137 research outputs found
HIV and the urban homeless in Johannesburg
Background. There are few data on HIV prevalence and risk factors among inner-city homeless and marginally housed individuals in South Africa.Methods. We recruited 136 adults from a Johannesburg inner-city homeless clinic; mean age was 32.4 years, 129 (95%) were male, and 90 (66%) were of South African nationality. Participants were tested for HIV and answered a short demographic survey. Descriptive statistics and uni- and multivariate regression analyses were used for data analysis.Results. The HIV prevalence in the cohort was 23.5%. Transactional sex, relationship status, number of concurrent sexual partners, condom usage and history of previously treated sexually transmitted infections (STIs), living on the street, the use of alcohol or drugs, and previous exposure to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), were not significant risk factors for HIVpositivity. Statistically significant HIV risk factors on multivariate analysis included the presence of an STI (odds ratio (OR) 5.6; p<0.01) and unemployment (OR 6.7; p<0.01). South African nationality was a significant risk factor on univariate analysis (OR 2.99; p<0.05), but not on multivariate analysis (OR 2.2; p=0.17).Conclusion. The HIV prevalence in the sample did not differ appreciably from HIV prevalence estimates in other at-risk populations in similar settings, suggesting that homelessness in a South African city alone may not be a significant risk factor for HIV infection. HIV prevention efforts cannot be restricted to behaviour change programmes, but must be more holistic, recognising the protective role that employment has on HIV incidence
Angular and Current-Target Correlations in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA
Correlations between charged particles in deep inelastic ep scattering have
been studied in the Breit frame with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an
integrated luminosity of 6.4 pb-1. Short-range correlations are analysed in
terms of the angular separation between current-region particles within a cone
centred around the virtual photon axis. Long-range correlations between the
current and target regions have also been measured. The data support
predictions for the scaling behaviour of the angular correlations at high Q2
and for anti-correlations between the current and target regions over a large
range in Q2 and in the Bjorken scaling variable x. Analytic QCD calculations
and Monte Carlo models correctly describe the trends of the data at high Q2,
but show quantitative discrepancies. The data show differences between the
correlations in deep inelastic scattering and e+e- annihilation.Comment: 26 pages including 10 figures (submitted to Eur. J. Phys. C
Plastisol Foaming Process. Decomposition of the Foaming Agent, Polymer Behavior in the Corresponding Temperature Range and Resulting Foam Properties
The decomposition of azodicarbonamide, used as foaming agent in PVC - plasticizer (1/1) plastisols was studied by DSC. Nineteen different plasticizers, all belonging to the ester family, two being polymeric (polyadipates), were compared. The temperature of maximum decomposition rate (in anisothermal regime at 5 K min-1 scanning rate), ranges between 434 and 452 K. The heat of decomposition ranges between 8.7 and 12.5 J g -1. Some trends of variation of these parameters appear significant and are discussed in terms of solvent (matrix) and viscosity effects on the decomposition reactions. The shear modulus at 1 Hz frequency was determined at the temperature of maximum rate of foaming agent decomposition, and differs significantly from a sample to another. The foam density was determined at ambient temperature and the volume fraction of bubbles was used as criterion to judge the efficiency of the foaming process. The results reveal the existence of an optimal shear modulus of the order of 2 kPa that corresponds roughly to plasticizer molar masses of the order of 450 ± 50 g mol-1. Heavier plasticizers, especially polymeric ones are too difficult to deform. Lighter plasticizers such as diethyl phthalate (DEP) deform too easily and presumably facilitate bubble collapse
Search for Resonance Decays to Lepton+jet at DESY HERA and Limits on Leptoquarks
A search for narrow-width resonances that decay into electron+jet or neutrino+jet has been performed with the ZEUS detector at the DESY ep collider HERA operating at center-of-mass energies of 300 and 318 GeV. An integrated e+p luminosity of 114.8 pb-1 and e-p luminosity of 16.7 pb-1 were used. No evidence for any resonance was found. Limits were derived on the Yukawa coupling λ as a function of the mass of a hypothetical resonance that has arbitrary decay branching ratios into eq or vq. These limits also apply to squarks predicted by R-parity-violating supersymmetry. Limits for the production of leptoquarks described by the Buchmüller-Rückl-Wyler model were also derived for masses up to 400 GeV. For λ = 0.1, leptoquark masses up to 290 GeV are excluded
Angular and Current-target Correlations in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA
Correlations between charged particles in deep inelastic e+ p scattering have been studied in the Breit frame with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 6.4pb-1. Short-range correlations are analysed in terms of the angular separation between current-region particles within a cone centred around the virtual photon axis. Long-range correlations between the current and target regions have also been measured. The data support predictions for the scaling behaviour of the angular correlations at high Q2 and for anti-correlations between the current and target regions over a large range in Q2 and in the Bjorken scaling variable x. Analytic QCD calculations and Monte Carlo models correctly describe the trends of the data at high Q2, but show quantitative discrepancies. The data show differences between the correlations in deep inelastic scattering and e+e- annihilation
Mean-field transport theory for the two-flavour NJL model
By making decomposition of the Wigner function simultaneously in both the
spinor and the isospin spaces we derive a set of kinetic equations for the
quark distribution functions and the spin densities. A detailed analysis of the
consequences imposed by the chiral invariance on the form of the transport
equations is presented.Comment: Revtex, 25 pages, no figure
Systematic Review of Vocational Preferences on Behavioral Outcomes of Individuals with Disabilities
Multidetector CT findings suggesting a perforation site in the gastrointestinal tract: analysis in surgically confirmed 155 patients
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