Category Archives: Physiology

Engineering the Microbiome to Potentially Cure Disease – UC San Diego Health

Residing within the human gut are trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that can impact a variety of chronic human ailments, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Numerous diseases are associated with imbalance or dysfunction in gut microbiome. Even in diseases that dont involve the microbiome, gut microflora provide an important point of access that allows modification of many physiological systems.

An artists rendering of the concept of re-engineered native bacteria that serve as chassis to introduce therapeutics into the gut microbiome to treat or cure disease. Photo credit: Thom Leach, Amoeba Studios

Modifying to remedy, perhaps even cure these conditions, has generated substantial interest, leading to the development of live bacterial therapeutics (LBTs). One idea behind LBTs is to engineer bacterial hosts, or chassis, to produce therapeutics able to repair or restore healthy microbial function and diversity.

Existing efforts have primarily focused on using probiotic bacterial strains from the Bacteroides or Lactobacillus families or Escherichia coli that have been used for decades in the lab. However, these efforts have largely fallen short because engineered bacteria introduced into the gut generally do not survive what is fundamentally a hostile environment.

The inability to engraft or even survive in the gut requires frequent re-administration of these bacterial strains and often produces inconsistent effects or no effect at all. The phenomenon is perhaps most apparent in individuals who take probiotics, where these beneficial bacteria are unable to compete with the individuals native microorganisms and largely disappear quickly.

The lack of engraftment severely limits the use of LBTs for chronic conditions for curative effect or to study specific functions in the gut microbiome, said Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a gastroenterologist at UC San Diego Health. Published human trials using engineered LBTs have demonstrated safety, but still need to demonstrate reversal of disease. We believe this may be due to problems with colonization.

In a proof-of-concept study, published in the August 4, 2022, online issue of Cell, Zarrinpar and colleagues at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report overcoming that hurdle by employing native bacteria in mice as the chassis for delivering transgenes capable of inducing persistent and potentially even curative therapeutic changes in the gut and reversing disease pathologies.

Using this method, the group found they can provide long-term therapy in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes.

In theory, native bacteria are already maximally adapted to the luminal environment, Zarrinpar said. Thereby bypassing nearly all the barriers to engraftment and making them an ideal chassis for therapeutic delivery.

In the study, the research team showed that they can take a strain of E. coli native to the host and engineer it to express transgenes that affect its physiology, such as blood glucose levels. The modified native bacteria were then reintroduced into the mouses gut.

After a single treatment, Zarrinpar said the engineered native bacteria engrafted throughout the gut for the lifetime of the treated mice, retained functionality and induced improved blood glucose response for months. The researchers also demonstrated that similar bacterial engineering can be done in human native E. coli.

This work is an exciting step in demonstrating that live bacterial therapeutics can be used for treating or possibly even curing chronic conditions, said the studys first author Baylee Russell, now a graduate student at Harvard University.

In principle, live bacterial therapeutics may be a relatively non-invasive, low risk and cost-effective option for treating a number of diseases. It is worthy of additional exploration. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, but it will be exciting to see this technology expand in the years ahead.

Zarrinpar said the reluctance by some groups to use undomesticated native bacteria rather than well-known laboratory strains is driven by the assumption that they are difficult to culture and modify, although the study authors note recent studies have demonstrated they can be modified more consistently using newer methods.

None of the individual steps we used or described are particularly difficult, but in combination, they are novel. Together, they clearly demonstrate that we can accomplish what has yet to be achieved with other synthetic biology approaches, said Zarrinpar. That is, functional manipulation of the luminal gut environment to create persistent physiological effects.

Co-authors include: Steven D. Brown, Nicole Siguenza, Irene Mai, Anand R. Saran, Amulya Lingaraju, Erica Maissy, Ana C. Dantas Machado, Antonio F. M. Pinto, Concepcion Sanchez, Leigh-Ana Rossitto, Yukiko Miyamoto, R. Alexander Richter, Lars Eckmann, Jeff Hasty, David J. Gonzalez and Rob Knight, all at UC San Diego; Samuel B. Ho, UC San Diego and VA Health Sciences; and Alan Saghatelian, Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Funding and support for this research came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (grants F32 DK113721, F31 HD106762, R01 HL148801-02S1, T32 AR064194, T32 GM007752, K08 DK102902, R03 DK114536, R21 609 MH117780, R01 HL148801, R01 EB030134, R01HL157445, U01 CA265719, P30 DK120515, P30 DK063491, P30 CA014195, P50 AA011999, and UL1 TR001442), the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research, UC San Diego Eureka Foundation, UC San Diego Collaborative Center of Multiplexed Proteomics, AFAR Research Grant for Junior Faculty, National Phenylketonuria Alliance, American Heart Association Beginning Grant-in-Aid (16BGIA27760160), Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UC San Diego, Jon I. Isenberg Endowed Fellowship, AASLD Liver Scholar Award and AGA Microbiome Junior Investigator Award.

