Tag: Poster 2

Impact of Estradiol and Progesterone on Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Young, Healthy Women

Presenters: Elisabeth Barrar, J.C. Miner, and J.A. Miner

Mentor: Christopher Minson

PM Poster Presentation

Poster 2

Alterations in muscular sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in healthy, young women (<40 years of age) have been seen during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, oral contraceptives have also shown alterations in MSNA in active weeks versus placebo weeks. However, the independent effects of the hormones are unclear. PURPOSE: To investigate the independent effects of exogenous estradiol and progesterone on MSNA in young, healthy women. We hypothesized that administration of estradiol would increase MSNA burst incidence and burst frequency and that MSNA would not change with administration of progesterone in young, healthy women. METHODS: 18 young, healthy women subjects (BMI 18-25kg/m2) were studied under hormone suppression (with go- nadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist). Subjects were studied a second time following 2-3 days of either 0.2mg/day of transdermal estradiol supplementation (n=10) or 200mg/day of oral progesterone supplementation (n=8). On each study day, baseline MSNA in the peroneal nerve was recorded via microneurography for 10 minutes, and burst frequency and burst incidence were calculated. RESULTS: Estradiol decreased MSNA burst frequency from 8.39 to 5.40 bursts/min (p=0.02) and burst incidence from 14.51 to 9.18 bursts/100 heart beats (p=0.01). However, there were no significant differences following progesterone administration. CONCLUSIONS: Estradiol, but not progesterone, administration in young healthy women decreases resting baseline sympathetic activity.

Testing Different Models for Cutaneous Thermal Hyperemia

Presenter : Patricia Choi

Mentor : Christopher Minson

Major : Human Physiology

Poster 2

Currently, the assessment of cutaneous thermal hyperemia is done by locally heating the forearm skin from a baseline of 33 to 42 oC at a rate of 0.1oC/1s. The purpose of this study was to test two different heating protocols from the standard heating protocol. The first heating protocol decreased the target temperature to 39oC compared to the standard heating protocol. The second heating protocol used gradual heating rate of 0.1oC/60s compared to the standard heating proto- col. Four microdialysis fibers were placed in the forearm skin of 16 young healthy subjects. In protocol 1 and 2 (female = 8, male = 8): (1) Control, (2) NO inhibitor, L-NAME (3) KCa channel inhibitor, tetraethylammonium (TEA), and (4) L-NAME +TEA . For both studies, skin sites were locally heated on the forearm from a baseline of 33oC to target temperatures. After maintaining the target temperature for about 40 minutes, the four skin sites were heated to 43.5oC to attain maximal skin blood flow (SkBF). SkBF was measured with Laser Doppler flowmetry. Data are presented as % maximal cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), which equals blood flow divided by mean arterial pressure. In protocol 1, all drug sites attenuated plateau CVC from the control sites. Compared to the control plateau CVC, there was 80.1 % decrease with L-NAME, close to 77.6% decrease in the L-NAME +TEA site, and 35.2% decrease with TEA. In protocol 2, L-NAME and L-NAME + TEA sites showed attenuated plateau CVC, 29.1% and 32.2% decrease, respectively, compared to the control site.

Physical activity, Functional Abilities, and Health: Results of a WHO SAGE Sub-study Among Older Adults in an Urban Setting in India.

Presenter: Tyler Barrett

Mentor: Josh Snodgrass

Poster: 2

Major: Anthropology and Media Studies

Recent research in Western settings suggests that decreased physical activity in old age is detrimental to health, yet few studies have examined the relationships among physical activity, functional abilities, and health among older adults in non-Western settings. This study examines associations among measures of physical activity using seven consecutive days of ActiGraph GT3X accelerometry (total daily energy expenditure [TDEE; kcal/day], physical activity level [PAL], daily average activity count [AC], and activity energy expenditure [AEE; kcal/day]), physical function (grip strength, timed walk, daily average sit time, and average sleep time), and self-reported health conditions (diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and depression) among 127 older adult women and 71 older adult men in an urban setting in India as part of a sub-study of the WHO’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE).

Findings among women (controlled for age) include a significant negative correlation between PAL and walking speed (p<0.05) and a significant positive correlation between AC and grip strength (p<0.01). Women diagnosed with hypertension had significantly lower PAL (p<0.05) and AC (p<0.05) than women without hypertension. Surprisingly, physical activity was not significantly associated with functional or health measures for men. This study documented relationships among physical activity, function, and health among older women, thereby further suggesting the use of physical activity intervention as a means for prolonging functional abilities and reducing chronic disease burden in older ages.

Support: NIH NIA Interagency Agreement YA1323-08-CN-0020; and grant NIH R01-AG034479

Achieving Zero-Net Energy in Doha, Qatar

Presenter: Jericho Bankston

Co-Presenters: Joey Moser, Abdulhadi Almumen, Brad Phillips

Mentors: Alison Kwok and Tom Collins, Architecture

Poster: 2

Major: Architecture 

Working with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards we were tasked to design building components and systems to effectively meet zero-net energy standards for a Junior College in Doha, Qatar. The building site needs to be determined as well as systems to implement to meet zero-net energy, reduce site and building water use as well as maintain comfortable interior spaces relative to natural day lighting, humidity and air temperature. It is crucially important to implement RES in a manner that takes into consideration the life expectancy of the building and the maintenance that goes into the systems needed to attain zero-net energy. Through minimizing solar heat gain and using passive house standards the cooling load can be reduced. This allows the use of PV arrays to reduce heat island effect and offset the on-site energy that is used. Upon preliminary solar gain calculations it is believed that more energy than necessary can be produced for the Junior College allowing excess renewable energy to be sold back to the city of Qatar.

Do Behavior Problems Predict a Child’s Ability to Self-Regulate When Performing a Stressful Task?

Presenter: Brigette Amidon

Faculty Mentor: Leslie Roos

Presentation Type: Poster 2

Primary Research Area: Social Science

Major: Psychology

In the present study, we examined preschool aged boys’ minute-to-minute physiological adjustments and emotional behaviors elicited in response to a stressful task, as a predictive measure of child externalizing behavior problems. A sample of (N=27) four to six year old boys, varying in levels of externalizing behavior problems, participated in a matching task, while parasympathetic physiology and expression of emotions were observed and recorded as measures of self-regulation. Externalizing behavior problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991). In addition, regulation of parasympathetic physiology was assessed using constructed measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during a resting baseline and during the stressful task, while emotion regulation was examined using observer-coded measures of child emotions (shame, embarrassment, anger, frustration, withdrawal, anxiety, self-determination, and pride) and affect (positive, negative). It is hypothesized that children reported as having greater externalizing behavior problems would have difficulty self-regulating while performing the stressful task.

Quantifying Ocean Dynamics through Iceberg Tracking in Ilulissat Fjord

Presenter(s): Richelle Ann Cabatic − Physics

Faculty Mentor(s): David Sutherland, Kristin Schild

Poster 2

Research Area: Natural/Physical Sciences

Funding: NSF Iceberg Grant – Sutherland Lab

When Greenland’s tidewater glaciers reach the ocean, they break off numerous icebergs into fjords. These icebergs travel through the fjord and out into the ocean. All the while different types of water circulate through the fjord, meeting with the glacier’s terminus and affecting it’s stability. The tidewater glacier, Jakobshavn Isbrae, and it’s accompanying fjord, Ilulissat Fjord, is of particular interest due to its very active export of icebergs. Many studies have addressed Jakobshavn’s glacial front, but little is known about Ilulissat’s ocean circulation due to the difficulty of collecting field measurements in the ice-choked region. Through our study, we deploy transmitting GPS units on icebergs in Ilulissat Fjord, thereby tracking iceberg movement and, in part, the region’s ocean circulation. Using icebergs as proxies for surface circulation thus provides an alternative to deploying marine instruments that have minimal likelihood for survival in the treacherous fjord environment. Preliminary results of our study show that: at a distance of 35km away from the glacier terminus, iceberg movement is no longer dominated by glacial calving events; there are eddy circulation patterns at fjord widening locations; and, that the studied icebergs move at an average speed of 0.8 km/hr. This study has the potential to help oceanographers and engineers learn more about the Ilulissat system’s circulation dynamics, and inform glaciologists about how Jakobshavn Glacier melt rates and acceleration is affected by the circulation.

The Effect of Auditory Theta Stimulation On Memory, Mood and Attention (Works in Progress Presentation).

Presenter(s): Zora Rose

Faculty Mentor(s): Mike Posner & Dasa Zeithamova

Poster 2

Session: Sciences

The theta frequency (4-8hz) has been implicated with states of restful awareness (Posner, Fan, McCandliss, and Raz 2002). Increased frontal theta waves as measured by EEG have been achieved through meditation training in several studies (Tang et al, 2010; 2012). Studies of the effects of mediation also show increased executive control using measures involving the resolution of conflict (Cavanagh and Frank, 2014). Additionally, some research suggests that the use of auditory theta stimulation may improve overall cognition (Ortiz, Martínez, Fernández, Maestu, et al 2008). Other studies demonstrate a link shared between auditory binaural beat stimulation and improved overall mood (Padmanabhan, Hildreth, Laws, 2005). The aim of this current study is to determine if auditory stimulation utilizing the theta frequency may improve mood, increase working memory capacity and improve executive attention scores as measured by the attention network test, similar to the effects produced by meditators experiencing self- induced states of “restful alertness”.