Extended Cahill-Glauber formalism for finite-dimensional spaces. II. Applications in quantum tomography and quantum teleportation

By means of a mod(N)-invariant operator basis, s-parametrized phase-space functions associated with bounded operators in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space are introduced in the context of the extended Cahill-Glauber formalism, and their properties are discussed in details. The discrete Glauber-Sudarshan, Wigner, and Husimi functions emerge from this formalism as specific cases of s-parametrized phase-space functions where, in particular, a hierarchical process among them is promptly established. In addition, a phase-space description of quantum tomography and quantum teleportation is presented and new results are obtained.

A generalized alternating-direction implicit scheme for incompressible magnetohydrodynamic viscous flows at low magnetic Reynolds number

This paper presents numerical simulations of incompressible fluid flows in the presence of a magnetic field at low magnetic Reynolds number. The equations governing the flow are the Navier-Stokes equations of fluid motion coupled with Maxwell's equations of electromagnetics. The study of fluid flows under the influence of a magnetic field and with no free electric charges or electric fields is known as magnetohydrodynamics. The magnetohydrodynamics approximation is considered for the formulation of the non-dimensional problem and for the characterization of similarity parameters. A finite-difference technique is used to discretize the equations. In particular, an extension of the generalized Peaceman and Rachford alternating-direction implicit (ADI) scheme for simulating two-dimensional fluid flows is presented. The discretized conservation equations are solved in stream function-vorticity formulation. We compare the ADI and generalized ADI schemes, and show that the latter is more efficient in simulating low Reynolds number and magnetic Reynolds number problems. Numerical results demonstrating the applicability of this technique are also presented. The simulation of incompressible magneto hydrodynamic fluid flows is illustrated by numerical solution for two-dimensional cases. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders: recruitment, assessment instruments, methods for the development of multicenter collaborative studies and preliminary results

OBJETIVO: Descrever o recrutamento de pacientes, instrumentos de avaliação, métodos para o desenvolvimento de estudos colaborativos multicêntricos e os resultados preliminares do Consórcio Brasileiro de Pesquisa em Transtornos do Espectro Obsessivo-Compulsivo, que inclui sete centros universitários. MÉTODO: Este estudo transversal incluiu entrevistas semi-estruturadas (dados sociodemográficos, histórico médico e psiquiátrico, curso da doença e diagnósticos psiquiátricos comórbidos) e instrumentos que avaliam os sintomas do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo (Escala para Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos de Yale-Brown e Escala Dimensional para Sintomas Obsessivo-Compulsivos de Yale-Brown), sintomas depressivos (Inventário de Depressão de Beck), sintomas ansiosos (Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck), fenômenos sensoriais (Escala de Fenômenos Sensoriais da Universidade de São Paulo), juízo crítico (Escala de Avaliação de Crenças de Brown), tiques (Escala de Gravidade Global de Tiques de Yale) e qualidade de vida (questionário genérico de avaliação de qualidade de vida, Medical Outcome Quality of Life Scale Short-form-36 e Escala de Avaliação Social). O treinamento dos avaliadores consistiu em assistir cinco entrevistas filmadas e entrevistar cinco pacientes junto com um pesquisador mais experiente, antes de entrevistar pacientes sozinhos. A confiabilidade entre todos os líderes de grupo para os instrumentos mais importantes (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Universidade de São Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale ) foi medida após seis entrevistas completas. RESULTADOS: A confiabilidade entre avaliadores foi de 96%. Até março de 2008, 630 pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo tinham sido sistematicamente avaliados. A média de idade (±SE) foi de 34,7 (±0,51), 56,3% eram do sexo feminino e 84,6% caucasianos. Os sintomas obsessivo-compulsivos mais prevalentes foram os de simetria e os de contaminação. As comorbidades psiquiátricas mais comuns foram depressão maior, ansiedade generalizada e transtorno de ansiedade social. O transtorno de controle de impulsos mais comum foi escoriação neurótica. CONCLUSÃO: Este consórcio de pesquisa, pioneiro no Brasil, permitiu delinear o perfil sociodemográfico, clínico e terapêutico do paciente com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo em uma grande amostra clínica de pacientes. O Consórcio Brasileiro de Pesquisa em Transtornos do Espectro Obsessivo-Compulsivo estabeleceu uma importante rede de colaboração de investigação clínica padronizada sobre o transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo e pode abrir o caminho para projetos semelhantes destinados a integrar outros grupos de pesquisa no Brasil e em todo o mundo.

