Optimization of the Femtosecond Laser Impulse for Excitation and the Spin-Orbit Mediated Dissociation in the NaRb Dimer

We study the dynamics of multiple coupled states under the influence of an arbitrary time-dependent external field to investigate the femtosecond laser-driven excitation and the spin-orbit mediated dissociation in the NaRb dimer. In this process, the dimer is excited from the ground triplet state $1^3\Sigma^+$ to the $1^3\Pi$ state using the femtosecond laser impulse and the spin-orbit coupling between the $1^3\Pi$ and $2^1\Sigma^+$ states results in the singlet-triplet transition. The laser impulse parameters are optimised to obtain maximum yield in electronic states correlating with the first excited atomic asymptote. We observe the detailed population statistics and power-law decay of these states. Finally, the analysis of the population oscillations allows us to determine the optimal time delay for dumping the molecule to its absolute ground state.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted to Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfe

Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms in people with HIV/AIDS : an intervention based on ifthen plans with self-affirming cognitions

Effective antiretroviral treatment has increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV, and currently, the challenges of prominent importance appear to be mental health issues. This preregistered study among adults living with HIV/AIDS investigated the effectiveness of a brief self‐affirmation intervention framed in terms of if–then plans (i.e. self‐affirming implementation intentions [S‐AII]) against both active and non‐active control conditions, forming non‐affirming implementation intentions and mere goal intentions, respectively. The primary outcomes were defined as a reduction of depressive symptoms and enhancement of well‐being, along with secondary outcomes as positive other‐ and self‐directed feelings. A total of 162 individuals were assessed for eligibility, and 130 (aged 18–74 years) were randomized to the study conditions. Intervention effects were estimated through intention‐to‐treat analysis, using linear mixed models. The S‐AII intervention yielded improvements in overall well‐being over 2 weeks (d = .23), primarily driven by positive changes in emotional (d = .24) and social (d = .30) dimensions of well‐being. There were no significant differences in depression or secondary outcomes. Based on a minimal clinically important difference index, the S‐AII intervention resulted in improvement in well‐being in approximately 40 percent of participants. Nevertheless, further systematic research is needed to optimize self‐affirmation‐interventions, before their application in real‐life contexts

The 4

The 41Σ+ state of LiCs molecule is observed experimentally for the first time. The inverted perturbation approach (IPA) method is used to derive the potential energy curve of the state from the measured spectra. The experiment is accompanied by theoretical calculations of adiabatic potentials for excited states in LiCs including 41Σ+, performed with the MOLPRO program package. The irregular shape of the 41Σ+ state potential predicted by theory is confirmed in the experiment

Psychophysiological strategies for enhancing performance through imagery–skin conductance level analysis in guided vs. self-produced imagery

Abstract Athletes need to achieve their optimal level of arousal for peak performance. Visualization or mental rehearsal (i.e., Imagery) often helps to obtain an appropriate level of activation, which can be detected by monitoring Skin Conductance Level (SCL). However, different types of imagery could elicit different amount of physiological arousal. Therefore, this study aims: (1) to investigate differences in SCL associated with two instructional modalities of imagery (guided vs. self-produced) and six different scripts; (2) to check if SCL could differentiate respondents according to their sport expertise. Thirty participants, aged between 14 and 42 years (M = 22.93; SD = 5.24), with different sport levels took part in the study. Participants listened to each previously recorded script and then were asked to imagine the scene for a minute. During the task, SCL was monitored. We analysed the mean value, variance, slope and number of fluctuations per minute of the electrodermal signal. Unsupervised machine learning models were used for measuring the resemblance of the signal. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for distinguishing guided and self-produced imagery, and The Mann–Whitney U test was used for distinguishing results of different level athletes. We discovered that among others, self-produced imagery generates lower SCL, higher variance, and a higher number of fluctuations compared to guided imagery. Moreover, we found similarities of the SCL signal among the groups of athletes (i.e. expertise level). From a practical point of view, our findings suggest that different imagery instructional modalities can be implemented for specific purposes of mental preparation

The 41Σ+ electronic state of LiCs molecule

The 41Σ+ state of LiCs molecule is observed experimentally for the first time. The inverted perturbation approach (IPA) method is used to derive the potential energy curve of the state from the measured spectra. The experiment is accompanied by theoretical calculations of adiabatic potentials for excited states in LiCs including 41Σ+, performed with the MOLPRO program package. The irregular shape of the 41Σ+ state potential predicted by theory is confirmed in the experiment