Refined Cigar and Omega-deformed Conifold

Antoniadis et al proposed a relation between the Omega-deformation and refined correlation functions of the topological string theory. We investigate the proposal for the deformed conifold geometry from a non-compact Gepner model approach. The topological string theory on the deformed conifold has a dual description in terms of the c=1 non-critical string theory at the self-dual radius, and the Omega-deformation yields the radius deformation. We show that the refined correlation functions computed from the twisted SL(2,R)/U(1) Kazama-Suzuki coset model at level k=1 have direct c=1 non-critical string theory interpretations. After subtracting the leading singularity to procure the 1PI effective action, we obtain the agreement with the proposal.Comment: 15 pages, v2: reference added, v3: published versio

Non-perturbative effects and the refined topological string

The partition function of ABJM theory on the three-sphere has non-perturbative corrections due to membrane instantons in the M-theory dual. We show that the full series of membrane instanton corrections is completely determined by the refined topological string on the Calabi-Yau manifold known as local P1xP1, in the Nekrasov-Shatashvili limit. Our result can be interpreted as a first-principles derivation of the full series of non-perturbative effects for the closed topological string on this Calabi-Yau background. Based on this, we make a proposal for the non-perturbative free energy of topological strings on general, local Calabi-Yau manifolds.Comment: 38 pages, 5 figure

Secondary bacterial infections of buruli ulcer lesions before and after chemotherapy with streptomycin and rifampicin

Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is a chronic necrotizing skin disease. It usually starts with a subcutaneous nodule or plaque containing large clusters of extracellular acid-fast bacilli. Surrounding tissue is destroyed by the cytotoxic macrolide toxin mycolactone produced by microcolonies of M. ulcerans. Skin covering the destroyed subcutaneous fat and soft tissue may eventually break down leading to the formation of large ulcers that progress, if untreated, over months and years. Here we have analyzed the bacterial flora of BU lesions of three different groups of patients before, during and after daily treatment with streptomycin and rifampicin for eight weeks (SR8) and determined drug resistance of the bacteria isolated from the lesions. Before SR8 treatment, more than 60% of the examined BU lesions were infected with other bacteria, with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most prominent ones. During treatment, 65% of all lesions were still infected, mainly with P. aeruginosa. After completion of SR8 treatment, still more than 75% of lesions clinically suspected to be infected were microbiologically confirmed as infected, mainly with P. aeruginosa or Proteus miriabilis. Drug susceptibility tests revealed especially for S. aureus a high frequency of resistance to the first line drugs used in Ghana. Our results show that secondary infection of BU lesions is common. This could lead to delayed healing and should therefore be further investigated

Generic Transformations of Predicate Encodings: Constructions and Applications

Predicate encodings (Wee, TCC 2014; Chen, Gay, Wee, EUROCRYPT 2015), are symmetric primitives that can be used for building predicate encryption schemes. We give an algebraic characterization of the notion of privacy from predicate encodings, and explore several of its consequences. Specifically, we propose more efficient predicate encodings for boolean formulae and arithmetic span programs, and generic optimizations of predicate encodings. We define new constructions to build boolean combination of predicate encodings. We formalize the relationship between predicate encodings and pair encodings (Attrapadung, EUROCRYPT 2014), another primitive that can be transformed generically into predicate encryption schemes, and compare our constructions for boolean combinations of pair encodings with existing similar constructions from pair encodings. Finally, we demonstrate that our results carry to tag-based encodings (Kim, Susilo, Guo, and Au, SCN 2016)

The impact of emotional well-being on long-term recovery and survival in physical illness: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis synthesized studies on emotional well-being as predictor of the prognosis of physical illness, while in addition evaluating the impact of putative moderators, namely constructs of well-being, health-related outcome, year of publication, follow-up time and methodological quality of the included studies. The search in reference lists and electronic databases (Medline and PsycInfo) identified 17 eligible studies examining the impact of general well-being, positive affect and life satisfaction on recovery and survival in physically ill patients. Meta-analytically combining these studies revealed a Likelihood Ratio of 1.14, indicating a small but significant effect. Higher levels of emotional well-being are beneficial for recovery and survival in physically ill patients. The findings show that emotional well-being predicts long-term prognosis of physical illness. This suggests that enhancement of emotional well-being may improve the prognosis of physical illness, which should be investigated by future research

Increase of mild disability in Japanese elders: A seven year follow-up cohort study

