Digital Commons Network^™

How Does Direct Volunteering Affect The Onset Of Alzheimer’S Dementia In Elderly Patients With Preexisting Cardiac Comorbidities?, Sneha R. Gade

UROP Posters

Alzheimer's Dementia is a disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. The Alzheimer's Association reported Alzheimer's as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and a cure does not exist. Donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor drug, is frequently prescribed to treat Alzheimer's disease. Still, patients must continuously take the medication for years to receive any measurable improvement in quality of life after developing Alzheimer's Dementia. Further, research shows prolonged use of Donepezil can lead to other health problems, such as QTc prolongation, for cardiac disease patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of non-drug interventions, such as volunteering to prevent the disease's …

Reliability And Validity Of Three Clinical Methods To Measure Lower Extremity Muscle Power, Mattie E. Pontiff, Li Li, Noelle G. Moreau

Health Sciences & Kinesiology: Faculty Publications

Background: Lower extremity muscle power is critical for daily activities and athletic performance in clinical populations. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of 3 clinically feasible methods to measure lower extremity muscle power during a leg press. Methods: Ten of 26 subjects performed 2 sessions of 5 submaximal leg presses separated by 3-7 days in this repeated-measures cross-sectional design; the remaining performed 1 test session. Power was calculated independently for each method [simple video, linear position transducer, and accelerometer] and compared to the reference force plate. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation …

Immunoglobulins And Acute Phase Proteins In Van Cats - Associations With Sex, Age, Andeye Colour, Pinar Coşkun, Vahdetti̇n Altunok, Fi̇li̇z Kazak, Nazmi̇ Yüksek

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

It was aimed to determine concentrations of plasma immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) and acute phase proteins (?-1 acid glycoprotein, serum amyloid A, ceruloplasmin) and the association of these parameters with age, sex, and eye colour in Van cats. Blood plasma of healthy, forty-seven Van cats (Van Cat Home) fed with standard cat food were involved in the study. Cats were divided into four groups based on age ( 5) and eye colour (amber-amber, amber-blue, blue-amber, and blue-blue eyes described from left to right), and two groups based on sex (male and female). Plasma IgG, IgA, IgM, ?-1 acid glycoprotein, serum …

The Validation Of Predicted Biological Age Of Drosophila Melanogaster From Combined Statistical Modeling, Lauren Francis

Masters Theses

"Sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind and is associated with aging and aging related diseases. There are individual differences in fly as well as human sleep behavior and lifespan. Between and within individuals, sleep varies in characteristics including consolidation, rhythmicity, continuity, duration, and more. Various evidence in the literature suggests there are many molecular pathways involved with aging and they may be different for individuals. Our research is interested in a possible restorative mechanism of sleep and the ramifications of that mechanism to aging. We have developed two predictive models of aging using the fruit fly …

Therapeutic Potential Of Mitophagy-Inducing Microflora Metabolite, Urolithin A For Alzheimer’S Disease, Dona Pamoda W. Jayatunga, Eugene Hone, Harjot Khaira, Taciana Lunelli, Harjinder Singh, Gilles J. Guillemin, Binosha Fernando, Manohar L. Garg, Giuseppe Verdile, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mitochondrial dysfunction including deficits of mitophagy is seen in aging and neuro-degenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Apart from traditionally targeting amyloid beta (Aβ), the main culprit in AD brains, other approaches include investigating impaired mitochondrial pathways for potential therapeutic benefits against AD. Thus, a future therapy for AD may focus on novel candidates that enhance optimal mitochondrial integrity and turnover. Bi-oactive food components, known as nutraceuticals, may serve as such agents to combat AD. Uro-lithin A is an intestinal microbe-derived metabolite of a class of polyphenols, ellagitannins (ETs). Urolithin A is known to exert many health benefits. Its antioxidant, …

Hypogonadism Induced By Surgical Stress And Brain Trauma Is Reversed By Human Chorionic Gonadotropin In Male Rats: A Potential Therapy For Surgical And Tbi-Induced Hypogonadism?, Rastafa I. Geddes, Amita Kapoor, Kentaro Hayashi, Ryan Rauh, Marlyse Wehber, Quinn Bongers, Alex D. Jansen, Icelle M. Anderson, Gabrielle Farquhar, Sivan Vadakkadath-Meethal, Toni E. Ziegler, Craig S. Atwood

