How SU(2)4_4 Anyons are Z3_3 Parafermions

We consider the braid group representation which describes the non-abelian braiding statistics of the spin 1/2 particle world lines of an SU(2)$_4$ Chern-Simons theory. Up to an abelian phase, this is the same as the non-Abelian statistics of the elementary quasiparticles of the $k=4$ Read-Rezayi quantum Hall state. We show that these braiding statistics are identical to those of Z$_3$ Parafermions

Natural Gas Development: Views of New York and Pennsylvania Residents in the Marcellus Shale Region

CaRDI Research & Policy Brief Issue 39; Community & Energy: Nonrenewable Energy Production and Developmen

Costs of delivering human papillomavirus vaccination to schoolgirls in Mwanza Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer-related deaths in Tanzania. Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) offers a new opportunity to control this disease. This study aimed to estimate the costs of a school-based HPV vaccination project in three districts in Mwanza Region (NCT ID: NCT01173900), Tanzania and to model incremental scaled-up costs of a regional vaccination program. METHODS: We first conducted a top-down cost analysis of the vaccination project, comparing observed costs of age-based (girls born in 1998) and class-based (class 6) vaccine delivery in a total of 134 primary schools. Based on the observed project costs, we then modeled incremental costs of a scaled-up vaccination program for Mwanza Region from the perspective of the Tanzanian government, assuming that HPV vaccines would be delivered through the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). RESULTS: Total economic project costs for delivering 3 doses of HPV vaccine to 4,211 girls were estimated at about US$349,400 (including a vaccine price of US$5 per dose). Costs per fully-immunized girl were lower for class-based delivery than for age-based delivery. Incremental economic scaled-up costs for class-based vaccination of 50,290 girls in Mwanza Region were estimated at US$1.3 million. Economic scaled-up costs per fully-immunized girl were US$26.41, including HPV vaccine at US$5 per dose. Excluding vaccine costs, vaccine could be delivered at an incremental economic cost of US$3.09 per dose and US$9.76 per fully-immunized girl. Financial scaled-up costs, excluding costs of the vaccine and salaries of existing staff were estimated at US$1.73 per dose. CONCLUSIONS: Project costs of class-based vaccination were found to be below those of age-based vaccination because of more eligible girls being identified and higher vaccine uptake. We estimate that vaccine can be delivered at costs that would make HPV vaccination a very cost-effective intervention. Potentially, integrating HPV vaccine delivery with cost-effective school-based health interventions and a reduction of vaccine price below US$5 per dose would further reduce the costs per fully HPV-immunized girl

Efficient empirical determination of maximum permissible error in coordinate metrology

Maximum permissible errors (MPEs) are an important measurement system specification and form the basis of periodic verification of a measurement system's performance. However, there is no standard methodology for determining MPEs, so when they are not provided, or not suitable for the measurement procedure performed, it is unclear how to generate an appropriate value with which to verify the system. Whilst a simple approach might be to take many measurements of a calibrated artefact and then use the maximum observed error as the MPE, this method requires a large number of repeat measurements for high confidence in the calculated MPE. Here, we present a statistical method of MPE determination, capable of providing MPEs with high confidence and minimum data collection. The method is presented with 1000 synthetic experiments and is shown to determine an overestimated MPE within 10 % of an analytically true value in 99.2 % of experiments, while underestimating the MPE with respect to the analytically true value in 0.8 % of experiments (overestimating the value, on average, by 1.24 %). The method is then applied to a real test case (probing form error for a commercial fringe projection system), where the efficiently determined MPE is overestimated by 0.3 % with respect to an MPE determined using an arbitrarily chosen large number of measurements

Antenatal syphilis screening in sub-Saharan Africa: lessons learned from Tanzania.

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVES; To synthesise data from four recent studies in Tanzania examining maternal syphilis screening and its operational implementation in routine antenatal clinics (ANC), drawing lessons for strengthened antenatal services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. METHODS: The impact of untreated maternal syphilis was examined in a retrospective cohort of 380 Tanzanian women. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening and single dose benzathine penicillin treatment were prospectively examined in 1688 pregnant women. Observation, interviews and facility audits were carried out in health facilities within nine districts to determine the operational reality of syphilis screening. RESULTS: Overall, 49% of women with untreated high titre syphilis experienced an adverse pregnancy outcome compared with 11% of uninfected women. Stillbirth and low birthweight rates among those treated for high- or low-titre syphilis were reduced to rates similar to those for uninfected women. The economic cost was $1.44 per woman screened and$10.56 per disability-adjusted life year saved. In the operational study, only 43% of 2256 ANC attenders observed were screened and only 61% of seroreactive women and 37% of their partners were treated. Adequate training, continuity of supplies, supervision and quality control are critical elements for strengthened antenatal services, but are frequently overlooked. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal syphilis has a severe impact on pregnancy outcome. Same-day screening and treatment strategies are clinically effective and highly cost-effective, but there are significant challenges to implementing syphilis screening programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Current PMTCT interventions present an opportunity to reinforce and improve syphilis screening. Increasing PMTCT coverage will involve similar operational challenges to those faced by syphilis screening programmes

Patient and public involvement to inform priorities and practice for research using existing healthcare data for children’s and young people’s cancers

Background: In the United Kingdom, healthcare data is collected on all patients receiving National Health Service (NHS) care, including children and young people (CYP) with cancer. This data is used to inform service delivery, and with special permissions used for research. The use of routinely collected health data in research is an advancing field with huge potential benefit, particularly in CYP with cancer where case numbers are small and the impact across the life course can be significant. Patient and public involvement (PPI) exercise aims: Identify current barriers to trust relating to the use of healthcare data for research. Determine ways to increase public and patient confidence in the use of healthcare data in research. Define areas of research importance to CYP and their carers using healthcare data. // Methods: Young people currently aged between 16 and 25 years who had a cancer diagnosis before the age of 20 years and carers of a young person with cancer were invited to take part via social media and existing networks of service users. Data was collected during two interactive online workshops totalling 5 h and comprising of presentations from health data experts, case-studies and group discussions. With participant consent the workshops were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. // Results: Ten young people and six carers attended workshop one. Four young people and four carers returned for workshop two. Lack of awareness of how data is used, and negative media reporting were seen as the main causes of mistrust. Better communication and education on how data is used were felt to be important to improving public confidence. Participants want the ability to have control over their own data use. Late effects, social and education outcomes and research on rare tumours were described as key research priorities for data use. // Conclusions: In order to improve public and patient trust in our use of data for research, we need to improve communication about how data is used and the benefits that arise