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Fish And Plant Sentience: Anesthetized Plants And Fishes Cannot Respond To Stimuli, Ken Yokawa, František Baluška

Animal Sentience

Recent denial of fish sentience is at variance with the fact that all living organisms need environmental awareness in order to survive in a continuously fluctuating environment. Moreover, fish sentience – like plant sentience – is also strongly supported by the sensitivity of fishes and plants to diverse anesthetics.

If It Looks Like A Duck: Fish Fit The Criteria For Pain Perception, Julia E. Meyers-Manor

Animal Sentience

Whereas we have denied the experience of pain to animals, including human babies, the evidence is becoming clearer that animals across a variety of species have the capacity to feel pain (Bellieni, 2012). As converging findings are collected from pain studies and the study of cognition, it is becoming harder to deny that fish are among the species that do feel pain.

Sentience: All Or None Or Matter Of Degree?, Loren Martin, Robert Gerlai

Animal Sentience

The question of whether fish feel pain is muddied by anthropomorphic thinking. Comparing biological phenomena in two species should be informed by the criteria for good animal models: face validity, construct validity and predictive validity. Viewed through this lens, we argue that fish do feel pain and may possess some level of sentience. Evolutionary relatedness, hence similarities and differences between species (fish and humans in this case), are not about black vs. white but about shades of grey.

Degrees Of Sentience?, Jonathan Birch

Animal Sentience

I focus on the possibility of sentience in zebrafish larvae. The evidence here prompts two intuitive reactions that are difficult to reconcile: the reaction that larvae, if sentient, should be protected in some way, and the reaction that larvae, if capable of nociception, should be used as replacements for adults. Both reactions are reasonable, but they can be reconciled only by constructing a framework for assigning degrees of protection in proportion to degrees of sentience.

The Human Nervous System Is Not The Gold Standard For Pain, Riccardo Manzotti

Animal Sentience

The basis of pain could be the causal nexus between one’s phylogenetic/ontogenetic history and one’s behavior. It might turn out that the neural implementation is immaterial to the instantiation of pain. Widely different neural structures may token the same pain-type, and nearly identical neural structures may token different types.

Time To (Finally) Acknowledge That Fish Have Emotionality And Pain, Konstantin A. Demin, Anton M. Lakstygal, Allan V. Kalueff

Animal Sentience

The increasing work using fish as a model organism calls for a better understanding of their sentience. While growing evidence suggests that pain and emotionality exist in zebrafish, many deniers continue to ignore the evidence. Here we revisit the main conceptual breakthroughs in the field that argue clearly for pain and emotionality. We call for an end to denial and a focus on studying the mechanisms of fish pain and emotionality, and their translational relevance to human conditions.

Defining Pain And Painful Sentience In Animals, Edgar T. Walters

Animal Sentience

Sentience is essential to most definitions of pain, including a detailed definition invoked by Sneddon et al. to argue that adult and perhaps larval fish feel pain. Because proving painful sentience in non-human animals is not feasible, multiple lines of indirect evidence are needed to implicate pain. This commentary examines the list of 17 criteria used by Sneddon et al. to conclude that fish have conscious pain. The criteria include tests of nociceptive, motivational, and cognitive properties useful for revealing pain-like states that can be understood biologically and be related evolutionarily to human pain. However, additional research is needed to …

Nocifensive Behavior As Evidence For Sentient Pain In Fish, Marissol Leite Da Silva, Caio Maximino, Diógenes Henrique Siqueira-Silva

Animal Sentience

Fish nocifensive behavior can be studied and understood similarly to the way pain is studied and understood in more advanced vertebrates. Nocifensive behavior is a behavioral and physiological response to a noxious stimulus that leads to the fish avoiding it in the future. This behavioral flexibility is an important criterion for inferring pain sentience in fish. Modulation of the nocifensive behavior by anxiety, fear, or stress has already been demonstrated in zebrafish. The affective experiences of fish will not be identical to those of human beings, clearly. Empirical research will need to ascertain how similar they are.

Ample Evidence For Fish Sentience And Pain, Lynne U. Sneddon, David C.C. Wolfenden, Matthew C. Leach, Ana M. Valentim, Peter J. Steenbergen, Nabila Bardine, Donald M. Broom, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

The majority of commentaries are supportive of our position on the scepticism that muddies the waters surrounding fish pain and sentience. There is substantial empirical evidence for pain in fish. Animals’ experience of pain cannot be compared to artificial intelligence (AI) because AI can only mimic responses to nociceptive input on the basis of human observations and programming. Accepting that fish are sentient would not be detrimental to the industries reliant on fish. A more proactive discussion between scientists and stakeholders is needed to improve fish welfare for the benefit of all.

