Behavioral Effects of Fluoxetine on Aggression and Associative Learning in Betta splendens

While the link between serotonin and the behaviors of aggression and learning has been elucidated, few studies have examined the impact serotonin has on learning for aggressive rewards. In particular, the SSRI fluoxetine has been demonstrated to reduce aggression as well the acquisition of instrumental responding for rewards indicating that this drugs behavioral effect may be related to motivational processes important for learning. To examine the relationship between fluoxetine and motivational process important for learning, two experiments were conducted using Betta splendens, a species well known for their robust aggressive response and drive to engage in aggressive behaviors, to examine the impact of fluoxetine on aggressive behavior and learning for aggressive rewards. Results from these two experiments provide evidence of a possible serotonergic input on dopamine circuits important for motivational processes related to learning

Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Present at a State Conference

As mathematics teacher educators, we have a responsibility to prepare as many people as we can, to teach mathematics in ways that foster a deeper understanding of the content. We do this by teaching current and future teachers in college programs and providing professional development to in-service teachers. A less explored way is to prepare these “students” to present ideas they have learned to colleagues at their school, other schools in their district, and conferences. In this paper, I share my experience of helping students go through the process of preparing to present over the last two years at our state K-12 mathematics conference and include some of their reflections through this process

Supermassive black holes and multiphase gas in early-type galaxies

In this thesis, we study the evolution of the multiphase gas in and around massive, quiescent early-type galaxies (ETGs), and how it is affected by their central supermassive black holes (SMBH). To model the physical processes acting on the gas, we perform hydrodynamical simulations with a modern smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code. We present simulations of an isolated, massive ETG that include models for gas cooling, star formation, stellar feedback (in the form of type Ia and type II supernovae (SNe) and winds from asymptotic giant branch stars), metal enrichment of the gas by the stellar feedback, and accretion onto and feedback (in kinetic and radiative form) from the central SMBH. We find that both forms of SMBH feedback together are necessary to keep the star formation rate (SFR) and the black hole growth within observational limits. We also find that the kinetic feedback of the SMBH is able to drive outflows of metal-rich gas into the circumgalactic medium of the ETG, enriching it out to a radius of ∼ 30 kpc. We then present high-resolution simulations of a dense, molecular circumnuclear disc (CND) in the centre of an ETG, which we compare to the observed CNDs of NGC 4429 (Davis et al., 2018) and similar systems. Besides the processes listed above, these simulations also include non-equilibrium cooling, hydrogen chemistry, interstellar UV radiation, shielding of the gas from it, cosmic ray (CR) ionisation, stellar photo-ionisation feedback, an improved star-formation model, and a new SMBH accretion model. We also implement a new “mechanical” SN feedback model. We find that, under a large range of conditions (different gravitational potentials, UV field strengths, CR ionisation rates, SN models, SMBH accretion and feedback), the simulated CND is more star-forming than the observed systems at equivalent gas surface densities. To prevent this, a physical mechanism (such as magnetic fields) is needed to stop the collapse of gas to high densities. Finally, we compare simulations of SMBH feedback in isolated ETGs with different feedback efficiencies, as well as different hydrodynamical solvers (two flavours of SPH, and meshless-finite-mass) to study the effect of the underlying hydrodynamical models on the results. We find that changing either the SMBH feedback efficiency or the hydrodynamical solver significantly alters the effect of the SMBH feedback on the structure, outflows, and SFR of the gas. While the dependence of the results on the efficiency is straightforward, that on the hydrodynamic solver shows a fundamental weakness in the numerical modelling. We conclude that results of hydrodynamical simulations with unresolved highly energetic processes (such as SMBH feedback) need to be interpreted carefully, taking into account their strong dependence on the simulation’s fundamentals

The Impact of Elementary Mathematics Workshops on Mathematics Knowledge for Parenting (MKP) and Beliefs About Learning Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which parents of first, second, and third grade students who attended a two-day workshop on mathematics strategies differed on average and over time, as compared to parents who did not attend the workshops. The following areas were measured: mathematics content knowledge, beliefs about learning mathematics, ability to identify correct student responses regarding mathematics, ability to identify student errors in solving mathematics problems, methods used to solve problems, and comfort level with manipulatives

Lupus and the Effects on Pregnancy

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a disease that manifests in many different ways. The cause of lupus still remains elusive. However, many of the pathologies associated with the disease as well as the disease process have been described. The pathophysiology of the disease as well as its effects on specific patient groups will be discussed below. More specifically, Systemic Lupus’ effect on pregnancy with current diagnostic and treatment modalities will be the focus of this paper

Preparing Pre-service Teachers to Present at a State Conference

As mathematics teacher educators, we have a responsibility to prepare as many people as we can, to teach mathematics in ways that foster a deeper understanding of the content. We do this by teaching current and future teachers in college programs and providing professional development to in-service teachers. A less explored way is to prepare these “students” to present ideas they have learned to colleagues at their school, other schools in their district, and conferences. In this paper, I share my experience of helping students go through the process of preparing to present over the last two years at our state K-12 mathematics conference and include some of their reflections through this process

Comparative sub-lethal effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers following simulated maternal transfer and dietary exposure in two species of turtles

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are contaminants of concern as their concentrations have been increasing in the environment in recent years. This project sought to determine the effects of embryonic and dietary exposure to two PBDE congeners (BDE-47 and BDE-99) on a suite of endpoints including development, growth, metabolic rate, behavior and thyroid function of embryonic, hatchling and juvenile red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) and snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina). Topical egg dosing was employed for embryonic exposures; transfer efficiencies across the red-eared slider eggshell were 25.82 % and 9.87 % for BDE-47 and -99 respectively whereas they were 31.30 % and 12.53 % across the snapping turtle eggshell. These transfer efficiencies were taken into account when topically dosing eggs in a subsequent exposure-response study of embryonic exposure to BDE-47. Sodium perchlorate was included as a positive control for thyroid disruption in the embryonic exposure study. Embryonic exposure to five concentrations of BDE-47 (target exposure range from 40 ng/g - 1000 ng/g ww) led to patterns of elevated standard metabolic rate in hatchlings of both species and increased liver weights in snapping turtles. No impacts were found on incubation time, hatching success or total glandular thyroxine (T4) of the hatchlings. Embryonically exposed red-eared slider juveniles displayed delayed righting response behavior and both species showed patterns of reduced thyroid size and T4 following exposure. Sodium perchlorate had significant impacts on survival, incubation time, volume of the external yolk and T4 in the red-eared slider hatchlings. In snapping turtles, sodium perchlorate exposures led to impacts on hatching success, standard metabolic rate, liver and thyroid sizes, and T4. A separate study of dietary exposure to BDE-47 and BDE-99 (2055 ng/g and 1425 ng/g respectively) over a six month period in both species revealed altered behavior and decreased T4 in red-eared sliders and elevated standard metabolic rate in snapping turtles. Embryonic and dietary exposures to BDE-47 and -99 can elicit a suite of impacts potentially related to thyroid system function and are cause for concern, but the observed species specific differences in response require further investigation

PAVLOVIAN TO INSTRUMENTAL TRANSFER IN THE PEAK PROCEDURE: INSIGHTS INTO TIME

Responding in the peak procedure has long been utilized as a prototypical model of timing behavior in animals (Church, 2002). Part and parcel to this approach has been the assumption that peak intervals and peak rates are representative measures of two independent constructs, timing and motivation respectively. However, recent investigations into motivational influences and the biological underpinnings of timing behavior have resulted in converging models that indicate responding in the peak procedure may actually be a combination of motivational and timing factors (Kirkpatrick, 2014). In pursuit of this, the present study utilized two experimental manipulations to examine the impact of pavlovian conditioned cues on timing and the role of fluoxetine in mediating pavlovian cue effects. The results provided evidence for pavlovian to instrumental transfer effects within the peak procedure and further outlined the role of fluoxetine in impacting response processes