Effect of intermittent kangaroo mother care on weight gain of low birth weight neonates with delayed weight gain.

PubMed

Samra, Nashwa M; Taweel, Amal El; Cadwell, Karin

2013-01-01

To evaluate intermittent Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) with additional opportunities to breastfeed on weight gain of low birth weight (LBW) neonates with delayed weight gain. 40 LBW neonates were followed to see whether KMC with additional opportunities to breastfeed improved weight gain. In the KMC group, the mean age of regaining birth weight was significantly less (15.68 vs. 24.56 days) and the average daily weight gain was significantly higher (22.09 vs. 10.39 g, p < .001) than controls. KMC with additional opportunities to breastfeed was found to be an effective intervention for LBWs with delayed weight gain and should be considered to be an effective strategy.

Haptic biofeedback for improving compliance with lower-extremity partial weight bearing.

PubMed

Fu, Michael C; DeLuke, Levi; Buerba, Rafael A; Fan, Richard E; Zheng, Ying Jean; Leslie, Michael P; Baumgaertner, Michael R; Grauer, Jonathan N

2014-11-01

After lower-extremity orthopedic trauma and surgery, patients are often advised to restrict weight bearing on the affected limb. Conventional training methods are not effective at enabling patients to comply with recommendations for partial weight bearing. The current study assessed a novel method of using real-time haptic (vibratory/vibrotactile) biofeedback to improve compliance with instructions for partial weight bearing. Thirty healthy, asymptomatic participants were randomized into 1 of 3 groups: verbal instruction, bathroom scale training, and haptic biofeedback. Participants were instructed to restrict lower-extremity weight bearing in a walking boot with crutches to 25 lb, with an acceptable range of 15 to 35 lb. A custom weight bearing sensor and biofeedback system was attached to all participants, but only those in the haptic biofeedback group were given a vibrotactile signal if they exceeded the acceptable range. Weight bearing in all groups was measured with a separate validated commercial system. The verbal instruction group bore an average of 60.3±30.5 lb (mean±standard deviation). The bathroom scale group averaged 43.8±17.2 lb, whereas the haptic biofeedback group averaged 22.4±9.1 lb (P<.05). As a percentage of body weight, the verbal instruction group averaged 40.2±19.3%, the bathroom scale group averaged 32.5±16.9%, and the haptic biofeedback group averaged 14.5±6.3% (P<.05). In this initial evaluation of the use of haptic biofeedback to improve compliance with lower-extremity partial weight bearing, haptic biofeedback was superior to conventional physical therapy methods. Further studies in patients with clinical orthopedic trauma are warranted. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Understanding diversity–stability relationships: towards a unified model of portfolio effects

PubMed Central

Thibaut, Loïc M; Connolly, Sean R; He, Fangliang

2013-01-01

A major ecosystem effect of biodiversity is to stabilise assemblages that perform particular functions. However, diversity–stability relationships (DSRs) are analysed using a variety of different population and community properties, most of which are adopted from theory that makes several restrictive assumptions that are unlikely to be reflected in nature. Here, we construct a simple synthesis and generalisation of previous theory for the DSR. We show that community stability is a product of two quantities: the synchrony of population fluctuations, and an average species-level population stability that is weighted by relative abundance. Weighted average population stability can be decomposed to consider effects of the mean-variance scaling of abundance, changes in mean abundance with diversity and differences in species' mean abundance in monoculture. Our framework makes explicit how unevenness in the abundances of species in real communities influences the DSR, which occurs both through effects on community synchrony, and effects on weighted average population variability. This theory provides a more robust framework for analysing the results of empirical studies of the DSR, and facilitates the integration of findings from real and model communities. PMID:23095077

Protective effects of green tea on olanzapine-induced-metabolic syndrome in rats.

PubMed

Razavi, Bibi Marjan; Lookian, Fariba; Hosseinzadeh, Hossein

2017-08-01

Atypical antipsychotics particularly olanzapine are associated with obesity and serious metabolic disturbances. As green tea (Camellia sinensis) is generally associated with beneficial effects on obesity and other metabolic disturbances, this study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of green tea aqueous extract (GTAE) on olanzapine induced weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups: control, olanzapine (5mg/kg/day, IP.), GTAE (25, 50 and 100mg/kg/day, IP.) plus olanzapine and GTAE (25, 50 and 100mg/kg/day, IP.). Treatments were continued for 11 days. Body weight gain, average food and water intake were measured during the experiment. Plasma lipid, glucose and leptin levels, mean systolic blood pressure and total locomotion were evaluated at the end of experiment. Olanzapine induced significant weight gain at the end of treatment (10.38% of body weight) when compared to control (3.13% of body weight) in male Wistar rats. Average food and water intake were increased by olanzapine treatment. 11days olanzapine administration led to hyperleptinemia, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. Olanzapine also increased mean systolic blood pressure and decreased total locomotion. GTAE decreased significantly body weight gain and average food and water intake, improved the changes in lipid profile as well as fasting blood glucose, and finally decreased hyperleptinemia and hypertension induced by olanzapine. Results of this study demonstrated that GTAE could exert protective effects against olanzapine induced obesity partially due to its lowering effect on leptin. GTAE improved other metabolic abnormalities including dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension induced by olanzapine in rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Use of scan overlap redundancy to enhance multispectral aircraft scanner data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindenlaub, J. C.; Keat, J.

1973-01-01

Two criteria were suggested for optimizing the resolution error versus signal-to-noise-ratio tradeoff. The first criterion uses equal weighting coefficients and chooses n, the number of lines averaged, so as to make the average resolution error equal to the noise error. The second criterion adjusts both the number and relative sizes of the weighting coefficients so as to minimize the total error (resolution error plus noise error). The optimum set of coefficients depends upon the geometry of the resolution element, the number of redundant scan lines, the scan line increment, and the original signal-to-noise ratio of the channel. Programs were developed to find the optimum number and relative weights of the averaging coefficients. A working definition of signal-to-noise ratio was given and used to try line averaging on a typical set of data. Line averaging was evaluated only with respect to its effect on classification accuracy.

Effect of Intermittent Kangaroo Mother Care on Weight Gain of Low Birth Weight Neonates With Delayed Weight Gain

PubMed Central

Samra, Nashwa M.; Taweel, Amal El; Cadwell, Karin

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate intermittent Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) with additional opportunities to breastfeed on weight gain of low birth weight (LBW) neonates with delayed weight gain. Methods: 40 LBW neonates were followed to see whether KMC with additional opportunities to breastfeed improved weight gain. Results: In the KMC group, the mean age of regaining birth weight was significantly less (15.68 vs. 24.56 days) and the average daily weight gain was significantly higher (22.09 vs. 10.39 g, p < .001) than controls. Conclusion: KMC with additional opportunities to breastfeed was found to be an effective intervention for LBWs with delayed weight gain and should be considered to be an effective strategy. PMID:24868132

Blade size and weight effects in shovel design.

PubMed

Freivalds, A; Kim, Y J

1990-03-01

The shovel is a basic tool that has undergone only nominal systematic design changes. Although previous studies found shovel-weight and blade-size effects of shovelling, the exact trade-off between the two has not been quantified. Energy expenditure, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion and shovelling performance were measured on five subjects using five shovels with varying blade sizes and weights to move sand. Energy expenditure, normalised to subject weight and load handled, varied quadratically with the blade-size/shovel-weight (B/W) ratio. Minimum energy cost was at B/W = 0.0676 m2/kg, which for an average subject and average load would require an acceptable 5.16 kcal/min of energy expenditure. Subjects, through the ratings of perceived exertion, also strongly preferred the lighter shovels without regard to blade size. Too large a blade or too heavy a shovel increased energy expenditure beyond acceptable levels, while too small a blade reduced efficiency of the shovelling.

76 FR 28947 - Bus Testing: Calculation of Average Passenger Weight and Test Vehicle Weight, and Public Meeting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-19

...-0015] RIN 2132-AB01 Bus Testing: Calculation of Average Passenger Weight and Test Vehicle Weight, and... of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the calculation of average passenger weights and test vehicle... passenger weights and actual transit vehicle loads. Specifically, FTA proposed to change the average...

Leptin levels in patients with anorexia nervosa following day/inpatient treatment do not predict weight 1 year post-referral.

PubMed

Seitz, Jochen; Bühren, Katharina; Biemann, Ronald; Timmesfeld, Nina; Dempfle, Astrid; Winter, Sibylle Maria; Egberts, Karin; Fleischhaker, Christian; Wewetzer, Christoph; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Hebebrand, Johannes; Föcker, Manuel

2016-09-01

Elevated serum leptin levels following rapid therapeutically induced weight gain in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients are discussed as a potential biomarker for renewed weight loss as a result of leptin-related suppression of appetite and increased energy expenditure. This study aims to analyze the predictive value of leptin levels at discharge as well as the average rate of weight gain during inpatient or day patient treatment for body weight at 1-year follow-up. 121 patients were recruited from the longitudinal Anorexia Nervosa Day patient versus Inpatient (ANDI) trial. Serum leptin levels were analyzed at referral and discharge. A multiple linear regression analysis to predict age-adjusted body mass index (BMI-SDS) at 1-year follow-up was performed. Leptin levels, the average rate of weight gain, premorbid BMI-SDS, BMI-SDS at referral, age and illness duration were included as independent variables. Neither leptin levels at discharge nor rate of weight gain significantly predicted BMI-SDS at 1-year follow-up explaining only 1.8 and 0.4 % of the variance, respectively. According to our results, leptin levels at discharge and average rate of weight gain did not exhibit any value in predicting weight at 1-year follow-up in our longitudinal observation study of adolescent patients with AN. Thus, research should focus on other potential factors to predict weight at follow-up. As elevated leptin levels and average rate of weight gain did not pose a risk for reduced weight, we found no evidence for the beneficial effect of slow refeeding in patients with acute AN.

Evaluation of a Viscosity-Molecular Weight Relationship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathias, Lon J.

1983-01-01

Background information, procedures, and results are provided for a series of graduate/undergraduate polymer experiments. These include synthesis of poly(methylmethacrylate), viscosity experiment (indicating large effect even small amounts of a polymer may have on solution properties), and measurement of weight-average molecular weight by light…

Weighted south-wide average pulpwood prices

Treesearch

James E. Granskog; Kevin D. Growther

1991-01-01

Weighted average prices provide a more accurate representation of regional pulpwood price trends when production volumes valy widely by state. Unweighted South-wide average delivered prices for pulpwood, as reported by Timber Mart-South, were compared to average annual prices weighted by each state's pulpwood production from 1977 to 1986. Weighted average prices...

The effect of total knee arthroplasty on body weight.

PubMed

Lee, Gwo-Chin; Cushner, Fred D; Cannella, Laura Y; Scott, W Norman

2005-03-01

This prospective study quantified the weight change in 20 consecutive patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Resected bone, soft tissues, and bone reamings were collected during surgery and weighed using a digital scale at the end of the procedure. Results were compared to the cumulative weights of the prosthesis, bone cement, patellar component, and polyethylene liner. Average weight of the resected bone and soft tissues was 167.71 g for men and 130.13 g for women. Mean weight of the implanted prosthesis and cement used was 509.92 g for men and 422.56 g for women. Men tended to receive a larger-sized prosthesis than women. Overall, the average weight gain as a result of knee arthroplasty was 345.54 g for men and 292.44 g for women. This translates to an insignificant increase in body weight.

Effect of clothing weight on body weight.

PubMed

Whigham, L D; Schoeller, D A; Johnson, L K; Atkinson, R L

2013-01-01

In clinical settings, it is common to measure weight of clothed patients and estimate a correction for the weight of clothing, but we can find no papers in the medical literature regarding the variability in clothing weight of adults with weather, season and gender. Fifty adults (35 women) were weighed four times during a 12-month period with and without clothing. Clothing weights were determined and regressed against minimum, maximum and average daily outdoor temperature. The average clothing weight (±s.d.) throughout the year was significantly greater in men than in women (1.2±0.3 vs 0.8±0.3 kg, P<0.0001). The average within-person minimum and the average within-person maximum clothing weights across the year were 0.9±0.2 and 1.5±0.4 kg for men, and 0.5±0.2 and 1.1±0.4 kg for women, respectively. The within-person s.d. in clothing weight was 0.3 kg for both men and women. Over the 55 °C range in the lowest to the highest outdoor temperatures, the regressions predicted a maximal change in clothing weight of only 0.4 kg in women and 0.6 kg in men. The clothing weight of men is significantly greater than that of women, but there is little variability throughout the year. Therefore, a clothing adjustment of approximately 0.8 kg for women and 1.2 kg for men is appropriate regardless of outdoor temperature.

Weight reduction in schizophrenics by molindone.

PubMed

Gardos, G; Cole, J O

1977-03-01

The weight-reducing property of molindone, a recently introduced antipsychotic drug, was tested in 9 hospitalized chronic schizophrenic patients. There was an average weight loss of 7.6 kg after 3 months on molindone; most of the loss occurred during the first month. The mechanism producing this weight loss is uncertain, but a central anorexigenic effect may be an important factor.

In-use activity, fuel use, and emissions of heavy-duty diesel roll-off refuse trucks.

PubMed

Sandhu, Gurdas S; Frey, H Christopher; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon; Jones, Elizabeth

2015-03-01

The objectives of this study were to quantify real-world activity, fuel use, and emissions for heavy duty diesel roll-off refuse trucks; evaluate the contribution of duty cycles and emissions controls to variability in cycle average fuel use and emission rates; quantify the effect of vehicle weight on fuel use and emission rates; and compare empirical cycle average emission rates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's MOVES emission factor model predictions. Measurements were made at 1 Hz on six trucks of model years 2005 to 2012, using onboard systems. The trucks traveled 870 miles, had an average speed of 16 mph, and collected 165 tons of trash. The average fuel economy was 4.4 mpg, which is approximately twice previously reported values for residential trash collection trucks. On average, 50% of time is spent idling and about 58% of emissions occur in urban areas. Newer trucks with selective catalytic reduction and diesel particulate filter had NOx and PM cycle average emission rates that were 80% lower and 95% lower, respectively, compared to older trucks without. On average, the combined can and trash weight was about 55% of chassis weight. The marginal effect of vehicle weight on fuel use and emissions is highest at low loads and decreases as load increases. Among 36 cycle average rates (6 trucks×6 cycles), MOVES-predicted values and estimates based on real-world data have similar relative trends. MOVES-predicted CO2 emissions are similar to those of the real world, while NOx and PM emissions are, on average, 43% lower and 300% higher, respectively. The real-world data presented here can be used to estimate benefits of replacing old trucks with new trucks. Further, the data can be used to improve emission inventories and model predictions. In-use measurements of the real-world activity, fuel use, and emissions of heavy-duty diesel roll-off refuse trucks can be used to improve the accuracy of predictive models, such as MOVES, and emissions inventories. Further, the activity data from this study can be used to generate more representative duty cycles for more accurate chassis dynamometer testing. Comparisons of old and new model year diesel trucks are useful in analyzing the effect of fleet turnover. The analysis of effect of haul weight on fuel use can be used by fleet managers to optimize operations to reduce fuel cost.

The effect of decreases in vehicle weight on injury crash rates

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

This study presents the results of an analysis to estimate the effect of a one hundred (1 00) pound reduction in the : average weight of passenger vehicles on the crash rates of driver incapacitating injury. The analysis was conducted : as a part of ...

Use of modified halloysite nanotubes in the feed reduces the toxic effects of zearalenone on sow reproduction and piglet development.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Gao, Rui; Liu, Min; Shi, Baoming; Shan, Anshan; Cheng, Baojing

2015-03-15

A study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding a blend of corn contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on the physical condition of pregnant and suckling sows and the development of their offspring. Halloysite nanotubes modified using the surfactant, stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, were tested for its efficacy in protecting against the detrimental effects of zearalenone (ZEN) exposure. A total of 18 pregnant second parity Yorkshire sows (six per treatment) were fed control diet, contaminated grain diet (ZEN, 2.77 mg/kg), and contaminated grain + 1% modified halloysite nanotube (MHNT) diet (ZEN, 2.76 mg/kg) from 35 to 70 days in pregnancy (DIP), which is the critical period in development of fetuses. The results show that consumption of ZEN led to a reduction in sow's mass gain during 35 to 70 DIP and mass at 110 DIP, backfat at 70 DIP and weaning, placenta weight at 70 DIP and farrowing, the lactation average daily feed intake, and an increase in the weight of ovary at 70 DIP of sows (P < 0.05). The total number and average body weight (BW) of fetuses at 70 DIP, the number of piglets born, the litter birth weight, the average BW of piglet at birth, the number of piglets born alive, the born alive litter weight, and born alive piglet BW at farrowing were also decreased by ZEN exposure (P < 0.05). The increased expressions of P53, Bax, Cyto C, caspase 9, and caspase 3 and decreased expression of Bcl-2 were observed in the uterus and placenta of sows at 70 DIP, the placenta and fetal uterus at farrowing, and the piglet uterus at weaning (P < 0.05). Adding 1% MHNTs decreased the residue of ZEN in maternal and fetal tissues. The number of fetuses and the average fetus BW at 70 DIP, the total number of piglets born, the litter birth weight, the born alive piglet BW at farrowing, the average piglet BW, the litter weaned weight, and the average day gain at weaning were increased by adding 1% MHNTs, compared with the ZEN-treated group (P < 0.05). The MHNTs significantly reduced the damage to the fat in the colostrum and the protein and lactose in the milk induced by the ZEN-contaminated feed (P < 0.05). Modified halloysite nanotubes could be used as adsorbent in the feed to reduce the toxic effects of ZEN. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combining forecast weights: Why and how?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yip Chee; Kok-Haur, Ng; Hock-Eam, Lim

2012-09-01

This paper proposes a procedure called forecast weight averaging which is a specific combination of forecast weights obtained from different methods of constructing forecast weights for the purpose of improving the accuracy of pseudo out of sample forecasting. It is found that under certain specified conditions, forecast weight averaging can lower the mean squared forecast error obtained from model averaging. In addition, we show that in a linear and homoskedastic environment, this superior predictive ability of forecast weight averaging holds true irrespective whether the coefficients are tested by t statistic or z statistic provided the significant level is within the 10% range. By theoretical proofs and simulation study, we have shown that model averaging like, variance model averaging, simple model averaging and standard error model averaging, each produces mean squared forecast error larger than that of forecast weight averaging. Finally, this result also holds true marginally when applied to business and economic empirical data sets, Gross Domestic Product (GDP growth rate), Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Average Lending Rate (ALR) of Malaysia.

Genotype x environment interactions in preweaning traits of purebred and reciprocal cross Angus and Brahman calves on common bermudagrass and endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures.

PubMed

Brown, M A; Tharel, L M; Brown, A H; Jackson, W G; Miesner, J R

1993-02-01

Preweaning data on 486 Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal cross calves (AB, BA) managed on common bermudagrass or endophyte-infected tall fescue were used to evaluate the interactions of forage type and sex of calf with direct effects, individual heterosis, and maternal effects. Calves were spring-born in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 to five sires of each breed. Male calves were castrated at birth, and calves were not creep-fed. Average values of heterosis for birth weight, 205-d weight, weaning hip height, and weaning weight:height ratio (WT/HT) were important (P < .01) and consistent across forage environment. Heterosis for birth weight was larger in bull calves than in heifer calves (P < .05), whereas heterosis for other preweaning traits were consistent across sex of calf. Average maternal effects for WT/HT (P < .10) were important and consistent across forage environment. Maternal effects for birth weight were larger with bull calves than with heifer calves (P < .01). Maternal effects for weaning hip height favored the Angus dam managed on bermudagrass (P < .05) but not managed on fescue. A similar but nonsignificant trend occurred in maternal effects for 205-d weight. Direct effects for birth weight were larger in bull calves than in heifer calves (P < .01). Direct effects for weaning height were larger in calves managed on bermudagrass than in calves managed on tall fescue (P < .07). A similar but nonsignificant trend was evident in direct effects for 205-d weight. Direct effects for WT/HT were relatively small and unimportant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Overall Fatality Risk to the Public at Large Related to National Weight Mix of Passenger Cars

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-10-01

This report addresses the question of the effect on the fatality risk to the public at : large due to shifts in the weight distributions of passenger cars. For example, if the : weight o f the average passenger car were decreased would fatalities inc...

A study of T2-weighted MR image texture features and diffusion-weighted MR image features for computer-aided diagnosis of prostate cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yahui; Jiang, Yulei; Antic, Tatjana; Giger, Maryellen L.; Eggener, Scott; Oto, Aytekin

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to study T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) image texture features and diffusionweighted (DW) MR image features in distinguishing prostate cancer (PCa) from normal tissue. We collected two image datasets: 23 PCa patients (25 PCa and 23 normal tissue regions of interest [ROIs]) imaged with Philips MR scanners, and 30 PCa patients (41 PCa and 26 normal tissue ROIs) imaged with GE MR scanners. A radiologist drew ROIs manually via consensus histology-MR correlation conference with a pathologist. A number of T2-weighted texture features and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) features were investigated, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to combine select strong image features. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to characterize feature effectiveness in distinguishing PCa from normal tissue ROIs. Of the features studied, ADC 10th percentile, ADC average, and T2-weighted sum average yielded AUC values (+/-standard error) of 0.95+/-0.03, 0.94+/-0.03, and 0.85+/-0.05 on the Phillips images, and 0.91+/-0.04, 0.89+/-0.04, and 0.70+/-0.06 on the GE images, respectively. The three-feature combination yielded AUC values of 0.94+/-0.03 and 0.89+/-0.04 on the Phillips and GE images, respectively. ADC 10th percentile, ADC average, and T2-weighted sum average, are effective in distinguishing PCa from normal tissue, and appear robust in images acquired from Phillips and GE MR scanners.

Correlation between preconception maternal non-occupational exposure to interior decoration or oil paint odour and average birth weight of neonates: findings from a nationwide cohort study in China’s rural areas

PubMed Central

Liu, Huiting; Chen, Shi; Zhu, Huijuan; Yang, Hongbo; Gong, Fengying; Wang, Linjie; Jiang, Yu; Lian, Bill Q; Yan, Chengsheng; Li, Jianqang; Wang, Qing; Zhang, Shikun; Pan, Hui

2017-01-01

Background Birth weight is a critical indicator of neonatal health and foretells people’s health in adolescence and even adulthood. Some researchers have warned against the adverse effects on babies’ birth weight of exposure to pollutants in interior decoration or oil paint by odour intake. This study evaluated the effects of maternal exposure to such factors before conception on the birth weights of neonates. Methods Data on 213 461 cases in this study were from the database of the free National Pre-pregnancy Checkups Project. Defined as ‘exposed’ were those women exposed to oil paint odour or interior decoration at home or in the workplace within 6 months before their pregnancy. The study focused on revealing the correlation between such exposure and the birth weight of the neonates of these women, especially the incidence of macrosomia and low birth weight (LBW). Statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal–Wallis H test, the Mann–Whitney U test and logistic regression. Results The birth weight of babies from mothers non-occupationally exposed to such settings averaged 3465 g (range 3150–3650 g), whereas the birth weight of those from mothers free of such exposure averaged 3300 g (range 3000–3600g). Maternal exposure preconception to interior decoration or oil paint odour reduced the incidence of LBW in their babies (p=0.003, OR 0.749, 95% CI 0.617 to 0.909). Such exposure may also augment the probability of macrosomia (p<0.001, OR 1.297, 95% CI 1.133 to 1.484). Conclusion Maternal exposure to interior decoration or oil paint odour preconception may increase the average birth weight of neonates, as well as the incidence of macrosomia. PMID:28827230

Weight outcomes audit for 34,271 adults referred to a primary care/commercial weight management partnership scheme.

PubMed

Stubbs, R James; Pallister, Carolyn; Whybrow, Stephen; Avery, Amanda; Lavin, Jacquie

2011-01-01

This project audited rate and extent of weight loss in a primary care/commercial weight management organisation partnership scheme. 34,271 patients were referred to Slimming World for 12 weekly sessions. Data were analysed using individual weekly weight records. Average (SD) BMI change was -1.5 kg/m² (1.3), weight change -4.0 kg (3.7), percent weight change -4.0% (3.6), rate of weight change -0.3 kg/week, and number of sessions attended 8.9 (3.6) of 12. For patients attending at least 10 of 12 sessions (n = 19,907 or 58.1%), average (SD) BMI change was -2.0 kg/m² (1.3), weight change -5.5 kg (3.8), percent weight change -5.5% (3.5), rate of weight change -0.4 kg/week, and average number of sessions attended was 11.5 (0.7) (p < 0.001, compared to all patients). Weight loss was greater in men (n = 3,651) than in women (n = 30,620) (p < 0.001). 35.8% of all patients enrolled and 54.7% in patients attending 10 or more sessions achieved at least 5% weight loss. Weight gain was prevented in 92.1% of all patients referred. Attendance explained 29.6% and percent weight lost in week 1 explained 18.4% of the variance in weight loss. Referral to a commercial organisation is a practical option for National Health Service (NHS) weight management strategies, which achieves clinically safe and effective weight loss. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[The kangaroo mothers' programme: a simple and cost-effective alternative for protecting the premature newborn or low-birth-weight babies].

PubMed

Lizarazo-Medina, Jenny P; Ospina-Diaz, Juan M; Ariza-Riaño, Nelly E

2012-06-01

Describing the efficacy and achievements of the kangaroo mothers' programme (KMP) regarding preterm or low-birth-weight babies' health and development in Hospital San Rafael in Tunja from November 2007 to December 2009. This was a retrospective observational cohort study; 374 infants born prematurely or having low-birth-weight were included to assess household socio-demographic factors, maternal and obstetric history, delivery characteristics and complications and follow-up until 40 weeks post-conception age. There was a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy (17.5 %) and in women older than 35 years (12.6 %), unwanted pregnancy (40.6 %), low quality and poor availability of food in families, complications such as preeclampsia, infection and premature rupture of membranes, 1,969 grams average birth weight, 2,742.9 grams average weight on discharge and 22 grams average weight gain per day. It was found that KMP methodology substantially improved the mothers' psychological aspects and health status and the newborns' prognosis and led to stabilising body temperature and weight gain rate while decreasing risks of complications and nosocomial infection. It also lowered health care costs and shortened hospital stay.

Analysis of the Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Aerobic-Anaerobic Capacity and Muscle Strength

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kose, Bereket

2018-01-01

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of menstrual cycle phases on aerobic-anaerobic capacity and muscle strength. 10 female kickboxing athletes with an average age of 21.40 ± 2.01 years; average height of 169.60 ± 6.14 cm; average weight of 63.90 ± 5.76 kg and average training age of 7.41 ± 2.10 participated in the study. On the…

Modelling audiovisual integration of affect from videos and music.

PubMed

Gao, Chuanji; Wedell, Douglas H; Kim, Jongwan; Weber, Christine E; Shinkareva, Svetlana V

2018-05-01

Two experiments examined how affective values from visual and auditory modalities are integrated. Experiment 1 paired music and videos drawn from three levels of valence while holding arousal constant. Experiment 2 included a parallel combination of three levels of arousal while holding valence constant. In each experiment, participants rated their affective states after unimodal and multimodal presentations. Experiment 1 revealed a congruency effect in which stimulus combinations of the same extreme valence resulted in more extreme state ratings than component stimuli presented in isolation. An interaction between music and video valence reflected the greater influence of negative affect. Video valence was found to have a significantly greater effect on combined ratings than music valence. The pattern of data was explained by a five parameter differential weight averaging model that attributed greater weight to the visual modality and increased weight with decreasing values of valence. Experiment 2 revealed a congruency effect only for high arousal combinations and no interaction effects. This pattern was explained by a three parameter constant weight averaging model with greater weight for the auditory modality and a very low arousal value for the initial state. These results demonstrate key differences in audiovisual integration between valence and arousal.

The Effect of Crude Protein Content on Meat and Fat Production in Sheep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mawati, S.; Restitrisnani, V.; Soedarsono

2018-02-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of crude protein (CP) content on meat protein and fat production in sheep. Twenty four male thin tail sheep aged 6-7 months with average body weight of 13±1.56 kg were used in this study. The sheep were fed 10-14% CP. Sheep with the average body weight amount 16.75 kg were slaughter after 4 months rising. Parameters observed in this study were carcass weight, meat weight and fat weight of thin tail sheep. The data were analyzed using correlation analysis. The result of this study showed that CP content on diet had weak and negative correlation with meat production (r = -0.06) (y = -0.148x + 62.54) but had weak and possitive correlation with fat production (r = 0.3) (y = 0.807x2 -18.40x + 119.1). Based on the result, it can be concluded that the optimum CP content for sheep is 12.5% CP.

Effectiveness duckweed (Lemna minor) as an alternative native chicken feed native chicken (Gallus domesticus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putra, A.; Ritonga, M. Z.

2018-02-01

This study aimed to know the effectiveness duckweed as feed as native chicken (Gallus domesticus) on growth period (weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion). This research was conducted in Desa Telaga Jernih Kabupaten Langkat. The study was conducted in February 2017 until May 2017. This study use completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 5 Replication, where each treatment consisting of 5 Native chickens unsexing. The treatment was used P0 = control (feed manufacturing), P1 = ration conventional with 10% duckweed, P2 = ration conventional with 20% duckweed, P3 = ration conventional with 30% duckweed. The parameters observed were weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion. The results showed not significantly effect in body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion. Where the average of best weight gain on treatment P0 (control), P2 (20% duckweed), P3 (30% duckweed) and P1 (10% duckweed), average of best feed consumption in P0 (control), P2 (20% duckweed ) Of P1 (10% duckweed) and P3 (30% duckweed), P1 (10% duckweed) and P3 (30% duckweed), average of best feed conversion rate in P0 (control), P2 (20% duckweed) P1 (10% duckweed) and P3 (30% duckweed).

Effects of genotype and population density on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and cost-benefits of broiler chickens in north central Nigeria.

PubMed

Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ayoade, John A; Dahiru, Yakubu M

2010-04-01

The influence of genotype and stocking densities on growth performance, carcass qualities, and cost-benefits of broilers were examined in a 28-day trial. Two hundred and seven 4-week-old birds each of Anak Titan and Arbor Acre hybrid broiler types were randomly assigned to three stocking density treatments of 8.3, 11.1, and 14.3 birds/m(2) in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement. Final body weight, average weekly body weight and average weekly feed intake were affected (P < 0.05) by strain, with higher means recorded for Arbor Acres. However, average weekly body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were similar (P > 0.05) in both genetic groups. The effect of placement density on some growth parameters did not follow a linear trend. Arbor Acres had significantly (P < 0.05) higher relative (%) fasted body, carcass, back, neck, and wing weights compared to Anak Titans. Housing density effect (P < 0.05) was observed for relative (%) fasted body, shank, and wing weights of birds. However, the relative weights of visceral organs of birds were not significantly (P > 0.05) influenced by genotype and housing density. The economic analysis revealed that higher gross margin was recorded for Arbor Acres compared to Anak Titans (euro 2.76 versus euro 2.19; P < 0.05, respectively). Conversely, stocking rate did not exert any influence (P > 0.05) on profit margin. Genotype x stocking density interaction effect was significant for some of the carcass indices investigated. It is concluded that under sub-humid conditions of a tropical environment, the use of Arbor Acre genetic type as well as a placement density of 14.3 birds/m(2) appeared to be more profitable.

Effects of long term feeding of Quillaja saponins on sex ratio, muscle and serum cholesterol and LH levels in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus (L)).

PubMed

Francis, George; Levavi-Sivan, Berta; Avitan, Ayelet; Becker, Klaus

2002-12-01

Seventeen-day-old Nile tilapia fry were fed a standard diet (C) or diets containing 50-700 mg kg(-1) Quillaja saponin (QS) extract (groups S50, S150, S300, S500 and S700). After the first 8 weeks, 30 randomly selected tilapia from each of the treatments were placed in separate aquaria and fed the standard diet without saponins from then on (these were designated S50/C, S150/C, S300/C, S500/C and S700/C). The fish grew from an initial average weight of approximately 30 mg to a final average weight of 79 g during the 6-month feeding period. The difference between the average weight of C-fed tilapia and the treatment with the highest average weight after 6 months was 53.5%. The sex ratio of tilapia in the saponin-fed groups deviated from the normal 50:50 male:female ratio, with the S700 group showing a significantly higher number of males. Quillaja saponin stimulated LH release from dispersed tilapia pituitary cells in vitro. This effect was abolished in the presence of dilute calf serum. Serum LH values did not show any diet-dependent trend in either male or female tilapia in vivo. In both continuously saponin-fed and only-initially saponin-fed groups, the average serum (but not muscle) cholesterol levels in males showed an increasing trend (R(2) values of 0.62 and 0.69) with increasing dietary saponin level. It was concluded that dietary QS has the potential to change the sex-ratio in favour of males. More investigations are required to determine the mechanism of action and the optimum dietary level of QS for maximum effects.

Effects of correlations and fees in random multiplicative environments: Implications for portfolio management.

PubMed

Alper, Ofer; Somekh-Baruch, Anelia; Pirvandy, Oz; Schaps, Malka; Yaari, Gur

2017-08-01

Geometric Brownian motion (GBM) is frequently used to model price dynamics of financial assets, and a weighted average of multiple GBMs is commonly used to model a financial portfolio. Diversified portfolios can lead to an increased exponential growth compared to a single asset by effectively reducing the effective noise. The sum of GBM processes is no longer a log-normal process and has a complex statistical properties. The nonergodicity of the weighted average process results in constant degradation of the exponential growth from the ensemble average toward the time average. One way to stay closer to the ensemble average is to maintain a balanced portfolio: keep the relative weights of the different assets constant over time. To keep these proportions constant, whenever assets values change, it is necessary to rebalance their relative weights, exposing this strategy to fees (transaction costs). Two strategies that were suggested in the past for cases that involve fees are rebalance the portfolio periodically and rebalance it in a partial way. In this paper, we study these two strategies in the presence of correlations and fees. We show that using periodic and partial rebalance strategies, it is possible to maintain a steady exponential growth while minimizing the losses due to fees. We also demonstrate how these redistribution strategies perform in a phenomenal way on real-world market data, despite the fact that not all assumptions of the model hold in these real-world systems. Our results have important implications for stochastic dynamics in general and to portfolio management in particular, as we show that there is a superior alternative to the common buy-and-hold strategy, even in the presence of correlations and fees.

Effects of correlations and fees in random multiplicative environments: Implications for portfolio management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alper, Ofer; Somekh-Baruch, Anelia; Pirvandy, Oz; Schaps, Malka; Yaari, Gur

2017-08-01

Geometric Brownian motion (GBM) is frequently used to model price dynamics of financial assets, and a weighted average of multiple GBMs is commonly used to model a financial portfolio. Diversified portfolios can lead to an increased exponential growth compared to a single asset by effectively reducing the effective noise. The sum of GBM processes is no longer a log-normal process and has a complex statistical properties. The nonergodicity of the weighted average process results in constant degradation of the exponential growth from the ensemble average toward the time average. One way to stay closer to the ensemble average is to maintain a balanced portfolio: keep the relative weights of the different assets constant over time. To keep these proportions constant, whenever assets values change, it is necessary to rebalance their relative weights, exposing this strategy to fees (transaction costs). Two strategies that were suggested in the past for cases that involve fees are rebalance the portfolio periodically and rebalance it in a partial way. In this paper, we study these two strategies in the presence of correlations and fees. We show that using periodic and partial rebalance strategies, it is possible to maintain a steady exponential growth while minimizing the losses due to fees. We also demonstrate how these redistribution strategies perform in a phenomenal way on real-world market data, despite the fact that not all assumptions of the model hold in these real-world systems. Our results have important implications for stochastic dynamics in general and to portfolio management in particular, as we show that there is a superior alternative to the common buy-and-hold strategy, even in the presence of correlations and fees.

Effects of error covariance structure on estimation of model averaging weights and predictive performance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Dan; Ye, Ming; Meyer, Philip D.; Curtis, Gary P.; Shi, Xiaoqing; Niu, Xu-Feng; Yabusaki, Steve B.

2013-01-01

When conducting model averaging for assessing groundwater conceptual model uncertainty, the averaging weights are often evaluated using model selection criteria such as AIC, AICc, BIC, and KIC (Akaike Information Criterion, Corrected Akaike Information Criterion, Bayesian Information Criterion, and Kashyap Information Criterion, respectively). However, this method often leads to an unrealistic situation in which the best model receives overwhelmingly large averaging weight (close to 100%), which cannot be justified by available data and knowledge. It was found in this study that this problem was caused by using the covariance matrix, CE, of measurement errors for estimating the negative log likelihood function common to all the model selection criteria. This problem can be resolved by using the covariance matrix, Cek, of total errors (including model errors and measurement errors) to account for the correlation between the total errors. An iterative two-stage method was developed in the context of maximum likelihood inverse modeling to iteratively infer the unknown Cek from the residuals during model calibration. The inferred Cek was then used in the evaluation of model selection criteria and model averaging weights. While this method was limited to serial data using time series techniques in this study, it can be extended to spatial data using geostatistical techniques. The method was first evaluated in a synthetic study and then applied to an experimental study, in which alternative surface complexation models were developed to simulate column experiments of uranium reactive transport. It was found that the total errors of the alternative models were temporally correlated due to the model errors. The iterative two-stage method using Cekresolved the problem that the best model receives 100% model averaging weight, and the resulting model averaging weights were supported by the calibration results and physical understanding of the alternative models. Using Cek obtained from the iterative two-stage method also improved predictive performance of the individual models and model averaging in both synthetic and experimental studies.

12 CFR 702.105 - Weighted-average life of investments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Weighted-average life of investments. 702.105... PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION Net Worth Classification § 702.105 Weighted-average life of investments. Except as provided below (Table 3), the weighted-average life of an investment for purposes of §§ 702.106(c...

12 CFR 702.105 - Weighted-average life of investments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Weighted-average life of investments. 702.105... PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION Net Worth Classification § 702.105 Weighted-average life of investments. Except as provided below (Table 3), the weighted-average life of an investment for purposes of §§ 702.106(c...

12 CFR 702.105 - Weighted-average life of investments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Weighted-average life of investments. 702.105... PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION Net Worth Classification § 702.105 Weighted-average life of investments. Except as provided below (Table 3), the weighted-average life of an investment for purposes of §§ 702.106(c...

12 CFR 702.105 - Weighted-average life of investments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Weighted-average life of investments. 702.105... PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION Net Worth Classification § 702.105 Weighted-average life of investments. Except as provided below (Table 3), the weighted-average life of an investment for purposes of §§ 702.106(c...

12 CFR 702.105 - Weighted-average life of investments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Weighted-average life of investments. 702.105... PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION Net Worth Classification § 702.105 Weighted-average life of investments. Except as provided below (Table 3), the weighted-average life of an investment for purposes of §§ 702.106(c...

Use of yeast (Pichia kudriavzevii) as a novel feed additive to ameliorate the effects of aflatoxin B1 on broiler chicken performance.

PubMed

Magnoli, A P; Rodriguez, M C; González Pereyra, M L; Poloni, V L; Peralta, M F; Nilson, A J; Miazzo, R D; Bagnis, G; Chiacchiera, S M; Cavaglieri, L R

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of autochthonous Pichia kudriavzevii as a novel bioadsorbent for aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ). The selection of this yeast was based on the AFB 1 adsorption capacity previously demonstrated in vitro (Magnoli et al. 2016). One-day-old Cobb broilers (n = 160) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (T1: basal diet (B); T2: B + 0.1% yeast; T3: B + AFB 1 , 100 μg/kg; T4: B + 0.1% yeast + AFB 1 , 100 μg/kg). Performance parameters (average daily weight gain body, average daily consumption, feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, and dead weight), biochemical parameters (albumin, globulin, and albumin/globulin), liver pathological changes, and AFB 1 residual levels in the liver and excreta were evaluated. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in performance parameters were observed among treatments and controls: T3 group showed the lowest average daily body weight gain value while in T4 group, the value of this parameter increased significantly (P < 0.05). T3 and T4 groups showed the lowest and highest values for average daily feed consumption, respectively. The feed conversion ratio (FC) showed no significant differences among treatments. T3 group showed the lowest dead weight and carcass weight compared with T1 group. The biochemical parameters showed no significant differences among treatments. T3 group showed macroscopic and microscopic liver changes compared to the control. Aflatoxin B 1 levels (μg/g) were detected in broiler livers and showed significant differences among treatments (P < 0.05). In conclusion, native P. kudriavzevii incorporation (0.1%) in broiler diets containing AFB 1 was shown to be effective in ameliorating the adverse effects of AFB 1 on production.

26 CFR 1.989(b)-1 - Definition of weighted average exchange rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 10 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Definition of weighted average exchange rate. 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Export Trade Corporations § 1.989(b)-1 Definition of weighted average exchange rate. For purposes of section 989(b)(3) and (4), the term “weighted average exchange rate...

A comparison of the cost-effectiveness of two pedometer-based telephone coaching programs for people with cardiac disease.

PubMed

Sangster, Janice; Church, Jody; Haas, Marion; Furber, Susan; Bauman, Adrian

2015-05-01

Following a cardiac event it is recommended that cardiac patients participate in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. However, little is known about the relative cost-effectiveness of lifestyle-related interventions for cardiac patients. This study aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of a telephone-delivered Healthy Weight intervention to a telephone-delivered Physical Activity intervention for patients referred to CR in urban and rural Australia. A cost-utility analysis was conducted alongside a randomised controlled trial of the two interventions. Outcomes were measured as Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained. The estimated cost of delivering the interventions was $201.48 per Healthy Weight participant and $138.00 per Physical Activity participant. The average total cost (cost of health care utilisation plus patient costs) was $1,260 per Healthy Weight participant and $2,112 per Physical Activity participant, a difference of $852 in favour of the Healthy Weight intervention. Healthy Weight participants gained an average of 0.007 additional QALYs than did Physical Activity participants. Thus, overall the Healthy Weight intervention dominated the Physical Activity intervention (Healthy Weight intervention was less costly and more effective than the Physical Activity intervention). Subgroup analyses showed the Healthy Weight intervention also dominated the Physical Activity intervention for rural participants and for participants who did not attend CR. The low-contact pedometer-based telephone coaching Healthy Weight intervention is overall both less costly and more effective compared to the Physical Activity intervention, including for rural cardiac patients and patients that do not attend CR. Copyright © 2015 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Average Weighted Receiving Time of Weighted Tetrahedron Koch Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Meifeng; Zhang, Danping; Ye, Dandan; Zhang, Cheng; Li, Lei

2015-07-01

We introduce weighted tetrahedron Koch networks with infinite weight factors, which are generalization of finite ones. The term of weighted time is firstly defined in this literature. The mean weighted first-passing time (MWFPT) and the average weighted receiving time (AWRT) are defined by weighted time accordingly. We study the AWRT with weight-dependent walk. Results show that the AWRT for a nontrivial weight factor sequence grows sublinearly with the network order. To investigate the reason of sublinearity, the average receiving time (ART) for four cases are discussed.

You are what you eat: diet shapes body composition, personality and behavioural stability.

PubMed

Han, Chang S; Dingemanse, Niels J

2017-01-10

Behavioural phenotypes vary within and among individuals. While early-life experiences have repeatedly been proposed to underpin interactions between these two hierarchical levels, the environmental factors causing such effects remain under-studied. We tested whether an individual's diet affected both its body composition, average behaviour (thereby causing among-individual variation or 'personality') and within-individual variability in behaviour and body weight (thereby causing among-individual differences in residual within-individual variance or 'stability'), using the Southern field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus as a model. We further asked whether effects of diet on the expression of these variance components were sex-specific. Manipulating both juvenile and adult diet in a full factorial design, individuals were put, in each life-stage, on a diet that was either relatively high in carbohydrates or relatively high in protein. We subsequently measured the expression of multiple behavioural (exploration, aggression and mating activity) and morphological traits (body weight and lipid mass) during adulthood. Dietary history affected both average phenotype and level of within-individual variability: males raised as juveniles on high-protein diets were heavier, more aggressive, more active during mating, and behaviourally less stable, than conspecifics raised on high-carbohydrate diets. Females preferred more protein in their diet compared to males, and dietary history affected average phenotype and within-individual variability in a sex-specific manner: individuals raised on high-protein diets were behaviourally less stable in their aggressiveness but this effect was only present in males. Diet also influenced individual differences in male body weight, but within-individual variance in female body weight. This study thereby provides experimental evidence that dietary history explains both heterogeneous residual within-individual variance (i.e., individual variation in 'behavioural stability') and individual differences in average behaviour (i.e., 'personality'), though dietary effects were notably trait-specific. These findings call for future studies integrating proximate and ultimate perspectives on the role of diet in the evolution of repeatedly expressed traits, such as behaviour and body weight.

Integration of ANFIS, NN and GA to determine core porosity and permeability from conventional well log data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ja'fari, Ahmad; Hamidzadeh Moghadam, Rasoul

2012-10-01

Routine core analysis provides useful information for petrophysical study of the hydrocarbon reservoirs. Effective porosity and fluid conductivity (permeability) could be obtained from core analysis in laboratory. Coring hydrocarbon bearing intervals and analysis of obtained cores in laboratory is expensive and time consuming. In this study an improved method to make a quantitative correlation between porosity and permeability obtained from core and conventional well log data by integration of different artificial intelligent systems is proposed. The proposed method combines the results of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and neural network (NN) algorithms for overall estimation of core data from conventional well log data. These methods multiply the output of each algorithm with a weight factor. Simple averaging and weighted averaging were used for determining the weight factors. In the weighted averaging method the genetic algorithm (GA) is used to determine the weight factors. The overall algorithm was applied in one of SW Iran’s oil fields with two cored wells. One-third of all data were used as the test dataset and the rest of them were used for training the networks. Results show that the output of the GA averaging method provided the best mean square error and also the best correlation coefficient with real core data.

Tailoring dietary approaches for weight loss.

PubMed

Gardner, C D

2012-07-01

Although the 'Low-Fat' diet was the predominant public health recommendation for weight loss and weight control for the past several decades, the obesity epidemic continued to grow during this time period. An alternative 'low-carbohydrate' (Low-Carb) approach, although originally dismissed and even vilified, was comparatively tested in a series of studies over the past decade, and has been found in general to be as effective, if not more, as the Low-Fat approach for weight loss and for several related metabolic health measures. From a glass half full perspective, this suggests that there is more than one choice for a dietary approach to lose weight, and that Low-Fat and Low-Carb diets may be equally effective. From a glass half empty perspective, the average amount of weight lost on either of these two dietary approaches under the conditions studied, particularly when followed beyond 1 year, has been modest at best and negligible at worst, suggesting that the two approaches may be equally ineffective. One could resign themselves at this point to focusing on calories and energy intake restriction, regardless of macronutrient distributions. However, before throwing out the half-glass of water, it is worthwhile to consider that focusing on average results may mask important subgroup successes and failures. In all weight-loss studies, without exception, the range of individual differences in weight change within any particular diet groups is orders of magnitude greater than the average group differences between diet groups. Several studies have now reported that adults with greater insulin resistance are more successful with weight loss on a lower-carbohydrate diet compared with a lower-fat diet, whereas adults with greater insulin sensitivity are equally or more successful with weight loss on a lower-fat diet compared with a lower-carbohydrate diet. Other preliminary findings suggest that there may be some promise with matching individuals with certain genotypes to one type of diet over another for increasing weight-loss success. Future research to address the macronutrient intake component of the obesity epidemic should build on these recent insights and be directed toward effectively classifying individuals who can be differentially matched to alternate types of weight-loss diets that maximize weight-loss and weight-control success.

Tailoring dietary approaches for weight loss

PubMed Central

Gardner, C D

2012-01-01

Although the ‘Low-Fat' diet was the predominant public health recommendation for weight loss and weight control for the past several decades, the obesity epidemic continued to grow during this time period. An alternative ‘low-carbohydrate' (Low-Carb) approach, although originally dismissed and even vilified, was comparatively tested in a series of studies over the past decade, and has been found in general to be as effective, if not more, as the Low-Fat approach for weight loss and for several related metabolic health measures. From a glass half full perspective, this suggests that there is more than one choice for a dietary approach to lose weight, and that Low-Fat and Low-Carb diets may be equally effective. From a glass half empty perspective, the average amount of weight lost on either of these two dietary approaches under the conditions studied, particularly when followed beyond 1 year, has been modest at best and negligible at worst, suggesting that the two approaches may be equally ineffective. One could resign themselves at this point to focusing on calories and energy intake restriction, regardless of macronutrient distributions. However, before throwing out the half-glass of water, it is worthwhile to consider that focusing on average results may mask important subgroup successes and failures. In all weight-loss studies, without exception, the range of individual differences in weight change within any particular diet groups is orders of magnitude greater than the average group differences between diet groups. Several studies have now reported that adults with greater insulin resistance are more successful with weight loss on a lower-carbohydrate diet compared with a lower-fat diet, whereas adults with greater insulin sensitivity are equally or more successful with weight loss on a lower-fat diet compared with a lower-carbohydrate diet. Other preliminary findings suggest that there may be some promise with matching individuals with certain genotypes to one type of diet over another for increasing weight-loss success. Future research to address the macronutrient intake component of the obesity epidemic should build on these recent insights and be directed toward effectively classifying individuals who can be differentially matched to alternate types of weight-loss diets that maximize weight-loss and weight-control success. PMID:25089189

A Divergence Median-based Geometric Detector with A Weighted Averaging Filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Xiaoqiang; Cheng, Yongqiang; Li, Yubo; Wang, Hongqiang; Qin, Yuliang

2018-01-01

To overcome the performance degradation of the classical fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based constant false alarm rate detector with the limited sample data, a divergence median-based geometric detector on the Riemannian manifold of Heimitian positive definite matrices is proposed in this paper. In particular, an autocorrelation matrix is used to model the correlation of sample data. This method of the modeling can avoid the poor Doppler resolution as well as the energy spread of the Doppler filter banks result from the FFT. Moreover, a weighted averaging filter, conceived from the philosophy of the bilateral filtering in image denoising, is proposed and combined within the geometric detection framework. As the weighted averaging filter acts as the clutter suppression, the performance of the geometric detector is improved. Numerical experiments are given to validate the effectiveness of our proposed method.

Maintaining vigorous activity attenuates 7-yr weight gain in 8340 runners.

PubMed

Williams, Paul T

2007-05-01

Body weight generally increases with aging in Western societies. Although training studies show that exercise produces acute weight loss, it is unclear whether the long-term maintenance of vigorous exercise attenuates the trajectory of age-related weight gain. Specifically, prior studies have not tested whether the maintenance of physical activity, in the absence of any change in activity, prevents weight gain. Prospective study of 6119 male and 2221 female runners whose running distances changed < 5 km x wk(-1) between baseline and follow-up surveys 7 yr later. On average, men who maintained modest (0-23 km x wk(-1)), intermediate (24-47 km x wk(-1)), or prolonged running distances (> or = 48 km x wk(-1)) all gained weight through age 64; however, those who maintained > or = 48 km x wk(-1) had one half the average annual weight gain of those who maintained < 24 km x wk(-1). For example, between the ages of 35 and 44 in men and 30 and 39 yr in women, those who maintained < 24 km x wk(-1) gained, on average, 2.1 and 2.9 kg more per decade than those averaging > 48 km x wk(-1). Age-related weight gain, and its attenuation by maintained exercise, were both greater in younger than in older men. Men's gains in waist circumference with age, and its attenuation by maintaining running, were the same in older and younger men. Regardless of age, women increased their body weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference over time, and these measurements were attenuated in proportion to their maintained running distance. In both sexes, running disproportionately prevented more extreme increases in weight. As they aged, men and women gained less weight in proportion to their levels of sustained vigorous activity. This long-term beneficial effect is in addition to the acute weight loss that occurs with increased activity.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of a Proprietary Alpha-Amylase Inhibitor from White Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on Weight and Fat Loss in Humans

PubMed Central

Udani, Jay; Tan, Ollie; Molina, Jhanna

2018-01-01

The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of a proprietary alpha-amylase inhibitor from white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) supplementation interventions in humans on modification of body weight and fat mass. A systematic literature search was performed using three databases: PubMed, the Cochrane collaboration, and Google Scholar. In addition, the manufacturer was contacted for internal unpublished data, and finally, the reference section of relevant original research and review papers were mined for additional studies. Eleven studies were selected for the meta-analysis of weight loss (a total of 573 subjects), and three studies for the meta-analysis of body fat reduction (a total of 110 subjects), as they fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Phaseolus vulgaris supplementation showed an average effect on weight loss difference of −1.08 kg (95% CI (confidence interval), −0.42 kg to −1.16 kg, p < 0.00001), and the average effect on body fat reduction was 3.26 kg (95% CI, −2.35 kg to −4.163 kg, p = 0.02). This meta-analysis found statistically significant effects of Phaseolus vulgaris supplementation on body weight and body fat. PMID:29677119

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of a Proprietary Alpha-Amylase Inhibitor from White Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on Weight and Fat Loss in Humans.

PubMed

Udani, Jay; Tan, Ollie; Molina, Jhanna

2018-04-20

The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of a proprietary alpha-amylase inhibitor from white bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) supplementation interventions in humans on modification of body weight and fat mass. A systematic literature search was performed using three databases: PubMed, the Cochrane collaboration, and Google Scholar. In addition, the manufacturer was contacted for internal unpublished data, and finally, the reference section of relevant original research and review papers were mined for additional studies. Eleven studies were selected for the meta-analysis of weight loss (a total of 573 subjects), and three studies for the meta-analysis of body fat reduction (a total of 110 subjects), as they fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Phaseolus vulgaris supplementation showed an average effect on weight loss difference of −1.08 kg (95% CI (confidence interval), −0.42 kg to −1.16 kg, p < 0.00001), and the average effect on body fat reduction was 3.26 kg (95% CI, −2.35 kg to −4.163 kg, p = 0.02). This meta-analysis found statistically significant effects of Phaseolus vulgaris supplementation on body weight and body fat.

Effects of increased vertebral number on carcass weight in PIC pigs.

PubMed

Huang, Jieping; Zhang, Mingming; Ye, Runqing; Ma, Yun; Lei, Chuzhao

2017-12-01

Variation of the vertebral number is associated with carcass traits in pigs. However, results from different populations do not match well with others, especially for carcass weight. Therefore, effects of increased vertebral number on carcass weight were investigated by analyzing the relationship between two loci multi-vertebra causal loci (NR6A1 g.748 C > T and VRTN g.20311_20312ins291) and carcass weight in PIC pigs. Results from the association study between vertebral number and carcass weight showed that increased thoracic number had negative effects on carcass weight, but the results were not statistically significant. Further, VRTN Ins/Ins genotype increased more than one thoracic than that of Wt/Wt genotype on average in this PIC population. Meanwhile, there was a significant negative effect of VRTN Ins on carcass weight (P < 0.05). Thus, our results suggested negative effect of increased thoracic number on carcass weight in PIC pigs. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Node-based measures of connectivity in genetic networks.

PubMed

Koen, Erin L; Bowman, Jeff; Wilson, Paul J

2016-01-01

At-site environmental conditions can have strong influences on genetic connectivity, and in particular on the immigration and settlement phases of dispersal. However, at-site processes are rarely explored in landscape genetic analyses. Networks can facilitate the study of at-site processes, where network nodes are used to model site-level effects. We used simulated genetic networks to compare and contrast the performance of 7 node-based (as opposed to edge-based) genetic connectivity metrics. We simulated increasing node connectivity by varying migration in two ways: we increased the number of migrants moving between a focal node and a set number of recipient nodes, and we increased the number of recipient nodes receiving a set number of migrants. We found that two metrics in particular, the average edge weight and the average inverse edge weight, varied linearly with simulated connectivity. Conversely, node degree was not a good measure of connectivity. We demonstrated the use of average inverse edge weight to describe the influence of at-site habitat characteristics on genetic connectivity of 653 American martens (Martes americana) in Ontario, Canada. We found that highly connected nodes had high habitat quality for marten (deep snow and high proportions of coniferous and mature forest) and were farther from the range edge. We recommend the use of node-based genetic connectivity metrics, in particular, average edge weight or average inverse edge weight, to model the influences of at-site habitat conditions on the immigration and settlement phases of dispersal. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the dietary intake of homebound elderly and the feasibility of dietary supplementation.

PubMed

Gray-Donald, K; Payette, H; Boutier, V; Page, S

1994-06-01

The dietary intake of elderly subjects receiving home care services (n = 145) was studied to assess the adequacy of their intake, and their ability to maintain normal body weight. In a second part of the study, the feasibility of providing nutrient supplements to underweight subjects or those with important recent weight loss was evaluated. For the survey, three 24-hour recalls, height, weight and lifestyle habits were evaluated in a home interview and two follow-up telephone contacts. The effects of dietary supplementation of 14 subjects at risk of malnutrition (underweight or with substantial weight loss) over 12 weeks were evaluated. Mean energy intake for the entire group was low (males 1546 kcal; females 1152 kcal) and on average barely covered estimated resting energy expenditure. Recent weight loss was negatively correlated with energy intake among underweight subjects (R = -0.64; p < 0.001). Dietary supplementation resulted in an average increase in daily intake of 390 kcal with an average weight gain of 1.27 kg over the 12-week period. Weight change was directly associated with measures of functional status; hand-grip strength (r = 0.75; p = 0.002) and general well-being score (r = 0.46; p = 0.095). Homebound elderly were at high risk of inadequate protein and energy intake. Dietary supplementation in high risk individuals was well tolerated and led to modest weight gain and improvements in general well-being.

Program adherence and effectiveness of a commercial nutrition program: the metabolic balance study.

PubMed

Meffert, Cornelia; Gerdes, Nikolaus

2010-01-01

Objective. To assess the effectiveness of a commercial nutrition program in improving weight, blood lipids, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods. Prospective observational study with followup after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months with data from questionnaires and blood samples. Subjects. After 12 months, we had data from 524 subjects (= 60.6% of the initial samples). 84.1% of the subjects were women. The average BMI at baseline was 30.3 (SD = 5.7). Results. After 12 months, the average weight loss was 6.8 kg (SD = 7.1 kg). Program adherence declined over time but was still high after 12 months and showed a positive linear correlation with weight loss. Relevant blood parameters as well as HRQOL improved significantly. Conclusion. After 12 months, nearly two thirds of the samples had achieved >5% reduction of their initial weights. The high degree of program adherence is probably due to personal counseling and individually designed nutrition plans provided by the program.

HbA1c and Gestational Weight Gain Are Factors that Influence Neonatal Outcome in Mothers with Gestational Diabetes.

PubMed

Barquiel, Beatriz; Herranz, Lucrecia; Hillman, Natalia; Burgos, Ma Ángeles; Grande, Cristina; Tukia, Keleni M; Bartha, José Luis; Pallardo, Luis Felipe

2016-06-01

Maternal glucose and weight gain are related to neonatal outcome in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to explore the influence of average third-trimester HbA1c and excess gestational weight gain on GDM neonatal complications. This observational study included 2037 Spanish singleton pregnant women with GDM followed in our Diabetes and Pregnancy Unit. The maternal HbA1c level was measured monthly from GDM diagnosis to delivery. Women were compared by average HbA1c level and weight gain categorized into ≤ or > the current Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations for body mass index. The differential effects of these factors on large-for-gestational-age birth weight and a composite of neonatal complications were assessed. Women with an average third-trimester HbA1c ≥5.0% (n = 1319) gave birth to 7.3% versus 3.8% (p = 0.005) of large-for-gestational-age neonates and 22.0% versus 16.0% (p = 0.006) of neonates with complications. Women with excess gestational weight gain (n = 299) delivered 12.5% versus 5.2% (p < 0.001) of large-for-gestational-age neonates and 24.7% versus 19.0% (p = 0.022) of neonates with complications. In an adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis among mothers exposed to the respective risk factors, ∼47% and 52% of large-for-gestational-age neonates and 32% and 37% of neonatal complications were potentially preventable by attaining an average third-trimester HbA1c level <5.0% and optimizing gestational weight gain. Average third-trimester HbA1c level ≥5% and gestational weight gain above the IOM recommendation are relevant risk factors for neonatal complications in mothers with gestational diabetes.

Growth performance, hematology, and meat quality characteristics of Mutton Merino lambs fed canola-based diets.

PubMed

Sekali, M; Marume, U; Mlambo, V; Strydom, P E

2016-08-01

A 56-day feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effect of feeding canola meal (CM) on growth performance, hematology, and meat quality parameters of lambs. Twenty lambs with an average body weight of 23 ± 2.64 kg were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments and fed in individual cages for 56 days. The soya bean meal (SBM) in the control ration was replaced with canola meal at 0 (CM0), 25 (CM25), 50 (CM50), 75 (CM75), and 100 % (CM100) inclusion levels. Average daily weight gain (ADWG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were significantly higher in the CM25 and CM50, respectively. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) (3.09-3.41) and slaughter weight (SLW) (33.2-34.7 kg) were, however, similar among the treatment groups. Diet had no effect on carcass length (78.7-83.7 cm) and ultimate meat pH (pHu) (5.70-5.81). Nevertheless, hot carcass weight (HCW) (16.5-18.7 kg) and cold carcass weight (CCW) (16.2-18.2 kg) were higher (P < 0.05) in the CM0 and CM50 treatment groups. The shear force measurements (1.67-2.17 kg) differed (P < 0.05) across treatments. There was no dietary effect on the lightness (L*) (33.5-35.8), redness (a*) (11.35-12.7), and yellowness (b*) (13.4-14.8) of meat. In conclusion, CM can completely replace SBM in lamb diets without any negative effects on growth performance, general health, and meat quality of Mutton Merino lambs.

MR of Toxoplasma encephalitis: Signal characteristics on T2-weighted images and pathologic correlation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brightbill, T.C.; Hensley, G.T.; Ruiz, A.

1996-05-01

Our goal was to determine if there are any T2-weighted MR signal characteristics of Toxoplasma encephalitis that might be useful in diagnosis and/or in gauging the effectiveness of medical therapy. We retrospectively analyzed the MR, CT, thallium-201 SPECT brain scans, and medical records of 27 patients with medically proven (26) and biopsy proven (1) Toxoplasma encephalitis, supplemented by autopsy findings in 4 additional patients, 2 of whom had postmortem MR correlation. The neuropathologic literature was also reviewed. Among the 27 patients, we discovered three distinct imaging patterns. Ten (37%) patients had predominantly T2-weighted hyperintense lesions and had been on medicalmore » therapy an average of 3 days (excluding one outlier). Ten (37%) patients had T2-weighted isointense lesions and had received medical therapy an average of 61 days. Seven (26%) patients had lesions with mixed signal on T2-weighted images and bad been on treatment an average of 6 days. Analysis of autopsy material from the four additional patients revealed the presence of organizing abscesses in three and necrotizing encephalitis in one, while the patient who had a brain biopsy demonstrated both types of pathologic lesions. In both cases having postmortem MRI, organizing abscesses appeared isointense to hypointense on T2-weighted images. There is a definite variation in the appearance of lesions of Toxoplasma encephalitis on T2-weighted images that precludes a definitive diagnosis based on signal characteristics alone. Pathologically, our data suggest that T2-weighted hyperintensity correlates with necrotizing encephalitis and T2-weighted isointensity with organizing abscesses. Furthermore, in patients on medical therapy the T2-weighted MR appearance may be a transition from hyperintensity to isointensity as a function of a positive response to antibiotic treatment, indicating that the signal change might be used to gauge the effectiveness of medical therapy. 15 refs., 6 figs.« less

An index for plant water deficit based on root-weighted soil water content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jianchu; Li, Sen; Zuo, Qiang; Ben-Gal, Alon

2015-03-01

Governed by atmospheric demand, soil water conditions and plant characteristics, plant water status is dynamic, complex, and fundamental to efficient agricultural water management. To explore a centralized signal for the evaluation of plant water status based on soil water status, two greenhouse experiments investigating the effect of the relative distribution between soil water and roots on wheat and rice were conducted. Due to the significant offset between the distributions of soil water and roots, wheat receiving subsurface irrigation suffered more from drought than wheat under surface irrigation, even when the arithmetic averaged soil water content (SWC) in the root zone was higher. A significant relationship was found between the plant water deficit index (PWDI) and the root-weighted (rather than the arithmetic) average SWC over root zone. The traditional soil-based approach for the estimation of PWDI was improved by replacing the arithmetic averaged SWC with the root-weighted SWC to take the effect of the relative distribution between soil water and roots into consideration. These results should be beneficial for scheduling irrigation, as well as for evaluating plant water consumption and root density profile.

[The secular trend in body height and weight in the adult population in the Czech republic].

PubMed

Kopecký, Miroslav; Kikalová, Kateřina; Charamza, Jiří

Secular changes in anthropometric parameters reflect the effect of socio-economic conditions in interaction with other factors on individuals in the course of 100-200 years. The main aim of the research was to determine the average body height and weight for the current adult population of men 19 to 94 years old and women 19 to 86 years old in the Czech Republic, and to compare the average values ​​of body height and weight of the monitored group with the reference values ​​for the adult population observed in our country from 1895 to 2001.Body height and weight were measured with standard anthropometry in 973 men aged 19-94 years and 2,606 women aged 19-86 years. The research was carried out from 2013 to 2015. Statistical tests: t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The average body weight and height of the current adult male is 178.58 cm and 80.86 kg, and of adult female 165.99 cm and 65.67 kg. When compared to men, women show significantly lower average height by 12.59 cm and lower weight by 15.19 kg. The results show that men today are about 10.61 cm higher and weigh 9.01 kilograms more than men in 1895. Todays women are about 9.43 centimeters taller, but weigh 0,58 kg less than women of the same age in 1895.Comparison of results from 1895 to 2015 shows that at present there is likely stagnation or decline in the positive secular trend in body height among men and women. The weight of men is increasing while there is stagnation in the body weight of women.

Spatial feature analysis of a cosmic-ray sensor for measuring the soil water content: Comparison of four weighting methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jingya; Pang, Zhiguo; Fu, Jun'e.

2018-04-01

To quantitatively analyze the spatial features of a cosmic-ray sensor (CRS) (i.e., the measurement support volume of the CRS and the weight of the in situ point-scale soil water content (SWC) in terms of the regionally averaged SWC derived from the CRS) in measuring the SWC, cooperative observations based on CRS, oven drying and frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) methods are performed at the point and regional scales in a desert steppe area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This region is flat with sparse vegetation cover consisting of only grass, thereby minimizing the effects of terrain and vegetation. Considering the two possibilities of the measurement support volume of the CRS, the results of four weighting methods are compared with the SWC monitored by FDR within an appropriate measurement support volume. The weighted average calculated using the neutron intensity-based weighting method (Ni weighting method) best fits the regionally averaged SWC measured by the CRS. Therefore, we conclude that the gyroscopic support volume and the weights determined by the Ni weighting method are the closest to the actual spatial features of the CRS when measuring the SWC. Based on these findings, a scale transformation model of the SWC from the point scale to the scale of the CRS measurement support volume is established. In addition, the spatial features simulated using the Ni weighting method are visualized by developing a software system.

Effect of sterilization irradiation on friction and wear of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. R., Jr.; Hady, W. F.; Crugnola, A.

1979-01-01

The effect of sterilization gamma irradiation on the friction and wear properties of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) sliding against 316L stainless steel in dry air at 23 C was determined. A pin-on-disk apparatus was used. Experimental conditions included a 1-kilogram load, a 0.061- to 0.27-meter-per-second sliding velocity, and a 32000- to 578000-meter sliding distance. Although sterilization doses of 2.5 and 5.0 megarads greatly altered the average molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution, the friction and wear properties of the polymer were not significantly changed.

Low-frequency sine wave hard-limiting technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, T. O.

1977-01-01

Circuit includes serial-in/parallel-out shift register and weighting network that are used to eliminate effects of noise and other nonrepetitive circuit transients. Register and weighting network average decisions from section of signal where decisions are more dependable or where differences between two consecutive samples are larger.

Blocking carbohydrate absorption and weight loss: a clinical trial using Phase 2 brand proprietary fractionated white bean extract.

PubMed

Udani, Jay; Hardy, Mary; Madsen, Damian C

2004-03-01

Phase 2' starch neutralizer brand bean extract product ("Phase 2") is a water-extract of a common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) that has been shown in vitro to inhibit the digestive enzyme alpha-amylase. Inhibiting this enzyme may prevent the digestion of complex carbohydrates, thus decreasing the number of carbohydrate calories absorbed and potentially promoting weight loss. Fifty obese adults were screened to participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of treatment with Phase 2 versus placebo on weight loss. Participants were randomized to receive either 1500 mg Phase 2 or an identical placebo twice daily with meals. The active study period was eight weeks. Thirty-nine subjects completed the initial screening process and 27 subjects completed the study. The results after eight weeks demonstrated the Phase 2 group lost an average of 3.79 lbs (average of 0.47 lb per week) compared with the placebo group, which lost an average of 1.65 lbs (average of 0.21 lb per week), representing a difference of 129 percent (p=0.35). Triglyceride levels in the Phase 2 group were reduced an average of 26.3 mg/dL, more than three times greater a reduction than observed in the placebo group (8.2 mg/dL) (p=0.07). No adverse events during the study were attributed to the study medication. Clinical trends were identified for weight loss and a decrease in triglycerides, although statistical significance was not reached. Phase 2 shows potential promise as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of obesity and hypertriglyceridemia and further studies with larger numbers of subjects are warranted to conclusively demonstrate effectiveness.

Effects of macroscopic inhomogeneities on resistive and Hall measurements on crosses, cloverleafs, and bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koon, D. W.; Knickerbocker, C. J.

1996-12-01

The effect of macroscopic inhomogeneities on resistivity and Hall angle measurements is studied by calculating weighting functions (the relative effect of perturbations in a local transport property on the measured global average for the object) for cross, cloverleaf, and bar-shaped geometries. The ``sweet spot,'' the region in the center of the object that the measurement effectively samples, is smaller for crosses and cloverleafs than for the circles and squares already studied, and smaller for the cloverleaf than for the corresponding cross. Resistivity measurements for crosses and cloverleafs suffer from singularities and negative weighting, which can be eliminated by averaging two independent resistance measurements, as done in the van der Pauw technique. Resistivity and Hall measurements made on sufficiently narrow bars are shown to effectively sample only the region directly between the voltage probes.

Determinants of postpartum weight variation in a cohort of adult women; a hierarchical approach.

PubMed

Monteiro da Silva, Maria da Conceição; Marlúcia Oliveira, Ana; Pereira Magalhães de Oliveira, Lucivalda; Silva dos Santos Fonseca, Dra Nedja; Portela de Santana, Mônica Leila; de Araújo Góes Neto, Edgar; Rodrigues Porto da Cruz, Thomaz

2013-01-01

Retention of the weight gained during pregnancy or the weight gain postpartum has been associated with increased prevalence of obesity in women of childbearing age. To identify determinants of weight variation at 24 months postpartum in women from 2 towns in Bahia, Brazil. Dynamic cohort data of 325 adult women were collected for 24 months postpartum. Weight variation at 24 months postpartum was considered a response variable. Socioeconomic, demographic, reproductive, related with childbirth variables and lifestyle conditions were considered exposure variables. A linear mixed-effects regression model with a hierarchical approach was used for data analysis. Suitable sanitary conditions in the household (2.175 kg; p = 0.001) and participation social programs for income transfer (1.300 kg; p = 0.018) contributed to weight gain in distal level of determinants, while at intermediate level, pre gestational overweight and surgical delivery had effects on postpartum weight, causing an average increase of 3.380 kg (p < 0.001) and loss of 2.451 kg (p < 0.001), respectively. At proximal level, a score point increase for breastfeeding yielded an average postpartum loss of 70 g (p = 0.002). Our results indicate the need to promote weight control during and after pregnancy, encourage extended breastfeeding, and improve living conditions through intersectoral interventions. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

26 CFR 1.989(b)-1 - Definition of weighted average exchange rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 10 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Definition of weighted average exchange rate. 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Export Trade Corporations § 1.989(b)-1 Definition of weighted average exchange rate. For purposes of section 989(b)(3) and (4), the term “weighted...

An analysis of the equivalent dose calculation for the remainder tissues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zankl, M.; Drexler, G.

1995-09-01

In the 1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the risk-weighted quantity {open_quotes}effective dose equivalent{close_quotes} was replaced by a similar quantity, {open_quotes}effective dose.{close_quotes} Among other alterations, the selection of the organs and tissues contributing to the risk-weighted quantity and their respective weighting factors were changed, including a modified definition of the so-called {open_quotes}remainder.{close_quotes} Close consideration of this latter definition shows that is causes certain ambiguities are unexpected effects which are dealt with in the following. For several geometries of external photon irradiation, the numerical differences of two possible methods of evaluating the remainder dose from the doses tomore » ten single organs, namely as arithmetic mean or as mass weighted average, are assessed. It is shown that deviation from these averaging procedures, as prescribed for these cases where a remainder organ receives a higher dose than an organ with a specified weighting factor, cause discontinuities in the energy dependence of the remainder dose and, consequently, also non-additivity of this quantity. These problems are discussed, and it is shown that, although the numerical consequences for the calculation of the effective dose are small, this unsatisfactory situation needs clarification. One approach might be to abolish some of the ICRP guidance relating to the appropriate tissue weighting factors for the remainder tissues and organs and to make other guidance more precise. 14 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Biot-Gassmann theory for velocities of gas hydrate-bearing sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, M.W.