Ecological Uncertainty Influences Vigilance As A Marker Of Fear, Laurence E. A. Feyten, Grant E. Brown

Animal Sentience

We expand on the factors that may shape the predictability of risk and the potential impacts on the links between vigilance and fear, primarily in aquatic prey communities. Uncertainty in predation risks has been shown to induce increased levels of neophobia among prey. As a result of this phenotypically plastic response, prey are faced with risk assessment cues that may vary widely in their reliability. We argue that decomposing predictability may provide useful insights into the relationship between vigilance and fear.

Competing Activities As Measures Of Fear And Vigilance, Ferenc Mónus

Animal Sentience

In animal behavioural research on vigilance, visual signs of alertness are usually used to estimate perceived risk (an internal “fear” state) of free-ranging animals. Different measures of vigilance and competing activities (e.g., predator vigilance, conspecific vigilance, feeding, food handling) provide clues for better understanding vigilance behaviour. How efficiently does an animal in a vigilant/non-vigilant posture devote attention to threats or invest in other activities, such as searching for or handling food? Several species regularly withdraw to a sheltered spot when feeding in an abundant food patch, spending short periods in complete safety. Frequencies of feeding interruptions or false-alarm flights provide …

The Many Faces Of Fear And Vigilance, Guy Beauchamp

Animal Sentience

In the target article, I examined the relationship between vigilance and fear in prey animals. The joint occurrence of vigilance and other physiological responses to fear, such as increased heart rate and stress hormone release, would bolster the idea that vigilance can be a useful marker of fear. Nevertheless, a common theme in much of the empirical research is an uncoupling of vigilance and physiological correlates of fear. The commentators suggest several ways to refine the concepts of vigilance, fear, and risk. I discuss these refinements, which in the end will prove useful to assess further the relationship between vigilance …

On Crabs And Statistics, Jonathan Birch

Animal Sentience

I respond to commentaries by Elwood and Seth & Dienes and to a recent critique by Diggles, discussing the link between avoidance learning and sentience, the relevance of the clash between frequentist and Bayesian statistics, the risks to decapod welfare in aquaculture, and the broader concerns one may have about a “precautionary” approach to protecting invertebrates.

Effect Of Vessel-Generated Waves In Near Low Tide Conditions On Shorelines In The Intracoastal Waterways, Mackenzie Lee Sanchez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Erosion is caused when there is a net loss of sediment in a coastal system, i.e. when the amount of sediment leaving a system is more than the amount of sediment entering that same system. This investigation will focus on vessel-generated waves and their effect on the shorelines of the Jacksonville, Florida Intracoastal Waterways near low tide conditions. The investigation conducted herein examines variations in turbidity and pressure measurements in response to passing vessels at a single site location previously selected in 2016. The primary water/shoreline interaction recorded during this investigation is located below the visible scarp (near low tide …

Tetratricopeptide 39c (Ttc39c) Is Upregulated During Skeletal Muscle Atrophy And Is Necessary For Muscle Cell Differentiation, Caleb Hayes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ttc39c has been identified as a novel gene in skeletal muscle that is upregulated in response to neurogenic atrophy in mice. Quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis confirmed that Ttc39c is expressed in both proliferating and differentiated muscle cells. Furthermore, comparison of Ttc39c expression in undifferentiated and differentiated C₂C₁₂ cells demonstrated that Ttc39c levels peak in early differentiation, but decreases as cells become fully differentiated myotubes. The transcriptional regulation of Ttc39c was examined by cloning promoter fragments of the gene and fusing it with the SEAP reporter gene. The Ttc39c reporter gene constructs were transfected into muscle …

Assessing Ratio-Based Fatigue Indexes Using A Single Channel Eeg, Lucas B. Coffey

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Driver fatigue is a state of reduced mental alertness which impairs the performance of a range of cognitive and psychomotor tasks, including driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver fatigue was responsible for 72,000 accidents that lead to more than 800 deaths in 2015. A reliable method of driver fatigue detection is needed to prevent such accidents. There has been a great deal of research into studying driver fatigue via electroencephalography (EEG) to analyze brain wave data. These research works have produced three competing EEG data-based ratios that have the potential to detect driver fatigue.

Research has …

Conscious Conclusions: The Effect Of Positive-Attitude Cues On Teacher Candidate Dispositions About Mathematics, Shelletta Baker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use elements for developing teacher identity, personal philosophy, beliefs about teaching and learning, and reflection to frame an examination of the effect of Positive-Attitude Cues (PACs) on teacher candidates’(n = 135) mathematics anxiety and expressive writing. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (PACs) or control group (No-PAC) and their dispositions about mathematics were examined using the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS-R); which had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 and an expressive writing task before and after the intervention. A significant main effect of test time showed that participants …

Intellectual Property Policies Concerning Ownership Of Faculty-Created Online Course Materials In Public Higher Education Institutions, Tracey S. Makley

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the key components of the policies that designate ownership of faculty-created online course materials at public higher education institutions that offer distance education in order to establish the key components of those policies and learn how they differ within higher education institutions. The researcher utilized a document analysis procedure with both qualitative and quantitative characteristics to identify the key components of the polices under consideration. The findings of the study demonstrated that there are a wide variety of ownership policies in place, but the content of the policies generally fit into six …

Distance Learning For Professional Development In Law Enforcement - What Works, Keith E. Gaston

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Online distance learning is an essential element in the continuing education of law enforcement officers across the nation. However, little research has been conducted into the use of learning management systems by law enforcement agencies as a tool for professional development. This study attempts to assess the attitudes, preferences, and influences that impact distance learning for professional development work for state law enforcement officers and their agencies. Law enforcement agencies and law enforcement training centers have failed to utilize or embrace distance-learning technologies, or they have adopted distance-learning technology without knowing the effectiveness of the training or learning. For adult …

A Web-Based Interactive Tool To Reduce Childhood Obesity Risk In Urban Minority Youth: Usability Testing Study, Sandra Verdaguer, Katrina F. Mateo, Katarzyna Wyka, Tracy A. Dennis, May May Leung

Publications and Research

Background: Childhood obesity is a serious public health issue among minority youth in the United States. Technology-enhanced approaches can be effective for promoting healthy behavior change.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the usability of prototypes of a Web-based interactive tool promoting healthy dietary behaviors to reduce childhood obesity risk in urban minority youth. The Web-based tool comprised a manga-style comic with interactive features (eg, sound effects, clickable pop-ups), tailored messaging, and goal setting, and was optimized for use on tablet devices.

Methods: Latino and black/African American children ages 9 to 13 years were recruited to participate …

Single Olfactory Receptors Set Odor Detection Thresholds, Adam Dewan, Annika Cichy, Jingji Zhang, Kayla Miguel, Paul Feinstein, Dmitry Rinberg, Thomas Bozza

Publications and Research

In many species, survival depends on olfaction, yet the mechanisms that underlie olfactory sensitivity are not well understood. Here we examine how a conserved subset of olfactory receptors, the trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), determine odor detection thresholds of mice to amines. We find that deleting all TAARs, or even single TAARs, results in significant odor detection deficits. This finding is not limited to TAARs, as the deletion of a canonical odorant receptor reduced behavioral sensitivity to its preferred ligand. Remarkably, behavioral threshold is set solely by the most sensitive receptor, with no contribution from other highly sensitive receptors. In addition, …

Sentiments And Asset Markets, Haritima Chauhan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The ability of sentiments to impact macroeconomic activity and financial markets is unequivocally recognized. Economists and policymakers alike, agree that the extended periods of pessimistic sentiments impeded the economic recovery after the Great Recession. Despite this knowledge, there is still much more to know about the mechanisms by which these unpredictable changes in confidence perpetuate in economic and financial systems. It is also imperative to learn how to measure the exogenous shifts in the market sentiments and the sensitivity of asset prices and macroeconomic variables to them. This dissertation examines the sentiments in two ways. Using social network data, this …

Neural-Vascular Interactions In An In Vitro Model Of Cortical Forebrain Development, Kayla Michelson

Theses and Dissertations

Progressive restriction of neural stem and progenitor cell fates in the cortex has been linked to a clearly defined sequence of transcription factors that regulate neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the developing cortex. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms contributing to cell fate choice, largely focusing on intrinsic properties of the neural stem cells (NSCs), themselves, rather than microenvironmental influences such as vascular investment. To investigate the influence of vascular cells on cortical NSC fate choice, we developed a novel coculture system that utilizes Transwell® membranes and primary cultures that include an enriched NSC …

Examination Of The Depositional History Of The Lower Tyler Formation (Pennsylvanian) And Source Rock Analysis In Mckenzie County, North Dakota, Dilyn Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations

Results from source rock analysis and sequence stratigraphy techniques suggest the lower Tyler Formation in McKenzie County, North Dakota is a deltaic dominated environmental system. There is a complex relationship between marine and terrestrial deposition. The source rock analysis performed on seven key wells showed a majority of the samples consist of type III terrestrial kerogen. Five of those wells also indicated a type II marine kerogen. The sequence stratigraphy techniques applied showed the three high gamma ray shales marked high stand system tracts. The two paleosol facies present in the lower Tyler Formation overlie marine shales suggesting rapid sea …

3d Global Acceleration Estimation Using Inertial Measurement Unit For Biomechanical Research, Revanth Raghuram Konda

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The effects of mechanical vibrations on the body of a driver in off-road vehicles such as mining vehicles have become one of the intriguing research topics. To reduce the injuries of the operator of an off-road vehicle where vibrations of high magnitude occur, an indepth study of the nature of these vibrations must be done. The first step towards this objective is the correct estimation of acceleration of the vehicle by taking into consideration all the translational and rotational motion. The main goal of this study is the estimation of acceleration of an off-road vehicle in 3D space using an …

Language Learning In The Virtual Wild: The Influence Of Emotions On Learning Another Language In Informal Virtual Environments, Iwona Barbara Lech

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates learning a foreign language in informal virtual environments (the “virtual wild”) and learners’ emotions connected to the process. Evidence suggests that incidental foreign language contact in unstructured, virtual environments can enhance second language (L2) learning, and that the use of online informal learning of language activities with students learning English as an L2 results in higher fluency, lower error rates, and greater engagement compared to learning that occurs in a traditional classroom setting. The research on online informal learning of English (OILE) aligns with the newest research in linguistics asserting that language is learned through experience with …

Quantitation Without Calibration: Response Profile As An Indicator Of Target Amount, Mrittika Debnath

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Quantitative assessment of biomarkers is essential in numerous contexts from decision-making in clinical situations to food quality monitoring to the interpretation of life-science research findings. However, appropriate quantitation techniques are not as widely addressed as detection methods. One of the major challenges in biomarker’s quantitation is the need to have a calibration for correlating a measured signal to a target amount. The step complicates the methodologies and makes them less sustainable. In this work, we addressed the issue via a new strategy: relying on the position of response profile rather than absolute signal for assessment of a target nucleic acid’s …

The Role Of "Because" In Mechanistic And Teleological Explanations In Science, Lillian K.E. Asiala

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In science, mechanistic and teleological explanations differ in their account for why a phenomenon occurs. A mechanistic explanation presents events within the phenomenon’s causal history, while a teleological explanation presents the function or benefit of the phenomenon. These explanation types present two different types of causal coherence relations; a cause- consequence relation for mechanistic explanations, and an enabling relationship for teleological explanations. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the causal connective “because” in inference generation for the relations present in each explanation type. Two first experiments show that readers accept “because” as an appropriate causal …

The Use Of An Antisense Oligonucleotide (Aso) Therapy To Restore Vestibular Function In The Mouse Model Of Usher Syndrome, Tia Nicole Donaldson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Usher syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder that results in impaired visual, auditory and vestibular function. In mouse models, Usher syndrome manifests itself through abnormal behaviors such as circling, poor auditory brainstem responses, and a decline in harmonin expression. Animals utilize several sources of information to guide spatial navigation (e.g., visual cues, vestibular input). Usher syndrome disrupts these essential sensory modalities. Recent work has demonstrated that an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy can attenuate the auditory deficit of Usher syndrome through an increase in harmonin production and correct splicing. However, it has yet to be determined if this therapy can also …

Electroencephalogram Signal Processing For Hybrid Brain Computer Interface Systems, Md. Ali Haider

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to evaluate and compare three types of brain computer interface (BCI) systems, P300, steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) and Hybrid as virtual spelling paradigms. Hybrid BCI is an innovative approach to combine the P300 and SSVEP. However, it is challenging to process the resulting hybrid signals to extract both information simultaneously and effectively. The major step executed toward the advancement to modern BCI system was to move the BCI techniques from traditional LED system to electronic LCD monitor. Such a transition allows not only to develop the graphics of interest but also to …