Predictions for the Leptonic Dirac CP-Violating Phase

We explore the effects of correlations among observable parameters of neutrino mixing on predictions for the leptonic Dirac CP-violating phase. We focus on a standard class of theoretical models that include a single source of CP-violation due to charged lepton corrections. We take two complementary approaches -- one in which the model parameters are uncorrelated and one in which correlations are introduced as a way to optimally reproduce the experimentally measured mixing angles. We find that in both cases we can guarantee a physically meaningful prediction for the most likely value of the leptonic Dirac CP-violating phase.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Ultrahigh Surface Area Three-Dimensional Porous Graphitic Carbon from Conjugated Polymeric Molecular Framework

Porous graphitic carbon is essential for many applications such as energy storage devices, catalysts, and sorbents. However, current graphitic carbons are limited by low conductivity, low surface area, and ineffective pore structure. Here we report a scalable synthesis of porous graphitic carbons using a conjugated polymeric molecular framework as precursor. The multivalent cross-linker and rigid conjugated framework help to maintain micro- and mesoporous structures, while promoting graphitization during carbonization and chemical activation. The above unique design results in a class of highly graphitic carbons at temperature as low as 800 ??C with record-high surface area (4073 m2 g-1), large pore volume (2.26 cm-3), and hierarchical pore architecture. Such carbons simultaneously exhibit electrical conductivity >3 times more than activated carbons, very high electrochemical activity at high mass loading, and high stability, as demonstrated by supercapacitors and lithium-sulfur batteries with excellent performance. Moreover, the synthesis can be readily tuned to make a broad range of graphitic carbons with desired structures and compositions for many applications.clos

Exposure to Family Planning Messages and Teenage Pregnancy: Results from the 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey

Background Teenage pregnancy is known to have physical, emotional, and psychosocial effects. Because of these risks, family planning and contraception messages have been disseminated in various forms of media, but their association with teenage pregnancy has not been studied previously in the Philippines. This study aims to examine the association between exposure to various family planning and contraception messages disseminated in various media channels and pregnancy among Filipino women aged 15–19. The study also intended to examine interactions between the different media channels where these family planning and contraception messages are being disseminated on their effect on teenage pregnancy. Methods We used data from the individual recode of the 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey. We used logistic regression for survey data to study the association between exposure to family planning and contraception messages and teenage pregnancy. Results Out of 5120 respondents, 44% of respondents have accessed information on contraception from the internet, 25% have heard information about contraception through the radio, 55% of respondents have heard about contraception via television, 15% have read about contraception in the newspapers and magazines, and only 6% have received information on contraception via short messaging service (SMS). There were 420 (8.56%) who have ever been pregnant. After adjusting for confounding variables, those who were exposed to family planning/contraceptive messages via the internet (aOR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.59, 1.35) and newspapers/magazines (aOR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.41) have lower odds of teenage pregnancy, but no strong evidence of their effectiveness. On the other hand, exposure to family planning messages through the radio (aOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.59), television (aOR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.65), and short messaging service (aOR: 1.29; 95% CI: 0.51, 3.22) marginally increase the risk of teenage pregnancy. We did not find any pairwise interactions between the different exposure variables. Conclusions Our results highlight the need to improve the content and key messages of contraceptive and family planning messages in the Philippines, especially those that are broadcasted online and in print media. There is also a need to increase the reach of these different family planning and contraception messages, especially by utilizing social media and other print and online media platforms commonly used by the youth

Growth anomalies on the coral genera Acropora and Porites are strongly associated with host density and human population size across the Indo-Pacific

