Feasibility of loophole-free nonlocality tests with a single photon

Recently much interest has been directed towards designing setups that achieve realistic loss thresholds for decisive tests of local realism, in particular in the optical regime. We analyse the feasibility of such Bell tests based on a W-state shared between multiple parties, which can be realised for example by a single photon shared between spatial modes. We develop a general error model to obtain thresholds on the efficiencies required to violate local realism, and also consider two concrete optical measurement schemes.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Pharmacogenetics of Anticoagulants

Warfarin, acenocoumarol, and phenprocoumon are among the major anticoagulant drugs worldwide. Because of their low therapeutic index and serious adverse reactions (ADRs), their wide use, and their varying kinetics and pharmacogenetic dependence, it is of great importance to explore further possibilities to forecast the dose beyond conventional INR measurements. Here, we describe particulars of the relative pharmacogenetic influence on the kinetics of these agents, the population distribution of genetics risk groups, and novel data on clinical features with influence on dose requirement and ADR risk. The usefulness of genetic information prior to and soon after start of therapy is also discussed. The current renewed focus on these issues is caused not only because of new genetic knowledge and genotyping facilities but also because of the high rate of serious ADRs. Application of these measures in the care of patients with anticoagulant therapy is important awaiting new therapeutic principles to be introduced, which may take long time still

A spectroscopic look at the gravitationally lensed type Ia SN 2016geu at z=0.409

The spectacular success of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in SN-cosmology is based on the assumption that their photometric and spectroscopic properties are invariant with redshift. However, this fundamental assumption needs to be tested with observations of high-z SNe Ia. To date, the majority of SNe Ia observed at moderate to large redshifts (0.4 < z < 1.0) are faint, and the resultant analyses are based on observations with modest signal-to-noise ratios that impart a degree of ambiguity in their determined properties. In rare cases however, the Universe offers a helping hand: to date a few SNe Ia have been observed that have had their luminosities magnified by intervening galaxies and galaxy clusters acting as gravitational lenses. In this paper we present long-slit spectroscopy of the lensed SNe Ia 2016geu, which occurred at a redshift of z=0.409, and was magnified by a factor of ~55 by a galaxy located at z=0.216. We compared our spectra, which were obtained a couple weeks to a couple months past peak light, with the spectroscopic properties of well-observed, nearby SNe Ia, finding that SN 2016geu's properties are commensurate with those of SNe Ia in the local universe. Based primarily on the velocity and strength of the Si II 6355 absorption feature, we find that SN 2016geu can be classified as a high-velocity, high-velocity gradient and "core-normal" SN Ia. The strength of various features (measured though their pseudo-equivalent widths) argue against SN 2016geu being a faint, broad-lined, cool or shallow-silicon SN Ia. We conclude that the spectroscopic properties of SN 2016geu imply that it is a normal SN Ia, and when taking previous results by other authors into consideration, there is very little, if any, evolution in the observational properties of SNe Ia up to z~0.4. [Abridged]Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to MNRAS. Comments welcome

Encountering, explaining and refuting essentialism

Essentialism manifests itself in a diversity of forms and is used in multiple ways. Yet it is always potentially dangerous — even when it is mobilised strategically and in apparently worthy forms for purposes of overcoming oppressive structures. As the first in a collection of articles focused on various manifestations of essentialism, this article offers a brief historical outline of how social anthropology deployed essentialist thinking, even amongst its canonical exponents. It examines how Durkheimian theorisations and the structuralist traditions to which they gave rise — in particular assumptions of the singular and homogeneous symbolic classification of society — lent themselves to essentialism. It considers the example of South Africa where essentialist social theories contributed to inhumane political formations. Given that essentialism always carries a latency to be used for pernicious ends, the article concludes by considering social anthropological approaches that might permit an understanding of individuals and society in ways that neither lead to nor need essentialist thinking, and instead recognise the contradictoriness, flux and incompleteness inherent in social life.PostprintPeer reviewe

Tanggap Pertumbuhan Dan Produksi Kedelai Terhadap Pemberian Abu Vulkanik Sinabung Dan Pupuk Kandang Ayam

The aim of research was to known the effect by application Sinabung volcanic ash and chicken manure. The research was done at Tanjung Sari Medan district (±25 meters from sea) form October 2014 until January 2015. It was used Randomized Block Design with two factorials Sinabung volcanic ash (0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 g / plot) and chicken manure (0, 500, 1000 g / plot) with three replicate. The result showed with application Sinabung volcanic ash was significant effect to steam diameters three week after planted, the numbers of pods seeds, the number of seed per plant, the seed weight per plant, yield of plant, the seed weight in one hundred. The chicken was significant effect to steam diameters three week after planted, the numbers of pods seeds, the number of seed per plant, the seed weight per plant, yield of plant, the seed weight in one hundred. The interaction with Sinabung volcanic ash and chicken manure was significant effect to steam diameters three week after planted, the numbers of pods seeds, the number of seed per plant, the seed weight per plant, yield of plant, the seed weight in one hundred

Respons Pertumbuhan Dan Produksi Bawang Merah (Allium Ascalonicum L.) Terhadap Dosis Pupuk NPKMg Dan Jenis Mulsa