Follow this link:
Engineering the Microbiome to Potentially Cure Disease - UC San Diego Health

WVU Today | EXPERT PITCH: WVU toxicologist calls passage of burn pit bill ‘critical step in improving veteran health’ – WVU Today

Timothy Nurkiewicz, chair of the WVU Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, conducts research in WVUs Inhalation Facility. Nurkiewicz can discuss burn pits, why they pose serious health risks and how theyve made veterans ill. (WVU Photo)

A West Virginia University researcher with expertise in air pollution and inhalation exposures is available to discuss burn pits following this weeks U.S. Senate passage of a bill expanding health care benefits for veterans who developed illnesses after being exposed to such pits.

At WVUs Inhalation Facility, Timothy Nurkiewicz, chair of the School of Medicines Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and his research team are safely recreating burn pit conditions to examine why they pose such health risks and how theyve made veterans sick.

Quotes:

On the contents of burn pits

A military base isnt like a campsite. In camping, what you pack in, you pack out, right? Well, the military has to prevent the enemy from benefiting from their presence. So, they destroy everything they have. In concept, that makes perfect sense, but in practice, its a horrible thing because youre throwing in everything from standard garbage paper, plastic, fabric, food to paint, oil, batteries, computers and unspent ordnance. And I havent even mentioned the medical waste as well as standard human waste. All of that goes into burn pits, too. Jet fuel was widely used as the main accelerant and the collective process burns at a lower temperature than incinerators. The result is incomplete combustion and tremendous emission production.

On the prevalence of burn pit exposure

If you were deployed in the Middle East, you were probably exposed to the emissions from a burn pit. Every base was a different size, had different operations and burned different things, so everybody was exposed to different toxicants in different combinations. If you jump forward, now you have veterans who are ending their deployments and theyre coming back in large numbers and presenting with some very serious health issues.

On the passage of this bill

The passage of this bill is a critical step in improving veteran health. It comes at a time when a significant number of veterans are ending their deployments and returning home. We have a large population of exposed veterans who can be identified and proactively treated. The challenges in diagnosing CMI (chronic multisymptom illness) associated with burn pit exposures have made it difficult to allocate resources for the illness. This, in turn, leads to the symptoms being treated,but not the root cause. Identifying the mechanisms of toxicity that result from burn pit exposures will lead to more effective treatment, so, thats the greater goal of our research, to provide a more exact diagnosis that is irrefutable from a clinical perspective.

West Virginia University experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Search for an expert by name, title, areas of expertise or college/school/department in the Experts Databaseat WVU Today.

-WVU-

se/08/04/22

MEDIA CONTACT: Cassie ThomasDirector, Communications and MarketingWVU School of Medicine304-293-3412; cassie.thomas@hsc.wvu.edu

OR

Jessica WilmothSenior Communications SpecialistWVU Health Sciences304-293-9528; jessica.wilmoth@hsc.wvu.edu

Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday.

FOLLOW @WVUToday on Twitter.

Read more from the original source:
WVU Today | EXPERT PITCH: WVU toxicologist calls passage of burn pit bill 'critical step in improving veteran health' - WVU Today

A common parasite is making people more attractive to try and spread itself through sex – indy100

A study has found a common parasite is making people more attractive to increase the likelihood of sexual transmission.

According to a study published in journal PeerJ, and led by Javier Borrz-Len from the University of Turku in Finland, men with the common parasite T.gondii had more facial symmetry, which is considered a marker of attractiveness, than those without the parasite.

Women with the parasite were seen to have a lower body mass index and were also more confident in their attractiveness, the study found.

Meanwhile, as part of the research, 200 subjects from all over the world looked through a photos of infected and uninfected people and rate the photos based on attractiveness and health. Images of those infected with T.gondii were rated healthier and more attractive.

It is not the first time the parasite has been studied. Previous studies on T. gondii found that infections among rats appear to correspond with heightened levels of testosterone in infected males.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Borrz-Len told Atlas: "It has been observed that male rats that have been experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii, have some changes in their testosterone levels, and are also more sexually attractive and preferred as sexual partners by non-infected females, which supports our evolutionary interpretation of the results.

Research into the effect of T.gondii on human physiology is still in early stages and Borrz-Len is planning more investigations into it.

So now you know...

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

View original post here:
A common parasite is making people more attractive to try and spread itself through sex - indy100

Graduate program aims to improve health outcomes with focus on community needs – Furman News

Mohammad Hooshmand Zaferanieh M21 had always wanted to go into health care, but while getting his bachelors degree in biology in 2016, he took a hard look at the system he was about to devote his working life to.

Mohammad Hooshmand Zaferanieh M21

I was a little disheartened by the way this system was set up and the number of people who were still falling through the cracks, he said. He started work in the medical devices industry, but I was denying something that I truly felt compelled to do.

To provide the best care for his future patients, Zaferanieh realized he would need to learn more.

A large conglomerate of factors goes into someones health, he said. It starts off in the social setting, in where they live, which neighborhood theyre in, what type of food theyre eating, how much exposure they have to chronic stress or environmental pollutants. Someones well-being starts miles away from the health care setting.

Jessica Accardi M19 came to a similar conclusion while working in the emergency department of Greenville Memorial Hospital after earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 2016.

Interacting with people from many different backgrounds, I began to gain insight into the various barriers that impacted individuals access to medical care, she said. This left me wanting to gain different skills to help mitigate these barriers.

Jessica Accardi M19

To continue their education, Zaferanieh and Accardi both found a distinctive graduate program: Furmans Master of Science in Community Engaged Medicine (MSCEM).

Launched in 2018 with a partnership between Furman and Prisma Health, the 12-month MSCEM program puts students into the field to learn about health disparities firsthand, leading to an advanced understanding of science and population health and all of the social and biological factors that can affect it, said Rachael Bowers, director of the MSCEM program and director of education for The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health.

By combining biomedical science, social science and practical experience, Furmans MSCEM program offers an advantage over programs that focus on only one aspect of health care, said Bowers.

Were not a masters in biomedical science, were not a masters in public health, and were not a service year, said Bowers. We are uniquely giving students some of each of those experiences in a way that helps them understand the challenges in our health care system, but also reflectively understand what inspires them to be part of that system.

The MSCEM program, which has graduated 66 students in four cohorts since 2018, will begin hosting two cohorts each year in 2023. The fifth cohort, which will graduate in May 2023, will overlap with the sixth cohort, which will launch in January 2023 and graduate that December. Meanwhile, the seventh cohort will begin in summer 2023.

The curriculum of the MSCEM program is designed to parallel the collaborative philosophy of the community health concept, emphasizing interdisciplinary partnerships to improve outcomes, said Bowers. In classes, students explore subjects such as implicit bias, community engagement and health policy, as well as clinical anatomy and physiology, genetics, epidemiology and metabolic biochemistry.

Rachael Bowers, director of the MSCEM program

Theories from the classroom gel as students begin to see how the concepts play out in real-world community settings.

During a nine-month applied experiential learning course, each degree candidate works with Greenville-area organizations serving under-resourced populations. Fieldwork includes 12 or more hours per week directly observing and engaging with people to gain tangible skills in areas not often served by traditional internship or shadowing opportunities.

Partner organizations include the Greenville Free Medical Clinic, FoodShare, Project Hope, the Upstate Medical Legal Partnership, the Prisma Health Center for Family Medicine and the Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health and Advocacy.

As the program expands in 2023, students will begin working with Reach Out and Read Carolinas, Unity Health on Main, New Horizon Family Health Services, Triune Mercy Center and the Phoenix Center.

Fieldwork for the MSCEM students is incredibly important, said Dr. Kerry Sease, a physician with Prisma Health and medical director of the Bradshaw Institute. As medicine shifts to focus on better understanding the impacts of the social drivers of health, these experiences allow the students to see firsthand how important community-based interventions can be.

Accardi, who served at the Greenville Free Medical Clinic as an interpreter, medical assistant and patient intake specialist, found her fieldwork gave her a better understanding of the resources available to the community as well as some new personal connections.

It gave me a true appreciation for the clinic staff, for the numerous roles they fulfill daily, she said. I also enjoyed getting to know the patients on a deeper level and hearing their stories beyond their medical history.

Throughout three terms, seminars feature conversations, case studies and expert lectures, and students work on individual thesis projects to consolidate their experiences. This is when the three curriculum pillars biomedical courses, population/public health courses and the applied experiential course really come together, said Bowers.

It allows students to think of how what theyre learning in anatomy, physiology, genetics and biochemistry is enhanced and complemented not replaced by what theyre learning in epidemiology and policy, Bowers said. And theyre seeing it in action in their fieldwork sites, so they can understand all things at the same time.

The interdisciplinary program is suited to applicants from all backgrounds, Bowers said. We have students who were science majors, and we have students who have more of a public health and social sciences background, she said. Were not just putting the material in front of them and hoping they can make those connections. Were leaning on their applied experience and the seminar course to intertwine them.

