Schrodinger cat states prepared by Bloch oscillation in a spin-dependent optical lattice

We propose to use Bloch oscillation of ultra-cold atoms in a spin-dependent optical lattice to prepare schrodinger cat states. Depending on its internal state, an atom feels different periodic potentials and thus has different energy band structures for its center-of-mass motion. Consequently, under the same gravity force, the wave packets associated with different internal states perform Bloch oscillation of different amplitudes in space and in particular they can be macroscopically displaced with respect to each other. In this way, a cat state can be prepared.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; slightly modifie

Peer victimization and weight/shape concerns in adolescents:Examining the moderating role of appearance-based rejection sensitivity

Peer victimization has been related to weight/shape concerns in adolescents. However, a dearth of research has examined potential moderators of this association. The present study examined the concurrent and prospective associations between two types of peer victimization, appearance-based and non-appearance-based, and weight/shape concerns among adolescents, and whether these associations were moderated by appearance-based rejection sensitivity. Participants were 897 adolescents, aged 11–19 years (M = 14 years 8 months, SD = 1 year 4 months), who completed a range of self-report measures as part of the EveryBODY study, one year apart. Both forms of victimization were associated with concurrent, but not prospective weight/shape concerns. Additionally, the concurrent association between appearance-related victimization and weight/shape concerns was dependent on appearance-based rejection-sensitivity, with stronger associations at lower levels of appearance-based rejection-sensitivity. These findings support previous research linking peer victimization with concurrent weight/shape concerns in adolescents. However, the impact of peer victimization on increased weight/shape concerns was not observed.</p

Can auditors be independent? – Experimental evidence on the effects of client type

Recent regulatory initiatives stress that an independent oversight board, rather than the management board, should be the client of the auditor. In an experiment, we test whether the type of client affects auditors’ independence. Unique features of the German institutional setting enable us to realistically vary the type of auditors’ client as our treatment variable: we portray the client either as the management preferring aggressive accounting or the oversight board preferring conservative accounting. We measure auditors’ perceived client retention incentives and accountability pressure in a post-experiment questionnaire to capture potential threats to independence. We find that the type of auditors’ client affects auditors’ behaviour contingent on the degree of the perceived threats to independence. Our findings imply that both client retention incentives and accountability pressure represent distinctive threats to auditors’ independence and that the effectiveness of an oversight board in enhancing auditors’ independence depends on the underlying threat

Exploring associations between positive and negative valanced parental comments about adolescents' bodies and eating and eating problems: a community study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a time of rapid emotional and physical development when foundational self-concepts (including beliefs about one's weight and shape) are established. Parents are key influencers of adolescent beliefs and behaviours. This study aimed to investigate associations between perceived positive and negative parental comments on weight/shape and eating, with sons' and daughters' psychological distress and eating disorder cognitions (EDCs). METHODS: A representative mixed-sex sample of 2204 Australian adolescents (12-19 years) from the EveryBODY Study completed an online survey exploring eating behaviours, psychological wellbeing and experiences of parental comments regarding weight, shape and eating behaviours. RESULTS: Correlation analyses revealed that adolescents' reports of perceived positive parental comments on shape/weight were significantly associated with lower psychological distress and EDCs only for daughters. All perceived negative parental comments on shape/weight or eating were associated with greater psychological distress and EDCs for both sons and daughters. In the final model of the regression analysis, only perceived parental negative shape/weight and maternal negative eating comments, adolescent stage and biological sex were significantly associated with EDCs. When known contributors such as BMI percentile and psychological distress were included in the regression model, adolescent stage and perceived negative paternal comments were no longer significantly associated with EDCs. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results show perceived negative comments were associated with poorer adolescent mental health, both their specific EDCs and general distress. Findings highlight the importance of raising awareness of potential negative impacts within family systems of comments around weight/shape and eating in these key formative years. Trial Registration The study was approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC 5201600312) and the New South Wales Department of Education

Diabetes and disordered eating behaviours in a community-based sample of australian adolescents

Background:People with diabetes have been shown to be at risk for disordered eating compared to their non-diabetic peers. However, the majority of studies have been conducted in relatively small samples drawn from clinical diabetes settings or registries. Community-based samples are required to better understand disordered eating behaviours in this population. In a large community-based population sample of Australian adolescents, this study aimed to (1) investigate disordered eating behaviours in adolescents reporting a diagnosis of diabetes compared to their non-diabetic peers and (2) test associations between disordered eating behaviours and insulin restriction.Methods:Secondary school students (n = 4854; mean (SD) age 14.4 (1.6) years; 47% boys) completed an online survey, including self-reported presence of diabetes, demographics, weight status, substance use, insulin restriction and disordered eating behaviours. Clinically meaningful cut-offs for disordered eating behaviours were generated for analysis.Results:Disordered eating behaviours, specifically self-induced vomiting (diabetes 19.2%, no diabetes 3.3%; p p p p Conclusion:There was a high rate of disordered eating behaviours in adolescents with diabetes compared to their peers without diabetes. The findings of this study may have the potential to inform future health promotion, prevention, and early intervention approaches for those with comorbid diabetes and disordered eating behaviours. Future longitudinal studies are required to evaluate disordered eating behaviours in those with diabetes over time in community-based samples

