Effective superpotentials for compact D5-brane Calabi-Yau geometries

For compact Calabi-Yau geometries with D5-branes we study N=1 effective superpotentials depending on both open- and closed-string fields. We develop methods to derive the open/closed Picard-Fuchs differential equations, which control D5-brane deformations as well as complex structure deformations of the compact Calabi-Yau space. Their solutions encode the flat open/closed coordinates and the effective superpotential. For two explicit examples of compact D5-brane Calabi-Yau hypersurface geometries we apply our techniques and express the calculated superpotentials in terms of flat open/closed coordinates. By evaluating these superpotentials at their critical points we reproduce the domain wall tensions that have recently appeared in the literature. Finally we extract orbifold disk invariants from the superpotentials, which, up to overall numerical normalizations, correspond to orbifold disk Gromov-Witten invariants in the mirror geometry.Comment: 55 pages; v2: references added, typos correcte

Long-term Health Outcomes Among Survivors Exposed to Sulfur Mustard in Iran

Importance: The prevalence and severity of long-term health complications after exposure to sulfur mustard are unknown. Objective: To investigate the long-term health outcomes among survivors exposed to sulfur mustard during the Iran-Iraq War. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this retrospective cohort study, late-onset health complications of 64�190 Iranian survivors exposed to sulfur mustard during the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988 were investigated using descriptive statistics. Data involving affected organs and symptom severity were extracted from the Veterans and Martyr Affair Foundation (VMAF) database from 1980 to 2019. Assessments were conducted across 3 groups depending on whether survivors were (1) evacuated and admitted (EA) to a hospital; (2) not evacuated or admitted (NEA) to a hospital; or (3) evacuation or admission status was not documented. Exposures: Analysis of chronic symptom severity following exposure to sulfur mustard. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mild, moderate, or severe rankings of symptoms in lungs, eyes, and skin of survivors exposed to sulfur mustard using data from the VMAF database. Results: Of 64�190 chemical survivors registered in the VMAF database, 60�861 met the inclusion criteria. Of the included survivors, 98.0 were male, and the mean (SD) age was 23.5 (7.7) years. Most survivors (53�675 88.2%) had no symptoms or mild lesions, and 7186 survivors (11.8%) had moderate or severe complications. Moderate to severe lung (6540 10.7%), eye (335 0.6%), or skin (725 1.2%) injuries were documented in the exposed population. The proportion of moderate plus severe late complications in eyes was 3 times as high in male survivors compared with female survivors (0.6% 95% CI, 0.53%-0.65% vs 0.2% 95% CI, 0.09%-0.73%; P�<�.001), whereas dermal complications were significantly more common in female survivors (3.9% 95% CI, 2.92%-5.11% vs 1.14% 95% CI, 1.06%-1.23%; P�<�.001). Mild lung lesions were more prevalent in the NEA group than in the EA group (73.9% 95% CI, 73.4%-74.4% vs 11.0% 95% CI, 10.6%-11.3%; P�<�.001). In the NEA group, 83.2% (n�=�23�866) developed lung injuries that were mostly mild or moderate, whereas 77% (n�=�24�766) of the EA group did not develop lung injuries (P�<�.001). Conclusions and Relevance: The present study found sex differences in the frequencies of eye and skin complications following sulfur mustard exposure, and lung complications were more prevalent years after sulfur mustard exposure than soon after exposure. Mild lung lesions were observed more frequently among sulfur mustard-exposed survivors who had not been evacuated or hospitalized than among those who had been evacuated or hospitalized. These differences may be due to physiological response or dose of exposure. Close monitoring over an extended period may be required for detection of late pulmonary complications in individuals exposed to sulfur mustard

Epidemiological study of child casualties of landmines and unexploded ordnances: A national study from Iran

