Holomorphic linearization of commuting germs of holomorphic maps

Let $f_1, ..., f_h$ be $h\ge 2$ germs of biholomorphisms of \C^n fixing the origin. We investigate the shape a (formal) simultaneous linearization of the given germs can have, and we prove that if $f_1, ..., f_h$ commute and their linear parts are almost simultaneously Jordanizable then they are simultaneously formally linearizable. We next introduce a simultaneous Brjuno-type condition and prove that, in case the linear terms of the germs are diagonalizable, if the germs commutes and our Brjuno-type condition holds, then they are holomorphically simultaneously linerizable. This answers to a multi-dimensional version of a problem raised by Moser.Comment: 24 pages; final version with erratum (My original paper failed to cite the work of L. Stolovitch [ArXiv:math/0506052v2]); J. Geom. Anal. 201

A review of the current knowledge on Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Africa, with a list of species included in Zeugodacus

Published online 2015 Nov 26This paper reviews all available information regarding the occurrence and biology of the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), in the Afrotropical Region, including data on invasion history, distribution patterns, population genetics, host range, and interspecific competition. Although limited intraspecific variability has been observed within the region regarding the above mentioned aspects, there seems to be no indication that Zeugodacus cucurbitae represents a species complex. A checklist of all of the species included in Zeugodacus as recently proposed by Virgilio et al. (2015) is provided

A new silverleaf inducing biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Ms, indigenous for the islands of the South West Indian Ocean

Following the first detection of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) from Réunion (700 km east of Madagascar) in 1997 and the upsurge of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on vegetable crops, two genetic types of B. tabaci were distinguished using RAPD¿PCR and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequence comparisons. One type was assigned to biotype B and the other was genetically dissimilar to the populations described elsewhere and was named Ms, after the Mascarenes Archipelago. This new genetic type forms a distinct group that is sister to two other groups, one to which the B biotype is a member and one to which the Q biotype belongs. The Ms biotype is thought to be indigenous to the region as it was also detected in Mauritius, the Seychelles and Madagascar. Both B and Ms populations of B. tabaci induced silverleaf symptoms on Cucurbita sp., and were able to acquire and transmit TYLCV. Taken together these results indicate that the Ms genetic type should be considered a new biotype of B. tabac

Modelling adult Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus survival at different temperatures in laboratory and field settings.

BACKGROUND: The survival of adult female Aedes mosquitoes is a critical component of their ability to transmit pathogens such as dengue viruses. One of the principal determinants of Aedes survival is temperature, which has been associated with seasonal changes in Aedes populations and limits their geographical distribution. The effects of temperature and other sources of mortality have been studied in the field, often via mark-release-recapture experiments, and under controlled conditions in the laboratory. Survival results differ and reconciling predictions between the two settings has been hindered by variable measurements from different experimental protocols, lack of precision in measuring survival of free-ranging mosquitoes, and uncertainty about the role of age-dependent mortality in the field. METHODS: Here we apply generalised additive models to data from 351 published adult Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus survival experiments in the laboratory to create survival models for each species across their range of viable temperatures. These models are then adjusted to estimate survival at different temperatures in the field using data from 59 Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus field survivorship experiments. The uncertainty at each stage of the modelling process is propagated through to provide confidence intervals around our predictions. RESULTS: Our results indicate that adult Ae. albopictus has higher survival than Ae. aegypti in the laboratory and field, however, Ae. aegypti can tolerate a wider range of temperatures. A full breakdown of survival by age and temperature is given for both species. The differences between laboratory and field models also give insight into the relative contributions to mortality from temperature, other environmental factors, and senescence and over what ranges these factors can be important. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the importance of producing site-specific mosquito survival estimates. By including fluctuating temperature regimes, our models provide insight into seasonal patterns of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus population dynamics that may be relevant to seasonal changes in dengue virus transmission. Our models can be integrated with Aedes and dengue modelling efforts to guide and evaluate vector control, better map the distribution of disease and produce early warning systems for dengue epidemics

Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 2: A bibliographic analysis

The official published version of the article can be found at the link below.Background There are strong arguments for social science and interdisciplinary research in the neglected tropical diseases. These diseases represent a rich and dynamic interplay between vector, host, and pathogen which occurs within social, physical and biological contexts. The overwhelming sense, however, is that neglected tropical diseases research is a biomedical endeavour largely excluding the social sciences. The purpose of this review is to provide a baseline for discussing the quantum and nature of the science that is being conducted, and the extent to which the social sciences are a part of that. Methods A bibliographic analysis was conducted of neglected tropical diseases related research papers published over the past 10 years in biomedical and social sciences. The analysis had textual and bibliometric facets, and focussed on chikungunya, dengue, visceral leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis. Results There is substantial variation in the number of publications associated with each disease. The proportion of the research that is social science based appears remarkably consistent (<4%). A textual analysis, however, reveals a degree of misclassification by the abstracting service where a surprising proportion of the "social sciences" research was pure clinical research. Much of the social sciences research also tends to be "hand maiden" research focused on the implementation of biomedical solutions. Conclusion There is little evidence that scientists pay any attention to the complex social, cultural, biological, and environmental dynamic involved in human pathogenesis. There is little investigator driven social science and a poor presence of interdisciplinary science. The research needs more sophisticated funders and priority setters who are not beguiled by uncritical biomedical promises

Effects of TGF-β1 and IGF-1 on proliferation of human nucleus pulposus cells in medium with different serum concentrations

