Mean-field equations for cigar- and disc-shaped Bose and Fermi superfluids

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

Monitoring a wandering mean with an np chart

Este artigo considera um gráfico np x proposto por Wu et al. (2009) para controle de média de processo como uma alternativa ao uso do gráfico de. O que distingue do gráfico de controle np x é o fato das unidades amostrais serem classificadas como unidades de primeiro ou de segunda classe de acordo com seus limites discriminantes. O gráfico tradicional np é um caso particular do gráfico np x quando os limites discriminantes coincidem com os limites de especificação e unidade de primeira (segunda) classe é um item conforme (não conforme). Estendendo o trabalho de Reynolds Junior, Arnold e Baik (1996), consideramos que a média de processo oscila mesmo na ausência de alguma causa especial. As propriedades de Cadeia de Markov foram adotadas para avaliar o desempenho do gráfico np x no monitoramento de média de processos que oscila. de modo geral, o gráfico np x requer amostras duas vezes maior para superar desempenho do gráfico (enquanto que o gráfico tradicional np necessita tamanho de amostras cinco ou seis vezes maior).

Tratamento cirúrgico da fratura-avulsão da inserção tibial do L.C.P. do joelho: experiência de 21 casos

Avaliamos 21 pacientes, sendo 16 pacientes do sexo masculino e 5 do feminino, com idade média de 30 anos, foram submetidos à tratamento cirúrgico da fratura-avulsão do LCP. em 57% dos casos a lesão foi secundária a acidente motociclístico e 19% a acidente automobilístico. em 72% dos casos foi identificada uma lesão na face anterior do joelho. O tratamento cirúrgico consistiu na abordagem posterior do joelho e fixação do fragmento ósseo com parafuso e arruela em 18 casos; e amarrilhas trans-ósseas em 3 casos, onde o fragmento ósseo era muito pequeno. em 91% dos casos, a cirurgia foi realizada dentro dos primeiros 15 dias apos a lesão. Os pacientes foram avaliados objetivamente (teste de gaveta posterior) e subjetivamente (Escala de Lysholm), apos um seguimento pós-operatório mínimo de 12 meses. A análise estatística não mostrou diferença significativa, ao nível de 5%, entre as avaliações objetiva e subjetiva. A ausência de lesão ligamentar periférica pode ter contribuído para que os resultados clínicos pós-operatórios tenham avaliação subjetiva satisfatória; entretanto, a presença de uma posteriorização tibial residual sugere que a fratura-avulsão do ligamento cruzado posterior deve ser abordada não como uma lesão óssea pura, mas sim, como uma lesão ósteo-ligamentar.

Relationships and significance of lactate minimum, critical velocity, heart rate deflection and 3 000 m track-tests for running

The running velocities associated to lactate minimum (V-lm), heart rate deflection (V-HRd), critical velocity (CV), 3000 M (V-3000) and 10000 m performance (V-10km) were compared. Additionally the ability of V-lm and VHRd on identifying sustainable velocities was investigated.Methods. Twenty runners (28.5 +/- 5.9 y) performed 1) 3000 m running test for V3000; 2) an all-out 500 in sprint followed by 6x800 m incremental bouts with blood lactate ([lac]) measurements for V-lm; 3) a continuous velocity-incremented test with heart rate measurements at each 200 m for V-HRd; 4) participants attempted to 30 min of endurance test both at V-lm(ETVlm) and V-HRd(ETVHRd). Additionally, the distance-time and velocity-1/time relationships produced CV by 2 (500 m and 3000 m) or 3 predictive trials (500 m, 3000 m and distance reached before exhaustion during ETVHRd), and a 10 km race was recorded for V-10km.Results. The CV identified by different methods did not differ to each other. The results (m(.)min(-1)) revealed that V-.(lm) (281 +/- 14.8)< CV (292.1 +/- 17.5)=V-10km (291.7 +/- 19.3)< V-HRd (300.8 +/- 18.7)=V-3000 (304 +/- 17.5) with high correlation among parameters (P < 0.001). During ETVlm participants completed 30 min of running while on the ETVHRd they lasted only 12.5 +/- 8.2 min with increasing [lac].Conclusion. We evidenced that CV and Vim track-protocols are valid for running evaluation and performance prediction and the parameters studied have different significance. The V-lm reflects the moderate-high intensity domain (below CV), can be sustained without [lac] accumulation and may be used for long-term exercise while the V-HRd overestimates a running intensity that can be sustained for long-time. Additionally, V-3000 and V-HRd reflect the severe intensity domain (above CV).

Effect of tillage on fractal indices describing soil surface microrelief of a Brazilian Alfisol

Soil surface roughness is known to influence water infiltration, runoff and erosion. Soil surface roughness changes with management and weather and its mathematical description still remains an important issue. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tillage on the two fractal indices, fractal dimension, D, and crossover length, 1, currently used in characterizing soil surface microrelief. The statistical index random roughness, RR, was also assessed. Field experiments were done on an Alfisol located at Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil). Two tillage treatments (conventional versus direct drilling) were tested. The soil surface microrelief was assessed by point elevation measurements in 16 plots for each treatment. The sampling scheme was a square grid with 20 x 20 mm between point spacing and the plot size was 280 x 280 mm, so that each data set consisted of 225 individual elevation points. All indices were calculated after trend removal, both by slope correction, i.e., oriented microrelief, and by slope plus tillage marks correction, i.e., random microrelief. The implemented algorithm for estimating D and 1 consisted in evaluating the roughness around the local root mean square deviation (RMS) of the point elevation values. Irrespective of tillage treatment and detrending procedure, fractal behavior extended only over a bounded range of scales, from 40 to 100 mm, due to the experimental setup. In these conditions, assessing fractal indices was not always straightforward. The statistical index RR and the fractal index I were significantly different between tillage treatments for oriented and random surface conditions. D values of random soil surfaces were not affected by tillage treatment, whereas D values of oriented microrelief were significantly lower in the direct drilled plots. Removal of tillage marks trend resulted in a significant increase in D values. Within each tillage treatment, 1 and D were significantly correlated. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanostructured films employed as sensing units in an electronic tongue system

Nanostructured films of lignin (macromolecule extracted from sugar cane bagasse), polypyrrole (conducting polymer) and bis butylimido perylene (organic dye) were used in the detection of trace levels of fluorine (from H2SiF6), chlorine (from NaCIO), Pb+2, Cu+2, and Cd+2 in aqueous solutions. Langmuir monolayers on ultrapure water were characterised by surface pressure-mean molecular area (II-A) isotherms. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films were transferred onto gold interdigitated electrodes and used as individual sensing units of an electronic tongue system. Impedance spectroscopy measurements were taken with the sensor immersed into aqueous solutions containing the ions described above in different molar concentrations. Fourier transform infrared absorption (FTIR) was employed to identify possible interactions between the LB films and the analytes in solution, and no significant changes could be observed in the FTIR spectra of BuPTCD and Ppy. Therefore, the results for lignin point to an interaction involving the electronic cloud of the phenyl groups with the metallic ions.

Maximal lactate steady state in running mice: Effect of exercise training

1. Maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) corresponds to the highest blood lactate concentration (MLSSc) and workload (MLSSw) that can be maintained over time without continual blood lactate accumulation and is considered an important marker of endurance exercise capacity. The present study was undertaken to determine MLSSw and MLSSc in running mice. In addition, we provide an exercise training protocol for mice based on MLSSw.2. Maximal lactate steady state was determined by blood sampling during multiple sessions of constant-load exercise varying from 9 to 21 m/min in adult male C57BL/6J mice. The constant-load test lasted at least 21 min. The blood lactate concentration was analysed at rest and then at 7 min intervals during exercise.3. The MLSSw was found to be 15.1 +/- 0.7 m/min and corresponded to 60 +/- 2% of maximal speed achieved during the incremental exercise testing. Intra- and interobserver variability of MLSSc showed reproducible findings. Exercise training was performed at MLSSw over a period of 8 weeks for 1 h/day and 5 days/week. Exercise training led to resting bradycardia (21%) and increased running performance (28%). of interest, the MLSSw of trained mice was significantly higher than that in sedentary littermates (19.0 +/- 0.5 vs 14.2 +/- 0.5 m/min; P = 0.05), whereas MLSSc remained unchanged (3.0 mmol/L).4. Altogether, we provide a valid and reliable protocol to improve endurance exercise capacity in mice performed at highest workload with predominant aerobic metabolism based on MLSS assessment.

