Energy-momentum tensor for a scalar Casimir apparatus in a weak gravitational field: Neumann conditions

We consider a Casimir apparatus consisting of two perfectly conducting parallel plates, subject to the weak gravitational field of the Earth. The aim of this paper is the calculation of the energy-momentum tensor of this system for a free, real massless scalar field satisfying Neumann boundary conditions on the plates. The small gravity acceleration (here considered as not varying between the two plates) allows us to perform all calculations to first order in this parameter. Some interesting results are found: a correction, depending on the gravity acceleration, to the well-known Casimir energy and pressure on the plates. Moreover, this scheme predicts a tiny force in the upwards direction acting on the apparatus. These results are supported by two consistency checks: the covariant conservation of the energy-momentum tensor and the vanishing of its regularized trace, when the scalar field is conformally coupled to gravity.Comment: 5 pages in double-column format, Revtex4. The final version is shorter, and the presentation has been improve

For a theory of music economics

The aim of this article is to explore the various paths open to research and practice communities in confronting issues that new social and technological scenarios have opened up - within economy of music as a discipline, and within the wider frame of inclusion as laid out in the UN 2030 agenda. In particular, reference is made to what is happening in musical subcultures and countercultures, in their interaction with the institutional culture in light of a technological paradigm shift set in motion by the advent of digital platforms. We will propose that organizations which fit within the tradition of management studies have a lot to learn from artistic organizations. Artistic organizations incorporate a strategic management approach which links together processes, communities and practice, they constitute sites of organizational innovation that often arise from countercultures, and are also able to influence wider economic contexts linked to the emergence of digital technologies

Role of noncoding RNAs in the regulation of P-TEFb availability and enzymatic activity

P-TEFb is a transcriptional factor that speci)cally regulates the elongation step of RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription and its activity strictly required for Human Immunode)ciency Virus (HIV) infection and during cardiac di*erentiation. P-TEFb role has emerged as a crucial regulator of transcription elongation and its activity found )nely tuned in vivo at transcriptional level as well as posttranscriptionally by dynamic association with di*erent multisubunit molecular particles. Both physiological and pathological cellular signals rapidly converge on P-TEFb regulation by modifying expression and activity of the complex to allow cells to properly respond to di*erent stimuli. In this review we will give a panoramic view on P-TEFb regulation by noncoding RNAs in both physiological and pathological conditions

Recruitment of human TBP selectively activates RNA polymerase II TATA-dependent promoters.

An increasing body of evidence suggests that eukaryotic activators stimulate polymerase II transcription by facilitating the assembly of the functional basal machinery at the promoter. Here we describe experiments that provide added support for the idea that recruitment of TATA-binding protein (TBP) is a rate-limiting step for transcription activation in mammalian cells. We found that, in human cell lines, recruitment of TBP to a promoter, as a GAL4-TBP fusion protein, can provide a substantial activation of transcription. Activation mediated by the hTBP, tethered to promoter DNA, is strictly dependent upon the presence of a functional TATA element, and it directs faithful transcription initiation. Interestingly, GAL4-hTBP activation was not observed from initiator (Inr) -dependent TATA-less promoters. These results suggest that TBP binding to DNA is not a rate-limiting step for the initial stages of TFIID recruitment to initiator-dependent TATA-less promoters. Finally, we provide evidence that synergy between GAL4-hTBP and defined transcription domains is restricted to activators, such as VP16 and Tat, which are likely to function at steps subsequent to the TFIID recruitment. These findings strengthen the idea that recruitment of TBP represents an important mechanism of activation of TATA-dependent promoters, and on the other hand, they suggest that TBP-DNA interactions are largely dispensable for specific transcription of initiator dependent TATA-less promoters

The Potential Impact of a Dog Training Program on the Animal Adoptions in an Italian Shelter

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Human–dog relationships are mainly focused on the physical and emotional wellbeing, and has much evolved in the last decades, becoming even more intense over time. Such a novel conception should also be applied to the life that takes place in kennels, which have been mistakenly regarded as a landfill or a burden on society for too many years. Here, we took into consideration an Italian shelter, and analyzed 555 adopted dogs who underwent a well-detailed behavioral training program, to assess the potential impact of the education upon the adoption of attitude. We documented a higher increase in the number of adoptions both for adult and senior animals when compared to the age-matched untrained dogs. Collectively, our data highlight the importance of a proper training, mainly accomplished with reward methods, to get a more suitable and balanced owner-dog attachment. ABSTRACT: One of the main concerns of the human–dog relationship is today associated with the quality life inside the kennels, which are very often regarded as animal dump where dogs are exiled, representing a burden on society. In the present study we sought to investigate the importance of performing an appropriate behavioral program on the adoption chances within an Italian shelter, near Naples (Ottaviano). In this respect, we enrolled 555 adopted dogs of different ages, who followed a tailored-4-month lasting training program between 2018 and 2020. Once entered there, they were carefully examined by the veterinary behaviorist, and directed towards a suited training program, to improve living conditions. We documented a higher number of both adult and senior dogs who left the kennel and were adopted, compared to the age-matched untrained animals (n = 479), housed in the same kennel from 2015 to 2017. Taken together, the present data highlight an important role for training in improving the natural attitudes of the companion dogs, thus pointing towards a better human–animal bond

