Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

The Role Of Facial Pits In The Thermoregulatory Behavior Of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) Behavioral, Ecological And Phylogenetic Perspectives, Aaron R. Krochmal

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) possess unique sensory organs, the facial pits, capable of sensing subtle fluctuations in thermal radiation. Prey acquisition has long been regarded as the sole function of the facial pits. However, the ability to sense thermal radiation could also direct thermoregulatory behavior by remotely sensing nearby surface temperatures. Using a series ofbehavioral arenas of varying spatial complexity and ecological relevance, I surveyed the ability of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) to direct successful thermoregulatory movements with either functional or disabled facial pits. I found that western diamondback rattlesnakes could base thermoregulatory decisions on thermal radiation cues when their …

Tongue Movements In Feeding And Speech, Karen M. Hiiemae, Jeffrey B. Palmer

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering - All Scholarship

The position of the tongue relative to the upper and lower jaws is regulated in part by the position of the hyoid bone, which, with the anterior and posterior suprahyoid muscles, controls the angulation and length of the floor of the mouth on which the tongue body 'rides'. The instantaneous shape of the tongue is controlled by the 'extrinsic muscles ' acting in concert with the 'intrinsic ' muscles. Recent anatomical research in non-human mammals has shown that the intrinsic muscles can best be regarded as a 'laminated segmental system ' with tightly packed layers of the 'transverse', 'longitudinal', and …

Il-23 Produced By Cns-Resident Cells Controls T Cell Encephalitogenicity During The Effector Phase Of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, Burkhard Becher, Brigit G. Durell, Randolph J. Noelle

Dartmouth Scholarship

CNS-resident cells, in particular microglia and macrophages, are a source of inflammatory cytokines during inflammation within the CNS. Expression of IL-23, a recently discovered cytokine, has been shown to be critical for the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice. Expression of the p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23 by microglia has been shown in situ and in vitro, but direct evidence for a functional significance of p40 expression by CNS cells during an immune response in vivo is still lacking. Here we report that p40 plays a critical role in maintaining encephalitogenicity during the disease course. By using …

An Online Lab Manual For Neurophysiology, Richard F. Olivo

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

A combination of student interest, a grant for computers, and a suggestion from a colleague led me to convert the printed lab manual for my neurophysiology course into an online version. The web-based version incorporates videos of procedures, color photos, diagrams, links to articles, and other supplementary materials. This paper discusses designing for the web, retaining compatibility with print, layering information, making videos in digital format, and sharing self-published resources. The labs themselves (appendix) are traditional “wet” experiments with crayfish that have been used in many neurobiology courses.

Radiation Effects On Dopamine-Mediated Prepulse Inhibition In The C57bl/6 Mouse, Cara Nicole Zuccarelli Miller

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the effects of proton and gamma radiation on a dopamine-dependent sensory gating mechanism: prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex. The purpose of this research was to describe potential hazards of proton radiation to the central nervous system in long-term space fight and for proton therapy patients. Results from previous research indicate that startle behavior is modified by proton and iron radiation. Forty-eight 10-½ week old, male C57BL/6 mice were used to characterize the optimal parameters for the model (prepulse duration, probe duration, and stimulus-onset-asynchrony). Three hundred and fifty two mice were used to characterize the time course …

Exploring Brain-Based Learning As A Basis For Developing Technology Education Curriculum, Adam G. Saltmarsh

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

A Research Agenda For Political Personality And Leadership Studies: An Evolutionary Proposal, Aubrey Immelman, Theodore Millon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite major neuroscientific advances in the past two decades and parallel conceptual refinement in evolutionary theory, personality-in-politics inquiry remains adrift, divorced from these broader spheres of scientific knowledge. This paper reviews the neurobiological substrates of three major domains of evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology relevant to political personality assessment and the psychological examination of political leaders; furnishes a context and set of guiding ideas to revitalize the study of the person as biopsychosocial entity in politics; advances a generative theory of personality and political leadership performance; and proposes an agenda for advancing personality-in-politics and leadership inquiry, informed by insights derived …

Filopodial Calcium Transients Regulate Growth Cone Motility And Guidance Through Local Activation Of Calpain, Estuardo Robles, Anna Huttenlocher, Timothy M. Gomez

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Spontaneous intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) transients in growth cone filopodia reduce filopodial motility, slow neurite outgrowth, and promote turning when generated asymmetrically; however, the downstream effectors of these Ca2+-dependent behaviors are unknown. We report that Ca2+ transients in filopodia activate the intracellular protease calpain, which slows neurite outgrowth and promotes repulsive growth cone turning upon local activation. Active calpain alters the balance between tyrosine kinase and phosphatase activities in filopodia, resulting in a net decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation, which mediates both filopodial stabilization and reduced lamellipodial protrusion. Our findings indicate that locally generated Ca2+ signals repel axon outgrowth through calpain-dependent regulation …