Students also receive career counseling and test preparation for professional examinations such as the MCAT, DAT or GRE.

More than half of the programs graduates entered (or plan to enter) medical school or other training for a career as a health care practitioner. Many of them, like Zaferanieh and Accardi, were accepted to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.

As he begins his second year in medical school, Zaferanieh said the in-depth analyses of the social determinants of health has given him a unique perspective among his classmates.

Throughout the first year when we would go through cases and study pathology, Im thinking, What things in this patients life could they modify to reduce the severity of this state? How could this be prevented from the get-go? he said. And in the discussions were having about holistically approaching a patients care, I was ahead of a lot of my peers who had previously not been exposed to these social determinants at an academic level.

Although Furmans program remains distinctive, community engaged medicine is an emerging and increasingly necessary field, said Sease.

Students who understand the value of community health as it relates to a populations health will better respond to the countrys health care crisis, said Sease. The benefits of traditional health care paired with the tenets of public health is a win-win for everyone involved.

Read more:
Graduate program aims to improve health outcomes with focus on community needs - Furman News

Hot and getting hotter 5 essential reads on high temps and human bodies – The Conversation

Launching the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and the heat.gov site on July 26, 2022, the Biden administration cited heat waves and the warming climate as serious health threats. As the new initiative promises a science informed response to hotter conditions, five stories from The Conversations archive explain what researchers know about heat and health.

Heat waves can be deadly in a variety of ways, wrote William Calvin, who teaches physiology and neuroscience at the University of Washington.

Heat waves can kill via the dehydration caused by heavy sweating; the altered sodium and potassium concentrations in the blood confuse both heart and nerve cells, and so breathing or heartbeat may suddenly stop, he wrote.

Calvin explained that human bodies have not evolved to handle extreme heat with humidity. Normally, sweat evaporates off your skin and you cool down. But with high humidity, the air is already saturated with water vapor, and so evaporative cooling stops. However, you keep sweating anyway, threatening dehydration.

Read more: How dangerous heat waves can kill

That combination of temperature and humidity whereby the persons core temperature starts to rise is called the critical environmental limit, wrote a group of Penn State University scholars researching the health effects of heat: W. Larry Kenney, Daniel Vecellio, Rachel Cottle and S. Tony Wolf.

In a rare lab test of the human bodys heat tolerance, the researchers found that the limit is lower than previously thought. When the air temperature is around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), people can begin to feel ill effects at just 60% humidity a higher temperature and lower humidity than researchers determined in 2010.

Above those limits, core temperature rises continuously and risk of heat-related illnesses with prolonged exposures is increased, they wrote. The results of these tests show an even greater cause for concern.

Read more: How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

Extremely hot whether is particularly dangerous for those over 70, according to family physician Dr. Gabriel Neal, who teaches at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

In his article on avoiding heat stroke, Neal described factors making older adults vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.

As people age, our bodies ability to cool declines, and the elderly often take medication that further impairs this ability, Neal wrote. In addition, the elderly may not be aware of the dangerous heat wave and may not have working air conditioning in their home, nor have anyone to check on them.

Read more: Heat stroke: A doctor offers tips to stay safe as temperatures soar

Its the heat and the humidity, wrote Mississippi State University exercise physiologist JohnEric Smith.

Hot desert climates are stressful due to extreme temperatures, while humid subtropical climates are stressful because the body has trouble removing heat when sweat doesnt evaporate readily, he wrote.

Smith added that how heat and humidity affect people depends on factors like the weather thats typical where they are, and the cooling systems in local homes and buildings.

Read more: Knowing how heat and humidity affect your body can help you stay safe during heat waves

Tufts University epidemiologist Elena Naumova warns that keeping food safe to eat is becoming more challenging in a warming climate.Thats because warm, wet weather conditions stimulate bacterial growth, she wrote.

Naumova named several climate-related factors in spreading foodborne illnesses. One growing problem is that heat waves, wildfires and severe storms are increasingly triggering power outages, which in turn affect food storage and food handling practices in stores, production and distribution sites and homes, she wrote.

Read more: Climate change is putting food safety at risk more often, and not just at picnics and parties blackouts are a growing problem

Editors note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversations archives.

Excerpt from:
Hot and getting hotter 5 essential reads on high temps and human bodies - The Conversation

Leadership Transitions | Office of the Provost | University of Pittsburgh – Office of the Provost

August 4, 2022

Dean James R. Martin, the U.S. Steel Dean of the Swanson School of Engineering, has shared with me his decision to accept a new role as Vice Chancellor for STEM Research and Innovation in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research. In his new role, Dr. Martin will work to help integrate our STEM programs and leverage their collaborative potential and build pipelines to further diversify the student body and faculty in STEM. Senior Vice Chancellor Rutenbar and I are grateful for his willingness to take on this important task.

Under Dr. Martins leadership, the Swanson School has advanced several strategic areas, including research funding, PhD enrollments, faculty and student diversity, and government and industry partnerships. Research expenditures within the school increased by over 33% and PhD students enrollments by over 20%, thanks to an added focus on larger, multidisciplinary proposals and restructuring of the business, finance, and research offices. Undergraduate diversity consistently increased for underrepresented minorities, with first year female cohorts nearing 40 percent and first-generation students increasing from 5 to 15 percent. I thank Dr. Martin for his contributions to the School and look forward to working with him in his new role.

I am grateful that Dr. Sanjeev Shroff, Distinguished Professor of and the Gerald E. McGinnis Chair in Bioengineering and the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering, has agreed to serve as Interim Dean of the school effective immediately. Sanjeev came to Pitt from the University of Chicago in 2000 and is deeply respected by his colleagues at Pitt and in the broader community, as well as by his peers in the field of bioengineering.

Sanjeev is a distinguished scholar in cardiovascular physiology and engineering, with special emphasis on cardiac mechano-energetics and cardiovascular structure-function relationships under normal and pathological conditions. His research has been supported by grants from the American Heart Association, National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. He is also an elected Fellow of the American Physiological Society, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.

I believe the combination of Sanjeevs leadership experience, dedication to and knowledge of Pitt and of the Swanson School, and professional expertise makes him the ideal choice for this interim role.

My sincere thanks to you for your continued dedication to the school and to the University of Pittsburgh.

Best,

Ann E. CuddProvost and Senior Vice Chancellor

Follow this link:
Leadership Transitions | Office of the Provost | University of Pittsburgh - Office of the Provost

The anatomy and physiology of startup lay-offs: what separates futures great brands from the crowd – Economic Times

Lay-offs may be inevitable even when there is a professionally competent management, good fundamentals, and focus on building value. But the critical aspect is how they are executed once the decision is taken.

Massive lay-off at a highly funded startup. Waking up to such headlines has become usual over the last few weeks. Its unfortunate that more than 12,000 people in the Indian startup ecosystem have lost jobs in 2022 so far. But its the hard truth of a funding winter. The reasons cited by the managements are often similar. They blame the global macroeconomic conditions and maintain that harsh decisions need to be taken to stay afloat. But is

BY

Gift A Story

Share member-only stories with your friends or family and help them read it for free.

Gifting Limit Reached!

Hey , no more stories left for you to gift.

No worries! You will get a limit of 15 stories next month to share with your friends and family.

Stories Left!

You can gift upto 15 stories in a month.

AbcSmall

AbcMedium

AbcLarge

Continue reading with one of these options:

Limited Access

Free

Login to get access to some exclusive stories& personalised newsletters

Login Now

Unlimited Access

Starting @ Rs120/month

Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &in-depth stock reports

Subscribe Now

To read full story, subscribe to ET Prime

34 per week

Billed annually at 2499 1749

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now

Rs 49 for 1st month

Then Rs. 1,749 per year

Valid only with UPI, Credit & Debit Cards Autopay

-

-

-

Subscribe Now

(Credit card mandatory)

You can cancel your subscription anytime

-

-

-

Subscribe Now

(Pay Using Netbanking/UPI/Debit Card)

Netbanking, Credit & Debit Card

Subscribe with Google

399/month

Monthly PLAN

Billed Amount 399

208/month

(Save 49%)

Yearly PLAN

Billed Amount 2,499

15 Days Trial +Includes DocuBay and TimesPrime Membership.

150/month

(Save 63%)

2-Year PLAN

Billed Amount 3,599

15 Days Trial +Includes DocuBay and TimesPrime Membership.

SPECIAL OFFER ON ET PRIME

Flat 20% Off

ON YEARLY AND 2-YEAR MEMBERSHIP

Exclusive Economic Times Stories, Editorials & Expert opinion across 20+ sectors

Stock analysis. Market Research. Industry Trends on 4000+ Stocks

Clean experience withMinimal Ads

Comment & Engage with ET Prime community

Exclusive invites to Virtual Events with Industry Leaders

A trusted team of Journalists & Analysts who can best filter signal from noise

See the original post here:
The anatomy and physiology of startup lay-offs: what separates futures great brands from the crowd - Economic Times

Senior Lecturer in Clinical Physiology job with BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY | 302932 – Times Higher Education

Senior Lecturer in Clinical Physiology

Department of Life Sciences

Location: City South CampusSalary: 47,778 to 51,931 per annum PermanentPosted On: Tuesday 19 July 2022Closing Date: Tuesday 16 August 2022Interview Date: To be confirmedReference: 072022-403

Are you a talented educator who is passionate about teaching the next generation of Biomedical Scientists and Healthcare students? If so, Birmingham City University is looking to recruit an experienced Life Sciences academic to join our vibrant integrated teaching & research team within the Department of Life Sciences.

