Digital Commons Network^™

Energy Expenditure In Humans: Principles, Methods, And Changes Throughout The Life Course, Rodrigo Fernández-Verdejo, Guillermo Sanchez-Delgado, Eric Ravussin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Humans require energy to sustain their daily activities throughout their lives. This narrative review aims to (a) summarize principles and methods for studying human energy expenditure, (b) discuss the main determinants of energy expenditure, and (c) discuss the changes in energy expenditure throughout the human life course. Total daily energy expenditure is mainly composed of resting energy expenditure, physical activity energy expenditure, and the thermic effect of food. Total daily energy expenditure and its components are estimated using variations of the indirect calorimetry method. The relative contributions of organs and tissues determine the energy expenditure under different physiological conditions. Evidence …

18th Asian Federation Of Sports Medicine Congress Cum 8th Isn International Sports Medicine & Sports Science Conference, Asian Federation Of Sports Medicine

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Embryotoxicity Of Chemotherapeutic Agents Tested Using Engineered Cardiac Organoids, Meng Chai

Theses - ALL

Medication use during pregnancy presents complex considerations due to its potential for causing congenital malformations and its implications for maternal and fetal health. With approximately 90% of pregnant women consuming at least one pharmaceutical agent, there is a critical need for comprehensive developmental toxicity screening, particularly for cancer treatments during pregnancy. Pluripotent stem cell (PSC) models, specifically iPSC-derived organoids, offer promising approaches for assessing drug toxicity and efficacy during pregnancy. This study introduces an embryotoxicity screening platform using biomaterial-engineered 3D cardiac organoids created through micropatterning techniques. The platform aims to characterize the response of six pharmaceutical agents across pregnancy risk …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Effects On Delinquency, Katherine Lank

Master of Arts in Human Services

Youth involved in delinquent acts are seen interacting with the juvenile justice system at an alarming rate. Adverse childhood experiences influence the development of behavior and chances of taking risks. Children who grow up in a household with an unfit parent, substance abuse, or mental health disorders are seen turning to delinquent acts for gratification. This can have a higher chance of poor educational performance, unemployment, increased law enforcement interactions, and long-term mental and physical disabilities. Searching literature consisted of finding external factors and their control on brain development and future adult behaviors. Research was conducted on the school-to-prison pipeline, …

Characterization Of Cd11c-Expressing Gut-Associated T Cells, Ana Cvetkovic

Master's Theses

Our immune system is a remarkable defense network that protects our bodies from a range of threats. Its’ intricate machinery comprises of messenger and effector cells that work together to coordinate an effective immune response. Traditionally, T lymphocytes have been considered effectors: they receive instructions from messengers, known as Antigen Presenting Cells (APCs), that alter T-cell activation state and behavior. In the gut, Dendritic Cells (DCs) are the APCs that most often instruct T cells. To accomplish their messenger role, DCs express CD11c at high levels, a surface marker involved in cell-to-cell signaling and phagocytosis. As such, CD11c expression has …

Metabolism And Thermogenesis In The Hibernating Arctic Ground Squirrel, Moriah M. Hunstiger

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Arctic Ground Squirrels (AGS) tolerate up to eight months of fasting, inactivity, and large fluctuations in body mass. AGS utilize their fat stores Fat stores, which account for 25-50% of the total body mass, as a fuel source through the hibernation season to maintain a heterothermic body temperature pattern. Body temperature covers a 42°C range, requiring tight regulation to ensure survival. There are two main groupings of heat production that contribute or may contribute to temperature regulation: shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). The latter includes uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and sarcolipin (SLN) uncoupling of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA). …

The Effects Of High Fat Diet On Lipid Deposition In Skeletal Muscle, Alexander Huss

Theses and Dissertations

By the year 2030, almost 50% of adults in the United States are expected to be obese. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk of several chronic metabolic diseases, several cancers, and is associated with impaired skeletal muscle function and metabolism. Despite this, little it is known about the role of altered muscle lipid homeostasis, lipid droplet dynamics, and lipid droplet-mitochondrial interactions in contributing to muscle dysfunction in obesity. Therefore, we sought to investigate the impact of high-fat diet induced obesity on overall skeletal muscle lipid deposition, intramyocellular lipid droplet content and morphology, and lipid droplet-mitochondrial contact. Male C57/BL6 …

Corneal Epithelial Tissue Engineering Approaches To Treat Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency, Sasirekha K

Theses and Dissertations

A clear healthy cornea is essential for visual acuity. As a self-renewing and regenerating tissue, the corneal epithelium has a stem cell pool, the limbus that acts as its proliferative reservoir. When limbal epithelial stem cells are destroyed or become dysfunctional, a pathological state known as limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) manifests. Damaged corneas have been successfully reconstructed by transplanting the cultured limbal epithelial stem cells. Limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT) is one of the applicable and most challenging procedures in clinical ophthalmology for the reconstruction of the stratified ocular surface epithelium in patients with LSCD. Given the above challenge, …

The Experiences Of Christian School Educators In The Midwest Who Practice Consistent Prayer: A Phenomenological Study, Noemi Blig

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences, especially those related to the practice of consistent prayer and their decisions to remain in the profession, of educators in Christian schools in the Midwest. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as it shows how all individuals have basic needs that must be met. Teachers have individual needs that influence their decision to remain in the profession. The central research question asked: What are the experiences of Christian school educators who practice consistent prayer? A qualitative research study was appropriate for this topic since it …

Exploring The Role Of Rb1 In Cellular Differentiation Using Patient-Derived Stem Cells, Ambily Vincent

Theses and Dissertations

The Retinoblastoma (RB1) gene, predominantly recognized as a tumour suppressor, plays a crucial role in early growth and development. Mice lacking the retinoblastoma gene do not survive and exhibit defects in the differentiation of various tissues, underscoring its involvement in cellular differentiation. This suggests that the functions of the RB1 gene extend beyond its role as a tumour suppressor, encompassing cell cycle regulation, maintenance of genomic stability, cellular senescence, and cellular differentiation.

While the tumour suppressor function of the RB1 has been extensively studied, its role in cellular differentiation remains incompletely understood. Existing literature, primarily based on animal models, has …

Loss Of Transient Receptor Potential Channel 5 Causes Obesity And Postpartum Depression, Yongxiang Li, Tessa M Cacciottolo, Na Yin, Yang He, Hesong Liu, Hailan Liu, Yuxue Yang, Elana Henning, Julia M Keogh, Katherine Lawler, Edson Mendes De Oliveira, Eugene J Gardner, Katherine A Kentistou, Panayiotis Laouris, Rebecca Bounds, Ken K Ong, John R B Perry, Inês Barroso, Longlong Tu, Jonathan C Bean, Meng Yu, Kristine M Conde, Mengjie Wang, Olivia Ginnard, Xing Fang, Lydia Tong, Junying Han, Tia Darwich, Kevin W Williams, Yongjie Yang, Chunmei Wang, Shelagh Joss, Helen V Firth, Yong Xu, I Sadaf Farooqi

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Hypothalamic neural circuits regulate instinctive behaviors such as food seeking, the fight/flight response, socialization, and maternal care. Here, we identified microdeletions on chromosome Xq23 disrupting the brain-expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) channel 5 (TRPC5). This family of channels detects sensory stimuli and converts them into electrical signals interpretable by the brain. Male TRPC5 deletion carriers exhibited food seeking, obesity, anxiety, and autism, which were recapitulated in knockin male mice harboring a human loss-of-function TRPC5 mutation. Women carrying TRPC5 deletions had severe postpartum depression. As mothers, female knockin mice exhibited anhedonia and depression-like behavior with impaired care of offspring. Deletion of …

The Prevalence Of Stress Fractures And The Associated Leaf-Q Responses, Self-Reported Exercise Volume And Dietary Behaviors In Female Recreational Runners, Malorie Wilwand, Kelly Pritchett, Marissa Miles, Robert Pritchett, Abigail Larson

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(2): 1092-1104, 2024. Previous research suggests a high prevalence of low energy availability (LEA) and stress fractures (SF) among competitive female endurance athletes. However, much less is known about these issues among recreational female runners. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and number of self-reported SF and risk of LEA among noncompetitive, recreationally active female runners, aged 18 – 25 years. Additionally, it compared characteristics between females with a history of multiple SF vs. one or no SF, and between those ‘at risk’ vs. ‘not at risk’ of LEA. Female recreational runners (n=485) completed …

Effects Of E-Cigarettes On The Lung And Systemic Metabolome In People With Hiv, Aline Zaparte, Courtney J. Christopher, Connie Arnold, Lauren Richey, Adairre Castille, Kyle Mistretta, Christopher M. Taylor, Huiyi Lin, Steve Nelson, John P. Kirwan, John W. Apolzan, Shawn R. Campagna, David A. Welsh

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The popularity of e-cigarettes (vaping) has soared, creating a public health crisis among teens and young adults. Chronic vaping can induce gut inflammation and reduce intestinal barrier function through the production of the proinflammatory molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This is particularly concerning for people with HIV (PWH) as they already face impaired immune function and are at a higher risk for metabolic dysregulation, diabetes, and chronic liver disease. Furthermore, PWH experience unhealthy behaviors, making it crucial to understand the systemic metabolic dysregulation and pathophysiological mechanisms associated with vaping in this population. Here, we employed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics to …

Investigating The Effects Of Visual Feedback On Muscle Activity, Heart Rate, Rpe, And Perceptions Of Performance In Ballet Dancers, Lilah A. Duboff, Sarah Dipasquale, Stephen Ives

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(1): 1056-1067, 2024. Extreme postures and imbalances in neuromuscular activity may place classical ballet dancers at higher risk of injury. Dance studio mirrors provide visual feedback by which a dancer can self-correct their body position and alignment, but have been suggested to negatively impact kinesthetic abilities and decrease performance capabilities. Thus, we investigated the effects of a mirror on muscle activity of the quadriceps, heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and qualitative performance. A lack of visual feedback would increase muscle activity of the quadriceps, HR, and RPE, and decrease self-reported perception of …

Effects Of E-Cigarettes On The Lung And Systemic Metabolome In People With Hiv, Aline Zaparte, Courtney J. Christopher, Connie Arnold, Lauren Richey, Adairre Castille, Kyle Mistretta, Christopher M. Taylor, Huiyi Lin, Steve Nelson, John P. Kirwan, John W. Apolzan, Shawn R. Campagna, David A. Welsh

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The popularity of e-cigarettes (vaping) has soared, creating a public health crisis among teens and young adults. Chronic vaping can induce gut inflammation and reduce intestinal barrier function through the production of the proinflammatory molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This is particularly concerning for people with HIV (PWH) as they already face impaired immune function and are at a higher risk for metabolic dysregulation, diabetes, and chronic liver disease. Furthermore, PWH experience unhealthy behaviors, making it crucial to understand the systemic metabolic dysregulation and pathophysiological mechanisms associated with vaping in this population. Here, we employed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics to …

Serum Levels Of Zinc, Folate, And Vitamin B12 In Healthy Children Aged 3-12 Months: Is Routine Screening Necessary?, Furkan Kalayci, Metin Yigit

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To retrospectively assess the serum levels of zinc, folate, and vitamin B12 in healthy children aged between 3-12 months. Methods: This study includes healthy children aged between 3-12 months who presented to the pediatric outpatient clinics of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, between January 2020 and July 2022. The levels of serum zinc, folate, and vitamin B12 were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Of the 495 patients enrolled in our study, 248 (50.1%) were female. The median age of the patients was 10 (range: 7-12) months. Zinc deficiency was detected in 24 (4.8%) patients, and vitamin B12 deficiency was found …

Exploring Chronic Stress, Avoidance Coping, And Diurnal Cortisol In Head And Neck Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study Of Best Practices In Diurnal Cortisol Sampling., Brooks R. Harbison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chronic stress, especially those prone to avoidance coping. Research in the general population has linked these effects to aberrant diurnal cortisol. However, the current literature on cancer patients has shown inconsistent results in associations between chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol, possibly due to inconsistent cortisol sampling practices. This pilot study of head and neck cancer patients aimed to address this gap in the literature by implementing best cortisol sampling practices to investigate the links among chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol slope, average bedtime cortisol, and average wake …

Derogatory, Racist, And Discriminatory Speech (Drds) In Video Gaming, Sean Woodford

Dissertations

Video games have been examined for their effects on cognition, learning, health, and physiological arousal, yet research on social dynamics within video gaming is limited. Studies have documented the presence of derogation, racism, and discrimination in this anonymous medium. However, gamers‟ firsthand experiences are typically examined qualitatively. Thus, this study aimed to establish a quantitative baseline for the frequency of derogatory, racist, and discriminatory speech (DRDS) in gaming. DRDS frequency, sexual harassment, and hate speech measures were administered to 150 individuals from online forums and social media groups. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to gauge which factors affected DRDS …

Optimization Of Mass Spectrometry-Based Methods For Low-Input And Spatial Proteomics, Andikan Jones Nwosu

Theses and Dissertations

Eukaryotic cells are highly heterogeneous. These cells are arranged into different compartments, carrying out separate functions and facilitating biological processes. Proteins are the effector biomolecules targeted to subcellular locations that help fulfill specific tasks in living organisms. Spatial proteomics can help unravel molecularly how protein abundance and localization are altered in cells, which is not feasible in traditional bulk-scale proteomics. To achieve this, our lab has developed a miniaturized sample processing platform called nanoPOTS, reduced separation columns' inner diameter to increase ionization efficiency and concentrate analytes for mass spectrometers and optimized data acquisition modes for increasing proteome coverage in spatial …

The Protagonist Of Contemporary And Emerging Nanotechnology-Based Theranostics And Therapeutic Approaches In Reshaping Intensive Care Unit, Ling Xie, Yun Chen

Saudi Medical Journal

To maintain a clean and hygienic environment in the intensive care unit (ICU) is crucial for ensuring patient safety, preventing infections, and reducing healthcare-associated complications. With the increasing prevalence of infections and the emergence of viral and bacterial resistance to standard antiseptics, there is a pressing need for innovative antiseptic solutions. Nanotechnology is increasingly being employed in medicine, particularly focusing on mitigating the activities of various pathogens, including those associated with hospital-acquired infections. This paper explores the current impact of nanotechnology, with a particular focus on bacterial infections and SARS-CoV-2, which significantly strain healthcare systems, and then discusses how nanotechnology …

Placental Co-Transcriptional Activator Vestigial-Like 1 (Vgll1) Drives Tumorigenesis Via Increasing Transcription Of Proliferation And Invasion Genes, Heather Sonnemann

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Vestigial-like 1 (VGLL1) is a co-transcriptional activator that binds to TEA domain containing transcription factors (TEADs). Its expression is upregulated in a variety of aggressive cancer types, including pancreatic and basal-like breast cancer, and increased transcription of VGLL1 is strongly correlated with poor prognosis and decreased overall patient survival. In normal tissues, VGLL1 is most highly expressed within placental trophoblast cells, which share the common attributes of rapid cellular proliferation and invasion with tumor cells. The impact of VGLL1 in cancer has not been fully elucidated and no VGLL1-targeted therapy currently exists. The aim of this study was to evaluate …

The Role Of An Ultraconserved Long Non-Coding Rna In B-Cell Lymphomagenesis, Swati Mohapatra

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ultraconserved regions (UCRs) are genomic segments with perfect (100%) conservation between the orthologous regions of human, rat, and mouse genomes. UCRs can be transcribed into mono-exonic long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) known as transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs). These regions, despite lacking protein-coding potential, are increasingly recognized for their regulatory roles in gene expression, including the modulation of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcripts. NcRNAs play crucial roles in cellular processes, including oncogenic transformation, with emerging evidence revealing their ability to encode small peptides known as ncRNA-encoded peptides (ncPEPs). These peptides, originating from small open reading frames (smORFs), contribute to diverse cellular functions and …

Predicting Individual Hiking Trail Intensity Using Statistical Learning, Kelci Hannan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Hiking is an increasingly popular choice for people wanting to engage in recreation and physical activity. It not only offers the many benefits of exercise but also the opportunity to explore nature and to socialize. To ensure that new hikers are prepared to hike and remain safe while on the trail, knowledge of a hiking trail's difficulty is important. Trail difficulty information is sometimes available at the trailhead if the trail is well-trafficked and maintained but is nearly always available online or through a hiking-specific mobile application, such as AllTrails. Both trailhead and online sources provide only one difficulty rating …

Development Of 3d Human Cardiovascular And Cancer Tissue Model Within A Self-Driven Microfluidic Platform For Preclinical Drug Screening, Aibhlin Alexis Esparza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

