scholarly journals Developing a Personalized Integrative Obesity-Coaching Program: A Systems Health Perspective

Author(s):  
Sander M. Brink ◽  
Heleen M. Wortelboer ◽  
Cornelis H. Emmelot ◽  
Tommy L. S. Visscher ◽  
Herman A. van Wietmarschen

Current obesity management strategies are failing to achieve sustainable and favorable long-term results. We propose a more personalized, dynamic, and systemic perspective on the interactions of key determinants and coaching advice on obesity. The aim of this study was to use a systems view on overweight, complexity science, and a transdisciplinary process to develop a five-year personalized integrative obesity-coaching and research program. Managers, medical specialists, clinical psychologists, dieticians, physical- and psychomotor therapists, and lifestyle coaches aligned their perspectives and objectives with experts in systems thinking and systems biology. A systems health model of obesity was used to identify the causal relations of variables with the most influence on obesity. The model helped to align and design a personalized integrative obesity-coaching program and to identify the key variables to monitor the progress and to adjust the personalized program, depending on the goals and needs of the participant. It was decided to use subtyping of participants by a systems biologist, based on traditional Chinese medicine symptoms, as a novel method to personalize the intervention. The collaborative transdisciplinary approach based upon a systems view on obesity was successful in developing a personalized and adaptive five-year obesity-coaching and research program.

2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-251
Author(s):  
Z. Berzsenyi ◽  
G. Micskei ◽  
I. Jócsák ◽  
P. Bónis ◽  
E. Sugár

Research indicates that there is considerable potential for a successful switch from high chemical use to lower-input, more sustainable farming practices for maize. The overall objective of the MicroMaize project was to field-test the performance of innovative microbiological management strategies. The effect of microbial consortia on maize growth and grain yield was studied in 2008 and 2009 at Martonvásár (Hungary) in a 50-year-old long-term fertilisation experiment. The experiment was set up in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plots were the fertilisation treatments: A: control, without fertilisation (N 0 P 0 K 0 ), B: N 50 P 24 K 43 , C: N 100 P 48 K 87 , D: N 200 P 96 K 174 , E: N 300 P 144 K 261 . Three microbial inoculation treatments were the sub-plots: C0: control, no microbial consortia, C1: A. lipoferum CRT1 + P. fluorescens Pf153 + G. intraradices JJ 129 , C2: A. lipoferum CRT1 + P. fluorescens F113 + G. intraradices JJ129 . The results indicated that the microbial consortia had no significant effect on maize growth and yield. In the ecophysiological analyses, the microbial consortia were found to have a significant positive effect on the chlorophyll content and on the protein and nitrogen contents of the grain yield in 2009. The long-term results revealed that the mineral fertilisation treatments and the year had a significant influence on the growth, yield and grain quality parameters of maize. The effect of nutrient supplies and year during the vegetative growth phase of maize could be quantified using the mean values of the absolute growth rate (AGR) for maize shoots and roots and with the nutrient stress index calculated from AGR. Further field investigations on productivity and eco-physiological parameters will be needed to estimate the effect of microbial consortia.


2020 ◽  
pp. 112067212093617
Author(s):  
Selda Celik Dulger ◽  
Pınar Cakar Ozdal ◽  
Mehmet Yasin Teke

Purpose: To investigate the long-term results and efficacy of the treatment modalities for preretinal hemorrhage due to valsalva retinopathy. Methods: Retrospective review was conducted on 24 eyes of 24 patients with valsalva retinopathy who were treated between 2004 and 2019. These patients were treated with Nd:YAG laser, argon laser and vitrectomy or were only observed. Nd:YAG laser hyaloidotomy was performed in 10 eyes, argon laser was applied to two of those following failed Nd:YAG laser, and vitrectomy was performed in one eye. A conservative approach was adopted in 13 eyes. Results: There were 15 females and nine males with mean age of 41.08 ± 12.72 (21–65) years. Mean follow-up period was 42.83 ± 23.78 (range: 12–116) months. Patients with hemorrhage size smaller than or equal to 4-disc diameter were observed for spontaneous resorption and achieved 20/20 visual acuity within 6 months. Visual acuity of all patients treated with Nd:YAG and/or argon laser, increased within the first week after the treatment. Vitrectomy was performed in only one patient with hemorrhage located away from macula. The good visual outcomes were achieved in all treatment modalities. Conclusions: Observation, Nd:YAG laser and argon laser seem to be safe and effective approaches for eyes with valsalva retinopathy. The size, volume and duration of hemorrhage are the most crucial factors for treatment choice, success and complications.


2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (6) ◽  
pp. 348-351
Author(s):  
Rolf Manser ◽  
Konrad Steffen ◽  
Ueli Meier ◽  
Christian Küchli

Research at the right time, implementation-oriented and politically embedded Climate change is occurring at a speed that raises doubts as to whether multi-functional forests can adapt to it naturally in time. In the medium to long term, important forest services seem to be endangered. Therefore, forest management strategies that support the adaptation of forests and maintain forest functions are necessary. In order to develop the necessary knowledge base and qualified decision-making support, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research started the “Forest and Climate Change” research program in 2009. This special issue, devoted to the reaction and sensitivity of forest trees and stands to increased drought, presents for the first time results of the research program more broadly. This research program is one of the activities at the federal level relating to mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its impacts. It is politically embedded as an integral part of both the Forest Policy 2020 and the Federal Council's strategy of adaptation to climate change.


2005 ◽  
Vol 173 (4S) ◽  
pp. 116-117
Author(s):  
Hannes Steiner ◽  
Reinhard Peschel ◽  
Tilko Müller ◽  
Christian Gozzi ◽  
Georg C. Bartsch ◽  
...  

VASA ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 474-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radak ◽  
Babic ◽  
Ilijevski ◽  
Jocic ◽  
Aleksic ◽  
...  

Background: To evaluate safety, short and long-term graft patency, clinical success rates, and factors associated with patency, limb salvage and mortality after surgical reconstruction in patients younger than 50 years of age who had undergone unilateral iliac artery bypass surgery. Patients and methods: From January 2000 to January 2010, 65 consecutive reconstructive vascular operations were performed in 22 women and 43 men of age < 50 years with unilateral iliac atherosclerotic lesions and claudication or chronic limb ischemia. All patients were followed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery and every 6 months thereafter. Results: There was in-hospital vascular graft thrombosis in four (6.1 %) patients. No in-hospital deaths occurred. Median follow-up was 49.6 ± 33 months. Primary patency rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year were 92.2 %, 85.6 %, 73.6 %, and 56.5 %, respectively. Seven patients passed away during follow-up of which four patients due to coronary artery disease, two patients due to cerebrovascular disease and one patient due to malignancy. Limb salvage rate after 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year follow-up was 100 %, 100 %, 96.3 %, and 91.2 %, respectively. Cox regression analysis including age, sex, risk factors for vascular disease, indication for treatment, preoperative ABI, lesion length, graft diameter and type of pre-procedural lesion (stenosis/occlusion), showed that only age (beta - 0.281, expected beta 0.755, p = 0.007) and presence of diabetes mellitus during index surgery (beta - 1.292, expected beta 0.275, p = 0.026) were found to be significant predictors of diminishing graft patency during the follow-up. Presence of diabetes mellitus during index surgery (beta - 1.246, expected beta 0.291, p = 0.034) was the only variable predicting mortality. Conclusions: Surgical treatment for unilateral iliac lesions in patients with premature atherosclerosis is a safe procedure with a low operative risk and acceptable long-term results. Diabetes mellitus and age at index surgery are predictive for low graft patency. Presence of diabetes is associated with decreased long-term survival.


VASA ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 340-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Kralj ◽  
Irene Boos ◽  
Uwe Müller-Bühl

Background: Advances in stent technology have widened the field of indications for stent treatment of femoro-popliteal artery lesions, however the use of stents in bending arterial segments is restricted because some first- and second-generation nitinol stent designs did not respond well to the mechanical forces of femoro-popliteal segments in motion which pose a substantial risk of stent fracture inducing in-stent-stenosis. New generation nitinol stents are supposed to overcome these limitations but long-term results are rare. Patients and methods: In forty-five patients (mean age 68 y, range 50 - 85) with peripheral arterial disease (TASC II A-C, Rutherford category 2 - 5) forty-six lesions of the superficial femoral artery (37) or popliteal artery (9) were treated [25 high-grade stenoses, mean length 53 mm (range 30 - 145 mm); 21 chronic total occlusions, mean length 74 mm (range 30 - 180 mm)]. 74 % of lesions were located in the mobile bending arterial segments in the distal femoral or the popliteal segment. Clinical reevaluation performed at discharge, at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months included at least the measurement of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and duplex sonography. Results: Procedural success rate was 100 %. At 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, cumulative primary patency rate was 93.5 %, 84.8 %, 80.5 %, and 74.3 % (SE<10); freedom from target lesion revascularization rate was 95.7 %, 89.2 %, 84.9 %, and 79.3 % (SE<10); Rutherford category and ABI improved in all patients and clinical success was maintained in more than 85 % of patients. Conclusions: Sustained technical and clinical success and good clinical long-term results were achieved with Misago™ nitinol stent implantation in femoro-popliteal lesions with moderate risk for in-stent-stenosis, and in the distal femoral and popliteal mobile segment.


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