Eclipsing binaries in the Magellanic Clouds. uvby CCD light curves and photometric analyses for HV982 (LMC), HV12578 (LMC), HV1433 (SMC), and HV11284 (SMC)

We present new accurate CCD uvby light curves for the LMC eclipsing binaries HV982 and HV12578, and for the SMC systems HV1433 and HV11284 obtained at the Danish 1.5m telescope at ESO, La Silla. The light curves were derived from DoPHOT photometry, and typical accuracies are between 0.007 and 0.012 mag per point. Standard uvby indices have also been established for each binary, primarily for determination of interstellar reddening and absorption. For HV982 and HV12578, accurate photometric elements have been established. Both systems consist of two detached components of comparable sizes in an eccentric orbit. Adopting the spectroscopic elements given by Fitzpatrick et al. 2002 for HV982, we derive absolute dimensions of its components which agree well with their results. A distance modulus of V_0-M_V = 18.63 +/- 0.08 is obtained, corresponding to a distance of 52.6 +/- 2.0 kpc, which is in formal agreement with (although slightly larger than) their determination. HV1433 and HV11284 both consist of two rather close, deformed and quite different stars. As the mass ratios between the components (and their rotation rates) are not known, definitive photometric elements can not yet be obtained, but we present a sample of possible photometric solutions. In a series of forthcoming papers we will combine our uvby observations with high-dispersion spectra from the UVES spectrograph on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) and present absolute dimensions, chemical abundances and distances for selected LMC and SMC systems, including HV12578 and refined results for HV982.Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures, 40 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Phenomenological constraints on SUSY SU(5) GUTs with non-universal gaugino masses

We study phenomenological aspects of supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified theories with non-universal gaugino masses. For large tan beta, we investigate constraints from the requirement of successful electroweak symmetry breaking, the positivity of stau mass squared and the b to s gamma decay rate. In the allowed region, the nature of the lightest supersymmetric particle is determined. Examples of mass spectra are given. We also calculate loop corrections to the bottom mass due to superpartners.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures (8 eps files), uses REVTeX. Replaced to match the version to be published in PRD: minor corrections and addition

BRIVA-LIFE–A multicenter retrospective study of the long-term use of brivaracetam in clinical practice

Objectives: Evaluate long-term effectiveness and tolerability of brivaracetam in clinical practice in patients with focal epilepsy. Materials and Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective study. Patients aged =16 years were started on brivaracetam from November 2016 to June 2017 and followed over 1 year. Data were obtained from medical records at 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment initiation for evaluation of safety- and seizure-related outcomes. Results: A total of 575 patients were included in analyses; most had been treated with =4 lifetime antiepileptic drugs. Target dosage was achieved by 30.6% of patients on the first day. Analysis of primary variables at 12 months revealed that mean reduction in seizure frequency was 36.0%, 39.7% of patients were =50% responders and 17.5% were seizure-free. Seizure-freedom was achieved by 37.5% of patients aged =65 years. Incidence of adverse events (AEs) and psychiatric AEs (PAEs) was 39.8% and 14.3%, respectively, and discontinuation due to these was 8.9% and 3.7%, respectively. Somnolence, irritability, and dizziness were the most frequently reported AEs. At baseline, 228 (39.7%) patients were being treated with levetiracetam; most switched to brivaracetam (dose ratio 1:10-15). Among those who switched because of PAEs (n = 53), 9 (17%) reported PAEs on brivaracetam, and 3 (5.7%) discontinued because of PAEs. Tolerability was not highly affected among patients with learning disability or psychiatric comorbidity. Conclusions: In a large population of patients with predominantly drug-resistant epilepsy, brivaracetam was effective and well-tolerated; no unexpected AEs occurred over 1 year, and the incidence of PAEs was lower compared with levetiracetam

Colloquium: Statistical mechanics of money, wealth, and income

This Colloquium reviews statistical models for money, wealth, and income distributions developed in the econophysics literature since the late 1990s. By analogy with the Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution of energy in physics, it is shown that the probability distribution of money is exponential for certain classes of models with interacting economic agents. Alternative scenarios are also reviewed. Data analysis of the empirical distributions of wealth and income reveals a two-class distribution. The majority of the population belongs to the lower class, characterized by the exponential ("thermal") distribution, whereas a small fraction of the population in the upper class is characterized by the power-law ("superthermal") distribution. The lower part is very stable, stationary in time, whereas the upper part is highly dynamical and out of equilibrium.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures; v.2 - minor stylistic changes and updates of references corresponding to the published versio

