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Investigating the Impact of Acute Trazodone Administration on Sleep in Mice
No full textTrazodone is an anti-depressant in clinical use for 40 years with sleep-promoting properties. Due to its sleep-promoting properties (particularly in slow-wave sleep), trazodone is currently being evaluated as a therapeutic agent in conditions associated with sleep disturbances, notably Alzheimer’s disease. Our study first delineates a methodology for facilitating the administration of trazodone to mice. The acidic nature of trazodone makes injection at a physiological pH level challenging and sleep studies necessitating intracranial electroencephalography (EEG)/electromyography (EMG), make oral gavage injection challenging. We propose administering trazodone with highly palatable food, thereby offering a non-invasive and translational route of administration. We identified the type of food to mix with the trazodone compound to facilitate self-administration of the drug reliably and reproducibly with minimal impacts on the circadian rhythms and sleep in mice (C57BL/6, aged 10-12 months; n=9). Our results suggest that a yogurt-based treat was most effective. Subsequently, the established method was applied to assess the effects of trazodone on sleep in a separate cohort of mice (C57BL/6, aged 10-11 months; n=15). The analysis is ongoing to examine the alterations in sleep architecture, quality, and power spectra through EEG/EMG recordings. The preliminary findings suggest an increase in the duration of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep after the first dose of trazodone, accompanied by a corresponding reduction in wakefulness periods. This study illustrates a translational trazodone administration technique in mice and highlights the potential therapeutic use of trazodone for ameliorating sleep disturbances associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
The Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on Sleep in Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease
Get PDFMany patients with mild TBI develop sleep-wake disturbances after their injury. Research shows that chronic sleep disruption may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this study we investigate the impact of repetitive mild TBIs on sleep in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using an EEG/EMG device. To administer a mild TBI we used the Closed-Head Impact Model of Engineering Rotational Acceleration (CHIMERA). Male and female APPNL-F transgenic mice containing a humanized Aβ region with a Swedish “NL” mutation and the Iberian “F” mutation (n=18) received three mild TBIs 48 hours apart at 12 months of age. After three months, brain electrical activity was recorded using an electroencephalogram (EEG) device with cortical electrodes. The EEG data was analyzed using Sleep Sirenia software. The sleep-wake cycle was divided into three stages: rapid eye movement (REM), non-rapid eye movement (NREM), and wake based on EEG activity and muscle activity (EMG). No significant differences between TBI and Sham mice were found in the total amount of sleep or wake time. However, TBI mice showed a significantly higher power in the delta, theta, and beta frequency bands during NREM sleep. These results suggest that even though time spent asleep did not change after the repetitive mild TBIs, there were quantitative changes in EEG activity that could impact sleep quality and AD disease progression.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Brianne Kent, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser Universit
Visions of the past: Mindfulness and cognitions enhance how our positive memories of parents are linked to present-day social relationships
No full textResearch has consistently demonstrated the effect of positive parenting on young adults’ social outcomes. However, a vast number of factors can moderate this link. The present study examined whether trait mindfulness may be one moderator in the link between young adults’ recollections of parenting and their present-day social relationships. An undergraduate sample (N =580) was surveyed regarding their memories of parents’ positive parenting behaviours during their first 16 years of life, their levels of trait mindfulness, and the quality of current interpersonal relationships with friends, romantic partners, and siblings. Participants also provided narratives on their past vs. present perceptions of a negative parenting event from their childhood, and these narratives are being coded for adaptive cognitive change in perceptions of parenting. Preliminary analyses (N = 580, 83% women, Mage = 19.2 years, SDage = 2.3) indicated that mindfulness enhances the association between recalled positive parenting and positive social relationships. We expect that adaptive cognitive change about perceptions of parenting will serve a similarly enhancing role in this link. Our results are expected to show that both mindfulness and cognitions influence the way that recollections of parents’ parenting are related to young adults’ positive interpersonal relationships.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Hali Kil, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser Universit
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: An Examination of Polygraphs and Coercion in Police Interrogations
No full textCoercion is used throughout the criminal justice system. Interrogations are not immune to coercion. Despite previous research examining coercion, few studies have examined case law and the perspectives of lawyers and investigators. In the present study, using a case law analysis and semi-structured interviews of a defence lawyer and a former polygraph examiner, interrogation tactics are examined to understand their effects on confessions. Particularly, polygraphs are explored to understand how presenting the option of taking a polygraph to a suspect can coerce them; as, denying a polygraph can create the belief that they are guilty in the view of investigators. A denied or failed polygraph can be used against the suspect during the subsequent interrogation. This could be combined with coercive interrogation tactics such as long interrogations, minimization tactics, and social isolation. Results indicate that the Supreme Court of Canada, when analyzing coercion in interrogations, stresses the importance of legal rights, yet tends to dismiss coercive tactics. This suggests that the practical application of legal doctrine by the court does not protect suspects against coercion. Interview participant’s experiences reflect what is found in the case law. The former polygraph examiner stressed the importance of voluntariness yet acknowledged limitations in the interpretation of polygraphs. If misused, polygraphs could lead to coercion during interrogations. The presentation will focus on the importance of using alternative research methods to explore coercion. This gives a more holistic understanding of the issue, examining practical applications by the courts while including perspectives often neglected in coercion research
Tailoring Immunogens To Steer The Elicitation Of VRC01-Class Neutralizing Antibodies, A Broadly Cross-Reactive Class Of Neutralizing Antibodies To Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)
No full textHIV-1 remains a major global health issue, making the development of an effective vaccine pivotal. Our research focuses on VRC01-class broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to the conserved CD4-binding site on gp120, a subunit of the HIV-1 spike protein. A promising strategy for eliciting VRC01-class bnAbs involves germline-targeting immunogens designed to activate naïve B cells capable of evolving into VRC01-class-producing cells. A promising germline-targeting immunogen, eOD-GT8, triggers VRC01-class naïve B cells in experimental animals and a phase I clinical trial. However, the antibodies elicited do not neutralize HIV. Efforts are underway to design booster immunogens that help mature the triggered B cells toward producing VRC01-class antibodies. A challenge in this strategy is overcoming a common glycan at position 276 on the periphery of the CD4bs that hinders the binding of early VRC01-class antibodies produced by naïve B cells. eOD-GT8 is, therefore, designed without this glycan. Booster immunogens with the glycan incorporated have not readily yielded affinity-matured antibodies with the capacity to neutralize authentic HIV strains. The Pantophlet Lab is probing whether modifications to eOD-GT8 yield antibodies better poised to evolve into the desired VRC01-class bnAbs. Using human-antibody transgenic mice, we found that animals primed and boosted with two modified immunogens generate antibodies modestly neutralizing HIV-1 strains with the 276-glycan. My research is focused on an in-depth analysis of the antibodies elicited and their sequences to understand these findings and inform further immunization strategies.
 
Addressing Health Concerns of Indigenous Land Defenders at Fairy Creek
Get PDFThis paper was originally written for Dr. Sandie Dielissen in the department of Indigenous Studies for INDG 301W D100: Issues in Applied Indigenous Studies Research. The assignment asked students to explore a decolonizing methodology for a contemporary issue involving Indigenous peoples. The paper was a part of a group submission, where students from different academic backgrounds commented on the situation at Fairy Creek using their own disciplinary lens. The paper uses APA citation style
Differing Viewpoints: Cultural Perspectives on Canis lupus
Get PDFThis paper was originally written for Instructor Robert Bandringa's Indigenous Studies 333 course Indigenous Ethnozoology. The assignment asked students to explore the zoology and ethnozoology of a chosen animal. The paper uses APA citation style.
By analyzing the presence of wolves and dogs in both Indigenous communities and Western society leads to a discussion about the purpose and role which wolves play, and how they are understood. Indigenous knowledges and Western world views are often in contrast to one another, and this is just another example of that, in which this paper will explore further
INTERSECTIONS OF MASS MEDIA, TERRORISM, AND POLICY RESPONSE: HOW MASS MEDIATED REPRESENTATIONS OF TERRORISM MAY INFLUENCE COUNTERTERRORIST POLICIES
Get PDFOn November 22, 2022, Dr. Brigitte Nacos, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, presented Intersections of Mass Media, Terrorism, and Policy Response: How Mass Mediated Representations of Terrorism May Influence Counterterrorist Policies. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The key points discussed were how the representation of terrorist attacks in mass media can influence public opinion and policy decisions. Several case studies were presented to illustrate this intersection.
Received: 2022-12-20Revised: 2022-12-2
MILITARY POLICE TRAUMA AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Get PDFOn November 23, 2022, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) John Palmer, CD, presented on Military Police Trauma and Mental Health Support. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS-Vancouver executives. The key points discussed were the mental health and impact of trauma on Military Police (MP) personnel, the diverse range of services which are coordinated through the different Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) programs, and the realization of how MP personnel are continually exposed to trauma sources (domestic and outside of Canada deployments).
Received: 2022-12-08Revised: 2022-12-0
Administrative Segregation as Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment: The Relationship Between Canadian Charter’s Section 12 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’ Article 7
No full textThis legal analysis compares and contrasts the application of the Charter’s section 12, regarding “cruel and unusual treatment or punishment,” in the Canadian justice system to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’ Article 7, regarding “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment. These legal concepts are integral to the Canadian Federal Government’s contemporary policy on the use of administrative segregation (also known as solitary confinement) in the Canadian prison system. Thus, what is the relationship between the Charter’s s. 12 and the ICCPR’s Article 7 regarding incarcerated persons facing administrative segregation? The use of expert evidence from international actors shows the potential effects of international treaties on domestic justice systems; the segregation cases of British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Canada (BCCLA) and Canadian Civil Liberties Association v. Canada (CCLA), and subsequent cases like R. v. Capay (Capay) and Reddock v. Canada (Reddock) specifically present how the use (or lack thereof) of section 12 and international expert evidence can affect the outcomes of domestic legal cases. The cases of BCCLA, CCLA, Capay, and Reddock, occurring from 2018-2019, are selected and analyzed to show that the use of expert evidence and decisions of justices in section 12 cases creates a section 12 that begins to replicate the ICCPR’s Article 7 and improve the conditions and rights of incarcerated persons