Ultra-low Q values for neutrino mass measurements

We investigate weak nuclear decays with extremely small kinetic energy release (Q value) and thus extremely good sensitivity to the absolute neutrino mass scale. In particular, we consider decays into excited daughter states, and we show that partial ionization of the parent atom can help to tune Q values to << 1 keV. We discuss several candidate isotopes undergoing beta+, beta-, bound state beta, or electron capture decay, and come to the conclusion that a neutrino mass measurement using low-Q decays might only be feasible if no ionization is required, and if future improvements in isotope production technology, nuclear mass spectroscopy, and atomic structure calculations are possible. Experiments using ions, however, are extremely challenging due to the large number of ions that must be stored. New precision data on nuclear excitation levels could help to identify further isotopes with low-Q decay modes and possibly less challenging requirements.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures; v2: Typos corrected, references adde

Exzentrische Positionalität – Weltraumfahrt im Blick der modernen Philosophischen Anthropologie

Spaceflight is one of the most original and important phenomena of modern society, but it’s not in the centre of modern intellectual reflection. Neither the technical and natural sciences (which offer of course the real condition of the ballistic flight into and through outer space) nor the cultural and social sciences can explain this human event as a human phenomenon by their means: Naturalism (or Darwinism) on the one hand cannot explain why some sort of life leaves the environment of living, and Culturalism – always occupied with the symbolic mediated life-world of human beings – develops no systematic sense for vertical leaving the earth. The paper introduces modern Philosophical Anthropology as an adequate theory to understand spaceflight as a possible result of the condito humana. The thought of Max Scheler, Helmuth Plessner and Arnold Gehlen since the twenties of the twenty century devoleped a theory of man co-variant to the breakthrough of spaceflight in Germany (and other countries) and mirrors in its concepts of human being – for instance ‘excentric positionality’ – the human possibility of this epoch-making event. “Excentric positionality” (Plessner) exposes man as a special living being characterized by the power of imagination (rather then rationality), by overflowing driving forces (“Antriebsüberschüssigkeit” (Gehlen)) and by “worldopenness” (Scheler) to the cosmos. So this living being is able to anticipate the attainment of places beyond the earth and its biosphere (by imagination), it is willing and able to invent rocket launches, which provides the initial thrust to overcome the force of gravity (by overflowing drive power), and it is ready to encounter unfamiliar kinds of extraterrestrial life and intelligence (by its worldopenness). Having explained spaceflight in this way as a serious human enterprise it is expectable that in former centuries the invention of spaceflight with and without humans on board will be remembered as the key event in the 20th century

Optical phase cloaking of 700-nm light waves in the far field by a three-dimensional carpet cloak

Transformation optics is a design tool that connects geometry of space and propagation of light. Invisibility cloaking is a corresponding benchmark example. Recent experiments at optical frequencies have demonstrated cloaking for the light amplitude ("ray cloaking"). In this Letter, we demonstrate far-field cloaking of the light phase ("wave cloaking") by interferometric microscope-imaging experiments on the previously introduced three-dimensional carpet cloak at 700-nm wavelength and for arbitrary polarization of light

Eutrophication alters social preferences in three-spined sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus )

Algae blooms, which can be caused by eutrophication, drastically influence the ecology and behaviour of aquatic organisms. Such impact is often demonstrated in the context of mate choice and predator-prey interactions. In contrast, the influence of increased turbidity on social behaviour is less well understood, although it may have strong influence, at both the level of the individual and the population. We aimed to address this gap in our knowledge by using the well-described preference of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to shoal with the larger of two shoals as model behaviour. In our experiments focal fish had the choice between two shoals of different sizes, either in clear or in turbid water containing green algae. Fish in clear water spent significantly more time near the larger shoal, while fish in algae water showed no significant preferences. Furthermore, fish tested in clear water changed more often between the shoals than fish tested in algae water. These results indicate that eutrophication-induced algae blooms have the potential to alter social decisions of sticklebacks. Such changes of social decisions do not only influence the behaviour of individuals, furthermore it might influence entire populations. This might eventually lead to changes of the structure of the social syste

Three-dimensional direct laser writing inspired by stimulated-emission-depletion microscopy

Three-dimensional direct laser writing has become a well established, versatile, widespread, and even readily commercially available "workhorse" of nano- and micro-technology. However, its lateral and axial spatial resolution is inherently governed by Abbe's diffraction limitation - analogous to optical microscopy. In microscopy, stimulated-emission-depletion approaches have lately circumvented Abbe's barrier and lateral resolutions down to 5.6 nm using visible light have been achieved. In this paper, after very briefly reviewing our previous efforts with respect to translating this success in optical microscopy to optical lithography, we present our latest results regarding resolution improvement in the lateral as well as in the much more relevant axial direction. The structures presented in this paper set a new resolution-benchmark for next-generation direct-laser-writing optical lithography. In particular, we break the lateral and the axial Abbe criterion for the first time

First Evaluation of an Index of Low Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability as a Marker of Health Risks in Human Adults: Proof of Concept.

Multiple studies have demonstrated low vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV) being associated with a range of risk factors for heart disease and stroke, including inflammation, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Yet, no cut point exists that indicates elevated risk. In the present study we sought to identify a cut point-value for HRV that is associated with elevated risk across a range of known risk factors. METHODS:A total of 9550 working adults from 19 study sites took part in a health assessment that included measures of inflammation, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension and vagally-mediated HRV (Root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD)). Multiple age and sex adjusted logistic regressions were calculated per risk factor (normal versus clinical range), with RMSSD being entered in binary at different cut points ranging from 15-39 msec with a 2 msec increment. RESULTS:For daytime RMSSD, values below 25 ± 4 indicated elevated risk (odds ratios (OR) 1.5-3.5 across risk factors). For nighttime RMSSD, values below 29 ± 4 indicated elevated risk (OR 1.2-2.0). CONCLUSION:These results provide the first evidence that a single value of RMSSD may be associated with elevated risk across a range of established cardiovascular risk factors and may present an easy to assess novel marker of cardiovascular risk

A readers' guide to the interpretation of diagnostic test properties: clinical example of sepsis

Background: One of the most challenging practical and daily problems in intensive care medicine is the interpretation of the results from diagnostic tests. In neonatology and pediatric intensive care the early diagnosis of potentially life-threatening infections is a particularly important issue. Focus: A plethora of tests have been suggested to improve diagnostic decision making in the clinical setting of infection which is a clinical example used in this article. Several criteria that are critical to evidence-based appraisal of published data are often not adhered to during the study or in reporting. To enhance the critical appraisal on articles on diagnostic tests we discuss various measures of test accuracy: sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic curves, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, pretest probability, posttest probability, and diagnostic odds ratio. Conclusions: We suggest the following minimal requirements for reporting on the diagnostic accuracy of tests: a plot of the raw data, multilevel likelihood ratios, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the cutoff yielding the highest discriminative ability. For critical appraisal it is mandatory to report confidence intervals for each of these measures. Moreover, to allow comparison to the readers' patient population authors should provide data on study population characteristics, in particular on the spectrum of diseases and illness severit