Coagulation and fragmentation processes with evolving size and shape profiles : a semigroup approach

We investigate a class of bivariate coagulation-fragmentation equations. These equations describe the evolution of a system of particles that are characterised not only by a discrete size variable but also by a shape variable which can be either discrete or continuous. Existence and uniqueness of strong solutions to the associated abstract Cauchy problems are established by using the theory of substochastic semigroups of operators

TRÓJWYMIAROWA WIZUALIZACJA STRUKTUR PRZEPŁYWÓW DWUFAZOWYCH PRZY UŻYCIU ELEKTRYCZNEJ TOMOGRAFII POJEMNOŚCIOWEJ – ALGORYTMY I OPROGRAMOWANIE

This paper presents the software for comprehensive processing and visualization of 2D and 3D electrical tomography data. The system name as TomoKIS Studio has been developed in the frame of DENIDIA international research project and has been improved in the frame of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education Project no 4664/B/T02/2010/38. This software is worldwide unique because it simultaneously integrates the process of tomographic data acquisition, numerical FEM modeling and tomographic images reconstruction. The software can be adapted to specific industrial applications, particularly to monitoring and diagnosis of two-phase flows. The software architecture is composed of independent modules. Their combination offers calibration, configuration and full-duplex communication with any tomographic acquisition system with known and open communication protocol. The other major features are: online data acquisition and processing, online and offline 2D/3D images linear and nonlinear reconstruction and visualization as well as raw data and tomograms processing. Another important ability is 2D/3D ECT sensor construction using FEM modeling. The presented software is supported with the multi-core GPU technology and parallel computing using Nvidia CUDA technology.W artykule autorzy przedstawiają środowisko komputerowe do kompleksowego przetwarzania i wizualizacji tomograficznych danych pomiarowych. Oprogramowanie  TomoKIS Studio powstało w Instytucie Informatyki Stosowanej PŁ w ramach projektu DENIDIA i zostało rozwinięte w ramach projektu MNiSW nr 4664/B/T02/2010/38. Zbudowane oprogramowanie jest unikalne w skali światowej, gdyż integruje w sobie proces pozyskiwania danych pomiarowych, modelowanie numeryczne oraz proces konstruowania obrazów tomograficznych, z możliwością adaptacji dla różnych aplikacji przemysłowych, w szczególności dla potrzeb monitorowania i diagnostyki przepływów dwufazowych gaz-ciecz. Architektura aplikacji oparta jest na zestawie niezależnych modułów, które pozwalają na w pełni dwukierunkową komunikacją, konfigurację oraz kalibrację dowolnego urządzenia tomografii elektrycznej z otwartym protokołem pomiarowym, akwizycję i przetwarzanie danych pomiarowych on-line, liniową oraz nieliniową rekonstrukcję obrazów 2D i 3D w czasie rzeczywistym, a także wizualizację surowych danych pomiarowych i tomogramów. Istotnym elementem systemu jest moduł numerycznego modelowania czujników pojemnościowych wykorzystujący metodę elementów skończonych, oparty na autorskich algorytmach generowania siatek MES komputerowych modeli czujników pojemnościowych. Architektura prezentowanego systemu została zaprojektowana przy użyciu obliczeń równoległych na procesorach graficznych, z wykorzystaniem technologii Nvidia CUDA

The von Neumann Hierarchy for Correlation Operators of Quantum Many-Particle Systems

The Cauchy problem for the von Neumann hierarchy of nonlinear equations is investigated. One describes the evolution of all possible states of quantum many-particle systems by the correlation operators. A solution of such nonlinear equations is constructed in the form of an expansion over particle clusters whose evolution is described by the corresponding order cumulant (semi-invariant) of evolution operators for the von Neumann equations. For the initial data from the space of sequences of trace class operators the existence of a strong and a weak solution of the Cauchy problem is proved. We discuss the relationships of this solution both with the $s$-particle statistical operators, which are solutions of the BBGKY hierarchy, and with the $s$-particle correlation operators of quantum systems.Comment: 26 page

Quantum Kinetic Evolution of Marginal Observables

We develop a rigorous formalism for the description of the evolution of observables of quantum systems of particles in the mean-field scaling limit. The corresponding asymptotics of a solution of the initial-value problem of the dual quantum BBGKY hierarchy is constructed. Moreover, links of the evolution of marginal observables and the evolution of quantum states described in terms of a one-particle marginal density operator are established. Such approach gives the alternative description of the kinetic evolution of quantum many-particle systems to generally accepted approach on basis of kinetic equations.Comment: 18 page