2002-01-01

Elevated elastic velocities are a distinct physical property of gas hydrate-bearing sediments. A number of velocity models and equations (e.g., pore-filling model, cementation model, effective medium theories, weighted equations, and time-average equations) have been used to describe this effect. In particular, the weighted equation and effective medium theory predict reasonably well the elastic properties of unconsolidated gas hydrate-bearing sediments. A weakness of the weighted equation is its use of the empirical relationship of the time-average equation as one element of the equation. One drawback of the effective medium theory is its prediction of unreasonably higher shear-wave velocity at high porosities, so that the predicted velocity ratio does not agree well with the observed velocity ratio. To overcome these weaknesses, a method is proposed, based on Biot-Gassmann theories and assuming the formation velocity ratio (shear to compressional velocity) of an unconsolidated sediment is related to the velocity ratio of the matrix material of the formation and its porosity. Using the Biot coefficient calculated from either the weighted equation or from the effective medium theory, the proposed method accurately predicts the elastic properties of unconsolidated sediments with or without gas hydrate concentration. This method was applied to the observed velocities at the Mallik 2L-39 well, Mackenzie Delta, Canada.

A comparison of the effects of prenatal exposure to tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and caffeine on birth size and subsequent growth.

PubMed

Fried, P A; O'Connell, C M

1987-01-01

Maternal use of cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, and caffeine was established for four time periods; prepregnancy, first trimester, third trimester and average use over pregnancy. The relationship between such usage and growth parameters of offspring followed up from birth to 12 and 24 months of age were examined. Of the soft drugs used, nicotine had the most pronounced effect. After adjustment for other relevant variables, nicotine use prior to and during pregnancy was negatively related to weight and head circumference at birth. Furthermore, third trimester nicotine use was a stronger predictor of decreased weight and head circumference at birth than was first trimester use. The results obtained are consistent with ponderal index (PI) literature suggesting a recovery of growth retardation in infants with a lowered PI. Average consumption of greater than one ounce of absolute alcohol per day was negatively related to birth weight and length. Neither cannabis nor caffeine use had a significant negative effect on any growth parameter.

Weight loss in overweight patients maintained on atypical antipsychotic agents.

PubMed

Centorrino, F; Wurtman, J J; Duca, K A; Fellman, V H; Fogarty, K V; Berry, J M; Guay, D M; Romeling, M; Kidwell, J; Cincotta, S L; Baldessarini, R J

2006-06-01

Weight gain and associated medical morbidity offset the reduction of extrapyramidal side effects associated with atypical antipsychotics. Efforts to control weight in antipsychotic-treated patients have yielded limited success. We studied the impact of an intensive 24-week program of diet, exercise, and counseling in 17 chronically psychotic patients (10 women, seven men) who entered at high average body weight (105.0+/-18.4 kg) and body mass index (BMI) (36.6+/-4.6 kg/m(2)). A total of 12 subjects who completed the initial 24 weeks elected to participate in an additional 24-week, less intensive extension phase. By 24 weeks, weight-loss/patient averaged 6.0 kg (5.7%) and BMI decreased to 34.5 (by 5.7%). Blood pressure decreased from 130/83 to 116/74 (11% improvement), pulse fell slightly, and serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations changed nonsignificantly. With less intensive management for another 24 weeks, subjects regained minimal weight (0.43 kg). These findings add to the emerging view that weight gain is a major health problem associated with modern antipsychotic drugs and that labor-intensive weight-control efforts in patients requiring antipsychotic treatment yield clinically promising benefits. Improved treatments without weight-gain risk are needed.

Genome-wide association and regional heritability mapping to identify loci underlying variation in nematode resistance and body weight in Scottish Blackface lambs.

PubMed

Riggio, V; Matika, O; Pong-Wong, R; Stear, M J; Bishop, S C

2013-05-01

The genetic architecture underlying nematode resistance and body weight in Blackface lambs was evaluated comparing genome-wide association (GWA) and regional heritability mapping (RHM) approaches. The traits analysed were faecal egg count (FEC) and immunoglobulin A activity against third-stage larvae from Teladorsagia circumcincta, as indicators of nematode resistance, and body weight in a population of 752 Scottish Blackface lambs, genotyped with the 50k single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. FEC for both Nematodirus and Strongyles nematodes (excluding Nematodirus), as well as body weight were collected at approximately 16, 20 and 24 weeks of age. In addition, a weighted average animal effect was estimated for both FEC and body weight traits. After quality control, 44 388 SNPs were available for the GWA analysis and 42 841 for the RHM, which utilises only mapped SNPs. The same fixed effects were used in both analyses: sex, year, management group, litter size and age of dam, with day of birth as covariate. Some genomic regions of interest for both nematode resistance and body weight traits were identified, using both GWA and RHM approaches. For both methods, strong evidence for association was found on chromosome 14 for Nematodirus average animal effect, chromosome 6 for Strongyles FEC at 16 weeks and chromosome 6 for body weight at 16 weeks. Across the entire data set, RHM identified more regions reaching the suggestive level than GWA, suggesting that RHM is capable of capturing some of the variation not detected by GWA analyses.

Genome-wide association and regional heritability mapping to identify loci underlying variation in nematode resistance and body weight in Scottish Blackface lambs

PubMed Central

Riggio, V; Matika, O; Pong-Wong, R; Stear, M J; Bishop, S C

2013-01-01

The genetic architecture underlying nematode resistance and body weight in Blackface lambs was evaluated comparing genome-wide association (GWA) and regional heritability mapping (RHM) approaches. The traits analysed were faecal egg count (FEC) and immunoglobulin A activity against third-stage larvae from Teladorsagia circumcincta, as indicators of nematode resistance, and body weight in a population of 752 Scottish Blackface lambs, genotyped with the 50k single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. FEC for both Nematodirus and Strongyles nematodes (excluding Nematodirus), as well as body weight were collected at approximately 16, 20 and 24 weeks of age. In addition, a weighted average animal effect was estimated for both FEC and body weight traits. After quality control, 44 388 SNPs were available for the GWA analysis and 42 841 for the RHM, which utilises only mapped SNPs. The same fixed effects were used in both analyses: sex, year, management group, litter size and age of dam, with day of birth as covariate. Some genomic regions of interest for both nematode resistance and body weight traits were identified, using both GWA and RHM approaches. For both methods, strong evidence for association was found on chromosome 14 for Nematodirus average animal effect, chromosome 6 for Strongyles FEC at 16 weeks and chromosome 6 for body weight at 16 weeks. Across the entire data set, RHM identified more regions reaching the suggestive level than GWA, suggesting that RHM is capable of capturing some of the variation not detected by GWA analyses. PMID:23512009

12 CFR Appendix B to Subpart A of... - Conversion of Scorecard Measures into Score

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 327—Conversion of Scorecard Measures into Score 1. Weighted Average CAMELS Rating Weighted average CAMELS ratings between 1 and 3.5 are assigned a score between 25 and 100 according to the following equation: S = 25 + [(20/3) * (C 2 −1)], where: S = the weighted average CAMELS score; and C = the weighted...

12 CFR Appendix B to Subpart A of... - Conversion of Scorecard Measures into Score

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 327—Conversion of Scorecard Measures into Score 1. Weighted Average CAMELS Rating Weighted average CAMELS ratings between 1 and 3.5 are assigned a score between 25 and 100 according to the following equation: S = 25 + [(20/3) * (C 2 −1)], where: S = the weighted average CAMELS score; and C = the weighted...

12 CFR Appendix B to Subpart A of... - Conversion of Scorecard Measures into Score

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 327—Conversion of Scorecard Measures into Score 1. Weighted Average CAMELS Rating Weighted average CAMELS ratings between 1 and 3.5 are assigned a score between 25 and 100 according to the following equation: S = 25 + [(20/3) * (C 2 −1)], where: S = the weighted average CAMELS score; and C = the weighted...

Pulmonary Nodule Recognition Based on Multiple Kernel Learning Support Vector Machine-PSO

PubMed Central

Zhu, Zhichuan; Zhao, Qingdong; Liu, Liwei; Zhang, Lijuan

2018-01-01

Pulmonary nodule recognition is the core module of lung CAD. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm has been widely used in pulmonary nodule recognition, and the algorithm of Multiple Kernel Learning Support Vector Machine (MKL-SVM) has achieved good results therein. Based on grid search, however, the MKL-SVM algorithm needs long optimization time in course of parameter optimization; also its identification accuracy depends on the fineness of grid. In the paper, swarm intelligence is introduced and the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is combined with MKL-SVM algorithm to be MKL-SVM-PSO algorithm so as to realize global optimization of parameters rapidly. In order to obtain the global optimal solution, different inertia weights such as constant inertia weight, linear inertia weight, and nonlinear inertia weight are applied to pulmonary nodules recognition. The experimental results show that the model training time of the proposed MKL-SVM-PSO algorithm is only 1/7 of the training time of the MKL-SVM grid search algorithm, achieving better recognition effect. Moreover, Euclidean norm of normalized error vector is proposed to measure the proximity between the average fitness curve and the optimal fitness curve after convergence. Through statistical analysis of the average of 20 times operation results with different inertial weights, it can be seen that the dynamic inertial weight is superior to the constant inertia weight in the MKL-SVM-PSO algorithm. In the dynamic inertial weight algorithm, the parameter optimization time of nonlinear inertia weight is shorter; the average fitness value after convergence is much closer to the optimal fitness value, which is better than the linear inertial weight. Besides, a better nonlinear inertial weight is verified. PMID:29853983

Pulmonary Nodule Recognition Based on Multiple Kernel Learning Support Vector Machine-PSO.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Zhu, Zhichuan; Hou, Alin; Zhao, Qingdong; Liu, Liwei; Zhang, Lijuan

2018-01-01

Pulmonary nodule recognition is the core module of lung CAD. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm has been widely used in pulmonary nodule recognition, and the algorithm of Multiple Kernel Learning Support Vector Machine (MKL-SVM) has achieved good results therein. Based on grid search, however, the MKL-SVM algorithm needs long optimization time in course of parameter optimization; also its identification accuracy depends on the fineness of grid. In the paper, swarm intelligence is introduced and the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is combined with MKL-SVM algorithm to be MKL-SVM-PSO algorithm so as to realize global optimization of parameters rapidly. In order to obtain the global optimal solution, different inertia weights such as constant inertia weight, linear inertia weight, and nonlinear inertia weight are applied to pulmonary nodules recognition. The experimental results show that the model training time of the proposed MKL-SVM-PSO algorithm is only 1/7 of the training time of the MKL-SVM grid search algorithm, achieving better recognition effect. Moreover, Euclidean norm of normalized error vector is proposed to measure the proximity between the average fitness curve and the optimal fitness curve after convergence. Through statistical analysis of the average of 20 times operation results with different inertial weights, it can be seen that the dynamic inertial weight is superior to the constant inertia weight in the MKL-SVM-PSO algorithm. In the dynamic inertial weight algorithm, the parameter optimization time of nonlinear inertia weight is shorter; the average fitness value after convergence is much closer to the optimal fitness value, which is better than the linear inertial weight. Besides, a better nonlinear inertial weight is verified.

Birth Weight, School Sports Ability, and Adulthood Leisure-Time Physical Activity.

PubMed

Elhakeem, Ahmed; Cooper, Rachel; Bann, David; Kuh, Diana; Hardy, Rebecca

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine the associations of birth weight with ability in school sports in adolescence and participation in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) across adulthood and to investigate whether associations between birth weight and LTPA change with age. Study participants were British singletons born in 1946 and followed up to age 68 yr (the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development). Birth weights were extracted from birth records. Teacher reports of ability in school sports were collected at age 13 yr. LTPA was self-reported at ages 36, 43, 53, 60-64, and 68 yr and categorized at each age as participating in sports, exercise, and other vigorous LTPA at least once per month versus no participation. Associations were examined using standard and mixed-effects logistic regression models. Relevant data were available for 2739 study participants (50.1% female). When compared with the low birth weight group (≤2.50 kg), those with heavier birth weights were more likely to be rated as above average or average at school sports (vs below average); fully adjusted odds ratio = 1.78 (95% confidence interval = 1.14-2.77). Across adulthood, those with heavier birth weights were more likely to participate in LTPA than those with low birth weight; fully adjusted odds ratio of LTPA across adulthood = 1.52 (95% confidence interval = 1.09-2.14). This association did not vary by age (P = 0.5 for birth weight by age interaction). Low birth weight was associated with lower ability in school sports and with nonparticipation in LTPA across adulthood. Identifying the underlying developmental and social processes operating across life for low birth weight infants may inform the design of appropriate interventions to support participation in LTPA across life.

Direct measurement of the resistivity weighting function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koon, D. W.; Chan, Winston K.

1998-12-01

We have directly measured the resistivity weighting function—the sensitivity of a four-wire resistance measurement to local variations in resistivity—for a square specimen of photoconducting material. This was achieved by optically perturbing the local resistivity of the specimen while measuring the effect of this perturbation on its four-wire resistance. The weighting function we measure for a square geometry with electrical leads at its corners agrees well with calculated results, displaying two symmetric regions of negative weighting which disappear when van der Pauw averaging is performed.

The influence of non-ionic radiation on the chicken hatching.

PubMed

Veterány, Ladislav; Toman, Robert; Jedlicka, Jaroslav

2002-11-01

The study considers the influence of non-ionic radiation (white and monochromatic light) on the hatching of the Hampshire breed chickens. The chicken embryos were most sensitive to the white light (El), reaching the hatching time of 503.63 +/- 3.17 h, the hatchability of 95.12 +/- 3.72% and an average weight of incubated chickens 46.83 +/- 2.82 g. Of the monochromatic lights, the chicken embryos were most sensitive to yellow and green lights (E5, E4) with the hatching time of 505.22 +/- 4.03 and 507.14 +/- 3.95 h, respectively, the hatchability of 94.89 +/- 3.02 and 94.47 +/- 2.93%, respectively and the average weight of incubated chickens 45.72 +/- 1.93 and 45.05 +/- 2.66 g, respectively. The least reaction of chicken was observed with violet light (E2) with the hatching time of 510.04+/- 1.97 h, hatchability of 90.81 +/- 4.05% and the average weight of incubated chickens 42.02 +/- 3.72 g. The effect of violet light brings the same results as we observed in the case of hatching in darkness (control group C), when the hatching time was 510.41 +/- 2.82 h, hatchability 90.42 +/- 3.35% and average weight of incubated chickens 41.98 +/- 3.05 g.

Effects of Vertex Activity and Self-organized Criticality Behavior on a Weighted Evolving Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Gui-Qing; Yang, Qiu-Ying; Chen, Tian-Lun

2008-08-01

Effects of vertex activity have been analyzed on a weighted evolving network. The network is characterized by the probability distribution of vertex strength, each edge weight and evolution of the strength of vertices with different vertex activities. The model exhibits self-organized criticality behavior. The probability distribution of avalanche size for different network sizes is also shown. In addition, there is a power law relation between the size and the duration of an avalanche and the average of avalanche size has been studied for different vertex activities.

A clinical trial to evaluate the effects of flumethrin or ivermectin treatment on hemoparasites, gastrointestinal parasites, conception and daily weight gain in a dairy farm in Japan.

PubMed

Yamane, I; Arai, S; Nakamura, Y; Hisashi, M; Fukazawa, Y; Onuki, T

2000-02-01

A clinical trial was performed to compare the effects of flumethrin and ivermectin treatments of grazing heifers at one farm in central Japan. 64 heifers were randomly allocated into two groups. Flumethrin (1 mg/kg pour on) was applied approximately once every 3 weeks to heifers in one group and heifers in the second group were injected approximately once every month with ivermectin (200 microg/kg; id). Between groups, no significant differences were detected in the proportions of animals that showed parasitemia of Theileria sergenti and conception risks. Significantly lower average log-transformed nematode-egg counts and higher average daily weight gain were observed in the ivermectin-treated group. Animals with higher body weight at the start of grazing and lower log-transformed total nematode-egg and coccidia-oocyst counts had higher odds of conceiving. Animals with ivermectin treatment, lower body weight at the start of grazing and lower log-transformed coccidia-oocyst count had higher daily weight gain. Ivermectin may be more useful in this farm because of the higher productivity for cattle and lower cost for its usage.

Effect of ring-opening polymerization condition on the characteristic and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite/poly(ethylene glutarate) biomaterials.

PubMed

Monvisade, Pathavuth; Siriphannon, Punnama; Tapcharoen, Walailak

2009-09-01

Preparation of hydroxyapatite/poly(ethylene glutarate) (HAp/PEG) composites was carried out by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic oligo(ethylene glutarate) in porous HAp scaffolds using various reaction temperatures and times. The content of ROP-PEG interpenetrated into the porous HAp scaffold was about 13-18 wt % with the values of number average molecular weight (overline_M{n}) and weight average molecular weight (overline_M{W}) of 2120-3630 and 2760-5250 g/mol, respectively. The increase in polymerization time and temperature brought about increase in molecular weight of ROP-PEG, but decrease in its content. Compressive strength and compressive modulus of the HAp/PEG composites were about 5.8-20.1 and 105-208 MPa, respectively. These mechanical properties depend upon the effects of distribution, content, and molecular weight of ROP-PEG in the composites. In vitro bioactivity of the HAp/PEG composites was studied by soaking them in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 28 days. The formation of HAp nanocrystal on the composite surfaces through the consumption of calcium and phosphorus from the SBF solution was observed after soaking, indicating the bioactivity of these HAp/PEG composites.

Naltrexone + bupropion (Mysimba). Too risky for only modest weight loss.

PubMed

2015-10-01

Weight loss and its long-term maintenance are mainly based on dietary measures and regular physical activity. There are currently no weight-loss medications with a favourable harm-benefit balance. Bupropion is chemically related to certain amphetamines, while naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist. A fixed-dose combination of these two drugs has received marketing authorisation in the European Union for obese patients and for over-weight patients with other cardiovascular risk factors. In five placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind trials, the patients, weighing on average between 100 kg and 105 kg (average body mass index 36 kg/m2), the naltrexone + bupropion combination was associated with an average weight loss of a few additional kilograms compared with placebo, after 6 months or one year of treatment. There are no post-trial follow-up data to show whether or not the patients regained their lost weight after treatment discontinuation. One trial including more than 8900 patients examined the effect of the naltrexone + bupropion combination on the freauency of maior cardiovascular events, but poor handling of an interim analysis undermined the validity of the final results. The known adverse effects of bupropion consist of potentially severe neuropsychiatric disorders such as aggressiveness, depression and suicidal ideation, and also allergic reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Misuse and excessive consumption have been reported. In trials in obese or overweight patients, the naltrexone + bupropion combination caused sometimes severe neuropsychiatric disorders, including seizures, cognitive impairment, dizziness, anxiety, sleep disorders and psychotic symptoms. In clinical trials, the combination led to an increase in blood pressure compared with placebo, and also an excess of cardiac arrhythmias. About half of patients who took naltrexone + bupropion experienced gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, vomiting and constipation. The naltrexone + bupropion combination is subject to many pharmacokinetic interactions, as well as pharmacodynamic interactions leading to additive convulsive or hypertensive effects, or undermining the action of antihypertensive drugs. A teratogenic effect of bupropion cannot be ruled out. In practice, given the limited effect of the naltrexone + bupropion combination on weight loss (a few kilograms), along with the lack of evidence supporting a persistent benefit or a decrease in the clinical complications of obesity, there is no reason to expose patients to its many potentially severe adverse effects.

Surface segregation and surface tension of polydisperse polymer melts.

PubMed

Minnikanti, Venkatachala S; Qian, Zhenyu; Archer, Lynden A

2007-04-14

The effect of polydispersity on surface segregation of a lower molecular weight polymer component in a higher molecular weight linear polymer melt host is investigated theoretically. We show that the integrated surface excess zM of a polymer component of molecular weight M satisfies a simple relation zM=2Ue(M/Mw-1)phiM, where Mw is the weight averaged molecular weight, phiM is the polymer volume fraction, and Ue is the attraction of polymer chain ends to the surface. Ue is principally of entropic origin, but also reflects any energetic preference of chain ends to the surface. We further show that the surface tension gammaM of a polydisperse melt of high molar mass components depends on the number average degree of polymerization Mn as, gammaM=gammainfinity+2UerhobRT/Mn. The parameter gammainfinity is the asymptotic surface tension of an infinitely long polymer of the same chemistry, rhob is the bulk density of the polymer, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the temperature. The predicted gammaM compare favorably with surface tension values obtained from self-consistent field theory simulations that include equation of state effects, which account for changes in polymer density with molecular weight. We also compare the predicted surface tension with available experimental data.

Effects of feeding level of milk replacer on body growth, plasma metabolite and insulin concentrations, and visceral organ growth of suckling calves.

PubMed

Kamiya, Mitsuru; Matsuzaki, Masatoshi; Orito, Hideki; Kamiya, Yuko; Nakamura, Yoshi-nori; Tsuneishi, Eisaku

2009-12-01

The objective was to evaluate effects of feeding level of milk replacer on body growth, plasma metabolite and insulin concentrations, and allometric growth of visceral organs in suckling calves. Holstein bull calves (n = 8; 3-4 days of age) were fed either a low amount (average 0.63 kgDM/day, LM) or high amount (average 1.15 kgDM/day, HM) of high protein milk replacer until they were slaughtered at 6 weeks of age. Body weight (BW) at 4, 5, and 6 weeks of age, feed intake, average daily gain, and feed efficiency were higher in the HM than LM calves. The HM group had higher plasma glucose at 3 and 4 weeks of age and insulin levels after the age of 4 weeks compared with LM calves whereas no effect was detected on plasma nonesterified fatty acid or urea nitrogen concentrations. The HM calves had greater empty body weight (EBW), viscera-free BW and most of the organs dissected than LM calves. Relative weights (% of EBW) of liver, spleen, kidneys, and internal fat were higher, whereas head and large intestine was lower in HM than LM calves. The results suggest that increased milk feeding levels would accelerate the growth of the body and specific organs.

Economic evaluation of an internet-based weight management program

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To determine whether a behavioral Internet treatment (BIT) program for weight management is a viable, cost-effective option compared with usual care (UC) in a diverse sample of overweight (average body mass index = 29 kg/m2), healthy adults (mean age = 34 years) serving in the US Air Force. Two-grou...

The Average Hazard Ratio - A Good Effect Measure for Time-to-event Endpoints when the Proportional Hazard Assumption is Violated?

PubMed

Rauch, Geraldine; Brannath, Werner; Brückner, Matthias; Kieser, Meinhard

2018-05-01

In many clinical trial applications, the endpoint of interest corresponds to a time-to-event endpoint. In this case, group differences are usually expressed by the hazard ratio. Group differences are commonly assessed by the logrank test, which is optimal under the proportional hazard assumption. However, there are many situations in which this assumption is violated. Especially in applications were a full population and several subgroups or a composite time-to-first-event endpoint and several components are considered, the proportional hazard assumption usually does not simultaneously hold true for all test problems under investigation. As an alternative effect measure, Kalbfleisch and Prentice proposed the so-called 'average hazard ratio'. The average hazard ratio is based on a flexible weighting function to modify the influence of time and has a meaningful interpretation even in the case of non-proportional hazards. Despite this favorable property, it is hardly ever used in practice, whereas the standard hazard ratio is commonly reported in clinical trials regardless of whether the proportional hazard assumption holds true or not. There exist two main approaches to construct corresponding estimators and tests for the average hazard ratio where the first relies on weighted Cox regression and the second on a simple plug-in estimator. The aim of this work is to give a systematic comparison of these two approaches and the standard logrank test for different time-toevent settings with proportional and nonproportional hazards and to illustrate the pros and cons in application. We conduct a systematic comparative study based on Monte-Carlo simulations and by a real clinical trial example. Our results suggest that the properties of the average hazard ratio depend on the underlying weighting function. The two approaches to construct estimators and related tests show very similar performance for adequately chosen weights. In general, the average hazard ratio defines a more valid effect measure than the standard hazard ratio under non-proportional hazards and the corresponding tests provide a power advantage over the common logrank test. As non-proportional hazards are often met in clinical practice and the average hazard ratio tests often outperform the common logrank test, this approach should be used more routinely in applications. Schattauer GmbH.

Effect of molecular weight on polyphenylquinoxaline properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, Brian J.

1991-01-01

A series of polyphenyl quinoxalines with different molecular weight and end-groups were prepared by varying monomer stoichiometry. Thus, 4,4'-oxydibenzil and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine were reacted in a 50/50 mixture of m-cresol and xylenes. Reaction concentration, temperature, and stir rate were studied and found to have an effect on polymer properties. Number and weight average molecular weights were determined and correlated well with viscosity data. Glass transition temperatures were determined and found to vary with molecular weight and end-groups. Mechanical properties of films from polymers with different molecular weights were essentially identical at room temperature but showed significant differences at 232 C. Diamine terminated polymers were found to be much less thermooxidatively stable than benzil terminated polymers when aged at 316 C even though dynamic thermogravimetric analysis revealed only slight differences. Lower molecular weight polymers exhibited better processability than higher molecular weight polymers.

Molecular Weight Effects on the Viscoelastic Response of a Polyimide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Lee M.; Whitley, Karen S.; Gates, Thomas S.

2000-01-01

The effect of molecular weight on the viscoelastic performance of an advanced polymer (LaRC -SI) was investigated through the use of creep compliance tests. Testing consisted of short-term isothermal creep and recovery with the creep segments performed under constant load. The tests were conducted at three temperatures below the glass transition temperature of each material with different molecular weight. Through the use of time-aging-time superposition procedures, the material constants, material master curves and aging-related parameters were evaluated at each temperature for a given molecular weight. The time-temperature superposition technique helped to describe the effect of temperature on the timescale of the viscoelastic response of each molecular weight. It was shown that the low molecular weight materials have increased creep compliance and creep compliance rate, and are more sensitive to temperature than the high molecular weight materials. Furthermore, a critical molecular weight transition was observed to occur at a weight-average molecular weight of approximately 25000 g/mol below which, the temperature sensitivity of the time-temperature superposition shift factor increases rapidly.

Radiologically Guided Placement of Mushroom-retained Gastrostomy Catheters: Long-term Outcomes of Use in 300 Patients at a Single Center.

PubMed

Ahmed, Osman; Jilani, Danial; Sheth, Sujay; Giger, Maryellen; Funaki, Brian

2015-08-01

To assess long-term outcomes including risk of complications and nutritional benefits of mushroom-retained (pull-type) gastrostomy catheters placed in patients by interventional radiologists. All patients who received pull-type gastrostomy tubes between 2010 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed, including 142 men (average weight, 169.6 lb [76.32 kg]; mean age, 65.2 years; range, 22-92 years) and 158 women (average weight, 150.4 lb [67.68 kg]; mean age, 65.2 years; range, 18-98 years). Indications for placement were cerebrovascular accident (n = 80), failure to thrive (n = 71), other central nervous system disorder (n = 51), head and neck cancer (n = 47), and other malignancy (n = 51). Complications were recorded per Society of Interventional Radiology practice guidelines. Patient weight was documented at specific follow-up intervals. Statistical analysis was performed by using the Student t test and one-way analysis of variance for the effects of sex and indication for placement, respectively, on average weight change. The technical success rate was 98.4% (300 of 305 patients). Major and minor complications occurred at a rate of 3.7% (n = 11) and 13% (n = 39), respectively. Follow-up weight during the early (≤45 days), intermediate (≤180 days), and long-term (>180 days) periods was available for 71% (n = 214), 36% (n = 108), and 15% (n = 44) of the 300 patients, respectively. Weight gain occurred in 77% (160 of 214), 60% (65 of 108), and 73% (32 of 44) of the patients, respectively. Patients who gained weight gained 6.7, 10.6, and 16.3 lb (3.02, 4.77, and 7.34 kg) during each follow-up period, respectively. Average weight gain at follow-up in all patients was 4.2, 0.6, and 5.4 lb (1.89, 0.27, and 2.43 kg), respectively. No significant differences in average weight change were seen among groups when they were classified according to sex or indication for placement. Placement of mushroom-retained gastrostomy catheters is a viable long-term treatment option for enteral nutrition, with complication rates similar to those reported for other gastrostomy techniques. Improvement in nutrition status measured as weight gain was seen in most patients in both early and long-term periods. (©) RSNA, 2015.

Smartphone Technology and Text Messaging for Weight Loss in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Stephens, Janna D; Yager, Allison M; Allen, Jerilyn

Using smartphone technology and text messaging for health is a growing field. This type of technology is well integrated into the lives of young adults. However, few studies have tested the effect of this type of technology to promote weight loss in young adults OBJECTIVE:: The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a behaviorally based smartphone application for weight loss combined with text messaging from a health coach on weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference in young adults as compared with a control condition. Sixty-two young adults, aged 18 to 25 years, were randomized to receive (1) a smartphone application + health coach intervention and counseling sessions or (2) control condition with a counseling session. All outcome measures were tested at baseline and 3 months. These included weight, BMI, waist circumference, dietary habits, physical activity habits, and self-efficacy for healthy eating and physical activity. The sample was 71% female and 39% white, with an average age of 20 years and average BMI of 28.5 kg/m. Participants in the smartphone + health coach group lost significantly more weight (P = .026) and had a significant reduction in both BMI (P = .024) and waist circumference (P < .01) compared with controls. The results of this weight loss trial support the use of smartphone technology and feedback from a health coach on improving weight in a group of diverse young adults.

The experimental evidence for weight-loss treatment of essential hypertension: a critical review.

PubMed Central

Hovell, M F

1982-01-01

The empirical evidence concerning the therapeutic effects of weight loss for hypertension treatment was reviewed. Interventions were critically reviewed for strength of measures and experimental design. Six of 21 intervention studies proved to be methodologically strong. However, only one study was considered a randomized clinical trial, testing the combined effects of weight reduction and pharmacological treatment of hypertension. Average blood pressure decrease obtained from the methodologically strongest studies was -21 mmHg and -13 mmHg, for systolic and diastolic measures, respectively. This magnitude change suggests that weight loss may be a clinically and statistically significant treatment. Confounding and bias variables, such as adherence to diet, medication, salt consumption, etc., were discussed and future areas of research were outlined. It was concluded that weight loss appears to be an effective and safe treatment of hypertension. PMID:7039371

Effectiveness of the online weight reduction program KiloCoach™ and comparison with other evaluated commercial direct intervention and online programs.

PubMed

Longin, Rita; Grasse, Marina; Aspalter, Rosa; Waldherr, Karin

2012-01-01

Preliminary results indicated effectiveness of the online weight reduction program KiloCoach. The current study presents a large collection of user data and compares KiloCoach with other evaluated commercial weight loss programs. Furthermore, potential factors influencing the effectiveness of internet weight loss programs should be identified. 4,310 data sets of KiloCoach users were available, 3,150 of them were suitable for further analysis. 946 program users were considered completers (at least 60 days of continuous protocol). For comparison with other programs, different subsamples were drawn that matched to the inclusion criteria of reference studies. On average, KiloCoach overweight and obese completers lost 4.5 % of initial body weight. KiloCoach was as effective as the commercial program Weight Watchers® after 1 year (6.4% vs. 5.3% weight loss; p = 0.11) and 2 years (5.1% vs. 3.2% weight loss; p = 0.15). KiloCoach proved to be more effective than other online programs (Viktklubb, eDiets.com) as well as an in-person behavioral program, but less effective than Vtrim®, an online behavioral program providing intensive support. In comparison to reference programs, KiloCoach proved to be effective for weight reduction. The effect of online weight reduction programs seems to depend on methods and features applied.

Obesity and weight change related to parity and breast-feeding among parous women in Brazil.

PubMed

Coitinho, D C; Sichieri, R; D'Aquino Benício, M H

2001-08-01

Studies on the independent role of parity in long-term body weight change in economically developing countries are scarce and inconclusive, and only a few studies have taken into account patterns of breast-feeding. This association was examined in a national cross-sectional survey representative of Brazilian parous women. The survey conducted in 1996 measured women's height and weight in the household and data on weight prior to the first pregnancy, parity and breast-feeding were recalled. A sample of 2338 parous women, 15 to 49 years of age, 29 months after last delivery on average, had current body mass index (BMI, in kg m(-2)) modelled through hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis. Explanatory variables included parity, days of predominant breast-feeding, BMI pre-pregnancy, socio-economic, geographic, demographic and other reproductive variables. Prevalences of overweight (BMI = 25.0-29.9 kg m(-2)) and obesity (BMI > or = 30.0 kg m(-2)) were 25.2% and 9.3%. The overall mean weight gain per year after the first pregnancy was 0.90 kg for an average time since first pregnancy of eight years. BMI pre-pregnancy modified the association between current BMI and parity. Therefore, weight change attributed to parity calculated for a woman of average height (1.56 m) was 0.60 kg greater for primiparous women with a BMI pre-pregnancy of 30 kg m(-2), compared with women with BMI pre-pregnancy of 25 kg m(-2). This greater weight retention among obese women was 1.21 kg for women with two children and 1.82 kg for women with three or more children. Parity reduced the effect of weight loss associated with lactation (1.75 kg for six months of lactation among primiparous women and 0.87 kg among women with three or more children). For the sub-sample of 793 primiparous women, a weight decrease of 300 g was associated with each month of predominant breast-feeding for all prior BMI levels. In this study, weight change associated to reproduction was highly dependent on BMI previous to pregnancy and the effects of parity and lactation were small.

Effects of sprint interval training and body weight reduction on power to weight ratio in experienced cyclists.

PubMed

Lunn, William R; Finn, Joan A; Axtell, Robert S

2009-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of supramaximal sprint interval training (SIT), body weight reduction, and a combination of both treatments on peak and average anaerobic power to weight ratio (PPOan:Wt, APOan:Wt) by manipulating peak and average anaerobic power output (PPOan, APOan) and body weight (BW) in experienced cyclists. Participants (N = 34, age = 38.0 +/- 7.1 years) were assigned to 4 groups for a 10-week study. One group performed twice-weekly SIT sessions on a cycle ergometer while maintaining body weight (SIT). A second group did not perform SIT but intentionally reduced body weight (WR). A third group simultaneously performed SIT sessions and reduced body weight (SIT+WR). A control group cycled in their normal routine and maintained body weight (CON). The 30-second Wingate Test assessed pretest and posttest POan:Wt scores. There was a significant mean increase (p < 0.05) from pretest to posttest in PPOan:Wt and APOan:Wt (W x kg(-1)) scores in both SIT (10.82 +/- 1.71 to 11.92 +/- 1.77 and 8.05 +/- 0.64 to 8.77 +/- 0.64, respectively) and WR (10.33 +/- 2.91 to 11.29 +/- 2.80 and 7.04 +/- 1.45 to 7.62 +/- 1.24, respectively). PPOan and APOan (W) increased significantly only in SIT (753.7 +/- 121.0 to 834.3 +/- 150.1 and 561.3 +/- 62.5 to 612.7 +/- 69.0, respectively). Body weight (kg) decreased significantly in WR and SIT + WR (80.3 +/- 13.7 to 75.3 +/- 11.9 and 78.9 +/- 10.8 to 73.4 +/- 10.8, respectively). The results demonstrate that cyclists can use SIT sessions and body weight reduction as singular training interventions to effect significant increases in anaerobic power to weight ratio, which has been correlated to enhanced aerobic cycling performance. However, the treatments were not effective as combined interventions, as there was no significant change in either PPOan:Wt or APOan:Wt in SIT + WR.

9 CFR 54.6 - Amount of indemnity payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... will be used. The AMS reports from the most recent week or month prior to the date APHIS offers to pay... weighted average Choice/Prime slaughter lamb price per pound at Greeley, CO; (2) The weekly weighted average Utility slaughter ewe price per pound at San Angelo, TX; (3) The monthly weighted average...

46 CFR 164.009-15 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... seconds. (4) The average weight loss of the specimens after heating is not more than 50 percent of their... described in paragraphs (b) through (k) of this section, except the average weight loss of the sample is... weighed while still hot. (6) The average weight loss of the specimens after heating may not be more than...

Shared medical appointments: promoting weight loss in a clinical setting.

PubMed

Palaniappan, Latha P; Muzaffar, Amy L; Wang, Elsie J; Wong, Eric C; Orchard, Trevor J

2011-01-01

Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are 90-minute group appointments for patients with similar medical complaints. SMAs include components of a traditional office visit but provide further emphasis on health education. The effectiveness of SMAs on weight-loss in an outpatient setting has not been studied. Weight-loss SMAs were offered by one physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Teaching content included Diabetes Prevention Program materials. This analysis includes patients who attended at least one SMA (n = 74) compared with patients in the same physician's practice who had at least one office visit and a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2) (n = 356). The SMA group had a higher proportion of women than the comparison group (76% vs 64%) and were older (mean, 52.4 years; SD, 13.1 years vs mean, 47.0 years; SD, 13.3 years). SMA patients on average lost 1.0% of their baseline weight. Patients in the comparison group on average gained 0.8% of their baseline weight. SMAs may be a viable option for physicians to promote weight loss in the clinical setting.

New Nordic Diet versus Average Danish Diet: A Randomized Controlled Trial Revealed Healthy Long-Term Effects of the New Nordic Diet by GC-MS Blood Plasma Metabolomics.

PubMed

Khakimov, Bekzod; Poulsen, Sanne Kellebjerg; Savorani, Francesco; Acar, Evrim; Gürdeniz, Gözde; Larsen, Thomas M; Astrup, Arne; Dragsted, Lars O; Engelsen, Søren Balling

2016-06-03

A previous study has shown effects of the New Nordic Diet (NND) to stimulate weight loss and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in obese Danish women and men in a randomized, controlled dietary intervention study. This work demonstrates long-term metabolic effects of the NND as compared with an Average Danish Diet (ADD) in blood plasma and reveals associations between metabolic changes and health beneficial effects of the NND including weight loss. A total of 145 individuals completed the intervention and blood samples were taken along with clinical examinations before the intervention started (week 0) and after 12 and 26 weeks. The plasma metabolome was measured using GC-MS, and the final metabolite table contained 144 variables. Significant and novel metabolic effects of the diet, resulting weight loss, gender, and intervention study season were revealed using PLS-DA and ASCA. Several metabolites reflecting specific differences in the diets, especially intake of plant foods and seafood, and in energy metabolism related to ketone bodies and gluconeogenesis formed the predominant metabolite pattern discriminating the intervention groups. Among NND subjects, higher levels of vaccenic acid and 3-hydroxybutanoic acid were related to a higher weight loss, while higher concentrations of salicylic, lactic, and N-aspartic acids and 1,5-anhydro-d-sorbitol were related to a lower weight loss. Specific gender and seasonal differences were also observed. The study strongly indicates that healthy diets high in fish, vegetables, fruit, and whole grain facilitated weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity by increasing ketosis and gluconeogenesis in the fasting state.

Provision and effect of quit-smoking counselling by primary care midwives.

PubMed

Oude Wesselink, Sandra F; Lingsma, Hester F; Robben, Paul B M; Mackenbach, Johan P

2015-10-01

we aimed to evaluate the provision of quit-smoking counselling by midwives in the Netherlands and its effect on smoking behaviour and birth weight. quasi-experimental study in which we collected information from pregnant women who smoke throughout their pregnancy by extracting data from electronic patient files. primary care midwifery practices. 851 pregnant women who smoke, treated between 2011 and 2014. quit-smoking counselling. the midwives decided to provide quit-smoking counselling to the participant or not. Non-counselled women were used as the control group. The primary outcome parameter was quit smoking, defined as 'quit smoking by end of pregnancy'. At intake, 67% of the women smoked 1-9 cigarettes a day, 23% smoked 10-20 cigarettes a day and 4% more than 20 cigarettes a day. The midwives began counselling with 42% of the participants, but seldom completed all the counselling steps. The average quit rate was 10% and average birth weight of the babies was 3200g. We found no difference in quit rate or birth weight between counselled women and those who were not. However, the data suggested that counselling is more effective when more steps of counselling are completed. no effect was found of quit-smoking counselling on quit-smoking rate or birth weight. Possibly, counselling is effective when provided extensively throughout pregnancy. our study shows that provision of counselling can be improved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variance estimation when using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) with survival analysis.

PubMed

Austin, Peter C

2016-12-30

Propensity score methods are used to reduce the effects of observed confounding when using observational data to estimate the effects of treatments or exposures. A popular method of using the propensity score is inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). When using this method, a weight is calculated for each subject that is equal to the inverse of the probability of receiving the treatment that was actually received. These weights are then incorporated into the analyses to minimize the effects of observed confounding. Previous research has found that these methods result in unbiased estimation when estimating the effect of treatment on survival outcomes. However, conventional methods of variance estimation were shown to result in biased estimates of standard error. In this study, we conducted an extensive set of Monte Carlo simulations to examine different methods of variance estimation when using a weighted Cox proportional hazards model to estimate the effect of treatment. We considered three variance estimation methods: (i) a naïve model-based variance estimator; (ii) a robust sandwich-type variance estimator; and (iii) a bootstrap variance estimator. We considered estimation of both the average treatment effect and the average treatment effect in the treated. We found that the use of a bootstrap estimator resulted in approximately correct estimates of standard errors and confidence intervals with the correct coverage rates. The other estimators resulted in biased estimates of standard errors and confidence intervals with incorrect coverage rates. Our simulations were informed by a case study examining the effect of statin prescribing on mortality. © 2016 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effect of performance-volume limit on the DRG based acute care hospital financing in Hungary.

PubMed

Endrei, Dóra; Zemplényi, Antal; Molics, Bálint; Agoston, István; Boncz, Imre

2014-04-01

The aim of our paper is to analyse the effect of the so-called performance volume limit (PVL) financing method on acute hospital care. The data were derived from the nationwide administrative dataset of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration (OEP) covering the period 2003-2008. We analysed the trends in the DRG cost-weights, number of cases, case-mix, and average length of stay. We calculated the average annual reimbursement rate per DRG cost-weight with and without the application of PVL degression according to the hospital type and medical professions. Our results showed that although the national case mix (i.e., the sum of all of the DRG cost-weights produced in one year) did not change between 2003-2006, the trend of the annual number of cases increased, and the average length of stay decreased. During 2007-2008, a significant decline was found in each indicator. The introduction of the PVL resulted in a health insurance budget saving of 1.9% in 2004, 2.6% in 2005, 3.4% in 2006, 5.6% in 2007, and 3.2% in 2008. We found the lowest reimbursement rate per DRG cost-weight at the university medical schools (HUF 138,200 or € 550) and children's hospitals (HUF 132,547 or € 528), whereas the highest was at the county hospitals (HUF 143,451 or € 571) and city hospitals (HUF 142, 082 or € 565). The implementation of the PVL reduced the acute care hospital activity and reimbursement. The effect of the PVL was different on the different types of hospitals, and it had a serious disadvantageous effect on the university medical schools and children's hospitals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of transoral outlet reduction via endoscopic suturing in patients with weight regain after a surgical Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

PubMed

Espinet Coll, Eduardo; Nebreda Durán, Javier; López-Nava Breviere, Gontrand; Galvao Neto, Manoel; Gómez Valero, José Antonio; Bacchiddu, Silvia; Vila Lolo, Carmen; Díaz Galán, Patricia; Bautista-Castaño, Inmaculada; Juan-Creix Comamala, Antonio

2018-05-09

many patients that undergo bariatric surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB]) may regain some of their weight lost over time. A transoral outlet reduction (TORe) with endoscopic suture could be a valid alternative in these patients. this was a retrospective initial series of 13 consecutive patients with weight regain after RYGB and a dilated gastro-jejunal anastomosis (> 15 mm). TORe was performed using an endoscopic transmural suture device (OverStitch-Apollo®), which was used to reduce the anastomosis aperture and also to treat the gastric pouch. The initial data of feasibility, safety and weight loss are described with a limited follow-up of six months. there was a mean maximum weight loss of 37.69 kg after RYGB and a subsequent average regain of 21.62 kg. The mean anastomosis diameter was 36 mm (range 20-45) which was reduced to 9 mm (range 5-12) (75% reduction), with an average of 2.5 sutures. The mean pouch size was 7.2 cm (range 2-10), which decreased to 4.7 cm (range 4-5) (34.72% reduction), with an average of 2.7 sutures. The mean weight loss six months after TORe was 12.29 kg, a weight loss of 56.85% of the weight regained after RYGB. No complications related to the procedure were recorded. endoscopic suture reduction of the dilated gastro-jejunal anastomosis and the gastric pouch seems a feasible and safe option in our limited initial experience. With a multidisciplinary approach and a short term follow-up, this seems to be a minimally invasive and effective option to control weight regain after RYGB.

An Experimental Examination of Peers’ Influence on Adolescent Girls’ Intent to Engage in Maladaptive Weight-Related Behaviors

PubMed Central

Rancourt, Diana; Choukas-Bradley, Sophia; Cohen, Geoffrey L.; Prinstein, Mitchell J.

2015-01-01

Objective Social psychological theories provide bases for understanding how social comparison processes may impact peer influence. This study examined two peer characteristics that may impact peer influence on adolescent girls’ weight-related behavior intentions: body size and popularity. Method A school-based sample of 66 9th grade girls (12–15 years old) completed an experimental paradigm in which they believed they were interacting with other students (i.e., “e-confederates”). The body size and popularity of the e-confederates were experimentally manipulated. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions in which they were exposed to identical maladaptive weight-related behavior norms communicated by ostensible female peers who were either: (1) Thin and Popular; (2) Thin and Average Popularity; or (3) Heavy and Average Popularity. Participants’ intent to engage in weight-related behaviors was measured pre-experiment and during public and private segments of the experiment. Results A significant effect of condition on public conformity was observed. Participants exposed to peers’ maladaptive weight-related behavior norms in the Heavy and Average condition reported significantly less intent to engage in weight-related behaviors than participants in either of the thin-peer conditions (F(2) = 3.93, p = .025). Peer influence on private acceptance of weight-related behavior intentions was similar across conditions (F(2) = .47, p = .63). Discussion Body size comparison may be the most salient component of peer influence processes on weight-related behaviors. Peer influence on weight-related behavior intention also appears to impact private beliefs. Considering peer norms in preventive interventions combined with dissonance-based approaches may be useful. PMID:24482093

An evaluation of the effects of PEO/PEG molecular weights on extruded alumina rods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolger, Nancy Beth

1998-12-01

Alumina rods were piston extruded from bodies containing polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and polyethylene oxides (PEOs) with molecular weights ranging from 1,300 to 3,800,000 g/mol. A blend of aluminas possessing different particle size distributions was evaluated with regard to its extrusion pressure by varying the amount of PEG/PEO addition. Behavior exhibited by the alumina blend was dependent upon the additive that was used. The higher molecular weight binders with average molecular weight of 200,000 g/mol and 3,350,000 g/mol displayed the most severe behaviors of near dilatant and dilatant respectively. Physical properties of the green and fired states, as well as the binder burnout, were investigated with the changing additions. Correlation between the green and fired strengths and the changing molecular weights were examined. The additive present influenced the surface properties of the rods, which affected the green strengths. The highest average molecular weight polyethylene glycols showed higher green strengths, while the lowest green strengths were observed for the high molecular weight polyethylene oxides. Fired strengths generally ranged from approximately 12,000 psi to 16,000 psi for additive batches. Alumina pellets containing twelve separate combinations of polyethylene glycol with polyethylene oxide were dry pressed. Physical properties of the green and fired states were examined. Statistical analysis was performed upon the data and seven combinations of polyethylene glycol with polyethylene oxide were deemed significant. These combinations in conjunction with the same alumina blend were then piston extruded. The addition of polyethylene glycol reduced the near dilatant behavior exhibited by the 200,000 g/mol average molecular weight polyethylene oxide. Dilatant behavior was completely eliminated from the 3,350,000 g/mol average molecular weight polyethylene oxide batches. Physical properties of the green and fired states were again investigated with the changing additions. Polyethylene oxide, in combination with polyethylene glycol, did show an increase in green strength versus the polyethylene oxide alone. Strengths were still lower than those displayed by the polyethylene glycols alone. Reductions or degradations in molecular weight of the polymers due to mixing and extrusion processes may account for lower green strength of bodies, especially those containing polyethylene oxides.

24 CFR Appendix B to Part 1000 - IHBG Block Grant Formula Mechanisms

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... weighted average for AEL (NAEL). The FMR factor is also defined in § 1000.302 as the relative difference between a local area Fair Market Rent (FMR) and the national weighted average for FMR. OPSUB = [LR * LRSUB... FMR Factor weighted by national average of AEL Factor and FRM Factor. AEL FACTOR = AEL/NAEL. AEL...

The use of computed tomography for the estimation of DIEP flap weights in breast reconstruction: a simple mathematical formula.

PubMed

Nanidis, Theodore G; Ridha, Hyder; Jallali, Navid

2014-10-01

Estimation of the volume of abdominal tissue is desirable when planning autologous abdominal based breast reconstruction. However, this can be difficult clinically. The aim of this study was to develop a simple, yet reliable method of calculating the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap weight using the routine preoperative computed tomography angiogram (CTA) scan. Our mathematical formula is based on the shape of a DIEP flap resembling that of an isosceles triangular prism. Thus its volume can be calculated with a standard mathematical formula. Using bony landmarks three measurements were acquired from the CTA scan to calculate the flap weight. This was then compared to the actual flap weight harvested in both a retrospective feasibility and prospective study. In the retrospective group 17 DIEP flaps in 17 patients were analyzed. Average predicted flap weight was 667 g (range 293-1254). The average actual flap weight was 657 g (range 300-1290) giving an average percentage error of 6.8% (p-value for weight difference 0.53). In the prospective group 15 DIEP flaps in 15 patients were analyzed. Average predicted flap weight was 618 g (range 320-925). The average actual flap weight was 624 g (range 356-970) giving an average percentage error of 6.38% (p-value for weight difference 0.57). This formula is a quick, reliable and accurate way of estimating the volume of abdominal tissue using the preoperative CTA scan. Copyright © 2014 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SU-F-BRD-01: A Logistic Regression Model to Predict Objective Function Weights in Prostate Cancer IMRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boutilier, J; Chan, T; Lee, T

2014-06-15

Purpose: To develop a statistical model that predicts optimization objective function weights from patient geometry for intensity-modulation radiotherapy (IMRT) of prostate cancer. Methods: A previously developed inverse optimization method (IOM) is applied retrospectively to determine optimal weights for 51 treated patients. We use an overlap volume ratio (OVR) of bladder and rectum for different PTV expansions in order to quantify patient geometry in explanatory variables. Using the optimal weights as ground truth, we develop and train a logistic regression (LR) model to predict the rectum weight and thus the bladder weight. Post hoc, we fix the weights of the leftmore » femoral head, right femoral head, and an artificial structure that encourages conformity to the population average while normalizing the bladder and rectum weights accordingly. The population average of objective function weights is used for comparison. Results: The OVR at 0.7cm was found to be the most predictive of the rectum weights. The LR model performance is statistically significant when compared to the population average over a range of clinical metrics including bladder/rectum V53Gy, bladder/rectum V70Gy, and mean voxel dose to the bladder, rectum, CTV, and PTV. On average, the LR model predicted bladder and rectum weights that are both 63% closer to the optimal weights compared to the population average. The treatment plans resulting from the LR weights have, on average, a rectum V70Gy that is 35% closer to the clinical plan and a bladder V70Gy that is 43% closer. Similar results are seen for bladder V54Gy and rectum V54Gy. Conclusion: Statistical modelling from patient anatomy can be used to determine objective function weights in IMRT for prostate cancer. Our method allows the treatment planners to begin the personalization process from an informed starting point, which may lead to more consistent clinical plans and reduce overall planning time.« less

[Effects of interviews during body weight checks in general population surveys].

PubMed

Kroh, M

2005-01-01

While surveying actually measured body weight is largely impractical in national surveys, self-reported weight is a simple and inexpensive method of collecting data. Previous research shows that data on reported body weight are falsified by systematic mis-reporting. This bias is said to be the consequence of the sensitive nature of information on body weight. Numerous studies on survey response suggest that certain modes of data collection are more conducive than others for probing sensitive information. This paper investigates the effect of the anonymous interviews, characteristics of the interviewer and respondents' familiarity with the survey, as factors that may impinge on reported body weight. Findings of this paper show that refusals to state the body weight are rare. Moreover, characteristics of interviewers account for only a small fraction of the variance in reported body weight. Yet the hypothesis that the absence of an interviewer in self-administered interviews increases reported body weight can be confirmed. This interview effect, however, occurred in men only. On average, male respondents in anonymous interview settings report on a body weight which is 1 kg more than they would report in other settings. The repeated participation of respondents in the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) increases their reported body weight accuracy which suggests a positive panel effect on respondents' willingness to disclose sensitive information.

Effect of pituitary hollow fiber units and thyroid supplementation on growth in the little mouse (41949)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harkness, John E.; Hymer, W. C.; Rosenberger, James L.; Grindeland, Richard E.

1984-01-01

It is shown that the implantation of encapsulated pituitary cells into heterozygous lit/+ mice inhibited the average percentage change in weight gain as compared to controls. However, homozygous lit/lit mice receiving cell-filled capsules consistently had higher percentage weight gains than their control counterparts. It was also found that thyroid-supplemented mutant mice with pituitary cell implants had significantly higher organ and carcass weights than other mutant groups.

Effects of IV Acetaminophen on Core Body Temperature and Hemodynamic Responses in Febrile Critically Ill Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Schell-Chaple, Hildy M; Liu, Kathleen D; Matthay, Michael A; Sessler, Daniel I; Puntillo, Kathleen A

2017-07-01

To determine the effects of IV acetaminophen on core body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate in febrile critically ill patients. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Three adult ICUs at a large, urban, academic medical center. Forty critically ill adults with fever (core temperature, ≥ 38.3°C). An infusion of acetaminophen 1 g or saline placebo over 15 minutes. Core temperature and vital signs were measured at baseline and at 5-15-minute intervals for 4 hours after infusion of study drug. The primary outcome was time-weighted average core temperature adjusted for baseline temperature. Secondary outcomes included adjusted time-weighted average heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, along with changes-over-time for each. Baseline patient characteristics were similar in those given acetaminophen and placebo. Patients given acetaminophen had an adjusted time-weighted average temperature that was 0.47°C less than those given placebo (95% CI, -0.76 to -0.18; p = 0.002). The acetaminophen group had significantly lower adjusted time-weighted average systolic blood pressure (-17 mm Hg; 95% CI, -25 to -8; p < 0.001), mean arterial pressure (-7 mm Hg; 95% CI, -12 to -1; p = 0.02), and heart rate (-6 beats/min; 95% CI, -10 to -1; p = 0.03). Changes-over-time temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate outcomes were also significantly lower at 2 hours, but not at 4 hours. Among febrile critically ill adults, treatment with acetaminophen decreased temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. IV acetaminophen thus produces modest fever reduction in critical care patients, along with clinically important reductions in blood pressure.

The effect of age on the racing speed of Thoroughbred racehorses

PubMed Central

TAKAHASHI, Toshiyuki

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT The running performance of Thoroughbred racehorses has been reported to peak when they are between 4 and 5 years old. However, changes in their racing speed by month or season have not been reported. The purposes of this study were to reveal the average racing speed of Thoroughbreds, and observe changes in their average speed with age. The surveyed races were flat races on turf and dirt tracks with firm or standard track conditions held by the Japan Racing Association from January 1st, 2002 to December 31st, 2010. The racing speed of each horse was calculated by dividing the race distance (m) by the horse’s final time (sec). Average speeds per month for each age and distance condition were calculated for each gender group when there were 30 or more starters per month for each age and distance condition for each gender group. The common characteristic change for all conditions was an average speed increase up until the first half of the age of 4 years old. The effect of increased carry weight on average speed was small, and average speed increased with the growth of the horse. After the latter half of the age of 4 years old, the horses’ average speed remained almost constant, with little variation. It is speculated that decreases in the weight carried; and the retirement of less well performing horses; are responsible for the maintenance of average speed. PMID:26170760

Evaluation of the Effect of Core Training on the Leap Power and Motor Characteristics of the 14-16 Years Old Female Volleyball Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilici, Ömer Faruk; Selçuk, Muzaffer

2018-01-01

In this study, it was aimed to assess the effects of core training on the vertical jump strength and some motor characteristics of 14-16 aged female volleyball players. Thirty-four female athletes playing volleyball in Van province participated in the study voluntarily. The average age of volleyball players is 15.47, the weight average is 53.66 kg…

The effects of leachate recirculation with supplemental water addition on methane production and waste decomposition in a simulated tropical landfill.

PubMed

Sanphoti, N; Towprayoon, S; Chaiprasert, P; Nopharatana, A

2006-10-01

In order to increase methane production efficiency, leachate recirculation is applied in landfills to increase moisture content and circulate organic matter back into the landfill cell. In the case of tropical landfills, where high temperature and evaporation occurs, leachate recirculation may not be enough to maintain the moisture content, therefore supplemental water addition into the cell is an option that could help stabilize moisture levels as well as stimulate biological activity. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of leachate recirculation and supplemental water addition on municipal solid waste decomposition and methane production in three anaerobic digestion reactors. Anaerobic digestion with leachate recirculation and supplemental water addition showed the highest performance in terms of cumulative methane production and the stabilization period time required. It produced an accumulated methane production of 54.87 l/kg dry weight of MSW at an average rate of 0.58 l/kg dry weight/d and reached the stabilization phase on day 180. The leachate recirculation reactor provided 17.04 l/kg dry weight at a rate of 0.14l/kg dry weight/d and reached the stabilization phase on day 290. The control reactor provided 9.02 l/kg dry weight at a rate of 0.10 l/kg dry weight/d, and reached the stabilization phase on day 270. Increasing the organic loading rate (OLR) after the waste had reached the stabilization phase made it possible to increase the methane content of the gas, the methane production rate, and the COD removal. Comparison of the reactors' efficiencies at maximum OLR (5 kgCOD/m(3)/d) in terms of the methane production rate showed that the reactor using leachate recirculation with supplemental water addition still gave the highest performance (1.56 l/kg dry weight/d), whereas the leachate recirculation reactor and the control reactor provided 0.69 l/kg dry weight/d and 0.43 l/kg dry weight/d, respectively. However, when considering methane composition (average 63.09%) and COD removal (average 90.60%), slight differences were found among these three reactors.

Effects of age and period of fattening on carcass and non-carcass characteristics of one-humped camels.

PubMed

Saghi, Davoud Ali; Shahdadi, Ali Reza; Mokhtarpour, Amir

2016-08-01

This study was conducted to compare the carcass characteristics and quantity of carcass and non-carcass components of 2- and 3-year-old male camels fattened for either 3 or 6 months. Twelve 2-year-old camels with an average body live weight of 268.5 ± 21.4 kg and twelve 3-year-old camels with an average body live weight of 307.5 ± 29.9 kg were used in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. For carcass analysis, three camels from each group were selected and slaughtered. The results showed that camel age and fattening period had no significant effect on average daily gain (ADG). Older camels and a longer fattening period resulted in heavier hot and cold carcass weights. Three-year-old camels had a higher dressing percentage compared to 2-year-old camels, regardless of the period of fattening. Analysis of non-carcass components showed that the heaviest component was the hide and 2-year-old camels fattened for 90 days had the greatest weight of hide as percentage of cold carcass weight. Total muscle weight was greater for the 3-year-old camels compared to the 2-year-old ones, regardless of the fattening period, and camels fattened for 180 days had heavier weight than those fattened for 90 days, regardless of age at fattening. However, the greatest weight of total muscle was detected in camels at 2 years of age fattened for 180 days when it was expressed as percentage of carcass weight. The highest and the lowest total fat content as kilogram or as percentage of cold carcass was observed in 3-year-old camels fattened for 180 days and 2-year-old camels fattened for 180 days, respectively. Our results suggested that the best age for slaughtering is 2 years old with the fattening period of 180 days.

Effects of intrauterine retention and postmortem interval on body weight following intrauterine death: implications for assessment of fetal growth restriction at autopsy.

PubMed

Man, J; Hutchinson, J C; Ashworth, M; Heazell, A E; Levine, S; Sebire, N J

2016-11-01

According to the classification system used, 15-60% of stillbirths remain unexplained, despite undergoing recommended autopsy examination, with variable attribution of fetal growth restriction (FGR) as a cause of death. Distinguishing small-for-gestational age (SGA) from pathological FGR is a challenge at postmortem examination. This study uses data from a large, well-characterized series of intrauterine death autopsies to investigate the effects of secondary changes such as fetal maceration, intrauterine retention and postmortem interval on body weight. Autopsy findings from intrauterine death investigations (2005-2013 inclusive, from Great Ormond Street Hospital and St George's Hospital, London) were collated into a research database. Growth charts published by the World Health Organization were used to determine normal expected weight centiles for fetuses born ≥ 24 weeks' gestation, and the effects of intrauterine retention (maceration) and postmortem interval were calculated. There were 1064 intrauterine deaths, including 533 stillbirths ≥ 24 weeks' gestation with a recorded birth weight. Of these, 192 (36%) had an unadjusted birth weight below the 10 th centile and were defined as SGA. The majority (86%) of stillborn SGA fetuses demonstrated some degree of maceration, indicating a significant period of intrauterine retention after death. A significantly greater proportion of macerated fetuses were present in the SGA population compared with the non-SGA population (P = 0.01). There was a significant relationship between increasing intrauterine retention interval and both more severe maceration and reduction in birth weight (P < 0.0001 for both), with an average artifactual reduction in birth weight of around -0.8 SD of expected weight. There was an average 12% reduction in fetal weight between delivery and autopsy and, as postmortem interval increased, fetal weight loss increased (P = 0.0001). Based on birth weight alone, 36% of stillbirths are classified as SGA. However, fetuses lose weight in utero with increasing intrauterine retention and continue to lose weight between delivery and autopsy, resulting in erroneous overestimation of FGR. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boutilier, Justin J., E-mail: j.boutilier@mail.utoronto.ca; Lee, Taewoo; Craig, Tim

Purpose: To develop and evaluate the clinical applicability of advanced machine learning models that simultaneously predict multiple optimization objective function weights from patient geometry for intensity-modulated radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Methods: A previously developed inverse optimization method was applied retrospectively to determine optimal objective function weights for 315 treated patients. The authors used an overlap volume ratio (OV) of bladder and rectum for different PTV expansions and overlap volume histogram slopes (OVSR and OVSB for the rectum and bladder, respectively) as explanatory variables that quantify patient geometry. Using the optimal weights as ground truth, the authors trained and appliedmore » three prediction models: logistic regression (LR), multinomial logistic regression (MLR), and weighted K-nearest neighbor (KNN). The population average of the optimal objective function weights was also calculated. Results: The OV at 0.4 cm and OVSR at 0.1 cm features were found to be the most predictive of the weights. The authors observed comparable performance (i.e., no statistically significant difference) between LR, MLR, and KNN methodologies, with LR appearing to perform the best. All three machine learning models outperformed the population average by a statistically significant amount over a range of clinical metrics including bladder/rectum V53Gy, bladder/rectum V70Gy, and dose to the bladder, rectum, CTV, and PTV. When comparing the weights directly, the LR model predicted bladder and rectum weights that had, on average, a 73% and 74% relative improvement over the population average weights, respectively. The treatment plans resulting from the LR weights had, on average, a rectum V70Gy that was 35% closer to the clinical plan and a bladder V70Gy that was 29% closer, compared to the population average weights. Similar results were observed for all other clinical metrics. Conclusions: The authors demonstrated that the KNN and MLR weight prediction methodologies perform comparably to the LR model and can produce clinical quality treatment plans by simultaneously predicting multiple weights that capture trade-offs associated with sparing multiple OARs.« less

Developmental origins of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a case control study comparing birth weight in women with PCOS and control group.

PubMed

Sadrzadeh, Sheda; Painter, Rebecca C; Lambalk, Cornelis B

2016-10-01

Evidence from various epidemiological studies and experimental animal studies has linked adverse intrauterine circumstances with health problems in adult life. This field of investigation is known as Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Studies investigating the relation between developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adulthood and birth weight have yielded inconsistent results: PCOS is described more often in women with low birth weight and high birth weight, while other studies have failed to establish any relation. In this retrospective case-control study, we evaluated whether women diagnosed with PCOS had lower birth weight compared to women with a regular menstrual cycle (controls). Binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the data and correct for known confounders. About 65 women with PCOS and 96 controls were recruited for this purpose. The average birth weight of PCOS women (3357 g) did not differ from the average birth weight of controls (3409 g). Mean age at menarche differed significantly between groups, 13.7  years and 12.8  years (p = 0.006), respectively, for PCOS women and controls. In conclusion, we could not confirm the effect of adverse intrauterine conditions, reflected in birth weight, on developing PCOS.

Postmenopausal weight status, body composition and body fat distribution in relation to parameters of menstrual and reproductive history.

PubMed

Kirchengast, S; Gruber, D; Sator, M; Huber, J

1999-10-24

In the present study the association between menstrual and reproductive history patterns and weight status, fat distribution and body composition during postmenopause was tested. In 106 healthy postmenopausal women ranging in age from 48 to 58 years (x = 53.7 year) the weight status was classified according to the recommendations of the WHO. Additionally body composition was estimated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and fat distribution was calculated using the fat distribution index. Weight status, body composition and fat distribution were correlated with self-reported parameters of menstrual and reproductive history (age at menarche, average cycle length, number of births, age at first and last birth, average pregnancy weight gain, age at menopause). It was shown that number of births, age at first birth and pregnancy weight gain were related significantly to the postmenopausal weight status, body composition and fat distribution. An early first birth a low number of births and a high weight gain during pregnancies can be assumed as risk factors for overweight, a higher amount of adipose tissue, android fat patterning and therefore for the development of the metabolic syndrome during postmenopause. In contrast no adverse effect of menstrual and reproductive parameters on postmenopausal bone mass was found.

An analysis of herding behavior in security analysts’ networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zheng; Zhang, YongJie; Feng, Xu; Zhang, Wei

2014-11-01

In this paper, we build undirected weighted networks to study herding behavior among analysts and to analyze the characteristics and the structure of these networks. We then construct a new indicator based on the average degree of nodes and the average weighted clustering coefficient to research the various types of herding behavior. Our findings suggest that every industry has, to a certain degree, herding behavior among analysts. While there is obvious uninformed herding behavior in real estate and certain other industries, industries such as mining and nonferrous metals have informed herding behavior caused by analysts’ similar reactions to public information. Furthermore, we relate the two types of herding behavior to stock price and find that uninformed herding behavior has a positive effect on market prices, whereas informed herding behavior has a negative effect.

Model averaging and muddled multimodel inferences.

PubMed

Cade, Brian S

2015-09-01

Three flawed practices associated with model averaging coefficients for predictor variables in regression models commonly occur when making multimodel inferences in analyses of ecological data. Model-averaged regression coefficients based on Akaike information criterion (AIC) weights have been recommended for addressing model uncertainty but they are not valid, interpretable estimates of partial effects for individual predictors when there is multicollinearity among the predictor variables. Multicollinearity implies that the scaling of units in the denominators of the regression coefficients may change across models such that neither the parameters nor their estimates have common scales, therefore averaging them makes no sense. The associated sums of AIC model weights recommended to assess relative importance of individual predictors are really a measure of relative importance of models, with little information about contributions by individual predictors compared to other measures of relative importance based on effects size or variance reduction. Sometimes the model-averaged regression coefficients for predictor variables are incorrectly used to make model-averaged predictions of the response variable when the models are not linear in the parameters. I demonstrate the issues with the first two practices using the college grade point average example extensively analyzed by Burnham and Anderson. I show how partial standard deviations of the predictor variables can be used to detect changing scales of their estimates with multicollinearity. Standardizing estimates based on partial standard deviations for their variables can be used to make the scaling of the estimates commensurate across models, a necessary but not sufficient condition for model averaging of the estimates to be sensible. A unimodal distribution of estimates and valid interpretation of individual parameters are additional requisite conditions. The standardized estimates or equivalently the t statistics on unstandardized estimates also can be used to provide more informative measures of relative importance than sums of AIC weights. Finally, I illustrate how seriously compromised statistical interpretations and predictions can be for all three of these flawed practices by critiquing their use in a recent species distribution modeling technique developed for predicting Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) distribution in Colorado, USA. These model averaging issues are common in other ecological literature and ought to be discontinued if we are to make effective scientific contributions to ecological knowledge and conservation of natural resources.

Model averaging and muddled multimodel inferences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cade, Brian S.

2015-01-01

Three flawed practices associated with model averaging coefficients for predictor variables in regression models commonly occur when making multimodel inferences in analyses of ecological data. Model-averaged regression coefficients based on Akaike information criterion (AIC) weights have been recommended for addressing model uncertainty but they are not valid, interpretable estimates of partial effects for individual predictors when there is multicollinearity among the predictor variables. Multicollinearity implies that the scaling of units in the denominators of the regression coefficients may change across models such that neither the parameters nor their estimates have common scales, therefore averaging them makes no sense. The associated sums of AIC model weights recommended to assess relative importance of individual predictors are really a measure of relative importance of models, with little information about contributions by individual predictors compared to other measures of relative importance based on effects size or variance reduction. Sometimes the model-averaged regression coefficients for predictor variables are incorrectly used to make model-averaged predictions of the response variable when the models are not linear in the parameters. I demonstrate the issues with the first two practices using the college grade point average example extensively analyzed by Burnham and Anderson. I show how partial standard deviations of the predictor variables can be used to detect changing scales of their estimates with multicollinearity. Standardizing estimates based on partial standard deviations for their variables can be used to make the scaling of the estimates commensurate across models, a necessary but not sufficient condition for model averaging of the estimates to be sensible. A unimodal distribution of estimates and valid interpretation of individual parameters are additional requisite conditions. The standardized estimates or equivalently the tstatistics on unstandardized estimates also can be used to provide more informative measures of relative importance than sums of AIC weights. Finally, I illustrate how seriously compromised statistical interpretations and predictions can be for all three of these flawed practices by critiquing their use in a recent species distribution modeling technique developed for predicting Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) distribution in Colorado, USA. These model averaging issues are common in other ecological literature and ought to be discontinued if we are to make effective scientific contributions to ecological knowledge and conservation of natural resources.

Effectiveness of employee internet-based weight management program.

PubMed

Petersen, Ruth; Sill, Stewart; Lu, Chifung; Young, Joyce; Edington, Dee W

2008-02-01

To evaluate an employee Internet-based weight management program. Changes in eating habits, stage of change, body weight, and weight categories were compared between enrollment and 6 months after enrollment. Weights and weight categories were compared among a subset of participants and non-participants at 12 months. Seven thousand seven hundred forty-three International Business Machines employees enrolled in the program between December 2004 and February 2006, and 74% were overweight or obese (body mass index > or =25). At 6 months, follow-up survey respondents (1639) had significantly increased most healthy eating habits (eg, 20% decrease in junk foods) and the frequency of healthy foods eaten (eg, 12% increase in fruits). The percentage of participants in the normal weight category had increased from 27.0% to 29.8%, while average weight decreased from 182.6 to 180.2 lbs (P < 0.05). Increased web site usage was associated with increased weight loss and stage of change improvements. At 12 months, a higher percentage of participants had moved into the normal weight category compared with the percentage of non-participants (+2.0% points; P < 0.05), although there were no differences in average weight change. Despite issues of limited penetration and potential self-selection, this Internet-based program had utility in reaching a large number of employees in dispersed work settings, and it led to improved eating habits and improved stage of change at 6 months and more individuals moving into the normal weight category at 6 and 12 months.

Robust Measurements of Phase Response Curves Realized via Multicycle Weighted Spike-Triggered Averages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imai, Takashi; Ota, Kaiichiro; Aoyagi, Toshio

2017-02-01

Phase reduction has been extensively used to study rhythmic phenomena. As a result of phase reduction, the rhythm dynamics of a given system can be described using the phase response curve. Measuring this characteristic curve is an important step toward understanding a system's behavior. Recently, a basic idea for a new measurement method (called the multicycle weighted spike-triggered average method) was proposed. This paper confirms the validity of this method by providing an analytical proof and demonstrates its effectiveness in actual experimental systems by applying the method to an oscillating electric circuit. Some practical tips to use the method are also presented.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, Hyun-Ju; Chung, Chin-Wook, E-mail: joykang@hanyang.ac.kr; Choi, Hyeok

A modified central difference method (MCDM) is proposed to obtain the electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) in single Langmuir probes. Numerical calculation of the EEDF with MCDM is simple and has less noise. This method provides the second derivatives at a given point as the weighted average of second order central difference derivatives calculated at different voltage intervals, weighting each by the square of the interval. In this paper, the EEDFs obtained from MCDM are compared to those calculated via the averaged central difference method. It is found that MCDM effectively suppresses the noises in the EEDF, while the samemore » number of points are used to calculate of the second derivative.« less

Characterization of gizzards and grits of wild cranes found dead at Izumi Plain in Japan

PubMed Central

UEGOMORI, Mima; HARAGUCHI, Yuko; OBI, Takeshi; TAKASE, Kozo

2018-01-01

We analyzed the gizzards, and grits retained in the gizzards of 41 cranes that migrated to the Izumi Plain during the winter of 2015/2016 and died there, either due to accident or disease. These included 31 Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha) and 10 White-naped Cranes (G. vipio). We determined body weight, gizzard weight, total grit weight and number per gizzard, and size, shape, and surface roundness of the grits. Average gizzard weights were 92.4 g for Hooded Cranes and 97.1 g for White-naped Cranes, and gizzard weight positively correlated with body weight in both species. Average total grit weights per gizzard were 19.7 g in Hooded Cranes and 25.7 g in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. Average percentages of body weight to grit weight were 0.8% in Hooded Cranes and 0.5% in White-naped Cranes. Average grit number per gizzard was 693.5 in Hooded Cranes and 924.2 in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. The average grit size was 2.8 mm in both species. No differences were found in the shape and surface roundness of grits between the two species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the grits retained in the gizzards of Hooded and White-naped Cranes. PMID:29503349

Characterization of gizzards and grits of wild cranes found dead at Izumi Plain in Japan.

PubMed

Uegomori, Mima; Haraguchi, Yuko; Obi, Takeshi; Takase, Kozo

2018-04-18

We analyzed the gizzards, and grits retained in the gizzards of 41 cranes that migrated to the Izumi Plain during the winter of 2015/2016 and died there, either due to accident or disease. These included 31 Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha) and 10 White-naped Cranes (G. vipio). We determined body weight, gizzard weight, total grit weight and number per gizzard, and size, shape, and surface roundness of the grits. Average gizzard weights were 92.4 g for Hooded Cranes and 97.1 g for White-naped Cranes, and gizzard weight positively correlated with body weight in both species. Average total grit weights per gizzard were 19.7 g in Hooded Cranes and 25.7 g in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. Average percentages of body weight to grit weight were 0.8% in Hooded Cranes and 0.5% in White-naped Cranes. Average grit number per gizzard was 693.5 in Hooded Cranes and 924.2 in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. The average grit size was 2.8 mm in both species. No differences were found in the shape and surface roundness of grits between the two species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the grits retained in the gizzards of Hooded and White-naped Cranes.

Weighted Vest Use during Dietary Weight Loss on Bone Health in Older Adults with Obesity.

PubMed

Kelleher, Jessica L; Beavers, Daniel P; Henderson, Rebecca M; Yow, Dixie; Crotts, Charlotte; Kiel, Jessica; Nicklas, Barbara J; Beavers, Kristen M

2017-01-01

To examine the effects of daily weighted vest use during a dietary weight loss intervention, on (a) hip and spine bone mineral density (aBMD), and (b) biomarkers of bone turnover, in older adults with obesity. 37 older (70.1 ± 3.0 years) adults with obesity (BMI=35.3 ± 2.9) underwent a 22 week dietary weight loss intervention (1100-1300 kcal/day) with (Diet+Vest; n=20) or without (Diet; n=17) weighted vest use (goal: 10+ h/day; weight added incrementally based on amount of weight lost). Total body weight; DXA-acquired aBMD of the total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine; and biomarkers of bone turnover (OC, BALP, P1NP, CTX) were measured at baseline and follow up. General linear models, adjusted for baseline values of the outcome and gender, were used to examine intervention effects. Average weight loss was significant in both groups (-11.2 ± 4.4 kg and -11.0 ± 6.3 kg, Diet+Vest and Diet groups, respectively), with no difference between groups (p=0.91). Average weighted vest use was 6.7 ± 2.2 h/day. No significant changes in aBMD or biomarkers were observed, although trends were noted for total hip aBMD and BALP. Loss in total hip aBMD was greater in the Diet group compared with Diet+Vest (Δ: -18.7 [29.3, -8.1] mg/cm 2 versus -6.1 [-15.7, 3.5] mg/cm 2 ; p=0.08). BALP increased in the Diet+Vest group by 3.8% (Δ: 0.59 [-0.33, 1.50] μg/L) and decreased by -4.6% in the Diet group (Δ: -0.70 [-1.70, 0.31] μg/L, p=0.07). Weighted vest use during weight loss may attenuate loss of hip aBMD and increase bone formation in older adults with obesity. Further study is warranted.

Calculating ensemble averaged descriptions of protein rigidity without sampling.

PubMed

González, Luis C; Wang, Hui; Livesay, Dennis R; Jacobs, Donald J

2012-01-01

Previous works have demonstrated that protein rigidity is related to thermodynamic stability, especially under conditions that favor formation of native structure. Mechanical network rigidity properties of a single conformation are efficiently calculated using the integer body-bar Pebble Game (PG) algorithm. However, thermodynamic properties require averaging over many samples from the ensemble of accessible conformations to accurately account for fluctuations in network topology. We have developed a mean field Virtual Pebble Game (VPG) that represents the ensemble of networks by a single effective network. That is, all possible number of distance constraints (or bars) that can form between a pair of rigid bodies is replaced by the average number. The resulting effective network is viewed as having weighted edges, where the weight of an edge quantifies its capacity to absorb degrees of freedom. The VPG is interpreted as a flow problem on this effective network, which eliminates the need to sample. Across a nonredundant dataset of 272 protein structures, we apply the VPG to proteins for the first time. Our results show numerically and visually that the rigidity characterizations of the VPG accurately reflect the ensemble averaged [Formula: see text] properties. This result positions the VPG as an efficient alternative to understand the mechanical role that chemical interactions play in maintaining protein stability.

Hierarchical Bayesian analysis of outcome- and process-based social preferences and beliefs in Dictator Games and sequential Prisoner's Dilemmas.

PubMed

Aksoy, Ozan; Weesie, Jeroen

2014-05-01

In this paper, using a within-subjects design, we estimate the utility weights that subjects attach to the outcome of their interaction partners in four decision situations: (1) binary Dictator Games (DG), second player's role in the sequential Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) after the first player (2) cooperated and (3) defected, and (4) first player's role in the sequential Prisoner's Dilemma game. We find that the average weights in these four decision situations have the following order: (1)>(2)>(4)>(3). Moreover, the average weight is positive in (1) but negative in (2), (3), and (4). Our findings indicate the existence of strong negative and small positive reciprocity for the average subject, but there is also high interpersonal variation in the weights in these four nodes. We conclude that the PD frame makes subjects more competitive than the DG frame. Using hierarchical Bayesian modeling, we simultaneously analyze beliefs of subjects about others' utility weights in the same four decision situations. We compare several alternative theoretical models on beliefs, e.g., rational beliefs (Bayesian-Nash equilibrium) and a consensus model. Our results on beliefs strongly support the consensus effect and refute rational beliefs: there is a strong relationship between own preferences and beliefs and this relationship is relatively stable across the four decision situations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermo-mechanically coupled fracture analysis of shape memory alloys using the extended finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatefi Ardakani, S.; Ahmadian, H.; Mohammadi, S.

2015-04-01

In this paper, the extended finite element method is used for fracture analysis of shape memory alloys for both cases of super elastic and shape memory effects. Heat generation during the forward and reverse phase transformations can lead to temperature variation in the material because of strong thermo-mechanical coupling, which significantly influences the SMA mechanical behavior. First, the stationary crack mode is studied and the effects of loading rate on material behavior in the crack tip are examined. Then, the crack propagation analysis is performed in the presence of an initial crack by adopting a weighted averaging criterion, where the direction of crack propagation is determined by weighted averaging of effective stresses at all the integration points in the vicinity of the crack tip. Finally, several numerical examples are analyzed and the obtained results are compared with the available reference results.

The role of sex and body weight on the metabolic effects of high-fat diet in C57BL/6N mice.

PubMed

Ingvorsen, C; Karp, N A; Lelliott, C J

2017-04-10

Metabolic disorders are commonly investigated using knockout and transgenic mouse models on the C57BL/6N genetic background due to its genetic susceptibility to the deleterious metabolic effects of high-fat diet (HFD). There is growing awareness of the need to consider sex in disease progression, but limited attention has been paid to sexual dimorphism in mouse models and its impact in metabolic phenotypes. We assessed the effect of HFD and the impact of sex on metabolic variables in this strain. We generated a reference data set encompassing glucose tolerance, body composition and plasma chemistry data from 586 C57BL/6N mice fed a standard chow and 733 fed a HFD collected as part of a high-throughput phenotyping pipeline. Linear mixed model regression analysis was used in a dual analysis to assess the effect of HFD as an absolute change in phenotype, but also as a relative change accounting for the potential confounding effect of body weight. HFD had a significant impact on all variables tested with an average absolute effect size of 29%. For the majority of variables (78%), the treatment effect was modified by sex and this was dominated by male-specific or a male stronger effect. On average, there was a 13.2% difference in the effect size between the male and female mice for sexually dimorphic variables. HFD led to a significant body weight phenotype (24% increase), which acts as a confounding effect on the other analysed variables. For 79% of the variables, body weight was found to be a significant source of variation, but even after accounting for this confounding effect, similar HFD-induced phenotypic changes were found to when not accounting for weight. HFD and sex are powerful modifiers of metabolic parameters in C57BL/6N mice. We also demonstrate the value of considering body size as a covariate to obtain a richer understanding of metabolic phenotypes.

No evidence found for an association between prednisone dose and FVC change in newly-treated pulmonary sarcoidosis.

PubMed

Broos, Caroline E; Poell, Linda H C; Looman, Caspar W N; In 't Veen, Johannes C C M; Grootenboers, Marco J J H; Heller, Roxane; van den Toorn, Leon M; Wapenaar, Monique; Hoogsteden, Henk C; Kool, Mirjam; Wijsenbeek, Marlies S; van den Blink, Bernt

2018-05-01

Prednisone is used as first-line therapy for pulmonary sarcoidosis. What dosing strategy has the best balance between effect and side-effects is largely unknown. We analyzed change in forced vital capacity (FVC) and weight during different prednisone doses used in daily practice for treatment naïve pulmonary sarcoidosis patients. Multilevel models were used to describe FVC and weight change over time. Correlations were calculated using linear regression models. Fifty-four patients were included. FVC changed over time (p < 0.001), with an average increase of 9.6% predicted (95% CI: 7.2 to 12.1) at 12 months. Weight changed significantly over time (p < 0.001), with an average increase of 4.3 kg (95% CI: 3.0 to 5.6) at 12 months. Although FVC and weight changed significantly over time, there was little correlation between prednisone dose and FVC change, while weight increase correlated significantly with cumulative prednisone dose at 24 months. In patients treated with a high cumulative prednisone dose, baseline FVC was on average lower (p = 0.001) compared to low dose treated patients, while no significant differences were observed in need for second/third-line therapy or number of exacerbations. A strategy leading to a low cumulative dose at 12 months was defined by rapid dose tapering to 10 mg/day within 3.5 months. These results suggest that prednisone therapy aimed at improving or preserving FVC in newly- treated pulmonary sarcoidosis can often be reduced in dose, using a treatment regimen that is characterized by early dose tapering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera Hübner) caused injury on maize grain content, especially regarding to the protein alteration.

PubMed

Keszthelyi, S; Pál-Fám, F; Kerepesi, I

2011-03-01

The cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera Hübner), which migrated in the Carpathian-basin from Mediterraneum in the last decades, is becoming an increasingly serious problem for maize producers in Hungary. In several regions the damage it causes has reached the threshold of economic loss, especially in the case of the sweet maize cultivation. The aim of the research was to determine the changing of ears weights and in-kernel accumulation and alteration in grain as a function of cotton bollworm mastication.Our investigation confirmed that there is an in-kernel and protein pattern change of maize grain by cotton bollworm. Our results proved the significant damaging of each part of ears by cotton bollworm masticating (the average weight loss of ears: 13.99%; the average weight loss of grains: 14.03%; the average weight loss of cobs: 13.74%), with the exception of the increasing of the grain-cob ratio. Our examinations did not prove the water loss - that is the "forced maturing" - caused by the damage. Decreasing of raw fat (control: 2.8%; part-damaged: 2.6%; damaged: 2.4%) and starch content (control: 53.1%; part-damaged: 46.6%; damaged: 44.7%) were registered as a function of injury. In contrast, the raw protein content was increased (control: 4.7%; part-damaged: 5.3%; damaged: 7.4%) by maize ear masticating. The most conspicuous effect on protein composition changing was proved by comparison of damaged grain samples by SDS PAGE. Increased amounts of 114, 50, 46 and 35 kDa molecular mass proteins were detected which explained the more than 50% elevation of raw protein content. The statistical analysis of molecular weights proved the protein realignment as a function of the pest injuries, too.

Scaling of average weighted shortest path and average receiving time on weighted expanded Koch networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zikai; Hou, Baoyu; Zhang, Hongjuan; Jin, Feng

2014-04-01

Deterministic network models have been attractive media for discussing dynamical processes' dependence on network structural features. On the other hand, the heterogeneity of weights affect dynamical processes taking place on networks. In this paper, we present a family of weighted expanded Koch networks based on Koch networks. They originate from a r-polygon, and each node of current generation produces m r-polygons including the node and whose weighted edges are scaled by factor w in subsequent evolutionary step. We derive closed-form expressions for average weighted shortest path length (AWSP). In large network, AWSP stays bounded with network order growing (0 < w < 1). Then, we focus on a special random walks and trapping issue on the networks. In more detail, we calculate exactly the average receiving time (ART). ART exhibits a sub-linear dependence on network order (0 < w < 1), which implies that nontrivial weighted expanded Koch networks are more efficient than un-weighted expanded Koch networks in receiving information. Besides, efficiency of receiving information at hub nodes is also dependent on parameters m and r. These findings may pave the way for controlling information transportation on general weighted networks.

Low birth weight of contemporary African Americans: an intergenerational effect of slavery?

PubMed

Jasienska, Grazyna

2009-01-01

The average birth weight in the contemporary African-American population is about 250 g lower than the average birth weight of European Americans. Differences in genetic and socioeconomic factors present between these two groups can explain only part of birth weight variation. I propose a hypothesis that the low birth weight of contemporary African Americans not only results from the difference in present exposure to lifestyle factors known to affect fetal development but also from conditions experienced during the period of slavery. Slaves had poor nutritional status during all stages of life because of the inadequate dietary intake accompanied by high energetic costs of physical work and infectious diseases. The concept of "fetal programming" suggests that physiology and metabolism including growth and fat accumulation of the developing fetus, and, thus its birth weight, depend on intergenerational signal of environmental quality passed through generations of matrilinear ancestors. I suggest that several generations that have passed since the abolition of slavery in the United States (1865) has not been enough to obliterate the impact of slavery on the current biological and health condition of the African-American population. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

DietBet: A Web-Based Program that Uses Social Gaming and Financial Incentives to Promote Weight Loss

PubMed Central

Rosen, Jamie

2014-01-01

Background Web-based commercial weight loss programs are increasing in popularity. Despite their significant public health potential, there is limited research on the effectiveness of such programs. Objective The objective of our study was to examine weight losses produced by DietBet and explore whether baseline and engagement variables predict weight outcomes. Methods DietBet is a social gaming website that uses financial incentives and social influence to promote weight loss. Players bet money and join a game. All players have 4 weeks to lose 4% of their initial body weight. At enrollment, players can choose to share their participation on Facebook. During the game, players interact with one another and report their weight loss on the DietBet platform. At week 4, all players within each game who lose at least 4% of initial body weight are declared winners and split the pool of money bet at the start of the game. Official weigh-in procedures are used to verify weights at the start of the game and at the end. Results From December 2012 to July 2013, 39,387 players (84.04% female, 33,101/39,387; mean weight 87.8kg, SD 22.6kg) competed in 1934 games. The average amount bet was US $27 (SD US $22). A total of 65.63% (25,849/39,387) provided a verified weight at the end of the 4-week competition. The average intention-to-treat weight loss was 2.6% (SD 2.3%). Winners (n=17,171) won an average of US $59 (SD US $35) and lost 4.9% (SD 1.0%) of initial body weight, with 30.68% (5268/17,171) losing 5% or more of their initial weight. Betting more money at game entry, sharing on Facebook, completing more weigh-ins, and having more social interactions during the game predicted greater weight loss and greater likelihood of winning (Ps<.001). In addition, weight loss clustered within games (P<.001), suggesting that players influenced each others’ weight outcomes. Conclusions DietBet, a social gaming website, reached nearly 40,000 individuals in just 7 months and produced excellent 4-week weight loss results. Given its reach and potential public health impact, future research may consider examining whether a longer program promotes additional weight loss. PMID:25658966

Effectiveness of an Internet Community for Severely Obese Women.

PubMed

Chomutare, Taridzo; Årsand, Eirik; Hartvigsen, Gunnar

2016-01-01

While Internet communities have become thriving sources of support, little is yet known about their effectiveness. We retrospectively sampled morbidly obese (Body Mass Index, BMI > 40) women who were active for at least a year in an Internet community. We compared self-reported weight changes between women who had high online participation levels (n = 71) versus those with low participation levels as control (n = 69). Women who actively participated online lost on average 7.52%, while those who were passive lost 5.39% of their original body weight. For active women, there was positive, albeit weak, correlation (r = 0.22, p < 0.05) between online participation levels and weight loss, while no significant correlation was noted for the control. Current results indicate modest evidence supporting active participation in Internet groups as an effective weight loss strategy for the target group.

Effectiveness of extended contact interventions for weight management delivered via text messaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Job, J R; Fjeldsoe, B S; Eakin, E G; Reeves, M M

2018-04-01

Extended contact interventions provide support for continued weight management (weight loss/prevention of weight regain) following a weight loss intervention. Text messages offer a medium for delivery in a potentially cost-effective, broad-reach manner. This study aims to examine (i) the effectiveness of extended contact, text message interventions for adults in supporting weight management, and (ii) which intervention characteristics are common to those that are effective. A systematic database search (to 19 September 2016) was conducted. Meta-analyses were performed to quantify the average weight changes (kg) during the extended contact intervention, net of control (if a control group was present) and within-group. Seven studies were eligible for inclusion. The pooled effect of the extended contact intervention compared with control (n = 3 studies) was -0.82 kg (95% confidence interval -1.43, -0.21), while the pooled within-group weight loss (n = 6 studies) during the extended contact interventions was -2.16 kg (95% confidence interval -3.40, -0.91). Interventions considered 'effective' (n = 4) were more likely to be >12 weeks duration, compared with interventions considered 'ineffective' (n = 3). Evidence from the small number of studies reviewed suggests that extended contact, text message-delivered interventions are effective. Further research is required to elucidate effective intervention components and the longer-term impact on weight, diet and physical activity behaviour. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

Exergaming for health: a community-based pediatric weight management program using active video gaming.

PubMed

Christison, Amy; Khan, Huma Ali

2012-04-01

To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a multifaceted, community-based weight intervention program for children using exergaming technology (activity-promoting video gaming). This is a prospective observational pilot study. Forty-eight children, between the ages of 8 and 16 years, who are overweight or obese, enrolled in Exergaming for Health, a multidisciplinary weight management program, which used active video gaming. Primary outcome measures were change in body mass index (BMI) z scores. Most children (n = 40, 83%) completed the program and participated in outcome evaluations. The average BMI change was -0.48 kg/m(2) (SD = 0.93), P < .002 (BMI z-score change was -0.072, SD = 0.14, P < .0001). The average Global Self-Worth score improved, screen time and soda intake reduced, and exercise hours per week increased. The Exergaming for Health program may be an effective weight management intervention that is feasible with high participation rates. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm these results.

Personality as a predictor of weight loss maintenance after surgery for morbid obesity.

PubMed

Larsen, Junilla K; Geenen, Rinie; Maas, Cora; de Wit, Pieter; van Antwerpen, Tiny; Brand, Nico; van Ramshorst, Bert

2004-11-01

Personality characteristics are assumed to underlie health behaviors and, thus, a variety of health outcomes. Our aim was to examine prospectively whether personality traits predict short- and long-term weight loss after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Of patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, 168 (143 women, 25 men, 18 to 58 years old, mean 37 years, preoperative BMI 45.9 +/- 5.6 kg/m(2)) completed the Dutch Personality Questionnaire on average 1.5 years before the operation. The relationship between preoperative personality and short- and long-term postoperative weight loss was determined using multilevel regression analysis. The average weight loss of patients progressively increased to 10 BMI points until 18 months after surgery and stabilized thereafter. A lower baseline BMI, being a man, and a higher educational level were associated with a lower weight loss. None of the personality variables was associated with weight outcome at short-term follow-up. Six of seven personality variables did not predict long-term weight outcome. Egoism was associated with less weight loss in the long-term postoperative period. The effect sizes of the significant predictions were small. None of the personality variables predicted short-term weight outcome, and only one variable showed a small and unexpected association with long-term weight outcome that needs confirmation. This suggests that personality assessment as intake psychological screening is of little use for the prediction of a poor or successful weight outcome after bariatric surgery.

Comparison of a low-fat diet to a low-carbohydrate diet on weight loss, body composition, and risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in free-living, overweight men and women.

PubMed

Meckling, Kelly A; O'Sullivan, Caitriona; Saari, Dayna

2004-06-01

Overweight and obese men and women (24-61 yr of age) were recruited into a randomized trial to compare the effects of a low-fat (LF) vs. a low-carbohydrate (LC) diet on weight loss. Thirty-one subjects completed all 10 wk of the diet intervention (retention, 78%). Subjects on the LF diet consumed an average of 17.8% of energy from fat, compared with their habitual intake of 36.4%, and had a resulting energy restriction of 2540 kJ/d. Subjects on the LC diet consumed an average of 15.4% carbohydrate, compared with habitual intakes of about 50% carbohydrate, and had a resulting energy restriction of 3195 kJ/d. Both groups of subjects had significant weight loss over the 10 wk of diet intervention and nearly identical improvements in body weight and fat mass. LF subjects lost an average of 6.8 kg and had a decrease in body mass index of 2.2 kg/m2, compared with a loss of 7.0 kg and decrease in body mass index of 2.1 kg/m2 in the LC subjects. The LF group better preserved lean body mass when compared with the LC group; however, only the LC group had a significant decrease in circulating insulin concentrations. Group results indicated that the diets were equally effective in reducing systolic blood pressure by about 10 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 5 mm Hg and decreasing plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 bioactivity. Blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were increased in the LC only, at the 2- and 4-wk time points. These data suggest that energy restriction achieved by a very LC diet is equally effective as a LF diet strategy for weight loss and decreasing body fat in overweight and obese adults.

Genotype x environment interactions in postweaning performance to yearling in Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal-cross calves.

PubMed

Brown, M A; Brown, A H; Jackson, W G; Miesner, J R

1993-12-01

Data from 431 Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal-cross calves were used to evaluate performance from weaning to yearling in calves managed during the winter on dormant common bermudagrass or endophyte-infected tall fescue (backgrounding environments). Calves on bermudagrass were weaned at heavier weights (P < .01) but gained less postweaning (P < .01). Weights at 365 d, 365-d hip heights, and 365-d weight:height ratios were similar between calves on different backgrounding environments averaged over breed. There was evidence that heterosis for postweaning ADG was larger in calves managed on endophyte-infected tall fescue (P < .05), but heterosis estimates for 205-d weight, 365-d weight, 365-d hip height, and 365-d weight:height were similar between backgrounding environments. Maternal and direct effects did not significantly interact with backgrounding environment, but there was a trend for maternal effects of 205-d weight, 365-d weight, and 365-d weight:height to be larger on the common bermudagrass environment than on the tall fescue environment. There was also a trend for direct breed effects for postweaning ADG and 365-d hip height to be larger on the common bermudagrass environment. These data indicated that genetic effects may vary with production environment and that consideration should be given to environment when developing crossbreeding systems.

Persistence of lower birth weight in second generation South Asian babies born in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Margetts, B; Mohd, Y; Al, D; Jackson, A

2002-01-01

Objective: To assess differences in birth weight between all first and second generation South Asian babies born in Southampton, and trends since 1957. Design: Retrospective, cohort study. Setting: Birth records for babies born in Southampton from 1957 to 1996 were searched to identify all babies born of South Asian origin (including from the Indian subcontinent, East Africa, and elsewhere). Main outcome measures: All information recorded in the birth record about the mother and baby was extracted. Results: 2395 full term (>37 weeks; mean birth weight 3110; 95%CI 3092 to 3129) singleton births were identified. Detailed analysis was restricted to mothers either born in the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh (1435)) or United Kingdom (283). Mean birth weight and % low birth weight (<2500 g) were 3133 g (95%CI 3108 to 3157) and 7.5%, for first generation babies and 3046 g (2992 to 3099) and 11.7% for second generation babies. There was no trend over time to increased average birth weight in either first or second generation babies. Adjusting for other factors that were statistically significantly related to birth weight (gender, gestational age, mother's age, maternal weight at 15 weeks, parity, and mother's ethnic group) did not alter the trends. Conclusions: For that group in the UK who derive from the Indian subcontinent, average birth weight is significantly less than the national average. There has not been any increase in the average birth weight over the past 40 years, and the birth weight of babies of women who were born in the UK are no greater. The persistence of lower than desirable birth weight may result long term in higher than average rates of diabetes and heart disease in these groups. PMID:12177085

Persistence of lower birth weight in second generation South Asian babies born in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Margetts, B M; Mohd Yusof, S; Al Dallal, Z; Jackson, A A

2002-09-01

To assess differences in birth weight between all first and second generation South Asian babies born in Southampton, and trends since 1957. Retrospective, cohort study. Birth records for babies born in Southampton from 1957 to 1996 were searched to identify all babies born of South Asian origin (including from the Indian subcontinent, East Africa, and elsewhere). All information recorded in the birth record about the mother and baby was extracted. 2395 full term (>37 weeks; mean birth weight 3110; 95%CI 3092 to 3129) singleton births were identified. Detailed analysis was restricted to mothers either born in the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh (1435)) or United Kingdom (283). Mean birth weight and % low birth weight (<2500 g) were 3133 g (95%CI 3108 to 3157) and 7.5%, for first generation babies and 3046 g (2992 to 3099) and 11.7% for second generation babies. There was no trend over time to increased average birth weight in either first or second generation babies. Adjusting for other factors that were statistically significantly related to birth weight (gender, gestational age, mother's age, maternal weight at 15 weeks, parity, and mother's ethnic group) did not alter the trends. For that group in the UK who derive from the Indian subcontinent, average birth weight is significantly less than the national average. There has not been any increase in the average birth weight over the past 40 years, and the birth weight of babies of women who were born in the UK are no greater. The persistence of lower than desirable birth weight may result long term in higher than average rates of diabetes and heart disease in these groups.

Efficacy of tilmicosin in the control of experimentally induced Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection in swine

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

Abstract The efficacy of tilmicosin administered in the feed to control Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infections in pigs was evaluated through a multisite, multitrial study. For each of 6 trials, 48 pigs (stratified by weight and sex) were randomly assigned to 6 to 8 pens. Medicated feed containing tilmicosin (200 g/t) and unmedicated feed were randomly assigned at the pen level and were provided ad libitum from day −7 to trial termination (day 14). Seeder pigs (inoculated intranasally with A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 and showing signs of clinical disease) were introduced to each pen on day 0. Rates of death, gross lesions, and culture of A. pleuropneumoniae at necropsy, clinical scores, average daily gain in weight, and average body temperature were compared between the medicated and unmedicated pigs. Compared with the unmedicated pigs, significantly fewer (P < 0.05) pigs given tilmicosin had lesions typical of A. pleuropneumoniae or had A. pleuropneumoniae isolated from their tissues at necropsy. Together with a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the average percentage of pneumonic lung involvement (both visually and by weight), there were reductions in the numbers of pigs with moderate and severe pneumonic lung lesions and with A. pleuropneumoniae associated mortality. With tilmicosin treatment, the average daily weight gain, daily temperature, abdominal appearance, attitude, and respiration were also significantly better (P < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrate the in vivo effectiveness of tilmicosin (200 g/t) in controlling pleuropneumonia among swine experimentally infected with A. pleuropneumoniae. PMID:14979429

Efficacy of tilmicosin in the control of experimentally induced Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection in swine.

PubMed

Paradis, Marie-Anne; Vessie, Gordon H; Merrill, John K; Dick, C Paul; Moore, Camille; Charbonneau, George; Gottschalk, M; MacInnes, Janet I; Higgins, Robert; Mittal, K R; Girard, C; Aramini, Jeffery J; Wilson, Jeffrey B

2004-01-01

The efficacy of tilmicosin administered in the feed to control Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infections in pigs was evaluated through a multisite, multitrial study. For each of 6 trials, 48 pigs (stratified by weight and sex) were randomly assigned to 6 to 8 pens. Medicated feed containing tilmicosin (200 g/t) and unmedicated feed were randomly assigned at the pen level and were provided ad libitum from day -7 to trial termination (day 14). Seeder pigs (inoculated intranasally with A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 and showing signs of clinical disease) were introduced to each pen on day 0. Rates of death, gross lesions, and culture of A. pleuropneumoniae at necropsy, clinical scores, average daily gain in weight, and average body temperature were compared between the medicated and unmedicated pigs. Compared with the unmedicated pigs, significantly fewer (P < 0.05) pigs given tilmicosin had lesions typical of A. pleuropneumoniae or had A. pleuropneumoniae isolated from their tissues at necropsy. Together with a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the average percentage of pneumonic lung involvement (both visually and by weight), there were reductions in the numbers of pigs with moderate and severe pneumonic lung lesions and with A. pleuropneumoniae associated mortality. With tilmicosin treatment, the average daily weight gain, daily temperature, abdominal appearance, attitude, and respiration were also significantly better (P < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrate the in vivo effectiveness of tilmicosin (200 g/t) in controlling pleuropneumonia among swine experimentally infected with A. pleuropneumoniae.

Visual artificial grammar learning in dyslexia: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

van Witteloostuijn, Merel; Boersma, Paul; Wijnen, Frank; Rispens, Judith

2017-11-01

Literacy impairments in dyslexia have been hypothesized to be (partly) due to an implicit learning deficit. However, studies of implicit visual artificial grammar learning (AGL) have often yielded null results. The aim of this study is to weigh the evidence collected thus far by performing a meta-analysis of studies on implicit visual AGL in dyslexia. Thirteen studies were selected through a systematic literature search, representing data from 255 participants with dyslexia and 292 control participants (mean age range: 8.5-36.8 years old). If the 13 selected studies constitute a random sample, individuals with dyslexia perform worse on average than non-dyslexic individuals (average weighted effect size=0.46, 95% CI [0.14 … 0.77], p=0.008), with a larger effect in children than in adults (p=0.041; average weighted effect sizes 0.71 [sig.] versus 0.16 [non-sig.]). However, the presence of a publication bias indicates the existence of missing studies that may well null the effect. While the studies under investigation demonstrate that implicit visual AGL is impaired in dyslexia (more so in children than in adults, if in adults at all), the detected publication bias suggests that the effect might in fact be zero. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Climate Change and Fetal Health: The Impacts of Exposure to Extreme Temperatures in New York City

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ngo, Nicole S.; Horton, Radley M.

2015-01-01

Background: Climate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves while reducing cold extremes, yet few studies have examined the relationship between temperature and fetal health. Objectives: We estimate the impacts of extreme temperatures on birth weight and gestational age in Manhattan, a borough in New York City, and explore differences by socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: We combine average daily temperature from 1985 to 2010 with birth certificate data in Manhattan for the same time period. We then generate 33 downscaled climate model time series to project impacts on fetal health. Results: We find exposure to an extra day where average temperature 25 F and 85 F during pregnancy is associated with a 1.8 and 1.7 g (respectively) reduction in birth weight, but the impact varies by SES, particularly for extreme heat, where teen mothers seem most vulnerable. We find no meaningful, significant effect on gestational age. Using projections of temperature from these climate models, we project average net reductions in birth weight in the 2070- 2099 period of 4.6 g in the business-as-usual scenario. Conclusions: Results suggest that increasing heat events from climate change could adversely impact birth weight and vary by SES.

A review of technology-based interventions to maintain weight loss.

PubMed

Lee, Sohye; Lindquist, Ruth

2015-03-01

For many decades, healthcare providers and researchers have developed weight-loss interventions to help people achieve weight loss. Unfortunately, it is typical for people to lose weight quickly during the intervention period but then slowly regain weight until they return to their approximate baseline. Technology-based maintenance interventions are among the newest approaches to long-term weight loss. Several advantages make technology helpful for maintaining weight loss. The purpose of this article was to review and critique the randomized controlled trials of technology-based weight-loss maintenance interventions (WLMIs) for adults. A systematic search through electronic databases and a manual citation search were conducted. Limited numbers of controlled trials published since 2000 that included randomization, and technology-based WLMIs were identified. The characteristics of the eight studies were diverse. The average score of study design quality was moderate. The results of the effectiveness of technology-based WLMIs were mixed. Technology-based WLMIs are more likely to be effective than usual care but not more effective than personal contact. Based on the review, guidelines were established for the selection and potential success of technology-based WLMIs. The effectiveness of technology-based maintenance interventions for weight loss varied, and potential strategies and approaches are discussed to improve their effectiveness. Further studies are needed to better evaluate and refine the efficacy of technology-based WLMIs.

Innovation in weight loss programs: a 3-dimensional virtual-world approach.

PubMed

Johnston, Jeanne D; Massey, Anne P; Devaneaux, Celeste A

2012-09-20

The rising trend in obesity calls for innovative weight loss programs. While behavioral-based face-to-face programs have proven to be the most effective, they are expensive and often inaccessible. Internet or Web-based weight loss programs have expanded reach but may lack qualities critical to weight loss and maintenance such as human interaction, social support, and engagement. In contrast to Web technologies, virtual reality technologies offer unique affordances as a behavioral intervention by directly supporting engagement and active learning. To explore the effectiveness of a virtual-world weight loss program relative to weight loss and behavior change. We collected data from overweight people (N = 54) participating in a face-to-face or a virtual-world weight loss program. Weight, body mass index (BMI), percentage weight change, and health behaviors (ie, weight loss self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, self-reported physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption) were assessed before and after the 12-week program. Repeated measures analysis was used to detect differences between groups and across time. A total of 54 participants with a BMI of 32 (SD 6.05) kg/m(2)enrolled in the study, with a 13% dropout rate for each group (virtual world group: 5/38; face-to-face group: 3/24). Both groups lost a significant amount of weight (virtual world: 3.9 kg, P < .001; face-to-face: 2.8 kg, P = .002); however, no significant differences between groups were detected (P = .29). Compared with baseline, the virtual-world group lost an average of 4.2%, with 33% (11/33) of the participants losing a clinically significant (≥5%) amount of baseline weight. The face-to-face group lost an average of 3.0% of their baseline weight, with 29% (6/21) losing a clinically significant amount. We detected a significant group × time interaction for moderate (P = .006) and vigorous physical activity (P = .008), physical activity self-efficacy (P = .04), fruit and vegetable consumption (P = .007), and weight loss self-efficacy (P < .001). Post hoc paired t tests indicated significant improvements across all of the variables for the virtual-world group. Overall, these results offer positive early evidence that a virtual-world-based weight loss program can be as effective as a face-to-face one relative to biometric changes. In addition, our results suggest that a virtual world may be a more effective platform to influence meaningful behavioral changes and improve self-efficacy.

Innovation in Weight Loss Programs: A 3-Dimensional Virtual-World Approach

PubMed Central

Massey, Anne P; DeVaneaux, Celeste A

2012-01-01

Background The rising trend in obesity calls for innovative weight loss programs. While behavioral-based face-to-face programs have proven to be the most effective, they are expensive and often inaccessible. Internet or Web-based weight loss programs have expanded reach but may lack qualities critical to weight loss and maintenance such as human interaction, social support, and engagement. In contrast to Web technologies, virtual reality technologies offer unique affordances as a behavioral intervention by directly supporting engagement and active learning. Objective To explore the effectiveness of a virtual-world weight loss program relative to weight loss and behavior change. Methods We collected data from overweight people (N = 54) participating in a face-to-face or a virtual-world weight loss program. Weight, body mass index (BMI), percentage weight change, and health behaviors (ie, weight loss self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, self-reported physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption) were assessed before and after the 12-week program. Repeated measures analysis was used to detect differences between groups and across time. Results A total of 54 participants with a BMI of 32 (SD 6.05) kg/m2 enrolled in the study, with a 13% dropout rate for each group (virtual world group: 5/38; face-to-face group: 3/24). Both groups lost a significant amount of weight (virtual world: 3.9 kg, P < .001; face-to-face: 2.8 kg, P = .002); however, no significant differences between groups were detected (P = .29). Compared with baseline, the virtual-world group lost an average of 4.2%, with 33% (11/33) of the participants losing a clinically significant (≥5%) amount of baseline weight. The face-to-face group lost an average of 3.0% of their baseline weight, with 29% (6/21) losing a clinically significant amount. We detected a significant group × time interaction for moderate (P = .006) and vigorous physical activity (P = .008), physical activity self-efficacy (P = .04), fruit and vegetable consumption (P = .007), and weight loss self-efficacy (P < .001). Post hoc paired t tests indicated significant improvements across all of the variables for the virtual-world group. Conclusions Overall, these results offer positive early evidence that a virtual-world-based weight loss program can be as effective as a face-to-face one relative to biometric changes. In addition, our results suggest that a virtual world may be a more effective platform to influence meaningful behavioral changes and improve self-efficacy. PMID:22995535

Using rainfall radar data to improve interpolated maps of dose rate in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Hiemstra, Paul H; Pebesma, Edzer J; Heuvelink, Gerard B M; Twenhöfel, Chris J W

2010-12-01

The radiation monitoring network in the Netherlands is designed to detect and track increased radiation levels, dose rate more specifically, in 10-minute intervals. The network consists of 153 monitoring stations. Washout of radon progeny by rainfall is the most important cause of natural variations in dose rate. The increase in dose rate at a given time is a function of the amount of progeny decaying, which in turn is a balance between deposition of progeny by rainfall and radioactive decay. The increase in progeny is closely related to average rainfall intensity over the last 2.5h. We included decay of progeny by using weighted averaged rainfall intensity, where the weight decreases back in time. The decrease in weight is related to the half-life of radon progeny. In this paper we show for a rainstorm on the 20th of July 2007 that weighted averaged rainfall intensity estimated from rainfall radar images, collected every 5min, performs much better as a predictor of increases in dose rate than using the non-averaged rainfall intensity. In addition, we show through cross-validation that including weighted averaged rainfall intensity in an interpolated map using universal kriging (UK) does not necessarily lead to a more accurate map. This might be attributed to the high density of monitoring stations in comparison to the spatial extent of a typical rain event. Reducing the network density improved the accuracy of the map when universal kriging was used instead of ordinary kriging (no trend). Consequently, in a less dense network the positive influence of including a trend is likely to increase. Furthermore, we suspect that UK better reproduces the sharp boundaries present in rainfall maps, but that the lack of short-distance monitoring station pairs prevents cross-validation from revealing this effect. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Exercise on Pulmonary Function Tests in Obese Malaysian Patients.

PubMed

Christopher, L K S; Kosai, N R; Reynu, R; Levin, K B; Taher, M M; Sutton, P A; Sukor, N; Das, S

2015-01-01

Obesity has taken the 21st century by storm, posing negative effects on of the various facades of health, healthcare and global economy. With regards to pulmonary performance, numerous studies have proven the detrimental effects of obesity while reinstating the positive effects of weight loss on overall pulmonary function. However, effects of exercise on pulmonary function and correlation between changes in pulmonary function test with weight loss have yet to be described. We performed a prospective interventional study to determine the effects of regular exercise on Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) and ascertain the relationship between weight loss and change in PFT in obese patients. Twenty-five obese patients were enrolled, giving an 80% power of study. Baseline weight and PFT consisting of FEV1, FVC, TLC, mean ERV and VC were recorded prior to commencement of the 8 week long Standard Exercise Regimen (SER). PFT and weight were recorded again at the end of 8 weeks. All parameters of the PFT studied improved significantly with exercise. The participants lost an average of 1kg of body weight post-exercise (p<0.0005). The correlations between mean changes in weight and PFT were negligible. A period of supervised regular exercise improves the pulmonary function of obese patients and this improvement is independent of the amount of weight loss. Hence, SER should be recommended to all obese patients, especially when bariatric surgery is desired.

A comparative analysis of 9 multi-model averaging approaches in hydrological continuous streamflow simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsenault, Richard; Gatien, Philippe; Renaud, Benoit; Brissette, François; Martel, Jean-Luc

2015-10-01

This study aims to test whether a weighted combination of several hydrological models can simulate flows more accurately than the models taken individually. In addition, the project attempts to identify the most efficient model averaging method and the optimal number of models to include in the weighting scheme. In order to address the first objective, streamflow was simulated using four lumped hydrological models (HSAMI, HMETS, MOHYSE and GR4J-6), each of which were calibrated with three different objective functions on 429 watersheds. The resulting 12 hydrographs (4 models × 3 metrics) were weighted and combined with the help of 9 averaging methods which are the simple arithmetic mean (SAM), Akaike information criterion (AICA), Bates-Granger (BGA), Bayes information criterion (BICA), Bayesian model averaging (BMA), Granger-Ramanathan average variant A, B and C (GRA, GRB and GRC) and the average by SCE-UA optimization (SCA). The same weights were then applied to the hydrographs in validation mode, and the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency metric was measured between the averaged and observed hydrographs. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the accuracy of weighted methods to that of individual models. A Kruskal-Wallis test and a multi-objective optimization algorithm were then used to identify the most efficient weighted method and the optimal number of models to integrate. Results suggest that the GRA, GRB, GRC and SCA weighted methods perform better than the individual members. Model averaging from these four methods were superior to the best of the individual members in 76% of the cases. Optimal combinations on all watersheds included at least one of each of the four hydrological models. None of the optimal combinations included all members of the ensemble of 12 hydrographs. The Granger-Ramanathan average variant C (GRC) is recommended as the best compromise between accuracy, speed of execution, and simplicity.

Kangaroo mother care for low birth weight infants: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Suman, Rao P N; Udani, Rekha; Nanavati, Ruchi

2008-01-01

To compare the effect of Kangaroo mother care (KMC) and conventional methods of care (CMC) on growth in LBW babies (> 2000 g). Randomized controlled trial. Level III NICU of a teaching institution in western India. 206 neonates with birth weight < 2000 g. The subjects were randomized into two groups: the intervention group (KMC-103) received Kangaroo mother care. The control group (CMC: 103) received conventional care. Growth, as measured by average daily weight gain and by other anthropometrical parameters at 40 weeks postmenstrual age in preterm babies and at 2500 g in term SGA infants was assessed. The KMC babies had better average weight gain per day (KMC: 23.99 g vs CMC: 15.58 g, P< 0.0001). The weekly increments in head circumference (KMC: 0.75 cm vs CMC: 0.49 cm, P = 0.02) and length (KMC: 0.99 cm vs CMC: 0.7 cm, P = 0.008) were higher in the KMC group. A significantly higher number of babies in the CMC group suffered from hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and sepsis. There was no effect on time to discharge. More KMC babies were exclusively breastfed at the end of the study (98% vs 76%). KMC was acceptable to most mothers and families at home. Kangaroo mother care improves growth and reduces morbidities in low birth weight infants. It is simple, acceptable to mothers and can be continued at home.

Transferring preterm infants from incubators to open cots at 1600 g: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

New, K; Flint, A; Bogossian, F; East, C; Davies, M W

2012-03-01

To determine the effects on weight gain and temperature control of transferring preterm infants from incubators to open cots at a weight of 1600 g versus a weight of 1800 g. Randomised controlled trial. One tertiary and two regional neonatal units in public hospitals in Queensland, Australia. 182 preterm infants born with a birth weight less than 1600 g, who were at least 48 h old; had not required ventilation or continuous positive airways pressure within the last 48 h; were medically stable with no oxygen requirement, or significant apnoea or bradycardia; did not require phototherapy; and were enterally fed with an intake (breast milk/formula) of at least 60 ml/kg/day. Transfer into an open cot at 1600 or 1800 g. The primary outcomes were temperature stability and average daily weight gain over the first 14 days following transfer to an open cot. 90 infants in the 1600 g group and 92 infants in the 1800 g group were included in the analysis. Over the first 72 h, more infants in the 1800 g group had temperatures <36.4°C than the 1600 g group (p=0.03). From post-transfer to discharge, the 1600 g group had more temperatures >37.1°C (p=0.02). Average daily weight gain in the 1600 g group was 17.07 (SD±4.5) g/kg/day and in the 1800 g group, 13.97 (SD±4.7) g/kg/day (p=<0.001). Medically stable, preterm infants can be transferred to open cots at a birth weight of 1600 g without any significant adverse effects on temperature stability or weight gain. ACTRN12606000518561 (http://www.anzctr.org.au).

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Commercial Diet and Exercise Weight Loss Program in Minority Breast Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Greenlee, Heather A.; Crew, Katherine D.; Mata, Jennie M.; McKinley, Paula S.; Rundle, Andrew G.; Zhang, Wenfei; Liao, Yuyan; Tsai, Wei Y.; Hershman, Dawn L.

2015-01-01

Objective Obesity is associated with poorer breast cancer outcomes and losing weight postdiagnosis may improve survival. As Hispanic and black women have poorer breast cancer prognosis than non-Hispanic whites diagnosed at similar age and stage, and have higher rates of obesity, effective weight loss strategies are needed. We piloted a randomized, waitlist-controlled, crossover study to examine the effects and feasibility of the commercial Curves weight loss program among Hispanic, African American and Afro-Caribbean breast cancer survivors. Design and Methods Women with stage 0– IIIa breast cancer ≥6 months posttreatment, sedentary, and BMI ≥25 kg/m2 were randomized to the immediate arm (IA): 6 months of the Curves program followed by 6 months of observation; or the waitlist control arm (WCA): 6 months of observation followed by 6 months of the Curves program. The Curves program uses a 30-min exercise circuit and a high-vegetable/low-fat/calorie-restricted diet. Results A total of 42 women enrolled (79% Hispanic, 21% black), mean age 51 (range 32–69) and mean BMI 33.2(±5.9) kg/m2; 91% were retained at month 12. At month 6, women in the IA lost an average 3.3% (±3.5%) of body weight (range: 1.7% gain to 10.6% loss), as compared with 1.8% (±2.9%) weight loss in the WCA (P = 0.04). At month 12, on average women in the IA regained some but not all of the weight lost during the first 6 months (P = 0.02). Conclusions Minority breast cancer survivors were recruited and retained in a weight loss study. Six months of the Curves program resulted in moderate weight loss, but weight loss was not maintained postintervention. Future interventions should identify methods to increase uptake and maintenance of weight loss behaviors. PMID:23505170

A pilot randomized controlled trial of a commercial diet and exercise weight loss program in minority breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Greenlee, Heather A; Crew, Katherine D; Mata, Jennie M; McKinley, Paula S; Rundle, Andrew G; Zhang, Wenfei; Liao, Yuyan; Tsai, Wei Y; Hershman, Dawn L

2013-01-01

Obesity is associated with poorer breast cancer outcomes and losing weight postdiagnosis may improve survival. As Hispanic and black women have poorer breast cancer prognosis than non-Hispanic whites diagnosed at similar age and stage, and have higher rates of obesity, effective weight loss strategies are needed. We piloted a randomized, waitlist-controlled, crossover study to examine the effects and feasibility of the commercial Curves weight loss program among Hispanic, African American and Afro-Caribbean breast cancer survivors. Women with stage 0-IIIa breast cancer ≥ 6 months posttreatment, sedentary, and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) were randomized to the immediate arm (IA): 6 months of the Curves program followed by 6 months of observation; or the waitlist control arm (WCA): 6 months of observation followed by 6 months of the Curves program. The Curves program uses a 30-min exercise circuit and a high-vegetable/low-fat/calorie-restricted diet. A total of 42 women enrolled (79% Hispanic, 21% black), mean age 51 (range 32-69) and mean BMI 33.2(± 5.9) kg/m(2); 91% were retained at month 12. At month 6, women in the IA lost an average 3.3% (± 3.5%) of body weight (range: 1.7% gain to 10.6% loss), as compared with 1.8% (± 2.9%) weight loss in the WCA (P = 0.04). At month 12, on average women in the IA regained some but not all of the weight lost during the first 6 months (P = 0.02). Minority breast cancer survivors were recruited and retained in a weight loss study. Six months of the Curves program resulted in moderate weight loss, but weight loss was not maintained postintervention. Future interventions should identify methods to increase uptake and maintenance of weight loss behaviors. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

10 CFR 611.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... both subpart A and subpart B. Adjusted average fuel economy means a harmonic production weighted average of the combined fuel economy of all vehicles in a fleet, which were subject to CAFE. Advanced... (3) At least 125 percent of the harmonic production weighted average combined fuel economy, for...

SU-E-J-87: Ventilation Weighting Effect On Mean Doses of Both Side Lungs for Patients with Advanced Stage Lung Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qu, H; Xia, P; Yu, N

Purpose: To study ventilation weighting effect on radiation doses to both side lungs for patients with advanced stage lung cancer. Methods: Fourteen patients with advanced stage lung cancer were included in this retrospective study. Proprietary software was developed to calculate the lung ventilation map based on 4DCT images acquired for radiation therapy. Two phases of inhale (0%) and exhale (50%) were used for the lung ventilation calculations. For each patient, the CT images were resampled to the same dose calculation resolution of 3mmx3mmx3mm. The ventilation distribution was then normalized by the mean value of the ventilation. The ventilation weighted dosemore » was calculated by applying linearly weighted ventilation to the dose of each pixel. The lung contours were automatically delineated from patient CT image with lung window, excluding the tumor and high density tissues. For contralateral and ipsilateral lungs, the mean lung doses from the original plan and ventilation weighted mean lung doses were compared using two tail t-Test. Results: The average of mean dose was 6.1 ±3.8Gy for the contralateral lungs, and 26.2 ± 14.0Gy for the ipsilateral lungs. The average of ventilation weighted dose was 6.3± 3.8Gy for the contralateral lungs and 24.6 ± 13.1Gy for the ipsilateral lungs. The statistics analysis shows the significance of the mean dose increase (p<0.015) for the contralateral lungs and decrease (p<0.005) for the ipsilateral lungs. Conclusion: Ventilation weighted doses were greater than the un-weighted doses for contralateral lungs and smaller for ipsilateral lungs. This Result may be helpful to understand the radiation dosimetric effect on the lung function and provide planning guidance for patients with advance stage lung cancer.« less

[Longitudinal study of weight and body mass index after renal transplantation during 5 years of evolution].

PubMed

Fernández Castillo, Rafael; Fernandez Gallegos, Ruth; Esteban de la Rosa, Rafael Jose; Peña Amaro, María Pilar

2014-08-01

Gain weight after transplantation is relatively common, also tends to be multifactorial and can be influenced by glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive medications, delayed graft function and cause serious health complications. Assess changes in weight, degree of obesity and body mass index as well as the effect of immunosuppressive treatment over these 5 years after kidney transplantation. The samples were 119 kidney transplant recipients, 70 men and 49 women, that attended the query post for five years. All patients were measured Pretransplant and post (from 1st year to the 5th year) weight, height and body mass index calculated by the formula weight/size2 relating it to immunosuppressive treatment taking. There is a considerable increase of body mass index, weight and degree of obesity in the first year after transplantation to increase more slowly in the next four years. The type of immunosuppressive treatment influence the weight and degree of obesity that occurs in this period of time. A high prevalence there are overweight and obesity after the transplant especially during the first year. A year patients earn an average of 6.6 kg in weight and an average of 2.5 kg/m2 in their BMI. During treatment should minimize doses of steroids and include dietary treatment and adequate physical exercise. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Application of a weighted-averaging method for determining paleosalinity: a tool for restoration of south Florida's estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wingard, G.L.; Hudley, J.W.

2012-01-01

A molluscan analogue dataset is presented in conjunction with a weighted-averaging technique as a tool for estimating past salinity patterns in south Florida’s estuaries and developing targets for restoration based on these reconstructions. The method, here referred to as cumulative weighted percent (CWP), was tested using modern surficial samples collected in Florida Bay from sites located near fixed water monitoring stations that record salinity. The results were calibrated using species weighting factors derived from examining species occurrence patterns. A comparison of the resulting calibrated species-weighted CWP (SW-CWP) to the observed salinity at the water monitoring stations averaged over a 3-year time period indicates, on average, the SW-CWP comes within less than two salinity units of estimating the observed salinity. The SW-CWP reconstructions were conducted on a core from near the mouth of Taylor Slough to illustrate the application of the method.

Creating "Intelligent" Climate Model Ensemble Averages Using a Process-Based Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, N. C.; Taylor, P. C.

2014-12-01

The CMIP5 archive contains future climate projections from over 50 models provided by dozens of modeling centers from around the world. Individual model projections, however, are subject to biases created by structural model uncertainties. As a result, ensemble averaging of multiple models is often used to add value to model projections: consensus projections have been shown to consistently outperform individual models. Previous reports for the IPCC establish climate change projections based on an equal-weighted average of all model projections. However, certain models reproduce climate processes better than other models. Should models be weighted based on performance? Unequal ensemble averages have previously been constructed using a variety of mean state metrics. What metrics are most relevant for constraining future climate projections? This project develops a framework for systematically testing metrics in models to identify optimal metrics for unequal weighting multi-model ensembles. A unique aspect of this project is the construction and testing of climate process-based model evaluation metrics. A climate process-based metric is defined as a metric based on the relationship between two physically related climate variables—e.g., outgoing longwave radiation and surface temperature. Metrics are constructed using high-quality Earth radiation budget data from NASA's Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument and surface temperature data sets. It is found that regional values of tested quantities can vary significantly when comparing weighted and unweighted model ensembles. For example, one tested metric weights the ensemble by how well models reproduce the time-series probability distribution of the cloud forcing component of reflected shortwave radiation. The weighted ensemble for this metric indicates lower simulated precipitation (up to .7 mm/day) in tropical regions than the unweighted ensemble: since CMIP5 models have been shown to overproduce precipitation, this result could indicate that the metric is effective in identifying models which simulate more realistic precipitation. Ultimately, the goal of the framework is to identify performance metrics for advising better methods for ensemble averaging models and create better climate predictions.

Quantitative prediction of drug side effects based on drug-related features.

PubMed

Niu, Yanqing; Zhang, Wen

2017-09-01

Unexpected side effects of drugs are great concern in the drug development, and the identification of side effects is an important task. Recently, machine learning methods are proposed to predict the presence or absence of interested side effects for drugs, but it is difficult to make the accurate prediction for all of them. In this paper, we transform side effect profiles of drugs as their quantitative scores, by summing up their side effects with weights. The quantitative scores may measure the dangers of drugs, and thus help to compare the risk of different drugs. Here, we attempt to predict quantitative scores of drugs, namely the quantitative prediction. Specifically, we explore a variety of drug-related features and evaluate their discriminative powers for the quantitative prediction. Then, we consider several feature combination strategies (direct combination, average scoring ensemble combination) to integrate three informative features: chemical substructures, targets, and treatment indications. Finally, the average scoring ensemble model which produces the better performances is used as the final quantitative prediction model. Since weights for side effects are empirical values, we randomly generate different weights in the simulation experiments. The experimental results show that the quantitative method is robust to different weights, and produces satisfying results. Although other state-of-the-art methods cannot make the quantitative prediction directly, the prediction results can be transformed as the quantitative scores. By indirect comparison, the proposed method produces much better results than benchmark methods in the quantitative prediction. In conclusion, the proposed method is promising for the quantitative prediction of side effects, which may work cooperatively with existing state-of-the-art methods to reveal dangers of drugs.

An Interactive Multi-Model for Consensus on Climate Change

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kocarev, Ljupco

This project purports to develop a new scheme for forming consensus among alternative climate models, that give widely divergent projections as to the details of climate change, that is more intelligent than simply averaging the model outputs, or averaging with ex post facto weighting factors. The method under development effectively allows models to assimilate data from one another in run time with weights that are chosen in an adaptive training phase using 20th century data, so that the models synchronize with one another as well as with reality. An alternate approach that is being explored in parallel is the automatedmore » combination of equations from different models in an expert-system-like framework.« less

Possibility-induced simplified neutrosophic aggregation operators and their application to multi-criteria group decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şahin, Rıdvan; Liu, Peide

2017-07-01

Simplified neutrosophic set (SNS) is an appropriate tool used to express the incompleteness, indeterminacy and uncertainty of the evaluation objects in decision-making process. In this study, we define the concept of possibility SNS including two types of information such as the neutrosophic performance provided from the evaluation objects and its possibility degree using a value ranging from zero to one. Then by extending the existing neutrosophic information, aggregation models for SNSs that cannot be used effectively to fusion the two different information described above, we propose two novel neutrosophic aggregation operators considering possibility, which are named as a possibility-induced simplified neutrosophic weighted arithmetic averaging operator and possibility-induced simplified neutrosophic weighted geometric averaging operator, and discuss their properties. Moreover, we develop a useful method based on the proposed aggregation operators for solving a multi-criteria group decision-making problem with the possibility simplified neutrosophic information, in which the weights of decision-makers and decision criteria are calculated based on entropy measure. Finally, a practical example is utilised to show the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Men's facial masculinity: when (body) size matters.

PubMed

Holzleitner, Iris J; Hunter, David W; Tiddeman, Bernard P; Seck, Alassane; Re, Daniel E; Perrett, David I

2014-01-01

Recent studies suggest that judgments of facial masculinity reflect more than sexually dimorphic shape. Here, we investigated whether the perception of masculinity is influenced by facial cues to body height and weight. We used the average differences in three-dimensional face shape of forty men and forty women to compute a morphological masculinity score, and derived analogous measures for facial correlates of height and weight based on the average face shape of short and tall, and light and heavy men. We found that facial cues to body height and weight had substantial and independent effects on the perception of masculinity. Our findings suggest that men are perceived as more masculine if they appear taller and heavier, independent of how much their face shape differs from women's. We describe a simple method to quantify how body traits are reflected in the face and to define the physical basis of psychological attributions.

30 CFR 203.54 - How does my relief arrangement for an oil and gas lease operate if prices rise sharply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... reference price, you must pay the effective royalty rate on all monthly production. (a) Your current reference price is a weighted average of daily closing prices on the NYMEX for light sweet crude oil and... average of daily closing prices on the NYMEX for light sweet crude oil and natural gas during the...

Effects of sire and dam on late-pregnancy conceptus and hormone traits in beef cattle.

PubMed

Bellows, R A; Staigmiller, R B; Orme, L E; Short, R E; Knapp, B W

1993-03-01

Forty-six primiparous F1 heifers produced from mating Brahman (B), Charolais (C), Jersey (J), Longhorn (L), or Shorthorn (S) sires to crossbred cows were bred by AI to one of two Angus sires selected to produce high (H) or moderate (M) fetal growth. Dams were slaughtered at an average of 231 d of gestation. Daily blood samples were obtained from the dam on d 228 to 231 to determine serum estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations. Pelvic height was greatest (P < .05) in B, C, and L and pelvic width was greatest (P < .05) in S, C, and J dams, but pelvic areas did not differ (P > .10). Dams with greater hip height had larger pelvic areas (r = .45; P < .01). Intact fetuses from C and S dams were heaviest (P < .05), those from S dams had the greatest (P < .05) head width, and heart girth was greatest (P < .05) in fetuses from L dams. Fetuses from H sires were greater in weight (P < .01), body length (P < .01), and cannon circumference (P < .01). Dam differences were found in fetal heart weight (P < .01), trimmed placental membrane weight (P < .01), and average placentome weight (P < .05). Weights of eviscerated fetuses were greatest from C dams (P < .05). Placentome number was lowest (P < .05) in J dams, but J dams had the highest (P < .05) average placentome weight. Interactions between fetal genotype and breed of maternal environment were found for weight of eviscerated fetus (P < .05), body length, and heart weight (P < .01) and resulted from both magnitude and direction of change in the sire effect. The H sire increase in fetal weight was greatest in J dams, whereas B dams allowed expression of the fetal growth potential but at a lower level. Fetal trait interactions were also found for breed x sex and sex x sire (P < .05 to P < .01) and were due to the magnitude of differences expressed between the M and H sires. Serum testosterone concentrations were highest (P < .05) in B and L dams, dams gestating fetuses sired by the H sire (P = .08), and those with male fetuses (P < .01). We interpret these results to indicate that some maternal environments can suppress fetal growth, whereas others seem to complement the growth and allow maximum expression of the fetal genetic growth potential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

9 CFR 54.6 - Amount of indemnity payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... weighted average Choice/Prime slaughter lamb price per pound at Greeley, CO; (2) The weekly weighted... commercial western ewe lamb replacement price per head; (4) The monthly weighted average commercial western... ewe lambs under 1 year of age, the indemnity shall equal the per-head price from paragraph (a)(3) of...

Some series of intuitionistic fuzzy interactive averaging aggregation operators.

PubMed

Garg, Harish

2016-01-01

In this paper, some series of new intuitionistic fuzzy averaging aggregation operators has been presented under the intuitionistic fuzzy sets environment. For this, some shortcoming of the existing operators are firstly highlighted and then new operational law, by considering the hesitation degree between the membership functions, has been proposed to overcome these. Based on these new operation laws, some new averaging aggregation operators namely, intuitionistic fuzzy Hamacher interactive weighted averaging, ordered weighted averaging and hybrid weighted averaging operators, labeled as IFHIWA, IFHIOWA and IFHIHWA respectively has been proposed. Furthermore, some desirable properties such as idempotency, boundedness, homogeneity etc. are studied. Finally, a multi-criteria decision making method has been presented based on proposed operators for selecting the best alternative. A comparative concelebration between the proposed operators and the existing operators are investigated in detail.

Metabolic concentration of lipid soluble organochlorine burdens in the blubber of southern hemisphere humpback whales through migration and fasting.

PubMed

Bengtson Nash, Susan M; Waugh, Courtney A; Schlabach, Martin

2013-08-20

Southern hemisphere humpback whales undertake the longest migrations and associated periods of fasting of any mammal. Fluctuations in lipid energy stores are known to profoundly affect the toxicokinetics of lipophilic organochlorine compound (OC) burdens. Results from blubber biopsy sampling of adult, male humpback whales at two time points of the annual migration journey revealed dramatic concentration effects for the majority of OC compounds. The observed concentration effect was, however, not linear with measured average blubber lipid loss indicating significant redistribution of OCs and hence the importance of alternate lipid depots for meeting the energetic demands of the migration journey. Applying lipophilic OC burdens as novel tracers of whole-body lipid dynamics, the observed average concentration index suggests an average individual weight loss of 13% over 4 months of the migration journey. This value is based upon lipid derived energy and is in good agreement with previous weight prediction formulas. Notably, however, these estimates may greatly underestimate individual weight loss if significant protein catabolism occurs. Biomagnification factors between migrating southern hemisphere humpback whales and their principal prey item, Antarctic krill, closely resembled those of baleen whales feeding on herbivorous zooplankton in the Arctic. This study emphasizes the importance of considering prolonged periods of food deprivation when assessing chemical risks posed to wildlife. This is of particular importance for Polar biota adapted to extremes in ecosystem productivity.

Endocrine Gland and Brain Weights of Market Weight Bulls and Steers Representing the Shorthorn Breed and Several Breed Crosses

PubMed Central

Doornenbal, H.

1974-01-01

Thyroid, adrenal, pituitary and brain weights were first determined in 1971 in 492 market weight cattle representing purebred Shorthorns and crosses of “foreign” breeds, Charolais, Simmental and Limousin with Hereford, Angus and Shorthorn. Thyroid weights were also determined in a similar group of 433 cattle the following year. The data were reported on a per 100 kg body weight basis and analyzed within the subgroups of breed of sire, breed of dam and location. The average thyroid weight per 100 kg of body weight for males within subgroups over the two years ranged from 3.99 to 8.71 g, while that for steers ranged from 3.81 to 4.41 g. The average thyroid weight for a group of 18 Limousin sired heifers was 3.71 g. The average adrenal weight per 100 kg of slaughter weight ranged from 3.66 to 4.20 g in the males and from 3.66 to 3.86 g in the steers. Pituitary weight per 100 kg body weight at slaughter ranged from 486-511 mg in bulls and from 469-510 mg in steers. Average brain weight ranged from 85.5 to 97.3 g in males and from 92.2 to 94.1 g in steers. Breed differences existed only for the pituitary gland, with Simmental sired males and steers having heavier glands than Charolais sired males and steers. Sex differences were significant for the thyroid and the brain. Thyroids of males were generally heavier than those of steers, while brains of steers were heavier than those from males. Thyroid, adrenal and brain weights were significantly different between two genetically similar purebred herds of Shorthorns. PMID:4279761

[Our experience based on Omneo 1 /Nutrilon Comfort 1/ formula-fed of high-risk newborn babies].

PubMed

Rosmanova, R; Simov, V

2007-01-01

To investigate the acceptability and effect of Omneo 1/Nutrilon Comfort/milk formula of high-risk newborn babies. Omneo 1 was given as food to 30 high-risk newborn babies. All of them were prematurely born of an average birth gestation age-33 gestation weeks and of average weight--1757,16 gr. None of the infants was ever fed mother's milk. The intake of Omneo 1 was applied to infants of stabilized health condition and post conceptual age no less than 38 gestation weeks /the average gestation weeks were 38,96/. The following parameters were closely observed: Body weight was measured once a week with the accuracy of +/- 5 gr.; The fecal pH was measured an 20 babies by means of multicolor indication paper Merck Eurolaba GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany; Stool characteristics-consistency and frequency, regurgitation and vomiting were recorded on the basis of mother's and personals interview. Methods used--clinical analysis, inquiry method, laboratory and anthropometric measuring. The survey is prospective. Weight gain was of 800 gr up to 1200 gr per month. Per day was achieved at an average weight gain - 37,60 gr. Decrease fecal pH was observed--at the beginning 7.1 (+/- 0.65) at the end of the study--5.1(+/-). The acidity of the excrements decreased which suppressed the development of pathogenic microorganisms. As regards the public inquiry, parents did not report cases an gastro-intestinal discomfort (regurgitation, constipation, colic). In two of the babies, blood in the excrements was macroscopically traced and "Allergy to cow's milk protein" was diagnosed. One of the infants was hospitalized with a generalized infection. The feeding with Omneo 1 was suspended in the case of these newborn, and they were excluded from the survey. Parents are positive about feeding Omneo 1 despite the higher price of the product. Omneo 1 milk contributes to adequate weight growth of high-risk newborn babies and its intake results in lower fecal pH as an indicator of positive bifidus effect.

Performance and histological responses of internal organs of broiler chickens fed raw, dehulled, and aqueous and dry-heated kidney bean meals.

PubMed

Emiola, I A; Ologhobo, A D; Gous, R M

2007-06-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of raw and differently processed [aqueous heating, dehulled, and dry heating (toasted)] kidney bean meals on the performance, weights, and histology of internal organs of broiler chicken. The feeding trial lasted for 56 d. Two hundred twenty-five 1-d-old broiler chicks (Anak strain) were used for the study. There were 5 treatment groups of 3 replicates with 15 birds per replicate. Raw and processed kidney bean meals were used to replace 50% protein supplied by soybean in the control diet. Data collected were used to evaluate feed intake, weight gain, and efficiency of feed utilization. The weights of liver, pancreas, kidney, heart, and lungs were also recorded and tissue samples of each collected for histological examination. Average daily food intake, average daily gain, and efficiency of feed utilization were influenced by the dietary treatments. Average daily food intake and average daily gain in birds fed the control diet and heat-treated kidney bean meals were similar and significantly (P<0.05) higher than those fed raw or dehulled meals. Feed conversion ratio was significantly (P<0.05) higher in birds fed raw or dehulled meals compared with those fed the control diet. The relative weight of the pancreas was significantly (P<0.05) increased as a result of acinar hypertrophy. The kidney had severe congestion of glomeruli and distention of the capillary vessels with numerous thrombi in birds fed raw and dehulled kidney bean meals. The weight of the liver was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in birds fed raw and dehulled meals, and the liver was characterized by marked coagulative necrosis and degeneration of the hepatocytes. The structural alterations were attributed to intake of trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins in the processed seeds. In conclusion, aqueous heated kidney bean meal can be used to replace 50% protein supplied by soybean meal in broiler starter and finisher diets without any adverse effect on the performance and the internal organs.

Modeling the effect of sedentary behaviour on the prevention of population obesity using the system dynamics approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abidin, Norhaslinda Zainal; Zaibidi, Nerda Zura; Zulkepli, Jafri Hj

2015-10-01

Obesity is a medical condition where an individual has an excessive amount of body fat. There are many factors contributing to obesity and one of them is the sedentary behaviour. Rapid development in industrialization and urbanization has brought changes to Malaysia's socioeconomic, especially the lifestyles of Malaysians. With this lifestyle transition, one of the impact is on weight and obesity. How does sedentary behaviour have an impact on the growth of Malaysian population's weight and obesity? What is the most effective sedentary behaviour preventing strategy to obesity? Is it through reduction in duration or frequency of sedentary behaviour? Thus, the aim of this paper is to design an intervention to analyse the effect of decreasing duration and frequency of sedentary behaviour on the population reversion trends of average weight (AW), average body mass index (ABMI), and prevalence of overweight and obesity (POVB). This study combines the different strands of sub-models comprised of nutrition, physical activity and body metabolism, and then synthesis these knowledge into a system dynamics of weight behaviour model, namely SIMULObese. Findings from this study revealed that Malaysian's adults spend a lot of time engaged in sedentary behaviour and this resulted in weight gain and obesity. Comparing between frequency and duration of sedentary behaviour, this study reported that reduced in duration or time spend in sedentary behaviour is a better preventing strategy to obesity compared to duration. As a summary, this study highlighted the importance of decreasing the frequency and duration of sedentary behaviour in developing guidelines to prevent obesity.

Discrimination against Obese Exercise Clients: An Experimental Study of Personal Trainers.

PubMed

Fontana, Fabio; Bopes, Jonathan; Bendixen, Seth; Speed, Tyler; George, Megan; Mack, Mick

2018-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare exercise recommendations, attitudes, and behaviors of personal trainers toward clients of different weight statuses. Fifty-two personal trainers participated in the study. The data collection was organized into two phases. In phase one, trainers read a profile and watched the video displaying an interview of either an obese or an average-weight client. Profiles and video interviews were identical except for weight status. Then, trainers provided exercise recommendations and rated their attitude toward the client. In phase two, trainers personally met an obese or an average-weight mock client. Measures were duration and number of advices provided by the trainer to a question posed by the client and sitting distance between trainer and client. There were no significant differences in exercise intensity ( p = .94), duration of first session ( p = .65), and total exercise duration of first week ( p = .76) prescribed to the obese and average-weight clients. The attitude of the personal trainers toward the obese client were not significantly different from the attitude of personal trainers toward the average-weight client ( p = .58). The number of advices provided ( p = .49), the duration of the answer ( p = .55), and the distance personal trainers sat from the obese client ( p = .68) were not significantly different from the behaviors displayed toward the average-weight client. Personal trainers did not discriminate against obese clients in professional settings.

Combined Effects of Prenatal Exposures to Environmental Chemicals on Birth Weight.

PubMed

Govarts, Eva; Remy, Sylvie; Bruckers, Liesbeth; Den Hond, Elly; Sioen, Isabelle; Nelen, Vera; Baeyens, Willy; Nawrot, Tim S; Loots, Ilse; Van Larebeke, Nick; Schoeters, Greet

2016-05-12

Prenatal chemical exposure has been frequently associated with reduced fetal growth by single pollutant regression models although inconsistent results have been obtained. Our study estimated the effects of exposure to single pollutants and mixtures on birth weight in 248 mother-child pairs. Arsenic, copper, lead, manganese and thallium were measured in cord blood, cadmium in maternal blood, methylmercury in maternal hair, and five organochlorines, two perfluorinated compounds and diethylhexyl phthalate metabolites in cord plasma. Daily exposure to particulate matter was modeled and averaged over the duration of gestation. In single pollutant models, arsenic was significantly associated with reduced birth weight. The effect estimate increased when including cadmium, and mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) co-exposure. Combining exposures by principal component analysis generated an exposure factor loaded by cadmium and arsenic that was associated with reduced birth weight. MECPP induced gender specific effects. In girls, the effect estimate was doubled with co-exposure of thallium, PFOS, lead, cadmium, manganese, and mercury, while in boys, the mixture of MECPP with cadmium showed the strongest association with birth weight. In conclusion, birth weight was consistently inversely associated with exposure to pollutant mixtures. Chemicals not showing significant associations at single pollutant level contributed to stronger effects when analyzed as mixtures.

Testing the norm to fat talk for women of varying size: what's weight got to do with it?

PubMed

Barwick, Amy; Bazzini, Doris; Martz, Denise; Rocheleau, Courtney; Curtin, Lisa

2012-01-01

"Fat talk" is the conversational phenomenon whereby people berate their bodies in social circles. This study assessed whether norms of fat talk differ for overweight versus average-weight women. Sixty-three women read a script depicting a fat talk situation during which an overweight or average-weight target woman engaged in positive or negative body talk. Regardless of the target's weight, participants perceived it to be more typical and less surprising if she engaged in negative body talk (fat talk) rather than positive body talk. Furthermore, fat talk from either weight group did not affect the likeability of the target, but women, overweight or of average weight, who engaged in positive talk were perceived to have more socially desirable personality characteristics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiston, Susan C.; Tai, Wendi Lee; Rahardja, Daryn; Eder, Kelly

2011-01-01

The effectiveness of school counseling interventions is important in this era of evidence-based practices. In this study, Meta-Analysis 1 involved treatment-control comparisons and Meta-Analysis 2 involved pretest-posttest differences. The overall average weighted effect size for school counseling interventions was 0.30. The study examined whether…

Carcass Production of Cattle Slaughtered at Salatiga City Slaughter House, Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purbowati, E.; Lestari, C. M. S.; Ma'ruf, M. J.; Sutaryo, S.

