Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

On The Development Of Self-Control And Deviance From Preschool To Middle Adolescence, Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova

Family Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose
The study tested whether developmental changes in self-control stabilize by late childhood (age 10) or continue into early and middle adolescence. Second, it tested the bidirectional, longitudinal relationship between self-control and deviance over an 11-year period.

Methods
Children (N = 1159) from the longitudinal NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) were assessed six times, ages 4.5 to 15 years. Latent growth models tested self-control and deviance trajectories, using competing growth functions to capture change over time. The longitudinal, bidirectional self-control-deviance links were examined in a cross-lagged latent model.

Results
Findings showed that children's self-control …

“Dad, Do You Want To Play With Me?” The Impact Of Fathers Who Make Time For Play, Michael S. Sitton

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

With an increase in the pace of life in the United States, there comes a recognition of the importance of prioritizing time, especially for fathers. Of the two-thirds of children who live with their father, only a percentage of them have fathers who report regular play time with their children. However, literature in the field does not explain specifically whether or not this play between father and child influences the child’s later risk taking behaviors in high school. Using data from the 2003 Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), waves 3, 4, and 6, this quantitative study sought to …

Exploring Factors Facilitating Sexual Self-Disclosure For Women, Caitlin Marie Grasson

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Sexual Self-Disclosure is an important part of a relationship, however, often times, women do not feel it is appropriate to engage in. Specifically, many women do not disclose their sexual preferences, or what acts they do or do not find satisfying, with their partner. This lack of sexual self-disclosure keeps women from being able to have their own sexual needs met. This phenomenological study aimed to understand the factors that facilitate sexual self-disclosure for women in relationships. The participants (n=8) were women between the age of 24-30 who were in a committed sexual relationship for more than three months, but …

Factors Impacting Parental Acceptance Of An Lgbt Child, Dani E. Rosenkrantz

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Chrisler’s (2017) Theoretical Framework of Parental Reactions When a Child Comes Out as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual suggests that parental reactions to having a non-heteronormative child are impacted by a process of cognitively appraising information about their child’s identity and experiencing and coping with emotional responses, both of which are influenced by contextual factors such as a parent’s value system. However, some religious values can challenge parents in the process of accepting a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) child. The purpose of this study was to test a model that examines the influence of cognitive-affective factors (cognitive flexibility, emotional …

The Association Between Smartphone Use And Emotional Intelligence On Romantic Relationship Satisfaction Among Young Adults, Ellen Kaiser

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This study bridges the gap in the literature about the association between smartphone use and emotional intelligence on romantic relationship satisfaction. A sample of 161 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 26 at the University of Kentucky were recruited to complete an online survey about their smartphone usage, emotional intelligence, and romantic relationship satisfaction. Associations between smartphone usage and emotional intelligence, smartphone usage and romantic relationship satisfaction, and emotional intelligence and romantic relationship satisfaction were found. Specifically, productive smartphone usage was found to be positively associated with romantic relationship satisfaction, while problem smartphone usage was found to be …

Mom To Mom: Online Breastfeeding Advice, Jennifer D. Furkin

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Exploring online support groups has gained more and more popularity in the last decade. Investigating the type of support messages users send each other has broadened the already extensive social support framework built in the last forty years. Mothers utilize online support for various topics, and a very common topic is breastfeeding. The perception of breastfeeding has changed throughout history with shifting beliefs and societal norms coupled with solid facts about its importance in the sustaining of infants. Online breastfeeding support has been previously explored through the categorization of types of support and themes within the interactions. This study extended …

Pathways From Religiosity To Couple’S Satisfaction Through Relational Virtues And Equality In Two Cultures, Ilya A. Okhotnikov

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

To explore relational processes of couple’s satisfaction this study drew on the relational spirituality framework (Mahoney, 2010) in order to test a relational religiosity model to evaluate the effects of public, private, ideological, intellectual, and experiential religiosity that were mediated by relational virtues of commitment, sacrifice, forgiveness, and sanctification and relational equality on couple’s satisfaction in two cultures. Data for this component used convenience samples of English-speaking respondents (hereafter American sample; n = 1,529) and Russian-speaking respondents (hereafter Russian sample; n = 529). Results provided evidence to partially support relational religiosity model; specifically commitment, while a statistically significant intervening element, …

Hyperhomocysteinemia-Induced Gene Expression Changes In The Cell Types Of The Brain, Erica M. Weekman, Abigail E. Woolums, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Donna M. Wilcock

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

High plasma levels of homocysteine, termed hyperhomocysteinemia, are a risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, which is the second leading cause of dementia. While hyperhomocysteinemia induces microhemorrhages and cognitive decline in mice, the specific effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on each cell type remains unknown. We took separate cultures of astrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, and neuronal cells and treated each with moderate levels of homocysteine for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr. We then determined the gene expression changes for cell-specific markers and neuroinflammatory markers including the matrix metalloproteinase 9 system. Astrocytes had decreased levels of several astrocytic end feet …

Cerebrovascular Pathology In Down Syndrome And Alzheimer Disease, Elizabeth Head, Michael J. Phelan, Eric Doran, Ronald C. Kim, Wayne W. Poon, Frederick A. Schmitt, Ira T. Lott

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

People with Down syndrome (DS) are at high risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD) with age. Typically, by age 40 years, most people with DS have sufficient neuropathology for an AD diagnosis. Interestingly, atherosclerosis and hypertension are atypical in DS with age, suggesting the lack of these vascular risk factors may be associated with reduced cerebrovascular pathology. However, because the extra copy of APP leads to increased beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) accumulation in DS, we hypothesized that there would be more extensive and widespread cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) with age in DS relative to sporadic AD. To test this hypothesis CAA, …

A New Opportunity For Memri, Ryan Cloyd, Moriel H. Vandsburger, Jose F. Abisambra

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Retention Of Normal Glia Function By An Isoform-Selective Protein Kinase Inhibitor Drug Candidate That Modulates Cytokine Production And Cognitive Outcomes, Zhengqiu Zhou, Adam D. Bachstetter, Claudia B. Späni, Saktimayee M. Roy, D. Martin Watterson, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Background: Brain p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a potential therapeutic target for cognitive dysfunction based on the neuroinflammation-synaptic dysfunction cycle of pathophysiology progression, offers an innovative pharmacological strategy via inhibiting the same activated target in both glia and neurons, thereby enhancing the possibility for efficacy. The highly selective, brain-penetrant p38αMAPK inhibitor MW150 attenuates cognitive dysfunction in two distinct Alzheimer's disease (AD)-relevant models and avoids the problems encountered with previous mixed-kinase inhibitor drug candidates. Therefore, it is essential that the glial effects of this CNS-active kinase inhibitor be addressed in order to anticipate future use in clinical investigations.

Methods: …

Tuning Up The Old Brain With New Tricks: Attention Training Via Neurofeedback, Yang Jiang, Reza Abiri, Xiaopeng Zhao

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Neurofeedback (NF) is a form of biofeedback that uses real-time (RT) modulation of brain activity to enhance brain function and behavioral performance. Recent advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and cognitive training (CT) have provided new tools and evidence that NF improves cognitive functions, such as attention and working memory (WM), beyond what is provided by traditional CT. More published studies have demonstrated the efficacy of NF, particularly for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. In contrast, there have been fewer studies done in older adults with or without cognitive impairment, with some notable exceptions. The focus of this …

Rape Myth Acceptance: A Vignette Approach, Alyssa M. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The purpose of this study was to empirically examine the extent to which rape myth acceptance (RMA) varies according to four key contextual factors—race, the victim–perpetrator relationship, resistance strategies, and the decision to report—among those embedded within college and military cultures. Although sexual assault in a university context has been thoroughly investigated, it is typically in comparison to the general population that may not share the same high-risk elements that promote the environment for sexual assault. Therefore, comparisons of college, military, and a general population were sampled to better understand the attitudes that maintain RMA in these high risk environments. …

Body Image And Sex: How Women's Body Image Influences And Impacts Sexual Experiences, Sarah E. Christian

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Body image, the subjective view about one’s own body and how others perceive it, has been shown to have numerous impacts on women in multiple facets of their lives, including sexual experiences. This study seeks to examine the specific impact that body image has on women using sexual relationships for self-validation. Findings suggest that the more likely a woman is to perceive herself as overweight, the higher the chance that she seeks out sex in order to validate her feelings with regards to her body. Parental involvement and comments about the participant’s body were also shown with the woman seeking …

