Potential Effect Research Articles

Explaining QPOs data for black holes in the Starobinsky–Bel–Robinson gravity

In this work we explore the properties of the spacetime around the Schwarzschild-like black hole in the Starobinsky–Bel–Robinson gravity through a test particle motion and its quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the circular orbits in the close vicinity of the black hole horizon. We show how the extra spacetime parameter β\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\beta $$\\end{document} affects the effective potential, energy, angular momentum, inner most circular orbit (ISCO) radius, and trajectory of a test particle. Next, we focus on the QPOs of particles and explore it in the relativistic precision model. Finally, we apply our analysis to explain the observational data obtained for several black hole candidates including GRO J1655-40, GRS 1915+105, XTE J1859+226, and XTE J1550-564 and get constraints on their spacetime parameters by employing the Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis methodology.

Effective thermodynamic potentials and internal variables: Linear viscoelastic composites

New theoretical relations in linear viscoelasticity are derived by combining two different points of view. On the one hand, the general thermodynamic framework makes it possible to define the energy stored and the energy dissipated in linearly viscoelastic composites. On the other hand, the correspondence principle permits to express the macroscopic strain–stress relation as ordinary differential equations for a set of effective internal variables. A finite and small number of internal variables is rigorously sufficient in several cases of interest, including in particular particulate composites. Interpreting the macroscopic response as a rheological generalized Maxwell model allows us to compute the macroscopic free and dissipated energy of the composite. This interpretation is proved to be exact in several cases of interest. Coupled with Hashin–Shtrikman estimates, these thermodynamic functions provide additional information on the statistics of the field within each individual phase of the composite.

Gravitational lensing in a spacetime with cosmic string within the Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld gravity

This study explores the deflection angle of photon rays or light-like geodesics within the framework of Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld (EiBI) gravity background space-time, taking into account the influence of cosmic strings. The primary focus lies in deriving the effective potential of the system applicable to both null and time-like geodesics, as well as determining the angle of deflection for light-like geodesics. Our analysis shows that the presence of cosmic strings induces modifications in these physical quantities, leading to shifts in their respective values.

Promising Antileishmanial Activity of Micromeria nervosa Essential Oil: In Vitro and In Silico Studies.

The present study aimed to evaluate the leishmanicidal potential of the essential oil (EO) of Micromeria (M.) nervosa and to investigate its molecular mechanism of action by qPCR. Furthermore, in silicointeraction study of the major M. nervosa EO compounds with the enzyme cytochrome P450 sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) was also performed. M. nervosa EO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that α-pinene (26.44%), t-cadinol (26.27%), caryophyllene Oxide (7.73 ± 1.04%), and α-Cadinene (3.79 ± 0.12%) are the major compounds of M. nervosa EO. However, limited antioxidant activity was observed, as this EO was ineffective in neutralizing DPPH free radicals and in inhibiting β-carotene bleaching. Interestingly, it displayed effective leishmanicidal potential against promastigote (IC50 of 6.79 and 5.25 μg/mL) and amastigote (IC50 of 8.04 and 7.32 μg/mL) forms of leishmania (L.) infantum and L. major, respectively. Molecular mechanism investigation showed that M. nervosa EO displayed potent inhibition on the thiol regulatory pathway. Furthermore, a docking study of the main components of the EO with cytochrome P450 sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) enzyme revealed that t-cadinol exhibited the best binding energy values (-7.5 kcal/mol), followed by α-cadinene (-7.3 kcal/mol) and caryophyllene oxide (-7 kcal/mol). These values were notably higher than that of the conventional drug fluconazole showing weaker binding energy (-6.9 kcal/mol). These results suggest that M. nervosa EO could serve as a potent and promising candidate for the development of alternative antileishmanial agent in the treatment of leishmaniasis.

A Bioactive Degradable Composite Bone Cement Based on Calcium Sulfate and Magnesium Polyphosphate.

Calcium sulfate bone cement (CSC) is extensively used as a bone repair material due to its ability to self-solidify, degradability, and osteogenic ability. However, the fast degradation, low mechanical strength, and insufficient biological activity limit its application. This study used magnesium polyphosphate (MPP) and constructed a composite bone cement composed of calcium sulfate (CS), MPP, tricalcium silicate (C3S), and plasticizer hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). The optimized CS/MPP/C3S composite bone cement has a suitable setting time of approximately 15.0 min, a compressive strength of 26.6 MPa, and an injectability of about 93%. The CS/MPP/C3S composite bone cement has excellent biocompatibility and osteogenic capabilities; our results showed that cell proliferation is up to 114% compared with the control after 5 days. After 14 days, the expression levels of osteogenic-related genes, including Runx2, BMP2, OCN, OPN, and COL-1, are about 1.8, 2.8, 2.5, 2.2, and 2.2 times higher than those of the control, respectively, while the alkaline phosphatase activity is about 1.7 times higher. Therefore, the CS/MPP/C3S composite bone cement overcomes the limitations of CSC and has more effective potential in bone repair.

Rotating SU(2) gluon matter and deconfinement at finite temperature

In this work a non-abelian gauge theory is reformulated in a rotating frame. With this new formalism, the influence of the background rotation on the color deconfinement transition for a pure SU(2) gluon system has been studied. The KvBLL caloron, which is a color neutral and topologically nontrivial solution of Yang-Mills equation at finite temperature, is reexamined under rotation and adopted as the confined vacuum of such a system. With rotation-modified solutions of the caloron's constituent solitons, i.e. dyons, the non-perturbative part of effective potential of the rotating system has been obtained. Combining with the perturbative potential by Gaussian fluctuations, the critical temperature of confinement-deconfinement phase transition is investigated. It is found that neither the rotational semi-classical potential nor Gaussian fluctuations can confine color charges more tightly when the rotation becomes faster. While only a stronger coupling constant is able to make the critical temperature increase with angular velocity, as what indicated in lattice simulations. And it is found a non-monotonic dependence of the critical temperature on the angular velocity is established because of the competition between these two contrary contributions.

Stochastic path power and the Laplace transform

Transition probabilities for stochastic systems can be expressed in terms of a functional integral over paths taken by the system. Approximately evaluating this integral by the saddle point method in the weak-noise limit leads to a remarkable mapping between dominant stochastic paths through the potential V and conservative, Hamiltonian mechanics with an effective potential −|∇V|2 . The conserved ‘energy’ in this effective system has dimensions of power. We show that this power, H, can be identified with the Laplace parameter of the time-transformed dynamics. As H → 0, corresponding to the long-time limit, the equilibrium Boltzmann density is recovered. However, keeping H finite leads to insights into the non-equilibrium behaviour of the system. Moreover, it facilitates the explicit summation over families of trajectories, which is far harder in the time domain, and turns out to be essential for making contact with the long-time limit in some cases. We illustrate the validity of these results using simple examples that can be explicitly solved by other means.

MR Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Evaluating Immediate HIFU Treatment Response of Uterine Fibroids.

Nowadays, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a common surgery option for the treatment of uterine fibroids in China, the immediate response of which is clinically evaluated using Contrast Enhanced (CE) imaging. However, the injection of gadolinium with its potential adverse effect is of concern in CE and therefore, it deserves efforts to find a better imaging method without the need for contrast agent injection for this task. To assess the role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in evaluating the immediate therapeutic response of HIFU treatment for uterine fibroids in comparison with CE. 68 patients with 74 uterine fibroids receiving HIFU treatment were enrolled, and immediate treatment response was assessed using post-surgical DWI images. Semi-quantitative ordinal ablation quality grading and quantitative nonperfusion volume (NPV) measurement based on DWI and CE imaging were determined by two experienced radiologists. Agreement of ablation quality grading between DWI and CE was assessed using the weighted kappa coefficient, while intraobserver, interobserver and interprotocol agreements of NPV measurements within and between DWI and CE were evaluated using the intraclass correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. Grading of immediate HIFU treatment response showed a moderate agreement between DWI and CE (weighted kappa = 0.446, p < 0.001). NPV measured in 65 fibroids with DWI of Grade 3~5 showed very high ICCs for the intraobserver and interobserver agreement within DWI and CE (all ICC > 0.980, p < 0.001) and also for the interprotocol agreement between DWI and CE (ICC = 0.976, p < 0.001). DWI could provide satisfactory ablation quality grading, and reliable NPV quantification results to assess immediate therapeutic responses of HIFU treatment for uterine fibroids in most cases, which suggests that non-contrast enhanced DWI might be potentially used as a more costeffective and convenient method in a large proportion of patients for this task replacing CE imaging.

