Dialogue, Praxis and the State: A Response to Richard Jackson

The article argues in favour of an engagement with state actors for critical terrorism scholars, challenging Richard Jackson's assertion that such engagement necessarily involves co-optation

Testing collapse models with levitated nanoparticles: the detection challenge

We consider a nanoparticle levitated in a Paul trap in ultrahigh cryogenic vacuum, and look for the conditions which allow for a stringent noninterferometric test of spontaneous collapse models. In particular we compare different possible techniques to detect the particle motion. Key conditions which need to be achieved are extremely low residual pressure and the ability to detect the particle at ultralow power. We compare three different detection approaches based respectively on a optical cavity, optical tweezer and a electrical readout, and for each one we assess advantages, drawbacks and technical challenges

Precession Motion in Levitated Optomechanics

We investigate experimentally the dynamics of a nonspherical levitated nanoparticle in a vacuum. In addition to translation and rotation motion, we observe the light torque-induced precession and nutation of the trapped particle. We provide a theoretical model, which we numerically simulate and from which we derive approximate expressions for the motional frequencies. Both the simulation and approximate expressions we find in good agreement with experiments. We measure a torque of 1.9 � 0.5 × 10−23 N m at 1 × 10−1 mbar, with an estimated torque sensitivity of 3.6 � 1.1 × 10−31 N m= Hz p at 1 × 10−7 mba

Testing collapse models with levitated nanoparticles: Detection challenge

We consider a nanoparticle levitated in a Paul trap in ultrahigh cryogenic vacuum, and look for the conditions which allow for a stringent noninterferometric test of spontaneous collapse models. In particular we compare different possible techniques to detect the particle motion. Key conditions which need to be achieved are extremely low residual pressure and the ability to detect the particle at ultralow power. We compare three different detection approaches based, respectively, on an optical cavity, an optical tweezer, and an electrical readout, and for each one we assess advantages, drawbacks, and technical challenges

Genomic amplifications identified by circulating tumor DNA analysis guide prognosis in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

PurposeAnalysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) provides an opportunity to identify and monitor genomic alterations during a patient’s treatment course. We evaluated whether the presence of specific gene amplifications (GAs) and plasma copy number (PCN) alterations are associated with disease features.MethodsThis is a single-institution retrospective study of patients with mPC who underwent ctDNA profiling using Guardant360® (Guardant Health Inc.). This test identifies single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and GAs of select genes by next-generation sequencing. A total of 155 men with mPC were studied. Patients were stratified by GA status. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate cox regression models were used to estimate overall survival (OS) or failure-free survival (FFS) from either the date of GA detection or the initiation of systemic therapy. The chi-square test was used to evaluate associations between clinical factors and GAs. ResultsThe presence of liver and/or lung metastases was associated with GAs of BRAF, CDK6, PI3KCA, and FGFR1. Survival analyses were completed on a subset of 83 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Median OS was improved in patients with 1 GA compared to patients with ≥2 GAs, whether determined from the date of initial GA(s) detection (14.9 mo vs. 8.9 mo) or date of therapy initiation nearest to GA detection (16.7 mo vs. 9.0 mo). Patients without GAs had not reached median OS. Patients with androgen receptor (AR) GA only were also found to have better median OS compared to patients with AR GA plus at least one other additional GA (19.3 mo vs. 8.9 mo). Patients with PIK3CA GA had significantly lower median OS compared to patients with GAs that did not have a PIK3CA GA (5.9 mo vs. 16.0 mo). In patients with AR and/or MYC GA(s), median OS improved in those with reduced AR or MYC PCN during therapy compared to those without such a reduction (25.1 mo vs. 15.9 mo). ConclusionsThe association of select GAs with survival provides an additional tool for assessing mCRPC prognosis and informing management. Serial monitoring of ctDNA GAs is also useful to guide prognosis and therapeutic response

Reclaiming the political : emancipation and critique in security studies

The critical security studies literature has been marked by a shared commitment towards the politicization of security – that is, the analysis of its assumptions, implications and the practices through which it is (re)produced. In recent years, however, politicization has been accompanied by a tendency to conceive security as connected with a logic of exclusion, totalization and even violence. This has resulted in an imbalanced politicization that weakens critique. Seeking to tackle this situation, the present article engages with contributions that have advanced emancipatory versions of security. Starting with, but going beyond, the so-called Aberystwyth School of security studies, the argument reconsiders the meaning of security as emancipation by making the case for a systematic engagement with the notions of reality and power. This revised version of security as emancipation strengthens critique by addressing political dimensions that have been underplayed in the critical security literature

Spin Entanglement Witness for Quantum Gravity

Understanding gravity in the framework of quantum mechanics is one of the great challenges in modern physics. However, the lack of empirical evidence has lead to a debate on whether gravity is a quantum entity. Despite varied proposed probes for quantum gravity, it is fair to say that there are no feasible ideas yet to test its quantum coherent behavior directly in a laboratory experiment. Here, we introduce an idea for such a test based on the principle that two objects cannot be entangled without a quantum mediator. We show that despite the weakness of gravity, the phase evolution induced by the gravitational interaction of two micron size test masses in adjacent matter-wave interferometers can detectably entangle them even when they are placed far apart enough to keep Casimir-Polder forces at bay. We provide a prescription for witnessing this entanglement, which certifies gravity as a quantum coherent mediator, through simple spin correlation measurements

Numerical analysis of different heating systems for warm sheet metal forming

The main goal of this study is to present an analysis of different heating methods frequently used in laboratory scale and in the industrial practice to heat blanks at warm temperatures. In this context, the blank can be heated inside the forming tools (internal method) or using a heating system (external method). In order to perform this analysis, a finite element model is firstly validated with the simulation of the direct resistance system used in a Gleeble testing machine. The predicted temperature was compared with the temperature distribution recorded experimentally and a good agreement was found. Afterwards, a finite element model is used to predict the temperature distribution in the blank during the heating process, when using different heating methods. The analysis also includes the evaluation of a cooling phase associated to the transport phase for the external heating methods. The results of this analysis show that neglecting the heating phase and a transport phase could lead to inaccuracies in the simulation of the forming phase.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under project PTDC/EMS-TEC/1805/2012 and by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE—Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade, under the project CENTRO-07-0224-FEDER-002001 (MT4MOBI). The authors would like to thank Prof. A. Andrade-Campos for helpful contributions on the development of the finite element code presented in this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Numerical modeling of the thermal contact in metal forming processes

Heat flow across the interface of solid bodies in contact is an important aspect in several engineering applications. This work presents a finite element model for the analysis of thermal contact, which takes into account the effect of contact pressure and gap dimension in the heat flow across the interface between two bodies. Additionally, the frictional heat generation is also addressed, which is dictated by the contact forces predicted by the mechanical problem. The frictional contact problem and thermal problem are formulated in the frame of the finite element method. A new law is proposed to define the interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) as a function of the contact pressure and gap distance, enabling a smooth transition between two contact status (gap and contact). The staggered scheme used as coupling strategy to solve the thermomechanical problem is briefly presented. Four numerical examples are presented to validate the finite element model and highlight the importance of the proposed law on the predicted temperature.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the project PTDC/EMS-TEC/1805/2012 and by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade, under the project CENTRO-07-0224- FEDER-002001 (MT4MOBI). The second author is also grateful to the FCT for the postdoctoral grant SFRH/BPD/101334/2014. The authors would like to thank Prof. A. Andrade-Campos for helpful contributions on the development of the finite element code presented in this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Interpretation, judgement and dialogue: a hermeneutical recollection of causal analysis in critical terrorism studies

This article problematises Critical Terrorism Studies’s (CTS) seem- ing reluctance to engage in causal explanation. An analysis of the meta-theoretical assumptions on causation in both orthodox and critical terrorism studies reveals that the latter’s refusal to incor- porate causal analysis in its broader research agenda reproduces – despite its commitment to epistemological pluralism – the for- mer’s understanding of causation as the only sustainable one. Elemental to this understanding is the idea that causation refers to the regular observation of constant conjunction. Due to the positivist leanings of such a conception, CTS is quick to dismiss it as consolidating Orthodox Terrorism Studies’s lack of critical self- reflexivity, responsibility of the researcher, and dedication towards informing state-led policies of counterterrorism. Drawing on recent work in the philosophy of science and International Relations, this article advances an alternative understanding of causation that emphasises its interpretative, normative and dialo- gical fabric. It is therefore argued that CTS should reclaim causal analysis as an essential element of its research agenda. This not only facilitates a more robust challenge against Orthodox Terrorism Studies’ conventional understanding of causation but also consolidates CTS’s endeavour of deepening and broadening our understanding that (re)embeds terrorist violence in its histor- ical and social context