LMS tables for waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio among Colombian children and adolescents: The FUPRECOL study

Background: Indices predictive of central obesity include waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The aims of this study were 1) to establish a Colombian youth smoothed centile charts and LMS tables for WC and WHtR and 2) to evaluate the utility of these parameters as predictors of overweight and obesity. Method: A cross-sectional study whose sample population comprised 7954 healthy Colombian schoolchildren [boys n=3460 and girls n=4494, mean (standard deviation) age 12.8 (2.3) years old]. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), WC and WHtR and its percentiles were calculated. Appropriate cut-offs point of WC and WHtR for overweight and obesity, as defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) definitions, were selected using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The discriminating power of WC and WHtR was expressed as area under the curve (AUC). Results: Reference values for WC and WHtR are presented. Mean WC increased and WHtR decreased with age for both genders. We found a moderate positive correlation between WC and BMI (r= 0.756, P < 0.01) and WHtR and BMI (r= 0.604, P < 0.01). The ROC analysis showed a high discrimination power in the identification of overweight and obesity for both measures in our sample population. Overall, WHtR was slightly a better predictor for overweight/obesity (AUC 95% CI 0.868-0.916) than the WC (AUC 95% CI 0.862-0.904). Conclusion: This paper presents the first sex- and age-specific WC and WHtR percentiles for both measures among Colombian children and adolescents aged 9–17.9 years. By providing LMS tables for Latin-American people based on Colombian reference data, we hope to provide quantitative tools for the study of obesity and its comorbidities.

Incidencia de la adopción de los estándares de pacto global, en las instituciones de educación superior en Colombia en los años 2010 - 2015

La presente investigación busca analizar el impacto en los procesos organizacionales de las Instituciones de Educación Superior IES, por la adhesión voluntaria a Pacto Global mediante la verificación del cumplimiento de los principios a nivel documental y práctico. Esta iniciativa encuentra de gran valor la participación de la academia por su aporte a los aspectos críticos en las actividades, su contribución a la investigación, aprendizaje, recursos educativos, a la formación de líderes responsables, entre otros. En ese orden de ideas, el objetivo es conocer cuáles son los beneficios de la adopción de los diez principios relacionados con derechos humanos, estándares laborales, medio ambiente y anticorrupción en las IES, a partir de la revisión de los Comunicados de Progreso (COPs) y/o Comunicados de Involucramientos (COEs), trabajo de campo pertinente a la investigación. En una primera etapa se realizó el diagnóstico, basado en la revisión documental de los informes de cada IES activas en Pacto Global y de la verificación del cumplimiento de los compromisos descritos en los informes a través de las entrevistas realizadas en las IES seleccionadas. La segunda etapa consistió en evaluar en una matriz: el nivel de conocimiento, cumplimiento, motivación y efectividad de los resultados de cada IES. Los resultados obtenidos hacen referencia a la unificación de esfuerzos dentro de la organización, la transferencia del conocimiento, mayor visibilidad en la sociedad, entre otros. En definitiva, la adhesión a Pacto ha permitido que las IES sean organizaciones responsables al servicio de la comunidad educativa y empresarial.

La política económica de la República Popular China: un desafío a la hegemonía monetaria de los Estados Unidos en el Sudeste Asiático. Periodo 2003 -2015

La presente investigación parte del declive de la hegemonía de los Estados Unidos y el paralelo asenso económico de la República Popular China en las últimas décadas. De este modo, se plantea como objetivo principal analizar cómo China mediante su política económica desafía a la hegemonía monetaria de los Estado Unidos en el Sudeste Asiático, durante el periodo de 2003 a 2015. Con el fin de lograr este objetivo, se elabora un estudio de la hegemonía de los Estados Unidos y sus dinámicas en el Sudeste Asiático. Asimismo, se analiza la política económica de la República Popular China y su incidencia frente a la hegemonía estadounidense en el Sudeste Asiático.

DNI Measurements in the South of Portugal: Long Term Results through Direct Comparison with Global and Diffuse Radiation Measurements and Existing Time Series

The present work describes the measurement effort for direct normal irradiance (DNI) evaluation in the sunny south of Portugal, with a network of eight radiation measurement stations in several locations (including Évora) providing a good coverage of the region. This new initiative for DNI measurement will still need many years (typically 10 or more) to produce a time series which can claim having long term statistical value. This problem can, however, be temporarily mitigated by measuring DNI at the same time as GHI and DHI, in a place where long term series dating back, already exist for those two. It so happens that a long term series (20 years) of global and diffuse solar irradiation exists for the location Évora. So the expectation is to establish correlations with the goal of attributing at least some long term statistical significance to the short and recent DNI series. The paper describes the setup of the measuring stations and presents the preliminary measurements obtained. It further presents the first correlations of monthly averages between normal beam (DNI), global and diffuse radiation. It then uses these correlations, admittedly without acceptable statistical significance (short series of less than one year of measured data), to exemplify how to get a prediction of long term DNI for Évora. This preliminary obtained value is compared to that predicted by the commercial data from Meteonorm.

USO DEL SUELO Y FRONTERA AGRICOLA EN EL SUDESTE DE NICARAGUA. EJEMPLO DE INTEGRACIÓN DE LOS SISTEMAS DE POSICIONAMIENTO GLOBAL, LOS SISTEMAS DE INFORMACION GEOGRAFICA Y LA TELEDETECCIÓN

Este articulo tal como reza en su titulo, reúne la aplicación de tres tecnologías diferentes en la geografía actual: Sistemas de Posicionamiento Global (SPG), Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) y Teledetección, lo cual es importante para los investigadores de estos temas y para el lector común científico o no. Pero la principal finalidad del trabajo es que sus contenidos rigurosos, metodológica y teóricamente tratan de análisis histórico del uso de los recursos naturales y la evolución ecológica en uno de los países mas devastados por todo tipo de calamidad: los desastres naturales, los desastres sociales-guerra- y las enfermedades. Lo anterior lo califica como uno de los países más pobres de Centroamérica y del mundo. El sudeste de Nicaragua es la <<muestra>> de nuestros países expoliados, exportadores de materia prima, endeudados con los entes financieros y con todo tipo de debilidad interna: desempleo, bajos salarios, desigualdad en la repartición de la tierra, dominio empresarial de una <<oligarquía>>, agricultura de subsistencia, factores ambientales negativos. Como se señalará más adelante, <<a los habitantes les gusta decir que llueve trece meses al año>>. Este último factor, constituye una dificultad metodológica porque la cantidad de nubosidad impide realizar trabajos <<óptimos>>. No obstante, el trabajo deja ver las consecuencias de la deforestación para el pastoreo y algunos cultivos (monocultivos y productos para el mercado externo). En conclusión, el estudio lleva a la consecución de la distribución del uso del suelo, la delimitación de la frontera agrícola y la elaboración del mapa respectivo para 1992, elementos que permiten comparar el gran avance de la frontera agrícola observando un mapa del instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER) de 1983.  ABSTRACT This article focuses on the application of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Remote Sensing to the study of the agricultural frontier of Southeastern Nicaragua in the elaboration of a land use map of this area. The methodology of map elaboration, bases on LANDSAT satellite imagines, is explained. A report on deforestation processes and the agrarian frontier in Nicaragua within the context of Central America is also included.

The Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and its Association with Quality of Life in Ambulatory Patients Receiving Radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the scored Patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) tool as an outcome measure in clinical nutrition practice and determine its association with quality of life (QoL). DESIGN: A prospective 4 week study assessing the nutritional status and QoL of ambulatory patients receiving radiation therapy to the head, neck, rectal or abdominal area. SETTING: Australian radiation oncology facilities. SUBJECTS: Sixty cancer patients aged 24-85 y. INTERVENTION: Scored PG-SGA questionnaire, subjective global assessment (SGA), QoL (EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3). RESULTS: According to SGA, 65.0% (39) of subjects were well-nourished, 28.3% (17) moderately or suspected of being malnourished and 6.7% (4) severely malnourished. PG-SGA score and global QoL were correlated (r=-0.66, P<0.001) at baseline. There was a decrease in nutritional status according to PG-SGA score (P<0.001) and SGA (P<0.001); and a decrease in global QoL (P<0.001) after 4 weeks of radiotherapy. There was a linear trend for change in PG-SGA score (P<0.001) and change in global QoL (P=0.003) between those patients who improved (5%) maintained (56.7%) or deteriorated (33.3%) in nutritional status according to SGA. There was a correlation between change in PG-SGA score and change in QoL after 4 weeks of radiotherapy (r=-0.55, P<0.001). Regression analysis determined that 26% of the variation of change in QoL was explained by change in PG-SGA (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: The scored PG-SGA is a nutrition assessment tool that identifies malnutrition in ambulatory oncology patients receiving radiotherapy and can be used to predict the magnitude of change in QoL.

Reducing the global burden of depression : population level analysis of intervention cost-effectiveness in 14 world regions

International evidence on the cost and effects of interventions for reducing the global burden of depression remain scarce. Aims: To estimate the population-level cost-effectiveness of evidence-based depression interventions and their contribution towards reducing current burden. Method: Primary-care-based depression interventions were modelled at the level of whole populations in 14 epidemiological subregions of the world. Total population-level costs (in international dollars or I$) and effectiveness (disability adjusted life years (DALYs) averted) were combined to form average and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Results: Evaluated interventions have the potential to reduce the current burden of depression by 10–30%. Pharmacotherapy with older antidepressant drugs, with or without proactive collaborative care, are currently more cost-effective strategies than those using newer antidepressants, particularly in lower-income subregions. Conclusions: Even in resource-poor regions, each DALYaverted by efficient depression treatments in primary care costs less than 1 year of average per capita income, making such interventions a cost-effective use of health resources. However, current levels of burden can only be reduced significantlyif there is a substantialincrease substantial increase intreatment coverage.

SAP-Related Education - Status-Quo and Experience

Integrating Enterprise Systems solutions in the curriculum of not only universities but all types of institutes of higher learning has been a major challenge for nearly ten years. Enterprise Systems education is surprisingly well documented in a number of papers on Information Systems education. However, most publications in this area report on the individual experiences of an institution or an academic. This paper focuses on the most popular Enterprise System - SAP - and summarizes the outcomes of a global survey on the status quo of SAP-related education. Based on feedback of 305 lecturers and more than 700 students, it reports on the main factors of Enterprise Systems education including, critical success factors, alternative hosting models, and students’ perceptions. The results show among others an overall increasing interest in advanced SAP solutions and international collaboration, and a high satisfaction with the concept of using Application Hosting Centers.