A Mathematical Model For Malaria Transmission Relating Global Warming And Local Socioeconomic Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Sensitivity analysis was applied to a mathematical model describing malaria transmission relating global warming and local socioeconomic conditions. METHODS: A previous compartment model was proposed to describe the overall transmission of malaria. This model was built up on several parameters and the prevalence of malaria in a community was characterized by the values assigned to them. To assess the control efforts, the model parameters can vary on broad intervals. RESULTS: By performing the sensitivity analysis on equilibrium points, which represent the level of malaria infection in a community, the different possible scenarios are obtained when the parameters are changed. CONCLUSIONS: Depending on malaria risk, the efforts to control its transmission can be guided by a subset of parameters used in the mathematical model.35322423

Multi-neutron transfer coupling in sub-barrier 32S+90,96Zr fusion reactions

The role of neutron transfers is investigated in the fusion process below the Coulomb barrier by analyzing 32S+90Zr and 32S+96Zr as benchmark reactions. A full coupled-channel calculation of the fusion excitation functions has been performed for both systems by using multi-neutron transfer coupling for the more neutron-rich reaction. The enhancement of fusion cross sections for 32S+96Zr is well reproduced at sub-barrier energies by NTFus code calculations including the coupling of the neutron-transfer channels following the Zagrebaev semiclassical model. We found similar effects for 40Ca+90Zr and 40Ca+96Zr fusion excitation functions.Comment: Minor corrections, 11 pages, 4 figures, Fusion11 Conference, Saint Malo, France, 2-6 mai 201

Transcriptome analysis of hepatic gene expression and DNA methylation in methionine- and betaine-supplemented geese (Anser cygnoides domesticus)

Dietary methionine (Met) restriction produces a coordinated series of transcriptional responses in the liver that limits growth performance and amino acid metabolism. Methyl donor supplementation with betaine (Bet) may protect against this disturbance and affect the molecular basis of gene regulation. However, a lack of genetic information remains an obstacle to understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Met and Bet supplementation and its effects on genetic mechanisms. The goal of this study was to identify the effects of dietary supplementation of Met and Bet on growth performance, transcriptomic gene expression, and epigenetic mechanisms in geese on a Met-deficient diet. One hundred and fifty 21-day-old healthy male Yangzhou geese of similar body weight were randomly distributed into 3 groups with 5 replicates per treatment and 10 geese per replicate: Met-deficient diet (Control), Control+1.2 g/kg of Met (Met), and Control+0.6 g/kg of Bet (Bet). All geese had free access to the diet and water throughout rearing. Our results indicated that supplementation of 1.2 g/kg of Met in Met-deficient feed increased growth performance and plasma homocysteine (HCY) levels, indicating increased transsulfuration flux in the liver. Supplementation of 0.6 g/kg Bet had no apparent sparing effect on Met needs for growth performance in growing geese. The expression of many genes critical for Met metabolism is increased in Met supplementation group. In the Bet-supplemented group, genes involved in energy production and conversion were up-regulated. Dietary supplementation with Bet and Met also altered DNA methylation. We observed changes in the methylation of the LOC106032502 promoter and corresponding changes in mRNA expression. In conclusion, Met and Bet supplementation in geese affects the transcriptional regulatory network and alters the hepatic DNA methylation of LOC106032502

ZnZ_n elliptic Gaudin model with open boundaries

The $Z_n$ elliptic Gaudin model with integrable boundaries specified by generic non-diagonal K-matrices with $n+1$ free boundary parameters is studied. The commuting families of Gaudin operators are diagonalized by the algebraic Bethe ansatz method. The eigenvalues and the corresponding Bethe ansatz equations are obtained.Comment: 21 pages, Latex fil

Generation of navigation graphs for indoor space

This article proposes a comprehensive approach to computing a navigation graph for an indoor space. It focuses on a single floor, but the work is easily extensible to multi-level spaces. The approach proceeds by using a formal model, based on the combinatorial map but enhanced with geometric and semantic information. The process is almost fully automatic, taking as input the building plans providing the geometric structure of the floors and semantics of the building, such as functions of interior spaces, portals, etc. One of the novel aspects in this work was the use of combinatorial maps and their duals to provide a compact formal description of the topology and connectivity of the indoor structure represented by a connected, embedded graph. While making use of existing libraries for the more routine computational geometry involved, the research develops several new algorithms, including one for computing the local kernel of a region. The process is evaluated by means of a case study using part of a university building

