Publications by authors named "William J Farrell"

Rat pups are capable of behavioral thermoregulation, both in the nest and on a thermocline, as early as the 1st week of postnatal life, and these pups can also produce heat metabolically without shivering. The rat pup's primary source of nonshivering thermogenesis is the sympathetically mediated metabolism of brown adipose tissue (BAT). BAT is well formed in newborns and functions shortly after birth.

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We examined the distribution of orexin/hypocretin immunoreactive neurons and projections throughout the brain of the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea). Orexin A and B neurons were located in a single population centered on the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Orexin A and B fibers were visible across the brain, with the highest density within the preoptic area and hypothalamus.

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Mother rats (Rattus norvegicus; 6 to 8 days postpartum) approach and maintain proximal orientation to a pup that is emitting ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) far more than do virgin females (W. J. Farrell & J.

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When removed from the nest and placed in a cool environment, Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) pups emit ultrasonic vocalizations that can elicit maternal search behavior. The authors examined the behavior of pregnant dams, mothers, and virgin females during exposure to a pup that was either warm and silent or cool and vocalizing. Results indicate potentiated maternal reactions to a vocalizing pup: Mothers approached and maintained proximal orientation to a vocalizing pup far more than did virgin females.

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Cholecystokinin (CCK), neuropeptide Y (NPY), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and galanin all are known to have central effects on food intake. Immunocytochemistry was used to examine the presence of these substances within the primary gustatory nuclei of the goldfish, including the vagal lobe, which is a large, laminated structure composed of discrete sensory, fiber, and motor layers. The vagal lobes receive primary afferent input from the gustatory portion of the vagus nerve and contain reflex circuitry involved in the ingestion or rejection of potential food items.

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