We discuss the intriguing ability of minimal kinetic theory to describe a broad variety of complex non-equilibrium flows across scales of motion. It is argued that, besides major computational progress, minimal kinetic theory also provides a new conceptual framework to investigate the complexities of flowing matter far from equilibrium.

The RapidCell (RC) model was originally developed to simulate flagellar bacterial chemotaxis in environments with spatiotemporally varying chemoattractant gradients. RC is best suited for motility simulations in unbounded nonfluid environments; this limits its use in biomedical applications hinging on bacteria-fluid dynamics in microchannels. In this study, we eliminated this constraint by coupling the RC model with the colloidal lattice Boltzmann (LB) model.

We investigate the influence of shear on the gravitational settling of heavy inertial particles in homogeneous shear turbulence (HST). In addition to the well-known enhanced settling velocity, observed for heavy inertial particles in homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT), a horizontal drift velocity is also observed in the shearing direction due to the presence of a nonzero mean vorticity (introducing symmetry breaking due to the mean shear). This drift velocity is due to the combination of shear, gravity, and turbulence, and all three of these elements are needed for this effect to occur.

The theoretical understanding of Gartner's "hype curve" is an interesting open question in deciding the strategic actions to adopt in presence of an incoming technology. In order to describe the hype behaviour quantitatively, we propose a mathematical approach based on a rate equation, similar to that used to describe quantum level transitions. The model is able to describe the hype curve evolution in many relevant conditions, which can be associated to various market parameters.

The vortex-body interaction problem, that characterizes the flow field of a rudder placed downstream of a single-blade marine rotor, is investigated by numerical simulations.

Marine propellers in behind-hull conditions develop, in addition to thrust and torque, in-plane loads that are strictly related to fatigue stress of the propulsive shaft bearings, hull-induced vibrations and the dynamic response of the ship while maneuvering or experiencing wave induced motions. An in-depth understanding of their nature as well as their quantification in typical design and off-design operative scenario is fundamental for improving ship design criteria.

A comparison between first-order microscopic and macroscopic differential models of crowd dynamics is established for an increasing number N of pedestrians. The novelty is the fact of considering massive agents, namely, particles whose individual mass does not become infinitesimal when N grows. This implies that the total mass of the system is not constant but grows with N. The main result is that the two types of models approach one another in the limit N -> ?, provided the strength and/or the domain of pedestrian interactions are properly modulated by N at either scale.

In this paper we are concerned with multiscale modeling, control, and simulation of self-organizing agents leaving an unknown area under limited visibility, with special emphasis on crowds. We first introduce a new microscopic model characterized by an exploration phase and an evacuation phase. The main ingredients of the model are an alignment term, accounting for the herding effect typical of uncertain behavior, and a random walk, accounting for the need to explore the environment under limited visibility. We consider both metrical and topological interactions.

The integration of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and GPS tomography techniques for the estimation of the 3-D distribution of atmosphere refractivity is discussed. A methodology to use the maps of the temporal changes of precipitable water vapor (PWV) provided by InSAR as a further constraint in the GPS tomography is described. The aim of the methodology is to increase the accuracy of the GPS tomography reconstruction of the atmosphere's refractivity. The results, which are obtained with SAR and GPS data acquired over the Lisbon area, Portugal, are presented and assessed.