Almost Euclidean Isoperimetric Inequalities in Spaces Satisfying Local Ricci Curvature Lower Bounds

Motivated by Perelman's Pseudo Locality Theorem for the Ricci flow, we prove that if a Riemannian manifold has Ricci curvature bounded below in a metric ball which moreover has almost maximal volume, then in a smaller ball (in a quantified sense) it holds an almost-euclidean isoperimetric inequality. The result is actually established in the more general framework of non-smooth spaces satisfying local Ricci curvature lower bounds in a synthetic sense via optimal transportation

A new CAE procedure for railway wheel tribological design

New demands are being imposed on railway wheel wear and reliability to increase the time between wheel reprofiling, improve safety and reduce total wheelset lifecycle costs. In parallel with these requirements, changes in railway vehicle missions are also occurring. These have led to the need to operate rolling stock on track with low as well as high radius curves; increase speeds and axle loads; and contend with a decrease in track quality due to a reduction in maintenance. These changes are leading to an increase in the severity of the wheel/rail contact conditions, which may increase the likelihood of wear or damage occurring. The aim of this work was to develop a new CAE design methodology to deal with these demands. The model should integrate advanced numerical tools for modelling of railway vehicle dynamics and suitable models to predict wheelset durability under typical operating conditions. This will help in designing wheels for minimum wheel and rail wear; optimising railway vehicle suspensions and wheel profiles; maintenance scheduling and the evaluation of new wheel materials. This work was carried out as part of the project HIPERWheel, funded by the European Community within the Vth Framework Programme

Optimal Regulation Criteria for Building Heating System by Using Lumped Dynamic Models

Abstract Energy efficiency of buildings has gained an important role with respect to possible energy saving policy measures, mainly for space heating demand which represents the dominant energy end-use. The present contribution addresses the problem of estimating building heating energy consumptions by using numerical models able to simulate the dynamic interaction between the building and the heating system. A dynamic numerical code in the Engineering Equation Solver (EES) is developed to simulate both building and heating system and the influence of heating system regulation criteria on different parameters (mainly energy saving and internal comfort) is investigated in an optimization perspective

Applying and validating the PTVA-3 Model at the Aeolian Islands, Italy: assessment of the vulnerability of buildings to tsunamis

The volcanic archipelago of the Aeolian Islands (Sicily, Italy) is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list and is visited by more than 200 000 tourists per year. Due to its geological characteristics, the risk related to volcanic and seismic activity is particularly high. Since 1916 the archipelago has been hit by eight local tsunamis. The most recent and intense of these events happened on 30 December 2002. It was triggered by two successive landslides along the north-western side of the Stromboli volcano (Sciara del Fuoco), which poured approximately 2–3×10<sup>7</sup> m<sup>3</sup> of rocks and debris into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The waves impacted across the whole archipelago, but most of the damage to buildings and infrastructures occurred on the islands of Stromboli (maximum run-up 11 m) and Panarea. <br><br> The aim of this study is to assess the vulnerability of buildings to damage from tsunamis located within the same area inundated by the 2002 event. The assessment is carried out by using the PTVA-3 Model (Papathoma Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment, version 3). The PTVA-3 Model calculates a Relative Vulnerability Index (RVI) for every building, based on a set of selected physical and structural attributes. Run-up values within the area inundated by the 2002 tsunami were measured and mapped by the Istituto Italiano di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and the University of Bologna during field surveys in January 2003. Results of the assessment show that if the same tsunami were to occur today, 54 buildings would be affected in Stromboli, and 5 in Panarea. The overall vulnerability level obtained in this analysis for Stromboli and Panarea are "average"/"low" and "very low", respectively. Nonetheless, 14 buildings in Stromboli are classified as having a "high" or "average" vulnerability. For some buildings, we were able to validate the RVI scores calculated by the PTVA-3 Model through a qualitative comparison with photographs taken by INGV and the University of Bologna during the post-tsunami survey. With the exception of a single structure, which is partially covered by a coastal dune on the seaward side, we found a good degree of accuracy between the PTVA-3 Model forecast assessments and the actual degree of damage experienced by buildings. This validation of the model increases our confidence in its predictive capability. Given the high tsunami risk for the archipelago, our results provide a framework for prioritising investments in prevention measures and addressing the most relevant vulnerability issues of the built environment, particularly on the island of Stromboli

Corrigendum to "Applying and validating the PTVA-3 Model at the Aeolian Islands, Italy: assessment of the vulnerability of buildings to tsunamis" published in Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 10, 1547–1562, 2010

F. Dall'Osso1,2,4, A. Maramai3, L. Graziani3, B. Brizuela3, A. Cavalletti2,4, M. Gonella2,4, and S. Tinti5 1CIRSA, Interdepartmental Centre for Environmental Sciences Research, University of Bologna, via S. Alberto 163, 48100 Ravenna, Italy 2IDRA, Environmental Research Institute, via Kennedy 37, 44100 Ferrara, Italy 3INGV, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy 4Med Ingegneria S.r.l., Environmental Engineering, via P. Zangheri 16, 48124 Ravenna, Italy 5University of Bologna, Department of Physics, Viale Carlo Berti Pichat 8, 40127 Bologna, Ital

Optimal maps and exponentiation on finite dimensional spaces with Ricci curvature bounded from below

We prove existence and uniqueness of optimal maps on $RCD^*(K,N)$ spaces under the assumption that the starting measure is absolutely continuous. We also discuss how this result naturally leads to the notion of exponentiation. \ua9 2015, Mathematica Josephina, Inc

Protons in near earth orbit

The proton spectrum in the kinetic energy range 0.1 to 200 GeV was measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during space shuttle flight STS-91 at an altitude of 380 km. Above the geomagnetic cutoff the observed spectrum is parameterized by a power law. Below the geomagnetic cutoff a substantial second spectrum was observed concentrated at equatorial latitudes with a flux ~ 70 m^-2 sec^-1 sr^-1. Most of these second spectrum protons follow a complicated trajectory and originate from a restricted geographic region.Comment: 19 pages, Latex, 7 .eps figure

Search for antihelium in cosmic rays

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was flown on the space shuttle Discovery during flight STS-91 in a 51.7 degree orbit at altitudes between 320 and 390 km. A total of 2.86 * 10^6 helium nuclei were observed in the rigidity range 1 to 140 GV. No antihelium nuclei were detected at any rigidity. An upper limit on the flux ratio of antihelium to helium of < 1.1 * 10^-6 is obtained.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, 9 .eps figure

Pharmacokinetic behaviour of the chemoprotectants BNP7787 and mesna after an i.v. bolus injection in rats

0.01). In conclusion, the five-fold higher AUC of mesna in plasma after mesna administration and the fact that mesna is more reactive with (hydrated) cisplatin than its disulphide form BNP7787 represent a plausible explanation as to why mesna administration can reduce the antitumour activity of cisplatin. After BNP7787 administration, the distribution of BNP7787 and mesna was restricted to the kidney, which confirmed the selective protection of the kidney by BNP7787

Delayed diagnosis of coeliac disease increases cancer risk

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