Machine learning the dimension of a Fano variety.

Fano varieties are basic building blocks in geometry - they are 'atomic pieces' of mathematical shapes. Recent progress in the classification of Fano varieties involves analysing an invariant called the quantum period. This is a sequence of integers which gives a numerical fingerprint for a Fano variety.

Databases of quantum periods for Fano manifolds.

Fano manifolds are basic building blocks in geometry - they are, in a precise sense, atomic pieces of shapes. The classification of Fano manifolds is therefore an important problem in geometry, which has been open since the 1930s. One can think of this as building a Periodic Table for shapes.

Maximally mutable Laurent polynomials.

We introduce a class of Laurent polynomials, called maximally mutable Laurent polynomials (MMLPs), which we believe correspond under mirror symmetry to Fano varieties. A subclass of these, called rigid, are expected to correspond to Fano varieties with terminal locally toric singularities. We prove that there are exactly 10 mutation classes of rigid MMLPs in two variables; under mirror symmetry these correspond one-to-one with the 10 deformation classes of smooth del Pezzo surfaces.

Management of Australian Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Are Potentially Harmful Treatments Still Used?

Clinical trials have shown that intravenous albumin and decompressive craniectomy to treat early refractory intracranial hypertension can cause harm in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The extent to which these treatments remain in use is unknown. We conducted a multi-center retrospective cohort study of adult patients with severe TBI admitted to five neurotrauma centers across Australia between April 2013 and March 2015.

'My Tablets are on Top of the Fridge': The Roles of Relationship Desire and Medical Mistrust in ART Adherence for HIV-Positive MSM and Transgender Women Living in Rural South Africa.

Given the high HIV prevalence for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in South Africa, there is limited understanding of social determinants that influence antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence. Although universal testing and treatment (UTT) is available, ART adherence remains suboptimal. We conducted focus groups with MSM and transgender women in order to understand factors influencing their ART adherence in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Patients with sickle-cell disease exhibit greater functional connectivity and centrality in the locus coeruleus compared to anemic controls.

• Patients with sickle-cell disease (SCD) have greater resting-state functional connectivity between the locus coeruleus (LC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). • Patients with SCD have greater resting state centrality of the LC. • SCD patients with chronic pain exhibited even greater functional connectivity between the LC and dlPFC.

"Booze is the main factor that got me where I am today": alcohol use and HIV risk for MSM in rural South Africa.

Excessive alcohol consumption has been shown to increase HIV risk for men who have sex with men (MSM) and compromise HIV prevention behaviors. However, there is limited contextual understanding of alcohol use for MSM in rural sub-Saharan African settings, which can inform and direct HIV interventions. Applying an adaptation of PhotoVoice, we worked with 35 HIV-positive MSM who created photo-essays about alcohol and HIV in Mpumalanga.

Exploring dual disclosures for men who have sex with men in Mpumalanga, South Africa: a report from the field.

We explored to whom rural men who have sex with men (MSM) disclose their sexual identity and HIV status in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Participants were recruited using a modified snowball sampling method in order to complete a questionnaire. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Exploring the Impact of Childhood Abuse on HIV Social and Attitudinal Factors Among Adults With and Without this History in Sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043).

Using data from four sites in three African countries, this community randomized study examined the association between childhood sexual and/or physical abuse (CSA and/or CPA) and HIV disclosure, HIV-related stigma, stress, and social support among adults with and without a history of abuse. A history of abuse among men was associated with higher levels of adult-reported stress and HIV-related stigma, and with significantly lower rates of HIV test result disclosure to current partners. Women with a history of CSA and/or CPA had significantly higher perceived stigma, discrimination and stress.

Acute temperature sensitivity in optic nerve axons explained by an electrogenic membrane potential.

Classical work in squid axon reports resting membrane potential is independent of temperature, but our findings suggest that this is not the case for axons in mammalian optic nerve. Refractory period duration changes over 10 times between 37 °C and room temperature, and afterpotential polarity is also acutely temperature sensitive, inconsistent with changes in temperature impacting nerve function only through altered rates of ion channel gating kinetics. Our evidence suggests that the membrane potential is enhanced by warming, an effect reduced by exposure to ouabain.

Pulmonary hypertension in well-transfused thalassemia major patients.

The risk for pulmonary hypertension (PH) in thalassemia major (TM) patients remains controversial. We report echocardiography results from 60 TM patients: we evaluated the association between tricuspid regurgitation velocities (TRV), iron stores, and serologic markers of hemolysis and arginine dysregulation. Patients were enrolled from August 2004 until May 2009.

Reported physical and sexual abuse in childhood and adult HIV risk behaviour in three African countries: findings from Project Accept (HPTN-043).

Childhood sexual and physical abuse have been linked to adolescent and adult risky sexual behaviors, including early sexual debut, an increased number of sexual partners, unprotected sex, alcohol and drug use during sex and sexual violence. This paper explores these relationships among both men and women who report histories of childhood abuse from representative samples of communities in three countries in southern and eastern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania). Data were collected as part of a 3-year randomized community trial to rapidly increase knowledge of HIV status and to promote community responses through mobilisation, mobile testing, provision of same-day HIV test results and post-test support for HIV.

Influence of terminal RPE on session RPE.

Session rating of perceived exertion (RPE; SRPE), a convenient model for monitoring the overall perceived exertion of an exercise bout, is not well understood. The SRPE may be linked to final acute RPE before exercise cessation. This study investigated the potential link between terminal acute RPE (TRPE) and the SRPE using cycling trials of equated work.

Relationship between alcohol consumption prior to sex, unprotected sex and prevalence of STI/HIV among socially marginalized men in three coastal cities of Peru.

This article presents data about the relationship between alcohol consumption prior to sex and unprotected sex and the prevalence of at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) including HIV among socially marginalized men in three coastal Peruvians cities. During an epidemiological survey with 2,146 men, we assessed their STI prevalence, frequency of alcohol consumption prior to sex, unprotected sex and other sexual risk behaviors. The overall prevalence of at least one STI/HIV was 8.

"You must do the test to know your status": attitudes to HIV voluntary counseling and testing for adolescents among South African youth and parents.

Reduced HIV risk behavior and increased use of care and support services have been demonstrated among adults accessing HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). The impact of VCT on adolescents is, however, not known. Focus group discussions were held with adolescents and parents in two South African townships to establish the perceptions of and needs for VCT among young people.