Specialization in Habitat Use by Coral Reef Damselfishes and Their Susceptibility to Habitat Loss.

Specialization in habitat use by coral reef damselfishes and their susceptibility to habitat loss.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Ecol Evol. 2012 Sep; 2(9): 2168-80
Pratchett MS, Coker DJ, Jones GP, Munday PL

While it is generally assumed that specialist species are more vulnerable to disturbance compared with generalist counterparts, this has rarely been tested in coastal marine ecosystems, which are increasingly subject to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Habitat specialists are expected to be more vulnerable to habitat loss because habitat availability exerts a greater limitation on population size, but it is also possible that specialist species may escape effects of disturbance if they use habitats that are generally resilient to disturbance. This study quantified specificity in use of different coral species by six coral-dwelling damselfishes (Chromis viridis, C. atripectoralis, Dascyllus aruanus, D. reticulatus, Pomacentrus moluccensis, and P. amboinensis) and related habitat specialization to proportional declines in their abundance following habitat degradation caused by outbreaks of the coral eating starfish, Acanthaster planci. The coral species preferred by most coral-dwelling damselfishes (e.g., Pocillopora damicornis) were frequently consumed by coral eating crown-of-thorns starfish, such that highly specialized damselfishes were disproportionately affected by coral depletion, despite using a narrower range of different coral species. Vulnerability of damselfishes to this disturbance was strongly correlated with both their reliance on corals and their degree of habitat specialization. Ongoing disturbances to coral reef ecosystems are expected, therefore, to lead to fundamental shifts in the community structure of fish communities where generalists are favored over highly specialist species.
HubMed – eating

 

A culturally specific dietary plan to manage weight gain among African American breast cancer survivors: A feasibility study.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Nutr Health. 2012 Nov 7;
Griffith KA, Royak-Schaler R, Nesbitt K, Zhan M, Kozlovsky A, Hurley K, Pelser C, Rak Tkaczuk KH, Ryan AS

Breast cancer survival rates are lower in African Americans (AAs) than in Caucasians, owing in part to a higher prevalence of obesity in the former, which increases the risk of recurrence and mortality. The Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) found that Caucasian women who followed a low-fat eating plan experienced a lower rate of cancer recurrence than women who maintained their usual diets. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a WINS plan tailored to the cultural needs of AA breast cancer survivors. This feasibility pilot study was conducted at a university National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center outpatient clinic with AA breast cancer survivors. The culturally specific WINS (WINS-c) plan included eight individual counseling sessions, five educational group meetings, and follow-up telephone calls over a 1-year period. Outcome measures included dietary fat, triglyceride, insulin and glucose levels, and fruit and vegetable intake. Participants (n = 8) had a mean age of 61.1 years (standard error of the mean (SEM) 3.1 years) and a mean BMI of 32 kg/m2(SEM 4.25 kg/m)2. Baseline daily fat consumption decreased from 64.6 g (range 36.8-119.6g) to 44.0 g (21.6-73.4g) at 52 weeks (p = 0.07). Mean daily consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by 36% and 15%, respectively. Mean triglyceride levels decreased at 12 months (p < 0.05). Sustained hyperinsulinemia was noted in most participants, including those without diabetes. Mean calcium and vitamin D consumption decreased over the 1-year study period. In AA breast cancer survivors, the WINS-c program resulted in a trend toward reduced fat consumption and may represent a sustainable approach in this population for improvement of diet quality after breast cancer. HubMed – eating

 

Assessing the effectiveness of intuitive eating for weight loss – pilot study.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Nutr Health. 2012 Nov 7;
Anglin JC

The obesity epidemic is widely recognized as a major public health issue resulting in chronic diseases. Calorie restriction (CR) is frequently used for most weight loss programs. The intuitive eating (IE) approach uses an individual’s response to internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite and replaces CR. The study was a randomized controlled trial with two groups that assessed the anthropometric measurements of obese adults using CR and IE to achieve weight loss . The participants were sedentary obese individuals with no history of chronic diseases. They engaged in physical activity three times per week for 30 minutes and recorded their daily food intake in a food diary. Instructions were given for the CR and IE at the start and midpoint of the study. The duration of the study was 6 weeks. Weight and waist circumference were measured and body mass index calculated. total weight loss was significantly (p=0.03) lower in the CR group than in the IE group. The CR group lost weight consistently throughout the study, whereas weight loss in the IE group was significantly less at the endpoint than at the midpoint. Calorie restriction is a superior approach to weight management than IE.
HubMed – eating

 

Structured Type 1 Diabetes Education Delivered Within Routine Care: Impact on Glycemic Control and Diabetes-Specific Quality of Life.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Diabetes Care. 2012 Nov 8;
Cooke D, Bond R, Lawton J, Rankin D, Heller S, Clark M, Speight J,

OBJECTIVETo determine whether improvements in glycemic control and diabetes-specific quality of life (QoL) scores reported in research studies for the type 1 diabetes structured education program Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) are also found when the intervention is delivered within routine U.K. health care.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSBefore and after evaluation of DAFNE to assess impact on glycemic control and QoL among 262 adults with type 1 diabetes.RESULTSThere were significant improvements in hemoglobin A(1c) from baseline to 6 and 12 months (from 9.1 to 8.6 and 8.8%, respectively) in a subgroup with suboptimal control. QoL was significantly improved by 3 months and maintained at both follow-up points.CONCLUSIONSLonger term improved glycemic control and QoL is achievable among adults with type 1 diabetes through delivery of structured education in routine care, albeit with smaller effect sizes than reported in trials.
HubMed – eating

 

Embryo fetal Development Studies in Nonhuman Primates.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Methods Mol Biol. 2013; 947: 169-83
Fuchs A, Buse E, Weinbauer GF

Embryo fetal development (EFD) studies in nonhuman primates are frequently conducted in macaques with Macaca fascicularis (cynomolgus monkey, long-tailed macaque, crab-eating macaque) being the most accepted model. EFD studies are also feasible in the marmoset. Due to recent guideline changes (ICH M3(R2) and S6(R1)), EFD studies are largely confined to conventional pharmaceutical compounds rather than biopharmaceuticals. This chapter describes basic study designs and provides working protocols for collecting, processing, and staining fetuses, including collection of amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood. The chapter also covers the examination and terminology for external, visceral, and skeletal examinations of fetuses. The species covered in this chapter are cynomolgus monkey (long-tailed macaque) and marmoset monkey.
HubMed – eating

 

Find More Eating Disorders Information…