Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Phi Beta Kappa Selects New Members at UW | News – University of Wyoming News

April 7, 2023

The Alpha Chapter of Wyoming at the University of Wyoming has selected 36 new members for the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Among the new inductees are four juniors who have been awarded $1,000 scholarships for their academic achievements.

Each year, 290 national chapters select new members into Phi Beta Kappa. Fewer than 1 percent of U.S. college graduates are chosen. Members have included 17 U.S. presidents and 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices. There are nearly 100 faculty and staff resident members in UWs chapter. The students who are selected for this honor at UW are usually in the top 3 to 4 percent of their classes.

A committee of Phi Beta Kappa members selects the eligible students based on liberal arts hours, foreign language hours and GPA, says Joy Landeira, professor, chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Alpha Chapter president. Phi Beta Kappa is one of the most respected honor societies in the United States.

The four juniors who have earned the Louise A. Lee Johnson Memorial Scholarships, listed by hometown, are:

Casper -- Joenon Sulzen, a Kelly Walsh High School graduate, who is studying English with honors and creative writing minors; and Samantha Veauthier, also a graduate of Kelly Walsh High School, who is studying zoology with an honors minor.

Cheyenne -- Dillon McLean, a graduate of Cheyenne Central High School, who is studying chemistry.

Diamond Point, N.Y. -- Morgan Miller, who is studying international studies with an honors minor.

The induction ceremony for the new members will take place Friday, April 28, at 4 p.m. in Room 506 of Coe Library. The event will be attended by family, friends and faculty members.

In addition to the scholarship recipients, 26 new seniors and six December graduates also have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Those newly elected members, listed by hometowns and majors, are:

Arvada, Colo. -- Madison Singh, gender and womens studies.

Bandera, Texas -- Kyla Ditges, English.

Boise, Idaho -- Larissa Rutz, history.

Broomfield, Colo. -- Elena Rae Stewart, English.

Casper -- Benjamin Radosevich, a Natrona County High School graduate, molecular biology.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Abby Worlen, B.A. in English (December 2022).

Cheyenne -- Val Herd Jr., a Cheyenne Central High School graduate, history; Christopher Hood, also a Cheyenne Central graduate, international studies and French; Maeve Knepper, a Cheyenne East High School graduate, economics and international studies; and Fox Glenn Nelson, also a Cheyenne East graduate, anthropology.

Douglas -- William Trimnal, a Douglas High School graduate, international studies.

Eagle River, Alaska -- Ashton Love, political science.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Kaytlyn Vander Meer, chemical engineering and Spanish; and Frank Richard Wright, geography, and environment and natural resources with minors in Spanish and honors.

Gering, Neb. -- Brock Parker, astronomy and astrophysics.

Jackson -- Samantha Smith, a Jackson Hole High School graduate, B.A. in criminal justice, sociology and English (December 2022).

Lakewood, Colo. -- Lydia Ellefsen, environmental systems science, and environment and natural resources.

Lander -- Emma Jo Comstock, a Lander Valley High School graduate, B.A. in history (December 2022).

Laramie -- Hailey Hysong, a Laramie High School graduate, international studies; Sai Kit Ng, also a Laramie High graduate, microbiology and molecular biology with minors in music and physiology; and Lander Stone, also a Laramie High graduate, environmental systems science and religious studies.

McLean, Va. -- Anna Spear, environmental studies and environmental politics.

Midvale, Utah -- Shannon Fassler, English, and art and art history.

Monument, Colo. -- Makayla Kocher, English with minors in anthropology and museum studies.

Norway -- Irja Smith Sandvik, anthropology, and environment and natural resources.

Parker, Colo. -- Mckenna Egolf, history.

Phoenix, Ariz. -- Rebecca DeCero, history.

Pine Bluffs -- Harper Pachel, a Pine Bluffs High School graduate, B.A. in history (December 2022).

Powell -- Abigail Saville, a Powell High School graduate, B.S. in biology (December 2022).

Reno, Nev. -- Erin Schwalbe, microbiology.

St. Joseph, Mo. -- Ruby Jenco, environment and natural resources, and wildlife biology and management.

Torrington -- Maryssa Lira, a Torrington High School graduate, B.S. in microbiology (December 2022).

The Alpha Chapter of Wyoming was established in 1940. It sponsors lectures, scholarships and other academic activities. For more information about the Phi Beta Kappa honor society or UWs Alpha Chapter, visit http://www.uwyo.edu/pbk.

