Claremont Colleges
University of Massachusetts Medical School
University of Colorado, Boulder
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
The University of Western Ontario
University of Pennsylvania
College of William and Mary
University of Iowa
Towards A Better Understanding Of Temporomandibular Disorder,
2019
MIssouri State University
Towards A Better Understanding Of Temporomandibular Disorder, Jessica R. Cox
MSU Graduate Theses
Results from the OPPERA study provided evidence that risk factors such as neck muscle tension, prolonged jaw opening, and female gender increase the likelihood of developing temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD), which are prevalent, debilitating orofacial pain conditions. Peripheral and central sensitization, which mediate a lowering of the stimulus required for pain signaling, are implicated in the underlying pathology of chronic TMJD. The goal of my study was to investigate cellular changes in the expression of proteins associated with the development of central sensitization. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with complete Freund’s adjuvant in the upper trapezius muscles to promote ...
The 5-Ht1a-R Knockout Mouse As A Model Of Later Life Anxiety Disorders: Implications For Sex Differences,
2019
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
The 5-Ht1a-R Knockout Mouse As A Model Of Later Life Anxiety Disorders: Implications For Sex Differences, Tatyana Budylin
All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Anxiety affects nearly twice as many women as it affects men across all cultures and economic groups. Importantly, girls have a higher chance of inheriting anxiety disorders than boys, and many anxiety disorders appear at a very young age. However, little is known about sex differences in brain and behavioral development and how they relate to anxiety in adulthood. Serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A-R) mediated signaling has been implicated in depression and anxiety, however most studies that focus on the involvement of the 5-HT1A-R have been conducted in adults. Little is known about how the 5-HT1A ...
Interhemispheric Communication And Lateralization In The Mouse Hippocampus,
2019
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Interhemispheric Communication And Lateralization In The Mouse Hippocampus, Jake Jordan
All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The hippocampus is essential for memory and spatial navigation. Many theories have been proposed to explain how the hippocampus contributes to cognition; however, none has fully explained relevant neurophysiological and behavioral data. Hemispheric lateralization of hippocampal function has been reported in humans and in rodents, and lateralization of hippocampal neural circuitry has been reported in rodents. Most theories of hippocampal function fail to consider the hippocampus as a bilateral structure with hemispheric differences. Further, proposed theories of hippocampal lateralization have their own limitations in explaining empirical data concerning left/right function. Little is known about communication between the hippocampi across ...
The Effect Of Cysteine-Reactive Catechol Antioxidants On Alcohol Dehydrogenase As A Model For Oxidative Stress In Neurodegenerative Disease,
2019
William & Mary
The Effect Of Cysteine-Reactive Catechol Antioxidants On Alcohol Dehydrogenase As A Model For Oxidative Stress In Neurodegenerative Disease, Rachel Smith
Undergraduate Honors Theses
The cellular mechanisms underlying age-related neurodegeneration, especially in disease states, are poorly understood. Oxidative stress has been heavily implicated as one factor both produced by and contributing to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, it can destroy a cell’s ability to produce energy through aerobic and anaerobic respiration, thus leading to the death of individual cells and brain tissues as a whole. This study focuses on the relationship between oxidative stress and energy production in disease states. In particular, we examine the ability of catechol molecules to take on pro-oxidative properties and modify ...
Modeling Changes In Cellular Micro-Environment In Mild To Moderate Head Trauma,
2019
CUNY New York City College of Technology
Modeling Changes In Cellular Micro-Environment In Mild To Moderate Head Trauma, Xiangfu Zhang, Subhendra N. Sarkar Phd, Rt
Publications and Research
Our work aims to connect and model multiple small, inter-related tissue injuries as a consequence of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI). It has been shown that frontal and temporal lobes are vulnerable regions for brain traumatic injury. A brain injury from a blow or high-speed impact can cause undersurface of the frontal and temporal lobes to deform against the anterior and cranial fossae. This deformation can often trigger damage to the cerebral vasculature, which is ill-understood and can result in chronic damage to larger vessels over time. These physiological injuries can be manifested psychologically; such as patients’ sleep-wake disturbances. The ...
