Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between C-Reactive Protein And Cognitive Deficits In Elderly Men And Women: A Meta-Analysis, Bruce L. Brown, Dawson W. Hedges, Thomas J. Farrer

Faculty Publications

Abstract

Background: Certain risk factors for cognitive decline appear modifiable. A potentially modifiable marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein may be associated with cognitive deficits, although not all studies have found a relationship between C-reactive protein and cognitive ability. Further, few research papers have examined whether gender may affect any association between C-reactive protein and cognitive deficit.

Methods: To better understand the association between C-reactive protein, cognitive deficit, and gender in elderly people, we meta-analyzed cross-sectional studies that reported cognitive ability assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination or an equivalent measure, C-reactive protein concentrations, and gender.

Results: While we identified no …

Forgiveness And Relationship Satisfaction: Mediating Mechanisms, Scott R. Braithwaite, Edward A. Selby, Frank D. Fincham

Faculty Publications

Although the ability to forgive transgressions has been linked to overall relationship satisfaction, the mechanisms that mediate this association have not been established. We propose that the tendency to forgive a romantic partner increases relationship satisfaction via increased relational effort and decreased negative conflict. In two studies, we used structural equations modeling to examine these variables as potential mechanisms that drive this association. In Study 1 (N = 523) and Study 2 (N = 446) we found that these variables significantly mediated the association between forgiveness and relationship satisfaction. The findings were robust when examined concurrently and longitudinally, across multiple …

Examining A Brief Suicide Screening Tool In Older Adults Engaging In Risky Alcohol Use, Scott R. Braithwaite, Jessica D. Ribeiro, Jon J. Peaff, Thomas E. Joiner

Faculty Publications

Alcohol misuse increases risk of suicidal behavior in older adults. TheDepressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS; Metalsky & Joiner,1997) and its relation to suicide attempt history was examined to see if it differedfor older adults as a function of their alcohol use. Structural equation modelingwas used in a sample (N= 1,061) of older adult outpatients to examine the scale’smeasurement invariance and population heterogeneity and its relation to suicideattempt history. Analyses supported the equivalence of the DSI-SS in risky andnonrisky drinkers. The DSI-SS significantly predicted past suicide attempts. Find-ings support the viability of the DSI-SS as suicide screening tool for older adults.

Specific Dimensions Of Perceived Support And Ambulatory Blood Pressure: Which Support Functions Appear Most Beneficial And For Whom?, Wendy C. Birmingham, Kimberly S. Bowen, Bert N. Uchino, Mckenzie Carlisle, Timothy W. Smith, Kathleen C. Light

Faculty Publications

Perceived support has been related to lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the specific functional components of support responsible for such links. We tested if emotional, informational, tangible, and belonging support predicted ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and interpersonal interactions (e.g., responsiveness), and if such links were moderated by gender. In this study, 94 married couples underwent 12 h of ABP monitoring during daily life which included a night at home with their spouse. They completed a short-form of the interpersonal support evaluation list that provides information on total (global) support, as well as specific dimensions of …

Evaluative Threat And Ambulatory Blood Pressure: Cardiovascular Effects Of Social Stress In Daily Experience, Wendy C. Birmingham, Timothy W. Smith, Bert N. Uchino

Faculty Publications

Objective—Physiological effects of social evaluation are central in models of psychosocial influences on physical health. Experimental manipulations of evaluative threat evoke substantial cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses in laboratory studies, but only preliminary evidence is available regarding naturally-occurring evaluative threats in daily life. In such non-experimental ambulatory studies, it is essential to distinguish effects of evaluative threat from related constructs known to alter stress, such as ability perceptions and concerns about appearance. Methods—94 married, working couples (mean age 29.2 years) completed a one-day (8am to 10pm) ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) protocol with random interval-contingent measurements using a Suntech monitor and Palm …

Subliminal Activation Of Social Ties Moderates Cardiovascular Reactivity During Acute Stress, Wendy C. Birmingham, Mckenzie Carlisle, Bert N. Uchino, David M. Sanbonmatsu, Timothy W. Smith, Matthew R. Cribbet, Kathleen C. Light, Allison A. Vaughn

Faculty Publications

Objective—The quality of one’s personal relationships has been reliably linked to important physical health outcomes, perhaps through the mechanism of physiological stress responses. Most studies of this mechanism have focused on whether more conscious interpersonal transactions influence cardiovascular reactivity. However, whether such relationships can be automatically activated in memory to influence physiological processes has not been determined. The primary aims of this study were to examine if subliminal activation of relationships could influence healthrelevant physiological processes, and to examine this question in the context of a more general relationship model that incorporates both positive and negative dimensions. Method—We randomly assigned …

Psychological Pathways Linking Social Support To Health Outcomes: A Visit With The “Ghosts” Of Research Past, Present, And Future, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, Kimberly Bowen, Mckenzie Carlisle

Faculty Publications

Contemporary models postulate the importance of psychological mechanisms linking perceived and received social support to physical health outcomes. In this review, we examine studies that directly tested the potential psychological mechanisms responsible for links between social support and health-relevant physiological processes (1980s to 2010). Inconsistent with existing theoretical models, no evidence was found that psychological mechanisms such as depression, perceived stress, and other affective processes are directly responsible for links between support and health. We discuss the importance of considering statistical/design issues, emerging conceptual perspectives, and limitations of our existing models for future research aimed at elucidating the psychological mechanisms …

Performance Monitoring Following Conflict: Internal Adjustments In Cognitive Control?, Scott A. Baldwin, Michael J. Larson, Peter E. Clayson

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of strategic conflict-related adjustments in cognitive control processes on indices of performance monitoring. Previous research has examined the ability of parametric task-related manipulations to bias attention to errors; however, the present study sought to elucidate the effects of internal adjustments in control mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex on error-related conflict processing. High-density event-related potentials (ERPs) were obtained from 124 healthy individuals (68 female, 66 male) during a modified Eriksen flanker task. Behavioral measures (i.e., error rates, response times [RTs]) and N2 amplitudes showed significant conflict adaptation (i.e., previous-trial congruencies …

The Effects Of Family Therapies Foradolescent Delinquency And Substanceabuse: A Meta-Analysis, Scott A. Baldwin, Sarah Christian, Arjan Berkeljon, William R. Shadish, Roy Bean

Faculty Publications

This meta-analysis summarizes results from k = 24 studies comparing either BriefStrategic Family Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Multidimensional Family Therapy,or Multisystemic Therapy to either treatment-as-usual, an alternative therapy, or a controlgroup in the treatment of adolescent substance abuse and delinquency. Additionally, theauthors reviewed and applied three advanced meta-analysis methods including influenceanalysis, multivariate meta-analysis, and publication bias analyses. The results suggestedthat as a group the four family therapies had statistically significant, but modest effects ascompared to treatment-as-usual (d= 0.21;k= 11) and as compared to alternative thera-pies (d= 0.26;k= 11). The effect of family therapy compared to control was larger(d= 0.70;k= 4) …

How Does Noise Affect Amplitude And Latency Measurement Of Event-Related Potentials (Erps)? A Methodological Critique And Simulation Study, Scott A. Baldwin, Peter E. Clayson, Michael J. Larson

Faculty Publications

There is considerable variability in the quantification of event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes and latencies. Weexamined susceptibility of ERP quantification measures to incremental increases in background noise through publishedERP data and simulations. Measures included mean amplitude, adaptive mean, peak amplitude, peak latency, andcentroid latency. Results indicated mean amplitude was the most robust against increases in background noise. Theadaptive mean measure was more biased, but represented an efficient estimator of the true ERP signal particularly forindividual-subject latency variability. Strong evidence is provided against using peak amplitude. For latency measures,the peak latency measure was less biased and less efficient than the centroid latency …

Ben E. Rich: Sharing The Gospel Creatively, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The life and missionary work of Ben E. Rich. President of the Southern States Mission and the States Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

Mormon Motivation For Enlisting In The Civil War, Brant Ellsworth, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of several Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Union and Confederate soldiers who served in the American Civil War.

What's In A Name? The Establishment Of Camp Douglas, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D., William P. Mackinnon

Faculty Publications

A discussion of the establishment (1862) of Camp Douglas, Utah Territory -- named by Col. Patrick Edward Connor after U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas.

Utah And The Civil War Press, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of how Mormons were treated in the national press during the American Civil War with an emphasis on polygamy, statehood requests, loyalty, and Brigham Young.

This chapter was originally published (and reprinted in "Civil War Saints" with permission):

Kenneth L. Alford, “Utah and the Civil War Press.” Utah Historical Quarterly 80, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 75–92.

Empirically Supported Treatments Impact On Organizational Culture And Climate, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objectives: With the continued push to implement empirically supported treatments (ESTs) into community based organizations, it is important to investigate whether working condition disruptions occur during this process. While there are many studies investigating best practices and how to adopt them, the literature lacks studies investigating the working conditions in programs that currently use ESTs. Methods: This study compared the culture and climate scores of a large organization’s programs that use ESTs and those programs indicating no EST usage. Results: Of the total 55 different programs (1,273 front-line workers), 27 programs used ESTs. Results indicate that the programs offering an …

Target Population Involvement In Urban Ciclovias: A Preliminary Evaluation Of St. Louis Open Streets, J. Aaron Hipp, Amy A. Eyler, Jill Kuhlberg

Brown School Faculty Publications

Ciclovias are active street events when roads are open to walkers, cyclists, and families and closed to automobiles. Over 70 cities in the USA have implemented ciclovias to promote physical activity. The authors evaluated four events during 2010 to determine what activities participants perform and who is attending. For two ciclovia events in St. Louis, Missouri, observation reports of activities, gender, and age of 1,452 participants were collected, and 82 adults were interviewed via direct approach. The survey covered six domains: physical activity, travel to event, sense of community, marketing, economic impact, and demographics. Each event occurred within the city, …

Measuring Equity In Disability And Healthcare Utilization In Afghanistan, Jean-Francois Trani, Cecile Barbou Des Rosieres

Brown School Faculty Publications

This paper analyses equity in health and healthcare utilization in Afghanistan based on a representative national household survey. Equitable access is a cornerstone of the Afghan health policy. We measured socioeconomic-related equity in access to public health care, using disability– because people with disabilities are poorer and more likely to use health care – and a concentration index (CI) and its decomposition. The socioeconomicrelated equity in healthcare utilization was measured using a probit model and compared with an OLS model providing the horizontal inequity index (HI). We found low rate of healthcare facilities utilization (25%). Disabled persons are using more …

Poverty And Disability: A Vicious Circle? Evidence From Afghanistan And Zambia, Jean-Francois Trani, Mitchell M. Loeb

Brown School Faculty Publications

Disability and poverty have a complex and interdependent relationship. It is commonly understood that persons with disabilities are more likely to be poor and that poverty may contribute to sustaining disability. This interdependency is revealed not only through an examination of poverty in terms of income but also on a broader scale through other poverty related dimensions. Just how robust is this link? This paper compares data collected from household surveys in Afghanistan and Zambia, and explores the potential link between multidimensional poverty and disability. We find evidence of lower access to health care, education and labour market for people …

Services For Adults With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paul T. Shattuck, Anne M. Roux, Laura E. Hudson, Julie L. Taylor, Matthew J. Maenner, Jean-Francois Trani

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objective: The need for useful evidence about services is increasing as larger numbers of children identified with an autism spectrum disorder age toward adulthood. The objective of this review was to characterize the topical and methodological aspects of research on services for supporting success in work, education, and social participation among adults with an autism spectrum disorder and to propose recommendations for moving this area of research forward. Method: Review of literature published in English from 2000 to 2010.Results: We found that the evidence base about services for adults with an ASD is underdeveloped and can be considered a field …

Elam Luddington: First Latter-Day Saint Missionary To Thailand, Michael A. Goodman

Faculty Publications

Elam Luddington, the first Latter-day Saint missionary to Siam (modern Thailand), faced tremendous hardships in his pioneering proselyting work. Almost killed at sea numerous times, stoned twice, poisoned once, and finally mobbed, he left the Thai people after little more than four months. No further formal missionary work was attempted for over one hundred years in the ancient land of Siam. His sacrifice, however, laid the foundation for the future work of bringing the fullness of the gospel to Thailand. His efforts were not in vain. His legacy of faithfulness would be followed by other modern-day pioneers who would also …

Is Age Really Just A Number?, Tina Tsikis

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Two separate groups of young and middle-aged adults watched videos of events being performed by a number of different college-aged females. Both the young goup of adults and the middle-aged group of adults were later tested on their memory for both the individual features of these events (i.e., actors and actions), and for conjunctions of features (i.e., which actor performed which action) in order to determine how likely they were to remember which actors performed which actions. Our results showed that frontal lobe functioning is not affected with age. However, there is a slight decrease in medial temporal functioning that …

Contributions Of Dynactin's P150[Glued] Subunit's Binding Domains To Microtubule Anchoring At The Centrosome, Rebecca. Schneider

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Intracellular transport carries out very important roles within the cell including mitosis, organization, and organelle function. In order for effective transport using the motor protein dynein, a cofactor named dynactin is required. Of dynactin's many subunits, p150[Glued] holds the most responsibility for effective microtubule organization throughout the cell and the necessary anchoring at the centrosome. P150[Glued] holds two areas of high binding potential, the CAP-Gly region and the Basic region. Each of these binding domains have different binding potentials and affinities for microtubules. The CAP-Gly region binds tightly the microtubules for a longer period of tiem ; the Basic region …

Chavez And The Media, Adrian J. Viller

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

The media has a significant influence on any political process. In Venezuela, particularly, the media plays an important rold in defining the electorate's political opinion and attitude toward the political process. This thesis analyzed how the media's preference for conflict and individual personalities exacerbated overall societal tensions and polarization in Venezuela since 1999. I suggest a framework for a future content analysis of news coverage of the 2012 presidential election in order to quantify and qualify the evolution of bias and balance in Venezuela's mass media.

