A critical discussion of different methods and models in Casimir effect

The Casimir-Lifshitz force acts between neutral material bodies and is due to the fluctuations (around zero) of the electrical polarizations of the bodies. This force is a macroscopic manifestation of the van der Waals forces between atoms and molecules. In addition to being of fundamental interest, the Casimir-Lifshitz force plays an important role in surface physics, nanotechnology and biophysics. There are two different approaches in the theory of this force. One is centered on the fluctuations inside the bodies, as the source of the fluctuational electromagnetic fields and forces. The second approach is based on finding the eigenmodes of the field, while the material bodies are assumed to be passive and non-fluctuating. In spite of the fact that both approaches have a long history, there are still some misconceptions in the literature. In particular, there are claims that (hypothetical) materials with a strictly real dielectric function $\varepsilon(\omega)$ can give rise to fluctuational Casimir-Lifshitz forces. We review and compare the two approaches, using the simple example of the force in the absence of retardation. We point out that also in the second (the "field-oriented") approach one cannot avoid introducing an infinitesimal imaginary part into the dielectric function, i.e. introducing some dissipation. Furthermore, we emphasize that the requirement of analyticity of $ \varepsilon(\omega)$ in the upper half of the complex $\omega$ plane is not the only one for a viable dielectric function. There are other requirements as well. In particular, models that use a strictly real $\varepsilon(\omega)$ (for all real positive $\omega)$ are inadmissible and lead to various contradictions and inconsistencies. Specifically, we present a critical discussion of the "dissipation-less plasma model". Our emphasis is not on the most recent developments in the field but on some conceptual, not fully resolved issues.

A Quantitative Framework for Identifying Patterns of Route-Use in Animal Movement Data

Animal movement along repeatedly used, “habitual” routes could emerge from a variety of cognitive mechanisms, as well as in response to a diverse set of environmental features. Because of the high conservation value of identifying wildlife movement corridors, there has been extensive work focusing on environmental factors that contribute to the emergence of habitual routes between protected habitats. In parallel, significant work has focused on disentangling the cognitive mechanisms underlying animal route use, as such movement patterns are of fundamental interest to the study of decision making and navigation. We reviewed the types of processes that can generate routine patterns of animal movement, suggested a new methodological workflow for classifying one of these patterns—high fidelity path reuse—in animal tracking data, and compared the prevalence of this pattern across four sympatric species of frugivorous mammals in Panama. We found the highest prevalence of route-use in kinkajous, the only nocturnal species in our study, and propose that further development of this method could help to distinguish the processes underlying the presence of specific routes in animal movement data.

Confining the Inner Space of Strained Carbon Nanorings

Strained aromatic macrocycles based on cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) are the shortest repeating units of armchair single-walled carbon nanotubes. Since the development of several new synthetic methodologies for accessing these structures, their properties have been extensively studied. Besides the fundamental interest in these novel molecular scaffolds, their application in the field of materials science is an ongoing topic of research. Most of the reported CPP-type macrocycles display strong binding toward fullerenes, due to the perfect match between the convex and concave π-surfaces of fullerenes and CPPs, respectively. Highly functionalized CPP derivatives capable of supramolecular binding with other molecules are rarely reported. The synthesis of highly functionalized [n]cyclo-2,7-pyrenylenes leads to CPP-type macrocycles with a defined cavity capable of binding non-fullerene guests with high association constants.

On the issue of relapses of the primary complex of scarlet fever

The three case histories published in this report are of fundamental interest.

Selectivity of weak intermolecular forces and precursor state of elementary oxidation reactions, a new insight on Ne* + N2 chemiionization

This paper reports on the collision dynamics of N2 with metastable Ne* promoting chemiionizations, prototype of barrier-less oxidation reactions of great interest for fundamental and applied research. Extending guidelines presented in previous papers for the atom–atom case, an innovative treatment of the reaction stereodynamics involving molecules in a quantum state-to-state resolution conditions is proposed that emphasizes the role of structure and stability of the precursor that is here the reaction transition state. A critical test of such treatment, carried out exploiting a new formulation both of real and imaginary parts of the optical potential driving the reaction dynamics, is represented by the detailed-combined description of all relevant findings, provided by high resolution molecular beam scattering experiments carried out in our and other laboratories. The present analysis casts light on basic electronic rearrangements of such prototype oxidation reaction which are expected to be of fundamental interest for many other reactions involving open shell atoms and free radicals.

Deep Learning and YOLOv3 Systems for Automatic Traffic Data Measurement by Moving Car Observer Technique

Macroscopic traffic flow variables estimation is of fundamental interest in the planning, designing and controlling of highway facilities. This article presents a novel automatic traffic data acquirement method, called MOM-DL, based on the moving observer method (MOM), deep learning and YOLOv3 algorithm. The proposed method is able to automatically detect vehicles in a traffic stream and estimate the traffic variables flow q, space mean speed vs. and vehicle density k for highways in stationary and homogeneous traffic conditions. The first application of the MOM-DL technique concerns a segment of an Italian highway. In the experiments, a survey vehicle equipped with a camera has been used. Using deep learning and YOLOv3 the vehicles detection and the counting processes have been carried out for the analyzed highway segment. The traffic flow variables have been calculated by the Wardrop relationships. The first results demonstrate that the MOM and MOM-DL methods are in good agreement with each other despite some errors arising with MOM-DL during the vehicle detection step due to a variety of reasons. However, the values of macroscopic traffic variables estimated by means of the Drakes’ traffic flow model together with the proposed method (MOM-DL) are very close to those obtained by the traditional one (MOM), being the maximum percentage variation less than 3%.

Carbazochrome Carbon Nanotube as Drug Delivery Nanocarrier for Anti-bleeding Drug: Quantum Chemical Study

The interaction between drugs and single-walled carbon nanotubes is proving to be of fundamental interest for drug system of delivery and nano-bio-sensing. In this study, the interaction of pristine CNT with carbazochrome, an anti-hemorrhagic or hemostatic agent was investigated with M06-2X functional and 6-31G* and 6-31G** basis sets. All probable positions of related adsorption for these kind drugs were thought-out to find out which one is energetically suitable. Based on the achieved data, the stronger interactions appeared the oxygen atom of C=O group and nitrogen atom of imine groups. The topology analysis of QTAIM (quantum theory of atoms in a molecule) method was accomplished to understand the properties of interactions between the CNT and Carbazochrome. Frontier molecular orbital energies of all systems, global index including stiffness, softness, chemical Gibbs energies and electrophilicity parameters, as well as some other important physical data such as dipole moment, polarizability, anisotropy polarisibility and hyperpolaribility were calculated, evaluated and then compared together. The essence of the formed bonding model progress along the reaction roots were further validated using electron localization function (ELF) calculations. In addition the total, partial, and overlapping population densities of states were calculated for any further discussion. The highest values of adsorption energies were determined in the range of 18.24) up to (22.12) kcal mol-1 for these kind systems. The acceptable recovery time of 849 s was obtained for the desorption of carbazochrome from the CNT surface under UV-Light. The final results exhibit that carbazochrome can serve as a promising carrier and also as sensitive sensors in any kind of practical application.

Modifying Natural Behavioral Responses by Enforcing Ethical Values

"According to different theories about neuroscience and ethics, we want to introduce the idea that the ethical values are very good levers to conduct human responses to their perceptions. These theories are based on very currently data about science and the central nervous system explained recently by a very important neuroscientist. In a very basic nervous system, the reptilian brain, humans can solve their fundamental interest and necessities, such as survival, breading, community behavior… In a more complex and posterior temporary nervous system, thanks to the known limbic brain, humans have been able to solve and to respond to their emotional problems, creating the memory center of our emotions. After this second moment and as a result of the global anthropological evolution, the cortical brain allows us to think, to deploy the global intelligences and take human decisions. Thanks to these three brain levels and their neurobiological connections, humans have developed other intangible brains, able to experience the ethics, the esthetics, and the spirituality. Our brain works as a whole. We are the result made up of more than 100.000 million connected neurons that form the brains. In some aspects, our four dimensions, the physical, the emotional, the rational and the transcendental faces act together, hand in hand. Our more ponderous decisions aren’t always rational; more than 80% of them are basically emotional. So, our spiritual manners can be showed by biophysically manifestations; conscientious and unconscientious affects us equally. Human brain is genetically prepared to answer. Historically formed to respond, the central nervous system can be explained as the most complex organ to produce responses to multiple previous perceptions. These perceptions can be tangible or not, external or internal, consciences or not, actual or memorized. Our point of view is that we can introduce ethical values as a non-conscientious response. Working from rational and emotional ways our ethical values, we will introduce them in our transcendental brain. All posterior relationship between the brain areas will influence the behavior response to the real perceptions that we are exposed to. So, to summarize, enforced ethical values can unconscientiously modify our behavioral response. "

Direct H-He chemical association in superionic FeO2H2He at Deep-Earth conditions

Hydrogen and helium were known to play crucial roles in geological and astrophysical environments; however, they are inert toward each other across wide pressure-temperature (P-T). Given their prominent presence and influence on the formation and evolution of celestial bodies, it is of fundamental interest to explore the nature of interactions between hydrogen and helium. Using an advanced crystal structure search method, we have identified a quaternary compound FeO2H2He stabilized in a wide range of P-T conditions. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations further reveal a novel superionic state of FeO2H2He hosting liquid-like diffusive hydrogen in the FeO2He sublattice, creating a conducive environment for H-He chemical association, at P-T conditions corresponding to the Earth's lowest mantle regions. This surprising chemically facilitated coalescence of otherwise immiscible molecular species highlights a promising avenue for exploring this long-sought but hitherto unattainable state of matter. This finding raises strong prospects for exotic H-He mixtures inside Earth and possibly also in other astronomical bodies.

Improved high gain observer design for a class of disturbed nonlinear systems

This paper provides a redesigned version of the Standard High Gain Observer (SHGO) to cope with the peaking phenomenon occurring during the transient periods as well as the sensitivity to high frequency measurement noise. The observer design is performed for a class of uniformly observable systems with noise free as well as noisy output measurements and the resulting observer is referred to as Non Peaking Filtered High Gain Observer (NPFHGO). The NPFHGO shares the same structure as its underlying SHGO and differs only by its corrective term which is still parameterized by a unique positive scalar up to an appropriate expression involving nested saturations. Of a fundamental interest, the power of the scalar parameter does not exceed one unlike in the case of the SHGO where this power grows from 1 to the system dimension. Moreover, it is shown that the equations of the NPFHGO become identical to those of the SHGO after a transient time horizon that can made arbitrarily small for sufficiently high values of the design parameter. A particular emphasis is put on the case of systems with noisy output measurements. It is shown how a multiple integrator of the corrupted outputs can be cascaded with the original system leading to an augmented system included in the class of systems for which the NPFHGO has been designed. The performance and main properties of the NPFHGO are highlighted and compared to those of its underlying SHGO through simulation results involving a single link robot arm system.