Systems and Integrative Physiology Commons^™

Efficacy Of Pulmonary Ultrasound Compared To N-Terminal Prohormone Brain Natriuretic Peptide As A Diagnostic Tool For Congestive Heart Failure In Patients Presenting With Acute Dyspnea In The Emergency Setting, Leah Krohn, Michael Burns

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To determine the efficacy of using pulmonary ultrasound as a diagnostic tool in acute dyspnea of undetermined cause compared to the use of serum N-Terminal prohormone Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) in the diagnosis of heart failure.

Design: Systematic literature review

Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed and Scopus using the terms pulmonary ultrasound and congestive heart failure and studies within the last 10 years. Studies that used pulmonary ultrasound compared to BNP as a marker for the diagnosis of heart failure were included.

Results: All three studies found that the use of pulmonary ultrasound was a more specific …

Neutrophil Signaling During Myocardial Infarction Wound Repair, Michael J. Daseke, Upendra Chalise, Mediha Becirovic-Agic, Jeffrey D. Salomon, Leah M. Cook, Adam J. Case, Merry L. Lindsey

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Neutrophils are key effector cells of the innate immune system, serving as a first line of defense in the response to injury and playing essential roles in the wound healing process. Following myocardial infarction (MI), neutrophils infiltrate into the infarct region to propagate inflammation and begin the initial phase of cardiac wound repair. Pro-inflammatory neutrophils release proteases to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM), a necessary step for the removal of necrotic myocytes as a prelude for scar formation. Neutrophils transition their phenotype over time to regulate MI inflammation resolution and stabilize scar formation. Neutrophils contribute to the evolution from inflammation to …

A Brain-Infecting Parasite Impacts Host Metabolism Both During Exposure And After Infection Is Established, Lauren E. Nadler, Erik Bengston, Erika J. Eliason, Cameron Hassibi, Siri H. Helland-Riise, Ida B. Johansen, Garfield T. Kwan, Martin Tresguerres, Andrew V. Turner, Kelly L. Weinersmith, Øyvind Øverli, Ryan F. Hechinger

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Datasets

1. Metabolic costs associated with parasites should not be limited to established infections. Even during initial exposure to questing and attacking parasites, hosts can enact behavioural and physiological responses that could also incur metabolic costs. However, few studies have measured these costs directly. Hence, little is known about metabolic costs arising from parasite exposure.
2. Further, no one has yet measured whether and how previous infection history modulates metabolic responses to parasite exposure.
3. Here, using the California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis) and its brain-infecting parasite (Euhaplorchis californiensis), we quantified how killifish metabolism, behaviour, and osmoregulatory phenotype changed upon acute …

Expression And Localization Of The 14-3-3 (Ywha) Protein Family Within Mammals, Neha Kumrah, Santanu De

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) are a family of homologous, acidic, and highly conserved proteins expressed abundantly and ubiquitously in a wide array of organisms ranging from plants to animals, including humans, which regulate important cellular events. Within mammals, seven isoforms of 14-3-3 exist: β, γ, ε, ζ, η, τ, and σ (stratifin), each of which is encoded by a unique gene. Studies have shown similar expression patterns among mammalian species. The 14-3-3 proteins are commonly expressed and have proven to play critical roles in proper cellular localization, function, and homeostatic regulation. Numerous researchers have investigated the expression and localization patterns of …

The Role Of Spine In Causing Lameness In Horses, Raja Zabeeh Ullah Khan

International Programs

Lameness is one of the most important problems of horses. It influences all communities who keep horses. Recent studies have shown the significance of spinal muscles and vertebrae in inducing lameness in horses. The field has not been explored much and requires application of biomechanics to define the role of spine in inducing lameness in horses. This presentation highlights the importance of spine in inducing lameness in horses by relating the solution with biomechanics.

The Role Of Central Ace2 And Nrf2 In Sympatho-Excitation: Responses To Central Angiotensin Ii, Anyun Ma

Theses & Dissertations

Sympatho-excitation is a key characteristic in cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure (CHF) and primary Hypertension (HTN). Evidence suggests that increased sympathetic tone is closely related to activation of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system (RAAS) in the central nervous system. An underlying mechanism for sympatho-excitation is thought to be oxidative stress resulting from Angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1R) activation. Over the past several decades, pharmacological targeting of components of the RAAS have been used as standard therapy in CHF and HTN. However, additional therapeutic strategies are necessary to control these diseases. Oxidative stress is regulated, in part, by the …

Effect Of Hyposaline Stress On Metabolic Rate Of The Invasive Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis, Hayley C. Hart

Honors Thesis

Climate change is predicted to decrease ocean salinity as the polar ice caps melt and the occurrence of precipitation events increases. Decreased ocean salinity (hyposalinity) may negatively impact marine invertebrates, especially marine mussels, as they are osmoconformers and their internal osmolarity depends on the solute concentration of their environment. Hyposalinity stress may influence cell function and alter mussel physiology. To compensate for the change in the environment, mussels may expend more energy to restore internal osmolarity, which can be assessed by quantifying metabolic rate. Thus, the purpose of our research was to examine the physiological response of Mytilus galloprovincialis, …

Relation Of Flt-1 And Endothelial Function In Women Soon After Delivery: Effect Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior, Chloe W. Caudell

Senior Theses

Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are believed to be caused by poor placental formation. APOs can be characterized by elevated levels of a circulating Fms-like tyrosine kinase biomarker called Flt-1, produced by the placenta when its blood vessels are shallow or inadequately formed. Flt-1 acts directly on the maternal endothelium to impair vascular function during pregnancy and contributes to maternal features of APOs. This study aimed to evaluate the relation of Flt-1 and endothelial function in women soon after delivery. This study also aimed to evaluate the relation of Flt-1 and physical activity and sedentary behavior in women during and soon …

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 …

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.

Impacts Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Reproduction And Ontogeny Of Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis), Charles Alexander Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 779 million liters of Macondo-252 crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest marine oil spill in history. Over a thousand kilometers of marshland that many species of fish use as a spawning grounds and nurseries was oiled, exposing breeding adult fish and their offspring to oil. My dissertation investigates the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and associated remediation efforts on the reproduction and ontogeny of a sentinel ecotoxicological species, the Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis). Concerns were raised regarding use of …

To Flex Or Rest: Does Adding No-Load Isometric Actions To The Inter-Set Rest Period In Resistance Training Enhance Muscular Adaptations? A Randomized-Controlled Trial, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Jozo Grgic, Bret Contreras, Kenneth Delcastillo, Andrew Alto, Cody Haun, Eduardo O. De Souza, Andrew D. Vigotsky

Publications and Research

We aimed to investigate the effects of resistance training (RT) combined with no-load isometric actions (iso-holds) during the inter-set recovery period versus RT that involves passive inter-set rest on muscular strength, muscular hypertrophy, and muscular endurance in resistance-trained men. Twenty-seven resistance-trained male volunteers were randomly assigned to either a traditional group (TRAD) that performed a hypertrophy-oriented RT routine with the rest intervals spent passively (n = 13) or to a group that supplemented traditional RT with iso-holds (ISO) for the working muscle group between each set (n = 14). Training for both routines consisted of three weekly sessions performed for …

Nanoformulation Of The Superoxide Dismutase Mimic, Mntnbuoe-2-Pyp5+, Prevents Its Acute Hypotensive Response, Sarah L. Schlichte, Svetlana Romanova, Kenichi Katsurada, Elizabeth A. Kosmacek, Tatiana K. Bronich, Kaushik K. Patel, Rebecca E. Oberley-Deegan, Matthew C. Zimmerman

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Scavenging superoxide (O₂^•-) via overexpression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) or administration of SOD mimics improves outcomes in multiple experimental models of human disease including cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and cancer. While few SOD mimics have transitioned to clinical trials, MnTnBuOE-2-PyP⁵⁺ (BuOE), a manganese porphyrin SOD mimic, is currently in clinical trials as a radioprotector for cancer patients; thus, providing hope for the use of SOD mimics in the clinical setting. However, BuOE transiently alters cardiovascular function including a significant and precipitous decrease in blood pressure. To limit BuOE's acute hypotensive action, we developed a mesoporous silica nanoparticle …

Glp-1 Mediated Diuresis And Natriuresis Are Blunted In Heart Failure And Restored By Selective Afferent Renal Denervation, Kenichi Katsurada, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Hong Zheng, Xuefei Liu, Neeru M. Sharma, Kaushik K. Patel

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) induces diuresis and natriuresis. Previously we have shown that GLP-1 activates afferent renal nerve to increase efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity that negates the diuresis and natriuresis as a negative feedback mechanism in normal rats. However, renal effects of GLP-1 in heart failure (HF) has not been elucidated. The present study was designed to assess GLP-1-induced diuresis and natriuresis in rats with HF and its interactions with renal nerve activity.

METHODS: HF was induced in rats by coronary artery ligation. The direct recording of afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) with intrapelvic injection of GLP-1 and total …

Mindfulness, Aortic Wave Reflection, And Arterial Stiffness, Sarah Lewallen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cardiovascular disease and hypertension are leading causes of death worldwide. The mitigation of high blood pressure is essential in decreasing the prevalence of cardiovascular-related deaths worldwide. Stress and anxiety are known to play a role in augmenting blood pressure in individuals of all ages. This increase in pressure can result in premature stiffening of large arteries in systemic circulation. Mindfulness is an ancient, non-secular practice which aids in stress reduction. Decentering, an aspect of mindfulness, involves accepting thoughts as transient rather than permanent associations. The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between cardiovascular health and mindfulness practices. …

Sympathetic Neural Responses To Acute Thermal Sensations, Hannah August Cunningham

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The influence of thermal stimuli on the sympathetic nervous system is variable and largely depends on the change in temperature and timing of the stimuli. Core temperature changes yield increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) while changes in skin temperature yield variable MSNA responses. The MSNA responses to acute heating or cooling sensations remains unclear. Twenty-three participants (11 women, 12 men; age 24±1 years, BMI 26±1 kg/m²) underwent a thermal protocol that included four trials each of cool sensation threshold, warm sensation threshold, and heat pain (12 total trials). Continuous blood pressure (finger plethysmography), heart rate (electrocardiography), and …

Metabolic And Cardiovascular Marker Alterations During Critical Training In Wildland Firefighters, Shae Gurney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are confronted with numerous physical and mental stressors. Pre-fire season includes an intense 2-week critical training (CT) period; a preparatory phase of multiple activities that can result in injury, illness, and rhabdomyolysis. The purpose of this study was to identify physiologic changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers during 2 weeks of CT in WLFFs.

Methods: Eighteen male (29.4 ± 1.1 yr, 182.1 ± 1.6 cm) and three female (26.7  2.6 yr, 169.5  4.2 cm) participants were recruited from a Type I interagency hotshot crew and monitored over their 2-week CT. Fitness was …

Muscle Soreness And Damage During Wildland Firefighter Critical Training, Katherine Sue Christison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) undergo a critical training (CT) period immediately before the firefighting season. The intensity of CT exercise could lead to muscle damage, as previously reported cases of rhabdomyolysis in WLFFs have been documented. This study established the effects of activities performed during a two-week CT period on acute markers of muscle damage in WLFFs.

Methods: 18 male and 3 female Type I Interagency Hotshot WLFFs were studied during a 14-day critical training period. Upper- (US) and lower-body (LS) muscle soreness and daily body weight (BW) scales were collected. Venous blood was collected on Days 1, 4, 8, …

Acute Physiological Responses To Arm-Cranking With Blood Flow Restriction, Benjamin Cockfield

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Physiological responses to aerobic blood flow restriction exercise (BFR) are well documented for lower-body exercise but not upper-body exercise. I evaluated cardiorespiratory (heart rate, VO2, RER, ventilation), metabolic (tissue saturation, deoxyhemoglobin concentrations), and perceptual (effort, pain) responses to arm cranking with BFR at varying arterial occlusion pressures (AOP). Ten adults performed 4 intermittent arm cranking protocols (6x2-min, 1-min recovery): 1) low load (LL) – 40%VO2peak and 0% AOP; high load (HL) – 80%VO2peak and 0% AOP; (BFR50) – 40%VO2peak with 50% AOP; (BFR70) – 40%VO2peak with 70% AOP. Heart rate, RER, and ventilation, were higher with BFR compared to LL …