Is affect experiencing therapeutic in major depressive disorder? Examining associations between affect experiencing and changes to the alliance and outcome in intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy.

Affect experiencing (AE), defined as the facilitation of client in-session bodily arousal and visceral experiencing of affect, is a distinct theoretical process presumed to contribute to therapeutic improvement. This study examined the role of AE in the treatment of major depressive disorder by exploring its association to client distress and therapeutic alliance on a session-by-session basis. A case series design was used to conduct an intensive analysis of the treatment process of 4 clients who received time-limited intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy, 2 of whom were considered "recovered" and 2 who showed "no change" based upon posttreatment outcomes. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that cross-correlations between AE and client distress discriminated between "recovered" and "no change" clients. In "recovered" clients, there was evidence that higher in-session peak affect experience was associated with reduced distress 7 days later. The results did not provide consistent evidence for a reverse effect, showing that lower distress during the preceding week predicted higher AE in that session. Finally, there was evidence that AE is an in-session activity that can promote the strengthening of the therapeutic alliance. These collective findings suggest that AE is an important treatment process that contributes to alliance formation and psychotherapeutic improvement. Clinical implications include further evidence that psychodynamic therapists can utilize AE as an active change ingredient for depression

Plasma wave instabilities induced by neutrinos

Quantum field theory is applied to study the interaction of an electron plasma with an intense neutrino flux. A connection is established between the field theory results and classical kinetic theory. The dispersion relation and damping rate of the plasma longitudinal waves are derived in the presence of neutrinos. It is shown that Supernova neutrinos are never collimated enough to cause non-linear effects associated with a neutrino resonance. They only induce neutrino Landau damping, linearly proportional to the neutrino flux and $G_{\mathrm{F}}^{2}$.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, title and references correcte

Unsolvability of the Halting Problem in Quantum Dynamics

It is shown that the halting problem cannot be solved consistently in both the Schrodinger and Heisenberg pictures of quantum dynamics. The existence of the halting machine, which is assumed from quantum theory, leads into a contradiction when we consider the case when the observer's reference frame is the system that is to be evolved in both pictures. We then show that in order to include the evolution of observer's reference frame in a physically sensible way, the Heisenberg picture with time going backwards yields a correct description.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

A toy model for quantum mechanics

The toy model used by Spekkens [R. Spekkens, Phys. Rev. A 75, 032110 (2007)] to argue in favor of an epistemic view of quantum mechanics is extended by generalizing his definition of pure states (i.e. states of maximal knowledge) and by associating measurements with all pure states. The new toy model does not allow signaling but, in contrast to the Spekkens model, does violate Bell-CHSH inequalities. Negative probabilities are found to arise naturally within the model, and can be used to explain the Bell-CHSH inequality violations.Comment: in which the author breaks his vow to never use the words "ontic" and "epistemic" in publi

Superconducting Order Parameter in Bi-Layer Cuprates: Occurrence of π\pi Phase Shifts in Corner Junctions

We study the order parameter symmetry in bi-layer cuprates such as YBaCuO, where interesting $\pi$ phase shifts have been observed in Josephson junctions. Taking models which represent the measured spin fluctuation spectra of this cuprate, as well as more general models of Coulomb correlation effects, we classify the allowed symmetries and determine their associated physical properties. $\pi$ phase shifts are shown to be a general consequence of repulsive interactions, independent of whether a magnetic mechanism is operative. While it is known to occur in d-states, this behavior can also be associated with (orthorhombic) s-symmetry when the two sub-band gaps have opposite phase. Implications for the magnitude of $T_c$ are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX 3.0, 9 figures (available upon request

Electrodynamics of quasi-two-dimensional BEDT-TTF charge transfer salts

We consider the millimeter-wave electrodynamics specific to quasi-two-dimensional conductors and superconductors based on the organic donor molecule BEDT-TTF. Using realistic physical parameters, we examine the current polarizations that result for different oscillating (GHz) electric and magnetic field polarizations. We show that, in general, it is possible to discriminate between effects (dissipation and dispersion) due to in-plane and interlayer ac currents. However, we also show that it is not possible to selectively probe any single component of the in-plane conductivity tensor, and that excitation of interlayer currents is strongly influenced by the sample geometry and the electromagnetic field polarization.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures Minor correction to figure