Birmingham City University launched its Biomedical Sciences degree in 2017, from its expertise and strong reputation in Health Sciences. Following significant growth in the course, we are seeking to recruit a full-time permanent senior lecturer with the skills and expertise to complement our existing team. Your expertise will develop and enhance our teaching, learning, and research activities in Biomedical Sciences and will influence the design and delivery of the Biomedical Science and Health Science courses (such as Nursing and Paramedicine). It is anticipated that the post holder would be an expert in Physiology or Pharmacology and would act as module lead for the final year (Level 6) Pathophysiology module, although applications from highly innovative educators from any field of the Biomedical Sciences will be considered. The post holder would also be expected to engage with teaching across the Faculty portfolio.

The successful candidate will:

With around 26,900 students from 100 countries, Birmingham City University is a large and diverse learning community. We put students at the heart of everything we do, giving them the best opportunities for future success. The University has an enviable reputation for providing quality, student-focused education in a professional and friendly environment. Our superb courses, state-of-the-art facilities, first-rate academics, and focus on practical skills and professional relevance all support our graduates future employability.

The Department of Life Sciences within the School of Health Sciences is a thriving, vibrant, and inspiring learning community committed to excellence in, high quality learning and teaching and research and impactful stakeholder engagement. We are a practice-based department, with brand new state-of-the-art facilities (41million), making our teaching and research relevant to the evolving Biomedical Sciences field by partnering with local and global enterprise.

Further details:Job Description

Please be aware that this position will require an Enhanced DBS disclosure, please contact HR on 0121 331 6693 for a confidential self-disclosure form should you wish to declare anything in advance.

The University is committed to internationalism and diversity and welcomes applications from all countries, faiths and backgrounds.

It is each individual successful applicants responsibility to ensure that they have permission to work in the UK. Some applicants may require sponsorship from the University and a visa from UKVI to take up the role if successful. More information on this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Some roles are not capable of sponsorship because they do not meet the UKVI criteria relating to skill and salary level. If you are unsure as to whether you would require sponsorship if successful, or whether the role is capable of sponsorship, please contact us: RTinbox@bcu.ac.uk

Please note on occasions where we receive a large number of applications, we may close the advert ahead of the publicised closing date. If this does happen, we will contact all candidates via email who have started but not yet completed their application, giving 48 hours notice. We would therefore advise that you submit your completed application as soon as possible.

At Birmingham City University we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. All staff are expected to understand and enact the Universitys commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion in our employment practice and in all that we do . This commitment is enshrined in our Core Values and is detailed in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment Policy. The University values and celebrates the diversity of our staff and students; we welcome people from the many different backgrounds and life experiences that reflect the students and the citizens we serve. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and actively encourage unique contributions, in particular from under-represented groups in respect of age, disability, sex, gender or gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status

Birmingham City University ('BCU') is committed to protecting your personal data and being transparent about what we do with your personal data. One of the ways we do this is through our privacy notices. For further information please click here.

View original post here:
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Physiology job with BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY | 302932 - Times Higher Education

Humans may not be able to handle as much heat as scientists thought – Science News Magazine

More than 2,000 people dead from extreme heat and wildfires raging in Portugal and Spain. High temperature records shattered from England to Japan. Overnights that fail to cool.

Brutal heat waves are quickly becoming the hallmark of the summer of 2022.

And even as climate change continues to crank up the temperature, scientists are working fast to understand the limits of humans resilience to heat extremes. Recent research suggests that heat stress tolerance in people may be lower than previously thought. If true, millions more people could be at risk of succumbing to dangerous temperatures sooner than expected.

Headlines and summaries of the latest Science News articles, delivered to your inbox

Thank you for signing up!

There was a problem signing you up.

Bodies are capable of acclimating over a period of time to temperature changes, says Vivek Shandas, an environmental planning and climate adaptation researcher at Portland State University in Oregon. Over geologic time, there have been many climate shifts that humans have weathered, Shandas says. [But] were in a time when these shifts are happening much more quickly.

Just halfway through 2022, heat waves have already ravaged many countries. The heat arrived early in southern Asia: In March, Wardha, India, saw a high of 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit); in Nawabshah, Pakistan, recorded temperatures rose to 49.5 C (121.1 F).

