A qualitative study exploring why adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity want to lose weight and views of their carers

Background: Obesity is more prevalent in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to the general population. Motivations for weight loss may influence engagement with weight management programmes and have only been studied in adults without ID. Aims: To determine reasons given by adults with ID and obesity for seeking weight loss and whether these reasons differ from those of their carers. Methods: Prior to a multi-component weight management intervention, participants were asked “why do you want to lose weight?” Carers were asked their views and these were compared to the answers given by the adult with ID. Responses were themed. The Fisher’s Exact analysis was used to test for any relationship between reasons for seeking weight loss and participants’ level of ID, age, gender and BMI. Results: Eighteen men and 32 women; age 41.6 SD 14.6 years; BMI 40.8 SD 7.5 kg/m2; Level ID Mild (28 %), Moderate (42 %), Severe (22 %), Profound (8 %). Eleven were unable to respond. Six themes emerged; Health; Fitness / Activity / Mobility; Appearance / Clothes; Emotional / Happiness; For Others; Miscellaneous. The most frequent reason given overall and by women was “appearance.” Carers cited “health” most frequently and “appearance” least, rarely agreeing with participants. “Health” was given as a reason more from older adults and those with milder ID. No statistically significant associations were found between reasons for seeking weight loss and BMI age, gender or level of ID but the differing views of adults with ID and their carers were clear. Conclusions: Views of adults with obesity and mild or moderate ID can be collected. The opposing views of adults and their carers may affect motivation for weight loss

Principal manifolds and graphs in practice: from molecular biology to dynamical systems

We present several applications of non-linear data modeling, using principal manifolds and principal graphs constructed using the metaphor of elasticity (elastic principal graph approach). These approaches are generalizations of the Kohonen's self-organizing maps, a class of artificial neural networks. On several examples we show advantages of using non-linear objects for data approximation in comparison to the linear ones. We propose four numerical criteria for comparing linear and non-linear mappings of datasets into the spaces of lower dimension. The examples are taken from comparative political science, from analysis of high-throughput data in molecular biology, from analysis of dynamical systems.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

The control of bitter pit in apples

Bitter pit is a physiological disorder of apples which causes considerable wastage of otherwise sound fruit . It is a problem of world-wide occurrence and in Western Australia growing conditions appear particularly favourable for its development. In recent years a practical means of control by calcium sprays has been developed

A survey of the relative merits of the single and double session plans of elementary school organization

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Potential of Gracilaria sp. as single-or co-digestion feedstock for biogas production

Abstract: High consumption of fossil fuels in Indonesia needs to be reduced by using renewable energy, such as from biomass. In Indonesia, as one of the largest maritime countries, macroalgae (i.e. seaweed) are also considered as potential renewable biomass feedstocks for substituting any land biomass. This study aimed to investigate biodegradability and biogas potential of macroalgae (Gracilaria sp.) as single-or co-digestion feedstock using anaerobic digestion technology. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) test was carried out for 28 days at temperature of 37 °C to investigate the specific methane potential. All samples were in triplicate. Combinations of Gracilaria sp. with various biomass feedstocks (i.e. food waste, tofu dregs) were also tested. The findings indicated a potential valorisation of macroalgae for biogas production either as single or co-digestion feedstock, as well as a potential for electricity generation. However, further optimisation process is required for better and higher degradation process

Ocupación del microhábitat y morfología funcional de cuatro especies de lagartos agámidos simpátridas del desierto de Kyzylkum, en Uzbekistán central

We examined microhabitat occupation and functional morphology of four sympatric agamid lizards(Phrynocephalus helioscopus helioscopus, P. interscapularis, P. mystaceus galli and Trapelus sanguinolentus) at three sites in the arid zone of central Uzbekistan. At two sites located in sand dunes, substrate attributes played a key role in habitat selection by three syntopic species. At a third flat, stony site, P. helioscopus selected habitat non-randomly, tending to occur close to sparse, low vegetation. Syntopic taxa were separated in morphospace, and there was a trend for taxa with proportionally longer limbs to have faster field escape speeds. Field escape distances and predator avoidance tactics differed between species, with two main escape strategies (crypsis or sand-diving following an escape sprint). We caution that broad–scale threatening processes such as over-grazing and salinity may be having a detrimental effect on microhabitat features important to terrestrial reptiles in Uzbekistan. Key words: Agamidae, Central Asia, Microhabitat occupation, Functional morphology.We examined microhabitat occupation and functional morphology of four sympatric agamid lizards(Phrynocephalus helioscopus helioscopus, P. interscapularis, P. mystaceus galli and Trapelus sanguinolentus) at three sites in the arid zone of central Uzbekistan. At two sites located in sand dunes, substrate attributes played a key role in habitat selection by three syntopic species. At a third flat, stony site, P. helioscopus selected habitat non-randomly, tending to occur close to sparse, low vegetation. Syntopic taxa were separated in morphospace, and there was a trend for taxa with proportionally longer limbs to have faster field escape speeds. Field escape distances and predator avoidance tactics differed between species, with two main escape strategies (crypsis or sand-diving following an escape sprint). We caution that broad–scale threatening processes such as over-grazing and salinity may be having a detrimental effect on microhabitat features important to terrestrial reptiles in Uzbekistan. Key words: Agamidae, Central Asia, Microhabitat occupation, Functional morphology.Examinamos la ocupación del microhábitat y la morfología funcional decuatro lagartos agámidos simpátridas (Phrynocephalus helioscopus helioscopus, P. interscapularis, P. mystaceus galli y Trapelus sanguinolentus) en tres localizaciones de la zona árida del Uzbekistán central. En dos localizaciones, situadas en una zona de dunas de arena, las características del sustrato tuvieron un papel clave en la selección del hábitat por parte de tres especies sintópicas. En una tercera zona, una llanura pedregosa, P. helioscopus no seleccionaba su hábitat al azar, con una clara tendencia a situarse cerca de vegetación baja y dispersa. Los taxa sintópicos estaban separados en el morfoespacio, y existía la tendencia entre los taxa con las extremidades proporcionalmente más largas a tener una mayor velocidad de huida. Las distancias de huida de campo y las tácticas de evitación de los depredadores diferían según las especies, con dos estrategias de huida principales (cripsis o enterramiento en la arena, seguidos de una carrera de escape). Hemos de advertir que los procesos amenazadores a gran escala, tales como el sobrepastoreo y la salinización pueden tener un efecto perjudicial sobre las características del microhábitat que son importantes para los reptiles terrestres de Uzbekistán. Palabras clave: Agamidae, Asia central, Ocupación del microhábitat, Morfología funcional