506 research outputs found
An Experimental and Semi-Empirical Method to Determine the Pauli-Limiting Field in Quasi 2D Superconductors as applied to -(BEDT-TTF)Cu(NCS): Strong Evidence of a FFLO State
We present upper critical field data for -(BEDT-TTF)Cu(NCS)
with the magnetic field close to parallel and parallel to the conducting
layers. We show that we can eliminate the effect of vortex dynamics in these
layered materials if the layers are oriented within 0.3 degrees of parallel to
the applied magnetic field. Eliminating vortex effects leaves one remaining
feature in the data that corresponds to the Pauli paramagnetic limit ().
We propose a semi-empirical method to calculate the in quasi 2D
superconductors. This method takes into account the energy gap of each of the
quasi 2D superconductors, which is calculated from specific heat data, and the
influence of many body effects. The calculated Pauli paramagnetic limits are
then compared to critical field data for the title compound and other organic
conductors. Many of the examined quasi 2D superconductors, including the above
organic superconductors and CeCoIn, exhibit upper critical fields that
exceed their calculated suggesting unconventional superconductivity. We
show that the high field low temperature state in
-(BEDT-TTF)Cu(NCS) is consistent with the Fulde Ferrell Larkin
Ovchinnikov state.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, 10 years of dat
Diffusion tensor imaging of Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy: a tract-based spatial statistics study
Although often clinically indistinguishable in the early stages, Parkinson's disease (PD), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) have distinct neuropathological changes. The aim of the current study was to identify white matter tract neurodegeneration characteristic of each of the three syndromes. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to perform a whole-brain automated analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data to compare differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between the three clinical groups and healthy control subjects. Further analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between these putative indices of white matter microstructure and clinical measures of disease severity and symptoms. In PSP, relative to controls, changes in DTI indices consistent with white matter tract degeneration were identified in the corpus callosum, corona radiata, corticospinal tract, superior longitudinal fasciculus, anterior thalamic radiation, superior cerebellar peduncle, medial lemniscus, retrolenticular and anterior limb of the internal capsule, cerebral peduncle and external capsule bilaterally, as well as the left posterior limb of the internal capsule and the right posterior thalamic radiation. MSA patients also displayed differences in the body of the corpus callosum corticospinal tract, cerebellar peduncle, medial lemniscus, anterior and superior corona radiata, posterior limb of the internal capsule external capsule and cerebral peduncle bilaterally, as well as the left anterior limb of the internal capsule and the left anterior thalamic radiation. No significant white matter abnormalities were observed in the PD group. Across groups, MD correlated positively with disease severity in all major white matter tracts. These results show widespread changes in white matter tracts in both PSP and MSA patients, even at a mid-point in the disease process, which are not found in patients with PD
Radio-frequency dressed state potentials for neutral atoms
Potentials for atoms can be created by external fields acting on properties
like magnetic moment, charge, polarizability, or by oscillating fields which
couple internal states. The most prominent realization of the latter is the
optical dipole potential formed by coupling ground and electronically excited
states of an atom with light. Here we present an experimental investigation of
the remarkable properties of potentials derived from radio-frequency (RF)
coupling between electronic ground states. The coupling is magnetic and the
vector character allows to design state dependent potential landscapes. On atom
chips this enables robust coherent atom manipulation on much smaller spatial
scales than possible with static fields alone. We find no additional heating or
collisional loss up to densities approaching atoms / cm compared
to static magnetic traps. We demonstrate the creation of Bose-Einstein
condensates in RF potentials and investigate the difference in the interference
between two independently created and two coherently split condensates in
identical traps. All together this makes RF dressing a powerful new tool for
micro manipulation of atomic and molecular systems
G-CSF Prevents the Progression of Structural Disintegration of White Matter Tracts in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Pilot Trial
Background: The hematopoietic protein Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has neuroprotective and regenerative properties. The G-CSF receptor is expressed by motoneurons, and G-CSF protects cultured motoneuronal cells from apoptosis. It therefore appears as an attractive and feasible drug candidate for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The current pilot study was performed to determine whether treatment with G-CSF in ALS patients is feasible.Methods: Ten patients with definite ALS were entered into a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Patients received either 10 mu g/kg BW G-CSF or placebo subcutaneously for the first 10 days and from day 20 to 25 of the study. Clinical outcome was assessed by changes in the ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS), a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery, and by examining hand activities of daily living over the course of the study (100 days). The total number of adverse events (AE) and treatment-related AEs, discontinuation due to treatment-related AEs, laboratory parameters including leukocyte, erythrocyte, and platelet count, as well as vital signs were examined as safety endpoints. Furthermore, we explored potential effects of G-CSF on structural cerebral abnormalities on the basis of voxel-wise statistics of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), brain volumetry, and voxel-based morphometry.Results: Treatment was well-tolerated. No significant differences were found between groups in clinical tests and brain volumetry from baseline to day 100. However, DTI analysis revealed significant reductions of fractional anisotropy (FA) encompassing diffuse areas of the brain when patients were compared to controls. On longitudinal analysis, the placebo group showed significant greater and more widespread decline in FA than the ALS patients treated with G-CSF.Conclusions: Subcutaneous G-CSF treatment in ALS patients appears as feasible approach. Although exploratory analysis of clinical data showed no significant effect, DTI measurements suggest that the widespread and progressive microstructural neural damage in ALS can be modulated by G-CSF treatment. These findings may carry significant implications for further clinical trials on ALS using growth factors
Inductively guided circuits for ultracold dressed atoms
Recent progress in optics, atomic physics and material science has paved the way to study quantum effects in ultracold atomic alkali gases confined to non-trivial geometries. Multiply connected traps for cold atoms can be prepared by combining inhomogeneous distributions of DC and radio-frequency electromagnetic fields with optical fields that require complex systems for frequency control and stabilization. Here we propose a flexible and robust scheme that creates closed quasi-one-dimensional guides for ultracold atoms through the ‘dressing’ of hyperfine sublevels of the atomic ground state, where the dressing field is spatially modulated by inductive effects over a micro-engineered conducting loop. Remarkably, for commonly used atomic species (for example, 7Li and 87Rb), the guide operation relies entirely on controlling static and low-frequency fields in the regimes of radio-frequency and microwave frequencies. This novel trapping scheme can be implemented with current technology for micro-fabrication and electronic control
Evidence of Andreev bound states as a hallmark of the FFLO phase in -(BEDT-TTF)Cu(NCS)
Superconductivity is a quantum phenomena arising, in its simplest form, from
pairing of fermions with opposite spin into a state with zero net momentum.
Whether superconductivity can occur in fermionic systems with unequal number of
two species distinguished by spin, atomic hyperfine states, flavor, presents an
important open question in condensed matter, cold atoms, and quantum
chromodynamics, physics. In the former case the imbalance between spin-up and
spin-down electrons forming the Cooper pairs is indyced by the magnetic field.
Nearly fifty years ago Fulde, Ferrell, Larkin and Ovchinnikov (FFLO) proposed
that such imbalanced system can lead to exotic superconductivity in which pairs
acquire finite momentum. The finite pair momentum leads to spatially
inhomogeneous state consisting of of a periodic alternation of "normal" and
"superconducting" regions. Here, we report nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
measurements providing microscopic evidence for the existence of this new
superconducting state through the observation of spin-polarized quasiparticles
forming so-called Andreev bound states.Comment: 6 pages, 5 fig
Diagnostic utility of FDG-PET in the differential diagnosis between different forms of primary progressive aphasia
PURPOSE: A joint effort of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) and the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) aims at clinical guidance for the use of FDG-PET in neurodegenerative diseases. This paper addresses the diagnostic utility of FDG-PET over clinical/neuropsychological assessment in the differentiation of the three forms of primary progressive aphasia (PPA). METHODS: Seven panelists were appointed by the EANM and EAN and a literature search was performed by using harmonized PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) question keywords. The studies were screened for eligibility, and data extracted to assess their methodological quality. Critical outcomes were accuracy indices in differentiating different PPA clinical forms. Subsequently Delphi rounds were held with the extracted data and quality assessment to reach a consensus based on both literature and expert opinion. RESULTS: Critical outcomes for this PICO were available in four of the examined papers. The level of formal evidence supporting clinical utility of FDG-PET in differentiating among PPA variants was considered as poor. However, the consensual recommendation was defined on Delphi round I, with six out of seven panelists supporting clinical use. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative evidence demonstrating utility or lack thereof is still missing. Panelists decided consistently to provide interim support for clinical use based on the fact that a typical atrophy or metabolic pattern is needed for PPA according to the diagnostic criteria, and the synaptic failure detected by FDG-PET is an earlier phenomenon than atrophy. Also, a normal FDG-PET points to a non-neurodegenerative cause
Entanglement production with multimode Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices
Deep optical lattices are considered, in each site of which there are many
Bose-condensed atoms. By the resonant modulation of trapping potentials it is
possible to transfer a macroscopic portion of atoms to the collective nonlinear
states corresponding to topological coherent modes. Entanglement can be
generated between these modes. By varying the resonant modulating field it is
possible to effectively regulate entanglement production in this multimode
multitrap system of Bose condensates.Comment: Latex file, 16 pages, 7 figure
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