National Institute for Nuclear Physics

Background:Disability accrual in multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly variable and challenging to predict, complicating personalised care. Integrating machine learning (ML) with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and clinician-assessed outcomes (CAOs) may support tailored interventions.Objectives:To develop and validate an interpretable ML model for predicting disability accrual trajectories in MS.Methods:A multicentre data set of 1,176 MS patients with up to 8 years of follow-up was used. A random forest model was trained to predict disability accrual at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, using baseline clinical variables, PROs and initial risk class as predictors. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, area under the curve, and survival analysis.Results:437 patients composed final cohort. The model predicted disability changes with an accuracy of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.77–0.86) at 2 years and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.66–0.80) at 5 years. Initial risk class and baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were the most influential predictors. Survival analysis confirmed model’s ability to effectively capture the time-dependent patterns of disability accrual events at the population level (log rank p > .05).Conclusions:The model offers robust and interpretable predictions that may support clinical decision-making using routine clinical data.

We explore the constraining power of future 21cm intensity mapping (IM) observations at the SKAO, focusing primarily on the sum of neutrino masses, Σmν . We forecast observations of the 21cm IM auto-power spectrum as well as the 21cm IM and galaxy surveys cross-correlation power spectrum. We construct different synthetic data sets of observations for the 21cm IM observables in the redshift range 0 < z < 3. For galaxy clustering, we consider two stage-IV surveys to mimic a DESI-like and Euclid-like cross-correlation signal.We study the impact of assuming three different fiducial values for the sum of neutrino masses, i.e. Σmν = 0.06, 0.1, 0.4 eV, in the synthetic data sets. To investigate the constraining power of the forecasted 21cm observations, we build a likelihood code that will be made publicly available upon publication. The results of the analysis, obtained through Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques, are promising. We find that the 21cm auto-power spectrum alone could provide an upper limit on the sum of neutrino masses of Σmν < 0.287 eV, at 95% confidence level, for the case of the lowest fiducial value of Σmν . This result is comparable to the upper limits provided by cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations alone. When combining the 21cm auto-power spectrum synthetic data set with Planck 2018 CMB measurements, we find a tighter upper limit of Σmν < 0.105 eV, which improves on the constraints from Planck alone. We obtain a similar result already at the level of 21cm and galaxy clustering cross-correlation power spectrum, whose detection is more easily achieved as they are less affected by systematic effects. Combining synthetic data sets with Planck 2018 data, we find the upper limits of Σmν < 0.116 eV and Σmν < 0.117 eV for the 21cm signal in cross-correlation with the DESI-like and Euclid-like surveys, respectively. These constraints are comparable to those obtained by combining Planck data with the 21cm auto-power spectrum synthetic data sets, thus supporting the case for 21cm cross-correlation detections.

Several studies have previously demonstrated an increased risk of dementia and brain amyloid deposition in individuals with heterozygous NPC1 mutations. Moreover, in a recent study, we identified the first family with autosomal dominant late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) caused by a heterozygous NPC1 mutation. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective treatments available for this condition. Miglustat, which impacts the metabolism of oxysterols, has been shown to exert an anti-amyloidogenic effect in a human cellular model of AD. In our exploratory uncontrolled study, three patients from the previously published family were orally treated with miglustat for 12 months. They underwent monthly clinical evaluations and routine blood tests. Additionally, neuropsychological evaluations, brain amyloid-PET imaging, and biochemical analyses on plasma and CSF were performed. All three patients achieved clinical stability, showed a sustained reduction in serum oxysterol levels, and experienced a marked decrease in brain amyloid burden. Based on our preliminary observations and hypothesis-generating findings, along with the growing evidence suggesting AD as a lipid disorder, miglustat should be further tested in a larger cohort of heterozygous NPC1 mutated patients and probably evaluated as a potential disease-modifying treatment for AD.

