Neurocognitive measures of impulsivity: explanatory, diagnostic and a prognostic role in obesity

Obesity is a growing public health problem with multiple aetiological factors. Behavioural determinants are likely to be key contributors to obesity, with a need for applied research in this field. Recently the obesity has been compared to food addiction with the connotation that obese individuals are impulsive in their behaviour. Impulsivity is a trait that is closely linked to addiction and has been studied in personality, psychiatry and more recently in the neurocognitive arena. A conceptual review of the construct of impulsivity identified inhibitory control (SST) and temporal discounting (TD) as two key behavioural constructs universal to all the key fields of impulsivity research. A systematic review of the literature supported their use to profile participants based on their Body Mass Index. The validity of the tools were proven by endophenotyping participants (N=202) of both normal weight and those seeking weight loss intervention. Both measures could successfully differentiate between obese and normal weight adolescents (N=85). The SST was also prognostic for short-term weight reduction in adolescents attending a lifestyle intervention, with the TD being able to predict weight loss maintenance at 6 months. The tasks could not differentiate significantly between adults of different weights but the TD was able to predict weight reduction after surgery (N=90). The modifiability of obesity through neuronal dopamine pathways was supported by a randomised controlled trial testing neurocognitive enhancement agents (N=40) against a placebo (N=40) in normal weight adults. Weight was also controlled by a commitment intervention targeting automatic impulsive behaviours (N=27). These findings support an association between impulsivity, obesity and weight reduction. The experimental inferences have been described in terms of a novel interconnected neuronal network, which leaves itself open to testing using functional brain imaging.Open Acces

COURSE REGISTRATION INTEGRATED WITH WIRELESS APPLICATION PROTOCOL

This project is initiated with the hope to enhance the current Online Tutorial/Lab Registration, integrated with WAP application. The tremendous surge of interest and development in the area of wireless data is to bridge the gap between the mobile world and the Internet, bringing sophisticated solutions to mobile users, independent of the bearer and network. The main objective of this system is to develop an efficient and interactive system to cater to the course registration of lab and tutorial sessions integrated with WAP for the students and lecturers. Usually, students will have to either meet the lecturers at their cubicle which are located far from their block or will have to attend the class in order to register for a lab or tutorial session. Besides that, it consumes a lot of time for the student to go over to the lecturers' office or to even wait in line after class to register for the suitable slot. This is mainlyto minimize the hassle and inconvenience that the students and lecturers go through for lab and tutorial registrations. A Linear Sequential Model has been chosen as the methodology in developing this system. Other objectives are to study the underlying concept of WAP and to work in line with the university's goal of e-learning where a paperless environment is encouraged. The scope of this project is only limited to the labs or tutorials registration in UTP

New evidence of short-run underpricing in Australian IPOs

The short-run market performance of initial public offerings (IPOs) indicates that the prices are often underpriced. This is widely accepted as a universal phenomenon. To find out whether Australian IPOs are underpriced, this paper analyzes the short-run market performance of 254 IPOs by industry, listing year and issue year. To measure the performance, the first-day returns are divided into the opening price primary market and the closing price secondary market, and the post-listing returns are also examined. The study found that, overall, Australian IPOs were underpriced by 25.47% based on abnormal returns and 26.43% on raw returns on the first-day primary market, which was statistically significant at the 1% level. However, analysis of the secondary market indicates that the Australian IPOs were overpriced by 1.55% and 1.54% on abnormal and raw returns, respectively, which was statistically significant at the 5% level. The examination of post-listing returns shows that Australian IPOs were underpriced based on cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) on the 3rd, 6th, and 10thdays by 24.63%, 24.06%, and 23.34%, respectively. The primary and post-listing analysis shows that IPOs in the industrial sector are more attractive to investors, whereas those in the chemical and materials sector are less attractive compared to other sectors. As far as the investors’ wealth is concerned, the study concludes that the short-run market performance analysis should consider both the first-day and post-listing return

