47 research outputs found
Linear and non-linear perturbations in dark energy models
I review the linear and second-order perturbation theory in dark energy
models with explicit interaction to matter in view of applications to N-body
simulations and non-linear phenomena. Several new or generalized results are
obtained: the general equations for the linear perturbation growth; an
analytical expression for the bias induced by a species-dependent interaction;
the Yukawa correction to the gravitational potential due to dark energy
interaction; the second-order perturbation equations in coupled dark energy and
their Newtonian limit. I also show that a density-dependent effective dark
energy mass arises if the dark energy coupling is varying.Comment: 12 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev; v2: added a ref. and corrected a
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Interacting entropy-corrected new agegraphic tachyon, K-essence and dilaton scalar field models of dark energy in non-flat universe
We present the new agegraphic dark energy model by introducing the quantum
corrections to the entropy-area relation in the setup of loop quantum gravity.
Employing this new form of dark energy, we investigate the model of interacting
dark energy and derive its equation of state. We study the correspondence
between the tachyon, K-essence and dilaton scalar field models with the
interacting entropy-corrected new agegraphic dark energy model in the non-flat
FRW universe. Moreover, we reconstruct the corresponding scalar potentials
which describe the dynamics of the scalar field models.Comment: 11 pages, typos fixe
Impact of the calcium form of ÎČ-hydroxy-ÎČ-methylbutyrate upon human skeletal muscle protein metabolism
Background & aims: ÎČ-hydroxy-ÎČ-methylbutyrate (HMB) is purported as a key nutritional supplement for the preservation of muscle mass in health, disease and as an ergogenic aid in exercise. Of the two available forms of HMB (calcium (Ca-HMB) salt or free acid (FA-HMB)) â differences in plasma bioavailability have been reported. We previously reported that âŒ3 g oral FA-HMB increased muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and reduced muscle protein breakdown (MPB). The objective of the present study was to quantify muscle protein metabolism responses to oral Ca-HMB.
Methods: Eight healthy young males received a primed constant infusion of 1,2 13C2 leucine and 2H5 phenylalanine to assess MPS (by tracer incorporation in myofibrils) and MPB (via arterio-venous (A-V) dilution) at baseline and following provision of âŒ3 g of Ca-HMB; muscle anabolic (MPS) and catabolic (MPB) signalling was assessed via immunoblotting.
Results: Ca-HMB led a significant and rapid (<60 min) peak in plasma HMB concentrations (483.6 ± 14.2 ÎŒM, p < 0.0001). This rise in plasma HMB was accompanied by increases in MPS (PA: 0.046 ± 0.004%/h, CaHMB: 0.072 ± 0.004%/h, p < 0001) and suppressions in MPB (PA: 7.6 ± 1.2 ÎŒmol Phe per leg minâ1, Ca-HMB: 5.2 ± 0.8 ÎŒmol Phe per leg minâ1, p < 0.01). Increases in the phosphorylation of mTORc1 substrates i.e. p70S6K1 and RPS6 were also observed, with no changes detected in the MPB targets measured.
Conclusions: These findings support the pro-anabolic properties of HMB via mTORc1, and show that despite proposed differences in bioavailability, Ca-HMB provides a comparable stimulation to MPS and suppression of MPB, to FA-HMB, further supporting its use as a pharmaconutrient in the modulation of muscle mass
Transient Crossing of Phantom divide line under Gauss-Bonnet interaction
Smooth double crossing of the phantom barrier has been
found possible in cosmological model with Gauss-Bonnet-scalar interaction, in
the presence of background cold dark matter. Such crossing has been observed to
be a sufficiently late time phenomena and independent of the sign of
Gauss-Bonnet-scalar interaction. The luminosity distance versus redshift curve
shows a perfect fit with the model up to .Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
Panethnic Differences in Blood Pressure in Europe: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND:
People of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asians(SA) ethnic minorities living in Europe have higher risk of stroke than native Europeans(EU). Study objective is to provide an assessment of gender specific absolute differences in office systolic(SBP) and diastolic(DBP) blood pressure(BP) levels between SSA, SA, and EU.
METHODS AND FINDINGS:
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies conducted in Europe that examined BP in non-selected adult SSA, SA and EU subjects. Medline, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from their inception through January 31st 2015, for relevant articles. Outcome measures were mean SBP and DBP differences between minorities and EU, using a random effects model and tested for heterogeneity. Twenty-one studies involving 9,070 SSA, 18,421 SA, and 130,380 EU were included. Compared with EU, SSA had higher values of both SBP (3.38 mmHg, 95% CI 1.28 to 5.48 mmHg; and 6.00 mmHg, 95% CI 2.22 to 9.78 in men and women respectively) and DBP (3.29 mmHg, 95% CI 1.80 to 4.78; 5.35 mmHg, 95% CI 3.04 to 7.66). SA had lower SBP than EU(-4.57 mmHg, 95% CI -6.20 to -2.93; -2.97 mmHg, 95% CI -5.45 to -0.49) but similar DBP values. Meta-analysis by subgroup showed that SA originating from countries where Islam is the main religion had lower SBP and DBP values than EU. In multivariate meta-regression analyses, SBP difference between minorities and EU populations, was influenced by panethnicity and diabetes prevalence.
CONCLUSIONS:
1) The higher BP in SSA is maintained over decades, suggesting limited efficacy of prevention strategies in such group in Europe;2) The lower BP in Muslim populations suggests that yet untapped lifestyle and behavioral habits may reveal advantages towards the development of hypertension;3) The additive effect of diabetes, emphasizes the need of new strategies for the control of hypertension in groups at high prevalence of diabetes
Topological Inflation
We consider the possibility that higher-curvature corrections could drive
inflation after the compactification to four dimensions. Assuming that the
low-energy limit of the fundamental theory is eleven-dimensional supergravity
to the lowest order, including curvature corrections and taking the descent
from eleven dimensions to four via an intermediate five-dimensional theory, as
favored by recent considerations of unification at some scale around GeV, we may obtain a simple model of inflation in four dimensions. The
effective degrees of freedom are two scalar fields and the metric. The scalars
arise as the large five-dimensional modulus and the self-interacting conformal
mode of the metric. The effective potential has a local maximum in addition to
the more usual minimum. However, the potential is quite flat at the top, and
admits topological inflation. We show that the model can resolve cosmological
problems and provide a mechanism for structure formation with very little fine
tuning.Comment: 25 pages, latex, 2 eps figures, minor changes, accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev.
A História da Alimentação: balizas historiogråficas
Os M. pretenderam traçar um quadro da HistĂłria da Alimentação, nĂŁo como um novo ramo epistemolĂłgico da disciplina, mas como um campo em desenvolvimento de prĂĄticas e atividades especializadas, incluindo pesquisa, formação, publicaçÔes, associaçÔes, encontros acadĂȘmicos, etc. Um breve relato das condiçÔes em que tal campo se assentou faz-se preceder de um panorama dos estudos de alimentação e temas correia tos, em geral, segundo cinco abardagens Ia biolĂłgica, a econĂŽmica, a social, a cultural e a filosĂłfica!, assim como da identificação das contribuiçÔes mais relevantes da Antropologia, Arqueologia, Sociologia e Geografia. A fim de comentar a multiforme e volumosa bibliografia histĂłrica, foi ela organizada segundo critĂ©rios morfolĂłgicos. A seguir, alguns tĂłpicos importantes mereceram tratamento Ă parte: a fome, o alimento e o domĂnio religioso, as descobertas europĂ©ias e a difusĂŁo mundial de alimentos, gosto e gastronomia. O artigo se encerra com um rĂĄpido balanço crĂtico da historiografia brasileira sobre o tema