Consistent Quantum Counterfactuals

An analysis using classical stochastic processes is used to construct a consistent system of quantum counterfactual reasoning. When applied to a counterfactual version of Hardy's paradox, it shows that the probabilistic character of quantum reasoning together with the ``one framework'' rule prevents a logical contradiction, and there is no evidence for any mysterious nonlocal influences. Counterfactual reasoning can support a realistic interpretation of standard quantum theory (measurements reveal what is actually there) under appropriate circumstances.Comment: Minor modifications to make it agree with published version. Latex 8 pages, 2 figure

Dutch Disease, Asian Economic Crisis and B-S Theoren

小論の目的は，非貿易財を含む特殊的要素モデルを用いて，貿易が非貿易財の価格と生産に与える効果，オランダ病，アジア経済危機，およびB-S定理などを一つの統一された形で説明することである。その結果，もし強い所得効果が存在する場合，貿易財の価格変化が非貿易財の価格に逆説的な効果を与えることが示されるが，それは消費理論における「ギッフェン財」の場合に似ている。オランダ病は非貿易財部門の特殊的要素に有利な方向に所得分配を変えること，またそれが経済の脱工業化を促進することが示される。さらにアジア経済危機やB-S定理が非貿易財市場の均衡プロセスの中で示される

Do Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Practices Contribute to Human–Coyote Conflicts in Southern California?

One possible contributor to the unusually high number of conflicts between coyotes (Canis latrans) and people in urban southern California, USA, may be the abundance of free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus; cats) subsidized by feeding and augmented by trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs. To determine if coyotes regularly prey on and consume cats, we combined visual and molecular-genetic approaches to identify prey items in stomachs of 311 coyotes from Los Angeles County and Orange County, provided to the South Coast Research and Extension Center, in Irvine, California, between June 2015 and December 2018. We detected cat remains in 35% of the stomachs of 245 coyotes with identifiable meals, making cats the most common mammalian prey item consumed and more common than reported previously. Using a geographic information systems approach, we then compared landscape characteristics associated with locations of coyotes that ate cats to public shelter records for TNR cat colonies. Cat-eating coyotes were associated with areas that were more intensively developed, had little natural or altered open space, and had higher building densities than coyotes that did not eat cats. Locations of TNR colonies had similar landscape characteristics. Coyotes associated with TNR colonies, and those that were euthanized (vs. road-killed), were also more likely to have consumed cats. The high frequency of cat remains in coyote diets and landscape characteristics associated with TNR colonies and cat-eating coyotes support the argument that high cat densities and associated supplemental feeding attracted coyotes. Effective mitigation of human–coyote conflicts may require prohibitions on outdoor feeding of free-roaming cats and wildlife and the elimination of TNR colonies

Quantum Counterfactuals and Locality

Stapp's counterfactual argument for quantum nonlocality based upon a Hardy entangled state is shown to be flawed. While he has correctly analyzed a particular framework using the method of consistent histories, there are alternative frameworks which do not support his argument. The framework dependence of quantum counterfactual arguments, with analogs in classical counterfactuals, vitiates the claim that nonlocal (superluminal) influences exist in the quantum world. Instead it shows that counterfactual arguments are of limited use for analyzing these questions.Comment: 8 pages, 1 PSTricks figur

Assessment of utility of daily patient results averages as adjunct quality control in a weekday-only satellite chemistry laboratory

