Renormalized stress-energy tensor for spin-1/2 fields in expanding universes

We provide an explicit expression for the renormalized expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of a spin-1/2 field in a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker universe. Its computation is based on the extension of the adiabatic regularization method to fermion fields introduced recently in the literature. The tensor is given in terms of UV-finite integrals in momentum space, which involve the mode functions that define the quantum state. As illustrative examples of the method efficiency, we see how to compute the renormalized energy density and pressure in two interesting cosmological scenarios: a de Sitter spacetime and a radiation-dominated universe. In the second case, we explicitly show that the late-time renormalized stress-energy tensor behaves as that of classical cold matter. We also check that, if we obtain the adiabatic expansion of the scalar field mode functions with a similar procedure to the one used for fermions, we recover the well-known WKB-type expansion

Quantum information processes in protein microtubules of brain neurons

We study biologically ‘orchestrated’ coherent quantum processes in collections of protein microtubules of brain neurons, which correlate with, and regulate, neuronal synaptic and membrane activity. In this situation the continuous Schrodinger evolution of each such process terminates in accordance with the specific Diosi-Penrose (DP) scheme of ‘objective reduction’ (‘OR’) of the quantum state. This orchestrated OR activity (‘Orch OR’) is taken to result in moments of conscious awareness and/or choice. We analyze Orch OR in light of advances and developments in quantum physics, computational neuroscience and quantum biology. Much attention is also devoted to the ‘beat frequencies’ of faster microtubule vibrations as a possible source of the observed electroencephalographic (‘EEG’) correlates of consciousness

Recherche sur une methode de determination en regime transitoire des parametres caracteristiques de capteurs solaires plans

SIGLECNRS-CDST / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Long-distance Human-Robot Interaction with 3D UHDTV 60p video supported by VISIONAIR

SURFnet, University of Twente, Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC) and Ciena performed a demonstration of human-robot interaction with stereoscopic UHDTV 60p video feedback over more than 2.000 km. The presented combination of a cutting edge technologies: all optical network, robotics, haptic force-feedback and ultra-high resolution compressed and uncompressed video, highlights the future potential of Human-Robot interaction in fields such as e-Health, e-Culture, e-Education and other real-time collaboration areas. UHDTV stereoscopic live video streams were transmitted through a 40G link established between Poznan, PL and Maastricht, NL with very lowlatency. The demonstration took part during TERENA Networking Conference 2013 in Maastricht and was possible thanks to VISIONAIR project which calls for the creation of a European infrastructure for high level visualisation facilities that are open to research communities across Europe