Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Study Explored Benefits of Yoga in Chronic Low Back Pain – India Education Diary

Most of the yoga-based studies so far have relied on patients experience and rating of pain and disability as an indicator of recovery and better quality of life. Researchers who measured pain, pain tolerance and body flexibility have found that yoga leads to pain relief, increases tolerance of pain and improves flexibility in patients of chronic low back pain.

Dr Renu Bhatia, Additional Professor, Department of Physiology, AIIMS, New Delhi conducted research to measure the impact of yoga on Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) along with Dr Raj Kumar Yadav (Professor, Department of Physiology, AIIMS, New Delhi), Dr Sri Kumar V (Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, AIIMS, New Delhi).

The study conducted on 100 Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) patients of 50 years with 3 years of history of the disease. After systematic Yogic intervention of 4 weeks, Quantitative sensory testing (QST) showed increase in thresholds for cold pain and cold pain tolerance. Corticomotor excitability and flexibility improved significantly in the patients.

They recorded objective measures for pain (electrophysiology), sensory perception (quantitative computerized sensory testing) and cortical excitability parameters. (using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of motor cortex).They found significant changes between all the parameters in CLBP patients compared to healthy controls at baseline. Significant improvement in all parameters was found after yoga.

This research supported by the Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) funded by the Department of Science and Technology, GoI has been recently published in theJournal of Medical Science and Clinical Research.

Assessment of pain and corticomotor excitability parameters shall help in establishing strong ground with scientific evidence for yoga to be prescribed as therapeutic intervention for chronic low back pain relief with or without standard therapy depending on the pathology. Also these parameters can be used for prognosis and follow-up of patients during recovery phase.

The team also developed yoga protocol for CLBP patients and for fibromyalgia patientsin Pain Research and TMS laboratory, AIIMS, New Delhi.

In patients with Chronic Low Back Pain, 4 weeks of yoga intervention improved pain status and pain-related functional disability, increased spinal flexibility and corticomotor excitability significantly more than standard care.

The study suggests that in long term Yoga can be performed at home, and hence is an inexpensive therapeutic intervention. It not only relieves pain but also improves overall quality of life and bestows other health benefits.

Dr. Renu Bhatia

Publication link:https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v9i3.30

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Study Explored Benefits of Yoga in Chronic Low Back Pain - India Education Diary

Physiology

Ocean warming could hit shark survival – The University of Manchester

Infant sharks that live in the familiar mermaids purses found on most beaches in the UK and throughout the world are more vulnerable to predation because of ocean warming, new research suggests.

According to Daniel Ripley from The University of Manchester, higher temperatures reduce freeze response times which the animals employ to avoid being eaten by predators.

The study by the ecophysiologist is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and The University of Manchesters Knowledge and Innovation hub for Environmental stability

It is published in the Journal of Conservation Physiology today (17 June).

If an embryo employs a freeze response, it stops moving so that predators - including large fish and other sharks - wont detect them.

That explains why being able to elicit a freeze response is key to surviving predation during embryonic development and the longer an embryo can freeze, the better chance it has of not being detected by predators.

In the lab Ripley compared the freeze response time of small spotted catshark embryos - which are 7 to 8cm long - at a water temperature of 15C and a water temperature of 20C.

The 5C temperature rise resulted in a 7-fold decrease in the time the animals froze following a predator simuli, mimicked by gently flicking the egg case

And that could have major consequences for embryonic sharks in a warming world. Being able to freeze is key to avoiding predators and if warming means infant sharks will not be able to freeze as long, it could reduce the number of sharks surviving to adulthood.

Around 45% of shark and ray species lay eggs which grow inside a mermaids purse, which can last for around a year before they hatch

The purses come in various colours, shapes and textures, depending on the species of shark.

Beachcombers often spot the empty shell cases on the beach, though the live egg cases often lie tangled up with sea weed in shallow waters and rockpools.

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Ocean warming could hit shark survival - The University of Manchester

Physiology

AU research: Switching to plant-based diet protects against heart disease – The Augusta Chronicle

Cutting out animal protein in favor of a plant-based diet appears to change the makeup of bacteria in the gut and helps protect against salt-related heart disease, new research at Augusta University found. It also protected against a serious complication in pregnancy and the effect seems to be passed down to offspring, the researchers found.

The discovery in rats was actually unintended and came about because the researchers years ago were trying to find a more affordable feed for them, said Dr. David Mattson, chair of the Department of Physiology at Medical College of Georgia at AU. He and his colleagues were working with a rat specially bred to be sensitive to salt and to develop heart disease when fed a high-salt diet.

