Biology Commons^™

Electromyographic Comparison Of Internal And External Obliques Using A Modified Version Of Kendall's Strength Test Positions For Upper And Lower Abdominals, Rebecca A. Currier, Margie L. Johnson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the activity of the internal obliques (upper abdominals) versus the external obliques (lower abdominals) during a modified version of Kendall's upper and lower abdominal strength tests using surface electromyography on adults. The study was not correlated to Kendall's theory due to the necessity to have the internal oblique electrode placed on the anterior abdomen. Twenty-four women and sixteen men participated in the study. All subjects were taught two positions ("easy" and "hard") for both abdominal tests and performed eight trials. A normalized ratio was generated by dividing one "hard" trial by the …

Communities Of Cloacal Bacteria In Tree Swallow Families, Michael P. Lombardo, Patrick A. Thorpe, R. Cichewicz, M. Henshaw, C. Millard, C. Steen, T. K. Zeller

Peer Reviewed Publications

Our aim in this study was to survey the communities of bacteria found in the cloacae of adult and nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), determine if there were familial patterns of prevalence, and determine if there were relationships between bacteria loads and nestling size when 12 days old and fledging success.

Comparison Of The Effects Of Aerobic Dance To Water Aerobic Training On Maximal Oxygen Consumption, Terri L. Bedford, Tamara A. Dusterwinkle, Darcy J. Hoppman

Masters Theses

Water aerobics is one mode of exercise that is gaining popularity. Water aerobics allows adults who participate in an exercise program to improve their cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this study was to determine if water aerobic training is as effective as land dance aerobic training in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary healthy adults. Eighteen subjects participated in this study; nine in dance aerobics and nine in water aerobics. Before and after eight weeks of training, subjects performed a graded maximal exercise test on a Schwinn Air-Dyne while maximal oxygen uptake was measured via a Beckman Metabolic Cart. ANCOVA was …

The Nutritional Knowledge, Food Choices, And Exercise Habits Of Students At Langston University, Preston Solomon

McCabe Thesis Collection

The nutritional knowledge, food choice, and exercise habits of an individual determine his or her overall health and life expectancy. Information on these topics enables nutrition educators to develop strategies to improve knowledge and to tailor educational efforts which affect a large number of persons. Poor health in America today is an ever present reality. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, renal diseases, and pulmonary diseases are causes of death related in part to lack of nutritional knowledge and poor eating and exercise habits. A few of these diseases are chronic in nature and are the most deadly.

The …

Dynamic Diseases In Neurology And Psychiatry, John Milton, Deborah Black

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Thirty-two (32) periodic diseases of the nervous system are identified in which symptoms and/or signs recur. In 10/32, the recurrence of a symptom complex is one of the defining features of the illness, whereas in 22/32 oscillatory signs occur in the setting of an ongoing nervous system disorder. We discuss the possibility that these disorders may be dynamic diseases.

Dynamical Disease: Identification, Temporal Aspects And Treatment Strategies For Human Illness, Jacques Bélair, Leon Glass, Uwe An Der Heiden, John Milton

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Dynamical diseases are characterized by sudden changes in the qualitative dynamics of physiological processes, leading to abnormal dynamics and disease. Thus, there is a natural matching between the mathematical field of nonlinear dynamics and medicine. This paper summarizes advances in the study of dynamical disease with emphasis on a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada in February 1994. We describe the international effort currently underway to identify dynamical diseases and to study these diseases from a perspective of nonlinear dynamics. Linear and nonlinear time series analysis combined with analysis of bifurcations in dynamics are being used …

The Relationship Among Isokinetic Knee Parameters And Three Functional Tests, Kristen Brinks, Ronda Delong, Tanya Stout

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between knee strength and endurance, as tested by the Biodex{dollar}\sp\circler{dollar} isokinetic system, and the lateral step-up, cross-over hop for distance, and triple hop for distance. Subjects included 20 males and 30 females aged 21-40 years with no history of low back, hip, knee, or ankle injury that was treated by a physician. Bilateral knee flexion and extension strength, power, and endurance was measured at 60, 180 and 300 degrees/second with the hip extended and flexed 115{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar}. Isokinetic data were normalized to body weight and correlated to hop distance which was …

