Quark condensate for various heavy flavors

The quark condensate is calculated within the world-line effective-action formalism, by using for the Wilson loop an ansatz provided by the stochastic vacuum model. Starting with the relation between the quark and the gluon condensates in the heavy-quark limit, we diminish the current quark mass down to the value of the inverse vacuum correlation length, finding in this way a 64%-decrease in the absolute value of the quark condensate. In particular, we find that the conventional formula for the heavy-quark condensate cannot be applied to the c-quark, and that the corrections to this formula can reach 23% even in the case of the b-quark. We also demonstrate that, for an exponential parametrization of the two-point correlation function of gluonic field strengths, the quark condensate does not depend on the non-confining non-perturbative interactions of the stochastic background Yang-Mills fields.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Eur. Phys. J.

A multiplicative potential approach to solutions for cooperative TU-games

Concerning the solution theory for cooperative games with transferable utility, it is well-known that the Shapley value is the most appealing representative of the family of (not necessarily efficient) game-theoretic solutions with an additive potential representation. This paper introduces a new solution concept, called Multiplicativily Proportional ($MP$) value, that can be regarded as the counterpart of the Shapley value if the additive potential approach to the solution theory is replaced by a multiplicative potential approach in that the difference of two potential evaluations is replaced by its quotient. One out of two main equivalence theorems states that every solution with a multiplicative potential representation is equivalent to this specifically chosen efficient value in that the solution of the initial game coincides with the $MP$ value of an auxiliary game. The associated potential function turns out to be of a multiplicative form (instead of an additive form) with reference to the worth of all the coalitions. The second equivalence theorem presents four additional characterizations of solutions that admit a multiplicative potential representation, e.g., preservation of discrete ratios or path independence

A model for fermion masses and lepton mixing in SO(10) x A4

The discrete flavor symmetry A4 explains very well neutrino data at low energy, but it seems difficult to extend it to grand unified models since in general left-handed and right-handed fields belong to different A4 representations. Recently it has been proposed a model where all the fermions equally transform under A4. We study here a concrete SO(10) realization of such a model providing small neutrino masses through the seesaw mechanism. We fit at tree level the charged fermion masses run up to the unification scale. Some fermion masses properties come from the SO(10) symmetry while lepton mixing angles are consequence of the A4 properties. Moreover, our model predicts the absolute value of the neutrino masses, these ones are in the range $m_\nu\simeq 0.005-0.052 eV$.Comment: 15 pages. V2: Final version to appear in the journa

Uloga kiralne simetrije u hadronskim procesima

The role of chiral symmetry in hadronic processes is discussed. Emphasis is given to the cancellation of diagrams in π −π scattering induced by chiral symmetry and its consequences in the scalar sector.Raspravljamo ulogu kiralne simetrije u hadronskim procesima. Naglašavamo poništenje dijagrama u ππ raspršenju uzrokovano kiralnom simetrijom i njene posljedice u skalarnom sektoru

Uloga kiralne simetrije u hadronskim procesima

The role of chiral symmetry in hadronic processes is discussed. Emphasis is given to the cancellation of diagrams in π −π scattering induced by chiral symmetry and its consequences in the scalar sector.Raspravljamo ulogu kiralne simetrije u hadronskim procesima. Naglašavamo poništenje dijagrama u ππ raspršenju uzrokovano kiralnom simetrijom i njene posljedice u skalarnom sektoru

Rapid and MR-Independent IK1 activation by aldosterone during ischemia-reperfusion

In ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) context, clinical studies have shown the deleterious effect of high aldosterone levels on ventricular arrhythmia occurrence and cardiac mortality. Previous in vitro reports showed that during ischemia-reperfusion, aldosterone modulates K+ currents involved in the holding of the resting membrane potential (RMP). The aim of this study was to assess the electrophysiological impact of aldosterone on IK1 current during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. We used an in vitro model of “border zone” using right rabbit ventricle and standard microelectrode technique followed by cell-attached recordings from freshly isolated rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes. In microelectrode experiments, aldosterone (10 and 100 nmol/L, n=7 respectively) increased the action potential duration (APD) dispersion at 90% between ischemic and normoxic zones (from 95±4ms to 116±6 ms and 127±5 ms respectively, P<0.05) and reperfusion-induced sustained premature ventricular contractions occurrence (from 2/12 to 5/7 preparations, P<0.05). Conversely, potassium canrenoate 100 nmol/L and RU 28318 1 μmol/l alone did not affect AP parameters and premature ventricular contractions occurrence (except Vmax which was decreased by potassium canrenoate during simulated-ischemia). Furthermore, aldosterone induced a RMP hyperpolarization, evoking an implication of a K+ current involved in the holding of the RMP. Cell-attached recordings showed that aldosterone 10 nmol/L quickly activated (within 6.2±0.4 min) a 30 pS K+-selective current, inward rectifier, with pharmacological and biophysical properties consistent with the IK1 current (NPo =1.9±0.4 in control vs NPo=3.0±0.4, n=10, P<0.05). These deleterious effects persisted in presence of RU 28318, a specific MR antagonist, and were successfully prevented by potassium canrenoate, a non specific MR antagonist, in both microelectrode and patch-clamp recordings, thus indicating a MR-independent IK1 activation. In this ischemia-reperfusion context, aldosterone induced rapid and MR-independent deleterious effects including an arrhythmia substrate (increased APD90 dispersion) and triggered activities (increased premature ventricular contractions occurrence on reperfusion) possibly related to direct IK1 activation

High-harmonic generation: taking control of polarization

The ability to control the polarization of short-wavelength radiation generated by high-harmonic generation is useful not only for applications but also for testing conservation laws in physics