Markov property of the solution of the stochastic generalized equations

Some models of probabilities are described by generalized stochastic equations. These models (like that prediction) lead to the resolution of boundary problems for random distributions (generalized equations). We are interested in the equation Lx = f in S ⊂ IRd where L is a linear operator, f is a random distribution and to the class of boundary conditions on the frontier Γ = ∂S in order to define for the corresponding boundary conditions. The resolutions of boundary problems for random distributions lead to the Markov property for the solution of these equations. © 2007 Science Publication

Obtaining evapotranspiration and surface energy fluxes with remotely sensed data to improve agricultural water management

The quantification of evapotranspiration from irrigated areas is important for agriculture water management, especially in arid and semiarid regions where water deficiency is becoming a major constraint in economic welfare and sustainable development. Conventional methods that use point measurements to estimate evapotranspiration are representative only of local areas and cannot be extended to large areas because of heterogeneity of landscape. Remote sensing based energy balance models are presently most suited for estimating evapotranspiration at both field and regional scales. In this study, SEBAL (Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land), a remote sensing based evapotranspiration model, has been applied with Landsat ETM+ sensor for theestimation of actual evapotranspiration in the Habra plain, a semiarid region in west Algeria with heterogeneous surface conditions. This model followed an energy balance approach, where evapotranspiration is estimated as the residual when the net radiation, sensible heat flux and soil heat flux are known. It involves in the input the remote sensing land surface parameters such as surface temperature, NDVI and albedo. Different moisture indicators derived from the evapotranspiration were then calculated: evaporative fraction, Priestley-Taylor parameter and surface resistance to evaporation. These calculated indicators facilitate the quantitative diagnosis of moisture stress status in pixel basis. Thestudy area contains extremes in surface albedo, vegetation cover and surface temperature. The land uses in this study area consists of irrigated agriculture, rain-fed agriculture and livestock grazing. The obtained results concern the validation of the used model for spatial distribution analysis ofevapotranspiration and moisture indicators. The evaluation of dailyevapotranspiration and moisture indicators are accurate enough for the spatial variations of evapotranspiration rather satisfactory than sophisticated models without having to introduce an important number of parameters in input with difficult accessibility in routine. In conclusion, the results suggest that SEBAL can be considered as an operational method to predict actual evapotranspiration from irrigated areas having limited amount of ground information

L’EAU EST TOUJOURS VITALE,PARFOIS DESTRUCRTICE!

In this article we highlight the usefulness of water for people and their environments. It is the driving force of all life on earth, but can also become part of nuisance if it is misused or misdirected in its movement. It sometimes becomes angry and destructive

Gender differences in the surgical management and early clinical outcome of coronary artery disease: Single centre experience

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the gender disparity in the distribution of patient-related risk factors and their effect on the surgical management and clinical outcome of coronary artery disease in Saudi population.Materials and methodsWe carried out a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 971 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at our institution between January 2005 and December 2008. Seven hundred and eighty seven patients (81%) were males and 184 patients (19%) were females. We analyzed gender-based difference in clinical presentation and patient-related pre-operative risk factors and studied their impact on surgical management and clinical outcome.ResultsThe mean age was 59.5 years in males and 63.4 years in females (p=<0.0001). Associated co-morbidities were higher in females. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 61.2% in males and 78.8% in females (p-value=<0.0001); hypertension 61.9% in males and 79.9% in females (p-value <0.0001); hyperlipidemia 66.7% in males and 77.7% in females (p-value 0.0035); morbid obesity 24.7% in males and 45.1% in females (p-value <0.0001); and Hypothyroidism 2.5% in males and 13.6% in females (p-value <0.0001). Smoking was the only risk factor with higher prevalence in males compared to females (44.2% v/s 2.2%; p-value <0.0001). The mean logistic euroSCORE was 3.94 in males and 5.51 in females (p<0.0003). On-pump and off-pump CABG was carried out in equal numbers in two groups. Females required urgent surgery and less than 3 grafts more frequently while males underwent elective surgery and more than 3 grafts in greater numbers. No significant difference was present between the two gender groups in aortic occlusion times and bypass times. Univariant analysis revealed females gender as an independent risk factor for higher in-hospital mortality (1.1% versus 4.9% p=0.0026) and higher incidence of post-operative complications like surgical wound infection, need for prolonged ventilation, low cardiac output state and multi-organ failure (p-values 0.01 or less).ConclusionFemale gender is an independent predictor of adverse outcome after isolated CABG due to significantly higher co-morbidities and acute presentation and independent of their peri-operative management. Therefore, major socioeconomic education and preventive measures are needed to reduce the burden of major co-morbidities in females and to seek early cardiac advice and care

