Monthly Archives: January 2020

Neuroscience

We need to radically rethink our approach to Alzheimer’s research – Wired.co.uk

Over the past decade weve seen failure after failure in clinical trials for neurodegenerative disease. Despite over 200 clinical trials, we still dont have any meaningful therapeutics for Alzheimers and the only options for diseases like Motor Neurone Disease (MND) barely extend life by a few months.

Clinical research in this field has been stuck in a rut for several years, with the vast majority of trials focused on a single, unproven hypothesis. A unifying feature of neurodegeneration is the accumulation of sticky protein deposits within the brain, such as alpha-synuclein in Parkinsons or amyloid-beta and tau in Alzheimers. Pharma companies have spent many years and billions of dollars attempting to reduce the quantity of these protein deposits, banking on the assumption that this will protect brain cells and reduce cognitive decline.

The net results of these efforts is a huge amount of frustration and a shaken belief in this core assumption. Whether protein deposits are mopped up by antibodies, or inhibited from forming in the first place, neuronal survival and cognitive decline stubbornly refuse to budge. This has led some pharma companies, such as Pfizer, to lose heart altogether and pull out of the neuroscience field. Others plough on with protein-clearance strategies, wedded to cell and animal models which over-express proteins such as amyloid that are far-removed from clinical reality.

Progress in this field depends upon finding new therapeutic targets with a more solid scientific rationale and in 2020, we will see some exciting breakthroughs. One area where progress is being made is by studying inflammation within the brain. Moderate neuroinflammation, which clears away debris and fights infection, is a protective response by our brains to an acute problem, such as an injury. However, in diseases such as Alzheimers, the damage to cells is chronic and takes place over several years. This results in a persistent and aggravated form of neuroinflammation that kills brain cells, triggering further inflammatory responses and speeding the decline of cognitive function.

There are many anti-inflammatory compounds available within pharma companies portfolios that have proven safety records in patients and could be used to treat neurodegeneration. However, initial results from trials of these compounds have been unpromising, as scientists and clinicians have unsuccessfully walked the tightrope between maintaining the beneficial effects of acute short-term inflammation while making any anti-inflammatory effect strong enough to deal with detrimental chronic effects. A more nuanced and adaptable approach is needed, and clues may be found in the latest wave of cancer therapies to hit the market.

It has been known for many years that immune function is a critical factor in cancer survival, with many immuno-modulatory therapies recently entering the clinic. The latest developments in this field are cell therapies where a patient's own immune cells are genetically modified, supercharging their ability to recognise and kill tumours. The first wave of cell therapies have already hit the market, with therapies such as Kymriah from Novartis saving the lives of patients with chemotherapy-resistant cancer.

While it has been the highly potent killer activity of a subset of immune cells that has created breakthroughs in cancer, it is harnessing the opposite side of the system, the ability to selectively calm inflammation and destruction, that is now showing considerable promise in neurodegeneration. Selectively editing and controlling this side of the immune response has the potential to significantly reduce chronic and inappropriate neuroinflammation, potentially providing a potent new therapy. In 2020, well very likely see the first early pre-clinical demonstrations ushering in a new era that offers hope to millions of patients across an increasingly ageing population.

Mark Hammond is a director at Deep Science Ventures. Tim Newton is CEO of Reflection Therapeutics

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We need to radically rethink our approach to Alzheimer's research - Wired.co.uk

Neuroscience

Psychology: A pathway leading to diverse career prospects – Study International News

Psychology is a multi-faceted subject that leads to an array of diverse career roles.

For instance, a psychology graduate could become a clinical psychologist that focuses on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness or a market researcher that collects and analyses data to present to clients.

With potential opportunities like those and more, psychologys dynamic nature is what links learners to promising career prospects.

With their research-oriented outlook, critical thinking abilities and strong problem-solving skills, its no surprise that psychology degree holders are highly sought after.

