Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cholesterol Regulation Of Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Entry Following Chronic Hypoxia, Bojun Zhang

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with diminished ATP-induced endothelial Ca2+ entry as well as membrane cholesterol in pulmonary arteries. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry are major components of the response to ATP and are similarly decreased after CH. Because endothelium-dependent vasodilation is closely associated with pulmonary endothelial [Ca2+]i, the blunted agonist-induced Ca2+ influx in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) may contribute to the development of CH-induced PH. Interestingly, impaired agonist-induced Ca2+ influx in PAEC following CH can be restored by membrane cholesterol supplementation. In the current studies, we hypothesized that impaired Ca2+ entry in …

Exercise, Cognition, And The Aging Process Among Active, Competitive, And Sedentary Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Katherine Adams

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Purpose This study aimed to compare the cognitive measures of reaction time and dual-task performance among recreationally active, master athletes, and sedentary older adults aged 50 years or older. Methods 59 late middle-aged and older adults between the ages of 50 to 88 years old participated in reaction time and dual-task tests of which consisted of multiple trials on the same day. Subjects were placed either into the recreationally active, masters athlete, or sedentary activity level group based on the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) form. For the gait speed with associated dual-task component, subjects walked 10-meters at two …

The Effects Of Continuous Insulin Pump Therapy On Glycemic Control In Pregnant Type 1 Diabetics, Kimberly Kelsey

Senior Theses

Type 1 Diabetics have various ways of managing their diabetes that have been studied for their effectiveness. Pregnancy in the Type 1 Diabetic has been understudied. It is known that Diabetics in general have poorer pregnancy outcomes because of poor glycemic control. This coupled with the fact that the body needs 3-4 times more insulin as pregnancy comes to an end makes managing blood glucose levels challenging for diabetics (Lowdermilk, 2016, p. 689). For the Type 1 Diabetic, there are two main ways to control diabetes: multiple daily injections using at least two type of insulin and continuous subcutaneous insulin …

Dietary Intake And Energy Expenditure Of Pararescuemen During Routine Training, Andrea Woita

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Pararescuemen are one group of Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) who engage in vigorous physical training to achieve mission readiness. This type of training requires high energy expenditures and matching dietary intake to support basic physiological needs and to meet performance demands. However, few studies have investigated the energy expenditure and dietary intake of SOF and none have specifically examined these behaviors in Pararescuemen. The goal of this investigation was to determine the energy expenditure and dietary intake of Pararescuemen during routine training - a period when these operators receive supervision and guidance for performance improvements, recovery, and career …

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

Dissertations & 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 …

Power Reserve Following Ramp-Incremental Cycling To Exhaustion: Implications For Muscle Fatigue And Function, Michael D. Hodgson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In ramp-incremental cycling exercise, some individuals are capable of producing power output (PO) in excess of that produced at their limit of tolerance (LoT) while others cannot. This study sought to describe the: 1) prevalence of a “power reserve” within a group of young men (n=21; mean ± SD: age 25±4 years; V̇O_2max45±8 ml•kg^-1•min^-1); and 2) muscle fatigue characteristics of those with and without a power reserve. Power reserve was determined as the difference between peak PO achieved during a ramp-incremental test to exhaustion and maximal, single-leg isokinetic dynamometer power. Pre- versus post-exercise changes …

Chaperoning Ef Hands That Shape Calcium Response: Ncald, Hpca And S100b, Jingyi Zhang

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

All organisms have an internal clock with a defined period between repetitions of activities. The period for circadian clock in human is 24.5 hours, while in mouse and rat, it is 23.5 hours. However, all organisms are forced to be in synchronization with their environment. A major environmental force that resets the internal clock to 24 hours is light. This phenomenon is defined as “light entrainment” or “phase-setting”. It is unclear how this entrainment process occurs. Studies from this laboratory indicate a role for two neuronal calcium sensor proteins: Neurocalcin  (NCALD) and S100B. For these two genes, mRNA as …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Dna Replication Initiation In Hpvs With Genetic Variations Leading To Cellular Carcinogenesis, Gulden Yilmaz

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomaviruses are a vast family of double-stranded DNA viruses containing non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic types, whose crucial differences remain unknown, except for the difference in the frequency of DNA replication. The human papillomavirus (HPV) E2 protein regulates the initiation of viral DNA replication and transcription. Its recognition and binding to four 12 bp palindromic sequences in the viral origin is essential for its function. Little is known about the DNA binding mechanism of the E2 protein found in HPV types that have low risk for oncogenicity (low-risk) as well as the roles of various elements of the individual binding sites. …

Preclinical Development Of Therapeutic Strategies Against Triple-Negative And Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Angie M. Torres-Adorno

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Triple-negative (TNBC) and inflammatory (IBC) breast cancer are the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, accounting for 20% and 10% of cancer-related deaths, respectively. Among IBC cases, 30% are additionally classified with TNBC molecular pathology, a diagnosis that significantly worsens patient’s prognosis. The current lack of TNBC and IBC molecular understanding prevents the development of effective therapeutic strategies. To identify effective treatments, we explored aberrant apoptosis pathways and cell membrane fluidity as novel therapeutic targets.

We first identified an effective therapeutic strategy against TNBC and IBC by pro-apoptotic protein NOXA-mediated inhibition of the anti-apoptotic protein MCL1 following inhibition of histone …

Role Of Tlrs, Hippo-Yap1 Signaling, And Micrornas In Cardiac Repair And Regeneration Of Damaged Myocardium During Ischemic Injury, Xiaohui Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated pathways have been demonstrated to play a role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We and others have shown that PI3K/Akt signaling is involved in regulating cellular survival and protecting the myocardium from I/R induced injury. In this dissertation, we provide compelling evidence that miR-125b serves to “fine tune” TLR mediated NF-kB responses by repressing TNF-a and TRAF6 expression. We constructed lentiviral expressing miR-125b, delivered it into the myocardium. The data showed that delivery of lentivirus expressing miR-125b significantly reduces myocardial infarct size and improves cardiac …

Functional Characteristics Of Four Novel Lone Atrial Fibrillation-Linked Connexin40 Mutants, Mahmoud Noureldin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia. Recently, four novel heterozygous Cx40 mutations, K107R, L223M, Q236H, and I257L were identified in 4 of 310 unrelated AF patients. To study possible alterations associated with these mutants, we studied their localization and function using gap junction (GJ)-deficient model cells. Cell pairs expressing Q236H alone or together with wildtype Cx43 showed a significantly lower coupling conductance. Impaired GJ function and dominant negative action on Cx43 of this mutant are consistent with previous findings on the majority of AF-linked Cx40 mutants. The remaining three novel AF-linked mutants did not show …

The Effects Of Moderate Intensity Strength Training Coupled With Blood Flow Restriction: A 12 Week Intervention, Kelly Barrett

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) has been suggested to increase muscle size and strength in trained and untrained individuals when using light load intensities (30 percent 1-RM). However, there is little data to support its use when working with moderate load intensities, specifically, above 50 percent of an individual’s 1-RM. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of moderate load intensity BFRT on muscle size and strength of the biceps brachii after a 12 week strength training intervention. Nine, previously strength trained, participants performed an elbow flexion exercise at 70 percent of their individualized 1-RM, twice per …

The Effect Of Insulin Treatment And Exercise Modality On Skeletal Muscle Fiber Size In Streptozotocin-Induced Type 1 Diabetic Rats, John Z. Nickels

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Severe Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is known to have several negative effects on skeletal muscle mass, a condition known as diabetic myopathy. One of these effects is the atrophy of the glycolytic muscle fibers. However, the role of intensity of insulin treatment and exercise modality in attenuating this loss in fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) specifically has yet to be determined. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of 12 weeks of differing intensity of insulin therapy and exercise modality on the CSA of plantaris muscle fibers, identified by myosin heavy chain (MHC) of STZ-induced T1DM rats. …

Prenatal Undernutrition, Metyrapone, And The Cerebrovasculature, Lara Durrant

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The link between intrauterine environmental conditions and adult cardiovascular system is well established. Independent of lifestyle factors such as poor diet and exercise habits, individuals who have been exposed to stressful conditions in utero show an increased risk of health problems such as hypertension, stroke, and type II diabetes. In support of the Fetal Origin of Adult Disease hypothesis, many labs have reported permanent anatomical and physiological changes associated with fetal stress and nutrient deficiency, with a focus on organ systems such as the kidney and heart. One key idea proposed by many of these studies is the glucocorticoid hypothesis, …

The Effects Of Coffee Ingestion On The Acute Testosterone Response To Exercise, Taylor Landry

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of coffee ingestion (COF) on serum testosterone responses to exercise in recreationally weight-trained males. Subjects ingested either 12 ounces of 6mg/kg caffeinated coffee (COF), decaffeinated coffee (DEC), or water (PLA) one hour prior to exercise in a randomized, within-subject, crossover design. The exercise session consisted of 21 minutes of high intensity interval cycling (alternating intensities corresponding to two minutes at power outputs associated with 2.0 mmol/L lactate and 4.0 mmol/L lactate) followed by resistance exercise (7 exercises, 3 sets of 10 repetitions, 65% 1RM, 1-minute rest periods). Subjects also completed repetitions to fatigue tests …

Effects Of Ankle Weights On Metabolic Response And Muscle Activity On A Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill 2017, Saige Hupman

Master's Theses

Lower body positive pressure (LBPP) treadmills are growing in popularity for rehabilitative use, as the benefits of exercising at partially supported body weight may induce faster recovery. It is unknown if there are certain practices that increase exercise intensity while maintaining positive effects of LBPP. Adding ankle weights when walking or running could increase intensity of rehabilitation programs while maintaining the comfort of supported body weight. PURPOSE: To measure metabolic response (VO2, RER, HR, Caloric expenditure), RPE, and lower limb electromyography (EMG) amplitudes of LBPP treadmill walking and running with and without ankle weights. METHODS: Sixteen participants (Age: 21.94 ± …

Thermal And Developmental Ecology Of Pupfish, Cyprinodon, Alexander Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Pupfish from the genus Cyprinodon are among the most endangered groups of fishes on the planet, with nearly 40% of species being threatened with extinction. These pupfishes are often assumed to be the most temperature tolerant of all fish, coping with temperatures as low as 0 °C and as high as 44 °C. However, conflicting data exist and certain measures of thermal tolerance are not markedly higher in pupfish compared to common game fish. Pupfish egg production and growth has been known to be hampered at temperatures well below what they apparently experience in nature. I addressed why eggs fail …

The Relationship Between Ratings Of Perceived Exertion And Heart Rate In Ncaa Division Iii Male Soccer Players 2017, Samuel J. Guider

Master's Theses

Every sport has specific physical demands of the human body. The amount of physiological load that an athlete endures during a bout of exercise can be described as training load (TL). Accurate calculation of training loads within athletes is important when it comes to strength and power development, as well as injury prevention and monitoring fatigue. Common methods used to calculate training loads for athletes include rating of perceived exertion (RPE) based methods, heart rate (HR) based methods, rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) methods, and blood lactate methods. Specifically with NCAA male soccer athletes, HR based methods and RPE based …

The Effect Of Blood Flow Restriction Training With The Quadmill On Peak Isometric Knee Extensor Strength 2017, Brandon Schrom

Master's Theses

Traditional training methodologies that improve muscular strength use loads as low as 75% of a person’s one-repetition maximum and as high as 110% of a person’s one repetition maximum. With these high loads comes a greater risk for injury. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a potential solution to this problem. BFR training originated in Japan, where it was called Kaatsu. With this method of training, a trainee ties a tourniquet around the proximal end of a limb to reduce blood flow to and from the limb’s muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether three-weeks of BFR …

Imposed Versus Affect-Based Resistance Training Intensities On Adherence, Session Affect, Session Perceived Exertion, And Intrinsic Motivation Measures During A Six-Week Program In Novice Female Lifters 2017, Ryan Joseph Brennan

Master's Theses

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that individuals perform resistance training exercises at a specific intensity based on external load (percentage of one repetition maximum; %1RM). However, only 29.6% of adults in 2013 reported strength training two or more times per week. Furthermore, individuals lifting at recommended percentages vary in their pleasure and displeasure. Self-selected exercise seems to promote positive affective responses, in part, due to the perceived autonomy. The effects of regulating exercise intensity using affect as opposed to imposed intensities as a means for improved fitness, promoting exercise behavior, and enhancing other psychological outcomes have yet …

Enhancing Cell Therapy For Ischemic Cardiomyopathy., Michael J. Book

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac cell therapy using cardiac mesenchymal cells (CMC) significantly reduces ventricular dysfunction in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Despite the improvement in function, a modest number of CMCs survive in the heart post-transplantation. In this study, we sought to improve the survival and retention of transplanted CMCs to prolong the therapeutic benefits afforded by cardiac cell therapy. To do this, we targeted the enzyme telomerase (TERT), known to be active in some highly proliferating cells (e.g. germ, stem). TERT is responsible for preventing telomere attrition, thereby allowing continued proliferation. TERT has also been shown to be protective, improve cell migration and …

Factors Influencing Induction Of Desiccation Tolerance In Bryophytes: Redefining Fundamental Aspects Of The Organism’S Relationship With The Environment In Xeric Habitats, Joshua Lee Greenwood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

If one wishes to understand the ecological role, range, habitat preferences, selective pressures, reproduction, response to climate change, and the potential for survival under climactic change, range expansion and range contraction for species and populations of bryophytes, an understanding of their survival of the desiccated state, is essential. In order to further our understanding of desiccation tolerance in mosses, three projects were undertaken. The first of these investigated the nature of desiccation tolerance in mosses, specifically if desiccation tolerance can be induced; thereby providing a desiccation tolerant phenotype in a moss species generally considered desiccation sensitive (Physcomitrella patens, the model …

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 …

Effects Of An Acute High-Volume Isokinetic Intervention On Circulating Levels Of Tnf-Α And Stnfr: Influence Of Age, Eliott Arroyo Delgado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The immune system has been implicated in recovery and muscle regeneration following exercise. In response to muscle damage, the immune system responds with an increase in circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines with the goal of recruiting leukocytes to the damaged area. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), in particular, has been shown to be implicated in both muscle regeneration and muscle wasting. However, it remains unclear whether TNF-α is responsible for the age-related losses in muscle size and function. Also, due to the high clearance rate of TNF-α from circulation, analyzing the circulating levels of soluble TNF-α receptors 1 and 2 (STNFR1 and STNFR2) …

Effects Of An Acute High-Volume Isokinetic Intervention On Inflammatory And Strength Changes: Influence Of Age, Joseph Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a high volume isokinetic intervention on lower body strength and inflammation, as well as markers of muscle damage in the subsequent 48 hours between younger and middle-aged men. METHODS: 19 healthy, recreationally trained men were randomly assigned to two groups, younger adults (YA: 21.8 ± 2.0 y; 90.7 ± 11.6 kg; 21.5 ± 4.1 % body fat), or middle-aged adults (MA: 47.0 ± 4.4 y; 96.0 ± 21.5; 24.8 ± 6.3 % body fat). Both groups reported to the human performance laboratory (HPL) on four separate occasions. On …

Synaptotagmin C2b Ca2+-Binding Loops Impose Distinct Exocytosis Phenotypes, Michael W. Schmidtke

Wayne State University Theses

Regulated exocytosis from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla plays a critical role in maintaining organismal homeostasis. In the absence of stress, these cells release physiologically relevant substances into the blood stream only in limited quantities, whereas stressful conditions result in a rapid deluge of signaling molecules used, for example, to increase heart rate and pain tolerance. Although the cellular mechanisms governing the switch from low-level to stress-induced secretion are not well understood, recent evidence has implicated the exocytotic Ca2+-sensing protein Synaptotagmin (Syt) in this role.

Two isoforms of Syt are expressed in chromaffin cells (Syt-1 and Syt-7), and each …

The Effects Of Off-Season And In-Season Training On Lactate Threshold In Ncaa Division Iii Female Soccer Players, Rachael M. Nelson

Departmental Honors Projects

Soccer requires a significant amount of aerobic and anaerobic training to improve one’s performance. Because lactate threshold (LT) is an important component of endurance sport performance, testing the LT of soccer players in response to their off-season and in-season training regimens could help to gauge the success of those programs in improving or maintaining fitness levels. This study evaluated the effects of off-season training and in-season training types on LT in 11 NCAA Division III female soccer players (age 19.5 +/- 1.3 years). Off-season training was comprised of aerobic and anaerobic workouts, while in-season training was more sport-specific, and involved …

Cardiovascular Risk, Remote Ischemic Postconditioning, And Endothelial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury, Brian A. Hemenway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Remote ischemic postconditioning (rIpost) is a potent vasculoprotective stimulus that is thought to reduce reperfusion injury associated with heart disease. However, certain animal models of cardiometabolic risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension suggest the beneficial effects of rIpost to lessen reperfusion injury may be diminished. These findings have not been studied in clinically relevant humans. The aim of this study was to determine whether the protective effects of rIpost are reduced in the context of raised cardiometabolic risk in humans. Seven participants with raised cardiometabolic risk burden (age:57±7 years; BMI: 31±4kgm²participated in this 2X2 randomized cross-over …

The Mechanical Properties Of Non-Failing And Failing Human Myocardium, Cheavar A. Blair

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome that manifests when there are structural and functional impairments to the heart that reduces the ability of the ventricles to fill or eject blood. The syndrome affects ~6 million Americans and is responsible for nearly 300,000 deaths annually. At the core of the syndrome are dysfunctional sarcomeres, the machinery that drives cardiac contraction and relaxation. By assessing the mechanical properties of human cardiac tissue, the information provided in this dissertation will provide data that demonstrates how sarcomeric dysfunction contributes to heart failure in the left and right ventricles. Additionally, these data will supply information …

Assessing For Awareness And Knowledge Regarding Diabetes In Pre-Diabetes Obese Patients, Remona Lysa Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in prevalence of diabetes in the United States. Prevention of diabetes and improving patients' knowledge and awareness of diabetes are crucial for healthcare providers. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical foundation, the student used the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to improve awareness and knowledge of diabetes among obese individuals with prediabetes. The key research question of this project was to determine whether the patients' diabetes knowledge and awareness improved after the NDPP program. A convenience sample of …