Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology Commons^™

Racemization Of Amino Acids In Teeth For The Determination Of Age, Andrea Lee Toll

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Instrumental to forensic investigations is the ability to identify unknown human remains providing key evidence to criminal cases, resolution to missing persons, and assistance in mass or natural disasters. Identification of remains in an effort to determine age is an area of forensics that has received considerable attention. Traditional methods in age determination such as morphology are often biased, antiquated, and frequently result in a large margin of error. Conversely, the emergence of new forensic techniques provide promise to reduce the margin of error in determining age. One such technique has focused on relating the extent of amino acid racemization …

Electromyography (Emg) Biofeedback Training In Music Performance: Preventing And Reducing Musculoskeletal Pain In Musicians, Carolyn Yarbrough

Scripps Senior Theses

Musicians are a high-risk occupational group for musculoskeletal disorders. Often manifesting in muscle tension, pain and paresthesia, musculoskeletal disorders can drastically affect comfort, mentality and endurance while performing. This study sought to examine the effects of electromyography (EMG) biofeedback training in reducing musculoskeletal symptoms in music performance. The subjects were university-level violinists and cellists. Over a period of 2-4 weeks, all participants underwent EMG biofeedback training while performing their instrument using audio feedback. No significant results were found, but patterns of decreased muscle tension and increased performance comfort and endurance were observed.

Submicron Bioactive Glass Tubes For Bone Tissue Engineering, Jingwei Xie, Eric Blough, Chi-Hwa Wang

MIIR Faculty Research

Herein we describe a method to fabricate submicron bioactive glass tubes using of sol-gel and co-axial electrospinning techniques for applications in bone tissue engineering. Heavy mineral oil and gel solution were delivered by two independent syringe pumps during the co-axial electrospinning process. Subsequently, submicron bioactive glass tubes were obtained by removal of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and heavy mineral oil via calcination at 600 °C for 5 h. Tubular structure was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. We examined the bioactivity of submicron bioactive glass tubes and fibers and evaluated their biocompatibility taking electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) …

Short-Term Plasticity At The Schaffer Collateral: A New Model With Implications For Hippocampal Processing, Andrew Hamilton Toland

Dissertations and Theses

A new mathematical model of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) at the Schaffer collateral is introduced. Like other models of STP, the new model relates short-term synaptic plasticity to an interaction between facilitative and depressive dynamic influences. Unlike previous models, the new model successfully simulates facilitative and depressive dynamics within the framework of the synaptic vesicle cycle. The novelty of the model lies in the description of a competitive interaction between calcium-sensitive proteins for binding sites on the vesicle release machinery. By attributing specific molecular causes to observable presynaptic effects, the new model of STP can predict the effects of specific …

Durand Et Al 2012 Supplemental Figures, M. Durand, Svetlana V. Komarova, Ajay Bhargava, Keying Li, Cara Fiorino, Osama Maria, Noushin Nabavi, Morris Manolson, Rene Harrison, S. Jeffrey Dixon, Stephen Sims, Marcin Mizianty, Lukasz Kurgan, Sonia Haroun, Gilles Boire, Maria Lucena-Fernandes, Artur De Brum-Fernandes

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Objective. Our objective was to compare the osteoclastogenic capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) to that of PBMCs from self-reported normal individuals.

Methods. PBMCs from 140 patients with OA and 45 healthy donors were assayed for CD14⁺ expression and induced to differentiate into osteoclasts (OCs) over 3 weeks in vitro. We assessed the number of the OCs, their resorptive activity, OC apoptosis, and expression of the following cytokine receptors: receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK), interleukin-1 receptor type I (IL-1R1) and IL-1R2. A ridge logistic regression classifier was developed …

Vorinostat: A Potent Agent To Prevent And Treat Laser-Induced Corneal Haze, Ashish Tandon, Jonathan C. K. Tovey, Michael R. Waggoner, Ajay Sharma, John W. Cowden, Daniel J. Gibson, Yuanjing Liu, Gregory S. Schultz, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE—This study investigated the efficacy and safety of vorinostat, a deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, in the treatment of laser-induced corneal haze following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in rabbits in vivo and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) -induced corneal fibrosis in vitro.

METHODS—Corneal haze in rabbits was produced with −9.00 diopters (D) PRK. Fibrosis in cultured human and rabbit corneal fibroblasts was activated with TGFβ1. Vorinostat (25 μm) was topically applied once for 5 minutes on rabbit cornea immediately after PRK for in vivo studies. Vorinostat (0 to 25 μm) was given to human/rabbit corneal fibroblasts for 5 minutes or 48 …

Attenuation Of Corneal Myofibroblast Development Through Nanoparticle-Mediated Soluble Transforming Growth Factor-Β Type Ii Receptor (Stgfβrii) Gene Transfer, Ajay Sharma, Jason T. Rodier, Ashish Tandon, Alexander M. Klibanov, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: To explore (i) the potential of polyethylenimine (PEI)-DNA nanoparticles as a vector for delivering genes into human corneal fibroblasts, and (ii) whether the nanoparticle-mediated soluble extracellular domain of the transforming growth factor–β type II receptor (sTGFβRII) gene therapy could be used to reduce myofibroblasts and fibrosis in the cornea using an in vitro model.

Methods: PEI-DNA nanoparticles were prepared at a nitrogen-to-phosphate ratio of 30 by mixing linear PEI and a plasmid encoding sTGFβRII conjugated to the fragment crystallizable (Fc) portion of human immunoglobulin. The PEI-DNA polyplex formation was confirmed through gel retardation assay. Human corneal fibroblasts (HCFs) were …

Gene Therapy In The Cornea: 2005--Present, Rajiv R. Mohan, Jonathan C. K. Tovey, Ajay Sharma, Ashish Tandon

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Successful restoration of vision in human patients with gene therapy affirmed its promise to cure ocular diseases and disorders. The efficacy of gene therapy is contingent upon vector and mode of therapeutic DNA introduction into targeted cells/tissues. The cornea is an ideal tissue for gene therapy due to its ease of access and relative immune-privilege. Considerable progress has been made in the field of corneal gene therapy in last 5 years. Several new gene transfer vectors, techniques and approaches have evolved. Although corneal gene therapy is still in its early stages of development, the potential of gene-based interventions to treat …

Características Demográficas E Ocupacionais Do Estudante-Trabalhador De Enfermagem E O Risco De Acidentes De Trabalho / Demographical And Occupational Characteristics Of The Student-Worker Of Nursing And The Risk Of Accidents At Work, Everton Fernando Alves

Everton Fernando Alves

Os estudantes-trabalhadores da enfermagem estão expostos a inúmeros acidentes de trabalho devido à dupla jornada, trabalho e estudo, que afeta o estilo de vida e o estado biopsicoemocional. Objetivou-se neste estudo realizar uma discussão de caráter introdutório sobre a análise de algumas características demográficas e ocupacionais de estudantes-trabalhadores de enfermagem e suas relações com o riscode acidentes de trabalho. Realizou-se um estudo exploratório, descritivo e com abordagem quantitativa de dados. Fizeram parte da amostra 88 estudantes-trabalhadores do curso de enfermagem regularmente matriculados do1º ao 4º ano. Observou-se que a maioria dos entrevistados eram mulheres (65,9%), com idades acima de 25 …

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.

Pressure Distribution Over The Palm Region During Forward Falls On The Outstretched Hands, Woochol J. Choi, Stephen N. Robinovitch

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Falls on the outstretched hands are the cause of over 90% of wrist fractures, yet little is known about bone loading during this event. We tested how the magnitude and distribution of pressure over the palm region during a forward fall is affected by foam padding (simulating a glove) and arm configuration, and by the faller’s body mass index (BMI) and thickness of soft tissues over the palm region.

Thirteen young women with high (n=7) or low (n=6) BMI participated in a “torso release experiment” that simulated falling on both outstretched hands with the arm inclined either at 20° or …

Muscle Plasticity And Intramuscular Signaling In The Insulin-Resistant Obese Zucker Rat, Anjaiah Katta

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The ability to increase skeletal muscle mass may have important implications for the treatment of insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes [1-3]. Recent data suggest that IR muscle may adapt differently than normal muscle; however, molecular mechanism(s) responsible for this finding are not well understood [4]. Herein, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the skeletal muscle remodeling in the IR Obese Zucker (OZ) rat.

The OZ rat is characterized by skeletal muscle insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. Compared to LZ rats, our data demonstrate that soleus muscle hypertrophy was significantly attenuated in the OZ rats after 3-weeks of muscle overload and …

Significant Inhibition Of Corneal Scarring In Vivo With Tissue-Selective, Targeted Aav5 Decorin Gene Therapy, Rajiv R. Mohan, Ashish Tandon, Ajay Sharma, John W. Cowden, Jonathan C. K. Tovey

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. This study tested a hypothesis that tissue-selective targeted decorin gene therapy delivered to the stroma with adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5) inhibits corneal fibrosis in vivo without significant side effects.

METHODS. An in vivo rabbit model of corneal fibrosis was used. Targeted decorin gene therapy was delivered to the rabbit cornea by a single topical application of AAV5 (100 L; 6.5 1012 g/mL) onto the bare stroma for 2 minutes. The levels of corneal fibrosis were determined with stereomicroscopy, slit lamp biomicroscopy, -smooth muscle actin ( SMA), fibronectin, and F-actin immunocytochemistry, and/or immunoblotting. CD11b, F4/80 immunocytochemistry, and TUNEL assay …

Spinal Cord Stimulator Induced Artifact During A Sleep Study, Robert J. Corba Do

Department of Anesthesiology

No abstract provided.

Targeted Decorin Gene Therapy Delivered With Adeno-Associated Virus Effectively Retards Corneal Neovascularization In Vivo, Rajiv R. Mohan, Jonathan C. K. Tovey, Ajay Sharma, Gregory S. Schultz, John W. Cowden, Ashish Tandon

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Decorin, small leucine-rich proteoglycan, has been shown to modulate angiogenesis in nonocular tissues. This study tested a hypothesis that tissue-selective targeted decorin gene therapy delivered to the rabbit stroma with adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5) impedes corneal neovascularization (CNV) in vivo without significant side effects. An established rabbit CNV model was used. Targeted decorin gene therapy in the rabbit stroma was delivered with a single topical AAV5 titer (100 μl; 5x10^12 vg/ml) application onto the stroma for two minutes after removing corneal epithelium. The levels of CNV were examined with stereomicroscopy, H&E staining, lectin, collagen type IV, CD31 immunocytochemistry and …

Polyethylenimine-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles: Gene Transfer Potential And Low Toxicity In The Cornea, Ajay Sharma, Ashish Tandon, Jonathan C. K. Tovey, Rangan Gupta, J. David Robertson, Jennifer A. Fortune, Alexander M. Klibanov, John W. Cowden, Frank G. Rieger, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined the gene transfer efficiency and toxicity of 2-kDa polyethylenimine conjugated to gold nanoparticles (PEI2-GNP) in the human cornea in vitro and rabbit cornea in vivo. PEI2-GNP with nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N/P) ratios of up to 180 exhibited significant transgene delivery in the human cornea without altering the viability or phenotype of these cells. Similarly, PEI2-GNP applied to corneal tissues collected after 12 h, 72 h, or 7 days exhibited appreciable gold uptake throughout the rabbit stroma with gradual clearance of GNP over time. Transmission electron microscopy detected GNP in the keratocytes and the extracellular matrix of the rabbit corneas. …

Efficacious And Safe Tissue-Selective Controlled Gene Therapy Approaches For The Cornea, Rajiv R. Mohan, Sunilima Sinha, Ashish Tandon, Rangan Gupta, Jonathan C. K. Tovey, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Untargeted and uncontrolled gene delivery is a major cause of gene therapy failure. This study aimed to define efficient and safe tissue-selective targeted gene therapy approaches for delivering genes into keratocytes of the cornea in vivo using a normal or diseased rabbit model. New Zealand White rabbits, adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5), and a minimally invasive hair-dryer based vector-delivery technique were used. Fifty microliters of AAV5 titer (6.561012 vg/ml) expressing green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) was topically applied onto normal or diseased (fibrotic or neovascularized) rabbit corneas for 2-minutes with a custom vector-delivery technique. Corneal fibrosis and neovascularization in rabbit …

Acetaminophen Improves Protein Translational Signaling In Aged Skeletal Muscle, Miaozong Wu, Hua Liu, Jacqueline Fannin, Anjaiah Katta, Yeling Wang, Ravi Kumar Arvapalli, Satyanarayana Paturi, Sunil K. Karkala, Kevin M. Rice, Eric R. Blough

MIIR Faculty Research

Background: Age-related muscle atrophy is characterized by increased oxidative stress, diminished Akt enzymatic function, and reduced phosphorylation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which can be attenuated by chronic acetaminophen ingestion. Here we hypothesize that age-related impairments in Akt/ mTOR function are associated with reduced protein translational signaling, and that these changes, if present, can be attenuated by acetaminophen treatment.

Results: Compared to 6- and 27-month old animals, the expression of the mTOR-complex proteins raptor and GbL and the phosphorylation of tuberin/TSC2 (Thr1462) were reduced in the soleus muscles of very aged rats (33 months old). These changes in …

Pressure Distribution Over The Palm During Falls On The Outstretched Hands, Woochol J. Choi, Stephen N. Robinovitch

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

"Over 90% of wrist fractures are caused by falls on the outstretched hands (Palvanen et al., Osteoporos Int, 2000). Along with bone strength, fracture risk depends on the magnitude and distribution of force to soft and hard tissues during impact. In the current study, we examined how pressure distribution over the palm during a fall is affected by impact configuration, body mass index (BMI), palmer soft tissue thickness, and a 5 mm thick foam pad (simulating a protective glove)."

Impact Of Static Stretch And Muscular Contractions On Force Production Within The Human Triceps Surae Muscle-Tendon Complex, Anthony D. Kay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pre-performance routines commonly include stretching and intense muscular contractions in an attempt to optimise muscular performance and reduce injury risk. However, the isolated and combined effects of stretching and muscle contractions on neuromuscular performance are not well described. The aims of this research were to examine the effects of acute static stretch and intense muscular contractions on force production of the human plantarflexors and to examine possible mechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms underpinning any changes. Techniques including isokinetic dynamometry, electromyography (EMG), sonography and motion analysis were used in three studies on recreationally active human volunteers (n=20). In the first study, three …