"They will start to develop cardiovascular disease," Mattson said. "They will start having heart failure, they will start having strokes. If we dont do something for them quite quickly, they will start to die, which completely parallels what is observed in salt-sensitive humans."

But when they switched the rats from a diet whose protein contained casein, a protein found in milk, to one with a wheat gluten protein, the animals didn't respond as they normally would. The researchers confirmed this by comparing the same type of rat fed the animal-protein diet to the grain-fed diet, said Dr. Justine Abais-Battad, an instructor in Physiology and lead author on the study in the journal Acta Physiologica.

The grain-fed rats "still are ingesting the same amount of salt but werent salt-sensitive any more," she said, while those on the animal protein diet developed heart disease and kidney damage, as expected.

The animals appear to have different bacteria in their guts as a results of the switch, a change in what is called the microbiome,Abais-Battad said.

"What Justine has shown here is this big switch in the microbiome," Mattson said, which are millions of different bacteria that help humans break down and digest food and perform other basic functions related to health. Unhealthy colonies of bacteria can lead to disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and other problems, said Dr. Satish Rao, chief of gastroenterology and director of the Digestive Health Center at AU Health System.

But the diet switch also appears to have an effect in preeclampsia, Mattson said, a serious and potentially deadly complication in pregnancy where women develop high blood pressure and can have damage to the kidneys and liver. Post-doctoral fellow John Henry Dasinger's work showed that those fed the grain-based diet were protected while death "in these pregnant female rats was tremendous when fed the disease-promoting diet," Mattson said. That study was published in the journal Pregnancy Hypertension.

The takeaway from this is what people have been hearing all along, Abais-Battad said.

"People already know that these types of habits, these healthier choices would be protective" against heart disease, she said.

Interestingly, offspring from parents fed the grain-based diet also appear to have the protective effect even when fed the animal protein diet, Abais-Battad said.

"Even though all of the offspring were fed the same disease-promoting diet,those who came from the grain-fed parents, we actually saw a reduction in their disease over time," she said. The theory is they have inherited the bacterial makeup, the microbiome, from the parents, most likely Mom, Abais-Battad said.

"Theres a lot of literature demonstrating the transmission of microbiome from Mom to baby," she said. "We do think that likely is playing a big role in programming the offspring."

The question now becomes what the mechanism are behind the beneficial effect from the bacterial changes, Mattson said. The more beneficial bacteria produce different byproducts and those byproducts or metabolites "are really the key to whats happening downstream," he said. "So we are working to identify those molecules and how those molecules influence the biological function."

Being able to manipulate the microbiome has been the aim of a lot of research, Rao said.

"The big challenge, which has not been overcome to the best of my knowledge, is how do we change the gut microbiome?" he said.

Many of those efforts or interventions come after the person has already developed disease that might have its roots in earlier life, such as in obesity, Rao said.

"I think that is too late in the game," he said. "We need to really catch these youngsters, adolescents and so on, really at the very early stages."

In the case of the rat offspring, that will "start at the very beginning," Abais-Battad said.

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AU research: Switching to plant-based diet protects against heart disease - The Augusta Chronicle

Physiology

The world’s ‘biggest and deepest’ swimming pool is to be built. It will descend 164 feet – KOCO Oklahoma City