A Semi-Tethered Test for Power Assessment in Running

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

Pleiotropic effects of statins may improve outcomes in atherosclerotic renovascular disease

BACKGROUNDAtherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARD) coexists with arterial obstructive disease in the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral arteries that may remain underdiagnosed and untreated.METHODSThis retrospective study compares overall survival and renal survival (i.e., time to doubling of serum creatinine or end-stage renal disease (ESRD)) over an 11-year period in 104 ARD patients of whom 68 received statin therapy (group S) because of elevated lipid levels and 36 had no statin (group NS) because of normal lipid profile at entry.RESULTSAtherosclerosis in another vascular bed was documented in 84%. Lipid profiles at end point were virtually identical in both the groups Group S had mean survival 123 months (confidence interval (CI) 113-134) with four deaths, and mean renal survival 122 months (CI 113-131). Group NS had mean survival 33 months (CI 23-42) with 13 deaths, and mean renal survival 27 months (CI 17-37).CONCLUSIONSStatin therapy was associated with lesser rate of progression of renal insufficiency (with 7.4% of S patients reaching renal end points vs. 38.9% of NS patients) and lower overall mortality (5.9% in S vs. 36.1% in NS patients), P < 0.001 for both. Although both groups received what was deemed optimal therapy, they did have other differences that may have affected the outcomes (a limitation addressed by Cox multiple regression analysis). These results suggest the need for prospective randomized controlled studies in ARD patients in order to explore potential benefits of statins that may not be attributable solely to lipid lowering.

Relationship Between Speed and Time in Running

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using different mathematical models to describe the relationship between treadmill running speed and time to exhaustion. All models generated a value for an aerobic parameter (critical speed; S(critical)). 35 university students performed 5-7 constant-speed 0%-slope treadmill tests at speeds that elicited exhaustion in similar to 3 min to similar to 10 min. Speed and time data were fitted using 3 models: (1) a 2-parameter hyperbolic model; (2) a 3-parameter hyperbolic model; and (3) a hybrid 3-parameter hyperbolic + exponential model. The 2-parameter model generated values for S(critical) (mean (+/- SD): 186 +/- 33 m.min(-1)) and anaerobic distance capacity (ADC; 251 +/- 122 m) with a high level of statistical certainty (i.e., with small SEEs). The 3-parameter models generated parameter estimates that were unrealistic in magnitude and/or associated with large SEEs and little statistical certainty. Therefore, it was concluded that, for the range of exercise durations used in the present study, the 2-parameter model is preferred because it provides a parsimonious description of the relationship between velocity and time to fatigue, and it produces parameters of known physiological significance, with excellent confidence.

Anaerobic contribution during maximal anaerobic running test: correlation with maximal accumulated oxygen deficit

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Phenomenological tests for the freezing of the QCD running coupling constant

We discuss phenomenological tests for the frozen infrared behavior of the running coupling constant and gluon propagators found in some solutions of Schwinger-Dyson equations of the gluonic sector of QCD. We verify that several observables can be used in order to select the different expressions of αs found in the literature. We test the effect of the nonperturbative coupling in the τ-lepton decay rate into nonstrange hadrons, in the ρ vector meson helicity density matrix that are produced in the χc2 → ρρ decay, in the photon to pion transition form factor, and compute the cross-sections for elastic proton-proton scattering and exclusive ρ production in deep inelastic scattering. These quantities depend on the infrared behavior of the coupling constant at different levels, we discuss the reasons for this dependence and argue that the existent and future data can be used to test the approximations performed to solve the Schwinger-Dyson equations and they already seem to select one specific infrared behavior of the coupling.

