Bounds on Correlation Functions of Quantum Rotators

We derive a McBryan-Spencer bound to the correlation function of a one-dimensional array of quantum rotators in the Villain approximation of the cosine interaction. We obtain the partition function of the system in the gas representation and establish a lower bound on the external charge correlation function. We also discuss the possible existence of a Kosterlitz-Thouless phase for the quantum rotator in the Villain approximation.Comment: Latex 7 page

A Problem of Relative, Constrained Motion

We develop a new method to determine the acceleration of a block sliding down along the face of a moving wedge. We have been able to link the solution of this problem to that of the inclined plane problem of elementary physics, thus providing a simpler solution to it.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Critical phenomena and quantum phase transition in long range Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chains

Antiferromagnetic Hamiltonians with short-range, non-frustrating interactions are well-known to exhibit long range magnetic order in dimensions, $d\geq 2$ but exhibit only quasi long range order, with power law decay of correlations, in d=1 (for half-integer spin). On the other hand, non-frustrating long range interactions can induce long range order in d=1. We study Hamiltonians in which the long range interactions have an adjustable amplitude lambda, as well as an adjustable power-law $1/|x|^\alpha$, using a combination of quantum Monte Carlo and analytic methods: spin-wave, large-N non-linear sigma model, and renormalization group methods. We map out the phase diagram in the lambda-alpha plane and study the nature of the critical line separating the phases with long range and quasi long range order. We find that this corresponds to a novel line of critical points with continuously varying critical exponents and a dynamical exponent, z<1.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures. RG flow added. Final version to appear in JSTA

Motivational factors for physical activity in the elders

Hoy en día, la población de edad avanzada es consciente de los beneficios de la práctica de la actividad física, lo que lleva a una creciente demanda de programas especializados de actividad física en los centros urbanos o de auto-práctica recreativa. Sin embargo, estas personas abandonan fácilmente esos programas o la práctica recreativa y vuelven a un estilo de vida sedentario. Un factor clave para evitar esta omisión es mantenerlos motivados para practicar y permanecer en los programas. Objetivos: Este estudio tiene como objetivo comprender los factores motivacionales que llevan a las personas mayores a la actividad física a fin de mejorar los programas existentes para satisfacer mejor las necesidades de esta población.Nowadays the elderly population is well aware of the benefits of the practice of physical activity, which leads to an increasing demand for specialized physical activity programs in urban centers or recreational self-practice. However, people easily quit those programs or recreational self-practice and return to a sedentary lifestyle. A key factor to avoid this quittance is to keep them motivated to practice and stay in the programs. Objectives: This study aims to understand the motivational factors that lead older people to physical activity in order to improve existing programs so to better meet the needs of this population.peerReviewe

Built-In Self-Test Quality Assessment Using Hardware Fault Emulation in FPGAs

This paper addresses the problem of test quality assessment, namely of BIST solutions, implemented in FPGA and/or in ASIC, through Hardware Fault Emulation (HFE). A novel HFE methodology and tool is proposed, that, using partial reconfiguration, efficiently measures the quality of the BIST solution. The proposed HFE methodology uses Look-Up Tables (LUTs) fault models and is performed using local partial reconfiguration for fault injection on Xilinx(TM) Virtex and/or Spartan FPGA components, with small binary files. For ASIC cores, HFE is used to validate test vector selection to achieve high fault coverage on the physical structure. The methodology is fully automated. Results on ISCAS benchmarks and on an ARM core show that HFE can be orders of magnitude faster than software fault simulation or fully reconfigurable hardware fault emulation

Human case of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Portugal, summer 2015

A case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection was reported in the Algarve region, Portugal, in the first week of September 2015. WNV is known to circulate in Portugal, with occasional reports in horses and birds (2004 to 2011) and very sporadically human cases (in 2004 and in 2010). Here we present the clinical and laboratory aspects related to the first human case of West Nile neuroinvasive disease reported in Portugal

