Affective theory of mind impairments underlying callous-unemotional traits and the role of cognitive control: A pilot study

Affective theory of mind (aToM) impairments predict antisocial behavior above clinical rating of the youth antisocial phenotype callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Adolescents with CU traits demonstrate specific impairments in cognitive control; and cognitive control modulates aToM. Adolescents with CU traits specifically demonstrate aToM impairments during complex, but not basic, emotions, which require greater cognitive control to process. What is less understood is how cognitive control impacts complex aToM in relation to CU traits. Such investigations demonstrate promise for understanding modifiable mechanisms underlying core impairments of CU traits. To examine this, 81 participants (ages 12-14, Female = 51.8%, Male= 48.2%) were recruited to complete a behavioral paradigm that involved an initial aToM task followed by placing additional demands on cognitive control and a final repeat of the same aToM task. Results indicate higher CU traits associated with greater sensitivity to cognitive demands and that placing demands on cognitive control resulted in additional decrements in complex aToM. These preliminary results suggest that the cognitive control vulnerabilities associated with CU traits impact complex aToM. This may partially explain why youth with CU traits persist in antisocial behavior and warrants further investigation.

Coherently forming a single molecule in an optical trap

Ultracold single molecules have wide-ranging potential applications, such as ultracold chemistry, precision measurements, quantum simulation, and quantum computation. However, given the difficulty of achieving full control of a complex atom-molecule system, the coherent formation of single molecules remains a challenge. Here, we report an alternative route to coherently bind two atoms into a weakly bound molecule at megahertz levels by coupling atomic spins to their two-body relative motion in a strongly focused laser with inherent polarization gradients. The coherent nature is demonstrated by long-lived atom-molecule Rabi oscillations. We further manipulate the motional levels of the molecules and measure the binding energy precisely. This work opens the door to full control of all degrees of freedom in atom-molecule systems.

THEORY OF COMPLEX SCATTERING LENGTHS

We derive a generalized Low equation for the T-matrix appropriate for complex atom–molecule interaction. The properties of this new equation at very low energies are studied and the complex scattering length and effective range are derived.