Comparing nonsynergy gamma models and interaction models to predict growth of emetic Bacillus cereus for combinations of pH and water activity values

This research aims to test the absence (gamma hypothesis) or occurrence of synergy between two growth-limiting factors, i.e., pH and water activity (aw), using a systematic approach for model selection. In this approach, preset criteria were used to evaluate the performance of models. Such a systematic approach is required to be confident in the correctness of the individual components of the combined (synergy) models. With Bacillus cereus F4810/72 as the test organism, estimated growth boundaries for the aw-lowering solutes NaCl, KCl, and glucose were 1.13 M, 1.13 M, and 1.68 M, respectively. The accompanying aw values were 0.954, 0.956, and 0.961, respectively, indicating that equal aw values result in similar effects on growth. Out of the 12 models evaluated using the preset criteria, the model of J. H. T. Luong (Biotechnol. Bioeng. 27:280–285, 1985) was the best model to describe the effect of aw on growth. This aw model and the previously selected pH model were combined into a gamma model and into two synergy models. None of the three models was able to describe the combined pH and aw conditions sufficiently well to satisfy the preset criteria. The best matches between predicted and experimental data were obtained with the gamma model, followed by the synergy model of Y. Le Marc et al. (Int. J. Food Microbiol. 73:219–237, 2002). No combination of models that was able to predict the impact of both individual and combined hurdles correctly could be found. Consequently, in this case we could not prove the existence of synergy nor falsify the gamma hypothesis

Coupling of multicomponent transport models in particle-resolved fluid-solid simulations

An accurate and self-consistent methodology for mass transport of multi-component mixtures in multi phase media is a necessity for a proper description of complex physical and chemical processes in reactors such as catalytic packed beds. In this regard, a novel methodology has been developed to describe and couple underlying transport phenomena in fluid and porous media as well as at the solid-fluid interface. The methodology is symmetric as it treats all components in a mixture equally. The Maxwell-Stefan equations are symmetrically formulated, discretized conservatively and coupled with a compressible flow solver for the fluid part. The Dusty Gas Model is applied inside porous media by developing a self-consistent and robust numerical formulation. A ghost-cell Immersed Boundary Method is used to capture the physics at the solid-fluid interface with the implementation of a novel symmetric non-singular mass flux formulation. Several test cases are established to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the newly developed symmetric methodology in this paper. These test cases can be used as benchmark for the future development of symmetric methodologies for multicomponent systems in multi phase media.</p

Pore Network Modelling of Slender Packed Bed Reactors

Packed bed reactors are common reactor types in chemical industries. In case of reactions with large heat effects, bundles of slender tubes are used. For such slender tubes, the column-to-particle diameter ratio, N, is small, which can give rise to significant flow channelling. This research uses two particle-scale numerical approaches, namely particle-resolved computational fluid dynamics (PR-CFD) and pore network model (PNM), to investigate the hydrodynamics of three packed beds containing random packings of spherical particles with 4.2⩽N⩽ 7.0. Global parameters of the PNM, such as shape and constriction factors, are optimized using the PR-CFD results. A comparison of computed PNM and PR-CFD results shows that the PNM captures local variations in the bed well. The low computational cost of PNM, as well as its ability to provide locally resolved data, makes the PNM a promising approach for the pore-scale modelling of slender packed bed reactors

Controlled coalescence with local front reconstruction method

The physics of droplet collisions involves a wide range of length scales. This poses a difficulty to accurately simulate such flows with traditional fixed grid methods due to their inability to resolve all scales with affordable number of computational grid cells. A solution is to couple a fixed grid method with simplified sub grid models that account for microscale effects. In this paper, we incorporate such framework in the Local Front Reconstruction Method (Shin et al., 2011). To validate the new method, simulations of (near) head on collision of two equal tetradecane droplets are carried out at different Weber numbers corresponding to different collision regimes. The results show a better agreement with experimental data compared to other fixed grid methods like Front Tracking (Pan et al., 2008) and Coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid (CLSVOF) (Kwakkel et al., 2013), especially at high impact velocities

Treatment Guidance for Patients With Lung Cancer During the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continues to escalate at a rapid pace inundating medical facilities and creating substantial challenges globally. The risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with cancer seems to be higher, especially as they are more likely to present with an immunocompromised condition, either from cancer itself or from the treatments they receive. A major consideration in the delivery of cancer care during the pandemic is to balance the risk of patient exposure and infection with the need to provide effective cancer treatment. Many aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection currently remain poorly characterized and even less is known about the course of infection in the context of a patient with cancer. As SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious, the risk of infection directly affects the cancer patient being treated, other cancer patients in close proximity, and health care providers. Infection at any level for patients or providers can cause considerable disruption to even the most effective treatment plans. Lung cancer patients, especially those with reduced lung function and cardiopulmonary comorbidities are more likely to have increased risk and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 as one of its common manifestations is as an acute respiratory illness. The purpose of this manuscript is to present a practical multidisciplinary and international overview to assist in treatment for lung cancer patients during this pandemic, with the caveat that evidence is lacking in many areas. It is expected that firmer recommendations can be developed as more evidence becomes available

Observation of the rare decay K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^-

A search for the decay K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^- has been made by the NA48/1 Collaboration at the CERN SPS accelerator. The data were collected during 2002 with a high-intensity K_S beam. Six events were found with a background expectation of 0.22^+0.18_-0.11 event. Using a vector matrix element and unit form factor, the measured branching ratio is B(K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^-)=[2.9^+1.5_-1.2(stat)+/-0.2(syst)]x10^{-9}.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. To be published in Physics Letters

First Observation and Measurement of the Decay K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma

Using the full data set of the NA48/2 experiment, the decay K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma is observed for the first time, selecting 120 candidates with 7.3 +- 1.7 estimated background events. With K+- -> pi+- pi0D as normalisation channel, the branching ratio is determined in a model-independent way to be Br(K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma, m_eegamma > 260 MeV/c^2) = (1.19 +- 0.12_stat +- 0.04_syst) x 10^-8. This measured value and the spectrum of the e+ e- gamma invariant mass allow a comparison with predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys.Lett.

First observation and branching fraction and decay parameter measurements of the weak radiative decay Xi0 --> Lambda e+e-

The weak radiative decay Xi0 --> Lambda e+e- has been detected for the first time. We find 412 candidates in the signal region, with an estimated background of 15 +/- 5 events. We determine the branching fraction B(Xi0 --> Lambda e+e-) = [7.6 +/- 0.4(stat) +/- 0.4(syst) +/- 0.2(norm)] x 10^{-6}, consistent with an internal bremsstrahlung process, and the decay asymmetry parameter alpha_{XiLambdaee} = -0.8 +/- 0.2, consistent with that of Xi0 --> Lambda gamma. The charge conjugate reaction Xi0_bar --> Lambda_bar e+e- has also been observed.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables; revised: 19 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, after reviewers' comments: 1 figure removed, 1 figure corrected, minor editorial changes; to be published in Phys. Lett.