A Lambda CDM bounce scenario

We study a contracting universe composed of cold dark matter and radiation, and with a positive cosmological constant. As is well known from standard cosmological perturbation theory, under the assumption of initial quantum vacuum fluctuations the Fourier modes of the comoving curvature perturbation that exit the (sound) Hubble radius in such a contracting universe at a time of matter-domination will be nearly scale-invariant. Furthermore, the modes that exit the (sound) Hubble radius when the effective equation of state is slightly negative due to the cosmological constant will have a slight red tilt, in agreement with observations. We assume that loop quantum cosmology captures the correct high-curvature dynamics of the space-time, and this ensures that the big-bang singularity is resolved and is replaced by a bounce. We calculate the evolution of the perturbations through the bounce and find that they remain nearly scale-invariant. We also show that the amplitude of the scalar perturbations in this cosmology depends on a combination of the sound speed of cold dark matter, the Hubble rate in the contracting branch at the time of equality of the energy densities of cold dark matter and radiation, and the curvature scale that the loop quantum cosmology bounce occurs at. Finally, for a small sound speed of cold dark matter, this scenario predicts a small tensor-to-scalar ratio

Cyclic cosmology from Lagrange-multiplier modified gravity

We investigate cyclic and singularity-free evolutions in a universe governed by Lagrange-multiplier modified gravity, either in scalar-field cosmology, as well as in $f(R)$ one. In the scalar case, cyclicity can be induced by a suitably reconstructed simple potential, and the matter content of the universe can be successfully incorporated. In the case of $f(R)$-gravity, cyclicity can be induced by a suitable reconstructed second function $f_2(R)$ of a very simple form, however the matter evolution cannot be analytically handled. Furthermore, we study the evolution of cosmological perturbations for the two scenarios. For the scalar case the system possesses no wavelike modes due to a dust-like sound speed, while for the $f(R)$ case there exist an oscillation mode of perturbations which indicates a dynamical degree of freedom. Both scenarios allow for stable parameter spaces of cosmological perturbations through the bouncing point.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, references added, accepted for publicatio

Local Measurement of Current Density by Magneto-Optical Current Reconstruction in Normally and Overpressure Processed Bi-2223 Tapes

Magneto-optical current reconstruction has been used for detailed analysis of the local critical current density (Jc) variation in monocore Bi-2223 tapes. We find, even in high quality tapes with bulk transport Jc ~ 40 kA/cm^2 (77K, 0T), that there exist local regions which possess current densities of more than 200 kA/cm^2. Overpressure processing at 148 bar significantly improved Jc to 48 kA/cm^2 by improving the connectivity. For the overpressure-processed sample we find that the current distribution is more uniform and that the maximum local current density at 77 K is increased almost to 300 kA/cm^2.Comment: Presented at Applied Superconductivity Conference, Houston, August 4th -9th, 200

Heterodimerization of apelin receptor and neurotensin receptor 1 induces phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and cell proliferation via Gαq-mediated mechanism

Dimerization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is crucial for receptor function including agonist affinity, efficacy, trafficking and specificity of signal transduction, including G protein coupling. Emerging data suggest that the cardiovascular system is the main target of apelin, which exerts an overall neuroprotective role, and is a positive regulator of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in heart failure. Moreover, ACE2 cleaves off C-terminal residues of vasoactive peptides including apelin-13, and neurotensin that activate the apelin receptor (APJ) and neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) respectively, that belong to the A class of GPCRs. Therefore, based on the similar mode of modification by ACE2 at peptide level, the homology at amino acid level and the capability of forming dimers with other GPCRs, we have been suggested that APJ and NTSR1 can form a functional heterodimer. Using co-immunoprecipitation, BRET and FRET, we provided conclusive evidence of heterodimerization between APJ and NTSR1 in a constitutive and induced form. Upon agonist stimulation, hetrodimerization enhanced ERK1/2 activation and increased proliferation via activation of Gq α-subunits. These novel data provide evidence for a physiological role of APJ/NTSR1 heterodimers in terms of ERK1/2 activation and increased intracellular calcium and induced cell proliferation and provide potential new pharmaceutical targets for cardiovascular disease. © 2014 The Authors

Extreme nonlinear electrodynamics in metamaterials with very small linear dielectric permittivity

We consider a sub-wavelength periodic layered medium whose slabs are filled by arbitrary linear metamaterials and standard nonlinear Kerr media and we show that the homogenized medium behaves as a Kerr medium whose parameters can assume values not available in standard materials. Exploiting such a parameter availability, we focus on the situation where the linear relative dielectric permittivity is very small thus allowing the observation of the extreme nonlinear regime where the nonlinear polarization is comparable with or even greater than the linear part of the overall dielectric response. The behavior of the electromagnetic field in the extreme nonlinear regime is very peculiar and characterized by novel features as, for example, the transverse power flow reversing. In order to probe the novel regime, we consider a class of fields (transverse magnetic nonlinear guided waves) admitting full analytical description and we show that these waves are allowed to propagate even in media with $\epsilon0$ since the nonlinear polarization produces a positive overall effective permittivity. The considered nonlinear waves exhibit, in addition to the mentioned features, a number of interesting properties like hyper-focusing induced by the phase difference between the field components.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

Relationship between five-dimensional black holes and de Sitter spaces

We study a close relationship between the topological anti-de Sitter (TAdS)-black holes and topological de Sitter (TdS) spaces including the Schwarzschild-de Sitter (SdS) black hole in five-dimensions. We show that all thermal properties of the TdS spaces can be found from those of the TAdS black holes by replacing $k$ by $-k$. Also we find that all thermal information for the cosmological horizon of the SdS black hole is obtained from either the hyperbolic-AdS black hole or the Schwarzschild-TdS space by substituting $m$ with $-m$. For this purpose we calculate thermal quantities of bulk, (Euclidean) conformal field theory (ECFT) and moving domain wall by using the A(dS)/(E)CFT correspondences. Further we compute logarithmic corrections to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, Cardy-Verlinde formula and Friedmann equation due to thermal fluctuations. It implies that the cosmological horizon of the TdS spaces is nothing but the event horizon of the TAdS black holes and the dS/ECFT correspondence is valid for the TdS spaces in conjunction with the AdS/CFT correspondence for the TAdS black holes.Comment: 17 page

Possibility of cyclic Turnarounds In Brane-world Scenario: Phantom Energy Accretion onto Black Holes and its consequences

A universe described by braneworlds is studied in a cyclic scenario. As expected such an oscillating universe will undergo turnarounds, whenever the phantom energy density reaches a critical value from either side. It is found that a universe described by RSII brane model will readily undergo oscillations if, either the brane tension, \lambda, or the bulk cosmological constant, \Lambda_{4}, is negative. The DGP brane model does not readily undergo cyclic turnarounds. Hence for this model a modified equation is proposed to incorporate the cyclic nature. It is found that there is always a remanent mass of a black hole at the verge of a turnaround. Hence contrary to known results in literature, it is found that the destruction of black holes at the turnaround is completely out of question. Finally to alleviate, if not solve, the problem posed by the black holes, it is argued that the remanent masses of the black holes do not act as a serious defect of the model because of Hawking evaporation.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures; International Journal of Theoretical Physics (2012

Sensitive Chemical Compass Assisted by Quantum Criticality

The radical-pair-based chemical reaction could be used by birds for the navigation via the geomagnetic direction. An inherent physical mechanism is that the quantum coherent transition from a singlet state to triplet states of the radical pair could response to the weak magnetic field and be sensitive to the direction of such a field and then results in different photopigments in the avian eyes to be sensed. Here, we propose a quantum bionic setup for the ultra-sensitive probe of a weak magnetic field based on the quantum phase transition of the environments of the two electrons in the radical pair. We prove that the yield of the chemical products via the recombination from the singlet state is determined by the Loschmidt echo of the environments with interacting nuclear spins. Thus quantum criticality of environments could enhance the sensitivity of the detection of the weak magnetic field.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Hawking-Page Phase Transition of black Dp-branes and R-charged black holes with an IR Cutoff

We show that the confinement-deconfinement phase transition of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with 16 supercharges in various dimensions can be realized through the Hawking-Page phase transition between the near horizon geometries of black Dp-branes and BPS Dp-branes by removing a small radius region in the geometry in order to realize a confinement phase, which generalizes the Herzog's discussion for the holographic hard-wall AdS/QCD model. Removing a small radius region in the gravitational dual corresponds to introducing an IR cutoff in the dual field theory. We also discuss the Hawking-Page phase transition between thermal $AdS_5$, $AdS_4$, $AdS_7$ spaces and R-charged AdS black holes coming from the spherical reduction of the decoupling limit of rotating D3-, M2-, and M5- branes in type IIB supergravity and 11 dimensional supergravity in grand canonical ensembles, where the IR cutoff also plays a crucial role in the existence of the phase transition.Comment: 34 pages, 18 figures, JHEP3, v2, references added, v3, some explanations adde