3,566 research outputs found
The solution space of metabolic networks: producibility, robustness and fluctuations
Flux analysis is a class of constraint-based approaches to the study of
biochemical reaction networks: they are based on determining the reaction flux
configurations compatible with given stoichiometric and thermodynamic
constraints. One of its main areas of application is the study of cellular
metabolic networks. We briefly and selectively review the main approaches to
this problem and then, building on recent work, we provide a characterization
of the productive capabilities of the metabolic network of the bacterium E.coli
in a specified growth medium in terms of the producible biochemical species.
While a robust and physiologically meaningful production profile clearly
emerges (including biomass components, biomass products, waste etc.), the
underlying constraints still allow for significant fluctuations even in key
metabolites like ATP and, as a consequence, apparently lay the ground for very
different growth scenarios.Comment: 10 pages, prepared for the Proceedings of the International Workshop
on Statistical-Mechanical Informatics, March 7-10, 2010, Kyoto, Japa
Symbolic computation of exact solutions expressible in hyperbolic and elliptic functions for nonlinear PDEs
Algorithms are presented for the tanh- and sech-methods, which lead to
closed-form solutions of nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations
(ODEs and PDEs). New algorithms are given to find exact polynomial solutions of
ODEs and PDEs in terms of Jacobi's elliptic functions.
For systems with parameters, the algorithms determine the conditions on the
parameters so that the differential equations admit polynomial solutions in
tanh, sech, combinations thereof, Jacobi's sn or cn functions. Examples
illustrate key steps of the algorithms.
The new algorithms are implemented in Mathematica. The package
DDESpecialSolutions.m can be used to automatically compute new special
solutions of nonlinear PDEs. Use of the package, implementation issues, scope,
limitations, and future extensions of the software are addressed.
A survey is given of related algorithms and symbolic software to compute
exact solutions of nonlinear differential equations.Comment: 39 pages. Software available from Willy Hereman's home page at
http://www.mines.edu/fs_home/whereman
Facing the small aortic root in aortic valve replacement: Enlarge or not enlarge?
In patients with severe aortic stenosis, aortic valve replacement (AVR) should aim to implant a prosthesis of adequate size to effectively eliminate left ventricular obstruction and avoid the risk of patientâprosthesis mismatch (PPM). PPM has been demonstrated to be associated with increased mortality, decreased exercise tolerance, and reduced left ventricular mass regression after AVR for aortic stenosis
GPS time series at Campi Flegrei caldera (2000-2013)
The Campi Flegrei caldera is an active volcanic system associated to a high volcanic risk, and represents a well known and peculiar example of ground deformations (bradyseism), characterized by intense uplift periods, followed by subsidence phases with some episodic superimposed mini-uplifts. Ground deformation is an important volcanic precursor, and, its continuous monitoring, is one of the main tool for short time forecast
of eruptive activity. This paper provides an overview of the continuous GPS monitoring of the Campi Flegrei caldera from January 2000 to July 2013, including network operations, data recording and processing, and data products. In this period the GPS time series allowed continuous and accurate tracking of ground deformation of the area. Seven main
uplift episodes were detected, and during each uplift period, the recurrent horizontal displacement pattern, radial from the âcaldera centerâ, suggests no significant change in deformation source geometry and location occurs. The complete archive of GPS time series at Campi Flegrei area is
reported in the Supplementary materials. These data can be usefull for the scientific community in improving the research on Campi Flegrei caldera dynamic and hazard assessment
The effect of silica nanoparticles on the morphology, mechanical properties and thermal degradation kinetics of polycarbonate
Polycarbonate/silica nanocomposites with different silica quantities were prepared by a melt compounding
method. The effect of silica amount, in the range 1\u20135 wt.%, on the morphology, mechanical properties
and thermal degradation kinetics of polycarbonate (PC) was investigated. Clusters of silica nanoparticles
were well dispersed in the polycarbonate whose structure remained amorphous. NMR results showed
intermolecular interactions involving the carbonyl groups of different polymeric chains which did not
affect the intramolecular rotational motions. The presence of the lowest silica content showed a decrease
in the storage and loss moduli below the glass transition temperature, probably due to a plasticization
effect. However, an increase in the amount of silica increased the moduli. The presence of silica in PC
slightly increased the thermal stability, except for the highest silica content which showed a decrease.
The activation energies of thermal degradation for the nanocomposites depended on the amount of silica
and on the degree of conversion
Occurrence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus Strains Isolated from Mares with Fertility Problems
Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), is a ÎČ-hemolytic Streptococcus belonging to the Lancefield group C; it is a rare human pathogen, but in horses, it is frequently associated with endometritis. This study aimed to isolate S. zooepidemicus strains, associated with bacterial endometritis in mares, and to define their antimicrobial resistance profile. Twenty-three isolates were recovered from one hundred ninety-six equine uterine swabs (11.7%). Bacterial identification was carried out by Api 20 Strep and confirmed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), while antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar plates. The antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates revealed a high percentage of resistance to amikacin (95.6%), ampicillin (73.9%) and tetracycline (69.6%), while ceftiofur and ceftriaxone were highly effective with 82.6% and 78.3% of the isolates inhibited, respectively. An intriguing value of resistance to penicillin (34.8%), which represents the first-choice antibiotic in equine S. zooepidemicus infections, was observed. Furthermore, a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains (82.6%) was recorded. Continuous surveillance of this potential zoonotic pathogen and an appropriate antimicrobial stewardship program with the promotion of correct use of antimicrobials, after a proper diagnosis, are needed to allow an effective therapy
EUVE J0425.6-5714: A Newly Discovered AM Herculis Star
We detected a new AM Her star serendipitously in a 25 day observation with
the EUVE satellite. A coherent period of 85.82 min is present in the EUVE Deep
Survey imager light curve of this source. A spectroscopic identification is
made with a 19th magnitude blue star that has H and He emission lines, and
broad cyclotron humps typical of a magnetic cataclysmic variable. A lower limit
to the polar magnetic field of 46 MG is estimated from the spacing of the
cyclotron harmonics. EUVE J0425.6-5714 is also detected in archival ROSAT HRI
observations spanning two months, and its stable and highly structured light
curve permits us to fit a coherent ephemeris linking the ROSAT and EUVE data
over a 1.3 yr gap. The derived period is 85.82107 +/- 0.00020 min, and the
ephemeris should be accurate to 0.1 cycles until the year 2005. A narrow but
partial X-ray eclipse suggests that this object belongs to the group of Am Her
stars whose viewing geometry is such that the accretion stream periodically
occults the soft X-ray emitting accretion spot on the surface of the white
dwarf. A non-detection of hard X-rays from ASCA observations that are
contemporaneous with the ROSAT HRI shows that the soft X-rays must dominate by
at least an order of magnitude, which is consistent with a known trend among AM
Her stars with large magnetic field. This object should not be confused with
the Seyfert galaxy 1H 0419-577 (= LB 1727), another X-ray/EUV source which lies
only 4' away, and was the principal target of these monitoring observations.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, to appear in PASP, Dec. 1998 issu
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