Emergency Management in the Event of Radiological Dispersion in an Urban Environment

Dispersion of a radiological source is a complex scenario in terms of first response, especially when it occurs in an urban environment. The authors in this paper designed, simulated, and analyzed the data from two different scenarios with the two perspectives of an unintentional fire event and a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) intentional explosion. The data of the simulated urban scenario are taken from a real case of orphan sources abandoned in a garage in the center of the city of Milan (Italy) in 2012. The dispersion and dose levels are simulated using Parallel Micro Swift Spray (PMSS) software, which takes into account the topographic and meteorological information of the reference scenarios. Apart from some differences in the response system of the two scenarios analyzed, the information provided by the modeling technique used, compared to other models not able to capture the actual urban and meteorological contexts, make it possible to modulate a response system that adheres to the real impact of the scenario. The authors, based on the model results and on the evidence provided by the case study, determine the various countermeasures to adopt to mitigate the impact for the population and to reduce the risk factors for the first responders

An Application Of Artificial Immune System In A Wastewater Treatment Plant

Guaranteeing the continuity and the quality of services in network plants is a key issue in the research area of asset management. Especially when the plants are located in a wide area where machines are not continuously monitored by the operators. In particular, the pervasive adoption of smart sensors could be able to develop intelligent maintenance system through an elaboration of data coming from the machines: this data could be processed by diagnostics algorithms to warn preventively the fault status of the components or machines monitored. The algorithms’ structure is contained in a multiple system of agents that have different tasks to manage both the single machine and the information exchanged within the whole system. This paper aims to present an application of Artificial Immune System defining, for each plant section, the kind of agents employed and the related sensors that must be adopted to collect the useful data. In order to provide a practical example, the structure of an Artificial Immune System has been implemented in a wastewater treatment plant where the agents are tested with noteworthy results. © 20164928556

Open orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of [C^3/Z_n]: localization and mirror symmetry

We develop a mathematical framework for the computation of open orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of [C^3/Z_n], and provide extensive checks with predictions from open string mirror symmetry. To this aim we set up a computation of open string invariants in the spirit of Katz-Liu, defining them by localization. The orbifold is viewed as an open chart of a global quotient of the resolved conifold, and the Lagrangian as the fixed locus of an appropriate anti-holomorphic involution. We consider two main applications of the formalism. After warming up with the simpler example of [C^3/Z_3], where we verify physical predictions of Bouchard, Klemm, Marino and Pasquetti, the main object of our study is the richer case of [C^3/Z_4], where two different choices are allowed for the Lagrangian. For one choice, we make numerical checks to confirm the B-model predictions; for the other, we prove a mirror theorem for orbifold disc invariants, match a large number of annulus invariants, and give mirror symmetry predictions for open string invariants of genus \leq 2.Comment: 44 pages + appendices; v2: exposition improved, misprints corrected, version to appear on Selecta Mathematica; v3: last minute mistake found and fixed for the symmetric brane setup of [C^3/Z_4]; in pres

Manejo químico de plantas daninhas tolerantes ao glyphosate em algodoeiro roundup ready flex

