bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Labor-Use Efficiency in Saudi Manufacturing Sectors
Authors: Saggay Ali , Raies Asma
Published: April 2018

This paper seeks to examine the process of adjustment in labor and to measure labor-use efficiency in Saudi manufacturing sectors. The theoretical framework is based on a dynamic flexible adjustment model applied to a panel of seven Saudi industries observed from 2007 to 2015. It investigates the process of adjustment in labor Saudization level toward a desired level. The adjustment process is both industrial and time-specific, and is expressed in terms of factors affecting the speed of adjustment. The empirical results show that, in the long run, labor Saudization responds greatly to gross domestic product, followed by unit Saudi wage and least by non-Saudi labor. In addition, labor over-use in Saudi manufacturing sectors is reduced after application of Nitaqat program.
Le lien communautaire, le grand oublié des campagnes de prévention contre la pratique du Binge-Drinking chez les jeunes adultes
Authors: Cuffolo Raphaël , Brée Joël
Published: April 2018

S’ils sont conscients des dangers du Binge-Drinking et reconnaissent le bien-fondé des campagnes de prévention, les jeunes n’acceptent pas celles qui leur sont destinées. En utilisant une démarche interprétative (interviews et observations participantes), nous montrons qu’il existe une opposition forte entre ce que représente la suralcoolisation festive pour cette population et le discours tenu dans les messages de prévention : d’un côté on a un ensemble de comportements ritualisés – incluant des logiques de protection – dont la finalité est de renforcer les liens communautaires ; de l’autre on constate une mise en scène de dangers qui découlent d’actions individuelles, voire individualistes, et dont l’aboutissement est souvent l’anéantissement de la communauté. Pour espérer faire évoluer les choses, le marketing social doit intégrer dans son discours préventif cette réalité communautaire spécifique au Binge-Drinking afin de ne pas les heurter.
La générativité comme stratégie de positionnement chez les consommateurs seniors est-elle efficace ?
Authors: Lacroix Caroline , Jolibert Alain
Published: April 2018

Bien que les consommateurs de moins de 50 ans soient plus génératifs que les plus de 50 ans, cet article montre que les personnes de plus de 50 ans sont sensibles aux publicités génératives. Sur la base d’une expérimentation qui inclut deux produits (polo et montre), cette recherche montre la pertinence d’une stratégie de positionnement génératif pour des produits ciblant une clientèle vieillissante. Toutefois, les résultats diffèrent en fonction des produits. Dans le cas du polo positionné comme génératif, plus les répondants ont une générativité communautaire et agentique élevée, plus leur attitude et leur intention d’achat vis-à-vis du message et du produit sont positives. Sous un autre angle, dans le cas d’une montre positionnée générative, plus les individus ont une forte générativité communautaire plus ils montrent une attitude positive envers le message et le produit, mais cela n’influence pas leur intention d’achat. Dans le contexte du marché de la montre, la générativité agentique des individus n’influence aucune variable. L’article présente également un portrait sociodémographique des consommateurs génératifs seniors ainsi que des stratégies managériales qui permettent de positionner un produit comme génératif.
Trazando fronteras nacionales en contextos de integración: migración femenina y sexualidad en la subregión andina
Authors: Ruiz M. Martha Cecilia
Published: April 2018

This article combines studies of migration, sexuality, gender and border policies. The aim is to explain the role which moral and sexual behavior play as markers of differentiation and hierarchization in places which are geographically and culturally close, and formally integrated by regional economic agreements, like the Andean sub-region of South America. Drawing on an ethnographic study of Colombian and Peruvian women who are migrants in Ecuador, it shows how the exoticization/erotization of these women, who are regarded as “foreign prostitutes” or “sex trafficking victims”, are symbolically connected to an open, permissive and vulnerable border and thus justifies stricter border controls.
Iglesias en Tierradentro: edificación, uso y sentido entre los indios páez de la Gobernación de Popayán, siglos XVII-XVIII
Authors: Paredes Cisneros Santiago
Published: April 2018

A discussion of this group of churches in Tierradentro (formerly the Province of Páez) has virtually been absent from historical studies of the Páez Indians. This article suggests that a qualitative analysis of the scarce archival material about the churches and their architecture enables one to trace the Colonial origin of these buildings, establishing their singular conception as chapels independent from the design of “pueblos de indios”, understanding how they were used, and explaining their permanence in time. It also maintains that such churches were an important feature of social and spatial organization, with which the Páez redefined the ideal of congregation in villages, with its religious and territorial connotations, in a province where the intervention of Spanish settlers and authorities was limited during the Colonial period.
Dos aportes teóricos latinoamericanos de relaciones internacionales y su utilización por el pensamiento chino contemporáneo: los casos de Prebisch y Escudé
Authors: Bernal-Meza Raúl
Published: April 2018

The article analyzes the use, by Chinese academics, of Latin American ideas on international relations, some to do with political economy and others with foreign policy. It shows how such ideas have become known in China and used to interpret relations with Latin America and discuss China’s own foreign policy. It makes two points: 1) that the use of this theoretical thought shows the Chinese search for alternative theoretical approaches and its use seeks to counter the thesis of the Chinese threat and the theory of neocolonialism and 2) that theories originating in Latin American form part of China’s internal debate on its own foreign policy. The article is based on studies by Chinese authors, published in Spanish or English, and others originally written in Chinese, which have been especially translated for the author.
Stochastic tuning of gene expression enables cellular adaptation in the absence of pre-existing regulatory circuitry
Authors: Freddolino Lydia , Yang Jamie , Momen-Roknabadi Amir , Tavazoie Saeed
Published: April 2018

Cells adapt to familiar changes in their environment by activating predefined regulatory programs that establish adaptive gene expression states. These hard-wired pathways, however, may be inadequate for adaptation to environments never encountered before. Here, we reveal evidence for an alternative mode of gene regulation that enables adaptation to adverse conditions without relying on external sensory information or genetically predetermined cis-regulation. Instead, individual genes achieve optimal expression levels through a stochastic search for improved fitness. By focusing on improving the overall health of the cell, the proposed stochastic tuning mechanism discovers global gene expression states that are fundamentally new and yet optimized for novel environments. We provide experimental evidence for stochastic tuning in the adaptation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to laboratory-engineered environments that are foreign to its native gene-regulatory network. Stochastic tuning operates locally at individual gene promoters, and its efficacy is modulated by perturbations to chromatin modification machinery.
An incoherent feedforward loop facilitates adaptive tuning of gene expression
Authors: Hong Jungeui , Brandt Nathan , Abdul-Rahman Farah , Yang Ally , Hughes Tim , Gresham David
Published: April 2018

We studied adaptive evolution of gene expression using long-term experimental evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in ammonium-limited chemostats. We found repeated selection for non-synonymous variation in the DNA binding domain of the transcriptional activator, GAT1, which functions with the repressor, DAL80 in an incoherent type-1 feedforward loop (I1-FFL) to control expression of the high affinity ammonium transporter gene, MEP2. Missense mutations in the DNA binding domain of GAT1 reduce its binding to the GATAA consensus sequence. However, we show experimentally, and using mathematical modeling, that decreases in GAT1 binding result in increased expression of MEP2 as a consequence of properties of I1-FFLs. Our results show that I1-FFLs, one of the most commonly occurring network motifs in transcriptional networks, can facilitate adaptive tuning of gene expression through modulation of transcription factor binding affinities. Our findings highlight the importance of gene regulatory architectures in the evolution of gene expression.
A robust and tunable mitotic oscillator in artificial cells
Authors: Guan Ye , Li Zhengda , Wang Shiyuan , Barnes Patrick M , Liu Xuwen , Xu Haotian , Jin Minjun , Liu Allen P , Yang Qiong
Published: April 2018

Single-cell analysis is pivotal to deciphering complex phenomena like heterogeneity, bistability, and asynchronous oscillations, where a population ensemble cannot represent individual behaviors. Bulk cell-free systems, despite having unique advantages of manipulation and characterization of biochemical networks, lack the essential single-cell information to understand a class of out-of-steady-state dynamics including cell cycles. Here, by encapsulating Xenopus egg extracts in water-in-oil microemulsions, we developed artificial cells that are adjustable in sizes and periods, sustain mitotic oscillations for over 30 cycles, and function in forms from the simplest cytoplasmic-only to the more complicated ones involving nuclear dynamics, mimicking real cells. Such innate flexibility and robustness make it key to studying clock properties like tunability and stochasticity. Our results also highlight energy as an important regulator of cell cycles. We demonstrate a simple, powerful, and likely generalizable strategy of integrating strengths of single-cell approaches into conventional in vitro systems to study complex clock functions.
Synapse-specific and compartmentalized expression of presynaptic homeostatic potentiation
Authors: Li Xiling , Goel Pragya , Chen Catherine , Angajala Varun , Chen Xun , Dickman Dion K
Published: April 2018

Postsynaptic compartments can be specifically modulated during various forms of synaptic plasticity, but it is unclear whether this precision is shared at presynaptic terminals. Presynaptic homeostatic plasticity (PHP) stabilizes neurotransmission at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction, where a retrograde enhancement of presynaptic neurotransmitter release compensates for diminished postsynaptic receptor functionality. To test the specificity of PHP induction and expression, we have developed a genetic manipulation to reduce postsynaptic receptor expression at one of the two muscles innervated by a single motor neuron. We find that PHP can be induced and expressed at a subset of synapses, over both acute and chronic time scales, without influencing transmission at adjacent release sites. Further, homeostatic modulations to CaMKII, vesicle pools, and functional release sites are compartmentalized and do not spread to neighboring pre- or post-synaptic structures. Thus, both PHP induction and expression mechanisms are locally transmitted and restricted to specific synaptic compartments.
Shared rhythmic subcortical GABAergic input to the entorhinal cortex and presubiculum
Authors: Viney Tim James , Salib Minas , Joshi Abhilasha , Unal Gunes , Berry Naomi , Somogyi Peter
Published: April 2018

Rhythmic theta frequency (~5–12 Hz) oscillations coordinate neuronal synchrony and higher frequency oscillations across the cortex. Spatial navigation and context-dependent episodic memories are represented in several interconnected regions including the hippocampal and entorhinal cortices, but the cellular mechanisms for their dynamic coupling remain to be defined. Using monosynaptically-restricted retrograde viral tracing in mice, we identified a subcortical GABAergic input from the medial septum that terminated in the entorhinal cortex, with collaterals innervating the dorsal presubiculum. Extracellularly recording and labeling GABAergic entorhinal-projecting neurons in awake behaving mice show that these subcortical neurons, named orchid cells, fire in long rhythmic bursts during immobility and locomotion. Orchid cells discharge near the peak of hippocampal and entorhinal theta oscillations, couple to entorhinal gamma oscillations, and target subpopulations of extra-hippocampal GABAergic interneurons. Thus, orchid cells are a specialized source of rhythmic subcortical GABAergic modulation of ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ cortico-cortical circuits involved in mnemonic functions.
Contribuições à Crítica do Individualismo Metodológico da Economia
Authors: Chafim Fernando Vinicius , Krivochein Conrado
Published: April 2018

Pode-se dizer que o individualismo metodológico é um dos temas mais antigos e polêmicos na história do pensamento econômico. Isso se deve ao seu amplo uso na Teoria Econômica, tanto pelos seus defensores, quanto pelos seus críticos. As dificuldades sobre o assunto iniciam-se no próprio significado do conceito e sobre suas consequências às ciências sociais, em especial à Economia. Neste debate, o problema da regressão infinita destaca-se como uma crítica relevante ao individualismo metodológico, objetivando estabelecer seus problemas na prática. No entanto, uma análise mais profunda das justificativas e dos pressupostos do conceito pode encontrar ligações úteis do termo e seu problema com as dimensões epistemológicas e ontológicas. Por conta disso, procura-se neste artigo expor que tal crítica é constituída devido às debilidades ontológicas do princípio individualista e, dessa forma, podemos tornar a crítica ao individualismo metodológico mais potente.
Escolha e Decisão em Situação de Incerteza e Risco
Authors: Menezes Wilson Ferreira
Published: April 2018

As condições lógicas para as escolhas individuais normalmente são analisadas em um ambiente de raridade com informação perfeita, em que os agentes buscam maximizar suas funções de satisfação levando em conta suas restrições. No entanto, a incerteza e o risco encontram-se presentes em todos os aspectos cotidianos da vida, de maneira que o estudo desses aspectos devem permitir que as decisões sejam tomadas de maneira mais realística. O trabalho inicialmente analisa vários critérios para uma escolha e decisão com racionalidade; em seguida a teoria da utilidade esperada de von Neumann e Morgenstern é apresentada, bem como seus principais paradoxos. As teorias das perspectivas e das probabilidades não aditivas abrem novos campos de investigação nesse ambiente de incerteza e risco. Algumas considerações dessas teorias são incorporadas ao texto.
Gestão Ambiental Local: Análise Dos Arranjos Produtivos Locais de Alagoas Utilizando o Índice Municipal de Gestão Ambiental
Authors: Costa Márcio Jorge Porangaba , Nunes Michelle Cristiane de Lima , Lustosa Maria Cecília Junqueira
Published: April 2018

A partir de 2000, foram formuladas políticas de fomento ao desenvolvimento, com base em Arranjos Produtivos Locais (APL), visando à geração de emprego e renda. Esses arranjos geram impactos localizados, muitos irreversíveis ou com altos custos de recuperação. Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar a metodologia do Índice Municipal de Gestão Ambiental (IMGA) e aplicá-lo aos municípios alagoanos que integram os APL. Conclui-se que, dentre os indicadores, a Agenda 21 não tem impacto significativo sobre o IMGA, embora estimule o município a criar mecanismos de desenvolvimento sustentável. A análise estatística mostra o nível insatisfatório dos índices que compõem o IMGA.
Políticas Públicas de Combate à Criminalidade no Espírito Santo: situação atual e perspectivas de mudanças
Authors: Pereira André Luiz Greve , Grassi Robson Antonio
Published: April 2018

Este artigo procura analisar a situação da criminalidade no Espírito San- to e a forma como ela tem sido combatida nos últimos anos. Observou-se que, ao mesmo tempo em que o Estado não tem razões estruturais para ter o segundo maior índice de homicídios do país, ele vem apresentando certa dificuldade na implementação de políticas públicas de segurança que reduzam a criminalidade violenta. Este artigo analisa detalhadamente a implementação do Plano de Enfrentamento da Violência em 2009, e mostra como as dificuldades enfrentadas por este plano exemplificam os diversos problemas enfrentados pela Secretaria de Segurança Pública para diminuir a criminalidade no Espírito Santo. Conclui-se que o Estado tem muito a melhorar nesta área, principalmente em termos institucionais, para conseguir reduzir seus índices de homicídios, como São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro fizeram recentemente.
A history of forensic anthropology
Authors: Ubelaker Douglas H.
Published: April 2018

Forensic anthropology represents a dynamic and rapidly evolving complex discipline within anthropology and forensic science. Academic roots extend back to early European anatomists but development coalesced in the Americas through high‐profile court testimony, assemblage of documented collections and focused research. Formation of the anthropology section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 1972, the American Board of Forensic Anthropology in 1977/1978 and other organizational advances provided important stimuli for progress. While early pioneers concentrated on analysis of skeletonized human remains, applications today have expanded to include complex methods of search and recovery, the biomechanics of trauma interpretation, isotopic analysis related to diet and region of origin, age estimation of the living and issues related to humanitarian and human rights investigations.
A sort of revolution: Systematics and physical anthropology in the 20th century
Authors: Cartmill Matt
Published: April 2018

During the first four decades of the 20th century, a system of ideas about the evolution and systematics of humans and other primates coalesced around the work of George Gaylord Simpson and W. E. Le Gros Clark. Buttressed by the “new physical anthropology” of the 1950s, that system provided an authoritative model—a disciplinary matrix or paradigm—for the practice of that aspect of biological anthropology. The Simpson‐Le Gros Clark synthesis began to unravel in the 1960s and collapsed in the 1970s under the onslaught of cladistic systematics. The cladistic “revolution” resembles a paradigm shift of the sort proposed by Thomas Kuhn because it was driven, not by new biological discoveries or theories, but by a change in aesthetics.
Multicentre randomized clinical trial of inspiratory muscle training versus usual care before surgery for oesophageal cancer
Authors: Valkenet K , Trappenburg J C A , Ruurda J P , Guinan E M , Reynolds J V , Nafteux P , Fontaine M , Rodrigo H E , van der Peet D L , Hania S W , Sosef M N , Willms J , Rosman C , Pieters H , Scheepers J J G , Faber T , Kouwenhoven E A , Tinselboer M , Räsänen J , Ryynänen H , Gosselink R , van Hillegersberg R , Backx F J G
Published: April 2018

Background

Up to 40 per cent of patients undergoing oesophagectomy develop pneumonia. The aim of this study was to assess whether preoperative inspiratory muscle training (IMT) reduces the rate of pneumonia after oesophagectomy.

Methods

Patients with oesophageal cancer were randomized to a home-based IMT programme before surgery or usual care. IMT included the use of a flow-resistive inspiratory loading device, and patients were instructed to train twice a day at high intensity (more than 60 per cent of maximum inspiratory muscle strength) for 2 weeks or longer until surgery. The primary outcome was postoperative pneumonia; secondary outcomes were inspiratory muscle function, lung function, postoperative complications, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay and physical functioning.

Results

Postoperative pneumonia was diagnosed in 47 (39·2 per cent) of 120 patients in the IMT group and in 43 (35·5 per cent) of 121 patients in the control group (relative risk 1·10, 95 per cent c.i. 0·79 to 1·53; P = 0·561). There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative outcomes between the groups. Mean(s.d.) maximal inspiratory muscle strength increased from 76·2(26·4) to 89·0(29·4) cmH2O (P < 0·001) in the intervention group and from 74·0(30·2) to 80·0(30·1) cmH2O in the control group (P < 0·001). Preoperative inspiratory muscle endurance increased from 4 min 14 s to 7 min 17 s in the intervention group (P < 0·001) and from 4 min 20 s to 5 min 5 s in the control group (P = 0·007). The increases were highest in the intervention group (P < 0·050).

Conclusion

Despite an increase in preoperative inspiratory muscle function, home-based preoperative IMT did not lead to a decreased rate of pneumonia after oesophagectomy. Registration number: NCT01893008 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Meta-analysis of neoadjuvant therapy and its impact in facilitating breast conservation in operable breast cancer
Authors: Karakatsanis A , Tasoulis M K , Wärnberg F , Nilsson G , MacNeill F
Published: April 2018

Background

Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for operable breast cancer may facilitate more breast-conserving surgery (BCS). It seems, however, that this benefit is not being realized fully.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed. RCTs were included. The criteria for inclusion were: documentation of surgical assessment before and after NAT, surgery performed (BCS or mastectomy), and clinical and pathological responses.

Results

A total of 1452 patients from seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. After NAT, the feasibility of BCS increased from 43·3 to 60·4 per cent (P < 0·001), but BCS was performed in only 51·8 per cent (P = 0·04). Only 31 per cent of patients who became eligible for BCS (assessed on clinical response) underwent BCS (pooled rate ratio 0·31, 95 per cent c.i. 0·22 to 0·44; P < 0·001). Of the mastectomy candidates who achieved a pathological complete response after NAT, only 41 per cent underwent BCS (pooled rate ratio 0·41, 0·23 to 0·74; P = 0·003). The main factors that influenced the decision not to shift to BCS, even though it was feasible, were clinical assessment before NAT, multicentricity and tumour size at presentation.

Conclusion

Breast surgery performed after NAT does not reflect tumour response, resulting in potentially unnecessary radical surgery, especially mastectomy. The barriers to maximizing the surgical benefits of NAT need to be better understood and explored.
2D‐2D Nanocomposite of MoS2‐Graphitic Carbon Nitride as Multifunctional Catalyst for Sustainable Synthesis of C3‐Functionalized Indoles
Authors: Bahuguna Ashish , Kumar Ashwani , Kumar Suneel , Chhabra Tripti , Krishnan Venkata
Published: April 2018

A nanocomposite of two‐dimensional MoS2 supported on graphitic C3N4 nanosheets has been prepared by a facile ultrasonication method followed by demonstrating its ability to catalyze the synthesis of several indole derivatives. The as‐prepared nanocomposite catalyst was characterized in detail by using different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques to understand its structure and physicochemical properties. Subsequently, this nanocomposite catalyst was used as a heterogeneous multifunctional catalyst to synthesize several C3‐functionalized indoles in the aqueous medium. The employed strategy also provided very good catalyst recyclability and versatility for the synthesis of various precursors of medicinally significant indoles, such as serotonin, melatonin, and various β‐carboline alkaloids. In addition, a natural product derivate has been prepared on the gram‐scale by using this methodology. Furthermore, high atom economy (100 %) and lower E‐factor (0.042) makes this strategy a sustainable approach for the synthesis of C3‐functionalized indoles.
Inner pressure and energy of a Coulomb system in an electrodynamic trap
Authors: Lapitsky D.S. , Filinov V.S.
Published: April 2018

The results of calculations of the inner pressure and the energy of strongly coupled Coulomb systems in a Paul trap carried out by means of statistical theory of the liquid state are presented. Pair correlation functions of the Coulomb systems have been obtained. Full energy of the system, internal pressure, and the Coulomb coupling parameter Γ were calculated using the inter‐particle Coulomb potential. The considered system is highly non‐ideal with the coupling parameter of order Γ = 1010.
Experience in Handling Bad Water Complaints and Laboratory Control
Authors: Kirkpatrick Earl T.
Published: April 2018

Thankfully, water utilities in North America don't have to contend with outbreaks of typhoid fever as described in Earl Kirkpatrick's article, but at its core, this piece is really a testament to good customer service. The best have always focused on their customers, but utilities today are doing well if they can live up to the standards set by the Des Moines Water Company a century ago.
The cost‐effectiveness of HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis in men who have sex with men and transgender women at high risk of HIV infection in Brazil
Authors: Luz Paula M , Osher Benjamin , Grinsztejn Beatriz , Maclean Rachel L , Losina Elena , Stern Madeline E , Struchiner Claudio J , Parker Robert A , Freedberg Kenneth A , Mesquita Fabio , Walensky Rochelle P , Veloso Valdilea G , Paltiel A David
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in Brazil experience high rates of HIV infection. We examined the clinical and economic outcomes of implementing a pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programme in these populations.

Methods

We used the Cost‐Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC)‐International model of HIV prevention and treatment to evaluate two strategies: the current standard of care (SOC) in Brazil, including universal ART access (No PrEP strategy); and the current SOC plus daily tenofovir/emtracitabine PrEP (PrEP strategy) until age 50. Mean age (31 years, SD 8.4 years), age‐stratified annual HIV incidence (age ≤ 40 years: 4.3/100 PY; age > 40 years: 1.0/100 PY), PrEP effectiveness (43% HIV incidence reduction) and PrEP drug costs ($23/month) were from Brazil‐based sources. The analysis focused on direct medical costs of HIV care. We measured the comparative value of PrEP in 2015 United States dollars (USD) per year of life saved (YLS). Willingness‐to‐pay threshold was based on Brazil's annual per capita gross domestic product (GDP; 2015: $8540 USD).

Results

Lifetime HIV infection risk among high‐risk MSM and TGW was 50.5% with No PrEP and decreased to 40.1% with PrEP. PrEP increased per‐person undiscounted (discounted) life expectancy from 36.8 (20.7) years to 41.0 (22.4) years and lifetime discounted HIV‐related medical costs from $4100 to $8420, which led to an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $2530/YLS. PrEP remained cost‐effective (<1x GDP) under plausible variation in key parameters, including PrEP effectiveness and cost, initial cohort age and HIV testing frequency on/off PrEP.

Conclusion

Daily tenofovir/emtracitabine PrEP among MSM and TGW at high risk of HIV infection in Brazil would increase life expectancy and be highly cost‐effective.
Screening and management of mental health and substance use disorders in HIV treatment settings in low‐ and middle‐income countries within the global IeDEA consortium
Authors: Parcesepe Angela M , Mugglin Catrina , Nalugoda Fred , Bernard Charlotte , Yunihastuti Evy , Althoff Keri , Jaquet Antoine , Haas Andreas D , Duda Stephany N , Wester C William , Nash Denis ,   the International epidemiology to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Consortium
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Integration of services to screen and manage mental health and substance use disorders (MSDs) into HIV care settings has been identified as a promising strategy to improve mental health and HIV treatment outcomes among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Data on the extent to which HIV treatment sites in LMICs screen and manage MSDs are limited. The objective of this study was to assess practices for screening and treatment of MSDs at HIV clinics in LMICs participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium.

Methods

We surveyed a stratified random sample of 95 HIV clinics in 29 LMICs in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia‐Pacific and sub‐Saharan Africa. The survey captured information onsite characteristics and screening and treatment practices for depression, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders (SUDs) and other mental health disorders.

