Curvature correction to the mobility of fluid membrane inclusions

For the first time, using rigorous low-Reynolds-number hydrodynamic theory on curved surfaces via a Stokeslet-type approach, we provide a general and concise expression for the leading-order curvature correction to the canonical, planar, Saffman-Delbrück value of the diffusion constant for a small inclusion embedded in an arbitrarily (albeit weakly) curved fluid membrane. In order to demonstrate the efficacy and utility of this wholly general result, we apply our theory to the specific case of calculating the diffusion coefficient of a locally curvature inducing membrane inclusion. By including both the effects of inclusion and membrane elasticity, as well as their respective thermal shape fluctuations, excellent agreement is found with recently published experimental data on the surface tension dependent mobility of membrane bound inclusions

Comparative behavior of Ralstonia solanacearum biovar 2 in diverse plant species

Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt in numerous plant species worldwide. Although biovar 2 mostly affects solanaceous crops, identification of new hosts remains a matter of concern since there is still no clear-cut distinction between host and nonhost plants. In this work we provide data based on histological studies on the status of 20 plant species, most of them of potential interest in crop rotation. Plants were watered with a P-glucuronidase-expressing derivative of R. solanacearum biovar 2, and after a month of incubation, sections of roots and stems were analyzed to localize the pathogen on surface, in cortex and/or xylem. Depending on whether the xylem was colonized or not, plants were classified as hosts or nonhosts, respectively. Hosts generally affected in a few xylem vessels or occasionally in all xylem bundles were classified as tolerant. These included some cabbage, kidney bean, and rutabaga cultivars, and the weed bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). Nonhosts were the cultivars tested of alfalfa, barley, black radish, carrot, celery, colocynth, fennel, fiber flax, field bean, field pea, horseradish, maize, and zucchini. However, barley and maize, though nonhosts, may act as reservoirs for the pathogen. The present work constitutes a basis for further studies on cropping systems in fields where R. solanacearum has been detected

Gastos em saúde e incidência de benefício no município de Senhor do Bonfim (BA) em 2003 Publics expenditures and benefit incidence in Senhor do Bonfim, city of the state of Bahia, in 2003

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a desigualdade no acesso e utilização dos serviços de saúde no município de Senhor do Bonfim (BA). O método utilizado é o "benefit incidence", ou incidência de benefício, que permite identificar quais os grupos sociais que se beneficiam dos gastos do Governo. A incidência de benefício no município de Senhor do Bonfim, para 2003, foi estimada por grupos da população previamente definidos (renda, gênero e cor da pele), com o objetivo de avaliar o grau de iniqüidade dos gastos públicos em saúde. Os gastos públicos foram desagregados por nível de complexidade. Combinando os dados referentes aos subsídios com os resultados da pesquisa domiciliar, observou-se iniqüidade da distribuição dos gastos públicos com saúde em Senhor do Bonfim.<br>The goal of this paper is to analyze inequality in the access and use of services of health in Senhor do Bonfim, city of the state of Bahia. It describes benefit incidence analysis, which allows to identify which social groups benefit governmental subsidies. The benefit incidence in Senhor do Bonfim, Bahia, was estimated, in 2003, for groups of the population previously defined (income, gender and race), with the objective of evaluating the inequity of the public expenditure in health in this city. The public expenses had been fragmented by complexity level. Combining the unit subsidies with the use patterns reported in the household survey reveals a very unequal distribution health spending in Senhor do Bonfim

ON THE STRAIGHT-HELICOID TO SPIRAL-RIBBON TRANSITION IN THIN ELASTIC RIBBONS

We study the equilibrium of a thin elastic strip subject to combined twist and traction. At variance with previous investigations, we employ a rod-type model based on a strain energy that has been recently proposed as a correction to Sadowsky’s. As a result, we recover two types of equilibrium states: the straight-helicoid and the spiral-ribbon. We also identify the critical value of the twist at which the transition from one state to another takes place for a prescribed traction

When Economic Growth Rhymes with Social Development: The Malaysia Experience

National development, social equity, poverty alleviation, Malaysia,