Clinical problems caused by obesity

Over the past few decades the incidence of obesity has doubled worldwide and current estimates classify more than 1.5 billion adults as overweight and at least 500 million of them as clinically obese, with body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2, respectively. Obesity prevalence rates are steadily rising in the majority of the modern Western societies, as well as in the developing world. Moreover, alarming trends of weight gain are reported for children and adolescents, undermining the present and future health status of the pediatric population. To highlight the related threat to public health, the World Health Organization has declared obesity a global epidemic, also stressing that it remains an under-recognized problem of the public health agenda

Targeting sex determination for genetic control of the malaria mosquito

Malaria is a devastating disease that causes more than 400,000 deaths each year, primarily in underprivileged regions of sub-Saharan Africa. During the last two decades, mortality caused by the disease has been reduced by half, largely driven by coordinated vector control based on the use of insecticides and bed nets. Nevertheless, the declining trend in malaria cases appears to have stalled recently and there is a growing concern that new interventions will be needed to reach widespread malaria elimination. Gene drive systems are potentially transformative in this endeavour because they allow rapid, self-sustaining and species-specific control of the mosquito vector through the limited release of genetically modified mosquitoes. While proof-of-principle studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the approach, none of them have managed to fulfil the requirements needed to progress in field or semi-field testing, largely due to strong fitness costs and genetic resistance to gene drive. This thesis describes the first gene drive system demonstrated to spread in caged populations of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, unimpeded by resistance or fitness constraints. By targeting an ultra-conserved locus in the gene doublesex, this strategy is able to thwart target site resistance in caged experiments whilst driving complete population suppression through the conversion of genetic females to sterile intersex. In this thesis, I demonstrate complete population elimination of caged populations from single releases of gene drive mosquitoes using a 12.5% initial allele release frequency, and crucially, I demonstrate its effectiveness in large cage semi-field conditions designed to reveal complex behaviours otherwise absent in small scale testing. The complete suppression of vector populations using a gene system is a landmark achievement and brings the gene drive technology closer to be implemented in the wild to complement current interventions against malaria.Open Acces

2020 transatlantic security jam:resilience going forward

The 2020 Transatlantic Security Jam brought together military professionals and experts from a wide range of related disciplines. Their goal was to discuss and to analyze how NATO and its partners, including the European Union, can develop and enhance capabilities to address new and emerging security challenges. The online Security Jam took place soon after the start of one of the greatest asymmetric challenges we have seen – the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has challenged every assumption on what is meant by security and resilience that we have had since the end of the Second World War. With this in mind, the participants proposed how we can both adapt to and proactively foresee emerging security challenges now and in the future. This article summarizes the discussions which took place and the proposals put forward. These proposals include a much more holistic approach to addressing security challenges that transcend the traditional ‘siloed’ or ‘compartmentalized’ approach we have grown so accustomed to.</p

Nation-Building and Cultural Heritage: A Study of Turkey and Its Greek Orthodox Community

This thesis is an exploration of the intersection between nationalist ideology and cultural heritage policy. This thesis answers how and why states utilize cultural heritage policy to build exclusivist forms of nationalism and, more specifically, models of nationalism that exclude ethno-religious minorities. In my work, I employ a case study of Turkey and its treatment of the Greek Orthodox minority population, and examine two specific periods in Turkish history: the Atatürk period (1920 to 1938) and the Erdoğan period (2001 to present). I answer the case-specific question: How and why has the Turkish state utilized policy dealing with tangible and intangible forms of cultural heritage to realize a nationalist ideology that excludes the Greek Orthodox Christian minority of Turkey? The thesis explores the meaning of culture heritage and the implementation of policies relating to both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This thesis also maps a historically continuous pattern in the Turkish state’s iterations of exclusivist nationalism and cultural heritage policies throughout the longue durée of Turkish history

New challenges for the military. But new solutions in military education and training?

Militaries across the world have a problem. The problem is: How do we deal with ‘New’ and ‘Emerging’ security challenges? What does this mean? For centuries, the role of the military was to deter hostile states, and to be able to engage in conflict with other states using arms, if required by their government’s foreign policy. In other words, military and foreign policy was all about states - countries. The role of the military was clear: it was to defend the state or operate overseas on the instructions of their own civilian administration against the military of an opposing state. But over the last 20 years we have seen the creation of new and emerging security challenges. These new challenges may lead us to re-evaluate the role of states’ militaries in international relations. ‘Non state’ actors including fringe groups and extremists have been able to use cyberspace - the online environment in which we all live and work - to spread their narrative. Terrorists are able to use cyberspace to communicate their propaganda, recruit individuals, and execute their atrocities. They use secure online communications, evading the detection of security services here in Europe and across the world. Sadly, terrorists have utilised cyberspace to devastating effect

Self-reported psychosocial health in obese patients before and after weight loss

Psychosocial profiles were examined in 255 morbidly obese patients attending a hospital service offering access to standard weight loss therapies. 129 patients were reassessed after at least 6-month follow-up. At baseline, 51.8% and 32.7% of patients, respectively, had evidence of anxiety and depressive disorders, 24% had severe impairments in self esteem, and 29.7% had an increased risk of eating disorders. At follow-up, weight loss from baseline was significant in all 3 therapies: diet only is 0.74±1.8 kg; pharmacotherapy is 6.7±4.2 kg; and surgery is 20.1±13.6 kg. Anxiety scores improved in all three groups (P<.05). Patients having pharmacotherapy or surgery had significant improvements in physical and work function and public distress compared to those having dietary treatment only (P<.05). Our observational data suggest that weight management services can lead to psychosocial benefit in morbidly obese patients. Well-designed studies are necessary to examine the link between weight loss and emotional health

Effects of exenatide and liraglutide on heart rate, blood pressure and body weight : systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: To synthesise current evidence for the effects of exenatide and liraglutide on heart rate, blood pressure and body weight. Design: Meta-analysis of available data from randomised controlled trials comparing Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues with placebo, active antidiabetic drug therapy or lifestyle intervention. Participants: Patients with type 2 diabetes. Outcome measures: Weighted mean differences between trial arms for changes in heart rate, blood pressure and body weight, after a minimum of 12-week follow-up. Results: 32 trials were included. Overall, GLP-1 agonists increased the heart rate by 1.86 beats/min (bpm) (95% CI 0.85 to 2.87) versus placebo and 1.90 bpm (1.30 to 2.50) versus active control. This effect was more evident for liraglutide and exenatide long-acting release than for exenatide twice daily. GLP-1 agonists decreased systolic blood pressure by −1.79 mm Hg (−2.94 to −0.64) and −2.39 mm Hg (−3.35 to −1.42) compared to placebo and active control, respectively. Reduction in diastolic blood pressure failed to reach statistical significance (−0.54 mm Hg (−1.15 to 0.07) vs placebo and −0.50 mm Hg (−1.24 to 0.24) vs active control). Body weight decreased by −3.31 kg (−4.05 to −2.57) compared to active control, but by only −1.22 kg (−1.51 to −0.93) compared to placebo. Conclusions: GLP-1 analogues are associated with a small increase in heart rate and modest reductions in body weight and blood pressure. Mechanisms underlying the rise in heart rate require further investigation

La métaphore économique de la pollinisation

Revenons sur cette tendance à la métaphore entre société humaine et société des abeilles : il est clair que la métaphore que nous utilisons, Yann Moulier Boutang et moi, sur Google, est là juste pour faire réfléchir. Même chose quand je compare Google à « Dieu spinozien ». Les scientifiques purs et durs sont récalcitrants face à ce type d’images qui placent au même niveau des réalité sans rapport les unes avec les autres. On voit bien qu’il y a dans le monde internet une tendance qui va avec ..