Cognitive and mood assessment tools for use in stroke

No abstract available

Where Do We Go From Here? A Semi-Autobiographical Performance Exploration into the Therapeutic Benefits of Theatre

My intention in this performance is to create a therapeutic theatrical process for myself and engage the audience with intense emotional vulnerability regarding the combination and validation of the nobody and performative self. I utilized both my vocal and acting training to work through emotional trauma that I have experienced and created a musical performance to demonstrate my journey of therapy and emotional reconciliation within myself and my family. I focused my research on using autobiographical performances to solidify and validate the identity of the performer to an audience. In doing so, this allows the performers to become the narrator and take control of their life story. Self-reflection can provide clarity and insight into one’s mental state and understanding of how certain events have impacted them mentally and/or physically

Changes in the diet and body size of a small herbivorous mammal (hispid cotton rat, \u3ci\u3eSigmodon hispidus\u3c/i\u3e) following the late Pleistocene megafauna extinction

The catastrophic loss of large-bodied mammals during the terminal Pleistocene likely led to cascading effects within communities. While the extinction of the top consumers probably expanded the resources available to survivors of all body sizes, little work has focused on the responses of the smallest mammals. Here, we use a detailed fossil record from the southwestern United States to examine the response of the hispid cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus to biodiversity loss and climatic change over the late Quaternary. In particular, we focus on changes in diet and body size. We characterize diet through carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analysis of bone collagen in fossil jaws and body size through measurement of fossil teeth; the abundance of material allows us to examine population level responses at millennial scale for the past 16 ka. Sigmodon was not present at the cave during the full glacial, first appearing at ~16 ka after ice sheets were in retreat. It remained relatively rare until ~12 ka when warming tempera­tures allowed it to expand its species range northward. We find variation in both diet and body size of Sigmodon hispidus over time: the average body size of the population varied by ~20% (90–110 g) and mean δ13C and δ15N values ranged between −13.5 to −16.5‰ and 5.5 to 7.4‰ respectively. A state–space model suggested changes in mass were influenced by diet, maximum temperature and community structure, while the modest changes in diet were most influenced by community structure. Sigmodon maintained a fairly similar dietary niche over time despite contemporaneous changes in climate and herbivore community composition that followed the megafauna extinc­tion. Broadly, our results suggest that small mammals may be as sensitive to shifts in local biotic interactions within their ecosystem as they are to changes in climate and large-scale biodiversity loss

Evidence that attitude accessibility augments the relationship between speeding attitudes and speeding behavior : a test of the MODE model in the context of driving

According to the MODE model of attitude-to-behavior processes, attitude accessibility augments attitude-behavior correspondence, reflecting an automatic influence of attitudes on behavior. We therefore tested whether attitude accessibility moderates the attitude-behavior relationship in a context that is governed by characteristically automatic behavior, namely driving. In study 1 (correlational design), participants (N = 130) completed online questionnaire measures of the valences and accessibilities of their attitudes towards speeding. Two weeks later, online questionnaire measures of subsequent speeding behavior were obtained. Attitude valence was a significantly better predictor of behavior at high (mean + 1 SD) versus low (mean – 1 SD) levels of attitude accessibility. In study 2 (experimental design), attitude accessibility was manipulated with a repeated attitude expression task. Immediately after the manipulation, participants (N = 122) completed online questionnaire measures of attitude valence and accessibility, and two weeks later, subsequent speeding behavior. Increased attitude accessibility in the experimental (versus control) condition generated an increase in attitude-behavior correspondence. The findings are consistent with the MODE model’s proposition that attitudes can exert an automatic influence on behavior. Interventions to reduce speeding could usefully increase the accessibility of anti-speeding attitudes and reduce the accessibility of pro-speeding attitudes

Spatial and seasonal relationships between Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) and their prey, at multiple scales

