GLOBAL WELL-POSEDNESS AND NON-LINEAR STABILITY OF PERIODIC TRAVELING WAVES FOR A SCHRODINGER-BENJAMIN-ONO SYSTEM

The objective of this paper is two-fold: firstly, we develop a local and global (in time) well-posedness theory for a system describing the motion of two fluids with different densities under capillary-gravity waves in a deep water flow (namely, a Schrodinger-Benjamin-Ono system) for low-regularity initial data in both periodic and continuous cases; secondly, a family of new periodic traveling waves for the Schrodinger-Benjamin-Ono system is given: by fixing a minimal period we obtain, via the implicit function theorem, a smooth branch of periodic solutions bifurcating a Jacobian elliptic function called dnoidal, and, moreover, we prove that all these periodic traveling waves are nonlinearly stable by perturbations with the same wavelength.

IPCC global coupled model simulations of the South America monsoon system

This study examines the variability of the South America monsoon system (SAMS) over tropical South America (SA). The onset, end, and total rainfall during the summer monsoon are investigated using precipitation pentad estimates from the global precipitation climatology project (GPCP) 1979-2006. Likewise, the variability of SAMS characteristics is examined in ten Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) global coupled climate models in the twentieth century (1981-2000) and in a future scenario of global change (A1B) (2081-2100). It is shown that most IPCC models misrepresent the intertropical convergence zone and therefore do not capture the actual annual cycle of precipitation over the Amazon and northwest SA. Most models can correctly represent the spatiotemporal variability of the annual cycle of precipitation in central and eastern Brazil such as the correct phase of dry and wet seasons, onset dates, duration of rainy season and total accumulated precipitation during the summer monsoon for the twentieth century runs. Nevertheless, poor representation of the total monsoonal precipitation over the Amazon and northeast Brazil is observed in a large majority of the models. Overall, MI-ROC3.2-hires, MIROC3.2-medres and MRI-CGCM3.2.3 show the most realistic representation of SAMS`s characteristics such as onset, duration, total monsoonal precipitation, and its interannual variability. On the other hand, ECHAM5, GFDL-CM2.0 and GFDL-CM2.1 have the least realistic representation of the same characteristics. For the A1B scenario the most coherent feature observed in the IPCC models is a reduction in precipitation over central-eastern Brazil during the summer monsoon, comparatively with the present climate. The IPCC models do not indicate statistically significant changes in SAMS onset and demise dates for the same scenario.

Trends in morbid obesity and in bariatric surgeries covered by the Brazilian public health system

Background Obesity is an increasingly serious public health problem on a global level. Morbid obesity, defined as a body mass index greater than 40 kg/m2, is associated with increased mortality and a high burden of obesity-related morbidities. Methods To study the prevalence of morbid obesity in Brazil, three national anthropometric surveys were reanalyzed. Data about bariatric surgeries were obtained from the Ministry of Health Hospital Information System, which is available online. Results A 255% rise in the prevalence of morbid obesity was observed, starting at 0.18% in 1975-1976 and growing to 0.33% in 1989 and 0.64% in 2002-2003. There was a higher rate in the South in the first two surveys, but the prevalence in the Southeast rose steadily, reaching 0.77% in 2002-2003 and overtaking the South. Since 1999, the Brazilian Unified Health System has covered surgical treatment for morbid obesity. From 2000 to 2006, there was a sixfold increase in the number of surgeries, which topped the 2,500 mark in 2006. The geographic distribution of these surgeries is heavily concentrated in the Southeast, the most developed region of Brazil, where there is also the highest prevalence of morbid obesity. This was followed by the Southern region. Conclusions The figures for the rise in morbid obesity in Brazil are startling, especially the increase among men. This is a situation that calls for further study, alongside measures to encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Preventive measures aimed at slowing down or reversing the obesity epidemic are urgently required

ProbFAST: Probabilistic Functional Analysis System Tool

Background: The post-genomic era has brought new challenges regarding the understanding of the organization and function of the human genome. Many of these challenges are centered on the meaning of differential gene regulation under distinct biological conditions and can be performed by analyzing the Multiple Differential Expression (MDE) of genes associated with normal and abnormal biological processes. Currently MDE analyses are limited to usual methods of differential expression initially designed for paired analysis. Results: We proposed a web platform named ProbFAST for MDE analysis which uses Bayesian inference to identify key genes that are intuitively prioritized by means of probabilities. A simulated study revealed that our method gives a better performance when compared to other approaches and when applied to public expression data, we demonstrated its flexibility to obtain relevant genes biologically associated with normal and abnormal biological processes. Conclusions: ProbFAST is a free accessible web-based application that enables MDE analysis on a global scale. It offers an efficient methodological approach for MDE analysis of a set of genes that are turned on and off related to functional information during the evolution of a tumor or tissue differentiation. ProbFAST server can be accessed at http://gdm.fmrp.usp.br/probfast.

A score system for quality evaluation of RNA sequence tags: an improvement for gene expression profiling

Background: High-throughput molecular approaches for gene expression profiling, such as Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE), Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing (MPSS) or Sequencing-by-Synthesis (SBS) represent powerful techniques that provide global transcription profiles of different cell types through sequencing of short fragments of transcripts, denominated sequence tags. These techniques have improved our understanding about the relationships between these expression profiles and cellular phenotypes. Despite this, more reliable datasets are still necessary. In this work, we present a web-based tool named S3T: Score System for Sequence Tags, to index sequenced tags in accordance with their reliability. This is made through a series of evaluations based on a defined rule set. S3T allows the identification/selection of tags, considered more reliable for further gene expression analysis. Results: This methodology was applied to a public SAGE dataset. In order to compare data before and after filtering, a hierarchical clustering analysis was performed in samples from the same type of tissue, in distinct biological conditions, using these two datasets. Our results provide evidences suggesting that it is possible to find more congruous clusters after using S3T scoring system. Conclusion: These results substantiate the proposed application to generate more reliable data. This is a significant contribution for determination of global gene expression profiles. The library analysis with S3T is freely available at http://gdm.fmrp.usp.br/s3t/.S3T source code and datasets can also be downloaded from the aforementioned website.

The Coupled Aerosol and Tracer Transport model to the Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CATT-BRAMS) - Part 1: Model description and evaluation

We introduce the Coupled Aerosol and Tracer Transport model to the Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CATT-BRAMS). CATT-BRAMS is an on-line transport model fully consistent with the simulated atmospheric dynamics. Emission sources from biomass burning and urban-industrial-vehicular activities for trace gases and from biomass burning aerosol particles are obtained from several published datasets and remote sensing information. The tracer and aerosol mass concentration prognostics include the effects of sub-grid scale turbulence in the planetary boundary layer, convective transport by shallow and deep moist convection, wet and dry deposition, and plume rise associated with vegetation fires in addition to the grid scale transport. The radiation parameterization takes into account the interaction between the simulated biomass burning aerosol particles and short and long wave radiation. The atmospheric model BRAMS is based on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), with several improvements associated with cumulus convection representation, soil moisture initialization and surface scheme tuned for the tropics, among others. In this paper the CATT-BRAMS model is used to simulate carbon monoxide and particulate material (PM(2.5)) surface fluxes and atmospheric transport during the 2002 LBA field campaigns, conducted during the transition from the dry to wet season in the southwest Amazon Basin. Model evaluation is addressed with comparisons between model results and near surface, radiosondes and airborne measurements performed during the field campaign, as well as remote sensing derived products. We show the matching of emissions strengths to observed carbon monoxide in the LBA campaign. A relatively good comparison to the MOPITT data, in spite of the fact that MOPITT a priori assumptions imply several difficulties, is also obtained.

Performance and molecular evaluation of an anaerobic system with suspended biomass for treating wastewater with high fat content after enzymatic hydrolysis

The effect of a lipase-rich fungal enzymatic preparation, produced by a Penicillium sp. during solid-state fermentation, was evaluated in an anaerobic digester treating dairy wastewater with 1200 mg of oil and grease/L The oil and grease hydrolysis step was carried out with 0.1% (w/v) of solid enzymatic preparation at 30 degrees C for 24 h, and resulted in a final free acid concentration eight times higher than the initial value. The digester operated in sequential batches of 48 h at 30 degrees C for 245 days, and had high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies (around 90%) when fed with pre-hydrolyzed wastewater. However, when the pre-hydrolysis step was removed, the anaerobic digester performed poorly (with an average COD removal of 32%), as the oil and grease accumulated in the biomass and effluent oil and grease concentration increased throughout the operational period. PCR-DGGE analysis of the Bacteria and Archaea domains revealed remarkable differences in the microbial profiles in trials conducted with and without the pre-hydrolysis step, indicating that differences observed in overall parameters were intrinsically related to the microbial diversity of the anaerobic sludge. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrete approximation to the global spectrum of the tangent operator for flow past a circular cylinder

