Equivalence between the Lovelock-Cartan action and a constrained gauge theory

We show that the four-dimensional Lovelock-Cartan action can be derived from a massless gauge theory for the $SO(1,3)$ group with an additional BRST trivial part. The model is originally composed by a topological sector and a BRST exact piece and has no explicit dependence on the metric, the vierbein or a mass parameter. The vierbein is introduced together with a mass parameter through some BRST trivial constraints. The effect of the constraints is to identify the vierbein with some of the additional fields, transforming the original action into the Lovelock-Cartan one. In this scenario, the mass parameter is identified with Newton's constant while the gauge field is identified with the spin-connection. The symmetries of the model are also explored. Moreover, the extension of the model to a quantum version is qualitatively discussed.Comment: 17 pages. No figures. Final version accepted for publication at the EPJ

Detecção e erradicação de videiras com sintomas do cancro bacteriano no Estado do Paraná.

Suplemento. Edição dos Resumos do 44 Congresso Brasileiro de Fitopatologia, Bento Gonçalves, ago. 2011

Alteração no método centroide de avaliação da adaptabilidade genotípica

O objetivo deste trabalho foi alterar o método centroide de avaliação da adaptabilidade e estabilidade fenotípica de genótipos, para deixá-lo com maior sentido biológico e melhorar aspectos quantitativos e qualitativos de sua análise. A alteração se deu pela adição de mais três ideótipos, definidos de acordo com valores médios dos genótipos nos ambientes. Foram utilizados dados provenientes de um experimento sobre produção de matéria seca de 92 genótipos de alfafa (Medicago sativa) realizado em blocos ao acaso, com duas repetições. Os genótipos foram submetidos a 20 cortes, no período de novembro de 2004 a junho de 2006. Cada corte foi considerado um ambiente. A inclusão dos ideótipos de maior sentido biológico (valores médios nos ambientes) resultou em uma dispersão gráfica em forma de uma seta voltada para a direita, na qual os genótipos mais produtivos ficaram próximos à ponta da seta. Com a alteração, apenas cinco genótipos foram classificados nas mesmas classes do método centroide original. A figura em forma de seta proporciona uma comparação direta dos genótipos, por meio da formação de um gradiente de produtividade. A alteração no método mantém a facilidade de interpretação dos resultados para a recomendação dos genótipos presente no método original e não permite duplicidade de interpretação dos resultados

Crescimento vegetativo, floração e frutificação efetiva do pessegueiro 'Jubileu' submetido a diferentes comprimentos de interenxertos.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos do uso de interenxertos, com diferentes comprimentos, sobre o vigor de plantas de pessegueiro da cultivar Jubileu. Foram utilizados interenxertos da cultivar de baixo vigor, Granada, com 5, 10, 15 e 20 cm de comprimento. Avaliaram-se o crescimento vegetativo, a floração e a frutificação efetiva das plantas. O experimento foi conduzido em Pelotas, RS, de março de 2007 a dezembro de 2008. O crescimento vegetativo do pessegueiro 'Jubileu' está diretamente relacionado ao comprimento do interenxerto. O aumento do comprimento do interenxerto antecipa o início da floração e da plena floração. A redução do vigor, induzida por interenxertos de maior comprimento, promove aumento na diferenciação floral. O interenxerto com 20 cm intensifica a redução do vigor, mas aumenta a mortalidade das plantas. Portanto, os interenxertos com 10 e 15 cm de comprimento são os mais adequados para o adensamento de pomares

Stability of quantum motion and correlation decay

We derive a simple and general relation between the fidelity of quantum motion, characterizing the stability of quantum dynamics with respect to arbitrary static perturbation of the unitary evolution propagator, and the integrated time auto-correlation function of the generator of perturbation. Surprisingly, this relation predicts the slower decay of fidelity the faster decay of correlations is. In particular, for non-ergodic and non-mixing dynamics, where asymptotic decay of correlations is absent, a qualitatively different and faster decay of fidelity is predicted on a time scale 1/delta as opposed to mixing dynamics where the fidelity is found to decay exponentially on a time-scale 1/delta^2, where delta is a strength of perturbation. A detailed discussion of a semi-classical regime of small effective values of Planck constant is given where classical correlation functions can be used to predict quantum fidelity decay. Note that the correct and intuitively expected classical stability behavior is recovered in the classical limit hbar->0, as the two limits delta->0 and hbar->0 do not commute. In addition we also discuss non-trivial dependence on the number of degrees of freedom. All the theoretical results are clearly demonstrated numerically on a celebrated example of a quantized kicked top.Comment: 32 pages, 10 EPS figures and 2 color PS figures. Higher resolution color figures can be obtained from authors; minor changes, to appear in J.Phys.A (March 2002

Many-body symbolic dynamics of a classical oscillator chain

We study a certain type of the celebrated Fermi-Pasta-Ulam particle chain, namely the inverted FPU model, where the inter-particle potential has a form of a quartic double well. Numerical evidence is given in support of a simple symbolic description of dynamics (in the regime of sufficiently high potential barrier between the wells) in terms of an (approximate) Markov process. The corresponding transition matrix is formally identical to a ferromagnetic Heisenberg quantum spin-1/2 chain with long range coupling, whose diagonalization yields accurate estimates for a class of time correlation functions of the model.Comment: 22 pages in LaTeX with 14 figures; submitted to Nonlinearity ; corrected page offset proble

Results from the healthy active kids South Africa 2018 report card

Healthy Active Kids South Africa (HAKSA) Report Cards were produced in 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2016. The 2018 Report Card aims to report on the latest available evidence relating to the physical activity (PA), nutrition and body composition of South African (SA) children and adolescents. A review was conducted using the following databases: PubMed; Africa Journals Online; and Africa-Wide (EBSCOhost). Articles published from January 2016 to September 2018 were included for review by the HAKSA scientific advisory group. Data were extracted, and a grade for each indicator was assigned based on the available evidence and the consensus of the scientific advisory group. This included 12 PA indicators, 6 nutrition indicators and 3 body composition indicators. There was no evidence of a significant change in any of the indicators since the 2016 Report Card. Grades for certain indicators have been downgraded (from 2016) to bring these to the attention of relevant stakeholders and industry. These include food insecurity and grades that relate to the implementation of policy on PA and nutrition in the school environment, and on advertising and media relating to nutrition. Key priorities for action include: safe opportunities for physical activity; minimising the gap between policy and implementation (school culture and environment, and government strategies); and the double burden of over- and undernutrition, which relates to the continuing concern about food insecurity in SA. There is a need for further research, including surveillance, on all indicators, for future Report Cards