Venezuela: The failure of the fifth republic

The turmoil that has rocked Venezuela since early February has resulted in almost 30 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and 1,500 detentions (see timeline here). Although such protests were never likely to threaten the survival of the regime, their intensity, breadth, and duration have exposed the deep cleavages and polarization in Venezuelan society. The intent of many of the protesters is clear: to bring down a government elected less than a year ago

Large-Area, High Spatial Resolution Land Cover Mapping Using Random Forests, GEOBIA, and NAIP Orthophotography: Findings and Recommendations

Despite the need for quality land cover information, large-area, high spatial resolution land cover mapping has proven to be a difficult task for a variety of reasons including large data volumes, complexity of developing training and validation datasets, data availability, and heterogeneity in data and landscape conditions. We investigate the use of geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA), random forest (RF) machine learning, and National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) orthophotography for mapping general land cover across the entire state of West Virginia, USA, an area of roughly 62,000 km2. We obtained an overall accuracy of 96.7% and a Kappa statistic of 0.886 using a combination of NAIP orthophotography and ancillary data. Despite the high overall classification accuracy, some classes were difficult to differentiate, as highlight by the low user’s and producer’s accuracies for the barren, impervious, and mixed developed classes. In contrast, forest, low vegetation, and water were generally mapped with accuracy. The inclusion of ancillary data and first- and second-order textural measures generally improved classification accuracy whereas band indices and object geometric measures were less valuable. Including super-object attributes improved the classification slightly; however, this increased the computational time and complexity. From the findings of this research and previous studies, recommendations are provided for mapping large spatial extents

Wearable activity technology and action-planning (WATAAP) to promote physical activity in cancer survivors: Randomised controlled trial protocol

Background/Objective: Colorectal and gynecologic cancer survivors are at cardiovascular risk due to comorbidities and sedentary behaviour, warranting a feasible intervention to increase physical activity. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is a promising theoretical frame-work for health behaviour change, and wearable physical activity trackers offer a novel means of self-monitoring physical activity for cancer survivors. Method: Sixty-eight survivors of colorectal and gynecologic cancer will be randomised into 12- week intervention and control groups. Intervention group participants will receive: a Fitbit AltaTM to monitor physical activity, HAPA-based group sessions, booklet, and support phone-call. Participants in the control group will only receive the HAPA-based booklet. Physical activity (using accelerometers), blood pressure, BMI, and HAPA constructs will be assessed at baseline, 12-weeks (post-intervention) and 24-weeks (follow-up). Data analysis will use the Group x Time interaction from a General Linear Mixed Model analysis. Conclusions: Physical activity interventions that are acceptable and have robust theoretical underpinnings show promise for improving the health of cancer survivors

Wearable activity technology and action-planning (WATAAP) to promote physical activity in cancer survivors: Randomised controlled trial protocol

FUNDAMENTOS/OBJETIVO: Los sobrevivientes de cáncer colorrectal y ginecológico corren riesgo cardiovascular debido a las comorbilidades y al comportamiento sedentario, lo que justifica una intervención factible para aumentar la actividad física. El Enfoque del Proceso de Acción Sanitaria (HAPA) es un marco teórico prometedor para el cambio de comportamiento en materia de salud, y los rastreadores de actividad física que se pueden llevar puestos ofrecen un medio novedoso de autocontrol de la actividad física para los supervivientes de cáncer. MÉTODO: Sesenta y ocho sobrevivientes de cáncer colorrectal y ginecológico serán asignados al azar a grupos de intervención y control de 12 semanas. Los participantes del grupo de intervención recibirán: un Fitbit AltaTM para monitorear la actividad física, sesiones de grupo basadas en HAPA, un folleto y una llamada telefónica de apoyo. Los participantes del grupo de control sólo recibirán el folleto basado en HAPA. La actividad física (utilizando acelerómetros), la presión sanguínea, el IMC y las construcciones HAPA se evaluarán en la línea de base, a las 12 semanas (después de la intervención) y a las 24 semanas (seguimiento). El análisis de los datos utilizará la interacción Grupo x Tiempo de un análisis de Modelo Mixto Lineal General. CONCLUSIONES: Las intervenciones de actividad física que son aceptables y que tienen sólidos fundamentos teóricos son prometedoras para mejorar la salud de los sobrevivientes de cáncer.BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Colorectal and gynecologic cancer survivors are at cardiovascular risk due to comorbidities and sedentary behaviour, warranting a feasible intervention to increase physical activity. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is a promising theoretical framework for health behaviour change, and wearable physical activity trackers offer a novel means of self-monitoring physical activity for cancer survivors. METHOD: Sixty-eight survivors of colorectal and gynecologic cancer will be randomised into 12-week intervention and control groups. Intervention group participants will receive: a Fitbit AltaTM to monitor physical activity, HAPA-based group sessions, booklet, and support phonecall. Participants in the control group will only receive the HAPA-based booklet. Physical activity (using accelerometers), blood pressure, BMI, and HAPA constructs will be assessed at baseline, 12-weeks (post-intervention) and 24-weeks (follow-up). Data analysis will use the Group x Time interaction from a General Linear Mixed Model analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity interventions that are acceptable and have robust theoretical underpinnings show promise for improving the health of cancer survivors.• The Tonkinson Colorectal Cancer Research. Subvención 57838 • St. John of God Gynecologic Oncology Research Group (Western Australia). AyudapeerReviewe

