Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

The Evolving Role of Ion Channels in Shaping Successful Drug Discovery, Upcoming Webinar Hosted by Xtalks – PR Web

Targeting ion channels selectively has always been challenging. New, more specific modalities including antibodies, aptamers, peptides and knotbodies are also being explored.

TORONTO (PRWEB) November 05, 2020

There are over 200 ion channels in the human body, all playing a pivotal role in normal physiology. As such, they are important targets for drug therapies that modulate ion channels in critical pathways, or correct aberrant ion channel function. To date, there are over 150 marketed drugs that target ion channels. Many of these drugs are anaesthetics, anti-epileptics or are active in the cardiovascular system.

The importance of ion channels in the pharmaceutical industry is evolving. As knowledge of ion channel physiology and how to target ion channels evolves, therapeutic opportunities are becoming more diverse, extending to renal and respiratory disease, inflammation, cancer, pain and depression. How the pharmaceutical industry tests and explores ion channels is also evolving with high-throughput platforms and hiPSC models.

Targeting ion channels selectively has always been challenging. New, more specific modalities including antibodies, aptamers, peptides and knotbodies are also being explored. Finally, given the importance of ion channels in normal physiology, unwanted activity at ion channels in the heart or CNS can cause serious adverse effects and should be avoided. In this respect, screening for effects on ion channels is a key, rapidly developing area of drug discovery.

Consideration of these evolving areas in ion channel drug discovery is critical to the successful development of new medicines.

Join Dr. Michael Morton, Director, ApconiX Ltd in a live webinar on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 11am EST (4pm GMT/UK).

For more information, or to register for this event, visit The Evolving Role of Ion Channels in Shaping Successful Drug Discovery.

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The Evolving Role of Ion Channels in Shaping Successful Drug Discovery, Upcoming Webinar Hosted by Xtalks - PR Web

Physiology

NIH Grant aims to enhance scientific models of aging focused on creating better intervention tools for age-related decline – Newswise

Newswise San Antonio, Texas (November 5, 2020)The Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) at Texas Biomedical Research Institute and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio received a $1.3 million collaborative grant to continue the San Antonio Marmoset Aging Program (SA MAP) and further define the hallmarks of aging in a nonhuman primate (monkey) model. Developing the marmoset model will allow for eventual testing of interventions in additional model systems that could slow or change age-related decline in humans.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging awarded the grant to develop new tools for the characterization of aging to Corinna Ross, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Texas Biomed and Associate Director of Research at the Southwest National Primate Research Center, and Adam Salmon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Barshop Institute, UT Health San Antonio. Drs. Ross and Salmon will co-lead the team of scientists within SA MAP, leveraging their expertise and resources to gain knowledge behind the molecular and physiological functions behind age-related diseases.

SA MAP has developed several tools over the years to characterize aging in marmosets explained Dr. Ross. While the nine hallmarks of aging have been identified, we only have a few tools to measure these hallmarks. With this study, we hope to pinpoint biomarkers of cellular aging in marmosets so that these biomarkers can eventually serve as targets for interventions, and marmosets can become an effective model for testing these interventions.

Marmoset models are widely used in biomedical research but are most commonly used in aging studies partly due to their small size and relatively short life span of 20 years. As a non-human primate, marmosets closely resemble humans genetically, enabling them to serve as a valuable tool to test pharmacological or drug interventions.

To date, laboratory rodents and invertebrates have largely been the models to study the hallmarks of aging. However, marmosets display a wide spectrum of age-related issues similar to humans and are susceptible to diseases that occur in humans but not in rodents. Mechanisms behind the root causes of the hallmarks of aging at the cellular and molecular levels have yet to be explored in the nonhuman primate.

This model could potentially provide a window of opportunity to move aging research to the next level and assist in developing the clinical approaches that target the hallmarks of aging and their interconnection to one another, said Dr. Salmon.