According to the American Heart Association and World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Monolayer cell culture (2D) and animal models are conventional methods to study CVDs, however, they limit researcherâ??s ability to simulate the human cardiovascular cellular microenvironments and accurate predication of pharmaceutical drug responses. Human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), biomaterials, and microfluidic technologies can be combined to create a controlled, reproducible 3D platform to study physiologically-relevant cellular responses to biochemical and physical changes in the microenvironment. My dissertation work demonstrates the development of novel self-driven microfluidic devices designed with …

Student Perceptions And Academic Performance When Taught With Multiple Active Learning Methods In A High Enrollment Undergraduate Human Physiology Course, Kate Ireton Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When instructing very large groups of students in science, it can be difficult to engage all students in the content and measure their understanding. A major unaddressed challenge in science instruction is how specifically to design and implement strategies that engender active learning particularly in high-enrollment undergraduate courses. Active learning, which represents a diverse set of strategies, may include student engagement as part of instruction through discussions, active movement, and application (Bernstein, 2018; Cavanagh, et al. 2016; Michael, 2006 & Wilke, 2003). This study was designed to provide data addressing the gap in the literature regarding how the continual implementation …

The Effects Of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation On Excitability Of The Primary Motor Cortices And Complex Motor Task Learning, Erik Woodruff Wilkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) are promising non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, particularly for clinical applications involving altered or impaired motor function, such as in stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Although tDCS and tACS are different modalities, both forms of stimulation operate on the same principle - weak electrical currents are delivered through electrodes placed on the scalp in specific configurations known as “montages”. The most commonly used montage for targeting the primary motor cortex (M1) is the M1-SO configuration. This montage leverages the established observation that cortical regions directly beneath the anode generally increase in …

Effects Of Hypoxia On Monocyte Differentiation And Macrophage Specification During Ischemic Heart Injury, Farid Faridovich Kadyrov

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial infarction (MI) occurs following cessation of blood flow to an area of the heart and leads to ischemia, cardiomyocyte death, and inflammation. Chronically, MI initiates a compensatory process referred to as left ventricular remodeling, which is characterized by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and a decline in heart function. Left ventricular remodeling is central to the pathogenesis of heart failure. During myocardial infarction, Ly6chigh CCR2+ monocytes enter the heart and differentiate into a variety of macrophage populations including inflammatory CCR2+ macrophages. Resident cardiac macrophages are also present within the heart at homeostasis. Previous research from several groups has shown that once …

Systematic Review Of Factors Related To Pm2.5 Exposure On The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Rifka Putri Salma, Laila Fitria

Kesmas

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem in many countries, and most of them are type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Air pollution is thought to contribute to the T2DM incidence, and one of the most important pollutants is PM2.5. This study aimed to determine factors related to PM2.5 exposure and individual factors in increasing the risk of T2DM based on a systematic review. The PRISMA was used as a method of data collection and selection. Of 176 relevant articles identified and screened, 12 articles from various countries published in 2013-2021 were synthesized in this study. Results showed that long-term …

Multimodal Cell Complex Neural Networks For Prediction Of Multiple Drug Side Effects Severity And Frequency, Mustafa Hajij, Ghada Alzamzmi, Nina Miolane

USF Patents

A method for predicting side effects of a combination of drugs administered concurrently includes training a multi-modal cell complex neural network (MCXN) on a dataset. The MCXN includes nodes representing the drugs and proteins, pair-wise relationships between nodes representing interactions between pairs of drugs and/or proteins, and k-wise relationships between the nodes representing interactions between k drugs and/or proteins, where k¿2. The training dataset includes a list of drugs, a list of proteins, and pharmacological information about the drugs in the list of drugs and proteins in the list of proteins. A specification of the combination of at least three …

10-H2da Coating On Polyvinyl Chloride Catheter Biomaterials For Prevention Of Candida-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Jermiah Tate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Urinary catheters made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are susceptible to microbial biofilm formation. 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-H2DA) is a dispersal signaling molecule that inhibits biofilm and planktonic growth of microorganisms. This study hypothesized that coating PVC with 10-H2DA would inhibit planktonic and biofilm-associated Candida albicans. Interactions of the PVC and 10-H2DA molecules were analyzed using Video Contact Angle (VCA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Successful coating of PVC with 10-H2DA was demonstrated through a significantly lowered contact angle and FTIR peaks in regions indicative of the 10-H2DA on the surface of PVC. Elution data displays a burst …