Life Sciences Commons^™

Does A Family History Of Type 2 Diabetes Affect Exercise Induced Improvements In Insulin Sensitivity, Metabolic Flexibility, And Myokine Expression In Mexican-American Males?, Manuel Amador

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A family history of diabetes (FH+) is considered a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, it is not known whether exercise induced improvement in insulin sensitivity (IS) and metabolic flexibility (MF) are impacted by a FH+. Purpose: To determine if a FH+ limits exercise induced improvements in Insulin sensitivity, MF, body composition, and strength following an 8-week combined aerobic and resistance training intervention compared to those without a family history of diabetes (FH-). Methods: 19 (FH- n=9, age 21.89 ± 0.60 years, BMI 27.51 ± 1.68 kg/m2; FH+ n=10, age 23.41 ± 0.86 …

Comparison Of Stride Length And Stride Frequency Patterns Of Sprint Performance In Overground Vs Motorized Treadmill Sprinting., Fayon Kamieka Gonzales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between different kinematic parameters when maximal effort sprints are performed overground and on a motorized treadmill by recreationally trained and collegiate level sprinters. To accomplish the goals of this study, we measured stride length, stride frequency, contact time, and flight time overground and on a motorized treadmill to determine what differences or similarities can be identified. Anthropometric measurements such as the height, body weight, lower limb length, and lower limb circumference were also recorded. Subjects' performance of a 60 meter sprint (50 meter acceleration, 10 meter maximal velocity) was measured …

Effects Of Increasing Deciduous Shrub Litter On Ecosystem Functioning In Alpine Tundra, Alejandro Emmanuel Benhumea

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Rising temperatures due to global warming have resulted in rapid environmental changes in northern environments, resulting in an increase in deciduous shrub growth which has the potential to alter soil ecosystem properties and processes. In order to address some potential mechanisms by which shrubs alter ecosystem properties and processes, we designed an experiment which separated the effects of physical shrub presence and the effects of litter quantity in a fully factorial experiment on a north facing alpine plateau in the southwest Yukon, Canada. Specifically, we asked the following questions: What are effects of shrub litter, independent of shrub presence, on …

Functional Investigation Of A Brainstem Excitatory Connection Relevant To Sensorimotor Gating, Luis Enrique Martinetti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To focus attention, our brain has to "gate" or block irrelevant sensory information that could lead to brain overload. This is done by way of a neuronal pre-attentive mechanism termed sensorimotor gating (SG). Therefore, deficits in the SG mechanism prevent patients from focusing attention. SG deficits have been observed in patients suffering from various neurological disorders, and it is a hallmark of schizophrenia. Previous work has identified key brain areas, such as the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), that send inputs to the brainstem to regulate SG. However, there is still a knowledge gap concerning what cell types are involved and …

A New Approach To Multiplanar, Real-Time Simulation Of Physiological Knee Loads And Synthetic Knee Components Augmented By Local Composition Control In Fused Filament Fabrication, Joshua Taylor Green

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite numerous advances in biomedical engineering, few developments in surgical simulation have been made outside of computational models. Cadavers remain the primary media on which surgical research and simulation is conducted. Most attempts to quantify the effects of orthopedic surgical methods fail to achieve statistical significance due to limited quantities of cadaver specimen, large variations among the cadaver population, and a lack of repeatability among measurement techniques. The general purpose of the research covered in this dissertation is to develop repeatable simulation of physiological loads and develop techniques to fabricate a synthetic-based replacement of cadaver specimens. Future work applying this …

Integrated Statistical And Machine Learning Algorithms For Predicting And Classifying G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Fredrick Ayivor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane proteins with important functions in signal transduction and often serve as drug targets. With increasing availability of protein sequence information, there is much interest in computationally predicting GPCRs and classifying them according to their biological roles. Such predictions are cost-efficient and can be valuable guides for designing wet lab experiments to help elucidate signaling pathways and expedite drug discovery. There are existing computational tools of GPCR prediction that involve principal component analysis (PCA), intimate sorting (IS), support vector machine, and random forest (RF) techniques using various sequence derived features. While accuracies of over 90\% …

Insights Into The Interaction Of Copper Oxide Nanopar-Ticles With Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas (L.) Lam.): The Role Of Lignin On Copper Uptake And Translocation, Nestor Javier Bonilla Bird

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is widely cultivated in many countries worldwide. The world production of sweetpotato is around 127 billion tons and it is ranked seventh in the world as a staple food. After harvesting, sweetpotato storage roots are treated with fungicides to prolong shelf life. Lignin plays an important role in the conservation of the storage roots. One of the practices to activate the lignification pathway is called “curing process.” The roots are placed under 80% relative humidity at a temperature of 29 ºC for a period of 7 to 15 days, followed by a cooling period at …

A Combined Field, Experimental And Modeling Approach To Understand The Impacts Of Flood Irrigation On Pedogenic Caco3 And Co2 Dynamics In Drylands, Anna Cristina Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Soil salinization is a global problem affecting 10% of agricultural soils, particularly in irrigated arid-lands. This study investigated salt loading through flood-irrigation, particularly of calcite (CaCO3) salt in the southwest of the United States. To evaluate the impact that flood-irrigation has on CaCO3 buildup and its effect on C-cycling, a natural soil and two agricultural soils were sampled: a pecan orchard and an alfalfa field in the El Paso, TX region. Agricultural soils in this study are flood irrigated by the Rio Grande river and by ground waters in its absence, both of which are oversaturated with calcite.

To trace …

Evaluation Of Recycled Gypsum Application Dosages To Enhance The Water Infiltration Rate At Water Retention Ponds, Jorge Luis Navarrete

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The retention ponds play central role for efficient collection, removal, and drainage of rainfall runoff from surrounding streets to minimize flooding and damage. However, low percolating retention ponds may result in an extended ponding of water, abundance bacteria accumulations, mosquito breeding, environmental hazards, among others. The presence of clayey soils and soil sodicity reduces infiltration rates of retention ponds. To enhance the infiltration rate of ponds, it is proposed to use recycled gypsum (RG), as a soil amendment in retention ponds consisting of clayey soils to enhance low infiltration rates.

To evaluate the influence of RG in clayey soils as …

Trends In Antibiotic Resistance And Correlations Of Antibiotic Use And Antibiotic Resistance In A Small Hospital In El Paso, Texas 2013-2015, Christopher Olivas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health threat, primarily, resulting from the excess and inappropriate use of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic consumption trends may differ along the U.S-Mexico border from the rest of the U.S. due to geographical and cultural differences unique to the border region. The objectives of this study were: 1.) To examine the trends in antibiotic resistance among E. coli, ESBL producing E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and MRSA over a 3-year period (2013, 2014, 2015) in a U.S.-Mexico border area hospital; 2.) To examine the trends in antibiotic consumption among aztreonam, cefazolin, cefepime, ceftriaxone, …

Multi-Antigen-Chemiluminescent-Elisa For The Diagnosis Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Chihuahua, Mexico., Jose Andrei Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over the past century, studies in herpetology regarding snake diets have been commonly focused on those species that feed or specialize in vertebrate prey items. For those that feed primarily on invertebrates however, little work has been done in determining diet specializations and comparing diets within a community of species. This Thesis focuses on small species of snakes that feed primarily on arthropods in a Chihuahuan Desert community, and will investigate if these are diet generalists or specialists. To this end, stomach contents were examined from preserved specimens of the following species: Rena humilis and Rena dissecta (Leptotyphlopidae), Gyalopion canum …

The Protective Effects Of Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) In Response To Excitotoxicity In Mouse Hippocampal Slices, Mireya Nael Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The development of different neurological disorders has been associated with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Elevated ROS levels can disrupt the neuronal electrical activity. This phenomenon has been seen during epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, the excess of ROS and development of such disorders have been linked to neuronal cell death partly due to excessive, non-physiological glutamate release. Ferroptosis is a recently defined iron-dependent cell death mechanism. Inducible by a small molecule called erastin, ferroptosis was first described in cancer cells. Erastin-induced ferroptosis differs from apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy, since it leads to different biochemical …

Massively Parallel Computational Studies Of Material Response At High Strain Rate Deformation, Jayalath Abeywardhana Mudiyanselage Madawa Abeywardhana

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Large scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are now commonly utilized to study materials at extreme conditions: high pressure and/or temperatures and ultra-high strain rates of deformation. A variety of emerging architectures such as general purpose graphics processing units (GP-GPU) and many-integrated core (MIC) architecture as well as new execution models have changed the traditional approach of high-performance computing. ExMatEx, the DoE initiative for enabling exa-scale (10^18 flops) performance in scientific applications, has developed several proxy applications to facilitate co-design of novel algorithms and hardware by software developers and microchip vendors.

We have used CoMD, a proxy application for classical MD, …

Computational Modeling Of Ring Dna-Carbon Nanotube Sensors, Aliasghar Alizadehmojarad

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Non-covalent interactions between single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) oligonucleotides and carbon nanotubes have provided a unique class of tunable chemistries for applications in nanotube chirality purification, gene delivery, electrochemistry, and nanosensor development. However, mechanistic insight into both the photophysical and intermolecular phenomena underlying their utility in such applications is lacking, resulting in non-systematic approaches to producing DNAnanotube based technologies. In this work, we explore the molecular interactions between ssDNA polymers, in particular (GT)6, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in an ultrasensitive nanosensor for a modulatory neurotransmitters dopamine. Classical molecular dynamics simulations show that (GT)6 oligonucleotides adopt ordered, ring-like conformations around SWNT in …

Biologically Available Phosphorus In Biocrust-Dominated Soils Of The Chihuahuan Desert, Grace Margaret Crain

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In desert soils, phosphorus (P) is an important limiting nutrient and its cycling characteristics are less understood compared to nitrogen and carbon. Phosphorus cycling is controlled by both geochemical and biological factors. Traditionally, P availability has been characterized via sequential extraction analyses such as Hedley fractionation, but newly developed extraction methods allow for the examination of more biologically relevant P fractions, providing insight on mechanisms of P acquisition by plants and microbes. We examined these P cycling features in the context of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which have been found to be important drivers of nutrient cycling and have the …

Investigating The Role Of Parp-1 In Hiv-1 Replication, Sara Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is a cellular protein that that has multiple roles in the cell including DNA repair and transcription. PARP-1 has also proven by our laboratory to impair HIV-1 replication in T cells infected with HIV-1 strains entering via CD4/CXCR4. The goal of my Thesis is to increase our understanding of the mechanism implicated in the anti-HIV-1 activity of PARP-1. Initially, I focused my research in deciphering the impact of PARP-1 on the replication of HIV-1 strains entering the cell through the alternative pathway CD4/CCR5. However, technical difficulties prevented answering this question. Nevertheless, aided by the technical …

Steroid-Coa Ligases, Fadd17a1 And Fadd19a1, And Their Role In Cholesterol Side-Chain Degradation In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a serious health issue arising from the increasing incidence of multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) strains that are becoming more prevalent in high-risk countries, especially here in the Texas/Mexico border. Confirmed cases and outbreaks in schools and hospitals are more frequent in this region due to the high-volume pedestrian traffic between the two cities, and the lack of a modernized health system in Mexico. Identification of new Mtb metabolic pathways for development of novel antitubercular drugs is urgently needed. The goal of this current work investigates two Mtb fatty acyl-CoA ligase enzymes' (FadD17A1 and FadD19A1) to explore whether …

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 …

Random, Timed, And Self-Paced: How Preparation Time Affects The Loading Of The Body Prior To Flight In A Two-Footed Forward Jump, Dorothy Marie Stewart

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although numerous studies have replicated Fitts speed-accuracy trade-off relationship in reciprocal and discrete tasks, little research to date has examined the applicability of this lawful assessment on whole body ballistic tasks, such as jumping. A study by Juras et al., (2009) suggests that the lawful relationship is violated in ballistic jumping by showing no differences in movement time when target width decreased. Additionally, the authors suggest that the kinematics of the jump are pre-programmed prior to the execution of the movement. A recent study by Boyle and colleagues (2016) furthered this idea by showing an inverse relationship between the height …

Insulin Modulates The Strong Reinforcing Effects Of Nicotine And Changes In Insulin Biomarkers In A Rodent Model Of Diabetes, Bryan Cruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined whether the strong reinforcing effects of nicotine and changes in insulin biomarkers observed in diabetic rats are modulated via insulin. A model of diabetes was employed involving administration of streptozotocin (STZ), which produces hypoinsulinemia in rats. The present study included vehicle- or STZ-treated rats that received sham surgery or an insulin pellet. Two-weeks later, the rats were given extended access to intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of saline or nicotine. Concomitant changes in food intake, water responses, and body weight were assessed during 12 days of IVSA. After the last session, plasma levels of insulin, leptin, amylin, and glucagon-like …

The Structural And Functional Study Of The Human Mitochondrial Hsp60 Chaperonin In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Jinliang Wang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Proteins are essential elements that are responsible for a variety of cellular activities within organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules. After protein synthesis in the ribosome, the unfolded protein need to fold into their unique compact structures so that they can perform their full biological functions. The biologically active structure of a protein is referred to the native-state of the protein with biological activity. The process of protein folding is one of the most important and challenging research topics of contemporary biochemistry, especially for its central role …

Effects Of Unweathered Or Soil Weathered Copper-Based Nanoparticles And Compounds On Soil Grown Bell Pepper (Capsicum Annuum) And Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) Plants, Swati Rawat

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) find large scale industrial application because of their promising chemical, physical, electrical, magnetic, optical, and electronic properties. Copper-based ENP are used as gas sensors, in catalysts, electronics, semi-conductors, and in agriculture. They have been useful as agricultural amendments in the form of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers because of their antifungal and antibacterial properties. They also find application in electronics and sensors used in precision agriculture. Due to their massive production and use, ENPs are likely to be ubiquitous in the environment around us in the near future. Application of biosolids for fertilization and water from wastewater treatment …

Geant4 Study Of A Gamma Ray Collimator For Proton Therapy, Selim Romero

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis presents the results of an investigation of the use of collimators in proton therapy. The problem to solve is that in the proton therapy, we do not have the certainty if the target-tumor is receiving all the energy to destroy it or if we are really shooting at this one, so the remaining question is: where the beam is hitting? How to know it? to answer those questions our work has the propose of study proton therapy to determine where the proton interactions occur, these kinds of interactions usually produce gamma rays, and we simulated in GEANT4 the …

Novel Therapeutic Approaches For Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection, Caresse Lynn Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is the causative agent of Chagas disease (ChD), an emerging illness prevalent in South and Central America. Presently, benznidazole and nifurtimox are the only two clinically available drugs against T. cruzi, which have high toxicity and limited efficacy in the chronic phase of the disease. This ailment affects 8-10 million people and has become an emerging concern in the U.S leading to an urgent need for the discovery of new treatments. Despite all efforts, there is no human vaccine available. Therapeutic vaccines are a possible option for chronic ChD in which the vaccine is used after …

Glycoconjugate-Based Vaccines For Chagas Disease, Brenda Guadalupe Zepeda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. About 6–8 million people are estimated to be infected worldwide. It is a blood borne pathogen and transmitted to humans by the insect vector (kissing bug), blood transfusion, organ transplant, contaminated foods and juices, and by congenital contagion. The chemotherapy is partially effective in chronic phase of the disease, and the drugs cause several side effects. There is no vaccine to prevent or treat Chagas disease. The great majority of experimental vaccines have employed whole parasite extracts, purified or recombinant proteins, synthetic peptides, or DNA; however, most of them provide …

Environmental And Genetic Factors Affecting Antibiotic Resistance Of Extended Spectrum Î?-Lactamase Bacteria From The Rio Grande River In El Paso, Tx And Cd. Juarez, Mexico, Maria D. Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The Rio Grande River provides a major source of potable and agricultural water for the population of the Texas/Mexico border region. Cattle farming and ranching are the most prevalent activities, which may contribute to the microbial burden of pharmaceuticals into our state's water resources. Antibiotics, presumably released into the environment by discharges originating from waste-water treatment plants, septic disposal systems, animal feeding operations and urban runoff have a definite impact on the ecosystem and may contribute to an increase in antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that waters of the Rio Grande River contained Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) and mobile …

Birds And Vegetation Structure Of Isolated Juniper And Oak Communities In The Trans-Pecos Chihuahuan Desert., Kayla Garza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Birds of the Trans-Pecos region are historically understudied, with most literature covering birds of desert grasslands and scrub in New Mexico and Northern Mexico. A multitude of vegetation communities within the Chihuahuan Desert have also been neglected due to this gap in the research, for reasons including lack of access to public or preserve land in West Texas, and rough terrain. Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS), is located 42-km southwest of Van Horn, Texas and encompasses many different vegetation communities, including juniper-oak habitats of arroyo and canyon systems. The purpose of this study was to document the bird species utilizing …

Comparative Phylogeography, Taxonomy, And Neuroanatomy Of Montane Chameleons In The Albertine Rift, Central Africa, Daniel Hughes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

How do traits vary across the tree of life? Our ability to address this question is diminished if: A taxonomic group has a poorly sampled phylogeny, a species goes extinct before their systematic position is resolved, or a trait is inadequately characterized for detailed studies. In the current era of mass extinction, it is imperative to not only accelerate species discovery through traditional studies in taxonomy and expeditionary research, but also to increase rescue efforts for all types of data before poorly understood species and potentially undescribed traits are lost. Here, an integrative taxonomic approach was used and novel methods …

The Inverse And Direct Hofmeister Series Of Hen Egg White Lysozyme At Ph Below The Isoelectric Point (Pi) As Seen By Small Angle X-Ray Scattering(Saxs), Pawan Koirala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The structural changes of Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL) in the intermediate stages leading up to Hofmeister anion-induced aggregation were measured using small-angle x-ray Scattering (SAXS). We used three concentrations of HEWL: 10mg/ml, 60mg/ml and 200mg/ml and two concentrations of salts: 0.1M and 1.0M, mostly in a Tris-buffer solution with a pH of 9.0. For 200mg/ml in Di-water solution, the scattering signal was best fit using an ellipsoidal form factor with equatorial radius of 28.4±0.1 Å and polar radius of 11.3±0.1 Å, and a screened Coulomb repulsive structure factor with an effective radius of 19.9±0.1 Å and protein surface charge …