Exploration of Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Model Using an Effort-Based Discounting Task

The necessity of getting adequate and consistent sleep for health is well recognized. However, many individuals fail to achieve this. Studies indicate a growing prevalence of sleep deprivation, causing it to become one of the leading reasons for visiting sleep clinics. While much of the existing literature focuses on cognitive outcomes like attention and memory, there is a notable gap in understanding how sleep deprivation affects motivation, particularly from the perspective of effort expenditure. To address this gap, we investigated the impact of gentle handling sleep deprivation on performance on the Effort Discounting Task (EDT). This is a behavioral test used to assess motivation through effort expenditure. Two experimental groups of 8 male and 8 female C57BL/6 mice each (total n=32) were tested on this task. We hypothesized that sleep- deprived mice would show reduced effort expenditure and hence decreased motivation. Contrary to our hypothesis, mice showed increased motivation after sleep deprivation. Additional experimentation yielded an effect of behavioral testing time on task performance. Further investigation is necessary to determine the effects of sleep deprivation on effort expenditure.ASPIRE Medical Research Program summer fellowshipNo embargoAcademic Major: Neuroscienc

Alternative Education During the Holocaust

Throughout WWII, the Nazis attacked Jewish students’ right to education in Germany and all occupied territories. This project focuses on the ways in which Central and Eastern European Jewish communities, primarily in Poland, attempted to circumvent Nazi legislation and continue to educate their children. Using primarily diaries and memoirs from Holocaust-era children, this project analyzes when and how students continued to study despite Nazi oppression. While research has been conducted on underground schools, this thesis discusses individualized alternative education which does not resemble a traditional schooling center. Alternative education began even before schools shut down with community members creating study groups and privately tutoring students. More alternative education appeared in the ghettos than among children in hiding due to the presence of a larger community; although, as conditions worsened, educational responsibility transferred from adult community members to the students themselves. Late in the war, students self-studied without the structure of formal education. There were limited examples of education in the concentration and extermination camps as well. These findings illustrate how the Holocaust should be included in the history of alternative and home education. This project also reveals how ghetto environments could result in unique educational opportunities for students and demonstrates that children were the main agents in their own educational journeys.No embargoAcademic Major: Histor

Does the Gut Talk to the Heart and Drive Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias worldwide, associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to stroke and heart failure (Chugh et al., 2014). With AF becoming a growing public health concern while aging has long been recognized as a primary risk factor for AF, recent research has unveiled a novel connection between abnormal gastrointestinal (GI) functioning and AF risk. Both human studies and animal models with AF risk factors have exhibited impaired GI epithelial barrier function, resulting in enhanced GI permeability, commonly referred to as "leaky gut" (Zhang et al., 2022). This "leaky gut" phenomenon has been found to be particularly prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been linked to an increased incidence of AF. Understanding the intricate interplay between the gut and the heart in the context of aging-associated AF pathogenesis has become the focus of intense investigation.American Heart Association Undergraduate Summer Research FellowshipA five-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Nursin

Regulation of goblet cells by diet and microbiota derived metabolites

Trillions of commensal microbes, collectively called microbiota, reside in the mammalian intestine. Microbiota break down dietary components to produce metabolites that regulate the symbiotic relationship between the host and microbiota. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) reside at the direct interface between the host and microbiota and respond to metabolites from the diet and microbiota. We hypothesize that diet and microbiota-derived metabolites regulate goblet cells within the Intestine. We found mice fed rice bran exhibited decreased numbers of goblet cells, which are the specialized IEC that maintains mucosal barrier function through secretion of the compound mucin. Furthermore, rice bran feeding resulted in reduced epithelial expression of the gene Mucin 2 (Muc2). Rice bran is known to contain high amounts of both fiber and phytate. Microbial fermentation of dietary fiber produces the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate. In addition, dietary phytate is digested by distinct microbial enzymes to produce phosphorous and inositol phosphate metabolites. Interestingly, utilizing in vitro culture systems employing a human colonic epithelial cell line, we found that butyrate inhibited goblet cell gene expression. On the other hand, phytate metabolites promoted the goblet cell gene Muc2 expression. When treated with both butyrate and phytate, the phytate effect was overridden by the butyrate effect. Thus, our results suggest that rice bran can decrease goblet cells in the colon through microbial metabolism of fiber, despite opposing effects by phytateNo embargoAcademic Major: Animal Science

Brave Humanism: Black Women Rewriting the Human in the Age of Jane Crow

Introduction: The brave humanism of Black women writers -- Of one blood: blood brotherhood in the Black woman's era -- No sanctuary: plagiarism, primitivism, and the politics of recognition -- Folk in the flesh: insides, outsides, and the object of anthropology -- Networks of care: sentiment, sociology, and the protest fiction debate -- Renaissance women: vision and vulnerability in the Black Chicago renaissance -- Coda: Bravery and the backlash: Lorraine Hansberry at the forum

Perspectives of Master Teachers: Mentorship and Best Practices

This research examines the perspectives of master teachers on meaningful mentorship and best practices. The focus is on high school band directors, middle school band directors, and general elementary music teachers. Mentorship is important in the field of Music Education and is responsible for the advancement and development of the field. In the field of music education, challenges are unique and required specialized skills to solve. Thus, the understanding of mentorship and how it influences teachers will aid in the improvement of music education and the support of future music educators. This research also examines how meaningful mentorship can drive practice in the classroom. The study focuses on band directors and elementary general music teachers currently practicing in the Central Ohio area. Teachers were contacted via email with an explanation of the study, what it hoped to achieve, and what participation would look like. Teachers who agreed to participate scheduled in person interviews at a location and time of their choosing. They answered questions on mentorship and practice that were designed to allow for a depth and breadth of response. Questions stemmed from mentors in life, current teaching practices, insights into mentorship, and reflections from teaching experience. Thematic analysis of the responses revealed that meaningful mentorship shapes educational philosophy, informs instructional practice, and is necessary at every stage of a teacher's career. This study highlights the lasting impact of mentorship and its role in fostering high-quality music education.No embargoAcademic Major: Music - Educatio

Replaying Marc Anthony: Sonic, Political, and Cultural Resonances

Introduction: The singer as listener -- "Preciosa" (1998) : diasporican subjectivities and the sounds of itinerancy -- "Hasta que te conocí" (1993) : Latinidad as suffering -- "I need to know" (1999) : singing in English and the sonic struggles for Americanness -- "Aguanile" (2007) : critical listening, mourning, and decolonial healing -- "Vivir mi vida" (2013) : toward a critical salsa romántica and a Global South brownness -- Coda: Listening intimaciesItem embargoed for five year