Multidimensional stochastic differential equations with distributional drift

This paper investigates a time-dependent multidimensional stochastic differential equation with drift being a distribution in a suitable class of Sobolev spaces with negative derivation order. This is done through a careful analysis of the corresponding Kolmogorov equation whose coefficient is a distribution

On the regularity of stochastic currents, fractional Brownian motion and applications to a turbulence model

38 pagesInternational audienceWe study the pathwise regularity of the map $$\varphi \mapsto I(\varphi) = \int_0^T \langle \varphi(X_t), dX_t \rangle$$ where $\varphi$ is a vector function on $\R^d$ belonging to some Banach space $V$, $X$ is a stochastic process and the integral is some version of a stochastic integral defined via regularization. A \emph{stochastic current} is a continuous version of this map, seen as a random element of the topological dual of $V$. We give sufficient conditions for the current to live in some Sobolev space of distributions and we provide elements to conjecture that those are also necessary. Next we verify the sufficient conditions when the process $X$ is a $d$-dimensional fractional Brownian motion (fBm); we identify regularity in Sobolev spaces for fBm with Hurst index $H \in (1/4,1)$. Next we provide some results about general Sobolev regularity of Brownian currents. Finally we discuss applications to a model of random vortex filaments in turbulent fluids

Expression of platelet-derived growth factor-beta receptor and bovine papillomavirus E5 and E7 oncoproteins in equine sarcoid.

Equine sarcoids are benign fibroblastic skin tumours that are recognized throughout the world. Infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 has been implicated as a major factor in disease development; however, the cellular mechanisms underlying fibroblast transformation remain poorly defined. The present study further characterizes aspects of the association with BPV in 15 equine sarcoids. BPV DNA was demonstrated in 12/15 tumours collected from different areas of Italy. Nine of these 12 tumours expressed the BPV oncoproteins E5 and E7, but these oncoproteins were not expressed by normal equine cells. The BPV E5 protein is known to bind to the platelet-derived growth factor-b receptor (PDGF-bR) and this molecule was expressed by 11 of the 12 sarcoids in which E5 was demonstrated. These findings add further weight to the theory that BPV and the PDGF-bR may have a role in the pathogenesis of this disease

Waterborne outbreak of Norwalk-like virus gastroenteritis at a tourist resort, Italy.

In July 2000, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred at a tourist resort in the Gulf of Taranto in southern Italy. Illness in 344 people, 69 of whom were staff members, met the case definition. Norwalk-like virus (NLV) was found in 22 of 28 stool specimens tested. The source of illness was likely contaminated drinking water, as environmental inspection identified a breakdown in the resort water system and tap water samples were contaminated with fecal bacteria. Attack rates were increased (51.4%) in staff members involved in water sports. Relative risks were significant only for exposure to beach showers and consuming drinks with ice. Although Italy has no surveillance system for nonbacterial gastroenteritis, no outbreak caused by NLV has been described previously in the country

Syndepositional cements associated with nannofossils in the Marmolada Massif: Evidences of microbially mediated primary marine cements? (Middle Triassic, Dolomites, Italy)

The Marmolada platform is characterized by striking globose masses (“evinosponges”), arranged in concentric bands, of fibrous calcite cements ranging in size from centimeters to several decimeters. The lithogenetic importance of these peculiar cements has been recognized in many Middle Triassic buildups of the Western Tethys. EDS microanalyses revealed that these fibrous cements contain 1–3 mol% of Mg and detectable amounts of Sr, over 1000 ppm, sometimes exceeding 10,000 ppm. The strontium geochemical signature in neomorphic calcite could reflect the replacement of an aragonitic carbonate precursor. The boundaries between the fibrous calcite bands are marked by alignments of microcrystalline aggregates of fluorapatite and/or dolomite. The presence of fluorapatite may indicate a depositional microenvironment eutrophic or rich in microbial communities. Epifluorescence analyses showed bright bands alternated to dark ones, confirming that organic matter remains occur within the studied cements and could have played a significant role in supporting the widespread syndepositional cementation. High magnification SEM observations on bright epifluorescent bands showed the presence of widespread, more or less spherical bodies ranging in size 100–300 nm. These bodies could represent the relicts of nannobacterial cells

The invisible businessman: Nuclear physics, patenting practices,and trading activities in the 1930s

In the 1930s the production of patents for the protection of intellectual rights became central to the research activities of Enrico Fermi and his group, consistently with a research policy emerging within the Italian Fascist Regime. Behind their work was an international network consisting of businessmen, industrialists, and multinationals who helped them patent their method for the production of artificial radioactive elements and to promote its industrial exploitation. The lack of research funding combined with a more aggressive foreign policy of the regime made it impossible for the group to continue these activities in Rome, and in 1938 the promulgation of racial laws forced them to migrate abroad