Oak Lake Field Station as a Model for Ethanobotanical Research in the Prairie Pothole Region of South Dakota

Prairie pothole lakes are invaluable refuges for plants that were important to the survival of the region’s indigenous peoples. Oak Lake provides a unique meeting of biomes; wooded slopes, open prairie expanses, and lush littoral marshy zones. Ethnobotanical accounts were examined to see how plants were traditionally utilized by Native Americans and pioneers. Plants were identified using scientific names and the names given to the plants by the two groups of indigenous peoples most recently associated with this region, the Dakota and Omaha-Ponca. This was done because the indigenous languages describe characteristics of the plants much the same way Latin does, imparting insights into their perceived values. We experimented with traditional recipes for the prairie turnip; milkweed buds, forest greens, cattail roots, and various fruits. The Plants were collected, herbarium mounts made and field data recorded. Research was done on the archeology profile of the area, and on the different tribes who had used the hills, plains and beaches along the lake. The archeological record and history at Oak Lake spans prehistoric times and includes vintage pioneer fruit orchards typical of the early farms in the area. There is value in preserving prairie pot holes because of the wealth of plants and forbs they preserve. These native plants may again prove to have value as food and medicines for future generations

Behavioral Interventions to Attenuate Driven Overeating and Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery

Weight regain after bariatric surgery is associated with problematic eating behaviors that have either recurred after a period of improvement or are new-onset behaviors. Problematic eating behaviors after bariatric surgery have been conceptualized in different ways in the literature, such as having a food addiction and experiencing a loss of control of eating. The intersection of these constructs appears to be driven overeating defined as patients’ experiences of reduced control of their eating which results in overeating behavior. The purpose of this review is to define patient experiences of driven overeating through the behavioral expression of emotion-based eating, reward-based eating, and executive functioning deficits—namely impulsivity—which is associated with weight regain after having bariatric surgery. Delineating concepts in this way and determining treatment strategies accordingly may reduce distress related to the inevitable return of increased hunger, cravings, portion sizes, and tolerance for highly palatable foods after surgery. Along with standard behavioral weight maintenance strategies, topics including acceptance, motivation, emotion-based eating, reward-based/impulsive eating, physical activity, and self-compassion are discussed. These concepts have been adapted for patients experiencing weight regain after having bariatric surgery and may be particularly helpful in attenuating driven overeating and weight regain

Should providers encourage realistic weight expectations and satisfaction with lost weight in commercial weight loss programs? a preliminary study

Background Attrition is a problem among patients who participate in commercial weight loss programs. One possible explanation is that if patients are unable to reach a weight that they expect to achieve, they may be more likely to drop out of treatment. This study investigated variables associated with attrition among 30 obese patients who completed a liquid meal replacement program (LMR) and enrolled in a 52-week Small Changes Maintenance intervention (SCM). Patients lost a median 18% of body weight during LMR and completed assessments about weight expectations and weight satisfaction pre- and post-SCM. Findings Of the 30 patients who started SCM, 8 (27%) were lost to attrition. Odds of SCM attrition were higher in patients who lost ≤ 18.2% of pre-LMR weight (OR: 12.25, P = 0.035), had lower satisfaction (≤7) pre-SCM (OR: 10.11, P = 0.040), and who expected further weight loss of 9.1 kg or more pre-SCM (OR: 10.11, P = 0.040). SCM completers significantly increased weight loss expectations by a median of 2.3 kg from pre-SCM to post-SCM (WSR P = 0.049) that paralleled weight regained post-SCM (2.7 kg). Conclusions After completion of a medically-supervised commercial weight loss program, patients with the greatest expectations for further weight loss and the lowest weight satisfaction were more likely to drop out of SCM. Failure to participate in maintenance treatment may lead to regain of greater than half of lost weight over the next year. Among SCM completers, lower expectations for further weight loss and greater weight satisfaction appeared to be associated with continued engagement in maintenance treatment

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Should providers encourage realistic weight expectations and satisfaction with lost weight in commercial weight loss programs? a preliminary study

BackgroundAttrition is a problem among patients who participate in commercial weight loss programs. One possible explanation is that if patients are unable to reach a weight that they expect to achieve, they may be more likely to drop out of treatment. This study investigated variables associated with attrition among 30 obese patients who completed a liquid meal replacement program (LMR) and enrolled in a 52-week Small Changes Maintenance intervention (SCM). Patients lost a median 18% of body weight during LMR and completed assessments about weight expectations and weight satisfaction pre- and post-SCM.FindingsOf the 30 patients who started SCM, 8 (27%) were lost to attrition. Odds of SCM attrition were higher in patients who lost[less than or equal to]18.2% of pre-LMR weight (OR: 12.25, P=0.035), had lower satisfaction ([less than or equal to]7) pre-SCM (OR: 10.11, P=0.040), and who expected further weight loss of 9.1 kg or more pre-SCM (OR: 10.11, P=0.040). SCM completers significantly increased weight loss expectations by a median of 2.3 kg from pre-SCM to post-SCM (WSR P=0.049) that paralleled weight regained post-SCM (2.7 kg).ConclusionsAfter completion of a medically-supervised commercial weight loss program, patients with the greatest expectations for further weight loss and the lowest weight satisfaction were more likely to drop out of SCM. Failure to participate in maintenance treatment may lead to regain of greater than half of lost weight over the next year. Among SCM completers, lower expectations for further weight loss and greater weight satisfaction appeared to be associated with continued engagement in maintenance treatment