101 research outputs found
Problems in the Lifshitz Theory of Atom-Wall Interaction
Problems in the Lifshitz theory of atom-wall interaction arise when the dc
conductivity of dielectric wall is included into the model of the dielectric
response. We review the low-temperature behavior of the free energy and entropy
of dispersion interaction for both dielectric and metallic walls. Consistency
of the obtained results with thermodynamics and experimental data is analyzed.
Recent attempts to include the screening effects and diffusion currents into
the Lifshitz theory are considered. It is shown that this leads to the
violation of the Nernst heat theorem for wide classes of wall materials. The
physical reasons for the emergence of thermodynamic and experimental
inconsistencies are elucidated.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, style file ws-ijmpa.cls is use
Van der Waals interaction between microparticle and uniaxial crystal with application to hydrogen atoms and multiwall carbon nanotubes
The Lifshitz theory of the van der Waals force is extended for the case of an
atom (molecule) interacting with a plane surface of an uniaxial crystal or with
a long solid cylinder or cylindrical shell made of isotropic material or
uniaxial crystal. For a microparticle near a semispace or flat plate made of an
uniaxial crystal the exact expressions for the free energy of the van der Waals
and Casimir-Polder interaction are presented. An approximate expression for the
free energy of microparticle- cylinder interaction is obtained which becomes
precise for microparticle-cylinder separations much smaller than cylinder
radius. The obtained expressions are used to investigate the van der Waals
interaction between hydrogen atoms (molecules) and graphite plates or multiwall
carbon nanotubes. To accomplish this the behavior of graphite dielectric
permittivities along the imaginary frequency axis is found using the optical
data for the complex refractive index of graphite for the ordinary and
extraordinary rays. It is shown that the position of hydrogen atoms inside
multiwall carbon nanotubes is energetically preferable compared with outside.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables. Minor corrections are made and new
references added. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
The role of cytokines in the development of systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obesity
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are characterized by a variety of comorbid conditions, including both somatic (arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, bronchial asthma, malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc.) and mental (depressive disorders, suicide attempts). Against the background of various chronic diseases of the respiratory system, endocrine, metabolic disorders, the risks of exacerbations of COPD increase.The leading unifying mechanism of these conditions is systemic subclinical inflammation. Its excessive activity leads to the loss of the physiological functions of inflammation, which is accompanied by an imbalance in the endocrine system and the release of high concentrations of hormones and neurotransmitters. The result of this response is the uncoupling of cytokine mechanisms, which leads to an imbalance in the system of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.The article describes the role of the pro-inflammatory chemokine IL-8 (interleukin 8), which is responsible for the migration of neutrophils to the site of inflammation. This is how the neutrophilic type of inflammation is formed. IL-4 and IL-10 are considered, which occupy a leading position in the formation of CD4+ type of immunoreactivity, which is observed in bronchial asthma. Attention is focused on the significance of IL-6, because it is an integral component of local and systemic inflammation. An increase in its concentration and, as a result, a potential risk of damage to the respiratory epithelium is the remodeling of the bronchial tree, resulting in a decrease in the elasticity of the epithelium of the respiratory tract. This mechanism leads to the formation of pulmonary emphysema and further potentiation of pathophysiological processes in patients with COPD.Since IL-6 is a cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties, its molecular activity is achieved by interacting with a special receptor complex consisting of two subunits: IL-6R and gp130. The former mediates IL-6 binding, while the latter triggers the JAK/STAT or MAPK signaling cascade pathways. The result of the reaction of IL-6 with the effector cell directly depends on the type of signaling.The paper describes three mechanisms of signal transduction into the target cell: classical, cluster, and transsignaling.Thus, by studying the role of cytokines in the systemic inflammatory response, we have shown the cross-talk between adipose tissue and the lungs in obesity, highlighting the main inflammatory mediators, which may indicate new therapeutic targets for preventing pulmonary dysfunction
Van der Waals and Casimir interactions between atoms and carbon nanotubes
The van der Waals and Casimir interactions of a hydrogen atom (molecule) with
a single-walled and a multiwalled carbon nanotubes are compared. It is shown
that the macroscopic concept of graphite dielectric permittivity is already
applicable for nanotubes with only two or three walls. The absorption of
hydrogen atoms by a nanotube at separations below one nanometer is considered.
The lateral force due to exchange repulsion moves the atom to a position above
the cell center, where it is absorbed by the nanotube because the repulsive
force cannot balance the van der Waals attraction.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of QFEXT07, to appear in J. Phys.
Exact Casimir-Polder potential between a particle and an ideal metal cylindrical shell and the proximity force approximation
We derive the exact Casimir-Polder potential for a polarizable microparticle
inside an ideal metal cylindrical shell using the Green function method. The
exact Casimir-Polder potential for a particle outside a shell, obtained
recently by using the Hamiltonian approach, is rederived and confirmed. The
exact quantum field theoretical result is compared with that obtained using the
proximity force approximation and a very good agreement is demonstrated at
separations below 0.1, where is the radius of the cylinder. The
developed methods are applicable in the theory of topological defects.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.
- …