The Role of Hostile Attribution Bias in the Relationship Between Parental Adversity Exposure and Observed Parental Sensitivity

Exposure to adversity throughout the lifespan, including poverty, has been shown to influence parental sensitivity, or a caregiver’s ability to perceive, accurately interpret, and then respond appropriately to a child’s bids or behaviors. Given that adverse experiences can influence social cognition, it may be that hostile attribution bias (HAB, the tendency to interpret ambiguous social information as hostile), may be a mechanism accounting for the association between adversity exposure and parental behavior. The study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the determinants of sensitive parenting by evaluating the relationship between parents’ adversity (selfreported childhood, adulthood, and lifetime cumulative exposure to adversity, as well as poverty as indicated by income-to-needs ratio (INR)) and observed sensitive parenting as mediated by caregivers’ HAB. The present study extends previous research (Griffith et al., 2021) by sampling from an existing longitudinal project (N=147) utilizing a comprehensive retrospective self-report adversity measure, a standardized questionnaire measuring child-specific and general HAB, and observational coding data for caregiver sensitivity. Results from linear regressions found no causal relationships between caregiver childhood, adulthood, or lifetime cumulative adversity exposure frequency and caregiver sensitivity towards their preschool-aged children. However, INR came extremely close to predicting subsequent observed parental sensitivity (B = .476, p = .052, R2 = .024). Neither child-specific nor general HAB significantly mediated the relationship between INR and sensitivity. Other determinants of parenting behaviors, especially those related to financial security, appeared to have greater influence on parenting behaviors that other types of adversity exposure throughout the lifespan

Acute and Chronic Effects of Large-Vessel Anchoring on Coral Reef Communities Inside a Designated Commercial Anchorage

Coral reefs provide economic and environmental services to millions of people as areas for recreation, sources of food, jobs, and shoreline protection; and are now under threat from multiple stresses (NOAA 2002). Anthropogenic impact from acute physical events such as commercial vessel grounding and anchor drags have been well documented throughout the world and southeast Florida. However little data exist on the chronic effects of large commercial vessels anchoring on reef resources. The Port Miami commercial anchorage was designated circa 1927 and was delineated over approximately 700 acres of reef resources. Anchorage use, benthic resources, and substrate composition were surveyed to understand the impact commercial vessel anchoring activities have had. Survey sites included both random sites within the anchorage to understand the cumulative chronic effect of anchoring activity, as well as targeted surveys at recently anchored sites to understand the immediate impacts of those anchoring events. Survey data were also compared to anchorage use data to understand how vessel traffic patterns influenced impact. Results indicated that there was both significant differences at acute recent impact sites and chronic impact sites. Generally, Outer Reef chronic impact sites had more evidence of chronic impacts both in the benthic community and substrate composition than Inner Reef sites. Significant differences on Outer Reef included an increase in the percent cover of small rubble, a decrease in octocoral percent cover, and a decrease in the density of larger octocoral size classes. Significant differences on Inner Reef included a decrease in the number of scleractinian species present compared to control sites

Novel regulatory mechanisms of mutagenic translesion DNA synthesis : characterization of REV1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Biology, 2007.Includes bibliographical references.Cells are constantly subjected to DNA damage from endogenous and exogenous sources. Spontaneous DNA damage alone accounts for -30,000 DNA lesions per day in a mammalian cell. Cells are also exposed to an enormous variety of environmental agents that can cause a wide range of modified bases and aberrant DNA structures. To respond to the large diversity of DNA lesions that can be produced, cells possess a host of DNA repair and damage tolerance systems. The majority of these processes operate with exquisite accuracy to restore the correct DNA sequence and structure to maintain genomic stability. However, in some cases, DNA damage induces a mutagenic response and these mechanisms are responsible for the active introduction of mutations into the genomes of all organisms. Since the discovery in 1999 of a novel superfamily of error-prone translesion DNA polymerases, we have gained substantial insight into the biochemical mechanisms of DNA damage tolerance and mutagenesis. Translesion polymerases are specialized to insert a nucleotide opposite to DNA lesions and often produce mutations during the replication of undamaged DNA. It is now appreciated that the regulation of DNA damage tolerance systems at multiple levels is critical to the appropriate deployment of these potentially mutagenic translesion polymerases to prevent rampant mutagenesis.(cont.) In particular, this thesis has focused on determining the regulation of the translesion polymerase Revl in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The REV1 gene is responsible for the vast majority of spontaneous and damage-induced mutagenesis in all eukaryotes, from unicellular yeast to multicellular humans. Thus, an understanding the regulation and molecular mechanisms of REV1 activity will provide critical insight into the processes of mutagenesis underlying disease and evolution. The studies described here provide evidence supporting a new model of translesion synthesis, based on the observation of the cell-cycle regulation of the Revs protein. Additionally, mutations in conserved motifs in Revl have allowed characterization of the protein-protein interactions critical for REV1 activity in survival and mutagenesis. Taken together, the data presented here argue for a cellular response mediated through Rev regulation which temporally and spatially restricts potentially mutagenic translesion synthesis such that it is employed only when necessary.by Lauren S. Waters.Ph.D

Growing Up as “Man of the House”: Adultification and Transition Into Adulthood for Young Men in Economically Disadvantaged Families

Many children in economically disadvantaged communities assume adult roles in their families. Negotiating the responsibilities and expectations associated with becoming what some young men describe as “man of the house” has important implications for how adolescent boys move into adulthood. In this study, we share insights from field work and life‐history interviews with low‐income, young African American men and Salvadoran men in the Washington, DC/Baltimore region to illustrate how adultification may deliver contradictory expectations for adolescents. The findings also show how the accelerated responsibilities that accompany the experience of adultification create difficulties in the young men's transition into adulthood. These findings indicate that the age period of emerging adulthood may begin earlier for economically disadvantaged young men. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106688/1/cad20054.pd

Evaluation of the childhood obesity prevention program Kids - 'Go for your life'

BackgroundKids - \u27Go for your life\u27 (K-GFYL) is an award-based health promotion program being implemented across Victoria, Australia. The program aims to reduce the risk of childhood obesity by improving the socio-cultural, policy and physical environments in children\u27s care and educational settings. Membership of the K-GFYL program is open to all primary and pre-schools and early childhood services across the State. Once in the program, member schools and services are centrally supported to undertake the health promotion (intervention) activities. Once the K-GFYL program \u27criteria\u27 are reached the school/service is assessed and \u27awarded\u27. This paper describes the design of the evaluation of the statewide K-GFYL intervention program.Methods/DesignThe evaluation is mixed method and cross sectional and aims to:1) Determine if K-GFYL award status is associated with more health promoting environments in schools/services compared to those who are members only;2) Determine if children attending K-GFYL award schools/services have higher levels of healthy eating and physical activity-related behaviors compared to those who are members only;3) Examine the barriers to implementing and achieving the K-GFYL award; and4) Determine the economic cost of implementing K-GFYL in primary schoolsParent surveys will capture information about the home environment and child dietary and physical activity-related behaviors. Environmental questionnaires in early childhood settings and schools will capture information on the physical activity and nutrition environment and current health promotion activities. Lunchbox surveys and a set of open-ended questions for kindergarten parents will provide additional data. Resource use associated with the intervention activities will be collected from primary schools for cost analysis.DiscussionThe K-GFYL award program is a community-wide intervention that requires a comprehensive, multi-level evaluation. The evaluation design is constrained by the lack of a non-K-GFYL control group, short time frames and delayed funding of this large scale evaluation across all intervention settings. However, despite this, the evaluation will generate valuable evidence about the utility of a community-wide environmental approach to preventing childhood obesity which will inform future public health policies and health promotion programs internationally.Trial RegistrationACTRN12609001075279<br /

Weight change in control group participants in behavioural weight loss interventions: a systematic review and meta-regression study

Background Unanticipated control group improvements have been observed in intervention trials targeting various health behaviours. This phenomenon has not been studied in the context of behavioural weight loss intervention trials. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-regression of behavioural weight loss interventions to quantify control group weight change, and relate the size of this effect to specific trial and sample characteristics. Methods Database searches identified reports of intervention trials meeting the inclusion criteria. Data on control group weight change and possible explanatory factors were abstracted and analysed descriptively and quantitatively. Results 85 trials were reviewed and 72 were included in the meta-regression. While there was no change in control group weight, control groups receiving usual care lost 1 kg more than control groups that received no intervention, beyond measurement. Conclusions There are several possible explanations why control group changes occur in intervention trials targeting other behaviours, but not for weight loss. Control group participation may prevent weight gain, although more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis

The impact of behavioural screening on intervention outcomes in a randomised, controlled multiple behaviour intervention trial