El Aprendizaje Servicio en los grados de ingeniería: abriendo el entorno a la Universidad

El presente trabajo pretende mostrar cómo el Aprendizaje Servicio (APS) es una herramienta que permite trabajar la competencia de compromiso social en el marco de los estudios de Grado en Ingeniería. Además, se reflexiona sobre la posibilidad de implementar este tipo de actividades en asignaturas de grado. Para ello, presentamos dos proyectos que se han liderado desde la Universitat Jaume I (UJI) de Castellón durante el presente curso y se analiza la viabilidad de los mismos, así como los resultados obtenidos. El primero de los proyectos, es una experiencia de APS que se trabaja junto con la metodología del Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP). En esta iniciativa se implican diferentes asignaturas del ámbito de la ciencia de los materiales de tres universidades públicas españolas y tres grados distintos. El segundo proyecto es una experiencia llevada a cabo por estudiantado de tres grados de Ingeniería diferentes pero de una misma facultad durante su Trabajo Fin de Grado, en el marco de un Proyecto de Cooperación Universitaria al Desarrollo entre la UJI y la Bahir Dar University en la región de Amhara, Etiopía. Los resultados muestran la gran satisfacción de todos los implicados en estas experiencias

Sexual Relationships in Hispanic Countries: a Literature Review

This is a pre-print of an article published in Current Sexual Health Reports. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-020-00272-6Purpose of Review: Sexuality is a complex dimension for which culture seems to play an important role, particularly in countries that are more traditional. This review summarizes the knowledge about sexual relationships in Hispanic countries, considering sexual debut, attitudes, behaviors, and satisfaction. Recent Findings: In line with the literature reviewed, the sexual double standard seems to be continuing to influence sexual relationships. Some countries show more open expressions of sexuality based on the level of gender inequality or sexualized context, and within countries, variables such as religious commitment, family characteristics, and access to resources may play important roles in sexuality. Summary: Future research, policies, and interventions should consider these specific characteristics, including these forms of expression of sexuality, in the adjustment of cross-cultural and cross-national strategies

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Dietary α‐Linolenic Acid, Marine ω‐3 Fatty Acids, and Mortality in a Population With High Fish Consumption: Findings From the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Study

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests a cardioprotective role of α‐linolenic acid (ALA), a plant‐derived ω‐3 fatty acid. It is unclear whether ALA is beneficial in a background of high marine ω‐3 fatty acids (long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) intake. In persons at high cardiovascular risk from Spain, a country in which fish consumption is customarily high, we investigated whether meeting the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids recommendation for dietary ALA (0.7% of total energy) at baseline was related to all‐cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. We also examined the effect of meeting the society's recommendation for long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (≥500 mg/day). Methods and Results: We longitudinally evaluated 7202 participants in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) trial. Multivariable‐adjusted Cox regression models were fitted to estimate hazard ratios. ALA intake correlated to walnut consumption (r=0.94). During a 5.9‐y follow‐up, 431 deaths occurred (104 cardiovascular disease, 55 coronary heart disease, 32 sudden cardiac death, 25 stroke). The hazard ratios for meeting ALA recommendation (n=1615, 22.4%) were 0.72 (95% CI 0.56–0.92) for all‐cause mortality and 0.95 (95% CI 0.58–1.57) for fatal cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratios for meeting the recommendation for long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n=5452, 75.7%) were 0.84 (95% CI 0.67–1.05) for all‐cause mortality, 0.61 (95% CI 0.39–0.96) for fatal cardiovascular disease, 0.54 (95% CI 0.29–0.99) for fatal coronary heart disease, and 0.49 (95% CI 0.22–1.01) for sudden cardiac death. The highest reduction in all‐cause mortality occurred in participants meeting both recommendations (hazard ratio 0.63 [95% CI 0.45–0.87]). Conclusions: In participants without prior cardiovascular disease and high fish consumption, dietary ALA, supplied mainly by walnuts and olive oil, relates inversely to all‐cause mortality, whereas protection from cardiac mortality is limited to fish‐derived long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.Controlled-trials.com/. Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639