Physiology Commons^™

Oxidative Stress Analysis Of Placental Tissue In The Rupp Pregnant Rat, Natalie Ganios

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a disease associated with a vasoconstrictive phenotype due to disrupted signaling in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) relaxation pathway. The purpose of these studies is to determine the level of oxidative damage that is occurring in the placenta of the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat, which serves as a common model for preeclampsia. RUPP and SHAM placenta tissue will be examined for oxidative stress as an indicator of tissue damage associated with the pathologically induced ischemia. Oxidative stress in the placental tissue will be measured by performing the following oxidative stress assays: 8-isoprostane test, TBARS assay, …

The Associations Between Socioeconomic Status And Childhood And Adult Psychosocial Experiences Among Men Living In El Paso, Texas, Sophia Marie Ornelas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Substantial evidence indicates that low levels of Socioeconomic Status (SES) can have adverse psychosocial health implications in early childhood that can persist into adulthood. While there is extensive research about this relationship very little is known about the relationship between SES characteristics and adult psychosocial burden among Hispanic men. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to explore the associations between SES characteristics and childhood adverse experiences, adult perceived stress burden, and depressive symptoms among Hispanic men living in El Paso, Texas. METHODS: This research used data from a cross-sectional study of 100 adult men residing in El Paso, Texas in 2018. …

Modulation Of Epileptogenesis: A Paradigm For The Integration Of Enzyme-Based Microelectrode Arrays And Optogenetics, Corwin R. Butler, Jeffery A. Boychuk, Francois Pomerleau, Ramona Alcala, Peter Huettl, Yi Ai, Johan Jakobsson, Sidney W. Whiteheart, Greg A. Gerhardt, Bret N. Smith, John T. Slevin

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Genesis of acquired epilepsy includes transformations spanning genetic-to- network-level modifications, disrupting the regional excitatory/inhibitory balance. Methodology concurrently tracking changes at multiple levels is lacking. Here, viral vectors are used to differentially express two opsin proteins in neuronal populations within dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus. When activated, these opsins induced excitatory or inhibitory neural output that differentially affected neural networks and epileptogenesis. In vivo measures included behavioral observation coupled to real-time measures of regional glutamate flux using ceramic-based amperometric microelectrode arrays (MEAs).

RESULTS: Using MEA technology, phasic increases of extracellular glutamate were recorded immediately upon application of blue light/488 nm …

Divalent Metal Cation Entry And Cytotoxicity In Jurkat T Cells: Role Of Trpm7 Channels, Alayna N. Mellott

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Humans are exposed daily to a variety of metals that can be harmful to our immune system. Although certain divalent metal cations are essential for numerous cellular functions and are critical trace elements in humans, the uptake mechanisms of these ions remain mostly unknown. Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7), which is expressed in a variety of human cell types, including lymphocytes and macrophages, conducts many divalent metal cations. TRPM7 channels are largely inactive under normal physiological conditions due to cytoplasmic magnesium acting as a channel inhibitor. Magnesium is a cofactor for many biochemical reactions. Low serum levels of magnesium, …

The Dynamics Of Life And Death: Mitochondrial Fragmentation, Mitophagy, And Swelling During Neuronal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Anthony Roy Anzell

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ischemic brain injury caused by cardiac arrest or stroke continue to be leading caused of death and disability in the U.S. While restoration of blood flow is necessary to salvage ischemic tissue, reperfusion paradoxically exacerbates injury via the production of reactive oxygen species, which, damage mitochondria and induce cell death. Therefore, it is critical to have stringent quality control mechanisms to ensure a healthy mitochondrial network. Mitochondrial fragmentation has been well characterized in the progression of ischemia/reperfusion and its association with cell death. Conversely, the role of mitophagy has been controversial regarding whether upregulation of mitophagy serves as a restorative …

Causes And Potential Treatment For Altered Muscle Metaboreflex Control Of Ventricular Vascular Interactions In Heart Failure, Joseph Thomas Mannozzi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Muscle Metaboreflex Activation occurs as a result of metabolic accumulation within active skeletal muscle that stimulates type III and IV afferents. This reflex in healthy subjects causes increased ventricular contraction, tachycardia, enhanced central blood volume mobilization, and 2 mediated vasodilation as a means to increase mean arterial pressure and thereby improve perfusion pressure of active skeletal muscle. However, to date no study has evaluated the interaction between the observed changes in ventricular and vascular dynamics or how the reflex impacts contraction relaxation dynamics before and after induction of heart failure Furthermore, no study has evaluated the impact of chronic selective …

The Evolution Of Dragons, Laura J. Mayfield

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Dragons have been depicted in human art as early as 4500 BCE. For centuries, these fantasy creatures have inspired countless folk and fantasy tales, as well as appearing in the art of different cultures around the world. Now there are thousands of different depictions of these huge, flying, fire-breathing lizards, but are any of them possible? In this study, I reference peer-reviewed scientific articles, phylogenetic analysis, and paleoart studies to create biologically-sound dragons. Basing the dragon lineage on a real branch of webbed-winged scansoriopterygids—an extinct family of climbing and gliding maniraptoran dinosaurs—I explored the possible wing-structure, fire-breathing abilities, and effects …

Demographics And Physical Activity Levels Of Esports Athletes At The University Of Akron, Madison Morgan, Patrick Barrett, Madeleine Stoll

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Esports is rapidly growing and gaining popularity, however there is a lack of research regarding physical activity levels of eSport athletes, especially those at the collegiate level. This study summarizes the current research and findings related to exercise, overall health, and video game performance. All varsity eSport athletes for The University of Akron varsity team were “participants” in this study. A survey tool was designed through Qualtrics (Qualtrics 2020© Provo, UT), an online survey instrument, to assess current physical activity levels, preferences and tolerance for exercise intensity, and perceptions about how physical activity affects gaming performance. This survey was distributed …

Effects Of A Strength Training Intervention And Quality Of Life: Case Study On A Sedentary Adult Female, Lucas Frazier

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of the project is to evaluate physiological and quality of life changes in a

sedentary, senior-aged (55 or older) female using a six-week strength training

intervention. This case study will instruct how to perform a push-pull-legs split

routine by going to the gym three times per week. Prior to the six week intervention,

both quantitative and qualitative variables will be collected to assess baseline data,

including the subject’s resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, grip strength, one-

repetition maximum on seven whole body exercises (dumbbell bicep curl, tricep

pushdown, barbell bench press, wide-grip lat pull-down, seated dumbbell press, …

Non-Invasive Method For Leptin Supplementation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Regan Mcnamara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I tested the hypothesis that recombinant leptin protein can be introduced to zebrafish in vivo through non-invasive soaking in a solution containing the protein. One way to study various molecules’ effects in vivo is through intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injections during the embryonic or larval stage, which is invasive, difficult to administer, and can have a high mortality rate. 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish were soaked in a His-tagged recombinant leptin protein solution at 10 nM and 100 nM concentrations (produced by Genscript). After soaking, zebrafish larvae were washed extensively to remove all recombinant protein on their exterior before homogenization. …

Artificially-Generated Scenes Demonstrate The Importance Of Global Properties During Early Scene Perception, Mavuso Wesley Mzozoyana

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

During scene perception, studies have shown the importance of the global distribution of a scene. Electrophysiological studies have found these global effects concentrated corresponding to the second positive and first negative peaks (P2 and N1, respectively) of the Event-related potential (ERP) during the first 600 ms of scene perception. We sought to understand in Experiment 1, to what extent early responses to scenes were driven by mid-level global information such as the degree of naturalness or openness in a scene image in the absence of specific low-and high-level information (color and semantic object detail). This was done using artificially-generated stimuli …

Exploring The Impact Of Affective Processing On Visual Perception Of Large-Scale Spatial Environments, Auroabah S. Almufleh

