1,102 research outputs found
The effect of 12 weeks Anethum graveolens (dill) on metabolic markers in patients with metabolic syndrome; A randomized double blind controlled trial
Background: The clustering of metabolic abnormalities defined as metabolic syndrome is now both a public health and a clinical problem .While interest in herbal medicine has greatly increased, lack of human evidence to support efficacies shown in animals does exist. This clinical trial study designed to investigate whether herbal medicine, Anethum graveolens (dill) extract, could improve metabolic components in patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial using a parallel design was conducted. 24 subjects who had metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria (update of ATP III) were randomly assigned to either dill extract (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12) for 3 months. Results: Across lipid component of metabolic syndrome, no significant differences in triglyceride (TG) concentration and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were seen between the two groups. However TG improved significantly from baseline (257.0 vs. 201.5p = 0.01) with dill treatment but such a significant effect was not observed in placebo group. Moreover, no significant differences in waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar were seen between two groups after 3 months follow up period. Conclusion: In this small clinical trial in patients with metabolic syndrome, 12 weeks of dill extract treatment had a beneficial effect in terms of reducing TG from baseline. However dill treatment was not associated with a significant improvement in metabolic syndrome related markers compared to control group. Larger studies might be required to prove the efficacy and safety of long-Term administration of dill to resolve metabolic syndrome components. © 2012 Mansouri et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd
Tests of relativity using a microwave resonator
The frequencies of a cryogenic sapphire oscillator and a hydrogen maser are
compared to set new constraints on a possible violation of Lorentz invariance.
We determine the variation of the oscillator frequency as a function of its
orientation (Michelson-Morley test) and of its velocity (Kennedy-Thorndike
test) with respect to a preferred frame candidate. We constrain the
corresponding parameters of the Mansouri and Sexl test theory to and which is equivalent to the best previous result for the
former and represents a 30 fold improvement for the latter.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letters (October 3,
2002
Quantum Tests of the Foundations of General Relativity
The role of the equivalence principle in the context of non-relativistic
quantum mechanics and matter wave interferometry, especially atom beam
interferometry, will be discussed. A generalised form of the weak equivalence
principle which is capable of covering quantum phenomena too, will be proposed.
It is shown that this generalised equivalence principle is valid for matter
wave interferometry and for the dynamics of expectation values. In addition,
the use of this equivalence principle makes it possible to determine the
structure of the interaction of quantum systems with gravitational and inertial
fields. It is also shown that the path of the mean value of the position
operator in the case of gravitational interaction does fulfill this generalised
equivalence principle.Comment: Classical and Quantum Gravity 15, 13 (1998
Prostaglandin D2 enhances interleukin -1beta- induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in osteoarthritic cartilage
Casimir Effect for Spherical Shell in de Sitter Space
The Casimir stress on a spherical shell in de Sitter background for massless
scalar field satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions on the shell is
calculated. The metric is written in conformally flat form. Although the metric
is time dependent no particles are created. The Casimir stress is calculated
for inside and outside of the shell with different backgrounds corresponding to
different cosmological constants. The detail dynamics of the bubble depends on
different parameter of the model. Specifically, bubbles with true vacuum inside
expand if the difference in the vacuum energies is small, otherwise they
collapse.Comment: 9 pages, submitted to Class. Quantum Gra
Limits on the Time Evolution of Space Dimensions from Newton's Constant
Limits are imposed upon the possible rate of change of extra spatial
dimensions in a decrumpling model Universe with time variable spatial
dimensions (TVSD) by considering the time variation of (1+3)-dimensional
Newton's constant. Previous studies on the time variation of (1+3)-dimensional
Newton's constant in TVSD theory had not been included the effects of the
volume of the extra dimensions and the effects of the surface area of the unit
sphere in D-space dimensions. Our main result is that the absolute value of the
present rate of change of spatial dimensions to be less than about
10^{-14}yr^{-1}. Our results would appear to provide a prima facie case for
ruling the TVSD model out. We show that based on observational bounds on the
present-day variation of Newton's constant, one would have to conclude that the
spatial dimension of the Universe when the Universe was at the Planck scale to
be less than or equal to 3.09. If the dimension of space when the Universe was
at the Planck scale is constrained to be fractional and very close to 3, then
the whole edifice of TVSD model loses credibility.Comment: 22 pages, accepted for publication in Int.J.Mod.Phys.
Casimir stress on parallel plates in de Sitter space
The Casimir stress on two parallel plates in de Sitter background for
massless scalar field satisfying Robin boundary conditions on the plates is
calculated. The metric is written in conformally flat form to make maximum use
of the Minkowski space calculations. Different cosmological constants are
assumed for the space between and outside of the plates to have general results
applicable to the case of domain wall formations in the early universe.Comment: 6 page
Special biconformal changes of K\"ahler surface metrics
The term "special biconformal change" refers, basically, to the situation
where a given nontrivial real-holomorphic vector field on a complex manifold is
a gradient relative to two K\"ahler metrics, and, simultaneously, an
eigenvector of one of the metrics treated, with the aid of the other, as an
endomorphism of the tangent bundle. A special biconformal change is called
nontrivial if the two metrics are not each other's constant multiples. For
instance, according to a 1995 result of LeBrun, a nontrivial special
biconformal change exists for the conformally-Einstein K\"ahler metric on the
two-point blow-up of the complex projective plane, recently discovered by Chen,
LeBrun and Weber; the real-holomorphic vector field involved is the gradient of
its scalar curvature. The present paper establishes the existence of nontrivial
special biconformal changes for some canonical metrics on Del Pezzo surfaces,
viz. K\"ahler-Einstein metrics (when a nontrivial holomorphic vector field
exists), non-Einstein K\"ahler-Ricci solitons, and K\"ahler metrics admitting
nonconstant Killing potentials with geodesic gradients.Comment: 16 page
Quantum-gravity-motivated Lorentz-symmetry tests with laser interferometers
We consider the implications for laser interferometry of the
quantum-gravity-motivated modifications in the laws of particle propagation,
which are presently being considered in attempts to explain puzzling
observations of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We show that there are
interferometric setups in which the Planck-scale effect on propagation leads to
a characteristic signature. A naive estimate is encouraging with respect to the
possibility of achieving Planck-scale sensitivity, but we also point out some
severe technological challenges which would have to be overcome in order to
achieve this sensitivity.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure
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