Proverbes et parémies: problèmes définitoires et méthodologiques

This article first analyses the reasons for the absence of clear consensus among scholars and includes a summary of the main trends and methods in specialised literature, as well as a “scale of consensus” for definition criteria. The second part focuses on methodology and describes common pitfalls in traditional definition approaches. A series of principles is then devised in order to increase the efficiency of proverb definition. Such principles tackle issues such as the contents and form of a definition, the choice in the corpus or approach to define proverbs, or the redundancy of some definition criteria. They ultimately stress the necessity of a transdisciplinary, analytical approach that incorporates class hybridity.El artículo considera en primer lugar la falta de consenso acerca de la noción de proverbio, y analiza los motivos, examinando los diversos métodos utilizados. A continuación, se clasifican mediante una escala de consenso los criterios definitorios usados en la bibliografía especializada. Luego el artículo se concentra en la metodología y discute las limitaciones recurrentes de los enfoques tradicionales, y formula una serie de principios con el fin de reforzar la legitimidad de las tentativas de definición. Estos principios tratan cuestiones como la manera de redactar una definición, la productividad de los diversos métodos, la redundancia de ciertos criterios, o la selección del corpus. Subrayan, en fin, la necesidad de una definición analítica interdisciplinar que tenga en cuenta el fenómeno del deslizamiento categorial

Primary beam effects of radio astronomy antennas -- II. Modelling the MeerKAT L-band beam

After a decade of design and construction, South Africa's SKA-MID precursor MeerKAT has begun its science operations. To make full use of the widefield capability of the array, it is imperative that we have an accurate model of the primary beam of its antennas. We have taken available L-band full-polarization 'astro-holographic' observations of three antennas and a generic electromagnetic simulation and created sparse representations of the beams using principal components and Zernike polynomials. The spectral behaviour of the spatial coefficients has been modelled using discrete cosine transform. We have provided the Zernike-based model over a diameter of 10 deg averaged over the beams of three antennas in an associated software tool (EIDOS) that can be useful in direction-dependent calibration and imaging. The model is more accurate for the diagonal elements of the beam Jones matrix and at lower frequencies. As we get more accurate beam measurements and simulations in the future, especially for the cross-polarization patterns, our pipeline can be used to create more accurate sparse representations of MeerKAT beams.Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in MNRAS following peer review. The version of record [K. M. B. Asad et al., 2021] is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab10

Structure stability in the simple element sodium under pressure

The simple alkali metal Na, that crystallizes in a body-centred cubic structure at ambient pressure, exhibits a wealth of complex phases at extreme conditions as found by experimental studies. The analysis of the mechanism of stabilization of some of these phases, namely, the low-temperature Sm-type phase and the high-pressure cI16 and oP8 phases, shows that they satisfy the criteria for the Hume-Rothery mechanism. These phases appear to be stabilized due to a formation of numerous planes in a Brillouin-Jones zone in the vicinity of the Fermi sphere of Na, which leads to the reduction of the overall electronic energy. For the oP8 phase, this mechanism seems to be working if one assumes that Na becomes divalent metal at this density. The oP8 phase of Na is analysed in comparison with the MnP-type oP8 phases known in binary compounds, as well as in relation to the hP4 structure of the NiAs-type

Empowering the crowd: feasible strategies for epidemic management in high-density informal settlements. The case of COVID-19 in Northwest Syria

More than 1 billion people live in informal settlements worldwide, where precarious living conditions pose unique challenges to managing a COVID-19 outbreak. Taking Northwest Syria as a case study, we simulated an outbreak in high-density informal Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps using a stochastic Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered model. Expanding on previous studies, taking social conditions and population health/structure into account, we modelled several interventions feasible in these settings: moderate self-distancing, self-isolation of symptomatic cases and protection of the most vulnerable in 'safety zones'. We considered complementary measures to these interventions that can be implemented autonomously by these communities, such as buffer zones, health checks and carers for isolated individuals, quantifying their impact on the micro-dynamics of disease transmission. All interventions significantly reduce outbreak probability and some of them reduce mortality when an outbreak does occur. Self-distancing reduces mortality by up to 35% if contacts are reduced by 50%. A reduction in mortality by up to 18% can be achieved by providing one self-isolation tent per eight people. Protecting the most vulnerable in a safety zone reduces the outbreak probability in the vulnerable population and has synergistic effects with the other interventions. Our model predicts that a combination of all simulated interventions may reduce mortality by more than 90% and delay an outbreak's peak by almost 2 months. Our results highlight the potential for non-medical interventions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. Similar measures may be applicable to controlling COVID-19 in other informal settlements, particularly IDP camps in conflict regions, around the world

Suitability of PSA-detected localised prostate cancers for focal therapy: Experience from the ProtecT study

This article is available through a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Copyright @ 2011 Cancer Research UK.Background: Contemporary screening for prostate cancer frequently identifies small volume, low-grade lesions. Some clinicians have advocated focal prostatic ablation as an alternative to more aggressive interventions to manage these lesions. To identify which patients might benefit from focal ablative techniques, we analysed the surgical specimens of a large sample of population-detected men undergoing radical prostatectomy as part of a randomised clinical trial. Methods: Surgical specimens from 525 men who underwent prostatectomy within the ProtecT study were analysed to determine tumour volume, location and grade. These findings were compared with information available in the biopsy specimen to examine whether focal therapy could be provided appropriately. Results: Solitary cancers were found in prostatectomy specimens from 19% (100 out of 525) of men. In addition, 73 out of 425 (17%) men had multiple cancers with a solitary significant tumour focus. Thus, 173 out of 525 (33%) men had tumours potentially suitable for focal therapy. The majority of these were small, well-differentiated lesions that appeared to be pathologically insignificant (38–66%). Criteria used to select patients for focal prostatic ablation underestimated the cancer's significance in 26% (34 out of 130) of men and resulted in overtreatment in more than half. Only 18% (24 out of 130) of men presumed eligible for focal therapy, actually had significant solitary lesions. Conclusion: Focal therapy appears inappropriate for the majority of men presenting with prostate-specific antigen-detected localised prostate cancer. Unifocal prostate cancers suitable for focal ablation are difficult to identify pre-operatively using biopsy alone. Most lesions meeting criteria for focal ablation were either more aggressive than expected or posed little threat of progression.National Institute for Health Researc

Linking vertical bulk-heterojunction composition and transient photocurrent dynamics in organic solar cells with solution-processed MoOx contact layers

It is demonstrated that a combination of microsecond transient photocurrent measurements and fi lm morphology characterization can be used to identify a charge-carrier blocking layer within polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction solar cells. Solution-processed molybdenum oxide (s-MoO x ) interlayers are used to control the morphology of the bulk-heterojunction. By selecting either a low- or high-temperature annealing (70 C or 150 C) for the s-MoO x layer, a well-performing device is fabricated with an ideally interconnected, high-efficiency morphology, or a device is fabricated in which the fullerene phase segregates near the hole extracting contact preventing efficient charge extraction. By probing the photocurrent dynamics of these two contrasting model systems as a function of excitation voltage and light intensity, the optoelectronic responses of the solar cells are correlated with the vertical phase composition of the polymer:fullerene active layer, which is known from dynamic secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (DSIMS). Numerical simulations are used to verify and understand the experimental results. The result is a method to detect poor morphologies in operating organic solar cells

