Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Measurement Invariance of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-Body Image in a Clinical Eating Disorder Sample

Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) may be particularly susceptible to body image related cognitive fusion(i.e., excessive entanglement with one’s body image related thoughts such that they unduly influence on behavior). The Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-Body Image (CFQ-BI) is the only existing measure of this construct, yet its psychometric properties have not been examined within a clinically diagnosed ED sample. The current study used confirmatory factor analysis and explored measurement invariance, construct validity, and incremental validity of the CFQ-BI when used with adolescent (n = 75) and adult (n= 100) females admitting to residential ED treatment. A modified version of the single-factor structure of the CFQ-BI best fit the data and configural, metric, and scalar in variance were supported across age groups (i.e., adolescents or adults) and ED behavioral presentations (i.e., restrictive behaviors or binge/purge behaviors). Adults’ and individuals with binge/purge behavioral presentations reported significantly more body image related fusion compared to adolescents and adults, respectively. Body image related psychological flexibility and ED severity were both significantly correlated CFQ-BI scores in expected directions.These findings suggest the CFQ-BI is a valid measure for assessing body image related fusion among adolescent and adult females with varying ED behavioral presentations. Implications and future research directions are discussed

Examining a Mediation Model of Body Image-Related Cognitive Fusion, Intuitive Eating, and Eating Disorder Symptom Severity in a Clinical Sample

Purpose: This study sought to explore the associations between Intuitive Eating (IE), eating disorder (ED) symptom severity, and body image-related cognitive fusion within a clinical sample. IE was also examined as a possible mediator in the relationship between body image-related fusion and ED symptoms. Methods: This study includes cross-sectional analyses with data from 100 adult females and 75 adolescent females seeking residential treatment for an ED. Self-reported demographic information, ED symptoms, IE behaviors, and body image-related cognitive fusion were collected from participants within the first week of treatment following admission to the same residential ED treatment facility. Results: ED symptom severity was significantly negatively associated with three of the four domains of IE; unconditional permission to eat, reliance on hunger and satiety cues, and body-food choice congruence. A significant mediational effect of IE on the relationship between body image-related fusion and ED symptoms through IE behaviors was observed (β=11.3, SE=.003, pp=.003) and reliance on hunger and satiety cues (β=.10, p=.005) domains of IE when the domains were subsequently analyzed individually. Conclusion: Unconditional permission to eat and reliance on hunger and satiety cues appear to be particularly influential domains of IE in the relationship between body image-related fusion and ED symptom severity. It is possible that changes in these IE domains may be mechanisms through which body image-related fusion influences ED symptoms. Future longitudinal research is needed to better understand the relationship between body image-related cognitive fusion and IE and the potential for targeting these constructs specifically in the context of ED treatment

Influence of oceanography on bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) foraging in the Chukchi Sea as inferred from animal-borne instrumentation

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2021.104434The distribution of the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Sea population of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) is largely centered in the Chukchi Sea in autumn (September–November), which is also when sea ice is at minimum extent allowing for increased ship traffic and industrial activity. Prior work paired autumn movements of bowhead whales in the Chukchi Sea with simulated hydrographic information and concluded whales followed relatively cold, saline waters of Pacific origin during migration (<0 ◦C, 31.5–34.25 psu). We attached six Satellite Relay Data Logger (SRDLs) that included miniaturized Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors capable of collecting temperature (T) and salinity (S) profiles as whales dove, allowing us to verify and expand upon prior habitat studies. Areas where transiting whales stopped and lingered (presumably to feed) were associated with colder surface temperatures and lingering behavior peaked where seafloor salinity was ~33 psu. Whales were also more likely to linger in areas where density gradients were lower at the seafloor. Whales targeted colder, more saline waters of Pacific origin, in agreement with our prior work. Surface and dive behavior of whales tagged in this and other studies suggests that most feeding in the central Chukchi Sea is occurring at depths below the surface, and that surface temperature is indicative of (a proxy for) other processes occurring at depth. We suggest that colder surface temperatures are indicative of the main pathway(s) by which zooplankton are advected through the Chukchi Sea. However, because similar movement patterns in other stocks of bowhead whales have been interpreted as the avoidance of thermal stress, we suggest more research is needed on thermoregulation before this question can be resolved.Global Model Analysis programDepartment of Energy RegionalOffice of Naval Research Arctic and Global Prediction programNational Science Foundation Arctic System Science progra

Values Engagement as a Predictor of Eating Disorder Severity in Female Adolescents with Eating Disorders

Values are freely chosen life directions and/or qualities of being that can motivate behavior change. There is nascent support for the utility of values work as a part of the therapeutic process across treatments, particularly in third wave therapy approaches (e.g., acceptance and commitment therapy). However, therapeutic values work is underresearched in clinical samples of youth. The aim of the present study is to examine the role of the two distinct values processes (engagement and obstruction), body image inflexibility, alongside other common comorbid symptoms of eating disorders (anxiety, depression) in a sample of female adolescents with eating disorders attending a residential eating disorder treatment program. Participants (N= 75) were patients at a residential eating disorder treatment facility and completed a battery of measures at time of admission. Correlational analyses and multiple regression were performed. Results found correlations between eating disorder severity, values engagement, values obstruction, body image flexibility, anxiety, and depression in the expected directions. Regression results found body image inflexibility, progression towards values, and anxiety as significant predictors of eating disorder severity (adjusted R2 = .54). This study points to the importance of emphasizing values engagement in youth with eating disorders, highlighting a potential treatment target for future research

An Exploratory Examination of Delay Discounting in Women and Girls Diagnosed With an Eating Disorder

Those with eating disorders (ED) characterized by purging behaviors tend to show more impulsivity than those diagnosed with restrictive eating, who tend to show more compulsivity. Impulsive choice (i.e., a type of impulsivity) is a common factor among eating disorders that is less understood. Delay discounting is a measure of choice impulsivity, examining the decrease in value of delayed outcomes. In this exploratory study, we examined associations between eating disorder type, age and delay discounting among patients at a residential ED treatment center (N = 178). Our findings showed that those diagnosed with bulimia nervosa had higher delay discounting (i.e., more impulsivity) at intake compared to anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating types but there were no significant differences. Those diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, as well as those with ARFID and unspecified ED showed a preference for delayed rewards at discharge, but there were no significant differences among ED types. Moderation analyses showed that age, ED type, nor the interaction did not significantly predict delay discounting at intake or discharge. To conclude, those with bulimia nervosa demonstrate less impulsive choice at discharge from a residential ED treatment center. However, additional research is needed given the variability of sample sizes in this study

The Northwest Passage opens for bowhead whales

The loss of Arctic sea ice is predicted to open up the Northwest Passage, shortening shipping routes and facilitating the exchange of marine organisms between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Here, we present the first observations of distribution overlap of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) from the two oceans in the Northwest Passage, demonstrating this route is already connecting whales from two populations that have been assumed to be separated by sea ice. Previous satellite tracking has demonstrated that bowhead whales from West Greenland and Alaska enter the ice-infested channels of the Canadian High Arctic during summer. In August 2010, two bowhead whales from West Greenland and Alaska entered the Northwest Passage from opposite directions and spent approximately 10 days in the same area, documenting overlap between the two populations

Determination of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) individual genotype and sex based on DNA extracted from paw-prints in snow