Related video above from 2020: Poland opens world's deepest pool that has a depth of 148 feetA UK company is to build what it says is the world's biggest and deepest pool, in a new project backed by British astronaut Tim Peake.The aptly named Blue Abyss pool will be built in Cornwall, south west England, and will hold 42 million liters of water equivalent to that of 17 Olympic size swimming pools, or 168 million cups of tea, the company said.It will be 164 feet (50 meters) deep, 164 feet long, and 131 feet (40 meters) wide.Keen swimmers hoping to test out the $211 million pool may be disappointed, however, as the Blue Abyss is designed to simulate "extreme environments."It will be set up for testing the latest underwater technology, including subsea robotics and mini submersibles.The pool will also be used to help train astronauts and deep sea divers, with hypobaric and hyperbaric chambers and a microgravity suite on site.John Vickers, chief executive of Blue Abyss, said in a statement the pool would be a "huge research asset for aerospace, offshore energy, underwater robotics, human physiology, defense, leisure and marine industries, and a fantastic education center for children and university students."Tim Peake, who was the first British astronaut to board the International Space Station in 2015 and spent six months in space and ran a marathon on a treadmill while there sits on the Blue Abyss board.He said in a statement he was "proud" to be part of its development, adding that Blue Abyss would "widen our knowledge of how humans and technology can function in extreme environments, for the benefit of people and the planet."Underwater film setsThe facility has been designed by British architect Robin Partington, who led the design team for The Gherkin, which is based in London's financial district and is one of the city's most famous buildings.It will be built with a sliding roof large enough for a crane to lower large objects into the pool for testing -- including "simulated sections of the International Space Station," underwater cave systems that can put remote operated vehicles to the test, and even underwater film sets.The pool's salinity, currents, lighting and temperature will also be controlled at different levels in order to simulate various underwater conditions.Applications for planning permission are ongoing but Blue Abyss said in a press release it aimed to open the site in 2023.In December, Poland opened what it said at the time was the world's deepest pool with a depth of 148 feet and enough space for 8,000 cubic meters of water.The Deepspot pool, a practice site for divers, has a simulated "blue hole" running down to its deepest point, and contains a small shipwreck, artificial underwater caves and mock Mayan ruins.

Related video above from 2020: Poland opens world's deepest pool that has a depth of 148 feet

A UK company is to build what it says is the world's biggest and deepest pool, in a new project backed by British astronaut Tim Peake.

The aptly named Blue Abyss pool will be built in Cornwall, south west England, and will hold 42 million liters of water equivalent to that of 17 Olympic size swimming pools, or 168 million cups of tea, the company said.

It will be 164 feet (50 meters) deep, 164 feet long, and 131 feet (40 meters) wide.

Keen swimmers hoping to test out the $211 million pool may be disappointed, however, as the Blue Abyss is designed to simulate "extreme environments."

It will be set up for testing the latest underwater technology, including subsea robotics and mini submersibles.

The pool will also be used to help train astronauts and deep sea divers, with hypobaric and hyperbaric chambers and a microgravity suite on site.

John Vickers, chief executive of Blue Abyss, said in a statement the pool would be a "huge research asset for aerospace, offshore energy, underwater robotics, human physiology, defense, leisure and marine industries, and a fantastic education center for children and university students."

Courtesy Cityscape Digital

Tim Peake, who was the first British astronaut to board the International Space Station in 2015 and spent six months in space and ran a marathon on a treadmill while there sits on the Blue Abyss board.

He said in a statement he was "proud" to be part of its development, adding that Blue Abyss would "widen our knowledge of how humans and technology can function in extreme environments, for the benefit of people and the planet."

The facility has been designed by British architect Robin Partington, who led the design team for The Gherkin, which is based in London's financial district and is one of the city's most famous buildings.

It will be built with a sliding roof large enough for a crane to lower large objects into the pool for testing -- including "simulated sections of the International Space Station," underwater cave systems that can put remote operated vehicles to the test, and even underwater film sets.

The pool's salinity, currents, lighting and temperature will also be controlled at different levels in order to simulate various underwater conditions.

Applications for planning permission are ongoing but Blue Abyss said in a press release it aimed to open the site in 2023.

In December, Poland opened what it said at the time was the world's deepest pool with a depth of 148 feet and enough space for 8,000 cubic meters of water.

The Deepspot pool, a practice site for divers, has a simulated "blue hole" running down to its deepest point, and contains a small shipwreck, artificial underwater caves and mock Mayan ruins.

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The world's 'biggest and deepest' swimming pool is to be built. It will descend 164 feet - KOCO Oklahoma City

Physiology

Electromedical Technologies and Nazarbayev University Complete Agreement to Expand Promising Joint Research Programs – BioSpace

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Electromedical Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: EMED) (the "Company"), a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of bioelectronic devices, including the FDA cleared WellnessPro+, is pleased to announce that the Company recently completed an agreement with Nazarbayev University to expand its Stage I collaborative research programs. These Stage I programs will study how electro-modulation communicates to cells by modifying intracellular signaling events and altering physiological cellular response.

Electro-modulation therapies (electroceuticals) are conducted and widely applied in medicine today utilizing a variety of frequencies to reduce chronic pain. A front page TIME magazine article noted: "Electroceuticals "are the next wave of new treatments we will have to treat disease," says Kris Famm, president of Galvani Bioelectronics, a biotech collaboration between Glaxo-Smith-Kline and Google's Verily that is focused on developing electricity-based therapies (https://time.com/5709245/bioelectronic-medicine-treatments/). Going forward, researchers hope to learn how alternating electrical fields affect cell physiology and induce their effects.

