Sensing electric and magnetic fields with Bose-Einstein Condensates

We discuss the application of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) as sensors for magnetic and electric fields. In an experimental demonstration we have brought one-dimensional BECs close to micro-fabricated wires on an atom chip and thereby reached a sensitivity to potential variations of ~10e-14eV at 3 micron spatial resolution. We demonstrate the versatility of this sensor by measuring a two-dimensional magnetic field map 10 micron above a 100-micron-wide wire. We show how the transverse current-density component inside the wire can be reconstructed from such maps. The field sensitivity in dependence on the spatial resolution is discussed and further improvements utilizing Feshbach resonances are outlined.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Implementation issues in product line scoping

Often product line engineering is treated similar to the waterfall model in traditional software engineering, i.e., the different phases (scoping, analysis, architecting, implementation) are treated as if they could be clearly separated and would follow each other in an ordered fashion. However, in practice strong interactions between the individual phases become apparent. In particular, how implementation is done has a strong impact on economic aspects of the project and thus how to adequately plan it. Hence, assessing these relationships adequately in the beginning has a strong impact on performing a product line project right. In this paper we present a framework that helps in exactly this task. It captures on an abstract level the relationships between scoping information and implementation aspects and thus allows to provide rough guidance on implementation aspects of the project. We will also discuss the application of our framework to a specific industrial project

Simulation study of a highly efficient, high resolution X-ry sensor based on self-organizing aluminum oxide

State of the art X-ray imaging sensors comprise a trade-off between the achievable efficiency and the spatial resolution. To overcome such limitations, the use of structured and scintillator filled aluminum oxide (AlOx) matrices has been investigated. We used Monte-Carlo (MC) X-ray simulations to determine the X-ray imaging quality of these AlOx matrices. Important factors which influence the behavior of the matrices are: filling factor (surface ratio between channels and 'closed' AlOx), channel diameter, aspect ratio, filling material etc. Therefore we modeled the porous AlOx matrix in several different ways with the MC X-ray simulation tool ROSI [1] and evaluated its properties to investigate the achievable performance at different X-ray spectra, with different filling materials (i.e. scintillators) and varying channel height and pixel readout. In this paper we focus on the quantum efficiency, the spatial resolution and image homogeneity

Differential roles of polar orbital prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes in logical reasoning with neutral and negative emotional content

To answer the question of how brain pathology affects reasoning about negative emotional content, we administered a disjunctive logical reasoning task involving arguments with neutral content (e.g. Either there are tigers or women in NYC, but not both; There are no tigers in NYC; There are women in NYC) and emotionally laden content (e.g. Either there are pedophiles or politicians in Texas, but not both; There are politicians in Texas; There are no pedophiles in Texas) to 92 neurological patients with focal lesions to various parts of the brain. A Voxel Lesion Symptom Mapping (VLSM) analysis identified 16 patients, all with lesions to the orbital polar prefrontal cortex (BA 10 & 11), as being selectively impaired in the emotional reasoning condition. Another 17 patients, all with lesions to the parietal cortex, were identified as being impaired in the neutral content condition. The reasoning scores of these two patient groups, along with 23 matched normal controls, underwent additional analysis to explore the effect of belief bias. This analysis revealed that the differences identified above were largely driven by trials where there was an incongruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument /false conclusion or invalid argument /true conclusion). Patients with lesions to polar orbital prefrontal cortex underperformed in incongruent emotional content trials and over performed in incongruent neutral content trials (compared to both normal controls and patients with parietal lobe lesions). Patients with lesions to parietal lobes underperformed normal controls (at a trend level) in neutral trials where there was a congruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument/true conclusion or invalid argument/false conclusion). We conclude that lesions to the polar orbital prefrontal cortex (i) prevent these patients from enjoying any emotionally induced cognitive boost, and (ii) block the belief bias processing route in the neutral condition. Lesions to parietal lobes result in a generalized impairment in logical reasoning with neutral content

Differential roles of polar orbital prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes in logical reasoning with neutral and negative emotional content

To answer the question of how brain pathology affects reasoning about negative emotional content, we administered a disjunctive logical reasoning task involving arguments with neutral content (e.g. Either there are tigers or women in NYC, but not both; There are no tigers in NYC; There are women in NYC) and emotionally laden content (e.g. Either there are pedophiles or politicians in Texas, but not both; There are politicians in Texas; There are no pedophiles in Texas) to 92 neurological patients with focal lesions to various parts of the brain. A Voxel Lesion Symptom Mapping (VLSM) analysis identified 16 patients, all with lesions to the orbital polar prefrontal cortex (BA 10 & 11), as being selectively impaired in the emotional reasoning condition. Another 17 patients, all with lesions to the parietal cortex, were identified as being impaired in the neutral content condition. The reasoning scores of these two patient groups, along with 23 matched normal controls, underwent additional analysis to explore the effect of belief bias. This analysis revealed that the differences identified above were largely driven by trials where there was an incongruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument /false conclusion or invalid argument /true conclusion). Patients with lesions to polar orbital prefrontal cortex underperformed in incongruent emotional content trials and over performed in incongruent neutral content trials (compared to both normal controls and patients with parietal lobe lesions). Patients with lesions to parietal lobes underperformed normal controls (at a trend level) in neutral trials where there was a congruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument/true conclusion or invalid argument/false conclusion). We conclude that lesions to the polar orbital prefrontal cortex (i) prevent these patients from enjoying any emotionally induced cognitive boost, and (ii) block the belief bias processing route in the neutral condition. Lesions to parietal lobes result in a generalized impairment in logical reasoning with neutral content