Background: With an increasing research focus on multiple health behaviour change interventions, a methodological issue requiring further investigation is whether or not to employ pre-trial behavioural screening to exclude participants who are achieving a pre-specified level of one or more behaviours. Behavioural screening can be used to direct limited resources to participants most in need of a behaviour change intervention; but may reduce the representativeness of the sample and limit comparability with trials that do not employ pre-trial behavioural screening. Furthermore, the impact of this type of screening on intervention participation and intervention effects is unknown

Thermally-Conductive Metallic Coatings and Applications for Heat Removal on In-Space Cryogenic Vehicles

For large in-space cryogenic upper stages, substantial axial heat removal from a forward skirt by vapor-based heat interception may not be achieved by simple attachment methods unless sufficient thermal conductance from the skirt to the cooling fluid can be achieved. Preferable methods would allow for the addition of the cooling system to existing structure with minimal impact on the structure. Otherwise, significant modification to the basic structural design andor novel and complex attachment mechanisms with high effective thermal conductance are likely to be required. The approach being pursued by evolvable Cryogenics (eCryo) is to increase the thermal performance of a relatively simple attachment system by applying metallic or other thermally conductive material coatings to the mating surface area of the fluid channel where it is attached the skirt wall. The expectation of candidate materials is that the dramatic increase in conductivity of pure metals at temperatures close to liquid hydrogen vapor temperature will compensate for the reduced actual contact area typical of mechanical joints. Basic contact conductance data at low temperatures for candidate interface materials is required to enable the test approach. A test rig was designed at NASA Glenn Research Center to provide thermal contact resistance testing between small sample coupons coated with conductive material via electron beam evaporation, a low-temperature option that will not affect physical properties of base materials. Average coating thicknesses were 10 k. The test fixture was designed to mount directly to a cryocooler cold head within a vacuum test chamber. The purpose of this test was to determine qualitative contact conductance between various test samples. Results from this effort will be implemented in a sub-scale vapor-based heat interception test, where the applicability for increased heat removal on large structural skirts will be considered

CT-based online adaptive radiotherapy improves target coverage and organ at risk (OAR) avoidance in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an emerging treatment modality for clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa). Online daily adaptive radiotherapy (ART) could potentially improve the therapeutic ratio of prostate SBRT by accounting for inter-fraction variation in target and OAR volumes. To our knowledge, no group has evaluated the clinical utility of a novel AI-augmented CT-based ART system for prostate SBRT. In this study we hypothesized that adaptive prostate SBRT plans would result in improved target coverage and lower dose to OARs in comparison to unadapted treatment plans. METHODS: Seven patients with favorable intermediate to oligometastatic PCa treated with 5-fx prostate adaptive SBRT were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were treated with 3625 cGy to the prostate and seminal vesicles. 6 patients additionally received 2500 cGy to the pelvic nodes, 5 patients underwent a boost to 4000 cGy to the prostate. For each fraction, a CBCT was acquired and OARs (rectum, bladder, bowel, sigmoid, femurs) were segmented/deformed using AI. CTVs were rigidly registered. Volumes were adjusted manually and PTV expansions added. Adaptive treatment plans were developed based on the contoured targets and OARs and dose to these volumes for the adapted vs. initial plans were compared for each fraction. V100 and the D0.03 cc between scheduled and adapted treatment plans were compared using a Student\u27s RESULTS: Seven patients completed 35 Fx\u27s of adaptive RT. Daily adaptation resulted in a statistically significant mean improvement in PTV V100 for all targets: [21.4 % ± 4.3 % for PTV 4000 (p \u3c 0.0001); 8.7 % ± 1.1 % for PTV 3625 (p \u3c 0.0001); and 11.5 % ± 3.1 % for PTV 2500 (p = 0.0013)]. Mean rectal D0.03 was significantly reduced by 38.8 cGy ± 5.95 cGy (p \u3c 0.0001) per fraction (194 cGy/5 fractions) compared to the initial plans. There was a modest increase in bladder dose of 10.9 cGy ± 4.93 cGy per fraction (p = 0.0424) for the adaptive plans. The adaptive plans met bladder constraints for every fraction. There were no statistically significant differences between sigmoid or bowel dose for adapted vs. initial plans. No patients experienced acute CTCAE grade ≥ 3 GI/GU adverse events (median F/U 9.5 months). All statistically significant differences were maintained in the presence and absence of rectal hydrogel spacer (p \u3c 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CT-based online adaptive SBRT resulted in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in PTV coverage and D0.03 cc dose to the rectum. A trial evaluating CT adaptive whole-pelvis prostate SBRT is underway