The role of inter-enlargement propriospinal neurons in locomotion following spinal cord injury.

The focus of this dissertation is to explore the functional role of two anatomically-defined pathways in the adult rat spinal cord before and after spinal cord injury (SCI). To do this, a TetOn dual virus system was used to selectively and reversibly silence neurons with cell bodies at spinal segment L2 and projections to spinal segment C6 (long ascending propriospinal neurons, LAPNs) and neurons that originate in the C6 spinal segment and terminate at L2 spinal segment (long descending propriospinal neurons, LDPNs). This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One provides background information regarding spinal cord injury, locomotion, and a brief introduction to propriospinal neurons. Chapter Two details the functional consequences of silencing LAPNs and LDPNs in uninjured animals, with specific regard to sensory context during overground locomotion. Chapter Three describes the consequences of silencing LAPNs following a mild/moderate spinal cord contusion injury. Spinal cord injury (SCI) fundamentally affects the ability to maintain patterned weight-supported stepping. Chapter Four focuses on the functional outcomes of silencing the reciprocal descending inter-enlargement pathway, LDPNs, after mild/moderate spinal cord contusion injury. Finally, Chapter Five compares the differential roles of LAPNs and LDPNs in left-right coordination prior to injury, especially in a sensory context-dependent manner. A section of this chapter is devoted to a recap of injured data for both LAPN and LDPN silencing post-injury and attempts to place this work in context with other studies whose focus is on propriospinal pathways after SCI

Use of the Classroom Management Link System (CMLS) Across Multiple Classrooms

This manuscript was originally presented in a poster session at the 121st annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Honolulu, Hawaii.The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Classroom Management Link System (CMLS) across classrooms using a multiple baseline design. CMLS is a preventive system that uses rule development, self-monitoring, goal setting and increased positive teacher feedback to prevent disruptive classroom behavior and increase academic engaged time. Baseline data on off-task and disruptive behavior was taken in each classroom until CMLS was implemented. CMLS was implemented after three weeks of collecting baseline data in Classroom One and six weeks of collecting baseline data in Classroom Two. Each teacher completed surveys on non-academic factors impacting their classroom and their own classroom management skills. These surveys were completed at the time CMLS was implemented in each classroom as well as at the end of the study. An additional survey was administered at the end of the study to measure the acceptability of the intervention. The results suggest that the intervention had a large effect on off-task behavior and a small to moderate effect on disruptive behavior. Mixed results were found for each of the surveys. Results on the acceptability of the intervention were also mixed

Going Against the Grain: Exploring Possibilities of Refashioning Secondhand Clothing through Place, Practice, and Community

Upon the realization of the many problems that the world faces today, (social, ecological, local, global, economic, etc.) many people from an array of disciplines and backgrounds are realizing the necessity for drastic sustainable change. Quite simply, there are a multitude of things wrong with our system of operating and we must act to change, as it is imperative to our global health and well-being in every sense. Many words come to mind when thinking of the necessary sustainable transitions we must face: re-conceptualize, re-frame, re-design, re-localize, re-skill, and re-imagine, just to name a few. This idea of “re” has “re-vamped” many social movements and practices that aim towards living more sustainably. One such concept with this impact is refashioning. In particular, I refer to refashioning used garments and textiles for the purpose of re-creating clothes for the individual wearer while simultaneously counteracting textile waste and retail consumerism. The reason for studying refashioning stems from the underlying issues within the entire fashion industry at large. The fashion industry contributes directly in a myriad of ways to the problems we find throughout our world today. The good news is that many involved within the fashion industry are beginning to take ecological sustainability into account every step of the way of creating a garment. The drawback that caught my attention is the lack of representation of sustainable fashion measures within academia, especially in America. There is much more research regarding the sustainability of fashion going on in the UK and Europe. However in Europe, there are many more accounts of measures of sustainability taken from within the fashion industry and not as much focus on consumer agency or individual practice. Thus, I have studied the place, practice, and communities associated with the refashioning of used, or secondhand clothing and textiles between October 2014 and April 2015 on a local level in North Carolina as well as on an international level thanks to DIY communities made visible through the internet. Prevailing themes have been weaved into my research—those of sustainability, DIY, bricolage, and building communities of practice. All of these themes have intertwined this relatively small practice of refashioning with bigger ideas and lessons we can learn about the sustainable transitions we all must face to reimagine our future and not fall victim to the ‘Business as Usual’ (see Macy and Johnstone, 4-5) approach (and its effects) that currently dominates our mode of being in the world.Bachelor of Art

Vestibular Rehabilitation for Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: From the American Physical Therapy Association Neurology Section