BACKGROUND: Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world. In a 2002 census government report, 18.5% of Japanese were 65 years old and over and 7.9% were over 75 years old. In this ageing population, the increase in the number of dependent older persons, especially those with mild levels of disability, has had a significant impact on the insurance budget. This study examines the increase of mild disability and its related factors. METHODS: All community-dwelling residents aged 65 and over and without functional decline (n = 1560), of Omishima town, Japan, were assessed in 1996 using a simple illustrative measure, "the Typology of the Aged with Illustrations" to establish a baseline level of function and were followed annually until 2002. The prevalence and incidence of low to severe disability, and their association with chronic conditions present at the commencement of the study, was analyzed. A polychotomous logistic regression model was constructed to estimate the association of each chronic condition with two levels of disability. RESULTS: An increase in mild functional decline was more prevalent than severe functional decline. The accumulation of mild disability was more prominent in women. The major chronic conditions associated with mild disability were chronic arthritis and diabetes in women, and cerebrovascular accident and malignancy in men. CONCLUSION: This study showed a tendency for mild disability prevalence to increase in Japanese elders, and some risk factors were identified. As mild disability increasingly prevalent, these findings will help determine priorities for its prevention in Japanese elders

Appropriateness of admission and days of stay in pediatric hospital in Ancona, Italy

Background: In Italy, hospital admission costs account for nearly 42% of total health expenditure; in the Marche region, this share exceeds 50%. High costs of hospitalization, however, can be partly explained by inappropriate use. The aim of this research was to assess the risk factors associated with inappropriate hospital admissions and stay for acute pediatric patients. Methods: Clinical records of children from 30 days to 14 years of age admitted to the wards of orthopedics, pediatrics, pediatric isolation, pediatric surgery and pediatric oncohematology at Salesi Pediatric Hospital of Ancona throughout 2004 were reviewed. The Italian Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PRUO) was used as a tool for assessing inappropriateness of admission and days of stay. Results: Overall 21.7% (95% CI = 16.1%–22.4%) of hospital admissions and 30.3% (95% CI = 26.0%–34.9%) of days of stay were judged to be inappropriate. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that inappropriate admission was significantly associated with type of admission, discharge ward and place of residence. Inappropriateness of stay was significantly higher if admission was to a medical ward and if admission itself was judged inappropriate. Conclusions: In a socioeconomic context in which reducing waste is necessary, ineffective health care interventions are no longer tolerable. As a tool capable of integrating each patient’s specific features with those of the health care process, the pediatric PRUO could be a valid tool in the hands of managers for monitoring the appropriateness of admission and stay

The presence of serum anti-Ascaris lumbricoides IgE antibodies and of Trichuris trichiura infection are risk factors for wheezing and/or atopy in preschool-aged Brazilian children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The elucidation of factors that trigger the development of transient wheezing in early childhood may be an important step toward understanding the pathogenesis of asthma and other allergic diseases later in life. Transient wheezing has been mainly attributed to viral infections, although sensitisation to aeroallergens and food allergens may occur at an early age. In developing countries, intestinal helminthic infections have also been associated with allergy or atopy-related disorders.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The aim of this study was to explore the association of <it>Trichuris trichiura </it>and <it>Ascaris lumbricoides </it>infections with wheezing and atopy in early childhood.</p> <p>Study design</p> <p>A cross-sectional study using a Portuguese-language ISAAC phase I questionnaire, adapted for preschool-aged children, nested in a cohort study of childhood diarrhoea, was conducted on 682 children. Two faecal samples per child were examined for the presence of intestinal helminthic infection. IgE antibodies against three allergenic preparations <it>(Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis </it>and common child food), as well as against <it>A. lumbricoides </it>antigens, were measured in a sub-sample of these children, whose parents allowed the procedure. Atopy was defined by the presence of levels of serum IgE antibodies ≥0.35 kU/L against at least one of the three tested allergenic preparations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Active <it>T. trichiura </it>infection but not <it>A. lumbricoides </it>infection was positively associated with wheezing in the total studied children population [adjusted OR = 2.60; CI = 1.54;4.38] and in the atopic children sub-population [adjusted OR = 3.07; CI = 1.00;9.43]. The association with atopy was also positive and statistically significant only in the brute analysis [OR = 2.13; CI = 1.03;4.40]. Anti-<it>A. lumbricoides </it>IgE antibodies, but not current <it>A. lumbricoides </it>infection, were positively associated with wheezing in atopic children [adjusted OR = 2.01; CI = 1.00;4.50] and in non-atopic children [adjusted OR = 3.07; CI = 1.13;8.35] and it was also associated with atopy [adjusted OR = 7.29; CI = 3.90; 13.4]. On the other hands, reports of wheezing were not significantly associated with atopy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data corroborate previous studies showing that wheezing is predominantly associated with infection in early childhood and shows that anti-<it>A. lumbricoides </it>IgE antibodies, but not active <it>Ascaris </it>infections, are associated with wheezing and atopy. Additionally, the data demonstrate that <it>T. trichiura </it>infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of atopic wheezing in early childhood.</p