Multi-hp adaptive discontinuous Galerkin methods for simplified PN approximations of 3D radiative transfer in non-gray media

In this paper we present a multi-hp adaptive discontinuous Galerkin method for 3D simplified approximations of radiative transfer in non-gray media capable of reaching accuracies superior to most of methods in the literature. The simplified models are a set of differential equations derived based on asymptotic expansions for the integro-differential radiative transfer equation. In a non-gray media the optical spectrum is divided into a finite set of bands with constant absorption coefficients and the simplified approximations are solved for each band in the spectrum. At high temperature, boundary layers with different magnitudes occur for each wavelength in the spectrum and developing a numerical solver to accurately capture them is challenging for the conventional finite element methods. Here we propose a class of high-order adaptive discontinuous Galerkin methods using space error estimators. The proposed method is able to solve problems where 3D meshes contain finite elements of different kind with the number of equations and polynomial orders of approximation varying locally on the finite element edges, faces, and interiors. The proposed method has also the potential to perform both isotropic and anisotropic adaptation for each band in the optical spectrum. Several numerical results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed method for 3D radiative simulations. The computed results confirm its capability to solve 3D simplified approximations of radiative transfer in non-gray media

Nuclear and Non-Ionizing Energy-Loss for Coulomb Scattered Particles from Low Energy up to Relativistic Regime in Space Radiation Environment

In the space environment, instruments onboard of spacecrafts can be affected by displacement damage due to radiation. The differential scattering cross section for screened nucleus--nucleus interactions - i.e., including the effects due to screened Coulomb nuclear fields -, nuclear stopping powers and non-ionization energy losses are treated from about 50 keV/nucleon up to relativistic energies.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the ICATPP Conference on Cosmic Rays for Particle and Astroparticle Physics, Villa Olmo (Como, Italy), 7--8 October, 2010, to be published by World Scientifi

Exergy and exergy cost analysis of biochemical networks in living systems far from equilibrium

Whilst, humanity has reached a high level of technological development, finding efficient substitutes to petroleum energy is a challenging task. Metabolically engineered microorganisms are used in biomass production. Considering the availability of data in genomic and metabolic fronts, Escherichia coli is one of the primary options for biofuel production, which could be later exploited as a ‘solo’ energy source, or coupled with nowadays available fuels. To survive, an organism must provide an amount of exergy greater than the exergy required to process equilibrium operations. Therefore, extra exergy amounts are needed for a living system to accomplish production, growth and evolution in time, as the above mentioned process is highly irreversible. This paper reviews the available studies on exergy analysis and exergy-cost theory application, along with the use of flux balance analysis-FBA and FVA, as a tool for gaining biological insights. This paper is structured as the following; first, a brief description of exergy analysis and the exergy-cost theory is presented. Second, the exergy analysis application on living cells is discussed through introducing exergy analysis of metabolic network. Thirdly, the application on Escherichia Coli is explained, highlighting its potential role in biofuel production. Finally, an approach, applied within a current PhD research project regarding the application of the exergy analysis to a generic metabolic network is introduced. In this approach, the exergy costs associated with all the flows present in the targeted network are calculated, according to the ECT. The perspective is to use the exergy cost information for defining additional constraints in the FBA of the metabolic network. Which could provide better insight about organisms and identify directions for the optimization of biomass production, and the enhancement of biofuel use

Can Einstein (rings) surf Gravitational Waves?

How does the appearance of a strongly lensed system change if a gravitational wave is produced by the lens? In this work we address this question by considering a supermassive black hole binary at the center of the lens emitting gravitational waves propagating either colinearly or orthogonally to the line of sight. Specializing to an Einstein ring configuration (where the source, the lens and the observer are aligned), we show that the gravitational wave induces changes on the ring's angular size and on the optical path of photons. The changes are the same for a given pair of antipodal points on the ring, but maximally different for any pair separated by $90^{\circ}$. For realistic lenses and binaries, we find that the change in the angular size of the Einstein ring is dozens of orders of magnitude smaller than the precision of current experiments. On the other hand, the difference in the optical path induced on a photon by a gravitational wave propagating \textit{orthogonally} to the line of sight triggers, at peak strain, time delays in the range $\sim 0.01 - 1$ seconds, making the chance of their detection (and thus the use of Einstein rings as gravitational wave detectors) less hopeless.Comment: v2. Version accepted for publication in the Open Journal of Astrophysics. 8 pages, four figures. Comments are welcome

Dualisation of the D=7 Heterotic String

The dualisation and the first-order formulation of the D=7 abelian Yang-Mills supergravity which is the low energy effective limit of the D=7 fully Higssed heterotic string is discussed. The non-linear coset formulation of the scalars is enlarged to include the entire bosonic sector by introducing dual fields and by constructing the Lie superalgebra which generates the dualized coset element.Comment: 20 page

GEANT4 simulation of phase rotation for neutrino factory

We discuss a GEANT4 simulation of the phase rotation system for a neutrino factory. The comparison with the beam transport code PATH shows a good agreement. Preliminary results for the energy disposition in the cryostat of the superconducting 1.8 T solenoid are briefly presented

Proctology in the COVID-19 era: handle with care

The Italian outbreak of COVID-19 was confirmed on 31 January 2020 when two COVID-19-positive cases were reported in Chinese tourists. At the beginning, the vast majority of cases were reported in the northern regions of Italy with establishment of the so-called ‘red zone’. On 9March 2020, the Italian prime minister declared a nationwide lockdown to strengthen the national health system (Sistema Sanitario Nazionale). Italy has one of the highest rates of infection and mortality in the worl

Clinical and Pathophysiological Insights Into Immunological Mediated Glomerular Diseases in Childhood

The kidney is often the target of immune system dysregulation in the context of primary or systemic disease. In particular, the glomerulus represents the anatomical entity most frequently involved, generally as the expression of inflammatory cell invasion or circulant or in situ immune-complex deposition. Glomerulonephritis is the most common clinical and pathological manifestation of this involvement. There are no universally accepted classifications for glomerulonephritis. However, recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms suggest the assessment of immunological features, biomarkers, and genetic analysis. At the same time, more accurate and targeted therapies have been developed. Data on pediatric glomerulonephritis are scarce and often derived from adult studies. In this review, we update the current understanding of the etiologic events and genetic factors involved in the pathogenesis of pediatric immunologically mediated primitive forms of glomerulonephritis, together with the clinical spectrum and prognosis. Possible new therapeutic targets are also briefly discussed