A historical perspective on wind data: time, space and vector relationships between ship log data and Cape Royal Astronomical Observatory wind data between 1834 and 1854

This dissertation assesses the extent to which data from the Climatological Database for the World's Oceans (CLIWOC) reflect newly digitized historical wind data captured at the Royal Astronomical Observatory (RAO) in Cape Town, South Africa from 1834-1854. This follows the historical precipitation reconstructions for Southern Africa by Hannaford et al. (2015), using wind data from the CLIWOC database. This project also forms part of a bigger project that is recovering and digitising historical instrumental meteorological data for Southern Africa that have never been analysed before. For Southern Africa, the opportunity to compare historical instrumental data seldom arises due to the paucity of reliable data. However, there is an opportunity to analyse and compare two different wind data sources for a twenty-one year cross over period for south western Africa. Wind, as an indicator of atmospheric conditions, has not been assessed extensively in South African, therefore this project fills an academic gap in historical climatology for the region, and provides newly digitised historical data. Digitisation and pre-processing steps ensure that the RAO dataset is comparable to the CLIWOC dataset. This is done by replicating wind direction and speed measurement conversions and formatting (Garcia-Herrera et al., 2005), and by mirroring the available time steps of data in each dataset (eliminating data were the other dataset has erroneous or missing data). Spatially scattered data recorded over the sea compared to data recorded at a fixed position introduces inherent limitations, error and noise into the data comparison. Therefore, to eliminate as many uncertainties as possible and minimise the noise in the data, the CLIWOC data are refined further by a) a single observation per day, b) separating three regions of differing seasonal synoptic air flow regimes (west coast, south west peninsula and south coast) and c) all analyses based on seasonally grouped data. Temporal, spatial and vector relationships are established for each season using scatter plot graphs and Pearson correlations. The different relationships between the data are derived from corresponding wind data (i.e. data of the same day and time), in each dataset for wind speed and wind direction separately. No significant correlation (all p values>0.05) or signal is evident over time, or as the difference in distance changes. However, seasonality is represented consistently in the wind vector distribution heat maps. Significant findings include the observations of anomalous north westerly winds in summer at the RAO, where the CLIWOC data did not pick up similar data for the corresponding region on the west coast. Historical wind data used herein prove to be reliable by the expected seasonal synoptic flow patterns and characteristics seen in each study region. There is no correlation between the datasets over time and space and the data do not present any clear signals or return events over time. Although corresponding data do not show any correlations, there are typical synoptic flow regimes in each study region which prove that wind data was recorded correctly. Therefore, the datasets are mutually exclusive, but accurate in their intrinsic value. It is only the anomalous summer north westerlies at the RAO which question the reliability of the data, as the same wind regimes were not identifiable in the corresponding CLIWOC data. This anomaly was noted but not studied further. This project highlights the major inconsistencies and limitations in the CLIWOC data. Researchers in the future should use CLIWOC data appropriately to suit the research question and be aware of the inconsistencies that may introduce noise

The Psychological and Neural Bases of Extinction Learning

Extinction is a fundamental learning and memory process that enables humans and animals to survive in the face of shifting environmental conditions. The context-specific nature of extinction learning is demonstrated by the renewal phenomenon, in which responding returns following a change in context after extinction. Pavlovian fear conditioning procedures have primarily been used to investigate the psychological and neural processes mediating extinction. However, compared to passive defensive strategies, the mechanisms governing the extinction of active defensive strategies are not well understood. This thesis examined the psychological processes mediating the extinction of both active and passive defensive responses using the shock-probe defensive burying task. We found robust ABA renewal and less marked ABC and AAB renewal of passive coping behaviours. Active coping strategies linked to conditioned defensive burying did not display renewal, indicating that passive coping strategies are more prone to renewal than active coping strategies.These findings have important implications for understanding how context influences the extinction of different defensive responses to aversive stimuli. Moreover, this thesis employed an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning procedure to investigate the neural mechanisms mediating the extinction of responding to a discrete sucrose cue. Using Fos immunohistochemistry and correlational network analysis, we identified the neural correlates and networks associated with the recall vs extinction of responding to a sucrose-predictive Pavlovian cue. Our findings are consistent with those obtained using Pavlovian fear and operant reward-seeking procedures, which have demonstrated a functional dichotomy between the prelimbic (PL) and the infralimbic (IL) cortices of the medial prefrontal cortex. Namely, our results were consistent with the idea that the PL promotes the expression, while the IL mediates the extinction of conditioned responding. Additionally, we found that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) plays a role in the recall of appetitive Pavlovian responding, and a neural network including the IL and PVT is active during extinction but not recall, suggesting that IL projections to the PVT may be involved in appetitive Pavlovian extinction. In support of this hypothesis, additional experiments found that optical stimulation of the IL-to-PVT pathway completely blocked appetitive Pavlovian renewal, while stimulation of the PL-to-PVT pathway had only modest effects on renewal. In the same experiments, stimulation of the IL-to-PVT, but not the PL-to-PVT, pathway supported self-stimulation, suggesting that this pathway has a reinforcing property. Together, these findings provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the extinction of responding to appetitive Pavlovian cues, and they point to the PVT as a critical node in the neural circuitry underlying the extinction of appetitive Pavlovian conditioned responding

Bodied: Who Does Society Think You Should Be?

It is no secret that society has constructed a high level of pressure surrounding the appearance of women’s bodies. In light of such pressures we have chosen to create a zine focused on issues regarding body image and the different ways in which society impacts women\u27s bodies. Our goal is to raise awareness of how society\u27s standards affect women and also empower those who are a part of the project. On the following pages you will find four sections highlighting a few main categories of which we have found there to be the significant presence of stigma and stereotypes: athletes, teenagers, mothers, and models. We hope that this content will challenge your thoughts on how society labels women and encourage you to examine how they instead would label themselves.https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/spring_2023/1015/thumbnail.jp

Comparing ABA, AAB, and ABC Renewal of Appetitive Pavlovian Conditioned Responding in Alcohol- and Sucrose-Trained Male Rats

Conditioned responding can be renewed by re-exposure to the conditioning context following extinction in a different context (ABA renewal) or by removal from the extinction context (AAB or ABC renewal). ABA renewal is robust in Pavlovian and operant conditioning paradigms. However, fewer studies have investigated AAB and ABC renewal of appetitive conditioning, and those that did predominantly used operant conditioning tasks. Renewal has theoretical relevance for extinction and for exposure-based treatments for substance use disorders that aim to extinguish reactivity to drug-predictive cues. We therefore investigated ABA, AAB, and ABC renewal of Pavlovian conditioned responding to cues that predicted either alcohol or sucrose. Male, Long-Evans rats (Charles River) were exposed to either 15% ethanol (Study 1: “alcohol”) or 10% sucrose (Study 2: “sucrose”) in their home cages. Next, they were trained to discriminate between two auditory stimuli (white noise and clicker; 10 s) in conditioning chambers equipped with distinct olfactory, visual, and tactile contextual stimuli (context A). One conditioned stimulus (CS+) was paired with fluid delivery (0.2 ml/CS+; 3.2 ml/session; alcohol or sucrose in separate experiments), and the second CS (CS−) was not. In all sessions (conditioning, extinction, and test), each CS was presented 16 times/session on a variable-time 67-s schedule, and entries into the fluid port were recorded. CS+ port entries were then extinguished by withholding fluid delivery either in context A or in a second, different context (context B). Next, we assessed ABA, AAB, and ABC renewal in the absence of fluid delivery. During extinction, CS+ port entries were initially elevated in context A relative to context B. ABA renewal of CS+ port entries occurred in both alcohol- and sucrose-trained rats. ABC renewal approached statistical significance when data from both experiments were combined. No AAB renewal was observed, and, in fact, alcohol-trained rats showed AAB suppression. These results corroborate the reliability of ABA renewal and suggest that ABC renewal is a modest effect that may require greater statistical power to detect. From a treatment perspective, the lack of AAB renewal suggests that exposure-based treatments for substance use disorders might benefit from implementation in real-world, drug-use contexts

