Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Circulating Mirnas As Clinical Biomarkers Of Insulin Sensitivity And Exercise Adaptation In Young Offpsring Of Type 2 Diabetes Patients, Cesar Arturo Meza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: A family history of Type 2 Diabetes (FH) is considered a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Exercise training is an effective strategy to improve insulin resistance. Recently, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as mediators of various intracellular processes, including insulin signaling, and may act as signaling molecules when released into circulation. The miRNAs -29a, -133a and -155 have been implicated in the regulation of insulin sensitivity, however their roles in exercise training-induced improvements in insulin sensitivity are yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether circulating miRNA-29a, miRNA-29b, miRNA-29c, miRNA-133a, miRNA-133b …

Accurate Determination And Application Of Local Strain For Studying Tissues With Gradients In Mechanical Properties, John Boyle

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Determination of the mechanical behavior of materials requires an understanding of deformation during loading. While this is traditionally accomplished in engineering by examining a force displacement curve for a whole sample, these techniques implicitly ignore local geometric complexities and local material inhomogeneities commonly found in biologic tissues. Techniques such as normalized cross correlation have been classically applied to address this issue and resolve deformation at the local level; however, these techniques have proven unreliable when deformations become large, if the sample undergoes a rotation, and/or if strain fields become incompatible (e.g. at or near failure).

Presented here is a toolbox …

Characterizing Anisotropy In Fibrous Soft Materials By Mr Elastography Of Slow And Fast Shear Waves, John Larson Schmidt

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The general objective of this work was to develop experimental methods based on magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to characterize fibrous soft materials. Mathematical models of tissue biomechanics capable of predicting injury, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), are of great interest and potential. However, the accuracy of predictions from such models depends on accuracy of the underlying material parameters. This dissertation describes work toward three aims. First, experimental methods were designed to characterize fibrous materials based on a transversely isotropic material model. Second, these methods are applied to characterize the anisotropic properties of white matter brain tissue ex vivo. Third, …

Mechanics Of The Developing Brain: From Smooth-Walled Tube To The Folded Cortex, Kara Ellspermann Garcia

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Over the course of human development, the brain undergoes dramatic physical changes to achieve its final, convoluted shape. However, the forces underlying every cinch, bulge, and fold remain poorly understood. This doctoral research focuses on the mechanical processes responsible for early (embryonic) and late (preterm) brain development.

First, we examine early brain development in the chicken embryo, which is similar to human at these stages. Research has primarily focused on molecular signals to describe morphogenesis, but mechanical analysis can also provide important insights. Using a combination of experiments and finite element modeling, we find that actomyosin contraction is responsible for …

Exercise, Cognition, And The Aging Process Among Active, Competitive, And Sedentary Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Katherine Adams

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Purpose This study aimed to compare the cognitive measures of reaction time and dual-task performance among recreationally active, master athletes, and sedentary older adults aged 50 years or older. Methods 59 late middle-aged and older adults between the ages of 50 to 88 years old participated in reaction time and dual-task tests of which consisted of multiple trials on the same day. Subjects were placed either into the recreationally active, masters athlete, or sedentary activity level group based on the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) form. For the gait speed with associated dual-task component, subjects walked 10-meters at two …

Fall Risk In Sedentary, Recreationally Active, And Masters Athlete Older Adults, Felicia Elizabeth Squires

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether different habitual activity levels may affect balance ability in older adults. Balance must be studied as poor balance increases likelihood of falls. This study examined activity levels in older adults and effect on balance ability. Fifty-nine older adults aged 66.5 ± 9.5 participated. Three groups were separated by physical activity level. First group had 13 masters athletes, older adults performing least 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week and competing in nationally sanctioned event within the last six months. Twenty-seven older adults comprised recreationally active group performing at least 150 minutes …

The Effect Of Weight Carried And Time Ridden On Back Pain In Horses Ridden During Horse Shows As Determined By Pressure Algometry, Meghan Louise Mothershead

