Historical floods in the Dutch Rhine Delta

International audienceHistorical records provide direct information about the climatic impact on society. Especially great natural disasters such as river floods have been for long attracting the attention of humankind. Time series for flood development on the Rhine branches Waal, Nederrijn/Lek and IJssel in the Dutch Rhine Delta are presented in this paper. In the case of the Waal it is even possible to compare historical flood frequencies based on documentary data with the recent development reconstructed from standardized instrumental measurements. In brief, we will also discuss various parameters concerning the structure of the flood series and the "human dimension" of natural disaster, i.e. the vulnerability of society when facing natural disasters

Collective dynamics of liquid aluminum probed by Inelastic X-ray Scattering

An inelastic X-ray scattering experiment has been performed in liquid aluminum with the purpose of studying the collective excitations at wavevectors below the first sharp diffraction peak. The high instrumental resolution (up to 1.5 meV) allows an accurate investigation of the dynamical processes in this liquid metal on the basis of a generalized hydrodynamics framework. The outcoming results confirm the presence of a viscosity relaxation scenario ruled by a two timescale mechanism, as recently found in liquid lithium.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Inelastic X-ray scattering study of the collective dynamics in liquid sodium

Inelastic X-ray scattering data have been collected for liquid sodium at T=390 K, i.e. slightly above the melting point. Owing to the very high instrumental resolution, pushed up to 1.5 meV, it has been possible to determine accurately the dynamic structure factor, $S(Q,\omega)$, in a wide wavevector range, $1.5 \div 15$ nm$^{-1}$, and to investigate on the dynamical processes underlying the collective dynamics. A detailed analysis of the lineshape of $S(Q,\omega)$, similarly to other liquid metals, reveals the co-existence of two different relaxation processes with slow and fast characteristic timescales respectively. The present data lead to the conclusion that: i) the picture of the relaxation mechanism based on a simple viscoelastic model fails; ii) although the comparison with other liquid metals reveals similar behavior, the data do not exhibit an exact scaling law as the principle of corresponding state would predict.Comment: RevTex, 7 pages, 6 eps figures. Accepted by Phys. Rev.

Predictors of linkage to care following community-based HIV counseling and testing in rural Kenya

Despite innovations in HIV counseling and testing (HCT), important gaps remain in understanding linkage to care. We followed a cohort diagnosed with HIV through a community-based HCT campaign that trained persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) as navigators. Individual, interpersonal, and institutional predictors of linkage were assessed using survival analysis of self-reported time to enrollment. Of 483 persons consenting to follow-up, 305 (63.2%) enrolled in HIV care within 3 months. Proportions linking to care were similar across sexes, barring a sub-sample of men aged 18–25 years who were highly unlikely to enroll. Men were more likely to enroll if they had disclosed to their spouse, and women if they had disclosed to family. Women who anticipated violence or relationship breakup were less likely to link to care. Enrolment rates were significantly higher among participants receiving a PLHA visit, suggesting that a navigator approach may improve linkage from community-based HCT campaigns.Vestergaard Frandse

Evidence of short time dynamical correlations in simple liquids

We report a molecular dynamics (MD) study of the collective dynamics of a simple monatomic liquid -interacting through a two body potential that mimics that of lithium- across the liquid-glass transition. In the glassy phase we find evidences of a fast relaxation process similar to that recently found in Lennard-Jones glasses. The origin of this process is ascribed to the topological disorder, i.e. to the dephasing of the different momentum $Q$ Fourier components of the actual normal modes of vibration of the disordered structure. More important, we find that the fast relaxation persists in the liquid phase with almost no temperature dependence of its characteristic parameters (strength and relaxation time). We conclude, therefore, that in the liquid phase well above the melting point, at variance with the usual assumption of {\it un-correlated} binary collisions, the short time particles motion is strongly {\it correlated} and can be described via a normal mode expansion of the atomic dynamics.Comment: 7 pages, 7 .eps figs. To appear in Phys. Rev.

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor as a potential treatment target in alcohol use disorder: evidence from human genetic association studies and a mouse model of alcohol dependence

The hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) regulates appetite and food intake. GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) activation also attenuates the reinforcing properties of alcohol in rodents. The present translational study is based on four human genetic association studies and one preclinical study providing data that support the hypothesis that GLP-1R may have a role in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Case–control analysis (N=908) was performed on a sample of individuals enrolled in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intramural research program. The Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment (SAGE) sample (N=3803) was used for confirmation purposes. Post hoc analyses were carried out on data from a human laboratory study of intravenous alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA;N=81) in social drinkers and from a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in alcohol-dependent individuals (N=22) subjected to a Monetary Incentive Delay task. In the preclinical study, a GLP-1R agonist was evaluated in a mouse model of alcohol dependence to demonstrate the role of GLP-1R for alcohol consumption. The previously reported functional allele 168Ser (rs6923761) was nominally associated with AUD (P=0.004) in the NIAAA sample, which was partially replicated in males of the SAGE sample (P=0.033). The 168Ser/Ser genotype was further associated with increased alcohol administration and breath alcohol measures in the IV-ASA experiment and with higher BOLD response in the right globus pallidus when receiving notification of outcome for high monetary reward. Finally, GLP-1R agonism significantly reduced alcohol consumption in a mouse model of alcohol dependence. These convergent findings suggest that the GLP-1R may be an attractive target for personalized pharmacotherapy treatment of AUD

Defining the research agenda to measure and reduce tuberculosis stigmas

This is an Open Access article, © 2017 International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Content in the UH Research Archive is made available for personal research, educational, and non-commercial purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, all content is protected by copyright, and in the absence of an open license, permissions for further re-use should be sought from the publisher, the author, or other copyright holder.Crucial to finding and treating the 4 million tuberculosis (TB) patients currently missed by National TB Programs, TB stigma is receiving well-deserved and long-delayed attention at the global level. However, the ability to measure and evaluate the success of TB stigma reduction efforts is limited by the need for additional tools. At a 2016 TB stigma measurement meeting held in The Hague, stigma experts discussed and proposed a research agenda around four themes: (1) Drivers: What are the main drivers and domains of TB stigma(s)?; (2) Consequences: How consequential are TB stigmas? How are negative impacts most felt?; (3) Burden: What is the global prevalence and distribution of TB stigma(s)? What explains any variation? (4): Intervention: What can be done to reduce the extent and impact of TB stigma(s)? Each theme was further subdivided into research topics to be addressed to move the agenda forward. These include more clarity on what causes TB stigmas to emerge and thrive, the difficulty of measuring the complexity of stigma, and the improbability of a universal stigma ‘cure’. Notwithstanding, these challenges should not hinder investments in TB stigma measurement and reduction. We believe it is time to focus on how and not whether the global community should measure and reduce TB stigma.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Density fluctuations and single-particle dynamics in liquid lithium

The single-particle and collective dynamical properties of liquid lithium have been evaluated at several thermodynamic states near the triple point. This is performed within the framework of mode-coupling theory, using a self-consistent scheme which, starting from the known static structure of the liquid, allows the theoretical calculation of several dynamical properties. Special attention is devoted to several aspects of the single-particle dynamics, which are discussed as a function of the thermodynamic state. The results are compared with those of Molecular Dynamics simulations and other theoretical approaches.Comment: 31 pages (in preprint format), 14 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.