Results

Most sites (n = 76, 80%) were in urban areas. Mental health screening varied by disorder: 57% of sites surveyed screened for depression, 19% for PTSD, 55% for SUDs and 29% for other mental health disorders. Depression, PTSD, SUDs and other mental health disorders were reported as managed on site (having services provided at the HIV clinic or same health facility) at 70%, 51%, 41% and 47% of sites respectively. Combined availability of screening and on‐site management of depression, PTSD, and SUDs, and other mental health disorders was reported by 42%, 14%, 26% and 19% of sites, respectively. On‐site management of depression and PTSD was reported significantly less often in rural as compared to urban settings (depression: 33% and 78% respectively; PTSD: 24% and 58% respectively). Screening for depression and SUDs was least commonly reported by HIV programmes that treated only children as compared to HIV programmes that treated only adults or treated both adults and children.

Conclusions

Significant gaps exist in the management of MSDs in HIV care settings in LMICs, particularly in rural settings. Identification and evaluation of optimal implementation strategies to scale and sustain integrated MSDs and HIV care is needed.
HIV incidence among people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa: mathematical modelling analysis
Authors: Mumtaz Ghina R , Awad Susanne F , Feizzadeh Ali , Weiss Helen A , Abu‐Raddad Laith J
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Emerging HIV epidemics have been documented among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This study estimates the HIV incidence among PWID due to sharing needles/syringes in MENA. It also delineates injecting drug use role as a driver of the epidemic in the population, and estimates impact of interventions.

Methods

A mathematical model of HIV transmission among PWID was applied in seven MENA countries with sufficient and recent epidemiological data and HIV prevalence ≥1% among PWID. Estimations of incident and/or prevalent infections among PWID, ex‐PWID and sexual partners of infected current and ex‐PWID were conducted.

Results

The estimated HIV incidence rate for 2017 among PWID ranged between 0.7% per person‐year (ppy) in Tunisia and 7.8% ppy in Pakistan, with Libya being an outlier (24.8% ppy). The estimated number of annual new infections was lowest in Tunisia (n = 79) and Morocco (n = 99), and highest in Iran and Pakistan (approximately n = 6700 each). In addition, 20 to 2208 and 5 to 837 new annual infections were estimated across the different countries among sexual partners of PWID and ex‐PWID respectively. Since epidemic emergence, the number of total ever acquired incident infections across countries was 706 to 90,015 among PWID, 99 to 18,244 among sexual partners of PWID, and 16 to 4360 among sexual partners of ex‐PWID. The estimated number of prevalent infections across countries was 341 to 23,279 among PWID, 119 to 16,540 among ex‐PWID, 67 to 10,752 among sexual partners of PWID, and 12 to 2863 among sexual partners of ex‐PWID. Increasing antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage to the global target of 81% – factoring in ART adherence and current coverage – would avert about half of new infections among PWID and their sexual partners. Combining ART with harm reduction could avert over 90% and 70% of new infections among PWID and their sexual partners respectively.

Conclusions

There is considerable HIV incidence among PWID in MENA. Of all new infections ultimately due to injecting drug use, about 75% are among PWID and the rest among sexual partners. Of all prevalent infections ultimately attributed to injecting drug use as epidemic driver, about half are among PWID, 30% among ex‐PWID and 20% among sexual partners of PWID and ex‐PWID. These findings call for scale‐up of services for PWID, including harm reduction as well as testing and treatment services.
Asking for the moon
Authors: Delvin David
Published: April 2018

The widely‐held belief that the doctor can prescribe a ‘pill for every ill’ can result in some rather unrealistic requests from patients, says Dr Delvin.
CP violation in 2HDM and EFT: the ZZZ vertex
Authors: Bélusca-Maïto Hermès , Falkowski Adam , Fontes Duarte , Romão Jorge. C. , Silva João P.
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We study the CP violating ZZZ vertex in the two-Higgs doublet model, which is a probe of a Jarlskog-type invariant in the extended Higgs sector. The form factor f
4

Z

is evaluated at one loop in a general R

ξ
gauge and its magnitude is estimated in the realistic parameter space. Then we turn to the decoupling limit of the two-Higgs doublet model, where the extra scalars are heavy and the physics can be described by the Standard Model supplemented by higher-dimensional operators. The leading operator contributing to f
4

Z

at one loop is identified. The CP violating ZZZ vertex is not generated in the effective theory by dimension-8 operators, but instead arises only at the dimension-12 level, which implies an additional suppression by powers of the heavy Higgs mass scale.
The MSR mass and the $$ \mathcal{O}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{QCD}}\right) $$ renormalon sum rule
Authors: Hoang André H. , Jain Ambar , Lepenik Christopher , Mateu Vicent , Preisser Moritz , Scimemi Ignazio , Stewart Iain W.
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We provide a detailed description and analysis of a low-scale short-distance mass scheme, called the MSR mass, that is useful for high-precision top quark mass determinations, but can be applied for any heavy quark Q. In contrast to earlier low-scale short-distance mass schemes, the MSR scheme has a direct connection to the well known

$$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

M
S

¯

mass commonly used for high-energy applications, and is determined by heavy quark on-shell self-energy Feynman diagrams. Indeed, the MSR mass scheme can be viewed as the simplest extension of the

