Compound orbits break-up in constituents: an algorithm

In this paper decomposition of periodic orbits in bifurcation diagrams are derived in unidimensional dynamics system $x_{n+1}=f(x_{n};r)$, being $f$ an unimodal function. We proof a theorem which states the necessary and sufficient conditions for the break-up of compound orbits in their simpler constituents. A corollary to this theorem provides an algorithm for the computation of those orbits. This process closes the theoretical framework initiated in (Physica D, 239:1135--1146, 2010)

A reassortant H9N2 influenza virus containing 2009 pandemic H1N1 internal-protein genes acquired enhanced pig-to-pig transmission after serial passages in swine

Avian H9N2 and 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza viruses can infect pigs and humans, raising the concern that H9N2: pH1N1 reassortant viruses could emerge. Such reassortants demonstrated increased replication and transmissibility in pig, but were still inefficient when compared to pH1N1. Here, we evaluated if a reassortant virus containing the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of A/quail/ Hong Kong/G1/1997 (H9N2) in the A/California/04/2009 (pH1N1) backbone could become better adapted to pigs by serial passaging. The tropism of the original H9N2: pH1N1 (P0) virus was restricted to the nasal mucosa, with no virus detected in the trachea or lungs. Nevertheless, after seven passages the H9N2: pH1N1 (P7) virus replicated in the entire respiratory tract. We also compared the transmissibility of H9N2: pH1N1 (P0), H9N2: pH1N1 (P7) and pH1N1. While only 2/6 direct-contact pigs showed nasal virus excretion of H9N2: pH1N1 (P0) >= five days, 4/6 direct-contact animals shed the H9N2: pH1N1 (P7). Interestingly, those four animals shed virus with titers similar to those of the pH1N1, which readily transmitted to all six contact animals. The broader tissue tropism and the increased post-transmission replication after seven passages were associated with the HA-D225G substitution. Our data demonstrate that the pH1N1 internal-protein genes together with the serial passages favour H9N2 virus adaptation to pigs

Representaciones ecológicas en la infancia y estilos de vida

En aquest treball, hi analitzem diferents concepcions de les funcions simbòliques de les representacions, i des d'aquest plantejament indaguem si els nens i les nenes de diferents cultures i edats mostren similituds en els estils i en les maneres d'entendre la vida i el seu manteniment. Estudiem els dibuixos d'una illa imaginària que han produït nens i nenes -de sis a dotze anys- de l'Argentina, Colòmbia, l'Espanya i Anglaterra. Un dibuix de com la veurien en el moment d'arribar-hi i un altre de la mateixa illa després d'un any de viure-hi. Les produccions pictòriques han permès fer l'apropament a les representacions ecològiques dels infants dels diferents països i a les transformacions que introdueixen en l'ambient natural per a la seva adaptació.In this paper, we analyse the different conceptions of the symbolic functions of representations. Based on this we explore if boys and girls of different cultures and age groups show similarities in their ways of understanding life and how it is maintained. We studied two pictures of an imaginary island drawn by six to twelve year-old children from Argentina, Colombia, Spain and Great Britain. One of the pictures represented the island as they would see it on arrival to the island and the other one represented the island one year later. The pictures allowed us to approach the ecological representations of the children in their different countries as well as the transformations that they introduce in the natural environment to adapt to it.En este trabajo, analizamos diferentes concepciones de las funciones simbólicas de las representaciones, y desde este planteamiento indagamos si niños y niñas de distintas culturas y edades muestran similitudes en los estilos y formas de entender la vida y su mantenimiento. Estudiamos dos dibujos de una isla imaginaria que han producido niños y niñas -de seis a doce años- de Argentina, Colombia, España e Inglaterra. Un dibujo de cómo la verían a la llegada y otro de la misma isla pasado un año de vivir en ella. Las producciones pictóricas han permitido el acercamiento a las representaciones ecológicas de los niños y las niñas de los diferentes países y a las transformaciones que introducen en el ambiente natural para su adaptación a él

Comparison between land suitability and actual crop distribution in an irrigation district of the Ebro valley (Spain)

