Heun Functions and the energy spectrum of a charged particle on a sphere under magnetic field and Coulomb force

We study the competitive action of magnetic field, Coulomb repulsion and space curvature on the motion of a charged particle. The three types of interaction are characterized by three basic lengths: l_{B} the magnetic length, l_{0} the Bohr radius and R the radius of the sphere. The energy spectrum of the particle is found by solving a Schr\"odinger equation of the Heun type, using the technique of continued fractions. It displays a rich set of functioning regimes where ratios \frac{R}{l_{B}} and \frac{R}{l_{0}} take definite values.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted to JOPA, november 200

Unitarized pion-nucleon scattering within Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory

By means of the Inverse Amplitude Method we unitarize the elastic pion-nucleon scattering amplitudes obtained from Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory to O(q^3). Within this approach we can enlarge their applicability range and generate the Delta(1232) resonance. We can find a reasonable description of the pion nucleon phase shifts with (q^2) parameters in agreement with the resonance saturation hypothesis. However, the uncertainties in the analysis of the low energy data as well as the large number of chiral parameters, which can have strong correlations, allow us to obtain very good fits with rather different sets of chiral constants.Comment: Shortened version to appear in Phys. Rev. D. Brief Report

Chiral Anomaly and γ3π\gamma 3\pi

Measurement of the $\gamma 3\pi$ process has revealed a possible conflict with what should be a solid prediction generated by the chiral anomaly. We show that inclusion of appropirate energy-momentum dependence in the matrix element reduces the discrepancy.Comment: 8 page standard Latex fil

Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in three-state mixed Potts ferro-antiferromagnets

We study three-state Potts spins on a square lattice, in which all bonds are ferromagnetic along one of the lattice directions, and antiferromagnetic along the other. Numerical transfer-matrix are used, on infinite strips of width $L$ sites, $4 \leq L \leq 14$. Based on the analysis of the ratio of scaled mass gaps (inverse correlation lengths) and scaled domain-wall free energies, we provide strong evidence that a critical (Kosterlitz-Thouless) phase is present, whose upper limit is, in our best estimate, $T_c=0.29 \pm 0.01$. From analysis of the (extremely anisotropic) nature of excitations below $T_c$, we argue that the critical phase extends all the way down to T=0. While domain walls parallel to the ferromagnetic direction are soft for the whole extent of the critical phase, those along the antiferromagnetic direction seem to undergo a softening transition at a finite temperature. Assuming a bulk correlation length varying, for $T>T_c$, as $\xi (T) =a_\xi \exp [ b_\xi (T-T_c)^{-\sigma}]$, $\sigma \simeq 1/2$, we attempt finite-size scaling plots of our finite-width correlation lengths. Our best results are for $T_c=0.50 \pm 0.01$. We propose a scenario in which such inconsistency is attributed to the extreme narrowness of the critical region.Comment: 11 pages, 6 .eps figures, LaTeX with IoP macros, to be published in J Phys

Study of γπ→ππ\gamma\pi \to \pi\pi below 1 GeV using Integral Equation Approach

The scattering of $\gamma \pi \to \pi \pi$ is studied using the axial anomaly, elastic unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry. Using the technique to derive the Roy's equation, an integral equation for the P-wave amplitude is obtained in terms of the strong P-wave pion pion phase shifts. Its solution is obtained numerically by an iteration procedure using the starting point as the solution of the integral equation of the Muskelshsvilli-Omnes type. It is, however, ambiguous and depends sensitively on the second derivative of the P-wave amplitude at $s=m_\pi^2$ which cannot directly be measured.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figure

Autophagy Inhibitor Chloroquine Downmodulates Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Damage in Bile-Duct-Ligated Mice

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation via the autophagy pathway is a critical factor in liver fibrogenesis. This study tests the hypothesis that chloroquine (CQ) treatment can prevent autophagy and HSC activation in vitro and in vivo in bile-duct-ligated (BDL) mice. Sham-operated and BDL mice were treated with either PBS or CQ in two 60 mg/kg doses the day (D) before and after surgery. On day 2 (2D), HSCs were isolated, and their biological activities were evaluated by measuring intracellular lipid content, alpha-sma/collagen, and expression of autophagy lc3, sqstm1/p62 markers. The treatment efficacy on liver function was evaluated with serum albumin, transaminases (AST/ALT), and hepatic histology. Primary HSCs were treated in vitro for 24 h with CQ at 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 30, and 50 mu M. Autophagy and HSC activation were assessed after 2D of treatment. CQ treatment improved serum AST/ALT, albumin, and bile duct proliferation in 2D BDL mice. This is associated with a suppression of HSC activation, shown by higher HSC lipid content and collagen I staining, along with the blockage of HSC autophagy indicated by an increase in p62 level and reduction in lc3 staining. CQ 5 mu M inhibited autophagy in primary HSCs in vitro by increasing p62 and lc3 accumulation, thereby suppressing their in vitro activation. The autophagy inhibitor CQ reduced HSC activation in vitro and in vivo. CQ improved liver function and reduced liver injury in BDL mice