Quantum nonlocality of four-qubit entangled states

Quantum nonlocality of several four-qubit states is investigated by constructing a new Bell inequality. These include the Greenberger-Zeilinger-Horne (GHZ) state, W state, cluster state, and the state $|\chi>$ that has been recently proposed in [PRL, {\bf 96}, 060502 (2006)]. The Bell inequality is optimally violated by $|\chi>$ but not violated by the GHZ state. The cluster state also violates the Bell inequality though not optimally. The state $|\chi>$ can thus be discriminated from the cluster state by using the inequality. Different aspects of four-partite entanglement are also studied by considering the usefulness of a family of four-qubit mixed states as resources for two-qubit teleportation. Our results generalize those in [PRL, {\bf 72}, 797 (1994)].Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur

The Complexity of Vector Spin Glasses

We study the annealed complexity of the m-vector spin glasses in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick limit. The eigenvalue spectrum of the Hessian matrix of the Thouless-Anderson-Palmer (TAP) free energy is found to consist of a continuous band of positive eigenvalues in addition to an isolated eigenvalue and (m-1) null eigenvalues due to rotational invariance. Rather surprisingly, the band does not extend to zero at any finite temperature. The isolated eigenvalue becomes zero in the thermodynamic limit, as in the Ising case (m=1), indicating that the same supersymmetry breaking recently found in Ising spin glasses occurs in vector spin glasses.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Male Partners' Involvement Towards Prenatal Screening and Diagnostic Testing for Down Syndrome

Introduction: Now, male partners' involvement in prenatal screening and diagnostic testing for Down syndrome is becoming increasingly recognized as well to ensure that parents are well informed of the risks and benefits of screening. The aim of study was to understand the degree of male partners' involvement during pregnancy in Singapore population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of male partners' attending prenatal counseling was performed. The instrument used to measure the level of involvement is a self-assessment questionnaire that identifies the role of male partners with a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data gained. Result: A total of 107 participants completed the questionnaire. Sixty-seven percent of male partners were found to have a highlevel of involvement while 32.7% was found to have a medium level of involvement. Most of them stated that women can pursue prenatal testing without their permission. Male partners found it more important for them to accompany their spouse to amniocentesis or CVS than to the Down syndrome screening test. When participants were asked about how much information about Down syndrome they sought prior to the appointment, how much discussion they had with their spouse about Down syndrome testing, and about whether they or their spouse should be the first person to receive test results, most stated that they were undecided. Conclusion: These results revealed that male partners were very well involved in the Down syndrome testing during pregnancy and future studies should assess possible underlying factors that influence male partners' involvement

Petrology and depositional environment of the Foord seam, Pictou Coalfield, Nova Scotia

The Pictou Coalfield is one of several coal deposits in the northern Appalachians. This coalfield is of particular interest because: (1) it is restricted to a synsedimentary, pull-apart graben. (2) the coals are in a late Westphalian lacustrine - deltaic sequence with minor fluvial deposits, (3) it also contains numerous organic-rich shales, and (4) in spite of its small size and long history of mining it remains among the most important coal reserves in the region. The Foord seam is the most importantof several seams that have been mined. In contrast with typical (fluvial basin) Appalachian coals, the Pictou coals are characterized by microbanding, comparatively high rank, low sulphur, and relatively high ash content. Macroscopic appearance and relative proportions of maceral groups (vitrinite > inertinite > liptinite) indicate broad petrographic uniformity within the Foord seam, but the proportions of individual macerals vary widely, reflecting environmental and diagenetic changes. Specific maceral ratios confirm evidence from lithotype studies for cylic development of wet forest swamp, fen, and limnic conditions in response to alternate flooding and drying trends during peat accumulation. Although secular coal facies variations within the Foord seam can be correlated laterally, differences in maceral distribution indicate that depositional and diagenetic conditions must have been locally variable. RÉSUMÉ Le bassin houiller de Pictou est Tun des gisements de charbon du nord des Appalaches. Il présente un intérés particulier car: (1) il est confiné à un graben rhomboélrique synséotimentaire, (2) les charbons font paitie d'une série lacustro-deltaique tardi-westphalierme incorporant de faiblcs dépôts fluviatiles, (3) on y rencontre plusieurs shales riches en matiere organique, et (4) en dépit de sa faible dimension et d'une exploitation prolongée, ce bassin demeure Tune des plus importantes réserves de charbon de la région. Le faisceau charbonneux de Foord est le plus important à avoir été exploité Contrairement aux charbons appalachiens typiques des bassins fluviatiles, les charbons de Pictou sont caractérisés par une microlamination, une classe assez haute, une teneur faible en soufre et relativement élevée en cendres. L'allure macroscopique et la proportion relative des différents groupes de maceraux (vitrinite > inertinite > liptinite) indiquent une uniformity pétrographique générale au sein du faisceau de Foord. Cependant la proportion de chaque macéral varie fortement, ce qui reflète des changements dans le milieu et la diagénèse. Les rapports specifiques des macéraux confirment les arguments qu'apportent les études des lithotypes en faveur d'un développement cyclique de conditions de marécages de foret humide, de fens et de conditions limniques en réponse à des tendances alternant entre les inondations et les assèchements durant l’accumulation de la tourbe. Quoiqu'on puisse corréler latéralement les variations seculaires des faciès charbormeux au sein du faisceau de Foord, la distribution différente des macéraux démontre que les conditions diagénéiques et de dépôt devaient varier localement [Traduit par le journal

Roscoe Reid Graham (1890 to 1948): a Canadian pioneer in general surgery.

