Model of the best-of-N nest-site selection process in honeybees

The ability of a honeybee swarm to select the best nest site plays a fundamental role in determining the future colony’s fitness. To date, the nest-site selection process has mostly been modelled and theoretically analysed for the case of binary decisions. However, when the number of alternative nests is larger than two, the decision process dynamics qualitatively change. In this work, we extend previous analyses of a valuesensitive decision-making mechanism to a decision process among N nests. First, we present the decisionmaking dynamics in the symmetric case of N equal-quality nests. Then, we generalise our findings to a best-of-N decision scenario with one superior nest and N – 1 inferior nests, previously studied empirically in bees and ants. Whereas previous binary models highlighted the crucial role of inhibitory stop-signalling, the key parameter in our new analysis is the relative time invested by swarm members in individual discovery and in signalling behaviours. Our new analysis reveals conflicting pressures on this ratio in symmetric and best-of-N decisions, which could be solved through a time-dependent signalling strategy. Additionally, our analysis suggests how ecological factors determining the density of suitable nest sites may have led to selective pressures for an optimal stable signalling ratio

Correlação entre Espessura Macular e Camada de Fibras Nervosas Peripapilar no Glaucoma Inicial

Introdução: Os autores pretendem analisar a espessura macular e a camada de fibras nervosas peripapilar (CFN) em doentes com glaucoma inicial e com o diagnóstico de hipertensão ocular (HTO). Também propõem um modelo de correspondência da espessura macular de uma dada região do hemisfério superior com a CFN temporal superior (TS) e do hemisfério inferior com a CFN temporal inferior (TI) no glaucoma inicial. Material e Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo não randomizado, constituído por 48 olhos com glaucoma inicial e 39 olhos com diagnóstico de HTO, submetidos a análise da assimetria da espessura macular do polo posterior e da CFN por Tomografia de coerência óptica Spectral Domain (SD-OCT). Avaliamos a correlação entre a espessura macular de uma região selecionada do hemisfério superior e do inferior, com a CFN TS e TI, respectivamente. Resultados: Nos doentes com glaucoma inicial, a espessura macular e a CFN (global e sectorial) foram significativamente inferiores (p<0,01). A correlação da CFN TS com a espessura macular da região selecionada do hemisfério superior foi moderada (R:0,403; p<0,01), e da CFN TI com a região selecionada do hemisfério inferior foi positiva forte (R:0,612; p<0,001). Conclusão: Dado que, a CFN TI é o sector apontado como precocemente afectado no glaucoma, e se verificou uma correlação forte com a região macular inferior selecionada, consideramos que esta também pode ser mais vulnerável à lesão glaucomatosa inicial. A avaliação desta região isoladamente ou integrada com a CFN, poderá ser valiosa no diagnóstico precoce.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Injertos osteocondrales congelados en el conejo: Estudio experimental

Con el propósito de analizar un protocolo de congelación de cartílago completo estudiando y la viabilidad del cartílago tas la implantación se ha realizado un estudio experimental en 60 rodillas de 45 conejos de Nueva Zelanda en población no genéticamente pura. Se extrajeron injertos osteocartilaginosos de 4 mm de diámetro y 2-3 mm de espesor, incluyendo cartílago articular y hueso subcondral que fueron sometidos a congelación lenta hasta -196º en Planer Kryo-10, Serie II, Controlled Rate Freezers, siguiendo un descenso de temperatura controlada bajo crioprotección con Dimetilsulfóxido, propanodiol y sacarosa. Posteriormente fueron descongelados e implantados en cóndilos femorales. Los injertos evolucionaron a tejido amorfo acelular y pasados los 2 meses, tras la incorporación del componente óseo se desarrolló tejido ibrocartilaginoso de sustitución. El presente estudio indica que el cartílago articular congelado no mantiene su viabilidad tras la implantación.The purpose of this study was to analyze a protocol for freezing whole cartilage and to study the viability of cartilage after the implant in 60 knees of 45 New Zealand rabbits from a genetically impure population. Osteocartilaginous implants were removed, measuring 4 mm in diameter and 2-3 mm thickness, inclunding the articular cartilage and the suchondral bone, and slow freezing up -196º using Planer Kyro-10, Series II, Controlled Rate Freezers, following a controlled drop in temperature under cyrso-protection with Dimethylsulfoxide, propanediol and sacarose. After thawing grafts were implanted in femoral condyles. The implants evolves into an acellular amorphous tissue and after 2 months, period in which the incorporation of the osseous compound occurs, substitute fibrocartilaginous tiusse develops. This study shows that frozen articular cartilage does not remain viable after implant

