Superfluid toroidal currents in atomic condensates

The dynamics of toroidal condensates in the presence of condensate flow and dipole perturbation have been investigated. The Bogoliubov spectrum of condensate is calculated for an oblate torus using a discrete-variable representation and a spectral method to high accuracy. The transition from spheroidal to toroidal geometry of the trap displaces the energy levels into narrow bands. The lowest-order acoustic modes are quantized with the dispersion relation $\omega \sim |m| \omega_s$ with $m=0,\pm 1,\pm 2, ...$. A condensate with toroidal current $\kappa$ splits the $|m|$ co-rotating and counter-rotating pair by the amount: $\Delta E \approx 2 |m|\hbar^2 \kappa < r^{-2}>$. Radial dipole excitations are the lowest energy dissipation modes. For highly occupied condensates the nonlinearity creates an asymmetric mix of dipole circulation and nonlinear shifts in the spectrum of excitations so that the center of mass circulates around the axis of symmetry of the trap. We outline an experimental method to study these excitations.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Chaos in a double driven dissipative nonlinear oscillator

We propose an anharmonic oscillator driven by two periodic forces of different frequencies as a new time-dependent model for investigating quantum dissipative chaos. Our analysis is done in the frame of statistical ensemble of quantum trajectories in quantum state diffusion approach. Quantum dynamical manifestation of chaotic behavior, including the emergence of chaos, properties of strange attractors, and quantum entanglement are studied by numerical simulation of ensemble averaged Wigner function and von Neumann entropy.Comment: 9 pages, 18 figure

Flora fanerogâmica da Serra Negra, Minas Gerais, Brasil

O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a flora fanerogâmica da região da Serra Negra localizada no sul da Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, entre os municípios de Lima Duarte, Rio Preto, Santa Bárbara do Monte Verde e Olaria. Embora considerada de importância biológica alta, esta região não possui nenhum registro anterior de dados florísticos, o que levou ao desenvolvimento deste levantamento, durante o período de 2003 a 2010. A vegetação é caracterizada por um mosaico de formações florestais e campestres onde se destacam os campos rupestres e florestas nebulares em altitudes que variam de 1300 a ca. 1700 m. Um total de 1033 espécies foi encontrado, distribuídas em 469 gêneros e 121 famílias sendo as mais representativas Orchidaceae (115 spp.), Asteraceae 54 spp.), Melastomataceae (56 spp.), Myrtaceae (53 spp.), Fabaceae, Poaceae e Rubiaceae (48 spp. cada), Bromeliaceae (43 spp.), Solanaceae (38 spp.) e Piperaceae (33 spp). Novos registros e endemismos para a flora mineira foram encontrados e 58 espécies estão citadas na lista de espécies ameaçadas de Minas Gerais

Advances in multidisciplinary therapy for meningiomas

Surgery has long been established as the first-line treatment for the majority of symptomatic and enlarging meningiomas, and evidence for its success is derived from retrospective case series. Despite surgical resection, a subset of meningiomas display aggressive behavior with early recurrences that are difficult to treat. The decision to radically resect meningiomas and involved structures is balanced against the risk for neurological injury in patients. Radiation therapy has largely been used as a complementary and safe therapeutic strategy in meningiomas with evidence primarily stemming from retrospective, single-Institution reports. Two of the first cooperative group studies (RTOG 0539 and EORTC 22042) evaluating the outcomes of adjuvant radiation therapy in higher-risk meningiomas have shown promising preliminary results. Historically, systemic therapy has resulted in disappointing results in meningiomas. However, several clinical trials are under way evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapies, such as trabectedin, and novel molecular agents targeting Smoothened, AKT1, and focal adhesion kinase in patients with recurrent meningiomas

Up-regulation of cutaneous α1-adrenoceptors after a burn

Stimulation of α1-adrenoceptors evokes inflammatory cytokine production, boosts neurogenic inflammation and pain, and influences cellular migration and proliferation. As expression of α1-adrenoceptors increases on dermal nerves and keratinocytes after peripheral nerve injury, the aim of this study was to determine whether another form of tissue injury (a cutaneous burn) triggered a similar response. In particular, changes in expression of α1-adrenoceptors were investigated on dermal nerve fibres, keratinocytes and fibroblast-like cells using immunohistochemistry 2–12 weeks after a full thickness burn in Wistar rats. Within two weeks of the burn, local increases in α1-adrenoceptor expression were seen in the re-forming epidermis, in dense bands of spindle-shaped cells in the upper dermis (putatively infiltrating immune cells and fibroblasts), and on nerve fibres in the deep dermis. In addition, nerve fibre density increased approximately three-fold in the deep dermis, and this response persisted for several more weeks. In contrast, α1-adrenoceptor labelled cells and staining intensity in the upper dermis decreased contralateral to the burn, as did nerve fibre density in the deep dermis. These findings suggest that inflammatory mediators and/or growth factors at the site of a burn trigger the synthesis of α1-adrenoceptors on resident epidermal cells and nerve fibres, and an influx of α1-adrenoceptor labelled cells. The heightened expression of α1-adrenoceptors in injured tissue could shape inflammatory and wound healing responses

Changes in cutaneous innervation in patients with chronic pain after burns

Background: Chronic pain is a common occurrence for burn patients and has significant impact on quality of life. However, the etiology is not well understood. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the restoration of sensory function and the development of chronic pain after burn is critical to improving long-term outcomes. Objective: To determine whether cutaneous innervation in burn patients with chronic pain is altered when compared to patients without chronic pain. Methods: Twelve patients with unilateral injury and who reported chronic pain were recruited. Each patient underwent sensory function testing and both scar and matched site uninjured skin biopsy. Biopsies were analyzed for total nerve density and nociceptive C-fiber density using immunohistochemistry. Results were compared to a control group of 33 patients with unilateral injury and no reported long-term pain. Results: Sensory function was significantly diminished in scar compared to uninjured tissue in both study groups, but chronic pain patients did not have significantly diminished function when compared to control. Total nerve density was not significantly different between scar and uninjured sites in either group, or between groups. However, the density of nociceptive nerve fibers was significantly elevated in both uninjured (p = 0.0193) and scar sites (p = 0.0316) of the patients with chronic pain when compared to the control group. Conclusions: This data suggests that differences in cutaneous innervation may contribute to chronic pain after burn. There also appears to be a systemic difference in cutaneous innervation extending to distal uninjured sites. Therefore efforts to affect cutaneous reinnervation after burn may lead to less patients experiencing chronic pai

ERS CRC “CONNECT” - Moving multiple digital innovations towards connected respiratory care:addressing the over-arching challenges of whole systems implementation

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