Emergence of classicality in small number entangled systems

We show the transition from a fully quantized interaction to a semiclassical one in entangled small number quantum systems using the quantum trajectories approach. In particular, we simulate the microwave Ramsey zones used in Rydberg atom interferometry, filling in the gap between the strongly entangling Jaynes Cummings evolution and the semiclassical rotation of the atomic internal states. We also correlate the information flowing with leaking photons to the entanglement generation between cavity field and flying atom and detail the roles played by the strong dissipation and the external driving force in preserving atomic coherence through the interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

VIRAR OUTRO: A AUTORIA EM A QUEDA DO CÉU

Este trabalho analisa a construção da autoria na obra A queda do céu: palavras de um xamã yanomami, de Davi Kopenawa e Bruce Albert, na perspectiva das múltiplas agências, atores e vozes configuradoras do discurso, o qual varia entre autobiografia, discurso político, tratado cosmopolítico e crítica xamânica. Em um primeiro momento, o artigo discute brevemente a noção de autoria na tradição ocidental, marcada pela individualidade e pela propriedade; em seguida, demonstra como essa concepção é elidida em A queda do céu, que vincula a autoria à noção de “virar outro”, a partir do entrelaçamento de múltiplas vozes e imagens espirituais, resultando em uma polifonia da floresta.

Papel da imunofenotipagem por citometria de fluxo no diagnóstico diferencial das pancitopenias e das linfocitoses

A imunofenotipagem por citometria de fluxo (CMF) é atualmente uma ferramenta indispensável para o diagnóstico hematopatológico. Nos últimos anos muitos progressos foram alcançados em instrumentação, novos anticorpos e fluorocromos e programas de análise. Consequentemente, houve um grande avanço no conhecimento da patogênese das neoplasias hematológicas e novos marcadores diagnósticos e prognósticos foram descritos. Revisamos aqui a contribuição destas novas técnicas no diagnóstico diferencial de pacientes com bi- ou pancitopenia e linfocitose. São apresentados os achados mais frequentes e as dificuldades na interpretação dos resultados. Além disto, a importância do uso concomitante de um conjunto de outras técnicas diagnósticas é demonstrada

What's That Object? Learning Astronomical Concepts Through The Use Of The Aladin Program And Manipulation Of Astronomical Images

Various studies have noted current shortcomings in the teaching and learning of science in schools, and the results of large-scale tests show that despite heavy investment in education, Brazilians' understanding of science test scores typically fall short of what could be if students had a consistent, high-quality basic education. This article summarizes the teaching plan and systematic study results for an activity titled "What’s That Object?" implemented in the city of Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil, in 2015. Astronomical concepts were taught, and the Aladin software was used in the lessons, which included two computerized memory games produced for this activity.We believe that the results lend strong support to the notion that astronomy education can be improved and motivates educators to teach astronomical concepts at the elementary school level

Localized States at Zigzag Edges of Multilayer Graphene and Graphite Steps

We report the existence of zero energy surface states localized at zigzag edges of $N$-layer graphene. Working within the tight-binding approximation, and using the simplest nearest-neighbor model, we derive the analytic solution for the wavefunctions of these peculiar surface states. It is shown that zero energy edge states in multilayer graphene can be divided into three families: (i) states living only on a single plane, equivalent to surface states in monolayer graphene; (ii) states with finite amplitude over the two last, or the two first layers of the stack, equivalent to surface states in bilayer graphene; (iii) states with finite amplitude over three consecutive layers. Multilayer graphene edge states are shown to be robust to the inclusion of the next nearest-neighbor interlayer hopping. We generalize the edge state solution to the case of graphite steps with zigzag edges, and show that edge states measured through scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of graphite steps belong to family (i) or (ii) mentioned above, depending on the way the top layer is cut.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Compression and bending behavior of steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete

A method to design cost competitive steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC) for precasting industrial applications is described in this paper. Since demolding the elements as soon as possible is an important requirement in this industry, the influence of the age on the resistance and toughness of the designed SFRSCC was assessed carrying out an experimental program. Based on the force-deflection relationship obtained in the three point bending notched beam tests performed according to the RILEM TC 162-TDF recommendations, the stress-crack opening relationship of the SFRSCC was determined. The influence of the SFRSCC age on the fracture parameters of this material was analyzed.Inserido no programa de pesquisa suportado pelo FEDER e o Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (MCT) e promovido pelo Agencia de Inovação (ADI)

Asas health index for patients with spondyloarthritis: translation into portuguese, validation, and reliability

Trabalho apresentado no Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2017), 14-17 junho de 2017, Madrid, EspanhaN/

Poly(dimethyl siloxane) surface modification with biosurfactants isolated from probiotic strains

Depending on the final application envisaged for a given biomaterial, many surfaces must be modified before use. The material performance in a biological environment is mainly mediated by its surface properties that can be improved using suitable modification methods. The aim of this work was to coat poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) surfaces with biosurfactants (BSs) and to evaluate how these compounds affect the PDMS surface properties. BSs isolated from four probiotic strains (Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Streptococcus thermophilus A, and Streptococcus thermophilus B) were used. Bare PDMS and PDMS coated with BSs were characterized by contact angle measurements, infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The influence of the surface modifications on the materials blood compatibility was studied through thrombosis and hemolysis assays. The cytotoxicity of these materials was tested against rat peritoneal macrophages. AFM results demonstrated the successful coating of the surfaces. Also, by contact angle measurements, an increase of the coated surfaces hydrophilicity was seen. Furthermore, XPS analysis indicated a decrease of the silicon content at the surface, and ATR-FTIR results showed the presence of BS characteristic groups as a consequence of the modification. All the studied materials revealed no toxicity and were found to be nonhemolytic. The proposed approach for the modification of PDMS surfaces was found to be effective and opens new possibilities for the application of these surfaces in the biomedical field.Contract grant sponsors: Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia-FCT; BIOSURFA-PTDC/SAU-BEB/73498/2006 project

Rainfall Prediction in the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil Using Generalized Additive Models

The state of Paraíba is part of the semi-arid region of Brazil, where severe droughts have occurred in recent years, resulting in significant socio-economic losses associated with climate variability. Thus, understanding to what extent precipitation can be influenced by sea surface temperature (SST) patterns in the tropical region can help, along with a monitoring system, to set up an early warning system, the first pillar in drought management. In this study, Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) were used to filter climatic indices with higher predictive efficiency and, as a result, to perform rainfall predictions. The results show the persistent influence of tropical SST patterns in Paraíba rainfall, the tropical Atlantic Ocean impacting the rainfall distribution more effectively than the tropical Pacific Ocean. The GAMLSS model showed predictive capability during summer and southern autumn in Paraíba, highlighting the JFM (January, February and March), FMA (February, March and April), MAM (March, April and May), and AMJ (April, May and June) trimesters as those with the highest predictive potential. The methodology demonstrates the ability to be integrated with regional forecasting models (ensemble). Such information has the potential to inform decisions in multiple sectors, such as agriculture and water resources, aiming at the sustainable management of water resources and resilience to climate risk

Double Exchange Model for Magnetic Hexaborides

A microscopic theory for rare-earth ferromagnetic hexaborides, such as Eu(1-x)Ca(x)B6, is proposed on the basis of the double-exchange Hamiltonian. In these systems, the reduced carrier concentrations place the Fermi level near the mobility edge, introduced in the spectral density by the disordered spin background. We show that the transport properties such as Hall effect, magnetoresitance, frequency dependent conductivity, and DC resistivity can be quantitatively described within the model. We also make specific predictions for the behavior of the Curie temperature, Tc, as a function of the plasma frequency, omega_p.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure