Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Zombie Physiology, According to The Walking Dead | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

The Walking Dead provides information on how zombies act, behave and evolve.

The zombie genre has been going strong since the 1930s, and while there's the occasional deviation in how they're portrayed on screen, audiences are most familiar with the these famed dead creatures as brainless and slow but deadly in hordes. The zombiesin AMC'sThe Walking Deadbear all the signs of the typical zombie: mindless killing machines with the singular goal of devouring the flesh of anyone who crosses their path. The zombies in theWalking Deadmay be relatively weak, but over the course of 10 seasons, the show has introduced some interesting concepts to their physiology.

While the origins of the zombie outbreak in TheWalking Deadis unknown, every character in theshow is infected with the pathogen that causes the dead to come to life. The pathogen doesn't kill its hosts -- rather it remains dormant, and outwardly the host appears normal and healthy. The pathogen only becomes active when the host dies, reviving some parts the brain and cerebellum in the process which causes them to transform into a zombie. As long as the host remains alive and avoids bites or scratches from the dead, the pathogen will remain dormant until the moment of their demise.

RELATED:The Walking Dead: AMC Debunks a Major Rick Grimes Theory

The zombies from The Walking Dead havesuch a powerful sense of smellthat they candetect scents from miles away and can differentiate them betweenthe living or dead. In both the television series and the comics the show is adapted from, human characters can disguise their scents by covering themselves in gore, undead flesh or anything that smells of decay. Over time, the zombies' eyesight deteriorates, but their heightened sense of smell is their greatest asset and proves the most dangerous to Rick and his group of survivors.

The undead are inhumanly strong andpossess enough strengthtotear apart a human or animal with relative ease and ripapart limbs with little effort. While the zombie's strength depends on how long they've been reanimated, they can produce enough force to overpower even the strongest of humans, making them incredibly dangerous in combat. However, as the zombies decay, their strength wanes, so you'd have a better chance of survival if you encounter an older zombie.

RELATED:The Walking Dead Casts Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Wife, Hilarie Burton, as Negan's Spouse

Being dead with limited brain activity and supposedly no pain receptors, zombies fromThe Walking Dead feel no pain -- or at least they don't react to pain. They can absorb all manner of physical damage even though their bodies are no less durable -- and in fact, sometimes even weaker -- than that of a living human. Zombies can survive the worst of injuries, from losing limbs to impalement. Shots to the head, decapitation and spinal cord severing are the only things that can kill or weaken a zombie. As long as their brain is intact, zombies can function normally, even if they've lost their heads.

Follow this link:
Zombie Physiology, According to The Walking Dead | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Physiology

Finding the solution: Animal physiology lab makes most of hybrid format – Illinois State University News

In a lab designed to illustrate how living organisms operate, it only makes sense thered be an entire week dedicated to respiration systems. In previous Biological Sciences (BSC) 283: Animal Physiology courses, students would breathe into devices themselves to measure lung capacity and simulate different chronic conditions such as asthma.

But as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has warned the public since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, one of the fastest ways the novel virus travels is through the air. So, naturally, that type of assignment in a lab classroom was out of the question.

Illinois State students and faculty proved once again they could pivot to make the best of the situation.

Realizing quickly the original experiment wouldnt work, the class used crayfish instead, placing them in both low and high saline solutions. A compound called soda lime would absorb the carbon dioxide the creatures breathed out, and students then made an airtight seal on the containers so that the only opening was a tube containing a bubble of water. The resulting vacuum would pull the bubble further toward the container, creating an avenue to alternatively measure lung capacity.

Simple enough, right? Well, it still mirrored the original concept and purpose of the lab.

It was possible to do it this way, but it definitely required some adjustments, said graduate teaching assistant Shana Border.

While every class has been altered in some way due to safety and health protocols, lab classes that are most effective in a hands-on way have had to be extra creative.

In a night lab of BSC 283, students have had to work with each other in a hybrid format. Some are in the lab, and others are communicating via Zoom. They are paired off in groups of four, with two students on-site and the other two working virtually.

Its been an interesting transition, especially since half of our class is online and making sure they are able to see and learn as best as they can, said junior molecular and cellular biology major Teague Williamson, who has been at the lab primarily in-person. But you make adjustments to the format.

The class has conducted experiments on muscle contractions, respiratory function, and how signals get transmitted along nerves, just to name a few. Students have used crickets, cockroaches, earth worms, computer modeling, and their own bodies to complete the tasks, all while using the hybrid format.

The whole situation is obviously stressful, but all of my students immerse themselves into it and give it their all.

When it was clear early on that this would be the way the class was structured, the groups quickly got together and determined roles. The two working remotely for the night would be either the note-takers or directing the experiment, while the other two would do the hands-on work.

The labs instituted a poll where every week students can rate each other as group mates. That opened up lines of communication quickly and also provided an accountability factor. While challenging, the student scientists have risen to the occasion.

The whole situation is obviously stressful, but all of my students immerse themselves into it and give it their all, Border said. They always do whatever they are willing to do to make this work.

Theyve built some really strong rapports.

Border also noted how students have been particularly proactive with safety measures, whether thats properly distancing in the lab or making the decision to work virtually if they may have been exposed to the virus.

Dr. Wolfgang Stein teaches the course and relies on graduate teaching assistants like Border to lead the labs. Its been a group effort to safely and effectively navigate through the course, but students and faculty have made the necessary adjustments to make their learning just as meaningful.

Read the original post:
Finding the solution: Animal physiology lab makes most of hybrid format - Illinois State University News

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.

ABOUT XTALKS

Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.

To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.comFor information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/

Share article on social media or email:

See more here:
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.

###

Follow this link:
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.

Read more:
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

Go here to read the rest:
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.

Go here to read the rest:
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.

Read the original post:
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.

Go here to see the original:
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.

The rest is here:
The Use of Natural Agents to Prevent Prediabetes - Yiba