Systems and Integrative Physiology Commons^™

Design And Advancement Of Analytical Frameworks For In Vivo Single-Photon Calcium Imaging To Characterize Temporal- And Treatment-Dependent Neural Adaptations To Opioid Exposure And Withdrawal In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Alexia R. Alsum Dr.

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Despite the availability of several approved medications for opioid use disorder (OUD), it remains a significant public health concern characterized by persistent neurobiological adaptations that drive relapse and impede successful recovery. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region critical for executive control and decision-making, undergoes pronounced functional changes during chronic opioid exposure and withdrawal, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying these adaptations remain poorly understood. This dissertation aims to investigate longitudinal alterations in mPFC neural activity across opioid exposure and withdrawal using in vivo single-photon calcium imaging and newly developed computational frameworks.

Following standard preprocessing to extract and normalize calcium traces, …

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

Metabolic Transitions In Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Regulation And Consequences For Oxidative Stress, Daniel Anthony Arabie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Embryos of Artemia franciscana survive harsh conditions in diapause and anoxia-induced quiescence for years by undergoing deep metabolic transitions. I investigated the relationship between phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and carbon flux to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle during metabolic depression. The difference in catalytic activity of the PDH complex (PDC) in maximally phosphorylated and dephosphorylated samples was 16.5-fold. Western blot analysis confirmed the changes in phosphorylation of PDH. Analysis of PDH expression in diapause and post-diapause embryos via phospho-PDH showed no significant differences. Investigation of post-diapause embryos under anoxia showed that phosphorylation of PDH decreased and activated the enzyme. …

Review Of Biomedical Applications Of Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering, Natalie M. Howard

Honors College Theses

Tissue engineering can be defined as processes that aim to generate three-dimensional functional tissues in vitrothat have been favorably altered according to the structural, biochemical, electrophysiological, and biomechanical properties of the desired tissue before implantation into the human body. In relation to cardiac tissues, these properties would include the ability to conduct action potentials, withstand systolic pressure, permit sufficient O₂ and CO₂penetration, sufficient vascularization to supply nutrients for cellular activity, surface topology that enables cellular communication, and more. As heart diseases and instances of myocardial infarction continue to rise worldwide, there is an increasing need for …

Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course Textbook (2nd Edition), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The goal of this preparatory textbook is to give students a chance to become familiar with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later on in the Anatomy and Physiology course, especially during the first few weeks of the course.

Organization and functioning of the human organism are generally presented starting from the simplest building blocks, and then moving into levels of increasing complexity. This textbook follows the same presentation. It begins introducing the concept of homeostasis, then covers the chemical level, and later on a basic introduction to cellular level, organ level, and organ system level. This …

Open Neuroscience Initiative, Austin Lim

College of Science and Health Full Text Publications

The Open Neuroscience Initiative is a free-to-use textbook

This project began as a means to overcoming the financial burden that face undergraduate neuroscience students when buying textbooks. By compiling and writing a completely free-to-access textbook that covers the foundations of a typical college introduction to neuroscience course, students would have one less obstacle to overcome in their educational career, allowing them to focus their valuable time and attention on learning rather than finances. To make this project a reality, I began with a humble tweet in May 2019 that managed to gain a tiny bit of traction among the neuroscience …

Physiological Impacts Of Lampricides On Invasive Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus) And Non-Target Fishes, Razvan, Adrian Ionescu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parasitic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ingest large quantities of blood from fishes using their oral disc and rasping tongue, most often killing the host. In the early 1900s, sea lamprey invaded the Laurentian Great Lakes, decimating sport, commercial and culturally significant fisheries. Since the early 1960s, chemical control using the lampricides 3- trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and niclosamide have helped to reduce sea lamprey populations by 90%. Lampricides are applied to larval lamprey nursery streams targeting many generations of lamprey at once. However, there is concern about the potential adverse effects of lampricides on other fishes, particularly vulnerable lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) …

The Role Of Spine In Causing Lameness In Horses, Raja Zabeeh Ullah Khan

International Programs

Lameness is one of the most important problems of horses. It influences all communities who keep horses. Recent studies have shown the significance of spinal muscles and vertebrae in inducing lameness in horses. The field has not been explored much and requires application of biomechanics to define the role of spine in inducing lameness in horses. This presentation highlights the importance of spine in inducing lameness in horses by relating the solution with biomechanics.

Can A Comprehensive Transition Plan To Barefoot Running Be The Solution To The Injury Epidemic In American Endurance Runners?, Michael A. Scarlett

CMC Senior Theses

Fossils belonging to the genus Homo, dating as far back as two million years ago, exhibit uniquely efficient features suggesting that early humans had evolved to become exceptional endurance runners. Although they did not have the cushion or stability-control features provided in our modern day running shoes, our early human ancestors experienced far less of the running-related injuries we experience today. The injury rate has been estimated as high as 90% annually for Americans training for a marathon and as high as 79% annually for all American endurance runners. There is an injury epidemic in conventionally shod populations that …

Insights Into The Therapeutic Potential Of Salt Inducible Kinase 1: A Novel Mechanism Of Metabolic Control, Randi Fitzgibbon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Salt inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) has been considered a stress-inducible kinase since it was first cloned in 1999. Continued efforts since this time have been dedicated to characterizing the structure and function of SIK1. Such research has laid the ground work for our understanding of SIK1 action and regulation in tissue and stimuli dependent manners. The fundamental findings of this dissertation continue in this tradition and include investigations of SIK1 regulatory mechanisms in skeletal muscle cells, the cellular and physiological effects of SIK1 loss of function in vitro and in vivo, and intracellular metabolic and mitochondrial regulation by this …

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 Elasmobranch-Microbe Relationship: Trimethylamine N-Oxide Synthesis, Urea Hydrolysis, And Microbe-Osmolyte Interactions In The Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis Sabina, Kaitlin Kelly Doucette

Master's Theses

The elasmobranch osmoregulatory strategy is predicated on the accumulation of nitrogenous compounds, primarily urea and trimethylamine n¬-oxide (TMAO). Despite the abundance of these plasma osmolytes, it is notable that elasmobranchs appear to lack urease and TMA oxidase (Tmase), enzymes that scavenge urea-nitrogen and synthesize TMAO, respectively. However, urease and Tmase are found in many species of bacteria. Therefore, I hypothesized that intestinal bacteria are responsible for urease and Tmase activity in elasmobranchs. Absent dietary nitrogen sources, I evaluated the effects of reduced intestinal microbiota on osmoregulation in Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina) in vivo. D. sabina were given …

Extracellular Matrix Remodeling And The Inflammatory Response During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration In Sarcopenic Obese Mice, Lemuel Arthur Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

AIM: Sarocpenic obesity is a national concern within the United States because this metabolic syndrome is tied with reduced mobility and quality of life. Both obesity and aging are associated with insulin-resistance, chronic low-grade inflammation and muscle weakness. Skeletal muscle regeneration is a process that involves the coordinated effort of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), inflammatory signaling, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling for optimal regeneration. It has been demonstrated that obesity and aging have a reduction in muscle regeneration. It has not been examined if sarcopenic obesity will further reduce muscle mass and the regenerative process. The purpose of this study …

Genetic Variation In Long-Term And Short-Term Physiological Changes In Daphnia Magna During Acclimation To High Temperature, Bret L. Coggins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The aquatic zooplankton crustacean Daphnia magna must be able to tolerate thermal stress in order to survive their native shallow ponds that are susceptible to drastic seasonal and diurnal temperature fluctuations as well as to globally increasing temperatures. Survival in such variable environments requires plastic responses that must include fundamental aspects of Daphnia biochemistry and physiology. Adaptive response to selection favoring such plastic phenotypes requires the presence of genetic variation for plastic response in natural populations. Adverse effects of elevated temperature on aquatic organisms are diverse and so are their plastic responses; among the most severe challenges aquatic organisms face …

Mitochondrial Function Assessed By 31p Mrs And Bold Mri In Non-Obese Type 2 Diabetic Rats, Yuchi Liu, Xunbai Mei, Jielei Li, Nicola Lai, Xin Yu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The study aims to characterize age-associated changes in skeletal muscle bioenergetics by evaluating the response to ischemia-reperfusion in the skeletal muscle of the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a rat model of non-obese type 2 diabetes (T2D). ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI was performed on the hindlimb of young (12 weeks) and adult (20 weeks) GK and Wistar (control) rats. ³¹P-MRS and BOLD-MRI data were acquired continuously during an ischemia and reperfusion protocol to quantify changes in phosphate metabolites and muscle oxygenation. The time constant of phosphocreatine recovery, an index of mitochondrial oxidative capacity, …

Changes In Brain Water Content In The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus) Due To High External Ammonia Exposure, Phillip Q.H. Pham-Ho

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In fishes, hyperammonemia may occur following feeding or exposure to abnormally high concentrations of environmental ammonia due to sewage effluents, agricultural run-off and in crowded aquaculture pens. Increased internal ammonia can result in hyperactivity, convulsions, coma and death. In mammals, it is also associated with potentially fatal brain edema, in which the accumulation of intracellular water results in swelling, increased intracranical pressure and herniation leading to death. Recently it was shown that rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and goldfish (Carassius auratus) experience brain swelling following exposure to high external ammonia (HEA). However, the mechanism of ammonia-induced brain …

The Role Of Oxidative Stress In The Mechanisms Of Ammonia-Induced Brain Swelling And Tolerance In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), David F. Jones Lisser Mr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Toxic build-ups of ammonia can cause potentially fatal brain swelling in mammals, but such swelling is reversible in the anoxia- and ammonia-tolerant goldfish (Carassius auratus). The mechanisms of ammonia-induced brain swelling and tolerance remain elusive, but several studies have suggested a role for reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may damage proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane of astrocytes in the brain. As a result, osmotic gradients across cell membranes may be altered leading to water uptake by astrocytes and swelling. While a role for ROS has been proposed in mammals, no studies have addressed this question in …

A New Method For Shear Wave Speed Estimation In Shear Wave Elastography, Aaron J. Engel, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Visualization of mechanical properties of tissue can aid in noninvasive pathology diagnosis. Shear wave elastography (SWE) measures the elastic properties of soft tissues by estimation of local shear wave propagation speed. In this paper, a new robust method for estimation of shear wave speed is introduced which has the potential for simplifying continuous filtering and real-time elasticity processing. Shear waves were generated by external mechanical excitation and imaged at a high frame rate. Three homogeneous phantoms of varying elastic moduli and one inclusion phantom were imaged. Waves propagating in separate directions were filtered and shear wave speed was estimated by …

Enabling Real-Time Ultrasound Imaging Of Soft Tissue Mechanical Properties By Simplification Of The Shear Wave Motion Equation, Aaron J. Engel, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Ultrasound based shear wave elastography (SWE) is a technique used for non-invasive characterization and imaging of soft tissue mechanical properties. Robust estimation of shear wave propagation speed is essential for imaging of soft tissue mechanical properties. In this study we propose to estimate shear wave speed by inversion of the firstorder wave equation following directional filtering. This approach relies on estimation of first-order derivatives which allows for accurate estimations using smaller smoothing filters than when estimating second-order derivatives. The performance was compared to three current methods used to estimate shear wave propagation speed: direct inversion of the wave equation (DIWE), …

Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound For High Temporal Resolution Measurement Of Lateralization In Visual Memory And Visual Search Cognitive Tasks, B. Hage, M. Alwatban, E. Barney, M. Mills, M. Dodd, E. Truemper, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) is a noninvasive sensing modality that measures blood flow velocities in cerebral arteries (CBFV) with high temporal resolution. Few studies have examined the relationship of CBFV change during visual search and visual memory cognitive tasks. Here a protocol to compare lateralization between these two similar tasks using fTCD is demonstrated. Thirteen healthy volunteers were shown visual scenes on a computer and performed visual search and visual memory tasks while CBFV in the bilateral middle cerebral arteries was monitored with fTCD. Each subject completed 40 trials, consisting of baseline, calibration, instruction, and task periods. Lateralization was …

Oxygenation Properties And Isoform Diversity Of Snake Hemoglobins, Jay F. Storz, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Hideaki Moriyama, Federico G. Hoffmann, Tobias Wang, Angela Fago, Hans Malte, Johannes Overgaard, Roy E. Weber

Jay F. Storz Publications

Available data suggest that snake hemoglobins (Hbs) are characterized by a combination of unusual structural and functional properties relative to the Hbs of other amniote vertebrates, including oxygenation-linked tetramer-dimer dissociation. However, standardized comparative data are lacking for snake Hbs, and the Hb isoform composition of snake red blood cells has not been systematically characterized. Here we present the results of an integrated analysis of snake Hbs and the underlying α- and β-type globin genes to characterize 1) Hb isoform composition of definitive erythrocytes, and 2) the oxygenation properties of isolated isoforms as well as composite hemolysates. We used species from …

Flowcell Systems For Single Molecule Detection, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi L. Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charge-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation without interference from unincorporated NPs and without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.

Two-Dimensional Blood Flow Velocity Estimation Using Apparent Speckle Pattern Angle Dependence On Scan Velocity, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An algorithm which measures the lateral component of blood flow velocity was developed in our previous studies based on the increase in speckle size due to relative motion between moving scatterers and spatial rate of scanner A-line acquisition (scan velocity). In this paper, the apparent dominant angle of the speckle pattern in a straight vessel was investigated and a new method of two-dimensional blood flow velocity estimation is introduced. Different scan velocities were used for data acquisition from blood flow traveling at an angle relative to the ultrasound beam. The apparent angle of the speckle pattern changes with different scan …

Monitoring Cerebral Hemodynamics With Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound During Cognitive And Exercise Testing In Adults Following Unilateral Stroke, Brian P. Watt, Judith M. Burnfield, Edward J. Truemper, Thad W. Buster, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An observational study was performed as a preliminary investigation into the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) for recording cerebral hemodynamic changes during multiple tasks. TCD is a method of measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) using ultrasound transducers in contact with the surface of the head. Using the maximum flow envelope of the Doppler spectrum returning from the middle cerebral artery (MCA), standard clinical flow indices can be calculated and displayed in real time providing information concerning perturbations in CBF and their potential cause. These indices as well as flow velocity measurements have been recognized as useful in measuring changes …

Map Kinases Couple Hindbrain-Derived Catecholamine Signals To Hypothalamic Adrenocortical Control Mechanisms During Glycemia-Related Challenges, Arshad Khan, Kimberly Kaminski, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, Todd Ponzio, J. Kuzmiski, Jaideep Bains, Alan Watts

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Map Kinases Couple Hindbrain-Derived Catecholamine Signals To Hypothalamic Adrenocortical Control Mechanisms During Glycemia-Related Challenges, Khan, Kimberly Kaminski, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, Todd Ponzio, J. Kuzmiski, Jaideep Bains, Alan Watts

Departmental Papers (Biology)

No abstract provided.

Lateral Blood Flow Velocity Estimation Based On Ultrasound Speckle Size Change With Scan Velocity, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Conventional (Doppler-based) blood flow velocity measurement methods using ultrasound are capable of resolving the axial component (i.e., that aligned with the ultrasound propagation direction) of the blood flow velocity vector. However, these methods are incapable of detecting blood flow in the direction normal to the ultrasound beam. In addition, these methods require repeated pulse-echo interrogation at the same spatial location. A new method has been introduced which estimates the lateral component of blood flow within a single image frame using the observation that the speckle pattern corresponding to blood reflectors (typically red blood cells) stretches (i.e., is smeared) if the …

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …

Charge Switch Nucleotides, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi L. Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charge-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation Without interference from unincorporated NPs and Without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.

Charge Switch Nucleotides, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charged-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation Without interference from unincorporated NPs and Without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.