Predictors of programme adherence and weight loss in women in an obesity programme using meal replacements

Objective: To explore predictors of programme adherence and weight loss in patients participating in a weight management programme using meal replacements (MR).Design: One hundred and fifty healthy obese women, age 48.5 years (s.d. = 8.3); weight, 97.6 kg (13.4); body mass index (BMI) 36.5 (3.7), participated in a longitudinal study with a 16-week acute weight loss phase (Phase 1) followed by 1 year of a trial of weight-loss maintenance (Phase 2). Energy intake during Phase 1 totaled 900 kcal (3.7 MJ) a day from a diet including two MR. Energy intake during Phase 2 consisted of either MR or a low-fat diet with a calculated energy deficit of 600 kcal/day (2.5 MJ).Methods: Weight, height and waist circumference were measured and body composition assessed by air plethysmography (Bodpod). Glucose and insulin were measured by standard immunoassays and insulin sensitivity assessed by homeostatic model assessment.Results: At the end of 16 weeks, 114 subjects (76%) completed Phase 1 and achieved a mean weight loss of 8.95 kg (3.38). Adherence to Phase 1 was predicted by weight loss over the first 2 weeks (p < 0.001). Weight loss during Phase 1 was predicted by initial weight and initial systolic blood pressure. Adherence to Phase 2 was not predicted by physiological measures. Weight loss maintenance in Phase 2 (not gaining more than 3% of the weight at start of phase 2) was predicted by cholesterol and triglyceride measured at the start of Phase 2 but otherwise was not predicted by the physiological measures. Initial insulin sensitivity did not predict weight loss in either phase.Conclusion: Participants whose weight loss over the first 2 weeks falls in the bottom third may need additional intervention if they are to continue in this type of programme. A battery of physiological measures at entry to a MR weight loss and maintenance programme explains only a very small proportion of the variation in weight loss

A multivariate analysis of an enterprise development strategy for the development of functional foods derived from African indigenous plants

Abstract: An enterprise development strategy linking science with business applications moderates effective development and commercialisation of a functional food production plant. However, as most theories agitate a largely scientifically skewed process, poor interplay between science and business applications often undermines effective development and commercialisation of functional foods derived from a variety of indigenous African plants. This research seeks to address this gap by using multivariate analysis to evaluate the null hypothesis that a scientific process intricately intertwined with critical business processes for the development of a functional food production plant catalyses its successful establishment, growth, sustainability and profitability. Using statistical data drawn from 40 firms in the food and beverage industry, results of multivariate analysis revealed that irrespective of the attractiveness of the scientific values of the new functional food concept, a scientific process intricately intertwined with critical business processes is still often critical for leveraging the initial marketing and promotion of new functional food concepts as well as the adoption of the appropriate manufacturing strategy. As the adoption of an appropriate manufacturing strategy enhances cost minimisation and resource optimisation, all these combined with the moderating effects of the improved linkages between the functional food production plant with suppliers and distributors were found to catalyse the overall competitiveness and sustainability of the new functional food concept, even in the midst of the increasing proliferation of the often equally competitive new rival functional food concepts

Accessing Patient Records in Virtual Healthcare Organisations

The ARTEMIS project is developing a semantic web service based P2P interoperability infrastructure for healthcare information systems that will allow healthcare providers to securely share patient records within virtual healthcare organisations. Authorisation decisions to access patient records across organisation boundaries can be very dynamic and must occur within a strict legislative framework. In ARTEMIS we are developing a dynamic authorisation mechanism called PBAC that provides a means of contextual and process oriented access control to enforce healthcare business processes. PBAC demonstrates how healthcare providers can dynamically share patient records for care pathways across organisation boundaries

African vegetable diversity in the limelight: project activities by ProNIVA.

Poster presented at Botanical Congress. Hamburg (Germany), 3-7 Sep 200

Effects of Different Concentrations of Biocides on Fungal Populations Isolated from Biofilms of Corroded Oil Pipelines