Calorimeters at future colliders will require excellent energy resolution to differentiate between hadronic decays of W and Z bosons, a granularity at the (O(cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>)) level and time resolution of a few ns, to be compliant with the Particle Flow Algorithm for jet reconstruction. We propose a hadronic calorimeter (HCAL) consisting of a sampling of absorber material and resistive Micro Pattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGD) as the active layer for the future muon collider. We simulated a small-size (~1λ) MPGD-based HCAL prototype and studied its performance with pion beams. Furthermore, we performed the experimental characterization studies of MPGD prototypes with an active area of 20×20 cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> in order to assess their performance under MIP irradiation, in terms of efficiency, time resolution, and response uniformity. We built a calorimeter prototype instrumented with 20×20 cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> MPGDs and characterized its response under pion beams. New MPGD prototypes with a larger area (50×50 cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>) are currently under construction with the goal to assess the response uniformity, which is crucial for the hadronic shower reconstruction. In this paper, we report the simulation studies of a ~1.5λ calorimeter prototype including the new 50×50 cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> detectors.

ABSTRACTThe measurement of the elemental composition of atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM) is of paramount importance in air pollution studies, providing fundamental information for identifying aerosol sources and understanding their contributions. In this context, online instruments integrating an energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (ED‐XRF) spectrometer into an aerosol sampler offer the capability to both collect PM and perform near‐real‐time elemental analysis. However, these instruments face limitations, particularly in detecting low‐Z elements such as Na, Mg, and Al, which are critical tracers for natural PM sources. In order to investigate potential solutions to this limitation, different technical solutions were implemented on a compact ED‐XRF spectrometer that was developed for this specific purpose. The spectrometer's performance was evaluated through comparative analyses with a commercially available online metals analyzer for PM (Xact 625i) and particle induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) technique. Results demonstrated greater sensitivities and lower MDLs for low‐Z elements compared to a commercial online spectrometer for PM (Xact 625i) while scatterplots of measured elemental concentrations showed good correlation with both Xact 625i and PIXE. Moreover, fairly good MDLs, even if higher than those of Xact 625i, were achieved also for mid‐high‐Z elements. Finally, the spectrometer also demonstrated its capability to analyze PM samples collected on filters of various sizes, beyond the commonly used 47 mm diameter ones, overcoming the typical limitations of standard ED‐XRF benchtop instruments.

Monitoring radioactive waste (radwaste) is a critical aspect of nuclear waste management, ensuring environmental safety and compliance with regulatory standards. A few initiatives, funded by EURATOM within Horizon 2020, focused on long-term repository surveillance, thus enhancing measurement precision, and ensuring traceability of stored radioactive materials. Among the advanced technologies explored for this purpose, scintillating fibers have emerged as promising tools to monitor gamma radiation due to their sensitivity, flexibility, and real-time data acquisition capabilities. Promising as well was the development of solid state 3He-free neutron sensors. These gamma and neutron sensors we developed can monitor both types of highly penetrating radiation from radwaste drums.

Secondary cosmic ray fluxes are important probes of the propagation and interaction of high-energy particles in the Galaxy. Recent measurements of primary and secondary cosmic ray nuclei have revealed unexpected spectral features that demand a deeper understanding. In this work we report the direct measurement of the cosmic ray boron spectrum from 10 GeV/n to 8 TeV/n with eight years of data collected by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) mission. The measured spectrum shows a hardening at 182±24 GeV/n with a spectral index of γ_{1}=3.02±0.01 before the break and an index change of Δγ=0.31±0.05 after the break. A simple power law model is disfavored at a confidence level of 8σ. Compared with the hardenings measured in the DAMPE proton and helium spectra, the secondary boron spectrum hardens roughly twice as much as these primaries, which is consistent with a propagation related mechanism to interpret the spectral hardenings of cosmic rays observed at hundreds of GeV/n.

