Physiology Commons^™

The Biological Problems Of Space Travel, Madilyn R. Reid

Ideas: Exhibit Catalog for the Honors College Visiting Scholars Series

Colonel Richard Covey is a distinguished former astronaut who has logged over 646 hours of space travel. Over the years, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and research scientists in the aerospace industry have become increasingly concerned about the biological complications of space travel. This article goes in-depth on what is already known about the biological problems of being in space and potential solutions to remedy the complications.

The Art Of Amphibian Conservation: Linking In-Situ And Ex-Situ Populations Of Endangered Species Through Genome Banking, Isabella Joann Burger

Theses and Dissertations

Limited breeding success in captive breeding programs has necessitated the development of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to preserve and increase genetic variation and population numbers of both captive and wild amphibian groups. ART has been shown to be successful in numerous anuran species, and current studies focus on the application of ART in ex-situ populations. The focus of this project is to show that linking in-situ and ex-situ amphibian populations through sperm cryopreservation, genome banking, and in-vitro fertilization is possible, with the goal of increasing gene diversity throughout groups in order to produce self-sustaining, wild populations in the future. Specific …

Effects Of Exogenous Ketone Therapy On Performance, Cardiorespiration, And Seizure Genesis During Exposure To Hbo2 In The Sprague Dawley Rat, Nicole M. Stavitzski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) is used for clinical HBO2 therapy and in undersea and aerospace medicine. HBO2 is a humanmade extreme environment and protracted exposures can cause several adverse physiological effects on the body. For example, HBO2 increases the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in the body leading to redox stress. Redox stress is, in part, a cause of oxygen toxicity that manifests as seizures in its most severe form (central nervous system oxygen toxicity, CNS-OT). This dissertation focuses on strategies to be employed specifically for the warfighter breathing HBO2. Currently, the only way to prevent CNS-OT is to lower the …

Rapid And Direct Action Of Lipopolysaccharide (Lps) On Skeletal Muscle Of Larval Drosophila, Rachel Potter, Alexis Meade, Samuel Potter, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria exerts a direct and rapid effect on tissues. While most attention is given to the downstream actions of the immune system in response to LPS, this study focuses on the direct actions of LPS on skeletal muscle in Drosophila melanogaster. It was noted in earlier studies that the membrane potential rapidly hyperpolarizes in a dose-dependent manner with exposure to LPS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens. The response is transitory while exposed to LPS, and the effect does not appear to be due to calcium-activated potassium channels, activated nitric oxide synthase …

Moving In Fluid: Exploring How Fishes Manipulate Water To Swim Efficiently, Nils B. Tack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Moving through a dense fluid such as water presents some unique challenges to minimizing energy use and maximizing performance (i.e., speed). Due to animal-fluid interactions during swimming (drag and thrust production) fish have evolved a variety of morphological structures and locomotor mechanisms. For instance, fish rely on body bending and/or fins to interact with the surrounding water such that energy can be transferred to generate thrust. Typically, this synergy promotes morphologies and behaviors aimed at enhancing propulsive efficiency and/or minimizing metabolic activity to lessen the cost of transport (COT). This work focuses on quantifying the energetic and hydromechanical benefits of …

Direct Electrical Stimulation Of Prefrontal Cortex Modulates The Transient Heart Rate Response To Exercise In Conscious Humans, Bartek Kulas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Prefrontal cortical regions play an essential role in generating appropriate cardiovascular adjustments, particularly in cardio-vagally mediated heart rate (HR) responses to active tasks. Functional imaging studies provide correlational evidence that this region coordinates HR responses to exercise, however, direct experimental evidence of prefrontal cortical HR regulation in humans is not available. Seven persons with epilepsy implanted with intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) completed 2-second isometric handgrip (IHG) contractions at no-stimulation (NO-STIM) or sham-stimulation (SHAM) conditions, and during direct electrical stimulation (STIM) of the orbitofrontal and medial prefrontal cortex. HR responses to IHG during NO-STIM and SHAM increased HR by Δ4.9±2.7 bpm, compared …

Comparative Analysis Of Longevity And Stress Resiliency Benefits Of Supplementation With High-Antioxidative Capacity Juices In Organisms That Are Representative Of Humans, Meghan Long

Honors Scholar Theses

Neurodegenerative disease presents itself in a complex array of illnesses that is increasingly affecting the geriatric population. There has not been research on a common cause since there are a culmination of reasons that are probable ranging from genetic to environmental factors. Antioxidants have been known to prevent and protect against the damage that is otherwise caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, high-capacity antioxidant juices supplemented into the diet of animal models such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, rats, and humans will allow for the study of the possible benefits.

Although a conclusion and common causation on the usage …

Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon

MSU Graduate Theses

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of many turtle species facing conservation challenges. Nearly extirpated in the 1980s, it is currently the subject of a head-start initiative, of which, any lasting behavioral or physiological effects were—until now—unknown! To evaluate the ability of captive-reared individuals to excel in natural habitats, and to foresee any future research or conservation challenges regarding this animal, I explored a suite of variables that influence bite performance and behaviors including captive or free-ranging status, and environmental conditions including body temperature and season. My results indicated that free-ranging M. temminckii outperform those residing …

The Influence Of Incubation Conditions On Oxygen Consumption During The Development Of Pantherophis Guttatus, Celeste Gallardo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The flexible shell of some oviparous reptiles has led to differences in nutrient mobilization and water relations when compared to their rigid-shelled counterparts. Flexible-shelled eggs gain more water during development, and because of the shell structure, yolk calcium content is higher than that of eggshells. When water availability is altered for reptiles with flexible-shelled eggs, differences in both energy and nutrient utilization are observed. This study was designed to determine the baseline metabolic rate during development for the snake, Pantherophis guttatus under normal conditions, and to observe how changes in eggshell calcium and water availability impact embryonic oxygen consumption. Eggshell …

Temperature-Induced Activation Of The Reproductive Axis Through Melatonin-Mediated Changes In Thyrotropin, Treven J. Winters

Dissertations and Theses

An animal's ability to synchronize life-history events or stages with optimal environmental conditions is paramount to successfully reproducing and maximizing fitness. Additional events including migration, foraging, rearing of young, and emergence from hibernation are all examples of processes under environmental control in one species or another. An exciting new mechanism involving neural thyroid hormone metabolism has been elucidated that links environmental control to the neuroendocrine reproductive axis. In birds and mammals with seasonal breeding cycles, this neuroendocrine pathway is activated by photoperiod-induced changes in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH, also known as thyrotropin) production within the pars tuberalis region of the …

The Effect Of Freeze-Thaw Events On Dna Integrity In The Gray Treefrog (Hyla Versicolor), Georgia Ficarra

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Freeze-tolerant gray treefrogs survive winter by producing natural cryoprotectants and accommodating ice formation within extracellular spaces. While frozen, gray treefrogs endure hyperglycemia, dehydration, and anoxia due to the halt of all bodily functions. Upon thawing, the frogs’ anoxic cells receive a rapid influx of oxygen, which can cause oxidative damage to vital macromolecules including DNA. Previous studies have suggested freeze-tolerant frogs avoid oxidative damage after freeze-thaw events by elevating antioxidant activity, but recent work has shown upregulated DNA repair encoding genes in post-freeze frogs. The objective of this thesis is to assess the cellular costs of freezing by measuring oxidative …

The Neurological Asymmetry Of Self-Face Recognition, Aleksandra Janowska, Brianna Balugas, Matthew Pardillo, Victoria Mistretta, Katherine Chavarria, Janet Brenya, Taylor Shelansky, Vanessa Martinez, Kitty Pagano, Nathira Ahmad, Samantha Zorns, Abigail Straus, Sarah Sierra, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

While the desire to uncover the neural correlates of consciousness has taken numerous directions, self-face recognition has been a constant in attempts to isolate aspects of self-awareness. The neuroimaging revolution of the 1990s brought about systematic attempts to isolate the underlying neural basis of self-face recognition. These studies, including some of the first fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) examinations, revealed a right-hemisphere bias for self-face recognition in a diverse set of regions including the insula, the dorsal frontal lobe, the temporal parietal junction, and the medial temporal cortex. In this systematic review, we provide confirmation of these data (which are …

Metabolic Rate, Critical Oxygen Partial Pressure, And Oxygen Supply Capacity Of Farfantepenaeus Duorarum At Their Lower Thermal Limit, Alexandra L. Burns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperature and environmental oxygen availability affect oxygen supply and demand in ectotherms, which are hypothesized to control the geographic limits of many marine species. The oxygen supply capacity (α) is calculated from commonly measured metabolic traits, including the standard metabolic rate (SMR) and critical oxygen partial pressure at SMR (Pcrit). It may be used to estimate the metabolic capacity and aerobic scope across changes in temperature and oxygen partial pressures as α reflects adaptations of the cardiorespiratory system to meet maximum energy demands at a given oxygen partial pressure (PO2). In this study, α was measured for the Tampa Bay …

Temperature Regulation Of Plant Hormone Signaling During Stress And Development, Christian Castroverde, Damaris Dina

Biology Faculty Publications

Global climate change has broad-ranging impacts on the natural environment and human civilization. Increasing average temperatures along with more frequent heat waves collectively have negative effects on cultivated crops in agricultural sectors and wild species in natural ecosystems. These aberrantly hot temperatures, together with cold stress, represent major abiotic stresses to plants. Molecular and physiological responses to high and low temperatures are intricately linked to the regulation of important plant hormones. In this review, we shall highlight our current understanding of how changing temperatures regulate plant hormone pathways during immunity, stress responses and development. This article will present an overview …

The Bombay Blood Group: How Does It Fit In The Human Blood Group, Maya Davis

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

The Bombay blood phenotype is one of the rarest ABO blood group. It is autosomal recessive allele and occurs due to a point mutation in the FUT1gene on chromosome 19. The H gene synthesizes the H antigen which is located on the red blood cells (RBCs). This thesis analyzes the Bombay phenotype, more specifically how it fits in the human blood group. It questions whether the differences between the Bombay phenotype and the ABO blood group affects its place as an actual blood group. The goal of this study is to increase the amount of knowledge regarding the Bombay phenotype …

Synthetic Viral Pyrogen Induces Behavioral Fever In Plethodon Glutinosus Salamanders, Nicholas Britt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Behavioral fever is an essential coping mechanism across ectothermic phyla to aid in combating pathogenic threats. Ectotherms lack internal temperature regulation associated with fever in endotherms; thus, ectotherms can exhibit a behavioral fever response when immunocompromised to thermoregulate by moving to warmer locations. The salamander order Caudata, tend to be keystone species in their resident ecosystems through their role as secondary consumers of invertebrates to maintain the food chain. With growing interest about ecology and conservation of salamanders as species diversity declines, this study was designed to determine if salamanders use their environment to take advantage of behavioral fever. The …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Two Closely Related Epigean And Hypogean Niphargus Species To Hypoxia And Increased Temperature: Do They Differ?, Tatjana Simčič, Boris Sket

International Journal of Speleology

Ecological performance of animals depends on physiological and biochemical processes that are adjusted to the environment. The responses to hypoxia or anoxia have been frequently studied in subterranean aquatic organisms in order to find potential adaptations to restrict oxygen conditions occurring in the underground habitats. However, some previous studies have compared phylogenetic distant epigean and hypogean species or the epigean and hypogean populations of the same species due to little chance to compare closely related epigean and hypogean species. Therefore, in this study, we compared the effects of exposure to hypoxia, followed by reoxygenation, and increased temperature on oxygen consumption, …

Morph- And Sex-Specific Differences In Corticosterone Of The Arizona Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Mavortium Nebulosum), Megan Zerger

Scholars Week

Life history morph, sex, and body condition are traits that may influence stress within salamander populations because of differences in physiology and environmental conditions. Given widespread declines and the effects chronic stress can have on amphibian health, it is important to understand within-population drivers of stress and how population level variation may influence population viability. Thus, the objective of our study was to assess how corticosterone varies within the Arizona tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) population at the Mexican Cut Nature Preserve. We used a non-invasive skin swabbing method to collect baseline and elevated corticosterone from paedomorph (aquatic …

Functional Regionalization In The Fly Eye As An Adaptation To Habitat Structure, Carlos A. Ruiz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With over 150,000 described species, flies constitute one of the most species-rich groups of animals on earth, and have managed to colonize almost every corner of it. Part of their success comes from their amazing flying skills, which are strongly tied to their visual capabilities. To navigate fast and accurately through their habitats, they must be able to process the inordinate amounts of visual information necessary to sort obstacles, avoid predators and remain on course. Surprisingly, despite their tiny brains, flies have no problem in processing all that information to generate correcting maneuvers in just about 30 ms. To this …

Data From: Recovery From Discrete Wound Severities In Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana): Implications For Energy Budget, Locomotor Performance, And Oxidative Stress, Susannah S. French, Spencer B. Hudson

Browse all Datasets

Wounding events (predation attempts, competitive combat) result in injuries and/or infections that induce integrated immune responses for the recovery process. Despite the survival benefits of immunity in this context, the costs incurred may require investment to be diverted from traits contributing to immediate and/or future survival, such as locomotor performance and oxidative status. Yet, whether trait constraints manifest likely depends on wound severity and the implications for energy budget. For this study, food intake, body mass, sprint speed, and oxidative indices (reactive oxygen metabolites, antioxidant capacity) were monitored in male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) healing from cutaneous wounds of discrete …

Functional Influence Of 14-3-3 (Ywha) Proteins In Mammals, Elizabeth Barley, Santanu De

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) proteins are homologous, ubiquitous, and conserved in most organisms ranging from plants to animals and play important roles in regulating key cellular events such as cell signaling, development, apoptosis, etc. These proteins consist of seven isoforms in mammals, termed under Greek alphabetization: beta (β), gamma (γ), epsilon (ε), eta (η), tau/theta (τ), sigma (σ), and zeta (ζ). Each of these isoforms can interact with a plethora of binding partners and has been shown to serve a distinct role in molecular crosstalk, biological processes, and disease susceptibility. Protein 14-3-3 isoforms are scaffolding proteins capable of forming homodimers and …

Effect Of Acute Sleep Fragmentation Upon Inflammatory Response Of Brown And White Adipose Tissue In Male Mice, Zach Wriedt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Sleep is an important process required for vertebrates, including humans, to function. When sleep is disrupted, it leads to deleterious effects such as inflammatory responses throughout the body. Past studies have shown that acute (24 h) sleep fragmentation (SF) leads to an inflammatory response in white adipose tissue. However, whether brown adipose tissue responds in a similar fashion is unknown. Male adult (>8 weeks of age) C57BL/6j mice were subjected to SF for 24 h using a cage outfitted with a bar that moves horizontally across the cage every 2 min to periodically awaken mice (N =10). Controls were …

Data Associated With Walter-Mcneill Et Al. (2021) Oecologia Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/S00442-021-05038-Y, Barry Logan

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Males Of The Wolf Spider Rabidosa Rabida Use Two Mechanisms To Stun Females During Copulation, Daniel Schoenberg

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The differences in energetic input between the sexes required to produce gametes translates to the differences in reproductive behavior and overall mating systems seen in a species. Females generally produce a few energetically and resource expensive eggs and typically choose a high-quality suitor to ensure she has high quality offspring. In contrast, males produce abundant energetically cheap sperm and attempt to fertilize as many eggs as possible in as many females as possible. Both sexes are trying to maximize their inclusive fitness, but the dichotomy of interests can lead to sexual conflict and perhaps extreme or unusual behaviors such as …

Monitoring Relationships Between Corticosterone And Snake Fungal Disease In Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Western Kentucky, John Bromley Hewlett

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, emergent fungal diseases have been the most devastating relative to species declines and extinctions. While most research has focused on fungal diseases affecting amphibians and bats, less has focused on diseases like snake fungal disease (SFD), caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo). SFD was first described in 2006 in North America within a Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) population in New Hampshire. Since then SFD has been documented in 19 US states, one US territory (Puerto Rico), and Europe. SFD causes high mortality in some species, including the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus …

The Effects Of Food Supply On Reproductive Hormones And Timing Of Reproduction In An Income-Breeding Seabird, Shannon Whelan, Scott A. Hatch, Z. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Charline Parenteau, Olivier Chastel, Kyle Elliott

Faculty Journal Articles

Current food supply is a major driver of timing of breeding in income-breeding animals, likely because increased net energy balance directly increases reproductive hormones and advances breeding. In capital breeders, increased net energy balance increases energy reserves, which eventually leads to improved reproductive readiness and earlier breeding. To test the hypothesis that phenology of income-breeding birds is independent of energy reserves, we conducted an experiment on food-supplemented (“fed”) and control female black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). We temporarily increased energy costs (via weight handicap) in a 2 × 2 design (fed/unfed; handicapped/unhandicapped) during the pre-laying period and observed movement …

Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Polar bears possess morphologic and physiologic characteristics that reflect their terrestrial lineage as members of the bear family (Ursidae) as well as adaptations to the Arctic marine environment. Among marine mammals, they are the least adapted for aquatic life. They exhibit substantial seasonality in body mass, body condition, and many physiological functions, reflecting the annual cycle of both their Arctic sea ice habitat and the availability of their main prey, ringed seals. This hypercarnivorous diet has likely influenced the polar bear’s craniodental morphology and nutritional physiology. Similar to other marine mammal predators, polar bears exhibit a relatively high resting metabolic …

Estrogen Disruption Of Hypothalamic Neural Activity, Princess Dickson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The brain is highly dependent on the endocrine system for proper neurodevelopment, as it plays a key role in many biological processes. Bisphenol A is a chemical found in plastics that has the potential to mimic the effects of Estrogen in the body, at least weakly. People interact with plastic that contains BPA regularly, and people are at risk for exposure even before being born. The abundance of BPA, along with other exogenous estrogens, makes examining the relationship between early exposure and changes in brain activity imperative. The current study aims to establish a relationship between disrupted estrogen function and …

Characterization Of Spontaneous Preeclampsia In The African Green Monkey (Chlorocebus Aethiops Sabaeus), Chelsea Christina Weaver

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Hypertensive pregnancy disorders are a major contribution to maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide. Two of these disorders, preeclampsia and chronic hypertension in pregnancy, affect up to 10% of all pregnancies. These hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with long-term, postnatal risk factors for both mother and offspring. Despite numerous recent advances in preeclampsia research, the underlying mechanisms are still not understood. This could be due to lack of a spontaneous animal model. This dissertation presents the African Green Monkey (AGM; Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) as the first known spontaneous animal model of preeclampsia and a highly translational model of chronic …

Creating A Georgia Southern Spider Collection: Can Dna Barcoding Help?, Guy B. Hobbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With over 280 spider (Araneae) species recorded within the State of Georgia, USA, the need for a well-documented natural history collection with a usable voucher system is critical to continually assess spider diversity and their future ecological impact in this region. Spider identification can be daunting for the inexperienced taxonomist; it is time consuming and sometimes requires destructive procedures. Previous works have successfully used an alternative method, DNA barcoding, to correctly identify spider species while preserving their morphology. This study set forth to create the core of a well-documented spider collection within Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Coastal Plain Science …