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Phi Beta Kappa Selects New Members at UW | News - University of Wyoming News

Physiology

National award honors UB biochemist’s transformational leadership promoting inclusivity in science – UBNow: News and views for UB faculty and staff -…

Campus News

UB biochemist Gabriela K. Popescuis an internationally known researcher in neuroscience and an effective advocate for making science a more welcoming and inclusive environment. Photo: Douglas Levere

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM

Published October 11, 2022

UB biochemist Gabriela K. Popescuis an internationally known researcher in neuroscience. She is also an effective advocate for making science a more welcoming and inclusive environment, efforts that have earned her a significant new honor.

The Society of General Physiologists (SGP) has chosen Popescu, professor of biochemistry in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, to receive the 2022 Sharona Gordon Award.

Established in 2020, the award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated transformational leadership in physiology and related fields. It is given to an individual who has made a clear and sustained impact on improving equity and inclusivity in the fields of physiology and biophysics.

Popescu will give an invited talk at the next SGP Awards Symposium.

The awards previous two winners are Karen Fleming, professor of biophysics at Johns Hopkins University, and Miriam Goodman, the Mrs. George Winzer Professor of Cell Biology at Stanford University.

Dr. Popescus achievements as an outstanding neuroscientist and as an advocate for equity in all aspects of the scientific endeavor are so deserving of this recognition, said Allison Brashear, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School. We could not be more proud that she is among the first scientists to be recognized with this impactful award.

The SGP states that Popescu led the charge to establish the Biophysical Societys anti-harassment code of conduct and organized its first plenary session addressing sexual harassment. The description adds: She continues to provide a voice in situations where implicit bias and unrealized inequities enter the room, particularly speaking up for those with invisible disabilities and raising awareness aboutviolence against women.

As a woman and an immigrant, Popescus awareness of the impact of inequities in science has evolved over the years, often as a direct result of the national scientific and educational organizations in which she has played increasingly influential roles.

Earlier this year, she was voted president-elect of the Biophysical Society, an international organization with 7,500 members. She previously served two terms as chair of that societys Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women.

A turning point

A key turning point for Popescu occurred in 2018. She was attending the leadership committee meeting of a national professional society when the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine announced release of the report of its Committee on the Impacts of Sexual Harassment in Academia.

Together, attendees heard the news that the report had found that 50% of females in academic medicine reported having experienced some type of sexual harassment. At first, Popescu recalled, the room just went uncomfortably quiet. About a third of the people in the meeting were women. The first person to speak was a man. He said he wanted to see the data.

Then a woman who said she had been a Title IX officer spoke up. This woman said that sure, it would be good to see the data, but she thought 50% sounded accurate. Another woman mentioned that many instances of sexual harassment never even get reported.

As the conversation continued, Popescu could see peoples perceptions were beginning to change.

That report changed the playing field, Popescu said. And that was such a lesson for me. You have to be at the table.

Since then, Popescus willingness to speak up for people who are underrepresented in science has intensified. She initially served on the Administrative Board of the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS), representing the Jacobs School. In 2017, she was named chair-elect of CFAS, which also gave her a seat on the board of directors of the AAMC. She has used her participation on the boards of major organizations to raise awareness and make change.

I thought, what can I do? said Popescu, about how she thought she could make the most impact. I want to keep their feet to the fire.

First-ever plenaries on sexual harassment

She was instrumental in getting two major academic, scientific organizations CFAS and the Biophysical Society to hold their first-ever plenary sessions on sexual harassment, activities that the SGP cited in giving Popescu the Gordon award.

She is also serving her second term on the steering committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which nominates AAAS fellows.

Popescu has also, not surprisingly, worked to benefit faculty at the Jacobs School. In 2018-19, with her colleagues, she started a program called SheLeads@Jacobs School, a yearlong curriculum designed to grow the pool of women faculty ready for leadership positions in academic medicine.

Early passion for making improvements

Her passion for improving conditions for her fellow scientists began early; she thinks it goes back to when she got her first grant after serving as a postdoctoral fellow in the Jacobs School in the lab of Anthony Auerbach, professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

He encouraged me to apply to the National Institutes of Health for something very prestigious: the F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, she recalled. And I got the grant. Its a big deal.

But at the same time she was celebrating that award, she discovered that it would mean that she would lose her health insurance.

The timing wasnt ideal. Popescu was raising two children and her daughter, who was 15, needed braces. She needed to figure out how to get back on insurance.

I thought, Ok, this is wrong. So I asked around and found out there wasnt even a postdoctoral association here. There was nobody responsible for postdocs, she said.

