Exact beta function from the holographic loop equation of large-N QCD_4

We construct and study a previously defined quantum holographic effective action whose critical equation implies the holographic loop equation of large-N QCD_4 for planar self-avoiding loops in a certain regularization scheme. We extract from the effective action the exact beta function in the given scheme. For the Wilsonean coupling constant the beta function is exacly one loop and the first coefficient agrees with its value in perturbation theory. For the canonical coupling constant the exact beta function has a NSVZ form and the first two coefficients agree with their value in perturbation theory.Comment: 42 pages, latex. The exponent of the Vandermonde determinant in the quantum effective action has been changed, because it has been employed a holomorphic rather than a hermitean resolution of identity in the functional integral. Beta function unchanged. New explanations and references added, typos correcte

Signal at subleading order in lattice HQET

We discuss the correlators in lattice HQET that are needed to go beyond the static theory. Based on our implementation in the Schr\"odinger functional we focus on their signal-to-noise ratios and check that a reasonable statistical precision can be reached in quantities like $f_{B_s}$ and $M_{B^\star}-M_B$.Comment: 3 pages, Lattice2004(heavy), v2: corrected definition of X^{kin/spin

Phase structure of QCD for general number of flavors

We investigate and elucidate the phase structure of QCD for general number of flavors $N_F$ with Wilson quarks, varying $N_F$ from 2 up to 300. Based on numerical results combined with the result of the perturbation theory we propose the following picture: When $N_F \ge 17$, there is only a trivial fixed point and therefore the theory in the continuum limit is trivial. On the other hand, when $16 \ge N_F \ge 7$, there is a non-trivial fixed point and therefore the theory is non-trivial with anomalous dimensions, however, without quark confinement. Theories which satisfy both quark confinement and spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in the continuum limit exist only for $N_F \le 6$. We also discuss the structure of the deconfining phase at finite temperatures for the small number of flavors such as $N_F=2$ and 3, through a systematic study of it for general number of flavors.Comment: LaTeX, 7 pages, 10 PS figures, Talk presented at LATTICE96(poster) and LATTICE96(finite temperature

Physical States at the Tachyonic Vacuum of Open String Field Theory

We illustrate a method for computing the number of physical states of open string theory at the stable tachyonic vacuum in level truncation approximation. The method is based on the analysis of the gauge-fixed open string field theory quadratic action that includes Fadeev-Popov ghost string fields. Computations up to level 9 in the scalar sector are consistent with Sen's conjecture about the absence of physical open string states at the tachyonic vacuum. We also derive a long exact cohomology sequence that relates relative and absolute cohomologies of the BRS operator at the non-perturbative vacuum. We use this exact result in conjunction with our numerical findings to conclude that the higher ghost number non-perturbative BRS cohomologies are non-empty.Comment: 43 pages, 16 eps figures, LaTe

Effect of P2Y12 inhibitors on organ support-free survival in critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: Platelet activation is a potential therapeutic target in patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of P2Y12 inhibition among critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This international, open-label, adaptive platform, 1:1 randomized clinical trial included critically ill (requiring intensive care-level support) patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients were enrolled between February 26, 2021, through June 22, 2022. Enrollment was discontinued on June 22, 2022, by the trial leadership in coordination with the study sponsor given a marked slowing of the enrollment rate of critically ill patients. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to receive a P2Y12 inhibitor or no P2Y12 inhibitor (usual care) for 14 days or until hospital discharge, whichever was sooner. Ticagrelor was the preferred P2Y12 inhibitor. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was organ support-free days, evaluated on an ordinal scale that combined in-hospital death and, for participants who survived to hospital discharge, the number of days free of cardiovascular or respiratory organ support up to day 21 of the index hospitalization. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding, as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. RESULTS: At the time of trial termination, 949 participants (median [IQR] age, 56 [46-65] years; 603 male [63.5%]) had been randomly assigned, 479 to the P2Y12 inhibitor group and 470 to usual care. In the P2Y12 inhibitor group, ticagrelor was used in 372 participants (78.8%) and clopidogrel in 100 participants (21.2%). The estimated adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for the effect of P2Y12 inhibitor on organ support-free days was 1.07 (95% credible interval, 0.85-1.33). The posterior probability of superiority (defined as an OR \u3e 1.0) was 72.9%. Overall, 354 participants (74.5%) in the P2Y12 inhibitor group and 339 participants (72.4%) in the usual care group survived to hospital discharge (median AOR, 1.15; 95% credible interval, 0.84-1.55; posterior probability of superiority, 80.8%). Major bleeding occurred in 13 participants (2.7%) in the P2Y12 inhibitor group and 13 (2.8%) in the usual care group. The estimated mortality rate at 90 days for the P2Y12 inhibitor group was 25.5% and for the usual care group was 27.0% (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.76-1.23; P = .77). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this randomized clinical trial of critically ill participants hospitalized for COVID-19, treatment with a P2Y12 inhibitor did not improve the number of days alive and free of cardiovascular or respiratory organ support. The use of the P2Y12 inhibitor did not increase major bleeding compared with usual care. These data do not support routine use of a P2Y12 inhibitor in critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04505774

Finite Temperature QCD with Wilson Quarks: A Study with a Renormalization Group Improved Gauge Action

Finite temperature transition in lattice QCD with degenerate Wilson quarks is investigated on an $N_t=4$ lattice, using a renormalization group improved gauge action. We find the following for the $N_F=2$ case: 1) The transition is smooth for a wide range of the quark mass. 2) The chiral transition is continuous. 3) The chiral condensation well satisfies a scaling relation with the critical exponents of the 3 dimensional $O(4)$ spin model. For $N_F=3$, we find that the chiral transition is of first order.Comment: 4 pages (6 figures), Postscript file, Contribution to Lattice 95 proceeding

Heavy-light baryonic mass splittings from the lattice

We present lattice estimates of the mass of the heavy-light baryons $\Lambda_b$ and $\Xi_b$ obtained using propagating heavy quarks. For $\Lambda_b$ our result is $M_{\Lambda_b}=5.728 \pm 0.144 \pm 0.018$ GeV, after extrapolation to the continuum limit and in the quenched approximation.Comment: 3 pages postscript, Contribution to Lattice'9

The Light Quark Masses with the Wilson Quark Action using Chiral Ward Identities

We present results for the light quark masses for the Wilson quark action obtained with the PCAC relation for the one-link extended axial vector current in quenched QCD at $\beta=5.9-6.5$. This method leads to a remarkable improvement of scaling behavior of the light quark masses compared to the conventional method. We obtain ${\bar m}_l=3.87(37)$MeV for the averaged up and down quark mass and ${\bar m}_s=97(9)$MeV for the strange quark mass in the {\barMS} scheme at $\mu=2$GeV.Comment: 3 pages, latex source-file, 2 figures as epsf-file, uses espcrc2.sty. Poster presented at Lattice 97: 15th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Edinburgh, Scotland, 22-26 Jul 199

Finite-temperature chiral transitions in QCD with the Wilson quark action

We investigate the finite-temperature phase structure and the scaling of the chiral condensate in lattice QCD with two degenerate light quarks, using a renormalization group improved gauge action and the Wilson quark action. We obtain a phase diagram which is consistent with that from the parity-flavor breaking scenario. The scaling relation for the chiral condensate assuming the critical exponents and the scaling function of the three dimensional O(4) model is remarkably satisfied for a wide range of parameters. This indicates that the chiral transition in two flavor QCD is of second order in the continuum limit.Comment: LaTeX, 3 pages, 4 EPS figures, Talk presented at LATTICE97 (finite temperature