Dynamics of Fundamental Matter in N=2* Yang-Mills Theory

We study the dynamics of quenched fundamental matter in $\mathcal{N}=2^\ast$ supersymmetric large $N$ SU(N) Yang-Mills theory at zero temperature. Our tools for this study are probe D7-branes in the holographically dual $\mathcal{N}=2^\ast$ Pilch-Warner gravitational background. Previous work using D3-brane probes of this geometry has shown that it captures the physics of a special slice of the Coulomb branch moduli space of the gauge theory, where the $N$ constituent D3-branes form a dense one dimensional locus known as the enhancon, located deep in the infrared. Our present work shows how this physics is supplemented by the physics of dynamical flavours, revealed by the D7-branes embeddings we find. The Pilch-Warner background introduces new divergences into the D7-branes free energy, which we are able to remove with a single counterterm. We find a family of D7-brane embeddings in the geometry and discuss their properties. We study the physics of the quark condensate, constituent quark mass, and part of the meson spectrum. Notably, there is a special zero mass embedding that ends on the enhancon, which shows that while the geometry acts repulsively on the D7-branes, it does not do so in a way that produces spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures. Corrected typos, added comment about counterterm. To appear in JHE

Concepciones culturales del VIH/Sida de adolescentes de Bolivia, Chile y México

OBJETIVO: Comprender las dimensiones culturales del VIH/Sida de estudiantes adolescentes. MÉTODOS: Estudio antropológico cognitivo. Realizado en Cochabamba (Bolivia), Talca (Chile) y Guadalajara (México) entre 2007 y 2008. Un total de 184 jóvenes (de 14 y 19 años de edad) fueron seleccionados por muestreo propositivo en centros de estudios de educación media superior de cada país. Fueron utilizadas las técnicas de listados libres y el sorteo de montones. Se indagaron términos asociados al concepto VIH/Sida y grupos de dimensiones conceptuales. Posteriormente se aplicó análisis de consenso mediante factorización de componentes principales y análisis dimensional mediante conglomerados jerárquicos y escalas multidimensionales. RESULTADOS: Las diferencias entre los contextos fueron en el grado de consenso en relación al término de VIH/Sida, ya que fue mayor en Cochabamba. En Talca y Guadalajara los jóvenes mencionaron metáforas de lucha frente a la enfermedad, mientras en Cochabamba se refirieron a la ayuda, apoyo y amor que las personas infectadas deberían recibir. Las coincidencias entre las conceptualizaciones de los jóvenes de los tres países fueron: los riesgos (las prácticas sexuales desprotegidas y el contacto con algunos grupos poblacionales específicos), las consecuencias (muerte física y social, entendida ésta última como el rechazo de la sociedad hacia los enfermos) y la prevención de la enfermedad (con base en la información así como uso del condón). CONCLUSIONES: Para los estudiantes adolescentes el VIH/Sida es una enfermedad causada por prácticas sexuales y consumo de drogas que implica daño, dolor y muerte. Los programas preventivos del VIH/Sida para los adolescentes deben promover la búsqueda de información sobre el tema con bases científicas, y no centrarse en las consecuencias emocionales y sociales de la enfermedad.OBJETIVO: Compreender as dimensões culturais do HIV/Aids por estudantes adolescentes. MÉTODOS: Estudo antropológico cognitivo realizado em Cochabamba (Bolívia), Talca (Chile) e Guadalajara (México), entre 2007 e 2008. O total de 184 jovens (de 14 e 19 anos de idade) foi selecionado por amostragem propositiva em centros de estudos de educação média superior de cada país. Foram utilizadas técnicas de listas livres e classificação da pilha. Foi feita a indagação de termos associados ao conceito HIV/Aids e grupos de dimensões conceituais. Posteriormente, fez-se análise de consenso mediante a fatorização dos componentes principais e análise dimensional mediante conglomerados hierárquicos e escalas multidimensionais. RESULTADOS: As diferenças entre os contextos foram no grau de consenso em relação ao termo HIV/Aids, que foi maior em Cochabamba. Em Talca e Guadalajara os jovens mencionaram metáforas de luta diante da doença, enquanto em Cochabamba eles referiram ajuda, apoio e amor que as pessoas infectadas deveriam receber. As coincidências entre as conceitualizações dos jovens dos três países foram: os riscos (as práticas sexuais desprotegidas e o contato com alguns grupos populacionais específicos), as conseqüências (morte física e social, entendida esta última como o rechaço da sociedade aos doentes) e a prevenção da doença (com base na informação e no uso do preservativo). CONCLUSIONES: Para os estudantes adolescentes, o HIV/Aids é uma doença causada por práticas sexuais e uso de drogas que envolve dano, dor e morte. Os programas preventivos do HIV/Aids para os e as adolescentes devem promover a busca de informação com bases científicas sobre o tema, e não só a que se centra nas conseqüências emocionais e sociais da doença.OBJECTIVE: To understand the cultural dimensions of HIV/AIDS among adolescent students. METHODS: A cognitive anthropological study was undertaken in Cochabamba (Bolivia), Talca (Chile) and Guadalajara (Mexico), during 2007 and 2008. A total of 184 teenagers (from 14 to 19 years old) were selected by purposeful sampling at secondary schools in each country. Free association lists and pile sorts were utilized. Terms associated with the concept of HIV/AIDS and groups of conceptual dimensions were investigated. Subsequently, consensus analysis was performed using factorial principal components and dimensional analysis through hierarchical clusters and multidimensional scales. RESULTS: The differences between the country contexts were in the degree of consensus in relation to the term HIV/AIDS, which was greater in Cochabamba. In Talca and Guadalajara the youths mentioned metaphors of fighting against HIV/AIDS, while in Cochabamba participants talked about help, support and love that infected people should receive. The similarities among conceptions by youth from the three countries were: the risk factors (unprotected sexual practice and contact with specific population groups), the consequences (physical and social death, being the latter understood as social rejection of people living with HIV/AIDS) and the prevention of illness (based on information and condom use). CONCLUSIONS: For adolescent students, HIV/AIDS is a disease caused by sexual practices and drug use and involves harm, pain and death. HIV/AIDS prevention programs for adolescents should promote science based information on the topic and not concentrate only on the emotional and social consequences of HIV/AIDS

