Higher Percentage Weight Loss Research Articles

P-148 EFFECT OF MEDICAL AND SURGICAL WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES FOR PRE-OPERATIVE WEIGHT LOSS PRIOR TO VENTRAL HERNIA REPAIR

Abstract Introduction Obesity is a recognised risk factor for perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing complex incisional hernia repair. Weight reduction can reduce risk of perioperative complications. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the different weight management modalities prior to planned incisional hernia repair upon the Carolinas equation for Determining Associated Risks (CeDAR) score. Method A prospectively maintained database of patients who were referred to the weight management clinic prior to planned incisional hernia repair was reviewed. Patients’ demographics, weight loss outcomes and CeDAR scores were calculated before and after the intervention. Results 9 patients were enrolled onto the weight management programme prior to the planned incisional hernia repair (defect size 4 – 14cm), 3 underwent bariatric surgery whilst 6 had medical weight management in the form of a 12-week pre-operative diet programme. The mean age was 54 ± 9.4 years with a mean weight pre-intervention of 110.5 ± 7.4 kg and the mean BMI was 41.78 ± 1.98 kg/m2. Bariatric surgery was associated with a higher percentage weight loss (22.6%) compared to 12week diet programme (10.4%) with an associated higher reduction of CeDAR score (14% and 4% reduction in risk respectively). Conclusion Formal weight management programmes prior to complex abdominal wall reconstruction leads to clinically significant weight loss with reduced CeDAR score. Patients with raised BMI considering incisional hernia repair should be counselled for this and where possible offered a suitable weight management to reduce peri-operative risk.

Biodegradability Assessment of Bio-based Film Products (Lunch Sheets) in the Marine Environment

Plastic pollution is a current common problem and it causes a serious impact on the marine environment. Micro debris of plastics have accumulated in oceans and exhibit a natural tendency to interrelate with the ecosystem which can cause negative effects on both humans and animals. Polythene food wrappers are used worldwide as a packaging material. Considering the negative impact of polythene wrappers, biodegradable food wrappers have been produced in Sri Lanka following the Section 23 W of the National Environmental Act. The objective of the study was to determine the biodegradability of few bio-based film products (lunch sheets) available in the Sri Lankan market labeled as 100% biodegradable in the marine environment. The biodegradability of five different brands of biodegradable food wrappers were tested together with cellulose paper as the positive control and non-biodegradable food wrapper as the negative control in the marine environment. Laboratory models of three marine environments; inter tidal zone, pelagic zone and brackish water were selected and the biodegradability for a period of six months were tested using weight measurement and FT-IR analysis. Furthermore, several environmental parameters were tested for these three marine zones. Results indicated that the highest percentage weight loss was shown by brand 3 in all three marine environments. In the pelagic zone, percentage weight loss ranged from 8.60-48.92% while highest value of 48.92% was shown by brand 3. In the brackish water environment, brand 3 showed 73.51% of percentage weight loss and values ranged from 11.76-73.51%. The percentage weight loss, ranged from 68.29-89.99% in inter tidal zone and brand 3 showed the highest value as 89.99%. All the samples showed a considerable weight loss after six months duration in inter tidal zone compared to other zones and even the negative control has undergone physical disintegration. It is assumed that oxo-biodegradation leads to this disintegration in the food wrappers in this zone. The FT-IR results have shown that there is no significant degradation of the non-biodegradable food wrapper (negative control) while the cellulose paper (positive control) and the biodegradable food wrappers have undergone a considerable degradation. 
 Keywords: Biodegradability, Food wrappers, Marine environment

Design and Fabrication of Small-Scale Potato Peeling Machine with Lye Method

Peeling or removing the skin is one of the main post-harvest processes in fruits and vegetables. At present, most of the peeling of fruits and vegetables is done manually using sharp objects / knives. This method of peeling causes more fruit flesh to be wasted, especially fruits / vegetables with thin skins. Therefore, the design of a machine that can peel thin-skinned fruits / vegetables using the lye peeling method is needed. The purpose of this study was to design and fabrication a machine that can peel fruits and vegetables after the pre-treatment process of soaking in hot NaOH. The way this machine works is by spraying pressurized water on the fruit soaked in hot NaOH solution. In this study, the object was potatoes. Control of water pressure coming out of the nozzle is done using the pulse width modulation (PWM) method with a potentiometer. The treatments were carried out using three duty cycle values with the analogue input setting value on the microcontroller which resulted in three variations of water pressure coming out of the nozzle, namely: 60% (4.2038 Pa); 80% (5.6051 Pa); and 100% (7, 0065 Pa). Respectively for low, medium and high levels. Treatment concentrations of NaOH were 9%, 11% and 13%. The results obtained were the percentage of perfectly peeled skin close to 100% was obtained at 11% NaOH with a duty cycle value of 60% and 80%; and 13% NaOH with a duty cycle value of 80%. The calculation of the smallest percentage weight loss is 14.96% at 9% NaOH duty cycle 100% and the highest percentage weight loss is 35.89% at 13% NaOH 80% duty cycle.

Effects of wood resource size and decomposition on hyphal outgrowth of a cord-forming basidiomycete, Phanerochaete velutina

To assess the relationship between resource use and hyphal growth in a cord-forming basidiomycete, Phanerochaete velutina, soil microcosm experiments were conducted using wood blocks of three different sizes in three different soil quantities, thereby simulating the different amounts of available nutrients. The highest percentage weight loss was observed in the smallest wood blocks after a 27-d incubation period in soil microcosms, although the percentage weight loss over the 2-month pure culture colonization prior to inoculation was not significantly different among various block sizes. The greatest hyphal outgrowth was also observed in the smallest wood blocks and was positively associated with wood decay. The slopes of the regression lines between hyphal coverage and percentage wood mass loss were identical among different wood sizes, but the slopes between hyphal coverage and absolute wood mass loss were steeper in the smaller wood blocks than that in largest one. These results suggest that the level of intensity of mycelial foraging for new resources in the soil depends on the percentage of the amount of wood resource utilized, and not on the absolute amount of carbon obtained from the wood.

<i>In Vitro</i>Degradation of Bitumen from Tar Sand by Microorganisms around the Bitumen Deposit

In vitro degradation of bitumen by microorganisms isolated around bitumen deposit at Agbabu was investigated. The microorganisms were isolated from soil sample collected around bitumen deposit and bitumen itself. The ability of individual isolates to utilize bitumen as sole carbon source in mineral salt medium was investigated. The results showed a decrease in the pH of the medium with an increase in the bacteria cell densities within the period of incubation, thereby confirming activities of the isolates in the medium. Bacillus subtilis (29.15%) caused highest weight loss from the bitumen, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.03%) caused the least among the bacteria isolate. Other bacteria isolated were Acinetobacter sp. and Staphylococcus aureus. All the isolates caused weight loss from the bitumen. For moulds, Arthrobotrys oligospora caused higher percentage weight loss (19.13%), than Aspergillus niger in 28 days of incubation. By the 56 days of incubation, Bacillus subtilis was responsible for highest weight loss (49.50%), while Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited the lowest percentage (23.17%). For the moulds, Arthrobotrys oligospora caused the higher weight loss (42.83%) while Aspergillus niger had 37.33%. Thus, this established that the microorganisms isolated from the soil around the Agbabu bitumen and the bitumen itself could degrade bitumen from tar sand, hence their potential usefulness in remediation of bitumen polluted environment when the exploitation of the resource commenced.
 Keywords: Bitumen; Bacteria; Mould; Hydrocarbon

Effects of Graphene Oxide Thin Films and Nanocomposite Coatings on Flame Retardancy and Thermal Stability of Aircraft Composites: A Comparative Study

A polymer matrix system of thermoset fiber-reinforced composites helps protect its high modulus and strength fibers from an adverse environment and transfers the load to the reinforced fibers. However, when subjected to a high temperature that exceeds its postcuring-stage temperature, the polymeric matrix will decompose or be charred. To address this issue, various techniques have been developed to improve the flame-retardant property of the polymeric matrix. One of these techniques is to either delay ignition or release moisture to extinguish the flame by combining other chemicals or reactively modifying the epoxy resin. Graphene oxide (GO) nanofilms deposited on top of composite surfaces were compared with the test results of nanocomposite coatings of GO and nanoclay particles on composite surfaces. GO thin film applied to the surface of fiber-reinforced composites acts as a heat shield to quickly dissipate heat and eliminate local heat formation. Thermal tests, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), 45-deg burn tests, vertical burn tests, and surface paint adhesion tests were accomplished. Average burn lengths and the average burn areas were reduced with nanoparticle inclusion to the nanoclay samples and graphene samples. TGA analysis indicated that the nanoclay inclusion samples, as well as the graphene inclusion samples, have a higher percentage weight loss than that of the base sample. GO inclusion samples were less affected than nanoclay inclusion samples during the vertical as well as 45-deg burn tests. In addition, there were no signs of damage to the GO thin film that was secondarily bonded to the surface of composite panels for the burn test.

The Impact of Insect Infestation on Stored Purpled Cocoa Beans

Under-fermentation of cocoa beans produces purple beans. The fermentation period is 6 to 7 days but some cocoa farmersunder-ferment their cocoa beans leading to the development of purple cocoa beans. This study determined the impact of insectinfestation on stored purple cocoa beans. Wet cocoa beans were fermented for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days to produce the purple beans.Ephestia cautella and Tribolium castaneum, both singly and in combination, were introduced into the cocoa beans and storedfor different (30, 60, 90 and 120 days) period. Insect population, percentage weight loss and the contaminants produced bythese insects were determined. Cocoa beans infested with E. cautella alone had the highest population of 297.0 ± 22.7. Beansfermented for 3 days had the lowest insect population both singly and in combination after 120 days of storage. The highestpercentage weight loss was recorded in cocoa beans fermented for one day (10.1 ± 1.87%) and 4 days (10.1 ± 8.74%). T.castaneum did not cause much damage to the cocoa beans but E. cautella alone caused significant damage to stored cocoabeans. Insect infestation and poor fermentation contribute significantly to the reduction in quality of cocoa beans.

Abstract P203: Demographic Predictors of Long-term Weight Loss Beginning One-Year After Bariatric Surgery at Two Medical Centers

Objective: Existing studies of predictors of weight loss after bariatric surgery suffer from simplistic statistical methods and relatively short follow-up. We sought to determine predictors of long-term weight loss up to 9.6 years after bariatric surgery using data extracted from two electronic health records (EHR) systems and linear mixed effects models. Methods: Participants were selected from patients enrolled in the NUgene biorepository at either Northwestern Memorial HealthCare or NorthShore University HealthSystem. Individuals who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RNY) were identified through billing or surgical history procedure codes in the electronic health records (EHRs). All available weight measurements and dates were extracted from the EHR as well as surgery date. Sex, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, and height were taken from the NUgene intake questionnaire. SAS PROC MIXED was used to create linear mixed effects models to examine weight loss from 1- 9.6 years post-surgery. To examine overall weight loss and slope of weight regain, covariates and covariate interactions with time post-surgery were included in the mixed effects models. Results: 119 individuals from Northwestern and 43 individuals from NorthShore had undergone gastric bypass and had at least 1 weight measurement 1 year post-surgery. There were 3071 weight measurements which occurred at least 1 year post-surgery in the dataset; the median number of observations per person was 10 and the median weight loss represented by these measurements was 32.7% from pre-surgical weight. The regression model indicated that, on average, individuals experienced slight weight regain of about 0.8% of pre-surgical weight per year after their first year post-surgery. Over the 1- 10 years of follow up African Americans lost nearly 5 percentage points less weight than whites ( p =.0025) . People who were older and taller also experienced less percentage weight loss, and people with higher initial weights experienced a higher percentage weight loss (all p <.05), Older age was associated with significantly (p<0.05) slower weight regain after 1 year post-surgery. Discussion: EHR records from multiple institutions can be integrated to study outcomes after bariatric surgery. Demographic factors predict overall weight loss and a rate of weight regain after 1 year post RNY surgery. This information may be useful for both surgeons and prospective patients.

Pathogenicity of Scutellonema bradys populations from different geographical areas in Benin on yam ( Dioscorea spp.)

Scutellonema bradys is the most important nematode species affecting yam production in Benin. Two experiments were conducted to assess the variation in pathogenicity of three separate populations of S. bradys (IsoSave, IsoToui and IsoGlaz) on seven yam cultivars of three species: Kpouna, Tabane, TDr131, Moroko ( Dioscorea rotundata), Banioure, Kokoro ( D. cayenensis) and Aloungan ( D. alata). This was done over two consecutive yam growing seasons; 2002–2003 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Cotonou Station, Benin experimental farm and 2003–2004 in a farmer's field at Save in central Benin. S. bradys populations were obtained from yam originating from different geographical areas of Save and Toui in the northern Guinea savannah and Glazoue in the southern Guinea savannah, respectively. Four-week-old plants were each inoculated with ca. 1000 S. bradys juveniles and adults in chopped, infected pieces of yam peel. The experiments were harvested at 9 and 10 months after planting, respectively, at IITA and Save. Some differences were observed in the pathogenicity of the different nematode populations, although differences were not consistent between experiments and between yam cultivars. At harvest, in 2002–2003, the various S. bradys populations did not affect tuber weight, number of tubers produced or dry rot severity on the tubers. Highest nematode population density was observed with IsoGlaz, and Banioure was the yam cultivar most susceptible to nematode infestation. In 2003–2004, nematode inoculation reduced ( P ≤ 0.05) tuber weight for yam cv's Aloungan, Moroko and TDr131. Weights of tubers from IsoToui- and IsoSave-inoculated plants were lower than those from control plants. Dry rot severity was more pronounced on cv's Moroko and TDr131 tubers than on cv's Aloungan and Banioure, while no dry rot symptoms were observed on cv Tabane tubers. IsoToui and IsoGlaz caused higher ( P ≤ 0.05) tuber dry rot severity than IsoSave. Differences in nematode population densities occurred across S. bradys populations for cv's Tabane, TDr131 and Aloungan with IsoSave resulting in the highest nematode population densities on cv's Aloungan and TDr131. IsoToui caused the highest percentage weight loss. During 5 months storage, infected tubers lost more ( P ≤ 0.05) weight than uninfected control tubers. The differences in weight loss of infected tubers differed on tubers infected by the various nematode populations. Nematode multiplication during the storage period also differed among populations.

Effect of metal halides on thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of polypyromellitimide films

AbstractThis paper describes the effect of metal halides (Co2+, Sn2+, and Hg2+) on the properties of polyimides. Low temperature, solution polycondensation reaction of pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether was used for preparation of a poly(amide‐acid) solution in dimethylformamide ([η] = 2.0 dL/g). Films containing 1% (w/w) of cobalt (II) chloride, tin (II) chloride, and mercury (II) chloride were prepared by solution casting of poly(amide‐acid) from the DMF solution. Cyclodehydration to polyimide was done by heating the films in nitrogen atmosphere for one hour each at 100°, 200°, and 250°C. The color of the films depended on the dopant and was yellow (HgCl2 or SnCl2) or green (CoCl2) Higher percentage weight loss was observed in doped films in nitrogen atmosphere in the temperature range of 250–400°C. No significant difference in thermal behavior of doped and undoped films was observed above 500°C. Doping reduced the tensile strength of polyimide films, maximum reduction was observed in CoCl2‐doped film. The electrical conductivity of polyimide films as a function of temperature and field was studied. Undoped polyimide showed ohmic behavior up to 150°C. In doped films at lower voltages Poole‐Frenkel mechanism was operative, while at high voltages Richardson‐Schottky's mechanism was operative. Dielectric relaxation in polyimide films was also studied.