Physiology Commons^™

Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity: Consequences Of The Effective Concentration Of Troponin I, Jalal K. Siddiqui, Svetlana B. Tikunova, Shane D. Walton, Bin Liu, Meredith Meyer, Pieter P. De Tombe, Nathan Neilson, Peter M. Kekenes-Huskey, Hussam E. Salhi, Paul M.L. Janssen, Brandon J. Biesiadecki, Jonathan P. Davis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Control of calcium binding to and dissociation from cardiac troponin C (TnC) is essential to healthy cardiac muscle contraction/relaxation. There are numerous aberrant post-translational modifications and mutations within a plethora of contractile, and even non-contractile, proteins that appear to imbalance this delicate relationship. The direction and extent of the resulting change in calcium sensitivity is thought to drive the heart toward one type of disease or another. There are a number of molecular mechanisms that may be responsible for the altered calcium binding properties of TnC, potentially the most significant being the ability of the regulatory domain of TnC to …

Seeing The Invisible: Revealing Atrial Ablation Lesions Using Hyperspectral Imaging Approach, Narine Muselimyan, Luther Swift, Huda Asfour, Tigran Chahbazian, Ramesh Mazhari, Marco Mercader, Narine Sarvazyan

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

Background

Currently, there are limited means for high-resolution monitoring of tissue injury during radiofrequency ablation procedures.

Objective

To develop the next generation of visualization catheters that can reveal irreversible atrial muscle damage caused by ablation and identify viability gaps between the lesions.

Methods

Radiofrequency lesions were placed on the endocardial surfaces of excised human and bovine atria and left ventricles of blood perfused rat hearts. Tissue was illuminated with 365nm light and a series of images were acquired from individual spectral bands within 420-720nm range. By extracting spectral profiles of individual pixels and spectral unmixing, the relative contribution of ablated …

Human Anatomy & Physiology Society ( Haps ) Southern Regional Meeting 2016, Cheryl Purvis

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

No abstract provided.

The Neuroprotective Effects Of Endurance Training On The Aging Brain, Katelyn Norton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dysregulation of autonomic control often develops with advancing age, favoring a chronic state of heightened sympathetic outflow with parasympathetic withdrawal. However, the mechanisms of this age-related autonomic impairment are not known and may relate to alterations in brain structure (e.g. cortical atrophy) and/or altered neural function, particularly in regions related to the cortical autonomic network, namely, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), insula cortex (IC), and hippocampus (HC). Exercise exerts beneficial effects on brain structure and, in the case of cognition, neurologic function; however, how exercise affects regions of the brain related to autonomic function are not known. This thesis tested …

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 …

Handwashing: A Study Of The History, Methods, And Psychology Surrounding Hand Hygiene, Daniel J. Remillard

Senior Honors Theses

This paper covers three different areas concerning handwashing. First a review of the history of handwashing is done, going from ancient times to its introduction into modern medicine via Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis. This section gives a sobering reminder not to instantly reject data that comes in conflict with prevalent thought.

Then current medical knowledge about handwashing is examined, and the conclusion reached states that handwashing is best done with non-antibacterial soap.

Finally, a review of the psychology of handwashing shows that medical professionals often tend toward neglect if unwatched and unmotivated by an outside source. However, those suffering from obsessive …

Programming Heart Disease: Does Poor Maternal Nutrition Alter Expression Of Cardiac Markers Of Proliferation, Hypertrophy, And Fibrosis In Offspring?, Cathy Chun

Honors Scholar Theses

Maternal malnutrition can affect fetal organogenesis, metabolic processes, and factors involved in developmental regulation. Of the many physiological effects poor maternal nutrition can induce in offspring, one of the most important organs affected is the heart. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with poor maternal diet. It also been suggested that hypertension can originate during impaired intrauterine growth and development. Hypertension can trigger hypertensive heart disease and is associated with numerous heart complications. We hypothesized that poor maternal nutrition would alter critical growth factors associated with normal heart development, specifically, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-2, transforming growth factor (TGF)β, and connective …

The Effects Of Whole Body High-Intensity Interval Training On Collegiate Female Soccer Players 2016, Whitney Frary

Master's Theses

Soccer is considered a high intensity sport that requires a high level of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. A whole body high-intensity interval training adaptation has been shown to benefit both of these systems over a short period of time. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a five week whole-body high intensity interval training program on female collegiate soccer players performance in speed, acceleration, agility, vertical jump, aerobic capacity, physical self perception, and physical enjoyment. Participants were from the SUNY Cortland women’s soccer team who participated in a five- week training protocol three days a …

Power Output And Loads On The Lumbar Vertebrae During A Power Clean 2016, Joseph Keleher

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to compare the peak resultant torque, shear, and compressive forces acting at the L3/L4 junction of the lumbar vertebrae and the peak power output during 40% one repetition maximum (1RM) and 80% 1RM attempts of the power clean. It was hypothesized that performance of a power clean at 80% 1RM will result in greater peak resultant compressive force, torque and shear force at the L3/L4 junction of the lumbar spine than that of a 40% 1RM attempt. Power cleans at 80% 1RM will also result in higher maximum instantaneous power outputs than that …

Development Of Vip-Sst Interneuron Associations In Mouse Neocortex And Entorhinal Cortex, Aayushi A. Mehta

Honors Scholar Theses

Cortical networks depend upon inhibition through the neurotransmitter GABA to control and coordinate specific spatiotemporal circuit patterns, underlying the exquisite complexity of neural signaling. Disinhibition, a form of inhibition where inhibitory neurons inhibit other inhibitory cells, further aids in amplifying local neural processing in a selective, organized manner. A subset of GABAergic interneurons, vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing (VIP) cells, preferentially inhibit somatostatin interneurons, which provide inhibitory input onto pyramidal cells, thus creating an archetypal circuit illustrating disinhibition in the cortex. The aim of this anatomical study was to investigate variations in GABAergic VIP synapses onto somatostatin-expressing inhibitory interneurons in mice at …

Do Running Kinematics Change On The Alter-G Treadmill? [2016], Brittany Lavaute

Master's Theses

The Alter-G lower body positive pressure treadmill, also known as the antigravity treadmill, provides a unique means of exercising for rehabilitation patients and low-impact training in athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effect of four different treadmill weighted conditions and three different running velocities (2.68 m.s-1, 3.13 m.s-1, and 3.58 m.s-1) on the kinematic variables of step length, step rate, contact time, and flight time on the Alter-G treadmill (AG) and on the regular treadmill (TM). Fifteen participants completed two separate days of testing. All individuals ran at four different conditions (100%, 80%, 60%, and …

Using Mixed Methods To Measure The Perception Of Community Capacity In An Academic–Community Partnership For A Walking Intervention, Charkarra Anderson-Lewis, Diana Castellanos, Arnecca Byrd, Karen Zynda, Alicia Sample, Vickie Reed, Mary Beard, Latessa Minor, Kathleen Yadrick

Diana Cuy Castellanos

H.U.B. City Steps is a 5-year community-based participatory research walking intervention designed to help lower blood pressure in a majority African American population in southern Mississippi via community collaboration and capacity building, increased walking, culturally tailored health education sessions, and motivational interviewing. Building community capacity for physical activity is a key component of this intervention. Qualitative and quantitative methods have been used to assess how project stakeholders perceive the community capacity-building efforts of the project. This article illustrates the baseline results of this mixed methods approach from the perspective of three groups of stakeholders: project researchers and staff, community advisory …

Myonuclear Transcription Is Responsive To Mechanical Load And Dna Content But Uncoupled From Cell Size During Hypertrophy, Tyler J. Kirby, Rooshil M. Patel, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, Charlotte A. Peterson, John J. Mccarthy

Physiology Faculty Publications

Myofibers increase size and DNA content in response to a hypertrophic stimulus, thus providing a physiological model with which to study how these factors affect global transcription. Using 5-ethynyl uridine (EU) to metabolically label nascent RNA, we measured a sevenfold increase in myofiber transcription during early hypertrophy before a change in cell size and DNA content. The typical increase in myofiber DNA content observed at the later stage of hypertrophy was associated with a significant decrease in the percentage of EU-positive myonuclei; however, when DNA content was held constant by preventing myonuclear accretion via satellite cell depletion, both the number …

Central And Peripheral Weight Gain Affect Trunk Kinematics And Lower-Extremity Muscle Activation Differently During Sit-To-Stand, Michelle Christine Walaszek

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Background: Obesity-induced alterations in biomechanics and muscle recruitment during activities of daily living, such as sit-to-stand (STS) are often attributed to increases in adipose tissue (AT) mass. Central or peripheral distribution of AT may differently affect biomechanics and muscle recruitment.

Methods: Fifteen healthy, normal weight (BMI 22.4 ± 1.9 kg/m², 24.1 ± 4.2 years) subjects volunteered. External loads equivalent to a 5 kg/m² BMI increase were applied in three conditions: unloaded (UN), centrally loaded (CL), and peripherally loaded (PL). Subjects completed three successful STS movements in a backless chair under each load condition in random order. Motion …

Chronic Pancreatitis, Pain, And Anxiety In An Alcohol And High Fat Mouse Model, Tiffanie Clinkinbeard

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Homeodynamic space (HDS) shrinks as vulnerability increases with aging and repeated damage to the cells. HDS is lost in alcoholic pancreatitis patients due to overconsumption of alcohol, smoking, and high fat diets. Etiologically relevant animal models for study of chronic pancreatitis (CP) are needed. In order to begin filling this gap a central purpose of this dissertation research was to examine relationships between the alcohol and high fat diet (AHF) and pancreatitis with attention to hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors. The AHF diet induced pancreatitis described here etiologically mimics human risk factors of AHF consumption for advancement to alcoholic CP.

In …

Hsp90 Inhibition Suppresses Nf-Κb Transcriptional Activation Via Sirt-2 In Human Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells, Gagan S. Thangjam, Charalampos Birmpas, Nektarios Barabutis, Betsy W. Gregory, Mary Ann Clemens, Joseph R. Newton, David Fulton, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

The ability of anti-heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) drugs to attenuate NF-κB-mediated transcription is the major basis for their anti-inflammatory properties. While the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect are not clear, they appear to be distinct in human endothelial cells. We now show for the first time that type 2 sirtuin (Sirt-2) histone deacetylase binds human NF-κB target gene promoter and prevents the recruitment of NF-κB proteins and subsequent assembly of RNA polymerase II complex in human lung microvascular endothelial cells. Hsp90 inhibitors stabilize the Sirt-2/promoter interaction and impose a “transcriptional block,” which is reversed by either inhibition or downregulation …

Factors Affecting Injury History And Their Overall Impact On Athletic Performance In Distance Runners, Trevor Norris

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Distance running is a very precise mechanism of many intricate movements and abilities of the body. The amount of miles that a distance runner must run puts a lot of very intense stresses on one’s body. These stresses often appear at the bone level and lead to many injuries such as stress reactions and stress fractures but also may play important roles in tissue damages such as strains and pulls. In this study, we used division one college distance runners and examined many intricacies between their level of fitness and overall composition. These include looking at imbalances, dominant traits, and …