Reaction rates and transport in neutron stars

Understanding signals from neutron stars requires knowledge about the transport inside the star. We review the transport properties and the underlying reaction rates of dense hadronic and quark matter in the crust and the core of neutron stars and point out open problems and future directions.Comment: 74 pages; commissioned for the book "Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars", NewCompStar COST Action MP1304; version 3: minor changes, references updated, overview graphic added in the introduction, improvements in Sec IV.A.

Multimodal intervention for preventing peripheral intravenous catheter failure in adults (PREBACP): a multicentre, cluster-randomised, controlled trial

Availability of data and materials: The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available upon request from group investigation. The data are available beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following article publication for to investigators, whose proposed use of data will have been approved by an independent review committee identified for to realise an individual participant data meta-analysis. Proposals may be submitted up to 36 months following article publication to IB-M ([email protected]) and EC-S ([email protected]).The College of Nurses of the Balearic Islands under award number PI2017/0192

Development of the Adolescent Preoccupation with Screens Scale

Abstract Background Although public health concerns have been raised regarding the detrimental health effects of increasing rates of electronic screen use among adolescents, such effects have been small. Instruments currently available tend to be lengthy, have a clinical research focus, and assess young people’s screen use on specific screen-based activities (e.g., TV, computer, or internet). None appear to address screen use across a broad range of screens, including mobile devices and screen-based activities. The objective was to develop a new and short self-report scale for investigating adolescents’ screen use across all screens and screen-based activities in non-clinical settings. Methods The Adolescent Preoccupation with Screens Scale (APSS) was developed over a three stage process. First, a review of the current literature and existing instruments was undertaken and suitable items identified. Second, the draft APSS was piloted with adolescents and item affectivity and discrimination indices were calculated. Third, a cross sectional school based online survey of 1967 Australian adolescents in grades 5 (10 years old), 7 (13 years) and 9 (15 years) from 25 randomly selected schools was conducted. Results Factor Analysis on a sub-sample of the data (n = 782) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the remaining sub-sample (n = 1185), supported a two-factor model. The first factor reflects adolescents’ mood management with screen use, and the second reflects a behavioural preoccupation. The measure demonstrated strong invariance across sex and across Grades 5, 7, and 9. Both factors displayed good internal consistency (α = .91 and .87, respectively). Sex and grade differences on both scales were investigated and boys in Grade 5 reported higher levels of both mood management and behavioural preoccupation with screens. There were no sex differences on mood management in Grades 7 and 9, but girls reported higher behavioural preoccupation in both these later grades. Conclusion The APSS provides researchers with a new, brief and robust measure of potentially problematic screen use across a wide array of screens, including mobile devices, so readily accessed during adolescence

Virtually impossible: limiting Australian children and adolescents daily screen based media use

Background: Paediatric recommendations to limit children’s and adolescents’ screen based media use (SBMU) to less than two hours per day appear to have gone unheeded. Given the associated adverse physical and mental health outcomes of SBMU it is understandable that concern is growing worldwide. However, because the majority of studies measuring SBMU have focused on TV viewing, computer use, video game playing, or a combination of these the true extent of total SBMU (including non-sedentary hand held devices) and time spent on specific screen activities remains relatively unknown. This study assesses the amount of time Australian children and adolescents spend on all types of screens and specific screen activities. Methods: We administered an online instrument specifically developed to gather data on all types of SBMU and SBMU activities to 2,620 (1373 males and 1247 females) 8 to 16 year olds from 25 Australian government and non-government primary and secondary schools. Results: We found that 45% of 8 year olds to 80% of 16 year olds exceeded the recommended < 2 hours per day for screen use. A series of hierarchical linear models demonstrated different relationships between the degree to which total SBMU and SBMU on specific activities (TV viewing, Gaming, Social Networking, and Web Use) exceeded the < 2 hours recommendation in relation to sex and age. Conclusions: Current paediatric recommendations pertaining to screen use exposure may no longer be tenable because screen based media are central in the everyday lives of children and adolescents. In any reappraisal of SBMU exposure times, researchers, educators and health professionals need to take cognizance of the extent to which screen use differs across specific screen activity, sex, and age

A recent increase in global wave power as a consequence of oceanic warming

Wind-generated ocean waves drive important coastal processes that determine flooding and erosion. Ocean warming has been one factor affecting waves globally. Most studies have focused on studying parameters such as wave heights, but a systematic, global and long-term signal of climate change in global wave behavior remains undetermined. Here we show that the global wave power, which is the transport of the energy transferred from the wind into sea-surface motion, has increased globally (0.4% per year) and by ocean basins since 1948. We also find long-term correlations and statistical dependency with sea surface temperatures, globally and by ocean sub-basins, particularly between the tropical Atlantic temperatures and the wave power in high south latitudes, the most energetic region globally. Results indicate the upper-ocean warming, a consequence of anthropogenic global warming, is changing the global wave climate, making waves stronger. This identifies wave power as a potentially valuable climate change indicator.Funding for this project was partly provided by RISKOADAPT (BIA2017-89401-R) Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the ECLISEA project part of the Horizon 2020 ERANET ERA4CS (European Research Area for Climate Services) 2016 Call