Counting charged massless states in the (0,2) heterotic CFT/geometry connection

We use simple current techniques and their relation to orbifolds with discrete torsion for studying the (0,2) CFT/geometry duality with non-rational internal N=2 SCFTs. Explicit formulas for the charged spectra of heterotic SO(10) GUT models are computed in terms of their extended Poincar\'{e} polynomials and the complementary Poincar\'{e} polynomial which can be computed in terms of the elliptic genera. While non-BPS states contribute to the charged spectrum, their contributions can be determined also for non-rational cases. For model building, with generalizations to SU(5) and SM gauge groups, one can take advantage of the large class of Landau-Ginzburg orbifold examples.Comment: 51 pages. Acknowledgments update

Clinical, immunological and genenetic profile of chronic neutropenia: beyond primary autoimmune and idiopathic forms

La neutropenia primaria idiopatica (pIN) e autoimmune (pAN) dell'infanzia sono disturbi benigni e autolimitanti. I pazienti affetti da pAN con caratteristiche atipiche (insorgenza <3 anni e persistenza >36 mesi, Long Lasting-LL o insorgenza >3 anni e persistenza>12 mesi, Late Onset-LO) hanno recentemente dimostrato di presentare un profilo immunoematologico diverso rispetto alla pAN tipica. Nel presente studio abbiamo analizzato una coorte di pAN e pIN LL/LO con l'obiettivo di identificare il pattern immunologico e il background genetico. Sono stati recuperati i dati clinici, immunologici e genetici (pannello NGS di 162 geni di immunodeficienza/disimmunità/insufficienza midollare) dei pazienti con pIN e pAN del Registro Italiano Neutropenia dal 2005 al 2022. Sono risultati eleggibili 63 pazienti (31 femmine, 32 pAN, 18LL) con un'età mediana all'esordio di 9,2 anni (IQR 2,0-15,6) e un follow-up mediano di 5,2 anni (IQR 4,0-8,2). Né l'autoimmunità né altre citopenie sono state associate alla neutropenia all'esordio. Le manifestazioni autoimmuni sono comparse in 19 (30%) pazienti, con un rischio cumulativo a 6 anni del 23% (IC 95% 12,9-38,5). Quarantacinque pazienti (71%) hanno sofferto di almeno un'infezione, di cui una grave nel 16% dei casi. La valutazione della conta periferica ha mostrato una leucopenia nella maggior parte dei pazienti (75%) e una diminuzione dei linfociti nel tempo (p<0,001) in assenza di compromissione delle immunoglobuline. Il 25% dei pazienti presentava un basso numero di cellule B e NK. Al profilo linfocitario emergeva un aumento delle cellule Marginal Zone B ed una riduzione delle Switched Memory B con un aumento significativo delle cellule B CD27-IgD- (Double Negative B) e una deplezione delle cellule T regolatorie e delle cellule B di memoria. L'analisi genetica eseguita in 58/63 (92%) della coorte ha rivelato 5 (9%) varianti patogene (4TNFRSF13B, 1CARD11). Le neutropenie LL e LO presentano un quadro clinico e immunologico diverso rispetto a pAN e pIN sin dall'esordio. La leucopenia e la linfocitopenia progressiva sembrano essere segnali anticipatori con una tendenza a peggiorare nel tempo. Un peculiare profilo immunologico in un sottogruppo di pazienti sembra suggerire che una sottostante immuno-disregolazione porti a un esaurimento della maturazione B e a una conseguente propensione all'autoimmunità. Queste neutropenie meriterebbero una caratterizzazione più precisa attraverso l'allargamento della coorte e l'applicazione di analisi genetiche più complete.Non remitting Autoimmune Neutropenia (AIN) has been previously identified as a peculiar entity often underliyng a Primary Immuno-Regulatory Disorder (PIRD). In the present study a cohort of 63 subjects affected with non remitting neutropenia named Late Onset (LO = onset >3 years) and Long Lasting (LL = persistence >36 months) either with antibodies against neutrophils is described. The most crucial features associated with mild/moderate neutropenia are leukopenia and lymphocytopenia with a worsening tendency overtime. LO and LL autoimmune and idiopathic neutropenia patients showed severe infections in only 14% of cases; conversely a relevant incidence of autoimmune signs during follow up (CI 23% at 6 yrs) was retrieved. Immunological features showed low B and NK cells in 25% of patients, increased Marginal Zone B cells with reduced B Switched Memory cells respectively in 38% and 59% of the examined subjects. A significant increase in double negative B cells (59%) with a depletion of T-regulatory (67%) and B-memory cells (38%) were seen too. This picture is similar to the one seen in known autoimmune disorders and cytopenias other than neutropenia. Genetic analysis revealed pathogenic variants in 9% of cases (TNFRSF13B and CARD11) and Variant of unknown Significance (VUS) in 24% of cases. No major differences between autoimmune and idiopathic were retrieved. In conclusion, non remitting neutropenias presenting with leukopenia and lymphocytopenia may anticipate an immune-dysregulation expressed mainly by exhaustion of B-maturation and a consequent propensity to autoimmunity. This particularly pictures indicated that LL and LO autoimmune and idiopathic neutropenia deserve tailored immunolgical and genetic follow up to delineate any possible underlying PIRD

Beam Steering mm-Waves Dielectric-only Reflectarray

In this paper, some numerical results on the possibil-ity to design a 3D-printable dielectric ReflectArray (RA) antenna with beam steering capabilities are presented. The adopted unit-cell consists of a single-layer dielectric element perforated with a square hole, whose side is varied to change the phase of the reflection coefficient. Since the unit-cell behavior is quite stable with the direction of arrival of the incident field, it is used to design a 52 × 52 reflectarray working in Ka-band. Its numerical characterization proves that the RA is able to provide less than 2 dB of gain losses over a scanning range of ±30° in the vertical plane

Perforated Dielectric Reflectarray in Ka-band

This paper proposes a single-layer perforated dielectric reflectarray antenna that operates in Ka-band. The unit-cell is made up of a dielectric element perforated by a centered square hole, whose size is used to control the phase of the reflection coefficient. This cell has been used to design a 52x52 offset reflectarray working at 30 GHz, whose numerical analysis proves that it has good radiation features. The proposed configuration is particularly convenient since Additive Manufacturing processes can be exploited for its fabrication

Preliminary Results on Convex Conformal Dielectric-based Reflectarrays

In this paper, some numerical results on the possibility to design a 3D-printable dielectric ReflectArray (RA) antenna that can be conformed to a cylindrical surface are presented. The reflectarray is designed to be manufactured using a dielectric material characterized by a high relative dielectric constant: this choice drastically decreases the RA thickness, favouring its flexibility and therefore its possibility to be bent to a curved surface. Results on the numerical analysis of medium-size RAs conformal to cylinder with different radius show that the decrease of the antennas performance is kept down over a wide range of variation for the curvature radius, confirming their feasibility and their potentialities

Optimization-based Design of Isoflux Reflectarray

In this communication, some preliminary results on the design of an isoflux reflectarray, suitable for being mounted on board a satellite or even a CubeSat, carried on with a global optimization technique, are presented. The obtained radiation patterns, relative to a small-medium size configuration, are good and confirm the effectiveness of the proposed procedure

SNO-Based Design of Wide-Angle Beam-Scanning Reflectarrays

In this article, the design of a passive reflectarray with beam-scanning capabilities over a wide scan range is addressed. The proposed approach is based on the use of an efficient evolutionary algorithm, Social Network Optimization, and on the definition of a proper optimization environment that allows the simultaneous optimization of the antenna radiation pattern for different pointing directions, keeping under control the computational cost of the procedure. The effectiveness of the method is validated through the experimental characterization of a prototype, whose performance is also compared with that of a conventional bifocal configuration

Radiative Correction Effects of a Very Heavy Top

If the top is very heavy, m_t >> M_Z, the dominant radiative correction effects in all electroweak precision tests can be exactly characterized in terms of two quantities, the rho-parameter and the GIM violating Z -> b bbar coupling. These quantities can be computed using the Standard Model Lagrangian with vanishing gauge couplings. This is done here up to two loops for arbitrary values of the Higgs mass.Comment: 9 pages, report IFUP-TH 20/9

Estudio de prefactibilidad de una biorrefinería de alperujo para la cuenca olivícola argentina

Argentina es el 11° productor mundial de aceite de oliva y principal productor y exportador de América del Sur. En la actualidad, por sus características agroclimáticas, el departamento Sarmiento de la provincia de San Juan y el departamento Chilecito de la provincia de La Rioja, se han posicionado entre los principales polos de producción de aceite de oliva del país. Durante el proceso de extracción de aceite de oliva se genera un subproducto semisólido denominado alperujo, constituido por carozo triturado, piel, pulpa y agua de vegetación de aceitunas, que representa el 80% del peso de la materia prima que ingresa a la industria. La inadecuada gestión de este subproducto puede derivar en el deterioro ambiental, afectando la calidad de los recursos suelo y agua. Además, los costos de operaciones logísticas relacionadas con su gestión inciden negativamente en la rentabilidad de toda la cadena productiva. Este escenario ha favorecido la implementación de prácticas de gestión del alperujo in situ tales como aplicación al suelo agrícola, compostaje, alimentación animal, secado en campo para su posterior uso en calderas, distribución en callejones, entre otras. Estas prácticas presentan múltiples oportunidades de mejora que permitirían aprovechar integralmente todos los constituyentes del alperujo y aportar a la rentabilidad de la cadena productiva. Desde distintas instituciones se está trabajando en el desarrollo de un proceso a escala piloto y laboratorio denominado “Biorrefinería de alperujo”. Dicho proceso comprende la transformación del alperujo y consecuente obtención de productos comercializables, utilizando mayoritariamente la infraestructura existente en una industria olivícola estándar. Entre los productos que se pueden obtener se destacan: hueso o carozo molido para su uso como combustible sólido, orujo para alimentación animal o como sustrato para compostaje, aceite, fracción acuosa base para fertilizante orgánico líquido y extracto biofenólico rico en hidroxitiroso.EEA San JuanFil: Monetta, Pablo Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Juan; Argentina.Fil: Renzi, Laura Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI); Argentina.Fil: Beccaría, Javier. Consultor externo INCUVA-INTA EEA Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Alday, Silvina Esther. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Juan; Argentina