Digital Commons Network^™

Hydrogen Sulfide Regulation Of Kir Channels, Junghoon Ha

Theses and Dissertations

Inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels establish and regulate the resting membrane potential of excitable cells in the heart, brain and other peripheral tissues. Phosphatidylinositol- 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is a key direct activator of ion channels, including Kir channels. Gasotransmitters, such as carbon monoxide (CO), have been reported to regulate the activity of Kir channels by altering channel-PIP2 interactions. We tested, in a model system, the effects and mechanism of action of another important gasotransmitter, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) thought to play a key role in cellular responses under ischemic conditions. Direct administration of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS), as an exogenous H2S source, …

We Still Need A Theory, Paula Droege

Animal Sentience

Woodruff (2017) has compiled a convincing array of data to support his contention that teleost fish feel pain. However, in the absence of an explanatory theory about the nature and function of consciousness, a checklist of criteria is insufficient to allay skeptical concerns. I offer a theory that can explain why features like selective attention and behavioral flexibility indicate consciousness. Consciousness represents the present moment in order to allow dynamic changes in actions or goals in response to situational demands.

The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise And Lipolytic Stimulation On Skeletal Muscle And Adipose Expression Of Perilipin 3 (Plin3) In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes And Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Jeffrey Daniel Covington

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ectopic lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle is linked with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Neutral lipid is stored as lipid droplets, which are coated by lipid droplet coat proteins. One important class of these proteins are the perilipins. Little research has focused on perilipin 3 (PLIN3) and coatomer gtp-ases, theorized to be involved in PLIN3 directed lipid oxidation. Under lipolytic stimulation with epinephrine or palmitate, forskolin, and ionomysin (PFI), primary human myotubes taken from health non-T2D donors showed increased protein content levels of PLIN3. Concordantly, following endurance exercise in non-T2D males—an experimental paradigm shown to increase lipolysis—levels of …

Cochlear Implants And Related Neurotechnologies: Japanese Perspectives In Deaf Neuroethics, Zachary Clayton Abbott

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Asian neuroscience and neurotechnology (neuroS/T) research and development will surpass that of the United States and Europe, achieving a 60% increase in overall market growth, within the next decade. One area of ethical interest in neuroS/T involves auditory technologies: cochlear implants, middle ear prosthetics, bone-anchor hearing aids. A survey collected data on Japanese and U.S. attitudes of deafness as a disability, awareness of auditory technologies, and beliefs regarding psychosocial implications of such interventions. This survey is particularly timely because of shifts in attitudes toward these technologies and deaf identity between younger and older Japanese people in the direction of U.S. …

Behavioral Reactions To Emotional And Physical Infidelity: An Evolutionary Perspective, Mandy Walsh Walsh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examined the effects of sex and type of partner infidelity, including both physical (i.e., sexually involved with another person) and emotional (i.e., emotionally involved with another person) infidelity, on mate abandonment behaviors. Previous research has demonstrated sex differences in emotional responses to infidelity, where men react more negatively to physical infidelity and women react more negatively to emotional infidelity. While various studies have investigated perceived behavioral reactions using imagined scenarios, this study expands current research by utilizing actual retrospective reports. It was hypothesized that males would engage in significantly more mate abandonment behaviors after experiencing a physical infidelity, …

Exploring The Production Of Extracellular Matrix By Astrocytes In Response To Mimetic Traumatic Brain Injury, Addison Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Following injury to the central nervous system, extracellular modulations are apparent at

the site of injury, often resulting in a glial scar. Astrocytes are mechanosensitive cells, which can create a neuroinhibitory extracellular environment in response to injury. The aim for this research was to gain a fundamental understanding of the affects a diffuse traumatic brain injury has on the astrocyte extracellular environment after injury. To accomplish this, a bioreactor culturing astrocytes in 3D constructs delivered 150G decelerations with 20% biaxial strain to mimic a traumatic brain injury. Experiments were designed to compare the potential effects of media type, number of …

Human Exposure Modeling Using Sheds, Luther Smith, William Graham Glen

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Stable Engraftment Of Bifidobacterium Longum Ah1206 In The Human Gut Depends On Individualized Features Of The Resident Microbiome, María X. Maldonado-Gómez, Inés Martínez, Francesca Bottacini, Amy O’Callaghan, Marco Ventura, Douwe Van Sinderen, Benjamin Hillmann, Pajau Vangay, Dan Knights, Robert W. Hutkins, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Live bacteria (such as probiotics) have long been used to modulate gut microbiota and human physiology, but their colonization is mostly transient. Conceptual understanding of the ecological principles as they apply to exogenously introduced microbes in gut ecosystems is lacking. We find that, when orally administered to humans, Bifidobacterium longum AH1206 stably persists in the gut of 30% of individuals for at least 6 months without causing gastrointestinal symptoms or impacting the composition of the resident gut microbiota. AH1206 engraftment was associated with low abundance of resident B. longum and underrepresentation of specific carbohydrate utilization genes in the pre-treatment microbiome. …

Fungi In The Healthy Human Gastrointestinal Tract, Heather E. Hallen-Adams, Mallory J. Suhr

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Many species of fungi have been detected in the healthy human gut; however, nearly half of all taxa reported have only been found in one sample or one study. Fungi capable of growing in and colonizing the gut are limited to a small number of species, mostly Candida yeasts and yeasts in the family Dipodascaceae (Galactomyces, Geotrichum, Saprochaete). Malassezia and the filamentous fungus Cladosporium are potential colonizers; more work is needed to clarify their role. Other commonly-detected fungi come from the diet or environment but either cannot or do not colonize (Penicillium and Debaryomyces species, which are …

The Pribram – Bohm Hypothesis Part Ii: The Physiology Of Consciousness, Shelli R. Joye

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

A physiology of consciousness is elaborated, based upon implications of the Pribram-Bohm hypothesis (developed in Part I of this series). The model presented here is in sharp contrast to the prevailing conviction among neuroscientists that consciousness will eventually be discovered to be a physiological epiphenomenon of neuronal electrical impulses firing in the brain. In contrast, the Pribram-Bohm theory holds that consciousness, inherent in what Bohm views cosmologically as “the Whole,” manifests as a dynamic conscious energy resonance bridging the explicate space-time domain with the nonlocal, transcendent flux domain termed the “implicate order.” Presented in Part I, the Pribram-Bohm hypothesis posits …

Forced Exercise Increases Muscle Mass In Eae Despite Early Onset Of Disability, D. I. Patel, L. J. White, V. A. Lira, D. S. Criswell

Health & Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We aimed to determine whether 10 days of treadmill exercise can increase skeletal muscle mass and intramuscular concentrations of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Forty female Lewis rats were randomly assigned to either EAE sedentary (EAE-Sed), EAE exercise (EAE-Ex), Control sedentary (Con-Sed) and Control exercise (Con-Ex). Exercising animals completed a 10 day forced exercising training program. Hind limb skeletal muscles were excised and weighed with soleus muscle used for BDNF and NGF quantification. Statistical analysis was done using a one-way analysis of variance. Disability was more pronounced in the EAE-Ex …

Diabetes, Insulin Secretion, And Beta Cell Function, Jeffery Tessem

BYU Research Development Office Research Networking Conference

The intricate processes of nutrient metabolism and their biochemical pathways are fundamental to understanding human physiology and health. This research focuses on exploring the biochemical mechanisms underlying nutrient metabolism and how deviations in these processes can lead to metabolic disorders and associated human diseases.

Effects Of Experimental Noise Exposure On Songbird Nesting Behaviors And Nest Success, Tracy I. Mulholland

Master's Theses

Anthropogenic noise is an increasingly prevalent global disturbance. Animals that rely on the acoustical environment, such as songbirds, are especially vulnerable to these sounds. Traffic noise, in particular, overlaps with the frequency range of songbirds, creating masking effects. We investigated the effects of chronic traffic noise on provisioning behaviors and breeding success of nesting western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens). Because anthropogenic noise exposure has the potential to interrupt parent-offspring communication and alter vigilance behaviors, we predicted that traffic noise would lead to changes in provisioning behaviors, such as fewer visits to the …

Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone) Supplementation And Its Benefits In Cardiovascular Disease, Osteoporosis, And Cancer, Grant S. Buchanan, Md, Thomas Melvin, Brandon Merritt, Charles Bishop, Md, Franklin D. Shuler, Md, Phd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Vitamin K is known to play an essential role in the coagulation cascade; however, a growing body of research has found that a subtype of this vitamin, vitamin K₂ (menaquinone) may have a beneficial effect in osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of recent literature regarding menaquinone and its role in human health. This review discusses the physiology of menaquinone, its clinical benefits in cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer, and how it may interact with certain medications. The authors conclude that menaquinone supplementation has been shown to improve carboxylation …

Differential Association Of Vitronectin And Fibronectin With Glass And Electrospun Fibers Of A Poly (D-Lysine) /Poly (Acrylic Acid), Syed Muhammad Sohaib Zafar Zafar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proteins represent major constituent of the extracellular matrix which plays an important role in the formation, maintenance and remodeling of tissues, this project focuses on adsorption of two specific serum proteins fibronectin (FN) and vitronectin (VTN) responsible for mediating cell matrix interaction through integrin binding, tripeptide Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence found in these protein features are recognized by αβV₃ integrin which ultimately helps in clot formation.

Alzheimer Disease Research In The 21st Century: Past And Current Failures, New Perspectives And Funding Priorities, Francesca Pistollato, Elan L. Ohayon, Ann Lam, Gillian R. Langley, Thomas J. Novak, David Pamies, George Perry, Eugenia Trushina, Robin S.B. Williams, Alex E. Roher, Thomas Hartung, Stevan Harnad, Neal D. Barnard, Martha Clare Morris, Mei-Chun Lai, Ryan Merkley, P. Charukeshi Chandrasekera

Experimentation Collection

Much of Alzheimer disease (AD) research has been traditionally based on the use of animals, which have been extensively applied in an effort to both improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease and to test novel therapeutic approaches. However, decades of such research have not effectively translated into substantial therapeutic success for human patients. Here we critically discuss these issues in order to determine how existing human-based methods can be applied to study AD pathology and develop novel therapeutics. These methods, which include patient-derived cells, computational analysis and models, together with large-scale epidemiological studies represent novel and …

Hypertonicity: Pathophysiologic Concept And Experimental Studies, Christos Argyropoulos, Helbert Rondon-Berrios, Dominic S. Raj, Deepak Malhotra, Emmanuel I. Agaba, +5 Additional Authors

Medicine Faculty Publications

Disturbances in tonicity (effective osmolarity) are the major clinical disorders affecting cell volume. Cell shrinking secondary to hypertonicity causes severe clinical manifestations and even death. Quantitative management of hypertonic disorders is based on formulas computing the volume of hypotonic fluids required to correct a given level of hypertonicity. These formulas have limitations. The major limitation of the predictive formulas is that they represent closed system calculations and have been tested in anuric animals. Consequently, the formulas do not account for ongoing fluid losses during development or treatment of the hypertonic disorders. In addition, early comparisons of serum osmolality changes predicted …

Viruses, Vaccines And The Public, Judy Diamond, Julia Mcquillan, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Rebecca Smith, John T. West, Charles Wood

World of Viruses

Current research in virology is changing public conceptions about vaccines and infectious disease. The University of Nebraska State Museum collaborated with research virologists, science writers, artists and learning researchers to create public outreach materials about viruses and infectious disease. The project, funded by the National Institute of Health’s SEPA program, developed comics, a book with Carl Zimmer, and other materials and programs. The project launched three kinds of learning research: 1) a survey of Nebraska adults on their opinions about vaccines and infectious disease; 2) a study comparing the mental models of viruses, vaccines and infection from virologists, teachers, and …

The Skin Disease Mutation Cx31l209f Induces A Calcium- And Cobalt-Sensitive Leak Current Across The Plasma Membrane, Husain A. Bneed

Biology Theses

Gap junctions are essential to the function of multicellular animals, which require a high degree of coordination between cells. The functions of gap junctions are highly diverse and include exchange of metabolites and electrical signals between cells, as well as functions apparently unrelated to intercellular communication. In vertebrates, gap junctions are comprised of connexin proteins and over 20 connexins have been identified in humans. Each connexin is named according to its predicted molecular weight, for instance connexin31 (Cx31) has a predicted molecular weight of 31 KDa. Mutations in connexin genes cause a variety of disorders depending on the connexin protein …

The Role Of Orexin Receptors In Diurnal Variations In Learning And Memory, Jacob Christian Blotter

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The brain's ability to learn and remember is a topic of extensive debate and research. Mammals share many similarities, including the way in which information from the outside world is processed and stored. Mammalian circadian rhythms have long been thought to be essentially involved with these processes. Orexin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a crucial role in arousal and circadian rhythm. This study is designed to explore the brain's ability to process and store information at different times of the circadian period, and to explore the role of orexin by comparing the performance of normal (wild-type) mice and abnormal …

The Influence Of Prior Motor Actions On Motor Planning In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Daisha Lynn Cummins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Studies have found children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a rigidity of motor plans and difficulties planning and executing movements. Children with ASD also exhibit repetitive behaviors such as nail biting and rocking back and forth. When planning for movements, repetitive behaviors might manifest as difficulty in formulating new or switching between different motor plans. In typically developing individuals, actions are often influence by recently performed motor actions. We sought to determine if this influence was stronger in children with ASD.

A rotation motor task was created to evaluate the rigidity of motor planning of five children with ASD …

Issue 11

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

The Influences Of Texture And Mastication Pattern On Flavor Perception Across The Lifespan, Curtis Robert Luckett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Texture is an often-overlooked food attribute and is known to influence other food characteristics. More specifically, texture has been repeatedly to influence how we perceive flavor. Several studies have linked this change in flavor perception to the altered mastication patterns that accompany texture changes. This dissertation is composed of four studies that were designed to address how American food consumers view texture and other food attributes as well as characterize how texture and mastication can influence temporal flavor dynamics. The first study was a survey that outlined consumer attitudes towards a variety of different foods. This study solidified that texture …

Session C-1: Ecosystem Disruption: Using Lab And Real-World Examples To Bring Changes In Earth’S Ecosystems To Life, Crystal Randall, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Sowmya Anjur, Don Dosch

Professional Learning Day

The magnitude of the changes occurring in Earth’s ecosystems seems difficult to tackle in the classroom and lab. Here we explore ways to demonstrate the changes in the Earth’s water and carbon cycles in the lab and bring them to life in real-world ecosystems in the classroom.

Triterpenoid Saponin-Rich Fraction Of Centella Asiatica Decreases Il-1ss Andnf-?B, And Augments Tissue Regeneration And Excision Wound Repair, Amena Mahmood, Ambrish Tiwari, Kazi̇m Şahi̇n, Ömer Küçük, Shakir Ali

Turkish Journal of Biology

Wound healing is an orderly process driven by numerous cellular mediators that aim to accelerate it. In skin conditions such as leprosy and psoriasis, Centella asiatica, which contains high amounts of triterpenoid saponins (TSs), has been reported to have beneficial effects. This study examined the effects of TS fraction of the herb on tissue regeneration and excision wound repair in rat skin. Briefly, TS fraction was prepared from C. Asiatica and applied on the wound area for 7 consecutive days. The IL-1β, NF-κB, and other biochemical parameters were then estimated, followed by examination of inflammatory cell infiltration, epithelialization, angiogenesis, and …

