13,748 research outputs found
Generalization of Dirac Non-Linear Electrodynamics, and Spinning Charged Particles
In this note we generalized the Dirac non-linear electrodynamics, by
introducing two potentials (namely, the vector potential A and the
pseudo-vector potential gamma^5 B of the electromagnetic theory with charges
and magnetic monopoles) and by imposing the pseudoscalar part of the product
omega.omega* to be zero, with omega = A + gamma^5 B. We show that the field
equations of such a theory possess a soliton-like solution which can represent
a priori a "charged particle", since it is endowed with a Coulomb field plus
the field of a magnetic dipole. The rest energy of the soliton is finite, and
the angular momentum stored in its electromagnetic field can be identified
--for suitable choices of the parameters-- with the spin of the charged
particle. Thus this approach seems to yield a classical model for the charged
(spinning) particle, which does not meet the problems met by earlier attempts
in the same direction.Comment: standard LaTeX file; 16 pages; it is a corrected version of a paper
appeared in Found. Phys. (issue in honour of A.O.Barut) 23 (1993) 46
The 12 prophets dataset
The "Ajeijadinho 3D" project is an initiative supported by the University of
S\~ao Paulo (Museum of Science and Dean of Culture and Extension), which
involves the 3D digitization of art works of Brazilian sculptor Antonio
Francisco Lisboa, better known as Aleijadinho. The project made use of advanced
acquisition and processing of 3D meshes for preservation and dissemination of
the cultural heritage. The dissemination occurs through a Web portal, so that
the population has the opportunity to meet the art works in detail using 3D
visualization and interaction. The portal address is
http://www.aleijadinho3d.icmc.usp.br. The 3D acquisitions were conducted over a
week at the end of July 2013 in the cities of Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil and
Congonhas do Campo, MG, Brazil. The scanning was done with a special equipment
supplied by company Leica Geosystems, which allowed the work to take place at
distances between 10 and 30 meters, defining a non-invasive procedure,
simplified logistics, and without the need for preparation or isolation of the
sites. In Ouro Preto, we digitized the churches of Francisco of Assis, Our Lady
of Carmo, and Our Lady of Mercy; in Congonhas do Campo we scanned the entire
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos and his 12 prophets. Once scanned, the art
works went through a long process of preparation, which required careful
handling of meshes done by experts from the University of S\~ao Paulo in
partnership with company Imprimate.Comment: Full dataset online at http://aleijadinho3d.icmc.usp.br/data.htm
Efficiency of low versus high airline pressure in stunning cattle with a pneumatically powered penetrating captive bolt gun
The efficiency of stunning cattle was assessed in 443 animals (304 pure Zebu and 139 crossbred cattle), being mainly mature bulls and cows. Cattle were stunned using a Jarvis pneumatically powered penetrating captive bolt gun operating with low (160–175 psi, N = 82) and high (190 psi, N = 363) airline pressure, which was within the manufactures specifications. Signs of brain function and the position of the shots on the heads were recorded after stunning. Velocity of the captive bolt and its physical parameters were calculated. Cattle shot with low pressures showed more rhythmic respiration (27 vs. 8%, P < 0.001), less tongue protrusion (4 vs. 12%, P = 0.03) and less masseter relaxation (22 vs. 48%, P < 0.001). There was an increased frequency of shots in the ideal position when cattle were shot with the low compared to high airline pressures (15.3 vs. 3.1%). Bolt velocity and its physical parameters were significantly (P < 0.01) higher when using high pressure. Airline pressures below 190 psi are inappropriate when shooting adult Zebu beef cattle with pneumatically powered penetrating captive bolt guns
Gravitation and Electromagnetism as Geometrical Objects of a Riemann-Cartan Spacetime Structure
In this paper we first show that any coupled system consisting of a
gravitational plus a free electromagnetic field can be described geometrically
in the sense that both Maxwell equations and Einstein equation having as source
term the energy-momentum of the electromagnetic field can be derived from a
geometrical Lagrangian proportional to the scalar curvature R of a particular
kind of Riemann-Cartan spacetime structure, where those fields are identified
as geometrical objects of the structure. We show moreover that the contorsion
tensor of the particular Riemann-Cartan spacetime structure of our theory
encodes the same information as the one contained in Chern-Simons term that is
proportional to the spin density of the electromagnetic field. Next we show
that by adding to the geometrical Lagrangian a term describing the interaction
of a electromagnetic current with a general electromagnetic plus the
gravitational field and a term describing the matter carrier of the current we
get Maxwell equations with source term and Einstein equation having as source
term the sum of the energy-momentum tensors of the electromagnetic and matter
terms. Finally modeling by dust charged matter the carrier of the
electromagnetic current we get the Lorentz force equation. Moreover, we prove
that our theory is gauge invariant. We also briefly discuss our reasons for the
present enterprise.Comment: In this version some few misprints have been corrected and a remark
has changed place. Paper will appear in Advances in Applied Clifford Algebra
Composição botânica da dieta consumida por bovinos em pastagens de quicuio-da-amazônia (Brachiaria humidicola) e braquiarão (Brachiaria brizantha), com e sem queima.
Fifty years of wheat breeding in Southern Brazil: yield improvement and associated changes.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a contribuição do melhoramento genético na produtividade de grãos e identificar as características fisiológicas, associadas ao incremento do rendimento, e os processos de crescimento que as produzem. Foram estudadas sete cultivares de trigo, extensivamente cultivadas na região Sul do Brasil entre 1940 e 1992. As cultivares foram comparadas quanto ao rendimento de grãos, produção biológica, índice de colheita, partição de biomassa e componentes do rendimento. O número de grãos por metro quadrado foi o componente mais afetado pelo melhoramento genético, no período de 52 anos abrangidos pelo estudo, e esteve mais correlacionado ao rendimento de grãos (r = 0,94, p<0,01) do que o peso de grãos (r = -0,39ns). O maior número de grãos por metro quadrado, observado nas cultivares modernas, foi mais correlacionado com seu número de grãos por espiga, em relação às cultivares antigas, o que caracteriza a importância do período de pré-antese na produção de grãos. O ganho genético na produção de grãos foi de 44,9 kg ha-1 por ano e reflete o importante esforço dos programas de melhoramento genético desenvolvidos no Sul do Brasil. As variações em rendimento de grãos, ocorridas no período de estudo, estiveram mais associadas à produção de biomassa (r = 0,78, p<0,01) do que ao índice de colheita (r = 0,65, p<0,01)
Hepatocyte growth factor signalizes peritoneal membrane failure in peritoneal dialysis
BACKGROUND:
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) counteracts peritoneal fibrosis in animal models and in-vitro studies, but no study explored effluent HGF in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with ultrafiltration failure (UFF). Our aim was to assess the relationship between effluent HGF with UF profile, free water transport (FWT) and small-solute transport.
METHODS:
We performed 4-hour, 3.86% PET with additional UF measurement at 60 minutes in 68 PD patients. MTACcreatinine, FWT, small-pore ultrafiltration, and effluent HGF were quantified.
RESULTS:
Effluent HGF negatively correlated with UF (r=-0.80, p=0.009) and FWT (r=-0.69, p=0.04). Patients with UFF had higher dialysate HGF (103 pg/mL vs 77 pg/mL, p=0.018) and, although not statistically significant, those with FWT compromise had also higher dialysate HGF compared with subgroup of UFF without FWT compromise (104 pg/mL vs 88 pg/mL, p=0.08). FWT≤45% without clinical UFF was documented in some patients who also had increased effluent HGF.
CONCLUSIONS:
Dialysate HGF concentration is significantly higher among patients with UFF, specially, if FWT is impaired, being a sign of peritoneal membrane deterioration.This study was partially performed with the help of investigations grants from Sociedade Portuguesa de Nefrologia. This work was also supported by UMIB/ICBAS – University of Porto (UP). Multidisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research (UMIB) is funded by grants from Foundation for Science and Technology (Fcomp-01-0124-FEDER-015896
Dynamical instabilities of a resonator driven by a superconducting single-electron transistor
We investigate the dynamical instabilities of a resonator coupled to a
superconducting single-electron transistor (SSET) tuned to the Josephson
quasiparticle (JQP) resonance. Starting from the quantum master equation of the
system, we use a standard semiclassical approximation to derive a closed set of
mean field equations which describe the average dynamics of the resonator and
SSET charge. Using amplitude and phase coordinates for the resonator and
assuming that the amplitude changes much more slowly than the phase, we explore
the instabilities which arise in the resonator dynamics as a function of
coupling to the SSET, detuning from the JQP resonance and the resonator
frequency. We find that the locations (in parameter space) and sizes of the
limit cycle states predicted by the mean field equations agree well with
numerical solutions of the full master equation for sufficiently weak
SSET-resonator coupling. The mean field equations also give a good qualitative
description of the set of dynamical transitions in the resonator state that
occur as the coupling is progressively increased.Comment: 23 pages, 6 Figures, Accepted for NJ
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