On Particle Phenomenology Without Particle Ontology: How Much Local Is Almost Local?

Recently, Clifton and Halvorson have tried to salvage a particle phenomenology in the absence of particle ontology within algebraic relativistic quantum field theory. Their idea is that the detection of a particle is the measurement of a local observable which simulates the measurement of an almost local observable that annihilates the vacuum. In this note, we argue that the measurements local particle detections are supposed to simulate probe radically holistic aspects of relativistic quantum fields. We prove that in an axiomatic (Haag-Araki) quantum field theory on Minkowski spacetime, formulated in a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$ , there is no positive observable C, with norm less than or equal to 1, satisfying the conditions: (1) the expectation value of C in the vacuum state Ω is zero, (2) there is at least one vector state Ψ in $\mathcal{H}$ in which the expectation value of C is different from zero, and (3) there exists at least one spacetime region $\mathcal{O}$ such that the non-selective measurement of C leaves the expectation values of all observables in the local algebra of that region unaltered regardless of the state the system is in. The result reveals a tension between intuitions regarding localization and intuitions regarding causality: to save “particle phenomena” in the absence of particle ontology, one has to feign “particle” detectors with “good” properties as to locality but “bad” behavior as to causality.     

Poly(etheretherketone)-turnings a novel sorbent material for lead determination by flow injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry and factorial design optimization

A novel hydrophobic sorbent material for on-line column preconcentration and separation systems coupled with atomic spectrometry was developed. Poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) in the form of turnings was used as packing material and evaluated for trace lead determination in environmental samples. Sample and ammonium diethyl-dithiophosphate (DDPA) reagent were mixed on-line and the Pb(II)-DDPA complex was retained effectively on PEEK-turnings. Isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK) was adopted for efficient analyte complex elution and subsequently transportation into the nebulizer-burner system for atomization. The developed sorbent material has shown, excellent chemical and mechanical resistance, fast adsorption kinetics permitting the use of high sample flow rates without significant loss of retention efficiency. For 120 s sample preconcentration time the sampling frequency was 20 h⁻¹, the enhancement factor was 110, the detection limit (3 s) was c_L = 0.32 μg L⁻¹, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was s_R = 2.2%, at the 50.0 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II) level. The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials.     

Extreme value properties of multivariate t copulas

The extremal dependence behavior of t copulas is examined and their extreme value limiting copulas, called the t-EV copulas, are derived explicitly using tail dependence functions. As two special cases, the Hüsler–Reiss and the Marshall–Olkin distributions emerge as limits of the t-EV copula as the degrees of freedom go to infinity and zero respectively. The t copula and its extremal variants attain a wide range in the set of bivariate tail dependence parameters. Supported by NSERC Discovery Grant.     

A simple HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and two serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors in hair, nail clippings, and cerebrospinal fluid

A novel and simple high-performance liquid chromatography method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine and paroxetine) and two serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (venlafaxine and duloxetine) in alternative samples of toxicological interest such as hair, nail clippings, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The separation was achieved on a Hichrom Kromasil 100-5C(18) (250 × 4.6 mm) 5 μm column by using ammonium acetate (0.05 M)-acetonitrile (59:41% v/v) as the mobile phase, delivered isocratically at a flow rate of 1.3 mL/min, within ca. 10 min. Ultraviolet detection at 235 nm was used for monitoring the eluting analytes. Validation was performed in terms of linearity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, and stability. Correlation coefficients were greater than 0.9954. The limits of quantitation ranged between 0.3 and 2.1 ng/μL for all analytes in the liquid matrix (CSF), while the respective values were in the range of 0.3-3.6 ng/mg for solid matrices (hair and nail clippings), with an injection volume of 20 μL. Repeatability and intermediate precision (relative standard deviation, RSD%) were less than 16.6%. The method was successfully applied to actual hair and nail samples from a patient under fluoxetine treatment.     

