Coherent states for polynomial su(1,1) algebra and a conditionally solvable system

In a previous paper [{\it J. Phys. A: Math. Theor.} {\bf 40} (2007) 11105], we constructed a class of coherent states for a polynomially deformed $su(2)$ algebra. In this paper, we first prepare the discrete representations of the nonlinearly deformed $su(1,1)$ algebra. Then we extend the previous procedure to construct a discrete class of coherent states for a polynomial su(1,1) algebra which contains the Barut-Girardello set and the Perelomov set of the SU(1,1) coherent states as special cases. We also construct coherent states for the cubic algebra related to the conditionally solvable radial oscillator problem.Comment: 2 figure

Association of different restriction levels with COVID-19-related distress and mental health in somatic inpatients: a secondary analysis of swiss general hospital data

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related countermeasures hinder health care access and affect mental wellbeing of non-COVID-19 patients. There is lack of evidence on distress and mental health of patients hospitalized due to other reasons than COVID-19-a vulnerable population group in two ways: First, given their risk for physical diseases, they are at increased risk for severe courses and death related to COVID-19. Second, they may struggle particularly with COVID-19 restrictions due to their dependence on social support. Therefore, we investigated the association of intensity of COVID-19 restrictions with levels of COVID-19-related distress, mental health (depression, anxiety, somatic symptom disorder, and mental quality of life), and perceived social support among Swiss general hospital non-COVID-19 inpatients. Methods: We analyzed distress of 873 hospital inpatients not admitted for COVID-19, recruited from internal medicine, gynecology, rheumatology, rehabilitation, acute geriatrics, and geriatric rehabilitation wards of three hospitals. We assessed distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and four indicators of mental health: depressive and anxiety symptom severity, psychological distress associated with somatic symptoms, and the mental component of health-related quality of life; additionally, we assessed social support. The data collection period was divided into modest (June 9 to October 18, 2020) and strong (October 19, 2020, to April 17, 2021) COVID-19 restrictions, based on the Oxford Stringency Index for Switzerland. Results: An additional 13% (95%-Confidence Interval 4-21%) and 9% (1-16%) of hospital inpatients reported distress related to leisure time and loneliness, respectively, during strong COVID-19 restrictions compared to times of modest restrictions. There was no evidence for changes in mental health or social support. Conclusions: Focusing on the vulnerable population of general hospital inpatients not admitted for COVID-19, our results suggest that tightening of COVID-19 restrictions in October 2020 was associated with increased COVID-19-related distress regarding leisure time and loneliness, with no evidence for a related decrease in mental health. If this association was causal, safe measures to increase social interaction (e.g., virtual encounters and outdoor activities) are highly warranted. Trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04269005

Children\u27s Understanding of the Concept of Physical Activity

This study evaluated 4th-grade students\u27 understanding of the concept of physical activity and assessed the effects of two interventions to enhance the students\u27 understanding of this concept. Students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: the video group (n=40) watched a 5-min video describing physical activity; the verbal group (n=42) listened to a generic description of physical activity; the control group received no instruction (n=45). Students completed a 17-item checklist testing their understanding of the concept of physical activity. Compared to controls, students in the verbal and video group demonstrated significantly higher checklist scores, with the video group scoring significantly higher than the verbal group. Only 35.6% of the controls compared to 52.4% and 70.0% of the verbal and video group respectively, could classify \u3e 15 of the checklist items correctly. The results indicate that, without intervention, children have a limited understanding of the concept of physical activity

Tracking of Physical Activity, Physical Inactivity, and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Rural Youth

This study examined the tracking of selected measures of physical activity, inactivity, and fitness in a cohort of rural youth. Students (N=181, 54.7% female, 63.5% African American) completed test batteries during their fifth- (age=10.7±0.7 years), sixth-, and seventh-grade years. The Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR) was used to assess 30-min blocks of vigorous physical activity (VPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), TV watching and other sedentary activities, and estimated energy expenditure (EE). Fitness measures included the PWC 170 cycle ergometer test, strength tests, triceps skinfold thickness, and BMI. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for VPA, MVPA, and after-school EE ranged from 0.63 to 0.78. ICCs ranged from 0.49 to 0.71 for measures of inactivity and from 0.78 to 0.82 for the fitness measures. These results indicate that measures of physical activity, inactivity, and physical fitness tend to track during the transition from elementary to middle school

Vector coherent states and intertwining operators

In this paper we discuss a general strategy to construct vector coherent states of the Gazeau-Klauder type and we use them to built up examples of isospectral hamiltonians. For that we use a general strategy recently proposed by the author and which extends well known facts on intertwining operators. We also discuss the possibility of constructing non-isospectral hamiltonians with related eigenstates