This may be the reason why the overall employment of psychologists in the US is projected to grow 14 percent from 2018 to 2028, according to the US Bureau of Labour Statisti(BLS).

Employment of clinical, counselling and school psychologists is projected to grow because of greater demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, mental health centres, and social service agencies, BLSs Occupational Outlook Handbook said.

Demand for clinical and counselling psychologists will increase as people continue to turn to psychologists for help with their problems. Psychologists also will be needed to provide services to an ageing population, helping people deal with the mental and physical changes that happen as they grow older.

And in the UK, a recent survey revealed that the country is facing a shortage of mental health professionals. The British Medical Associations analysis of workforce figures and survey of more than 1,000 doctors, psychologists and mental-health nurses, was carried out together with the Royal College of Nursing and the Association of Clinical Psychologists UK.

Almost seven out of 10 respondents work in teams with vital members of staff missing most or all of the time. Nearly half (47 per cent) of doctors work shifts in which they are down at least one medical colleague, the survey found.

Source: University of Plymouth

In response to the study, Royal College of Nursing Professional Lead for Mental Health Catherine Gamble said: The clear majority of nursing staff felt the absence of one of their own on their last shifts. This hammers home the reality of the chronic workforce shortages that have plagued our profession.

Unless there is urgent investment in growing the nursing workforce the pressures will continue to grow to the point where it will no longer be possible to attract nurses to work in the NHS, and parity of esteem for physical and mental health remains a goal yet to be realised.

With such high demand in this field, psychology graduates today are set for a wealth of opportunities ahead.

Here are four UK universities to kickstart a bright future in this field

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

The School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth is dedicated to developing the next generation of psychologists, from education and health to business and the media. Students benefit from research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning from a university in the top 20 for research in psychology, neuroscience and psychiatry. With accreditation by the British Psychological Society, undergraduates are equipped to address todays most challenging psychological issues, with further specialization offered from a range of exciting postgraduate courses such as clinical psychology and human neuroscience.

A hands-on approach to learning ensures that practical activities are embedded throughout the courses, with access to the on-site Psychology Experiential Learning lab (PsychE). An optional placement year also allows undergraduates to acquire professional training in the institution of their choice: healthcare, education, business, judicial system, etc. This allows students to put their new knowledge into practice, build practical skills relevant to their future careers and benefit from world-class research labs such as Babylab and the Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC).

All these make for graduate success at the School nearly nine in ten graduates are employed or in further studies six months after graduation.

With a safe campus located in an idyllic waterfront city, international students can explore the British seaside and its maritime heritage.

SCHOOL OF SPORT, EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF LOUGHBOROUGH

The BSc (Hons) Psychology degree at the University of Loughborough offers learners the knowledge, skills and competencies that are prized by employers, such as critical thinking and research abilities.

Their undergraduate psychology course is taught by internationally-respected academics and accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

This course covers a full range of modules which aim to build students core knowledge and skills, allowing them to tailor their degree to their interests and aspirations.

Student are encouraged to undertake an optional year-long work placement or study abroad opportunity. A year in placement or a year abroad will allow them to gain an additional award alongside their final qualification.

University of Loughborough students go on to pursue a variety of career paths in different sectors, such as management, human resources, education, social work, financial services and research.

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX

Challenging existing conventions, the Department of Psychology at the University of Essex focuses on three distinct areas of concentration: thinking about the world, interacting with the world, and experiencing the world.

As the Head of Psychology Department Professor Paul Hibbard said: Psychologys ideas and concepts are part of our everyday culture, yet many underestimate how influential as a science our discipline can be. Our aim is to highlight how our research findings concern every one of us and how psychology affects us as groups as well as individuals.

Therefore, to dig deeper into psychology, the department has created a stimulating and vibrant research environment and promotes undergraduate and postgraduate courses that have been accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

So if you want to use state-of-the-art facilities and learn alongside world-renown experts in the field, you too can pursue your intellectual passion in Essex.

SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LANGUAGE SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

With notable psychology professors, such as Dr Aja Murray who was recently awarded the British Academy/Wolfson Fellowship, studying here is to study under the guidance of experts.

At the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, undergraduate psychology students are introduced to a flexible programme structure that provides core courses alongside optional courses in areas such as cognitive neuroscience, language, vision and intelligence. There is also an option to enrol in a four-year degree programme.

Without the need to commit to a long-term degree, the four-year style grants students more time to grow intellectually and academically. The extra years lets students develop their confidence and sharpen their essay writing skills.

Plus, with more than 200 study abroad arrangements with universities in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, psychology students here can explore different modules and gain experience overseas.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article may be commercial partners of Study International

Modern psychology programmes motivate career success

Explore the many facets of psychology at the University of Central Lancashire

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Psychology: A pathway leading to diverse career prospects - Study International News

Physiology

Increasing numbers of people are in pain. How do we cope? – Big Think

Pain is one of the most confusing aspects of human physiology. From an evolutionary perspective, pain is either a signal that something is wrong (broken bone; stomachache) or a cautionary tale informing us to not repeat an activity (touching a hot stove). Pain often resolves when the noxious stimulus is removedthe form of pain related to tissue damage. Then we enter the world of emotional pain, which itself is intimately related to physical pain.

Let's begin with the physical. You stub your toe, immediately sending a signal up your spinal cord to your frontal anterior cingular cortex (ACC), which assess the meaning of this pain. The ACC plays an important role in error detection, noting the distance between what you expected (you were walking to the bathroom) and what occurred (your foot caught the edge of your bed frame because you were staring at your phone). Tissue damage has indeed occurred. It hurts.

An interesting study placed subjects in a brain scanner tossing a ball with two other (virtual) people. After a while, those players decide to stop throwing to you. You've been outcast and the rejection stings. Your ACC activates. As Robert Sapolsky writes, "as far those neurons in the ACC are concerned, social and literal pain are the same."

The ACC activates when you get an electric shock. Incredibly, if you watch a friend get shocked, the same region fires. We call this empathy, the ability to perceive what another is feeling, yet this goes a step further: you actually feel their pain. Sapolsky notes that both dread and depression can be physically felt. Research has shown that ibuprofen alleviates emotional pain as well (in women, at least).

Pain management is one of the hardest aspects of medicine. Diagnosing disease from the perspective of pain alone is challenging. When I broke my femur the emergency room doctor knew exactly what had happened. Yet how many different ailments begin with a stomachache or a headache?

Then there's our relationship to pain. We live in the most comfortable age in the history of our species. We're also under the illusion that a pill can dissolve pain, be it physical or emotional, by blocking neurotransmission of specific chemicals. Pain alleviation is a great feature of modern medicine, yet when you create a society expectant of constant relief you cheat its citizens from important lessons about the nature of physiology. Many of our pain relief efforts, from antidepressants to aspirin, are driven by profit maximization, not compassion.

While a number of techniques for alleviating pain exist, without an honest and open discussion about the nature of pain people find their own methods. A new study published in the journal Emotion has found that the intentional onset of physical pain (cutting, for example) helps people deal with emotional distress. It also clues us in to the conceptual world of pain.

Ashley Doukas at NYU Langone Health conducted this research after she studied body-based coping mechanisms such as deep breathing and smiling. The clinical instructor says,

"I became interested in the topic of pain because a great deal of the literature on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) indicates that one reason people engage in self-injurious behavior is to regulate extreme emotional states."

Doukas noticed that even healthy controls felt better emotionally after experiencing physical pain. It's hard for your brain to focus on two forms of pain simultaneously. On top of this is hormesis, an internal form of vaccination: a little bit of a toxin makes you stronger. In exercise studies, this is similar to purposefully tearing your muscles after lifting weights, a process that ultimately makes them stronger. The neurological reaction runs parallel: while you struggle with increasing loads during workouts, you feel better for hours after (if not a bit sore).

