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The scientific literature comprises a relatively large palette of studies focusing on tourist preferences regarding the weather and climate at the destination. However, the findings do not allow for establishing a hierarchy of climate and environmental features of interest for tourism based on destination type (urban/rural/mountain/seaside), but mainly to list them. We aim to identify some characteristics of a potential climate service targeting tourists by addressing in particular three aspects: 1. which are the weather, climate and/or environmental features most commonly marked as of interest in the general case of 'any destination type' and for the particular case of rural destinations; 2. which are the delivery and presentation forms of greatest interest; 3. how willing would be the tourists to pay for such a service. To this end, we used a questionnaire with five closed questions regarding these aspects, disseminated in Romania and Italy. The results confirm some expectations based on scientific literature and highlight the user interest in information encompassing several climates and/or environmental aspects, preferably in one single product. The results may be valuable for developing and providing effective tourism-oriented climate and environmental products and contribute to a better user uptake of such products and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An emerging and important topic of interest in the field of homeland security is the identification and quantification of explosives. This paper brings new elements in the Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (LPAS) based characterisation of some classical explosives (2,4-DNT; 2,6-DNT; HMX; TATP; PETN) in solid phase at CO2 laser wavelengths, not yet reported in the literature to our knowledge. Moreover, we report our LPAS analysis of TNT and RDX, already previously studied with the same technique in the same spectral interval by different authors. The reported photoacoustic signals from standard commercial samples of the classical explosive substances were recorded in the 9–11μm region, by a CO2 laser based homemade optical apparatus. The underlying experimental activity was performed in the molecular spectroscopy laboratory of the ENEA Research Centre in Frascati. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to evaluate physiological and psychological stress parameters in 2 professional trained scuba divers, using a unique physiopathologic model, offered by the guinness 240 hours scuba dive. Two scuba dive masters have spent 240 hours at 6-8 meters depth (26.4 ft) in Ponza Island water (Italy). Blood samples were collected daily in the underwater bell; samples were carried out of water in waterproof bags. Breath samples were collected, measuring ethylene release. Psychological assessment was performed using the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Zung self-rating depression scale. In the studied subjects, cortisol and prolactin showed physiological pulsatile secretion. Breath ethylene didn't exceed normal values. At the start of the study, no subjects showed high levels of state anxiety, trait anxiety and current depression. Psychometric scales scores remained steady during the diving period and no subjects showed anxiety and/or depression and/or panic symptoms during the time of observation. The present study shows that, although the long-time diving, well trained professional divers did not develop anxiety and/or depression. No subject discontinued the diving due to occurred psychological disorders or systemic events. The present report shows that the long-term diving permanence is possible, at least in well trained scuba divers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation experiments searching for rare events must satisfy increasingly stringent requirements on the bulk and surface radioactive contamination of their active and structural materials. The measurement of surface contamination is particularly challenging, as no existing technology is capable of separately measuring parts of the 232Th and 238U decay chains that are commonly found to be out of secular equilibrium. We will present the results obtained with a detector prototype consisting of 8 silicon wafers of 150 mm diameter instrumented as bolometers and operated in a low-background dilution refrigerator at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory of INFN, Italy. The prototype was characterized by a baseline energy resolution of few keV and a background < 100 nBq/cm2 in the full range of α energies, obtained with simple procedures for cleaning of all employed materials and no specific measures to prevent recontamination. Such performance, together with the modularity of the detector design, demonstrate the possibility to realize an alpha detector capable of separately measuring all alpha emitters of the 232Th and 238U chains, possibly reaching a sensitivity of few nBq/cm2. • Material screening. • Bolometric alpha detector. • Low-radioactivity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Due to an increased expectation of food products that respect high quality and safety standards, there is a need for the growth of accurate, fast, objective and non-destructive technologies for quality determination of food and agricultural products. For this purpose, a diagnostic system based on laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) was developed at ENEA Frascati Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory (Italy). In the design of the photoacoustic detector, particular emphasis was placed in attaining a high sensitivity in detecting ethylene (ET) down to sub-parts per billion level (minimum detectable concentration 0.2ppb). This was required due to the necessity to monitor and follow up ET production at a single fruit scale. ET is normally synthesised in very low amounts by healthy citrus fruits; however stress conditions such as pathogen attack may induce a substantial increase in the synthesised ET. In the present paper, the comparison between the ET emitted by healthy oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) cv Navel and by Phytophthora citrophthora infested Navel orange fruits are reported. The obtained results show a well evident increase in ET emission from the infested fruit with respect to the healthy one, even 24h after the inoculation with the pathogen; at that time the tissue necrosis was not yet visible, and the fruit was also not yet damaged. The possibility to perform a real time non-destructive detection of ET traces makes the LPAS a powerful tool for monitoring the healthy state of the citrus fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]