Understanding The Role Of Transgenic Catalase In T-Cell Development In Murine-Based Studies, Richard M. Smith

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

The thymus provides a unique microenvironment that facilitates T lymphocytes differentiation and maturation. However, the thymus atrophies after puberty which leads to an overall expression of metabolism gene pathways and low gene expression of certain peroxide scavenger enzymes such as catalase in thymic stromal compartments. From this data, we postulate that thymic stromal cells are highly susceptible to oxidative damage. We utilized a transgenic mice model overexpressing human catalase targeted to the mitochondria (mCat) to test our hypothesis that gerater oxidative protection should lower the degree of thymus atrophy. Our experiment focused on a direct comparison of organ weights (thymus, …

Devising A Novel Protocol To Study 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine's Role In The Consolidation Of A Methamphatamine [Sic] Associated Contextual Memory, John David. Odom

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

DNA methylation, the addition of a methyl group to the 5' position of DNA cytosines (5mC), is generally associated with transcriptional repression during early embryo formation ; however, in the adult brain, it is dynamically regulated and plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of memory. Very recently, it has been hypothesized that DNA hydroxymethylation, the addition of a hydroxyl group to methylated cytosines (5mC), serves as an intermediate in the DNA demethylation pathway. GIven its recent discovery, the role of DNA hydroxymethylation in memory has not yet been explored. In this study, we developed an immunofluorescent triple …

Proteomic Identification Of N86-Hnrnpu-Interacting Proteins Involved In Hiv-1 Inhibition, Sarah. Hoxha

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

HIV-1 is the human immunodeficiency virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Multiple cellular proteins have been identified as playing a critical role in all steps of HIV-1 replication. The heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein U, or hnRNPU is a RNA and DNA binding protein known to influence pre-mRNA processsing, transport to the cytoplasm, intracellular localization, translation and turnover of mRNAs. Recently, the expression of N86-hnRNPU, an N-terminal fragment of hnRNPU, was found to inhibit HIV-1 mRNA export (6). This study primarily aims at identifying proteins that associate with the fragment (N86-hnRNPU) also called H1, and secondarily …

Use Of Novel Hdaci's For Treatment Of Memory Impairment In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Jonathan. Moyes

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly common neurological disorder that mainly affects memory formation and retention. It is characterized by unique intercellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular beta-amyloid plaques. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi's) are competitive antagonists against histone deacetylases, causing histone acetyltransferases to acetylate the genome unregulated. This thesis investigates the use of new histone deacetylase inhibitors on recovering memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. By use of a fear conditioning paradigm, we have shown that these HDACI's increase memory in AD mice, but show either no effect or a positive effect in wild-type mice. Future experiments will investigate …

Iron And Mitochondrial Aging, Rafael. Paez

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Aging is a process characterized by accumulated oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids,which leads to the gradual degeneration of cellular activity. Mitochondria play a central role in aging because they produce both cellular energy and oxidative stress. As resultof accumulated oxidative damage, mitochondria function decays, which leads to a cellular energy deficit and compromises cellular function. Iron is an essential nutrient reequired by mitodhondria to function optimally. It has been proved that iron supplementation increases the lifespan of several yeast strains, including superoxide dismutase mutants. We are interested in finding where the iron is going and what it might …

Effect Of Mutated Aconitase On Yeast Longevity, Cj. Kwan

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Aconitase is an important enzyme in the citric Acid Cycle, is needed for maintenance of mitochondrial DNA, is a key regulator of iron in the cell, and is very sensitive to oxidative stress. We have isolatd the yeast ACO1 gene, which codes for aconitase, and randomly mutated it to create a mutant library of cells each expressing a different version of ACO1. We will select for oxidative stress resistant aconitase in S. cerevisiae by subjecting strains to successive rounds of heat shock and competitive growth against other mutants. The "winner" of this competition will then be analyzed for which version …

Olympic Legacy, Emma Nunan

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Hosting an Olympic Games has a major impact on the city and its people. I compared the Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004 approaches to "legacy," the lasting impacts of a Games. I grouped my comparison into three categories : Economic, Urban and Environmental Impacts, and Global and Social Identity. In Olympic circles, few cities live up to the long-term planning standard set by Barcelona, especially in urban regeneration. However, most scholars agree that Athens did not plan for the post-Games period as effectively as they could have. Barcelona had better organization and cooperation, while the Athens organizers and the government …