A quantum phase transition from triangular to stripe charge order in NbSe2_{2}

The competition between proximate electronic phases produces a complex phenomenology in strongly correlated systems. In particular, fluctuations associated with periodic charge or spin modulations, known as density waves, may lead to exotic superconductivity in several correlated materials. However, density waves have been difficult to isolate in the presence of chemical disorder, and the suspected causal link between competing density wave orders and high temperature superconductivity is not understood. Here we use scanning tunneling microscopy to image a previously unknown unidirectional (stripe) charge density wave (CDW) smoothly interfacing with the familiar tri-directional (triangular) CDW on the surface of the stoichiometric superconductor NbSe$_2$. Our low temperature measurements rule out thermal fluctuations, and point to local strain as the tuning parameter for this quantum phase transition. We use this discovery to resolve two longstanding debates about the anomalous spectroscopic gap and the role of Fermi surface nesting in the CDW phase of NbSe$_2$. Our results highlight the importance of local strain in governing phase transitions and competing phenomena, and suggest a new direction of inquiry for resolving similarly longstanding debates in cuprate superconductors and other strongly correlated materials.Comment: PNAS in pres

The Neglected Ethical and Spiritual Motivations in the Workplace

Managing other people's work is filled with challenges, and among them, understanding what motivates people is essential. In order to pursue organizational objectives effectively and to develop skills and virtues that lead to flourishing in the workplace, motivation has to be properly understood and explained. This paper contends that the classical and most popular taxonomies describing employee motives and needs have either neglected or minimized the importance of the ethical and spiritual dimensions of motivation, resulting in a model of a person as self-interested, amoral and non‐spiritual. In this article, the authors attempt to overcome this idea through an integration of the areas of psychology, ethics and theology, offering an expanded taxonomy of motivation, focusing especially on the workplace, which explicitly includes morality and spirituality. This effort is a significant step toward articulating a more complete and accurate description of motivation that brings out the full dimensions of being human, which is conduciveto improved management practices leading to flourishing in the workplace, and fostering ethically healthier organizations

Must Milton Friedman Embrace Stakeholder Theory?

Milton Friedman famously stated that the only social responsibility of business is to increase its profits, a position now known as the shareholder model of business. Subsequently, the stakeholder model, associated with Edward Freeman, has been widely seen as a heuristically stronger theory of the responsibilities of the firm to the society in which it is situated. Friedman's position, nevertheless, has retained currency among many business thinkers. In this paper we argue that Friedman's economic writings assume an economy in which businesses operate under the protections of limited liability, which allows corporations to privatize their gains while externalizing their losses. By accepting limited liability, Friedman must also accept a view of business as embedded in social interdependency, which serves as the logical and moral foundation for corporate social responsibility (CSR). To restore consistency to his economic principles, Friedman must refuse limited liability or modify his doctrine on CSR and the related stakeholder model of business

Spatial Awareness is Related to Moderate Intensity Running during a Collegiate Rugby Match

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 599-606, 2016. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between spatial awareness, agility, and distance covered in global positioning system (GPS) derived velocity zone classifications during a collegiate rugby match. Twelve American collegiate rugby union players (mean±SD; age: 21.2±1.4 y; weight: 85.0±16.0 kg; 7 forwards & 5 backs) on a single team volunteered to participate in this investigation. The distances travelled at low (walking/jogging; \u3c2.7m/s), moderate (cruising/striding; 2.7-5.0 m/s), and high intensities (running/sprinting; \u3e5.0 m/s) were measured for each player using GPS sensors and normalized according to playing time during an official USA Rugby match. Spatial awareness was measured as visual tracking speed from one core session of a 3-dimensional multiple-object-tracking speed (3DMOTS) test (1.35±0.59 cm·sec-1). Agility was assessed utilizing the pro agility (5.05±0.28 sec) and t drill (10.62±0.39 sec). Analysis of variance revealed that athletes travelled the greatest distance during walking/jogging (39.5±4.5 m·min-1) and least distance during running/sprinting (4.9±3.5 m·min-1). Pearson product moment correlations revealed that only distance covered while cruising/striding (20.9±6.5 m·min-1) was correlated to spatial awareness (r=0.798, p=0.002). Agility did not correlate to distance covered at any velocity zone or spatial awareness. Spatial awareness, as determined by 3DMOTS, appears to be related to the moderate intensity movement patterns of rugby union athletes

The Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity Mission

This paper discusses new fundamental physics experiment to test relativistic gravity at the accuracy better than the effects of the 2nd order in the gravitational field strength. The Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR) mission uses laser interferometry between two micro-spacecraft whose lines of sight pass close by the Sun to accurately measure deflection of light in the solar gravity. The key element of the experimental design is a redundant geometry optical truss provided by a long-baseline (100 m) multi-channel stellar optical interferometer placed on the International Space Station. The geometric redundancy enables LATOR to measure the departure from Euclidean geometry caused by the solar gravity field to a very high accuracy. LATOR will not only improve the value of the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameter gamma to unprecedented levels of accuracy of 1 part in 1e8, it will also reach ability to measure effects of the next post-Newtonian order (1/c^4) of light deflection resulting from gravity's intrinsic non-linearity. The solar quadrupole moment parameter, J2, will be measured with high precision, as well as a variety of other relativistic. LATOR will lead to very robust advances in the tests of fundamental physics: this mission could discover a violation or extension of general relativity, or reveal the presence of an additional long range interaction in the physical law. There are no analogs to the LATOR experiment; it is unique and is a natural culmination of solar system gravity experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, invited talk given at the Second International Conference on Particle and Fundamental Physics in Space (SpacePart'03), 10-12 December 2003, Washington, D

Imaging ultrafast excited state pathways in transition metal complexes by X-ray transient absorption and scattering using X-ray free electron laser source

This report will describe our recent studies of transition metal complex structural dynamics on the fs and ps time scales using an X-ray free electron laser source, Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Ultrafast XANES spectra at the Ni K-edge of nickel(II) tetramesitylporphyrin (NiTMP) were successfully measured for optically excited state at a timescale from 100 fs to 50 ps, providing insight into its sub-ps electronic and structural relaxation processes. Importantly, a transient reduced state Ni(I) (π, 3d(x2−y2)) electronic state is captured through the interpretation of a short-lived excited state absorption on the low-energy shoulder of the edge, which is aided by the computation of X-ray transitions for postulated excited electronic states. The observed and computed inner shell to valence orbital transition energies demonstrate and quantify the influence of electronic configuration on specific metal orbital energies. A strong influence of the valence orbital occupation on the inner shell orbital energies indicates that one should not use the transition energy from 1s to other orbitals to draw conclusions about the d-orbital energies. For photocatalysis, a transient electronic configuration could influence d-orbital energies up to a few eV and any attempt to steer the reaction pathway should account for this to ensure that external energies can be used optimally in driving desirable processes. NiTMP structural evolution and the influence of the porphyrin macrocycle conformation on relaxation kinetics can be likewise inferred from this study

Octupole transitions in the 208Pb region

The 208Pb region is characterised by the existence of collective octupole states. Here we populated such states in 208Pb + 208Pb deep-inelastic reactions. γ-ray angular distribution measurements were used to infer the octupole character of several E3 transitions. The octupole character of the 2318 keV 17− → 14+ in 208Pb, 2485 keV 19/2 − → 13/2 + in 207Pb, 2419 keV 15/2 − → 9/2 + in 209Pb and 2465 keV 17/2 + → 11/2 − in 207Tl transitions was demonstrated for the first time. In addition, shell model calculations were performed using two different sets of two-body matrix elements. Their predictions were compared with emphasis on collective octupole states.This work is supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), UK, US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract No. DEAC02-06CH11357 and DE-FG02-94ER40834, NSF grant PHY-1404442

Increasing confidence and changing behaviors in primary care providers engaged in genetic counselling.

BackgroundScreening and counseling for genetic conditions is an increasingly important part of primary care practice, particularly given the paucity of genetic counselors in the United States. However, primary care physicians (PCPs) often have an inadequate understanding of evidence-based screening; communication approaches that encourage shared decision-making; ethical, legal, and social implication (ELSI) issues related to screening for genetic mutations; and the basics of clinical genetics. This study explored whether an interactive, web-based genetics curriculum directed at PCPs in non-academic primary care settings was superior at changing practice knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors when compared to a traditional educational approach, particularly when discussing common genetic conditions.MethodsOne hundred twenty one PCPs in California and Pennsylvania physician practices were randomized to either an Intervention Group (IG) or Control Group (CG). IG physicians completed a 6 h interactive web-based curriculum covering communication skills, basics of genetic testing, risk assessment, ELSI issues and practice behaviors. CG physicians were provided with a traditional approach to Continuing Medical Education (CME) (clinical review articles) offering equivalent information.ResultsPCPs in the Intervention Group showed greater increases in knowledge compared to the Control Group. Intervention PCPs were also more satisfied with the educational materials, and more confident in their genetics knowledge and skills compared to those receiving traditional CME materials. Intervention PCPs felt that the web-based curriculum covered medical management, genetics, and ELSI issues significantly better than did the Control Group, and in comparison with traditional curricula. The Intervention Group felt the online tools offered several advantages, and engaged in better shared decision making with standardized patients, however, there was no difference in behavior change between groups with regard to increases in ELSI discussions between PCPs and patients.ConclusionWhile our intervention was deemed more enjoyable, demonstrated significant factual learning and retention, and increased shared decision making practices, there were few differences in behavior changes around ELSI discussions. Unfortunately, barriers to implementing behavior change in clinical genetics is not unique to our intervention. Perhaps the missing element is that busy physicians need systems-level support to engage in meaningful discussions around genetics issues. The next step in promoting active engagement between doctors and patients may be to put into place the tools needed for PCPs to easily access the materials they need at the point-of-care to engage in joint discussions around clinical genetics

Spin relaxation in (110) and (001) InAs/GaSb superlattices

We report an enhancement of the electron spin relaxation time (T1) in a (110) InAs/GaSb superlattice by more than an order of magnitude (25 times) relative to the corresponding (001) structure. The spin dynamics were measured using polarization sensitive pump probe techniques and a mid-infrared, subpicosecond PPLN OPO. Longer T1 times in (110) superlattices are attributed to the suppression of the native interface asymmetry and bulk inversion asymmetry contributions to the precessional D'yakonov Perel spin relaxation process. Calculations using a nonperturbative 14-band nanostructure model give good agreement with experiment and indicate that possible structural inversion asymmetry contributions to T1 associated with compositional mixing at the superlattice interfaces may limit the observed spin lifetime in (110) superlattices. Our findings have implications for potential spintronics applications using InAs/GaSb heterostructures.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure