•Replication of 17-year implicit memory priming phenomenon.•Replicates picture fragment identification, a perceptual task.•Extends very long-term priming to word fragment completion.•Conceptual ...priming was not evident.•Individuals who were “amnesic” for their participation nonetheless evinced priming.
We endeavored to replicate Mitchell's (2006) finding of 17-year implicit memory priming. Subjects saw word and picture stimuli in 1999–2000 (M age = 18.9) and were retested after 11–14 years (M = 13.2; M age = 32.1). Via the internet, they completed four implicit memory tasks: picture fragment identification, word fragment completion, word stem completion, and category exemplar generation. Relative to control subjects (matched on stimuli, age, and education), longitudinal subjects revealed priming on picture and word fragment identification (perceptual tasks), but no priming on word stem completion or category exemplar generation (conceptual tasks). Four longitudinal subjects who failed to recall participating in the prior laboratory session had priming similar to the 10 subjects who did remember. Thus, we replicated the longevity of perceptual priming for pictures, and extended this to word fragment priming as well.
Characterizing spatial and temporal variability of soil properties at field and landscape scales is tremendously important for a variety of agronomic and environmental concerns including solute ...transport modeling of non-point source pollutants in the vadose zone, site-specific crop management, and soil quality assessment, to mention a few. Currently, there is a global need to develop tools that evaluate the overall quality of soil to determine the effectiveness and sustainability of farm-management practices. The knowledge now exists for characterizing the spatial variability of soil quality with non-invasive geophysical measurements of apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC
a) using mobile GPS-based systems. The objective of this research was to evaluate EC
a-directed soil sampling as a means for monitoring management-induced spatio–temporal changes in soil quality. Appraisal was made of a specific management practice, the reuse of irrigation drainage water applied to a saline–sodic soil in central California.
A soil quality assessment study was conducted on a 32.4-ha saline–sodic field comprised of 8 rectangular paddocks in California's San Joaquin Valley from August 1999 to April 2002. The study evaluated the spatio–temporal changes that had occurred as a result of irrigation with drainage water over that time period. Using geospatial electromagnetic induction (EMI) measurements of EC
a and a spatial response surface sampling design, 40 sites were selected that reflected the spatial variability of the EC
a measurements. Duplicate samples were taken at eight selected sites (one randomly selected site from each paddock) to study local-scale variability. At each site soil-core samples were taken at 0.3-m intervals to a depth of 1.2 m and analyzed for 28 physical and chemical properties. Maps created from a geographic information system (GIS) show spatio–temporal changes of four dynamic soil properties (salinity, sodium adsorption ratio, boron, and molybdenum) critical to soil quality, which were strongly and significantly correlated with EC
a.
Data from 1999 indicate the presence of high salinity, which increased with depth, high sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), which also increased with depth, and moderate to high B and Mo, which showed no specific trends with depth. The application of drainage water for 32 months resulted in leaching of B from the top 0.3 of soil, leaching of salinity from the top 0.6 m of soil, and leaching of Na and Mo from the top 1.2 m of soil. The leaching fraction over the time period from 1999–2002 was estimated to be 0.10. The level of salinity in the reused drainage water (i.e., 3–5 dS m
−
1) allowed infiltration and leaching to occur even though high sodium and high expanding-lattice clay levels posed potential water flow problems. Preliminary spatio–temporal analyses from 1999–2002 indicate at least short-term feasibility of drainage water reuse from the perspective of soil quality when the goal is forage production for grazing livestock. The implications of this research extend beyond the provincial applications of assessing drainage water reuse in central California to the global potential of EC
a-directed soil sampling for evaluating farm-induced management ramifications on soil quality.
Abstract One conundrum of binge eating is that women are more likely to suffer from binge-related disorders, even though estradiol decreases food intake. 2-hydroxyestradiol (2OHE2), an estrogen ...metabolite, may account for the contradiction, due to possible interference with DA signaling. We hypothesized that 2OHE2 would enhance bingeing in a rodent model. Two cohorts (1 male, 1 female) of 34 non-food-deprived rats were separated into daily control (D) (received an optional source of dietary fat for 20 min every day) or bingeing (INT) groups (received fat intermittently, i.e. 20 min on Mon, Weds, Fri). During the 5-week binge induction period, shortening intakes escalated significantly faster in females than in males, such that males consumed significantly less fat/kg body mass than did females after 5 weeks. This result is consistent with the idea that biological differences contribute to sex differences in bingeing. Rats were then injected with 2OHE2 (1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 μg/kg intraperitoneally), vehicle, or 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2) immediately prior to fat access. Fat intake was significantly stimulated by 2OHE2 only in the INT rats (p < 0.03). Furthermore, this effect seemed to be more subtle in females than in males. Thus, 2OHE2 appears to exacerbate binge size. These data suggest a novel biological mechanism for sex differences in the risk of eating disorders.
Abstract Binge eating is more common in females than in males. This study investigated the effects of ovarian hormones on binge-eating behavior in a diet-related rat model. Six groups of ...ovariectomized Sprague–Dawley rats were used ( n = 13/group). All rats had continuous access to chow and water throughout the study. One half of the rats were injected every fourth day with estradiol benzoate (2 µg/100 µl sesame oil) and progesterone (500 µg/100 µl sesame oil); the other half received only the sesame oil vehicle. Three feeding protocols were tested in each hormone injection condition: (1) chow only: no additional dietary fat access; (2) low-restriction: 1-h fat access every day; (3) high-restriction: 1-h fat access on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. As previously reported in intact male and female rats, the high-restriction groups exhibited binge-like increases in 1-h energy intake during fat access. The major new finding of this study is that 1-h energy intake was tonically, but not cyclically, reduced in the hormone-treated high-restriction (binge) rats. Specifically, both low- and high-restriction hormone-treated rats consumed significantly less energy than did the oil-treated rats during the 1-h fat period ( p < 0.0001) and overall ( p < 0.0001), indicating a tonic inhibition of eating. However, food intake during the 1-h fat access period was also cyclically reduced in the hormone-treated low-restriction rats, but not in the hormone-treated high-restriction rats. These results indicate that the normal cyclic inhibitory influence of ovarian hormones on eating, but not their normal tonic inhibitory influence, is disrupted by conditions leading to binge-type eating.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine, and opioids are implicated in impulse control, addiction and binge eating. Recent evidence suggests that sucrose alters the effects of GABAergic, ...dopaminergic, and opioid receptor ligands on consumption of a fatty food in a rat limited-access binge protocol. This study determined the independent effects of fat and sucrose on the efficacy of these ligands under limited-access conditions. Nonfood-deprived male Sprague-Dawley rats had 1 h access to fat (vegetable shortening) or sucrose (3.2, 10, or 32% w/v). Half had intermittent access (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and half had daily access. Effects of baclofen (GABAB agonist), SCH 23390 (D1 antagonist), raclopride (D2 antagonist), and naltrexone (opioid antagonist) were assessed. Baclofen and naltrexone reduced fat intake regardless of the access schedule. Baclofen had no effect on sucrose intake; naltrexone reduced sucrose intake at higher doses than were required to reduce fat intake. Raclopride stimulated fat intake in intermittent-access rats and had no effect in daily-access rats; raclopride reduced sucrose intake in all groups. SCH 23390 reduced intake in a nonspecific manner. The results indicate the involvement of GABAB receptors in fat but not sucrose intake, and of D2 receptor dysfunction in rats with a history of bingeing on fat.
