North Carolina State University at Raleigh
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Sanctuary: Counter-Oppressive Relationships With Farmed Animals As An Ecopsychological Imperative,
2027
Cal Poly Humboldt
Sanctuary: Counter-Oppressive Relationships With Farmed Animals As An Ecopsychological Imperative, Kelsey Bomboy
The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)
Consumers are intentionally shielded from and often misled about the process of breeding, raising, and slaughtering animals for consumption. By confining most farmed animals to warehouses in rural areas while the majority of humans are sequestered in urban areas, we have effectively created a world where humans do not have to contend with the sense of interconnectedness that arises when witnessing and being witnessed by a farmed animal. Within industrial slaughterhouses, the physical act of killing is minimized to just a fraction of the workers, so that even those who are responsible for rendering a once living being will never …
The Impact Of Caffeine On Bumble Bee Hunger,
2026
University of Missouri-St. Louis
The Impact Of Caffeine On Bumble Bee Hunger, Hallie Chapman, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Phd
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) are crucial pollinators, responsible for pollinating multiple native plants and agricultural crops. Caffeine, which is classified as a stimulant, is present in some of these plant species at varying levels. Alterations in bumble bee cognition, including motivation, learning, and hunger, have been associated with caffeine intake. This study explored the impacts of caffeine on the bumble bee behavior on a biological level. While previous research has examined caffeine’s effects on cognition and learning, fewer studies have investigated its effects on hunger at the level of individual bees. Bumble bees, identified with numerically labeled tags, …
Mathematical Modelling For Optimizing Predator–Prey Networks In A Resilient Wildlife Ecosystem: A Systematic Literature Review,
2026
Department of Physics, Mathematics, and Informatics, Dar es Salaam University College of Education, P.O. Box 2329, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Mathematical Modelling For Optimizing Predator–Prey Networks In A Resilient Wildlife Ecosystem: A Systematic Literature Review, Thadei Damas Sagamiko
Tanzania Journal of Science
The resilience of wildlife networks hinges on the adaptability and stability of complex predator-prey interactions. Mathematical modelling offers a crucial approach for examining and optimizing these dynamics under biological invasions and environmental pressures. This systematic literature review (SLR) employs a bibliometric analysis approach to synthesize global research on mathematical models applied to predator-prey network optimization, with an emphasis on their ecological implications, computational approaches, and modelling strategies. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), 50 peer- reviewed studies (2000–2025) were analyzed using the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. The study identifies classical models, such as the …
Adapting To Change: A Mixed Methods Approach To Understand How Colleges And Universities Are Utilizing Animals To Help Students Transition Into Higher Education,
2026
State University of New York (SUNY), at Fredonia
Adapting To Change: A Mixed Methods Approach To Understand How Colleges And Universities Are Utilizing Animals To Help Students Transition Into Higher Education, Christopher Puglisi, Shalini Mathew, Nicole D. Schutter, Monte Meyerink, Abiah George
People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice
Individuals experience several changes in their lives, with one of the most impactful being leaving home to attend college. It is no surprise that college-age students need mental health support, especially in times of adjustment. To address this adjustment, animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have recently gained substantial attention. In this study, college and university departments that help students transition to higher education were surveyed (N = 59) and interviewed (N = 6) to understand how AAI are utilized. Results indicate that AAI have potential to ease students’ higher education transition, though institutions must establish an outline that states the benefits of …
Moral Ecology In Shakespeare's Tragedies: Nature, Animals, And Conscience As Ethical Agents In Hamlet, Macbeth, And King Lear,
2026
Quepara J. C. Sen A & I Institution
Moral Ecology In Shakespeare's Tragedies: Nature, Animals, And Conscience As Ethical Agents In Hamlet, Macbeth, And King Lear, Md. Abu Bakkar
Journal of Language, Literature, and Arts
Shakespeare's tragedies repeatedly dramatize a universe in which moral transgression produces consequences that extend beyond individual psychology to affect society, nature, and the non-human world. This study examines how Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear construct a system of moral ecology, understood as a framework of ethical causality in which human actions generate interconnected consequences across psychological, social, and natural orders. Using qualitative close reading informed by moral criticism, ecocriticism, animal studies, and early modern cosmology, the study analyzes selected passages representing natural disturbance, animal imagery, and conscience as forms of ethical response. The findings show that the three …
Behavioral Indicators Of Stress In Wild Savanna-Dwelling Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) In Fongoli, Senegal,
2026
CUNY Hunter College
Behavioral Indicators Of Stress In Wild Savanna-Dwelling Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) In Fongoli, Senegal, Leah T. Williams
Theses and Dissertations
Stress influences health, reproduction, social relationships, and survival in primates. I identified behavioral indicators of stress in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and determined whether coping strategies varied between behavioral contexts. Coping behavior differed significantly across contexts and behaviors, indicating that coping behaviors are strategically utilized in different contexts and provide insight into the emotional regulation of chimpanzees.
