Physiology Commons^™

Sarcopenia And The Importance Of Resistance Training And Protein-Rich Diets For Prevention Of Muscle Loss In Older Adults: A Literature Review And Informational Pamphlet, Madison Steele

Honors Theses

The growing prevalence of sarcopenia among older adults as well as youths has prompted further research aimed at developing effective preventative measures and treatment plans. Sarcopenia is often thought to occur solely due to aging, but several other factors contribute to progressive muscle loss. Previous research studies have found an effect of physical activity and dietary protein levels on the risk of developing sarcopenia as well as its onset age. This study aims to review existing knowledge in the field to compile an extensive list of sarcopenia causes and methods of prevention. The main causes identified in this review are …

A Look Into The Physiological Impacts Of Childhood Cancers And Modeling Of Tumor Growth Rate, Erica Steiner, Kimberly Hansen, Marissa Stanton

Honors Theses

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases present in the world. Children have different reactions to diseases and treatments; thus, it is important to study those reactions specifically in children. Knowing how children are impacted by these factors can be helpful in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. I performed this study by researching the different types of cancer I was interested in and using MATLAB to code for and simulate a growth curve of a brain tumor. I found that there are many different physiological impacts of different cancers in children. As for the modeling, I was able to get …

James Davidson Fawcett (1933–2020): Imbibing With The Kiwi., Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

An obituary and summary of the life of James D. Fawcett (1933-2020), herpetologist and instructor and professor of Biology at University of Nebraska at Omaha 1972-2015. Includes bibliography of his works, list of master's theses chaired, and recollections of former students.

A Kinesiological Analysis Of Dancers At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Vanessa Reiser

Honors Theses

Supplemental conditioning can improve a dancer’s performance of important skills without taking away from class and rehearsal time. To investigate this further, an individualized conditioning plan based on a specific skill was created for eight student dancers, and the effects were analyzed using a survey and rating scale by a trained dance professor. The results showed improvement of skills for the majority of dancers, along with improved fitness in qualities such as strength and balance. In conclusion, individualized conditioning plans based on a specific skill may benefit student dancers who are juggling intense class and rehearsal schedules.

Use Of A Novel Whole-Body Imaging Approach To Predict Resting Metabolic Rates In Athletes, Nicole Vencil

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Prediction of energy expenditure allows for calculation of appropriate energy requirements, which is especially important for athletes. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the greatest contributor to total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and is typically measured via indirect calorimetry. Indirect calorimetry is not always available, which results in the need for predictive equations. Most predictive equations have been developed with participants resembling the general population and have not been found to be appropriate for athletes, as they may incorrectly predict RMR due to the unique differences of body composition between athletes and the general population. The purpose of the present study …

Connectivity Differences Between Gulf War Illness (Gwi) Phenotypes During A Test Of Attention, Tomas Clarke, Jessie Jamieson, Patrick Malone, Rakib U. Rayhan, Stuart Washington, John W. Vanmeter, James N. Baraniuk

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

One quarter of veterans returning from the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War have developed Gulf War Illness (GWI) with chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Exertion leads to characteristic, delayed onset exacerbations that are not relieved by sleep. We have modeled exertional exhaustion by comparing magnetic resonance images from before and after submaximal exercise. One third of the 27 GWI participants had brain stem atrophy and developed postural tachycardia after exercise (START: Stress Test Activated Reversible Tachycardia). The remainder activated basal ganglia and anterior insulae during a cognitive task (STOPP: Stress Test Originated Phantom Perception). Here, the role of attention …

The Role Of Inflammatory Pathways In Development, Growth, And Metabolism Of Skeletal Muscle In Iugr Offspring; Blood Gene Expression Of Inflammatory Factors As Novel Biomarkers For Assessing Stress And Wellbeing In Exotic Species., Robert J. Posont

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Our first study identified the effects of maternal inflammation-induced intrauterine growth restriction (MI-IUGR) on growth and muscle glucose metabolism in offspring supplemented with curcumin. MI-IUGR lambs exhibited asymmetric growth restriction at birth and 30d of age, but normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Hindlimb glucose oxidation was reduced by MI-IUGR and not improved by curcumin supplementation. Ex vivo muscle glucose oxidation was reduced by MI-IUGR but improved somewhat by curcumin. These finding indicate that fetal programming responses to MI contribute to neonatal growth and metabolic deficits. Neonatal curcumin supplementation had minimal effect on growth deficits but may improve glucose metabolism. …

The Impact Of Whoop Technology On Sleep, Recovery, And Performance In Naia Baseball Players, Nolan Harms

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Many key factors – including but not limited to – sleep, nutrition, travel, stress, and practice influence the optimization of athletic performance. Although previous studies have investigated the use of wearable technology in sport to track several such factors, peer-reviewed research specific to WHOOP technology is limited at best. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of WHOOP technology on sleep, recovery, and batting performance in healthy NAIA baseball players. Data was collected over the course of 4 weeks of in-season play on 10 varsity NAIA baseball players (20.40 ± 0.97 years). All games – 18 total …

Stable Engraftment Of Bifidobacterium Longum Ah1206 In The Human Gut Depends On Individualized Features Of The Resident Microbiome, María X. Maldonado-Gómez, Inés Martínez, Francesca Bottacini, Amy O’Callaghan, Marco Ventura, Douwe Van Sinderen, Benjamin Hillmann, Pajau Vangay, Dan Knights, Robert W. Hutkins, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Live bacteria (such as probiotics) have long been used to modulate gut microbiota and human physiology, but their colonization is mostly transient. Conceptual understanding of the ecological principles as they apply to exogenously introduced microbes in gut ecosystems is lacking. We find that, when orally administered to humans, Bifidobacterium longum AH1206 stably persists in the gut of 30% of individuals for at least 6 months without causing gastrointestinal symptoms or impacting the composition of the resident gut microbiota. AH1206 engraftment was associated with low abundance of resident B. longum and underrepresentation of specific carbohydrate utilization genes in the pre-treatment microbiome. …

Effect Of Taste Stimuli On Swallowing Function In Persons With Traumatic Injuries, Megan Asselin, Angela M. Dietsch

UCARE Research Products

Background

Swallowing disorders are prevalent and costly. As of now, there are limited therapeutic options available to treat them. Extant research in limited populations has suggested that swallowing mechanics can be improved by extremely sour liquids, but this has not been tested in traumatically injured populations. However, sour tastants are unpleasant, and more palatable taste mixtures have not been tested.

Methods

The quantitative data were extracted from an existing pool of de-identified video fluoroscopic swallowing studies (moving radiographs) obtained from traumatically injured young adults under another research protocol. Each participant completed swallows of custom-mixed plain, sour, and sweet-sour boluses. Positions …

A New Method For Shear Wave Speed Estimation In Shear Wave Elastography, Aaron J. Engel, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Visualization of mechanical properties of tissue can aid in noninvasive pathology diagnosis. Shear wave elastography (SWE) measures the elastic properties of soft tissues by estimation of local shear wave propagation speed. In this paper, a new robust method for estimation of shear wave speed is introduced which has the potential for simplifying continuous filtering and real-time elasticity processing. Shear waves were generated by external mechanical excitation and imaged at a high frame rate. Three homogeneous phantoms of varying elastic moduli and one inclusion phantom were imaged. Waves propagating in separate directions were filtered and shear wave speed was estimated by …

Enabling Real-Time Ultrasound Imaging Of Soft Tissue Mechanical Properties By Simplification Of The Shear Wave Motion Equation, Aaron J. Engel, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Ultrasound based shear wave elastography (SWE) is a technique used for non-invasive characterization and imaging of soft tissue mechanical properties. Robust estimation of shear wave propagation speed is essential for imaging of soft tissue mechanical properties. In this study we propose to estimate shear wave speed by inversion of the firstorder wave equation following directional filtering. This approach relies on estimation of first-order derivatives which allows for accurate estimations using smaller smoothing filters than when estimating second-order derivatives. The performance was compared to three current methods used to estimate shear wave propagation speed: direct inversion of the wave equation (DIWE), …

Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound For High Temporal Resolution Measurement Of Lateralization In Visual Memory And Visual Search Cognitive Tasks, B. Hage, M. Alwatban, E. Barney, M. Mills, M. Dodd, E. Truemper, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) is a noninvasive sensing modality that measures blood flow velocities in cerebral arteries (CBFV) with high temporal resolution. Few studies have examined the relationship of CBFV change during visual search and visual memory cognitive tasks. Here a protocol to compare lateralization between these two similar tasks using fTCD is demonstrated. Thirteen healthy volunteers were shown visual scenes on a computer and performed visual search and visual memory tasks while CBFV in the bilateral middle cerebral arteries was monitored with fTCD. Each subject completed 40 trials, consisting of baseline, calibration, instruction, and task periods. Lateralization was …

Review Of Ourselves Unborn: A History Of The Fetus In Modern America, By Sara Dubow, Rose Holz

Women's and Gender Studies Program: Faculty Publications

With the publication of the Bancroft Prize-winning Ourselves Unborn, Sara Dubow offers a long overdue analysis and historicization of what has become a central feature in battles over reproductive rights: the fetus. Drawing upon legal and legislative records as well as educational tracts, museum exhibits, medical textbooks and journals, personal memoirs, and the popular press, Dubow traces what she calls “fetal stories” (4) in America from the late nineteenth century through the early twenty-first. In so doing, she persuasively reminds her readers the following: First, that our understanding of the fetus is not simply a product of biology or theology. …

Mutations In Dmrt3 Affect Locomotion In Horses And Spinal Circuit Function In Mice, Lisa S. Andersson, Martin Larhammar, Fatima Memic, Hanna Wootz, Doreen Schwochow, Carl-Johan Rubin, Kalicharan Patra, Thorvaldur Arnason, Lisbeth Wellbring, Göran Hjälm, Freyja Imsland, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Molly E. Mccue, James R. Mickelson, Gus Cothran, Nadav Ahituv, Lars Roepstorff, Sofia Mikko, Anna Vallstedt, Gabriella Lindgren, Leif Andersson, Klas Kullander

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Locomotion in mammals relies on a central pattern-generating circuitry of spinal interneurons established during development that coordinates limb movement. These networks produce left–right alternation of limbs as well as coordinated activation of flexor and extensor muscles. Here we show that a premature stop codon in the DMRT3 gene has a major effect on the pattern of locomotion in horses. The mutation is permissive for the ability to perform alternate gaits and has a favorable effect on harness racing performance. Examination of wild-type and Dmrt3-null mice demonstrates that Dmrt3 is expressed in the dI6 subdivision of spinal cord neurons, takes …

Flowcell Systems For Single Molecule Detection, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi L. Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charge-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation without interference from unincorporated NPs and without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.

Two-Dimensional Blood Flow Velocity Estimation Using Apparent Speckle Pattern Angle Dependence On Scan Velocity, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An algorithm which measures the lateral component of blood flow velocity was developed in our previous studies based on the increase in speckle size due to relative motion between moving scatterers and spatial rate of scanner A-line acquisition (scan velocity). In this paper, the apparent dominant angle of the speckle pattern in a straight vessel was investigated and a new method of two-dimensional blood flow velocity estimation is introduced. Different scan velocities were used for data acquisition from blood flow traveling at an angle relative to the ultrasound beam. The apparent angle of the speckle pattern changes with different scan …

Monitoring Cerebral Hemodynamics With Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound During Cognitive And Exercise Testing In Adults Following Unilateral Stroke, Brian P. Watt, Judith M. Burnfield, Edward J. Truemper, Thad W. Buster, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An observational study was performed as a preliminary investigation into the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) for recording cerebral hemodynamic changes during multiple tasks. TCD is a method of measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) using ultrasound transducers in contact with the surface of the head. Using the maximum flow envelope of the Doppler spectrum returning from the middle cerebral artery (MCA), standard clinical flow indices can be calculated and displayed in real time providing information concerning perturbations in CBF and their potential cause. These indices as well as flow velocity measurements have been recognized as useful in measuring changes …

Evolution Of Starvation Resistance In Drosophila Melanogaster: Measurement Of Direct And Correlated Responses To Artificial Selection, Tiffany E. Schwasinger-Schmidt, Stephen D. Kachman, Lawrence G. Harshman

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

Laboratory selection for resistance to starvation has been conducted under relatively controlled conditions to investigate direct and correlated responses to artificial selection. With regard to starvation resistance, there are three physiological routes by which the trait can evolve: resource accumulation, energy conservation and starvation tolerance. A majority of energetic compounds and macromolecules including triglycerides, trehalose and other sugars, and soluble protein increased in abundance as a result of selection. Movement was additionally investigated with selected males moving less than control males and selected females exhibiting a similar response to selection. Results obtained from this study supported two of the possible …

A New Single Workbout Test To Estimate Critical Power And Anaerobic Work Capacity, Haley Bergstrom

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to develop a new 3-min, single workbout test to estimate critical power (CP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC) using the Monark cycle ergometer with the resistance based on the individual’s body weight. Twelve moderately-trained adults (6 men and 6 women; mean age ± SD = 23.2 ± 3.5 yr) performed an incremental cycle ergometer test to exhaustion. The CP and AWC were estimated from the original work limit (W_lim) versus time limit (T_lim) relationship (CP_PT) and a 3-min all-out test (CP_3min) against a fixed resistance …

Lateral Blood Flow Velocity Estimation Based On Ultrasound Speckle Size Change With Scan Velocity, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Conventional (Doppler-based) blood flow velocity measurement methods using ultrasound are capable of resolving the axial component (i.e., that aligned with the ultrasound propagation direction) of the blood flow velocity vector. However, these methods are incapable of detecting blood flow in the direction normal to the ultrasound beam. In addition, these methods require repeated pulse-echo interrogation at the same spatial location. A new method has been introduced which estimates the lateral component of blood flow within a single image frame using the observation that the speckle pattern corresponding to blood reflectors (typically red blood cells) stretches (i.e., is smeared) if the …

Charge Switch Nucleotides, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi L. Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charge-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation Without interference from unincorporated NPs and Without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.

