Plethodon wehrlei

Number of Pages: 3Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Plethodon punctatus

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Plethodon websteri

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Stilosoma, S. extenuatum

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Plethodon hoffmani

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Plethodon shenandoah

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Plethodon kentucki

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Plethodon teyahalee

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Techniques for Analysis and Motion Correction of Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL) Data from Dementia Group Studies

This investigation examines how Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL) Magnetic Resonance Imaging can be optimised to assist in the early diagnosis of diseases which cause dementia, by considering group study analysis and control of motion artefacts. ASL can produce quantitative cerebral blood flow maps noninvasively - without a radioactive or paramagnetic contrast agent being injected. ASL studies have already shown perfusion changes which correlate with the metabolic changes measured by Positron Emission Tomography in the early stages of dementia, before structural changes are evident. But the clinical use of ASL for dementia diagnosis is not yet widespread, due to a combination of a lack of protocol consistency, lack of accepted biomarkers, and sensitivity to motion artefacts. Applying ASL to improve early diagnosis of dementia may allow emerging treatments to be administered earlier, thus with greater effect. In this project, ASL data acquired from two separate patient cohorts ( (i) Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (YOAD) study, acquired at Queen Square; and (ii) Incidence and RISk of dementia (IRIS) study, acquired in Rotterdam) were analysed using a pipeline optimised for each acquisition protocol, with several statistical approaches considered including support-vector machine learning. Machine learning was also applied to improve the compatibility of the two studies, and to demonstrate a novel method to disentangle perfusion changes measured by ASL from grey matter atrophy. Also in this project, retrospective motion correction techniques for specific ASL sequences were developed, based on autofocusing and exploiting parallel imaging algorithms. These were tested using a specially developed simulation of the 3D GRASE ASL protocol, which is capable of modelling motion. The parallel imaging based approach was verified by performing a specifically designed MRI experiment involving deliberate motion, then applying the algorithm to demonstrably reduce motion artefacts retrospectively

Multiple-sprint sport exercise and carbohydrate-protein ingestion in humans

The aim of the present thesis was to examine the potential for acute carbohydrate-protein (CHO-P) ingestion to enhance performance and recovery from exercise designed to simulate the demands of multiple-sprint sports (MSSs). Chapter 3 of the thesis explored the inter- and intra-day reliability and concurrent validity of non-motorised treadmill ergometry (NMT) for the assessment of short-distance sprint performance [i.e. 10-30 m). There were no significant mean differences between NMT variables recorded on the same day or between days. Ratio limits of agreement indicated that the best agreement was in 20 [1.02 */-=- 1.09) and 30 m [1.02 */* 1.07) sprint times, peak [1.00 */T 1.06) and mean (0.99 */+ 1.07) running speed and step length (0.99 */-=- 1.09) and frequency (1.01 */+ 1.06). The poorest agreement was observed for time to peak running speed (1.10 */* 1.47). Significant differences were observed between NMT and over-ground sprint times across all distances, with times being lower (faster) by approximately 25-30% over-ground. The correlations between NMT and over-ground variables were generally modest (r5 = 0.44 - 0.67), and optimal for time to cover 30 m on Day 2 (rs = 0.8). Chapter 4 sought to examine the efficacy of CHO-P ingestion during 4 h of recovery from the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) when compared to CHO matched for energy (ISOEN) or CHO (ISOCHO) in a typical CHO beverage. There were significant increases over time in muscle soreness, and reductions in extensor and flexor peak torque (by approximately 9%, 9% and 8%, and 13 %, 13% and 11% at 60 deg-s-1) and jump performance (10%, 7% and 5%) with the ingestion of CHO-P, ISOEN and ISOCHO, respectively. Beverage type x time interactions were not significant for any of these variables, indicating that changes in each variable were similar for all groups. Decrements in sprint performance assessed on the NMT were typically small and not different between beverage types (<4%), although sprint times over 20 and 30 m remained elevated for 48 h post-exercise. Accordingly, Chapter 4 provided no clear evidence for a benefit of ingesting CHO-P in the hours after exercise to enhance recovery of muscle function and selected performance variables following MSS activity. Chapters 5 and 6 of the thesis aimed to examine the effect of CHO-P ingestion during simulated MSS exercise. In Chapter 5, it was observed that sprint times, HR and gut fullness increased over the course of the LIST, with no influence of consuming each of the different beverages. In contrast, there was a main effect of time (P < 0.001), and drink (P = 0.042) observed for RPE, which was lower (P < 0.001) during the LIST in the CHO-P condition (16.9 ± 1.4) than in either the ISOCHO (17.8 ± 1.1) or ISOEN (17.7 ± 1.3). However, time to exhaustion was not different (P = 0.29) between CHO-P (468.3 ± 268.5 s), ISOCHO (443.4 ± 286.3 s) and ISOEN (446.2 ± 282.08 s), although these times did equate to a non-significant mean improvement of 4% in the CHO-P trial. Chapter 6 demonstrated that during a modified version of the LIST with two self-regulated blocks of exercise intensity, participants had a higher average speed (8.1 ± 0.3 cf. 7.9 ± 0.5 knvlr1) during the final (self-regulated) 15 min block of the LIST in the CHO-P condition compared to CHO. Whilst the mechanisms for such an improvement are not certain, the attenuated rise in RPE observed in Chapter 5, and increased blood urea concentration observed in Chapter 6, with CHO-P ingestion may suggest altered central fatigue and/or increased protein oxidation enhances performance during MSSs