The nine hallmarks of aging include:1. Genomic instability, high frequency of genetic mutations within a genome2. Telomere attrition, the gradual loss of the protective ends of chromosomes3. Epigenetic alterations, changes in the chemical structure of DNA4. Loss of proteostasis, development of nonnative protein aggregates in tissues5. Deregulated nutrient sensing, bodys inability to take in key nutrients effectively6. Mitochondrial dysfunction, disruption in mitochondrias ability to regulate cellular pathways in the body7. Cellular senescence, regular cell cycle is interrupted because cells become resistant to growth-promoting stimuli8. Stem cell exhaustion, a deficiency of stem cells due to aging. Stem cells are cells that can turn into any cell type and are needed to repair systems in the body9. Altered intercellular communication, alteration in the signaling between cells which happens as a result of aging

The NIH is really focused on interdisciplinary, collaborative research, Dr. Ross added. We have assembled a team that blends expertise in marmoset physiology and behavior, aging interventions and molecular mechanisms to address some of the remaining questions in aging through cutting-edge research. Were at the forefront of using marmosets for geriatric research and are very excited to explore the use of marmosets to test pharmaceutical interventions.

The Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomed (SNPRC) houses one of two marmoset colonies at a National Primate Center, and is home to 400 marmosets with the largest geriatric marmoset colony in the country. Recently, theNIH awarded SNPRC a grantto double the size of its marmoset colony to support ongoing and future neuroscience research.

Research is being supported by the National Institute On Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U34AG068482. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Research at SNPRC is also supported by the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of Health P51 OD011133.

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NIH Grant aims to enhance scientific models of aging focused on creating better intervention tools for age-related decline - Newswise

Physiology

Anatomage Launches Interactive Physiology Content and Other Updates to the Anatomage eBook – Yahoo Finance

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Chinas move to abruptly halt the worlds biggest stock-market debut sends global investors a clear message: Any financial opening will only be done on terms that benefit President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party.Policy makers in Beijing shocked the investment world on Tuesday by suspending an initial public offering by Ant Group Co., a fintech company owned by billionaire Jack Ma -- Chinas second-richest man. The decision came just two days before shares were set to trade in a listing that attracted at least $3 trillion of orders from individual investors.The timing of the decision showed once again that for Xi and the party, financial and political stability take precedence over ceding control of the economy -- especially to a private company. In Beijings view, allowing the IPO to go forward could effectively give Ant too much sway over the financial system, posing broader risks that could ultimately undermine the partys grip on power.The party is flexing its muscle, said Victor Shih, associate professor at UC San Diego and author of Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation. Its saying to Jack Ma, you are going to have the biggest IPO in the world, but thats not a big deal for the CCP, which oversees the worlds second-largest economy.While the party has ample tools to quash political dissidents, local officials have struggled at times to contain outbursts of anger brought on by bread-and-butter issues such as labor disputes, investment fraud, and environmental disasters. To mitigate any threats to the financial system or the partys authority, Xis government has demonstrated over the past decade that it has no problem taking down billionaires and private companies.For foreign investors, the Ant saga has raised questions about the viability of Hong Kong and Shanghai as premium financial centers. Thats particularly so after China last week signaled greater openness in a new five-year plan that put a timeline on moving forward with past promises of allowing greater foreign access and gradually relaxing controls over the yuan and capital flows.Both the sequence and timing of events of the IPO failure will raise doubts among foreign investors about Chinas commitment to the kind of transparency needed in modern, open capital markets, said Fraser Howie, author of Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of Chinas Extraordinary Rise.It sends a number of signals, often conflicting, Howie said. Investors must therefore be concerned about the listing process in China, they will be concerned by disclosure, they will be concerned about arbitrary moves on the part of the regulators.Many analysts saw the move as sensible, even if the timing was disruptive. Chinese regulators said Ants business model effectively allowed it to charge higher fees for transactions while state-run banks took on most of the risk. At the same time Ant sought to list, authorities were racing to develop rules that would subject financial holding companies to higher capital requirements. Its also planning to create a digital yuan, which is part of its push to maintain control over the stability of its payment system.China Securities Regulatory Commission said Wednesday it supported a decision by the Shanghai Stock Exchange to block a hasty initial public offering. Changes in fintech industry regulations have a huge impact on Ants operational structure and profit model, it said in a statement.Mas Risky SpeechAt a conference in Shanghai on Oct. 24, Ma blamed global regulators for focusing too much on risk, and criticized Chinas own measures for stifling innovation. The remarks came after Vice President Wang Qishan -- a Xi confidante -- called for a balance between financial innovation and strong regulations to prevent financial risks.It appeared that, intentionally or not, Ma was openly defying and criticizing the Chinese governments approach to financial regulation, Andrew Batson, China research director at Gavekal Research Limited., wrote in a note.Mas comments came right before the Communist Party held a key meeting to plan the countrys economy for the next 15 years, bringing the issues of technology, financial stability and economic growth to the top of the national agenda. After it ended last week, regulators released new rules affecting Ants businesses and summoned Ma to Beijing for a rare meeting on Monday. The IPO was suspended the next day.Within China, state-run media have highlighted Ants failures to comply with regulatory requirements while showcasing the governments strong market supervision mechanisms and risk controls to protect consumers. In a commentary dated late Tuesday, the party-backed Economic Daily said suspending the IPO showed that every link of the capital market has perfect rules and serious supervision methods.Its understandable from the regulatory perspective and it is still a better outcome for investors than facing a black-swan event immediately after the listing, said Lv Changshun, an analyst at Beijing Zhonghe Yingtai Management Consultant Co. Policymakers can tolerate innovation, but that should not be at the cost of a systemic financial risk. Avoiding that risk is an important foundation to push forward more capital market reforms.China Accelerates Capital Market Reform to Counter Virus, U.S.Ants IPO prospectus was a bigger contributor to the timing of Chinas moves than Mas speech in Shanghai, according to Gao Zhikai, a former Chinese diplomat and former China policy adviser for the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Once regulators saw that Ant could do things that were off limits to commercial lenders, he said, someone rang the bell and brought it to the attention of the regulators.Traditional financial institutions, banks in particular, would probably welcome this decision when the dust settles, he said. It also does not create a regulatory disadvantage to Ant Group. It reminds Ant they need to treat certain parts of its operation as a commercial bank.Growing ScrutinyChinese authorities have been stepping up oversight of private companies for several years. In 2018, the central bank identified Ant and other firms as financial holding companies, putting them under increased scrutiny because of their growing role in the nations money flows and financial plumbing.That same year, regulators seized Anbang Insurance Group Co., which symbolized the recent era of mega-acquisitive Chinese companies, and imprisoned its former chairman for fraud. HNA Group Co. and Tomorrow Holding Co. were later taken over by the state or broken up, while China Evergrande Group in September is to have warned of a potential cash crunch that could pose systemic risks to China.Ostentatious and blunt, Ma is perhaps Chinas most well-known entrepreneur in the communist nation. The globe-trotting tycoon is a special adviser to the United Nations, has debated Elon Musk on international forums, and is a regulator at annual Davos gatherings. Hes created two multi-hundred-billion dollar companies and has labeled himself a champion for the little guy and small businesses.On Wednesday, however, posts on Chinese social-media platforms were largely unsympathetic toward Ma. One anonymous Weibo poster wrote if you dont go out looking for trouble, trouble wont find you. Another quipped that its time for Jack Ma to wake up, listen often and speak less.Despite Mas public dressing down and the reputational blow to Chinas markets, many investors are still optimistic about Ants IPO. Higher liquidity requirements would hit sentiment, but thats not necessarily a bad thing for a listing that saw shares selling for a 50% premium in gray-market trading ahead of the IPO.Ram Parameswaran, founder of San Francisco-based Octahedron Capital Management, a hedge fund that holds shares in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and is planning to invest in the Ant IPO, saw the suspension as positive to stamp the speculation in the stock. Shares of Alibaba, which owns a third of Ant, fell 7.5% in Hong Kong, the most since its debut in the city last year.Whats clear to me is that the lending business will grow slower over the next few years, Parameswaran said. That in the larger scheme of things is net positive for the sector and Ant. Steady growth is good.Strings PulledFor global investors, however, the episode is likely to reinforce the notion that the party calls all the shots when it comes to major business decisions -- and any opening measures will be carefully calibrated for the impact on the Communist Party. That could be all the more important in the years ahead as China seeks to develop its own core technologies in the face of growing pressure from the U.S., which is likely to continue no matter who ends up the winner of Tuesdays election.This sends a signal to the major tech players not to get too big for their britches and that the party is still in charge, said Kendra Schaefer, head of digital research at the Trivium China consultancy in Beijing. Internationally, however, moves like this do very little to alleviate concerns that tech companies going out are not having their strings pulled by Beijing.(Updates with CSRC statement in 10th paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Anatomage Launches Interactive Physiology Content and Other Updates to the Anatomage eBook - Yahoo Finance