The Importance Of Having Two X Chromosomes, Jenny Link, Arthur P. Arnold, Karen Reue, Mansoureh Eghbali, Eric Vilain, Xuqi Chen, Negar Ghahramani, Yuichiro Itoh, Jingyuan Li, Tuck Ngun, Shayna M. Williams-Burris

Biology

Historically, it was thought that the number of X chromosomes plays little role in causing sex differences in traits. Recently, selected mouse models have been used increasingly to compare mice with the same type of gonad but with one versus two copies of the X chromosome. Study of these models demonstrates that mice with one X chromosome can be strikingly different from those with two X chromosomes, when the differences are not attributable to confounding group differences in gonadal hormones. The number of X chromosomes affects adiposity and metabolic disease, cardiovascular ischaemia/reperfusion injury and behaviour. The effects of X chromosome …

Use Of A Mouse Model To Evaluate The Effect Of Statins On The Immune Response To An Influenza Virus Vaccine, Calvin Olsen, Bart Tarbet

Biology Posters

Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs that have shown a profound effect on human health by reducing cardiovascular disease. However, two recent publications in the Journal of Infectious Diseases showed that statin use had a negative impact on the influenza vaccine response in elderly individuals [1, 2]. We propose to evaluate the immune response following vaccination in mice undergoing statin treatment. An initial study will determine the therapeutic window for statin treatment of mice fed a lipid-enriched diet. From the literature this window is expected to be between 21-28 days. That therapeutic window will be used for evaluation of the immune …

Ex-Vivo Slaughterhouse Porcine Crystalloid-Perfused Beating Heart Via Langendorff Method, Rahiemin Talukder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to resuscitate isolated beating porcine hearts obtained from slaughterhouse swine for a minimum of 1 hour with a crystalloid buffer reperfusion instead of blood via an extracorporeal Langendorff apparatus. The isolated beating heart functions outside of the body under simulated physiologic conditions. Live functional anatomy was controlled under benchtop experimental settings. Porcine hearts (26 total) were topically cooled with saline. 300mL of 25°C cardioplegia with 20KU Streptokinase was preflushed via aortic root. WIT was less than 5 minutes. 1L 4°C cardioplegia was flushed antegrade with aortic cannula (Group 1) or coronary catheterization (Group 2). …

Examination Of Reticulocytosis Among Chronically Transfused Children With Sickle Cell Anemia., Megha Kaushal, Colleen Byrnes, Zarir Khademian, Natalie Duncan, Naomi L.C. Luban, Jeffery L Miller, Ross M. Fasano, Emily Riehm Meier

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited hemolytic anemia with compensatory reticulocytosis. Recent studies have shown that increased levels of reticulocytosis during infancy are associated with increased hospitalizations for SCA sequelae as well as cerebrovascular pathologies. In this study, absolute reticulocyte counts (ARC) measured prior to transfusion were analysed among a cohort of 29 pediatric SCA patients receiving chronic transfusion therapy (CTT) for primary and secondary stroke prevention. A cross-sectional flow cytometric analysis of the reticulocyte phenotype was also performed. Mean duration of CTT was 3.1 ± 2.6 years. Fifteen subjects with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) -vasculopathy had significantly higher …

The Role Of Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channels, Retrograde Ift Rate Change, And Chemical Concentration In The Olfactory Habituation Of C. Elegans, Michaela A. O'Driscoll

Honors Program Theses

The cilium is an organelle utilized by the cell for signaling purposes. Olfaction is a process that utilizes cilia for cell signaling, specifically as the starting point of the neuronal olfactory pathway, by which volatile odorant molecules trigger neuronal depolarization and subsequent behavioral modification. Related to cilia function and development is the process of intraflagellar transport (IFT): the bidirectional movement of channels, receptors, and other proteins by motors along the microtubules of the cilia, including odorant receptors. The phenomenon of odorant habituation upon continuous exposure to an attractant chemical has been previously confirmed, but the role of IFT in this …