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the breed, age, sex, slaughter weight, carcass weight, and carcass percentage of cattle which was slaughtered at Slaughter House in Salatiga, Central Java. The materials used in the study were 156 head of catlle. The sampling used was incidental sampling to identify the breed, age, sex, slaughter weight and carcass weight. The data gathered were analyzed descriptively. The result showed that the sex of all the cattle slaughtered were male. The breeds of the cattle were Frisian Holstein Grade (70.51%), Simmental (15.38+3.21), Simmental-Ongole Grade (5.13%), and Limousine-Ongole Grade (5.77%). The average age of the cattle were 2.34 year old, with an average of slaughter weight of 529.34 kg, while the averages of carcass weight were 277.61 kg. The average of carcass percentage was as high as 52.56%. The conclusion of the study was the highest number of breeds of the cattle slaughtered at Slaughter House in Salatiga were young Frisian Holstein, the body weights were included in large frame score, and the carcass percentage were moderate.

Too Much of a Good Thing? Exploring the Impact of Wealth on Weight.

PubMed

Au, Nicole; Johnston, David W

2015-11-01

Obesity, like many health conditions, is more prevalent among the socioeconomically disadvantaged. In our data, very poor women are three times more likely to be obese and five times more likely to be severely obese than rich women. Despite this strong correlation, it remains unclear whether higher wealth causes lower obesity. In this paper, we use nationally representative panel data and exogenous wealth shocks (primarily inheritances and lottery wins) to shed light on this issue. Our estimates show that wealth improvements increase weight for women, but not men. This effect differs by initial wealth and weight-an average-sized wealth shock received by initially poor and obese women is estimated to increase weight by almost 10 lb. Importantly, for some females, the effects appear permanent. We also find that a change in diet is the most likely explanation for the weight gain. Overall, the results suggest that additional wealth may exacerbate rather than alleviate weight problems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Combined Influence of Molecular Weight and Temperature on the Aging and Viscoelastic Response of a Glassy Thermoplastic Polyimide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Lee M.; Whitley, Karen S.; Gates, Thomas S.

2000-01-01

The effect of molecular weight on the viscoelastic performance of an advanced polymer (LaRC-SI) was investigated through the use of creep compliance tests. Testing consisted of short-term isothermal creep and recovery with the creep segments performed under constant load. The tests were conducted at three temperatures below the glass transition temperature of five materials of different molecular weight. Through the use of time-aging-time superposition procedures, the material constants, material master curves and aging-related parameters were evaluated at each temperature for a given molecular weight. The time-temperature superposition technique helped to describe the effect of temperature on the timescale of the viscoelastic response of each molecular weight. It was shown that the low molecular weight materials have higher creep compliance and creep rate, and are more sensitive to temperature than the high molecular weight materials. Furthermore, a critical molecular weight transition was observed to occur at a weight-average molecular weight of M (bar) (sub w) 25000 g/mol below which, the temperature sensitivity of the time-temperature superposition shift factor increases rapidly. The short-term creep compliance data were used in association with Struik's effective time theory to predict the long-term creep compliance behavior for the different molecular weights. At long timescales, physical aging serves to significantly decrease the creep compliance and creep rate of all the materials tested.

Ambient air pollution exposure and full-term birth weight in California.

PubMed

Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Jesdale, Bill M; Sadd, James L; Pastor, Manuel

2010-07-28

Studies have identified relationships between air pollution and birth weight, but have been inconsistent in identifying individual pollutants inversely associated with birth weight or elucidating susceptibility of the fetus by trimester of exposure. We examined effects of prenatal ambient pollution exposure on average birth weight and risk of low birth weight in full-term births. We estimated average ambient air pollutant concentrations throughout pregnancy in the neighborhoods of women who delivered term singleton live births between 1996 and 2006 in California. We adjusted effect estimates of air pollutants on birth weight for infant characteristics, maternal characteristics, neighborhood socioeconomic factors, and year and season of birth. 3,545,177 singleton births had monitoring for at least one air pollutant within a 10 km radius of the tract or ZIP Code of the mother's residence. In multivariate models, pollutants were associated with decreased birth weight; -5.4 grams (95% confidence interval -6.8 g, -4.1 g) per ppm carbon monoxide, -9.0 g (-9.6 g, -8.4 g) per pphm nitrogen dioxide, -5.7 g (-6.6 g, -4.9 g) per pphm ozone, -7.7 g (-7.9 g, -6.6 g) per 10 microg/m3 particulate matter under 10 microm, -12.8 g (-14.3 g, -11.3 g) per 10 microg/m3 particulate matter under 2.5 microm, and -9.3 g (-10.7 g, -7.9 g) per 10 microg/m3 of coarse particulate matter. With the exception of carbon monoxide, estimates were largely unchanged after controlling for co-pollutants. Effect estimates for the third trimester largely reflect the results seen from full pregnancy exposure estimates; greater variation in results is seen in effect estimates specific to the first and second trimesters. This study indicates that maternal exposure to ambient air pollution results in modestly lower infant birth weight. A small decline in birth weight is unlikely to have clinical relevance for individual infants, and there is debate about whether a small shift in the population distribution of birth weight has broader health implications. However, the ubiquity of air pollution exposures, the responsiveness of pollutant levels to regulation, and the fact that the highest pollution levels in California are lower than those regularly experienced in other countries suggest that precautionary efforts to reduce pollutants may be beneficial for infant health from a population perspective.

29 CFR 1910.1047 - Ethylene oxide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (8)-hour time-weighted average. Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for... organic compound with chemical formula C2 H4 O. (c) Permissible exposure limits—(1) 8-hour time weighted... in excess of one (1) part EtO per million parts of air (1 ppm) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (8...

29 CFR 1910.1047 - Ethylene oxide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (8)-hour time-weighted average. Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for... organic compound with chemical formula C2 H4 O. (c) Permissible exposure limits—(1) 8-hour time weighted... in excess of one (1) part EtO per million parts of air (1 ppm) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (8...

29 CFR 1910.1047 - Ethylene oxide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (8)-hour time-weighted average. Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for... organic compound with chemical formula C2 H4 O. (c) Permissible exposure limits—(1) 8-hour time weighted... in excess of one (1) part EtO per million parts of air (1 ppm) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (8...

The effect of a mindful restaurant eating intervention on weight management in women.

PubMed

Timmerman, Gayle M; Brown, Adama

2012-01-01

To evaluate the effect of a Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention on weight management. Randomized control trial. Greater metropolitan area of Austin, Texas. Women (n = 35) 40-59 years old who eat out at least 3 times per week. The intervention, using 6 weekly 2-hour, small group sessions, focused on reducing calorie and fat intake when eating out through education, behavior change strategies, and mindful eating meditations. Weight, waist circumference, self-reported daily calorie and fat intake, self-reported calories and fat consumed when eating out, emotional eating, diet related self-efficacy, and barriers to weight management when eating out. General linear models examined change from baseline to final endpoint to determine differences in outcomes between the intervention and control group. Participants in the intervention group lost significantly more weight (P =.03), had lower average daily caloric (P = .002) and fat intake (P = .001), had increased diet-related self-efficacy (P = .02), and had fewer barriers to weight management when eating out (P = .001). Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention was effective in promoting weight management in perimenopausal women. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of a Mindful Restaurant Eating Intervention on Weight Management in Women

PubMed Central

Timmerman, Gayle M.; Brown, Adama

2011-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effect of a Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention on weight management. Design Random control trial. Setting Greater metropolitan area of Austin, Texas. Participants Women (n = 35) 40-59 years old who eat out at least 3 times per week. Intervention The intervention, using 6 weekly 2 hour small group sessions, focused on reducing calorie and fat intake when eating out through education, behavior change strategies, and mindful eating meditations. Main Outcome Measures Weight, waist circumference, self-reported daily calorie and fat intake, self-reported calories and fat consumed when eating out, emotional eating, diet related self-efficacy, and barriers to weight management when eating out. Analysis General linear models examined change from baseline to final endpoint to determine differences in outcomes between the intervention and control group. Results Participants in the intervention group lost significantly more weight (P =.03), had lower average daily caloric (P =.002) and fat intake (P =.001), had increased diet related self-efficacy (P =.02), and had fewer barriers to weight management when eating out (P =.001). Conclusions and Implications Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention was effective in promoting weight management in perimenopausal women. PMID:22243980

Effects of handling procedures on pain responses of very low birth weight infants.

PubMed

Cameron, Emma Catherine; Raingangar, Veena; Khoori, Nawal

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of handling on pain responses of infants with very low birth weight (VLBW) and the frequency, duration, and type of handling procedures used during a 24-hour period for infants with VLBW. Eighteen infants with VLBW were observed for two-hour periods. Infants' pain responses were recorded using the Neonatal Inventory Pain Scale before and after each handling episode. Twelve infants were observed once, six were observed twice. Variables relating to each handling episode observed were documented. Pain scores were significantly greater after handling. During a 24-hour period, infants were handled an average of 53 times for an average of 2.7 hours. Ten handling episodes included social touch. Handling infants with VLBW significantly alters their pain responses. In some infants with VLBW are handled frequently in the neonatal intensive care unit. The results have implications for the training of neonatal caregivers.

Performance of Inductors Attached to a Galvanizing Bath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xinping; Yuan, Shuo; Liu, Chi; Yang, Peng; Qian, Chaoqun; Song, Bao

2013-12-01

By taking a galvanizing bath with inductors from an Iron and Steel Co., Ltd as an example, the distributions of Lorentz force and generated heat in the inductor are simulated. As a result, the zinc flow and the temperature distribution driven by the Lorentz force and the generated heat in the inductor of a galvanizing bath are simulated numerically, and their characteristics are analyzed. The relationship of the surface-weighted average velocity at the outlet and the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet and the effective power for the inductor is studied. Results show that with an increase in effective power for the inductor, the surface-weighted average velocity at the outlet and the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet increase gradually. We envisage this work to lay a foundation for the study of the performance of the galvanizing bath in future.

Evidence conflict measure based on OWA operator in open world

PubMed Central

Wang, Shiyu; Liu, Xiang; Zheng, Hanqing; Wei, Boya

2017-01-01

Dempster-Shafer evidence theory has been extensively used in many information fusion systems since it was proposed by Dempster and extended by Shafer. Many scholars have been conducted on conflict management of Dempster-Shafer evidence theory in past decades. However, how to determine a potent parameter to measure evidence conflict, when the given environment is in an open world, namely the frame of discernment is incomplete, is still an open issue. In this paper, a new method which combines generalized conflict coefficient, generalized evidence distance, and generalized interval correlation coefficient based on ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator, to measure the conflict of evidence is presented. Through ordered weighted average of these three parameters, the combinatorial coefficient can still measure the conflict effectively when one or two parameters are not valid. Several numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. PMID:28542271

Comparison of Phenotypic Value Changes in Pure Lines of Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) During Consecutive Generations Following Initial Selection on Cocoon Weight

PubMed Central

Seidavi, Alireza; Goldsmith, Marian R.

2014-01-01

Abstract The experiments reported here were conducted to investigate the effect of selection on three quantitative traits, namely cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, and cocoon shell percentage, during four generations by rearing six pure breeds of domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) of Chinese and Japanese origin compared with random unselected groups as controls. All stages of rearing and data recording were performed over four rearing periods, with generations 1–3 during successive spring seasons and generation 4 during the autumn season in year 3. Each pure line contained two groups of selected and random (control) groups. Comparisons included the effect of selection methods, pure line, and generation on the phenotypic values. We found strong main effects of pure line, generation, sex, and group and support for nearly all interactions between these main effects for all three response traits. The results indicated that cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight in the selected group were higher than in the control or nonselected group. Both selected and nonselected groups had the lowest cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, and cocoon shell percentage in the fourth generation when environmental conditions during the autumn season were less favorable than spring. The cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight averages were higher for nonselected groups in the second and third generations, and for the selected group in the first generation due to the direct effect of selection. PMID:25527593

Association of cartilage degeneration with four year weight gain– 3T MRI data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

PubMed Central

Bucknor, Matthew D.; Nardo, Lorenzo; Joseph, Gabby B.; Alizai, Hamza; Srikhum, Waraporn; Nevitt, Michael C.; Lynch, John A.; McCulloch, Charles E.; Link, Thomas M.

2015-01-01

Objective To determine the effect of weight gain on progression of early knee morphologic abnormalities using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a longitudinal study over 48 months. Design We studied the right knee of 100 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, selecting subjects aged ≥ 45 with osteoarthritis risk factors who demonstrated weight gain (minimum 5% increase in body mass index, BMI, n=50) or no change in weight (BMI change < 2%, n=50), frequency matched for age, gender, and baseline BMI. Baseline and 48 month knee MRI studies were scored for lesions using a modified whole organ MRI score (WORMS). Logistic regression models were used to compare the differences between the two groups. Results The odds of worsening maximum cartilage (11.3, 95%, CI 3.5–51.4) and meniscal WORMS (4.5, 95% CI 1.4–17.3) were significantly greater in the weight gain group compared to the no change group, in addition to the odds of worsening cartilage defects at the patella and average meniscal WORMS (p<0.05). Odds of worsening average bone marrow edema pattern (BMEP) were significantly greater for the weight gain group compared to the no change cohort (p<0.05). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that weight gain is strongly associated with increased progression of cartilage degeneration in middle-aged individuals with risk factors for osteoarthritis. PMID:25591445

Effect of weight loss on menstrual function in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PubMed

Ornstein, Rollyn M; Copperman, Nancy M; Jacobson, Marc S

2011-06-01

To compare the effects of a hypocaloric low-fat diet with those of a very low carbohydrate diet on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and menstrual function in overweight adolescent females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Randomized pilot trial of two diets in a prospective, 12-week study. A hospital-based, academic adolescent medicine division. 24 females, age 12-22 years (mean 15.8 ± 2.2), with PCOS and a BMI above the 85(th) percentile for age (mean 35.7 ± 6.0 kg/m(2)). Nutrition counseling was given biweekly, and dietary compliance, menstrual history, and weight were recorded. WC was measured at the beginning and end of the study. Changes in weight, BMI, WC, and improvement in menstrual function over the course of the study period. 16 participants completed the study. 12 completers menstruated during the study period, 8 with regularity. The number of periods over 3 months increased from 0.6 ± 0.6 pre-treatment to 1.6 ± 1.3 post-treatment (P = 0.003). Overall, weight loss averaged 6.5% (P < 0.0001) and the WC decreased by an average of 5.7 ± 7.7 cm (P = 0.01). Those who lost weight were 3.4 times more likely to have improved menstrual function (P = 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Weight loss is feasible in adolescents with PCOS and results in significant improvements in BMI, WC, and menstrual function. Weight management may be preferable as first-line treatment in adolescents, because it targets both the menstrual dysfunction and risk factors for long-term morbidity associated with PCOS. Copyright © 2011 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A diet and physical activity intervention for preventing weight retention among Taiwanese childbearing women: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Huang, Tzu-ting; Yeh, Chieh-Ying; Tsai, Yc-Chen

2011-04-01

to examine the effect of individual counselling on diet and physical activity from pregnancy to six months post partum, or from birth to six months post partum, on weight retention among Taiwanese women. a randomised controlled trial assigned participants to two experimental groups [from pregnancy to six months post partum (EP) and from birth to six months post partum (EPP)] and one comparison group. a 3900-bed medical centre in northern Taiwan with around 3000 births annually. a sample of 189 women who had regular check-ups during pregnancy and gave birth at the medical centre. the comparison group received the routine outpatient department obstetric educational programme. The EP group attended regularly scheduled clinic visits with individualised dietary and physical activity education plans from 16 gestational weeks to six months post partum, and received on brochure. The EPP group received the same educational intervention as the EP group from 24-48 hours after birth to six months post partum. body weight, body mass index, health-promoting behaviour and psycho-social variables (self-efficacy, body image, depression and social support). average gestational weight gain was 14.02, 15.27 and 16.22 kg in the three EP, EPP and comparison groups respectively, and average weight retention at six months post partum was 2.34, 4.06 and 5.08 kg in the three groups, respectively. a diet and physical activity intervention from pregnancy is effective for reducing post-pregnancy weight retention. the findings of the present study should be taken into consideration when incorporating significant others and weight-loss maintenance strategies with interventions for a healthier family lifestyle. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dietary counselling and nutritional support in oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with radiotherapy: persistent weight loss during 1-year follow-ups.

PubMed

Vlooswijk, C P; van Rooij, P H E; Kruize, J C; Schuring, H A; Al-Mamgani, A; de Roos, N M

2016-01-01

The need for dietary counselling and nutritional support in oropharyngeal cancer patients is generally accepted. However, evidence for the effectiveness is sparse. The aim of this study was to describe dietary counselling, nutritional support, body weight and toxicity during and after treatment, and investigate the effect of pre-treatment body mass index (BMI) on survival in oropharyngeal cancer patients. A retrospective chart review was made in 276 oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with radiotherapy (RT). End points were dietary consultations, weight loss, toxicity, overall survival and disease-free survival. Almost all oropharyngeal cancer patients received dietary counselling (94%) and nutritional support (99%). Dietary counselling decreased sharply shortly after treatment to 38% at 1 year after treatment. Overall weight loss increased during the first year of follow-up and ranged from 3% at start of RT, until 11% at 1 year after RT. Overall survival was significantly longer for patients with a BMI above average (P=0.01). Acute dysphagia (P=0.001), mucositis (P=0.000) and toxicity grade 3 (P=0.002) were significantly more prevalent in patients who had lost 10% or more of their body weight. This study showed that patients continue to lose body weight during and until 1 year after treatment, despite nutrition support and frequent dietetic consultation. A BMI above average appears to increase survival time. Future studies, preferably randomized trials, are needed to compare standard dietary counselling with more intensive dietary counselling that consists of earlier and/or prolonged treatment.

[Effect of an oral hyperproteic nutritional supplement in malnourished elderly patients in nursing homes].

PubMed

Ordóñez, J; De Antonio Veira, J A; Pou Soler, C; Navarro Calero, J; Rubio Navarro, J; Marcos Olivares, S; López Ventura, M

2010-01-01

Nutritional problems develop complications in geriatric patients and increase their morbidity and mortality. Hyperproteic nutritional supplements are one of the options to improve nutritional deficiencies. To assess the beneficial effect and tolerance of one hyperproteic nutritional supplement (Ensure Plus High Protein, Abbott Laboratories, S.A.) in malnourished subjects over 65 years. Observational, prospective, open, multicenter study. We included malnourished subjects over 65 years living in nursing homes located in Spain. Malnutrition was considered as GNRI score < 92 or BMI < 19. Before inclusion, we obtained signed informed consent of patients or their relatives. All participants received Ensure Plus High Protein for 8 weeks. The primary endpoints were changes observed in weight, BMI and GNRI. We analyzed 255 evaluable patients valid for intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and 243 for the per-protocol (PP) analysis; 69% (n = 172) were female and 31% (n = 77) male. The average protein amount administered was 51 g/day. At the end of the study, statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) were found in weight, BMI and GNRI when compared to baseline, both in the ITT and the PP analysis. The average weight increase was (mean +/- SE) 2.86 +/- 0.13 kg for PP analysis; 80% of participants (n = 202) achieved a weight gain > 1 kg and 96 patients (39.5% PP analysis) had a weight gain > 7%. The addition of a hyperproteic oral nutritional supplement contributes positively in improving the nutritional status of our study malnourished geriatric patients in terms of significant increase in body weight, BMI and GNRI.

[Experience of the surgical management of the esophageal achalasia in a tertiary care hospital].

PubMed

Barajas-Fregoso, Elpidio Manuel; Romero-Hernández, Teodoro; Sánchez-Fernández, Patricio Rogelio; Fuentes-Orozco, Clotilde; González-Ojeda, Alejandro; Macías-Amezcua, Michel Dassaejv

2015-01-01

Achalasia is a primary esophageal motor disorder. The most common symptoms are: dysphagia, chest pain, reflux and weight loss. The esophageal manometry is the standard for diagnosis. The aim of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of the surgical management in patients with achalasia in a tertiary care hospital. A case series consisting of achalasia patients, treated surgically between January and December of 2011. Clinical charts were reviewed to obtain data and registries of the type of surgical procedure, morbidity and mortality. Fourteen patients were identified, with an average age of 49.1 years. The most common symptoms were: dysphagia, vomiting, weight loss and pyrosis. Eight open approaches were performed and six by laparoscopy, with an average length of cardiomyotomy of 9.4 cm. Eleven patients received an antireflux procedure. The effectiveness of procedures performed was 85.7 %. Surgical management offered at this tertiary care hospital does not differ from that reported in other case series, giving effectiveness and safety for patients with achalasia.

Motherhood, Fatherhood and Midlife Weight Gain in a US Cohort: Associations differ by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position.

PubMed

Brown, Daniel M; Barbara, Abrams; Cohen, Alison K; Rehkopf, David H

2017-12-01

While there is an association of greater short-term weight gain with childbearing among women, less is known about longer-term weight gain, whether men have similar gains, and how this varies by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position. Our cohort consisted of a nationally representative sample of 7,356 Americans with oversampling of Black and Hispanic populations. We estimated the associations between number of biological children and parental weight, measured as both change in self-reported body mass index (BMI) from age 18 and overweight/obese status (BMI ≥ 25) at age 40. We performed multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis and tested for effect modification by gender. For change in BMI, men gained on average 0.28 BMI (95% CI: (0.01, 0.55)) units per child, while women gained 0.13 units per child (95% CI: (-0.22, 0.48)). The adjusted odds ratios for overweight/obesity associated with each child were 1.32 (95% CI: (1.11, 1.58)) for men and 1.15 (95% CI: (1.01, 1.31)) for women. Stratified analyses by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position suggested that the observed full-cohort differences were driven primarily by gendered differences in low-income Hispanics and Whites - with the greatest associations among Hispanic men. For example, among low-income Hispanic men we observed a positive relationship between the number of children and weight change by age 40, with average weight change of 0.47 units per child (95%CI: (-0.65, 1.59 For low-income Hispanic women, however, the average weight change was -0.59 units per child (95%CI: (-1.70, 0.47), and the P-value for the test of interaction between gender and number of children was P < 0.001. Our findings suggest that the shared social and economic aspects of raising children play an important role in determining parental weight at mid-life.

Application of a Taxonomical Structure for Classifying Goods Procured by the Federal Government

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

between all pairs of objects. Also called a "tree" or "phenogram". "• UPGMA Clustering Method- (Un--weighted pair-group method using weighted averages...clustering arrangement, specifically, the unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages ( UPGMA ) (more commonly known as the 49 average linkage method

A pilot study of the effects of behavioral weight loss treatment on fibromyalgia symptoms.

PubMed

Shapiro, Jennifer R; Anderson, Drew A; Danoff-Burg, Sharon

2005-11-01

Previous studies have found a relation between weight loss and pain severity in various chronic pain populations. However, there has been little research examining the relation between body mass index (BMI) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the relationship between BMI and FMS symptoms and to determine if FMS symptoms would decrease following weight loss. Overweight and obese women participated in a 20-week behavioral weight loss treatment. Participants, on average, lost 9.2 lbs (4.4% of their initial weight), and there were significant pre-postimprovements on several outcome measures. Although weight was not significantly related to pain at baseline, weight loss significantly predicted a reduction in FMS, pain interference, body satisfaction, and quality of life (QOL). Findings suggest that behavioral weight loss treatment could be included in the treatment for overweight/obese women with FMS.

The Weighted-Average Lagged Ensemble.

PubMed

DelSole, T; Trenary, L; Tippett, M K

2017-11-01

A lagged ensemble is an ensemble of forecasts from the same model initialized at different times but verifying at the same time. The skill of a lagged ensemble mean can be improved by assigning weights to different forecasts in such a way as to maximize skill. If the forecasts are bias corrected, then an unbiased weighted lagged ensemble requires the weights to sum to one. Such a scheme is called a weighted-average lagged ensemble. In the limit of uncorrelated errors, the optimal weights are positive and decay monotonically with lead time, so that the least skillful forecasts have the least weight. In more realistic applications, the optimal weights do not always behave this way. This paper presents a series of analytic examples designed to illuminate conditions under which the weights of an optimal weighted-average lagged ensemble become negative or depend nonmonotonically on lead time. It is shown that negative weights are most likely to occur when the errors grow rapidly and are highly correlated across lead time. The weights are most likely to behave nonmonotonically when the mean square error is approximately constant over the range forecasts included in the lagged ensemble. An extreme example of the latter behavior is presented in which the optimal weights vanish everywhere except at the shortest and longest lead times.

Mammalian Toxicity of Munitions Compounds. Phase II. Effects of Multiple Doses Part II. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-11-01

middle, or high levels of 2,4-DNT in the feed averaged 34, 93, or 266 mg/kg/day, respectively. The female rats consumed an average of 38, 108, or 145 mg...intake of males fed the low, middle or high levels of 2,4-DNT in the feed averaged 47, 137, or 413 mg/kg/day, respectively. The female mice consumed an...Experimental Procedures All dogs were observed daily for behavioral changes and toxic signs. Body weights of all dogs were recorded weekly. Blood

[Peruvian newborn fetal growth according to its sex, geographical area, and maternal parity and height].

PubMed

Rendón, Manuel Ticona; Apaza, Diana Huanco

2008-09-01

Birth weight is the most important indicator of fetal growth, fetal development, and nutritional estate of newborn, and several factors affect it. To know the fetal growth of Peruvian newborns according to fetal sex, maternal parity and height, and geographical area. Prospective and cross sectional study. Successive newborn data of 29 hospitals of Ministerio de Salud del Peru was obtained during 2005 year, all of them without intrauterine growth delay. Student ttest was used to compare: male and female, primiparous and multiparous, and coast, mountain, and rainforest newborn average weight (meaningful difference: p < 0.05). Maternal height was related to newborn weight, height, cephalic perimeter, and gestational age. From 50,568 selected alive newborns, male had an average weight from 19 to 41 g higher than female, and multiparous newborns had from 22 to 53 g more than primiparous newborns. Maternal height has a direct connection with newborn weight, height, and cephalic perimeter. Coast newborns had an average weight from 133 to 210 g higher than those from mountain, and from 76 to 142 g higher than those from rainforest; average weight of rainforest newborns was from 19 to 83 g higher to those from mountain. Weight differences due to fetal sex, maternal parity and height, and geographic region were meaningful among 36 to 42 weeks of gestation. Fetal sex, maternal parity and height, and geographical region affect newborn weight. It is recommended to use weight and gestational age as correction factors to appropriately classify Peruvian newborns.

Genetics of wellbeing and its components satisfaction with life, happiness, and quality of life: a review and meta-analysis of heritability studies.

PubMed

Bartels, Meike

2015-03-01

Wellbeing is a major topic of research across several disciplines, reflecting the increasing recognition of its strong value across major domains in life. Previous twin-family studies have revealed that individual differences in wellbeing are accounted for by both genetic as well as environmental factors. A systematic literature search identified 30 twin-family studies on wellbeing or a related measure such as satisfaction with life or happiness. Review of these studies showed considerable variation in heritability estimates (ranging from 0 to 64 %), which makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding the genetic influences on wellbeing. For overall wellbeing twelve heritability estimates, from 10 independent studies, were meta-analyzed by computing a sample size weighted average heritability. Ten heritability estimates, derived from 9 independent samples, were used for the meta-analysis of satisfaction with life. The weighted average heritability of wellbeing, based on a sample size of 55,974 individuals, was 36 % (34-38), while the weighted average heritability for satisfaction with life was 32 % (29-35) (n = 47,750). With this result a more robust estimate of the relative influence of genetic effects on wellbeing is provided.

Measuring Household Vulnerability: A Fuzzy Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sethi, G.; Pierce, S. A.

2016-12-01

This research develops an index of vulnerability for Ugandan households using a variety of economic, social and environmental variables with two objectives. First, there is only a small body of research that measures household vulnerability. Given the stresses faced by households susceptible to water, environment, food, livelihood, energy, and health security concerns, it is critical that they be identified in order to make effective policy. We draw on the socio-ecological systems (SES) framework described by Ostrom (2009) and adapt the model developed by from Giupponi, Giove, and Giannini (2013) to develop a composite measure. Second, most indices in the literature are linear in nature, relying on simple weighted averages. In this research, we contrast the results obtained by a simple weighted average with those obtained by using the Choquet integral. The Choquet integral is a fuzzy measure, and is based on the generalization of the Lebesgue integral. Due to its non-additive nature, the Choquet integral offers a more general approach. Our results reveal that all households included in this study are highly vulnerable, and that vulnerability scores obtained by the fuzzy approach are significantly different from those obtained by using the simple weighted average (p = 9.46e-160).

Accurate measurement of imaging photoplethysmographic signals based camera using weighted average

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Zongguang; Kong, Lingqin; Zhao, Yuejin; Sun, Huijuan; Dong, Liquan; Hui, Mei; Liu, Ming; Liu, Xiaohua; Liu, Lingling; Li, Xiaohui; Li, Rongji

2018-01-01

Imaging Photoplethysmography (IPPG) is an emerging technique for the extraction of vital signs of human being using video recordings. IPPG technology with its advantages like non-contact measurement, low cost and easy operation has become one research hot spot in the field of biomedicine. However, the noise disturbance caused by non-microarterial area cannot be removed because of the uneven distribution of micro-arterial, different signal strength of each region, which results in a low signal noise ratio of IPPG signals and low accuracy of heart rate. In this paper, we propose a method of improving the signal noise ratio of camera-based IPPG signals of each sub-region of the face using a weighted average. Firstly, we obtain the region of interest (ROI) of a subject's face based camera. Secondly, each region of interest is tracked and feature-based matched in each frame of the video. Each tracked region of face is divided into 60x60 pixel block. Thirdly, the weights of PPG signal of each sub-region are calculated, based on the signal-to-noise ratio of each sub-region. Finally, we combine the IPPG signal from all the tracked ROI using weighted average. Compared with the existing approaches, the result shows that the proposed method takes modest but significant effects on improvement of signal noise ratio of camera-based PPG estimated and accuracy of heart rate measurement.

The role of sex and body weight on the metabolic effects of high-fat diet in C57BL/6N mice

PubMed Central

Ingvorsen, C; Karp, N A; Lelliott, C J

2017-01-01

Background: Metabolic disorders are commonly investigated using knockout and transgenic mouse models on the C57BL/6N genetic background due to its genetic susceptibility to the deleterious metabolic effects of high-fat diet (HFD). There is growing awareness of the need to consider sex in disease progression, but limited attention has been paid to sexual dimorphism in mouse models and its impact in metabolic phenotypes. We assessed the effect of HFD and the impact of sex on metabolic variables in this strain. Methods: We generated a reference data set encompassing glucose tolerance, body composition and plasma chemistry data from 586 C57BL/6N mice fed a standard chow and 733 fed a HFD collected as part of a high-throughput phenotyping pipeline. Linear mixed model regression analysis was used in a dual analysis to assess the effect of HFD as an absolute change in phenotype, but also as a relative change accounting for the potential confounding effect of body weight. Results: HFD had a significant impact on all variables tested with an average absolute effect size of 29%. For the majority of variables (78%), the treatment effect was modified by sex and this was dominated by male-specific or a male stronger effect. On average, there was a 13.2% difference in the effect size between the male and female mice for sexually dimorphic variables. HFD led to a significant body weight phenotype (24% increase), which acts as a confounding effect on the other analysed variables. For 79% of the variables, body weight was found to be a significant source of variation, but even after accounting for this confounding effect, similar HFD-induced phenotypic changes were found to when not accounting for weight. Conclusion: HFD and sex are powerful modifiers of metabolic parameters in C57BL/6N mice. We also demonstrate the value of considering body size as a covariate to obtain a richer understanding of metabolic phenotypes. PMID:28394359

The impact of using weight estimated from mammographic images vs. self-reported weight on breast cancer risk calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Kalyani P.; Harkness, Elaine F.; Gadde, Soujanye; Lim, Yit Y.; Maxwell, Anthony J.; Moschidis, Emmanouil; Foden, Philip; Cuzick, Jack; Brentnall, Adam; Evans, D. Gareth; Howell, Anthony; Astley, Susan M.

2017-03-01

Personalised breast screening requires assessment of individual risk of breast cancer, of which one contributory factor is weight. Self-reported weight has been used for this purpose, but may be unreliable. We explore the use of volume of fat in the breast, measured from digital mammograms. Volumetric breast density measurements were used to determine the volume of fat in the breasts of 40,431 women taking part in the Predicting Risk Of Cancer At Screening (PROCAS) study. Tyrer-Cuzick risk using self-reported weight was calculated for each woman. Weight was also estimated from the relationship between self-reported weight and breast fat volume in the cohort, and used to re-calculate Tyrer-Cuzick risk. Women were assigned to risk categories according to 10 year risk (below average <2%, average 2-3.49%, above average 3.5-4.99%, moderate 5-7.99%, high >=8%) and the original and re-calculated Tyrer-Cuzick risks were compared. Of the 716 women diagnosed with breast cancer during the study, 15 (2.1%) moved into a lower risk category, and 37 (5.2%) moved into a higher category when using weight estimated from breast fat volume. Of the 39,715 women without a cancer diagnosis, 1009 (2.5%) moved into a lower risk category, and 1721 (4.3%) into a higher risk category. The majority of changes were between below average and average risk categories (38.5% of those with a cancer diagnosis, and 34.6% of those without). No individual moved more than one risk group. Automated breast fat measures may provide a suitable alternative to self-reported weight for risk assessment in personalized screening.

The Status at Two Years of Low-Birth-Weight Infants Born in 1974 with Birth Weights of Less Than 1,001 gm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pape, K. E.; And Others

1978-01-01

For availibility see EC 103 548 Among findings of a 2-year followup study of 43 infants of birth weight less than 1000 grams were the following: average height at age 2 years was between the tenth and twenty-fifth percentiles; average weight was between the third and tenth percentiles; 15 Ss developed lower respiratory tract infections during the…

Performance and carcass characteristics of lambs fed diets with increasing levels of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) hay replacing Buffel grass hay.

PubMed

Bandeira, Paulo André Vidal; Filho, José Morais Pereira; de Azevêdo Silva, Aderbal Marcos; Cezar, Marcílio Fontes; Bakke, Olaf Andreas; Silva, Uilma Laurentino; Borburema, Jucileide Barbosa; Bezerra, Leilson Rocha

2017-06-01

This study evaluated the performance and carcass characteristics of lambs fed diets with increasing levels of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) hay replacing Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris). Twenty-eight Santa Inês male lambs with an average body weight (BW) of 20.3 ± 1.49 kg(mean ± SD) were allocated in individual stalls and distributed in a completely random design with four treatments (0, 20, 40, and 60 g/100 g total DM M. tenuiflora hay replacing Buffel grass hay in diet) with seven replications. M. tenuiflora hay at the level of 20% dry matter (DM) total replacing Buffel grass hay increased final weight (P = 0.006), total weight gain (P < 0.001), average daily weight gain (ADWG; P < 0.001), DM intake (P < 0.001), and feed efficiency (P < 0.001). Intake of crude protein, NDF ap , ADF ap , ash, ether extract, total and non-fibrous carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients presented a positive quadratic effect with M. tenuiflora hay replacing Buffel grass hay and 40 g/100 g total DM level presented greater intake. There were positive quadratic effects by M. tenuiflora hay inclusion at 20 g/100 g total DM level on slaughtering weight (P = 0.005), hot carcass weight (P = 0.002), cold carcass weight (P = 0.002), empty body weight (P = 0.001), hot carcass yield (P = 0.002), cold carcass yield (P = 0.003), and increase linear on biological yield (P = 0.003). There was no influence on cooling weight loss (P = 0.284). M. tenuiflora hay may be included in lamb diets at amounts up to 20 g/100 g total DM substitution of Buffel grass hay because increase in the nutrients intake, growth performance, and carcass characteristics.

Gene expression profiling in the Cynomolgus macaque Macaca fascicularis shows variation within the normal birth range

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although an adverse early-life environment has been linked to an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, the molecular mechanisms underlying altered disease susceptibility as well as their relevance to humans are largely unknown. Importantly, emerging evidence suggests that these effects operate within the normal range of birth weights and involve mechanisms of developmental palsticity rather than pathology. Method To explore this further, we utilised a non-human primate model Macaca fascicularis (Cynomolgus macaque) which shares with humans the same progressive history of the metabolic syndrome. Using microarray we compared tissues from neonates in the average birth weight (50-75th centile) to those of lower birth weight (5-25th centile) and studied the effect of different growth trajectories within the normal range on gene expression levels in the umbilical cord, neonatal liver and skeletal muscle. Results We identified 1973 genes which were differentially expressed in the three tissue types between average and low birth weight animals (P < 0.05). Gene ontology analysis identified that these genes were involved in metabolic processes including cellular lipid metabolism, cellular biosynthesis, cellular macromolecule synthesis, cellular nitrogen metabolism, cellular carbohydrate metabolism, cellular catabolism, nucleotide and nucleic acid metabolism, regulation of molecular functions, biological adhesion and development. Conclusion These differences in gene expression levels between animals in the upper and lower percentiles of the normal birth weight range may point towards early life metabolic adaptations that in later life result in differences in disease risk. PMID:21999700

The Effects of Messages about the Causes of Obesity on Disciplinary Action Decisions for Overweight Employees.

PubMed

Lindeman, Meghan I H; Crandall, Amanda K; Finkelstein, Lisa M

2017-05-19

We investigated the impact of messages about the causes of obesity (controllable or uncontrollable) on the disciplinary action consequences selected for obese employees in response to a work-related mistake. Participants read about either the controllable or uncontrollable causes of obesity before reviewing an ostensible employee file that included a description of an employee mistake. Depending on condition, the file contained a photo of the employee that either depicted them as obese or average weight. Participants were more willing to withhold a raise or promotion from an obese employee than from an average-weight employee. Further, there was little evidence that the messages about the causes of obesity affected participants' perceived control and self-efficacy for healthy behaviors.

Birth weight differences between those offered financial voucher incentives for verified smoking cessation and control participants enrolled in the Cessation in Pregnancy Incentives Trial (CPIT), employing an intuitive approach and a Complier Average Causal Effects (CACE) analysis.

PubMed

McConnachie, Alex; Haig, Caroline; Sinclair, Lesley; Bauld, Linda; Tappin, David M

2017-07-20

The Cessation in Pregnancy Incentives Trial (CPIT), which offered financial incentives for smoking cessation during pregnancy showed a clinically and statistically significant improvement in cessation. However, infant birth weight was not seen to be affected. This study re-examines birth weight using an intuitive and a complier average causal effects (CACE) method to uncover important information missed by intention-to-treat analysis. CPIT offered financial incentives up to £400 to pregnant smokers to quit. With incentives, 68 women (23.1%) were confirmed non-smokers at primary outcome, compared to 25 (8.7%) without incentives, a difference of 14.3% (Fisher test, p < 0.0001). For this analysis, randomised groups were split into three theoretical sub-groups: independent quitters - quit without incentives, hardened smokers - could not quit even with incentives and potential quitters - required the addition of financial incentives to quit. Viewed in this way, the overall birth weight gain with incentives is attributable only to potential quitters. We compared an intuitive approach to a CACE analysis. Mean birth weight of potential quitters in the incentives intervention group (who therefore quit) was 3338 g compared with potential quitters in the control group (who did not quit) 3193 g. The difference attributable to incentives, was 3338 - 3193 = 145 g (95% CI -617, +803). The mean difference in birth weight between the intervention and control groups was 21 g, and the difference in the proportion who managed to quit was 14.3%. Since the intervention consisted of the offer of incentives to quit smoking, the intervention was received by all women in the intervention group. However, "compliance" was successfully quitting with incentives, and the CACE analysis yielded an identical result, causal birth weight increase 21 g ÷ 0.143 = 145 g. Policy makers have great difficulty giving pregnant women money to stop smoking. This study indicates that a small clinically insignificant improvement in average birth weight is likely to hide an important clinically significant increase in infants born to pregnant smokers who want to stop but cannot achieve smoking cessation without the addition of financial voucher incentives. ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN87508788 . Registered on 1 September 2011.

Cardiometabolic risk after weight loss and subsequent weight regain in overweight and obese postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Beavers, Daniel P; Beavers, Kristen M; Lyles, Mary F; Nicklas, Barbara J

2013-06-01

Little is known about the effect of intentional weight loss and subsequent weight regain on cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults. The objective of this study was to determine how cardiometabolic risk factors change in the year following significant intentional weight loss in postmenopausal women, and if observed changes were affected by weight and fat regain. Eighty, overweight and obese, older women (age = 58.8±5.1 years) were followed through a 5-month weight loss intervention and a subsequent 12-month nonintervention period. Body weight/composition and cardiometabolic risk factors (blood pressure; total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; triglycerides; fasting glucose and insulin; and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) were analyzed at baseline, immediately postintervention, and 6- and 12-months postintervention. Average weight loss during the 5-month intervention was 11.4±4.1kg and 31.4% of lost weight was regained during the 12-month follow-up. On average, all risk factor variables were significantly improved with weight loss but regressed toward baseline values during the year subsequent to weight loss. Increases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance during the postintervention follow-up were significantly (p < .05) associated with weight and fat mass regain. Among women who regained weight, model-adjusted total cholesterol (205.8±4.0 vs 199.7±2.9mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (128.4±3.4 vs 122.7±2.4mg/dL), insulin (12.6±0.7 vs 11.4±0.7mg/dL), and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (55.8±3.5 vs 50.9±3.7mg/dL) were higher at follow-up compared with baseline. For postmenopausal women, even partial weight regain following intentional weight loss is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. Conversely, maintenance of or continued weight loss is associated with sustained improvement in the cardiometabolic profile.

Effect of molecular weight of starch on the properties of cassava starch microspheres prepared in aqueous two-phase system.

PubMed

Xia, Huiping; Li, Bing-Zheng; Gao, Qunyu

2017-12-01

Starch microspheres (SMs) were fabricated in an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). A series of starch samples with different molecular weight were prepared by acid hydrolysis, and the effect of molecular weight of starch on the fabrication of SMs were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the morphologies of SMs varied with starch molecular weight, and spherical SMs with sharp contours were obtained while using starch samples with weight-average molecular weight (M¯w)≤1.057×10 5 g/mol. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that crystalline structure of SMs were different from that of native cassava starch, and the relative crystallinity of SMs increased with the molecular weight of starch decreasing. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed peak gelatinization temperature (T p ) and enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔH) of SMs increased with decreased M¯wof starch. Stability tests indicated that the SMs were stable under acid environment, but not stable under α-amylase hydrolysis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions for obesity: weight loss with orlistat and sibutramine in a United Kingdom population-based cohort

PubMed Central

Douglas, Ian J; Bhaskaran, Krishnan; Batterham, Rachel L; Smeeth, Liam

2015-01-01

Aims Drug treatments for obesity have proven efficacy from randomized trials, but their effectiveness in routine clinical practice is unknown. We assessed the effects on weight and body mass index (BMI) of orlistat and sibutramine when delivered in routine primary care. Methods We used United Kingdom data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink to estimate the effects of orlistat or sibutramine on weight and BMI over 3 years following treatment initiation. For comparison, we matched each patient with up to five obese patients receiving neither drug. Mixed effects linear regression with splines was used to model change in weight and BMI. Mean change with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was estimated. Results We identified 100 701 patients receiving orlistat, 15 355 receiving sibutramine and 508 140 non-intervention patients, with body mass index of 37.2, 36.6 and 33.2 kg m−2, respectively. Patients receiving orlistat lost, on average, 0.94 kg month−1 (0.93 to 0.95) over the first 4 months. Weight gain then occurred, although weight remained slightly below baseline at 3 years. Patients receiving sibutramine lost, 1.28 kg month−1 (1.26 to 1.30) over the first 4 months, but by 3 years had exceeded baseline weight. Non-intervention patients had slight increases in weight throughout the 3 year period, with gains ranging between 0.01 and 0.06 kg month−1. Conclusions Orlistat and sibutramine had early effects on weight loss, not sustained over 3 years. As new treatments for obesity are approved, their effectiveness should be measured in routine clinical practice, as effectiveness may be considerably less than seen in randomized trials. PMID:25641659

Retrospective analysis of antibiotic treatments against piscirickettsiosis in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in Chile.

PubMed

Price, Derek; Stryhn, Henrik; Sánchez, Javier; Ibarra, Rolando; Tello, Alfredo; St-Hilaire, Sophie

2016-03-30

Piscirickettsiosis is the most prevalent salt-water infectious disease in farmed salmonids in Chile. Antimicrobials are used to treat this disease; however, there is growing concern about the poor response to therapeutants on some fish farms. The objective of this study was to assess whether factors such as type of antibiotic used, average fish weight, temperature at the beginning of the treatment, and mortality at the time of treatment administration affect the probability of treatment failure against piscirickettsiosis. Pen-level treatment and production information for the first treatment event from 2014 pens on 118 farms was used in a logistic mixed model to assess treatment failure. We defined a failed treatment as when the average mortality 3 wk after the treatment was above 0.1%. Farm and company were included in the model as random effects. We found that the antibiotic product, mortality level before the treatment, and fish weight at the start of the treatment all had a significant effect on treatment outcome. Our results suggest that antibiotic treatment success is higher if the treatment is administered when mortality associated with piscirickettsiosis is relatively low. We discuss the effect of weight on treatment success and its potential relationships with husbandry practices and drug pharmacokinetics.

Quaternion Averaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markley, F. Landis; Cheng, Yang; Crassidis, John L.; Oshman, Yaakov

2007-01-01

Many applications require an algorithm that averages quaternions in an optimal manner. For example, when combining the quaternion outputs of multiple star trackers having this output capability, it is desirable to properly average the quaternions without recomputing the attitude from the the raw star tracker data. Other applications requiring some sort of optimal quaternion averaging include particle filtering and multiple-model adaptive estimation, where weighted quaternions are used to determine the quaternion estimate. For spacecraft attitude estimation applications, derives an optimal averaging scheme to compute the average of a set of weighted attitude matrices using the singular value decomposition method. Focusing on a 4-dimensional quaternion Gaussian distribution on the unit hypersphere, provides an approach to computing the average quaternion by minimizing a quaternion cost function that is equivalent to the attitude matrix cost function Motivated by and extending its results, this Note derives an algorithm that deterniines an optimal average quaternion from a set of scalar- or matrix-weighted quaternions. Rirthermore, a sufficient condition for the uniqueness of the average quaternion, and the equivalence of the mininiization problem, stated herein, to maximum likelihood estimation, are shown.

Implicit and explicit prejudice toward overweight and average-weight men and women: testing their correspondence and relation to behavioral intentions.

PubMed

Brochu, Paula M; Morrison, Melanie A

2007-12-01

The authors examined prejudice toward overweight men and women. Participants (N = 76) indicated their perceptions, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and implicit associations toward an average-weight or overweight man or woman. Results indicated the presence of explicit and implicit antifat prejudice, with male participants showing greater negativity toward overweight targets. Analyses of covariance indicated that overweight targets received greater derogation than did their average-weight counterparts, regardless, for the most part, of the target's gender. With one exception, no significant relations emerged between explicit and implicit measures of weight bias. The authors discuss limitations of the study and implications for future research.

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Fffff of... - Initial Compliance With Emission and Opacity Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... flow-weighted average concentration of particulate matter from one or more control devices applied to...). 4. Each discharge end at a new sinter plant a. The flow-weighted average concentration of... BOPF at a new or existing BOPF shop a. The average concentration of particulate matter from a primary...

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Fffff of... - Initial Compliance With Emission and Opacity Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... flow-weighted average concentration of particulate matter from one or more control devices applied to...). 4. Each discharge end at a new sinter plant a. The flow-weighted average concentration of... BOPF at a new or existing BOPF shop a. The average concentration of particulate matter from a primary...

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Fffff of... - Initial Compliance With Emission and Opacity Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... flow-weighted average concentration of particulate matter from one or more control devices applied to...). 4. Each discharge end at a new sinter plant a. The flow-weighted average concentration of... BOPF at a new or existing BOPF shop a. The average concentration of particulate matter from a primary...

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Fffff of... - Initial Compliance With Emission and Opacity Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... flow-weighted average concentration of particulate matter from one or more control devices applied to...). 4. Each discharge end at a new sinter plant a. The flow-weighted average concentration of... BOPF at a new or existing BOPF shop a. The average concentration of particulate matter from a primary...

Effect of dam weight and pregnancy nutrition on average lactation performance of ewe offspring over 5 years.

PubMed

Paten, A M; Pain, S J; Peterson, S W; Lopez-Villalobos, N; Kenyon, P R; Blair, H T

2017-06-01

The foetal mammary gland is sensitive to maternal weight and nutrition during gestation, which could affect offspring milk production. It has previously been shown that ewes born to dams offered maintenance nutrition during pregnancy (day 21 to 140 of gestation) produced greater milk, lactose and CP yields in their first lactation when compared with ewes born to dams offered ad libitum nutrition. In addition, ewes born to heavier dams produced greater milk and lactose yields when compared with ewes born to lighter dams. The objective of this study was to analyse and compare the 5-year lactation performance of the previously mentioned ewes, born to heavy or light dams that were offered maintenance or ad libitum pregnancy nutrition. Ewes were milked once per week, for the first 6 weeks of their lactation, for 5 years. Using milk yield and composition data, accumulated yields were calculated over a 42-day period for each year for milk, milk fat, CP, true protein, casein and lactose using a Legendre orthogonal polynomial model. Over the 5-year period, ewes born to heavy dams produced greater average milk (P=0.04), lactose (P=0.01) and CP (P=0.04) yields than offspring born to light dams. In contrast, over the 5-year period dam nutrition during pregnancy did not affect average (P>0.05) offspring milk yields or composition, but did increase milk and lactose accumulated yield (P=0.03 and 0.01, respectively) in the first lactation. These results indicate that maternal gestational nutrition appears to only affect the first lactational performance of ewe offspring. Neither dam nutrition nor size affected grand-offspring live weight gain to, or live weight at weaning (P>0.05). Combined these data indicate that under the conditions of the present study, manipulating dam weight or nutrition in pregnancy can have some effects of offspring lactational performance, however, these effects are not large enough to alter grand-offspring growth to weaning. Therefore, such manipulations are not a viable management tool for farmers to influence lamb growth to weaning.

Creating "Intelligent" Ensemble Averages Using a Process-Based Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Noel; Taylor, Patrick

2014-05-01

The CMIP5 archive contains future climate projections from over 50 models provided by dozens of modeling centers from around the world. Individual model projections, however, are subject to biases created by structural model uncertainties. As a result, ensemble averaging of multiple models is used to add value to individual model projections and construct a consensus projection. Previous reports for the IPCC establish climate change projections based on an equal-weighted average of all model projections. However, individual models reproduce certain climate processes better than other models. Should models be weighted based on performance? Unequal ensemble averages have previously been constructed using a variety of mean state metrics. What metrics are most relevant for constraining future climate projections? This project develops a framework for systematically testing metrics in models to identify optimal metrics for unequal weighting multi-model ensembles. The intention is to produce improved ("intelligent") unequal-weight ensemble averages. A unique aspect of this project is the construction and testing of climate process-based model evaluation metrics. A climate process-based metric is defined as a metric based on the relationship between two physically related climate variables—e.g., outgoing longwave radiation and surface temperature. Several climate process metrics are constructed using high-quality Earth radiation budget data from NASA's Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument in combination with surface temperature data sets. It is found that regional values of tested quantities can vary significantly when comparing the equal-weighted ensemble average and an ensemble weighted using the process-based metric. Additionally, this study investigates the dependence of the metric weighting scheme on the climate state using a combination of model simulations including a non-forced preindustrial control experiment, historical simulations, and several radiative forcing Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Ultimately, the goal of the framework is to advise better methods for ensemble averaging models and create better climate predictions.

Quantitative quasiperiodicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Suddhasattwa; Saiki, Yoshitaka; Sander, Evelyn; Yorke, James A.

2017-11-01

The Birkhoff ergodic theorem concludes that time averages, i.e. Birkhoff averages, B_N( f):=Σn=0N-1 f(x_n)/N of a function f along a length N ergodic trajectory (x_n) of a function T converge to the space average \\int f dμ , where μ is the unique invariant probability measure. Convergence of the time average to the space average is slow. We use a modified average of f(x_n) by giving very small weights to the ‘end’ terms when n is near 0 or N-1 . When (x_n) is a trajectory on a quasiperiodic torus and f and T are C^∞ , our weighted Birkhoff average (denoted \

Identifying when weather influences life-history traits of grazing herbivores.

PubMed

Sims, Michelle; Elston, David A; Larkham, Ann; Nussey, Daniel H; Albon, Steve D

2007-07-01

1. There is increasing evidence that density-independent weather effects influence life-history traits and hence the dynamics of populations of animals. Here, we present a novel statistical approach to estimate when such influences are strongest. The method is demonstrated by analyses investigating the timing of the influence of weather on the birth weight of sheep and deer. 2. The statistical technique allowed for the pattern of temporal correlation in the weather data enabling the effects of weather in many fine-scale time intervals to be investigated simultaneously. Thus, while previous studies have typically considered weather averaged across a single broad time interval during pregnancy, our approach enabled examination simultaneously of the relationships with weekly and fortnightly averages throughout the whole of pregnancy. 3. We detected a positive effect of temperature on the birth weight of deer, which is strongest in late pregnancy (mid-March to mid-April), and a negative effect of rainfall on the birthweight of sheep, which is strongest during mid-pregnancy (late January to early February). The possible mechanisms underlying these weather-birth weight relationships are discussed. 4. This study enhances our insight into the pattern of the timing of influence of weather on early development. The method is of much more general application and could provide valuable insights in other areas of ecology in which sequences of intercorrelated explanatory variables have been collected in space or in time.

Deworming drugs for soil-transmitted intestinal worms in children: effects on nutritional indicators, haemoglobin, and school performance

PubMed Central

Taylor-Robinson, David C; Maayan, Nicola; Soares-Weiser, Karla; Donegan, Sarah; Garner, Paul

2015-01-01

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends treating all school children at regular intervals with deworming drugs in areas where helminth infection is common. As the intervention is often claimed to have important health, nutrition, and societal effects beyond the removal of worms, we critically evaluated the evidence on benefits. Objectives To summarize the effects of giving deworming drugs to children to treat soil-transmitted helminths on weight, haemoglobin, and cognition; and the evidence of impact on physical well-being, school attendance, school performance, and mortality. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (14 April 2015); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), published in the Cochrane Library (2015, Issue 4); MEDLINE (2000 to 14 April 2015); EMBASE (2000 to 14 April 2015); LILACS (2000 to 14 April 2015); the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT); and reference lists, and registers of ongoing and completed trials up to 14 April 2015. Selection criteria We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs comparing deworming drugs for soil-transmitted helminths with placebo or no treatment in children aged 16 years or less, reporting on weight, haemoglobin, and formal tests of intellectual development. We also sought data on school attendance, school performance, and mortality. We included trials that combined health education with deworming programmes. Data collection and analysis At least two review authors independently assessed the trials, evaluated risk of bias, and extracted data. We analysed continuous data using the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Where data were missing, we contacted trial authors. We used outcomes at time of longest follow-up. The evidence quality was assessed using GRADE. This edition of the Cochrane Review adds the DEVTA trial from India, and draws on an independent analytical replication of a trial from Kenya. Main results We identified 45 trials, including nine cluster-RCTs, that met the inclusion criteria. One trial evaluating mortality included over one million children, and the remaining 44 trials included a total of 67,672 participants. Eight trials were in children known to be infected, and 37 trials were carried out in endemic areas, including areas of high (15 trials), moderate (12 trials), and low prevalence (10 trials). Treating children known to be infected Treating children known to be infected with a single dose of deworming drugs (selected by screening, or living in areas where all children are infected) may increase weight gain over the next one to six months (627 participants, five trials, low quality evidence). The effect size varied across trials from an additional 0.2 kg gain to 1.3 kg. There is currently insufficient evidence to know whether treatment has additional effects on haemoglobin (247 participants, two trials, very low quality evidence); school attendance (0 trials); cognitive functioning (103 participants, two trials, very low quality evidence), or physical well-being (280 participants, three trials, very low quality evidence). Community deworming programmes Treating all children living in endemic areas with a dose of deworming drugs probably has little or no effect on average weight gain (MD 0.04 kg less, 95% CI 0.11 kg less to 0.04 kg more; trials 2719 participants, seven trials, moderate quality evidence), even in settings with high prevalence of infection (290 participants, two trials). A single dose also probably has no effect on average haemoglobin (MD 0.06 g/dL, 95% CI -0.05 lower to 0.17 higher; 1005 participants, three trials, moderate quality evidence), or average cognition (1361 participants, two trials, low quality evidence). Similiarly, regularly treating all children in endemic areas with deworming drugs, given every three to six months, may have little or no effect on average weight gain (MD 0.08 kg, 95% CI 0.11 kg less to 0.27 kg more; 38,392 participants, 10 trials, low quality evidence). The effects were variable across trials; one trial from a low prevalence setting carried out in 1995 found an increase in weight, but nine trials carried out since then found no effect, including five from moderate and high prevalence areas. There is also reasonable evidence that regular treatment probably has no effect on average height (MD 0.02 cm higher, 95% CI 0.14 lower to 0.17 cm higher; 7057 participants, seven trials, moderate quality evidence); average haemoglobin (MD 0.02 g/dL lower; 95% CI 0.08 g/dL lower to 0.04 g/dL higher; 3595 participants, seven trials, low quality evidence); formal tests of cognition (32,486 participants, five trials, moderate quality evidence); exam performance (32,659 participants, two trials, moderate quality evidence); or mortality (1,005,135 participants, three trials, low quality evidence). There is very limited evidence assessing an effect on school attendance and the findings are inconsistent, and at risk of bias (mean attendance 2% higher, 95% CI 4% lower to 8% higher; 20,243 participants, two trials, very low quality evidence). In a sensitivity analysis that only included trials with adequate allocation concealment, there was no evidence of any effect for the main outcomes. Authors' conclusions Treating children known to have worm infection may have some nutritional benefits for the individual. However, in mass treatment of all children in endemic areas, there is now substantial evidence that this does not improve average nutritional status, haemoglobin, cognition, school performance, or survival. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY Deworming school children in developing countries In this Cochrane Review, Cochrane researchers examined the effects of deworming children in areas where intestinal worm infection is common. After searching for relevant trials up to April 2015, we included 44 trials with a total of 67,672 participants, and an additional trial of one million children. What is deworming and why might it be important Soil-transmitted worms, including roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, are common in tropical and subtropical areas, and particularly affect children in low-income areas where there is inadequate sanitation. Heavy worm infection is associated with malnutrition, poor growth, and anaemia in children. The World Health Organization currently recommends that school children in endemic areas are regularly treated with drugs which kill these worms. The recommended drugs are effective at eliminating or greatly reducing worm infections, but the question remains whether doing so will reduce anaemia and improve growth, and consequently improve school attendance, school performance, and economic development, as has been claimed. What the research says In trials that treat only children known to be infected, deworming drugs may increase weight gain (low quality evidence), but we do not know if there is an effect on cognitive functioning or physical well-being (very low quality evidence). In trials treating all children living in an endemic area, deworming drugs have little or no effect on average weight gain (moderate quality evidence), haemoglobin (low quality evidence), or cognition (moderate quality evidence). Regular deworming treatment every three to six months may also have little or no effect on average weight gain (low quality evidence). The effects were variable across trials: one trial from 1995 in a low prevalence setting found an increase in weight, but nine trials carried out since then from moderate or high prevalence settings showed no effect. There is good evidence that regular treatment probably has no effect on average height (moderate quality evidence), haemoglobin (low quality evidence), formal tests of cognition (moderate quality evidence), or exam performance (moderate quality evidence). We do not know if there is an effect on school attendance (very low quality evidence). Authors conclusions Treating children known to have worm infection may improve weight gain but there is limited evidence of other benefits. For routine deworming of school children in endemic areas, there is quite substantial evidence that deworming programmes do not show benefit in terms of average nutritional status, haemoglobin, cognition, school performance, or death. PMID:26202783

Globally efficient non-parametric inference of average treatment effects by empirical balancing calibration weighting

PubMed Central

Chan, Kwun Chuen Gary; Yam, Sheung Chi Phillip; Zhang, Zheng

2015-01-01

Summary The estimation of average treatment effects based on observational data is extremely important in practice and has been studied by generations of statisticians under different frameworks. Existing globally efficient estimators require non-parametric estimation of a propensity score function, an outcome regression function or both, but their performance can be poor in practical sample sizes. Without explicitly estimating either functions, we consider a wide class calibration weights constructed to attain an exact three-way balance of the moments of observed covariates among the treated, the control, and the combined group. The wide class includes exponential tilting, empirical likelihood and generalized regression as important special cases, and extends survey calibration estimators to different statistical problems and with important distinctions. Global semiparametric efficiency for the estimation of average treatment effects is established for this general class of calibration estimators. The results show that efficiency can be achieved by solely balancing the covariate distributions without resorting to direct estimation of propensity score or outcome regression function. We also propose a consistent estimator for the efficient asymptotic variance, which does not involve additional functional estimation of either the propensity score or the outcome regression functions. The proposed variance estimator outperforms existing estimators that require a direct approximation of the efficient influence function. PMID:27346982

Globally efficient non-parametric inference of average treatment effects by empirical balancing calibration weighting.

PubMed

Chan, Kwun Chuen Gary; Yam, Sheung Chi Phillip; Zhang, Zheng

2016-06-01

The estimation of average treatment effects based on observational data is extremely important in practice and has been studied by generations of statisticians under different frameworks. Existing globally efficient estimators require non-parametric estimation of a propensity score function, an outcome regression function or both, but their performance can be poor in practical sample sizes. Without explicitly estimating either functions, we consider a wide class calibration weights constructed to attain an exact three-way balance of the moments of observed covariates among the treated, the control, and the combined group. The wide class includes exponential tilting, empirical likelihood and generalized regression as important special cases, and extends survey calibration estimators to different statistical problems and with important distinctions. Global semiparametric efficiency for the estimation of average treatment effects is established for this general class of calibration estimators. The results show that efficiency can be achieved by solely balancing the covariate distributions without resorting to direct estimation of propensity score or outcome regression function. We also propose a consistent estimator for the efficient asymptotic variance, which does not involve additional functional estimation of either the propensity score or the outcome regression functions. The proposed variance estimator outperforms existing estimators that require a direct approximation of the efficient influence function.

Use of an online smoking cessation community promotes abstinence: Results of propensity score weighting.

PubMed

Graham, Amanda L; Papandonatos, George D; Erar, Bahar; Stanton, Cassandra A

2015-12-01

We estimated the causal effects of use of an online smoking cessation community on 30-day point prevalence abstinence at 3 months. Participants (N = 492) were adult current smokers in the enhanced Internet arm of The iQUITT Study, a randomized trial of Internet and telephone treatment for smoking cessation. All participants accessed a Web-based smoking-cessation program that included a large, established online community. Automated tracking metrics of passive (e.g., reading forum posts, viewing member profiles) and active (e.g., writing forum posts, sending private messages) community use were extracted from the site at 3 months. Self-selected community use defines the groups of interest: "None," "Passive," and "Both" (passive + active). Inverse probability of treatment weighting corrected for baseline imbalances on demographic, smoking, psychosocial, and medical history variables. Propensity weights estimated via generalized boosted models were used to calculate Average Treatment Effects (ATE) and Average Treatment effects on the Treated (ATT). Patterns of community use were: None = 198 (40.2%), Passive = 110 (22.4%), and Both = 184 (37.4%). ATE-weighted abstinence rates were: None = 4.2% (95% CI = 1.5-6.9); Passive = 15.1% (95% CI = 8.4-21.9); Both = 20.4% (95% CI = 13.9-26.8). ATT-weighted abstinence rates indicated even greater benefits of community use. Community users were more likely to quit smoking at 3 months than nonusers. The estimated benefit from use of online community resources was even larger among subjects with high propensity to use them. No differences in abstinence emerged between passive and passive/active users. Results suggest that lurking in online communities confers specific abstinence benefits. Implications of these findings for online cessation communities are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

A prospective study of dietary intakes and influential factors from pregnancy to postpartum on maternal weight retention in Taipei, Taiwan.

PubMed

Lyu, Li-Ching; Lo, Chaio-Chen; Chen, Heng-Fei; Wang, Chia-Yu; Liu, Dou-Ming

2009-12-01

Excessive gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention are risk factors for female obesity. The present study was to examine dietary intakes and weight history from a prospective follow-up study from early pregnancy to 1 year postpartum. A total of 151 pregnant women within 20 weeks of pregnancy in Taipei, Taiwan were interviewed periodically to collect dietary and lifestyle information. The participants had an average age of 30 years and the average gestational weight gain was 14 kg, with an average daily intake of 7830 kJ (1870 kcal) in the 1 year following parturition. By bivariate analyses, maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI and breast-feeding were not related to postpartum weight retention, but gestational weight gain had significant positive correlations (r 0.54 at 6 months, r 0.44 at 1 year; P < 0.05). The generalised estimating equations showed that the average weight before pregnancy, at 6 months and 1 year postpartum was 53.35 kg, 55.75 kg (weight retention 2.36 kg; P < 0.01) and 54.75 kg (weight retention 1.48 kg; P < 0.01), respectively. After controlling for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and parity, we found at 6 months that the adjusted weight retention at postpartum was 0.79 kg (P < 0.01), but at 1 year it was - 0.08 kg (P>0.05). From multivariate analyses, dietary energy intake and energy intake per kg body weight as a long-term physical activity index could explain 24 % of the variation at 6 months and 27 % of the variation at 1 year in postpartum weight retention. These results suggest that pregnant women should be advised to control gestational weight gain, decrease energy intakes after child-bearing and maintain regular exercise in order to prevent postpartum obesity.

Drop-on-demand drop formation of polyethylene oxide solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Xuejia; Carr, Wallace W.; Dong, Hongming

2011-10-01

The dynamics of drop-on-demand (DOD) drop formation for solutions containing polyethylene oxide (PEO) have been studied experimentally. Using a piezoelectrical actuated inkjet printhead with the nozzle orifice diameter of 53 μm, experiments were conducted for a series of PEO aqueous solutions with molecular weights ranging from 14 to 1000 kg/mol, polydispersity from 1.02 to 2.5, and concentrations from 0.005 to 10 wt. %. The addition of a small amount of PEO can have a significant effect on the DOD drop formation process, increasing breakup time, decreasing primary drop speed, and decreasing the number of satellite drops in some cases. The effects depend on both molecular weight and concentration. At lower molecular weights (14 and 35 kg/mol), the effect of PEO over the dilute solution regime is insignificant even at concentrations large enough that the solution does not fall in the dilute regime. As PEO molecular weight increased, the effects became significant. For monodispersed PEO solutions, breakup time and primary drop speed closely correlated with effective relaxation time but not for polydispersed PEO. Effective relaxation time depended greatly on molecular weight distribution. Viscosity-average molecular weight, used in calculating effective relaxation time for polydispersed PEO solutions, did not adequately account for high molecular fractions in the molecular weight distribution of the polydispersed PEOs. A mixture rule was developed to calculate the effective relaxation times for aqueous solutions containing mixtures of monodispersed PEO, and breakup times and primary drop speeds correlated well with effective relaxation times. For our experiments, DOD drop formation was limited to Deborah number ≲ 23.

Molecular weight of Escherichia coli β-galactosidase in concentrated solutions of guanidine hydrochloride

PubMed Central

Erickson, Robert P.

1970-01-01

The molecular weight of Escherichia coli β-galactosidase was determined in 6m- and 8m-guanidine hydrochloride by meniscus-depletion sedimentation equilibrium, sedimentation velocity and viscosity. Sedimentation equilibrium revealed heterogeneity with the smallest component having a molecular weight of about 50000. At lower speeds, the apparent weight-average molecular weight is about 80000. By use of a calculation based on an empirical correlation for proteins that are random coils in 6m-guanidine hydrochloride, sedimentation velocity gave a molecular weight of 91000, and the intrinsic viscosity indicated a viscosity-average molecular weight of 84000. Heating in 6m-guanidine hydrochloride lowered the viscosity of β-galactosidase in a variable manner. PMID:4924171

[Management of weight loss consequences in the male chest: The amputation grafting technique with a L scar].

PubMed

Maetz, B; Bodin, F; Abbou, R; Wilk, A; Bruant-Rodier, C

2013-12-01

Following the upsurge in cases of morbid obesity and bariatric surgery, there is after massive weight loss effects of the thorax in man such as pseudogynecomastia extremely poorly tolerated by patients. Treatment aims to correct the excess skin while optimizing the location and quality of scars. Turning our back on techniques derived from mammoplasty, we go into these major forms for mastectomy with grafting the areolo-mammelonar plate and resulting scar in L extended if needed until the axilla. From 2005 to 2011, we performed 12 mastectomies after massive weight loss (45 kg on average). Patients aged 19 to 64 had an average BMI of 29.2. In five patients, we had started the move by liposuction (190 cc average per side). The mastectomy was performed by placing the scar at the lower edge of the pectoralis major. The areolas previously harvested were placed on the axis of the graft within two to three centimeters above the scar. All patients were reviewed and evaluated in consultation questionnaire with an average follow up of 2 years (6 months-5 years). The average volume of resection was 560 g per side (55 g-2500 g), operative time 155 minutes. Complications consisted of hematoma requiring surgical revision and delayed wound healing in three over 1 month with partial areola necrosis. The overall patient satisfaction was excellent with no secondary correction request. In the major pseudogynecomastia, the option is taken immediately for a mastectomy technique which scar is located at the basis of the thorax and may include an axillary extension in L. It effectively corrects the large cutaneous and fat surplus and restores in one time a flat male chest. Satisfaction is high and patients are no more ashamed to expose their chest. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Comparative Effectiveness of Two Walking Interventions on Participation, Step Counts, and Health.

PubMed

Smith-McLallen, Aaron; Heller, Debbie; Vernisi, Kristin; Gulick, Diana; Cruz, Samantha; Snyder, Richard L

2017-03-01

To (1) compare the effects of two worksite-based walking interventions on employee participation rates; (2) compare average daily step counts between conditions, and; (3) examine the effects of increases in average daily step counts on biometric and psychologic outcomes. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in which six employer groups were randomly selected and randomly assigned to condition. Four manufacturing worksites and two office-based worksite served as the setting. A total of 474 employees from six employer groups were included. A standard walking program was compared to an enhanced program that included incentives, feedback, competitive challenges, and monthly wellness workshops. Walking was measured by self-reported daily step counts. Survey measures and biometric screenings were administered at baseline and 3, 6, and 9 months after baseline. Analysis used linear mixed models with repeated measures. During 9 months, participants in the enhanced condition averaged 726 more steps per day compared with those in the standard condition (p < .001). A 1000-step increase in average daily steps was associated with significant weight loss for both men (-3.8 lbs.) and women (-2.1 lbs.), and reductions in body mass index (-0.41 men, -0.31 women). Higher step counts were also associated with improvements in mood, having more energy, and higher ratings of overall health. An enhanced walking program significantly increases participation rates and daily step counts, which were associated with weight loss and reductions in body mass index.

Translating landfill methane generation parameters among first-order decay models.

PubMed

Krause, Max J; Chickering, Giles W; Townsend, Timothy G

2016-11-01

Landfill gas (LFG) generation is predicted by a first-order decay (FOD) equation that incorporates two parameters: a methane generation potential (L 0 ) and a methane generation rate (k). Because non-hazardous waste landfills may accept many types of waste streams, multiphase models have been developed in an attempt to more accurately predict methane generation from heterogeneous waste streams. The ability of a single-phase FOD model to predict methane generation using weighted-average methane generation parameters and tonnages translated from multiphase models was assessed in two exercises. In the first exercise, waste composition from four Danish landfills represented by low-biodegradable waste streams was modeled in the Afvalzorg Multiphase Model and methane generation was compared to the single-phase Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Waste Model and LandGEM. In the second exercise, waste composition represented by IPCC waste components was modeled in the multiphase IPCC and compared to single-phase LandGEM and Australia's Solid Waste Calculator (SWC). In both cases, weight-averaging of methane generation parameters from waste composition data in single-phase models was effective in predicting cumulative methane generation from -7% to +6% of the multiphase models. The results underscore the understanding that multiphase models will not necessarily improve LFG generation prediction because the uncertainty of the method rests largely within the input parameters. A unique method of calculating the methane generation rate constant by mass of anaerobically degradable carbon was presented (k c ) and compared to existing methods, providing a better fit in 3 of 8 scenarios. Generally, single phase models with weighted-average inputs can accurately predict methane generation from multiple waste streams with varied characteristics; weighted averages should therefore be used instead of regional default values when comparing models. Translating multiphase first-order decay model input parameters by weighted average shows that single-phase models can predict cumulative methane generation within the level of uncertainty of many of the input parameters as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which indicates that decreasing the uncertainty of the input parameters will make the model more accurate rather than adding multiple phases or input parameters.

A kinetic study of hydrolysis of polyester elastomer in magnetic tape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamamoto, K.; Watanabe, H.

1994-01-01

A useful method for kinetic study of the hydrolysis of polyester elastomer is established which uses the number-average molecular weight. The reasonableness of this method is confirmed and the effect of magnetic particles on hydrolysis is considered.

Effectiveness of bone cleaning process using chemical and entomology approaches: time and cost.

PubMed

Lai, Poh Soon; Khoo, Lay See; Mohd Hilmi, Saidin; Ahmad Hafizam, Hasmi; Mohd Shah, Mahmood; Nurliza, Abdullah; Nazni, Wasi Ahmad

2015-08-01

Skeletal examination is an important aspect of forensic pathology practice, requiring effective bone cleaning with minimal artefact. This study was conducted to compare between chemical and entomology methods of bone cleaning. Ten subjects between 20 and 40 years old who underwent uncomplicated medico-legal autopsies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine Malaysia were randomly chosen for this descriptive cross sectional study. The sternum bone was divided into 4 parts, each part subjected to a different cleaning method, being two chemical approaches i.e. laundry detergent and a combination of 6% hydrogen peroxide and powder sodium bicarbonate and two entomology approaches using 2nd instar maggots of Chrysomyia rufifacies and Ophyra spinigera. A scoring system for grading the outcome of cleaning was used. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated based on average weight reduction per day and median number of days to achieve the average score of less than 1.5 within 12 days of the bone cleaning process. Using maggots was the most time-effective and costeffective method, achieving an average weight reduction of 1.4 gm per day, a median of 11.3 days to achieve the desired score and an average cost of MYR 4.10 per case to reach the desired score within 12 days. This conclusion was supported by blind validation by forensic specialists achieving a 77.8% preference for maggots. Emission scanning electron microscopy evaluation also revealed that maggots especially Chrysomyia rufifacies preserved the original condition of the bones better allowing improved elucidation of bone injuries in future real cases.

Determination of the absolute molecular weight averages and molecular weight distributions of alginates used as ice cream stabilizers by using multiangle laser light scattering measurements.

PubMed

Turquois, T; Gloria, H

2000-11-01

High-performance size exclusion chromatography with multiangle laser light scattering detection (HPSEC-MALLS) was used for characterizing complete molecular weight distributions for a range of commercial alginates used as ice cream stabilizers. For the samples investigated, molecular weight averages were found to vary between 115 000 and 321 700 g/mol and polydispersity indexes varied from 1. 53 to 3.25. These samples displayed a high content of low molecular weights. Thus, the weight percentage of material below 100 000 g/mol ranged between 6.9 and 54.4%.

Effects of nutritional intervention on body weight and body composition of obese psychiatric patients taking olanzapine.

PubMed

Skouroliakou, Maria; Giannopoulou, Ifigenia; Kostara, Christina; Hannon, James C

2009-01-01

Weight gain is an established side effect of atypical antipsychotics in patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Previous studies have shown positive effects of nutritional interventions in weight loss. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a nutritional intervention on the body weight and body composition of patients with SMI taking olanzapine in Greece. Eighty-two patients with SMI treated with olanzapine (22 men, 60 women) and 58 healthy controls (12 men, 46 women) were followed for 3 mo. All patients with SMI were obese, with an average body mass index of 33.12 +/- 0.74 kg/m(2) and body weight of 94.61 +/- 2.50 kg. A nutritional program was designed for each participant based on anthropometric characteristics, health profile, and dietary needs. Pre- and postintervention anthropometric and body composition measurements were performed. Significant weight loss and fat loss were found in the healthy controls and patients with SMI from baseline to 3 mo (P < 0.05). However, the patients with SMI had a less significant decrease in waist circumference (P < 0.05) compared with healthy controls. The healthy male controls and male patients with SMI demonstrated greater decreases in body weight and waist circumference compared with female participants (P < 0.05). Patients with SMI appear to respond effectively to a nutritional program demonstrating significant decreases in body weight and body composition despite the use of olanzapine. Because gender differences may exist in weight loss, it is possible that gender should be taken into account for a more appropriate treatment of obesity in this population.

The effect of dietary garlic supplementation on body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, faecal score, faecal coliform count and feeding cost in crossbred dairy calves.

PubMed

Ghosh, Sudipta; Mehla, Ram K; Sirohi, S K; Roy, Biswajit

2010-06-01

Thirty-six crossbred calves (Holstein cross) of 5 days of age were used to study the effect of garlic extract feeding on their performance up to the age of 2 months (pre-ruminant stage). They were randomly allotted into treatment and control groups (18 numbers in each group). Performance was evaluated by measuring average body weight (BW) gain, feed intake (dry matter (DM), total digestible nutrient (TDN) and crude protein (CP)), feed conversion efficiency (FCE; DM, TDN and CP), faecal score, faecal coliform count and feeding cost. Diets were the same for the both groups. In addition, treatment group received garlic extract supplementation at 250 mg/kg BW per day per calf. Body weight measured weekly, feed intake measured twice daily, proximate analysis of feeds and fodders analysed weekly, faecal scores monitored daily and faecal coliform count done weekly. There was significant increase in average body weight gain, feed intake and FCE and significant decrease in severity of scours as measured by faecal score and faecal coliform count in the treatment group compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Feed cost per kilogramme BW gain was significantly lower in the treatment group compared to control group (P < 0.01). The results suggest that garlic extract can be supplemented to the calves for better performance.

Quantifying population exposure to airborne particulate matter during extreme events in California due to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, A.; Hixson, M.; Kleeman, M. J.

2012-02-01

The effect of climate change on population-weighted concentrations of particulate matter (PM) during extreme events was studied using the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the UCD/CIT 3-D photochemical air quality model. A "business as usual" (B06.44) global emissions scenario was dynamically downscaled for the entire state of California between the years 2000-2006 and 2047-2053. Air quality simulations were carried out for 1008 days in each of the present-day and future climate conditions using year-2000 emissions. Population-weighted concentrations of PM0.1, PM2.5, and PM10 total mass, components species, and primary source contributions were calculated for California and three air basins: the Sacramento Valley air basin (SV), the San Joaquin Valley air basin (SJV) and the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Results over annual-average periods were contrasted with extreme events. Climate change between 2000 vs. 2050 did not cause a statistically significant change in annual-average population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations within any major sub-region of California in the current study. Climate change did alter the annual-average composition of the airborne particles in the SoCAB, with notable reductions of elemental carbon (EC; -3%) and organic carbon (OC; -3%) due to increased annual-average wind speeds that diluted primary concentrations from gasoline combustion (-3%) and food cooking (-4%). In contrast, climate change caused significant increases in population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations in central California during extreme events. The maximum 24-h average PM2.5 concentration experienced by an average person during a ten-year period in the SJV increased by 21% due to enhanced production of secondary particulate matter (manifested as NH4NO3). In general, climate change caused increased stagnation during future extreme pollution events, leading to higher exposure to diesel engines particles (+32%) and wood combustion particles (+14%) when averaging across the population of the entire state. Enhanced stagnation also isolated populations from distant sources such as shipping (-61%) during extreme events. The combination of these factors altered the statewide population-averaged composition of particles during extreme events, with EC increasing by 23%, nitrate increasing by 58%, and sulfate decreasing by 46%.

Quantifying population exposure to airborne particulate matter during extreme events in California due to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, A.; Hixson, M.; Kleeman, M. J.

2012-08-01

The effect of climate change on population-weighted concentrations of particulate matter (PM) during extreme pollution events was studied using the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the UCD/CIT 3-D photochemical air quality model. A "business as usual" (B06.44) global emissions scenario was dynamically downscaled for the entire state of California between the years 2000-2006 and 2047-2053. Air quality simulations were carried out for 1008 days in each of the present-day and future climate conditions using year-2000 emissions. Population-weighted concentrations of PM0.1, PM2.5, and PM10 total mass, components species, and primary source contributions were calculated for California and three air basins: the Sacramento Valley air basin (SV), the San Joaquin Valley air basin (SJV) and the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Results over annual-average periods were contrasted with extreme events. The current study found that the change in annual-average population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations due to climate change between 2000 vs. 2050 within any major sub-region in California was not statistically significant. However, climate change did alter the annual-average composition of the airborne particles in the SoCAB, with notable reductions of elemental carbon (EC; -3%) and organic carbon (OC; -3%) due to increased annual-average wind speeds that diluted primary concentrations from gasoline combustion (-3%) and food cooking (-4%). In contrast, climate change caused significant increases in population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations in central California during extreme events. The maximum 24-h average PM2.5 concentration experienced by an average person during a ten-yr period in the SJV increased by 21% due to enhanced production of secondary particulate matter (manifested as NH4NO3). In general, climate change caused increased stagnation during future extreme pollution events, leading to higher exposure to diesel engines particles (+32%) and wood combustion particles (+14%) when averaging across the population of the entire state. Enhanced stagnation also isolated populations from distant sources such as shipping (-61%) during extreme events. The combination of these factors altered the statewide population-averaged composition of particles during extreme events, with EC increasing by 23 %, nitrate increasing by 58%, and sulfate decreasing by 46%.

Using an experimental manipulation to determine the effectiveness of a stock enhancement program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, David R.; Long, James M.

2015-01-01

We used an experimental manipulation to determine the impact of stocking 178 mm channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in six impoundments. The study design consisted of equal numbers (two) of control, ceased-stock, and stocked treatments that were sampled one year before and two years after stocking. Relative abundance, growth, size structure, and average weight significantly changed over time based on samples collected with hoop nets. Catch rates decreased at both ceased-stock lakes and increased for one stocked lake, while growth rates changed for at least one ceased-stock and stocked lake. The average weight of channel catfish in the ceased-stock treatment increased by 6% and 25%, whereas weight decreased by 28% and 78% in both stocked lakes. The variability in observed responses between lakes in both ceased-stock and stocked treatments indicates that a one-size-fits-all stocking agenda is impractical, suggesting lake specific and density-dependent mechanisms affect channel catfish population dynamics.

Comparison of the Pharmacoeconomics of Calfactant and Poractant Alfa in Surfactant Replacement erapy.

PubMed

Zayek, Michael M; Eyal, Fabien G; Smith, Robert C

2018-01-01

To compare the pharmacy costs of calfactant (Infasurf, ONY, Inc.) and poractant alfa (Curosurf, Chiesi USA, Inc., Cary, NC). The University of South Alabama Children's and Women's Hospital switched from calfactant to poractant alfa in 2013 and back to calfactant in 2015. Retrospectively, we used deidentified data from pharmacy records that provided type of surfactant administered, gestational age, birth weight, and number of doses on each patient. We examined differences in the number of doses by gestational ages and the differences in costs by birth weight cohorts because cost per dose is based on weight. There were 762 patients who received calfactant and 432 patients who received poractant alfa. The average number of doses required per patient was 1.6 administrations for calfactant-treated patients and 1.7 administrations for poractant alfa-treated patients, p = 0.03. A higher percentage of calfactant patients needed only 1 dose (53%) than poractant alfa patients (47%). The distribution of the number of doses for calfactant-treated patients was significantly lower than for the poractant alfa-patients, p < 0.001. Gestational age had no consistent effect on the number of doses required for either calfactant or poractant alfa. Per patient cost was higher for poractant alfa than for calfactant in all birth weight cohorts. Average per patient cost was $1160.62 for poractant alfa, 38% higher than the average per patient cost for calfactant ($838.34). Using poractant alfa for 22 months is estimated to have cost $202,732.75 more than it would have cost if the hospital had continued using calfactant. Our experience showed a strong pharmacoeconomic advantage for the use of calfactant compared to the use of poractant alfa because of similar average dosing and lower per patient drug costs.

Estimating geographic variation on allometric growth and body condition of Blue Suckers with quantile regression

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cade, B.S.; Terrell, J.W.; Neely, B.C.

2011-01-01

Increasing our understanding of how environmental factors affect fish body condition and improving its utility as a metric of aquatic system health require reliable estimates of spatial variation in condition (weight at length). We used three statistical approaches that varied in how they accounted for heterogeneity in allometric growth to estimate differences in body condition of blue suckers Cycleptus elongatus across 19 large-river locations in the central USA. Quantile regression of an expanded allometric growth model provided the most comprehensive estimates, including variation in exponents within and among locations (range = 2.88–4.24). Blue suckers from more-southerly locations had the largest exponents. Mixed-effects mean regression of a similar expanded allometric growth model allowed exponents to vary among locations (range = 3.03–3.60). Mean relative weights compared across selected intervals of total length (TL = 510–594 and 594–692 mm) in a multiplicative model involved the implicit assumption that allometric exponents within and among locations were similar to the exponent (3.46) for the standard weight equation. Proportionate differences in the quantiles of weight at length for adult blue suckers (TL = 510, 594, 644, and 692 mm) compared with their average across locations ranged from 1.08 to 1.30 for southern locations (Texas, Mississippi) and from 0.84 to 1.00 for northern locations (Montana, North Dakota); proportionate differences for mean weight ranged from 1.13 to 1.17 and from 0.87 to 0.95, respectively, and those for mean relative weight ranged from 1.10 to 1.18 and from 0.86 to 0.98, respectively. Weights for fish at longer lengths varied by 600–700 g within a location and by as much as 2,000 g among southern and northern locations. Estimates for the Wabash River, Indiana (0.96–1.07 times the average; greatest increases for lower weights at shorter TLs), and for the Missouri River from Blair, Nebraska, to Sioux City, Iowa (0.90–1.00 times the average; greatest decreases for lower weights at longer TLs), were examined in detail to explain the additional information provided by quantile estimates.

Eating disorders, menstrual dysfunction, weight change and DMPA use predict bone density change in college-aged women.

PubMed

Nieves, Jeri W; Ruffing, Jamie A; Zion, Marsha; Tendy, Susan; Yavorek, Trudy; Lindsay, Robert; Cosman, Felicia

2016-03-01

There are limited longitudinal studies that have evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) changes in college-aged women. Our objective was to simultaneously evaluate factors influencing 4-year BMD change. This was a longitudinal cohort study of healthy, physically active women in the US Military Academy (n=91; average age=18.4years). Assessments over four years included: height, weight, calcium intake, physical fitness, menstrual function (annual number cycles), oral contraceptives (OCs) or depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) use, and eating disorder behavior (Eating Disorder Inventory; (EDI)). BMD was measured annually at the lumbar spine and total hip by dual X-ray absorptiometry and calcaneal BMD by PIXI. Slope of 4year BMD change at each skeletal site (spine total hip and calcaneus) was calculated for each woman. BMD gains occurred at the spine in 50% and the hip in 36% of women. In unadjusted analyses, spine bone gain was positively related to menstrual cycle frequency (p=0.04). Spine and hip BMD loss occurred in those using DMPA (p<0.01) and those with the highest EDI quartile scores (p<0.05). BMD change was unrelated to OC use. Hip and calcaneus BMD decreased with weight loss (average 4.8+2.2lb/year) as compared to those with stable weight/weight gain (p<0.05). In multivariable analysis, spine BMD increase was significantly related to African American (AA) race, normal EDI score and normal menses. Hip BMD increase was related to AA race, weight increase and normal menses. DMPA use was associated with spine, hip, and calcaneus bone loss. On average, BMD may modestly increase in college-aged women, in the absence of risk factors. However, risk factors including subclinical eating disorders, weight loss, menstrual dysfunction and DMPA use can have significant detrimental effects on BMD in young healthy physically active women. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Growth curves of carcass traits obtained by ultrasonography in three lines of Nellore cattle selected for body weight.

PubMed

Coutinho, C C; Mercadante, M E Z; Jorge, A M; Paz, C C P; El Faro, L; Monteiro, F M

2015-10-30

The effect of selection for postweaning weight was evaluated within the growth curve parameters for both growth and carcass traits. Records of 2404 Nellore animals from three selection lines were analyzed: two selection lines for high postweaning weight, selection (NeS) and traditional (NeT); and a control line (NeC) in which animals were selected for postweaning weight close to the average. Body weight (BW), hip height (HH), rib eye area (REA), back fat thickness (BFT), and rump fat thickness (RFT) were measured and records collected from animals 8 to 20 (males) and 11 to 26 (females) months of age. The parameters A (asymptotic value) and k (growth rate) were estimated using the nonlinear model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System program, which included fixed effect of line (NeS, NeT, and NeC) in the model, with the objective to evaluate differences in the estimated parameters between lines. Selected animals (NeS and NeT) showed higher growth rates than control line animals (NeC) for all traits. Line effect on curves parameters was significant (P < 0.001) for BW, HH, and REA in males, and for BFT and RFT in females. Selection for postweaning weight was effective in altering growth curves, resulting in animals with higher growth potential.

Predictors of weight loss in early treated Parkinson's disease from the NET-PD LS-1 cohort.

PubMed

Wills, Anne-Marie; Li, Ruosha; Pérez, Adriana; Ren, Xuehan; Boyd, James

2017-08-01

Weight loss is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease and is associated with impaired quality of life. Predictors of weight loss have not been studied in large clinical cohorts. We previously observed an association between change in body mass index and change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor and total scores. In this study, we performed a secondary analysis of longitudinal data (1-6 years) from 1619 participants in the NINDS Exploratory Trials in PD Long-term Study-1 (NET-PD LS1) to explore predictors of weight loss in a large prospective clinical trial cohort of early treated Parkinson's disease. The NET-PD LS1 study was a double-blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trial of creatine monohydrate 10 gm/day in early treated PD (within 5 years of diagnosis and within 2 years of starting dopaminergic medications). Linear mixed models were used to estimate the effect of baseline clinical covariates on weight change over time. On average, participants lost only 0.6 kg per year. Higher age, baseline weight, female gender, higher baseline UPDRS scores, greater postural instability, difficulty eating and drinking, lower cognitive scores and baseline levodopa use (compared to dopamine agonists) were all associated with weight loss. Surprisingly baseline difficulty swallowing, dyskinesia, depression, intestinal hypomotility (constipation) and self-reported nausea/vomiting/anorexia were not significantly associated with weight loss in this cohort of early treated Parkinson's disease patients. On average, participants with Parkinson's disease experience little weight loss during the first 1-6 years after starting dopaminergic replacement therapy, however levodopa use and postural instability were both predictors of early weight loss. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov identifier# NCT00449865.

Effects of portion size on chronic energy intake.

PubMed

Jeffery, Robert W; Rydell, Sarah; Dunn, Caroline L; Harnack, Lisa J; Levine, Allen S; Pentel, Paul R; Baxter, Judith E; Walsh, Ericka M

2007-06-27

This study experimentally examined the effects of repeated exposure to different meal portion sizes on energy intake. Nineteen employees of a county medical center were given free box lunches for two months, one month each of 1528 and 767 average kcal. Foods were identical in the two conditions, but differed in portion size. Meals averaged 44% calories from fat. Participants self-reported how much of each lunch was eaten. Unannounced 24-hour dietary recalls were also conducted by phone twice per week during each exposure period. Mean energy intake at the lunch meal was 332 kcal/day higher in large lunch than in small lunch periods (p < .001). Mean 24-hour energy intake was 278 kcal/day higher in large versus small lunch periods (p < .001). There was no evidence of compensation over time. Average weight change over the month of large and small lunches was 0.64 +/- 1.16 kg and 0.06 +/- 1.03 kg, respectively, about what would be expected with the observed differences in energy intake. This study suggests that chronic exposure to large portion size meals can result in sustained increases in energy intake and may contribute to body weight increases over time.

[Study on relationship between mother's animal sourced food intake during pregnancy and neonate birth weight].

PubMed

Yan, H; Dang, S N; Mi, B B; Qu, P F; Zhang, L; Wang, H L; Bi, Y X; Zeng, L X; Li, Q; Yan, H

2017-05-10

Objective: To explore the effect of maternal animal sourced food intake during pregnancy on neonate birth weight and provide scientific basis for guiding the reasonable diet intake in pregnant women and increasing neonate birth weight. Methods: Data were derived from a cross-sectional project of"the prevalence and risk factors of birth defects in Shaanxi province" , which were conducted in 30 counties in Shaanxi province from July to November in 2013. A stratified multistage random sampling method was used to select women who were pregnant between January 2010 and December 2013 for a random semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire survey to collect the data on the frequency and amount of food consumption on animal protein sources and the data of newborns. Children aged 0-1 years and their mothers were selected as the study subjects. The generalized linear model was used to analyze the relationship between the neonate birth weight and maternal animal sourced food intake during pregnancy, and by using neonate birth weight as dependent variable, food intake frequency as independent variable, three adjustment models were established for stratified analysis. Results: Totally 11 459 participants were involved in this study. The average birth weight of newborn was (3 279.9±454.6) g, the average weekly intake of animal sourced foods was4.00 times for egg, 1.50 times for meat, 3.00 times for dairy foods, 0.50 times for fish and 5.00 times for overall animal sourced foods in pregnant women. Without stratification, three models shown that meat and overall animal sourced food intake had effects on neonate birth weight. After adjustment for gestational weeks, maternal age, social and demographic factors and others, meat intake increased by 1 time a week, the increase of neonate birth weight was about 5.26 (95 %CI : 1.32-9.20) g, and the overall animal food increased by 1 times a week, the average neonate birth weight increased by 3.24 (95 %CI : 1.09-5.39) g. Stratified analysis showed that meat and overall animal sourced food always had more influences on baby girls and those living in rural area. In the region classification, the overall animal sourced food intake had more influences on women living in northern area and Guanzhong area of Shaanxi, and meat intake had greater influence on women living in southern Shaanxi. And the influences were positive, the more animal sourced foods were taken, the greater the birth weight increased. Conclusion: Animal sourced food intake during pregnancy would benefit the increase of neonate birth weight. It suggests that pregnant women should pay more attention to the intake of animal sourced food.

The possibilities of using individual birth weights as weaning criteria in dairy goat farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gökdal, Özdal; Özuǧur, Ali Kemali; Eren, Vadullah; Atay, Okan

2017-04-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibilities of using individual birth weight of kids as weaning criteria in Saanen and Alpine goats under intensive conditions. A total of 24 does and their 40 kids were divided to weaning groups when the kids reached three (X3) or four times (X4) of their individual birth weights. The experiment design was a 2×2 factorial design with two weaning stages (X3 vs X4) and two breeds (S: Saanen and A: Alpine). The averages of weaning age of the SX3, AX3, SX4 and AX4 kids were determined as 42.75, 42.21, 53.15 and 65.81 days, respectively. The weaning groups and the interaction between weaning and breed had significant effects (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively) on weaning age of the kids. The average daily weight gain before weaning was different in weaning groups (P<0.001). On the contrary, the growth performances of the kids until breeding age were not different between groups. The milk yield characteristics of dams in groups were not different. The results indicated that birth weights of the kids can be used successfully for weaning criteria in dairy goats under intensive conditions.

The Role of Molecular Weight and Temperature on the Elastic and Viscoelastic Properties of a Glassy Thermoplastic Polyimide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Lee M.; Whitley, Karen S.; Gates, Thomas S.

2001-01-01

Mechanical testing of the elastic and viscoelastic response of an advanced thermoplastic polyimide (LaRC-SI) with known variations in molecular weight was performed over a range of temperatures below the glass transition temperature. The notched tensile strength was shown to be a strong function of both molecular weight and temperature, whereas stiffness was only a strong function of temperature. A critical molecular weight was observed to occur at a weight average molecular weight of M, approx. 22,000 g/mol below which, the notched tensile strength decreases rapidly. This critical molecular weight transition is temperature-independent. Low, molecular weight materials tended to fail in a brittle manner, whereas high molecular weight materials exhibited ductile failure. Furthermore, low molecular weight materials have increased creep compliance and creep compliance rate, and are more sensitive to temperature than the high molecular weight materials. At long timescales (less than 1100 hours) physical aging serves to significantly decrease the creep compliance and creep rate of all the materials tested. Low molecular weight materials are less influenced by the effects of physical aging.

Retrofit Weight-Loss Outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 Months and Characteristics of 12-Month High Performers: A Retrospective Analysis.

PubMed

Painter, Stefanie; Ditsch, Gary; Ahmed, Rezwan; Hanson, Nicholas Buck; Kachin, Kevin; Berger, Jan

2016-08-22

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death costing the health care system billions of dollars. Combining self-monitoring technology with personalized behavior change strategies results in clinically significant weight loss. However, there is a lack of real-world outcomes in commercial weight-loss program research. Retrofit is a personalized weight management and disease-prevention solution. This study aimed to report Retrofit's weight-loss outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months and characterize behaviors, age, and sex of high-performing participants who achieved weight loss of 10% or greater at 12 months. A retrospective analysis was performed from 2011 to 2014 using 2720 participants enrolled in a Retrofit weight-loss program. Participants had a starting body mass index (BMI) of >25 kg/m² and were at least 18 years of age. Weight measurements were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months in the program to evaluate change in body weight, BMI, and percentage of participants who achieved 5% or greater weight loss. A secondary analysis characterized high-performing participants who lost ≥10% of their starting weight (n=238). Characterized behaviors were evaluated, including self-monitoring through weigh-ins, number of days wearing an activity tracker, daily step count average, and engagement through coaching conversations via Web-based messages, and number of coaching sessions attended. Average weight loss at 6 months was -5.55% for male and -4.86% for female participants. Male and female participants had an average weight loss of -6.28% and -5.37% at 12 months, respectively. Average weight loss at 24 months was -5.03% and -3.15% for males and females, respectively. Behaviors of high-performing participants were assessed at 12 months. Number of weigh-ins were greater in high-performing male (197.3 times vs 165.4 times, P=.001) and female participants (222 times vs 167 times, P<.001) compared with remaining participants. Total activity tracker days and average steps per day were greater in high-performing females (304.7 vs 266.6 days, P<.001; 8380.9 vs 7059.7 steps, P<.001, respectively) and males (297.1 vs 255.3 days, P<.001; 9099.3 vs 8251.4 steps, P=.008, respectively). High-performing female participants had significantly more coaching conversations via Web-based messages than remaining female participants (341.4 vs 301.1, P=.03), as well as more days with at least one such electronic message (118 vs 108 days, P=.03). High-performing male participants displayed similar behavior. Participants on the Retrofit program lost an average of -5.21% at 6 months, -5.83% at 12 months, and -4.09% at 24 months. High-performing participants show greater adherence to self-monitoring behaviors of weighing in, number of days wearing an activity tracker, and average number of steps per day. Female high performers have higher coaching engagement through conversation days and total number of coaching conversations.

Impact of Surface Type, Wheelchair Weight, and Axle Position on Wheelchair Propulsion by Novice Older Adults

PubMed Central

Cowan, Rachel E.; Nash, Mark S.; Collinger, Jennifer L.; Koontz, Alicia M.; Boninger, Michael L.

2009-01-01

Objective To examine the impact of surface type, wheelchair weight, and rear axle position on older adult propulsion biomechanics. Design Crossover trial. Setting Biomechanics laboratory. Participants Convenience sample of 53 ambulatory older adults with minimal wheelchair experience (65−87y); men = 20, women = 33. Intervention Participants propelled 4 different wheelchair configurations over 4 surfaces; tile, low carpet, high carpet, and an 8% grade ramp (surface, chair order randomized). Chair configurations included: (1) unweighted chair with an anterior axle position, (2) 9.05kg weighted chair with an anterior axle position, (3) unweighted chair with a posterior axle position (Δ0.08m), and (4) 9.05kg weighted chair with a posterior axle position (Δ0.08m). Weight was added to a titanium folding chair, simulating the weight difference between very light and depot wheelchairs. Instrumented wheels measured propulsion kinetics. Main Outcome Measures Average self-selected velocity, push-frequency, stroke length, peak resultant and tangential force. Results Velocity decreased as surface rolling resistance or chair weight increased. Peak resultant and tangential forces increased as chair weight increased, surface resistance increased, and with a posterior axle position. The effect of a posterior axle position was greater on high carpet and the ramp. The effect of weight was constant, but more easily observed on high carpet and ramp. The effects of axle position and weight were independent of one another. Conclusion Increased surface resistance decreases self-selected velocity and increases peak forces. Increased weight decreases self-selected velocity and increases forces. Anterior axle positions decrease forces, more so on high carpet. Effects of weight and axle position are independent. Greatest reductions in peak forces occur in lighter chairs with anterior axle positions. PMID:19577019

Effects of having a baby on weight gain.

PubMed

Brown, Wendy J; Hockey, Richard; Dobson, Annette J

2010-02-01

Women often blame weight gain in early adulthood on having a baby. The aim was to estimate the weight gain attributable to having a baby, after disentangling the effects of other factors that influence weight change at this life stage. A longitudinal study of a randomly selected cohort of 6458 Australian women, aged 18-23 years in 1996, was conducted. Self-report mailed surveys were completed in 1996, 2000, 2003, and 2006, and data were analyzed in 2008. On average, women gained weight at the rate of 0.93% per year (95% CI=0.89, 0.98) or 605 g/year (95% CI=580, 635) for a 65-kg woman. Over the 10-year study period, partnered women with one baby gained almost 4 kg more, and those with a partner but no baby gained 1.8 kg more, than unpartnered childless women (after adjustment for other significant factors: initial BMI and age; physical activity, sitting time, energy intake (2003); education level, hours in paid work, and smoking). Having a baby has a marked effect on 10-year weight gain, but there is also an effect attributable to getting married or living with a partner. Social and lifestyle as well as energy balance variables should be considered when developing strategies to prevent weight gain in young adult women. Copyright 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communications circuit including a linear quadratic estimator

DOEpatents

Ferguson, Dennis D.

2015-07-07

A circuit includes a linear quadratic estimator (LQE) configured to receive a plurality of measurements a signal. The LQE is configured to weight the measurements based on their respective uncertainties to produce weighted averages. The circuit further includes a controller coupled to the LQE and configured to selectively adjust at least one data link parameter associated with a communication channel in response to receiving the weighted averages.

Correlation of the physicochemical properties of natural organic matter samples from different sources to their effects on gold nanoparticle aggregation in monovalent electrolyte.

PubMed

Louie, Stacey M; Spielman-Sun, Eleanor R; Small, Mitchell J; Tilton, Robert D; Lowry, Gregory V

2015-02-17

Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) released into natural environments will interact with natural organic matter (NOM) or humic substances, which will change their fate and transport behavior. Quantitative predictions of the effects of NOM are difficult because of its heterogeneity and variability. Here, the effects of six types of NOM and molecular weight fractions of each on the aggregation of citrate-stabilized gold NPs are investigated. Correlations of NP aggregation rates with electrophoretic mobility and the molecular weight distribution and chemical attributes of NOM (including UV absorptivity or aromaticity, functional group content, and fluorescence) are assessed. In general, the >100 kg/mol components provide better stability than lower molecular weight components for each type of NOM, and they contribute to the stabilizing effect of the unfractionated NOM even in small proportions. In many cases, unfractionated NOM provided better stability than its separated components, indicating a synergistic effect between the high and low molecular weight fractions for NP stabilization. Weight-averaged molecular weight was the best single explanatory variable for NP aggregation rates across all NOM types and molecular weight fractions. NP aggregation showed poorer correlation with UV absorptivity, but the exponential slope of the UV-vis absorbance spectrum was a better surrogate for molecular weight. Functional group data (including reduced sulfur and total nitrogen content) were explored as possible secondary parameters to explain the strong stabilizing effect of a low molecular weight Pony Lake fulvic acid sample to the gold NPs. These results can inform future correlations and measurement requirements to predict NP attachment in the presence of NOM.

40 CFR 61.356 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration, and annual benzene quantity. (2) For each waste... measurements, calculations, and other documentation used to determine that the continuous flow of process... benzene concentrations in the waste, the annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration of the waste...

40 CFR 61.356 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration, and annual benzene quantity. (2) For each waste... measurements, calculations, and other documentation used to determine that the continuous flow of process... benzene concentrations in the waste, the annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration of the waste...

40 CFR 61.356 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration, and annual benzene quantity. (2) For each waste... measurements, calculations, and other documentation used to determine that the continuous flow of process... benzene concentrations in the waste, the annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration of the waste...

Long-term influences of body-weight changes, independent of the attained weight, on risk of impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Black, E; Holst, C; Astrup, A; Toubro, S; Echwald, S; Pedersen, O; Sørensen, T I A

2005-09-01

To investigate if weight gain during adulthood has effects on the risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or Type 2 diabetes beyond effect of attained weight. Data were obtained from a longitudinal study of two cohorts: one of juvenile-onset obese (n = 248) and one of randomly selected control (n = 320) men, weighed at average ages of 20, 33, 44 and 51 years, respectively. For any given BMI, the risk of IGT was higher the greater the weight gain since age 20 (odds ratio of 1.10 per unit kg/m2 of BMI gain, confidence interval 1.03-1.17, P = 0.004), and weight gain during both the early and later ages contributed to the increased risk. Obese men, maintaining weight since age 20, had lower risk of IGT than non-obese men who became similarly obese by age 51. The risk of Type 2 diabetes increased by weight gain in early adult life, but not by more recent weight gain in the later periods, probably because of the development of Type 2 diabetes leading to weight loss. Independent of attained level of body weight in middle-aged men, weight gain is associated with increased risk of IGT, and is greater in those not overweight in childhood.

Relationship between health services, socioeconomic variables and inadequate weight gain among Brazilian children.

PubMed Central

de Souza, A. C.; Peterson, K. E.; Cufino, E.; Gardner, J.; Craveiro, M. V.; Ascherio, A.

1999-01-01

This ecological analysis assessed the relative contribution of behavioural, health services and socioeconomic variables to inadequate weight gain in infants (0-11 months) and children (12-23 months) in 140 municipalities in the State of Ceara, north-east Brazil. To assess the total effect of selected variables, we fitted three unique sets of multivariate linear regression models to the prevalence of inadequate weight gain in infants and in children. The final predictive models included variables from the three sets. Findings showed that participation in growth monitoring and urbanization were inversely and significantly associated with the prevalence of inadequate weight gain in infants, accounting for 38.3% of the variation. Female illiteracy rate, participation in growth monitoring and degree of urbanization were all positively associated with prevalence of inadequate weight gain in children. Together, these factors explained 25.6% of the variation. Our results suggest that efforts to reduce the average municipality-specific female illiteracy rate, in combination with participation in growth monitoring, may be effective in reducing municipality-level prevalence of inadequate weight gain in infants and children in Ceara. PMID:10612885

Relationship between health services, socioeconomic variables and inadequate weight gain among Brazilian children.

PubMed

de Souza, A C; Peterson, K E; Cufino, E; Gardner, J; Craveiro, M V; Ascherio, A

1999-01-01

This ecological analysis assessed the relative contribution of behavioural, health services and socioeconomic variables to inadequate weight gain in infants (0-11 months) and children (12-23 months) in 140 municipalities in the State of Ceara, north-east Brazil. To assess the total effect of selected variables, we fitted three unique sets of multivariate linear regression models to the prevalence of inadequate weight gain in infants and in children. The final predictive models included variables from the three sets. Findings showed that participation in growth monitoring and urbanization were inversely and significantly associated with the prevalence of inadequate weight gain in infants, accounting for 38.3% of the variation. Female illiteracy rate, participation in growth monitoring and degree of urbanization were all positively associated with prevalence of inadequate weight gain in children. Together, these factors explained 25.6% of the variation. Our results suggest that efforts to reduce the average municipality-specific female illiteracy rate, in combination with participation in growth monitoring, may be effective in reducing municipality-level prevalence of inadequate weight gain in infants and children in Ceara.

Fattening ability and carcass value of Dhamari and Tehami ram lambs, F₁ crossbreds of Dhamari × Tehami in Yemen.

PubMed

Al Khewani, Talal; Momani Shaker, Mohamed; Al-Olofi, Samer

2014-12-01

A fattening experiment was carried out to analyze and evaluate the effect of ram lamb genotype on the growth, feed conversion (FC), and carcass value of Dhamari ram lambs, F1 crossbreds of Dhamari × Tehami (F1 DhT), and Tehami ram lambs. Genotype of the ram lambs including the experiment (n = 30) had high significant effect on total weight gain (TWG), average daily gain (ADG), and FC (P < 0.01-0.001). Genotype of the lamb had significant effect on hot and cold dressing percentage (P < 0.001). Also, genotype of the lamb had significant effect on the highest leg percentage (P < 0.001). Furthermore, genotype of the ram lambs had significant effect on musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) area (P < 0.001). Genotype of the ram lamb had significant effect on TWG, ADG, and FC (P < 0.001). The results of moisture percentage, crude protein percentage, and ash percentage of muscle samples were significantly influenced by ram lamb's genotype (P < 0.001). Fasting live weight and other carcass measurements (hot carcass weight, leg weight, loin weight, shoulder weight, first quality cuts weight) have a positive and highest correlations (P < 0.001). The positive and the highest correlations were found between fasting live weight and hot carcass weight, first quality parts weight. In addition, the positive and the highest correlations were found between hot carcass weight and first quality cuts weight. In general, the results of this study documented that F1 DhT was better than Tehami ram lambs in ADG, TWG, and FC. Additionally, the results show that the feed conversion was in F1 DhT crossbreds ram lambs better than pure Dhamari and Tehami ram lambs, mainly in the carcass indicators.

Herd-of-origin effect on the post-weaning performance of centrally tested Nellore beef cattle.

PubMed

de Rezende Neves, Haroldo Henrique; Polin dos Reis, Felipe; Motta Paterno, Flávia; Rocha Guarini, Aline; Carvalheiro, Roberto; da Silva, Lilian Regina; de Oliveira, João Ademir; Aidar de Queiroz, Sandra

2014-10-01

The objective of a performance test station is to evaluate the performance of potential breeding bulls earlier in order to decrease the generation interval and increase genetic gain as well. This study evaluates the herd-of-origin influence on end-of-test weight (ETW), average daily weight gain during testing (ADG), average daily weight gain during the adjustment period (ADGadj), rib eye area (REA), marbling (MARB), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), conformation (C), early finishing (EF), muscling (M), navel (N) and temperament (T) scores, and scrotal circumference (SC) of Nellore cattle that underwent a performance test. We evaluated 664 animals that participated in the performance tests conducted at the Center for Performance CRV Lagoa between 2007 and 2012. Components of variance for each trait were estimated by an animal model (model 1), using the restricted maximum likelihood method. An alternative animal model (model 2) included, in addition to the fixed effects present in S1, the non-correlated random effect of herd-year (HY). A significant HY effect was observed on ETW, REA, SFT, ADGadj, C, and Cw (p < 0.05). The estimated heritability of all traits decreased when the HY effect was included in the model; also, the bull rank, in deciles, changed significantly for traits ETW, REA, SFT, and C. The adjustment period did not completely remove the environmental effect of herd of origin on ETW, REA, SFT, and C. It is recommended that the herd-of-origin effect should be included in the statistical models used to predict the breeding values of the participants of these performance tests.

Effect of bevacizumab on radiation necrosis of the brain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gonzalez, Javier; Kumar, Ashok J.; Conrad, Charles A.

Purpose: Because blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from reaching leaky capillaries is a logical strategy for the treatment of radiation necrosis, we reasoned that bevacizumab might be an effective treatment of radiation necrosis. Patients and Methods: Fifteen patients with malignant brain tumors were treated with bevacizumab or bevacizumab combination for their tumor on either a 5 mg/kg/2-week or 7.5 mg/kg/3-week schedule. Radiation necrosis was diagnosed in 8 of these patients on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsy. MRI studies were obtained before treatment and at 6-week to 8-week intervals. Results: Of the 8 patients with radiationmore » necrosis, posttreatment MRI performed an average of 8.1 weeks after the start of bevacizumab therapy showed a reduction in all 8 patients in both the MRI fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) abnormalities and T1-weighted post-Gd-contrast abnormalities. The average area change in the T1-weighted post-Gd-contrast abnormalities was 48% ({+-}22 SD), and the average change in the FLAIR images was 60% ({+-}18 SD). The average reduction in daily dexamethasone requirements was 8.6 mg ({+-}3.6). Conclusion: Bevacizumab, alone and in combination with other agents, can reduce radiation necrosis by decreasing capillary leakage and the associated brain edema. Our findings will need to be confirmed in a randomized trial to determine the optimal duration of treatment.« less

Length and weight of very low birth weight infants in Germany at 2 years of age: does it matter at what age they start complementary food?

PubMed

Spiegler, J; Eisemann, N; Ehlers, S; Orlikowsky, T; Kannt, O; Herting, E; Göpel, W

2015-06-01

We analysed at what age parents start complementary food in very low birth weight infants, determined risk factors for early introduction of complementary food (post-term age) and analysed whether the age at introduction of complementary food influences height or weight at 2 years of age. Parents of premature infants born in 2009-2011 answered questionnaires regarding introduction of complementary food in the first year of life (N=2262) and were followed up at a post-term age of 2 years (N=981). Length and weight were compared with full-term infants from the KiGGs study. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to study predictors for early introduction of complementary food and the influence of age at introduction of complementary food on later height and weight. Average age at introduction of complementary food was 3.5 months post-term age. The lower the gestational age at birth, the earlier (post-term age) vegetables and meat were introduced. Age at introduction of complementary food was influenced by intrauterine growth restriction, gestational age at birth, maternal education and a developmental delay perceived by the parents. Length and weight at a post-term age of 2 years was not negatively influenced by early introduction of complementary food. VLBW infants are introduced to complementary food on average before a post-term age of 4 months. There was no negative effect of early introduction of complementary food on height and weight at 2 years of age.

The development of preferences for specific body shapes.

PubMed

Connolly, Jennifer M; Slaughter, Virginia; Mealey, Linda

2004-02-01

Research with adults has shown a preference for average-weight female figures with waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) of 0.7, and average weight male figures with waist-to-hip ratios of 0.9. This study investigated the development of preferences for WHR sizes as well as preferences for specific body weights. Five-hundred eleven children ranging in age from 6 to 17 were presented with drawings of 12 male and 12 female silhouettes varying in weight and WHR and asked to select one they thought looked the nicest or most attractive. The youngest children showed preferences for the underweight figures, changing to consistent preferences for the average weight figures in the teenage years. The developmental curves for waist-to-hip ratio preferences were linear, changing gradually over time to become more adult-like. Potential developmental models for the development of preferences for specific body shapes are considered in relation to these data.

Comparative effects of constant versus fluctuating thermal regimens on yellow perch growth, feed conversion and survival

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of fluctuating or constant thermal regimens on growth, mortality, and feed conversion were determined for juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Yellow perch averaging 156mm total length and 43g body weight were held in replicate 288L circular tanks for 129 days under: 1) a diel therm...

DIDA - Dynamic Image Disparity Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-31

register the image only where the disparity estimates are believed to be correct. Therefore, in our 60 implementation we register in proportion to the...average motion is computed as a the average of neighbors motions weighted by their confidence. Since estimates contribute oniy in proportion to their...confidence statistics in the same proportion as they contribute to the average disparity estimate. Two confidences are derived from the weighted

Failure mode and effects analysis using intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid weighted Euclidean distance operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hu-Chen; Liu, Long; Li, Ping

2014-10-01

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) has shown its effectiveness in examining potential failures in products, process, designs or services and has been extensively used for safety and reliability analysis in a wide range of industries. However, its approach to prioritise failure modes through a crisp risk priority number (RPN) has been criticised as having several shortcomings. The aim of this paper is to develop an efficient and comprehensive risk assessment methodology using intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid weighted Euclidean distance (IFHWED) operator to overcome the limitations and improve the effectiveness of the traditional FMEA. The diversified and uncertain assessments given by FMEA team members are treated as linguistic terms expressed in intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs). Intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging (IFWA) operator is used to aggregate the FMEA team members' individual assessments into a group assessment. IFHWED operator is applied thereafter to the prioritisation and selection of failure modes. Particularly, both subjective and objective weights of risk factors are considered during the risk evaluation process. A numerical example for risk assessment is given to illustrate the proposed method finally.

Effectiveness of Social Media-based Interventions on Weight-related Behaviors and Body Weight Status: Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Ji, Mengmeng; Zhang, Sheng

2017-11-01

We reviewed scientific literature regarding the effectiveness of social media-based interventions about weight-related behaviors and body weight status. A keyword search were performed in May 2017 in the Clinical-Trials.gov, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the pooled effect size of social media-based interventions on weight-related outcome measures. We identified 22 interventions from the keyword and reference search, including 12 randomized controlled trials, 6 pre-post studies and 3 cohort studies conducted in 9 countries during 2010-2016. The majority (N = 17) used Facebook, followed by Twitter (N = 4) and Instagram (N = 1). Intervention durations averaged 17.8 weeks with a mean sample size of 69. The meta-analysis showed that social media-based interventions were associated with a statistically significant, but clinically modest reduction of body weight by 1.01 kg, body mass index by 0.92 kg/m2, and waist circumstance by 2.65 cm, and an increase of daily number of steps taken by 1530. In the meta-regression there was no doseresponse effect with respect to intervention duration. The boom of social media provides an unprecedented opportunity to implement health promotion programs. Future interventions should make efforts to improve intervention scalability and effectiveness.

A weighted least squares estimation of the polynomial regression model on paddy production in the area of Kedah and Perlis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musa, Rosliza; Ali, Zalila; Baharum, Adam; Nor, Norlida Mohd

2017-08-01

The linear regression model assumes that all random error components are identically and independently distributed with constant variance. Hence, each data point provides equally precise information about the deterministic part of the total variation. In other words, the standard deviations of the error terms are constant over all values of the predictor variables. When the assumption of constant variance is violated, the ordinary least squares estimator of regression coefficient lost its property of minimum variance in the class of linear and unbiased estimators. Weighted least squares estimation are often used to maximize the efficiency of parameter estimation. A procedure that treats all of the data equally would give less precisely measured points more influence than they should have and would give highly precise points too little influence. Optimizing the weighted fitting criterion to find the parameter estimates allows the weights to determine the contribution of each observation to the final parameter estimates. This study used polynomial model with weighted least squares estimation to investigate paddy production of different paddy lots based on paddy cultivation characteristics and environmental characteristics in the area of Kedah and Perlis. The results indicated that factors affecting paddy production are mixture fertilizer application cycle, average temperature, the squared effect of average rainfall, the squared effect of pest and disease, the interaction between acreage with amount of mixture fertilizer, the interaction between paddy variety and NPK fertilizer application cycle and the interaction between pest and disease and NPK fertilizer application cycle.

Novel intervention with acupuncture for anorexia and cachexia in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancers: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Yoon, Saunjoo L; Grundmann, Oliver; Williams, Joseph J; Carriere, Gwen

2015-03-01

To investigate the feasibility of using acupuncture as a complementary intervention to existing treatments and to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in improving appetite and slowing weight loss with patients with gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers. 
 One-group pre- and postintervention feasibility study. 
 Outpatient clinic for patients with cancer and a community setting, both in Florida. 
 A convenience sample of seven adults with GI cancer.
 Eight acupuncture sessions were provided during eight weeks. Data were collected using the visual analog scale (VAS) for appetite, Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), Karnofsky Performance Status, and bioelectrical impedance analysis. 
 Appetite, weight, attrition rate.
 Seven patients with a mean age of 61 years completed the intervention. Acupuncture was well accepted, feasible, and safe without any reported side effects. Appetite showed improvement, with an average score of 3.04 on the VAS and 4.14 on SNAQ compared to the preintervention scores. The average weight loss was 1.32% compared to the baseline during an eight-week period. 
 The acupuncture intervention was feasible and indicated positive outcomes. Because of the small sample size and lack of a control group, statistical significance of effectiveness was not determined. Acupuncture seemed to improve appetite and slow weight loss in patients with GI cancers, so additional studies with a larger sample size and a variety of cancers are warranted. 
 Oncology nurses are uniquely able to equip patients with information about complementary therapy modalities, such as acupuncture, which is a promising way to improve appetite and slow weight loss in patients with GI cancers.


The effect of environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy on birth weight.

PubMed

Hegaard, Hanne K; Kjaergaard, Hanne; Møller, Lars F; Wachmann, Henrik; Ottesen, Bent

2006-01-01

This study explores whether pregnant nonsmokers' exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) affects the average birth weight at term. The population studied consists of pregnant nonsmokers participating in a study called Smoke-free Newborn Study. The participants (n = 1612) answered a questionnaire during 12th to 16th gestational week about their exposure to ETS at home and outside the home. Pregnant nonsmokers exposed to ETS both at home and outside the home gave birth to children with a birth weight of 78.9 g (95% CI -143.7 to -14.1) (P=0.02) lower than the weight of children born to women unexposed to ETS. There was no significant reduction in birth weight among women exposed to ETS at home only or outside the home only. A nonsignificant dose-response association was seen between increasing daily exposure to ETS and reduction in birth weight. Nonsmoking pregnant women who were exposed to ETS at home as well as outside the home gave birth to children with a 79 g reduction in birth weight compared to children of unexposed women. The fact that exposure to ETS has an effect on the birth weight is regarded as essential. The authors recommend that pregnant women should not be exposed to passive smoking, and that it should be considered whether workplace legislation should be instituted in order to protect pregnant women against the adverse effects of passive smoking.

Gallstones and gallbladder cancer-volume and weight of gallstones are associated with gallbladder cancer: a case-control study.

PubMed

Roa, Iván; Ibacache, Gilda; Roa, Juan; Araya, Juan; de Aretxabala, Xabier; Muñoz, Sergio

2006-06-15

Gallstones are considered the most important risk factor for gallbladder cancer. To identify differences in the number, weight, volume, and density of gallstones associated with chronic cholecystitis (CC), gallbladder dysplasia (GD), and gallbladder cancer (GBC). A total of 125 cases were selected, of which 93 had gallstones associated with GBC and 31 had gallstones associated with GD. The controls were those with CC, matched by sex and age. The number, weight, volume, and density of these gallstones were examined in order to determine differences and relative cancer risk. Number: Multiple gallstones were present in over 76% of cases (GBC and GD) and controls (P = ns). The average number of multiple stones was 21 in GBC versus 14 in controls (P < 0.01). Weight: The average weight of the gallstones was 9.6 g in GBC versus 6.0 g in controls (P = 0.0004). The average weight in multiple stones over 10 g had strong association with GBC (P = 0.0006). Volume: The average volume was 11.7 and 6.48 ml in GBC and controls (P = 0.0002). Average volumes of 6, 8, and 10 ml had a relative cancer risk of 5, 7, and 11 times, respectively. Size: No differences were shown between GBC, GD, and controls. The volume of gallstones associated with other risk factors of GBC may be helpful in prioritizing cholecystectomies in symptomatic patients. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

40 CFR Table 3 to Subpart Dddd of... - Work Practice Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... with a 24-hour block average inlet moisture content of less than or equal to 30 percent (by weight, dry... average inlet moisture content of the veneer is less than or equal to 25 percent (by weight, dry basis...

Factors contributing to initial weight loss among adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PubMed

Geier, L M; Bekx, M T; Connor, E L

2012-12-01

To evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary clinic on weight management among adolescents with PCOS. 140 adolescent females were evaluated in a multidisciplinary PCOS clinic from March 2005 to December 2008. The team included a pediatric endocrinologist, health psychologist, dietitian, and pediatric gynecologist. 110 were diagnosed with PCOS based on the Rotterdam Criteria. Height, weight, BMI, number of subspecialists seen, use of metformin, and compliance with return visits were obtained from medical records. American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. 110 adolescent females with polycystic ovary syndrome. Consultation with a dietitian and health psychologist. Change in weight. The average age at first visit was 15.9 years. The average BMI was 34.7 kg/m(2) (range 18.1-55.5). Seventy-six percent had an initial BMI above the 95(th) percentile. Interactions with providers at the initial visit included a pediatric endocrinologist (100%), health psychologist (60.9%), dietitian (75.5%) and gynecologist (70.9%). Seventy one percent returned for a follow-up visit, (average time of 4.5 months between visits) with 57% achieving weight loss (average 3.5 kg) and an additional 12.6% demonstrating no significant weight gain (< 1.5 kg). Thus, 69.6% demonstrated weight loss/stabilization. In this multidisciplinary clinic for adolescents with PCOS, nearly 70% of patients succeeded in short-term weight stabilization, with 57% demonstrating weight loss. Interactions with the health psychologist and dietitian appeared to play a key role in successful weight control, supporting the importance of psychology and nutrition expertise in the management of this disorder. Copyright © 2012 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ashtanga yoga for children and adolescents for weight management and psychological well being: an uncontrolled open pilot study.

PubMed

Benavides, Sandra; Caballero, Joshua

2009-05-01

The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effect of yoga on weight in youth at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Secondarily, the impact of participation in yoga on self-concept and psychiatric symptoms was measured. A 12-week prospective pilot Ashtanga yoga program enrolled twenty children and adolescents. Weight was measured before and after the program. All participants completed self-concept, anxiety, and depression inventories at the initiation and completion of the program. Fourteen predominately Hispanic children, ages 8-15, completed the program. The average weight loss was 2kg. Weight decreased from 61.2+/-20.2kg to 59.2+/-19.2kg (p=0.01). Four of five children with low self-esteem improved, although two had decreases in self-esteem. Anxiety symptoms improved in the study. Ashtanga yoga may be beneficial as a weight loss strategy in a predominately Hispanic population.

Use of the temporal median and trimmed mean mitigates effects of respiratory motion in multiple-acquisition abdominal diffusion imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerome, N. P.; Orton, M. R.; d'Arcy, J. A.; Feiweier, T.; Tunariu, N.; Koh, D.-M.; Leach, M. O.; Collins, D. J.

2015-01-01

Respiratory motion commonly confounds abdominal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, where averaging of successive samples at different parts of the respiratory cycle, performed in the scanner, manifests the motion as blurring of tissue boundaries and structural features and can introduce bias into calculated diffusion metrics. Storing multiple averages separately allows processing using metrics other than the mean; in this prospective volunteer study, median and trimmed mean values of signal intensity for each voxel over repeated averages and diffusion-weighting directions are shown to give images with sharper tissue boundaries and structural features for moving tissues, while not compromising non-moving structures. Expert visual scoring of derived diffusion maps is significantly higher for the median than for the mean, with modest improvement from the trimmed mean. Diffusion metrics derived from mono- and bi-exponential diffusion models are comparable for non-moving structures, demonstrating a lack of introduced bias from using the median. The use of the median is a simple and computationally inexpensive alternative to complex and expensive registration algorithms, requiring only additional data storage (and no additional scanning time) while returning visually superior images that will facilitate the appropriate placement of regions-of-interest when analysing abdominal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images, for assessment of disease characteristics and treatment response.

Polyacrylamide medium for the electrophoretic separation of biomolecules

DOEpatents

Madabhushi, Ramakrishna S.; Gammon, Stuart A.

2003-11-11

A polyacryalmide medium for the electrophoretic separation of biomolecules. The polyacryalmide medium comprises high molecular weight polyacrylamides (PAAm) having a viscosity average molecular weight (M.sub.v) of about 675-725 kDa were synthesized by conventional red-ox polymerization technique. Using this separation medium, capillary electrophoresis of BigDye DNA sequencing standard was performed. A single base resolution of .about.725 bases was achieved in .about.60 minute in a non-covalently coated capillary of 50 .mu.m i.d., 40 cm effective length, and a filed of 160 V/cm at 40.degree. C. The resolution achieved with this formulation to separate DNA under identical conditions is much superior (725 bases vs. 625 bases) and faster (60 min. vs. 75 min.) to the commercially available PAAm, such as supplied by Amersham. The formulation method employed here to synthesize PAAm is straight-forward, simple and does not require cumbersome methods such as emulsion polymerizaiton in order to achieve very high molecular weights. Also, the formulation here does not require separation of PAAm from the reaction mixture prior to reconstituting the polymer to a final concentration. Furthermore, the formulation here is prepared from a single average mol. wt. PAAm as opposed to the mixture of two different average mo. wt. PAAm previously required to achieve high resolution.

Use of the temporal median and trimmed mean mitigates effects of respiratory motion in multiple-acquisition abdominal diffusion imaging.

PubMed

Jerome, N P; Orton, M R; d'Arcy, J A; Feiweier, T; Tunariu, N; Koh, D-M; Leach, M O; Collins, D J

2015-01-21

Respiratory motion commonly confounds abdominal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, where averaging of successive samples at different parts of the respiratory cycle, performed in the scanner, manifests the motion as blurring of tissue boundaries and structural features and can introduce bias into calculated diffusion metrics. Storing multiple averages separately allows processing using metrics other than the mean; in this prospective volunteer study, median and trimmed mean values of signal intensity for each voxel over repeated averages and diffusion-weighting directions are shown to give images with sharper tissue boundaries and structural features for moving tissues, while not compromising non-moving structures. Expert visual scoring of derived diffusion maps is significantly higher for the median than for the mean, with modest improvement from the trimmed mean. Diffusion metrics derived from mono- and bi-exponential diffusion models are comparable for non-moving structures, demonstrating a lack of introduced bias from using the median. The use of the median is a simple and computationally inexpensive alternative to complex and expensive registration algorithms, requiring only additional data storage (and no additional scanning time) while returning visually superior images that will facilitate the appropriate placement of regions-of-interest when analysing abdominal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images, for assessment of disease characteristics and treatment response.

The effects of weight change on glomerular filtration rate.

PubMed

Chang, Alex; Greene, Tom H; Wang, Xuelei; Kendrick, Cynthia; Kramer, Holly; Wright, Jackson; Astor, Brad; Shafi, Tariq; Toto, Robert; Lewis, Julia; Appel, Lawrence J; Grams, Morgan

2015-11-01

Little is known about the effect of weight loss/gain on kidney function. Analyses are complicated by uncertainty about optimal body surface indexing strategies for measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR). Using data from the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), we determined the association of change in weight with three different estimates of change in kidney function: (i) unindexed mGFR estimated by renal clearance of iodine-125-iothalamate, (ii) mGFR indexed to concurrently measured BSA and (iii) GFR estimated from serum creatinine (eGFR). All models were adjusted for baseline weight, time, randomization group and time-varying diuretic use. We also examined whether these relationships were consistent across a number of subgroups, including tertiles of baseline 24-h urine sodium excretion. In 1094 participants followed over an average of 3.6 years, a 5-kg weight gain was associated with a 1.10 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (95% CI: 0.87 to 1.33; P < 0.001) increase in unindexed mGFR. There was no association between weight change and mGFR indexed for concurrent BSA (per 5 kg weight gain, 0.21; 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.44; P = 0.1) or between weight change and eGFR (-0.09; 95% CI: -0.32 to 0.14; P = 0.4). The effect of weight change on unindexed mGFR was less pronounced in individuals with higher baseline sodium excretion (P = 0.08 for interaction). The association between weight change and kidney function varies depending on the method of assessment. Future clinical trials should examine the effect of intentional weight change on measured GFR or filtration markers robust to changes in muscle mass. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

The effects of weight change on glomerular filtration rate

PubMed Central

Chang, Alex; Greene, Tom H.; Wang, Xuelei; Kendrick, Cynthia; Kramer, Holly; Wright, Jackson; Astor, Brad; Shafi, Tariq; Toto, Robert; Lewis, Julia; Appel, Lawrence J.; Grams, Morgan

2015-01-01

Background Little is known about the effect of weight loss/gain on kidney function. Analyses are complicated by uncertainty about optimal body surface indexing strategies for measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR). Methods Using data from the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), we determined the association of change in weight with three different estimates of change in kidney function: (i) unindexed mGFR estimated by renal clearance of iodine-125-iothalamate, (ii) mGFR indexed to concurrently measured BSA and (iii) GFR estimated from serum creatinine (eGFR). All models were adjusted for baseline weight, time, randomization group and time-varying diuretic use. We also examined whether these relationships were consistent across a number of subgroups, including tertiles of baseline 24-h urine sodium excretion. Results In 1094 participants followed over an average of 3.6 years, a 5-kg weight gain was associated with a 1.10 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI: 0.87 to 1.33; P < 0.001) increase in unindexed mGFR. There was no association between weight change and mGFR indexed for concurrent BSA (per 5 kg weight gain, 0.21; 95% CI: −0.02 to 0.44; P = 0.1) or between weight change and eGFR (−0.09; 95% CI: −0.32 to 0.14; P = 0.4). The effect of weight change on unindexed mGFR was less pronounced in individuals with higher baseline sodium excretion (P = 0.08 for interaction). Conclusion The association between weight change and kidney function varies depending on the method of assessment. Future clinical trials should examine the effect of intentional weight change on measured GFR or filtration markers robust to changes in muscle mass. PMID:26085555

Is international volunteer surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate a cost-effective and justifiable intervention? A case study from East Asia.

PubMed

Moon, Woori; Perry, Henry; Baek, Rong-Min

2012-12-01

Although surgery provided by international volunteers is increasingly common in the developing world, there have been few assessments of the cost-effectiveness of these activities. In this context, this study covered 15 years of experience of one international nongovernmental organization, Smile for Children, in providing cleft lip (CL) and cleft palate (CP) surgical services in Vietnam. We analyzed the cost-effectiveness of the program and its contributions to building local capacity. To assess the cost-effectiveness of CL/CP surgery performed during Smile for Children's missions in Vietnam, we analyzed the data from four annual missions, from 2007 to 2010. According to the 2003 World Health Organization Guide to Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, we calculated cost per disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted with and without age weighting. For the data from the 2010 mission, we repeated the same calculation but with and without considering opportunity cost for labor. The discounted cost per DALY averted averaged $68, ranging from $52 to $79 depending on the year of the mission. The average discounted cost per DALY averted with age weighting was $56 (range $43-$65). For the calculation that takes into account the volunteers' possible income loss as the labor cost of the mission in 2010, the cost per DALY averted without age weighting increased by 28%, from $76 to $97; and the cost per DALY averted with age weighting increased by 27%, from $63 to $80. Under all of these varying assumptions, the CL/CP program operated by Smile for Children is a cost-effective intervention using international criteria for cost-effectiveness. The contribution of the international volunteer surgical team to building in-country capacity is notable. It was achieved primarily through training Vietnamese surgeons during the mission trips and through sending these surgeons to Korea for training. Other staff, including anesthesiologists, were also trained; and equipment and supplies were provided.

Effects of castration and time-on-feed on Mertolenga breed beef quality.

PubMed

Monteiro, A C G; Navas, D R; Lemos, J P C

2014-04-01

Physicochemical characteristics were determined in the longissimus lumborum muscle, after 8 days of ageing of steers (n=12) and bulls (n=12) from Mertolenga breed slaughtered directly from pasture (day 0) or after a finishing period of 50, 100 and 150 days in a feed-lot facility. Bulls and steers presented similar live weight (averaging 388 kg), carcass weight (CW; averaging 213 kg), dressing percentage (averaging 60%), carcass fatness (11.9% CW) and carcass fat thickness (averaging 3.03 mm). Live weight, CW, carcass fatness and fat thickness increased along time-on-feed. Gender only had a negligible effect on meat characteristics, with b and h being the only parameters of colour affected by gender, also presenting a significant interaction gender × time-on-feed. Nevertheless, both the genders presented a high-quality grade concerning tenderness (Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF)). L increased until 50 days on feed and decreased afterwards, whereas a and C values increased along time-on-feed. Pigment content was also affected by time-on-feed and showed a gender × time-on-feed interaction. Beef colour became darker and redder along time-on-feed, but still in a colour range highly acceptable by Portuguese consumers. Despite the increase in intramuscular fat and myofibrillar fragmentation index, as well as the decrease in collagen content of steers and bulls along time-on-feed, it did not affect the tenderness/hardness, indicating a small effect of time-on-feed in meat characteristics. Despite only small differences in carcass characteristics and meat-quality parameters that have been noticed along time-on-feed, those differences were only significant after 100 days on feed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. The first PC axis (39.6% of the total variance) included colour variables a, b and C, and carcass fatness, fat thickness, CW and live weight, whereas the second one (12.7% of the total variance) included h, cooking losses and dressing-out. The principal component (PC) analysis confirmed the lack of differences between bulls and steers and indicates a differentiation of the first two periods of feeding (0 and 50 days on feed) from the two latter (100 and 150 days on feed) periods of feeding.

INFLUENCE OF MASS ON DISPLACEMENT THRESHOLD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Setyawan, Wahyu; Selby, A.; Nandipati, Giridhar

2014-12-30

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the effect of mass on displacement threshold energy in Cr, Mo, Fe and W. For each interatomic potential, the mass of the atoms is varied among those metals for a total of 16 combinations. The average threshold energy over all crystal directions is calculated within the irreducible crystal directions using appropriate weighting factors. The weighting factors account for the different number of equivalent directions among the grid points and the different solid angle coverage of each grid point. The grid points are constructed with a Miller index increment of 1/24 for a totalmore » of 325 points. For each direction, 10 simulations each with a different primary-knock-on atom are performed. The results show that for each interatomic potential, the average threshold energy is insensitive to the mass; i.e., the values are the same within the standard error. In the future, the effect of mass on high-energy cascades for a given interatomic potential will be investigated.« less

Effect of historic land cover change on runoff curve number estimation in Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wehmeyer, Loren L.; Weirich, Frank H.

2010-01-01

Within three decades of European-descended settlers arriving in Iowa, much of the land cover across the state was transformed from prairie and forest to farmland, patches of forest, and urbanized areas. Between 1832 and 1859, the General Land Office surveyed the state of Iowa to aid in the disbursement of land. In 1875, an illustrated atlas of the State of Iowa was published. Using these two data resources for classifying land cover, the hydrologic impact of the land cover change resulting from the first three decades of settlement is presented in terms of the effect on the area-weighted average curve number, a term commonly used to predict runoff from rainstorms. In the four watersheds studied, the area-weighted average curve number increased by a mean of 16.4 from 61.4 to 77.8 with the greatest magnitude of change occurring in the two western Iowa watersheds as opposed to the two more heavily forested eastern Iowa watersheds.

Orlistat. No hurry....

PubMed Central

1999-01-01

Treatments for obesity are disappointing. None has yet shown an effect on morbidity and mortality. Nondrug treatments are poorly assessed. Stable long-term weight loss necessitates long-term management. Orlistat (Xenical, Hoffman-La Roche), a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, is indicated, in combination with a low-calorie diet, for management of obesity. The assessment file is bulky and methodologically sound, at least in terms of the weight loss end point. During medium-term trials (12 to 24 months), orlistat administered at a dose of 120 mg three times daily and combined with dietary intervention had a moderate positive effect on body weight (-3.5 kg on average). No longer-term trials have been done. It is unknown whether this drug affects morbidity and mortality linked to obesity. In clinical trials, patients treated with orlistat had an increased frequency of breast cancer. This potential risk is currently being assessed in a specific trial. Gastrointestinal adverse effects are frequent. Treatment is costly. PMID:10540693

Effect of multivitamin and vitamin A supplements on weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-1-infected women.

PubMed

Villamor, Eduardo; Msamanga, Gernard; Spiegelman, Donna; Antelman, Gretchen; Peterson, Karen E; Hunter, David J; Fawzi, Wafaie W

2002-11-01

The pattern of weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-infected women is largely unknown. Multivitamin supplementation was shown to be effective in preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes among HIV-positive women. These protective effects could be mediated in part by an improvement in the pattern of gestational weight gain. We examined the effects of multivitamin and vitamin A supplements on weight gain during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy among HIV-infected women. We enrolled 1075 pregnant, HIV-1-positive women from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Using a 2-by-2 factorial design, we assigned each woman to 1 of 4 regimens: multivitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and vitamins B-6, B-12, C, and E), vitamin A, multivitamins including vitamin A, or placebo. The women took these oral supplements daily and were weighed monthly until the end of pregnancy. The mean rate of weight gain was 306 g/wk during the second trimester and 247 g/wk during the third trimester. During the third trimester, average weight gain was significantly greater (by 304 g; 95% CI: 17, 590; P = 0.04) and the risk of low rate of weight gain (

40 CFR 1065.125 - Engine intake air.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... engines with multiple intakes with separate humidity measurements at each intake, use a flow-weighted average humidity for NOX corrections. If individual flows of each intake are not measured, use good engineering judgment to estimate a flow-weighted average humidity. (3) Temperature. Good engineering judgment...

Some induced intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators applied to multi-attribute group decision making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Zhi-xin; Xia, Guo-ping; Chen, Ming-yuan

2011-11-01

In this paper, we define various induced intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators, including induced intuitionistic fuzzy ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator, induced intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid averaging (I-IFHA) operator, induced interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy OWA operator, and induced interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid averaging (I-IIFHA) operator. We also establish various properties of these operators. And then, an approach based on I-IFHA operator and intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging (WA) operator is developed to solve multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems. In such problems, attribute weights and the decision makers' (DMs') weights are real numbers and attribute values provided by the DMs are intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs), and an approach based on I-IIFHA operator and interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy WA operator is developed to solve MAGDM problems where the attribute values provided by the DMs are interval-valued IFNs. Furthermore, induced intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid geometric operator and induced interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid geometric operator are proposed. Finally, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the developed approaches.

[Role of placental apoptosis in fetal growth restriction].

PubMed

Liu, Yuan; Gao, Peng; Xie, Yingbo; Wang, Shuyun; Dai, Minsheng; Jiang, Sen

2002-12-01

To determine the relationship of placental cellular apoptosis and pathophysiology of fetal growth restriction (FGR). Placental samples were obtained from 18 pregnancies complicated by FGR and 14 normal pregnancies. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm the occurrence of apoptosis. In FGR group the placental apoptosis rate was (n = 18) 12.1 per thousand, the average placental weight was (236 +/- 24) g, the average birth weight was (2,071 +/- 428) g; In normal group (n = 14), the placental apoptosis rate was 7.3 per thousand, the average placental weight was (354 +/- 63) g, the average birth weight was (3,411 +/- 588) g (P < 0.05). The incidence of apoptosis was significantly higher in placental samples from pregnancies with FGR compared with normal placental samples (P < 0.05). Under transmission election microscopy, apoptosis was obviously compact and the chromatins were formed as mass. These results suggest that apoptosis may play a role in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of FGR.

Regular self-weighing to promote weight maintenance after intentional weight loss: a quasi-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Madigan, Claire D; Aveyard, Paul; Jolly, Kate; Denley, John; Lewis, Amanda; Daley, Amanda J

2014-06-01

Many overweight people take action to lose weight but most regain this weight. To examine the effectiveness of a weight maintenance intervention focused on regular self-weighing after receiving a 12-week weight loss programme. Quasi-randomized controlled trial of 3768 obese or overweight men and women. The intervention group (n = 3290) received two telephone calls, the offer of free weighing scales, encouragement to weigh themselves weekly and record this on a card. The main outcome was change in weight between 3 and 12 months. Using intention to treat analysis both groups regained weight; however, the intervention group on average regained 1.23 kg, whereas the control group regained 1.83 kg. Adjusting for covariates resulted in a mean difference of 0.68 kg (95% CI 0.12, 1.24) at 12-month follow-up. Encouraging people who have recently lost weight to weigh themselves regularly prevents some weight regain. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ultrahigh molecular weight aromatic siloxane polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ludwick, L. M.

1982-01-01

The condensation of a diol with a silane in toluene yields a silphenylene-siloxane polymer. The reaction of stiochiometric amounts of the diol and silane produced products with molecular weights in the range 2.0 - 6.0 x 10 to the 5th power. The molecular weight of the product was greatly increased by a multistep technique. The methodology for synthesis of high molecular weight polymers using a two step procedure was refined. Polymers with weight average molecular weights in excess of 1.0 x 10 to the 6th power produced by this method. Two more reactive silanes, bis(pyrrolidinyl)dimethylsilane and bis(gamma butyrolactam)dimethylsilane, are compared with the dimethyleminodimethylsilane in ability to advance the molecular weight of the prepolymer. The polymers produced are characterized by intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran. Weight and number average molecular weights and polydispersity are determined by gel permeation chromatography.

Anabolic steroids for the treatment of weight loss in HIV-infected individuals.

PubMed

Johns, K; Beddall, M J; Corrin, R C

2005-10-19

Individuals with HIV infection often lose weight during the course of their disease. Furthermore, low serum concentrations of testosterone are common in individuals with HIV infection, particularly those with weight loss. Treatment of weight loss with anabolic steroids in HIV-infected individuals may be beneficial. Our objectives were to assess the efficacy and safety of anabolic steroids for the treatment of weight loss in adults with HIV infection. We searched the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, AIDSLINE, AIDSearch, EMBASE, CINAHL, Current Contents, and the National Library of Medicine Gateway Abstracts for controlled trials up to April 2005. We also searched the bibliographies of the identified studies and review the articles. In addition, pharmaceutical manufacturers of anabolic steroids were contacted. Randomized controlled trials that compared the use of an anabolic steroid to placebo to treat weight loss in adults with HIV were included. Randomized controlled trials that compared the use of anabolic steroids to placebo for the treatment of weight loss in adults with HIV were selected. Change from baseline in lean body mass or in body weight was reported as on outcome measure. Two reviewers independently assessed the trials for quality of randomization, blinding, withdrawals, and adequacy of allocation concealment. For continuous data, weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated. For dichotomous outcomes, risk differences, were calculated. Because of uncertainty as to whether consistent true effects exist in such different populations and treatments, the authors decided a priori to use random effects models for all outcomes. Thirteen trials met the inclusion criteria. Two hundred ninety-four individuals randomized to anabolic steroid therapy and 238 individuals randomized to placebo were included in the analysis of efficacy for change from baseline in lean body mass. Three hundred forty-three individuals randomized to anabolic steroid and 286 randomized to placebo were included in the analysis of efficacy for change from baseline in body weight. The mean methodologic quality of the included studies was 4.1, of a maximum 5 points. Although significant heterogeneity was present for both outcomes, the average change in lean body mass was 1.3 kg (95% CI: 0.6, 2.0), while the average change in total body weight was 1.1 kg (95% CI: 0.3, 2.0). A total of eight deaths occurred during the treatment period; four in the anabolic steroid treatment groups and four in the placebo-treatment groups (risk difference 0.00, 95% CI -0.03, 0.03). The risk difference for withdrawals or discontinuations of study medication due to adverse events was 0.00 (95% CI: -0.02, 0.03). Although the results of the trials were heterogeneous, on average, the administration of anabolic steroids appeared to result in a small increase in both lean body mass and body weight as compared with placebo. While these results suggest that anabolic steroids may be useful in the treatment of weight loss in HIV infected individuals, due to limitations, treatment recommendations cannot be made. Further information is required regarding the long-term benefit and adverse effects of anabolic steroid use, the specific populations for which anabolic steroid therapy may be most beneficial, and the optimal regime. In addition, the correlation of improvement in lean body mass with more clinically relevant endpoints, such as physical functioning and survival, needs to be determined.

