Encoding points on hyperelliptic curves over finite fields in deterministic polynomial time

We present families of (hyper)elliptic curve which admit an efficient deterministic encoding function

Cultural basis of social ‘deficits’ in autism spectrum disorders

There is very little research that specifically looks at how autism spectrum disorders are perceived in various communities. This qualitative research was conducted with parents who had children on the autistic spectrum belonging to four different ethnic communities (White British, Somali, West African and South Asian- 63 in total) and living in the UK. The study found that the importance that the parents give to various social skills varied on the basis of their cultural background and the gender of the parent. This is an important aspect to consider while providing support and services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members if the services have to be appropriate for their needs. This consideration would also enable the individuals on the autism spectrum to develop appropriate social skills required within their cultural groups. This is a preliminary study and further research on the topic is required

Effect of soy on bone turn-over markers in men with type 2 diabetes and hypogonadism – a randomised controlled study

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with increased risk of fractures. Soy supplementation has been shown to have a beneficial effect on bone turnover markers (BTM) in postmenopausal women. However, the effect of soy supplementation on BTM in T2DM and particularly in men is unclear. We performed an analysis of a randomized double blind parallel study of 200 men with T2DM treated with soy, either with or without isoflavones. Outcome measures were type I collagen crosslinked beta C-telopeptide (βCTX), and type 1 procollagen-N-propeptide (P1NP). The men, with a total testosterone <12 nmol/L, were treated with 15 g soy protein containing 66 mg of isoflavones (SPI) or 15 g soy protein alone without isoflavones (SP) daily for three months. There was a 15% reduction in βCTX after three months of SPI compared to SP supplementation. There was no significant difference in P1NP with either SPI or SP supplementation. There was a significant linear correlation between the reduction in βCTX in the SPI group with the reduction in HbA1c (r2 = 0.42; p = 0.04) and HOMA-IR (r2 = 0.54; p = 0.02). Our study indicates that there was a significant reduction in bone resorption following 3 months of SPI supplementation that correlated with an improvement of glycemic control in men with T2DM

Disparate Effects of Atorvastatin Compared With Simvastatin on C-Reactive Protein Concentrations in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE - Reduction in LDL and high sensitivity (hs) C-reactive protein (CRP) are independent indicators of successful cardiovascular risk reduction with statins. This study compared the effect of equivalent LDL-lowering doses of simvastatin and atorvastatin on hsCRP in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A crossover study of 26 patients with type 2 diabetes taking either 40 mg simvastatin or 10 mg atorvastatin was undertaken. After 3 months on one statin, lipids and hsCRP were measured on 10 occasions over a 5-week period. The same procedure was then followed taking the other statin. RESULTS - LDL was comparable on either treatment: atorvastatin 2.2 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.3 mmol/l (mean +/- SD; P = 0.19). CRP of individuals taking atorvastatin was significantly lower than when they were taking simvastatin (median 1.08 vs. 1.47 mg/l, P = 0.0002) and was less variable (median SD of logCRP 0.0036 vs. 0.178, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS - Compared with simvastatin, atorvastatin reduced hsCRP and its variability in type 2 diabetic patients. This enhanced anti-inflammatory effect may prove beneficial if lower CRP is associated with improved cardiovascular risk

Perceptions of the Impact of Positive Action in EU and non-EU Countries

yesAbstract: Around the world, inequalities exist around boundaries of race, social class, gender, disability, religious beliefs and sexual orientation, often resulting from past and current discriminatory practices. Governments have taken certain measures, including enacting policies such as positive action, to remedy such discrimination. This paper provides a comparative analysis of perceptions of the impact of positive action in seven EU and three non-EU countries. The study adopted participatory methods including consensus workshops, interviews and policy analysis to obtain data from designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at the EC, individual countries and organisational levels

Methodological Challenges of Researching Positive Action Measures

This paper highlights some ofthe methodological challenges which have arisen in collecting data for an international study on positive action measures. It will describe strategies employed to encourage participation in the study from as wide a range of organisations and individuals using a mixed method approach. The paper will also discuss the methodological and sensitive issues related to this type of research in organisations and strategies adopted by the research team to ameliorate any problems that have arisen whilst maintaining trustworthiness and rigour in the study

Positive Action Measures Across Different Equality Grounds, Organisations and Sectors in European and Non-european Countries

yesAbstract: This article is based on a large-scale European Commission project on international perspectives on positive action measures. The paper presents an analysis of the perceptions of positive action held by respondents from all the countries participating in an international survey, focussing specifically upon differences across equality grounds, sector and organisation type. This paper will also provide examples of positive action being applied in European and non-European countries that participated in the study. The study adopted extensive literate and online survey to obtain data from designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at the European Commission, individual countries and organisational levels

Challenges in QCD matter physics --The scientific programme of the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (sNN= 2.7--4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials (μB&gt; 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation of state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2024, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter

Diagnostic pathways in multiple myeloma and their relationship to end organ damage: an analysis from the Tackling Early Morbidity and Mortality in Myeloma (TEAMM) trial.

Multiple myeloma is associated with significant early morbidity and mortality, with considerable end organ damage often present at diagnosis. The Tackling EArly Morbidity and Mortality in Multiple Myeloma (TEAMM) trial was used to evaluate routes to diagnosis in patients with myeloma and the relationship between diagnostic pathways, time to diagnosis and disease severity. A total of 915 participants were included in the study. Fifty-one per cent were diagnosed by direct referral from primary care to haematology; 29% were diagnosed via acute services and 20% were referred via other secondary care specialties. Patients diagnosed via other secondary care specialties had a longer diagnostic interval (median 120 days vs. 59 days) without an increase in features of severe disease, suggesting they had a relatively indolent disease. Marked intrahospital delay suggests possible scope for improvement. A quarter of those diagnosed through acute services reported >30 days from initial hospital consultation to haematology assessment. Participants diagnosed through acute services had poorer performance status (P < 0·0001) and higher burden of end organ damage (P < 0·0001) with no difference in the overall length of diagnostic pathway compared to those diagnosed by direct referral (median 59 days). This suggests that advanced disease in patients presenting through acute services predominantly reflects disease aggression