Experimental observation of the hot electron equilibrium in a minimum-B mirror plasma

(12.06. – 18.06.2017

P-matrix and J-matrix approaches. Coulomb asymptotics in the harmonic oscillator representation of scattering theory

The relation between the R- and P-matrix approaches and the harmonic oscillator representation of the quantum scattering theory (J-matrix method) is discussed. We construct a discrete analogue of the P-matrix that is shown to be equivalent to the usual P-matrix in the quasiclassical limit. A definition of the natural channel radius is introduced. As a result, it is shown to be possible to use well-developed technique of R- and P-matrix theory for calculation of resonant states characteristics, scattering phase shifts, etc., in the approaches based on harmonic oscillator expansions, e.g., in nuclear shell-model calculations. P-matrix is used also for formulation of the method of treating Coulomb asymptotics in the scattering theory in oscillator representation.Comment: Revtex, 57 pages including 15 figures; to be published in Annals of Physic

What do young athletes implicitly understand about psychological skills?

One reason sport psychologists teach psychological skills is to enhance performance in sport; but the value of psychological skills for young athletes is questionable because of the qualitative and quantitative differences between children and adults in their understanding of abstract concepts such as mental skills. To teach these skills effectively to young athletes, sport psychologists need to appreciate what young athletes implicitly understand about such skills because maturational (e.g., cognitive, social) and environmental (e.g., coaches) factors can influence the progressive development of children and youth. In the present qualitative study, we explored young athletes’ (aged 10–15 years) understanding of four basic psychological skills: goal setting, mental imagery, self-talk, and relaxation. Young athletes (n = 118: 75 males and 43 females) completed an open-ended questionnaire to report their understanding of these four basic psychological skills. Compared with the older youth athletes, the younger youth athletes were less able to explain the meaning of each psychological skill. Goal setting and mental imagery were better understood than self-talk and relaxation. Based on these findings, sport psychologists should consider adapting interventions and psychoeducational programs to match young athletes’ age and developmental level

Quantum energy inequalities and local covariance II: Categorical formulation

We formulate Quantum Energy Inequalities (QEIs) in the framework of locally covariant quantum field theory developed by Brunetti, Fredenhagen and Verch, which is based on notions taken from category theory. This leads to a new viewpoint on the QEIs, and also to the identification of a new structural property of locally covariant quantum field theory, which we call Local Physical Equivalence. Covariant formulations of the numerical range and spectrum of locally covariant fields are given and investigated, and a new algebra of fields is identified, in which fields are treated independently of their realisation on particular spacetimes and manifestly covariant versions of the functional calculus may be formulated.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX. Further discussion added. Version to appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Functional diversity of chemokines and chemokine receptors in response to viral infection of the central nervous system.

Encounters with neurotropic viruses result in varied outcomes ranging from encephalitis, paralytic poliomyelitis or other serious consequences to relatively benign infection. One of the principal factors that control the outcome of infection is the localized tissue response and subsequent immune response directed against the invading toxic agent. It is the role of the immune system to contain and control the spread of virus infection in the central nervous system (CNS), and paradoxically, this response may also be pathologic. Chemokines are potent proinflammatory molecules whose expression within virally infected tissues is often associated with protection and/or pathology which correlates with migration and accumulation of immune cells. Indeed, studies with a neurotropic murine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), have provided important insight into the functional roles of chemokines and chemokine receptors in participating in various aspects of host defense as well as disease development within the CNS. This chapter will highlight recent discoveries that have provided insight into the diverse biologic roles of chemokines and their receptors in coordinating immune responses following viral infection of the CNS

ERP and four dimensions of absorptive capacity: lessons from a developing country

Enterprise resource planning systems can grant crucial strategic, operational and information-based benefits to adopting firms when implemented successfully. However, a failed implementation can often result in financial losses rather than profits. Until now, the research on the failures and successes were focused on implementations in large manufacturing and service organizations firms located in western countries, particularly in USA. Nevertheless, IT has gained intense diffusion to developing countries through declining hardware costs and increasing benefits that merits attention as much as developed countries. The aim of this study is to examine the implications of knowledge transfer in a developing country, Turkey, as a paradigm in the knowledge society with a focus on the implementation activities that foster successful installations. We suggest that absorptive capacity is an important characteristic of a firm that explains the success level of such a knowledge transfer.Publicad

A note on the Sagnac effect and current terrestrial experiments

We focus on the Sagnac effect for light beams in order to evaluate if the higher-order relativistic corrections of kinematic origin could be relevant for actual terrestrial experiments. Moreover, we discuss to what extent the analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm effect holds true in a fully relativistic framework. We show that the analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm is not true in general, but is recovered in a suitable low-order approximation, and that even though the Sagnac effect is influenced by both the position of the interferometer in the rotating frame and its extension, these effects are negligible for current terrestrial experiment