6 research outputs found
Pre-pubertal stress and brain development in rodents
No full textExposure to adversity early in life is associated with the development of a range of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Accumulating evidence suggests that pre-puberty is a time of enhanced vulnerability to environmental insults, and that pre-pubertal stress may alter normal brain maturation. In this review, I consider the long-term consequences of pre-pubertal stress on brain and behaviour in rodent models. Recent studies support the notion that pre-puberty is a time of enhanced vulnerability to stress, with particular consequences for the limbic system. Alterations in epigenetic mechanisms are likely to be responsible for the maintenance of enduring modifications in brain and behaviour after experience of pre-pubertal stress
Environmental enrichment rescues survival and function of adult-born neurons following early life stress
No full textAdverse experiences early in life are associated with the development of psychiatric illnesses. The hippocampus is likely to play pivotal role in generating these effects: it undergoes significant development during childhood and is extremely reactive to stress. In rodent models, stress in the pre-pubertal period impairs adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and behaviours which rely on this process. In normal adult animals, environmental enrichment (EE) is a potent promoter of AHN and hippocampal function. Whether exposure to EE during adolescence can restore normal hippocampal function and AHN following pre-pubertal stress (PPS) is unknown. We investigated EE as a treatment for reduced AHN and hippocampal function following PPS in a rodent model. Stress was administered between post-natal days (PND) 25–27, EE from PND 35 to early adulthood, when behavioural testing and assessment of AHN took place. PPS enhanced fear reactions to a conditioned stimulus (CS) following a trace fear protocol and reduced the survival of 4-week-old adult-born neurons throughout the adult hippocampus. Furthermore, we show that fewer adult-born neurons were active during recall of the CS stimulus following PPS. All effects were reversed by EE. Our results demonstrate lasting effects of PPS on the hippocampus and highlight the utility of EE during adolescence for restoring normal hippocampal function. EE during adolescence is a promising method of enhancing impaired hippocampal function resulting from early life stress, and due to multiple benefits (low cost, few side effects, widespread availability) should be more thoroughly explored as a treatment option in human sufferers of childhood adversity
Sex specific effects of pre-pubertal stress on hippocampal neurogenesis and behaviour
No full textExperience of traumatic events in childhood is linked to an elevated risk of developing psychiatric disorders in adulthood. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not fully understood. The limbic system, particularly the hippocampus, is significantly impacted by childhood trauma. In particular, it has been hypothesised that childhood stress may impact adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and related behaviours, conferring increased risk for later mental illness. Stress in utero can lead to impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity, and stress in the first 2–3 weeks of life reduces AHN in animal models. Less is known about the effects of stress in the post-weaning, pre-pubertal phase, a developmental time-point more akin to human childhood. Therefore, we investigated persistent effects of pre-pubertal stress (PPS) on functional and molecular aspects of the hippocampus. AHN was altered following PPS in male rats only. Specifically males showed reduced production of new neurons following PPS, but increased survival in the ventral dentate gyrus. In adult males, but not females, pattern separation and trace fear conditioning, behaviours that rely heavily on AHN, were also impaired after PPS. PPS also increased the expression of parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons in the ventral dentate gyrus and increased glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expression in the ventral hilus, in males only. Our results demonstrate the lasting effects of PPS on the hippocampus in a sex- and time-dependent manner, provide a potential mechanistic link between PPS and later behavioural impairments, and highlight sex differences in vulnerability to neuropsychiatric conditions after early-life stres
Curiosity, Commerce, and Conversation in the Writing of London Horticulturists during the Early-Eighteenth Century
No full textPhDThis dissertation explores the social and literary worlds of horticulturists
who lived, worked, and wrote in early-eighteenth-century London. The period
witnessed not only a growing market for printed books and pamphlets about
gardening, but also the emergence of the nurseryman as a distinct commercial and
cultural identity. In many cases, trading nurserymen also published horticultural
writing, their texts exploiting the publicity of representation both in order to
persuade readers of the quality and reliability of their goods and services, and to
evidence a wide range of intellectual interests and social aspirations. At the same
time, increasing numbers of more gentlemanly authors had recourse to nursery
and physic (or botanical) gardens and their curators as authoritative sources for
their own manuals of horticulture and treatises of natural philosophy.
Part one addresses the publications produced by nursery-gardeners and
seedsmen during the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries. Through
close-readings of texts by George London and Henry Wise, Thomas Fairchild, and
John Cowell, chapters one and two examine how such men sought to represent
themselves as polite and precise practitioners of gardening successful in their
businesses, sociable in their dispositions, and curious in their approaches to the
natural world. Chapter three embellishes these themes by describing the
genealogy and formation of the Society of Gardeners, a voluntary association of
horticultural tradesmen.
Part two (chapters four and five) locates these broad arguments more
specifically, by presenting a biographical account of Richard Bradley, the most
important and prolific horticultural writer of the 1710s and 1720s. Combining
published and manuscript resources these chapters interrogate pivotal moments in
Bradley's career, demonstrating how its undulating trajectory was shaped by the
opportunities and limitations afforded within the spaces of physic gardens (both
real and projected), and ultimately turned on his capacity for manipulating
contemporary practices and conventions of curiosity and sociability
Cultural and Digital Tech Virtual Exhibit
No full text1. Land Acknowledgement2. Adorable Resonance of Memories: The Final Symphony3. Canadian Indigenous Music Showcase4. The Importance of 2SLGBTQ+ Literature5. Ko’jua: Mi’kmaq “Dance of Vigour”6. Life After Losing Your Soldier7. Northern Portugal Cultural Dancing: Exploring the Rhythms of Tradition8. Quilted and Never Forgotten: A Virtual Exhibit9. Truck Art - From the heartWelcome to Cultural and Digital Tech Virtual Exhibit, a dynamic digital collection showcasing artistic practices from diverse cultures. This compilation is the result of student-led projects from EDST 2120U: Culture and Digital Technologies, a course taught by Dr. Anna Rodrigues during the Fall 2023 semester at Ontario Tech University. Through immersive virtual exhibits, this Open Educational Resource (OER) invites audiences to explore cultural artistry through interactive websites featuring photos, text, and videos that provide rich insights into various artistic traditions.
The exhibits presented in this collection span a wide range of cultural expressions, from traditional dances and musical compositions, to literary contributions and visual storytelling. Each project highlights the significance of cultural heritage in the digital age, making artistic traditions more accessible to a global audience. Below is an overview of the ten virtual exhibits included in this compilation:
Adorable Resonance of Memories: The Final Symphony – This exhibit immerses viewers in the final concerts of the band Adorable, offering a curated collection of photos, videos, and interviews that explore their musical legacy and influence.
Canadian Indigenous Music Showcase – This exhibit connects the Seven Fires Prophecy to the evolution of Indigenous music in Canada, showcasing how musicians incorporate themes of resilience, cultural revitalization, and Indigenous identity into their work.
The Importance of 2SLGBTQ+ Literature – Examining the significance of representation in literature, this exhibit delves into the cultural impact of queer author Richard Siken and the historical exclusion of 2SLGBTQ+ voices in mainstream storytelling.
Ko’jua: Mi’kmaq “Dance of Vigour” – This exhibit brings attention to the traditional Mi’kmaq dance, Ko’jua, and its cultural importance to the Indigenous people of the Maritimes, aiming to enhance awareness and appreciation of this underrepresented art form.
Life After Losing Your Soldier – Centered on the experiences of military widows, this exhibit provides a poignant exploration of loss, resilience, and the cultural significance of military widowhood through personal narratives and interviews.
Northern Portugal Cultural Dancing: Exploring the Rhythms of Tradition – Delve into the world of Northern Portuguese folk dance through this exhibit, featuring historical context, cultural significance, and an interview with a traditional dancer.
Quilted and Never Forgotten: A Virtual Exhibit – Explore the art of quilting in Canada, from Mennonite craftsmanship to quilts that encode historical narratives, celebrating this intricate and meaningful tradition.
Truck Art: From the Heart – A vibrant tribute to Pakistani Truck Art, this exhibit showcases how this unique artistic tradition merges creativity and cultural identity, transforming everyday vehicles into mobile masterpieces.
By bringing these diverse artistic practices into a virtual spac
Free Town Libraries, their Formation, Management, and History ; in Britain, France, Germany and America. ; Together with brief Notices of Book-collectors, and of the respective Places of Deposit of their surviving Collections
No full text« Document numérisé pour l\u27ENSSIB » - L\u27auteur de ce document, Edward Edwards, fut l\u27un des instigateurs et défenseurs des " Free Town Libraries " (bibliothèques municipales publiques) en Grande-Bretagne au milieu du XIXe siècle. Son ouvrage s\u27inscrit dans un contexte historique important pour le pays, faisant suite aux " Libraries Acts " de 1850, instaurant les bibliothèques publiques dans les villes anglaises. Edwards fut d\u27ailleurs le premier bibliothécaire de la bibliothèque publique de Manchester. L\u27objectif de son livre est de servir de manuel quant à l\u27organisation de ce type de bibliothèque et de promouvoir celui-ci plus largement. Dans un second temps, il vise à comparer les différents systèmes mis en place dans quelques pays étrangers, spécialement la France, l\u27Allemagne et les États-Unis. Composé de quatre livres, l\u27ouvrage offre une étude comparative des diverses expériences menées et s\u27appuie sur les textes législatifs, notamment en ce qui concerne la Grande-Bretagne. Cette oeuvre est fondamentale pour l\u27historien s\u27intéressant au développement des bibliothèques publiques au XIXe siècle. Elle est complétée par de précieuses notices sur les grands collectionneurs européens et américains (qui forment le quatrième livre)
