Sedentary behaviors and adiposity in young people: causality and conceptual model

Research on sedentary behavior and adiposity in youth dates back to the 1980s. Sedentary behaviors, usually screen time, can be associated with adiposity. Although the association usually is small but significant, the field is complex, and results are dependent on what sedentary behaviors are assessed and may be mediated and moderated by other behaviors

Multipartite entanglement measures via Bell basis measurements

We show how to estimate a broad class of multipartite entanglement measures from Bell basis measurement data. In addition to lowering the experimental requirements relative to previously known methods of estimating these measures, our proposed scheme also enables a simpler analysis of the number of measurement repetitions required to achieve an $\epsilon$-close approximation of the measures, which we provide for each. We focus our analysis on the recently introduced Concentratable Entanglements [Beckey et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 140501 (2021)] because many other well-known multipartite entanglement measures are recovered as special cases of this family of measures. We extend the definition of the Concentratable Entanglements to mixed states and show how to construct lower bounds on the mixed state Concentratable Entanglements that can also be estimated using only Bell basis measurement data. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of our methods by realistically simulating their implementation on a Rydberg atom quantum computer.Comment: 5+19 pages. 4+3 figure

Patterns of adolescent physical activity and dietary behaviours

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The potential synergistic effects of multiple dietary and physical activity behaviours on the risk of chronic conditions and health outcomes is a key issue for public health. This study examined the prevalence and clustering patterns of multiple health behaviours among a sample of adolescents in the UK.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cross-sectional survey of 176 adolescents aged 12–16 years (49% boys). Adolescents wore accelerometers for seven days and completed a questionnaire assessing fruit, vegetable, and breakfast consumption. The prevalence of adolescents meeting the physical activity (≥ 60 minutes moderate-to-vigorous physical activity/day), fruit and vegetable (≥ 5 portions of FV per day) and breakfast recommendations (eating breakfast on ≥ 5 days per week), and clustering patterns of these health behaviours are described.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Boys were more active than girls (p < 0.001) and younger adolescents were more active than older adolescents (p < 0.01). Boys ate breakfast on more days per week than girls (p < 0.01) and older adolescents ate more fruit and vegetables than younger adolescents (p < 0.01). Almost 54% of adolescents had multiple risk behaviours and only 6% achieved all three of the recommendations. Girls had significantly more risk factors than boys (p < 0.01). For adolescents with two risk behaviours, the most prevalent cluster was formed by not meeting the physical activity and fruit and vegetable recommendations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Many adolescents fail to meet multiple diet and physical activity recommendations, highlighting that physical activity and dietary behaviours do not occur in isolation. Future research should investigate how best to achieve multiple health behaviour change in adolescent boys and girls.</p

Cardiometabolic risk factors and mental health status among truck drivers : a systematic review

The first author (AG) has received funding for their PhD Studentship from the Colt Foundation. The Colt Foundation had no role in study design; election, synthesis and interpretation of data; writing of the report; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. SC and JAK are in receipt of funding from the NIHR Public Health Research Programme (reference: NIHR PHR 15/190/42) for the evaluation of a multi-component health behaviour intervention in truck drivers. They are also supported by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre – Lifestyle theme. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Superconducting Gatemon Qubit based on a Proximitized Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

The coherent tunnelling of Cooper pairs across Josephson junctions (JJs) generates a nonlinear inductance that is used extensively in quantum information processors based on superconducting circuits, from setting qubit transition frequencies and interqubit coupling strengths, to the gain of parametric amplifiers for quantum-limited readout. The inductance is either set by tailoring the metal-oxide dimensions of single JJs, or magnetically tuned by parallelizing multiple JJs in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) with local current-biased flux lines. JJs based on superconductor-semiconductor hybrids represent a tantalizing all-electric alternative. The gatemon is a recently developed transmon variant which employs locally gated nanowire (NW) superconductor-semiconductor JJs for qubit control. Here, we go beyond proof-of-concept and demonstrate that semiconducting channels etched from a wafer-scale two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) are a suitable platform for building a scalable gatemon-based quantum computer. We show 2DEG gatemons meet the requirements by performing voltage-controlled single qubit rotations and two-qubit swap operations. We measure qubit coherence times up to ~2 us, limited by dielectric loss in the 2DEG host substrate

Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: the CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme

Introduction: Children engage in a high volume of sitting in school, particularly in the classroom. A number of strategies, such as physically active lessons (termed movement integration (MI)), have been developed to integrate physical activity into this learning environment; however, no single approach is likely to meet the needs of all pupils and teachers. This protocol outlines an implementation study of a primary school-based MI intervention: CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) programme. This study aims to (A) determine the degree of implementation of CLASS PAL, (B) identify processes by which teachers and schools implement CLASS PAL and (C) investigate individual (pupil and teacher) level and school-level characteristics associated with implementation of CLASS PAL. Methods and analysis: The intervention will provide teachers with a professional development workshop and a bespoke teaching resources website. The study will use a single group before-and-after design, strengthened by multiple interim measurements. Six state-funded primary schools will be recruited within Leicestershire, UK. Evaluation data will be collected prior to implementation and at four discrete time points during implementation: At measurement 0 (October 2016), school, teacher and pupil characteristics will be collected. At measurements 0 and 3 (June-July 2017), accelerometry, cognitive functioning, self-reported sitting and classroom engagement data will be collected. At measurements 1(December 2016-March 2017) and 3, teacher interviews (also at measurement 4; September-October 2017) and pupil focus groups will be conducted, and at measurements 1 and 2 (April-May 2017), classroom observations. Implementation will be captured through website analytics and ongoing teacher completed logs. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was obtained through the Loughborough University Human Participants Ethics Sub-Committee (Reference number: R16-P115). Findings will be disseminated via practitioner and/or research journals and to relevant regional and national stakeholders through print and online media and dissemination event(s)