Background Despite landmine-risk education programs and extensive demining activities on the Western border of Iran, landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) still cause civilian and child casualties three decades after the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988). The objective of this study was to understand the epidemiological patterns and risk factors of injury in child casualties of landmines and UXOs in Western and Southwestern Iran. Methods Children who were 18 years old or younger at the time of study and who sustained injuries from landmines and UXOs were identified through a search at the Iranian National Veterans Registry. These children participated in a 5-day gathering. The information on socioeconomic status, health-related issues, quality of life, health care utilization, and clinical profiles concerning the landmine and UXO injuries were collected. The method of data collection consisted of three component surveys: health interview, social survey, and medical examinations. Social surveys and health interviews were conducted in a face-to-face method by utilizing a questionnaire consisting of 39 questions addressing household and individual components, including information on time and type of injuries, physical activity, mental health, and quality of life. A comprehensive team of physicians in different subspecialties evaluated and examined children to assess the current medical and psychiatric conditions and physical activity, and recommended and arranged further medical, rehabilitation, or surgical planning. Results Seventy-eight child casualties were identified and participated in the study. The mean age of the participants at the time of study was 16.11 years old (SD=2 years). The mean age of victims at the time of injury was 8.2 years (SD=3.12 years; ranged from 2 to 15 years old). Sixty-seven (85.9) of the children were male. Provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah had the highest number of casualties, with a total number of 54 children (68.3). Eighty percent of the injuries were caused by landmines, and UXO explosions were reported in 20 of the cases. Overall, 24 children (30) had received some landmine-risk education before or after the events. Sixty percent of the explosions had happened in the morning between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. Playing and grazing livestock were the most prevalent activities/reasons at the time of injury, which were reported in 77 of the subjects. Sixty-three percent of incidents had multiple casualties and in only 13 explosions were the children the only victims of the explosion. The most prevalent injuries were amputations in 41 subjects (52.56), followed by hearing loss in 23 subjects (29.5). Amputations were more common in upper extremities (62) than in lower extremities (38). Conclusion Landmines and UXOs comprise a significant safety hazard to the children living in the Western border of Iran decades after the Iraq-Iran War. The large number of injuries and lack of risk training among victims suggest that landmine cleanings and landmine-risk education should be age-specifically targeted and expanded substantially. © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015

MicroRNA expression in serum samples of sulfur mustard veterans as a diagnostic gateway to improve care

Sulfur mustard is a vesicant chemical warfare agent, which has been used during Iraq-Iran-war. Many veterans and civilians still suffer from long-term complications of sulfur mustard exposure, especially in their lung. Although the lung lesions of these patients are similar to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), there are some differences due to different etiology and clinical care. Less is known on the molecular mechanism of sulfur mustard patients and specific treatment options. microRNAs are master regulators of many biological pathways and proofed to be stable surrogate markers in body fluids. Based on that microRNA expression for serum samples of sulfur mustard patients were examined, to establish specific microRNA patterns as a basis for diagnostic use and insight into affected molecular pathways. Patients were categorized based on their long-term complications into three groups and microRNA serum levels were measured. The differentially regulated microRNAs and their corresponding gene targets were identified. Cell cycle arrest, ageing and TGF-beta signaling pathways showed up to be the most deregulated pathways. The candidate microRNA miR-143-3p could be validated on all individual patients. In a ROC analysis miR-143-3p turned out to be a suitable diagnostic biomarker in the mild and severe categories of patients. Further microRNAs which might own a link to the biology of the sulfur mustard patients are miR-365a-3p, miR-200a-3p, miR-663a. miR-148a-3p, which showed up only in a validation study, might be linked to the airway complications of the sulfur mustard patients. All the other candidate microRNAs do not directly link to COPD phenotype or lung complications. In summary the microRNA screening study characterizes several molecular differences in-between the clinical categories of the sulfur mustard exposure groups and established some useful microRNA biomarkers. qPCR raw data is available via the Gene Expression Omnibus https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE110797

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of chewing tobacco use in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: A systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Chewing tobacco and other types of smokeless tobacco use have had less attention from the global health community than smoked tobacco use. However, the practice is popular in many parts of the world and has been linked to several adverse health outcomes. Understanding trends in prevalence with age, over time, and by location and sex is important for policy setting and in relation to monitoring and assessing commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Methods We estimated prevalence of chewing tobacco use as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 using a modelling strategy that used information on multiple types of smokeless tobacco products. We generated a time series of prevalence of chewing tobacco use among individuals aged 15 years and older from 1990 to 2019 in 204 countries and territories, including age-sex specific estimates. We also compared these trends to those of smoked tobacco over the same time period. Findings In 2019, 273·9 million (95% uncertainty interval 258·5 to 290·9) people aged 15 years and older used chewing tobacco, and the global age-standardised prevalence of chewing tobacco use was 4·72% (4·46 to 5·01). 228·2 million (213·6 to 244·7; 83·29% [82·15 to 84·42]) chewing tobacco users lived in the south Asia region. Prevalence among young people aged 15–19 years was over 10% in seven locations in 2019. Although global age-standardised prevalence of smoking tobacco use decreased significantly between 1990 and 2019 (annualised rate of change: –1·21% [–1·26 to –1·16]), similar progress was not observed for chewing tobacco (0·46% [0·13 to 0·79]). Among the 12 highest prevalence countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Sri Lanka, and Yemen), only Yemen had a significant decrease in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use, which was among males between 1990 and 2019 (−0·94% [–1·72 to –0·14]), compared with nine of 12 countries that had significant decreases in the prevalence of smoking tobacco. Among females, none of these 12 countries had significant decreases in prevalence of chewing tobacco use, whereas seven of 12 countries had a significant decrease in the prevalence of tobacco smoking use for the period. Interpretation Chewing tobacco remains a substantial public health problem in several regions of the world, and predominantly in south Asia. We found little change in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use between 1990 and 2019, and that control efforts have had much larger effects on the prevalence of smoking tobacco use than on chewing tobacco use in some countries. Mitigating the health effects of chewing tobacco requires stronger regulations and policies that specifically target use of chewing tobacco, especially in countries with high prevalence

