Brazilian elections: voting for a scaling democracy

The proportional elections held in Brazil in 1998 and 2002 display identical statistical signatures. In particular, the distribution of votes among candidates includes a power-law regimen. We suggest that the rationale behind this robust scaling invariance is a multiplicative process in which the voter's choice for a candidate is governed by a product of probabilities.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Use Of Different Electrical Stimulations For Treating Pain In Women With Temporomandibular Disorders [utilização De Diferentes Estimulações Elétricas Para O Tratamento Da Dor Em Mulheres Com Disfunção Temporomandibular]

Objective: To analyze pain intensity in individuals with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) who were treated with ten sessions of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or high voltage electrical stimulation (HVES). Methods: Twenty-four women (22.98±1.86 years old) with a diagnosis of TMD in accordance with the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) were selected. Sixty percent of the participants had a diagnosis of TMD classified as group Ia and 40% as Ia and IIa. They were divided into two groups named TENS group (TG) and high-voltage group (HVG). Each participant received ten applications of either TENS (10Hz, modulated at 50%, 200μs and motor threshold intensity) or HVES (10Hz, twin pulses of 20μs each at intervals of 100μs between the twin pulses, 100volts and positive pole) twice a week for 30 minutes. To measure the pain intensity, a visual analog scale (VAS) was used. Statistical analyses were performed using t test and simple linear regression. Results: Comparison of the pre- and post-TENS conditions showed diminished pain intensity (p<0.05) in most sessions except for sessions 6, 7 and 8. In contrast, HVES reduced the pain intensity in all sessions (p<0.05). Evaluation of the pre-application values showed that both treatments decreased the pain intensity uniformly over the ten sessions (p<0.05). Conclusions: TENS and HVES both promoted reductions in pain intensity in women with TMD. HVES is a therapeutic resource recommended for such patients. © 2009 Revista Brasileira de Fisioterapia.126476481Tvrdy, P., Methods of imaging in the diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorders (2007) Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub, 151 (1), pp. 133-6Magnusson, T., Egermark, I., Carlsson, G.E., A longitudinal epidemiologic study of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders from 15 to 35 years of age (2000) J Orofac Pain, 14 (4), pp. 310-9Oliveira, A.S., Bermudez, C.C., Souza, R.A., Souza, C.M.F., Dias, E.M., Castro, C.E.S., Impacto da dor na vida de portadores de disfunção temporomandibular (2003) J Appl Oral Sci, 11 (2), pp. 138-43Furto, E.S., Cleland, J.A., Whitman, J.M., Olson, K.A., Manual physical therapy interventions and exercise for patients with temporomandibular disorders (2006) Cranio, 24 (4), pp. 283-91Cappelini, V.K., Souza, G.S., Faria, C.R.S., Massage therapy in the management of myogenic TMD: a pilot study (2006) J Apllied Oral Sci, 14 (1), pp. 21-6Kato, M.T., Kogawa, E.M., Santos, C.N., Conti, P.C.R., Tens and low-level laser therapy in the Management of temporomandibular Disorders (2006) J Appl Oral Sci, 14 (2), pp. 130-5Alvarez-Arenal, A., Junquera, L.M., Fernandez, J.P., Gonzalez, I., Olay, S., Effect of occlusal splint and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation on the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in patients with bruxism (2002) J Oral Rehabil, 29 (9), pp. 858-63Rodrigues, D., Siriani, A.O., Bérzin, F., Effect of conventional TENS on pain and eletromyographic activity of masticatory muscles in TMD patients (2004) Braz Oral Res, 18 (4), pp. 290-5Windt, D.A., Heijden, G.J., Berg, S.G., Riet, G., Winter, A.F., Bouter, L.M., Ultrasound therapy for musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review (1999) Pain, 81 (3), pp. 257-71Gonçalves, R.N., Ordenes, I.E.U., Rodrigues-Bigaton, D., Efeito indireto da TENS sobre os músculos cervicais em portadores de DTM (2007) Fisioter Mov, 20 (2), pp. 83-90Linde, C., Isacsson, G., Jonsson, B.G., Outcome of 6-week treatment with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation compared with splint on symptomatic temporomandibular joint disk displacement without reduction (1995) Acta Odontol Scand, 53 (2), pp. 92-8Stralka, S.W., Jackson, J.A., Lewis, A.R., Treatment of hand and wrist pain: A randomized clinical trial of high voltage pulsed, direct current built into a wrist splint (1998) AAOHN Journal, 46 (5), pp. 233-6Holcomb, W.R., A practical Guide to Electrical Therapy (1997) J Sport Rehabil, 6, pp. 272-82Nelson, R.M., Hayes, K.W., Currier, D.P., (2003) Eletroterapia Clínica, , 3a ed. Barueri: ManoleAlon, G., Os princípios da estimulação elétrica (2003) Eletroterapia Clínica, pp. 55-139. , In. Nelson RM, Hayes KW, Currier DP. 3a ed. Barueri: ManoleIdo, C., Rothenbuhler, R., Janz, L., Eletroestimulação nervosa trancutânea de baixa freqüência nos "tender points" dos pacientes fibromioálgicos juvenis (2003) Rev Fisioter Univ São Paulo, 10 (1), pp. 1-6Larsson, S.E., Bodegard, L., Henriksson, K.G., Oberg, P.A., Chronic trapezius myalgia. Morphology and blood flow studied in 17 patients (1990) Acta Orthop Scand, 61 (5), pp. 394-8Tullberg, M., Alstergren, P.J., Ernberg, M.M., Effects of low-power laser exposure on masseter muscle pain and microcirculation (2003) Pain, 105 (1-2), pp. 89-96Okada, K., Yamaguchi, T., Minowa, K., Inoue, N., The influence of hot pack therapy on the blood flow in masseter muscles (2005) J Oral Rehabil, 32 (7), pp. 480-6Wieselmann-Penkner, K., Janda, M., Lorenzoni, M., Polansky, R., A comparison of the muscular relaxation effects of TENS and EMG-biofeedback in patients with bruxism (2001) J Oral Rehabil, 28 (9), pp. 849-53Cramp, A.F.L., Gilsenan, C., Lowe, A.S., Walsh, D.M., The effect of high- and low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation upon cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature in healthy subjects (2000) Clin Physiol, 20 (2), pp. 150-7Goldman, R., Brewley, B., Zhou, L., Golden, M., Electrotherapy reverses inframalleolar ischemia: A retrospective, observational study (2003) Advances in Skin & Wound care, 16 (2), pp. 79-89Goldman, R., Rosen, M., Brewley, B., Golden, M., Electrotherapy promotes healing and microcirculation of infrapopliteal ischemic wounds: a prospective pilot study (2004) Adv Skin Wound Care, 17 (6), pp. 284-94Robinson, A.J., Snyder, M.L., (2001) Eletrofisiologia Clínica: eletroterapia e teste eletrofisiológico, , 2a ed. Porto Alegre: Artme

