Modeling Evacuation Risk Using a Stochastic Process Formulation of Mesoscopic Dynamic Network Loading

One of the actions usually conducted to limit exposure to a hazardous event is the evacuation of the area that is subject to the effects of the event itself. This involves modifications both to demand (a large number of users all want to move together) and to supply (the transport network may experience changes in capacity, unusable roads, etc.). In order to forecast the traffic evolution in a network during an evacuation, a natural choice is to adopt an approach based on Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) models. However, such models typically give a deterministic prediction of future conditions, whereas evacuations are subject to considerable uncertainty. The aim of the present paper is to describe an evacuation approach for decision support during emergencies that directly predicts the time-evolution of the probability of evacuating users from an area, formulated within a discrete-time stochastic process modelling framework. The approach is applied to a small artificial case as well as a real-life network, where we estimate users' probabilities to reach a desired safe destination and analyze time dependent risk factors in an evacuation scenario

Paracoccidioides Brasiliensis Infection Promotes Thymic Disarrangement And Premature Egress Of Mature Lymphocytes Expressing Prohibitive Tcrs

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Paracoccidioidomycosis, a chronic granulomatous fungal disease caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells affects mainly rural workers, albeit recently cases in immunosuppressed individuals has been reported. Protective immune response against P. brasiliensis is dependent on the activity of helper T cells especially IFN-gamma-producing Th1 cells. It has been proposed that Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is able to modulate the immune response towards a permissive state and that the thymus plays a major role in it. Methods: In this paper, we show that acute infection of BALB/c mice with P. brasiliensis virulent isolate (Pb18) might cause alterations in the thymic environment as well as the prohibitive TCR-expressing T cells in the spleens. Results: After seven days of infection, we found yeast cells on the thymic stroma, the thymic epithelial cells (TEC) were altered regarding their spatial-orientation and inflammatory mediators gene expression was increased. Likewise, thymocytes (differentiating T cells) presented higher migratory ability in ex vivo experiments. Notwithstanding, P. brasiliensis-infected mice showed an increased frequency of prohibitive TCR-expressing T cells in the spleens, suggesting that the selection processes that occur in the thymus may be compromised during the acute infection. Conclusion: In this paper, for the first time, we show that acute infection with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells promotes thymic alterations leading to a defective repertoire of peripheral T cells. The data presented here may represent new mechanisms by which P. brasiliensis subverts the immune response towards the chronic infection observed in humans.16Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [2012/22131-7, 2013/01401-9, 2013/08194-9, 2014/02631-0]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Comparing Signal Setting Design Methods through emissions and fuel consumption performance indicators

In order to address the Signal Setting Design at urban level two main approaches may be pursued: the coordination and the synchronisation approaches depending on the steps considered for the optimisation of decision variables (two steps vs. one step). Furthermore, in terms of objective functions mono-criterion or multi-criteria may be adopted. In this paper the coordination approach is implemented considering the multi-criteria optimisation at single junctions and mono-criterion optimisation at network level whereas the synchronisation is implemented considering the mono-criterion optimisation. The main purpose of the paper is the evaluation of the performances of two strategies not only considering indicators such as the total delay, the queue length etc. but also considering other indicators such as the emissions and the fuel consumption. The methodological framework is composed by three stages: (i) the decision variables (green timings and offsets) computation through optimisation methods; (ii) the implementation of optimal signal settings in a microscopic traffic flow simulator (“Simulation of Urban MObility”-SUMO); (iii) the estimation of emissions and fuel consumption indicators

A METHOD TO CALIBRATE THE HIGH-RESOLUTION CATANIA ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY SPECTROPOLARIMETER

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Adventive hydrothermal circulation on Stromboli volcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) revealed by geophysical and geochemical approaches: Implications for general fluid flow models on volcanoes