Abstract The spin-statistics theorem leads to Pauli’s Exclusion Principle (PEP), the basis of the stability of matter and many other phenomena relevant to physics, astrophysics, cosmology, and even biology. Possible violations of the PEP (PEPV) have been searched for since its inception; they may come from various Beyond Standard Model descriptions, including NonCommutative Quantum Gravity models and extensions of the Quantum Field Theory, which must follow the Messiah-Greenberg Super-Selection (MGSS) rule and lead to the Quon description of the spin-statistic symmetries: the parastatstics. Efforts to search for a PEPV are not new; however, they have typically measured those cases without respecting MGSS. VIP (VIolation of the Pauli exclusion principle) first and its successor VIP-2, both sited in the “Gran Sasso underground laboratory,” aimed to set the most stringent limit for the non-Paulian transition following the MGSS rule. After two years of data with VIP-2 and better modeling of the electron-atom interaction, we present the most stringent upper limit of the probability of PEP violation for this case (β 2/2 &lt; 2.47×10−43), thus completing the state-of-the-art of all possible PEPV cases, and the consequent constraint to the Quon description: 1+q &lt; 4.94×10−43

Ultralight axionlike particles (ALPs) can be a viable solution to the dark matter problem. The scalar field associated with ALPs, coupled to the electromagnetic field acts as an active birefringent medium, altering the polarization properties of light through which it propagates. In particular, oscillations of the axionic field induce monochromatic variations of the plane of linearly polarized radiation of astrophysical signals. The radio emission of millisecond pulsars provides an excellent tool to search for such manifestations, given their high fractional linear polarization and negligible fluctuations of their polarization properties. We have searched for evidence of ALPs in polarimetry measurements of pulsars collected and preprocessed for the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) campaign. Focusing on the twelve brightest sources in linear polarization, we searched for an astrophysical signal from axions using both frequentist and Bayesian statistical frameworks. For the frequentist analysis, which uses Lomb-Scargle periodograms at its core, no statistically significant signal has been found. The model used for the Bayesian analysis has been adjusted to accommodate multiple deterministic systematics that may be present in the data. A statistically significant signal has been found in the dataset of multiple pulsars with common frequencies between 10−8 and 2×10−8 Hz, which can most likely be explained by the residual Faraday rotation in the terrestrial ionosphere. Strong bounds on the coupling constant gaγ, in the same ballpark as other searches, have been obtained in the mass range between 6×10−24 and 5×10−21 eV. We conclude by discussing the problems that can limit the sensitivity of our search for ultralight axions in the polarimetry data of pulsars, and possible ways to resolve them.

Cosmic shear, galaxy clustering, and the abundance of massive halos each probe the large-scale structure of the Universe in complementary ways. We present cosmological constraints from the joint analysis of the three probes, building on the latest analyses of the lensing-informed abundance of clusters identified by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and of the auto- and cross-correlation of galaxy position and weak lensing measurements (3×2pt) in the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We consider the cosmological correlation between the different tracers and we account for the systematic uncertainties that are shared between the large-scale lensing correlation functions and the small-scale lensing-based cluster mass calibration. Marginalized over the remaining Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) parameters (including the sum of neutrino masses) and 52 astrophysical modeling parameters, we measure Ωm=0.300±0.017 and σ8=0.797±0.026. Compared to constraints from primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies, our constraints are only 15% wider with a probability to exceed of 0.22 (1.2σ) for the two-parameter difference. We further obtain S8≡σ8(Ωm/0.3)0.5=0.796±0.013 which is lower than the measurement at the 1.6σ level. The combined SPT cluster, DES 3×2pt, and datasets mildly prefer a nonzero positive neutrino mass, with a 95% upper limit ∑mν&lt;0.25 eV on the sum of neutrino masses. Assuming a wCDM model, we constrain the dark energy equation of state parameter w=−1.15−0.17+0.23 and when combining with primary CMB anisotropies, we recover w=−1.20−0.09+0.15, a 1.7σ difference with a cosmological constant. The precision of our results highlights the benefits of multiwavelength multiprobe cosmology and our analysis paves the way for upcoming joint analyses of next-generation datasets. Published by the American Physical Society 2025