Uniqueness of N=2\mathcal{N}=2 and 33 pure supergravities in 4D

After proving the impossibility of consistent non-minimal coupling of a real Rarita-Schwinger gauge field to electromagnetism, we re-derive the necessity of introducing the graviton in order to couple a complex Rarita-Schwinger gauge field to electromagnetism, with or without a cosmological term, thereby obtaining ${\cal N}=2$ pure supergravity as the only possibility. These results are obtained with the BRST-BV deformation method around the flat and (A)dS backgrounds in 4 dimensions. The same method applied to $n_{v}$ vectors, ${\cal N}$ real spin-3/2 gauge fields and at most one real spinor field also requires gravity and yields ${\cal N}=3$ pure supergravity as well as ${\cal N}=1$ pure supergravity coupled to a vector supermultiplet, with or without cosmological terms. Independently from the matter content, we finally derive strong necessary quadratic constraints on the possible gaugings for an arbitrary number of spin-1 and spin-3/2 gauge fields, that are relevant for larger supergravities.Comment: LaTeX, 31 + 1 pages, no figure. v2: Extended discussion at the end of Section 3, corrected typos and references adde

Bio-inspired speed detection and discrimination

In the field of computer vision, a crucial task is the detection of motion (also called optical flow extraction). This operation allows analysis such as 3D reconstruction, feature tracking, time-to-collision and novelty detection among others. Most of the optical flow extraction techniques work within a finite range of speeds. Usually, the range of detection is extended towards higher speeds by combining some multiscale information in a serial architecture. This serial multi-scale approach suffers from the problem of error propagation related to the number of scales used in the algorithm. On the other hand, biological experiments show that human motion perception seems to follow a parallel multiscale scheme. In this work we present a bio-inspired parallel architecture to perform detection of motion, providing a wide range of operation and avoiding error propagation associated with the serial architecture. To test our algorithm, we perform relative error comparisons between both classical and proposed techniques, showing that the parallel architecture is able to achieve motion detection with results similar to the serial approach

Visualizing a Post-Apocalypse: Notes on New Ayoreo Cinema

This essay describes one recent Ayoreo film and its production in order to reflect on the wider significance of lowland South American Indigenous cinema and analyses of it today. Informed by the authors’ roles in the collaborative editing of the film Ujirei, the article details how one Ayoreo filmmaker cinematically visualizes a unique aesthetic response to the aftermath of pandemic upheavals and world-ending violence – a response that pointedly exceeds any prescriptive or structuralist approach to lowland Indigenous cinema. In order to better grasp the subjective, conceptual and political implications of this project, the essay aims to craft an analytic genre capable of approximating a cinematic aesthetics that envisions rupture and regeneration as mutually constitutive modes of survival in the face of dehumanizing colonial violence. It foregrounds the editing process as one ethnographic site for illuminating the decolonizing praxis of lowland Indigenous filmmaking. In doing so, the essay crafts a larger argument about the ways certain Indigenous cinematic forms, as process and product, may usefully orient the poetics and politics of anthropological attunements to the defining crises of the contemporary

Hypertension and microvascular remodelling

In the present review, microvascular remodelling refers to alterations in the structure of resistance vessels contributing to elevated systemic vascular resistance in hypertension. We start with some historical aspects, underscoring the importance of Folkow's contribution made half a century ago. We then move to some basic concepts on the biomechanics of blood vessels, and explicit the definitions proposed by Mulvany for specific forms of remodelling, especially inward eutrophic and inward hypertrophic. The available evidence for the existence of remodelled resistance vessels in hypertension comes next, with relatively more weight given to human, in comparison with animal data. Mechanisms are discussed. The impact of antihypertensive drug treatment on remodelling is described, again with emphasis on human data. Some details are given on the three studies to date which point to remodelling of subcutaneous resistance arteries as an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. We terminate by considering the potential role of remodelling in the pathogenesis of end-organ damage and in the perpetuation of hypertensio

