Real Time RT-PCR Analysis of Glucose Utilization Enzymes in Skeletal Muscle of Preterm vs. Full Term Neonates

A poster presentation of this material was awarded 2nd place at the 2012 CFAES Poster Forum.Preterm birth is a serious and costly health problem, which affects nearly 1 in 8 births in the United States. Intravenous, or parenteral, nutrition is often required in very preterm infants (<33 weeks gestational age), whose digestive tracts are too immature to receive enteral nutrition. Unfortunately, current parenteral feeding methods are also associated with metabolic complications including hyperglycemia, which is a primary factor in postnatal morbidity and mortality. Peripheral insulin resistance is a key factor contributing to hyperglycemia in preterm neonates receiving parenteral nutrition, but the relationship between preterm birth and mechanisms of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal are not well understood. We hypothesized that compared to neonates born full term, preterm neonates possess a diminished capacity for glucose uptake and usage in skeletal muscle. To test this, mRNA transcript amounts were measured in skeletal muscle tissue of preterm and term pigs (delivered on days 106 and 114 of gestation, respectively). Tissue was collected after 6 d of parenteral feeding and transcript amounts for enzymes involved in glucose transport (GLUT1 and GLUT4), glycogen synthesis (glycogen synthase), glycogen degradation (glycogen phosphorylase), and fatty acid oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase I [CPT I]) were determined. Preterm pigs displayed increased (P < 0.05) expression of GLUT4, CPT I, and glycogen phosphorylase transcripts relative to term pigs. This suggests that mechanisms for glucose uptake in the preterm neonate are immaturely developed and that muscle cells derive energy more heavily from fatty acids and glycogen stored prenatally as alternatives to circulating glucose. Further investigation of the activity and protein quantities of these enzymes is necessary to validate these conclusions.OARDC (SEEDS) Research Enhancement Competitive Grants ProgramCFAES Honors CommitteeWill C. Hauk Endowment FundNo embarg

Engaging new dimensions in nonlinear optical spectroscopy using auxiliary beams of light

By applying a sufficiently intense beam of off-resonant light, simultaneously with a conventional excitation source beam, the efficiencies of one- and two-photon absorption processes may be significantly modified. The nonlinear mechanism that is responsible, known as laser modified absorption, is fully described by a quantum electrodynamical analysis. The origin of the process, which involves stimulated forward Rayleigh-scattering of the auxiliary beam, relates to higher order terms which are secured by a time-dependent perturbation treatment. These terms, usually inconsequential when a single beam of light is present, become prominent under the secondary optical stimulus – even with levels of intensity that are moderate by today’s standards. Distinctive kinds of behaviour may be observed for chromophores fixed in a static arrangement, or for solution- or gas-phase molecules whose response is tempered by a rotational average of orientations. In each case the results exhibit an interplay of factors involving the beam polarisations and the molecular electronic response. Special attention is given to interesting metastable states that are symmetry forbidden by one- or two-photon absorption. Such states may be accessible, and thus become populated, on input of the auxiliary beam. For example, in the one-photon absorption case, terms arise that are more usually associated with three-photon processes, corresponding to very different selection rules. Other kinds of metastable state also arise in the two-photon process, and measuring the effect of applying the stimulus beam to absorbances of such character adds a new dimension to the information content of the associated spectroscopy. Finally, based on these novel forms of optical nonlinearity, there may be new possibilities for quantum non-demolition measurements

On the detection of characteristic optical emission from electronically coupled nanoemitters

Optical emission from an electronically coupled pair of nanoemitters is investigated, in a new theoretical development prompted by experimental work on oriented semiconductor polymer nanostructures. Three physically distinct mechanisms for photon emission by such a pair, positioned in the near-field, are identified: emission from a pairdelocalized exciton state, emission that engages electrodynamic coupling through quantum interference, and correlated photon emission from the two components of the pair. Each possibility is investigated, in detail, by examination of the emission signal via explicit coupling of the nanoemitter pair with a photodetector, enabling calculations to give predictive results in a form directly tailored for experiment. The analysis incorporates both near- and far-field properties (determined from the detector-pair displacement), so that the framework is applicable not only to a conventional remote detector, but also a near-field microscope setup. The results prove strongly dependent on geometry and selection rules. This work paves the way for a broader investigation of pairwise coupling effects in the optical emission from structured nanoemitter arrays

Social risk in adolescence

Adolescence, defined as 10-24 years, is a time of heightened sensitivity to the negative effects of social rejection. Avoiding social risks – decisions or actions that could lead to social rejection - may therefore be important for adolescents, for whom social status and acceptance predicts future mental and physical health. In this thesis, I describe a series of studies that investigated the relationship between social risk and adolescence. In my first study, I developed a novel self-report measure of concern for health and social risk behaviours. I assessed age-related differences in concern for health and social risk between adolescence and adulthood, and whether these were related to rejection sensitivity and depressive symptomatology. In my second study, I explored the degree to which adolescents’ engagement in health risks and illegal behaviours was related to whether or not they perceived these behaviours to increase their likability. I also investigated how this relationship is impacted by adolescents’ experience of victimisation. In my third study, I used network analysis to explore the link between sexual minority status, depression, interpersonal relationships and health risk behaviours in a large cohort study of adolescents. In my fourth study, I designed an experiment to measure the extent to which adolescents versus adults show a preference for social versus non-social stimuli within an academic diligence task. I discuss how my findings suggest adolescence to be a period of heightened sensitivity to social risk, and how this impacts decisions to engage in risk taking behaviour. I consider how my findings relate to legal and policy issues around the minimum age of criminal responsibility, joint enterprise convictions and the use of peer-led approaches for behaviour change

Micronesia in Modern Geopolitics

After the Second World War, the United States established full strategic control over the South Pacific region of Micronesia. Under a United Nations agreement, America held Micronesia as a “Strategic Trust Territory” during the Cold War, eventually acceding to the islanders’ demands for political self-determination. Throughout this period, the US failed to maintain coherent policy priorities and treated the islanders as second-class negotiating partners. Today, Micronesia is comprised of three states in “free association” with the United States: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, as well as the American territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Micronesia lies geographically in the heart of the Asia-Pacific and continues to be of great strategic importance to the United States. In the coming decades, the rise of China will significantly alter the geopolitical status quo in Micronesia. The potential loss of Micronesia to China would be a substantial blow to America’s strategic position in the Asia-Pacific, and would be deeply damaging to American interests. US policymakers should consider the nature of this threat and create policy that meets the Chinese challenge in the Micronesia region. This thesis will provide a political history of Micronesia to the present day, describe the unique relationship between America and the freely associated states, and discuss the geopolitical issues currently facing the region. Overall, I intend for this thesis to provide a basic primer on Micronesia, and a broader look at the region’s role in global geopolitics.Plan II Honors Progra

George

George was born and raised on the Sioux reservation, which is located in Sioux Valley Manitoba, Canada. He says that he is proud to be a full blooded American Indian. As a child he attended a mixed-race school near the reservation, where he learned to deal with issues of racism for the first time

Pilot evaluation of the CBT tracker : a hybrid measurement feedback system for monitoring treatment integrity and client progress

Routine outcomes monitoring (ROM) and the use of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) are two research-supported practices that have potential to improve client outcomes in mental healthcare, including youth psychotherapy, but are largely underutilized in routine practice. The innovative developments of measurement feedback systems (MFSs) and "core components" approaches to cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) have each shown potential to overcome important barriers that limit uptake and use of ROM and EBTs, respectively. However, other critical barriers remain yet unaddressed, including clinician perceptions of the net benefits of using MFSs, MFS dependence on client-report measures, and difficulty achieving EBT integrity. Combining MFS technology and core components approaches to CBT may hold unique potential to address these remaining barriers. Purpose: The current study evaluates the potential for implementation of a novel MFS, the CBT Tracker, which integrates measurement and feedback about both client outcomes and treatment integrity to core components of youth CBT. Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed to evaluate the CBT Tracker in relation to seven implementation outcomes: acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, adoption, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. A diverse sample of 36 community therapists were asked to pilot the CBT Tracker while providing up to six sessions of CBT to a youth client in routine practice. Therapists completed a background questionnaire at enrollment and a semi-structured qualitative interview at conclusion of study participation. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts was employed to assess clinicians' perceptions of the CBT Tracker in relation to the target implementation outcomes and identify specific implementation determinants. Quantitative analyses examined adoption, penetration, fidelity, sustainability, and determinants of these outcomes, as indicated by participants' use of the CBT Tracker during the study and associations between use and participant background characteristics. Results: Findings provide proof of concept that EBT integrity feedback can be integrated into an MFS in a way that is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible in diverse, usual care clinical settings. Findings further support the potential of such an MFS to simultaneously support implementation of EBTs and ROM in routine care. However, many barriers to adoption, penetration, fidelity, and sustainability were also identified, and findings indicate that the CBT Tracker may need to be augmented with multiple contextually-responsive implementation strategies in order to achieve widespread implementation.Includes bibliographical references