Assessment And Classification Of Idiosyncratic Behavioral Sequences In Rodent Navigation,
2026
University of New Mexico
Assessment And Classification Of Idiosyncratic Behavioral Sequences In Rodent Navigation, Max G. Segal
Psychology ETDs
The Morris Water Task (MWT) has been the gold standard assessment of place learning and memory for over four decades, yet the processes that contribute to successful navigation are not completely understood. It is generally posited that rats learn to navigate directly to a place; however, navigation is not perfectly direct but contains variation in swim speed and trajectory resulting in efficient, yet suboptimal paths. Gonçalves-Garcia et al. (2024) demonstrated that path topography is quantitatively similar across trials within individual rats for a given start location, and dissimilar between rats and different start locations within rat. This suggests rats may …
If Pets Are Family: Pet Loss And The Need For Grief Equity In One Health,
2026
Heart & Science Center for Grief, Equity, and Human-Animal Connection, Chicago, IL, USA
If Pets Are Family: Pet Loss And The Need For Grief Equity In One Health, Michele L. Whitney
Journal of One Health Systems
One Health frameworks increasingly recognize pets as integral to human health and well-being. However, these models often overlook the health and equity implications of pet loss. Culturally mediated grief experiences following pet bereavement represent a critical grief equity gap in One Health systems. Drawing on findings from a qualitative study of African American adults who experienced pet loss, along with existing literature, this Viewpoint highlights how pet loss is not only an emotional experience but also a socially structured one shaped by cultural norms, social recognition, and access to support. These dynamics contribute to inequities in how grief is experienced …
Ambivalence, Foremourning, And Displacement In The German Translation Of Marie Bonaparte's Topsy,
2026
Portland State University
Ambivalence, Foremourning, And Displacement In The German Translation Of Marie Bonaparte's Topsy, Kooper Wilson
University Honors Theses
This paper offers a reading of Sigmund Freud’s German translation of Marie Bonaparte’s book, Topsy: The Golden-Haired Chow, in which the author attempts to both delay the death of her dog and mourn it in advance through what I call foremourning. I argue that the manifest subject matter of Topsy should not be interpreted away as a projection of merely human concerns, but rather that close attention to Freud’s translation introduces themes from his analytic experience which engender an appreciation of Topsy’s atopia (intractability). I draw from recent psychoanalytic theory, literary criticism, and deconstruction, especially Jacques Derrida’s seminars …
Improving Human-Wildlife Coexistence: An Ecological And Educational Approach To Rewilding Grizzly Bears (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) In California,
2026
University of San Francisco
Improving Human-Wildlife Coexistence: An Ecological And Educational Approach To Rewilding Grizzly Bears (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) In California, Amanda C. D. Rosales
Master's Projects and Capstones
Megafauna extinction during the Holocene has been both caused and amplified by climatic changes and human influence. By the last half century, large carnivores were diminished in Europe and the United States, but policies increasingly addressed species decline and their territories expanded. This research examined large carnivore rewilding across the European Union and United States, specifically for rewilding brown bears, Ursus arctos, in historic habitat. Next, case studies for the health status of climate-impacted whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis, a high energy food for bears, was assessed. Ultimately, research case studies, human perspective surveys, and the California Department of Education content …
