Boundary states in the Nappi-Witten model

We investigate D-branes in the Nappi-Witten model. Classically symmetric D-branes are classified by the (twisted) conjugacy classes of the Nappi-Witten group, which specify the geometry of the corresponding D-branes. Quantum description of the D-branes is given by boundary states, and we need one point functions of closed strings to construct the boundary states. We compute the one point functions solving conformal bootstrap constraints, and check that the classical limit of the boundary states reproduces the geometry of D-branes.Comment: 19 pages, no figure; minor changes, references adde

Topological String on OSP(1|2)/U(1)

We propose an equivalence between topological string on OSP(1|2)/U(1) and \hat{c} \leq 1 superstring with N=1 world-sheet supersymmetry. We examine this by employing a free field representation of OSP(1|2) WZNW model and find an agreement on the spectrum. We also analyze this proposal at the level of scattering amplitudes by applying a map between correlation functions of OSP(1|2) WZNW model and those of N=1 Liouville theory.Comment: 25 pages, refereces adde

Liouville Field Theory on an Unoriented Surface

Liouville field theory on an unoriented surface is investigated, in particular, the one point function on a RP^2 is calculated. The constraint of the one point function is obtained by using the crossing symmetry of the two point function. There are many solutions of the constraint and we can choose one of them by considering the modular bootstrap.Comment: 13 pages, no figures, LaTeX, minor changes, equations in section 4 are correcte

Kappa symmetric OSp(2|2) WZNW model

We construct a kappa symmetric WZNW model for the OSp(2|2) supergroup, whose bosonic part is AdS3xS1 space. The field equation gives the chiral current conservation and the right/left factorization is shown after the kappa symmetry is fixed. The right-moving modes contain both bosons and fermions while the left-moving modes contain only bosons.Comment: 18 pages; reference and comments added, version to appear in JHE

Crosscap States for Orientifolds of Euclidean AdS_3

Crosscap states for orientifolds of Euclidean AdS_3 are constructed. We show that our crosscap states describe the same orientifolds which were obtained by the classical analysis. The spectral density of open strings in the system with orientifold can be read from the M"obius strip amplitudes and it is compared to that of the open strings stretched between branes and their mirrors. We also compute the Klein bottle amplitudes.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX2e, v2: clarification and discussion added, v3: minor changes, to appear in JHE

Braiding and fusion properties of the Neveu-Schwarz super-conformal blocks

We construct, generalizing appropriately the method applied by J. Teschner in the case of the Virasoro conformal blocks, the braiding and fusion matrices of the Neveu-Schwarz super-conformal blocks. Their properties allow for an explicit verification of the bootstrap equation in the NS sector of the N=1 supersymmetric Liouville field theory.Comment: 41 pages, 3 eps figure

D-instantons and Closed String Tachyons in Misner Space

We investigate closed string tachyon condensation in Misner space, a toy model for big bang universe. In Misner space, we are able to condense tachyonic modes of closed strings in the twisted sectors, which is supposed to remove the big bang singularity. In order to examine this, we utilize D-instanton as a probe. First, we study general properties of D-instanton by constructing boundary state and effective action. Then, resorting to these, we are able to show that tachyon condensation actually deforms the geometry such that the singularity becomes milder.Comment: 24 pages, 1 figure, minor change

Ingested insecticide to control Aedes aegypti: developing a novel dried attractive toxic sugar bait device for intra-domiciliary control

© 2020 The Author(s). Background: Illnesses transmitted by Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika comprise a considerable global burden; mosquito control is the primary public health tool to reduce disease transmission. Current interventions are inadequate and insecticide resistance threatens the effectiveness of these options. Dried attractive bait stations (DABS) are a novel mechanism to deliver insecticide to Ae. aegypti. The DABS are a high-contrast 28 inch2 surface coated with dried sugar-boric acid solution. Aedes aegypti are attracted to DABS by visual cues only, and the dried sugar solution elicits an ingestion response from Ae. aegypti landing on the surface. The study presents the development of the DABS and tests of their impact on Ae. aegypti mortality in the laboratory and a series of semi-field trials. Methods: We conducted multiple series of laboratory and semi-field trials to assess the survivability of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes exposed to the DABS. In the laboratory experiments, we assessed the lethality, the killing mechanism, and the shelf life of the device through controlled experiments. In the semi-field trials, we released laboratory-reared female Ae. aegypti into experimental houses typical of peri-urban tropical communities in South America in three trial series with six replicates each. Laboratory experiments were conducted in Quito, Ecuador, and semi-field experiments were conducted in Machala, Ecuador, an area with abundant wild populations of Ae. aegypti and endemic arboviral transmission. Results: In the laboratory, complete lethality was observed after 48 hours regardless of physiological status of the mosquito. The killing mechanism was determined to be through ingestion, as the boric acid disrupted the gut of the mosquito. In experimental houses, total mosquito mortality was greater in the treatment house for all series of experiments (P \u3c 0.0001). Conclusions: The DABS devices were effective at killing female Ae. aegypti under a variety of laboratory and semi-field conditions. DABS are a promising intervention for interdomiciliary control of Ae. aegypti and arboviral disease prevention.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Orientifolds in N=2 Liouville Theory and its Mirror

We consider unoriented strings in the supersymmetric SL(2,R)/U(1) coset, which describes the two-dimensional Euclidean black hole, and its mirror dual N=2 Liouville theory. We analyze the orientifolds of these theories from several complementary points of view: the parity symmetries of the worldsheet actions, descent from known AdS_3 parities, and the modular bootstrap method (in some cases we can also check our results against known constraints coming from the conformal bootstrap method). Our analysis extends previous work on orientifolds in Liouville theory, the AdS_3 and SU(2) WZW models and minimal models. Compared to these cases, we find that the orientifolds of the two dimensional Euclidean black hole exhibit new intriguing features. Our results are relevant for the study of orientifolds in the neighborhood of NS5-branes and for the engineering of four-dimensional chiral gauge theories and gauge theories with SO and Sp gauge groups with suitable configurations of D-branes and orientifolds. As an illustration, we discuss an example related to a configuration of D4-branes and O4-planes in the presence of two parallel fivebranes.Comment: 47 pages, 2 figures; v2 typos fixed, refs added, improved discussion of Hanany-Witten setup