Prevalence and Correlates of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use in Australian Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Within recent years, there has been a notable lack of research examining the factors associated with adolescent use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) in Australia, meaning information regarding risk factors of Australian adolescent AAS use is outdated and potentially inaccurate. METHODS: To address this omission, the present study examined the prevalence and correlates of adolescent (aged 11 to 19 years) AAS use within the EveryBODY study, a large-scale representative survey of adolescents' disordered eating behaviours and body image concerns, involving 5071 adolescents across thirteen schools within the Sydney and Newcastle/Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. RESULTS: A total of 1.1% of adolescents reported lifetime use of AAS to increase muscularity. In univariate analyses, increased prevalence of AAS use was associated with male sex (OR = 5.67), identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (OR = 3.80), identifying as same-sex or questioning sexual attraction (OR = 3.17), higher drive for muscularity (OR = 2.19) and weight/shape concerns in the past month (OR = 1.28), and higher frequency of purging (OR = 1.11) and binge eating (OR = 1.09) in the past month. In multivariate analysis, only drive for muscularity (OR = 2.44) and purging behaviours (OR = 1.10) remained as significant correlates. Finally, adolescents who reported lifetime AAS use also reported feeling significantly higher levels of distress and physical and psychosocial impairment compared to adolescents who reported never having used AAS to increase muscularity. CONCLUSIONS: Positive correlations between disordered eating and weight and shape concerns with AAS use suggests that adolescent AAS use may be conceptualised within the spectra of disordered eating among youth. These findings provide clinicians, carers, and educators with prototypical factors that should assist in the screening of adolescent AAS use to facilitate early intervention

Safety and efficacy of voxelotor in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease aged 4 to 11 years

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating, multisystemic disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. The earliest clinical manifestations of SCD can affect infants as young as 6 months of age, and pediatric patients are at risk for acute and life-threatening complications. Early intervention with treatments that target the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of SCD, sickle hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization, are expected to slow disease progression and circumvent disease-associated morbidity and mortality. PROCEDURE: The HOPE-KIDS 1 trial (NCT02850406) is an ongoing four-part, phase 2a, open-label, single- and multiple-dose study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of voxelotor—a first-in-class HbS polymerization inhibitor—in patients aged 6 months to 17 years with SCD. Initial findings from a cohort of 45 patients aged 4 to 11 years who received voxelotor treatment for up to 48 weeks are reported. RESULTS: Hemoglobin (Hb) response, defined as a >1.0 g/dl increase from baseline, was achieved at week 24 by 47% (n = 16/34) of patients with Hb measurements at baseline and week 24. At week 24, 35% (n = 12/34) and 21% (n = 7/34) of patients had a >1.5 g/dl increase and a >2.0 g/dl increase from baseline in Hb concentration, respectively. Concurrent improvements in hemolytic markers were observed. Voxelotor was well tolerated in this young cohort, with no newly emerging safety signals. CONCLUSIONS: Based on its mechanism as an HbS polymerization inhibitor, voxelotor improves Hb levels and markers of hemolysis and has the potential to mitigate SCD-related complications; these results support its use in patients aged ≥4 years

Impact of Excess Auditor Remuneration on the Cost of Equity Capital around the World

This study examines the relation between excess auditor remuneration and the implied required rate of return (IRR hereafter) on equity capital in global markets. We conjecture that when auditor remuneration is excessively large, investors may perceive the auditor to be economically bonded to the client, leading to a lack of independence. This perceived lack of independence increases the information risk associated with the credibility of financial statements, thereby increasing IRR. Consistent with this notion, we find that IRR is increasing in excess auditor remuneration, but only in countries with stronger investor protection. Finding evidence of a relation only in stronger investor protection countries is consistent with the more prominent role of audited financial statements for investors' decisions in these countries. In settings in which investors are less likely to rely on audited financial statements and instead rely on alternative sources of information (i.e., in countries with weaker investor protection), the impact of client-auditor bonding should have less of an effect on investors' decisions.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Experience with tacrolimus in children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome

Children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) are at risk of developing renal failure. We report here the results of a single-center retrospective observational study of the remission rate in pediatric patients with SNRS receiving tacrolimus. Serial renal biopsies from children on tacrolimus therapy were evaluated for tubulointerstitial fibrosis and transforming growth factor-β immunostaining. Of the 16 children with SRNS, 15 went into complete remission after a median of 120 days of therapy. Nine children were able to stop steroids, while the others were on tapering doses. Forty-seven percent had relapses, most of which were steroid-responsive. Serial renal biopsies were obtained from seven children after a median treatment duration of 24 months; two of these children had increased tubulointerstitial fibrosis and four showed increased transforming growth factor-β tissue staining. Children with worsening histological findings were younger. There was no significant association between tacrolimus exposure and biopsy changes, although the average trough level was higher in those children with worsening histological findings. In conclusion, tacrolimus may be a safe and effective alternative agent for inducing remission in children with SRNS. However, caution needs to be taken when prescribing this agent due to its narrow therapeutic index. Serial renal biopsies are necessary to check for subclinical nephrotoxicity, especially in younger children and those with higher trough levels