Candidate Theories Research Articles

Imprints of Barrow–Tsallis cosmology in primordial gravitational waves

Both the Barrow and Tsallis δ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\delta $$\\end{document} entropies are one-parameter generalizations of the black-hole entropy, with the same microcanonical functional form. The ensuing deformation is quantified by a dimensionless parameter Δ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Delta $$\\end{document}, which in the case of Barrow entropy represents the anomalous dimension caused by quantum fluctuations over the horizon surface, while in Tsallis’ case, it describes the deviation of the holographic scaling from extensivity. Here, we utilize the gravity-thermodynamics conjecture with the Barrow–Tsallis entropy to investigate the implications of the related modified Friedmann equations on the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves. We show that, with the experimental sensitivity of the next generation of gravitational wave detectors, such as the Big Bang Observer, it will be possible to discriminate deviations from the Λ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Lambda $$\\end{document}CDM model up to Δ≲O(10-3)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Delta \\lesssim \\mathcal {O}(10^{-3})$$\\end{document}. In this limit, Barrow–Tsallis entropy reduces to a logarithmic correction to holographic scaling, which is nearly universally predicted by both entanglement entropy calculations in the UV regime and by several candidate theories of quantum gravity. Hence, our considerations and results are expected to have general validity in the quantum gravity framework.

Abilities and the Epistemology of Ordinary Modality

Over the past two decades, modal epistemology has turned its attention to ordinary modal knowledge. This paper brings to the fore a neglected but central form of ordinary modal knowledge: knowledge of agentive modality, and in particular of our own abilities, which I call ‘ability knowledge’. I argue that modal epistemology as it is does not account for ability knowledge, by looking at the most promising candidate theories: perception-based, counterfactual-based, and similarity-based modal epistemologies. I then outline a more promising epistemology for our ability knowledge, which relies on the experience of our own agency, and draw out some lessons for modal epistemology in general.

Impact of star pressure on γ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma $$\\end{document} in modified gravity beyond post-Newtonian approach

We offer a concrete example exhibiting marked departure from the Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) approximation in a modified theory of gravity. Specifically, we derive the exact formula for the Robertson parameter γ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma $$\\end{document} in Brans–Dicke gravity for spherical compact stars, explicitly incorporating the pressure content of the stars. We achieve this by exploiting the integrability of the 00-component of the Brans–Dicke field equation. In place of the conventional PPN result γPPN=ω+1ω+2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma _{\\,\ ext {PPN}}=\\frac{\\omega +1}{\\omega +2}$$\\end{document}, we obtain the analytical expression γexact=ω+1+(ω+2)Θω+2+(ω+1)Θ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma _{\\,\ ext {exact}}=\\frac{\\omega +1+(\\omega +2)\\Theta }{\\omega +2+(\\omega +1)\\Theta }$$\\end{document} where Θ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Theta $$\\end{document} is the ratio of the total pressure P‖∗+2P⊥∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$P_{\\parallel }^{*}+2P_{\\perp }^{*}$$\\end{document} and total energy E∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E^{*}$$\\end{document} contained within the star. The dimensionless quantity Θ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Theta $$\\end{document} participates in γ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma $$\\end{document} due to the scalar degree of freedom of Brans–Dicke gravity. Our non-perturbative formula is valid for all field strengths and types of matter comprising the star. In addition, we establish two new mathematical identities linking the active gravitational mass, the ADM (Arnowitt–Deser–Misner) mass, and the Tolman mass, applicable for Brans–Dicke gravity. We draw four key conclusions:(1) The usual γPPN\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma _{\\,\ ext {PPN}}$$\\end{document} formula is violated for high-pressure mass sources, such as neutron stars, viz. when Θ≠0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Theta \ e 0$$\\end{document}, revealing a limitation of the PPN approximation in Brans–Dicke gravity. (2) The PPN result mainly stems from the assumption of pressureless matter. Even in the weak-field star case, non-zero pressure leads to a violation of the PPN formula for γ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma $$\\end{document}. Conversely, the PPN result is a good approximation for low-pressure matter, i.e. when Θ≈0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Theta \\approx 0$$\\end{document}, for all field strengths. (3) Observational constraints on γ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma $$\\end{document} set joint bounds on ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega $$\\end{document} and Θ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Theta $$\\end{document}, with the latter representing a global characteristic of a mass source. If the equation of state of matter comprising the mass source approaches the ultra-relativistic form, entailing Θ≃1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Theta \\simeq 1$$\\end{document}, γexact\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\gamma _{\\,\ ext {exact}}$$\\end{document} converges to 1 irrespective of ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega $$\\end{document}. More generally, regardless of ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega $$\\end{document}, ultra-relativistic matter tends to suppress the scalar degree of freedom in the exterior vacuum of Brans–Dicke stars, reducing the vacuum to the Schwarzschild solution. (4) In a broader context, by exposing a limitation of the PPN approximation in Brans–Dicke gravity, our findings indicate the significance of considering the interior structure of stars in observational astronomy when testing candidate theories of gravitation that involve additional degrees of freedom besides the metric tensor.

