How Magazines for Young Women Present Profiles of Anorexics

The media’s portrayal of health issues can have significant effects on the population it is targeting. This paper will evaluate how magazines that target young women portray profiles of people with Anorexia Nervosa. While there has been research on how media negatively influences people with or at risk for an eating disorder, there has been less research on how the magazines are actually presenting the disorders. This is significant because if magazines are inaccurately portraying specific aspects of the disorder, correcting these misrepresentations could lead to fewer barriers to help for anorexics. In this study, articles that profile a patient with anorexia were chosen from magazines with a large audience and an audience of primarily young women. These articles were then coded using a checklist that searches for specific aspects of describing the disorder. These results were compared to evidence already known about the reality of the disorder to see if any aspects of the disorder are misrepresented. As suspected, magazine portrayal of anorexia is inconsistent with the reality of the disorder. In the future, hopefully health care professions will learn the specific inconsistencies between the magazine representation and the reality of anorexia and counteract this misinformation for at-risk or anorexic patients.Communication Studie

Examining the time course of memory retention for medical gross anatomy in first year medical students

During medical school students must learn and retain a large volume of information that is important for success in their future career as physicians. Laboratory studies have given insight into the mechanisms underpinning learning and memory, but few studies have examined the time course of memorial retention in a real world setting. The current study aimed to examine the memorial mechanisms used to retain information over time by using a variation of the Remember/Know/New recognition memory procedure to examine memory retention for anatomical information in first year medical students. Participants were presented with anatomical terms and asked to respond whether they Can Define the term, were Familiar with the term or Don’t Know the term. Participants’ Remember and Know responses are thought to be reflective of different processes, recollection and familiarity, respectively. We were particularly interested in examining differences in memorial retention based on retention interval (immediately at course end and after six months). All participants were enrolled in a Medical Gross Anatomy course. The course was divided into three successive modules, each of which culminated in an examination, module 1: Back and Limbs, module 2: Thorax, Abdomen and Pelvis, and module 3: Head and Neck. Participants completed a computer based memory task at three separate time points: prior to course start (session 1), after course completion (session 2); and six months after course completion (session 3). Students were presented with anatomical terms from each module and asked to respond whether they Can Define, are Familiar with or Don’t Know a term. We predicted that responses would differ depending on when the module of the course was taught and when the testing occurred. Following work on primacy and recency, we predicted that at session 2 students would make the most Can Define responses to information learned most recently. We predicted that the second most Can Define responses would be to information learned the longest period of time from the testing session, and that information learned in the middle would be least well recalled (lowest number of Can Define responses). Furthermore, we predicted that familiarity responses would show the reverse pattern to Can Define responses at session 2.We also predicted that performance would differ by session. We hypothesized that the proportion of Can Define responses would be higher for session 2 relative to session 3, due to the processes of forgetting. Furthermore, we predicted that recollective processes characterized by Can Define responses, would be most common in module 3, the module most recently studied relative to session 2. Lastly, we predicted that the number of Familiar responses would increase across the two sessions. Our results showed that responses varied based on when the information was taught in that participants made more Can Define responses to recently learned module 3 and earliest learned module 1 relative to module 2. Responses also varied by session, as the number of Familiar responses increased overall across session 2 and 3. At session 3, there were no significant differences in the proportion of Can Define or Familiar responses between the different modules of the course. Theoretically, these results suggest that while the order of teaching impacts performance at course end, in the longer-term order of teaching ceases to matter and level of forgetting plateaus across modules. Practically however, a teacher’s aim is to maximize retention. Students might benefit from interleaving of course content instead of separate blocks, so that no one module is taught in the middle and more frequent testing to boost overall retention

Glucocorticoids Induce Molecular and Phenotypical Changes in Visceral Adipose Tissue When Consuming a High Fat Diet