Polar bears rely upon sea ice to hunt, travel, and reproduce. Declining sea ice extent and duration has led polar bears to be designated as “threatened” (ESA). Population monitoring is vital to polar bear conservation; but recently, poor sea ice has made traditional aircraft-based methods less viable. These methods largely rely upon the capture and handling of polar bears, and have been criticized over animal welfare concerns. Monitoring polar bears via DNA sampling is a promising option. One common method utilizes biopsy darts delivered from a helicopter to collect DNA, a method that faces similar ice associated challenges to those described above. However, epidermal cells shed from the foot pads of a polar bear into its paw-prints in snow are a source of “environmental DNA” (e-DNA) that can be collected non-invasively on the sea ice or on land for potential use in population monitoring. Mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) is used to assess whether polar bear DNA is present within a snow sample, and nuclear DNA (n-DNA) can identify individuals and their sex. The goal of this investigation was to assess the viability of using e-DNA collected from paw-prints in the snow to identify individual polar bears and their sex. Snow was sampled from 13 polar bear trails (10 paw-prints per trail) on the sea ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas along the North Slope of Alaska. Species verification was based on a mt-DNA PCR fragment analysis test. Identification of individuals was accomplished by amplifying a multiplex of seven n-DNA microsatellite loci, and sex was determined by the amelogenin gene sex ID marker. Six of the 13 bear trails sampled (46%) yielded consensus genotypes for five unique males and one female. To our knowledge, this is the first time that polar bears have been individually identified by genotype and sex using e-DNA collected from snow. This method is non-invasive, could be integrated into genetic mark-recapture sampling designs, and addresses some of the current challenges arising from poor sea ice conditions. It also can involve, engage, and empower Indigenous communities in the Arctic, which are greatly affected by polar bear management decisions

Ecological characteristics of core-use areas used by Bering–Chukchi–Beaufort (BCB) bowhead whales, 2006–2012

© The Author(s), 2014]. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Progress in Oceanography 136 (2015): 201-222, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.08.012.The Bering–Chukchi–Beaufort (BCB) population of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) ranges across the seasonally ice-covered waters of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. We used locations from 54 bowhead whales, obtained by satellite telemetry between 2006 and 2012, to define areas of concentrated use, termed “core-use areas”. We identified six primary core-use areas and describe the timing of use and physical characteristics (oceanography, sea ice, and winds) associated with these areas. In spring, most whales migrated from wintering grounds in the Bering Sea to the Cape Bathurst polynya, Canada (Area 1), and spent the most time in the vicinity of the halocline at depths <75 m, which are within the euphotic zone, where calanoid copepods ascend following winter diapause. Peak use of the polynya occurred between 7 May and 5 July; whales generally left in July, when copepods are expected to descend to deeper depths. Between 12 July and 25 September, most tagged whales were located in shallow shelf waters adjacent to the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Canada (Area 2), where wind-driven upwelling promotes the concentration of calanoid copepods. Between 22 August and 2 November, whales also congregated near Point Barrow, Alaska (Area 3), where east winds promote upwelling that moves zooplankton onto the Beaufort shelf, and subsequent relaxation of these winds promoted zooplankton aggregations. Between 27 October and 8 January, whales congregated along the northern shore of Chukotka, Russia (Area 4), where zooplankton likely concentrated along a coastal front between the southeastward-flowing Siberian Coastal Current and northward-flowing Bering Sea waters. The two remaining core-use areas occurred in the Bering Sea: Anadyr Strait (Area 5), where peak use occurred between 29 November and 20 April, and the Gulf of Anadyr (Area 6), where peak use occurred between 4 December and 1 April; both areas exhibited highly fractured sea ice. Whales near the Gulf of Anadyr spent almost half of their time at depths between 75 and 100 m, usually near the seafloor, where a subsurface front between cold Anadyr Water and warmer Bering Shelf Water presumably aggregates zooplankton. The amount of time whales spent near the seafloor in the Gulf of Anadyr, where copepods (in diapause) and, possibly, euphausiids are expected to aggregate provides strong evidence that bowhead whales are feeding in winter. The timing of bowhead spring migration corresponds with when zooplankton are expected to begin their spring ascent in April. The core-use areas we identified are also generally known from other studies to have high densities of whales and we are confident these areas represent the majority of important feeding areas during the study (2006–2012). Other feeding areas, that we did not detect, likely existed during the study and we expect core-use area boundaries to shift in response to changing hydrographic conditions.This study is part of the Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR) and was funded in part by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program through Interagency Agreement No. M11PG00034 with the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). Funding for this research was mainly provided by U.S. Minerals Management Service (now Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) under contracts M12PC00005, M10PS00192, and 01-05-CT39268, with the support and assistance from Charles Monnett and Jeffery Denton, and under Interagency Agreement No. M08PG20021 with NOAA-NMFS and Contract No. M10PC00085 with ADF&G. Work in Canada was also funded by the Fisheries Joint Management Committee, Ecosystem Research Initiative (DFO), and Panel for Energy Research and Development

