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2014

Sacred Heart University

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Biology Department Receives $111,253 Award For Migratory Birds Project, Barbara J. Pierce Dec 2014

Biology Department Receives $111,253 Award For Migratory Birds Project, Barbara J. Pierce

Barbara J. Pierce

Barbara Pierce, associate professor of biology at Sacred Heart University, has received a grant award of $111,253 from the National Science Foundation in support of her research project on migratory birds. Her area of specialization is physiological ecology, and her research project is titled “Collaborative Proposal: Fat Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Exercising Migratory Birds.” The NSF grant extends through August 31, 2017.


Gut Bacteria And Their Influence On Metabolic Disorders, Stephanie Sorbara (Class Of 2015) Dec 2014

Gut Bacteria And Their Influence On Metabolic Disorders, Stephanie Sorbara (Class Of 2015)

Biology Undergraduate Publications

The human gut microbial genome encodes for several metabolic processes that are not encoded for in the human genome. Through the study of metagenomics, mice, and human models, researchers have shown that changes in the gut bacterial composition can generate oxidative stress, release endotoxins, and induce lipogenesis. These pathways can disrupt normal metabolic function, resulting in obesity and other related metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Most of the health implications associated with obesity originate from the biological reactions carried out by the gut bacteria, which are strongly impacted by environmental factors. Probiotics, prebiotics and fecal transplantation are methods that can …


Angelman Syndrome, Stephanie Sorbara (Class Of 2015) Dec 2014

Angelman Syndrome, Stephanie Sorbara (Class Of 2015)

Biology Undergraduate Publications

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder that is classically characterized by excessive laughter and a happy demeanor. Aggression, sleep disorders and epilepsy are other phenotypes associated with this disorder as well. Both happy and aggressive demeanors have been expressed in five different consumers at The Kennedy Center, a site which offers programs and services to individuals with varying disabilities. Research proposes several different genetic mechanisms responsible for the development of AS, each of which impact the function of the UBE3A gene located in the 15q11-13 region on chromosome 15. Additionally, from an evolutionary perspective, Emotion Signaling Theory and Kinship …


The Fat Of The Matter: How Dietary Fatty Acids Can Affect Exercise Performance, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams Nov 2014

The Fat Of The Matter: How Dietary Fatty Acids Can Affect Exercise Performance, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Biology Faculty Publications

Fatty-acid composition of fat stores affects exercise performance in a variety of vertebrates although few such studies focus on flying vertebrates such as migratory birds, which are exceptional exercisers. We first discuss the natural variation in quality of fat available in natural foods eaten by migratory birds and their behavioral preferences for specific fatty acids in these foods. We then outline three proposed hypotheses for how dietary fatty acids can affect exercise performance, and some of the evidence to date that pertains to these hypotheses with special emphasis on the exercise performance of migratory birds. In theory, selectively feeding on …


Adolescent Bisphenol-A Exposure Decreases Dendritic Spine Density: Role Of Sex And Age, Rachel E. Bowman, Victoria N. Luine, Hameda Khandaker, Joseph J. Villafane, Maya Frankfurt Nov 2014

Adolescent Bisphenol-A Exposure Decreases Dendritic Spine Density: Role Of Sex And Age, Rachel E. Bowman, Victoria N. Luine, Hameda Khandaker, Joseph J. Villafane, Maya Frankfurt

Psychology Faculty Publications

Bisphenol-A (BPA), a common environmental endocrine disruptor, modulates estrogenic, androgenic, and anti-androgenic effects throughout the lifespan. We recently showed that low dose BPA exposure during adolescence increases anxiety and impairs spatial memory independent of sex. In the current study, six week old Sprague Dawley rats (n=24 males, n=24 females) received daily subcutaneous injections (40 µg/kg bodyweight) of BPA or vehicle for one week. Serum corticosterone levels in response to a 1 h restraint stress and spine density were examined at age 7 (cohort 1) and 11 (cohort 2) weeks. Adolescent BPA exposure did not alter stress dependent corticosterone responses but …


Effect Of Weight Support On Tibial Accelerations During A Lower-Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Cadence Controlled Run, Brendan J. Rickert, Matthew F. Moran, Beau K. Greer May 2014

Effect Of Weight Support On Tibial Accelerations During A Lower-Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Cadence Controlled Run, Brendan J. Rickert, Matthew F. Moran, Beau K. Greer

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Running in a lower-body positive pressure treadmill (LBPP-TM) is utilized for athletes to maintain fitness while recovering from tibial stress fracture. Previous investigations report that step rate is linearly related to level of body weight (BW) support and tibial accelerations (TA) is not significantly reduced until


Exercise Science Students Get First-Hand Experience, Valerie Wherley Apr 2014

Exercise Science Students Get First-Hand Experience, Valerie Wherley

Valerie Wherley

Sacred Heart University’s exercise science students have been busy this semester participating in various service-learning initiatives and clinics. During the semester, students are asked to complete 20 hours of service learning work so they get first-hand experience working with children and adolescents, engaging them in physical activity and sports and seeing classroom and textbook concepts come to life.


Utilization Of The Invasive Alga Gracilaria Vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss By The Native Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta (Say), Michele Guidone, Christine Newton, Carol S. Thornber Mar 2014

Utilization Of The Invasive Alga Gracilaria Vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss By The Native Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta (Say), Michele Guidone, Christine Newton, Carol S. Thornber

Biology Faculty Publications

The recent invasions of the red alga, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, to the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans have the potential to significantly alter intertidal and subtidal soft sediment communities. In particular, G. vermiculophylla increases habitat complexity and provides a novel hard substrate in an otherwise two dimensional habitat. Following our observations that the native omnivorous mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta utilizes G. vermiculophylla for egg capsule deposition, our field surveys demonstrated that the in situ abundance of egg capsules on G. vermiculophylla matched abundances on a native alga Ceramium virgatumandwere at least 11–50 times greater than on all other co-occurring macrophytes. Additionally, …


Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds, Latina Steele, Kelly M. Darnell, Just Cebrián, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso Jan 2014

Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds, Latina Steele, Kelly M. Darnell, Just Cebrián, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso

Biology Faculty Publications

Sarpa salpa herbivory on shallow reaches of Posidonia oceanica beds.— Here, we examined the temporal and small–scale spatial variability of grazing by the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa on shallow beds of the temperate seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Herbivory intensity expressed as the percent of leaf area taken by fish bites was higher in September 2006 than in February 2007, and at 0.5 m than at 1.5 m during both sampling times. All S. salpa feeding at the shallow locations studied were juveniles, with bite sizes ranging from 0.03 to 0.62 cm2. Juveniles feeding at 1.5 m were larger in February 2007 …


The Effects Of Pknox1.1 Knockdown On Hoxb1a Expression In R4 Of Danio Rerio Hindbrain, Kevin Hess (Class Of 2015) Jan 2014

The Effects Of Pknox1.1 Knockdown On Hoxb1a Expression In R4 Of Danio Rerio Hindbrain, Kevin Hess (Class Of 2015)

Writing Across the Curriculum

Zebrafish hindbrain development begins with the folding of the neural plate into the neural tube that gives rise to segments in the hindbrain known as rhombomeres. Each rhombomere gives rise to important structures, such as the otic vesicle and various craniofacial nerves. The first of the rhombomeres to develop is r4—modulated by proper development of hoxb1a. Proper development of r4 triggers a cascade of gene expression of other genes such as fgfs, krox-20­, and many other genes required for proper segmentation of the rest of the hindbrain. Another one of these genes responsible for proper rhombomere segregation is …