Putting probabilities first. How Hilbert space generates and constrains them

We use correlation arrays, the workhorse of Bub's (2016) Bananaworld, to analyze the correlations found in an experimental setup due to Mermin (1981) for measurements on the singlet state of a pair of spin-1/2 particles. Adopting an approach pioneered by Pitowsky (1989b) and promoted in Bananaworld, we geometrically represent the class of correlations allowed by quantum mechanics in this setup as an elliptope in a non-signaling cube. To determine which of these quantum correlations are allowed by local hidden-variable theories, we investigate which ones we can simulate using raffles with baskets of tickets that have the outcomes for all combinations of measurement settings printed on them. The class of correlations found this way can be represented geometrically by a tetrahedron contained within the elliptope. We use the same Bub-Pitowsky framework to analyze a generalization of the Mermin setup for measurements on the singlet state of two particles with higher spin. The class of correlations allowed by quantum mechanics in this case is still represented by the elliptope; the subclass of those whose main features can be simulated with our raffles can be represented by polyhedra that, with increasing spin, have more and more vertices and facets and get closer and closer to the elliptope. We use these results to advocate for Bubism (not to be confused with QBism), an interpretation of quantum mechanics along the lines of Bananaworld. Probabilities and expectation values are primary in this interpretation. They are determined by inner products of vectors in Hilbert space. Such vectors do not themselves represent what is real in the quantum world. They encode families of probability distributions over values of different sets of observables. As in classical theory, these values ultimately represent what is real in the quantum world. Hilbert space puts constraints on possible combinations of such values, just as Minkowski space-time puts constraints on possible spatio-temporal constellations of events. Illustrating how generic such constraints are, the constraint derived in this paper, the equation for the elliptope, is a general constraint on correlation coefficients that can be found in older literature on statistics and probability theory. Yule (1896) already stated the constraint. De Finetti (1937) already gave it a geometrical interpretation sharing important features with its interpretation in Hilbert space

Effect of carbon addition on functional and mechnical properties of the Ni3Al phase

Casting technology was applied and research was carried out on two alloys based on the Ni3Al phase with variable carbon content of 0,2 and 1,25 wt. % C, respectively. Resistance to abrasive wear, friction coefficient and Vickers microhardness were determined. Metallographic studies were conducted to examine the macrostructure and microstructure of the investigated alloys. An increase in resistance to abrasive wear and microhardness of alloy containing 1,25 wt. % C was observed. The coefficient of friction was determined, which for the alloy with increased carbon content was much lower than for the alloy containing 0,2 wt. % C. Structural changes were reported to have some effect on functional and mechanical properties of the examined alloys

Effect of carbon addition on functional and mechnical properties of the Ni3Al phase

Casting technology was applied and research was carried out on two alloys based on the Ni3Al phase with variable carbon content of 0,2 and 1,25 wt. % C, respectively. Resistance to abrasive wear, friction coefficient and Vickers microhardness were determined. Metallographic studies were conducted to examine the macrostructure and microstructure of the investigated alloys. An increase in resistance to abrasive wear and microhardness of alloy containing 1,25 wt. % C was observed. The coefficient of friction was determined, which for the alloy with increased carbon content was much lower than for the alloy containing 0,2 wt. % C. Structural changes were reported to have some effect on functional and mechanical properties of the examined alloys

Streptococcus suis in invasive human infections in Poland : clonality and determinants of virulence and antimicrobial resistance

The purpose of this study was to perform an analysis of Streptococcus suis human invasive isolates, collected in Poland by the National Reference Centre for Bacterial Meningitis. Isolates obtained from 21 patients during 2000–2013 were investigated by phenotypic tests, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), analysis of the TR9 locus from the multilocus variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) scheme and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI-digested DNA. Determinants of virulence and antimicrobial resistance were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed by sequencing. All isolates represented sequence type 1 (ST1) and were suggested to be serotype 2. PFGE and analysis of the TR9 locus allowed the discrimination of four and 17 types, respectively. Most of the isolates were haemolysis- and DNase-positive, and around half of them formed biofilm. Genes encoding suilysin, extracellular protein factor, fibronectin-binding protein, muramidase-released protein, surface antigen one, enolase, serum opacity factor and pili were ubiquitous in the studied group, while none of the isolates carried sequences characteristic for the 89K pathogenicity island. All isolates were susceptible to penicillin, cefotaxime, imipenem, moxifloxacin, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, gentamicin, linezolid, vancomycin and daptomycin. Five isolates (24 %) were concomitantly non-susceptible to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline, and harboured the tet(O) and erm(B) genes; for one isolate, lsa(E) and lnu(B) were additionally detected. Streptococcus suis isolated in Poland from human invasive infections belongs to a globally distributed clonal complex of this pathogen, enriched in virulence markers. This is the first report of the lsa(E) and lnu(B) resistance genes in S. suis. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10096-016-2616-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

High-precision measurement of the half-life of 62^{62}Ga

The beta-decay half-life of 62Ga has been studied with high precision using on-line mass separated samples. The decay of 62Ga which is dominated by a 0+ to 0+ transition to the ground state of 62Zn yields a half-life of T_{1/2} = 116.19(4) ms. This result is more precise than any previous measurement by about a factor of four or more. The present value is in agreement with older literature values, but slightly disagrees with a recent measurement. We determine an error weighted average value of all experimental half-lives of 116.18(4) ms.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in PR

On the discovery of doubly-magic 48^{48}Ni

The paper reports on the first observation of doubly-magic Nickel-48 in an experimental at the SISSI/LISE3 facility of GANIL. Four Nickel-48 isotopes were identified. In addition, roughly 100 Nickel-49, 50 Iron-45, and 290 Chromium-42 isotopes were observed. This opens the possibility to search for two-proton emission from these nuclei.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let