Entanglement Swapping: Entangling Atoms That Never Interacted

In this paper we discuss four different proposals of entangling atomic states of particles which have never interacted. The experimental realization proposed makes use of the interaction of Rydberg atoms with a micromaser cavity prepared in either a coherent state or in a superposition of the zero and one field Fock states. We consider atoms in either a three-level cascade or lambda configurationComment: 17 pages and 2 figure

Integrity static analysis of COTS/SOUP

This paper describes the integrity static analysis approach developed to support the justification of commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) used in a safety-related system. The static analysis was part of an overall software qualification programme, which also included the work reported in our paper presented at Safecomp 2002. Integrity static analysis focuses on unsafe language constructs and “covert” flows, where one thread can affect the data or control flow of another thread. The analysis addressed two main aspects: the internal integrity of the code (especially for the more critical functions), and the intra-component integrity, checking for covert channels. The analysis process was supported by an aggregation of tools, combined and engineered to support the checks done and to scale as necessary. Integrity static analysis is feasible for industrial scale software, did not require unreasonable resources and we provide data that illustrates its contribution to the software qualification programme

Stay away or stay together? Social contagion, common identity, and bystanders’ interventions in homophobic bullying episodes

Two studies explored the link between social contagion concerns and assertive bystanders’ behavioral intentions in homophobic bullying episodes. Study 1 (N = 216) examined if adolescents’ social contagion concerns (i.e., fear of being misclassified as gay/lesbian) relate to decreased behavioral intentions to help victims of bullying, by increasing negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men. Study 2 (N = 230) further explored if inclusive identity representations (i.e., one-group or dual-identity) were related to decreased concerns of social contagion, thereby increasing adolescents’ assertive behavioral intentions. Results (partially) confirmed both expected mediations: social contagion concerns were associated with decreased assertive behavioral intentions via increased negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men (Study 1); one-group representations, but not dual-identity representations, were associated with more assertive behavioral intentions via decreased social contagion concerns (Study 2). These findings extended previous studies illustrating the underlying mechanisms through which social contagion concerns and common identity affect assertive bystanders’ behavioral intentions.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Having friends with gay friends? The role of extended contact, empathy and threat on assertive bystanders behavioral intentions

Peers are present in more than 80% of bullying episodes and research showed that bystanders have a very important role in stopping bullying episodes. However, little is known about the predictors of assertive interventions by bystanders. The current study explored if extended contact (i.e., having friends who have gay friends), is related to assertive behavioral intentions to help the victims of homophobic bullying, through increased empathy and decreased masculinity/femininity threat. An online survey was completed by 87 heterosexual adolescents (12 to 18 years old). Results revealed that, as expected, extended contact was associated with more assertive interventions, via increased affective empathy and decreased masculinity/femininity threat. These findings replicated and extended previous studies by illustrating the underlying mechanisms through which extended contact positively affects bystanders' interventions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cyberbullying during COVID-19 lockdowns: Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes for youth

The COVID-19 pandemic posed additional challenges to the safety and well-being of young people who were forced to engage in online learning, spending more time than ever online, and cyberbullying emerged as a notable concern for parents, educators, and students. Two studies conducted online examined the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of cyberbullying episodes during the lockdowns due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Portugal. Study 1 (N = 485) examined the prevalence of cyberbullying among youth during the first lockdown period in 2020, focusing on predictors, symptoms of psychological distress and possible buffers of the effects of cyberbullying. Study 2 (N = 952) examined the prevalence of cyberbullying, predictors, and symptoms of psychological distress during the second lockdown period in 2021. Results revealed that most participants experienced cyberbullying, symptoms of psychological distress (e.g., sadness and loneliness) during the lockdowns were higher for those who experienced than for those who did not experience cyberbullying, and those who experienced cyberbullying with higher levels of parental and social support showed lower levels of symptoms of psychological distress (i.e., suicidal ideation). These findings contribute to the existing knowledge on online bullying among youth, specifically during COVID-19 lockdowns.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Producing more rice with less water from irrigated systems

Irrigation management / Water use efficiency / Crop production / Water requirements / Water balance / Rice / Water distribution / Irrigated farming / Productivity / On-farm research / Irrigation scheduling / Groundwater / Conjunctive use / Rehabilitation / Modernization / Farmer participation / Farming systems / Irrigation systems / Crop-based irrigation / Asia / Philippines / Sri Lanka / Bangladesh / China / Malaysia / USA

A(e⃗,e′p⃗)(\vec{e},e'\vec{p})B responses: from bare nucleons to complex nuclei

We study the occurrence of factorization in polarized and unpolarized observables in coincidence quasi-elastic electron scattering. Starting with the relativistic distorted wave impulse approximation, we reformulate the effective momentum approximation and show that the latter leads to observables which factorize under some specific conditions. Within this framework, the role played by final state interactions and, in particular, by the spin-orbit term is explored. Connection with the nonrelativistic formalism is studied in depth. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the analytical derivations and to quantify the differences between factorized and unfactorized approaches.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures. Improved and extended version. To be published in Phys. Rev.