Weighty Decisions: The Effect of Weight Bias on the Selection and Election of U.S. Senate Candidates

Weight discrimination is well documented in employment, social, educational, and medical settings (Puhl and Heuer, 2009). This study uses data from 2008 and 2012 U.S. Senate elections to examine the relationship between the perceived weight of a political candidate and election outcome. We hypothesized that heavier candidates would be underrepresented in the candidate pool and that heavier candidates would receive a smaller percentage of votes than thinner candidates. In addition, we hypothesized that overweight female candidates would experience a greater weight penalty than male candidates. Thirty undergraduate students used photographs of 190 Senate candidates from the 2008 and 2012 primary and general elections to rate the size of the candidates. We also collected information regarding candidate age, gender, political party affiliation, whether the candidate was from the same political party as the state’s winning presidential candidate, incumbency status, and candidate’s vote share. This study offers evidence that weight is related to the political election process. Obese individuals were rarely chosen as major party candidates for the Senate, only 1% were judged to be obese. Overweight women are also less likely to be selected to run for U.S Senate (only 16%). Regarding voting behavior, the heavier candidate is likely to get a smaller vote share than his/her thinner opponent. More research is needed to examine the mediating processes related to candidate’s weight and resultant stereotypes that affect voting behavior. Further research is also needed to examine the factors that affect the selection process for Senate candidates

Identification of alleles of carotenoid pathway genes important for zeaxanthin accumulation in potato tubers

We have investigated the genetics and molecular biology of orange flesh colour in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). To this end the natural diversity in three genes of the carotenoid pathway was assessed by SNP analyses. Association analysis was performed between SNP haplotypes and flesh colour phenotypes in diploid and tetraploid potato genotypes. We observed that among eleven beta-carotene hydroxylase 2 (Chy2) alleles only one dominant allele has a major effect, changing white into yellow flesh colour. In contrast, none of the lycopene epsilon cyclase (Lcye) alleles seemed to have a large effect on flesh colour. Analysis of zeaxanthin epoxidase (Zep) alleles showed that all (diploid) genotypes with orange tuber flesh were homozygous for one specific Zep allele. This Zep allele showed a reduced level of expression. The complete genomic sequence of the recessive Zep allele, including the promoter, was determined, and compared with the sequence of other Zep alleles. The most striking difference was the presence of a non-LTR retrotransposon sequence in intron 1 of the recessive Zep allele, which was absent in all other Zep alleles investigated. We hypothesise that the presence of this large sequence in intron 1 caused the lower expression level, resulting in reduced Zep activity and accumulation of zeaxanthin. Only genotypes combining presence of the dominant Chy2 allele with homozygosity for the recessive Zep allele produced orange-fleshed tubers that accumulated large amounts of zeaxanthin

BET Bromodomain Inhibitors Which Permit Treg Function Enable a Combinatorial Strategy to Suppress GVHD in Pre-clinical Allogeneic HSCT

A recent approach for limiting production of pro-inflammatory cytokines has been to target bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins. These epigenetic readers of histone acetylation regulate transcription of genes involved in inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Development of BET inhibitors (BETi) has generated enormous interest for their therapeutic potential. Because inflammatory signals and donor T cells promote graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), regulating both pathways could be effective to abrogate this disorder. The objective of the present study was to identify a BETi which did not interfere in vivo with CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) expansion and function to utilize together with Tregs following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) to ameliorate GVHD. We have reported that Tregs can be markedly expanded and selectively activated with increased functional capacity by targeting TNFRSF25 and CD25 with TL1A-Ig and low dose IL-2, respectively. Here, mice were treated over 7 days (TL1A-Ig + IL-2) together with BETi. We found that the BETi EP11313 did not decrease frequency/numbers or phenotype of expanded Tregs as well as effector molecules, such as IL-10 and TGF-β. However, BETi JQ1 interfered with Treg expansion and altered subset distribution and phenotype. Notably, in Treg expanded mice, EP11313 diminished tnfa and ifng but not il-2 RNA levels. Remarkably, Treg pSTAT5 expression was not affected by EP11313 supporting the notion that Treg IL-2 signaling remained intact. MHC-mismatched aHSCT (B6 → BALB/c) was performed using in vivo expanded donor Tregs with or without EP11313 short-term treatment in the recipient. Early post-transplant, improvement in the splenic and LN CD4/CD8 ratio along with fewer effector cells and high Treg levels in aHSCT recipients treated with expanded Tregs + EP11313 was detected. Interestingly, this group exhibited a significant diminution of GVHD clinical score with less skin and ocular involvement. Finally, using low numbers of highly purified expanded Tregs, improved clinical GVHD scores were observed in EP11313 treated recipients. In total, we conclude that use of this novel combinatorial strategy can suppress pre-clinical GVHD and posit, in vivo EP11313 treatment might be useful combined with Treg expansion therapy for treatment of diseases involving inflammatory responses

Past life therapy: an effective psychotherapeutic approach

Includes bibliographical references

When diasporas discriminate: Identity choices and anti-immigrant sentiment in the Bahamas.

