Effects of Early-Adolescent, Mid-Adolescent, or Adult Stress on Morphine Conditioned Place Preference

Early-life stress is correlated with negative mental health outcomes, including illicit drug abuse. One mechanism that may contribute to drug abuse is stress-induced elevation of drug reward. Place conditioning paradigms show that exposure to uncontrollable stress as an adult enhances opiate conditioned place preference, CPP. The present work addressed whether early-adolescent, mid-adolescent, or adult stress amplified morphine CPP. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to stress or no stress conditions and received stress during early-, mid-adolescence, or adulthood. Stressors were unpredictable consisting of exposure to synthetic fox odor (trimethylthiazoline) and an elevated platform. Morphine place conditioning occurred during adulthood, and all animals received either morphine (15 mg/kg) on the initially non-preferred side or saline (1 ml/kg) on the initially preferred side. A post-test was conducted and time on non-preferred side was analyzed. A 2 (S/NS) x 2 (pre-/post-test) x 3 (early-adolescent/mid-adolescent/adult) mixed ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of test, F(1,42)=115.90, p \u3c .001

Opiate Drug Seeking and Addiction: The Influence of Sucrose Consumption on the Acquisition and Expression of Morphine-induced Conditioned Place Preferences (CPP)

Sucrose intake may lead to changes in brain and behavior similar to the effects of abused drugs. For example, sucrose may agonize endogenous opiate systems and modulate opiate-seeking behavior. Previous research reported equivocal outcomes where sucrose may either enhance (i.e., cross-sensitization) or attenuate (i.e., cross-tolerance) drug seeking as measured by morphine-induced CPP. The present experiment extends from past work and evaluated the impact of sucrose administered prior to place conditioning. Additionally, unique groups received sucrose prior to tests for CPP to measure sucrose influences on CPP expression. Sprague-Dawley rats (n=24) were assigned to sucrose (15% w/v) or water pre-exposure conditions. Subsequently, subjects received morphine place conditioning where morphine (10mg/kg) was administered on the initially non-preferred side of the apparatus. Three post-tests were conducted and, prior to each test, animals within each pre-exposure group (sucrose or water) received either sucrose or water. Factorial ANOVA was used to analyze data. Results showed robust morphine-induced CPP. Although animals in the sucrose pre-exposure condition displayed enhanced CPP, the outcomes were not statistically significant. The present findings support the value of CPP techniques to measure opiate drug-seeking behavior. Future work may discover the sufficient conditions for detecting sucrose cross-sensitization of morphine CPP

EVALUATION OF REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF EASTERN WILD TURKEY (MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO SILVESTRIS) ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Avian reproduction is known to be a driver of population dynamics across species and systems. Behavioral decisions during incubation such as habitat selection and nest attentiveness are thought to affect nest success. The incubation process is a costly period during which individuals are sedentary and must balance survival with reproductive success and overall fitness. Current understanding of Eastern wild turkey incubation behavior provides a limited view of the incubation period. Using GPS data collected from Eastern wild turkeys (n = 220), I evaluated nest fate as it relates to recess frequency, distance travelled during recess, and habitat selection during the incubation period. My results differed from previous studies, whereas I show that individuals made daily recesses until the final day of the incubation period. I observed that individuals that made frequent long distance recess movements had a greater chance of having a successful nest, opposed to individuals that made infrequent recesses and moved short distances. My results suggest behavioral decisions are influencing trade‒offs during the incubation period to reduce the risk of predation, specifically adjusting the amount of time an individual spends on and off the nest. Developing decision‒making tools that adequately and accurately describe the biological system are important to develop sound wildlife management strategies. Models that use regression analysis are important as they provide insight on a specific topic within the system. However, it is equally important to incorporate findings from a suite of studies into a conceptual framework in order to understand biological relationships within the system. Bayesian belief network allows me to integrate multiple studies into a meaningful biological framework. Constructing a framework based on biological causality, I evaluated how vegetation characteristics at the nest site, landscape attributes within the recess range, and behavioral decisions are linked within the system and collectively influence nest fate. I found that nest fate was influenced by incubation range, nest attentiveness, and ground cover. However, these variables were also influenced by underlying vegetation characteristics and landscape attributes. My conceptual model suggest that Bayesian belief networks are a graphical model that identifies uncertainty and allows for identification and enumeration of measurable variables in a more biological meaningful way

Incubation recess behaviors influence nest survival of Wild Turkeys

In ground nesting upland birds, reproductive activities contribute to elevated predation risk, so females presumably use multiple strategies to ensure nest success. Identification of drivers reducing predation risk has primarily focused on evaluating vegetative conditions at nest sites, but behavioral decisions manifested through movements during incubation may be additional drivers of nest survival. However, our understanding of how movements during incubation impact nest survival is limited for most ground nesting birds. Using GPS data collected from female Eastern Wild Turkeys (n = 206), we evaluated nest survival as it relates to movement behaviors during incubation, including recess frequency, distance traveled during recesses, and habitat selection during recess movements. We identified 9,361 movements off nests and 6,529 recess events based on approximately 62,065 hr of incubation data, and estimated mean nest attentiveness of 84.0%. The numbers of recesses taken daily were variable across females (range: 1-7). Nest survival modeling indicated that increased cumulative distance moved during recesses each day was the primary driver of positive daily nest survival. Our results suggest behavioral decisions are influencing trade-offs between nest survival and adult female survival during incubation to reduce predation risk, specifically through adjustments to distances traveled during recesses

Behavioral and Neural Pharmacology of Drug-Seeking Behavior and Addiction

This sabbatical allowed me to secure a Visiting Scientist position in the Behavioral Neuroscience Department at OHSU where I collaborated with Dr. Christopher L. Cunningham and his research team. His laboratory employs conditioning paradigms to explore genetic factors, brain systems, neurotransmitters and information processing mechanisms that drive alcohol seeking behavior and alcohol dependence. Our research questions extended from earlier studies that implicated endogenous opiate systems in alcohol’s neuropharmacological effects. For example, the opiate receptor antagonist Naloxone, when administered prior to test, reduced expression of previously learned alcohol-induced conditioned place preferences (CPP) and facilitated extinction of CPP. Naloxone’s capacity to augment reduction of alcohol-seeking behavior in DBA/2J mice may yield important translational research applications to curb alcohol-seeking behavior in humans. An equally important problem related to opiate systems is the potential impact of opiate agonists on expression and extinction of alcohol-induced CPP. Opiate use and abuse is a significant public health problem impacting individuals and society. Potentially, opiate agonists may interact with other drug use, like alcohol, in unique ways, and alcohol-induced place conditioning affords an opportunity to experimentally evaluate that question. More specifically, will morphine, an opiate agonist, alter either expression or extinction of alcohol-induced CPP? Preliminary outcomes suggest that opiate agonists may enhance expression of ethanol-induced CPP as well as slow extinction of CPP. Further, at least in DBA/2J mice, opiate enhancement of ethanol CPP may be mediated by the activity-suppressing impact of morphine. Importantly, these projects may contribute to findings that will be applied to human drug addiction and add to our understanding of opiate use risk factors that may contribute to alcohol abuse and alcoholism

PRODUCTIVITY OF WOOD DUCKS, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS, AND HOODED MERGANSERS USING NEST BOXES IN LOUISIANA

Resident female wood ducks (Aix sponsa) in the southeastern United States are managed through nest box programs, with the goal of enhancing local hunting opportunities. Historically, hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were the only other cavity-nesting waterfowl species in the southeastern United States known to use these nest boxes. However, the recent northward range expansion of black-bellied whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis) has extended into the range of wood ducks and mergansers. All three species are brood parasites, potentially using one another as hosts for their parasitic eggs and impacting their reproductive output. My research evaluated the nest box program administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, focusing on the breeding ecology of cavity-nesting ducks and interspecific brood parasitism. Additionally, I analyzed a 14-year dataset for females banded from nest boxes to assess the impact of increasing the daily bag limit from 2 to 3 on wood duck survival and harvest rates. I monitored around 300 nest boxes weekly in Louisiana from 2020–2023, collecting data from February 1–July 31. I monitored individual eggs and nests, assigned fates, captured and banded incubating females, and marked ducklings. Trail cameras were placed inside a subset of nest boxes to collect videos. Among 261 black-bellied whistling-duck nests, I found nesting from late-March through late-July. About 7% of their nests were parasitized, primarily by wood ducks, with hooded mergansers as infrequent parasites. Black-bellied whistling-ducks hatched large clutches with varying compositions. I also monitored 1,206 wood duck nests; hooded mergansers and black-bellied whistling-ducks parasitized ~20% of nests. Parasitism by hooded mergansers reduced wood duck nest survival, but interspecific brood parasitism did not affect duckling recruitment. Wood duck egg survival decreased when in a clutch with hooded merganser eggs. Hooded mergansers had a more pronounced negative influence on wood duck productivity than black-bellied whistling-ducks. Red-bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) partially depredated wood duck clutches, reducing the number of wood duck eggs hatching at some sites. An analysis outside the breeding season revealed that increasing the daily bag limit did not affect the survival or harvest rates of box-nesting wood ducks. Future research should monitor black-bellied whistling-duck nesting chronology, as early-initiated wood duck nests are the most productive

Estrategias de diferenciación en el servicio como ventaja competitiva en el restaurant - pub EL ENCANTO DE LA AMAZONÍA en la ciudad de Chiclayo-2015

La investigación tuvo por objetivo determinar la relación entre las estrategias de diferenciación en el servicio y la ventaja competitiva en el Restaurant-Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía. La metodología de la investigación se basó en un estudio de tipo descriptiva correlacional, ya que se buscó conocer la relación entre las variables diferenciación en el servicio y ventaja competitiva en el Restaurant-Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía, donde se consideró un diseño no experimental - Transeccional y se trabajó con una muestra de 150 personas. Además se utilizó como técnica e instrumento de recolección de datos la encuesta y el cuestionario respectivamente, y para el procesamiento de datos se utilizó el programa SPSS Statistics 19 y Microsoft Excel. Los resultados del estudio mostraron que en el análisis de las estrategias de diferenciación en el servicio y sus procesos en el Restaurant – Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía se obtuvo como resultados positivos que el 62 % de los clientes si regresarían a consumir los productos, pese a que en algunos puntos muestren su indiferencia tales como en su satisfacción (51.33 %) y calidad de servicio (48 %) respectivamente. En la identificación del proceso de las ventajas competitivas del Restaurant – Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía se obtuvo resultados poco favorables ya que los clientes muestran su indiferencia en puntos importantes como la tecnología (50 %), los precios del producto (46.67 %) y la falta de recursos ( 66.6 %) para desarrollar sus actividades.Tesi

Estrategias de diferenciación en el servicio como ventaja competitiva en el restaurant - pub EL ENCANTO DE LA AMAZONÍA en la ciudad de Chiclayo-2015

TesisLa investigación tuvo por objetivo determinar la relación entre las estrategias de diferenciación en el servicio y la ventaja competitiva en el Restaurant-Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía. La metodología de la investigación se basó en un estudio de tipo descriptiva correlacional, ya que se buscó conocer la relación entre las variables diferenciación en el servicio y ventaja competitiva en el Restaurant-Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía, donde se consideró un diseño no experimental - Transeccional y se trabajó con una muestra de 150 personas. Además se utilizó como técnica e instrumento de recolección de datos la encuesta y el cuestionario respectivamente, y para el procesamiento de datos se utilizó el programa SPSS Statistics 19 y Microsoft Excel. Los resultados del estudio mostraron que en el análisis de las estrategias de diferenciación en el servicio y sus procesos en el Restaurant – Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía se obtuvo como resultados positivos que el 62 % de los clientes si regresarían a consumir los productos, pese a que en algunos puntos muestren su indiferencia tales como en su satisfacción (51.33 %) y calidad de servicio (48 %) respectivamente. En la identificación del proceso de las ventajas competitivas del Restaurant – Pub El Encanto de la Amazonía se obtuvo resultados poco favorables ya que los clientes muestran su indiferencia en puntos importantes como la tecnología (50 %), los precios del producto (46.67 %) y la falta de recursos ( 66.6 %) para desarrollar sus actividades

COHERENCE MONITORING WITH EMWAVE BIOFEEDBACK TO DECREASE COLLEGE STUDENT PRESENTATION ANXIETY

E. Bakner & N. Martin Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA PURPOSE: The overall goal of this study was to examine whether a 4-week emwave HRV biofeedback intervention would reduce anxiety students exhibit during their senior capstone presentations. The following hypothesis was developed: 1) a significant between group difference in post-test state anxiety will exist. METHODS: Participants included nine graduating kinesiology students enrolled in the senior capstone course at a small, liberal arts university in the Pacific Northwest. All participants completed pre and post-test surveys assessing anxiety (STAI-state trait anxiety inventory, Spielberger, 1983), were provided instruction and completed an emwave familiarization session at pre-test, while the experimental group had unlimited access to the emwave software, instructed to complete one 5-minute session 4 days a week in addition to anytime in which they practiced their capstone presentation. The control group consisted of 5 participants while the experimental was comprised of four. Experimental group participants were also provided instructional materials on deliberate breathing, mindfulness, and positive affirmations and required to check in with the lead researcher once per week. Between group differences in posttest anxiety and emwave coherence was analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA with the significance value set at p \u3c0.05. RESULTS: A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted that examined the effect of the 4-week emwave HRV biofeedback intervention on state anxiety. A statistically significant interaction for the effect of the emwave HRV biofeedback intervention on post-test state anxiety F(1,7) = 110.87, p = .000 was found. As hypothesized, control group state anxiety increased from pre to posttest (pre M =50.00 ± 13.10, post M = 60.00 ± 12.31), while experimental group state anxiety decreased from pre to posttest (pre M =58.50 ± 14.06, post M = 39.50 ± 11.45). CONCLUSION: A direct coping skills unit can be useful for students, especially with professor encouragement, unlimited access, and intermittent discussion groups regarding experience. This intervention is effective for reducing state anxiety, however trait anxiety reduction may be achievable with long-term persistence and systematic change to cognitive and behavioral reactions to stress provoking situations. Other research has also shown that short duration interventions using emwave biofeedback are effective in reducing both physiological and psychological stress