MSU Graduate Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of weight carried (rider + tack) on back pain in horses used in riding classes and a series of intercollegiate horse shows. Sixteen school horses (431-649 kg) were ridden consistently over a semester. Cross sectional images were used to measure width and put in a mapping program to figure total area. Back pain scores were determined using a pressure algometer on predetermined points over the horses back. Pain scores were recorded over five periods, including 28 d into the semester (P1) and during the show period on three consecutive Fridays …

Acute Effects Of The Training Mask On Short-Term Recovery During Rowing Intervals, Hayden W. Hess

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of the Training Mask 2.0 (TM) on performance (m), blood lactate, heart rate recovery (HRR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (Q̇), heart rate variability (HRV), and breath rate recovery (BRR) when used during short-term recovery. Methods: Seven trained males completed two interval training conditions (TM and Sham TM). Each condition consisted of five, 1-min, max effort rows with 3-min recoveries. The TM (or Sham TM) was worn during each 3-min recovery. A repeated measures 2x5 (condition x interval) ANOVA was used to determine significant main effects for condition or …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Social Physique Anxiety On Effort And Exercise Participation In College Students, Trellony M. Irwin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an individual’s perception of others influenced exercise participation and effort in women and men participants involved in exercise classes in a campus recreation facility. The study consists of a survey that utilizes the Social Physique Anxiety Scale, the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale, and demographic information. Results revealed that participants’ social physique anxiety accounted for roughly 30% of the variance in self-reported physical activity. However, when it came to participant effort during the group exercise classes, there was only roughly 2% variance between social physique anxiety and RPE. Further, the …

Testing Vert™ Accelerometer To Identify Validity And Reliability When Compared To Switch Mat, Tara Mcdonald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This present study was intended to identify the reliability and validity of the Vert™ device when compared to a Switch mat. Vert is a wireless device intended to measure jump count and jump height through an application on a smartphone or tablet and the Switch mat provides jump height using wireless sensors. Jump height is an important factor in many sports such as volleyball and basketball and it is important to have devices that coaches and trainers can use for testing that they can rely on. If this device is found to be valid and reliable, coaches and trainers …

Response Inhibition To High Calorie Food Cues Among Adolescents Following Active And Sedentary Video Game Play Using A Go/No-Go Task: A Randomized Crossover Study, Joshua L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sedentary behaviors, such as leisure time computer use and sedentary video games, are significant barriers to regular physical activity and contribute to high rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Sedentary screen time can adversely affect food intake and food selection. Active video games may be a promising way of increasing daily physical activity levels among adolescents. Active video games may help modulate response inhibition and food intake. PURPOSE: Compare the effects of an acute bout of active and sedentary video gaming on N2 amplitudes (while viewing high calorie and low calorie images), Stroop Color Word Test (Stroop test) performance …

Response Inhibition To High Calorie Food Cues Among Adolescents Following Active And Sedentary Video Game Play Using A Go/No-Go Task: A Randomized Crossover Study, Joshua L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sedentary behaviors, such as leisure time computer use and sedentary video games, are significant barriers to regular physical activity and contribute to high rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Sedentary screen time can adversely affect food intake and food selection. Active video games may be a promising way of increasing daily physical activity levels among adolescents. Active video games may help modulate response inhibition and food intake. PURPOSE: Compare the effects of an acute bout of active and sedentary video gaming on N2 amplitudes (while viewing high calorie and low calorie images), Stroop Color Word Test (Stroop test) performance …

Clinical Predictors Of Movement Patterns In Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability, Seong Jun Son

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) patients have varying levels of mechanical and sensorimotor impairments that may lead to disparate functional movement patterns. Current literature on landing biomechanics in a CAI population, however, considers all patients as a homogeneous group. In our prior work, we identified 6 subgroups of movement patterns using lower extremity kinematics during a landing/cutting task and that showed promise in furthering understanding of movement patterns in a laboratory-based environment. To increase the utility of this methodology in clinical settings, there is a need to find easily administered clinical tests that can help identify multiple subgroups of movement …

Ground Reaction Forces For Irish Dance Landings In Hard And Soft Shoes, Sarah Elizabeth Klopp

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Irish dance has evolved to become more athletically demanding, thus making the art form very hard on dancers' bodies. Irish dancers must land from difficult moves without letting their knees bend or heels touch the ground, causing large amounts of force to be absorbed by the body. Past studies have found dancers landing with a range of 4.5–6 times body weight, potentially causing high amounts of overuse injury. The majority of injuries incurred by Irish dancers are due to overuse (79.6%). The landings that occur in Irish dance have been minimally evaluated in current literature. Obtaining values of vertical …

The Acute Effects Of Resistance Exercise With Blood Flow Restriction Versus Traditional Resistance Exercise On Arterial Compliance And Energy Expenditure In Recreationally Active Males And Females, Danny D. Dominguez

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of various intensities of volume matched resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) and traditional resistance exercise on hemodynamic variables, arterial compliance, oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and energy expenditure (EE) during exercise and after exercise.

RESULTS: Significant condition main effects (p < 0.05) were found for RPE, HR, crPWV, fdPWV, LAE, SAE, TVI, RER during and postexercise. BFR25 cause greater increases in RPE and HR. BFR50 caused marked increases in SAE, crPWV, and fdPWV.

CONCLUSION: All BFR and traditional exercise conditions found no significant differences in EE, VCO2, and VO2. The lack of differences is likely due to time of protocol. Further protocols should implement greater time of exercise, as BFR had increased hemodynamic …

Effects Of Direction Time Constraints And Walking Speed On Turn Strategies And Gait Adaptations In Healthy Older And Young Adults, Dennis Torre

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Hip fractures can be life-threatening, debilitating, and costly. The odds for hip fracture increases from impact of sideways falls. While turning has been strongly associated with hip fracture & sideways falls, the distinction between the risks for walking-turns as opposed to low-velocity in-place turning is not clear. The present study sought to fill a gap as previous research had not compared walking-turn performance in young & healthy older adults at low-fall risk within the same study and response-conditions of speed interacting with direction-cue time constraints. Spatial-temporal variables representative of AP braking/propulsion (i.e. stride-length & speed) & ML stability (left/right H-H …

Exercise, Learning And Emotional Health: Interdisciplinary Approaches To Translational Action, Tessa L. Koschel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Exercise positively effects physical, psychological and neurological wellbeing. Though the population at large is becoming increasingly aware of the multi-faceted benefits of exercise, the majority of people fail to meet daily exercise recommendations. Largely, demands of everyday life such as work, school and family take priority over fitness. The issue therefore becomes a matter of time. In a world of media multi-tasking and immediate gratification, the challenge to health professionals becomes incorporation and manipulation of these consistencies to improve exercise uptake and adherence. Focus must shift from the idea of making additional time for exercise, to adding exercise to time …

Comparison Of Self-Esteem, Body Image, And Motives Of Physical Activity In College Students In Group And Solo Exercise, Isabella Mary Axelsson 5075558, Jody Langdon

Honors College Theses

Previous research has shown significant differences in the intensity of exercise performance and perceived body image between individuals with and without an exercise partner (Plante et al., 2010). Little research has been found which has compared the psychological factors between those who exercise with a group class and those who exercise alone. The purpose of this research study was to compare self-esteem, body image, and physical activity motives between individuals who engage in group exercise and those who exercise alone. It was expected that self-esteem, motivation and body esteem would be significantly higher in those that participate in group exercise …

Power Reserve Following Ramp-Incremental Cycling To Exhaustion: Implications For Muscle Fatigue And Function, Michael D. Hodgson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In ramp-incremental cycling exercise, some individuals are capable of producing power output (PO) in excess of that produced at their limit of tolerance (LoT) while others cannot. This study sought to describe the: 1) prevalence of a “power reserve” within a group of young men (n=21; mean ± SD: age 25±4 years; V̇O_2max45±8 ml•kg^-1•min^-1); and 2) muscle fatigue characteristics of those with and without a power reserve. Power reserve was determined as the difference between peak PO achieved during a ramp-incremental test to exhaustion and maximal, single-leg isokinetic dynamometer power. Pre- versus post-exercise changes …

Rehabilitating Asymmetric Gait Using Asymmetry, Tyagi Ramakrishnan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human gait is a complex process that involves the coordination of the central nervous and muscular systems. A disruption to the either system results in the impairment of a person’s ability to walk. Impairments can be caused by neurological disorders such as stroke and physical conditions like amputation. There is not a standardized method to quantitatively assess the gait asymmetry of affected subjects. The purpose of this research is to understand the fundamental aspects of asymmetrical effects on the human body and improve rehabilitation techniques and devices. This research takes an interdisciplinary approach to address the limitations with current rehabilitation …

The Feasibility Of Square-Stepping Exercise As A Universal Intervention For Older Adults With Chronic Disease To Improve Cognitive And Physical Function, Erin M. Shellington

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Square-stepping exercise (SSE) is a cognitive training program with a physical component. An instructor demonstrates a stepping pattern across a gridded mat and participants are required to memorize and repeat the patterns on their own. In community-dwelling older adults, SSE has demonstrated some benefits on global cognitive functioning (GCF), balance, functional fitness, and social interaction.

Aims: to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of SSE in varied populations and settings to improve mobility and cognition. Populations included older adults with: knee osteoarthritis (OA), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and self-reported cognitive complaints (sCC), and those living in long-term care (LTC) …

Physical Activity And Age-Related Mechanical Risk Factors For Knee Osteoarthritis, Jocelyn F. Hafer

Doctoral Dissertations

Knee osteoarthritis is an age-related disease which will affect nearly 50% of individuals in their lifetime. Because there are currently no treatments to substantially slow the progression of this disease, it is important to identify mechanisms to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis initiation. Osteoarthritis is a disease which is at least partially mediated by mechanical factors which may result from age-related changes in gait. The extent to which habitual physical activity can modify the impact of age on gait, knee mechanics, and thus cartilage loading is unknown. The aim of this dissertation was to examine the effects of age and …

A Comprehensive Validation Of Activity Trackers For Estimating Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior In Free-Living Settings, Albert R. Mendoza

Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of study one of this dissertation was to compare consumer activity trackers (ATs) with the research-grade ActiGraph™ GT3X-BT accelerometer (AG) in estimating energy expenditure (EE) and steps during orbital shaking at different frequencies. To address this aim, we utilized an electronic orbital shaking protocol (twenty-four, 3-minute trials; 2-hour trials). For all comparisons, the AG served as the reference measure. In the 3-min protocol, we showed that on average, the NL-1000 pedometer (NL) produced the lowest error (-9 steps/3-min) at 0.9 Hz (corresponding to moderate intensity). The magnitude of the error for the NL was 14 steps/3-min at a …

Quantifying Gait Adaptability: Fractality, Complexity, And Stability During Asymmetric Walking, Scott W. Ducharme

Doctoral Dissertations

Successful walking necessitates modifying locomotor patterns when encountering organism, task, or environmental constraints. The structure of stride-to-stride variance (fractal dynamics) may represent the adaptive capacity of the locomotor system. To date, however, fractal dynamics have been assessed during unperturbed walking. Quantifying gait adaptability requires tasks that compel locomotor patterns to adapt. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the potential relationship between fractal dynamics and gait adaptability. The studies presented herein represent a necessary endeavor to incorporate both an analysis of gait fractal dynamics and a task requiring adaptation of locomotor patterns. The adaptation task involved walking asymmetrically on …

The Influence Of Limb And Target Vision In Target-Directed And Allocentric Pointing Movements, Joseph Manzone

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The top-down nature of allocentric spatial representations (i.e., specifying target locations relative to other objects) is thought to render motor output via an offline mode of control. The present experiment tested this hypothesis by providing detailed trajectory analyses of allocentric and target-directed reaching tasks performed with and without concomitant limb vision. Allocentric tasks required reaches to a location defined by the relationship between a target and reference stimulus, whereas target-directed tasks required reaches directly to a target. Target-directed limb visible trials showed the most effective online trajectory amendments compared to their limb occluded counterparts and allocentric limb visible and occluded …

A Simulated Walk In Nature: Testing Predictions From The Attention Restoration Theory, Corey Crossan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Attention Restoration Theory (ART) predicts that top-down processing during everyday activities can cause attentional fatigue and that bottom-up processing that occurs when people experience nature will be restorative (Kaplan, 1995). The present study examined this prediction by exposing participants to three different conditions using a repeated measures design: a control condition during which participants walked on a typical treadmill, a nature/restorative condition during which participants walked on the same treadmill, experiencing a simulated nature walk, and a perturbation condition that included the same simulated nature scene but also required top-down processing during the walk. The findings supported ART predictions. As …

The Physical And Psychological Effects Of Standing Desks In Office Workers, Hannah Dohm

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine differences in energy expenditure between sitting and standing conditions in typically sedentary office workers. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine if there are mindset differences with regards to job boredom, job stress, and job satisfaction between conditions. METHODS: Participants (N = 26, 4 males and 22 females) were from two moderately sized communities in the Midwest that had standing desk options available to them. Data was collected using BodyMedia SenseWear armbands for energy expenditure and self-reported Likert-scale surveys for psychological data. Intake data included sex, age, height, weight, …

A Pilot Study On The Affective Responses To Watching Consecutive Episodes Of A Television Show During Aerobic Exercise Below The Ventilatory Threshold, Lauren Crutchlow

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A quasi-experimental pilot study determined whether restricting television-watching to treadmill walking below the ventilatory threshold improved affective valence, perceived activation, enjoyment, attentional focus, and intention to bundle television-watching with exercise. Eleven inactive, young adults (21.18 + 1.47 years) in post-secondary education performed two 40-minute exercise tests, wherein aforementioned outcomes were repeatedly assessed. Participants in the experimental group (n=4) watched the first episode of a television show between exercise tests and the second episode of the same television show during the second exercise test. Analyses revealed large, non-significant multivariate intervention effects on affect and attention outcomes, a large, significant univariate intervention …

Behaviour Change Intervention Strategies To Prevent Excessive Gestational Weight Gain In Pregnant Women Using A Nutrition And Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (Nelip), Karishma Hosein

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) are associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. To evaluate the effectiveness of different behaviour change intervention strategies, it was hypothesized that the introduction of a single behaviour change, followed by a second, would be more effective at preventing early and total EGWG in pregnant women compared to the early simultaneous introduction of both behaviour changes. Eighteen pregnant women were block randomized into one of 3 Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP) strategies (full NELIP, Nutrition followed by Exercise N+E, Exercise followed by Nutrition E+N) and were followed at weekly face-to-face …

The Effect Of Psychological Skills Training On Elite Youth Baseball Hitting Performance, Andrew Hammerlinck

Theses

Psychological skills training continues to grow in popularity amongst athletes and coaches of various levels. However, there is still a lack of research in different populations on the benefits of psychological skills training. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a psychological skills training program on the hitting performance and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 of elite youth baseball players.

A total of 27 participants completed a baseline, pre-test, and post-test hitting test along with pre-test and post-test ACS[-28 measures. A 6-month follow up ACSI-28 and focus group was conducted with 17 of the original participants. The …