Pattern of skin disease in Ethiopian HIV‐infected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy: A cross‐sectional study in a dermatology referral hospital

Abstract Background More than 90% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected patients will develop at least one type of skin disorder during the course of the disease. The prevalence and severity of skin disease commonly seen in HIV‐infected patients has decreased in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Few studies in Ethiopia have shown the magnitude of skin problems among adult patients on cART. The aim of this study is to describe the pattern of skin disease among adult patients who are on cART. Methods Cross‐sectional observational study at ALERT Hospital from April 2018 to November 2018. Patterns of clinically diagnosed skin diseases were summarized descriptively. Result A total of 572 patients were evaluated. In total, 412 (72%) were female and the mean age of study participants was 40 (SD = 10.4). The median CD4 count at the time of diagnosis and start of cART were 178 (R 5‐2000) and 168 cells/μl (R 5‐1327), respectively. The mean duration of cART was 8 (SD = 3) years. 89.3% of patients were on first line and 7% on second line of cART regimen. Noninfectious inflammatory skin disorders (40.9%) were the most common concomitant diagnosis followed by infectious diseases (34.9%), infestation (7.7%), pigmentary disorders (6.3%) and cutaneous drug eruption (0.7%), respectively. Among the inflammatory skin disorders, 56.5% presented with eczema. One patient had Kaposi sarcoma. Conclusion Noninfectious inflammatory skin disorders are the most common concomitant skin disease in HIV‐infected patients, with eczema being most prevalent. Infectious skin diseases were also common presentations. In our study, AIDS‐defining skin conditions were rare

Macrorealism from entropic Leggett-Garg inequalities

We formulate entropic Leggett-Garg inequalities, which place constraints on the statistical outcomes of temporal correlations of observables. The information theoretic inequalities are satisfied if macrorealism holds. We show that the quantum statistics underlying correlations between time-separated spin component of a quantum rotor mimics that of spin correlations in two spatially separated spin-$s$ particles sharing a state of zero total spin. This brings forth the violation of the entropic Leggett-Garg inequality by a rotating quantum spin-$s$ system in similar manner as does the entropic Bell inequality (Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 662 (1988)) by a pair of spin-$s$ particles forming a composite spin singlet state.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX, 2 eps figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

SEM and EBSD investigations of high-chromium cast irons

High-chromium white cast irons are alloys that are based on the iron-chromium-carbon system and are classified in ISO 21988-2006 as abrasion-resistant cast irons that contain greater than 11% chromium. High-chromium white irons are primarily used as castings and hard-facing weld deposits in equipment requiring resistance to abrasive and erosive wear under moderate impact loading conditions. These materials are used in the mining and chemical processing plants in applications such as grinding mills, slurry pumps, chute liners and pipes. The microstructures of high-chromium white irons contain a substantial proportion of chromium rich carbides that are harder than silica sand, which is a commonly encountered wear medium in mineral processing plants. High-chromium white irons are generally heat treated to develop maximum hardness via the precipitation of secondary carbides in the ferrous matrix during ageing at elevated temperatures and destabilisation of austenite, which subsequently transforms to martensite on cooling to room temperature

A solution for estimating the tensile yield strength from small specimens

The small punch test is an innovative test that utilises small disc-shaped specimens to assess the mechanical behaviour of materials. The main advantage is the relatively small specimen size. In this article, a modified analytical solution for the small punch maximum bend strength is proposed that is based on classical plate theory. A clear linear relationship is observed between the tensile yield strength σYS and the small punch maximum bend strength σy for both alloys and metal matrix composites. Copyright by ASTM Int'l (all rights reserved)

