Department of Psychological Sciences
http://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/600725
2024-03-15T20:40:10ZBlinding Crystals: Monosodium Urate Crystals and Diabetic Retinopathy
http://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/623913
Blinding Crystals: Monosodium Urate Crystals and Diabetic Retinopathy
Amanamba, Udochukwu
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes and the main cause of blindness among adults of working age. Previous studies have established that high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) promote chronic sub-clinical inflammation which in turn causes retinal tissue injury and development of DR. It has also been shown that increased levels of uric acid, a by-product of the purine metabolism, generates crystals of monosodium urate (MSU) which could contribute to retinal inflammation and to the development of DR. My honors thesis project focused on investigating the molecular basis of inflammation in diabetic retinopathy (DR), specifically how MSU stimulates sterile inflammation in retinal blood vessels cells and in other retinal cells through the induction of the NLRP3-inflammasome. Human retinal endothelial (HuREC) and Human retinal epithelial cells (HuRPE) were treated with clinically relevant doses of MSU (6mg/dL) or high glucose (HG 25mM) or a combination of both. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome constituents such as IL-1, NLRP3 protein, Toll-like receptor (TLR4), Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) were monitored using Western blotting analysis and ELISA assay. Morphometric analysis and ANOVA statistical approaches were employed to analyze the data. The results obtained showed that HuREC are more responsive to MSU alone than HuRPE. However, in all conditions, MSU significantly potentiated the production of inflammatory constituents of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Overall, the results of my studies support MSU as a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of DR. This suggests that uricemia should be monitored in diabetic patients and hypouricemic drugs could be helpful in combating DR and vision loss in diabetic patients.
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2020-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Effect of Instructor Mindset on Student Motivation and Self-Efficacy
http://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/623439
The Effect of Instructor Mindset on Student Motivation and Self-Efficacy
Restrepo, Leigha
Dweck’s theory of mindset proposes two different mindsets a person may have: fixed or growth (Dweck, 2007). A person with a fixed mindset believes intelligence is fixed and a person with a growth mindset believes that they can improve their intelligence with effort (Dweck, 2007; Murphy & Dweck, 2016). The present study was designed to examine the effect of an instructors’ apparent mindset on the expectations of success and persistence in STEM disciplines among students. Students were presented with sample syllabi that portrayed an instructor with either a fixed or growth mindset and completed questionnaires and a short, written reflection to measure their perception of mindset, self-efficacy, and motivation. Results of this study revealed that students expected a higher grade, reported more academic self-efficacy, and had a positive perception of the instructor after reading the growth syllabus. Overall, Black students reported more academic self-efficacy than White students and reported more academic self-handicapping after reading the growth syllabus. Students reported that the attributions (gender, minority, status, effort/ hard work, luck, difficulty of the course, intelligence/ ability) contributed more to their grade in the class after reading the growth mindset syllabus than the fixed syllabus, with difficulty of the course and intelligence/ ability significantly contributing to their perceived grade in the class after reading the fixed syllabus. The mindset portrayed by an instructor can have an impact on the student
through a decrease in their overall academic performance. Examining the different ways in which a change in the mindset that is portrayed can help to increase student motivation and expectations.
This record is embargoed until 07/01/2030.
2020-07-01T00:00:00ZAN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF TIANEPTINE AS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
http://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/623433
AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF TIANEPTINE AS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Packer, Jonathan
This study set out to determine the effectiveness of using tianeptine as a treatment for traumatic
brain injury (TBI). A controlled cortical impact model was utilized to induce a bilateral moderate
TBI in the frontal cortex of the rat. Sham surgeries were performed to ensure an accurate control
group. Rats received 30mg/kg tianeptine, or an equal volume of saline one hour following injury
and once a day for nineteen days following surgery. Rats were tested for behavioral, motor, and
cognitive deficits using the following tasks: Morris water maze (reference and working
memory), foot fault task, forelimb use asymmetry task, open field task, and the passive
avoidance task. As well, the brains were analyzed for differences in remaining cortical tissue
following injury. Significant improvement was found in the Morris water maze reference
memory task, the foot fault task, and the open field task for injured rats receiving tianeptine.
Similarly, significant improvement was found in the remaining cortical tissue following injury in
rats receiving tianeptine. Taken together, these results indicate tianeptine may be a viable
treatment for improving recovery following TBI in rats.
This record is embargoed until 07/01/2025.
2020-07-01T00:00:00ZPREDICTING TRAINEE PSYCHOTHERAPIST GRADUATE STUDENT SUCCESS WITH ACADEMIC AND PERSONALITY MEASURES
http://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/623353
PREDICTING TRAINEE PSYCHOTHERAPIST GRADUATE STUDENT SUCCESS WITH ACADEMIC AND PERSONALITY MEASURES
Lewis, Casey
Success in counseling psychology programs includes both academic and clinical performance. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) have been linked to the academic aspects of success in programs (e.g.,
Daehnert & Carter, 1987). Letters of recommendation, personal statements, and interviews are thought to assess interpersonal functioning, which is important in therapeutic ability (e.g., Barnicot, Wampold, & Priebe, 2014). However, these assessments have significant limitations. The current study uses standardized personality assessments in conjunction with GRE and UGPA to predict student success. The Empathic Concern subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1980, 1983) was used to assess self-reported empathy. Additionally, a performance-based measure, the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale – Global Rating Method (SCORS-G; Westen, 1995) was used to rate Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1973) narratives to assess trainees’ interpersonal functioning. Variables related to students’ completion vs. non-completion of the first year of a master in clinical and counseling psychology program were analyzed using t-tests and discriminant function analyses. Our findings suggest that a performance-based measure of interpersonal ability is useful at assessing applicants to counseling psychology programs, while GRE scores may not be as useful in the admissions process. Additionally, a significantly higher rate
of male vs. female non-completers may reveal a trend in clinical/counseling psychology programs that needs to be addressed.
This record is embargoed until 05/01/2025.
2019-12-01T00:00:00Z