Convex Games with Countable Number of Players and Sequencing Situations

AMS classification: 91A12;Cooperative games;countable number of players;convexity;infinite sequencing situations

Localized basis sets for unbound electrons in nanoelectronics

It is shown how unbound electron wave functions can be expanded in a suitably chosen localized basis sets for any desired range of energies. In particular, we focus on the use of gaussian basis sets, commonly used in first-principles codes. The possible usefulness of these basis sets in a first-principles description of field emission or scanning tunneling microscopy at large bias is illustrated by studying a simpler related phenomenon: The lifetime of an electron in a H atom subjected to a strong electric field.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted by J. Chem. Phys. (http://jcp.aip.org/

Performance of drug resistance assays in testing HIV-1 non-B subtypes

Antiretroviral susceptibility analyses were performed in plasma samples collected from 32 HIV-1 non-B-infected individuals, most of whom had received antiretroviral drugs. Reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease gene sequences were obtained, and 15 anti-HIV drugs were tested in a recombinant virus phenotypic assay. Phenotypic results were obtained in 25 (78.1%) samples, while genotypic data were recorded in 19 (59.4%). In seven samples (21.9%), neither genotypic nor phenotypic results were obtained. Ten of 13 samples with plasma HIV RNA below 2000 copies/mL did not yield genotypic results. Resistance assays work accurately when testing HIV-1 non-B subtypes. However, as for subtype B variants, a low viral load is the most important factor limiting the application of these tests

La información litológica mejora los modelos de distribución de especies de plantas basados en datos de baja resolución espacial

The aim of this study was to assess the improvement of plant species distribution models based on coarse-grained occurrence data when adding lithologic data to climatic models. The distributions of 40 woody plant species from continental Spain were modelled. A logistic regression model with climatic predictors was fitted for each species and compared to a second model with climatic and lithologic predictors. Improvements on model likelihood and prediction accuracy on validation subsamples were assessed, as well as the effect of calcicole–calcifuge habit on model improvemenClimatic models had reasonable mean prediction accuracy, but adding lithologic data improved model likelihood in most cases and increased mean prediction accuracy. Therefore, we recommend utilizing lithologic data for species distribution models based on coarse-grained occurrence data. Our data did not support the hypothesis that calcicole–calcifuge habit may explain model improvement when adding lithologic data to climatic models, but further research is needed.El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la mejora que supone la incorporación de la litología a modelos climáticos de distribución de especies basados en datos de baja resolución espacial. La zona de estudio es la España peninsular. Se ha ajustado un modelo de regresión logística con variables climáticas para cada una de las 40 especies vegetales consideradas y se ha comparado a un segundo modelo con variables climáticas y litológicas. Se ha evaluado la mejora en la verosimilitud y la capacidad predictiva en submuestras de validación, así como el efecto del grado de preferencia de las especies por suelos calcáreos o silíceos en dicha mejora. Los modelos climáticos ofrecen una capacidad predictiva media razonablemente buena, pero la adición de la litología aumenta la verosimilitud del modelo en la mayoría de los casos y la precisión media de las predicciones aumentan significativamente. Se recomienda utilizar información litológica para los modelos de distribución de especies de plantas basados en datos de baja resolución espacial. Con los datos usados no se puede aceptar la hipótesis de que el grado de preferencia de las especies por suelos calcáreos o silíceos explica las diferencias entre especies en la mejora de los modelos debido a la incorporación de información litológica, pero este aspecto debe ser estudiado con más profundidad en futuras investigaciones

Healthcare resource use and costs of severe, uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma in the UK general population

Acknowledgments The authors thank Derek Skinner (Cambridge Research Support Ltd, Oakington, Cambridge, UK) for assistance with data extraction.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Clinical Outcome in Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 2 Carriers Following Organ Transplantation

