Scalar radius of the pion in the Kroll-Lee-Zumino renormalizable theory

The Kroll-Lee-Zumino renormalizable Abelian quantum field theory of pions and a massive rho-meson is used to calculate the scalar radius of the pion at next to leading (one loop) order in perturbation theory. Due to renormalizability, this determination involves no free parameters. The result is $_s = 0.40 {fm}^2$. This value gives for $\bar{\ell}_4$, the low energy constant of chiral perturbation theory, $\bar{\ell}_4 = 3.4$, and $F_\pi/F = 1.05$, where F is the pion decay constant in the chiral limit. Given the level of accuracy in the masses and the $\rho\pi\pi$ coupling, the only sizable uncertainty in this result is due to the (uncalculated) NNLO contribution

Pade-related resummations of the pressure of quark-gluon plasma by approximate inclusion of g**6-terms

We perform various resummations of the hot QCD pressure based on the actual knowledge of the perturbation series which includes the g**6 ln(1/g) and part of the g**6 terms. Resummations are performed separately for the short- and long-distance parts. The g**6 term of the short-distance pressure is estimated on the basis on the known UV cutoff dependence of the long-distance part. The resummations are of the Pade and Borel-Pade type, using in addition the (Pade-)resummed expression for the squared screening mass mE**2 and for the EQCD coupling parameter gE**2. The resummed results depend weakly on the yet unknown g**6 terms and on the the short-range renormalization scale, at all temperatures. The dependence on the long-range renormalization scale is appreciable at low temperatures T < 1 GeV. The resulting dependence of pressure on temperature T is compatible with the results of the lattice calculations at low T.Comment: 25 pages, 15 double figures, 4 single figures, revtex4; thoroughly extended analysis; more figures; conclusions more clearly formulated; new references added; title slightly changed; accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Steric exclusion chromatography for the purification of recombinant baculovirus

Steric exclusion chromatography (SXC) has already proven to be a valuable tool in the purification of proteins and virus particles. An important benefit of the method is the fast and simple procedure at mild chromatography conditions as no harsh binding and elution buffers are needed. The sample is initially mixed with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) containing buffer of choice. The steric exclusion of a macromolecule from the polyethylene glycol and the stationary phase allows a selective retention of the product, depending, among others, mainly on its size as well as on the molecular weight and concentration of the PEG. Here, SXC was set up in order that smaller process contaminants, i.e. host cell proteins and DNA, did not bind to the stationary phase, in contrast to the targeted larger virus particles. These were subsequently eluted reducing the PEG concentration in the mobile phase. Regenerated cellulose was used as stationary phase to purify VSV-G pseudotyped AcMNPV baculoviruses derived from Spodoptera frugiperda cells (Sf9 cells) by SXC. The purified virus particles are used as gene transfer tools for human mesenchymal stroma cells. For this purpose, the baculovirus was clarified prior to the SXC by sequential centrifugation (4700 gmax). The SXC conditions were optimized in terms of yield and purity by a design of experiment approach considering the PEG molecular weight, its concentration and the ionic strength of the elution buffer as critical process parameters. Within the design space virus recovery was ≥70%. Without further nuclease treatment the depletion of double-stranded DNA was \u3e90% and the amount of host cell proteins were reduced \u3e90% in the virus fraction. In conclusion, SXC can drastically reduce the process development in terms of time and equipment requirements for the purification of recombinant baculoviruses, as well as for the achieved purity which is superior over classical methods

Pion condensation in quark matter with finite baryon density

The phase structure of the Nambu -- Jona-Lasinio model at zero temperature and in the presence of baryon- and isospin chemical potentials is investigated. It is shown that in the chiral limit and for a wide range of model parameters there exist two different phases with pion condensation. In the first, ordinary phase, quarks are gapped particles. In the second, gapless pion condensation phase, there is no energy cost for creating only $u$- or both $u$ and $d$ quarks, and the density of baryons is nonzero.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures; two references adde

Flocking from a quantum analogy: spin–orbit coupling in an active fluid

Theoretical Physic

In Silico TRials guide optimal stratification of ATrIal FIbrillation patients to Catheter Ablation and pharmacological medicaTION: the i-STRATIFICATION study

Aims: Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) experience 50% recurrence despite pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), and no consensus is established for secondary treatments. The aim of our i-STRATIFICATION study is to provide evidence for stratifying patients with AF recurrence after PVI to optimal pharmacological and ablation therapies, through in silico trials. Methods and results: A cohort of 800 virtual patients, with variability in atrial anatomy, electrophysiology, and tissue structure (low-voltage areas, LVAs), was developed and validated against clinical data from ionic currents to electrocardiogram. Virtual patients presenting AF post-PVI underwent 12 secondary treatments. Sustained AF developed in 522 virtual patients after PVI. Second ablation procedures involving left atrial ablation alone showed 55% efficacy, only succeeding in the small right atria (<60 mL). When additional cavo-tricuspid isthmus ablation was considered, Marshall-PLAN sufficed (66% efficacy) for the small left atria (<90 mL). For the bigger left atria, a more aggressive ablation approach was required, such as anterior mitral line (75% efficacy) or posterior wall isolation plus mitral isthmus ablation (77% efficacy). Virtual patients with LVAs greatly benefited from LVA ablation in the left and right atria (100% efficacy). Conversely, in the absence of LVAs, synergistic ablation and pharmacotherapy could terminate AF. In the absence of ablation, the patient’s ionic current substrate modulated the response to antiarrhythmic drugs, being the inward currents critical for optimal stratification to amiodarone or vernakalant. Conclusion: In silico trials identify optimal strategies for AF treatment based on virtual patient characteristics, evidencing the power of human modelling and simulation as a clinical assisting tool

Specific Electrogram Characteristics Identify the Extra-Pulmonary Vein Arrhythmogenic Sources of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation – Characterization of the Arrhythmogenic Electrogram Patterns During Atrial Fibrillation and Sinus Rhythm

Identification of atrial sites that perpetuate atrial fibrillation (AF), and ablation thereof terminates AF, is challenging. We hypothesized that specific electrogram (EGM) characteristics identify AF-termination sites (AFTS). Twenty-one patients in whom low-voltage-guided ablation after pulmonary vein isolation terminated clinical persistent AF were included. Patients were included if short RF-delivery for <8sec at a given atrial site was associated with acute termination of clinical persistent AF. EGM-characteristics at 21 AFTS, 105 targeted sites without termination and 105 non-targeted control sites were analyzed. Alteration of EGM-characteristics by local fibrosis was evaluated in a three-dimensional high resolution (100 µm)-computational AF model. AFTS demonstrated lower EGM-voltage, higher EGM-cycle-length-coverage, shorter AF-cycle-length and higher pattern consistency than control sites (0.49 ± 0.39 mV vs. 0.83 ± 0.76 mV, p < 0.0001; 79 ± 16% vs. 59 ± 22%, p = 0.0022; 173 ± 49 ms vs. 198 ± 34 ms, p = 0.047; 80% vs. 30%, p < 0.01). Among targeted sites, AFTS had higher EGM-cycle-length coverage, shorter local AF-cycle-length and higher pattern consistency than targeted sites without AF-termination (79 ± 16% vs. 63 ± 23%, p = 0.02; 173 ± 49 ms vs. 210 ± 44 ms, p = 0.002; 80% vs. 40%, p = 0.01). Low voltage (0.52 ± 0.3 mV) fractionated EGMs (79 ± 24 ms) with delayed components in sinus rhythm (‘atrial late potentials’, respectively ‘ALP’) were observed at 71% of AFTS. EGMs recorded from fibrotic areas in computational models demonstrated comparable EGM-characteristics both in simulated AF and sinus rhythm. AFTS may therefore be identified by locally consistent, fractionated low-voltage EGMs with high cycle-length-coverage and rapid activity in AF, with low-voltage, fractionated EGMs with delayed components/ ‘atrial late potentials’ (ALP) persisting in sinus rhythm

Optical lattice quantum simulator for QED in strong external fields: spontaneous pair creation and the Sauter-Schwinger effect

Spontaneous creation of electron-positron pairs out of the vacuum due to a strong electric field is a spectacular manifestation of the relativistic energy-momentum relation for the Dirac fermions. This fundamental prediction of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has not yet been confirmed experimentally as the generation of a sufficiently strong electric field extending over a large enough space-time volume still presents a challenge. Surprisingly, distant areas of physics may help us to circumvent this difficulty. In condensed matter and solid state physics (areas commonly considered as low energy physics), one usually deals with quasi-particles instead of real electrons and positrons. Since their mass gap can often be freely tuned, it is much easier to create these light quasi-particles by an analogue of the Sauter-Schwinger effect. This motivates our proposal of a quantum simulator in which excitations of ultra-cold atoms moving in a bichromatic optical lattice represent particles and antiparticles (holes) satisfying a discretized version of the Dirac equation together with fermionic anti-commutation relations. Using the language of second quantization, we are able to construct an analogue of the spontaneous pair creation which can be realized in an (almost) table-top experiment.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure