Physiological Processes Commons^™

Diabetes Mellitus And Hypercholesterolemia Are Risk Factors For Alzheimer’S Disease And Appear To Affect The Integrity Of The Blood Brain Barrier, Jacqueline Dash

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that the vascular risk factors common to diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia are also risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is currently unknown how these diseases are associated with AD, but they may cause a leak in the blood brain barrier (BBB), which is one of the hallmarks of AD. In this preliminary study, over 150 pig brain slides were tested for the expression levels of tight junction proteins occludin and claudin V in the BBB microvasculature. There were three groups of pig brains used in this study namely, control pigs, pigs with diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia …

Mid-Morning Break And Poster Sessions: Psychological And Physiological Responses To Gambling Cues In Pathological Gamblers, Stephen P. Sharman Mr, Eve Limbrick-Oldfield, Mike R. Aitken, Henrietta Bowden-Jones, Luke Clark

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Introduction

Gamblers experience exposure to gambling cues on a daily basis, ranging from celebrity-endorsed TV commercials, to walking past a high street bookmaker. Research on substance addictions indicates that these cues are likely to activate urges / cravings to gamble.

Wulfert et al (2005) found higher ratings of subjective excitement following a horse race with a wager on in students, Kushner et al (2008) used frequent gamblers in a simulated casino environment and found positive anticipation and positive priming increased urges to gamble, however these studies used only a single self report item to measure craving. Ashrafioun et al (2012) …

Gender Differences In Frontal Plane Lower Extremity Kinetic Variability During Landing, Andrew Nordin

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

Investigations of human movement variability have been used as a
means of exploring neuromotor functioning, where performance variability is
thought to provide the system with flexibility and a mechanism for adaptation to
movement repetition [1,2,4,6]. Operationally, variability has been considered to
fall within optimal limits (Figure 1), while excessively high or low variability has
been implicated in injury susceptibility [1,2,4,6]. Landing has been explored
due to a high incidence of injury in athletic performance, as well as the ability
to easily control task demands through increases in landing height [3,4].
The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate changes in …

Lateralized Difference In Tympanic Membrane Temperature: Emotion And Hemispheric Activity, Ruth E. Propper, Tad T. Brunyé

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We review literature examining relationships between tympanic membrane temperature (TMT), affective/motivational orientation, and hemispheric activity. Lateralized differences in TMT might enable real-time monitoring of hemispheric activity in real-world conditions, and could serve as a corroborating marker of mental illnesses associated with specific affective dysregulation. We support the proposal that TMT holds potential for broadly indexing lateralized brain physiology during tasks demanding the processing and representation of emotional and/or motivational states, and for predicting trait-related affective/motivational orientations. The precise nature of the relationship between TMT and brain physiology, however, remains elusive. Indeed the limited extant research has sampled different participant populations …

Sex Differences In Cell Death And Steroid Hormone Receptors In Cortical Explants, Amanda L. Trout

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Estrogens, such as the biologically active 17-b estradiol (E2) have many actions in the male and female brain. Not only does E2 regulate reproductive behavior in adults, it organizes and activates the brains of younger animals in a sex-specific manner. In addition, many human studies have shown E2 to provide protection against a variety of neurological disorders, including stoke. These studies have been controversial and depend largely on the type and timing of hormone replacement. Animal studies are much less controversial and clearly demonstrate a neuroprotective role for E2 following ischemic brain injury. Because much of E2 neuroprotection requires sex …

Regulation Of Alpha Synuclein Following Chronic Methamphetamine Administration In Guinea Pigs: Correlation With Memory And Synaptic Plasticity, Adnouse Blanc

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive drug of abuse that has a severe impact on neuronal changes in the brain including modulations of plasticity, cognitive dysfunction, as well as memory impairment. These changes can be seen as modifications in the expression of biochemical markers associated with synaptic plasticity. One such marker associated with memory impairment is alpha synuclein (α-syn). Alteration of α-syn expression has been linked to memory impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here we assess the effect of chronic METH treatment in correlation to cognitive functions.

Twenty-nine guinea pigs (male, 150-250 g) were …

Is Laparoscopic Gastric Banding An Effective Treatment For Obesity In Adolescents And Adults As Measured By Physical Function?, Shawna Mccormick

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is laparoscopic gastric banding an effective treatment for obesity in adolescents and adults as measured by physical functioning?”

STUDY DESIGN: Review of all English language primary studies from 2009, 2010, and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized control trials and one cohort study were found using PubMed, Medline, and OVID.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: There were multiple outcomes measured in the studies but the outcome of concern is quality of life post-operatively, specifically, physical functioning as measured by surveys including SF-36, Moorehead-Ardelt, BAROS, and CHQ CF-50. …

Antioxidant Rescue Of Nf1/Ras-Induced Myelin And Vasculature Dysfunction, Debra A. Mayes, Tilat A. Rizvi, Shyra J. Miller, Rachel Oberst, Anat Stemmer-Rachamimov, Nancy Ratner

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Synthetic Aβ Peptide Oligomers And Fluorinated Solvents On Kv1.3 Channel Properties And Membrane Conductance, Maria I. Lioudyno, Matteo Broccio, Yuri Sokolov, Suhail Rasool, Jessica Wu, Michael T. Alkire, Virginia Liu, J. Ashot Kozak, Philip R. Dennison, Charles G. Glabe, Mathias Lösche, James E. Hall

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The impact of synthetic amyloid β (1–42) (Aβ_1–42) oligomers on biophysical properties of voltage-gated potassium channels Kv 1.3 and lipid bilayer membranes (BLMs) was quantified for protocols using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as solvents prior to initiating the oligomer formation. Regardless of the solvent used Aβ_1–42 samples contained oligomers that reacted with the conformation-specific antibodies A11 and OC and had similar size distributions as determined by dynamic light scattering. Patch-clamp recordings of the potassium currents showed that synthetic Aβ_1–42 oligomers accelerate the activation and inactivation kinetics of Kv 1.3 current with no significant effect …

Loss Of Renal Allografts Secondary To Candida Vascular Complications In Two Recipients From The Same Donor, Govardhana R. Yannam, Lucile E. Wrenshall, R. Brian Stevens

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients. Organ recipients are also susceptible to donor-derived pathogens and the majority of donor infections are easily treatable. Rarely, some pathogens have produced life-threatening complications by compromising the vascular anastomosis. In this case series we report loss of two kidney allografts secondary to vascular complications due to Candida albicans. Both recipients received grafts from a common donor, in whom Candida bacteremia in the donor was not apparent at the time of organ acceptance but became apparent on delayed cultures.

Is Laughter The Best Medicine? An Evaluation Of The Physiological Effects Of Laughter, Annette Dalezman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Laughter directly affects one’s physiology. Laughter causes various muscle contractions which, in turn, affect body systems. Specifically, the cardiovascular, immune, and respiratory systems are impacted by laughter. Stress levels and pain tolerance thresholds are also directly impacted by laughter. Research has been done on the effects of laughter in patients with cancer, dementia, and atopic dermatitis. Based on the review of multiple experiments, a direct correlation between laughter and multiple body systems and diseases seems to exist.

Electronic Nose Based On Independent Component Analysis Combined With Partial Least Squares And Artificial Neural Networks For Wine Prediction, Teodoro Aguilera, Jesús Lozano, José A. Paredes, Francisco J. Alvarez, José I. Suárez

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The aim of this work is to propose an alternative way for wine classification and prediction based on an electronic nose (e-nose) combined with Independent Component Analysis (ICA) as a dimensionality reduction technique, Partial Least Squares (PLS) to predict sensorial descriptors and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for classification purpose. A total of 26 wines from different regions, varieties and elaboration processes have been analyzed with an e-nose and tasted by a sensory panel. Successful results have been obtained in most cases for prediction and classification.

Electrophysiological Abnormalities In Sod1 Transgenic Models In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: The Commonalities And Differences, Sherif M. Elbasiouny, Katharina Quinlan, Tahra L. Eissa, Charles J. Heckman

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Since its first description in 1874 by Charcot, the hallmark feature of ALS is the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motoneurons (Charcot, 1874). In the spinal cord, motoneuron degeneration starts long before symptom onset and advances in a size-related fashion, in which large-size alpha-motoneurons degenerate first followed by small-size alpha-motoneurons (Pun et al., 2006; Hegedus et al., 2007; Hegedus et al., 2008). There are conflicting reports regarding the survival of the smallest-sized spinal motoneurons, the gamma-motoneurons (Swash and Fox, 1974; Sobue et al., 1981). Despite its original description, the neuronal degeneration in ALS is not limited to motoneurons. Recent …

Physiological And Toxicological Roles Of Abc Transporters In Cellular Efflux Of Substrates, Donna J. Coy

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are transmembrane proteins that transport a wide variety of substrates across intra and extra-cellular membranes. A few examples of endo and xenobiotic substrates are metabolic products, lipids, sterols, and drugs. An important function of ABC transporters involved in export is to prevent intracellular the buildup of toxic products. Several ABC transporters have also been associated with drug resistance upon treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. P-glycoprotein (P-GP) and the multidrug resistant (MRP) transporters of the ABC C family are examples of transporters that confer chemo-resistance.

