Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands, Mariah Leigh Cole

Honors Theses

The cannabinoid receptors, members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, have been implicated in numerous human physiological functions and diseases. These receptors, cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid type 2 (CB2), are most concentrated in the central nervous system and immune cells, respectively, and have each become a target of therapeutic interest. Dual CB1/CB2 agonists such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of nausea, pain, and glaucoma, but suffer from psychotropic effects mediated by CB1, motivating the search for CB2 selective therapeutic agents. Selective modulation of the CB2 receptor has therapeutic potential in human health disorders …

Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuroprotection Induced By Neuropharmacological Agents In An In-Vivo Model Of Glaucoma, Quinn Ameel

Honors Theses

Recent discoveries from this lab have demonstrated that activation of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the retina is linked to neuroprotection of RGCs that are typically lost in glaucoma-like conditions. Various chemical agents have been produced to increase overall neurotransmission of ACh from cholinergic neurons. DMP-543 is an agent that increases calcium release from cholinergic synaptic terminals. Donepezil is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that inhibits the breakdown of ACh in the synaptic cleft, prolonging ACh’s effect. In this study, the neuroprotective activity of these two agents was analyzed at the synapse between starburst amacrine …

Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Pufa) Scavenging Affects Phospholipid Profiles And Virulence Phenotypes In Vibrio Cholerae And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Anna Moravec

Honors Theses

AIM: This research had two primary objectives. First, this study sought to determine whether or not exposing Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) would lead to changes in their respective phospholipid profiles. Secondly, if membrane remodeling occurred, this study sought to determine the impact of membrane modifications on bacterial fitness by evaluating their effect on membrane permeability, biofilm formation, and response to stresses. METHODS: The Bligh and Dyer method was used to extract bacterial lipids, which were subsequently analyzed via thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The effect of fatty acids on bacterial fitness was assessed using stress, biofilm, …

An Analysis Of Free-Will, Matthew Campbell

Honors Theses

The following paper is a broad analysis of the concept of free-will. Free-will can be defined as having the ability to act outside of necessity, such that one can be the ultimate author and initiator of their actions and decisions. Stated differently, possessing free-will allows an individual to be held accountable for their behaviors, because those behaviors are the result of something controllable within the individual, rather than something external to the individual and beyond their control.

A belief in free-will is widely assumed, for we hold individuals both legally and morally accountable for their actions. Nevertheless, it remains a …

Feasibility Of Incorporating Electrogastrography Into An Undergraduate Physiology Laboratory Curriculum, Lauren A. Foropoulos

Honors Theses

This study aimed to detect the effects of mental stress on gastric motility in college students through the use of cutaneous electrogastrography (EGG). Additionally, the study aimed to determine the feasibility of creating a laboratory curriculum for a cutaneous electrogastrography experiment that an undergraduate could perform, analyze, and interpret during a three hour physiology lab. Through this study and the laboratory procedures designed from the experiment, undergraduates will be able to interpret the physiological aspects of gastrointestinal function within the human body, including how it is effected by mental stress. According to previous studies by Yin et al. (2004) and …

Oxygen Saturation During A Simulation Dive Response: Development Of An Experimental Protocol For An Undergraduate Physiology Laboratory, Michael S. Pergola

Honors Theses

There are issues concerning the amount of learning that actually takes place in the laboratory environment, and whether or not it is worth the investment of money, resources, and time. A laboratory protocol was designed to examine the human dive response, with the goals of generating multiple robust variables, creating a truly integrative laboratory experiment and improving lab education. The objectives of this exercise were to promote critical thinking, maximize collaboration, minimize social loafing and student engagement, promote critical thinking, and meet as many of the National Science Foundation's core competencies and assess effectiveness in achieving these objectives. The dive …

A Translational Study Of The Correlation Between Low Birth Weight, Hypertension, And Kidney Function Using A Rat Model, Marcus Daniels

Honors Theses

We studied the correlation between low birth weight, hypertension, and kidney function using a rat model. There is a strong correlation between these three phenomena especially in the Southeastern United States and in non-White populations. We hypothesized that the anti-hypertensive drugs Reserpine and Hydralazine would prevent hypertension and improve renal function in low birth weight rats. We used a rat model created by Dr. Barbara Alexander in this study. Pregnant rats were subjected to Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure surgery. Silver clips were placed on the abdominal aorta and uterine arteries approximately two weeks after fertilization in order to restrict blood …

Walk-Training Increases Expression Of Gdnf In Pectoralis Muscle But Not Diaphragm From Mouse, Erin Donovan

Honors Theses

Neurotrophic factors are proteins that play an important role in the development and maintenance of neurons. Recent studies have shown that neurotrophic factors may hold promise for treating damage to the nervous system caused by trauma or diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in skeletal muscles and affects peripheral motor neurons. Results of previous studies have demonstrated that exercise can increase GDNF content in skeletal muscle of rat. The goal of the current study was to examine whether expression of GDNF in skeletal muscle of mouse is also regulated …

Epinephrine Regulates Aquaglyceroporin Hc-3 Expression And Subcellular Localization In Cultured Erythrocytes From The Freeze-Tolerant Treefrog, Hyla Chrysoscelis, Connor J. Ratycz

Honors Theses

Cope’s gray treefrog Hyla chrysoscelis, accumulates and distributes glycerol as a cryoprotectant in anticipation of freezing. Transmembrane glycerol and water flux in H. chysoscelis erythrocytes likely occurs through HC-3, an ortholog of mammalian aquaporin 3. HC-3 protein is in higher abundance and is preferentially localized to the plasma membrane in RBCs from cold-acclimated treefrogs as compared to warmacclimated animals. It is hypothesized that neuroendocrine agonists via receptor mediated second messenger pathways integrate signals derived from fasting, dehydration, diurnal, and/or temperature changes during cold-acclimation to regulate HC-3 expression as part of the mechanism of freeze tolerance. In this study, cultured …

Parent Satisfaction With Diabetes Technology In Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Laura Brooke Carter

Honors Theses

Purpose: To increase glucose control, advanced technologies are being integrated into diabetes self-management in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Two technologies being adopted is Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII), more commonly known as insulin pumps (pumps) and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). The purpose of the study was to better understand the experiences of parents whose T1DM child is using insulin pumps and CGM devices in diabetes self-management. Methods: This study was approved by the University of Mississippi IRB. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of parents in the Mid-South region of the U.S. The local chapters …

Cardiovascular Protective Agents And Their Biochemical Role In Endothelial Cell Senescence, Nicholas Boullard

Honors Theses

Cellular senescence is a slow, biological process of aging that involves the accumulation of various changes to the internal environment of a cell, most notably the buildup of acidic B-galactosidase. These changes, both structural and molecular in nature, disable metabolism of many cellular processes and eventually induce apoptosis. As cells divide, the ends of chromosomes, telomeres, slowly shorten. Once telomere shortening reaches critical levels, those chromosomes may no longer replicate properly, leading to cellular process complication and apoptosis. Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that adds nucleotides to telomeres, elongating them and successfully delaying endothelial cell senescence. Endothelial cells serve an …

Simulated Diabetes Testing Experiment Using Artificially Manipulated Livestock Blood, Hollie E. Ables

Honors Theses

Due to the prevalence of diabetes and lack of simple endocrine experiments, a laboratory protocol was developed in order to increase student knowledge of the disease and the diabetic testing process. In this paper, we present the protocol for manipulating the glucose concentration of commercially available bovine blood. The bovine blood was manipulated using Ringer's solution to which glucose was added, and six samples were prepared (pre-prandial and postprandial, normal; pre-prandial and postprandial, pre-diabetic; pre-prandial and postprandial, diabetic). This laboratory exercise provides a physical, hands-on student activity that highlights pancreatic endocrinology and the results of pancreatic malfunction. The laboratory exercise …

The Cooling Effect Of Cryotherapy On Power And Accuracy In The Pitching Arms Of Baseball Players, David Kimble Wilbanks

Honors Theses

As the human body does work, energy is released in the form of heat. The ability to perform the same action repeatedly and at the same intensity requires energy to be maintained. By preserving energy in sports, a reduction of injuries and an increase in performance duration would most likely be observed. More specifically in sports, for 200 years of baseball history, the pitcher has attempted to keep their arm warm during resting intervals of a game, in belief this would help sustain their level of performance. This study attempted to overturn this view. I hypothesized that by cooling their …

Spectroscopic Study Of Charge Transfer Induced Blue Shifting Of Pyrimidine/Water Mixtures On Silver Substrate, Annie Katherine Mcclellan

Honors Theses

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a chemical method gaining much popularity in recent years. With the use of a roughened metal surface or metal nanoparticles, surface plasmon resonances enhance the electromagnetic field allowing for increased Raman signal. Pyrimidine, having two lone pairs of electrons, is capable of charge transfer interactions contributing to a SERS chemical enhancement factor as well. It has recently been reported that hydrogen bonding with water results in the blue-shifting of certain normal modes of pyrimidine. By comparing experimental polarized Raman spectra with the results of electronic structure calculations, the origin of this blue-shifting was found …

The Adverse Effects Periodontal Disease Has On Women, Jennifer Long

Honors Theses

The Adverse Effects Periodontal Diseases Has on Women Periodontal diseases are challenging to define given the number and variety of different oral diseases. This review sought to answer the question: How does a periodontal disease impact a woman throughout the life span? Specifically, this document discussed how, because of the cycling hormones and the effects those hormones have on the different bacteria, women's periodontal diseases differ from men's. Diseases of the mouth were first discovered during the Egyptian period and the information and knowledge about the different diseases advanced as time progressed. From here, non-surgical and surgical treatments were discussed …

Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptor-Mediated Contractility Of Ovine Pulmonary Arteries: Changes With Maturation And Chronic Hypoxia, Dangtue Hu Nguyen

Honors Theses

Pulmonary vasculature tone is mediated by Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptors (mAChR) located on the vascular smooth muscle wall which are responsible for vasoconstriction through the activation of Ca^'*’ dependant intracellular signaling pathways and by the endothelium which is responsible for vasodilation through the generation of Nitric Oxide (NO). The dismption and subsequent loss of the endothelium results in vasoconstriction of pulmonary arteries (PA). This effect is observed in several studies utilizing different animal models. Chronic Hypoxia (CH) has been shown to dismpt the endothelium which in turn alleviates the vasodilatory response associated with acetylcholine (ACh) stimulation. The interplay between smooth muscle …

Antinociceptive Action Of Mitragynine And Its Synthetic Analogs In Mice, La Donna Evette Franklin

Honors Theses

Mitragynine is a major alkaloid extracted from the leaves of the Thai traditional herb, Mitrcigymi speciosa Korth (Rubiaceae). The extracts of this plant have been used as substitutes for opium and recent studies have reported that mitragynine possesses antinociceptive actions mediated via the mu opioid receptors. Nonetheless, structural features of mitragynine do not fit the classical opiate ligands. Thus the primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of mitragynine and its synthetic analogs to determine the molecular basis of mitragynine binding to opioid receptors in order to provide better understanding of the potential therapeutic roles of …

The Expression And Characterization Of Full-Length Prcp In Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, Mubina Aziz Isani

Honors Theses

Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is involved in the conversion of angiotensin II (Ang II, a potent vasoconstrictor) to angiotensin 1-7 and conversion of bradykinin (BK, a vasodilator) to form des Arg9 bradykinin. PRCP converts plasma prekallikrein (PK) to plasma kallikrein when the high molecular weight kininogen (HK) combines with PK, forming the HK-PK complex that binds to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) membranes. Formed kallikrein then liberates BK jfrom HK, which leads to vasodilation. This physiological function is mediated by the BK type 2 receptor in the G protein-coupled receptor family. The balance between BK production and Ang II inactivation is …

The Effects Of P53 Status And Egf On Timp-2 And Other Proteins Related To Migration In Human Glioblastoma Cell Cultures, Lisa M. Lint

Honors Theses

The effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on proteins that have been implicated in the migration of the Grade IV brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme, were investigated in this study. Differential expression levels of TIMP-2, MMP-2, and MT1-MMP in response to EGF treatment were compared by immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting. This study involved two different cultured glioma cell lines, U87, which expresses wild-type p53, and T98, which has a mutation in the p53 gene, in order to determine if the status of the p53 tumor suppression gene is a factor in the regulation of proteins involved in this migration pathway. It was …

Sigma Receptor Modulation Of Intracellular Calcium In Smooth Muscle, Katy Anna Grisham

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Physiological Arousal On Measures Of Upper Extremity Position Sense In Healthy Young Adults, Melissa Angelique Parker

Honors Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of physiological arousal on the ability to perceive upper extremity position in healthy young adults. Heart rate measurements and blood pressure measurements were taken at pre-established intervals during data collection. Pre-stressor and post-stressor upper extremity trials were also recorded. Twenty participants, 12 females and 8 males, with a mean age of 22.3 (20 33) years comprised the experimental sample. Participants in the experimental sample underwent a combination of the Stroop color-word task and simple math problems to produce a state of arousal and were pre and post tested for upper …

The Importance Of Understanding How The Underlying Principles Of Decompression Theory Apply Differently To Dive Computers Than To Dive Tables, Matthew R. Taitt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Western Michigan University Occupational Therapy Department Web Page, Holly Pietrzak, Melissa Byrne

Honors Theses

Website designed for WMU's Occupational Therapy department.

Increasing Attendance At Voluntary Academic Tutoring Sessions On A Large University, Meghan Sadler

Honors Theses

High attrition rates have become an impetus for colleges and universities to develop programs to help students during the first years of their education. Various services such as supplemental instruction, tutoring, testing, counseling, college success seminars, and remedial help are offered to help students be successful in their university studies. While these services may be offered, encouraging students to voluntarily attend these sessions is a problem. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of prompts on improving the attendance at voluntary content tutoring sessions at a large Midwestern University. The participants were college students enrolled in any course that …

Fighting Aids With Holistic Weapons: An Integrated Approach, Tom Goodwin

Honors Theses

The current AIDS epidemic has changed the way we view the world as well as our society as a whole. Diseases have ravaged humanity since the dawn of time, so what makes AIDS so much different from every other disease encountered by man? One reason is its transmission method. We know that HIV passes from person to person via blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. Most people that suffer from this disease contract it during sex, during intravenous drug use, or during a blood transfusion. Early accounts of HIV disease occurred in minority groups, namely homosexual men. This may have bee …