Exposure Of Nervous System Cells To Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) Results In Significant Alterations In Levels Of Expression Of Neurotrophic Factors, Charles F. Ide, Jay C. Means, Trisha M. Basford, John Spitsbergen

Biological Sciences Faculty and Graduate Student Research

Toxic insult by PCBs results in learning and memory deficits in humans. Alterations in expression of neurotrophic factors and/or their receptors have been linked to changes in cognition. How PCBs affect cognition is not known. We propose that PCBs affect cognition by altering neurotrophic factor expression or effects. We exposed cultured C6 glial cells in medium containing PCB (Aroclor 1254 (10ppm)). Control cells were treated with DMSO or regular medium. Cells were incubated at 37o C for up to 72 hours. Medium samples were taken at 6hr, 24hr, 48hr, and 72hr intervals. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to determine …

Tools And Approaches For The Construction Of Knowledge Models From The Neuroscientific Literature, Gully Burns, Arshad Khan, Shahram Ghandeharizadeh, Mark O'Neill, Yi-Shin Chen

Selected Works Temporary Series

Within this paper, we describe a neuroinformatics project (called "NeuroScholar," http://www.neuroscholar.org/) that enables researchers to examine, manage, manipulate, and use the information contained within the published neuroscientific literature. The project is built within a multi-level, multi-component framework constructed with the use of software engineering methods that themselves provide code-building functionality for neuroinformaticians. We describe the different software layers of the system. First, we present a hypothetical usage scenario illustrating how NeuroScholar permits users to address large-scale questions in a way that would otherwise be impossible. We do this by applying NeuroScholar to a "real-world" neuroscience question: How is stress-related information …

Acutely-Administered Ethanol Participates In Testosterone Synthesis And Increases Testosterone In The Rat Brain., Laura O'Dell

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Acutely-Administered Ethanol Participates In Testosterone Synthesis And Increases Testosterone In The Rat Brain., Laura O'Dell

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Tools And Approaches For The Construction Of Knowledge Models From The Neuroscientific Literature, Burns, Arshad Khan, Shahram Ghandeharizadeh, Mark O'Neill, Yi-Shin Chen

Departmental Papers (Biology)

Within this paper, we describe a neuroinformatics project (called "NeuroScholar," http://www.neuroscholar.org/) that enables researchers to examine, manage, manipulate, and use the information contained within the published neuroscientific literature. The project is built within a multi-level, multi-component framework constructed with the use of software engineering methods that themselves provide code-building functionality for neuroinformaticians. We describe the different software layers of the system. First, we present a hypothetical usage scenario illustrating how NeuroScholar permits users to address large-scale questions in a way that would otherwise be impossible. We do this by applying NeuroScholar to a "real-world" neuroscience question: How is stress-related information …

Gamma Oscillations Correlate With Working Memory Load In Humans, Marc W. Howard, Daniel S. Rizzuto, Jeremy B. Caplan, Joseph R. Madsen, John Lisman

Psychology - All Scholarship

Functional imaging of human cortex implicates a diverse network of brain regions supporting working memory—the capacity to hold and manipulate information for short periods of time. Although we are beginning to map out the brain networks supporting working memory, little is known about its physiological basis. We analyzed intracranial recordings from two epileptic patients as they performed a working memory task. Spectral analyses revealed that, in both patients, gamma (30-60 Hz) oscillations increased approximately linearly with memory load, tracking closely with memory load over the course of the trial. This constitutes the first evidence that gamma oscillations, widely implicated in …

Cell Biology Of Apoe In Cortical Cultured Neurons: Possible Roles In Alzheimer's Disease, Anna G. Barsukova

Masters Theses

The apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) genotype is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that apoE4 is less effective than apoE3 in supporting neurite outgrowth in adult mice cortical cultures. However the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is not known. To understand this mechanism and the broader role of apoE isoforms on neuronal biology I examined the rate of apoE isoforms internalization in neurons, effects of apoE isoforms on lipid uptake by neurons, effects of apoE isoforms on neuronal environment - microglia and on neuroregeneration, or neurogenesis.

I examined the binding and internalization of recombinant human apoE3 …

Behavioral Aspects Of Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice, Melissa T. Litherland

Masters Theses

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a lipid transporting protein that has been shown to play a vital role in nerve repair and remodeling. Previous studies have shown that apoE is highly expressed in human and mouse olfactory bulbs. ApoE deficiency in apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE-KO) mice leads to considerable delay in olfactory nerve repair and deficits in olfactory functioning. Olfactory function is necessary for a number of social behaviors in mice. Loss of olfaction can greatly reduce social behaviors. Since apoE-KO mice display olfactory dysfunction, this deficit may result in alterations in social behavior. Olfactory function was assessed in apoE-KO mice …