Arranged Marriage In Village & Middle Class India, Umang Khandpur

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

In order to ensure compatibility and future sustenance of a marriage, most people devote significant time in a preparatory phase known as dating. More time spent dating would sensibly correlate to higher marriage longevities as the partners become more acquainted with the intricacies of each other. Ironically, the countries who practice this Western ideology of marriage harbor staggering divorce-to-marriage ratios (some upwards of 60%) while those with a different concept of marriage e.g. India experience much higher marriage longevities. To illuminate this seeming paradox, multiple sources were consulted including current literature, newspaper columns, economic reports, films, television series, and personal …

Selective Suppression Of The Α Isoform Of P38 Mapk Rescues Late-Stage Tau Pathology, Nicole Maphis, Shanya Jiang, Guixiang Xu, Olga N. Kokiko-Cochran, Saktimayee M. Roy, Linda J. Van Eldik, D. Martin Watterson, Bruce T. Lamb, Kiran Bhaskar

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Background: Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau protein are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies. We previously demonstrated that the microglial activation induces tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the hTau mouse model of tauopathy that was deficient for microglial fractalkine receptor CX3CR1.

Method: We report an isoform-selective, brain-permeable, and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of p38α MAPK (MW181) and its effects on tau phosphorylation in vitro and in hTau mice.

Results: First, pretreatment of mouse primary cortical neurons with MW181 completely blocked inflammation-induced p38α MAPK activation and AT8 …

Individual And Family Protective Factors Of Intentional And Unintentional Consumption Of Online Pornography In Hong Kong, Cecilia M. S. Ma, Daniel T. L. Shek, Catie C. W. Lai

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study was to explore how positive youth development and family functioning were related to unintentional and intentional exposure to online pornography in Chinese adolescents. A total of 1401 secondary school students (mean age=12.43) participated in the study. Findings suggested that positive youth development and family functioning were associated with lower exposure to online pornography. In particular, higher levels of spirituality, social competence, mutuality and communication were associated with lower levels of both types of exposure to online pornography. Discussion focuses on the importance of promoting positive youth development and family functioning as protective factors against …

Caloric Restriction Preserves Memory And Reduces Anxiety Of Aging Mice With Early Enhancement Of Neurovascular Functions, Ishita Parikh, Janet Guo, Kai-Hsiang Chuang, Yu Zhong, Ralf G. Rempe, Jared D. Hoffman, Rachel Armstrong, Björn Bauer, Anika M. S. Hartz, Ai-Ling Lin

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Neurovascular integrity plays an important role in protecting cognitive and mental health in aging. Lifestyle interventions that sustain neurovascular integrity may thus be critical on preserving brain functions in aging and reducing the risk for age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Here we show that caloric restriction (CR) had an early effect on neurovascular enhancements, and played a critical role in preserving vascular, cognitive and mental health in aging. In particular, we found that CR significantly enhanced cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood-brain barrier function in young mice at 5-6 months of age. The neurovascular enhancements were associated with reduced mammalian target of …

Immunomodulators As Therapeutic Agents In Mitigating The Progression Of Parkinson's Disease, Bethany Grimmig, Josh Morganti, Kevin Nash, Paula C. Bickford

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that primarily afflicts the elderly. It is characterized by motor dysfunction due to extensive neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta. There are multiple biological processes that are negatively impacted during the pathogenesis of PD, and are implicated in the cell death in this region. Neuroinflammation is evidently involved in PD pathology and mitigating the inflammatory cascade has been a therapeutic strategy. Age is the number one risk factor for PD and thus needs to be considered in the context of disease pathology. Here, we discuss the role of neuroinflammation within …