Premelting of Thin Wires

Recent work has raised considerable interest on the nature of thin metallic wires. We have investigated the melting behavior of thin cylindrical Pb wires with the axis along a (110) direction, using molecular dynamics and a well-tested many-body potential. We find that---in analogy with cluster melting---the melting temperature $T_m (R)$ of a wire with radius $R$ is lower than that of a bulk solid, $T_m^b$, by $T_m (R) = T_m^b -c/R$. Surface melting effects, with formation of a thin skin of highly diffusive atoms at the wire surface, is observed. The diffusivity is lower where the wire surface has a flat, local (111) orientation, and higher at (110) and (100) rounded areas. The possible relevance to recent results on non-rupturing thin necks between an STM tip and a warm surface is addressed.Comment: 10 pages, 4 postscript figures are appended, RevTeX, SISSA Ref. 131/94/CM/S

Pion correlation from Skyrmion-AntiSkyrmion annihilation

We study two pion correlations from Skyrmion and antiSkyrmion collision, using the product ansatz and an approximate random grooming method for nucleon projection. The spatial-isospin coupling inherent in the Skyrme model, along with empirical averages, leads to correlations not only among pions of like charges but also among unlike charge types.Comment: uuencoded files of REVTeX and postscript, 18 pages including 2 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.

A self-consistent method to analyze the effects of the positive Q-value neutron transfers on fusion

AbstractConsidering the present limitation of the need for external parameters to describe the nucleus–nucleus potential and the couplings in the coupled-channels calculations, this work introduces an improved method without adjustable parameter to overcome the limitation and then sort out the positive Q-value neutron transfers (PQNT) effects based on the CCFULL calculations. The corresponding analysis for Ca+Ca, S,Ca+Sn, and S,Ca+Zr provides a reliable proof and a quantitative evaluation for the residual enhancement (RE) related to PQNT. In addition, the RE for S32,Ca40+Zr94 shows an unexpected larger enhancement than S32,Ca40+Zr96 despite the similar multi-neutron transfer Q-values. This method should rather strictly test the fusion models and be helpful for excavating the underlying physics

wd=−1w_d=-1 in interacting quintessence model

A model consisting of quintessence scalar field interacting with cold dark matter is considered. Conditions required to reach $w_d=-1$ are discussed. It is shown that depending on the potential considered for the quintessence, reaching the phantom divide line puts some constraints on the interaction between dark energy and dark matter. This also may determine the ratio of dark matter to dark energy density at $w_d=-1$.Comment: 10 pages, references updated, some notes added, minor changes applied, accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

Study of the Anti-Proliferative Activity of 5-Substituted 4,7-Dimethoxy-1,3-Benzodioxole Derivatives of SY-1 from Antrodia camphorata on Human COLO 205 Colon Cancer Cells

A set of 10 4,7-dimethoxy-1,3-benzodioxole derivatives based on a lead compound previously discovered by our group, SY-1, which was isolated from Antrodia camphorata, were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity on human colorectal carcinoma cells (COLO 205). Structure-activity relationship studies of the 10 compounds indicated the importance of the chain length of the alkyl group at the 5-position, and the 2-propenyl substituent named “apiole” exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity. In the present study, we demonstrate that the SY-1 analogue “apiole” decreased the proliferation of COLO 205 cells, but not that of normal human colonic epithelial cells (FHC). The G0/G1 cell cycle arrest induced by apiole (75–225 μM) was associated with significantly increased levels of p53, p21 and p27 and decreased levels of cyclin D1. Concerning COLO 205 cell apoptosis, apiole (>150 μM) treatment significantly increased the levels of cleaved caspases 3, 8, 9 and bax/bcl-2 ratio and induced ladder formation in DNA fragmentation assay and sub-G1 peak in flow cytometry analysis. These findings suggest that apiole can suppress COLO 205 cell growth; however, the detailed mechanisms of these processes require further investigation