This paper deals with the calculation of the discrete approximation to the full spectrum for the tangent operator for the stability problem of the symmetric flow past a circular cylinder. It is also concerned with the localization of the Hopf bifurcation in laminar flow past a cylinder, when the stationary solution loses stability and often becomes periodic in time. The main problem is to determine the critical Reynolds number for which a pair of eigenvalues crosses the imaginary axis. We thus present a divergence-free method, based on a decoupling of the vector of velocities in the saddle-point system from the vector of pressures, allowing the computation of eigenvalues, from which we can deduce the fundamental frequency of the time-periodic solution. The calculation showed that stability is lost through a symmetry-breaking Hopf bifurcation and that the critical Reynolds number is in agreement with the value presented in reported computations. (c) 2007 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Model for facilities or vendors location in a global scale considering several echelons in the Chain

The facilities location problem for companies with global operations is very complex and not well explored in the literature. This work proposes a MILP model that solves the problem through minimization of the total logistic cost. Main contributions of the model are the pioneer carrying cost calculation, the treatment given to the take-or-pay costs and to the international tax benefits such as drawback and added value taxes in Brazil. The model was successfully applied to a real case of a chemical industry with industrial plants and sales all over the world. The model application recommended a totally new sourcing model for the company.

Global solutions for abstract impulsive differential equations

In this paper, we study the existence of solutions on the whole of R for a class of impulsive abstract differential equations. An application to partial differential equations is presented. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary Hypertension in Latin America Pulmonary Vascular Disease: The Global Perspective

Latin America is here defined as all of the Americas south of the United States. In the setting of pulmonary hypertension, there are social inequalities and geophysical aspects in this region that account for a high prevalence of certain etiologies. This review aimed to analyze some of these factors. Data were collected from the existing literature. Information also was obtained from local tertiary-care centers to where patients with pulmonary hypertension generally are referred. Further, local experience and expertise was taken into consideration. Three etiologies of pulmonary hypertension were found to be the most prevalent: schistosomiasis (similar to 1 million affected people in Brazil), high altitude (particularly in the Andes), and congenital heart disease (late diagnosis of congenital left-to-right shunts leading to development of pulmonary vasculopathy). The diversity in terms of ancestries and races probably accounts for the differences in phenotype expression of pulmonary hypertension when a given region is considered (eg, schistosomiasis-, high-altitude-, or congenital heart disease-associated pulmonary hypertension). Governmental measures are needed to improve social and economic inequalities with an obvious impact on certain etiologies, such as schistosomiasis and congenital heart disease. Early diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and access to medication remain important challenges all over Latin America. CHEST 2010; 137(6)(Suppl):78S-84S

Decreased AIRE Expression and Global Thymic Hypofunction in Down Syndrome

The Down syndrome (DS) immune phenotype is characterized by thymus hypotrophy, higher propensity to organ-specific autoimmune disorders, and higher susceptibility to infections, among other features. Considering that AIRE (autoimmune regulator) is located on 21q22.3, we analyzed protein and gene expression in surgically removed thymuses from 14 DS patients with congenital heart defects, who were compared with 42 age-matched controls with heart anomaly as an isolated malformation. Immunohistochemistry revealed 70.48 +/- 49.59 AIRE-positive cells/mm(2) in DS versus 154.70 +/- 61.16 AIRE-positive cells/mm(2) in controls (p < 0.0001), and quantitative PCR as well as DNA microarray data confirmed those results. The number of FOXP3-positive cells/mm(2) was equivalent in both groups. Thymus transcriptome analysis showed 407 genes significantly hypoexpressed in DS, most of which were related, according to network transcriptional analysis (FunNet), to cell division and to immunity. Immune response-related genes included those involved in 1) Ag processing and presentation (HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRB3, CD1A, CD1B, CD1C, ERAP) and 2) thymic T cell differentiation (IL2RG, RAG2, CD3D, CD3E, PRDX2, CDK6) and selection (SH2D1A, CD74). It is noteworthy that relevant AIRE-partner genes, such as TOP2A, LAMNB1, and NUP93, were found hypoexpressed in DNA microarrays and quantitative real-time PCR analyses. These findings on global thymic hypofunction in DS revealed molecular mechanisms underlying DS immune phenotype and strongly suggest that DS immune abnormalities are present since early development, rather than being a consequence of precocious aging, as widely hypothesized. Thus, DS should be considered as a non-monogenic primary immunodeficiency. The Journal of Immunology, 2011, 187: 3422-3430.