Knowing where pinnipeds forage is vital to managing and protecting their populations, and for assessing potential interactions with fisheries. We assessed the spatial relationship between the seasonal distribution of Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) outfitted with satellite transmitters and the seasonal distributions of potential harbor seal prey species in San Francisco Bay, California. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between the number of harbor seal locations in an area of the San Francisco Bay and the abundance of specific prey species in the same area. The influence of scale on the analyses was assessed by varying the scale of analysis from 1 to 10 km. There was consistency in the prey species targeted by harbor seals year-round, although there were seasonal differences between the most important prey species. The highest correlations between harbor seals and their prey were found for seasonally abundant benthic species, located within about 10 km of the primary haul-out site. Probable foraging habitat for harbor seals was identified, based on areas with high abundances of prey species that were strongly correlated with harbor seal distribution. With comparable local data inputs, this approach has potential application to pinniped management in other areas, and to decisions about the location of marine reserves designed to protect these species

Damn Spot: Navigating Emotional Trauma in the Body

I researched the history of emotional trauma and its portrayal in modern media and Shakespearean plays and created a film based on my personal experience with the topic. This film utilizes Shakespearean song and monologue from Hamlet and Macbeth to narrate the inner journey of a girl working through emotional trauma. We follow her as she feels the impact of her trauma in her body and as she tries to hide it from her friends and maintain a normal facade. This film does contain a fictionalized portrayal of an anxiety attack, so viewer discretion is advised. This project does not claim to be a comprehensive and complete narrative for anyone dealing with emotional trauma: it is a deeply personal experience and affects every person differently. I drew inspiration from my own struggles with emotional trauma for this film and the reflection of my experience that I found in these Shakespearean monologues

Beliefs, attitudes and intentions towards environmental issues: The role of self-compassion and wellbeing

The aim of this study was to explore the role of self-compassion and wellbeing in relation to global warming as a core environmental issue. A total of 490 emerging adults, (221 male and 269 female) aged from 18-22 (M=19.06, Sd=1.36), took part in an online survey measuring attitudes, beliefs, and intentions regarding global warming, self-compassion and wellbeing. Results showed those with more positive beliefs, attitudes and intentions towards the environment scored higher on self-compassion and wellbeing. It is suggested that self-compassion and wellbeing are linked to positive attitudes, beliefs and intentions towards the environment in a relationship of reciprocal causality. In conclusion this research suggests that this relationship could be exploited as part of changing environmental behaviou

Reductions in the dietary niche of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) from the Holocene to the Anthropocene.

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal hunted to near extinction during the 1800s. Despite their well-known modern importance as a keystone species, we know little about historical sea otter ecology. Here, we characterize the ecological niche of ancient southern sea otters (E. lutris nereis) using δ13C analysis and δ15N analysis of bones recovered from archaeological sites spanning ~7,000 to 350 years before present (N = 112 individuals) at five regions along the coast of California. These data are compared with previously published data on modern animals (N = 165) and potential modern prey items. In addition, we analyze the δ15N of individual amino acids for 23 individuals to test for differences in sea otter trophic ecology through time. After correcting for tissue-specific and temporal isotopic effects, we employ nonparametric statistics and Bayesian niche models to quantify differences among ancient and modern animals. We find ancient otters occupied a larger isotopic niche than nearly all modern localities; likely reflecting broader habitat and prey use in prefur trade populations. In addition, ancient sea otters at the most southerly sites occupied an isotopic niche that was more than twice as large as ancient otters from northerly regions. This likely reflects greater invertebrate prey diversity in southern California relative to northern California. Thus, we suggest the potential dietary niche of sea otters in southern California could be larger than in central and northern California. At two sites, Año Nuevo and Monterey Bay, ancient otters had significantly higher δ15N values than modern populations. Amino acid δ15N data indicated this resulted from shifting baseline isotope values, rather than a change in sea otter trophic ecology. Our results help in better understanding the contemporary ecological role of sea otters and exemplify the strength of combing zooarchaeological and biological information to provide baseline data for conservation efforts

Brain Imaging Correlates of Cognitive Impairment in Depression

This review briefly summarises recent research on the neural basis of cognition in depression. Two broad areas are covered: emotional and non-emotional processing. We consider how research findings support models of depression based on disrupted cortico-limbic circuitry, and how modern connectivity analysis techniques can be used to test such models explicitly. Finally we discuss clinical implications of cognitive imaging in depression, and specifically the possible role for these techniques in diagnosis and treatment planning

Pitfalls of neurocognitive testing in an occupational medical setting

No abstract available