171 research outputs found
Improved Precision Measurement of the Casimir Force
We report an improved precision measurement of the Casimir force. The force
is measured between a large Al coated sphere and flat plate using an Atomic
Force Microscope. The primary experimental improvements include the use of
smoother metal coatings, reduced noise, lower systematic errors and independent
measurement of surface separations. Also the complete dielectric spectrum of
the metal is used in the theory. The average statistical precision remains at
the same 1% of the forces measured at the closest separation
Temperature dependence of the Casimir effect between metallic mirrors
We calculate the Casimir force and free energy for plane metallic mirrors at
non-zero temperature. Numerical evaluations are given with temperature and
conductivity effects treated simultaneously. The results are compared with the
approximation where both effects are treated independently and the corrections
simply multiplied. The deviation between the exact and approximated results
takes the form of a temperature dependent function for which an analytical
expression is given. The knowledge of this function allows simple and accurate
estimations at the % level.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, uses RevTe
Promoting remyelination through cell transplantation therapies in a model of viral-induced neurodegenerative disease.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system (CNS) disease characterized by chronic neuroinflammation, demyelination, and axonal damage. Infiltration of activated lymphocytes and myeloid cells are thought to be primarily responsible for white matter damage and axonopathy. Several United States Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies exist that impede activated lymphocytes from entering the CNS thereby limiting new lesion formation in patients with relapse-remitting forms of MS. However, a significant challenge within the field of MS research is to develop effective and sustained therapies that allow for axonal protection and remyelination. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that some kinds of stem cells and their derivatives seem to be able to mute neuroinflammation as well as promote remyelination and axonal integrity. Intracranial infection of mice with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV) results in immune-mediated demyelination and axonopathy, making this an excellent model to interrogate the therapeutic potential of stem cell derivatives in evoking remyelination. This review provides a succinct overview of our recent findings using intraspinal injection of mouse CNS neural progenitor cells and human neural precursors into JHMV-infected mice. JHMV-infected mice receiving these cells display extensive remyelination associated with axonal sparing. In addition, we discuss possible mechanisms associated with sustained clinical recovery. Developmental Dynamics 248:43-52, 2019. Β© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Quantum vacuum fluctuations
The existence of irreducible field fluctuations in vacuum is an important
prediction of quantum theory. These fluctuations have many observable
consequences, like the Casimir effect which is now measured with good accuracy
and agreement with theory, provided that the latter accounts for differences
between real experiments and the ideal situation considered by Casimir. But the
vacuum energy density calculated by adding field mode energies is much larger
than the density observed around us through gravitational phenomena. This
``vacuum catastrophe'' is one of the unsolved problems at the interface between
quantum theory on one hand, inertial and gravitational phenomena on the other
hand. It is however possible to put properly formulated questions in the
vicinity of this paradox. These questions are directly connected to observable
effects bearing upon the principle of relativity of motion in quantum vacuum.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, contribution to a special issue in CRAS (Comptes
rendus de l'Academie des Sciences), corrected typos, added reference
Complete roughness and conductivity corrections for the recent Casimir force measurement
We consider detailed roughness and conductivity corrections to the Casimir
force in the recent Casimir force measurement employing an Atomic Force
Microscope. The roughness of the test bodies-a metal plate and a sphere- was
investigated with the Atomic Force Microscope and the Scanning Electron
Microscope respectively. It consists of separate crystals of different heights
and a stochastic background. The amplitude of roughness relative to the zero
roughness level was determined and the corrections to the Casimir force were
calculated up to the fourth order in a small parameter (which is this amplitude
divided by the distance between the two test bodies). Also the corrections due
to finite conductivity were found up to the fourth order in relative
penetration depth of electromagnetic zero point oscillations into the metal.
The theoretical result for the configuration of a sphere above a plate taking
into account both corrections is in excellent agreement with the measured
Casimir force
The Casimir force and the quantum theory of lossy optical cavities
We present a new derivation of the Casimir force between two parallel plane
mirrors at zero temperature. The two mirrors and the cavity they enclose are
treated as quantum optical networks. They are in general lossy and
characterized by frequency dependent reflection amplitudes. The additional
fluctuations accompanying losses are deduced from expressions of the optical
theorem. A general proof is given for the theorem relating the spectral density
inside the cavity to the reflection amplitudes seen by the inner fields. This
density determines the vacuum radiation pressure and, therefore, the Casimir
force. The force is obtained as an integral over the real frequencies,
including the contribution of evanescent waves besides that of ordinary waves,
and, then, as an integral over imaginary frequencies. The demonstration relies
only on general properties obeyed by real mirrors which also enforce general
constraints for the variation of the Casimir force.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, minor amendment
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Flow Batteries: Alkaline Benzoquinone Aqueous Flow Battery for Large-Scale Storage of Electrical Energy
We introduce an aqueous flow battery based on low-cost, non-flammable, non-corrosive and Earth-abundant elements. During charging, electrons are stored in a concentrated water solution of 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DHBQ), which rapidly receives electrons with inexpensive carbon electrodes without the assistance of any metal electro-catalyst. Electrons are withdrawn from a second water solution of a food additive, potassium ferrocyanide (K4Fe(CN)6). When these two solutions flow along opposite sides of a cation-conducting membrane, this flow battery delivers a cell potential of 1.21 V, a peak galvanic power density of 300 mW/cm2 and a coulombic efficiency exceeding 99%. Continuous cell cycling at 100 mA/cm2 shows a capacity retention rate of 99.76%/cycle over 150 cycles. Various molecular modifications involving substitution for hydrogens on the aryl ring were implemented to block decomposition by nucleophilic attack of hydroxide ions in solution. These modifications resulted in increased capacity retention rates of up to 99.962%/cycle over 400 consecutive cycles, accompanied by changes in voltage, solubility, kinetics and cell resistance. Quantum chemistry calculations of a large number of organic compounds predicted a number of related structures that should have even higher performance and stability. Flow batteries based on alkaline-soluble dihydroxybenzoquinones and derivatives are promising candidates for large-scale, stationary-storage of electrical energy.Chemistry and Chemical BiologyEngineering and Applied Science
Discovery of a novel iflavirus sequence in the eastern paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus
Ixodes holocyclus, the eastern paralysis tick, is a significant parasite in Australia in terms of animal and human health. However, very little is known about its virome. In this study, next-generation sequencing of I. holocyclus salivary glands yielded a full-length genome sequence which phylogenetically groups with viruses classified in the Iflaviridae family and shares 45% amino acid similarity with its closest relative Bole hyalomma asiaticum virus 1. The sequence of this virus, provisionally named Ixodes holocyclus iflavirus (IhIV) has been identified in tick populations from northern New South Wales and Queensland, Australia and represents the first virus sequence reported from I. holocyclus
Simple Sequence Repeats in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health: An Ethnically Diverse Resource for Genetic Analysis of Health and Behavior
Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are one of the earliest available forms of genetic variation available for analysis and have been utilized in studies of neurological, behavioral, and health phenotypes. Although findings from these studies have been suggestive, their interpretation has been complicated by a variety of factors including, among others, limited power due to small sample sizes. The current report details the availability, diversity, and allele and genotype frequencies of six commonly examined SSRs in the ethnically diverse, population-based National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). A total of 106,743 genotypes were generated across 15,140 participants that included four microsatellites and two di-nucleotide repeats in three dopamine genes (DAT1, DRD4, DRD5), the serotonin transporter (5HTT), and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA). Allele and genotype frequencies showed a complex pattern and differed significantly between populations. For both di-nucleotide repeats we observed a greater allelic diversity than previously reported. The availability of these six SSRs in a large, ethnically diverse sample with extensive environmental measures assessed longitudinally offers a unique resource for researchers interested in health and behavior
Haplotype Analysis Improved Evidence for Candidate Genes for Intramuscular Fat Percentage from a Genome Wide Association Study of Cattle
In genome wide association studies (GWAS), haplotype analyses of SNP data are neglected in favour of single point analysis of associations. In a recent GWAS, we found that none of the known candidate genes for intramuscular fat (IMF) had been identified. In this study, data from the GWAS for these candidate genes were re-analysed as haplotypes. First, we confirmed that the methodology would find evidence for association between haplotypes in candidate genes of the calpain-calpastatin complex and musculus longissimus lumborum peak force (LLPF), because these genes had been confirmed through single point analysis in the GWAS. Then, for intramuscular fat percent (IMF), we found significant partial haplotype substitution effects for the genes ADIPOQ and CXCR4, as well as suggestive associations to the genes CEBPA, FASN, and CAPN1. Haplotypes for these genes explained 80% more of the phenotypic variance compared to the best single SNP. For some genes the analyses suggested that there was more than one causative mutation in some genes, or confirmed that some causative mutations are limited to particular subgroups of a species. Fitting the SNPs and their interactions simultaneously explained a similar amount of the phenotypic variance compared to haplotype analyses. Haplotype analysis is a neglected part of the suite of tools used to analyse GWAS data, would be a useful method to extract more information from these data sets, and may contribute to reducing the missing heritability problem
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