889 research outputs found
Biomechanical assessment of children requiring tibialis anterior surgical tendon transfer for residual congenital talipes equinovarus
Effects of once-weekly semaglutide on appetite, energy intake, control of eating, food preference and body weight in subjects with obesity.
AIM: To investigate the mechanism of action for body weight loss with semaglutide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover trial investigated the effects of 12 weeks treatment with once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide, dose-escalated to 1.0 mg, in 30 subjects with obesity. Ad libitum energy intake, ratings of appetite, thirst, nausea and well-being, control of eating, food preference, resting metabolic rate, body weight and body composition were assessed. RESULTS: After a standardised breakfast, semaglutide, compared with placebo, led to a lower ad libitum energy intake during lunch (-1255 kJ; P < 0.0001), and during the subsequent evening meal (P = 0.0401) and snacks (P = 0.0034), resulting in a 24% reduction in total energy intake across all ad libitum meals throughout the day (-3036 kJ; P < 0.0001). Fasting overall appetite suppression scores were improved with semaglutide versus placebo, while nausea ratings were similar. Semaglutide was associated with less hunger and food cravings, better control of eating and a lower preference for high-fat foods. Resting metabolic rate, adjusted for lean body mass, did not differ between treatments. Semaglutide led to a reduction from baseline in mean body weight of 5.0 kg, predominantly from body fat mass. CONCLUSION: After 12 weeks' treatment, ad libitum energy intake was substantially lower with semaglutide versus placebo with a corresponding loss of body weight observed with semaglutide. In addition to reduced energy intake, likely mechanisms for semaglutide-induced weight loss included less appetite and food cravings, better control of eating and lower relative preference for fatty, energy-dense foods
Positive tension 3-branes in an bulk
In this work, we review and extend the so-called consistency conditions for
the existence of a braneworld scenario in arbitrary dimensions in the
Brans-Dicke (BD) gravitational theory. After that, we consider the particular
case of a five-dimensional scenario which seems to have phenomenological
interesting implications. We show that, in the BD framework, it is possible to
achieve necessary conditions pointing to the possibility of accommodating
branes with positive tensions in an AdS bulk by the presence of the additional
BD scalar field, avoiding in this way the necessity of including unstable
objects in the compactification scheme. Furthermore, in the context of time
variable brane tension, it is shown that the brane tension may change its sign,
following the bulk cosmological constant sign.Comment: 15 pages, new version to appear in JHE
Holographic Anyons in the ABJM Theory
We consider the holographic anyons in the ABJM theory from three different
aspects of AdS/CFT correspondence. First, we identify the holographic anyons by
using the field equations of supergravity, including the Chern-Simons terms of
the probe branes. We find that the composite of Dp-branes wrapped over CP3 with
the worldvolume magnetic fields can be the anyons. Next, we discuss the
possible candidates of the dual anyonic operators on the CFT side, and find the
agreement of their anyonic phases with the supergravity analysis. Finally, we
try to construct the brane profile for the holographic anyons by solving the
equations of motion and Killing spinor equations for the embedding profile of
the wrapped branes. As a by product, we find a BPS spiky brane for the dual
baryons in the ABJM theory.Comment: 1+33 pages, 3 figures; v2 discussion for D4-D6 case added, references
added; v3 comments adde
Multi-scalar tachyon potential on non-BPS domain walls
We have considered the multi-scalar and multi-tachyon fields living on a 3d
domain wall embedded in a 5d dimensional Minkowski spacetime. The effective
action for such a domain wall can be found by integrating out the normal modes
as vibrating modes around the domain wall solution of a truncated 5d
supergravity action. The multi-scalar tachyon potential are good enough to
modeling assisted inflation scenario with multi-tachyon fields. The tachyon
condensation are also briefly addressed.Comment: version to appear in JHEP, 18 pages, 3 figure
Reframing the early childhood obesity prevention narrative through an equitable nurturing approach
High-quality mother-child interactions during the first 2,000 days, from conception to age 5 years, are considered crucial for preventing obesity development during early life stages. However, mother-child dyads interact within and are influenced by broader socio-ecological contexts involved in shaping child development outcomes, including nutrition. Hence, the coexistence of both undernutrition and obesity has been noted in inequitable social conditions, with drivers of undernutrition and overnutrition in children sharing common elements, such as poverty and food insecurity. To date, a holistic life-course approach to childhood obesity prevention that includes an equitable developmental perspective has not emerged. The World Health Organization (WHO) Nurturing Care Framework provides the foundation for reframing the narrative to understand childhood obesity through the lens of an equitable nurturing care approach to child development from a life-course perspective. In this perspective, we outline our rationale for reframing the childhood narrative by integrating an equitable nurturing care approach to childhood obesity prevention. Four key elements of reframing the narrative include: (a) extending the focus from the current 1,000 to 2,000 days (conception to 5 years); (b) highlighting the importance of nurturing mutually responsive child-caregiver connections to age 5; (c) recognition of racism and related stressors, not solely race/ethnicity, as part of adverse child experiences and social determinants of obesity; and (d) addressing equity by codesigning interventions with socially marginalized families and communities. An equitable, asset-based engagement of families and communities could drive the transformation of policies, systems and social conditions to prevent childhood obesity
Distributions of charged massive scalars and fermions from evaporating higher-dimensional black holes
A detailed numerical analysis is performed to obtain the Hawking spectrum for
charged, massive brane scalars and fermions on the approximate background of a
brane charged rotating higher-dimensional black hole constructed in
arXiv:0907.5107. We formulate the problem in terms of a "spinor-like" first
order system of differential wave equations not only for fermions, but for
scalars as well and integrate it numerically. Flux spectra are presented for
non-zero mass, charge and rotation, confirming and extending previous results
based on analytic approximations. In particular we describe an inverted charge
splitting at low energies, which is not present in four or five dimensions and
increases with the number of extra dimensions. This provides another signature
of the evaporation of higher-dimensional black holes in TeV scale gravity
scenarios.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, minor typos corrected, 1 page added with a
discussion on higher spins, added reference
Fluxes and Warping for Gauge Couplings in F-theory
We compute flux-dependent corrections in the four-dimensional F-theory
effective action using the M-theory dual description. In M-theory the 7-brane
fluxes are encoded by four-form flux and modify the background geometry and
Kaluza-Klein reduction ansatz. In particular, the flux sources a warp factor
which also depends on the torus directions of the compactification fourfold.
