Condensed Matter Theory of Dipolar Quantum Gases

Recent experimental breakthroughs in trapping, cooling and controlling ultracold gases of polar molecules, magnetic and Rydberg atoms have paved the way toward the investigation of highly tunable quantum systems, where anisotropic, long-range dipolar interactions play a prominent role at the many-body level. In this article we review recent theoretical studies concerning the physics of such systems. Starting from a general discussion on interaction design techniques and microscopic Hamiltonians, we provide a summary of recent work focused on many-body properties of dipolar systems, including: weakly interacting Bose gases, weakly interacting Fermi gases, multilayer systems, strongly interacting dipolar gases and dipolar gases in 1D and quasi-1D geometries. Within each of these topics, purely dipolar effects and connections with experimental realizations are emphasized.Comment: Review article; submitted 09/06/2011. 158 pages, 52 figures. This document is the unedited author's version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in Chemical Reviews, copyright American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work, a link will be provided soo

Sensorimotor adaptation as a behavioural biomarker of early spinocerebellar ataxia type 6.

Early detection of the behavioural deficits of neurodegenerative diseases may help to describe the pathogenesis of such diseases and establish important biomarkers of disease progression. The aim of this study was to identify how sensorimotor adaptation of the upper limb, a cerebellar-dependent process restoring movement accuracy after introduction of a perturbation, is affected at the pre-clinical and clinical stages of spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), an inherited neurodegenerative disease. We demonstrate that initial adaptation to the perturbation was significantly impaired in the eighteen individuals with clinical motor symptoms but mostly preserved in the five pre-clinical individuals. Moreover, the amount of error reduction correlated with the clinical symptoms, with the most symptomatic patients adapting the least. Finally both pre-clinical and clinical individuals showed significantly reduced de-adaptation performance after the perturbation was removed in comparison to the control participants. Thus, in this large study of motor features in SCA6, we provide novel evidence for the existence of subclinical motor dysfunction at a pre-clinical stage of SCA6. Our findings show that testing sensorimotor de-adaptation could provide a potential predictor of future motor deficits in SCA6

Cold and Ultracold Molecules: Science, Technology, and Applications

This article presents a review of the current state of the art in the research field of cold and ultracold molecules. It serves as an introduction to the Special Issue of the New Journal of Physics on Cold and Ultracold Molecules and describes new prospects for fundamental research and technological development. Cold and ultracold molecules may revolutionize physical chemistry and few body physics, provide techniques for probing new states of quantum matter, allow for precision measurements of both fundamental and applied interest, and enable quantum simulations of condensed-matter phenomena. Ultracold molecules offer promising applications such as new platforms for quantum computing, precise control of molecular dynamics, nanolithography, and Bose-enhanced chemistry. The discussion is based on recent experimental and theoretical work and concludes with a summary of anticipated future directions and open questions in this rapidly expanding research field.Comment: 82 pages, 9 figures, review article to appear in New Journal of Physics Special Issue on Cold and Ultracold Molecule

Saturn Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics

2 Saturn inhabits a dynamical regime of rapidly rotating, internally heated atmospheres similar to Jupiter. Zonal winds have remained fairly steady since the time of Voyager except in the equatorial zone and slightly stronger winds occur at deeper levels. Eddies supply energy to the jets at a rate somewhat less than on Jupiter and mix potential vorticity near westward jets. Convective clouds exist preferentially in cyclonic shear regions as on Jupiter but also near jets, including major outbreaks near 35°S associated with Saturn electrostatic discharges, and in sporadic giant equatorial storms perhaps generated from frequent events at depth. The implied meridional circulation at and below the visible cloud tops consists of upwelling (downwelling) at cyclonic (anti-cyclonic) shear latitudes. Thermal winds decay upward above the clouds, implying a reversal of the circulation there. Warm-core vortices with associated cyclonic circulations exist at both poles, including surrounding thick high clouds at the south pole. Disequilibrium gas concentrations in the tropical upper troposphere imply rising motion there. The radiative-convective boundary and tropopause occur at higher pressure in the southern (summer) hemisphere due to greater penetration of solar heating there. A temperature “knee ” of warm air below the tropopause, perhaps due to haze heating, is stronger in the summer hemisphere as well. Saturn’s south polar stratosphere is warmer than predicted by radiative models and enhanced in ethane, suggesting subsidence-driven adiabatic warming there. Recent modeling advances suggest that shallow weather laye