Variability of entropy force and its coupling with electrostatic and steric hindrance interactions

We investigated the effective interaction potential (EIP) between charged surfaces in solvent comprised of dipole dimer molecules added with a certain amount of ionic liquid. Using classical density functional theory, the EIP is calculated and decoupled into entropic and energy terms. Unlike the traditional Asakura–Oosawa (AO) depletion model, the present entropic term can be positive or negative, depending on the entropy change associated with solvent molecule migration from bulk into slit pore. This is determined by pore congestion and disruption of the bulk dipole network. The energy term is determined by the free energy associated with hard-core repulsion and electrostatic interactions between surface charges, ion charges, and polarized charges carried by the dipole dimer molecules. The calculations in this article clearly demonstrate the variability of the entropy term, which contrasts sharply with the traditional AO depletion model, and the corrective effects of electrostatic and spatial hindrance interactions on the total EIP; we revealed several non-monotonic behaviors of the EIP and its entropic and energy terms concerning solvent bulk concentration and solvent molecule dipole moment; additionally, we demonstrated the promoting effect of dipolar solvent on the emergence of like-charge attraction, even in 1:1 electrolyte solutions. The microscopic origin of the aforementioned phenomena was analyzed to be due to the non-monotonic change of dipolar solvent adsorption with dipole moment under conditions of low solution dielectric constant. The present findings offer novel approaches and molecular-level guidance for regulating the EIP. This insight has implications for understanding fundamental processes in various fields, including biomolecule-ligand binding, activation energy barriers, ion tunneling transport, as well as the formation of hierarchical structures, such as mesophases, micro-, and nanostructures, and beyond.

Effective dynamics of quantum fluctuations in field theory: with applications to cosmology

We develop a novel framework for describing quantum fluctuations in field theory, with a focus on cosmological applications. Our method uniquely circumvents the use of operator/Hilbert-space formalism, instead relying on a systematic treatment of classical variables, quantum fluctuations, and an effective Hamiltonian. Our framework not only aligns with standard formalisms in flat and de Sitter spacetimes, which assumes no backreaction, demonstrated through the φ3-model, but also adeptly handles time-dependent backreaction in more general cases. The uncertainty principle and spatial symmetry emerge as critical tools for selecting initial conditions and understanding effective potentials. We discover that modes inside the Hubble horizon do not necessarily feel an initial Minkowski vacuum, as is commonly assumed. Our findings offer fresh insights into the early universe’s quantum fluctuations and potential explanations to large-scale CMB anomalies.

The potential active compounds of Jatropha multifida Linn. as an anti-COVID-19 mouthwash: In silico study

Background: Povidone-iodine 1% mouthwash is one of the products recommended for preventing and controlling COVID-19 infection in dental procedures. Jatropha multifida Linn. has the same antiseptic effect as povidone-iodine. Purpose: The objective is to determine the effectiveness and interaction effect of secondary metabolites from the latex of Jatropha multifida Linn. and povidone-iodine against the main protease (MPro) SARS-CoV-2 and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein - ACE2 receptors. Methods: The in silico test was used in this study and carried out using the Molegro Virtual Docker software for molecular docking and BIOVIA Discovery Studio and PyMOL for visualization. Results: The results show that secondary metabolite compounds contained in the latex of Jatropha multifida Linn. have a better effectiveness potential in relation to MPro SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein - ACE2 receptors than povidone-iodine. Conclusion: The latex of Jatropha multifida Linn. shows potential as a preventive and curative therapy for COVID-19 in the in silico study.

Optimizing Work Extraction in the Presence of an Entropic Potential: An Entropic Stochastic Resonance.

We study the nontrivial thermodynamic responses of an overdamped Brownian system driven by an unbiased driving force when the particle is confined inside a bilobal irregular structure. The spatial irregularity of the confinement results in an effective entropic bistable potential along the direction of transport. We calculate the thermodynamic response functions in terms of the averaged work done and the absorbed heat over a cycle of driving. We find that the thermodynamic responses are influenced by the nonlinearity of the effective entropic potential, the frequency of the external periodic driving force, and the random thermal fluctuations in a nontrivial way. In the presence of an optimal amount of thermal noise and a favoring driving frequency, the process exhibits a resonance-like precedent in terms of both output work and absorbed heat. We explore the conditions to get best synchronized work extraction (or absorbed heat), which can be utilized as a potential quantifier of an entropic stochastic resonance phenomenon. Finally, we identify a hallmark of entropy dominance over an analogous energy-driven scenario in terms of output work.

