Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in obese and normal weight binge eaters

OBJECTIVES: Disturbances in gastrointestinal function may result from disordered eating and may lead to increases in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. We compared GI symptoms in obese and non-obese binge eaters and non-binge eaters. METHODS: One hundred nineteen obese and 77 normal-weight females completed a questionnaire on bowel symptoms and binge eating behaviors for the previous 3 months. Based on binge behaviors and body mass index (> 30 kg/m2), individuals were grouped as obese binge eaters (n = 73), obese non-binge eaters (n = 43), non-obese binge eaters (n = 14), and normal-weight controls (n = 61). RESULTS: Obese binge eaters reported more upper GI symptoms than normal controls or obese non-binge eaters (p < 0.001). Compared with normal controls, nausea, vomiting, and bloating was 2-4 times more prevalent in both binge eating groups. Indigestion was more prevalent in both obese groups. Obese binge eaters reported more lower GI symptoms than normal-weight controls (p < 0.05). Binge eating in both weight groups was associated with more frequent abdominal pain and dyschezia. Obesity was associated with more frequent constipation, diarrhea, straining, and flatus, whether or not subjects reported binge eating. Chi-square showed a significant association between obesity, binge eating, and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, using the Manning criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Specific GI symptoms were associated with binge eating and obesity. Overall, symptoms were more prevalent and more severe in obese binge eaters. The high prevalence of GI symptoms in obese patients who indulge in binge eating should be considered in their evaluation and treatment.     

DIOS-MSEED: A chip-based method for measurement of enantiomeric excess by kinetic resolution/mass spectrometry

The determination of enantiomeric excess by kinetic resolution mass spectrometry has been implemented with the Desorption/Ionization On Silicon (DIOS) MS technique. Measurements can thereby be made much more rapidly than was previously possible, bringing this general methodology for screening asymmetric catalysts closer to true high-throughput status.     

A biosocial developmental model of borderline personality: Elaborating and extending linehan’s theory.

Over the past several decades, research has focused increasingly on developmental precursors to psychological disorders that were previously assumed to emerge only in adulthood. This change in focus follows from the recognition that complex transactions between biological vulnerabilities and psychosocial risk factors shape emotional and behavioral development beginning at conception. To date, however, empirical research on the development of borderline personality is extremely limited. Indeed, in the decade since M. M. Linehan initially proposed a biosocial model of the development of borderline personality disorder, there have been few attempts to test the model among at-risk youth. In this review, diverse literatures are reviewed that can inform understanding of the ontogenesis of borderline pathology, and testable hypotheses are proposed to guide future research with at-risk children and adolescents. One probable pathway is identified that leads to borderline personality disorder; it begins with early vulnerability, expressed initially as impulsivity and followed by heightened emotional sensitivity. These vulnerabilities are potentiated across development by environmental risk factors that give rise to more extreme emotional, behavioral, and cognitive dysregulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

IEEE 841 motor vibration

This article reviews the physics that cause vibration in three-phase motors and suggest methods to reduce vibration. There are two major causes of vibration in IEEE 841 motor. Unbalance vibration at IX rotational speed, vibration due to magnetic forces. Vibration in an installed motor system can be caused by numerous variables. This vibration is the result of rotor and stator forces on the bearings acting with in the system. Final attempt are made to quantify the cost of motor vibration in terms of equipment life.     

Autonomic correlates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children.

Numerous studies have revealed autonomic underarousal in conduct-disordered adolescents and antisocial adults. It is unknown, however, whether similar autonomic markers are present in at-risk preschoolers. In this study, the authors compared autonomic profiles of 4- to 6-year-old children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD; n = 18) with those of age-matched controls (n = 20). Children with ADHD and ODD exhibited fewer electrodermal responses and lengthened cardiac preejection periods at baseline and during reward. Although group differences were not found in baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia, heart rate changes among ADHD and ODD participants were mediated exclusively by parasympathetic withdrawal, with no independent sympathetic contribution. Heart rate changes among controls were mediated by both autonomic branches. These results suggest that at-risk preschoolers are autonomically similar to older externalizing children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Standard and alternative methods of stretcher carriage: performance, human factors, and cardiorespiratory responses

Transporting a casualty on a stretcher is a common task for medical and military personnel. Stretchers are usually carried by hand, but distributing the load to other parts of the body may have advantages. To examine alternative carriage methods, 11 soldiers walked on a treadmill at 4.8 km/h while performing two-person carries of a stretcher containing an 80-kg manikin. In separate trials, soldiers carried the stretcher using: (1) hand carriage, (2) shoulder straps, (3) a specially designed harness that allowed load shifting between the hips and shoulders (hip-shoulder system), and (4) a clip that fitted on the belt of standard military load carrying equipment (LCE) and placed the stretcher mass mainly on the hips. With each system, subjects walked until volitional fatigue or 30 min. While walking, expired gases and heart rates were obtained and subjects rated their perceived exertion (Borg Scale). At the conclusion of all four trials, subjects rated each system on a number of subjective measures. Results showed that average (+/- SD) carriage times were 2.7+/-1.4, 14.5+/-8.3, 25.4+/-8.1, and 21.7+/-9.9 min with the hand, shoulder, hip-shoulder and LCE systems respectively (p<0.01). Hand carriage resulted in considerably more cardiorespiratory stress (higher heart rate and minute ventilation, p<0.05) than the other three systems, but there were few consistent differences among the other three systems. Perceived exertion in the upper body was less with the hip-shoulder and LCE systems than with the other two systems (p<0.05). Subjects preferred the hip-shoulder and LCE systems overall and for specific subjective characteristics such as comfort, ease of use and stability (p<0.01). These data indicate that moving the stretcher load from the hands and placing that load on the shoulders and/or hips results in improved performance, reduced cardiorespiratory stress and favourable subjective evaluations. Further developmental work should focus on the hip-shoulder and LCE systems.     

The DC characteristics of GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolartransistors with application to device modeling

A complete DC model for the heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) is presented. The DC characteristics of the HBT are compared with the Ebers-Moll (EM) model used by conventional bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and implemented in simulation and modeling programs. It is shown that although the details of HBT operation can differ markedly from those of a BJT, a model and a parameter extraction technique can be developed which have physical meaning and are exactly compatible with the EM models widely used for BJTs. Device I- V measurements at 77 and 300 K are used to analyze the HBT physical device performance in the context of an EM model. A technique is developed to extract the device base, emitter, and collector series resistances directly from the measured I-V data without requiring an ideal exp(qV_be/kT) base current as reference. Accuracies of the extracted series resistances are assessed. AC parameters of HBT are calculated numerically from the physical device structure. For modeling purposes, these parameters are shown to be comparable with those of conventional BJTs