Popescu approached Suzanne Laychock, senior associate dean for faculty affairs, who agreed that it was a problem that needed addressing.

So we got some people together and organized a committee to evaluate how we could develop an association for postdocs. We thought we should at least have a door with a sign on it that says Postdoctoral office with someone in that office, said Popescu.

Their efforts paid off and resulted in what is now the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars.

Popescu noted, That was my first advocacy role in my career. It was figuring out what we needed. It was egregious to have nothing.

Participating in these activities helps magnify impact, Popescu said. What makes someone be impactful? she asked. Im there when the policies are being written, when the speakers are being invited and when fellows are being nominated. I am at the table, she said, adding with a grin: You know what they say: If youre not at the table, you are on the menu!

She has simple advice to young faculty interested in leadership roles. Everybody has their thing, she said. Do what youre passionate about. You see a wrong? Go right it. Its the right thing to do.

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National award honors UB biochemist's transformational leadership promoting inclusivity in science - UBNow: News and views for UB faculty and staff -...

Physiology

These are the real benefits of running, according to the science – Livescience.com

A runners body can come in all shapes and sizes, but the benefits of running remain the same for everyone. So, if youre thinking about kicking your run to the curb side now the weather has turned. dont!

Whether you stick with your outdoor run and yield the extra benefits of training in colder temperatures, or start looking into the best treadmill (opens in new tab) you can buy, studies show that in the long-term, running can improve longevity of life by lowering your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and resting heart rate. But theres more. For those who really want to deep-dive into the physiological technicalities, heres why running really is one of the best forms of exercise.

The term feel the burn is generally associated with hard working muscles during a workout. Youve probably felt it during a particularly gruelling session. Your body breaks down glucose to be used as energy and a by-product of this process is lactic acid. The harder you work, the more lactate accumulates until eventually you cant get rid of it quick enough.

This is known as your lactate threshold and there have been lots of studies - such as this one, published in the Journal of Physiology (opens in new tab) - that show the importance and role of anaerobic threshold in endurance sports.

A higher lactate threshold (aka anaerobic threshold) will allow for a faster, more sustainable running pace, says Jim Pate, Senior Physiologist at Marylebone Health (opens in new tab).

Jim Pate

Jim Pate is the senior physiologist and lab manager at the Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP). He specializes in cardiopulmonary exercise testing and heads up all of CHHPs exercise physiology services. He also lectures at UCL, as well as carrying out research at the university. Before joining CHHP, Jim not only worked in the NHS but also spent some time working at Everest Base Camp on the Extreme Everest Expedition, looking at how extreme conditions affect performance, survival and longevity.

When running at lower intensities, the primary component the body needs and uses to produce the energy is oxygen. This aerobic process is efficient but also relatively complex and can become overloaded or backed up, as energy demand rises with exercise intensity.

There will be a point where a second energy production system begins to make a contribution and this is the anaerobic system. This system produces energy rapidly without oxygen, but it is also inefficient, burning cellular fuel more quickly and producing the by-products: lactate and lactic acid.

From a running performance point of view, the shift to inefficient energy production results in an unsustainable system that will ultimately lead to fatigue. However, a higher lactate threshold is trainable and the best way to improve it is to train at, or around, lactate threshold intensity with working intervals significantly longer than recovery intervals.

Put simply, VO max is the maximum (max) rate (V) of oxygen (O) your body is able to consume and use during one minute of exercise. A higher VO max means youre in good shape physically and if youre looking to improve yours, running can help.

It has been shown that running at specific intensities for certain periods of time can actually improve your VO max, says Jonny Kibble, head of exercise and physical activity at Vitality (opens in new tab).

Johnny Kibble

Johnny Kibble is an experienced health and well-being coach, with a background in sports science. He currently works with Vitality, a UK health insurance company, where he leads physical activity workshops. In his spare time, he competes in 5ks, 10ks, triathlons and half marathons.

VO max is measured in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute ml/kg/min. It is generally considered the gold standard measure of cardiovascular fitness the higher it is, the longer you can potentially exercise for, at any given intensity.

While it can be impacted by numerous genetic factors, such as age and sex (men will generally have a higher VO max than women due to muscle mass and haemoglobin levels), the good news is, everyone can improve theirs.

Research from the Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise Journal (opens in new tab) shows that running at 90-95% of maximum heart rate for four minutes followed by four minutes of resting at 70% max heart rate, four times round (for a specific time period) increased participants VO max by an average of 7.2 per cent (2).