The main challenge is to define specific electrical frequencies that alter cell physiology by modulating the body's cellular signaling network. Deciphering the impacts of alternating electrical fields on cell signaling will build a solid platform for the development of novel non-invasive technologies in medicine. Once this process is unlocked, leading bioelectronic producers such as Electromedical Technologies could develop new, highly effective, and application/condition-specific devices for broad consumer use.

Matthew Wolfson, Founder and CEO of Electromedical Technologies, noted, "Unraveling the codes of electro-modulation controlling cell behavior will be instrumental in developing effective and targeted applications of the next generation of bioelectronic devices. Thus, decoding the language of electro-modulation is a focus of our research team spearheaded by Professor Dos Sarbassov at Nazarbayev University. We are pleased to be working together on these promising studies that could have a favorable impact on human health using physics instead of drugs."

Dr. Sarbassov is a prominent expert in cell signaling, who received an intensive postdoctoral research training at MIT's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and worked for many years as a Faculty Member of the Molecular and Cellular Oncology Department at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He joined Nazarbayev University in 2019 to contribute to a scientific development of the country of his origin. In 2020, Dr. Sarbassov became a Director of the National Laboratory Astana (NLA), a leading research organization at Nazarbayev University.

Dr. Dos Sarbassov commented, "Our work with the Electromedical Technologies is a great collaborative effort of an academic institution with private industry. This joint focus is on advancing technology by understanding the mechanisms of electrical communication with cell physiology. Our primary initial goal is to study and determine how cells react to alternating electrical fields by analyzing their effects on cell signaling and by translating how they lead to distinct responses of cells and tissues."

Matthew Wolfson commented further, "We seek to utilize the deciphering of the mechanisms of electrical signaling on cells in an effort to provide a solid foundation in our development of effective treatments of inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders and opioid addiction. With the new agreement and program parameters in place, the Company and the University look forward to commencing the IDE (Investigational Device Exemption) process leading to a submission with the FDA."

About Nazarbayev University:

Nazarbayev University (NU), established on the initiative of the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2010, is the country's flagship academic institution with aspirations to become a global-level research university. This is the first university in Kazakhstan which is guided by the principles of autonomy and academic freedom. Located in the capital of Kazakhstan, NU is a research university with growing international renown combining education, research and innovation on a state of the art 21st-century campus. NU scholars conduct research in many fields, and seek to expand human knowledge through innovation, analysis, and collaboration. Within ten years since its inception, NU has become a leading research university in Kazakhstan. NU research is supported by the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, local and international organizations, and is carried out in the Schools, Research Centers and Institutes. Please visit Nazarbayev University website https://research.nu.edu.kz/en/ to find comprehensive information on the NU research activities and profiles of faculty and researchers.

About Electromedical Technologies

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Electromedical Technologies, Inc. is a commercial stage, FDA cleared, bioelectronic medical device manufacturing company initially focused on the treatment of various chronic, acute, intractable, and post-operative pain conditions. Through University collaboration agreements, the Company is working to develop a comprehensive research program in defining the effects of electro-modulation on the human body. By studying the impacts of electrical fields in cell signaling and effects on virus assembly and immune responses, the Company's goal is to reduce pain and improve overall human wellbeing. The Company's current FDA cleared product indications are for chronic acute post traumatic and post-operative, intractable pain relief. For more information, please visit http://www.electromedtech.com. Nonhuman preliminary studies that we are planning to start in the near future and their applications are not related to our current product in any way and currently not cleared in the US.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.

Corporate Contact:

Electromedical Technologies, Inc.Hanover InternationalTel: 1.888.880.7888email: ir@electromedtech.comhttps://electromedtech.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electromedical-technologies-and-nazarbayev-university-complete-agreement-to-expand-promising-joint-research-programs-301304872.html

SOURCE Electromedical Technologies, Inc.

Company Codes: OTC-PINK:EMED, OTC-QB:EMED, OTC-QX:EMED

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Electromedical Technologies and Nazarbayev University Complete Agreement to Expand Promising Joint Research Programs - BioSpace

Physiology

Faith communities have the potential to promote physical wellbeing – News-Medical.Net

If someone joins a church, mosque or synagogue, they may be seeking better emotional or spiritual health. But according to research out of West Virginia University, faith communities have the potential to promote physical wellbeing, as well.

A new study led by Angel Smothers, Stephanie Young and Elizabeth Morrissey--researchers with the WVU School of Nursing--and James Thomas from the School of Medicine's Division of Exercise Physiology suggests that healthcare providers who work directly with a faith community can help congregants stick with an exercise program.

Their results appear in the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice.

Even in Biblical texts, there were always caregivers who cared for people within early congregations, so it's not a new idea. But a health ministry program can be from any faith background. It's not just a Christian concept."

Angel Smothers, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family/Community Health

Regardless of the range of beliefs that different faith communities may subscribe to, the goal of any faith-community healthcare provider is the same: to uncover and address congregation-specific health needs.

The study involved 14 participants who were members of a Christian congregation.

When the study began in 2018, the participants completed surveys to identify their current exercise habits, describe their general outlook on personal health and pinpoint what--if anything--made adherence to an exercise program difficult.

After being guided through a 12-week program of exercise, health education and devotional discussions, they took the surveys again. The participants tended to report more favorable responses regarding whether they had time to exercise and whether they needed more time to sleep or catch up on rest. They also reported improved comfort with exercise on a regular basis.

These results suggest that the program encouraged better time management, provided the participants with more energy or did both.

That's especially important because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists lack of time and energy as a common barrier to physical activity.

Health ministry programs may offer one way to improve the longevity of exercise programs.

"We know that when people have social support, they're more likely to engage in activities like these," said Young, a clinical assistant professor and PhD student in the Department of Family/Community Health. "The little research into faith-community nursing that's out there is showing that a spiritual component can be a motivator. If people believe they can serve God better by being healthier--if they believe that God wants them to take care of themselves--then that can be even more internal motivation."

For the 12-week study period, the participants attended two hour-long meetings in their church gym twice per week.

The first hour consisted of an exercise routine that researchers with the School of Medicine's Division of Exercise Physiology developed. The exercises took participants' safety and physical abilities into account. For example, participants with mobility issues might be assigned activities they could perform while seated, rather than being asked to walk laps around the gym.

During the second hour, participants discussed health-related matters with the faith-community nurse, who kept tabs on their health, checked their vitals and answered questions about their medications, their symptoms and ways to preserve their health.

"You know, we had young people whose blood pressures were high, and they had no idea until we checked," Smothers said.

"It was multidimensional in that some people would come and walk a little, but what they really enjoyed was the devotional and educational piece," Smothers said. "Some people wouldn't feel like walking at all, but they would still come get their blood pressure checked and stay for the education and devotional.

Once someone has formed a new walking habit--or made another physical activity part of their routine--the benefits can be numerous. As the CDC reports, they tend to lose weight; lower their blood pressure; reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer; and alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In this case, the program proved so popular that it continued beyond the 12 weeks that the study encompassed. It lasted for more than a year and a half, until COVID brought it to an end.

"This project was just one example of how a partnership between faith-community nurses and professionals from another discipline--which, for us, was exercise physiology--can really turn into meaningful pockets of access to care," Smothers said. "Because that's really what this was. It's definitely something that can be done grassroots, by meeting people right where they are."

Source:

Journal reference:

Smothers, A., et al. (2021) Limiting barriers to exercise through the development of a faith-based community walking program. Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice. doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2021.100428.

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Faith communities have the potential to promote physical wellbeing - News-Medical.Net

Physiology

Mike Marshall, 78, First Relief Pitcher to Win Cy Young Award, Dies – The New York Times

Mike Marshall, who became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award when he appeared in a major league season-record 106 games for the 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers, died on Tuesday at his home in Zephyrhills, Fla., near Tampa. He was 78.

His death was announced by the Dodgers, who said that his daughter Rebekah had told them, without providing further details, that he had been in hospice care.

Marshall developed extraordinary endurance through his knowledge of kinesiology, the mechanics of bodily movement, long before pitchers used high-tech equipment in hopes of improving their performance and warding off arm injuries.

He earned a doctorate in exercise physiology from Michigan State University in 1978, when he was pitching for the Minnesota Twins, and later taught there. His best pitch was a screwball, which breaks in the opposite direction from that of a curveball.

In addition to his single-season record for most games pitched, Marshall, a right-hander, pitched in 13 consecutive games in 1974, threw 208 relief innings and finished 83 games major league records as well.

Appearing solely in relief in 1974, his sideburns curling toward his mouth, Marshall was an all too familiar figure to batters in the late innings. He had a 15-12 record in 1974 with a 2.42 earned run average and 21 saves.

