Nonperturbative Light-Front QCD

In this work the determination of low-energy bound states in Quantum Chromodynamics is recast so that it is linked to a weak-coupling problem. This allows one to approach the solution with the same techniques which solve Quantum Electrodynamics: namely, a combination of weak-coupling diagrams and many-body quantum mechanics. The key to eliminating necessarily nonperturbative effects is the use of a bare Hamiltonian in which quarks and gluons have nonzero constituent masses rather than the zero masses of the current picture. The use of constituent masses cuts off the growth of the running coupling constant and makes it possible that the running coupling never leaves the perturbative domain. For stabilization purposes an artificial potential is added to the Hamiltonian, but with a coefficient that vanishes at the physical value of the coupling constant. The weak-coupling approach potentially reconciles the simplicity of the Constituent Quark Model with the complexities of Quantum Chromodynamics. The penalty for achieving this perturbative picture is the necessity of formulating the dynamics of QCD in light-front coordinates and of dealing with the complexities of renormalization which such a formulation entails. We describe the renormalization process first using a qualitative phase space cell analysis, and we then set up a precise similarity renormalization scheme with cutoffs on constituent momenta and exhibit calculations to second order. We outline further computations that remain to be carried out. There is an initial nonperturbative but nonrelativistic calculation of the hadronic masses that determines the artificial potential, with binding energies required to be fourth order in the coupling as in QED. Next there is a calculation of the leading radiative corrections to these masses, which requires our renormalization program. Then the real struggle of finding the right extensions to perturbation theory to study the strong-coupling behavior of bound states can begin.Comment: 56 pages (REVTEX), Report OSU-NT-94-28. (figures not included, available via anaonymous ftp from pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu in subdirectory pub/infolight/qcd

Electromagnetic and weak current operators for interacting systems within the front-form dynamics

Electromagnetic and weak current operators for interacting systems should properly commute with the Poincar\'e generators and satisfy Hermiticity. The electromagnetic current should also satisfy ${\cal P}$ and ${\cal T}$ covariance and continuity equation. We show that in front-form dynamics the current can be constructed from auxiliary operators, defined in a Breit frame where initial and final three-momenta of the system are directed along the $z$ axis. Poincar\'e covariance constraints reduce for auxiliary operators to the ones imposed only by kinematical rotations around the $z$ axis; while Hermiticity requires a suitable behaviour of the auxiliary operators under rotations by $\pi$ around the $x$ or $y$ axes. Applications to deep inelastic structure functions and electromagnetic form factors are discussed. Elastic and transition form factors can be extracted without any ambiguity and in the elastic case the continuity equation is automatically satisfied, once Poincar\'e, ${\cal P}$ and ${\cal T}$ covariance, together with Hermiticity, are imposed.Comment: 40 pages, submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Light Front Treatment of Nuclei: Formalism and Simple Applications

A relativistic light front treatment of nuclei is developed by performing light front quantization for a chiral Lagrangian. The energy momentum tensor and the appropriate Hamiltonian are obtained. Three illustrations of the formalism are made. (1) Pion-nucleon scattering at tree level is shown to reproduce soft pion theorems. (2) The one boson exchange treatment of nucleon-nucleon scattering is developed and shown (by comparison with previous results of the equal time formulation) to lead to a reasonable description of nucleon-nucleon phase shifts. (3) The mean field approximation is applied to infinite nuclear matter, and the plus momentum distributions of that system are studied. The mesons are found to carry a significant fraction of the plus momentum, but are inaccessible to experiments.Comment: 48 pages, ReVTex, 3 .eps files included, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Sleep study, respiratory mechanics, chemosensitive response and quality of life in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obesity is a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries alike and leads to a series of changes in respiratory physiology. There is a strong correlation between obesity and cardiopulmonary sleep disorders. Weight loss among such patients leads to a reduction in these alterations in respiratory physiology, but clinical treatment is not effective for a long period of time. Thus, bariatric surgery is a viable option.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The present study involves patients with morbid obesity (BMI of 40 kg/m²or 35 kg/m²to 39.9 kg/m²with comorbidities), candidates for bariatric surgery, screened at the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital in the city of Sao Paulo (Brazil). The inclusion criteria are grade III morbid obesity, an indication for bariatric surgery, agreement to participate in the study and a signed term of informed consent. The exclusion criteria are BMI above 55 kg/m², clinically significant or unstable mental health concerns, an unrealistic postoperative target weight and/or unrealistic expectations of surgical treatment. Bariatric surgery candidates who meet the inclusion criteria will be referred to Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital and will be reviewed again 30, 90 and 360 days following surgery. Data collection will involve patient records, personal data collection, objective assessment of HR, BP, neck circumference, chest and abdomen, collection and analysis of clinical preoperative findings, polysomnography, pulmonary function test and a questionnaire on sleepiness.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper describes a randomised controlled trial of morbidly obese patients. Polysomnography, respiratory mechanics, chemosensitive response and quality of life will be assessed in patients undergoing or not undergoing bariatric surgery.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>The protocol for this study is registered with the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials - ReBEC (RBR-9k9hhv).</p

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Influence of aging on medial olivocochlear system function

Grazyna Lisowska, Grzegorz Namyslowski, Boguslawa Orecka, Maciej MisiolekDepartment of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, PolandBackground: There is still controversy regarding the influence of aging on medial olivocochlear (MOC) system function. The main objective of this study is to measure age-related changes of MOC system function in people with normal hearing thresholds.Method: Bilateral assessment of the MOC effect for click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs; at 70&plusmn;3&nbsp;dB peak sound pressure level [pSPL], click at 50/second, 260&nbsp;repeats, 2.5&ndash;20&nbsp;millisecond window) and for distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs; with [frequencies] f2/f1=1.22, [levels of primary tones] L1=65&nbsp;dB SPL and L2=55&nbsp;dB SPL; DP-grams for 2f1-f2&nbsp;were collected for the f1&nbsp;frequencies varying from 977&nbsp;Hz to 5,164&nbsp;kHz, with the resolution of four points per octave) was performed in a group of 146&nbsp;(n=292&nbsp;ears) healthy, right-handed subjects aged from 10&ndash;60&nbsp;years with a bilateral hearing threshold from 0.25&ndash;4.0&nbsp;kHz, not exceeding 20&nbsp;dB hearing level; normal tympanograms; and a threshold of the contralateral stapedial reflex for broadband noise (BBN) of 75&nbsp;dB SPL or higher. The MOC inhibition was assessed on the basis of changes in OAE level during BBN contralateral stimulation at 50&nbsp;dB sensation level (mean, 65&plusmn;3&nbsp;dB SPL).Results: Comparative analysis of the MOC effect for CEOAE and DPOAE showed the weakest effect in the oldest age group (41&ndash;60&nbsp;years) at almost all tested frequencies. Moreover, a weak, albeit significant, positive correlation between the level of OAE and the size of the MOC effect was documented.Conclusion: On the basis of our study, we have found a decrease in the strength of the MOC system with increasing age in normally hearing subjects, as reflected by a decrease of the OAE suppression effects in older individuals and an increase of the number of CEOAE and DPOAE enhancements during contralateral acoustic stimulation in the elderly, especially in the high-frequency range.Keywords: contralateral suppression, efferent suppression, MOC effect, MOC inhibition, otoacoustic emissions, medial olivocochlear system, ag