11,034 research outputs found
Propagating and evanescent internal waves in a deep ocean model
We present experimental and computational studies of the propagation of
internal waves in a stratified fluid with an exponential density profile that
models the deep ocean. The buoyancy frequency profile (proportional to
the square root of the density gradient) varies smoothly by more than an order
of magnitude over the fluid depth, as is common in the deep ocean. The
nonuniform stratification is characterized by a turning depth , where
is equal to the wave frequency and .
Internal waves reflect from the turning depth and become evanescent below the
turning depth. The energy flux below the turning depth is shown to decay
exponentially with a decay constant given by , which is the horizontal
wavenumber at the turning depth. The viscous decay of the vertical velocity
amplitude of the incoming and reflected waves above the turning depth agree
within a few percent with a previously untested theory for a fluid of arbitrary
stratification [Kistovich and Chashechkin, J. App. Mech. Tech. Phys. 39,
729-737 (1998)].Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 4 table
Morphological and molecular identification of a strain of the unicellular green alga Dunaliella sp. isolated from Tarquinia Salterns
1 - Algae of the genus Dunaliella are among the most studied micro-algae. They are used for the production of feed, for nutritional reinforcement as a vitamin A precursor and for pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. 2 - The current taxonomy of the genus is based on morphological and physiological attributes including the ability of some species to grow over wide salinity ranges and at extreme salinities, as well as the accumulation of high levels of â-carotene. The taxonomic status of the genus Dunaliella involves some uncertainty, moreover it is very difficult to compare results from different authors, owing to uncertainty on names and species. 3 - In this work, we compare morphological and molecular analysis to characterize a strain of Dunaliella isolated from Tarquinia salt ponds. Samples of natural populations of the unicellular green alga, were collected at various times during the study period to detail the vegetative motile cells and the different stages of its life cycle microscopically. The ITS1 and ITS2 regions were used for the molecular identification analysis. Conserved oligonucleotides of 18S rDNAs (MA3) and speciesspecific primers (DSs), designed from variable sequences, were used to corroborate the identification. 4 - Blast results indicated that our sequences matched at the 100% level with Dunaliella salina Teod reported in Gen Bank. Consequently, based on comparative cell morphology and molecular analysis, the new Dunaliella isolate from Tarquinia salt ponds was classified as D. salina
Measurement of angular momentum transport in turbulent flow between independently rotating cylinders
We present measurements of the angular momentum flux (torque) in
Taylor-Couette flow of water between independently rotating cylinders for all
regions of the \(\Omega_1, \Omega_2\) parameter space at high Reynolds
numbers, where \(\Omega_2\) is the inner (outer) cylinder angular
velocity. We find that the Rossby number Ro = \(\Omega_1 -
\Omega_2\)/\Omega_2 fully determines the state and torque as compared to
G(Ro = \infty) \equiv \Gi. The ratio G/\Gi is a linear function of
in four sections of the parameter space. For flows with
radially-increasing angular momentum, our measured torques greatly exceed those
of previous experiments [Ji \textit{et al.}, Nature, \textbf{444}, 343 (2006)],
but agree with the analysis of Richard and Zahn [Astron. Astrophys.,
\textbf{347}, 734 (1999)].Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter
Infection levels and species diversity of ascaridoid nematodes in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, are correlated with geographic area and fish size
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is among the most important commercial fish species on the world market. Its
infection by ascaridoid nematodes has long been known, Pseudoterranova even being named cod worm. In the
present study, 755 individuals were sampled in the Barents, Baltic and North Seas during 2012–2014.
Prevalences for Anisakis in whole fish and in fillets in the different fishing areas varied from 16 to 100% and
from 12 to 90% respectively. Abundance was also greatly influenced by the sampling area. Generalized additive
model results indicate higher numbers of Anisakis in the North Sea, even after the larger body size was accounted
for. Numbers and prevalence of Anisakis were positively related to fish length or weight. The prevalence of
parasites in whole fish and in fillets was also influenced by the season, with the spring displaying a peak for the
prevalence in whole fish and, at the same time, a drop for the prevalence in fillets. Whereas 46% of cod had
Anisakis larvae in their fillets, the majority (39%) had parasites mainly in the ventral part of the fillet and only
12% had parasites in their dorsal part. This observation is of importance for the processing of the fish. Indeed,
the trimming of the ventral part of the cod fillet would allow the almost total elimination of ascaridoids except
for cod from the Baltic Sea where there was no difference between the dorsal and the ventral part.
The presence of other ascaridoid genera was also noticeable in some areas. For Pseudoterranova, the highest
prevalence (45%) in whole fish was observed in the Northern North Sea, whereas the other areas had prevalences between 3 and 16%. Contracaecum was present in every commercial size cod sampled in the Baltic Sea
with an intensity of up to 96 worms but no Contracaecum was isolated from the Central North Sea. Non-zoonotic
Hysterothylacium was absent from the Baltic Sea but with a prevalence of 83% in the Barents and the Northern
North Sea.
