Nicholas Santangelo, Ph.D. - US grants

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal focuses on the neuroendocrine mechanisms determining social and reproductive behaviors among vertebrates. Across different classes of vertebrates, the neuropeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT), as well as its mammalian homologue arginine vasopressin (AVP), play a key role in the regulation of complex male social behaviors such as aggression, courtship, and vocalizations associated with these behaviors. Many studies indicate that AVT/AVP's role in modulating these behaviors is a function of the social system of the species in question, however there is evidence that individual status within a social system also plays a part in determining the directionality of AVT/AVP's influences, i.e. either facilitating or inhibiting behavior. Few studies focus on the interaction between environment and hormone function in the expression of individual behavior. Among beaugregory damselfish, males exhibit different levels of aggression and courtship based upon their territory quality. The overall goal of this proposal is to identify how AVT- interacts with an individual's ecology (i.e. territory quality) to modulate aggression, courtship, and the vocalizations associated with these behaviors. [unreadable] [unreadable]

(8-Arginine)Oxytocin; 3-Isoleucyl Vasopressin; Aggression; Aggressive behavior; Arginine Oxytocin; Arginine Vasotocin; Argipressin; Argiprestocin; Behavior; Behavioral; Behavioral Model; CRISP; Caring; Chemotherapy-Hormones/Steroids; Cichlid Fish; Cichlidae; Cichlids; Complex; Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects Database; Ecology; Endocrine Gland Secretion; Environmental Science; Exhibits; Female; Fishes; Funding; Future; GeneHomolog; Goals; Grant; Homolog; Homologous Gene; Homologue; Hormones; Injection of therapeutic agent; Injections; Institution; Investigators; Laboratories; Mammalia; Mammals; Mammals, General; NIH; National Institutes of Health; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Neuropeptides; OXT; Ocytocin; Outcome; Oxytocin; Parents; Play; Recombinant Oxytocin; Research; Research Personnel; Research Resources; Researchers; Resources; Role; Sex Characteristics; Sex Differences; Social Behavior; Source; Structure; System; System, LOINC Axis 4; Testing; Therapeutic Hormone; United States National Institutes of Health; Vasopressin, 8-L-arginine-; Vasopressin, Arginine; Vasopressin, Isoleucyl; Vasopressin, Non-Mammalian; Vasopressin-Neurophysin II-Copeptin; Vasotocin; convict; experiment; experimental research; experimental study; gender difference; male; parental role; research study; role of parent; sex; sexual dimorphism (noncellular); social; social role; sociobehavior; sociobehavioral; teleost

The objective of "SEEing Science in Appalachia: Serving, Exploring, and Engaging in an Honors Interdisciplinary Science Course" is to develop a novel, interdisciplinary, laboratory science course to deliver more successful, innovative, and meaningful STEM instruction to highly motivated and academically talented college students from an under-served region of the country. Faculty from the relevant departments at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) are to create the course. Honors instructors from across the university are introduced to relevant place-based pedagogy. The benefits of this unique pedagogy are also extended to middle school students from the 22-county Appalachian service region around EKU. Students are involved in a "service science" project employing both sample collection in the field and analysis in the laboratory. These projects offer on-going environmental monitoring relevant to issues of particular concern in Kentucky and the Appalachian region by focusing on issues of water quality and watershed management and bee and pollinator health and sustainability.

The intellectual merit of the project is in the creation, piloting, and dissemination of a model for relevant, place-based, general education STEM instruction throughout Kentucky, the region, and the nation and to introduce relevant and innovative scientific research and instruction into the Eastern Kentucky University Honors Program. The project actively engages students in collecting, recording, analyzing and publishing scientific data about projects with a focus on the 22-county largely Appalachian region that EKU serves and in which many of EKU's students reside. The project is directed by expert and experienced PIs. Sustainability and institutionalization are inherent in the selection of studies and the project design. A comprehensive evaluation plan is designed to substantiate the development of the project and to assess the immediate outcomes and the longer-term impacts of the program on various stakeholders.

The broader impacts of the program are several. Faculty and honors students at Eastern Kentucky University are directly impacted by research undertaken and innovative pedagogies used in class. A more comprehensive and accurate understanding of science among future Kentucky teachers and community leaders is a result. Successful role models of high achieving college students (60 per year) and relevant science experience for middle school students (180 per year) from an underrepresented, impoverished area are provided. Ongoing monitoring of data collection at notable sites of environmental study and concern in the Appalachian region occurs. A model for the reform of general education honors science instruction ready for national dissemination is anticipated.