Localized energy for wave equations with degenerate trapping

Localized energy estimates have become a fundamental tool when studying wave equations in the presence of asymptotically at background geometry. Trapped rays necessitate a loss when compared to the estimate on Minkowski space. A loss of regularity is a common way to incorporate such. When trapping is sufficiently weak, a logarithmic loss of regularity suffices. Here, by studying a warped product manifold introduced by Christianson and Wunsch, we encounter the first explicit example of a situation where an estimate with an algebraic loss of regularity exists and this loss is sharp. Due to the global-in-time nature of the estimate for the wave equation, the situation is more complicated than for the Schr\"{o}dinger equation. An initial estimate with sub-optimal loss is first obtained, where extra care is required due to the low frequency contributions. An improved estimate is then established using energy functionals that are inspired by WKB analysis. Finally, it is shown that the loss cannot be improved by any power by saturating the estimate with a quasimode.Comment: 18 page

Response to comment on "solid recovered fuel: Materials flow analysis and fuel property development during the mechanical processing of biodried waste"

Laner and Cencic1 comment on Velis et al. (2013)2 clarifying certain points on the use of the material flow analysis (MFA) software STAN3. We welcome the correspondence and the opportunity this exchange provides to discuss optimal approaches to using STAN. In keeping with Velis et al.2 these physically impossible, and otherwise insignificant, negative flows have enabled improvements to STAN. Here, we elaborate on the practicalities of using STAN in our research and on the correctness and validation of our results, notwithstanding the inclusion of negative flows. We explain the contribution of our approach to solid waste management and resource recovery

Waste sorting social technology in Brazilian informal Materials Recovery Facilities

It is commonly accepted that the recycling and reuse of solid waste materials in developing countries has the potential to create many social, environmental and financial benefits. Given that the majority of recycling in these locations is carried out informally by waste pickers, it is also recognised that their inclusion into formal service provision could be the most efficient way of maintaining and increasing the recycling rates of a city. In the absence of sophisticated equipment, the informal recycling sector (IRS) has developed a wealth of self-taught knowledge and skills for manually identifying and processing waste materials. Using primary and secondary data gathered from a materials recovery facility (MRF) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, this study describes the so called ‘social technology’ techniques used to sort municipal waste materials by a cooperative of informal sector recycling workers. This involves identifying and separating 17types of plastic polymers by visual and tactile sorting skills. The methods presented are compared and contrasted with manual sorting techniques used mainly in the near past in the UK. To conclude, the study discusses whether these techniques provide a viable method for increasing recycling rates at scale in the Global South

Protección de heridas de poda con fungicidas biológicos contra infecciones por Diplodia seriata y Neonectria ditissima en ramillas de manzanos en la Región del Maule, Chile

48 p.El manzano (Malus domestica Borkh.) es un frutal de hoja caduca que presenta una superficie importante con 32.370 ha, concentrando la producción en la zona central, liderado principalmente por la Región del Maule. Este frutal resulta fundamental para nuestro país, en particular modo, para las exportaciones donde Chile se caracteriza por ser el principal exportador del hemisferio sur. Lamentablemente, en los últimos años entre las enfermedades de importancia que afectan la producción y sobrevivencia de los huertos, están las enfermedades de la madera como el cancro europeo y muerte regresiva de brazos asociados a Neonectria ditissima y Diplodia seriata, respectivamente. En este estudio, se evaluó la eficiencia de cuatro fungicidas para la protección de heridas de poda en ramillas de manzano cv. Gala, contra los patógenos previamente mencionados. Los productos utilizados incluyen biocontroladores como Coraza (Hypocrea virens + Bacillus licheniformis + Bionectria ochroleuca), y Mamull (Bionectria ochroleuca + Trichoderma gamsii + Hypocrea virens). como productos fungicidas sintéticos como Podexal (Piraclostrobin 0,1%) y Kocide (Hidróxido de cobre 53%). La efectividad de los productos se evaluó en función al largo de la estría necrótica luego de 10 meses desde la protección de la herida e inoculación con micelio de D. seriata y N. ditissima. Este estudio demostró que una aplicación de productos en base a biocontroladores (consorcios) redujeron de manera significa la estría necrótica, alcanzando efectividades entre 53 (Mamull) y 65% (Coraza) para el control de N. ditissima y de 68 (Mamull) a 71% (Coraza) para el control de D. seriata. El producto con menor eficacia fue el hidróxido de cobre (Kocide) para ambos patógenos

Localization of the Epileptogenic Zone Using Interictal MEG and Machine Learning in a Large Cohort of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Patients

Objective: Epilepsy surgery results in seizure freedom in the majority of drug-resistant patients. To improve surgery outcome we studied whether MEG metrics combined with machine learning can improve localization of the epileptogenic zone, thereby enhancing the chance of seizure freedom.Methods: Presurgical interictal MEG recordings of 94 patients (64 seizure-free >1y post-surgery) were analyzed to extract four metrics in source space: delta power, low-to-high-frequency power ratio, functional connectivity (phase lag index), and minimum spanning tree betweenness centrality. At the group level, we estimated the overlap of the resection area with the five highest values for each metric and determined whether this overlap differed between surgery outcomes. At the individual level, those metrics were used in machine learning classifiers (linear support vector machine (SVM) and random forest) to distinguish between resection and non-resection areas and between surgery outcome groups.Results: The highest values, for all metrics, overlapped with the resection area in more than half of the patients, but the overlap did not differ between surgery outcome groups. The classifiers distinguished the resection areas from non-resection areas with 59.94% accuracy (95% confidence interval: 59.67–60.22%) for SVM and 60.34% (59.98–60.71%) for random forest, but could not differentiate seizure-free from not seizure-free patients [43.77% accuracy (42.08–45.45%) for SVM and 49.03% (47.25–50.82%) for random forest].Significance: All four metrics localized the resection area but did not distinguish between surgery outcome groups, demonstrating that metrics derived from interictal MEG correspond to expert consensus based on several presurgical evaluation modalities, but do not yet localize the epileptogenic zone. Metrics should be improved such that they correspond to the resection area in seizure-free patients but not in patients with persistent seizures. It is important to test such localization strategies at an individual level, for example by using machine learning or individualized models, since surgery is individually tailored

Carcinomas renales con rasgos sarcomatoides y rabdoides: estudio clínico-patológico de 74 casos

Fundamento. Nuestro objetivo fue comparar las variables clínico-patológicas de los carcinomas renales (CCR) con fenotipos sarcomatoide y rabdoide. Material y métodos. Se revisaron 1.258 CCR de pacientes consecutivos nefrectomizados entre 1988 y 2015, y se seleccionaron aquellos con ≥1% de cambio sarcomatoide y/o rabdoide. Se clasificaron como sarcomatoide o rabdoide según el fenotipo predominante, considerándose componente desdiferenciado la suma del porcentaje de ambos. Se recopilaron: sexo y edad de los pacientes, síntomas y existencia de metástasis al diagnóstico, parámetros del protocolo de CCR del Colegio Americano de Patólogos, patrón de crecimiento tumoral, invasión perineural, porcentaje de necrosis tumoral y características del infiltrado inflamatorio. Se describieron mediante la media/mediana o el porcentaje y se compararon mediante t de Student/U de MannWhitney o χ2 /F de Fisher. Resultados. Se identificaron 45 CCR con predominio sarcomatoide (3,6%) y 29 con rabdoide (2,3%); los primeros mostraron mayor componente indiferenciado e invasión perineural respecto a los CCR con rasgos rabdoides (27,5 vs. 13,5%; p=0,003 y 28,9 vs. 3,4%, p=0,006, respectivamente), mientras que estos mostraron doble frecuencia de inflamación neutrofílica (44,8 vs. 22,2%, p=0,04) y surgieron más frecuentemente sobre un CCR de alto grado (55,9 vs. 90,5%, p<0,001). Conclusiones. Los CCR con fenotipos sarcomatoide y rabdoide compartieron características clínico-patológicas, excepto para componente desdiferenciado, invasión perineural, inflamación neutrofílica y origen en CCR de alto grado. Esta similitud sugiere la presencia de un mecanismo común, la transición epitelio-mesénquima, con una expresión morfológica doble que, de confirmarse, podría suponer la posibilidad de seleccionar pacientes para tratamiento o seguimiento a partir de sus características moleculares

Up-Cycling Waste Glass to Minimal Water Adsorption/Absorption Lightweight Aggregate by Rapid Low Temperature Sintering: Optimization by Dual Process-Mixture Response Surface Methodology

Mixed color waste glass extracted from municipal solid waste is either not recycled, in which case it is an environmental and financial liability, or it is used in relatively low value applications such as normal weight aggregate. Here, we report on converting it into a novel glass-ceramic lightweight aggregate (LWA), potentially suitable for high added value applications in structural concrete (upcycling). The artificial LWA particles were formed by rapidly sintering (<10 min) waste glass powder with clay mixes using sodium silicate as binder and borate salt as flux. Composition and processing were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) modeling, and specifically (i) a combined process-mixture dual RSM, and (ii) multiobjective optimization functions. The optimization considered raw materials and energy costs. Mineralogical and physical transformations occur during sintering and a cellular vesicular glass-ceramic composite microstructure is formed, with strong correlations existing between bloating/shrinkage during sintering, density and water adsorption/absorption. The diametrical expansion could be effectively modeled via the RSM and controlled to meet a wide range of specifications; here we optimized for LWA structural concrete. The optimally designed LWA is sintered in comparatively low temperatures (825-835 °C), thus potentially saving costs and lowering emissions; it had exceptionally low water adsorption/absorption (6.1-7.2% w/wd; optimization target: 1.5-7.5% w/wd); while remaining substantially lightweight (density: 1.24-1.28 g.cm-3; target: 0.9-1.3 g.cm-3). This is a considerable advancement for designing effective environmentally friendly lightweight concrete constructions, and boosting resource efficiency of waste glass flows