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) physiology is negatively affected by chronic glucocorticoid (GC) usage, and is exacerbated by a Western diet. However, the impact of omega-3 supplimentation into a Western diet, during chronic GC usage, remains unknown. Therefore, we determined the impact of both diets ( Western vs omega-3 supplimented) in conjunction with chronic GCs, on VAT physiology. Sixty-four male C57BL/6 mice (n=8-16/group) were subjected to 4-weeks of dietary intervention (high fat lard [HFL] vs. high fat fish oil [HFO], with or without prednisolone [40mg/kg/m2] daily). We hypothesized that omega-3 supplimentation would protect VAT physiology from chronic GC-induced negative effects. Overall, both HFO groups gained less body weight, displayed less VAT and smaller adipocytes, retained a greater percentage of M2-polarized macrophages, and exhibited beneficial alterations in gene expression as compared to both HFL groups. Our data indicate that VAT physiology is protected by an increase in dietary omega-3s, irrispective of GC usage

The Relationship between Diet Quality and the Comorbidity of Diabetes in Adults with Heart Failure

Background: Heart failure and diabetes are common coexisting diseases. Elevated levels of glucose in the blood caused by insulin resistance can damage blood vessels and nerves, and eventually lead to heart disease. A poor diet and obesity can also contribute to the progression of diabetes and heart disease. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if diet and lifestyle factors between adult heart failure patients with and without diabetes who are participating in the EducatioN, and Supportive Partners Improving Self-CaRE (ENSPIRE) study are associated with comorbidities such as diabetes, and if so then how current dietary recommendations in this population should be modified based on diabetes status. Methods: Using data collected from the EducatioN and Supportive Partners Improving Self-CaRE (ENSPIRE) study from 2006 to 2009 which was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial, a secondary data analysis was conducted. Daily dietary intake of calories, sodium, carbohydrate, fat, sugar, and fiber was assessed via a 3-day food record. Differences in anthropometric measures, smoking history, education level and health literacy score between the two groups were also assessed. 117 heart failure patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 39% had diabetes. Statistical analysis: Statistical analyses included the t-test, Chi-square analysis, and Mann Whitney U test used to compare anthropometric data, lifestyle factors, and disease states. Results: Weight was higher in heart failure patients with vs. without diabetes (104.9 vs. 92.6 kg, respectively; P Conclusion: Weight was significantly higher in heart failure patients with diabetes and they consumed fewer carbohydrates than their non-diabetic counterparts. We recommend encouraging these individuals to closely monitor their macronutrient intake, specifically limiting fat in the diet. Meeting with a dietitian to ensure adequate nutrient intake is strongly recommended

Consumer\u27s preferences for goat meat in the United States : an application of choice-based conjoint analysis

The meat goat industry is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the United States. However, there has been limited research on consumers’ preferences for goat meat; therefore, a choice experiment was used to assess consumer preferences for goat meat and/or live goats. A national online survey was conducted from April 27, 2012 to May 4, 2012. Respondents were asked to complete either the goat meat choice experiment, live goat choice experiment or both. In addition to the choice experiment, respondents answered a set of questions about goat meat consumption and purchasing behavior as well as demographics. The attributes that consumers evaluated for the goat meat choice experiment included, cut, color, source and price. The attributes that consumers evaluated for the live goat choice experiment included, age, sex, slaughter method, and price. The results revealed that goat meat consumers preferred chops and cubes over whole and half carcasses. The attribute, color, was not as important to consumers’ choice as hypothesized, in the estimated models the attribute was statistically insignificant or had a small effect on preference. Goat meat consumers valued domestic over imported goat meat. The random parameters logit model and latent class logit model revealed heterogeneous preferences. In the latent class model, age, gender, and consumption frequency did fairly well in defining the class; however, overall the demographic variables failed to distinctly characterize the classes. The results from the live goat choice experiment revealed that age and slaughter method were the most important attributes to consumers. These consumers valued younger goats and preferred to have the farmer to perform the slaughter

Differences In Latent Fingerprints of Caucasian Children

It is already known that the latent fingerprints of adults and the latent fingerprints of prepubescent children are different from each other in chemical makeup. This study compares the latent fingerprints of prepubescent children to each other—specifically attempting to determine if there are any noticeable differences between the latent prints of Caucasian male and female children using the processing methods of ninhydrin and indane dione. The latent fingerprints included in the study were processed and graded. Two independent t-tests as well as a factorial ANOVA were performed on the acquired data. It was found that there is not a significant difference between the fingerprints of the males and the females with either method. As well, no significant difference was found between the two processing methods. Thus, according to this study, a latent fingerprint of a Caucasian prepubescent child, regardless of gender, should develop equally well with ninhydrin or indane dione

Impact of Food Assistance Programs on Food Insecurity, Diet Quality and Obesity

Food insecurity and participation in food assistance programs may place families at risk for obesity. Secondary data analyses of the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was conducted. Logistic regression analysis results indicated marginal food security was associated with obesity among SNAP (OR = 1.28) and NON-SNAP participants (OR = 1.54). Full food security was associated with obesity among NON-SNAP participants (OR = 1.65). Among both groups, the greater the diet quality the greater the odds of obesity. Policies and programs to improve the nutritional impact of SNAP and targeted interventions to address food security in low-income adults should be implemented. Recommended Citation Hill, J. E. (2020, October 1-2). Impact of food assistance programs on food insecurity, diet quality, and obesity [Poster presentation]. Walden University Research Conference 2020 (online). https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/researchconference/2020/posters/2

Implications of diet-induced obesity on metabolic and immune homeostasis: the role of the mesenteric lymph nodes

Includes bibliographical references.2020 Summer.Obesity is a major public health crisis among adolescents and adults. The development of obesity is associated with several comorbidities as a result of underlying systemic chronic inflammation, the culmination of which increases one’s risk for chronic and infectious disease. Excessive accumulation of visceral adipose tissue is shown to confer the greatest disease risk. This is primarily due to inherent depot differences, namely proximity to and a shared blood supply with the liver and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Recent work demonstrates the considerable influence gut physiology has over both local and systemic homeostasis, as GI diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease are associated with metabolic derangements characteristic of obesity. While the mechanisms that mediate this inter-organ crosstalk continue to be elucidated, several studies suggest that inflammation originating from the gut triggers these broad metabolic and immunologic changes found in obesity. Previous work from our lab has demonstrated that high-fat diet (HFD) induced obesity results in mesenteric lymph node (MLN) fibrosis, which was associated with a localized impairment in immune function. MLNs, located within mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) surrounding the GI tract, constitutively monitor the mesenteric adipose depot and draining sections of the small and large intestines, serving as critical inductive sites for adaptive immune responses. Subsequently, they are essential for overall tissue maintenance and protection. Hence, further study into the role of the MLNs in obesity-associated pathology is an important area of research. The goals of this dissertation research were to 1) examine the relationship between MLNs and GI inflammation on metabolic outcomes, and 2) characterize immunologic changes associated with models of chronic inflammation. To investigate the above-mentioned, we conducted four separate preclinical studies utilizing mouse models of diet-induced obesity, MLN cauterization, and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced GI inflammation. In the first study (Chapter 2), we examined the contribution of the MLNs on disease pathology associated with HFD-induced obesity. We found that MLN dysfunction, either as a result of surgical manipulation or obesity-induced fibrosis, led to metabolic dysfunction. Furthermore, that functional MLNs are needed for the full restorative effects of Pirfenidone treatment. In the second study (Chapter 3), we examined the effect of chronic low-dose DSS induced GI inflammation, independent of diet and obesity, on metabolic and immune function. We found that non-obese mice treated with DSS had a modest reduction in total body weight and MAT mass yet showed substantial alterations in tissue immune cell populations and frequencies. These adaptations occurred without a concurrent change in glucose homeostasis. Finally, in the third study (Chapter 4) we characterized immunologic parameters within a normal weight and obese human population, free of disease, through the ex vivo challenge of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with the T lymphocyte mitogen Concanavalin A (ConA). We found that PBMCs isolated from obese adults had a modest increase in cell proliferation and IFNγ secretion upon stimulation within ConA relative to their normal weight controls. Additionally, we found a distinct expansion of CD4+CD8+ T cells, CD16+ monocytes, and NK cells within ConA stimulated PBMCs from obese donors. Collectively, these studies provide evidence that 1) the MLNs are critical for metabolic homeostasis as their dysfunction exacerbates features of HFD-induced obesity; 2) chronic GI iv inflammation, independent of diet and obesity, can reshape the immune milieu without altering glucose homeostasis; and 3) obesity distinctly alters the PBMC response to acute ex vivo challenge as compared to that of normal weight individuals. Future studies should further elucidate mechanisms of crosstalk between the immune system, MLNs, and GI tract on metabolic homeostasis in models of obesity