Extracellular Vesicle-Associated Aβ Mediates Trans-Neuronal Bioenergetic And Ca2+-Handling Deficits In Alzheimer's Disease Models, Erez Eitan, Emmette R. Hutchison, Krisztina Marosi, James Comotto, Maja Mustapic, Saket M. Nigam, Caitlin Suire, Chinmoyee Maharana, Gregory A. Jicha, Dong Liu, Vasiliki Machairaki, Kenneth W. Witwer, Dimitrios Kapogiannis, Mark P. Mattson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder in which aggregation-prone neurotoxic amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) accumulates in the brain. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are small 50–150 nm membrane vesicles that have recently been implicated in the prion-like spread of self-aggregating proteins. Here we report that EVs isolated from AD patient cerebrospinal fluid and plasma, from the plasma of two AD mouse models, and from the medium of neural cells expressing familial AD presenilin 1 mutations, destabilize neuronal Ca²⁺ homeostasis, impair mitochondrial function, and sensitize neurons to excitotoxicity. EVs contain a relatively low amount of Aβ but have an …

Reduced Efficacy Of Anti-AΒ Immunotherapy In A Mouse Model Of Amyloid Deposition And Vascular Cognitive Impairment Comorbidity, Erica M. Weekman, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Carly N. Caverly, Timothy J. Kopper, Oliver W. Phillips, David K. Powell, Donna M. Wilcock

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is the second most common form of dementia behind Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is estimated that 40% of AD patients also have some form of VCID. One promising therapeutic for AD is anti-Aβ immunotherapy, which uses antibodies against Aβ to clear it from the brain. While successful in clearing Aβ and improving cognition in mice, anti-Aβ immunotherapy failed to reach primary cognitive outcomes in several different clinical trials. We hypothesized that one potential reason the anti-Aβ immunotherapy clinical trials were unsuccessful was due to this high percentage of VCID …

Opportunities And Challenges In Incorporating Ancillary Studies Into A Cancer Prevention Randomized Clinical Trial, Phyllis J. Goodman, Catherine M. Tangen, Amy K. Darke, Kathryn B. Arnold, Joann Hartline, Monica Yee, Karen Anderson, Allison Caban-Holt, William G. Christen, Patricia A Cassano, Peter Lance, Eric A. Klein, John J. Crowley, Lori M. Minasian, Frank L. Meyskens

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Background: The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prostate cancer prevention study funded by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by SWOG (Southwest Oncology Group). A total of 35,533 men were assigned randomly to one of four treatment groups (vitamin E + placebo, selenium + placebo, vitamin E + selenium, placebo + placebo). At the time of the trial’s development, NIH had invested substantial resources in evaluating the potential benefits of these antioxidants. To capitalize on the knowledge gained from following a large cohort of healthy, aging males on the effects of selenium …

Mtor: Alzheimer's Disease Prevention For Apoe4 Carriers, Ai-Ling Lin, D. Allan Butterfield, Arlan Richardson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

1H-Mrs Metabolites In Adults With Down Syndrome: Effects Of Dementia, Ai-Ling Lin, David Powell, Allison Caban-Holt, Gregory A. Jicha, William C. Robertson, Brian T. Gold, Roberta Davis, Erin L. Abner, Donna M. Wilcock, Frederick A. Schmitt, Elizabeth Head

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

To determine if proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) detect differences in dementia status in adults with Down syndrome (DS), we used ¹H-MRS to measure neuronal and glial metabolites in the posterior cingulate cortex in 22 adults with DS and in 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We evaluated associations between ¹H-MRS results and cognition among DS participants. Neuronal biomarkers, including N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and glutamate-glutamine complex (Glx), were significantly lower in DS patients with Alzheimer's should probably be changed to Alzheimer (without ' or s) through ms as per the new naming standard disease (DSAD) when …

Interaction Of Tau With The Rna-Binding Protein Tia1 Regulates Tau Pathophysiology And Toxicity, Tara Vanderweyde, Daniel J. Apicco, Katherine Youmans-Kidder, Peter E. A. Ash, Casey Cook, Edroaldo Lummertz Da Rocha, Karen Jansen-West, Alissa A. Frame, Allison Citro, John D. Leszyk, Pavel Ivanov, Jose F. Abisambra, Martin Steffen, Hu Li, Leonard Petrucelli, Benjamin Wolozin

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Dendritic mislocalization of microtubule associated protein tau is a hallmark of tauopathies, but the role of dendritic tau is unknown. We now report that tau interacts with the RNA-binding protein (RBP) TIA1 in brain tissue, and we present the brain-protein interactome network for TIA1. Analysis of the TIA1 interactome in brain tissue from wild-type (WT) and tau knockout mice demonstrates that tau is required for normal interactions of TIA1 with proteins linked to RNA metabolism, including ribosomal proteins and RBPs. Expression studies show that tau regulates the distribution of TIA1, and tau accelerates stress granule (SG) formation. Conversely, TIA1 knockdown …

