Differences in Body Image and Depression Among Obese Women With and Without Binge Eating Disorder

Obese individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) differ from obese non-binge eating (NBE) individuals in a number of clinically relevant ways. This study examined attitudinal responses to various measures of body image in women seeking obesity treatment, by comparing NBE participants (n=80) to those with BED (n=48). It was hypothesized that women with BED would demonstrate greater attitudinal disturbance of body image compared to NBE individuals. It was further hypothesized that significant differences between groups would remain after statistically controlling for degree of depression. Consistent with the primary hypothesis, BED participants reported significantly increased attitudinal disturbance in body dissatisfaction and size perception compared to NBE participants. Although shared variance was observed between measures of depression and body image on some items, several aspects of increased body image disturbance remained after statistically controlling for depression. Treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

A single amino acid substitution in an MHC class I molecule allows heteroclitic recognition by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Class I molecules of the MHC bind foreign and endogenous peptides allowing recognition by the TCR on CTL. The recognition and killing of cells infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) depends on the recognition of LCMV peptides bound to class I MHC. Mutations in class I MHC molecules have enabled the delineation of regions in the class I molecule important for binding peptides and for interaction with the TCR. We have constructed a library of class I mutants using saturation mutagenesis and report a phenotypic change resulting from a single amino acid substitution that results in the heteroclitic (increased) killing of LCMV-infected cells. This amino acid change, asparagine to serine at position 30, is in a conserved region of the class I molecule contacting the alpha 3 domain. This mutation does not result in increased expression of the class I molecule on the cell surface, does not affect the binding of CD8, and does not affect allogeneic recognition. Cold target experiments show that this heteroclitic killing is due to increased recognition by CTL. These data point toward a critical function for this region of the class I molecule in the binding of peptides or their presentation to CTL.     

Comparison of Reproduction by Meloidogyne graminicola and M. incognita on Trifolium Species

The reproductive potential of Meloidogyne graminicola was compared with that of M. incognita on Trifolium species in greenhouse studies. Twenty-five Trifolium plant introductions, cultivars, or populations representing 23 species were evaluated for nematode reproduction and root galling 45 days after inoculation with 3,000 eggs of M. graminicola or M. incognita. Root galling and egg production by the two root-knot nematode species was similar on most of the Trifolium species. In a separate study, the effect of initial population densities (Pi) of M. graminicola and M. incognita on the growth of white clover (T. repens) was determined. Reproductive and pathogenic capabilities of M. graminicola and M. incognita on Trifolium spp. were similar. Pi levels of both root-knot nematode species as low as 125 eggs per 10-cm-d pots severely galled white clover plants after 90 days. Meloidogyne graminicola has the potential to be a major pest of Trifolium species in the southeastern United States.     

Autonomic nervous control of gastric somatostatin secretion from the perfused rat stomach

The effect of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve stimulation on the secretion of gastric somatostatin and gastrin has been studied in an isolated perfused rat stomach preparation. Stimulation of the vagus nerve inhibited somatostatin secretion and increased gastrin release. Splanchnic nerve stimulation increased somatostatin release during simultaneous atropine perfusion, but not in its absence, whereas gastrin secretion was unchanged. The secretory activity of the gastric D-cell was therefore reciprocally influenced by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves but sympathetic stimulation was only effective during muscarinic blockade.     

Plankton secondary productivity and biomass: Their relation to lake trophic state

The biomass and production of the most important zooplankton species were followed for two years in three lakes of varying trophic status in the Lake Washington watershed. Cladocerans and copepods were of equal importance in the biomass of lakes Findley and Chester Morse (both oligotrophic), whereas, copepods were the main biomass component in Lake Sammamish (mesotrophic). Cladocerans dominated production in lakes Sammamish and Chester Morse, while in Findley Lake their productive role, like that of biomass, was equal to that of the copepods. Rotifers contributed a relatively small biomass and production.Data from this study supported Hillbricht-Ilkowska's postulate that the energy transfer efficiency between the primary and secondary trophic levels decreases with increasing trophic state. Energy transfer efficiencies for the lakes of this study expressed as a two year mean of the ratio-secondary: primary production, were as follows: Findley Lake-0.13; Chester Morse Lake-0.08; and Lake Sammanish-0.04.On the other hand, the hypothesis of Patalas that the secondary productivity: biomass ratio (P/B) tended to increase in proportion to the productivity of a lake, could not be supported. Lake Sammamish, the most productive of the lakes studied, had a P/B ratio of 0.03 while lakes Findley and Chester Morse had P/B ratios of 0.04.     

Ternary solvents to investigate proteins at zub-zero temperatures.

Mixtures of water, ethylene glycol and methanol in different volume ratios have been selected to carry out kinetics of enzyme reactions at sub-zero temperatures with the intention to reduce maximally the viscosity. Density, viscosity and dielectric constant values of these mixtures as a function of temperature are reported, as well as values of the protonic activity of several buffers under such conditions. A procedure to avoid or delay the eventual damaging effect of methanol on proteins is described.     

A hydroclimatic regionalization of central Mongolia as inferred from tree rings

In arid and semi-arid regions of the world, such as Mongolia, the future of water resources under a warming climate is of particular concern. The influence of increasing temperatures on precipitation is difficult to predict because precipitation trends in coming decades could have a high degree of spatial variability. In this study, we applied a rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) to a network of 20 tree-ring chronologies across central Mongolia from 1790 to 1994 to evaluate spatial hydroclimatic variability and to place recent variability in the context of the past several centuries. The RPCA results indicate that the network consists of four tree-growth anomaly regions, which were found to be relatively stable through time and space. Correlation analyses reveal spatial linkages between the tree-growth anomalies and instrumental data, where annual streamflow variability was strongly associated with tree-growth anomalies from their respective regions from 1959 to 1994 (r = 0.52–0.64, p < 0.05). This study highlights the extent of spatial variability in hydroclimate across central Mongolia and emphasizes the value of using tree-ring networks in locations with limited instrumental records.