A Hidden Markov Factor Analysis Framework For Seizure Detection In Epilepsy Patients,
2019
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
A Hidden Markov Factor Analysis Framework For Seizure Detection In Epilepsy Patients, Mahboubeh Madadi
Theses and Dissertations
Approximately 1% of the world population suffers from epilepsy. Continuous long-term electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring is the gold-standard for recording epileptic seizures and assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with epilepsy. Detection of seizure from the recorded EEG is a laborious, time consuming and expensive task. In this study, we propose an automated seizure detection framework to assist electroencephalographers and physicians with identification of seizures in recorded EEG signals. In addition, an automated seizure detection algorithm can be used for treatment through automatic intervention during the seizure activity and on time triggering of the injection of a radiotracer to ...
Effect Of Ethanol Withdrawal On Dunce Gene Expression And Learning In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
Carroll College
Effect Of Ethanol Withdrawal On Dunce Gene Expression And Learning In Drosophila Melanogaster, Dylan Jones, Nolan Hofstee, Alex Skoulis
Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival
The purpose of this experiment was to test whether ethanol withdrawal inhibits short-term memory in Drosophila melanogaster. Prior research has shown that Drosophila who have experienced withdrawal from ethanol display an inability to associate a positive odorant with the negative response of a heat shock. For this experiment, it was hypothesized that these effects are due to a malfunction in cAMP Phosphodiesterase formation, which causes a buildup of cAMP and impairs intracellular neuronal cell signaling. This hypothesis was tested by measuring short-term memory formation and expression of the Dunce gene in Drosophila that experienced ethanol withdrawal. The dunce gene was ...
Effects Of E-Cigarette Vapor On Dalpha7 Gene Expression In Adult Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
Carroll College
Effects Of E-Cigarette Vapor On Dalpha7 Gene Expression In Adult Drosophila Melanogaster, Roma Seal, Bella Maag
Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival
While it is commonly known that there are many negative effects of nicotine on humans, the effects of nicotine specifically from vapor produced by Electric Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes), have not yet been determined. In this study, students test to see if a gene specifically related to nicotine addiction in both fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and humans is expressed upon exposure to E-Cigarette vapor. Furthermore, students will test to determine if exposure to E-Cigarette vapor has a deleterious effect on the motor function of flies; as similar studies using nicotine alone have concluded. In this study, students will focus on the expression ...
Effect Of Lead Exposure On Drosophila Melanogaster And Expression Of The Neru Gene,
2019
Carroll College
Effect Of Lead Exposure On Drosophila Melanogaster And Expression Of The Neru Gene, Vanessa Rodriguez, Michael Larsen
Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival
Lead is a common environmental toxin that has been shown to have various negative effects on human health including developmental delays, seizures, and high blood pressure. In this study, we wanted to test the effect of lead exposure on neural development and mobility in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. More specifically, we looked at the expression of the Neuralized gene, which is involved in the process of neural development, and at larval crawling. We hypothesized that exposing Drosophila larvae to lead salt would decrease both expressions of the Neur gene and larval mobility. To test our hypothesis, the experimental group ...
Effect Of High Fat/High Sugar Diets On Fruitless Gene Expression And Copulatory Behavior In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
Carroll College
Effect Of High Fat/High Sugar Diets On Fruitless Gene Expression And Copulatory Behavior In Drosophila Melanogaster, Megan Bousliman, Jacob Meek
Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival
A diet high in fat has been shown to cause Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and different types of Cancer in humans. In the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, a diet high in fat and sugar has been shown to decrease sexual functioning significantly. The fruitless gene in Drosophila is a neuronal gene that codes for a transcription factor whose functional role is to control the mating ability of male fruit flies. Through our research, we attempted to answer the question: Does a diet high in fat and sugar change sexual functioning in Drosophila - and is this change caused by decreased expression of ...