Results of simultaneous radon and thoron measurements in 33 metropolitan areas of Canada

PubMed Central

Chen, Jing; Bergman, Lauren; Falcomer, Renato; Whyte, Jeff

2015-01-01

Radon has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. 222Rn (radon gas) and 220Rn (thoron gas) are the most common isotopes of radon. In order to assess thoron contribution to indoor radon and thoron exposure, a survey of residential radon and thoron concentrations was initiated in 2012 with ∼4000 homes in the 33 census metropolitan areas of Canada. The survey confirmed that indoor radon and thoron concentrations are not correlated and that thoron concentrations cannot be predicted from widely available radon information. The results showed that thoron contribution to the radiation dose varied from 0.5 to 6 % geographically. The study indicated that, on average, thoron contributes ∼3 % of the radiation dose due to indoor radon and thoron exposure in Canada. Even though the estimated average thoron concentration of 9 Bq m−3 (population weighted) in Canada is low, the average radon concentration of 96 Bq m−3 (population weighted) is more than double the worldwide average indoor radon concentration. It is clear that continued efforts are needed to further reduce the exposure and effectively reduce the number of lung cancers caused by radon. PMID:24748485

Principal curvatures and area ratio of propagating surfaces in isotropic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Tianhang; You, Jiaping; Yang, Yue

2017-10-01

We study the statistics of principal curvatures and the surface area ratio of propagating surfaces with a constant or nonconstant propagating velocity in isotropic turbulence using direct numerical simulation. Propagating surface elements initially constitute a plane to model a planar premixed flame front. When the statistics of evolving propagating surfaces reach the stationary stage, the statistical profiles of principal curvatures scaled by the Kolmogorov length scale versus the constant displacement speed scaled by the Kolmogorov velocity scale collapse at different Reynolds numbers. The magnitude of averaged principal curvatures and the number of surviving surface elements without cusp formation decrease with increasing displacement speed. In addition, the effect of surface stretch on the nonconstant displacement speed inhibits the cusp formation on surface elements at negative Markstein numbers. In order to characterize the wrinkling process of the global propagating surface, we develop a model to demonstrate that the increase of the surface area ratio is primarily due to positive Lagrangian time integrations of the area-weighted averaged tangential strain-rate term and propagation-curvature term. The difference between the negative averaged mean curvature and the positive area-weighted averaged mean curvature characterizes the cellular geometry of the global propagating surface.

Laparoscopic lateral pancreaticojejunostomy: a new remedy for an old ailment.

PubMed

Palanivelu, C; Shetty, R; Jani, K; Rajan, P S; Sendhilkumar, K; Parthasarthi, R; Malladi, V

2006-03-01

Lateral pancreaticojejunostomy is considered as the standard surgery for chronic pancreatitis. Yet there are very few reports of this procedure being done laparoscopically. We present our experience with laparoscopic lateral pancreaticojejunostomy till date and describe our technique. Since 1997, we have done 12 laparoscopic lateral pancreatojejunostomies. There were 9 females and 3 males and the average age was 29.3 years. The indication for surgery in all patients was intractable abdominal pain and significant weight loss. Additionally, two patients were also suffering from pancreatic ascites. The average diameter of the pancreatic duct was 14.7 mm. We used a four-port technique. All surgeries were completed without any conversion to open surgery. Post-operatively, there were no major morbidity and nil mortality. The average operating time was 172 minutes. Post-operative stay was short (average 5 days) and on median follow-up of 4.4 years, 83.3% patients had complete pain relief while 16.7% had partial relief. All patients had significant weight gain. Laparoscopic lateral pancreaticojejunostomy is safe, effective and feasible in experience hands. Mastery of intracorporeal knotting and suturing techniques is mandatory before embarking on this surgery.

The latitude dependence of the variance of zonally averaged quantities. [in polar meteorology with attention to geometrical effects of earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

North, G. R.; Bell, T. L.; Cahalan, R. F.; Moeng, F. J.

1982-01-01

Geometric characteristics of the spherical earth are shown to be responsible for the increase of variance with latitude of zonally averaged meteorological statistics. An analytic model is constructed to display the effect of a spherical geometry on zonal averages, employing a sphere labeled with radial unit vectors in a real, stochastic field expanded in complex spherical harmonics. The variance of a zonally averaged field is found to be expressible in terms of the spectrum of the vector field of the spherical harmonics. A maximum variance is then located at the poles, and the ratio of the variance to the zonally averaged grid-point variance, weighted by the cosine of the latitude, yields the zonal correlation typical of the latitude. An example is provided for the 500 mb level in the Northern Hemisphere compared to 15 years of data. Variance is determined to increase north of 60 deg latitude.

Parrotfish Size: A Simple yet Useful Alternative Indicator of Fishing Effects on Caribbean Reefs?

PubMed Central

Vallès, Henri; Oxenford, Hazel A.

2014-01-01

There is great need to identify simple yet reliable indicators of fishing effects within the multi-species, multi-gear, data-poor fisheries of the Caribbean. Here, we investigate links between fishing pressure and three simple fish metrics, i.e. average fish weight (an estimate of average individual fish size), fish density and fish biomass, derived from (1) the parrotfish family, a ubiquitous herbivore family across the Caribbean, and (2) three fish groups of “commercial” carnivores including snappers and groupers, which are widely-used as indicators of fishing effects. We hypothesize that, because most Caribbean reefs are being heavily fished, fish metrics derived from the less vulnerable parrotfish group would exhibit stronger relationships with fishing pressure on today’s Caribbean reefs than those derived from the highly vulnerable commercial fish groups. We used data from 348 Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) reef-surveys across the Caribbean to assess relationships between two independent indices of fishing pressure (one derived from human population density data, the other from open to fishing versus protected status) and the three fish metrics derived from the four aforementioned fish groups. We found that, although two fish metrics, average parrotfish weight and combined biomass of selected commercial species, were consistently negatively linked to the indices of fishing pressure across the Caribbean, the parrotfish metric consistently outranked the latter in the strength of the relationship, thus supporting our hypothesis. Overall, our study highlights that (assemblage-level) average parrotfish size might be a useful alternative indicator of fishing effects over the typical conditions of most Caribbean shallow reefs: moderate-to-heavy levels of fishing and low abundance of highly valued commercial species. PMID:24466009

Parrotfish size: a simple yet useful alternative indicator of fishing effects on Caribbean reefs?

PubMed

Vallès, Henri; Oxenford, Hazel A

2014-01-01

There is great need to identify simple yet reliable indicators of fishing effects within the multi-species, multi-gear, data-poor fisheries of the Caribbean. Here, we investigate links between fishing pressure and three simple fish metrics, i.e. average fish weight (an estimate of average individual fish size), fish density and fish biomass, derived from (1) the parrotfish family, a ubiquitous herbivore family across the Caribbean, and (2) three fish groups of "commercial" carnivores including snappers and groupers, which are widely-used as indicators of fishing effects. We hypothesize that, because most Caribbean reefs are being heavily fished, fish metrics derived from the less vulnerable parrotfish group would exhibit stronger relationships with fishing pressure on today's Caribbean reefs than those derived from the highly vulnerable commercial fish groups. We used data from 348 Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) reef-surveys across the Caribbean to assess relationships between two independent indices of fishing pressure (one derived from human population density data, the other from open to fishing versus protected status) and the three fish metrics derived from the four aforementioned fish groups. We found that, although two fish metrics, average parrotfish weight and combined biomass of selected commercial species, were consistently negatively linked to the indices of fishing pressure across the Caribbean, the parrotfish metric consistently outranked the latter in the strength of the relationship, thus supporting our hypothesis. Overall, our study highlights that (assemblage-level) average parrotfish size might be a useful alternative indicator of fishing effects over the typical conditions of most Caribbean shallow reefs: moderate-to-heavy levels of fishing and low abundance of highly valued commercial species.

Retrofit Weight-Loss Outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 Months and Characteristics of 12-Month High Performers: A Retrospective Analysis

PubMed Central

Hanson, Nicholas Buck; Kachin, Kevin; Berger, Jan

2016-01-01

Background Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death costing the health care system billions of dollars. Combining self-monitoring technology with personalized behavior change strategies results in clinically significant weight loss. However, there is a lack of real-world outcomes in commercial weight-loss program research. Objective Retrofit is a personalized weight management and disease-prevention solution. This study aimed to report Retrofit’s weight-loss outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months and characterize behaviors, age, and sex of high-performing participants who achieved weight loss of 10% or greater at 12 months. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed from 2011 to 2014 using 2720 participants enrolled in a Retrofit weight-loss program. Participants had a starting body mass index (BMI) of >25 kg/m² and were at least 18 years of age. Weight measurements were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months in the program to evaluate change in body weight, BMI, and percentage of participants who achieved 5% or greater weight loss. A secondary analysis characterized high-performing participants who lost ≥10% of their starting weight (n=238). Characterized behaviors were evaluated, including self-monitoring through weigh-ins, number of days wearing an activity tracker, daily step count average, and engagement through coaching conversations via Web-based messages, and number of coaching sessions attended. Results Average weight loss at 6 months was −5.55% for male and −4.86% for female participants. Male and female participants had an average weight loss of −6.28% and −5.37% at 12 months, respectively. Average weight loss at 24 months was −5.03% and −3.15% for males and females, respectively. Behaviors of high-performing participants were assessed at 12 months. Number of weigh-ins were greater in high-performing male (197.3 times vs 165.4 times, P=.001) and female participants (222 times vs 167 times, P<.001) compared with remaining participants. Total activity tracker days and average steps per day were greater in high-performing females (304.7 vs 266.6 days, P<.001; 8380.9 vs 7059.7 steps, P<.001, respectively) and males (297.1 vs 255.3 days, P<.001; 9099.3 vs 8251.4 steps, P=.008, respectively). High-performing female participants had significantly more coaching conversations via Web-based messages than remaining female participants (341.4 vs 301.1, P=.03), as well as more days with at least one such electronic message (118 vs 108 days, P=.03). High-performing male participants displayed similar behavior. Conclusions Participants on the Retrofit program lost an average of −5.21% at 6 months, −5.83% at 12 months, and −4.09% at 24 months. High-performing participants show greater adherence to self-monitoring behaviors of weighing in, number of days wearing an activity tracker, and average number of steps per day. Female high performers have higher coaching engagement through conversation days and total number of coaching conversations. PMID:27549134

Receptors and aging: structural selectivity of the rhamnose-receptor on fibroblasts as shown by Ca(2+)-mobilization and gene-expression profiles.

PubMed

Faury, G; Molinari, J; Rusova, E; Mariko, B; Raveaud, S; Huber, P; Velebny, V; Robert, A M; Robert, L

2011-01-01

Qualitative and quantitative modifications of receptors were shown to play a key role in cell and tissue aging. We recently described the properties of a rhamnose-recognizing receptor on fibroblasts involved in the mediation of age-dependent functions of these cells. Using Ca(2+)-mobilization and DNA-microarrays we could show in the presence of rhamnose-rich oligo- and polysaccharides (RROPs) Ca(2+)-mobilization and changes in gene regulation. Here, we compared the effects of several RROPs, differing in their carbohydrate sequence and molecular weights, in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). It appeared that different structural features were required for maximal effects on Ca(2+)-mobilization and gene-expression profiles. Maximal effect on Ca(2+) influx and intracellular free calcium regulation was exhibited by RROP-1, a 50 kDa average molecular weight polysaccharide, and RROP-3, a 5 kDa average molecular weight oligosaccharide with a different carbohydrate sequence. Maximal effect on gene-expression profiles was obtained with RROP-3. These results suggest the possibility of several different transmission pathways from the rhamnose-receptor to intracellular targets, differentially affecting these two intracellular functions, with potential consequences on aging. Although of only relative specificity, this receptor site exhibits a high affinity for rhamnose, absent from vertebrate glycoconjugates. The rhamnose-receptor might well represent an evolutionary conserved conformation of a prokaryote lectin. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting objective function weights from patient anatomy in prostate IMRT treatment planning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Taewoo, E-mail: taewoo.lee@utoronto.ca; Hammad, Muhannad; Chan, Timothy C. Y.

2013-12-15

Purpose: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning typically combines multiple criteria into a single objective function by taking a weighted sum. The authors propose a statistical model that predicts objective function weights from patient anatomy for prostate IMRT treatment planning. This study provides a proof of concept for geometry-driven weight determination. Methods: A previously developed inverse optimization method (IOM) was used to generate optimal objective function weights for 24 patients using their historical treatment plans (i.e., dose distributions). These IOM weights were around 1% for each of the femoral heads, while bladder and rectum weights varied greatly between patients. Amore » regression model was developed to predict a patient's rectum weight using the ratio of the overlap volume of the rectum and bladder with the planning target volume at a 1 cm expansion as the independent variable. The femoral head weights were fixed to 1% each and the bladder weight was calculated as one minus the rectum and femoral head weights. The model was validated using leave-one-out cross validation. Objective values and dose distributions generated through inverse planning using the predicted weights were compared to those generated using the original IOM weights, as well as an average of the IOM weights across all patients. Results: The IOM weight vectors were on average six times closer to the predicted weight vectors than to the average weight vector, usingl{sub 2} distance. Likewise, the bladder and rectum objective values achieved by the predicted weights were more similar to the objective values achieved by the IOM weights. The difference in objective value performance between the predicted and average weights was statistically significant according to a one-sided sign test. For all patients, the difference in rectum V54.3 Gy, rectum V70.0 Gy, bladder V54.3 Gy, and bladder V70.0 Gy values between the dose distributions generated by the predicted weights and IOM weights was less than 5 percentage points. Similarly, the difference in femoral head V54.3 Gy values between the two dose distributions was less than 5 percentage points for all but one patient. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a proof of concept that patient anatomy can be used to predict appropriate objective function weights for treatment planning. In the long term, such geometry-driven weights may serve as a starting point for iterative treatment plan design or may provide information about the most clinically relevant region of the Pareto surface to explore.« less

Predicting objective function weights from patient anatomy in prostate IMRT treatment planning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Taewoo, E-mail: taewoo.lee@utoronto.ca; Hammad, Muhannad; Chan, Timothy C. Y.

Purpose: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning typically combines multiple criteria into a single objective function by taking a weighted sum. The authors propose a statistical model that predicts objective function weights from patient anatomy for prostate IMRT treatment planning. This study provides a proof of concept for geometry-driven weight determination. Methods: A previously developed inverse optimization method (IOM) was used to generate optimal objective function weights for 24 patients using their historical treatment plans (i.e., dose distributions). These IOM weights were around 1% for each of the femoral heads, while bladder and rectum weights varied greatly between patients. Amore » regression model was developed to predict a patient's rectum weight using the ratio of the overlap volume of the rectum and bladder with the planning target volume at a 1 cm expansion as the independent variable. The femoral head weights were fixed to 1% each and the bladder weight was calculated as one minus the rectum and femoral head weights. The model was validated using leave-one-out cross validation. Objective values and dose distributions generated through inverse planning using the predicted weights were compared to those generated using the original IOM weights, as well as an average of the IOM weights across all patients. Results: The IOM weight vectors were on average six times closer to the predicted weight vectors than to the average weight vector, usingl{sub 2} distance. Likewise, the bladder and rectum objective values achieved by the predicted weights were more similar to the objective values achieved by the IOM weights. The difference in objective value performance between the predicted and average weights was statistically significant according to a one-sided sign test. For all patients, the difference in rectum V54.3 Gy, rectum V70.0 Gy, bladder V54.3 Gy, and bladder V70.0 Gy values between the dose distributions generated by the predicted weights and IOM weights was less than 5 percentage points. Similarly, the difference in femoral head V54.3 Gy values between the two dose distributions was less than 5 percentage points for all but one patient. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a proof of concept that patient anatomy can be used to predict appropriate objective function weights for treatment planning. In the long term, such geometry-driven weights may serve as a starting point for iterative treatment plan design or may provide information about the most clinically relevant region of the Pareto surface to explore.« less

Impact of food support on food security and body weight among HIV antiretroviral therapy recipients in Honduras: a pilot intervention trial.

PubMed

Palar, Kartika; Derose, Kathryn Pitkin; Linnemayr, Sebastian; Smith, Alexandria; Farías, Hugo; Wagner, Glenn; Martinez, Homero

2015-01-01

Optimal strategies to improve food security and nutrition for people living with HIV (PLHIV) may differ in settings where overweight and obesity are prevalent and cardiovascular disease risk is a concern. However, no studies among PLHIV have investigated the impact of food support on nutritional outcomes in these settings. We therefore assessed the effect of food support on food insecurity and body weight in a population of PLHIV with high prevalence of overweight and obesity. We implemented a pilot intervention trial in four government-run HIV clinics in Honduras. The trial tested the effect of a monthly household food ration plus nutrition education (n = 203), compared to nutrition education alone (n = 197), over 12 months. Participants were clinic patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Assessments were obtained at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Primary outcomes for this analysis were food security, using the validated Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale and body weight (kg). Thirty-one percent of participants were overweight (22%) or obese (8%) at baseline. At 6 months, the probability of severe food insecurity decreased by 48.3% (p < 0.01) in the food support group, compared to 11.6% in the education-only group (p < 0.01). Among overweight or obese participants, food support led to average weight gain of 1.13 kg (p < 0.01), while nutrition education alone was associated with average weight loss of 0.72 kg (p < 0.10). Nutrition education alone was associated with weight gain among underweight and normal weight participants. Household food support may improve food security but not necessarily nutritional status of ART recipients above and beyond nutrition education. Improving nutritional tailoring of food support and testing the impact of nutrition education should be prioritized for PLHIV in Latin America and similar settings.

Effect of diet and exercise, alone or combined, on weight and body composition in overweight-to-obese post-menopausal women

PubMed Central

Foster-Schubert, KE; Alfano, CM; Duggan, CR; Xiao, L; Campbell, KL; Kong, A; Bain, C; Wang, CY; Blackburn, G; McTiernan, A

2012-01-01

Lifestyle interventions for weight loss are the cornerstone of obesity therapy, yet their optimal design is debated. This is particularly true for postmenopausal women; a population with a high prevalence of obesity yet towards whom fewer studies are targeted. We conducted a year-long, 4-arm randomized trial among 439 overweight-to-obese postmenopausal sedentary women to determine the effects of a calorie-reduced, low-fat diet (D), a moderate-intensity, facility-based aerobic exercise program (E), or the combination of both interventions (D+E), vs. a no-lifestyle-change control (C) on change in body weight and composition. The group-based dietary intervention had a weight-reduction goal of ≥10%, and the exercise intervention consisted of a gradual escalation to 45 min aerobic exercise 5 d/wk. Participants were predominantly non-Hispanic Whites (85%) with a mean age of 58.0±5.0 years, a mean BMI of 30.9±4.0 kg/m2 and an average of 47.8±4.4% body fat. Baseline and 12-month weight and adiposity measures were obtained by staff blinded to participants’ intervention assignment. 399 women completed the trial (91% retention). Using an intention-to-treat analysis, average weight loss at 12 months was −8.5% for the D group (P<0.0001 vs. C), −2.4% for the E group (P=0.03 vs. C), and −10.8% for the D+E group (P<0.0001 vs. C), while the C group experienced a non-significant −0.8% decrease. BMI, waist circumference, and % body fat were also similarly reduced. Among postmenopausal women, lifestyle change involving diet, exercise, or both combined over 1 year improves body weight and adiposity, with the greatest change arising from the combined intervention. PMID:21494229

Effect of diet and exercise, alone or combined, on weight and body composition in overweight-to-obese postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Foster-Schubert, Karen E; Alfano, Catherine M; Duggan, Catherine R; Xiao, Liren; Campbell, Kristin L; Kong, Angela; Bain, Carolyn E; Wang, Ching-Yun; Blackburn, George L; McTiernan, Anne

2012-08-01

Lifestyle interventions for weight loss are the cornerstone of obesity therapy, yet their optimal design is debated. This is particularly true for postmenopausal women; a population with a high prevalence of obesity yet toward whom fewer studies are targeted. We conducted a year-long, 4-arm randomized trial among 439 overweight-to-obese postmenopausal sedentary women to determine the effects of a calorie-reduced, low-fat diet (D), a moderate-intensity, facility-based aerobic exercise program (E), or the combination of both interventions (D+E), vs. a no-lifestyle-change control (C) on change in body weight and composition. The group-based dietary intervention had a weight-reduction goal of ≥10%, and the exercise intervention consisted of a gradual escalation to 45-min aerobic exercise 5 day/week. Participants were predominantly non-Hispanic whites (85%) with a mean age of 58.0 ± 5.0 years, a mean BMI of 30.9 ± 4.0 kg/m(2) and an average of 47.8 ± 4.4% body fat. Baseline and 12-month weight and adiposity measures were obtained by staff blinded to participants' intervention assignment. Three hundred and ninety nine women completed the trial (91% retention). Using an intention-to-treat analysis, average weight loss at 12 months was -8.5% for the D group (P < 0.0001 vs. C), -2.4% for the E group (P = 0.03 vs. C), and -10.8% for the D+E group (P < 0.0001 vs. C), whereas the C group experienced a nonsignificant -0.8% decrease. BMI, waist circumference, and % body fat were also similarly reduced. Among postmenopausal women, lifestyle-change involving diet, exercise, or both combined over 1 year improves body weight and adiposity, with the greatest change arising from the combined intervention.

A comparison of methods for calculating population exposure estimates of daily weather for health research.

PubMed

Hanigan, Ivan; Hall, Gillian; Dear, Keith B G

2006-09-13

To explain the possible effects of exposure to weather conditions on population health outcomes, weather data need to be calculated at a level in space and time that is appropriate for the health data. There are various ways of estimating exposure values from raw data collected at weather stations but the rationale for using one technique rather than another; the significance of the difference in the values obtained; and the effect these have on a research question are factors often not explicitly considered. In this study we compare different techniques for allocating weather data observations to small geographical areas and different options for weighting averages of these observations when calculating estimates of daily precipitation and temperature for Australian Postal Areas. Options that weight observations based on distance from population centroids and population size are more computationally intensive but give estimates that conceptually are more closely related to the experience of the population. Options based on values derived from sites internal to postal areas, or from nearest neighbour sites--that is, using proximity polygons around weather stations intersected with postal areas--tended to include fewer stations' observations in their estimates, and missing values were common. Options based on observations from stations within 50 kilometres radius of centroids and weighting of data by distance from centroids gave more complete estimates. Using the geographic centroid of the postal area gave estimates that differed slightly from the population weighted centroids and the population weighted average of sub-unit estimates. To calculate daily weather exposure values for analysis of health outcome data for small areas, the use of data from weather stations internal to the area only, or from neighbouring weather stations (allocated by the use of proximity polygons), is too limited. The most appropriate method conceptually is the use of weather data from sites within 50 kilometres radius of the area weighted to population centres, but a simpler acceptable option is to weight to the geographic centroid.

Fatty, Fatty, Two-by-Four: Weight-Teasing History and Disturbed Eating in Young Adult Women

PubMed Central

McWilliams, Rita; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol

2013-01-01

Objective. We investigated the long-term effect of weight teasing during childhood. Methods. Young adult women (n = 1533; aged 18–26 years) from 3 large universities participated in a survey (Fall 2009 to Spring 2010) that assessed disturbed eating behaviors; weight status at ages 6, 12, and 16 years; and weight-teasing history. Results. Nearly half of the participants were weight-teased as a child. Participants who experienced childhood weight teasing were significantly more likely to have disturbed eating behaviors now than non–weight-teased peers. As the variety of weight teasing insults recalled increased, so did disturbed eating behaviors and current body mass index. Those who recalled their weight at ages 6, 12, or 16 years as being heavier than average endured weight teasing significantly more frequently and felt greater distress than their lighter counterparts. Conclusions. Weight teasing may contribute to the development of disturbed eating and eating disorders in young women. Health care professionals, parents, teachers, and other childcare givers must help shift social norms to make weight teasing as unacceptable as other types of bullying. To protect the health of children, efforts to make weight teasing unacceptable are warranted. PMID:23327257

Weight change with oral contraceptive use and during the menstrual cycle. Results of daily measurements.

PubMed

Rosenberg, M

1998-12-01

Although weight gain is among the most common complaints of women using oral contraceptives (OC) and a frequent reason for discontinuation, studies demonstrate little basis for this perception. We explored this issue by analyzing the daily weights of 128 women during four cycles of triphasic OC use. The mean weight at the end of the fourth cycle of use was the same as baseline weight (average weight change, 0.0 pounds). The largest proportion of women, 52%, remained within 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of their starting weight, and 72% of women had either no weight change or a loss. Over each menstrual cycle, regular but minor weight shifts were observed, with the mean weight rising by one-half pound (0.2 kg) during the first weeks of each cycle and falling by the same amount during the last few days. These results emphasize the lack of association of OC use with weight gain but OC may be blamed at least in part, based on cyclic fluctuations. Counseling should emphasize weight gain as a misperception and stress the fact that a highly effective and safe form of contraception should not be ruled out or discontinued because of concern about weight.

The effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions for obesity: weight loss with orlistat and sibutramine in a United Kingdom population-based cohort.

PubMed

Douglas, Ian J; Bhaskaran, Krishnan; Batterham, Rachel L; Smeeth, Liam

2015-06-01

Drug treatments for obesity have proven efficacy from randomized trials, but their effectiveness in routine clinical practice is unknown. We assessed the effects on weight and body mass index (BMI) of orlistat and sibutramine when delivered in routine primary care. We used United Kingdom data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink to estimate the effects of orlistat or sibutramine on weight and BMI over 3 years following treatment initiation. For comparison, we matched each patient with up to five obese patients receiving neither drug. Mixed effects linear regression with splines was used to model change in weight and BMI. Mean change with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was estimated. We identified 100 701 patients receiving orlistat, 15 355 receiving sibutramine and 508 140 non-intervention patients, with body mass index of 37.2, 36.6 and 33.2 kg m(-2) , respectively. Patients receiving orlistat lost, on average, 0.94 kg month(-1) (0.93 to 0.95) over the first 4 months. Weight gain then occurred, although weight remained slightly below baseline at 3 years. Patients receiving sibutramine lost, 1.28 kg month(-1) (1.26 to 1.30) over the first 4 months, but by 3 years had exceeded baseline weight. Non-intervention patients had slight increases in weight throughout the 3 year period, with gains ranging between 0.01 and 0.06 kg month(-1) . Orlistat and sibutramine had early effects on weight loss, not sustained over 3 years. As new treatments for obesity are approved, their effectiveness should be measured in routine clinical practice, as effectiveness may be considerably less than seen in randomized trials. © 2015 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Pharmacological Society.

Effect of sugars in solutions on subjective appetite and short-term food intake in 9- to 14-year-old normal weight boys.

PubMed

Van Engelen, M; Khodabandeh, S; Akhavan, T; Agarwal, J; Gladanac, B; Bellissimo, N

2014-07-01

The role of sugars in solutions on subjective appetite and food intake (FI) has received little investigation in children. Therefore, we examined the effect of isocaloric solutions (200 kcal/250 ml) of sugars including sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup-55 (HFCS) or glucose, compared with a non-caloric sucralose control, on subjective appetite and FI in 9- to 14-year-old normal weight (NW) boys. NW boys (n=15) received each of the test solutions, in random order, 60 min before an ad libitum pizza meal. Subjective appetite was measured at baseline (0 min), and 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. Only glucose (P=0.003), but neither sucrose nor HFCS, reduced FI compared with the sucralose control. This led to a higher cumulative energy intake, compared with sucralose, after sucrose (P=0.009) and HFCS (P=0.01), but not after glucose. In all treatment sessions, subjective average appetite increased from baseline to 60 min, but change from baseline average appetite was the highest after sucrose (P<0.005). Furthermore, sucrose (r=-0.59, P=0.02) and HFCS (r=-0.56, P=0.03), but not glucose, were inversely associated with test meal FI when the treatment dose (200 kcal) was expressed on a body weight (kg) basis. Change from baseline subjective average appetite was the highest after sucrose, but only the glucose solution suppressed FI at the test meal 60 min later in NW boys.

Effect of land cover change on runoff curve number estimation in Iowa, 1832-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wehmeyer, Loren L.; Weirich, Frank H.; Cuffney, Thomas F.

2011-01-01

Within the first few decades of European-descended settlers arriving in Iowa, much of the land cover across the state was transformed from prairie and forest to farmland, patches of forest, and urbanized areas. Land cover change over the subsequent 126 years was minor in comparison. Between 1832 and 1859, the General Land Office conducted a survey of the State of Iowa to aid in the disbursement of land. In 1875, an illustrated atlas of the State of Iowa was published, and in 2001, the US Geological Survey National Land Cover Dataset was compiled. Using these three data resources for classifying land cover, the hydrologic impact of the land cover change at three points in time over a period of 132+ years is presented in terms of the effect on the area-weighted average curve number, a term commonly used to predict peak runoff from rainstorms. In the four watersheds studied, the area-weighted average curve number associated with the first 30 years of settlement increased from 61·4 to 77·8. State-wide mapped forest area over this same period decreased 19%. Over the next 126 years, the area-weighted average curve number decreased to 76·7, despite an additional forest area reduction of 60%. This suggests that degradation of aquatic resources (plants, fish, invertebrates, and habitat) arising from hydrologic alteration was likely to have been much higher during the 30 years of initial settlement than in the subsequent period of 126 years in which land cover changes resulted primarily from deforestation and urbanization. 

Conformational analysis of the chemical shifts for molecules containing diastereotopic methylene protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borowski, Piotr

2012-01-01

Quantum chemistry SCF/GIAO calculations were carried out on a set of compounds containing diastereotopic protons. Five molecules, including recently synthesized 1,3-di(2,3-epoxypropoxy)benzene, containing the chiral or pro-chiral center and the neighboring methylene group, were chosen. The rotational averages (i.e. normalized averages with respect to the rotation about the torsional angle τ with the exponential energy weight at temperature T) calculated individually for each of the methylene protons in 1,3-di(2,3-epoxypropoxy)benzene differ by ca. 0.6 ppm, which is significantly less than the value calculated for the lowest energy conformer. This value turned out to be low enough to guarantee the proper ordering of theoretical chemical shifts, supporting the interpretation of the 1H NMR spectrum of this important compound. The rotational averages of chemical shifts for methylene protons for a given type of conformer are shown to be essentially equal to the Boltzmann averages (here, the population-weighted averages for the individual conformers representing minima on the E( τ) cross-section). The calculated Boltzmann averages in the representative conformational space may exhibit completely different ordering as compared to the chemical shifts calculated for the lowest-energy conformer. This is especially true in the case of molecules, for which no significant steric effects are present. In this case, only Boltzmann averages account for the experimental pattern of proton signals. In addition, better overall agreement with experiment (lower value of the root-mean-square deviation between calculated and measured chemical shifts) is typically obtained when Boltzmann averages are used.

A review of swine genome-wide association studies at USMARC

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reproductive efficiency has a great effect on the economic success of pork production. Traits including age at puberty (AP), ovulation rate, number born alive (NBA), and average piglet birth weight (ABW) contribute greatly to reproductive efficiency. To better understand the underlying genetics of r...

A behavioral weight-loss intervention for persons with serious mental illness in psychiatric rehabilitation centers.

PubMed

Daumit, G L; Dalcin, A T; Jerome, G J; Young, D R; Charleston, J; Crum, R M; Anthony, C; Hayes, J H; McCarron, P B; Khaykin, E; Appel, L J

2011-08-01

Overweight and obesity are epidemic in populations with serious mental illnesses. We developed and pilot-tested a behavioral weight-loss intervention appropriately tailored for persons with serious mental disorders. We conducted a single-arm pilot study in two psychiatric rehabilitation day programs in Maryland, and enrolled 63 overweight or obese adults. The 6-month intervention provided group and individual weight management and group physical activity classes. The primary outcome was weight change from baseline to 6 months. A total of 64% of those potentially eligible enrolled at the centers. The mean age was 43.7 years; 56% were women; 49% were white; and over half had schizophrenia or a schizoaffective disorder. One-third had hypertension and one-fifth had diabetes. In total, 52 (82%) completed the study; others were discharged from psychiatric centers before completion of the study. Average attendance across all weight management sessions was 70% (87% on days participants attended the center) and 59% for physical activity classes (74% on days participants attended the center). From a baseline mean of 210.9 lbs (s.d. 43.9), average weight loss for 52 participants was 4.5 lb (s.d. 12.8) (P<0.014). On average, participants lost 1.9% of body weight. Mean waist circumference change was 3.1 cm (s.d. 5.6). Participants on average increased the distance on the 6-minute walk test by 8%. This pilot study documents the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a behavioral weight-loss intervention in adults with serious mental illness who were attendees at psychiatric rehabilitation centers. The results may have implications for developing weight-loss interventions in other institutional settings such as schools or nursing homes.

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

gross vehicle weight limits by a weight equal to the difference between the average weight of the diesel tank and fueling system. The NGV maximum gross weight may not exceed 82,000 pounds. (Reference

Effects of energy supplementation on energy losses and nitrogen balance of steers fed green-chopped wheat pasture I. Calorimetry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Providing an energy supplement to cattle grazing high-quality wheat pasture can increase average daily gain; however the effects on greenhouse gas emissions are not known. Therefore we used 10 British cross-bred steers (initial weight: 206 ± 10.7 kg) in a respiration calorimetry study to evaluate t...

Do Preschool Special Education Services Make a Difference in Kindergarten Reading and Mathematics Skills?: A Propensity Score Weighting Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Amanda L.; Field, Samuel

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the average treatment effect of preschool special education services on children's kindergarten academic skills. Using data from a nationally representative sample of United States children who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort, we examined the effectiveness of preschool…

An Evaluation of a Smartphone–Assisted Behavioral Weight Control Intervention for Adolescents: Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Duncombe, Kristina M; Lott, Mark A; Hunsaker, Sanita L; Duraccio, Kara M; Woolford, Susan J

2016-01-01

Background The efficacy of adolescent weight control treatments is modest, and effective treatments are costly and are not widely available. Smartphones may be an effective method for delivering critical components of behavioral weight control treatment including behavioral self-monitoring. Objective To examine the efficacy and acceptability of a smartphone assisted adolescent behavioral weight control intervention. Methods A total of 16 overweight or obese adolescents (mean age=14.29 years, standard deviation=1.12) received 12 weeks of combined treatment that consisted of weekly in-person group behavioral weight control treatment sessions plus smartphone self-monitoring and daily text messaging. Subsequently they received 12 weeks of electronic-only intervention, totaling 24 weeks of intervention. Results On average, participants attained modest but significant reductions in body mass index standard score (zBMI: 0.08 standard deviation units, t (13)=2.22, P=.04, d=0.63) over the in-person plus electronic-only intervention period but did not maintain treatment gains over the electronic-only intervention period. Participants self-monitored on approximately half of combined intervention days but less than 20% of electronic-only intervention days. Conclusions Smartphones likely hold promise as a component of adolescent weight control interventions but they may be less effective in helping adolescents maintain treatment gains after intensive interventions. PMID:27554704

Efficacy of a laparoscopic gastric restrictive device in an obese canine model.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaomei; Mattar, Samer G; Mimms, Scott E; Navia, Jose A; Kassab, Ghassan S

2014-01-01

Bariatric surgery using laparoscopic techniques is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. The objective of the study is to assess the safety and efficacy of a novel laparoscopic reversible gastric restrictive (RGR) device in a group of obese dogs. An implant was also performed in a cadaver to assess implant feasibility in a human. Four obese mongrel dogs were subjected to RGR implantation for 3 months followed by recovery for an additional 6 weeks after device removal. Food intake, body weight, radiographic barium imaging, and gastric endoscopy were used to monitor RGR performance before implant, after implant, and implant removal. An additional RGR laparoscopic implantation procedure was performed in a human cadaver. The implanted obese dogs exhibited a significant decrease in food intake and body weight over 3 months with the RGR device. The reduction of food intake was sustained at an average of 46 % after implant and the excess weight loss reached an average of 75 % at the end of 12 weeks with recovery to approximately 78 % of baseline after 6 weeks of implant removal. Barium imaging and gastric endoscopy both confirmed passage for food through the restrictive device channel in the stomach. The RGR device was successfully implanted laparoscopically on the cadaver stomach in less than an hour. The RGR device is laparoscopically deliverable and removable with effective and sustainable weight loss over a 12-week period in an obese dog model. The implant is also technically feasible in man.

Growth and change in blood haemoglobin concentration among underweight Malawian infants receiving fortified spreads for 12 weeks: a preliminary trial.

PubMed

Kuusipalo, Heli; Maleta, Kenneth; Briend, André; Manary, Mark; Ashorn, Per

2006-10-01

Fortified spreads (FSs) have proven effective in the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children. We examined acceptability, growth and change in blood haemoglobin (Hb) concentration among moderately underweight ambulatory infants given FS. This was a randomised, controlled, parallel-group, investigator-blind clinical trial in rural Malawi. Six- to 17-month-old underweight infants (weight for age < -2), whose weight was greater than 5.5 kg and weight-for-height z score greater than -3 received for 12 weeks at home 1 of 8 food supplementation schemes: nothing, 5, 25, 50, or 75 g/day milk-based FS or 25, 50, or 75 g/day soy-based FS. Outcome measures included change in weight, length and blood Hb concentration. A total of 126 infants started and 125 completed the intervention. All infants accepted the spread well, and no intolerance was recorded. Average weight and length gains were higher among infants receiving daily 25 to 75 g FS than among those receiving only 0 to 5 g FS. Mean Hb concentration remained unchanged among unsupplemented controls but increased by 10 to 17 g/L among infants receiving any FS. All average gains were largest among infants receiving 50 g of FS daily: mean difference (95% confidence interval) in the 12-week gain between infants in 50 g milk-based FS group and the unsupplemented group was 290 g (range, -130 to 700 g), 0.9 cm (range, -0.3 to 2.2 cm), and 17 g/L (range, 0 to 34 g/L) for weight, length and blood Hb concentration, respectively. In soy- vs milk-based FS groups, average outcomes were comparable. Supplementation with 25 to 75 g/day of highly fortified spread is feasible and may promote growth and alleviate anaemia among moderately malnourished infants. Further trials should test this hypothesis.

Breastfeeding and maternal weight changes during 24 months post-partum: a cohort study.

PubMed

da Silva, Maria da Conceição M; Oliveira Assis, Ana Marlúcia; Pinheiro, Sandra Maria C; de Oliveira, Lucivalda Pereira Magalhães; da Cruz, Thomaz Rodrigues P

2015-10-01

The relationship between breastfeeding and the loss of weight gained during pregnancy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between breastfeeding and maternal weight changes during 24 months post-partum. We studied a dynamic cohort comprising 315 women living in two cities in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The outcome variable was change in the post-partum weight; the exposure variable was the duration and intensity of breastfeeding. Demographic, socio-economic, environmental, reproductive and lifestyle factors were integrated in the analysis as covariates. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression and linear mixed-effects models. The average cumulative weight loss at 6 months post-partum was 2.561 kg (SD 4.585), increasing at 12 months (3.066 kg; SD 5.098) and decreasing at 18 months (1.993 kg; SD 5.340), being 1.353 kg (SD, 5.574) at 24 months post-partum. After adjustment, the data indicated that for every 1-point increase in breastfeeding score, the estimated average post-partum weight loss observed was 0.191 kg at 6 months (P = 0.03), 0.090 kg at 12 months (P = 0.043), 0.123 kg at 18 months (P < 0.001) and 0.077 kg at 24 months (P = 0.001). Based on these results, we concluded that despite the low expressiveness, the intensity and duration of breastfeeding was associated with post-partum weight loss at all stages of the study during the 24-month follow-up. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Weight loss in exclusively breastfed infants delivered by cesarean birth.

PubMed

Preer, Genevieve L; Newby, P K; Philipp, Barbara L

2012-05-01

Rates of exclusive breastfeeding during the postpartum hospital stay are a key measure of quality maternity care. Often, however, concern for excessive in-hospital weight loss leads to formula supplementation of breastfed infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics defines 7% weight loss as acceptable for breastfed newborns regardless of mode of delivery. Typical weight loss in exclusively breastfed infants delivered by cesarean birth has not been studied nor have possible correlates of greater weight loss in this population. To determine average weight loss in a cohort of exclusively breastfed infants delivered by cesarean birth and to identify correlates of greater than expected weight loss. We performed a retrospective chart review of exclusively breastfed infants delivered via cesarean birth at a Baby-Friendly hospital between 2005 and 2007. Average weight loss was calculated, and multivariate regression analysis was performed. Average weight loss during the hospital stay in our cohort of 200 infants was 7.2% ± 2.1% of birth weight, slightly greater than the American Academy of Pediatrics guideline of 7%. Absence of labor prior to delivery was significantly associated with a greater percentage of weight loss (P = .0004), as were lower gestational age (P = .0004) and higher birth weight (P < .0001). Maternal age, gravity, parity, infant sex, Apgar scores, and prior cesarean birth were not significantly associated. We conclude that for exclusively breastfed infants delivered by cesarean birth in a Baby-Friendly hospital, absence of labor prior to cesarean birth may be a previously unreported risk factor for greater than expected weight loss.

Mental health consequences of weight cycling in the first-year post-treatment for breast cancer.

PubMed

Pila, Eva; Sabiston, Catherine M; Castonguay, Andrée L; Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly; Taylor, Valerie H

2018-08-01

Weight cycling is linked with advanced breast cancer diagnosis, increased risk of cancer reoccurrence and cancer-related mortality. While women treated for breast cancer report challenges with navigating their post-treatment body shape and weight, the effects of weight cycling on body image and mental health have not been elucidated. This study examined associations between weight changes and weight cycling on psychological health (i.e. weight-related guilt, shame and depressive symptoms) among women in the first-year post-treatment. Self-reported assessments of pre-cancer weight cycling, post-treatment weight-related guilt, shame and depressive symptoms, and objective assessments of weight were assessed in a longitudinal sample of 173 women treated for breast cancer (M age  = 55.01 ± 10.96 years). Based on findings from multilevel models, women experienced the most weight-related shame when their weight was heavier than their personal average. Additionally, heavier weight was associated with worse psychological health, particularly for women with a history of stable (vs. cycling) weight pre-cancer. Weight cycling pre-cancer and post-treatment weight change have important implications for psychological well-being. Due to the potential psychological consequences associated with a history of weight cycling, targeted strategies are needed to improve overall health outcomes for women's survivorship after breast cancer.

Genetic parameter estimates among scale activity score and farrowing disposition with reproductive traits in swine.

PubMed

Schneider, J F; Rempel, L A; Rohrer, G A; Brown-Brandl, T M

2011-11-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine if certain behavior traits were genetically correlated with reproduction. If 1 or both of the behavior traits were found to be correlated, a secondary objective was to determine if the behavior traits could be useful in selecting for more productive females. A scale activity score taken at 5 mo of age and a farrowing disposition score taken at farrowing were selected as the behavioral traits. Scale activity score ranged from 1 to 5 and farrowing disposition ranged from 1 to 3. Reproductive traits included age at puberty, number born alive, number born dead, litter birth weight, average piglet birth weight, number weaned, litter weaning weight, average weaning weight, wean-to-estrus interval, ovulation rate including gilts, and postweaning ovulation rate. Genetic correlations between scale activity score and reproduction ranged from -0.79 to 0.61. Three of the correlations, number born alive (P < 0.01), average piglet birth weight (P < 0.001), and wean-to-estrus interval (P = 0.014), were statistically significant but included both favorable and antagonistic correlations. In contrast, all but 1 of the farrowing disposition correlations was favorable and ranged from -0.66 to 0.67. Although only the correlation with litter birth weight was significant (P = 0.018), the consistent favorable direction of all farrowing disposition correlations, except average weaning weight, shows a potential for inclusion of farrowing disposition into a selection program.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Employer Matching of Employees' Monetary Contributions to Deposit Contracts to Promote Weight Loss.

PubMed

Kullgren, Jeffrey T; Troxel, Andrea B; Loewenstein, George; Norton, Laurie A; Gatto, Dana; Tao, Yuanyuan; Zhu, Jingsan; Schofield, Heather; Shea, Judy A; Asch, David A; Pellathy, Thomas; Driggers, Jay; Volpp, Kevin G

2016-07-01

To test whether employer matching of employees' monetary contributions increases employees' (1) participation in deposit contracts to promote weight loss and (2) weight loss. A 36-week randomized trial. Large employer in the northeast United States. One hundred thirty-two obese employees. Over 24 weeks, participants were asked to lose 24 pounds and randomized to monthly weigh-ins or daily weigh-ins with monthly opportunities to deposit $1 to $3 per day that was not matched, matched 1:1, or matched 2:1. Deposits and matched funds were returned to participants for each day they were below their goal weight. Rates of making ≥1 deposit, weight loss at 24 weeks (primary outcome), and 36 weeks. Deposit rates were compared using χ(2) tests. Weight loss was compared using t tests. Among participants eligible to make deposits, 29% made ≥1 deposit and matching did not increase participation. At 24 weeks, control participants gained an average of 1.0 pound, whereas 1:1 match participants lost an average of 5.3 pounds (P = .005). After 36 weeks, control participants gained an average of 2.1 pounds, whereas no match participants lost an average of 5.1 pounds (P = .008). Participation in deposit contracts to promote weight loss was low, and matching deposits did not increase participation. For deposit contracts to impact population health, ongoing participation will need to be higher. © The Author(s) 2016.

Conversion of calibration curves for accurate estimation of molecular weight averages and distributions of polyether polyols by conventional size exclusion chromatography.

PubMed

Xu, Xiuqing; Yang, Xiuhan; Martin, Steven J; Mes, Edwin; Chen, Junlan; Meunier, David M

2018-08-17

Accurate measurement of molecular weight averages (M¯ n, M¯ w, M¯ z ) and molecular weight distributions (MWD) of polyether polyols by conventional SEC (size exclusion chromatography) is not as straightforward as it would appear. Conventional calibration with polystyrene (PS) standards can only provide PS apparent molecular weights which do not provide accurate estimates of polyol molecular weights. Using polyethylene oxide/polyethylene glycol (PEO/PEG) for molecular weight calibration could improve the accuracy, but the retention behavior of PEO/PEG is not stable in THF-based (tetrahydrofuran) SEC systems. In this work, two approaches for calibration curve conversion with narrow PS and polyol molecular weight standards were developed. Equations to convert PS-apparent molecular weight to polyol-apparent molecular weight were developed using both a rigorous mathematical analysis and graphical plot regression method. The conversion equations obtained by the two approaches were in good agreement. Factors influencing the conversion equation were investigated. It was concluded that the separation conditions such as column batch and operating temperature did not have significant impact on the conversion coefficients and a universal conversion equation could be obtained. With this conversion equation, more accurate estimates of molecular weight averages and MWDs for polyether polyols can be achieved from conventional PS-THF SEC calibration. Moreover, no additional experimentation is required to convert historical PS equivalent data to reasonably accurate molecular weight results. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Concomitant changes in sleep duration and body weight and body composition during weight loss and 3-mo weight maintenance.

PubMed

Verhoef, Sanne P M; Camps, Stefan G J A; Gonnissen, Hanne K J; Westerterp, Klaas R; Westerterp-Plantenga, Margriet S

2013-07-01

An inverse relation between sleep duration and body mass index (BMI) has been shown. We assessed the relation between changes in sleep duration and changes in body weight and body composition during weight loss. A total of 98 healthy subjects (25 men), aged 20-50 y and with BMI (in kg/m(2)) from 28 to 35, followed a 2-mo very-low-energy diet that was followed by a 10-mo period of weight maintenance. Body weight, body composition (measured by using deuterium dilution and air-displacement plethysmography), eating behavior (measured by using a 3-factor eating questionnaire), physical activity (measured by using the validated Baecke's questionnaire), and sleep (estimated by using a questionnaire with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale) were assessed before and immediately after weight loss and 3- and 10-mo follow-ups. The average weight loss was 10% after 2 mo of dieting and 9% and 6% after 3- and 10-mo follow-ups, respectively. Daytime sleepiness and time to fall asleep decreased during weight loss. Short (≤7 h) and average (>7 to <9 h) sleepers increased their sleep duration, whereas sleep duration in long sleepers (≥9 h) did not change significantly during weight loss. This change in sleep duration was concomitantly negatively correlated with the change in BMI during weight loss and after the 3-mo follow-up and with the change in fat mass after the 3-mo follow-up. Sleep duration benefits from weight loss or vice versa. Successful weight loss, loss of body fat, and 3-mo weight maintenance in short and average sleepers are underscored by an increase in sleep duration or vice versa. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01015508.

76 FR 5518 - Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-01

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration 19 CFR Part 351 [Docket No. 101130598-1052-02] RIN 0625-AA87 Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping Duty Proceedings AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade...

Defense Sector Consolidation: Will Consolidation Within the Defense Sector Improve the Financial Performance of Defense Contractors While, Simultaneously Yielding Cost Savings to Taxpayers

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

Treaty USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics WACC Weighted Average Cost of Capital...a present value using the company’s weighted average cost of capital ( WACC ). Synergy: The Premium for Potential Success For the most part

7 CFR 1951.860 - Interest on loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Interest on loans. (a) RDLF intermediaries: When the RDLF loan portfolio was transferred from HHS to USDA... Law 103-354 to determine the weighted average of the loan portfolio, the RDLF intermediary will be required to complete a weighted loan average rate on its outstanding portfolio. The schedule prepared for...

A Diet and Fitness Program Similarly Affects Weight Reduction in Schizophrenia Patients Treated with Typical or Atypical Medications.

PubMed

Amiaz, R; Rubinstein, K; Czerniak, E; Karni, Y; Weiser, M

2016-05-01

Schizophrenia patients, receiving new generation antipsychotics, many times suffer from obesity sometimes leading to metabolic syndrome. Diet and fitness programs which reduce weight should be combined in the treatment plan of these patients. This study evaluated patients' adherence and the effect of a diet and fitness program in schizophrenia patients treated with typical vs. atypical antipsychotics. 106 stabilized schizophrenia patients participated in a 9-months diet and fitness program, receiving their own menu and a personal workout plan. 60 patients (57%), 27.8±4.8y age, participated in the program for at least one month, i. e., adherent participants, with 4.0±2 months participation average. Months of participation were correlated with weight loss (r=-0.417; p=0.002). Throughout the study patients lost 3.34±1.2 kg in average: 85.95±14.66 at baseline and 82.61±13.78 at the end of program (t=4.969; p<0.001). No association was found between specific types or dose of medication and weight loss (F=0.437, p=0.85). Patients with schizophrenia are capable of adhering to a diet and fitness program and successfully lose weight, regardless to taking typical or atypical medications. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

QTLs associated with dry matter intake, metabolic mid-test weight, growth and feed efficiency have little overlap across 4 beef cattle studies.

PubMed

Saatchi, Mahdi; Beever, Jonathan E; Decker, Jared E; Faulkner, Dan B; Freetly, Harvey C; Hansen, Stephanie L; Yampara-Iquise, Helen; Johnson, Kristen A; Kachman, Stephen D; Kerley, Monty S; Kim, JaeWoo; Loy, Daniel D; Marques, Elisa; Neibergs, Holly L; Pollak, E John; Schnabel, Robert D; Seabury, Christopher M; Shike, Daniel W; Snelling, Warren M; Spangler, Matthew L; Weaber, Robert L; Garrick, Dorian J; Taylor, Jeremy F

2014-11-20

The identification of genetic markers associated with complex traits that are expensive to record such as feed intake or feed efficiency would allow these traits to be included in selection programs. To identify large-effect QTL, we performed a series of genome-wide association studies and functional analyses using 50 K and 770 K SNP genotypes scored in 5,133 animals from 4 independent beef cattle populations (Cycle VII, Angus, Hereford and Simmental×Angus) with phenotypes for average daily gain, dry matter intake, metabolic mid-test body weight and residual feed intake. A total of 5, 6, 11 and 10 significant QTL (defined as 1-Mb genome windows with Bonferroni-corrected P-value<0.05) were identified for average daily gain, dry matter intake, metabolic mid-test body weight and residual feed intake, respectively. The identified QTL were population-specific and had little overlap across the 4 populations. The pleiotropic or closely linked QTL on BTA 7 at 23 Mb identified in the Angus population harbours a promising candidate gene ACSL6 (acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 6), and was the largest effect QTL associated with dry matter intake and mid-test body weight explaining 10.39% and 14.25% of the additive genetic variance, respectively. Pleiotropic or closely linked QTL associated with average daily gain and mid-test body weight were detected on BTA 6 at 38 Mb and BTA 7 at 93 Mb confirming previous reports. No QTL for residual feed intake explained more than 2.5% of the additive genetic variance in any population. Marker-based estimates of heritability ranged from 0.21 to 0.49 for residual feed intake across the 4 populations. This GWAS study, which is the largest performed for feed efficiency and its component traits in beef cattle to date, identified several large-effect QTL that cumulatively explained a significant percentage of additive genetic variance within each population. Differences in the QTL identified among the different populations may be due to differences in power to detect QTL, environmental variation, or differences in the genetic architecture of trait variation among breeds. These results enhance our understanding of the biology of growth, feed intake and utilisation in beef cattle.

Average receiving scaling of the weighted polygon Koch networks with the weight-dependent walk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Dandan; Dai, Meifeng; Sun, Yanqiu; Shao, Shuxiang; Xie, Qi

2016-09-01

Based on the weighted Koch networks and the self-similarity of fractals, we present a family of weighted polygon Koch networks with a weight factor r(0 < r ≤ 1) . We study the average receiving time (ART) on weight-dependent walk (i.e., the walker moves to any of its neighbors with probability proportional to the weight of edge linking them), whose key step is to calculate the sum of mean first-passage times (MFPTs) for all nodes absorpt at a hub node. We use a recursive division method to divide the weighted polygon Koch networks in order to calculate the ART scaling more conveniently. We show that the ART scaling exhibits a sublinear or linear dependence on network order. Thus, the weighted polygon Koch networks are more efficient than expended Koch networks in receiving information. Finally, compared with other previous studies' results (i.e., Koch networks, weighted Koch networks), we find out that our models are more general.

Influence of molecular weight of chemically sulfated citrus pectin fractions on their antithrombotic and bleeding effects.

PubMed

Cipriani, Thales R; Gracher, Ana Helena P; de Souza, Lauro M; Fonseca, Roberto J C; Belmiro, Celso L R; Gorin, Philip A J; Sassaki, Guilherme L; Iacomini, Marcello

2009-05-01

Evaluated were the anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities, and bleeding effect of two chemically sulfated polysaccharides, obtained from citric pectin, with different average molar masses. Both low-molecular-weight (Pec-LWS, 3,600 g/mol) and high-molecular-weight sulfated pectins (Pec-HWS, 12,000 g/mol) had essentially the same structure, consisting of a (1-->4)-linked alpha-D-GalpA chain with almost all its HO-2 and HO-3 groups substituted by sulfate. Both polysaccharides had anticoagulant activity in vitro, although Pec-HWS was a more potent antithrombotic agent in vivo, giving rise to total inhibition of venous thrombosis at a dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight. Surprisingly, in contrast with heparin, Pec-HWS and Pec-LWS are able to directly inhibit alpha-thrombin and factor Xa by a mechanism independent of antithrombin (AT) and/or heparin co-factor II (HCII). Moreover, Pec-HWS provided a lower risk of bleeding than heparin at a dose of 100% effectiveness against venous thrombosis, indicating it to be a promising antithrombotic agent.

Reduction of speckle noise from optical coherence tomography images using multi-frame weighted nuclear norm minimization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thapa, Damber; Raahemifar, Kaamran; Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan

2015-12-01

In this paper, we propose a speckle noise reduction method for spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images called multi-frame weighted nuclear norm minimization (MWNNM). This method is a direct extension of weighted nuclear norm minimization (WNNM) in the multi-frame framework since an adequately denoised image could not be achieved with single-frame denoising methods. The MWNNM method exploits multiple B-scans collected from a small area of a SD-OCT volumetric image, and then denoises and averages them together to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio B-scan. The results show that the image quality metrics obtained by denoising and averaging only five nearby B-scans with MWNNM method is considerably better than those of the average image obtained by registering and averaging 40 azimuthally repeated B-scans.

Information filtering via weighted heat conduction algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jian-Guo; Guo, Qiang; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2011-06-01

In this paper, by taking into account effects of the user and object correlations on a heat conduction (HC) algorithm, a weighted heat conduction (WHC) algorithm is presented. We argue that the edge weight of the user-object bipartite network should be embedded into the HC algorithm to measure the object similarity. The numerical results indicate that both the accuracy and diversity could be improved greatly compared with the standard HC algorithm and the optimal values reached simultaneously. On the Movielens and Netflix datasets, the algorithmic accuracy, measured by the average ranking score, can be improved by 39.7% and 56.1% in the optimal case, respectively, and the diversity could reach 0.9587 and 0.9317 when the recommendation list equals to 5. Further statistical analysis indicates that, in the optimal case, the distributions of the edge weight are changed to the Poisson form, which may be the reason why HC algorithm performance could be improved. This work highlights the effect of edge weight on a personalized recommendation study, which maybe an important factor affecting personalized recommendation performance.

A Mobile Phone-Based Health Coaching Intervention for Weight Loss and Blood Pressure Reduction in a National Payer Population: A Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Magana, Candy; Caballero Barajas, Karla

2017-01-01

Background The prevalence of obesity and associated metabolic conditions continue to be challenging and costly to address for health care systems; 71% of American adults were overweight, with 35% of men and 40% of women diagnosed with obesity in 2014. Digital health coaching is an innovative approach to decreasing the barriers of cost and accessibility of receiving health coaching for the prevention and management of chronic disease in overweight or obese individuals. Objective To evaluate the early impact of a mobile phone-based health coaching service on weight loss and blood pressure management in a commercially insured population. Methods This was a retrospective study using existing registry data from a pilot commercial collaboration between Vida Health and a large national insurance provider, which enrolled adult members who were overweight (body mass index >25 kg/m2) and able to engage in a mobile phone-based coaching intervention. Participants received 4 months of intensive health coaching via live video, phone, and text message through the Vida Health app. Participants were also provided with a wireless scale, pedometer, and blood pressure cuff. Of the 1012 enrolled, 763 (75.40%) participants had an initial weight upon enrollment and final weight between 3 and 5 months from enrollment; they served as our intervention group. There were 73 participants out of the 1012 (7.21%) who had weight data 4 months prior to and after Vida coaching, who served as the matched-pair control group. Results Participants in the intervention group lost an average of 3.23% total body weight (TBW) at 4 months of coaching and 28.6% (218/763) intervention participants achieved a clinically significant weight loss of 5% or more of TBW, with an average of 9.46% weight loss in this cohort. In the matched-pair control group, participants gained on average 1.81% TBW in 4 months without Vida coaching and lost, on average, 2.47% TBW after 4 months of Vida coaching, demonstrating a statistically significant difference of 4.28% in mean percentage weight change (P<.001). Among 151 intervention participants with blood pressure data, 112 (74.2%) had a baseline blood pressure that was above the goal (systolic blood pressure >120 mmHg); 55 out of 112 (49.1%) participants improved their blood pressure at 4 months by an entire hypertensive stage—as defined by the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Conclusions Mobile phone app-based health coaching interventions can be an acceptable and effective means to promote weight loss and improve blood pressure management in overweight or obese individuals. Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, digital health coaching may be an innovative solution to decreasing barriers of access to much-needed weight management interventions for obesity. PMID:28596147

Effects of social contact and zygosity on 21-y weight change in male twins.

PubMed

McCaffery, Jeanne M; Franz, Carol E; Jacobson, Kristen; Leahey, Tricia M; Xian, Hong; Wing, Rena R; Lyons, Michael J; Kremen, William S

2011-08-01

Recent evidence indicates that social contact is related to similarities in weight gain over time. However, no studies have examined this effect in a twin design, in which genetic and other environmental effects can also be estimated. We determined whether the frequency of social contact is associated with similarity in weight change from young adulthood (mean age: 20 y) to middle age (mean age: 41 y) in twins and quantified the percentage of variance in weight change attributable to social contact, genetic factors, and other environmental influences. Participants were 1966 monozygotic and 1529 dizygotic male twin pairs from the Vietnam-Era Twin Registry. Regression models tested whether frequency of social contact and zygosity predicted twin pair similarity in body mass index (BMI) change and weight change. Twin modeling was used to partition the percentage variance attributable to social contact, genetic, and other environmental effects. Twins gained an average of 3.99 BMI units, or 13.23 kg (29.11 lb), over 21 y. In regression models, both zygosity (P < 0.001) and degree of social contact (P < 0.02) significantly predicted twin pair similarity in BMI change. In twin modeling, social contact between twins contributed 16% of the variance in BMI change (P < 0.001), whereas genetic factors contributed 42%, with no effect of additional shared environmental factors (1%). Similar results were obtained for weight change. Frequency of social contact significantly predicted twin pair similarity in BMI and weight change over 21 y, independent of zygosity and other shared environmental influences.

20 CFR 655.103 - Overview of this subpart and definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for field and livestock workers.... 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting distance of the place of... constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual...

20 CFR 655.103 - Overview of this subpart and definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for field and livestock workers.... 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting distance of the place of... constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual...

20 CFR 655.103 - Overview of this subpart and definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for field and livestock workers.... 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting distance of the place of... constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

Effect of different levels of feed added black seed (Nigella sativa L.) on the performance of broiler chicks.

PubMed

Durrani, F R; Chand, N; Zaka, K; Sultan, A; Khattak, F M; Durrani, Z

2007-11-15

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of feed added black seed (Nigella sativa L.) on the overall performance and immunity of broiler chicks at NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar in May 2005. Four experimental rations designated as A, B, C and D having black seed at the rate of 0, 20, 30 and 40 g kg(-1) feed were fed to 160 broiler chicks, randomly distributed into 16 replicates, so as to have 4 replicates per group and 10 chicks per replicate. The experiment was lasted for 35 days. Average weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, dressing percentage, weight of different body organs (breast, thigh, intestine), giblets (liver, gizzard), abdominal fat weight, antibody titer against ND, IB and IBD were used as criteria of response. Economics for each group was calculated at the end of experimental period. It was found that group D receiving 40 g kg(-1) of black seed in the feed had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on mean body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, dressing percentage and weight of different body organs (breast and thigh). Non significant (p > 0.05) effect was observed in gizzard, intestine, weight of abdominal fat and feed cost. Antibody titer against ND and IBD were higher in group D, however high antibody titer against IB was recorded in group C. Return per unit of feed cost and gross return were significantly (p < 0.05) effected by group D.

Weight-control behaviors and subsequent weight change among adolescents and young adult females123

PubMed Central

Haines, Jess; Rosner, Bernard; Willett, Walter C

2010-01-01

Background: Little is known about the effectiveness of behavioral strategies to prevent long-term weight gain among adolescents and young adults. Objective: The objective was to assess the relation of dietary and physical activity weight-control strategies, alone and together, with subsequent weight change. Design: This was a prospective study of 4456 female adolescents and young adults aged 14–22 y in the ongoing Growing Up Today Study. Weight-control behaviors, including dietary approaches and physical activity, were self-reported in 2001 and were used to predict weight change from 2001 to 2005. Results: In 2001–2002, 23.7% of female adolescents and young adults were trying to maintain their weight and another 54.4% were trying to lose weight. Approximately 25% used each of the following weight-control strategies: not eating snacks, following low-calorie or low-fat diets, and limiting portion sizes. In addition, 47.7% reported exercising at least occasionally for weight control. During 4 y of follow-up, participants gained an average of 3.3 kg. None of the dietary approaches to weight control predicted less weight change; however, females who exercised ≥5 d/wk gained significantly less weight than did their peers (−0.9 kg; 95% CI: −1.4, −0.4). The most successful strategy for weight-gain prevention among the females was to limit portion sizes (−1.9 kg; 95% CI: −2.6, −1.1) combined with frequent exercise. Conclusions: Our results suggest that physical activity is a necessary strategy for long-term weight control among adolescents and young adult females. Combining dietary weight-control approaches with physical activity is the most effective method for reducing weight gain. PMID:19889827

How Far Can the Red Palm Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Fly?: Computerized Flight Mill Studies With Field-Captured Weevils.

PubMed

Hoddle, M S; Hoddle, C D; Faleiro, J R; El-Shafie, H A F; Jeske, D R; Sallam, A A

2015-12-01

Adult Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) captured in pheromone-baited traps in commercial date palm orchards in the Al Ahsaa Directorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were used in computerized flight mill studies to determine the flight characteristics of this highly invasive and destructive palm pest. Flight mill studies were run at three different time periods, winter (December), spring (March), and summer (May). Of the 192 weevils tethered to flight mills ∼30% failed to fly > 1 km. Of those weevils flying > 1 km (n = 139), 55% flew > 10 km, and of these flyers 5% flew > 50 km in 24 h. Flying weevils exhibited an average weight loss of 20-30% and nonflying control weevils lost ∼9-13% body weight in 24 h. Male and female weevils flying in summer (average laboratory temperature was ∼27°C) flew the longest average distances (∼25-35 km), exhibited highest weight reductions (∼30%), and greatest mortality rates (∼80%). Consequently, time of year not weevil sex or color morph had a consistent and significant effect on flight activity, weight loss, and survivorship rates. Flight activity was predominantly diurnal commencing around 5:00 a.m. and peaking between 9-11:00 a.m. before tapering off. The distribution of flight distances combined across season and sex was mesokurtic (i.e., normally distributed). © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Supplemental lactoferrin improves health and growth of Holstein calves during the preweaning phase.

PubMed

Robblee, E D; Erickson, P S; Whitehouse, N L; McLaughlin, A M; Schwab, C G; Rejman, J J; Rompala, R E

2003-04-01

Lactoferrin is a milk protein that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. Previous studies indicated that supplemental lactoferrin may alter the microbial populations in the gut of nonruminants and increase preweaning weight gains in calves. In the present study, 40 Holstein calves were used to examine the effects of supplemental lactoferrin (0, 1, 2, or 3 g/d) on health, growth, and feed intake from 3 d of age to 2 wk postweaning. Lactoferrin was mixed and fed with a nonmedicated milk replacer. Calves were housed in individual pens and offered a textured, nonmedicated starter and water for ad libitum consumption. Body weight and heart girth were measuredweekly. Intakes of milk replacer and starter were determined daily. Fecal consistency was monitored three times per week. Calves were weaned when they met certain criteria based on body weight gain and starter intake. Preweaning fecal score responded quadratically, with the group fed 1 g/d of lactoferrin having the lowest score. Overall and preweaning number of days medicated responded in the same manner as fecal score. Preweaning average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio increased linearly with lactoferrin supplementation, whereas postweaning gain-to-feed ratio decreased linearly with lactoferrin. Overall average daily heart girth gain increased linearly with lactoferrin. Body weight, weaning age, and dry matter intake were not different among treatments. Based on the observed improved gain-to-feed ratios, increased average daily gains, improved fecal scores, and reduced morbidity in preweaned calves, it appears that lactoferrin may be a beneficial supplement in the diets of neonatal calves prior to weaning.

Fast pyrolysis of palm kernel shells: influence of operation parameters on the bio-oil yield and the yield of phenol and phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Kim, Seon-Jin; Jung, Su-Hwa; Kim, Joo-Sik

2010-12-01

Palm kernel shells were pyrolyzed in a pyrolysis plant equipped with a fluidized-bed reactor and a char-separation system. The influence of reaction temperature, feed size and feed rate on the product spectrum was also investigated. In addition, the effect of reaction temperature on the yields of phenol and phenolic compounds in the bio-oil was examined. The maximum bio-oil yield was 48.7 wt.% of the product at 490 degrees C. The maximum yield of phenol plus phenolic compounds amounted to about 70 area percentage at 475 degrees C. The yield of pyrolytic lignin after its isolation from the bio-oil was approximately 46 wt.% based on the water and ash free oil. The pyrolytic lignin was mainly composed of phenol, phenolic compounds and oligomers of coniferyl, sinapyl and p-coumaryl alcohols. From the result of a GPC analysis, the number average molecular weight and the weight average molecular weight were 325 and 463 g/mol, respectively. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MUC1 gene polymorphism in three Nelore lines selected for growth and its association with growth and carcass traits.

PubMed

de Souza, Fabio Ricardo Pablos; Maione, Sandra; Sartore, Stefano; Soglia, Dominga; Spalenza, Veronica; Cauvin, Elsa; Martelli, Lucia Regina; Mercadante, Maria Eugênia Zerlotti; Sacchi, Paola; de Albuquerque, Lucia Galvão; Rasero, Roberto

2012-02-01

The objective of this study was to describe the VNTR polymorphism of the mucin 1 gene (MUC1) in three Nelore lines selected for yearling weight to determine whether allele and genotype frequencies of this polymorphism were affected by selection for growth. In addition, the effects of the polymorphism on growth and carcass traits were evaluated. Birth, weaning and yearling weights, rump height, Longissimus muscle area, backfat thickness, and rump fat thickness, were analyzed. A total of 295 Nelore heifers from the Beef Cattle Research Center, Instituto de Zootecnia de Sertãozinho, were used, including 41 of the control line, 102 of the selection line and 152 of the traditional. The selection and traditional lines comprise animals selected for higher yearling weight, whereas control line animals are selected for yearling weight close to the average. Five alleles were identified, with allele 1 being the most frequent in the three lines, especially in the lines selected for higher means for yearling weight. Heterozygosity was significantly higher in the control line. Association analyses showed significant effects of allele 1 on birth weight and weaning weight while the allele 3 exert significant effects on yearling weight and back fat thickness. Despite these findings, application of this marker to marker-assisted selection requires more consistent results based on the genotyping of a larger number of animals in order to increase the accuracy of the statistical analyses.

Change in diet, physical activity, and body weight among young-adults during the transition from high school to college.

PubMed

Wengreen, Heidi J; Moncur, Cara

2009-07-22

The freshmen year of college is likely a critical period for risk of weight gain among young-adults. A longitudinal observational study was conducted to examine changes in weight, dietary intake, and other health-related behaviors among first-year college students (n = 186) attending a public University in the western United States. Weight was measured at the beginning and end of fall semester (August - December 2005). Participants completed surveys about dietary intake, physical activity and other health-related behaviors during the last six months of high school (January - June 2005) in August 2005 and during their first semester of college (August - December 2005) in December 2005. 159 students (n = 102 women, 57 men) completed both assessments. The average BMI at the baseline assessment was 23.0 (standard deviation (SD) 3.8). Although the average amount of weight gained during the 15-week study was modest (1.5 kg), 23% of participants gained > or = 5% of their baseline body weight. Average weight gain among those who gained > or = 5% of baseline body weight was 4.5 kg. Those who gained > or = 5% of body weight reported less physical activity during college than high school, were more likely to eat breakfast, and slept more than were those who did not gain > or = 5% of body weight. Almost one quarter of students gained a significant amount of weight during their first semester of college. This research provides further support for the implementation of education or other strategies aimed at helping young-adults entering college to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.

Intrapersonal characteristics of body-related guilt, shame, pride, and envy in Canadian adults.

PubMed

Pila, Eva; Brunet, Jennifer; Crocker, Peter R E; Kowalski, Kent C; Sabiston, Catherine M

2016-03-01

This study examined differences in body-related shame, guilt, pride, and envy based on intrapersonal characteristics of sex, age, and weight status in 527 Canadian adults. Compared to men, women reported significantly higher shame and guilt contextualized to the body. No sex differences were observed for envy or pride. Middle-aged adults reported higher shame and lower pride compared with young adults, whereas no age differences were observed with body-related guilt. Meanwhile, shame and guilt were highest for individuals who had overweight or obese weight status, and pride was highest in individuals with average weight status. Overall, effect sizes were small and there were no significant interaction effects between sex, age, and weight status across body-related emotions. Further research is needed to capture similarities and differences of body-related self-conscious emotions between intrapersonal characteristics, to aid the development of intervention strategies to manage this important dimension of body image. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method and Application for Dynamic Comprehensive Evaluation with Subjective and Objective Information

PubMed Central

Liu, Dinglin; Zhao, Xianglian

2013-01-01

In an effort to deal with more complicated evaluation situations, scientists have focused their efforts on dynamic comprehensive evaluation research. How to make full use of the subjective and objective information has become one of the noteworthy content. In this paper, a dynamic comprehensive evaluation method with subjective and objective information is proposed. We use the combination weighting method to determine the index weight. Analysis hierarchy process method is applied to dispose the subjective information, and criteria importance through intercriteria correlation method is used to handle the objective information. And for the time weight determination, we consider both time distance and information size to embody the principle of esteeming the present over the past. And then the linear weighted average model is constructed to make the evaluation process more practicable. Finally, an example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of this method. Overall, the results suggest that the proposed method is reasonable and effective. PMID:24386176

[Effects of dietary habits modifications on selected metabolic parameters during weight loss in obese persons].

PubMed

Ostrowska, Lucyna; Stefańska, Ewa; Jastrzebska, Marta; Adamska, Edyta; Wujek, Anita; Waszczeniuk, Magdalena

2012-01-01

Obesity is a serious social problem, one of the most important health issues of the modern world, especially in industrialized countries. Due to the prevalence obesity is a social disease, chronic and also a risk factor for many diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, gall stones or cancers. The aim of the study was to examine and evaluation whether the systematic one-year modifications of dietary habits affect the changes in body weight and some metabolic parameters in obese patients. 30 women and 30 men who declared intentions to decrease body weight were examined. The mean age of women was 48 +/- 12.5 years (range 31-72 years), men 51 +/- 13.2 years (range 23-70 years). The questionnaire survey concerning the subject matter was designed in the Department of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Bialystok. At the initial and final visit the frequency of some products consumption were assessed and concentrations of some biochemical parameters in the peripheral blood were measured. Women after one-year dietotherapy significantly reduced the incidence of eating: pasta, fruit and vegetable juices, potatoes, ripening cheese, sugar, meat, bacon and lard, butter and cream, and increased incidence of eating dark bread, groats, rice, vegetables and fruit, cottage cheese, fish and vegetable oils. Men significantly reduced the incidence of eating: pasta, potatoes, ripening cheese, sweet beverages, bacon and lard, margarine, and increased the incidence of eating dark bread, groats, rice, vegetables, cottage cheese and fish. After one year the average body weight decrease was 2.8 +/- 7.1 kg in women and 1.4 +/- 3.2 kg in men. The average reduction in waist circumference was 3.6 +/- 6.5 cm in women and 3.6 +/- 4,8 cm in men. HDL cholesterol levels increased significantly in women and not significantly in men. LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased significantly in both groups. In women systolic blood pressure decreased significantly by on average 9.7 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure by 9.2 mmHg, and in men by 10.9 mmHg and 8.2 mmHg respectively. Systematic nutritional education (every 3 months) may be the hope for effective body weight reduction and subsequent weight loss maintenance.

Weightlifting, weight training and injuries.

PubMed

Basford, J R

1985-08-01

Although millions of men and women in the United States are regularly involved in some form of weightlifting, the average physician knows, and frequently cares, little about the sports involved. As a result, his or her knowledge of the medical and physiological issues involved is limited This article attempts to address this lack by beginning with a brief introductory section outlining some of the similarities differences between the major weight lifting approaches (power lifting, olympic lifting, weight training and body building). Next it reviews major issues and controversies such as age restrictions for lifters, physiological effects, drug use, potential strength gains and hypertrophy. Finally, it discusses some of the more frequent and unique injuries that can occur in lifters.

Preparing oxidized fractions of polyvinyl alcohol of a given molecular mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimin, Yu. S.; Kutlugil'dina, G. G.; Mustafin, A. G.

2016-10-01

The effect of two oxidizers (an oxygen-ozone mixture and hydrogen peroxide) on the kinetics of the oxidative degradation of polyvinyl alcohol in aqueous solutions is studied. Degradation of the polymer is proved not only by a reduction in the weight of oxidized fractions, but in the intrinsic viscosity of their aqueous solutions as well (and thus the average molecular weight of the resulting fractions). It is shown that the degree of the destructive reactions of polyvinyl alcohol grows along with the duration of the process, increasing the initial concentrations of H2O2 and raising the temperature. These results can be used in obtaining oxidized fractions of polyvinyl alcohol that have predetermined molecular weights.

Effects of breast and colorectal cancer on labour market outcomes-average effects and educational gradients.

PubMed

Heinesen, Eskil; Kolodziejczyk, Christophe

2013-12-01

We estimate causal effects of breast and colorectal cancer on labour market outcomes 1-3 years after the diagnosis. Based on Danish administrative data we estimate average treatment effects on the treated by propensity score weighting methods using persons with no cancer diagnosis as control group. We conduct robustness checks using matching, difference-in-differences methods and an alternative control group of later cancer patients. The different methods give approximately the same results. Cancer increases the risks of leaving the labour force and receiving disability pension, and the effects are larger for the less educated. Effects on income are small and mostly insignificant. We investigate some of the mechanisms which may be important in explaining the educational gradient in effects of cancer on labour market attachment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is Weight-Based Adjustment of Automatic Exposure Control Necessary for the Reduction of Chest CT Radiation Dose?

PubMed Central

Prakash, Priyanka; Gilman, Matthew D.; Shepard, Jo-Anne O.; Digumarthy, Subba R.

2010-01-01

Objective To assess the effects of radiation dose reduction in the chest CT using a weight-based adjustment of the automatic exposure control (AEC) technique. Materials and Methods With Institutional Review Board Approval, 60 patients (mean age, 59.1 years; M:F = 35:25) and 57 weight-matched patients (mean age, 52.3 years, M:F = 25:32) were scanned using a weight-adjusted AEC and non-weight-adjusted AEC, respectively on a 64-slice multidetector CT with a 0.984:1 pitch, 0.5 second rotation time, 40 mm table feed/rotation, and 2.5 mm section thickness. Patients were categorized into 3 weight categories; < 60 kg (n = 17), 60-90 kg (n = 52), and > 90 kg (n = 48). Patient weights, scanning parameters, CT dose index volumes (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded, while effective dose (ED) was estimated. Image noise was measured in the descending thoracic aorta. Data were analyzed using a standard statistical package (SAS/STAT) (Version 9.1, SAS institute Inc, Cary, NC). Results Compared to the non-weight-adjusted AEC, the weight-adjusted AEC technique resulted in an average decrease of 29% in CTDIvol and a 27% effective dose reduction (p < 0.0001). With weight-adjusted AEC, the CTDIvol decreased to 15.8, 15.9, and 27.3 mGy for the < 60, 60-90 and > 91 kg weight groups, respectively, compared to 20.3, 27.9 and 32.8 mGy, with non-weight-adjusted AEC. No significant difference was observed for objective image noise between the chest CT acquired with the non-weight-adjusted (15.0 ± 3.1) and weight-adjusted (16.1 ± 5.6) AEC techniques (p > 0.05). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that AEC should be tailored according to patient weight. Without weight-based adjustment of AEC, patients are exposed to a 17 - 43% higher radiation-dose from a chest CT. PMID:20046494

Is weight-based adjustment of automatic exposure control necessary for the reduction of chest CT radiation dose?

PubMed

Prakash, Priyanka; Kalra, Mannudeep K; Gilman, Matthew D; Shepard, Jo-Anne O; Digumarthy, Subba R

2010-01-01

To assess the effects of radiation dose reduction in the chest CT using a weight-based adjustment of the automatic exposure control (AEC) technique. With Institutional Review Board Approval, 60 patients (mean age, 59.1 years; M:F = 35:25) and 57 weight-matched patients (mean age, 52.3 years, M:F = 25:32) were scanned using a weight-adjusted AEC and non-weight-adjusted AEC, respectively on a 64-slice multidetector CT with a 0.984:1 pitch, 0.5 second rotation time, 40 mm table feed/rotation, and 2.5 mm section thickness. Patients were categorized into 3 weight categories; < 60 kg (n = 17), 60-90 kg (n = 52), and > 90 kg (n = 48). Patient weights, scanning parameters, CT dose index volumes (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded, while effective dose (ED) was estimated. Image noise was measured in the descending thoracic aorta. Data were analyzed using a standard statistical package (SAS/STAT) (Version 9.1, SAS institute Inc, Cary, NC). Compared to the non-weight-adjusted AEC, the weight-adjusted AEC technique resulted in an average decrease of 29% in CTDIvol and a 27% effective dose reduction (p < 0.0001). With weight-adjusted AEC, the CTDIvol decreased to 15.8, 15.9, and 27.3 mGy for the < 60, 60-90 and > 91 kg weight groups, respectively, compared to 20.3, 27.9 and 32.8 mGy, with non-weight-adjusted AEC. No significant difference was observed for objective image noise between the chest CT acquired with the non-weight-adjusted (15.0 +/- 3.1) and weight-adjusted (16.1 +/- 5.6) AEC techniques (p > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that AEC should be tailored according to patient weight. Without weight-based adjustment of AEC, patients are exposed to a 17 - 43% higher radiation-dose from a chest CT.

[Ribeiro-Technique in Gigantomastia - Review of 294 Reduction Mammaplasties in 8 Years].

PubMed

Wolter, Andreas; Pluto, Naja; Scholz, Till; Diedrichson, Jens; Arens-Landwehr, Andreas; Liebau, Jutta

2017-12-01

Reduction mammaplasty in patients with gigantomastia is challenging even to very experienced plastic surgeons. Extremely elongated pedicles impair the vascular supply of the nipple-areola complex. Breast shaping and effective reduction are difficult due to the severely stretched skin envelope. The Ribeiro technique is the standard technique for reduction mammaplasty in our clinic. The aim of this study is to review our approach in patients with gigantomastia in comparison to the current literature. From 01/2009 to 12/2016, we performed 1247 reduction mammaplasties in 760 patients. In 294 reduction mammoplasties (23.6 %), resection weight was more than 1000 g per breast corresponding to the definition of gigantomastia. The Ribeiro technique with a superomedial pedicle and inferior dermoglandular flap for autologous augmentation of the upper pole was implemented as standard procedure. In cases with a sternal notch-nipple distance > 40 cm, free nipple grafting was performed. The outcome parameters complication rate, patient satisfaction with the aesthetic result, nipple sensitivity and surgical revision rate were obtained and retrospectively analysed. In 174 patients, 294 reduction mammaplasties were performed with a resection weight of more than 1000 g per breast. Average resection weight was 1389.6 g (range, 1000-4580 g). Average age was 43.5 years (range, 18-76 years), average body mass index (BMI) was 29.2 kg/m 2 (range, 19-40 kg/m 2 ), average sternal notch-nipple distance was 34.8 cm (range, 27-52 cm), average operation time was 117 minutes (range, 72-213 minutes). A free nipple graft was necessary in 30 breasts. Overall complication rate was 7.8 %; secondary surgical revision rate was 16 %. 93 % of the patients were "very satisfied" and "satisfied" with the aesthetic result. Nipple sensitivity was rated "very good" and "good" in 88 %. The Ribeiro technique is a well established, versatile standard technique for reduction mammaplasty, which helps to create high-quality reproducible results with longterm formstable shape. In gigantomastia, this procedure is also very effective to achieve volume reduction and aesthetically pleasing results with a low complication rate. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Personality Profiling and General Weighted Average (GWA) of Nursing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallari, Shedy Dee C.; Pelayo, Jose Maria G., III

2017-01-01

The study focused on the investigation of the existing dynamics between the Myers Briggs Type Indicator personality profiling (MBTI), and General Weighted Average (GWA) of nursing students. The participants were 48 college students in Angeles City, Philippines. All the students were administered with the MBTI instrument. Descriptive…

19 CFR 351.106 - De minimis net countervailable subsidies and weighted-average dumping margins disregarded.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false De minimis net countervailable subsidies and... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Scope and Definitions § 351.106 De... practice of disregarding net countervailable subsidies or weighted-average dumping margins that were de...

19 CFR 351.106 - De minimis net countervailable subsidies and weighted-average dumping margins disregarded.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false De minimis net countervailable subsidies and... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Scope and Definitions § 351.106 De... practice of disregarding net countervailable subsidies or weighted-average dumping margins that were de...

7 CFR 800.85 - Inspection of grain in combined lots.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS Inspection Methods and Procedures § 800.85 Inspection of grain in combined lots. (a) General. The...) Weighted or mathematical average. Official factor and official criteria information shown on a certificate... section, be based on the weighted or mathematical averages of the analysis of the sublots in the lot and...

40 CFR 60.493 - Performance test and compliance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... equivalent or alternative method. The owner or operator shall determine from company records the volume of... estimate the volume of coating used at each facility by using the average dry weight of coating, number of... acceptable to the Administrator. (i) Calculate the volume-weighted average of the total mass of VOC per...

30 CFR 203.74 - When will MMS reconsider its determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Sulfur General Royalty Relief for Pre-Act Deep Water Leases and for Development and Expansion Projects... as calculated under this paragraph. (1) Your current reference price is a weighted-average of daily... calendar months; (2) Your base reference price is a weighted average of daily closing prices on the NYMEX...

Real Options as a Strategic Management Framework: A Case Study of the Operationally Responsive Space Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

of the project, and the Weighted Average Cost of Capital ( WACC ). WACC is defined as the after-tax marginal cost of capital (Copeland & Antikarov...Initial Investment t = Life Expectancy of Project (Start =1, to Finish=N) E(FCF) = Expected Free-Cash Flow WACC = Weighted Average Cost of

Innovative retail merchandising strategies to accommodate for the growing trend of heavier carcass weights in the United States.

PubMed

West, S E; Nicholson, K L; Nicholson, J D W; Griffin, D B; Lawrence, T E; Wasser, B E; Savell, J W

2011-08-01

Three subprimals from beef carcasses, Average (mean=340.6kg) and Heavy weight (mean=461.6kg), were cut using Innovative versus Conventional cutting styles. Longer (P<0.05) processing times were required for the Heavy compared to Average and Innovative compared to Conventional. Total saleable yields were lower for the Innovative compared to Conventional for the top sirloin butt (P=0.0025) and ribeye (P<0.0001), but not for the strip loin (P=0.1416). However, yields were higher for the Heavy compared to Average for the ribeye (P=0.0054) and strip loin (P=0.0017), but not for the top sirloin butt (P=0.6797). Retail pricing increases for the Innovative compared to Conventional were 11.6% for top sirloin butt, 26.9% for ribeye, and 2.6% for strip loin. Retailers adopting innovative cutting styles to more effectively merchandise heavyweight beef must account for the decreased primary saleable yields and increased labor requirements through increased retail pricing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electron Microscopic Observations of Rabbit Antibodies.

PubMed

Hall, C E; Nisonoff, A; Slayter, H S

1959-12-01

Electron micrographs were obtained showing the individual, shadow-cast macromolecules from solutions of purified anti-p-azobenzoate rabbit antibody and of normal gamma-globulin. The two materials look alike and consist mainly of asymmetrical rod-like particles about 30 to 40 A in diameter. Lengths are not constant but the weight average is about 250 A for the antibodies and about 200 A for the gamma-globulin. The average observed dimensions are reasonably consistent with values deduced from physical-chemical methods, although the shape is more nearly that of a cylindrical rod rather than the ellipsoid employed in hydrodynamical theory. Mixtures of antibody and specific dihaptenic dye were examined in attempts to establish the mode of the specific aggregation. At the high dilutions necessary for electron microscopy (0.1 mg./ml.), the effect of the dye was small and tended to be masked by non-specific aggregation on drying. The evidence suggests that under these conditions the specific reaction involves an end-to-end aggregation of the elementary particles to produce a weight average length about twice that of the pure antibody.

Effects of cognitive-behavioral treatment for weight loss in family members.

PubMed

Rossini, Raffaella; Moscatiello, Simona; Tarrini, Giulietta; Di Domizio, Silvia; Soverini, Valentina; Romano, Andreina; Mazzotti, Arianna; Dalle Grave, Riccardo; Marchesini, Giulio

2011-11-01

The possibility that lifestyle changes may be shared by the family members of subjects with obesity attending cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for weight loss has been scarcely evaluated. The purpose of this study was to measure the changes in body weight, lifestyle habits, and stage of change toward physical activity in the family members of 149 subjects with overweight/obesity enrolled into a weekly group CBT for weight management in the years 2007-2008. 230 adult (aged >18 years) family members (129 spouses, 72 children (43 female, 29 male), 29 with a different family relationship) completed a self-administered questionnaire at baseline and soon after the end of the completion of their relatives' program (approximately 6 months later). The questionnaire consisted of qualitative information regarding food choices, estimation of energy and food intake, self-report of height and weight, and motivation toward physical activity. At baseline, self-reported body mass index was normal in 115 cases, in the range 25 to 29.9 in 80 and ≥30 in 35. Following CBT of their relatives, the family members significantly reduced their average daily energy intake (-232 kcal/day; P<0.001) and the reported body weight decreased on average by 1 kg (P=0.001). The analysis of food choices revealed a reduced average daily amount of energy from dressings (-40 kcal, P<0.001), main courses with cheese or fat meat (-24 kcal, P=0.002), refined carbohydrates (-16 kcal, P<0.001), bread (-58 kcal, P<0.001), breakfast biscuits (-23 kcal, P=0.005), chocolate (-7 kcal, P=0.024), and nonalcoholic beverages (fruit juices and carbonated drinks; -10 kcal; P=0.013), whereas fruit consumption was increased (+10 kcal; P=0.023). There was also a shift in the stage of change toward exercising. Body mass index changes of family members and CBT subjects were significantly correlated, mainly within spouses. In conclusion, CBT for weight loss positively influences the lifestyle habits of family members of participants, reducing energy intake and promoting a more favorable attitude toward physical activity. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutrient-dense, Plant-rich Dietary Intervention Effective at Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors for Worksites: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Sutliffe, Jay Thomas; Fuhrman, Joel Harvey; Carnot, Mary Jo; Beetham, Raena Marie; Peddy, Madison Sarah

2016-09-01

conduct interventions for health promotion and disease prevention to ameliorate chronic risk factors for disease, such as for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Likewise, nutrient-dense, plant-rich (NDPR) dietary patterns have been shown to be effective at preventing and improving chronic-disease conditions, including CVD. Objective • The study's aim was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of an NDPR dietary intervention for worksites to lower CVD risk factors. Design • The study was a 6-wk pilot intervention using a pretest and posttest design. The intervention was conducted at the Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ, USA) and sponsored by its Employee Assistance and Wellness Department. Participants • Participants were 35 employees with body mass indexes (BMIs) >25 kg/m2 who were ready and willing to make a lifestyle change, who were not currently participating in a weight loss program, and who were not taking any medications that could increase medical risk or had weight loss as a primary side effect. The average age of participants was 42.57 y; 91.4% were female, and 80% were Caucasian. Intervention • The intervention used a dietary protocol consisting of the daily consumption of greens, beans, legumes, and a variety of other vegetables, as well as fresh or frozen whole fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Participants were encouraged to minimize the consumption of refined grains, vegetable oils, processed foods, and animal products. Outcome Measures • The study measured serum lipids, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure. Results • Based on paired-sample t tests and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test with a maximum level of P = .05, the intervention resulted in significant changes in weight, BMI, waist and hip measurements, high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, and estimated average glucose. Conclusions • The findings favorably revealed that an NDPR dietary intervention that was developed for worksites was an effective approach for reducing CVD risk factors.

Effects of oral doses of fluoride on nestling European starlings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleming, W.J.; Grue, C.E.; Schuler, C.A.; Bunck, C.M.

1987-01-01

Nestling European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), raised and fed by free-living adults, were given daily oral doses of either distilled water, 193 mg sodium as Na2CO3 per kg of body weight (sodium control group), or 6, 10, 13, 17,23, 30, 40, 80, 160 mg of the fluoride ion as NaF in distilled water per kg of body weight (mg/kg). Dosing began when nestlings were 24-48 hr old and continued for 16 days. The 24-hr LD50 of fluoride for day-old starlings was 50 mg/kg. The 16-day LD50 was 17 mg/kg. The sodium control group did not differ from the water control group with respect to any of the measured variables. Growth rates were significantly reduced in the 13 and 17 mg of fluoride/kg groups; weights of birds given higher dose levels were omitted from growth comparisons because of high, fluoride-induced mortality. Although pre-fledging weights for the 10, 13, and 17 mg of fluoride/kg groups averaged 3.6 to 8.6% less than controls at 17 days, this difference was not significant. Feather and bone growth of the fluoride and control groups were not different, except for keel length measured at 17 days of age which averaged less in the fluoride groups. Liver and spleen weights were not affected by fluoride treatments. No histological damage related to fluoride treatments was found in liver, spleen, or kidney. The logarithm of bone fluoride and magnesium concentration increased with the logarithm of increasing fluoride treatment levels and were significantly correlated with each other. Fluoride treatments had no effect on percent calcium or phosphorus in bone or plasma alkaline phosphatase activity. Oral doses of fluoride appear to be more toxic than equivalent dietary levels. Most birds probably acquire fluoride through their diet. Therefore, the results of the study may overestimate the potential effects of fluorides on songbirds living in fluoride-contaminated environments.

Impact of Reduced Maternal Exposures to Wood Smoke from an Introduced Chimney Stove on Newborn Birth Weight in Rural Guatemala

PubMed Central

Bruce, Nigel; Eskenazi, Brenda; Diaz, Anaite; Pope, Daniel; Smith, Kirk R.

2011-01-01

Background: A growing body of evidence indicates a relationship between household indoor air pollution from cooking fires and adverse neonatal outcomes, such as low birth weight (LBW), in resource-poor countries. Objective: We examined the effect of reduced wood smoke exposure in pregnancy on LBW of Guatemalan infants in RESPIRE (Randomized Exposure Study of Pollution Indoors and Respiratory Effects). Methods: Pregnant women (n = 266) either received a chimney stove (intervention) or continued to cook over an open fire (control). Between October 2002 and December 2004 we weighed 174 eligible infants (69 to mothers who used a chimney stove and 105 to mothers who used an open fire during pregnancy) within 48 hr of birth. Multivariate linear regression and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were used to estimate differences in birth weight and LBW (< 2,500 g) associated with chimney-stove versus open-fire use during pregnancy. Results: Pregnant women using chimney stoves had a 39% reduction in mean exposure to carbon monoxide compared with those using open fires. LBW prevalence was high at 22.4%. On average, infants born to mothers who used a stove weighed 89 g more [95% confidence interval (CI), –27 to 204 g] than infants whose mothers used open fires after adjusting for maternal height, diastolic blood pressure, gravidity, and season of birth. The adjusted OR for LBW was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.33–1.66) among infants of stove users compared with open-fire users. Average birth weight was 296 g higher (95% CI, 109–482 g) in infants born during the cold season (after harvest) than in other infants; this unanticipated finding may reflect the role of maternal nutrition on birth weight in an impoverished region. Conclusions: A chimney stove reduced wood smoke exposures and was associated with reduced LBW occurrence. Although not statistically significant, the estimated effect was consistent with previous studies. PMID:21652290

Effect of Barbell Weight on the Structure of the Flat Bench Press

PubMed Central

Gołaś, Artur

2017-01-01

Abstract Król, H and Gołaś, A. Effect of barbell weight on the structure of the flat bench press. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1321–1337, 2017—In this study, we have used the multimodular measuring system SMART. The system consisted of 6 infrared cameras and a wireless module to measure muscle bioelectric activity. In addition, the path of the barbell was measured with a special device called the pantograph. Our study concerns the change in the structure of the flat bench press when the weight of the barbell is increased. The research on the bench press technique included both the causes of the motion: the internal structure of the movement and the external kinematic structure showing the effects of the motion, i.e., all the characteristics of the movement. Twenty healthy, male recreational weight trainers with at least 1 year of lifting experience (the mean ± SD = 3.3 ± 1.6 years) were recruited for this study. The subjects had a mean body mass of 80.2 ± 8.6 kg, an average height of 1.77 ± 0.08 m, and their average age was 24.7 ± 0.9 years. In the measuring session, the participants performed consecutive sets of a single repetition of bench pressing with an increasing load (about 70, 80, 90, and 100% of their 1 repetition maximum [1RM]). The results showed a significant change in the phase structure of the bench press, as the barbell weight was increased. While doing the bench press at a 100% 1RM load, the pectoralis major changes from being the prime mover to being the supportive prime mover. At the same time, the role of the prime mover is taken on by the deltoideus anterior. The triceps brachii, in particular, clearly shows a greater involvement. PMID:28415066

Effect of Barbell Weight on the Structure of the Flat Bench Press.

PubMed

Król, Henryk; Gołaś, Artur

2017-05-01

Król, H and Gołaś, A. Effect of barbell weight on the structure of the flat bench press. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1321-1337, 2017-In this study, we have used the multimodular measuring system SMART. The system consisted of 6 infrared cameras and a wireless module to measure muscle bioelectric activity. In addition, the path of the barbell was measured with a special device called the pantograph. Our study concerns the change in the structure of the flat bench press when the weight of the barbell is increased. The research on the bench press technique included both the causes of the motion: the internal structure of the movement and the external kinematic structure showing the effects of the motion, i.e., all the characteristics of the movement. Twenty healthy, male recreational weight trainers with at least 1 year of lifting experience (the mean ± SD = 3.3 ± 1.6 years) were recruited for this study. The subjects had a mean body mass of 80.2 ± 8.6 kg, an average height of 1.77 ± 0.08 m, and their average age was 24.7 ± 0.9 years. In the measuring session, the participants performed consecutive sets of a single repetition of bench pressing with an increasing load (about 70, 80, 90, and 100% of their 1 repetition maximum [1RM]). The results showed a significant change in the phase structure of the bench press, as the barbell weight was increased. While doing the bench press at a 100% 1RM load, the pectoralis major changes from being the prime mover to being the supportive prime mover. At the same time, the role of the prime mover is taken on by the deltoideus anterior. The triceps brachii, in particular, clearly shows a greater involvement.

Generalizability of findings from randomized controlled trials: application to the National Institute of Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network.

PubMed

Susukida, Ryoko; Crum, Rosa M; Ebnesajjad, Cyrus; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Mojtabai, Ramin

2017-07-01

To compare randomized controlled trial (RCT) sample treatment effects with the population effects of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Statistical weighting was used to re-compute the effects from 10 RCTs such that the participants in the trials had characteristics that resembled those of patients in the target populations. Multi-site RCTs and usual SUD treatment settings in the United States. A total of 3592 patients in 10 RCTs and 1 602 226 patients from usual SUD treatment settings between 2001 and 2009. Three outcomes of SUD treatment were examined: retention, urine toxicology and abstinence. We weighted the RCT sample treatment effects using propensity scores representing the conditional probability of participating in RCTs. Weighting the samples changed the significance of estimated sample treatment effects. Most commonly, positive effects of trials became statistically non-significant after weighting (three trials for retention and urine toxicology and one trial for abstinence); also, non-significant effects became significantly positive (one trial for abstinence) and significantly negative effects became non-significant (two trials for abstinence). There was suggestive evidence of treatment effect heterogeneity in subgroups that are under- or over-represented in the trials, some of which were consistent with the differences in average treatment effects between weighted and unweighted results. The findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for substance use disorder treatment do not appear to be directly generalizable to target populations when the RCT samples do not reflect adequately the target populations and there is treatment effect heterogeneity across patient subgroups. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Should Student Employment Be Subsidized? Conditional Counterfactuals and the Outcomes of Work-Study Participation. A CAPSEE Working Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott-Clayton, Judith; Minaya, Veronica

2014-01-01

Student employment subsidies are one of the largest types of federal employment subsidies, and one of the oldest forms of student aid. Yet it is unclear whether they help or harm students' long term outcomes. We present a framework that decomposes overall effects into a weighted average of effects for marginal and inframarginal workers. We then…

Analysis of Birth Weights of a Rural Hospital

PubMed Central

Ashtekar, Shyam V; Kulkarni, Madhav B; Sadavarte, Vaishali S; Ashtekar, Ratna S

2010-01-01

Background: Low birth weight remains a major reason behind childhood malnutrition. The NFHS findings show no dent in this problem. Objective: This study was undertaken to explore change in birth weights in a period from 1989 to 2007 and any associations thereof. Materials and Methods: All birth records of a private rural hospital spanning two decades (1989-2007) were analyzed for birth weight, age of mother, gender, birth order of the baby, proportion of pre-term babies and low birth weight babies. Results: No change was observed in the average birth weights (average 2.71 kg) over the period. Although the birth weight shows some expected variance with the age of mother, it was found to have no relation with the baby’s birth order and gender. The low birth weight proportion is about 24% and shows little difference before and after the series midpoint of year 1998. Conclusion: The birth weights have hardly changed in this population in the two decades. PMID:20922101

IVF outcomes in average- and poor-prognosis infertile women according to the number of embryos transferred.

PubMed

Vega, Mario G; Gleicher, Norbert; Darmon, Sarah K; Weghofer, Andrea; Wu, Yan-Guang; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Lin; Albertini, David F; Barad, David H; Kushnir, Vitaly A

2016-09-01

Outcome measures of IVF success, which account for effectiveness of IVF and perinatal outcome risks, have recently been described. The association between number of embryos transferred in average and poor-prognosis IVF patients, and the chances of having good or poor IVF and perinatal outcomes, was investigated. Good IVF and perinatal outcome was defined as the birth of a live, term, normal-weight infant (≥2500 g). Poor IVF and perinatal outcome was defined as no live birth or birth of a very low weight neonate (<1500 g) or severe prematurity (birth at <32 weeks gestation). Each neonate was analysed as a separate outcome. A total of 713 IVF cycles in 504 average and poor-prognosis patients from January 2010 to December 2013 were identified. The odds of having good IVF and perinatal outcomes increased by 28% for each additional embryo transferred. The odds of poor IVF and perinatal outcome decreased by 32% with an additional embryo transferred. The likelihood of live birth with good perinatal outcome in average- and poor-prognosis patients after IVF increases with additional embryos being transferred. These data add to recently reported evidence in favour of multiple embryo transfer in older women and those with average or poor IVF prognosis. Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between food insecurity and nutritional status of Brazilian children under the age of five.

PubMed

Santos, Leonardo Pozza dos; Gigante, Denise Petrucci

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between food insecurity and nutritional status of Brazilian children. The National Demographic and Health Survey 2006 database is available on the worldwide web. Thus, the analyzed variables were obtained in this study, including nutritional indices, food insecurity and other socioeconomic and demographic variables. The height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height indices were evaluated as the Z-score of the World Health Organization reference curves. Food insecurity was defined by using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Averages of three indices according to the presence of food insecurity were analyzed, including other variables. Linear regression evaluated the effect of food insecurity on the Z-score of the three nutritional indices. The sample included 4,817 children, out of whom 7% had deficit in height, 7% were overweight and 47% had food insecurity. It was found that the average of height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height were -0.31, 0.12 and 0.40, respectively, being lower among children with food insecurity. The regression analysis showed that children living with some level of food insecurity have worse rates of height-for-age, even controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Clinical comparison of 59 Prader-Willi patients with and without the 15(q12) deletion.

PubMed

Wenger, S L; Hanchett, J M; Steele, M W; Maier, B V; Golden, W L

1987-12-01

Fifty-nine patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) (including three blacks) were enrolled in a behavior modification program including dietary restriction, nutritional education for self-management of food intake, and exercise. Caloric intake for most patients was 700-800 calories per day. The average stay per patient was 5 weeks with a mean weight loss of 6.6 kg. Thirty-one patients (53%) had apparently normal chromosomes compared to 25 patients (42%) with apparent 15(q12) deletion. Three patients had other chromosome abnormalities including two with mosaicism for idic(15)(q11) and one with a de novo apparently balanced translocation t(8q;18q). There were no differences in manifestations or the effects of the behavior modification program between chromosomally normal and abnormal patients. However, the mean weight loss in the 59 PWS patients was less than would have been expected based on their calculated daily caloric requirements suggesting that PWS patients have reduced caloric needs per unit of body weight compared to normal individuals. Supporting this also was that weight maintenance could be accomplished with only 1000 calories per day on the average. In general, behavioral response to the modification program was successful in that tantrum responses, while not eliminated, were reduced in frequency and severity.

The politics of pathology: how obesity became an epidemic disease.

PubMed

Oliver, J Eric

2006-01-01

Americans' recent weight gains have been widely described as an "obesity epidemic." Such a characterization, however, has many problems: the average American weight gain has been relatively low (eight to 12 pounds over the last 20 years), and the causal linkages between adiposity, morbidity, and mortality are unclear. Nevertheless, the media and numerous health officials continue to sound dire warnings that obesity has become an epidemic disease. In this article, I examine how and why America's growing weight became an "obesity epidemic." I find the disease characterization has less to do with the health consequences of excess weight and more with the various financial and political incentives of the weight loss industry, medical profession, and public health bureaucracy. This epidemic image was also assisted by the method of displaying information about weight gain with maps in PowerPoint slides. Such characterizations, I argue, are problematic. Given the inconclusive scientific evidence and the absence of a safe and effective weight loss regimen, calling America's growing weight an epidemic disease is likely to cause more harm than good.

Longitudinal study of the effect of high intensity weight training on aerobic capacity.

PubMed

Nakao, M; Inoue, Y; Murakami, H

1995-01-01

To investigate the effect of a long-term weight lifting programme characterized by high intensity, low repetition and long rest period between sets on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and to determine the advantage of this programme combined with jogging, 26 male untrained students were involved in weight training for a period of 3 years. The VO2max and body composition of the subjects were examined at beginning, 1 year, 2 years (T2), and 3 years after (T3) training. Of the group, 19 subjects performed the weight lifting programme 5 days each week for 3 years (W-group), 4 subjects performed the same weight lifting programme for 3 years with an additional running programme consisting of 2 miles of jogging once a week during the 3rd year (R1-group), and 3 subjects performed the weight lifting programme during the 1st year and the same combined jogging and weight lifting programme as the R1-group during the 2nd and 3rd years (R2-group). The average VO2max relative to their body mass of the W-group decreased significantly during the 1st year, followed by an insignificant decrease in the 2nd year and a levelling off in the 3rd year. The average VO2max of the W-group at T2 and T3 was 44.2 and 44.1 ml.kg-1.min-1, respectively. The tendency of VO2max changes in the R1- and R2-groups was similar to the W-group until they started the jogging programme, after which they recovered significantly to the initial level within a year of including that programme, and they then levelled off during the next year. Lean body mass estimated from skinfold thicknesses had increased by about 8% after 3 years of weight lifting. The maximal muscle strength, defined by total olympic lifts (snatch, and clean and jerk), of these three groups increased significantly and there was no significant difference among the amounts of the increase in the three groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Past and current weight change and forearm bone loss in middle-aged women: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, Norway.

PubMed

Forsmo, Siri; Langhammer, Arnulf; Schei, Berit

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between bone loss and weight change before and concurrently to the assessment of forearm bone loss over 4.6 years in a population-based cohort of middle-aged women followed for more than 15 years. Among 8,856 women aged 45 to 60 years attending the first Nord-Trøndelag Health Study study, Norway (1984-1986), a 35% random sample was invited for forearm densitometry at Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2 (1995-1997), and 2,188 women (78%) attended. After an average period of 4.6 years, they were subsequently invited for follow-up densitometry in 2001, and 1,421 women (67.8%) met. Weight and height were measured on all three occasions. During the total period of observation since baseline (15.5 y), the mean weight had increased by 3.4 kg, mostly in the youngest women. Weight loss had an accelerating and weight gain a decelerating effect on bone loss, and this was observed both for weight change occurring before the bone mineral density follow-up and for concurrent weight change. The relationship between prior weight gain or loss and bone loss seemed to persist, independent of the weight change observed during the period of bone loss assessment. Despite no mechanical impact of body weight on the forearm, weight loss in midlife women seems to be associated with a long-lasting negative effect on bone and vice versa for weight gain. This is presumably explained by humoral factors.

Are there differences in birth weight between neighbourhoods in a Nordic welfare state?

PubMed

Sellström, Eva; Arnoldsson, Göran; Bremberg, Sven; Hjern, Anders

2007-09-26

The objective of this cohort study was to examine the effect on birth weight of living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in a Nordic welfare state. Birth weight is a health indicator known to be sensitive to political and welfare state conditions. No former studies on urban neighbourhood differences regarding mean birth weight have been carried out in a Nordic country. A register based on individual data on children's birth weight and maternal risk factors was used. A neighbourhood characteristic, i.e. an aggregated measure on income was also included. Connections between individual- and neighbourhood-level determinants and the outcome were analysed using multi-level regression technique. The study covered six hundred and ninety-six neighbourhoods in the three major cities of Sweden, Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö, during 1992-2001. The majority of neighbourhoods had a population of 4 000-10 000 inhabitants. An average of 500 births per neighbourhood were analysed in this study. Differences in mean birth weight in Swedish urban neighbourhoods were minor. However, gestational length, parity and maternal smoking acted as modifiers of the neighbourhood effects. Most of the observed variation in mean birth weight was explained by individual risk factors. Welfare institutions and benefits in Sweden might buffer against negative infant outcomes due to adverse structural organisation of urban neighbourhoods.

Air pollutants associated with insufficient birth weight.

PubMed

Santos, Veridiana de Paula; Medeiros, Andréa Paula Peneluppi de; Lima, Thaiza Agostini Cordoba de; Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa

2016-03-01

A growing number of studies have shown consistent evidence of the harmful effects of air pollution on human health, as well as its effects on newborn weight. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of air pollution on birth weight, more specifically the insufficient birth weight (identified between 2,500 and 2,999 grams). This was a cross-sectional study based on data gathered from all babies born to mothers living in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, between the years of 2006 to 2010. The association between maternal exposure to air pollution and birth weight was examined using logistic regression (both univariate and multivariate) to consider the average concentration of each pollutant during the 1st and 3rd trimesters and the months of the 1st trimester. Of the 39,453 total live births during the study period, 10,542 (26.7%) newborns had insufficient weight. In multiple logistic analysis, maternal exposure to particulate matter in the 1st and 3rd trimester of pregnancy had a greater chance for insufficient weight. There is a chance of 1.07 (95%CI 1.00 - 1.14) for an insufficient weight scenario for exposure (to the 2nd quartile) of particulate matter in the 1st trimester and 1.10 (95%CI 1.04 - 1.18) for exposure (the 3rd quartile) in the 3rd trimester. The survey results indicate that maternal exposure to air pollution in the 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy for residents of São José dos Campos create considerable potential to cause insufficient weight.

Treatment of paediatric hyperthyroidism but not hypothyroidism has a significant effect on weight.

PubMed

Crocker, Melissa K; Kaplowitz, Paul

2010-12-01

Thyroid hormones are involved in metabolic regulation, but the degree to which they affect body weight and body mass index (BMI) in children is unclear. We examined the effect of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on weight and BMI at the time of diagnosis and after appropriate treatment. Prospective and retrospective case series. Children referred for thyroid dysfunction were enrolled prospectively if their total or free T4 was elevated with TSH <0·05 mIU/ml (N = 57) or if they had a subnormal total or free T4 and TSH >20 (N = 29). Almost all patients had at least 2 classic signs or symptoms including goitre, but hyperthyroid patients had more symptoms. Mean BMI z scores at the time of diagnosis did not significantly differ between the two groups. Males with hyperthyroidism complained of weight loss more frequently and had a lower pretreatment BMI z score than hyperthyroid females. Hypothyroid patients lost a minimal amount of weight by the first follow-up (mean of 0·3 kg) and on average gained weight by the second follow-up visit. In contrast hyperthyroid patients gained a mean of 3·4 kg at the first follow-up visit and a mean of 7·1 kg by the second. Correction of hypothyroidism resulted in minimal weight loss, suggesting that hypothyroidism does not cause significant weight gain in children. In contrast, correction of the hyperthyroid state had a somewhat greater impact on weight status. These results are consistent with prior reports but surprising given the opposite metabolic effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Treatment of pediatric hyperthyroidism but not hypothyroidism has a significant effect on weight

PubMed Central

Crocker, Melissa K.; Kaplowitz, Paul

2010-01-01

Objective Thyroid hormones are involved in metabolic regulation, but the degree to which they affect body weight and body mass index (BMI) in children is unclear. We examined the effect of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on weight and BMI at the time of diagnosis and after appropriate treatment. Design Prospective and retrospective case series Patients Children referred for thyroid dysfunction were enrolled prospectively if their total or free T4 was elevated with TSH <0.05 mIU/mL (N=57) or if they had a subnormal total or free T4 and TSH >20 (N=29). Results Almost all patients had at least 2 classic signs or symptoms including goiter, but hyperthyroid patients had more symptoms. Mean BMI z scores at the time of diagnosis did not significantly differ between the two groups. Males with hyperthyroidism complained of weight loss more frequently and had a lower pretreatment BMI z score than hyperthyroid females. Hypothyroid patients lost a minimal amount of weight by the first follow-up (mean of 0.3 kilograms (kg)) and on average gained weight by the second follow-up visit. In contrast hyperthyroid patients gained a mean of 3.4 kg at the first follow-up visit and a mean of 7.1 kg by the second. Conclusions Correction of hypothyroidism resulted in minimal weight loss, suggesting that hypothyroidism does not cause significant weight gain in children. In contrast, correction of the hyperthyroid state had a somewhat greater impact on weight status. These results are consistent with prior reports but surprising given the opposite metabolic effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism. PMID:20874768

Supermodeling With A Global Atmospheric Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiegerinck, Wim; Burgers, Willem; Selten, Frank

2013-04-01

In weather and climate prediction studies it often turns out to be the case that the multi-model ensemble mean prediction has the best prediction skill scores. One possible explanation is that the major part of the model error is random and is averaged out in the ensemble mean. In the standard multi-model ensemble approach, the models are integrated in time independently and the predicted states are combined a posteriori. Recently an alternative ensemble prediction approach has been proposed in which the models exchange information during the simulation and synchronize on a common solution that is closer to the truth than any of the individual model solutions in the standard multi-model ensemble approach or a weighted average of these. This approach is called the super modeling approach (SUMO). The potential of the SUMO approach has been demonstrated in the context of simple, low-order, chaotic dynamical systems. The information exchange takes the form of linear nudging terms in the dynamical equations that nudge the solution of each model to the solution of all other models in the ensemble. With a suitable choice of the connection strengths the models synchronize on a common solution that is indeed closer to the true system than any of the individual model solutions without nudging. This approach is called connected SUMO. An alternative approach is to integrate a weighted averaged model, weighted SUMO. At each time step all models in the ensemble calculate the tendency, these tendencies are weighted averaged and the state is integrated one time step into the future with this weighted averaged tendency. It was shown that in case the connected SUMO synchronizes perfectly, the connected SUMO follows the weighted averaged trajectory and both approaches yield the same solution. In this study we pioneer both approaches in the context of a global, quasi-geostrophic, three-level atmosphere model that is capable of simulating quite realistically the extra-tropical circulation in the Northern Hemisphere winter.

Strength Design of Reinforced Concrete Hydraulic Structures; Report 3, T-Wall Design.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

A8 Flexure and Axial Load ..... ................ A10 Shear Strength Requirement ..... ............. A21 TABLE Al APPENDIX B: EFFECT OF...load, earthquake load, and other structural effects of differ- ential settlement, creep, shrinkage, and temperature change. Dead load (D) 10. The...considered to be equal to the depth of the plane below the ground sur- face multiplied by the average unit weight of the soil. Because of the buoyant effect

Longitudinal Pulmonary Function in Newly Hired, Non-World Trade Center-Exposed Fire Department City of New York Firefighters

PubMed Central

Ye, Fen; Hall, Charles B.; Webber, Mayris P.; Cohen, Hillel W.; Dinkels, Michael; Cosenza, Kaitlyn; Weiden, Michael D.; Nolan, Anna; Christodoulou, Vasilios; Kelly, Kerry J.; Prezant, David J.

2013-01-01

Background: Few longitudinal studies characterize firefighters’ pulmonary function. We sought to determine whether firefighters have excessive FEV1 decline rates compared with control subjects. Methods: We examined serial measurements of FEV1 from about 6 months prehire to about 5 years posthire in newly hired male, never smoking, non-Hispanic black and white firefighters, hired between 2003 and 2006, without prior respiratory disease or World Trade Center exposure. Similarly defined Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers served as control subjects. Results: Through June 30, 2011, 940 firefighters (82%) and 97 EMS workers (72%) who met study criteria had four or more acceptable posthire spirometries. Prehire FEV1% averaged higher for firefighters than EMS workers (99% vs 95%), reflecting more stringent job entry criteria. FEV1 (adjusted for baseline age and height) declined by an average of 45 mL/y both for firefighters and EMS workers, with Fire − EMS decline rate differences averaging 0.2 mL/y (CI, −9.2 to 9.6). Four percent of each group had FEV1 less than the lower limit of normal before hire, increasing to 7% for firefighters and 17.5% for EMS workers, but similar percentages of both groups had adjusted FEV1 decline rates ≥ 10%. Mixed effects modeling showed a significant influence of weight gain but not baseline weight: FEV1 declined by about 8 mL/kg gained for both groups. Adjusting for weight change, FEV1 decline averaged 38 mL/y for firefighters and 34 mL/y for EMS workers. Conclusions: During the first 5 years of duty, firefighters do not show greater longitudinal FEV1 decline than EMS control subjects, and fewer of them develop abnormal lung function. Weight gain is associated with a small loss of lung function, of questionable clinical relevance in this fit and active population. PMID:23188136

Carcass composition and mammary development responses to photoperiod and plane of nutrition in Holstein heifers.

PubMed

Petitclerc, D; Chapin, L T; Tucker, H A

1984-04-01

Twenty prepubertal heifers (averaging 155 kg body weight) were assigned to one of four treatment groups in an experiment of 2 X 2 factorial design. The main effects were photoperiods of 8 h light:16 h dark (8L:16D) vs 16L:8D, and LOW vs HIGH plane of nutrition. Heifers on the LOW plane of nutrition were fed to achieve a growth rate of approximately .7 kg/d; daily feed intake was restricted with no orts and was identical in both groups of heifers subjected to either 8 or 16 h of light daily. Heifers on the HIGH plane of nutrition were fed ad libitum to achieve a growth rate greater than 1 kg/d. All heifers were slaughtered during the luteal phase of an estrous cycle at an average body weight of 337, 334, 360 and 349 kg for 8L:16D-LOW plane, 16L:8D-LOW plane, 8L:16D-HIGH plane and 16L:8D-HIGH plane groups, respectively. Average time on treatment was 233, 236, 206 and 181 d and average estimated carcass weight gain was .39, .40, .55 and .61 kg/d, respectively. Within LOW or HIGH planes of nutrition, photoperiod did not affect live body weight gains. A photoperiod of 16L:8D, compared with 8L:16D, increased protein content in the 9-10-11th rib section of heifers on HIGH nutrition (16.2 vs 14.6%), but not in heifers fed the LOW plane of nutrition (15.5 vs 16.1%). However, within 8L:16D groups, HIGH plane reduced rib section protein content as compared with LOW plane of nutrition (14.6 vs 16.1%); there was no difference observed within 16L:8D groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

On the use of hydroxyl radical kinetics to assess the number-average molecular weight of dissolved organic matter.

PubMed

Appiani, Elena; Page, Sarah E; McNeill, Kristopher

2014-10-21

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is involved in numerous environmental processes, and its molecular size is important in many of these processes, such as DOM bioavailability, DOM sorptive capacity, and the formation of disinfection byproducts during water treatment. The size and size distribution of the molecules composing DOM remains an open question. In this contribution, an indirect method to assess the average size of DOM is described, which is based on the reaction of hydroxyl radical (HO(•)) quenching by DOM. HO(•) is often assumed to be relatively unselective, reacting with nearly all organic molecules with similar rate constants. Literature values for HO(•) reaction with organic molecules were surveyed to assess the unselectivity of DOM and to determine a representative quenching rate constant (k(rep) = 5.6 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)). This value was used to assess the average molecular weight of various humic and fulvic acid isolates as model DOM, using literature HO(•) quenching constants, kC,DOM. The results obtained by this method were compared with previous estimates of average molecular weight. The average molecular weight (Mn) values obtained with this approach are lower than the Mn measured by other techniques such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC), vapor pressure osmometry (VPO), and flow field fractionation (FFF). This suggests that DOM is an especially good quencher for HO(•), reacting at rates close to the diffusion-control limit. It was further observed that humic acids generally react faster than fulvic acids. The high reactivity of humic acids toward HO(•) is in line with the antioxidant properties of DOM. The benefit of this method is that it provides a firm upper bound on the average molecular weight of DOM, based on the kinetic limits of the HO(•) reaction. The results indicate low average molecular weight values, which is most consistent with the recent understanding of DOM. A possible DOM size distribution is discussed to reconcile the small nature of DOM with the large-molecule behavior observed in other studies.

Scaling of Average Weighted Receiving Time on Double-Weighted Koch Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Meifeng; Ye, Dandan; Hou, Jie; Li, Xingyi

2015-03-01

In this paper, we introduce a model of the double-weighted Koch networks based on actual road networks depending on the two weight factors w,r ∈ (0, 1]. The double weights represent the capacity-flowing weight and the cost-traveling weight, respectively. Denote by wFij the capacity-flowing weight connecting the nodes i and j, and denote by wCij the cost-traveling weight connecting the nodes i and j. Let wFij be related to the weight factor w, and let wCij be related to the weight factor r. This paper assumes that the walker, at each step, starting from its current node, moves to any of its neighbors with probability proportional to the capacity-flowing weight of edge linking them. The weighted time for two adjacency nodes is the cost-traveling weight connecting the two nodes. We define the average weighted receiving time (AWRT) on the double-weighted Koch networks. The obtained result displays that in the large network, the AWRT grows as power-law function of the network order with the exponent, represented by θ(w,r) = ½ log2(1 + 3wr). We show that the AWRT exhibits a sublinear or linear dependence on network order. Thus, the double-weighted Koch networks are more efficient than classic Koch networks in receiving information.

The Short-Term Effect of Weight Loss Surgery on Volumetric Breast Density and Fibroglandular Volume.

PubMed

Vohra, Nasreen A; Kachare, Swapnil D; Vos, Paul; Schroeder, Bruce F; Schuth, Olga; Suttle, Dylan; Fitzgerald, Timothy L; Wong, Jan H; Verbanac, Kathryn M

2017-04-01

Obesity and breast density are both associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and are potentially modifiable. Weight loss surgery (WLS) causes a significant reduction in the amount of body fat and a decrease in breast cancer risk. The effect of WLS on breast density and its components has not been documented. Here, we analyze the impact of WLS on volumetric breast density (VBD) and on each of its components (fibroglandular volume and breast volume) by using three-dimensional methods. Fibroglandular volume, breast volume, and their ratio, the VBD, were calculated from mammograms before and after WLS by using Volpara™ automated software. For the 80 women included, average body mass index decreased from 46.0 ± 7.22 to 33.7 ± 7.06 kg/m 2 . Mammograms were performed on average 11.6 ± 9.4 months before and 10.1 ± 7 months after WLS. There was a significant reduction in average breast volume (39.4 % decrease) and average fibroglandular volume (15.5 % decrease), and thus, the average VBD increased from 5.15 to 7.87 % (p < 1 × 10 -9 ) after WLS. When stratified by menopausal status and diabetic status, VBD increased significantly in all groups but only perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and non-diabetics experienced a significant reduction in fibroglandular volume. Breast volume and fibroglandular volume decreased, and VBD increased following WLS, with the most significant change observed in postmenopausal women and non-diabetics. Further studies are warranted to determine how physical and biological alterations in breast density components after WLS may impact breast cancer risk.

Atmospheric deposition effects on the chemistry of a stream in Northeastern Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buell, G.R.; Peters, N.E.

1988-01-01

The quantity and quality of precipitation and streamwater were measured from August 1985 through September 1986 in the Brier Creek watershed, a 440-ha drainage in the Southern Blue Ridge Province of northeastern Georgia, to determine stream sensitivity to acidic deposition. Precipitation samples collected at 2 sites had a volume-weighted average pH of 4.40 whereas stream samples collected near the mouth of Brier Creek had a discharge-weighted average pH of 6.70. Computed solute fluxes through the watershed and observed changes in streamwater chemistry during stormflow suggest that cation exchange, mineral weathering, SO42- adsorption by the soil, and groundwater discharge to the stream are probable factors affecting neutralization of precipitation acidity. Net solute fluxes for the watershed indicate that, of the precipitation input, > 99% of the H+, 93% of the NH4+ and NO3-, and 77% of the SO42- were retained. Sources within the watershed yielded base cations, Cl-, and HCO3- and accounted for 84, 47, and 100% of the net transport, respectively. Although streamwater SO42- and NO3- concentrations increased during stormflow, peak concentrations of these anions were much less than average concentrations in the precipitation. This suggests retention of these solutes occurs even when water residence time is short.The quantity and quality of precipitation and streamwater were measured from August 1985 through September 1986 in the Brier Creek watershed, a 440-ha drainage in the Southern Blue Ridge Province of northeastern Georgia, to determine stream sensitivity to acidic deposition. Precipitation samples collected at 2 sites had a volume-weighted average pH of 4.40 whereas stream samples collected near the mouth of Brier Creek had a discharge-weighted average pYH of 6.70. Computed solute fluxes through the watershed and observed changes in streamwater chemistry drying stormflow suggest that cation exchange, mineral weathering, SO42- adsorption by the soil, and groundwater discharge to the stream are probable factors affecting neutralization of precipitation acidity. Although streamwater SO42- and NO3- concentrations increased during stormflow, peak concentrations of these anions were much less than average concentrations in the precipitation. This suggests retention of these solutes occurs even when water residence time is short.

Care, food consumption, and behavior of bald eagles used in DDT tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chura, N.J.; Stewart, P.A.

1967-01-01

Twenty-seven Bald Eagles captured in southeastern Alaska were used in feeding tests to determine the effects of DDT in the diet.....Trapping and housing of eagles are discussed. Various aspects of eagle behavior and handling techniques are also presented. Recommendations are made for preventing injuries and increasing the comfort of captive birds.....The 1962 test birds consumed an average of 274 grams per bird day with a range of 109 to 401 grams per day between birds. Average food intake was 254 grams per bird day for the 1963 test birds with a range of 194 to 324 grams per day between birds.....Weight losses varied from 23 to 49 per cent of normal body weight for the 7 birds which died in the 1962 tests. Tremors and death occurred first for birds on the highest dosage and progressively later for birds on the lower dosages.

Performance of Mashona doelings supplemented with different levels of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L. DC. var. utilis) seed meal.

PubMed

Madzimure, James; Mutema, Nyasha; Chimonyo, Michael; Bakare, Archibold Garikai; Mapiye, Cletos

2014-06-01

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing levels of velvet bean seed meal (VBM; 0, 12, 24, and 36 %) on the performance of Mashona doelings. Dry matter intake was lower (P < 0.05) for the control diet compared to VBM diets, but linearly declined (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of VBM. Average daily weight gain was significantly different between experimental groups. Doelings' final live weights and average daily gains were slightly higher in control group than other three supplemented groups where they linearly declined (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of VBM. The cost per kilogram of feed, however, decreased with high inclusion level of VBM. Result suggested that high inclusion level of VBM negatively influenced the growth of young goats probably due to the presence of some anti-nutritional factors which needs further investigation.

Diet or exercise, or both, for preventing excessive weight gain in pregnancy.

PubMed

Muktabhant, Benja; Lawrie, Theresa A; Lumbiganon, Pisake; Laopaiboon, Malinee

2015-06-15

This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2012, Issue 4. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and neonatal outcomes including gestational diabetes, hypertension, caesarean section, macrosomia, and stillbirth. Diet or exercise interventions, or both, may reduce excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and associated poor outcomes; however, evidence from the original review was inconclusive. To evaluate the effectiveness of diet or exercise, or both, interventions for preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy and associated pregnancy complications. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (5 November 2014), contacted investigators of the previously identified ongoing studies and scanned reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of diet or exercise, or both, interventions for preventing excessive weight gain in pregnancy. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. We organised RCTs according to the type of interventions and pooled data using the random-effects model in the Review Manager software. We also performed subgroup analyses according to the initial risk of adverse effects related to poor weight control. We performed sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of the findings. We included 65 RCTs, out of which 49 RCTs involving 11,444 women contributed data to quantitative meta-analysis. Twenty studies were at moderate-to-high risk of bias. Study interventions involved mainly diet only, exercise only, and combined diet and exercise interventions, usually compared with standard care. Study methods varied widely; therefore, we estimated the average effect across studies and performed sensitivity analysis, where appropriate, by excluding outliers and studies at high risk of bias.Diet or exercise, or both, interventions reduced the risk of excessive GWG on average by 20% overall (average risk ratio (RR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73 to 0.87; participants = 7096; studies = 24; I² = 52%). This estimate was robust to sensitivity analysis, which reduced heterogeneity, therefore we graded this evidence as high-quality. Interventions involving low glycaemic load diets, supervised or unsupervised exercise only, or diet and exercise combined all led to similar reductions in the number of women gaining excessive weight in pregnancy.Women receiving diet or exercise, or both interventions were more likely to experience low GWG than those in control groups (average RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.27; participants = 4422; studies = 11; I² = 3%; moderate-quality evidence). We found no difference between intervention and control groups with regard to pre-eclampsia (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.16; participants = 5330; studies = 15; I² = 0%; high-quality evidence); however, maternal hypertension (not a pre-specified outcome) was reduced in the intervention group compared with the control group overall (average RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.96; participants = 5162; studies = 11; I² = 43%; low-quality evidence).There was no clear difference between groups with regard to caesarean delivery overall (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.03; participants = 7534; studies = 28; I² = 9%; high-quality evidence); although the effect estimate suggested a small difference (5%) in favour of the interventions. In addition, for combined diet and exercise counselling interventions there was a 13% (-1% to 25%) reduction in this outcome (borderline statistical significance).We found no difference between groups with regard to preterm birth overall (average RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.22; participants = 5923; studies = 16; I² = 16%; moderate-quality evidence); however limited evidence suggested that these effect estimates may differ according to the types of interventions, with a trend towards an increased risk for exercise-only interventions.We found no clear difference between intervention and control groups with regard to infant macrosomia (average RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.02; participants = 8598; studies = 27; I² = 0%; high-quality evidence), although the effect estimate suggested a small difference (7% reduction) in favour of the intervention group. The largest effect size occurred in the supervised exercise-only intervention group (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.02; participants = 2445; studies = 7; I² = 0%), which approached statistical significance (P = 0.07). Furthermore, in subgroup analysis by risk, high-risk women (overweight or obese women, or women with or at risk of gestational diabetes) receiving combined diet and exercise counselling interventions experienced a 15% reduced risk of infant macrosomia (average RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.00; participants = 3252; studies = nine; I² = 0; P = 0.05; moderate-quality evidence)There were no differences in the risk of poor neonatal outcomes including shoulder dystocia, neonatal hypoglycaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, or birth trauma (all moderate-quality evidence) between intervention and control groups; however, infants of high-risk women had a reduced risk of respiratory distress syndrome if their mothers were in the intervention group (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.85; participants = 2256; studies = two; I² = 0%; moderate-quality evidence). High-quality evidence indicates that diet or exercise, or both, during pregnancy can reduce the risk of excessive GWG. Other benefits may include a lower risk of caesarean delivery, macrosomia, and neonatal respiratory morbidity, particularly for high-risk women receiving combined diet and exercise interventions. Maternal hypertension may also be reduced. Exercise appears to be an important part of controlling weight gain in pregnancy and more research is needed to establish safe guidelines. Most included studies were carried out in developed countries and it is not clear whether these results are widely applicable to lower income settings.

SEDFIT-MSTAR: Molecular weight and molecular weight distribution analysis of polymers by sedimentation equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge

PubMed Central

Schuck, Peter; Gillis, Richard B.; Besong, Tabot M.D.; Almutairi, Fahad; Adams, Gary G.; Rowe, Arthur J.; Harding, Stephen E.

2014-01-01

Sedimentation equilibrium (analytical ultracentrifugation) is one of the most inherently suitable methods for the determination of average molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of polymers, because of its absolute basis (no conformation assumptions) and inherent fractionation ability (without the need for columns or membranes and associated assumptions over inertness). With modern instrumentation it is also possible to run up to 21 samples simultaneously in a single run. Its application has been severely hampered because of difficulties in terms of baseline determination (incorporating estimation of the concentration at the air/solution meniscus) and complexity of the analysis procedures. We describe a new method for baseline determination based on a smart-smoothing principle and built into the highly popular platform SEDFIT for the analysis of the sedimentation behavior of natural and synthetic polymer materials. The SEDFIT-MSTAR procedure – which takes only a few minutes to perform - is tested with four synthetic data sets (including a significantly non-ideal system) a naturally occurring protein (human IgG1) and two naturally occurring carbohydrate polymers (pullulan and λ–carrageenan) in terms of (i) weight average molecular weight for the whole distribution of species in the sample (ii) the variation in “point” average molecular weight with local concentration in the ultracentrifuge cell and (iii) molecular weight distribution. PMID:24244936

Population annealing with weighted averages: A Monte Carlo method for rough free-energy landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machta, J.

2010-08-01

The population annealing algorithm introduced by Hukushima and Iba is described. Population annealing combines simulated annealing and Boltzmann weighted differential reproduction within a population of replicas to sample equilibrium states. Population annealing gives direct access to the free energy. It is shown that unbiased measurements of observables can be obtained by weighted averages over many runs with weight factors related to the free-energy estimate from the run. Population annealing is well suited to parallelization and may be a useful alternative to parallel tempering for systems with rough free-energy landscapes such as spin glasses. The method is demonstrated for spin glasses.

Effects of an education program on the health and illness profile of rural breast-fed babies.

PubMed

Nakao, R M

1988-01-01

In the Philippines, researchers followed 135 babies born between August 1985-January 1986 to determine the effects of health education on infant health. Mothers in the experimental group learned about infant care, frequent nursing, personal hygiene, waiting until 4-6 months to begin supplementary foods, and the importance of the colostrum. Those in the control group received no such education. Both groups of mothers breast fed. 65% of the babies in the control group were healthy after 1 month, 48% after 4 months, 64% after 6 months, and 25% at 1 year while 57% of those from the experimental group were healthy after 1 month, 52% after 2 months, 3% after 5 months, and non at 1 year. There was a statistical difference in mean weights between the experimental and control groups at birth, 8 and 11 months. The average weights for babies in the experimental group were in the Class II category (weight for age 25th percentile and or = 50% percentile) while the average weight for those in the control group were in the Class I category (weight for age or = 25% percentile). Babies of multigravida mothers were more likely to be in Class III and IV (both classes 50th percentile) categories than those of primigravida mothers. No experimental group 5-7 month old babies had gastroenteritis while 6.1% 5 month olds, 16.1% 6 month olds, and 17.1% 7 months old in the control group had gastroenteritis. The incidence of respiratory infections was higher among control babies than experimental babies, except at 9 months. The incidence of fever was basically the same in both groups, except 9 and 12 month old experimental babies did not have any fever. Results of this study indicate that health education on infant health contributes to a lower incidence of gastroenteritis and respiratory infections and to higher weight gains.

How Reliable is Bayesian Model Averaging Under Noisy Data? Statistical Assessment and Implications for Robust Model Selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schöniger, Anneli; Wöhling, Thomas; Nowak, Wolfgang

2014-05-01

Bayesian model averaging ranks the predictive capabilities of alternative conceptual models based on Bayes' theorem. The individual models are weighted with their posterior probability to be the best one in the considered set of models. Finally, their predictions are combined into a robust weighted average and the predictive uncertainty can be quantified. This rigorous procedure does, however, not yet account for possible instabilities due to measurement noise in the calibration data set. This is a major drawback, since posterior model weights may suffer a lack of robustness related to the uncertainty in noisy data, which may compromise the reliability of model ranking. We present a new statistical concept to account for measurement noise as source of uncertainty for the weights in Bayesian model averaging. Our suggested upgrade reflects the limited information content of data for the purpose of model selection. It allows us to assess the significance of the determined posterior model weights, the confidence in model selection, and the accuracy of the quantified predictive uncertainty. Our approach rests on a brute-force Monte Carlo framework. We determine the robustness of model weights against measurement noise by repeatedly perturbing the observed data with random realizations of measurement error. Then, we analyze the induced variability in posterior model weights and introduce this "weighting variance" as an additional term into the overall prediction uncertainty analysis scheme. We further determine the theoretical upper limit in performance of the model set which is imposed by measurement noise. As an extension to the merely relative model ranking, this analysis provides a measure of absolute model performance. To finally decide, whether better data or longer time series are needed to ensure a robust basis for model selection, we resample the measurement time series and assess the convergence of model weights for increasing time series length. We illustrate our suggested approach with an application to model selection between different soil-plant models following up on a study by Wöhling et al. (2013). Results show that measurement noise compromises the reliability of model ranking and causes a significant amount of weighting uncertainty, if the calibration data time series is not long enough to compensate for its noisiness. This additional contribution to the overall predictive uncertainty is neglected without our approach. Thus, we strongly advertise to include our suggested upgrade in the Bayesian model averaging routine.

Productivity and growth performance of edamame (Glycin Max L Merril) due to the addition of sitokinin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohmawati, Irma; Ulfah, Maria

2018-05-01

Global market demand towards edamame is quite high, but production of edamame is still very low. Edamame have to increased its production. Many researchers stated that sitokinin effect on the activities of enzymes in metabolic processes of plants. This research aims to analyze response of plant physiological Edamame applied with hormones sitokinin especially in aspects of growth and productivity. The research was carried out in March-May 2017. This study used a Randomized Complete Design method with three treatment factors that is A (unannounced sitokinin hormone), B (hormone siokinin 0.5 mL) C (hormone sitokinin 1 mL) with 5 repetitions. The parameters observed were higher plants, number of leaves, and the weight of the fruit. Research shows that treatment with hormone sitokinin effect on the growth and the production of edamame. The addition of the sitokinin hormones can increase the growth of leaves, stems, and fruit productivity. Results of the study showed treatment C (sitokinin 1 mL) gives signifcant effect. At the age of 48 HST by administering hormones 1 mL, has an average height of 28.8 cm, average number of leaves 15, and heavy weight fruit 17.43 grams.

Changes in Body Weight Among People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the United States, NHANES 2005-2012.

PubMed

Wang, Yiting; Bolge, Susan C; Lopez, Janice M S; Zhu, Vivienne J; Stang, Paul E

2016-06-01

To understand weight loss strategies, weight changes, goals, and behaviors in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and whether these differ by ethnicity. T2DM was identified by self-reported diagnosis using the NHANES 2005-2012 data, which also included measured and self-reported current body weight and height, self-reported weight the prior year, and self-reported aspired weight. Nineteen weight loss strategies were evaluated for association with ≥5% weight loss or weight gain versus <5% weight change. Among people with T2DM, 88.0% were overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m(2)) in the prior year and 86.1% the current year. About 60% of the overweight/obese took weight loss actions, mostly using diet-related methods with average weight lost <5%. Two most "effective" methods reported (smoking, taking laxatives/vomiting) are also potentially most harmful. Similar BMI distributions but different goals and behaviors about weight and weight loss were observed across ethnicity. Only physical activity meeting the recommended level and changing eating habits were consistently associated with favorable and statistically significant weight change. Weight management in T2DM is an ongoing challenge, regardless of ethnicity/race. Among overweight/obese T2DM subjects, recommended level of physical activity and changing eating habits were associated with statistically significant favorable weight change. © 2016 The Author(s).

An empirical investigation on different methods of economic growth rate forecast and its behavior from fifteen countries across five continents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yip Chee; Hock-Eam, Lim

2012-09-01

Our empirical results show that we can predict GDP growth rate more accurately in continent with fewer large economies, compared to smaller economies like Malaysia. This difficulty is very likely positively correlated with subsidy or social security policies. The stage of economic development and level of competiveness also appears to have interactive effects on this forecast stability. These results are generally independent of the forecasting procedures. Countries with high stability in their economic growth, forecasting by model selection is better than model averaging. Overall forecast weight averaging (FWA) is a better forecasting procedure in most countries. FWA also outperforms simple model averaging (SMA) and has the same forecasting ability as Bayesian model averaging (BMA) in almost all countries.

Comparison of health utility weights among elderly patients receiving breast-conserving surgery plus hormonal therapy with or without radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Ali, Askal Ayalew; Xiao, Hong; Tawk, Rima; Campbell, Ellen; Semykina, Anastasia; Montero, Alberto J.; Diaby, Vakaramoko

2017-01-01

Background The selection of the most appropriate treatment combinations requires the balancing of benefits and harms of these treatment options as well as the patients’ preferences for the resulting outcomes. Objective This research aimed at estimating and comparing the utility weights between elderly women with early stage hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer receiving a combination of radiotherapy and hormonal therapy after breast conserving surgery (BCS) and those receiving a combination of BCS and hormonal therapy. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) linked with Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) was used as the data source. Health utility weights were derived from the VR-12 health-related quality of life instrument using a mapping algorithm. Descriptive statistics of the sample were provided. Two sample t-tests were performed to determine potential differences in mean health utility weights between the two groups after propensity score matching. Results The average age at diagnosis was 72 vs. 76 years for the treated and the untreated groups, respectively. The results showed an inverse relationship between the receipt of radiotherapy and age. Patients who received radiotherapy had, on average, a higher health utility weight (0.70; SD = 0.123) compared with those who did not receive radiotherapy (0.676; SD = 0.130). Only treated patients who had more than two comorbid conditions had significantly higher health utility weights compared with patients who were not treated. Conclusions The mean health utility weights estimated for the radiotherapy and no radiotherapy groups can be used to inform a comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of the treatment options. However, the results of this study may not be generalizable to those who are outside a managed care plan because MHOS data is collected on managed care beneficiaries. PMID:27819160

Comparison of free-breathing with navigator-controlled acquisition regimes in abdominal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images: Effect on ADC and IVIM statistics.

PubMed

Jerome, Neil P; Orton, Matthew R; d'Arcy, James A; Collins, David J; Koh, Dow-Mu; Leach, Martin O

2014-01-01

To evaluate the effect on diffusion-weighted image-derived parameters in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) models from choice of either free-breathing or navigator-controlled acquisition. Imaging was performed with consent from healthy volunteers (n = 10) on a 1.5T Siemens Avanto scanner. Parameter-matched free-breathing and navigator-controlled diffusion-weighted images were acquired, without averaging in the console, for a total scan time of ∼10 minutes. Regions of interest were drawn for renal cortex, renal pyramid, whole kidney, liver, spleen, and paraspinal muscle. An ADC diffusion model for these regions was fitted for b-values ≥ 250 s/mm(2) , using a Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, and an IVIM model was fitted for all images using a Bayesian method. ADC and IVIM parameters from the two acquisition regimes show no significant differences for the cohort; individual cases show occasional discrepancies, with outliers in parameter estimates arising more commonly from navigator-controlled scans. The navigator-controlled acquisitions showed, on average, a smaller range of movement for the kidneys (6.0 ± 1.4 vs. 10.0 ± 1.7 mm, P = 0.03), but also a smaller number of averages collected (3.9 ± 0.1 vs. 5.5 ± 0.2, P < 0.01) in the allocated time. Navigator triggering offers no advantage in fitted diffusion parameters, whereas free-breathing appears to offer greater confidence in fitted diffusion parameters, with fewer outliers, for matched acquisition periods. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Balancing exercise and food intake with lactation to promote post-partum weight loss.

PubMed

Lovelady, Cheryl

2011-05-01

Excess weight gain during pregnancy and post-partum weight retention are risk factors for obesity. While many studies report average weight retained from pregnancy is only 0·5-3·0 kg; between 14 and 20% of women are 5 kg heavier at 6-18 months post-partum than they were before pregnancy. Among normal-weight women, lactation usually promotes weight loss to a moderate extent, but not among those with BMI≥35 kg/m2. While exercise and energy restriction may promote weight loss during lactation, their effect on milk volume and composition and, consequently, infant growth must be considered. The effect of exercise on lactation performance has been investigated. Moderate aerobic exercise of 45 min/d, 5 d/week improved cardiovascular fitness, plasma lipids and insulin response; however, it did not promote post-partum weight loss. Breast milk volume and composition were not affected. The effect of exercise with energy restriction in overweight women on the growth of their infants has also been studied. At 1 month post-partum, women restricted their energy intake by 2092 kJ/d and exercised 45 min/d, 4 d/week for 10 weeks. Women in the diet and exercise group lost more weight than the control group (4·8 (sd 1·7) kg v. 0·8 (sd 2·3) kg); however, there were no differences in infant growth. Based on the current evidence, it is recommended that once lactation is established, overweight women may restrict their energy intake by 2092 kJ/d and exercise aerobically 4 d/week to promote a weight loss of 0·5 kg/week.

Genetic Polymorphisms in the Hypothalamic Pathway in Relation to Subsequent Weight Change – The DiOGenes Study

PubMed Central

Ängquist, Lars; Hansen, Rikke D.; van der A, Daphne L.; Holst, Claus; Tjønneland, Anne; Overvad, Kim; Jakobsen, Marianne Uhre; Boeing, Heiner; Meidtner, Karina; Palli, Domenico; Masala, Giovanna; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Saris, Wim H. M.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; J.Wareham, Nicolas; Sørensen, Thorkild I. A.; Loos, Ruth J. F.

2011-01-01

Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding the components involved in the hypothalamic pathway may influence weight gain and dietary factors may modify their effects. Aim We conducted a case-cohort study to investigate the associations of SNPs in candidate genes with weight change during an average of 6.8 years of follow-up and to examine the potential effect modification by glycemic index (GI) and protein intake. Methods and Findings Participants, aged 20–60 years at baseline, came from five European countries. Cases (‘weight gainers’) were selected from the total eligible cohort (n = 50,293) as those with the greatest unexplained annual weight gain (n = 5,584). A random subcohort (n = 6,566) was drawn with the intention to obtain an equal number of cases and noncases (n = 5,507). We genotyped 134 SNPs that captured all common genetic variation across the 15 candidate genes; 123 met the quality control criteria. Each SNP was tested for association with the risk of being a ‘weight gainer’ (logistic regression models) in the case-noncase data and with weight gain (linear regression models) in the random subcohort data. After accounting for multiple testing, none of the SNPs was significantly associated with weight change. Furthermore, we observed no significant effect modification by dietary factors, except for SNP rs7180849 in the neuromedin β gene (NMB). Carriers of the minor allele had a more pronounced weight gain at a higher GI (P = 2×10−7). Conclusions We found no evidence of association between SNPs in the studied hypothalamic genes with weight change. The interaction between GI and NMB SNP rs7180849 needs further confirmation. PMID:21390334

Recommended Interim Criteria for Three Environmental Polluting Compounds of Rocky Mountain Arsenal

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

derivation ox criteria will have to be assessed. All the criLeria recommended herein are also subject to change when any new scientific data on the...weight, it follows that dhuman/ danimal - (WE/WA)/ and dhuman/WH = (W 1/3 Sanimal/WA where WH = average body weight for a human adult, 70 kg WA - average

49 CFR 537.7 - Pre-model year and mid-model year reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... List the model types in order of increasing average inertia weight from top to bottom down the left... form. List the model types in order of increasing average inertia weight from top to bottom down the... trucks in your fleet that meet the mild and strong hybrid vehicle definitions. For each mild and strong...

49 CFR 537.7 - Pre-model year and mid-model year reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... List the model types in order of increasing average inertia weight from top to bottom down the left... form. List the model types in order of increasing average inertia weight from top to bottom down the... trucks in your fleet that meet the mild and strong hybrid vehicle definitions. For each mild and strong...

A transgenic study on affecting potato tuber yield by expressing the rice sucrose transporter genes OsSUT5Z and OsSUT2M.

PubMed

Sun, Aijun; Dai, Yan; Zhang, Xinsheng; Li, Chunmin; Meng, Kun; Xu, Honglin; Wei, Xiaoli; Xiao, Guifang; Ouwerkerk, Pieter B F; Wang, Mei; Zhu, Zhen

2011-07-01

In many plants, sucrose transporters are essential for both sucrose exports from sources and imports into sinks, indicating a function in assimilate partitioning. To investigate whether sucrose transporters can improve the yield of starch plant, potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Désirée) were transformed with cDNAs of the rice sucrose transporter genes OsSUT5Z and OsSUT2M under the control of a tuber-specific, class-I patatin promoter. Compared to the controls, the average fructose content of OsSUT5Z transgenic tubers significantly increased. However, the content of the sugars and starch in the OsSUT2M transgenic potato tubers showed no obvious difference. Correspondingly, the average tuber yield, average number of tubers per plant and average weight of single tuber showed no significant difference in OsSUT2M transgenic tubers with controls. In the OsSUT5Z transgenic lines, the average tuber yield per plant was 1.9-fold higher than the controls, and the average number of tubers per plant increased by more than 10 tubers on average, whereas the average weight of a single tuber did not increase significantly. These results suggested that the average number of tubers per plant showed more contribution than the average weight of a single tuber to the tuber yield per plant. © 2011 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate recovery and effect of in situ extracellular polymeric substances removal from aerobic granules.

PubMed

Gobi, K; Vadivelu, V M

2015-01-01

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) recovery from aerobic granules was investigated using four cell digestion agents, namely, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, acetone and sodium chloride. Simultaneously, the removal of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and its effect on PHA yield were investigated. The highest PHA recovery yield was obtained using sodium hypochlorite, accounting for 89% cell dry weight (CDW). The highest PHA was recovered after the sodium hypochlorite completely removed the EPS from the aerobic granules. The average molecular weight (Mw) of the PHA recovered using sodium hypochlorite was 5.31 × 10(5)g/mol with only 1.8% molecular weight degradation. The energy and duration analysis for PHA recovery revealed that the sodium hypochlorite method required the least amount of energy and time at 0.0561 MJ/g PHA and 26 h, respectively. The PHA that was recovered was a P3(HB-co-HV) co-polymer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Effective Evolutionary Approach for Bicriteria Shortest Path Routing Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Lin; Gen, Mitsuo

Routing problem is one of the important research issues in communication network fields. In this paper, we consider a bicriteria shortest path routing (bSPR) model dedicated to calculating nondominated paths for (1) the minimum total cost and (2) the minimum transmission delay. To solve this bSPR problem, we propose a new multiobjective genetic algorithm (moGA): (1) an efficient chromosome representation using the priority-based encoding method; (2) a new operator of GA parameters auto-tuning, which is adaptively regulation of exploration and exploitation based on the change of the average fitness of parents and offspring which is occurred at each generation; and (3) an interactive adaptive-weight fitness assignment mechanism is implemented that assigns weights to each objective and combines the weighted objectives into a single objective function. Numerical experiments with various scales of network design problems show the effectiveness and the efficiency of our approach by comparing with the recent researches.

Altering surface fluctuations by blending tethered and untethered chains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, J. K.; Akgun, B.; Jiang, Z.

"Partially tethering" a thin film of a polymer melt by covalently attaching to the substrate a fraction of the chains in an unentangled melt dramatically increases the relaxation time of the surface height fluctuations. This phenomenon is observed even when the film thickness, h, is 20 times the unperturbed chain radius, R g,tethered, of the tethered chains, indicating that partial tethering is more influential than any physical attraction with the substrate. Furthermore, a partially tethered layer of a low average molecular weight of 5k showed much slower surface fluctuations than did a reference layer of pure untethered chains of muchmore » greater molecular weight (48k), so the partial tethering effect is stronger than the effects of entanglement and increase in glass transition temperature, Tg, with molecular weight. Partial tethering offers a means of tailoring these fluctuations which influence wetting, adhesion, and tribology of the surface.« less

Altering surface fluctuations by blending tethered and untethered chains

DOE PAGES

Lee, J. K.; Akgun, B.; Jiang, Z.; ...

2017-10-16

"Partially tethering" a thin film of a polymer melt by covalently attaching to the substrate a fraction of the chains in an unentangled melt dramatically increases the relaxation time of the surface height fluctuations. This phenomenon is observed even when the film thickness, h, is 20 times the unperturbed chain radius, R g,tethered, of the tethered chains, indicating that partial tethering is more influential than any physical attraction with the substrate. Furthermore, a partially tethered layer of a low average molecular weight of 5k showed much slower surface fluctuations than did a reference layer of pure untethered chains of muchmore » greater molecular weight (48k), so the partial tethering effect is stronger than the effects of entanglement and increase in glass transition temperature, Tg, with molecular weight. Partial tethering offers a means of tailoring these fluctuations which influence wetting, adhesion, and tribology of the surface.« less

Assessing the average sodium content of prepacked foods with nutrition declarations: the importance of sales data.

PubMed

Korošec, Živa; Pravst, Igor

2014-09-04

Processed foods are recognized as a major contributor to high dietary sodium intake, associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Different public health actions are being introduced to reduce sodium content in processed foods and sodium intake in general. A gradual reduction of sodium content in processed foods was proposed in Slovenia, but monitoring sodium content in the food supply is essential to evaluate the progress. Our primary objective was to test a new approach for assessing the sales-weighted average sodium content of prepacked foods on the market. We show that a combination of 12-month food sales data provided by food retailers covering the majority of the national market and a comprehensive food composition database compiled using food labelling data represent a robust and cost-effective approach to assessing the sales-weighted average sodium content of prepacked foods. Food categories with the highest sodium content were processed meats (particularly dry cured meat), ready meals (especially frozen pizza) and cheese. The reported results show that in most investigated food categories, market leaders in the Slovenian market have lower sodium contents than the category average. The proposed method represents an excellent tool for monitoring sodium content in the food supply.

Assessing the Average Sodium Content of Prepacked Foods with Nutrition Declarations: The Importance of Sales Data

PubMed Central

Korošec, Živa; Pravst, Igor

2014-01-01

Processed foods are recognized as a major contributor to high dietary sodium intake, associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Different public health actions are being introduced to reduce sodium content in processed foods and sodium intake in general. A gradual reduction of sodium content in processed foods was proposed in Slovenia, but monitoring sodium content in the food supply is essential to evaluate the progress. Our primary objective was to test a new approach for assessing the sales-weighted average sodium content of prepacked foods on the market. We show that a combination of 12-month food sales data provided by food retailers covering the majority of the national market and a comprehensive food composition database compiled using food labelling data represent a robust and cost-effective approach to assessing the sales-weighted average sodium content of prepacked foods. Food categories with the highest sodium content were processed meats (particularly dry cured meat), ready meals (especially frozen pizza) and cheese. The reported results show that in most investigated food categories, market leaders in the Slovenian market have lower sodium contents than the category average. The proposed method represents an excellent tool for monitoring sodium content in the food supply. PMID:25192028

Investigation of natural effective gamma dose rates case study: Ardebil Province in Iran

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Gamma rays pose enough energy to induce chemical changes that may be biologically important for the normal functioning of body cells. The external exposure of human beings to natural environmental gamma radiation normally exceeds that from all man-made sources combined. In this research natural background gamma dose rates and corresponding annual effective doses were determined for selected cities of Ardebil province. Outdoor gamma dose rates were measured using an Ion Chamber Survey Meter in 105 locations in selected districts. Average absorbed doses for Ardebil, Sar-Ein, Germy, Neer, Shourabil Recreational Lake, and Kosar were determined as 265, 219, 344, 233, 352, and 358 nSv/h, respectively. Although dose rates recorded for Germi and Kosar are comparable with some areas with high natural radiation background, however, the dose rates in other districts are well below the levels reported for such locations. Average annual effective dose due to indoor and outdoor gamma radiation for Ardebil province was estimated as 1.73 (1.35–2.39) mSv, which is on average 2 times higher than the world population weighted average. PMID:23369115

Measuring weight outcomes for obesity intervention strategies: the case of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax.

PubMed

Lin, Biing-Hwan; Smith, Travis A; Lee, Jonq-Ying; Hall, Kevin D

2011-12-01

Taxing unhealthy foods has been proposed as a means to improve diet and health by reducing calorie intake and raising funds to combat obesity, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). A growing number of studies have examined the effects of such food taxes, but few have estimated the weight-loss effects. Typically, a static model of 3500 calories for one pound of body weight is used, and the main objective of the study is to demonstrate its bias. To accomplish the objective, we estimate income-segmented beverage demand systems to examine the potential effects of a SSB tax. Elasticity estimates and a hypothetical 20 percent effective tax rate (or about 0.5 cent per ounce) are applied to beverage intake data from a nationally representative survey, and we find an average daily reduction of 34-47 calories among adults and 40-51 calories among children. The tax-induced energy reductions are translated into weight loss using both static and dynamic calorie-to-weight models. Results demonstrate that the static model significantly overestimates the weight loss from reduced energy intake by 63 percent in year one, 346 percent in year five, and 764 percent in year 10, which leads to unrealistic expectations for obesity intervention strategies. The tax is estimated to generate $5.8 billion a year in revenue and is found to be regressive, although it represents about 1 percent of household food and beverage spending. Published by Elsevier B.V.

No direct by maternal effects interaction detected for pre-weaning growth in Romane sheep using a reaction norm model.

PubMed

David, Ingrid; Bouvier, Frédéric; Ricard, Edmond; Ruesche, Julien; Weisbecker, Jean-Louis

2013-09-30

The pre-weaning growth of lambs, an important component of meat production, depends on maternal and direct effects. These effects cannot be observed directly and models used to study pre-weaning growth assume that they are additive. However, it is reasonable to suggest that the influence of direct effects on growth may differ depending on the value of maternal effects i.e. an interaction may exist between the two components. To test this hypothesis, an experiment was carried out in Romane sheep in order to obtain observations of maternal phenotypic effects (milk yield and milk quality) and pre-weaning growth of the lambs. The experiment consisted of mating ewes that had markedly different maternal genetic effects with rams that contributed very different genetic effects in four replicates of a 3 × 2 factorial plan. Milk yield was measured using the lamb suckling weight differential technique and milk composition (fat and protein contents) was determined by infrared spectroscopy at 15, 21 and 35 days after lambing. Lambs were weighed at birth and then at 15, 21 and 35 days. An interaction between genotype (of the lamb) and environment (milk yield and quality) for average daily gain was tested using a restricted likelihood ratio test, comparing a linear reaction norm model (interaction model) to a classical additive model (no interaction model). A total of 1284 weights of 442 lambs born from 166 different ewes were analysed. On average, the ewes produced 2.3 ± 0.8 L milk per day. The average protein and fat contents were 50 ± 4 g/L and 60 ± 18 g/L, respectively. The mean 0-35 day average daily gain was 207 ± 46 g/d. Results of the restricted likelihood ratio tests did not highlight any significant interactions between the genotype of the lambs and milk production of the ewe. Our results support the hypothesis of additivity of maternal and direct effects on growth that is currently applied in genetic evaluation models.

Effect of preweaning nutritional management on yearling weight response in an open-herd selection program.

PubMed

Hough, J D; Benyshek, L L

1988-10-01

Records on 276 progeny were collected in the final 2 yr (1984 and 1985) of an 8-yr Hereford cattle selection project. Selection was practiced using the top sires from the American Hereford Association's National Cattle Evaluation based on yearling weight expected progeny difference. An unselected control line was maintained to monitor environmental change. One-half of each line was creep-fed during the preweaning period for the last 2 yr to evaluate genotype x environment interactions. Direct response to yearling weight selection averaged 28 +/- 8 kg. Correlated response to selection amounted to .057 +/- .028 kg/d in preweaning ADG, 14 +/- 6 kg in weaning weight, .085 +/- .033 kg/d in postweaning ADG, 4.6 +/- 1.5 cm in yearling hip height and 11.2 +/- 3.0 cm2 in yearling pelvic area. Yearling fat thickness and scrotal circumference were not significantly affected by selection. Significant effects of creep feeding were observed for yearling weight (15 +/- 3 kg), preweaning ADG (.067 +/- .012 kg/d), weaning weight (13 +/- 2 kg), yearling hip height (1.2 +/- .5 cm) and yearling fat thickness (.07 +/- .03 cm). Postweaning ADG, yearling pelvic area and yearling scrotal circumference were not affected by creep feeding. No significant genetic group x creep feeding effects were found for any of the traits analyzed, indicating calves genetically superior for growth did not gain any additional advantage from creep feeding.

L2 Reading Comprehension and Its Correlates: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeon, Eun Hee; Yamashita, Junko

2014-01-01

The present meta-analysis examined the overall average correlation (weighted for sample size and corrected for measurement error) between passage-level second language (L2) reading comprehension and 10 key reading component variables investigated in the research domain. Four high-evidence correlates (with 18 or more accumulated effect sizes: L2…

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 611 - Description of Measures Used for Project Evaluation

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... weighted average of current year and horizon year. (d) Congestion Relief. [Reserved] (e) Cost-effectiveness... benefit and cost evaluation methods. In addition, FTA may establish warrants for one or more of these... cost of the facilities (when such facilities are designed to achieve a third-party certification or to...

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 611 - Description of Measures Used for Project Evaluation

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... weighted average of current year and horizon year. (d) Congestion Relief. [Reserved] (e) Cost-effectiveness... benefit and cost evaluation methods. In addition, FTA may establish warrants for one or more of these... cost of the facilities (when such facilities are designed to achieve a third-party certification or to...

Human tumour xenografts in nude mice: chemotherapy trials with titanocene dichloride in different dosages.

PubMed

Villena-Heinsen, C; Friedrich, M; Ertan, A K; Schmidt, W

1998-01-01

In this study new cytostatic therapies with titanocene dichloride in different dosages for the treatment of ovarian cancer are analyzed on human tumour xenografts in nude mice. The aim was to compare the effects of different dosages of titanocene dichloride on the growth of human tumour xenografts and nude mice body weight. Biopsy material from one human ovarian carcinoma was expanded and transplanted into 52 nude mice. The treatment protocol included one experiment that consisted of the following six treatment groups: titanocene dichloride 3 x 10 mg/kg, titanocene dichloride 3 x 20 mg/kg, titanocene dichloride 3 x 30 mg/kg, titanocene dichloride 1 x 30 mg/kg, titanocene dichloride 1 x 40 mg/kg and a control group treated with 0.9% saline. Treatment groups were evaluated in terms of average daily increase in tumour volume and average daily body weight increase on nude mice. The slope factors alpha and beta of the body weight and tumour volume changes were calculated. Titanocene dichloride in the dosage of 3 x 30 mg/kg and 3 x 20 mg/kg brought about a significant reduction in tumour volume (p < 0.05) compared to the control group and to the treatment group under medication with titanocene dichloride 1 x 30 mg/kg. There were no significant changes in the body weight of nude mice. We found titanocene dichloride to be effective in the reduction of tumour volume increase in nude mice. Titanocene dichloride could be an active chemotherapeutic drug in women with ovarian carcinoma not responding to standard therapies.

Evaluation of Isolated Fractions of Aloe vera Gel Materials on Indinavir Pharmacokinetics: In vitro and in vivo Studies.

PubMed

Wallis, Lonette; Malan, Maides; Gouws, Chrisna; Steyn, Dewald; Ellis, Suria; Abay, Efrem; Wiesner, Lubbe; Otto, Daniel P; Hamman, Josias

2016-01-01

Aloe vera is a plant with a long history of traditional medicinal use and is consumed in different products, sometimes in conjunction with prescribed medicines. A. vera gel has shown the ability to modulate drug absorption in vitro. The aim of this study was to fractionate the precipitated polysaccharide component of A. vera gel based on molecular weight and to compare their interactions with indinavir pharmacokinetics. Crude polysaccharides were precipitated from a solution of A. vera gel and was fractionated by means of centrifugal filtration through membranes with different molecular weight cut-off values (i.e. 300 KDa, 100 KDa and 30 KDa). Marker molecules were quantified in the aloe leaf materials by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the average molecular weight was determined by means of gel filtration chromatography linked to multi-angle-laser-light scattering and refractive index detection. The effect of the aloe leaf materials on the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of Caco-2 cell monolayers as well as indinavir metabolism in LS180 cells was measured. The bioavailability of indinavir in the presence and absence of the aloe leaf materials was determined in Sprague-Dawley rats. All the aloe leaf materials investigated in this study reduced the TEER of Caco-2 cell monolayers, inhibited indinavir metabolism in LS 180 cells to different extents and changed the bioavailability parameters of indinavir in rats compared to that of indinavir alone. These indinavir pharmacokinetic modulation effects were not dependent on the presence of aloverose and also not on the average molecular weight of the isolated fractions.

Effect of IGF1, GH, and PIT1 markers on the genetic parameters of growth and reproduction traits in Canchim cattle.

PubMed

Grossi, Daniela do Amaral; Buzanskas, Marcos Eli; Grupioni, Natalia Vinhal; de Paz, Claudia Cristina Paro; Regitano, Luciana Correia de Almeida; de Alencar, Maurício Mello; Schenkel, Flávio Schramm; Munari, Danísio Prado

2015-01-01

The availability of dense genomic information has increased genome-wide association studies for the bovine species; however research to assess the effect of single genes on production traits is still important to elucidate the genes functions. On this study the association of IGF1, GH, and PIT1 markers with growth and reproductive traits (birth weight, weaning weight, weight at 12 and 18 months of age, preweaning average daily weight gain, age and weight at first calving, and scrotal circumference at 12 and 18 months of age) were assessed by means of the variance component approach. The phenotypes were adjusted and then analyzed under two animal models, one which considered the polygenic and genotype (IGF1, GH or PIT1 markers) effects (Model 1), and the other which considers only the polygenic effect (Model 2). When the likelihood ratio test and the Bonferroni correction was applied at 5 % significance level, the genetic markers for the IGF1, GH, and PIT1 genes did not influence significantly the traits (p > 0.002). However, evidence of association of IGF1 with birth weight (p = 0.06) and GH with weight at first calving (p = 0.03) and with weight at 12 months of age (p = 0.08) was observed. In conclusion we could not confirm the associations between IGF1, GH, and PIT1 and growth traits that were previously reported in Canchim cattle, and no association was observed between these genes and reproductive traits. Future studies involving functional markers of IGF1, GH and PIT1 genes may help to clarify the role of these genes in growth and reproductive processes.

Weight loss and lipid changes with low-energy diets: comparator study of milk-based versus soy-based liquid meal replacement interventions.

PubMed

Anderson, James W; Hoie, Lars H

2005-06-01

Soy protein intake has favorable effects on body weight and fat distribution in experimental animals but these effects have not been demonstrated in humans. To compare effects of soy- vs. milk-based meal replacements (MR) we assessed weight loss and serum lipoproteins changes for obese subjects who consumed low-energy diets (LED) including either milk-based or soy-based MR. Overweight or obese women and men (body mass indices 27-40 kg/m(2)) were randomly assigned to LED providing 1200 kcal/day, with consumption of five soy-based or two milk-based liquid MR for a 12-week weight loss trial. Serum lipoprotein measurements were obtained at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. For soy and milk MR groups, subject numbers were, respectively, 51 and 39 randomized and 30 and 22 completers. MR use averaged: soy, 3.7/day; and milk, 1.9/day. Weight losses for completers at 12 weeks were: soy MR, 9.0% of initial body weight (95% confidence intervals, 7.3-10.6%); and milk MR, 7.9% (5.8-8.8%) with no significant differences. Reductions from baseline in serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol values, respectively, at six weeks were significantly greater (P < 0.015) with soy MR (15.2% and 17.4%) than with milk MR (7.9% and 7.7%). Soy MR use was associated with significant reductions in serum triglycerides at 6 and 12 weeks while milk MR use was not. Soy MR use, as part of a low-energy diet, was associated with slightly but not significantly greater weight loss over a 12-week period than milk MR use. These observations confirm previous studies documenting the effectiveness of MR use for weight loss.

Effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate treatment for ADHD on growth.

PubMed

Faraone, Stephen V; Spencer, Thomas J; Kollins, Scott H; Glatt, Stephen J

2010-01-01

To complete an exploratory uncontrolled study of the effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) on growth of children treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) from 281 children ages 6 to 13 years from longitudinal assessments up to 15 months were compared to norms from the Centers for Disease Control. At study entry, children were taller and heavier than average. Growth delays were largest for weight and BMI, and there was a 13 percentile point decrease in height. Children continued to grow in terms of height while treated with LDX; we found no increase in raw weight or BMI during the study period. LDX treatment was significantly associated with diminished gains in height, weight, and BMI compared to levels that would be expected based on age-appropriate standards from the Centers for Disease Control. Growth delays were greatest for the heaviest and tallest children, for those who had not previously received stimulant therapy, and for those with a greater cumulative exposure to LDX. More work is needed to determine effects on ultimate adult height. Consistent with prior studies of stimulants, treatment with LDX leads to statistically significant reductions in expected height, weight, and BMI. Growth of patients with ADHD treated with LDX should be closely monitored and corrective action taken should growth delays be observed.

The effect of ranitidine on olanzapine-induced weight gain.

PubMed

Ranjbar, Fatemeh; Ghanepour, Alireza; Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Asadlo, Mahbob; Alizadeh, Amineh

2013-01-01

Induced weight gain is a disturbing side effect of Olanzapine that affects the quality of life in psychotic patients. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Ranitidine in attenuating or preventing Olanzapine-induced weight gain. A parallel 2-arm clinical trial was done on 52 patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective and schizophreniform disorders who received Olanzapine for the first time. All these were first-episode admitted patients. They were randomly allocated to receive either Ranitidine or placebo. The trend of body mass index (BMI) was compared between groups over 16-week course of treatment. Mean weight was 62.3 (SD: 9.6) kg at baseline. Thirty-three subjects (63.5%) had positive family history of obesity. The average BMI increment was 1.1 for Ranitidine group and 2.4 for the placebo group. The multivariate analysis showed this effect to be independent of sex, family history of obesity, and baseline BMI value. The longitudinal modeling after controlling for baseline values failed to show the whole trend slope to be different. Although the slight change in trend's slope puts forward a hypothesis that combined use of Ranitidine and Olanzapine may attenuate the weight gain long run, this needs to be retested in future larger scale long-term studies. This trial is registered with IRCT.ir 201009112181N5.

A Phase Field Study of the Effect of Microstructure Grain Size Heterogeneity on Grain Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crist, David J. D.

Recent studies conducted with sharp-interface models suggest a link between the spatial distribution of grain size variance and average grain growth rate. This relationship and its effect on grain growth rate was examined using the diffuse-interface Phase Field Method on a series of microstructures with different degrees of grain size gradation. Results from this work indicate that the average grain growth rate has a positive correlation with the average grain size dispersion for phase field simulations, confirming previous observations. It is also shown that the grain growth rate in microstructures with skewed grain size distributions is better measured through the change in the volume-weighted average grain size than statistical mean grain size. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1334283. The NSF project title is "DMREF: Real Time Control of Grain Growth in Metals" and was awarded by the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation division under the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) program.

Effectiveness of a Low-Calorie Weight Loss Program in Moderately and Severely Obese Patients

PubMed Central

Winkler, Julia K.; Schultz, Jobst-Hendrik; Woehning, Annika; Piel, David; Gartner, Lena; Hildebrand, Mirjam; Roeder, Eva; Nawroth, Peter P.; Wolfrum, Christian; Rudofsky, Gottfried

2013-01-01

Aims To compare effectiveness of a 1-year weight loss program in moderately and severely obese patients. Methods The study sample included 311 obese patients participating in a weight loss program, which comprised a 12-week weight reduction phase (low-calorie formula diet) and a 40-week weight maintenance phase. Body weight and glucose and lipid values were determined at the beginning of the program as well as after the weight reduction and the weight maintenance phase. Participants were analyzed according to their BMI class at baseline (30-34.9 kg/m2; 35-39.9 kg/m2; 40-44.9 kg/m2; 45-49.9 kg/m2; ≥50 kg/m2). Furthermore, moderately obese patients (BMI ℋ 40 kg/m2) were compared to severely obese participants (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). Results Out of 311 participants, 217 individuals completed the program. Their mean baseline BMI was 41.8 ± 0.5 kg/m2. Average weight loss was 17.9 ± 0.6%, resulting in a BMI of 34.3 ± 0.4 kg/m2 after 1 year (p ℋ 0.001). Overall weight loss was not significantly different in moderately and severely obese participants. Yet, severely obese participants achieved greater weight loss during the weight maintenance phase than moderately obese participants (−3.1 ± 0.7% vs. −1.2 ± 0.6%; p = 0.04). Improvements in lipid profiles and glucose metabolism were found throughout all BMI classes. Conclusion 1-year weight loss intervention improves body weight as well as lipid and glucose metabolism not only in moderately, but also in severely obese individuals. PMID:24135973

Influence of Intensive Diabetes Treatment on Body Weight and Composition of Adults With Type 1 Diabetes in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE To examine the differential effects of intensive and conventional diabetes therapy on weight gain and body composition in adults with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Between 1982 and 1989, 1,246 adults (aged 18–39 years) in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial were randomly assigned to either conventional therapy (1–2 injections of insulin per day) or intensive therapy (multiple daily injections or continuous subcutaneous infusion with frequent blood-glucose testing). Height and weight were measured at baseline and at annual visits for an average of 6 years (range 3–9). Body composition was assessed cross-sectionally with bioelectrical impedance analysis during 1992, at which time waist and hip circumferences were measured. RESULTS Intensively treated patients gained an average of 4.75 kg more than their conventionally treated counterparts (P < 0.0001). This represented excess increases in BMI of 1.5 kg/m2 among men and 1.8 kg/m2 among women. Growth-curve analysis showed that weight gain was most rapid during the first year of therapy. Intensive therapy patients were also more likely to become overweight (BMI ≥ 27.8 kg/m2 for men, ≥27.3 kg/m2 for women) or experience major weight gain (BMI increased ≥5 kg/m2). Waist-to-hip ratios, however, did not differ between treatment groups. Major weight gain was associated with higher percentages of body fat and greater fat-free mass, but among patients without major weight gain, those receiving intensive therapy had greater fat-free mass with no difference in adiposity. CONCLUSIONS Intensive therapy for type 1 diabetes produces substantial excess weight gain compared with conventional therapy. However, the additional weight appears to include lean tissue as well as fat. PMID:11574431

Impact of coccidiosis control program and feeding plan on white striping prevalence and severity degree on broiler breast fillets evaluated at three growing ages.

PubMed

Dalle Zotte, A; Tasoniero, G; Russo, E; Longoni, C; Cecchinato, M

2015-09-01

This study investigated the impact of 2 coccidiosis control systems (vaccine vs anticoccidial) and 2 feeding plans (standard energy vs low energy content, the latter supplemented with threonine and enzymes in the second half of the production cycle) on white striping (WS) prevalence and severity in chicken broiler breasts at commercial slaughter age (51 d). The age of lesion onset was also investigated with the sacrifice of 80 chicks at 12, and 80 chicks at 25 d of age. Seven hundred and twenty ROSS 708 strain male chicks were divided into 4 groups: a non-vaccinated group fed with standard diet (CONTROL); two groups vaccinated against coccidiosis but fed either a standard diet (VACC) or a low-energy diet supplemented with threonine and enzymes (VACC-LE plus); and a fourth group fed a standard diet containing anticoccidial additive except during the finishing period (COX). After live performance, yields, and fillet pH were measured, the breasts were weighed and scored as level 0 (no WS), level 1 (moderate WS), and level 2 (severe WS) at each of the 3 ages; data were covariate for slaughter weight. The results suggest an ameliorative effect of coccidiosis control systems when compared to the control group in terms of live weight, breast yield, and whole breast weight, with heavier fillets characterized by higher pH values. WS appeared at 25 d of age with an average prevalence of 11.5% and with lesions of moderate severity. There were no statistically significant differences due to the experimental treatment at this age. At commercial slaughter age, total average prevalence was 96%, with COX birds showing higher level 2 prevalence (77.6%). This could be related to the higher slaughter weight reached by the COX group (P<0.001) and the treatment effect (P<0.01) that probably adds to the effect of live weight. Diet had no effect on overall live performance of VACC-LE plus chickens, which were similar to those of the VACC group. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

[Cyanidin-3-glucoside attenuates body weight gain, serum lipid concentrations and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced obese rats].

PubMed

Yu, Ren-Qiang; Wu, Xiao-You; Zhou, Xiang; Zhu, Jing; Ma, Lu-Yi

2014-05-01

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is the main active ingredient of anthocyanidin. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of C3G on body weight gain, visceral adiposity, lipid profiles and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=8) and a high fat diet group (n=22), and were fed with standard diet or high fat diet. Five weeks later, 17 high-fat diet-induced obese rats were randomly given C3G [100 mg/(kg·d)] or normal saline via intragastric administration for 5 weeks. Five weeks later, body weight, visceral adiposity and food intake were measured. Blood samples were collected for detecting fasting glucose, serum insulin, lipid profiles and adiponectin. Insulin resistance index, atherosclerosis index and average feed efficiency ratio were calculated. C3G supplementation markedly decreased body weight, visceral adiposity, average feed efficiency ratio, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, serum insulin, insulin resistance index and atherosclerosis index in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. C3G supplementation normalized serum adiponectin and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Cyanidin-3-glucoside can reduce body weight gain, and attenuate obesity-associated dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed rats via up-regulating serum adiponectin level.

Does smoking affect body weight and obesity in China?

PubMed

Fang, Hai; Ali, Mir M; Rizzo, John A

2009-12-01

An inverse relationship between smoking and body weight has been documented in the medical literature, but the effect of cigarette smoking on obesity remains inconclusive. In addition, the evidence is mixed on whether rising obesity rates are an unintended consequence of successful anti-smoking policies. This study re-examines these relationships using data from China, the largest consumer and manufacturer of tobacco in the world that is also experiencing a steady rise in obesity rates. We focus on the impact of the total number of cigarettes smoked per day on individuals' body mass index (BMI) and on the likelihood of being overweight and obese. Instrumental variables estimation is used to correct for the endogeneity of cigarette smoking. We find a moderate negative and significant relationship between cigarette smoking and BMI. Smoking is also negatively related to being overweight and obese, but the marginal effects are small and statistically insignificant for being obese. Quantile regression analyses reveal that the association between smoking and BMI is quite weak among subjects whose BMIs are at the high end of the distribution but are considerably stronger among subjects in the healthy weight range. Ordered probit regression analyses also confirm these findings. Our results thus reconcile an inverse average effect of smoking on body weight with the absence of any significant effect on obesity. From a policy perspective these findings suggest that, while smoking cessation may lead to moderate weight gain among subjects of healthy weight, the effects on obese subjects are modest and should not be expected to lead to a large increase in obesity prevalence rates.

Effect of spineless cactus intake (Opuntia ficus-indica) on blood glucose levels in lactating sows and its impact on feed intake, body weight loss, and weaning-estrus interval.

PubMed

Ordaz-Ochoa, Gerardo; Juárez-Caratachea, Aureliano; Pérez-Sánchez, Rosa Elena; Román-Bravo, Rafael María; Ortiz-Rodríguez, Ruy

2017-06-01

The effect of spineless cactus intake (Opuntia ficus-indica) on blood glucose (BG) levels in lactating sows and its impact on daily and total feed intake (dFI -1 and TFI, respectively), body weight loss (BWL), and weaning-estrus interval length (WEI) were evaluated. Thirty-four hybrid (Yorkshire × Landrace × Pietrain) sows in lactation phase were used. Sows were divided into two groups: G1 (n = 17) where they received commercial feed and G2 (n = 17) provided with commercial feed plus an average of 2.0 ± 0.5 kg spineless cactus, based on a sow's body weight. The variables evaluated were BG, dFI -1 , TFI, BWL, and WEI. Statistical analysis was performed by using a fixed and mixed model methodology, under a repeated measurements experiment. Group effects were found on all analyzed variables (P < 0.05). The BG was lower in G2 (55.2 and 64.5 mg/dL pre- and post-prandial, respectively), compared to that in G1 (70.9 and 80.1 mg/dL pre- and post-prandial, respectively) (P < 0.05). G2 showed better performance than G1 for dFI -1 , BWL, and WEI (P < 0.05) whose averages were 5.5 ± 1.8 kg, 7.4 ± 4.5%, and 5.3 ± 1.2 days, respectively. Averages for these variables in G1 were 4.7 ± 1.5 kg, 16.8 ± 4.6%, and 6.1 ± 1.6 days, respectively. Intake of spineless cactus reduced BG levels in lactating sows, generating greater dFI -1 , lower BWL at the end of lactation, and a lower WEI.

Maternal Perception of Child Weight Among Mexicans in California and Mexico

PubMed Central

Rosas, Lisa G.; Harley, Kim G.; Guendelman, Sylvia; Fernald, Lia CH; Mejia, Fabiola

2009-01-01

The prevalence of childhood overweight is high in Mexican immigrant communities in the United States. Understanding mother’s perceptions of child weight in immigrants’ country of origin may help to understand this high prevalence. The goal of this study was to examine and compare mothers’ perception of weight in Mexico (MX) and in an immigrant community in California (CA). We assessed perceptions of child weight using a pictorial scale with 314 mothers of 5-year-old children in MX and 60 mothers of 5 year-old-children in CA. We compared maternal reports with children’s objectively measured weight. Using chi-square and Analysis of Variance, we investigated associations of maternal perception of and satisfaction with weight according to socio-demographic characteristics. Mothers were more likely to underestimate their children’s weight in CA than in MX. On average, CA mothers wanted their children to be smaller than they currently were and mothers in MX wanted their children to be bigger than they currently were. This differed by weight status in CA with mothers of normal weight and at-risk-for-overweight children wanting them to be bigger and mothers of overweight children wanting them to be smaller. In order for programs to be effective, mothers must be able to recognize their children as overweight and want to address it. Because underestimation of weight and a desire for a larger size is common in this population, programs to address overweight may be more effective if they focus on alternative benefits of weight control strategies, such as healthy child development. PMID:19911262

Performance of crossbred heifers in different step-down waste milk-feeding strategies.

PubMed

Leão, Juliana Mergh; Lima, Juliana Aparecida Mello; Lana, Ângela Maria Quintão; Saturnino, Helton Mattana; Reis, Ronaldo Braga; Barbosa, Fabiano Alvim; de Azevedo, Rafael Alves; Sá Fortes, Robson Vilela; Coelho, Sandra Gesteira

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the consumption, performance, feed efficiency, glucose concentration, and the cost per kilogram of weight gain of crossbred Holstein-Gyr heifers (n = 33) subjected to one of the three waste milk step-down strategies: 6L-30d/4L-60d/2L-90d (T1), 6L-45d/4L-60d/2L-90d (T2), and 8L-30d/6L-60d/3L-90d (T3). Heifers were weaned at the age of 91 days. Water and starter were provided ad libitum. The average waste milk intake was higher in T3 than in T1 and T2 strategies until 30 days and between 60 and 90 days. The starter intake did not differ among the strategies until 45 days, but it was higher in strategy T1 than in strategy T3 between 60 and 90 days. The waste milk step-down strategy did not influence the total dry matter intake, average daily gain, body weight, and feed efficiency. Glucose concentrations in plasma varied within a range that could be considered normal and were similar among the treatments. The average cost per kilogram of weight gain was the lowest in strategy T1 (US$3.0) compared to that in the other strategies (T2, US$3.2, and T3, US$3.6). The 6L-30d/4L-60d/2L-90d waste milk step-down strategy was the most effective, since it increased the starter intake, led to normal glucose concentrations in plasma, and caused similar weight gain compared with the other strategies; however, it had a lower cost per kilogram.

Ranibizumab treatment in age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis of one-year results.

PubMed

Gerding, H

2014-04-01

Although ranibizumab is widely used in age-related macular degeneration there is no systematic data available on the relation between treatment frequency and functional efficacy within the first 12 months of follow-up. A meta-analysis was performed on available MEDLINE literature. 47 relevant clinical studies (54 case series) could be identified covering 11706 treated eyes. Non-linear and linear regressions were calculated for the relation between treatment frequency and functional outcome (average gain in visual acuity, % of eyes losing less than 15 letters of visual acuity, % of eyes gaining ≥ 15 letters) within the first year of care. Mean improvement of average visual gain was +4.9 ± 3.6 (mean ± 1 standard deviation) letters (case-weighted: 3.3 letters). The average number of ranibizumab injections until month 12 was 6.3 ± 2.0 (case-weighted: 5.9). 92.4 ± 3.9% of eyes (case-weighted: 91.9%) lost less than three lines of visual acuity and 24.5 ± 8.2% (case-weighted: 23.3) gained more than 3 lines within the first year. Analysis of the relation between the number of injections and functional improvement indicated best fit for non-linear equations. A nearly stepwise improvement of functional gain occurred between 6.8 and 7.2 injections/year. A saturation effect of treatment occurred at higher injection frequency. The results of this meta-analysis clearly indicate a non-linear relation between the number of injections and functional gain of ranibizumab within the first 12 months of treatment. Treatment saturation seems to occur at a treatment frequency >7.2 injections within the first 12 months. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A Mobile Phone-Based Health Coaching Intervention for Weight Loss and Blood Pressure Reduction in a National Payer Population: A Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Mao, Alice Yuqing; Chen, Connie; Magana, Candy; Caballero Barajas, Karla; Olayiwola, J Nwando

2017-06-08

The prevalence of obesity and associated metabolic conditions continue to be challenging and costly to address for health care systems; 71% of American adults were overweight, with 35% of men and 40% of women diagnosed with obesity in 2014. Digital health coaching is an innovative approach to decreasing the barriers of cost and accessibility of receiving health coaching for the prevention and management of chronic disease in overweight or obese individuals. To evaluate the early impact of a mobile phone-based health coaching service on weight loss and blood pressure management in a commercially insured population. This was a retrospective study using existing registry data from a pilot commercial collaboration between Vida Health and a large national insurance provider, which enrolled adult members who were overweight (body mass index >25 kg/m2) and able to engage in a mobile phone-based coaching intervention. Participants received 4 months of intensive health coaching via live video, phone, and text message through the Vida Health app. Participants were also provided with a wireless scale, pedometer, and blood pressure cuff. Of the 1012 enrolled, 763 (75.40%) participants had an initial weight upon enrollment and final weight between 3 and 5 months from enrollment; they served as our intervention group. There were 73 participants out of the 1012 (7.21%) who had weight data 4 months prior to and after Vida coaching, who served as the matched-pair control group. Participants in the intervention group lost an average of 3.23% total body weight (TBW) at 4 months of coaching and 28.6% (218/763) intervention participants achieved a clinically significant weight loss of 5% or more of TBW, with an average of 9.46% weight loss in this cohort. In the matched-pair control group, participants gained on average 1.81% TBW in 4 months without Vida coaching and lost, on average, 2.47% TBW after 4 months of Vida coaching, demonstrating a statistically significant difference of 4.28% in mean percentage weight change (P<.001). Among 151 intervention participants with blood pressure data, 112 (74.2%) had a baseline blood pressure that was above the goal (systolic blood pressure >120 mmHg); 55 out of 112 (49.1%) participants improved their blood pressure at 4 months by an entire hypertensive stage-as defined by the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Mobile phone app-based health coaching interventions can be an acceptable and effective means to promote weight loss and improve blood pressure management in overweight or obese individuals. Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, digital health coaching may be an innovative solution to decreasing barriers of access to much-needed weight management interventions for obesity. ©Alice Yuqing Mao, Connie Chen, Candy Magana, Karla Caballero Barajas, J Nwando Olayiwola. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 08.06.2017.

[Contact characteristics research of acetabular weight-bearing area with different internal fixation methods after compression fracture of acetabular dome].

PubMed

Xu, Bowen; Zhang, Qingsong; An, Siqi; Pei, Baorui; Wu, Xiaobo

2017-08-01

To establish the model of compression fracture of acetabular dome, and to measure the contact characteristics of acetabular weight-bearing area of acetabulum after 3 kinds of internal fixation. Sixteen fresh adult half pelvis specimens were randomly divided into 4 groups, 4 specimens each group. Group D was the complete acetabulum (control group), and the remaining 3 groups were prepared acetabular dome compression fracture model. The fractures were fixed with reconstruction plate in group A, antegrade raft screws in group B, and retrograde raft screws in group C. The pressure sensitive films were attached to the femoral head, and the axial compression test was carried out on the inverted single leg standing position. The weight-bearing area, average stress, and peak stress were measured in each group. Under the loading of 500 N, the acetabular weight-bearing area was significantly higher in group D than in other 3 groups ( P <0.05), and the average stress and peak stress were significantly lower than in other 3 groups ( P <0.05). The acetabular weight-bearing area were significantly higher in group B and group C than in group A, and the average stress and peak stress were significantly lower than in group A ( P <0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indexes between group B and group C ( P >0.05). For the compression fracture of the acetabular dome, the contact characteristics of the weight-bearing area can not restore to the normal level, even if the anatomical reduction and rigid internal fixation were performed; compared with the reconstruction plate fixation, antegrade and retrograde raft screws fixations can increase the weight-bearing area, reduce the average stress and peak stress, and reduce the incidence of traumatic arthritis.

Integrated flood hazard assessment based on spatial ordered weighted averaging method considering spatial heterogeneity of risk preference.

PubMed

Xiao, Yangfan; Yi, Shanzhen; Tang, Zhongqian

2017-12-01

Flood is the most common natural hazard in the world and has caused serious loss of life and property. Assessment of flood prone areas is of great importance for watershed management and reduction of potential loss of life and property. In this study, a framework of multi-criteria analysis (MCA) incorporating geographic information system (GIS), fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and spatial ordered weighted averaging (OWA) method was developed for flood hazard assessment. The factors associated with geographical, hydrological and flood-resistant characteristics of the basin were selected as evaluation criteria. The relative importance of the criteria was estimated through fuzzy AHP method. The OWA method was utilized to analyze the effects of different risk attitudes of the decision maker on the assessment result. The spatial ordered weighted averaging method with spatially variable risk preference was implemented in the GIS environment to integrate the criteria. The advantage of the proposed method is that it has considered spatial heterogeneity in assigning risk preference in the decision-making process. The presented methodology has been applied to the area including Hanyang, Caidian and Hannan of Wuhan, China, where flood events occur frequently. The outcome of flood hazard distribution presents a tendency of high risk towards populated and developed areas, especially the northeast part of Hanyang city, which has suffered frequent floods in history. The result indicates where the enhancement projects should be carried out first under the condition of limited resources. Finally, sensitivity of the criteria weights was analyzed to measure the stability of results with respect to the variation of the criteria weights. The flood hazard assessment method presented in this paper is adaptable for hazard assessment of a similar basin, which is of great significance to establish counterplan to mitigate life and property losses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Weight change in a commercial web-based weight loss program and its association with website use: cohort study.

PubMed

Neve, Melinda; Morgan, Philip J; Collins, Clare E

2011-10-12

There is a paucity of information in the scientific literature on the effectiveness of commercial weight loss programs, including Web-based programs. The potential of Web-based weight loss programs has been acknowledged, but their ability to achieve significant weight loss has not been proven. The objectives were to evaluate the weight change achieved within a large cohort of individuals enrolled in a commercial Web-based weight loss program for 12 or 52 weeks and to describe participants' program use in relation to weight change. Participants enrolled in an Australian commercial Web-based weight loss program from August 15, 2007, through May 31, 2008. Self-reported weekly weight records were used to determine weight change after 12- and 52-week subscriptions. The primary analysis estimated weight change using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) for all participants who subscribed for 12 weeks and also for those who subscribed for 52 weeks. A sensitivity analysis was conducted using the last observation carried forward (LOCF) method. Website use (ie, the number of days participants logged on, made food or exercise entries to the Web-based diary, or posted to the discussion forum) was described from program enrollment to 12 and 52 weeks, and differences in website use by percentage weight change category were tested using Kruskal-Wallis test for equality of populations. Participants (n = 9599) had a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 35.7 (9.5) years and were predominantly female (86% or 8279/9599) and obese (61% or 5866/9599). Results from the primary GLMM analysis including all enrollees found the mean percentage weight change was -6.2% among 12-week subscribers (n = 6943) and -6.9% among 52-week subscribers (n = 2656). Sensitivity analysis using LOCF revealed an average weight change of -3.0% and -3.5% after 12 and 52 weeks respectively. The use of all website features increased significantly (P < .01) as percentage weight change improved. The weight loss achieved by 12- and 52-week subscribers of a commercial Web-based weight loss program is likely to be in the range of the primary and sensitivity analysis results. While this suggests that, on average, clinically important weight loss may be achieved, further research is required to evaluate the efficacy of this commercial Web-based weight loss program prospectively using objective measures. The potential association between greater website use and increased weight loss also requires further evaluation, as strategies to improve participants' use of Web-based program features may be required.

College Freshman Stress and Weight Change: Differences by Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economos, Christina D.; Hildebrandt, M. Lise; Hyatt, Raymond R.

2008-01-01

Objectives: To examine how stress and health-related behaviors affect freshman weight change by gender. Methods: Three hundred ninety-six freshmen completed a 40-item health behavior survey and height and weight were collected at baseline and follow-up. Results: Average weight change was 5.04 lbs for males, 5.49 lbs for females. Weight gain was…

Critical assessment of the use of growth monitoring for identifying high risk children in primary health care programmes.

PubMed Central

Briend, A.; Bari, A.

1989-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To see whether change in weight was a more useful index than weight for age in assessing the risk of dying among malnourished children. DESIGN--Prospective cohort study. SETTING--Rural community in Bangladesh being served by international health organisation. PARTICIPANTS--1011 Children aged under 5, of whom 66 died. END POINT--Efficient screening method for identifying malnourished children at risk of dying. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Weight was measured every month. Weight for age and monthly change in weight averaged over one and three months were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity curves were used to compare the values of these two variables in identifying children with a high risk of dying. Weight for age was more sensitive than change in weight at all levels of specificity. Changes in weight, however, were independently related to the risk of dying even when intercurrent diseases and low weight for age were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS--For identifying children with a high risk of dying weight for age is a more efficient screening tool than a recent change in weight. Growth monitoring as currently recommended for primary health care programmes in developing countries does not seem to be the most effective approach in identifying children in need of urgent help. PMID:2503147

Supplementation of suckling beef calves with different levels of crude protein on tropical pasture.

PubMed

Lopes, Sidnei Antonio; Paulino, Mário Fonseca; Detmann, Edenio; de Campos Valadares Filho, Sebastião; Valente, Eriton Egídio Lisboa; Barros, Lívia Vieira; Cardenas, Javier Enrique Garces; Almeida, Daniel Mageste; Martins, Leandro Soares; Silva, Aline Gomes

2014-02-01

The effects of supplementation with different levels of crude protein on performance, intake and nutrient digestibility and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in suckling beef calves on pasture were assessed. Fifty-five calves, with an average age of 100 days and an initial average body weight of 110 ± 7.5 kg and their respective dams, were used. The experimental design was completely randomised with five treatments and 11 replications. The experimental treatments for calves were as follows: control = calves received only mineral mixture; supplementation levels = calves received supplement containing 8, 19, 30 or 41% of crude protein (CP, at a rate of 0.5% of body weight (BW)). The cows received only mineral mixture ad libitum. Supplemented calves had higher (P < 0.1) average daily gain (ADG). Protein levels showed a quadratic effect (P < 0.1) on average daily gain (ADG) of calves. There was no difference in total dry matter (DM) intake (P > 0.1). However, intake of dry matter forage (DMF) presented cubic profiles (P < 0.1), with CP levels in the supplements. Supplementation increased (P < 0.1) the digestibility of nutrients, except for the digestibility of neutral detergent fibre. Supplementation increased (P < 0.1) the production of microbial nitrogen and N losses in urine. It can be concluded that multiple supplementations optimise the performance of beef calves on creep feeding. The intake of supplements with CP levels between 8 and 30% partially replaces of the pasture ingested by calves and increases the digestibility of the diet.

Meta-analysis of the effect of road safety campaigns on accidents.

PubMed

Phillips, Ross Owen; Ulleberg, Pål; Vaa, Truls

2011-05-01

A meta-analysis of 67 studies evaluating the effect of road safety campaigns on accidents is reported. A total of 119 results were extracted from the studies, which were reported in 12 different countries between 1975 and 2007. After allowing for publication bias and heterogeneity of effects, the weighted average effect of road safety campaigns is a 9% reduction in accidents (with 95% confidence that the weighted average is between -12 and -6%). To account for the variability of effects measured across studies, data were collected to characterise aspects of the campaign and evaluation design associated with each effect, and analysed to identify a model of seven campaign factors for testing by meta-regression. The model was tested using both fixed and random effect meta-regression, and dependency among effects was accounted for by aggregation. These analyses suggest positive associations between accident reduction and the use of personal communication or roadside media as part of a campaign delivery strategy. Campaigns with a drink-driving theme were also associated with greater accident reductions, while some of the analyses suggested that accompanying enforcement and short campaign duration (less than one month) are beneficial. Overall the results are consistent with the idea that campaigns can be more effective in the short term if the message is delivered with personal communication in a way that is proximal in space and time to the behaviour targeted by the campaign. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Banana Resistant Starch and Its Effects on Constipation Model Mice

PubMed Central

Wang, Juan; Huang, Ji Hong; Cheng, Yan Feng

2014-01-01

Abstract Banana resistant starch (BRS) was extracted to investigate the structural properties of BRS, its effects on the gastrointestinal transit, and dejecta of normal and experimentally constipated mice. The mouse constipation model was induced by diphenoxylate administration. The BRS administered mice were divided into three groups and gavaged with 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 g/kg body weight BRS per day. The small intestinal movement, time of the first black dejecta, dejecta granules, weight and their moisture content, body weight, and food intake of mice were studied. Results showed that the BRS particles were oval and spindly and some light cracks and pits were in the surface. The degree of crystallinity of BRS was 23.13%; the main diffraction peaks were at 2θ 15.14, 17.38, 20.08, and 22.51. The degree of polymerization of BRS was 81.16 and the number-average molecular weight was 13147.92 Da, as determined by the reducing terminal method. In animal experiments, BRS at the dose of 4.0 g/kg body weight per day was able to increase the gastrointestinal propulsive rate, and BRS at the doses of 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg body weight per day was found to shorten the start time of defecation by observing the first black dejecta exhaust. However, there were no influences of BRS on the dejecta moisture content, the dejecta granules and their weight, body weight, or daily food intake in mice. BRS was effective in accelerating the movement of the small intestine and in shortening the start time of defecation, but did not impact body weight and food intake. Therefore, BRS had the potential to be useful for improving intestinal motility during constipation. PMID:25046686

Four-week dietary supplementation with 10- and/or 15-fold basal choline caused decreased body weight in Sprague Dawley rats.

PubMed

Bagley, Bradford D; Chang, Shu-Ching; Ehresman, David J; Eveland, Alan; Parker, George A; Peters, Jeffrey M; Butenhoff, John L

2017-10-01

Choline is an essential nutrient utilized for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis and lipoprotein packaging and secretion. Recently, choline supplementation has been used by athletes and the public for weight loss. However, the potential toxicological impact of choline dietary supplementation requires further investigation. This study examined the effects of choline dietary supplementation in Sprague Dawley rats for 4 weeks. Rats were fed diets containing basal choline levels (control) or 5-, 10-, or 15-fold (5×, 10×, or 15×) basal diet concentration. In groups fed choline-supplemented diets, there were no toxicologically relevant findings in clinical observations, food intake, clinical chemistry, liver weights, or liver histopathology. However, decreased mean body weights (8.5-10.2%) and body weight gains (24-31%) were noted for the 10× choline-supplemented (females only) and 15× choline-supplemented (both sexes) groups relative to the control groups from day 3 onward. These body weight effects were not related to a persistent reduction in average food intake. Serum cholesterol was increased in the 15× choline-supplemented male rats relative to the controls, an expected effect of choline supplementation; however, there were no changes in the serum cholesterol of female rats. Serum choline concentrations were increased in female rats relative to the male rats across all treatment groups. The maximum tolerated dose for male and female rats were the 15× and 10× choline supplements, respectively, based on decreased mean body weight and body weight gains. This study supported the conclusions of a clinical trial that showed a high choline diet can decrease body weight in humans.

Buying and Selling Prices of Investments: Configural Weight Model of Interactions Predicts Violations of Joint Independence.

PubMed

Birnbaum; Zimmermann

1998-05-01

Judges evaluated buying and selling prices of hypothetical investments, based on the previous price of each investment and estimates of the investment's future value given by advisors of varied expertise. Effect of a source's estimate varied in proportion to the source's expertise, and it varied inversely with the number and expertise of other sources. There was also a configural effect in which the effect of a source's estimate was affected by the rank order of that source's estimate, in relation to other estimates of the same investment. These interactions were fit with a configural weight averaging model in which buyers and sellers place different weights on estimates of different ranks. This model implies that one can design a new experiment in which there will be different violations of joint independence in different viewpoints. Experiment 2 confirmed patterns of violations of joint independence predicted from the model fit in Experiment 1. Experiment 2 also showed that preference reversals between viewpoints can be predicted by the model of Experiment 1. Configural weighting provides a better account of buying and selling prices than either of two models of loss aversion or the theory of anchoring and insufficient adjustment. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Polymeric heat pipe wick

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidenberg, Benjamin

1988-01-01

A wick for use in a capillary loop pump heat pipe is described. The wick material is an essentially uniformly porous, permeable, open-cell, polyethylene thermoplastic foam having an ultrahigh average molecular weight of from approximately 1 to 5 million, and an average pore size of about 10 to 12 microns. A representative material having these characteristics is POREX UF, which has an average molecular weight of about 3 million. This material is fully compatible with the FREONs and anhydrous ammonia and allows for the use of these very efficient working fluids in capillary loops.

Delignification of wheat straw by Pleurotus spp. under mushroom-growing conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsang, L.J.; Reid, I.D.; Coxworth, E.C.

1987-06-01

Pleurotus sajor-caju, P. sapidus, P. cornucopiae, and P. ostreatus mushrooms were produced on unsupplemented wheat straw. The yield of mushrooms averaged 3.6% (dry-weight basis), with an average 18% straw weight loss. Lignin losses (average, 11%) were lower than cellulose (20%) and hemicellulose (50%) losses. The cellulase digestibility of the residual straw after mushroom harvest was generally lower than that of the original straw. It does not appear feasible to simultaneously produce Pleurotus mushrooms and a highly delignified residue from wheat straw. (Refs. 24).

Risk of breast cancer in young women in relation to body size and weight gain in adolescence and early adulthood.

PubMed

Coates, R J; Uhler, R J; Hall, H I; Potischman, N; Brinton, L A; Ballard-Barbash, R; Gammon, M D; Brogan, D R; Daling, J R; Malone, K E; Schoenberg, J B; Swanson, C A

1999-09-01

Findings have been inconsistent on effects of adolescent body size and adult weight gain on risk of breast cancer in young women. These relations were examined in a population-based case control study of 1590 women less than 45 years of age newly diagnosed with breast cancer during 1990-1992 in three areas of the US and an age-matched control group of 1390 women. Height and weight were measured at interview and participants asked to recall information about earlier body size. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of breast cancer adjusted for other risk factors. Women who were either much heavier or lighter than average in adolescence or at age 20 were at reduced risk. Weight gain after age 20 resulted in reduced risk, but the effect was confined to early-stage and, more specifically, lower grade breast cancer. Neither the risk reduction nor the variation by breast cancer stage or grade was explained by the method of cancer detection or by prior mammography history. These findings suggest that relations between breast cancer risk in young women and body weight at different ages is complex and that the risk reduction with adult weight gain is confined to less aggressive cancers.

Effect of Using Different Vehicle Weight Groups on the Estimated Relationship Between Mass Reduction and U.S. Societal Fatality Risk per Vehicle Miles of Travel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wenzel, Tom P.

This report recalculates the estimated relationship between vehicle mass and societal fatality risk, using alternative groupings by vehicle weight, to test whether the trend of decreasing fatality risk from mass reduction as case vehicle mass increases, holds over smaller increments of the range in case vehicle masses. The NHTSA baseline regression model estimates the relationship using for two weight groups for cars and light trucks; we re-estimated the mass reduction coefficients using four, six, and eight bins of vehicle mass. The estimated effect of mass reduction on societal fatality risk was not consistent over the range in vehicle masses inmore » these weight bins. These results suggest that the relationship indicated by the NHTSA baseline model is a result of other, unmeasured attributes of the mix of vehicles in the lighter vs. heavier weight bins, and not necessarily the result of a correlation between mass reduction and societal fatality risk. An analysis of the average vehicle, driver, and crash characteristics across the various weight groupings did not reveal any strong trends that might explain the lack of a consistent trend of decreasing fatality risk from mass reduction in heavier vehicles.« less

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Yin Zhi Huang Soup in an Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis Rat Model

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xikui; Zhu, Weikun; Lu, Taikun; Chen, Jinchun; Zou, Qiang; Zheng, Qizhong; Chen, Junying; Jiang, Changming; Jin, Guanyu

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Yin Zhi Huang soup (YZS) in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model. In total, 48 rats were randomly divided into the following four groups (n = 12/group): saline group, pathological model group, Qianlietai group, and YZS group. We determined the average wet weight of the prostate tissue, the ratio of the wet weight of the prostate tissue to body weight, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the blood serum, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the rats' prostate tissues, and the pathological changes in the prostate tissue using light microscopy. YZS reduced the rats' prostate wet weight, the ratio of the prostate wet weight to body weight, and TNF-α levels in the blood serum and inhibited the expression of iNOS in the rats' prostate tissues (P < 0.05). Following YZS treatment, the pathological changes in the rats' prostates were improved compared with those in the model group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, YZS treatment reduced inflammatory changes in the prostate tissue. It also significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, and chemokines, such as iNOS, in the rat model of EAP. PMID:29430255

Employee weight management through health coaching.

PubMed

Merrill, R M; Aldana, S G; Bowden, D E

2010-01-01

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive health coaching intervention at lowering weight. The study involved 5405 overweight or obese employees aged 18-85, who entered the program sometime during 2001-2008. Average body mass index (BMI) significantly decreased from 32.1 at baseline to 31.4 at 3 months, 31.0 at 6 months, and 30.6 at 12 months. Decreasing BMI was more pronounced in older age groups and among women, those using weight loss medication, those with higher BMI, and those with higher motivation and confidence to make behavior changes. When the effects of these variables on the decreasing trend in BMI were simultaneously estimated, only baseline classifications of BMI, health status, and confidence remained significant. Change in BMI through 12 months was -0.7% for those with normal weight, -2.0% for overweight, -3.6% for obese, and -7.1% for morbidly obese individuals at baseline. Among morbidly obese individuals, decrease in BMI through 12 months was -7.6% for those with "high" confidence to lose weight at baseline vs -4.4% for those with low confidence. Better health status at baseline was also related to more pronounced weight loss. Interactive health coaching significantly lowered BMI among participants through 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up.

Preterm Infant Massage Therapy Research: A Review

PubMed Central

Field, Tiffany; Diego, Miguel; Hernandez-Reif, Maria

2010-01-01

In this paper, preterm infant massage therapy studies are reviewed. Massage therapy has led to weight gain in preterm infants when moderate pressure massage was provided. In studies on passive movement of the limbs, preterm infants also gained significantly more weight, and their bone density also increased. Research on ways of delivering the massage is also explored including using mothers versus therapists and the added effects of using oils. The use of mothers as therapists was effective in at least one study. The use of oils including coconut oil and safflower oil enhanced the average weight gain, and the transcutaneous absorption of oil also increased triglycerides. In addition, the use of synthetic oil increased vagal activity, which may indirectly contribute to weight gain. The weight gain was associated with shorter hospital stays and, thereby, significant hospital cost savings. Despite these benefits, preterm infant massage is only practiced in 38% of neonatal intensive care units. This may relate to the underlying mechanisms not being well understood. The increases noted in vagal activity, gastric motility, insulin and IGF-1 levels following moderate pressure massage are potential underlying mechanisms. However, those variables combined do not explain all of the variance in weight gain, highlighting the need for additional mechanism studies. PMID:20137814

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Yin Zhi Huang Soup in an Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis Rat Model.

PubMed

Deng, Longsheng; Zhang, Xikui; Zhu, Weikun; Lu, Taikun; Chen, Jinchun; Zou, Qiang; Zheng, Qizhong; Chen, Junying; Jiang, Changming; Jin, Guanyu

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Yin Zhi Huang soup (YZS) in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model. In total, 48 rats were randomly divided into the following four groups ( n = 12/group): saline group, pathological model group, Qianlietai group, and YZS group. We determined the average wet weight of the prostate tissue, the ratio of the wet weight of the prostate tissue to body weight, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α ) levels in the blood serum, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the rats' prostate tissues, and the pathological changes in the prostate tissue using light microscopy. YZS reduced the rats' prostate wet weight, the ratio of the prostate wet weight to body weight, and TNF- α levels in the blood serum and inhibited the expression of iNOS in the rats' prostate tissues ( P < 0.05). Following YZS treatment, the pathological changes in the rats' prostates were improved compared with those in the model group ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, YZS treatment reduced inflammatory changes in the prostate tissue. It also significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF- α , and chemokines, such as iNOS, in the rat model of EAP.

Average weighted receiving time on the non-homogeneous double-weighted fractal networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Dandan; Dai, Meifeng; Sun, Yu; Su, Weiyi

2017-05-01

In this paper, based on actual road networks, a model of the non-homogeneous double-weighted fractal networks is introduced depending on the number of copies s and two kinds of weight factors wi ,ri(i = 1 , 2 , … , s) . The double-weights represent the capacity-flowing weights and the cost-traveling weights, respectively. Denote by wijF the capacity-flowing weight connecting the nodes i and j, and denote by wijC the cost-traveling weight connecting the nodes i and j. Let wijF be related to the weight factors w1 ,w2 , … ,ws, and let wijC be related to the weight factors r1 ,r2 , … ,rs. Assuming that the walker, at each step, starting from its current node, moves to any of its neighbors with probability proportional to the capacity-flowing weight of edge linking them. The weighted time for two adjacency nodes is the cost-traveling weight connecting the two nodes. The average weighted receiving time (AWRT) is defined on the non-homogeneous double-weighted fractal networks. AWRT depends on the relationships of the number of copies s and two kinds of weight factors wi ,ri(i = 1 , 2 , … , s) . The obtained remarkable results display that in the large network, the AWRT grows as a power-law function of the network size Ng with the exponent, represented by θ =logs(w1r1 +w2r2 + ⋯ +wsrs) < 1 when w1r1 +w2r2 + ⋯ +wsrs ≠ 1, which means that the smaller the value of w1r1 +w2r2 + ⋯ +wsrs is, the more efficient the process of receiving information is. Especially when w1r1 +w2r2 + ⋯ +wsrs = 1, AWRT grows with increasing order Ng as logNg or (logNg) 2 . In the classic fractal networks, the average receiving time (ART) grows with linearly with the network size Ng. Thus, the non-homogeneous double-weighted fractal networks are more efficient than classic fractal networks in term of receiving information.

Deworming drugs for soil-transmitted intestinal worms in children: effects on nutritional indicators, haemoglobin, and school performance.

PubMed

Taylor-Robinson, David C; Maayan, Nicola; Soares-Weiser, Karla; Donegan, Sarah; Garner, Paul

2015-07-23

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends treating all school children at regular intervals with deworming drugs in areas where helminth infection is common. As the intervention is often claimed to have important health, nutrition, and societal effects beyond the removal of worms, we critically evaluated the evidence on benefits. To summarize the effects of giving deworming drugs to children to treat soil-transmitted helminths on weight, haemoglobin, and cognition; and the evidence of impact on physical well-being, school attendance, school performance, and mortality. We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (14 April 2015); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), published in the Cochrane Library (2015, Issue 4); MEDLINE (2000 to 14 April 2015); EMBASE (2000 to 14 April 2015); LILACS (2000 to 14 April 2015); the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT); and reference lists, and registers of ongoing and completed trials up to 14 April 2015. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs comparing deworming drugs for soil-transmitted helminths with placebo or no treatment in children aged 16 years or less, reporting on weight, haemoglobin, and formal tests of intellectual development. We also sought data on school attendance, school performance, and mortality. We included trials that combined health education with deworming programmes. At least two review authors independently assessed the trials, evaluated risk of bias, and extracted data. We analysed continuous data using the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Where data were missing, we contacted trial authors. We used outcomes at time of longest follow-up. The evidence quality was assessed using GRADE. This edition of the Cochrane Review adds the DEVTA trial from India, and draws on an independent analytical replication of a trial from Kenya. We identified 45 trials, including nine cluster-RCTs, that met the inclusion criteria. One trial evaluating mortality included over one million children, and the remaining 44 trials included a total of 67,672 participants. Eight trials were in children known to be infected, and 37 trials were carried out in endemic areas, including areas of high (15 trials), moderate (12 trials), and low prevalence (10 trials). Treating children known to be infectedTreating children known to be infected with a single dose of deworming drugs (selected by screening, or living in areas where all children are infected) may increase weight gain over the next one to six months (627 participants, five trials, low quality evidence). The effect size varied across trials from an additional 0.2 kg gain to 1.3 kg. There is currently insufficient evidence to know whether treatment has additional effects on haemoglobin (247 participants, two trials, very low quality evidence); school attendance (0 trials); cognitive functioning (103 participants, two trials, very low quality evidence), or physical well-being (280 participants, three trials, very low quality evidence). Community deworming programmesTreating all children living in endemic areas with a dose of deworming drugs probably has little or no effect on average weight gain (MD 0.04 kg less, 95% CI 0.11 kg less to 0.04 kg more; trials 2719 participants, seven trials, moderate quality evidence), even in settings with high prevalence of infection (290 participants, two trials). A single dose also probably has no effect on average haemoglobin (MD 0.06 g/dL, 95% CI -0.05 lower to 0.17 higher; 1005 participants, three trials, moderate quality evidence), or average cognition (1361 participants, two trials, low quality evidence).Similiarly, regularly treating all children in endemic areas with deworming drugs, given every three to six months, may have little or no effect on average weight gain (MD 0.08 kg, 95% CI 0.11 kg less to 0.27 kg more; 38,392 participants, 10 trials, low quality evidence). The effects were variable across trials; one trial from a low prevalence setting carried out in 1995 found an increase in weight, but nine trials carried out since then found no effect, including five from moderate and high prevalence areas.There is also reasonable evidence that regular treatment probably has no effect on average height (MD 0.02 cm higher, 95% CI 0.14 lower to 0.17 cm higher; 7057 participants, seven trials, moderate quality evidence); average haemoglobin (MD 0.02 g/dL lower; 95% CI 0.08 g/dL lower to 0.04 g/dL higher; 3595 participants, seven trials, low quality evidence); formal tests of cognition (32,486 participants, five trials, moderate quality evidence); exam performance (32,659 participants, two trials, moderate quality evidence); or mortality (1,005,135 participants, three trials, low quality evidence). There is very limited evidence assessing an effect on school attendance and the findings are inconsistent, and at risk of bias (mean attendance 2% higher, 95% CI 4% lower to 8% higher; 20,243 participants, two trials, very low quality evidence).In a sensitivity analysis that only included trials with adequate allocation concealment, there was no evidence of any effect for the main outcomes. Treating children known to have worm infection may have some nutritional benefits for the individual. However, in mass treatment of all children in endemic areas, there is now substantial evidence that this does not improve average nutritional status, haemoglobin, cognition, school performance, or survival.

Programmable noise bandwidth reduction by means of digital averaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poklemba, John J. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

Predetection noise bandwidth reduction is effected by a pre-averager capable of digitally averaging the samples of an input data signal over two or more symbols, the averaging interval being defined by the input sampling rate divided by the output sampling rate. As the averaged sample is clocked to a suitable detector at a much slower rate than the input signal sampling rate the noise bandwidth at the input to the detector is reduced, the input to the detector having an improved signal to noise ratio as a result of the averaging process, and the rate at which such subsequent processing must operate is correspondingly reduced. The pre-averager forms a data filter having an output sampling rate of one sample per symbol of received data. More specifically, selected ones of a plurality of samples accumulated over two or more symbol intervals are output in response to clock signals at a rate of one sample per symbol interval. The pre-averager includes circuitry for weighting digitized signal samples using stored finite impulse response (FIR) filter coefficients. A method according to the present invention is also disclosed.

7 CFR 59.200 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... these same swine. Average lean percentage. The term “average lean percentage” means the value equal to the average percentage of the carcass weight comprised of lean meat for the swine slaughtered during the applicable reporting period. Whenever the packer changes the manner in which the average lean...

7 CFR 59.200 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... these same swine. Average lean percentage. The term “average lean percentage” means the value equal to the average percentage of the carcass weight comprised of lean meat for the swine slaughtered during the applicable reporting period. Whenever the packer changes the manner in which the average lean...

Advanced Subsonic Airplane Design and Economic Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebeck, Robert H.; Andrastek, Donald A.; Chau, Johnny; Girvin, Raquel; Lyon, Roger; Rawdon, Blaine K.; Scott, Paul W.; Wright, Robert A.

1995-01-01

A study was made to examine the effect of advanced technology engines on the performance of subsonic airplanes and provide a vision of the potential which these advanced engines offered. The year 2005 was selected as the entry-into-service (EIS) date for engine/airframe combination. A set of four airplane classes (passenger and design range combinations) that were envisioned to span the needs for the 2005 EIS period were defined. The airframes for all classes were designed and sized using 2005 EIS advanced technology. Two airplanes were designed and sized for each class: one using current technology (1995) engines to provide a baseline, and one using advanced technology (2005) engines. The resulting engine/airframe combinations were compared and evaluated on the basis on sensitivity to basic engine performance parameters (e.g. SFC and engine weight) as well as DOC+I. The advanced technology engines provided significant reductions in fuel burn, weight, and wing area. Average values were as follows: reduction in fuel burn = 18%, reduction in wing area = 7%, and reduction in TOGW = 9%. Average DOC+I reduction was 3.5% using the pricing model based on payload-range index and 5% using the pricing model based on airframe weight. Noise and emissions were not considered.

Influence of dietary supplementation of prebiotics (mannanoligosaccharide) on the performance of crossbred calves.

PubMed

Ghosh, Sudipta; Mehla, Ram Kumar

2012-03-01

Thirty-six Holstein cross calves 5 days of age in their preruminant stage were used to study the effect of feeding prebiotic (mannanoligosaccharide) on their performance up to the age of 2 months. Treatment and control groups consisted of 18 calves each. Treatment group was supplemented with 4 g prebiotic (mannanoligosaccharide)/calf/day. Performance was evaluated by measuring average body weight (BW) gain, feed intake [dry matter (DM), total digestible nutrient (TDN) and crude protein(CP)], feed conversion efficiency (DM, TDN, and CP), fecal score, fecal coliform count and feeding cost. Body weight measured weekly, feed intake measured twice daily, proximate analysis of feeds and fodders analyzed weekly, fecal score monitored daily and fecal coliform count done weekly. There was a significant increase in average body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency; and a significant decrease in severity of scours as measured by fecal score and fecal coliform count in the treatment group compared with control group (P < 0.01). Feed cost/kg BW gain was significantly lower in the treatment group compared to control group (P < 0.01). The results suggest that prebiotic (mannanoligosaccharide) can be supplemented to the calves for better performance.