title: Associative learning deficiencies underlying aberrant feeding in the valproate rat model of autism

authors: Lawson, Katsiaryna

subjects: autism spectrum disorder

abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogenous neurodevelopmental condition 
prevalent in over 1% of the global population. Aberrant feeding behaviours and 
feeding dysregulation are a prevalent and understudied difficulty. Individuals with 
ASD often present with poor health outcomes, including over/under eating, obesity, 
and restrictive feeding associated with poor dietary habits, however the underlying 
mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we propose an explanation for some 
neural mechanisms that may be responsible for feeding dysregulation present in 
ASD. We demonstrate that valproate rat models of ASD (VPA ASD) have a blunted 
neural response to LiCl-induced conditioned taste aversion and show 
transcriptional changes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Findings of this 
study also show that VPA ASD rats have significantly higher neural activation in the 
nucleus accumbens and the dorsal vagal complex in response to food, compared to 
controls. Our research suggests that some of the feeding abnormalities seen in 
people with ASD may stem from signalling deficiencies in brain areas involved in 
associative learning responses following ingestion of foods that cause malaise. 
Extremely restrictive feeding behaviours seen in ASD phenotypes may be caused by 
difficulties identifying foods that make them sick. These findings contribute to 
understanding neuromolecular drivers of anomalous feeding behaviours in people 
with ASD.

text: Associative learning deficiencies underlying aberrant feeding in the valproate rat model of autism Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogenous neurodevelopmental condition 
prevalent in over 1% of the global population. Aberrant feeding behaviours and 
feeding dysregulation are a prevalent and understudied difficulty. Individuals with 
ASD often present with poor health outcomes, including over/under eating, obesity, 
and restrictive feeding associated with poor dietary habits, however the underlying 
mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we propose an explanation for some 
neural mechanisms that may be responsible for feeding dysregulation present in 
ASD. We demonstrate that valproate rat models of ASD (VPA ASD) have a blunted 
neural response to LiCl-induced conditioned taste aversion and show 
transcriptional changes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Findings of this 
study also show that VPA ASD rats have significantly higher neural activation in the 
nucleus accumbens and the dorsal vagal complex in response to food, compared to 
controls. Our research suggests that some of the feeding abnormalities seen in 
people with ASD may stem from signalling deficiencies in brain areas involved in 
associative learning responses following ingestion of foods that cause malaise. 
Extremely restrictive feeding behaviours seen in ASD phenotypes may be caused by 
difficulties identifying foods that make them sick. These findings contribute to 
understanding neuromolecular drivers of anomalous feeding behaviours in people 
with ASD.

year: 2025-04

title: ‘Economics with training wheels’: Using blogs in teaching and assessing introductory economics

authors: Cameron, Michael Patrick

subjects: assessment

abstract: Blogs provide a dynamic interactive medium for online discussion, consistent with communal constructivist pedagogy. The author of this article describes and evaluates a blog assignment used in the teaching and assessment of a small (40-60 students) introductory economics course. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected across four semesters, students participation in the blog assignment is found to be associated with student ability, gender, and student perceptions of the blog. Importantly, students with past economics experience do not appear to crowd out novice economics students. Student performance is positively associated with the quality of their blog participation after controlling for student ability, suggesting that a focus on quality of student engagement could further improve learning outcomes. Students generally report overall positive experiences with the blog assignment.

text: ‘Economics with training wheels’: Using blogs in teaching and assessing introductory economics Blogs provide a dynamic interactive medium for online discussion, consistent with communal constructivist pedagogy. The author of this article describes and evaluates a blog assignment used in the teaching and assessment of a small (40-60 students) introductory economics course. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected across four semesters, students participation in the blog assignment is found to be associated with student ability, gender, and student perceptions of the blog. Importantly, students with past economics experience do not appear to crowd out novice economics students. Student performance is positively associated with the quality of their blog participation after controlling for student ability, suggesting that a focus on quality of student engagement could further improve learning outcomes. Students generally report overall positive experiences with the blog assignment.

year: 2012

title: Ko ia tonu te rangatira o tana mauri: Ko te Mauritau hei tohu o te puāwaitanga o Te Aho Matua i te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae

authors: Angeli-Gordon, Joni Māramatanga

abstract: Ko te mauri te wāhanga wairua o te tangata e whakahihiri i te tinana me te tūhonohono nei i te wairua ki te kikokiko. Ko te mauri te wāhanga ora o te tangata, ā, i te roanga atu o te oranga o te tangata ka rerekē te tau o te mauri nā ngā awenga o tōna ao. Ko te Mauritau te wā e ita pai ana te wairua ki te kikokiko. Kua whai ngātahitanga ērā mea e rua. Kei tōna ito, ki te Mauritau te tangata, e wātea ana ia, kāhore ōna taumaha, ka mutu e tuwhera ana ia ki tōna ao. Ko tā Te Aho Matua, ka whakatō te mauri ki te tangata i te whakatōnga o te kākano ki te kōpū. Ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga kāhore anō kia tino rangahau, ā, he iti noa ngā wā te kite atu ki te puna mātātuhi, heoi anō, ka rangona whānuitia ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi o ngā puāwaitanga matua o Te Aho Matua, ā, kua taupuhipuhi nei ki ngā whakaaro o rātou i whai wāhi nei ki tēnei kaupapa rangahau. Ko te manako nui o tēnei kaupapa rangahau ko te whakawhānui i te mōhioranga mō ngā hua o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori mā te ruku hōhonu ki te Mauritau i te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae.  

Kua whā tekau tau neke atu kua hipa mai i te orokotīmatanga o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, otirā, te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te tino take o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori ko te whakarauora reo me te whakarauora tikanga, heoi anō, he tini me te mano ngā angitutanga, ngā painga kua puta mai i ēnei kura tua atu i ēnei whāinga e rua. Ko Te Aho Matua te tūāpapa ā-mātāpono mō ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori e whakawhārikihia ngā uaratanga matua kia whakatutuki i ngā wawata nui, i ngā ōhākī nui ā kui mā, a koro mā mō te orangatonutanga o te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga i puāwai i ngā kura Aho Matua, ā, ka kitea rawatia tēnei puāwaitanga ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi. 

He Rangahau Kaupapa Māori tēnei, ā, i tārai i ngā tikanga me ngā tukanga o te kaupapa rangahau nei kia Māori te karawhiu. Ko Te Aho Matua me ōna uaratanga e tū hei pou whakawhirinaki i te Kaupapa Rangahau Māori. E rua ngā tukanga i whāia e te tuhikura nei, arā, ko te iāna me te puawānanga. Ko te iāna tētahi kupu mino nō Te Tai Tokerau mō te kōrero ōpaki, ā, kua iāna tahi ki ngā pakeke tokowhitu nō te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te puawānanga he wānanga ki ngā ākonga tokowhitu o te reanga tuakana o te wharekura kia āta wherawhera i ngā āhuatanga o te Mauritau ki a rātou. I te whakaraupapatia ngā kōrero i puta mai i ngā iāna me te puawānanga mā ngā uaratanga o Te Aho Matua.

text: Ko ia tonu te rangatira o tana mauri: Ko te Mauritau hei tohu o te puāwaitanga o Te Aho Matua i te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae Ko te mauri te wāhanga wairua o te tangata e whakahihiri i te tinana me te tūhonohono nei i te wairua ki te kikokiko. Ko te mauri te wāhanga ora o te tangata, ā, i te roanga atu o te oranga o te tangata ka rerekē te tau o te mauri nā ngā awenga o tōna ao. Ko te Mauritau te wā e ita pai ana te wairua ki te kikokiko. Kua whai ngātahitanga ērā mea e rua. Kei tōna ito, ki te Mauritau te tangata, e wātea ana ia, kāhore ōna taumaha, ka mutu e tuwhera ana ia ki tōna ao. Ko tā Te Aho Matua, ka whakatō te mauri ki te tangata i te whakatōnga o te kākano ki te kōpū. Ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga kāhore anō kia tino rangahau, ā, he iti noa ngā wā te kite atu ki te puna mātātuhi, heoi anō, ka rangona whānuitia ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi o ngā puāwaitanga matua o Te Aho Matua, ā, kua taupuhipuhi nei ki ngā whakaaro o rātou i whai wāhi nei ki tēnei kaupapa rangahau. Ko te manako nui o tēnei kaupapa rangahau ko te whakawhānui i te mōhioranga mō ngā hua o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori mā te ruku hōhonu ki te Mauritau i te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae.  

Kua whā tekau tau neke atu kua hipa mai i te orokotīmatanga o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, otirā, te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te tino take o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori ko te whakarauora reo me te whakarauora tikanga, heoi anō, he tini me te mano ngā angitutanga, ngā painga kua puta mai i ēnei kura tua atu i ēnei whāinga e rua. Ko Te Aho Matua te tūāpapa ā-mātāpono mō ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori e whakawhārikihia ngā uaratanga matua kia whakatutuki i ngā wawata nui, i ngā ōhākī nui ā kui mā, a koro mā mō te orangatonutanga o te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga i puāwai i ngā kura Aho Matua, ā, ka kitea rawatia tēnei puāwaitanga ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi. 

He Rangahau Kaupapa Māori tēnei, ā, i tārai i ngā tikanga me ngā tukanga o te kaupapa rangahau nei kia Māori te karawhiu. Ko Te Aho Matua me ōna uaratanga e tū hei pou whakawhirinaki i te Kaupapa Rangahau Māori. E rua ngā tukanga i whāia e te tuhikura nei, arā, ko te iāna me te puawānanga. Ko te iāna tētahi kupu mino nō Te Tai Tokerau mō te kōrero ōpaki, ā, kua iāna tahi ki ngā pakeke tokowhitu nō te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te puawānanga he wānanga ki ngā ākonga tokowhitu o te reanga tuakana o te wharekura kia āta wherawhera i ngā āhuatanga o te Mauritau ki a rātou. I te whakaraupapatia ngā kōrero i puta mai i ngā iāna me te puawānanga mā ngā uaratanga o Te Aho Matua.

year: 2023