Effect Of Ethanol On The Hangover Gene And Synaptic Growth In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
Carroll College
Effect Of Ethanol On The Hangover Gene And Synaptic Growth In Drosophila Melanogaster, Christopher Genin, Benjamin Mcfarland
Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival
In this project, we aimed to answer the question: ‘How will the development of synaptic growth in the neuromuscular junction and expression of the hangover gene in Drosophila melanogaster be affected by ethanol exposure?’ Exposure to ethanol is significant to the hangover gene (hang) because, among numerous other stressors, hang pertains to rapid ethanol tolerance through a cellular stress pathway. The early development of neuromuscular junctions is also regulated by the expression of hang. It was hypothesized that exposure of Drosophila larvae to ethanol would increase expression of the hangover gene and decrease their mobility due to stunted synaptic growth ...
Pesticides And Parkinson's: An Investigation Of The Effect Of Roundup Exposure On Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
Carroll College
Pesticides And Parkinson's: An Investigation Of The Effect Of Roundup Exposure On Drosophila Melanogaster, Siobhan O'Neill
Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival
From commercial farms to private households, Roundup is the most commonly used herbicide in the United States. In recent years, exposure to Roundup has been correlated with a variety of health problems including Celiac Disease, birth defects, kidney and liver diseases, Alzheimer's Disease, and Parkinson's Disease. To date, the use of Roundup has been banned or restricted in several foreign countries, including the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Italy, because it has been classified as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization. The goal of this research was to determine the effects of Roundup exposure on dopaminergic neurons ...
Circadian Rhythmicity And Neurodevelopment Of Disco And Grim Mutations In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Circadian Rhythmicity And Neurodevelopment Of Disco And Grim Mutations In Drosophila Melanogaster, John Patrick Story
EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement
The death gene grim and its pathway for apoptosis has been studied extensively in Drosophila Melanogaster. The effects of grim mutations on circadian neurodevelopment and locomotor assays have yet to be investigated. Mutations in the gene disconnected (disco) has been shown to disrupt the normal development of the circadian circuitry, specifically the small ventro-lateral neurons (s-LNv’s). Which has shown to severely decrease rhythmicity during free-running periods. Alternatively, we have observed an increase in rhythmicity during free-running periods in grim mutations. Our goal is to investigate the neurodevelopment of the circadian circuitry and their associated locomotor activities in these Drosophila ...
Development Of An Intrahippocampal Kindling Model Of Epilepsy,
2019
Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut
Development Of An Intrahippocampal Kindling Model Of Epilepsy, Carter F. Jones
Senior Theses and Projects
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects about 1% of the global population. This debilitating condition is associated with overexcitation and ineffective inhibition of neuronal pathways in the brain causing serious and a diverse set of symptoms, most prominently seizures. While some antiepileptic drug (AED) regimes have been proven to be effective in treating this condition, there are many cases where the drugs do not do enough. The ketogenic diet (KD) has been used for decades as an effective anticonvulsant. Its powerful and natural processes result in some patients becoming seizure-free. Sometimes, these patients remain free of seizures even after ...
Effects Of Chronic Ethanol Exposure On Stress Coping Style And Genetic States Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio),
2019
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Effects Of Chronic Ethanol Exposure On Stress Coping Style And Genetic States Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Alexander Goodman
Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Neurotransmitter systems are important in regulating the stress response. If a behavioral response is disproportional to a stressor it is characterized as anxiety-like behavior. Many anxiolytic compounds, such as ethanol, increase stressor engagement, but how these compounds interact with an organism on a neurogenetic level is less understood. In this study, I assessed the impact of chronic ethanol treatment on behavior and gene expression of GABAAreceptors subunits on two strains of zebrafish. Each strain was selectively bred to display the proactive or reactive stress coping style where proactive individuals will actively engage a stressor more than reactive individuals ...
Investigating Comt Influence On The Proactive-Reactive Stress Coping Axis In Zebrafish,
2019
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Investigating Comt Influence On The Proactive-Reactive Stress Coping Axis In Zebrafish, Sean T. Bresnahan, Ryan Y. Wong
Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Individuals of the same species often display differences in correlated suites of behaviors which are made conspicuous when challenges – stressful, fear-inducing, etc. – are presented. In many species, a specific suite of behaviors (risk-aversion, aggression, exploration, learning, and memory) characterize an alternative set of stress coping styles (proactive and reactive). Such behaviors are regulated in the brain by specific neurotransmitters along with proteins that regulate them. One neurotransmitter regulator protein, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) shows higher baseline whole-brain expression in proactive relative to reactive animals. However, it is not known whether its expression is a cause or a consequence of the stress coping ...