Target specificity among canonical nuclear poly(A) polymerases in plants modulates organ growth and pathogen response

Polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs is critical for efficient nuclear export, stability, and translation of the mature mRNAs, and thus for gene expression. The bulk of pre-mRNAs are processed by canonical nuclear poly(A) polymerase (PAPS). Both vertebrate and higher-plant genomes encode more than one isoform of this enzyme, and these are coexpressed in different tissues. However, in neither case is it known whether the isoforms fulfill different functions or polyadenylate distinct subsets of pre-mRNAs. Here we show that the three canonical nuclear PAPS isoforms in Arabidopsis are functionally specialized owing to their evolutionarily divergent C-terminal domains. A strong loss-of-function mutation in PAPS1 causes a male gametophytic defect, whereas a weak allele leads to reduced leaf growth that results in part from a constitutive pathogen response. By contrast, plants lacking both PAPS2 and PAPS4 function are viable with wild-type leaf growth. Polyadenylation of SMALL AUXIN UP RNA (SAUR) mRNAs depends specifically on PAPS1 function. The resulting reduction in SAUR activity in paps1 mutants contributes to their reduced leaf growth, providing a causal link between polyadenylation of specific pre-mRNAs by a particular PAPS isoform and plant growth. This suggests the existence of an additional layer of regulation in plant and possibly vertebrate gene expression, whereby the relative activities of canonical nuclear PAPS isoforms control de novo synthesized poly(A) tail length and hence expression of specific subsets of mRNAs

Alpha scattering and capture reactions in the A = 7 system at low energies

Differential cross sections for $^3$He-$\alpha$ scattering were measured in the energy range up to 3 MeV. These data together with other available experimental results for $^3$He $+ \alpha$ and $^3$H $+ \alpha$ scattering were analyzed in the framework of the optical model using double-folded potentials. The optical potentials obtained were used to calculate the astrophysical S-factors of the capture reactions $^3$He$(\alpha,\gamma)^7$Be and $^3$H$(\alpha,\gamma)^7$Li, and the branching ratios for the transitions into the two final $^7$Be and $^7$Li bound states, respectively. For $^3$He$(\alpha,\gamma)^7$Be excellent agreement between calculated and experimental data is obtained. For $^3$H$(\alpha,\gamma)^7$Li a $S(0)$ value has been found which is a factor of about 1.5 larger than the adopted value. For both capture reactions a similar branching ratio of $R = \sigma(\gamma_1)/\sigma(\gamma_0) \approx 0.43$ has been obtained.Comment: submitted to Phys.Rev.C, 34 pages, figures available from one of the authors, LaTeX with RevTeX, IK-TUW-Preprint 930540

Investigating optimal accelerometer placement for energy expenditure prediction in children using a machine learning approach

Accurate measurement of energy expenditure (EE) is imperative for identifying and targeting health-associated implications. Whilst numerous accelerometer-based regression equations to predict EE have been developed, there remains little consensus regarding optimal accelerometer placement. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to validate and compare artificial neural networks (ANNs) developed from accelerometers worn on various anatomical positions, and combinations thereof, to predict EE.Twenty-seven children (15 boys; 10.8  ±  1.1 years) participated in an incremental treadmill test and 30 min exergaming session wearing a portable gas analyser and nine ActiGraph GT3X+  accelerometers (chest and left and right wrists, hips, knees, and ankles). Age and sex-specific resting EE equations (Schofield) were used to estimate METs from the oxygen uptake measures. Using all the data from both exergames, incremental treadmill test and the transition period in between, ANNs were created and tested separately for each accelerometer and for combinations of two or more using a leave-one-out approach to predict EE compared to measured EE. Six features (mean and variance of the three accelerometer axes) were extracted within each 15 s window as inputs in the ANN. Correlations and root mean square error (RMSE) were calculated to evaluate prediction accuracy of each ANN, and repeated measures ANOVA was used to statistically compare accuracy of the ANNs.All single-accelerometer ANNs and combinations of two-, three-, and four-accelerometers performed equally (r  =  0.77–0.82), demonstrating higher correlations than the 9-accelerometer ANN (r  =  0.69) or the Freedson linear regression equation (r  =  0.75). RMSE did not differ between single-accelerometer ANNs or combinations of two, three, or four accelerometers (1.21–1.31 METs), demonstrating lower RMSEs than the 9-accelerometer ANN (1.46 METs) or Freedson equation (1.74 METs).These findings provide preliminary evidence that ANNs developed from single accelerometers mounted on various anatomical positions demonstrate equivalency in the accuracy to predict EE in a semi-structured setting, supporting the use of ANNs in improving EE prediction accuracy compared with linear regression