But he gained a reputation for being condescending when baseball writers sought to interview him.

I remember the sportswriters in Los Angeles come into the locker room and ask: How are you able to do this? Youre going to break down, Marshall was quoted as saying by The Los Angeles Times. I said: Hey, its simple. Its kinesiology, and all you have to understand is what the latissimus dorsi muscle can do for you. And then you get to use the triceps brachii and the inner teres. Its right there. And theyd walk away.

During the 1974 World Series, the sports columnist Dave Anderson of The New York Times wrote of how Marshall had declined to provide more than perfunctory answers to reporters postgame questions. Privately, he noted, many of his teammates dislike his aloof, impersonal manner, but they tolerate it because of his durability and talent.

Indeed, there was no disputing Marshalls impact on his fellow Dodger pitchers. Im a better student of hitters since Mike joined this year, said Andy Messersmith, who won 20 games in 1974. Marshall had been traded to the Dodgers by the Montreal Expos.

In winning the National League Cy Young Award, the major leagues most coveted prize for a pitcher, Marshall beat out Messersmith for the honor, collecting 17 of 24 possible first place votes. Eight relief pitchers from both leagues have since won the award.

In his only postseason appearances, Marshall pitched in two National League Championship Series games against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1974 and in every game of the World Series, when the Dodgers lost to the Oakland As, 4 games to 1. In the Dodgers only victory, he picked off Oaklands Herb Washington, their world-class sprinter, when Washington, representing the potential tying run, was taking a lead off first base in what became the Dodgers 3-2 victory in Game 2.

Marshall was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 1974 and 1975. He holds the still-standing American League record for games pitched in a season with 90 for the 1979 Twins.

Michael Grant Marshall was born on Jan. 15, 1943, in Adrian, Mich., about 70 miles southwest of Detroit. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies organization in September 1960 but didnt make his major league debut until 1967, with the Detroit Tigers.

After developing a sore arm in his rookie season, Marshall studied ways to reduce stress on his arm by changing the dynamics of his pitching motion.

The Seattle Pilots obtained him in baseballs expansion draft as they stocked their inaugural team of 1969, after he had returned to the minors for one season. He later pitched for the Houston Astros and the Expos, who traded him to the Dodgers for outfielder Willie Davis. The Dodgers traded him to the Atlanta Braves in midseason 1976, and he later pitched for the Texas Rangers, the Twins and then the 1981 Mets in his final major league season.

Marshall pitched in 724 games, all but 24 in relief, in his 14 major league seasons. He had a 97-112 record with 188 saves and an earned run average of 3.14.

In addition to his daughter Rebekah, his survivors include his second wife, Erica, and his daughters Kerry and Deborah. All three children were from his marriage to his first wife, Nancy Marshall, who died in April, The Associated Press reported.

Marshall left his posts as a physical education teacher and head baseball coach at West Texas A&M in 1994 and moved to Florida to found a baseball clinic in Zephyrhills.

He had his students throw hard every day, wind up with 30-pound weights around each wrist and heave 12-pound iron balls at a wooden backstop.

Nobody whos gone through this program has ever gotten hurt, he told Sports Illustrated in 2001. These kids are now injury-proof.

I was dismissed as a physical freak, he said. I did things nobody had ever done. For me not to be considered the best relief pitcher in the history of baseball is silly.

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Mike Marshall, 78, First Relief Pitcher to Win Cy Young Award, Dies - The New York Times

Physiology

WGME, BDN cite UMaine discovery of invasive earthworm in Northern Maine – UMaine News – University of Maine – University of Maine

WGME (Channel 13 in Portland) and the Bangor Daily News cited a University of Maine study that discovered the invasive European earthworm in two forest sites in Northern Maine. The study by research associate Joshua Puhlick, professor of soil sciences and forest resources Ivan Fernandez and assistant professor of forest ecosystem physiology Jay Wason was published in the journal Forests. The County and Fiddlehead Focus advanced the BDN report.

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WGME, BDN cite UMaine discovery of invasive earthworm in Northern Maine - UMaine News - University of Maine - University of Maine

Physiology

MLB Injury Report: Zac Gallens Path Back to the Mound – fantraxhq.com

Nic Civale is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and former NCAA Division I Baseball player. He combines his knowledge of anatomy and physiology with that of baseball mechanics to provide expectations for injured players. Utilize The MLB Injury Report to make the most of your fantasy season. Today he looks into the recent injury woes of talented right-hander Zac Gallen.