Osteite frontale post-sinusitique: Etude rétrospective à propos de 31 cas

Objective : Post-sinusitic frontal osteitis is defined as an extension of frontal sinus infection to the adjacent bony structures. It is an emergency that should rapidly be diagnosed and treated. The aim of this study is to analyze epidemiologic, clinical and paraclinical features, and to review different therapeutic modalities of this disease.Materials and methods : We carry a retrospective study about 31 patients diagnosed and treated between 1996 and 2010. All patients underwent complete ENT and neurological examination, biological investigations, sino-nasal and cerebral CT scan. Antibiotherapy was administrated intravenously. Surgical drainage of the frontal sinus was performed eitherby trephination, by osteoplastic flap confection, or by Lemoyne drain placement. Endonasal drainage consisted of middle meatotomy with anterior ethmoidectomy. Frontal sinus cranialisation was performed with coronal approach. Evolution was assessed on clinical, biological and radiological criteria.Results : Mean age was 24,4 years (8-62 years) and sex-ratio 4,16. Frontal headache (10 cases) and intracranial hypertension signs (8 cases) were the most frequent functional symptoms. Frontal tumefaction was noted in 9 patients, associated in 5 cases with orbital tumefaction of the internal eye angle. Rhinological signs were essentially purulent rhinorrhea(9 cases) and nasal obstruction (5 cases). Nasal endoscopy showed purulent secretions at themiddlemeatus in 12 cases. CT scan revealed a typical aspect of frontal osteitis with bony lysis. A sub-periostal abscess was associated in 7 patients. Intracranial extension was noted in 15 cases and orbital extension in 7 cases. Bacteriological examination was positivein 8 cases. Most frequent bacteria were streptococcus and staphylococcus aureus (3 cases each). Antibiotic therapy was initially administrated in all cases. Concerning initial surgical treatment, 9 patients underwent frontaldrainage and 2 others orbital drainage. On the other hand, 4 patients underwent only sub-periostal abscess drainage. This one was associated with cranialisation in another case. For patients having endocranial complications, empyema drainage was realized in 14 cases, associed in 6 of them with cranialisation. Cerebral abscess drainage was performedin one other patient. Clinical and radiological evolution was favourable in 24 patients (77,4%). The seven other patients were reoperated because of persistence or aggravation of clinical symptoms. Later evolution was favourable.Conclusion : Post-sinusitic frontal osteitis a rare and serious affection. Diagnosis, based on clinical and radiological features, should be early made. Adequate treatment have to be instituted to prevent life-threatening complications.Keywords : osteitis, frontal sinus, sinusitis, computed tomography, drainage, cranialisatio

First Principle Study and Optimal Doping for High Thermoelectric Performance of TaXSn Materials (X = Co, Ir and Rh)

In this paper, the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method implemented in the WIEN2K code with first principles-based density functional theory are used to investigate the structural, elastic, electronic and thermoelectric properties of TaCoSn, TaIrSn and TaRhSn. The structural and elastic constants are calculated using the generalized gradient potential developed by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (GGA-PBEsol). The electronic structures are performed by means of GGA-PBEsol and improved by TranBlaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential. Our results show that the studied compounds are semiconductors with indirect gaps. On the other hand, we investigated the thermoelectric properties at different temperatures with respect to the chemical potential. The results show that the thermopower factors are more important for p-type doping than those for n-type doping and the maximum value of these factors indicates the optimal hole-doping level which gives rise to high thermoelectric performances of these materials. Finally, we note that the best thermopower values are found for the TaRhSn compound with optimal doping levels of (75.76, 175.60 and 238.92) x 1014 µW cm – 1 K – 2 s – 1 at temperatures of 300, 600, and 900 K, respectively

