Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes (AT) splitting in the Presence of Band-Limited White Gaussian Noise

We investigate the effect of band-limited white Gaussian noise (BLWGN) on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes (AT) splitting, when performing atom-based continuous-wave (CW) radio-frequency (RF) electric (E) field strength measurements with Rydberg atoms in an atomic vapor. This EIT/AT-based E-field measurement approach is currently being investigated by several groups around the world as a means to develop a new SI traceable RF E-field measurement technique. For this to be a useful technique, it is important to understand the influence of BLWGN. We perform EIT/AT based E-field experiments with BLWGN centered on the RF transition frequency and for the BLWGN blue-shifted and red-shifted relative to the RF transition frequency. The EIT signal can be severely distorted for certain noise conditions (band-width, center-frequency, and noise power), hence altering the ability to accurately measure a CW RF E-field strength. We present a model to predict the changes in the EIT signal in the presence of noise. This model includes AC Stark shifts and on resonance transitions associated with the noise source. The results of this model are compared to the experimental data and we find very good agreement between the two.Comment: 14 page, 15 figures, 1 tabl

Investigation of Boiling Performance of Graphene-coated Surfaces

In this Capstone Project, I sought to investigate the boiling performance of graphene-coated surfaces. Boiling was accomplished in a pool boiling chamber, with samples of graphene-coating SiO2 wafers. I developed a procedure for graphene transfer for sample fabrication. Samples were prepared with graphene grown on copper substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Graphene was transferred from copper substrates to SiO­2 wafers by a thermal release transfer tape. Copper was etched away from the tape-graphene combination by ferric chloride, and the tape was peeled away after heating, leaving graphene on the SiO2 substrate. Contact angles were measured to verify the beneficial hydrophobic properties of the surface, thereby indicating a successful transfer. Raman spectra were taken of the samples at discrete spots to analyze sample quality and uniformity, before and after boiling. Boiling was controlled by a resistance heater on the back of the SiO2 samples, composed of Indium Titanium Oxide (ITO) and two copper electrodes. Samples were epoxied onto a platform in the boiling chamber, and soldered to a power supply. Heat flux was incrementally increased until critical heat flux (CHF) was reached. Experiments found that the boiling process destroyed the bulk of the graphene on the samples, the resulting curves of which reflected both hydrophobic and hydrophilic behavior from the samples. Heat transfer coefficient and CHF of samples were both found to be superior to a blank SiO2 sample, but graphene destruction in the process proves problematic. Furthermore, leakage of water from the tank may have caused an artificially high CHF for one sample. Further investigation of different transfer methods that prevent graphene from leaving the surface is a primary focus of future research

Optical Forces from Periodic Adiabatic Rapid Passage Sequences on Metastable Helium Atoms

Over the past 30 years, optical manipulation of neutral atoms has been primarily performed with a monochromatic laser beam. The simplest tool for the control of atomic motion is the radiative force exerted by a monochromatic laser on a twolevel atom. The radiative force arises from absorption followed by spontaneous emission, and its magnitude is limited by the atom\u27s excited state lifetime. The coherent momentum exchanges between light elds and atoms can be exploited to produce long-range optical forces much greater than the radiative force through the use of absorption-stimulated emission processes. Adiabatic Rapid Passage (ARP) is a long-existing method to invert the population of a two-level nuclear spin system. Its extension to the optical domain necessitates a frequency chirped light pulse to interact with a two-level atom via the dipole interaction. I will first present a numerical study of the properties of optical forces on moving atoms derived from purely stimulated processes produced by multiple ARP sequences. This will be followed by experimental observations of long-range ARP forces much larger than the radiative force in metastable helium. Sequences of properly timed laser pulses may be used for rapid deceleration of neutral atomic (or molecular) beams. | 171 page

A study of the norcaradiene-cycloheptatriene equilibrium in a series of azulenones by NMR spectroscopy; the impact of substitution on the position of equilibrium

A systematic investigation of the influence of substitution at positions C-2 and C-3 on the azulenone skeleton, based on NMR characterisation, is discussed with particular focus on the impact of the steric and electronic characteristics of substituents on the position of the norcaradiene-cycloheptatriene (NCD-CHT) equilibrium. Variable temperature (VT) NMR studies, undertaken to enable the resolution of signals for the equilibrating valence tautomers revealed, in addition, interesting shifts in the equilibrium

Perspective-taking in the workplace : can a priming manipulation encourage employees to empathise with their colleagues?

The current study attempted to expand perspective-taking literature in an organisational context by testing whether a priming mechanism could encourage employees to empathise with their colleagues. 140 full-time employees in New Zealand were randomly assigned to an imagine-other empathy prime condition, a control, or an objectively primed condition. They were then presented with an audio vignette depicting a young woman experiencing hardship in her personal life that was impacting her performance at work. Participants then responded to a questionnaire capturing perspective-taking, empathic concern, positive attributions, unconditionality, and level of regard. These scales were adapted to relate specifically to participants’ colleagues, thus investigating if the priming manipulation affected their feelings towards their own workmates. Results showed no significant difference between groups for any of the dependent variables, suggesting either that a priming effect did not occur, or that the prime did not transfer to participants’ empathy towards their own colleagues. Given the lack of research into empathy in an organisational context, these results provide a number of valuable insights as to how future research can continue to broaden this field

Masculinidades na seleção de parceiros entre usuários do Grindr na cidade de Santa Maria - RS

A pesquisa tem como tema a busca afetiva-sexual entre homens usuários doaplicativo Grindr em Santa Maria-RS. O Grindr é um aplicativo de geolocalização desenvolvido, inicialmente, para homens gays e bissexuais se relacionarem. Ele foi criado pelo norte-americano Joel Simkhai. O aplicativo pode ser acessado em smartphones e tablets, e está disponível para Android e Iphone. Estudos sobre a plataforma evidenciam padrões recorrentes na busca afetiva-sexual dos usuários, destacando rígidas normas estéticas de construção do corpo e da masculinidade, que se materializam na construção dos perfis e nos critérios subjetivos da busca. Compreendendo que padrões associados à masculinidade hegemônica influenciam na seleção de parceiros, busco investigar os espaços urbanos da cidade de Santa Maria-RS, caracterizada como grande polo militar e universitário, e como esses espaços influenciam na (in)visibilidade de determinados perfis. O estudo está em andamento e utiliza-se da etnografia digital, compreendendo as plataformas digitais como espaços passíveis de investigação sociológica. Os métodos de coleta de dados consistem na análise dos perfis que integram a plataforma e na entrevista semiestruturada com usuários do aplicativo. A análise coloca em evidência a pluralidade de discursos referentes à masculinidade. Há presença de perfis de usuários que reiteram uma masculinidade pautada na heterossexualidade ao se descreverem como machos ou “normais”, no entanto, há também perfis que desconstroem essa norma de masculinidade e reivindicam outras formas de existência para além das concepções hegemônicas de masculinidade.Palavras-Chave: Masculinidades; Aplicativos; Mídias Digitais; Grindr

“Tem que ser bagual, tem que pegar boi pelo pescoço”: Masculinidades interioranas e o dispositivo do armário em Santa Maria - RS

