Coherent Manipulation of Quantum Delta-kicked Dynamics: Faster-than-classical Anomalous Diffusion

Large transporting regular islands are found in the classical phase space of a modified kicked rotor system in which the kicking potential is reversed after every two kicks. The corresponding quantum system, for a variety of system parameters and over long time scales, is shown to display energy absorption that is significantly faster than that associated with the underlying classical anomalous diffusion. The results are of interest to both areas of quantum chaos and quantum control.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review

Epidemiology and health related quality of life in hypoparathyroidism in Norway.

OBJECTIVE: The epidemiology of hypoparathyroidism (HP) is largely unknown. We aimed to determine prevalence, etiologies, health related quality of life (HRQoL) and treatment pattern of HP. METHODS: Patients with HP and 22q11 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge syndrome) were identified in electronic hospital registries. All identified patients were invited to participate in a survey. Among patients who responded, HRQoL was determined by Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). Autoantibodies were measured and candidate genes (CaSR, AIRE, GATA3 and 22q11-deletion) were sequenced for classification of etiology. RESULTS: We identified 522 patients (511 alive) and estimated overall prevalence at 102 per million divided among post-surgical HP (64 per million), non-surgical HP (30 per million) and pseudo-HP (8 per million). Non-surgical HP comprised autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (21%), autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (17%), DiGeorge/22q11 deletion syndrome (15%), idiopathic HP (44%), and others, 4%. Among the 283 respondents (median age 53 years (range 9-89), 75% females), seven formerly classified as idiopathic were reclassified after genetic and immunological analyses, whereas 26 (17% of non-surgical HP) remained idiopathic. Most were treated with vitamin D (94%) and calcium (70%), and 10 received parathyroid hormone. HP patients scored significantly worse than the normative population on SF-36 and HADS; patients with post-surgical scored worse than those with non-surgical HP and pseudo-HP, especially on physical health. CONCLUSIONS: We found higher prevalence of non-surgical HP in Norway than reported elsewhere. Genetic testing and autoimmunity screening of idiopathic HP identified a specific cause in 21%. Further research is necessary to unravel the causes of idiopathic HP and to improve the reduced HRQoL reported by HP patients

Lack of effect of cell-wall targeted antibacterials on biofilm formation and antifungal susceptibility of Candidaspecies

The use of central venous catheters (CVC) and broad-spectrum antibacterials are among the main risk factors for the development of candidemia in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU). It is known that some antibacterials increase the resistance of these yeasts to azole antifungals. Thus, the aim of this research was to determine whether yeast present in CVC colonizations previously exposed to cell-wall targeted antibacterials benefit from a reduction in susceptibility to fluconazole and voriconazole, facilitating their ability to form biofilms. Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. guilhermondii were seeded into antibacterial (cefepime, meropenem, vancomycin, and piperacillin-tazobactam) gradient plates produced in Mueller-Hinton Agar. The susceptibility to fluconazole and voriconazole and the biofilm formation of the yeasts were tested before and after exposure to the antibacterials. None of the antibacterials exerted a significant effect on the in vitro susceptibility of the yeasts to the antifungal agents or on their ability to form biofilms. These results suggest that increased candidemia in ICU patients is not attributable to possible alterations in the yeasts, but is more likely caused by a weakening of the patient's general condition after long exposure to infection

Complete measurement of three-body photodisintegration of 3He for photon energies between 0.35 and 1.55 GeV

The three-body photodisintegration of 3He has been measured with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab, using tagged photons of energies between 0.35 GeV and 1.55 GeV. The large acceptance of the spectrometer allowed us for the first time to cover a wide momentum and angular range for the two outgoing protons. Three kinematic regions dominated by either two- or three-body contributions have been distinguished and analyzed. The measured cross sections have been compared with results of a theoretical model, which, in certain kinematic ranges, have been found to be in reasonable agreement with the data.Comment: 22 pages, 25 eps figures, 2 tables, submitted to PRC. Modifications: removed 2 figures, improvements on others, a few minor modifications to the tex

Stomatal responses of Eucalyptus species to elevated CO2 concentration and drought stress

Five species of Eucalyptus (E. grandis, E. urophylla, E. camaldulensis, E. torelliana, and E. phaeotrica), among the ten species most commonly used in large scale plantations, were selected for studies on the effects of elevated CO2 concentration [CO2] and drought stress on stomatal responses of 2.5-month old seedlings. The first three species belong to the subgenus Smphyomyrtus, whereas the fourth species belongs to the subgenus Corymbia and E. phaeotrica is from the subgenus Monocalyptus. Seedlings were grown in four pairs of open-top chambers, arranged to have 2 plants of each species in each chamber, with four replications in each of two CO2 concentrations: 350 ± 30 mumol mol-1 and 700 ± 30 mumol mol-1. After 100 days in the chambers, a series of gas exchange measurements were made. Half the plants in each chamber, one plant per species per chamber, were drought-stressed by withholding irrigation, while the remaining plants continued to be watered daily. Drought stress decreased stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration rates in all the species. The effect of drought stress on stomatal closure was similar in both [CO2]. The positive effects of elevated [CO2] on photosynthesis and water use efficiency were maintained longer during the stress period than under well-watered conditions. The photosynthetic rate of E. phaeotrica was higher even in the fourth day of the drought stress. Drought stress increased photoinhibition of photosynthesis, as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence, which varied among the species, as well as in relation to [CO2]. The results are in agreement with observed differences in stomatal responses between some eucalyptus species of the subgenera Symphyomyrtus and Monocalyptus

eta-prime photoproduction on the proton for photon energies from 1.527 to 2.227 GeV

Differential cross sections for the reaction gamma p -> eta-prime p have been measured with the CLAS spectrometer and a tagged photon beam with energies from 1.527 to 2.227 GeV. The results reported here possess much greater accuracy than previous measurements. Analyses of these data indicate for the first time the coupling of the etaprime N channel to both the S_11(1535) and P_11(1710) resonances, known to couple strongly to the eta N channel in photoproduction on the proton, and the importance of j=3/2 resonances in the process.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Measurement of the Deuteron Structure Function F2 in the Resonance Region and Evaluation of Its Moments

Inclusive electron scattering off the deuteron has been measured to extract the deuteron structure function F2 with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The measurement covers the entire resonance region from the quasi-elastic peak up to the invariant mass of the final-state hadronic system W~2.7 GeV with four-momentum transfers Q2 from 0.4 to 6 (GeV/c)^2. These data are complementary to previous measurements of the proton structure function F2 and cover a similar two-dimensional region of Q2 and Bjorken variable x. Determination of the deuteron F2 over a large x interval including the quasi-elastic peak as a function of Q2, together with the other world data, permit a direct evaluation of the structure function moments for the first time. By fitting the Q2 evolution of these moments with an OPE-based twist expansion we have obtained a separation of the leading twist and higher twist terms. The observed Q2 behaviour of the higher twist contribution suggests a partial cancellation of different higher twists entering into the expansion with opposite signs. This cancellation, found also in the proton moments, is a manifestation of the "duality" phenomenon in the F2 structure function