BACKGROUND: The low proliferative viability of human nucleus pulposus(NP) cells is considered as a cause of intervertebral discs degeneration. Growth factors, such as TGF-β1 and IGF-1, have been implicated in cell proliferation and matrix synthesis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dose-response and time-course effect of transforming growth factorβ1(TGF-β1) and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) on proliferation of NP cells. STUDY DESIGN: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) is reduced by dehydrogenase in mitochondria of live cells. The proliferative viability of cells corresponds to the amount of MTT reduced, which is measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay plate reader. In this study, we assessed dose- and time-dependent effects of NP cells to TGF-β1 and IGF-1 in medium with different serum concentrations by MTT assay. METHODS: After release of informed consent, tissue samples of NP were obtained from anterior surgical procedures performed on five donors with idiopathic scoliosis. Isolated cells were cultured in F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum(FBS). Cells were seeded in 96-well plates at 1 × 10(3 )cells/well. After synchronization, medium was replaced by F12 containing 1% or 10% FBS with either single or combination of TGF-β1 and IGF-1. Dose-response and time-course effect were examined by MTT assay. RESULTS: In the presence of 1% FBS, the response to IGF-1 was less striking, whereas TGF-β1 had a remarkably stimulating effect on cell proliferation. In 10% FBS, both of the two growth factors had statistical significant mitogenic effects, especially TGF-β1. The dose-dependent effect of TGF and IGF on cell proliferation was found within different concentrations of each growth factor(TGF-β1 1–10 μg/L, IGF-1 10–100 μg/L). The time-course effect showed a significant elevation three days later. CONCLUSION: TGF-β1 and IGF-1 were efficient to stimulate cell proliferation of human NP cells in vitro with a dose- and time-dependent manner. These results support the therapeutic potentials of the two growth factors in the treatment of disc degeneration

Avoiding failures during building construction using structural fuses as load limiters on temporary shoring structures

[EN] The risk of structural failure of buildings can be significant during construction. Temporary adjustable telescopic steel shores or props are commonly used in building construction. The failure of shores is sudden and therefore structural fuses as load limiters (LL) can be introduced to provide ductility in the temporary member for a specified limit failure load. Previous work by the authors showed that the design of shoring systems can be improved using LL for standard cases of imposed loads applied during construction. This paper extends this work to cases of accidental loading where the shoring system-permanent structure interaction is less known. The main principles of LLs are discussed and implemented in advanced numerical simulations of a real case RC building during construction by means of explicit nonlinear dynamic finite element analyses. Different local failure scenarios were investigated corresponding to cases observed in practice. The comparison of the numerical results obtained with and without LLs demonstrated for the first time the benefits of using LLs in terms of: (a) mitigating the risk of failure of the temporary structure; and (b) reducing permanent damage (cracking and short-term deflections in the slab) affecting the durability and functionality of the building.The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport for funding received under: (a) the FPU Program [FPU13/02466] and complementary funding received for a stay at the University of Surrey (UK), and (b) the Mobility Program (Salvador de Madariaga 2017) of the Promotion of Talent and Employability within the state s Research & Innovation Program 2013 2016 [PRX17/00302]. The authors would also like to thank the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) for funding received [GV/2015/063], Dr. P. Olmati, who developed the preliminary FE model of the structure at the operational stage as part of a project sponsored by the EPSRC (UK) Impact Acceleration Account held by the University of Surrey [Grant Ref: EP/K503939] linked to a previous project funded by the EPSRC [Grant Ref: EP/K008153/1], and Dr. J. Asensi for providing the photograph included in Fig. 1.Buitrago, M.; Sagaseta, J.; Adam, JM. (2020). Avoiding failures during building construction using structural fuses as load limiters on temporary shoring structures. Engineering Structures. 204:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.109906S11620

The NIDDK Central Repository at 8 years—Ambition, Revision, Use and Impact

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Central Repository makes data and biospecimens from NIDDK-funded research available to the broader scientific community. It thereby facilitates: the testing of new hypotheses without new data or biospecimen collection; pooling data across several studies to increase statistical power; and informative genetic analyses using the Repository’s well-curated phenotypic data. This article describes the initial database plan for the Repository and its revision using a simpler model. Among the lessons learned were the trade-offs between the complexity of a database design and the costs in time and money of implementation; the importance of integrating consent documents into the basic design; the crucial need for linkage files that associate biospecimen IDs with the masked subject IDs used in deposited data sets; and the importance of standardized procedures to test the integrity data sets prior to distribution. The Repository is currently tracking 111 ongoing NIDDK-funded studies many of which include genotype data, and it houses over 5 million biospecimens of more than 25 types including serum, plasma, stool, urine, DNA, red blood cells, buffy coat and tissue. Repository resources have supported a range of biochemical, clinical, statistical and genetic research (188 external requests for clinical data and 31 for biospecimens have been approved or are pending). Genetic research has included GWAS, validation studies, development of methods to improve statistical power of GWAS and testing of new statistical methods for genetic research. We anticipate that the future impact of the Repository’s resources on biomedical research will be enhanced by (i) cross-listing of Repository biospecimens in additional searchable databases and biobank catalogs; (ii) ongoing deployment of new applications for querying the contents of the Repository; and (iii) increased harmonization of procedures, data collection strategies, questionnaires etc. across both research studies and within the vocabularies used by different repositories