Physiology Commons^™

The Effects Of Β-Amyloid On Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Expressed In Xenopus Oocytes, Malia L. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The exact mechanism and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at present is not fully understood. In patients suffering from AD, damage to the hippocampal region and impairment of learning and memory is present. It is also known that a buildup of β-amyloid plaques occur in AD patients and that β-amyloid interacts with some subtypes of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (neuronal nAChRs). These receptors are composed of five subunits. The most prevalent nAChR subunit composition through the brain as a whole is α7. Previous data produced from our lab suggests that α7 nAChRs are also one of the most prevalent subunits …

Plantar Pressure Distribution Differences In Physically Active Individuals With And Without Functional Ankle Instability During A Side Cut, J'Nai Pittman

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Context: Functional ankle instability (FAI) is a popular condition in the physically active population. There is a surplus of evidence to demonstrate how FAI decreases proprioception, balance, and overall athletic performance. However, to date there is no evidence that demonstrates how F AI correlates to alterations in plantar pressure distribution differences in a physically active population while completing athletic tasks. Objective: To assess differences in plantar pressure distributions while completing a side cut in individuals with and without FAI. Design: Observational case-control. Setting: Outdoor field turf and research laboratory. Participants: Fifty ankles from physically active individuals (FAI: age= 21.47±3.02 yrs; …

Effects Of Diet Type And Supplementation Of Glucosamine, Chondroitin, And Msm On Body Composition, Functional Status, And Markers Of Health In Women With Knee Osteoarthritis Initiating A Resistance-Based Exercise And Weight Loss Program, Teresa Magrans-Courtney, Colin Wilborn, Christopher Rasmussen, Maria Pontes Ferreira, Lori Greenwood, Bill Campbell, Chad M. Kerksick, Erica Nassar, Rui Li, Mike Iosia, Matt Cooke, Kristin Dugan, Darryn Willoughby, Luann Soliah, Richard B. Kreider

Nutrition and Food Science Faculty Research Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether sedentary obese women with knee OA initiating an exercise and weight loss program may experience more beneficial changes in body composition, functional capacity, and/or markers of health following a higher protein diet compared to a higher carbohydrate diet with or without GCM supplementation.

Methods: Thirty sedentary women (54 ± 9 yrs, 163 ± 6 cm, 88.6 ± 13 kg, 46.1 ± 3% fat, 33.3 ± 5 kg/m²) with clinically diagnosed knee OA participated in a 14-week exercise and weight loss program. Participants followed an isoenergenic low fat higher …

Store-Operated Ca(2+) Entry (Soce) Contributes To Normal Skeletal Muscle Contractility In Young But Not In Aged Skeletal Muscle, Angela M. Thornton, Xiaoli Zhao, Noah Weisleder, Leticia S. Brotto, Sylvain Bougoin, Thomas M. Nosek, Michael B. Reid, Brian Hardin, Zui Pan, Jianjie Ma, Jerome Parness, Marco Brotto

Physiology Faculty Publications

Muscle atrophy alone is insufficient to explain the significant decline in contractile force of skeletal muscle during normal aging. One contributing factor to decreased contractile force in aging skeletal muscle could be compromised excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, without sufficient available Ca(2+) to allow for repetitive muscle contractility, skeletal muscles naturally become weaker. Using biophysical approaches, we previously showed that store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) is compromised in aged skeletal muscle but not in young ones. While important, a missing component from previous studies is whether or not SOCE function correlates with contractile function during aging. Here we test the contribution of extracellular …

A Call To (Physical) Activity, A Call To Action, Karen Richardson, Sam Baumgarten

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Ischemia Impairs Vasodilation In Skeletal Muscle Resistance Artery, Kyle Remington Struthers

Master's Theses

Functional vasodilation in arterioles is impaired with chronic ischemia. We sought to examine the impact of chronic ischemia and age on skeletal muscle resistance artery function. To examine the impact of chronic ischemia, the femoral artery was resected from young (2-3mo) and adult (6-7mo) mice and the profunda femoris artery diameter was measured at rest and following gracilis muscle contraction 14 days later using intravital microscopy. Functional vasodilation was significantly impaired in ischemic mice (14.4±4.6% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p<0.0001 n=8) and non-ischemic adult mice (103.0±9.4% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p=0.05 n=10). In order to analyze the cellular mechanisms of the impairment, a protocol was developed to apply pharmacological agents to the experimental preparation while maintaining tissue homeostasis. Endothelial and smooth muscle dependent vasodilation were impaired with ischemia, 39.6 ± 13.6% vs. 80.5 ± 11.4% and 43.0 ± 11.7% vs. 85.1 ± 10.5%, respectively. From this data, it can be supported that smooth muscle dysfunction is the reason for the observed impairment in arterial vasodilation.

Possible Molecular Mechanism To Account For Wavelength Dependence Of Equilibration Rates Of Patman And Laurdan In Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers, Hannabeth A. Franchino

Theses and Dissertations

Patman is a fluorescent membrane probe related to Laurdan. The structural distinctions between the two probes are the lengths of the aliphatic tails (eleven carbons in Laurdan and fifteen in Patman) and the presence of a trimethylammonium group on Patman that produces a positively-charged head. Preliminary studies exploring Patman as a probe to detect membrane properties during apoptosis revealed that the fluorescence intensity of two edges of the emission spectrum (435 and 500 nm) stabilizes at different rates as the probe binds to the cell membrane. To test whether these differences represent dissimilarities in probe binding to ordered and disordered …

Alternative Scheduling In The Middle School: Considering Circadian Rhythms., James Edward Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The passage of No Child Left Behind has increased the level of accountability for all educators. There are many factors that affect student achievement. One factor that may be overlooked is the schedule configuration of schools. Addressing student needs through scheduling options may assist school systems and students in performing at the level they are being held accountable.

The population for this study was students from a rural East Tennessee middle school with a population of approximately 700 students. The low socioeconomic students represent 68% of the school total enrollment while 18% of the students have an individual education plan …

Synaptic Reorganization Of Inhibitory Hilar Interneuron Circuitry After Traumatic Brain Injury In Mice, Robert F. Hunt, Stephen W. Scheff, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Functional plasticity of synaptic networks in the dentate gyrus has been implicated in the development of posttraumatic epilepsy and in cognitive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury, but little is known about potentially pathogenic changes in inhibitory circuits. We examined synaptic inhibition of dentate granule cells and excitability of surviving GABAergic hilar interneurons 8–13 weeks after cortical contusion brain injury in transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein in a subpopulation of inhibitory neurons. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings in granule cells revealed a reduction in spontaneous and miniature IPSC frequency after head injury; no concurrent change in paired-pulse ratio was found …

Modulation Of Hypoglossal Motoneurons By Nitric Oxide, Justin Philip Benoit

Master's Theses

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)- the occurrence of repetitive episodes of airway obstruction during sleep- is considered a major health problem affecting up to 9% of adults in the United States (Parish & Somers, 2004). The hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) controls genioglossus muscle tone and is critically important for maintaining airway patency; loss of excitatory input to the HMN during sleep results in disfacilitation of hypoglossal motoneurons, increased airway resistance and contributes to the development of OSA (Horner R. L., 2007). However, a fundamental question of sleep medicine that remains unresolved is what mechanisms help maintain airway patency during sleep? A …

Dickensian Physiology Of Memory: Recall, Redintegration, And The Historical Novel, Timothy M. Curran

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

A New Single Workbout Test To Estimate Critical Power And Anaerobic Work Capacity, Haley Bergstrom

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to develop a new 3-min, single workbout test to estimate critical power (CP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC) using the Monark cycle ergometer with the resistance based on the individual’s body weight. Twelve moderately-trained adults (6 men and 6 women; mean age ± SD = 23.2 ± 3.5 yr) performed an incremental cycle ergometer test to exhaustion. The CP and AWC were estimated from the original work limit (W_lim) versus time limit (T_lim) relationship (CP_PT) and a 3-min all-out test (CP_3min) against a fixed resistance …

Physiologic Performance Test Differences By Competition Level And Player Position In Female Volleyball Athletes, Monique Lynae Schaal

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The game of volleyball, which requires power, strength, speed, agility, and anaerobic fitness, is played around the world. A performance divide is evident between high school and collegiate volleyball athletes, and the physiologic differences have not been extensively studied. Because sport specific test performance data are not available, performance deficits in high school athletes are not well understood. Players striving to improve volleyball performance need clear expectations of skill and performance measures to succeed at higher levels of competition. There are extremely limited data available for female volleyball players that specifically describe how physiological performance test data may …

The Effects Of Ovariecotomy On Neuropeptide Y Neurotransmission In Skeletal Muscle Arterioles, Kirk Wendell Evanson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of chronic estrogen supplementation on NPY neurotransmission in gastrocnemius first-order arterioles (G1A) of adult female rats. Female rats (4 mo; n = 30) were ovariectomized (OVX) with a subset (n = 15) receiving an estrogen pellet (OVE; 17β-estradiol (4μg / day)). Following conclusion of the treatment phase (8 weeks), red G1A were excised, placed in a physiological saline solution (PSS) bath, and cannulated with micropipettes connected to albumin reservoirs. A sampling port was placed immediately below the vessel to assess NPY overflow. The contralateral red G1A was homogenized in PSS …

Kinase Pathways Underlying Muscarinic Activation Of Colonic Longitudinal Muscle, Charles Dudley Anderson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The longitudinal muscle layer in gut is the functional opponent to the circular muscle layer during the peristalsis reflex. Differences in innervation of the layers allow for the contraction of one layer that corresponds with the simultaneous relaxation of the other, enabling the passage of gut contents in a controlled fashion. Differences in development have given the cells of the two layers differences in receptor populations, membrane lipid handling, and calcium handling profiles/behaviors. The kinase signaling differences between the two layers is not as well characterized. Upon activation of cells from the circular muscle layer, it is known that Rho …

Effects Of Xs® Energy Drink On Aerobic Exercise Capacity Of Athletes, Kevin M. Sheehan, Lynn K. Hartzler

International Journal of Exercise Science

A small increase in performance is often the difference between winning and losing for athletes, and energy supplements are marketed to give them a competitive edge. One such supplement is XS^{Alt 0174} Energy Drink which contains B vitamins, caffeine, taurine, and an herbal adaptogen blend. XS^{Alt 0174} Energy Drink is primarily designed and marketed as an alertness stimulus; however, it is also marketed to athletes as a performance enhancing supplement. We hypothesized that the consumption of XS^{Alt 0174} Energy Drink before exercise would increase aerobic capacity (an increase in Vo₂max) and time to fatigue, and …

Effects Of A Caffeine-Containing Transdermal Energy Patch On Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise Performance, Kenneth R. Dragoo, W. Matthew Silvers, Kelly E. Johnson, Eliseo A. Gonzalez

International Journal of Exercise Science

The use of caffeine-containing (74-mg) energy patches (EnP) offers a novel mode of caffeine delivery that may alleviate stomach discomfort associated with oral caffeine use. The purpose of this study was to use four separate tests to evaluate the effects of EnP use on aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance. Three separate moderately active college-aged sample populations performed either 1) cycle time-to-exhaustion, 2) Wingate (WIN), or 3) repeated sprints and one repetition maximum bench press using EnP and placebo patches (PlP). No statistical differences were found between EnP and PlP for all dependent variables (p > 0.05) except for WIN peak power, …

A Description Of Variability Of Pacing In Marathon Distance Running, Tom Haney Jr., John Mercer Dr.

International Journal of Exercise Science

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to describe variability of pacing during a marathon and 2) to determine if there is a relationship between variability of pacing and marathon performance. Publically available personal global positioning system profiles from two marathons (Race 1 n = 116, Race 2 n = 169) were downloaded (http://connect.garmin.com) for analysis. The coefficient of variation of velocity (Velcov) was calculated for each profile. Each profile was categorized as finishing in under 3.9 hours, between 3.9 and 4.6 hours, or longer than 4.6 hours. Linear and quadratic lines of best fit were computed to describe …

Knee Osteoarthritis And The Efficacy Of Kinesthesia, Balance & Agility Exercise Training: A Pilot Study, Matthew W. Rogers, Nauris Tamulevicius, Marius F. Coetsee, Beth F. Curry, Stuart J. Semple

International Journal of Exercise Science

Kinesthesia, balance and agility (KBA) neuromuscular exercises are commonly used for rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries. KBA combined with strength training (ST) reportedly improves function among persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA), but independent effects of KBA are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of KBA exercises, independent of ST, to improve function among persons with knee OA. Twenty participants (69.3, SD 11.4 y) were randomized to 8 weeks, 3-days per week, instructor-lead KBA or ST groups. Self-reported physical function (difficulty with daily living activities such as walking, bending, stair climbing, etc.) was measured at baseline …

The Effect Of Energy Patches On Substrate Utilization In Collegiate Cross-Country Runners, Ryan E. Fiddler, Doug Smith, Bert Jacobson, Crishel Klein, Aric Warren, Matt O'Brien, Brennan Thompson, Lee Everett

International Journal of Exercise Science

It is well established that an increased capacity of skeletal muscle to oxidize fatty acids can spare glycogen and delay the onset of fatigue in mild- to moderate-intensity exercise. The purpose of the following study was to examine the effect of LifeWave® energy patches on non-protein substrate utilization in Division-1 cross-country runners. To determine the effect of the patches subjects were pretested to establish baselines and randomly assigned to an experimental (EX) or placebo (PL) group. Twenty-two trained male (n = 11; mean ± SD, age = 21.1 ± 2.6years, height = 179.6 ± 4.2cm, body mass = 71.4 ± …