Mesoscopic atomic entanglement for precision measurements beyond the standard quantum limit

Squeezing of quantum fluctuations by means of entanglement is a well recognized goal in the field of quantum information science and precision measurements. In particular, squeezing the fluctuations via entanglement between two-level atoms can improve the precision of sensing, clocks, metrology, and spectroscopy. Here, we demonstrate 3.4 dB of metrologically relevant squeezing and entanglement for ~ 10^5 cold cesium atoms via a quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement on the atom clock levels. We show that there is an optimal degree of decoherence induced by the quantum measurement which maximizes the generated entanglement. A two-color QND scheme used in this paper is shown to have a number of advantages for entanglement generation as compared to a single color QND measurement.Comment: 6 pages+suppl, PNAS forma

Factors behind job preferences of Peruvian medical, nursing and midwifery students: a qualitative study focused on rural deployment

Background: Deployment of health workforce in rural areas is critical to reach universal health coverage. Students? perceptions towards practice in rural areas likely influence their later choice of a rural post. We aimed at exploring perceptions of students from health professions about career choice, job expectations, motivations and potential incentives to work in a rural area. Methods: In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted among medical, nursing and midwifery students from universities of two Peruvian cities (Ica and Ayacucho). Themes for assessment and analysis included career choice, job expectations, motivations and incentives, according to a background theory a priori built for the study purpose. Results: Preference for urban jobs was already established at this undergraduate level. Solidarity, better income expectations, professional and personal recognition, early life experience and family models influenced career choice. Students also expressed altruism, willingness to choose a rural job after graduation and potential responsiveness to incentives for practising in rural areas, which emerged more frequent from the discourse of nursing and midwifery students and from all students of rural origin. Medical students expressed expectations to work in large urban hospitals offering higher salaries. They showed higher personal, professional and family welfare expectations. Participants consistently favoured both financial and non-financial incentives. Conclusions: Nursing and midwifery students showed a higher disposition to work in rural areas than medical doctors, which was more evident in students of rural origin. Our results may be useful to improve targeting and selection of undergraduate students, to stimulate the inclination of students to choose a rural job upon graduation and to reorient school programmes towards the production of socially committed health professionals. Policymakers may also consider using our results when planning and implementing interventions to improve rural deployment of health professionals

Análisis de la heurística en la contratación empresarial a través de una cartera de derivados reales

Departing from the notion that labour legislation should be founded in the generation of job stability a model for recruitment is presented in which the employer is likened to the holder of an investment portfolio containing two real derivatives – swap or the option of sale. This model allows us on one hand to analyze sensitivity to the variables that are at play in an employment contract and, on the other, look at the effects that the most recent reforms in Spanish labour laws have had on contracting decisions made by employers. The results are clear: social security benefits are shown to be the most sensitive variable on the work contract, and applying the changes proposed in the latest labour reforms, this effect is upheld. The study concludes that reducing the costs of dismissal does not increase the likelihood of employers’ taking on new staff.Dada la situación actual y partiendo del supuesto que como herramienta para una correcta política de empleo la legislación laboral debe sentar las bases sólidas para que en el momento de recuperación económica se generen puestos de trabajo estables, se presenta un modelo de simulación de contratación que nos va a permitir un análisis de sensibilidad de las distintas variables a tener en cuenta en una regulación del mercado laboral. El modelo consiste en asimilar el comportamiento del empresario al del propietario de una cartera de inversión compuesta por dos derivados reales, un swap y una opción de venta americana. Este modelo nos permite, por un lado, hacer un análisis de sensibilidad de las diferentes variables que intervienen en la contratación, y, por otro lado, analizar los efectos que la última reforma laboral española tiene sobre la decisión de contratar del empresario. Los resultados son claros, la variable que más sensibilidad presenta sobre la contratación es la cuota patronal de la seguridad social, y aplicando los cambios propuestos en esta última reforma laboral, se concretan estos efectos y también se concluye que la reducción de los costes de despido no acelera la decisión de contratar.Dada a situação atual e partindo do suposto que como ferramenta para uma correta política de emprego, a legislação laboral deve instituir as bases sólidas para que, no momento da recuperação econômica, se gerem postos de trabalho estáveis, se apresentem um modelo de simulação de contratação que nos permitirá uma análise de sensibilidade das diferentes variáveis a considerar em uma regulação do mercado laboral. O modelo consiste em assimilar o comportamento do empresário ao do proprietário de uma carteira de investimento composto por dois derivados reais, um swap e uma opção de venda americana. Esse modelo nos permite, por um lado, fazer uma análise de sensibilidade das diferentes variáveis que intervêm na contratação e, por outro lado, analisar os efeitos que a última reforma laboral espanhola tem sobre a decisão de contratar do empresário. Os resultados são claros, a variável que mais sensibilidade apresenta sobre a contratação é a cota patronal da previdência social e aplicando as mudanças propostas nesta última reforma laboral, concretizam-se esses efeitos e também se conclui que a redução dos custos de demissão não acelera a decisão de contrata

Particle models from orientifolds at Gepner-orbifold points

We consider configurations of stacks of orientifold planes and D-branes wrapped on a non trivial internal space of the structure {(Gepner model)^{c=3n} x T^{2(3-n)}}/Z_N, for n=1,2,3. By performing simple moddings by discrete symmetries of Gepner models at orienti fold points, consistent with a Z_N orbifold action, we show that projection on D-brane configurations can be achieved, generically leading to chiral gauge theories. Either supersymmetric or non-supersymmetric (tachyon free) models can be obtained. We illustrate the procedure through some explicit examples.Comment: 36 pages, no figures Corrected sign of eq. 6.26 references added, minor correction