Charge Switch Nucleotides, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charged-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation Without interference from unincorporated NPs and Without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.

Resolving The Lateral Component Of Blood Flow Velocity Based On Ultrasound Speckle Size Change With Scan Direction And Speed, Tiantian Xu, Greg R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Conventional blood flow velocity measurement using ultrasound is capable of resolving the axial component (i.e., that aligned with the ultrasound propagation direction) of the blood flow velocity vector. However, these Doppler-based methods are incapable of detecting blood flow in the direction normal to the ultrasound beam. In addition, these methods require repeated pulse-echo interrogation at the same spatial location. In this paper, we introduce a method which estimates the lateral component of blood flow within a single image frame using the observation that the speckle pattern corresponding to the blood reflectors (typically red blood cells) stretches (i.e., is “smeared”) if …

Further Progress On Lateral Flow Estimation Using Speckle Size Variation With Scan Direction, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Conventional blood flow velocity measurement using ultrasound is capable of resolving the axial component (i.e., that aligned with the ultrasound propagation direction) of the blood flow velocity vector. However, these Doppler-based methods are incapable of detecting blood flow in the direction normal to the ultrasound beam. In addition, these methods require repeated pulse-echo interrogation at the same spatial location. In this paper, we report additional data on a new method recently introduced. This method estimates the lateral component of blood flow within a single image frame using the observation that the speckle pattern corresponding to the blood reflectors (typically red …

Single Molecule Diffusion Coefficient Estimation By Image Analysis Of Simulated Ccd Images To Aid High-Throughput Screening, Pengfei Song, Lloyd M. Davis, Greg Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Extension of one-dimensional signal analysis to two-dimensional image analysis could accelerate conventional methods of high-throughput screening in the discovery of new pharmaceutical agents. This work describes a first step taken towards this goal – the evaluation of image-analysis based estimation strategies of the diffusion coefficient of a single molecule transported within a microfabricated flowcell. A computer simulation of single-molecule imaging by a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera is used to determine if it is possible to distinguish three different types of molecules with different diffusion coefficients. The Gaussian fitting algorithm finds the variance of the transverse trajectory, which increases linearly with …

Optimal Thresholds Of Feature Tracking For Blood Velocity And Tissue Motion Estimation, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Feature tracking is an algorithm for estimating blood flow velocity and tissue motion using pulse-echo ultrasound. In contrast to cross-correlation speckle-tracking techniques, feature tracking identifies features at discrete locations and corresponds them from frame to frame. Prior studies have demonstrated that feature-tracking estimates exhibit lower variance than those obtained by the conventional autocorrelation method and require less computational complexity than either speckle tracking or autocorrelation. To date, not much attention has been paid to the process by which trackable features (normally local maxima) are selected from the set of all available features. In the selection process, it is desired to …

Tendinopathy Discrimination By Use Of Spatial Frequency Parameters In Ultrasound B-Mode Images, Gregory R. Bashford, Nicholas Tomsen, Shruti Arya, Judith M. Burnfield, Kornelia Kulig

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The structural characteristics of a healthy tendon are related to the anisotropic speckle patterns observed in ultrasonic images. This speckle orientation is disrupted upon damage to the tendon structure as observed in patients with tendinopathy. Quantification of the structural appearance of tendon shows promise in creating a tool for diagnosing, prognosing, or measuring changes in tendon organization over time. The current work describes a first step taken towards this goal—classification of Achilles tendon images into tendinopathy and control categories. Eight spatial frequency parameters were extracted from regions of interest on tendon images, filtered and classified using linear discriminant analysis. Resulting …

Direct Comparison Of Feature Tracking And Autocorrelation For Velocity Estimation, Gregory R. Bashford, Derek J. Robinson

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Feature tracking is an algorithm for estimating tissue motion and blood flow using pulse-echo ultrasound. It was proposed as a computationally simpler alternative to other techniques such as autocorrelation and time-domain cross correlation. The advantage of feature tracking is that it selectively extracts easily identifiable parts of the speckle signal (e.g., the local maxima), reducing the amount of information being processed. Studies on feature tracking to date have used stationary, specklegenerating targets to simulate blood flow. Also, feature tracking has not been compared with accepted commercial methods. This study directly compares feature tracking performance with the complex autocorrelation method, which …

Single Molecule Detection Systems And Methods, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

A micofluidic system is provided that includes a substrate, a first microchannel disposed in the substrate for providing a reactant to a reaction zone, a second microchannel disposed in the substrate, the third microchannel providing fluid communication between the first and second microchannels. The system also typically includes first and second electrodes, positioned at opposite ends of the second microchannel, for providing an electric field within the second microchannel. In operation, when the reactant is in the reaction zone, a reaction product is produced having a net electric charge different from the electric of the reactant.