Intravenous iron supplementation improves energy metabolism of exercising skeletal muscles without effect on either oxidative stress or inflammation in male patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Background: Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a feature of heart failure (HF). Iron deficiency (ID) is prevalent in patients with HF associated with exercise intolerance and poor quality of life. Intravenous iron in iron deficient patients with HF has attenuated HF symptoms, however the pathomechanisms remain unclear. The aim of study was to assess whether intravenous iron supplementation as compared to placebo improves energy metabolism of skeletal muscles in patients with HF. Methods: Men with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and ID were randomised in 1:1 ratio to either intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (IV FCM) or placebo. In vivo reduction of lactates by exercising skeletal muscles of forearm was analyzed. A change in lactate production between week 0 and 24 was considered as a primary endpoint of the  study. Results: There were two study arms: the placebo and the IV FCM (12 and 11 male patients with HFrEF). At baseline, there were no differences between these two study arms. IV FCM therapy as compared to placebo reduced the exertional production of lactates in exercising skeletal muscles. These effects were accompanied by a significant increase in both serum ferritin and transferrin saturation in the IV FCM arm which was not demonstrated in the placebo arm. Conclusions: Intravenous iron supplementation in iron deficient men with HFrEF improves the functioning of skeletal muscles via an improvement in energy metabolism in exercising skeletal muscles, limiting the contribution of anaerobic reactions generating ATP as reflected by a lower in vivo lactate production in exercising muscles in patients with repleted iron stores

High soluble transferrin receptor in patients with heart failure:a measure of iron deficiency and a strong predictor of mortality

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is frequent in heart failure (HF), linked with exercise intolerance and poor prognosis. Intravenous iron repletion improves clinical status in HF patients with LVEF≤45%. However, uncertainty exists about the accuracy of serum biomarkers in diagnosing ID. Study Aims: 1) to identify the iron biomarker with the greatest accuracy for the diagnosis of ID in bone marrow in patients with ischaemic HF; 2) to establish the prevalence of ID using this biomarker and its prognostic value in HF patients. Methods and Results: Bone marrow was stained for iron in 30 patients with ischaemic HF with LVEF≤45% and 10 healthy controls, and ID was diagnosed for 0‐1 grades (Gale scale). 791 patients with HF with LVEF≤45% were prospectively followed‐up for 3 years. Serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) were assessed as iron biomarkers. Most patients with HF (25, 83%) had ID in bone marrow, but none of the controls (p<0.001). Serum sTfR had the best accuracy in predicting ID in bone marrow (AUC: 0.920, 95%CI: 0.761‐0.987, for cut‐off 1.25 mg/L sensitivity 84%, specificity 100%). Serum sTfR was ≥1.25 mg/L in 47% of HF patients, in 56% and 46% of anaemics and non‐anaemics, respectively (p<0.05). The reclassification methods revealed that serum sTfR significantly added the prognostic value to the baseline prognostic model, and to the greater extent than plasma NT‐proBNP. Based on internal derivation and validation procedures, serum sTfR ≥1.41 mg/L was the optimal threshold for predicting 3‐year mortality, independent of other established variables. Conclusions: High serum sTfR accurately reflects depleted iron stores in bone marrow in patients with HF, and identifies those with a high 3‐year mortality

On Rigorous Derivation of the Enskog Kinetic Equation

We develop a rigorous formalism for the description of the kinetic evolution of infinitely many hard spheres. On the basis of the kinetic cluster expansions of cumulants of groups of operators of finitely many hard spheres the nonlinear kinetic Enskog equation and its generalizations are justified. It is established that for initial states which are specified in terms of one-particle distribution functions the description of the evolution by the Cauchy problem of the BBGKY hierarchy and by the Cauchy problem of the generalized Enskog kinetic equation together with a sequence of explicitly defined functionals of a solution of stated kinetic equation is an equivalent. For the initial-value problem of the generalized Enskog equation the existence theorem is proved in the space of integrable functions.Comment: 28 page

A pragmatic effectiveness study of 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-T) for eating disorders: Targeting barriers to treatment provision

Objective Ten‐session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT‐T) for transdiagnostic eating disorders targets several barriers to treatment, including cost, therapist expertise, and lengthy wait lists. Method We used a case series design to investigate the effectiveness of CBT‐T delivered by trainee psychologists in a postgraduate training clinic. Participants were randomly allocated to commence treatment either immediately or after a 4‐week waitlist period. CBT‐T was delivered to 52 patients, by six different trainees under supervision. Measures of eating disorder cognitions and behaviours, quality of life, and general psychopathology were examined in completer and intention‐to‐treat analyses using multilevel modelling. Last observation carried forward was applied for abstinence, remission, and good outcome analyses to aid comparison with prior studies. Results Significant improvements, associated with medium to large effect sizes, were found for eating disorder cognitions, behaviours quality of life, and negative affect from baseline to posttreatment, and at 1‐ and 3‐month follow‐up. Attrition (38.5%) was comparable with other treatment studies. Conclusion Results provide evidence for the effectiveness of CBT‐T delivered by trainee psychologists for transdiagnostic eating disorder patients, thus tackling some important barriers for treatment. Longer follow‐up, randomised controlled trial designs, and moderator analyses will provide more robust evidence about which patients do best with a shorter therapy