Conformational changes of calmodulin upon Ca2+ binding studied with a microfluidic mixer

A microfluidic mixer is applied to study the kinetics of calmodulin conformational changes upon Ca2+ binding. The device facilitates rapid, uniform mixing by decoupling hydrodynamic focusing from diffusive mixing and accesses time scales of tens of microseconds. The mixer is used in conjunction with multiphoton microscopy to examine the fast Ca2+-induced transitions of acrylodan-labeled calmodulin. We find that the kinetic rates of the conformational changes in two homologous globular domains differ by more than an order of magnitude. The characteristic time constants are ≈490 μs for the transitions in the C-terminal domain and ≈20 ms for those in the N-terminal domain of the protein. We discuss possible mechanisms for the two distinct events and the biological role of the stable intermediate, half-saturated calmodulin

IN SITU OBSERVATION OF ACICULAR FERRITE FORMATION USING HT-LSCM: POSSIBILITIES, CHALLENGES AND INFLUENCING FACTORS

Abstract By using a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope combined with a High Temperature Furnace (HT-LSCM) for the in situ investigation of acicular ferrite (AF) formation in HSLA steels, new information about the mechanism of formation of this high toughness phase can be gained. Due to the utilization of an inert furnace atmosphere, the ability to accurately adjustment the austenitizing temperature and the well-controllable cooling conditions, the interactions between steel composition, austenite grain size, cooling rate and the fraction of AF formed have been analyzed in detail. The present work focuses on necessary adaptions and appropriate settings of the HT-LSCM for the investigation of the formation of AF. An intensive study of setting parameters for the visualization of the AF formation is done. Special attention is paid to the techniques by which austenite grain size is determined and the effect of austenite grain size on the fraction of AF formed. In addition, the complexity of studying manganese alloyed steels in the HT-LSCM has been elucidated

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Apixaban Versus Edoxaban in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation for Stroke Prevention

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the cost effectiveness of apixaban versus edoxaban in the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism (SE) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Spain. METHODS: We customized a Markov model with ten health states to estimate the lifetime economic and clinical outcomes in 6-week cycles. The efficacy (clinical event rates per 100 patient-years) and safety data were derived from a pairwise indirect treatment comparison. The analysis was conducted from both the national health service (NHS) and societal perspectives, and included pharmaceutical costs (retail price plus value-added tax (VAT) and applicable national deductions) according to daily dosages (apixaban 10 mg (5 mg twice daily (bid)) and edoxaban 60 or 30 mg) and complications and disease-management costs, obtained from national databases. Utilities for quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) calculations reflected EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores in patients with AF. An annual discount rate of 3% was applied for costs (euro, year 2019 values) and outcomes. RESULTS: In a 1000-patient cohort, apixaban 5 mg bid versus edoxaban 60 mg could avoid five strokes, six major bleedings and 29 clinically relevant non-major bleedings (CRNMBs). Compared with edoxaban 30 mg, apixaban could avoid 21 strokes and two SEs. An increase in bleedings was observed with apixaban (seven haemorrhagic strokes, 48 major bleedings and 17 CRNMBs). Apixaban yielded 0.04 additional QALYs compared with edoxaban 60 mg or 30 mg. Incremental costs/QALY were euro9639.33 and euro354.22 for apixaban versus edoxaban 60 mg and edoxaban 30 mg, respectively, from the NHS perspective and euro7756.62 for apixaban versus edoxaban 60 mg from the societal perspective. Apixaban was dominant versus edoxaban 30 mg from the societal perspective. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the model. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that apixaban 5 mg bid is a cost-effective alternative to edoxaban for stroke prevention in the AF population in Spain

Policy Options for Sustainable Food Consumption – Review and Recommendations for Sweden. Mistra Sustainable Consumption report 1:10

The environmental impact of the average Swede’s diet exceeds the planetary limits for the food system in most areas. Over 15% of consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions come from food in Sweden. Sweden’s agricultural landscape has the largest proportion of European Red List species of all landscape types in Sweden and food imports are associated with high rates of land use, pesticides and veterinary antibiotics in other countries. Our diet is also not sustainable in terms of health – for example, 51% of Swedes are overweight and many of the most common diseases and causes of death are linked to diet.This report identifies and discusses policy instruments that the state and other public actors could introduce to steer food consumption in Sweden towards a more environmentally sustainable diet. Seventeen policy instruments operating either through knowledge and support, changes in relative prices, or regulation and requirements have been identified and previous research on policy effectiveness, costs and acceptance has been mapped out in a way that we hope is clear and easy to understand. Based on the current state of knowledge, we have formulated three recommendations on what public actors could do to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable food system.1.Intensify work in the public sector2.Develop national targets for sustainable food consumption3.Develop and implement effective and attractive policy instrument packagesThe mapping and analysis show that there is a need for research on policy instruments for environmentally sustainable food consumption, particularly when it comes to combinations of instruments. However, there is a sufficient evidence base for the immediate development and implementation of policy instruments to deal with the climate, environmental and health impacts of food. A focus on targets and policy instruments in the food area, as outlined above, is also fully in line with the EU’s new Farm-to-Fork strategy. The policy instruments discussed in the report can probably achieve only part of the huge, transformative changes required to limit the production and consumption of food to planetary limits, but a central issue is how to do this. Part of the answer lies in a change in food consumption and here we believe that we know where the answer lies: public actors ought to develop and implement a variety of policy instruments and systematically evaluate them – it is in this more large-scale implementation that the real need for research lies. The challenge of reducing the environmental impact of food consumption in Sweden is considerable, but there are good opportunities for nudging the trend towards more environment-friendly and health-friendly sustainable food consumption through the deployment of new policy instruments