178 research outputs found
Environmental Noise and Nonlinear Relaxation in Biological Systems
We analyse the effects of environmental noise in three different biological
systems: (i) mating behaviour of individuals of \emph{Nezara viridula} (L.)
(Heteroptera Pentatomidae); (ii) polymer translocation in crowded solution;
(iii) an ecosystem described by a Verhulst model with a multiplicative L\'{e}vy
noise.Comment: 32 pages; In "Ecological Modeling" by Ed. Wen-Jun Zhang. ISBN:
978-1-61324-567-5. - Nova Science Publishers, New York, 201
New insights into electron spin dynamics in the presence of correlated noise
The changes of the spin depolarization length in zinc-blende semiconductors
when an external component of correlated noise is added to a static driving
electric field are analyzed for different values of field strength, noise
amplitude and correlation time. Electron dynamics is simulated by a Monte Carlo
procedure which keeps into account all the possible scattering phenomena of the
hot electrons in the medium and includes the evolution of spin polarization.
Spin depolarization is studied by examinating the decay of the initial spin
polarization of the conduction electrons through the D'yakonov-Perel process,
the only relevant relaxation mechanism in III-V crystals. Our results show
that, for electric field amplitude lower than the Gunn field, the dephasing
length shortens with the increasing of the noise intensity. Moreover, a
nonmonotonic behavior of spin depolarization length with the noise correlation
time is found, characterized by a maximum variation for values of noise
correlation time comparable with the dephasing time. Instead, in high field
conditions, we find that, critically depending on the noise correlation time,
external fluctuations can positively affect the relaxation length. The
influence of the inclusion of the electron-electron scattering mechanism is
also shown and discussed.Comment: Published on "Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter" as "Fast Track
Communications", 11 pages, 9 figure
Chromosome numbers for the Italian flora: 6
In this contribution, new chromosome data obtained on material collected in Italy are presented. It includes
three chromosome counts for Bupleurum baldense Turra, Colchicum lusitanum Brot., and Euphorbia
gasparrinii Boiss. subsp. gasparrinii
Redondovirus DNA in human respiratory samples
Background: Redondovirus (ReDoV) is a recently discovered circular, Rep-encoding single-stranded DNA (CRESS-DNA) virus in humans. Its pathogenesis and clinical associations are still completely unknown. Methods: The presence of ReDoV DNA was investigated in biological specimens of 543 Italian subjects by in-house developed PCR assays. Results: The overall ReDoV prevalence was about 4% (23 of 543 samples). The virus was detected in 22 of 209 (11 %) respiratory samples. One stool sample was also ReDoV positive. Viral DNA was not found in blood samples from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed subjects and cerebrospinal fluids from patients with neurological diseases. Genomic nucleotide differences were detected among the ReDoV isolates by sequencing a 582-nucleotide fragment of the capsid gene of the viral genome. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that ReDoV is mainly present in the respiratory tract of infected people. Further investigations are needed to reveal possible clinical implications of this new CRESS-DNA virus in humans
Detection of Torquetenovirus and Redondovirus DNA in Saliva Samples from SARS-CoV-2-Positive and -Negative Subjects
Torquetenovirus (TTV) and Redondovirus (ReDoV) are the most prevalent viruses found in the human respiratory virome in viral metagenomics studies. A large-scale epidemiological study was performed to investigate their prevalence and loads in saliva samples according to SARS-CoV-2 status
Model to estimate the sampling density for establishment of yield mapping
Yield mapping represents the spatial variability concerning the features of a productive area and allows intervening on the next year production, for example, on a site-specific input application. The trial aimed at verifying the influence of a sampling density and the type of interpolator on yield mapping precision to be produced by a manual sampling of grains. This solution is usually adopted when a combine with yield monitor can not be used. An yield map was developed using data obtained from a combine equipped with yield monitor during corn harvesting. From this map, 84 sample grids were established and through three interpolators: inverse of square distance, inverse of distance and ordinary kriging, 252 yield maps were created. Then they were compared with the original one using the coefficient of relative deviation (CRD) and the kappa index. The loss regarding yield mapping information increased as the sampling density decreased. Besides, it was also dependent on the interpolation method used. A multiple regression model was adjusted to the variable CRD, according to the following variables: spatial variability index and sampling density. This model aimed at aiding the farmer to define the sampling density, thus, allowing to obtain the manual yield mapping, during eventual problems in the yield monitor.O mapa de produtividade representa a variabilidade espacial das caracterÃsticas de uma área cultivada e permite intervir na produção dos anos posteriores, na aplicação diferenciada de insumos. Este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a influência da densidade amostral e do tipo de interpolação na exatidão dos mapas de produtividade, gerados a partir da amostragem manual de grãos, solução que pode ser adotada quando um monitor não pode ser utilizado. Um mapa de produtividade