Flow and particle deposition using an integrated CFD model of the respiratory system

This paper was presented at the 3rd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2011), which was held at the Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki in Greece. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute.In the present study a theoretical investigation on flow, particle motion, and deposition in the respiratory system is reported. An integrated computational model of the respiratory system is developed comprised of nine sequential computational blocks corresponding to the nasal cavity, the pharyngo-trachea, and a series of branches of the pulmonary system. Airflow during steady-state inhalation inside the human respiratory system was determined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for inlet velocities, vin = 1-20 m/s, corresponding to inhalation flow rates of 9 to 180 L/min, and particle deposition was examined in detail for particle sizes, D=1-20μm. Local deposition efficiencies as well as spatial distribution of deposited particles were found to be strongly dependent on the particle size and volumetric flow rate

Multiplicity dependence of correlation functions in \bar{p}p reactions at sqrt(s) = 630 GeV

Discussions about Bose-Einstein correlations between decay products of coproduced W-bosons again raise the question about the behaviour of correlations if several strings are produced. This is studied by the multiplicity dependence of correlation functions of particle pairs with like-sign and opposite-sign charge in \bar{p}p reactions at sqrt{s} = 630 GeV.Comment: 11 pages latex, 4 figs, includes elsart.cls, submitted to Phys Lett

Bayesian forecasting of mortality rates by using latent Gaussian models

We provide forecasts for mortality rates by using two different approaches. First we employ dynamic non-linear logistic models based on Heligman-Pollard formula. Second, we assume that the dynamics of the mortality rates can be modelled through a Gaussian Markov random field. We use efficient Bayesian methods to estimate the parameters and the latent states of the proposed models. Both methodologies are tested with past data and are used to forecast mortality rates both for large (UK and Wales) and small (New Zealand) populations up to 21 years ahead. We demonstrate that predictions for individual survivor functions and other posterior summaries of demographic and actuarial interest are readily obtained. Our results are compared with other competing forecasting methods

Polynomial Growth Harmonic Functions on Finitely Generated Abelian Groups

In the present paper, we develop geometric analytic techniques on Cayley graphs of finitely generated abelian groups to study the polynomial growth harmonic functions. We develop a geometric analytic proof of the classical Heilbronn theorem and the recent Nayar theorem on polynomial growth harmonic functions on lattices \mathds{Z}^n that does not use a representation formula for harmonic functions. We also calculate the precise dimension of the space of polynomial growth harmonic functions on finitely generated abelian groups. While the Cayley graph not only depends on the abelian group, but also on the choice of a generating set, we find that this dimension depends only on the group itself.Comment: 15 pages, to appear in Ann. Global Anal. Geo

Possible scenarios for soft and semi-hard components structure in central hadron-hadron collisions in the TeV region

Possible scenarios in hh collisions in the TeV regions are discussed in full phase space. It is shown that at such high energies one should expect strong KNO scaling violation and a ln(s) increase of the average charged multiplicity of the semi-hard component, resulting in a huge mini-jet production.Comment: 20 pages, 9 PS figures included, LaTeX2e with AMSmath, epsfi

Weighted norm inequalities, off-diagonal estimates and elliptic operators. Part IV: Riesz transforms on manifolds and weights

This is the fourth article of our series. Here, we study weighted norm inequalities for the Riesz transform of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on Riemannian manifolds and of subelliptic sum of squares on Lie groups, under the doubling volume property and Gaussian upper bounds.Comment: 12 pages. Fourth of 4 papers. Important revision: improvement of main result by eliminating use of Poincar\'e inequalities replaced by the weaker Gaussian keat kernel bound

Validation of the German Revised Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination for Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment, Mild Dementia in Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration

Background/Aims: The diagnostic accuracy of the German version of the revised Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE-R) in identifying mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild dementia in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) in comparison with the conventional Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was assessed. Methods: The study encompasses 76 cognitively healthy elderly individuals, 75 patients with MCI, 56 with AD and 22 with FTLD. ACE-R and MMSE were validated against an expert diagnosis based on a comprehensive diagnostic procedure. Statistical analysis was performed using the receiver operating characteristic method and regression analyses. Results: The optimal cut-off score for the ACE-R for detecting MCI, AD, and FTLD was 86/87, 82/83 and 83/84, respectively. ACE-R was superior to MMSE only in the detection of patients with FTLD {[}area under the curve (AUC): 0.97 vs. 0.92], whilst the accuracy of the two instruments did not differ in identifying MCI and AD. The ratio of the scores of the memory ACE-R subtest to verbal fluency subtest contributed significantly to the discrimination between AD and FTLD (optimal cut-off score: 2.30/2.31, AUC: 0.77), whereas the MMSE and ACE-R total scores did not. Conclusion: The German ACE-R is superior to the most commonly employed MMSE in detecting mild dementia in FTLD and in the differential diagnosis between AD and FTLD. Thus it might serve as a valuable instrument as part of a comprehensive diagnostic workup in specialist centres/clinics contributing to the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the cause of dementia. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base

Quarkonia production with the Hera-B experiment

Measurements of the dependence of the J/Psi production cross section on its kinematic variables as well as on the target atomic numbers for 920 GeV/c protons incident on different targets have been made with the Hera-B detector. The large collected di-lepton sample allows to study the production ratio of Psi(2S) to J/Psi and of Chic to J/Psi . We also report on measurements of the b-bbar and Upsilon production cross section.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure

Scenarios for multiplicity distributions in pp collisions in the TeV energy region

Possible scenarios based on available experimental data and phenomenological knowledge of the GeV energy region are extended to the TeV energy region in the framework of the weighted superposition mechanism of soft and semi-hard events. KNO scaling violations, forward-backward multiplicity correlations, Hq vs. q oscillations and shoulder structures are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, talk given at "Focus on Multiplicity" (Bari, Italy, June 2004