Calculation of electrostatic fields using quasi-Green's functions: application to the hybrid Penning trap.

Penning traps offer unique possibilities for storing, manipulating and investigating charged particles with high sensitivity and accuracy. The widespread applications of Penning traps in physics and chemistry comprise e.g. mass spectrometry, laser spectroscopy, measurements of electronic and nuclear magnetic moments, chemical sample analysis and reaction studies. We have developed a method, based on the Green's function approach, which allows for the analytical calculation of the electrostatic properties of a Penning trap with arbitrary electrodes. The ansatz features an extension of Dirichlet's problem to nontrivial geometries and leads to an analytical solution of the Laplace equation. As an example we discuss the toroidal hybrid Penning trap designed for our planned measurements of the magnetic moment of the (anti)proton. As in the case of cylindrical Penning traps, it is possible to optimize the properties of the electric trapping fields, which is mandatory for high-precision experiments with single charged particles. Of particular interest are the anharmonicity compensation, orthogonality and optimum adjustment of frequency shifts by the continuous SternGerlach effect in a quantum jump spectrometer. The mathematical formalism developed goes beyond the mere design of novel Penning traps and has potential applications in other fields of physics and engineering

Subjective face recognition difficulties, aberrant sensibility, sleeping disturbances and aberrant eating habits in families with Asperger syndrome

BACKGROUND: The present study was undertaken in order to determine whether a set of clinical features, which are not included in the DSM-IV or ICD-10 for Asperger Syndrome (AS), are associated with AS in particular or whether they are merely a familial trait that is not related to the diagnosis. METHODS: Ten large families, a total of 138 persons, of whom 58 individuals fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for AS and another 56 did not to fulfill these criteria, were studied using a structured interview focusing on the possible presence of face recognition difficulties, aberrant sensibility and eating habits and sleeping disturbances. RESULTS: The prevalence for face recognition difficulties was 46.6% in individuals with AS compared with 10.7% in the control group. The corresponding figures for subjectively reported presence of aberrant sensibilities were 91.4% and 46.6%, for sleeping disturbances 48.3% and 23.2% and for aberrant eating habits 60.3% and 14.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: An aberrant processing of sensory information appears to be a common feature in AS. The impact of these and other clinical features that are not incorporated in the ICD-10 and DSM-IV on our understanding of AS may hitherto have been underestimated. These associated clinical traits may well be reflected by the behavioural characteristics of these individuals

The Influence of Education and Socialization on Radicalization: An Exploration of Theoretical Presumptions and Empirical Research

Background and Objective: Research into radicalization does not pay much attention to education. This is remarkable and possibly misses an important influence on the process of radicalization. Therefore this article sets out to explore the relation between education on the one hand and the onset or prevention of radicalization on the other hand. Method: This article is a theoretical literature review. It has analyzed empirical studies-mainly from European countries-about the educational aims, content and style of Muslim parents and parents with (extreme) right-wing sympathies. Results: Research examining similarity in right-wing sympathies between parents and children yields mixed results, but studies among adolescents point to a significant concordance. Research also showed that authoritarian parenting may play a significant role. Similar research among Muslim families was not found. While raising children with distrust and an authoritarian style are prevalent, the impact on adolescents has not been investigated. The empirical literature we reviewed does not give sufficient evidence to conclude that democratic ideal in and an authoritative style of education are conducive to the development of a democratic attitude. Conclusion: There is a knowledge gap with regard to the influence of education on the onset or the prevention of radicalization. Schools and families are underappreciated sources of informal social control and social capital and therefore the gap should be closed. If there is a better understanding of the effect of education, policy as well as interventions can be developed to assist parents and teachers in preventing radicalization. © 2011 The Author(s)

Pharmacogenomics of Interferon-ß Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: Baseline IFN Signature Determines Pharmacological Differences between Patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous disease. In order to understand the partial responsiveness to IFNbeta in Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS) we studied the pharmacological effects of IFNbeta therapy. Large scale gene expression profiling was performed on peripheral blood of 16 RRMS patients at baseline and one month after the start of IFNbeta therapy. Differential gene expression was analyzed by Significance Analysis of Microarrays. Subsequent expression analyses on specific genes were performed after three and six months of treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and stimulated in vitro with IFNbeta. Genes of interest were measured and validated by quantitative realtime PCR. An independent group of 30 RRMS patients was used for validation. Pharmacogenomics revealed a marked variation in the pharmacological response to IFNbeta between patients. A total of 126 genes were upregulated in a subset of patients whereas in other patients these genes were downregulated or unchanged after one month of IFNbeta therapy. Most interestingly, we observed that the extent of the pharmacological response correlates negatively with the baseline expression of a specific set of 15 IFN response genes (R = -0.7208; p = 0.0016). The negative correlation was maintained after three (R = -0.7363; p = 0.0027) and six (R = -0.8154; p = 0.0004) months of treatment, as determined by gene expression levels of the most significant correlating gene. Similar results were obtained in an independent group of patients (n = 30; R = -0.4719; p = 0.0085). Moreover, the ex vivo results could be confirmed by in vitro stimulation of purified PBMCs at baseline with IFNbeta indicating that differential responsiveness to IFNbeta is an intrinsic feature of peripheral blood cells at baseline. These data imply that the expression levels of IFN response genes in the peripheral blood of MS patients prior to treatment could serve a role as biomarker for the differential clinical response to IFNbet

Zwischen Selektion und Sozialisation: Überlegungen und Befunde zur beruflichen Situation

Wild E, Kracke B. Zwischen Selektion und Sozialisation: Überlegungen und Befunde zur beruflichen Situation. In: Kracke B, Wild E, eds. Arbeitsplatz Hochschule. Zur beruflichen Situation und Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses. Heidelberg: Mattes-Verlag; 1996: 1-18

Entwicklungsverläufe im Zeitmanagement und tätigkeitsbezogenen Interesse von männlichen und weiblichen Nachwuchswissenschaftlern

Wild E, Frey M. Entwicklungsverläufe im Zeitmanagement und tätigkeitsbezogenen Interesse von männlichen und weiblichen Nachwuchswissenschaftlern. In: Kracke B, Wild E, eds. Arbeitsplatz Hochschule. Zur beruflichen Situation und Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses. Heidelberg: Mattes-Verlag; 1996: 73-96

Subjective experiences of social change in East and West Germany: Analyses of the perceptions of adolescents and their parents

Noack P, Kracke B, Wild E, Hofer M. Subjective experiences of social change in East and West Germany: Analyses of the perceptions of adolescents and their parents. American Behavioral Scientist. 2001;44:1798-1817