Peak oil: will it be public health's greatest challenge?

The health of populations is determined more by the social and economic determinants of health than by changes in technology, health services or short-term policy interventions. In the near future, there is likely to be a significant shortfall in energy supply, resulting in high energy prices and a reversal of many of the aspects of globalization that are currently taken for granted. If this happens, economic recession and restructuring could have a negative impact on health, not dissimilar to that experienced by the former Soviet Union when it attempted a rapid change in its economy. There is, however, the potential, through economic planning and sustainable development, to reduce the adverse effects of this change and use this opportunity to impact on a range of diseases which are, at least in part, caused by overconsumption, inequality and loss of community

Some Combinatorial Properties of Hook Lengths, Contents, and Parts of Partitions

This paper proves a generalization of a conjecture of Guoniu Han, inspired originally by an identity of Nekrasov and Okounkov. The main result states that certain sums over partitions p of n, involving symmetric functions of the squares of the hook lengths of p, are polynomial functions of n. A similar result is obtained for symmetric functions of the contents and shifted parts of n.Comment: 20 pages. Correction of some inaccuracies, and a new Theorem 4.

Climate change and rising energy costs: a threat but also an opportunity for a healthier future?

Health problems caused by overconsumption, growing inequalities and diminished well-being are issues that have been attributed to the prioritization of economic growth as the central purpose of society. It is also known that climate change and rising energy prices will inevitably bring changes to the globe's economic models. Doctors and the wider public health community have campaigned successfully in the past on issues such as the threat of nuclear war. Is it now time for this constituency to make its distinctive contribution to these new threats to health

The pre-WDVV ring of physics and its topology

We show how a simplicial complex arising from the WDVV (Witten-Dijkgraaf-Verlinde-Verlinde) equations of string theory is the Whitehouse complex. Using discrete Morse theory, we give an elementary proof that the Whitehouse complex $\Delta_n$ is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of $(n-2)!$ spheres of dimension $n-4$. We also verify the Cohen-Macaulay property. Additionally, recurrences are given for the face enumeration of the complex and the Hilbert series of the associated pre-WDVV ring.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Climate change and rising energy costs will change everything: A new mindset and action plan for 21st Century public health

Western governments currently prioritize economic growth and the pursuit of profit above alternative goals of sustainability, health and equality. Climate change and rising energy costs are challenging this consensus. The realization of the transformation required to meet these challenges has provoked denial and conflict, but could lead to a more positive response which leads to a health dividend; enhanced well-being, less overconsumption and greater equality. This paper argues that public health can make its best contribution by adopting a new mindset, discourse, methodology and set of tasks

Ki-67 (30-9) scoring and differentiation of Luminal A- and Luminal B-like breast cancer subtypes

INTRODUCTION: Ki-67 labeling index assessed by immunohistochemical assays has been shown useful in assessing the risk of recurrence for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive HER2-negative breast cancers (BC) and distinguishing Luminal A-like from Luminal B-like tumors. We aimed to assess the performance of the Ventana CONFIRM anti-Ki-67 (30-9) Rabbit Monoclonal Primary Antibody. METHODS: We constructed a case-cohort design based on a random sample (n\u2009=\u2009679) of all patients operated on for a first primary, non-metastatic, ER-positive, HER2-negative BC at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) Milan, Italy during 1998-2002 and all additional patients (n\u2009=\u2009303) operated during the same period, who developed an event (metastasis in distant organs or death due to BC as primary event) and were not included in the previous subset. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression with inverse subcohort sampling probability weighting was used to evaluate the risk of event according to Ki-67 (30-9) and derived intrinsic molecular subtype, using previously defined cutoff values, i.e., respectively 14% and 20%. RESULTS: Ki-67 was\u2009<\u200914% in 318 patients (32.4%), comprised between 14 and 19% in 245 patients (24.9%) and\u2009 65\u200920 in 419 patients (42.7%). At multivariable analysis, the risk of developing distant disease was 1.88 (95% CI 1.20-2.93; P\u2009=\u20090.006) for those with Ki-67 comprised between 14 and 19%, and 3.06 (95% CI 1.93-4.84; P\u2009<\u20090.0001) for those with Ki-67\u2009 65\u200920% compared to those with Ki-67\u2009<\u200914%. Patients with Luminal B-like BC had an approximate twofold risk of developing distant disease (HR\u2009=\u20091.91; 95% CI 1.35-2.71; P\u2009=\u20090.0003) than patients with Luminal A-like BC defined using Ki-67 (30-9). CONCLUSIONS: Ki-67 evaluation using the 30-9 rabbit monoclonal primary antibody was able to stratify patients with ER-positive HER2-negative BC into prognostically distinct groups. Ki-67 assessment, with strict adherence to the international recommendations, should be included among the clinically useful biological parameters for the best treatment of patients with BC

Exact spin dynamics of the 1/r^2 supersymmetric t-J model in a magnetic field

The dynamical spin structure factor S^{zz}(Q,omega) in the small momentum region is derived analytically for the one-dimensional supersymmetric t-J model with 1/r^2 interaction. Strong spin-charge separation is found in the spin dynamics. The structure factor S^{zz}(Q,omega) with a given spin polarization does not depend on the electron density in the small momentum region. In the thermodynamic limit, only two spinons and one antispinon (magnon) contribute to S^{zz}(Q,omega). These results are derived via solution of the SU(2,1) Sutherland model in the strong coupling limit.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in J.Phys.

Dual spacecraft observations of a compression event within the Jovian magnetosphere: Signatures of externally triggered supercorotation?

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95145/1/jgra17153.pd

INTEGRAL upper limits on gamma-ray emission associated with the gravitational wave event GW150914

Using observations of the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), we put upper limits on the gamma-ray and hard X-ray prompt emission associated with the gravitational wave event GW150914, discovered by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration. The omni-directional view of the INTEGRAL/SPI-ACS has allowed us to constrain the fraction of energy emitted in the hard X-ray electromagnetic component for the full high-probability sky region of LIGO trigger. Our upper limits on the hard X-ray fluence at the time of the event range from $F_{\gamma}=2 \times 10^{-8}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ to $F_{\gamma}=10^{-6}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ in the 75 keV - 2 MeV energy range for typical spectral models. Our results constrain the ratio of the energy promptly released in gamma-rays in the direction of the observer to the gravitational wave energy E$_\gamma/$E$_\mathrm{GW}<10^{-6}$. We discuss the implication of gamma-ray limits on the characteristics of the gravitational wave source, based on the available predictions for prompt electromagnetic emission.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