A Dynamical Modeling to Study the Adaptive Immune System and the Influence of Antibodies in the Immune Memory

Immunological systems have been an abundant inspiration to contemporary computer scientists. Problem solving strategies, stemming from known immune system phenomena, have been successfully applied to chall enging problems of modem computing. Simulation systems and mathematical modeling are also beginning use to answer more complex immunological questions as immune memory process and duration of vaccines, where the regulation mechanisms are not still known sufficiently (Lundegaard, Lund, Kesmir, Brunak, Nielsen, 2007). In this article we studied in machina a approach to simulate the process of antigenic mutation and its implications for the process of memory. Our results have suggested that the durability of the immune memory is affected by the process of antigenic mutation.and by populations of soluble antibodies in the blood. The results also strongly suggest that the decrease of the production of antibodies favors the global maintenance of immune memory.

Analyses of cataract surgery performed by the Unified Health System in Brazil, 2006-2007

Objective. Estimate cataract surgical rates (CSR) for Brazil and each federal unit in 2006 and 2007 based on the number of surgeries performed by the Unified Health System to help plan a comprehensive ophthalmology network in order to eliminate cataract blindness in compliance with the target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 3 000 cataract surgeries per million inhabitants per year. Methods. This descriptive study calculates CSR by using the number of cataract surgeries carried out by the Brazilian Unified Health System for each federal unit and estimates the need for cataract surgery in Brazil for 2006-2007, with official population data provided by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The number of cataract surgeries was compared with the WHO target. Results. To reach the WHO goal for eliminating age-related cataract blindness in Brazil, 560 312 cataract surgeries in 2006 and 568 006 surgeries in 2007 needed to be done. In 2006, 179 121 cataract surgeries were done by the Unified Health System, corresponding to a CSR of 959 per million population; in 2007, 223 317 were performed, with a CSR of 1 179. With the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology estimation of 165 000 surgeries each year by the non-public services, the CSR for Brazil would be 1 842 for 2006 and 2 051 for 2007. The proportions needed to achieve the proposed target were 38.6% in 2006 and 31.6% in 2007. Conclusions. Human resources, technical expertise, and equipment are crucial to reach the WHO goal. Brazil has enough ophthalmologists but needs improved planning and infrastructure in order to eliminate the problem, aspects that require greater financial investment and stronger political commitment.

Trends in Morbid Obesity and in Bariatric Surgeries Covered by the Brazilian Public Health System

Obesity is an increasingly serious public health problem on a global level. Morbid obesity, defined as a body mass index greater than 40 kg/m(2), is associated with increased mortality and a high burden of obesity-related morbidities. To study the prevalence of morbid obesity in Brazil, three national anthropometric surveys were reanalyzed. Data about bariatric surgeries were obtained from the Ministry of Health Hospital Information System, which is available online. A 255% rise in the prevalence of morbid obesity was observed, starting at 0.18% in 1975-1976 and growing to 0.33% in 1989 and 0.64% in 2002-2003. There was a higher rate in the South in the first two surveys, but the prevalence in the Southeast rose steadily, reaching 0.77% in 2002-2003 and overtaking the South. Since 1999, the Brazilian Unified Health System has covered surgical treatment for morbid obesity. From 2000 to 2006, there was a sixfold increase in the number of surgeries, which topped the 2,500 mark in 2006. The geographic distribution of these surgeries is heavily concentrated in the Southeast, the most developed region of Brazil, where there is also the highest prevalence of morbid obesity. This was followed by the Southern region. The figures for the rise in morbid obesity in Brazil are startling, especially the increase among men. This is a situation that calls for further study, alongside measures to encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Preventive measures aimed at slowing down or reversing the obesity epidemic are urgently required.