922-080 study - CallPilot Rls.5.0 Upgrades and System Troubleshooting Updated: 2023

Coloring plastics at the press is one of the most functional, value-added features a molder can impart to a molded product. Self-coloring not only improves aesthetic properties, it can also Strengthen UV stability and make processing easier. Also, adding color at the machine is almost always less expensive than purchasing precolored material from a supplier.

There's just one catch. Once the color system has been incorporated into the polymer matrix, it becomes an integral part of the material and may alter its engineering properties as well as its processability. As a result, it's important to be aware of some of the common problems involved with melt-coloring plastics and how to avoid them.

Generally, aesthetic flaws can be attributed to three different causes: equipment (machine, mold, ancillary equipment), molding (process), and design (part and tool)/formulation (base resin and colorant). In some instances, the flaw may be the result of problems in more than one category, but generally, there is always a predominant issue. Similarly, some problems may have more than one symptom, so several different "problems" may be showing up in parts that have the same root cause, which calls for the same corrective action.

When troubleshooting aesthetic problems in molded parts, it's important to begin with an open mind. Since successful molding is an interdependent combination of machinery, labor, material, and design, troubleshooting is often more complicated than people initially expect.

Identifying the Problem
The first step in determining if the flaw is caused by a molding- or colorant-related problem is to inspect parts visually to determine what the problem looks like. Some flaws are very distinctive and quickly lead you to their root cause. Others are less distinct and may be caused by a number of factors that fall into several categories. Consequently, some basic troubleshooting and root-cause/corrective-action work is required. The table with this article provides a list of common aesthetic flaws that could involve colorant and their most probable causes.

The next step is to find out when and where the flaws are being reported. Flaws that show up immediately upon molding require one approach to troubleshooting-for instance, processing and equipment issues are easier to check at this point. In this case, the troubleshooting process might start by asking the following questions:

• Have the process settings changed?
• How frequently does the problem occur?
• Is the proper equipment in place and functioning?
• Was the colorant properly metered in and mixed with the melt?
• Is the colorant compatible with the base resin?

However, field failures that occur after months or even years will suggest a different starting point-a focus that begins with either part design or formulation:

• Is UV exposure higher than initially predicted?
• Is the part being used as originally designed?
• Has the part been inadvertently exposed to some chemical agent?
• Is the aesthetic change a symptom of a larger problem (for example, loss of mechanical properties)?

Regardless of the simplicity or complexity of a molding project, good documentation practices should be in effect and followed diligently by all team members. Processing parameters should be noted throughout. Not only will this practice help molders stabilize their process and create good parts faster, it will also provide a baseline for reference should the process drift and problems arise.

Common Sense- Often Uncommon
The best way to begin troubleshooting an aesthetic problem in which colorant and/or special-effects packages are involved is to rule out the colorant package as the source of the problem. This is done by running uncolored (natural) material through on the same process settings to see if the problem recurs. If it does reappear, then it's likely that the problem is not caused by the colorant package, although the base resin could still be part of the problem. If the problem disappears, then the colorant package is the proper place to begin your investigation. It's important to remember that aesthetic issues may exist that are difficult to see without color. In other words, a colored background will frequently magnify aesthetic problems.

While it is outside the scope of this article to cover the entire process, one thing that should be mentioned is that proper troubleshooting requires a sensible, methodical approach. Unless a Taguchi design of experiments study is being conducted, only one parameter at a time should be changed, and its effect should be carefully evaluated and documented. Then the parameter should be returned to its baseline setting before another parameter is changed.

While the following guidelines involve colorant-related problems, we will also touch briefly on processing, equipment, and design issues, indicating areas of concern that can affect colorant and/or aesthetics. If the troubleshooting process indicates that one of these categories is a likely cause, then there are a number of good resources, both human and written, that can and should be consulted for further help.

Troubleshooting Guidelines

As with any manufacturing process, molding a quality product consistently requires proper equipment, design, material, and processing procedures. The following list of considerations are provided as general guides when beginning to troubleshoot aesthetic problems.

1. First, check the following four equipment areas.

Screws/nonreturn valves. In most cases, a general-purpose screw will work well with colorants, depending on the letdown ratio, chromaticity, and base resin used. Although it's usually not necessary, a growing number of injection molders are using mixing screws to aid in color distribution. Processes with high throughput, short cycle times, and large shot sizes or those that use difficult-to-color resins will often benefit from this type of screw.

As with screws, selection of non-return valves is often resin-specific. Ball check valves are more shear intensive and can aid in color distribution, although this method can prove problematic when processing parameters such as screw speed, backpressure, and barrel temperatures are pushed close to the base resin's limits, leading to both colorant and resin degradation.

Screw and barrel wear. A worn screw or barrel-regardless of the design-will inhibit mixing, causing a loss in plasticating quality and therefore color distribution.

Barrel capacity. As a general rule, using more than 60 percent of the barrel capacity with a GP screw is considered to be pushing the processing envelope for good color incorporation. Of course, this is cycle-time dependent. The barrel's L/D ratio is also important. For example, shorter barrels (18:1) are less conducive to a good mix, while longer barrels (24:1) provide a longer mix environment, but also longer residence time. It's important to keep an eye on material residence time, because excessive residence can degrade either the base resin or the colorant, or both, while insufficient time in the barrel may lead to distribution issues.

Colorant handling and dispensing. One of the keys to successful color processing is an accurate blending/distribution of colorant and base resin before both enter the molding machine. When blending equipment is used, production personnel must be aware of proper operation, calibration, and maintenance. If the equipment is not properly calibrated to the process, any money saved by coloring the raw materials will be lost in wasted product.

For solid (salt and pepper mix) colorants, there are many different options, such as drum tumblers or auger mixers. For blending concentrates and powders at the machine, either volumetric or gravimetric feeders are used. Volumetric feeders are both less expensive and potentially less accurate than gravimetric types because they feed colorant based on speed vs. time. Gravimetric feeders weigh and blend each component in the mix. For liquid colorant, special volumetric pumps are typically used to handle the color accurately and neatly. (See the sidebar on p. 87 for definitions of common colorant-system formats and their functions.)

2. Tooling design can also impact aesthetics.

Gates and runner systems. Proper gating and runner types should be considered at the design table. It's important to remember that additional heat generated by a hot manifold or pin gate during injection fill can affect the integrity of the color. If it's known ahead of time that such tooling is being used, a colorant supplier can formulate the color package differently.

Knitlines. Anticipating aesthetic issues during the early design stage is very important, especially if knitlines are a factor. When moldfilling analysis or experience indicates knitlines are likely, color formulation changes can be made with certain resin families that will Strengthen the appearance of knitlines. Of course, this issue is more easily resolved during the early stages of part and tooling design.

Mold texture. Also an important consideration during the design stages is mold texture, since it can affect how the eye perceives color. The presence of gloss and/or texture in the tool can make what would otherwise be an exact color match appear very different. Gloss should be considered in relation to both the mold and resin being processed, since some materials naturally have higher gloss.

3. Take a good look at part design.

Color/special effects. It's important to understand that a joint blessing and challenge of molding color and/or special effects is that the color package may accentuate design or molding problems that are already present in a part, such as knitlines, slight sinks, or stress-whitening marks near the base of a snapfit. Taking color back out and running the part in natural resin may appear to make the problem disappear, but in reality the problem, if it is a molding or design issue, is probably still there, and just not as visible.

The problem will be accentuated in chromatic colors and high-gloss designs. So if it's something that can otherwise be lived with, slight design modifications may solve the problem. On the other hand, certain problems, like stress-whitening marks, can often be hidden by the correct use of color or possible reformulation.

When integrally colored, molded parts of dissimilar materials are mated with other molded or painted parts, they must often match in color, gloss, and texture. Here, it's important to work closely with the resin and color suppliers to ensure that the parts will match as closely as possible when they are new and that they will fade at the same rate throughout the lifetime of the assembly.

Bosses/ribs/knitlines/parting lines. Wherever there is a flow interruption in the part design-from bosses, ribs, or even converging flow fronts on multiple gated parts-there is a strong possibility of sink marks, knitlines, and compromised mechanical integrity because knitlines are always weaker than the surrounding resin. Since the orientation of the material in these areas shifts, the refractive index across this region of the part will also shift, posing aesthetic challenges for many special-effects packages. Therefore, these interruptions should be designed into nonvisible faces and noncritical areas of the part.

4. Take these processing tips to heart.

Screw speed. For color processing, a slower screw speed is usually better to avoid shearing and burning the colorant and to ensure proper color distribution, cycle time permitting.

Backpressure. Higher backpressure promotes more thorough mixing, especially with a GP screw, again, if cycle time permits. A maximum value of 300 psi (2 MPa) is generally recommended by machinery OEMs.

Resin temperature. Higher melt temperatures also promote better mixing, as long as the processor is careful not to begin melting too early in the feed section of the screw, although this too can be resin dependent.

5. Be aware of these colorant and formulation issues.

Resin and colorant compatibility. The melt index relationship between the base resin and color are very important and should be considered early in the design. Additionally, certain pigments react with particular resins to a greater or lesser degree.

For instance, some organic pigments tend to dissolve and disappear (or change color) in styrenic polymers. Similarly, many dyes tend to change color or disappear in nylon polymers, which are weak reducing agents that effectively destroy the chromophore component of the dye that provides color. Additionally, except in special cases, dyes are not recommended for use in olefins because of very limited solubility and a potential for color migration (crocking). Further, dyes can act as a plasticizer in some materials, reducing thermal properties or even reacting with the resin itself to produce various effects.

Phthalocyanine (phthalo) pigments can be problematic, since they can act as nucleators, causing often uncontrollable shrinkage and warpage problems in crystalline resins. Fluorescent dyes also can pose problems in certain environments. They lack thermal stability for use in many engineering resins, they chemically react with nylon, and they lack UV stability for use in most outdoor applications.

A final category of problems is often found with polymer blends and alloys. There can be phase boundaries between the various components of these materials that can cause light scattering and a resulting milkiness. Hence, obtaining chromatic colors can become a costly undertaking due to the large amount of colorant that needs to be introduced to counteract the milkiness-often at the expense of economic concerns and critical physical or mechanical properties.

Carrier specification. The specific carrier for the color and its flow properties vs. the base resin play an important role in color distribution, and must be considered during the initial design. The carrier should melt in the late-feed or early-transition sections of the screw to ensure proper distribution of the pigment or dye in the mix. If the carrier has either too high or too low a melting point, the colorant will not be properly distributed in the melt, and finally in the molded part.

Other additives. Special additives for the colorant package can help with some color-related problems. However, these ingredients are normally not incorporated until processing efforts have failed, primarily because they add cost that may make the end product less cost-effective.

Grade can make a difference. It's important to remember that not all resin families or even grades within the same family are interchangeable with a given color package, let alone with different pigment or dye packages in the same chemical family. Further, since most colorant suppliers custom formulate their packages to a specific resin grade by a particular manufacturer, if the resin supplier is switched after the color package has been formulated, it should be retested.

A good example of this is the fairly wide fluctuation that can be seen in the natural color of polypropylene, which can range from a yellow-white to a gray-white shade, depending on the quality and quantity of filler used.

An Ounce of Prevention
Like so many other problems in life, colorant issues are far easier to anticipate and prevent than to cure once they've occurred in molded parts. If color is important to the final performance of an application, then it should be designed in from the start via simultaneous engineering. To ensure the colorant package is properly formulated for the application, provide the color formulator with all available information on both the application and its material targets as soon as they are set.

If any of these specs change during the latter stages of the design process, inform both the resin and colorant suppliers. Changes may require a new formulation. Don't hesitate to call on the colorant supplier to analyze, retest, and reformulate a color formulation to make sure it will be suitable in the end-use environment.

It's also important to inform the colorant formulator of your equipment setup, in case you need to make changes in order to optimize the resin/colorant/throughput requirements of a particular application. Finally, watch your process parameters and once the process has stabilized, note any sudden changes that may signal the beginnings of a problem.

Special care is needed when self-coloring engineering resins because a significant portion of their perceived value-and therefore cost-lies in their superior physical, mechanical, and aesthetic properties, which can be sensitive to even small compositional changes. The more important color is in a given application, the sooner the colorant supplier should be involved in the design process.

The obesity drug Wegovy can reduce the risk of severe heart problems by 20%, a pivotal study finds, paving the way for applications far beyond weight loss.

“It moves from a kind of therapy that reduces body weight to a therapy that reduces cardiovascular events,” said Dr. Michael Lincoff, the study’s lead author and a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic.

The results of the large clinical trial were presented Saturday at the American Heart Association conference in Philadelphia and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The research, paid for by Wegovy and Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk, enrolled over 17,600 people from 41 countries.

Patients were 45 years or older and had a preexisting cardiovascular disease and a body-mass index of 27 or greater — but no history of diabetes.

Half the patients got weekly injections of Wegovy or a placebo shot — with participants tracked for more than three years on average.

569, or 6.5%, of those who received the drug experienced a heart attack or stroke or died from a heart-related cause, compared with 701, or 8%, of those who had the dummy shot.

The participants on Wegovy lost around 10% of their weight on average and kept those pounds off throughout the trial.

Dr. Martha Gulati, a heart expert at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, noted that the Wegovy patients also saw improvement in their inflammation, cholesterol, blood sugars and blood pressure.

“It means to me that it’s more than just weight loss, how this drug works,” said Gulati, who did not author the study.

It’s unclear whether those results are from losing weight or the drug itself.

Novo Nordisk has requested the Food and Drug Administration include heart benefits on Wegovy’s label, like on Ozempic’s label.

Wegovy is a high-dose version of Ozempic, which has been shown to decrease the risk of serious heart issues in people with diabetes. This new study is groundbreaking for focusing on people without diabetes.

Participants of the latest study did report major side effects, which have dogged these types of obesity medications from the outset.

Nearly 17% of people on Wegovy discontinued the treatment because of “adverse events,” such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, while 8% of the placebo group dropped out.

“Ozempic finger,” “Ozempic burp,” “Ozempic butt,” “Ozempic face” and weird dreams about celebrities are among the downsides that have been reported by users in latest months.

There are also hefty price tags — monthly costs range from about $1,300 for Wegovy to about $1,000 for Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, a version of the diabetes medication Mounjaro, approved last week by the FDA for weight control.

These drugs are often not covered by private health insurance — or there are strict preauthorization requirements if they are.

With Post wires

Contents

1. The Goal of Study Group Learning
2. Benefits of Study Group Learning
3. What to do at Your First Meeting
4. Your Role in Your Group
5. Common Problems and Possible Solutions
6. Study Group Locations at UMass Lowell

The Goal of Study Group Learning

It is believed that students learn by doing. As opposed to being spoon-fed knowledge in lecture, study groups encourage students to go above and beyond what is being taught and to develop their own understanding of subject material. The goal of study group learning is to help students take ownership of course material; to learn to learn.

Benefits of Study Group Learning

• You can verify with each other any confusing or complex subject material.
• Learning math is more fun.
• Math is better understood and retained.
• Prof/TA will be seen as more approachable.
• You will have a chance to dialogue with classmates and therefore opportunity to make friends; hopefully you will feel less isolated.
• Fellow students can be a source of encouragement.
• Math-anxious students will see themselves as tutor/teachers, not just recipients of someone else's knowledge.
• An increase in confidence of mathematical ability.
• You will have opportunity to learn new study habits from peers. In a nutshell, learning math is more personally relevant, and intellectually stimulating.

As you can see from this list, being in a study group can be really helpful. BUT these benefits come only to those who are serious about making their group work well together and serious about learning. So, although I expect you to have fun (eh, there is no reason why you can't have a study group meeting at a pub once in a while) the study group component of your course is serious stuff.

Are you interested in joining a group but don't know how to start? Talk to your classmates or instructor.

What to do at Your First Meeting

We hope that, 10 years from now, you will look back upon this first meeting of your study group with good sentiments. We realize that not all of you will form those "college-days" relationships that TV glamorizes, but some of you will. You just never know what might happen. Here are some things that will help get started on the right track:

Check off this list as you go.

• Fill out the form called: Study Group Roster with your group members names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers. Guard this sheet. You never know when it will come in handy (or, put the information in your funky address book...just make sure you have it.)
• Get to know one another. How? Well, ask each other what your majors are or where you are from or how much you love to work in groups...etc. Make sure you have fun.
• You may want to look around at the rooms that are suggested in this booklet for your study groups. You are going to spending a lot of time in these places (or wherever you hold your meetings).
• Establish when and where you will hold your next meeting. In fact, I would advise you to decide exact dates for some of your meetings. Make dates--solid dates--right up until the end of term. This way, you will be sure to be able to keep these dates.
• Establish a network by which you can contact each other for impromptu meetings.
• Talk more. provide your group a name if you want.

What to Do at Other Meetings

Below is a list of things you should/can do at your meetings. Suggestions in bold I would recommend you do at every meeting.

• Establish what you hope to accomplish at your meeting.
• Review lecture notes together, discuss anything you did not understand.
• Discuss key concepts from lecture.
• Work on assignments.
• Assign yourselves questions and work on them.
• Study for tests or exams.
• Discuss what questions you expect to be on tests and exams.
• Go over copies of past exams.
• Set aside time to talk about anything under the sun other than math.
• At the end of each session, determine or verify location and time of you next meeting.

Your Role in Your Group

This page contains a section called Problems and Solutions. It's a good idea to read it so you know what can happen and so that you can recognize it when a problem arises. A lot of the problems can be prevented if you work hard not just at the math, but at making your group work. Below is a list of guidelines that, when followed, help to avoid the common pitfalls.

• Listen carefully to each other. Try not to interrupt. Respond to, or at least acknowledge, comments made or questions asked by other group members. To do so shows respect.
• Do not accept confusion passively. If you do not understand the information that someone is presenting, try to paraphrase what was said, or ask someone to help you paraphrase it.
• Ask for clarification whenever someone uses a word in a way that you find confusing (you will likely help him or her.) The correct use of terminology is an essential part of successful communication in math. If you can say it, you understand it.
• Do not split up the work. I know it's so tempting...but it leads to SOOO many problems. Everyone should focus their attention on the same thing at the same time. It is much easier to resolve conflicts when group members work together and check for agreement frequently.
• Make a habit of explaining your reasoning or of "thinking out loud," and ask others to do the same. The process of constructing and refining explanations helps everyone to relate the information being presented to what they already know.
• Be aware of time constraints. It is appropriate (and important) to ask each other how what you are doing will help your group complete an assignment
• If your group gets stuck, review and summarize what you've done so far. This process creates new opportunities for group members to ask questions, and often it will reveal important connections that have been overlooked.
• You should always feel comfortable to switch from talking about math to talking about how your group is working. If you have a concern about how your group is functioning, bring it up. Be direct, honest and calm.
• When someone raises a concern about your group, listen to it carefully. If you have a problem with his or her problem, be sure to criticize the problem and not the person.

Common Problems and Possible Solutions

There are some problem situations in which a study group might find itself. Occasionally a group just doesn't have any interaction among its members. More frequent is the problem of one student is doing all the work, either because no one else will or because he or she doesn't trust the other group members to do a good job. These problems undermine the whole idea behind study groups and are actually detrimental to learning. Not to over-dramatize this but: BE AWARE!!! Just knowing about what can happen helps to prevent or nip in the bud serious problems.

The following list is offered to increase your awareness of potential problems as well as to offer advice on how to deal with them. We cannot stress enough how important it is to discuss your problems in your group. This is why it is so important to establish an open working environment in which you can be objective about how things are going in your group and comfortable enough to point out problems.

Problem: Lack of interaction

Possible Cause: Lack of Experience with Learning in Study Groups

Suggestions:

• Talk about the problem.
• As a group, review the section of this booklet entitled, "Your Role in Your Group." You may find that you have not been following one of the guidelines. For example, the impulse to split up the work just kills group interaction.
• I know this sounds a little corny, but maybe you need to practice how to learn in your groups. Forget about math for the moment and try this activity: choose a really hot issue like abortion or immigration. Let someone in your group make a clear statement about a point of view (it does not have to be their own point of view). Then another person has to counter that opinion without criticizing the first person. Interruptions are not allowed. Go around in a circle until the issue is exhausted.

Possible Cause: You Feel Coerced to Participate

Suggestion:

• Recall that your study group is for your benefit. If your study group isn't serving your needs you should discuss the matter in your group. Try to come up with strategies for making the group work better for you. Remember, your primary obligation is to yourself and to your group members, not to your professor, UMass Lowell, or some set of rules.

Possible Cause: Physical Arrangement

Suggestion:

• Make sure you are all sitting facing each other and no one feels isolated by the seating arrangement. When your meeting starts, mentally put yourself in the place of other group members. Is there anyone who you think might feel cut off from the group?

Problem: Group members are participating unequally

Possible cause: Intolerance of Silence

Some people feel a strong need to fill in moments of silence with speech. In the same way that nature abhors a vacuum, some people abhor silence in conversations.

Suggestions:

• Ask for silence. You could cut into someone's aimless babbling by saying
  "Wait a second! I need some space to think about this!"
• Bring up the problem carefully with the person one-on-one. Often people who rush into a conversation to keep it going don't realize they are doing it. Explaining that you like long pauses in conversations in order to think could solve the problem.
• Make sure you are not talking non-stop.

Possible Cause: Dominant Speakers Monopolize the Discussion.

Suggestion:

• Talk to dominating speakers privately. Find out why they are talking so much and whether they are aware of the problem. Often such people are simply outgoing by nature and are unaware of the problem. If they are aware of the problem, usually they feel they have not had their point fully appreciated, or they feel some need to compete. In all three cases, just talking to them in private can reduce the need for them to dominate conversations.

Possible Cause: A Group Member Has No Interest in Speaking.

Some students feel that they learn better by listening than by talking. Others feel that speaking and helping others requires too much effort.

Suggestion:

• Try to draw the person into the conversation without being obvious about it. Occasionally ask for their opinion.
• Make it clear that you appreciate what the person does contribute.

Problem: A Group Member is Doing All the Work

Possible Cause: Lack of Trust between Members to Work

Suggestion:

• Tell the group member directly that you would like to help. Interrupt the group member with an "excuse me," and voice your ideas. Sit beside the group member and provide your opinions about what he or she is doing. Question this group member about what he or she is doing.
• Talk to the group member in private. Explain how you want to help with the work. After a private discussion with the person, he or she may come to view you as a serious student and open up to your ideas. Demonstrate cooperative learning to this student by involving the rest of the group in the work at hand.
• If you are the group member who doesn't trust anyone else to do the work, then it is your responsibility to work with your group to make changes so that trust is reestablished. Although you may have a personal goal to complete assignments perfectly, it is a fundamental principle of study groups that everyone in the group understands the material presented in assignments.

Possible Cause: The Rest of Your Group is Slacking Off.