This study examines the relationship between inclusiveness of social identity (personal, national, regional, or racial) and attitudes toward Haitian immigrants in the Bahamas as a real world case to investigate how identity may influence prejudice toward outgroups. Self categorization and its consequences for intergroup behavior have a long history in social psychology (Sherif & Sherif, 1953; Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Duckitt, 1992; Verkuyten & Hagendoorn, 1998). Social identities represent a shift in the self-concept such that I becomes we, and the self is categorized into more inclusive social units (Brewer, 1991). One hypothesis is that as social identity becomes more inclusive, individuals become more tolerant of outsiders (Gaertner, 1989; 1993). To test this hypothesis I conducted an experimental survey of the relationship between Bahamian natives' social identity and anti-Haitian sentiment. Participants included 297 Bahamian college students from three schools (a private college, a community college, and a vocational-technical institute). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions and primed to think of specific social identities---diasporic (pan-African/Black), regional (Caribbean), national (Bahamian), or individual, and then examined about their perceptions and attributions regarding the Haitian outgroup. The regional and racial primes were difficult to initiate or sustain in this survey. The small portion of the sample who did think of themselves in a superordinate way (Black or Caribbean) reported lower mean levels of prejudice and higher mean levels of threat. Most of the sample identified themselves as Bahamians or Individuals. Regression analyses revealed that thinking about the self nationally (Bahamian) increased the likelihood of endorsing anti-Haitian attitudes and emotions, and harsher immigration policies. For 8 of the 11 outcomes where there was an initial relationship between identity and our prejudice measures, this association was mediated by threat. For these variables (cultural and citizenship rights, positive stereotypes, negative emotions, anti-Haitian affect, Haitian-American affect, Haitian familiarity and repatriation policy) the threat elicited by thinking about Haitians through the national lens led to greater prejudice. These results suggest that intergroup hostility is a function of how people conceive of themselves and the threats they feel immigrants pose to their country.Ph.D.PsychologySocial SciencesSocial psychologySocial structureUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/132410/2/9963838.pd

Thermal Contact Resistance of Metal Roller to Plastic Web Interfaces

Under the supervision of Professors William Beckman and John Mitchell; 139pp.Heated rollers are used in the forest product, printing and plastic processing industry to regulate product temperature during web processing. Improved regulation of product temperatures during processing results in a higher quality product as well as reduced waste and energy usage. This project leads to better understanding of the thermal contact resistance and the thermal interactions between heated plastic webs and rollers. A new experimental method to measure the contact resistance between the two surfaces of one rigid and one pliable material is developed and used to measure the thermal contact resistance of a different plastic web to roller interfaces. Two blocks, initially at different temperatures, are brought together with the sample being studied between the blocks. The resulting time temperature profile can be used to determine the joint contact resistance. The physically static, thermally transient technique allows joint resistance measurements to be made quickly and easily using minimal equipment. The average joint resistances measured for the polyester, polypropylene and embossed polyethylene samples were 0.0006, 0.0007 and 0.0028 m2-K/W respectively over a pressure range of 0.25 to 6 kpa. A finite difference model of the web and roller system was used to model the heat transfer between rollers and webs. Given the required roller and web inlet conditions, the program could calculate the web outlet temperature and power draw from the roller. The roller model was developed with following intentions and results: 1. To simulate an internally heated roller as well as a roller having surface heat generation. Little difference was found in the surface temperature profiles of the differently heated rollers, but for the internally heated roller case, the hot fluid supply temperature needed was substantially higher than the actual roller surface temperature. 2. To develop a simple algebraic correlation that predicts the web heating effectiveness for thin webs accurately. This was achieved for plastic webs of less than 0.30 mm thickness over a wide range of processing conditions. 3. To calculate the roller to web interface contact resistance based on measured web inlet, outlet and roller surface temperatures. A series of tests with a pilot scale facility was used to determine the effect of air entrainment on the contact resistance. The contact resistance measured in the static tests was then used to predict the web heating found in dynamic tests cases using the pilot scale facility. Infrared pyrometers were used extensively in the experiments and were the limiting factor in experimental accuracy. Good agreement was found for the opaque PVC sample within the experimental margin of error. For the highly translucent plastics, the static and dynamic tests did not show a good match, and the high error in the infrared temperature measurements was apparent