Testing the coupling of dark radiations in light of the Hubble tension

Self-interacting dark radiations (SIdr) can have significant implications in the evolution of the universe, affecting the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the clustering of large-scale structures. In this work, we analyze the implications of SIdr on the CMB power spectrum and explore its potential in resolving the Hubble tension. SIdr exhibits two distinct behaviors based on the interacting strength: strongly self-coupled and medium self-coupled. These behaviors are evident in the analysis of CMB data. According to Planck data, the dark radiation component consists of both free-streaming neutrinos and possible SIdr. The total contribution from these components yields relativistic species with $N_{\rm eff}=3.046$. In the framework of universal coupling between dark radiations, a consistent value of $N_{\rm eff}=3.27_{-0.31}^{+0.23}$ is obtained. Additionally, this coupling results in an increase in the Hubble constant ($H_0$) to $70.1_{-1.6}^{+1.3}, \text{km/s/Mpc}$. However, when considering the number of free-streaming neutrinos as a parameter, the existence of SIdr is not supported. This makes its fraction in radiation to be $R_x=0.047^{+0.025}_{-0.053}$. Although the Hubble constant is still enhanced, it comes at the expense of a higher $N_{\rm eff}=3.52\pm0.25$. Our findings reveal that the ACT and SPT data provide support for the presence of SIdr, particularly when considering a variable number of free-streaming species. In this case, SIdr accounts for approximately 12.7\% of the total radiation content. However, it is important to note that relying solely on SIdr is insufficient to completely resolve the Hubble tension. Finally, we investigate the constraints on SIdr imposed by future experiments, which improve the limits on scaled interacting strength $\log_{10}\tilde G_{\rm eff}$ by a factor of 4.5 compared to the current constraints.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 4 table

Rejuvenation Effect of Aged SBS-Modified Asphalt Utilizing Molecule Analysis

The Performance of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Modified Asphalt (SBSMA) is Significantly Impacted by its Aging and Regeneration. in This Research, the Molecular Dynamics Simulation Was Utilized to Investigate the Rejuvenation Effect of Active Reagents on Aged SBS Modified Asphalt through the Following Tasks: 1) Verifying the Accuracy of the Asphalt Model by Density and Solubility Parameters; 2) Assessing the Changes in the Rejuvenated Asphalt Model\u27s Energetic Parameters and Volume Parameters, 3) Studying the Interaction Energy between SBS Molecules and Asphalt Molecule Models, and 4) Evaluating the Relative Concentration, Interfacial Interaction Energy, and Diffusion Effect of the Asphalt-Asphalt Models. the Results Indicated that the Restored Broken SBS Molecule Substantially Impacted the Functionality of the Rejuvenated Asphalt Binder. for Methylene-Bis(4-Cyclohexylisocyanate) (HMDI) and 1,6-Hexanediol Diglycidyl Ether (HDE) Rejuvenated Asphalts, the Non-Bond Energy Decreased Gradually with the Repair of Broken SBS Molecular Structures. the Free Volume Fraction of Rejuvenated Binders Was Lower Than that of SBSMA, indicating that the Compactness and Packing Degree of the Rejuvenated Asphalt Were Increased. the Interaction Energy between SBS and Asphalt Molecules in Rejuvenated Asphalt Increased Because of the Enhanced Van Der Waals Interaction between the Reconstructed SBS Molecule and Rejuvenated Binders. the Free HDE Molecular Chain Reduced the Interaction Energy between SBS and Asphalt Molecules. for the Asphalt-Asphalt Models, the Diffusion Coefficient of the SBSMA-Rejuvenated Asphalt Model Was Lower Than that of the SBSMA-SBSMA Model. the HDE Rejuvenated Asphalt Showed Better Diffusion Behavior Than SBSMA, and SBS Molecules Repaired by HDE Had Excellent Fluidity. the Interfacial Interaction Energy of the SBSMA-Rejuvenated Asphalt Model Was Higher Than that of the SBSMA-SBSMA Model. with the Repair of the Broken SBS Molecular Chain, the Interfacial Interaction Energy between HMDI Rejuvenated Asphalt and SBSMA Increased Gradually. in Contrast, the Interfacial Interaction Energy between HDE Rejuvenated Asphalt and SBSMA Decreased Gradually. the Fully Restored SBS Molecular Structure Had Stable Thermodynamic Properties and Could Accelerate the Diffusion Effect of Rejuvenated Asphalt

Evolution Of SBS-Modified Asphalt Performance Under Aging And Rejuvenation Cycle Conditions

