Sleep is a poorly understood behavior that predominates during infancy but studied almost exclusively in adults. One perceived impediment to investigations of sleep early ontogeny the absence state-dependent neocortical activity. Nonetheless, infant rats, reliably characterized by presence tonic (i.e., muscle atonia) and phasic myoclonic twitching) components; neural circuitry underlying these components, however, unknown. Recently, we described medullary inhibitory area (MIA) week-old rats...

Abstract Rapid eye movements (REMs), traditionally measured using the electrooculogram (EOG), help to characterize active sleep in adults. In early infancy, however, they are not clearly expressed. Here we extraocular muscle activity infant rats at 3 days of age (P3), P8 and P14–15 order assess ontogeny REMs their relationship with other forms sleep‐related phasic activity. We found that causal between twitches strengthened during first two postnatal weeks, reflecting increased control...

Light influences the daily patterning of behavior by entraining circadian rhythms and through its acute effects on activity levels (masking). Mechanisms entrainment are quite similar across species, but masking can be very different. Specifically, in diurnal light generally increases locomotor (positive masking), nocturnal ones, it suppresses (negative masking). The intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), a subdivision lateral geniculate complex, receives direct retinal input is reciprocally...

How does the brain develop differently to support nocturnality in some mammals, but diurnality others? To answer this question, one might look suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is entrained by light via retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). However, because SCN more active during day all mammals studied thus far, it alone cannot determine circadian phase preference. In adult Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus), are nocturnal, RHT also projects ventral subparaventricular zone (vSPVZ), an adjacent...

Study Objectives:Daily amounts of sleep and wakefulness are accumulated in discrete bouts that exhibit distinct statistical properties. In adult mammals, bout durations follow an exponential distribution whereas wake a power-law distribution. infant Norway rats, however, initially only transition to beginning around postnatal day 15 (P15). Here we test the hypothesis locus coeruleus (LC), one several wake-active nuclei brainstem, contributes this developmental transition.

The ventral subparaventricular zone (vSPVZ) receives direct retinal input and influences the daily patterning of activity in rodents, making it a likely candidate for mediation acute behavioral responses to light (i.e., masking). We performed chemical lesions aimed at vSPVZ diurnal grass rats ( Arvicanthis niloticus) using N-methyl-D,L-aspartic acid (NMA), glutamate agonist. Following NMA lesions, we placed various lighting conditions (e.g., 12:12 light-dark, constant dark, light); presented...

Many outreach programs share the common goals of serving underrepresented groups in STEM and improving public attitudes toward science. To meet these goals, scientists must find ways to both reach appropriate audience communicate importance science meaningful accessible ways. This requires careful consideration method being used. Two methods include in-school visits (scientist classroom) fairs or open houses. Here, we compare effectiveness two meeting reaching students and/or with less...

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is part of a wake-promoting circuit comprising the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) and locus coeruleus (LC). Although widely considered "master clock," SCN adult rats also sensitive to feedback regarding an animal's behavioral state. Interestingly, in at postnatal day (P)2, repeated arousing stimulation does not increase neural activation SCN, despite doing so LC DMH. Here we show that, by P8, activated that selective destruction terminals with DSP-4 blocks...

The suprachiasmatic nucleus exhibits circadian rhythmicity in fetal and infant rats, but little is known about the consequences of this for behavior. Here, experiment 1, authors measured sleep wakefulness rats during day night postnatal (P)2, P8, P15, P21 subjects. As early as P2, day-night differences sleep-wake activity were detected. Nocturnal began to emerge around P15 was reliably expressed by P21. hypothesized that process photic entrainment over 1st week, which depends on development...

Objective: The present study examined forgiveness of others, self-forgiveness, sleep, and health in a nationally representative sample United States adults. It was hypothesised that sleep would mediate the associations others self-forgiveness with health.Design: A survey 1,423 adults.Main Outcome Measures: Measures included quantity, quality, psychological distress, life satisfaction, self-rated physical health.Results: Forgiveness (β = .20, p < .001) .11, .01) were associated .24, .27,...

<h3>ABSTRACT</h3> Childhood malnutrition is a nationally-recognized problem in Tajikistan. In 2017, 6% of children under 5 years were wasted and 18% stunted. Through the Tajikistan Health Nutrition Activity (THNA), funded by U.S. Agency for International Development9s Feed Future, IntraHealth trained 1,370 volunteer community health workers (CHWs) 500 agricultural (CAWs) rural communities to improve nutrition among pregnant breastfeeding women. CHWs CAWs mutually encourage behavior change,...

Abstract Age plays a critical role in disease development and tolerance to cancer treatment, often leading an increased risk of developing negative symptoms including sleep disturbances. Circadian rhythms become disrupted as organisms age. In this study, we explored the behavioral alterations sleep, circadian rhythms, masking using novel video system interrogate long-term impact age-based changes non-image forming visual pathway on brain anatomy. We demonstrated feasibility utility establish...

Abstract In week‐old rats, lesions of the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum (DLPT) and nucleus pontis oralis (PnO) have opposing effects on nuchal muscle tone. Specifically, pups with DLPT exhibit prolonged bouts atonia (indicative sleep) PnO high tone wakefulness). Here we test hypothesis that is modulated, at least in part, by cholinergically mediated interactions between these two regions. First, unanesthetized pups, found chemical infusion cholinergic agonist carbachol (22 m , 0.1 µL)...

Daily rhythms in light exposure influence the expression of behavior by entraining circadian and through its acute effects on (i.e., masking). Importantly, these are dependent temporal niche organism; for diurnal organisms, increases activity, whereas nocturnal opposite is true. Here we examined functional morphological differences between rodents retinorecipient brain regions using Nile grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) Sprague-Dawley (SD) (Rattus norvegicus), respectively. We established...

Reproductive lesions have been described in various nonhuman primate species, including rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), cynomolgus fascicularis), baboons (Papio spp.), squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), and chimpanzees (Pan spp.); however, there are few publications describing reproductive disease pathology Japanese fuscata). A retrospective evaluation of postmortem reports for two captive M. fuscata populations housed within zoos from 1982 through 2015 was completed, comparing diseases...

Environmental conditions, such as the light-dark cycle and temperature, affect display of circadian rhythmicity locomotor activity patterns in mammals. Here, we tested hypothesis that manipulating these environmental conditions would wheel-running a diurnal rodent, Nile grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Grass rats are field, however, subset switch from day-active pattern to night-active after introduction running wheel. The mechanism this chronotype remains largely unknown. In present...

The circadian system regulates daily rhythms of physiology and behavior. Although extraordinary advances have been made to elucidate the brain mechanisms underlying in nocturnal species, less is known diurnal species. Recent studies shown that retinorecipient areas such as intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) olivary pretectal nucleus (OPT) are critical for display normal patterns activity grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus). Specifically, with IGL OPT lesions respond light similar ways intact...