Successful Freeze-Out of Strongly Interacting Dark Matter with Even-Numbered Interactions.

Strongly interacting massive particles π have been advocated as prominent dark matter candidates when they regulate their relic abundance through odd-numbered 3π→2π annihilation. We show that successful freeze-out may also be achieved through even-numbered interactions XX→ππ once bound states X among the particles of the low-energy spectrum exist. In addition, X-formation hosts the potential of also catalyzing odd-numbered 3π→2π annihilation processes, turning them into effective two-body processes πX→ππ. Bound states are often a natural consequence of strongly interacting theories. We calculate the dark matter freeze-out and comment on the cosmic viability and possible extensions. Candidate theories can encompass confining sectors without a mass gap, glueball dark matter, or ϕ^{3} and ϕ^{4} theories with strong Yukawa or self-interactions.

The matter with subjects of justice

ABSTRACT Although the non-human turn in justice theory remains in its infancy, several projects have emerged, including Earth system justice, multispecies justice, and planetary justice. Crucially, candidate theories must provide convincing responses to the who, what, and how of justice. The question of who can prove particularly challenging, as philosophers continue to debate the moral relevance of properties of entities or the relations between them. Scholars of environmental politics seeking to develop more-than-human justice theories must carefully attend to issues inherent in this debate, including conceptual inconsistencies. Recent work by Winter and Schlosberg advancing a materialist perspective on multispecies and planetary justice demonstrates the difficult task of participating in this conversation, as evidenced by their application of the term ‘subjects of justice.’ In this brief essay, I identify three flaws in their use of this phrase and explain why the treatment of subjects matters to justice theory in the Anthropocene.

Order effects in stimulus discrimination challenge established models of comparative judgement: A meta-analytic review of the Type B effect.

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the TypeB effect (TBE), a phenomenon reflected in the observation that discrimination sensitivity varies with the order of stimuli in comparative judgment tasks, such as the two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) paradigm. Specifically, when the difference threshold is lower (higher) with the constant standard preceding rather than following the variable comparison, one speaks of a negative (positive) TBE. Importantly, prominent psychophysical difference models such as signal detection theory (Green & Swets, 1966) cannot easily account for the TBE, and are hence challenged by it. The present meta-analysis provides substantial evidence for the TBE across various stimulus attributes, suggesting that the TBE is a general feature of discrimination experiments when standard and comparison are presented successively. Thus, inconsistent with psychophysical difference models, subjective differences between stimuli are not merely a function of their physical differences but rather also depend on their temporal order. From the literature, we identify four classes of potential candidate theories explaining the origin of the TBE, namely (1) differential weighting of the stimulus magnitudes at the two positions (e.g., Hellström, Psychological Research, 39, 345-388 1977), (2) internal reference formation (e.g., Dyjas, Bausenhart, & Ulrich, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 74, 1819-1841 2012), (3) Bayesian updating (e.g., de Jong, Akyürek, & van Rijn, Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 28, 1183-1190 2021), and (4) biased threshold estimation (García-Pérez & Alcalá-Quintana, Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 72, 1155-1178 2010). As these models, to some extent, make differential predictions about the direction of the TBE, investigating the respective boundary conditions of positive and negative TBEs might be a valuable perspective for diagnostic future research.

Recovery of consistency in thermodynamics of regular black holes in Einstein's gravity coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics

As one of candidate theories in the construction of regular black holes, Einstein's gravity coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics has been a topic of great concerns. Owing to the coupling between Einstein's gravity and nonlinear electromagnetic fields, we need to reconsider the first law of thermodynamics, which will lead to a new thermodynamic phase space. In such a phase space, the equation of state accurately describes the complete phase transition process of regular black holes. The Maxwell equal area law strictly holds when the phase transition occurs, and the entropy obeys the Bekenstein-Hawking area formula, which is compatible with the situation in Einstein's gravity.

Learning Theories Use and Relationships in Computing Education Research

The use of established and discipline-specific theories within research and practice is an indication of the maturity of a discipline. With computing education research as a relatively young discipline, there has been recent interest in investigating theories that may prove foundational to work in this area, with discipline-specific theories and many theories from other disciplines emerging as relevant. A challenge for the researcher is to identify and select the theories that provide the best foundation for their work. Learning is a complex and multi-faceted process and, as such, a plethora of theories are potentially applicable to a research problem. Knowing the possible candidate theories and understanding their relationships and potential applicability, both individually or as a community of theories, is important to provide a comprehensive grounding for researchers and practitioners alike. In this work, we investigate the fundamental connections between learning theories foundational to research and practice in computing education. We build a comprehensive list of 84 learning theories and their source and influential papers, which are the papers that introduce or propagate specific theories within the research community. Using Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar, we identify the papers that cite these learning theories. We subsequently consider all possible pairs of these theories and build the set of papers that cite each pair. On this weighted graph of learning theory connections, we perform a community analysis to identify groups of closely linked learning theories. We find that most of the computing education learning theories are closely linked with a number of broader learning theories, forming a separate cluster of 17 learning theories. We build a taxonomy of theory relationships to identify the depth of connections between learning theories. Of the 294 analysed links, we find deep connections in 32 links. This indicates that while the computing education research community is aware of a large number of learning theories, there is still a need to better understand how learning theories are connected and how they can be used together to benefit computing education research and practice.

Higgs information in Split-SUSY at the LHC

Information theory turns out to be an interesting tool for studying the consequences of Higgs observations to various new physics candidate theories by means of the information measure as the entropy of Higgs-Boson through its various detection modes at the Large Hadron Collider. The present article investigates the parameter space of a supersymmetric scenario where sfermions and one of the Higgs superfields are decoupled, while the gauginos, Higgsinos, and the remaining Higgs doublet are still allowed to be lighter. Our analysis reveals that this is quite a viable choice in the light of LHC discovery of a Higgs which resembles the SM Higgs-Boson and nothing else so far. While the supersymmetry breaking scale MS could be as high as 1011 GeV or so, the most preferred values of the MS and tan⁡β are found to be around 3.6×107 GeV and 41 respectively, which is also consistent with the relic abundance of the neutralino dark matter. The corresponding value of neutralino (mχ˜10) LSP is estimated to be around 1.01 TeV. The preferred values of other parameters, namely, the Higgsino mass (μ) and gaugino mass parameters (M1 and M2) are found to be about 1.05 TeV, 1.74 TeV, and 2.57 TeV, respectively.

Constraining GUP models using limits on SME coefficients

Generalized uncertainty principles (GUP) and, independently, Lorentz symmetry violations are two common features in many candidate theories of quantum gravity. Despite that, the overlap between both has received limited attention so far. In this brief paper, we carry out further investigations on this topic. At the nonrelativistic level and in the realm of commutative spacetime coordinates, a large class of both isotropic and anisotropic GUP models is shown to produce signals experimentally indistinguishable from those predicted by the standard model extension (SME), the common framework for studying Lorentz-violating phenomena beyond the standard model. This identification is used to constrain GUP models using current limits on SME coefficients. In particular, bounds on isotropic GUP models are improved by a factor of 107 compared to current spectroscopic bounds and anisotropic models are constrained for the first time.

