120 research outputs found
Quantum radiation pressure on a moving mirror at finite temperature
We compute the radiation pressure force on a moving mirror, in the
nonrelativistic approximation, assuming the field to be at temperature At
high temperature, the force has a dissipative component proportional to the
mirror velocity, which results from Doppler shift of the reflected thermal
photons. In the case of a scalar field, the force has also a dispersive
component associated to a mass correction. In the electromagnetic case, the
separate contributions to the mass correction from the two polarizations
cancel. We also derive explicit results in the low temperature regime, and
present numerical results for the general case. As an application, we compute
the dissipation and decoherence rates for a mirror in a harmonic potential
well.Comment: Figure 3 replaced, changes mainly in Sections IV and V, new appendix
introduced. To appear in Physical Review
Effects of cholinergic stimulation with pyridostigmine bromide on chronic chagasic cardiomyopathic mice
The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of an anticholinesterase agent, pyridostigmine bromide (Pyrido), on experimental chronic Chagas heart disease in mice. To this end, male C57BL/6J mice noninfected (control:Con) or chronically infected (5 months) with Trypanosoma cruzi (chagasic:Chg) were treated or not (NT) with Pyrido for one month. At the end of this period, electrocardiogram (ECG); cardiac autonomic function; heart histopathology; serum cytokines; and the presence of blood and tissue parasites by means of immunohistochemistry and PCR were assessed. In NT-Chg mice, significant changes in the electrocardiographic, autonomic, and cardiac histopathological profiles were observed confirming a chronic inflammatory response. Treatment with Pyrido in Chagasic mice caused a significant reduction of myocardial inflammatory infiltration, fibrosis, and hypertrophy, which was accompanied by a decrease in serum levels of IFN\u3b3 with no change in IL-10 levels, suggesting a shift of immune response toward an anti-inflammatory profile. Lower nondifferent numbers of parasite DNA copies were observed in both treated and nontreated chagasic mice. In conclusion, our findings confirm the marked neuroimmunomodulatory role played by the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system in the evolution of the inflammatory-immune response to T. cruzi during experimental chronic Chagas heart disease in mice
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