Physiotherapists and Osteopaths’ Attitudes: Training in Management of Temporomandibular Disorders

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a condition which has multifactorial etiology. The most acknowledged method to classify TMDs is the diagnostic criteria (DC) introduced firstly by Dworkin. This protocol considers different aspects that are not only biological, but even psychosocial. Diagnosis is often based on anamnesis, physical examination and instrumental diagnosis. TMDs are classified as intra-articular and/or extra-articular disorders. Common signs and symptoms include jaw pain and dysfunction, earache, headache, facial pain, limitation to opening the mouth, ear pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) noises. This study regards two kind of clinicians that started in the last years to be more involved in the treatment of TMDs: osteopaths (OOs) and physiotherapists (PTs). The purpose is to analyze their attitude and clinical approach on patients affected by TMDs. Four hundred therapists answered an anonymous questionnaire regarding TMJ and TMDs. OOs showed greater knowledges on TMDs and TMJ and, the therapists with both qualifications seemed to be most confident in treating patients with TMDs. In conclusion this study highlights OOs and all the clinicians with this qualification, have a higher confidence in treating patients with TMD than the others. Dentists and orthodontists, according to this study, should co-work with OOs and PTs, because they are the specialists more requested by them than other kinds of specialists

Remarks on Shannon's Statistical Inference and the Second Law in Quantum Statistical Mechanics

We comment on a formulation of quantum statistical mechanics, which incorporates the statistical inference of Shannon. Our basic idea is to distinguish the dynamical entropy of von Neumann, $H = -k Tr \hat{\rho}\ln\hat{\rho}$, in terms of the density matrix $\hat{\rho}(t)$, and the statistical amount of uncertainty of Shannon, $S= -k \sum_{n}p_{n}\ln p_{n}$, with $p_{n}=$ in the representation where the total energy and particle numbers are diagonal. These quantities satisfy the inequality $S\geq H$. We propose to interprete Shannon's statistical inference as specifying the {\em initial conditions} of the system in terms of $p_{n}$. A definition of macroscopic observables which are characterized by intrinsic time scales is given, and a quantum mechanical condition on the system, which ensures equilibrium, is discussed on the basis of time averaging. An interesting analogy of the change of entroy with the running coupling in renormalization group is noted. A salient feature of our approach is that the distinction between statistical aspects and dynamical aspects of quantum statistical mechanics is very transparent.Comment: 16 pages. Minor refinement in the statements in the previous version. This version has been published in Journal of Phys. Soc. Jpn. 71 (2002) 6

Analytic results for Gaussian wave packets in four model systems: II. Autocorrelation functions

The autocorrelation function, A(t), measures the overlap (in Hilbert space) of a time-dependent quantum mechanical wave function, psi(x,t), with its initial value, psi(x,0). It finds extensive use in the theoretical analysis and experimental measurement of such phenomena as quantum wave packet revivals. We evaluate explicit expressions for the autocorrelation function for time-dependent Gaussian solutions of the Schrodinger equation corresponding to the cases of a free particle, a particle undergoing uniform acceleration, a particle in a harmonic oscillator potential, and a system corresponding to an unstable equilibrium (the so-called `inverted' oscillator.) We emphasize the importance of momentum-space methods where such calculations are often more straightforwardly realized, as well as stressing their role in providing complementary information to results obtained using position-space wavefunctions.Comment: 18 pages, RevTeX, to appear in Found. Phys. Lett, Vol. 17, Dec. 200

Origin of the Canonical Ensemble: Thermalization with Decoherence

We solve the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for the combination of a spin system interacting with a spin bath environment. In particular, we focus on the time development of the reduced density matrix of the spin system. Under normal circumstances we show that the environment drives the reduced density matrix to a fully decoherent state, and furthermore the diagonal elements of the reduced density matrix approach those expected for the system in the canonical ensemble. We show one exception to the normal case is if the spin system cannot exchange energy with the spin bath. Our demonstration does not rely on time-averaging of observables nor does it assume that the coupling between system and bath is weak. Our findings show that the canonical ensemble is a state that may result from pure quantum dynamics, suggesting that quantum mechanics may be regarded as the foundation of quantum statistical mechanics.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication by J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Fractional recurrence in discrete-time quantum walk

Quantum recurrence theorem holds for quantum systems with discrete energy eigenvalues and fails to hold in general for systems with continuous energy. We show that during quantum walk process dominated by interference of amplitude corresponding to different paths fail to satisfy the complete quantum recurrence theorem. Due to the revival of the fractional wave packet, a fractional recurrence characterized using quantum P\'olya number can be seen.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure : Accepted to appear in Central European Journal of Physic

Wishing for deburdening through a sustainable control after bariatric surgery

The aim of this study was an in-depth investigation of the change process experienced by patients undergoing bariatric surgery. A prospective interview study was performed prior to as well as 1 and 2 years after surgery. Data analyses of the transcribed interviews were performed by means of the Grounded Theory method. A core category was identified: Wishing for deburdening through a sustainable control over eating and weight, comprising three related categories: hoping for deburdening and control through surgery, feeling deburdened and practising control through physical restriction, and feeling deburdened and trying to maintain control by own willpower. Before surgery, the participants experienced little or no control in relation to food and eating and hoped that the bariatric procedure would be the first brick in the building of a foundation that would lead to control in this area. The control thus achieved in turn affected the participants' relationship to themselves, their roles in society, and the family as well as to health care. One year after surgery they reported established routines regarding eating as well as higher self-esteem due to weight loss. In family and society they set limits and in relation to health care staff they felt their concern and reported satisfaction with the surgery. After 2 years, fear of weight gain resurfaced and their self-image was modified to be more realistic. They were no longer totally self-confident about their condition, but realised that maintaining control was a matter of struggle to obtaining a foundation of sustainable control. Between 1 and 2 years after surgery, the physical control mechanism over eating habits started to more or less fade for all participants. An implication is that when this occurs, health care professionals need to provide interventions that help to maintain the weight loss in order to achieve a good long-term outcome

Towards the fast scrambling conjecture

Many proposed quantum mechanical models of black holes include highly nonlocal interactions. The time required for thermalization to occur in such models should reflect the relaxation times associated with classical black holes in general relativity. Moreover, the time required for a particularly strong form of thermalization to occur, sometimes known as scrambling, determines the time scale on which black holes should start to release information. It has been conjectured that black holes scramble in a time logarithmic in their entropy, and that no system in nature can scramble faster. In this article, we address the conjecture from two directions. First, we exhibit two examples of systems that do indeed scramble in logarithmic time: Brownian quantum circuits and the antiferromagnetic Ising model on a sparse random graph. Unfortunately, both fail to be truly ideal fast scramblers for reasons we discuss. Second, we use Lieb-Robinson techniques to prove a logarithmic lower bound on the scrambling time of systems with finite norm terms in their Hamiltonian. The bound holds in spite of any nonlocal structure in the Hamiltonian, which might permit every degree of freedom to interact directly with every other one.Comment: 34 pages. v2: typo correcte