Physiology Commons^™

Assessment Of Antebrachial And Carpal Muscle Activity During Smartphone Use: Is “Selfie Wrist” A Real Phenomenon?, Monica Stacy

Honors Theses

Reports in the media by celebrities have sparked an interest in a phenomenon being called “selfie-wrist,” in which smartphone users develop symptoms traditionally associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There has been no research to date which investigates the claims of “selfie wrist.” The primary aim of this study was to address the validity of “selfie wrist” claims. The secondary aim of this study was to further investigate the effects of texting on musculoskeletal health, taking into account the differences between texting one-handed versus two-handed, and the effect of using a grip device while texting.

The experiment consisted of an …

Tubulin Post-Translational Modifications Are Altered By Changes In Actin-Myosin Contractility In Non-Muscle Cells, James Mcgee

Honors Theses

All cells regulate their contractility by the interaction of actin and myosin. In non-muscle cells, however, this interaction is regulated by rho, a GTPase, which is the upstream effector for multiple pathways. Cell contractility increases when rho is active, and prior research has shown the depolymerization of microtubules (MTs) activates rho. Microtubules play a role in many cellular functions and it is thought that either associations with MT-associated proteins and/or post-translational modifications to tubulin regulate MT functions. Numerous post-translational modifications (PTMs) to microtubules have been identified, but their roles are not well understood. A possible relationship between changes in cell …