The TTˉ\textrm{T}\bar{\textrm{T}} perturbation and its geometric interpretation

Starting from the recently-discovered $\textrm{T}\bar{\textrm{T}}$-perturbed Lagrangians, we prove that the deformed solutions to the classical EoMs for bosonic field theories are equivalent to the unperturbed ones but for a specific field-dependent local change of coordinates. This surprising geometric outcome is fully consistent with the identification of $\textrm{T}\bar{\textrm{T}}$-deformed 2D quantum field theories as topological JT gravity coupled to generic matter fields. Although our conclusion is valid for generic interacting potentials, it first emerged from a detailed study of the sine-Gordon model and in particular from the fact that solitonic pseudo-spherical surfaces embedded in $\mathbb R^3$ are left invariant by the deformation. Analytic and numerical results concerning the perturbation of specific sine-Gordon soliton solutions are presented.Comment: v2 : Expanded version with new comments, numerical results and 16 figures added. Minor typos corrected. Extra references added. 25 pages. 4 figures v3 : JHEP version. Section 6 added. Minor typos corrected. Extra reference added. 30 pages. 5 figure

Conserved currents and TTˉs\text{T}\bar{\text{T}}_s irrelevant deformations of 2D integrable field theories

It has been recently discovered that the $\text{T}\bar{\text{T}}$ deformation is closely-related to Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity. At classical level, the introduction of this perturbation induces an interaction between the stress-energy tensor and space-time and the deformed EoMs can be mapped, through a field-dependent change of coordinates, onto the corresponding undeformed ones. The effect of this perturbation on the quantum spectrum is non-perturbatively described by an inhomogeneous Burgers equation. In this paper, we point out that there exist infinite families of models where the geometry couples instead to generic combinations of local conserved currents labelled by the Lorentz spin. In spirit, these generalisations are similar to the $\text{J}\bar{\text{T}}$ model as the resulting theories and the corresponding scattering phase factors are not Lorentz invariant. The link with the $\text{J}\bar{\text{T}}$ model is discussed in detail. While the classical setup described here is very general, we shall use the sine-Gordon model and its CFT limit as explanatory quantum examples. Most of the final equations and considerations are, however, of broader validity or easily generalisable to more complicated systems.Comment: 39 pages, 3 figures. v2: typos corrected, extended version with more results on the link between the classical and the quantum analysi

Endothelial effects of antihypertensive treatment: focus on irbesartan

The endothelium is characterized by a wide range of important homeostatic functions. It participates in the control of hemostasis, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, platelet and leukocyte interactions with the vessel wall, regulation of vascular tone, and of blood pressure. Many crucial vasoactive endogenous compounds are produced by the endothelial cells to control the functions of vascular smooth muscle cells and of circulating blood cells. These complex systems determine a fine equilibrium which regulates the vascular tone. Impairments in endothelium-dependent vasodilation lead to the so called endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is then characterized by unbalanced concentrations of vasodilating and vasoconstricting factors, the most important being represented by nitric oxide (NO) and angiotensin II (AT II). High angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity leads to increased AT II generation, reduced NO levels with subsequent vasoconstriction. The net acute effect results in contraction of vascular smooth muscle cells and reduced lumen diameter. Furthermore, when increased ACE activity is chronically sustained, increase in growth, proliferation and differentiation of the vascular smooth muscle cells takes place; at the same time, a decrease in the anti-proliferative action by NO, a decrease in fibinolysis and an increase in platelets aggregation may be observed. AT II is then involved not only in the regulation of blood pressure, but also in vascular inflammation, permeability, smooth muscle cells remodelling, and oxidative stress which in turn lead to atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk. Given the pivotal role exerted by AT II in contributing to alteration of endothelial function, treatment with ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may be of particular interest to restore a physiological activity of endothelial cells. In this view, the blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has been shown to positively affect the endothelial function, beyond the antihypertensive action displayed by these compounds. In this review, attention has been specifically focused on an ARB, irbesartan, to examine its effects on endothelial function

Selenium and thyroid autoimmunity

The trace element selenium (Se) occurs in the form of the amino acid selenocysteine in selenoproteins. Selenoproteins exerts multiple physiological effects in human health, many of which are related with regulation of reduction-oxidation processes. In fact, the selenoenzyme families of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and thioredoxin reductase (TRx) display the ability to act as antioxidants, protecting cells from oxidative damage. Furthermore, another class of selenoproteins are the iodothyronine deiodinase enzymes (DIO), which catalyze the conversion of thyroxine (T4) in triiodothyronine (T3), then exerting a fine tuned control on thyroid hormones metabolism. Several studies have investigated the potential positive effects of Se supplementation in thyroid diseases, characterized by increased levels of hydrogen peroxide and free radicals, like autoimmune chronic thyroiditis. These studies have supplied evidences indicating that Se supplementation, maximizing the antioxidant enzymes activity, may reduce the thyroid inflammatory status. Then, it may be postulated that Se could play a therapeutical role in thyroid autoimmune diseases. Despite the fact that recent studies seem to be concordant about Se beneficial effects in decreasing thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) titers and ameliorating the ultrasound echogenicity pattern, several doubts have to be still clarified, before advising Se supplementation in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis

Generalised Born-Infeld models, Lax operators and the TTˉ\textrm{T} \bar{\textrm{T}} perturbation

Surprising links between the deformation of 2D quantum field theories induced by the composite $\textrm{T} \bar{\textrm{T}}$ operator, effective string models and the $AdS/$CFT correspondence, have recently emerged. The purpose of this article is to discuss various classical aspects related to the deformation of 2D interacting field theories. Special attention is given to the sin(h)-Gordon model, for which we were able to construct the $\textrm{T} \bar{\textrm{T}}$-deformed Lax pair. We consider the Lax pair formulation to be the first essential step toward a more satisfactory geometrical interpretation of this deformation within the integrable model framework. Furthermore, it is shown that the 4D Maxwell-Born-Infeld theory, possibly with the addition of a mass term or a derivative-independent potential, corresponds to a natural extension of the 2D examples. Finally, we briefly comment on 2D Yang-Mills theory and propose a modification of the heat kernel, for a generic surface with genus $p$ and $n$ boundaries, which fully accounts for the $\textrm{T} \bar{\textrm{T}}$ contribution.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures, v2: new comments, hyperlinks and minor typos correcte

Wood-Based Composites: Innovation towards a Sustainable Future

The term wood-based composite (WBC) is used to define a wide range of products in which wood is bonded together with other wooden or non-wooden materials [...

The first, holistic immunological model of COVID‐19: Implications for prevention, diagnosis, and public health measures

The natural history of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is extremely variable, ranging from asymptomatic or mild infection, mainly in children, to multi-organ failure, eventually fatal, mainly in the eldest. We propose here the first model explaining how the outcome of first, crucial 10-15 days after infection, depends on the balance between the cumulative dose of viral exposure and the efficacy of the local innate immune response (natural IgA and IgM antibodies, mannose-binding lectin). If SARS-CoV-2 runs the blockade of this innate immunity and spreads from the upper airways to the alveoli in the early phases of the infections, it can replicate with no local resistance, causing pneumonia and releasing high amounts of antigens. The delayed and strong adaptive immune response (high-affinity IgM and IgG antibodies) that follows, causes severe inflammation and triggers mediator cascades (complement, coagulation, and cytokine storm), leading to complications often requiring intensive therapy and being, in some patients, fatal. Low-moderate physical activity can still be recommended. However, extreme physical activity and oral breathing with hyperventilation during the incubation days and early stages of COVID-19 facilitates re-inhalation and early direct penetration of high numbers of own virus particles in the lower airways and the alveoli, without impacting on the airway's mucosae covered by neutralizing antibodies ("viral auto-inhalation" phenomenon). This allows the virus to bypass the efficient immune barrier of the upper airway mucosa in already infected, young, and otherwise healthy athletes. In conclusion, whether the virus or the adaptive immune response reaches the lungs first is a crucial factor deciding the fate of the patient. This "quantitative and time-/sequence-dependent" model has several implications for prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of COVID-19 at all ages

The Generalised Born Oscillator and the Berry-Keating Hamiltonian

In this study, we introduce and investigate a family of quantum mechanical models in 0+1 dimensions, known as generalized Born quantum oscillators. These models represent a one-parameter deformation of a specific system obtained by reducing the Nambu-Goto theory to 0+1 dimensions. Despite these systems showing significant similarities with $\mathrm{T}\overline{\mathrm{T}}$-type perturbations of two-dimensional relativistic models, our analysis reveals their potential as interesting regularizations of the Berry-Keating theory. We quantize these models using the Weyl quantization scheme up to very high orders in $\hbar$. By examining a specific scaling limit, we observe an intriguing connection between the generalized Born quantum oscillators and the Riemann-Siegel $\theta$ function.Comment: 23+16 pages; 8 figures; Published versio

Drug-resistant chronic cluster headache successfully treated with supraorbital plus occipital nerve stimulation. A rare case report

Chronic cluster headache (CCH) is a rare and extremely disabling headache syndrome with a recent clinical systematization of its clinical frame from the European Headache Federation [1]. We present a case of a young man affected by drug-resistant chronic CH (rCCH) who showed improvement after a two-time combined supraorbital and occipital nerve stimulation (S-ONS). The clinical improvement was still present at 6-month follow-up