Optimal Location of Sources in Transportation Networks

We consider the problem of optimizing the locations of source nodes in transportation networks. A reduction of the fraction of surplus nodes induces a glassy transition. In contrast to most constraint satisfaction problems involving discrete variables, our problem involves continuous variables which lead to cavity fields in the form of functions. The one-step replica symmetry breaking (1RSB) solution involves solving a stable distribution of functionals, which is in general infeasible. In this paper, we obtain small closed sets of functional cavity fields and demonstrate how functional recursions are converted to simple recursions of probabilities, which make the 1RSB solution feasible. The physical results in the replica symmetric (RS) and the 1RSB frameworks are thus derived and the stability of the RS and 1RSB solutions are examined.Comment: 38 pages, 18 figure

Computational models for inferring biochemical networks

Biochemical networks are of great practical importance. The interaction of biological compounds in cells has been enforced to a proper understanding by the numerous bioinformatics projects, which contributed to a vast amount of biological information. The construction of biochemical systems (systems of chemical reactions), which include both topology and kinetic constants of the chemical reactions, is NP-hard and is a well-studied system biology problem. In this paper, we propose a hybrid architecture, which combines genetic programming and simulated annealing in order to generate and optimize both the topology (the network) and the reaction rates of a biochemical system. Simulations and analysis of an artificial model and three real models (two models and the noisy version of one of them) show promising results for the proposed method.The Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNDI–UEFISCDI, Project No. PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.2-0917

Information capacity in the weak-signal approximation

We derive an approximate expression for mutual information in a broad class of discrete-time stationary channels with continuous input, under the constraint of vanishing input amplitude or power. The approximation describes the input by its covariance matrix, while the channel properties are described by the Fisher information matrix. This separation of input and channel properties allows us to analyze the optimality conditions in a convenient way. We show that input correlations in memoryless channels do not affect channel capacity since their effect decreases fast with vanishing input amplitude or power. On the other hand, for channels with memory, properly matching the input covariances to the dependence structure of the noise may lead to almost noiseless information transfer, even for intermediate values of the noise correlations. Since many model systems described in mathematical neuroscience and biophysics operate in the high noise regime and weak-signal conditions, we believe, that the described results are of potential interest also to researchers in these areas.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in Physical Review

Metacognition in human decision-making: confidence and error monitoring

People are capable of robust evaluations of their decisions: they are often aware of their mistakes even without explicit feedback, and report levels of confidence in their decisions that correlate with objective performance. These metacognitive abilities help people to avoid making the same mistakes twice, and to avoid overcommitting time or resources to decisions that are based on unreliable evidence. In this review, we consider progress in characterizing the neural and mechanistic basis of these related aspects of metacognition—confidence judgements and error monitoring—and identify crucial points of convergence between methods and theories in the two fields. This convergence suggests that common principles govern metacognitive judgements of confidence and accuracy; in particular, a shared reliance on post-decisional processing within the systems responsible for the initial decision. However, research in both fields has focused rather narrowly on simple, discrete decisions—reflecting the correspondingly restricted focus of current models of the decision process itself—raising doubts about the degree to which discovered principles will scale up to explain metacognitive evaluation of real-world decisions and actions that are fluid, temporally extended, and embedded in the broader context of evolving behavioural goals

Bound by Exile: Exploring Kinship Dynamics and Role Perceptions among Diaspora Journalists

The escalating dangers journalists face globally have led to a marked increase in media professionals seeking safety away from their home countries. As a result, journalists are increasingly forced to choose between silence and survival, with many opting for the latter in the form of diaspora relocation. This article investigates the role of kinship in community building among diaspora journalists, highlighting how these networks impact their collaboration and resource mobilisation. Drawing from interviews (n = 12) with reporters and editors from Latin America, Hong Kong, and the Middle East, this article examines diaspora journalists’ changing roles and proactive measures in establishing inclusive information and educational infrastructures, enhancing advocacy and empowerment for their communities. Findings demonstrate how journalists leverage kinship to connect with their audiences and guide their journalistic practices, editorial choices, and technological adoption. Findings further revealed that the role of diaspora journalists is evolving into one characterised by what this article terms “civic information workers.” These civic information workers are not only reporters but also intermediaries who provide vital data and insights that facilitate the everyday life and integration of diaspora communities into new societies, thus using journalism as a tool for civic empowerment