Nick Kyrgios of Australia feels the pain during his fourth round match against Rafael Nadal of Spain on day eight of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.

Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images

For the study, Doukas and team recruited 60 test subjects to look at upsetting images. They were then provided with four methods of coping, two cognitive and two physical. The cognitive methods were distracting yourself with another thought or mentally changing the meaning of the image. As for physical means, subjects could self-administer an electric shock, either painful or painless.

Over the course of 16 trials, two-thirds (67.5 percent) of volunteers self-administered at least one painful electric shock. The average was two per person, with 13 being at the high end. Doukas hopes that this information helps to de-stigmatize those who purposefully engage in painful behavior to deal with emotional duress.

"While of course we do not want people to put themselves at risk for infection or accidental death, the fact is that human beings use pain to manage their emotions all the time think of an intense massage to relax, and putting extra hot sauce on tacos to make them more intense and enjoyable. While the injurious aspect of NSSI can be alarming to many, the infliction of pain on oneself may not be inherently pathological, and may actually be making good use of some basic biological responses to pain, such as endorphins."

We often discuss the brain-body connection as if they're separate domains. We can actually witness the workings of that connection in the form of our nervous system. Everyone recognizes that injury can lead to depression while heartache can result in the manifestation of physical disease. If cutting seems a strange choice for dealing with stress or anxiety, remember that for roughly 2,000 years bloodletting was the go-to by doctors for a variety of ailments.

This is not a call for sanctioned cutting. We know that in most cases draining blood from your body is the opposite of healing. Yet we're also aware that the distance between physical and emotional pain is not far. Creating a holistic pain management paradigm moving forward would be in our best interests. While some region-specific remedies are important, epidemics such as with opioids, depression, and obesity show that we are not managing pain well.

--

Stay in touch with Derek on Twitter and Facebook. His next book is Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy.

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Increasing numbers of people are in pain. How do we cope? - Big Think

Physiology

Purdue-affiliated Health Tech firm Receives $500000 to Advance AI Innovations – Inside INdiana Business

News

Wednesday, January 29th 2020, 5:23 PM EST

PhysIQ, founded by Purdue alumnus Gary Conkright, received a $500,000 investment from Purdue Research Foundations Foundry Investment Fund. (photo provided)

WEST LAFAYETTE - An artificial intelligence firm specializing in the life sciences just received a $500,000 investment from Purdue Research Foundations Foundry Investment Fund.

PhysIQ is a Purdue-affiliated company founded by Gary Conkright, a graduate in Purdues College of Engineering.

Conkright develops solutions to improve health care outcomes by applying AI to real-time physiological data from wearable sensors.

The Foundations support will help us continue to lead the way in changing how health care is developed and delivered through FDA-cleared physiology analytics, said Conkright.

Established in 2014, the Foundry Investment Fund is a partnership between Purdue Research Foundation and Cook Medical.

The goal of the fund is to provide capital to life science startups, affiliated with Purdue, to help them transition their ideas to the creation of a viable company.

Gary Conkrights team at physIQ offers a great example of the kinds of technology and products that align perfectly with the goals of the fund, said John Hanak, managing director of Purdue Ventures.

Purdue says the physIQ solution provides pharmaceutical companies data-driven support to demonstrate the efficacy of their products using real-world data.

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Purdue-affiliated Health Tech firm Receives $500000 to Advance AI Innovations - Inside INdiana Business

Physiology

Upcoming One Health Conference hopes to inspire interconnectivity – UConn Daily Campus

Students for One Health hopes their upcoming conference will inspire University of Connecticut students and faculty to adapt and create a healthier world, MadisonBritting, co-conference director and sixth-semester physiology and neurobiology major, said.

The One Health conference will be taking place Saturday Feb. 8 from 10a.m.4p.m.on the third floor of the Student Union, Murphy Kenny, co-conference director and sixth-semesterphysiology and neurobiology major,said. Themain topic of discussion will be explaining the philosophy of One Health, along with worldwide issues and possible solutions.

One Health is the idea that human, environmentand animal health are all interconnected and affect one another, Murphy said. If one suffers, they all suffer.

There will be two guest speakers,Brittingsaid. The first speaker is Rob Werner, the New Hampshire State Director for the League of Conservation Voters and Energy and Environment Advisory committee member on the Concord City Council. The second speaker isDr. SandraBushmich, theassociate dean of academic programs for theCollege of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

[Werner] will be talking about climate change impacts, public health and the benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy at 10:30 a.m.,Brittingsaid. [Bushmich]will be talking about a One Health view of tick-borne diseases in Connecticut at 2:30 p.m.

In addition to the guest speakers,there will be four workshops throughout the day, Kenny said. These workshops include a DIY pick-your-scent laundry detergent, recycling games, flower potdecorating and a Solutions Room. She said that these workshops will help provide easy solutions thathelp create a healthier planet.

Brittingsaid that the DIY laundry detergent workshop highlights the idea that everyday products that appear harmless arent quite as they seem.

For the DIY laundry detergent workshop,students will be provided the ingredients and a recycled jar to make laundry detergent that is safer for the environment, animals, and us,Brittingsaid. Regular store-bought laundry detergent has harmful chemicals that can cause health problems, dont biodegradeand contaminate our watersupplies, rivers and oceans,creating algal blooms that can starve fish and plants from oxygen.

There will be an ongoing art project that attendees can help decorate, Kenny said. It will be placed in the CAHNR building after the event.

From 12:30 p.m. to2:30 p.m., therewill be student organizations and research teams presenting their particular niche of One Health,Brittingsaid.

This will provide a space for conference attendees to explore on their own and possibly spark a new interest in a One Health-related field, she said.

BothBrittingand Murphy encourage all undergraduates, graduates and faculty to attend this free event.Brittingsaid she hopes the conference will make an impact.

This very important ideology is popular in countries throughout the world, but has not taken off in the United States yet, so we are hoping this conference will spread the word,Brittingsaid.

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Upcoming One Health Conference hopes to inspire interconnectivity - UConn Daily Campus

Physiology

Polarization and depolarization: EMS cellular action theory instruction – EMS1.com

Airway, breathing and circulation (the ABCs) have been stalwart concepts since the inception of EMS training. These concepts are obviously important, and it is difficult, if not impossible to understand how these systems truly function without addressing what is happening at the cellular level of physiology.

In certain aspects, possessing a foundational understanding of the cellular physiology behind the ABCs is more relevant than the ABCs themselves. Human physiology can be a difficult concept to grasp. Due to the complexity and academic nature of physiology, many EMS providers may believe it is easier to avoid or skim over this concept. This article will introduce readers to cellular action potentials in anything but an academic manner.

You may be asking yourself, why is it important for EMS providers to understand the concept of cellular action potentials? One of the answers to this question is quite simple. If our bodies are unable to achieve a cellular action potential, we would cease to exist as a living human being. Every time our heart beats, we take a breath or have a conscious thought, it is the result of a cellular action potential. In a nutshell, any normal or abnormal physiologic action revolves around achieving or hindering a cellular action potential.

Before getting into the practical aspects of physiology, we need to take a short academic side trip. Cations are positively charged ions, anions are negatively charged ions. Depolarization is moving the extracellular cation sodium into the intracellular space. Think of depolarization as the activation of any body function. When systems within our body achieve depolarization, our heart beats, we take a breath or have a conscious thought, and so on.

Cells within our bodies are unable to maintain constant and sustained levels of depolarization. This is because cells have limited amounts of stored energy. Constant depolarization will result in a depletion of stored energy, and the cell will eventually lack resources to function. This is where repolarization comes into to play.

Repolarization is moving the intracellular cation potassium out to the extracellular space. Think of repolarization as the deactivation of any bodily function. This allows the cell time to replenish energy stores so it can be depolarized again.

To simplify this concept, we will look at the schoolhouse theory. Think of cells as schoolhouses rather than biological structures. These schools control all the functions that normally occur within our bodies. As an example, there are schools that control heart function, breathing, cognition and so forth. The teachers and administrators of the school recognize the importance of classrooms inside the schoolhouse. This is because inside the school is where most of the action and learning typically occurs.

Within our community, we have three types of students who regularly attend the schools. First and foremost, is sodium. Think of sodium (cation = positively charged ion) as an optimist within the student population. The positivity associated with sodium has the potential to create action wherever its located. When sodium comes to school, it prefers to spend the entire day outside of the building.

There is also potassium. Think of potassium (cation = positively charged ion) as the pessimist within the student population. Even though potassium is a positively charged ion, it tends to see the world from a glass-half-empty perspective. When potassium comes to school, it prefers to spend the entire day inside of the building.

Lastly there is calcium. Think of calcium as incoming freshman. Calcium feels awkward but wants to fit into the student body; it sees hanging out with sodium as a means to readily fit in. As a side note, sodium hates to open doors for itself. Since this is the case, sodium reluctantly allows calcium to tag along so long as calcium facilitates opening any door for sodium.

Under this illustration, sodium starts the day outside the schoolhouse, potassium starts inside the schoolhouse, and calcium hangs out wherever sodium is located. There is no activation of body function because sodium is outside of the school rather than inside. This is referred to as the resting cellular potential. Cells within our bodies expend a large amount of energy to achieve this state of resting potential.

As sodium stays outside and potassium stays inside, their parents are concerned the students will become one dimensional. To avoid this tendency, they hire a school bus driver. This school bus driver comes in the form of an electrical impulse. His job starts when there is more sodium outside the school in comparison to potassium inside the school. This school bus driver has only two responsibilities:

Think of the school bus driver as an employee who has a bad attitude with poor work ethics. He consistently approaches these two jobs with minimal enthusiasm and effort.

When there is more extracellular sodium in comparison to intracellular potassium, the school bus driver is instructed to come to the school. As a reminder, he arrives in the form of an electrical impulse. It is this electrical impulse that tells sodium the facilitator of action to move into the schoolhouse. As agreed upon, calcium rushes up front to open the door and sodium moves into the schoolhouse. When the extracellular sodium moves into the schoolhouse, depolarization occurs. Depolarization results in whatever physiologic process the school controls. The heart will beat, breathing occurs, there is conscious thought, etc.

When most of the sodium has moved into the cell, the school bus driver tells potassium to move out of the school. When the intracellular potassium moves out of the schoolhouse, repolarization occurs. Repolarization results in deactivating whatever physiologic process the school controls.

As a side note, calcium gets stuck at the door during this process. This is like opening the door for your party at a busy restaurant. After your party goes through the door, there are people on the inside wanting to come out. Calcium, being a conscientious door holder, will wait until the intracellular potassium comes out of the schoolhouse before joining sodium. After potassium is told to move out of the schoolhouse, the school bus driver has completed his two duties and leaves the school yard.

After the school bus driver leaves, intracellular sodium realizes it stinks to be inside the schoolhouse. On the other hand, extracellular potassium realizes it stinks to be outside the schoolhouse. With their mutual perspectives, sodium moves back outside, potassium moves back inside, and calcium follows sodium wherever it goes. This is referred to as the return to resting potential. Once the cell attains resting potential, the school bus driver is instructed to come back and initiate the process of depolarization and repolarization, with the resulting return to resting potential. This process continues indefinitely until we die.

Why is the concept of cellular action potentials important to EMS providers? Understanding cellular action potentials will help EMS providers understand what is causing their patients to present with specific clinical findings. As an example, lets look at what causes a patient to present with an increased heart rate. This might be caused by increased levels of sodium moving into their cardiac cells. A bradycardia might be the result of too little sodium moving into those same cardiac cells.

Cellular action potentials also apply to the administration of medications. Medications that increase sodium influx will typically increase associated physiology. Medications that inhibit sodium influx will typically decrease associated physiology. Some medications can inhibit calcium from opening doors for sodium. This typically results in decreased physiology, as less sodium moves into the cell because calcium isnt there to hold the door open.

Cellular action potentials have a direct effect on normal patient physiology as well as patients suffering from injury or disease. Medications prescribed to patients or medications which are administered by EMS providers obviously influence cellular action potentials. Understanding cellular action potentials will help EMS providers relate to what is occurring within their patients.

For those interested in learning more about the concept of cellular action potentials, watch the video below. To test your knowledge, take the quiz: Quiz: Depolarization and polarization cellular action potential.

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Polarization and depolarization: EMS cellular action theory instruction - EMS1.com

Physiology

/Filmcast Ep. 552 – The Gentlemen – /FILM

David corrects a gross mistake he made about the physiology of the Navi. The cast feels nostalgic withStar Trek: Picard. For the feature review, David, Devindra, and Jeff takes onThe Gentlemen, the latest film by director Guy Ritchie.

Read about the life of a Hollywood Boulevards Supermanhere. Read about howThe Gentlemenis a safe space for menhere.

Thanks to our sponsor this week: Quip

Feature (~49:00)The GentlemenSpoilers(~01:09:00)

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/Filmcast Ep. 552 - The Gentlemen - /FILM

Physiology

Newly minted professors of distinction to be celebrated – CU Boulder Today

Four members of the University of Colorado Boulder facultyhave been named 2019Professors of Distinction by the College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of their exceptional service, teaching and research.

The new professors of distinction areNoel Clarkof physics,Stephen Graham Jonesof English,Robert Pasnauof philosophy, andKenneth P. Wright Jr.of integrative physiology.

This reveredtitleis reserved for scholars and artists of national and international acclaim whose college peers also recognize as exceptionally talented teachers and colleagues. Honorees of this award hold this title for the remainder of their careers in the College of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder.

The four will be honored onMonday, Feb. 3,at 3:30 p.m. in the CASE Auditorium/Chancellors Hall. At the free and public event, Clark, Jones and Wright will give a public presentation based on his research or scholarly work. Pasnau is unable to attend the event this year but will give his presentation next year.

Wright, Pasnau, Clark, and Jones. (left to right).

Noel Clark, whose talk is titledSplashing Around in Soft Matter,received his PhD in Physics from MIT in 1970. He subsequently held the positions of research fellow and assistant professor of applied physics at Harvard, before moving to CU Boulder in 1977.

Research in Clark's group is directed toward understanding and using the properties of condensed phases, ranging from experiments on the fundamental physics of phase transitions, such as melting, to the development of liquid crystal electro-optic light valves.

His primary experimental tools are laser light scattering, electrooptics, video microscopy and high resolution synchrotron X-ray scattering. Much of the research is on the physics of liquid crystals, phases of matter having structure intermediate to that of liquids and solids, and on the physics of colloids, suspensions of one material in another that exhibit order on large length scales.

Stephen Graham Jones, whose Feb. 3 talk is titledBeing Indian is Not a Superpower,is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English. He received his PhD in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Florida State University in 1998, and came to CU in 2008. At that time, he had five novels and one story collection published.

Since then he's published 11 more novels, five more story collections, and some novellas and comic books and chap books, and he's currently got north of 300 stories published. He has been an NEA recipient, has won the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Fiction, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, a Bram Stoker Award, four This is Horror Awards, and hes been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Wonderland Book Award, and the Colorado Book Award.

Hes also made Bloody Disgustings Top Ten Horror Novels, and will soon receive the Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement Award. At CU Boulder he's won the Carolyn Woodward Pope Prize for Faculty Publication, the Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Research Award, and the Kayden Book Award, and he's a faculty affiliate with the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies, the Center for the American West, and the Department of Ethnic Studies.

Aside from teaching fiction and screenwriting workshops, Jones teaches courses on comic books, the haunted house, the slasher, the zombie and the werewolf. His fiction navigates the spaces between the commercial and the literary, often using the tropes of horror and fantasy and science fiction and the western and noir in unconventional ways. He says he's not running out of stories anytime soon, either.

Kenneth P. Wright Jr., whose talk is titledSleep for Optimal Health and Performance,is a professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology and the director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at CU-Boulder.

Wright received a BS in psychology from the University of Arizona (1990) and a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from Bowling Green State University (1996). Following postdoctoral training in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital, he served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School prior to joining the faculty at CU Boulder in 2002.

Wright has more than 25 years of experience in sleep and circadian research, has led individual and multicenter/transdisciplinary team projects, and has participated in multicenter clinical trials. His research aims to understand the physiology of sleep and circadian rhythms in humans and the health and safety consequences of sleep and circadian disruptionsuch as, metabolic dysregulation, impaired cognition, and compromised performance.

Wrights research also explores strategies to promote sleep, enhance alertness and maintain health and safety when sleep and circadian rhythms are challenged, as well as treatment strategies for patients with sleep and circadian related disorders.

He is a frequently invited speaker and media contact and has published more than 115 peer-reviewed articles. Wright manages a large undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate training program in sleep and circadian physiology at CU Boulder.

Wright has served in leadership, consulting, and advisory roles for government, professional, community, and commercial stakeholders, such as, the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board of the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the Board of Directors of the Sleep Research Society. He also serves as a reviewer for numerous national and international granting agencies and scientific journals.

Robert Pasnauhas taught in the Department of Philosophy since 1999. His research concentrates on the history of philosophy, particularly the end of the Middle Ages and the beginnings of the modern era.

He is the editor of theCambridge History of Medieval Philosophyand ofOxford Studies in Medieval Philosophy. His most recent book,After Certainty: A History of Our Epistemic Ideals and Illusions(OUP 2017), is based on his Isaiah Berlin Lectures, delivered at Oxford University in 2014.

Pasnau is the founding director of the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization.

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Newly minted professors of distinction to be celebrated - CU Boulder Today

Physiology

Parkinson’s disease improved with both physical and cognitive exercises – The Star Online

Parkinsons patients motor and non-motor symptoms were improved with a weekly exercise regimen that included physical and cognitive tasks, according to new research presented on Dec 16, 2019, at The Physiological Society early career conference Future Physiology 2019: Translating Cellular Mechanisms into Lifelong Health Strategies.

Parkinsons disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that can lead to disability and make it harder to lead an active lifestyle.

Previous research has shown that either physical or cognitive exercises are effective at improving and sustaining cognitive and/or physical function in people with Parkinsons.

However, doing different types of exercise (e.g. circuit training that also includes cognitive challenges) may be more beneficial in improving motor and non-motor symptoms.

Researchers at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom studied Parkinsons patients that performed a weekly multi-modal regime (physical and cognitive exercises).

This group participated in weekly exercise sessions for over a year and were assessed every four months for at least a year (some participants continued on for two or three years).

This once-a-week exercise programme with both physical and cognitive exercises for Parkinsons disease patients showed an improvement specifically in one-minute sit-to-stand tests and a cognitive test called MiniMental, but no other significant changes (i.e. no decline) in cognitive and physical health.

This is especially positive as Parkinsons is a degenerative disease, so the expected outcome, without any interventions for these symptoms, would be a decline.

These findings are important because they could allow Parkinsons patients to see improvements in their symptoms by correctly tailoring their exercise regimens to include both physical and cognitive exercise.

Anna Ferrusola-Pastrana, a researcher who was involved with the work said: "Finding the right set of exercises, both cognitive and physical, to improve Parkinsons treatment is an important step towards giving Parkinsons patients a better quality of life.

"This research is working towards honing this set of exercises, which can then potentially be performed by patients, with or without assistance at home.

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Parkinson's disease improved with both physical and cognitive exercises - The Star Online