Physiology Commons^™

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 …

Defining The Nuanced Nature Of Redox Biology In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Emily C. Reed, Adam J. Case

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that arises after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Despite affecting around 7% of the population, there are currently no definitive biological signatures or biomarkers used in the diagnosis of PTSD. Thus, the search for clinically relevant and reproducible biomarkers has been a major focus of the field. With significant advances of large-scale multi-omic studies that include genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data, promising findings have been made, but the field still has fallen short. Amongst the possible biomarkers examined, one area is often overlooked, understudied, or inappropriately investigated: the field of …

Enhanced Central Sympathetic Tone Induces Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (Hfpef) In Rats, Shyam S. Nandi, Kenichi Katsurada, Michael J. Moulton, Hong Zheng, Kaushik K. Patel

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogenous clinical syndrome characterized by diastolic dysfunction, concentric cardiac left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, and myocardial fibrosis with preserved systolic function. However, the underlying mechanisms of HFpEF are not clear. We hypothesize that an enhanced central sympathetic drive is sufficient to induce LV dysfunction and HFpEF in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to central infusion of either saline controls (saline) or angiotensin II (Ang II, 20 ng/min, i.c.v) via osmotic mini-pumps for 14 days to elicit enhanced sympathetic drive. Echocardiography and invasive cardiac catheterization were used to measure systolic and diastolic …

Repeated Social Defeat Stress Induces An Inflammatory Gut Milieu By Altering The Mucosal Barrier Integrity And Gut Microbiota Homeostasis, Santosh K. Yadav, Rizwan Ahmad, Cassandra M. Moshfegh, Jagadesan Sankarasubramanian, Vineet A. Joshi, Safwan K. Elkhatib, Yashpal S. Chhonker, Goeffrey A. Talmon, Chittibabu Guda, Adam Case, Amar B. Singh

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by exposure to traumatic events in an individual’s life. Patients with PTSD are also at a higher risk for comorbidities. However, it is not well understood how PTSD affects human health and/or promotes the risk for comorbidities. Nevertheless, patients with PTSD harbor a proinflammatory milieu and dysbiotic gut microbiota. Gut barrier integrity helps to maintain normal gut homeostasis and its dysregulation promotes gut dysbiosis and inflammation.

Methods

We used a mouse model of repeated social defeat stress (RSDS), a preclinical model of PTSD. Behavioral studies, metagenomics analysis of the …

A Critical Role For Staphylococcal Nitric Oxide Synthase In Controlling Flavohemoglobin Toxicity, Ryan M. Singh, Sujata S. Chaudhari, Sasmita Panda, Elizabeth H. Hutfless, Cortney E. Heim, Dhananjay Shinde, Abdulelah A. Alqarzaee, Margaret F. Sladek, Vineet Kumar, Matthew C. Zimmerman, Paul D. Fey, Tammy Kielian, Vinai Chittezham Thomas

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Most coagulase-negative staphylococcal species, including the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis, struggle to maintain redox homeostasis and grow under nitrosative stress. Under these conditions, growth can only resume once nitric oxide (NO) is detoxified by the flavohemoglobin Hmp. Paradoxically, S. epidermidis produces endogenous NO through its genetically encoded nitric oxide synthase (seNOS) and heavily relies on its activity for growth. In this study, we investigate the basis of the growth advantage attributed to seNOS activity. Our findings reveal that seNOS supports growth by countering Hmp toxicity. S. epidermidis relies on Hmp activity for its survival in the host under NO stress. …

Potential Of Synthetic And Natural Compounds As Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Hematological Malignancies, Dilipkumar Pal, Khushboo Raj, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Surajit Sinha, Abhishek Mishra, Arijit Mondal, Ricardo Lagoa, Jack T. Burcher, Anupam Bishayee