Roscoe Reid Graham, a Canadian surgeon trained at the University of Toronto, was a true pioneer in the field of general surgery. Although he may be best known for his omental patch repair of perforated duodenal ulcers-often referred to as the Graham patch -he had a number of other significant accomplishments that decorated his surgical career. Dr. Graham is credited with being the first surgeon to successfully enucleate an insulinoma. He ventured to do an essentially brand new operation based solely on his patient\u27s symptoms and physical findings, a courageous move that even some of the most talented surgeons would shy away from. He also spent a large portion of his career dedicated to the study of rectal prolapse, working tirelessly to rid his patients of this awful affliction. He was recognized by a number of different surgical associations for his operative successes and was awarded membership to those both in Canada and the United States. Despite all of these accolades, Dr. Graham remained grounded and always fervent in his dedication to the patient and their presenting symptom(s), reminding us that to do anything more would be meddlesome. In an age when medical professionals are often all too eager to make unnecessary interventions, it is imperative that we look back at our predecessors such as Roscoe Reid Graham, for they will continually redirect us toward our one and only obligation: the patient

James Mann, M.D. (1759-1832): Military Surgeon for the Second War of Independence .

The War of 1812 is remembered for the Burning of Washington, and Francis Scott Key’s “The Star Spangled Banner,” but little else. It was a poorly funded war of relatively short duration and nebulous resolution. Under such circumstances, it is understandable that the “Second War of Independence” failed to produce many notable military or medical advancements. However, one surgeon took it upon himself to recount his experiences in the field. For his dedication to the art and science of medicine, James Mann deserves recognition

Microwave state transfer and adiabatic dynamics of magnetically trapped polar molecules

Cold and ultracold polar molecules with nonzero electronic angular momentum are of great interest for studies in quantum chemistry and control, investigations of novel quantum systems, and precision measurement. However, in mixed electric and magnetic fields, these molecules are generically subject to a large set of avoided crossings among their Zeeman sublevels; in magnetic traps, these crossings lead to distorted potentials and trap loss from electric bias fields. We have characterized these crossings in OH by microwave-transferring trapped OH molecules from the upper |f; M = +3/2> parity state to the lower |e; +3/2> state and observing their trap dynamics under an applied electric bias field. Our observations are very well described by a simple Landau-Zener model, yielding insight to the rich spectra and dynamics of polar radicals in mixed external fields.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures plus supplementary materia

A Sub-Type of Familial Pancreatic Cancer: Evidence and Implications of Loss-of-Function Polymorphisms in Indoleamine-2,3-Dioxygenase-2.

BACKGROUND: Variation in an individual\u27s genetic status can impact the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; however, the majority of familial pancreatic cancers (FPC) cannot yet be attributed to a specific inherited mutation. We present data suggesting a correlation between loss-of-function single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an immune regulator gene, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase-2 (IDO2), and an increased risk of FPC. STUDY DESIGN: Germline DNA from patients who underwent resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (n = 79) was sequenced for the IDO2 SNPs R248W and Y359Stop. Genotypes resulting in inactivation of IDO2 (Y325X homozygous, R248W homozygous) were labeled as homozygous, and the other genotypes were grouped as wild-type or heterozygous. Genotype distributions of each SNP were analyzed for Hardy-Weinberg deviation. A genotype frequency set from the 1000 Genomes Project (n = 99) was used as a genetic control for genotype distribution comparisons. RESULTS: A significant 2-fold increase in the overall prevalence of the Y359Stop homozygous genotype compared with the expected Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was noted (p \u3c 0.05). Familial pancreatic cancer was noted in 15 cases (19%) and comparison of the FPC cohort set to the genetic control set showed a 3-fold increase in Y359Stop homozygous rates (p = 0.054). Overall in our cohort, the homozygous genotype group was associated with increased risk of FPC (odds ratio 5.4; 95% CI 1.6 to 17.6; p \u3c 0.01). Sex, age at diagnosis, and history of tobacco use were not found to be significantly associated with FPC. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data suggest a strong association between the IDO2 inactivating Y359Stop SNP and an increased risk of FPC when compared with the control group. Future studies will evaluate the value of IDO2 genotyping as a prognostic, early detection marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and a predictive marker for novel immune checkpoint therapies

Solar Irradiance Variability is Caused by the Magnetic Activity on the Solar Surface

The variation in the radiative output of the Sun, described in terms of solar irradiance, is important to climatology. A common assumption is that solar irradiance variability is driven by its surface magnetism. Verifying this assumption has, however, been hampered by the fact that models of solar irradiance variability based on solar surface magnetism have to be calibrated to observed variability. Making use of realistic three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the solar atmosphere and state-of-the-art solar magnetograms from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we present a model of total solar irradiance (TSI) that does not require any such calibration. In doing so, the modeled irradiance variability is entirely independent of the observational record. (The absolute level is calibrated to the TSI record from the Total Irradiance Monitor.) The model replicates 95% of the observed variability between April 2010 and July 2016, leaving little scope for alternative drivers of solar irradiance variability at least over the time scales examined (days to years).Comment: Supplementary Materials; https://journals.aps.org/prl/supplemental/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.091102/supplementary_material_170801.pd