Normal Kinetic Patterns Of The Lower Extremities During Natural Walking In Children Aged Six To Ten, Thomas Ellexson, Christopher Nawrocki, Darrin Schober

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to initiate a normative pediatric three-dimensional lower extremity kinetic database specific to the Mary Free Bed Hospital/Grand Valley State University Center for Human Kinetic Studies. Twenty healthy children (eleven girls and nine boys) with a mean age of 7.9 years volunteered for this study. Lower extremity kinetic data were obtained using a computerized three-dimensional motion analysis system coupled with a force plate. Kinematic and kinetic data were pooled and mean/standard deviations at each one percent of the gait cycle were determined for the twenty normative children. Results of the pediatric kinetic data were similar …

The Effects Of Partial Unweighting On Hemiplegic Gait, Natasha A. Creaser, Michael W. Jones

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effects of 30% body weight support on gait in two individuals with hemiplegia secondary to stroke. Two subjects with right hemiplegia were tested. Each completed four trials, two full weight bearing and two unweighted 30%, in random order. Each trial consisted of walking six meters on a treadmill at the subjects' self-selected speed. Temporal distance data were collected via Stride Analyzer footswitches. Subjects were also videotaped from the side during all trials. We expected velocity, cadence, stride length, uninvolved limb swing time, and involved limb stance time to increase with unweighting. Subjects 1's results agreed only …

The Effect Of Family Participation On The Outcome Of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury In Rehabilitation, Grant Middleton, Brett Ransom

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between physical therapists' perceptions and institutional policies relating to family participation in rehabilitation and rehabilitation outcome of patients with traumatic brain injury. Utilizing surveys, we collected information about institutional policy from institutions that were members of the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in the Midwestern United States. Thirteen institutional surveys provided usable Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores for patients rehabilitated in 1993, which were used as the outcome measure. The therapists' perceptions survey (n = 104) gathered data about the belief of physical therapists relating to family involvement …

Daughter Cells Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae From Old Mothers Display A Reduced Life Span, Nicanor Austriaco, Brian K. Kennedy, Leonard Guarente

Biology Faculty Publications

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae typically divides asymmetrically to give a large mother cell and a smaller daughter cell. As mother cells become old, they enlarge and produce daughter cells that are larger than daughters derived from young mother cells. We found that occasional daughter cells were indistinguishable in size from their mothers, giving rise to a symmetric division. The frequency of symmetric divisions became greater as mother cells aged and reached a maximum occurrence of 30% in mothers undergoing their last cell division. Symmetric divisions occurred similarly in rad9 and ste12 mutants. Strikingly, daughters from old mothers, whether they arose …

Effects Of Furosemide And Oleic Acid On Thyroxine Binding To Isolated Pairs Of Thyroxine Binding Serum Proteins, Deborah Hustead

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dosage dependent binding inhibition and redistribution of thyroxine (T₄) between three pairs of thyroxine binding serum proteins, TBG-TTR, TBG-albumin and TTR-albumin, by furosemide (0.0 to 1.0 mol/L) and oleic acid (0.0 to 0.10 mol/L) were studied using equilibrium dialysis with purified binding proteins at concentrations 1/200 of levels in normal human sera, separated across the dialysis membrane and competing for T₄.

Furosemide (1.0 mol/L) reduced TBG bound T₄ in both the TBG-TTR system and TBG-albumin system (>90% decrease) and inhibited T₄ binding to TTR in the TTR-albumin system (68% decrease) and to albumin …

A Physical Map Of The Klebsiella Pneumoniae M5a1 Genome, Alexandrine Randriamahefa

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an enteric opportunistic pathogen which commonly causes pulmonary, urinary tract and kidney infections. It has also been widely used for the study of nitrogen fixation. In this study, a macrorestriction map of K. pneumoniae M5a1 chromosomal DNA was constructed using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and Southern hybridization techniques. The genome DNA was digested with two rare cutting restriction enzymes (XbaI and BlnI) and the genome size was estimated from the sum of the fragment sizes as 5,121 Kb (+2.8%). A tentative order of fragments was deduced using Southern hybridization with purified restriction fragments. …

