Experimental demonstration of composite stimulated Raman adiabatic passage

We experimentally demonstrate composite stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (CSTIRAP), which combines the concepts of composite pulse sequences and adiabatic passage. The technique is applied for population transfer in a rare-earth doped solid. We compare the performance of CSTIRAP with conventional single and repeated STIRAP, either in the resonant or the highly detuned regime. In the latter case, CSTIRAP improves the peak transfer efficiency and robustness, boosting the transfer efficiency substantially compared to repeated STIRAP. We also propose and demonstrate a universal version of CSTIRAP, which shows improved performance compared to the originally proposed composite version. Our findings pave the way towards new STIRAP applications, which require repeated excitation cycles, e.g., for momentum transfer in atom optics, or dynamical decoupling to invert arbitrary superposition states in quantum memories.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Effect of Grazing, Mowing, or Herbicide on Leafy Spurge Control

Leafy spurge (euphorbia esula L.) is an herbaceous perennial which is deep rooted and can reproduce by seeds and rhizomes. First introduced into North America in the 1800’s from Europe, it now covers 25 states in the USA and several provinces in Canada. It is a major concern in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska. Leafy spurge is considered a noxious weed that is extremely competitive, establishing itself in pastureland and roadsides. Bangsund et al. (1997) estimated that by 2005, uncontrolled leafy spurge acres would reach 18.5 million in the Northern Great Plains. The cost of leafy spurge is estimated to be in the 100’s of millions of dollars due to lost grazing through a reduction of available AUM’s (animal unit months) and treatment costs which may not be economically feasible. This is impart due to the fact that cattle avoid eating leafy spurge because of post-ingestive negative feedbacks from plant toxins (Kronberg et al., 1993) and avoid grazing in areas where leafy spurge canopy cover is high, thus reducing grass production and utilization (Hein and Miller, 1992). Do to the high costs of herbicides and their ineffective control in the long-term (Lym and Messersmith, 1985), biological controls such as sheep and goats as well as the flea beetle have become more popular tools in controlling leafy spurge (Bangsund et al., 2000). In a pasture setting sheep and goats readily graze forbs and do not experience the build up of toxins that cattle do, making small ruminants ideal biological controls for leafy spurge. The object of this trial was to measure the effectiveness of various control methods on leafy spurge

NN Scaling of Large-Sample Collective Decay in Inhomogeneous Ensembles

Superradiance and -fluorescence are phenomena where $N$ identical emitters coupled to each other synchronize and decay collectively $N$ times faster than independent emitters would. This is accompanied by an intense burst whose peak photon rate is $\propto N^2$ for homogeneous excitation conditions. For inhomogeneous excitation, however, collective decay either cannot build up or its scaling breaks down, as different parts of the ensemble do not emit in sync. We here report on an experimental study of superfluorescence for a disordered ensemble of atoms coupled to a hollow-core fiber. The emitted radiation exhibits strong bursts, including a ringing. We demonstrate a decay rate enhanced by two orders of magnitude, despite intrinsic radial and longitudinal inhomogeneities. By devising a simple model, taking inhomogeneous broadening and light attenuation into account, we determine an effective number of collective emitters. We show that this recovers the $N$ scaling known to homogeneous ensembles over a large range of parameters, as long as dispersion is negligible. Our results provide a simple physical understanding of the effects inhomogeneous conditions have on enhanced collective decay. This is relevant to optimize collective effects in extended ensembles as typically used in quantum optics, precision time-keeping or waveguide QED

Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung als Akteur in der Gestaltung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung

Bei der Umsetzung des Leitbilds der nachhaltigen Entwicklungerfüllt das Bildungssystem eine wichtige Funktion.Dabei werden auch an das Hochschulsystem besondere Erwartungenherangetragen, die aktuell u.a. im Konzept der„transformativen Wissenschaft“ näher definiert werden. ImRahmen des Konzepts wird insbesondere die Bedeutung vontransdisziplinären und partizipativen Ansätzen herausgestellt.In diesem Zusammenhang kann auf die Potentiale derwissenschaftlichen Weiterbildung aufgrund ihres Auftrags,ihrer Ansätze und Erfahrungen sowie ihrer Eigenschaft alsorganisationale „Grenzstelle“ im System Hochschule verwiesenwerden. Es sind aber auch Einschränkungen und Grenzziehungenvorzunehmen

Interaktion des Wachstumsfaktors FGF-2 mit dem survival of motoneuron (SMN) Protein

[no abstract

Stadtentwicklungsfonds als Instrument zur Entwicklung von Brachflächen im Gewerbebereich

Der Beitrag diskutiert die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von Stadtentwicklungsfonds für die Revitalisierung von Brachflächen mit dem Nutzungsziel "wirtschaftsnahe Infrastruktur": Unter welchen Voraussetzungen können Fondslösungen einen sinnvollen Beitrag zur effizienteren Brachflächenrevitalisierung insbesondere im gewerblichen Bereich leisten? Dazu werden Vor- und Nachteile von Stadtentwicklungsfonds aus theoretischer Sicht kritisch beleuchtet und Handlungsempfehlungen für den pragmatischen Einsatz des Fondsgedankens in der Brachflächenrevitalisierung werden aus Sicht der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung und der Standortentwicklung skizziert.The article discusses the possibilities and limitations of urban development funds for the revitalisation of brownfield sites with the goal of furthering "infrastructure supporting economic activity", considering the conditions under which funds can make a meaningful contribution to the more efficient regeneration of brownfield sites, especially in the commercial sector. Hence, the advantages and disadvantages of urban development funds are critically reflected from a theoretical perspective and recommendations for a pragmatic fund-based approach to brownfield revitalisation are outlined from the perspective of municipal business and location development

Die digitale Selbstdarstellung: zur subjektiven Bedeutung von Selfies für Heranwachsende und junge Erwachsene

In diesem Aufsatz beschäftigen wir uns mit netzgängigen, visuellen Selbstthematisierungen, die umgangssprachlich als "Selfies" bezeichnet werden. Genauer geht es um die individuellen und gruppenbezogenen Bedeutungen dieser Bildpraktik sowie um ihre Relevanz im kommunikativen Geschehen aus der Perspektive ihrer Produzierenden und Distribuierenden. Wir greifen hierfür auf die Ergebnisse einer Interviewstudie zurück, die mit Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen durchgeführt wurde. Anhand des empirischen Materials, welches wir mithilfe der Grounded-Theory-Methodologie ausgewertet haben, eröffnen wir Einblicke in eine (jugend-) kulturelle Praxis und arbeiten die (inter-) subjektive Bedeutsamkeit von Selfies heraus.In this article we address visualized self-presentation, which is colloquially described as a "selfie." More precisely, we deal with individual and group-related meanings of this pictorial practice as well as its relevance in the communicative event from the perspective of its producers and distributors. We use the results of an interview study conducted with adolescents and young adults, which we examined with the help of grounded theory methodology, in order to shed light on a (youth) cultural practice and at the same time determine the (inter-) subjective importance of selfies

Oral capecitabine in gemcitabine-pretreated patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Objective: To date, no standard regimen for salvage chemotherapy after gemcitabine (Gem) failure has been defined for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (PC). Oral capecitabine (Cap) has shown promising activity in first-line chemotherapy trials in PC patients. Methods: Within a prospective single-center study, Cap was offered to patients who had already received at least 1 previous treatment regimen containing full-dose Gem (as a single agent, as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen or sequentially within a chemoradiotherapy protocol). Cap was administered orally at a dose of 1,250 mg/m(2) twice daily for 14 days followed by 7 days of rest. Study endpoints were objective tumor response rate by imaging criteria (according to RECIST), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) tumor marker response, time to progression, overall survival and toxicity. Results: A median of 3 treatment cycles (range 1-36) was given to 39 patients. After a median follow-up of 6.6 months, 27 patients were evaluable for response: no complete or partial responses were observed, but 15 patients (39%) had stable disease. A CA19-9 reduction of >20% after 2 cycles of Cap was documented in 6 patients (15%). Median time to progression was 2.3 months (range 0.5-45.1) and median overall survival (since start of Cap treatment) was 7.6 months (range 0.7-45.1). Predominant grade 2 and 3 toxicities (per patient analysis) were hand-foot syndrome 28% (13% grade 3); anemia 23%; leg edema 15%; diarrhea 13%; nausea/vomiting 10%, and leukocytopenia 10%. Conclusion: Single-agent Cap is a safe treatment option for Gem-pretreated patients with advanced PC. Further evaluation of Cap in controlled clinical trials of Gem-pretreated patients with advanced PC is recommended. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Fiction and Physicality: a designerly approach towards complexities of emerging technologies

Rapid technological progression results in exciting new ways of interacting with our world whilst simultaneously limiting our experiences. Due to the pervasiveness of emerging technologies, designers are constantly faced with complexities and challenges, which necessitate the use of various tools and methodologies. This paper combines inspiration from the fields of aesthetics of interaction (Overbeek 1999), somaesthetics (Shusterman, 1999), design ethnography (Salvador, 1999), design fiction (Bleecker, 2009) and speculative design (Auger, 2013), to explore a designerly way of overcoming the complexity of implementing technologies into our daily life. We propose a holistic design approach to envision possibilities for emerging technology, integrating the physicality of human bodies with technological materiality. Further, we present a plausible narrative, containing visionary aspects and the investigated methodologies, alongside a series of design concepts that drive the storyline and form the basis for examining social implications, design and future contexts, and improving the way in which designers handle the limitations of a technology driven design approach