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyltransferases (HATs) are enzymes that remove or add acetyl groups to lysine residues of histones, respectively. Histone deacetylation causes DNA to more snugly encircle histones and decreases gene expression, whereas acetylation has the opposite effect. Through these small alterations in chemical structure, HATs and HDACs regulate DNA expression. Recent research indicates histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) may be used to treat malignancies, including leukemia, B-cell lymphoma, virus-associated tumors, and multiple myeloma. These data suggest that HDACis may boost the production of immune-related molecules, resulting in the growth of CD8-positive T-cells and the recognition of nonreactive tumor …

Elevated Crp And Tnf-Α Levels Are Associated With Blunted Neural Oscillations Serving Fluid Intelligence, Sarah M. Dietz, Mikki Schantell, Rachel K. Spooner, Megan E. Sandal, Amirsalar Mansouri, Yasra Arif, Hannah J. Okelberry, Jason A. John, Ryan Glesinger, Pamela E. May, Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham, Adam J. Case, Matthew C. Zimmerman, Tony W. Wilson

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory processes help protect the body from potential threats such as bacterial or viral invasions. However, when such inflammatory processes become chronically engaged, synaptic impairments and neuronal cell death may occur. In particular, persistently high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) have been linked to deficits in cognition and several psychiatric disorders. Higher-order cognitive processes such as fluid intelligence (Gf) are thought to be particularly vulnerable to persistent inflammation. Herein, we investigated the relationship between elevated CRP and TNF-α and the neural oscillatory dynamics serving Gf.

METHODS: Seventy adults between the ages of 20-66 years …

Commonalities And Differences In Carotid Body Dysfunction In Hypertension And Heart Failure, Igor S. A. Felippe, Rodrigo Del Río, Harold D. Schultz, Benedito H. Machado, Julian F R Paton

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Carotid body pathophysiology is associated with many cardiovascular-respiratory-metabolic diseases. This pathophysiology reflects both hyper-sensitivity and hyper-tonicity. From both animal models and human patients, evidence indicates that amelioration of this pathophysiological signalling improves disease states such as a lowering of blood pressure in hypertension, a reduction of breathing disturbances with improved cardiac function in heart failure (HF) and a re-balancing of autonomic activity with lowered sympathetic discharge. Given this, we have reviewed the mechanisms of carotid body hyper-sensitivity and hyper-tonicity across disease models asking whether there is uniqueness related to specific disease states. Our analysis indicates some commonalities and some potential …

Observing Ceramide Pathway With Ferroptosis Via Mia Paca-2 Cell Treatment With Rsl3, Tazrin Rahman

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Composed of sphingosine and a fatty acid, ceramides are lipid molecules that serve as key metabolic signaling molecules of a sphingolipid pathway. While it acts as a precursor of complex sphingolipids, inducing ceramide generation can cause cell stress leading to subsequent cell death via apoptosis, necrosis, and even mitophagy. With regards to cell death specifically, a novel form of regulated cell death, ferroptosis, has recently been recognized of necrotic nature. Its unique morphological features and distinct properties have been observed over the last several decades; however, the molecular features were not identifiable as pure evidence of cell death, until recently …

The Use Of A Habitat Quality Stress Index To Evaluate Stress As An Analog For Proximate Fitness In The American Crow Within A Matrix Of Landcover Characteristics To Assess Its Potential Contribution To Disease Etiologies, Theodore Lee Grabarz

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

All organisms occur within spatial and temporal environments to maximize proximate fitness (health) and thus life history outcomes. Previous work has examined the temporal and behavioral aspects of proximate fitness on life history outcomes particularly regarding highly perturbed environments (i.e., climate and land use change, resource extraction, agricultural erosion, etc.). My work focuses on the less examined spatial aspect of these perturbed environments. More specifically, this dissertation examines habitat selection and quality as the basis for understanding stress response (negative and positive feedback mechanisms) to environmental stressors within the larger context of regional or gamma (ɣ) biodiversity. Through the lens …

Sound The (Smaller) Alarm: The Triphosphate Magic Spot Nucleotide Pgpp, Areej Malik, Megan A. Hept, Erin B. Purcell

