Seebeck Coefficients in Nanoscale Junctions: Effects of Electron-vibration Scattering and Local Heating

We report first-principles calculations of inelastic Seebeck coefficients in an aluminum monatomic junction. We compare the elastic and inelastic Seebeck coefficients with and without local heating. In the low temperature regime, the signature of normal modes in the profiles of the inelastic Seebeck effects is salient. The inelastic Seebeck effects are enhanced by the normal modes, and further magnified by local heating. In the high temperature regime, the inelastic Seebeck effects are weakly suppressed due to the quasi-ballistic transport.Comment: 3 Figure

Tackling MARCKS-PIP3 circuit attenuates fibroblast activation and fibrosis progression.

Targeting activated fibroblasts, including myofibroblast differentiation, has emerged as a key therapeutic strategy in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, there is no available therapy capable of selectively eradicating myofibroblasts or limiting their genesis. Through an integrative analysis of the regulator genes that are responsible for the activation of IPF fibroblasts, we noticed the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-binding protein, myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS), as a potential target molecule for IPF. Herein, we have employed a 25-mer novel peptide, MARCKS phosphorylation site domain sequence (MPS), to determine if MARCKS inhibition reduces pulmonary fibrosis through the inactivation of PI3K/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling in fibroblast cells. We first observed that higher levels of MARCKS phosphorylation and the myofibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were notably overexpressed in all tested IPF lung tissues and fibroblast cells. Treatment with the MPS peptide suppressed levels of MARCKS phosphorylation in primary IPF fibroblasts. A kinetic assay confirmed that this peptide binds to phospholipids, particularly PIP2, with a dissociation constant of 17.64 nM. As expected, a decrease of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate pools and AKT activity occurred in MPS-treated IPF fibroblast cells. MPS peptide was demonstrated to impair cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in multiple IPF fibroblast cells in vitro as well as to reduce pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin-treated mice in vivo. Surprisingly, we found that MPS peptide decreases α-SMA expression and synergistically interacts with nintedanib treatment in IPF fibroblasts. Our data suggest MARCKS as a druggable target in pulmonary fibrosis and also provide a promising antifibrotic agent that may lead to effective IPF treatments.-Yang, D. C., Li, J.-M., Xu, J., Oldham, J., Phan, S. H., Last, J. A., Wu, R., Chen, C.-H. Tackling MARCKS-PIP3 circuit attenuates fibroblast activation and fibrosis progression

R&D, Patent Arrangements, and Financial Performances: Evidence from Taiwan

In this study, we investigate the relationships among R&D, patent arrangements, and financial performances for the firms listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE). In particular, we apply Vector Autoregression (VAR) to examine the relationships of the listed firms classified as industries of Semiconductor, Computer and Peripheral Equipment, Optoelectronic, Communications and Internet, Electronic Parts & Components, Electronic Products Distribution, and Other Electronic, by the TWSE. In sum, we find the different lead-lag relationships among R&D, patent arrangements, and financial performances in different industries, indicating important insight into patent arrangements

Spin and charge pumping in magnetic tunnel junctions with precessing magnetization: A nonequilibrium Green function approach

We study spin and charge currents pumped by precessing magnetization of a single ferromagnetic layer within F|I|N or F|I|F (F-ferromagnet; I-insulator; N-normal-metal) multilayers of nanoscale thickness attached to two normal metal electrodes with no applied bias voltage between them. Both simple one-dimensional model, consisting of a single precessing spin and a potential barrier as the "sample," and realistic three-dimensional devices are investigated. In the rotating reference frame, where the magnetization appears to be static, these junctions are mapped onto a four-terminal dc circuit whose effectively half-metallic ferromagnetic electrodes are biased by the frequency $\hbar \omega/e$ of microwave radiation driving magnetization precession at the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) conditions. We show that pumped spin current in F|I|F junctions, diminished behind the tunnel barrier and increased in the opposite direction, is filtered into charge current by the second $F$ layer to generate dc pumping voltage of the order of $\sim 1$ $\mu$V (at FMR frequency $\sim 10$ GHz) in an open circuit. In F|I|N devices, several orders of magnitude smaller charge current and the corresponding dc voltage appear concomitantly with the pumped spin current due to barrier induced asymmetry in the transmission coefficients connecting the four electrodes in the rotating frame picture of pumping.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

