Indulgent thinking?:Ecological momentary assessment of overweight and healthy-weight participants' cognitions and emotions

Cognitions and emotions are considered important determinants of eating behaviour in cognitive behavioural models of obesity. Ecological data on these determinants is still limited. The present study investigated cognitions and emotions of overweight (n = 57) and healthy-weight (n = 43) participants via Ecological Momentary Assessment. It was found that eating-related cognitions mainly focused on desire and taste. Unexpectedly, dysfunctional cognitions (i.e., thoughts that may promote overeating) did not occur more often for overweight participants in almost all cases. So, the present EMA study provides no evidence for a role of dysfunctional cognitions in obesity-promoting eating behaviour when assessing eating-related cognitions immediately prior to eating events using a free-text format assessment. Right before eating events, participants mostly reported feeling calm/relaxed and cheerful/happy. Overweight participants scored higher on negative emotions, both at eating events and non-eating moments, than did healthy-weight participants. In addition, scores on standard questionnaires assessing emotional eating were positively associated with negative emotions reported at both eating and non-eating moments. As such, negative emotions, as assessed in the present study, do not seem to be specific triggers for food consumption

Numerical dynamic analysis of stiffened plates under blast loading

Using the general purpose finite element package Abaqus, an investigation has been carried out to examine the dynamic response of steel stiffened plates subjected to uniform blast loading. The main objective of this study is to determine the dynamic response of the stiffened plates considering the effect of stiffener configurations. Several parameters, such as boundary conditions, mesh dependency and strain rate, have been considered in this study. Special emphasis is focused on the evaluation of midpoint displacements and energy of models. The modeling techniques were described in details. The numerical results provide better insight into the effect of stiffener configurations on the nonlinear dynamic response of the stiffened plates subjected to uniform blast loading

A characteristics framework for Semantic Information Systems Standards

Semantic Information Systems (IS) Standards play a critical role in the development of the networked economy. While their importance is undoubted by all stakeholders—such as businesses, policy makers, researchers, developers—the current state of research leaves a number of questions unaddressed. Terminological confusion exists around the notions of “business semantics”, “business-to-business interoperability”, and “interoperability standards” amongst others. And, moreover, a comprehensive understanding about the characteristics of Semantic IS Standards is missing. The paper addresses this gap in literature by developing a characteristics framework for Semantic IS Standards. Two case studies are used to check the applicability of the framework in a “real-life” context. The framework lays the foundation for future research in an important field of the IS discipline and supports practitioners in their efforts to analyze, compare, and evaluate Semantic IS Standard

Efficacy and safety of the anti-IL-12/23 p40 monoclonal antibody, ustekinumab, in patients with active psoriatic arthritis despite conventional non-biological and biological anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy: 6-month and 1-year results of the phase 3, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised PSUMMIT 2 trial

Objective: Assess ustekinumab efficacy (week 24/week 52) and safety (week 16/week 24/week 60) in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) despite treatment with conventional and/or biological anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents. Methods: In this phase 3, multicentre, placebo-controlled trial, 312 adults with active PsA were randomised (stratified by site, weight (≤100 kg/>100 kg), methotrexate use) to ustekinumab 45 mg or 90 mg at week 0, week 4, q12 weeks or placebo at week 0, week 4, week 16 and crossover to ustekinumab 45 mg at week 24, week 28 and week 40. At week 16, patients with <5% improvement in tender/swollen joint counts entered blinded early escape (placebo→45 mg, 45 mg→90 mg, 90 mg→90 mg). The primary endpoint was ≥20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) criteria at week 24. Secondary endpoints included week 24 Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) improvement, ACR50, ACR70 and ≥75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI75). Efficacy was assessed in all patients, anti-TNF-naïve (n=132) patients and anti-TNF-experienced (n=180) patients. Results: More ustekinumab-treated (43.8% combined) than placebo-treated (20.2%) patients achieved ACR20 at week 24 (p<0.001). Significant treatment differences were observed for week 24 HAQ-DI improvement (p<0.001), ACR50 (p≤0.05) and PASI75 (p<0.001); all benefits were sustained through week 52. Among patients previously treated with ≥1 TNF inhibitor, sustained ustekinumab efficacy was also observed (week 24 combined vs placebo: ACR20 35.6% vs 14.5%, PASI75 47.1% vs 2.0%, median HAQ-DI change −0.13 vs 0.0; week 52 ustekinumab-treated: ACR20 38.9%, PASI75 43.4%, median HAQ-DI change −0.13). No unexpected adverse events were observed through week 60. Conclusions: The interleukin-12/23 inhibitor ustekinumab (45/90 mg q12 weeks) yielded significant and sustained improvements in PsA signs/symptoms in a diverse population of patients with active PsA, including anti-TNF-experienced PsA patients

Real world, multicentre patterns of treatment and survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma with the UK Renal Oncology Collaborative ( UK ROC ): Is it time to look favourably on first‐line immunotherapy containing combinations in all IMDC groups?

