Physiology Commons^™

Impressions And Gastrointestinal Tolerance Of An Electrolyte Hydration Beverage Among Individuals Participating In Collegiate Baseball, S. Andrew Cage, Alexander Jacobsen, Brandon Warner, Jessie Gibson, Derek Lege, Robert French

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Context: Performing physical activity in numerous environmental conditions often results in mild to moderate dehydration. Dehydration can be problematic for the physically active population, as it can lead to decreases in physical and cognitive performance. This places emphasis on making sure individuals are properly hydrated during exercise. One of the barriers to appropriate hydration behaviors that has been identified in physically active individuals is a dislike of available hydration options. This highlights the need for sports medicine professionals to provide physically active individuals with appealing hydration options. Currently there is a lack of research exploring the flavor appeal of hydration …

Athletic Trainers’ Motivations For And Satisfaction With Transition To The Physician Practice Setting, Abigail G. Overstreet, Nicolette A. Harris, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

An increasing number of athletic trainers are transitioning from traditional settings, such as secondary schools, colleges, universities, and professional sports, to physician practice. Although research suggests athletic trainers may be changing settings in search of better working conditions, little is known about their motivations for and satisfaction with the setting transition. The objective of this research was to explore athletic trainers’ motivations for and satisfaction with transition to the physician practice setting. A qualitative design was used to collect and interpret data. Eleven certified athletic trainers (6 women, 5 men; age 1⁄4 38.5 6 10.0 years) who transitioned from a …

Trust, Culture, And Conversation: How Athletic Training Leaders Navigate High-Stakes Interactions, Nicole A. Wilkins, Ashley B. Thrasher, Ericka P. Zimmerman

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Engaging in difficult conversations is central to leadership growth and requires sustained effort to refine and strengthen these skills. Leaders not only need to navigate the complexities of their role within an organization, but also the intersectionality of interpersonal dynamics, emotional intelligence, structural hierarchies, and the nuanced environments that influence how communication occurs. Furthermore, leaders must adapt to role expectations that shift across clinical, academic, and administrative contexts, adjusting their approach to engaging in conversations based on these complexities. As part of a larger research project examining difficult conversations, this portion of the study explored how leaders in athletic …

Integrating Wearable Technologies Into Athletic Training: Bridging Innovation And Clinical Practice, Michael Douglas

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Athletic training is entering a transformative period driven by the convergence of wearable technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced biomechanical modeling. Historically, wearable technology in sport was primarily used for performance tracking, including workload monitoring, heart rate assessment, and movement quantification. However, advances in sensor accuracy and data analytics have expanded the clinical relevance of wearable systems, allowing athletic trainers to monitor fatigue markers, movement asymmetry, and neuromuscular control patterns that inform injury risk and rehabilitation progression. Wearable sensor technologies provide objective data that can support clinical decision-making when integrated with traditional evaluation methods.¹Despite these advancements, wearable technologies present persistent …

Recurrent Lateral Patellar Dislocation After Mpfl Repair With Subsequent Tibial Tubercle Anteromedialization And Concomiant Mpfl Reconstruction, Jacob Hardy, Anthony Thomas Drazick, Joshua Pratt, Jeremy M. Burnham

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Patellar instability is a common knee pathology, particularly among adolescents and young adults, with reported incidence rates ranging from 7 to 77 per 100,000 person-years. Following an initial patellar dislocation, recurrence rates have been reported as high as 86%, particularly in patients with underlying anatomic risk factors. Identification of the multifactorial contributors to patellar instability is critical to guide appropriate management and prevent recurrent episodes. Common pathoanatomic factors associated with recurrent instability include trochlear dysplasia, patella alta, lateralized tibial tubercle, coronal or torsional malalignment, and abnormal patellar shift. This case report describes a patient who presented with a chronic …

Improving Entry-Level Athletic Training Student Confidence In Emergency Care: A Pilot Study, Michele Pye, Cade Watts, John Hunt, Kimberly Pritchard

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Immediate and emergency care is essential to athletic training education and clinical practice. Athletic training students (ATS) may have limited exposure to emergencies during their clinical experiences, which can undermine their confidence. AT educators can improve ATS confidence and clinical reasoning using a simulation-based, learner-centered SNAPPS approach. SNAPPS consists of Summarizing the history and findings, Narrowing and Analyzing the differential diagnoses, Probing peers about uncertainties or confusion, Planning management, and Selecting case-related knowledge gaps for self-directed learning. This empowers students to control the learning environment while adding realism to encounters. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine …

Performance On The Timed Single-Leg Step-Down Test Is Correlated With Hip And Knee Biomechanics As Measured By 3d Markerless Motion Capture, Ghislain Aminake, Anthony Drazick, Christ Focht, Chloe Roy, Emily Clark, Savannah Knighton, Edward Austin, Jeremy Burnham

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: The timed single-leg step-down (SLSD) test is widely used in clinical and sports settings to assess lower extremity function and injury risk, yet the specific biomechanical determinants of performance on this test remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between performance on the timed SLSD test and hip and knee biomechanics captured by a markerless 3-D motion-analysis system. Methods: Twenty (20) healthy high school athletes with no recent history of lower extremity injury completed a 60-second timed single leg step down test. The number of quality SLSD repetitions (REPS) constituted their SLSD score. …

The Emerging And Evolving Evidence Supporting Creatine As An Ergogenic Aid: History And Applications, Chad Kerksick, Drew Gonzalez, Jeffrey Stout, Scott Forbes, Darren Candow, Tim Ziegenfuss, Ronald Marshall, René Schwesig, Richard Kreider

Faculty Scholarship

Background

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied ergogenic aids, with over three decades of research supporting its role in exercise performance, recovery, and health.

Methods

This narrative review summarizes the historical development of creatine supplementation and evaluates evidence regarding its mechanisms, efficacy across active, athletic populations (e.g. strength, endurance, team-sport), and tactical (e.g. military, law enforcement) populations, and its safety profile.

Results

The evidence suggests that creatine enhances phosphocreatine resynthesis and cellular energy availability, resulting in consistent improvements in high-intensity exercise performance, training adaptations, lean body mass, strength, and power. Additional findings indicate that creatine may attenuate exercise-induced …

Impact Of Workplace Ostracism, Moderated By Personality Traits On Psychological Safety, Aniko Rastovac

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychological safety, an essential element for fostering collaboration, trust, and innovation, can be undermined by negative interactions in the workplace. Most importantly, a lack of psychological safety is a barrier to individual and organizational growth, development, and innovation, which is necessary for gaining a competitive organizational advantage. The present study examines the concept of workplace ostracism as a negative interaction in the workplace that affects psychological safety. Using the big five personality traits framework, Edmondson’s (1999) concept of psychological safety, and Tett et al.’s (2021) trait activation theory, this quantitative study examined how individual differences moderate the impact of workplace …

How To Search For The Engram: Optogenetics And Network Dynamics, Claudia Garcia Jou

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Memories are thought to be encoded by ensembles of neurons called "engram cells", because their artificial activation with optogenetics leads to the behavioral expression of a memory. However, the physiological mechanisms that mediate this process remain unknown. In this thesis, I investigate how optogenetic stimulation of memory-tagged cells changes neuronal firing, spatial coding, and the geometry of neural manifolds. I used an active place avoidance task and a foraging task to label engram cells in the dorsal hippocampus with Channelrhodopsin2 (ChR2). I then recorded the hippocampal activity response to optogenetic stimulation in mice under anesthesia, head-fixed, or freely moving. I …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

Early Life Stress Mediates Cardiovascular Disease Risk Through Csf1r And Increases Risk Of Lupus Through Mature B-Cells, Cailin Elizabeth Kellum

ETDs from 2020-2029

The term Early Life Stress (ELS) encompasses traumatic events occurring before the age of 18 such as physical abuse, verbal abuse, household dysfunctions, sexual abuse, childhood neglect, child maltreatment, and adverse childhood experiences. The traumatic psychological and physical experiences in early life are widely known to cause enduring effects on mental and physical health in adulthood. Of note, individuals with ELS have adverse health outcomes earlier in adulthood and with more severity such as in the case of Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE), an autoimmune disease. The risk for autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with ELS exposure and CVD is …

Accuracy Of Glenohumeral Joint Center Of Rotation Estimates Using Traditional Motion Capture Versus Bi-Plane Fluoroscopy, Julia A. Dunn, Ola Alsaadi, Kevin Shelburne, Michelle B. Sabick

Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

Accurate estimation of the glenohumeral joint center of rotation is critical for biomechanical modeling of shoulder motion. This study evaluated the accuracy of three predictive methods for estimating glenohumeral joint center of rotation using optical motion capture, compared against a benchmark derived from synchronous bi-plane fluoroscopy. Five healthy adults performed shoulder abduction, flexion, and external rotation in 90° abducted and adducted positions. Root mean square error and axial errors were calculated across the full range of motion. Results showed that none of the predictive methods met clinically acceptable thresholds, with absolute error exceeding 10 mm and axial errors surpassing ±5 …

Alcohol And The Endocrine System: A Critical Review Of Disruptions, Potential Mechanisms, And Health Implications, Patricia E. Molina, Liz Simon

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

The endocrine system coordinates and integrates cellular activity throughout the body by regulating cellular and organ function and maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis, the dynamic maintenance of internal balance despite changing external or internal conditions, is essential for proper cellular function. The endocrine system achieves this through a complex regulatory network of hormone-mediated signaling among multiple endocrine organs, relying on precisely regulated synthesis and release of hormones and specific hormone-receptor interactions. Endocrine-mediated actions coordinate critical physiological processes, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, stress adaptation, and circadian rhythms throughout the lifespan. Endocrine glands—such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid glands, pancreas, adrenal glands, and …

Biol 225 - Laboratory Manual For Human Physiology, Corey Sullivan, Kristin Thurlby, Gwen Wright

Human Physiology

This laboratory manual for Human Physiology represents the Creative Commons licensed (CC-BY-NC 4.0) material created as an Open Educational Resource.

Health Indicators Worsened By Moderate-Intensity Heat Stress Are Only Partially Recovered By Ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation, Melanie R. White, Shelley A. Curry, Ashley A. Hahn, Jessica L. Petersen, Ty B. Schmidt, Dustin T. Yates

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Heat stress throughout the summer and into the fall is a persistent hurdle for growing and finishing cattle in Nebraska. Minimizing the impact of heat on growth and well-being of cattle is critical to the productivity and profitability of beef production. This project aimed to evaluate the effect of an anti-inflammatory dietary supplement, ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA), on physiological indicators of stress during a 4-day moderate-intensity heat challenge. Heat stress elevated core body temperature and respiration rates as expected but did not impact circulating inflammatory biomarkers. Heart rate variability measurements indicative of adrenergic stress and …

Modulation Of Heat Stress Responses In Cattle Supplemented With Dietary Ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Shelley A. Curry, Melanie R. White, Ashley A. Hahn, Dustin T. Yates

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Heat stress in beef cattle triggers physiological and metabolic disturbances that compromise performance, health, and welfare. In this study, Red Angus heifers exposed to heat stress for 5 days exhibited elevated body temperatures, increased heart and respiration rates, and altered hematological and acid–base parameters. A commercial ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) dietary supplement failed to improve heat stress-reduced ribeye area or red blood cell parameters but did resolve the reduction in blood chloride concentrations, which is consistent with restoration of electrolyte balance and hydration under heat stressed conditions. These results indicate that ω-3 PUFA supplementation offers some …

From Fog To Function: An Occupational Therapist's Guide To Evaluating And Treating Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairments, Lauren E. Toner

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Cancer – related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a common side effect of cancer treatment that interferes with cancer survivors’ occupational performance, independence, and quality of life. Despite its high prevalence, CRCI remains under recognized and inconsistently addressed within oncology care. About 70% of individuals diagnosed with cancer report cognitive changes during or after treatment, yet many do not receive treatment. Occupational therapists are clinically trained to evaluate and treat functional cognition, activities of daily activities, instrumental activities of daily living, and client centered goals, positioning them as key providers in addressing CRCI. However, limited occupational therapy specific resources have hindered …

Prolonged Qt Interval In Hiv-1 Infected Humanized Mice Treated Chronically With Dolutegravir/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate/Emtricitabine, Ali Namvaran, Julian V. Garcia, Mahendran Ramasamy, Kayla Nguyen, Farzaneh Tavakkoli Ghazani, Bryan T. Hackfort, Prasanta Dash, Reagan E. Fisher, Benson J. Edagwa, Santhi Gorantla, Keshoer R. Bidasee

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

The REPRIEVE Trial recently reported high rates of sudden cardiac death (SCD) middle-aged people living with HIV-1 infection (PWH) using the WHO/NIH-recommended two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)/one integrase strand inhibitor (INSTI) regimen to manage HIV-1 viremia. To date, clinically relevant animal models to delineate underlying causes for this remain limited. Here, we assessed if HIV-1-infected NOD.Cg-Prkdc^scidIl2rg^tm1Wjl/SzJ humanized mice (Hu-mice) treated with the WHO/NIH-recommended antiretroviral regimen, dolutegravir (DTG, INSTI)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF, NRTIs)/emtricitabine (FTC, NRTIs), can recapitulate abnormalities in the ECG and subclinical structural heart disease that serve as harbingers of SCD in middle-aged PWH. …

Chronobiology Of Meal Timing In Early-Stage Hypertension: A Controlled Feeding Pilot Study Investigating The Effects On Renal And Vascular Function, Natalie J. Bohmke, Brittany Barton, Patrice Wiecek, Paula Rodriguez-Miguelez, Dave L. Dixon, Youngdeok Kim, Salvatore Carbone, Danielle L. Kirkman

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Lifestyle intervention is critical for young adults with early-stage hypertension. A Western diet has negative effects on kidney function and blood pressure; however, time-of-day effects are understudied. We hypothesized that consumption of a Western-style meal that is misaligned with the endogenous circadian rhythm would have adverse effects on blood pressure, kidney function, and vascular function. Ten young adults with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension (means ± SD: 26 ± 8 yr, 50% female) underwent a randomized crossover, isocaloric controlled feeding intervention. Participants were allocated to receive a Western-style meal high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat in the …