Research strategy for the improvement of land and water resources of the semi-arid tropics of North-East Brazil.

Climate; Soils; Socio-economic conditions.bitstream/item/68342/1/Porto.pdfNão publicado

Preparing and probing atomic number states with an atom interferometer

We describe the controlled loading and measurement of number-squeezed states and Poisson states of atoms in individual sites of a double well optical lattice. These states are input to an atom interferometer that is realized by symmetrically splitting individual lattice sites into double wells, allowing atoms in individual sites to evolve independently. The two paths then interfere, creating a matter-wave double-slit diffraction pattern. The time evolution of the double-slit diffraction pattern is used to measure the number statistics of the input state. The flexibility of our double well lattice provides a means to detect the presence of empty lattice sites, an important and so far unmeasured factor in determining the purity of a Mott state

Dirac-like approach for consistent discretizations of classical constrained theories

We analyze the canonical treatment of classical constrained mechanical systems formulated with a discrete time. We prove that under very general conditions, it is possible to introduce nonsingular canonical transformations that preserve the constraint surface and the Poisson or Dirac bracket structure. The conditions for the preservation of the constraints are more stringent than in the continuous case and as a consequence some of the continuum constraints become second class upon discretization and need to be solved by fixing their associated Lagrange multipliers. The gauge invariance of the discrete theory is encoded in a set of arbitrary functions that appear in the generating function of the evolution equations. The resulting scheme is general enough to accommodate the treatment of field theories on the lattice. This paper attempts to clarify and put on sounder footing a discretization technique that has already been used to treat a variety of systems, including Yang--Mills theories, BF-theory and general relativity on the lattice.Comment: 11 pages, RevTe

On the universality of distribution of ranked cluster masses at critical percolation

The distribution of masses of clusters smaller than the infinite cluster is evaluated at the percolation threshold. The clusters are ranked according to their masses and the distribution $P(M/L^D,r)$ of the scaled masses M for any rank r shows a universal behaviour for different lattice sizes L (D is the fractal dimension). For different ranks however, there is a universal distribution function only in the large rank limit, i.e., $P(M/L^D,r)r^{-y\zeta } \sim g(Mr^y/L^D)$ (y and $\zeta$ are defined in the text), where the universal scaling function g is found to be Gaussian in nature.Comment: 4 pages, to appear in J. Phys.

The gravitational S-matrix

We investigate the hypothesized existence of an S-matrix for gravity, and some of its expected general properties. We first discuss basic questions regarding existence of such a matrix, including those of infrared divergences and description of asymptotic states. Distinct scattering behavior occurs in the Born, eikonal, and strong gravity regimes, and we describe aspects of both the partial wave and momentum space amplitudes, and their analytic properties, from these regimes. Classically the strong gravity region would be dominated by formation of black holes, and we assume its unitary quantum dynamics is described by corresponding resonances. Masslessness limits some powerful methods and results that apply to massive theories, though a continuation path implying crossing symmetry plausibly still exists. Physical properties of gravity suggest nonpolynomial amplitudes, although crossing and causality constrain (with modest assumptions) this nonpolynomial behavior, particularly requiring a polynomial bound in complex s at fixed physical momentum transfer. We explore the hypothesis that such behavior corresponds to a nonlocality intrinsic to gravity, but consistent with unitarity, analyticity, crossing, and causality.Comment: 46 pages, 10 figure

Type 2 myocardial infarction: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in contemporary cardiology

