Physiology Commons^™

An Examination Of Changes In Muscle Thickness, Isometric Strength, And Body Water Throughout The Menstrual Cycle, Tayla E. Kuehne

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women are often excluded from research studies interested in changes in muscle size and strength due to confounding influence that the menstrual cycle may have on these variables. Although there is considerable data showing that strength may fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, the thesis that muscle size changes throughout the cycle is based on the premise that changes in body water throughout the menstrual cycle may influence the size of the muscle. Despite this suggestion there is no experimental data demonstrating that the menstrual cycle has any influence on muscle size. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine …

Mixed-Lineage Kinase-3 (Mlk3) Plays A Negative Modulatory Role In Insulin Secretion From The Pancreatic Β-Cell, Tyler Russeth, Vijayalakshmi Thamilselvan, Anjaneyulu Kowluru

Medical Student Research Symposium

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from the pancreatic β-cell in response to elevated levels of glucose is controlled by a variety of signals including intracellular calcium and nucleotides such as cAMP, ATP and GTP. These cellular signals are responsible for activation of specific kinases that mediate phosphorylation of key exocytotic proteins that lead to GSIS. In the context of protein kinases, mixed-lineage kinases (MLKs) have been implicated in an assortment of cellular functions, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, very little is known on potential regulatory roles of MLKs in islet β-cell function, including GSIS. The goal of this study is …

Reconsidering Undergraduate Anatomy And Physiology Curriculum, Eric Michael Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

In the past 50 years several convergent factors have spurred unprecedented change in anatomy and physiology (A&P) instruction. An explosion of biomedical knowledge, an increased demand for students well-versed in A&P, and decreased resources for the course has provoked a vast array of research. However, most studies employ one of three strategies to enact change: testing the effectiveness of new pedagogies, exploring the utility of new technologies, or documenting learning in new contexts. By comparison, a much smaller body of research focuses on changing the A&P curriculum to improve student learning. To address this gap, the musculoskeletal curriculum for an …

Estimation Of Body Fat Percentage In Jockeys: Implications For A Weight Category Sport, Arthur Dunne, Giles Warrington, Gillian O'Loughlin, Siobhan O'Connor, Michael Harrison, Adrian Mcgoldrick, Jennifer Pugh, Sarahjane Cullen

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(4): 511-525, 2020. The assessment of body composition in horse racing, a unique weight-restricted sport, provides an important health and performance indicator. The accuracy of skinfold prediction equations at estimating % body fat (% BF) was compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) data in a group of professional Irish jockeys (age 27.5 ± 7.7 years). Body composition was assessed in seventy-two male professional jockeys (flat n=35 and national hunt n=37) using standardised guidelines for skinfold thickness at 8 sites and DXA body fat assessment. Hydration status was assessed using urine specific gravity (Usg) to determine …

Relationships Among Metabolic-Risk, Body Fatness, And Muscular Fitness In Young Obese Latino Children, Justin J. Merrigan, Sina Gallo, Jennifer B. Fields, Robyn Mehlenbeck, Margaret T. Jones

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 488-500, 2020. Given the high prevalence of obesity in Latino children and potential health risks, the purpose of this study was to: 1) evaluate relationships among metabolic-risk, fitness, and body fatness; 2) determine sex differences in cardio-metabolic risk factors and fitness of obese children of Latino descent. Sixty children (boys, n= 39, 7.8 ± 1.5 years; girls, n= 21, 7.2 ± 1.5 years; body mass index, 97.8 ± 2.5^thpercentile) completed assessments of height, weight, and body fat, prior to fasted blood draws and a battery of fitness tests. Cardio-metabolic markers …

Characterization Of Adult Heart Rate Responses During Recreational Skateboarding At Community Skateparks, Tyler Wiles, Daniel Kellogg, Heather Furr, Jeff A. Nessler, Sean C. Newcomer

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(2): 501-510, 2020. Youth participating in recreational skating at community skate parks attain exercise intensities and durations that are comparable with the CDC’s exercise recommendations for cardiovascular fitness for their age group. However, it is currently unclear if adults who skateboard in the same environment also achieve the recommended intensities and durations for cardiovascular fitness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that skateboarding would elicit heart rates and durations consistent with the CDC’s recommendations for cardiovascular fitness in adults. Fifty-five subjects between ages 18-55 were recruited from six community skateparks …

Combined Berry Extract And Bromelain Supplement Improves Blood Pressure, Endothelial Function, And Skeletal Muscle Oxygenation Status In Healthy Young Adults, Tesean K. Wooden

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with the manifestation of increased levels of oxidative stress and inflammation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production may cause damage to the vasculature that can lead to diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis. Anthocyanins are the largest class of flavonoid that are found in vegetables and fruit. Therefore, the combination of anthocyanins and bromelain may be an ideal intervention for improving or maintaining cardiovascular health. We sought to examine the effects of this combination of powerful antioxidants within healthy young adults.

Young healthy adults (n=18) volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were randomly assigned …

Mitochondrial Targeted Antioxidant Intake Improves Vascular Function And Exercise Tolerance In Peripheral Artery Disease Patients, Liz Pekas, Won-Mok Son, Ronald J. Headid Iii, Tesean Wooden, Song-Young Park

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis in the leg arteries, which causes reduced blood flow and leg pain. This may be in part due to excessive mitochondria-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and attenuated mitochondrial respiratory function. Mitoquinol mesylate, a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, has been shown to scavenge ROS and improve vascular function in older adults and animal models. However, the impacts of mitoquinol on vascular function in PAD patients are unknown. We sought to examine the impacts of mitoquinol intake (80mg) on endothelial function (flow mediated dilation, FMD), resting heart rate (RHR), blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness (pulse …

Impacts Of Mitoquinol Mesylate Intake On Vascular Function And Cognitive Impairment In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Case Study, Lindie Strickler

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a decline in cognitive function to a greater extent than natural aging. It has been suggested that reduced brain blood flow is strongly associated with reduced cognitive function and neurodegenerative diseases, of which is partially attributed to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Mitoquinol mesylate has been shown to scavenge ROS and improve vascular function in healthy older adults. However, the effects of mitoquinol in MCI patients have not been investigated.

Purpose: to elucidate the impacts of mitoquinol intake on vascular endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation, FMD), arterial stiffness (pulse-wave velocity, PWV), and cognitive function in …

A Practical Method For Assessing Lip Compression Strengthening In Healthy Adults, Takashi Abe, Zachary W. Bell, Vickie Wong, Robert W. Spitz, Ricardo B. Viana, Yujiro Yamada, Raksha N. Chatakondi, Jeremy P. Loenneke

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 by the authors. There is no practical and accessible assessment method to evaluate lip muscle compression strength. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the standard method (i.e., Iowa Oral Performance Instrument) and a practical method in healthy adults. In order to achieve our research purpose, ninety-eight healthy adults (18-40 years) completed lip compression strength measurements (standard method) and lip grasping performance tests using a standard recyclable plastic water bottle (practical method). In the overall sample, the mean and standard deviation for standard method and practical method was 26.7 (7.0) kPa and 255 (119) …

Hypothesized Mechanisms Through Which Exercise May Attenuate Memory Interference, Lindsay K. Crawford, Hong Li, Liye Zou, Gao Xia Wei, Paul D. Loprinzi

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. In this paper we introduce a mechanistic model through which exercise may enhance episodic memory, specifically via attenuating proactive and retroactive memory interference. We discuss the various types of memory, different stages of memory function, review the mechanisms behind forgetting, and the mechanistic role of exercise in facilitating pattern separation (to attenuate memory interference).

The Diffusion Of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Methods And Data Analytics Into An Undergraduate Nursing Research Course, Mary Anne Schultz

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

The project is the adoption of principles of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning and Data Analytics into a traditional nursing research (hypothesis testing) course. Necessitated by the recent entrance of “Big Data” use in health care, there is an urgent need to inject an understanding of the AI/ML techniques necessary to extract, organize and derive meaning from this huge amount of evidence in clinical decision-making. In fact, our department recently approved the adoption of Precision Health (PH) (the clinical use of the plethora of highly-individualized data in health & medical decisions) principles into six undergraduate courses, NURS 4222 (Nursing Research & …

Life Line March 2020, Otterbein Biology And Earth Science Department

Life Line - The Biology Department Newsletter

The Department Welcomes Dr. Sinn; Modeling to Help with Global Research; The Paradise of Bombs Revisited; The End of an Era in Conesville Ohio; Reports from two recipients of the Melinda Phinney Award for Pre-Med Travel Experiences; Preparing Skins for Study; Genomics in the Jungle; Zoo Program Gets New T -Shirt and Sweatshirt Designs; Aquarium Track Dives Right In; Dr. Svitana’s Sabbatical Accomplishments;Biology Behind Bars; Grossology: The Science of Icky, Sticky, Disgusting Things.

Developing A Writing-Intensive Course In Animal Physiology, Tomasz Owerkowicz

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

The project details how Comparative Animal Physiology, a two-semester upper division biology elective, is transformed to meet writing-intensive discipline-appropriate criteria. Targeted and scaffolded assignments allow students to write about physiology in a variety of styles, and to help revise each other’s work to better understand the iterative process of writing. Assignments are aligned with WI student learning outcomes, to promote critical, reflective and effective communication skills.

Targeting Trna-Synthetase Interactions Towards Novel Therapeutic Discovery Against Eukaryotic Pathogens, Paul Kelly, Fatemeh Hadi-Nezhad, Dennis Y. Liu, Travis J. Lawrence, Roger G. Linington, Michael Ibba, David H. Ardell

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The development of chemotherapies against eukaryotic pathogens is especially challenging because of both the evolutionary conservation of drug targets between host and parasite, and the evolution of strain-dependent drug resistance. There is a strong need for new nontoxic drugs with broad-spectrum activity against trypanosome parasites such as Leishmania and Trypanosoma. A relatively untested approach is to target macromolecular interactions in parasites rather than small molecular interactions, under the hypothesis that the features specifying macromolecular interactions diverge more rapidly through coevolution. We computed tRNA Class-Informative Features in humans and independently in eight distinct clades of trypanosomes, identifying parasite-specific informative features, …

A Comparison Of Lower Body Power Characteristics Between Collegiate Athletes From Different Competition Levels., Cody A. Stahl, Keston G. Lindsay, J. Bryan Mann, Margaret Hunt, J. Jay Dawes

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(6): 470-479, 2020. The counter-movement jump (CMJ) is frequently utilized by strength and conditioning professionals working with athletes, given its relationship to a multitude of performance variables associated with success in sports. PURPOSE: To examine characteristics of CMJ performance between NAIA and NCAA Division I male and female athletes. METHODS: Archival data for 275 student athletes from two NCAA Division 1 universities (NCAA DI; males = 84, females = 74) and one NAIA university (NAIA; males = 66, females = 51) were utilized for this analysis. The CMJ was performed utilizing a dual single axis …

Large Inter-Individual Differences In Responses To A Block Of High Intensity Aerobic Interval Training: A Case Series In National-Level Cyclists And Triathletes, Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, Frank G. Pedersen, Marius N. Haave, Jan Helgerud, Øyvind Støren

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(2): 480-487, 2020. The aim was to investigate individual responses on VO_2maxand performance to a block of high intensity aerobic interval training (HIIT) in national-level endurance athletes. METHODS: National-level cyclists and triathletes (five men and two women, 31 ± 3.3 years, VO_2max65.1 ± 3.3 ml·kg^-1·min^-1) conducted 14 HIIT sessions (4x4 min uphill running at 90-95% maximal heart rate) in nine days during preseason. VO_2maxin running and cycling, lactate threshold (LT) in cycling, oxygen cost of cycling (C_C), and a cycling time-trial (TT) were …

Comparisons Of The Metabolic Intensities At Heart Rate, Gas Exchange, And Ventilatory Thresholds, Pasquale J. Succi, Taylor K. Dinyer, M. Travis Byrd, Haley C. Bergstrom

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(2): 455-469, 2020. PURPOSE: This study compared the O₂corresponding to the critical heart rate (CHRO₂) and the physical working capacity at the heart rate fatigue threshold (PWC_hrtO₂) to the gas exchange threshold (GET), ventilatory threshold (VT), and respiratory compensation point (RCP). METHODS: Nine runners (mean ±SD, age 23 ±3 years) completed an incremental test on a treadmill to determine O_2peak, GET, VT, and RCP. The CHRO₂and PWC_hrtO₂were determined from 4 separate constant velocity treadmill runs …

Measuring Physical Activity Using Triaxial Wrist Worn Polar Activity Trackers: A Systematic Review, André Henriksen, Jonas Johansson, Gunnar Hartvigsen, Sameline Grimsgaard, Laila A. Hopstock

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(4): 438-454, 2020. Collecting objective physical activity data from research participants are increasingly done using consumer-based activity trackers. Several validation studies of Polar devices are conducted to date, but no systematic review of the current level of accuracy for these devices exist. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the accuracy of current wrist-worn Polar devices that equips a triaxial accelerometer to measure physical activity. We conducted a systematic review by searching six databases for validation studies on modern Polar activity trackers. Studies were grouped and examined by tested outcome, i.e. energy expenditure, …

Step Count Reliability And Validity Of Five Wearable Technology Devices While Walking And Jogging In Both A Free Motion Setting And On A Treadmill, Jeffrey Montes, Richard Tandy, John Young, Szu-Ping Lee, James Navalta

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(7): 410-426, 2020. Wearable technology devices are used by millions of people who use daily step counts to promote healthy lifestyles. However, the accuracy of many of these devices has not been determined. The purpose was to determine reliability and validity of the Samsung Gear 2, FitBit Surge, Polar A360, Garmin Vivosmart HR+, and the Leaf Health Tracker when walking and jogging in free motion and treadmill conditions. Forty volunteers completed walking and jogging free motion and treadmill protocols of 5-minute intervals. The devices were worn simultaneously in randomized configurations. The mean of two manual …