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o controle de plantas daninhas tolerantes ao glyphosate por meio de diferentes sistemas de manejo químico em algodoeiro Roundup Ready Flex (RF). O experimento está sendo conduzido na área experimental do Instituto Mato-grossense do Algodão localizada no município de Sorriso-MT. A semeadura do algodoeiro cv. IMA 5675BG2RF foi realizada no espaçamento entrelinhas de 0,90 m com população de 90.000 plantas ha -1 . Os tratamentos foram constituidos pela aplicação de glyphosate (1.080 g e.a. ha -1 ), pyrithiobac-sodium (50,4 g i..a. ha -1 ) e trifloxysulfuron-sodium (3,75 g i.a. ha -1 ) em pós-emergência, de forma isolada ou associada aos 15, 35 e 55 dias após a semeadura (DAS) da cultura. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos completos casualizados, com três repetições. Aos 40 dias após a terceira aplicação em pósemergência, avaliaram-se variáveis relacionadas à fitotoxicidade (escala EWRC) dos tratamentos às plantas de algodoeiro e a porcentagem de controle das plantas (Euphorbia heterophylla, Richardia brasiliensis, Alternanthera tenella e Eleusine indica), por meio de notas visuais de 0 a 100%, em que zero representa ausência de injúrias e 100 a morte das plantas. Três aplicações de glyphosate realizadas aos 15, 35 e 55 DAS do algodoeiro RF apresentam controle satisfatório de todas as espécies infestantes, assim como a aplicação de glyphosate + trifloxysulfuron-sodium aos 15 DAS seguido de glyphosate aos 35 DAS e as associações glyphosate + pyrithiobac-sodium, glyphosate + trifloxysulfuron-sodium e pyrithiobac-sodium + trifloxysulfuron-sodium aplicadas aos 15 DAS seguidas de glyphosate aos 55 DAS. A associação tripla glyphosate + pyrithiobac-sodium + trifloxysulfuron-sodium aplicada aos 35 DAS proporciona excelente controle das plantas daninhas estudas após a aplicação de glyphosate isolado ou pyrithiobac-sodium + trifloxysulfuron-sodium aos 15 DAS

A systems biology approach to dissection of the effects of small bicyclic peptidomimetics on a panel of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants

In recent years, an approach called “chemical genetics” has been adopted in drug research to discover and validate new targets and to identify and optimize leads by high throughput screening. In this work, we tested the ability of a library of small peptidomimetics to induce phenotypic effects with functional implications on a panel of strains of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, both wild type and mutants, for respiratory function and multidrug resistance. Further elucidation of the function of these peptidomimetics was assessed by testing the effects of the compound with the most prominent inhibitory activity, 089, on gene expression using DNA microarrays. Pathway analysis showed the involvement of such a molecule in inducing oxidative damage through alterations in mitochondrial functions. Transcriptional experiments were confirmed by increased levels of ROS and activation of mitochondrial membrane potential. Our results demonstrate the influence of a functional HAP1 gene in the performance of S. cerevisiae as a model system

Computing top intersections in the tautological ring of MgM_g

We derive effective recursion formulae of top intersections in the tautological ring $R^*(M_g)$ of the moduli space of curves of genus $g\geq 2$. As an application, we prove a convolution-type tautological relation in $R^{g-2}(M_g)$.Comment: 18 page

Avaliação da seletividade inicial de herbicidas para o tomateiro por meio da análise de fluorescência da clorofila.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho analisar a fluorescência da clorofila por meio da avaliação da taxa de transporte de eletrons em tomateiro como forma de avaliar a seletividade inicial de hervicidas aplicados em pré-transplate

Yeast as a model to investigate the mitochondrial role in adaptation to dietary fat and calorie surplus

Several research strategies are focused towards understanding the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms that regulate uptake, synthesis, deposition, and mobilization of lipids, in the context of energy homeostasis. Because of the complexity of the problem, major input comes from the use of model systems. The aim of this work was to test the feasibility of using yeast as a model organism for studies related to dietary challenges due to high fat diet and investigate the correlation between FA metabolism and oxidative metabolism. In particular, we ask to what extent the utilization of oleic acid is dependent on mitochondrial function. We studied growth on oleic acid as a sole carbon source, and oleate stress (growth in 2 and 5% oleate) in both laboratory (BY4741 wild-type and Δsco1, Δsco2, Δtgl3, Δtgl4 mutants) and natural strains, comparing the growth phenotypes with the respiratory behaviour for each strain. We confirmed that respiratory competence is fundamental for growth on oleic acid, since the respiratory deficient mutant Δsco1 was unable to grow on oleic acid. In order to understand if the ability to use oleate as carbon source and adapt to high oleate concentrations is a general trait for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genus, we also studied some natural strains, both diploid and haploid, identifying two meiotic derivatives of SGU90 as unable to grow in oleic acid as a sole carbon source. We investigate some aspects of mitochondrial metabolism in order to gain insights on this new finding