Physiology

A new neuroscience major will delve into the brain and behavior – AroundtheO

A new interdisciplinary major made its debut at the UO this fall, when the College of Arts and Sciences rolled out a neuroscience major that will offer students an opportunity to dive deep into the study of the brain and behavior.

The new major primarily draws from biology, psychology and human physiology to help students explore how the nervous system functions. The new major builds on the UOs strength in neuroscience as it complements the universitys Institute of Neuroscience, which is the research home for an interdisciplinary group of faculty members working together to explore cutting-edge neuroscience questions.

Students will be introduced to faculty expertise and coursework from that trio of departments to help them study the field of neuroscience, which seeks to understand how the brain impacts behavior, emotion and cognitive functions. Neuroscience also investigates what is happening in the brain that contributes to various health issues and neurological and psychological disorders like strokes, depression and addiction.

Students majoring in neuroscience will be required to hone advanced skills in programming or computational techniques or pursue research experience in one of the UOs many neuroscience labs to equip them to apply what they learn in class to neuroscience research.

The neuroscience major was developed in response to student and faculty interest in a major that is dedicated to studying the complex relationship between brain and behavior, said Nicole Dudukovic, a senior instructor in the Department of Psychology and the new program director of the neuroscience major. Given the existing faculty excellence in neuroscience at the UO, it seemed like a no-brainer pun intended to create a neuroscience major.

Students also will take upper-division courses to better understand the three main branches of the field, which include molecular and cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience. Their combined coursework and skills development will help students foster critical thinking and analytical reasoning through the major.

The field of neuroscience offers a number of pathways to graduates looking to use their academic career as a springboard into a professional one. Neuroscience majors can pursue a range of positions in scientific research, medicine, government, nonprofit and industry jobs. Neuroscience majors can also elect to continue their studies at competitive graduate programs around the world.

We are part of a larger trend neuroscience majors are popping up at many institutions across the U.S. and are excited to be the first public university in Oregon to offer a neuroscience major, Dudukovic said. In creating this major, we thought about the kinds of qualities and level of preparation that faculty look for in prospective graduate students, and we designed the major so that it provides this kind of rigorous training.

Students can pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in the new major. Undergraduates or prospective students interested in the major can explore the degree requirements, sample academic plans and research opportunities through the majors new website.

By Emily Halnon, University Communications

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A new neuroscience major will delve into the brain and behavior - AroundtheO

Physiology

Nancy Carrasco elected to the National Academy of Medicine for outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service – Vanderbilt University…

On Oct. 19,Nancy Carrasco, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and the Joe C. Davis Chair of Biomedical Science, waselectedto the National Academy of Medicine.

The election process recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. According to a release, current members elected Carrasco for making exceptional contributions to elucidating mechanisms by which ions and other solutes are transported across biological membranes. Her work has broad impact and significance across biomedical fields ranging from biophysics and molecular physiology to cancer, metabolism, molecular endocrinology, and public health.

We are thrilled that Dr. Carrasco has been recognized by the National Academy of Medicine for the work that she continues to devote her extraordinary career to, saidLawrence Marnett, dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences and Mary GeddesStahlmanProfessor of Cancer Research. Her research is focused on understanding the physiology of thyroid hormone biosynthesis and how it is affected by genetic mutations and environmental pollutants. She is addressing pressing public health concerns, and her work has a clear, tangible impact on human health.

Dr. Carrascos election to the National Academy of Medicine underscores her commitment to bringing scientific clarity to a public health crisis. Her focus on inclusive and collaborative research has resulted in transformative research that is meaningfully improving human health, while also exemplifying the diverse perspectives and trans-institutional methods that set Vanderbilt apart, noted Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic AffairsSusan R. Wente.

Carrasco has been elected to the NAM along withtwo other Vanderbilt researchers,Velma McBride Murry, university professor of health policy and human and organizational development in Peabody College and the School of Medicine and the Lois Autrey Betts Chair of Education and Human Development at Peabody College, andConsuelo Wilkins, professor of medicine in the School of Medicine and vice president for health equity at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Carrasco isolated the coding DNA for the sodium/iodide symporter NIS, the iodide transporter protein that actively pulls iodide from the bloodstream into the thyroid gland. Iodide is an essential constituent of the thyroid hormones, which are crucial for the development of the nervous system beginning in uterine life, and regulate metabolism in virtually all tissues. The critical importance of the thyroid hormones makes understanding the protein that ushers their key constituent into the thyroid gland essential to understanding human health overall.

I am deeply honored to have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, Carrasco said. I have always felt very strongly that the links between understanding physiology and pathophysiology at the molecular level and both medical practice and public health should be viewed as a cornerstone of our collective efforts to improve the health of our communities, and that has been a guiding principle in my work. I am extremely grateful to the members of the Academy for electing me and, in so doing, affirming the value of basic science as a key contributor to progress in medicine.

Carrasco continues to investigate the functions of NIS and its interaction with the environmental pollutantperchlorate. She and her colleagues recently reported that perchlorate exposure fundamentally alters the mechanism by which NIS transports iodide into the thyroid, and her group had previously shown that NIS is functionally expressed in lactating breast tissue, making it clear that this pollutant is more dangerous than previously thought. These discoveries demonstrate that perchlorate exposure can markedly decrease thyroid hormone production in vulnerable populations, including pregnant and nursing mothers and their fetuses and newborns. Her research also has direct applications to the development of breast cancer therapeutics.

Carrasco has received numerous national and international awards, including the Pew Award in the Biomedical Sciences, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Award, the Maria SibyllaMerianAward (Germany), the Merck Prize from the European Thyroid Association (Poland), the NounShavitAwardin Life Sciences (Israel),and Light of Life Award. She has served as president of the Society of Latin American Biophysicists and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2015.

Carrasco received her M.D. and masters degree in biochemistry from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in her native Mexico City and completed her postdoctoral training at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology. She joined the faculty at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1987 and at the Yale School of Medicine in 2011. She joined Vanderbilt in 2019.

This distinguished and diverse class of new members is a truly exceptional group of scholars and leaders whose expertise in science, medicine, health, and policy will be integral to helping the NAM address todays most pressing health challenges and inform the future of health and health care for the benefit of everyone around the globe, said National Academy of Medicine PresidentVictor J. Dzau. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.

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Nancy Carrasco elected to the National Academy of Medicine for outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service - Vanderbilt University...

Physiology

Researchers Seeking Participants for Campus’ First Whole-Room Calorimetry Study – UMass News and Media Relations

Researchers in Jane Kent's Muscle Physiology lab are seeking participants for a new study investigating the links between muscle bioenergetics (measured through magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and whole-body energy metabolism (measured through indirect calorimetry). Participants should be male, between the ages 25 and 40, and exercise for no more than three 30 minutes bouts each week

This will be the first study on campus to utilize the state-of-the-art whole-room calorimeter located in the Center for Human Health and Performance at the Institute for Applied Life Sciences. This instrument enables precise measurement of metabolic rate (number of calories burned) over the course of 24 hours and during specific daily activities (e.g. sleeping, walking, vacuuming). The calorimeter, which is one of the largest among 26 such facilities worldwide, resembles a hotel room and is complete with a bed, toilet, sink, TV, desk and treadmill.

