Numerical evaluation of multi-loop integrals

We present updates on the development of pySecDec, a toolbox to numerically evaluate parameter integrals in the context of dimensional regularization. We discuss difficulties with loop integrals in the special kinematic condition where the squared momentum of a leg is equal to the squared mass of a propagator. We further discuss some features of a Quasi Monte Carlo (QMC) integrator that can optionally run on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, contribution to the proceedings of Loops and Legs 2018, St. Goar, German

Clinical Lung Cancer Mutation Detection

As the promise of personalized medicine in the treatment of cancer begins to be realized, the diagnostic techniques needed to drive that revolution have continued to evolve. What started as optical imaging of banded chromosomes for karyotyping has progressed to DNA sequencing and now next‐generation sequencing capable of producing billions of reads. There are currently a large number of techniques that are used in the clinical laboratory for assessing the presence of mutations in lung tumors, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. Here, we survey the technology that is available and take a closer look at next‐generation sequencing. We discuss the instruments that are currently on the market and demonstrate the common workflow from patient to data. Additionally, the outside factors that influence the use of these technologies, from government regulation to insurance reimbursement, are presented

A scoping review on determinants of unmet need for family planning among women of reproductive age in low and middle income countries

Background: Poor access and low contraceptive prevalence are common to many Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Unmet need for family planning (FP), defined as the proportion of women wishing to limit or postpone child birth, but not using contraception, has been central to reproductive health efforts for decades and still remains relevant for most policy makers and FP programs in LMICs. There is still a lag in contraceptive uptake across regions resulting in high unmet need due to various socioeconomic and cultural factors. In this mixed method scoping review we analyzed quantitative, qualitative and mixed method studies to summarize those factors influencing unmet need among women in LMICs. Methods: We conducted our scoping review by employing mixed method approach. We included studies applying quantitative and qualitative methods retrieved from online data bases (PubMed, JSTOR, and Google Scholar). We also reviewed the indexes of journals specific to the field of reproductive health by using a set of keywords related to unmet contraception need, and non-contraception use in LMICs. Results: We retrieved 283 articles and retained 34 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Of these, 26 were quantitative studies and 8 qualitative studies. We found unmet need for FP to range between 20 % and 58 % in most studies. Woman’s age was negatively associated with total unmet need for FP, meaning as women get older the unmet need for FP decreases. The number of children was found to be a positively associated determinant for a woman’s total unmet need. Also, woman’s level of education was negatively associated – as a woman’s education improves, her total unmet need decreases. Frequently reported reasons for non-contraception use were opposition from husband or husbands fear of infidelity, as well as woman’s fear of side effects or other health concerns related to contraceptive methods. Conclusion: Factors associated with unmet need for FP and non-contraception use were common across different LMIC settings. This suggests that women in LMICs face similar barriers to FP and that it is still necessary for reproductive health programs to identify FP interventions that more specifically tackle unmet need

Supporting the NIH: the Original Crowdfunding of Medical Research

Abstract There is strong support in our society for increased medical research and Americans give generously to private foundations that help fund that research. In this op-ed, I look at how these organizations fit into the national research landscape compared to funding by the NIH and I urge everyone to contact their representatives in Congress since even a small increase in the NIH budget can have a huge impact on research funding that is available to fight disease

Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for the control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina on carrot seeds

The current study was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of physical methods (hot water, aerated steam, electron treatment) and agents of natural origin (resistance inducers, plant derived products, micro-organisms) as seed treatments of carrots for control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina. Control of both Alternaria species by seed treatment with the resistance inducers was generally poor. Results were also not satisfactory with most of the formulated commercial micro-organism preparations. Based on the average of five field trials, one of these, BA 2552 (Pseudomonas chlororaphis), provided a low but significant increase in plant stand. Among the experimental micro-organisms, the best results were obtained with Pseudomonas sp. strain MF 416 and Clonostachys rosea strain IK726. A similar level of efficacy was provided by seed treatment with an emulsion (1%) of thyme oil in water. Good and consistent control was generally achieved with the physical methods aerated steam, hot water and electron treatment. Aerated steam treatment was, apart from the thiram-containing chemical standard, the best single treatment, and its performance may at least partially be due to extensive pre-testing, resulting in dosages optimally adapted to the respective seed lot. In some of the experiments the effect of the hot water treatment, which was tested at a fixed, not specifically adapted dosage, was significantly improved when combined with a Pseudomonas sp. MF 416 or C. rosea IK726 treatment. The results are discussed in relation to the outcome of experiments in which the same seed treatment methods and agents were tested in other seed-borne vegetable pathosystems