A Comprehensive Model of Stress-induced Binge Eating: The Role of Cognitive Restraint, Negative Affect, and Impulsivity In Binge Eating as a Response to Stress

As obesity-related health issues account for the leading number of deaths in America, and these illnesses are even more prevalent in those that binge eat, treating obese individuals with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) has become a matter of life and death. Stress, negative affect, cognitive restraint, and impulsivity have all been implicated in binge eating symptomatology, suggesting that these may be key variables to consider when developing a comprehensive model (Groesz et. al., 2012; Friese et. al., 2015; Galanti et. al., 2007; Gay et al., 2008; Racine et. al., 2015; Leehr et. al., 2015). This project aims to further examine the relationships between these factors in college-age participants and will not be limited to obese participants or those that meet criteria for BED, which has been a limitation of previous research. Electrocardiograph, impedance cardiography, and blood pressure equipment were used in this project to characterize a maladaptive stress response during a social-evaluative stressor and subsequent cognitive task measuring impulsivity. Self-report measures were administered throughout the lab session, and negative affect and drive to eat were assessed at the end. Information from the laboratory experiment (Study 2) study was sought to build on anonymous self-report data (Study 1) which supported these factors as significant predictors in a proposed comprehensive model of stress-induced binge eating, especially impulsivity. Specifically, Study 2 aimed to replicate Study 1 and to examine whether women higher in binge eating react differently to maladaptive stress than those who are not (i.e., with increased impulsivity, negative affect, and drive to eat). Results of the self-report data showed that once again, perceived stress predicted increased binge eating through increased impulsivity. Further, the laboratory task demonstrated that for those who are higher (+ 1SD) in binge eating, more maladaptive stress (i.e., lower HF- HRV) was actually associated with lower negative affect while no relationship was present for others, suggesting a disconnect between conscious emotions and physical reactivity for binge eaters. This project enhances understanding of the etiology of binge eating, allowing clinicians to develop more efficacious treatments and target key factors that will lead to the greatest improvement

Cosmetic Neurology: Enhancement of the Mind and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Medication Abuse Among College Students

Cosmetic neurology is becoming increasingly popular, and it is not just sleep deprived, over worked college students who are interested. People are beginning to seek off-label prescriptions for medications that are typically used to treat disorders such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, while researchers are trying to create drugs used solely for mind enhancement purposes. Along with these drugs come many legal and ethical quandaries relating to the regulation of current use as well as the what ifs of future possibilities. A survey was conducted among college students regarding the diagnosis of ADHD, the abuse of ADHD medication, and the number of students they knew who had abused ADHD medication, with the results compared to university students all across the country. The survey revealed that 58% of the participant students at the researcher’s university know other students who abuse ADHD medication, while 68% of participant students at other four- year universities know students who abuse ADHD medication

The Role Of Ice Surfaces In Affecting Nighttime Removal Of Nitrogen Oxides In High Latitude Plumes

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010Nitrogen oxides play an important role in the atmosphere by affecting ozone-mediated oxidation pathways. Nitrogen oxide removal from the atmosphere occurs via nitric acid formation. This nitric acid deposits to Earth's surface, leading to acidification and nitrogen fertilization. Under dark and cold conditions that commonly exist in the winter at high latitudes, nighttime reactions oxidize NO2 to the nitrate radical, NO3, and these molecules react to form N2O5. The heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5, which is catalyzed by surfaces, forms nitric acid. Modeling studies indicate that a majority of the Nx removal at high latitudes results from nighttime N2O5 chemistry. The N2O5 intermediate molecules may react on snowpack surfaces or on atmospheric particles. Past field studies demonstrated that aerosol surfaces are not solely responsible for the removal of N2O 5 near Earth's surface at high latitudes. In this work, we have used aerodynamic gradient micrometeorological methods to measure the deposition velocity of N2O5 to snowpack. This measurement is the first time that snowpack deposition has been quantified directly. We have found that snowpack deposition near Earth's surface at high latitudes is a significant chemical loss process for N2O5. Further studies demonstrated higher mixing ratios and longer lifetimes of N2 O5 aloft. Increasing N2O5 abundance and longevity with altitude implicates different loss mechanisms contribute at various altitudes in the atmosphere. Near Earth's surface, N2O 5 is very reactive, while aloft it acts more as a reservoir species that can transport further. Understanding the controlling mechanisms for N x removal under high latitude conditions will lead to better characterization of the NOx transport in pollution plumes and nitric acid deposition patterns

A Middle to Late Holocene Record of Arroyo Cut-Fill Events in Kitchen Corral Wash, Southern Utah

This study examines middle to late Holocene episodes of arroyo incision and aggradation in the Kitchen Corral Wash (KCW), a tributary of the Paria River in southern Utah. Arroyos are entrenched channels in valley-fill alluvium, and are capable of capturing decadal- to centennial-scale fluctuations in watershed hydrology as evidenced by the Holocene cut-fill stratigraphy recorded within near-vertical arroyo-channel walls. KCW has experienced both historic (ca. 1880-1920 AD) and prehistoric (Holocene) episodes of arroyo cutting and filling. The near-synchronous timing of arroyo cut-fill events between the Paria River and regional drainages over the last - 1 have led some researchers to argue that arroyo development is climatically driven. However, the influence of allogenic (climate-related) or autogenic (geomorphic threshold) forcings on arroyo dynamics are less clear. Uncertainty in influence of the controlling mechanisms of arroyo cutting and filling is partly due to the limited or poorly dated alluvial chronologies. This study tests the applicability of AMS radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to reconstruct alluvial chronologies in dryland fluvial systems, such as the KCW arroyo. Results from 12 arroyo-wall study sites in KCW indicate that 24 of the 39 analyzed AMS radiocarbon sample s and preliminary results from 12 of the 14 OSL sample s returned strati graphically consistent ages. Applying a combination of these two dating techniques allowed for increased sampling opportunities and cross-checking of ages to determine aberrant age results. By using detailed stratigraphic panels, sedimentologic descriptions, and the age control from AMS radiocarbon and OSL dating, this study produces a new chronostratigraphy that suggests at least five arroyo cut-fill cycles during the middle to late Holocene with periods of aggradation at: - 4.3 5 - 3 .4 ka (Qfl ), - 3 .2 - 2.25 ka (Qf2), - 2. 15 - 1 .45 ka (Qf3), - 1.3 - 0.8 ka (Qf4), - 0. 7- 0.12 ka (Qf5), and an older period of aggradation from - 7 .3 - 4.85 ka identified in an earlier stud y. This newly developed KCW cut-fill chronostratigraphy is compared to regional alluvial and paleoclimate records to test hypotheses regarding allogenic or autogenic forcings. Regional alluvial chronologies do not show coherent patterns of arroyo cut -fill dynamics, but instead appear to be affected by both allogenic and autogenic influences

