The Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Undergraduate Students’ Interest In The Stem Field,
2022
DePauw University
The Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Undergraduate Students’ Interest In The Stem Field, Zaheen Rashed '24, Yuchen Jiang, Zimo Ma, Pamela M. Propsom
Annual Student Research Poster Session
The deadly consequences of COVID-19 have been well documented, as have the social, emotional, and cognitive effects. These sequelae extend to the educational system. Much less investigated have been the potential positive outcomes of the pandemic. Given that STEM education relies heavily on hands-on laboratory experiences, STEM students may have been especially impacted by pandemic-imposed remote instruction. We surveyed 392 students at one liberal arts college querying why they continue studying in STEM or leave the STEM disciplines. Because the literature indicates that people of color and those from lower socioeconomic groups were more negatively affected by COVID-19, we hypothesized …
Investigating Conflicts In Mind Wandering And Neural Oscillation Studies,
2022
DePauw University
Investigating Conflicts In Mind Wandering And Neural Oscillation Studies, Mahnoor Zahid, Robert West
Annual Student Research Poster Session
When presented with a repetitive or an undemanding task, our mind tends to disengage from the external environment to focus on the inner trains of thought. This phenomenon, commonly known as "zoning out" is termed as Mind Wandering. Across various literature', this effect has been mainly studied under two states: while performing a low-demand task, or under a meditative state. Neural oscillations such as alpha, beta, delta and theta waves were studied to observe varying effects of mind wandering and to distinguish how and when a human mind goes into this state. It was hypothesized that one wave would prove …
Psychophysiological Effects Of Increasing Awareness Of Nondual Consciousness In Young Adults With Depression And Anxiety,
2022
California Institute of Integral Studies
Psychophysiological Effects Of Increasing Awareness Of Nondual Consciousness In Young Adults With Depression And Anxiety, Milena Braticevic
CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century
Young adults increasingly suffer from anxiety and depression during the time of transition into adulthood. This research study examined the effects of increasing awareness of nondual consciousness in young adults who were experiencing various levels of anxiety and depression. The methodology was mixed-method and included four 1-hour group-based sessions over 4 weeks. Increasing awareness of nondual consciousness through educational, experiential, and behavioural components resulted in reduction in the average depression score from 19.4 (borderline clinical depression) to 10 (normal), and reduction in the average anxiety score from 12.7 (moderate anxiety) to 6.9 (mild). Participants reported increased mental, emotional, physical, and …
Exposure To Violence As An Environmental Pathway Linking Low Socioeconomic Status With Altered Neural Processing Of Threat And Adolescent Psychopathology,
2022
Harvard University
Exposure To Violence As An Environmental Pathway Linking Low Socioeconomic Status With Altered Neural Processing Of Threat And Adolescent Psychopathology, David G. Weissman, Maya L. Rosen, Natalie L. Colich, Kelly A. Sambrook, Liliana J. Lengua, Margaret A. Sheridan, Katie A. Mclaughlin
Neuroscience: Faculty Publications
Low childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased risk for psychopathology, in part because of heightened exposure to environmental adversity. Adverse experiences can be characterized along dimensions, including threat and deprivation, that contribute to psychopathology via distinct mechanisms. The current study investigated a neural mechanism through which threat and deprivation may contribute to socioeconomic disparities in psychopathology. Participants were 177 youths (83 girls) aged 10–13 years recruited from a cohort followed since the age of 3 years. SES was assessed using the income-to-needs ratio at the age of 3 years. At the age of 10–13 years, retrospective and current …
Translation Al Mercato Del Pesce: The Importance Of Human Input For Machine Translation,
2022
Bryn Mawr College
Translation Al Mercato Del Pesce: The Importance Of Human Input For Machine Translation, Emma Y. Schechter , '23
Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards
This thesis investigates translation of Italian idioms and metaphors into English, and the difficulties encountered by Machine Translation in this process. I use a framework of foreign concepts to explain many of the difficulties, as well as interviews with native Italian and English speakers to provide further context for the cultural knowledge encoded in figurative language. I conclude that in Machine Translation a consistent human input interface as well as a continuous training in language corpora is crucial to improve the accuracy of translated metaphors and idioms, using Italian to English translation as a case study.
