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OBJECTIVE: Our main objective was to evaluate the relationship between Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) and dental arch characteristics. Specifically, we explored the relationship between maxillary constriction and SDB in children aged 3 to 18. METHODS: In this case control study, a retrospective review of data was collected over 4 years (2013-2017) was conducted. The data was obtained from a larger ongoing observational study on sleep disturbances in children aged 3 to 18 in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Based on parents’ responses in a brief sleep-screening questionnaire, the case group included children with disturbed sleep and the control group included children without any sleep disturbances. Parents of the participating children also completed a detailed questionnaire that collected information on participants’ demographics and sleep patterns. A thorough clinical examination was conducted which consisted of intra-oral and extra-oral examinations that assessed the facial profile, breathing patterns, skeletal and dental classifications, crossbite and transverse maxillary arch. Statistical analysis was conducted to explore differences in the presence of maxillary constriction among children with and without sleep disturbances. RESULTS: Among the sample of 134 subjects, the prevalence of SDB was 33.5%. Snoring and heavy breathing during sleep were significantly higher among children with SDB compared to children without SDB (p<0.001 and p<0.002 respectively). The prevalence of maxillary constriction with or without cross bite among all subjects was 20.9%. Children with SDB had a lower prevalence of maxillary constriction (17%) when compared to children without SDB (22%) (p = 0.81). CONCLUSION: There were no differences in the presence of maxillary constriction between children with SDB and children without SDB in this study. Therefore, there was insufficient statistical evidence in this study to support that the presence of constricted palate as a risk factor for SDB. Larger studies with accurate clinical measurements of the palatal constriction may help to further explore the correlation between maxillary constriction and SDB.

Personality traits, such as neuroticism, perfectionism, and a narrow self-concept have been identified as risk factors for eating disorders or have been found at higher rates in those with eating disorders (e.g., Brannan & Petrie, 2008; Cash & Deagle, 1997; Cervera et al., 2003). Musicians exhibit many of these personality traits associated with eating disorders (e.g., Kemp, 1981), however eating disorder prevalence has not been studied in musicians. The present study examined the prevalence of eating disorders and pathogenic weight control behaviors among college music majors. This study also compared personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, perfectionism, musician identity) between music majors and nonmajors and examined which personality traits best predicted bulimic symptomatology. Participants were 93 female and 126 male undergraduate students majoring in music and a nonmusician comparison group of 310 women 140 men from the same university. Music majors and nonmajors did not differ from each other with regards to eating disorder prevalence rates. Exercising and fasting/strict dieting were the primary means of weight control amongst all participants. With regards to personality traits, female and male music majors reported higher levels of perfectionism than their nonmajor counterparts and male music majors reported higher levels of neuroticism than male nonmajors. After controlling for BMI, neuroticism and doubts about actions predicted bulimic symptoms in female music majors, whereas concern over mistakes predicted bulimic symptomatology among men majoring in music. Findings suggest that any additional appearance-based pressures from the music environment do not translate into increased levels of eating pathology. Music majors higher levels of perfectionism and neuroticism may help them to succeed within the music and perform at a high level. Lastly, personality dimensions of neuroticism and concern over making mistakes predict disordered eating in all students.

M.A. (Psychology) / The purpose of this study was to determine whether an improvement in the self-efficacy for social situations in children with minimal brain-dysfunction would lead to an improvement in their social behavior. For this purpose a scale was constructed and validated for the assessment of self-efficacy in social situations. Fifty children with minimal brain-dysfunction, selected according to certain criteria, were then divided into an experimental and control group ...

Evidence suggests that the transition to postsecondary may be an important period of risk for engagement in disordered eating (DE). DE has been demonstrated to fluctuate and change course over time, however, very little research has examined factors that underlie these changes in DE. Higher negative urgency has been associated with elevated DE frequency, and preliminary evidence suggests that negative urgency may change concurrently with DE symptoms. Moreover, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS), are all associated with DE engagement, implicating an important role for negative affect in DE engagement. Despite this evidence, there is a paucity of literature examining the association between negative urgency and DE frequency over time, and how acute negative emotional states may moderate this relationship. The current study aimed to address this research gap by examining the association between negative urgency and DE frequency over time, and if symptoms of DAS moderate this relationship. It was hypothesized that DE frequency and negative urgency would share a significantly coupled relationship, and that symptoms of DAS would significantly moderate this relationship. Specifically, negative urgency would be more strongly coupled with DE frequency when DAS symptoms were high, as compared to when DAS symptoms were low. Two cohorts of first year undergraduate students (N = 645) completed monthly self-reports of negative urgency, symptoms of DAS, and DE frequency over their first two semesters of post-secondary study (7 months total). Multilevel Models revealed that indeed negative urgency and DE frequency share a statistically significant coupled relationship over time (p < .001), and that depressive symptoms moderate this relationship (p < .001) such that the coupled association between negative urgency and DE frequency was strengthened by depression. The current study is the first to examine how negative urgency and DE frequency co-vary over time and how negative affect moderates this association. The results illuminate the importance of considering interactions between established risk factors and negative emotional states in the engagement and frequency of DE behaviours, and offers preliminary insight into correlates of change in DE frequency over time. / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-103).

Disordered states of proteins include the biologically functional intrinsically disordered proteins and the unfolded states of folded proteins which are important for protein folding and stability. Just as solving the structures of folded proteins has been extremely valuable in understanding their functions and properties, obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the structural characteristics of disordered states at a molecular level is crucial. The focus of this thesis is on combining experimental data with computational methods in order to probe the structural characteristics of disordered states at a molecular level. I developed a new method that combines different chemical shifts into a single residue-specific secondary structure propensity (SSP) score which I used to compare fractional secondary structure in alpha- and gamma-synuclein. Significant differences between the two suggested that gamma-synuclein might be protected from fibrillation due to increased helical propensity. I also introduced a new method for calculating residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) from disordered state ensembles by calculating local alignment tensors for short protein fragments. Using this method, I was able to predict experimental RDCs from statistical coil models containing far fewer structures than when global alignment is used, demonstrating that RDCs in disordered proteins are primarily determined by local structure. Finally, I made major improvements to the ENSEMBLE program which is used for calculating structural models of disordered states. I utilized large amounts of experimental data in order to calculate ensemble models of the Drosophila drkN SH3 domain unfolded state. Although highly heterogeneous and having broad molecular size distributions, the calculated ensembles have very different properties than expected for random or statistical coils and possess significant non-native alpha-helical structure and both native-like and non-native tertiary structure. This has significant implications for our understanding of the structural properties of protein disordered states in general.

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The purpose of this study is to confirm whether or not group counseling improves the self-concept and associated behaviors in Black American adolescents who are assessed to be conduct disordered. The instruments utilized in the study are the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Devereux Adolescent Behavior Rating Scale. Twenty (20) subjects were randomly selected from a population of behavior disordered adolescents. Ten (10) subjects were randomly placed in control and ten (10) experimental groups. The study was implemented by two counselors employed by the community agency conducting the study. Two (2) hypotheses were examined in this study. Analysis of Covariance was used to analyze the data. The variables selected for the study included the following: Positive Score-Identity, Moral-Ethical Self, Personal Self, Total Positive Score, Unethical Behavior, Defiant-Resistive, Poor Emotional Control and Inability Defiant-Resistive, Poor Emotional Control and Inability to Delay. The two null hypotheses were rejected and were significant at the p<.05 level indicating a significant difference between the control and experimental groups. The results of this study supported the hypotheses that Black American conduct disordered adolescents who received group counseling will have significantly higher self-concept and behavioral profiles than adolescents who do not receive such counseling. The utilization of this counseling modality can improve the behaviors of Black American adolescents who have conduct disorders.