Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Acute Effects Of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation On Blood Glucose And Energy Metabolism In Overweight/Obese Population, Ali Mossayebi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: In the perspective of preventing cardiovascular disease and promoting health, weight control and physical activity are the main concerns. Electrical stimulation (ES) is an alternate strategy to induce muscle contraction, using electrical impulses. However, effectiveness of ES induced muscle contraction to improve energy expenditure and glucose metabolism is not well examined.Purpose: To determine the acute effect of ES on whole body energy expenditure and body glucose metabolism in sedentary overweight or obese population Methods: Sedentary overweight/obese participants (n=8; age: 37.25 ± 6.09 years; BMI= 37.57 ± 2.43 kg/m2) were included in this study. All participants received bilateral quadriceps ES …

Metabolic Foundations Of Exercise-Induced Cardiac Growth., Kyle Fulghum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regular aerobic exercise promotes physiological cardiac growth, which is an adaptive response thought to enable the heart to meet higher physical demands. Cardiac growth involves coordination of catabolic and anabolic activities to support ATP generation, macromolecule biosynthesis, and myocyte hypertrophy. Although previous studies suggest that exercise-induced reductions in cardiac glycolysis are critical for physiological myocyte hypertrophy, it remains unclear how exercise influences the many interlinked pathways of metabolism that support adaptive remodeling of the heart. In this thesis project, we tested the general hypothesis that aerobic exercise promotes physiological cardiac growth by coordinating myocardial metabolism to promote glucose-supported anabolic pathway …

Frontiers In The Self-Assembly Of Charged Macromolecules, Khatcher O. Margossian

Doctoral Dissertations

The self-assembly of charged macromolecules forms the basis of all life on earth. From the synthesis and replication of nucleic acids, to the association of DNA to chromatin, to the targeting of RNA to various cellular compartments, to the astonishingly consistent folding of proteins, all life depends on the physics of the organization and dynamics of charged polymers. In this dissertation, I address several of the newest challenges in the assembly of these types of materials. First, I describe the exciting new physics of the complexation between polyzwitterions and polyelectrolytes. These materials open new questions and possibilities within the context …

A Holistic Investigation Of Acidosis In Breast Cancer, Bryce Ordway

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the early 20th century, Nobel laureate Otto Warburg made the observation that cells of a carcinoma had considerably higher glycolytic metabolism and considerably lower oxidative metabolism compared to cells of a normal tissue. He postulated that within this observation was the key to deciphering the differences between malignant and normal tissue. It is now well established that tumors of the breast are unequivocally acidic, caused by an abnormal amount of aerobic glycolysis, colloquially known as the Warburg effect. Over the last decades, our group, led by Dr. Robert J. Gillies, has set out to characterize the causes and consequences …

Controlling Myosin’S Function Via Interactions Between The Substrate And The Active Site, Mike K. Woodward

Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular motors, such as myosin, have evolved to transduce chemical energy from ATP into mechanical work to drive essential cellular processes, from muscle contraction to vesicular transport. Dysfunction in these motors is a root cause of many pathologies necessitating the application of intrinsic control over molecular motor function. We hypothesized that altering the myosin’s energy substrate via minor positional changes to the triphosphate portion of the molecule will allow us to control the protein and affect its in vitro function. We utilized positional isomers of a synthetic non-nucleoside triphosphate, azobenzene triphosphate, and assessed whether myosin’s force- and motion-generating capacity could …

The Role Of The Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 2 In Pancreatic Cancer: Mechanisms Of Tumor Immunosuppression And Intestinal Radioprotection, Carolina Garcia Garcia

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with dismal prognosis. The only curative option for patients is surgery, but over 80% of patients are not surgical candidates. Unfortunately, PDAC is resistant to the three remaining options. PDAC is characterized by a profoundly hypoxic and immunosuppressive stroma, which contributes to its therapeutic recalcitrance. Alpha-smooth muscle actin+ (αSMA+) cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant stromal component, as well as mediators of stromal deposition. The hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF1 and HIF2) coordinate responses to hypoxia, yet, despite their known association to poor patient outcomes, their functions within the PDAC tumor microenvironment (TME) …

Unraveling The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise And Erk5 Signaling In The Solid Tumor Microenvironment Using Murine Models, Hannah Savage

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Solid tumors are comprised of multiple cell types which communicate and work together to promote tumor progression. Advances in the treatment of solid tumors have armed clinicians with more efficacious pharmacologic agents and combinations. However, a focus on drug adjuvants in the treatment of solid cancer has left gaps in knowledge regarding non-pharmacologic treatment adjuvants, like aerobic exercise. The current dissertation investigates pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic based approaches to remodel the solid tumor microenvironment landscape and alter therapeutic efficacy. We disassemble compartments of the tumor microenvironment, including tumor vasculature and immune infiltrate, using mouse models and single cell techniques, to elucidate …

Identifying A Glucocorticoid-Activated Gpcr That Rapidly And Non-Genomically Increases Camp Levels In Mammalian Cells, Francisco Nunez

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones that regulate diverse physiological processes. Synthetic versions of GCs are commonly used to treat inflammatory diseases such as asthma by modulating gene expression to suppressing several inflammatory activities. However, it is estimated that 5-10% of asthmatics are unresponsive to GCs, which may be explained by receptor desensitization and/or the presence of a neutrophilic endotype. One understudied phenomenon of GCs is their ability to induce rapid, non-genomic actions. For example, GCs can acutely modulate calcium concentrations levels, induce smooth muscle relaxation and modulate nitric oxide synthase activity, within minutes and sometimes seconds, which is too rapid …

Cortisol Receptor Sensitivity As A Risk Factor For Depression, Michela Michielli

Honors Theses

In 2020, the World Health Organization reported over 264 million people across the world were suffering from depression. Studies have demonstrated that one source of depression is a hormonal imbalance involved in the stress response. Cortisol is a stress hormone regulated by the Hypothalamic-Anterior-Pituitary (HPA) Axis. Its effects on the stress response and other metabolic activities in the body are exerted through the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR and MR respectively).

Our research has examined mutations known as single-nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNPs) relating to cortisol-receptor sensitivity and the behavior of cortisol in the body to investigate the link between cortisol activity and …

Effects Of Chronic Stress On Safety Processing And Physiology In The Medial Prefrontal-Amygdala-Basal Forebrain Circuit, Itamar S. Grunfeld

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chronic stress increases generalization of fear to non-threatening cues, a key symptom in numerous psychiatric mood disorders. However, the mechanisms through which stress impacts safety learning remain poorly understood. To probe the relationship between stress and safety learning, this dissertation employed multiple behaviors, in conjunction with in-vivo multisite physiology during explicit safety and fear discrimination learning. In Chapter 1, I outline the role of chronic stress in driving neurological adaptations that result in generalized fear and highlight how this occurs because of impaired safety cue encoding. In Chapter 2, I show that chronic stress in the form of social defeat …

From Young To Old: The Effects Of Sedentary-Aging And Exercise Interventions On Structural Plasticity Of Lumbar Motor Neurons, Nmj, And Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression, Alberto Felipe Cintron-Colon

Dissertations

Neuromuscular weakness has been associated with age progression. A possible reason is a disconnection between muscle and neuron, causing components from both the central and peripheral nervous systems to deteriorate. Exercise, however, has beneficial effects for both muscle and nervous tissue, inducing neuroprotection. Neurotrophic factors are powerful regulators of neuronal maintenance and synaptic strength. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a neurotrophic factor that has been shown to be a potent survival factor for somatic motor neurons that innervate skeletal muscle.

