Updating V_us from kaon semileptonic decays

We update the determination of |V_us| using semielectronic and semimuonic decays of K mesons. A modest improvement of 15% with respect to its present value is obtained for the error bar of this matrix element when we combine the four available semileptonic decays. The combined effects of long-distance radiative corrections and nonlinear terms in the vector form factors can decrease the value of |V_us| by up to 1%. Refined measurements of the decay widths and slope form factors in the semimuonic modes and a more accurate calculation of vector form factors at zero momentum transfer can push the determination of |V_us| at a few of percent level.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figure

What is the impact of international remittances on poverty and inequality in Latin America ?

Workers'remittances have become a major source of income for developing countries. However, little is still known about their impact on poverty and inequality. Using a large cross-country panel dataset, the authors find that remittances in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have increased growth and reduced inequality and poverty. These results are robust to the use of different instruments that attempt to correct for the potential endogeneity of remittances. Household survey-based estimates for 10 LAC countries confirm that remittances have negative albeit relatively small inequality and poverty-reducing effects, even after imputations for the potential home earnings of migrants.Population Policies,Remittances,Inequality,Achieving Shared Growth,Poverty Impact Evaluation

G345.45+1.50: An expanding ring-like structure with massive star formation

Ring-like structures in the ISM are commonly associated with high-mass stars. Kinematic studies of large structures in GMCs toward these ring-like structures may help us to understand how massive stars form. The origin and properties of the ring-like structure G345.45+1.50 is investigated through observations of the 13CO(3-2) line. The aim of the observations is to determine the kinematics in the region and to compare physical characteristics estimated from gas emission with those previously determined using dust continuum emission. The 13CO(3-2) line was mapped toward the whole ring using the APEX telescope. The ring is found to be expanding with a velocity of 1.0 km/s, containing a total mass of 6.9e3 Msun, which agrees well with that determined using 1.2 mm dust continuum emission. An expansion timescale of 3e6 yr and a total energy of 7e46 erg are estimated. The origin of the ring might have been a supernova explosion, since a 35.5 cm source, J165920-400424, is located at the center of the ring without an infrared counterpart. The ring is fragmented, and 104 clumps were identified with diameters of between 0.3 and 1.6 pc, masses of between 2.3 and 7.5e2 Msun, and densities of between 1.0e2 and 1.0e4 cm^-3. At least 18% of the clumps are forming stars, as is shown in infrared images. Assuming that the clumps can be modeled as Bonnor-Ebert spheres, 13 clumps are collapsing, and the rest of them are in hydrostatic equilibrium with an external pressure with a median value of 4e4 K cm^-3. In the region, the molecular outflow IRAS 16562-3959 is identified, with a velocity range of 38.4 km/s, total mass of 13 Msun, and kinematic energy of 7e45 erg. Finally, five filamentary structures were found at the edge of the ring with an average size of 3 pc, a width of 0.6 pc, a mass of 2e2 Msun, and a column density of 6e21 cm^-2

Simplified Metrics Calculation for Soft Bit Detection in DVB-T2

The constellation rotation and cyclic quadrature component delay (RQD) technique has been adopted in the second generation terrestrial digital video broadcasting (DVB-T2) standard. It improves the system performance under severe propagation conditions, but introduces serious complexity problems in the hardware implementation of the detection process. In this paper, we present a simplified scheme that greatly reduces the complexity of the demapper by simplifying the soft bit metrics computation having a negligible overall system performance loss

Conocimientos, actitudes y practicas de lactancia materna que poseen las madres de recien nacidos ingresados en neonatologia del Hospital Aleman Nicaragüense durante los meses Agosto a Octubre del 2013

La realización del presente trabajo tuvo como propósito determinar el grado de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas de lactancia materna que poseen las madres de recién nacidos. Para lo que se implementó un estudio de tipo descriptivo de corte transversal en 152 madres de recién nacidos ingresados en el servicio de neonatología del Hospital Alemán Nicaragüense durante los meses agosto a octubre del 2013, usando como instrumento de recolección de información la observación, una encuesta, validada en una prueba piloto, así como una entrevista estructurada de la fuente de información primaria. Dicha investigación obtuvo como resultados principales que de las madres estudiadas las que obtuvieron el mayor nivel de conocimientos, actitud positiva y prácticas de lactancia materna, así como de la técnica de extracción manual de leche fueron las mujeres que comprendían edades entre los 25 y 30 años de edad, que cursaron la secundaria, eran amas de casa, en unión libre, provenientes de zona urbana, las cuales ya habían amamantado con anterioridad, contrastando con las mujeres mayores de 30 años de edad quienes resultaron con el menor nivel de conocimientos, actitud positiva y práctica de lactancia materna, en especial las mayores de 35 años de edad. Por lo antes expuesto dicho trabajo concluyo que el nivel de conocimientos sobre lactancia materna que poseían las madres de los recién nacidos ingresados en neonatología del Hospital Alemán Nicaragüense durante los meses de agosto a octubre del 2013 no fue satisfactorio, debido a que las madres entrevistadas en su mayoría conocen y practican tan solo una posición para dar de lactar, que resultó ser la clásica o sentada, así mismo presentaron desconocimiento sobre la técnica de extracción manual de leche materna, en especial sobre el tiempo de duración de la leche materna refrigerada y no refrigerada, su almacenamiento y conservación, así como la forma de administración de la misma. A pesar de lo antes expuesto los sujetos de estudio mostraron actitudes positivas hacia la lactancia materna, las diversas posiciones para dar de lactar, así como en cuanto a la extracción manual de lech

An Intervention Delivered by App Instant Messaging to Increase Acceptability and Use of Effective Contraception Among Young Women in Bolivia: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Unintended pregnancy is associated with numerous poorer health outcomes for both women and their children. Fulfilling unmet need for contraception is essential in avoiding unintended pregnancies, yet millions of women in low- and middle-income countries continue to face obstacles in realizing their fertility desires. In Bolivia, family planning progress has improved in recent decades but lags behind other countries in the region. Unmet need for contraception among women aged 15 to 19 years is estimated to be 38%, with the adolescent fertility rate at 70 per 1000 women. Mobile phones are an established and popular mode in which to deliver health behavior support. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Centro de Investigación, Educación y Servicios in Bolivia have partnered to develop and evaluate a contraceptive behavioral intervention for Bolivian young women delivered by mobile phone. The intervention was developed guided by behavioral science and consists of short instant messages sent through an app over 4 months. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the intervention on young women's use of and attitudes toward the most effective contraceptive methods. METHODS: We will allocate 1310 women aged 16 to 24 years with an unmet need for contraception in a 1:1 ratio to receive the intervention messages or the control messages about trial participation. The messages are sent through the Tú decides app, which contains standard family planning information. Coprimary outcomes are use and acceptability of at least one effective contraceptive method, both measured at 4 months. RESULTS: Recruitment commenced on March 1, 2017 and was completed on July 29, 2017. We estimate that the follow-up period will end in January 2018. CONCLUSIONS: This trial will evaluate the effect of the intervention on young women's use of and attitudes toward the (nonpermanent) effective contraception methods available in Bolivia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02905526; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02905526 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6vT0yIFfN)

What is the Best Way to Develop a Website?

This project is centered around empowering individuals with the knowledge and resources necessary for effective website development. The culmination of Thesis/Directed Project II is a user-friendly website designed to distill and present the insights gathered during Thesis/Directed Project I. This website features an engaging interactive quiz, aimed to help the users identify what is the best way, for them, to develop a website. The quiz has multiple questions, each with three distinct response options, the quiz guides users towards one of three key approaches for website development: Website Builders, Content Management System platforms, or Coding. Upon receiving their quiz results, users are provided with detailed information on why their recommended approach is the most fitting for their needs. Subsequently, they have the opportunity to explore the website deeper into each development option

Immediate Memory and Electrophysiologic Effects of Prefrontal Cortex Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Neurotypical Individuals and Individuals with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE/AIM: Memory impairment post-TBI is common, frequently persistent, and functionally debilitating. The purposes of this pilot study were to assess and to compare immediate behavioral auditory working memory and electrophysiologic effects of three different, randomized, conditions of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to four neurotypical adults and four adults with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). MATERIALS/METHODS: Pre- and post- anodal, cathodal, and sham tDCS auditory memory performance, auditory event-related potentials (P300 amplitude and latency) and power of alpha and theta EEG bands were measured across individuals in each group. RESULTS: Post-anodal tDCS only, the neurotypical and TBI groups both demonstrated significantly improved immediate auditory memory function. Also post-anodal tDCS, the TBI group demonstrated significantly increased P300 amplitude versus post-sham tDCS. The neurotypical group demonstrated no pre- post tDCS electrophysiologic changes across conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with findings of other studies of immediate tDCS effects on other types of memory in neurotypical individuals and in individuals with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke and suggest that individuals with memory impairments second to chronic TBI may benefit from LDLPFC anodal tDCS. Pairing tDCS with traditional behavioral memory interventions may facilitate TBI rehabilitation outcomes and warrants continued investigation