Physiology Commons^™

Examination Of Anabolic Signaling And Muscle Growth With Caffeine Treatment In Overloaded Hindlimb Muscle And Electrically Stimulated Muscle Lacking Liver Kinase B1, Timothy Michael Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle has the ability to increase in size (hypertrophy) after resistance is placed upon it. This hypertrophy is marked by significant upregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its downstream targets. The upstream kinases, protein kinase B (also known as Akt) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), are two of the many regulators of the mTOR pathway. Recent studies suggest that the widely consumed neuroactive compound caffeine could potentially inhibit mTOR by acting through Akt and/or AMPK. The purpose of this thesis was to: 1) determine if caffeine can inhibit the mTOR pathway and ultimately attenuate skeletal muscle …

Divalent Copper Compounds As Inhibitory Agents Of Influenza A, Nathan Allan Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A virus (IAV) exhibits a high mutation frequency. Mutations in primary viral targets such as hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and the proton channel M2 have afforded IAV with substantial drug resistance to previously effective drugs such as oseltamivir and amantadine (AMT) along with their analogs. One of the main drug-resistant alterations in the M2 protein that has become ubiquitous is the mutation S31N. Divalent copper has previously been suggested to have anti-IAV properties using in vitro assays involving Xenopus oocytes and SSNMR. In this work, the EC₅₀ of AMT, two AMT analogs, CuCl₂ · 2H₂O, and four …

The Effect Of L-Citrulline And Watermelon Juice On Anaerobic And Aerobic Exercise Performance, S. Gadomski, P. Cutrufello, G. Zavorsky, C. Demkosky

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

¹Gadomski, S., ¹Cutrufello, P., ²Zavorsky G., & ¹Demkosky, C., ¹University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, ²University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Citrulline has been proposed as an ergogenic aid because of its role in both ammonia detoxification and nitric oxide production. Watermelon juice has garnered recent media attention due to its citrulline concentration, yet no study has examined watermelon juice and exercise performance. Purpose: Determine the effects of a practical, single, pre-exercise dose of L-citrulline or watermelon juice on maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max), time to exhaustion (TE), the total maximum number of repetitions completed …

Perceptions Of Body Weight And Contributing Weight Gain Factors In British Adults, K. Fox, B. Stovall, K. Mariacher, P. Pautler, A. Hedgepeth, C. Fengl, K. Smith

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Fox, K., Stovall, B., Mariacher, K., Pautler, P., Hedgepeth, A., Fengl, C., & Smith, K. Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA

Purpose: To examine the self-perception of body weight and the contributing factors of weight gain in British adults. Methods: A survey was constructed based upon previously validated questionnaires and was randomly administered to subjects in various British cities. Seventy nine subjects with a mean age of 31.92+12.03 and mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.95+4.47 participated in this study. Results: Of the 79 subjects, 52 subjects self-reported their height and weight and were classified into one of three BMI …

Phosphate Decrement In Repeated Sprint Ability, V. Dimartino, G. Schmidt, T. Carpenter, G. Campo

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

DiMartino, V., Schmidt, G. (FACSM), Carpenter, T., Campo, G., William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyze phosphate fatiguing and decrement (PD) patterns in university students completing a repeated sprint ability (RSA) test. Methods: Subjects were comprised of 7 women and 7 men (N=14) whose ages ranged from 23 to 41 years with a mean age of 25.7 ± 4.7 years. The average height of men was 1.79 ± 0.01 m and women was 1.59 ± 0.1 m. The average weight of men was 92.5 ± 14.7 kg, and women was 59.0 ± 8.9 …

Metabolic Demand And Nutrient Resource In Rowing Ergometer And Treadmill Exercise, E Burns, D. Burns

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Burns, E., Burns, D. DeSales University, Center Valley, PA

Purpose: Rowing ergometer exercise differs from treadmill exercise in two ways. Treadmill exercise utilizes primarily the lower extremities and is a load-bearing activity. Rowing is a seated activity and utilizes a much greater muscle mass. This study compared metabolic responses to these two exercise modes at differing submaximal intensities. Methods: Twelve healthy college-age males completed one exercise exposure on a treadmill and one on a rowing ergometer. Metabolic steady state was achieved during each stage of exercise at intensities approximating 4, 6, and 8 MET. Oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), …

The Effect Of Music Tempo On Squat Performance, J. Burket, T. Eubank, C. Reed, J. Sanders

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Burket, J., Eubank, T., Reed, C., Sanders, J. Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether music tempo affects squat performance. Methods: A total of eleven healthy college aged subjects (Age range: 18 ~ 22 yrs, Weight: 81.4±12.0 kg, Height: 1.7±0.1 m) volunteered in the study and eight subjects (one female and seven males) completed the study. After obtaining baseline measures, subjects performed heavy barbell squat exercise under three conditions. The three conditions were to perform the squat exercise with load equal to 60% of their body weight until failure while listening to fast …

Glycemic Control Following Nordic Ski Training, W.A. Braun

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Braun, W.A. (FACSM), Shippensburg University, Shippensburg PA

Purpose: To study the effects of Nordic ski training on post-exercise blood glucose (BG) clearance. Methods: Twenty-one (male = 10; female =11), competitive college Nordic skiers (age=19.14±1.3 yrs.; body fat %=14.9±6.2) completed two ski training conditions (high intensity: HI; and easy volume: VOL) and one resting control (CON) condition on separate days. At rest on the control day and upon completion of ski training, a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered. BG was measured prior to the OGTT and at 20 min intervals for 80 min of passive rest. Hunger …

Effects Of A High Speed-Low-Resistance Bicycling Intervention In Parkinson’S Disease, M. Bellumori, M. Uygur, C.A. Knight

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Bellumori, M., Uygur, M., Knight, C.A. University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Bradykinesia is a symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that substantially decreases mobility while contributing to increased rates of disability and health care costs. Bicycling exercise is a promising strategy that could improve mobility in PD. Purpose: To determine the effects of a six week exercise intervention that uses high speed- low-resistance (HS-LR) stationary recumbent cycling in people with PD. Methods: Pre-exercise tests assessed level of PD severity, physical function, and perceived health. These were again performed following a supervised, 6-week (12 sessions), HS-LR program. Results: Eleven participants (age 62.7 …

Characterization Of Secondhand Smoke (Shs) And Materno-Fetal Interactions In Receptors For Advanced Glycation End-Products (Rage)-Targeted Mice, Duane Ray Winden

Theses and Dissertations

Receptors for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) are pattern recognition receptors of the immunoglobulin superfamily highly expressed in the lung. Likely functions include the modulation of pulmonary inflammation during disease. However, the contributions of RAGE in the developing lung in cases where secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure occurs are unknown. In order to test the hypothesis that RAGE misexpression adversely affects lung morphogenesis, we exposed gestating dams to a controlled dose of SHS during the last four critical days of in utero lung morphogenesis. We discovered that both maternal and fetal lungs respond to SHS by up-regulating RAGE. Exposed fetuses were markedly …

Health And Well-Being Of Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy, Susan Elizabeth Sienko

Dissertations and Theses

Health is a multidimensional, holistic, concept integrating physical and mental health. In childhood, the most common cause of physical disability is Cerebral Palsy (CP). For individuals with CP, health and well-being is impacted by the complex interactions among their physical impairments, activity, participation and environmental barriers. Although CP is considered non-progressive, secondary conditions (pain and fatigue) and their functional consequences have been found to worsen as the individual with CP ages. While preliminary evidence shows that many of the physical impairments (pain, fatigue, depression) reported in adults with CP begin during late adolescence, there is little information about the role …

Reduced Amino Acid Specificity Of Mammalian Tyrosyl-Trna Synthetase Is Associated With Elevated Mistranslation Of Tyr Codons, Medha Raina, Adil Moghal, Amanda Kano, Mathew Jerums, Paul D. Schnier, Shun Luo, Rohini Deshpande, Pavel D. Bondarenko, Henry Lin, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Quality control operates at different steps in translation to limit errors to approximately one mistranslated codon per 10,000 codons during mRNA-directed protein synthesis. Recent studies have suggested that error rates may actually vary considerably during translation under different growth conditions. Here we examined the misincorporation of Phe at Tyr codons during synthesis of a recombinant antibody produced in tyrosine-limited Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Tyr to Phe replacements were previously found to occur throughout the antibody at a rate of up to 0.7% irrespective of the identity or context of the Tyr codon translated. Despite this comparatively high mistranslation rate, …

Adrenergic Signaling Regulates Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uptake Through Pyk2-Dependent Tyrosine Phosphorylation Of The Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uniporter., Jin O-Uchi, Bong Sook Jhun, Shangcheng Xu, Stephen Hurst, Anna Raffaello, Xiaoyun Liu, Bing Yi, Huiliang Zhang, Polina Gross, Jyotsna Mishra, Alina Ainbinder, Sarah Kettlewell, Godfrey L Smith, Robert T Dirksen, Wang Wang, Rosario Rizzuto, Shey-Shing Sheu

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Abstract Aims: Mitochondrial Ca(2+) homeostasis is crucial for balancing cell survival and death. The recent discovery of the molecular identity of the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter pore (MCU) opens new possibilities for applying genetic approaches to study mitochondrial Ca(2+) regulation in various cell types, including cardiac myocytes. Basal tyrosine phosphorylation of MCU was reported from mass spectroscopy of human and mouse tissues, but the signaling pathways that regulate mitochondrial Ca(2+) entry through posttranslational modifications of MCU are completely unknown. Therefore, we investigated α1-adrenergic-mediated signal transduction of MCU posttranslational modification and function in cardiac cells. Results: α1-adrenoceptor (α1-AR) signaling translocated activated proline-rich …

The Quadmill: Effects Of Eccentric Training Vs. Concentric Training On Lower Extremity Power And Anaerobic Capacity 2014., John Crosby

Master's Theses

Training focuses on the concentric action of muscle during exercise for most exercise programs, but eccentric training may yield greater results. The Quadmill^TM is a unique piece of training equipment that focuses on training the quadriceps muscle eccentrically. Purpose: to determine if using the Quadmill^TM could increase power and anaerobic capacity to the same level, if not greater, than a standard concentric focused lower body training protocol. Participants were 44 undergraduate college students (24 Male 20 Female) Design: participants placed into three equal groups (Quadmill^TM, Lifting, Control). The two experimental groups (Quadmill^TM and Lifting) underwent …

Physical Activity And Nutritional Behavior Of Overweight College Students Trying To Lose Weight 2014, Santino Vallejos M.S.

Master's Theses

Although there are numerous benefits to increased physical activity and proper dietary behaviors, the decreased participation in physical activity and poor dietary behaviors has emerged as a significant problem within the college student population. The focus of this research study was to identify the relationship between physical activity and dietary behavior to weight loss behaviors within an undergraduate student sample of a small, comprehensive northeastern university. College-aged students (age range: 17 to 27 years old) completed the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) National College Health Assessment II (NCHA) during the years 2009 and 2012. According to the results, there were …

Phthalates And Phthalate Alternatives: Effects On Proliferative And Estrogenic Target Genes In Ishikawa Cells, Ranjani Sundar '15, Ping Yin, Serdar E. Bulun

Student Publications & Research

Phthalates are used as plasticizers in many of the products found in medical, household, and industrial applications. Much research has not been completed on the effects of these phthalates as potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). As these chemicals are ingested, the mechanism by which they affect the reproductive system is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to observe how 2 phthalates, Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and Diisononyl phthalate (DINP), and 2 phthalate alternatives, Dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)affect uterine cells in comparison to a vehicle treatment and 17β-Estradiol treatment. Changes in expression of mRNA were observed using …

Eggshell Calcium Regulates Calcium Transport Protein Expression In An Oviparous Snake, Hannah Frye

Undergraduate Honors Theses

One hypothesis explaining the numerous independent evolutionary transitions from oviparity to viviparity among squamates (snakes and lizards) proposed that squamate embryonic development is independent of eggshell calcium. Recent research showed at least 25% of the calcium in hatchling oviparous squamates is extracted from the shell. Though not a direct test, these results are inconsistent with the hypothesis. To directly test the hypothesis, we removed eggshell calcium (through peeling) early in development of Pantherophis guttatus (corn snake) eggs. Survivorship to hatching did not differ between peeled and intact eggs. Yet hatchlings from peeled eggs were shorter (273.6 ± 3.4 vs. 261.0 …

Mitoneet: Reduction In Insulin Resistance Through Ameliorated Oxidative Stress?, Nicolas A. Ferry

Undergraduate Honors Theses

MitoNEET is a mitochondrial iron-sulfur protein with poorly-understood functions. Proposed functions of mitoNEET include regulating of oxidative capacity, reactive oxygen homeostasis, and other possible roles. Investigating the interactions of mitoNEET with other proteins might help identify functional roles of this protein. MitoNEET was discovered in 2004 to identify physiological targets of pioglitazone hydrochloride, a drug that is commonly used to treat type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is a metabolic disease and, although the exact pathology is complex, the role of the mitochondrion in cellular energy production and glucose oxidation indicates that this organelle has a role in type-2 diabetes. Because of …

The Anti-Obesogenic Effects Of Nitric Oxide., Brian Edward Sansbury 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a strong risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and has quickly reached epidemic proportions with few tangible and safe treatment options. While it is generally accepted that the primary cause of obesity is energy imbalance, i.e., more calories are consumed than are utilized, understanding how caloric balance is regulated has proven a challenge. Molecular processes and pathways that directly regulate energy metabolism represent promising targets for therapy. In particular, nitric oxide (NO) is emerging as a central regulator of energy metabolism and body composition. NO bioavailability is decreased in animal models of obesity and …

Synaptic Plasticity In Gabaergic Inhibition Of Vta Neurons, Jennifer Kei Mabey

Theses and Dissertations

Past research has demonstrated that the motivational effects of opiates causes a change in ventral tegmental area (VTA) γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) subtype A receptor [GABA(A)R] complexes in opiate-dependent animals, which switch from a GABA-induced hyperpolarization of VTA GABA neurons to a GABA-induced depolarization. Previously shown in naïve animals, superfusion of ethanol (IC50 = 30 mM) and the GABA(A)R agonist muscimol (IC50 = 100 nM) decreased VTA GABA neuron firing rate in a dose-dependent manner. The aim of this study was to evaluate VTA GABA neuron excitability, GABA synaptic transmission to VTA GABA neurons, and a potential switch in GABA(A)R …