Using self-determination theory in research and evaluation in primary care.

Multimorbidity (the co-existence of two or more long-term conditions within an individual) is a complex management challenge, with a very limited evidence base. Theories can help in the design and operationalization of complex interventions. This article proposes self-determination theory (SDT) as a candidate theory for the development and evaluation of interventions in multimorbidity. We provide an overview of SDT, its use in research to date, and its potential utility in complex interventions for patients with multimorbidity based on the new MRC framework. SDT-based interventions have mainly focused on health behaviour change in the primary prevention of disease, with limited use in primary care and chronic conditions management. However, SDT may be a useful candidate theory in informing complex intervention development and evaluation, both in randomized controlled trials and in evaluations of 'natural experiments'. We illustrate how it could be used multimorbidity interventions in primary care by drawing on the example ofCARE Plus (a primary care-based complex intervention for patients with multimorbidity in deprived areas of Scotland). SDT may have utility in both the design and evaluation of complex interventions for multimorbidity. Further research is required to establish its usefulness, and limitations, compared with other candidate theories. Our funded research programme, of which this paper is an early output, has a newly embedded patient and public involvement group of four members with lived experience of long-term conditions and/or of being informal carers. They read and commented on the draft manuscript and made useful suggestions on the text. They will be fully involved at all stages in the rest of the programme of research.

Multiple Sources of Fast Traveling Waves during Human Seizures: Resolving a Controversy.

During human seizures, organized waves of voltage activity rapidly sweep across the cortex. Two contradictory theories describe the source of these fast traveling waves: either a slowly advancing narrow region of multiunit activity (an ictal wavefront) or a fixed cortical location. Limited observations and different analyses prevent resolution of these incompatible theories. Here we address this disagreement by combining the methods and microelectrode array recordings (N = 11 patients, 2 females, N = 31 seizures) from previous human studies to analyze the traveling wave source. We find, inconsistent with both existing theories, a transient relationship between the ictal wavefront and traveling waves, and multiple stable directions of traveling waves in many seizures. Using a computational model that combines elements of both existing theories, we show that interactions between an ictal wavefront and fixed source reproduce the traveling wave dynamics observed in vivo We conclude that combining both existing theories can generate the diversity of ictal traveling waves.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The source of voltage discharges that propagate across cortex during human seizures remains unknown. Two candidate theories exist, each proposing a different discharge source. Support for each theory consists of observations from a small number of human subject recordings, analyzed with separately developed methods. How the different, limited data and different analysis methods impact the evidence for each theory is unclear. To resolve these differences, we combine the unique, human microelectrode array recordings collected separately for each theory and analyze these combined data with a unified approach. We show that neither existing theory adequately describes the data. We then propose a new theory that unifies existing proposals and successfully reproduces the voltage discharge dynamics observed in vivo.

Contexts and mechanisms relevant to General Practitioner (GP) based interventions to reduce adverse drug events (ADE) in community dwelling older adults: a rapid realist review

Background: Older adults in Ireland are at increased risk of adverse drug events (ADE) due, in part, to increasing rates of polypharmacy. Interventions to reduce ADE in community dwelling older adults (CDOA) have had limited success, therefore, new approaches are required. A realist review uses a different lens to examine why and how interventions were supposed to work rather than if, they worked. A rapid realist review (RRR) is a more focused and accelerated version. The aim of this RRR is to identify and examine the contexts and mechanisms that play a role in the outcomes relevant to reducing ADE in CDOA in the GP setting that could inform the development of interventions in Ireland. Methods: Six candidate theories (CT) were developed, based on knowledge of the field and recent literature, in relation to how interventions are expected to work. These formed the search strategy. Eighty full texts from 633 abstracts were reviewed, of which 27 were included. Snowballing added a further five articles, relevant policy documents increased the total number to 45. Data were extracted relevant to the theories under iteratively developed sub-themes using NVivo software. Results: Of the six theories, three theories, relating to GP engagement in interventions, relevance of health policy documents for older adults, and shared decision-making, provided data to guide future interventions to reduce ADEs for CDOA in an Irish setting. There was insufficient data for two theories, a third was rejected as existing barriers in the Irish setting made it impractical to use. Conclusions: To improve the success of Irish GP based interventions to reduce ADEs for CDOA, interventions must be relevant and easily applied in practice, supported by national policy and be adequately resourced. Future research is required to test our theories within a newly developed intervention.

