abstract: This work presents analysis and results for the NPDGamma experiment, measuring the spin-correlated photon directional asymmetry in the $\vec{n}p\rightarrow d\gamma$ radiative capture of polarized, cold neutrons on a parahydrogen target. The parity-violating (PV) component of this asymmetry $A_{\gamma,PV}$ is unambiguously related to the $\Delta I = 1$ component of the hadronic weak interaction due to pion exchange. Measurements in the second phase of NPDGamma were taken at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) from late 2012 to early 2014, and then again in the first half of 2016 for an unprecedented level of statistics in order to obtain a measurement that is precise with respect to theoretical predictions of $A_{\gamma,PV}=O(10^{-8})$. Theoretical and experimental background, description of the experimental apparatus, analysis methods, and results for the high-statistics measurements are given. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Physics 2017

Orientador: Ilza Maria Urbano Monteiro / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T23:33:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Makuch_MariaValeriaBahamondes_D.pdf: 16535785 bytes, checksum: be3709b6137735be64ac9a6dfffdc1a5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Introdução: O sistema intrauterino liberador de levonorgestrel (SIU-LNG) é um contraceptivo altamente efetivo com benefícios não contraceptivos, entre eles o tratamento da menorragia. Restam dúvidas sobre o uso do SIU-LNG em mulheres nuligestas, especialmente no tocante à taxa de expulsão e o custo-beneficio para o tratamento da menorragia quando se compara com tratamentos cirúrgicos. Os objetivos deste estudo foram avaliar a facilidade de inserção e o desempenho clínico do SIU-LNG em mulheres nuligestas durante um ano de seguimento; verificar a correlação entre o comprimento da cavidade uterina e as taxas de expulsão em usuárias de dispositivo intrauterino com cobre (DIU TCu380A) e de SIU-LNG, e avaliar os recursos e procedimentos envolvidos na inserção do SIU-LNG quando comparado à realização da histerectomia em mulheres com menorragia atendidas em um hospital público do Brasil. Métodos: Foi feito o seguimento de duas coortes de mulheres que inseriram o SIU-LNG no mesmo dia, 159 nuligestas e 477 mulheres com filhos, pareadas na razão1:3. A inserção foi classificada em fácil ou difícil, e quando foi difícil avaliou-se o uso de velas de Hegar ou misoprostol, e as falhas de inserção foram registradas separadamente. O segundo estudo admitiu 235 mulheres nuligestas e mulheres com filhos que inseriram o DIU TCu380A ou o SIU-LNG, com o seguimento de um ano. O comprimento da cavidade uterina foi medido por histerometria e por ultrassom, e a taxa de expulsão foi correlacionada com o tamanho uterino. O terceiro estudo teve duas coortes de mulheres com menorragia, mulheres que inseriram o SIU-LNG (n=124) pareadas com mulheres que realizaram uma histerectomia (n=122). Avaliamos o número de procedimentos realizados em cada grupo antes de escolherem o tratamento, os que foram realizados para a inserção do SIU-LNG e/ou histerectomia, e os procedimentos decorrentes das complicações registradas após um ano de seguimento. Resultados: Em quase 80% dos casos não foi encontrada dificuldade na inserção do SIU-LNG e o uso de dilatadores e misoprostol não foi frequente; entretanto, o uso de dilatadores foi três vezes maior no grupo das nuligestas. Houve uma falha da inserção no grupo de nuligestas e duas no grupo de mulheres com filhos. Não houve uma única gravidez, a taxa de expulsão foi de aproximadamente 4/100 mulheres/ano e a taxa de continuação do método foi superior a 90%, em ambos os grupos, após um ano de seguimento. A medida do comprimento da cavidade uterina foi menor que 3,2cm em 2 usuárias e de pelo menos 3,2cm de comprimento em 87 usuárias de SIU-LNG, com taxas de expulsão de 0 (0,0%) e 2 (2,3%), respectivamente (p>0,999). A média de comprimento da cavidade uterina foi de 3,9cm ± 0,3cm por ultrassom entre as 10 mulheres que expulsaram o dispositivo, comparada com a média de comprimento de 3,9 ± 0,0cm naquelas que não expulsaram o dispositivo (p=0,799). No terceiro estudo, a idade e duração da menorragia foram significativamente menores no grupo de usuárias de SIU-LNG do que no grupo de mulheres que realizaram histerectomia. Os números de consultas ginecológicas e de coleta de citologia oncológica foram levemente maiores no grupo do SIU-LNG, mas as mulheres que realizaram histerectomia realizaram testes mais complexos, como exames de laboratório, ultrassom, radiografia de tórax e eletrocardiograma. No grupo da histerectomia as principais complicações foram: hemorragia (6), perfuração de bexiga/intestino (4), complicações anestésicas (1), reimplantação ureteral (1) e dor abdominal (2). Aos 12 meses de seguimento, a menorragia foi controlada em 83,1% das mulheres no grupo do SIU-LNG e 106 mulheres continuaram usando o dispositivo. Conclusões: O SIU-LNG mostrou-se um método seguro para uso em mulheres nuligestas. A inserção é um procedimento simples e o desempenho clínico foi bom em mulheres com e sem filhos. O comprimento da cavidade uterina não foi associado a maior risco de expulsão do SIU-LNG. Ambos os tratamentos, SIU-LNG e histerectomia, foram efetivos para controlar a menorragia. O grupo de usuárias de SIU-LNG usou menos recursos e teve menos complicações que o grupo da histerectomia. O SIU-LNG mostrou-se um bom método para reduzir o número de histerectomias e de recursos usados no tratamento de mulheres com menorragia / Abstract: Background: Despite the high contraceptive efficacy and the additional non-contraceptive benefits such as treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), concerns persist with respect to its use in nulligravidas, the expulsion rate in this group and the cost-effectiveness when compare to surgical treatments in the treatment of HMB. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the ease of insertion and clinical performance of the LNG-IUS in nulligravida women up to one year after insertion; the correlation between endometrial cavity length and expulsion rate in acceptors of the TCu380A intrauterine device (IUD) or LNG-IUS; and to evaluate the resources and procedures involved in the placement of an LNG-IUS compared to performing hysterectomy in women with HMB in a public sector hospital in Brazil. Methods: Two cohorts were formed following LNG-IUS insertion, one consisting of 159 nulligravidas and the other of 477 parous women. Each nulligravida women was paired with 3 parous women who had an LNG-IUS inserted on the same day. Insertion was classified as easy or difficult and when classified as difficult, the use of Hegar dilators and/or misoprostol, and insertion failure were also recorded. The second study included 235 nulligravida and parous women who received a TCu380A IUD or LNG-IUS and who were followed up to 1 year. The length of the uterine cavity was measured by uterine sounding and ultrasonography, and the expulsion rate was correlated to uterine size. The third study had two cohorts of women: women who accepted an LNG-IUS (n=124) and a matched woman who underwent hysterectomy on the same day (n=122), due to HMB. We evaluate the number of procedures carried out in each group of women, including those performed before the decision was made to insert an LNG-IUS or to perform hysterectomy, the insertion of the device itself and the surgical procedure and the procedures and complications registered up to one year after LNG-IUS insertion or hysterectomy. Results: In almost 80% of cases, no difficulty was encountered during insertion, and dilators and misoprostol were seldom required; however, when necessary, dilator use was almost three-fold higher in nulligravida women. Insertion failed in one nulligravida women and in two parous women. The clinical performance of the device showed zero pregnancy rate, expulsion rates of ~4/100 women/year and one-year continuation rate of over 90% in both groups. When we measured the endometrial cavity, we showed that it was shorter than 3.2 cm in 2 LNG-IUS users and at least 3.2 cm long in 87 LNG-IUS users, with expulsions occurring in 0 (0.0%) and 2 (2.3%) of these women, respectively (p>0.999). The mean length of the endometrial cavity evaluated by ultrasonography among the 10 women whose devices were expelled was 3.9 ± 0.3 cm, compared with 3.9 ± 0.0 cm in those who retained their devices (P=0.799). On the third study, age and the duration of HMB were significantly lower in the LNG-IUS acceptors than women at the hysterectomy group. The number of gynecological consultations and Pap smears were similar in both groups; however, women in the hysterectomy group also underwent laboratory tests, ultrasonography, chest X-ray and electrocardiogram. In the hysterectomy group, the main complications were: hemorrhage (6), bladder/bowel perforation (4), complications with anesthesia (1), ureteral reimplantation required (1) and abdominal pain (2). At one year, HMB was controlled in 83.1% of women in the LNG-IUS group and 106 women continued with the device. Conclusions: The LNG-IUS was suitable for use by nulligravidas. It is simple to insert and its clinical performance in nulligravidas was similar to that found in parous women. The length of the endometrial cavity do not support the hypothesis of an association between uterine length and risk of LNG-IUS expulsion. Both treatments were effective in HMB control. Fewer resources and complications were observed in LNG-IUS acceptors when compared to hysterectomy. The LNG-IUS represents a good strategy for reducing the number of hysterectomies and the resources required for women with HMB / Doutorado / Fisiopatologia Ginecológica / Doutor em Ciências da Saúde

In the last three decades, states and societies have increasingly been connected to each other through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as satellites and the Internet, thus expanding the sphere of influence of cyberspace. While offering numerous economic and security benefits, this increased global connectivity also poses various security challenges and threats at the national and international level. In particular, the threat of cyberwar has become one of the top national security issues in both the United States and China, as reflected in an increasing number of cyber disputes between the two nations recently. In the wake of this emerging threat, scholars have turned to the classical deterrence strategies of Cold War to counter these new challenges, inspiring the development of cyber deterrence theory. However, numerous pundits in the cyber deterrence literature doubt the efficacy of cyber deterrence in hindering cyberwar. What theory or approach can offer the best explanatory framework for understanding the efficacy of cyber deterrence in forestalling cyberwar, specifically between the U.S. and China, is a question that remains unanswered. This study explores the effectiveness of cyber deterrence outside the bounds of classical deterrence and technological vulnerabilities in cyber systems and networks, and, then, offers Power Transition Theory (PTT) as an alternative approach to understanding whether cyber deterrence in the context of cyberwar between the rival antagonists can be successful. It answers the question of how PTT can allow us to better understand the effectiveness of cyber deterrence in preventing cyberwar between the United States and China. A cyber application of PTT argues that cyber deterrence is largely an ineffective approach to preventing potential cyberwar between the U.S. and China, particularly if the latter achieves parity in offensive cyberwar capability with the former while concurrently remaining dissatisfied with the status quo in cyberspace.

The present thesis provides a definite answer to the question of how comparisons of certain aggregate quantities and price levels should be made across two or more geographic regions. It does so from the viewpoint of both economic theory and the “test” (or “axiomatic”) approach to index-number theory. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the problem of multilateral interspatial comparisons and introduces the rest of the thesis. Chapter 2 focuses on a particular domain of comparison involving consumer goods and services, countries and households in developing a theory of international comparisons in terms of the the (Kontis-type) cost-of-living index. To this end, two new classes of purchasing power parity measures are set out and the relationship between them is explored. The first is the many-household analogue of the (single-household) cost-of-living index and, as such, is rooted in the theory of group cost-of-living indexes. The second Consists of sets of (nominal) expenditure-share deflators, each corresponding to a system of (real) consumption shares for a group of countries. Using this framework, a rigorous exact index- number interpretation for Diewert’s “own-share” system of multilateral quantity indexes is provided. Chapter 3 develops a novel multilateral test approach to the problem at hand by generalizing Eichhorn and Voeller’s bilateral counterpart in a sensible manner. The equivalence of this approach to an extended version of Diewert’s multilateral test approach is exploited in an assessment of the relative merits of several alternative multilateral comparison formulae motivated outside the test-approach framework. Chapter 4 undertakes an empirical comparison of the formulae examined on theoretical grounds in Chapter 3 using an appropriate cross-sectional data set constructed by the Eurostat—OECD Purchasing Power Parity Programme. The principal aim of this comparison is to ascertain the magnitude of the effect of choosing one formula over another. In aid of this, a new indicator is proposed which facilitates the measurement of the difference between two sets of purchasing power parities, each computed using a different multilateral index-number formula. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

Thesis advisor: Peter Ireland / Thesis advisor: Rosen Valchev / This dissertation consists in three chapters, each making a distinct contribution. Chapter 1 empirically tests classic and new Uncovered Interest Parity puzzle in an innovative way. Findings suggest that government debt is significant and economically relevant for UIP puzzles estimation.Chapter 2 shows that a class of macroeconomic models reproduce the UIP puzzle under a standard parametrization and adding convenience yields exogenous dynamics. Chapter 3 is a theoretical model that links financial crises to the election of populists parties, matching empirical evidence from Europe. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

The Fisher and Seater [Fisher, M.E. and Seater, J.J., 1993. Long run neutrality and superneutrality in an ARIMA framework. American Economic Review 83, 402-415.] methodology is applied to Taylor's [Taylor, A.T., 2002. A century of purchasing power parity. Review of Economics and Statistics 84, 139-150.] data to test for purchasing power parity. Generally, the evidence is supportive of PPP. Further, FS test statistics have no size distortion problem and test power is improved with longer samples.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Over the last two decades a new theory has been developed and intensively investigated in quantum physics. The theory stipulates that a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian can also represents a physical system as long as its energy spectra can be purely real in certain regime depending on the parameters of the Hamiltonian. It was demonstrated that the reality of the eigenenergy was conditioned by a certain kind of symmetry embedded in the actual non-Hermitian system. Indeed, such systems have a combined reflection (parity) symmetry (P) and time-reversal symmetry (T), PT-symmetry. The theory opens the door to new features particularly in open systems in which there could be gain and/or loss of particle or energy from and/or to the environment. A key property of the theory is the PT-symmetry breaking transition which occurs at the exceptional point (EP). The exceptional points are special degeneracies characterized by a coalescence of not only the eigenvalues but also of the corresponding eigenvectors of the system; and the coalescence happens when the gain-loss strength, a measure of the openness of the system, exceeds the intrinsic energy-scale of the system. In recent years, quantum walks with PT-symmetric non-unitary time evolution have been realized in systems with balanced gain and loss. These systems fall in two categories namely continuous time quantum walks (CTQW) that are characterized by a unitary or non-unitary time evolution Hamiltonian, and discrete-time quantum walks (DTQW) whose dynamic is described by a unitary or non-unitary time evolution operator consisting of a product of shift, coin, and gain-loss operations. In this thesis, we investigate the PT-symmetric phase of CTQW and DTQW in a variety of non-Hermitian lattice systems with both position-dependent and position independent, parity-symmetric tunneling functions in the presence of PT-symmetric impurities located at arbitrary parity-symmetric site on the lattice. Moreover, we explore the topological phase diagram and its novel features in non-Hermitian, homogeneous and non-homogeneous, PT-symmetric DTQW with closed and open boundary conditions. We conduct our study using analytical and numerical approaches that are directly and easily implementable in physical experiments. Among others, we found that, despite their non-unitary evolution, open systems governed by parity-time symmetric Hamiltonian support conserved quantities and that the PT-symmetry breaking threshold depends on the physical structure of the Hamiltonian and its underlying symmetries.

No description available.

No description available.

[pt] A Lei 13.874/2019, ao introduzir o artigo 421-A ao Código Civil, trouxe renovada oportunidade de debate sobre a presunção de paridade dos contratos civis (aqui, contemplados os contratos interempresariais), nas hipóteses em que haja a presença de elementos concretos que justifiquem o afastamento dessa presunção. Assim, o presente estudo se dedica a investigar os parâmetros interpretativos aptos a afastar a presunção de paridade. Propõe-se, portanto, olhar mais atento às circunstâncias que gravitam em torno das contratações, a partir da perspectiva dos poderes negociais ostentados pelas partes da relação jurídica. A partir dos parâmetros propostos, acredita-se ser possível a superação das técnicas de interpretação que, embora reconheçam à paridade dos contratos civis apenas uma presunção, pouca atenção dedicam à efetiva investigação dos poderes negociais envolvidos. / [en] The Law 13.874/2019, by introducing article 421-A to the Civil Code, brought a renewed opportunity for debate on the presumption of parity in civil contracts (here, intercompany contracts are included), in cases where there is the presence of concrete elements justify the rebuttal of that presumption. Thus, the present study is dedicated to investigating the interpretive parameters able to rule out the presumption of parity. Therefore, it is proposed to take a closer look at the circumstances that revolve around hiring, from the perspective of the negotiating powers held by the parties to the legal relationship. Based on the proposed parameters, it is believed to be possible to overcome the interpretation techniques that, although they recognize the parity of civil contracts as just a presumption, pay little attention to the effective investigation of the negotiating powers involved.