Synthesis of a Highly Efficient Mesoporous Green Catalyst from Waste Avocado Peels for Biodiesel Production from Used Cooking–Baobab Hybrid Oil

Valorization of waste biomass materials for fuels and other energy products has become one of the effective ways of escalating and improving the bioeconomy. The development of a novel biomass solid catalyst obtained from waste avocado peels and its potentials in transesterification of a bi-hybrid oil of used cooking–baobab oil (UC-BO) was investigated in this study. The catalyst was produced by calcining the burnt char of the dried avocado peels. The produced calcined avocado peels catalyst (CAP) was further characterized using analytical equipment, such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and TGA, to ascertain its catalytic properties. The results revealed that CAP contains some vital elements, such as Mg, P, Cl, Ca, Si, Na, and a high percentage of K content, present in form of oxides, carbonates, chlorides, and mixed metal compounds. The catalyst displayed effective catalytic potential in converting the UC-BO to biodiesel with 100% yield under an optimized condition of 51 min reaction time (RT), 14.5:1 of methanol to oil ratio (MTOR), and 2.73 wt% of catalyst loading (CL) at a constant temperature of 60 °C. The CAP exhibited excellent recyclability potential, achieving 92.85% biodiesel yield after five successive reaction cycles without notable catalytic activity reduction. The fuel properties investigated were all established within the biodiesel quality specifications of EN 14241 and ASTM D6751, demonstrating that it is a practical substitute for petroleum fuel.

Renormalization group improvement for thermally resummed effective potential

Renormalization group improvement for thermally resummed effective potential

Effects of coffee bean types on the characteristics of carbon dots and their use for manufacturing cellulose nanofibers-based films for active packaging of meat

CDs (carbon dots) were made through a hydrothermal process using three different types of coffee grounds (raw, roasted, and spent), and their physicochemical and optical properties were thoroughly studied. CNF (cellulose nanofibers)-based active packaging films were made and characterized by incorporating the CDs. The introduction of CDs improved the tensile strength of the CNF-based films by 26.1% and provided excellent UV-blocking ability by blocking 98.8% of UV-B and 87.4% of UV-A without sacrificing the film’s transparency. The CD-loaded CNF films showed strong antioxidant properties with ABTS radical and DPPH radical removal rates of 98.2% and 78.8%, respectively. Additionally, these films showed effective antimicrobial potential and significantly reduced the progress of E. coli and L. monocytogenes after 12 h of exposure. Packaging tests were performed at 4 °C for 21 days, which depicted that minced pork packaged with the CD-added CNF films preserves the quality of packaged meat in terms of appearance, pH, total viable colonies, and TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). It is expected that manufacturing functional fillers (CDs) using waste resources generated in the food industry and developing active packaging films using them will not only extend the shelf life of packaged foods but also help in resource recycling and solving environmental problems.

Potential-Energy Curves for the Ground and Several Electronic States of NdO and NdS.

Potential energy curves (PECs) were calculated for 21 and 18 electronic states of NdO and NdS molecules, respectively. In each case, static electron correlation effects were described by incomplete model space multiconfiguration self-consistent field wave functions based on an active space that included the most important valence orbitals. Dynamic electron correlation was included by the multireference second-order generalized Van Vleck perturbation theory method. Scalar-relativistic contributions were included by the effective core potential approach, using def2-TZVPP basis sets. Spin-dependent relativistic corrections were determined to be small and negligible for the Nd atom and so were not included in the calculations. The 21 and 18 electronic states of NdO and NdS were predicted to be in the excitation energy range of ∼3.2 and ∼2.7 eV, respectively. The ground electronic states of NdO and NdS were determined as 15H (6s4fσ4fϕ4fδ) and 15H (4fϕ4fπ4fπ6s), with spectroscopic constants: bond length Re = 1.780 and 2.325 Å, and harmonic frequency ωe = 891 and 538 cm-1, respectively.

Resource-Based Psychotherapy Model Application in the Treatment of Psychological Trauma Consequences.