Religious Tourism Demand and Country Prosperity: An Empirical Study of Saudi Arabia

This study examines the impact of destination prosperity level on religious tourism flows to Saudi Arabia. The model was empirically tested for a panel of 21 countries from 2000 to 2019. Dynamic panel gravity models were estimated using the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) difference approach. The study found that the human rights index and prosperity index, word of mouth, Saudi Arabian income, origin country income and investment in tourism at the destination all had a positive and significant impact on religious tourism demand. In contrast, the cost of travel and cost of living at the destination, political risk, visa restrictions, and the relative temperature had an inverse and significant impact. The estimated coefficients suggest that Saudi Arabia should invest in high-quality services to make religious visits a more pleasant and memorable experience. The paper’s originality is in using new non-economic factors such as prosperity and human rights as well as economic factors in estimating tourism demand for religious purposes

Virtual worlds as a tool to facilitate weight management for young people.

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the UK, with around 20% of children aged 10-11 being overweight or obese. Lifestyle interventions can be effective, but there is limited evidence of their effectiveness in delivering sustained weight loss. The present research explored potential of web-based, 3-dimensional virtual worlds (VWs) for facilitation of weight-management, well-being and patient and public involvement (PPI) for young people. Attendees of a weight management camp took part in induction sessions for use of the VW of Second Life. All participants successfully learned how to interact with one another and navigate the virtual environment. Participant appraisals of Second Life were varied. Some found it complicated and difficult to use, and some found it fun and the majority stated that they would choose to use VWs again. There is considerable potential for use of VWs to promote weight management, and Second Life or a similar VW could be used to deliver this. Potential barriers include members of the target sample having limited access to computers with necessary system requirements for running VWs, and that some may find VW-based educational experiences unappealing or challenging to navigate. For some however, VWs may provide a useful mode for provision of education, PPI and support relating to weight management

COURSE REGISTRATION INTEGRATED WITH WIRELESS APPLICATION PROTOCOL

This project is initiated with the hope to enhance the current Online Tutorial/Lab Registration, integrated with WAP application. The tremendous surge of interest and development in the area of wireless data is to bridge the gap between the mobile world and the Internet, bringing sophisticated solutions to mobile users, independent of the bearer and network. The main objective of this system is to develop an efficient and interactive system to cater to the course registration of lab and tutorial sessions integrated with WAP for the students and lecturers. Usually, students will have to either meet the lecturers at their cubicle which are located far from their block or will have to attend the class in order to register for a lab or tutorial session. Besides that, it consumes a lot of time for the student to go over to the lecturers' office or to even wait in line after class to register for the suitable slot. This is mainlyto minimize the hassle and inconvenience that the students and lecturers go through for lab and tutorial registrations. A Linear Sequential Model has been chosen as the methodology in developing this system. Other objectives are to study the underlying concept of WAP and to work in line with the university's goal of e-learning where a paperless environment is encouraged. The scope of this project is only limited to the labs or tutorials registration in UTP

The use of commitment techniques to support weight loss maintenance in obese adolescents

Objectives: Obesity is a rising problem in adolescents related to unhealthy behaviours. Commitment devises are one type of behavioural intervention that may help people change their behaviours. The current pilot trial tests whether commitment devices delivered via text message help adolescents maintain their recent weight loss. Methods: During a 12-week pilot trial adolescents who attended a weight loss camp were randomly assigned to either received text messages that contained only information, i.e., advice, about weight loss management (n=13) or asked for them to commit to following the same advise (n=14). Results: The BMI of the adolescents in the commitment group did not change. In contrast, the BMI of adolescents in the information group increased. A linear regression revealed that group was a significant predictor of BMI change. A logistic regression revealed that adolescents in the information group were nearly eight times more likely to regain weight than those in the commitment group. Conclusions: This is the first study with adolescents to show weight maintenance using a commitment device. The results suggest that commitment devices can help adolescents maintain their recent weight loss