The Obemat2.0 Study: A Clinical Trial of a Motivational Intervention for Childhood Obesity Treatment.

The primary aim of the Obemat2.0 trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent motivational program for the treatment of childhood obesity, coordinated between primary care and hospital specialized services, compared to the usual intervention performed in primary care. This was a cluster randomized clinical trial conducted in Spain, with two intervention arms: motivational intervention group vs. usual care group (as control), including 167 participants in each. The motivational intervention consisted of motivational interviewing, educational materials, use of an eHealth physical activity monitor and three group-based sessions. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI) z score increments before and after the 12 (+3) months of intervention. Secondary outcomes (pre-post intervention) were: adherence to treatment, waist circumference (cm), fat mass index (z score), fat free mass index (z score), total body water (kg), bone mineral density (z score), blood lipids profile, glucose metabolism, and psychosocial problems. Other assessments (pre and post-intervention) were: sociodemographic information, physical activity, sedentary activity, neuropsychological testing, perception of body image, quality of the diet, food frequency consumption and foods available at home. The results of this clinical trial could open a window of opportunity to support professionals at the primary care to treat childhood obesity. The clinicaltrials.gov identifier was NCT02889406

Application of genetic algorithms to minimization of the reproduction error of natural objects in calibrated CRT display using the GOG model

We have applied a genetic algorithm to minimization the reproduction error of natural objects in a calibrated CRT display. The GOG model of calibrated CRT display provides the relative scalar values (R,G,B) of each channel-colour. With these values the CRT Display reproduces the colour of natural objects. The reproduced colour in the CRT display is different of the colour of natural object under the selected illuminant (D65). We have perturbed each relative scalar values RGB with one increment (ΔR, ΔG, ΔB) to minimize the reproduced colour error. We obtain these increments using a genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm uses the relative scalar values (R,G,B) provided by the GOG model to generate the initial population and the colour difference ΔE94 of CIELAB system as merit function. We have applied a genetic algorithm to minimization the reproduction error of 24 natural objects of ColorChecker chart in the calibrated CRT display. The ColorChecker chart is uniform illuminated with 90π lx of illuminant D65

Trets comuns de les Start up amb èxit a Catalunya

Objecte: El treball que presentem en aquest document és la primera part d’una investigació realitzada per el Grup de Treball de la Comissió de Valoració d’Empreses de l’ACCID, que té com a objectiu analitzar els factors d’èxit de les empreses de nova creació. En concret en aquest primera part del treball hem analitzat els factors financers que defineixen l’èxit de les empreses que han estat creades a Catalunya en els últims cinc anys. Disseny/metodologia: Per la realització de l’estudi s’han analitzat determinats ratis financers de les empreses que han estat creades a Catalunya en els últims cinc anys. Les dades s’han obtingut a partir de la base de dades SABI. El període de referència han estat el 2010-2012. Aportacions i resultats: Els resultats obtinguts mostren que el sector on hi ha un major nombre d’empreses amb èxit és el de comerç tan a l’ engròs com al detall. Però el que mostra uns millors ratis financers és el sector sanitari. Valor afegit: Determinar quins son els factors d’èxit de les empreses de nova creació catalanes.Purpose: This present work is the first part of an investigation made by the Companies Assessment Commission in the Associació Catalana de Comptabilitat i Direcció (ACCID), the aim of this paper is to analyze the key success in the start up companies. Specifically we are going to analyze the financial factors in the Catalonian start up companies created in the last five year. Design/methodology/approach: To make the study we have analyze the financial ratios from the companies creates in Catalonia in the last five years. Data has been obtained from the data base SABI. The period of the study has been from 2010-2012. Findings and originality/value: The results show the fact that the sector where most of the successful companies are is the commerce sector, both wholesale and retail. Specially the most successful one is the heath sector. Originality/value: To determine which are the successful agents in the Catalonian star up companies

The Obemat2.0 Study: A Clinical Trial of a Motivational Intervention for Childhood Obesity Treatment.

The primary aim of the Obemat2.0 trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent motivational program for the treatment of childhood obesity, coordinated between primary care and hospital specialized services, compared to the usual intervention performed in primary care. This was a cluster randomized clinical trial conducted in Spain, with two intervention arms: motivational intervention group vs. usual care group (as control), including 167 participants in each. The motivational intervention consisted of motivational interviewing, educational materials, use of an eHealth physical activity monitor and three group-based sessions. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI) z score increments before and after the 12 (+3) months of intervention. Secondary outcomes (pre-post intervention) were: adherence to treatment, waist circumference (cm), fat mass index (z score), fat free mass index (z score), total body water (kg), bone mineral density (z score), blood lipids profile, glucose metabolism, and psychosocial problems. Other assessments (pre and post-intervention) were: sociodemographic information, physical activity, sedentary activity, neuropsychological testing, perception of body image, quality of the diet, food frequency consumption and foods available at home. The results of this clinical trial could open a window of opportunity to support professionals at the primary care to treat childhood obesity. The clinicaltrials.gov identifier was NCT02889406

Small Towns, una realidad urbana en la Hispania romana (II)

Congreso Internacional MARQ Museo Arqueológico de Alicante: 26-28 de Octubre de 2021.Las ciudades pequeñas/Small Towns de la Península Ibérica son la abrumadora mayoría de las aproximadamente 400 ciudades que en época romana existieron en Hispania, es decir casi una quinta parte de las aprox. 2000 ciudades del Imperio Romano entero. De ahí que resulta de interés como punto de partida y base de estudio para la investigación, a pesar de las dificultades de definición. Mientras que los intentos anteriores buscaban utilizar el término en su calidad de clasificador para poder elaborar una jerarquía de asentamientos, y así asignar a cada uno de ellos su lugar en la clasificación y de esa manera describir sus propiedades correspondientes, aqui se propone la utilización del término Small Towns solo en su calidad de aspecto diferenciador con vistas a las capitales de provincia y de conventus, manteniendo toda su imprecisión para asentamientos con o sin trama urbana extendida, en un sentido amplio y genérico sin condicionantes ni jurídicos ni políticos. Las Small Towns suelen y pueden tener, con alguna variedad, características urbanas como edificios sacros y públicos, una muralla defensiva y casas urbanas. Sin embargo, suele observarse una desproporción entre la edificación pública y sacra por un lado y la privada por el otro en el sentido, de que la primera tenga una clara predominancia sobre la segunda tanto en calidad como en cantidad. Por otro lado les suelen faltar a las Small Towns otros criterios importantes habituales de los centros mayores como son la alta densidad de población, altos estándares de calidad, un cierto grado de diversificación económica, un plan urbanístico de circulación. Esas características ausentes son compensadas, por el otro lado, con un elemento del que se nutre a través de la carga generada por la (excesiva) edificación sacra y pública, y que le proporciona aquel atributo, que resume en sí la esencia de los centros mayores, que es la más típica y la que más los destaca: un exceso de significado.Esta publicación ha sido posible gracias a la financiación de la subvención global de la Junta de Extremadura, a través de la Consejería de Ciencia, Economía y Agenda Digital al Instituto de Arqueología de Mérida (Referencia 20164499).Peer reviewe

Switching TNF antagonists in patients with chronic arthritis: An observational study of 488 patients over a four-year period

The objective of this work is to analyze the survival of infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab in patients who have switched among tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists for the treatment of chronic arthritis. BIOBADASER is a national registry of patients with different forms of chronic arthritis who are treated with biologics. Using this registry, we have analyzed patient switching of TNF antagonists. The cumulative discontinuation rate was calculated using the actuarial method. The log-rank test was used to compare survival curves, and Cox regression models were used to assess independent factors associated with discontinuing medication. Between February 2000 and September 2004, 4,706 patients were registered in BIOBADASER, of whom 68% had rheumatoid arthritis, 11% ankylosing spondylitis, 10% psoriatic arthritis, and 11% other forms of chronic arthritis. One- and two-year drug survival rates of the TNF antagonist were 0.83 and 0.75, respectively. There were 488 patients treated with more than one TNF antagonist. In this situation, survival of the second TNF antagonist decreased to 0.68 and 0.60 at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Survival was better in patients replacing the first TNF antagonist because of adverse events (hazard ratio (HR) for discontinuation 0.55 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-0.84)), and worse in patients older than 60 years (HR 1.10 (95% CI 0.97-2.49)) or who were treated with infliximab (HR 3.22 (95% CI 2.13-4.87)). In summary, in patients who require continuous therapy and have failed to respond to a TNF antagonist, replacement with a different TNF antagonist may be of use under certain situations. This issue will deserve continuous reassessment with the arrival of new medications. © 2006 Gomez-Reino and Loreto Carmona; licensee BioMed Central Ltd