Chadronian insectivores of the Cypress Hills

The Cypress Hills Formation of Saskatchewan preserves sediments of Uintan (middle Eocene) to Hemingfordian (middle Miocene) age, but the best-represented period is the Chadronian North American Land Mammal Age. The best-known site, with the richest biodiversity known for the area, is the middle Chadronian Calf Creek Locality, from which over 70 mammal and 25 non-mammal species are known. The majority of these taxa have been described in the literature, but the portion of the fauna which includes the "insectivores," members of the orders Leptictida, Apatotheria, and Lipotyphla, have not been formally described. The following thesis identifies and describes the insectivores and chiropterans of the Calf Creek Locality, together with the same groups from the nearby Chadronian-aged Horse Locality. The inclusion of the Horse Locality specimens serves three purposes: (1) to begin the formal description of material from the Horse Locality, (2) to compare the two faunas to identify possible differences between the two, and (3) to allow for analysis of the implications of any faunal differences in terms of age and environment of the two sites. The insectivore faunas of the two sites are found to be very similar, with the same genera and common species occurring at both localities. Six species-level differences are reported, all within relatively rare taxa; in most cases rare taxa were found at the Calf Creek but not at the Horse Locality. It seems likely that most of the specific differences result from the smaller collection size of the Horse Locality rather than from age-related species turnover. Although the non-insectivore taxa suggest that the Horse Locality dates from either later in the middle Chadronian or the Late Chadronian, an evolutionary change between the Calf Creek and the Horse localities could not be confirmed in the groups studied here

Demonstrating the P300 Psychophysiological Response in Rats During an Auditory Stimulus Detection Task Using Subcutaneous Electrodes

The P300 is a psychophysiological response that occurs 300-500 ms after the onset of a novel stimulus. This signal has been recorded in humans using EEG methods, but the recording method for non-human mammals has been surgically intrusive. While beneficial to determining specific brain regions that elicit the P300, a survey of current research indicates that targeting specific areas for recording does not yield substantial benefits over more global measures of neurophysiological activity. As such, we tested rats in an auditory oddball task to demonstrate if a less-intrusive means of recording the P300, using subcutaneous electrodes, can be achieved in non-human mammals. We expected to find a robust P300, as the rats were tested in an active task wherein the oddball target stimulus was rare and meaningful. Futhermore, we expected that the amplitude of the P300 would be dose-dependently reduced following IP administration of ethanol (0.75 and 1.5 g/kg) versus vehicle (IP saline). When the average amplitude for the target tone was compared to the average amplitude for the standard tone (latency 300/400 ms) for all trials, a P300 to the target tone was identified that had a significantly higher average amplitude than that for the standard tone. Furthermore, while not statistically significant using parametric analyses, large effect sizes (f \u3e .40) suggested the P300 to the target was larger in females than in males and that the amplitude of the P300 was reduced by acute ethanol administration. Analysis of the behavioral results for the oddball task indicated the rats did not demonstrate very accurate performance. When comparing hits (i.e., correct responses to the target) versus correct rejections (i.e., no response to the standard tone) a substantial number of trials had to be eliminated from the ERP analysis due to premature responding before either tone was presented. As such, the resulting waveforms contained too much noise to deduce typical auditory ERP waveforms, thus preventing direct examination of P300 amplitude for only the correct behavioral response trials. Overall, these resuts indicate that despite poor behavioral performance, the target tone elicited a P300 and was thus more salient than the standard tone

The Construction of Self in an Adult Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Counselors working in a wide array of settings are likely to encounter clients who have significant histories of childhood trauma, including childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The effects of CSA on the adult survivor are complex, and often difficult to resolve. Many trauma theorists have hypothesized that these problems may be mediated by disturbances in the survivor\u27s construction of self. This exploratory, phenomenological study examined the subjective self as it moved through the processes of therapy and recovery from CSA. The data consisted of written material generated over several years of my own therapeutic work, including journals, letters, and poems. The analysis of data revealed significant shifts in elements of the self including the development of a truer and more coherent autobiographical narrative, a greater sense of connection with and ownership of the body, and a stronger sense of both autonomy and the ability to enter and sustain healthy relationships. The purpose of this study was to offer a conceptual bridge between the subjective world of a survivor and the theoretical and clinical perspectives of the practicing counselor and counselor educator. The results revealed one person\u27s strategies for creating a stronger and more integrated self as well as suggestions for future researc

Activity Strategy Workbook for Mothers Experiencing Multiple Sclerosis

The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a resource for mothers diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) to promote optimal success and independence in the motherhood role. The resulting workbook targets the mothering activities of individuals who have been newly diagnosed with MS and are raising young, pre-school aged children. The product provides education and guidance to optimize the mother\u27s ability to care for herself and her child or children. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine current best practice and treatment guidelines for MS, the influence of MS on both the parent and child, and also common symptoms and their effects on occupational functioning. The literature revealed a common underuse of energy promotion during the treatment of MS and an overemphasis on energy conservation strategies. Research also demonstrated a correlation between the mother\u27s symptom level and her ability to provide care and nurturing to her child. Specific focus was therefore placed on adapting mothering activities to balance energy conservation and energy promotion techniques according to fatigue fluctuations and symptom exacerbation. Emphasis was given to providing mothers with the opportunity to gain insight into the effectiveness of strategies used to carry out self-care, household management, and childcare activities. Guided by the Occupational Adaptation (OA) Model, the workbook promotes occupational mastery and skill generalization and is intended to be used as a supplement to occupational therapy (OT) services

The Construction of Self in an Adult Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Counselors working in a wide array of settings are likely to encounter clients who have significant histories of childhood trauma, including childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The effects of CSA on the adult survivor are complex, and often difficult to resolve. Many trauma theorists have hypothesized that these problems may be mediated by disturbances in the survivor\u27s construction of self. This exploratory, phenomenological study examined the subjective self as it moved through the processes of therapy and recovery from CSA. The data consisted of written material generated over several years of my own therapeutic work, including journals, letters, and poems. The analysis of data revealed significant shifts in elements of the self including the development of a truer and more coherent autobiographical narrative, a greater sense of connection with and ownership of the body, and a stronger sense of both autonomy and the ability to enter and sustain healthy relationships. The purpose of this study was to offer a conceptual bridge between the subjective world of a survivor and the theoretical and clinical perspectives of the practicing counselor and counselor educator. The results revealed one person\u27s strategies for creating a stronger and more integrated self as well as suggestions for future researc

New perspective on the role of conceptus estrogens in conceptus development, maternal recognition, and the establishment of pregnancy in pigs.

The proposed signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy in pigs is estrogen, produced by the elongating conceptus. To understand the role of estrogen in porcine conceptus elongation and pregnancy establishment, a loss of function study was conducted by biallelically editing pig aromatase (CYP19A1) gene by using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. CYP19A1[+/+] and CYP19A1[-/-] blastocysts were transferred into synchronized recipient gilts and the reproductive tract was collected on days 14 or 17 post-estrus. Elongated and attaching conceptuses were recovered from gilts receiving either CYP19A1[+/+] or CYP19A1[-/-] embryos on both day 14 and 17. Conceptus estrogen production was inhibited as estrogen concentrations in the uterine luminal flush (ULF) of gilts with CYP19A1[-/-] conceptuses was significantly lower (P<0.01) than those with CYP19A1 [+/+] conceptuses on day 14 and day 17. Despite the loss of conceptus estrogen production, CYP19A1[-/-] conceptuses were capable of maintaining the corpora lutea (CL). However, gilts containing CYP19A1[-/-] embryos all aborted between days 27 and 31 of gestation. Attempts to rescue the pregnancy of CYP19A1[-/-] embryos with exogenous estrogen failed to maintain pregnancy. However, co-transfer of in vitro fertilized (IVF) CYP19A1[+/+] and CYP19A1[-/-] embryos successfully maintained pregnancy. Furthermore, conceptus estrogen production is not essential for pre-implantation development, conceptus elongation, and the early maintenance of CL. However, conceptus estrogen is essential for programming endometrial function for maintenance of pregnancy beyond 25 days.Includes bibliographical reference