Demythologizing and the Philosophia Perennis: Bultmann, Jaspers and Heidegger

Paper by Dr. Niels C. Nielsen, Jr

The Debate Between Karl Barth and Erich Przywara: A New Evaluation of Protestant and Roman Catholic Differences

Introduction: The Beginning of the Debate-- Barth's Position: The Analogia Fidei-- Przywara's Interpretation of the Analogia Fidei-- Pryzwara's Reply to Barth-- The Fundamental Points of Difference-- Conclusions about the Debate-- Note

Ends and Means in Religious Education

Paper by Dr. Niels C. Nielsen, Jr

A smoothing monotonic convergent optimal control algorithm for NMR pulse sequence design

The past decade has demonstrated increasing interests in using optimal control based methods within coherent quantum controllable systems. The versatility of such methods has been demonstrated with particular elegance within nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) where natural separation between coherent and dissipative spin dynamics processes has enabled coherent quantum control over long periods of time to shape the experiment to almost ideal adoption to the spin system and external manipulations. This has led to new design principles as well as powerful new experimental methods within magnetic resonance imaging, liquid-state and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. For this development to continue and expand, it is crucially important to constantly improve the underlying numerical algorithms to provide numerical solutions which are optimally compatible with implementation on current instrumentation and at same time are numerically stable and offer fast monotonic convergence towards the target. Addressing such aims, we here present a smoothing monotonically convergent algorithm for pulse sequence design in magnetic resonance which with improved optimization stability lead to smooth pulse sequence easier to implement experimentally and potentially understand within the analytical framework of modern NMR spectroscopy

Analogy and the Knowledge of God: An Ecumenical Appraisal

Paper by Niels C. Nielsen, Jr

Fast Mapping of Global Protein Folding States by Multivariate NMR: A GPS for Proteins

To obtain insight into the functions of proteins and their specific roles, it is important to establish efficient procedures for exploring the states that encapsulate their conformational space. Global Protein folding State mapping by multivariate NMR (GPS NMR) is a powerful high-throughput method that provides such an overview. GPS NMR exploits the unique ability of NMR to simultaneously record signals from individual hydrogen atoms in complex macromolecular systems and of multivariate analysis to describe spectral variations from these by a few variables for establishment of, and positioning in, protein-folding state maps. The method is fast, sensitive, and robust, and it works without isotope-labelling. The unique capabilities of GPS NMR to identify different folding states and to compare different unfolding processes are demonstrated by mapping of the equilibrium folding space of bovine α-lactalbumin in the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, and compare these with other surfactants, acid, denaturants and heat

Oscillatory variations in the Q factors of high quality micropillar cavities

We report on the observation of oscillatory variations in the quality (Q) factor of quantum dot-micropillar cavities based on planar Bragg reflectors. The oscillatory behavior in the Q versus diameter dependence appears in the diameter range between 1.0 and 4.0 mu m, has a characteristic period of a few hundred nanometers and increases in amplitude with increasing reflectivity of the planar microcavity structures. The experimental results are well reproduced by numerical calculations which support the interpretation that the Q oscillations are caused by coupling of propagating Bloch modes of different orders at the mirror interfaces.</p