Improving the poor long-term service performance of rejuvenated SBS-modified asphalt (REF-LT) is highly challenging. In this study, a blend of aged and virgin binders was used to rejuvenate REF-LT and the evolution of the asphalt performance was observed during regeneration and reaging processes. An SBS-modified asphalt (SBM) and base asphalt (BA) were mixed with REF-LT in specified ratios to prepare SBM- and BA-rejuvenated asphalts. The rejuvenated asphalts were subjected to short- and long-term aging. The high/low-temperature rheological properties, fatigue resistance, rejuvenation mechanism, and changes in the functional groups of the rejuvenated and reaged asphalts were characterized using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The antiaging performance of the rejuvenated asphalt was evaluated. Temperature sweep results showed that both SBM and BA mitigated hardening in REF-LT. BA had a stronger softening effect on REF-LT than SBM. However, the BA-rejuvenated asphalt was more temperature sensitive than the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt. The BA-rejuvenated asphalt had poor resistance to reaging, whereas the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt demonstrated outstanding resistance to long-term aging. The Glover–Rowe (G-R) parameters indicated that after short-term aging, the rejuvenated asphalts remained in the no cracking zone, demonstrating outstanding resistance to thermal cracking. A total of 20 h of long-term aging of the rejuvenated asphalts decreased the crossover frequency and increased the rheological index, suggesting an increased risk of cracking. Relaxation tests showed that the BA-rejuvenated asphalt had a lower peak stress than that of the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt; however, the durability of the BA-rejuvenated asphalt was compromised because of the peak stress rapidly increased after reaging. Although the BA-rejuvenated asphalt exhibited good short-term crack resistance, its poor durability resulted in inferior thermal crack resistance to that of the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt after long-term aging. Linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests indicated that the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt had a lower damage rate than the BA-rejuvenated asphalt, suggesting that the polymer network structure provided excellent damage resistance. The fatigue life of the BA-rejuvenated asphalt decreased considerably after reaging, indicating insufficient long-term fatigue resistance. The FTIR results indicated that the REF-LT rejuvenation process involved physical blending and the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt exhibited superior antiaging capability to the BA-rejuvenated asphalt. Increasing the BA content did not improve the long-term antiaging performance of the BA-rejuvenated asphalt. The higher antiaging performance of the SBM-rejuvenated asphalt resulted from the polymer network structure

FKN Facilitates HK-2 Cell EMT and Tubulointerstitial Lesions via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in a Murine Model of Lupus Nephritis

Fractalkine (FKN), also known as chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1, constitutes an intriguing chemokine with a documented role in the development of numerous inflammatory diseases including autoimmune disease. Specifically, it has been reported that FKN is involved in the disease progression of lupus nephritis (LN). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a significant role in the formation of tubulointerstitial lesions (TIL), which are increasingly recognized as a hallmark of tissue fibrogenesis after injury. However, the correlation between FKN and EMT or TIL in LN has not been determined. To investigate the potential role of FKN in EMT and TIL, MRL lymphoproliferation (MRL/lpr) strain mice were treated with an anti-FKN antibody, recombinant-FKN chemokine domain, or isotype antibody. Our results revealed that treatment with the anti-FKN antibody improved EMT, TIL, and renal function in MRL/lpr mice, along with inhibiting activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In contrast, administration of the recombinant-FKN chemokine domain had the opposite effect. Furthermore, to further explore the roles of FKN in EMT, we assessed the levels of EMT markers in FKN-depleted or overexpressing human proximal tubule epithelial HK-2 cells. Our results provide the first evidence that the E-cadherin level was upregulated, whereas α-SMA and vimentin expression was downregulated in FKN-depleted HK-2 cells. In contrast, overexpression of FKN in HK-2 cells enhanced EMT. In addition, inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by XAV939 negated the effect of FKN overexpression, whereas activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by Ang II impaired the effect of the FKN knockout on EMT in HK-2 cells. Together, our data indicate that FKN plays essential roles in the EMT progression and development of TIL in MRL/lpr mice, most likely through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Direct Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Embryonic Sertoli-like Cells by Defined Factors

SummarySertoli cells are considered the “supporting cells” of the testis that play an essential role in sex determination during embryogenesis and in spermatogenesis during adulthood. Their essential roles in male fertility along with their immunosuppressive and neurotrophic properties make them an attractive cell type for therapeutic applications. Here we demonstrate the generation of induced embryonic Sertoli-like cells (ieSCs) by ectopic expression of five transcription factors. We characterize the role of specific transcription factor combinations in the transition from fibroblasts to ieSCs and identify key steps in the process. Initially, transduced fibroblasts underwent a mesenchymal to epithelial transition and then acquired the ability to aggregate, formed tubular-like structures, and expressed embryonic Sertoli-specific markers. These Sertoli-like cells facilitated neuronal differentiation and self-renewal of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), supported the survival of germ cells in culture, and cooperated with endogenous embryonic Sertoli and primordial germ cells in the generation of testicular cords in the fetal gonad