Alzheimer's Disease,
2022
Gettysburg College
Alzheimer's Disease, Dylan L. Weber
Student Publications
An overview of the background, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
Memory And Attention While Scuba Diving At Shallow And Deep Depths: An Open Water Study,
2022
Nova Southeastern University
Memory And Attention While Scuba Diving At Shallow And Deep Depths: An Open Water Study, Leanne Boucher, Joshua Feingold, Kelly Concannon, Stephanie Talavera, Jaime Tartar, W. Matthew Collins
Journal for Sports Neuroscience
SCUBA diving requires a high level of cognitive functioning, however, many divers anecdotally report poor memory and attentional skills while underwater. Few studies have documented cognitive deficits resulting from an open-water dive. Here, 23 divers completed both shallow (8 m) and deep (28 m) dives over two days in the open-water. The order of the dives was counterbalanced across participants. While at depth, they completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to assess anxiety levels, learned and were tested on a list of 36 words, and completed the trail making task (TMT) to assess executive functioning. They also gave saliva samples to …
The Intersection Between Toxicology And Aging Research: A Toxic Aging Coin Perspective.,
2022
University of Louisville
The Intersection Between Toxicology And Aging Research: A Toxic Aging Coin Perspective., John P. Wise Jr.
Faculty and Staff Scholarship
We are imminently faced with the challenges of an increasingly aging population and longer lifespans due to improved health care. Concomitantly, we are faced with ubiquitous environmental pollution linked with various health effects and age-related diseases which contribute to increased morbidity with age. Geriatric populations are rarely considered in the development of environmental regulations or in toxicology research. Today, life expectancy is often into one’s 80s or beyond, which means multiple decades living as a geriatric individual. Hence, adverse health effects and late-onset diseases might be due to environmental exposures as a geriatric, and we currently have no way of …
Belonging Amidst Bias: Embracing Difference On The Path To Common Humanity,
2022
Lesley University
Belonging Amidst Bias: Embracing Difference On The Path To Common Humanity, Alyssia Sheikh
Mindfulness Studies Theses
The mindfulness community prioritizes self-awareness and common humanity, but is often entrapped by the idea that oneness is equivalent to sameness. This inclination for objectivity is rooted in the same neural propensities that facilitate bias; the brain is a subjective organ, however, and so neurologically speaking, bias is inevitable. This paper asks: Is striving for sameness separating us from interconnectedness? A human experience is a subjective, diverse, and variable one. The path to shared humanity and social justice co-occurs with increasing cultural humility through mindful awareness and acknowledging our subjective nature. Exploring our neurological tendency to make assumptions, we …
Dietary Fatty Acids And The Brain: Mechanisms Behind Neurodegeneration And Neuroprotection,
2022
Loma Linda University
Dietary Fatty Acids And The Brain: Mechanisms Behind Neurodegeneration And Neuroprotection, Bianca Kdeiss
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
The impact of dietary fat intake on cognitive function has generated growing interest as the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders continues to increase. No known cures for neurodegenerative disorders exist at this time and available pharmacological treatments are limited in their efficacy. As such, prevention and early detection have been emphasized, particularly in the context of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as diet. Despite a recognized association between dietary fat intake and cognition, limited research exists delineating the impact of different types of fat on cognitive function. In this review, research examining the association between cognition and specific dietary fatty acids—such as …
The Effects Of False Heartbeat Feedback On Moral Judgment,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
The Effects Of False Heartbeat Feedback On Moral Judgment, Scott Koenig
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Research on human morality is at a crossroads, with one side claiming that moral judgment is the result of rational inference and the other side claiming that it is the result of emotion-laden intuition. This study investigated whether emotion drives moral judgment by manipulating a core component of the experience of emotion: physiological arousal. The sample consisted of 77 undergraduate students at Brooklyn College (57% women, 43% men; mean age = 20.1). One group of participants was led to believe their heart was beating quickly, and another group slowly, while they read and evaluated a series of text vignettes depicting …
