Chronic Stress in Relation to Locus of Control

Stress is prominent in everyone’s lives, and if the right precautions are not taken, stress can become chronic and harmful to an individual’s health (Schmitz, Neumann, & Oppermann, 2000). To prevent chronic stress, researchers seek to find out important factors that lead to chronic stress. One of the most prominent factors leading to chronic stress is locus of control (LOC), or how much control people feel they have over situations (Cummins, 1988). People can endorse an internal locus of control which means individual attributes events occurring in their life to their own behavior, or an external, which one would consider an outside force responsible for an event that occurred in their life (Bollini, Walker, Hamann, & Kestler, 2004). There are mixed results in the literature regarding different forms of stress and locus of control. Some results indicate that external locus of control is related to higher stress levels (Schmitz et al. 2000), some results indicate that a more internal locus of control is related to higher stress (Cummins, 1988), while others found no significant relationship (Bollini et al. 2004). For this experiment, researchers wanted to examine the relationship between type of locus of control and amount of chronic stress. It was predicted that greater external locus of control would be associated with increased chronic stress. In the present study, UMSL students (n=81) completed the Life Stressors Checklist to measure amount of stress exposure, as well as the Locus of Control Scale to measure if participants had more internal or external locus of control. We found that LOC was not correlated with levels of chronic stress (F(1,79)=0.049, p\u3e0.05). Although a significant relationship was not found, it is still important that individuals learn to manage stress, because stress presents itself similarly, no matter which perception of control an individual possesses (Bollini et al. 2004)

Stress, Resilience, and Impulsivity

Stress is a phenomenon that everyone will experience. Stress that is unmanageable can become chronic, which is linked to various negative psychological effects (Le Fevre, Matheny, & Kolt, 2003). Although stress research often focuses on the negative long-term effects, there are times where individuals develop a trait known as resilience. Resilient individuals eventually learn how to buffer the negative effects of stress (Cicchetti, 2010), and researchers have begun investigating the positive effects of resilience on stress (Cicchetti, 2010; Kermott, Johnson, Sood, R., Jenkins, & Sood, A., 2019). Currently, few studies have been conducted to identify any additional traits that may impact the relationship between stress and resilience. However, there is some evidence that impulsivity may be a prevalent trait that affects the dynamic between stress and resilience. Typically, stressed individuals exhibit higher levels of impulsivity (Moustafa, Tindle, Frydecka, & Misiak, 2017). In turn, this may affect one’s level of resilience. The present study aims to focus on the relationship between stress (current and chronic) and resilience, as well as the moderating effect of impulsivity on that relationship. It was predicted that there would be a relationship between stress and resilience and that impulsivity would have a moderating effect on the relationship. UMSL students (n=81) completed various questionnaires to determine their stress, resilience, and impulsivity levels. We found that chronic stress was not a significant predictor of resilience (R2 = .52, F(1,79) = .40, p \u3e .05), but that current stress was a significant predictor (R2= .15, F(1,79) = 13.4, p \u3c .001). For this presentation, we decided to only run one moderation with the significant results. We found that impulsivity was not a significant moderator between current stress and resilience (B = -.02, p \u3e .05). Although we did not find a significant relationship within the moderation, there is still some value in investigating traits that influence stress and resilience. Understanding potential factors that may impact resilience may help researchers identify appropriate methods for increasing resilience in vulnerable populations

Rethinking Prisonization: a Longitudinal Investigation of Adherence to the Convict Code Across Stages of Incarceration

Prisonization indicates the degree which an individual adheres to the prison subculture, also known as the convict code. The convict code can be characterized using three domains: criminal identify and beliefs, antisocial group cohesion, and opposition toward the criminal justice system. Strong convict code adherence has been linked to multiple antisocial outcomes. Therefore, understanding how adherence to the convict code persists across time and location will allow criminologists and social scientists to better understand the consequences of incarceration on the release experience. The current study uses a sample of 1,035 people and 7,768 person-periods from the Pathways to Desistance Study and fixed-effect models to investigate patterns of within-person adherence to the convict code, operationalized as moral disengagement, association to antisocial peers, and perceived legitimacy of the criminal justice system, across multiple stints of incarceration. This analysis will test three theories—the deprivation and importation models, and a new theory I present called the durability model which addresses how adherence to the code may be expected to persist during release. Results from fixed-effect models and post hoc analyses show three main findings. First, a person’s adherence to the code is never expected to decrease during an incarceration period. Second, adherence to the code rarely changes during release periods relative to corresponding incarceration periods. And third, trends of code adherence across location show considerable support for the durability model. Programming implications are discussed

