Spatial 't Hooft loop to cubic order in hot QCD

Spatial 't Hooft loops of strength k measure the qualitative change in the behaviour of electric colour flux in confined and deconfined phase of SU (N) gauge theory. They show an area law in the deconfined phase, known analytica lly to two loop order with a ``k-scaling'' law k(N-k). In this paper we comput e the O(g^3) correction to the tension. It is due to neutral gluon fields that get their mass through interaction with the wall. The simple k-scaling is lost in cubic order. The generic problem of non-convexity shows up in this order an d the cure is provided. The result for large N is explicitely given. We show tha t nonperturbative effects appear at O(g^5).Comment: 22 pages. Apart from a discussion on the renormalization effect of the Polyakov loop to cubic order only cosmetic changes with respect to the earlier hep-ph/021229

Transport Properties Calculation in the Superconducting State for a Quasi-Twodimensional System

We performed a self-consistent calculation of the transport properties of a d-wave superconductor. We used for calculations the T-matrix approximation. The coresponding equations were evaluated numerically directly on the real frequecy axis. We studied the ab-plane charge dynamics in the coherent limit. For the c-axis charge dynamics, we considered both, the coherent and the incoherent limit. We also have calculated the penetration depth in this model.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Physica

't Hooft and Wilson loop ratios in the QCD plasma

The spatial 't Hooft loop measuring the electric flux and the spatial Wilsonloop measuring the magnetic flux are analyzed in hot SU(N) gauge theory. Both display area laws. On one hand the tension of the 't Hooft loop is perturbatively calculable, in the same sense as the pressure. We show that the O(g^3) contribution is absent. The ratio of multi-charged 't Hooft loops have a remarkably simple dependence on the charge, true up to, but not including, O(g^4). This dependence follows also from a simple model of free screened colour charges. On the other hand the surface tension of the Wilsonloop is non-perturbative. But in a model of screened free monopoles at very high temperature the known area law follows. The density of these monopoles starts to contribute to O(g^6) to the pressure. The ratio of the multicharged Wilson loops is calculable and identical to that of the 't Hooft loops.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figure

Transport Properties Calculation for a Quasi-Bidimensional System using T-Matrix Approximation

We performed a self-consistent calculation using T-Matrix approximation for a quasi-bidimensional system. We calculated the one particle spectrum function A(k,\omega) in the presence of strong d-wave attractive interaction. The c-axis charge dynamics was studied by considering incoherent interlayer hopping and ab-plane charge dynamics was studied in the coherent limit. It is shown that the c-axis charge dynamics is mainly governed by the scattering from the in plane fluctuations. We also present results for c-axis and ab-plane resistivity and for thermopower coefficient.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Physica

Pairing in two-dimensional boson-fermion mixtures

The possibilities of pairing in two-dimensional boson-fermion mixtures are carefully analyzed. It is shown that the boson-induced attraction between two identical fermions dominates the p-wave pairing at low density. For a given fermion density, the pairing gap becomes maximal at a certain optimal boson concentration. The conditions for observing pairing in current experiments are discussedComment: 10 pages, 5 figs, revtex

Mesonic correlation lengths in high-temperature QCD

We consider spatial correlation lengths \xi for various QCD light quark bilinears at temperatures above a few hundred MeV. Some of the correlation lengths (such as that related to baryon density) coincide with what has been measured earlier on from glueball-like states; others do not couple to glueballs, and have a well-known perturbative leading-order expression as well as a computable next-to-leading-order correction. We determine the latter following analogies with the NRQCD effective theory, used for the study of heavy quarkonia at zero temperature: we find (for the quenched case) \xi^{-1} = 2 \pi T + 0.1408 g^2 T, and compare with lattice results. One manifestation of U_A(1) symmetry non-restoration is also pointed out.Comment: 25 pages. v2: small clarifications; published versio

RANTES/CCL5 and risk for coronary events: Results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg case-cohort, Athero-express and CARDIoGRAM studies

Background: The chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted)/CCL5 is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in mice, whereas less is known in humans. We hypothesised that its relevance for atherosclerosis should be reflected by associations between CCL5 gene variants, RANTES serum concentrations and protein levels in atherosclerotic plaques and risk for coronary events. Methods and Findings: We conducted a case-cohort study within the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg studies. Baseline RANTES serum levels were measured in 363 individuals with incident coronary events and 1,908 non-cases (mean follow-up: 10.2±

A review of the welfare of dairy cows in continuously housed and pasture-based production systems.

There is increasing interest in the use of continuous housing systems for dairy cows, with various reasons put forward to advocate such systems. However, the welfare of dairy cows is typically perceived to be better within pasture-based systems, although such judgements are often not scientifically based. The aim of this review was to interrogate the existing scientific literature to compare the welfare, including health, of dairy cows in continuously housed and pasture-based systems. While summarising existing work, knowledge gaps and directions for future research are also identified. The scope of the review is broad, examining relevant topics under three main headings; health, behaviour, and physiology. Regarding health, cows on pasture-based systems had lower levels of lameness, hoof pathologies, hock lesions, mastitis, uterine disease, and mortality compared to cows on continuously housed systems. Pasture access also had benefits for dairy cow behaviour, in terms of grazing, improved lying / resting times, and lower levels of aggression. Moreover, when given the choice between pasture and indoor housing, cows showed an overall preference for pasture, particularly at night. However, the review highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of cow preference and behaviour. Potential areas for concern within pasture-based systems included physiological indicators of more severe negative energy balance, and in some situations, the potential for compromised welfare with exposure to unpredictable weather conditions. In summary, the results from this review highlight that there remain considerable animal welfare benefits from incorporating pasture access into dairy production systems

Illicit Anabolic Steroid Use and Cardiovascular Status in Men and Women

Importance: The illicit use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) is common among recreational athletes, yet studies on adverse cardiovascular outcomes, especially in female AAS users, are sparse. Objective: To assess cardiovascular status in Danish male and female recreational athletes using AAS compared with not using AAS. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study in a single center in Denmark included recreational athletes aged 18 years or older who were active AAS users, previous users (defined as those who discontinued AAS use at least 3 months prior to the study), or nonusers, all recruited from fitness centers between March and December 2022. Exposure: Cumulative lifetime use of AAS. Main Outcomes and Measures: Presence of atherosclerosis (carotid, femoral, and coronary artery plaques) and cardiac function assessed by echocardiography. Linear regression was used to estimate regression coefficients for echocardiographic characteristics and logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for carotid and femoral plaques, coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, and coronary noncalcified plaques (NCPs). Results: Of 164 participants, 80 (48.8%) were active AAS users (median age, 35 [IQR, 30-43] years; 61 men [76.2%]), 26 (15.9%) were previous users (median age, 36 [IQR, 28-51] years; 18 men [69.2%]), and 58 (35.4%) were nonusers (median age, 40 [IQR, 31-46] years; 42 men [72.4%]). Median cumulative lifetime AAS use was 2.2 (IQR, 1.2-7.2) years for active and 2.2 (IQR, 1.0-5.5) years for previous users. No group differences were observed when comparing the number of participants with femoral (active users, 15 [19.7%]; previous users, 5 [19.2%]; nonusers, 11 [20.8%]; P = .89) or carotid (active users, 24 [31.2%]; previous users, 12 [46.2%]; nonusers, 13 [24.1%]; P = .47) artery plaques or CAC scores (median score was 0 across all groups with range of 0-228 for active users, 0-800 for previous users, and 0-163 for nonusers; P = .36), whereas a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of coronary NCPs was found between active users (19 [23.8%]) and nonusers (6 [10.3%]) (P = .03). However, in confounder-adjusted logistic regression, longer cumulative lifetime AAS use was associated with higher odds of a positive CAC score (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.39; P = .001) and presence of coronary NCPs (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.05-1.30; P = .004). AAS use exceeding 5 years was associated with greater severity of calcifications (n = 94; χ2 = 9.78; P = .04). Echocardiography showed that cumulative AAS use was associated with worse left ventricular (regression coefficient: 0.08; 95% CI, 0.03-0.12; P = .002) and right ventricular (0.08; 95% CI, 0.03-0.13; P = .001) global longitudinal strain. Nearly all athletes (35 of 36) with more than 5 years of cumulative AAS use had ventricular mass greater than and left ventricular ejection fraction below the median of the normal range. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, cumulative lifetime AAS exposure was associated with adverse cardiovascular findings and impaired ventricular function in both sexes, and athletes with AAS exposure exceeding 5 years showed more severe calcification. The findings support measures to prevent AAS use by both men and women in recreational sports.</p

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for patients with TP53 mutant or deleted chronic lymphocytic leukemia: results of a prospective observational study

Development and application of statistical models for medical scientific researc