According to Kibble, on top of improving your running performance, a high VO max could also make everyday tasks easier to perform.

Another study in the Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise Journal (opens in new tab) showed that climbing a set of stairs can cost around 33.5ml/kg/min of our VO max, which could be a sedentary individuals maximal capacity (27 - 40ml/kg/min), he explains. By improving this, it means we may find it easier to perform everyday tasks, which is particularly important as we grow older due to our VO max levels declining with age.

VO max can also play a huge part in prevention and, according to research from Frontiers in Bioscience (opens in new tab), is the strongest independent predictor of future life expectancy in both healthy and cardio-respiratory diseased individuals.

Lacing up and pounding the pavement can often be thought of as detrimental to joints and knees. However, research shows that running can in fact, be good for bone health.

Running is often perceived as bad for joints, in particular the knees and hips, and too much high impact exercise can damage bone and may cause long-term problems such as stress fractures, says Lindsy Kass, Principal Lecturer in Sport, Health and Exercise at the University of Hertfordshire (opens in new tab).

Kass is a Principal Lecturer on the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Degree Programme at the University of Hertfordshire. She is a Registered Nutritionist and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science. Kass has worked at the University of Hertfordshire for over 15 years and is a Fellow of the Teaching and Learning Academy. Her work includes research into carbohydrate and protein sport drinks, looking at the effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure and exercise and, most recently, she was the lead investigator on a large study looking at the effect of the Covid lockdown on exercise and eating habits.

However, there is much evidence (opens in new tab) to show that impact exercise such as running can actually help with bone formation and bone density, and reduce the effect of osteoporosis. In one study published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation (opens in new tab), long-distance runners were evaluated to establish change in bone properties using ultrasound and biochemical markers, to determine bone strength and bone formation markers. The male and female runners, aged 30-49 years ran an average of 48.6km per week, with an average frequency of 4.4 times per week. No significant difference was found in bone strength for either the males or females across all age groups meaning there was no decrement in bone strength when running long distances.

However, there was a significant improvement in blood serum markers of osteocalcin, which is a marker of bone formation, for both males and females across all age groups. This shows that bone formation may be improved with distance running, by stimulating osteoclasts. This supports the view that bone density is reliant on the forces acting on the bone in this case, the impact to the legs from running.

For those over 50, worried about osteoporosis, dont even think about switching to a non-resistance training modality. Research in the journal Osteoporosis International (opens in new tab) found that older runners had higher bone mineral density than swimmers of the same age. This suggests that moderate impact activities are better for maintaining skeletal integrity with age.

Struggling with that afternoon deadline? Cant make an important life decision? The answer might lie in a quick run.

A study by the University of Tsukuba in Japan (opens in new tab) last year showed that ten minutes of moderate-intensity running increases local blood flow to the parts of the brain that plays an important role in controlling mood and executive functions, says Elisabeth Philipps, a Clinical Neuroscientist and spokesperson for supplement brand FourFive (opens in new tab).

Elisabeth Philipps

Elisabeth Philipps is a clinical neuroscientist specializing in the endocannabinoid system. She has authored many articles on CBD, clinical neuroscience and health. One of her main strengths is being able to translate complex and dense scientific research into accessible written and presented content.

In such a short time, to see a mental improvement in brain function is really positive and should help spur people to enjoy daily exercise however long they have.

In the study, researchers found that just a short session increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex so it could benefit everything from focus, memory, planning, organization, and even impulse decision making.

So, what does this mean in real life? Moderate intensity running can be worked out using fancy heart rate monitoring, but more simply you can do the talk test which for moderate intensity means you can comfortably talk whilst running at a pace for 10 minutes, she adds.

This might take a bit of training and working up to this level but even just getting moving and brisk walking, especially with some hills or inclines involved helps into improve brain blood flow and boost your happy hormones, as well as trigger endocannabinoid synthesis which releases bliss molecule anandamide to help you feel good. Running and walking outdoors is best - fresh air and nature really boosts mental health. In fact, the runner's high is not an endorphins release, as previously thought but the body releasing anandamide, an endocannabinoid produced in the body, which makes us feel great.

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These are the real benefits of running, according to the science - Livescience.com

Physiology

Are Cold Showers Healthier Than Hot Ones? Science Is Weighing In! – Twisted Sifter

Even if all of the scientists in the world were able to agree that a cold shower was better for your health, Im not sure all that many people would make the switch after all, theres just something nice about a nice, warm spray, right?