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) is an almost universal, yet underappreciated, endocrinological complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goal of this study was to determine whether the developmental hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment could reverse HH induced by a TBI. Methods: Plasma samples were collected at post-surgery/post-injury (PSD/PID) days -10, 1, 11, 19 and 29 from male Sprague-Dawley rats (5- to 6-month-old) that had undergone a Sham surgery (craniectomy alone) or CCI injury (craniectomy + bilateral moderate-to-severe CCI injury) and treatment with saline or hCG (400 IU/kg; i.m.) every other day. Results: Both Sham and CCI injury significantly decreased …

Reconstructability Analysis Of The Predictors Of Physical Functioning Status In Older Americans By Race And Ethnicity, Amanuel Melekin, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper demonstrates the use of reconstructability analysis to examine race/ethnic differences in physical functioning status among older Americans. Reconstructability analysis is an information theory and graph theory method which has been successfully used in multivariate data modeling. The health and retirement study data from 2004 are used for this demonstration. Out of eighteen independent variables included, seven variables appeared in the best models selected. Uncertainty reductions in physical functioning status were substantial across the models but the magnitudes and predictive variables varied slightly by race/ethnicity. Examination of the model probability distributions indicated that composite independent variable states of overlapping …

Wingate Muscular Power Test Reference Values For Active Healthy Adults Ages 19-29: Normative Data And Differences Between Sex, Levi Basist

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Wingate Muscular Power Test (WMPT) has existed for several decades and to this day is considered the gold standard for evaluating an individual’s muscular power. However, the utility of this test is predicated on having accurate and relevant normative data with which to compare individual results. At present, the existing literature on this subject is either several decades old and/or inclusive of only specific subject groups (i.e. men only or sport-specific athletes). This study presents WMPT normative values for active healthy adults ages 19-29, separated by sex. The sample consisted of 330 active healthy volunteers (186 men and 144 …

Brain Α-Tocopherol Concentration Is Inversely Associated With Neurofibrillary Tangle Counts In Brain Regions Affected In Earlier Braak Stages: A Cross-Sectional Finding In The Oldest Old, J. Tanprasertsuk, T.M. Scott, M.A. Johnson, L.W. Poon, P.T. Nelson, A. Davey, J.L. Woodard, R. Vishwanathan, A.K. Barbey, K. Barger, X.-D. Wang, E.J. Johnson

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Higher vitamin E status has been associated with lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, evidence of the association of vitamin E concentration in neural tissue with AD pathologies is limited. Design: The cross-sectional relationship between the human brain concentrations of α- and γ-tocopherol and the severity of AD pathologies – neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) and neuritic plaque (NP) – was investigated. Setting & Participants: Brains from 43 centenarians (≥ 98 years at death) enrolled in the Phase III of the Georgia Centenarian Study were collected at autopsy. Measurements: Brain α- and γ-tocopherol concentrations (previously reported) …

Dietary Regulation Of Successful Aging, Aubree L. Hawley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current growth of the older population is unprecedented in U.S. history. Chronic disease and functional limitation commonly develop prior to old age, leading to prolonged physical disability and decreased well-being. The development of chronic disease and loss of independence is associated with lean body mass (LBM) loss and fat mass gain beginning in middle age. Therefore, it is important to identify modifiable factors to mitigate deleterious shifts in body composition to promote successful aging (SA). The concept of SA is associated with longevity, the absence of disease and disability, and subjective components of well-being, however, an operational definition has …

Block Periodization Programming: Efficacy In Subjects Of Differing Strength Levels, Paul Moquin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physiological muscle adaptations due to resistance training are still not fully known. The rate and area of hypertrophy could drastically help or hinder athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in lean body mass (and related factors), relative allometrically scaled strength and absolute strength through an 11-week block periodized resistance training program. The subjects (n = 15) realized an increase in total body water (pre = 49.77Kg; post = 51.70Kg), lean body mass (pre = 67.98Kg; post = 70.63Kg), adjusted lean body mass (pre = 20.35Kg; post = 21.03Kg) and cross sectional area (pre = …

The Effects Of Passive Hallux Adduction On Posterior Tibial Artery Blood Flow Compared To The Lateral Plantar Artery, Jaysen Alani Hatch

Theses and Dissertations

Passive hallux adduction has been shown to decrease blood flow in the lateral plantar artery (LPA) in a non-weight-bearing condition. Further research in weight-bearing and shod conditions is necessary to explore relationships between altered blood flow and injury or tissue healing. However, measuring blood flow in a shod foot would require an alternate measurement location to accommodate footwear, such as the more proximal posterior tibial artery (PTA). PURPOSE: To determine changes in blood flow in the PTA and LPA subsequent to passive hallux adduction and to compare the observed changes between the two arteries. Second, to determine if measurement at …

Serving Homebound Seniors: In-Home Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Enrollment And Fresh Fruit And Vegetable Home Delivery For Homebound Seniors In Central New Jersey, Mehreen S. Ismail, Cara L. Cuite

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Low-income, homebound seniors may encounter affordability and accessibility-related barriers to consuming enough fresh fruits and vegetables (FV). This paper describes a two-stage pilot intervention to improve fresh FV affordability and access for home-delivered meal (HDM) program clients in Central New Jersey. The first stage of the intervention offered in-home Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) enrollment assistance to low-income HDM program clients, with 13 clients successfully enrolling in SFMNP. The second stage of the intervention offered fresh FV home deliveries to all 64 HDM program clients at no cost to clients. We sourced fresh FV from a farmers’ market run …

Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio: A Biomarker To Monitor The Immune Status Of Astronauts, Amber M. Paul, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Egle Cekanaviciute, Ann-Sofie Schreurs, Candice G.T. Tahimic, Ruth K. Globus, Sulekha Anand, Brian E. Crucian, Sharmila Bhattacharya

Publications

A comprehensive understanding of spaceflight factors involved in immune dysfunction and the evaluation of biomarkers to assess in-flight astronaut health are essential goals for NASA. An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a potential biomarker candidate, as leukocyte differentials are altered during spaceflight. In the reduced gravity environment of space, rodents and astronauts displayed elevated NLR and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratios (GLR), respectively. To simulate microgravity using two well-established ground-based models, we cultured human whole blood-leukocytes in high-aspect rotating wall vessels (HARV-RWV) and used hindlimb unloaded (HU) mice. Both HARV-RWV simulation of leukocytes and HU-exposed mice showed elevated NLR profiles comparable to spaceflight …

Gait Complexity Is Acutely Restored In Older Adults When Walking To A Fractal-Like Visual Stimulus, Joao R. Vaz, Brian Knarr, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Typically, gait rehabilitation uses an invariant stimulus paradigm to improve gait related deficiencies. However, this approach may not be optimal as it does not incorporate gait complexity, or in more precise words, the variable fractal-like nature found in the gait fluctuations commonly observed in healthy populations. Aging which also affects gait complexity, resulting in a loss of adaptability to the surrounding environment, could benefit from gait rehabilitation that incorporates a variable fractal-like stimulus paradigm. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of a variable fractal-like visual stimulus on the stride-to-stride fluctuations of older adults during overground walking. Additionally, …

Metformin's Potential As A Form Of Anti-Aging Therapy, Heba Kourhabi, Erica E. Hassoun, Dae-Sung Hwangbo

Undergraduate Research Events

● Metformin is an oral medication used to treat Type II Diabetes and is the first line drug for treatment.

● Metformin is the fourth most prescribed medication in the United States and has been prescribed to over 78 million patients since 2017

● Metformin increases glucose uptake of cells and decreases hepatic glucose production, leading to lower blood glucose levels

● Metformin may help prevent cancer, improve cardiovascular health, and protect against inflammation, therefore focus has been directed on its potential to be an anti aging drug

Strength Of Plantar- And Dorsiflexors Mediates Step Regularity During A High Cognitive Load Situation In A Cross-Sectional Cohort Of Older And Younger Adults, Farahnaz Fallah Tafti, Kristen Watson, Julie Blaskewicz Boron, Sara A. Myers, Kendra K. Schmid, Jennifer M. Yentes

Journal Articles

Background and Purpose:

Completing simultaneous tasks while standing or walking (ie, a high cognitive load situation [HCLS]) is inevitable in daily activities and can lead to interference in task performances. Age-related physical and cognitive changes may confound performance variability during HCLS in older and younger adults. Identification of these confounding effects may reveal therapy targets to maintain optimal physical function later in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing the difficulty levels of an additional motor task and restricting visual information, on gait parameters in younger and older adults while considering the effect of …

The Association Between Medication Use And Gait In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, S. Maas, D. A.M. Festen, Thessa I.M. Hilgenkamp, A. Oppewal

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) often have polypharmacy and often use antipsychotics. Both polypharmacy and antipsychotics have a negative effect on gait in the general population, but this has not been studied in adults with ID. These negative effects may add to pre‐existing gait disturbances in adults with ID and increase the risk for adverse health outcomes in this population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the difference in gait parameters between adults with ID with and without polypharmacy and between adults with ID using and not using antipsychotics. Method: The gait parameters of 31 participants …

Effects Of A Four-Week Core Stability Exercise On Functional Movement And Balance In People With Mild Lower-Limb Discomfort, Jiyeon Kim, Joungbo Ko, Jongil Lim, Hyejung Choi, Kyoungho Seo, Sukho Lee

Kinesiology Faculty Publications (Archived)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a short-term core stability exercise on functional movement and balance in people with mild lower-limb discomfort. Twenty people with mild lower-limb discomfort were randomly assigned to control (CG) and core stability exercise training groups (SG, n=10 each). The SG completed twenty 30-min training sessions consisting of Pilates exercises for four weeks. Functional movement, balance, and discomfort level were assessed before and after core stability exercise, using a functional movement test, balance test and visual analogue scale (VAS), respectively. A mixed ANOVA with repeated measures was performed to determine the differences. SG demonstrated …

Integrative Dance For Adults With Down Syndrome: Effects On Postural Stability, Sarah E. Dipasquale, Benjamin Canter, Mary Roberts

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 1317-1325, 2020. Postural stability, one’s ability to maintain an upright stable position, is a crucial aspect of functional mobility and independent living. The purpose of this study was to examine if integrative dance classes have the potential to improve the postural stability in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Utilizing a one group design, seven participants with DS were evaluated before and after a 12-week integrative dance class (ClinicalTrials.gov#NCT03660423). Postural stability was evaluated in uni- and bilateral quiet standing using a Wii Balance Board. Stability levels were measured based on changes in center of pressure …

Thiamine Deficiency Causes Long-Lasting Neurobehavioral Deficits In Mice, Hui Li, Hong Xu, Wen Wen, Liying Wu, Mei Xu, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Thiamine deficiency (TD) has detrimental effects on brain health and neurobehavioral development, and it is associated with many aging-related neurological disorders. To facilitate TD-related neuropsychological studies, we generated a TD mouse model by feeding a thiamine-deficient diet for 30 days, followed by re-feeding the control diet for either one week or 16 weeks as recovery treatment. We then performed neurobehavioral tests in these two cohorts: cohort of one week post TD treatment (1 wk-PTDT) and 16 weeks post TD treatment (16 wks-PTDT). The TD mice showed no significant difference from control in any tests in the 1 wk-PTDT cohort at …

Microrna Gene Expression States Underlying Individual Variation In Aging And Lifespan In Isogenic C. Elegans, Holly Kinser

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Average lifespan differs greatly between species, but lifespan among same-species individuals is also highly variable. While much effort has been devoted to uncovering longevity-associated traits and lifespan-extending perturbations in humans and model organisms, how differences in lifespan arise between individuals is unknown. Studies of human identical twins demonstrate that surprisingly little of the variation in lifespan between individuals can be explained by genetics and shared environment. Furthermore, even genetically identical C. elegans reared in highly homogeneous environments display a degree of variability in lifespan similar to that of outbred human populations. Thus, longevity must be determined at least in part …

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Sleep Quality In Adults With Primary Hypertension And Obesity Before And After An Aerobic Exercise Program: Exerdiet-Hta Study, Aitor Martinez Aguirre-Betolaza, Iñigo Mujika, Paul Loprinzi, Pablo Corres, Ilargi Gorostegi-Anduaga, Sara Maldonado-Martín

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: The purposes of the study were to: analyze, by objective (accelerometry) and subjective (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ) methodologies, the physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in healthy adults (HEALTHY, n = 30) and individuals with primary hypertension (HTN) and overweight/obesity (n = 218); assess the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention on physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep quality in the HTN group; and evaluate the relationship between objectively measured and subjectively reported PA and SB. Methods: The measurements were performed before a 16-week exercise intervention …

Effects Of Flywheel Resistance Training On Muscle Function And Sport-Specific Performance In Collegiate Club Water Polo Players, Jennifer Xu

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Flywheel training has been shown to be beneficial for improving a multitude of muscle function and performance parameters, but its short-term training effects on athletic performance have yet to be established. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of four weeks of flywheel squat training on lower body muscle function adaptations and sport-specific performance in collegiate club water polo players. METHODS: Thirteen men and women who participated in collegiate club water polo performed flywheel squat training twice a week for four weeks. Isokinetic knee extension peak power (PP) and peak torque (PT), flywheel squat peak power (FPP) and mean power (FMP), countermovement …

Does Devotion To God Push You Away From Science?: Using Religiosity To Assessing The Impact Of The Religion/Science Conflict Perspective On The Choice Of Academic Major Among Undergraduate Students At A Religious Institution, Jonathan Shephard, Tron Wilder, Aaron Corbit