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar la correspondencia entre los resultados de una evaluación de tierras con la distribución real de los cultivos. Para ello la aptitud biofísica de las tierras se comparó con diferentes tipologías de frecuencia de ocurrencia de los cultivos y rotaciones derivadas de mapas de cultivos multitemporales. La investigación fue llevada a cabo en el distrito de riego de Flumen (33.000 ha), localizado en el valle del Ebro (NE España). La evaluación de tierras se basó en una cartografía de suelos 1:100.000, según el esquema FAO, para los principales cultivos presentes en el área de estudio (alfalfa, cereales de invierno, maíz, arroz y girasol). Se utilizaron tres mapas de frecuencia de cultivos y un mapa de rotaciones, derivado de una serie temporal de imágenes Landsat TM y ETM+ del periodo 1993-2000, y se compararon con los mapas de aptitud de tierras para los diferentes cultivos. Se analizó estadísticamente (Pearson χ2, Cramer V, Gamma y Somers D) la relación entre los dos tipos de variables. Los resultados muestran la existencia de una relación significativa (P=0,001) entre la localización de los cultivos y la idoneidad de las tierras, excepto de cultivos oportunistas como el girasol, muy influenciado por las subvenciones en el periodo estudiado. Las rotaciones basadas en la alfalfa muestran los mayores porcentajes (52%) de ocupación en las tierras más aptas para la agricultura en el área de estudio. El presente enfoque multitemporal de análisis de la información ofrece una visión más real que la comparación entre un mapa de evaluación de tierras y un mapa de cultivos de una fecha determinada, cuando se valora el grado de acuerdo entre las recomendaciones sobre la aptitud de las tierras y los cultivos realmente cultivados por los agricultores.The present research aims to obtain a better insight into the agreement between land evaluation results and actual crop spatial distribution by comparing biophysical land suitability with different crop frequency parameters and with crop rotations derived from multi-year crop maps. The research was carried out in the Flumen district (33,000 ha), which is located in the Ebro Valley (northeast Spain). Land evaluation was based on a 1:100,000 soil survey according to the FAO framework for the main crops in the study area (alfalfa, winter cereals, maize, rice and sunflower). Three crop frequency maps and a crop rotation map, derived from a time-series of Landsat TM and ETM+ images of the period 1993-2000 were used for comparison with land suitability maps. The relationships between the two types of variables were analyzed by means of statistical tests (Pearson chi-square (χ2), Cramer ́s V, Gamma and Somers ́ D). The results show the existence of a significant (P=0.001) relationship between crops’ location and land suitability, except for opportunist crops as sunflower, which is very much influenced by subsidies in the study period. The alfalfa-based rotations show the highest distribution percentages (52%) on the land most suitable for agriculture in the area. The present multitemporal analysis approach offers a more realistic insight than the comparison between a land evaluation map and static year crop map in assessing the degree of agreement of land evaluation recommendations with crops actually cultivated by farmers

The Universal Cardinal Ordering of Fixed Points

We present the theorem which determines, by a permutation, the cardinal ordering of fixed points for any orbit of a period doubling cascade. The inverse permutation generates the orbit and the symbolic sequence of the orbit is obtained as a corollary. The problem present in the symbolic sequences is solved. There, repeated symbols appear, for example, the R (right), which cannot be distinguished among them as it is not known which R is the rightmost of them all. Therefore, there is a lack of information about the dynamical system. Interestingly enough, it is important to point that this theorem needs no previous information about any other orbit.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Modellization of the process of natural aging of a polymer material applied for greenhouse covers

[EN] It is presented a procedure to determine the aging of greenhouse cover materials constituted by a polymer material. For this purpose, it is performed a continued monitoring of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the global radiation during three campaigns. It has been studied in this research samples taken at different zones of the cover, after breakage using mechanical traction. It is deduced a useful life of the polymer of two years, being the average transmitted PAR of 37.44%. However, the absorbed global radiation is determined a value of 36.29%. Furthermore, the elongation to the breakage is above of 500%. This high value is associated to an intense degradation of the polymer material. At the same time, the zone where the sample was taken seems to influence both the strength of mechanical traction and the elongation at the fluence point. The designed tests have been useful to develop a modellization procedure based on the minimum squared method for the adjustment of the data. The proposed model can be used for the design of greenhouse covers and thus allows predict the degree of deterioration of the polymer material at every moment. It is also interesting to keep watch of the need of removing it. The numerical simulations using the finite elements method can represent adequately the mechanical behavior of the cover material. It is been also deduced in this research that the behavior of the covers is at the plastic zone of material.[ES] Se presenta un procedimiento para la determinación del envejecimiento de un material polimérico utilizado como cubierta de invernaderos. Se llevó a cabo un seguimiento continuo de la radiación fotosintéticamente activa (PAR) y de la radiación global durante tres campañas. Igualmente, se tomaron muestras de diferentes zonas de la cubierta, que se han roto a tracción. Se deduce una vida útil del material polimérico de dos años, siendo radiación PAR media trasmitida del 37,44%. Sin embargo, la radiación global absorbida fue de 36,29%. Igualmente, se ha verificado que la elongación a la rotura está por encima del 500%. Este alto valor se debe a que el polímero está muy degradado. También se observó que la zona donde se ha tomado la muestra influye tanto en la resistencia a tracción como en la elongación en el punto de fluencia. Los ensayos han sido de utilidad para desarrollar un procedimiento de modelización basado en el método de mínimos cuadrados para el ajuste de los datos. El modelo propuesto presenta utilidad para el diseño de cubiertas para invernaderos y permite así predecir el grado de deterioro del material polimérico en un instante determinado, alertando también de la necesidad de renovación del mismo. De este modo, las simulaciones numéricas con elementos finitos pueden representar de forma adecuada el comportamiento mecánico de las cubiertas. Se comprobó que el comportamiento de la cubierta está en la zona plástica del materialPeer reviewe

A "horizon adapted" approach to the study of relativistic accretion flows onto rotating black holes

We present a new geometrical approach to the study of accretion flows onto rotating (Kerr) black holes. Instead of Boyer-Lindquist coordinates, the standard choice in all existing numerical simulations in the literature, we employ the simplest example of a horizon adapted coordinate system, the Kerr-Schild coordinates. This choice eliminates boundary ambiguities and unphysical divergent behavior at the event horizon. Computations of Bondi-Hoyle accretion onto extreme Kerr black holes, performed here for the first time, demonstrate the key advantages of this procedure. We argue it offers the best approach to the numerical study of the, observationally, increasingly more accesible relativistic inner region around black holes.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, aasms4.sty, major changes regarding section names and style, accepted in ApJ Letter

Relativistic hydrodynamics on spacelike and null surfaces: Formalism and computations of spherically symmetric spacetimes

We introduce a formulation of Eulerian general relativistic hydrodynamics which is applicable for (perfect) fluid data prescribed on either spacelike or null hypersurfaces. Simple explicit expressions for the characteristic speeds and fields are derived in the general case. A complete implementation of the formalism is developed in the case of spherical symmetry. The algorithm is tested in a number of different situations, predisposing for a range of possible applications. We consider the Riemann problem for a polytropic gas, with initial data given on a retarded/advanced time slice of Minkowski spacetime. We compute perfect fluid accretion onto a Schwarzschild black hole spacetime using ingoing null Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates. Tests of fluid evolution on dynamic background include constant density and TOV stars sliced along the radial null cones. Finally, we consider the accretion of self-gravitating matter onto a central black hole and the ensuing increase in the mass of the black hole horizon.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Predictive factors of virological success to salvage regimens containing protease inhibitors in HIV-1 infected children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The impact of HIV drug resistance mutations in salvage therapy has been widely investigated in adults. By contrast, data available of predictive value of resistance mutations in pediatric population is scarce.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted in children who received rescue salvage antiretroviral therapy after virologic failure. CD4 counts and viral load were determined at baseline and 6 months after rescue intervention. Genotypic HIV-1 resistance test and virtual phenotype were assessed at baseline.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 33 children met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The median viral load (VL) and median percentage of CD4+ at baseline was 4.0 HIV-RNA log copies/ml and 23.0% respectively. The median duration that children were taking the new rescue regimen was 24.3 weeks (23.8–30.6). Overall, 47% of the 33 children achieved virological response at 24 weeks. When we compared the group of children who achieved virological response with those who did not, we found out that mean number of PI related mutations among the group of responders was 3.8 <it>vs</it>. 5.4 (p = 0.115). Moreover, the mean number of susceptible drugs according to virtual phenotype clinical cut-off for maximal virologic response was 1.7 <it>vs</it>. 0.8 and mean number of susceptible drugs according to virtual phenotype cut-off for minimal virlologic response was 2.7 <it>vs</it>. 1.3 (p < 0.01 in all cases). Eighteen children were rescued with a regimen containing a boosted-PI and virological response was significantly higher in those subjects compared with the others (61.1% <it>vs</it>. 28.6%, p < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Salvage treatment containing ritonavir boosted-PIs in children with virological failure was very efficient. The use of new tools as virtual phenotype could help to improve virologic success in pediatric population.</p