Physiology Commons^™

Regulation Of Adrenal Steroidogenesis By Interleukin-6, Stephen A. Mcilmoil

Theses and Dissertations

Cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are steroids produced by the zona fasciculata (ZF) and reticularis (ZR), respectively, of the adrenal cortex. Both steroids are upregulated in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Cortisol is a glucorticoid that is important in the regulation of inflammation and metabolism. DHEA is an adrenal androgen important in fetal growth and puberty but tends to decrease gradually after puberty in both men and women. DHEA has various effects on metabolism and immune function including inhibiting the effects of cortisol on some tissues. During the acute phase of stress, cortisol and DHEA rise due to an increase in …

Regulation Of Lkb1-Strad-Mo25 Complex Expression And Activation Of Ampk In Skeletal Muscle By Thyroid Hormone, Devon Jack Branvold

Theses and Dissertations

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a heterotrimeric protein which serves as a metabolic master switch in skeletal muscle, is a research target for the pharmaceutical treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes. The expression of all of the isoforms of the subunits of AMPK and AMPK activity are increased in skeletal muscle tissue of hyperthyroid rats. Activity of AMPK is regulated by an upstream kinase (AMPKK). The LKB1-STRAD-MO25 complex is a major AMPKK in skeletal muscle. This experiment was designed to determine whether the increase in AMPK activity is accompanied by a thyroid hormone-induced increase in the expression of the LKB1-STRAD-MO25 …

Catecholaminergic Control Of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling In Paraventricular Neuroendocrine Neurons In Vivo And In Vitro: A Proposed Role During Glycemic Challenges, Arshad Khan, Todd Ponzio, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, B. Stanley, Glenn Hatton, Alan Watts

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Catecholaminergic Control Of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling In Paraventricular Neuroendocrine Neurons In Vivo And In Vitro: A Proposed Role During Glycemic Challenges, Khan, Todd Ponzio, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, B. Stanley, Glenn Hatton, Alan Watts

Departmental Papers (Biology)

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Intensity Of Aerobic Vo2max Resting Heart Rate And Blood Pressure, Shannan Elizabeth Gormley

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The AGSM recommends 20 to 60 minutes of continuous or intermittent activity 3 to 5 times per week to maintain cardio respiratory fitness (Pollock et al., 1998). The 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health indicates that Americans are not meeting these physical activity recommendations (DHHS). Several clear consequences of physical inactivity are the appearance of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity. Two recent review articles suggested that higher intensity exercise will elicit a greater reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors (Swain and Franklin, 2002; Swain and Franklin, 2006). In order to determine whether …

Assessment Of High School Athletic Coaches Knowledge Of The Prevention Recognition And Treatment Of Heat Illnesses, Erica Lea Borgia

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

As evidenced by the current history of heat related deaths, heat-related illness is a vast problem in the United States. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of high school athletic coaches' knowledge of the prevention, recognition, and treatment of exertional heat illnesses (EHI). A twenty-five question multiple choice assessment survey was developed to measure knowledge levels concerning the recognition, treatment, and prevention of EI-II. In addition, a questionnaire was utilized to collect demographic characteristics that could have had an effect on knowledge scores. The instrument was reviewed by a panel of experts for face and content …

Inhibition Of Nitric Oxide And Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase Signaling Affects Olfactory Neuron Activity In The Moth, Manduca Sexta, Caroline H. Wilson, Thomas A. Christensen, Alan J. Nighorn

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Nitric oxide is emerging as an important modulator of many physiological processes including olfaction, yet the function of this gas in the processing of olfactory information remains poorly understood. In the antennal lobe of the moth, Manduca sexta, nitric oxide is produced in response to odor stimulation, and many interneurons express soluble guanylyl cyclase, a well-characterized nitric oxide target. We used intracellular recording and staining coupled with pharmacological manipulation of nitric oxide and soluble guanylyl cyclase to test the hypothesis that nitric oxide modulates odor responsiveness in olfactory interneurons through soluble guanylyl cyclase-dependent pathways. Nitric oxide synthase inhibition resulted …

A Theoretical Model For Blood Flow In Small Vessels, V. P. Srivastava

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A two-fluid model consisting of a core region of suspension of all the erythrocytes (particles) in plasma (fluid) assumed to be a particle-fluid mixture and a peripheral layer of cell-free plasma (Newtonian fluid), has been proposed to represent blood flow in small diameter tubes. The analytical results obtained in the proposed model for effective viscosity, velocity profiles and flow rate have been evaluated numerically for various values of the parameters available from published works. Quantitative comparison has shown that present model suitability represents blood flow at hematocrit (less than or equal to 40%) and in vessels up to 70 micrometers …

