From the simple reacting sphere kinetic model to the reaction-diffusion system of Maxwell-Stefan type

In this paper we perform a formal asymptotic analysis on a kinetic model for reactive mixtures in order to derive a reaction-diffusion system of Maxwell-Stefan type. More specifically, we start from the kinetic model of simple reacting spheres for a quaternary mixture of monatomic ideal gases that undergoes a reversible chemical reaction of bimolecular type. Then, we consider a scaling describing a physical situation in which mechanical collisions play a dominant role in the evolution process, while chemical reactions are slow, and compute explicitly the production terms associated to the concentration and momentum balance equations for each species in the reactive mixture. Finally, we prove that, under the isothermal assumption, the limit equations for the scaled kinetic model is the reaction diffusion system of Maxwell-Stefan type.B.A. and A.J.S. thank Centro de Matematica da Universidade do Minho, Portugal, and the FCT/Portugal Project UID/MAT/00013/2013. B.A. thanks the FCT/Portugal for the support through the PhD grant PD/BD/128188/2016. P.G. thanks FCT/Portugal for the support through the project UID/MAT/04459/2013 and the French Ministry of Education through the grant ANR (EDNHS). The authors thank the Program Pessoa of Cooperation between Portugal and France with reference 406/4/4/2017/S.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

When management meets science: adaptive analysis for the optimization of the eradication of the Northern raccoon ( Procyon lotor )

AbstractThe EU Regulation no.1143/2014 on invasive species requires the EU Member States to respond promptly and efficiently in eradicating the invasive alien species listed as species of Union concern. The Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) was introduced in Northern Italy along the river Adda and we carried out its eradication campaign between 2016 and 2019. We used an integrated approach of camera traps and live traps. A standardized approach to the camera trap survey (2904 camera trap-nights) revealed that the detectability of raccoons (0.27 ± 0.07 SD) increased in the proximity of the river and their occupancy (0.15 ± 0.09 SD) was higher in urban areas. These results allowed us to increase the trapping success whilst reducing the effort. During the captures, systematic collection of catch and effort data allowed to estimate population size (65 ± 7.8 raccoons) and thus to have a continuous update on how far the campaign was from the complete eradication of the species, allowing to adjust the trapping effort accordingly. We captured 69 raccoons (7279 cage trap nights) thanks to both systematic trapping and opportunistic activation of traps following stakeholders' reports. Stakeholders supported the campaign and some of them played an important role in reporting sightings, signs, and allowing access to their private land. Camera trap data also allowed us to make a Rapid Eradication Assessment that estimated an eradication probability of 99% after 6 months without detections. We finally give indications for future control campaigns on the species to increase removal success, reducing the effort

Niche overlap of mountain hare subspecies and the vulnerability of their ranges to invasion by the European hare; the (bad) luck of the Irish

Niche conservatism is the tendency of related species to retain ancestral tolerances after geographic separation. We used Ecological Niche Modelling and Principal Components Analysis of bioclimatic and habitat variables to describe the extent of the species niche, and degrees of bioclimatic\u2013habitat niche conservatism within the mountain hare (L. timidus) clade. Mountain hare niche space was contrasted with that of the European hare (L. europaeus), to shed light on species interactions in contact zones throughout Europe. All five subspecies of mountain hare had quantifiably distinct niches. Fennoscandian (L.t. sylvaticus, L.t. timidus) and highland (L.t. scoticus, L.t. varronis) subspecies, however, were most similar, exhibiting greatest apparent niche conservatism. They inhabit tundra, boreal forest and uplands, and, hence are presumed most similar to the ancestral form. The Irish hare was distinct, being consistently distinguished from other mountain hares in both 2D and nth dimensional (4D) niche space. The ecological distinctiveness of the Irish hare provides further evidence that it is an Evolutionarily Significant Unit, particularly vulnerable to displacement by introduced European hares with which it competes and hybridises. Projections under global climate change suggest that, by 2070, bioclimatic space for invasive European hares in Ireland will expand (by 79%) but contract for endemic Irish hares (by 75%), further facilitating their replacement. The near complete species replacement of the heath hare (L.t. sylvaticus) in southern Sweden, where the European hare has also been introduced, may suggest a similar fate may be in store for the Irish hare

