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We consider a class of abstract second order evolution equations with a restoring force that is strictly superlinear at infinity with respect to the position, and a dissipation mechanism that is strictly superlinear at infinity with respect to the velocity. Under the assumption that the growth of the restoring force dominates the growth of the dissipation, we prove a universal bound property, namely that the energy of solutions is bounded for positive times, independently of the initial condition. Under a slightly stronger assumption, we show also a universal decay property, namely that the energy decays (as time goes to infinity) at least as a multiple of a negative power of $t$, again independent of the boundary conditions. We apply the abstract results to solutions of some nonlinear wave, plate and Kirchhoff equations in a bounded domain., 22 pages. Major rewriting of v1 with two new abstract results concerning asymptotic behavior. Applications to PDEs have been updated accordingly

The increasing fuel consumption demand, the accelerated pressure imposed by the depletion of 5 scarce raw materials and the urgent environmental protection requirements are forcing the change of 6 pavement industry and academia community’s research endeavors towards the development of low 7 emissions road paving technologies able to significantly reduce mixing and compaction temperature as 8 well as the consumption of virgin raw materials. One set of relatively recent technologies in the field of 9 pavement materials that aims at addressing those concerns are the warm mix asphalt (WMA). In fact, 10 they have the potential to allow the reduction of energy consumption and airborne emissions during 11 their production and placement. Moreover, the incorporation of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in 12 these mixtures may further improve their potential environmental sustainability, both by reducing the 13 consumption of virgin raw materials, and by reducing the stockpiles and landfills of milled materials. 14 Which of these sustainable practices is greener and whether combining them is promising as it sounds, 15 it’s still not actually too well demonstrated in literature. 16 It’s within this context that this study presents a full process-based comparative life cycle 17 assessment (LCA) looking at understanding the environmental impact of reducing mixing temperature 18 , through the use of warm mix technologies, namely chemical additives-based and foamed-based, and 19 different rate of recycling (0% and 50% RAP). Furthermore, the investigation explores the effect of 20 combining the effects in the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) of wearing courses 21 for flexible road pavements. The analysis assessed the functional units over a 30-year project analysis 22 period (PAP), considering all pavement life cycle phases: extraction of raw materials and production; 23 transportation of materials; construction, maintenance and rehabilitation; work zone traffic 24 management; usage and end-of-life. The results of this study showed that, for the conditions considered 25 and assumptions performed, a pavement construction and M&R scenario in which a foamed-based 26 WMA mixture with a RAP content of 50% is employed in the wearing course throughout the pavement 27 life cycle is the most environmentally friendly alternative among all the competing solutions. Moreover, 28 the results of a scenario analysis showed that the life cycle environmental impacts could be reduced if 29 the asphalt plant was fueled by natural gas, or if the pavement structure was dismantled at the end of its 30 lifetime and the debris recycled.

Nowadays, large-eddy simulation (LES) is increasingly applied to complex flow configurations of interest in technological or environmental applications.

The SARNET2 (severe accidents Research NETwork of Excellence) project started in April 2009 for 4 years in the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission (EC), following a similar first project in FP6. Forty-seven organisations from 24 countries network their capacities of research in the severe accident (SA) field inside SARNET to resolve the most important remaining uncertainties and safety issues on SA in water-cooled nuclear power plants (NPPs). The network includes a large majority of the European actors involved in SA research plus a few non-European relevant ones. The "Education and Training" programme in SARNET is a series of actions foreseen in this network for the "spreading of excellence." It is focused on raising the competence level of Master and Ph.D. students and young researchers engaged in SA research and on organizing information/training courses for NPP staff or regulatory authorities (but also for researchers) interested in SA management procedures. © 2012 Sandro Paci and Jean-Pierre Van Dorsselaere.