Physiology Commons^™

Non-Invasive Method For Leptin Supplementation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Regan Mcnamara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I tested the hypothesis that recombinant leptin protein can be introduced to zebrafish in vivo through non-invasive soaking in a solution containing the protein. One way to study various molecules’ effects in vivo is through intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injections during the embryonic or larval stage, which is invasive, difficult to administer, and can have a high mortality rate. 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish were soaked in a His-tagged recombinant leptin protein solution at 10 nM and 100 nM concentrations (produced by Genscript). After soaking, zebrafish larvae were washed extensively to remove all recombinant protein on their exterior before homogenization. …

Demographics And Physical Activity Levels Of Esports Athletes At The University Of Akron, Madison Morgan, Patrick Barrett, Madeleine Stoll

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Esports is rapidly growing and gaining popularity, however there is a lack of research regarding physical activity levels of eSport athletes, especially those at the collegiate level. This study summarizes the current research and findings related to exercise, overall health, and video game performance. All varsity eSport athletes for The University of Akron varsity team were “participants” in this study. A survey tool was designed through Qualtrics (Qualtrics 2020© Provo, UT), an online survey instrument, to assess current physical activity levels, preferences and tolerance for exercise intensity, and perceptions about how physical activity affects gaming performance. This survey was distributed …

The Cardiovascular Response To Acute Hypoxic Conditions In Danio Rerio, Bryce Fetterman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There are many fish that can withstand hypoxia levels. One in particular is the zebrafish (Danio rerio). The zebrafish is a small-sized, Cyprinid teleost fish, and has been used in a laboratory setting for many reasons. A few reasons being that they are widely available, easy to care for, and the cost for these fish are very low. There are various reasons why these fish are used as a model. One main reason is because their cardiovascular system is one of the first developing organs. This allows for better resolution when studying the cardiovascular system. The purpose of …

Oxidative Stress Analysis Of Placental Tissue In The Rupp Pregnant Rat, Natalie Ganios

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a disease associated with a vasoconstrictive phenotype due to disrupted signaling in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) relaxation pathway. The purpose of these studies is to determine the level of oxidative damage that is occurring in the placenta of the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat, which serves as a common model for preeclampsia. RUPP and SHAM placenta tissue will be examined for oxidative stress as an indicator of tissue damage associated with the pathologically induced ischemia. Oxidative stress in the placental tissue will be measured by performing the following oxidative stress assays: 8-isoprostane test, TBARS assay, …

Effects Of A Strength Training Intervention And Quality Of Life: Case Study On A Sedentary Adult Female, Lucas Frazier

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of the project is to evaluate physiological and quality of life changes in a

sedentary, senior-aged (55 or older) female using a six-week strength training

intervention. This case study will instruct how to perform a push-pull-legs split

routine by going to the gym three times per week. Prior to the six week intervention,

both quantitative and qualitative variables will be collected to assess baseline data,

including the subject’s resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, grip strength, one-

repetition maximum on seven whole body exercises (dumbbell bicep curl, tricep

pushdown, barbell bench press, wide-grip lat pull-down, seated dumbbell press, …

Neuroanatomy Of The Blackspotted Rockskipper, Entomacrodus Striatus, Pooja Dayal

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Here I characterized the central neuroanatomy of the Blackspotted Rockskipper, Entomacrodus striatus, native to French Polynesia. The neuroanatomy of E. striatus has not been studied prior to this paper. I used several histology and antibody staining techniques to accomplish this, including Crystal Violet, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Bielschowsky’s Silver Nitrate staining. This paper describes the most successful techniques used, identifies major structures in the species’ neuroanatomy, and also explains why studying E. striatus is important in the future of vertebrate research.