Testing perceived moral transgressions as mediating links of PTSD symptoms to distress

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms cause distress for 5-20% of individuals worldwide. Cognitive models of PTSD emphasize negative social cognitions about the world, and recent research suggests a relatively unexplored moral dimension. In this study, we test whether perceived moral transgressions mediated the relationship between PTSD symptoms and distress, using both correlational and experimental data., Participants recruited via MTurk (N = 400) completed measures of PTSD symptoms and perceived transgressions of others in the past week, read randomly assigned news vignettes, with and without transgressions, and endorsed current distress levels. We will present study design and preliminary regressions results

Pruning and fertilization in young Pinus greggii plantations established at Durango, Mexico

Objective: To evaluate pruning and fertilization effects on growth of plantations of Pinus greggii established in Durango. Design/methodology/approach: In a plantation (Durango), pruning was applied at three intensities (0, 50 and 75%), under a randomized complete block design. Four years later the basal diameter (Db), normal diameter (DN), plant height (PH) and stem height (SH) were evaluated. In another plantation (La Soledad), two levels of pruning (0 and 50%) and foliar fertilization (with and without application) were applied under a factorial experiment in completely randomized design. Seven months later, Db, PH, and crown diameter (CD) were recorded. An analysis of variance and a means comparison test (Tukey, ? = 0.05) were performed. Results: In Durango, pruning diminished the Db and PH, but increased the SH (p ? 0.01). In La Soledad, pruning also affected the growth. The Db, PH, and CD were lowered when trees were pruned (p ? 0.01). Fertilization affected the PH (p ? 0.05) and the CD (p ? 0.01) as well. The PH and the CD for both pruned and unpruned trees were increased with fertilization. Limitations/implications: Pruning at intensities of 50 and 75% are not suitable for P. greggii because reduce their growth. Findings/conclusions: Fertilization favors the growth of P. greggii planted on low fertility soils for both pruned and unpruned trees, but the interaction between pruning and fertilization should be examined in detail for a longer period.Objective: To evaluate the effects of pruning and fertilization on the growth of Pinus greggii plantationsestablished at Durango state, Mexico.Design/methodology/approach: In a plantation (Durango), pruning was applied in three intensities (0, 50,and 75%) in a randomized complete block design. Four years later, the basal diameter (Db), normal diameter(ND), total plant height (PH), and stem height (SH) were evaluated. In another plantation (La Soledad), twopruning levels (0 and 50%) and foliar fertilization (with and without application) were applied in a completelyrandomized factorial design. Seven months later, Db, PH, and crown diameter (CD) were assessed. Theanalysis of their variance and means comparison test (Tukey, 0.05) were performed.Results: In Durango, pruning diminished the Db and PH, but increased the SH (p0.01). In La Soledad,pruning also affected growth. The Db, PH, and CD were lower (p0.01) when trees were pruned. Fertilizationaffected the PH (p0.05) and CD (p0.01) as well. The PH and the CD for both pruned and unpruned treesincreased with fertilization.Limitations/implications: Pruning at 50 and 75% intensities are not suitable for P. greggii because it reducestheir growth.Findings/conclusions: Fertilization favors the growth of P. greggii planted on low fertility soils for both prunedand unpruned trees, but the pruning and fertilization interaction should be examined in detail for a longerperio

Evolution of an Academic Village: Vision for Inner South Portland

This vision of an Academic Village is a culmination of three months of work by 12 students in the Spring 2007 Urban Design Workshop at Portland State University. Our understanding of the Academic Village arose out of an exploration of connections between neighboring academic institutions – Portland State University, Oregon Health and Sciences University on Marquam Hill, and OHSU’s emerging campus on the South Waterfront – and the Corbett and Lair Hill neighborhoods. We discovered that people from these institutions and communities live, work, study, and play in a shared urban space, but that the potential for creating an Academic Village is bounded by the history and physical characteristics of that urban space. We would like to illustrate how an Academic Village can be a major asset to the city of Portland and its residents. By combining the resources and ideals of our academic institutions with the vitality of our urban and community institutions, our vision seeks to bring our academic and community nodes closer together at many different levels. By highlighting how barriers to interaction and connectivity can be overcome, we hope to pave the way for an Academic Village that will embody sustainable ideals, contribute to the economic health of our region, and foster a deeper “sense of place.” This project was conducted under the supervision of Donald J. Stastny and Edward Starkie

Local delivery of FK506 to a nerve allograft is comparable to systemic delivery at suppressing allogeneic graft rejection.

The objective of this study was to determine if locally delivered FK506 could prevent allogeneic nerve graft rejection long enough to allow axon regeneration to pass through the nerve graft. An 8mm mouse sciatic nerve gap injury repaired with a nerve allograft was used to assess the effectiveness of local FK506 immunosuppressive therapy. FK506-loaded poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) nerve conduits were used to provide sustained local FK506 delivery to nerve allografts. Continuous and temporary systemic FK506 therapy to nerve allografts, and autograft repair were used as control groups. Serial assessment of inflammatory cell and CD4+ cell infiltration into the nerve graft tissue was performed to characterize the immune response over time. Nerve regeneration and functional recovery was serially assessed by nerve histomorphometry, gastrocnemius muscle mass recovery, and the ladder rung skilled locomotion assay. At the end of the study, week 16, all the groups had similar levels of inflammatory cell infiltration. The local FK506 and continuous systemic FK506 groups had similar levels of CD4+ cell infiltration, however, it was significantly greater than the autograft control. In terms of nerve histmorphometry, the local FK506 and continunous systemic FK506 groups had similar amounts of myelinated axons, although they were significantly lower than the autograft and temporary systemic FK506 group. The autograft had significantly greater muscle mass recovery than all the other groups. In the ladder rung assay, the autograft, local FK506, and continuous systemic FK506 had similar levels of skilled locomotion performance, whereas the temporary systemic FK506 group had significanty better performance than all the other groups. The results of this study suggest that local delivery of FK506 can provide comparable immunosuppression and nerve regeneration outcomes as systemically delivered FK506