Measuring Hubble constant in an anisotropic extension of Λ\LambdaCDM model

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) independent approaches are frequently used in the literature to provide estimates of Hubble constant ($H_0$). In this work, we report CMB independent constraints on $H_0$ in an anisotropic extension of $\Lambda$CDM model using the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), Cosmic Chronometer (CC), and Pantheon+ compilation of Type Ia supernovae data. The analyses of the anisotropic model with different combinations of data sets reveal that anisotropy is strongly and positively correlated with $H_0$, and an anisotropy of the order $10^{-14}$ in the anisotropic model yields values of $H_0$ consistent with the direct local measurements.Comment: 5 pages, 1 table and 2 figure

Effects of anisotropy in an anisotropic extension of wwCDM model

In this paper, we derive observational constraints on an anisotropic $w$CDM model from observational data including Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs), Cosmic Chronometer (CC), Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), Pantheon Plus (PP) compilation of Type Ia supernovae, and SH0ES Cepheid host distance anchors. We find that anisotropy is of the order $10^{-13}$, and its presence in the $w$CDM model reduces $H_0$ tension by $\sim 2\sigma$ and $\sim 1\sigma$ in the analyses with BAO+CC+BBN+PP and BAO+CC+BBN+PPSH0ES data combinations, respectively. In both analyses, the quintessence form of dark energy is favored at 95\% CL.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Molecular Detection of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) by Conventional One-step RT-PCR Coupled with Nested PCR

Aims: HCV causes both acute and chronic infections and can be easily transmitted through contaminated blood or other body fluids. The present study deals with the molecular detection of HCV with help of one-step RT-PCR assay followed by nested PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis. Study Design: RNA extracted from the confirmed positive samples of HCV was utilized for the standardization of the one-step RT-PCR assay and nested PCR assay for diagnosis of HCV. Place and Duration of Study: Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak Haryana, India, during period of one year (January-December 2015). Methodology: HCV positive samples were obtained from Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), New Delhi, India. Published primers from most conserved regions of HCV were taken and these primers were able to amplify all the strains of HCV. One-step RT-PCR kits, primers, extracted RNA from these positive samples were used for standardization of molecular diagnostic assays. The results were checked by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. Results: Positive samples of HCV were detected by nested PCR. Positive samples showed sharp band of 405bp while there was no amplification in the negative control. Conclusion: Rapid tests have low sensitivity and specificity while molecular assays are rapid, sensitive and specific. Conventional one-step RT-PCR assay followed by nested PCR is rapid, specific, sensitive and it is also less costly than real-time RT-PCR. Cost of an assay is an important factor in controlling a disease in resource limited settings of developing countries

Gradients in solid surface tension drive Marangoni-like motions in cell aggregates

The surface tension of living cells and tissues originates from the generation of nonequilibrium active stresses within the cell cytoskeleton. Here, using laser ablation, we generate gradients in the surface tension of cellular aggregates as models of simple tissues. These gradients of active surface stress drive large-scale and rapid toroidal motion. Subsequently, the motions spontaneously reverse as stresses reaccumulate and cells return to their original positions. Both forward and reverse motions resemble Marangoni flows in viscous fluids. However, the motions are faster than the timescales of viscoelastic relaxation, and the surface tension gradient is proportional to mechanical strain at the surface. Further, due to active stress, both the surface tension gradient and surface strain are dependent upon the volume of the aggregate. These results indicate that surface tension can induce rapid and highly correlated elastic deformations in the maintenance of tissue shape and configuration

Entropy Production Rate is Maximized in Non-Contractile Actomyosin

The actin cytoskeleton is an active semi-flexible polymer network whose non-equilibrium properties coordinate both stable and contractile behaviors to maintain or change cell shape. While myosin motors drive the actin cytoskeleton out-of-equilibrium, the role of myosin-driven active stresses in the accumulation and dissipation of mechanical energy is unclear. To investigate this, we synthesize an actomyosin material in vitro whose active stress content can tune the network from stable to contractile. Each increment in activity determines a characteristic spectrum of actin filament fluctuations which is used to calculate the total mechanical work and the production of entropy in the material. We find that the balance of work and entropy does not increase monotonically and, surprisingly, the entropy production rate is maximized in the non-contractile, stable state. Our study provides evidence that the origins of system entropy production and activity-dependent dissipation arise from disorder in the molecular interactions between actin and myosinComment: 31 pages, 5 figure

Characterization and Analysis of Manufacturing Processes Induced Defects in Composite Structures for the AFP (Automated Fiber Placement) Process

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is a widely used advanced process of manufacturing composite layups. The placement head in an AFP machine automatically lays down individual tows of composites to produce a composite layup. Because of the nature of this process, composite layups produced by this process have inherent defects. Although these defects can not be totally eliminated, the manufacturer has the knowledge of defect geometry as these defects are characteristic of the AFP machine and ply boundary settings. The AFP process facilitates manufacturer to have control over the placement of defects as to where these defects should appear in the layup. The main objective of this work is to develop a computational tool that will allow user to model composite layup with user defined defect configuration and then evaluate the effective properties and ultimate strength of the composite layup in fairly short time, so that the user can model and test different defect configurations and select an optimum one for the best performance. The computational tool is completely developed in python programming language and Abaqus scripting interface which is an extension of the python programming language. The tool allows the user to model straight gaps and curvilinear gaps at a desired location in a composite layup. It implements displacement periodic boundary conditions which are a precursor to implementation of classical homogenization theory in this work. The effective properties are evaluated by effective stress/strain formulations defined by the classical theory of homogenization. The tool is also capable of determining the ultimate strength of a layup by carrying out finite element strength analysis. In the end, the ability of the tool to evaluate effective properties and strength with precision was tested by comparing the results with experimental and analytical data from a similar work found in literature carried out for two dimensional case