Isocurvature fluctuations in the effective Newton's constant

We present a new isocurvature mode present in scalar-tensor theories of gravity that corresponds to a regular growing solution in which the energy of the relativistic degrees of freedom and the scalar field that regulates the gravitational strength compensate during the radiation dominated epoch on scales much larger than the Hubble radius. We study this isocurvature mode and its impact on anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background for the simplest scalar-tensor theory, i.e. the extended Jordan-Brans-Dicke gravity, in which the scalar field also drives the acceleration of the Universe. We use Planck data to constrain the amplitude of this isocurvature mode in the case of fixed correlation with the adiabatic mode and we show how this mode could be generated in a simple two field inflation model.Comment: Version updated to match published version. No changes in the result

Irrational beliefs and their role in specific and non-specific eating disorder symptomatology and cognitive reappraisal in eating disorders

Background: Research on which specific maladaptive cognitions characterize eating disorders (ED) is lacking. This study explores irrational beliefs (IBs) in ED patients and controls and the association between IBs and ED-specific and non-specific ED symptomatology and cognitive reappraisal. Methods: 79 ED outpatients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other specified feeding or eating disorders and 95 controls completed the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-2 (ABS-2) for IBs. ED outpatients also completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) for ED-specific (EDI-3-ED Risk) and non-specific (EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment) symptomatology; General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for general psychopathology; Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) for cognitive reappraisal. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons showed that ED outpatients exhibit greater ABS-2-Awfulizing, ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations, and ABS-2-Low Frustration Tolerance than controls. No differences emerged between ED diagnoses. According to stepwise linear regression analyses, body mass index (BMI) and ABS-2-Awfulizing predicted greater EDI-3-ED Risk, while ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations and GHQ predicted greater EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment and lower ERQ-Cognitive Reappraisal. Con-clusion: Awfulizing and negative global evaluation contribute to better explaining ED-specific and non-specific ED symptoms and cognitive reappraisal. Therefore, including them, together with BMI and general psychopathology, when assessing ED patients and planning cognitive–behavioral treatment is warranted

Cosmological effects of the Galileon term in Scalar-Tensor Theories

We study the cosmological effects of a Galileon term in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. The subset of scalar-tensor theories considered are characterized by a non-minimal coupling $F(\sigma) R$, a kinetic term with arbitrary sign $Z (\partial \sigma)^2$ with $Z = \pm 1$, a potential $V(\sigma)$, and a Galileon term $G_3(\sigma, (\partial \sigma)^2) \square \sigma$. In addition to the modified dynamics, the Galileon term provides a screening mechanism to potentially reconcile the models with General Relativity predictions inside a Vainshtein radius. Thanks to the Galileon term, the stability conditions, namely ghost and Laplacian instabilities, in the branch with a negative kinetic term ($Z = -1$) are fulfilled for a large volume of the parameter space. Solving numerically the background evolution and linear perturbations, we derive the constraints on the cosmological parameters in presence of a Galileon term for different combination of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from Planck, baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) measurements from BOSS, and supernovae from the Pantheon compilation. We find that the Galileon term alters the dynamics of all the studied cases. For a standard kinetic term ($Z = 1$), we find that Planck data and a compilation of BAO data constrain the Galileon term to small values that allow screening very inefficiently. For a negative kinetic term ($Z = -1$), a Galileon term and a non-zero potential lead to an efficient screening in a physically viable regime of the theory, with a value for the Hubble constant today which alleviates the tension between its CMB and local determinations. For a vanishing potential, the case with $Z=-1$ and the Galileon term driving the late acceleration of the Universe is ruled out by Planck data.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, 4 table

Planck 2015 results. XX. Constraints on inflation

We present the implications for cosmic inflation of the Planck measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies in both temperature and polarization based on the full Planck survey. The Planck full mission temperature data and a first release of polarization data on large angular scales measure the spectral index of curvature perturbations to be n s = 0.968 ± 0.006 and tightly constrain its scale dependence to dn s /dlnk = −0.003 ± 0.007 when combined with the Planck lensing likelihood. When the high-ℓ polarization data is included, the results are consistent and uncertainties are reduced. The upper bound on the tensor-to-scalar ratio is r 0.002 <0.11 (95% CL), consistent with the B-mode polarization constraint r<0.12 (95% CL) obtained from a joint BICEP2/Keck Array and Planck analysis. These results imply that V(ϕ)∝ϕ 2 and natural inflation are now disfavoured compared to models predicting a smaller tensor-to-scalar ratio, such as R 2 inflation. Three independent methods reconstructing the primordial power spectrum are investigated. The Planck data are consistent with adiabatic primordial perturbations. We investigate inflationary models producing an anisotropic modulation of the primordial curvature power spectrum as well as generalized models of inflation not governed by a scalar field with a canonical kinetic term. The 2015 results are consistent with the 2013 analysis based on the nominal mission data

