654 research outputs found
Complete classification of purely magnetic, non-rotating and non-accelerating perfect fluids
Recently the class of purely magnetic non-rotating dust spacetimes has been
shown to be empty (Wylleman, Class. Quant. Grav. 23, 2727). It turns out that
purely magnetic rotating dust models are subject to severe integrability
conditions as well. One of the consequences of the present paper is that also
rotating dust cannot be purely magnetic when it is of Petrov type D or when it
has a vanishing spatial gradient of the energy density. For purely magnetic and
non-rotating perfect fluids on the other hand, which have been fully classified
earlier for Petrov type D (Lozanovski, Class. Quant. Grav. 19, 6377), the fluid
is shown to be non-accelerating if and only if the spatial density gradient
vanishes. Under these conditions, a new and algebraically general solution is
found, which is unique up to a constant rescaling, which is spatially
homogeneous of Bianchi type , has degenerate shear and is of Petrov type
I( in the extended Arianrhod-McIntosh classification.
The metric and the equation of state are explicitly constructed and
properties of the model are briefly discussed. We finally situate it within the
class of normal geodesic flows with degenerate shear tensor.Comment: 12 pages; introduction partly rewritten, notation made more clear,
table of results adde
X‐ray spectroscopy of hot solid density plasmas produced by subpicosecond high contrast laser pulses at 1018–1019 W/cm2
Analysis is presented of K‐shell spectra obtained from solid density plasmas produced by a high contrast (1010:1) subpicosecond laser pulse (0.5 μm) at 1018–1019 W/cm2. Stark broadening measurements of He‐like and Li‐like lines are used to infer the mean electron density at which emission takes place. The measurements indicate that there is an optimum condition to produce x‐ray emission at solid density for a given isoelectronic sequence, and that the window of optimum conditions to obtain simultaneously the shortest and the brightest x‐ray pulse at a given wavelength is relatively narrow. Lower intensity produces a short x‐ray pulse but low brightness. The x‐ray yield (and also the energy fraction in hot electrons) increases with the laser intensity, but above some laser intensity (1018 W/cm2 for Al) the plasma is overdriven: during the expansion, the plasma is still hot enough to emit, so that emission occurs at lower density and lasts much longer. Energy transport measurements indicate that approximately 6% of the laser energy is coupled to the target at 1018 W/cm2 (1% in thermal electrons with Te≊0.6 keV and 5% in suprathermal electrons with Th≊25 keV). At Iλ2=1018 W μm2/cm2 (no prepulse) around 1010 photons are emitted per laser shot, in 2π srd in cold Kα radiation (2–9 Å, depending on the target material) and up to 2×1011 photons are obtained in 2π srd with the unresolved transition array (UTA) emission from the Ta target. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69900/2/PHPAEN-2-5-1702-1.pd
Theorems on shear-free perfect fluids with their Newtonian analogues
In this paper we provide fully covariant proofs of some theorems on
shear-free perfect fluids. In particular, we explicitly show that any
shear-free perfect fluid with the acceleration proportional to the vorticity
vector (including the simpler case of vanishing acceleration) must be either
non-expanding or non-rotating. We also show that these results are not
necessarily true in the Newtonian case, and present an explicit comparison of
shear-free dust in Newtonian and relativistic theories in order to see where
and why the differences appear.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX. Submitted to GR
Optical signature of symmetry variations and spin-valley coupling in atomically thin tungsten dichalcogenides
Motivated by the triumph and limitation of graphene for electronic
applications, atomically thin layers of group VI transition metal
dichalcogenides are attracting extensive interest as a class of graphene-like
semiconductors with a desired band-gap in the visible frequency range. The
monolayers feature a valence band spin splitting with opposite sign in the two
valleys located at corners of 1st Brillouin zone. This spin-valley coupling,
particularly pronounced in tungsten dichalcogenides, can benefit potential
spintronics and valleytronics with the important consequences of spin-valley
interplay and the suppression of spin and valley relaxations. Here we report
the first optical studies of WS2 and WSe2 monolayers and multilayers. The
efficiency of second harmonic generation shows a dramatic even-odd oscillation
with the number of layers, consistent with the presence (absence) of inversion
symmetry in even-layer (odd-layer). Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show
the crossover from an indirect band gap semiconductor at mutilayers to a
direct-gap one at monolayers. The PL spectra and first-principle calculations
consistently reveal a spin-valley coupling of 0.4 eV which suppresses
interlayer hopping and manifests as a thickness independent splitting pattern
at valence band edge near K points. This giant spin-valley coupling, together
with the valley dependent physical properties, may lead to rich possibilities
for manipulating spin and valley degrees of freedom in these atomically thin 2D
materials
Line Defects in Molybdenum Disulfide Layers
Layered molecular materials and especially MoS2 are already accepted as
promising candidates for nanoelectronics. In contrast to the bulk material, the
observed electron mobility in single-layer MoS2 is unexpectedly low. Here we
reveal the occurrence of intrinsic defects in MoS2 layers, known as inversion
domains, where the layer changes its direction through a line defect. The line
defects are observed experimentally by atomic resolution TEM. The structures
were modeled and the stability and electronic properties of the defects were
calculated using quantum-mechanical calculations based on the
Density-Functional Tight-Binding method. The results of these calculations
indicate the occurrence of new states within the band gap of the semiconducting
MoS2. The most stable non-stoichiometric defect structures are observed
experimentally, one of which contains metallic Mo-Mo bonds and another one
bridging S atoms
Cysteine oxidation targets peroxiredoxins 1 and 2 for exosomal release through a novel mechanism of redox-dependent secretion
Non-classical protein secretion is of major importance as a number of cytokines and inflammatory mediators are secreted via this route. Current evidence indicates that there are several mechanistically distinct methods of non-classical secretion. We have recently shown that peroxiredoxin (Prdx) 1 and Prdx2 are released by various cells upon exposure to inflammatory stimuli such as LPS or TNF-α. The released Prdx then acts to induce production of inflammatory cytokines. However, Prdx1 and 2 do not have signal peptides and therefore must be secreted by alternative mechanisms as has been postulated for the inflammatory mediators IL-1β and HMGB1. We show here that circulating Prdx1 and 2 are present exclusively as disulphide-linked homodimers. Inflammatory stimuli also induce in vitro release of Prdx1 and 2 as disulfide-linked homodimers. Mutation of cysteines Cys51 or Cys172 (but not Cys70) in Prdx2, and Cys52 or Cys173 (but not Cys71 or Cys83) in Prdx1 prevented dimer formation and this was associated with inhibition of their TNF-α-induced release. Thus, the presence and oxidation of key cysteine residues in these proteins are a prerequisite for their secretion in response to TNF-α and this release can be induced with an oxidant. In contrast, the secretion of the nuclear-associated danger signal HMGB1 is independent of cysteine oxidation, as shown by experiments with a cysteine-free HMGB1 mutant. Release of Prdx1 and 2 is not prevented by inhibitors of the classical secretory pathway; instead, both Prdx1 and 2 are released in exosomes from both HEK cells and monocytic cells. Serum Prdx1 and 2 are also associated with the exosomes. These results describe a novel pathway of protein secretion mediated by cysteine oxidation that underlines the importance of redox-dependent signalling mechanisms in inflammation
Gravito-electromagnetism
We develop and apply a fully covariant 1+3 electromagnetic analogy for
gravity. The free gravitational field is covariantly characterized by the Weyl
gravito-electric and gravito-magnetic spatial tensor fields, whose dynamical
equations are the Bianchi identities. Using a covariant generalization of
spatial vector algebra and calculus to spatial tensor fields, we exhibit the
covariant analogy between the tensor Bianchi equations and the vector Maxwell
equations. We identify gravitational source terms, couplings and potentials
with and without electromagnetic analogues. The nonlinear vacuum Bianchi
equations are shown to be invariant under covariant spatial duality rotation of
the gravito-electric and gravito-magnetic tensor fields. We construct the
super-energy density and super-Poynting vector of the gravitational field as
natural U(1) group invariants, and derive their super-energy conservation
equation. A covariant approach to gravito-electric/magnetic monopoles is also
presented.Comment: 14 pages. Version to appear in Class. Quant. Gra
Evidence of protective effects of recombinant ADAMTS13 in a humanized model of sickle cell disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited red blood cell disorder that occurs worldwide. Acute vaso-occlusive crisis is the main cause of hospitalization in patients with SCD. There is growing evidence that inflammatory vasculopathy plays a key role in both acute and chronic SCD-related clinical manifestations. In a humanized mouse model of SCD, we found an increase of von Willebrand factor activity and a reduction in the ratio of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, number 13 (ADAMTS13) to von Willebrand factor activity similar to that observed in the human counterpart. Recombinant ADAMTS13 was administered to humanized SCD mice before they were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) stress as a model of vaso-occlusive crisis. In SCD mice, recombinant ADAMTS13 reduced H/R-induced hemolysis and systemic and local inflammation in lungs and kidneys. It also diminished H/R-induced worsening of inflammatory vasculopathy, reducing local nitric oxidase synthase expression. Collectively, our data provide for the firsttime evidence that pharmacological treatment with recombinant ADAMTS13 (TAK-755) diminished H/R-induced sickle cell-related organ damage. Thus, recombinant ADAMTS13 might be considered as a potential effective disease-modifying treatment option for sickle cell-related acute events
NCOA4 Deficiency Impairs Systemic Iron Homeostasis
The cargo receptor NCOA4 mediates autophagic ferritin degradation. Here we show that NCOA4 deficiency in a knockout mouse model causes iron accumulation in the liver and spleen, increased levels of transferrin saturation, serum ferritin, and liver hepcidin, and decreased levels of duodenal ferroportin. Despite signs of iron overload, NCOA4-null mice had mild microcytic hypochromic anemia. Under an iron-deprived diet (2\u20133 mg/kg), mice failed to release iron from ferritin storage and developed severe microcytic hypochromic anemia and ineffective erythropoiesis associated with increased erythropoietin levels. When fed an iron-enriched diet (2 g/kg), mice died prematurely and showed signs of liver damage. Ferritin accumulated in primary embryonic fibroblasts from NCOA4-null mice consequent to impaired autophagic targeting. Adoptive expression of the NCOA4 COOH terminus (aa 239\u2013614) restored this function. In conclusion, NCOA4 prevents iron accumulation and ensures efficient erythropoiesis, playing a central role in balancing iron levels in vivo
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