Exploring the Relationship Between Misophonia Severity and Anterior Insular Cortex Activity

Misophonia is an under-recognized neuropsychological condition involving a severe sensitivity towards specific sounds called triggers. The aim of this study was to investigate how activity in the anterior insular cortex (AIC) differed with varying levels of sound sensitivity (SS); misophonia being the most severe. Data was collected from university undergraduates/young adults (N = 31). Participants completed an online survey to assess their misophonia severity and symptoms. A case study was conducted on some of the students (N = 4) to assess misophonia at a neurological level. In addition to experiencing a heightened sensitivity to sounds, the misophonia group reported having more primary triggers. Disgust, anger and anxiety were experienced more frequently in the misophonia group in response to a trigger. The participant with misophonia demonstrated heightened activity in the AIC in response to a trigger, but unexpectedly this activity did not exceed the activity elicited in the no SS participants. Differences in the misophonic reaction were found amongst varying levels of SS, but more participants are needed before conclusions can be made about whether or not these differences have a neurological basis

Quantum information processing and composite quantum fields

SCOAP

The new versatile general purpose surface-muon instrument (GPS) based on silicon photomultipliers for μ{\mu}SR measurements on a continuous-wave beam

We report on the design and commissioning of a new spectrometer for muon-spin relaxation/rotation studies installed at the Swiss Muon Source (S$\mu$S) of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI, Switzerland). This new instrument is essentially a new design and replaces the old general-purpose surface-muon instrument (GPS) which has been for long the workhorse of the $\mu$SR user facility at PSI. By making use of muon and positron detectors made of plastic scintillators read out by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), a time resolution of the complete instrument of about 160 ps (standard deviation) could be achieved. In addition, the absence of light guides, which are needed in traditionally built $\mu$SR instrument to deliver the scintillation light to photomultiplier tubes located outside magnetic fields applied, allowed us to design a compact instrument with a detector set covering an increased solid angle compared to the old GPS.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure

Lithium Diffusion & Magnetism in Battery Cathode Material LixNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2

We have studied low-temperature magnetic properties as well as high-temperature lithium ion diffusion in the battery cathode materials LixNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 by the use of muon spin rotation/relaxation. Our data reveal that the samples enter into a 2D spin-glass state below TSG=12 K. We further show that lithium diffusion channels become active for T>Tdiff=125 K where the Li-ion hopping-rate [nu(T)] starts to increase exponentially. Further, nu(T) is found to fit very well to an Arrhenius type equation and the activation energy for the diffusion process is extracted as Ea=100 meV.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Physics: Conference Series (2014

QCD Analysis of Dijet Production at Low {\boldmath Q2Q^2} at HERA

Recent H1 data on triple differential dijet cross sections in $e^\pm p$ interactions in the region of low photon virtualities are shown to be in reasonable agreement with the predictions of the NLO QCD calculations obtained using the program NLOJET++. The implications of this observation for the phenomenological relevance of the concept of resolved virtual photon are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Magnetic Order in the 2D Heavy-Fermion System CePt2In7 studied by muSR

The low-temperature microscopic magnetic properties of the quasi-2D heavyfermion compound, CePt2In7 are investigated by using a positive muon-spin rotation and relaxation (?muSR) technique. Clear evidence for the formation of a commensurate antiferromagnetic order below TN=5.40 K is presented. The magnetic order parameter is shown to fit well to a modified BSC gap-energy function in a strong-coupling scenario.Comment: Accepted in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (2014

The Effect of Calcining Temperature on Photocatalytic Activity of Porous ZnO Architecture

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano crystals assembled porous architecture was prepared by thermal decomposition of zinc oxalate precursor at various temperatures ranging from 400-900°C. The effect of calcining temperature on structure and morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry, and BET adsorption analysis. The porous nano crystalline ZnO morphology was developed due to the release of volatile precursor products, while the overall shape of ZnO micro crystals was retained as a legacy of the precursor. The average crystallite size increased with increasing temperature of calcination from approximately 21 nm to 79 nm, while the specific surface area decreased from 30 to 1.7 m2g-1. The photo catalytic performance of prepared ZnO powders was evaluated by degradation of methyl violet 2B, a model compound. The significantly highest photo catalytic activity was achieved with powder calcined at 500°C. This may be attributed to the sufficiently well-developed crystalline arrangement, while the specific surface area is still high enough

The Effect of Calcining Temperature on Photocatalytic Activity of Porous ZnO Architecture

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano crystals assembled porous architecture was prepared by thermal decomposition of zinc oxalate precursor at various temperatures ranging from 400-900°C. The effect of calcining temperature on structure and morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry, and BET adsorption analysis. The porous nano crystalline ZnO morphology was developed due to the release of volatile precursor products, while the overall shape of ZnO micro crystals was retained as a legacy of the precursor. The average crystallite size increased with increasing temperature of calcination from approximately 21 nm to 79 nm, while the specific surface area decreased from 30 to 1.7 m2g-1. The photo catalytic performance of prepared ZnO powders was evaluated by degradation of methyl violet 2B, a model compound. The significantly highest photo catalytic activity was achieved with powder calcined at 500°C. This may be attributed to the sufficiently well-developed crystalline arrangement, while the specific surface area is still high enough