1,489 research outputs found
Aggregative movement and front propagation for bi-stable population models
Front propagation for the aggregation-diffusion-reaction equation is investigated, where f is a bi-stable reaction-term and D(v) is a diffusion coefficient with changing sign, modeling aggregating-diffusing processes. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of traveling wave solutions and classify them according to how or if they attain their equilibria at finite times. We also show that the dynamics can exhibit the phenomena of finite speed of propagation and/or finite speed of saturation
Diffusion-aggregation processes with mono-stable reaction terms
This paper analyses front propagation of the equation
where is a monostable (ie Fisher-type) nonlinear reaction term and changes its sign once, from positive to negative values,in the interval where the process is studied. This model equation accounts for simultaneous diffusive and aggregative behaviors of a population dynamic depending on the population density at time and position . The existence of infinitely many travelling wave solutions is proven. These fronts are parametrized by their wave speed and monotonically connect the stationary states u = 0 and v = 1. In the degenerate case, i.e. when D(0) and/or D(1) = 0, sharp profiles appear, corresponding to the minimum wave speed. They also have new behaviors, in addition to those already observed in diffusive models, since they can be right compactly supported, left compactly supported, or both. The dynamics can exhibit, respectively, the phenomena of finite speed of propagation, finite speed of saturation, or both
Harmonization of design-based mapping for spatial populations
The mapping of a survey variable throughout a continuum or for finite populations of units is usually performed from a model-dependent perspective. Nevertheless, when a sample of locations/units is selected by a probabilistic sampling scheme, the complex task of modelling can be avoided by using the inverse distance weighting interpolator and deriving the properties of maps in a design-based perspective. Conditions ensuring consistency of maps can be derived mainly based on some obvious assumptions about the pattern of the survey variable throughout the study region as well from the feature of the sampling scheme adopted to select locations/units. Nevertheless, in a design-based setting the totals of the survey variable for a set of domains partitioning the study region are commonly estimated by traditional estimators such as the Horvitz–Thompson estimator in the case of finite populations or the Monte-Carlo estimator in the case of continuous populations or by related estimators exploiting the information of auxiliary variables. That necessarily gives rise to different total estimates with respect to those achieved from the resulting maps as the sum of the interpolated values within domains. To obtain non-discrepant results, a harmonization of maps is here suggested, in such a way that the resulting totals arising from maps coincide with those achieved by traditional estimation. The capacity of the harmonization procedure to maintain consistency is argued theoretically and checked by a simulation study performed on some real population
Harmonization of design-based mapping for spatial populations
The mapping of a survey variable throughout a continuum or for finite populations of units is usually performed from a model-dependent perspective. Nevertheless, when a sample of locations/units is selected by a probabilistic sampling scheme, the complex task of modelling can be avoided by using the inverse distance weighting interpolator and deriving the properties of maps in a design-based perspective. Conditions ensuring consistency of maps can be derived mainly based on some obvious assumptions about the pattern of the survey variable throughout the study region as well from the feature of the sampling scheme adopted to select locations/units. Nevertheless, in a design-based setting the totals of the survey variable for a set of domains partitioning the study region are commonly estimated by traditional estimators such as the Horvitz–Thompson estimator in the case of finite populations or the Monte-Carlo estimator in the case of continuous populations or by related estimators exploiting the information of auxiliary variables. That necessarily gives rise to different total estimates with respect to those achieved from the resulting maps as the sum of the interpolated values within domains. To obtain non-discrepant results, a harmonization of maps is here suggested, in such a way that the resulting totals arising from maps coincide with those achieved by traditional estimation. The capacity of the harmonization procedure to maintain consistency is argued theoretically and checked by a simulation study performed on some real populations
Attenuation of choroidal tickness in patients with Alzheimer disease: evidence from an Italian prospective study
INTRODUCTION: To compare the 12-month choroidal thickness (CT) change between
Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and normal subjects.
METHODS: In this prospective, observational study, 39 patients with a diagnosis
of mild to moderate AD and 39 age-matched control subjects were included. All the
subjects underwent neuropsychological (Mini Mental State Examination, Alzheimer
disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, and the Clinical Dementia Rating
Scale) and ophthalmological evaluation, including spectral domain optical
coherence tomography, at baseline and after 12 months. CT was measured manually
using the caliper tool of the optical coherence tomography device.
RESULTS: After 12 months, AD patients had a greater reduction of CT than controls
(P≤0.05, adjusted for baseline CT, age, sex, axial length, and smoking).