A model of CP Violation from Extra Dimension

We construct a realistic model of CP violation in which CP is broken in the process of dimensional reduction and orbifold compactification from a five dimensional theories with $SU(3)\times SU(3) \times SU(3)$ gauge symmetry. CP violation is a result of the Hosotani type gauge configuration in the higher dimension.Comment: 5 page

Nonequilibrium spin transport on Au(111) surfaces

The well-known experimentally observed \textit{sp}-derived Au(111) Shockley surface states with Rashba spin splitting are perfectly fit by an effective tight-binding model, considering a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice with $p_{z}$-orbital and nearest neighbor hopping only. The extracted realistic band parameters are then imported to perform the Landauer-Keldysh formalism to calculate nonequilibrium spin transport in a two-terminal setup sandwiching a Au(111) surface channel. Obtained results show strong spin density on the Au(111) surface and demonstrate (i) intrinsic spin-Hall effect, (ii) current-induced spin polarization, and (iii) Rashba spin precession, all of which have been experimentally observed in semiconductor heterostructures, but not in metallic surface states. We therefore urge experiments in the latter for these spin phenomena.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Suspension of the fiber mode-cleaner launcher and measurement of the high extinction-ratio (10^{-9}) ellipsometer for the Q & A experiment

The Q & A experiment, first proposed and started in 1994, provides a feasible way of exploring the quantum vacuum through the detection of vacuum birefringence effect generated by QED loop diagram and the detection of the polarization rotation effect generated by photon-interacting (pseudo-)scalar particles. Three main parts of the experiment are: (1) Optics System (including associated Electronic System) based on a suspended 3.5-m high finesse Fabry-Perot cavity, (2) Ellipsometer using ultra-high extinction-ratio polarizer and analyzer, and (3) Magnetic Field Modulation System for generating the birefringence and the polarization rotation effect. In 2002, the Q & A experiment achieved the Phase I sensitivity goal. During Phase II, we set (i) to improve the control system of the cavity mirrors for suppressing the relative motion noise, (ii) to enhance the birefringence signal by setting-up a 60-cm long 2.3 T transverse permanent magnet rotatable to 10 rev/s, (iii) to reduce geometrical noise by inserting a polarization-maintaining optical fiber (PM fiber) as a mode cleaner, and (iv) to use ultra-high extinction-ratio (10^{-9}) polarizer and analyzer for ellipsometry. Here we report on (iii) & (iv); specifically, we present the properties of the PM-fiber mode-cleaner, the transfer function of its suspension system, and the result of our measurement of high extinction-ratio polarizer and analyzer.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, presented in the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Okinawa, Japan, June 2005, and accepted by "Journal of Physics: Conference Series". Modifications from version 2 were made based on the referees' comments on figures. Ref. [31] were update

Ellipsometry noise spectrum, suspension transfer function measurement and closed-loop control of the suspension system in the Q & A experiment

The Q & A experiment, aiming at the detection of vacuum birefringence predicted by quantum electrodynamics, consists mainly of a suspended 3.5 m Fabry-Perot cavity, a rotating permanent dipole magnet and an ellipsometer. The 2.3 T magnet can rotate up to 10 rev/s, introducing an ellipticity signal at twice the rotation frequency. The X-pendulum gives a good isolation ratio for seismic noise above its main resonant frequency 0.3 Hz. At present, the ellipsometry noise decreases with frequency, from 1*10^{-5} rad Hz^{-1/2} at 5 Hz, 2*10^{-6} rad Hz^{-1/2} at 20 Hz to 5*10^{-7} rad Hz^{-1/2} at 40 Hz. The shape of the noise spectrum indicates possible improvement can be made by further reducing the movement between the cavity mirrors. From the preliminary result of yaw motion alignment control, it can be seen that some peaks due to yaw motion of the cavity mirror was suppressed. In this paper, we first give a schematic view of the Q & A experiment, and then present the measurement of transfer function of the compound X-pendulum-double pendulum suspension. A closed-loop control was carried out to verify the validity of the measured transfer functions. The ellipsometry noise spectra with and without yaw alignment control and the newest improvement is presented.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, presented in 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, June 2005, Okinawa Japan and submitted to Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Some modifications are made according to the referee's comments: mainly to explain the relation between the displacement of cavity mirror and the ellipticity noise spectru