Plasma Neuronal Exosomal Levels Of Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers In Normal Aging, Erin L. Abner, Gregory A. Jicha, Leslie M. Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Edward J. Goetzl

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Plasma neuronal exosomal levels of pathogenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) proteins, cellular survival factors, and lysosomal proteins distinguish AD patients from control subjects, but changes in these exosomal proteins associated with normal aging have not been described for cognitively intact subjects. Plasma neuronal exosomal levels of P-T181-tau, P-S396-tau, Aβ_1-42, cathepsin D, repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor, and neurogranin were quantified longitudinally in cognitively intact older adults using two samples collected at 3- to 11-year intervals. Except for P-S396-tau, exosomal protein levels changed significantly with aging, but were largely outside the range observed in AD patients.

Transnational Ties Within Azorean Multigenerational Kinship Groups: Multi-Connectedness And Icts, Ana Gherghel, Josiane Le Gall

disClosure: A Journal of Social Theory

This article analyzes the influence of ICTs use on transnational connections and on their perpetuation over time within multigenerational kinship groups dispersed in several countries. Evidence from a multi-sited ethnographic research dedicated to migration from the Azores archipelago (Portugal) to the province of Quebec (Canada) provides information about factors explaining transnational practice over several decades. Our data indicate an overall intensification of transnational contacts due to increasing accessibility of new technologies. However, this process takes place in a family environment characterized by multi-connectedness, a capacity to maintain multiple active ties with siblings living in various countries and using multiple modalities. …

The Tnfα-Transgenic Rat: Hippocampal Synaptic Integrity, Cognition, Function, And Post-Ischemic Cell Loss, L. Creed Pettigrew, Richard J. Kryscio, Christopher M. Norris

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), is a key regulator of neuroinflammation linked to numerous neurodegenerative conditions and diseases. The present study used transgenic rats that overexpress a murine TNFα gene, under the control of its own promoter, to investigate the impact of chronically elevated TNFα on hippocampal synaptic function. Neuronal viability and cognitive recovery in TNFα Tg rats were also determined following an ischemic insult arising from reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Basal CA3-CA1 synaptic strength, recorded in acute brain slices, was not significantly different between eight-week-old TNFα Tg rats and non-Tg rats. In contrast, slices from …

Mw151 Inhibited Il-1Β Levels After Traumatic Brain Injury With No Effect On Microglia Physiological Responses, Adam D. Bachstetter, Zhengqiu Zhou, Rachel K. Rowe, Bin Xing, Danielle S. Goulding, Alyssa N. Conley, Pradoldej Sompol, Shelby Meier, Jose F. Abisambra, Jonathan Lifshitz, D. Martin Watterson, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

A prevailing neuroinflammation hypothesis is that increased production of proinflammatory cytokines contributes to progressive neuropathology, secondary to the primary damage caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In support of the hypothesis, post-injury interventions that inhibit the proinflammatory cytokine surge can attenuate the progressive pathology. However, other post-injury neuroinflammatory responses are key to endogenous recovery responses. Therefore, it is critical that pharmacological attenuation of detrimental or dysregulated neuroinflammatory processes avoid pan-suppression of inflammation. MW151 is a CNS-penetrant, small molecule experimental therapeutic that restores injury- or disease-induced overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines towards homeostasis without immunosuppression. Post-injury administration of MW151 in a …

AΒ40 Reduces P-Glycoprotein At The Blood-Brain Barrier Through The Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway, Anika M. S. Hartz, Yu Zhong, Andrea Wolf, Harry Levine Iii, David S. Miller, Björn Bauer

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Failure to clear amyloid-β (Aβ) from the brain is in part responsible for Aβ brain accumulation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A critical protein for clearing Aβ across the blood–brain barrier is the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the luminal plasma membrane of the brain capillary endothelium. P-gp is reduced at the blood–brain barrier in AD, which has been shown to be associated with Aβ brain accumulation. However, the mechanism responsible for P-gp reduction in AD is not well understood. Here we focused on identifying critical mechanistic steps involved in reducing P-gp in AD. We …