Asset Building in Low-Income Communities of Color, Part 1

Examines practices and policies in states rated high on the Corporation for Enterprise Development's scorecard for asset building in poor communities of color. Analyzes socioeconomic, legislative, and other factors believed to support asset building

Reciprocal intronic and exonic histone modification regions in humans.

While much attention has been focused on chromatin at promoters and exons, human genes are mostly composed of intronic sequences. Analyzing published surveys of nucleosomes and 41 chromatin marks in humans, we identified histone modifications specifically associated with 5' intronic sequences, distinguishable from promoter marks and bulk nucleosomes. These intronic marks were spatially reciprocal to trimethylated histone H3 Lys36 (H3K36me3), typically transitioning near internal exons. Several marks transitioned near bona fide exons, but not near nucleosomes at exon-like sequences. Therefore, we examined whether splicing affects histone marking. Even with considerable changes in regulated alternative splicing, histone marks were stable. Notably, these findings are consistent with exon definition influencing histone marks. In summary, we show that the location of many intragenic marks in humans can be distilled into a simple organizing principle: association with 5' intronic or 3' exonic regions

Adhesion testing device

The present invention provides a testing apparatus and method for testing the adhesion of a coating to a surface. The invention also includes an improved testing button or dolly for use with the testing apparatus and a self aligning button hook or dolly interface on the testing apparatus. According to preferred forms, the apparatus and method of the present invention are simple, portable, battery operated rugged, and inexpensive to manufacture and use, are readily adaptable to a wide variety of uses, and provide effective and accurate testing results. The device includes a linear actuator driven by an electric motor coupled to the actuator through a gearbox and a rotatable shaft. The electronics for the device are contained in the head section of the device. At the contact end of the device, is positioned a self aligning button hook, attached below the load cell located on the actuator shaft

Critical Evaluation of Bacteriophage to Prevent and Treat Colibacillosis in Poultry

There is a continuing need to find alternatives to antibiotics in animal and human medicine. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, with no known activity to plant and animal cells. We have conducted research to critically evaluate the efficacy of bacteriophage to both prevent and treat colibacillosis in poultry. Bacteriophages lytic to an Escherichia coli pathogenic to poultry were isolated from municipal waste water treatment plants and poultry processing plants. Two bacteriophage isolates were selected to use in studies designed to determine the efficacy of these bacteriophage to prevent and treat severe colibacillosis in poultry. Colibacillosis was induced by injecting 6 X 104 cfu of E. coli into the thoracic airsac when the birds were 1 week of age. Initial studies demonstrated that mortality was significantly reduced when the challenge culture was mixed with bacteriophage prior to challenging the birds. In subsequent studies, we have shown that an aerosol spray of bacteriophage given to the birds prior to this E. coli challenge can prevent the disease, and that an intramuscular injection of bacteriophage provides an effective treatment of this disease. We have demonstrated that bacteriophage can be used to both prevent and treat colibacillosis in poultry and may provide an effective alternative to antibiotic use in animal and human medicine

Significance of hormone replacement therapy in the experience of Lymphedema in breast cancer survivors

Abstract only availableLittle is known about the relationship between hormone replacement therapy and Lymphedema (LE), the accumulation of lymph in soft tissue with accompanying swelling that affects 20-40% of breast cancer survivors, mainly in the upper extremities. It is known that hormone replacement therapy (HRT), specifically estrogen plus progestin, used to treat menopausal women can contribute to the onset of invasive breast cancer. This study is aimed to examine the possible relationship between HRT with the occurrence and severity of LE in breast cancer patients. A retrospective chart review was conducted on medical records of 97 female participants undergoing breast cancer treatment. Variables identified for investigation included: hormone replacement therapy history, surgical procedure, radiation therapy, anti-estrogen therapy, chemotherapy, occurrence of LE as diagnosed by a medical professional, time till onset of LE from date of surgery, and treatments used to manage the condition. A review was also conducted over patient surveys in order to assess the severity of the illness as reported by the patients. Data showed that 21.6% of the 97 patients included in this review experienced LE diagnosed by a medical professional after treatment for breast cancer. Of those patients with medically diagnosed LE, 43% previously used HRT, while 51.3% of patients without LE had previously used HRT. From these data, several trends were assessed in the relationship between HRT, cancer treatment modalities and medical diagnosis of LE. Data from the surveys suggested that medically diagnosed LE patients with a history of HRT may experience a protective effect because of their collective history of HRT and use of certain cancer treatments. This study suggests that there may be a link between breast cancer patients' experiences following Lymphedema and their historyof hormone replacement therapy and other cancer modalities.Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Opportunity Progra