Trans-acting factors governing acetylcholinesterase mRNA metabolism in neurons

The most characterized function of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is to terminate cholinergic signaling at neuron-neuron and neuro-muscular synapses. In addition, AChE is causally or casually implicated in neuronal development, stress-response, cognition, and neurodegenerative diseases. Given the importance of AChE, many studies have focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms that govern its expression. Despite these efforts, post-transcriptional control of AChE mRNA expression is still relatively unclear. Here, we review the trans-acting factors and cis-acting elements that are known to control AChE pre-mRNA splicing, mature mRNA stability and translation. Moreover, since the Hu/ELAV family of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have emerged in recent years as “master” post-transcriptional regulators, we discuss the possibility that predominantly neuronal ELAVs (nELAVs) play multiple roles in regulating splicing, stability, localization, and translation of AChE mRNA

Evaluation of medication adherence methods in the treatment of malaria in Rwandan infants

Objectives: To compare three methods for evaluating treatment adherence in a 7-day controlled treatment period for malaria in children in Rwanda. Methods: Fifty-six children (< 5 years) with malaria were recruited at the University Hospital of Butare, Rwanda. Patients were treated with quinine sulfate, taste-masked, pellets during seven days: three days in hospital (in-patient) followed by a four-day out-patient period. Three methods to evaluate medication adherence among patients were compared: manual pill count of returned tablets, patient self-report and electronic pill-box monitoring. These pill-boxes were equipped with a microchip registering date and time of every opening. Medication adherence was defined as the proportion of prescribed doses taken. The inter-dose intervals were analysed as well. Results: Medication adherence data were available for 54 of the 56 patients. Manual pill count and patient self-report yielded a medication adherence of 100% for the in-and out-patient treatment periods. Based on electronic pill-box monitoring, medication adherence during the seven-day treatment period was 90.5 +/- 8.3%. Based on electronic pillbox monitoring inpatient medication adherence (99.3 +/- 2.7%) was markedly higher (p < 0.03) than out-patient adherence (82.7 +/- 14.7%), showing a clear difference between health workers' and consumers' medication adherence. Conclusion: Health workers' medication adherence was good. However, a significant lower medication adherence was observed for consumers' adherence in the outpatient setting. This was only detected by electronic pill-box monitoring. Therefore, this latter method is more accurate than the two other methods used in this study

Compton Scattering on the Deuteron in Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory

Compton scattering on the deuteron is studied in the framework of baryon chiral perturbation theory to third order in small momenta, for photon energies of order the pion mass. The scattering amplitude is a sum of one- and two-nucleon mechanisms with no undetermined parameters. Our results are in good agreement with existing experimental data, and a prediction is made for higher-energy data being analyzed at SAL.Comment: 39 pages LaTeX, 19 figures (uses epsf

Moderate hypercapnia exerts beneficial effects on splanchnic energy metabolism during endotoxemia

Purpose: Low tidal volume ventilation and permissive hypercapnia are required in patients with sepsis complicated by ARDS. The effects of hypercapnia on tissue oxidative metabolism in this setting are unknown. We therefore determined the effects of moderate hypercapnia on markers of systemic and splanchnic oxidative metabolism in an animal model of endotoxemia. Methods: Anesthetized rats maintained at a PaCO2 of 30, 40 or 60mmHg were challenged with endotoxin. A control group (PaCO2 40mmHg) received isotonic saline. Hemodynamic variables, arterial lactate, pyruvate, and ketone bodies were measured at baseline and after 4h. Tissue adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and lactate were measured in the small intestine and the liver after 4h. Results: Endotoxin resulted in low cardiac output, increased lactate/pyruvate ratio and decreased ketone body ratio. These changes were not influenced by hypercapnia, but were more severe with hypocapnia. In the liver, ATP decreased and lactate increased independently from PaCO2 after endotoxin. In contrast, the drop of ATP and the rise in lactate triggered by endotoxin in the intestine were prevented by hypercapnia. Conclusions: During endotoxemia in rats, moderate hypercapnia prevents the deterioration of tissue energetics in the intestin