Excess direct medical costs of severe obesity by socioeconomic status in German adults

Objective: Excess direct medical costs of severe obesity are by far higher than of moderate obesity. At the same time, severely obese adults with low socioeconomic status (SES) may be expected to have higher excess costs than those with higher SES, e.g. due to more comorbidities. This study compares excess costs of severe obesity among German adults across different SES groups

Sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) amplification is an independent indicator of disease recurrence in sinonasal cancer.

The transcription factor SOX2 (3q26.3-q27) is an embryonic stem cell factor contributing to the induction of pluripotency in terminally differentiated somatic cells. Recently, amplification of the SOX2 gene locus has been described in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of different organ sites. Aim of this study was to investigate amplification and expression status of SOX2 in sinonasal carcinomas and to correlate the results with clinico-pathological data. A total of 119 primary tumor samples from the sinonasal region were assessed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for SOX2 gene amplification and protein expression, respectively. Of these, 59 were SSCs, 18 sinonasal undifferentiated carcinomas (SNUC), 10 carcinomas associated with an inverted papilloma (INVC), 19 adenocarcinomas (AD) and 13 adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC). SOX2 amplifications were found in subsets of SCCs (37.5%), SNUCs (35.3%), INVCs (37.5%) and ADs (8.3%) but not in ACCs. SOX2 amplification resulted in increased protein expression. Patients with SOX2-amplified sinonasal carcinomas showed a significantly higher rate of tumor recurrences than SOX2 non-amplified tumors. This is the first study assessing SOX2 amplification and expression in a large cohort of sinonasal carcinomas. As opposed to AD and ACC, SOX2 amplifications were detected in more than 1/3 of all SCCs, SNUCs and INVCs. We therefore suggest that SNUCs are molecularly closely related to SCCs and INVCs and that these entities represent a subgroup of sinonasal carcinomas relying on SOX2 acquisition during oncogenesis. SOX2 amplification appears to identify sinonasal carcinomas that are more likely to relapse after primary therapy, suggesting that these patients might benefit from a more aggressive therapy regime

Editorial

La Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, UNAB, y los miembros del comité editorial de la Revista Colombiana de Computación, tienen el placer de presentar a la comunidad científica esta nueva edición, que constituye un importante aporte al capital intelectual de Colombia y de la comunidad internacional en el área de computación. Así mismo presentamos un reconocimiento a los autores, evaluadores y personal de apoyo administrativo por su importante aporte

Do diabetes and depressed mood affect associations between obesity and quality of life in postmenopause? Results of the KORA-F3 Augsburg population study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To assess associations of obesity with health-related quality of life (HRQL) in postmenopausal women, and whether depressed mood and diabetes moderate these associations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Survey of 983 postmenopausal women aged 35-74, general population, Augsburg region/Germany, 2004/2005. Body weight/height and waist/hip circumference were assessed anthropometrically and classified via BMI ≥ 30 as obese, and WHR ≥ 0.85 as abdominally obese (vs. not). Depressed mood was assessed by the Depression and Exhaustion-(DEEX-)scale, diabetes and postmenopausal status by self-report/medication, and HRQL by the SF-12.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>General linear models revealed negative associations of obesity and abdominal obesity with physical but not mental HRQL. Both forms of excess weight were associated with diabetes but not depressed mood. Moderation depended on the HRQL-domain in question. In non-diabetic women, depressed mood was found to amplify obesity-associated impairment in physical HRQL (mean "obese"-"non-obese" difference given depressed mood: -6.4, p < .001; among those without depressed mood: -2.5, p = .003). Reduced mental HRQL tended to be associated with obesity in diabetic women (mean "obese"-"non-obese" difference: -4.5, p = .073), independent of depressed mood. No interactions pertained to abdominal obesity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In postmenopausal women, depressed mood may amplify the negative impact of obesity on physical HRQL, while diabetes may be a precondition for some degree of obesity-related impairments in mental HRQL.</p

Development of an expert system based on fuzzy logic as support for heat pipes design

Heat pipe design and selection require specialist knowledge due to numerous possible combinations and restrictions that should be considered. The general objective of this work is to design a Specialist System that assists future engineers in material and working fluid selection for a suitable heat pipe application, based on the technical operating requirements. The methodology consisted of a qualitative perspective through interviews with two specialist engineers in the heat pipes area. The resulting information from the interviews was organized into a library, working as a source for the specialist system. In addition, several books from the literature completed the information in the library. Based on the operating conditions and the provided library, the program recommends suitable materials and working fluids and the necessity of porous media for the application, like a consult with a heat pipe specialist. The new expert system can be a tool for researchers and engineers in heat pipe design as passive control systems, providing more suitable solutions for each application

Comparison of Defuzzification Methods: Automatic Control of Temperature and Flow inHeat Exchanger

Non

Editorial

La Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, UNAB, y los miembros del comité editorial de la&nbsp;Revista Colombiana de Computación, tienen el placer de presentar a la comunidad científica esta nueva edición, que constituye un importante aporte al capital intelectual de Colombia y de la comunidad internacional en el área de computación. Así mismo presentamos un reconocimiento a los autores, evaluadores y personal de apoyo administrativo por su importante aporte.The Autonomous University of Bucaramanga, UNAB, and the members of the editorial committee of the&nbsp;Revista Colombiana de Computación, have the pleasure of presenting this new edition to the scientific community, which constitutes an important contribution to the intellectual capital of Colombia and the international community. in the computing area. Likewise, we present a recognition to the authors, evaluators and administrative support staff for their important contribution

Diseño mecatrónico de un robot tipo agv "automated guided vehicle"

The development of automatic robots is one of the felds of research of fexible manufacturing systems (FMS), where the main goal is to carry out tasks in the area of logistics, reducing human intervention, searching automate repetitive tasks or inappropriate for the workers. This article presents the design of an AGV, Automated Guided Vehicle, as part of a FMS and proposes a mechatronics design methodology supported in tools CAD and CAE, in the areas of mechanics, electronics and control, giving rise to the construction of the prototype.&nbsp;El desarrollo de robots automáticos es uno de ámbitos de investigación de los Sistemas fexibles de manufactura (SFM), donde el objetivo fundamental es la realización de tareas en el área de logística, disminuyendo la intervención humana, buscando automatizar labores repetitivas o inadecuadas para los trabajadores. Este artículo presenta la concepción de un AGV, Automated Guided Vehicle como parte de un SFM y propone una metodología de diseño Mecatrónico apoyada en herramientas CAD y CAE, en las áreas de mecánica, electrónica y control, dando lugar a la construcción del prototipo.&nbsp