Determination of Lead,Cadmium and Mercury in Surface Marine Sediments and Mussels

Abstract

Lead, cadmium and mercury were determined in sediments and mussels, and the ability of these indicators to record metal variations in coastal marine environment is described in this work. The results of an extended investigation of the status of three gulfs at Northern Greece are given, regarding the content of these metals in surface sediments and Mytilus galloprovincialis. The samples were collected during a four-year period. The total concentration of the above heavy metals was determined after digestion of the samples by suitable mixtures of acids, including nitric, perchloric and hydrofluoric acid. The digestion was carried out in a steel pressurised bomb with closed teflon vessels. Lead and cadmium were determined by means of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), and mercury by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). The results were statistically evaluated by analysis of variance, and emphasis was given to annual, seasonal and spatial sources of variation. The annual changes during the last four years and the spatial distribution of heavy metals load is also discussed.     

On the determination of higher order terms of singular elastic stress fields near corners

Summary In two-dimensional elasticity stresses at reentrant corners exhibit singular behavior. The stress field is of the form , where (r, ) are polar coordinates centered at the tip of the corner, andf _i (; _i are smooth functions. For practical use of this series the eigenvalues _i (which are generally complex numbers) are required in order of ascending real part. The problem then is to find the roots of a transcendental equation (eigenequation) in the complex plane and arranged in order of ascending real part.A theorem is proved on the number, location and nature of the roots of this equation with the real part in fixed intervals of length . Excellent initial estimates of the real part of the complex roots become available, and so are bounds, within which single real roots exist. This enables the determination of any number of roots in ascending order of real part. The critical angles at which the eigenvalues change nature are also determined. It is shown that for certain cases and for the symmetric mode of deformation, the eigenvalue =1 does not represent a rigid body rotation, therefore it has to be included in the series representation of the stresses. The coefficientsK _i can be determined by recently developed extraction techniques, thus allowing complete determination of the elastic field and enabling its correlation with experimental data on brittle fracture, crack initiation, plastic zone estimation etc.Dedicated to Professor Ivo Babuka on the occasion of his 60th birthdayPresented at the Conference: The Impact of Mathematical Analysis on the Solution of Engineering Problems, 17–19 September 1986, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA     

Beitrag zum Mechanismus der Sorption von Molekularkolloiden an festen Stoffen

Zusammenfassung Bei der Sorption Methylenblau von Alumina nachBrockmann wurde eine Teildesorption der w?hrend der ersten Sekunden sorbierten Menge festgestellt, die auf eine chemische Alterung des Oxyds zurückgeführt werden kann. Durch die gefundenen Werte der Aktivierungsenergie der Alterung ergibt sich, da? das in Alumina nachBrockmann erhaltene Al₂O₃ gewi? mit demselben Mechanismus wie das elektrolytisch gewonnene γ₁ γ₂ Al₂O₃ (2–5) altert. Bei 0° C altert das Oxyd nicht. Das Auftreten dieses Ph?nomens bei der chromatographischen Analyse mit Alumina nachBrockmann und die M?glichkeit, dieses Ph?nomen durch Erhitzen zu beeinflussen oder zu eliminieren (0° C), führen zu neuen M?glichkeiten bei oben genannten Analysen. Derartige Untersuchungen laufen schon. Für 0° C wurden Messungen der Sorption für verschiedene Konzentrationen von Methylenblau durchgeführt und festgestellt, da? in allen F?llen dieEldridge- sche Gleichung gültig ist. Die aus den Messungen gefolgerte Aktivierungsenergie der Sorption, ?hnlich wie bei der Sorption derselben Substanz an Tierkohle, zeigt, da? in beiden F?llen derselbe Mechanismus wirksam ist: Das geschwindigkeitsbestimmende Ph?nomen ist die Diffusion der Kolloidteilchen in der Richtung der adh?rierenden Schicht der K?rner des Absorbens.