$$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

M
S

¯

mass concept to renormalization scales ≪ m

Q
. The MSR mass depends on a scale R that can be chosen freely, and its renormalization group evolution has a linear dependence on R, which is known as R-evolution. Using R-evolution for the MSR mass we provide details of the derivation of an analytic expression for the normalization of the

$$ \mathcal{O}\left({\varLambda}_{\mathrm{QCD}}\right) $$

O

Λ

Q
C
D

renormalon asymptotic behavior of the pole mass in perturbation theory. This is referred to as the

$$ \mathcal{O}\left({\varLambda}_{\mathrm{QCD}}\right) $$

O

Λ

Q
C
D

renormalon sum rule, and can be applied to any perturbative series. The relations of the MSR mass scheme to other low-scale short-distance masses are analyzed as well.
U(1) symmetric α-attractors
Authors: Yamada Yusuke
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We present a class of supergravityα-attractors with an approximate global U(1) symmetry corresponding to the axion direction. We also develop a multi-field generalization of these models and show that theα-attractor models with U(1) symmetries have a dual description in terms of a two-form superfield coupled to a three-form superfield.
Unconventional supersymmetry at the boundary of AdS4 supergravity
Authors: Andrianopoli L. , Cerchiai B. L. , D’Auria R. , Trigiante M.
Published: April 2018

Abstract

In this paper we perform, in the spirit of the holographic correspondence, a particular asymptotic limit of$$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$N=2, AdS4supergravity to$$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$N=2supergravity on a locally AdS3boundary. Our boundary theory enjoys OSp(2|2) × SO(1,2) invariance and is shown to contain theD= 3 super-Chern Simons OSp(2|2) theory considered in [1] and featuring “unconventional local supersymmetry”. The model constructed in that reference describes the dynamics of a spin-1/2 Dirac field in the absence of spin 3/2 gravitini and was shown to be relevant for the description of graphene, near the Dirac points, for specific spatial geometries. Our construction yields the model in [1] with a specific prescription on the parameters. In this framework the Dirac spin-1/2 fermion originates from the radial components of the gravitini inD= 4.
Moving the CFT into the bulk with $$ T\overline{T} $$
Authors: McGough Lauren , Mezei Márk , Verlinde Herman
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Recent work by Zamolodchikov and others has uncovered a solvable irrelevant deformation of general 2D CFTs, defined by turning on the dimension 4 operator

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

,the product of the left- and right-moving stress tensor. We propose that in the holographic dual, this deformation represents a geometric cutoff that removes the asymptotic region of AdS and places the QFT on a Dirichlet wall at finite radial distance r = r

c
in the bulk. As a quantitative check of the proposed duality, we compute the signal propagation speed, energy spectrum, and thermodynamic relations on both sides. In all cases, we obtain a precise match. We derive an exact RG flow equation for the metric dependence of the effective action of the

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

deformed theory, and find that it coincides with the Hamilton-Jacobi equation that governs the radial evolution of the classical gravity action in AdS.
On Minimal Dark Matter coupled to the Higgs
Authors: Honorez Laura Lopez , Tytgat Michel H. G. , Tziveloglou Pantelis , Zaldivar Bryan
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We provide a unified presentation of extensions of the Minimal Dark Matter framework in which new fermionic electroweak multiplets are coupled to each other via the Standard Model Higgs doublet. We study systematically the generic features of all the possibilities, starting with a singlet and two doublets (akin to Bino-Higgsino dark matter) up to a Majorana quintuplet coupled to two Weyl quadruplets. We pay special attention to this last case, since it has not yet been discussed in the literature. We estimate the parameter space for viable dark matter candidates. This includes an estimate for the mass of a quasi-pure quadruplet dark matter candidate taking into account the Sommerfeld effect. We also argue how the coupling to the Higgs can bring the Minimal Dark Matter scenario within the reach of present and future direct detection experiments.
How to succeed at holographic correlators without really trying
Authors: Rastelli Leonardo , Zhou Xinan
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We give a detailed account of the methods introduced in [1] to calculate holographic four-point correlators in IIB supergravity on AdS5 × S
5. Our approach relies entirely on general consistency conditions and maximal supersymmetry. We discuss two related methods, one in position space and the other in Mellin space. The position space method is based on the observation that the holographic four-point correlators of one-half BPS single-trace operators can be written as finite sums of contact Witten diagrams. We demonstrate in several examples that imposing the superconformal Ward identity is sufficient to fix the parameters of this ansatz uniquely, avoiding the need for a detailed knowledge of the supergravity effective action. The Mellin space approach is an “on-shell method” inspired by the close analogy between holographic correlators and flat space scattering amplitudes. We conjecture a compact formula for the four-point correlators of one-half BPS single-trace operators of arbitrary weights. Our general formula has the expected analytic structure, obeys the superconformal Ward identity, satisfies the appropriate asymptotic conditions and reproduces all the previously calculated cases. We believe that these conditions determine it uniquely.
Boomerang RG flows with intermediate conformal invariance
Authors: Donos Aristomenis , Gauntlett Jerome P. , Rosen Christopher , Sosa-Rodriguez Omar
Published: April 2018

