Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Transcriptional Regulation Of Stem Cell Function In The Drosophila Central Nervous System, Amalia S. Parra

Biology ETDs

Development of multicellular organisms depends on coordination of various molecular mechanisms to ensure proper tissue size and structure. This is accomplished through intrinsic and extrinsic cues that regulate cell growth and proliferation both spatially and temporally. These well-coordinated signals are present from early developmental stages and remain active throughout development to ensure tissue structure is appropriate for function. This is particularly important in early cell types that form specialized lineages such as stem cells or those found throughout the body such as epithelia. While much progress has been made in understanding growth regulatory mechanisms, several fundamental aspects remain unknown. This …

Long-Term Effects Of Juvenile Ketamine And/Or Social Stress Exposure On Spatial Memory Performance In C57bl/6 Mice, Israel Garcia Carachure

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ketamine is administered to manage major depressive disorder in adolescent patients. However, the long-term effects of juvenile ketamine exposure on memory-related tasks have not been thoroughly assessed. Thus, we examined whether exposure to ketamine, psychological stress, or both, results in long-lasting alterations in spatial memory in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, we evaluated how ketamine and/or psychological stress history influenced hippocampal protein kinase b¬–mammalian target of rapamycin (AKT-mTOR)-related signaling, since this molecular cascade is associated with ketamine’s acute/fast-acting antidepressant properties. Male and female postnatal day (PD)-35 mice underwent 10-days of vicarious defeat stress (VDS), a form of psychological stress, with or without …

A Novel Neuroinvasive Infection Modality For Francisella Tularensis Elicits Neuroinflammation Resulting In Cellular Damage, Mireya Griselle Ramos-Muniz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis (Ft.) is a gram-negative coccobacillus bacterium that causes the zoonotic disease tularemia in humans. Ft. causes the most severe, often fatal, form of the disease through inhalation. However, Ft. is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with infected animal carcasses such as rodents and rabbits, consumption of contaminated food or water, or through arthropod bites, particularly ticks. Due to its extremely low infectious dose, high mortality rate, and potential use as a biological warfare agent, Ft. is classified by the CDC as a "Tier 1 select agent". Ft. infection triggers an overactive inflammatory response, termed a "cytokine storm", …

Neural Correlates Of Sub-Clinical Grandiose Cluster B Personality Disorders, Adriana Lavarco

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Cluster B personality disorders (PDs) include antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and histrionic personality disorder (HPD). With impulsivity being a commonly shared symptom across the cluster B personality disorders, specifically in BPD, the right and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was targeted for TMS. Since these personality disorders are grouped together due to their shared ‘dramatic’ characteristics, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the presence of cluster B personality disorder traits in 13 healthy participants. We found that there is a significant decrease in …

Social Exclusion : How Inhibition And Excitation Of The Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (Dlpfc) Influences Feelings Of Social Exclusion, Anthony Minervini

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Social exclusion refers to the experience of rejection by one or more people during a social event. Cyberball, a computer program, is one of the most common tools for analyzing social exclusion. Cyberball simulates a game of catch in which any number of individuals or computer- generated players can pass a virtual ball to one another. Regions of the brain that underlies pain perception include networks lined to the Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). Direct manipulation of this area may provide a better understanding of how the DLPFC can influence the perception of social exclusion. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was …

Immobilization And Its Effects On Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury., William H. Gregory

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Recovery, or rather the failure to recover, is a perplexing issue of spinal cord injury that is currently being investigated. This issue becomes more puzzling when investigating models in which spinal cord injury (SCI) is studied. There appears to be greater functional recovery experienced by animals within these models after injury as compared to patients in the clinical setting. While many things could contribute to this disparity, one difference that stands out when comparing the basic research model and clinical experience of SCI is the inactivity and limb disuse after the injury. This same level of immobility is rarely accounted …

Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening And Follow-Up Through Implementation Science (Accsis) In Appalachia: Protocol For A Group Randomized, Delayed Intervention Trial, Electra D. Paskett, Aaron J. Kruse-Diehr, Jill M. Oliveri, Robin C. Vanderpool, Darrell M. Gray Ii, Michael L. Pennell, Bin Huang, Gregory S. Young, Darla Fickle, Mark Cromo, Mira L. Katz, Paul L. Reiter, Melinda Rogers, David A. Gross, Vickie Fairchild, Wendy Xu, Angela Carman, Jean M. Walunis, Ann Scheck Mcalearney, Timothy R. Huerta, Saurabh Rahurkar, Erika Biederman, Mark B. Dignan

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Appalachian regions of Kentucky and Ohio are hotspots for colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality in the USA. Screening reduces CRC incidence and mortality; however, screening uptake is needed, especially in these underserved geographic areas. Implementation science offers strategies to address this challenge. The aim of the current study was to conduct multi-site, transdisciplinary research to evaluate and improve CRC screening processes using implementation science strategies. The study consists of two phases (Planning and Implementation). In the Planning Phase, a multilevel assessment of 12 health centers (HC) (one HC from each of the 12 Appalachian counties) was conducted by interviewing key informants, …

Validating A New In Vivo Model To Study Als, Izabela J. Cimachowska

Student Theses and Dissertations

Buildup of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are well known characteristics of both sporadic and hereditary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While both forms of the disease seem to arise from common cellular dysfunction, the genetic disease is studied to a much greater extent. Engineering novel animal models of the sporadic form of the disease is crucial for development of druggable targets to treat ALS and understand the underlying mechanisms. Interestingly, accumulation of oxidative stress by exacerbated emission of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from presynaptic mitochondria is a hallmark of both hereditary and sporadic ALS. Previous work by our laboratory showed …

Synaptic Properties Of Parabigeminal Circuits., Kyle Whyland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subcortical structures of the visual system have been the subject of intense study in recent years, but there remain some important unanswered questions regarding the synaptic relationships linking the nuclei that comprise this important sensory network within the brain. In these studies, we use several modern and traditional approaches, including viral tract tracing, in vitro slice physiology, immunohistochemistry, optogenetics, and electron microscopy to characterize the circuits linking the superior colliculus (SC), parabigeminal nucleus (PBG), and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), with particular focus on GABAergic and cholinergic cell types. We found that the SC, an important visuomotor structure with connections to …

An Investigation Into Structural Plasticity In Peripheral Taste Neurons Associated With Taste Cell Turnover., Zachary Whiddon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The continual replacement of taste cells creates interesting questions regarding how the innervating neurons are impacted during this process. Here we ask how innervation within taste buds is affected when taste cell entry is inhibited and reestablished. Inhibition of sonic hedgehog signaling (Shh) is thought to inhibit taste cell turnover. Consistently, fewer new cells were added to individual taste buds after treatment with a Shh-inhibitor compared to vehicle treatment, and taste bud volume decreased after 16 days of treatment. We next examined how taste nerve fiber extension into the gustatory epithelium is affected by preventing taste cell turnover. Ten days …

Psychopathy In Society: Understanding The Neural Mechanisms That Give Rise To Psychopathic Traits, Phoebe Zalenski

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Psychopathy is characterized as an individual exhibiting callousness, grandiosity, lack of empathy, and manipulative behavior towards others over a long period of time. Given these symptoms, psychopathy is associated with a markedly increased risk of arrest and imprisonment. Together, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the cause(s) of psychopathy, as doing so may help to develop treatments or preventative interventions. Prior work has suggested that structural abnormalities in the amygdala may play a role in clinical psychopathy; however, it is less clear whether amygdala abnormalities exist on a continuum of psychopathic traits. In this study, I aimed to determine …

Connectional Analysis Of Brain Regions Associated With Feeding, Kenichiro Negishi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Rodent models are invaluable for understanding the foundations of motivatedbehaviors. One major obstacle faced by these efforts is the lack of a 'wiring diagram' or a 'parts list' of structures that support motivated behaviors. Here, I present work that advances our knowledge of the structural organization of connections and chemoarchitecture of the diencephalon. Chapter 1 aims to clarify a wiring diagram of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following a recent demonstration of cortically-evoked feeding through this region. Chapter 2 clarifies the distributions of a subpopulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons in the hypothalamus. These disparate datasets were analyzed and interpreted …