Structure Solution of NaYO2 Compound Prepared by Soft Chemistry from X-Ray Diffraction Powder Data

In this work we reveal the structure of a NaYO2 compound solved from the X-ray diffraction powder pattern using the “ab-initio” structure solution approach. The compound turned out to be of trigonal structure, S. G. R-3m isomorphous with α-NaFeO2 layered compound. The lattice parameters are a = 3.404 and c = 16.602 Å, respectively, the atoms being located in Wickoff sites (cba) for O, Na and Y, respectively, leading to a calculated density of 4.31 g/cm3. The ordering of sodium and yttrium atoms into alternate (111) planes of the cubic close-packed oxygen lattice of NaYO2 is very regular. The octahedra are slightly distorted, the positive deviation of the Oz parameter from 0.25 elongates the NaO6 octahedra while compressing the YO6 octahedra. Actually the Na-O and Y-O bond distances are 2.58 (1) and 2.25 (1) Å, respectively, as it is expected from their ionic radii values reported (1.16 vs 1.04 radii for both ion-species octahedral coordination). Finally, the Na-Y, Y-Y, and Na-Na next neighbor distances are close to 3.40 Å.JRC.F.2-Energy Conversion and Storage Technologie

Dimensionality Reduction of Sensorial Features by Principal Component Analysis for ANN Machine Learning in Tool Condition Monitoring of CFRP Drilling

Abstract With the aim to perform sensor monitoring of tool conditions in drilling of stacks made of two carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates, a machine learning procedure based on the acquisition and processing of thrust force, torque, acoustic emission and vibration sensor signals during drilling is developed. From the acquired sensor signals, multiple sensorial features are extracted to feed artificial neural network-based machine learning paradigms, and an advanced feature extraction methodology based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is implemented to decrease the dimensionality of sensorial features via linear projection of the original features into a new space. By feeding artificial neural networks with the PCA features, the diagnosis of tool flank wear is accurately carried out

Combining cannabis and melatonin treatment with a rehabilitation program improved symptoms in a dog with compulsive disorder: A case report

: Compulsive disorder in dogs (CD) is characterized by constant and time-consuming repetition of behaviors, emancipated from the environment, that definitely compromise their everyday life activities. Here, we documented the efficacy of a novel approach to counteract the negative symptoms of CD in a 5-year-old mongrel dog, previously found to be resistant to the conventional antidepressant. The patient underwent an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, based on the cannabis and melatonin co-administration, together with a tailored 5-month-lasting behavioral program. Observational findings showed a lower rate of compulsive episodes and better management of the dog as well, when compared to the previous paroxetine treatment. We followed him for an additional four months of therapy, and the owners reported easier management of the dog, as reduction of abnormal behaviors to a level acceptable to the owners. Overall, our data so far collected in the CD dog may allow us to test more deeply the feasibility and safety of such an off-label approach, at both preclinical and clinical levels

Casimir apparatuses in a weak gravitational field

We review and assess a part of the recent work on Casimir apparatuses in the weak gravitational field of the Earth. For a free, real massless scalar field subject to Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions on the parallel plates, the resulting regularized and renormalized energy-momentum tensor is covariantly conserved, while the trace anomaly vanishes if the massless field is conformally coupled to gravity. Conformal coupling also ensures a finite Casimir energy and finite values of the pressure upon parallel plates. These results have been extended to an electromagnetic field subject to perfect conductor (hence idealized) boundary conditions on parallel plates, by various authors. The regularized and renormalized energy-momentum tensor has been evaluated up to second order in the gravity acceleration. In both the scalar and the electromagnetic case, studied to first order in the gravity acceleration, the theory predicts a tiny force in the upwards direction acting on the apparatus. This effect is conceptually very interesting, since it means that Casimir energy is indeed expected to gravitate, although the magnitude of the expected force makes it necessary to overcome very severe signal-modulation problems.Comment: 12 pages, prepared for the Fourth International Sakharov Conferenc