Temperature dependence of photoinduced birefringence in mixed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of azobenzene-containing polymers

The temperature dependence of photoinduced birefringence was investigated for mixed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films from the homopolymer poly[4'-[[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]ethyl-amino]-2-chloro-4-nitroazobenzene] (HPDR13) and cadmium stearate (Cdst) and from the copolymer 4-[N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)]amino-2'-chloro-4'-nitroazobenzene (MMA-DR13) and CdSt. Birefringence was achieved by impinging a linearly polarized light on the LB films. The maximum birefringence achieved decreased with temperature as thermal relaxation of the chromophores was facilitated. The buildup curves for birefringence were fitted with biexponential functions representing distinctly different mechanisms with time constants. The first, fast process is thermally activated and may be represented by an Arrhenius process. The decay of birefringence after switching off the laser source was described by a Kohlraush-Williams-Watts (KWW) function, consistent with a distribution of relaxation times for the polymer system. Activation energies were obtained from Arrhenius plots of the rate constant of the exponential functions and KWW function, which showed that the buildup of birefringence was very similar for the two polymer systems. The decay, however, was slower for the LB film from MMA-DR13/CdSt. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd.

Urocortin in the central nervous system of a primate (Cebus apella): Sequencing, immunohistochemical, and hybridization histochemical characterization

The urocortin (UCN)-like immunoreactivity and UCN mRNA distribution in various regions of the nonprimate mammalian brain have been reported. However, the Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EW) appears to be the only brain site where UCN expression is conserved across species. Although UCN peptides are present throughout vertebrate phylogeny, the functional roles of both UCN and EW remain poorly understood. Therefore, a study focused on UCN system organization in the primate brain is warranted. By using immunohistochemistry (single and double labeling) and in situ hybridization, we have characterized the organization of UCN-expressing cells and fibers in the central nervous system and pituitary of the capuchin monkey (Cebus apella). In addition, the sequence of the prepro-UCN was determined to establish the level of structural conservation relative to the human sequence. To understand the relationship of acetylcholine cells in the EW, a colocalization study comparing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and UCN was also performed. The cloned monkey prepro-UCN is 95% identical to the human preprohormone across the matched sequences. By using an antiserum raised against rat UCN and a probe generated from human cDNA, we found that the EW is the dominant site for UCN expression, although UCN mRNA is also expressed in spinal cord lamina IX. Labeled axons and terminals were distributed diffusely throughout many brain regions and along the length of the spinal cord. of particular interest were UCN-immunoreactive inputs to the medial preoptic area, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the oral part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus, the flocculus of the cerebellum, and the spinal cord laminae VII and X. We found no UCN hybridization signal in the pituitary. In addition, we observed no colocalization between ChAT and UCN in EW neurons. Our results support the hypothesis that the UCN system might participate in the control of autonomic, endocrine, and sensorimotor functions in primates.

Curvas de lactação em rebanhos da raça holandesa no estado de Minas Gerais. Escolha do modelo de melhor ajuste

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Rheological properties of frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) as a function of concentration and subzero temperatures

Data on flow properties of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ) produced from oranges cv. Pera-Rio (65.04 Brix, 8.8% w/w pulp content, 2.5% w/w pectin, 3.84% citric acid, 1.293 g cm(-3)) from -18 to 0 degrees C were fitted with appropriate predictive models. The power law model was found to be the most appropriate to fit the flow curves obtained for FCOJ between 46.56 and 65.04 degrees Brix. In higher concentrations, thixotropy was observed and showed more temperature dependence. A single equation combining Arrhenius and exponential relationships was applied to describe the temperature effect and shear rate on the quantity of breakdown of FCOJ.

UNITARY POLE APPROXIMATION FOR THE COULOMB-PLUS-YAMAGUCHI POTENTIAL AND APPLICATION TO A 3-BODY BOUND-STATE CALCULATION

The unitary pole approximation is used to construct a separable representation for a potential U which consists of a Coulomb repulsion plus an attractive potential of the Yamaguchi type. The exact bound-state wave function is employed. U is chosen as the potential which binds the proton in the 1d5/2 single-particle orbit in F-17. Using the separable representation derived for U, and assuming a separable Yamaguchi potential to describe the 1d5/2 neutron in O-17, the energies and wave functions of the ground state (1+) and the lowest 0+ state of F-18 are calculated in the Gore-plus-two-nucleons model solving the Faddeev equations.

Kinetics of photoinduced birefringence in the guest-host system of poly(methyl methacrylate) doped with azobenzene-containing crown ethers

The kinetics of the buildup and decay of photoinduced birefringence was examined in a series of host-guest systems: azobenzene-containing crown ethers, differing in the size of the crowns, dissolved in a poly (methyl methacrylate) matrix. In all samples, the kinetics of the buildup of the birefringence was reasonably described by a sum of two exponential functions, the time constants being inversely proportional to the intensity of the pumping light and the magnitudes of the signals at the saturation level depending on the pumping light intensity and sample thickness. The dark decays were best described by the stretched exponential function, with the characteristic parameters (time constant and stretch coefficient) being practically independent of the type of crown ether. The time constants of the signal decay were orders of magnitude shorter than the respective constants of the dark isomerization of the azo crown ethers, thus indicating that the process controlling the decay was a relaxation of the polymer matrix and/or a rearrangement of the flexible parts of the crowns. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Experimental and theoretical study of the compound [Pd(dmba)(NCO)(imz)]