International audienceOn March 15th 2007 a paroxysmal explosion occurred at the Stromboli volcano. This event generated a large amount of products, mostly lithic blocks, some of which impacted the ground as far as down to 200 m a.s.l., about 1.5 km far away from the active vents. Two days after the explosion, a new vapour emission was discovered on the north-eastern flank of the volcanic edifice, at 560 m a.s.l., just above the area called "Nel Cannestrà". This new vapour emission was due to a block impact. In order to investigate the block impact area to understand the appearance of the vapour emission, we conducted on May 2008 a multidisciplinary study involving Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Self-Potential (SP), CO2 soil diffuse degassing and soil temperature surveys. This complementary data set revealed the presence of an anomalous conductive body, probably related to a shallow hydrothermal level, at about 10-15 m depth, more or less parallel to the topography. It is the first time that such a hydrothermal fluid flow, with a temperature close to the water boiling point (76 °C) has been evidenced at Stromboli at this low elevation on the flank of the edifice. The ERT results suggest a possible link between (1) the main central hydrothermal system of Stromboli, located just above the plumbing system feeding the active vents, with a maximum of subsurface soil temperature close to 90 °C and limited by the NeoStromboli summit crater boundary and (2) the investigated area of Nel Cannestrà, at ~ 500 m a.s.l., a buried eruptive fissure active 9 ka ago. In parallel, SP and CO2 soil diffuse degassing measurements suggest in this sector at slightly lower elevation from the block impact crater a magmatic and hydrothermal fluid rising system along the N41° regional fault. A complementary ERT profile, on May 2009, carried out from the NeoStromboli crater boundary down to the block impact crater displayed a flank fluid flow apparently connected to a deeper system. The concept of shallow hydrothermal level have been compared to similar ERT results recently obtained on Mount Etna and La Fossa cone of Vulcano. This information needs to be taken into account in general fluid flow models on volcanoes. In particular, peripheral thermal waters (as those bordering the north-eastern coast of Stromboli) could be contaminated by hydrothermal and magmatic fluids coming from regional faults but also from the summit

Search for Two-Neutrino Double Electron Capture of 124^{124}Xe with XENON100

Two-neutrino double electron capture is a rare nuclear decay where two electrons are simultaneously captured from the atomic shell. For $^{124}$Xe this process has not yet been observed and its detection would provide a new reference for nuclear matrix element calculations. We have conducted a search for two-neutrino double electron capture from the K-shell of $^{124}$Xe using 7636 kg$\cdot$d of data from the XENON100 dark matter detector. Using a Bayesian analysis we observed no significant excess above background, leading to a lower 90 % credibility limit on the half-life $T_{1/2}>6.5\times10^{20}$ yr. We also evaluated the sensitivity of the XENON1T experiment, which is currently being commissioned, and find a sensitivity of $T_{1/2}>6.1\times10^{22}$ yr after an exposure of 2 t$\cdot$yr.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Recommended conventions for reporting results from direct dark matter searches

The field of dark matter detection is a highly visible and highly competitive one. In this paper, we propose recommendations for presenting dark matter direct detection results particularly suited for weak-scale dark matter searches, although we believe the spirit of the recommendations can apply more broadly to searches for other dark matter candidates, such as very light dark matter or axions. To translate experimental data into a final published result, direct detection collaborations must make a series of choices in their analysis, ranging from how to model astrophysical parameters to how to make statistical inferences based on observed data. While many collaborations follow a standard set of recommendations in some areas, for example the expected flux of dark matter particles (to a large degree based on a paper from Lewin and Smith in 1995), in other areas, particularly in statistical inference, they have taken different approaches, often from result to result by the same collaboration. We set out a number of recommendations on how to apply the now commonly used Profile Likelihood Ratio method to direct detection data. In addition, updated recommendations for the Standard Halo Model astrophysical parameters and relevant neutrino fluxes are provided. The authors of this note include members of the DAMIC, DarkSide, DARWIN, DEAP, LZ, NEWS-G, PandaX, PICO, SBC, SENSEI, SuperCDMS, and XENON collaborations, and these collaborations provided input to the recommendations laid out here. Wide-spread adoption of these recommendations will make it easier to compare and combine future dark matter results

