Quantum baker maps with controlled-NOT coupling

The characteristic stretching and squeezing of chaotic motion is linearized within the finite number of phase space domains which subdivide a classical baker map. Tensor products of such maps are also chaotic, but a more interesting generalized baker map arises if the stacking orders for the factor maps are allowed to interact. These maps are readily quantized, in such a way that the stacking interaction is entirely attributed to primary qubits in each map, if each subsystem has power-of-two Hilbert space dimension. We here study the particular example of two baker maps that interact via a controlled-not interaction. Numerical evidence indicates that the control subspace becomes an ideal Markovian environment for the target map in the limit of large Hilbert space dimension.Comment: 8 page

Geometrically-controlled twist transitions in nematic cells

We study geometrically-controlled twist transitions of a nematic confined between a sinusoidal grating and a flat substrate. In these cells the transition to the twisted state is driven by surface effects. We have identified the mechanisms responsible for the transition analytically and used exact numerical calculations to study the range of surface parameters where the twist instability occurs. Close to these values the cell operates under minimal external fields or temperature variations

Clinical and microbiological assessment of patients with a long-term diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection and Candida oral colonization

The objective of this study was to evaluate Candida oral colonization in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients undergoing long-term highly active antiretroviral therapy (ARV). the cross-sectional study included 331 HIV patients, diagnosed from 1983 to 2003. Oral swabs were performed, and Candida species were determined using ID 32C. Isolates were tested for antifungal susceptibility. Clinical and laboratory data were collected to identify the association with Candida colonization. in total, 161 Candida isolates were detected among 147 of the 331 patients (44%), independently of the time when HIV infection was diagnosed. Candida albicans strains represented 137 (85%) of the isolates, and were susceptible to all of the tested antifungal drugs. Among the non-C. albicans strains, six isolates were dose-dependently susceptible to fluconazole, nine to itraconazole, and seven to ketoconazole. the isolation of Candida was significantly higher in patients with virological failure (83/147; p 0.0002) and CD4(+) T-lymphocyte counts < 200 cells/mm(3) (30/83; p 0.0003). Recovery of Candida in the oral cavity was independent of protease inhibitor (PI) usage (p 0.60). Colonized patients typically underwent salvage therapy (p 0.003), and had more episodes of opportunistic fungal infections (p 0.046) and malignancies (p 0.004). Oral Candida colonization in patients under ARV therapy was associated with the immunosupressed status of HIV-infected patients, i.e. low number of CD4(+) T-cells per cubic millimetre, failure of ARV therapy (salvage therapy), and higher number of opportunistic infections and malignancies. Despite the fact that PIs have in vitro antifungal activity, the use of this class of antiretroviral agent did not influence the presence of Candida in the oral cavity of AIDS patients.Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Internal Med, Fac Med Sci, Div Infect Dis, BR-13081070 Campinas, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilChiba Univ, Med Mycol Res Ctr, Chiba, JapanUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Clinical and microbiological assessment of patients with a long-term diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection and Candida oral colonization

The objective of this study was to evaluate Candida oral colonization in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients undergoing long-term highly active antiretroviral therapy (ARV). the cross-sectional study included 331 HIV patients, diagnosed from 1983 to 2003. Oral swabs were performed, and Candida species were determined using ID 32C. Isolates were tested for antifungal susceptibility. Clinical and laboratory data were collected to identify the association with Candida colonization. in total, 161 Candida isolates were detected among 147 of the 331 patients (44%), independently of the time when HIV infection was diagnosed. Candida albicans strains represented 137 (85%) of the isolates, and were susceptible to all of the tested antifungal drugs. Among the non-C. albicans strains, six isolates were dose-dependently susceptible to fluconazole, nine to itraconazole, and seven to ketoconazole. the isolation of Candida was significantly higher in patients with virological failure (83/147; p 0.0002) and CD4(+) T-lymphocyte counts < 200 cells/mm(3) (30/83; p 0.0003). Recovery of Candida in the oral cavity was independent of protease inhibitor (PI) usage (p 0.60). Colonized patients typically underwent salvage therapy (p 0.003), and had more episodes of opportunistic fungal infections (p 0.046) and malignancies (p 0.004). Oral Candida colonization in patients under ARV therapy was associated with the immunosupressed status of HIV-infected patients, i.e. low number of CD4(+) T-cells per cubic millimetre, failure of ARV therapy (salvage therapy), and higher number of opportunistic infections and malignancies. Despite the fact that PIs have in vitro antifungal activity, the use of this class of antiretroviral agent did not influence the presence of Candida in the oral cavity of AIDS patients.Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Internal Med, Fac Med Sci, Div Infect Dis, BR-13081070 Campinas, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilChiba Univ, Med Mycol Res Ctr, Chiba, JapanUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Peripheral axonal ensheathment is regulated by RalA GTPase and the exocyst complex

