2009 Health Sciences Research Day (MU)
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Items in this collection are abstracts of poster presentations from the 2009 Health Sciences Research Day held at the University of Missouri--Columbia.
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Item Vocal dynamics in expressing emotions in classical, pop, and jazz styles of singing [abstract](2010-03) Keller, Lauren; Harness, Rachel; Hudson, Tracie; University of Missouri--Columbia. School of Medicine; Health Sciences Research Day (2010 : University of Missouri)Expressing emotions is one of the primary speech related functions of the larynx. Patients with Parkinson's disease have trouble in expressing emotions at linguistic and non linguistic (facial expression) levels. Understanding the vocal dynamics in expressing emotions like joy and sorrow can help speech pathologists treat patients, engineers design automated speech for augmentative communication devices, vocal instructors train students effectively, and speech scientists understand basic voice production. This project has both clinical and performance related significance. The primary aim of this pilot project was to investigate the vocal dynamics in expressing emotions of joy and sorrow in singing. The research team wanted to explore singers' voice for this study because they can express emotions voluntarily. The subject is a 21 year old female with more than six years of training. This subject is versatile in several styles of singing. The secondary aim of this study was to explore three different styles of singing, Classical, Pop, and Jazz. The subject demonstrated the basic emotions of interest, joy and sorrow, and also a "neutral" level for comparison. The measures of interest for the primary aim were Open Quotient (duration of vocal folds being open during vibration) and Speed Quotient (the ratio between the speed of vocal folds opening and closing during vibration). Results indicate that the singer increased the levels of open quotient (glottal opening) for expressing sorrow. This suggests that increasing glottal opening and letting more air flow through the glottis can help auditory perception of sorrow.Item Viability of chondrocytes embedded in agarose gel [abstract](2010-03) Houck, Amy; University of Missouri--Columbia. School of Medicine; Health Sciences Research Day (2010 : University of Missouri)Introduction: Arthritis affects a large portion of our population resulting in a significant expense with limited solutions and current treatment has limited options. The current research examines the viability of chondrocytes embedded in an agarose gel using a standard method of viability assessment. Methods: Two groups were created with frozen canine chondrocytes. Group 1 consisted of non-embedded chondrocytes in tissue culture media (n=7). Group 2 consisted of embedded chondrocytes in agarose gel (n=9). Culture medial was collected from the samples for glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content analysis to determine viability of cells. Culture media was collected from Group 1 at days 0, 4, 7, and 10 and from Group 2 at days 0, 3, 5, and 7 for further analysis with GAG assay. GAG content was plotted and compared between groups. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. Results: The average GAG content of Group 1 increased from 15.55 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 4, to 27.46 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 7, and 163.07 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 10 showing a continuous increases of GAG in group 1. The average GAG content of Group 2 was 32.03 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 0, 57.23 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 3, 47.92 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 5, and 53.21 [mu]g/[mu]L at day 10. There were no statistically significant differences between collection days in Group 2 (p=0.921). Conclusion: Based on this information in this study, Group 1 non-embedded chondrocytes show viability whereas Group 2 results show that embedded chondrocytes are not a reliable source to grow viable chondrocytes. This study provides information as to the effectiveness of agarose gel as a potential matrix for chondrocytes in bio-engineered tissue.Item Verbal pain scores and their association with vital signs before and after surgery [abstract](2010-03) Watson, Laura; University of Missouri--Columbia. School of Medicine; Health Sciences Research Day (2010 : University of Missouri)The purpose of the research project was to determine if an association existed between self-reported verbal pain scores and heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in adult patients who had elective surgery at the University Hospital. This study was conducted prospectively in the O.R. Holding Area and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at the University Hospital. The total number of patients enrolled was 100. Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pain scores were obtained in the holding area and in the PACU. Pain was assessed using an 11-point verbal Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) where 0 represented no pain and 10 represented the worst pain imaginable. Statistical analysis of the data reveals a clinically significant association between holding and PACU verbal pain scores with heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. This study identified a p-value of 0.0147 between pain scores and heart rate in the holding area, a p-value of 0.0169 between pain scores and diastolic blood pressure at fifteen minutes in the PACU, and a p-value of 0.0131 between pain scores and respiratory rate at forty-five minutes in the PACU. Based upon these results, vital signs appear to be a reliable method for assessing pain in the pre- surgical and postsurgical patient.Item Utrophin up-regulation helps maintain normal cardiac geometry in a gene therapy model for Duhenne muscular dystrophy heart disease [abstract](2010-03) Bostick, Brian P., 1979-; University of Missouri--Columbia. School of Medicine; Health Sciences Research Day (2010 : University of Missouri)Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common childhood muscle wasting disease. DMD sufferers rarely survive past their mid-twenties succumbing to respiratory or heart failure. Skeletal and heart muscle pathology in DMD are caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Gene therapy strategies to restore dystrophin expression bring the hope of a cure for DMD. Unfortunately, treatment of the heart remains largely unexplored. A critical question for heart gene therapy is the percentage of cells which must be repaired. We have previously shown that expressing a mosaic pattern of dystrophin in 50% of cardiomyocytes prevents heart disease (Bostick et al 2008 Cir Res102:121-130). A surprising finding from this study was up-regulation of a dystrophin homolog, utrophin, strictly in dystrophinnegative cardiomyocytes. This finding implicates a role for utrophin in modulating DMD heart disease. To answer this question, we developed a mouse model expressing 50% mosaic dystrophin in the heart with utrophin expression knocked out. We then analyzed cardiac physiology, anatomical/histological morphology and dystrophin/utrophin expression. We found that 50% mosaic dystrophin in the absence of utrophin normalized electrocardiographic parameters of the heart. Left ventricular catheterization revealed normal stroke volume, cardiac output and markers of contractility. Additionally, dobutamine stress response and mouse survival were normalized. Interestingly, utrophin knockout mice exhibited increased end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes. Our findings support the previous hypothesis that 50% mosaic dystrophin expression in the heart ameliorates DMD heart disease. However, the increased end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes indicate a potential role for utrophin in strengthening the integrity of the heart.Item Using high temporal resolution ( HTR) MRI method to analyze the left ventricular function of a diabetic rat model [abstract](2010-03) Yang, Ming, 1977-; University of Missouri--Columbia. School of Medicine; Health Sciences Research Day (2010 : University of Missouri)High-temporal-resolution (HTR) cardiac cine- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a novel technique which provides much more image frames during one cardiac cycle than conventional cardiac cine-MRI method. Subtle alterations and features of diseased heart below the limitation of detection of conventional cardiac cine-MRI technique can be exposed by the more detailed left ventricular (LV) volume curve provided by HTR cine-MRI. In this study, we applied this technique to a diabetic rat model and acquired 40 image frames for a long-axis LV view and a mid-ventricular short-axis LV view, respectively, through a single cardiac cycle for each sample. LV volume was measured based on these frames with semi- automatic software called Segment. The LV diastolic filling rates and systolic ejection rates were analyzed and compared with the results obtained using conventional cine-MRI. The initial result of this study revealed two peak filling rates during diastolic relaxation phase which can not be differentiated using conventional cardiac MRI. Further investigations are ongoing to explore the potentials of this technique in evaluation of cardiac functions in small animal models of heart disease.