foi obtido com monitor de colheita comercial em lavoura de milho, a partir do qual foram estabelecidas 84 grades e, por meio de três interpoladores, o inverso da distância ao quadrado, inverso da distância e krigagem geraram-se, assim, 252 mapas de produtividade, que foram então comparados com o original, utilizando-se o coeficiente de desvio relativo (CDR) e o Ãndice kappa. A perda de informação do mapa de produtividade aumentou à medida em que se diminuiu a densidade amostral e foi dependente do método de interpolação utilizado. Um modelo de regressão múltipla foi ajustado à variável CDR, em função das variáveis: Ãndice de variabilidade espacial e densidade amostral. Este modelo teve a finalidade de auxiliar o agricultor na definição da densidade amostral e permitir obter-se, manualmente, o mapa de produtividade, caso ocorram problemas eventuais no monitor de colheita.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq
Relaxation of Electron Spin during High-Field Transport in GaAs Bulk
A semiclassical Monte Carlo approach is adopted to study the multivalley spin
depolarization of drifting electrons in a doped n-type GaAs bulk semiconductor,
in a wide range of lattice temperature ( K) and doping density
(cm). The decay of the initial non-equilibrium spin
polarization of the conduction electrons is investigated as a function of the
amplitude of the driving static electric field, ranging between 0.1 and 6
kV/cm, by considering the spin dynamics of electrons in both the and
the upper valleys of the semiconductor. Doping density considerably affects
spin relaxation at low temperature and weak intensity of the driving electric
field. At high values of the electric field, the strong spin-orbit coupling of
electrons in the -valleys significantly reduces the average spin
polarization lifetime, but, unexpectedly, for field amplitudes greater than 2.5
kV/cm, the spin lifetime increases with the lattice temperature. Our numerical
findings are validated by a good agreement with the available experimental
results and with calculations recently obtained by a different theoretical
approach.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
Association of Torquetenovirus Viremia with Physical Frailty and Cognitive Impairment in Three Independent European Cohorts
Introduction: Immunosenescence and inflammaging have been implicated in the pathophysiology of frailty. Torquetenovirus (TTV), a single-stranded DNA anellovirus, the major component of the human blood virome, shows an increased replication rate with advancing age. An elevated TTV viremia has been associated with an impaired immune function and an increased risk of mortality in the older population. The objective of this study was to analyze the relation between TTV viremia, physical frailty, and cognitive impairment. Methods: TTV viremia was measured in 1,131 nonfrail, 45 physically frail, and 113 cognitively impaired older adults recruited in the MARK-AGE study (overall mean age 64.7 ± 5.9 years), and then the results were checked in two other independent cohorts from Spain and Portugal, including 126 frail, 252 prefrail, and 141 nonfrail individuals (overall mean age: 77.5 ± 8.3 years). Results: TTV viremia ≥4log was associated with physical frailty (OR: 4.69; 95% CI: 2.06-10.67, p < 0.0001) and cognitive impairment (OR: 3.49, 95% CI: 2.14-5.69, p < 0.0001) in the MARK-AGE population. The association between TTV DNA load and frailty status was confirmed in the Spanish cohort, while a slight association with cognitive impairment was observed (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.000-1.773), only in the unadjusted model. No association between TTV load and frailty or cognitive impairment was found in the Portuguese sample, although a negative association between TTV viremia and MMSE score was observed in Spanish and Portuguese females. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate an association between TTV viremia and physical frailty, while the association with cognitive impairment was observed only in the younger population from the MARK-AGE study. Further research is necessary to clarify TTV's clinical relevance in the onset and progression of frailty and cognitive decline in older individuals
Evidence of stochastic resonance in the mating behavior of Nezara viridula (L.)
We investigate the role of the noise in the mating behavior between
individuals of Nezara viridula (L.), by analyzing the temporal and spectral
features of the non-pulsed type female calling song emitted by single
individuals. We have measured the threshold level for the signal detection, by
performing experiments with the calling signal at different intensities and
analyzing the insect response by directionality tests performed on a group of
male individuals. By using a sub-threshold signal and an acoustic Gaussian
noise source, we have investigated the insect response for different levels of
noise, finding behavioral activation for suitable noise intensities. In
particular, the percentage of insects which react to the sub-threshold signal,
shows a non-monotonic behavior, characterized by the presence of a maximum, for
increasing levels of the noise intensity. This constructive interplay between
external noise and calling signal is the signature of the non-dynamical
stochastic resonance phenomenon. Finally, we describe the behavioral activation
statistics by a soft threshold model which shows stochastic resonance. We find
that the maximum of the ensemble average of the input-output cross-correlation
occurs at a value of the noise intensity very close to that for which the
behavioral response has a maximum.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in EPJ B (2008
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