Quantitative biological analysis traditionally relies on labor intensive manual methods and newer... more Quantitative biological analysis traditionally relies on labor intensive manual methods and newer fully automated methods are often inflexible and unfeasible to implement. We propose UMapβ, our semi-automated graphical user interface, as a solution.
Neurosteroids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD... more Neurosteroids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Allopregnanolone is reduced in subsets of individuals with PTSD and has been explored as a novel treatment strategy. Both direct trauma exposure and witnessed trauma are risk factors for PTSD; however, the role of neurosteroids in the behavioral outcomes of these unique experiences has not been explored. Here we investigate whether observational fear is associated with a reduced capacity for endogenous neurosteroidogenesis and the relationship with behavioral outcomes. We demonstrate that both mice directly subjected to the threat (foot shocks) and those witnessing the threat have decreased plasma levels of allopregnanolone. The expression of a key enzyme involved in endogenous neurosteroid synthesis, 5α-reductase type 2, is decreased in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which is a major emotional processing hub implicated in PTSD. We demonstrate that knockdown of 5α-reductase type 2 ex...
This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics... more This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contac
The Outreach Core of the U54 Partnership between the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Un... more The Outreach Core of the U54 Partnership between the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts Boston created a new model for addressing cancer inequities that integrates implementation science, community-engaged research, and health promotion. Key elements of the approach include engaging a Community Advisory Board, supporting students from underrepresented minority backgrounds to conduct health promotion and community-engaged research, increasing the delivery of evidence-based cancer prevention programs to underserved communities (directly and by training local organizations), supporting research-practice partnerships, and disseminating findings. Our model highlights the need for long-term investments to connect underserved communities with evidence-based cancer prevention.
Previous work has shown that prenatal cocaine exposure can cause later life stress or hyper-react... more Previous work has shown that prenatal cocaine exposure can cause later life stress or hyper-reactivity in a number of animal models. The current study was designed to determine if this phenomenon would persist in mature adult animals pre-treated with cocaine and exposed to anxiogenic stimuli, and whether GABAergic drugs could mediate changes in stress responses. Mature adult (8.3-11 month old) male rats prenatally-exposed to cocaine (40 mg/kg, s.c.) (PCOC) or saline (PSAL) during gestation days 8-20 were tested in the open field apparatus and again following a forced swim test (FST) in the presence of GABA drugs. While the PCOC group differed in baseline open field activity (OFA) from the PSAL group showing greater activity, following the forced swim test the PCOC group made fewer center grid entries in the open field. In addition, the PCOC animals were more sensitive to the anxiolytic effects of the GABAA agonist, muscimol (2.0mg/kg), and showed greater anxiogenic behavior followin...
Handbook of Research on the Global Empowerment of Educators and Student Learning Through Action Research, 2021
Due to the global pandemic, teachers have had to find and implement effective instructional strat... more Due to the global pandemic, teachers have had to find and implement effective instructional strategies through distance learning. Current research surrounding “flipped learning” indicates this may be a viable option during distance learning. This study takes place in a 9th grade conceptual physics course taught entirely online. It focuses upon the cyclical nature of action research using four curricular units, concluding that the process of continual reflection, modifications, and improvements made as a result of data analysis contributes to student engagement and academic achievement. Finally, it brings to light the importance in guiding students to understand that teachers are always learning, modifying, and adapting, and that learning is a lifelong process. This transparency is crucial when developing rapport with students, especially during a global pandemic that we are all working through together.
Reflexive ovulation in the rat, induced by caesarian section performed on day 22 of pregnancy, wa... more Reflexive ovulation in the rat, induced by caesarian section performed on day 22 of pregnancy, was blocked by prior bilateral transection of the pelvic and/ or hypogastric nerves, which convey afferent activity from the reproductive tract. Tubal ova and hemorrhagic ovarian follicles were counted 24 h after bilateral nerve transections or sham neurectomy. Whereas the median numbers of ova and
Previous research has demonstrated increased pain threshold during copulation, gestation, and par... more Previous research has demonstrated increased pain threshold during copulation, gestation, and parturition in animals. In the laboratory, mechanostimulation of the vaginocervical region in many animals, as well as humans, can increase responsiveness to noxious but not to innocuous stimuli. This increased pain inhibition to vaginocervical stimulation, which mimics natural parturition, is mediated by spinal and supraspinal neuropeptides, including the opiates. The present research was designed to ascertain the possible effects of a kappa opioid agonist on vaginocervical-stimulated analgesia in rats. Initially, the novel kappa-selective agonist, spiradoline mesylate (U62,066E; 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.), was injected intraperitoneally and general behavioral arousal in an open field apparatus was recorded. Results from this experiment indicate that stimulation with the kappa-selective drug caused significant decreases in behavioral activity at the high dose as compared to saline and the medium and low doses. Next, the effects of U62,066E (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on the analgesia associated with vaginocervical stimulation were determined in a tail flick apparatus. The kappa drug significantly increased antinociceptive thresholds prior to and during vaginocervical stimulation at the 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg doses. By contrast, the high dose (10.0 mg/kg) of U62,066E decreased vaginocervical stimulation-produced analgesia. Results are discussed in terms of the potential of nonaddictive kappa-selective opioid compounds being utilized in reproductive pain.
Adult Long-Evans ovariectomized female rats received injections of the DA D1 antagonist SCH 23390... more Adult Long-Evans ovariectomized female rats received injections of the DA D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0, 0.03 and 0.3mg/kg, i.p.) and were observed in an open field apparatus (OFA) with a novel object. Results indicate that a significant effect of SCH 23390 was found on several measures of novelty seeking and activity, with the high dose producing a significant decrease in (1) approaches to and (2) rears while approaching the novel object, (3) latency to interact with the novel object, (4) in time interacting with the novel object, (5) anxious behavior (as measured by rears) and (6) locomotor activity (LMA), as compared to both the saline and low dose. Interestingly, the effects of SCH 23390 on approaches and rears were not significant when LMA was factored into the analysis (repeated measures ANCOVA), however, marked results were still found on time interacting with the novel object. These data demonstrate that SCH 23390 produced dose-dependent effects on novelty seeking that were independent of LMA, implicating D1 receptors in the incentive-motivational aspect of novelty seeking in adult gonadectomized female rats.
In humans and animal models, sex differences are reported for anxiety-like behavior and response ... more In humans and animal models, sex differences are reported for anxiety-like behavior and response to anxiogenic stimuli. In the current work, we studied anxiety-like behavior and response to the prototypical anti-anxiety drug, diazepam. We used 6th generation outbred lines of adult Long Evans rats with high and low anxiety-like behavior phenotypes to investigate the impact of proestrus on the baseline and diazepam-induced behavior. At three doses of diazepam (0, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), we measured anxiogenic responses on the elevated plus maze of adult male and female rats. We assessed parvalbumin and brain-derived neurotrophin protein levels in forebrain and limbic structures implicated in anxiety/stress using immunohistochemistry. At baseline, we saw significant differences between anxiety lines, with high anxiety lines displaying less time on the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and less open arm entries, regardless of sex. During proestrus, high anxiety females showed less ...
Sex differences have been noted in patterns of drug use and relapse, and in particular with amphe... more Sex differences have been noted in patterns of drug use and relapse, and in particular with amphetamine abuse, implicating estradiol in mediating female neurobehavioral responses. To investigate the interaction of estradiol with amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, we compared male, intact female (INTACT), ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized estradiol-treated (OVX+EB) female rats receiving repeated amphetamine (AMPH) treatment. All rats received intermittent AMPH injections for three days, and baseline and post-injection locomotor activity as well as fine-motor movements were recorded. Upon completion of behavioral experiments, immunohistochemistry was performed to assess parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PV-IR) GABAergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Results indicate that AMPH induced greater behavioral response during habituation among the INTACT animals, and post-injection hyperactivity was apparent on days 2 and 3, among INTACT and OVX+EB females. For INTACT animal...
Quantitative biological analysis traditionally relies on labor intensive manual methods and newer... more Quantitative biological analysis traditionally relies on labor intensive manual methods and newer fully automated methods are often inflexible and unfeasible to implement. We propose UMapβ, our semi-automated graphical user interface, as a solution.
Neurosteroids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD... more Neurosteroids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Allopregnanolone is reduced in subsets of individuals with PTSD and has been explored as a novel treatment strategy. Both direct trauma exposure and witnessed trauma are risk factors for PTSD; however, the role of neurosteroids in the behavioral outcomes of these unique experiences has not been explored. Here we investigate whether observational fear is associated with a reduced capacity for endogenous neurosteroidogenesis and the relationship with behavioral outcomes. We demonstrate that both mice directly subjected to the threat (foot shocks) and those witnessing the threat have decreased plasma levels of allopregnanolone. The expression of a key enzyme involved in endogenous neurosteroid synthesis, 5α-reductase type 2, is decreased in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which is a major emotional processing hub implicated in PTSD. We demonstrate that knockdown of 5α-reductase type 2 ex...
This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics... more This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contac
The Outreach Core of the U54 Partnership between the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Un... more The Outreach Core of the U54 Partnership between the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts Boston created a new model for addressing cancer inequities that integrates implementation science, community-engaged research, and health promotion. Key elements of the approach include engaging a Community Advisory Board, supporting students from underrepresented minority backgrounds to conduct health promotion and community-engaged research, increasing the delivery of evidence-based cancer prevention programs to underserved communities (directly and by training local organizations), supporting research-practice partnerships, and disseminating findings. Our model highlights the need for long-term investments to connect underserved communities with evidence-based cancer prevention.
Previous work has shown that prenatal cocaine exposure can cause later life stress or hyper-react... more Previous work has shown that prenatal cocaine exposure can cause later life stress or hyper-reactivity in a number of animal models. The current study was designed to determine if this phenomenon would persist in mature adult animals pre-treated with cocaine and exposed to anxiogenic stimuli, and whether GABAergic drugs could mediate changes in stress responses. Mature adult (8.3-11 month old) male rats prenatally-exposed to cocaine (40 mg/kg, s.c.) (PCOC) or saline (PSAL) during gestation days 8-20 were tested in the open field apparatus and again following a forced swim test (FST) in the presence of GABA drugs. While the PCOC group differed in baseline open field activity (OFA) from the PSAL group showing greater activity, following the forced swim test the PCOC group made fewer center grid entries in the open field. In addition, the PCOC animals were more sensitive to the anxiolytic effects of the GABAA agonist, muscimol (2.0mg/kg), and showed greater anxiogenic behavior followin...
Handbook of Research on the Global Empowerment of Educators and Student Learning Through Action Research, 2021
Due to the global pandemic, teachers have had to find and implement effective instructional strat... more Due to the global pandemic, teachers have had to find and implement effective instructional strategies through distance learning. Current research surrounding “flipped learning” indicates this may be a viable option during distance learning. This study takes place in a 9th grade conceptual physics course taught entirely online. It focuses upon the cyclical nature of action research using four curricular units, concluding that the process of continual reflection, modifications, and improvements made as a result of data analysis contributes to student engagement and academic achievement. Finally, it brings to light the importance in guiding students to understand that teachers are always learning, modifying, and adapting, and that learning is a lifelong process. This transparency is crucial when developing rapport with students, especially during a global pandemic that we are all working through together.
Reflexive ovulation in the rat, induced by caesarian section performed on day 22 of pregnancy, wa... more Reflexive ovulation in the rat, induced by caesarian section performed on day 22 of pregnancy, was blocked by prior bilateral transection of the pelvic and/ or hypogastric nerves, which convey afferent activity from the reproductive tract. Tubal ova and hemorrhagic ovarian follicles were counted 24 h after bilateral nerve transections or sham neurectomy. Whereas the median numbers of ova and
Previous research has demonstrated increased pain threshold during copulation, gestation, and par... more Previous research has demonstrated increased pain threshold during copulation, gestation, and parturition in animals. In the laboratory, mechanostimulation of the vaginocervical region in many animals, as well as humans, can increase responsiveness to noxious but not to innocuous stimuli. This increased pain inhibition to vaginocervical stimulation, which mimics natural parturition, is mediated by spinal and supraspinal neuropeptides, including the opiates. The present research was designed to ascertain the possible effects of a kappa opioid agonist on vaginocervical-stimulated analgesia in rats. Initially, the novel kappa-selective agonist, spiradoline mesylate (U62,066E; 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.), was injected intraperitoneally and general behavioral arousal in an open field apparatus was recorded. Results from this experiment indicate that stimulation with the kappa-selective drug caused significant decreases in behavioral activity at the high dose as compared to saline and the medium and low doses. Next, the effects of U62,066E (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on the analgesia associated with vaginocervical stimulation were determined in a tail flick apparatus. The kappa drug significantly increased antinociceptive thresholds prior to and during vaginocervical stimulation at the 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg doses. By contrast, the high dose (10.0 mg/kg) of U62,066E decreased vaginocervical stimulation-produced analgesia. Results are discussed in terms of the potential of nonaddictive kappa-selective opioid compounds being utilized in reproductive pain.
Adult Long-Evans ovariectomized female rats received injections of the DA D1 antagonist SCH 23390... more Adult Long-Evans ovariectomized female rats received injections of the DA D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0, 0.03 and 0.3mg/kg, i.p.) and were observed in an open field apparatus (OFA) with a novel object. Results indicate that a significant effect of SCH 23390 was found on several measures of novelty seeking and activity, with the high dose producing a significant decrease in (1) approaches to and (2) rears while approaching the novel object, (3) latency to interact with the novel object, (4) in time interacting with the novel object, (5) anxious behavior (as measured by rears) and (6) locomotor activity (LMA), as compared to both the saline and low dose. Interestingly, the effects of SCH 23390 on approaches and rears were not significant when LMA was factored into the analysis (repeated measures ANCOVA), however, marked results were still found on time interacting with the novel object. These data demonstrate that SCH 23390 produced dose-dependent effects on novelty seeking that were independent of LMA, implicating D1 receptors in the incentive-motivational aspect of novelty seeking in adult gonadectomized female rats.
In humans and animal models, sex differences are reported for anxiety-like behavior and response ... more In humans and animal models, sex differences are reported for anxiety-like behavior and response to anxiogenic stimuli. In the current work, we studied anxiety-like behavior and response to the prototypical anti-anxiety drug, diazepam. We used 6th generation outbred lines of adult Long Evans rats with high and low anxiety-like behavior phenotypes to investigate the impact of proestrus on the baseline and diazepam-induced behavior. At three doses of diazepam (0, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), we measured anxiogenic responses on the elevated plus maze of adult male and female rats. We assessed parvalbumin and brain-derived neurotrophin protein levels in forebrain and limbic structures implicated in anxiety/stress using immunohistochemistry. At baseline, we saw significant differences between anxiety lines, with high anxiety lines displaying less time on the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and less open arm entries, regardless of sex. During proestrus, high anxiety females showed less ...
Sex differences have been noted in patterns of drug use and relapse, and in particular with amphe... more Sex differences have been noted in patterns of drug use and relapse, and in particular with amphetamine abuse, implicating estradiol in mediating female neurobehavioral responses. To investigate the interaction of estradiol with amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, we compared male, intact female (INTACT), ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized estradiol-treated (OVX+EB) female rats receiving repeated amphetamine (AMPH) treatment. All rats received intermittent AMPH injections for three days, and baseline and post-injection locomotor activity as well as fine-motor movements were recorded. Upon completion of behavioral experiments, immunohistochemistry was performed to assess parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PV-IR) GABAergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Results indicate that AMPH induced greater behavioral response during habituation among the INTACT animals, and post-injection hyperactivity was apparent on days 2 and 3, among INTACT and OVX+EB females. For INTACT animal...
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