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the interaction between emotions and visual perception using large scale spatial environment as the medium of this interaction. Emotion has been documented to have an early effect on scene perception (Olofsson, Nordin, Sequeira, & Polich, 2008). Yet, most popularly-used scene stimuli, such as the IAPS or GAPED stimulus sets often depict salient objects embedded in naturalistic backgrounds, or “events” which contain rich social information, such as human faces or bodies. And thus, while previous studies are instrumental to our understanding of the role that social-emotion plays in visual perception, they do not isolate the effect of emotion …

Mindfulness, Aortic Wave Reflection, And Arterial Stiffness, Sarah Lewallen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cardiovascular disease and hypertension are leading causes of death worldwide. The mitigation of high blood pressure is essential in decreasing the prevalence of cardiovascular-related deaths worldwide. Stress and anxiety are known to play a role in augmenting blood pressure in individuals of all ages. This increase in pressure can result in premature stiffening of large arteries in systemic circulation. Mindfulness is an ancient, non-secular practice which aids in stress reduction. Decentering, an aspect of mindfulness, involves accepting thoughts as transient rather than permanent associations. The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between cardiovascular health and mindfulness practices. …

Physiological Response Of Elasmobrachs During Propofol Immersion, Matthew Levendosky

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sensory experiments require anesthesia so the animal is immobilized, however fish anesthetics have shown to depress sensory responses. Newer anesthetics may offer similar anesthetic relief, but differ in means of action so sensory responses may be unaffected. Propofol has been used intravenously on small elasmobranchs but may provide prolonged effects if used as an immersion anesthetic. Objectives of this study were 1. Determine appropriate concentration of anesthetic to minimize induction and recovery for animals anesthetized at a surgical plane of anesthesia and 2. Measure physiological response of the pupil to light stimuli during anesthetic immersion. To address these objectives, I …

An Evidence-To-Practice Review On The Efficacy Of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, Matthew G. Moore, Aneika R. Daley, Zachary Winkelmann

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is the use of specially designed instruments that provide a mobilizing effect to soft tissue to help with decreasing pain and improving range of motion. Over the years, there has been an increase in the use of IASTM as well as an increase in research for its effects on soft-tissue injuries, range of motion (ROM), and pain management; however, the results have not been supported as a whole. Evidence for the positive outcomes from the use of IASTM, in conjunction with therapeutic exercise or other interventions, has been lacking in many studies. As a …

Seasonal Temperature Changes In Three Midwestern Wastewater Streams And The Effects On Fish Assemblages And Physiology, Ryan William Sparks

Masters Theses

Midwestern United States undergo extreme temperature and precipitation fluctuations throughout the year, which leads to changing habitats within Illinois river systems. Wastewater treatment facilities have long been used to treat sewage and reduce the organic products in sewage before releasing it into aquatic environments. Wastewater treatment facilities must maintain optimal conditions, especially temperature, for reproduction and growth of facilitated bacteria that break down organic materials in wastewater. The objectives for this study were to determine the thermal effects of wastewater treatment facilities on receiving waters; and secondly, to investigate the influence of these wastewater facilities on fish abundance and assemblages. …

Risk Of Low Energy Availability In Elite Male Athletes With Spinal Cord Injury, Savannah Glasgow

All Master's Theses

Recent research examining male able-bodied athletes has suggested that males are at risk for low energy availability (LEA); however, there is a paucity of research pertaining to prevalence amongst male athletes with an impairment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the risk of LEA and prevalence of symptoms related to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), including risk of disordered eating, hormonal profiles, and bone mineral density (BMD) scans, in male wheelchair para athletes. Collegiate- and national-level male athletes (n = 9) with spinal cord injury (SCI) completed 7-day concurrent diet and training logs, Eating Disorder Examination …

Plasticity And The Impact Of Increasing Temperature On A Tropical Ectotherm, Adam A. Rosso

