Structure of resonance eigenfunctions for chaotic systems with partial escape

Physical systems are often neither completely closed nor completely open, but instead are best described by dynamical systems with partial escape or absorption. In this paper we introduce classical measures that explain the main properties of resonance eigenfunctions of chaotic quantum systems with partial escape. We construct a family of conditionally invariant measures with varying decay rates by interpolating between the natural measures of the forward and backward dynamics. Numerical simulations in a representative system show that our classical measures correctly describe the main features of the quantum eigenfunctions: their multifractal phase-space distribution, their product structure along stable and unstable directions, and their dependence on the decay rate. The (Jensen-Shannon) distance between classical and quantum measures goes to zero in the semiclassical limit for long- and short-lived eigenfunctions, while it remains finite for intermediate cases

Examining the Effect of Public Hiking Trail Use on Soil Loss and Stream-Bottom Embeddedness in First-Order Vermont Streams

Erosion of public hiking trails is a key management issue in Vermont. Previous studies have suggested a link between outdoor recreational land use, soil erosion, and diminished stream health. Trail development, maintenance, and use in Vermont is regulated through a series of state and local regulations. This study investigated the relationship between hiking trail character (trail age, visitation rate, and trail-stream crossings) and soil loss on trails and the relationship between soil loss, stream-bottom embeddedness, and stream health. Nine paired trail-stream sites and one undeveloped forested stream site (control) were monitored to determine stream-bottom embeddedness, macroinvertebrate community composition, and soil incision on trails. Regression analysis was performed to determine the relationships present between trail characteristics, soil loss, and embeddedness. The results did not indicate any significant relationships between trail character, soil loss, and embeddedness. Stream-bottom embeddedness was significantly negatively related to stream gradient, indicating that natural geography has more impact than recreational land use on sediment dynamics in forested streams. None of the stream sites were impaired, as indicated by macroinvertebrate community composition. The results of this study may suggest that current trail regulations are effective in minimizing the impact of public hiking trail construction and use on trail-adjacent streams. Future work could focus on monitoring trails throughout their lifespan to better understand the long-term effects of trail use on the surrounding landscape. Future studies could also examine which methods are most effective in measuring soil loss on hiking trails and sediment dynamics in headwater streams

Electronic Scattering Effects in Europium-Based Iron Pnictides

In a comprehensive study, we investigate the electronic scattering effects in EuFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$ by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In spite of the fact that Eu$^{2+}$ local moments order around $T_\text{Eu} \approx 20$\,K, the overall optical response is strikingly similar to the one of the well-known Ba-122 pnictides. The main difference lies within the suppression of the lower spin-density-wave gap feature. By analysing our spectra with a multi-component model, we find that the high-energy feature around 0.7\,eV -- often associated with Hund's rule coupling -- is highly sensitive to the spin-density-wave ordering, this further confirms its direct relationship to the dynamics of itinerant carriers. The same model is also used to investigate the in-plane anisotropy of magnetically detwinned EuFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ in the antiferromagnetically ordered state, yielding a higher Drude weight and lower scattering rate along the crystallographic $a$-axis. Finally, we analyse the development of the room temperature spectra with isovalent phosphor substitution and highlight changes in the scattering rate of hole-like carriers induced by a Lifshitz transition

Extracellular vesicles: Novel communicators in lung diseases

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.The lung is the organ with the highest vascular density in the human body. It is therefore perceivable that the endothelium of the lung contributes significantly to the circulation of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. In addition to the endothelium, EVs may arise from alveolar macrophages, fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Because EVs harbor cargo molecules, such as miRNA, mRNA, and proteins, these intercellular communicators provide important insight into the health and disease condition of donor cells and may serve as useful biomarkers of lung disease processes. This comprehensive review focuses on what is currently known about the role of EVs as markers and mediators of lung pathologies including COPD, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, lung cancer and ALI/ARDS. We also explore the role EVs can potentially serve as therapeutics for these lung diseases when released from healthy progenitor cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells.NiH R01DA042715NIH R01HL129875NIH P20 GM10363

Persistent detwinning of iron pnictides by small magnetic fields

Our comprehensive study on EuFe$_2$As$_2$ reveals a dramatic reduction of magnetic detwinning fields compared to other AFe$_2$As$_2$ (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) iron pnictides by indirect magneto-elastic coupling of the Eu$^{2+}$ ions. We find that only 0.1T are sufficient for persistent detwinning below the local Eu$^{2+}$ ordering; above $T_\text{Eu}$ = 19K, higher fields are necessary. Even after the field is switched off, a significant imbalance of twin domains remains constant up to the structural and electronic phase transition (190K). This persistent detwinning provides the unique possibility to study the low temperature electronic in-plane anisotropy of iron pnictides without applying any symmetrybreaking external force.Comment: accepted by Physical Review Letter

HIV envelope protein gp120-induced apoptosis in lung microvascular endothelial cells by concerted upregulation of EMAP II and its receptor, CXCR3

Chronic lung diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema, are increasingly recognized complications of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Emphysema in HIV may occur independent of cigarette smoking, via mechanisms that are poorly understood but may involve lung endothelial cell apoptosis induced by the HIV envelope protein gp120. Recently, we have demonstrated that lung endothelial apoptosis is an important contributor to the development of experimental emphysema, via upregulation of the proinflammatory cytokine endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP II) in the lung. Here we investigated the role of EMAP II and its receptor, CXCR3, in gp120-induced lung endothelial cell apoptosis. We could demonstrate that gp120 induces a rapid and robust increase in cell surface expression of EMAP II and its receptor CXCR3. This surface expression occurred via a mechanism involving gp120 signaling through its CXCR4 receptor and p38 MAPK activation. Both EMAP II and CXCR3 were essentially required for gp120-induced apoptosis and exposures to low gp120 concentrations enhanced the susceptibility of endothelial cells to undergo apoptosis when exposed to soluble cigarette smoke extract. These data indicate a novel mechanism by which HIV infection causes endothelial cell loss involved in lung emphysema formation, independent but potentially synergistic with smoking, and suggest therapeutic targets for emphysema prevention and/or treatment