Rhythms Of Hippocampal Function And Memory After Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure,
2026
University of New Mexico - Main Campus
Rhythms Of Hippocampal Function And Memory After Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Lilliana May Sanchez
Psychology ETDs
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders involve morphologic and neurobiological abnormalities in offspring subjected to prenatal alcohol exposure. Although not as well studied as high exposure, moderate prenatal alcohol exposure represents the most common and undetected form in humans. While learning and memory deficits have been well characterized at the behavioral level in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and in animal models of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure, few studies have determined the circuit or systems level mechanisms of the behavioral deficits. A complete understanding of the neural bases of memory deficits after moderate prenatal alcohol exposure is needed to ultimately identify …
Feeding The Future: Prenatal Dietary Effects On Offspring Neurodevelopment,
2026
Liberty University
Feeding The Future: Prenatal Dietary Effects On Offspring Neurodevelopment, Emma Whatley
Senior Honors Theses
This study examined the effects of prenatal Western (WD) and Mediterranean (MD) diets on offspring metabolic, cognitive, and neurobiological outcomes in a preclinical mouse model. Working and long-term memory performance, dendritic morphology, and gene expression were assessed using behavioural tests (CAL, YMRM, WM) and Golgi-Cox analyses. Behavioural effects were minimal, with female MD offspring showing improved memory performance under standard conditions. Metabolic findings showed effects on body weight and blood glucose. Dendritic morphology was largely unchanged; however, subtle, sex-specific differences were observed. Differential gene expression between MD and WD suggests a role for future environmental stressors. Prenatal diet affects molecular …
The Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States,
2026
University of South Alabama
The Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States, Marley Lanier
Poster Presentations
Music is a universal component of human culture that has been demonstrated influencing emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses, specifically heart rate and hormonal responses (Mehr et al., 2019; Trappe, 2012). Recently, this research has expended to explore how music may affect non-human animals, particularly dogs, due to their roles as therapy animals, service animals, and human companions (Lindig et al., 2020; Gee et al., 2021). Being able to understand how music influences canine stress and relaxation hold important applications in environments such as shelters, veterinary clinics, and at home. One important feature of music is tempo, or beats per minute …
Neuroprotective Effects Of Prophylactic Brivaracetam On Memory And Anxiety Following Traumatic Brain Injury,
2026
CUNY Hunter College
Neuroprotective Effects Of Prophylactic Brivaracetam On Memory And Anxiety Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Sofia Dumic
Theses and Dissertations
Prophylactic brivaracetam (BRV) was evaluated in a rat TBI model for effects on behavior and serum tau. BRV reduced anxiety-like behavior with optimal dose-dependent effects at 2.1mg/kg, but did not affect working memory. Serum tau was detectable early post-injury, supporting its use as a biomarker.