Funding This work was supported by H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions [H2020- GA661543-Neuronal Trafficking to R.O.T.], Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia [IF/00392/2013/CP1192/CT0002 to R.O.T.] and iNOVA4Health (UID/Multi/04462/2013) (co-funded by FCT-FEDER-PT2020).Axon ensheathment is fundamental for fast impulse conduction and the normal physiological functioning of the nervous system. Defects in axonal insulation lead to debilitating conditions, but, despite its importance, the molecular players responsible are poorly defined. Here, we identify RalA GTPase as a key player in axon ensheathment in Drosophila larval peripheral nerves. We demonstrate through genetic analysis that RalA action through the exocyst complex is required in wrapping glial cells to regulate their growth and development. We suggest that the RalA-exocyst pathway controls the targeting of secretory vesicles for membrane growth or for the secretion of a wrapping glia-derived factor that itself regulates growth. In summary, our findings provide a new molecular understanding of the process by which axons are ensheathed in vivo, a process that is crucial for normal neuronal function.publishersversionpublishe

Moduli Redefinitions and Moduli Stabilisation

Field redefinitions occur in string compactifications at the one loop level. We review arguments for why such redefinitions occur and study their effect on moduli stabilisation and supersymmetry breaking in the LARGE volume scenario. For small moduli, although the effect of such redefinitions can be larger than that of the $\alpha'$ corrections in both the K\"ahler and scalar potentials, they do not alter the structure of the scalar potential. For the less well motivated case of large moduli, the redefinitions can dominate all other terms in the scalar potential. We also study the effect of redefinitions on the structure of supersymmetry breaking and soft terms.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures; v2. references adde

The impact of time shifting on TV consumption and ad viewership

In this paper we study the impact of time shifting on TV consumption and ad viewership. We analyze the results of a field experiment in which a random sample of “triple-play” households were given a set of premium TV channels broadcasting popular movies and TV shows without commercial breaks. A random subset of these households were given access to these channels with time shifting (automated cloud recording for later viewing or rewinding of broadcasted programs), while the remainder were not. This design allowed us to identify the effects of time shifting on TV consumption. On average, we found that receiving access to the channels with time shifting increased total TV consumption because it increased time-shifted viewership while leaving live viewership unchanged. The increase in the live viewership of these channels was similar to the reduction in the live viewership of the originally available channels, resulting in a net zero effect on live viewership. It appears that time shifting does not change the concentration of live viewership, but it does increase the concentration of total TV viewership, because it is used disproportionately to watch the most popular programs. Finally, we found that time shifting does not change the likelihood of skipping ads during live viewership, suggesting that households

Making Maps Of The Cosmic Microwave Background: The MAXIMA Example

This work describes Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data analysis algorithms and their implementations, developed to produce a pixelized map of the sky and a corresponding pixel-pixel noise correlation matrix from time ordered data for a CMB mapping experiment. We discuss in turn algorithms for estimating noise properties from the time ordered data, techniques for manipulating the time ordered data, and a number of variants of the maximum likelihood map-making procedure. We pay particular attention to issues pertinent to real CMB data, and present ways of incorporating them within the framework of maximum likelihood map-making. Making a map of the sky is shown to be not only an intermediate step rendering an image of the sky, but also an important diagnostic stage, when tests for and/or removal of systematic effects can efficiently be performed. The case under study is the MAXIMA data set. However, the methods discussed are expected to be applicable to the analysis of other current and forthcoming CMB experiments.Comment: Replaced to match the published version, only minor change

Extração de Características Cicloestacionárias por Correntropia Cíclica em Canais com Desvanecimento / Extraction of Cystationary Characteristics by Cyclic Correntropy in Fading Channels

A Função de Correntropia Cíclica (CCF - Cyclic Correntropy Function) vem sendo aplicada em diferentes problemas na área de processamento de sinais para comunicações, por exemplo, detecção espectral, estimativa de parâmetros de sinais e classificação automática de modulações. Entretanto, os modelos para os canais de comunicações considerados na maioria desses trabalhos incorporam apenas os efeitos do ruído aditivo gaussiano, ou impulsivo. Neste trabalho, investiga-se o desempenho da CCF na extração de características de sinais para fins de classificação automática de modulações em cenários de comunicações nos quais os sinais se propagam por múltiplos percursos, ficando sujeitos aos efeitos do desvanecimento Rayleigh plano. Os resultados demonstram que a CCF também pode levar a bons resultados nesses ambientes de comunicações

Electroanalysis of Imidacloprid Insecticide in River Waters Using Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

In this work, a functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE/MWCNT-f) was optimized for the direct determination of imidacloprid (IMC) insecticide in river water. The functionalized material was characterized by infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR) and the modified electrode by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Results revealed that the GCE/MWCNT-f effectively increased the response toward IMC reduction by enhancing the reduction peak current and decreasing the peak potential in comparison with the bare electrode. After optimizing the electroanalytical conditions, the GCE/MWCNT-f showed a linear voltammetric response at concentration ranging from 2.40 × 10−7 to 3.50 × 10−6 mol L−1, with detection and quantification limits of 4.15 × 10−7 mol L−1 and 1.38 × 10−6 mol L−1, respectively. The recovery rate of IMC in spiked river water samples varied from 90–95%. Thus, this sensor can be a promising tool for the analysis and monitoring of IMC in complex environmental matrices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio