All Maximally Entangled Four Qubits States

We find an operational interpretation for the 4-tangle as a type of residual entanglement, somewhat similar to the interpretation of the 3-tangle. Using this remarkable interpretation, we are able to find the class of maximally entangled four-qubits states which is characterized by four real parameters. The states in the class are maximally entangled in the sense that their average bipartite entanglement with respect to all possible bi-partite cuts is maximal. We show that while all the states in the class maximize the average tangle, there are only few states in the class that maximize the average Tsillas or Renyi $\alpha$-entropy of entanglement. Quite remarkably, we find that up to local unitaries, there exists two unique states, one maximizing the average $\alpha$-Tsallis entropy of entanglement for all $\alpha\geq 2$, while the other maximizing it for all $0<\alpha\leq 2$ (including the von-Neumann case of $\alpha=1$). Furthermore, among the maximally entangled four qubits states, there are only 3 maximally entangled states that have the property that for 2, out of the 3 bipartite cuts consisting of 2-qubits verses 2-qubits, the entanglement is 2 ebits and for the remaining bipartite cut the entanglement between the two groups of two qubits is 1ebit. The unique 3 maximally entangled states are the 3 cluster states that are related by a swap operator. We also show that the cluster states are the only states (up to local unitaries) that maximize the average $\alpha$-Renyi entropy of entanglement for all $\alpha\geq 2$.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, Revised Version: many references added, an appendix added with a statement of the Kempf-Ness theore

Odd-parity perturbations of self-similar Vaidya spacetime

We carry out an analytic study of odd-parity perturbations of the self-similar Vaidya space-times that admit a naked singularity. It is found that an initially finite perturbation remains finite at the Cauchy horizon. This holds not only for the gauge invariant metric and matter perturbation, but also for all the gauge invariant perturbed Weyl curvature scalars, including the gravitational radiation scalars. In each case, `finiteness' refers to Sobolev norms of scalar quantities on naturally occurring spacelike hypersurfaces, as well as pointwise values of these quantities.Comment: 28 page

Evidence against the Detectability of a Hippocampal Place Code Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Individual hippocampal neurons selectively increase their firing rates in specific spatial locations. As a population, these neurons provide a decodable representation of space that is robust against changes to sensory- and path-related cues. This neural code is sparse and distributed, theoretically rendering it undetectable with population recording methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Existing studies nonetheless report decoding spatial codes in the human hippocampus using such techniques. Here we present results from a virtual navigation experiment in humans in which we eliminated visual- and path-related confounds and statistical limitations present in existing studies, ensuring that any positive decoding results would represent a voxel-place code. Consistent with theoretical arguments derived from electrophysiological data and contrary to existing fMRI studies, our results show that although participants were fully oriented during the navigation task, there was no statistical evidence for a place code

CCD photometry of 2060 Chiron, 1991 January

Observations of 2060 Chiron was performed on 7 to 8 Jan. 1991 with the Mt. Palomar 1.52 m telescope in the Gunn-R passband. On-chip field stars were used to perform differential reductions. The repeatability of the 5.9 hour light curve was excellent, both within a night and from night to night. No evidence for short-term secular variations similar to those seen last year by both Luu and Jewitt (1990) and Buratti and Dunbar (1991) is seen in the new light curve. Chiron's rotational light curve appears strikingly similar to that obtained a year earlier by Luu and Jewitt (1990), both in amplitude and shape. Both light curves show strongly correlated changes over a timescale of perhaps 15 minutes. These same features were marginally visible in the 1986 light curve. Such behavior is believed to be evidence that Chiron may be more aspherical than the 4 percent intensity variation might otherwise indicate, and favors a viewing geometry where the subearth latitude is rather low. Chiron was much fainter in 1985, when a partial light curve was obtained by Marcialis. Due to the lower sampling rate of these early data, no conclusions can be made regarding the high-frequency light curve structure back then. All three of these light curves differ significantly from that obtained by Buratti and Dunbar (1991), one week before the observations of Luu and Jewitt. The Chiron field was calibrated using Landolt standards on Ut 15 Mar. 1991. A mean R-magnitude of 15.6 + or - 0.1 was found. Variability of 2060 Chiron was demonstrated over timescales of minutes, hours, and years. An intense campaign was urged to monitor the photometric behavior of Chiron throughout the 1990s

Chrysotile biopersistence in the lungs of persons in the general population and exposed workers.

Lung burden analysis was performed on 126 autopsy cases of persons who died in New York City from 1966 through 1968. Of the 126 cases, 107 were probably non-occupationally exposed, judging by occupational history and asbestos body content of lung. Fifty-three of the 107 cases contained short chrysotile fibers/fibrils, < 5 microns in length, present in 3-fold greater amounts than were found in laboratory background controls. The fiber concentrations ranged from 1.8 to 15.7 x 10(6) f/gm/dry lung tissue, and the proportion of fibers > or = 5 microns in length was only 0.34% of the total chrysotile population found. Other inorganic particles present included fragments of amphiboles. In contrast to these data, the lung parenchyma of persons occupationally exposed to asbestos commonly showed the presence of other fiber types, especially amosite and crocidolite, at very much higher concentrations and greater fiber length. Any chrysotile present would usually be in fiber bundle form, with both fibers and fibrils > 5 microns in length. Comparison of the lung fiber content of occupationally exposed persons with that of the general population showed marked qualitative and quantitative differences. Fibers are durable, and are retained in a range of concentrations. Their length and dose, among other factors, which control their biological potential are different in the two populations; the risk factors for chrysotile-induced disease are not the same

A process-based approach to health-related quality of life as a “way of living”

Introduction There is an historical initiative to establish common theoretical ground to support a framework for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQL). Our aim was to add to this effort with an analysis of theoretical/philosophical themes embedded in HRQL questionnaires and patient reports. Methods and Results We reviewed recent developments in HRQL assessment. This included analyzing a representative sample of psychometric measures of HRQL to schematically summarize core theoretical/philosophical themes that are embedded in questionnaire items. This analysis indicated a state-based framework for HRQL that was characterized by themes of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, and desire-satisfaction. In contrast, a review of patient reports of HRQL indicated a process-based framework where goal-directed activities aimed to secure aspirational life goals while striving to accept the reality of declining health. Given this difference in HRQL themes we used a meta-philosophical approach, based on Hadot’s idea of philosophy as a way of living, to identify a process-based theoretical framework for HRQL assessment that addressed patient-reported themes. The Stoic modification of eudaimonic well-being was examined where HRQL and well-being are viewed as a process (vs. state) aimed at transforming the experience of loss or grief in response to adversity through goal-directed activities/exercises (euroia biou, good flow in life). We then introduced a complementary research agenda for HRQL assessment that incorporates self-reported, goal-directed activities that are initiated or maintained to promote HRQL. Conclusion A process-based approach to HRQL assessment may increase the spectrum of clinically relevant features that currently comprise operational measures of this patient-reported appraisal

A note on behaviour at an isotropic singularity

The behaviour of Jacobi fields along a time-like geodesic running into an isotropic singularity is studied. It is shown that the Jacobi fields are crushed to zero length at a rate which is the same in every direction orthogonal to the geodesic. We show by means of a counter-example that this crushing effect depends crucially on a technicality of the definition of isotropic singularities, and not just on the uniform degeneracy of the metric at the singularity.Comment: 13 pp. plain latex. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit