Supersymmetry Breaking in a Minimal Anomalous Extension of the MSSM

We study a supersymmetry breaking mechanism in the context of a minimal anomalous extension of the MSSM. The anomaly cancellation mechanism is achieved through suitable counterterms in the effective action, i.e. Green-Schwarz terms. We assume that the standard MSSM superpotential is perturbatively realized, i.e. all terms allowed by gauge symmetries, except for the $\mu$-term which has a non-perturbative origin. The presence of this term is expected in many intersecting D-brane models which can be considered as the ultraviolet completion of our model. We show how soft supersymmetry breaking terms arise in this framework and we study the effect of some phenomenological constraints on this scenario.Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures, pdflatex, revised final versio

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

Antimicrobial Activity of Diffusible and Volatile Metabolites Emitted by Beauveria bassiana: Chemical Profile of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Using SPME-GC/MS Analysis

: The genus Beauveria includes important entomopathogenic and endophytic fungi; among them, Beauveria bassiana is the most studied species. However, there is little knowledge regarding their antimicrobial activity. The current research has been conducted to evaluate the in vitro antagonistic activity of B. bassiana and the antimicrobial efficacy of its Exo and Endo metabolites against Bacillus cereus, B. megaterium, Clavibacter michiganensis (Gram positive bacteria, G+ve), Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. fluorescence (Gram negative bacteria, G-ve). In addition, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to qualitatively measure the volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) metabolic profile of the most efficient studied isolate of B. bassiana. The obtained results showed that the isolate UniB2439-3 has a promising antibacterial effect against most of the studied target bacteria. An SPME-GC/MS analysis of VOCs revealed the presence of ethanol, butanal,2-methyl, 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene, octane, 4-methyl and β-elemene as the dominant bioactive compounds. The results demonstrated that the efficient isolate of B. bassiana can be potentially used as a biocontrol agent against several bacteria, especially G+ve ones

The oxygen-assisted transformation of propane to COx/H2 through combined oxidation and WGS reactions catalyzed by vanadium oxide-based catalysts

This paper reports about the gas-phase oxidation of propane catalyzed by bulk vanadium oxide and by alumina- and silica-supported vanadium oxide. The reaction was studied with the aim of finding conditions at which the formation of H2 and CO2 is preferred over that of CO, H2O and of products of alkane partial oxidation. It was found that with bulk V2O5 considerable amounts of H2 are produced above 400 8C, the temperature at which the limiting reactant, oxygen, is totally consumed. The formation of H2 derived from the combination of: (i) oxidation reactions, with generation of CO, CO2, oxygenates (mainly acetic acid), propylene and H2O, all occurring in the fraction of catalytic bed that operated in the presence of gas-phase oxygen, and (ii) WGS reaction, propane dehydrogenation and coke formation, that instead occurred in the fraction of bed operating under anaerobic conditions. This combination of different reactions in a single catalytic bed was possible because of the reduction of V2O5 to V2O3 at high temperature, in the absence of gas-phase oxygen. In fact, vanadium sesquioxide was found to be an effective catalyst for the WGS, while V2O5 was inactive in this reaction. The same combination of reactions was not possible when vanadium oxide was supported over high-surface area silica or alumina; this was attributed to the fact that in these catalysts vanadium was not reduced below the oxidation state V4+, even under reaction conditions leading to total oxygen conversion. In consequence, these catalysts produced less H2 than bulk vanadium oxide

Invecchiamento e lavoro: un connubio possibile?

La sfida dell’invecchiamento che Italia ed Europa si troveranno ad affrontare nei prossimi decenni è unica nella storia umana. Gran parte di coloro che sono nati oggi potranno vivere oltre i 100 anni. Partendo da un’analisi degli andamenti attuali e previsti della popolazione e della sua struttura per età, il capitolo affronta i temi dell’invecchiamento attivo e produttivo e riflette sulle politiche sociali ed economiche nonché sulle strategie aziendali necessarie ad incrementare la partecipazione attiva degli anziani alla vita sociale e produttiva, mettendo in evidenza le opportunità derivanti dagli stessi mutamenti demografici per il mercato del lavoro, l’economia e l’intera collettività

Assessment of the temperature cut-off point by a commercial intravaginal device to predict parturition in Piedmontese beef cows

Dystocic parturitions have an adverse impact on animal productivity and therefore the profitability of the farm. In this regard, accurate prediction of calving is essential since it allows for efficient and prompt assistance of the dam and the calf. Numerous approaches to predict parturition have been studied, among these, measurement of intravaginal temperature (IVT) is the most effective method at the field level. Thus, objectives of this experiment were, 1) to find an IVT cut-off to predict calving within 24 h, and 2) to clarify the use of IVT as an automated method of calving detection in housed beef cows. A commercial intravaginal electronic device (Medria Vel'Phone\uae) with a sensor that measures the IVT every 12 h was used. Piedmontese cows (n = 211; 27 primiparous and 184 multiparous) were included in this study. One-way analysis of variance was used to assess the temperature differences at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 h before parturition. Receiving operator characteristic curves were built to determine the temperature cut-off which predicts calving within 24 h with the highest summation of sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp). Binomial logistic regression models were computed to identify factors that may affect the IVT before calving. Mean gestation length was 291.5 \ub1 13.7 d (primiparous, 292 \ub1 14.1 d; multiparous, 289 \ub1 9.2 d). A decrease (P < 0.001) in the average IVT was found from 60 h before calving until the expulsion of the IVT device. A significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the IVT was noticeable from 24 h before until parturition. The IVT drop to predict parturition 24 h before calving was 0.21 \ub0C (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.72; Se = 66%, Sp = 76%). Furthermore, the IVT cut-off value to predict parturition within 24 h was 38.2 \ub0C (AUC = 0.89; Se = 86%, Sp = 91%). None of the evaluated fixed effects (parity, dystocia, season or length of gestation) affected (P \u2c3 0.05) the IVT variation from 60 h before and up to calving. To conclude, the IVT average seems to be a better parameter than the drop in temperature to predict parturition within 24 h. In this regard, a cut-off of 38.2 \ub0C showed a high Se and Sp for predicting calving. This study demonstrates the usefulness of a commercially available device to predict calving to improve management in stabled beef farms

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