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Organisms may respond to climate change through behavior, genetic adaptation, and/or phenotypic plasticity. Tropical ectotherms are thought to be especially vulnerable to climate change because most have a narrow range of thermal tolerance while living close to their upper thermal tolerance limits. Additionally, many tropical species live in closed-canopy forests, which provide homogenous thermal landscapes that prevent behavioral compensation for stressfully warm temperatures. Finally, tropical ectotherms are thought to have decreased capacity for phenotypic plasticity because they have evolved in thermally stable environments. We tested gene expression patterns and phenotypic plasticity in the Panamanian slender anole by a) measuring changes …

Seasonal Variation In Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Of The Bluegill Sunfish, Lepomis Macrochirus, From A Shallow Midwest River, Derick Isaac Lamptey

Masters Theses

As average global temperature increase, the frequency and magnitude of extreme temperatures in shallow aquatic ecosystems are more ubiquitous. In order to understand how these changing thermal regimes affect aquatic ectotherms, it is essential to develop studies evaluating the response of ectotherms to seasonal fluctuating thermal regimes. Previous studies on fluctuating temperature regimes have reported an increased physiological stress leading to morphological, behavioral and biochemical adaptations. From the latter, the adaptive capacity and seasonal performance associated with optimal function of the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) are key for species persistence. However, studies on this matter are scarce. This study explores …

Combinatorial Discovery And Validation Of Heptapeptides With Utp Binding Induced Structure, Daniela Kroiss, James Aramini, Sangitaa Ragoonath, Rein V. Ulijn, Tell Tuttle

Advanced Science Research Center

In biology, supramolecular recognition typically involves an ‘induced-fit’ mechanism, where structures rearrange upon complexation to accommodate binding ligands. Designing minimalistic compounds with such adaptability is challenging as they involve subtle conformational changes that are energetically similar. Here, we demonstrate the integration of combinatorial screening with molecular modelling to identify heptapeptides that form a stable loop upon recognition of uridine triphosphate (UTP). Peptide sequences selected using phage display were refined computationally and correlated with experimental KD values. This combined approach may serve as a method for the de novo selection and subsequent rationalization of the compositional and organizational principles that dictate …

Neurodegenerative Modeling: Tau Protein, Degradative Pathways, And Gene Expression Profiling Of Human Ipsc-Derived Neural Precursors And Differentiated 3-D Neural Sphere Versus 2-D Monolayer Cultures, Kyle H. Anthoney

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Human induced pluripotent stem cells offer a model for human brain development and disease by differentiation into brain organoids; however, current neural culture systems lack the microenvironment, neuronal circuits and connectivity, vascular circulation, and immune system that exist in vivo. After differentiation and development of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types within two formats of cell cultures, we can visualize and recapitulate in vivo protein accumulation, gene expression, and degradative processes such as autophagy. Using RNA extraction, purification methods and reverse transcription I compared traditional monolayer cultures and novel 3-D neural sphere cultures via gene expression analysis. This analysis indicated …

Estrogen Regulation Of Mir-9-5p And Mir-9-3p Stability And Localization In The Aging Female Brain, Chun Kim

Dissertations

In females, levels of estrogens fluctuate across the lifespan and rapidly decline during menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been introduced as a clinical alternative to replenish systemic levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), the primary estrogen in circulation. However, studies from the Women's Health Initiative revealed a critical period immediately following the onset of menopause where HRT is efficacious. Here, we identified the differential regulation of miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that inhibit translation, as a potential mechanism for this temporal switch in estrogen action. Specifically, early - but not late - E2 administration following ovariectomy in a rat model of menopause …

Behavioral Ecology And Physiological Health Of Managed Populations Of Juvenile Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea Blandingii) In Urban Wetlands, Armand Andre' Cann

