Parental presence within households and the impact of antiretroviral therapy in Khayelitsha, Cape Town

Background. While household support is an important component of effective care and treatment in HIV/AIDS, there are few insights from Southern Africa into how household support arrangements change over time for patients starting antiretroviral therapy (ART).Objective. We hypothesised that patients initiating ART are more likely to be living with family, especially their mothers, compared with the general population, but that over time these differences disappear.Methods. A panel survey of ART patients was matched by age, gender and education to a comparison sample drawn from adults in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.Results. The results show that there is a substantial potential burden of care on the families of patients starting ART, particularly mothers, and that the use of ART appears to reduce this burden over time. But, even after their health is restored, ART patients are significantly less likely to have a resident sexual partner and more likely to be living in single-person households than their counterparts in the general population

Energy and system dependence of high-pTp_T triggered two-particle near-side correlations

Previous studies have indicated that the near-side peak of high-$p_T$ triggered correlations can be decomposed into two parts, the \textit{Jet} and the \textit{Ridge}. We present data on the yield per trigger of the \textit{Jet} and the \textit{Ridge} from $d+Au$, $Cu+Cu$ and $Au+Au$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV and compare data on the \textit{Jet} to PYTHIA 8.1 simulations for $p+p$. PYTHIA describes the \textit{Jet} component up to a scaling factor, meaning that PYTHIA can provide a better understanding of the \textit{Ridge} by giving insight into the effects of the kinematic cuts. We present collision energy and system dependence of the \textit{Ridge} yield, which should help distinguish models for the production mechanism of the \textit{Ridge}.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, proceedings for Hot Quarks in Estes Park, Colorad

High pT correlations with strange particles in STAR

We present the highlights of the current identified strange particles DeltaPhi and DeltaEta correlations analyses, including system-size and trigger-pT of the jet and ridge, jet, ridge and away-side meson/baryon ratios, and the current state of the multi-strange baryon analysis. We see clear azimuthal peaks of comparable strength for all strange baryons and K0-short mesons. We see no observable species dependence on the same-side jet or ridge yields as a function of pT. However, while the away side and the ridge have Lambda to K0-short ratio similar to that of the bulk, the jet-only ratio is similar to that in $p+p$. The implications of these findings on current in-medium jet theoretical explanations are discussed.Comment: Proceedings for the Strangeness in Quark Matter 2007 Conference in Levoca, Slovaki

Exploring Early Parton Momentum Distribution with the Ridge from the Near-Side Jet

In a central nucleus-nucleus collision at high-energies, medium partons kicked by a near-side jet acquire a momentum along the jet direction and subsequently materialize as the observed ridge particles. They carry direct information on the early parton momentum distribution which can be extracted by using the ridge data for central AuAu collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV. The extracted parton momentum distribution has a thermal-like transverse momentum distribution but a non-Gaussian, relatively flat rapidity distribution at mid-rapidity with sharp kinematic boundaries at large rapidities that depend on the transverse momentum.Comment: In Proceedings of 20th International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus Nucleus Collisions, Jaipur, India, Feb. 4-10, 200

Mortality risk and social network position in southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca): sex differences and the importance of salmon abundance

An individual\u27s ecological environment affects its mortality risk, which in turn has fundamental consequences for life-history evolution and population viability. In many species, social relationships are likely to be an important component of an individual\u27s environment, and therefore mortality risk. Here, we examine the relationship between social position and mortality risk in Southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) using over three decades of social and demographic data. We find that the social position of male, but not female, killer whales in their social unit predicts their mortality risk. More socially integrated males have a significantly lower risk of mortality than socially peripheral males, particularly in years of low salmon abundance, suggesting that social position mediates access to resources. Male killer whales are larger and require more resources than females, increasing their vulnerability to starvation in years of low salmon abundance. More socially integrated males are likely to have better access to social information and food-sharing opportunities which may enhance their survival in years of low prey abundance. Our results show that observable variation in the social environment is linked to variation in mortality risk. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of considering sex differences in social effects on survival when developing conservation strategies for long-lived social mammals

From the sugar platform to biofuels and biochemicals. Final report for the European Commission Directorate-General Energy NENER

Numerous potential pathways to biofuels and biochemicals exist via the sugar platform1. This study uses literature surveys, market data and stakeholder input to provide a comprehensive evidence base for policymakers and industry – identifying the key benefits and development needs for the sugar platform. The study created a company database for 94 sugar-based products, with some already commercial, the majority at research/pilot stage, and only a few demonstration plants crossing the “valley of death”. Case studies describe the value proposition, market outlook and EU activity for ten value chains (acrylic, adipic & succinic acids, FDCA, BDO, farnesene, isobutene, PLA, PHAs and PE). Most can deliver significant greenhouse savings and drop-in (or improved) properties, but at an added cost to fossil alternatives. Whilst significant progress has been made, research barriers remain around lignocellulosic biomass fractionation, product separation energy, biological inhibition, chemical selectivity and monomer purity, plus improving whole chain process integration. An assessment of EU competitiveness highlights strengths in R&D, but a lack of strong commercial activity, due to the US, China and Brazil having more attractive feedstock and investment conditions. Further policy development, in particular for biochemicals, will be required to realise a competitive European sugar-based bioeconomy

Youth unemployment in South Africa revisited

One of the most pressing socio-economic problems of the South African economy is high youth unemployment. Recent studies only briefly examined how the youths fared since the transition by comparing the 1995 October Household Survey (OHS) with a Labour Force Survey (LFS), and hardly investigated whether the discouraged workseekers are different from the unemployed. Moreover, a new labour market status derivation methodology has been adopted since the inception of Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) in 2008. Although the unemployed in QLFSs are derived similarly as in OHSs and LFSs, the discouraged workseekers are distinguished very differently. This paper applies the QLFS methodology with minor revisions on all LFSs to derive comparable youth labour market trends since 2000, before re-examining the extent of youth unemployment. The characteristics of discouraged workseekers and narrow unemployed are then compared, before investigating whether different policies are needed to boost youth employment in each group.International Bibliography for Social Science