Autocatalytic reaction-diffusion processes in restricted geometries

We study the dynamics of a system made up of particles of two different species undergoing irreversible quadratic autocatalytic reactions: $A + B \to 2A$. We especially focus on the reaction velocity and on the average time at which the system achieves its inert state. By means of both analytical and numerical methods, we are also able to highlight the role of topology in the temporal evolution of the system

Universal features of information spreading efficiency on dd-dimensional lattices

A model for information spreading in a population of $N$ mobile agents is extended to $d$-dimensional regular lattices. This model, already studied on two-dimensional lattices, also takes into account the degeneration of information as it passes from one agent to the other. Here, we find that the structure of the underlying lattice strongly affects the time $\tau$ at which the whole population has been reached by information. By comparing numerical simulations with mean-field calculations, we show that dimension $d=2$ is marginal for this problem and mean-field calculations become exact for $d > 2$. Nevertheless, the striking nonmonotonic behavior exhibited by the final degree of information with respect to $N$ and the lattice size $L$ appears to be geometry independent.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Autocatalytic reaction-diffusion processes in restricted geometries

We study the dynamics of a system made up of particles of two different species undergoing irreversible quadratic autocatalytic reactions: $A + B \to 2A$. We especially focus on the reaction velocity and on the average time at which the system achieves its inert state. By means of both analytical and numerical methods, we are also able to highlight the role of topology in the temporal evolution of the system

Immobilization of β-galactosidase onto different water insoluble matrices

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Química e Biológica - Área de Conhecimento Engenharia Enzimática e das FermentaçõesEsta tese de Doutoramento é o resultado de um projecto de colaboração entre a Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brasil e a Universidade do Minho, Portugal, financiado pelo Programa Alßan de bolsas de estudo de alto nível destinado à América Latina. Lactases ou β-galactosidases (E.C. 3.2.1.23) são enzimas com um elevado interesse industrial quer na conversão da lactose em galactose e glicose quer na síntese de oligossacarídeos. O seu uso tem sido recomendado para hidrolisar a lactose no leite consumido por aqueles indivíduos com intolerância à lactose, na manufactura de sorvete e na produção de galactooliossacarídeos (GOS), compostos que se inserem nos denominados alimentos funcionais (pré-bióticos). A imobilização desta biomolécula em suportes de baixo custo, mediante procedimentos de fácil execução, pode potenciar a eficiência catalítica do derivado enzimático por causa da melhor estabilidade ao pH e temperatura, proporcionando deste modo, menores custos operacionais e aumentando suas aplicações biotecnológicas em indústrias de alimentos. O principal objectivo do trabalho desenvolvido foi avaliar a utilização de β-galactosidase imobilizada em diferentes matrizes insolúveis em água tanto na hidrólise da lactose como na síntese de GOS. No decorrer do trabalho, foram usados quatro suportes magnéticos: (1) polisiloxano-Álcool Polivinílico magnético – mPOS-PVA; (2) magnetita revestida com polianilina – MAG-PANI; (3) polisiloxano revestido com polianilina – POS-PANI e (4) Dacron magnetizado. β-Galactosidase de duas origens diferentes (Kluyveromyces lactis e Aspergillus oryzae) foram usadas. Todas as matrizes investigadas foram adequadas para a imobilização de β-galactosidase e para a produção de GOS usando lactose como substrato. A capacidade de formação de GOS pela enzima não foi afectada pela imobilização nos diferentes suportes magnéticos, não se tendo observado diferenças na cinética reaccional de síntese entre a enzima livre e a enzima imobilizada nos diferentes suportes. A caracterização físico-quimica dos suportes contendo a enzima imobilizada permitiu confirmar a ausência de limitações difusionais à transferência de massa. Verificou-se também que a produção de GOS, a diferentes temperaturas 30 – 60ºC, foi praticamente inalterada, tanto para a enzima livre quanto para a imobilizada. Comparando a eficiência de imobilização dos diferentes suportes, verificou-se que a maior retenção de actividade enzimática de hidrólise e de síntese foi obtida com a enzima imobilizada em Dacron magnetizado. Foi também desenvolvido um modelo matemático que descreve adequadamente as reacções de hidrólise da lactose e síntese de GOS e efectuada a caracterização química, física e estrutural dos suportes MAG-PANI e POS-PANI.This PhD thesis is the result of a collaboration project between the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil, and the Universidade do Minho, Portugal, financed by the Programme Alßan, a high level scholarship programme specifically addressed to Latin America. Lactases or β-galactosidases (E.C. 3.2.1.23) are enzymes with an increasing industrial importance for lactose hydrolysis and for oligosaccharides synthesis. Its use has been recommended for the hydrolysis of lactose in milk consumed by lactose intolerant individuals, for ice-cream manufacture and in the production of galactooligosaccharides (GOS), compounds known as functional foods (prebiotics). The immobilization of β-galactosidase onto low-cost matrices by ease procedures can enhance the catalysis efficiency of the enzymatic derivatives because of the greater stability to pH and temperature, providing thus lower operational costs and increasing their applications in food industry biotechnology. The main objectives of the developed work were to evaluate the immobilization of β-galactosidase onto different water insoluble matrices both for lactose hydrolysis and GOS synthesis. Four magnetic matrices were used for enzyme immobilization: (1) polyvinyl alcohol polysiloxane-magnetic - mPOS-PVA; (2) magnetite coated with polyaniline - MAG-PANI; (3) polysiloxane coated with polyaniline - POS-PANI and (4) ferromagnetic Dacron. β-galactosidase from two different origins (Kluyveromyces lactis and Aspergillus oryzae) were used. All the investigated matrices were suitable for the β-galactosidase immobilization and the GOS production as well, using lactose as substrate. The ability of GOS formation by the enzyme was not affected by the immobilization on the different magnetic matrices and no differences on the kinetics of GOS synthesis were observed between immobilized and free enzymes. The physic-chemical characterization of the supports with the immobilized enzymes allowed the conclusion that diffusional mass transfer limitations were not a concern. It was observed that GOS production in the temperature range of 30 - 60 º C was unchanged for both free and for immobilized enzyme. In what concerns β-galactosidase immobilization efficiency of the different supports, it was conclude that magnetized Dacron allowed for the highest activity retention both for hydrolysis and synthesis. Furthermore, a mathematical model describing lactose hydrolysis and GOS synthesis was developed and a detailed chemical, physical and structural characterization of the MAG-PANI and POS-PANI supports was done.Program Alban - E05D057787BR

