Physiology Commons^™

From Heart Beats To Health Recipes: The Role Of Fractal Physiology In The Ancestral Health Movement, Aaron P. Blaisdell, Brent Pottenger, John S. Torday

Journal of Evolution and Health

The human body—an amazing biological system that scales up fractally from its cellular building blocks—exhibits an incredible ability to self heal. Why then, are chronic diseases and degeneration on the rise in the population? Why are we sicker, more obese, and more depressed and stressed than ever before in human history? Why can’t we heal? The answers to these questions may lie in our ancestry, and modern departure from the human ecological niche. The ability to heal requires proper spatio-temporal inputs—nutrition, sleep, stress, activity, and socialization—in order for cellular signaling to occur properly across semi-permeable ...

Molecular Events In The Cell Types Of The Olfactory Epithelium During Adult Neurogenesis, Paula M. Heron, Arnold J. Stromberg, Patrick Breheny, Timothy S. Mcclintock

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Adult neurogenesis, fundamental for cellular homeostasis in the mammalian olfactory epithelium, requires major shifts in gene expression to produce mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) from multipotent progenitor cells. To understand these dynamic events requires identifying not only the genes involved but also the cell types that express each gene. Only then can the interrelationships of the encoded proteins reveal the sequences of molecular events that control the plasticity of the adult olfactory epithelium.

RESULTS: Of 4,057 differentially abundant mRNAs at 5 days after lesion-induced OSN replacement in adult mice, 2,334 were decreased mRNAs expressed by mature OSNs ...

Leica Microscope Gpu Deconvolution Stellaris Fish Dataset #1, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

McNamara 20131101Fri Leica widefield microscope CUDA Deconvolution Stellaris FISH probe cultured cells dataset #1.zip

A text file in the zip archive has experiment details. I am posting this online so that researchers - whether academic or commercial - can evaluate the acquired data, the Bruce and Butte 2013 Optics Express ( http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-21-4-4766 ) deconvolution result (note: I may not have used optimal settings), and to compare these deconvolution results to other methods. If anyone generates alternative spatial deconvolution output, such as from: * SVI Huygens * Media Cy AutoQuant * Agard's ER-Decon (Arigovindan 2013 PNAS) * Vicidomini SGP ...

Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse Improves 1.5 H Run Performance: Is There A Dose-Effect?, Benjamin F. Wright, Glen Davison

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 328-340, 2013. There is a substantial body of recent evidence showing ergogenic effects of carbohydrate (CHO) mouth rinsing on endurance performance. However, there is a lack of research on the dose-effect and the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different concentrations (6% and 12% weight/volume, w/v) on 90 minute treadmill running performance. Seven active males took part in one familiarization trial and three experimental trials (90-minute self-paced performance trials). Solutions (placebo, 6% or 12% CHO-electrolyte solution, CHO-E) were rinsed in the mouth at the beginning, and ...

The Influence Of Start Position, Initial Step Type, And Usage Of A Focal Point On Sprinting Performance, Jennifer L. Dysterheft, William J. Lewinski, Dawn A. Seefeldt, Robert W. Pettitt

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 320-327, 2013. For many athletes, sprinting acceleration is vital to sport performance. The purpose of this study was to observe the influences of starting position, type of initial step taken, and a focal point on sprinting velocity, stride length, and acceleration over a 9.1 m distance. Two trials of four conditions were video recorded in which subjects had no focal point (n = 10) or a lateral focal point (n ₌ 9). The four conditions were: forwards (control), backwards, 90° left (90°L), and 90° right (90°R). Lower velocities (p > 0.05) were ...

Evaluating Acute Changes In Joint Range-Of-Motion Using Self-Myofascial Release, Postural Alignment Exercises, And Static Stretches, Derek S. Roylance, James D. George, Adam M. Hammer, Nicole Rencher, Gilbert W. Fellingham, Ronald L. Hager, William J. Myrer

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 310-319, 2013. This study was designed to compare the acute effect of self-myofascial release (SMR), postural alignment exercises, and static stretching on joint range-of-motion. Our sample included 27 participants (n = 14 males and n = 13 females) who had below average joint range-of-motion (specifically a sit-and-reach score of 13.5 inches [34.3 cm] or less). All were university students 18–27 years randomly assigned to complete two 30–40-minute data collection sessions with each testing session consisting of three sit-and-reach measurements (which involved lumbar spinal flexion, hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion ...