Suggestions:

• Don't be so eager to be the person who asks to get started. Wait until someone else takes the initiative to start the work. It may take a long time for someone else to pick up the reins, but after you do this a couple of times, the others will realize that they can no longer expect you to be the baby-sitter. Let them see the consequences of their inaction.
• Enlist the help of other members either by asking them for it directly or by pretending you don't understand something. When they see that you can't do all the work on your own, they have to help.
• Talk about your problem with your group as a whole. Say that you are ticked off (I realize that it takes a lot of courage to say that you are miffed— What if the rest of the group doesn't care that you are ticked off? Then again, maybe the only way for your group to care a little is for you show some emotion. Maybe they do not realize that you are upset.)

Possible Cause: A Group Member is the Brightest Student In the Group.

Suggestions:

• Talk to the brightest student. It may be as simple as saying "It's clear that you really get this stuff. But since we are all supposed to understand, going slower would help."
• If you think you are head and shoulders above the rest of your group, then your task is particularly challenging. Although it is difficult, you must strike a good balance between contributing your own ideas and listening to others to ensure they understand your, their own, and others' ideas. One of the best ways to learn is by doing. Clearly, your group members need the opportunity to do mathematics. Make sure your zealousness doesn't take that away from them. Also, accept that there are many ways to approach a problem. Even when you know one solution to a problem, there is a lot to be learned from listening to alternative approaches. You also learn more by helping other students understand the material. Professors will tell you that they really began to understand math/stats well when they started to teach it!

Problem: A Group Member is Being Uncooperative.

Suggestions:

• Try talking to the group member in private. He or she may have a problem with how the group is being run but doesn't feel comfortable bringing it up with the whole group.
• Hold a group meeting and invite your professor to discuss the problem.

Problem: Reinforcing Misconception

It is quite easy for a group of students to mistakenly agree, for example, that when they get zero over zero they can cancel to get one. Or to misread what it means for a function to be continuous. Or to confuse "if" with "only if." Who will be around to point out these errors?

Suggestions:

• Those who are sensitive to the careless use of language must make a practice of requesting clarification. If something doesn't sound right to you, say so. You may actually discover a wide-spread misconception.
• If you are uncertain about what is correct or incorrect, have someone in the group ask the professor at the end of the next class or during their office hours. Have the phrase repeated to the professor. You could also ask a prof or tutor in OS219A.

Study Groups Locations at UMass Lowell

• In Olsen Hall, the lobbies in the middle of floors 2 through 5 are large enough for a meeting.
• Most departments have a lounge for their majors. As long a one member of your study group is a major in a department, it should be appropriate for the whole group to use the lounge for meetings. Mathematics and Chemistry majors share a lounge in Olney 407.
• CLASS - Second floor of Southwick.
• Basement of Southwick- good for meetings, particularly at mealtimes.
• Off - campus
  • Places on University Ave. would love to have you as long as you buy a drink, at least. 

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20 percent in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients.

The research is the first to document that an obesity medication can not only pare pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death in people who already have heart disease — but not diabetes.

The findings could shift perceptions that the new class of obesity drugs are cosmetic treatments and put pressure on health insurers to cover them.

“It moves from a kind of therapy that reduces body weight to a therapy that reduces cardiovascular events,” said Dr. Michael Lincoff, the study’s lead author and a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic.

Wegovy is a high-dose version of the diabetes treatment Ozempic, which already has been shown to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people who have diabetes. The new study looked to see if the same was true in those who don’t have that disease.

WATCH: Patients say drugs like Ozempic help with ‘food noise.’ Here’s what that means

Experts have known for years that losing weight can Strengthen heart health, but there hasn’t been a safe and effective obesity medication proven to reduce specific risks, said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a heart expert at the Mayo Clinic. He expects the new findings to change treatment guidelines and “dominate the conversation” for years to come.

“This is the population who needs the medicine the most,” said Lopez-Jimenez, who had no role in the study.

In the U.S., there are about 6.6 million people like those tested in the study, experts said.

The results were published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a medical conference in Philadelphia. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include the heart benefits on Wegovy’s label, like on Ozempic’s.

The new study, paid for by the company, included more than 17,500 people in 41 countries. Participants were age 45 and older, had a body mass index of 27 or higher and were tracked for more than three years on average. They took typical drugs for their heart conditions, but they were also randomly assigned to receive weekly injections of Wegovy or a dummy shot.

The study found that 569, or 6.5 percent, of those who got the drug versus 701, or 8 percent, of those who received the dummy shot had a heart attack or stroke or died from a heart-related cause. That’s an overall reduction of 20 percent in the risk of those outcomes, the researchers reported.

The drop appeared to be fueled primarily by the difference in heart attacks, but the number of serious health complications reported were too small to tell whether the individual outcomes were caused by the drug or by chance.