Spontaneous parity violation and minimal Higgs models

In this paper we present a model for the spontaneous breaking of parity with two Higgs doublets and two neutral Higgs singlets which are even and odd under D-parity. The condition $v_R >>v_L$ can be satisfied without introducing bidoublets and it is induced by the breaking of D-parity through the vacuum expectation value of the odd Higgs singlet. Examples of left-right symmetric and mirror fermions models in grand unified theories are presented.Comment: Revised version. Accepted in Eur. Phys. Journal

A Supersymmetric Stueckelberg U(1) Extension of the MSSM

A Stueckelberg extension of the MSSM with only one abelian vector and one chiral superfield as an alternative to an abelian extension with Higgs scalars is presented. The bosonic sector contains a new gauge boson Z' which is a sharp resonance, and a new CP-even scalar, which combines with the MSSM Higgs bosons to produce three neutral CP-even massive states. The neutral fermionic sector has two additional fermions which mix with the four MSSM neutralinos to produce an extended 6x6 neutralino mass matrix. For the case when the LSP is composed mostly of the Stueckelberg fermions, the LSP of the MSSM will be unstable, which leads to exotic decays of sparticles with many leptons in final states. Prospects for supersymmetry searches and for dark matter are discussed.Comment: 10 page

Signatures of Right-Handed Majorana neutrinos and gauge bosons in eγe \gamma Collisions

The process $e^- \gamma \to e^+ W_R^- W_R^-$ is studied in the framework of the Left-Right symmetric model. It is shown that this reaction and $e^- \gamma \to l^+ W_R^- W_R^-$ for the arbitrary final lepton are likely to be discovered for CLIC collider option. For relatively light doubly charged Higgs boson its mass does not have much influence on the discovery potential, while for heavier values the probability of the reaction increases.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, LaTe

Parâmetros De Qualidade Físico-químicos E Avaliação Da Atividade Antioxidante De Folhas De Plectranthus Barbatus Andr. (lamiaceae) Submetidas A Diferentes Processos De Secagem

This paper describes the physicochemical composition, the evaluation of the antioxidant activity by free DPPH radicals using the scavenging method, the determination of flavonoids and total phenolic compounds of ethanol, acetone and aqueous extracts of the medicinal plant Plectranthus barbatus Andr. (Lamiaceae), dehydrated in solar dryer and circulation oven at 60 °C. Water activity rates for two drying methods were below the minimum necessary for growth and toxin production of important food pathogens. Physicochemical results showed that both processes were effective in the dehydration of P. barbatus. The results demonstrated that the acetone (over) and ethanol (over and solar dryer) extracts showed the highest content of total phenols. The ethanol extract (over) showed the highest amount of flavonoids and better antioxidant activity (75.71 ± 10.57 µg L-1). © 2016, Instituto de Biociencias. All rights reserved.181485

TeV-scale seesaw from a multi-Higgs model

We suggest new simple model of generating tiny neutrino masses through a TeV-scale seesaw mechanism without requiring tiny Yukawa couplings. This model is a simple extension of the standard model by introducing extra one Higgs singlet, and one Higgs doublet with a tiny vacuum expectation value. Experimental constraints, electroweak precision data and no large flavor changing neutral currents, are satisfied since the extra doublet only has a Yukawa interaction with lepton doublets and right-handed neutrinos, and their masses are heavy of order a TeV-scale. Since active light neutrinos are Majorana particles, this model predicts a neutrinoless double beta decay.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure

Photon-Photon and Pomeron-Pomeron Processes in Peripheral Heavy Ion Collisions

We estimate the cross sections for the production of resonances, pion pairs and a central cluster of hadrons in peripheral heavy-ion collisions through two-photon and double-pomeron exchange, at energies that will be available at RHIC and LHC. The effect of the impact parameter in the diffractive reactions is introduced, and imposing the condition for realistic peripheral collisions we verify that in the case of very heavy ions the pomeron-pomeron contribution is indeed smaller than the electromagnetic one. However, they give a non-negligible background in the collision of light ions. This diffractive background will be more important at RHIC than at LHC.Comment: 22 pages, 1 Postscript figures, 4 tables, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Signatures of heavy Majorana neutrinos and HERA's isolated lepton events

The graph of neutrinoless double beta decay is applied to HERA and generalized to final states with any two charged leptons. Considered is the case in which one of the two escapes typical identification criteria and the case when a produced tau decays hadronically. Both possibilities give one isolated lepton with high transverse momentum, hadronic activity and an imbalance in transverse momentum. We examine the kinematical properties of these events and compare them with the high p_T isolated leptons reported by the H1 collaboration. Their positive charged muon events can be explained by the ``double beta'' process and we discuss possibilities for the precise determination which original final state produced the single isolated lepton. To confirm our hypothesis one should search in the data for high pseudorapidity and/or low p_T leptons or for additional separated jets.Comment: 19 pages with 14 figures, minor change

Linear Collider Test of a Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Mechanism in left-right Symmetric Theories

There are various diagrams leading to neutrinoless double beta decay in left-right symmetric theories based on the gauge group SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R. All can in principle be tested at a linear collider running in electron-electron mode. We argue that the so-called lambda-diagram is the most promising one. Taking the current limit on this diagram from double beta decay experiments, we evaluate the relevant cross section e e to W_L W_R, where W_L is the Standard Model W-boson and W_R the one from SU(2)_R. It is observable if the life-time of double beta decay and the mass of the W_R are close to current limits. Beam polarization effects and the high-energy behaviour of the cross section are also analyzed.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures. v2: minor changes, references added, to be published in EPJ