Growth anomalies (GAs) are common, tumor-like diseases that can cause significant morbidity and decreased fecundity in the major Indo-Pacific reef-building coral genera, Acropora and Porites. GAs are unusually tractable for testing hypotheses about drivers of coral disease because of their pan-Pacific distributions, relatively high occurrence, and unambiguous ease of identification. We modeled multiple disease-environment associations that may underlie the prevalence of Acropora growth anomalies (AGA) (n = 304 surveys) and Porites growth anomalies (PGA) (n = 602 surveys) from across the Indo-Pacific. Nine predictor variables were modeled, including coral host abundance, human population size, and sea surface temperature and ultra-violet radiation anomalies. Prevalence of both AGAs and PGAs were strongly host density-dependent. PGAs additionally showed strong positive associations with human population size. Although this association has been widely posited, this is one of the first broad-scale studies unambiguously linking a coral disease with human population size. These results emphasize that individual coral diseases can show relatively distinct patterns of association with environmental predictors, even in similar diseases (growth anomalies) found on different host genera (Acropora vs. Porites). As human densities and environmental degradation increase globally, the prevalence of coral diseases like PGAs could increase accordingly, halted only perhaps by declines in host density below thresholds required for disease establishment

La presencia de placa carotídea es predictor de eventos adversos cardiacos y cerebrovasculares en sujetos sometidos a coronariografía

[Abstract] Background: Carotid disease, measured as carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque (CP), is associated with major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in people without the previous atherosclerotic disease; however, there are few published data in patients undergoing coronary angiography. The aim of the study is to determinate if the carotid disease is associated with MACCE after coronary angiography. Methods: A total of 390 consecutive patients underwent coronary angiography after exercise echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography between 2002 and 2013. MACCE was defined as stroke, myocardial infarction due to atherosclerosis progression or death due to a stroke or cardiac event. Results: Two patients were lost (0.5%). During a mean follow-up of 6.0 years (standard deviation of 2.9), 52 patients (13.4%) suffered MACCE. 1, 5, and 10 years, event-free survival was 96.4% (1.0), 88.7% (1.7), and 81.4% (2.8), respectively. Event rates at 10 years were higher in the CP group (23.2% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.013) and in the CIMT > 0.9 mm group (25.9% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.023). Multivariate analysis showed smoking habit (hazard ratio [HR] 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36-4.62, p = 0.003), glomerular filtration rate (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.98-0.99), aortic stenosis (HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.24-7.21, p = 0.014), incomplete/no coronary revascularization (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.06-3.67, p = 0.033), insulin treatment (HR 2.63, 95% CI 1.30-5.31, p = 0.006), and CP (HR 2.36, 95% CI 1.02-5.44, p = 0.044) as predictors of MACCE. Conclusions: CP is an independent predictor of MACCE in patients undergoing coronary angiography.[Resumen] La enfermedad carotídea, definida como grosor de íntima media (GIMC) y placa (PC), se asocia con eventos adversos cardiacos y cerebrovasculares (EACC) en sujetos sin aterosclerosis previa; sin embargo hay pocos datos en pacientes sometidos a coronariografía. El objetivo del estudio es determinar si la enfermedad carotídea se asocia a EACC en pacientes remitidos a coronariografía Métodos: Entre 2002 y 2013 390 pacientes fueron sometidos a coronariografía tras ecocardiograma de esfuerzo y ecografía carotídea. Se definió EACC como accidente cerebrovascular, infarto de miocardio por progresión aterosclerótica o muerte por accidente cerebrovascular o causa cardiaca. Resultados: Durante un seguimiento medio de 6 años (desviación estándar 2, 9) se registraron 2 pérdidas y 52 eventos (13,4%). La supervivencia media libre de eventos a uno, cinco y diez años fue 96.4% (1.0), 88.7% (1.7) y 81.4% (2.8). Hubo mayor número de eventos a 10 años en el grupo de PC (23.2% frente 10.2%, p = 0.013) y GIMC > 0.9 mm (25,9% frente 13.3%, p = 0.023). En el análisis multivariado los predictores de EACC fueron tabaquismo (hazard ratio [HR] 2.51, intervalo de confianza [IC] al 95% 1.36-4.62, p = 0.003), filtrado glomerular renal (HR 0.98 IC95% 0.98-0.99), estenosis aórtica (HR 2.99, IC 95% 1.24-7.21, p = 0.014), revascularización incompleta/no revascularización (HR 1.97, IC 95% 1.06-3.67, p = 0.033), tratamiento con insulina (HR 2.63, IC 95% 1.30-5.31, p = 0.006) y PC (HR 2.36, 95%CI 1.02-5.44, p = 0.044). Conclusiones: La PC es un predictor independiente de EACC en pacientes sometidos a coronariografía

Aspectos patológicos da intoxicação por aceturato de diminazeno em camelídeos sul-americanos.