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of chewing tobacco use in 204 countries and territories, 1990�2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Chewing tobacco and other types of smokeless tobacco use have had less attention from the global health community than smoked tobacco use. However, the practice is popular in many parts of the world and has been linked to several adverse health outcomes. Understanding trends in prevalence with age, over time, and by location and sex is important for policy setting and in relation to monitoring and assessing commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Methods: We estimated prevalence of chewing tobacco use as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 using a modelling strategy that used information on multiple types of smokeless tobacco products. We generated a time series of prevalence of chewing tobacco use among individuals aged 15 years and older from 1990 to 2019 in 204 countries and territories, including age-sex specific estimates. We also compared these trends to those of smoked tobacco over the same time period. Findings: In 2019, 273·9 million (95 uncertainty interval 258·5 to 290·9) people aged 15 years and older used chewing tobacco, and the global age-standardised prevalence of chewing tobacco use was 4·72 (4·46 to 5·01). 228·2 million (213·6 to 244·7; 83·29 82·15 to 84·42) chewing tobacco users lived in the south Asia region. Prevalence among young people aged 15�19 years was over 10% in seven locations in 2019. Although global age-standardised prevalence of smoking tobacco use decreased significantly between 1990 and 2019 (annualised rate of change: �1·21% �1·26 to �1·16), similar progress was not observed for chewing tobacco (0·46% 0·13 to 0·79). Among the 12 highest prevalence countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Sri Lanka, and Yemen), only Yemen had a significant decrease in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use, which was among males between 1990 and 2019 (�0·94% �1·72 to �0·14), compared with nine of 12 countries that had significant decreases in the prevalence of smoking tobacco. Among females, none of these 12 countries had significant decreases in prevalence of chewing tobacco use, whereas seven of 12 countries had a significant decrease in the prevalence of tobacco smoking use for the period. Interpretation: Chewing tobacco remains a substantial public health problem in several regions of the world, and predominantly in south Asia. We found little change in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use between 1990 and 2019, and that control efforts have had much larger effects on the prevalence of smoking tobacco use than on chewing tobacco use in some countries. Mitigating the health effects of chewing tobacco requires stronger regulations and policies that specifically target use of chewing tobacco, especially in countries with high prevalence. Funding: Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990�2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Ending the global tobacco epidemic is a defining challenge in global health. Timely and comprehensive estimates of the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden are needed to guide tobacco control efforts nationally and globally. Methods: We estimated the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden for 204 countries and territories, by age and sex, from 1990 to 2019 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. We modelled multiple smoking-related indicators from 3625 nationally representative surveys. We completed systematic reviews and did Bayesian meta-regressions for 36 causally linked health outcomes to estimate non-linear dose-response risk curves for current and former smokers. We used a direct estimation approach to estimate attributable burden, providing more comprehensive estimates of the health effects of smoking than previously available. Findings: Globally in 2019, 1·14 billion (95 uncertainty interval 1·13�1·16) individuals were current smokers, who consumed 7·41 trillion (7·11�7·74) cigarette-equivalents of tobacco in 2019. Although prevalence of smoking had decreased significantly since 1990 among both males (27·5 26·5�28·5 reduction) and females (37·7% 35·4�39·9 reduction) aged 15 years and older, population growth has led to a significant increase in the total number of smokers from 0·99 billion (0·98�1·00) in 1990. Globally in 2019, smoking tobacco use accounted for 7·69 million (7·16�8·20) deaths and 200 million (185�214) disability-adjusted life-years, and was the leading risk factor for death among males (20·2% 19·3�21·1 of male deaths). 6·68 million 86·9% of 7·69 million deaths attributable to smoking tobacco use were among current smokers. Interpretation: In the absence of intervention, the annual toll of 7·69 million deaths and 200 million disability-adjusted life-years attributable to smoking will increase over the coming decades. Substantial progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking tobacco use has been observed in countries from all regions and at all stages of development, but a large implementation gap remains for tobacco control. Countries have a clear and urgent opportunity to pass strong, evidence-based policies to accelerate reductions in the prevalence of smoking and reap massive health benefits for their citizens. Funding: Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens