2,062 research outputs found
Characteristics of global naturopathic education, regulation, and practice frameworks: results from an international survey.
BackgroundThis descriptive study provides the first examination of global naturopathic education, regulation and practice frameworks that have potential to constrain or assist professional formation and integration in global health systems. Despite increasing public use, a significant workforce, and World Health Organization calls for national policy development to support integration of services, existent frameworks as potential barriers to integration have not been examined.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey utilized purposive sampling of 65 naturopathic organisations (educational institutions, professional associations, and regulatory bodies) from 29 countries. Organizational representatives completed an on-line survey, conducted between Nov 2016 - Aug 2019. Frequencies and cross-tabulation statistics were analyzed using SPSSv.25. Qualitative responses were hand-coded and thematically analysed where appropriate.ResultsSixty-five of 228 naturopathic organizations completed the survey (29% response rate) from 29 of 46 countries (63% country response rate). Most education programs (68%) were delivered via a national framework. Higher education qualifications (60%) predominated. Organizations influential in education were professional associations (75.4%), particularly where naturopathy was unregulated, and accreditation bodies (41.5%) and regulatory boards (33.8%) where regulated. Full access to controlled acts, and to health insurance rebates were more commonly reported where regulated. Attitude of decision-makers, opinions of other health professions and existing legislation were perceived to most impact regulation, which was globally heterogeneous.ConclusionEducation and regulation of the naturopathic profession has significant heterogeneity, even in the face of global calls for consistent regulation that recognizes naturopathy as a medical system. Standards are highest and consistency more apparent in countries with regulatory frameworks
Uncovering a spinor-vector duality on a resolved orbifold
Spinor-vector dualities have been established in various exact string
realisations like orbifold and free fermionic constructions. This paper aims to
investigate possibility of having spinor-vector dualities on smooth geometries
in the context of the heterotic string. As a concrete working example the
resolution of the T4/Z2 orbifold is considered with an additional circle
supporting a Wilson line, for which it is known that the underlying orbifold
theory exhibits such a duality by switching on/off a generalised discrete
torsion phase between the orbifold twist and the Wilson line. Depending on this
phase complementary parts of the twisted sector orbifold states are projected
out, so that different blowup modes are available to generate the resolutions.
As a consequence, not only the spectra of the dual pairs are different, but
also the gauge groups are not identical making this duality less apparent on
the blowup and thus presumably on smooth geometries in general.Comment: 1+19 pages, LaTeX. References added. Typos correcte
The fate of discrete torsion on resolved heterotic Z2xZ2 orbifolds using (0,2) GLSMs
This paper aims to shed light on what becomes of discrete torsion within
heterotic orbifolds when they are resolved to smooth geometries. Gauged Linear
Sigma Models (GLSMs) possessing (0,2) worldsheet supersymmetry are employed as
interpolations between them. This question is addressed for resolutions of the
non-compact C3/Z2xZ2 and the compact T6/Z2xZ2 orbifolds to keep track of local
and global aspects. The GLSMs associated with the non-compact orbifold with or
without torsion are to a large extent equivalent: only when expressed in the
same superfield basis, a field redefinition anomaly arises among them, which in
the orbifold limit reproduces the discrete torsion phases. Previously unknown,
novel resolution GLSMs for T6/Z2xZ2 are constructed. The GLSM associated with
the torsional compact orbifold suffers from mixed gauge anomalies, which need
to be cancelled by appropriate logarithmic superfield dependent FI-terms on the
worldsheet, signalling H-flux due to NS5-branes supported at the exceptional
cycles
Taming triangulation dependence of T-6/Z(2) x Z(2) resolutions
Resolutions of certain toroidal orbifolds, like T6/Z2xZ2, are far from
unique, due to triangulation dependence of their resolved local singularities.
This leads to an explosion of the number of topologically distinct smooth
geometries associated to a single orbifold. By introducing a parameterisation
to keep track of the triangulations used at all resolved singularities
simultaneously, (self-)intersection numbers and integrated Chern classes can be
determined for any triangulation configuration. Using this method the
consistency conditions of line bundle models and the resulting chiral spectra
can be worked out for any choice of triangulation. Moreover, by superimposing
the Bianchi identities for all triangulation options much simpler though
stronger conditions are uncovered. When these are satisfied, flop--transitions
between all different triangulations are admissible. Various methods are
exemplified by a number of concrete models on resolutions of the T6/Z2xZ2
orbifold.Comment: 1+32 pages LaTeX, 1 figure and 11 tables, minor typo correcte
Constraint on spinor-vector dualities in six dimensions
Imprints of spinor-vector dualities have been uncovered in various string
constructions. They are typically induced by changing certain free general GSO
phases in the underlying string partition functions. This paper shows that
spinor-vector dualities in six dimensions are constrained by a fundamental
effective field theory consistency condition, namely that any six dimensional
low energy theory must be free of irreducible SO(2N) anomalies. Aspects of
spinor-vector dualities are analysed in four six-dimensional free fermionic
models which are distinguished by two generalised GSO phases. In addition, the
constraint on the number of spinors and vectors is confirmed on generic spectra
which may occur in K3 line bundle compactifications of the heterotic E8xE8
string.Comment: 1+19 pages, LaTe
Non-supersymmetric heterotic model building
We investigate orbifold and smooth Calabi-Yau compactifications of the
non-supersymmetric heterotic SO(16)xSO(16) string. We focus on such Calabi-Yau
backgrounds in order to recycle commonly employed techniques, like index
theorems and cohomology theory, to determine both the fermionic and bosonic 4D
spectra. We argue that the N=0 theory never leads to tachyons on smooth
Calabi-Yaus in the large volume approximation. As twisted tachyons may arise on
certain singular orbifolds, we conjecture that such tachyonic states are lifted
in the full blow-up. We perform model searches on selected orbifold geometries.
In particular, we construct an explicit example of a Standard Model-like theory
with three generations and a single Higgs field.Comment: 1+30 pages latex, 11 tables; v2: references and minor revisions
added, matches version published in JHE
Gauged Linear Sigma Models for toroidal orbifold resolutions
Toroidal orbifolds and their resolutions are described within the framework
of (2,2) Gauged Linear Sigma Models (GLSMs). Our procedure describes two-tori
as hypersurfaces in (weighted) projective spaces. The description is chosen
such that the orbifold singularities correspond to the zeros of their
homogeneous coordinates. The individual orbifold singularities are resolved
using a GLSM guise of non-compact toric resolutions, i.e. replacing discrete
orbifold actions by Abelian worldsheet gaugings. Given that we employ the same
global coordinates for both the toroidal orbifold and its resolutions, our GLSM
formalism confirms the gluing procedure on the level of divisors discussed by
Lust et al. Using our global GLSM description we can study the moduli space of
such toroidal orbifolds as a whole. In particular, changes in topology can be
described as phase transitions of the underlying GLSM. Finally, we argue that
certain partially resolvable GLSMs, in which a certain number of fixed points
can never be resolved, might be useful for the study of mini-landscape orbifold
MSSMs.Comment: 71 pages, 2 figure
Comorbid amyloid-β pathology affects clinical and imaging features in VCD
INTRODUCTION: To date, the clinical relevance of comorbid amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in patients with vascular cognitive disorders (VCD) is largely unknown. METHODS: We included 218 VCD patients with available cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42 levels. Patients were divided into Aβ+ mild-VCD (n = 84), Aβ- mild-VCD (n = 68), Aβ+ major-VCD (n = 31), and Aβ- major-VCD (n = 35). We measured depression with the Geriatric Depression Scale, cognition with a neuropsychological test battery and derived white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and gray matter atrophy from MRI. RESULTS: Aβ- patients showed more depressive symptoms than Aβ+. In the major-VCD group, Aβ- patients performed worse on attention (P = .02) and executive functioning (P = .008) than Aβ+. We found no cognitive differences in patients with mild VCD. In the mild-VCD group, Aβ- patients had more WMH than Aβ+ patients, whereas conversely, in the major-VCD group, Aβ+ patients had more WMH. Atrophy patterns did not differ between Aβ+ and Aβ- VCD group. DISCUSSION: Comorbid Aβ pathology affects the manifestation of VCD, but effects differ by severity of VCD
A more active lifestyle in persons with a recent spinal cord injury benefits physical fitness and health
Study design:A prospective cohort study. Objectives:To study the longitudinal relationship between objectively measured everyday physical activity level, and physical fitness and lipid profile in persons with a recent spinal cord injury (SCI).Setting:A rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands and the participant's home environment. Methods:Data of 30 persons with a recent SCI were collected at the start of active rehabilitation, 3 months later, at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, and 1 year after discharge. Physical activity level (duration of dynamic activities as % of 24 h) was measured with an accelerometry-based activity monitor. Regarding physical fitness, peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and peak power output (POpeak) were determined with a maximal wheelchair exercise test, and upper extremity muscle strength was measured with a handheld dynamometer. Fasting blood samples were taken to determine the lipid profile. Results:An increase in physical activity level was significantly related to an increase in VO2peak and POpeak, and an increase in physical activity level favourably affected the lipid profile. A nonsignificant relation was found with muscle strength. Conclusion:Everyday physical activity seems to have an important role in the fitness and health of persons with a recent SCI. An increase in physical activity level was associated with an increase in physical fitness and with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 6 December 2011; doi:10.1038/sc.2011.152
Holographic metastability
We show how supersymmetric QCD in a slice of AdS can naturally acquire
metastable vacua. The formulation closely follows that of Intriligator, Seiberg
and Shih (ISS), with an "electric" sector on the UV brane and a "magnetic"
sector on the IR brane. However the 't Hooft anomaly matching that constrains
the Seiberg duality central to ISS is replaced by anomaly inflow and
cancellation, and the source of strong coupling is the CFT to which the theory
couples rather than the gauge groups. The theory contains an anomaly free
R-symmetry that, when broken by UV effects, leads to an O'Raifeartaigh model on
the IR brane. In contrast to ISS, the R-symmetry breaking in the UV can be
maximal, and yet the R-symmetry breaking in the IR theory remains under strict
control: there is no need for retrofitting of small parameters.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure
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