Comment on "Measurement of quantum states of neutrons in the Earth's gravitational field"

In the paper by V.V. Nesvizhevsky et al., Phys. Rev. D 67, 102002 (2003), it is argued that the lowest quantum state of neutrons in the Earth's gravitational field has been experimentally identified. While this is most likely correct, it is imperative to investigate all alternative explanations of the result in order to close all loopholes, as it is the first experiment ever claimed to have observed gravitational quantum states. Here we show that geometrical effects in the experimental setup can mimic the results attributed to gravity. Modifications of the experimental setup to close these possible loopholes are suggested.Comment: 4 pages, to appear in Phys.Rev.

Time integration of tree tensor networks

Dynamical low-rank approximation by tree tensor networks is studied for the data-sparse approximation to large time-dependent data tensors and unknown solutions of tensor differential equations. A time integration method for tree tensor networks of prescribed tree rank is presented and analyzed. It extends the known projector-splitting integrators for dynamical low-rank approximation by matrices and Tucker tensors and is shown to inherit their favorable properties. The integrator is based on recursively applying the Tucker tensor integrator. In every time step, the integrator climbs up and down the tree: it uses a recursion that passes from the root to the leaves of the tree for the construction of initial value problems on subtree tensor networks using appropriate restrictions and prolongations, and another recursion that passes from the leaves to the root for the update of the factors in the tree tensor network. The integrator reproduces given time-dependent tree tensor networks of the specified tree rank exactly and is robust to the typical presence of small singular values in matricizations of the connection tensors, in contrast to standard integrators applied to the differential equations for the factors in the dynamical low-rank approximation by tree tensor networks

Deliberating foreign policy: perceptions and effects of citizen participation in Germany

Citizen participation has been a popular format in policy fields like environmental and climate policies for many years. More recently, however, it has extended to issues of foreign policy which has long been considered as a prerogative of the executive in democratic systems. This paper analyses citizen participation in German foreign policy by comparing deliberative-participatory processes implemented by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU). We draw on recent scholarship in the field of deliberative democracy in order to gain a better understanding how the two ministries understand citizen participation, how they implement these processes, and what effects they have on formal decision-making. Using interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, we investigate two processes of citizen participation in depth. We argue that ministerial understandings of citizen participation determine how they design formats in their respective field. This leads to quite divergent implementations and results of deliberative-participatory formats in the field of foreign policy, depending on whether the AA or the BMU initiates them

Peer Assessments May Predict Objective Long-Term Academic Performance

Introduction: A common challenge in medical education is to create a curriculum that both teaches the required material but still delivers a personable physician. In this data study, 673 Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC) students were given a required survey to judge their group members on personal attributes ranging from preparedness to affability. These scores were used to aid students and hopefully prevent unfortunate habits from settling. We hypothesize that peer assessments will predict academic performance. Methods: A five-question, Likert scale, peer assessment was given to each first-year medical student at SKMC. The electronic survey was given twice during the dissection portion of the curriculum, when students are assigned to groups with 2-3 other students. As the students finished their time at Jefferson, they were assigned a class ranking based on test and clerkship scores, and took national board exams (Step 1 and 2). These metrics were then compared via multi-variable linear regression to determine any correlation. Results: The study found that the peer assessment of another’s preparation (question 1 of the assessment) showed a strong, positive correlation to class rank, Step 1, and Step 2 scores. Conclusion: This study shows the efficacy of a subjective peer assessment of preparation predicting objective academic performance. Further research will determine other predictive value of peer assessments in empathy and mental health

Unternehmensgründungen in der Biotechnologie in Deutschland 1991 bis 2004

Die vorliegende Dokumentation stellt die Ergebnisse eines Forschungsprojekts dar, das mit Hilfe eines neuen Ansatzes empirische Aussagen zur Struktur und Entwicklung von Unternehmensgründungen in der Biotechnologie in Deutschland zu gewinnen versucht hat. Mit Hilfe einer halbautomatisierten Textanalyse von Geschäftstätigkeitsbeschreibungen sollten Biotechnologie-Gründungen der Jahre 1991 bis 2004 identifiziert und anhand einer Reihe von Kennzahlen, die aus bereits vorliegenden Datenquellen gewonnen wurden, analysiert werden. Ein Untersuchungsschwerpunkt war dabei die Frage der Erfolgsfaktoren von Biotechnologie-Gründungen in Bezug auf Überleben und Beschäftigungswachstum, auch im Vergleich zu anderen Gründungen in der Hochtechnologie. Mit der Studie sollte auch geprüft werden, inwieweit der Ansatz dazu geeignet ist, das Gründungsgeschehen und die Unternehmensstruktur in einer Branche zu erfassen, die über die gängige Wirtschaftszweigsystematik nur unzureichend abgebildet werden kann, und Branchenanalysen unter Nutzung von Mikrodaten durchzuführen, ohne auf eine Befragung von Unternehmen zurückgreifen zu müssen