Introduction: Clinical trials show improved progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in first‐line metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients with immunotherapy containing systemic anti‐cancer therapies (SACT). However, in the favourable international metastatic renal cell cancer database consortium (IMDC) group there is no trial evidence for OS benefit despite clear PFS improvement when comparing anti‐VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy and (immunotherapy and TKI) IO/TKI combinations. Objective: To assess the impact of first‐line SACT choice on the clinical outcomes of PFS and OS in mRCC. To evaluate this impact of initial SACT for allcomers and the favourable IMDC group. Methods: A multicentre retrospective review of patients who started SACT for mRCC (01/01/2018–30/06/2021) at 17 UK NHS trusts. Patient demographics and IMDC group were analysed. Survival data were compared using Kaplan–Meier curves, and the statistical significance of differences in outcome between the groups was assessed with the log‐rank test. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard modelling estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for survival outcomes associated with IMDC and treatment subtype. Results: One thousand three hundred and nineteen patients were identified with a median age of 64. 294 (22.3%), 695 (52.7%) and 321 (24.3%) were IMDC group favourable, intermediate and poor, respectively. 311 (23.6%), 197 (14.9%) and 778 (59%) patients received checkpoint inhibitor and anti‐CTLA4 monoclonal antibody (IO/IO), IO/TKI and TKI first‐line SACT across all IMDC groups. Significant PFS improvement favouring IO/TKI versus TKI was demonstrated in allcomers HR = 0.61. In the favourable risk group, Log rank testing demonstrated a significant benefit for IO/TKI over TKI for PFS (HR = 0.60, 95% CI [0.39, 0.91]) and OS (HR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.18, 0.99]). Conclusion: In this real‐world evidence cohort, we have shown OS and PFS benefit with IO/TKI versus TKI in the favourable IMDC risk group. This has not been previously reported from trial outcomes and would support use of front‐line IO/TKI in mRCC favourable risk patients

Real world, multicentre patterns of treatment and survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma with the UK Renal Oncology Collaborative (UK ROC): Is it time to look favourably on first-line immunotherapy containing combinations in all IMDC groups?

\ua9 2024 The Author(s). Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Introduction: Clinical trials show improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in first-line metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients with immunotherapy containing systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT). However, in the favourable international metastatic renal cell cancer database consortium (IMDC) group there is no trial evidence for OS benefit despite clear PFS improvement when comparing anti-VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy and (immunotherapy and TKI) IO/TKI combinations. Objective: To assess the impact of first-line SACT choice on the clinical outcomes of PFS and OS in mRCC. To evaluate this impact of initial SACT for allcomers and the favourable IMDC group. Methods: A multicentre retrospective review of patients who started SACT for mRCC (01/01/2018–30/06/2021) at 17 UK NHS trusts. Patient demographics and IMDC group were analysed. Survival data were compared using Kaplan–Meier curves, and the statistical significance of differences in outcome between the groups was assessed with the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard modelling estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for survival outcomes associated with IMDC and treatment subtype. Results: One thousand three hundred and nineteen patients were identified with a median age of 64. 294 (22.3%), 695 (52.7%) and 321 (24.3%) were IMDC group favourable, intermediate and poor, respectively. 311 (23.6%), 197 (14.9%) and 778 (59%) patients received checkpoint inhibitor and anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody (IO/IO), IO/TKI and TKI first-line SACT across all IMDC groups. Significant PFS improvement favouring IO/TKI versus TKI was demonstrated in allcomers HR = 0.61. In the favourable risk group, Log rank testing demonstrated a significant benefit for IO/TKI over TKI for PFS (HR = 0.60, 95% CI [0.39, 0.91]) and OS (HR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.18, 0.99]). Conclusion: In this real-world evidence cohort, we have shown OS and PFS benefit with IO/TKI versus TKI in the favourable IMDC risk group. This has not been previously reported from trial outcomes and would support use of front-line IO/TKI in mRCC favourable risk patients

Do semantic standards lack quality? : a survey among 34 semantic standards

The adoption of standards to improve interoperability in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and other sectors could save billions. While interoperability standards have been created for a number of industries, problems persist, suggesting a lack of quality of the standards themselves. The issue of semantic standard quality is not often addressed. In this research we take a closer look at the quality of semantics standards, development processes, and survey the current state of the quality of semantic standards by means of a questionnaire that was sent to standards developers. This survey looked at 34 semantic standards, and it shows that the quality of semantic standards for inter-organizational interoperability can be improved. Improved standards may advance interoperability in networked business. Improvement of semantic standards requires transparency of their quality. Although many semantic standard development organisations already have quality assurance in place, this research shows that they could benefit from a quality measuring instrument

Tenure, gender and household structure

Starting with a review of recent literature on gender and housing, this paper goes on to develop a new theory of household structure, in which concepts of gender and generation play a key role. The utility of this theory is then demonstrated in the analysis of data from a survey of households in the City of Salford

A trans-ancestral meta-analysis of Genome-wide Association Studies reveals loci associated with childhood obesity

Although hundreds of GWAS-implicated loci have been reported for adult obesity-related traits, less is known about the genetics specific for early-onset obesity, and with only a few studies conducted in non-European populations to date. Searching for additional genetic variants associated with childhood obesity, we performed a trans-ancestral meta-analysis of thirty studies consisting of up to 13,005 cases (≥95th percentile of BMI achieved 2-18 years old) and 15,599 controls (consistently <50th percentile of BMI) of European, African, North/South American and East Asian ancestry. Suggestive loci were taken forward for replication in a sample of 1,888 cases and 4,689 controls from seven cohorts of European and North/South American ancestry. In addition to observing eighteen previously implicated BMI or obesity loci, for both early and late onset, we uncovered one completely novel locus in this trans-ancestral analysis (nearest gene: METTL15). The variant was nominally associated in only the European subgroup analysis but had a consistent direction of effect in other ethnicities. We then utilized trans-ancestral Bayesian analysis to narrow down the location of the probable causal variant at each genome-wide significant signal. Of all the fine-mapped loci, we were able to narrow down the causative variant at four known loci to fewer than ten SNPs (FAIM2, GNPDA2, MC4R and SEC16B loci). In conclusion, an ethnically diverse setting has enabled us to both identify an additional pediatric obesity locus and further fine-map existing loci