Topology of the landscape and dominant kinetic path for the thermodynamic phase transition of the charged Gauss-Bonnet AdS black holes

We study the generalized free energy of the five dimensional charged Gauss-Bonnet AdS black holes in the grand canonical ensemble by treating the black hole radius and the charge as the order parameters. On the two dimensional free energy landscape, the lowest points in the basins represent the local stable black holes and the saddle point represents the unstable black hole. We show that black hole is the topological defect of gradient field of the landscape. The black hole stability is determined by the topography of the free energy landscape in terms of the basin depths and the barrier height between the basins and is not by the topology of the gradient field. In addition, we study the stochastic dynamics of the black hole phase transition and obtain the dominant kinetic path for the transition on the free energy landscape. Unlike the one dimensional landscape, the dominant kinetic path between the small and the large black hole state does not necessarily pass through the intermediate black hole state. Furthermore, the inhomogeneity in diffusions can lead to the switching from the coupled cooperative process of black hole phase transition to the decoupled sequential process, giving different kinetic mechanisms

Generalized free energy and dynamical state transition of the dyonic AdS black hole in the grand canonical ensemble

We study the generalized free energy of the dyonic AdS black hole in an ensemble with varying electric charge $q_E$ and fixed magnetic charge $q_M$. When we adjust the temperature $T$ and the electric potential $\Phi_E$ of the ensemble, the Ricci scalar curvature $R$ and electromagnetic potential $A_u$ usually diverge at the horizon. We regularize them and incorporate the off-shell corrections into the Einstein-Hilbert action. Alternatively, we find that the off-shell corrections can also be obtained by adding a boundary near the horizon to exclude the singularities. Ultimately, we derive the generalized free energy which is consistent with the definition of the thermodynamic relations. Based on the generalized free energy landscape, we can describe the dynamics of state transition as a stochastic process quantified by the Langevin equation. The path integral framework can be formulated to derive the time-dependent trajectory of the order parameter and the time evolution of the transition probability. By comparing the probability with the result of the classical master equation, we attribute the contribution to the probability of one pseudomolecule or antipseudomolecule (the instanton and anti-instanton pair) to the rate of state transition. These results are consistent with the qualitative analysis of the free energy landscape

Correction: Caveolin-1-mediated STAT3 activation determines electrotaxis of human lung cancer cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21306.]

Protective Role of Nuclear Factor-Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 Against Radiation-Induced Lung Injury and Inflammation

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is one of the most common and fatal complications of thoracic radiotherapy. Inflammatory cell infiltration, imbalance of inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative damage were reported to be involved during RILI pathogenesis, especially in the early phase of RILI. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcriptional regulator of antioxidative cascades, and regulates life span of mice after administration of thoracic irradiation. We investigated the effects of Nrf2 on RILI and inflammation using Nrf2-knockout, Nrf2-overexpression and wild-type mice with or without 15 Gy ionizing radiation to thorax. Our results showed that Nrf2 deficiency aggravated radiation-induced histopathological changes, macrophage and neutrophil infiltration, serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF, and IL-12p70), and the levels of peroxidation products in the mouse lung. Moreover, loss of Nrf2 reduced radiation-induced serum levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, and antioxidative proteins. Nrf2 overexpression significantly alleviated radiation-induced histopathological changes, macrophages and neutrophils infiltration, serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the levels of peroxidation products in lung tissues. Nrf2 overexpression also increased the serum levels of IL-10 and antioxidative proteins. These results indicated that Nrf2 had a protective role against radiation-induced acute lung injury and inflammation, and that antioxidative therapy might be a promising treatment for RILI

Biological electric fields guide directional migration and promote epithelial–mesenchymal transition in lung cancer

Background: Endogenous direct-current electric fields (dcEFs), as one of the essential biophysical signals that naturally occur in the tumor microenvironment, were previously demonstrated to suppress the cytotoxicity of the third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung cancer. Materials and Methods: In the current study, we further investigated the electrotactic response of EGFR-mutant lung cancer with different osimertinib sensitivity, including osimertinib-sensitive PC-9GR cells and osimertinib-resistant PC-9GROR cells. Results: Firstly, in murine subcutaneous xenografts, robust endogenous electric currents were detected at the surface of tumors derived from osimertinib-resistant cells with a highly sensitive vibrating probe. Next, the electrotactic responses of two cell lines under EFs of different intensities were studied. Both PC-9GR and PC-9GROR cells exhibited directionally cathodal migration in a voltage-dependent manner, and osimertinib-resistant PC-9GROR cells displayed higher migration speeds. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which was previously reported to be closely related to tumor invasion and metastasis and could be suppressed by osimertinib, was enhanced under EF stimulation as reflected by increased vimentin and decreased E-cadherin in PC-9GR cells via Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining regardless of osimertinib treatment. Additionally, pharmacological inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (AKT) signals reduced electrotaxis and EMT. Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggested that activation of AKT pathway may play an important role in electrotaxis and EMT of EGFR-mutant lung cancer

Cross-sectional return dispersion and volatility prediction

We use intraday and daily data to examine the impact of cross-sectional return dispersion on volatility forecasting in the Chinese equity market. We adopt the GARCH, GJR-GARCH, and HAR models and, by augmenting them with return dispersion measures, provide empirical evidence that the return dispersion exhibits substantial information in describing the volatility dynamics by generating signicantly lower forecasting errors at market and industry levels. Furthermore, the information content of the return dispersion tends to o er economic gain to a mean-variance utility investor. The ndings are robust with respect to alternative volatility proxies, subsample analysis, and alternative market-wide stock indices

Efficiency Measurement and Determinant Factors of Marine Economy in China: Based on the Belt and Road Perspective

Analyzing the evolution characteristics and influencing factors of marine economic efficiency is the foundation to improve the quality of marine economic development. A super-efficiency Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model is applied to measure the marine economic efficiency of 11 coastal provinces between 2006 and 2017 in China. Time series and standard deviation ellipse methods are used to analyze its temporal and spatial characteristics. The influencing factors of efficiency are analyzed using the Bayesian model averaging (BMA) method based on the indicator system constructed on the relationship between the Belt and Road and marine economic efficiency. The research found that (1) the average change of marine economic efficiency is not large, and the efficiency values among most provinces are relatively stable. (2) The center of gravity of marine economic efficiency gradually shifts from the northeast to the southwest; the spatial scope continues to shrink, the level of flatness indicates increase at first followed by decrease, and the direction angle shows a fluctuating trend. (3) The compliance rate of industrial wastewater discharge and the diversification of the marine industry structure have strong explanatory capacity in marine economic efficiency in the coastal areas. This research proposed the specific path to improve the efficiency of marine economy and facilitate quality development under the “Belt and Road” initiative from the aspects of the optimization of the marine industry structure, the integrated construction of transportation, the development of opening to the outside world, the progress of marine science and technology, and the improvement of the marine ecological environment