Background: Uncompensated vestibular hypofunction results in postural instability, visual blurring with head movement, and subjective complaints of dizziness and/or imbalance. We sought to answer the question, \ Is vestibular exercise effective at enhancing recovery of function in people with peripheral (unilateral or bilateral) vestibular hypofunction?\ Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed in 5 databases published after 1985 and 5 additional sources for relevant publications were searched. Article types included meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case control series, and case series for human subjects, published in English. One hundred thirty-five articles were identified as relevant to this clinical practice guideline. Results/Discussion: Based on strong evidence and a preponderance of benefit over harm, clinicians should offer vestibular rehabilitation to persons with unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction with impairments and functional limitations related to the vestibular deficit. Based on strong evidence and a preponderance of harm over benefit, clinicians should not include voluntary saccadic or smooth-pursuit eye movements in isolation (ie, without head movement) as specific exercises for gaze stability. Based on moderate evidence, clinicians may offer specific exercise techniques to target identified impairments or functional limitations. Based on moderate evidence and in consideration of patient preference, clinicians may provide supervised vestibular rehabilitation. Based on expert opinion extrapolated from the evidence, clinicians may prescribe a minimum of 3 times per day for the performance of gaze stability exercises as 1 component of a home exercise program. Based on expert opinion extrapolated from the evidence (range of supervised visits: 2-38 weeks, mean = 10 weeks), clinicians may consider providing adequate supervised vestibular rehabilitation sessions for the patient to understand the goals of the program and how to manage and progress themselves independently. As a general guide, persons without significant comorbidities that affect mobility and with acute or subacute unilateral vestibular hypofunction may need once a week supervised sessions for 2 to 3 weeks; persons with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction may need once a week sessions for 4 to 6 weeks; and persons with bilateral vestibular hypofunction may need once a week sessions for 8 to 12 weeks. In addition to supervised sessions, patients are provided a daily home exercise program. Disclaimer: These recommendations are intended as a guide for physical therapists and clinicians to optimize rehabilitation outcomes for persons with peripheral vestibular hypofunction undergoing vestibular rehabilitation

Altered versican cleavage in ADAMTS5 deficient mice : a novel etiology of myxomatous valve disease

AbstractIn fetal valve maturation the mechanisms by which the relatively homogeneous proteoglycan-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) of endocardial cushions is replaced by a specialized and stratified ECM found in mature valves are not understood. Therefore, we reasoned that uncovering proteases critical for ‘remodeling’ the proteoglycan rich (extracellular matrix) ECM may elucidate novel mechanisms of valve development. We have determined that mice deficient in ADAMTS5, (A Disintegrin-like And Metalloprotease domain with ThromboSpondin-type 1 motifs) which we demonstrated is expressed predominantly by valvular endocardium during cardiac valve maturation, exhibited enlarged valves. ADAMTS5 deficient valves displayed a reduction in cleavage of its substrate versican, a critical cardiac proteoglycan. In vivo reduction of versican, in Adamts5−/− mice, achieved through Vcan heterozygosity, substantially rescued the valve anomalies. An increase in BMP2 immunolocalization, Sox9 expression and mesenchymal cell proliferation were observed in Adamts5−/− valve mesenchyme and correlated with expansion of the spongiosa (proteoglycan-rich) region in Adamts5−/− valve cusps. Furthermore, these data suggest that ECM remodeling via ADAMTS5 is required for endocardial to mesenchymal signaling in late fetal valve development. Although adult Adamts5−/− mice are viable they do not recover from developmental valve anomalies and have myxomatous cardiac valves with 100% penetrance. Since the accumulation of proteoglycans is a hallmark of myxomatous valve disease, based on these data we hypothesize that a lack of versican cleavage during fetal valve development may be a potential etiology of adult myxomatous valve disease

Expanding the diversity of mycobacteriophages: insights into genome architecture and evolution.

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All mycobacteriophages characterized to date are dsDNA tailed phages, and have either siphoviral or myoviral morphotypes. However, their genetic diversity is considerable, and although sixty-two genomes have been sequenced and comparatively analyzed, these likely represent only a small portion of the diversity of the mycobacteriophage population at large. Here we report the isolation, sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of 18 new mycobacteriophages isolated from geographically distinct locations within the United States. Although no clear correlation between location and genome type can be discerned, these genomes expand our knowledge of mycobacteriophage diversity and enhance our understanding of the roles of mobile elements in viral evolution. Expansion of the number of mycobacteriophages grouped within Cluster A provides insights into the basis of immune specificity in these temperate phages, and we also describe a novel example of apparent immunity theft. The isolation and genomic analysis of bacteriophages by freshman college students provides an example of an authentic research experience for novice scientists

Memory Influences Visual Cognition across Multiple Functional States of Interactive Cortical Dynamics

No embargo requiredMemory supports a wide range of abilities from categorical perception to goal-directed behavior, such as decision-making and episodic recognition. Memory activates fast and surprisingly accurately and even when information is ambiguous or impoverished (i.e., showing object constancy). This paper proposes the multiple-state interactive (MUSI) account of object cognition that attempts to explain how sensory stimulation activates memory across multiple functional states of neural dynamics, including automatic and strategic mental simulation mechanisms that can ground cognition in modal information processing. A key novel postulate of this account is ‘multiple-function regional activity’: The same neuronal population can contribute to multiple brain states, depending upon the dominant set of inputs at that time. In state 1, the initial fast bottom-up pass through posterior neocortex happens between 95 ms and ~200 ms, with knowledge supporting categorical perception by 120 ms. In state 2, starting around 200 ms, a sustained state of iterative activation of object-sensitive cortex involves bottom-up, recurrent, and feedback interactions with frontoparietal cortex. This supports higher cognitive functions associated with decision-making even under ambiguous or impoverished conditions, phenomenological consciousness, and automatic mental simulation. In the latest state so far identified, state M, starting around 300 to 500 ms, large-scale cortical network interactions, including between multiple networks (e.g., control, salience, and especially default mode), further modulate posterior cortex. This supports elaborated cognition based on earlier processing, including episodic memory, strategic mental simulation, decision evaluation, creativity, and access consciousness. Convergent evidence is reviewed from cognitive neuroscience of object cognition, decision-making, memory, and mental imagery that support this account and define the brain regions and time course of these brain dynamics