83 research outputs found
Risk of Population Extinction from Periodic and Abrupt Changes of Environment
A simulation model of a population having internal (genetic) structure is
presented. The population is subject to selection pressure coming from the
environment which is the same in the whole system but changes in time.
Reproduction has a sexual character with recombination and mutation. Two cases
are considered - oscillatory changes of the environment and abrupt ones
(catastrophes). We show how the survival chance of a population depends on
maximum allowed size of the population, the length of the genotypes
characterising individuals, selection pressure and the characteristics of the
climate changes, either their period of oscillations or the scale of the abrupt
shift.Comment: 8 pages, 25 references, 10 figures; preliminary version to be
submitted to Physica
Percolation and jamming in random sequential adsorption of linear segments on square lattice
We present the results of study of random sequential adsorption of linear
segments (needles) on sites of a square lattice. We show that the percolation
threshold is a nonmonotonic function of the length of the adsorbed needle,
showing a minimum for a certain length of the needles, while the jamming
threshold decreases to a constant with a power law. The ratio of the two
thresholds is also nonmonotonic and it remains constant only in a restricted
range of the needles length. We determine the values of the correlation length
exponent for percolation, jamming and their ratio
Feeding Cyprinus carpio with infectious materials mediates cyprinid herpesvirus 3 entry through infection of pharyngeal periodontal mucosa
Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), also known as Koi herpesvirus, is the etiological agent of a mortal disease in common and koi carp. Recently, we investigated the entry of CyHV-3 in carp using bioluminescence imaging and a CyHV-3 recombinant strain expressing luciferase (LUC). We demonstrated that the skin is the major portal of entry after inoculation of carp by immersion in water containing CyHV-3. While this model of infection mimics some natural conditions in which infection takes place, other epidemiological conditions could favour entry of virus through the digestive tract. Here, we investigated whether ingestion of infectious materials mediates CyHV-3 entry through the digestive tract. Carp were fed with materials contaminated with the CyHV-3 LUC recombinant (oral contamination) or immersed in water containing the virus (contamination by immersion). Bioluminescence imaging analyses performed at different times post-infection led to the following observations: (i) the pharyngeal periodontal mucosa is the major portal of entry after oral contamination, while the skin is the major portal of entry after contamination by immersion. (ii) Both modes of inoculation led to the spreading of the infection to the various organs tested. However, the timing and the sequence in which some of the organs turned positive were different between the two modes of inoculation. Finally, we compared the disease induced by the two inoculation modes. They led to comparable clinical signs and mortality rate. The results of the present study suggest that, based on epidemiological conditions, CyHV-3 can enter carp either by skin or periodontal pharyngeal mucosal infection
Applications of power to gas technologies in emerging electrical systems
Abstract The energy sector is undergoing substantial changes in order to promote better efficiency, increase the use of renewable energy, reduce emissions and effectively deploy technologies to trade off costs and benefits One emerging solution is the application of the Power-to-Gas technology, which can be used for different purposes. In recent years, Power-to-Gas has been studied to understand the role it could play in the electrical system. This paper has the aims of analysing the existing literature about the Power-to-Gas technology in detail, by considering some solutions that have a direct impact on the electrical system (in particular electrolyser and CO2 production) and applications in the different sectors of the electricity value chain (i.e., generation, transmission, distribution and utilisation). This paper sets out the conceptual aspects that are necessary to include Power-to-Gas facilities in a more comprehensive analysis framework of the operation of the electrical system in various sectors. Some perspectives concerning new Power-to-Gas applications are also presented for each sector, and some promising aspects that are expected to play a relevant role in the future technical and economic evolution of electrical systems are discussed
The Effect of Gender-Targeted Transfers: Experimental Evidence From India
Women are the primary recipients of many welfare programs around the world. Despite frequent claims that targeting women induces beneficial consumption shifting and gender equality, the empirical evidence on the effect of targeting is relatively scarce. We report on a highly powered intervention that randomly allocates weekly transfers to a man or woman within the household. We use detailed financial diaries to look at the impact of the recipient's gender on expenditure, income, saving, nutrition and measures of decision-making. Our results show little evidence for consumption shifting at the household level but indicate that targeted transfers empower female recipients
The Effect of Gender-Targeted Transfers: Experimental Evidence From India
Women are the primary recipients of many welfare programs around the world. Despite frequent claims that targeting women induces beneficial consumption shifting and gender equality, the empirical evidence on the effect of targeting is relatively scarce. We report on a highly powered intervention that randomly allocates weekly transfers to a man or woman within the household. We use detailed financial diaries to look at the impact of the recipient's gender on expenditure, income, saving, nutrition and measures of decision-making. Our results show little evidence for consumption shifting at the household level but indicate that targeted transfers empower female recipients
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