Diagnosed with a UCL sprain in early May, Zac Gallen has begun his return to throwing bullpens. He is a staple of many fantasy managers rotations and one of the best young pitchers in MLB.

What?! Your fantasy baseball league is not using Fantrax? Inconceivable! Check out everything Fantrax has to offer, and Im sure youll come around to our way of thinking.

The Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) is a small, yet strong ligament that connects the humerus, or upper arm, to the proximal end of the ulna. The ulna is one of two bones that make up the forearm. The job of the UCL is to maintain stability in the elbow joint as it experiences massive rotational and translational forces during the throwing motion. As you may have heard from coaches or baseball analysts, the overhead throwing motion is not necessarily one that our bodies were designed for. To tolerate the repetitive nature of overhead throwing, the baseball athlete effectively reshapes their body and muscular identity to accommodate for the unnatural motion.

To most physical therapists, a baseball player is easy to spot without the need for an interview because they will almost certainly exhibit more shoulder external rotation and less internal rotation in their throwing arm. Also commonly seen is a greater allowance for trunk rotation to one side (unless they are a switch hitter or thrower). Additionally, there is almost always some degree of wear and tear on the UCL. Yes, many, if not most, ballplayers will end their careers with micro-tears, inflammation, and even scar tissue build-up in or around their UCL. If you took an MRI of all MLB pitchers, it wouldnt surprise me to learn that 90% of them had evidence of some type of UCL sprain. Which brings us to the hero of this story, Zac Gallen.

Diagnosed with a stress fracture in the radial head of his throwing arm earlier this year, Zac Gallen has more recently learned of a UCL sprain in the same arm. He has been resting his arm since experiencing discomfort back in early May. The last start he completed was May 7, where he completed six frames of 1 run ball. After about 3 weeks of rest and therapy, his pain had diminished, the swelling had abated and subsequent imaging and testing showed appropriate healing.

On Tuesday, June 1, Gallen threw a 30 pitch bullpen, with the entire arsenal on the table. There have not been any reports of setbacks or discomfort and it appears he is ready to progress in intensity and volume. If he was to progress with his pitch count by about 15 pitches per 5-day rotation, he would theoretically be available by late June or early July. There is a heavy dose of optimism in that projection, for sure, but it is possible.

Gallens scenario is a very fitting example of the dangers of giving up on a player too early if you dont completely understand the injury and its implications. Many fantasy managers were hastily selling low on Gallen, assuming Tommy John surgery (TJS) was imminent. Ultimately, it is still possible that Gallen has a setback and receives the surgery. After all, hes not in the clear after a successful 30-pitch pen. But deeming a player as doomed after any type of injury pops up in the throwing elbow is something fantasy managers are too hasty in resorting to. As previously mentioned, youd likely be hard-pressed to find an MLB pitcher who hasnt undergone some sort of UCL injury or damage; a sprain isnt a ticket to the operating room.

Additionally, we know Gallen was recovering from a separate and unrelated arm injury in the radial stress fracture. This was essentially a crack, but not a displacement, of the other forearm bone, with no isolated long-term implications, whatsoever. The only long-term effect this may have indirectly had on Gallen is that it disrupted his throwing program and routine. It is possible that this alteration of scheduling may have influenced the ultimate sprain of the UCL. There is no way we could ever know for sure, but it is reasonable to connect the two.

This makes me think the UCL sprain was not something that was inevitable and slowly approaching. Theres nothing glaringly abnormal about his mechanics, he has not experienced a dramatic velocity gain or a significant arsenal change. His control has been characteristically good. Nothing about his game draws a red flag. I think the UCL sprain was more likely to be related to the abnormal year he had had so far.

Pitchers are generally an extremely regimented and schedule-based species. And Gallen has not had any normalcy to his year. A month-long alteration is his throwing program and daily routine coupled with a nearby fracture certainly seem more responsible than anything else.

So what does this mean going forward? My only option is to look at this as a physical therapist would. I could see it being an exam question in a biomechanics final

You are evaluating a 25-year-old, otherwise healthy, professional baseball pitcher. He has experienced a UCL sprain as evidenced by MRI. There are no concrete indications that this was a progressive injury, linked to increased load, or arsenal change. There has been no other recent UCL injury. The athlete recently experienced a nearby stress fracture that altered his throwing program and caused a month-long progression in workload to return to his baseline. The athlete was able to return from this stress fracture and perform to his standards for over 1 month until he experienced discomfort in the medial elbow. He is currently progressing his pitch count and has successfully built up to a 30-pitch bullpen without symptoms. How do you approach the remaining rehabilitation program?