Mean-field model of jet formation in a collapsing Bose-Einstein condensate

We perform a systematic numerical study, based on the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation, of jet formation in collapsing and exploding Bose-Einstein condensates as in the experiment by Donley et al (2001 Nature 412 295). In the actual experiment, via a Feshbach resonance, the scattering length of atomic interaction was suddenly changed from positive to negative on a pre-formed condensate. Consequently, the condensate collapsed and ejected atoms via explosion. On disruption of the collapse by suddenly changing the scattering length to zero, a radial jet of atoms was formed in the experiment. We present a satisfactory account of jet formation under the experimental conditions and also make predictions beyond experimental conditions which can be verified in future experiments.

Evaluation of the flexural strength of carbon fiber-, quartz fiber-, and glass fiber-based posts

This study investigated the flexural strength of eight fiber posts (one carbon fiber, one carbon/quartz fiber, one opaque quartz fiber, two translucent quartz fiber, and three glass fiber posts). Eighty fiber posts were used and divided into eight groups (n = 10): G1: C-POST (Bisco); G2: ÆSTHETI-POST (Bisco); G3: ÆSTHETI-PLUS (Bisco); G4: LIGHT-POST (Bisco); G5: D.T. LIGHT-POST (Bisco); G6: PARAPOST WHITE (Coltene); G7: FIBERKOR (Pentron); G8: REFORPOST (Angelus). All of the samples were tested using the three-point bending test. The averages obtained were submitted to the ANOVA and to Tukey's test (p < 0.05). The mean values (MPa) of the groups ÆSTHETI-POST - carbon/ quartz fiber post (Bisco) and ÆSTHETI-PLUS - quartz fiber post (Bisco) were statistically similar and higher than the mean values of the other groups. The mean values of the groups C-POST - carbon fiber post (Bisco), LIGHT-POST - translucent quartz fiber post (Bisco), D.T. LIGHT-POST - double tapered translucent quartz fiber post (Bisco), PARAPOST WHITE - glass fiber post (Coltene) and FIBREKOR - glass fiber post (Pentron) were similar and higher than the group REFORPOST - glass fiber post (Angelus). Copyright © 2005 by the American Association of Endodontists.

O limiar de esforço percebido (LEP) corresponde à potência crítica e a um indicador de máximo estado estável de consumo de oxigěnio

The perceived exertion has been a target of several investigations, many times with association with objective physiological indicators in exercise. Recently, the identification of the perceived exertion threshold (PET) was proposed in the water running, which presented no difference in relation to the critical velocity. Theoretically, both parameters would be indicators of the maximum steady state of variables such as V̇O2 and blood lactate. The objective of this work was to verify the coincidence between PET, critical power (PCrit) and an indicator of maximum V̇O2 steady state (PCrit') in cycle ergometer. Eight male participants were submitted to progressive effort test in order to determine V̇O2peak (46.7 ± 8.5 ml/kg/min) and to four rectangular tests until exhaustion for the estimation of the critical power model parameters, PET and PCrit'. The hyperbolic relation between mechanical power and time spent for the V̇O2peak to be reached in each test was used for the PCrit' estimation, considered as the asymptote in the power axis, and the portion of the anaerobic work capacity (CTAnaer) depleted up to the establishment of the V̇O2peak (CTAnaer'). In order to identify PET, the straight lines angular coefficients of the perceived exertion in time (ordinate) and the powers used (abscissa) were adjusted to a linear function that provided a point in the power axis in which the perceived exertion would be kept indefinitely stable. The parameters PCrit and CTAnaer were estimated by means of the power-time non-linear equation. In order to compare the estimations of PET, PCrit and PCrit', the analysis of variance ANOVA for repeated measurements was employed, and the associations were established through the Pearson correlation. CTAnaer and CTAnaer' were compared through the t test. PET (180 W ± 61 W), PCrit (174 W ± 43 W) and PCrit' (176 W ± 48 W) were not significantly different and the correlations were of 0.92-0.98. CTAnaer' (14,080 ± 5,219 J) was lower than CTAnaer (22,093 ± 9,042 J). One concludes that the PET predicts the intensity of PCrit and PCrit' with accuracy.