If youre curious what the answer is and why, though, just keep reading.

First off, lets talk about the different ways hot and cold showers affect our bodies.

According to an analysis presented at the 2018 Joint International Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis and Computing and Control for the Water Industry, most people prefer hot showers specifically, showers between the temperatures of 104 and 106 degrees F.

Hot showers are obviously nicer and more relaxing, and numerous studies have shown that showering before bed can help us sleep better by relieving body tension and stress. In addition, the hot water relieves muscle fatigue and may even lessen the pain associated with long-term conditions like osteoarthritis.

The bodys blood vessels expand when exposed to heat, which means immersion in warm water can improve arterial stiffness and improve circulation, even improving blood flow among people with chronic heart failure.

That said, dermatologist Sejal Shah reminds us that hot showers are not all good.

Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils leading to dry, itchy skin and eventually eczema. Similarly, hot water can strip the hair of its natural oils, causing it to be drier.

And that ability to lower blood pressure? Dr. Hassan Makki says its not a positive for everyone.

I must have heard a similar story at least a dozen times; a person is taking a hot shower, feels lightheaded and wakes up in a pool of blood from a head injury.

Hot showers, it turns out, are a prime place for those events called vasovagal syncopes to happen.

The heat has already caused a lot of the blood to be shifted to the superficial tissues (a mechanism the body uses to cool down). With less blood available in the tank so to speak, even a slight dip in blood pressure can cause syncope.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, cold showers have a reputation for being good for calming untoward urgesand there is some scientific data to support the claim that theyre good for your health.

There are several studies that point to an immune-boosting effect, which may or may not have something to do with the sympathetic nervous systemwhich is connected to our fight-or-flight reflex.

Lindsay Bottoms, a Reader in Exercise and Health Physiology at the University of Hertfordshire, explained more in The Conversation.

When this is activated, such as during a cold shower, you get an increase in the hormone noradrenaline. This is what most likely causes the increase in heart rate and blood pressure observed when people are immersed in cold water, and is linked to the suggested health improvements.

Cold showers also improve circulation, but when the water stops and your body has to work harder to warm itself back up.

Which is also why cold showers can help increase your metabolism. Some believe this, along with the idea that brown fat is activated by cold temperatures and stored around the shoulders and neck, also has some believing cold showers could promote weight loss.

Bottoms also explained that some are positive cold showers have mental benefits as well.

There is a school of thought that cold water immersion causes increased mental alertness. A cold shower may also help relieve symptoms of depression. A proposed mechanism is that, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower sends an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which may have an anti-depressive effect.

Health and water expert Glen Coulson warns that there are also drawbacks.

Submerging in freezing cold water could cause the body to go into cold-water shock. That could cause a number of reactions, from hyperventilation to heart attacks.

So, should you take a hot shower or a cold one, if improving your health is your ultimate goal?

The best answer, says dermatologist Carl Thornfeldt, is somewhere in the middle.

The best solution is to take a warm, tepid shower and then finish off with cold rinse for the last few seconds to still reap the rewards of the cold water.

You definitely dont want to take a cold shower if youre coming in from a super hot day, because your body is working hard to stabilize its temperature on its own and the cold water will just throw it off.

It is always recommended to have a lukewarm shower rather than indulging a cold one.

I dont know about you, but they dont have to tell me twice.

The rest is here:
Are Cold Showers Healthier Than Hot Ones? Science Is Weighing In! - Twisted Sifter

Physiology

Cardiovascular physiology-changes with aging – PubMed

With aging there are changes in the cardiovascular system, which result in alterations in cardiovascular physiology. The changes in cardiovascular physiology must be differentiated from the effects of pathology, such as coronary artery disease, that occur with increasing frequency as age increases. The changes with age occur in everyone but not necessarily at the same rate, therefore accounting for the difference seen in some people between chronologic age and physiologic age. The changes in the cardiovascular system associated with aging are a decrease in elasticity and an increase in stiffness of the arterial system. This results in increased afterload on the left ventricle, an increase in systolic blood pressure, and left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as other changes in the left ventricular wall that prolong relaxation of the left ventricle in diastole. There is a dropout of atrial pacemaker cells resulting in a decrease in intrinsic heart rate. With fibrosis of the cardiac skeleton there is calcification at the base of the aortic valve and damage to the His bundle as it perforates the right fibrous trigone. Finally there is decreased responsiveness to beta adrenergic receptor stimulation, a decreased reactivity to baroreceptors and chemoreceptors, and an increase in circulating catecholamines. These changes set the stage for isolated systolic hypertension, diastolic dysfunction and heart failure, atrioventricular conduction defects, and aortic valve calcification, all diseases seen in the elderly.