The Integration Of Multiple Sources Of Sonic Hedgehog In The Spinal Cord Contribute To The Production Of First-Born Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Which Become Critical For Synapse Remodeling In Response To Adult Motor Neuron Injury,
2019
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
The Integration Of Multiple Sources Of Sonic Hedgehog In The Spinal Cord Contribute To The Production Of First-Born Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Which Become Critical For Synapse Remodeling In Response To Adult Motor Neuron Injury, Lev Starikov
All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) arise sequentially first from a ventral and then from a dorsal precursor domain during spinal cord development. Whether the sequential production of OPCs is of physiological significance has not been examined. Here I show that interrupting Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling originating from nascent ventricular zone derivatives (VZD), motor neurons and the lateral floor plate, almost completely blocks ventral but not dorsal oligodendrogenesis without noticeably affecting early tissue patterning and embryonic development. In the absence of ventral OPCs, dorsal OPCs increase proliferation and populate the entire spinal cord with increased density. In these mutant mice, dOPCs take ...
Development Of Gelatin And Graphene-Based Nerve Regeneration Conduits Using 3d Printing Strategies For Electrical Transdifferentiation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells,
2019
Iowa State University
Development Of Gelatin And Graphene-Based Nerve Regeneration Conduits Using 3d Printing Strategies For Electrical Transdifferentiation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Metin Uz, Maxsam Donta, Meryem Mededovic, Donald S. Sakaguchi, Surya Mallapragada
Chemical and Biological Engineering Publications
In this study, gelatin and graphene-based nerve regeneration conduits/scaffolds possessing tailored 3D microstructures and mechanical properties were fabricated using 3D printing. The effect of 3D conduit microstructure and mechanical properties along with the applied electrical stimuli on mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) behavior and transdifferentiation into Schwann cell (SC)-like phenotypes were investigated. The results indicated that the gelatin conduits/scaffolds had favorable 3D microstructural and mechanical properties for MSC attachment and growth. Immunocytochemistry results demonstrated that the application of electrical stimuli through the conductive graphene within the gelatin-based 3D microstructure had a profound effect on the differentiation of MSCs ...
(+)-Naltrexone Effects On Anhedonia-Like Symptoms In A Low-Dose Model Of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (Eae),
2019
University of Colorado Boulder
(+)-Naltrexone Effects On Anhedonia-Like Symptoms In A Low-Dose Model Of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (Eae), Eric H. Mitten
Undergraduate Honors Theses
The demyelinating and inflammatory disorder multiple sclerosis (MS) primarily causes paralysis. However, MS also causes secondary symptoms, including: chronic pain, memory deficits, and depression. Work in our lab has shown that antagonism of toll-like 2/4 receptors with (+)-naltrexone ([+]-NTX) can reverse chronic pain and memory deficits in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rat model of MS. We thus hypothesized that (+)-NTX would also reverse the expression of anhedonia, a symptom of depression defined as an inability to experience pleasure, as measured by saccharin preference testing within EAE. Four separate cohorts of male Dark Agouti and Sprague Dawley rats were ...
The Effects Of A Ketone Body On Synaptic Transmission,
2019
University of Kentucky
The Effects Of A Ketone Body On Synaptic Transmission, Alexandra Elizabeth Stanback
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
The ketogenic diet is commonly used to control epilepsy, especially in cases when medications cannot. The diet typically consists of high fat, low carb, and adequate protein and produces a metabolite called acetoacetate. Seizure activity is characterized by glutamate excitotoxicity and therefore glutamate regulation is a point of research for control of these disorders. Acetoacetate is heavily implicated as the primary molecule responsible for decreasing glutamate in the synapse; it is believed that acetoacetate interferes with the transport of glutamate into the synaptic vesicles. The effects on synaptic transmission at glutamatergic synapses was studied in relation to the ketogenic diet ...
