University of Warwick

About: University of Warwick is a education organization based out in Coventry, Warwickshire, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & White dwarf. The organization has 26212 authors who have published 77127 publications receiving 2666552 citations. The organization is also known as: Warwick University & The University of Warwick.

Poverty impedes cognitive function

Abstract: The poor often behave in less capable ways, which can further perpetuate poverty. We hypothesize that poverty directly impedes cognitive function and present two studies that test this hypothesis. First, we experimentally induced thoughts about finances and found that this reduces cognitive performance among poor but not in well-off participants. Second, we examined the cognitive function of farmers over the planting cycle. We found that the same farmer shows diminished cognitive performance before harvest, when poor, as compared with after harvest, when rich. This cannot be explained by differences in time available, nutrition, or work effort. Nor can it be explained with stress: Although farmers do show more stress before harvest, that does not account for diminished cognitive performance. Instead, it appears that poverty itself reduces cognitive capacity. We suggest that this is because poverty-related concerns consume mental resources, leaving less for other tasks. These data provide a previously unexamined perspective and help explain a spectrum of behaviors among the poor. We discuss some implications for poverty policy.

Microbial interactions and biocontrol in the rhizosphere

Abstract: The loss of organic material from the roots provides the energy for the development of active microbial populations in the rhizosphere around the root. Generally, saproptrophs or biotrophs such as mycorrhizal fungi grow in the rhizosphere in response to this carbon loss, but plant pathogens may also develop and infect a susceptible host, resulting in disease. This review examines the microbial interactions that can take place in the rhizosphere and that are involved in biological disease control. The interactions of bacteria used as biocontrol agents of bacterial and fungal plant pathogens, and fungi used as biocontrol agents of protozoan, bacterial and fungal plant pathogens are considered. Whenever possible, modes of action involved in each type of interaction are assessed with particular emphasis on antibiosis, competition, parasitism, and induced resistance. The significance of plant growth promotion and rhizosphere competence in biocontrol is also considered. Multiple microbial interactions involving bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere are shown to provide enhanced biocontrol in many cases in comparison with biocontrol agents used singly. The extreme complexity of interactions that can occur in the rhizosphere is highlighted and some potential areas for future research in this area are discussed briefly.

Meta-Analysis of Short Sleep Duration and Obesity in Children and Adults

Abstract: IN THE LAST FEW DECADES THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY WORLDWIDE AND THE WORLD HEALTH organization has declared it a global epidemic.1 Obesity in childhood is a cause of psychosocial problems including low self esteem,2 and frequently continues into adulthood3 where it is a cause of major morbidity and mortality including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. At the same time there has been a reduction in sleep time. National surveys in USA have shown a decline in self-reported sleep duration over the past 50 years by 1.5 to 2 hours.4 This sleep curtailment has been attributed to lifestyle changes. Several studies have reported associations between duration of sleep (short as well as long) and ill-health, including relationships with self-reported well-being,5 morbidity and mortality,6–12 and with chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, respiratory disorders, hypertension, and obesity.13–18 The associations between short duration of sleep and obesity, in particular, have stimulated a debate given the potential implications for children19,20 as well as adults.21,22 However, given the variety of studies and the large differences in the target populations, it is difficult to draw immediate conclusions on the consistency of the association, the direction of causality and the likely mechanisms involved. The aims of this article are to (i) systematically review published population-based studies, (ii) to carry out a meta-analysis to assess whether the evidence supports the presence of a relationship between short sleep duration and obesity at different ages, and (iii) to obtain a quantitative estimate of the risk in order to assess the consistency and potential public health relevance

Patient adherence to treatment: three decades of research: a comprehensive review

Abstract: Low compliance to prescribed medical interventions is an ever present and complex problem, especially for patients with a chronic illness With increasing numbers of medications shown to do more good than harm when taken as prescibed, low compliance is a major problem in health care Relevant studies were retrieved through comprehensive searches of different database systems to enable a thorough assessment of the major issues in compliance to prescribed medical interventions The term compliance is the main term used in this review because the majority of papers reviewed used this term Three decades have passed since the first workshop on compliance research It is timely to pause and to reflect on the accumulated knowledge The enormous amount of quantitative research undertaken is of variable methodological quality, with no gold standard for the measurement of compliance and it is often not clear which type of non-compliance is being studied Many authors do not even feel the need to define adherence Often absent in the research on compliance is the patient, although the concordance model points at the importance of the patient's agreement and harmony in the doctor-patient relationship The backbone of the concordance model is the patient as a decision maker and a cornerstone is professional empathy Recently, some qualitative research has identified important issues such as the quality of the doctor-patient relationship and patient health beliefs in this context Because non-compliance remains a major health problem, more high quality studies are needed to assess these aspects and systematic reviews/meta-analyses are required to study the effects of compliance in enhancing the effects of interventions