The Effect Of High Intensity Exercise Training Verses Low Intensity Exercise Training On Fractionated Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Teresa L. Spate

Masters Theses

Exercise training is thought to result in an elevation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the cardioprotective subfraction HDL{dollar}\sb2{dollar}. Twenty-five healthy women (39 {dollar}\pm{dollar} 7.8 yrs; 70 {dollar}\pm{dollar} 14 kg) walked two miles three times per week for 12 weeks to examine the effect of exercise intensity on the HDL profile. The L.I. group (N = 12) walked at 60% of the heart rate reserve (HRR) and the H.I. group (N = 13) walked at 80% HRR both maintaining the prescribed distance and frequency. A 22% increase in total HDL (from 32 {dollar}\pm{dollar} 6 to 39 {dollar}\pm{dollar} 8 mg/dl) and a …

Cryptococcus Neoformans Serotype Groups Found In Clinical And Environmental Isolates, John Clauson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast responsible for severe meningoencephalitis. The importance of epidemiological studies on cryptococcosis has increased since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. C. neoformans exists in two varieties containing four serotypes, C. neoformans var. neoformans (serotypes A and D) and C. neoformans var. gattii (serotypes B and C). Locally C. neoformans var. neoformans has been associated with pigeon feces during those months having an average temperature of 64.2°F j(17.8°C) and above. Clinical and environmental isolates of C. neoformans obtained from regional hospitals and environmental samplings, respectively, have been grouped into their variety status utilizing canavanine-glycine-bromthymol blue …

Modulation Of Rat Hepatic S9-Dependent Mutagenesis, Dna Binding, And Metabolism Of Aflatoxin B1 And Benzo[A]Pyrene By Four Chinese Medicinal Herbs, Brian Yuen Yau Wong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Extracts of the herbs Oldenlandia diffusa (OD) and Scutellaria barbata (SB) have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating liver, lung and rectal tumors while extracts of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Ligustrum lucidum (LL) are often used as adjuncts in cancer therapy. In this study, we determined the effects of aqueous extracts of these four herbs on aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol (BaP 7,8-DHD) and benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)-induced mutagenesis, mediated by enzymes in rat hepatic 9000 x g supernatant (S9), in Salmonella typhimurium TA100. We also studied the effects of these four herbs on …

The Ratio Of Heinz Body Formation In Different Hemoglobin Zurich Subjects, Yenya Hu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hemoglobin Zurich is a hemoglobin anomaly that results when one amino acid (histidine) is substituted by arginine at position 63 in the beta chain of hemoglobin molecules [β 63 His—Arg]. When Hemoglobin Zurich individuals are exposed to sulfonamide medication, their hemoglobins denature and subsequently form Heinz bodies which attach to the surface of the plasma membrane.

Four Hemoglobin Zurich family members were the subjects of the current study. They included a splenectomized female subject, non-splenectomized female and male subjects, and a non-splenectomized female member without Hemoglobin Zurich as the control. The results collaborate that splenectomy increases the number of erythrocytes …

Revival Of Metabolism In Rehydrated Marasmius Oreades, Lorie J. Warren

Honors Theses, 1963-2015

Mushrooms from the genus Marasmius have the ability to revive -- viz., dried specimens regain their original shape when moistened. The purpose of this study was to determine if the basidiocarps are metabolically active upon revival or whether they simply absorb moisture like a sponge. The reduction of tetrazolium chloride to a red, water-insoluble formazan pigment was used as a measure of respiratory activity. Basidiocarp samples were incubated in a phosphate buffer containing 1% tetrasolium chloride. After a suitable period, the samples were extracted with MeOH to remove any formazan pigment and the absorbance measured at 530 nm. Fresh M. …

Osteoinductivity Of Demineralized Bone: A Quantitative In Vitro Assessment, Yihong Zheng

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Acid demineralized bone (DMB) implanted in extraosseous sites induces bone formation. In vivo studies have shown that DMB stimulates the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteogenic cells. In this study an in vitro system was developed to demonstrate the osteoinductivity of DMB quantitatively. This in vitro working system was used to assess the osteoinductivity of variously processed DMB products as a means to evaluate their processing protocols. A human dermal fibroblastic (HDF) cell line was initiated from tissue explants as a working model, along with a human periosteal (HPO) cell line as a control. Ground DMB processed by LifeNet Transplant …

The Effects Of Glutathione On Human Keratinocyte, Manisha N. Trivedi

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Cultured human keratinocytes were grown in vitro to assess the effects of glutathione, a thiol, on human keratinocyte proliferation. Single keratinocytes were harvested from newborn (greater than 5 days old) foreskin and were grown in culture flasks such that experiments could be performed in approximately 2 to 3 weeks. In order to evaluate the effects of glutathione (GSH) on keratinocyte growth, experiments were performed to determine the growth curve, plating efficiency, and incorporation of radiolabelled thymidine. Growth studies, performed with different concentrations of glutathione, revealed that 0.065 μM was the most effective concentration when compared to control cell cultures, and …

Patterns Of Hydroxyproline Excretion In Ovariectomized And Estrogen Treated Rats, Gregg Horras

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

If nuclear binding sites for estrogens exist in bone cells, then the origin of estrogen-deficiency-induced osteopenia may be at the level of bone matrix protein synthesis. Since collagen is the most abundant protein in the bone matrix, and since hydroxyproline is an imino acid nearly exclusive to collagen, a monitoring of the metabolism of hydroxyproline in ovariectomized and estrogen treated rats may provide insight into the patterns of estrogen-deficiency-induced osteopenia. The purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that ovariectomy will increase urinary hydroxyproline excretion in the rat and that this increase will be reversed by estrogen treatment …

Assessment Of Lipid Extraction From Human Bone On Subsequent Demineralization, Jaeeun Lee

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of various solvents m removal of lipids from human bone, and to determine the effects of lipid extraction on subsequent acid solubilization of the mineral components of bone. Specifically, the following processing steps were studied; 1) ground human bone was de fatted in various ethanol / water mixtures, and / or chloroform / methanol ( 2: 1, v:v ), 2) ground human bone which had lipids extracted ( in absolute ethanol ) and bone which had not had lipids extracted were demineralized using vanous concentrations of hydrochloric acid to assess …

Electrophysiology, Cell Calcium, And Mechanisms Of Hepatocyte Volume Regulation, Walid E. Khalbuss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The electrophysiologic technique (Reuss, L., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:6014, 1985) was modified to measure changes in steady-state hepatocyte volume during osmotic stress. Hepatocytes in mouse liver slices were loaded with tetramethylammonium ion (TMA$\sp{+}$) during transient exposure of cells to nystatin. Intracellular TMA$\sp{+}$ activity (a$\sp{\rm i}\sb{\rm TMA}$) was measured with TMA$\sp{+}$-sensitive, double-barreled microelectrodes. Loading hepatocytes with TMA$\sp{+}$ did not change their membrane potential (V$\sb{\rm m}$), and under steady-state conditions a$\sp{\rm i}\sb{\rm TMA}$ remained constant over 4 min in single impalements. Hyperosmotic solutions (50, 100, & 150 mM sucrose added to media) and hyposmotic solutions (sucrose in media reduced by …

Methionine Metabolism In Fasciola Hepatica, Carol Theresa Ayer

Dissertations and Theses

5'-Deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) is derived from s-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) during the synthesis of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. Methionine can be regenerated from MTA by one of two mechanisms. In mammalian cells and some microorganisms, MTA is degraded to adenine and 5-methylthioribose-1-phosphate (MTR-1-P) via MTA phosphorylase. In certain other microbes, however, MTA is catabolized in two steps; first to adenine and 5-methylthioribose (MTR) via MTA nucleosidase followed by conversion of MTR to MTR-1-P via MTR kinase.

This study was to demonstrate the presence of MTA nucleosidase or MTA phosphorylase in both redia containing cercariae and adult Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus, 1758. If MTA …

Complex Motor Dynamics And Control In Multi-Looped Negative Feedback Systems, Anne Beuter, John Milton, Christiane Labrie, Leon Glass

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Experiments were performed in normal and Parkinsonian subjects who were asked to maintain a constant finger position using time-delayed visual feedback. The finger position showed complex dynamics, with characteristic differences between normal and Parkinosonian subjects. Here we discuss some of the theoretical issues that must be resolved in order to understand the mechanisms that underlie the generation of these complex signals.

Micronuclear Genome Organization In Euplotes Crassus: A Transposonlike Element Is Removed During Macronuclear Development, Scott Everet Baird, Gina M. Fino, Susan L. Tausta, Lawrence A. Klobutcher

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

After mating, hypotrichous ciliated protozoa transform a set of their micronuclear chromosomes into thousands of short, linear DNA molecules that form the macronuclear genome. To examine micronuclear genome organization in the hypotrich Euplotes crassus, we have analyzed two cloned segments of micronuclear DNA as well as the macronuclear DNA molecules that are derived from them. E. crassus was found to display a number of features characteristic of other hypotrich genomes, including (i) clustering and close spacing of the precursors of macronuclear DNA molecules, (ii) the frequent occurrence of internal eliminated sequences within macronuclear precursors, (iii) overlapping macronuclear precursors, (iv) lack …

Mounting Sex Pheromone: A Novel Pheromone Responsible For Mate Recognition In The Ixodidae, Jgc Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Cholesterol oleate was demonstrated to be the cuticular contact sex pheromone of Dermacentor variabilis. This pheromone which has been termed the Mounting Sex Pheromone (MSP) was also demonstrated to be present on the surface of D. andersoni, Amblyomma maculatum and A. americanum. This contact sex pheromone enables males excited and attracted by 2,6-dichlorophenol to identify the female as a potential mating partner. The MSP is the second in the series of three sex pheromones guiding the hierarchy of behavioral responses which constitute tick courtship behavior. Tests with D. variabilis and D. andersoni showed that this pheromone …

Characterization Of Chromosome Fragmentation In Two Protozoans And Identification Of A Candidate Fragmentation Sequence In Euplotes Crassus, Scott Everet Baird, Lawrence A. Klobutcher

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Following the sexual cycle, hypotrichous ciliated protozoans fragment a set of their micronuclear chromosomes to generate the thousands of short, linear DNA molecules present in the transcriptionally active macronucleus. We have used a hybrid selection procedure to examine macronuclear DNA molecules for subtelomeric length heterogeneity to determine whether chromosome fragmentation occurs at unique or multiple sites. The results suggest that multiple, but closely spaced, chromosome fragmentation sites are used by Oxytricha nova. In contrast, Euplotes crassus uses unique chromosome fragmentation sites in a reproducible manner to generate the ends of macronuclear DNA molecules. Additional studies compared DNA sequences in …

Determination Of Homology Between The Arsenic Resistance Plasmids R45 And R773 In Escherichia Coli, Joshua T. Clark

Dissertations and Theses

The resistance transfer factor R45 from Escherichia coli confers inducible arsenate and arsenite resistance in that bacterium. The genes for these resistances were cloned into the EcoR1 - Sph1 multiple cloning site of PGEM3 Blue vector (Promega) to produce a 4.9 kilobase plasmid, pJC1. This recombinant plasmid, pJC1, conferred IPTG induced resistance to arsenite and arsenate. In addition, pJCl was tested for homology with the E. coli plasmid R773, which encodes for arsenic resistance in that bacterium as well.

Through DNA-DNA hybridization the arsenic resistance determinants of R45 and R773 were compared. Under stringent hybridization conditions, R45 demonstrated DNA sequence …

The Correlation Of Physiological Responses To Verbal Behavior During Environmental Stimuli Exposure, Cynthia Lou Baker

Graduate Theses

The study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that various environmental stimuli would elicit specific individual responses, as reflected in autonomic patterns. It then became the aim of the study to see whether the stimuli which controlled the physiological pattern would also control the verbal response. Three female and two male students volunteered for the single-subject experiment, where they were exposed to a 15-slide sequence of environment stimuli. Results indicated that when allowed to verbally respond without rating restrictions, responses varied greatly, limiting the possibilities of comparison. In kind, the physiological responses exhibited great variability. Results also supported the position …