Physiology Commons^™

Law Library Blog (December 2023): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

The Many Side Jobs Of Lateral Suppressor (Ls) In Plant Development, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Enteroendocrine Cell Regulation Of The Gut-Brain Axis, Joshua Barton, Annie Londregan, Tyler Alexander, Ariana Entezari, Manuel Covarrubias, Scott Waldman

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) are an essential interface between the gut and brain that communicate signals about nutrients, pain, and even information from our microbiome. EECs are hormone-producing cells expressed throughout the gastrointestinal epithelium and have been leveraged by pharmaceuticals like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), terzepatide (Mounjaro), and retatrutide (Phase 2) for diabetes and weight control, and linaclotide (Linzess) to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and visceral pain. This review focuses on role of intestinal EECs to communicate signals from the gut lumen to the brain. Canonically, EECs communicate information about the intestinal environment through a variety of hormones, dividing EECs into …

Global Impact Of Proteoglycan Science On Human Diseases, Christopher Xie, Liliana Schaefer, Renato V. Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

In this comprehensive review, we will dissect the impact of research on proteoglycans focusing on recent developments involved in their synthesis, degradation, and interactions, while critically assessing their usefulness in various biological processes. The emerging roles of proteoglycans in global infections, specifically the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and their rising functions in regenerative medicine and biomaterial science have significantly affected our current view of proteoglycans and related compounds. The roles of proteoglycans in cancer biology and their potential use as a next-generation protein-based adjuvant therapy to combat cancer is also emerging as a constructive and potentially beneficial therapeutic strategy. We will discuss …

Is The Nucleus The Unwitting Architect Of Asymmetric Cell Division In Plants?, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Microglial Response To Glucocorticoids During Chronic Sleep Fragmentation, Christian Chelson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sleep is one of the body’s greatest and most basic needs. Chronic sleep loss (<6 hours a day) is linked to many cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions and has been shown to lower life expectancy. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a complication that causes sleep fragmentation in >8% of adults from developed countries, and many with OSA may be unaware of their condition. Having long-term OSA is linked to neuroinflammation caused by activated microglia in the brain, but the mechanics of this inflammation are not well understood. It is known that glucocorticoids, steroid hormones produced and released from the adrenal glands, have a suppressive effect on microglia. The purpose of this study is to explore the role that glucocorticoids have upon microglia activation induced by chronic sleep fragmentation (SF). C57BL/6J mice were …

Evaluating The Influence Of Reciprocity Of Meeting Partner's Temperament Needs In Terms Of Marital Intimacy, Jimmie Scott Inman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This narrative qualitative research project evaluated the influence of meeting a partner's needs regarding marital intimacy. This study investigated the archival data of couples who received temperament-focused marriage therapy. The essential principles taught throughout treatment (relational reciprocity, temperament needs met, the character of Christ) influence marital intimacy. A large body of work examined supports that needs-met (individual and relational) is essential for one's overall health and well-being. Three theories lay the theoretical foundation for this study: (1) Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory states that individuals have varying needs and that well-being hinges on their needs being met. (2) Schutz's Fundamental …

Mid-Gestation Maternofetal Inflammation Impacts Growth, Skeletal Muscle Glucose Metabolism, And Inflammatory Tone In The Ovine Fetus During Late Gestation, Zena Hicks

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

Our 1^st and 2^nd studies assessed the impact of mid-gestation maternofetal inflammation on growth, skeletal muscle glucose metabolism, and inflammatory tone in the late gestation ovine fetus. The objective was to determine if inducing maternofetal inflammation during peak placental growth would lead to more profound IUGR characteristics in the fetus. MI-IUGR fetuses exhibited reduced body and skeletal muscle weights and hallmark asymmetric growth at late gestations. Fetuses had higher baseline glucose:insulin ratios and reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Moreover, hindlimb glucose oxidation was impaired independent of glucose uptake. Skeletal muscle specific glucose uptake and oxidation was reduced in MI-IUGR …

Clinical Outcomes And Tumor Microenvironment Response To Radiofrequency Ablation Therapy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Lauren E. Mueller, Peter P. Issa, Mohammad Hosny Hussein, Rami M. Elshazli, Muhib Haidari, Youssef Errami, Mohamed Shama, Manal S. Fawzy, Emad Kandil, Eman Toraih

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) utilizes minimally invasive high-energy current to precisely ablate tumor cells. It has been utilized in many cancer types including thyroid, lung, and liver cancer. It has been shown to provide adequate ablative margins with minimal complications; however, incomplete RFA may lead to recurrence of tumor. The underlying cellular mechanism and behavior of ablated cancer tissue is poorly understood. Methods: A systematic review was performed, searching EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus for studies published up to July 2022 and reported following PRISMA guidelines. Collection was performed by two groups of investigators to avoid risk of …

Timekeeper's Dilemma: How Photo-Thermal Cues Alter Flowering Duration, Kyle W. Swentowsky, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Invited Review: Adrenocortical Function In Avian And Non-Avian Reptiles: Insights From Dispersed Adrenocortical Cells., Rocco V. Carsia, Patrick J. Mcilroy, Henry B John-Alder

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

Herein we review our work involving dispersed adrenocortical cells from several lizard species: the Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), Yarrow's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii), Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) and the Yucatán Banded Gecko (Coleonyx elegans). Early work demonstrated changes in steroidogenic function of adrenocortical cells derived from adult S. undulatus associated with seasonal interactions with sex. However, new information suggests that both sexes operate within the same steroidogenic budget over season. The observed sex effect was further explored in orchiectomized and ovariectomized lizards, some supported with exogenous testosterone. Overall, a suppressive effect of testosterone was evident, especially in cells …

Use Of Electronic Ecological Momentary Assessment Methodologies In Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Sleep Research In Young Adults: Systematic Review, Kimberly R. Hartson, Luz Huntington-Moskos, Clara G. Sears, Gina Genova, Cara Mathis, Wessly Ford, Ryan E. Rhodes

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Recent technological advances allow for the repeated sampling of real-time data in natural settings using electronic ecological momentary assessment (eEMA). These advances are particularly meaningful for investigating physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep in young adults who are in a critical life stage for the development of healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Objective: This study aims to describe the use of eEMA methodologies in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep research in young adults.

Methods: The PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched through August 2022. Inclusion criteria were use of eEMA; sample of young adults …

Radiofrequency Ablation As A Treatment Modality For Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Systematic Literature Review, Peter P. Issa, Emad Kandil, Grace S. Lee

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is an endocrine disorder typically characterized by elevated serum calcium and elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH). While parathyroidectomy is the standard treatment, non-operative intervention such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been adopted as an alternative for the management of pHPT, as it has been utilized in other endocrine glands such as thyroid and adrenal. In this literature review, we aim to evaluate the current practice of RFA for pHPT. Methods: A systematic literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase through June 2022 was conducted. Studies included in the review consisted of patient cohorts who had …

A Clinical Practice Review Of Percutaneous Ethanol Injection For Thyroid Nodules: State Of The Art For Benign, Cystic Lesions, Robert D.E. Clark, Xinyi Luo, Peter P. Issa, Ralph P. Tufano, Emad Kandil

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is a widely used treatment option for cystic and predominantly cystic thyroid nodules. It has several advantages over other treatment modalities. Compared to surgery, PEI is less painful, can be performed in the outpatient setting, and carries less risk of transient or permanent side effects. Compared to other minimally invasive techniques such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), PEI is less expensive and does not require specialized equipment. PEI performs well in the context of cystic nodules. PEI does not perform as well as other techniques in solid nodules, so its use as a primary treatment is limited …

Does Caffeine Consumption Affect Work Performance Across Different Job Types?, Bryan Js Goh, Joshua Tan, Cleavon Chong, Sean Ker

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

We propose executing a panel series case study for a large organization in Singapore over a year to examine how caffeine impacts work performance across different job types. Our research question is how does caffeine affect work performance under different conditions due to work type differences. Our dependent variable would be work performance as measured by employees’ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). We propose to gather data for two of our important independent variables: caffeine use through a recorded pantry system and average sleep hours from a survey. We will analyze the data by using two-factor ANOVA with replication to find …

