Cognitions and their Origins in Women with Anorexia Nervosa, Non-Symptomatic Dieters and Female Controls

Despite the steady rise in reported cases of anorexia nervosa amongst young women, investigation into cognitive processes associated with this complex phenomenon remains in its infancy. The aim of this study was to develop a semi-structured interview to assess cognitions and their origins in patients with anorexia nervosa, non-symptomatic dieters and female controls. Potential group differences in the meaning attached to dieting were also explored. Results indicated that when discussing eating related concerns, clinical participants reported more characteristically unique eating related thoughts than non-clinical participants, differences becoming less evident when discussing concerns about weight and shape. Clinical participants also reported more assumptions related to eating, and weight and shape as a means to acceptance by self and others, and control over eating than non-clinical participants, similar differences being reported in degree of belief and associated distress. Clinical participants identified more negative self-beliefs than non-clinical participants, similar differences being reported in degree of rational and emotional belief, and associated distress. All patients with anorexia nervosa identified an association between negative early experiences and negative self-beliefs, and a large percentage also identified an association between negative early experiences and second order assumptions. All clinical participants also reported a link between negative self-beliefs and dieting. Following a discussion of the results it is concluded that although the present study highlights subtle group differences in cognitions, it also gives prominence to an array of avenues that require further investigation if our understanding of anorexia nervosa is to be refined and more effective treatments developed

Quantification of product color preference in a utility function

Currently, many marketing and engineering tools exist to help a designer optimize quantitative attributes of a product, such as height, weight, volume, or cost. However, these methods cannot effectively take into consideration aesthetic attributes of a product, or any other attributes for which there is no understood functional relationship between the attribute\u27s potential values and the consumer\u27s preference. This research has begun the work of developing this necessary functional relationship for the aesthetic attribute of color and has created a methodology for further research. To do this, colors were represented by their red, green, and blue light components, and preference information for each of these attributes was gathered by presenting individuals with a small sample of colors, applied to backpacks, in a short choice survey. A utility function was fit to the preference data points using standard regression methods. The validity of these functions was tested by administering individual-specific follow-up surveys, in which each of the survey questions contained a high, a neutral, and a low utility backpack color, as determined by the utility functions. Individuals chose the high utility color an average of 74% of the time, which is significantly better than random chance. In addition, success rates as high as 87% were achieved in certain instances where greyscale preferences were incorporated into the overall utility function. These results indicate that a large portion of individual preferences were captured by the utility functions, allowing the methodology provided to serve as a foundation for future research --Abstract, page iii

AI Love

Hannah Turner is an Appalachian poet who often writes of personal insecurities, self-discovery, and ascension beyond the ordinary. Hannah enjoys incorporating conversations of worldly phenomenon into her poems. There is much beauty all around us. As poetry enables a writer to communicate the beauty that underlies even the greatest misfortunes, Hannah has identified the medium of expression as being opportunistic for a lyrical delivery while making mention of emotional human encounters. She is a B.S./Ph.D. Biomedical Research student at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and a native of Matewan, WV. She draws support from both living and passed family members, namely her mother Kathleen Coleman and stepfather Harold Coleman

The Combined Elevation Test (CET) in Adolescent School Children: A Pilot Study

The Combined Elevation Test (CET) is a musculoskeletal screening technique (MST) that replicates the streamline position in swimming and is commonly used in various sports. Although CET is widely used, no normative data exist within an adolescent population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a large data set for the CET within an adolescent population and to evaluate the influence of various demographic and anthropometric variables. Data were collected for 416 participants aged between 8 and 18 years old. Age and arm span showed a significant correlation with CET scores (arm span rs (105) = 0.478, p = 0.000; age rs (416) = 0.238, p = 0.000). Regression analysis further quantified the influence of arm span and age on CET scores, accounting for 23.1% and 5.3% of variability respectively. These results can be used as a reference point for clinicians and coaches who are using the CET within their assessments

14 - Development and Evaluation of “ChemAid”: a Mobile Computing Application for Enhancing Laboratory Experience

As technology continues to develop and becomes more advanced, it opens up many opportunities for us to make everyday tools more accessible for those with disabilities. For instance, visually impaired students may find academically challenging courses like Chemistry difficult to participate in, but technological efforts can be made to provide more accessibility in the classroom. In this ongoing project, we are developing a website and an app called ChemAid, a learning tool aimed towards aiding visually impaired students in their science laboratory courses and research. To reach this goal, we will design a website and mobile app that will allow the user to scan a QR code on the label of a bottle, container, or other piece of lab equipment. Once scanned, the app will then provide the student with both a text and audio file containing important information and instructions about the item\u27s use. This approach ensures that learners who cannot easily read paper instructions are provided a safe and effective scientific learning environment. The creation of this service will require extensive research in text-to-voice API and how to implement it into an accessible website and application, as well as collaboration with visually impaired students to ensure that the needs of this disability are met in a classroom environment. Because this research is ongoing, we intend to expand the benefits of the app (e.g. proximity sensors rather than QR codes, translations for language barriers, etc.)

Development of a Novel Tool for Assessing Coverage of Implementation Factors in Health Promotion Program Resources

Programs for promoting health behaviors have been developed for adoption in various settings such as schools (Hoelscher et al., 2010; Sallis et al., 1997), afterschool programs (Beets et al., 2009), child care centers (Ward et al., 2010), community health and mental health clinics (Aarons et al., 2011), and other settings (Soler et al., 2010). While many of these programs have established efficacy, implementation-related challenges often limit their impact in real-world applications (Glasgow et al., 2003; Glasgow and Emmons, 2007). As a result, an emerging body of literature has pointed to the need to better consider implementation factors related to real-world applications when developing setting-based health promotion programs (Tomoaia-Cotisel et al., 2013; Damschroder et al., 2009). Also of critical importance is to prioritize the dissemination of programs that address implementation factors, and to supplement programs that do not address such factors with appropriate and effective supports, to maximize implementation rates and quality

An investigation into the psychometric properties of the CORE-OM in patients with eating disorders

Aim: The current study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the CORE‐OM (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure) when used in an eating disorder sample. Method: The CORE‐OM was administered at assessment to 360 individuals referred to an eating disorders service. Principal component analysis was conducted to look at the psychometric structure of the CORE‐OM, and psychometric properties were investigated using analyses of reliability and validity. Results: Analyses of the psychometric structure suggested a three‐component solution reflecting negatively worded, positively worded and risk items. The CORE‐OM showed good acceptability, acceptable internal and test‐retest reliabilities, as well as good convergent and known groups validity. Conclusions: The results of the current study support the CORE‐OM as a reliable and valid measure for assessing psychological distress in eating disorders

The experience of pregnancy in women with a history of anorexia nervosa: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

Abstract Background and aims: To explore the experience of pregnancy for women who have a history of anorexia nervosa (AN), in relation to the impact of AN on pregnancy, and pregnancy on AN. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women with a history of AN. Data were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Four super-ordinate themes emerged: ‘Effortful resistance of AN’; ‘The unvalued self, valued other dialectic’; ‘In new territory’; and ‘Feeling distanced’. Conclusions: Various factors motivated the women to try and change their AN behaviours. This was achieved with varying degrees of success. Attempts to manage AN cognitions and emotions were less successful, and this aspect of their illness persisted. Whilst the baby was viewed as worthy of nurturance, the self was not. Pregnancy represented an unfamiliar experience, and was a time of relative isolation and lack of psychological support. Findings are discussed in the context of theory, research and practice