Identifying Elements of \u3cem\u3eKinder- und Jugendliteratur\u3c/em\u3e

Kinder- und Jugendliteratur, children’s literature written for the purpose of teaching or entertaining young people, has been present in German literature since the Middle Ages. This genre has changed as German literature progressed, reflecting the developments of each era, including such periods as the Romantic, the Biedermeier, Realism, Modernism and Postmodernism. As such, we examined individual works of German Kinder- und Jugendliteratur for the purpose of identifying distinctive features which situate them within children’s literature as well as in the respective historical genre. The works examined were Nußknacker und Mausekönig (1816) by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Emil und die Detektive (1929) by Erich Kästner, Försters Pucki (1935) by Madge Trott, Jan und das Wildpferd (1957) by Heinrich Denneborg, Die Wolke (1987) by Gudrun Pausewang, and Tintenherz (2003) by Cornelia Funke. We present our findings in the form of a Wimmelbuch, a typical form of German Kinder- und Jugendliteratur made popular during the Biedermeier period of the mid-1800s

A Hydrometeorological Assessment of the Historic 2019 Flood of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota

During early 2019, a series of events set the stage for devastating floods in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota. When the floodwaters hit, dams and levees failed, cutting off towns, while destroying roads, bridges, and rail lines, further exacerbating the crisis. Lives were lost and thousands of cattle were stranded. Estimates indicate that the cost of the flooding has topped $3 billion as of August 2019, with this number expected to rise. After a warm and wet start to winter, eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota endured anomalously low temperatures and record-breaking snowfall. By March 2019, rivers were frozen, frost depths were 60-90 cm, and the water equivalent of the snowpack was 30-100 mm. With these conditions in place, a record breaking surface cyclone rapidly developed in Colorado and propagated eastward, producing heavy rain towards the east and blizzard conditions toward the west. In areas of eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota, rapid melting of the snowpack due to this rain-on-snow event quickly led to excessive runoff that overwhelmed rivers and streams. These conditions brought the region to a standstill. In this paper, we will provide an analysis of the antecedent conditions in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and southeastern South Dakota, the development of the surface cyclone that triggered the historic flooding, along with a look into the forecast and communication of flood impacts prior to the flood. The study used multiple datasets, including in-situ observations and reanalysis data. Understanding the events that led to the flooding could aid in future forecasting efforts

Screen-time during the after-school period: a contextual perspective

Sedentary screen-time is an increasingly prevalent behaviour, associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Sedentary time and screen-use increase during adolescence, making this age group a prime target for behaviour change interventions. Better understanding the context in which sedentary screen-behaviours occur is important for ensuring future interventions have maximum impact. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of adolescents’ sedentary screen-time in the after-school and weekday evening periods, and to examine associations between contextual factors (location within the home and who they were with) and after-school/evening screen-time. Time that UK adolescents (N = 204, aged 11 or 12 years, 61.4% girls) spent using various screens was measured using a detailed three-day time-use diary completed at home. Adolescents reported the start and end time for each screen-based activity, where they were, and who they were with. Weekday (Monday-Friday) data were analysed with a focus on the after-school (3–6 pm) and evening periods (6–10.45 pm). Young adolescents spend around a third of their weekday evening leisure-time using screens, with boys engaging in slightly more screen-use than girls. The majority of after-school and weekday evening time at home was spent with family or siblings, with less than 1% spent with friends. Adolescents who spent more time alone after school reported greater screen-use. Greater time spent at home, in the lounge (living room) or bedroom was associated with greater screen-use. These findings highlight the value of devising family-based health-promotion interventions which target after-school/leisure-time screen-use in an effort to reduce young adolescents’ sedentary recreational screen-time behaviours

Age-related change in sedentary behavior during childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Funder: University of East Anglia, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesSedentary behaviors are highly prevalent in youth and may be associated with markers of physical and mental health. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the age-related change in sedentary behavior during childhood and adolescence. Ten electronic databases were searched. Inclusion criteria specified longitudinal observational studies or control group from an intervention; participants aged ≥5 and ≤18 years; a quantitative estimate of the duration of SB; and English language, peer-reviewed publication. Meta-analyses summarized weighted mean differences (WMD) in device-assessed sedentary time and questionnaire-assessed screen-behaviors over 1-, 2-, 3-, or more than 4-year follow-up. Effect modification was explored using meta-regression. Eighty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Device-assessed sedentary time increased by (WMD 95% confidence interval [CI]) 27.9 (23.2, 32.7), 61.0 (50.7, 71.4), 63.7 (53.3, 74.0), and 140.7 (105.1, 176.4) min/day over 1-, 2-, 3-, and more than 4-year follow-up. We observed no effect modification by gender, baseline age, study location, attrition, or quality. Questionnaire-assessed time spent playing video games, computer use, and a composite measure of sedentary behavior increased over follow-up duration. Evidence is consistent in showing an age-related increase in various forms of sedentary behavior; evidence pertaining to variability across socio-demographic subgroups and contemporary sedentary behaviors are avenues for future research