2,643 research outputs found
Competing mechanisms of stress-assisted diffusivity and stretch-activated currents in cardiac electromechanics
We numerically investigate the role of mechanical stress in modifying the
conductivity properties of the cardiac tissue and its impact in computational
models for cardiac electromechanics. We follow a theoretical framework recently
proposed in [Cherubini, Filippi, Gizzi, Ruiz-Baier, JTB 2017], in the context
of general reaction-diffusion-mechanics systems using multiphysics continuum
mechanics and finite elasticity. In the present study, the adapted models are
compared against preliminary experimental data of pig right ventricle
fluorescence optical mapping. These data contribute to the characterization of
the observed inhomogeneity and anisotropy properties that result from
mechanical deformation. Our novel approach simultaneously incorporates two
mechanisms for mechano-electric feedback (MEF): stretch-activated currents
(SAC) and stress-assisted diffusion (SAD); and we also identify their influence
into the nonlinear spatiotemporal dynamics. It is found that i) only specific
combinations of the two MEF effects allow proper conduction velocity
measurement; ii) expected heterogeneities and anisotropies are obtained via the
novel stress-assisted diffusion mechanisms; iii) spiral wave meandering and
drifting is highly mediated by the applied mechanical loading. We provide an
analysis of the intrinsic structure of the nonlinear coupling using
computational tests, conducted using a finite element method. In particular, we
compare static and dynamic deformation regimes in the onset of cardiac
arrhythmias and address other potential biomedical applications
Excised acoustic black holes: the scattering problem in the time domain
The scattering process of a dynamic perturbation impinging on a draining-tub
model of an acoustic black hole is numerically solved in the time domain.
Analogies with real black holes of General Relativity are explored by using
recently developed mathematical tools involving finite elements methods,
excision techniques, and constrained evolution schemes for strongly hyperbolic
systems. In particular it is shown that superradiant scattering of a
quasi-monochromatic wavepacket can produce strong amplification of the signal,
offering the possibility of a significant extraction of rotational energy at
suitable values of the angular frequency of the vortex and of the central
frequency of the wavepacket. The results show that theoretical tools recently
developed for gravitational waves can be brought to fruition in the study of
other problems in which strong anisotropies are present.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure
Prion expression is activated by Adenovirus 5 infection and affects the adenoviral cycle in human cells
The prion protein is a cell surface glycoprotein whose physiological role remains elusive, while its implication
in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) has been demonstrated. Multiple interactions between
the prion protein and viruses have been described: viruses can act as co-factors in TSEs and life cycles of
different viruses have been found to be controlled by prion modulation.
We present data showing that human Adenovirus 5 induces prion expression. Inactivated Adenovirus did
not alter prion transcription, while variants encoding for early products did, suggesting that the prion is
stimulated by an early adenoviral function. Down-regulation of the prion through RNA interference showed
that the prion controls adenovirus replication and expression.
These data suggest that the prion protein could play a role in the defense strategy mounted by the host
during viral infection, in a cell autonomous manner. These results have implications for the study of the prion
protein and of associated TSEs
Electrocardiogram of the Mixmaster Universe
The Mixmaster dynamics is revisited in a new light as revealing a series of
transitions in the complex scale invariant scalar invariant of the Weyl
curvature tensor best represented by the speciality index , which
gives a 4-dimensional measure of the evolution of the spacetime independent of
all the 3-dimensional gauge-dependent variables except for the time used to
parametrize it. Its graph versus time characterized by correlated isolated
pulses in its real and imaginary parts corresponding to curvature wall
collisions serves as a sort of electrocardiogram of the Mixmaster universe,
with each such pulse pair arising from a single circuit or ``complex pulse''
around the origin in the complex plane. These pulses in the speciality index
and their limiting points on the real axis seem to invariantly characterize
some of the so called spike solutions in inhomogeneous cosmology and should
play an important role as a gauge invariant lens through which to view current
investigations of inhomogeneous Mixmaster dynamics.Comment: version 3: 20 pages iopart style, 19 eps figure files for 8 latex
figures; added example of a transient true spike to contrast with the
permanent true spike example from the Lim family of true spike solutions;
remarks in introduction and conclusion adjusted and toned down; minor
adjustments to the remaining tex
Direct nuclear reaction experiments for stellar nucleosynthesis
During the last two decades indirect methods where proposed and used in many experiments in order to measure nuclear cross sections between charged particles at stellar energies. These are among the lowest to be measured in nuclear physics. One of these methods, the Trojan Horse method, is based on the QuasiFree reaction mechanism and has proved to be particularly ïŹexible and reliable. It allowed for the measurement of the cross sections of various reactions of astrophysical interest using stable beams. The use and reliability of indirect methods become even more important when reactions induced by Radioactive Ion Beams are considered, given the much lower intensity generally available for these beams. The ïŹrst Trojan Horse measurement of a process involving the use of a Radioactive Ion Beam dealt with the 18F(p,α)15O process in Nova conditions. To obtain pieces of information on this process, in particular about its cross section at Nova energies, the Trojan Horse method was applied to the 18F(d,α 15O)n three body reaction. In order to establish the reliability of the Trojan Horse method approach, the Treiman-Yang criterion is an important test and it will be addressed brieïŹy in this paper
Second Order Scalar Invariants of the Riemann Tensor: Applications to Black Hole Spacetimes
We discuss the Kretschmann, Chern-Pontryagin and Euler invariants among the second order scalar invariants of the Riemann tensor in any spacetime in the Newman-Penrose formalism and in the framework of gravitoelectromagnetism, using the Kerr-Newman geometry as an example. An analogy with electromagnetic invariants leads to the definition of regions of gravitoelectric or gravitomagnetic dominance
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