A) Contact surgeon for additional consultation. Suggest TJS due to previous sprain.

B) Aggressively progress patient though throwing program up to his previous norms. He is ready for increased intensity.

C) Incrementally increase workload and complexity of throwing sessions, with constant evaluation of symptoms, while checking patient range of motion and strength.

D) Tell your fantasy baseball friends to trade him for cents on the dollar; hes toast.

Yes, the answer is C! Its always C!

This will be a closely observed and slow process, but everything that is occurring points to a return in 2021, even if it means waiting until the All-Star break. The Diamondbacks would be very smart to be extremely cautious with their young ace, and heed any warnings based off of negative symptoms. But I am all in on Gallen, as I have been for years. He is a special pitcher, who has a great understanding of what he needs to get out of his body to be a successful pitcher. It isnt a coincidence he has had such success in the league without elite velocity or stuff. If he continues to increase his workload without setback, Im not going to be worried about any long-term implications here. You shouldnt either.

Did you know Eric Cross has recently updated his Dynasty Rankings? Check them out here for all the best info on the long-term values of the top MLB and MiLB players.

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MLB Injury Report: Zac Gallens Path Back to the Mound - fantraxhq.com

Physiology

LifeQ, Preeminent Provider of Biometrics and Health Information, Partners with 1Life on New COVID-19 Screening Application – BioSpace

ATLANTA, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --LifeQ, the preeminent independent provider of biometrics and health information derived from wearable devices and used in world-leading health management solutions, announced it has partnered with South Africa-based insurance leader 1Life on a new version of its COVID-19 screening application. This announcement comes at a time when COVID is still a serious threat across the globe, and the importance of early detection and spread prevention remains critical.

1Life's new LifeQ-powered health management solutiontracking and providing insights derived from users' LifeQ enabled wearable deviceswill now flag potential COVID-19 onset in policy holders before symptoms are experienced. This is in addition to providing a wealth of health information that improves users' lives.

The LifeQ COVID-19 app aims to reduce and prevent transmission of the virus by alerting individuals to possible infection prior to symptom onset through a combination of physiological monitoring and user feedback. Individuals are alerted to changes in physiology, including heart rate, breathing rate and other factors detected via their wearable device, and are prompted to provide contextual feedback via the app.

Utilizing biometric data to give users an indication of changes in their health, LifeQ already has a proven track record with early-adopter employers of flagging COVID onset in an employee ahead of the dangerous 48-hour period of viral shedding, avoiding costly office sterilization and imposing quarantine on fellow-employees.

"One of the biggest problems with COVID-19 is the period in which the individual has the disease and doesn't know it, making transmission to loved ones, work colleagues or the general public more likely," said Laurence Olivier, CEO of LifeQ. "While the screening app is not an official diagnostic tool, and all medical and testing protocols must be followed according to local government guidelines, LifeQ's COVID application utilizes state-of-the-art technology to give people the information they need to be proactive, slow the rate of infection, and avoid illness."

The LifeQ COVID-19 app ensures users can monitor their status to receive any indication of changes in health and possible COVID infection. A green status signals that you are doing well; a yellow status signals that that you should be exercising caution and monitor yourself for symptoms within the next 1-2 days; and a red status signals that you are unwell since you have either reported symptoms or a positive COVID test within the app. The app also gives users a pre-infection risk score that provides an indication of their risk of getting seriously ill if they were to contract the virus.

About LifeQ

LifeQ is the leading independent provider of biometrics and health insights derived from wearable devices, helping people live healthier lives. By providing a 24/7 lens into the body, LifeQ's solutions go beyond an everyday smart watch, generating business-grade biometrics for consumers, athletes, and the acutely and chronically ill to detect health problems earlier, manage their existing problems, and prevent illness. Consumers, wearable device companies, insurers and reinsurers, health-tech companies, clinicians, researchers and analytics companies all benefit from LifeQ's powerful capabilitiesrepresenting the future of healthcare. For more information, please visit http://www.lifeq.com.

Contact: Deborah Geiger, deborah@geigercommunications.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lifeq-preeminent-provider-of-biometrics-and-health-information-partners-with-1life-on-new-covid-19-screening-application-301304073.html

SOURCE LifeQ

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LifeQ, Preeminent Provider of Biometrics and Health Information, Partners with 1Life on New COVID-19 Screening Application - BioSpace