Gut bacteria and necrotizing enterocolitis: cause or effect?

Development of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is considered to be dependent on the bacterial colonisation of the gut. With little concordance between published data and a recent study failing to detect a common strain in infants with NEC, more questions than answers are arising about our understanding of this complex disease

Relativistic entanglement of two massive particles

We describe the spin and momentum degrees of freedom of a system of two massive spin--$\tfrac{1}{2}$ particles as a 4 qubit system. Then we explicitly show how the entanglement changes between different partitions of the qubits, when considered by different inertial observers. Although the two particle entanglement corresponding to a partition into Alice's and Bob's subsystems is, as often stated in the literature, invariant under Lorentz boosts, the entanglement with respect to other partitions of the Hilbert space on the other hand, is not. It certainly does depend on the chosen inertial frame and on the initial state considered. The change of entanglement arises, because a Lorentz boost on the momenta of the particles causes a Wigner rotation of the spin, which in certain cases entangles the spin- with the momentum states. We systematically investigate the situation for different classes of initial spin states and different partitions of the 4 qubit space. Furthermore, we study the behavior of Bell inequalities for different observers and demonstrate how the maximally possible degree of violation, using the Pauli-Lubanski spin observable, can be recovered by any inertial observer.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

Relativistic quantum clocks

The conflict between quantum theory and the theory of relativity is exemplified in their treatment of time. We examine the ways in which their conceptions differ, and describe a semiclassical clock model combining elements of both theories. The results obtained with this clock model in flat spacetime are reviewed, and the problem of generalizing the model to curved spacetime is discussed, before briefly describing an experimental setup which could be used to test of the model. Taking an operationalist view, where time is that which is measured by a clock, we discuss the conclusions that can be drawn from these results, and what clues they contain for a full quantum relativistic theory of time.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. Invited contribution for the proceedings for "Workshop on Time in Physics" Zurich 201

X-ray diffraction microscopy based on refractive optics

A formalism is presented for dark-field X-ray microscopy using refractive optics. The new technique can produce three-dimensional maps of lattice orientation and axial strain within millimetre-sized sampling volumes and is particularly suited toin situstudies of materials at hard X-ray energies. An objective lens in the diffracted beam magnifies the image and acts as a very efficient filter in reciprocal space, enabling the imaging of individual domains of interest with a resolution of 100 nm. Analytical expressions for optical parameters such as numerical aperture, vignetting, and the resolution in both direct and reciprocal spaces are provided. It is shown that the resolution function in reciprocal space can be highly anisotropic and varies as a function of position in the field of view. Inserting a square aperture in front of the objective lens facilitates disjunct and space-filling sampling, which is key for three-dimensional reconstruction and analysis procedures based on the conservation of integrated intensity. A procedure for strain scanning is presented. Finally the formalism is validated experimentally at an X-ray energy of 17 keV.</jats:p

<i>In situ</i> monitoring of structure formation in the active layer of polymer solar cells during roll-to-roll coating

The active layer crystallization during roll-to-roll coating of organic solar cells is studied in situ. We developed an X-ray setup where the coater unit is an integrated part of the small angle X-ray scattering instrument, making it possible to control the coating process while recording scattering measurements in situ, enabling us to follow the crystal formation during drying. By varying the distance between the coating head and the point where the X-ray beam hits the film, we obtained measurements of 4 different stages of drying. For each of those stages, the scattering from as long a foil as possible is summed together, with the distance from coating head to scattering point kept constant. The results are average crystallographic properties for the active layer coated on a 30 m long foil. With this insight into the dynamics of crystallization in a roll-coated polymer film, we find that the formation of textured and untextured crystallites seems uncorrelated, and happens at widely different rates. Untextured P3HT crystallites form later in the drying process than expected which may explain previous studies speculating that untextured crystallization depends on concentration. Textured crystallites, however, begin forming much earlier and steadily increases as the film dries, showing a development similar to other in situ studies of these materials

Lorentz invariance of entanglement classes in multipartite systems

We analyze multipartite entanglement in systems of spin-1/2 particles from a relativistic perspective. General conditions which have to be met for any classification of multipartite entanglement to be Lorentz invariant are derived, which contributes to a physical understanding of entanglement classification. We show that quantum information in a relativistic setting requires the partition of the Hilbert space into particles to be taken seriously. Furthermore, we study exemplary cases and show how the spin and momentum entanglement transforms relativistically in a multipartite setting.Comment: v2: 5 pages, 4 figures, minor changes to main body, journal references update

Acceptability of new formulations of Corn-Soy Blends and Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements in Province du Passoré, Burkina Faso

The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of new formulations of six corn-soy blended flours (CSB) and six lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) with different quantities of milk and qualities of soy to be used for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Furthermore, we wanted to explore the acceptability of foods currently used for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in Burkina Faso to identify possible barriers that could affect the acceptability of the new formulations of supplementary foods. The study was carried out prior to a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of these new formulations. The study involved an observed test-meal and a three-day take-home ration of the experimental food supplements to 6-30-months-old healthy children, followed by questionnaire-based interviews about the acceptability of these supplements. Interviews and focus group discussions were carried out to explore the acceptability of foods currently used for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition. The results suggest that both LNS and CSB products with different quantities of milk and qualities of soy are equally well accepted among healthy children in rural Burkina Faso based on general appreciation of the supplements and organoleptic properties. All experimental foods received good ratings and there was no significant difference between the foods. However, after the take-home ration, 58% of participants receiving CSB reported having left-overs at the end of the day compared to 37% (n=33) of the participants receiving LNS (p=0.004), suggesting that CSB was not as readily consumed as LNS. Yet, both CSB and LNS products were perceived as easy to administer and the frequency of feeding was estimated to be adequate. The study also found that similar foods, used for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, were well appreciated in the study location. LNS were to a higher degree associated with medicine or foods with medicinal properties, but both LNS and CSB were perceived as beneficial to child health