6,245 research outputs found
The Penna model for biological ageing on a lattice: spatial consequences of child-care
We introduce a square lattice into the Penna bit-string model for biological
ageing and study the evolution of the spatial distribution of the population
considering different strategies of child-care. Two of the strategies are
related to the movements of a whole family on the lattice: in one case the
mother cannot move if she has any child younger than a given age, and in the
other case if she moves, she brings these young children with her. A stronger
condition has also been added to the second case, considering that young
children die with a higher probability if their mothers die, this probability
decreasing with age. We show that a highly non uniform occupation can be
obtained when child-care is considered, even for an uniform initial occupation
per site. We also compare the standard survival rate of the model with that
obtained when the spacial lattice is considered (without any kind of
child-care).Comment: 8 pages, 6 Postscript figure
Applications and Sexual Version of a Simple Model for Biological Ageing
We use a simple model for biological ageing to study the mortality of the
population, obtaining a good agreement with the Gompertz law. We also simulate
the same model on a square lattice, considering different strategies of
parental care. The results are in agreement with those obtained earlier with
the more complicated Penna model for biological ageing. Finally, we present the
sexual version of this simple model.Comment: For Int.J.Mod.Phys.C Dec. 2001; 11 pages including 6 fig
Some properties of two Nambu--Jona-Lasinio -type models with inputs from lattice QCD
We investigate the phase diagram of the so-called
Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model at finite temperature and nonzero
chemical potential. The calculations are performed in the light and strange
quark sectors (, , ), which includes the 't Hooft instanton induced
interaction term that breaks the axial symmetry, and the quarks are coupled to
the (spatially constant) temporal background gauge field. On one hand, a
special attention is payed to the critical end point (CEP). The strength of the
flavor-mixing interaction alters the CEP location, since when it becomes weaker
the CEP moves to low temperatures and can even disappear. On the other hand, we
also explore the connection between QCD, a nonlocal Nambu--Jona-Lasinio type
model and the Landau gauge gluon propagator. Possible links between the
quenched gluon propagator and low energy hadronic phenomenology are
investigated.Comment: Contribution to the International Meeting "Excited QCD", Peniche,
Portugal, 06 - 12 May 201
Simulations of a mortality plateau in the sexual Penna model for biological ageing
The Penna model is a strategy to simulate the genetic dynamics of
age-structured populations, in which the individuals genomes are represented by
bit-strings. It provides a simple metaphor for the evolutionary process in
terms of the mutation accumulation theory. In its original version, an
individual dies due to inherited diseases when its current number of
accumulated mutations, n, reaches a threshold value, T. Since the number of
accumulated diseases increases with age, the probability to die is zero for
very young ages (n = T). Here, instead
of using a step function to determine the genetic death age, we test several
other functions that may or may not slightly increase the death probability at
young ages (n < T), but that decreases this probability at old ones. Our
purpose is to study the oldest old effect, that is, a plateau in the mortality
curves at advanced ages. Imposing certain conditions, it has been possible to
obtain a clear plateau using the Penna model. However, a more realistic one
appears when a modified version, that keeps the population size fixed without
fluctuations, is used. We also find a relation between the birth rate, the
age-structure of the population and the death probability.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
Montemuro - A Última Rota da Transumância
A profilaxia sanitária de algumas doenças infecto-contagiosas que afectam os ovinos recomenda a restrição da circulação de rebanhos, impondo também sérias restrições às transições de animais.
Duas das doenças de maior importância sanitária em ovinos, quer pela sua elevada contagiosidade, quer pelas suas consequências na saúde animal são a Brucelose e a Agaláxia contagiosa. Destaca-se a Brucelose por ser a considerada a maior Zoonose do mundo e pela incidência elevada na população humana portuguesa e em especial na região centro.
Ambas as doenças se traduzem por perdas económicas relevantes nos efectivos que atingem e ambas exigem um controlo preferencialmente do tipo profiláctico uma vez que a sua terapia se revela difícil e mal sucedida na maioria dos casos. Este controlo profiláctico acarreta medidas exigentes e dispendiosas que passam pelo despiste serológico e abate dos animais positivos no caso da Brucelose e vacinações semestrais no caso da Agaláxia, bem como medidas complementares de higiene que visam impedir o contágio entre animais da mesma exploração, entre animais de explorações distintas e cujo incumprimento impede qualquer eficácia das medidas anteriores.
Para que a transumância se torne uma prática segura é essencial que, à realidade destes riscos sanitários, seja dada a importância devida por todos os intervenientes na sanidade animal e sejam implementadas medidas seguras para o seu controlo. Até lá, não poderemos deixar de os considerar uma verdadeira ameaça à prática da transumância no nosso país e em particular na nossa região
EFFECTS OF EARLY PROTEIN MALNUTRITION AND REPEATED TESTING UPON LOCOMOTOR AND EXPLORATORY BEHAVIORS IN THE ELEVATED PLUS-MAZE
An elevated plus-maze was used to investigate the effects of repeated testing on the locomotor and exploratory behaviors of malnourished rats. Pup malnutrition was induced during the lactation period (0 to 21 days of age) by feeding the dams a protein-deficient diet (6% protein) and the animals were allowed to recover from weaning to 70 days of age by eating a commercial lab chow diet. Control animals were suckled by dams receiving normal protein diet (16% protein) during the lactation period and were fed a commercial lab chow diet after weaning. At 70 days, malnourished and control animals were placed on the central platform of the elevated plus-maze facing an enclosed arm and allowed to explore for 5 min. This procedure was repeated at 24-h intervals of 6 days. The repeated testing in the elevated plus-maze did not change the total number of arm entries and attempts to enter open arms, but decreased the percentage of open arm entries, time spent in open arms, and total time spent on the central platform. These data suggest an increase in anxiety with repeated testing in the elevated plus-maze. In addition, the malnourished animals showed a large number of these animals as compared to control. The elevated plus-maze proved to be useful animal model to evaluate exploratory behaviors in early protein malnourished animals. Keywords: Early protein malnutrition Elevated plus-maze Impulsiveness Exploration Anxiety Repeated testing
Concentração e qualidade de DNA's de açaizeiro tipo branco (Euterpe oleracea mart.) obtidos da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental.
O açaizeiro (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) é uma palmeira perene, tropical e frutífera cujo habitat natural se encontra nas várzeas da Amazônia, onde o Pará vincula como principal produtor e consumidor. Destaca-se mundialmente pela polpa congelada e diversos subprodutos. Essa palmeira é constituída por algumas variedades que diferem especialmente, pelo tamanho e coloração dos frutos, dentre elas tem-se o açaí branco que vem sendo objeto de vários estudos nas instituições da Amazônia. Objetivou-se determinar a concentração e a qualidade de DNA?s de açaizeiros tipo branco obtidos na Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. Foram coletados folíolos de folhas de 222 plantas de açaí tipo branco conservado no Banco Ativo de Germoplasma da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. A extração de DNA foi feita pelo método de CTAB (Brometo de Cetil Trimetilamônio) utilizando o protocolo de Doyle e Doyle com modificações. Os DNA?s foram quantificados em gel de agarose a 0,8% com o auxílio de três concentrações de DNA lambda (50, 100 e 200 ng/ul) como padrão e as imagens obtidas foram capturadas e lidas no software Labimage. As concentrações foram analisadas por estatísticas descritivas. As 222 amostras de DNA apresentaram 100% de aproveitamento, mas os pellets obtidos apresentaram tamanhos distintos e foram diluídos em volumes distintos, variando entre 50 a 250µl. As quantidades dos DNA?s obtidos variaram de 101,37 a 620,27 ng.μl -1 apresentando média de 269,39 ng.μl -1. As bandas obtidas apresentaram arrastes e presença de RNA, sendo submetidas a tratamentos para melhoria das qualidades. Portanto, pode-se considerar que os DNA?s de açaizeiro tipo branco obtidos possuem excelentes concentrações e qualidades.VII ENAAg
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