)expression showed a prognostic significance in HGSOC, making it an interesting target.To identify molecules potentially relevant for HGSOC immunotherapy, we evaluated the expression of WT-1 and the pattern of inhibitory receptors(IRs)in TILs. Methodology Peripheral blood(PB), tumor and ascites were retrieved from HGSOC patients admitted for primary surgery.WT-1 expression and immune infiltrate were characterized on 34 specimens by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for lineage markers and inhibitory molecules.T cells isolated from tumor, ascites and PB of 14 patients were also characterized by flow cytometry for the expression of lineage and memory markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RA, CD62L, CD95),inhibitory molecules (PD1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, TIGIT, TIM-3, 2B4, GITR, KLRG1, CD39, CD160)and the activation marker CD137. Results WT1 was almost uniformly expressed,with 76% of cases showing high WT1 expression in the majority of tumor cells. 6% of cases were immune desert; all other cases displayed a wide range of immune cell density, dominated by T lymphocytes and macrophages. Intratumoral T cells(ITTCs), mainly CD8, were present in 88.2% of samples. PD-1, LAG-3 and TIM-3 were expressed by 61.9%, 61.7% and 61.7% of ITTCs. PD-L1 was expressed by neoplastic cells and immune cells in 40% and 82.3% of samples.Flow cytometry confirmed the expression of several IRs.Compared with PB and ascites,TILs were enriched in effector memory lymphocytes and in cells coexpressing PD-1, CD39 and CD137. Conclusion WT-1 is a potential target for ACT in HGSOC,which is infiltrated by antigen-experienced T lymphocytes displaying features of activation and partial exhaustion. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.

The production cross-sections for W +/- and Z bosons are measured using ATLAS data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.0 pb-1 collected at a centre-ofmass energy v s = 2.76 TeV. The deca ...