Statistical Dynamics of Religions and Adherents

Religiosity is one of the most important sociological aspects of populations. All religions may evolve in their beliefs and adapt to the society developments. A religion is a social variable, like a language or wealth, to be studied like any other organizational parameter. Several questions can be raised, as considered in this study: e.g. (i) from a ``macroscopic'' point of view : How many religions exist at a given time? (ii) from a ``microscopic'' view point: How many adherents belong to one religion? Does the number of adherents increase or not, and how? No need to say that if quantitative answers and mathematical laws are found, agent based models can be imagined to describe such non-equilibrium processes. It is found that empirical laws can be deduced and related to preferential attachment processes, like on evolving network; we propose two different algorithmic models reproducing as well the data. Moreover, a population growth-death equation is shown to be a plausible modeling of evolution dynamics in a continuous time framework. Differences with language dynamic competition is emphasized.Comment: submitted to EP

Reaction Brownian Dynamics and the effect of spatial fluctuations on the gain of a push-pull network

Brownian Dynamics algorithms are widely used for simulating soft-matter and biochemical systems. In recent times, their application has been extended to the simulation of coarse-grained models of cellular networks in simple organisms. In these models, components move by diffusion, and can react with one another upon contact. However, when reactions are incorporated into a Brownian Dynamics algorithm, attention must be paid to avoid violations of the detailed-balance rule, and therefore introducing systematic errors in the simulation. We present a Brownian Dynamics algorithm for reaction-diffusion systems that rigorously obeys detailed balance for equilibrium reactions. By comparing the simulation results to exact analytical results for a bimolecular reaction, we show that the algorithm correctly reproduces both equilibrium and dynamical quantities. We apply our scheme to a ``push-pull'' network in which two antagonistic enzymes covalently modify a substrate. Our results highlight that the diffusive behaviour of the reacting species can reduce the gain of the response curve of this network.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Journal of Chemical Physic

Glacigenic features and Tertiary stratigraphy of the Magellan Strait (Southern Chile)

The seismostratigraphic and structural analysis of the whole length of the Magellan Strait, from the Atlantic to the Pacific entrance is for first time illustrated on the basis of multichannel seismic (MCS) profiles. The Strait crosses a geologically complex region that includes different morphotectonic provinces, and has been subdivided into three distinct segments, eastern (Atlantic), central, and western (Pacific), being each segment characterized by peculiar sedimentary and tectonic architectures. The MCS profiles shed light on the subsurface of the region in particular on the Quaternary and Tertiary features. In the foreland basin province, the MCS profiles imaged an almost undeformed structural and stratigraphic frame with very thick Cretaceous to Tertiary package. Seismic evidence of deformation of the foreland units occurs in the fold-and-thrust belt province. Along the Cordillera province, the Magallanes-Fagnano transform fault exerts an important morpho-tectonic control that strongly conditions its bathymetric profile. The seismic profiles also highlighted a number of depositional features linked to the up to 150 m thick sedimentary record of the glacial cycles. Whereas the eastern segment (outer foreland province) is devoid of significant glacial-related deposits, the central segment (inner foreland and fold-and thrust belt provinces) shows evidence of repeated advances and retreats of the Magellan glacier. An important moraine ridge complex, probably corresponding to the glacial advance "D"of Clapperton et al., has been seismically imaged in the central segment, as well as an older, large bank of ice distal sediments that have been interpreted as proglacial lake deposits, which show evident signs of repeated glacial erosions. Ice-contact features in the form of frontal moraine complexes made up of dipping foreset strata are present in the fjord-like, western segment of the Strait (Cordillera province), along with their related ice-proximal and ice-distal facies. Eventually, the occurrence of preglacial sediments tectonized by the Magallanes-Fagnano transform fault has been reported in the same segment. This fact, which is supported by small outcrops reported in the updated geologic map, if substantiated by further investigations (i.e. advanced seismic reprocessing, sea bottom samplings), would prove the relatively young age (Late Miocene?) of the Magallanes-Fagnano transform fault

Radon Concentration by SSNTD in South-East Sicily Buildings

Abstract Radon levels in buildings vary widely from area to area also depending on local geology. Thus, it is important to assess the radon prone area of a geographic region on the basis of geological data and to search for any possible correlation between the local geology and the indoor radon concentrations. We report about indoor radon measurements in Ragusa, a municipality of the SE Sicily, placed in the Hyblean Plateau (northern region of the African Plate), carried out in collaboration with schools. The survey was performed using Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD), CR-39 type, and a well-established methodology for chemical etching and reading, developed at the Radioactivity Laboratory of the Department of Physics - University of Catania

Ruthenium(III) complexes entrapped in liposomes with enhanced cytotoxic and anti-metastatic properties

Metal-based anticancer drugs are pivotal in the fight against cancer pathologies. Since 1978 cis-platin was licensed for medical treatment of a wide number of tumor pathologies(1). However its chemiotherapic use is strongly limited by many and severe side effects and acquired tumor resistance. Since these limitations could be overcome by other metal complexes, in the last thirty years ruthenium compounds have been tested showing a remarkable antitumoral and antimetastatic activity associated with a lower toxicity. A hexacoordinate Ru(III) complex (NAMI-A) is currently undergoing advanced clinical evaluation (2). All data indicate that NAMI-A acts as a pro-drug, but the integrity of ruthenium complexes is essential to store the cytotoxic activity. In this scenario the condition of administration of ruthenium drugs are crucial to exploit their anticancer activity (3). In the last years innovative strategies have been produced to vehicle ruthenium ions in tumor cells like aggregates. This study aims to incorporate the ruthenium complexes in the inner aqueous compartment of liposomes and to test biological properties of two NAMI-A like pyridine derivatives. Specifically, we have investigated the pyridine derivatives of the sodium-compensated analogue of NAMI-A, Na[trans-RuCl4(pyridine)(DMSO)] (NAMI-Pyr) and Na[trans-RuCl4(Pytri)(DMSO)] (NAMI-Pytri). In thelatter complex the pyridine ligand is functionalized with a sugar moiety so as to increase biocompatibility and the ability to cross the cell membrane. The stability of the complexes was studied and compared in solution at different pH following UV-VIS spectra. Lipid formulations based on Egg PC were prepared adding Cholesterol, DSPE-PEG2000 joining molar ratio 57/38 /5% w/w respectively in MeOH/CHCl3 (50/50 v/v) mixture and hydrated with 0.9% w/w of NaCl. This composition was selected to reproduce analog supramolecular aggregates in clinical use to vehicle doxorubicin (Doxil). Ruthenium complexes were loaded into liposomes using the passive equilibration loading method. Full drug containing liposomes were structurally characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Data indicate the formation of stable aggregates with size and shape in the right range for in vivo applications. The amount of encapsulated ruthenium complexes was quantified by means of ICP-AES. Stability and drug release properties of ruthenium containing liposomes were confirmed in buffer. The growth inhibitory effects of both liposomal and free complexes drug were tested on prostate cancer cells (PC3). Preliminary results show high cytotoxic effect of ruthenium complexes delivered by supramolecular aggregates with respect to free complexes drug

A categorification of Morelli's theorem

We prove a theorem relating torus-equivariant coherent sheaves on toric varieties to polyhedrally-constructible sheaves on a vector space. At the level of K-theory, the theorem recovers Morelli's description of the K-theory of a smooth projective toric variety. Specifically, let $X$ be a proper toric variety of dimension $n$ and let M_\bR = \mathrm{Lie}(T_\bR^\vee)\cong \bR^n be the Lie algebra of the compact dual (real) torus T_\bR^\vee\cong U(1)^n. Then there is a corresponding conical Lagrangian \Lambda \subset T^*M_\bR and an equivalence of triangulated dg categories \Perf_T(X) \cong \Sh_{cc}(M_\bR;\Lambda), where \Perf_T(X) is the triangulated dg category of perfect complexes of torus-equivariant coherent sheaves on $X$ and \Sh_{cc}(M_\bR;\Lambda) is the triangulated dg category of complex of sheaves on M_\bR with compactly supported, constructible cohomology whose singular support lies in $\Lambda$. This equivalence is monoidal---it intertwines the tensor product of coherent sheaves on $X$ with the convolution product of constructible sheaves on M_\bR.Comment: 20 pages. This is a strengthened version of the first half of arXiv:0811.1228v3, with new results; the second half becomes arXiv:0811.1228v

Ataque e desenvolvimento de Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) em diferentes estágios de maturação de manga "Tommy".

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar em qual estágio de maturação da manga "Tommy" fêmeas de moscamed iniciam sua postura e a porcentagem ovos que se tornam pupas e adultos

A multi-indicator approach to compare the sustainability of organic vs. integrated management of grape production

Sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly becoming a strategic asset for global and national environmental policies and economy. A big challenge is the selection of appropriate indicators to describe the complexity of the agroecosystem management. In the present work, the sustainability of grape production, in vineyard trials of Pinot blanc and Rhine Riesling, managed with integrated (INT) and organic management (organic, with cattle manure ORG1 and organic with green manure ORG2), was compared using a multi-indicator approach. The experiment was set in 2011 (1.5 ha in Trento, Italy) and carbon footprint (CF), nitrogen footprint (NF), water footprint (WF), soil microbial diversity (alpha diversity of bacteria, fungi, oomycetes communities) and soil C stock change, were evaluated in 2018. The CF was 0.213—0.227 kg CO2-eq/kg in the INT, 0.144—0.168 kg CO2-eq/kg in ORG1 and 0.134—0.147 kg CO2-eq/kg in ORG2. The NF was around 1 g Nr/kg for the INT, 0.4 g Nr/kg for ORG1 and 0.5 g Nr/kg for ORG2. The WF, excluding the pesticides impact on grey water, was 666—708 L/kg for INT, 605—655 L/kg for ORG1 and 529—580 L/kg for ORG2. The impact of farming practices on soil microbial alpha diversity showed no significant difference among treatments for oomycetes and significantly higher indexes for fungi and bacteria in the ORG1, with INT and ORG2, being similar. No difference in bulk organic C were observed among treatments. Overall, the multi-indicator approach allowed to demonstrate that the organic management was more beneficial for most of the environmental spheres of the agroecosystem compared to integrated management, without affecting the grape yiel