ABSTRACT Background: Our department operates a weekday-only (8AM-5PM) satellite laboratory in an infusion center with a menu of 18 chemistry tests on a Roche c501 analyzer. We examined whether daily patient results averages (PRA) in this setting might be useful as a patient-based quality control (PBQC) adjunct to standard daily liquid quality control (LQC) measurements. First, we evaluated the reproducibility (coefficient of variation, CV) of daily PRAs for each analyte, and compared these to CVs of LQC. Second, for select analytes found to have relatively low PRA CVs, we evaluated the extent to which use of daily PRA measurements could improve detection of analytical errors when combined with LQC. Methods: Patient results data for approximately one month (21 weekdays) were obtained from the Sunquest laboratory information system. For calculation of patient results averages (PRA), qualifying results were restricted to those within the reference range for each analyte. PRA and standard deviation (S) of PRA across 21 days was calculated for each analyte. Coefficients of variation for PRA (CV-PRA) were compared to those observed for standard liquid quality control (LQC) measurements (CV-LQC). For those analytes for which CV-PRA was less than CV-LQC, we evaluated the potential advantage of addition of PRA to daily LQC. For each analyte, a presumed PRA shift was determined such that probability of detection (P) was 0.5 when using LQC alone (viz., using high LQC and low LQC measurements), according to criterion that at least one 1-2S deviation from mean was obtained. For this same PRA shift, P = 0.5 for LQC alone was compared to P obtained for LQC + PRA (viz., using high LQC, low LQC, and PRA measurements), according to the same criterion. Results: Across 21 days, the number of results per day per assay ranged from 23 ±4 (uric acid) to 75 ±21 (electrolytes). Qualifying results (results within the reference range) ranged from 70 ± 6 % (LDH) to 99 ± 1 % (Cl). Seven analytes had CV-PRA \u3c CV-LQC (analyte, CV%): albumin, 1.25%; Ca, 0.67%; Cl, 0.62%; CO2, 1.13%; creatinine, 3.44%; K, 1.14%; Na, 0.65%. The remainder did not meet this criterion: ALP, 3.7%; ALT, 5.2%; AST, 5.1%; BUN, 4.6%; glucose, 1.4%; LDH, 2.0%; Mg, 1.4%; P, 2.5%; protein, 0.9%; TBIL, 6.1%; uric acid, 4.3%. Among the seven analytes for which CV-PRA \u3c CV-LQC, probability (P) of shift detection by LQC for circumstances as described in Methods (LQC P = 0.5) was increased substantially by inclusion of PRA (analyte, shift in analyte concentration, P): CO2, ±1.07 mmol/L, 0.97; creatinine, ±0.099 mg/dL, 0.93; albumin, ±0.126 g/dL, 0.85; Ca, ±0.14 mg/dL, 0.80; K, ±0.097 mmol/L, 0.76; Cl, ±1.24 mmol/L, 0.74; Na, ±1.48 mmol/L, 0.68. Conclusions: For 7 analytes, daily PRA demonstrated CVs less than those for LQC. For these analytes, calculations demonstrated that daily PRA can increase probability of detection of small results shifts when used as an adjunct to LQC. Daily PRA is a simple and essentially cost-free form of PBQC that may be useful for certain analytes in part-time laboratory settings

Tumor Doubling Time of Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumors Measured by CT

Introduction: Pulmonary carcinoid tumor (PCT) is a rare neuroendocrine lung cancer that is known clinically to be a slow-growing neoplasm. Few studies have established the true growth rate of these tumors when followed over time by radiography. Therefore, we sought to determine PCT tumor doubling time using longitudinal Computed Tomography (CT) scans. Nodule guidelines may misclassify early PCT nodules with a small diameter as benign if tumor growth is too slow to be appreciable on follow up radiographic scans completed between six months and two years after initial detection. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of available CT imaging of all PCTs treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital between 2006-2020 where radiographic follow up occurred prior to biopsy or resection. Nodule dimensions were measured manually using Phillips Intellispace PACS or retrieved from radiology reports. Tumor doubling time was calculated for all tumors demonstrating definitive growth (an increase in average diameter ≥ 2 mm) over a follow up interval of at least two years. Results: Fifteen patients had pathologically proven PCT with pre-resection observation times exceeding two years. 12/15 (80%) were typical carcinoids and 3/15 were atypical. 11/12 of the typical PCTs demonstrated definitive growth with a median doubling time of 140 weeks (mean = 161 ± 105 weeks). Discussion: The median doubling time of typical PCT was 141 weeks, or almost three years. It is conceivable that PCTs detected early with small diameter may be mistaken for benign non-growing lesions when followed for less than two years in low-risk patients

