Perturbative framework for the pi(+)pi(-) atom

The perturbative framework is developed for the calculation of the pi(+)pi(-) atom characteristics on the basis of the field-theoretical Bethe-Salpeter approach. A closed expression for the first-order correction to the pi(+)pi(-) atom lifetime has been obtained.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX-fil

Intra-Arterial Nitroglycerin as Directed Acute Treatment in Experimental Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND: Nitroglycerin (also known as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)), a vasodilator best known for treatment of ischemic heart disease, has also been investigated for its potential therapeutic benefit in ischemic stroke. The completed Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke trial suggested that GTN has therapeutic benefit with acute (within 6 hours) transdermal systemic sustained release therapy. OBJECTIVE: To examine an alternative use of GTN as an acute therapy for ischemic stroke following successful recanalization. METHODS: We administered GTN IA following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Because no standard dose of GTN is available following emergent large vessel occlusion, we performed a dose-response (3.12, 6.25, 12.5, and 25 µg/µL) analysis. Next, we looked at blood perfusion (flow) through the middle cerebral artery using laser Doppler flowmetry. Functional outcomes, including forced motor movement rotor rod, were assessed in the 3.12, 6.25, and 12.5 µg/µL groups. Histological analysis was performed using cresyl violet for infarct volume, and glial fibrillary activating protein (GFAP) and NeuN immunohistochemistry for astrocyte activation and mature neuron survival, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, we found that acute post-stroke IA GTN had little effect on vessel dilatation after 15 min. Functional analysis showed a significant difference between GTN (3.12 and 6.25 µg/µL) and control at post-stroke day 1. Histological measures showed a significant reduction in infarct volume and GFAP immunoreactivity and a significant increase in NeuN. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that acute IA GTN is neuroprotective in experimental ischemic stroke and warrants further study as a potentially new stroke therapy

Characteristics of patients expressing an interest in ketamine treatment:results of an online survey

Background: Off-label ketamine treatment has shown acute antidepressant effects that offer hope for patients with therapy-resistant depression. However, its potential for integration into treatment algorithms is controversial, not least because the evidence base for maintenance treatment with repeated ketamine administration is currently weak. Ketamine is also a drug of misuse, which has raised concerns regarding the target population. Little is known about which patients would seek ketamine treatment if it were more widely available. Aims: To explore some of the characteristics of the patients actively seeking ketamine treatment. Method: An online survey containing questions about duration of current depressive episode, number of antidepressants used and other comments was completed by patients who were exploring the internet regarding the possibility of ketamine for depression. Results: Of the 1088 people who registered their interest, 93.3% reported depression, 64.3% reported a chronic course of their symptoms and in the past 10 years, 86.3% had tried at least two antidepressants. Desperation was a common theme, but this appeared to be competently expressed. A small minority (<8%) reported experience of illegal ketamine use. Conclusions: It cannot be ruled out that patients with different degrees of treatment resistance and comorbidities will seek treatment with ketamine. This stresses the urgency to perform larger randomised controlled trials as well as to systematically monitor outcomes and adverse effects of ketamine, that is currently prescribed off-label for patients in need. Declaration of interest: R.M. is consulting and is Principal Investigator for Janssen trials of esketamine and is consulting for Eleusis

Tuning gastropod locomotion: Modeling the influence of mucus rheology on the cost of crawling

Common gastropods such as snails crawl on a solid substrate by propagating muscular waves of shear stress on a viscoelastic mucus. Producing the mucus accounts for the largest component in the gastropod's energy budget, more than twenty times the amount of mechanical work used in crawling. Using a simple mechanical model, we show that the shear-thinning properties of the mucus favor a decrease in the amount of mucus necessary for crawling, thereby decreasing the overall energetic cost of locomotion.Comment: Corrected typo

The analytical singlet αs4\alpha_s^4 QCD contributions into the e+e−e^+e^--annihilation Adler function and the generalized Crewther relations

The generalized Crewther relations in the channels of the non-singlet and vector quark currents are considered. They follow from the double application of the operator product expansion approach to the same axial vector-vector-vector triangle amplitude in two regions, adjoining to the angle sides $(x,y)$ (or $p^2,q^2$). We assume that the generalized Crewther relations in these two kinematic regimes result in the existence of the same perturbation expression for two products of the coefficient functions of annihilation and deep-inelastic scattering processes in the non-singlet and vector channels. Taking into account the 4-th order result for $S_{GLS}$ and the perturbative effects of the violation of the conformal symmetry in the generalized Crewther relation, we obtain the analytical contribution to the singlet $\alpha_s^4$ correction to the $D_A^{V}$-function. Its a-posteriori comparison with the recent result of direct diagram-by-diagram evaluation of the singlet 4-th order corrections to $D_A^{V}$- function demonstrates the coincidence of the predicted and obtained $\zeta_3^2$-contributions to the singlet term. They can be obtained in the conformal invariant limit from the original Crewther relation. On the contrary to previous belief, the appearance of $zeta_3$-terms in perturbative series in gauge models does not contradict to the property of conformal symmetry and can be considered as ragular feature. The Banks-Zaks motivated relation between our predicted and obtained 4-th order corrections is mentioned. This confirms Baikov-Chetyrkin-Kuhn expectation that the generalized Crewther relation in the channel of vector currents receives additional singlet contribution, which in this order of perturbation theory is proportional to the first coefficient of the QCD $\beta$-function.Comment: Concrete new foundations explained, abstract updated, presentation improved, 2 references added, extra acknowledgements added. This work is dedicated to K. G. Chetyrkin on the occasion of his 60th anniversary, to be published in Jetp. Lett supposedly in vol.94, issue 1

Separable potential model for K−NK^{-}N interactions at low energies

The effective separable meson-baryon potentials are constructed to match the equivalent chiral amplitudes up to the second order in external meson momenta. We fit the model parameters (low energy constants) to the threshold and low energy $K^{-}p$ data. In the process, the $K^{-}$-proton bound state problem is solved exactly in the momentum space and the 1s level characteristics of the kaonic hydrogen are computed simultaneously with the available low energy $K^{-}p$ cross sections. The model is also used to describe the $\pi \Sigma$ mass spectrum and the energy dependence of the $K^{-}n$ amplitude.Comment: 31 pages, v2 - added corrections to make it compatible with the published versio

Dilepton production in proton-proton collisions at BEVALAC energies

The dilepton production in elementary ${pp\to e^{+}e^{-}X}$ reactions at BEVALAC energies $T_{lab}=1\div 5$ GeV is investigated. The calculations include direct ${e^{+}e^{-}}$ decays of the vector mesons $\rho ^{0}$, $\omega$, and $\phi$, Dalitz decays of the $\pi ^{0}$-, $\eta$-, $$-, $\omega$-, and $\phi$-mesons, and of the baryon resonances $$ $...$ . The subthreshold vector meson production cross sections in $pp$ collisions are treated in a way sufficient to avoid double counting with the inclusive vector meson production. The vector meson dominance model for the transition form factors of the resonance Dalitz decays $R\to e^{+}e^{-}N$ is used in an extended form to ensure correct asymptotics which are in agreement with the quark counting rules. Such a modification gives an unified and consistent description of both $R\to N\gamma$ radiative decays and $R\to N\rho (\omega)$ meson decays. The effect of multiple pion production on the experimental efficiency for the detection of the dilepton pairs is studied. We find the dilepton yield in reasonable agreement with the experimental data for the set of intermediate energies whereas at the highest energy $T_{lab}=4.88$ GeV the number of dilepton pairs is likely to be overestimated experimentally in the mass range $M=300\div 700$ MeV.Comment: 25 pages (IOP style), 5 figures, revised manuscript accepted for publication in JP

Listening In on the Past: What Can Otolith δ18O Values Really Tell Us about the Environmental History of Fishes?

Oxygen isotope ratios from fish otoliths are used to discriminate marine stocks and reconstruct past climate, assuming that variations in otolith δ18O values closely reflect differences in temperature history of fish when accounting for salinity induced variability in water δ18O. To investigate this, we exploited the environmental and migratory data gathered from a decade using archival tags to study the behaviour of adult plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) in the North Sea. Based on the tag-derived monthly distributions of the fish and corresponding temperature and salinity estimates modelled across three consecutive years, we first predicted annual otolith δ18O values for three geographically discrete offshore sub-stocks, using three alternative plausible scenarios for otolith growth. Comparison of predicted vs. measured annual δ18O values demonstrated >96% correct prediction of sub-stock membership, irrespective of the otolith growth scenario. Pronounced inter-stock differences in δ18O values, notably in summer, provide a robust marker for reconstructing broad-scale plaice distribution in the North Sea. However, although largely congruent, measured and predicted annual δ18O values of did not fully match. Small, but consistent, offsets were also observed between individual high-resolution otolith δ18O values measured during tag recording time and corresponding δ18O predictions using concomitant tag-recorded temperatures and location-specific salinity estimates. The nature of the shifts differed among sub-stocks, suggesting specific vital effects linked to variation in physiological response to temperature. Therefore, although otolith δ18O in free-ranging fish largely reflects environmental temperature and salinity, we counsel prudence when interpreting otolith δ18O data for stock discrimination or temperature reconstruction until the mechanisms underpinning otolith δ18O signature acquisition, and associated variation, are clarified

Automated operant assessments of Huntington's Disease mouse models

Huntington’s disease (HD) presents clinically with a triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Cognitive symptoms often occur early within the disease progression, prior to the onset of motor symptoms, and they are significantly burdensome to people who are affected by HD. In order to determine the suitability of mouse models of HD in recapitulating the human condition, these models must be behaviorally tested and characterized. Operant behavioral testing offers an automated and objective method of behaviorally profiling motor, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction in HD mice. Furthermore, operant testing can also be employed to determine any behavioral changes observed after any associated interventions or experimental therapeutics. We here present an overview of the most commonly used operant behavioral tests to dissociate motor, cognitive, and psychiatric aspects of mouse models of HD