ARCHES: A Randomized, Phase III Study of Androgen Deprivation Therapy With Enzalutamide or Placebo in Men With Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE: Enzalutamide, a potent androgen-receptor inhibitor, has demonstrated significant benefits in metastatic and nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of enzalutamide in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). METHODS: ARCHES (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02677896) is a multinational, double-blind, phase III trial, wherein 1,150 men with mHSPC were randomly assigned 1:1 to enzalutamide (160 mg/day) or placebo, plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), stratified by disease volume and prior docetaxel chemotherapy. The primary end point was radiographic progression-free survival. RESULTS: As of October 14, 2018, the risk of radiographic progression or death was significantly reduced with enzalutamide plus ADT versus placebo plus ADT (hazard ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.50; P < .001; median not reached v 19.0 months). Similar significant improvements in radiographic progression-free survival were reported in prespecified subgroups on the basis of disease volume and prior docetaxel therapy. Enzalutamide plus ADT significantly reduced the risk of prostate-specific antigen progression, initiation of new antineoplastic therapy, first symptomatic skeletal event, castration resistance, and reduced risk of pain progression. More men achieved an undetectable prostate-specific antigen level and/or an objective response with enzalutamide plus ADT (P < .001). Patients in both treatment groups reported a high baseline level of quality of life, which was maintained over time. Grade 3 or greater adverse events were reported in 24.3% of patients who received enzalutamide plus ADT versus 25.6% of patients who received placebo plus ADT, with no unexpected adverse events. CONCLUSION: Enzalutamide with ADT significantly reduced the risk of metastatic progression or death over time versus placebo plus ADT in men with mHSPC, including those with low-volume disease and/or prior docetaxel, with a safety analysis that seems consistent with the safety profile of enzalutamide in previous clinical trials in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Maternal super-obesity (body mass index ≥ 50) and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Abstract Objective. To determine if pregnancy complications are increased in super-obese (a body mass index (BMI) of 50 or more) compared to other, less obese parturients. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting and population. All 19,700 eligible women, including 425 (2.2%) super-obese women with singleton births between 1996 and 2007 delivering at a tertiary referral center, identified using a perinatal research database. Methods. Bivariate and trend analyses were used to assess the relation between super-obesity and various pregnancy complications compared to other well-established BMI categories. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using multivariable logistic regression techniques. Main outcome measures. Outcomes for adjusted and unadjusted analyses were small-for-gestational age (SGA) birth, large-for-gestational age (LGA) birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), fetal death, preterm birth, placental abruption, cesarean delivery, and Apgar scores < 7. Results. Compared to all other obese and non-obese women, super-obese women had the highest rates of preeclampsia, GDM, LGA, and cesarean delivery (all p < 0.05 for trend test). Super-obesity was also associated with a 44% reduction in SGA compared to all other women (OR 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40–0.76) and a 25% reduction compared to other, less obese women (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.54–1.03). Super-obesity was positively associated with LGA, GDM, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, and a 5-minute Apgar score < 7 compared to all other women after controlling for important confounders. Conclusion. Super-obesity is associated with higher rates of pregnancy complications compared to women of all other BMI classes, including other obese women

Prostate Cancer Patients Under Active Surveillance with a Suspicious Magnetic Resonance Imaging Finding Are at Increased Risk of Needing Treatment: Results of the Movember Foundation's Global Action Plan Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance (GAP3) Consortium

Background: The inclusion criterion for active surveillance (AS) is low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The predictive value of the presence of a suspicious lesion at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the time of inclusion is insufficiently known. Objective: To evaluate the percentage of patients needing active treatment stratified by the presence or absence of a suspicious lesion at baseline MRI. Design, setting, and participants: A retrospective analysis of the data from the multicentric AS GAP3 Consortium database was conducted. The inclusion criteria were men with grade group (GG) 1 or GG 2 prostate cancer combined with prostate-specific antigen <20 ng/ml. We selected a subgroup of patients who had MRI at baseline and for whom MRI results and targeted biopsies were used for AS eligibility. Suspicious MRI was defined as an MRI lesion with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS)/Likert ≥3 and for which targeted biopsies did not exclude the patient for AS. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The primary outcome was treatment free survival (FS). The secondary outcomes were histological GG progression FS and continuation of AS (discontinuation FS). Results and limitations: The study cohort included 2119 patients (1035 men with nonsuspicious MRI and 1084 with suspicious MRI) with a median follow-up of 23 (12–43) mo. For the whole cohort, 3-yr treatment FS was 71% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 69–74). For nonsuspicious MRI and suspicious MRI groups, 3-yr treatment FS rates were, respectively, 80% (95% CI: 77–83) and 63% (95% CI: 59–66). Active treatment (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.0, p < 0.001), grade progression (HR = 1.9, p < 0.001), and discontinuation of AS (HR = 1.7, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the suspicious MRI group than in the nonsuspicious MRI group. Conclusions: The risks of switching to treatment, histological progression, and AS discontinuation are higher in cases of suspicious MRI at inclusion. Patient summary: Among men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer who choose active surveillance, those with suspicious magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the time of inclusion in active surveillance are more likely to show switch to treatment than men with nonsuspicious MRI