Extracting the scaling dimension of quantum Hall quasiparticles from current correlations

Fractional quantum Hall quasiparticles are generally characterized by two quantum numbers: electric charge $Q$ and scaling dimension $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$. For the simplest states (such as the Laughlin series), the scaling dimension determines the anyonic statistics of the quasiparticle (the statistical phase $\ensuremath{\theta}=2\ensuremath{\pi}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$). For more complicated states (featuring counterpropagating modes or non-Abelian statistics), knowing the scaling dimension is not enough to extract the quasiparticle statistics. Nevertheless, even in those cases, knowing the scaling dimension facilitates distinguishing different candidate theories for describing the quantum Hall state at a particular filling (such as PH-Pfaffian and anti-Pfaffian at $\ensuremath{\nu}=\frac{5}{2}$). Here, we propose a scheme for extracting the scaling dimension of quantum Hall quasiparticles from thermal tunneling noise produced at a quantum point contact. Our scheme makes only minimal assumptions about the edge structure and features the level of robustness, simplicity, and model independence comparable with extracting the quasiparticle charge from tunneling shot noise.

Information in Explaining Cognition: How to Evaluate It?

The claims that “The brain processes information” or “Cognition is information processing” are accepted as truisms in cognitive science. However, it is unclear how to evaluate such claims absent a specification of “information” as it is used by neurocognitive theories. The aim of this article is, thus, to identify the key features of information that information-based neurocognitive theories posit. A systematic identification of these features can reveal the explanatory role that information plays in specific neurocognitive theories, and can, therefore, be both theoretically and practically important. These features can be used, in turn, as desiderata against which candidate theories of information may be evaluated. After discussing some characteristics of explanation in cognitive science and their implications for “information”, three notions are briefly introduced: natural, sensory, and endogenous information. Subsequently, six desiderata are identified and defended based on cognitive scientific practices. The global workspace theory of consciousness is then used as a specific case study that arguably posits either five or six corresponding features of information.

Gravitational Waves: The Theorist’s Swiss Knife

Gravitational waves provide a novel and powerful way to test astrophysical models of compact objects, early universe processes, beyond the Standard Model particle physics, dark matter candidates, Einstein’s theory of General Relativity and extended gravity models, and even quantum gravity candidate theories. A short introduction to the gravitational-wave background and the method we are using to detect it will be presented. Constraints on various astrophysical/cosmological models from the non-detectability of the gravitational-wave background will be discussed. Gravitational waves from transients will be highlighted and their physical implications will be summarised.

Online faculty development in low- and middle-income countries for health professions educators: a rapid realist review

BackgroundHealth professions educators require support to develop teaching and learning, research, educational leadership, and administrative skills to strengthen their higher education role through faculty development initiatives. Where administration has pursued face-to-face and online faculty development initiatives, results have positively influenced health professions educators. There is limited evidence demonstrating how online faculty development works for health professions educators in low- and middle-income countries who engage in online health professions education (HPE) faculty development.MethodsA Conjecture Map for online HPE faculty development courses identified candidate theories for a rapid realist review. The Conjecture Map and candidate theories, Community of Inquiry and the Conversational Framework guided the development of search terms and analysis for this review. Three searches using EbscoHost databases yielded 1030 abstracts. A primary and secondary research team participated in a multi-reviewer blinded process in assessing abstracts, selecting full-text articles, and data extraction. The primary research team analysed eight articles for this rapid realist review to answer the research question: How do online HPE faculty development courses work, or not work, in low- and middle-income countries? Data were analysed and mapped to the initial Conjecture Map and the research question.ResultsThe research references US-based organisations forming partnerships with low- and middle-income countries, and who provide funding for online HPE faculty development initiatives. These initiatives design courses that facilitate learning through engagement from which participants report beneficial outcomes of professional and career development. The review does not clarify if the reported outcomes are generalisable for facilitators from low-and middle-income countries. The findings of this review demonstrate the role of a community of practice as the dominant mechanism through which the outcomes are achieved, based on a design that incorporates six triggering events. The design aligns the triggering events with the three categories of the Community of Inquiry—a theory for designing online learning environments.ConclusionHealth professions educators in low- and middle-income countries can develop professional and interpersonal skills through a well-designed, specifically constructed online community that prioritises active discussion.

Go Big or Go Home? Right-Sizing Security Cooperation to Fragile States

This article tests two competing candidate theories of security cooperation provision contained in the literature against a subset of stated strategic objectives by assessing whether the amount of aid spent over time correlates with intended outcomes. One is based on the principal-agent problem, while the other derives from the organizational behavior model. The focus is solely on fragile states since they represent the most policy-relevant and challenging cases. Quantitative analysis utilizes existing datasets to provide proxy measures for neopatrimonialism, praetorianism, and combat effectiveness, corresponding to political, political/military, and military dimensions of security cooperation efficacy, respectively. The results challenge the conventional wisdom that increasing foreign aid merely feeds corruption and that to bolster foreign militaries is to beg for a coup. Controlling for economic aid and GDP per capita, both small and large military assistance packages strongly correlate with a reduction in neopatrimonialism and deaths due to violent conflict and terrorism in recipient nations. While small aid programs appear to temper the risk of a coup, this relationship does not hold for large ones. This research also calls into question the oft-assumed degree to which principal-agent problems and organizational behavior hamper effective aid provision.

Spin‐Spacetime Censorship

AbstractQuantum entanglement and relativistic causality are key concepts in theoretical works seeking to unify quantum mechanics and gravity. In this article, a gedanken experiment that couples the spin to spacetime is proposed, and is then analyzed in the context of quantum information by using different approaches to quantum gravity. Both classical gravity theory and certain quantum theories predict that around a spin‐half particle, the spherical symmetry of spacetime is broken by its magnetic field or merely by its intrinsic angular momentum. It is asserted that any spin‐related deviation from spherical symmetry, upon appropriate measurement, can violate relativistic causality and quantum no‐cloning. To avoid these violations, the measurable spacetime around the particle's rest frame shall typically remain spherically symmetric, potentially as a back‐action by the act of a covariant measurement, or due to a quantized spin‐dependence of the magnetic field. This way, this gedanken experiment suggests a censorship mechanism preventing the possibility of spacetime‐based spin detection, which can shed light on the interface between quantum mechanics and gravity. Since this proposed gedanken experiment is independent of any specific theory, it is suitable for testing the coupling of quantum matter and spacetime in present and future candidate theories of quantum gravity.

Nonlinear Hamiltonian analysis of new quadratic torsion theories: Cases with curvature-free constraints

It was recently found that, when linearised in the absence of matter, 58 cases of the general gravitational theory with quadratic curvature and torsion are (i) free from ghosts and tachyons and (ii) power-counting renormalisable. We inspect the nonlinear Hamiltonian structure of the eight cases whose primary constraints do not depend on the curvature tensor. We confirm the particle spectra and unitarity of all these theories in the linear regime. We uncover qualitative dynamical changes in the nonlinear regimes of all eight cases, suggesting at least a broken gauge symmetry, and possibly the activation of negative kinetic energy spin-parity sectors and acausal behaviour. Two of the cases propagate a pair of massless modes at the linear level, and were interesting as candidate theories of gravity. However, we identify these modes with vector excitations, rather than the tensor polarisations of the graviton. Moreover, we show that these theories do not support a viable cosmological background.