The pd <--> pi+ t reaction around the Delta resonance

The pd pi+ t process has been calculated in the energy region around the Delta-resonance with elementary production/absorption mechanisms involving one and two nucleons. The isobar degrees of freedom have been explicitly included in the two-nucleon mechanism via pi-- and rho-exchange diagrams. No free parameters have been employed in the analysis since all the parameters have been fixed in previous studies on the simpler pp pi+ d process. The treatment of the few-nucleon dynamics entailed a Faddeev-based calculation of the reaction, with continuum calculations for the initial p-d state and accurate solutions of the three-nucleon bound-state equation. The integral cross-section was found to be quite sensitive to the NN interaction employed while the angular dependence showed less sensitivity. Approximately a 4% effect was found for the one-body mechanism, for the three-nucleon dynamics in the p-d channel, and for the inclusion of a large, possibly converged, number of three-body partial states, indicating that these different aspects are of comparable importance in the calculation of the spin-averaged observables.Comment: 40 Pages, RevTex, plus 5 PostScript figure

A Locked Nucleic Acid Antisense Oligonucleotide (LNA) Silences PCSK9 and Enhances LDLR Expression In Vitro and In Vivo

The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an important factor in the etiology of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and is also an attractive therapeutic target to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. PCSK9 accelerates the degradation of hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and low levels of hepatic PCSK9 activity are associated with reduced levels of circulating LDL-cholesterol.The present study presents the first evidence for the efficacy of a locked nucleic acid (LNA) antisense oligonucleotide (LNA ASO) that targets both human and mouse PCSK9. We employed human hepatocytes derived cell lines HepG2 and HuH7 and a pancreatic mouse beta-TC3 cell line known to express high endogenous levels of PCSK9. LNA ASO efficiently reduced the mRNA and protein levels of PCSK9 with a concomitant increase in LDLR protein levels after transfection in these cells. In vivo efficacy of LNA ASO was further investigated in mice by tail vein intravenous administration of LNA ASO in saline solution. The level of PCSK9 mRNA was reduced by approximately 60%, an effect lasting more than 16 days. Hepatic LDLR protein levels were significantly up-regulated by 2.5-3 folds for at least 8 days and approximately 2 fold for 16 days. Finally, measurement of liver alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels revealed that long term LNA ASO treatment (7 weeks) does not cause hepatotoxicity.LNA-mediated PCSK9 mRNA inhibition displayed potent reduction of PCSK9 in cell lines and mouse liver. Our data clearly revealed the efficacy and safety of LNA ASO in reducing PCSK9 levels, an approach that is now ready for testing in primates. The major significance and take home message of this work is the development of a novel and promising approach for human therapeutic intervention of the PCSK9 pathway and hence for reducing some of the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome

A randomized controlled trial of Promoting Physical Activity in Regional and Remote Cancer Survivors (PPARCS).