Multichannel Modulation Of Depolarizing And Repolarizing Ion Currents Increases The Positive Rate-Dependent Action Potential Prolongation, Candido Cabo

Publications and Research

Prolongation of the action potential duration (APD) could prevent reentrant arrhythmias if prolongation occurs at the fast excitation rates of tachycardia with minimal prolongation at slow excitation rates (i.e., if prolongation is positive rate-dependent). APD prolongation by current anti-arrhythmic agents is either reverse (larger APD prolongation at slow rates than at fast rates) or neutral (similar APD prolongation at slow and fast rates), which may not result in an effective anti-arrhythmic action. In this report we show that, in computer models of the human ventricular action potential, the combined modulation of both depolarizing and repolarizing ion currents results in a …

Impact Of The Completed South Carolina Post Critical Incident Seminar On The Well-Being Of The Law Enforcement Participants, Michael P. Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover the impact of the completed South Carolina Post Critical Incident Seminar (SC PCIS) on the participants’ well-being, and the impact on the peer team members. Critical stress events or traumatic loss of life did have a significant impact on the law enforcement officer and those that were associated with that officer. The theory that guides this was study was the general strain theory; it allowed for the relationship between the duration, severity, and certainty of the stressors that had a negative influence on the well-being of those that attend the …

Introduction To Human Biology, Sharon S. Ellerton, Christopher Roblodowski

Open Educational Resources

This OER is intended as a textbook for a one semester introductory course in Human Anatomy and Physiology for non-science majors. It covers the major topics typically covered in A&P, but in a simplified, easier to understand manner. This textbook aims to educate students interested in lower-level health careers and non-science majors without the intimidating detail found in current textbooks. Text and images were created to be more accessible for these student populations.

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 …

Effect Of Resistance Training On White Blood Cell Count And Chemotherapy Efficacy In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients During Adriamycin-Cyclophosphamide Chemotherapy Treatment, Mimi Wassef

The Larrie and Bobbi Weil Undergraduate Research Award

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most difficult subtypes of breast cancer to treat due to a lack of molecular targets. While chemotherapy (CT) has become the standard form of treatment, the administration of CT depends on adequate white blood cell (WBC) count. When WBC becomes too low, patients risk becoming ineligible for treatment. In the general population, WBC count has been shown to increase as a result of exercise, but little research has been done on the effects of exercise and WBC count in the TNBC population. The purpose of this study is to determine if 12 …

Flexible Materials And Applications For Wearable Sensors, Brock Ferrari

Senior Honors Theses

This literature review aimed to address the limitations of rigid wearable sensors in the medical community by investigating the development of flexible materials for remote health monitoring. A keyword search was conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Jerry Falwell Library, which yielded 9,102 articles. After applying filtering techniques, the results were narrowed down to 21 articles, which were categorized into "Present Market Conditions," "Flexible Materials for Medical Use," "Applications for Wearable Sensors," and "Potential Use Cases." Discussions were held on prominent materials such as substrate, nanocomposite, and liquid metal materials, exploring their potential applications for chemical and physical sensing, …

The Mindful Athlete Program, Joanne Bullard, Sojung Kim

Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Scholarship

According to the spring 2020 NCAA Well-Being Study, collegiate student-athletes reported experiencing mental health concerns due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data indicated that student-athletes were experiencing mental health concerns 150%-250% higher than historically reported (NCAA, 2020). These concerns were prevalent among all divisions. For Division III student-athletes, mental health concerns experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic included “feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do, sleep difficulties, feeling mentally exhausted, feeling very lonely, feeling a sense of loss, and feeling very lonely and sad” (NCAA, 2020). This study indicated desired resources of Division III student-athletes included elements …

Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Participates In The Host Response To Intra-Amniotic Inflammation Leading To Preterm Labor And Birth, Tomi Kanninen, Li Tao, Roberto Romero, Yi Xu, Marcia Arenas-Hernandez, Jose Galaz, Zhenjie Liu, Derek Miller, Dustyn Levenson, Jonathan M. Greenberg, Jonathan Panzer, Justin Padron, Kevin Theis, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Objective: To determine if bacteria (Ureaplasma parvum and Sneathia spp.) associated with intra-amniotic infection can trigger the induction of cytokine Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) in vitro.

Material or subjects: Amniotic fluid and chorioamniotic membrane (CAM) were collected from women with sPTL who delivered at term (n=30) or preterm without intra-amniotic inflammation (n=34), with sterile intra-amniotic inflammation (SIAI, n=27), or with intra-amniotic infection (IAI, n=17). Amnion epithelial cells (AECs), Ureaplasma parvum, and Sneathia spp. were also utilized.

Methods: The expression of TSLP, TSLPR, and IL-7Rα was evaluated in amniotic fluid or CAM by …

In Vivo Potentiation Of Muscle Torque Is Enhanced In Female Mice Through Estradiol-Estrogen Receptor Signaling, Gengyun Le, Cory W. Baumann, Dawn A. Lowe, Gordon L. Warren

Biology Faculty Publications

Estradiol affects several properties of skeletal muscle in females including strength. Here, we developed an approach to measure in vivo posttetanic twitch potentiation (PTP) of the anterior crural muscles of anesthetized mice and tested the hypothesis that 17b-estradiol (E2) enhances PTP through estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Peak torques of potentiated twitches were 40%–60% greater than those of unpotentiated twitches and such PTP was greater in ovary-intact mice, or ovariectomized (Ovx) mice treated with E2, compared with Ovx mice (P < 0.047). PTP did not differ between mice with and without ERa ablated in skeletal muscle fibers (P = 0.347). Treatment of ovary-intact and Ovx mice with ERb antagonist and agonist (PHTPP and DPN, respectively) did not affect PTP (P = 0.258). Treatment with G1, an agonist of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), significantly increased PTP in Ovx mice from 41 ± 10% to 66 ± 21% (means ± SD; P = 0.034). Collectively, these data indicate that E2 signals through GPER, and not ERa or ERb, in skeletal muscles of female mice to augment an in vivo parameter of strength, namely, PTP.

Hemodynamics And Arterial Stiffness In Response To Oral Glucose Loading In Individuals With Type Ii Diabetes And Controlled Hypertension, Yu Lun Tai, Smaran Marupudi, Gabriel A. Figueroa, Ryan D. Russell

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes (T2D), the fastest growing pandemic, is typically accompanied by vascular complications. A central hallmark of both T2D and vascular disease is insulin resistance which causes impaired glucose transport and vasoconstriction concomitantly. Those with cardiometabolic disease display greater variation in central hemodynamics and arterial elasticity, both potent predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which may be exacerbated by concomitant hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia during glucose testing. Thus, elucidating central and arterial responses to glucose testing in those with T2D may identify acute vascular pathophysiologies triggered by oral glucose loading.

Aim: This study compared hemodynamics and arterial stiffness to …

Refining The Moose Serum Progesterone Threshold To Diagnose Pregnancy, Madeline Struck, William J. Severud, Yvette M. Chenaux-Ibrahim, Edmund J. Isaac, Janine L. Brown, Seth A. Moore, Tiffany M. Wolf

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Pregnancy determination is necessary for sound wildlife management and understanding population dynamics. Pregnancy rates are sensitive to environmental and physiological factors and may indicate the overall trajectory of a population. Pregnancy can be assessed through direct methods (rectal palpation, sonography) or indicated using hormonal assays (serum progesterone or pregnancy-specific protein B, fecal progestogen metabolites). A commonly used threshold of 2 ng/ml of progesterone in serum has been used by moose biologists to indicate pregnancy but has not been rigorously investigated. To refine this threshold, we examined the relationship between progesterone concentrations in serum samples and pregnancy in 87 moose ( …

Restoration Of Normal Blood Flow In Atherosclerotic Arteries Promotes Plaque Stabilization, Morgan A. Schake, Ian S. Mccue, Evan T. Curtis, Thomas J. Ripperda, Samuel Harvey, Bryan T. Hackfort, Anna Fitzwater, Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, Forrest M. Kievit, Ryan M. Pedrigi

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Blood flow is a key regulator of atherosclerosis. Disturbed blood flow promotes atherosclerotic plaque development, whereas normal blood flow protects against plaque development. We hypothesized that normal blood flow is also therapeutic, if it were able to be restored within atherosclerotic arteries. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice were initially instrumented with a blood flow-modifying cuff to induce plaque development and then five weeks later the cuff was removed to allow restoration of normal blood flow. Plaques in decuffed mice exhibited compositional changes that indicated increased stability compared to plaques in mice with the cuff maintained. The therapeutic benefit of …

Dataset For Manuscript: Comparing Performance Of Spectral Image Analysis Approaches For Detection Of Cellular Signals In Time-Lapse Hyperspectral Imaging Fluorescence Excitation-Scanning Microscopy, Silas J. Leavesley

BioImaging and BioSystems Research

The dataset contains raw and processed hyperspectral timelapse image data that are described in the manuscript:

Parker, M., Annamdevula, N. S., Pleshinger, D., Ijaz, Z., Jalkh, J., Penn, R., Deshpande, D., Rich, T. C. & Leavesley, S. J. Comparing Performance of Spectral Image Analysis Approaches for Detection of Cellular Signals in Time-Lapse Hyperspectral Imaging Fluorescence Excitation-Scanning Microscopy. Bioengineering 10, 642 (2023).

Repeated Social Defeat Stress Leads To Immunometabolic Shifts In Innate Immune Cells Of The Spleen, Mandakh Bekhbat, John Drake, Emily C. Reed, Tatlock H. Lauten, Tamara Natour, Vladimir I. Vladimirov, Adam J. Case

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Psychosocial stress has been shown to prime peripheral innate immune cells, which take on hyper-inflammatory phenotypes and are implicated in depressive-like behavior in mouse models. However, the impact of stress on cellular metabolic states that are thought to fuel inflammatory phenotypes in immune cells are unknown. Using single cell RNA-sequencing, we investigated mRNA enrichment of immunometabolic pathways in innate immune cells of the spleen in mice subjected to repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) or no stress (NS). RSDS mice displayed a significant increase in the number of splenic macrophages and granulocytes (p < 0.05) compared to NS littermates. RSDS-upregulated genes in macrophages, monocytes, and granulocytes significantly enriched immunometabolic pathways thought to play a role in myeloid-driven inflammation (glycolysis, HIF-1 signaling, MTORC1 signaling) as well as pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and oxidative stress (p < 0.05 and FDR<0.1). These results suggest that the metabolic enhancement reflected by upregulation of glycolytic and OXPHOS pathways may be important for cellular proliferation of splenic macrophages and granulocytes following repeated stress exposure. A better understanding of these intracellular metabolic mechanisms may ultimately help develop novel strategies to reverse the impact of stress and associated peripheral immune changes on the brain and behavior.

A Multi-Isotope Approach Reveals Seasonal Variation In The Reliance On Marine Resources, Production Of Metabolic Water, And Ingestion Of Seawater By Two Species Of Coastal Passerine To Maintain Water Balance, Lucas Navarrete, Nico Lübcker, Felipe Alvarez, Roberto Nespolo, Juan Carlos Sanchez-Hernandez, Karin Maldonado, Zachary D. Sharp, John P. Whiteman, Seth D. Newsome, Pablo Sabat

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tracing how free-ranging organisms interact with their environment to maintain water balance is a difficult topic to study for logistical and methodological reasons. We use a novel combination of triple-oxygen stable isotope analyses of water extracted from plasma (δ¹⁶O, δ¹⁷O, δ¹⁸O) and bulk tissue carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopes of feathers and blood to estimate the proportional contribution of marine resources, seawater, and metabolic water used by two species of unique songbirds (genus Cinclodes) to maintain their water balance in a seasonal coastal environment. We …