Timing of Resource Availability Drives Divergent Social Systems and Home Range Dynamics in Ecologically Similar Tree Squirrels

Intraspecific variation in home range size has important implications for the distribution of animals across landscapes and the spatial structuring of population, community, and ecosystem processes. Among species of similar trophic guild and body mass, differences in home range size can reflect extrinsic variables that exert divergent selective forces upon spacing behavior and social organization. We tested predictions about how resource availability and timing influence social system, home range size, and territoriality in two tree squirrel species of similar size and ecological niches but that differ in foraging strategy and social organization. We estimated home range size and intraspecific home range core overlap in the Mt. Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis; Arizona USA; MGRS) and the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris; Alps, Italy; ERS) as functions of species, sex, season, and individual's body mass. However, body mass did not explain differences found between the two species. We found MGRS home ranges being three times smaller with higher core area exclusivity compared to ERS in all seasons. In fact, territorial MGRS evolved in a system of brief resource pulses and are larder hoarders, whereas ERS experience prolonged resource availability and are non-territorial. Only male MGRSs increased their home range during the breeding season, reflecting interspecific differences in social organization and mating behavior. Male ERS home ranges always overlap with several females to enhance mating success although male and female MGRS maintain nearly exclusive territories throughout the year. Only during spring and summer do males temporarily leave their food-based territory to increase mating opportunities with neighboring estrus females. Home range comparisons between ecologically similar species emphasize the importance of divergent extrinsic factors in shaping variability in body size–home range size scaling relationships. Timing in resource availability influenced the social structure and space use in tree squirrels of similar body size, highlighting how the coevolution of arboreal squirrels with conifer tree species has shaped their natural history

On Proper Polynomial Maps of C2.\mathbb{C}^2.

Two proper polynomial maps $f_1, f_2 \colon \mathbb{C}^2 \longrightarrow \mathbb{C}^2$ are said to be \emph{equivalent} if there exist $\Phi_1, \Phi_2 \in \textrm{Aut}(\mathbb{C}^2)$ such that $f_2=\Phi_2 \circ f_1 \circ \Phi_1$. We investigate proper polynomial maps of arbitrary topological degree $d \geq 2$ up to equivalence. Under the further assumption that the maps are Galois coverings we also provide the complete description of equivalence classes. This widely extends previous results obtained by Lamy in the case $d=2$.Comment: 15 pages. Final version, to appear in Journal of Geometric Analysi

Characterization of the Pathogenic Potential of the Beach Sand Microbiome and Assessment of Quicklime as a Remediation Tool

Beach sand may act as a reservoir for potential human pathogens, posing a public health risk. Despite this, the microbiological monitoring of sand microbiome is rarely performed to determine beach quality. In this study, the sand microbial population of a Northern Adriatic Sea beach sand was profiled by microbiological (CFU counts) and molecular methods (WGS, microarray), showing significant presence of potential human pathogens including drug-resistant strains. Consistent with these results, the potential of quicklime as a restoring method was tested in vitro and on-field. Collected data showed that adding 1-3% quicklime (w/w) to sand provided an up to -99% of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, till 45 days post-treatment. In conclusion, data suggest that accurate monitoring of sand microbiome may be essential, besides water, to assess beach quality and safety. Moreover, first evidences of quicklime potential for sand decontamination are provided, suggesting its usage as a possible way to restore the microbiological quality of sand in highly contaminated areas