Study volunteers who took Wegovy lost about 9 percent of their weight while the placebo group lost less than 1 percent.

The Wegovy group also saw drops in key markers of heart disease, including inflammation, cholesterol, blood sugars, blood pressure and waist circumference, noted Dr. Martha Gulati, a heart expert at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Changes in those markers began early in the study, before participants lost much weight.

“It means to me that it’s more than just weight loss, how this drug works,” said Gulati, who had no role in what she called a landmark study.

Still, “it remains unclear” how much of the results were a benefit of losing weight or the drug itself, an editorial accompanying the study noted.

About a third of all study volunteers reported serious side effects. About 17 percent in the Wegovy group and about 8 percent in the comparison group left the study, mostly because of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other stomach-related problems.

Nearly three-quarters of participants were men and nearly 84 percent were white. Gulati and others said future research needs to include more women and racial and ethnic minorities.

Wegovy is part of a new class of injectable medications for obesity. On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, a version of the diabetes drug Mounjaro, for weight control.

Both carry high price tags — monthly costs are about $1,300 for Wegovy and about $1,000 for Zepbound. And both have been in shortage for months, with manufacturers promising to boost supplies.

The medications are often not covered by private health insurance or subject to strict preauthorization requirements. Medicare, the government health plan for older Americans, is prohibited from covering drugs for weight loss alone. But drugmakers and obesity treatment advocates have been pushing for broader coverage, including asking Congress to pass legislation to mandate that Medicare pay for the drugs.

Results from the latest study and others that show the obesity drugs have a direct effect on costly health problems could be a factor in shifting the calculus of coverage, said Dr. Mark McClellan, former chief of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the FDA. In 2006, Medicare was allowed to cover weight-loss surgery to treat the complications of severe obesity, if not obesity itself, he noted.

That approach “may end up being relevant here,” he said.

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients.

The research is the first to document that an obesity medication can not only pare pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death in people who already have heart disease — but not diabetes.

The findings could shift perceptions that the new class of obesity drugs are cosmetic treatments and put pressure on health insurers to cover them.

“It moves from a kind of therapy that reduces body weight to a therapy that reduces cardiovascular events,” said Dr. Michael Lincoff, the study’s lead author and a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic.

Wegovy is a high-dose version of the diabetes treatment Ozempic, which already has been shown to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people who have diabetes. The new study looked to see if the same was true in those who don’t have that disease.

Experts have known for years that losing weight can Strengthen heart health, but there hasn’t been a safe and effective obesity medication proven to reduce specific risks, said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a heart expert at the Mayo Clinic. He expects the new findings to change treatment guidelines and “dominate the conversation” for years to come.

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- Parents might want to pay attention to this story.

Researchers are sounding the alarm on excessive noise that kids and teens are exposed to, and how it might have permanent consequences.

The number one culprits are those phones and tablets.

The world is a loud place. We are constantly exposed to excessive noise levels. Some of it is unavoidable. Others, not so much.

Most parents have given in, at some point, to those devices, like phones or tablets.

"When you needed to do something, do dishes, take a call, you gave the kid a phone, just to occupy them for a few minutes. And now it's hard to get these things away from them," Montclair resident Christina Cattell said.

"My daughter has earbuds in her ears at all times, unless she has lost them," Candi Carter added.

Experts say those earbuds are usually too loud. A new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that many kids are exposed to potentially harmful noise from infancy -- and the effects can last a lifetime.

"Once hearing is lost due to noise, that is generally permanent," said Dr. Sophie Balk, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital at Montefiore.

Balk is the lead author of the new study on noise.

"It could be like immediately after a loud blast, like an explosion, but more likely it's due to repeated exposures over time to less loud noises, but noises that are still too loud," Balk said.

Like, those headphones.

The study also noted concerns about infants' exposure to sleep machines or sound machines.

Some studies do show potential benefits in using white noise to help kids sleep, but it, too, might be too loud.

"If you are going to use a sleep machine, we want you to set it at the lowest volume possible, for the shortest time possible, and set it as far away from the baby as possible," Balk said.

In addition to turning down the volume, experts say it's a good idea for kids and teens to take listening breaks, and to use earbuds with caution.

THE popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20 percent in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients.

The research is the first to document that an obesity medication can not only pare pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death in people who already have heart disease — but not diabetes.

The findings could shift perceptions that the new class of obesity drugs are cosmetic treatments and put pressure on health insurers to cover them.

"It moves from a kind of therapy that reduces body weight to a therapy that reduces cardiovascular events," said Michael Lincoff, the study's lead author and a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic.

Wegovy is a high-dose version of the diabetes treatment Ozempic, which has already been shown to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people who have diabetes. The new study looked to see if the same was true in those who don't have that disease.

