Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of treated and untreated adults with bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder recruited for a large-scale research study

Abstract Background Eating disorders affect millions of people worldwide, but most never receive treatment. The majority of clinical research on eating disorders has focused on individuals recruited from treatment settings, which may not represent the broader population of people with eating disorders. This study aimed to identify potential differences in the characteristics of individuals with eating disorders based on whether they self-reported accessing treatment or not, in order to contribute to a better understanding of their diverse needs and experiences. Methods The study population included 762 community-recruited individuals (85% female, M ± SD age = 30 ± 7 years) with bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder (BN/BED) enrolled in the Binge Eating Genetics Initiative (BEGIN) United States study arm. Participants completed self-report surveys on demographics, treatment history, past and current eating disorder symptoms, weight history, and their current mental health and gastrointestinal symptoms. Untreated participants (n = 291, 38%) were compared with treated participants (n = 471, 62%) who self-reported accessing BN/BED treatment at some point in their lives. Results Untreated participants disproportionately self-identified as male and as a racial or ethnic minority compared with treated participants. Treated participants reported a more severe illness history, specifically, an earlier age at onset, more longstanding and frequent eating disorder symptoms over their lifetime, and greater body dissatisfaction and comorbid mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, ADHD) at the time of the study. A history of anorexia nervosa was positively associated with treatment engagement. Individuals self-reporting a history of inpatient or residential treatment exhibited the most severe illness history, those with outpatient treatment had a less severe illness history, and untreated individuals had the mildest illness history. Conclusions Historically overlooked and marginalized populations self-reported lower treatment access rates, while those who accessed treatment reported more severe eating disorder and comorbid mental health symptoms, which may have motivated them to seek treatment. Clinic-based recruitment samples may not represent individuals with milder symptoms or racial and ethnic diversity, and males. Community-based recruitment is crucial for improving the ability to apply research findings to broader populations and reducing disparities in medical research. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04162574 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04162574 )

Resistive switching and synaptic properties modifications in gallium-doped zinc oxide memristive devices

The massively parallel computing capabilities of the human brain can be mimicked with the help of neuromorphic computing approach and this can be achieved by developing the electronic synaptic device. In the present work, we have synthesized gallium-doped ZnO thin films using a cost-effective hydrothermal method and characterized the thin films using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Furthermore, gallium-doped ZnO memristive devices were developed using standard procedure and electrically characterized for the neuromorphic application. In particular, resistive switching and synaptic properties of gallium-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. The bipolar resistive switching with an analog memory like behavior was observed in the developed memristive devices. In the present case, good synaptic properties, endurance, and retention characteristics were observed for 0.5% Ga doped memristive device. Our results suggested that the synaptic weight, potentiation-depression, and symmetric Hebbian learning can be tuned with properly engineering the ZnO memristive device with appropriate gallium doping. The detailed analysis of I-V results suggested that resistive switching is occurred due to Ohmic and Schottky conduction mechanisms. Keywords: Memristive device, Resistive switching, Gallium doped ZnO, Electronic synapse, Potentiation and depression, Hebbian learnin

Proceedings of National Conference on Relevance of Engineering and Science for Environment and Society

This conference proceedings contains articles on the various research ideas of the academic community and practitioners presented at the National Conference on Relevance of Engineering and Science for Environment and Society (R{ES}2 2021). R{ES}2 2021 was organized by Shri Pandurang Pratishthan’s, Karmayogi Engineering College, Shelve, Pandharpur, India on July 25th, 2021. Conference Title: National Conference on Relevance of Engineering and Science for Environment and SocietyConference Acronym: R{ES}2 2021Conference Date: 25 July 2021Conference Location: Online (Virtual Mode)Conference Organizers: Shri Pandurang Pratishthan’s, Karmayogi Engineering College, Shelve, Pandharpur, India