Wang-Landau sampling in three-dimensional polymers

Monte Carlo simulations using Wang-Landau sampling are performed to study three-dimensional chains of homopolymers on a lattice. We confirm the accuracy of the method by calculating the thermodynamic properties of this system. Our results are in good agreement with those obtained using Metropolis importance sampling. This algorithm enables one to accurately simulate the usually hardly accessible low-temperature regions since it determines the density of states in a single simulation.Comment: 5 pages, 9 figures arch-ive/Brazilian Journal of Physic

Effectiveness of passive mobilization in the treatment of shoulder pathologies

Introdução: A dor no ombro é muito comum e o tratamento preferencial é a fisioterapia. Objectivo: Avaliar a efectividade da mobilização passiva na dor, força,amplitude de movimento e/ou função no tratamento de indivíduos com tendinopatias da coifa ou síndrome de colisão do ombro por meio de revisão sistemática de literatura. Métodos: Os estudos foram pesquisados na PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scielo, PEDro e Web of Science. Dois investigadores analisaram os artigos para determinar os trabalhos a incluir. A qualidade metodológica desses foi avaliada por meio da escala de PEDro e feita a sua caracterização detalhada. Resultados: Os resultados sugerem que a mobilização passiva quando aplicada em conjunto com outros tratamentos leva a significativa diminuição da dor e a melhoria da força e função. Conclusão: A mobilização passiva aplicada em conjunto com outros tratamentos parece ser uma mais valia no tratamento de tendinopatias da bainha rotadora e síndrome de colisão do ombro. São necessários mais estudos que confirmem esses resultados.Introduction: Pain in the shoulder is very common and the preferential treatment is physiotherapy. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of passive mobilization on pain, strength, range of motion and/or function for patients with rotator cuff tendinopathies or impingement syndrome. Methods: Studies were sought from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scielo, PEDro and Web of Science. Two investigators screened all studies for inclusion. Methods: Quality was assessed using PEDro scale and a detailed characterization of each study was made. Results: All studies show that the group that received the treatment package including passive mobilization showed statistically significant decrease of pain and improvements for function and strength when compared to the control group. Conclusion: A trend was found favoring the addition of passive mobilization to a treatment package of physiotherapy for decreasing pain and increasing strength and function, but a firm conclusion cannot be made

An institutional palimpsest? The case of Cambodia’s political order, 1970 and beyond

© 2015 Taylor & Francis. How do continuity and change coexist and coevolve? How does continuity enable change and change reinforce continuity? These are central questions in organizational and political research, as organizational and institutional systems benefit from the presence of both reproduction and transformation. However, the relation between the processes of change and continuity still raises significant questions. To contribute to this discussion, we analyse the coexistence of deep institutional continuity and radical political change in the second half of twentieth-century Cambodia. Over a two-decade period, Cambodia was ruled by radically different political systems of organization: a traditional monarchy with feudal characteristics, a failing republic, a totalitarian communist regime, and a Vietnamese protectorate, before being governed by the UN and finally becoming a constitutional monarchy. We use an historical approach to study how a succession of radical changes may in reality signal deep lines of continuity

In vitro and in vivo ocular biocompatibility of electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone) nanofibers.

Biocompatibility is a requirement for the development of nanofibers for ophthalmic applications. In this study, nanofibers were elaborated using poly(ε-caprolactone) via electrospinning. The ocular biocompatibility of this material was investigated. MIO-M1 and ARPE-19 cell cultures were incubated with nanofibers and cellular responses were monitored by viability and morphology. The in vitro biocompatibility revealed that the nanofibers were not cytotoxic to the ocular cells. These cells exposed to the nanofibers proliferated and formed an organized monolayer. ARPE-19 and MIO-M1 cells were capable of expressing GFAP, respectively, demonstrating their functionality. Nanofibers were inserted into the vitreous cavity of the rat's eye for 10days and the in vivo biocompatibility was investigated using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), histology and measuring the expression of pro-inflammatory genes (IL-1β, TNF-α, VEGF and iNOS) (real-time PCR). The OCT and the histological analyzes exhibited the preserved architecture of the tissues of the eye. The biomaterial did not elicit an inflammatory reaction and pro-inflammatory cytokines were not expressed by the retinal cells, and the other posterior tissues of the eye. Results from the biocompatibility studies indicated that the nanofibers exhibited a high degree of cellular biocompatibility and short-term intraocular tolerance, indicating that they might be applied as drug carrier for ophthalmic use

Can Credit Rating Agencies Affect Election Outcomes?

We show that credit rating agencies can have a significant effect on election outcomes. We identify these effects by exploiting exogenous variation in municipal bond ratings due to Moody’s recalibration of its scale in 2010. We find that incumbent politicians in upgraded municipalities experience an increase in their likelihood of reelection and their vote shares. These rating upgrades improve voters’ opinions about the incumbent and produce positive wealth effects through voters’ holdings of local municipal bonds. In addition, rating upgrades cause an expansion of local governments’ debt capacity that allows the incumbent to increase spending and improve local economic conditions

catena-Poly[[triaqua­chlorido-μ3-malonato-cerium(III)] hemihydrate]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, {[Ce(C3H2O4)Cl(H2O)3]·0.5H2O}n, contains a Ce3+ atom coordinated by a chloride anion, three water mol­ecules and a malonate ligand, and one water mol­ecule of crystallization with a factor of occupancy of 50%. The malonate ligand is bonded to three different symmetry-related metal atoms yielding a one-dimensional coordination polymer running parallel to the a axis. A supra­molecular network composed of strong and highly directional O—H⋯O and O—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds ensures a close and effective packing of adjacent polymeric chains