PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New study highlights importance of context to physical theories

A Swansea University scientist's research into the geometrical characteristics of a physical theories is highlighted in a new paper.

2021-02-26
(Press-News.org) A Swansea University scientist's research into the geometrical characteristics of a physical theories is highlighted in a new paper.

Physicist Dr Farid Shahandeh said: "Imagine a physical theory whose explanation for the trajectory of an apple falling from a tree differs for Gala and Pink Lady. We know that the apple's variety has nothing to do with how it falls. A theory like this is overcomplicated.

"Any seemingly unnecessary and nonsensical parameter like this adds context to a theory's description of a physical phenomenon.

"Luckily, classical theories are not contextuality. But, we know that if we try to interpret quantum mechanics in classical terms, it becomes contextual, and consequently counterintuitive."

In his study Contextuality of General Probabilistic Theories Dr Shahandeh examines what structural property of a theory like quantum mechanics makes it prone to contextuality.

It has just been published in PRX Quantum, a prestigious journal from American Physical Society.

He said: "In this work we determine the geometrical characteristics that give rise to either noncontextuality or contextuality of a physical theory.

"In doing so, we consider the framework of general probabilistic theories, a unified tool that comes very handy for constructing generic physical theories."

He added: "The techniques and results obtained in this work can be extended and applied to quantum information processing tasks that aim for non-classical advantages."

Dr Shahandeh is the recipient of a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 research fellowship, the annual awards designed to give early career scientists or engineers of exceptional promise the opportunity to conduct a research project of their own instigation.

His research at the College of Science examines the characterization of fundamental resources required for quantum computation algorithms.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Quantum quirk yields giant magnetic effect, where none should exist

Quantum quirk yields giant magnetic effect, where none should exist
2021-02-26
HOUSTON - (Feb. 26, 2021) - In a twist befitting the strange nature of quantum mechanics, physicists have discovered the Hall effect -- a characteristic change in the way electricity is conducted in the presence of a magnetic field -- in a nonmagnetic quantum material to which no magnetic field was applied. The discovery by researchers from Rice University, Austria's Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Switzerland's Paul Scherrer Institute and Canada's McMaster University is detailed in a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Of interest are both the origins of the effect, which is typically associated with magnetism, and its gigantic magnitude -- more than 1,000 times larger than one might observe in simple ...

Considering disorder and cooperative effects in photon escape rates from atomic gases

2021-02-26
Whilst a great deal of research has studied the rates of photons escaping from cold atomic gases, these studies have used a scalar description of light leaving some of its properties untested. In a new paper published in EPJ B Louis Bellando, a post-doctoral researcher at LOMA, University of Bordeaux, France, and his coauthors--Aharon Gero and Eric Akkermans, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, and Robin Kaiser, Université Côte d'Azur, France--aim to numerically investigative the roles of cooperative effects and disorder in photon escape rates from a cold atomic gas to construct a model that considers the vectorial ...

Blood tests offer early indicator of severe COVID-19, study says

2021-02-26
When patients with COVID-19 arrive in emergency rooms, there are relatively few ways for doctors to predict which ones are more likely to become critically ill and require intensive care and which ones are more likely to enjoy a quick recovery. New Yale research could help them identify important early clues. In a recent study, researchers report that a series of biomarkers, or biological signals, associated with white blood cell activation and obesity can predict severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients. The findings appear in the Feb. 26 edition of Blood Advances. "Patients with high levels of these markers were much more like to require care in the intensive care unit, require ventilation, or die due to their COVID-19," said Dr. Hyung Chun, ...

New research finds exercise may help slow memory loss for people living with Alzheimer's dementia

New research finds exercise may help slow memory loss for people living with Alzheimers dementia
2021-02-26
PHOENIX, Arizona, February 26, 2021- Promising new research shows aerobic exercise may help slow memory loss for older adults living with Alzheimer's dementia. ASU Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation Professor Fang Yu led a pilot randomized control trial that included 96 older adults living with mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia. Participants were randomized to either a cycling (stationary bike) or stretching intervention for six months. Using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition (ADAS-Cog) to assess cognition, the results of the trial were substantial. The six-month change in ADAS-Cog was 1.0±4.6 (cycling) and 0.1±4.1 (stretching), which were both significantly ...

Using neutron scattering to better understand milk composition

2021-02-26
Neutron scattering is a technique commonly used in physics and biology to understand the composition of complex multicomponent mixtures and is increasingly being used to study applied materials such as food. A new paper published in EPJ E by Gregory N Smith, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, shows an example of neutron scattering in the area of food science. Smith uses neutron scattering to better investigate casein micelles in milk, with the aim of developing an approach for future research. Smith, also a researcher at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in ...

Unburdening China of cancer: Trend analysis to assist prevention measures

Unburdening China of cancer: Trend analysis to assist prevention measures
2021-02-26
The past century or so has seen unprecedented technological, scientific, and sociological evolution worldwide. These have accompanied global shifts in people's lifestyles and rapid changes in the environment, both natural and man-made. An unfavorable consequence of these alterations has been the increasing burden of cancer on human society. As the country with the largest population, China has borne this burden heavily. Despite the massive progress China has made in healthcare since the 1950s, cancer has become the leading killer in the country. ...

Measuring the tRNA world

2021-02-26
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) deliver specific amino acids to ribosomes during translation of messenger RNA into proteins. The abundance of tRNAs can therefore have a profound impact on cell physiology, but measuring the amount of each tRNA in cells has been limited by technical challenges. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry have now overcome these limitations with mim-tRNAseq, a method that can be used to quantify tRNAs in any organism and will help improve our understanding of tRNA regulation in health and disease. A cell contains several hundred thousand tRNA molecules, each of which consists of only 70 to 90 nucleotides folded into a cloverleaf-like pattern. At one end, tRNAs carry one of the twenty amino acids that serve as protein building blocks, while the ...

Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2

2021-02-26
What The Study Did: Researchers investigated whether home addresses recorded in the electronic medical record could be used to accurately estimate transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 and identify risk factors for transmission. Authors: Joshua P. Metlay, M.D., Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0304) Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial ...

When young people start smoking

2021-02-26
What The Study Did: Researchers in this observational study assess at what age young people ages 12 to 17 start using cigarettes. Authors: Adriana Pérez, Ph.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in Austin, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0218) Editor's Note: The article includes conflicts of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media advisory: The full study is linked to ...

Study finds link between racial, socioeconomic factors and atrial fibrillation treatment

2021-02-26
PHILADELPHIA-- Even though the use of rhythm control strategies for treating Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a common abnormal heart rhythm, have increased overall in the United States, patients from racial and ethnic minority groups and those with lower income were less likely to receive rhythm control treatment - often the preferred treatment - according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study is published in the JAMA Network Open. "Research has demonstrated the pervasive impact of structural racism on health outcomes among minoritized patients. We know, for instance, that there is less use of novel cardiovascular therapies among Black, Latinx, and patients of lower socioeconomic ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Researchers improve chemical reaction that underpins products from foods to fuels

Texas Tech to develop semiconductor power devices through $6 million grant

Novel genomic screening tool enables precision reverse-engineering of genetic programming in cells

Hot Schrödinger cat states created

How cells repair their power plants

Oxygen is running low in inland waters—and humans are to blame

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

[Press-News.org] New study highlights importance of context to physical theories
A Swansea University scientist's research into the geometrical characteristics of a physical theories is highlighted in a new paper.