Abstract

For a class of D = 5 holographic models we construct boomerang RG flow solutions that start in the UV at an AdS
5 vacuum and end up at the same vacuum in the IR. The RG flows are driven by deformations by relevant operators that explicitly break translation invariance. For specific models, such that they admit another AdS
5 solution, AdS
5

c

, we show that for large enough deformations the RG flows approach an intermediate scaling regime with approximate conformal invariance governed by AdS
5

c

. For these flows we calculate the holographic entanglement entropy and the entropic c-function for the RG flows. The latter is not monotonic, but it does encapsulate the degrees of freedom in each scaling region. For a different set of models, we find boomerang RG flows with intermediate scaling governed by an AdS
2 × ℝ3 solution which breaks translation invariance. Furthermore, for large enough deformations these models have interesting and novel thermal insulating ground states for which the entropy vanishes as the temperature goes to zero, but not as a power-law. Remarkably, the thermal diffusivity and the butterfly velocity for these new insulating ground states are related via D = Ev

B

2
/(2πT), with E(T) → 0.5 as T → 0.
A stringy glimpse into the black hole horizon
Authors: Itzhaki Nissan , Liram Lior
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We elaborate on the recent claim [1] that non-perturbative effects in α′, which are at the core of the FZZ duality, render the region just behind the horizon of the SL(2, ℝ)
k
/U(1) black hole singular already at the classical level (g

s
= 0). We argue that the 2D classical SL(2, ℝ)
k
/U(1) black hole could shed some light on quantum black holes in higher dimensions including large black holes in AdS5 × S
5.
A Standard for the Scholarly Citation of Archaeological Data as an Incentive to Data Sharing
Authors: Marwick Ben , Birch Suzanne E. Pilaar
Published: April 2018

How do archaeologists share their research data, if at all? We review what data are, according to current influential definitions, and previous work on the benefits, costs, and norms of data sharing in the sciences broadly. To understand data sharing in archaeology, we present the results of three pilot studies: requests for data by e-mail, review of data availability in published articles, and analysis of archaeological datasets deposited in repositories. We find that archaeologists are often willing to share but that discipline-wide sharing is patchy and ad hoc. Legislation and mandates are effective at increasing data sharing, but editorial policies at journals lack adequate enforcement. Although most of the data available at repositories are licensed to enable flexible reuse, only a small proportion of the data are stored in structured formats for easy reuse. We present some suggestions for improving the state of date sharing in archaeology; among these is a standard for citing datasets to ensure that researchers making their data publicly available receive appropriate credit.
Emergency department ultrasound for the detection of B-lines in the early diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: McGivery Kyle , Atkinson Paul , Lewis David , Taylor Luke , Harris Tim , Gadd Kathleen , Fraser Jacqueline , Stoica George
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Dyspnea is a common presenting problem that creates a diagnostic challenge for physicians in the emergency department (ED). While the differential diagnosis is broad, acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a frequent cause that can be challenging to differentiate from other etiologies. Recent studies have suggested a potential diagnostic role for emergency lung ultrasound (US). The objective of this systematic review was to assess the accuracy of early bedside lung US in patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea.

Methods

A systematic search of EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library was performed in addition to a grey literature search. We selected prospective studies that reported on the sensitivity and specificity of B-lines from early lung ultrasound in dyspneic patients presenting to the ED. Selected studies underwent quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal and Skills Program (CASP) questionnaire.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

The search yielded 3674 articles; seven studies met inclusion criteria and fulfilled CASP requirements for a total of 1861 patients. Summary statistics from the meta-analysis showed that as a diagnostic test for ADHF, bedside lung US had a pooled sensitivity of 82.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]=66.4% to 91.8%) and a pooled specificity of 83.6% (95% CI=72.4% to 90.8%).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that in patients presenting to the ED with undifferentiated dyspnea, B-lines from early bedside lung US may be reliably used as an adjunct to current diagnostic methods. The incorporation of lung US may lead to more appropriate and timely diagnosis of patients with undifferentiated ADHF.
A phonological, lexical, and phonetic analysis of the new words that young children imitate
Authors: Zamuner Tania S. , Thiessen Andrea
Published: April 2018

As children learn language, they spontaneously imitate the speech of those around them. This article investigates the new words that five children imitated between 1 and 2 years of age. Children were more likely to imitate new words as they aged and as their productive language developed. After controlling for age, children also were more likely to imitate new words that were shorter and with high neighborhood densities, and that contained sounds the children had previously produced accurately. Together, the findings demonstrate that both the patterns of the target words and children's productive abilities are predictors of children's imitative speech. This supports models of language development where there are influences stemming not only from phonological and lexical representations, but also from phonetic representations.
Recurrence on affine Grassmannians
Authors: BENOIST YVES , BRUÈRE CAROLINE
Published: April 2018

We study the action of the affine group$G$of$\mathbb{R}^{d}$on the space$X_{k,\,d}$of$k$-dimensional affine subspaces. Given a compactly supported Zariski dense probability measure$\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$on$G$, we show that$X_{k,d}$supports a$\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$-stationary measure$\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$if and only if the$(k+1)\text{th}$Lyapunov exponent of$\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$is strictly negative. In particular, when$\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$is symmetric,$\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$exists if and only if$2k\geq d$.