An Analysis of Adaptation as a Response to Climate Change

Climate change is likely to have relevant effects on our future socio-economic systems. It is therefore important to identify how markets and policy jointly react to expected climate change to protect our societies and well-being. This study addresses this issue by carrying out an integrated analysis of both optimal mitigation and adaptation at the global and regional level. Adaptation responses are disentangled into three different modes: reactive adaptation, proactive (or anticipatory) adaptation, and investments in innovation for adaptation purposes. The size, the timing, the relative contribution to total climate-related damage reduction, and the benefit-cost ratios of each of these strategies are assessed for the world as a whole, and for developed and developing countries in both a cooperative and a non-cooperative setting. The study also takes into account the role of price signals and markets in inducing and diffusing adaptation. This leads to two scenarios: A pessimistic one, in which policy-driven adaptation bears the burden, together with mitigation, of reducing climate damage; and an optimistic one, in which markets also autonomously contribute to reducing some damages by modifying sectoral structure, international trade flows, capital distribution and land allocation. For all scenarios, the costs and benefits of adaptation are assessed using WITCH, an integrated assessment, intertemporal optimization, forward-looking model. Extensive sensitivity analysis with respect to the size of climate damages and of the discount rate has also been carried out.Climate change impacts, mitigation, adaptation, integrated assessment model

Climate Policy and the Optimal Balance between Mitigation, Adaptation and Unavoided Damage

It has become commonly accepted that a successful climate strategy should compound mitigation and adaptation. The accurate combination between adaptation and mitigation that can best address climate change is still an open question. This paper proposes a framework that integrates mitigation, adaptation, and climate change residual damages into an optimisation model. This set-up is used to provide some insights on the welfare maximising resource allocation between mitigation and adaptation, on their optimal timing, and on their marginal contribution to reducing vulnerability to climate change. The optimal mix between three different adaptation modes (reactive adaptation, anticipatory adaptation, and investment in innovation for adaptation purposes) within the adaptation bundle is also identified. Results suggest that the joint implementation of mitigation and adaptation is welfare improving. Mitigation should start immediately, whereas adaptation somehow later. It is also shown that in a world where the probability of climate-related catastrophic events is small and where decision makers have a high discount rate, adaptation is unambiguously the preferred option. Adaptation needs, both in developed and developing countries, will be massive, especially during the second half of the century. Most of the adaptation burden will be on developing countries. International cooperation is thus required to equally distribute the cost of adaptation.Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation, Adaptation, Integrated Assessment Model

Climate Policy and the Optimal Balance between Mitigation, Adaptation and Unavoided Damage

It has become commonly accepted that a successful climate strategy should compound mitigation and adaptation. The accurate combination between adaptation and mitigation that can best address climate change is still an open question. This paper proposes a framework that integrates mitigation, adaptation, and climate change residual damages into an optimisation model. This set-up is used to provide some insights on the welfare maximising resource allocation between mitigation and adaptation, on their optimal timing, and on their marginal contribution to reducing vulnerability to climate change. The optimal mix between three different adaptation modes (reactive adaptation, anticipatory adaptation, and investment in innovation for adaptation purposes) within the adaptation bundle is also identified. Results suggest that the joint implementation of mitigation and adaptation is welfare improving. Mitigation should start immediately, whereas adaptation somehow later. It is also shown that in a world where the probability of climate-related catastrophic events is small and where decision makers have a high discount rate, adaptation is unambiguously the preferred option. Adaptation needs, both in developed and developing countries, will be massive, especially during the second half of the century. Most of the adaptation burden will be on developing countries. International cooperation is thus required to equally distribute the cost of adaptation.Climate change impacts, mitigation, adaptation, integrated assessment model

Adaptation, Mitigation and Innovation: A Comprehensive Approach to Climate Policy

The ultimate question that most interests policy makers is how to reduce the climate change vulnerability of socio-economic systems in the most cost-effective manner. Extended literature has investigated the different dimensions of mitigation strategies, whereas much less can be found on adaptation. Even less can be found on the interactions between adaptation and mitigation. The increasing emphasis on adaptation raises a set of still unanswered questions concerning the design of an optimal mix of mitigation and adaptation measures. This paper presents an Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) that explicitly models the connections between mitigation, climate change impacts and adaptation. Compared to the few existing studies in the field, our framework provides a more detailed characterisation of adaptation processes. Adaptation activities have been distinguished from adaptive capacity building. We also provide an updated quantitative support for the calibration of adaptation costs and benefits. Using this framework, we explore issues such as the optimal timing of mitigation and adaptation, the trade-off between mitigation and adaptation, and the regional distribution of investments and residual damage.Climate change impacts, mitigation, adaptation, integrated assessment model

A Multiscale Thermo-Fluid Computational Model for a Two-Phase Cooling System

In this paper, we describe a mathematical model and a numerical simulation method for the condenser component of a novel two-phase thermosyphon cooling system for power electronics applications. The condenser consists of a set of roll-bonded vertically mounted fins among which air flows by either natural or forced convection. In order to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms that determine the performance of the condenser and to facilitate the further optimization of its industrial design, a multiscale approach is developed to reduce as much as possible the complexity of the simulation code while maintaining reasonable predictive accuracy. To this end, heat diffusion in the fins and its convective transport in air are modeled as 2D processes while the flow of the two-phase coolant within the fins is modeled as a 1D network of pipes. For the numerical solution of the resulting equations, a Dual Mixed-Finite Volume scheme with Exponential Fitting stabilization is used for 2D heat diffusion and convection while a Primal Mixed Finite Element discretization method with upwind stabilization is used for the 1D coolant flow. The mathematical model and the numerical method are validated through extensive simulations of realistic device structures which prove to be in excellent agreement with available experimental data

Diagnostic imaging and CEUS findings in a rare case of Desmoid-type fibromatosis. A case report

Desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF), also known as aggressive fibromatosis, is a locally aggressive benign fibroblastic neoplasm that can infiltrate or recur but cannot metastasize. It is rare, with an estimated annual incidence of two to four new cases per million people. Most DFs occur sporadically, but it may also be associated with the hereditary syndrome familial adenomatous polyposis. Treatment is necessary when the disease is symptomatic, especially in case of compression of critical structures. When possible, surgical resection is the treatment of choice; however, recurrence is common. Due to the high rate of recurrence, imaging plays an important role not only in diagnosis, but also in the management of DF. Although there are a number of studies describing CT and MRI findings of DF, there is no description of contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings

Fast-projection methods for the incompressible navier–stokes equations

An analysis of existing and newly derived fast-projection methods for the numerical integration of incompressible Navier–Stokes equations is proposed. Fast-projection methods are based on the explicit time integration of the semi-discretized Navier–Stokes equations with a Runge–Kutta (RK) method, in which only one Pressure Poisson Equation is solved at each time step. The methods are based on a class of interpolation formulas for the pseudo-pressure computed inside the stages of the RK procedure to enforce the divergence-free constraint on the velocity field. The procedure is independent of the particular multi-stage method, and numerical tests are performed on some of the most commonly employed RK schemes. The proposed methodology includes, as special cases, some fast-projection schemes already presented in the literature. An order-of-accuracy analysis of the family of interpolations here presented reveals that the method generally has second-order accuracy, though it is able to attain third-order accuracy only for specific interpolation schemes. Applications to wall-bounded 2D (driven cavity) and 3D (turbulent channel flow) cases are presented to assess the performances of the schemes in more realistic configurations.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Reconfigurable photoinduced metamaterials in the microwave regime

We investigate optically reconfigurable dielectric metamaterials at gigahertz frequencies. More precisely, we study the microwave response of a subwavelength grating optically imprinted into a semiconductor slab. In the homogenized regime, we analytically evaluate the ordinary and extraordinary component of the effective permittivity tensor by taking into account the photo-carrier dynamics described by the ambipolar diffusion equation. We analyze the impact of semiconductor parameters on the gigahertz metamaterial response which turns out to be highly reconfigurable by varying the photogenerated grating and which can show a marked anisotropic behavior.Comment: 6 figures, 7 page

Malignant priapism due to penile metastases. Case series and literature review

Malignant priapism secondary to penile metastases is a rare condition. This term was originally used by Peacock in 1938 to describe a condition of painful induration and erection of the penis due to metastatic infiltration by a neoplasm. In the current literature there are 512 case reports. The primary tumor sites are bladder, prostate and rectum. The treatment has only palliative intent and consists of local tumor excision, penectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We present one case of malignant priapism originated from prostate cancer, and two from urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Different approaches in diagnosis and therapy were performed. The entire three patient reported a relief of the pain following the treatment, with an improvement of their quality of life, even though it was only temporary as a palliative. Malignant priapism is a rare medical emergency. Penile/pelvis magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and corporal biopsies are considered an effective method of diagnosis of the primary organ site.Malignant priapism secondary to penile metastases is a rare condition. This term was originally used by Peacock in 1938 to describe a condition of painful induration and erection of the penis due to metastatic infiltration by a neoplasm. In the current literature there are 512 case reports. The primary tumor sites are bladder, prostate and rectum. The treatment has only palliative intent and consists of local tumor excision, penectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We present one case of malignant priapism originated from prostate cancer, and two from urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Different approaches in diagnosis and therapy were performed. The entire three patient reported a relief of the pain following the treatment, with an improvement of their quality of life, even though it was only temporary as a palliative. Malignant priapism is a rare medical emergency. Penile/pelvis magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and corporal biopsies are considered an effective method of diagnosis of the primary organ site