Gravitational microlensing in Verlinde's emergent gravity

We propose gravitational microlensing as a way of testing the emergent gravity theory recently proposed by Eric Verlinde [1]. We consider two limiting cases: the dark mass of maximally anisotropic pressures (Case I) and of isotropic pressures (Case II). Our analysis of perihelion advancement of a planet shows that only Case I yields a viable theory. In this case the metric outside a star of mass M⁎ can be modeled by that of a point-like global monopole whose mass is M⁎ and a deficit angle Δ=(2GH0M⁎)/(3c3), where H0 is the Hubble rate and G the Newton constant. This deficit angle can be used to test the theory since light exhibits additional bending around stars given by, αD≈−πΔ/2. This angle is independent on the distance from the star and it affects equally light and massive particles. The effect is too small to be measurable today, but should be within reach of the next generation of high resolution telescopes. Finally we note that the advancement of periastron of a planet orbiting around a star or black hole, which equals πΔ per period, can be also used to test the theory

Gravitational microlensing in Verlinde's emergent gravity

We propose gravitational microlensing as a way of testing the emergent gravity theory recently proposed by Eric Verlinde [1]. We consider two limiting cases: the dark mass of maximally anisotropic pressures (Case I) and of isotropic pressures (Case II). Our analysis of perihelion advancement of a planet shows that only Case I yields a viable theory. In this case the metric outside a star of mass M⁎ can be modeled by that of a point-like global monopole whose mass is M⁎ and a deficit angle Δ=(2GH0M⁎)/(3c3), where H0 is the Hubble rate and G the Newton constant. This deficit angle can be used to test the theory since light exhibits additional bending around stars given by, αD≈−πΔ/2. This angle is independent on the distance from the star and it affects equally light and massive particles. The effect is too small to be measurable today, but should be within reach of the next generation of high resolution telescopes. Finally we note that the advancement of periastron of a planet orbiting around a star or black hole, which equals πΔ per period, can be also used to test the theory

Analysis on Impact Factors of Water Utilization Structure in Tianjin, China

Water is an essential foundation for socio-economic development and environmental protection. As such, it is very critical for a city’s sustainable development. This study analyzed the changes in water utilization structure and its impact factors using water consumption data for agricultural, industrial, domestic and ecological areas in the city of Tianjin, China from 2004 to 2013. On this base, the evolution law and impact factors of water utilization structure were depicted by information entropy and grey correlation respectively. These analyses lead to three main results. First, the total amount of water consumption in Tianjin increased slightly from 2004 to 2013. Second, the information entropy and equilibrium degree peaked in 2010. From 2004 to 2010, the water utilization structure tended to be more disordered and balanced. Third, the economic and social factors seemed to influence the water utilization structure, while the main impact factors were industrial structure, per capita green area, cultivated area, effective irrigation area, rural electricity consumption, animal husbandry output, resident population, per capita domestic water etc

A Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method Based on AHP and Entropy for a Landslide Susceptibility Map

Landslides are a common type of natural disaster in mountainous areas. As a result of the comprehensive influences of geology, geomorphology and climatic conditions, the susceptibility to landslide hazards in mountainous areas shows obvious regionalism. The evaluation of regional landslide susceptibility can help reduce the risk to the lives of mountain residents. In this paper, the Shannon entropy theory, a fuzzy comprehensive method and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) have been used to demonstrate a variable type of weighting for landslide susceptibility evaluation modeling, combining subjective and objective weights. Further, based on a single factor sensitivity analysis, we established a strict criterion for landslide susceptibility assessments. Eight influencing factors have been selected for the study of Zhen’an County, Shan’xi Province: the lithology, relief amplitude, slope, aspect, slope morphology, altitude, annual mean rainfall and distance to the river. In order to verify the advantages of the proposed method, the landslide index, prediction accuracy P, the R-index and the area under the curve were used in this paper. The results show that the proposed model of landslide hazard susceptibility can help to produce more objective and accurate landslide susceptibility maps, which not only take advantage of the information from the original data, but also reflect an expert’s knowledge and the opinions of decision-makers

A Unique Self-Sensing, Self-Actuating AFM Probe at Higher Eigenmodes

With its unique structure, the Akiyama probe is a type of tuning fork atomic force microscope probe. The long, soft cantilever makes it possible to measure soft samples in tapping mode. In this article, some characteristics of the probe at its second eigenmode are revealed by use of finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments in a standard atmosphere. Although the signal-to-noise ratio in this environment is not good enough, the 2 nm resolution and 0.09 Hz/nm sensitivity prove that the Akiyama probe can be used at its second eigenmode under FM non-contact mode or low amplitude FM tapping mode, which means that it is easy to change the measuring method from normal tapping to small amplitude tapping or non-contact mode with the same probe and equipment

Concurrent exposure to heat shock and H7 synergizes to trigger breast cancer cell apoptosis while sparing normal cells

Most cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, kill tumor cells by inducing apoptosis. Consequently, the propensity of tumor cells to evade apoptotic signals contributes to therapeutic resistance. Here we show that breast cancer cells exhibiting a highly resistant phenotype undergo apoptosis when exposed to concurrent heat shock and H7, a potent serine/threonine kinase inhibitor. The anti-tumor effects of this combination are synergistic as neither treatment alone adversely affects breast cancer cell growth/survival. In contrast, non-malignant breast epithelial and hematopoietic progenitor cells are resistant to this combination therapy, thereby excluding non-specific cytotoxicity as the cause of tumor cell apoptosis. Heat or other cell stresses, including chemotherapy, preferentially enhance heat shock protein (hsp) synthesis, which serves to protect cells from potentially lethal consequences of heat shock stimuli. Ectopic overexpression of hsps in breast cancer cells protects against chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, increased hsps in primary breast cancers correlates with resistance to therapy and decreased survival. Stress-induced hsp synthesis is mediated by heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1). To simulate hsp overexpressing primary breast cancers, a number of breast cancer cell lines were transfected with HSF1d202-316, a constitutively activated form of HSF1 that leads to baseline overexpression of hsps in the absence of stress. Importantly, HSF1d202-316 transfected breast cancer cells undergo apoptosis following concurrent heat shock and H7. In light of its tumor selective activity against breast cancer cells that exhibit a highly resistant phenotype, concurrent H7 and heat shock warrants further investigation as a potential cancer therapy