Browsing by Author "Norman, Reid L."
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Item A pilot study to examine the effects of Tai Chi on the stress vulnerability of male college students(2009-05) del Rosario, Caelyn Mari C.; McComb, Jacalyn J. R.; Chyu, Ming; Norman, Reid L.; Tacon, Anna M.The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Tai Chi in decreasing stress vulnerability and coping in male college students. Both subjective (perceived) and objective (physiological) responses to stress were analyzed to determine vulnerability and coping to a psychological stressor. Twenty, male college students were randomly assigned to either the control (CTRL) or intervention (TC) group. The TC group practiced Tai Chi twice a week for 8 weeks with each session having a 10min warm-up, 40min TC exercise and a 10min cool-down. The stressor test simulated a stressful situation and consisted of math problems, anagrams, block designs and an extemporaneous speech. To measure perceived stress vulnerability and coping, the Stress Vulnerability Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, and Spielberger’s State Anxiety Inventory (SSAI). To measure stress vulnerability and coping objectively, the RMSSD, LF & HF powers, and LF/HF ratio were determined as measures of the heart rate variability (HRV) and serum cortisol concentration was also examined. Coping style was also examined with the use of the Problem-Focused Styles of Coping (PFSOC) questionnaire. Significant differences were found in the RMSSD between groups. Significant group by test interactions were found in the SSAI and the PFSOC-suppressive style. TC was shown to increase HRV, and may also decrease perceived anxiety and reduce the suppressive coping style of students when immersed in a stressful situation. No studies have investigated the effect of TC on stress vulnerability and coping of college students to date.Item Odors and pheromones: influences of olfaction on behavior, physiology, and performance to reduce stress in pigs(Texas Tech University, 2000-12) Krebs, Nadège; McGlone, John J.; Ballou, Michael A.; Carroll, Jeffery A.; Norman, Reid L.; Salazar, IgnacioReducing stress in pig husbandry has become a priority for economical and ethical reasons. The stress axis is anatomically linked to the olfactory system. Pigs have a very developed sense of olfaction. Reducing weaning or handling stress using the sense of olfaction would be a non-invasive and welfare-friendly technique. Exposing pigs at weaning individually to amyl acetate (banana smell, novel odor) or maternal pheromone did not reduce stress within the 2 h of the onset of weaning. Odors and pheromones increased lying behavior but the effects on cortisol concentration and immunology were limited compared to a control odor like water. An induced maternal odor was obtained by feeding sows an onion-flavored diet during lactation. Pigs were weaned onto onion-flavored diet. Onion-exposed pigs fought less at weaning but performance was not affected compared to pigs that had never been exposed to onion. Finishing pigs were trained to an olfactory/gustatory reward (maple syrup) at the finishing barn. When exposed to a novel environment (simulated pre-stun area) with the same reward present, handling time and pig welfare were improved compared to control pigs that had never been trained and were not exposed to maple syrup. Innate preferences to odors were assessed in domestic pigs (tested in a Y-maze) as a model to feral pigs' preferences to odors. Piglets were attracted to boar urine, fox urine, ChileGard™ (habanero pepper extract) and maple syrup and were repulsed by sour milk. Similar results were obtained in feral pigs.Item PHEROMONES AND INTEROMONES CHANGE HEART RATE AND BEHAVIOR OF ANXIOUS DOGS(2013-05) Thompson, Garrett; McGlone, John J.; Brooks, Tiffanie A.; Norman, Reid L.The objective of the following studies was to evaluate the efficacy of different pheromones/interomones in anxious dogs. Pheromones have been used in the past as alternative methods in behavior modification. Two studies were designed to test the differences in pheromone collars that are now sold currently and to develop new pheromone collars that may aid in behavior modification in the future. The methods for the following studies differed from previous studies on pheromone collars in that our model had a highly controlled environment. Previous studies had surveys at the end of home trials in which owners answered a set of questions about their dogs’ behavior before and after different treatments. We employed a Latin Square experimental design that exposed each subject to each treatment in random order with appropriate wash-out period between treatment applications. Data was summarized in two phases (baseline and startle) in which a trained individual recorded behaviors and heart rate and was unaware of different treatment groups. Additionally dogs were diagnosed as having anxiety by a behavior-boarded veterinarian. The results of these studies aided in the understanding of how anxious dogs react to different pheromones. The data showed that not only did a conspecific pheromone (DAP) create change in behavior and heart rate compared to placebo, but heterospecific pheromones (RP) also created change. This is important because the data supports the idea that anxious dogs do not respond uniformly to each pheromone/interomone, and different pheromones from other species could be used to treat anxiety in dogs.Item Physiological effects of a mindfulness-based exercise program (MBEP) on females(2010-12) Cisneros, Andrew; McComb, Jacalyn J. R.; Norman, Reid L.; Tacon, Anna M.A Mindfulness-Based Exercise Program (MBEP) includes techniques from the traditional Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and incorporates exercise as a mindfulness technique. The goal of this intervention is to teach individuals how to cope with stressors since high stress levels are associated with disease. During acute stress, the autonomic and neuroendocrine systems play key roles in the stress response. Heart rate variability provides insight into the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cardiac autonomic modulation. The cortisol response provides insight into the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. PURPOSE: To quantify the physiological stress response to a standardized stressor (Trier Social Stress Protocol [TSSP]) following an 8-week MBEP. The variables of interest were HRV and cortisol. Additionally, subjective stress measures were collected pre-post intervention to measure perceived stress. METHODS: Participants were matched for resting levels of cortisol and HRV and randomly assigned to an intervention group (MBEP) or a control (CTL) group. The MBEP group (n=10), ages 23±6, met 2 times a week for 1 hr each session for 8 weeks. The CTRL (n = 8) group, ages 26±5 yrs, did not participate in any formal training program. The testing protocol for the measurement of cortisol and HRV following the intervention was as follows: needle insertion and IV line established for 30 min; 20 min baseline; 20 min stressor; 20 min recovery 1; 20 min recovery 2; 20 min recovery 3. Two separate 2 x 5 repeated measures ANOVA’s were used to analyze HRV and cortisol. Separate 2 x 2 repeated measures ANOVA’s were used to analyze subjective levels of stress pre-post intervention. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between groups for HRV and cortisol; however trends were noted. Only the Spielberger’s State Anxiety Inventory (SSAI) showed a significant difference in the pre- post-test score between groups (40±7 to 32±8 vs. 43±10 to 45±12, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: A larger sample size is needed to increase the power of the test statistic in order to examine the trends that were noted in the biomarkers of stress.Item Regulation of steriodogenesis in rodent leydig cells by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Huang, Bu-Miin; Norman, Reid L.; Stocco, Douglas M.; Beale, Elmus G.; Droms, Kurt A.; Hutson, James C.; Weitlauf, Harry M.Not availableItem Structural Studies with Affinity-Purified 5-Hydroxytryptamine-3A (5-HT3A) Receptors(Texas Tech University, 2008-08) Sanghvi, Mitesh; Blanton, Michael P.; Lombardini, J. Barry; Machu, Tina K.; Norman, Reid L.; Urbatsch, Ina L.; Freeman, AreThe 5-HT3 receptor is a member of the Cys-loop family of ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) and mediates excitatory fast synaptic transmission in the central and peripheral nervous system. Despite the clear physiological importance of the 5-HT3 receptor, only a small number of published studies have directly examined the structure of the receptor. The principal objective of this work is to express and affinity-purify the mouse 5-HT3A receptor and then begin detailed structural characterization of the receptor. A mouse 5-HT3A receptor containing a C-terminal ƒÑ-bungarotoxin (ƒÑBgTx) pharmatope tag was constructed and stably transfected into HEK293 cells. To obtain sufficient quantities of receptor protein for affinity-purification, ƒÑBgTx-5-HT3A receptor-HEK cells were cultured in 140 mm tissue culture dishes (~1000 dishes). Typically, cells were treated with 100 ƒÝM serotonin 24 h prior to harvesting resulting in a ~ 2.5 fold increase in receptor expression. ƒÑBgTx-5-HT3A receptors were affinity-purified using an ƒÑBgTx-derivatized affinity column. The lipid-protein interface and the