Background Physical activity (PA) is important for cancer survivors. Trials of remotely delivered interventions are needed to assist in reaching under-served non-metropolitan cancer survivors. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether wearable technology, coupled with health coaching was effective in increasing PA in breast and colorectal cancer survivors living in regional and remote areas in Australia. Methods Cancer survivors from 5 states were randomized to intervention and control arms. Intervention participants were given a Fitbit Charge 2 and received up to 6 telephone health coaching sessions. Control participants received PA print materials. Accelerometer assessments at baseline and 12 weeks measured moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA, and sedentary behavior. Results Eighty-seven participants were recruited (age = 63 ± 11 years; 74 (85%) female). There was a significant net improvement in MVPA of 50 min/week, favoring the intervention group (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 13.6–86.1, p = 0.007). There was also a net increase in MVPA bouts of 39.5 min/week (95%CI: 11.9–67.1, p = 0.005), favoring the intervention group. Both groups improved light PA and sedentary behavior, but there were no between-group differences. Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate that, when compared to standard practice (i.e., PA education), a wearable technology intervention coupled with distance-based health coaching, improves MVPA in non-metropolitan cancer survivors. The results display promise for the use of scalable interventions using smart wearable technology in conjunction with phone-based health coaching to foster increased PA in geographically disadvantaged cancer survivors

The promoting physical activity in regional and remote cancer survivors ( PPARCS ) trial: Physical activity maintenance

Introduction: The study examined whether increased physical activity (PA) in nonmetropolitan cancer survivors was maintained 12 weeks following the PPARCS intervention. Methods: PA outcomes were assessed using an accelerometer at baseline, end of the intervention, and at 24 weeks. Linear mixed models were used to examine between‐group changes in PA outcomes. Results: The increased moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA) following intervention was maintained with significantly higher MVPA in the intervention group at 24 weeks (vs. controls) compared to baseline nett change of 52.5 min/week (95% CI 11.0–94.0.4). Conclusions: Distance‐based interventions using wearables and health coaching may produce MVPA maintenance amongst nonmetropolitan cancer survivors

Joint effects of climate, tree size, and year on annual tree growth derived from tree-ring records of ten globally distributed forests

Tree rings provide an invaluable long-term record for understanding how climate and other drivers shape tree growth and forest productivity. However, conventional tree-ring analysis methods were not designed to simultaneously test effects of climate, tree size, and other drivers on individual growth. This has limited the potential to test ecologically relevant hypotheses on tree growth sensitivity to environmental drivers and their interactions with tree size. Here, we develop and apply a new method to simultaneously model nonlinear effects of primary climate drivers, reconstructed tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and calendar year in generalized least squares models that account for the temporal autocorrelation inherent to each individual tree\u27s growth. We analyze data from 3811 trees representing 40 species at 10 globally distributed sites, showing that precipitation, temperature, DBH, and calendar year have additively, and often interactively, influenced annual growth over the past 120 years. Growth responses were predominantly positive to precipitation (usually over ≥3-month seasonal windows) and negative to temperature (usually maximum temperature, over ≤3-month seasonal windows), with concave-down responses in 63% of relationships. Climate sensitivity commonly varied with DBH (45% of cases tested), with larger trees usually more sensitive. Trends in ring width at small DBH were linked to the light environment under which trees established, but basal area or biomass increments consistently reached maxima at intermediate DBH. Accounting for climate and DBH, growth rate declined over time for 92% of species in secondary or disturbed stands, whereas growth trends were mixed in older forests. These trends were largely attributable to stand dynamics as cohorts and stands age, which remain challenging to disentangle from global change drivers. By providing a parsimonious approach for characterizing multiple interacting drivers of tree growth, our method reveals a more complete picture of the factors influencing growth than has previously been possible

Correlates of Cooperation in a One-Shot High-Stakes Televised Prisoners' Dilemma

Explaining cooperation between non-relatives is a puzzle for both evolutionary biology and the social sciences. In humans, cooperation is often studied in a laboratory setting using economic games such as the prisoners' dilemma. However, such experiments are sometimes criticized for being played for low stakes and by misrepresentative student samples. Golden balls is a televised game show that uses the prisoners' dilemma, with a diverse range of participants, often playing for very large stakes. We use this non-experimental dataset to investigate the factors that influence cooperation when “playing” for considerably larger stakes than found in economic experiments. The game show has earlier stages that allow for an analysis of lying and voting decisions. We found that contestants were sensitive to the stakes involved, cooperating less when the stakes were larger in both absolute and relative terms. We also found that older contestants were more likely to cooperate, that liars received less cooperative behavior, but only if they told a certain type of lie, and that physical contact was associated with reduced cooperation, whereas laughter and promises were reliable signals or cues of cooperation, but were not necessarily detected