The ongoing war in Ukraine significantly affects the mental and emotional well-being of its citizens. Consequently, there is an urgent need to explore the use of the resource psychotherapy model to develop effective support methods for trauma victims. The research aims to enrich the understanding of resource-based psychotherapy as an effective tool for supporting people who have experienced psychological trauma and improving their psychological well-being and quality of life. The analytical method, generalization, and systematization were used in this research. A clinical case of psychotherapy of a military man according to the 7-step model of working with the consequences of a psychotraumatic event is considered, which ultimately showed the effectiveness of its application. The study found that the resource psychotherapy model has significant potential for improving the psychological state of victims of trauma, as this approach allows the active use of internal resources of the individual to overcome the consequences of traumatic experiences and restore mental well-being. The results of the study indicate the effectiveness and deep potential of resource-based psychotherapy in working with people facing psychological trauma, helping them to build positive adaptation strategies and strengthen their psychological state. The results of this study may be useful for psychologists and psychotherapists working with people who have experienced traumatic experiences to improve the quality of psychological support and assistance to such people.

Iterative Bragg peak removal on X-ray absorption spectra with automatic intensity correction.

This study introduces a novel iterative Bragg peak removal with automatic intensity correction (IBR-AIC) methodology for X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), specifically addressing the challenge of Bragg peak interference in the analysis of crystalline materials. The approach integrates experimental adjustments and sophisticated post-processing, including an iterative algorithm for robust calculation of the scaling factor of the absorption coefficients and efficient elimination of the Bragg peaks, a common obstacle in accurately interpreting XAS data, particularly in crystalline samples. The method was thoroughly evaluated on dilute catalysts and thin films, with fluorescence mode and large-angle rotation. The results underscore the technique's effectiveness, adaptability and substantial potential in improving the precision of XAS data analysis. While demonstrating significant promise, the method does have limitations related to signal-to-noise ratio sensitivity and the necessity for meticulous angle selection during experimentation. Overall, IBR-AIC represents a significant advancement in XAS, offering a pragmatic solution to Bragg peak contamination challenges, thereby expanding the applications of XAS in understanding complex materials under diverse experimental conditions.

A depth-variant seismic wavelet extraction method for basis pursuit inversion with an impedance trend constraint

The seismic images produced by prestack depth migration indicate more accurate subsurface structures than time images, resulting in a growing need for depth-domain inversion. However, due to the strong nonstationarity exhibited by depth-domain seismic data, time-domain inversion methods based on the convolutional model cannot be directly applied in the depth domain. To address this issue, we develop a method for extracting a depth-variant seismic wavelet, which is then combined with a nonstationary convolutional model to enable direct inversion of the depth-domain acoustic impedance (AI). First, we extend the Morlet wavelet to the depth domain and develop an orthogonal matching pursuit spectral decomposition method using the depth-domain Morlet wavelet. We then investigate the waveforms and wavenumber spectra similarities between the depth-domain Morlet wavelet and depth-domain Ricker wavelet and extract depth-variant Ricker wavelets from the depth-wavenumber spectrum. We add a depth-domain impedance trend constraint to the conventional basis pursuit inversion to enhance the lateral continuity of the inversion results. Then, we attain direct inversion of the depth-domain AI. Tests of synthetic and field data demonstrate that our method achieves high-accuracy inversion results while maintaining high computational efficiency, highlighting our approach’s effectiveness and strong reservoir characterization potential.

Shadow of novel rotating black hole in GR coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics and constraints from EHT results

We study the optical properties of spacetime around a novel black hole in general relativity coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics, which is asymptotically flat. First, we study the angular velocity and Lyapunov exponent in unstable photon circular orbits in the novel spherically symmetric black hole spacetime. Later, we obtain the rotating black hole solution using the Newman–Janis algorithm and determine the event horizon properties of the black hole. We analyze the effective potential for the circular motion of photons in the spacetime of the novel rotating black hole. Also, we analyze the photon sphere around the novel black hole and its shadow using celestial coordinates. We obtain that an increase of the black hole spin and charge as well as nonlinear electrodynamics field nonlinearity parameters causes an increase in the distortion parameter of the black hole shadow, while, the area of the shadow and its oblateness decrease. Moreover, we also obtain the constraint values for the black hole charge and the nonlinearity parameters using Event Horizon Telescope data from shadow sizes of supermassive black holes Sgr A* and M87*. Finally, the emission rate of black hole evaporation through Hawking radiation is also studied.