This dependence is crucial in the derivation of the four-dimensional action,
although the torus fiber is auxiliary in F-theory. In M-theory the 7-branes are
described by an infinite array of Taub-NUT spaces. We use the explicit metric
on this geometry to derive the locally corrected warp factor and M-theory
three-from as closed expressions. We focus on contributions to the 7-brane
gauge coupling function from this M-theory back-reaction and show that terms
quadratic in the internal seven-brane flux are induced. The real part of the
gauge coupling function is modified by the M-theory warp factor while the
imaginary part is corrected due to a modified M-theory three-form potential.
The obtained contributions match the known weak string coupling result, but
also yield additional terms suppressed at weak coupling. This shows that the
completion of the M-theory reduction opens the way to compute various
corrections in a genuine F-theory setting away from the weak string coupling
limit.Comment: 46 page
Challenges in conducting community-driven research created by differing ways of talking and thinking about science: a researcher’s perspective
Increasingly, health scientists are becoming aware that research collaborations that include community partnerships can be an effective way to broaden the scope and enhance the impact of research aimed at improving public health. Such collaborations extend the reach of academic scientists by integrating a variety of perspectives and thus strengthening the applicability of the research. Communication challenges can arise, however, when attempting to address specific research questions in these collaborations. In particular, inconsistencies can exist between scientists and community members in the use and interpretation of words and other language features, particularly when conducting research with a biomedical component. Additional challenges arise from differing perceptions of the investigative process. There may be divergent perceptions about how research questions should and can be answered, and in expectations about requirements of research institutions and research timelines. From these differences, misunderstandings can occur about how the results will ultimately impact the community. These communication issues are particularly challenging when scientists and community members are from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds that may widen the gap between ways of talking and thinking about science, further complicating the interactions and exchanges that are essential for effective joint research efforts. Community-driven research that aims to describe the burden of disease associated with Helicobacter pylori infection is currently underway in northern Aboriginal communities located in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada, with the goal of identifying effective public health strategies for reducing health risks from this infection. This research links community representatives, faculty from various disciplines at the University of Alberta, as well as territorial health care practitioners and officials. This highly collaborative work will be used to illustrate, from a researcher’s perspective, some of the challenges of conducting public health research in teams comprising members with varying backgrounds. The consequences of these challenges will be outlined, and potential solutions will be offered
"They all work...when you stick to them" : a qualitative investigation of dieting, weight loss, and physical exercise, in obese individuals
BackgroundTo explore the extent to which people living with obesity have attempted to lose weight, their attitudes towards dieting, physical exercise and weight loss solutions, why their weight loss attempts have failed, and their opinions about what would be most beneficial to them in their struggle with their weight.MethodQualitative study, using open-ended interviews, of 76 people living with obesity in Victoria, Australia in 2006/7. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or over were recruited using articles in local newspapers, convenience sampling, and at a later stage purposive sampling techniques to diversify the sample. Data analysis was conducted by hand using a constant, comparative method to develop and test analytical categories. Data were interpreted both within team meetings and through providing research participants the chance to comment on the study findings.ResultsWhilst participants repeatedly turned to commercial diets in their weight loss attempts, few had used, or were motivated to participate in physical activity. Friends or family members had introduced most individuals to weight loss techniques. Those who took part in interventions with members of their social network were more likely to report feeling accepted and supported. Participants blamed themselves for being unable to maintain their weight loss or \u27stick\u27 to diets. Whilst diets did not result in sustained weight loss, two thirds of participants felt that dieting was an effective way to lose weight.ConclusionIndividuals with obesity receive numerous instructions about what to do to address their weight, but very few are given appropriate long term guidance or support with which to follow through those instructions. Understanding the positive role of social networks may be particularly important in engaging individuals in physical activity. Public health approaches to obesity must engage and consult with those currently living with obesity, if patterns of social change are to occur
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