DISCUSSION: CT in patients with AD showed a rate of thinning greater than what
could be expected during the natural course of aging
First Ex Vivo Animal Study of a Biological Heart Valve Prosthesis Sensorized with Intravalvular Impedance
IntraValvular Impedance (IVI) sensing is an innovative concept for monitoring heart valve prostheses after implant. We recently demonstrated IVI sensing feasible in vitro for biological heart valves (BHVs). In this study, for the first time, we investigate ex vivo the IVI sensing applied to a BHV when it is surrounded by biological tissue, similar to a real implant condition. A commercial model of BHV was sensorized with three miniaturized electrodes embedded in the commissures of the valve leaflets and connected to an external impedance measurement unit. To perform ex vivo animal tests, the sensorized BHV was implanted in the aortic position of an explanted porcine heart, which was connected to a cardiac BioSimulator platform. The IVI signal was recorded in different dynamic cardiac conditions reproduced with the BioSimulator, varying the cardiac cycle rate and the stroke volume. For each condition, the maximum percent variation in the IVI signal was evaluated and compared. The IVI signal was also processed to calculate its first derivative (dIVI/dt), which should reflect the rate of the valve leaflets opening/closing. The results demonstrated that the IVI signal is well detectable when the sensorized BHV is surrounded by biological tissue, maintaining the similar increasing/decreasing trend that was found during in vitro experiments. The signal can also be informative on the rate of valve opening/closing, as indicated by the changes in dIVI/dt in different dynamic cardiac conditions
An Update of Eyeglasses-Supported Nasal–Facial Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Cancer Patients with Post-Surgical Complications: A Case Report
Featured Application: This case report aims to describe an update of the digital protocol for the fabrication of a facial prosthesis for those patients who cannot be rehabilitated with plastic surgery because of post-surgical complications after maxillofacial surgery. In detail, it describes the application of the digital protocol to a mid-facial defect. The innovation proposed is oriented to simplify the procedures and reduce the time and cost of the process, aiming to recover the quality of life of inoperable patients. This case report aims to describe novel steps in the digital design/manufacturing of facial prostheses for cancer patients with wide inoperable residual defects, with a focus on a case of a mid-facial defect. A facial scanner was used to make an impression of the post-surgical residual defect and to digitalize it. The daughter’s face scan was used for reconstructing the missing anatomy. Using 3D printing technologies, try-in prototypes were produced in silicone material. The substructure was laser melted. The final prosthesis was relined directly onto the patient’s defect. The prosthesis resulted in a very low weight and a high elasticity of the external margins. The laser-melted substructure ensured the necessary rigidity with minimum thickness
Adiabatic Evolution of Low-Temperature Many-Body Systems
We consider finite-range, many-body fermionic lattice models and we study the evolution of their thermal equilibrium state after introducing a weak and slowly varying time-dependent perturbation. Under suitable assumptions on the external driving, we derive a representation for the average of the evolution of local observables via a convergent expansion in the perturbation, for small enough temperatures. Convergence holds for a range of parameters that is uniform in the size of the system. Under a spectral gap assumption on the unperturbed Hamiltonian, convergence is also uniform in temperature. As an application, our expansion allows us to prove closeness of the time-evolved state to the instantaneous Gibbs state of the perturbed system, in the sense of expectation of local observables, at zero and at small temperatures. As a corollary, we also establish the validity of linear response. Our strategy is based on a rigorous version of the Wick rotation, which allows us to represent the Duhamel expansion for the real-time dynamics in terms of Euclidean correlation functions, for which precise decay estimates are proved using fermionic cluster expansion
Adiabatic Evolution of Low-Temperature Many-Body Systems
We consider finite-range, many-body fermionic lattice models and we study the
evolution of their thermal equilibrium state after introducing a weak and
slowly varying time-dependent perturbation. Under suitable assumptions on the
external driving, we derive a representation for the average of the evolution
of local observables via a convergent expansion in the perturbation, for small
enough temperatures. Convergence holds for a range of parameters that is
uniform in the size of the system. Under a spectral gap assumption on the
unperturbed Hamiltonian, convergence is also uniform in temperature. As an
application, our expansion allows us to prove closeness of the time-evolved
state to the instantaneous Gibbs state of the perturbed system, in the sense of
expectation of local observables, at zero and at small temperatures. As a
corollary, we also establish the validity of linear response. Our strategy is
based on a rigorous version of the Wick rotation, which allows us to represent
the Duhamel expansion for the real-time dynamics in terms of Euclidean
correlation functions, for which precise decay estimates are proved using
fermionic cluster expansion.Comment: The introduction and the discussion after the main result have been
improved, minor corrections. We added a new corollary, about the stronger
adiabatic convergence for switch functions with derivatives vanishing at
zero. 61 page
Scattering by Interstellar Dust Grains. II. X-Rays
Scattering and absorption of X-rays by interstellar dust is calculated for a
model consisting of carbonaceous grains and amorphous silicate grains. The
calculations employ realistic dielectric functions with structure near X-ray
absorption edges, with resulting features in absorption, scattering, and
extinction.
Differential scattering cross sections are calculated for energies between
0.3 and 10 keV. The median scattering angle is given as a function of energy,
and simple but accurate approximations are found for the X-ray scattering
properties of the dust mixture, as well as for the angular distribution of the
scattered X-ray halo for dust with simple spatial distributions. Observational
estimates of the X-ray scattering optical depth are compared to model
predictions. Observations of X-ray halos to test interstellar dust grain models
are best carried out using extragalactic point sources.Comment: ApJ, accepted. 27 pages, 12 figures. Much of this material was
previously presented in astro-ph/0304060v1,v2,v3 but has been separated into
the present article following recommendation by the refere
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