Extreme heat alerts blared across Europe beginning in June and continuing through July, the rising temperatures exacerbating drought and sparking wildfires. The United Kingdom shattered its hottest-ever record July 19 when temperatures reached 40.3 C in the English village of Coningsby. The heat fueled fires in France, forcing thousands to evacuate from their homes.

And the litany goes on: June brought Japan its worst heat wave since record-keeping began in 1875, leading to the countrys highest-ever recorded temperature of 40.2 C. Chinas coastal megacities, from Shanghai to Chengdu, were hammered by heat waves in July as temperatures in the region also rose above 40 C. And in the United States, a series of heat waves gripped the Midwest, the South and the West in June and July. Temperatures soared to 42 C in North Platte, Neb., and to 45.6 C in Phoenix.

The current global rate of warming on Earth is unprecedented (SN: 7/24/19). And scientists have long predicted that human-caused climate change will increase the occurrence of heat waves. Globally, humans exposure to extreme heat tripled from 1983 to 2016, particularly in South Asia.

The heat already is taking an increasing toll on human health. It can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which is often fatal. Dehydration can lead to kidney and heart disease. Extreme heat can even change how we behave, increasing aggression and decreasing our ability to focus (SN: 8/18/21).

The human body has various ways to shed excess heat and keep the core of the body at an optimal temperature of about 37 C (98.6 F). The heart pumps faster, speeding up blood flow that carries heat to the skin (SN: 4/3/18). Air passing over the skin can wick away some of that heat. Evaporative cooling sweating also helps.

But theres a limit to how much heat humans can endure. In 2010, scientists estimated that theoretical heat stress limit to be at a wet bulb temperature of 35 C. Wet bulb temperatures depend on a combination of humidity and dry bulb air temperature measured by a thermometer. Those variables mean a place could hit a wet bulb temperature of 35 C in different ways for instance, if the air is that temperature and theres 100 percent humidity, or if the air temperature is 46 C and theres 50 percent humidity. The difference is due to evaporative cooling.

When water evaporates from the skin or another surface, it steals away energy in the form of heat, briefly cooling that surface. That means that in drier regions, the wet bulb temperature where that ephemeral cooling effect happens readily will be lower than the actual air temperature. In humid regions, however, wet and dry bulb temperatures are similar, because the air is so moist its difficult for sweat to evaporate quickly.

So when thinking about heat stress on the body, scientists use wet bulb temperatures because they are a measure of how much cooling through evaporation is possible in a given climate, says Daniel Vecellio, a climate scientist at Penn State.

Both hot/dry and warm/humid environments can be equally dangerous, Vecellio says and this is where the bodys different cooling strategies come into play. In hot, dry areas, where the outside temperature may be much hotter than skin temperature, human bodies rely entirely on sweating to cool down, he says. In warm, humid areas, where the air temperature may actually be cooler than skin temperatures (but the humidity makes it seem warmer than it is), the body cant sweat as efficiently. Instead, the cooler air passing over the skin can draw away the heat.

Given the complexity of the bodys cooling system, and the diversity of human bodies, there isnt really a one-size-fits-all threshold temperature for heat stress for everybody. No ones body runs at 100 percent efficiency, Vecellio says. Different body sizes, the ability to sweat, age and acclimation to a regional climate all have a role.

Still, for the last decade, that theoretical wet bulb 35 C number has been considered to be the point beyond which humans can no longer regulate their bodies temperatures. But recent laboratory-based research by Vecellio and his colleagues suggests that a general, real-world threshold for human heat stress is much lower, even for young and healthy adults.

The researchers tracked heat stress in two dozen subjects ranging in age from 18 to 34, under a variety of controlled climates. In the series of experiments, the team varied humidity and temperature conditions within an environmental chamber, sometimes holding temperature constant while varying the humidity, and sometimes vice versa.

The subjects exerted themselves within the chamber just enough to simulate minimal outdoor activity, walking on a treadmill or pedaling slowly on a bike with no resistance. During these experiments, which lasted for 1.5 to two hours, the researchers measured the subjects skin temperatures using wireless probes and assessed their core temperatures using a small telemetry pill that the subjects swallowed.

In warm and humid conditions, the subjects in the study were unable to tolerate heat stress at wet bulb temperatures closer to 30 or 31 C, the team estimates. In hot and dry conditions, that wet bulb temperature was even lower, ranging from 25 to 28 C, the researchers reported in the February Journal of Applied Physiology. For context, in a very dry environment at about 10 percent humidity, a wet bulb temperature of 25 C would correspond to an air temperature of about 50 C (122 F).