Increasing The Distance Of An External Focus Of Attention Has Limited Effects On Standing Long Jump Performance, William Westphal, Jared M. Porter

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 300-309, 2013. Several previous studied have demonstrated that adopting an external focus of attention (i.e., directing attention towards the result of the movement) improves the performance of a variety of motor skills. The objective of this study was to investigate if increasing the distance of an external focus of attention would further improve standing long jump performance. We hypothesized that as the distance of the external focus increased so would jumping distance. We also hypothesized that when subjects completed jumps in the external focus of attention conditions they would jump significantly further ...

Biomechanical And Proprioceptive Differences During Drop Landings Between Dancers And Non-Dancers, Katie E. Volkerding, Caroline J. Ketcham Ph.D.

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 289-299, 2013. The focus of this research was to determine if female dancers have differing kinematic and kinetic characteristics when landing from three heights (0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 m) both with and without vision compared to non-dancers. It was hypothesized that dancers would show differing kinematic and kinetic patterns of control due to their increased proprioceptive awareness. Eight collegiate dancers and seven collegiate controls who were neither dancers nor collegiate jumping athletes volunteered for this study. Sagittal plane lower limb joint angles were measured at 100 Hz prior to landing ...

Upper Body Muscular Activation During Variations Of Push-Ups In Healthy Men, Caroline C. Allen, Katie A. Dean, Alan P. Jung, John K. Petrella

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 278-288, 2013. The purpose of this study was to assess neural activity for upper body musculature in college-age men during repetitions of a conventional pushup or a Perfect Pushup^TM. Eighteen healthy men (21.6±1 yr, 182.5±7 cm, 87.4±15 kg) completed five repetitions of a conventional pushup and Perfect Pushup^TM while using a wide hand base of support for the upper body. Body position, hand placement, and cadence of the pushup were standardized. Root mean square electromyography (RMS-EMG, mV/Sec) was collected for the triceps brachii (TB ...

Comparisons Between Swing Phase Characteristics Of Race Walkers And Distance Runners, Laura C. Smith, Brian Hanley

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 269-277, 2013. The aim of this study was to analyze swing characteristics during race walking and to compare these with distance running. The rules of race walking demand that no visible flight time should occur and the stance leg must be straightened from initial contact to midstance. Previous research has not examined whether these rules also have an effect on swing and what consequences might arise. Ten male race walkers and ten male distance runners walked or ran respectively on an instrumented treadmill for 10 km with two in-dwelling force plates. Trials lasted ...

Attitudes Toward And Preferences For Male And Female Personal Trainers, James P. Fisher, Catherine Platts, Marie Stopforth

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 256-268, 2013. Previous research has considered the perceptions of athletes towards gender of coach and strength and conditioning coach. However, to date there appears little research considering the perceptions of clients towards gender of personal trainer. The purpose of this study was to investigate male and females perceptions of same- or opposite-gender personal trainers. Four hundred and two (male = 201, female = 201) undergraduate University student participants completed an adapted version of the Attitudes of Athletes toward Male versus Female Coaches Questionnaire (AAMFC-Q; 23). A 2 x 2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed ...

Social Decision-Making In A Group Living Cichlid Fish, Adam R. Reddon

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

For my doctoral research I examined social decision-making in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher with a focus on affiliation and aggression. I investigated the role that the nonapeptide hormone, isotocin, plays in modulating social decisions in these contexts. I show that N. pulcher males prefer to join larger groups regardless of the rank at which they will join, whereas females prefer larger groups only when they can join a group in a high rank (Chapter 2). I examined decision-making during resource contests in (Chapter 3) and found that N. pulcher are sensitive to the size of their opponents ...

Transport Of H+, Na+ And K+ Across The Posterior Midgut Of Blood-Fed Mosquitoes (Aedes Aegypti), Evan K. Pacey

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Mosquitoes pose significant threats to human health because they act as vectors for disease causing viruses and protozoans. Indeed, Aedes aegypti is known as the Yellow Fever Mosquito because of its role as a vector for viral infections that kill thousands of people each year. A more thorough understanding of mosquito physiology will aid development of novel control strategies. Previous work on ion transport across the midgut has been focused primarily on larval A. aegypti, while research on the midgut of the adult stage is less complete. The posterior midgut of the adult female is of particular interest because it ...

An Exploration Of Female Reproductive Plasticity In The Context Of Strange Male Exposure And Stress In Mice (Mus Musculus), Joelle B. Thorpe

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Females experience reproductive plasticity in several situations. Under stress, females can experience implantation failure. In the presence of unfamiliar males, females can also experience implantation failure (Bruce effect), or hastened sexual maturation (Vandenbergh effect). Sexual maturation and implantation failure are also induced by 17β-estradiol (E₂). Male mice excrete E₂ in their urine; furthermore, stress can increase endogenous E₂ in females. Accordingly, I explored the role of male urinary E₂ in the Bruce and Vandenbergh effects, and examined E₂ and progesterone (P₄) during stress-induced implantation failure in mice. I showed that a male mouse’s ...

Metabolic Adaptation To High-Intensity Exercise: Manipulation Of Training Stimulus And Nutritional Support, Andrew J.R. Cochran

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

This thesis investigated the acute and chronic responses of human skeletal muscle to high-intensity exercise, with a particular focus on markers of mitochondrial content, and the potential for nutrition to manipulate the adaptive response in recreationally active individuals. The acute response was primarily assessed via measurement of signalling proteins and mRNA species linked to exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis. The chronic response was determined via changes in the protein content or maximal activities of mitochondrial enzymes after training. Study 1 examined whether the manner in which a given amount of high-intensity cycling work was performed (i.e., in an intermittent or continuous ...

Incorporating Physical Activity Into The Rehabilitation Process After Spinal Cord Injury, Chelsea A. Pelletier

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

It is well established that physical activity can improve aspects of physical fitness in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite reports of declining health and fitness post-discharge from rehabilitation, there is a limited amount of research exploring exercise status or interventions during this period. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the integration of structured exercise into the rehabilitation process following SCI, and to optimize the exercise prescription in the community setting. Findings from the first study indicated that exercise is well tolerated among individuals with sub-acute SCI; performance of a peak exercise test on an arm ergometer ...

Welcome To The Journal Of Evolution And Health, Aaron Blaisdell, Paul Jaminet, David C. Pendergrass

Journal of Evolution and Health

Welcome to the first issue of the Journal of Evolution and Health! The Journal of Evolution and Health is the peer-reviewed, open-access journal of the Ancestral Health Society, a community of scientists, healthcare professionals, and laypersons who collaborate to understand health challenges from an evolutionary perspective.

Expression Analysis Of Histone Acetyltransferases In Rice Under Drought Stress, Hui Fang

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Histone acetylation is one of the vital reversible modifications in eukaryotes. Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) maintain the homeostasis of histone acetylation. HATs are associated with genome-wide transcriptional activation and various biological processes in response to various stresses. Drought stress causes a range of physiological and biochemical responses in plants. Eight HATs which belong to four different families (CBP, GNAT, MYST, and TAFII250 family) have been identified in rice. In this research, four OsHATs, one from each family, were chosen based on in silico domain and promoter analysis. The real-time qPCR analysis demonstrated that drought stress caused a ...

The -9/+9 Polymorphism Of The Bradykinin Receptor Beta 2 Gene And Athlete Status: A Study Involving Two European Cohorts., Marek Sawczuk, Yevgeniya I. Timshina, Irina V. Astratenkova, Agnieszka Maciejewska-Karłowska, Agata Leońska-Duniec, Krzysztof Ficek, Leysan J. Mustafina, Paweł Cięszczyk, Tomasz Klocek, Ildus I. Ahmetov

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Background: Previous studies concerning the relevance of the BDKRB2 gene polymorphisms revealed that the absence (–9 allele) of a 9 base pair sequence in exon 1 of the BDKRB2 gene is correlated with higher skeletal muscle metabolic efficiency, glucose uptake during exercise, as well as endurance athletic performance. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the BDKRB2 -9/+9 polymorphism and elite athletic status in two cohorts of east-European athletes. Therefore, we examined the genotype distribution of the BDKRB2 9/+9 polymorphic site in a group of Polish athletes and confirmed the results obtained in ...

Averting Uncertainty: A Practical Guide To Physical Activity Research In Australian Schools, Jerome N. Rachele, Thomas F. Cuddihy, Tracy L. Washington, Steven M. Mcphail

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Preventative health has become central to contemporary health care, identifying youth physical activity as a key factor in determining health and functioning. Schools offer a unique research setting due to distinctive methodological circumstances. However, school-based researchers face several obstacles in their endeavour to complete successful research investigations; often confronted with complex research designs and methodological procedures that are not easily amenable to school contexts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical guide for teachers (both teacher educators and teaching practitioners) seeking to conduct physical activity-based research in Australian school settings, as well as discuss research practices. The ...