54 research outputs found
Non-linear feedback effects in coupled Boson-Fermion systems
We address ourselves to a class of systems composed of two coupled subsystems
without any intra-subsystem interaction: itinerant Fermions and localized
Bosons on a lattice. Switching on an interaction between the two subsystems
leads to feedback effects which result in a rich dynamical structure in both of
them. Such feedback features are studied on the basis of the flow equation
technique - an infinite series of infinitesimal unitary transformations - which
leads to a gradual elimination of the inter-subsystem interaction. As a result
the two subsystems get decoupled but their renormalized kinetic energies become
mutually dependent on each other. Choosing for the inter - subsystem
interaction a charge exchange term (the Boson-Fermion model) the initially
localized Bosons acquire itinerancy through their dependence on the
renormalized Fermion dispersion. This latter evolves from a free particle
dispersion into one showing a pseudogap structure near the chemical potential.
Upon lowering the temperature both subsystems simultaneously enter a
macroscopic coherent quantum state. The Bosons become superfluid, exhibiting a
soundwave like dispersion while the Fermions develop a true gap in their
dispersion. The essential physical features described by this technique are
already contained in the renormalization of the kinetic terms in the respective
Hamiltonians of the two subsystems. The extra interaction terms resulting in
the process of iteration only strengthen this physics. We compare the results
with previous calculations based on selfconsistent perturbative approaches.Comment: 14 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
A new quantum fluid at high magnetic fields in the marginal charge-density-wave system -(BEDT-TTF)Hg(SCN) (where ~K and Rb)
Single crystals of the organic charge-transfer salts
-(BEDT-TTF)Hg(SCN) have been studied using Hall-potential
measurements (K) and magnetization experiments ( = K, Rb). The data show
that two types of screening currents occur within the high-field,
low-temperature CDW phases of these salts in response to time-dependent
magnetic fields. The first, which gives rise to the induced Hall potential, is
a free current (), present at the surface of the sample.
The time constant for the decay of these currents is much longer than that
expected from the sample resistivity. The second component of the current
appears to be magnetic (), in that it is a microscopic,
quasi-orbital effect; it is evenly distributed within the bulk of the sample
upon saturation. To explain these data, we propose a simple model invoking a
new type of quantum fluid comprising a CDW coexisting with a two-dimensional
Fermi-surface pocket which describes the two types of current. The model and
data are able to account for the body of previous experimental data which had
generated apparently contradictory interpretations in terms of the quantum Hall
effect or superconductivity.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figure
Registros inéditos de borboletas (Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea) ameaçadas de extinção para o Estado do Paraná, Brasil: novos subsídios para reavaliação dos critérios de ameaça
Teleparallel Gravity and Dimensional Reductions of Noncommutative Gauge Theory
We study dimensional reductions of noncommutative electrodynamics on flat
space which lead to gauge theories of gravitation. For a general class of such
reductions, we show that the noncommutative gauge fields naturally yield a
Weitzenbock geometry on spacetime and that the induced diffeomorphism invariant
field theory can be made equivalent to a teleparallel formulation of gravity
which macroscopically describes general relativity. The Planck length is
determined in this setting by the Yang-Mills coupling constant and the
noncommutativity scale. The effective field theory can also contain
higher-curvature and non-local terms which are characteristic of string theory.
Some applications to D-brane dynamics and generalizations to include the
coupling of ordinary Yang-Mills theory to gravity are also described.Comment: 31 pages LaTeX; References adde
Borboletas (Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea) de Guarapuava e arredores, Paraná, Brasil: um inventário com base em 63 anos de registros
Lepidopterofauna (Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea) do Parque Estadual do Chandless e arredores, Acre, Brasil
Aspects of the biology and morphology of Dirphia dolosa Bouvier, 1929 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Hemileucinae)
CERTL reduces C16 ceramide, amyloid-β levels, and inflammation in a model of Alzheimer’s disease
Background: Dysregulation of ceramide and sphingomyelin levels have been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Ceramide transfer proteins (CERTs) are ceramide carriers which are crucial for ceramide and sphingomyelin balance in cells. Extracellular forms of CERTs co-localize with amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in AD brains. To date, the significance of these observations for the pathophysiology of AD remains uncertain. Methods: A plasmid expressing CERTL, the long isoform of CERTs, was used to study the interaction of CERTL with amyloid precursor protein (APP) by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence in HEK cells. The recombinant CERTL protein was employed to study interaction of CERTL with amyloid-β (Aβ), Aβ aggregation process in presence of CERTL, and the resulting changes in Aβ toxicity in neuroblastoma cells. CERTL was overexpressed in neurons by adeno-associated virus (AAV) in a mouse model of familial AD (5xFAD). Ten weeks after transduction, animals were challenged with behavior tests for memory, anxiety, and locomotion. At week 12, brains were investigated for sphingolipid levels by mass spectrometry, plaques, and neuroinflammation by immunohistochemistry, gene expression, and/or immunoassay. Results: Here, we report that CERTL binds to APP, modifies Aβ aggregation, and reduces Aβ neurotoxicity in vitro. Furthermore, we show that intracortical injection of AAV, mediating the expression of CERTL, decreases levels of ceramide d18:1/16:0 and increases sphingomyelin levels in the brain of male 5xFAD mice. CERTL in vivo over-expression has a mild effect on animal locomotion, decreases Aβ formation, and modulates microglia by decreasing their pro-inflammatory phenotype. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a crucial role of CERTL in r
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