A comparison of behavioral and psychological characteristics of patients opting for surgical and conservative treatment for morbid obesity

Background Little is known about the psychological prerequisites for weight loss maintenance after bariatric surgery. A first step in investigating whether existing knowledge of conservative weight loss treatment is applicable for lifestyle interventions postoperatively is to compare specific psychological characteristics at baseline. The aim of this study was to compare patients scheduled for bariatric surgery with patients receiving conservative treatment for morbid obesity on measures of behavioral and psychosocial characteristics considered predictors of their adoption of and adherence to long-term lifestyle recommendations. Methods Baseline clinical and questionnaire data from the prospective “Oslo Bariatric Surgery Study” were used to examine potential differences between bariatric surgery patients (n = 301) and patients receiving conservative weight loss treatment (n = 261). Results The surgical group was characterized by their younger age (43.8 vs. 46.2 years, p <0.01), higher percentage of women (79.1 vs. 70.1 %, p <0.05), and higher Body Mass Index (BMI; 45.0 vs. 41.9 kg/m2, p <0.001). A multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for group differences in BMI, gender, and age, showed that the surgical group had higher self-efficacy (Odds ratio; OR = 3.44, 95 % Confidence interval; CI 1.65, 7.14), more positive outcome expectations (OR = 1.53, 95 % CI 1.23, 1.89), and plans that were more explicit for changing their eating behaviors (OR = 1.80, 95 % CI 1.06, 1.93). The surgical patients were also less ready to change physical activity levels (OR = 0.59, 95 % CI 0.48, 0.73), had tried more types of unhealthy weight loss methods in the past (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.01, 1.33), drank soda more frequently (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI 1.02, 1.50), had fewer binge eating episodes (OR = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.20, 0.71), and had more depressive symptoms (OR = 1.19, 95 % CI 1.09, 1.29). Conclusions Patients opting for bariatric surgery had more positive expectations of the treatment outcomes and stronger beliefs in their ability to achieve these outcomes. Those starting conservative treatment had stronger beliefs in readiness to change physical activity levels. Future studies should explore the effect of interventions for bariatric surgery patients, promoting postoperative physical activity and stress realistic outcome expectations. The potential effects of incorporating this knowledge in intervention strategies remain to be explored

Talking with Technology Camp: A Collaboration with Children\u27s Hospital Colorado

Talking with Technology Camp is a one-week, intensive program developed by Children\u27s Hospital Colorado for children who use augmentative and alternative communication devices as their primary means of expressive communication. Each summer, graduate students from the University of Northern Colorado - speech-language pathology program apply for the opportunity to grow their clinical skills alongside speech-language pathologists from Children\u27s Hospital Colorado. During the summer of 2019, 8 graduate students and 2 undergraduate students participated in this program to provide intervention to children with significant communication needs

Strategies discussed at the XIIth international conference on Kangaroo mother care for implementation on a countrywide scale.

AIM: Building strategies for the country-level dissemination of Kangaroo mother care (KMC) to reduce the mortality rate in preterm and low birth weight babies and improve quality of life. KMC is an evidence-based healthcare method for these infants. However, KMC implementation at the global level remains low. METHODS: The international network in Kangaroo mother brought 172 KMC professionals from 33 countries together for a 2-day workshop held in conjunction with the XIIth International KMC Conference in Bogota, Colombia, in November 2018. Participants worked in clusters to formulate strategies for country-level dissemination and scale-up according to seven pre-established objectives. RESULTS: The minimum set of indicators for KMC scale-up proposed by the internationally diverse groups is presented. The strategies for KMC integration and implementation at the country level, as well as the approaches for convincing healthcare providers of the safety of KMC transportation, are also described. Finally, the main aspects concerning KMC follow-up and KMC for term infants are presented. CONCLUSION: In this collaborative meeting, participants from low-, middle- and high-income countries combined their knowledge and experience to identify the best strategies to implement KMC at a countrywide scale

Crowdsourcing hypothesis tests: Making transparent how design choices shape research results

To what extent are research results influenced by subjective decisions that scientists make as they design studies? Fifteen research teams independently designed studies to answer fiveoriginal research questions related to moral judgments, negotiations, and implicit cognition. Participants from two separate large samples (total N > 15,000) were then randomly assigned to complete one version of each study. Effect sizes varied dramatically across different sets of materials designed to test the same hypothesis: materials from different teams renderedstatistically significant effects in opposite directions for four out of five hypotheses, with the narrowest range in estimates being d = -0.37 to +0.26. Meta-analysis and a Bayesian perspective on the results revealed overall support for two hypotheses, and a lack of support for three hypotheses. Overall, practically none of the variability in effect sizes was attributable to the skill of the research team in designing materials, while considerable variability was attributable to the hypothesis being tested. In a forecasting survey, predictions of other scientists were significantly correlated with study results, both across and within hypotheses. Crowdsourced testing of research hypotheses helps reveal the true consistency of empirical support for a scientific claim.</div

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI &lt;18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For school&#x2;aged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI &lt;2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI &gt;2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

Electron microscopy of intermetallic phases in aluminium-steel joints

Joints that combine the light weight of aluminium (Al) alloys with the high strength of steels, can be beneficial in structural components. For instance, in automobiles, Al-steel joints can enable improvement of the strength-to-weight distribution and in turn contribute to reduce the energy consumption from transport. However, Al-steel welding poses several challenges. One of the main challenges is formation and growth of hard and brittle intermetallic phases along the bonded interface, which are typically detrimental to the properties of the joint. The overall goal of this work was to characterise the interface microstructure in selected Al-steel joints, and in turn to contribute to better understanding of the underlying bonding mechanisms and the performance of the joints. The intermetallic phases were also studied in a more fundamental sense to gain insight into the influence of alloying elements. The joints studied were produced by the solid state welding methods roll bonding and hybrid metal extrusion & bonding, and by the fusion welding method cold metal transfer. The main focus was placed on the interfacial intermetallic phase layers, which typically have thicknesses on the nanometre or micrometre scale in sound joints. Electron microscopy provides the spatial resolution to study such layers. The main tool was transmission electron microscopy, which enables acquisition of a broad range of complementary signals that can be used to characterise the specimen both in terms of morphology, chemical composition, and crystal structure, with a spatial resolution down to atomic scale. The joints studied were made using Al alloys containing Si and Mn, amongst other elements, and the interfacial IMP layers in these joints had in common that they contained the αc-Al-(Fe,Mn)-Si phase. With prolonged interdiffusion, the θ-Fe4Al13 and η-Fe2Al5 phases also formed. Moreover, the alloying elements Si, Mn, Cr and Ni together led to a reduction in the growth rate of the total IMP layer. When it comes to the welding methods, the hybrid metal extrusion & bonding method showed great prospects for multi-metal welding, primarily due to its flexibility and the low process temperature. In joints made with this method, the underlying bonding mechanism was found to be a combination of microscale mechanical interlocking and formation of a nanoscale Al-Fe-Si layer. In one of the studied joints, the interfacial layer was only a few tens of nanometres thick and therefore posed extra challenges for characterisation. For this joint, scanning electron diffraction was used, which yields four dimensional datasets that, combined with data analysis, enables the local crystallography to be assessed. However, overlap of crystals is a recurring challenge with analysis of such data. Two methods to segment the signals associated with individual crystals were explored, and it was found that both could be used if artefacts were considered carefully. Overall, scanning electron diffraction techniques offer possibilities to characterise a wide range of materials, especially with the advent of direct electron detectors, and these opportunities should be seized in future studies

Diskriminering : tiltak mot diskriminering av St.meld.nr.39(1987-88) og St.meld.nr.17(1996-97)

Oppgaven sammenligner tiltak mot diskriminering i St. meld. nr. 39 (1987-88) og St. meld. nr. 17 (1996-97). Innholdsanalyse brukes som metode til å analysere utvalgte deler av stortingsmeldingene. Hensikten er å undersøke på hvilken måte tiltak mot diskriminering har endret seg i meldingene. Utgangspunktet for oppgaven er innvandringen til Norge fra Afrika, Asia og Latin Amerika. Denne innvandringen startet for alvor i 1980-årene. Før 1980 var Norge et befolkningsmessig homogent samfunn med innvandrere hovedsaklig fra andre land i Europa. De fleste av de første innvandrerne var såkalte arbeidsinnvandrere som kom på midlertidig basis for å tjene penger til familie i hjemlandet. Etter en tid kom likevel familiene til disse innvandrerne etter. I dag kommer nesten alle innvandrere for å skape et bedre liv for seg og sin familie, med få utsikter om å vende tilbake. Det har ført til nye utfordringer for et land med tradisjonelt lite erfaring med flerkulturelle samfunn. Innvandringspolitikken i Norge sier at innvandrere skal integreres i samfunnet. Det innebærer at innvandrere og nordmenn skal ha samme rettigheter og plikter, og behandles likt. Diskriminering strider med overordnede mål i det norske samfunn. Likevel er det liten tvil om at det forekommer. Den største forekomsten av diskriminering skjer i følge Senter Mot Etnisk Diskriminering på arbeidsmarkedet og på boligmarkedet

Effect of Mn and cooling rates on α-, β- and δ-Al–Fe–Si intermetallic phase formation in a secondary Al–Si alloy

Secondary Al–Si alloys Al7.1Si(1.5-xMn)Fe(xMn)Mn with xMn = 0, 0.3, 0.375, 0.6, 0.75 at.% have been solidified with different cooling rates: 0.05 K/s, 1.4 K/s, 11.4 K/s and 200 K/s. In the ternary alloy with xMn = 0 at.%, formation of the primary αh phase is suppressed upon higher cooling rates at the cost of formation of plate-shaped β and δ phase particles. In the quaternary alloys, with increasing Mn content, αc-phase particles with Chinese-script morphology form and replace the plate-shaped intermetallic particles. While the αc phase forms at intermediate cooling rates only, plate-shaped particles additionally form at low and high cooling rates. The β phase dominates after solidification with lower cooling rates and the δ phase dominates upon higher cooling rates in the plate-shaped particles. The kinetic effect in terms of solidification rate and the chemical composition effect on the phase selection of Fe-containing intermetallic particles in the alloys along the solidification path have been discussed

Influence of thermomechanical processing sequence on properties of AA6082-IF steel cold roll bonded composite sheet

Cold roll bonded tri-layered composites consisting of AA6082 and IF steel have been produced. The goal was to find the optimal sequence of solutionizing, aging and rolling, for obtaining good bond strength and at the same time, a precipitation hardened aluminum structure. The influence of rolling temperature was also investigated. Results show that the sequence of the thermomechanical process influences the interface characteristics and the final bond strength. The different thermomechanical sequences did not have any negative effects on the aluminums aging potential

Influence of thermomechanical processing sequence on properties of AA6082-IF steel cold roll bonded composite sheet

Cold roll bonded tri-layered composites consisting of AA6082 and IF steel have been produced. The goal was to find the optimal sequence of solutionizing, aging and rolling, for obtaining good bond strength and at the same time, a precipitation hardened aluminum structure. The influence of rolling temperature was also investigated. Results show that the sequence of the thermomechanical process influences the interface characteristics and the final bond strength. The different thermomechanical sequences did not have any negative effects on the aluminums aging potential.publishedVersion© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0