Digital Commons Network^™

Bilateral Deficit: A Comparison Between Upper-Body And Lower-Body Maximal Strength, James Lee Ramsey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Purpose: The study’s primary purpose was to determine if maximal unilateral strength is greater than maximal bilateral strength for the leg press and vertical dumbbell press exercises. The secondary purpose was to determine if blood glucose levels differ between the unilateral and bilateral conditions for the leg press exercise. Methods: Thirty college-aged volunteers reported on two separate occasions, 72 hours apart, for maximal strength testing. Blood glucose was obtained before and after strength testing for the leg press exercise. A paired samples t-test was conducted to determine significance (p < .05). Results: Participants were significantly stronger for the bilateral leg press; however, no significant differences were observed for the vertical dumbbell press exercise. No significant differences were observed in plasma blood glucose for the leg press exercise. Conclusion: Participants did not display a bilateral lateral deficit, which may have been a result of their resistance training prior to the study.

Interleukin-6 And Exercise; Early Evidence Of A Novel Myokine, Brendan Hogg Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was first identified as a pleiotropic cytokine, with a host of body-wide functions. Cytokine functions are characterized by chronically elevated levels within various inflammatory states. In this regard, IL-6 is largely associated with the acute phase response to many stimuli and performs specific actions when produced from certain cell types. Accrued evidence indicates IL-6 release from skeletal muscle often includes myokine functions. Novel myokine functions are adaptive in nature, and as compared to inflammatory/cytokine roles, exhibit a transient time course. Following exercise plasma IL-6 peaks and returns to resting levels within 1-2 hours. In contrast, IL-6 is observed …

Regulation Of Hcn Channel Function By Direct Camp Binding And Singlet Oxygen, Vinaykumar Idikuda

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic-nucleotide gated ion channels (HCN channels) are activated by membrane hyperpolarization and modulated by cyclic nucleotides. HCN channels are important to maintain the resting membrane potential and input resistance in neurons and have important physiological functions in the brain and heart. Four mammalian HCN isoforms, HCN1-4, and the isoform cloned from sea urchin, spHCN, have been extensively studied. Among these, only spHCN channel shows a voltage dependent inactivation. Previous studies have shown that the ligand binding in mHCN2 channel is activity dependent: cAMP binding increases along with channel opening or channels in the open state have higher binding affinity …

The Impact Of Insulin Dysregulation On Protein Metabolism In Horses, Caroline Margot Marcelle Loos

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Insulin plays a vital role in whole-body metabolism and provides a major anabolic stimulus for cellular signaling pathways, including those involved in the metabolism of glucose and protein. Consequently, insulin dysregulation (ID) is known to alter molecular signal transduction in insulin-sensitive tissues such as skeletal muscle, thereby disrupting glucose metabolism and compromising protein synthetic capacity. Our first objective was to induce ID in healthy horses by administering dexamethasone (DEX), a potent glucocorticoid, for 21 days. We evaluated the effects on insulin-stimulated muscle protein signaling components involved in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. DEX-induced ID reduced insulin-stimulated activation of …

Creating A Lgbtq+ Inclusive Culture In The Athletic Training Facility, Sean M. Rogers, Ashley K. Crossway, Patricia A. Aronson

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

No abstract provided.

The Microvascular And Systemic Effects Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Exposure: A Physiological Perspective, Alaeddin Bashir Abukabda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO₂) are one of the most widely used engineered nanomaterials (ENM). Their ubiquitous inclusion warrants a more thorough understanding of their toxicity, particularly in sensitive populations such as pregnant women and the developing fetus.

The aim of the first study was to determine the most sensitive segments of the vasculature to pulmonary ENM exposure. Macrovascular function was investigated in the thoracic aorta, common femoral artery and 3^rd order mesenteric arterioles using wire myography. Microvascular function was assessed in 4^th and 5^th order mesenteric arterioles via pressure myography. Nano-TiO₂ exposure induced impairments …

Estimating The Heritability Of Thermal Tolerance In Acropora Cervicornis And The Physiological Basis Of Adaptation That Correlates To Survival At Elevated Temperatures, Kelsey L. Yetsko

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human activities have substantially increased the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, resulting in warmer ocean temperatures that are having a negative impact on reef corals, which are highly susceptible to changes in temperature. Understanding the degree to which species vary in their tolerance to elevated temperatures and whether this variation is heritable is important in determining their ability to adapt to climate change. In order to address this, Acropora cervicornis fragments from 20 genetically distinct colonies were kept at either ambient or elevated temperatures, and mortality was monitored for 26 days. Heritability of thermal tolerance was estimated using a clonal …

Autonomic Dysreflexia After Spinal Cord Injury: Systemic Pathophysiology And Methods Of Management, Khalid C. Eldahan, Alexander G. Rabchevsky

Physiology Faculty Publications

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) has widespread physiological effects beyond the disruption of sensory and motor function, notably the loss of normal autonomic and cardiovascular control. Injury at or above the sixth thoracic spinal cord segment segregates critical spinal sympathetic neurons from supraspinal modulation which can result in a syndrome known as autonomic dysreflexia (AD). AD is defined as episodic hypertension and concomitant baroreflex-mediated bradycardia initiated by unmodulated sympathetic reflexes in the decentralized cord. This condition is often triggered by noxious yet unperceived visceral or somatic stimuli below the injury level and if severe enough can require immediate medical attention. …

Mechanical And Physical Characteristics Of Knee Flexors And Extensors Following Different Warm Up Protocols In Collegiate Male Soccer Athletes, Michael Redd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: To compare potential differences in mechanical and physical characteristics of knee flexors and extensors in collegiate male soccer players following different warm up protocols. METHODS: Sixteen collegiate male soccer players (20.33 ± 1.33 years, 176.97 ± 6.72 cm, and 78.43 ± 7.42 kg) participated in this study. A small sided games warm up (SSG), a dynamic warm up (DYN), and a plyometric warm up (PLY) were completed using a randomized crossover design. Tensiomyography (TMG) was used to assess contraction time (Tc), delay time (Td) and maximal displacement (Dm) of the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) of both …

Myosin-Xva Is Key Molecule In Establishing The Architecture Of Mechanosensory Stereocilia Bundles Of The Inner Ear Hair Cells, Shadan Hadi

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Development of hair cell stereocilia bundles involves three stages: elongation, thickening, and supernumerary stereocilia retraction. Although Myo-XVa is known to be essential for stereocilia elongation, its role in retraction/thickening remains unknown. We quantified stereocilia numbers/diameters in shaker-2 mice (Myo15^sh2) that have deficiencies in “long” and “short” isoforms of myosin-XVa, and in mice lacking only the “long” myosin-XVa isoform (Myo15^ΔN). Our data showed that myosin-XVa is largely not involved in the developmental retraction of supernumerary stereocilia. In normal development, the diameters of the first (tallest)/second row stereocilia within a bundle are equal and grow simultaneously. …

Β-Catenin Regulation Of Adult Skeletal Muscle Plasticity, Yuan Wen

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Adult skeletal muscle is highly plastic and responds readily to environmental stimuli. One of the most commonly utilized methods to study skeletal muscle adaptations is immunofluorescence microscopy. By analyzing images of adult muscle cells, also known as myofibers, one can quantify changes in skeletal muscle structure and function (e.g. hypertrophy and fiber type). Skeletal muscle samples are typically cut in transverse or cross sections, and antibodies against sarcolemmal or basal lamina proteins are used to label the myofiber boundaries.

The quantification of hundreds to thousands of myofibers per sample is accomplished either manually or semi-automatically using generalized pathology software, and …

Alterations In Gabaergic Nts Neuron Function In Association With Tle And Sudep, Isabel Diane Derera

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that is characterized by aberrant electrical activity in the brain resulting in at least two unprovoked seizures over a period longer than 24 hours. Approximately 60% of individuals with epilepsy are diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and about one third of those individuals do not respond well to anti-seizure medications. This places those individuals at high risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP is defined as when an individual with epilepsy, who is otherwise healthy, dies suddenly and unexpectedly for unknown reasons. SUDEP is one of the leading causes of death in …

Psychophysiology Meets Computer Science: Predicting The Magnitude Of Participant Physiological Response With Machine Learning, Avonie Parchment

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present inquiry uses methods from psychophysiology and machine learning to reduce overall error in classification models. The field of psychophysiology, though rooted in decades of experimentation, has never reached the same level of precision as some aspects of medical inquiry. In fact, while some medical regression models, when determining some way to classify a patient's illness based on certain symptoms, can result in highly significant results with large effect sizes, equal levels are virtually unheard of in psychophysiology. The present investigation attempts to unravel some part of this mystery and determines some possible reasons for the difficulty in finding …

Cold Tolerance, Diapause And Winter Survival Of The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha Halys), Naomi Sibayan

All Master's Theses

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is native to eastern Asia and is an invasive pest in the United States. Limited research has been done regarding the factors influencing this species’ winter survival within invaded northern regions. Cold tolerance has been previously evaluated in the eastern United States, bot nut within western populations. Winter diapause. Along with any potential links between diapause and cold tolerance remain unstudied. I examined characteristics of cold tolerance, diapause and overwintering sites to evaluate the factors contributing to the winter survival and, ultimately, persistence of this pest within central Washington. This study measured seasonal …

Mechanisms And Potential Therapy On Disrupted Blood Pressure Circadian Rhythm In Diabetes, Tianfei Hou

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Arterial blood pressure (BP) undergoes a 24-hour oscillation that peaks in the active day and reaches a nadir at night during sleep in humans. Reduced nocturnal BP fall (also known as non-dipper) is the most common disruption of BP circadian rhythm and is associated with increased risk of untoward cardiovascular events and target organ injury. Up to 75% of diabetic patients are non-dippers. However, the mechanisms underlying diabetes associated non-dipping BP are largely unknown. To address this important question, we generated a novel diabetic db/db-mPer2^Luc mouse model (db/db-mPer2^Luc) that allows quantitatively measuring of mPER2 protein oscillation …

Using Echo Intensity As A Monitoring Tool To Determine Training Adaptations And Recoverability In High-Level Weightlifters, S. Kyle Travis, Jeremy A. Gentles

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Resiliency Among Young Adults, Sylvanus O. Abraham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increased understanding of resilience may determine how human psychological development can result in positive outcomes despite adversarial situations. However, current studies have not provided a relevant predictive model that can adequately predict resilience, particularly among young adults exposed to domestic violence. Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the purpose of this quantitative noncomparative study was to examine whether domestic violence, age, gender, ethnicity, individual emotional and physical abilities, types of domestic violence exposure, and frequency of domestic violence exposure could adequately predict resilience among young adults. Quantitative data were collected from 118 young adults in the Midsouth region of …

Twenty Years Of Spayvac® Research: Potential Implications For Regulating Feral Horse And Burro Populations In The United States, Ursula S. Bechert, Mark A. Fraker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

There are currently >75,000 feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) and burros (E. asinus ) on U.S. public lands, yet the Appropriate Management Level (AML) is set at just under 27,000. Wildlife managers, conservation biologists, and livestock ranchers are concerned about the impacts that these free-ranging horses have on shared rangelands. Immunocontraceptive vaccines may have the greatest potential to regulate horse population numbers once AML is reached; however, the vaccine must have multi-year efficacy to be both technically feasible and cost-effective. Immunocontraception based on porcine zona pellucida (PZP)-specific antigens is highly tissue-specific, targeting the ova, and blocking sperm binding through antibody …

Acute Cardiovascular Responses To Novel Combinations Of Resistance And Aerobic Exercise, Travis Wakeham

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. One of the most effective forms of prevention and treatment is physical activity. However, recent studies have suggested that resistance exercise can increase arterial stiffness. Maintaining adequate strength is critical for performing activities of daily living, occupational-related tasks, and sport movements. The purpose of this project was to determine if novel combinations of resistance and aerobic exercise could offer musculoskeletal benefits without adverse cardiovascular consequences. In Study 1, we examined the effect of order (i.e. aerobic before resistance, or resistance before aerobic) on arterial stiffness when combining these exercise …

Changes In Reach To Eat Movement Control After Intensive Training For Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy, Yaching Hung, Aryeh D. Spingarn

Publications and Research

Ya Ching Hung EdD. and Aryeh Spingarn EP-C, CSCS, EIM-Level 2 Queens College, City University of New York Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, Changes in Reach to Eat Movement Control After Intensive Training for Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. Purpose: The current study compares the effects of an intervention on children with Congenital Hemiplegia during a simple eating task using kinematic analyses. Previous studies looked at simple bimanual tasks such as opening a drawer; no studies examined the effects of intensive training on unimanual reach, grasp, and eat movement control. Methods: 20 children with Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy …

The Effect Of Tackling Training On Head Accelerations In Youth American Football, Eric Schussler, Richard J. Jagacinski, Susan E. White, Ajit M. Chaudhari, John A. Buford, James A. Onate

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Many organizations have introduced frameworks to reduce the incidence of football related concussions through proper equipment fitting, coach education, and alteration of tackling technique.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training in a vertical, head up tackling style on the number of head accelerations experienced while tackling in a controlled laboratory situation. The authors hypothesized that training in a head up tackling technique would reduce the severity of head acceleration experienced by participants.

Design: Controlled Laboratory Study.

Methods: Twenty-four participants (11.5 ± 0.6 years old, 60.5 ± 2.2 in, 110 ± 18.4 lbs.) …

Training Loads Of A Division I Conference Volleyball Tournament, Christine L. Coniglio, Austin Smith, Abdulmalek Bursais, Julia Kirkpatrick, Justin Taylor, Jeremy A. Gentles

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Demands Of A Women's College Soccer Season, Jeremy A. Gentles, Christine L. Coniglio, Matthew M. Besemer, Joshua M. Morgan, Michael T. Mahnken

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Changes In Accelerations And Heart Rate Indicative Of Fatigue During Condensed Competitions In Elite Youth Ice Hockey Players, Kenneth L. Martel

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Thirty-three elite youth ice hockey players wore Bioharness-3 (Zephyr, MD) sensors to compare accelerations (ACC) and heart rate (HR) over four games (G1–G4) in three days, in order to establish changes in cardiovascular stress and physical exertion associated with fatigue. Peak ACC and HR across multiple time frames were quantified and analyzed in conjunction to determine exertion profiles for each game. MANOVAs for peak ACC and HR, at each time point across G1–G4 and multiple games per day (M1, M2) for magnitude and time as main effects were performed. HR beats per minute decreased between G1 and G3/G4 in time …

Sensitivity Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) To Cyanobacteria At Multiple Life History Stages, Anna Boegehold

Wayne State University Dissertations

Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) originate from brackish waters of the Ponto-Caspian area and are nuisance invasive species in North American and European freshwaters. Their invasion has caused major economic and ecological damages in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Through selective filter feeding, quagga mussels have promoted the growth of cyanobacteria. Harmful cyanobacteria blooms have the potential to produce toxins, which can be toxic to humans and wildlife. Although quagga mussels can increase the prevalence of cyanobacteria blooms, it is unknown how they are physiologically affected by cyanobacteria and understanding these dynamics can be useful in the management of this invasive …

The Role Of Alström Syndrome 1 (Alms1) In Hypertension, Salt Sensitivity And Metabolic Syndrome, Keyona Nicole King-Medina