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

It has recently become evident that the bacterial stringent response is regulated by a triphosphate alarmone (pGpp) as well as the canonical tetra- and pentaphosphate alarmones ppGpp and pppGpp [together, (p)ppGpp]. Often dismissed in the past as an artifact or degradation product, pGpp has been confirmed as a deliberate endpoint of multiple synthetic pathways utilizing GMP, (p)ppGpp, or GDP/GTP as precursors. Some early studies concluded that pGpp functionally mimics (p)ppGpp and that its biological role is to make alarmone metabolism less dependent on the guanine energy charge of the cell by allowing GMP-dependent synthesis to continue when GDP/GTP has been …

Evaluating College Students’ Health Literacy And Its Effects On Their Perceptions Of Information Concerning Mask-Wearing In The Covid-19 Pandemic Ve Information Concerning Mask-Wearing In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah S. Ketchum

Honors Program Projects

Background: Mask-wearing was a controversial and polarizing phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beliefs concerning mask-wearing differed depending on sources of information concerning the pandemic, levels of health literacy, political leaning, demographics, or other factors. This project attempted to connect college students’ level of health literacy to their understanding of and adherence to mask-wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a gap in research connecting health literacy to understanding information concerning pandemics and an even bigger lack of studies conducted that relate college students’ health literacy to their perception of illnesses or pandemics. It is important to understand the impact of …

Internal Vertebral Morphology Of Bony Fishes Matches The Mechanical Demands Of Different Environments, Dana Baxter, Karly E. Cohen, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Eric D. Tytell

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Fishes have repeatedly evolved characteristic body shapes depending on how close they live to the substrate. Pelagic fishes live in open water and typically have narrow, streamlined body shapes; benthic and demersal fishes live close to the substrate; and demersal fishes often have deeper bodies. These shape differences are often associated with behavioral differences: pelagic fishes swim nearly constantly, demersal fishes tend to maneuver near the substrate, and benthic fishes often lie in wait on the substrate. We hypothesized that these morphological and behavioral differences would be reflected in the mechanical properties of the body, and specifically in vertebral column …

Comparison Of Spine–Pelvis Kinematics Variability During Sit-To-Stand And Stand-To-Sit In People With & Without Chronic Low Back Pain: A Vector Coding And Statistical Parametric Mapping Approach, Narges Jangjoo, Elham Alijanpour, Saeid Khodabakhsh, Seyed Sadredin Shojaedin, Roozbeh Naemi

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

There is evidence in the literature to suggest that low back pain may change spine–pelvis coordination during activities of daily living. This study aimed to compare the variability of the spine– pelvis coordination during sit-to-stand in people with and without LBP. Ten healthy individuals with a history of LBP and ten individuals without history of LBP participated in this study. Three-dimensional kinematic data of the upper trunk (UT), lower trunk (LT), lower back (LB), and pelvis segments during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit were recorded using a multi-segmental spine and pelvis models using a motion capture system. The coordination patterns and the …

Exploring Physiology Instructors’ Use Of Core Concepts: Pedagogical Factors That Influence Choice Of Course Topics, Jeremy L. Hsu, Patricia A. Halpin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The physiology core concepts are designed to guide instructors in undergraduate physiology courses. However, although past work has characterized the alignment of physiology programs with the core concepts, it is unclear to what extent these core concepts have influenced instructors’ pedagogical decisions or how represented these core concepts are across physiology courses. We surveyed undergraduate physiology instructors to determine their familiarity with the core concepts, the impact of the core concepts on their teaching, as well as the alignment of their courses with these core concepts. Instructors report predominantly relying on textbooks and past syllabi of their courses as resources …

Ca2+ Entry Units In A Superfast Fish Muscle, James Matthew Kittelberger, Clara Franzini-Armstrong, Simona Boncompagni

Biology Faculty Publications

Over the past two decades, mounting evidence has demonstrated that a mechanism known as store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) plays a crucial role in sustaining skeletal muscle contractility by facilitating Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space during sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ depletion. We recently demonstrated that, in exercised fast-twitch muscle from mice, the incidence of Ca2+ entry units (CEUs), newly described intracellular junctions between dead-end longitudinal transverse tubular (T-tubule) extensions and stacks of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) flat cisternae, strictly correlate with both the capability of fibers to maintain contractions during fatigue and enhanced Ca2+ influx via SOCE. Here, we tested the …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Glucose Homeostasis And Muscle Metabolism In Type 1 Diabetic Female Mice, Caitlin O'Neill, Erica J. Locke, Darren A. Sipf, Jack Thompson, Erin Drebushenko, Nate Berger, Brooke Segich, Stephen C. Kolwicz Jr.

Health and Exercise Physiology Faculty Publications

Although exercise training is an important recommendation for the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D), most of the available research studies predominantly focus on male subjects. Given the importance of sex as a biological variable, additional studies are required to improve the knowledge gap regarding sex differences in T1D research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the role of exercise training in mediating changes in glucose homeostasis and skeletal muscle metabolism in T1D female mice. Female mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce T1D. Two weeks after STZ injection, control (CON) and STZ mice were exercise …

Cellular Bioenergetics: Experimental Evidence For Alcohol-Induced Adaptations, Liz Simon, Patricia E. Molina

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

At-risk alcohol use is associated with multisystemic effects and end-organ injury, and significantly contributes to global health burden. Several alcohol-mediated mechanisms have been identified, with bioenergetic maladaptation gaining credence as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism contributing to cellular injury. This evidence-based review focuses on the current knowledge of alcohol-induced bioenergetic adaptations in metabolically active tissues: liver, cardiac and skeletal muscle, pancreas, and brain. Alcohol metabolism itself significantly interferes with bioenergetic pathways in tissues, particularly the liver. Alcohol decreases states of respiration in the electron transport chain, and activity and expression of respiratory complexes, with a net effect to decrease ATP content. …

Anticipating Infection: How Parasitism Risk Changes Animal Physiology, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1. Uninfected animals can attempt to prevent parasitism in many ways. Behavioural avoidance of parasitized conspecifics, for instance, is documented in several species.
2. Interactions with parasitized conspecifics can also, however, lead to physiological changes in uninfected animals, an effect that is much less well studied, and consequently, less well understood. The way in which exposure to parasitism risk changes the physiology of uninfected animals and the impacts of those changes on animal fitness remain a significant gap in knowledge.
3. Determining how the disease environment experienced by animals impacts their physiology, survival and reproduction has major implications for our knowledge of how …

Perception Of Illness And Its Association With Willingness To Adhere To Treatment In Chronic Hepatitis C Patients With New Diagnosis Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Carmel Kruse

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Chronic liver disease is becoming the most common cause of mortality, morbidity, and utilization of healthcare services globally. Both nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) are frequent causes of chronic liver disease. Recently, there have been significant findings on the relationship between NAFLD and CHC; patients with CHC have a higher incidence of NAFLD. The introduction of direct-acting antivirals has cured more CHC patients than ever before. Unfortunately, the current interventions for NAFLD requiring behavioral change remain ineffective. Patient’s ability to follow advice depends largely on their health beliefs; therefore, understanding their illness perception is an …

Renal Cell Carcinoma Of Pelvic Kidney With Atypical Nodal Metastasis: A Diagnostic Challenge, Roshan-E-Shahid Rana, Muhammad Hammad Ather

Section of Urology

Ectopic pelvic kidney is a known congenital anomaly; however, the presence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in an ectopic kidney is rare with the evidence available in the form of a few case reports only. In this case report, we present a case of metastatic RCC in the pelvic kidney which became a diagnostic challenge because of atypical contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) characteristics and unusual pattern of lymph node involvement including cervical lymph node in the absence of visceral metastasis. Because of its unusual location and uncertain vascular anatomy, ectopic kidney poses a surgical challenge. Owing to the rarity of …