Phase structure of topological insulators by lattice strong-coupling expansion

The effect of the strong electron correlation on the topological phase structure of 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D topological insulators is investigated, in terms of lattice gauge theory. The effective model for noninteracting system is constructed similarly to the lattice fermions with the Wilson term, corresponding to the spin-orbit coupling. Introducing the electron-electron interaction as the coupling to the gauge field, we analyze the behavior of emergent orders by the strong coupling expansion methods. We show that there appears a new phase with the in-plane antiferromagnetic order in the 2D topological insulator, which is similar to the so-called "Aoki phase" in lattice QCD with Wilson fermions. In the 3D case, on the other hand, there does not appear such a new phase, and the electron correlation results in the shift of the phase boundary between the topological phase and the normal phase.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures; Presented at the 31st International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2013), 29 July - 3 August 2013, Mainz, German

Diverse features of dust particles and their aggregates inferred from experimental nanoparticles

Nanometre- to micrometre-sized solid dust particles play a vital role in star and planet formations. Despite of their importance, however, our understanding of physical and chemical properties of dust particles is still provisional. We have conducted a condensation experiment of the vapour generated from a solid starting material having nearly cosmic proportions in elements. A laser flash heating and subsequent cooling has produced a diverse type of nanoparticles simultaneously. Here we introduce four types of nanoparticles as potential dust particles in space: amorphous silicate nanoparticles (type S); core/mantle nanoparticles with iron or hydrogenised-iron core and amorphous silicate mantle (type IS); silicon oxycarbide nanoparticles and hydrogenised silicon oxycarbide nanoparticles (type SiOC); and carbon nanoparticles (type C), all produced in a single heating-cooling event. Type IS and SiOC nanoparticles are new for potential astrophysical dust. The nanoparticles are aggregated to a wide variety of structures, from compact, fluffy, and networked. A simultaneous formation of nanoparticles, which are diverse in chemistry, shape, and structure, prompts a re-evaluation of astrophysical dust particlesComment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Ventricular androgenic-anabolic steroid-related remodeling: an immunohistochemical study

Background: Several fatal cases of bodybuilders, following a myocardial infarction after long exposure to androgenicanabolic steroids (AAS), are reported. In recent years, evidence has emerged of cases of heart failure related to AAS consumption, with no signs of coronary or aorta atherosclerosis. This study aims to further investigate the pathogenesis of the ventricular AAS-related remodeling performing immunohistochemistry (IHC). Method: In order to examine innate immunity activity and myocytes and endothelial cell apoptosis, IHC analyses were performed on heart tissue of two cases of bodybuilders who died after years of supratherapeutic use of metelonone and nandrolone and where no atherosclerosis or thrombosis were found, using the following antibodies: anti-CD68, anti-iNOS, anti-CD163, anti-CD 15, anti-CD8, anti-CD4, anti-HIF1 α, and in situ TUNEL staining. Results: Results confirm the experimental findings of recent research that, in the absence of other pathological factors, if intensive training is combined with AAS abuse, myocytes and endothelial cells undergo apoptotic alterations. The absence of inflammatory reactions and the presence of an increased number of M2 macrophages in the areas of fibrotic remodeling confirm that the fibrotic changes in the heart are apoptosisrelated and not necrosis-related. Conclusions In conclusion, the study indicates that, in very young subjects with chronic hypoxia-related alterations of the heart, signs of a heart failure in the other organs and a history of AAS abuse, death can be ascribed to progressive heart failure due to the direct apoptotic cardiac and endothelial changes produced by AAS

High hydrostatic pressure induces counterclockwise to clockwise reversals of the Escherichia coli flagellar motor.

The bacterial flagellar motor is a reversible rotary machine that rotates a left-handed helical filament, allowing bacteria to swim toward a more favorable environment. The direction of rotation reverses from counterclockwise (CCW) to clockwise (CW), and vice versa, in response to input from the chemotaxis signaling circuit. CW rotation is normally caused by binding of the phosphorylated response regulator CheY (CheY-P), and strains lacking CheY are typically locked in CCW rotation. The detailed mechanism of switching remains unresolved because it is technically difficult to regulate the level of CheY-P within the concentration range that produces flagellar reversals. Here, we demonstrate that high hydrostatic pressure can induce CW rotation even in the absence of CheY-P. The rotation of single flagellar motors in Escherichia coli cells with the cheY gene deleted was monitored at various pressures and temperatures. Application of >120 MPa pressure induced a reversal from CCW to CW at 20°C, although at that temperature, no motor rotated CW at ambient pressure (0.1 MPa). At lower temperatures, pressure-induced changes in direction were observed at pressures of <120 MPa. CW rotation increased with pressure in a sigmoidal fashion, as it does in response to increasing concentrations of CheY-P. Application of pressure generally promotes the formation of clusters of ordered water molecules on the surfaces of proteins. It is possible that hydration of the switch complex at high pressure induces structural changes similar to those caused by the binding of CheY-P

Cavity evolution and hardness changes in a 15Cr-ODS ferritic steel by post He-implantation annealing

15Cr-ODS ferritic steel was implanted with 3500 appm He (0.2 dpa) at 300, 550 and 700 °C. The post-implantation annealing (PIA) at 800 °C/100 h was conducted on the specimen implanted at 300 °C. Nanoindentation (NI) tests were carried out to investigate the temperature dependent hardening, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation was performed to characterize the cavity evolution. A limited hardening was found in the as-implanted ODS specimens at all implantation temperatures, which tended to reduce with increasing the temperature. The PIA caused no further hardening, while TEM images revealed that there was an evident change in the cavity distribution morphology. The cavity diameter increased from 2.5 ± 0.4 nm to 5.0 ± 1.7 nm and the corresponding number density decreased from (22.2 ± 1.6) × 10²² m⁻³ to (6.7 ± 0.5) × 10²² m⁻³ before and after the PIA. The negligible hardness changes induced by the PIA were interpreted in terms of the Orowan-type dislocation barrier model with the corresponding barrier strength factor of cavities to be less than 0.1