These results suggest that there is much more work to be done to understand what humans can endure under real-world heat and humidity conditions, but that the threshold may be much lower than thought, Vecellio says. The 2010 studys theoretical finding of 35 C may still be the upper limit, he adds. Were showing the floor.

And thats for young, healthy adults doing minimal activity. Thresholds for heat stress are expected to be lower for outdoor workers required to exert themselves, or for the elderly or children. Assessing laboratory limits for more at-risk people is the subject of ongoing work for Vecellio and his colleagues.

If the human bodys tolerance for heat stress is generally lower than scientists have realized, that could mean millions more people will be at risk from the deadliest heat sooner than scientists have realized. As of 2020, there were few reports of wet bulb temperatures around the world reaching 35 C, but climate simulations project that limit could be regularly exceeded in parts of South Asia and the Middle East by the middle of the century.

Some of the deadliest heat waves in the last two decades were at lower wet bulb temperatures: Neither the 2003 European heat wave, which caused an estimated 30,000 deaths, nor the 2010 Russian heat wave, which killed over 55,000 people, exceeded wet bulb temperatures of 28 C.

How best to inform the public about heat risk is the part that I find to be tricky, says Shandas, who wasnt involved in Vecellios research. Shandas developed the scientific protocol for the National Integrated Heat Health Information Systems Urban Heat Island mapping campaign in the United States.

Its very useful to have this physiological data from a controlled, precise study, Shandas says, because it allows us to better understand the science behind humans heat stress tolerance. But physiological and environmental variability still make it difficult to know how best to apply these findings to public health messaging, such as extreme heat warnings, he says. There are so many microconsiderations that show up when were talking about a bodys ability to manage [its] internal temperature.

One of those considerations is the ability of the body to quickly acclimate to a temperature extreme. Regions that arent used to extreme heat may experience greater mortality, even at lower temperatures, simply because people there arent used to the heat. The 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest wasnt just extremely hot it was extremely hot for that part of the world at that time of year, which makes it more difficult for the body to adapt, Shandas says (SN: 6/29/21).

Heat that arrives unusually early and right on the heels of a cool period can also be more deadly, says Larry Kalkstein, a climatologist at the University of Miami and the chief heat science advisor for the Washington, D.C.based nonprofit Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. Often early season heat waves in May and June are more dangerous than those in August and September.

One way to improve communities resilience to the heat may be to treat heat waves like other natural disasters including give them names and severity rankings (SN: 8/14/20). As developed by an international coalition known as the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance, those rankings form the basis for a new type of heat wave warning that explicitly considers the factors that impact heat stress, such as wet bulb temperature and acclimation, rather than just temperature extremes.

The rankings also consider factors such as cloud cover, wind and how hot the temperatures are overnight. If its relatively cool overnight, theres not as much negative health outcome, says Kalkstein, who created the system. But overnight temperatures arent getting as low as they used to in many places. In the United States, for example, the average minimum temperatures at nighttime are now about 0.8 C warmer than they were during the first half of the 20th century, according to the countrys Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 (SN: 11/28/18).

By naming heat waves like hurricanes, officials hope to increase citizens awareness of the dangers of extreme heat. Heat wave rankings could also help citiestailor their interventions to the severity of the event.Six cities are currently testing the systems effectiveness: four in the United States and in Athens, Greece, and Seville, Spain.On July 24, with temperatures heading toward 42 C, Seville became the first city in the world to officially name a heat wave, sounding the alarm for Heat Wave Zoe.

As 2022 continues to smash temperature records around the globe, such warnings may come not a moment too soon.

Read more from the original source:
Humans may not be able to handle as much heat as scientists thought - Science News Magazine

Maryland fishing competition aims to collect invasive fish for research – CBS News

BALTIMORE -- An assistant professor of physiology at Salisbury University has received a grant to host a fishing competition from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, according to state officials.

Dr. Noah Bressman will use the money to host a blue catfish and snakehead tournament on the Nanticoke, Marshyhope, and associated tributaries on July 30, state officials said.

Entry into the tournament is free and there will be prizes for participants, according to state officials.

The goal of the tournament is to collect specimens for research.

Bressman's lab will study the diet, growth, and reproduction habits of the fish. Also, his lab will conduct experiments on the fish bodies, according to state officials.

The state grant aims to educate the public on invasive species and encourage people to catch, kill, and eat them, state officials said.

People can fish wherever they like along the tributaries but the weigh-in for the event will be in Sharptown at the Cherry Beach Boat Launch, according to state officials.

A Maryland Tidal Fishing License is required for participants 16 years old and older, according to a flyer advertising the competition.

The CBS Baltimore Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSBaltimore.com.

Read this article:
Maryland fishing competition aims to collect invasive fish for research - CBS News