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Physiology

Loma Linda University

2008

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Buccal Bone Changes Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion (Rmf), Long-Term Results, Elena S. Iacob Dec 2008

Buccal Bone Changes Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion (Rmf), Long-Term Results, Elena S. Iacob

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to use Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images to quantitatively evaluate buccal bone changes of maxillary first premolar (P1), second premolar (P2) and first molar (M1) shortly after Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) and at the end of orthodontic treatment, as well as to evaluate the variables that may be associated with the short-term and long-term changes. Forty-seven consecutive patients (25 males and 22 females) with a mean age of 14.5years and who required RME as part of their orthodontic treatment and had pre-RME (T1) and post-RME (T2) CBCT images available were used for the …


Maturational Changes In Myosin Light Chain Kinase Activity In Ovine Carotids, Elisha Raju Injeti Sep 2008

Maturational Changes In Myosin Light Chain Kinase Activity In Ovine Carotids, Elisha Raju Injeti

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Vascular reactivity changes dramatically during postnatal maturation due in large part to developmental changes in myofilament calcium sensitivity. Recent findings suggest that reactivity of the thick filament component of calcium sensitivity is upregulated in fetal compared to adult arteries. In light of these findings, the present study tests the hypothesis that upregulation of fetal thick filament reactivity is due to upregulation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) activity. To test this hypothesis, MLCK abundance and its activity is measured in intact arteries. The results indicate that MLCK abundance is 6.03 ± 0.96 fold greater in adult than in fetal arteries. …


Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Ppar-Gamma In Surgical Brain Injury (Sbi), Amy Hyong Sep 2008

Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Ppar-Gamma In Surgical Brain Injury (Sbi), Amy Hyong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Brain injury can be caused by neurosurgical procedures themselves, due to direct trauma, retractor stretch, intraoperative hemorrhage and electrocautery damage. As a result of this surgical brain injury (SBI) postoperative complications such as inflammation, brain edema, and cell death can occur in the susceptible brain areas. Cerebral inflammation is a known contributor to the pathophysiology of brain injury. Following brain injury, the release of inflammatory mediators facilitates the development of BBB breakdown, cerebral edema, oxidative stress and neuronal death, resulting in further tissue damage in the brain and poor neurological outcomes. This study evaluates whether the use of a …


Parental Readiness For Change And Involvement In Treating Children With Obesity, Aileen Arratoonian Vedda Jun 2008

Parental Readiness For Change And Involvement In Treating Children With Obesity, Aileen Arratoonian Vedda

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Several studies have demonstrated benefits of parental involvement in intervention programs for Childhood Obesity. However, limited research is available on Parent Readiness for Change. This study utilized archival data from the LLU Growing Fit Obesity Clinic to assess Parent Readiness for Change (PRC) and involvement in a 12- week multidisciplinary program for obese children, as a predictor of medical and psychological outcomes. Data from forty-nine children aged 6-16 (M= 10.47) were eligible and included. Their caregivers who participated in the program included; 86% mothers, 7 % fathers, and 7 % relatives. The caregiver mean age was M=39.6. PRC was assessed …


Effect Of Long-Term Hypoxia On Myometrial Contractility In The Pregnant Sheep, Timothy Kimo Arakawa Jun 2008

Effect Of Long-Term Hypoxia On Myometrial Contractility In The Pregnant Sheep, Timothy Kimo Arakawa

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Previous research from our laboratory has shown that myometrial contractility is reduced in pregnant sheep exposed to long-term hypoxia (LTH). The studies in this dissertation examined the effect of LTH on various aspects of Ca2 regulation, large-conductance, Ca2+ activated (BK) channels activity and protein expression, and cGMP-depended protein kinase (PKG) activity. Myometrium was collected from near-term pregnant sheep exposed to high altitude-associated LTH and from normoxic pregnant controls. After pretreatment with 10-8 M oxytocin (OT), circular and longitudinal myometrial strips were treated with nifedipine (L-type Ca2+ channel blocker), ruthenium red, ryanodine (blockers of IPssensitive stores), 2-Nitro-4-carboxyphenyI-N,N-diphenyIcarbamate …


Neuronal Connections From The Cervix To The Spinal Cord Before Parturition, Mary Medina Groves Jun 2008

Neuronal Connections From The Cervix To The Spinal Cord Before Parturition, Mary Medina Groves

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

By the day before birth, the density of nerve fibers in the cervix has increased compared to earlier in pregnancy or in nonpregnant mice. Similar findings are reported in parturient women. To test the hypothesis that connections between the cervix and spinal cord are enhanced by term, the cervix of nonpregnant and time-dated pregnant mice (day 15 or 18 post-breeding) was injected with pseudorabies virus (PRV), a trans-synaptic retrograde neural tract tracer. Mice were euthanized and perfused 5 days later. The spinal cord and cervix were removed and postfixed overnight, immersed in sucrose, and cryostat sections through the thoracic to …


Hypochlorous Acid Mediated Damage Of Chromatin, Joseph Insugn Kang May 2008

Hypochlorous Acid Mediated Damage Of Chromatin, Joseph Insugn Kang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the primary product of activated neutrophils at sites of inflammation, can damage both DNA and associated histone proteins. HOCl damage to cytosine bases in DNA generates the chlorination damage products 5-chlorocytosine (ClC) and 5-chlorouracil (ClU) as well as the oxidation damage products 5- hydroxycytosine (HOC) and 5-hydroxyuracil (HOU). Histone damage by HOCl can be measured by quantitation of 3-chlorotyrosine and 3,5-dichlorotyrosine, stable and unique markers of protein damage caused by HOCl. The studies presented here investigate how and where these damage products occur and what implications they might have in the correlation between chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis. …


Radiation-Induced Glutamate Transport Alterations In Neuron-Astrocyte Coupling, Martha Celia Sanchez Mar 2008

Radiation-Induced Glutamate Transport Alterations In Neuron-Astrocyte Coupling, Martha Celia Sanchez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Exposure of the central nervous system (CNS) to ionizing radiation is known to result in behavioral, cognitive, and motor deficits - effects similar to those seen in many neurodegenerative disorders. Neurons and astrocytes, two principal cell types in the brain, coexist as an interdependent metabolic unit via the neurotransmitter glutamate. Disruption of this metabolic coupling would have widespread effects within the CNS, therefore it is hypothesized that ionizing radiation impairs glutamate transport and metabolism, and increases oxidative stress, ultimately impairing neuron-astrocyte coupling. We propose to investigate the mechanism and determine the impetus for radiation-induced neurotoxicity by measuring the temporal sequence …