Though more costly than petroleum-based fuels and a minor component of overall military fuel sources, biofuels are nonetheless strategically valuable to the military because of intentional reliance ...on multiple, reliable, secure fuel sources. Significant reduction in oilseed biofuel cost occurs when grown on marginally productive saline-sodic soils plentiful in California's San Joaquin Valley (SJV). The objective is to evaluate the feasibility of oilseed production on marginal soils in the SJV to support a 115 ML yr
biofuel conversion facility. The feasibility evaluation involves: (1) development of an Ida Gold mustard oilseed yield model for marginal soils; (2) identification of marginally productive soils; (3) development of a spatial database of edaphic factors influencing oilseed yield and (4) performance of Monte Carlo simulations showing potential biofuel production on marginally productive SJV soils. The model indicates oilseed yield is related to boron, salinity, leaching fraction, and water content at field capacity. Monte Carlo simulations for the entire SJV fit a shifted gamma probability density function: Q = 68.986 + gamma (6.134,5.285), where Q is biofuel production in ML yr
. The shifted gamma cumulative density function indicates a 0.15-0.17 probability of meeting the target biofuel-production level of 115 ML yr
, making adequate biofuel production unlikely.
Anemia is common in the critically ill and results in a large number of red blood cell transfusions. Recent data have shown that red blood cell transfusions in critically ill patients can be ...decreased with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) therapy during their intensive care unit stay.
To assess the efficacy of rHuEPO therapy in decreasing the occurrence of red blood cell transfusions in patients admitted to a long-term acute care facility (LTAC).
A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-center trial.
Two long-term acute care facilities.
A total of 86 patients who met eligibility criteria were enrolled in the study with 42 randomized to rHuEPO and 44 to placebo.
Study drug (rHuEPO 40,000 units) or a placebo was administered by subcutaneous injection before day 7 of long-term acute care facility admission and continued weekly for up to 12 doses.
The primary efficacy end point was cumulative red blood cell units transfused. Secondary efficacy end points were the percent of patients receiving any red blood cell transfusion; the percent of patients alive and transfusion independent; cumulative mortality; and change in hematologic variables from baseline. Logistic regression was used to adjust the odds ratio for red blood cell transfusion. All end points were assessed at both study day 42 and study day 84.
The baseline hemoglobin level was higher in the rHuEPO group (9.9 +/- 1.15 g/dL vs. 9.3 +/- 1.41 g/dL, p = .02) as was the pretransfusion hemoglobin level (8.0 +/- 0.5 g/dL vs. 7.5 +/- 0.8 g/dL, p = .04). At day 84, patients receiving rHuEPO received fewer red blood cell transfusions (median units per patient 0 vs. 2, p = .05), and the ratio of red blood cell transfusion rates per day alive was 0.61 with 95% confidence interval of 0.2, 1.01, indicating a 39% relative reduction in transfusion burden for the rHuEPO group compared with placebo. There was also a trend at day 84 toward a reduction in the total units of red blood cells transfused in the rHuEPO group (113 units of placebo vs. 73 units of rHuEPO). Patients receiving rHuEPO were also less likely to be transfused (64% placebo vs. 41% rHuEPO, p = .05; adjusted odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.19, 1.16). Most of the transfusion benefit of rHuEPO occurred by study day 42. Increase in hemoglobin from baseline to final was greater in the rHuEPO group (1.0 +/- 2 g/dL vs. 0.4 +/- 1.7 g/dL, p < .001). Mortality rate (19% rHuEPO, 29.5% placebo, p = .17; relative risk, 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.21-1.43) and serious adverse clinical events (38 % rHuEPO, 32% placebo, p = .65) were not significantly different between the two groups.
In patients admitted to a long-term acute care facility, administration of weekly rHuEPO results in a significant reduction in exposure to allogeneic red blood cell transfusion during the initial 42 days of rHuEPO therapy, with little additional benefit achieved with therapy to 84 days. Despite receiving fewer red blood cell transfusions, patients treated with rHuEPO achieve a higher hemoglobin level.
Women are more likely to suffer from a bingeing-related eating disorder, which is surprising, since estradiol reduces meal size and is associated with reduced binge frequency. This apparent ...contradiction may involve the estradiol metabolite, 2-hydroxyestradiol. We previously reported that female rats had faster escalations in shortening intake during the development of bingeing than did males, but acute administration of 2-hydroxyestradiol increased the intake of vegetable shortening to a greater extent in male rats once bingeing was established. Here, we report two separate studies that follow up these previous findings. In the first, we hypothesized that chronic exposure to 2-hydroxyestradiol would promote escalation of bingeing during binge development in ovariectomized female rats. In the second, we hypothesized that acute exposure to 2-hydroxyestradiol would enhance dopamine signaling in the prefrontal cortex after bingeing was established in male rats. In study 1, non-food-deprived female rats were separated into 3 groups: ovariectomized (OVX) with chronic 2-hydroxyestradiol supplementation (E), OVX with vehicle supplementation (O), and intact with vehicle (I). Each group was given access to an optional source of dietary fat (shortening) on Mon, Wed, and Fri for 4weeks. 2-hydroxyestradiol supplementation prevented OVX-induced weight gain and enhanced escalation of shortening intake over the four-week period (ps<0.05). Additionally, in week 4, rats in the E group ate significantly more shortening than I controls, less chow than either the O or I group, and had a higher shortening to chow ratio than O or I (ps<0.05). Study 2 indicated that acute injection of 2-hydroxyestradiol abolished shortening-evoked dopamine efflux in the prefrontal cortex of bingeing male rats (p<0.05). Together, these studies indicate that 2-hydroxyestradiol can exacerbate bingeing as it develops and can suppress dopamine signaling in the prefrontal cortex once bingeing is established.
► Chronic 2-hydroxyestradiol (2OHE2) enhanced binge escalation in female rats. ► Chronic 2OHE2 increased fat intake and decreased chow intake in female rats. ► Acute 2OHE2 abolished dopamine efflux in the prefrontal cortex in male rats.
When mapping the common-cause alpha factor model from a group of one size to one of another size, the following facts are shown: (1) mapping data down and treating the mapped data like observed data ...is much too conservative; (2) mapping alpha factors down puts restrictions on the resulting alphas, so their joint distribution cannot be Dirichlet; (3) if the mapped alpha factors' posterior distributions are moderately bell-shaped, the joint distribution can be approximated well by using correlated logistic-normal conditional probabilities and (4) Bayesian mapping up is possible, but highly sensitive to the prior distribution in the top group.
•We map the common-cause alpha factor model down to a smaller group.•Treating mapped data like observed data is much too conservative.•Mapped alpha factors have a joint posterior distribution that cannot be Dirichlet.•We approximate the mapped alpha factors' complicated posterior distribution.•Bayesian mapping up is also possible, but highly sensitive to the prior.
Baclofen has shown promise in treating substance use disorders and also reduced binge frequency in an open-label trial. This placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study further assessed the ...effects of baclofen on binge eating. Twelve individuals who self-reported binge eating completed the study. Data were collected during a run-in period (no drug or placebo), placebo phase (48 days), and baclofen phase (titrated up to 60 mg daily or the maximum tolerated dose, 48 days). All the participants were exposed to all conditions. Participants completed a binge diary daily, and the Binge Eating Scale (BES), Food Craving Inventory-II (FCI-II), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at regular intervals throughout the study. Baclofen significantly reduced binge frequency relative to placebo and run-in (P<0.05). This confirms results from the previous open-label trial. Baclofen also produced slight, but significant, increases in depression symptomatology as assessed by the HADS. Binge severity (BES scores) and craving (FCI-II scores) were significantly reduced during placebo and baclofen phases, that is both measures exhibited significant placebo effects. Tiredness, fatigue, and upset stomach were the most commonly reported side-effects. These results indicate that baclofen may be a useful treatment for binge eating in some patients.
PDF
