Complete band gaps including non-local effects occur only in the relaxed micromorphic model

In this paper we substantiate the claim implicitly made in previous works that the relaxed micromorphic model is the only linear, isotropic, reversibly elastic, nonlocal generalized continuum model able to describe complete band-gaps on a phenomenological level. To this end, we recapitulate the response of the standard Mindlin-Eringen micromorphic model with the full micro-distortion gradient of P, the relaxed micromorphic model depending only on the Curl P of the micro-distortion P, and a variant of the standard micromorphic model in which the curvature depends only on the divergence Div P of the micro distortion. The Div-model has size-effects but the dispersion analysis for plane waves shows the incapability of that model to even produce a partial band gap. Combining the curvature to depend quadratically on Div P and Curl P shows that such a model is similar to the standard Mindlin-Eringen model which can eventually show only a partial band gap

Fermionic Sen's Mechanism for Self-Dual Super Maxwell theory

In several elementary particle scenarios, self-dual fields emerge as fundamental degrees of freedom. Some examples are the $D=2$ chiral boson, $D=10$ Type IIB supergravity and $D=6$ chiral tensor multiplet theory. For those models, a fully satisfactory variational principle was missing until the works of Ashoke Sen. We generalize this technique to the fermionic sector of self-dual super Maxwell gauge theory in $D=4$ Euclidean spacetime both in the component formalism and in the superspace. For the latter, we use the geometric tools of rheonomy together with integral forms. We show the equivalence between the two formulations by choosing a different integral form defined by means of a Picture Changing Operator. That leads to a meaningful action functional for the variational equations. In addition, we couple the model to a non-dynamical gravitino in order to extend the analysis slightly beyond the rigid case. A full-fledged self-dual supergravity analysis will be presented elsewhere.Comment: 15 pages, no figure

Relaxed micromorphic model of transient wave propagation in anisotropic band-gap metastructures

In this paper, we show that the transient waveforms arising from several localised pulses in a micro-structured material can be reproduced by a corresponding generalised continuum of the relaxed micromorphic type. Specifically, we compare the dynamic response of a bounded micro-structured material to that of bounded continua with special kinematic properties: (i) the relaxed micromorphic continuum and (ii) an equivalent Cauchy linear elastic continuum. We show that, while the Cauchy theory is able to describe the overall behaviour of the metastructure only at low frequencies, the relaxed micromorphic model goes far beyond by giving a correct description of the pulse propagation in the frequency band-gap and at frequencies intersecting the optical branches. In addition, we observe a computational time reduction associated with the use of the relaxed micromorphic continuum, compared to the sensible computational time needed to perform a transient computation in a micro-structured domain

Real wave propagation in the isotropic relaxed micromorphic model

For the recently introduced isotropic relaxed micromorphic generalized continuum model, we show that under the assumption of positive definite energy, planar harmonic waves have real velocity. We also obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for real wave velocity which is weaker than positive-definiteness of the energy. Connections to isotropic linear elasticity and micropolar elasticity are established. Notably, we show that strong ellipticity does not imply real wave velocity in micropolar elasticity, while it does in isotropic linear elasticity

Diabetic cardiomiopathy progression is triggered by miR122-5p and involves extracellular matrix: a 5-year prospective study

The purpose of this study was to follow the long-term progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy by combining cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and molecular analysis

Surgical management of Glioma Grade 4: technical update from the neuro-oncology section of the Italian Society of Neurosurgery (SINch®): a systematic review

Purpose: The extent of resection (EOR) is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in adult patients with Glioma Grade 4 (GG4). The aim of the neuro-oncology section of the Italian Society of Neurosurgery (SINch®) was to provide a general overview of the current trends and technical tools to reach this goal. Methods: A systematic review was performed. The results were divided and ordered, by an expert team of surgeons, to assess the Class of Evidence (CE) and Strength of Recommendation (SR) of perioperative drugs management, imaging, surgery, intraoperative imaging, estimation of EOR, surgery at tumor progression and surgery in elderly patients. Results: A total of 352 studies were identified, including 299 retrospective studies and 53 reviews/meta-analysis. The use of Dexamethasone and the avoidance of prophylaxis with anti-seizure medications reached a CE I and SR A. A preoperative imaging standard protocol was defined with CE II and SR B and usefulness of an early postoperative MRI, with CE II and SR B. The EOR was defined the strongest independent risk factor for both OS and tumor recurrence with CE II and SR B. For intraoperative imaging only the use of 5-ALA reached a CE II and SR B. The estimation of EOR was established to be fundamental in planning postoperative adjuvant treatments with CE II and SR B and the stereotactic image-guided brain biopsy to be the procedure of choice when an extensive surgical resection is not feasible (CE II and SR B). Conclusions: A growing number of evidences evidence support the role of maximal safe resection as primary OS predictor in GG4 patients. The ongoing development of intraoperative techniques for a precise real-time identification of peritumoral functional pathways enables surgeons to maximize EOR minimizing the post-operative morbidity

NEMO-SN1 Abyssal Cabled Observatory in the Western Ionian Sea

The NEutrinoMediterranean Observatory—Submarine Network 1 (NEMO-SN1) seafloor observatory is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, Western Ionian Sea, off Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy) at 2100-m water depth, 25 km from the harbor of the city of Catania. It is a prototype of a cabled deep-sea multiparameter observatory and the first one operating with real-time data transmission in Europe since 2005. NEMO-SN1 is also the first-established node of the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (EMSO), one of the incoming European large-scale research infrastructures included in the Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) since 2006. EMSO will specifically address long-term monitoring of environmental processes related to marine ecosystems, marine mammals, climate change, and geohazards