Consistent Resolution of Some Relativistic Quantum Paradoxes

A relativistic version of the (consistent or decoherent) histories approach to quantum theory is developed on the basis of earlier work by Hartle, and used to discuss relativistic forms of the paradoxes of spherical wave packet collapse, Bohm's formulation of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen, and Hardy's paradox. It is argued that wave function collapse is not needed for introducing probabilities into relativistic quantum mechanics, and in any case should never be thought of as a physical process. Alternative approaches to stochastic time dependence can be used to construct a physical picture of the measurement process that is less misleading than collapse models. In particular, one can employ a coarse-grained but fully quantum mechanical description in which particles move along trajectories, with behavior under Lorentz transformations the same as in classical relativistic physics, and detectors are triggered by particles reaching them along such trajectories. States entangled between spacelike separate regions are also legitimate quantum descriptions, and can be consistently handled by the formalism presented here. The paradoxes in question arise because of using modes of reasoning which, while correct for classical physics, are inconsistent with the mathematical structure of quantum theory, and are resolved (or tamed) by using a proper quantum analysis. In particular, there is no need to invoke, nor any evidence for, mysterious long-range superluminal influences, and thus no incompatibility, at least from this source, between relativity theory and quantum mechanics.Comment: Latex 42 pages, 7 figures in text using PSTrick

Quantum Locality

It is argued that while quantum mechanics contains nonlocal or entangled states, the instantaneous or nonlocal influences sometimes thought to be present due to violations of Bell inequalities in fact arise from mistaken attempts to apply classical concepts and introduce probabilities in a manner inconsistent with the Hilbert space structure of standard quantum mechanics. Instead, Einstein locality is a valid quantum principle: objective properties of individual quantum systems do not change when something is done to another noninteracting system. There is no reason to suspect any conflict between quantum theory and special relativity.Comment: Introduction has been revised, references added, minor corrections elsewhere. To appear in Foundations of Physic

Discordant Responses Between Primary Head and Neck Tumors and Nodal Metastases Treated With Neoadjuvant Nivolumab: Correlation of Radiographic and Pathologic Treatment Effect.

PD-1 blockade represents a promising treatment in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We analyzed results of a neoadjuvant randomized window-of-opportunity trial of nivolumab plus/minus tadalafil to investigate whether immunotherapy-mediated treatment effects vary by site of involvement (primary tumor, lymph nodes) and determine how radiographic tumor shrinkage correlates with pathologic treatment effect. Patients and Methods: Forty-four patients enrolled in trial NCT03238365 were treated with nivolumab 240 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15 with or without oral tadalafil, as determined by random assignment, followed by surgery on day 31. Radiographic volumetric response (RVR) was defined as percent change in tumor volume from pretreatment to posttreatment CT scan. Responders were defined as those with a 10% reduction in the volume of the primary tumor or lymph nodes (LN). Pathologic treatment effect (PTE) was defined as the area showing fibrosis or lymphohistiocytic inflammation divided by total tumor area. Results: Sixteen of 32 patients (50%) with pathologic evidence of LN involvement exhibited discordant PTE between primary sites and LN. In four patients with widely discordant adjacent LN, increased PTE was associated with increased infiltration of tumor CD8+ T cells and CD163+ macrophages, whereas stromal regulatory T cells were associated with low nodal PTE. RVR correlated with PTE at both primary tumor (slope = 0.55, p \u3c 0.001) and in LN (slope = 0.62, p \u3c 0.05). 89% (16/18) of radiographic non-responders with T1-T3 primary sites had no (n = 7) or minimal PTE (n = 9), whereas 15/17 (88%) of radiographic responders had moderate (n = 12) or complete (n = 3) PTE. Conclusion: Nivolumab often induces discordant treatment effects between primary tumor sites and metastatic lymph nodes within subjects. This treatment discordance was also demonstrated in adjacent lymph nodes, which may correlate with local immune cell makeup. Finally, although these data were generated by a relatively small population size, our data support the use of early radiographic response to assess immunotherapy treatment effect in HNSCC