Family Weight School treatment: 1-year results in obese adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a Family Weight School treatment based on family therapy in group meetings with adolescents with a high degree of obesity. METHODS: Seventy-two obese adolescents aged 12-19 years old were referred to a childhood obesity center by pediatricians and school nurses and offered a Family Weight School therapy program in group meetings given by a multidisciplinary team. Intervention was compared with an untreated waiting list control group. Body mass index (BMI) and BMI z-scores were calculated before and after intervention. RESULTS: Ninety percent of the intervention group completed the program (34 boys, 31 girls; baseline age = 14.8 +/- 1.8 years [mean +/- standard deviation, SD], BMI = 34 +/- 4.0, BMI z-score = 3.3 +/- 0.4). In the control group 10 boys and 13 girls (baseline age = 14.3 +/- 1.6, BMI = 34.1 +/- 4.8, BMI z-score = 3.2 +/- 0.4) participated in the 1-year follow-up. Adolescents in the intervention group with initial BMI z-score 3.5. CONCLUSIONS: Family Weight School treatment model might be suitable for adolescents with BMI z-score < 3.5 treated with a few sessions in a multidisciplinary program

The occupational contribution to severe exacerbation of asthma.

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to identify occupational risk factors for severe exacerbation of asthma and estimate the extent to which occupation contributes to these events. The 966 participants were working adults with current asthma who participated in the follow-up phase of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Severe exacerbation of asthma was defined as self-reported unplanned care for asthma in the past 12 months. Occupations held in the same period were combined with a general population job-exposure matrix to assess occupational exposures. 74 participants reported having had at least one severe exacerbation event, for a 1-yr cumulative incidence of 7.7%. From regression models that controlled for confounders, the relative risk (RR) was statistically significant for low (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1\u20132.6) and high (RR 3.6, 95% CI 2.2\u20135.8) biological dust exposure, high mineral dust exposure (RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.02\u20133.2), and high gas and fumes exposure (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2\u20135.5). The summary category of high dust, gas, or fumes exposure had RR 3.1 (95% CI 1.9\u20135.1). Based on this RR, the population attributable risk was 14.7% among workers with current asthma. These results suggest occupation contributes to approximately one in seven cases of severe exacerbation of asthma in a working population, and various agents play a role

Treatment and outcome of 2904 CML patients from the EUTOS population-based registry

The European Treatment and Outcome Study (EUTOS) population-based registry includes data of all adult patients newly diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive and/or BCR-ABL1+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 20 predefined countries and regions of Europe. Registration time ranged from 12 to 60 months between January 2008 and December 2013. Median age was 55 years and median observation time was 29 months. Eighty percent of patients were treated first line with imatinib, and 17% with a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, mostly according to European LeukemiaNet recommendations. After 12 months, complete cytogenetic remission (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMR) were achieved in 57% and 41% of patients, respectively. Patients with high EUTOS risk scores achieved CCyR and MMR significantly later than patients with low EUTOS risk. Probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival for all patients at 12, 24 and 30 months was 97%, 94% and 92%, and 95%, 92% and 90%, respectively. The new EUTOS long-term survival score was validated: the OS of patients differed significantly between the three risk groups. The probability of dying in remission was 1% after 24 months. The current management of patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitors resulted in responses and outcomes in the range reported from clinical trials. These data from a large population-based, patient sample provide a solid benchmark for the evaluation of new treatment policies

A digital front-end and readout microsystem for calorimetry at LHC

A digital solution to the front-end electronics for calorimetric detectors at future supercolliders is presented. The solution is based on high speed A / D converters, a fully programmable pipeline/digital filter chain and local intelligence. Questions of error correction, fault-tolerance and system redundancy are also being considered. A system integration of a multichannel device in a multichip, Silicon-on-Silicon Microsystem hybrid, is used. This solution allows a new level of integration of complex analogue and digital functions, with an excellent flexibility in mixing technologies for the different functional blocks. It also allows a high degree of programmability at both the function and the system level, and offers the possibility of customising the microsystem with detector-specific functions

Conflicts of interest policies and disclosure requirements among European Society of Cardiology national cardiovascular journals

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest (COI) is used by biomedical journals to guarantee credibility and transparency of the scientific process. COI disclosure, however, is not systematically nor consistently dealt with by journals. Recent joint editorial efforts paved the way towards the implementation of uniform vehicles for COI disclosure. This paper provides a comprehensive editorial perspective on classical COI-related issues. New insights into current COI policies and practices among European Society of Cardiology national cardiovascular journals, as derived from a cross-sectional survey using a standardised questionnaire, are discussed

Conflict of interest policies and disclosure requirements among European Society of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Journals.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest (COI) is used by biomedical journals to guarantee credibility and transparency of the scientific process. COI disclosure, however, is not systematically nor consistently dealt with by journals. Recent joint editorial efforts paved the way towards the implementation of uniform vehicles for COI disclosure. This paper provides a comprehensive editorial perspective on classical COI-related issues. New insights into current COI policies and practices among European Society of Cardiology national cardiovascular journals, as derived from a cross-sectional survey using a standardised questionnaire, are discussed