A cactus theorem for end cuts

Dinits-Karzanov-Lomonosov showed that it is possible to encode all minimal edge cuts of a graph by a tree-like structure called a cactus. We show here that minimal edge cuts separating ends of the graph rather than vertices can be `encoded' also by a cactus. We apply our methods to finite graphs as well and we show that several types of cuts can be encoded by cacti.Comment: 19 page

Equations of length five over groups

This work considers the problem of Equations Over Groups and settles the KL- conjecture for equations of length five. Firstly, the problem of equations over groups is stated and discussed and the results, which were up to now obtained, are presented. Then, by way of contradiction, it is assumed that for the remaining cases of equations of length five a solution does not exist. The methodology adopted uses the combinatorial and topological arguments of relative diagrams. If D is a relative diagram representing the counter example, all types of interior regions of positive curvature are listed for each type of equation of length five. For each interior region of positive curvature, one region of negative curvature is found and the positive curvature is added to it to obtain the total curvature in the interior of diagram D. In the final chapter the curvature of the interior of D is added to the curvature of the boundary regions to obtain the total curvature of the diagram. It is proved that the total curvature of 4pi cannot be achieved, our desired contradiction, and therefore equations of length five have a solution

If I talk to you in fables and parables: representations of the Greek 1940s in Greek fiction for young readers (1974-2014)

This study explores the representation of the Greek 1940s in the fiction for young readers published between 1974 and 2014. This is a subject that has remained completely unexplored until now, despite the existence of a vast body of literature on the relationship between history, memory and cultural representations of the turbulent Greek 1940s. Covering the period from the restoration of democracy in 1974 until 2014, the corpus of literary texts under scrutiny comprises forty one novels and short story collections written for a young audience. The study is divided into three Parts, each of which examines the representation of certain aspects of the 1940s (foreign occupation, wartime collaboration, Resistance and Civil War) in the narratives published during 1974-1981, 1982-1989 and 1990-2014, respectively. The last chapter explores the construction of the literary image of the Jew and the representation of the Greek Jewish experience of the Holocaust. I argue that young people’s fiction has served as a privileged site for the perpetuation of official national (re)interpretations and changing popular perceptions of this turbulent period. Consequently, I go on to demonstrate that the authors’ decision to include or exclude certain material from their fictional representations of the 1940s is linked to the prevailing politics of memory during the particular periods under study

Equations of length five over groups

This work considers the problem of Equations Over Groups and settles the KL- conjecture for equations of length five. Firstly, the problem of equations over groups is stated and discussed and the results, which were up to now obtained, are presented. Then, by way of contradiction, it is assumed that for the remaining cases of equations of length five a solution does not exist. The methodology adopted uses the combinatorial and topological arguments of relative diagrams. If D is a relative diagram representing the counter example, all types of interior regions of positive curvature are listed for each type of equation of length five. For each interior region of positive curvature, one region of negative curvature is found and the positive curvature is added to it to obtain the total curvature in the interior of diagram D. In the final chapter the curvature of the interior of D is added to the curvature of the boundary regions to obtain the total curvature of the diagram. It is proved that the total curvature of 4pi cannot be achieved, our desired contradiction, and therefore equations of length five have a solution

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Barcelona Immigration Stress Scale

The concept of acculturative stress has been the subject of debate, resulting in contradictory arguments regarding its measurement. Many of the existing acculturative stress instruments have been developed for use with specific migrant groups. The objective of the current study is to revisit the psychometric properties of the Barcelona Immigration Stress Scale, an instrument aimed at measuring stress levels associated with the migration trajectory in any migrant group. Using a sample of 915 migrants who consulted in primary care, we carried out principal component and confirmatory factor analyses as well as item response theory analyses applied both to the entire sample and to different migratory groups separately. The new reduced version of the scale has very good psychometric properties both in general and applied to the Latino migratory group, the largest in the area where the study was carried out. Results were acceptable among sub-Saharan, North African, and Asian groups but not among Eastern Europeans. These results are discussed through the specificities of each migratory group and the limitations of psychometrics to capture the complexity of immigration-related and acculturative stress

