The Role of Dopamine in Decision Making Processes in Drosophila Melanogaster

Understanding the neural processes that mediate decision making is a relatively new field of investigation in the scientific community. With the ultimate goal of understanding how humans decide between one path and another, simpler models such as Drosophila Melanogaster, the common fruit fly, are often utilized as a way of determining the neural circuits involved in these decision-making processes. One of the most important decisions flies make is the decision of where to lay their eggs (oviposit). Choosing the proper substrate upon which to lay eggs is a crucial decision that can ultimately impact their fecundity. This paper investigates the field of decision-making neuroscience research previously conducted in order to provide background information and point out the void that my research is attempting to fill. In conducting research, I first began by collecting data on the number of eggs laid by wildtype flies on each substrate type (sucrose, yeast, combination, or plain) within the 20 chamber two-choice preference assay. Following this, the same procedure was conducted using dopamine knockout flies created by crossing KIR2.1 genetically encoded flies with specific dopamine output neurons which inhibited their function. Our lab found that wildtype flies prefer yeast and avoid sucrose. They also tend to choose a plain substrate in Plain vs. Sucrose-Yeast. Though the genetically altered flies also prefer plain, a significant decrease in preference was observed in four of the mushroom body output neuron lines (057B, 027C, 542B, 543B) indicating that these lines may play a more significant role in determining this preference for Plain over Sucrose-yeast. These neurons that mediate crucial decisions for fruit flies can hopefully one day be correlated to the dopamine neurons in the human brain that help us make simple, everyday decisions and even life-changing decisions such as where to settle down someday and lay our own eggs

A participatory approach to developing the HIV Nursing Research Strategy

As an illness that has changed dramatically over the past three decades, HIV has kept healthcare professionals working in the field engaged and challenged. From the caution and concerns of an emerging infection in the early 1980s providing palliative and end-of-life care, through the development of successful drug therapies, and finally to its identification as a long-term health condition, health professionals caring for people with HIV have had to adapt their knowledge and skills to meet their client group. Nurses have played an important role in the adaptation of care priorities and knowledge acquisition though the delivery of evidence-based clinical practice and research development when the evidence did not exist. This article outlines how the National HIV Nurses Association (NHIVNA) in the UK explored the research priorities for nurses in the changing environment of HIV nursing care and management in order to develop a progressive nursing research strategy

A Prospective Study of Prepregnancy Dietary Iron Intake and Risk for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE It is important to identify modifiable factors that may lower gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. Dietary iron is of particular interest given that iron is a strong prooxidant, and high body iron levels can damage pancreatic β-cell function and impair glucose metabolism. The current study is to determine if prepregnancy dietary and supplemental iron intakes are associated with the risk of GDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A prospective study was conducted among 13,475 women who reported a singleton pregnancy between 1991 and 2001 in the Nurses’ Health Study II. A total of 867 incident GDM cases were reported. Pooled logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of GDM by quintiles of iron intake controlling for dietary and nondietary risk factors. RESULTS Dietary heme iron intake was positively and significantly associated with GDM risk. After adjusting for age, BMI, and other risk factors, RRs (95% CIs) across increasing quintiles of heme iron were 1.0 (reference), 1.11 (0.87–1.43), 1.31 (1.03–1.68), 1.51 (1.17–1.93), and 1.58 (1.21–2.08), respectively (P for linear trend 0.0001). The multivariate adjusted RR for GDM associated with every 0.5-mg per day of increase in intake was 1.22 (1.10–1.36). No significant associations were observed between total dietary, nonheme, or supplemental iron intake and GDM risk. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that higher prepregnancy intake of dietary heme iron is associated with an increased GDM risk

Assessing osseointegration of metallic implants with boronized surface treatment

Modification of endosteal implants through surface treatments have been investigated to improve osseointegration. Boronization has demonstrated favorable mechanical properties, but limited studies have assessed translational, in vivo outcomes. This study investigated the effect of implant surface boronization on bone healing. Two implant surface roughness profiles (acid etched, machined) in CP titanium (type II) alloy implants were boronized by solid-state diffusion until 10-15µm boron coating was achieved. The surface-treated implants were placed bilaterally into 5 adult sheep ilia for three and six weeks. Four implant groups were tested: boronized machined (BM), boronized acid-etched (BAA), control machined (CM), and control acid-etched (CAA). Osseointegration was quantified by calculating bone to implant contact (BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO). Both implant types treated with boronization had BIC values not statistically different from machined control implants at t=3 weeks, and significantly less than acid-etched control (p<0.02). BAFO values were not statistically different for all 3-week groups except machined control (significantly less at p<0.02). BAFO had a significant downward trend from 3 to 6 weeks in both boronized implant types (p<0.03) while both control implant types had significant increases in BIC and BAFO from 3 to 6 weeks. Non-decalcified histology depicted intramembranous-like healing/remodeling in bone for controls, but an absence of this dynamic process in bone for boronized implants. These findings are inconsistent with in vitro work describing bone regenerative properties of elemental Boron and suggests that effects of boron on in vivo bone healing warrant further investigation

The Grizzly, April 21, 1989

Spring Weekend a Whopper! • Ours Nouveau • Sunday\u27s Reception Huge Success • Letter: Shed Miniskirts for Spandex • Heritage Day • Berman Roofing Top Hat Affair • \u27Packers Hike Hick Hills • Ground Round: Super Service • Running\u27s More Than Just Winning • Spring Sports: Hot and Cold • Mr. Ursinus a Whomping Good Time!https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1236/thumbnail.jp

Surface characterization and in vivo evaluation of laser sintered and machined implants followed by resorbable-blasting media process: a study in sheep

Background: This study aimed to compare the histomorphometric and histological bone response to laser-sintered implants followed by resorbable-blasting media (RBM) process relative to standard machined/RBM surface treated implants. Material and Methods: Six male sheep (n=6) received 2 Ti-6Al-4V implants (1 per surface) in each side of the mandible for 6 weeks in vivo. The histomorphometric parameters bone-implant contact (BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO) were evaluated. Results: Optical interferometry revealed higher Sa and Sq values for the laser-sintered/RBM surface in relation to standard/RBM implants. No significant differences in BIC were observed between the two groups (p>0.2), but significantly higher BAFO was observed for standard/RBM implants (p<0.01). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that both surfaces were biocompatible and osseoconductive, and the combination of laser sintering and RBM has no advantage over the standard machined implants with subsequent RBM

The Grizzly, May 2, 1989

Greeks Grab Spotlight • Grad. Speakers Tapped • Benedict No.1 • Letter: Racism! Not Just Rednecks • Williams\u27 Farewell • Richter Honored • ISIC\u27s for Going Abroad • The Arena: Seeking Opinions • Trenton Draws First Blood • U.C. Hits Stumbling Block • Positive for MAC\u27s • Crabs and Fries: The Spice of Life • Dance Marathon Coming • Senior Altruism Needed • Seniors\u27 Lasting Impressions: Your Most Memorable Moments at U.C.? • Final Exam Schedulehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1237/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 10, 1989

Ursinus Seeks Mid-States Reaccreditation • Heck Beats Traffic Blahs • Letter: Doughty Expresses Doubts • U.C. Salutes French Bicentennial • Medieval Fest Needs You • Ginsberg to Give Revolutionary Forum • Casa Maria: Muy Bien • de la Hoya Happy • Ursinus Slays F & M • U.C. Aims for Title • O\u27Malley Leaps to Nationals • Women\u27s Indoor Inspiring • U.C. Fields Strong Squad • A\u27Bears Peaking at Right Time • Scholarships to Scotland • Guess Who\u27s Coming for Dinner? • His Cheating Makes Twice the Test for You • Hallinger Argues for Proposal 42: Academics Before Athlete • Greenstein Grabs Grim \u27Just Right\u27 • Valentine No-No\u27s • From America With Love: Students Flock to U.C.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1228/thumbnail.jp