Abstract: We study the nuclear effects in the electromagnetic structure function F-2(x, Q(2)) in the deep inelastic lepton nucleus scattering process by taking into account Fermi motion, binding, pion and rho meson cloud contributions. Calculations have been done in a local density approximation using relativistic nuclear spectral functions which include nucleon correlations. The ratios R-F2(A) (x, Q(2)) = 2F(2)(A)(x, Q(2))/AF(2)(D)(x, Q(2)) are obtained and compared with recent JLab results for light nuclei with special attention to the slope of the x distributions. This magnitude shows a non-trivial A dependence and it is insensitive to possible normalization uncertainties. The results have also been compared with some of the older experiments using intermediate mass nuclei.

Abstract: The idea of a rank-one rotating mass matrix (R2M2) is reviewed detailing how it leads to ready explanations both for the fermion mass hierarchy and for the distinctive mixing patterns between up and down fermion states, which can be and have been tested against experiment and shown to be fully consistent with existing data. Further, R2M2 is seen to offer, as by-products: (i) a new solution to the strong CP problem in QCD by linking the theta-angle there to the Kobayashi-Maskawa CP-violating phase in the CKM matrix, and (ii) some novel predictions of possible anomalies in Higgs decay observable in principle at the LHC. A special effort is made to answer some questions raised.

Abstract: The cosmic energy density in the form of radiation before and during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is typically parameterized in terms of the effective number of neutrinos N-eff. This quantity, in case of no extra degrees of freedom, depends upon the chemical potential and the temperature characterizing the three active neutrino distributions, as well as by their possible non-thermal features. In the present analysis we determine the upper bounds that BBN places on N-eff from primordial neutrino-antineutrino asymmetries, with a careful treatment of the dynamics of neutrino oscillations. We consider quite a wide range for the total lepton number in the neutrino sector, eta(nu) = eta(nu e) + eta(nu mu) + eta(nu tau) and the initial electron neutrino asymmetry eta(in)(nu e), solving the corresponding kinetic equations which rule the dynamics of neutrino (antineutrino) distributions in phase space due to collisions, pair processes and flavor oscillations. New bounds on both the total lepton number in the neutrino sector and the nu(e)-(nu) over bar (e) asymmetry at the onset of BBN are obtained fully exploiting the time evolution of neutrino distributions, as well as the most recent determinations of primordial H-2/H density ratio and He-4 mass fraction. Note that taking the baryon fraction as measured by WMAP, the H-2/H abundance plays a relevant role in constraining the allowed regions in the eta(nu)-eta(in)(nu e) plane. These bounds fix the maximum contribution of neutrinos with primordial asymmetries to N-eff as a function of the mixing parameter theta(13), and point out the upper bound N-eff less than or similar to 3.4. Comparing these results with the forthcoming measurement of N-eff by the Planck satellite will likely provide insight on the nature of the radiation content of the universe.