New Slant on the EPR-Bell Experiment

The best case for thinking that quantum mechanics is nonlocal rests on Bell’s Theorem, and later results of the same kind. However, the correlations characteristic of EPR-Bell (EPRB) experiments also arise in familiar cases elsewhere in QM, where the two measurements involved are timelike rather than spacelike separated; and in which the correlations are usually assumed to have a local causal explanation, requiring no action-at-a-distance. It is interesting to ask how this is possible, in the light of Bell’s Theorem. We investigate this question, and present two options. Either (i) the new cases are nonlocal, too, in which case action-at-a-distance is more widespread in QM than has previously been appreciated (and does not depend on entanglement, as usually construed); or (ii) the means of avoiding action-at-a-distance in the new cases extends in a natural way to EPRB, removing action-at-a-distance in these cases, too. There is a third option, viz., that the new cases are strongly disanalogous to EPRB. But this option requires an argument, so far missing, that the physical world breaks the symmetries which otherwise support the analogy. In the absence of such an argument, the orthodox combination of views – action-at-a-distance in EPRB, but local causality in its timelike analogue – is less well established than it is usually assumed to be

Literature in the online EFL classroom : promoting extensive reading

Máster Universitario en Enseñanza del Inglés como Lengua Extranjera. Especialidad en Teaching Through English in Bilingual Schools (M053

New Slant on the EPR-Bell Experiment

The best case for thinking that quantum mechanics is nonlocal rests on Bell's Theorem, and later results of the same kind. However, the correlations characteristic of EPR-Bell (EPRB) experiments also arise in familiar cases elsewhere in QM, where the two measurements involved are timelike rather than spacelike separated; and in which the correlations are usually assumed to have a local causal explanation, requiring no action-at-a-distance. It is interesting to ask how this is possible, in the light of Bell's Theorem. We investigate this question, and present two options. Either (i) the new cases are nonlocal, too, in which case action-at-a-distance is more widespread in QM than has previously been appreciated (and does not depend on entanglement, as usually construed); or (ii) the means of avoiding action-at-a-distance in the new cases extends in a natural way to EPRB, removing action-at-a-distance in these cases, too. There is a third option, viz., that the new cases are strongly disanalogous to EPRB. But this option requires an argument, so far missing, that the physical world breaks the symmetries which otherwise support the analogy. In the absence of such an argument, the orthodox combination of views -- action-at-a-distance in EPRB, but local causality in its timelike analogue -- is less well established than it is usually assumed to be.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures; extensively revised for resubmissio

Telemedicine and primary health: The virtual doctor project Zambia

This paper is a commentary on a project application of telemedicine to alleviate primary health care problems in Lundazi district in the Eastern province of Zambia. The project dubbed 'The Virtual Doctor Project' will use hard body vehicles fitted with satellite communication devices and modern medical equipment to deliver primary health care services to some of the neediest areas of the country. The relevance and importance of the project lies in the fact that these areas are hard-to-reach due to rugged natural terrain and have very limited telecommunications infrastructure. The lack of these and other basic services makes it difficult for medical personnel to settle in these areas, which leads to an acute shortage of medical personnel. The paper presents this problem and how it is addressed by 'The Virtual Doctor Project', emphasizing that while the telemedicine concept is not new in sub-Saharan Africa, the combination of mobility and connectivity to service a number of villages 'on the go' is an important variation in the shift back to the 1978 Alma Ata principles of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO). This overview of the Virtual Doctor Project in Zambia provides insight into both the potential for ICT, and the problems and limitations that any 'real-world' articulation of this technology must confront.Telemedicine, Satellite, Primary health, Alma Ata

Increased bandwidth microstrip antennas for road tolling applications

This thesis provides the results of research that has been carried out in order to develop the microstrip patch antennas required by a high speed digital communication link for road traffic applications. The operating frequency is 5.8GHz. Although a single compact broad band radiating element is developed for use within the vehicle, the main focus of the research is increasing the frequency bandwidth of the antenna arrays used within the road side unit of such a system. This is achieved by investigation into radiating element design, the orientation of the radiating elements within the array and the arrays feed networks geometry. A single layer circularly polarised dual feed microstrip patch antenna is optimised for use within the array. Using a genetic algorithm to aid design of the dual feed network, the input impedance at the dual feed point is increased beyond what can normally be achieved when a tradition design process is adopted. This results in a more compact structure that allows thinner tracks to be used in the arrays feed network. These radiating elements are sequentially rotated to form the array. The traditional corporate feed network is replaced by a series feed network and the effect this has upon the performance of a two, three and four element array is investigated. The four element array is suited to a vehicle access control application; due to the complexity of the feed network an adaptation of simulated annealing is required to both generate and optimise the series feed line sections of this array. Not only does the new series feeding method result in doubling the VSWR 2:1 bandwidth of the four element array to over 10%, it also produces a more compact structure. Both mathematical modelling and experimental measurement are used to confirm the performance of these new arrays. The four element array is then sequentially rotated to form a larger sixteen element array, that adopts the same series feeding method, suitable for motorway tolling applications. This new array demonstrates a VSWR 2:1 bandwidth of 14.7% and a 3dB axial ratio bandwidth of 12.4%, an improvement factor of two over the same array using a traditional corporate feed. The side lobes of this larger array are reduced by modifying the power distribution within the series feed network. A single compact circularly polarised wide band microstrip patch antenna for use within the in-vehicle equipment is developed using an adaptation of the cavity model. The radiating patch is excited by a single feed line via a cross slot aperture. Air is used for the antenna substrate, increasing frequency bandwidth while simplifying the fabrication process hence reducing the manufacturing costs of the in-vehicle equipment. The inclusion of the wide band radiating element within the series fed four element array is also investigated. This new structure results in a VSWR 2:1 bandwidth of at least 22.8% and 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 17.5%, a significant improvement over traditional designs. As a result of this research papers have been published in the lEE Electronic Letters (2000), the lEE Electronic Letters (2003) and Microwave and Optical Technology Letters (2003). Papers have been accepted and presentations have been made at the Ansoft microwave workshop in London (2001) and Los Angeles (2001). This work has also contributed towards publications in the lEE Electronic Letters (2000) and in the lEE Transactions on Antenna and Propagation (2001). The antenna arrays developed during the course of this research have been used within a commercially viable traffic management system and installed at a large shopping centre. It is pleasing to note that the fruits of this research have been used in a 'real life' situation

Telemedicine in Primary Health: The Virtual Doctor Project Zambia

This paper is a commentary on a project application of telemedicine to alleviate primary health care problems in Lundazi district in the Eastern province of Zambia. The project dubbed 'The Virtual Doctor Project' will use hard body vehicles fitted with satellite communication devices and modern medical equipment to deliver primary health care services to some of the neediest areas of the country. The relevance and importance of the project lies in the fact that these areas are hard-to-reach due to rugged natural terrain and have very limited telecommunications infrastructure. The lack of these and other basic services makes it difficult for medical personnel to settle in these areas, which leads to an acute shortage of medical personnel. We comment on this problem and how it is addressed by 'The Virtual Doctor Project', emphasizing that while the telemedicine concept is not new in sub-Saharan Africa, the combination of mobility and connectivity to service a number of villages 'on the go' is an important variation in the shift back to the 1978 Alma Ata principles of the United Nations World Health Organization [WHO]

Sources of unsafe primary care for older adults: a mixed-methods analysis of patient safety incident reports

Background: Older adults are frequent users of primary healthcare services, but are at increased risk of healthcare-related harm in this setting. Objectives: To describe the factors associated with actual or potential harm to patients aged 65 years and older, treated in primary care, to identify action to produce safer care. Design and Setting: A cross-sectional mixed-methods analysis of a national (England and Wales) database of patient safety incident reports from 2005 to 2013. Subjects: 1,591 primary care patient safety incident reports regarding patients aged 65 years and older. Methods: We developed a classification system for the analysis of patient safety incident reports to describe: the incident and preceding chain of incidents; other contributory factors; and patient harm outcome. We combined findings from exploratory descriptive and thematic analyses to identify key sources of unsafe care. Results: The main sources of unsafe care in our weighted sample were due to: medication-related incidents e.g. prescribing, dispensing and administering (n = 486, 31%; 15% serious patient harm); communication-related incidents e.g. incomplete or non-transfer of information across care boundaries (n = 390, 25%; 12% serious patient harm); and clinical decision-making incidents which led to the most serious patient harm outcomes (n = 203, 13%; 41% serious patient harm). Conclusion: Priority areas for further research to determine the burden and preventability of unsafe primary care for older adults, include: the timely electronic tools for prescribing, dispensing and administering medication in the community; electronic transfer of information between healthcare settings; and, better clinical decision-making support and guidance

Some freshwater ostracods (Crustacea: Ostracoda) from South Wales

As background to a study of the application of astracods in environmental archaeology, a number of sites in South Wales were visited and sampled. Sites included seven broad environmental categories consisting of lakes, permanent ponds, non-permanent ponds, semi-static canals and reens (drainage ditches), non-permanent small lotic water-bodies, permanent fast-flowing waters and wells. In all, twenty-three species were recorded, and with one exception all belonged to the predominately freshwater Cypridoidea. Overall the most commonly encountered species in South Wales was Cypria ophthalmica. Comparing finds with earlier records, it would appear that Ilyocypris bradyi, Candona pratensis, Eucypris lilljeborgi, Herpetocypris chevreuxi, Potamocypris variegata, P. similis and P. pallida are new additions to the Welsh fauna