Exclusive Higgs Boson Production with bottom quarks at Hadron Colliders

We present the next-to-leading order QCD corrected rate for the production of a scalar Higgs boson with a pair of high p_T bottom and anti-bottom quarks at the Tevatron and at the Large Hadron Collider. Results are given for both the Standard Model and the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. The exclusive b-bbar-h production rate is small in the Standard Model, but it can be greatly enhanced in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model for large tan(beta), making b-bbar-h an important discovery mode. We find that the next-to-leading order QCD results are much less sensitive to the renormalization and factorization scales than the lowest order results, but have a significant dependence on the choice of the renormalization scheme for the bottom quark Yukawa coupling.Comment: 27 pages, 17 figures, RevTeX

Nanocarbon surfaces for biomedicine

The distinctive physicochemical, mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanostructures are currently gaining the interest of researchers working in bioengineering and biomedical fields. Carbon nanotubes, carbon dendrimers, graphenic platelets and nanodiamonds are deeply studied aiming at their application in several areas of biology and medicine. Here we provide a summary of the carbon nanomaterials prepared in our labs and of the fabrication techniques used to produce several biomedical utilities, from scaffolds for tissue growth to cargos for drug delivery and to biosensors

Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion to C2 products: Catalysts design, market perspectives and techno-economic aspects

The energy crisis caused by the incessant growth in global energy demand joint to its associated greenhouse emissions motivates the urgent need to control and mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels. Leveraging CO2 as carbon pool to produce value-added products represents a cornerstone of the circular economy. Among the CO2 utilization strategies, electrochemical reduction of CO2 conversion to produce fuels and chemicals is booming due to its versatility and end-product flexibility. Herein most of the studies focused on C1 products although C2 and C2+ compounds are chemically and economically more appealing targets requiring advanced catalytic materials. Still, despite the complex pathways for C2+ products formation, their multiple and assorted applications have motivated the search of suitable electrocatalysts. In this review, we gather and analyse in a comprehensive manner the progress made regarding C2+ products considering not only the catalyst design and the electrochemistry features but also techno-economic aspects in order to envisage the most profitable scenarios. This state-of-the-art analysis showcases that electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C2 products will play a key role in the decarbonisation of the chemical industry paving the way towards a low-carbon future

Dicke Effect in the Tunnel Current through two Double Quantum Dots

We calculate the stationary current through two double quantum dots which are interacting via a common phonon environment. Numerical and analytical solutions of a master equation in the stationary limit show that the current can be increased as well as decreased due to a dissipation mediated interaction. This effect is closely related to collective, spontaneous emission of phonons (Dicke super- and subradiance effect), and the generation of a `cross-coherence' with entanglement of charges in singlet or triplet states between the dots. Furthermore, we discuss an inelastic `current switch' mechanism by which one double dot controls the current of the other.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

B-> K photon photon via intermediate eta'

We examine our previous conjecture that the eta' intermediate resonance has the dominant role in the long distance contributions to B decay into two photons and a strange final state hadron. We calculate the branching ratio of the exclusive B-> K eta'-> K photon photon decay using the nonspectator mechanism for eta' production in charmless hadronic B decays. It is shown that the obtained branching ratio B^eta'(B-> K\gamma\gamma)~ 8.7 X 10^{-7} is more than twice as large as the eta_c contribution to this decay mode.Comment: 6 pages, latex, no figure

Human-assisted invasions of Pacific islands by Litoria frogs: a case study of the bleating tree frog on Lord Howe Island

There are substantial differences among taxonomic groups in their capacity to reach remote oceanic islands via long-distance overwater dispersal from mainland regions. Due to their permeable skin and intolerance of saltwater, amphibians generally require human-assisted dispersal to reach oceanic islands. Several Litoria frog species have been introduced to remote islands throughout the Pacific Ocean region. Lord Howe Island (LHI) is an oceanic island that lies approximately 600 km east of the Australian mainland and has a diverse, endemic biota. The bleating tree frog (Litoria dentata) is native to mainland eastern Australia, but was accidentally introduced to LHI in the 1990s, yet its ecology and potential impact on LHI has remained unstudied. We used a mitochondrial phylogeographical approach to determine that L. dentata was introduced from the Ballina region in northeastern New South Wales. The founding population was likely accidentally introduced with cargo shipped from the mainland. We also completed the first detailed investigation of the distribution, ecology and habitat use of L. dentata on LHI. The species is widespread on LHI and is prevalent in human habitat, cattle pasture and undisturbed forest. We discuss the potential impact of introduced Litoria species on Pacific islands and outline what biosecurity protocols could be implemented to prevent the introduction of further amphibian species to the ecologically sensitive oceanic area.T. Lynette Plenderleith, Katie L. Smith, Stephen C. Donnellan, Richard D. Reina, David G. Chappl

Standard Model Higgs boson production in association with a top anti-top pair at NLO with parton showering

We present predictions for the production cross section of a Standard Model Higgs boson in association with a top-antitop pair at next-to-leading order accuracy using matrix elements obtained from the HELAC-Oneloop package. The NLO prediction was interfaced to the PYTHIA and HERWIG shower Monte Carlo programs with the help of POWHEG-Box, allowing for decays of massive particles, showering and hadronization, thus leading to final results at the hadron level.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure