The Hyperactivity/Inattention Subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Predicts Short- and Long-Term Weight Loss in Overweight Children and Adolescents Treated as Outpatients

Objective: The success of treatment for pediatric obesity is variable and often unsatisfactory. This study elucidates the influence of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity on short- and long-term weight loss and maintenance after outpatient treatment. Methods: We included 8- to 16-year-old overweight and obese participants treated in 17 multidisciplinary outpatient treatment centers in a nationwide observational study. All treatment centers that reported long-term (1-year) follow-up weight data of at least 60% of the participants were included. At the beginning and end of treatment and at 1 year follow-up weight and height were measured at the center. Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity were assessed with the hyperactivity/inattention subscale (HI) of the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ). General linear models were used with the standard deviation scores of the BMI (BMI-SDS) as dependent variable and HI scores as main independent variable adjusting for age, sex, baseline BMI-SDS, and center. Results: 394 participants were included (57% female, age: 11.7± 2.0 years, baseline BMI-SDS 2.32 ±.46 kg/m2). HI scores were significantly associated with short- and long-term BMI-SDS (p < 0.0005), with higher baseline HI scores predicting less weight loss. Conclusions: Our results indicate that inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are linearly associated with reduced short- and long-term weight loss. Implications for treatment are discussed

VALSOFT Validation of measurement software as an application of slicing and constraint solving. Final report

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is a national institution which is responsible for the verification of legally required calibration standards. The prototypes of all measurement systems must be certified by PTB. Today, nearly all measurement systems are controlled by software. Thus validation of measurement software has become part of the certification process. In particular, it must be checked that the data flow path from some sensor input port to any display of measurement values (the valibration path) must not be manipulated or garbled by external or not documented influences. In order to improve this validation process, still relying mostly on manual code inspection, we developed a tool for source code analysis that can discover, analyze and visualize influences on data paths. Program Slicing and Constraint Solving form the basic technologies for this analysis. For any part of the program, e.g. the output of measurement values, the tool can identify the statements influencing that starting point. Exact conditions under which these data flows are possible can be provided. Thus, the combination of program slicing and constraint solving can result in a rather fine-tuned data flow analysis. Those results and other information are visualized and made accessible by an interactive graphical user interface. The VALSOFT project has lead to a working prototype for analyzing ANSI-C programs. For practical use under real-life conditions some additional work is necessary in order to cope with real measurement systems. Adaptations for use in other critical areas are possible. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RN 6403(97-07)+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman