The Grizzly, September 14, 1999

Tragic Loss for Ursinus College • A Computer Makeover • Summer Research Experience • Freshman Orientation: Breaking in the Baby Bears • Car Owners Beware: Vehicle Cloning Criminals Multiplying to Collegeville Area • Ursinus Chapter of Best Buddies Begins Second Year • Life in Collegeville: Still Just a Rat in a Cage • Career Services Gets Connected • Opinion: Creationism is a Religious Doctrine, not a Viable Science ; What is and What Never Should be: The Rise and Fall of MTV\u27s Social Relevance • This is a Story of Obesity, Sexual Ambiguity, Self-Delusion and Madness • UC Gridders Grab First Win Over Leb Val • UC Field Hockey Under New Management • 80th Season of Bears Field Hockey Beginshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1444/thumbnail.jp

The Feasibility of a Behavioral Group Intervention after Weight-loss Surgery: A Randomized Pilot Trial

BACKGROUND: Formal psychosocial support programs after weight-loss surgery are limited in scope and availability. OBJECTIVE: This randomized pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a postoperative behavioral intervention program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postoperative weight-loss surgery patients (N = 50) were recruited from February 2017-July 2017 and randomized to a four-month behavioral program or usual care wait-list. Outcomes evaluated in addition to feasibility included health-related quality of life (Short Form -36), psychosocial functioning and adherence. Secondary outcomes included within-group changes for each outcome. RESULTS: Out of eight possible sessions, intervention participants attended a mean of 4.2 sessions. Intervention group participants experienced greater improvements in the social functioning domain of health-related quality of life compared to usual care. Self-reported dietary adherence in the intervention group remained stable, while usual care group dietary adherence declined. Within the intervention group, participants also reported gains in the physical function, pain and general health aspects of quality life from baseline to post-treatment. No differences in weight, mood or other eating behaviors (e.g., loss of control, emotional eating) were evident between groups. CONCLUSION: Though participation in a postoperative behavioral intervention varied, the program helped participants to maintain aspects of quality of life and self-reported adherence to dietary recommendations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03092479

The Grizzly, September 21, 1999

Floyd Takes Its Toll on Ursinus • Ground Breaking for Field House • Beware of Main Street Intruder • New Library Computing System • Ursinus Biology Students Comb the Beaches in Woods Hole, MA • The Class of 2003, the First to Share in a Common Intellectual Experience • Beyond Collegeville: Appraising Philadelphia\u27s Nightlife • The Literary Society Explores the Heart • Opinion: Electronic Testing, Service or Scam?; Racial Profiling a Violation of Individuals Rights; Money Talks • Ursinus Football Conquers Franklin & Marshall in OT in Home Opener • Field Hockey gets First Win • UC Golf Takes the Tournaments in the Fallhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1445/thumbnail.jp

Heritability of Telomere Length in American Kestrels

There is increasing interest in understanding the drivers and consequences of telomere quality on fitness, stress, and longevity in various organisms, including humans. In this project, we examined how telomere quality is related to several aspects of biology in the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), including whether maternal telomere length is inherited in offspring and how brood size affects telomere length. Towards this aim, we collected blood samples from seven female American Kestrels nesting near Boise, Idaho and from all of her offspring. We extracted DNA from these blood samples and estimated relative telomere lengths for each of the 36 individuals by using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. Our results indicate that there is no significant effect of maternal telomere length on offspring’s telomere length. However, there is evidence that a larger brood size negatively affects telomere length in nestlings and that telomere length increases during nestling development. These findings may be explained by competition among young for resources, and by differential telomerase activity during nestling development, respectively. This study presents the opportunity for further exploration of the mechanisms underlying telomere elongation in kestrels, as well as the opportunity to explore this issue in other study systems