Removing krypton from xenon by cryogenic distillation to the ppq level

The XENON1T experiment aims for the direct detection of dark matter in a cryostat filled with 3.3 tons of liquid xenon. In order to achieve the desired sensitivity, the background induced by radioactive decays inside the detector has to be sufficiently low. One major contributor is the $\beta$-emitter $^{85}$Kr which is an intrinsic contamination of the xenon. For the XENON1T experiment a concentration of natural krypton in xenon $\rm{^{nat}}$Kr/Xe < 200 ppq (parts per quadrillion, 1 ppq = 10$^{-15}$ mol/mol) is required. In this work, the design of a novel cryogenic distillation column using the common McCabe-Thiele approach is described. The system demonstrated a krypton reduction factor of 6.4$\cdot$10$^5$ with thermodynamic stability at process speeds above 3 kg/h. The resulting concentration of $\rm{^{nat}}$Kr/Xe < 26 ppq is the lowest ever achieved, almost one order of magnitude below the requirements for XENON1T and even sufficient for future dark matter experiments using liquid xenon, such as XENONnT and DARWIN

Development of a low-cost seismic station based on MEMS technology

L’impatto di un forte terremoto su una comunità urbana può essere ridotto con una azione tempestiva e ben pianificata da parte degli organi di Protezione Civile preposti. In tale prospettiva è di fondamentale importanza che gli organi preposti alla sorveglianza sismica del territorio nazionale si dotino di strumenti di osservazione puntuale in grado di fornire nell’immediato terremoto informazioni utilissime per la gestione ottimale delle emergenze. Ciò può essere fatto oggi mediante la realizzazione reti sismiche urbane, con funzionamento in tempo reale (OSU Osservatori Sismici Urbani), in grado di fornire in maniera tempestiva ai centri per la gestione delle emergenze, la distribuzione dell'intensità dello scuotimento a seguito di un terremoto. Le mappe di scuotimento potrebbero consentire agli organi preposti, un’ottimale gestione delle priorità e la ripartizione delle risorse in modo da ottenere una significativa riduzione del numero di vittime a seguito di un forte terremoto. Le verifiche del grado di danneggiamento e di agibilità degli edifici potrebbero così essere effettuate secondo una logica prioritaria sulla base dei massimi scuotimenti misurati dalla rete sismica urbana. La realizzazione di OSU per le finalità su preposte è l’obiettivo principale del progetto MEMS finanziato dal MIUR nell’ambito del programma SIR (Scientific Independence of young Researchers). La prima sfida affrontata nell’ambito del progetto MEMS è stata la progettazione e sviluppo di una stazione accelerometrica idonea agli scopi del progetto. Il presente lavoro ha lo scopo di descrivere nel dettaglio, la stazione accelerometrica basata su tecnologia MEMS (Micro ElectroMechanical Systems), implementata nell’abito dell’omonimo progetto. Ciò che stato realizzato è una stazione accelerometrica dalle ottime performance, estremamente versatile e a bassissimo costo.The impact of a strong earthqauke onto an urban community can be reduced taking timely actions managed by the authority in charge for the civil protection. In this view, it is of fundamental importance that the authority in charge for the seismic surveillance is provided with the appropriate monitoring tools able to give the most useful information for the best emergency management in the immediate post-event. Today this goal can be reached realizing urban-scale, real-time seismic monitoring networks (Osservatori Sismici Urbani, OSU, in Italian). The real-time OSU networks are able to promptly provide information to the emergency authority about the ground shaking at each node after an earthquake. Maps showing the spatial distribution of the ground shaking could help in the optimization of the priorities and a good management of the rescue resources in order to reduce the number of victims. Also the assessment of the damage of the buildings could be carried out according to the logic of priority given by the shakings measured by the OSU. The realisation of OSUs is the main objective of the MEMS project. This project is funded by the MIUR under the SIR program (Scientific Independence of young Researchers). The first challenge of the MEMS project was the design and the development of a devoted accelerometric stations. This work illustrates in detail the accelerometric station based on MEMS technology (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems). The final product is a low-cost accelerometric station with high performance and great versatility