Participants who participate in this study will receive a multi-day diet analysis, metabolic summary (resting metabolic rate, carbohydrate and fat utilization rates, 24hr calorie expenditure), body composition analysis (via gold standard DXA scan) and VO2 max measurement.

Those interested in being involved in this study please contact Chris Hayden at cmhayden@umass.edu. Compensation via gift cards is available.

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Researchers Seeking Participants for Campus' First Whole-Room Calorimetry Study - UMass News and Media Relations

Physiology

WSU research helps turn pennycress from a weed to bioenergy seed crop – WSU News

An oilseed crop with ideal properties for bio-jet fuel, the pennycress plant is being studied by WSU researchers interested in finding better genetics for wider, improved oil and fuel production.

By Seth TruscottCollege of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

Named for its coin-shaped, oil-rich seedpods, pennycress has colonized much of the globe as a common weed. But those oily seeds, unsuitable for human consumption, are an ideal crop for biodiesel and jet fuels.

This fall, researchers at Washington State University are taking a closer look at the genetics and physiology of pennycress, as part of a multi-institutional, $12.9 million research project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and led by Illinois State University scientist John Sedbrook.

Their five-year goal: to help develop a winter cover crop that can thrive in the Pacific Northwest, the U.S. Corn Belt, and beyond.

Karen Sanguinet, a crop physiologist and molecular geneticist in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, leads a $1.29 million subsidiary project at WSU, along with soil microbiologist Tarah Sullivan and extension agronomist Isaac Madsen.

They join collaborators at Pacific Northwest National Laboratorys Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Minnesota, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Ohio State University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, Western Illinois University, and CoverCress, Inc., in efforts to improve oilseed genetics.

Pennycress is an alternative crop that shows promise, both as an oilseed and as a cover crop that improves soil health and ecosystem services, Sanguinet said. Our goal is to identify adaptive genes that allow pennycress to survive in a range of environments and integrate into a suite of cropping systems.

Native to Eurasia, pennycress is a member of the Brassica family, which includes canola and other oilseeds. Wild pennycress varieties are inedible, due to high levels of a fatty acid that happens to be desirable for conversion to jet fuel. Over the last few years, pennycress has been developed as a winter cover crop for the 80-million-acre U.S. Corn Belt, and is now being tested in other temperate regions, including the Pacific Northwest.

Naturally cold and flood-tolerant, pennycress helps improve soil health and natural soil processes, capturing nitrates that can leach into groundwater, suppressing the growth of spring weeds, and preventing erosion. With modification, pennycress can also be bred to have a similar oil profile to canola, with less of the fatty acids that make it unpalatable.

Launched in September, this new project will help define genetic traits that promote good yields, define oil content and profiles, and improve stress resilience for a changing climate.

The team will use gene editing and combining of desirable traits, sequencing of natural, beneficial genetic changes and mutations, as well as the study of traits, the transcriptome, and the metabolomethe complex web of chemicals that interact within living thingsto build knowledge for breeding and crop development. Sanguinet expects that their findings will deliver a better understanding of basic oilseed biology to help improve related oilseed crops, such as canola and camelina.

Pennycress has a fairly simple, sequenced genome, and its easy to transform for gene editing and functional genomics, she said. It has great potential both as a biofuel crop, and as an oilseed for human consumption and animal feed. Our work will help build a foundation of resources for the broader pennycress community, and support breeding efforts for more sustainable crops.

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WSU research helps turn pennycress from a weed to bioenergy seed crop - WSU News

Physiology

The Use of Natural Agents to Prevent Prediabetes – Yiba

Dr Akinjide Moses Akinnuga was awarded a PhD in Medical Physiology for his thesis titled, Investigating the effects of bredemolic acid on selected markers of some prediabetes-associated dysfunctions in diet-induced prediabetic rats. The study was supervised by Dr Andile Khathi.

The study found that consumption of a high calorie diet causes prediabetes and its associated dysfunctions such as abnormal glucose metabolism, and liver, cardiovascular and kidney dysfunction. It showed that prediabetes and these dysfunctions can be prevented by natural antidiabetic agents without a change of diet.

I feel euphoric at having completed the degree within the minimum duration of two years. My future aspirations are to continue as an academic and focus on research in the areas of metabolism and endocrinology via postdoctoral research and collaboration with other medical scientists in the world, said Akinnuga.

Akinnuga is passionate about Physiology: Its fascinating to study how the body functions. Factors such as diet, stress, and lifestyle affect normal physiological functions and knowledge and understanding of how the body works can provide solutions.

He added that, My experience at UKZN was pleasant and was marked by teamwork and the development of my verbal, communication, and laboratory skills. I learned fast and shared several research ideas with colleagues in the same field and other fields.

During his spare time, the Nigerian-born academic enjoys singing, reading, travelling and spending time with his wife, Titilayo, and daughters.

Dr Akinjide Moses Akinnuga.

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The Use of Natural Agents to Prevent Prediabetes - Yiba

Physiology

Mind-body connections: Authors with Fairfield ties explore ways to keep balance for wellness – The Gazette

On the eve of its release, a book project that began five years ago in Fairfield has become especially timely in light of the pandemic and its inherent stressors.

Its a guide for getting mind and body in sync to boost the immune system and facilitate healing through diet, exercise and meditation. Its not a cure-all, but it does offer ways of coping, which the authors said can be applied during these uncertain times that take a toll on physical and mental well-being.

They discuss practical applications for reducing anxiety, depression, anger, PTSD, blood pressure, stress and insomnia, weight loss and tobacco use.

Dont let the title scare you. In a recent Gazette Zoom interview, authors Jay Marcus and Robert Keith Wallace of Fairfield and Dr. Christopher Clark of Santa Rosa, Calif., said readers dont need to be experts to glean useful information from The Coherence Effect: Tapping Into the Laws of Nature that Govern Health, Happiness, and Higher Brain Functioning.

Its due out in paperback Wednesday at Coherenceeffect.com, but a Kindle version is available now on Amazon.com

It has a lot of practical advice in it thats very easy to understand, said Wallace, 75, chair of the department of physiology and health at Fairfields Maharishi International University. Hes also founding president of the school, then known as Maharishi University of Management.

It does have some nice scientific explanations in it, written for the layman, he said. Its not written for a scientist. I write journal articles and theyre very different. Its much harder to write for everybody than it is for scientists, at least, for me.

So what is the Coherence Effect? On the books website, the authors explain:

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Coherence heals. The coherence effect is the healing effect of creating order in the mind and body. All diseases are disorders, and the antidote is to create order in the disordered part of the body or in the body as a whole. That is what modern medicine seeks to do with its pharmaceuticals.

But pharmaceuticals often just treat the symptoms and not the underlying disorder. If we want lasting health, we need to apply the coherence principle of creating order to what keeps us healthy on a daily basis to our diet, exercise, and rest and relaxation or meditation practices.

The book lays out sort of an introduction for people to start to take part in participating in their own health, said Clark, 70, who lived in Fairfield from 1982 to 2002, raised his family there, and served as psychiatric medical director at the Ottumwa Regional Health Center. He joined the book project three years ago.

Just as one size does not fit all in clothing, neither does one diet, one exercise plan or one discipline fit all people, so the book explores various paths readers can use to find what works for them.

It includes a quiz to help determine their body type and what foods are best suited to that type and disposition. For instance, Marcus, 78, a lawyer and lecturer who has taught meditation for 45 years, noted that a person with a medium build and a fiery temper should avoid hot, spicy foods that would inflame the situation.

And alcohol is not so good for that person, he added. Its like pouring kerosene on the fire.

The authors practice Transcendental Meditation and have explored other meditation methods, as well. They also look for the ways to combine medicine with ancient traditions.

