Clock synchronization with dispersion cancellation

The dispersion cancellation feature of pulses which are entangled in frequency is employed to synchronize clocks of distant parties. The proposed protocol is insensitive to the pulse distortion caused by transit through a dispersive medium. Since there is cancellation to all orders, also the effects of slowly fluctuating dispersive media are compensated. The experimental setup can be realized with currently available technology, at least for a proof of principle.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Conveyor belt clock synchronization

A protocol for synchronizing distant clocks is proposed that does not rely on the arrival times of the signals which are exchanged, and an optical implementation based on coherent-state pulses is described. This protocol is not limited by any dispersion that may be present in the propagation medium through which the light signals are exchanged. Possible improvements deriving from the use of quantum-mechanical effects are also addressed.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

The evolution of multiagency partnerships for safety over the course of research engagement: experiences from the NoGAPS project

Objective: Implementation of effective population-level injury prevention interventions requires broad multiagency partnerships. Different stakeholders address this from varying perspectives, and potential conflicts in priorities need to be addressed for such partnerships to be effective. The researcher-led National Guidance for Australian football Partnerships and Safety (NoGAPS) project involved the engagement and participation of seven non-academic partners, including government health promotion and safety agencies; peak sports professional and advocacy bodies and health insurance organisations. Design: The partnership's ongoing development was assessed by each partner completing the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation Partnership Analysis Tool (VPAT) annually over 2011–2015. Changes in VPAT scores were compared through repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Overall, mean total VPAT scores increased significantly over the 5-year period (125.1–141.2; F5,30=4.61, p=0.003), showing a significant improvement in how the partnership was functioning over time. This was largely driven by significant increases in several VPAT domains: ‘determining the need for a partnership’ (F5,30=4.15, p=0.006), ‘making sure the partnership works’ (F5,30=2.59, p=0.046), ‘planning collaborative action’ (F5,30=5.13, p=0.002) and ‘minimising the barriers to the partnership’ (F5,30=6.66, p<0.001). Conclusion: This is the first study to assess the functioning of a multiagency partnership to address sport injury prevention implementation. For NoGAPS, the engagement of stakeholders from the outset facilitated the development of new and/or stronger links between non-academic partners. Partners shared the common goal of ensuring the real-world uptake of interventions and research evidence-informed recommendations. Effective multiagency partnerships have the potential to influence the implementation of policies and practices beyond the life of a research project.Full Tex

Preclinical discovery of apixaban, a direct and orally bioavailable factor Xa inhibitor

Apixaban (BMS-562247; 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-7-oxo-6-(4-(2-oxopiperidin-1-yl)phenyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridine-3-carboxamide), a direct inhibitor of activated factor X (FXa), is in development for the prevention and treatment of various thromboembolic diseases. With an inhibitory constant of 0.08 nM for human FXa, apixaban has greater than 30,000-fold selectivity for FXa over other human coagulation proteases. It produces a rapid onset of inhibition of FXa with association rate constant of 20 μM−1/s approximately and inhibits free as well as prothrombinase- and clot-bound FXa activity in vitro. Apixaban also inhibits FXa from rabbits, rats and dogs, an activity which parallels its antithrombotic potency in these species. Although apixaban has no direct effects on platelet aggregation, it indirectly inhibits this process by reducing thrombin generation. Pre-clinical studies of apixaban in animal models have demonstrated dose-dependent antithrombotic efficacy at doses that preserved hemostasis. Apixaban improves pre-clinical antithrombotic activity, without excessive increases in bleeding times, when added on top of aspirin or aspirin plus clopidogrel at their clinically relevant doses. Apixaban has good bioavailability, low clearance and a small volume of distribution in animals and humans, and a low potential for drug–drug interactions. Elimination pathways for apixaban include renal excretion, metabolism and biliary/intestinal excretion. Although a sulfate conjugate of Ο-demethyl apixaban (O-demethyl apixaban sulfate) has been identified as the major circulating metabolite of apixaban in humans, it is inactive against human FXa. Together, these non-clinical findings have established the favorable pharmacological profile of apixaban, and support the potential use of apixaban in the clinic for the prevention and treatment of various thromboembolic diseases

Selection into youth cricket academies: The influence of relative age and maturity status

The aim of the study was to examine the birth quartile and maturity status distributions of male academy cricketers. Participants included 213 junior cricket players, aged between 9 and 18 years. Players were separated into birth quartiles and also grouped as early, average or late maturers. For the whole cohort, there was a medium effect bias towards players born in BQ1, but the number of early, average and late maturers was as expected. However, there were significantly more early maturers in the U10 and U11 groups than expected, and maturity distributions of the BQ groups showed that there was a small effect size bias towards early maturers in BQ4. Selection biases towards cricketers who are born earlier in the competitive year are consistent from U9 to U16, but more prevalent in the U12 and U14 age groups. There is a bias towards early maturers at U10 and U11, but this reduces as age increases. Practitioners working in academy pathways should be encouraged to assess the maturity status of players to assist in the retention and progression of players. Relative age effects should also be considered, and strategies may be required to identify players born later in the year

Multipartite Entanglement and Quantum State Exchange

We investigate multipartite entanglement in relation to the theoretical process of quantum state exchange. In particular, we consider such entanglement for a certain pure state involving two groups of N trapped atoms. The state, which can be produced via quantum state exchange, is analogous to the steady-state intracavity state of the subthreshold optical nondegenerate parametric amplifier. We show that, first, it possesses some 2N-way entanglement. Second, we place a lower bound on the amount of such entanglement in the state using a novel measure called the entanglement of minimum bipartite entropy.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Political branding: sense of identity or identity crisis? An investigation of the transfer potential of the brand identity prism to the UK Conservative Party

Brands are strategic assets and key to achieving a competitive advantage. Brands can be seen as a heuristic device, encapsulating a series of values that enable the consumer to make quick and efficient choices. More recently, the notion of a political brand and the rhetoric of branding have been widely adopted by many political parties as they seek to differentiate themselves, and this has led to an emerging interest in the idea of the political brand. Therefore, this paper examines the UK Conservative Party brand under David Cameron’s leadership and examines the applicability of Kapferer’s brand identity prism to political branding. This paper extends and operationalises the brand identity prism into a ‘political brand identity network’ which identifies the inter-relatedness of the components of the corporate political brand and the candidate political brand. Crucial for practitioners, this model can demonstrate how the brand is presented and communicated to the electorate and serves as a useful mechanism to identify consistency within the corporate and candidate political brands

The history and evolution of the clinical effectiveness of haemophilia type a treatment: a systematic review.

First evidence of cases of haemophilia dates from ancient Egypt, but it was when Queen Victoria from England in the 19th century transmitted this illness to her descendants, when it became known as the "royal disease". Last decades of the 20th century account for major discoveries that improved the life expectancy and quality of life of these patients. The history and evolution of haemophilia healthcare counts ups and downs. The introduction of prophylactic schemes during the 1970s have proved to be more effective that the classic on-demand replacement of clotting factors, nevertheless many patients managed with frequent plasma transfusions or derived products became infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C virus during the 1980s and 1990s. Recombinant factor VIII inception has decreased the risk of blood borne infections and restored back longer life expectancies. Main concerns for haemophilia healthcare are shifting from the pure clinical aspects to the economic considerations of long-term replacement therapy. Nowadays researchers' attention has been placed on the future costs and cost-effectiveness of costly long-term treatment. Equity considerations are relevant as well, and alternative options for less affluent countries are under the scope of further research. The aim of this review was to assess the evidence of different treatment options for haemophilia type A over the past four decades, focusing on the most important technological advances that have influenced the natural course of this "royal disease"