Characterization Of Potential Genes Encoding For A Glycine Transporter From Drosophila Melanogaster, Denise Avalos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The study of glycine transporters has been neglected compared to other members of the Solute Carrier 6 (SLC6) family of proteins, such as the dopamine and serotonin transporters, even though they are just as crucial to survival. However, glycinergic neurotransmission has been extensively studied in mammals, resulting in vast, valuable information. The same cannot be said for invertebrates, however. In this study, we aim to establish an initial first step in elucidating components of glycinergic neurotransmission in the invertebrate, Drosophila melanogaster. We believe this organism possesses a glycine transporter because a glycine receptor has been identified and characterized. Specifically, we …

Improving Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes: Early Identification And Management Of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity, Randi Rockwell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Background: Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) can occur in patients with acutely acquired brain injury and is associated with mortality, poor clinical outcomes, prolonged hospitalizations, physical disability, and increased healthcare costs. The most common cause of PSH syndrome is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Symptoms consist of hyperthermia, diaphoresis, arterial hypertension, tachycardia, tachypnea, and extremity motor dystonic posturing, often in response to evoked stimuli and occurs in 8% to 33% of TBI patients. Critical care nurses are at the forefront of providing direct patient care to TBI patients and are often the first to identify PSH.

Purpose: The objective of this …

Letters From The Professors

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Ptsd: The Way In & The Way Out, Carolyn Herbosa

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Psychopaths: Who Are They, Really?, Stephanie Kaufman

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Your Brain On Plastics, Bennett Andrassy

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Music Makes You Lose Control, Jac Cousineau

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

More Synapses, More Problems: The Underdiagnosis Of Depression In Patients With Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Daisy Delgado

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Life Stressors And Immune Aging: Protective Effects Of Cognitive Reappraisal, Rebecca G. Reed, Steven R. Presnell, Ahmad Al-Attar, Charles T. Lutz, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Stressful life events may accelerate aspects of immune aging, but habitual use of an adaptive emotion regulation strategy, cognitive reappraisal, may attenuate these effects. This study examined whether cognitive reappraisal moderates the associations between life stressor frequency and stressor desirability on aspects of immune aging, including late-differentiated CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells and inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP), both between and within people in a longitudinal sample of 149 older adults (mean age = 77.8, range: 64–92 years). Participants reported stressful life events, use of cognitive reappraisal, and provided blood semiannually for up to 5 years to …

The Reinforcement Enhancing Effects Of Delta-9-Tetrahyrdrocannabinol (Thc) In Male And Female Rats, Kynah Walston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis is widely consumed by humans for pharmacological effects that are mediated by THC, though there is little evidence that THC is a primary reinforcer in non-human animal models. We hypothesized that THC may have potent reinforcement enhancing effects, comparable to other drugs (e.g., nicotine and caffeine) which are also widely consumed by humans, but difficult to establish as primary reinforcers in non-humans. In three experiments with male and female rats saccharin (SACC) or a visual stimulus (VS) served as reinforcers for operant behavior. We explored several pharmacological parameters of THC on responding for SACC or VS, including THC dose, …

The Mind Behind The Buy: Exploring The World Of Neuromarketing, Gabriela Cruz Echeverria

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

(Maybe Not) All Of The Lights, Babiker Higazi

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Scientific Kenyon: Neuroscience Edition (Full Issue)

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Did: Is It Trauma Or Just Fantasy?, Sebastian Geeze

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Man's Best Friend Finally Talks Back: Bunny The "Talking" Dog, Maeve Griffin

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

A Brief History Of Psychedelia: From Ancient Rituals To Modern Medicine, Vikas Gudhe

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Memory Comes In Waves: How Sharp-Wave Ripple Dynamics Are Disrupted By Sleep Deprivation, Maximos Mccune

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Neurodegeneration: You Have More Influence Than You Might Think, Ben Shropshire

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.