Deep Sequencing of Three Loci Implicated in Large-Scale Genome-Wide Association Study Smoking Meta-Analyses

Genome-wide association study meta-analyses have robustly implicated three loci that affect susceptibility for smoking: CHRNA5\CHRNA3\CHRNB4, CHRNB3\CHRNA6 and EGLN2\CYP2A6. Functional follow-up studies of these loci are needed to provide insight into biological mechanisms. However, these efforts have been hampered by a lack of knowledge about the specific causal variant(s) involved. In this study, we prioritized variants in terms of the likelihood they account for the reported associations. We employed targeted capture of the CHRNA5\CHRNA3\CHRNB4, CHRNB3\CHRNA6, and EGLN2\CYP2A6 loci and flanking regions followed by next-generation deep sequencing (mean coverage 78×) to capture genomic variation in 363 individuals. We performed single locus tests to determine if any single variant accounts for the association, and examined if sets of (rare) variants that overlapped with biologically meaningful annotations account for the associations. In total, we investigated 963 variants, of which 71.1% were rare (minor allele frequency < 0.01), 6.02% were insertion/deletions, and 51.7% were catalogued in dbSNP141. The single variant results showed that no variant fully accounts for the association in any region. In the variant set results, CHRNB4 accounts for most of the signal with significant sets consisting of directly damaging variants. CHRNA6 explains most of the signal in the CHRNB3\CHRNA6 locus with significant sets indicating a regulatory role for CHRNA6. Significant sets in CYP2A6 involved directly damaging variants while the significant variant sets suggested a regulatory role for EGLN2. We found that multiple variants implicating multiple processes explain the signal. Some variants can be prioritized for functional follow-up. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]

Projecting marine mammal distribution in a changing climate

Climate-related shifts in marine mammal range and distribution have been observed in some populations; however, the nature and magnitude of future responses are uncertain in novel environments projected under climate change. This poses a challenge for agencies charged with management and conservation of these species. Specialized diets, restricted ranges, or reliance on specific substrates or sites (e.g., for pupping) make many marine mammal populations particularly vulnerable to climate change. High-latitude, predominantly ice-obligate, species have experienced some of the largest changes in habitat and distribution and these are expected to continue. Efforts to predict and project marine mammal distributions to date have emphasized data-driven statistical habitat models. These have proven successful for short time-scale (e.g., seasonal) management activities, but confidence that such relationships will hold for multi-decade projections and novel environments is limited. Recent advances in mechanistic modeling of marine mammals (i.e., models that rely on robust physiological and ecological principles expected to hold under climate change) may address this limitation. The success of such approaches rests on continued advances in marine mammal ecology, behavior, and physiology together with improved regional climate projections. The broad scope of this challenge suggests initial priorities be placed on vulnerable species or populations (those already experiencing declines or projected to undergo ecological shifts resulting from climate changes that are consistent across climate projections) and species or populations for which ample data already exist (with the hope that these may inform climate change sensitivities in less well observed species or populations elsewhere). The sustained monitoring networks, novel observations, and modeling advances required to more confidently project marine mammal distributions in a changing climate will ultimately benefit management decisions across time-scales, further promoting the resilience of marine mammal populations