Effect of weight loss on urinary incontinence in women.

BackgroundThe purpose of this research was review the epidemiology of the association of obesity and urinary incontinence, and to summarize the published data on the effect of weight loss on urinary incontinence.MethodsA literature review of the association between urinary incontinence and overweight/obesity in women was performed. Case series and clinical trials reporting the effect of surgical, behavioral, and/or pharmacological weight loss on urinary incontinence are summarized.ResultsEpidemiological studies demonstrate that obesity is a strong and independent risk factor for prevalent and incident urinary incontinence. There is a clear dose-response effect of weight on urinary incontinence, with each 5-unit increase in body mass index associated with a 20%-70% increase in risk of urinary incontinence. The maximum effect of weight on urinary incontinence has an odds ratio of 4-5. The odds of incident urinary incontinence over 5-10 years increase by approximately 30%-60% for each 5-unit increase in body mass index. There appears to be a stronger association between increasing weight and prevalent and incident stress incontinence (including mixed incontinence) than for urge incontinence. Weight loss studies indicate that both surgical and nonsurgical weight loss leads to significant improvements in prevalence, frequency, and/or symptoms of urinary incontinence.ConclusionEpidemiological studies document overweight and obesity as important risk factors for urinary incontinence. Weight loss by both surgical and more conservative approaches is effective in reducing urinary incontinence symptoms and should be strongly considered as a first line treatment for overweight and obese women with urinary incontinence

Fatigue damage of notched boron/epoxy laminates under constant amplitude loading

Fatigue damage in (0, + or - 45) and (0, + or - 45,90) boron/epoxy laminates was studied with X-ray radiography and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, limited tests for residual strength and stiffness were performed. The results of this study suggest that in boron/epoxy laminates the 45-degree plies play a key role in the fatigue process of boron/epoxy laminates that contain them. The fatigue process in the + or - 45-degree plies starts as intralaminar matrix cracks

The influence of certain socio-economic attributes on the acceptability to school committee members of Rhode Island of certain criteria which determines the level of teachers' salaries

Dissertation (Ed.D.)--Boston University, 196

Investigation of single-crystal ferrite thin film

Chemical vapor deposition growth of epitaxial single crystal lithium ferrite thin film

ECONOMIC INSIGHTS INTO THE SITING PROBLEM: AN APPLICATION OF THE EXPECTED UTILITY MODEL

Despite the generally recognized need for facilities such as power plants, landfills, prisons, and medical laboratories, finding host sites has become extremely difficult. This study uses the expected utility (EU) model to explain individiuals' preferences in the hypothetical case of siting a municipal solid waste composting facility. The three principal factors which EU theory prescribes would affect the decision process- benefits of the proposed facility, losses from the facility, and the (perceived) probability of various scenarios occurring- embodied by the variables in a multinomial logit model explain a substantial amount of the variation in siting decisions.Public Economics,

Meaning and pedagogical impact of class notes translated into Mandarin Chinese for scholars from China enrolled in research techniques traning

We conducted a qualitative study to understand the meaning of translating class notes into Mandarin Chinese for Chinese students enrolled in our hands-on training program for biomedical techniques. To date, no studies have reported interventions to support researchers from China as they learn animal care and use techniques, particularly whether translating class materials into Mandarin Chinese fulfills a specific pedagogical need. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to collect rich, descriptive data. Interviews were transcribed and open coding was conducted by each researcher independently. Axial coding was performed in unison until a consensus for categories was reached. Several themes emerged from the findings: a) Pedagogical impacts that ranged from time-saving to a distraction from learning English, b) Range in personal meaning from positive to negative, depending on English proficiency and degree of adaptation to U.S. culture, and c) Recommendations for supporting a variety of learning styles. While the translated documents saved time and clarified meaning for researchers new to the United States, these documents were offensive to those who reported being more proficient in English. Interestingly, most participants suggested that particular attention should be placed on the social aspects of teaching and learning. Therefore, our translated documents failed to address some pedagogical obstacles for Chinese scholars including listening and speaking English, adapting to different social environment in the US classroom and culture shock. As a result of this study, we have shifted the focus of our hands-on training program away from content and toward cultural competence for teachers

Time-Dependent Seismology

The time variation of crustal velocities in tectonic regions is most reasonably attributed to stress induced variations in crack porosity. The decrease in V_p/V_s before earthquakes is due primarily to a large decrease in V_p. This supports the Nur dilatancy hypothesis but not the effective stress hypothesis. New data from the San Fernando region verify the V_p drop, show that this drop cannot be entirely due to source depth effects, and give strong support to the explanation of material property, or path effect, rather than source effect variations. Calculations show that the crack-widening model works even for mid crustal depths in saturated rock. Narrow cracks of low aspect ratio are required to satisfy the velocity and uplift constraints. The recovery of velocity prior to fracture can be due to fluid flow or crack closure. The t ∼ L^2 relation does not require diffusion. Diffusion of groundwater or crack closure leads to increased pore pressure and rock weakening. Observations of gravity, conductivity, and crustal distortions along with velocities should narrow the choice of models. The crust in regions of thrust tectonics is probably always dilatant to some degree. The aftershock region is smaller than the anomalous velocity region, which in turn must be smaller than the dilatant region. A simple relationship is derived for the relative sizes of the anomalous and aftershock regions

Reflection of P'P' Seismic Waves from Discontinuities in the Mantle

A systematic study of the travel times and apparent velocities of precursors of the seismic core phase PKPPKP indicate that these phases are reflections from the mantle. The strongest reflection is from a depth of 630 km. In order of confidence, other reflectors were found at depths of 280, 520, 940, 410 (very weak), and 1250 km (tentative). The weakness of the 410-km reflection was surprising in view of the large velocity increase at this depth indicated by refraction and Love-wave studies. This transition region must be broader than the others or must involve a smaller density jump. Reflections were observed that were possibly from the top and bottom of the low-velocity zone at depths of 50 and 130 km, respectively. The above reflections are interpreted in terms of the following solid-solid phase changes, in order of increasing depth: pyroxene-garnet solid solution, olivine → β spinel, β spinel → spinel and pyroxene → spinel + stishovite, spinel → post-spinel, and garnet → ilmenite or oxides. A spin-spin transition in Fe^(2+) may be responsible for one of the deeper discontinuities found by others

Transputers at Work: Real-Time Distributed Robot Control

An advanced robot control system joining a GMF A-500 industrial arm with a network of Inmos Transputers is described in the context of the developing field of robotics. The robot system is used to experimentally compare conventional linear control algorithm performance with both the advanced “computer torque” inverse dynamics control algorithm and a recently developed “adaptive computed torque” algorithm

A resurvey of the Hampton Roads corridor area adjacent to the proposed site of the I-664 bridge-tunnel

On July 2 and 3, 1985, a survey was conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) on Drewery-Register (formerly Melzer) leased bottom (48.37 acres) off Newport News Point, Virginia (Figure 1). The study was done at the request of the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, Suffolk, Virginia in relation to the construction of I-664, Project 066!!-121-102, RW-201. The objective of this study was to determine the extent and value of the molluscan resource on the Dewery - Register lease prior to construction activity