Fidelity of Quantum Interferometers

For a generic interferometer, the conditional probability density distribution, $p(\phi|m)$, for the phase $\phi$ given measurement outcome $m$, will generally have multiple peaks. Therefore, the phase sensitivity of an interferometer cannot be adequately characterized by the standard deviation, such as $\Delta\phi\sim 1/\sqrt{N}$ (the standard limit), or $\Delta\phi\sim 1/N$ (the Heisenberg limit). We propose an alternative measure of phase sensitivity--the fidelity of an interferometer--defined as the Shannon mutual information between the phase shift $\phi$\ and the measurement outcomes $m$. As an example application of interferometer fidelity, we consider a generic optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer, used as a sensor of a classical field. We find the surprising result that an entangled {\it N00N} state input leads to a lower fidelity than a Fock state input, for the same photon number.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Heterovalent and A-atom effects in A(B'B'')O3 perovskite alloys

Using first-principles supercell calculations, we have investigated energetic, structural and dielectric properties of three different A(B'B'')O_3 perovskite alloys: Ba(Zn_{1/3}Nb_{2/3})O_3 (BZN), Pb(Zn_{1/3}Nb_{2/3})O_3 (PZN), and Pb(Zr_{1/3}Ti_{2/3})O_3 (PZT). In the homovalent alloy PZT, the energetics are found to be mainly driven by atomic relaxations. In the heterovalent alloys BZN and PZN, however, electrostatic interactions among B' and B'' atoms are found to be very important. These electrostatic interactions are responsible for the stabilization of the observed compositional long-range order in BZN. On the other hand, cell relaxations and the formation of short Pb--O bonds could lead to a destabilization of the same ordered structure in PZN. Finally, comparing the dielectric properties of homovalent and heterovalent alloys, the most dramatic difference arises in connection with the effective charges of the B' atom. We find that the effective charge of Zr in PZT is anomalous, while in BZN and PZN the effective charge of Zn is close to its nominal ionic value.Comment: 7 pages, two-column style with 2 postscript figures embedded. Uses REVTEX and epsf macros. Also available at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~dhv/preprints/index.html#lb_he

What Happened to Hip-Hop?

Hip-hop, coming from one of the most exciting periods in its existence, is now experiencing a disappointing comedown. After becoming the U.S.\u27s most popular genre for the first time in 2017, the genre began to see declines both artistically and commercially, but why is that? https://mdidom2000.medium.com/what-happened-to-hip-hop-6b3369e7bb0

Providing epistemic support for assessments through mobile-supported sharing activities

This paper examines how participants in face-to-face conversation employ mobile phones as a resource for social action. We focus on what we call mobile-supported sharing activities, in which participants use a mobile phone to share text or images with others by voicing text aloud from their mobile or providing others with visual access to the device’s display screen. Drawing from naturalistic video recordings, we focus on how mobile-supported sharing activities invite assessments by providing access to an object that is not locally accessible to the participants. Such practices make relevant co-participants’ assessment of these objects and allow for different forms of co-participation across sequence types. We additionally examine how the organization of assessments during these sharing activities displays sensitivity to preference structure. The analysis illustrates the relevance of embodiment, local objects, and new communicative technologies to the production of action in co-present interaction. Data are in American English

Doing being an ordinary technology and social media user

This paper uses discourse and conversation analysis of naturally-occuring conversations to describe how participants construct themselves as “ordinary” users of communication technologies—devices such as mobile phones, their communicative affordances, and the mediated interaction they enable (e.g., access to online communication via social media platforms). The three practices analyzed are (1) managing motivations by downplaying interest and stake in using technology and participating in online activities; (2) calibrating quantities of one's time and involvement using social media; (3) identifying investments in social media use through categories and identities that position users as appropriate or inappropriate. These techniques comprise an accounting practice that accomplishes identity construction in service of situated social actions to manage the moral implications of communication technology use

Reporting mobile device-mediated text to manage action and agency in co-present conversation

The paper considers the role of agency in human interaction with mobile devices. We use multimodal conversation analysis to trace how mobile screen content is reproduced as locally relevant for updating information for co-present interlocutors. While informing-centered actions supported by mobile devices may sometimes have the character of an agentic intrusion into the local interaction, we show that the organization of device-accessed information and its meaningfulness is nonetheless positioned in relation to how device-supported updates are animated into social action by human participants. This research contributes to understanding how device-related content is sequentially incorporated into face-to-face interaction

Distribuição espacial da meiofauna no entorno de uma plataforma de produção de petróleo na bacia de Santos, norte de Santa Catarina

The spatial distribution of meiofauna in the outer continental shelf of Santa Catarina was studied from samples collected around an oil production platform on the south of Santos’ Basin. A total of 14 taxa were identified. Bivalvia were the most representative in abundance, representing 47.2% of the total of individuals counted, followed by Nematoda (19,1%), Gastropoda (12,1%), Ostracoda (8,3%), Polychaeta (6,7%), and Copepoda Harpacticoida (4,3%). Others groups like Turbellaria, Oligochaeta, Kinorhyncha, Tardigrada, Tanaidacea, Aplacophora, Isopoda Gnathiidae and Acari Halacaridea were also found and represented together 1,8% of the meiofauna sampled. The total density of organisms varied from 49 ind./10 cm2 to 2 ind./10 cm2 . The community structure showed a pattern that decreased density as approaching the oil platform. Different faunal association were identified that one were characterized by the samples collected within 1000 and 3000 m from the platform and low faunal similarity within the samples collected near the oil-well.The spatial distribution of meiofauna in the outer continental shelf of Santa Catarina was studied from samples collected around an oil production platform on the south of Santos’ Basin. A total of 14 taxa were identified. Bivalvia were the most representative in abundance, representing 47.2% of the total of individuals counted, followed by Nematoda (19,1%), Gastropoda (12,1%), Ostracoda (8,3%), Polychaeta (6,7%), and Copepoda Harpacticoida (4,3%). Others groups like Turbellaria, Oligochaeta, Kinorhyncha, Tardigrada, Tanaidacea, Aplacophora, Isopoda Gnathiidae and Acari Halacaridea were also found and represented together 1,8% of the meiofauna sampled. The total density of organisms varied from 49 ind./10 cm2 to 2 ind./10 cm2 . The community structure showed a pattern that decreased density as approaching the oil platform. Different faunal association were identified that one were characterized by the samples collected within 1000 and 3000 m from the platform and low faunal similarity within the samples collected near the oil-well

Use of a purified reconstituted bilayer matrix in themanagement of chronic diabetic foot ulcers improvespatient outcomes vs standard of care: Results of aprospective randomised controlled multi-centre clinicaltrial

Diabetic foot infections continue to be a major challenge for health care delivery systems. Following encouraging results from a pilot study using a novel purified reconstituted bilayer matrix (PRBM) to treat chronic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), we designed a prospective, multi-centre randomised trial comparing outcomes of PRBM at 12 weeks compared with a standard of care (SOC) using a collagen alginate dressing. The primary endpoint was percentage of wounds closed after 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included assessments of complications, healing time, quality of life, and cost to closure. Forty patients were included in an intent-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis, with 39 completing the study protocol (n = 19 PRBM, n = 20 SOC). Wounds treated with PRBM were significantly more likely to close than wounds treated with SOC (ITT: 85% vs 30%, P = .0004, PP: 94% vs 30% P = .00008), healed significantly faster (mean 37 days vs 67 days for SOC, P = .002), and achieved a mean wound area reduction within 12 weeks of 96% vs 8.9% for SOC. No adverse events (AEs) directly related to PRBM treatment were reported. Mean PRBM cost of healing was $1731. Use of PRBM was safe and effective for treatment of chronic DFUs.Lewis Katz School of MedicineSurger

The presence of endotoxin activity in cases of experimentally-induced heartwater in sheep

The presence of endotoxin was examined in 5 sheep with experimentally-induced heartwater. Two peaks in endotoxin levels were recorded in 4 out of the 5 sheep during the acute stage of the disease. The 1st peak coincided with or occurred shortly after the febrile reaction (over 40 °C). The 2nd peak occurred 3-5 days after the 1st, and in 2 sheep this 2nd elevation in endotoxin levels was associated with severe clinical signs (rapid and laboured breathing, cyanosis and recumbency), and 1 of the 2 sheep died on the day of the 2nd elevation. Both endotoxin peaks were of short duration and levels had decreased in the 24-h follow-up samples.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.lmchunu2014mn201