Motivational factors for physical activity in the elders

Hoy en día, la población de edad avanzada es consciente de los beneficios de la práctica de la actividad física, lo que lleva a una creciente demanda de programas especializados de actividad física en los centros urbanos o de auto-práctica recreativa. Sin embargo, estas personas abandonan fácilmente esos programas o la práctica recreativa y vuelven a un estilo de vida sedentario. Un factor clave para evitar esta omisión es mantenerlos motivados para practicar y permanecer en los programas. Objetivos: Este estudio tiene como objetivo comprender los factores motivacionales que llevan a las personas mayores a la actividad física a fin de mejorar los programas existentes para satisfacer mejor las necesidades de esta población.Nowadays the elderly population is well aware of the benefits of the practice of physical activity, which leads to an increasing demand for specialized physical activity programs in urban centers or recreational self-practice. However, people easily quit those programs or recreational self-practice and return to a sedentary lifestyle. A key factor to avoid this quittance is to keep them motivated to practice and stay in the programs. Objectives: This study aims to understand the motivational factors that lead older people to physical activity in order to improve existing programs so to better meet the needs of this population.peerReviewe

The PML-RAR alpha transcript in long-term follow-up of acute promyelocytic leukemia patients

Background and Objectives. Detection of PML-RAR alpha transcripts by RT-PCR is now established as a rapid and sensitive method for diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), Although the majority of patients in longterm clinical remission are negative by consecutive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, negative tests are still observed in patients who ultimately relapse. Conversion from negative to positive PCR has been observed after consolidation and found to be a much stronger predictor of relapse. This study reports on 47 APL patients to determine the correlation between minimal residual disease (MRD) status and clinical outcome in our cohort of patients. Design and Methods. The presence of PML-RAR alpha t transcripts was investigated in 47 APL patients (37 adults and 10 children) using a semi-nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the prognostic value of RT-PCR tests. Results. All patients achieved complete clinical remission (CCR) following induction treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and chemotherapy (CHT) or ATRA alone. Patients were followed up between 2 and 117.6 months (median: 37 months). Relapses occurred in 11 patients (9 adults and 2 children) between 11.4 and 19 months after diagnosis (median: 15.1 months) while 36 patients (28 adults and 8 children) remained in CCR, Seventy-five percent of patients carried the PML-RARa long isoform (bcr 1/2) which also predominated among the relapsed cases (9 of 11) but did not associate with any adverse outcome (p = 0.37), For the purpose of this analysis, minimal residual disease tests were clustered into four time-intervals: 0-2 months, 3-5 months, 5-9 months and 10-24 months. Interpretation and Conclusions. Children showed persisting disease for longer than adults during the first 2 months of treatment, At 2 months, 10 (50%) of 20 patients who remained in CCR and 4 (80%) of 5 patients who subsequently relapsed were positive. Patients who remained in CCR had repeatedly negative results beyond 5.5 months from diagnosis. A positive MRD test preceded relapse in 3 of 4 tested patients. The ability of a negative test to predict CCR (predictive negative value, PNV) was greater after 6 months (> 83%), while the ability of a positive test to predict relapse (predictive positive value, PPV) was most valuable only beyond 10 months (100%). This study (i) highlights the prognostic value of RT-PCR monitoring after treatment of APL patients but only from the end of treatment, (ii) shows an association between conversion to a positive test and relapse and (iii) suggests that PCR assessments should be carried out at 3-month intervals to provide a more accurate prediction of hematologic relapses but only after the end of treatment, (C) 2001, Ferrata Storti Foundatio

Personality vulnerabilities in adolescent suicidality: The mediating role of psychological distress

The research literature consistently indicates that self-criticism is related to suicidality. Evidence for the role of dependency, however, is more controversial. This study examines the extent to which these personality vulnerabilities are mediated by psychological distress in the prediction of suicidality. As part of a study of adolescent psychopathology, a sample of 260 Portuguese adolescents (148 [56.9 %] female and 112 [43.1%] male), ranging in age from 15 to 18 years (M = 16.32, SD = 1.19) completed measures of personality, suicidal behavior, and current distress, in counterbalanced order. The measures were: self-criticism and dependency from the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents; two psychological distress scales, social withdrawal from the Youth Self Report and depression from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale; and a measure of suicidality from the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire Revised. Structural equation modeling indicated that self-criticism and dependency were both significantly associated with suicidality. Psychological distress, however, as measured by withdrawal and depression, fully mediated these relationships, but did not moderate them. The authors conclude that adolescents with higher levels of self-criticism and dependency are at greater risk for experiencing intense psychological distress—high levels of social withdrawal and depression—that account for their vulnerability to suicide ris