Draft Genome Sequencing and Comparative Analysis of Aspergillus sojae NBRC4239

We conducted genome sequencing of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus sojae NBRC4239 isolated from the koji used to prepare Japanese soy sauce. We used the 454 pyrosequencing technology and investigated the genome with respect to enzymes and secondary metabolites in comparison with other Aspergilli sequenced. Assembly of 454 reads generated a non-redundant sequence of 39.5-Mb possessing 13 033 putative genes and 65 scaffolds composed of 557 contigs. Of the 2847 open reading frames with Pfam domain scores of >150 found in A. sojae NBRC4239, 81.7% had a high degree of similarity with the genes of A. oryzae. Comparative analysis identified serine carboxypeptidase and aspartic protease genes unique to A. sojae NBRC4239. While A. oryzae possessed three copies of α-amyalse gene, A. sojae NBRC4239 possessed only a single copy. Comparison of 56 gene clusters for secondary metabolites between A. sojae NBRC4239 and A. oryzae revealed that 24 clusters were conserved, whereas 32 clusters differed between them that included a deletion of 18 508 bp containing mfs1, mao1, dmaT, and pks-nrps for the cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) biosynthesis, explaining the no productivity of CPA in A. sojae. The A. sojae NBRC4239 genome data will be useful to characterize functional features of the koji moulds used in Japanese industries

Drivers of genetic diversity in secondary metabolic gene clusters within a fungal species

Drivers of genetic diversity in secondary metabolic gene clusters within a fungal speciesFilamentous fungi produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites (SMs) critical for defense, virulence, and communication. The metabolic pathways that produce SMs are found in contiguous gene clusters in fungal genomes, an atypical arrangement for metabolic pathways in other eukaryotes. Comparative studies of filamentous fungal species have shown that SM gene clusters are often either highly divergent or uniquely present in one or a handful of species, hampering efforts to determine the genetic basis and evolutionary drivers of SM gene cluster divergence. Here, we examined SM variation in 66 cosmopolitan strains of a single species, the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Investigation of genome-wide within-species variation revealed 5 general types of variation in SM gene clusters: nonfunctional gene polymorphisms; gene gain and loss polymorphisms; whole cluster gain and loss polymorphisms; allelic polymorphisms, in which different alleles corresponded to distinct, nonhomologous clusters; and location polymorphisms, in which a cluster was found to differ in its genomic location across strains. These polymorphisms affect the function of representative A. fumigatus SM gene clusters, such as those involved in the production of gliotoxin, fumigaclavine, and helvolic acid as well as the function of clusters with undefined products. In addition to enabling the identification of polymorphisms, the detection of which requires extensive genome-wide synteny conservation (e.g., mobile gene clusters and nonhomologous cluster alleles), our approach also implicated multiple underlying genetic drivers, including point mutations, recombination, and genomic deletion and insertion events as well as horizontal gene transfer from distant fungi. Finally, most of the variants that we uncover within A. fumigatus have been previously hypothesized to contribute to SM gene cluster diversity across entire fungal classes and phyla. We suggest that the drivers of genetic diversity operating within a fungal species shown here are sufficient to explain SM cluster macroevolutionary patterns.National Science Foundation (grant number DEB-1442113). Received by AR. U.S. National Library of Medicine training grant (grant number 2T15LM007450). Received by ALL. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientı´fico e 573 Tecnológico. Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (grant number NORTE-01- 0145-FEDER-000013). Received by FR. Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do 572 Estado de São Paulo. Received by GHG. National Institutes of Health (grant number R01 AI065728-01). Received by NPK. National Science Foundation (grant number IOS-1401682). Received by JHW. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio