The Consumption of Reference Resources

Under the operational restriction of the U(1)-superselection rule, states that contain coherences between eigenstates of particle number constitute a resource. Such resources can be used to facilitate operations upon systems that otherwise cannot be performed. However, the process of doing this consumes reference resources. We show this explicitly for an example of a unitary operation that is forbidden by the U(1)-superselection rule.Comment: 4 pages 6x9 page format, 2 figure

Editors\u27 Introduction

The inaugural issue of FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education begins a new chapter in the scholarly and professional discussion of comparative and international education research, policy, and practice. Comparative and international education research has become increasingly isolated from educational policymaking as well as school- and classroom-level decisionmaking as the amount and diversity of research in the field has grown. FIRE is an international, peer-reviewed publication, which seeks to bridge this gap by promoting interdisciplinary scholarship on the use of internationally comparative data for evidence-based and innovative change in educational systems, schools, and classrooms worldwide. FIRE provides an open source and widely accessible platform for disseminating research on education from multiple cultural, organizational and national perspectives. To introduce FIRE to the community of researchers, policymakers, and educators this introduction provides an overview of the journal’s hallmark characteristics and suggestions for manuscript and special issue topics. Die erste Ausgabe von FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education schlägt ein neues Kapitel in der wissenschaftlichen und akademischen Diskussion über vergleichende und internationale Bildungsforschung, -politik und -praxis auf. Mit der Zunahme und Diversifizierung von Forschung hat sich die Internationale und Vergleichende Bildungsforschung zunehmend von Fragen der Bildungspolitik aber auch der Entscheidungsfindung auf der Ebene von Schule und Klassenzimmer isoliert. FIRE ist eine internationale, peer-reviewte Publikation, die versucht, diese Lücke zu schließen durch die Förderung interdisziplinärer Forschung über die Verwendung von international vergleichenden Daten für evidenzbasierten und innovativen Veränderungen in Bildungssystemen, Schulen und Klassenzimmern weltweit. FIRE bietet eine freie und allgemein zugängliche Plattform zur Verbreitung von Forschung zum Thema Bildung aus verschiedenen kulturellen, organisatorischen und nationalen Perspektiven. Diese Einleitung möchte FIRE den Vertreter_innen von Forschung, Politik und Praxis vorstellen und einen Überblick über den Qualitätskennzeichen und Merkmale des Journals anbieten und zugleich einige Vorschläge für Manuskripte und Themen für Sonderhefte unterbreiten

Phorbol myristate acetate and Bryostatin 1 rescue IFN-gamma inducibility of MHC class II molecules in LS1034 colorectal carcinoma cell line

BACKGROUND: The expression of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) antigens in both mouse and human tumors is rare, and these antigens are not easily inducible by IFN-gamma (IFNg). Since MHCII may play an important role in the development of host antitumor immune response, we explored the possibility of restoring MHCII inducibility in several IFNg-resistant tumor cell lines using protein kinase C (PKC) agonists phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or Bryostatin. RESULTS: Tumor cells were co-cultured with various concentrations of PMA and IFNg for 48 hr. The expression of MHCII antigens and receptors IFNgR1 and IFNgR2 was determined by flow cytometry. We showed that the presence of as little as 0.1 ng/ml of PMA in tissue culture restored the ability of weakly inducible LS1034 colon carcinoma cells to express MHCII in response to IFNg (100 – 10,000 IU/ml) in a dose-dependent manner. Likewise, Bryostatin 1, as low as 10 ng/ml produced a 5–6 fold upregulation of MHCII. The effect of PMA was not observed in two other poorly responding cell lines, MSTO-211H mesothelioma and HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma, and was abrogated by relatively high concentrations of PKC inhibitors staurosporine (100 nM) and GF 109203X (1,000 nM). Both surface and intracellular staining of all cell lines with antibodies against IFNgR1 and IFNgR2 failed to detect any increase in IFNg receptor expression following incubation with PMA. CONCLUSION: In this study we showed that IFNg-inducibility of MHCII antigens in weakly inducible LS1034 colorectal carcinoma cell line can be rescued by concomitant incubation with PKC agonists. Bryostatin 1 may be considered for further investigation of IFNg-dependent MHCII induction in resistant tumors in vivo

Globalization and comparative education research: misconceptions and applications of neo-institutional theory

As globalization studies have become central to comparative education research, neo-institutional theory has become the focus of many debates among comparative education researchers investigating the effects of globalization on education. Yet, in spite of this focus, many comparative education researchers have difficulty interpreting neo-institutional theory and how it frames comparative education research. In particular, misconceptions persist related to which strand of neo-institutional theory is the most relevant to comparative education research, and whether or not neo-institutional theory advocates for the homogenization of education and society worldwide. This article addresses these misconceptions by explaining the theory in relation to comparative education research using a specific empirical case as an example. The documented theoretical and methodological diversity within the field of comparative education supports the assertion that neo-institutional theory provides a productive framework for understanding and interpreting comparative education phenomena, but that complementary approaches and methods are useful as well.La teoría neo-institucionalista se ha ubicado en el centro de los debates académicos debido al avance y proliferación de los estudios en educación comparada que sitúan los análisis en el en el marco del proceso de globalización. Sin embargo, a pesar de su relevancia para la educación comparada, la teoría neo-institucionalista sigue generando incertidumbre en cuanto a su empleo e interpretación en la investigación educativa comparada. Parte de esta incertidumbre proviene de la malinterpretación de sus principios, variantes y de su capacidad explicativa. Además, aún persisten varios malentendidos sobre el neo-institucionalismo como por ejemplo, la creencia que sostiene que la versión conocida como la “cultura global” es la única variante del neo-institucionalismo relevante a la investigación educativa comparada. Otra suposición errónea es la que considera que la homogeneización cultural global es uno de los objetivos avanzados por los investigadores que aplican el marco teórico neo-institucional para explicar los fenómenos educativos comparados. Este artículo tiene como propósito abordar esos malentendidos a través de un caso de estudio que utilizaremos como ejemplo. El mismo nos permitirá no sólo clarificar los errores sobre la teoría neo-institucionalista sino también demostrar una de las tantas aplicaciones posibles a la investigación comparada en educación. Los resultados nos permiten sostener que las distintas variantes del marco teórico neo-institucionalista son útiles como acercamiento a la problemática de la educación comparada. De la misma forma también dan cuenta de la necesidad de utilizar métodos y formas de aproximación al conocimiento en forma complementaria. La probada riqueza y diversidad teórica y metodológica del neo-institucionalismo en el campo de la educación comparada asevera fehacientemente que el neo-institucionalismo nos provee de un marco teórico productivo para el entendimiento e interpretación de los fenómenos educativos comparado

Quantum feedback control of a solid-state qubit

We have studied theoretically the basic operation of a quantum feedback loop designed to maintain a desired phase of quantum coherent oscillations in a single solid-state qubit. The degree of oscillations synchronization with external harmonic signal is calculated as a function of feedback strength, taking into account available bandwidth and coupling to environment. The feedback can efficiently suppress the dephasing of oscillations if the qubit coupling to the detector is stronger than coupling to environment.Comment: Extended version of cond-mat/0107280 (5 pages, 5 figures); to be published in PRB (RC

Formation of a Black String in a Higher Dimensional Vacuum Gravitational Collapse

We present a solution to the vacuum Einstein Equations which represents a collapse of a gravitational wave in 5 dimensions. Depending on the focal length of the wave, the collapse results, either in a black string covered by a horizon, or in a naked singularity which can be removed.Comment: Minor changes. A reference added. Matches the print version. To appear in Phys. Lett.

Antecedent Prediction Without a Pipeline

We consider several antecedent prediction models that use no pipelined features generated by upstream systems. Models trained in this way are interesting because they allow for side-stepping the intricacies of upstream models, and because we might expect them to generalize better to situations in which upstream features are unavailable or unreliable. Through quantitative and qualitative error analysis we identify what sorts of cases are particularly difficult for such models, and suggest some directions for further improvement.Engineering and Applied Science