Implications of effective axial-vector coupling of gluon for ttˉt\bar{t} spin polarizations at the LHC

We analyze the impact of effective axial-vector coupling of the gluon on spin polarization observables in $t\bar{t}$ pair production at the LHC. Working at leading order in QCD, we compute the $t\bar{t}$ spin-correlation and left-right spin asymmetry coefficients in the helicity basis in the laboratory frame as functions of the new physics scale $\Lambda$ associated with this coupling. We found that the $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass dependent asymmetries are more sensitive to the scale $\Lambda$ than the corresponding inclusive ones, in particular when suitable cuts selecting high $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass regions are imposed. In the context of this scenario, we show that the LHC has potential either to confirm or to rule out the Tevatron FB top asymmetry anomaly by analyzing the $t\bar{t}$ spin-correlation and left-right polarization asymmetries. On the other hand, stringent lower bound on the new physics scale $\Lambda$ can be set in this scenario if no significant deviations from the SM predictions for those observables will be measured.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, same as published version in PRD. Few modifications in the text and one new reference adde

Fertility and territorial well-being in Italy .How is fertility related to social, economic and environmental quality?

We analyzed the association between fertility rates and well-being measured at the regional level. How does the gap between intended and realized fertility relate with other well-being indicators measured at the aggregate level in terms of social, economic, environmental conditions? We try to answer this question with reference to Italy in the period 2010-2017 through the analysis of the association between the regional fertility rates and a rich system of regional indicators measuring various aspects of the social, economic and environmental quality (Equitable and Sustainable Well-being or Benessere Equo e Sostenibile - BES, in Italian). The results show that in regions best performing in terms of economic conditions and of the functioning of public services as well as in terms of the quality of the educational system and of the environment, fertility is higher than the national average

Fertility and well-being in the italian regions

We analyse the association between fertility rates and well-being in the Italian regions in the period 2012-2017. Well-being is measured by the indicators of Equitable and Sustainable Well-being (BES), collected by ISTAT since 2013 with the aim of evaluating the economic, social and environmental development of the society through measurement of citizens’ life quality. We expect that the regions performing better in terms of well-being conditions are also those with the highest levels of fertility. Both graphical and panel data regression analyses support our main hypothesis, but also reveal that in different clusters of regions the intensity and direction of the relationship significantly change. Our results also stress the need of taking the different domains of well-being into account while explaining reproductive behaviour of resident population at territorial level

CaMKK2 Knockout Bone Marrow Cells Collected/Processed in Low Oxygen (Physioxia) Suggests CaMKK2 as a Hematopoietic Stem to Progenitor Differentiation Fate Determinant

Little is known about a regulatory role of CaMKK2 for hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor (HPC) cell function. To assess this, we used Camkk2−/− and wild type (WT) control mouse bone marrow (BM) cells. BM cells were collected/processed and compared under hypoxia (3% oxygen; physioxia) vs. ambient air (~21% oxygen). Subjecting cells collected to ambient air, even for a few minutes, causes a stress that we termed Extra Physiological Shock/Stress (EPHOSS) that causes differentiation of HSCs and HPCs. We consider physioxia collection/processing a more relevant way to assess HSC/HPC numbers and function, as the cells remain in an oxygen tension closer physiologic conditions. Camkk2−/− cells collected/processed at 3% oxygen had positive and negative effects respectively on HSCs (by engraftment using competitive transplantation with congenic donor and competitor cells and lethally irradiated congenic recipient mice), and HPCs (by colony forming assays of CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-GEMM) compared to WT cells processed in ambient air. Thus, with cells collected/processed under physioxia, and therefore never exposed and naïve to ambient air conditions, CaMKK2 not only appears to act as an HSC to HPC differentiation fate determinant, but as we found for other intracellular mediators, the Camkk−/− mouse BM cells were relatively resistant to effects of EPHOSS. This information is of potential use for modulation of WT BM HSCs and HPCs for future clinical advantage. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Long-lived charged Higgs at LHC as a probe of scalar Dark Matter

We study inert charged Higgs boson $H^\pm$ production and decays at LHC experiments in the context of constrained scalar dark matter model (CSDMM). In the CSDMM the inert doublet and singlet scalar's mass spectrum is predicted from the GUT scale initial conditions via RGE evolution. We compute the cross sections of processes $pp\to H^+H^-,\, H^\pm S_i^0$ at the LHC and show that for light $H^\pm$ the first one is dominated by top quark mediated 1-loop diagram with Higgs boson in s-channel. In a significant fraction of the parameter space $H^\pm$ are long-lived because their decays to predominantly singlet scalar dark matter (DM) and next-to-lightest (NL) scalar, $H^\pm\to S_{\text{DM, NL}} ff',$ are suppressed by the small singlet-doublet mixing angle and by the moderate mass difference $\Delta M=M_{H^+}-M_{\text{DM}} .$ The experimentally measurable displaced vertex in $H^\pm$ decays to leptons and/or jets and missing energy allows one to discover the $H^+H^-$ signal over the huge $W^+W^-$ background. We propose benchmark points for studies of this scenario at the LHC. If, however, $H^\pm$ are short-lived, the subsequent decays $S_{\text{NL}}\to S_{\text{DM}} f\bar f$ necessarily produce additional displaced vertices that allow to reconstruct the full $H^\pm$ decay chain.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Serafino Zappacosta: An Enlightened Mentor and Educator

With this article, the authors aim to honor the memory of Serafino Zappacosta, who had been their mentor during the early years of their career in science. The authors discuss how the combination of Serafino Zappacosta's extraordinary commitment to teaching and passion for science created a fostering educational environment that led to the creation of the “Ruggero Ceppellini Advanced School of Immunology.” The review also illustrates how the research on the MHC and the inspirational scientific context in the Zappacosta's laboratory influenced the authors' early scientific interests, and subsequent professional work as immunologists

The legacy of Corrado Gini in population studies

This volume contains 12 papers that range over many different research subjects, taking in many of the population questions that, directly or indirectly, absorbed Corrado Gini as demographer and social scientist over several decades. They vary from the analysis of the living conditions and behaviours of the growing foreign population (measurements and methods of analysis, socio-economic conditions and health, ethnic residential segregation, sex-ratio at birth), to studies on the homogamy of couples; from population theories (with reference to the cyclical theory of populations) to the modelling approach to estimating mortality in adult ages or estimating time transfers, by age and sex, related to informal child care and adult care; from historical studies that take up themes dear to Gini (such as the estimates of Italian military deaths in WWI), to the application of Gini’s classical measurements to studying significant phenomena today (transition to adulthood and leaving the parental home, health care, disabled persons and social integration). The subjects and measurements that appear here are not intended to exhaust the broad spectrum of Gini’s research work in the demographic and social field (nor could they), but they can make up a part of the intersection between his vast legacy and some interesting topics in current research, some of which were not even imaginable in the mid twentieth century. Looking at the many contributions that celebrated Gini in Treviso and thinking about his legacy, it seems possible to identify at least two typologies of approach, to be found in this issue of the journal, too. On the one hand, there are contributions that aim to retrieve and discuss themes, methodologies and measurements dealt with or used by Gini so as to evaluate their present relevance and importance in the current scholarly debate. On the other, there are contributions that deal with topics that are far from Gini’s work, as they study very recent phenomena, but actually, among other things, make use of methods and indicators devised by Gini that are now so much part of the common currency of methodology, so they don’t require explicit reference to their Author