Electromagnetic Differences In The Brain During Memory Retrieval, Warren Scott Merrifield

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The primary objectives for this experiment were to analyze the neuroanatomical correlates of autobiographical, episodic and semantic memory, use a different paradigm to promote episodic memory retrieval, and employ a different analysis technique to understand retrieval processes. Autobiographical and episodic memories are personal memories from the past. Autobiographical is more general (e.g. a street name of a house growing up) and episodic is more specific to time (e.g. 13th birthday party that took place on a street). For autobiographical and episodic memory retrieval operations, there is no general consensus as to the localization of function, but bilateral activation of the …

Parasites Alter Community Structure, Chelsea L. Wood, James E. Byers, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Irit Altman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Parasites often play an important role in modifying the physiology and behavior of their hosts and may, consequently, mediate the influence hosts have on other components of an ecological community. Along the northern Atlantic coast of North America, the dominant herbivorous snail Littorina littorea structures rocky intertidal communities through strong grazing pressure and is frequently parasitized by the digenean trematode Cryptocotyle lingua. We hypothesized that the effects of parasitism on host physiology would induce behavioral changes in L. littorea, which in turn would modulate L. littorea's influence on intertidal community composition. Specifically, we hypothesized that C. lingua …

Similarities Between Etiological Models Of Eating Disorder Symptomatology And Muscle Dysmorphia Symptomatology, Jennifer Jonda

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) has recently been conceptualized as the male form of Eating Disorders (ED), although it is not currently classified as an ED. The current study compares etiological models of MD symptomatology (based on Grieve's [2007] conceptual model of MD) and ED symptomatology (based on Stice's [1994] conceptual model of Bulimia Nervosa). In both models, it was hypothesized that sociocultural influences on appearance (SIA) would predict body dissatisfaction (BD), and that this relationship would be mediated by self-esteem (SE) and perfectionism (P); that BD would predict negative affect (NA); and that NA would predict MD and ED symptomatology. Two-hundred-forty-seven …

Maturational Changes In Cerebrovascular Thick- And Thin-Filament Regulation, Renan Joel Sandoval

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study focused on the main hypothesis that age-related changes in myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity involve simultaneous changes in the relations between cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients, myosin phosphorylation, and force development. To define the effects of late fetal and early postnatal maturation, parallel experiments were carried out using cerebral arteries from both term lamb fetuses (140-141 days of gestation) and nonpregnant adult sheep. Fetal and adult cerebral arteries were stimulated by either mechanically, electromechanically, and/or pharmacomechanically-induced contractions, and the relations of cytosolic Ca²⁺, MLC phosphorylation, and contractile tensions were measured. These measurements allowed for stimulus and age-dependent …

Gender-Specific Effects Of Hiv Protease Inhibitors On Body Mass In Mice, Melinda E. Wilson, Kimberly F. Allred, Elizabeth M. Kordik, Deana K. Jasper, Amanda N. Rosewell, Anthony J. Bisotti

Physiology Faculty Publications

Protease inhibitors, as part of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), have significantly increased the lifespan of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. Several deleterious side effects including dyslipidemia and lipodystrophy, however, have been observed with HAART. Women are at a higher risk of developing adipose tissue alterations and these alterations have different characteristics as compared to men. We have previously demonstrated that in mice the HIV protease inhibitor, ritonavir, caused a reduction in weight gain in females, but had no effect on male mice. In the present study, we examined the potential causes of this difference in weight gain. Low-density …

Video Game Addiction: Truth Or Fiction, Lyles Thibodeaux-Harmony

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Alpha-1-Adrenoceptor-Mediated Contractions Of The Uterine Artery By Pkc, Hongying Zhang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pregnancy is associated with a significant decrease in uterine vascular tone and a striking increase in uterine blood flow, which ensures normal fetal development. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the adaptation of uterine artery contractility during pregnancy. Both protein kinase C (PKC) and activation of ai-adrenoceptors play important roles in the regulation of uterine artery contractility. In addition, PKC mediates the pregnancyassociated decrease in myogenic tone of the uterine artery, and interacts with ajadrenoceptors leading to modulation of ai-adrenoceptor-mediated contractions of vascular smooth muscle. Yet, whether or to what extent PKC regulates ai-adrenoceptormediated contractions of the uterine artery and their …

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

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

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

The Effect Of Instruction Of Jump-Landing Motion Patterns And Impact Forces, Mary Elizabeth Joos

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The use of visual instruction could be a valuable tool in prevention strategies for anterior cruciate ligament injuries, especially in large group settings, through the alterations of jump-landing motion patterns and impact forces. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two visual modeling cues in altering jump-landing motion patterns, as measured by the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS), and impact forces, vertical ground reaction force (PVGRF) and peak posterior ground reaction force (PPGRF). Seventy-three physically active individuals (age= 20.89 ± 1.72 years; height = 172 ± 9.87 cm; mass= 68.43 ± 15.97 kg) were baseline tested …

The Role Of Stat And The Jak/Stat Pathway In Mediating The Effects Of Interleukin-6 On Star Expression, Janae Strickland

Theses and Dissertations

Cortisol, a hormone produced by a hormone produced by the adrenal gland, is responsible for many regulatory functions in the body. Cortisol release is mediated by adrenocorticotrophic hormone, or ACTH, through the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal or HPA axis. This HPA axis is the major release pathway used during acute stress, during which the levels of ACTH parallel those of cortisol. However, in states of chronic stress, the level of ACTH drops dramatically, while cortisol remains high. This study focuses on the pathway of cortisol release during these chronic stress states, specifically examining the role of IL-6 with respect to STATs and the …

Derivation Of An Age And Weight Handicap For The 5k Run, Paul M. Vanderburgh, Lloyd L. Laubach

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

The adverse effect of increasing age and/or body weight on distance run performance has been well documented. Accordingly, nearly all five kilometer (5K) road races employ age categories and, sometimes, a heavier body weight classification. Problems with such conventions include small numbers of runners within older age categories and the advantage given to the lightest runners within each weight category. We developed a 5K Handicap (5KH), a model that calculates an adjusted run time based on the inputs of actual 5K run time, age, and body weight for men and women. This adjusted time, then, can be compared between runners …

Handling Immediate Medical Care At Aquatic Facilities: Do We Need Different Levels Of Lifeguard Certification?, Leland Yarger

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The first-responder and professional-rescuer training materials and training programs consider lifeguards to be first responders in emergencies (Aehlert, 2005; American Red Cross, 2001). This article asks readers to consider whether our agency lifeguard-training programs reflect a philosophy that truly view and prepare lifeguards as first responders. If not, I challenge readers to consider whether we should alter our hiring, staffing, and in-service training procedures at aquatic facilities based on the scope and need for providing adequate emergency care at those facilities.

Escape And Rescue From Submerged Vehicles, Gerald M. Dworkin

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

No abstract provided.

Avpv Neurons Containing Estrogen Receptor-Beta In Adult Male Rats Are Influenced By Soy Isoflavones, Edwin D. Lephart, Lihong H. Bu

Faculty Publications

Background Isoflavones, the most abundant phytoestrogens in soy foods, are structurally similar to 17beta-estradiol. It is known that 17beta-estradiol induces apoptosis in anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) in rat brain. Also, there is evidence that consumption of soy isoflavones reduces the volume of AVPV in male rats. Therefore, in this study, we examined the influence of dietary soy isoflavones on apoptosis in AVPV of 150 day-old male rats fed either a soy isoflavone-free diet (Phyto-free) or a soy isoflavone-rich diet (Phyto-600). Results: The occurrence of apoptosis in AVPV was examined by TUNEL staining. The incidence of apoptosis was about 10 times …

Following Temperature Stress, Export Of Heat Shock Mrna Occurs Efficiently In Cells With Mutations In Genes Normally Important For Mrna Export, Christiane Rollenhagen, Christine A. Hodge, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Heat shock leads to accumulation of polyadenylated RNA in nuclei of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, transcriptional induction of heat shock genes, and efficient export of polyadenylated heat shock mRNAs. These studies were conducted to examine the requirements for export of mRNA following heat shock. We used in situ hybridization to detect SSA4 mRNA (encoding Hsp70) and flow cytometry to measure the amount of Ssa4p-green fluorescent protein (GFP) produced following heat shock. Npl3p and Yra1p are mRNA-binding proteins recruited to nascent mRNAs and are essential for proper mRNA biogenesis and export. Heat shock mRNA was exported efficiently in temperature-sensitive npl3, yra1 …

A Proposal For Robust Temperature Compensation Of Circadian Rhythms, Christian I. Hong, Emery D. Conrad, John J. Tyson

Dartmouth Scholarship

The internal circadian rhythms of cells and organisms coordinate their physiological properties to the prevailing 24-h cycle of light and dark on earth. The mechanisms generating circadian rhythms have four defining characteristics: they oscillate endogenously with period close to 24 h, entrain to external signals, suffer phase shifts by aberrant pulses of light or temperature, and compensate for changes in temperature over a range of 10°C or more. Most theoretical descriptions of circadian rhythms propose that the underlying mechanism generates a stable limit cycle oscillation (in constant darkness or dim light), because limit cycles quite naturally possess the first three …

Correction Factors For Body Mass In Military Physical Fitness Tests, Paul M. Vanderburgh

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Recent research findings combined with the theoretical laws of biological similarity make the compelling case that all physical fitness test items for the Army, Air Force, and Navy impose a 15-20% physiologic bias against heavier, not fatter, men and women. Using the published findings that actual scores of muscle and aerobic endurance scale by body mass raised to the 1/3 power, correction factor tables were developed. This correction factor can be multiplied by one’s actual score (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups, abdominal crunches, or curl-ups repetitions or distance run time) to yield adjusted scores that are free of body mass bias. These …

Influence Of Physical Training On Knee Valgus Motion And Physical Performance Abilities Among Adole[S]Cent Female Basketball Players, Shauhen Charles Tahrebandi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The intent of this study was to determine if high school female basketball players participating in a physical training intervention (including a warm-up and plyometric, jump, flexibility, and strength training) would decrease valgus motion at the knee joint upon impact of a jump landing task. In addition, another aim of the investigation was to determine if the training routine would enhance physical performance factors associated with specific basketball skills (e.g., vertical jump and agility).

Twenty high school female basketball players, (experimental group n = 8, mean = 14.2 yrs; control group n = 12, mean = 14.3 yrs) were recruited …

Punking Yoga: Reconstructing Post/Neo/Colonial Fashion And Movement, Tara Brabazon

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

The branded clothes worn through sporting and fitness activities confirm that any movement, practice or behaviour that seems transgressive of heteronormative masculinity and femininity is also implicated in neo/colonial incorporations and the casualized workforce that is a characteristic of sports clothing manufacture. In an environment washed by the marketing of opposition, resistance is both difficult to define and apply in cultural studies. This paper invokes 'the problem' of resistance while denying the seamless and simple determinations of positive and negative representations. The focus of study is Yogurt Activewear, a company attacking corporatized yoga wear by creating an anti-brand brand. They …

Signaling By Protease-Activated Receptors In Gastrointestinal Smooth Muscle, Wimolpak Sriwai

Theses and Dissertations

In the present study, we have examined the expression of protease-activated receptors (PARS) and characterized their signaling pathways in rabbit gastric muscle cells. Immunoblot analysis revealed expression of PARl and PAR2 but not PAR3 or PAR4 in smooth muscle. The PARl agonist TFLLR activated Gq, G12, and Gi3, but not Gil, Gi2, G13, Gs or Gz, whereas the PAR2 agonist SLIGRL activated Gq, G13, Gil, and Gi2, but not Gi3, G12, Gs, or Gz. Both PARl and PAR2 agonists stimulated PI hydrolysis and Rho kinase activity and inhibited cAMP formation. PAR1-stimulated PI hydrolysis was abolished in cells expressing Gαq minigene, …

Effects Of Cxcl8 Overexpression On Tumor Cell Proliferation And Migration In An Hnscc Cell Model, Emil Paul Christofakis

Theses and Dissertations

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the 6th most common malignancyworldwide. Recently, a link between cancer and inflammation has been found. Mediatingthis relationship are the chemotactic cytokines known as chemokines. CXCL8 (Interleukin-8), a CXC ELR+ Chemokine mainly responsible for neutrophil chemoattraction, has beenimplicated in increased tumor proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. The current studytests the effects of CXCL8 on the tumor proliferation and metastasis. By genetically modifying cells to knockdown or overexpress the CXCL8 gene we tested its biological rolein head and neck cancer progression. Overexpression of CXCL8 in HN4 tumor cells withlow endogenous CXCL8 levels was found to increase …

Role Of Rok And Pkc In Permeabilized Rabbit Femoral Artery, Lyndsay Jacquelyn Clelland

Theses and Dissertations

Discoveries made with KCl-induced contractions have elucidated the more complex reactions involved in GPCRs signaling; once the mechanisms of smooth muscle Ca2+ sensitization and desensitization are fully understood, then the development of advanced treatments for vascular disorders such as hypertension, cerebral and coronary vasospasm, and vascular hyporeactivity following hemorrhagic shock may be possible. Studies have shown that KCl-induced contractions induce Ca2+-sensitization. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that KCl induced Ca2+-sensitization is due to ROK activation by the increase in [Ca2+]i. To test this hypothesis, rabbit femoral arteries were permeabilized with 20µg/ml α-toxin and 1% Triton X-100 and subjected to different …