1,443 research outputs found
Oscillating epidemics in a dynamic network model: stochastic and mean-field analysis
An adaptive network model using SIS epidemic propagation with link-type-dependent link activation and deletion is considered. Bifurcation analysis of the pairwise ODE approximation and the network-based stochastic simulation is carried out, showing that three typical behaviours may occur; namely, oscillations can be observed besides disease-free or endemic steady states. The oscillatory behaviour in the stochastic simulations is studied using Fourier analysis, as well as through analysing the exact master equations of the stochastic model. By going beyond simply comparing simulation results to mean-field models, our approach yields deeper insights into the observed phenomena and help better understand and map out the limitations of mean-field models
The interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic bounded noises in genetic networks
After being considered as a nuisance to be filtered out, it became recently
clear that biochemical noise plays a complex role, often fully functional, for
a genetic network. The influence of intrinsic and extrinsic noises on genetic
networks has intensively been investigated in last ten years, though
contributions on the co-presence of both are sparse. Extrinsic noise is usually
modeled as an unbounded white or colored gaussian stochastic process, even
though realistic stochastic perturbations are clearly bounded. In this paper we
consider Gillespie-like stochastic models of nonlinear networks, i.e. the
intrinsic noise, where the model jump rates are affected by colored bounded
extrinsic noises synthesized by a suitable biochemical state-dependent Langevin
system. These systems are described by a master equation, and a simulation
algorithm to analyze them is derived. This new modeling paradigm should enlarge
the class of systems amenable at modeling.
We investigated the influence of both amplitude and autocorrelation time of a
extrinsic Sine-Wiener noise on: the Michaelis-Menten approximation of
noisy enzymatic reactions, which we show to be applicable also in co-presence
of both intrinsic and extrinsic noise, a model of enzymatic futile cycle
and a genetic toggle switch. In and we show that the
presence of a bounded extrinsic noise induces qualitative modifications in the
probability densities of the involved chemicals, where new modes emerge, thus
suggesting the possibile functional role of bounded noises
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Medicine and Cardiology: Next Steps for JAHA.
We, the Editors of the Journal of the American Heart Association, sincerely regret the publication of the article "Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity: Evolution of Race and Ethnicity Considerations for the Cardiology Workforce in the United States of America From 1969 to 2019".1 We are aware that the publication of this flawed and biased article has caused a great deal of unnecessary pain and anguish to a number of parties, and reflects extremely poorly on us. We fully support the retraction of this article
Heralded quantum entanglement between two crystals
Quantum networks require the crucial ability to entangle quantum nodes. A
prominent example is the quantum repeater which allows overcoming the distance
barrier of direct transmission of single photons, provided remote quantum
memories can be entangled in a heralded fashion. Here we report the observation
of heralded entanglement between two ensembles of rare-earth-ions doped into
separate crystals. A heralded single photon is sent through a 50/50
beamsplitter, creating a single-photon entangled state delocalized between two
spatial modes. The quantum state of each mode is subsequently mapped onto a
crystal, leading to an entangled state consisting of a single collective
excitation delocalized between two crystals. This entanglement is revealed by
mapping it back to optical modes and by estimating the concurrence of the
retrieved light state. Our results highlight the potential of rare-earth-ions
doped crystals for entangled quantum nodes and bring quantum networks based on
solid-state resources one step closer.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Impacts of Climate Change on indirect human exposure to pathogens and chemicals from agriculture
Objective: Climate change is likely to affect the nature of pathogens and chemicals in the environment and their fate and transport. Future risks of pathogens and chemicals could therefore be very different from those of today. In this review, we assess the implications of climate change for changes in human exposures to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems in the United Kingdom and discuss the subsequent effects on health impacts.
Data sources: In this review, we used expert input and considered literature on climate change ; health effects resulting from exposure to pathogens and chemicals arising from agriculture ; inputs of chemicals and pathogens to agricultural systems ; and human exposure pathways for pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems.
Data synthesis: We established the current evidence base for health effects of chemicals and pathogens in the agricultural environment ; determined the potential implications of climate change on chemical and pathogen inputs in agricultural systems ; and explored the effects of climate change on environmental transport and fate of different contaminant types. We combined these data to assess the implications of climate change in terms of indirect human exposure to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems. We then developed recommendations on future research and policy changes to manage any adverse increases in risks.
Conclusions: Overall, climate change is likely to increase human exposures to agricultural contaminants. The magnitude of the increases will be highly dependent on the contaminant type. Risks from many pathogens and particulate and particle-associated contaminants could increase significantly. These increases in exposure can, however, be managed for the most part through targeted research and policy changes
Epidemic Enhancement in Partially Immune Populations
We observe that a pathogen introduce/pmcdata/journal/plosone/2-2007/1/ingest/pmcmod/sgml/pone.0000165.xmld into a population containing individuals with acquired immunity can result in an epidemic longer in duration and/or larger in size than if the pathogen were introduced into a naive population. We call this phenomenon “epidemic enhancement,” and use simple dynamical models to show that it is a realistic scenario within the parameter ranges of many common infectious diseases. This finding implies that repeated pathogen introduction or intermediate levels of vaccine coverage can lead to pathogen persistence in populations where extinction would otherwise be expected
A new human chromogranin A (CgA) immunoradiometric assay involving monoclonal antibodies raised against the unprocessed central domain (145-245)
Chromogranin A (CgA), a major protein of chromaffin granules, has been described as a potential marker for neuroendocrine tumours. Because of an extensive proteolysis which leads to a large heterogeneity of circulating fragments, its presence in blood has been assessed in most cases either by competitive immunoassays or with polyclonal antibodies. In the present study, 24 monoclonal antibodies were raised against native or recombinant human CgA. Their mapping with proteolytic peptides showed that they defined eight distinct epitopic groups which spanned two-thirds of the C-terminal part of human CgA. All monoclonal antibodies were tested by pair and compared with a reference radioimmunoassay (RIA) involving CGS06, one of the monoclonal antibodies against the 198–245 sequence. It appears that CgA C-terminal end seems to be highly affected by proteolysis and the association of C-terminal and median-part monoclonal antibodies is inadequate for total CgA assessment. Our new immunoradiometric assay involves two monoclonal antibodies, whose contiguous epitopes lie within the median 145–245 sequence. This assay allows a sensitive detection of total human CgA and correlates well with RIA because dibasic cleavage sites present in the central domain do not seem to be affected by degradation. It has been proved to be efficient in measuring CgA levels in patients with neuroendocrine tumours. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig
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Purification and functional characterisation of rhiminopeptidase A, a novel aminopeptidase from the venom of Bitis gabonica rhinoceros
This study describes the discovery and characterisation of a novel aminopeptidase A from the venom of B. g. rhinoceros and highlights its potential biological importance. Similar to mammalian aminopeptidases, rhiminopeptidase A might be capable of playing roles in altering the blood pressure and brain function of victims. Furthermore, it could have additional effects on the biological functions of other host proteins by cleaving their N-terminal amino acids. This study points towards the importance of complete analysis of individual components of snake venom in order to develop effective therapies for snake bites
Patient-centric trials for therapeutic development in precision oncology
An enhanced understanding of the molecular pathology of disease gained from genomic studies is facilitating the development of treatments that target discrete molecular subclasses of tumours. Considerable associated challenges include how to advance and implement targeted drug-development strategies. Precision medicine centres on delivering the most appropriate therapy to a patient on the basis of clinical and molecular features of their disease. The development of therapeutic agents that target molecular mechanisms is driving innovation in clinical-trial strategies. Although progress has been made, modifications to existing core paradigms in oncology drug development will be required to realize fully the promise of precision medicine
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