Wpływ menedżerów na wprowadzanie innowacji w logistyce w Polsce

The innovativeness of logistics companies depends on the quality of management staff. Logistics is an area where innovation largely determines the competitiveness of the company and its position on the market. Managers can have a strong influence on the level of innovation, but the way they interact can vary. The paper presents the results of the study of 200 managers working in small and medium-sized enterprises from the Podlaskie Voivodeship responsible for logistics activities and their subordinates. The aim of the research was to assess the impact of SME sector managers working in the area of logistics on the innovation of the enterprise in the context of management style and their relations with subordinates. The research shows that managers characterized by a democratic style of management and having better relationships with subordinates have a greater impact on innovation in the area of logistics. Sharing your own knowledge with subordinates is the most frequently indicated method of influencing the company’s innovativeness by managers.Innowacyjność przedsiębiorstw logistycznych zależy od jakości kadry kierowniczej. Logistyka jest tym obszarem, w którym innowacyjność decyduje w dużej mierze o konkurencyjności przedsiębiorstwa i jego pozycji na rynku. Kierownicy mogą mieć silny wpływ na poziom innowacyjności, jednak sposób oddziaływania może być różny. W pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań 200 kierowników pracujących w małych i średnich przedsiębiorstwach z województwa podlaskiego odpowiadających za działania logistyczne oraz ich podwładnych. Celem badań była ocena wpływu kierowników sektora MSP pracujących w obszarze logistyki na innowacyjność przedsiębiorstwa w kontekście stylu kierowania i ich relacji z podwładnymi. Badania wskazują, że kierownicy charakteryzujący się demokratycznym stylem kierowania oraz mający lepsze relacje z podwładnymi mają większy wpływ na innowacyjność w obszarze logistyki. Dzielenie się własną wiedzą z podwładnymi jest najczęściej wskazywanym sposobem wpływania przez kierowników na innowacyjność przedsiębiorstwa

Mapping social work field education in the 21st century: a national survey of the Australian context

Field education is a key curriculum component in social work programmes and students identify their placement as central to their transition to practice. Globally, changes in higher education, increasing complexity of practice and an increasingly diverse student body, are challenging field education programmes to meet these professional and resource challenges. This paper reports on Australian research which surveyed social work field education programmes in relation to staffing, supervision and other developments shaping social work field education. Twenty-four field education coordinators of 30 social work programmes completed the survey and the findings highlighted worrying trends including increasing student to staff ratio, insufficient social worker supervised placements, increased placements with external [off-site] supervision and employment of causal staff to undertake core tasks such as supervision and liaison. The results provide important benchmarking evidence which will resonate with the wider international social work education context

Exploring the benefits of international practice-based education experiences in social work and human services education

This paper will initially describe an innovative, practice-based education (PBE) model that exemplifies the benefits of international, cross-disciplinary collaboration and the creative use of established relationships with Universities outside of the country of origin, in this case Australia. Specifically, the project aimed to further develop an existing relationship with a University in Thailand (NRRU) in a reciprocal manner. Participation in international experiences was intended to enhance Thai and Australian students' awareness of, and facilitate direct participation in, programs focused on human rights, social capital development and sustainability.\ud \ud This paper also reports on research that aimed to assess, from the perspective of Australian Social Work and Human Services students, the experience of participating in community development programs in Thailand. Specifically, the research focused on participating students' reflections on their cross-cultural experiences and their development of cultural competence.\ud \ud This project demonstrated that drawing on the diverse expertise, experience and contacts of a cross-disciplinary, international academic tea can deliver innovative, internationally based, PBE experiences that substantially enrich and diversify the learning of social work and human services students.\ud \u

Leading Through Collaboration: The National Field Education Network

Social work field education is under pressure across the globe, including in Australia. Current application of neo-liberal principles to education and human services policy and service delivery impact social work practice, social work education and the availability and delivery of practice placements. Social work educators are concerned about delivering quality social work education so that students can engage in supervised service delivery in preparation for professional social work practice. Field education staff in universities across the country report significant challenges in ensuring and organising increasing numbers of quality student placements. The formation of a national leadership group was triggered by a collective realisation that all university field education programs were facing the same challenges. The purpose of a national group was to better respond to the identified challenges and identify directions for research. Collaboration has been effectively used across university-based field education programs as a leadership approach, in the development of the Australian National Field Educators Network (NFEN). This paper reports on the formation of the NFEN and the resulting identification of six themes affecting provision of social work field education as an example of collaborative leadership. The paper concludes with an appraisal of the opportunities and challenges of taking a collaborative approach in developing a national response and working as a unified national organisation