Physiology Commons^™

Developing Tools To Understand Stress And Nest Abandonment In Birds, Hannah Elena Beyl

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Immunological Response To Chronic Stress In Obese Mice, Matthew Corey Parsley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obesity and psychological stress are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and have a positive correlation with vascular dysfunction. This functional deficit has been linked to a pro-inflammatory milieu, exacerbated by an upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Febuxostat, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, has been shown to rescue vascular impairment in these models. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual and combined effects of obesity and chronic stress on neuroimmune cell populations, and assess if febuxostat is able mediate immune alterations.

Male mice (n=48) were assigned into either normal chow (lean) and high-fat diet (obese) groups. The lean animals …

Analyzing Physiological Stress Response Using Dermal Swabs In Plethodon Montanus, John Tester

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Upon exposure to environmental stressors, amphibians such as Plethodon montanus will release corticosterone (CORT) thus causing a behavioral and physiological response to cope with the stress. Currently, there are several invasive ways of collecting CORT in salamanders. However, these techniques typically require euthanasia of the organism. We hypothesized that exposure of P. montanus to stressful handling conditions will result in elevations of CORT that can be detected through dermal swabbing. To test this, two experiments were conducted which involved swabbing the dorsal side of the trunk before and immediately after exposing P. montanus to two different environmental stressors. The first …

Stress And Body Composition Of Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Brandon Scott Tappmeyer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), is a species of conservation concern that is the subject of multiple head-start and reintroduction efforts across its range. In captive propagation programs, producing offspring that are in optimal physiological condition maximizes the likelihood of success after release. The purpose of my study was to compare stress and body composition between one free-ranging reintroduced population and two captive populations. The two captive populations were both housed in southern Oklahoma, but one group was reared indoors whereas the other inhabited outdoor ponds at a national fish hatchery. I used circulating glucocorticoid (corticosterone) concentrations as an …

Impact Of Psychological And Physical Stressors On The Exercise-Induced Immune Response In Collegiate Swimmers, Connor Alexander Kuremsky

LSU Master's Theses

Evidence suggests high-intensity exercise training increases incidence of upper respiratory infection in young-adult athletes (Spence et al. 2007). Collegiate athletes experience chronic stress, which has been shown to result in increased proportions of late-differentiated CD8+ T-cells of a dysfunctional phenotype (Bosch et al. 2009). However, many studies fail to consider possible moderators such as psychological stress and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Purpose: To examine the impact of psychological stress, CMV infection, and exercise on proportions of early- and late-differentiated CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in collegiate swimmers over a 7-month training period. Methods: Data were collected from NCAA …

A Hybrid Cognitive Architecture With Primal Affect And Physiology, Christopher L. Dancy

Faculty Journal Articles

Though computational cognitive architectures have been used to study several processes associated with human behavior, the study of integration of affect and emotion in these processes has been relatively sparse. Theory from affective science and affective neuroscience can be used to systematically integrate affect into cognitive architectures, particularly in areas where cognitive system behavior is known to be associated with physiological structure and behavior. I introduce a unified theory and model of human behavior that integrates physiology and primal affect with cognitive processes in a cognitive architecture. This new architecture gives a more tractable, mechanistic way to simulate affect-cognition interactions …

Stress-Dependent Regulation Of A Major Node Of The Insulin-Like Peptide Network That Modulates Survival, Rashmi Chandra

Wayne State University Dissertations

Chronic stress disrupts insulin signaling, predisposing human populations to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other metabolic and neurological disorders, including post-traumatic disorders (PTSD). Thus, efficient recovery from stress optimizes survival. However, stress recovery in humans is difficult to study, but is much easier to dissect in model organisms. The worm genetic model Caenorhabditis elegans can switch between stressed and non-stressed states, and this switch is largely regulated by insulin signaling. Previously, the Alcedo lab proposed that insulin-like peptides (ILPs), which exist as multiple members of a protein family in both C. elegans and humans, implements a combinatorial coding strategy …

How The Human Immune System Reacts To Stress Such As Drowning, Luke O'Neill Ph.D., Frs

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

No abstract provided.

Weekly Salivary Biomarkers Across A Season For Elite Men Collegiate Basketball Players, Matthew J. Andre, Andrew C. Fry, Paul E. Luebbers, Andrea Hudy, Patricia R. Dietz, Glenn J. Cain

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(6): 439-451, 2018. The purpose of this study was to monitor weekly the salivary free testosterone (FT), cortisol (C), and the FT/C ratio in elite men NCAA Division I basketball athletes across an entire season. Twelve athletes gave salivary samples for 30 consecutive weeks, beginning in the pre-season and ending one week after the end of post-season competition. Samples were assayed for FT and C. Additionally, a composite value (CBD) composed of Z-scores for weekly practice minutes, game minutes, resistance training repetitions, academic demands, and travel schedules was determined. One-way RM ANOVAs were used to …

Environmental Effects On Drosophila Brain Development And Learning, Xia Wang, Amei Amei, J. Steven De Belle, Stephen P. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Brain development and behavior are sensitive to a variety of environmental influences including social interactions and physicochemical stressors. Sensory input in situ is a mosaic of both enrichment and stress, yet little is known about how multiple environmental factors interact to affect brain anatomical structures, circuits and cognitive function. In this study, we addressed these issues by testing the individual and combined effects of sub-adult thermal stress, larval density and early-adult living spatial enrichment on brain anatomy and olfactory associative learning in adult Drosophila melanogaster. In response to heat stress, the mushroom bodies (MBs) were the most volumetrically impaired among …

Single Men's Experiences Of Coping With Financial Stress, Heath Downes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiencing financial hardship is stressful and can lead to the development of psychological symptoms, including depression and anxiety. Although researchers have examined the broad categories of coping strategies that people employ when faced with financial hardship, little is known about the experiences of single men who were able to navigate stressful times without developing anxiety or anxiety-like symptoms. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the successful coping experiences of single men with financial hardship (e.g., loss of job, home, finances). Bonanno's theory of resilience provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from interviews with 12 …

Consequences Of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception To Feral Horses, Cassandra M.V. Nuñez

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Porcine zona pellucida (PZP) immunocontraception was developed to provide a more humane, effective, and inexpensive method of population regulation for wildlife species. It has been used to regulate populations of several species including white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), elk (Cervus elaphus ), black bear (Ursus americanus ), and the feral horse (Equus ferus caballus) with varying levels of success. Early studies on Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland, USA, suggested PZP was as an ideal form of fertility control because it reduced the likelihood of conception to

The Effect Of Biofeedback Training On One Repetition Maximum Chest Press Performance, Joann C. Wakefield, Amber M. Shipherd

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(8): 1105-1115, 2017. Biofeedback is a method of controlling normally automatic bodily functions by monitoring and training to acquire voluntary control over them (13). The purpose of this study was to determine if a heart-rate variability training program utilizing the emWave biofeedback device could increase performance on a simple strength task. Participants (n = 18) were randomly assigned to one of three groups and data were collected for a period of seven weeks. Data collection consisted of participants receiving training (experimental and alternate groups) or no training (control group), followed by a chest press one …

Psychosocial Functioning And The Cortisol Awakening Response: Meta-Analysis, P-Curve Analysis, And Evaluation Of The Evidential Value In Existing Studies, Ian Andres Boggero, Camelia E. Hostinar, Eric A. Haak, Michael L. M. Murphy, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cortisol levels rise immediately after awakening and peak approximately 30-45 minutes thereafter. Psychosocial functioning influences this cortisol awakening response (CAR), but there is considerable heterogeneity in the literature. The current study used p-curve and metaanalysis on 709 findings from 212 studies to test the evidential value and estimate effect sizes of four sets of findings: those associating worse psychosocial functioning with higher or lower cortisol increase relative to the waking period (CARi) and to the output of the waking period (AUCw). All four sets of findings demonstrated evidential value. Psychosocial predictors explained 1%-3.6% of variance in CARi and AUCw …

Stress Increases Peripheral Axon Growth And Regeneration Through Glucocorticoid Receptor-Dependent Transcriptional Programs, Jessica K. Lerch, Jessica K. Alexander, Kathryn M. Madalena, Dario Motti, Tam Quach, Akhil Dhamija, Alicia Zha, John C. Gensel, Jeanette Webster Marketon, Vance P. Lemmon, John L. Bixby, Phillip G. Popovich

Physiology Faculty Publications

Stress and glucocorticoid (GC) release are common behavioral and hormonal responses to injury or disease. In the brain, stress/GCs can alter neuron structure and function leading to cognitive impairment. Stress and GCs also exacerbate pain, but whether a corresponding change occurs in structural plasticity of sensory neurons is unknown. Here, we show that in female mice (Mus musculus) basal GC receptor (Nr3c1, also known as GR) expression in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons is 15-fold higher than in neurons in canonical stress-responsive brain regions (M. musculus). In response to stress or GCs, adult …

Noninvasive Measures Of Stress And Lameness In Broilers, Shawna L. Weimer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of broiler chicken welfare has evolved from a component of animal husbandry to a label on a chicken product package. Recent attention from the public has led to the need for higher welfare standards for animal production. A primary concern of broiler production is low activity/locomotion attributed to fast growth rates leading to poor leg health. To collect the scientific data necessary to determine conditions providing the best welfare for the bird, multiple methods of assessment are required. Stress is influenced by external (temperature, humidity, lighting, stocking density) and internal (metabolism, thermoregulation, hormonal balance) factors. This series of …

Characterization Of Andrenocortical Tissue Morphology, Histology, And Steroid Synthesis Among Finetooth (Carcharhinus Isodon), Blacktip (Carcharhinus Limbatus), Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae), And Bonnethead (Sphyrna Tiburo) Sharks, Danielle Elizabeth Bailey

Master's Theses

Adrenocortical (interrenal) tissue is composed of steroidogenic cells that produce corticosteroids involved in the stress response and hydromineral balance. Previous research characterizing the elasmobranch interrenal suggests that the number of interrenal bodies that produce the single primary corticosteroid, 1a-hydroxycorticosterone (1a-OHB), varies among species. However, potential species-specific differences in the amount of interrenal tissue and major steroid products produced have been understudied. To address this critical gap in our understanding of elasmobranch biology, this study examined interrenal morphology, cell structure, steroidogenic enzyme distribution (3bHSD), and steroid production in four shark species: Finetooth Carcharhinus isodon, Blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus, Atlantic Sharpnose …

The Psychophysiological Correlates Of Personality, Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Social Support, Meghan E. Pierce

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Theories considering the etiology of psychopathy suggest that trauma exposure, specifically childhood maltreatment and sexual abuse, is related to the development of callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents, which are precursors to psychopathic traits in adulthood. Furthermore, posttraumatic stress disorder has an opposite relationship with many of the emotional and behavioral components of the two-factor model of psychopathy. Specifically, PTSD is positively associated to IA and traits associated with it and negatively associated with FD. Thus, this study sought to expand upon the current theories of a trauma-based etiology of psychopathy by investigating the relationship between trauma, PTSD, and psychopathic …

Glucocorticoids And Parental Effort In Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor), Mackenzie Prichard

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

All vertebrates respond to stressful situations through the release of hormones called glucocorticoids (CORT). These hormones alter processes within the body to prioritize long term survival over immediate reproduction. It is hypothesized that this is helps individuals survive until conditions become more favorable for successful reproduction. Historically, stress was hypothesized to primarily to pull organisms out of reproductive life history stages when unfavorable conditions made offspring survival slim (otherwise known as the “CORT-tradeoff hypothesis”). However, recent evidence suggests that birds actively feeding nestlings show elevated CORT levels, possibly due to the increased metabolic demands of parenthood. This relationship has been …

Maternal Sleep Loss During Fetal Development Alters Offspring Endocrine Responses To Stress Throughout Life, Audrey Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis releases glucocorticoids, including corticosterone (CORT), in response to stress. CORT then negatively feeds back to inhibit its own production by binding to glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The HPA axis is subject to “programming” by abnormal stimuli during early development, which may permanently alter how the HPA axis responds to stress. These altered responses have been linked to an increased risk for human psychiatric and metabolic disorders in later life, but the mechanism by which this happens is not fully understood. This study tests the hypothesis that changes to GR expression patterns …

Stress Ecology Of The Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus And Crotalus Helleri), Natalie Claunch

Master's Theses

Stress is a physiological state induced by disturbance or adverse environmental conditions and is modulated by the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) in reptiles. Stressors can have various impacts on vertebrate trait expression and may affect survival or reproduction. Little is known about the effects of chronically elevated CORT in free-ranging reptiles, or the effect of disturbance stress on venom composition in captive snakes.

In chapter 1, we investigated the effects of researcher induced disturbance on CORT levels and venom composition in a group of captive Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus). Venom protein concentration and plasma CORT levels were …

The Neuroprotective Effect Of Exercise On Memory Impairment Induced By Stress, Jeff Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objectives of this award were met, especially in regard to the mentoring focus of the award. The students have been mentored and trained in an effective manner as outlined in my Mentoring Plan (abbreviated below). This includes mentoring students in research, writing, publishing, presenting at conferences, etc. Indeed, one measure of the success of mentoring is demonstrated by the fact that all the students graduating from my lab during this time were accepted to the professional school of their choice (see students listed below). Research, especially where the students are actually involved in all aspects of it including data …

Exercising To Stay Mentally Fit, Tyler Hammond, Dr. Jerffrey Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Both exercise and stress have an impact on learning and memory. Exercise appears to have positive effects on learning and memory while stress appears to have negative effects on learning and memory. Previous work in our lab has demonstrated that exercise enhances long-term potentiation mediated by electrical stimulus in the hippocampus and that stress decreases long-term potentiation mediated by electrical stimulus in the hippocampus. Long-term potentiation is a measure of the strengthening of the synapses following an electrical stimulus intended to model learning and memory. The hippocampus is the area of the brain commonly deemed responsible for long-term declarative memories.

