Fractal Fluctuations and Quantum-Like Chaos in the Brain by Analysis of Variability of Brain Waves: A New Method Based on a Fractal Variance Function and Random Matrix Theory

We developed a new method for analysis of fundamental brain waves as recorded by EEG. To this purpose we introduce a Fractal Variance Function that is based on the calculation of the variogram. The method is completed by using Random Matrix Theory. Some examples are given

GreenPhylDB: A Gene Family Database for plant functional Genomics

With the increasing number of genomes being sequenced, a major objective is to transfer accurate annotation from characterised proteins to uncharacterised sequences. Consequently, comparative genomics has become a usual and efficient strategy in functional genomics. The release of various annotated genomes of plants, such as _O. sativa_ and _A. thaliana_, has allowed setting up comprehensive lists of gene families defined by automated methods. However, like for gene sequence, manual curation of gene families is an important requirement that has to be undertaken. GreenPhylDB comprises protein sequences of 12 plant species fully sequenced that were grouped into homeomorphic families using similarity-based methods. Clusters are finally processed by phylogenetic analysis to infer orthologs and paralogs that will be particularly helpful to study genome evolution. Previously, each cluster has to be curated (i.e. properly named and classified) using different sources of information. A web interface for plant gene families’ curation was developed for that purpose. This interface, accessible on GreenPhylDB ("http://greenphyl.cirad.fr":http://greenphyl.cirad.fr), centralizes external references (e.g. InterPro, KEGG, Swiss-Prot, PIRSF, Pubmed) related to all gene members of the clusters and shows statistics and automatic analysis. We believe that this synthetic view of data available for a gene cluster, combined with basic guidelines, is an efficient way to provide reliable method for gene family annotations

Water dynamics in different biochar fractions

Biochar is a carbonaceous porous material deliberately applied to soil to improve its fertility. The mechanisms through which biochar acts on fertility are still poorly understood. The effect of biochar texture size on water dynamics was investigated here in order to provide information to address future research on nutrient mobility towards plant roots as biochar is applied as soil amendment. A poplar biochar has been stainless steel fractionated in three different textured fractions (1.0-2.0mm, 0.3-1.0mm and <0.3mm, respectively). Water-saturated fractions were analyzed by fast field cycling (FFC) NMR relaxometry. Results proved that 3D exchange between bound and bulk water predominantly occurred in the coarsest fraction. However, as porosity decreased, water motion was mainly associated to a restricted 2D diffusion among the surface-site pores and the bulk-site ones. The X-ray \u3bc-CT imaging analyses on the dry fractions revealed the lowest surface/volume ratio for the coarsest fraction, thereby corroborating the 3D water exchange mechanism hypothesized by FFC NMR relaxometry. However, multi-micrometer porosity was evidenced in all the samples. The latter finding suggested that the 3D exchange mechanism cannot even be neglected in the finest fraction as previously excluded only on the basis of NMR relaxometry results. X-ray \u3bc-CT imaging showed heterogeneous distribution of inorganic materials inside all the fractions. The mineral components may contribute to the water relaxation mechanisms by FFC NMR relaxometry. Further studies are needed to understand the role of the inorganic particles on water dynamics

Detection and construction of an elliptic solution to the complex cubic-quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation

In evolution equations for a complex amplitude, the phase obeys a much more intricate equation than the amplitude. Nevertheless, general methods should be applicable to both variables. On the example of the traveling wave reduction of the complex cubic-quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGL5), we explain how to overcome the difficulties arising in two such methods: (i) the criterium that the sum of residues of an elliptic solution should be zero, (ii) the construction of a first order differential equation admitting the given equation as a differential consequence (subequation method).Comment: 12 pages, no figure, to appear, Theoretical and Mathematical Physic