Weyl geometry, anti-De Sitter space, and Φ4\Phi^4-theory

We study the Gaussian approximation to the quantum fluctuations of the metric of the four dimensional anti-De Sitter spacetime. The associated massless scalar field has a quartic self interaction, for which we construct the generating functional of the $n$-point correlation functions. The concomitant infrared divergence is cured by a mass renormalization provided by the cosmological constant, which is also responsible for the renormalization of the coupling constant of the field theory.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Cultivo da amora-preta.

bitstream/item/56229/1/cir075.pd

Biodisponibilidade de ferro em amostra de músculo bovino in natura e processada termicamente.

A carne bovina é de grande importância na alimentação, sendo consumida por quase 50% da população brasileira. Encontrado na carne vermelha e em certas frutas e legumes, o ferro é um mineral essencial. O ferro participa do processo de produção da hemoglobina, que transporta o oxigênio pelo corpo através do sangue. Níveis baixos de ferro no organismo podem causar anemia ferropriva nos seres humanos. Os processos de conservação de carne, tais como a refrigeração e os processamentos térmicos, podem alterar a composição química da mesma. Este trabalho teve por objetivo analisar a biodisponibilidade de Fe em amostras de carnes bovinas in natura e processadas termicamente, utilizando o método gastrointestinal in vitro

Wine grape cultivars adaptation and selection for tropical regions.

Wine production is a recent economical activity on tropical regions. In Brazil, tropical wines production started on Sub-Middle São Francisco River Valley Region in the early 1980 years. In the following years, other tropical countries such as Venezuela, Thailand and India have invested in the wine industry. All wine grape cultivars used in the tropical zones are introduced from the traditional temperate winegrowing regions. There are a small number of wine grape cultivars whose cultivation is consolidated in tropical environments, such as ?Syrah? and ?Chenin Blanc?, which possess good adaptation and present a great potential of wine quality. Wine grape cultivars evaluation and selection is one of the important priorities in order to diversify the quality wine production in the tropics. The environmental diversity of tropical zones in comparison with the original regions of wine grape cultivars, all of them from temperate climates, requires detailed evaluation and specific cultural practice adjustments to obtain convenient production from each cultivar and for each tropical environment. Climatic factors as winter absence, temperature changes and rain variations throughout the year change the physiological behavior of vines, offering different grapes and wine qualities at different seasons. In this paper are discussed questions inherent to the screening criteria and evaluation methodology to select wine grape cultivars to produce quality wines in tropical regions. Results obtained at the Sub-Middle São Francisco River Valley are presented.Trabalho apresentado no II International Symposium on Tropical Wines, de 25 a 28 de maio de 2010, Petrolina. Editado por Giuliano Elias Pereira e Jorge Tonietto

Extraordinary magnetoresistance in graphite: experimental evidence for the time-reversal symmetry breaking

The ordinary magnetoresistance (MR) of doped semiconductors is positive and quadratic in a low magnetic field, B, as it should be in the framework of the Boltzmann kinetic theory or in the conventional hopping regime. We observe an unusual highly-anisotropic in-plane MR in graphite, which is neither quadratic nor always positive. In a certain current direction MR is negative and linear in B in fields below a few tens of mT with a crossover to a positive MR at higher fields, while in a perpendicular current direction we observe a giant super-linear and positive MR. These extraordinary MRs are respectively explained by a hopping magneto-conductance via non-zero angular momentum orbitals, and by the magneto-conductance of inhomogeneous media. The linear orbital NMR is a unique signature of the broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in graphite. While some local paramagnetic centers could be responsible for the broken TRS, the observed large diamagnetism suggests a more intriguing mechanism of this breaking, involving superconducting clusters with unconventional (chiral) order parameters and spontaneously generated normal-state current loops in graphite.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Emergency department visits for acute asthma by adults who ran out of their inhaled medications

This study was designed to determine the percentage of asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits made by patients who recently ran out of their inhaled short-acting beta-agonists or inhaled corticosteroids and to characterize this understudied patient population. A secondary analysis was performed of data from four ED-based multicenter studies of acute asthma during 1996–1998 (n = 64 EDs). In each study, consecutive adult patients, aged 18–54 years, with acute asthma underwent a structured interview that assessed running out of inhaled medications. The analytic cohort comprised 1095 adults. Overall, 324 patients (30%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27–32%) ran out of either of their inhaled beta-agonists or inhaled corticosteroids during the week before their index ED visit; 311 (28%; 95% CI, 26–31%) ran out of inhaled beta-agonists per se. Among a subset of 518 patients on inhaled corticosteroids, 55 patients (11%; 95% CI, 8–14%) ran out of inhaled corticosteroids. In the multivariable model, predictors of running out of an asthma medication were male sex, non-Hispanic black race, Hispanic ethnicity, no insurance, lower household income, and use of EDs as the preferred source of asthma prescriptions (all p < 0.05). Among patients who ran out of medications, 49% (95% CI, 43–55%) ran out of inhaled beta-agonists and 72% (95% CI, 58–84%) ran out of inhaled corticosteroids, before onset of their acute asthma symptoms. In 1095 adult ED patients with acute asthma, we found that 30% ran out of their inhaled asthma medications before the ED visit. Asthma patients who ran out of medications had sociodemographic characteristics that may help with identification of preventable ED visits. Multifaceted strategies needed to ensure optimal use of inhaled medications are warranted

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: Case Report.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a rare genetic disease characterized by widespread soft tissue ossification and congenital stigmata of the extremities. We report on a male child followed for ten years since the age of 3 years and 9 months, when the diagnosis was made. He was born with bilateral hypoplasic hallux valgus and ventricular septal defect, corrected by trans-sternal approach when 32 months old. Restriction of neck mobility followed and foci of ectopic ossification appeared. Four crises of disease exacerbation were treated with oral prednisone and/or other antiinflammatory drugs. Sodium etidronate 5 to 10 mg/kg/day was prescribed intermittently during about six years but was discontinued due to osteopenia. The disease course has been relentless, with severe movement restriction including the chest wall. A review showed few similar case reports in the Brazilian literature. We revisit the criteria for diagnosis and the essentials of management and treatment.58342-