agonist-binding site of purified 5-HT3ARs were directly examined using photoaffinity labeling with the hydrophobic probe ([125I]TID) and [3H]5-HT, respectively. The preliminary results of these studies include: 1) [125I]TID photoincorporates into the 5-HT3A receptor and the labeling maps to two proteolytic fragments, designated V8-17K and V8-8K; 2) N-terminal sequencing of each rpHPLC-purified fragment revealed that V8-17 starts at Val195 and based on its apparent molecular weight extends through the M1, M2, and M3 transmembrane segments. V8-8K starts at Val424 and contains the M4 transmembrane segment; 3) Within the M4 transmembrane segment, [125I]TID photoincorporated into Ser451, which corresponds (in the aligned sequence) to Thr422 in the lipid-exposed face of the Torpedo muscle-type nACh receptor ƒÑ1M4 segment; 4) [3H]5-HT photoincorporates into the 5-HT3A receptor in a specific manner (MDL72222 significantly inhibits the labeling). Collectively, the results obtained so far are consistent with each of these two important LGICs displaying a high-degree of structural homology. Additional studies are in progress to further identify lipid exposed segments/residues in the M1 and M3 transmembrane segments as well as to probe the structure of the agonist binding site in the 5-HT3A receptor. The results will be compared with those previously determined for the Torpedo nAChR in order to provide a more detailed structural comparison of these two important LGICs.Item Synthesis of some acorane-type sesquiterpenes(Texas Tech University, 1973-12) Norman, Reid L.Not availableItem The effect of a cognitive behavioral exercise program on the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines(2012-12) Panke, Rutika; McComb, Jacalyn J. R.; Norman, Reid L.; Park, YoonjungObjective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Mindfulness-Based Exercise Program (MBEP) on pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interferon –γ and Tumor Necrosis Factor - α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin – 4 and Interleukin - 10). Methods: After completing a measure of psychological stress, 19 female college students (23 ± 3.7 years old) were assigned to either the control (CTRL) or intervention (TC) group on the basis of their resting levels of cortisol values. The MBEP (experimental) group practiced MBEP sessions twice a week for 8 weeks with each session of total 2 hours. Subjects were analyzed through Trier Social Stress Protocol for assessing subject to quantify the physiological stress response. Blood samples for the quantification of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interferon –γ and Tumor Necrosis Factor - α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin – 4 and Interleukin - 10) and subjective stress measures were obtained before and after the MBEP sessions. Two separate 2 x 2 repeated measures ANOVA’s were used to analyze pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Separate 2 x 2 repeated measures ANOVA’s were used to analyze subjective levels of stress pre-post intervention. Results: No significant differences were found between groups for pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines; however slight increase was observed in trends of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Significant differences were observed in Spielberger’s Trait and Spielberger’s State Anxiety scale, Perceived stress scale and Stress Vulnerability scale.Item The effect of phases of the menstrual cycle on frontal plane knee kinematics during landing(Texas Tech University, 2005-05) Merkle, Jennifer N.; McComb, Jacalyn J. R.; Slauterbeck, James; James, C. Roger; Norman, Reid L.The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of phases of the menstrual cycle on frontal plane knee kinematics. If changes in dynamic knee valgus were observed during certain phases of the menstrual cycle, due to the effects of hormonal fluctuations on ligament tissue and neuromuscular control patterns, then it could be hypothesized that these factors may influence the rates of knee injuries in active populations.Item The effect of phases of the menstrual cycle on frontal plane knee kinematics during landing(2005-05) Merkle, Jennifer N.; McComb, Jacalyn J. R.; Slauterbeck, James; James, C. Roger; Norman, Reid L.The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of phases of the menstrual cycle on frontal plane knee kinematics. If changes in dynamic knee valgus were observed during certain phases of the menstrual cycle, due to the effects of hormonal fluctuations on ligament tissue and neuromuscular control patterns, then it could be hypothesized that these factors may influence the rates of knee injuries in active populations.