We have studied two unique roles of ABC transporters in the liver and …

Heart Rate And Accelerometry During Singles Footbag Net Play, Christopher Michael Siebert

Dissertations and Theses

This investigation examined the heart rate responses and movement characteristics of experienced footbag net players during singles play. Footbag net is a net/court sport similar to volleyball, but it is played with a footbag (e.g., Hacky-Sack^TM) using only the feet. In singles footbag net, players are allowed either one or two kicks to propel the footbag over the net. Subjects were 15 males and 1 female, ranging in age from 18- 60 years, with a mean age of 33.6 years. Subjects played two games of singles footbag net using two different scoring systems: "sideout" scoring and "rally" scoring. …

Aging And Sympathetic Neurotransmission In Two Strains Of Rats That Differ In Longevity And Immune Profiles, Sam David Perez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Age-related changes in sympathetic neurotransmission in immune organs may be associated with immunosenescence; however no causal relationship has been established. From previous studies in Fischer rats (F344), we have found that during middle age, sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) rises in the spleen followed by a decline in noradrenergic (NA) innervation. Also, increased sympathetic signaling via betaadrenergic receptor (β-AR) and reduced proliferation of lymphocytes are evident with increasing age. Although SNA progressively rises with age, effects of age on sympathetic factors may be different across rat strains. If causal relationships exist between sympathetic activity and immune function, they may be related …

The Effect Of Training On Motoneuron Survival In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Which Motoneuron Type Is Saved?, Sherif M. Elbasiouny, Jenna E. Schuster

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by selective and progressive degeneration of motoneurons (MNs). Although the etiology of the disease is unknown, glutamate toxicity and reactive oxygen species toxicity have been strongly implicated in ALS pathophysiology, Training exercise has been proposed to provide a beneficial therapy during the early or late stages of ALS; however, some studies showed deleterious effects of exercise on survival in ALS.

Activation Of The Basolateral Membrane Cl- Conductance Essential For Electrogenic K+ Secretion Suppresses Electrogenic Cl- Secretion, Quanhua He, Susan T. Halm, Jin Zhang, Dan R. Halm

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Adrenaline activates transient Cl^--secretion and sustained K⁺-secretion across isolated distal colonic mucosa of guinea pig. The Ca⁺⁺-activated Cl^- channel inhibitor CaCCinh-A01 [30μM] significantly reduced electrogenic K⁺-secretion, detected as short-circuit current (I_sc). This inhibition supported the cell model for K⁺-secretion in which basolateral membrane Cl^- channels provide an exit pathway for Cl^- entering the cell via Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^--cotransporters. CaCCinh-A01 inhibited both I_sc and transepithelial conductance in a concentration dependent manner, IC₅₀ = 6.3 μM. GlyH-101, another Cl^- channel …

How Loss Of Neurofibromin In Oligodendrocytes Affects The Brain, Debra A. Mayes, Tilat A. Rizvi, Nathan T. Kolasinski, S. Miller, Nancy Ratner

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Neurofibromatosis type 1 patients are predisposed to central nervous system (CNS) phenotypes including enlarged brains, delayed acquisition of motor skills, brain tumors, and cognitive deficits. Imaging and pathologic analysis suggest that changes in white matter myelination may underlie both the enlargement of white matter tracts that contributes to megancephaly, and/or hyper-intense signals visualized on MRI. To study the role(s) of Nf1 and HRasin oligodendrocytes, we examined the optic nerve and corpus callosum,myelinated fiber tracts.We studiedNf1heterozygous mice,tamoxifen-induced Nf1 loss in mature oligodendrocytes (Plp-CreERT), and a new transgenic model in which the CNPase promoter drives expression of HRasG12V. Activated HRas and loss …

Perinatal Or Adult Nf1 Inactivation Using Tamoxifen-Inducible Plpcre Each Cause Neurofibroma Formation, Debra A. Mayes, Tilat A. Rizvi, Jose A. Cancelas, Nathan T. Kolasinski, Georgianne M. Ciraolo, Anat O. Stemmer-Rachamimov, Nancy Ratner

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES

Neurofibromas are tumors initiated by biallelic mutation of the NF1 tumor suppressor gene in the Schwann cell lineage. One idea within the field suggests that Nf1loss must occur within progenitor cells present within a critical window during Schwann cell development in order for neurofibromas to form. To test this hypothesis and to examine whethermyelinating Schwann cells can serve as aneurofibroma cell of origin, Nf1 loss was induced at perinatal or adult timepoints using a tamoxifen-inducible Plp-CreERT driver.

RESULTS

Perinatal loss of Nf1 resulted in small neurofibromas late in life, while adult loss caused large neurofibromas and morbidity beginning …