Stratospheric loading of sulfur from explosive volcanic eruptions

This paper is an attempt to measure our understanding of volcano/atmosphere interactions by comparing a box model of potential volcanogenic aerosol production and removal in the stratosphere with the stratospheric aerosol optical depth over the period of 1979 to 1994. Model results and observed data are in good agreement both in magnitude and removal rates for the two largest eruptions, El Chicho´n and Pinatubo. However, the peak of stratospheric optical depth occurs about nine months after the eruptions, four times longer than the model prediction, which is driven by actual SO2 measurements. For smaller eruptions, the observed stratospheric perturbation is typically much less pronounced than modeled, and the observed aerosol removal rates much slower than expected. These results indicate several limitations in our knowledge of the volcano-atmosphere reactions in the months following an eruption. Further, it is evident that much of the emitted sulfur from smaller eruptions fails to produce any stratospheric impact. This suggests a threshold whereby eruption columns that do not rise much higher than the tropopause (which decreases in height from equatorial to polar latitudes) are subject to highly efficient self-removal processes. For low latitude volcanoes during our period of study, eruption rates on the order of 50,000 m3/s (dense rock equivalent) were needed to produce a significant global perturbation in stratospheric optical depth, i.e., greater than 0.001. However, at high (.40°) latitudes, this level of stratospheric impact was produced by eruption rates an order of magnitude smaller

Microscale Discrete Element Method Simulation of the Carbon Black Aggregate Fracture Behavior in a Simple Shear Flow

The shear stress induced breaking behavior of carbon black (CB) aggregates during the manufacturing process of Li‐ion batteries is investigated via microscale discrete element method (DEM) simulations. The relevant range of shear stress is chosen according to a planetary mixer and cathode slurries with high solid content. Aggregates of different sizes and shapes are modeled using a self‐written algorithm based on the tunable dimension method. Then, suitable models are chosen for representing the solid bridges between the primary particles of the CB aggregates and relevant fluid forces. The results show a correlation between aggregate size and critical shear stress which is required to initiate aggregate fracturing. Furthermore, a change in aggregate shape is linked to applied stress and initial aggregate size and shape. Hence, a recommendation for an efficient disintegration of CB aggregates during the mixing process is made

The neural underpinning of religious beliefs: Evidence from brain lesions

International audienc

The Ontogeny of Muscle Structure and Locomotory Function in the Long-Finned Squid Doryteuthis Pealeii

Understanding the extent to which changes in muscle form and function underlie ontogenetic changes in locomotory behaviors and performance is important in understanding the evolution of musculoskeletal systems and also the ecology of different life stages. We explored ontogenetic changes in the structure, myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression and contractile properties of the circular muscles that provide power for jet locomotion in the long-finned squid Doryteuthis pealeii. The circular muscle fibers of newly hatched paralarvae had different sizes, shapes, thick filament lengths, thin: thick filament ratio, myofilament organization and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) distribution than those of adults. Viewed in cross section, most circular muscle cells were roughly triangular or ovoid in shape with a core of mitochondria; however, numerous muscle cells with crescent or other unusual cross-sectional shapes and muscle cells with unequal distributions of mitochondria were present in the paralarvae. The frequency of these muscle cells relative to \u27normal\u27 circular muscle cells ranged from 1: 6 to 1: 10 among the 19 paralarvae we surveyed. The thick filaments of the two types of circular fibers, superficial mitochondria-rich (SMR) and central mitochondria-poor (CMP), differed slightly in length among paralarvae with thick filament lengths of 0.83+/-0.15 μm and 0.71+/-0.1μm for the SMR and CMP fibers, respectively (P 0.05; ANOVA). During ontogeny the thick filament lengths of both the CMP and SMR fibers increased significantly to 1.78+/-0.27 μm and 3.12+/-0.56 μm, respectively, in adults (P-1 (where L0 was the preparation length that generated the peak isometric stress), nearly twice that measured in other studies for the CMP fibers of adults. The mean peak isometric stress was 119+/-15mN mm-2 physiological cross section, nearly half that measured for the CMP fibers of adults. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of paralarval and adult mantle samples revealed very similar expression patterns of the two known isoforms of squid MHC. The ontogenetic differences in the structure and physiology of the circular muscles may result in more rapid mantle movements during locomotion. This prediction is consistent with jet pulse durations observed in other studies, with shorter jet pulses providing hydrodynamic advantages for paralarvae

Brain networks involved in the influence of religion on empathy in male Vietnam War veterans

Humans all over the world believe in spirits and deities, yet how the brain supports religious cognition remains unclear. Drawing on a unique sample of patients with penetrating traumatic brain injuries (pTBI) and matched healthy controls (HCs) we investigate dependencies of religious cognition on neural networks that represent (1) others agents’ intentions (Theory of Mind, ToM) and (2) other agents’ feelings (Empathy). Extending previous observations that ToM networks are recruited during prayer, we find that people with vmPFC damage report higher scores on the personal relationship with God inventory even when they are not praying. This result offers evidence that it is the modulation of ToM networks that support beliefs in supernatural agents. With respect to empathetic processing, we observed that vmPFC and pSTS/TPJ lesions mediated by the strength of the personal relationship with God affect empathetic responses. We suggest that the neurological networks underpinning God representations amplify human empathetic responses. The cultural evolutionary study of religion has argued that supernatural beliefs evoke pro-social responses because people fear the wrath of Gods. Our findings imply greater attention should be paid to the mechanisms by which religious cognition may regulate empathetic responses to others.Results - Descriptive statistic results. - Group analysis. - Correlation analyses. - Mediation analysis. Discussion Materials and methods - Participants. - CT acquisition and analysis. - Neuropsychological testing. - Statistical analyses