Microbiologically influenced corrosion is a problem commonly encountered in facilities in the oil and gas industries. The present study described fungal enumeration and identification in biofilms of oil pipelines in Oshie flow station in Rivers State and Irri flow station in Delta State, Nigeria using traditional cultivation technique.  The fungal species isolated in biofilms from the two sites are as follows Verticillium dahlae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Penicillium corylophilum, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium paradoxus, Aspergillus paradoxus, Humicola grisae, Aureobasidium pullulans, Monilia balanitis, Hormoconis resinea, Asperillus flavus and Helimenthosporium maydis. The study also focuses on the use of three biocides to inhibit or eliminate the identified organisms in order to minimize the material and financial losses encountered by oil and gas companies, because of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). The performance of three biocides (ozone, sodium hypochlorite and formaldehyde) at the concentrations 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% in eliminating the fungal species isolated from biofilms of oil pipelines in Rivers and Delta States, Niger Delta, Nigeria. It is shown that formaldehyde an ozone exhibit the best biocidal characteristics and concentrations of 1 and 2 % eliminated all to almost the fungal species after 72 hours of contact time. This study is relevant to the problem of microbiologically influenced corrosion as the data may contribute to elucidate which fungal species contribute to the MIC process and to gain a better understanding of the fungal community of biofilms. This study will give us better understanding of the biocide capable of eliminating fungal species in biofilm of oil and gas pipelines. Key word: Concentration, fungal population, biocides, microbiologically influenced corrosion, biofilm

Occurrence, distribution and alternative hosts of Wheat streak mosaic virus infecting ginger in Kaduna State, Nigeria

A field survey was conducted during the 2018 rainy season (June – October) in three major ginger producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State, Nigeria to determine the occurrence and spread of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) infecting ginger. Symptomatic and asymptomatic ginger leaf samples (n=180) and weed samples (n=45) were collected from the surveyed fields and indexed against WSMV using Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA). The results obtained showed that WSMV occurred in all the LGAs surveyed but with significant (P = 0.05) variation in distribution. Jaba had the highest virus incidence (22.67\,\%) followed by Kagarko (17.67\,\%) while Kachia had the lowest virus incidence of 10.00\,\%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of WSMV infecting ginger in Nigeria. Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton and Setaria barbata (Lam.) Kunth tested positive against WSMV as alternative weed hosts of the virus. The incidence of WSMV even at lower percentage is significant as population build-up could lead to a disease outbreak. Awareness programs need to be organised for farmers on yield loss potential of WSMV on ginger crop and the role of cultural practices on the incidence and management of the virus

Directly observed daily mouth care provided to care home residents in one area of Kent, UK

Objective: To gather accurate data on the daily mouth care provided in care homes including tooth brushing, oral health assessment, and recording of care provided. Basic research design: Direct observation and notes review. Clinical setting: Both nursing and ‘regular’ care homes. Participants: 365 Residents living in 16 care homes and their carers underwent observation, notes review or data collection in some form. Main outcome measures: Provision of mouth morning care. Results: Of 161 residents observed, most (93, 58%) did not have their teeth/dentures brushed. If performed, brushing was often carried out by the resident themselves (36 cases, 53%), rather than by a carer (32 cases, 44%). Carers used a toothbrush to clean inside a resident’s mouth in just 7 cases (4.3% of all personal care routines observed). Smaller care homes were no more likely to brush residents teeth than larger care homes, and nursing homes were no more likely to brush teeth than other care homes. Of the 309 sets of notes available for review, 41 (13%) contained a dedicated oral health needs assessment, and 109 (35%) contained a daily oral care chart in some form. Mouth care was often recorded inaccurately (15% of cases). Conclusions: This is the first observational study in the UK to assess oral care actually provided to residents by carers in care homes. The findings reveal a substantially different picture of daily mouth care than was previously understood and suggest that many of the nation’s care home residents may not be receiving adequate, or any, oral health care

Exploring the relationship between population mobility and HIV risk: evidence from Tanzania

Migration and population mobility has long been regarded as an important structural driver of HIV. Following initial concerns regarding the spatial spread of the disease, mobile populations are viewed to engage in higher levels of risky sexual behaviours than non-mobile groups. However, beyond the case studies of mineworkers and truck drivers, the statistical evidence is inconclusive, suggesting that the relationship between mobility and risk is not well understood. This study investigated how engaging in specific livelihoods that involve mobility influences sexual behaviour and HIV risk. A qualitative research project, including focus groups and in-depth interviews with key mobile groups, was conducted in Northern Tanzania. The findings show that the patterns and conditions of moving related to the requirements of each different economic activity influence the nature of relationships that mobile groups have whilst away, how and where local sexual networks are accessed, and the practicalities of having sex. This has further implications for condom use. Risk behaviours are also shaped by local sexual norms related to transactional sex, emphasising that the roles of mobility and gender are interrelated, overlapping, and difficult to disentangle