From Clicking To Committing: Psychological Distance And Persuasion In Online Animal Adoption Platforms To Enhance Shelter Visitation,
2026
University of South Alabama
From Clicking To Committing: Psychological Distance And Persuasion In Online Animal Adoption Platforms To Enhance Shelter Visitation, David Goodweather
Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)
Online animal shelter platforms have become a primary channel through which potential adopters view and evaluate adoptable animals, yet many users do not progress from online engagement to visiting a physical shelter. The dissertation examines how online pet viewing translates into intention to book a shelter visit by focusing on the roles of psychological distance and persuasive influence cues within a high-involvement decision context. Drawing on Construal Level Theory and persuasion research, a sequential process is proposed in which sustained interaction with pet profiles reduces distance-related abstraction, increasing receptivity to influence cues that facilitate movement from initial assessment to action. …
Purr-Spectives: Connections Between Feline Coat Color And Human Preferences And Perceptions In Northeast Arkansas,
2026
Arkansas State University - Jonesboro
Purr-Spectives: Connections Between Feline Coat Color And Human Preferences And Perceptions In Northeast Arkansas, Tiffany L. Batchelor
Create@State
Felines have played an important role in the lives of humans for thousands of years. This study investigated perceptions of felines and feline demographics in Northeast Arkansas (NEA). For Study 1, data on phenotype and health conditions was collected from 2,305 patient files from three NEA veterinary clinics. For Study 2, an anonymous survey generated using Qualtrics was published through College of Agriculture social media accounts to gather opinions from cat owners on feline coat color and ownership trends. Study 1 identified up to 6 pattern-based and up to 18 color-based phenotypes per clinic and a total of 129 unique …
Student Perspectives On The Selection And Suitability Of Emotional Support Animals,
2026
Arkansas State University - Jonesboro
Student Perspectives On The Selection And Suitability Of Emotional Support Animals, Ella G. Speer
Create@State
Emotional support animals (ESA) are classified as any species of animal that provides cognitive and emotional benefits for individuals struggling with mental health impairments (Ferrell, Crowley 2021, p. 561). Emotional support animals differ from service and therapy animals because there are no restrictions regarding the specie selection if the owner perceives their benefits (Ferrell, Crowley 2021, p. 561). Relaxed regulations on the specie of emotional support animals allow individuals the opportunity to choose any animal based on their perceived benefits (Pettable Staff, Fleming 2024). Recently, universities have implemented an emotional support animal policy to protect students who live on campus …
Use Of Basal Tree Cavities By Sylvilagus Aquaticus In Central Arkansas,
2026
Arkansas Tech University
Use Of Basal Tree Cavities By Sylvilagus Aquaticus In Central Arkansas, Heath R. Williams
ATU Scholars Symposium
Basal tree cavities are hollow structures at the base of tree trunks utilized by many wildlife species, including small mammals, furbearers, and bats. Dumyahn and Zollner (2010) demonstrated that swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) use basal tree cavities and speculated that they may be used for thermoregulation at the northern limits of their geographic range or as alternative escape routes. To further investigate swamp rabbit use of basal tree cavities, we placed camera traps approximately 1 m from the entrance of the cavities (n = 43) in various Wildlife Management Areas in central Arkansas. Along with control sites without cavities (n=25), …
The Evolution Of Self-Awareness In Conscious Organisms,
2026
Unaffiliated
The Evolution Of Self-Awareness In Conscious Organisms, Robert A. Dielenberg
Journal of Conscious Evolution
Self-awareness in conscious organisms remains an enduring puzzle for philosophers and neuroscientists. This paper proposes a tripartite evolutionary model tracing its emergence through three sequential types: the sensory self (primitive egocentric, valence-tagged awareness of sensory states), the bodily self (external objectification of the body as a distinct entity, evidenced by mirror self-recognition in select species), and the cognitive self (internal objectification of the mind enabling recursive self-transformation). Adopting a monist framework, the model treats consciousness as the biological substrate of delayed neural apperception (the “Delayed Present”), within which selves emerge as increasingly sophisticated models. It distinguishes non-human metacognition—implicit, online regulation—from …
Urban Areas Are Associated With Earlier Breeding Timing In American Robins,
2026
University of Louisville
Urban Areas Are Associated With Earlier Breeding Timing In American Robins, Lola Hackle, Jennifer Wickes, Elise Mittlestat, Ashley Stine, Keegan Abeson, Carolina Villalona, Mikus Abolins-Abols
The Cardinal Edge
Climate change and urban environment have been shown to affect bird reproductive timing. In particular, urban development can create the so-called “heat islands” – urban areas that are hotter than the surrounding environment. While the primary cue birds use to time their reproduction is daylength, birds also use temperature as a supplementary cue to fine-tune their reproductive timing. Change in the timing of breeding may impact the survivability of nestlings due to temperature fluctuations and food availability. The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a widespread songbird in North American cities and rural areas. We sought to see if urban heating …