Flank instability on Mount Etna: radon, radar interferometry and geodetic data from the south-western boundary of the unstable sector

Understanding Etnean flank instability is hampered by uncertainties over its western boundary. Accordingly, we combine soil radon emission, InSAR and EDM data to study the Ragalna fault system (RFS) on the SW flank of the volcano. Valuable synergy developed between our differing techniques, producing consistent results and serving as a model for other studies of partly obscured active faults. The RFS, limited in its surface expression, is revealed as a complex interlinked structure ~14 km long that extends from the edifice base towards the area of summit rifting, possibly linking north-eastwards to the Pernicana fault system (PFS) to define the unstable sector. Short-term deformation rates on the RFS from InSAR data reach ~7 mm a-1 in the satellite line of sight on the upslope segment and ~5 mm a-1 on the prominent central segment. While combining this with EDM data confirms the central segment of the RFS as a dextral transtensive structure, with strike-slip and dip-slip components of ~3.4 and ~3.7 mm a-1 respectively. We measured thoron (220Rn, half-life 56 secs) as well as radon and, probably because of its limited diffusion range, this appears a more sensitive but previously unexploited isotope for pinpointing active near-surface faults. Contrasting activity of the PFS and RFS reinforces proposals that the instability they bound is divided into at least three sub-sectors by intervening faults, while, in section, fault-associated basal detachments also form a nested pattern. Complex temporal and spatial movement interactions are expected between these structural components of the unstable sector

Electrical networks on nn-simplex fractals

The decimation map $\mathcal{D}$ for a network of admittances on an $n$-simplex lattice fractal is studied. The asymptotic behaviour of $\mathcal{D}$ for large-size fractals is examined. It is found that in the vicinity of the isotropic point the eigenspaces of the linearized map are always three for $n \geq 4$; they are given a characterization in terms of graph theory. A new anisotropy exponent, related to the third eigenspace, is found, with a value crossing over from $\ln[(n+2)/3]/\ln 2$ to $\ln[(n+2)^3/n(n+1)^2]/\ln 2$.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figure

Epidemics in Networks of Spatially Correlated Three-dimensional Root Branching Structures

Using digitized images of the three-dimensional, branching structures for root systems of bean seedlings, together with analytical and numerical methods that map a common 'SIR' epidemiological model onto the bond percolation problem, we show how the spatially-correlated branching structures of plant roots affect transmission efficiencies, and hence the invasion criterion, for a soil-borne pathogen as it spreads through ensembles of morphologically complex hosts. We conclude that the inherent heterogeneities in transmissibilities arising from correlations in the degrees of overlap between neighbouring plants, render a population of root systems less susceptible to epidemic invasion than a corresponding homogeneous system. Several components of morphological complexity are analysed that contribute to disorder and heterogeneities in transmissibility of infection. Anisotropy in root shape is shown to increase resilience to epidemic invasion, while increasing the degree of branching enhances the spread of epidemics in the population of roots. Some extension of the methods for other epidemiological systems are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure

Simulation and performance of an artificial retina for 40 MHz track reconstruction

We present the results of a detailed simulation of the artificial retina pattern-recognition algorithm, designed to reconstruct events with hundreds of charged-particle tracks in pixel and silicon detectors at LHCb with LHC crossing frequency of $40\,\rm MHz$. Performances of the artificial retina algorithm are assessed using the official Monte Carlo samples of the LHCb experiment. We found performances for the retina pattern-recognition algorithm comparable with the full LHCb reconstruction algorithm.Comment: Final draft of WIT proceedings modified according to JINST referee's comment

The artificial retina for track reconstruction at the LHC crossing rate

We present the results of an R&D study for a specialized processor capable of precisely reconstructing events with hundreds of charged-particle tracks in pixel and silicon strip detectors at $40\,\rm MHz$, thus suitable for processing LHC events at the full crossing frequency. For this purpose we design and test a massively parallel pattern-recognition algorithm, inspired to the current understanding of the mechanisms adopted by the primary visual cortex of mammals in the early stages of visual-information processing. The detailed geometry and charged-particle's activity of a large tracking detector are simulated and used to assess the performance of the artificial retina algorithm. We find that high-quality tracking in large detectors is possible with sub-microsecond latencies when the algorithm is implemented in modern, high-speed, high-bandwidth FPGA devices.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, ICHEP14. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1409.089

The artificial retina processor for track reconstruction at the LHC crossing rate

We present results of an R&D study for a specialized processor capable of precisely reconstructing, in pixel detectors, hundreds of charged-particle tracks from high-energy collisions at 40 MHz rate. We apply a highly parallel pattern-recognition algorithm, inspired by studies of the processing of visual images by the brain as it happens in nature, and describe in detail an efficient hardware implementation in high-speed, high-bandwidth FPGA devices. This is the first detailed demonstration of reconstruction of offline-quality tracks at 40 MHz and makes the device suitable for processing Large Hadron Collider events at the full crossing frequency.Comment: 4th draft of WIT proceedings modified according to JINST referee's comments. 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 table