Capstone Research Projects

Religion and science are often perceived to be in conflict. Science is thought to deal with facts and evidence while religion is thought to deal only with faith. This conflict perspective is pervasive in modern society and can manifest itself in many ways. One way it may exert its influence is in the academic decisions made by college students. Students who are less religious may be more likely to choose science majors while those who are more religious may avoid science majors. While research does support this hypothesis in a broad sense, there may be special cases where the impact …

Genetic And Metabolomic Architecture Of Variation In Diet Restriction-Mediated Lifespan Extension In Drosophila., Kelly Jin, Kenneth A. Wilson, Jennifer N. Beck, Christopher S. Nelson, George W. Brownridge Iii, Benjamin R. Harrison, Danijel Djukovic, Daniel Raftery, Rachel B. Brem, Shiqing Yu, Mathias Drton, Ali Shojaie, Pankaj Kapahi, Daniel Promislow

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Student Professional Publications

In most organisms, dietary restriction (DR) increases lifespan. However, several studies have found that genotypes within the same species vary widely in how they respond to DR. To explore the mechanisms underlying this variation, we exposed 178 inbred Drosophila melanogaster lines to a DR or ad libitum (AL) diet, and measured a panel of 105 metabolites under both diets. Twenty four out of 105 metabolites were associated with the magnitude of the lifespan response. These included proteinogenic amino acids and metabolites involved in α-ketoglutarate (α-KG)/glutamine metabolism. We confirm the role of α-KG/glutamine synthesis pathways in the DR response through genetic …

Defective Early Innate Immune Response To Ectromelia Virus In The Draining Lymph Nodes Of Aged Mice Due To Impaired Dendritic Cell Accumulation., Colby Stotesbury, Eric B Wong, Lingjuan Tang, Brian Montoya, Cory J Knudson, Carolina R Melo-Silva, Luis J Sigal

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

It is known that aging decreases natural resistance to viral diseases due to dysfunctional innate and adaptive immune responses, but the nature of these dysfunctions, particularly in regard to innate immunity, is not well understood. We have previously shown that C57BL/6J (B6) mice lose their natural resistance to footpad infection with ectromelia virus (ECTV) due to impaired maturation and recruitment of natural killer (NK) cells to the draining popliteal lymph node (dLN). More recently, we have also shown that in young B6 mice infected with ECTV, the recruitment of NK cells is dependent on a complex cascade whereby migratory dendritic …

The Effects Of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (Igf-1) And Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor (Igfr) Regulation On Cognition And Structure Of Astrocytes, Sariya Khan

Honors Theses

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a neuroendocrine signaling hormone that plays an integral role in bone and tissue growth and development. Inhibition of this hormone is known to disrupt the chemistry of the brain, resulting in cognitive impairments such as those seen in many common neurodegenerative diseases. While much research has been conducted on neurons and their relation with IGF-1, the role of astrocytes still needs to be explored. Our research investigates how astrocytes are affected as a result of IGF-1 regulation. Preliminary studies in our laboratory established a connection between IGF-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and in …

Impacts Of Embryonic Exposure To Cannabidiol Or ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol On Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Frailty In F0 And F1 Generations, Anika Faruque

Honors Theses

Exposure to cannabinoids during critical development periods has increased with epileptic children being commonly prescribed CBD for seizures and pregnant women taking it recreationally. Many studies have been done on the possible benefits and drawbacks of cannabinoid exposure on the human brain, but not much is known about how it can affect the developing brain long-term. To see the potential adverse effects of cannabinoid exposure during critical stages of development and discover potential developmental origins of disease in consuming cannabinoids during embryogenesis, zebrafish embryos (6-96 hours post fertilization) were exposed to varying concentrations of CBD (0.02, 0.1, 0.5 µM), THC …

Multi-Generational Effects Of ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure On Gene Expression In Liver Tissue, Kayla Lovitt

Honors Theses

Cannabis is the most commonly used, cultivated, and trafficked illicit drug worldwide. Increased availability and acceptance of cannabis and cannabinoid-containing products provide the necessity for understanding how these substances influence aging. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to concentrations of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (0.08, 0.4, 2 µM) during embryonic-larval development, the effects on aging were measured 30 months later and in the offspring of the exposed fish (F1 generation. We observed results indicating a biphasic and hormetic effect. Treatment with the lowest concentration of THC significantly increased egg production, while higher concentrations resulted in impaired …