A subsample of worms was identified with genetic-molecular tools and assigned to the species A. simplex (s.s.),
A. pegreffii, P. decipiens (s.s.), P. krabbei, C. osculatum and H. aduncum. In addition to high prevalence and
abundance values, the cod sampled in this study presented a diversity of ascaridoid nematodes with a majority of
fish displaying a co-infection. Out of 295 whole infected fish, 269 were co-infected by at least 2 genera
No more time to stay ‘single’ in the detection of Anisakis pegreffii, A. simplex (s. s.) and hybridization events between them: a multi-marker nuclear genotyping approach
A multi-marker nuclear genotyping approach was performed on larval and adult specimens of Anisakis spp. (N = 689) collected from fish and cetaceans in allopatric and sympatric areas of the two species Anisakis pegreffii and Anisakis simplex
(s. s.), in order to: (1) identify specimens belonging to the parental taxa by using nuclear markers (allozymes loci) and sequence analysis of a new diagnostic nuclear DNA locus (i.e. partial sequence of the EF1 α−1 nDNA region) and (2) recognize hybrid categories. According to the Bayesian clustering algorithms, based on those markers, most of the individuals
(N = 678) were identified as the parental species [i.e. A. pegreffii or A. simplex (s. s.)], whereas a smaller portion (N = 11)
were recognized as F1 hybrids. Discordant results were obtained when using the polymerase chain reaction–restriction
fragment length polymorphisms (PCR–RFLPs) of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) on
the same specimens, which indicated the occurrence of a large number of ‘hybrids’ both in sympatry and allopatry.
These findings raise the question of possible misidentification of specimens belonging to the two parental Anisakis and
their hybrid categories derived from the application of that single marker (i.e. PCR–RFLPs analysis of the ITS of
rDNA). Finally, Bayesian clustering, using allozymes and EF1 α−1 nDNA markers, has demonstrated that hybridization
between A. pegreffii and A. simplex (s. s.) is a contemporary phenomenon in sympatric areas, while no introgressive hybridization takes place between the two species
Explicit characterization of the identity configuration in an Abelian Sandpile Model
Since the work of Creutz, identifying the group identities for the Abelian
Sandpile Model (ASM) on a given lattice is a puzzling issue: on rectangular
portions of Z^2 complex quasi-self-similar structures arise. We study the ASM
on the square lattice, in different geometries, and a variant with directed
edges. Cylinders, through their extra symmetry, allow an easy determination of
the identity, which is a homogeneous function. The directed variant on square
geometry shows a remarkable exact structure, asymptotically self-similar.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure
Rheology of mixed alginate-hyaluronan aqueous solutions
The present manuscript addresses the description of binary systems of hyaluronan (HA) and alginate (Alg) in semi-concentrated solution. The two polysaccharides were completely miscible in the entire range of relative weight fraction explored at a total polymer concentration of up to 3 % (w/V). The rheological study encompassed steady flow and mechanical spectra for HA/Alg systems at different weight fractions with hyaluronan at different molecular weights. These extensive analyses allowed us to propose a model for the molecular arrangement in solution that envisages a mutual exclusion between the two polysaccharides even though a clear phase separation does not occur. This result may have profound implications when biomaterials based on the combination of alginate and hyaluronan are proposed in the field of biomedical materials
Multiple verification in computational modeling of bone pathologies
We introduce a model checking approach to diagnose the emerging of bone
pathologies. The implementation of a new model of bone remodeling in PRISM has
led to an interesting characterization of osteoporosis as a defective bone
remodeling dynamics with respect to other bone pathologies. Our approach allows
to derive three types of model checking-based diagnostic estimators. The first
diagnostic measure focuses on the level of bone mineral density, which is
currently used in medical practice. In addition, we have introduced a novel
diagnostic estimator which uses the full patient clinical record, here
simulated using the modeling framework. This estimator detects rapid (months)
negative changes in bone mineral density. Independently of the actual bone
mineral density, when the decrease occurs rapidly it is important to alarm the
patient and monitor him/her more closely to detect insurgence of other bone
co-morbidities. A third estimator takes into account the variance of the bone
density, which could address the investigation of metabolic syndromes, diabetes
and cancer. Our implementation could make use of different logical combinations
of these statistical estimators and could incorporate other biomarkers for
other systemic co-morbidities (for example diabetes and thalassemia). We are
delighted to report that the combination of stochastic modeling with formal
methods motivate new diagnostic framework for complex pathologies. In
particular our approach takes into consideration important properties of
biosystems such as multiscale and self-adaptiveness. The multi-diagnosis could
be further expanded, inching towards the complexity of human diseases. Finally,
we briefly introduce self-adaptiveness in formal methods which is a key
property in the regulative mechanisms of biological systems and well known in
other mathematical and engineering areas.Comment: In Proceedings CompMod 2011, arXiv:1109.104
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