Topological mass generation and 2−2-forms

In this work we revisit the topological mass generation of 2-forms and establish a connection to the unique derivative coupling arising in the quartic Lagrangian of the systematic construction of massive $2-$form interactions, relating in this way BF theories to Galileon-like theories of 2-forms. In terms of a massless $1-$form $A$ and a massless $2-$form $B$, the topological term manifests itself as the interaction $B\wedge F$, where $F = {\rm d} A$ is the field strength of the $1-$form. Such an interaction leads to a mechanism of generation of mass, usually referred to as "topological generation of mass" in which the single degree of freedom propagated by the $2-$form is absorbed by the $1-$form, generating a massive mode for the $1-$form. Using the systematical construction in terms of the Levi-Civita tensor, it was shown that, apart from the quadratic and quartic Lagrangians, Galileon-like derivative self-interactions for the massive 2-form do not exist. A unique quartic Lagrangian $\epsilon^{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}\epsilon^{\alpha\beta\gamma}_{\;\;\;\;\;\;\sigma}\partial_{\mu}B_{\alpha\rho}\partial_{\nu}B_{\beta\gamma}$ arises in this construction in a way that it corresponds to a total derivative on its own but ceases to be so once an overall general function is introduced. We show that it exactly corresponds to the same interaction of topological mass generation. Based on the decoupling limit analysis of the interactions, we bring out supporting arguments for the uniqueness of such a topological mass term and absence of the Galileon-like interactions. Finally, we discuss some preliminary applications in cosmology.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, journal versio

Comparação das práticas de saúde sexual e reprodutiva entre estudantes de ciências da saúde e de engenharia de uma instituição de educação superior em Bogotá, Colombia, 2008

The purpose of this cross-section study was to compare the sexual and reproductive health practices of a group of health sciences students and engineering students of a higher education institute in Bogota, Colombia in 2008. The sample size was 112 health sciences students and 109 engineering students. 72% of engineering students and 67.9% of health sciences students had their first sexual relationship between 15 and 18 years of age. The frequency of pregnancy is greater in health sciences students (20% vs. 7.6%). The level of knowledge of contraceptives was greater in students of health sciences (74.1% vs. 50.5%). There were similarities in the level of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, 96.4% in health sciences and 92.7% in engineering. 64.4% of health sciences students and 61.9% of engineering students did not carry out a cervical cytology. 85.7% of male engineering students and 58.3% of male health sciences students do not carry out self-examination of the testicles. It is concluded that despite health sciences students having a higher level of knowledge related with sexual and reproductive health, the results indicate similarities with the behavior of engineering students; therefore, having formation in this aspect does not always mean that the knowledge will lead to a life proper for the exercising of sexual responsibilityEl objetivo de este estudio de corte transversal fue comparar las prácticas en salud sexual y reproductiva de un grupo de estudiantes de ciencias de la salud y de ingeniería de una institución de educación superior en Bogotá, Colombia, en el año 2008. El tamaño de la muestra fue de 112 estudiantes de ciencias de la salud y 109 estudiantes de ingeniería. El 72% de los estudiantes de ingeniería y el 67,9% de ciencias de la salud tuvieron su primera relación sexual entre los 15 y 18 años. La frecuencia de embarazos es mayor en las estudiantes de ciencias de la salud (20% vs. 7,6%). El nivel de conocimientos en anticoncepción fue superior en los estudiantes de ciencias de la salud (74,1% vs. 50,5%). Se presentan similitudes en el nivel de conocimiento sobre las infecciones de transmisión sexual, 96,4% en ciencias de la salud y 92,7% en ingeniería. No se realizan la citología cervicouterina: 69,4% de las estudiantes de las ciencias de la salud y 61,9% de ingeniería. El 85,7% de los hombres en las ingenierías y el 58,3% de las ciencias de la salud no realizan el autoexamen de testículo. Se concluye que, pese a que los estudiantes de ciencias de la salud tienen un mayor nivel de conocimiento relacionado con la salud sexual y reproductiva, los resultados indican similitudes al compararlos con ingenieríaO objetivo deste estudo de coorte transversal foi comparar as práticas na saúde sexual e reprodutiva de um grupo de estudantes de ciências da saúde e de engenharia de uma instituição de educação superior em Bogotá, Colômbia, no ano de 2008. O tamanho da amostra foi de 112 estudantes de ciências da saúde e 109 estudantes de engenharia 72% dos estudantes de engenharia e 67,9% de ciências da saúde tiveram sua primeira relação sexual entre 15 e 18 anos. A frequência de gravidez é maior nas estudantes de ciências da saúde (20% vs. 7,6%). O nível de conhecimento sobre anticoncepcionais foi superior nos estudantes de ciências da saúde (74,1% vs. 50,5%). Semelhanças são apresentadas no nível de conhecimento sobre as doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, 96,4% em ciências da saúde e 92,7% em engenharia. Não realizam a citologia cervical: 69,4% das estudantes de ciências da saúde e 61,9% de engenharia. 85,7% dos homens na engenharia e 58,3% de ciências da saúde não realizaram o autoexame dos testículos. Conclui-se que, apesar de os estudantes de ciências da saúde apresentarem um nível maior de conhecimento relacionado à saúde sexual e reprodutiva, os resultados indicam semelhanças ao compará-los com a engenharia. Portanto, ser formado neste assunto nem sempre significa que estes conhecimentos sejam levados à vida pessoal para o exercício de uma sexualidade responsável

Housing index, urbanisation level and lifetime prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders : a cross-sectional analysis of the Colombian national mental health survey

Q2Q1Artículo originale019065Objectives To study socioeconomic inequalities in mental health in rural and urban Colombia, a country with a history of internal conflict and large socioeconomic inequalities. Recent survey data are available to study this understudied topic in a middle-income country. Methods Using data from 9656 respondents from the 2015 Colombian Mental Health survey, we investigated the association between lifetime prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders and quality of dwellings and access to public services housing score (HS). We calculated the relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII) for HS in urban and rural areas, adjusting for potential confounders and mediating factors. Outcomes The lifetime prevalence of anxiety and depression (combined) was 9.6% in urban versus 6.9% in rural areas (p<0.001). HS was not associated with prevalence of anxiety and depression in urban settings, whereas a higher HS (poorer housing quality) was associated with fewer mental disorders in rural areas in both univariate and multivariate models (multivariate RIIurban0.96 (95% CI 0.51 to 1.81); RIIrural0.11 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.32)). In rural areas, the prevalence of mental health problems was 12% points lower in persons living in the poorest quality dwellings than in those living in high-quality dwellings (SII −0.12 (95% CI −0.18 to −0.06)). Interestingly, within rural areas, persons living in ‘populated centres’ (small towns, villages) had a higher lifetime prevalence of any mental health disorder (9.8% (95% CI 6.9 to 13.6)) compared with those living in more isolated, dispersed areas (6.0% (95% CI 4.6 to 7.7)). Interpretation In rural Colombia, those living in the poorest houses and in dispersed areas had a lower prevalence of mental health problems. Further understanding of this phenomenon of a seemingly inverse association of prevalence of mental disorders with poverty and/or urbanisation in rural areas is needed. Particularly, considering the progressive urbanisation process in Colombia, it is important to monitor mental health in populations migrating to the cities

Transnational mobility, strong states, and contested sovereignty: Learning from the ChinaTaiwan context

Mobility across the Taiwan Strait has intensified since the border was opened in 1987. The crossborder social, cultural and economic exchanges, however, have remained closely embedded in the nationalistic logic specific to cross-Strait relations. Employing a state-centered approach and building on a comparative analysis of the interaction between Beijing and two groups of crossStrait migrants (mainland spouses in Taiwan, and Taiwanese investors in China), this paper examines the various ways in which a state may still exert influence over migrant communities in a context of increased mobility and exchanges. This paper argues that the nation-state may still shape migrants' experiences, particularly when sending and receiving governments have unresolved disputes. Under these conditions, state actors may use migrant communities to achieve their nationalistic goals

From Nuevo León to the USA and Back Again: Transnational Students in Mexico

The movement of Mexicans to the United States is both longstanding and long studied and from that study we know that for many newcomers the attachment to the receiving community is fraught and tentative. The experience of immigrant children in U.S. schools is also relatively well studied and reveals challenges of intercultural communication as well as concurrent and contradictory features of welcome and unwelcome. What is less well known, in the study of migration generally and of transnational students in particular, is how students moving in a less common direction — from the U.S. to Mexico — experience that movement. Based on visits to 173 randomly selected classrooms in the state of Nuevo León Mexico, this study shares survey and interview data from 208 of the 242 students encountered who had previous experience attending school in the United States

Keeping doors open: transnational families and curricular nationalism

This paper reviews sociological literature to explore the challenge transnational populations pose for nation-based curriculum, and vice versa. With increasing access to dual citizenship and temporary migration, more people are living transnational lifestyles. This poses new challenges in raising the transnational child. Transnationalism has emerged ‘bottom-up’ from individualised choices and circumstances rather than ‘top-down’ through institutional strategy. As a result, education sectors are yet to respond with a reoriented curriculum that can accommodate polycentric lives. This paper adapts Beck’s critique of methodological nationalism and proposes a parallel concept in the curricular nationalism underpinning much official curriculum. It then reviews literature reporting on three curricular experiments that seek to cultivate citizenships above and beyond the nation. While such transcendent designs on citizenship unsettle curricular nationalism, they fail to address the specificities of transnational child’s memberships both here and there. The pedagogic principle of ‘connectedness’ is retooled as a pragmatic way forward

The First Bromeligenous Species of Dendropsophus (Anura: Hylidae) from Brazil\u27s Atlantic Forest

We describe a new treefrog species of Dendropsophus collected on rocky outcrops in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Ecologically, the new species can be distinguished from all known congeners by having a larval phase associated with rainwater accumulated in bromeliad phytotelms instead of temporary or lentic water bodies. Phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data confirms that the new species is a member of Dendropsophus; our analysis does not assign it to any recognized species group in the genus. Morphologically, based on comparison with the 96 known congeners, the new species is diagnosed by its small size, framed dorsal color pattern, and short webbing between toes IV-V. The advertisement call is composed of a moderate-pitched two-note call (~5 kHz). The territorial call contains more notes and pulses than the advertisement call. Field observations suggest that this new bromeligenous species uses a variety of bromeliad species to breed in, and may be both territorial and exhibit male parental care