Breaking Out of Prison Culture? Or Culture Breaking Out of Prison?: Understanding Convict Code Endorsement During Incarceration and Post-Release

Because of the influence culture has on behavior, social scientists have long been interested in the subculture found in jails and prisons, also known as the convict code. I characterize the convict code using three domains: criminal identity and beliefs, commitment to antisocial others, and opposition toward the criminal justice system. Because strong endorsement of the convict code has been linked to multiple antisocial outcomes, understanding how code endorsement varies across time and location is important in understanding the consequences of incarceration on the release experience. To explore patterns of code endorsement across time and location, I developed the cascading model which uses psychosocial mechanisms to explain the intensification in code endorsement upon incarceration and various aspects of reentry programming to explain the maintenance of code endorsement after release. The current study uses a sample of 796 men from the LoneStar Project and structural equation modeling to test patterns of code endorsement, operationalized by the code of the street, prisoner commitment, and legal cynicism, as a person ends their incarceration and is released to the street. Objective 1 of my dissertation is to explore continuity and change in endorsement to the convict code across time and location. Objective 2 of my dissertation is to empirically test the theoretical assumptions and mechanisms put forth in stage 1 and stage 2 of the cascading model. In my dissertation I demonstrate that 1) greater exposures to the criminal justice system is related to higher levels of endorsement to the criminal identity and beliefs domain of the convict code, 2) individuals perceived ability to conform to the culture in conventional society accounts for a significant portion of the relationship between criminal justice exposures and convict code endorsements, 3) that levels of convict code endorsements in prison often decrease post-release, and 4) program participation and utility is unrelated the persisting levels of code endorsement. Understanding how and why endorsement to the convict code varies as a person enters and exits prison and the role participation in and openness to reentry programming plays is integral to understanding ways to improve prison management and enhance the reentry experience.</p

Deciphering the ovarian proteomic impacts of obesity

The ovary is the female reproductive organ responsible for the production of both the female gamete, the oocyte, and two major female sex hormones, estradiol and progesterone. During embryonic development, oocytes are formed from primordial germ cells and eventually become surrounded by squamous granulosa cells in a follicular structure, termed primordial. The oocyte numbers encased in primordial follicles are finite at birth and remain arrested in the diplotene stage of meiosis until ovulation or they degenerate through atresia. Once the pool of primordial follicles is depleted, ovarian senescence occurs. We hypothesized that the maternal metabolic changes that occur during lean gestational diabetes mellitus would impact offspring ovarian function both basally and in response to a dietary stressor later in life. We observed impacts on follicle numbers and alterations in the ovarian proteome, suggesting possible impacts on fertility and oocyte quality in relation to in utero and metabolic stressors. Additionally, we hypothesized that the ovarian DNA damage response is altered during obesity in adulthood. An elevated response in markers of DNA damage was observed, indicating that the metabolic status of the ovary during obesity initiates a low-level DNA damage response. Intercellular communication is also affected by a metabolic syndrome such as obesity or GDM exposure, with reduction of the gap junction protein Connexin-43 expression in antral follicles from ovaries that experienced obesity. Finally, to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the induction of the DNA damage response in the ovary after phosphoramide mustard exposure, we hypothesized that the DNA damage response would be blunted due to reduced abundance of the ATM protein. Using an Atm+/- mouse model to investigate impacts on folliculogenesis and the ovarian proteome, we determined that Atm haploinsufficiency results in an irregular DNA damage response, alters the ovarian proteome, and impacts the rate of follicle loss after phosphoramide mustard exposure. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the DNA damage response is initiated in the ovary during times of metabolic stress and in the absence of Atm, unhealthy follicles remain in the ovary, potentially contributing to poor oocyte quality or infertility

Developmental Origins of Ovarian Disorder: Impact of Maternal Lean Gestational Diabetes on the Offspring Ovarian Proteome in Mice

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an obstetric disorder affecting approximately 10% of pregnancies. The 4HFHS (High Fat High Sucrose) mouse model emulates GDM in lean women. Dams are fed a HFHS diet one week prior to mating and throughout gestation resulting in inadequate insulin response to glucose in mid-late pregnancy. The offspring of HFHS dams have increased adiposity, thus, we hypothesized that maternal metabolic alterations during lean GDM would compromise ovarian function in offspring both basally and in response to a control or HFHS diet in adulthood. Briefly, DLPL were lean dams and control diet pups; DLPH were lean dams and HFHS pups; DHPL were HFHS dams and control diet pups and DHPH were HFHS dams and HFHS pups. A HFHS challenge in the absence of maternal GDM (DLPL vs. DLPH) increased 3 and decreased 30 ovarian proteins. Maternal GDM in the absence of a dietary stress (DLPL vs. DHPL) increased abundance of 4 proteins and decreased abundance of 85 proteins in the offspring ovary. Finally, 87 proteins increased, and 4 proteins decreased in offspring ovaries due to dietary challenge and exposure to maternal GDM in utero (DLPL vs. DHPH). Canopy FGF signaling regulator 2 (CNPY2), Deleted in azoospermia-associated protein 1 (DAZAP1), Septin 7 (SEPT7), and Serine/arginine rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2) were altered across multiple offspring groups. Together, these findings suggest a possible impact on fertility and oocyte quality in relation to GDM exposure in utero as well as in response to a western diet in later life

4-H Mindfulness Project Annotated Bibliography

The 4-H Healthy Living Initiative is focused on providing learning opportunities that address physical, social, and emotional health; the 4-H Mindfulness Project focuses on increasing youths’ ability to lead a healthy lifestyle and develop the skills needed to be a health advocate in their communities. This annotated bibliography of English children’s literature was developed as a resource for 4-H project leaders and families. These books can support primary members’ understanding and practice of mindfulness

System Fitness of Grazeable Forages for Large Herds in Automatic Milking Systems

Automatic milking rotary (AMR) systems have the capacity to milk 800 cows. To maintain a pasture-based system whereby \u3e 50% of the total diet is pasture (Garcia and Fulkerson, 2005), large herds milked by AMR will be required to walk significant distances. Walking distances of greater than 1-km are associated with an increased incidence of undesirably long milking intervals and reduced milk yield (Lyons N, unpubl. data). The aim of this study was to investigate the total land area required and associated walking distance for large automatic milking system (AMS) herds when incorporating complementary forage rotations (CFR; Garcia et al., 2008) into the system

Teaching for Black and Brown Lives: The Importance of Ethnic Studies Curriculum in the Education Success of Black and Latinx Students

This study identifies school policies and practices that create a gap in support for Ethnic Studies for high school graduation, college graduation, and teacher licensures. The first method was interviewing specific stakeholders through zoom who were in the position for the purpose of the research. The interviewed participants answered questions about the policies related to Ethnic studies, practice school policies, and implications of the ratification of Ethnic study policies in Nevada. The second method was analyzing Nevada state and Department of Education policies relating to teacher education. Interpreting how UNLV teacher licensure programs apply those policies in the preparation curriculum. Results from the methods were initial findings were 75% of the student population in CCSD are students of color, but there are still limited clubs that surround racialized experiences. Although students who participated in racial/ethnic club activities led to more enrollment in elective courses. Ethnic studies are considered along with social studies and “diversity studies”, which need to be differentiated from one another. Ethnic study courses can be a valuable enhancement to build cross-racial solidarity and create opportunities to make sense of school experiences. It is critical to make a foundation for success for Students of Color and Families of color in many schools and communities in CCSD.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/durep_lightning/1003/thumbnail.jp

Grazing Behaviour of Dairy Cows When Grazing Forage Rape in a Pasture-Based Automatic Milking System

Forage rape (Brassica napus L.) is a high producing, high nutritive value forage that has been successfully introduced as a grazable forage in conventional, intensified pasture-based dairy systems to fill autumn-winter feed gaps (Garcia et al. 2008). However, incorporation of forage rape as a grazing forage option for automatic milking systems (AMS), in which cows enter and exit grazing areas voluntarily, has not been investigated yet. We conducted an observational study to investigate the suitability of using forage rape in AMS and gain understanding of cow’s foraging behaviour when grazing this forage. The outcomes of this piece of work will help to determine management guidelines regarding incorporation of the crop into voluntary cow traffic systems