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Environmental changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate, and these changes will undoubtedly lead to alterations in resource availability for many organisms. To effectively predict the implications of such changes, it is critical to better understand how organisms have adapted to coping with seasonally limited resources. The vast majority of

Environmental changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate, and these changes will undoubtedly lead to alterations in resource availability for many organisms. To effectively predict the implications of such changes, it is critical to better understand how organisms have adapted to coping with seasonally limited resources. The vast majority of previous work has focused on energy balance as the driver of changes in organismal physiology. While energy is clearly a vital currency, other resources can also be limited and impact physiological functions. Water is essential for life as it is the main constituent of cells, tissues, and organs. Yet, water has received little consideration for its role as a currency that impacts physiological functions. Given the importance of water to most major physiological systems, I investigated how water limitations interact with immune function, metabolism, and reproductive investment, an almost entirely unexplored area. Using multiple species and life stages, I demonstrated that dehydrated animals typically have enhanced innate immunity, regardless of whether the dehydration is a result of seasonal water constraints, water deprivation in the lab, or high physiological demand for water. My work contributed greatly to the understanding of immune function dynamics and lays a foundation for the study of hydration immunology as a component of the burgeoning field of ecoimmunology. While a large portion of my dissertation focused on the interaction between water balance and immune function, there are many other physiological processes that may be impacted by water restrictions. Accordingly, I recently expanded the understanding of how reproductive females can alter metabolic substrates to reallocate internal water during times of water scarcity, an important development in our knowledge of reproductive investments. Overall, by thoroughly evaluating implications and responses to water limitations, my dissertation, when combined previous acquired knowledge on food limitation, will enable scientists to better predict the impacts of future climate change, where, in many regions, rainfall events are forecasted to be less reliable, resulting in more frequent drought.
ContributorsBrusch, George, IV (Author) / DeNardo, Dale F (Thesis advisor) / Blattman, Joseph (Committee member) / French, Susannah (Committee member) / Sabo, John (Committee member) / Taylor, Emily (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Early humans adapted to eating cooked food with increased energy density and absorption of macronutrients. However, in modern times many suffer from diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes which can result from too much energy being absorbed from food. This study measures glucose responses to a high glycemic meal

Early humans adapted to eating cooked food with increased energy density and absorption of macronutrients. However, in modern times many suffer from diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes which can result from too much energy being absorbed from food. This study measures glucose responses to a high glycemic meal with a side dish of raw or cooked vegetables. There was a slight trend for raw vegetables to have decreased postprandial blood glucose responses when compared to cooked vegetables.
ContributorsWilkins, Christine Marie (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Over 40% of adults in the United States are considered obese. Obesity is known to cause abnormal metabolic effects and lead to other negative health consequences. Interestingly, differences in metabolism and contractile performance between obese and healthy weight individuals are associated with differences in skeletal muscle fiber type composition between

Over 40% of adults in the United States are considered obese. Obesity is known to cause abnormal metabolic effects and lead to other negative health consequences. Interestingly, differences in metabolism and contractile performance between obese and healthy weight individuals are associated with differences in skeletal muscle fiber type composition between these groups. Each fiber type is characterized by unique metabolic and contractile properties, which are largely determined by the myosin heavy chain isoform (MHC) or isoform combination that the fiber expresses. In previous studies, SDS-PAGE single fiber analysis has been utilized as a method to determine MHC isoform distribution and single fiber type distribution in skeletal muscle. Herein, a methodological approach to analyze MHC isoform and fiber type distribution in skeletal muscle was fine-tuned for use in human and rodent studies. In the future, this revised methodology will be implemented to evaluate the effects of obesity and exercise on the phenotypic fiber type composition of skeletal muscle.

ContributorsOhr, Jalonna Rose (Author) / Katsanos, Christos (Thesis director) / Tucker, Derek (Committee member) / Serrano, Nathan (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
ContributorsRizvi, Hasan (Author) / Hyatt, JP (Thesis director) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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Abstract: It has been established that α-keto-analogs of amino acids can be converted into the amino acids through transamination in vivo. This discovery led to breakthroughs in treating patients who had difficulty digesting traditional proteins, such as in chronic kidney disease (CKD) sufferers where patients have poor kidney function, which

Abstract: It has been established that α-keto-analogs of amino acids can be converted into the amino acids through transamination in vivo. This discovery led to breakthroughs in treating patients who had difficulty digesting traditional proteins, such as in chronic kidney disease (CKD) sufferers where patients have poor kidney function, which poisons the blood with ammonia products.
This pilot study aimed to ascertain the potential for keto acid supplementation in the attempt to supply adequate protein building blocks to healthy populations, with the caveats that said supplementation 1) would utilize non-synthetic methods, 2) offer an alternative to high-phosphate protein supplies such as ruminant animals, and 3) reverse the ill effects of ammonia load by reducing nitrogen intake and consuming ammonia as a fuel for the process of protein synthesis. This proposed solution turns to orange juice and certain varietals of potato juice for their familiarity to consumers, innate nutritional values, and potential for mass-production by many existing companies. The work contained here represents the first phase of experimentation: qualifying the presence of α-keto-analogues of amino acids in these types of produce which, with transamination, could yield the amino acids necessary for adequate protein intake.
Results suggest that these juices do not contain adequate α-keto-analogs of amino acids to supplement proteins in either healthy or ill individuals.
ContributorsRex Deltfantan, Kiko (Author) / Wang, Xu (Thesis director) / Maurer, Megan (Committee member) / Mills, Jeremy (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05