Wayne State University Dissertations

In humans, inactivating mutations in the Alström syndrome 1 (ALMS1) gene cause obesity, insulin resistance and hypertension (metabolic syndrome). More so, SNPs in the ALMS1 gene have been associated with kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. The

mechanisms causing these alterations are unclear. We recently found that the ALMS1 is expressed in the kidney thick ascending limb (TAL) where it mediates endocytosis of the renal Na/K/2Cl cotransporter termed NKCC2. To study the role of ALMS1 in renal

physiology we generated ALMS1 knockout (KO) rats in a Dahl salt-sensitive genetic background via zinc-finger nuclease targeting. We previously found that the amount of …

S-Nitrosation Of Protein Phosphatase 1 Mediates Alcohol-Induced Ciliary Dysfunction, Michael E. Price, Adam J. Case, Jacqueline A. Pavlik, Jane M. Devasure, Todd A. Wyatt, Matthew C. Zimmerman, Joseph H. Sisson

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a strong risk factor for development and mortality of pneumonia. Mucociliary clearance, a key innate defense against pneumonia, is perturbed by alcohol use. Specifically, ciliated airway cells lose the ability to increase ciliary beat frequency (CBF) to β-agonist stimulation after prolonged alcohol exposure. We previously found that alcohol activates protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) through a redox mechanism to cause ciliary dysfunction. Therefore, we hypothesized that PP1 activity is enhanced by alcohol exposure through an S-nitrosothiol-dependent mechanism resulting in desensitization of CBF stimulation. Bronchoalveolar S-nitrosothiol (SNO) content and tracheal PP1 activity was increased in wild-type (WT) …

Direct Conversion Of Mouse Astrocytes Into Neural Progenitor Cells And Specific Lineages Of Neurons, Kangmu Ma, Xiaobei Deng, Xiaohuan Xia, Zhaohuan Fan, Xinrui Qi, Yongxiang Wang, Yuju Li, Yizhao Ma, Qiang Chen, Hui Peng, Jianqing Ding, Chunhong Li, Yunlong Huang, Changhai Tian, Jialin C. Zheng

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Background: Cell replacement therapy has been envisioned as a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the ethical concerns of ESCs-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and tumorigenic potential of iPSCs, reprogramming of somatic cells directly into multipotent NPCs has emerged as a preferred approach for cell transplantation.

Methods: Mouse astrocytes were reprogrammed into NPCs by the overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) Foxg1, Sox2, and Brn2. The generation of subtypes of neurons was directed by the force expression of cell-type specific TFs Lhx8 or Foxa2/Lmx1a.

Results: Astrocyte-derived induced NPCs (AiNPCs) share high similarities, including the expression of NPC-specific genes, DNA methylation …

Utilizing Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels To Assess The Activity Of Cathinone Derivatives At Human Monoamine Transporters, Brian A. Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

Cathinones are psychostimulant compounds heavily implicated as drugs of abuse. They exert their physiological actions at the monoamine transporters, which are responsible for maintaining synaptic neurotransmitter homeostasis. Monoamine transporters produce currents during transport and have been shown to depolarize cell membranes and activate voltage-gated calcium channels in mammalian expression systems. This phenomenon is harnessed in an assay which measures these induced calcium transients, allowing for quantification of pharmacodynamic effects of compounds at monoamine transporters. It is unknown if this electrical coupling occurs in neurons, but the implications if it does are significant. In the current work, fluorescent resonance energy transfer …

Ecological Implications Of Foraging And Life-History In Three Cold-Adapted Species, Andrew Von Duyke

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research investigates the ecology of: ringed seals (Pusa hispida), moose (Alces alces), and bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). Each of these species draws upon specialized strategies to meet the physical demands of life in their extreme environments. However, they are currently experiencing unprecedented changes in their habitats. This work adds to what is known about the behavior, physiology, and population dynamics of cold-adapted species—providing insights of value for an improved understanding of foraging and life-history theory, and informing conservation and ecosystem monitoring efforts. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the scope of work …