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa de mestrado que utilizou a etnografia digital para investigar o aplicativo Grindr, uma plataforma de geolocalização voltada para encontros sexuais entre homens. A pesquisa focou na vivência de quatro jovens universitários, com idades entre 24 e 27 anos, residentes em Santa Maria e oriundos de cidades menores ou zonas rurais do Rio Grande do Sul. A investigação evidenciou como esses jovens aprenderam sobre a masculinidade em seus contextos familiares, escolares e sociais em suas cidades de origem, e ainda, como tais vivências impactam seus usos em aplicativos de relacionamento. A pesquisa expôs semelhanças e diferenças nas trajetórias dos interlocutores, destacando a influência de sua origem no "interior" sobre suas compreensões de gênero e sexualidade, onde elementos da cultura campeira são centrais na construção do conceito de masculinidade no interior gaúcho. O termo bagual, que descreve um homem arisco e valente, exemplifica um ideal de masculinidade vinculado ao trabalho rural e à pecuária, predominante entre os participantes oriundos das zonas rurais. A pesquisa também analisou como esses jovens navegam entre diferentes contextos — sua cidade de origem, a cidade universitária e a plataforma do Grindr — e como utilizaram códigos de masculinidade de maneira estratégica no aplicativo para formar e gerenciar suas identidades sexuais e de gênero

“Não é uma realidade de todo mundo”: a normativa n°2.803/2013 e o acesso ao SUS por pessoas trans no município de Santa Maria-RS

Em 1997 o Conselho Federal de Medicina através da resolução 1.482 autorizou a realização de cirurgias de transgenitalização em pacientes transexuais. Observou-se a necessidade de ampliar o processo de transição de gênero para o âmbito do sistema único de saúde, este cenário tornou possível a emergência da normativa n°2.803/2013, que garante o acesso ao tratamento ambulatorial e hospitalar de forma gratuita mediante o Código Internacional de Doenças (CID). O acesso ao tratamento hormonal encontra entraves nas unidades básicas de saúde, devido a estigmatização de pessoas trans por profissionais de saúde. O objetivo do trabalho foi descobrir como a população trans do município de Santa Maria- RS utiliza o sistema único de saúde para a transição de gênero, compreender a importância da formação de gênero nas matrizes curriculares dos cursos, a fim de desconstruir estigmas sociais contra minorias, no caso, a população trans e por fim identificar quais parâmetros sociais facilitam o acesso ao tratamento hormonal seja pelo SUS, rede privada de saúde e auto-hormonização. O acesso ao tratamento hormonal e a procedimentos cirúrgicos são a oportunidade de modificação corporal, ou seja, de transformar esse corpo em uma casa confortável, incorporando elementos na construção da identidade transexual. Acessar os meios para modificar o corpo não é tão simples como formulado na normativa 2.803/2013, pois, as modificações corporais estão condicionadas a fatores como classe social, raça/etnia, capital cultural e regionalidade. A metodologia consistiu em uma pesquisa qualitativa com entrevistas não-diretivas aplicadas a três mulheres transexuais e dois homens transexuais que residem em Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul​

Food neophobia across the life course: Pooling data from five national cross-sectional surveys in Ireland

Food neophobia describes a reluctance to eat novel foods. Levels of food neophobia vary throughout life and are thought to peak in childhood. However, the trajectory of food neophobia across the life course is not fully clear. Using data from five national cross-sectional surveys in Ireland we explored levels of food neophobia in males and females aged 1–87 years. In addition, we assessed the influence of sociodemographic factors, breastfeeding and parental food neophobia on food neophobia. Food neophobia was measured using the Food Neophobia Scale in adults and adolescents and with the Children\u27s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in preschool and school aged children. A total of 3246 participants (female, 49.9%) were included. Food neophobia increased with age from 1 to ∼6 years, then decreased until early adulthood where it remained stable until increasing with age in older adults (\u3e54 years). In adults, lower education level, social class and rural residency were associated with higher food neophobia. When preschool and school aged children surveys were pooled (ages 1–12), higher food neophobia was seen in males, children with lower parental education and those who were not breastfed. Sociodemographic factors were not significantly associated with food neophobia in adolescents. Breastfeeding duration was negatively associated with food neophobia in children and adolescents and parental food neophobia was positively associated with child\u27s food neophobia in preschool and school aged children. The influence of socioeconomic factors was more pronounced in adults than in children or adolescents. However, sociodemographic factors only explained a small proportion of the variation in food neophobia across all ages. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand how changes in age or socioeconomic circumstance influence food neophobia at an individual level