Mobile Audiovisual Terminal: System Design and Subjective Testing in DECT and UMTS networks

It is anticipated that there will shortly be a requirement for multimedia terminals that operate via mobile communications systems. This paper presents a functional specification for such a terminal operating at 32 kb/s in a digital European cordless telecommunications (DECT) and universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) radio network. A terminal has been built, based on a PC with digital signal processor (DSP) boards for audio and video coding and decoding. Speech coding is by a phonetically driven code-excited linear prediction (CELP) speech coder and video coding by a block-oriented hybrid discrete cosine transform (DCT) coder. Separate channel coding is provided for the audio and video data. The paper describes the techniques used for audio and video coding, channel coding, and synchronization. Methods of subjective testing in a DECT network and in a UMTS network are also described. These consisted of subjective tests of first impressions of the mobile audio–visual terminal (MAVT) quality, interactive tests, and the completion of an exit questionnaire. The test results showed that the quality of the audio was sufficiently good for comprehension and the video was sufficiently good for following and repeating simple mechanical tasks. However, the quality of the MAVT was not good enough for general use where high-quality audio and video was needed, especially when transmission was in a noisy radio environment

Bell's inequality and the coincidence-time loophole

This paper analyzes effects of time-dependence in the Bell inequality. A generalized inequality is derived for the case when coincidence and non-coincidence [and hence whether or not a pair contributes to the actual data] is controlled by timing that depends on the detector settings. Needless to say, this inequality is violated by quantum mechanics and could be violated by experimental data provided that the loss of measurement pairs through failure of coincidence is small enough, but the quantitative bound is more restrictive in this case than in the previously analyzed "efficiency loophole."Comment: revtex4, 3 figures, v2: epl document class, reformatted w slight change

A geometric proof of the Kochen-Specker no-go theorem

We give a short geometric proof of the Kochen-Specker no-go theorem for non-contextual hidden variables models. Note added to this version: I understand from Jan-Aake Larsson that the construction we give here actually contains the original Kochen-Specker construction as well as many others (Bell, Conway and Kochen, Schuette, perhaps also Peres).Comment: This paper appeared some years ago, before the author was aware of quant-ph. It is relevant to recent developments concerning Kochen-Specker theorem

Comment on "Exclusion of time in the theorem of Bell" by K. Hess and W. Philipp

A recent Letter by Hess and Philipp claims that Bell's theorem neglects the possibility of time-like dependence in local hidden variables, hence is not conclusive. Moreover the authors claim that they have constructed, in an earlier paper, a local realistic model of the EPR correlations. However, they themselves have neglected the experimenter's freedom to choose settings, while on the other hand, Bell's theorem can be formulated to cope with time-like dependence. This in itself proves that their toy model cannot satisfy local realism, but we also indicate where their proof of its local realistic nature fails.Comment: Latex needs epl.cl

Behavioural compensatory adjustments to exercise training in overweight women

<b>Purpose:</b> To examine extent to which changes in non-exercise physical activity contribute to individual differences in body fat loss induced by exercise programs. <b>Methods:</b> Thirty four overweight/obese sedentary women (age: 31.7 +/- 8.1 years, BMI: 29.3 +/- 4.3 kg m-2) exercised for 8 weeks. Body composition, total energy expenditure (TEE), exercise EE (ExEE), activity EE (AEE) calculated as energy expenditure of all active activities minus ExEE, sedentary EE (SEDEE), sleeping EE (SEE), and energy intake were determined before and during the last week of the exercise intervention. <b>Results:</b> Over the 8-week exercise program net ExEE was 30.2 +/- 12.6 MJ and based on this, body fat loss was predicted to be 0.8 +/- 0.2 kg. For the group as a whole, change in body fat (-0.0 +/- 0.2 kg) was not significant but individual body fat changes ranged from -3.2 kg to +2.6 kg. Eleven participants achieved equal or more than the predicted body fat loss and were classified as 'Responders' and 23 subjects achieved less than the predicted fat loss and were classified as 'Non-responders'. In the group as a whole, daily TEE was increased by 0.62 +/- 0.30 MJ (p<0.05) and the change tended to be different between groups (Responders, +1.44 +/- 0.49 MJ; Non-responders, +0.29 +/- 0.36 MJ, p=0.08). Changes in daily AEE of Responders and Non-responders differed significantly between groups (Responders, +0.79 +/- 0.50 MJ; Non-responders, -0.62 +/- 0.39 MJ, p<0.05). There were no differences between Responders and Non-responders for changes in SEDEE and SEE or energy intake. <b>Conclusion:</b> Overweight and obese women who during exercise intervention achieve lower than predicted fat loss are compensating by being less active outside exercise sessions

Two electrons on a hypersphere: a quasi-exactly solvable model

We show that the exact wave function for two electrons, interacting through a Coulomb potential but constrained to remain on the surface of a $\mathcal{D}$-sphere ($\mathcal{D} \ge 1$), is a polynomial in the interelectronic distance $u$ for a countably infinite set of values of the radius $R$. A selection of these radii, and the associated energies, are reported for ground and excited states on the singlet and triplet manifolds. We conclude that the $\mathcal{D}=3$ model bears the greatest similarity to normal physical systems.Comment: 4 pages, 0 figur

Products of Random Matrices

We derive analytic expressions for infinite products of random 2x2 matrices. The determinant of the target matrix is log-normally distributed, whereas the remainder is a surprisingly complicated function of a parameter characterizing the norm of the matrix and a parameter characterizing its skewness. The distribution may have importance as an uncommitted prior in statistical image analysis.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Hybrid Superconductor-Quantum Point Contact Devices using InSb Nanowires

Proposals for studying topological superconductivity and Majorana bound states in nanowires proximity coupled to superconductors require that transport in the nanowire is ballistic. Previous work on hybrid nanowire-superconductor systems has shown evidence for Majorana bound states, but these experiments were also marked by disorder, which disrupts ballistic transport. In this letter, we demonstrate ballistic transport in InSb nanowires interfaced directly with superconducting Al by observing quantized conductance at zero-magnetic field. Additionally, we demonstrate that the nanowire is proximity coupled to the superconducting contacts by observing Andreev reflection. These results are important steps for robustly establishing topological superconductivity in InSb nanowires

Laser cooling of trapped ytterbium ions with an ultraviolet diode laser

We demonstrate an ultraviolet diode laser system for cooling of trapped ytterbium ions. The laser power and linewidth are comparable to previous systems based on resonant frequency doubling, but the system is simpler, more robust, and less expensive. We use the laser system to cool small numbers of ytterbium ions confined in a linear Paul trap. From the observed spectra, we deduce final temperatures < 270 mK.Comment: submitted to Opt. Let

Optimal Bell tests do not require maximally entangled states

Any Bell test consists of a sequence of measurements on a quantum state in space-like separated regions. Thus, a state is better than others for a Bell test when, for the optimal measurements and the same number of trials, the probability of existence of a local model for the observed outcomes is smaller. The maximization over states and measurements defines the optimal nonlocality proof. Numerical results show that the required optimal state does not have to be maximally entangled.Comment: 1 figure, REVTEX