Investigation of the Genetics of Obesity through Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the Glucocorticoid Pathway

The stress hormone cortisol is responsible for aspects of metabolism and visceral fat formation that are hypothesized to be linked to obesity. Cortisol directly and indirectly influences metabolism by stimulating lipolysis as well as gluconeogenesis, the breakdown of fat and creation of glucose respectively. By interacting with abdominal organs such as the liver and pancreas, cortisol also increases metabolism through downstream hormones, such as glucagon and epinephrine. Cortisol intersects a variety of pathways that influence the breakdown of sugar, making it an important target for metabolic studies. This study investigates the correlation of mutations in proteins responsible for cortisol action in target tissues, individually and collectively, to clinical measurements of patients with obesity who are seeking or have already sought out bariatric surgery. DNA samples and clinical information were collected from patients of the Ellis Hospital Bariatric Care who were recruited for the study under the supervision of the Ellis Hospital Institutional Review Board. Genotyping of patient samples was done by performing allele specific-polymerase chain reactions (AS_PCR) which were then analyzed through agarose gel electrophoresis to look for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). It was found that the mutations throughout the glucocorticoid pathway are present at comparable rates in both the bariatric population and general population. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that there is an increase of mutations in the study population compared to the values for the general public found in literature. There are strong correlations between a mutation in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and excess body weight. This mutation causes conversion of an aspartic acid to a serine (N363S) in the protein sequence which has previously been shown to cause increased sensitivity to cortisol. As more SNPs are analyzed in combination with each other, more conclusions may be drawn between SNPs and physiological parameters of the patients. High correlations may provide evidence that select bariatric surgeries may be more effective in patients with specific genotypes. If this is the case, bariatric surgery can adopt precision medicine that caters treatment to the patient

Home Visiting Quality and Parent Involvement: Examining Mediation in Home Visiting

High quality home visiting service delivery is a national priority to advance positive outcomes for low-income, ethnically diverse families of infants and toddlers. Home visiting quality is a multi-dimensional construct addressing various home visitor and parent behaviors (i.e., responsiveness, relationship, facilitation, and non-intrusiveness), yet limited work has examined the quality of home visiting, particularly as it relates to parenting behavior outcomes. One of the goals of child-development focused home visiting is to increase parents’ involvement with children in early learning experiences that promote academic gains. Current examinations of parent involvement behaviors as outcomes of Early Head Start (EHS) home visiting are limited in scope. A comprehensive understanding of parent involvement in children’s early learning as an outcome of home visiting has yet to be examined in the EHS population. To better understand EHS home visiting parent outcomes, mechanisms of parent behavior change need to be considered. One well-recognized mechanism of parent behavior change is parents’ self-efficacy for parenting. Therefore, the current study examined a multi-dimensional construct of home visiting quality and whether it predicted parents’ self-efficacy for parenting and parent involvement behaviors. Parents’ self-efficacy was first evaluated as a mechanism of change in home visiting by examining it as a mediator in a mediation model between home visiting quality and parent involvement. In a second mediation model, parent involvement was evaluated as a mediator between home visiting quality and parents’ self-efficacy. The transactional relationship between parents’ self-efficacy and parent involvement was explored. Measures of home visiting quality, parents’ self-efficacy, and parent involvement were collected at one point in time from a sample of 41 EHS families, who collectively received home visiting services from eight home visitors. Based on ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis with a hierarchical approach and OLS path analysis for indirect and direct effects in mediation, neither mediation model demonstrated a significant mediation. Parents’ self-efficacy and parent involvement positively and moderately predicted each other. Exploratory, post hoc examination of the individual dimensions of home visiting quality demonstrated preliminary support for a significant direct effect between responsiveness of the home visitor and parents’ self-efficacy

Narcissism, Attraction, and Self-Esteem: Comparing Agentic and Communal Subtypes

The current study investigated self-esteem as a moderator of the relationships between both agentic and communal narcissism and romantic attraction. The attraction to the prospective targets, and self-esteem’s influence on the relationships, differed in direction, strength, and significance

Effects of rearing temperature on the thermal tolerance, metabolic capacity and stress response of cultured lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) mortalities have been reported during the summer at some North Atlantic salmon cage-sites where they serve as ‘cleaner fish’. To understand their physiology, and whether limitations in their metabolic capacity and thermal tolerance can explain this phenomenon, I compared the aerobic scope (AS) of 6°C-acclimated lumpfish using a critical swim speed (Ucᵣᵢₜ) test, a critical thermal maximum (CTₘₐₓ) test (rate of warming 2°C h⁻¹) and a chase to exhaustion. The Ucᵣᵢₜ and CTₘₐₓ of 45-75g lumpfish were 2.36 ± 0.08 body lengths s⁻1 and 20.6 ± 0.3°C, respectively. The AS of lumpfish was higher during the Ucᵣᵢₜ test (206.4 ± 8.5 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) vs. that measured in either the CTₘₐₓ test or after the chase (141.0 + 15.0 and 124.7 ± 15.5 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹). Next, I examined whether changing temperatures during incubation/rearing influenced the lumpfish’s AS, CTₘₐₓ and ITₘₐₓ (incremental thermal maximum, measured by warming at 0.1-0.2°C day⁻¹), and stress physiology. Temperature combinations included 6°C/9°C (that used in standard production protocols), 8.5°C/9°C, 6-11°C/9°C, 8.5°C/9-11°C and 6-11°C/9- 11°C, with ranges indicating stochastic changes. The lumpfish’s upper thermal tolerance (CTₘₐₓ, 22.85 ± 0.12°C; ITₘₐₓ, 20.63°C) and AS were not influenced by incubation or rearing temperatures, and based on these values it does not appear that cage-site mortalities during the summer are related to high water temperatures

Exclusion of SARS-CoV-2 from Two Maine Overnight Camps July-August 2020

OBJECTIVE: Summer camp can positively affect self-esteem and social skills. Most United States summer camps did not open during 2020 because of concerns about SARS-CoV-2. Our objective is to describe exclusion strategies successfully used by two summer camps in Maine. METHODS: Prior to camp arrival, all attendees were asked to quarantine at home for fourteen days and perform a daily symptom checklist. Salivary specimens were submitted by mail for SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing four days prior to arrival, and again four days after arrival. At camp, multiple layers of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were employed. RESULTS: 717 (96.7%) prospective attendees underwent remotely supervised saliva collection; four were positive and did not come to camp. Among the 20 who did not submit a sample, three did not come to camp; the other 17 underwent screening and a rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 immediately upon arrival and before reporting to communal living spaces; all were negative. All campers and staff were re-tested by salivary PCR four days after arrival, and all were negative. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that it is possible to safely operate overnight camps during a pandemic, thus supporting the continued physical and socioemotional growth of children, using multiple layers of NPIs

Alternative Dispute Resolution and Confidence in the Judiciary: Chief Judge Bell\u27s Culture of Conflict Resolution

Chief Judge Robert M. Bell has been a visionary leader in the development of alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”). His innovations have made Maryland a model state for conflict resolution programs in the courts and, uniquely, beyond the courthouse doors in a broad range of arenas. This article provides an overview of the “culture of conflict resolution” he ignited in the judiciary and in communities

New Innovation Models in Medical AI

In recent years, scientists and researchers have devoted considerable resources to developing medical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Many of these technologies—particularly those which resemble traditional medical devices in their functions—have received substantial attention in the legal and policy literature. But other types of novel AI technologies, such as those that relate to quality improvement and optimizing use of scarce facilities, have been largely absent from the discussion thus far. These AI innovations have the potential to shed light on important aspects of health innovation policy. First, these AI innovations interact less with the legal regimes that scholars traditionally conceive of as shaping medical innovation: patent law, FDA regulation, and health insurance reimbursement. Second, and perhaps related, a different set of innovation stakeholders, including health systems and insurers, are conducting their own research and development in these areas without waiting for commercial product developers to innovate for them. Third and finally, the activities of these innovators have implications for health innovation policy and scholarship. Perhaps most notably, data possession and control play a larger role in determining capacity to innovate in this space, while ability to satisfy the quality standards of regulators and payers plays a smaller role, relative to more familiar biomedical innovations such as new drugs and devices

New Innovation Models in Medical AI

In recent years, scientists and researchers have devoted considerable resources to developing medical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Many of these technologies—particularly those that resemble traditional medical devices in their functions—have received substantial attention in the legal and policy literature. But other types of novel AI technologies, such as those related to quality improvement and optimizing use of scarce facilities, have been largely absent from the discussion thus far. These AI innovations have the potential to shed light on important aspects of health innovation policy. First, these AI innovations interact less with the legal regimes that scholars traditionally conceive of as shaping medical innovation: patent law, FDA regulation, and health insurance reimbursement. Second, and perhaps related, a different set of innovation stakeholders, including health systems and insurers, are conducting their own research and development in these areas for their own use without waiting for commercial product developers to innovate for them. The activities of these innovators have implications for health innovation policy and scholarship. Perhaps most notably, data possession and control play a larger role in determining capacity to innovate in this space, while the ability to satisfy the quality standards of regulators and payers plays a smaller role relative to more familiar biomedical innovations such as new drugs and devices

New Innovation Models in Medical AI

In recent years, scientists and researchers have devoted considerable resources to developing medical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Many of these technologies—particularly those that resemble traditional medical devices in their functions—have received substantial attention in the legal and policy literature. But other types of novel AI technologies, such as those related to quality improvement and optimizing use of scarce facilities, have been largely absent from the discussion thus far. These AI innovations have the potential to shed light on important aspects of health innovation policy. First, these AI innovations interact less with the legal regimes that scholars traditionally conceive of as shaping medical innovation: patent law, FDA regulation, and health insurance reimbursement. Second, and perhaps related, a different set of innovation stakeholders, including health systems and insurers, are conducting their own research and development in these areas for their own use without waiting for commercial product developers to innovate for them. The activities of these innovators have implications for health innovation policy and scholarship. Perhaps most notably, data possession and control play a larger role in determining capacity to innovate in this space, while the ability to satisfy the quality standards of regulators and payers plays a smaller role relative to more familiar biomedical innovations such as new drugs and devices