Sex and God #blesses: the relationship between faith and reported frequency of hooking-up among college students

Hooking-up is defined as a physically intimate encounter between two individuals whom are not romantically involved with one another (Stroke; et al., 2014). Past research has shown that students who reported that religion had a higher influence on their daily life also reported hooking-up less frequently (Simons, et al., 2009). Limited research has been conducted to measure whether priming persons with their religious beliefs- has an impact on the reported frequency of sexual health practices. This research extended the paradigm of Saroglou and Munoz-Garcia (2008) who employed a technique in which they asked participants questions about their values and personality traits in differing orders. This study sought to investigate if the placement of religious-based questions had an influence on reported frequency of sexual health practices. Findings from this study revealed that there was a negative correlation within all three question placement conditions at a .05 significance level

Anatomical Knowledge Retention in Changing Curricula

Traditionally anatomy is one of the first subjects taught in medical school. Practicing physicians have commented on medical students’ poor anatomical knowledge in surgically oriented clerkships. Literature also shows that correlating clinical and anatomical sciences throughout early medical education may improve anatomical knowledge retention. With major medical school curricular changes happening across the nation, more quantitative data confirming this correlation is needed. The medical curriculum at the George Washington University School of Medicine recently underwent reorganization, transforming an earlier discipline-based curriculum to that of an integrated system-based one. In order to determine whether reorganization has an effect on anatomical knowledge retention, comparisons of anatomical knowledge between classes in the different curricula were made. Students from the last class of the discipline-based curriculum and students from the first class of the new, integrated curriculum completed the same 27question test before beginning their general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology (OB/Gyn) rotations. Scores for specific anatomy categories related to general surgery and OB/Gyn were then analyzed and compared between classes. Comparing the scores from the 2013 and 2016 cohorts, there was an overall decrease in retention from 65.69% to 63.64% (Table 1). Item analysis per topic revealed a mean decrease in surgical anatomy and OB/Gyn anatomy retention of 2.53% and 1.58%, respectively. There was a 21.6% increase in inguinal canal anatomy retention and a 17.33% increase in appendix related questions. There was also a 12.02% decrease in fallopian tube anatomy retention. In conclusion, when comparing the 2013 to the 2016 data there were overall decreases in retention for the anatomy as it relates to general surgery and OB/Gyn; however improvements were noted for specific topic areas. These results suggest that the change in retention is apparent and multifactorial. The differences between surgical anatomy retention and OB/Gyn anatomy retention scores may be related to the way the subject matter was organized and presented, or how the anatomic foundational knowledge was integrated with its clinical relevance. Although integrative learning has been associated with better retention, more studies will have to be conducted to validate this statement. Finally, analyzing the subject matter, curriculum structure, clinical focus, and objectives should be evaluated moving forward

Factors influencing adults’ immunization practices: a pilot survey study of a diverse, urban community in central Ohio

Abstract Background Adult vaccination rates in the United States are well below recommendations with disparities in race, ethnicity, and education level resulting in even lower rates for these populations. This study aimed to identify the barriers to and perceptions of immunizations in adults in an urban, underserved, multicultural community. Understanding the factors that influence adults’ decisions to receive routinely recommended vaccines will aid health care providers and public health officials to design programs to improve vaccination rates. Methods This cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted in January 2014 in Columbus, Ohio. Participants were recruited from four urban federally-qualified health centers and four grocery stores affiliated with those clinics. The survey gathered self-reported receipt of immunizations, knowledge about indications for immunizations, and factors influencing decisions to receive an immunization. Data was analyzed in 2014. Descriptive statistics were generated for all survey items and Chi-Square or Fisher’s Exact tests were used as appropriate to test for associations between demographic characteristics and factors influencing immunization decisions. Results The top five factors likely to affect the decision to receive an immunization among the 304 respondents were: “doctor’s recommendation” (80.6 %), “knowing why I should get a vaccine” (78.2 %), “knowing which vaccines I need” (75.5 %), cost (54.2 %), and “concern about getting sick if I get a vaccine” (54.0 %). Significant differences in factors influencing the immunization decision exist among respondents based on ethnicity and education level. For those participants with self-identified diabetes, heart disease, or asthma, less than half were aware that certain immunizations could reduce the risk of complications associated with their disease(s). Conclusions Data from this study may inform and shape patient education programs conducted in clinics, retailers, and communities, as well as advocacy efforts for adult immunizations. Results from this study suggest that patients would respond to programs for promoting vaccine uptake if they focused on benefits and indications for vaccines. The results also highlighted the need for education regarding immunizations for patients with chronic diseases and special indications. The differences in perceptions found between groups can be used to create targeted interventions based on the needs of those patient populations

6'-Methoxy Raloxifene-analog enhances mouse bone properties with reduced estrogen receptor binding

Raloxifene (RAL) is an FDA-approved drug used to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. RAL suppresses bone loss primarily through its role as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). This hormonal estrogen therapy promotes unintended side effects, such as hot flashes and increased thrombosis risk, and prevents the drug from being used in some patient populations at-risk for fracture, including children with bone disorders. It has recently been demonstrated that RAL can have significant positive effects on overall bone mechanical properties by binding to collagen and increasing bone tissue hydration in a cell-independent manner. A Raloxifene-Analog (RAL-A) was synthesized by replacing the 6-hydroxyl substituent with 6-methoxy in effort to reduce the compound's binding affinity for estrogen receptors (ER) while maintaining its collagen-binding ability. It was hypothesized that RAL-A would improve the mechanical integrity of bone in a manner similar to RAL, but with reduced estrogen receptor binding. Molecular assessment showed that while RAL-A did reduce ER binding, downstream ER signaling was not completely abolished. In-vitro, RAL-A performed similarly to RAL and had an identical concentration threshold on osteocyte cell proliferation, differentiation, and function. To assess treatment effect in-vivo, wildtype (WT) and heterozygous (OIM+/-) female mice from the Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) murine model were treated with either RAL or RAL-A from 8 weeks to 16 weeks of age. There was an untreated control group for each genotype as well. Bone microarchitecture was assessed using microCT, and mechanical behavior was assessed using 3-point bending. Results indicate that both compounds produced analogous gains in tibial trabecular and cortical microarchitecture. While WT mechanical properties were not drastically altered with either treatment, OIM+/- mechanical properties were significantly enhanced, most notably, in post-yield properties including bone toughness. This proof-of-concept study shows promising results and warrants the exploration of additional analog iterations to further reduce ER binding and improve fracture resistance

Trait Mindfulness Is Associated With Less Amyloid, Tau, and Cognitive Decline in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness, defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, has been associated with an array of mental and physical health benefits. Mindfulness may also represent a protective factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we tested the potential protective effect of trait mindfulness on cognitive decline and AD pathology in older adults at risk for AD dementia. METHODS: Measures of trait mindfulness, longitudinal cognitive assessments, and amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau positron emission tomography scans were collected in 261 nondemented older adults with a family history of AD dementia from the PREVENT-AD (Pre-symptomatic Evaluation of Experimental or Novel Treatments for AD) observational cohort study. Multivariate partial least squares analyses were used to examine relationships between combinations of different facets of trait mindfulness and 1) cognitive decline, 2) Aβ, and 3) tau. RESULTS: Higher levels of mindful nonjudgment, describing, and nonreactivity were associated with less cognitive decline in attention, global cognition, and immediate and delayed memory. Higher levels of mindful nonjudgment and nonreactivity were related to less Aβ positron emission tomography signal in bilateral medial and lateral temporoparietal and frontal regions. Higher levels of mindful acting with awareness, describing, nonjudgment, and nonreactivity were associated with less tau positron emission tomography signal in bilateral medial and lateral temporal regions. CONCLUSIONS: Trait mindfulness was associated with less cognitive decline and less Aβ and tau in the brain in older adults at risk for AD dementia. Longitudinal studies examining the temporal relationship between trait mindfulness and AD markers, along with mindfulness intervention studies, will be important for further clarifying the potential protective benefits of mindfulness on AD risk