This study aims to evaluate changes in structural plasticity of motor neurons in the lumbar spinal cord and …

On The Roles Of Trait Anxiety And Toll Like Receptor 4 In Amphetamine Sensitization In Adolescent Male Rats, Corey A. Calhoun

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Mammalian adolescence can be a difficult transition from childhood to adulthood, where increases in impulsivity and novelty- and risk-seeking are combined with heightened affect and elevated sensitivity to stress. Indeed, during adolescence, first drug use patterns emerge and in the continental United States, increasing misuse of amphetamines has been observed in adolescent youth. Myriad neural mechanisms underlie this shift in adolescence, including the dynamic remodeling of the mesocorticolimbic (MCL) pathway. Repeated drug administration affects neuroimmune substrates within the MCL circuit including toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)Advances in addiction neuroscience indicate that drugs of abuse activate neural TLR4 and implicate glial TLR4 …

Functional And Anatomical Characterization Of Descending Periaqueductal Gray (Pag) Projections And Their Role In Pain Modulation, Jose Gabriel Grajales

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endogenous analgesic pathways embody a potential target for the development for chronic pain therapies. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) in descending pain modulation. It has been proposed that tonic GABAergic neurotransmission at the level of the vlPAG serves to inhibit efferent excitatory projections that mediate descending analgesia. Disinhibition of these projection neurons allows subsequent activation of rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) neurons that inhibit nociception at the level of the spinal cord. However, lack of cell-type specificity in these studies has prevented the determination of the role of specific subsets of vlPAG neurons in …

Linking Spinal Cord Circuits With Upper Limb Sensorimotor Control In Adults With Cerebral Palsy, Saihari Dukkipati

Theses & Dissertations

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common neurological disorder originating in childhood, but most of the people living with CP are currently adults. While people with CP continue to get older, the amount of research focused on adults has been rather limited. The early childhood insults leading to CP are thought to originate in the brain, but the effects on the entire neuromuscular system across the lifespan have only recently started to be explored. Of note, recent neuroimaging evidence suggests that the cervical spinal cord structure is atypical in adults with CP. However, it is largely unclear how the neurophysiological …

Psychological Trauma Alters T-Lymphocyte Inflammation And Redox Through Sympathetic Mechanisms, Safwan K. Elkhatib

Theses & Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder characterized by distinctive symptom clusters, including intrusive memories (i.e., flashbacks), avoidance of related stimuli, affective changes, and hyperarousal. Strikingly, patients with PTSD face a significantly increased risk for a number of inflammation-driven pathologies, ranging from cardiovascular to autoimmune disease. Yet, the exact etiology of this increased risk remains unknown. The immune system is known to be strongly influenced by the sympathetic nervous system, and sympathetic overactivity is a hallmark of PTSD. Lymphoid organs, such as the spleen, are richly innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers which terminate near adaptive immune …

Examining The Effects Of Oral Contraceptive Use On Thermoregulation, Whitley C. Atkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of combined (estradiol and progestin) monophasic oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use on thermoregulation. Further, we sought to evaluate OCP use on acute rehydration post-exercise in the heat using recommended rehydration guidelines. Methods: Twelve healthy, aerobically trained (VO2peak = 47.8 ± 4.7 mL/kg/min), long term female oral contraceptive users completed a familiarization trial and two experimental days separated by ≥ 7 days. The two experimental trials were identical except for the hormone dosing phase. One trial was completed during the third week of active pill dosing (ACT) and one during …

Effects Of A Leucine Supplementation On Mitochondrial Markers In Pre-Cachectic Female Mice, Breanna Williams

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cancer cachexia is a wasting syndrome characterized by extreme weight and skeletal muscle loss that results in death in many tumor bearing individuals. Because skeletal muscle requires a high amount of energy to function, skeletal muscle fiber cells need healthy mitochondria to function. When skeletal muscle loss atrophy occurs, the mitochondrial network is degraded. Different treatments for this muscle atrophy are being studied, one of which is a leucine supplementation since leucine has been found to stimulate skeletal muscle growth in other studies. However, current data suggests that a leucine supplementation in cachexic individuals exacerbates this atrophy. PURPOSE: This study …

Implementing An Exercise Referral Scheme For Promoting Physical Activity In University Mental Health Care, Bryce Daniels

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Mental health symptoms and conditions are prevalent and increasing on college campuses with anxiety and depression having the highest increases in prevalence. Many college students are also physically inactive which is problematic as physical activity benefits mental health. Exercise referral schemes (ERS) can promote physical activity, though no studies have investigated the implementation of an ERS within a college counseling center. Purpose. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the implementation of an ERS for promoting physical activity in university mental health care. Methods. Study 1 used a qualitative descriptive design of 14 certified counselors to explore perceptions …

Effects Of Exercise On Parkinson's Symptom Relief, Brooke Burnett

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this review of twenty research articles, the effects of moderate exercise therapy on the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease will be explored. Appropriate literature was located using the research question, “In older adults with a Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis, how does moderate exercise influence the symptoms of this disease?” Twenty peer-reviewed research articles were examined for the impact of different forms of exercise on various symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. Nineteen of the articles reviewed provide substantial evidence in support of exercise therapy as a treatment option for people with Parkinson’s, and one of the articles found inconclusive evidence neither in support …

Ankle Dorsiflexion Range Of Motion, Dynamic Balance, And Static Balance In Division Iii Collegiate Gymnasts, Emily Sabo

Master's Theses

Introduction: Artistic gymnastics is a demanding sport composed of high intensity activities. Decreased range of motion can increase the risk of lower extremity injury due to the inability to disperse forces properly upon landing. Landing from a height demands dynamic balance, which may be influenced by ankle range of motion. Due to the complexity of the sport, identifying potential deficits at the ankle could lead to the development of injury prevention programs. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate if correlations exist between active ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (AROM) and static balance and/or AROM and dynamic balance …

Diurnal Regulation Of Exercise-Induced Myocardial Signaling And Transcription, Charli Aguilar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Exercise is well known for its many benefits on the body and most notably the heart. Recent emphasis, and significant resources, have been dedicated to elucidating the molecular mechanisms through which exercise exerts its pluripotent beneficial effects on health and the prevention of disease. A continuous evolution in this field has sought to modulate and optimize exercise in various ways to maximize the benefits. In recent years, a growing appreciation for the impact of circadian rhythms has gained traction and their influence on many essential biological functions have been integrated into exercise physiology (i.e. - chrono-exercise), as well as …

Sight Deprivation And Metabolic Effects During The Ymca Bench Press Test, Kyle Cruz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Several studies have investigated the effect of sensory deprivation, particularly sight. However, very few have demonstrated the impact of sight deprivation while exercising to cadence blindfolded. This study aimed to determine exercise performance during a common muscular endurance evaluation, the YMCA Bench Press Test (YBPT), while blindfolded compared to a sighted condition. Twenty-five healthy participants (11 male, 14 female, 168 ± 7.7cm, 68 ± 11.7kg, 23 ± 7.5% fat mass) were recruited from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas student populations and communities. After a YBPT familiarization session, participants completed testing in a counterbalanced order, following the same procedures. A …

Role Of Bmi1 In Acute Lung Injury, María Helena Hernández-Cuervo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a set of signs and symptoms that lead to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure characterized by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates not attributed to cardiogenic origin. It is caused by a massive innate immune response, with the migration of white blood cells (neutrophils and macrophages principally) and a cytokine storm, followed by alterations in mitochondrial function, increase in reactive oxygen species production, and oxidative stress that in turn induces more mitochondrial damage. Several studies have shown that mitochondrial alterations are key events in the mechanism of ALI and reducing mitochondrial dysfunction could be a possible target in the …

Reducing Fear Overgeneralization With Safety Learning: Attention Bias As A Moderator, Boyang Fan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health condition and affect one out of nine individuals around the world. Fear generalization is a neurocognitive mechanism thought to maintain and exacerbate anxiety, and thus is an important target of therapeutic interventions. Yet, intervention research and practice place relatively little emphasis on its importance. Given that a significant proportion of individuals do not respond to extant treatments of anxiety disorders, a strengthened focus on fear generalization may inform the development and personalization of new treatment approaches. Recent notions have linked fear generalization to failures in distinguishing between signals that predict the occurrence …

Maximal Strength Training Increases Metabolic Energy Expenditure In Sedentary Adults Classified As Obese, Robert E. Anderson Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Background: Metabolic adaptations reduce resting and non-resting energy expenditure to account for approximately 120 kcal/day. Weight loss promotes greater skeletal muscle efficiency, reducing the energy cost of physical activity and is correlated with declines in skeletal muscle glucose oxidation. Maximal Strength Training (MST) has the potential to upregulate glucose utilization and may offset these metabolic adaptations. Objective: To determine if MST offsets markers of metabolic adaptation by increasing resting and non-resting energy expenditure in sedentary individuals classified as obese. Methods: Five (5) participants (2 females, 3 males), ages 18-35 years, with obesity (BMI 30–45 kg/m2) were enrolled in an 8-week …

Examining The Effects Of Exercise-Induced, Physical Stress Overtraining On Stress Biomarkers In Adolescent, C57bl/6 Mice, Curtis Scotty Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Exercise has long been established as a therapeutic modality to improve health and related physical fitness, sports performance, and injury/risk reduction in both adults and adolescents (Haff & Triplett, 2015; Kaminsky, 2010). Nonetheless, there is a lack of research investigating the negative effects of exercise overstress (i.e., overtraining syndrome) in these populations, particularly adolescents (Brenner & American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, 2007; Matos & Winsley, 2007). The objective of this study was to examine hormone biochemical markers, anthropometric markers, and behavioral traits, which are associated with overtraining syndrome, in adolescent C57BL/6 mice. A total of …

Building Tools For Improved Modulation Of The Human Gabaa Receptor, A Central Nervous System Target For The Treatment Of Anxiety, Garrett Edward Zinck

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

In the U.S., anxiety is recognized as an increasing range of mentally and physically debilitating psychiatric health disorders with significant economic repercussions. Over the last 20 years, several novel anti-anxiety therapies have entered the drug development pipeline, but none have made it to market.

The work in this dissertation focused on structurally modifying valerenic acid (VA), a structurally unique carboxylated sesquiterpene acid found in Valeriana officinalis. VA is putatively reported to have allosteric modulatory activity of the human GABA_A receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel responsible for attenuating neurotransmissions. Structural modeling of VA’s GABA_A receptor interaction suggests that …

Analysis Of The Antimicrobial Activity Of The Novel Chemotherapeutic Drug, Tpp1, Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And The Hydrogel Delivery Of Water-Soluble Antimicrobial Compounds, Alex Gasper

Senior Independent Study Theses

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, and it is commonly linked with bacterial infections that often complicate treatments. Recently, chemotherapeutics have been developed that are able to act as anti-cancer agents using delocalized lipophilic cations (DLCs) that are able to specifically target mitochondrial membranes of cancer cells. TPP1 is a newly developed chemotherapeutic drug that has activity against bladder cancer and melanoma cell lines in vitro. In order to determine if TPP1 has antimicrobial activity, TPP1 was tested against a common bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to determine if antimicrobial activity was present. This testing was …

One Cell’S Trash Is Another Cell’S Treasure: The Role Of Exosomes In Stress Physiology Of The Brown Anole (Anolis Sagrei), Anna Kaza

Honors Program Theses

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle that is produced by cells through an endosomal pathway and secreted into bodily fluids. Exosomes deliver bioactive cargo from their parent cells to target cells as a form of intercellular communication. While most research has studied exosomes in the context of disease, less is known about their role in normal physiology when disease is absent. Using the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) as a model organism, we investigated how stress exposure affects exosome concentrations in the plasma of anoles, and whether exosome release is necessary for the response to stress. We hypothesized that stress …

Estrogen Regulation Of Daily Metabolic Rhythms In Female Mice, Oluwabukola Omotola

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Circadian rhythms are approximately 24-hour cycles of behavior, physiology, and gene expression. In mammals, these circadian rhythms are generated by clocks located in nearly every tissue in the body. The function of circadian clocks is to synchronize physiology and behavior with environmental cycles such as the light-dark cycle. After menopause, when circulating levels of estrogens are very low, women are more susceptible to obesity comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, suggesting that estrogens regulate these processes. Estrogens could protect females from metabolic dysfunction by regulating circadian rhythms. Consumption of diets that are high in fat contribute to obesity. …