Background: Frequent and rapid development of myelopathy has been reported in individuals with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection following solid organ transplantation. There is no information regarding HTLV-2, a closely related virus that often infects injection drug users. Methods: This study includes a retrospective analysis of all consecutive organ transplants performed during the last 2 decades at a large reference transplantation unit in Spain. All participants were tested for anti-HTLV antibodies. Results: A total of 2019 individuals were tested for HTLV during the study period, including 663 potential donors and 1356 recipient candidates. Twelve (0.59%) were reactive on initial HTLV serologic screening, but only 6 (all recipients) were confirmed as positive, all for HTLV-2. Two recipients underwent liver transplantation and have remained asymptomatic despite being on tacrolimus for 4 and 8 years, respectively. Likewise, the remaining 4 HTLV-2 carriers have not developed clinical complications potentially associated with HTLV-2. Conclusions: Unlike HTLV-1 infection, HTLV-2 infection in the transplantation setting does not seem to be associated with rapid development of neurologic complications, Given the cross-seroreactivity between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2, discriminatory rapid tests are urgently needed and would reduce unnecessary organ discharge

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 recombinant B/G subtypes circulating in Coimbra, Portugal.

An increasing prevalence of HIV-1 non-B variants is being noticed in several European regions, particularly in countries such as Portugal, which have closer contacts with African endemic areas, where multiple HIV subtypes cocirculate. HIV-1 subtyping by phylogenetic analyses of reverse transcriptase, protease and env (C2-V3) genomic regions was carried out in plasma collected from 18 HIV-1-infected subjects living in Coimbra, Portugal, and suspected to be infected with non-B variants. Three (16.7%) subjects carried recombinant B/G viruses (BV3/BRT/Gpro; GV3/URT/Bpro; AV3/GRT/Bpro), whereas all the remaining individuals were infected with HIV-1 subtype B. This is the first report of recombinant B/G subtypes in Portugal

Multicultural and egalitarian beliefs in a Europe in transformation. A study with teachers in southern Italy

Europe is going through one of the most regressive moments in terms of rights for migrants. Policies that justify the questioning of rights are based and, in turn, contribute to the formation of certain beliefs towards diversity. These beliefs in the teaching staff condition the teaching-learning processes, the modes of relationship and the transmission of values within the classroom. This study focuses on knowing teachers' beliefs towards multiculturalism and equality in Southern Italy, one of the areas with the greatest migration control in Europe. For the research, the Cultural Beliefs for Teachers Scale (TCBS) was validated cross-culturally (through exploratory and confirmatory analysis) that was applied to 300 teachers from Sicilian public schools. The results show, despite the political context, that teachers maintain positive beliefs towards equality and multiculturalism. Women manifest more positive beliefs towards multiculturalism in the classroom than their male peers, while the group with more years of teaching offers worse results towards multiculturalism outside the classroom. This general overview offers an image of schools as potential spaces for democratic resistance. However, there is a need to develop new instruments that assess contemporary forms of discrimination more concretely and sensitively.Europa atraviesa uno de los momentos más regresivos en materia de derechos para las personas migrantes. Las políticas que justifican el cuestionamiento de derechos se asientan y, a su vez, contribuyen a la conformación de determinadas creencias hacia la diversidad. Estas creencias en el profesorado condicionan los procesos de enseñanzaaprendizaje, los modos de relación y la transmisión de valores dentro del aula. Este estudio se centra en conocer las creencias del profesorado hacia la multiculturalidad y la igualdad en el sur de Italia, una de las zonas de mayor control migratorio en Europa. Para la investigación se validó transculturalmente la encuesta de Creencias culturales para profesores (The Teachers Cultural Beliefs Scale –TCBS-) (mediante análisis exploratorio y confirmatorio) que se aplicó sobre 300 docentes de centros educativos públicos sicilianos. Los resultados muestran, pese al contexto político, que el profesorado mantiene creencias positivas hacia la igualdad y la multiculturalidad. Las mujeres manifiestan creencias más positivas hacia la multiculturalidad en el aula que sus pares masculinos, mientras que el grupo con más años de docencia ofrece peores resultados hacia la multiculturalidad fuera del aula. Esta panorámica general, ofrece una imagen de las escuelas como potenciales espacios de resistencia democrática. No obstante, es preciso desarrollar instrumentos que valoren de manera más concreta y sensible las formas contemporáneas de discriminación