Experts have known for years that losing weight can Strengthen heart health, but there hasn't been a safe and effective obesity medication proven to reduce specific risks, said Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a heart expert at the Mayo Clinic. He expects the new findings to change treatment guidelines and "dominate the conversation" for years to come.

"This is the population who needs the medicine the most," said Lopez-Jimenez, who had no role in the study.

In the United States, there are about 6.6 million people like those tested in the study, experts said.

The results were published Saturday in the "New England Journal of Medicine" and presented at a medical conference in Philadelphia. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, has asked the US Food and Drug Administration to include the heart benefits on Wegovy's label, like on Ozempic's.

The new study, paid for by the company, included more than 17,500 people in 41 countries. Participants were ages 45 and older, had a body mass index of 27 or higher and were tracked for more than three years on average. They took typical drugs for their heart conditions, but they were also randomly assigned to receive weekly injections of Wegovy or a dummy shot.

The study found that 569, or 6.5 percent, of those who got the drug versus 701, or 8 percent, of those who received the dummy shot had a heart attack or stroke or died from a heart-related cause. That's an overall reduction of 20 percent in the risk of those outcomes, the researchers reported.

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients.

The research is the first to document that an obesity medication can not only pare pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death in people who already have heart disease — but not diabetes.

The findings could shift perceptions that the new class of obesity drugs are cosmetic treatments and put pressure on health insurers to cover them.

“It moves from a kind of therapy that reduces body weight to a therapy that reduces cardiovascular events,” said Dr. Michael Lincoff, the study’s lead author and a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic.

Wegovy is a high-dose version of the diabetes treatment Ozempic, which already has been shown to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people who have diabetes. The new study looked to see if the same was true in those who don’t have that disease.

Experts have known for years that losing weight can Strengthen heart health, but there hasn’t been a safe and effective obesity medication proven to reduce specific risks, said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a heart expert at the Mayo Clinic. He expects the new findings to change treatment guidelines and “dominate the conversation” for years to come.

“This is the population who needs the medicine the most,” said Lopez-Jimenez, who had no role in the study.

In the U.S., there are about 6.6 million people like those tested in the study, experts said.

The results were published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a medical conference in Philadelphia. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include the heart benefits on Wegovy’s label, like on Ozempic’s.

The new study, paid for by the company, included more than 17,500 people in 41 countries. Participants were age 45 and older, had a body mass index of 27 or higher and were tracked for more than three years on average. They took typical drugs for their heart conditions, but they were also randomly assigned to receive weekly injections of Wegovy or a dummy shot.

The study found that 569, or 6.5%, of those who got the drug versus 701, or 8%, of those who received the dummy shot had a heart attack or stroke or died from a heart-related cause. That’s an overall reduction of 20% in the risk of those outcomes, the researchers reported.

The drop appeared to be fueled primarily by the difference in heart attacks, but the number of serious health complications reported were too small to tell whether the individual outcomes were caused by the drug or by chance.

Study volunteers who took Wegovy lost about 9% of their weight while the placebo group lost less than 1%.

The Wegovy group also saw drops in key markers of heart disease, including inflammation, cholesterol, blood sugars, blood pressure and waist circumference, noted Dr. Martha Gulati, a heart expert at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Changes in those markers began early in the study, before participants lost much weight.

“It means to me that it’s more than just weight loss, how this drug works,” said Gulati, who had no role in what she called a landmark study.

Still, “it remains unclear” how much of the results were a benefit of losing weight or the drug itself, an editorial accompanying the study noted.

About a third of all study volunteers reported serious side effects. About 17% in the Wegovy group and about 8% in the comparison group left the study, mostly because of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other stomach-related problems.

Nearly three-quarters of participants were men and nearly 84% were white. Gulati and others said future research needs to include more women and racial and ethnic minorities.

Wegovy is part of a new class of injectable medications for obesity. On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, a version of the diabetes drug Mounjaro, for weight control.

Both carry high price tags — monthly costs are about $1,300 for Wegovy and about $1,000 for Zepbound. And both have been in shortage for months, with manufacturers promising to boost supplies.

The medications are often not covered by private health insurance or subject to strict preauthorization requirements. Medicare, the government health plan for older Americans, is prohibited from covering drugs for weight loss alone. But drugmakers and obesity treatment advocates have been pushing for broader coverage, including asking Congress to pass legislation to mandate that Medicare pay for the drugs.

Results from the latest study and others that show the obesity drugs have a direct effect on costly health problems could be a factor in shifting the calculus of coverage, said Dr. Mark McClellan, former chief of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the FDA. In 2006, Medicare was allowed to cover weight-loss surgery to treat the complications of severe obesity, if not obesity itself, he noted.

That approach “may end up being relevant here,” he said.

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