I think that well-being is really a main theme now, and that people are able to participate in their own well-being and for prevention, Clark said. And so I think the technique of meditation is most profound because that sort of resets through deep, deep rest and achievement of brainwave coherence, which really has effects throughout the whole physiology, through the hormonal system, through normalizing sleep and to balancing blood pressure. The key is just the personalized and participatory nature of these recommendations.

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The book doesnt teach Transcendental Meditation, since thats done on an in-person, one-on-one basis, Marcus said.

But it doesnt have to be a solitary experience. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, meditation in a virtual group setting can give people a sense of connection to a community, Clark noted.

Isolation is contributing to a lot of the mental health problems people are having, he said. And certainly, you can Zoom a meditation. Keith and Jay and I were all on a Zoom meditation last week.

And its funny, you know, were all connecting right now (for the Zoom interview) and were in different locations, but there is a sense of togetherness and communication, and that actually helps, Clark said. And that helps people. And even in Zooming a meditation, eyes closed, there is the connectedness.

What: The Coherence Effect: Tapping Into the Laws of Nature that Govern Health, Happiness, and Higher Brain Functioning

Authors: Dr. Robert Keith Wallace and Jay Marcus of Fairfield, Dr. Christopher Clark of Santa Rosa, Calif.

Publisher: Armin Lear Press, 334 pages

Where: Coherenceeffect.com/ and Amazon.com

Details: Coherenceeffect.com/

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com

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Mind-body connections: Authors with Fairfield ties explore ways to keep balance for wellness - The Gazette

Physiology

The Link Between Muscle Fiber Types and Your Bodys Response to Training – runnersworld.com

More mileage during training results in faster finish times, right? Recent research suggests that might be true for some runnersbut not for everyone.

In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers recruited 24 highly trained, middle-distance runners and had them complete three weeks of their normal (which was prescribed by their individual coaches), followed by three weeks at an increased training volumea 10-, 20-, and 30- percent increase each successive week. Then, they did a one-week taper at a 55 percent reduction in training volume from their highest level.

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Before and immediately after each training period, running performance was assessed, as well as physiological responses, like resting metabolic rate (the total number of calories burned when your body is completely at rest) and muscle fiber composition.

Researchers found that half the runners decreased their overall running time because they gained speed, but the rest did noteven though they reported increased fatigue levels.

We challenged the idea that all runners adapt to increased mileage positively, and found that an increase in weekly mileage resulted in very individual responses, Philip Bellinger, Ph.D., the studys lead author and a lecturer in exercise science at Griffith University in Australia, told Runners World. Some runners increased their performance directly after the increase in training volume, while others had a substantial decrease.

Some of the runners had improved performance after the taper period, he added, while others only returned to their baseline level.

These findings show that not all runners respond the same way to a given training program, and what works for one runner may not work as effectively for another, he said.

Since there were no major differences in the runners resting metabolic rate or blood biomarkers (such as blood pressure or heart rate), the researchers believe their responses could come down to muscle fiber types. The runners who had performance increases tended to have a higher proportion of type I fibers (also called slow-twitch fibers), which are the kind used most for endurance, rather than fast-twitch fibers that switch on with short energy bursts. Basically, you use type I for a longer-distance run and type II for sprinting.

Bellinger said having more type I fibers made the runners better able to tolerate an increase in training volume (as opposed to having more type II fibers), leading to better performance adaptation.

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If you lack robust type I fibers, does that mean increasing your mileage is a wash? Not necessarily, according to Bellinger. He admits that few runners would be eager to get muscle biopsies, but theres a simpler way to determine if your mileage is working: Track your results.

Runners should communicate with their coach and monitor their own training very closely, he said. Look at training volume, duration, and intensity, and take note of responses to training, such as heart rate and perceived exertion.

Most of all, dont be hard on yourself if people in your running group are seeing major results from increased mileage and youre not. As the study suggests, you may need a different training program, not a different mindset.

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The Link Between Muscle Fiber Types and Your Bodys Response to Training - runnersworld.com