Scalar-tensor theories of gravity, neutrino physics, and the H0 tension

We use Planck 2018 data to constrain the simplest models of scalar-tensor theories characterized by a coupling to the Ricci scalar of the type F(σ)R with F(σ) = N2 pl + ξσ2 . We update our results with previous Planck and BAO data releases obtaining the tightest constraints to date on the coupling parameters, that is ξ < 5.5 × 10−4 for Npl = 0 (induced gravity or equivalently extended Jordan-Brans-Dicke) and (Npl √ 8πG) − 1 < 1.8 × 10−5 for ξ = −1/6 (conformal coupling), both at 95% CL. Because of a modified expansion history after radiation-matter equality compared to the ΛCDM model, all these dynamical models accommodate a higher value for H0 and therefore alleviate the tension between Planck/BAO and distance-ladder measurement from SNe Ia data from 4.4σ at best to 2.7-3.2σ with CMB alone and 3.5-3.6σ including BAO data

High rate of colistin resistance among patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection accounts for an excess of mortality

AbstractCarbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) is becoming a common cause of healthcare-associated infection in Italy, with high morbidity and mortality. Prevalent CR-KP clones and resistance mechanisms vary between regions and over time. Therapeutic approaches and their impact on mortality have to be investigated. We performed a prospective study of patients with CR-KP isolation, hospitalized in nine hospitals of Rome, Italy, from December 2010 to May 2011, to describe the molecular epidemiology, antibiotic treatment and risk factors for mortality. Overall, 97 patients (60% male, median age 69 years) were enrolled. Strains producing blaKPC-3 were identified in 89 patients, blaVIM in three patients and blaCTX-M-15 plus porin defects in the remaining five patients. Inter-hospital spread of two major clones, ST512 and ST258, was found. Overall, 36.1% and 20.4% of strains were also resistant to colistin and tigecycline, respectively. Infection was diagnosed in 91 patients who received appropriate antibiotic treatment, combination therapy and removal of the infectious source in 73.6%, 59.3% and 28.5% of cases, respectively. Overall, 23 different antibiotic regimens were prescribed. In-hospital mortality was 25.8%. Multivariate analysis adjusted for appropriate treatment, combination therapy and infectious-source removal, showed that Charlson comorbidity score, intensive-care unit onset of infection, bacteraemia and infection due to a colistin-resistant CR-KP strain were independent risk factors for mortality. The spread of clones producing K. pneumoniae carbapenemases, mainly ST258, is currently the major cause of CR-KP infection in central Italy. We observed a high rate of resistance to colistin that is independently associated with worse outcome

Mating proximity blinds threat perception

\ua9 The Author(s) 2024.Romantic engagement can bias sensory perception. This ‘love blindness’ reflects a common behavioural principle across organisms: favouring pursuit of a coveted reward over potential risks1. In the case of animal courtship, such sensory biases may support reproductive success but can also expose individuals to danger, such as predation2,3. However, how neural networks balance the trade-off between risk and reward is unknown. Here we discover a dopamine-governed filter mechanism in male Drosophila that reduces threat perception as courtship progresses. We show that during early courtship stages, threat-activated visual neurons inhibit central courtship nodes via specific serotonergic neurons. This serotonergic inhibition prompts flies to abort courtship when they see imminent danger. However, as flies advance in the courtship process, the dopaminergic filter system reduces visual threat responses, shifting the balance from survival to mating. By recording neural activity from males as they approach mating, we demonstrate that progress in courtship is registered as dopaminergic activity levels ramping up. This dopamine signalling inhibits the visual threat detection pathway via Dop2R receptors, allowing male flies to focus on courtship when they are close to copulation. Thus, dopamine signalling biases sensory perception based on perceived goal proximity, to prioritize between competing behaviours

Self-reported history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women in Northern Italy: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The incidence of invasive cervical cancer in HIV-positive women is higher than in the general population. There is evidence that HIV-positive women do not participate sufficiently in cervical cancer screening in Italy, where cervical cancer is more than 10-fold higher in women with AIDS than in the general population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women in Italy in recent years. We also examined the sociodemographic, clinical, and organizational factors associated with adherence to cervical cancer screening.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2006 and June 2007 in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy). All HIV-positive women who received a follow-up visit in one of the 10 regional infectivology units were invited to participate. History of Pap-smear, including abnormal smears and subsequent treatment, was investigated through a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. The association between lack of Pap-smear in the year preceding the interview and selected characteristics was assessed by means of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for study centre and age.RESULTS: A total of 1,002 HIV-positive women were interviewed. Nine percent reported no history of Pap-smear, and 39% had no Pap-smear in the year prior to the date of questionnaire (last year). The lack of Pap-smear in the last year was significantly associated with age &lt;35 years (OR = 1.4, compared to age &gt; or =45 years), lower education level (OR = 1.3), first HIV-positive test in the last 2 years (OR = 1.4), and CD4 count &lt;200 cells/microl (OR = 1.6). Conversely, when women were advised by a gynecologist rather than other health workers to undergo screening, it significantly increased adherence. Non-significantly higher proportions of lack of Pap-smear in the last year were found in women born in Central-Eastern Europe (OR = 1.8) and Africa (OR = 1.3). No difference in history of Pap-smear emerged by mode of HIV-acquisition or AIDS status.Three hundred five (34%) women reported a previous abnormal Pap-smear, and of the 178 (58%) referred for treatment, 97% complied.CONCLUSIONS: In recent years the self-reported history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women, in some public clinics in Italy, is higher than previously reported, but further efforts are required to make sure cervical cancer screening is accessible to all HIV-positive women