Novel Therapeutic Strategies For Alzheimer’S Disease: Prostaglandin D2 Signaling And Its Human Polymorphisms As Well As A Polypharmacological Approach,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Novel Therapeutic Strategies For Alzheimer’S Disease: Prostaglandin D2 Signaling And Its Human Polymorphisms As Well As A Polypharmacological Approach, Charles H. Wallace
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age related neurodegenerative disease with pathology that includes amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and non-resolving neuroinflammation. Non-resolving neuroinflammation lasts the entire course of the disease and has deleterious effects and is often thought to accelerate AD pathology. Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) have commonly been used as therapeutics to treat pain, inflammation and vascular. NSAIDs work by altering the cyclooxygenase (COX) mediated biosynthesis of prostaglandins which are lipid mediators that have many physiological functions, for example nociception, inflammation and vasodilation. Epidemiological studies support the notion that NSAIDs could be used to treat AD. Yet, clinical trials using …
Competitive And Facilitative Interactions Between Pavlovian Cues In Human Associative Learning: A Behavioral And Neural Analysis,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Competitive And Facilitative Interactions Between Pavlovian Cues In Human Associative Learning: A Behavioral And Neural Analysis, Fahd Alhazmi
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Learning to anticipate significant events accurately is a crucial element of survival for all species. The process by which animals acquire this knowledge has been a central question of psychological research. A fundamental assumption of many learning theories is that the predictive value assigned to cues is not simply determined by their probability of reinforcement but rather by their ability to compete with other cues present during learning. The assumption of cue competition has significantly contributed to the development of behavioral and neuroscience research for decades, as it has opened the door to new empirical and theoretical advances on the …
Development And Characterization Of A Novel, Genetically- Encoded Sensor To Image Sonic Hedgehog Signaling In Functional Circuits,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Development And Characterization Of A Novel, Genetically- Encoded Sensor To Image Sonic Hedgehog Signaling In Functional Circuits, Sonia Bernal
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Dynamic neurotransmitter and neuromodulator signaling in functional circuits is the neural substrate of animal behavior and cognition. The study of said circuits requires tools with sufficient spatiotemporal dynamics that can probe complex signaling patterns and decode their functional relevance by coupling the signal to behavioral output, ideally in awake, behaving animals. Much is known about the role of classical neurotransmitters such as dopamine in behavior, but a wide variety of peptides and small molecules also regulate neuronal transmission. One of these is Shh, whose presence has been observed in a variety of brain regions known to modulate movement, perception, and …
Gamma Protocadherin Synaptic Localization And Intracellular Trafficking Is Consistent With Distinct Adhesive And Anti-Adhesive Roles In Development,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Gamma Protocadherin Synaptic Localization And Intracellular Trafficking Is Consistent With Distinct Adhesive And Anti-Adhesive Roles In Development, Nicole Lamassa
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) constitute a family of cell adhesion molecules with approximately 60 Pcdh genes clustered in a 1 MB locus on chromosome 5q31 in humans. The Pcdh gene cluster is subdivided into α, β, and γ subclusters which encode related proteins. Individual neurons activate different subsets of Pcdh-α, Pcdh-β and Pcdh-γ genes by epigenetic mechanisms to generate distinct Pcdh adhesive units expressed by each neuron. This is thought to serve as a “surface barcode” for single-cell identity and synaptic recognition in the nervous system. The actual role for Pcdhs in neural development is still relatively unknown and different roles …
The Behavioral And Gene Expression Effects Of Loss Or Exhaustion Of Sonic Hedgehog From Dopamine Neurons,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
The Behavioral And Gene Expression Effects Of Loss Or Exhaustion Of Sonic Hedgehog From Dopamine Neurons, Dustin R. Zuelke
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Mesencephalic dopamine neurons (DAN) signal motivation and reward prediction errors. Their collective functions are considered critical for the translation of thought into context appropriate actions. Dopaminergic dysfunction has severe consequences: (1) DAN degeneration is a major determinate of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), (2) disturbed dopaminergic signaling in schizophrenia leads to unorganized learning, and (3) chemically induced dopaminergic signaling results in impulse control disorders (ICDs) and life-threatening addictions. The use of the dopamine (DA) precursor L-Dopa for DA replacement therapy in PD patients produces motor and behavioral side-effects such as L-Dopa induced dyskinesias (LID), ICDs, and a propensity for opioid addiction. Despite …
Antisocial Behavior And Callous Unemotional Traits In Youth: A Biosocial Approach,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Antisocial Behavior And Callous Unemotional Traits In Youth: A Biosocial Approach, Yong Lin Huang
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Early life presence of antisocial behavior (e.g., aggression/delinquency) and psychopathic/callous-unemotional (CU) traits (lacking empathy/remorse, shallow affect) are precursors to juvenile crime and criminal offending in adulthood. Etiological research on antisocial/CU tendencies has implicated both neurobiological (e.g., alterations in brain function and structure) and environmental (social adversity, prenatal stress) underpinnings. It has been proposed that reward and punishment processing deficits may induce problematic traits and behavior, such that antisocial/CU tendencies may be linked to hypersensitivity to rewards and hyposensitivity to punishment. Studies in this area have generated inconsistent findings and focused primarily on adult and clinical samples, leaving youth and community …
Mechanism Of Tau Propagation: Putative Therapeutic Approaches,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Mechanism Of Tau Propagation: Putative Therapeutic Approaches, Viktoriya Morozova
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
One of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease and associated tauopathies is the accumulation and aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The biological activity of tau is to bind to tubulin and promote its assembly into microtubules with subsequent stabilization of the latter. When tau gets hyperphosphorylated it cannot bind to tubulin and carry on its function, instead, it binds to normal tau and sequesters it from microtubules leading to disruption of microtubular assembly and ultimately to the death of neurons. Our lab had previously shown that tau phosphorylation sites 199, 212, 231, and 262, combined with the FTDP-17 mutation R406W (Pathological …
A Polypharmacological Approach To Relapse Prevention In An Animal Model Of Heroin Addiction,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
A Polypharmacological Approach To Relapse Prevention In An Animal Model Of Heroin Addiction, Scott T. Ewing
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Chemical compounds that target dopamine (DA) D1 or D3 receptors have shown promise as potential interventions in animal models of cue-induced relapse. However, undesirable side effects or pharmacodynamic profiles have limited the advancement of new compounds in preclinical studies when administered as independent treatments. In this series of experiments, we explored the effects of co-administration of a D1-recepter partial agonist (SKF 77434) and a D3-receptor antagonist (NGB 2904) in heroin-seeking rats within a ‘conflict’ model of abstinence and cue-induced relapse. Rats were first trained to press a lever to self-administer heroin and drug delivery was paired contingently with cues (e.g., …
Natural Striatal Signaling Dynamics During Food Approach,
2022
CUNY Graduate Center
Natural Striatal Signaling Dynamics During Food Approach, Devry Mourra
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Reduced dopamine (DA) signaling has been hypothesized to induce compulsive overeating in obesity. However, DA signaling facilitates food pursuit by acting on direct and indirect pathways. This disparity between why individuals compulsively overeat despite decreased DA and satiety signals is unclear. Characterizing how DA and direct/indirect pathways respond to satiation may elucidate how satiety signals become overwritten in obesity. The food's palatability may underlie this, which is putatively thought to override the satiety hormones since it directly increases DA signaling, resulting in the increased appetitive drive. We determined the pattern of dopamine and pathway-specific medium spiny neuron (MSN) activity across …