Effects Of Salinity And Ph Change On The Physiology Of An Estuarine Fish Species, Fundulus Heteroclitus Heteroclitus, Shauna M. Tietze

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sapelo Island, Georgia is a pristine environment characterized by many variable salt marsh habitats. Throughout the island, salinity ranges from freshwater to full strength seawater and acidity levels range from low pH (pH < 4.4) to above neutral (pH > 8). Fundulus heteroclitus (Mummichog) is a resident organism of the salt marsh environment that has evolved coping strategies to withstand fluctuations in temperature, salinity and pH. Field and laboratory studies have shown F. heteroclitus to exhibit broad tolerance of individual environmental stressors; however, there is limited information on their ability to handle multiple stressors simultaneously. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to low …

Salivary Vip Concentrations Are Elevated In Humans After Acute Stress, Giovanni Ventre

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research was to evaluate two salivary neuropeptides in the context of the stress response. The research was focused first and foremost on evaluating the usefulness of salivary Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and salivary vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) as stress indicators. Secondly, we questioned whether these markers help us in distinguishing between physical and psychological stress. Psychological stress can be experienced in a situation such as that in anticipation of an important exam or mental task. Physical stress can be experienced usually by strenuous exercise. Salivary NPY and salivary VIP are two neuropeptides that are released as a …

The Countering Effects Of Exercise On Stress Reduced Long-Term Potentiation In Mouse Hippocampi, Jacob Trotter, Dr. Jerffrey Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The hippocampus is an area of the brain that mediates learning and memory by changing the properties of synapses between its neurons. This ability of synapses to change is known as synaptic plasticity. Long-term potentiation (LTP), a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between two neurons, is one of several phenomena underlying synaptic plasticity and is the cellular correlate of memory and learning. Several studies of LTP in mice show that there is a marked impairment of LTP in hippocampal slices taken from rodents exposed to stress. Their data suggests that stress may lead to deficits in learning and memory. In …

The Effects Of Stress And Exercise On Learning And Memory, Teresa Nufer (St. Pierre), Jeffery G. Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Both stress and exercise have significant physiological effects. Researchers have studied these effects throughout the body, and current evidence suggests that exercise and stress also have profound effects on the brain. While stress decreases brain function, exercise has been show to enhance brain function. Recently, researchers have begun to investigate the effects of stress and exercise on the brain simultaneously, instead of studying the effects individually. Our lab has furthered these studies through the use of electrophysiology and behavioral experiments. Four groups of mice were studied: a control group, a group that experienced a chronic stress protocol, a group that …

Restraint Stress Alters Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Expression And Increases Superoxide Dismutase In The Rat Hypothalamus And Hippocampus, Kristina Isabel Barron

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The impact of restraint stress on changes in cytokine expression and oxidative stress markers in hippocampal (Hipp) and hypothalamic (Hyp) regions of the brain, were assessed in a rat model. In addition, immune and inflammatory variables were assessed in peripheral blood. Male Wistar rats were acutely (30 min) or repeatedly (30 min/d for 14 consecutive days) exposed to a restraint stress, or maintained as non-stressed controls. At the time of sacrifice, whole blood and brain tissues enriched in Hyp or Hipp regions were collected; blood was collected with EDTA as an anticoagulant and centrifuged to yield plasma. All tissue samples …

Central Administration Of Neuropeptide Y (Npy) And Vasotocin 4 Receptor (Vt4r/V1ar) Antagonists On Food Intake And A Stress Response In Chicks, Megan Ann Hancock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the central effect of the VT4R antagonists (SR-49059 and H-5350 (Manning compound)) on corticosterone (CORT) levels during stress and food intake. A 22-gauge stainless steel guide cannula was surgically implanted into the lateral ventricle of the birds. A preliminary study was done to test the antagonists and their role on food intake. Birds were injected with saline, NPY (4µg), NPY (4µg)+SR-49059 (250ng), or NPY (4µg)+Manning compound (250ng). Birds injected with saline had the lowest 1h food intake (17.7g1.6). Birds injected with NPY+saline had a significantly higher intake (27.1g 1.0), which was enhanced …

Physiological And Biochemical Consequences Of Sleep Deprivation, Jade Catherine Boykin

Honors College Theses

Sleep is a universal phenomenon in vertebrates and lack of sleep has been linked with various abnormal behaviors (Singh et al 2013). Studies have shown that a strong linkage exists between stress and sleep, or lack thereof. In fact, the Better Sleep Council’s 2009 survey revealed that 65% of Americans lose sleep due to elevated stress (Wells and Vaughn 2012). Continual (chronic) elevated stress levels have been linked with serious negative health effects. By using sleep deprivation studies, on a simpler animal model than humans it is our aim to investigate the consequences of sleep deprivation at the physiological and …