Master's Theses

Substantial threats to reptile species biodiversity have become apparent in the last few decades. This is partly caused by significant losses in grasslands and their associate prairie-wetland ecosystems. One Midwestern prairie-wetland species, Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii), are at risk of extirpation due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and increased predator populations. Consequently, significant head-starting efforts, a form of reintroduction conservation using captive-reared and then released turtles, have been conducted to recover populations of E. blandingii in northeastern Illinois. However, the success of these programs both locally and range-wide have not been fully quantified. Unfortunately, many approaches to guaging success involve long-term …

ผลของการรับประทานน้ำตาลต่อการไหลเวียนเลือดบริเวณแขนในทายาทเพศชายของผู้ที่มีความดันโลหิตสูง, มันตา กรกฎ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วัตถุประสงค์ของการศึกษานี้เพื่อศึกษาผลของการรับประทานน้ำตาลซูโครสในปริมาณต่าง ๆ ต่อการไหลเวียนเลือดบริเวณแขนในทายาทเพศชายของผู้ที่มีความดันโลหิตสูง (OHT) และทายาทเพศชายของผู้ที่มีความดันโลหิตปกติ (ONT) และเพื่อศึกษาความสัมพันธ์ของระดับน้ำตาลในเลือดต่อการเกิดภาวะเครียดออกซิเดชัน โดยอาสาสมัคร (OHT = 16, ONT = 16) เข้าร่วมการทดสอบทั้งหมด 4 ครั้ง โดยแต่ละครั้งอาสาสมัครได้ดื่มสารละลายน้ำตาลซูโครสเพียง 1 ความเข้มข้นตามการสุ่ม จาก 4 ความเข้มข้นซึ่งมีปริมาณน้ำตาลซูโครส 0, 15, 30 และ 60 กรัม ปริมาตรรวม 200 มล. วัดปริมาตรการไหลของเลือดสูงสุดบริเวณแขน (peak FBF) ก่อนและหลังรับประทานน้ำตาลซูโครสทุก ๆ 30 นาที เป็นเวลา 2 ชั่วโมง และวัดระดับ plasma glucose, insulin และตัวบ่งชี้ภาวะเครียดออกซิเดชัน (protein carbonyl; PC and total antioxidant capacity; TAC) ก่อนและหลังรับประทานน้ำตาลซูโครสที่เวลา 30, 60 และ 120 นาที ผลการศึกษาพบว่ากลุ่ม OHT มีค่า peak FBF เริ่มต้นต่ำกว่ากลุ่ม ONT (22.40±1.17 vs 25.23±0.62 mL/100mLtissue/min, P < 0.0001) หลังรับประทานน้ำตาลซูโครสทุกความเข้มข้นที่เวลา 30 นาที ค่า peak FBF ของทั้ง 2 กลุ่มลดลงเมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับนาทีที่ 0 (P < 0.05) ระดับ plasma glucose และ insulin ของทั้งสองกลุ่มเพิ่มสูงขึ้นหลังจากรับประทานน้ำตาลซูโครส 30 นาที (P < 0.05) และลดลงจนกลับเข้าสู่ระดับก่อนได้รับน้ำตาลซูโครส ระดับ PC และ TAC ทุกช่วงเวลาและทุกความเข้มข้นของน้ำตาลซูโครสไม่พบการเปลี่ยนแปลงทางสถิติ (P > 0.05) จึงสรุปได้ว่าการรับประทานน้ำตาลซูโครสไม่เกิน 60 กรัม ส่งผลให้เกิดความบกพร่องในการขยายตัวของหลอดเลือดทั้งในคนทีมีและไม่มีประวัติบิดามารดาเป็นความดันโลหิตสูง แต่ไม่พบความสัมพันธ์ของระดับ plasma glucose กับการเกิดภาวะเครียดออกซิเดชัน

ผลของการให้ผงว่านหางจระเข้ทางปากร่วมกับการปลูกถ่ายเซลล์เอนโดทีเลียมโปรเจนนิเตอร์ ของมนุษย์ต่อการหายของแผลในหนูนูดไมซ์ที่เป็นเบาหวาน, สุพัสนันท์ แก้วศรีสังข์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาการหายของแผลและการเกิดหลอดเลือดใหม่ในหนูนูดไมซ์ที่เป็นเบาหวานหลังจากให้กินว่านหางจระเข้ร่วมกับการปลูกถ่าย EPCs โดยแบ่งหนูเป็น 5 กลุ่ม ได้แก่ กลุ่มควบคุม กลุ่มเบาหวาน กลุ่มเบาหวานที่ได้รับเซลล์เอนโดทีเลียมโปรเจนนิเตอร์ (1×106 เซลล์) บริเวณแผล กลุ่มเบาหวานที่ได้รับว่านหางจระเข้ 400 มิลลิกรัมต่อกิโลกรัมต่อวันทางปาก และกลุ่มเบาหวานที่ได้รับเซลล์เอนโดทีเลียมโปรเจนนิเตอร์ (1×106 เซลล์) บริเวณแผลร่วมกับการกินว่านหางจระเข้ 400 มิลลิกรัมต่อกิโลกรัมต่อวัน ทำการเหนี่ยวนำให้เป็นเบาหวานด้วยสารสเตรปโตโซโตซิน 45 มิลลิกรัมต่อกิโลกรัมทางช่องท้องวันละครั้งติดต่อกันห้าวัน เมื่อครบ 10 สัปดาห์หลังจากเหนี่ยวนำให้หนูเป็นเบาหวาน หนูแต่ละกลุ่มถูกทำให้เกิดแผลชนิดที่ถูกตัดจนถึงชั้นไขมันที่บริเวณผิวหนังทั้งสองข้างจากแนวหลังของหนู ขนาด 0.6×0.6 ตารางเซนติเมตร ในวันที่ 7 และ 14 หลังทำให้เกิดแผล ทำการศึกษาระดับน้ำตาลในเลือดด้วยเครื่องกลูโคมิเตอร์ วัดขนาดแผลและวิเคราะห์ด้วยโปรแกรม Image Pro Plus 6.1 วัดการไหลเวียนของเลือดบริเวณแผลด้วยเครื่องเลเซอร์ดอปเปลอร์โฟลมิเตอร์ ศึกษาการเกิดหลอดเลือดใหม่ด้วยกล้องจุลทรรศน์แบบคอนโฟคอลโดยใช้แสงฟลูออเรสเซ็นต์ ศึกษาการเกิด re-epithelialization ด้วยการย้อมฮีมาท้อกซิลินและอีโอซิน และวัดระดับ VEGF ที่แผลด้วยวิธี ELISA ผลการทดลองพบว่า ทั้งในวันที่ 7 และ 14 หลังทำให้เกิดแผล ค่าระดับน้ำตาลในเลือดของหนูลดลงอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติหลังจากได้รับว่านหางจระเข้ กลุ่มที่ได้รับการรักษาด้วยการปลูกถ่ายเซลล์เอนโดทีเลียมโปรเจนนิเตอร์ร่วมกับการกินว่านหางจระเข้ มีการเพิ่มขึ้นของการปิดของแผล การไหลเวียนของเลือดบริเวณแผล การเกิดหลอดเลือดใหม่ การเกิด re-epithelialization และระดับ VEGF อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (P<0.05) เมื่อเทียบกับกลุ่มเบาหวานที่ไม่ได้รับการรักษา นอกจากนี้ในวันที่ 14 กลุ่มที่ได้รับการรักษาร่วมกันมีการเพิ่มขึ้นของการไหลเวียนของเลือดบริเวณแผลและการเกิดหลอดเลือดใหม่อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ เมื่อเทียบกับกลุ่มที่ได้รับการรักษาด้วย EPCs หรือ Aloe เพียงอย่างเดียว ดังนั้นการศึกษานี้อาจเป็นประโยชน์และเป็นอีกทางเลือกหนึ่งในการรักษาแผลเบาหวานได้ในอนาคต