This research has been conducted to obtain dose of NPKMg and the kind of mulchs which can improve the growth and production of the shallot. This research had been conducted at Simalingkar B Medan in June-September 2015 using factorial randomized block design with two factors, dose of NPKMg (no NPKMg, 2, 4. 6, and 8 g/shallot) and the kind of mulch (no mulch, black silver mulch, and straw of rice mulch). Parameter observed were plant length, number of leaves per clump, number of tillers per clump, diameter of the bulbs per sample, wet bulb weight per sample, dry bulb weight per sample, wet bulb weight per plot, and dry bulb weight per plot. The results showed that aplication of NPKMg manure significantly affected parameter plant length 6-7 MST, not significantly affected other parameters. Aplication of the kind of mulch significantly affected plant length 2-8 MST, number of leaves per clump 2-3 MST, number of tillers per clump 3 MST, wet bulb weight per plot, and dry bulb weight per plot yet not significantly affected other parameters. Interaction between aplication of NPKMg and the kind of mulch not significantly affected on all parameters of observation

Increased p-type conductivity in GaNxSb1−x, experimental and theoretical aspects

The large increase in the p-type conductivity observed when nitrogen is added to GaSb has been studied using positron annihilation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Doppler broadening measurements have been conducted on samples of GaN x Sb 1− x layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy, and the results have been compared with calculated first-principle results corresponding to different defect structures. From the calculated data, binding energies for nitrogen-related defects have also been estimated. Based on the results, the increase in residual hole concentration is explained by an increase in the fraction of negative acceptor-type defects in the material. As the band gap decreases with increasing N concentration, the ionization levels of the defects move closer to the valence band. Ga vacancy-type defects are found to act as positron trapping defects in the material, and the ratio of Ga vacancy-type defects to Ga antisites is found to be higher than that of the p-type bulk GaSb substrate. Beside Ga vacancies, the calculated results imply that complexes of a Ga vacancy and nitrogen could be present in the material

Boundary value problems for the stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations: a disk rotating around a black hole

We solve a class of boundary value problems for the stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations corresponding to a disk of dust rotating uniformly around a central black hole. The solutions are given explicitly in terms of theta functions on a family of hyperelliptic Riemann surfaces of genus 4. In the absence of a disk, they reduce to the Kerr black hole. In the absence of a black hole, they reduce to the Neugebauer-Meinel disk.Comment: 46 page

Association of shivering threshold time with body composition and brown adipose tissue in young adults

Purpose: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) increases metabolic heat production in response to cold exposure. Body size and composition are involved in the human cold response, yet the influence of BAT herein have not fully been explored. Here, we aimed to study the association of the cold-induced shivering threshold time with body composition, BAT, the perception of shivering and skin temperature in young adults. Methods: 110 young healthy adults (81 females; age = 21.7 ± 2.1 years, BMI = 24.2 ± 4.3 kg/m2) underwent 2 h of individualized cooling, followed by the quantification of BAT using a18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. Body mass index (BMI), lean mass, fat mass and body surface area (BSA) were also measured. Shivering threshold time was defined as the time until shivering occurred using an individualized cooling protocol. Results: The shivering threshold time was on average 116.1 min for males and 125.8 min for females, and was positively associated to BMI (β = 3.106; R2 = 0.141; p = 0.001), lean mass (β = 2.295; R2 = 0.128; p = 0.001) and fat mass (β = 1.492; R2 = 0.121; p = 0.001) in females, but not in males (all p ≥ 0.409). The shivering threshold time was positively associated with BSA in males (p = 0.047) and females (p = 0.001), but it was not associated with BAT volume or [18F]FDG uptake nor with the perception of shivering and skin temperature perception in both sexes. Conclusion: The shivering threshold time is positively associated with whole-body adiposity and lean mass in females, but not in males. The shivering threshold time was positively associated with BSA, but no association was observed with BAT nor with the perception of shivering or skin temperature. Future research should consider the influence of body composition when applying cooling protocols among individuals with different phenotypical features.Spanish Government PI13/01393 PTA 12264-IRetos de la Sociedad DEP 2016-79512-REuropean CommissionSpanish Government FPU 13/03410Fundacion Iberoamericana de Nutricion (FINUT)Redes Tematicas de Investigacion Cooperativa RETIC Red SAMID RD16/0022AstraZenecaUniversity of Granada Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016 - Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES)Plan Propio de Investigacion 2018: Programa ContratosPuenteJunta de Andalucia, Consejeria de Conocimiento, Investigacion y Universidades (ERDF) SOMM17/6107/UGRFundacion Carolina C.2016-574,961Fundacion Alfonso Martin EscuderoMinisterio de Universidades y la Union Europea-NextGenerationEU RR_C_2021_0

Desorption of n-alkanes from graphene: a van der Waals density functional study

A recent study of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) measurements of small n-alkanes (CNH2N+2) from C(0001) deposited on Pt(111) shows a linear relationship of the desorption energy with increasing n-alkane chain length. We here present a van der Waals density functional study of the desorption barrier energy of the ten smallest n-alkanes (N = 1 to 10) from graphene. We find linear scaling with N, including a nonzero intercept with the energy axis, i.e., an offset at the extrapolation to N = 0. This calculated offset is quantitatively similar to the results of the TPD measurements. From further calculations of the polyethylene polymer we offer a suggestion for the origin of the offset.Comment: 3 pictures, 1 tabl