Mild Phenotype in a Patient with a De Novo

We report on a 29-year-old Greek-Cypriot female with a de novo 6.3 Mb distal 10q26.2q26.3 deletion. She had a very mild neurocognitive phenotype with near normal development and intellect. In addition, she had certain distinctive features and postural orthostatic tachycardia. We review the relevant literature and postulate that certain of her features can be diagnostically relevant. This report illustrates the powerful diagnostic ability of array-CGH in the elucidation of relatively mild phenotypes

Development of a patient rated scale for mental health global state for use during humanitarian interventions

Funding: Médecins Sans FrontièresWe present the results of a cross-cultural validation of the Mental Health Global State (MHGS) scale for adults and adolescents (<14 years old). We performed two independent studies using mixed methods among 103 patients in Hebron, Occupied Palestinian Territories and 106 in Cauca, Colombia. The MHGS was analyzed psychometrically, sensitivity and specificity, ability to detect clinically meaningful change, compared to the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI-S). Principal component analysis was used to reduce the number of questions after data collection. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach alpha score of 0.80 in both settings. Test retest reliability was high, ICC 0.70 (95% CI [0.41-0.85]) in Hebron and 0.87 (95% CI [0.76-0.93]) in Cauca; inter-rater reliability was 0.70 (95% CI [0.42-0.85]) in Hebron and 0.76 (95% CI [0.57-0.88]) in Cauca. Psychometric properties were also good, and the tool demonstrated a sensitivity of 85% in Hebron and 100% in Cauca, with corresponding specificity of 80% and 79%, when compared to CGI-S. The MHGS showed promising results to assess global mental health thereby providing an additional easy to use tool in humanitarian interventions. Additional work should focus on validation in at least one more context, to adhere to best practices in transcultural validation

Rapid functionalisation and detection of viruses via a novel Ca2+-mediated virus-DNA interaction

Current virus detection methods often take significant time or can be limited in sensitivity and specificity. The increasing frequency and magnitude of viral outbreaks in recent decades has resulted in an urgent need for diagnostic methods that are facile, sensitive, rapid and inexpensive. Here, we describe and characterise a novel, calcium-mediated interaction of the surface of enveloped viruses with DNA, that can be used for the functionalisation of intact virus particles via chemical groups attached to the DNA. Using DNA modified with fluorophores, we have demonstrated the rapid and sensitive labelling and detection of influenza and other viruses using single-particle tracking and particle-size determination. With this method, we have detected clinical isolates of influenza in just one minute, significantly faster than existing rapid diagnostic tests. This powerful technique is easily extendable to a wide range of other enveloped pathogenic viruses and holds significant promise as a future diagnostic tool

A Cross-Sectional Survey on Professionals to Assess Health Needs of Newly Arrived Migrants in Spain

Atención sanitaria; Migrante; EncuestaAtenció sanitària; Migrant; EnquestaHealthcare; Migrant; SurveyHeightened conflicts and lack of safety due to reasons related to economic, social, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, political, or nationality matters have increased migratory movements during the last, few decades. Unfortunately, when migrants arrive in new territories, they can face many barriers. For example, in Spain, some migrants have difficulties in accessing health services. The main objective of this study was to describe, from the perspective of social and healthcare professionals, health needs and barriers faced among migrants who recently arrived in Spain when accessing the health system. To accomplish this aim, we carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study using a newly created self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 23.00® program. Survey collection was from April 2018 to October 2018, and the cohort comprised a total of 228 professionals. Most participants were females (76%), with an average age of 35 years [interquartile range (IQR) 29.8–43.0]. The most represented profession in the cohort was physician (48%), followed by social care professionals (32%), nursing (11%), and other (8%). Of these individuals, 61% stated having either little or limited knowledge of international migrant health rights, and 94% believed migrants must overcome barriers to receive health services. The four most reported barriers were as follows: language, cultural differences, administrative issues, and fear of being undocumented. Additionally, by order of importance, professionals viewed mental health disorders and infectious diseases as the most common contributors to disease burden in this group. The four most popular strategies implemented by professionals to improve healthcare access further for migrants included intercultural competency training for professionals; access to community health agents; access to translators; and development of health system navigation skills among those newly arrived. Study results suggest that governments should make greater efforts to provide social and healthcare professionals with more effective tools that overcome communication barriers and cultural competence training modules.Research reported in this publication was supported by co-funding from the Third EU Health Program (2014-2020) Project Grants (HP-PJ-2016) under Grant Agreement 738091 (MyHealth Consortium)