Pore-scale Modeling of Viscous Flow and Induced Forces in Dense Sphere Packings

We propose a method for effectively upscaling incompressible viscous flow in large random polydispersed sphere packings: the emphasis of this method is on the determination of the forces applied on the solid particles by the fluid. Pore bodies and their connections are defined locally through a regular Delaunay triangulation of the packings. Viscous flow equations are upscaled at the pore level, and approximated with a finite volume numerical scheme. We compare numerical simulations of the proposed method to detailed finite element (FEM) simulations of the Stokes equations for assemblies of 8 to 200 spheres. A good agreement is found both in terms of forces exerted on the solid particles and effective permeability coefficients

Gambling problems in the family – A stratified probability sample study of prevalence and reported consequences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prior studies on the impact of problem gambling in the family mainly include help-seeking populations with small numbers of participants. The objective of the present stratified probability sample study was to explore the epidemiology of problem gambling in the family in the general population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Men and women 16–74 years-old randomly selected from the Norwegian national population database received an invitation to participate in this postal questionnaire study. The response rate was 36.1% (3,483/9,638). Given the lack of validated criteria, two survey questions ("Have you ever noticed that a close relative spent more and more money on gambling?" and "Have you ever experienced that a close relative lied to you about how much he/she gambles?") were extrapolated from the Lie/Bet Screen for pathological gambling. Respondents answering "yes" to both questions were defined as Concerned Significant Others (CSOs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 2.0% of the study population was defined as CSOs. Young age, female gender, and divorced marital status were factors positively associated with being a CSO. CSOs often reported to have experienced conflicts in the family related to gambling, worsening of the family's financial situation, and impaired mental and physical health.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Problematic gambling behaviour not only affects the gambling individual but also has a strong impact on the quality of life of family members.</p

Identification of Gene Networks and Pathways Associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome

BACKGROUND: The underlying change of gene network expression of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) remains elusive. We sought to identify GBS-associated gene networks and signaling pathways by analyzing the transcriptional profile of leukocytes in the patients with GBS. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Quantitative global gene expression microarray analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes was performed on 7 patients with GBS and 7 healthy controls. Gene expression profiles were compared between patients and controls after standardization. The set of genes that significantly correlated with GBS was further analyzed by Ingenuity Pathways Analyses. 256 genes and 18 gene networks were significantly associated with GBS (fold change ≥2, P<0.05). FOS, PTGS2, HMGB2 and MMP9 are the top four of 246 significantly up-regulated genes. The most significant disease and altered biological function genes associated with GBS were those involved in inflammatory response, infectious disease, and respiratory disease. Cell death, cellular development and cellular movement were the top significant molecular and cellular functions involved in GBS. Hematological system development and function, immune cell trafficking and organismal survival were the most significant GBS-associated function in physiological development and system category. Several hub genes, such as MMP9, PTGS2 and CREB1 were identified in the associated gene networks. Canonical pathway analysis showed that GnRH, corticotrophin-releasing hormone and ERK/MAPK signaling were the most significant pathways in the up-regulated gene set in GBS. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the gene networks and canonical pathways associated with GBS. These data provide not only networks between the genes for understanding the pathogenic properties of GBS but also map significant pathways for the future development of novel therapeutic strategies

Lineær programmering til kostnadsoptimalisering av tiltak mot forureiningar

Tiltak mot forureiningar kan settast inn på fleire frontar: Kommunale leidningsanlegg og renseanlegg, avrenning frå landbruket, avløp frå industri m.m. Vi ønskjer finna den samansettinga av tiltak i heile vassdraget som oppfyller våre kvalitetsmål til lægst mogeleg kostnad - ei kostnadsoptimal løysing. Rapporten skildrar bruk av deterministisk, lineær programmering til dette formålet. To enkle døme syner praktisk bruk av verktøyet. Eitt av døma er knytta til Numedalslåge

Analyse av overløp. Øverlandsfeltet i Bærum

Gjennomsnittlige, årlege utslepp av avløpsvatn via overløp frå Øverlandsfeltet i Bærum er utrekna. Analysen nyttar simulering med NIVANETT. Rapporten understrekar at eit heilskapssyn på handtering av vatn er nødvendigBærum kommun

Rettleiing for utjamningsmagasin i avløpsnett

Rettleiinga gjev eit kortfatta oversyn over utjamningsfunksjonar i avløpsnett, med vurdering av viktige faktorar ved planlegging og dimensjonering. Rettleiinga skil mellom utjamning som skal redusera forureiningsbelastinga til resipienten, og utjamning for å redusere oversvømmingsfare. Ein rår til å integrera utjamninga i ei totalvurdering av avløpssystemet, og større bruk av overordna styringsstrateg

Tilføringsgrad for renseanlegg

Beskriver og definerer begrepet tilføringsgrad som knytter oppsamlingsnettet for spillvann sammen med renseanlegget. Begrepet uttrykker hvor effektivt forurensningene transporteres frem til renseanlegget og beskriver indirekte tapet til lokale resipienter