Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Deficient Dietary Folic Acid And Systemic Dsp-4 Induced Locus Coeruleus Loss Assessed As Neurodegenerative Cognitive Model In Adult Cb57/J6 Mice, Gabriel Kong, Aristotle Zeng, Theo Helm, Simon Khorani, Rohan Rampal, Smayana Kurapati, Riva Ranier, Aidan Schmidt, Maximilian Doane, David B. Green Phd, Susan E. Helm Phd

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

DEFICIENT DIETARY FOLIC ACID AND SYSTEMIC DSP-4 INDUCED LOCUS COERULEUS LOSS ASSESSED AS NEURODEGENERATIVE COGNITIVE MODEL IN ADULT CB57/J6 MICE Gabriel Kong, C. Foster Graf, Aristotle Zeng, Theodore Helm, Simon Khorani, Rohan Rample, Smayana Kurapati, Riva Rainier, Aidan Schmidt, Maximilian Doane, David B. Green, and Susan E. Helm Chemistry and Nutritional Science, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California

Dietary deficiency of folic acid (FA) shortened nerve lengths as much as 50% in hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Locus coeruleus (LC) is largest noradrenergic nucleus in central nervous system with neurogenic projections widely dispersed in the brain and, notably, a major norepinephrine source in …

Suicidality Among College Students From 2000 To 2022: Findings From The National College Health Assessment, Jackson Gieger, Khanh Bui Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

With suicide being the second leading cause of death for college students, research concerning suicidality is imperative. The National College Health Assessment (NCHA), conducted by the American College Health Association (ACHA) each spring and fall semester since 2000, asks questions regarding suicide ideation and suicide attempts. There have been three versions of NCHA: NCHA-I (spring 2000 - spring 2008), NCHA-II (fall 2008 - spring 2019), and NCHA-III (fall 2019 - present). The analysis of NCHA-I and NCHA-II was limited due to the wording of the questions being different in the fall and spring. This leads to difficulty in comparing data …

The Effects Of Acute Beetroot Juice Ingestion On Upper And Lower Body Muscular Power During Weightlifting Exercise In Men, Grant Weiderman, Chandler Riley, Joanna Powell, Katie Price, Lauren Wideen, Andrew Fest, Justin Kim, Maya Hammer, Sean Karl, Isabella Lincoln, Noelle Seekamp-Hicks, Joshua Leow, Maddy Espinoza, Adam Pennell, Rachel Tan

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BR) supplementation improves movements with high-velocity and high-power muscle contractions which may be due to enhanced blood flow, oxygenation and contractile function in type II muscle fibers. The literature has focused predominantly on the effects of BR supplementation running and cycling performance, but its efficacy in resistance exercise, a modality that relies on type II muscle fibers, has limited data. Furthermore, it is unknown how supplementation strategies impact the physiological and ergogenic effects of BR during exercise. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess whether single or multi-day nitrate ingestion will improve performance and muscle …

The Effect Of Co-Ingesting Beetroot Juice And Vitamin C On Blood Pressure In Hispanic Women: A Literature Review And A Proposal, Mikela De La Flor, Maya Hammer, Noelle Seekamp-Hicks, Rachel Tan

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Dietary nitrate supplementation is known for improving blood pressure through vasodilation and may favorably alter oral microbial populations related to cardiovascular health. Co-ingestion with vitamin C (VITC) may further potentiate these benefits but this remains unexplored. Additionally, this field has yet to examine the influence of sex and ethnicity, which is important given that physiological differences exist between populations. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of combining dietary nitrate, in the form of beetroot juice, and VITC on blood pressure and the oral microbiome in women of Hispanic, African American, and American descent across multiple institutions. …

Developing A Dental Trauma-Anxiety Measure Comparing U.S. And International Care, Margaret Tajirian

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Background

The aim of this study was to improve upon the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) by developing the empathy-based International-Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (I-MDAS). This measure was produced and utilized to compare the dental experiences and anxiety levels of international patients versus national patients in the United States.

Methods

The I-MDAS is composed of the International scale and the original MDAS scale. Of 465 participants, 41.3% comprised the national population and 58.7% comprised the international population. Information about demographics, past negative dental experiences, and current dental anxiety was collected.

Results

There was no significant difference in dental anxiety levels …

Pomegranate Extract Supplementation On Neuromuscular Performance During Resistance Exercise, Katie Price, Joanna Powell, Matthew Joyner, Adam Pennell, Rachel Tan

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Dietary nitrate supplementation has been shown to improve skeletal muscle function during high-velocity and high-power contractions due to its high nitrate levels; however, there is limited data examining its potential in exercise requiring these movements, such as resistance exercise. Nitrate supplementation has been studied extensively as beetroot juice, but its poor taste severely limits its application. Pomegranate extract (POM) may be an alternative nitrate source due to its superior taste, high nitrate content, and additional antioxidants but has yet to be explored. The purpose of the present study is two-fold: 1) to determine the nitrate concentration in POM; and 2) …

The Effects Of Acute Beetroot Juice Ingestion On Upper And Lower Body Muscular Power During Weightlifting Exercise In Men., Sean Karl, Isabella Lincoln, Joanna Powell, Grant Weiderman, Katie Price, Lauren Wideen, Andrew Fest, Justin Kim, Maya Hammer, Noelle Seekamp-Hicks, Joshua Leow, Maddy Espinoza, Adam Pennell, Rachel Tan

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Dietary nitrate supplementation, administered per beetroot juice (BR), has been shown to enhance performance while cycling and running. BR has enhanced skeletal muscle contraction and blood flow within type II fibers which are recruited during high-velocity and high-power contractions. However, it is unknown whether BR influences alternative forms of exercise, such as resistance exercise. The purpose of this study is to assess whether BR supplementation influences neuromuscular performance (muscle power and speed), and repetitions-to-failure in healthy, recreationally active men. In a double-blind, randomized crossover design, 14 males will be recruited to complete two 4-day supplementation periods in which they consume …

Isolation Of Oral Bacterial Dna For 16s Rrna Sequencing To Determine Nitrate-Sensitive Oral Microbiota Following Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation, Luka Sharabidze, Leah Stiemsma, Courtney Merrill, Chandler Riley, Maya Hammer, Ryan Kenney, Alyssa Riley, Katie Price, Adam Pennell, Rachel Tan

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Dietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation, provided as beetroot juice, improves cardiovascular, cognitive, and contractile function by augmenting nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis; however, the specific taxa responsible, and whether NO3- ingestion can promote a favorable microbial composition to produce NO is yet to be established. To determine whether acute NO3- supplementation is associated with specific microbial taxa in females, 15 healthy adult females consumed an acute dose of NO3--depleted beetroot juice (PL) and NO3--rich beetroot juice (BR). Bacterial DNA from the buccal cells were isolated for subsequent 16s DNA sequencing for preserved regions in their 16s rRNA gene. Concentrations were assessed with …

Decline In Amphibian Health In Local Stream, Elyse Vetter, Elise Dearment, Colton Russell, Audrey Fontes, Lee Kats

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Many local streams of the Santa Monica Mountains are populated by the native California Newt, Taricha torosa, a species of special concern. Arroyo Sequit is one of these streams, the upper and lower portions of which are split by a culvert and the Mulholland Highway. This stream and the surrounding areas burned during the Woolsey fire of 2018. Since the fire, construction has been ongoing in and around the stream. Two years post-fire (during the summer of 2020) significantly more newts were found in the stream than years prior. A large proportion of these newts were unhealthy in appearance, …

The Influence Of Carbohydrate Ingestion On Peripheral And Central Fatigue During Exercise In Hypoxia: A Narrative Review, Erin Sinai

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Abstract

Hypoxia impairs aerobic performance by accelerating fatiguing processes. These processes may originate from sites either distal (peripheral) or proximal (central) to the neuromuscular junction, though these are not mutually exclusive. Peripheral mechanisms include decrements in muscle glycogen or fluctuations in intramuscular metabolites, whereas central responses commonly refer to reductions in central motor drive elicited by alterations in blood glucose and neurotransmitter concentrations as well as arterial hypoxemia. Hypoxia may accelerate both peripheral and central pathways of fatigue, with the level of hypoxia strongly dictating the degree and primary locus of impairment. As more people journey to hypoxic settings for …

Arterial Distribution Of The Human Aorta: An Examination Of The Evolutionary, Developmental, And Physiological Bases Of Asymmetry., Brandon Oddo, Cooker Storm

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The study of anatomy contends that “form follows function”; a disciplinary theme purporting that anatomical structures (i.e., cells, tissues, and organs) have a shape that serves its proper function. With this in mind, it is unclear why human arterial distribution off the aortic arch is asymmetrical, while the corresponding venous anatomy is symmetrical. We investigated the evolutionary, developmental, and physiological bases for the asymmetry of aortic arch branches in humans. First, we investigated the cardiovascular anatomy of ancestral species to determine if, and at what level, anatomical divergence (from aortic symmetry to asymmetry) occurs. Second, we examined the formation of …

Examining A Relationship Between Chronic Dietary Folic Acid Deficiency And Activation Of P53 Gene In Down Syndrome Ts65dn Mice, Julia Thomas, Susan E. Helm Phd, Jay Brewster

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Seaver Undergraduate Research

The Effects Of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation As An Ergogenic Aid On Ncaa Division Female Soccer Players, Hannah Cooper, Susan E. Helm Phd

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Undergraduate Research

The Effect Of Nitrate On The Release Of Glucose Into The Hemolymph Of Crayfish, Procambarus Clarkii, Alec R. Flores, Lee Kats, David Green, Gary Bucciarelli

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Pollutants can change the behaviors of invertebrate stream animals. The level of one common pollutant, nitrate (NO3), has been rising in many local rivers and streams throughout the United States due to increases in anthropogenic sources. Nitrate, heavily regulated for its toxic effects to human health, namely the aiding in the development of cancer, also dangerously affects aquatic species by converting oxygen-carrying pigments to forms that are incapable of carrying oxygen. To understand the stress effects of ambient nitrate exposure on P. clarkii, we collected hemolymph samples from red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) over a 48-hour period after exposure to …

Comparison Of Downstream Cell Survival Responses In Huvecs And Hlecs During Vegf Signaling, Haley Smith

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Comparison of Downstream Cell Survival Responses in HUVECs and HLECs During VEGF Signaling

Author: Haley M. Smith

Mentor: Thomas L. Vandergon

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are vital processes that allow the formation of new blood and lymph vessels from existing blood or lymph vessels. Formation of these vessels is essential to bring oxygen and nutrients to the body as well as maintaining tissue fluid balance. New blood or lymph vessel growth occurs in response to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) signaling to vascular endothelial cells. The VEGF signal molecules bind to cell surface receptors and elicit a variety of responses including …

Flow-Induced Dilation Of Skeletal Muscle Feed Arteries: Relevance To Exercise Hyperemia, Brittni N. Moore, Jeffrey J. Jasperse Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

During exercise, an increase in blood flow to working skeletal muscle is necessary in order to sustain activity for longer than a few seconds. This is accomplished by the dilation of arteries and arterioles feeding the muscle. Arterioles, located within contracting muscle, are exposed to dilatory metabolites released by the muscle; however, the mechanism by which feed arteries dilate is still unknown, since they are located external to the muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine if flow-induced dilation (resulting from shear stress on endothelial cells) contributes to exercise hyperemia in rat extensor digitorum longus and gastrocnemius muscle …

Cardiovascular Health Among Us And Argentine University Students: A Comparative Study Of Behaviors And Risk Factors, Gina Fitzgerald, Gabriella Smith

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Cardiovascular disease for some time has been the leading cause of death in the Western world. Primary prevention is the only way to halt the onset of cardiovascular disease, yet there is little information on the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adults. This study seeks to evaluate students from the Catholic University of Argentina and Pepperdine University of America for the prevalence of CVD risk factors, as well as knowledge of CVD and daily habits that contribute to heart health. Thus we compared two cultures with very different lifestyles and prevalence of risk factors. We hypothesized …

The Effect Of Shear Stress, Potassium, And Adenosine On Α-1 Adrenergic Vasoconstriction Of Rat Soleus Feed Arteries, Tanner J. Heckle

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

During exercise, sympathetic nerve activity increases, augmenting the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) at the arterial wall and into the blood. NE binds to arterial adrenergic receptors to cause vasoconstriction, yet arteries in contracting skeletal muscle dilate during exercise. Previous evidence from Ives et al. suggests that heat and acidosis may partially inhibit constriction resulting from α-1 adrenergic receptors (termed sympatholysis). Our lab has previously demonstrated that rat soleus feed arteries respond to sympathetic signaling solely by α-1 adrenoceptors. We hypothesized that increased levels of arterial wall shear stress, potassium, or adenosine also contribute to sympatholysis, thereby reducing sympathetic …