Aceturato de diminazeno é um fármaco quimioterápico sintético comumente usado na medicina veterinária para o tratamento de doenças causadas por parasitos hematozoários. Entretanto, seu uso pode levar a efeitos colaterais, como alterações neurológicas graves e morte. A criação de camelídeos é uma atividade recente no Brasil, fazendo-se necessário conhecer mais sobre as doenças que acometem essas espécies. De dez camelídeos (seis lhamas e quatro alpacas) da propriedade, seis tiveram sinais clínicos e, destes, apenas uma lhama com manifestações leves recuperou-se. Os sinais clínicos incluíam apatia, andar cambaleante, fraqueza, sialorreia, cabeça baixa e pendida lateralmente, dificuldade em levantar e dispneia, observados a partir de 18 horas após o uso do medicamento. À necropsia e ao exame histopatológico foram observadas alterações de encefalopatia hemorrágica bilateral e simétrica, mais graves em tronco encefálico e tálamo. Este trabalho descreve as principais lesões observadas em um surto de intoxicação por diminazeno em alpacas (Lama pacos) e lhamas (Lama glama) e alerta criadores e veterinários sobre o risco de intoxicação por aceturato de diminazeno em camelídeos sulamericanos.Título em inglês: Pathological aspects of diminazene aceturate toxicosis in american camelids

Supercapacitance from cellulose and carbon nanotube nanocomposite fibers

Copyright © 2013 American Chemical SocietyACS AuthorChoice open access articleMultiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT)/cellulose composite nanofibers have been prepared by electrospinning a MWNT/cellulose acetate blend solution followed by deacetylation. These composite nanofibers were then used as precursors for carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The effect of nanotubes on the stabilization of the precursor and microstructure of the resultant CNFs were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that the incorporated MWNTs reduce the activation energy of the oxidative stabilization of cellulose nanofibers from 230 to 180 kJ mol–1. They also increase the crystallite size, structural order, and electrical conductivity of the activated CNFs (ACNFs). The surface area of the ACNFs increased upon addition of nanotubes which protrude from the fiber leading to a rougher surface. The ACNFs were used as the electrodes of a supercapacitor. The electrochemical capacitance of the ACNF derived from pure cellulose nanofibers is demonstrated to be 105 F g–1 at a current density of 10 A g–1, which increases to 145 F g–1 upon the addition of 6% of MWNTs.The authors would like to thank the [Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council] EPSRC (EP/F036914/1 and EP/I023879/1), Guangdong and Shenzhen Innovative Research Team Program (No. 2011D052,KYPT20121228160843692), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21201175), R&D Funds for basic Research Program of Shenzhen (Grant No. JCYJ20120615140007998), and the Universities of Exeter and Manchester for funding this research

Validation of the test need for cognition: a study in behavioral accounting

This study aimed to validate the Need for Cognition scale (NFC) in behavioral accounting. In addition, we sought to measure the possible correlations between the level of need for cognition and the existence of cognitive biases in decisions in accounting and financial information. Two validations were performed to carry out the process of full validation – criterion and construct. The analysis was done by the examination of a sample comprised by 128 graduation students. The statistical technique used for the validation of this test was a factorial analysis for it has the ability to determine the degree of influence of a particular variable in the explanation of a factor, and the processing logistic regression was used for the explanation of possible values as a function of known values or independent variables. The results of the construct of validity showed the legitimacy of the NFC as a unidimensional scale excluding three outputs of its original scale, since the criterion validity of the results confirmed the impact of the level of cognition in maximizing the occurrence of heuristics in managerial decisions