Can The Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Values Of Offspring Be Used As A Proxy For Their Mother's Diet? Using Foetal Physiology To Interpret Bulk Tissue And Amino Acid Δ15N Values, Nico Lübcker, John P. Whiteman, Seth D. Newsome, Robert P. Millar, P.J. Nico De Bruyn

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The measurement of bulk tissue nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon isotope values (δ¹³C) chronologically along biologically inert tissues sampled from offspring can provide a longitudinal record of their mothers' foraging habits. This study tested the important assumption that mother-offspring stable isotope values are positively and linearly correlated. In addition, any change in the mother-offspring bulk tissues and individual amino acids that occurred during gestation was investigated. Whiskers sampled from southern elephant seal pups (Mirounga leonina) and temporally overlapping whiskers from their mothers were analyzed. This included n = 1895 chronologically subsampled whisker segments for bulk …

Structural Features Contributing To Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (Mdpv) Analog Inhibition Of The Human Dopamine Transporter, Zachary R. Spires

Theses and Dissertations

Monoamine transporters (MATs) are transmembrane neurotransmitter sodium symporters consisting of the dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters: DAT, NET, and SERT, respectively. Following an action potential and neurotransmitter vesicular release, MAT-mediated reuptake of these neurotransmitters in the presynaptic membrane contributes to the termination of monoaminergic neurotransmission. MATs are the targets of many drugs providing therapeutic benefits or taken recreationally. One of these drugs is methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), an abused synthetic cathinone that is a high potency uptake inhibitor of the human DAT (hDAT). In contrast, MDPV is a low potency uptake inhibitor of the Drosophila melanogaster dopamine transporter (dDAT). The reasons for …

Novel Duel Mtor Inhibitors/Ampk Activators Improve Therapeutic Efficacy Of Doxorubicin And Ameliorate Its Associated Cardiotoxicity In Mice, Sahak Eric Hovsepian

Theses and Dissertations

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive subset of breast cancer that has a molecular expression profile which lacks the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (ER), and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2). No targeted treatment options currently exist for TNBC, unlike other types of breast cancer, and therefore survival rates are far lower for these patients. The current treatment for TNBC is systemic anthracycline chemotherapy, typically doxorubicin (DOX), which has great clinical efficacy in increasing survival. However, DOX induces a dose-dependent progressive cardiomyopathy, which can present years and up to decades after the last treatment. This …

An Identification Of Tgf-B'S Role In Ischemic Cholangiopathy, Courtney Chmielewski

Theses and Dissertations

Organ transplants are a necessary intervention for many diseases that result in end stage organ failure. The donation pool cannot match the demands of the transplant list, so expanding the pool to include donation after cardiac death (DCD) is desired. However, there are increased odds of graft failure and ischemic cholangiopathy leading to inferior outcomes when DCD livers are used. Ischemic cholangiopathy consists of multiple diffuse strictures and fibrosis of the bile ducts leading to a loss of epithelialization and fibrosis. The cellular mechanism is proposed to be epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). TGF-�� is seen as a key initiator of EMT, …

Investigation Of Molecular Mechanisms Of Liver Preservation Injury: A Complication Preceding Organ Transplantation, Ria C. Fyffe-Freil

Theses and Dissertations

Of the over 108,000 American awaiting a life-saving organ transplant today, over 12,000 (11%) of those need a new liver (OPTN, 2020). Last year, only 35% of patients on the waiting list for an organ were transplanted. Improving the quality of marginal organs by preventing or reversing preservation injury could vastly increase the number of transplants performed. Washout of circulating blood during liver procurement with cold University of Wisconsin solution flushes out any endogenous pro-survival signaling molecules. We investigated lysophospholipid (LPL) surface receptors (G-protein coupled receptors for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine- 1-phosphate (S1P)) and their role in protecting hepatocytes …