In the expanding world of cardiovascular diseases, rapidly reaching pandemic proportions, the main focus is still on coronary atherosclerosis and its clinical consequences. However, at least in the Western world, middle-aged male patients with acute myocardial infarction are no more the rule. Due to a higher life expectancy and major medical advances, physicians are to treat older and frailer individuals, usually with multiple comorbidities. In this context, myocardial ischaemia and infarction frequently result from an imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand\u2014i.e., type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI), according to the current universal definition\u2014rather than coronary atherothrombosis. Moreover, the increasing use of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays has led to a heightened detection of T2MI\u2014often causing relatively little myocardial injury\u2014, which seems to have doubled its numbers in recent years. Nevertheless, owing to its multifaceted pathophysiology and clinical presentation, T2MI is still underdiagnosed. Perhaps more importantly, T2MI is also victim of undertreatment, as drugs that constitute the cornerstone of therapy in most cardiovascular diseases are much more unlikely to be prescribed in T2MI than in coronary atherothrombosis. In this paper, we review the recent literature on the classification, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and management of T2MI, trying to summarise the state-of-the-art knowledge about this increasingly important pathologic condition. Finally, based on the current scientific evidence, we also propose an algorithm that may be easily utilised in clinical practice, in order to improve T2MI diagnosis and risk stratification

Ferromagnetism at 300 K in spin-coated films of Co doped anatase and rutile TiO2

Thin films of Ti1-xCoxO2 (x=0 and 0.03) have been prepared on sapphire substrates by spin-on technique starting from metalorganic precursors. When heat treated in air at 550 and 700 C respectively, these films present pure anatase and rutile structures as shown both by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Optical absorption indicate a high degree of transparency in the visible region. Such films show a very small magnetic moment at 300 K. However, when the anatase and the rutile films are annealed in a vacuum of 1x10-5 Torr at 500 oC and 600 oC respectively, the magnetic moment, at 300 K, is strongly enhanced reaching 0.36 B/Co for the anatase sample and 0.68 B/Co for the rutile one. The ferromagnetic Curie temperature of these samples is above 350 K.Comment: 31 july 200

Aligned Spins: Orbital Elements, Decaying Orbits, and Last Stable Circular Orbit to high post-Newtonian Orders

In this article the quasi-Keplerian parameterisation for the case that spins and orbital angular momentum in a compact binary system are aligned or anti-aligned with the orbital angular momentum vector is extended to 3PN point-mass, next-to-next-to-leading order spin-orbit, next-to-next-to-leading order spin(1)-spin(2), and next-to-leading order spin-squared dynamics in the conservative regime. In a further step, we use the expressions for the radiative multipole moments with spin to leading order linear and quadratic in both spins to compute radiation losses of the orbital binding energy and angular momentum. Orbital averaged expressions for the decay of energy and eccentricity are provided. An expression for the last stable circular orbit is given in terms of the angular velocity type variable $x$.Comment: 30 pages, 2 figures, v2: update to match published versio

Avaliacao de plantas matrizes de umbuzeiro em condicoes irrigadas para fornecimento de propagulos vegetativos.

Com o objetivo de avaliar o desenvolvimento de plantas matrizes de umbuzeiro, para o fornecimento de propagulos vegetativos, foi conduzido um experimento em condicoes irrigadas, no Campo Experimental de Bebedouro pertencente a Embrapa Semi-Arido em Petrolina-PE. O experimento foi instalado no mes de fevereiro de 1999. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso com quatro tratamentos, em dois metodos de enxertia por garfagem (fenda cheia e a inglesa simples): um de borbulhia ("T" invertido) e outro de mudas propagadas por estaquia. Os garfos e as estacas usadas no experimento foram provenientes de plantas que corresponde a um clone de umbu gigante, selecionado para maior tamanho de fruto. As variaveis observadas foram altura de plantas, diametro e comprimento dos ramos. A formacao do matrizeiro pode ser feito atraves dos tres processos de enxertia empregado, pois os mesmos nao apresentaram diferencas significativas entre si, para as variaveis estudadas. A estaquia pode ser realizada, na ausencia de disponibilidade de mudas propagadas por enxertia, levando-se em consideracao a variabilidade genetica das plantas e a disponibilidade de estacas com espessura impropria para a realizacao de enxertia. Devido ao bom desenvolvimento e o vigor das plantas matrizes aos 18 meses, ja foi possivel a realizacao da retirada de garfos