O estouro de bolhas especulativas recentes: Os casos dos Estados Unidos e do Japão

This paper analyzes on a comparative basis the impact of the two major contemporary financial crises in Japan and in the United States. They were both the result of the burst of speculative bubbles that had allowed the high increase in the value of real estate and equity. The abrupt reversal of the financial markets led to the accumulation of huge losses not only by banks but also by non-financial corporations and households. In response, the private sector has been since then been systematically reducing its net debt and the level of investment, despite the recovery on the levels of profits and the long periods of interest rates at levels close to zer

Towards Relativistic Skyrmions

We revisit baryons in the Skyrme model. Starting from static baryons in the helicity eigenstates, we generalize their wavefunctions to the non-static and relativistic regime. A new representation for gamma matrices in the soliton collective space is constructed and the corresponding Dirac equation is obtained. As an example, we draw consideration on how to apply this new representation on the calculus of vector current vacuum expectation values for baryon states of spin and isospin half and arbitrary momenta and we show how elastic form factors can be derived.Comment: 7 pages, 7th Conference Mathematical Methods in Physics - Londrina 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazi

Envelhecimento acelerado em sementes de melão

Accelerated aging is one of the most useful tests used for the evaluation of seed vigor but it is seldomly used to test melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds. The objective this research was to compare different procedures of the accelerated aging test to evaluate the physiological quality of melon seeds and the efficiency of using saturated salt solution for the control of water uptake by seeds. Five seed lots each of the hybrids AF-646 and AF-682 were tested for germination, seedling emergence, traditional accelerated aging (periods 0f 48, 72 and 96 hours, at 38 or 41°C) and salt saturated accelerated aging. The accelerated aging test (traditional procedure and with salt solution) for 72h and 96h, at 38 or 41°C was sensitive to detect differences in the physiological quality of the seeds. It was also observed that the seed water content after salt saturated accelerated aging was lower and more uniform, thus presenting advantagens in relation to the traditional procedure.O teste de envelhecimento acelerado é um dos mais utilizados para a avaliação do potencial fisiológico das sementes de várias espécies. Entretanto, estudos com sementes de melão ainda são escassos. Avaliou-se procedimentos para a condução do teste de envelhecimento acelerado para avaliação do potencial fisiológico de sementes de melão (Cucumis melo L.), incluindo o uso de solução saturada de sal em substituição à água. Cinco lotes de sementes, dos híbridos AF-646 e AF-682, foram submetidos aos testes de germinação, emergência de plântulas em casa de vegetação e envelhecimento acelerado (períodos de 48, 72 ou 96 horas, a 38 ou 41°C), com e sem o uso de solução saturada de NaCl. O teste de envelhecimento acelerado (procedimento tradicional e com solução salina), conduzido com períodos de exposição de 72h e 96h a 38 ou 41°C, apresentou sensibilidade suficiente para detectar diferenças no potencial fisiológico de lotes de sementes de melão. A utilização de solução saturada de NaCl contribui para reduzir a absorção de água pelas sementes durante o teste de envelhecimento acelerado, permitiu obter resultados menos drásticos e mais uniformes, sem afetar a eficiência do teste

Production of negative parity baryons in the holographic Sakai-Sugimoto model

We extend our investigation of resonance production in the Sakai-Sugimoto model to the case of negative parity baryon resonances. Using holographic techniques we extract the generalized Dirac and Pauli baryon form factors as well as the helicity amplitudes for these baryonic states. Identifying the first negative parity resonance with the experimentally observed S_{11}(1535), we find reasonable agreement with experimental data from the JLab-CLAS collaboration. We also estimate the contribution of negative parity baryons to the proton structure functions.Comment: 1+30 pages, 8 figures. v3: typos corrected, references added, section 2 and 3 shortened, improved discussion of helicity amplitudes and comparison with experimental result

Generalized baryon form factors and proton structure functions in the Sakai-Sugimoto model

We investigate the production of positive parity baryon resonances in proton electromagnetic scattering within the Sakai-Sugimoto model. The latter is a string model for the non-perturbative regime of large $N_c$ QCD. Using holographic techniques we calculate the generalized Dirac and Pauli form factors that describe resonance production. We use these results to estimate the contribution of resonance production to the proton structure functions. Interestingly, we find an approximate Callan-Gross relation for the structure functions in a regime of intermediate values of the Bjorken variable.Comment: v3: 38 pages, 25 figures. We added a new subsection in order to compare our results with experimental data. To appear in Nucl. Phys.

Leishmaniose visceral no Brasil: revisitando os paradigmas da epidemiologia e controle

In the last 20 years, despite the known underestimation of cases, Brazil registered a marked increase in the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis. The main goal of this review is to reflect on some aspects of this zoonosis in Brazil and also to encourage the discussion in order to find more viable, effective and affordable strategies to be implemented by the Brazilian Leishmaniasis Control Program. The current situation of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil might be seen as a paradox: the most important aspects of the disease are known, but so far the control of this disease has not yet been achieved. The current control strategies have not been able to prevent the geographical expansion, and even a rise in the incidence and lethality of visceral leishmaniasis. There is a need not only for a better definition of priority areas, but also for the implementation of a fieldwork monitoring system to the disease surveillance that could permit a further evaluation of the control program in areas where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic.Nos últimos 20 anos, apesar da conhecida subestimação de casos, o Brasil registrou um marcado aumento na incidência da leishmaniose visceral. O principal objetivo desta revisão é refletir sobre alguns aspectos desta zoonose no Brasil e também encorajar a discussão a fim de encontrar novas estratégias, mais viáveis e efetivas, para serem implementadas no Programa Brasileiro de Controle das Leishmanioses. A situação atual da leishmaniose visceral no Brasil pode ser vista como um paradoxo: os aspectos mais importantes da doença são conhecidos, mas o controle desta doença ainda não foi conseguido. As estratégias de controle atuais não têm sido capazes de prevenir a expansão geográfica, além do aumento da incidência e da letalidade da leishmaniose visceral. Existe a necessidade de uma melhor definição das áreas prioritárias, mas também da implementação de um sistema de monitoramento das atividades dirigidas para o controle e vigilância epidemiológica, o que poderia permitir melhor avaliação do programa de controle nas diversas regiões do Brasil