Post-ABVD/pre-radiotherapy 18F-FDG-PET provides additional prognostic information for early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma: A retrospective analysis on 165 patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic role of both interim fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (i-(18)F-FDG-PET) and end-of-chemotherapy fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET) in patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). METHODS: We screened 257 patients with early-stage HL treated with combined modality therapy between March 2003 and July 2011. All were staged using fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET) before chemotherapy and after two doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine cycles (i-(18)F-FDG-PET); 165 patients were also evaluated by (18)F-FDG-PET at the end of chemotherapy (eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET). RESULTS: After revision, 85% of patients were negative for i-(18)F-FDG-PET and 15% were positive. After eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET revision, 23 patients had a positive scan. The median follow-up was 56 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for the whole cohort were 97.5% and 95.6%, respectively. For i-(18)F-FDG-PET-negative and i-(18)F-FDG-PET-positive patients, the 5-year PFS rates were 98% and 84%, respectively; for eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET-negative and eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET-positive patients, the 5-year PFS rates were 97% and 78%, respectively. Combining the i-(18)F-FDG-PET and eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET results, the 5-year PFS were 97%, 100% and 82% in negative/negative, positive/negative and positive/positive groups, respectively. The 5-year OS rates were 98% and 83% in eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET-negative and eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET-positive patients, respectively; the 5-year OS was 98%, 100% and 83% in negative/negative, positive/negative and positive/positive groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides additional information on the prognostic role of i-(18)F-FDG-PET and eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET in early-stage HL. As data are accumulating and the clinical scenario is rapidly evolving, we might need to rethink the use of (18)F-FDG-PET as a prognostic marker for early-stage HL in the near future. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This study provides additional information on the prognostic role of i-(18)F-FDG-PET and eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET in early-stage HL. On the basis of the present data, we may suggest to use eoc-(18)F-FDG-PET as a strong prognostic marker, especially for patients with i-(18)F-FDG-PET positivity

Identifying conservation priorities for an understudied species in decline: Golden cats (Catopuma temminckii) in mainland Tropical Asia

Abstract Identifying conservation priorities for an understudied species can be challenging, as the amount and type of data available to work with are often limited. Here, we demonstrate a flexible workflow for identifying priorities for such data-limited species, focusing on the little-studied Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) in mainland Tropical Asia. Using recent occurrence records, we modeled the golden cat's expected area of occurrence and identified remaining habitat strongholds (i.e., large intact areas with moderate-to-high expected occurrence). We then classified these strongholds by recent camera-trap survey status (from a literature review) and near-future threat status (based on publicly available forest loss projections and Bayesian Belief Network derived estimates of hunting-induced extirpation risk) to identify conservation priorities. Finally, we projected the species' expected area of occurrence in the year 2000, approximately three generations prior to today, to define past declines and better evaluate the species' current conservation status. Lower levels of hunting-induced extirpation risk and higher levels of closed-canopy forest cover were the strongest predictors of recent camera-trap records. Our projections suggest a 68% decline in area with moderate-to-high expected occurrence between 2000 and 2020, with a further 18% decline predicted over the next 20 years. Past and near-future declines were primarily driven by cumulatively increasing levels of hunting-induced extirpation risk, suggesting assessments of conservation status based solely on declines in habitat may underestimate actual population declines. Of the 40 remaining habitat strongholds, 77.5% were seriously threatened by forest loss and hunting. Only 52% of threatened strongholds had at least one site surveyed, compared to 100% of low-to-moderate threat strongholds, thus highlighting an important knowledge gap concerning the species' current distribution and population status. Our results suggest the golden cat has experienced, and will likely continue to experience, considerable population declines and should be considered for up-listing to a threatened category (i.e., VU/EN) under criteria A2c of the IUCN Red List

Armida disvelata. L’immagine del velo nella "Gerusalemme liberata"

The essay takes into account the different occurrences of the term ‘veil’ in the Gerusalemme liberata. After an analysis of the metaphorical meanings of the term, the focus moves towards the veils that hide or embellish some of the female characters, in particular Sofronia, Erminia and Armida, bringing to light the different functions – even symbolic – that appear to be connected to this garment.The essay takes into account the different occurrences of the term ‘veil’ in the Gerusalemme liberata. After an analysis of the metaphorical meanings of the term, the focus moves towards the veils that hide or embellish some of the female characters, in particular Sofronia, Erminia and Armida, bringing to light the different functions – even symbolic – that appear to be connected to this garment