The compound [Pd(dmba)(NCO)(imz)] (dmba = N,N-dimethylbenzilamine; NCO = cyanate; imz = imidazole) was studied through experimental and theoretical methods. The complex was synthesized and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy. To an appropriate representation of the molecular environment, Gaussian basis sets for the constituent atoms of the compound were built and, after adequate supplementation with polarization and diffuse functions, they were used to study the molecule. Calculations of electronic and vibrational structure of two possible isomers were carried out, showing that the compound, which contains the NCO GROUP trans to the Pd-C bond, is 4.29 kcal/mol more stable than the analogous one, where the imz ligand is trans to the Pd-C bond. The calculated molecular parameters, bond distances, and bond angles showed that the geometry around the metallic center is square-planar with the cyanate being linear. The theoretical infrared spectrum of C(1) symmetry (electronic state (1)A) is in accordance with the experimental one. It also verified the contribution of Pd (4d(xz) + 4d(yz)) and Pd (4d(xy)) in the HOMO and LUMO orbitals, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Altered Glucose Homeostasis and Hepatic Function in Obese Mice Deficient for Both Kinin Receptor Genes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Spatial variability models of CO2 emissions from soils colonized by grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and moss (Sanionia uncinata) in Admiralty Bay, King George Island

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Plasma levels of transthyretin and retinol-binding protein in child-a cirrhotic patients in relation to protein-calorie status and plasma amino acids, zinc, vitamin a and plasma thyroid hormones

Transthyretin and retinal-binding protein are sensitive markers of acute protein-calorie malnutrition both for early diagnosis and dietary evaluation. A preliminary study showed that retinal-binding protein is the most sensitive marker of protein-calorie malnutrition in cirrhotic patients, even those with the mild form of the disease (Child A). However, in addition to being affected by protein-calorie malnutrition, the levels of these short half-life-liver-produced proteins are also influenced by other factors of a nutritional (zinc, tryptophan, vitamin A, etc) and non-nutritional (sex, aging, hormones, renal and liver functions and inflammatory activity) nature. These interactions were investigated in 11 adult male patients (49.9 ± 9.2 years of age) with alcoholic cirrhosis (Child-Pugh grade A) and with normal renal function. Both transthyretin and retinol binding protein were reduced below normal levels in 55% of the patients, in close agreement with their plasma levels of retinal. In 67% of the patients (4/6), the reduced levels of transthyretin and retinal-binding protein were caused by altered liver function and in 50% (3/6) they were caused by protein-calorie malnutrition. Thus, the present data, taken as a whole, indicate that reduced transthyretin and retinal-binding protein levels in mild cirrhosis of the liver are mainly due to liver failure and/or vitamin A status rather than representing an isolated protein-calorie malnutrition indicator.

Lead- and copper-complexing extracellular ligands released by Kirchneriella aperta (Chloroccocales, Chlorophyta)

The freshwater planktonic alga Kirchneriella aperta was grown in batch cultures to stationary growth phase. Copper and lead complexation properties of the exudate from stationary and exponential growth phases were determined by titrations monitored by ion-selective electrodes. Molecular weight fractionation dialysis) and analysis of the titration data (Scatchard Plot) revealed that K. aperta releases metal-complexing ligands. Copper is associated with low and high molecular weight compounds, whereas lead forms complexes with only high molecular weight compounds. Gas-liquid chromatography showed that mannose and rhamnose make up 74% of the total high molecular weight organic material, with uronic acids present at 19%.

Thermally developing forced convection of non-Newtonian fluids inside elliptical ducts

Laminar-forced convection inside tubes of various cross-section shapes is of interest in the design of a low Reynolds number heat exchanger apparatus. Heat transfer to thermally developing, hydrodynamically developed forced convection inside tubes of simple geometries such as a circular tube, parallel plate, or annular duct has been well studied in the literature and documented in various books, but for elliptical duct there are not much work done. The main assumptions used in this work are a non-Newtonian fluid, laminar flow, constant physical properties, and negligible axial heat diffusion (high Peclet number). Most of the previous research in elliptical ducts deal mainly with aspects of fully developed laminar flow forced convection, such as velocity profile, maximum velocity, pressure drop, and heat transfer quantities. In this work, we examine heat transfer in a hydrodynamically developed, thermally developing laminar forced convection flow of fluid inside an elliptical tube under a second kind of a boundary condition. To solve the thermally developing problem, we use the generalized integral transform technique (GITT), also known as Sturm-Liouville transform. Actually, such an integral transform is a generalization of the finite Fourier transform, where the sine and cosine functions are replaced by more general sets of orthogonal functions. The axes are algebraically transformed from the Cartesian coordinate system to the elliptical coordinate system in order to avoid the irregular shape of the elliptical duct wall. The GITT is then applied to transform and solve the problem and to obtain the once unknown temperature field. Afterward, it is possible to compute and present the quantities of practical interest, such as the bulk fluid temperature, the local Nusselt number, and the average Nusselt number for various cross-section aspect ratios.