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Cardiovascular physiology-changes with aging - PubMed

Physiology

Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology job with UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST – UNISC | 310457 – Times Higher Education

Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology

About the opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity available for a high-achieving, innovative, and resourceful Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology to join ourSchool of Health and Behavioural Sciences at Sippy Downs, Sunshine Coast.

UniSC is a premier sporting destination with nationally-accredited facilities and support from leading health and sports scientists. High performing champions train side-by-side with beginners in a supportive sports community that drives excellence. Find out more https://www.usc.edu.au/sport

You will contribute meaningfully to the discipline through engaging and effective teaching practices. You will develop productive industry and community relationships that benefit the students, community and UniSC. Additionally, you will contribute to the research profile in the area of Clinical Exercise Physiology within the school by participating in research activities and developing or maintaining an active research profile.

You will:

About UniSC

As one of Australias fastest growing universities, UniSC is ripe with opportunities for passionate, skilled and determined leaders who want to make an impact in higher education.

We are one of the most respected universities in Australia for our teaching quality, as acknowledged by our five-star rating in the Good Universities Guide - a title we have held for 16 consecutive years.

On the world stage, we are a recognised global leader when it comes to sustainability principles. In the 2021 Times Higher Educations Impact Rankings, UniSC was ranked as third in the world for our research, outreach and stewardship when it comes to conserving and protecting life underwater. For life on the land, we were ranked fifth both titles a welcome recognition of our work in these specialty areas of research and stewardship.

The standings come alongside the Australian Research Councils recognition of UniSC as a producer of world-class research in 26 areas, including environmental impact, mental and medical health, technology, and human behaviour.

UniSCs impact in national and international research continues to be fast-growing and, since 2013, we have more than tripled our annual research income to $26 million.

While these results are impressive, they are just the start of our story. We are young, agile and determined to become Australias premier regional university.

We warmly encourage you to join us on this journey.

About you

You contribute to a positive and engaging academic environment, enabling excellence for both staff and students. Your well-developed interpersonal skills and exceptional written and verbal communication enable you to successfully deliver a superior student experience to a diverse student cohort. You collaborate cohesively and share your expertise to contribute to the ongoing success of the schools teaching and research outcomes.

You will possess:

At UniSC, we have a genuinecommitment to diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all cultures, genders, abilities, and experiences. Should you require additional support, emailusccareers@usc.edu.auor phone+61 7 5430 2830.

Contact

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity,please contact:

Dr Nicole Masters

Acting Head of SchoolSchool of Health and Behavioural Sciences

07 5459 5906ornmasters@usc.edu.au

Apply

Please apply byMidnight, Monday 17 October 2022

All applications must be lodged through our website, by visitinghttps://www.usc.edu.au/community/work-at-usc.

A completed application includes:

Benefits of working at UniSC

UniSC is a community which recognises and embraces diversity among our staff, students and community partnerships. We provide an inclusive environment where each person feels they belong and are respected, connected and empowered.

UniSC is a proud recipient of the prestigious Athena SWAN Bronze Award, granted as part of theScience in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE)initiativewhich aimsto address and improve gender equity in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM)disciplines. Attaining an award is recognition of our ongoing commitment to improving gender equity and ensuring that women from diverse backgrounds, as well as underrepresented groups, are best positioned to reach their full potential.

UniSC offers career enhancement opportunities such as professional development and specialised leadership and management programs. We are an inclusive employer offering flexible work options, extensive and generous leave options and a 36.25 hour working week for our professional staff. For more information, visit our website/https://www.usc.edu.au/about/work-at-unisc/benefits-of-working-at-unisc

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Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology job with UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST - UNISC | 310457 - Times Higher Education

Physiology

Just 6% of sport science research focuses on female athletes – NutraIngredients.com

This is the message from Dr Sam Moss, senior lecturer in Sport & Exercise Sciences at Chester University and performance nutritionist at Gatorade Sports Science Institute, speaking to NutraIngredients ahead of her on-stage presentation at the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit next week.

Dr Moss will provide an overview of the research that has currently been conducted into female physiology, demonstrating the huge blind spots that need to be address.

Research studies are more difficult in women and more expensive on account of their menstrual cycles creating more complexity. But we cannot continue to apply male results to females as they have completely unique physiological challenges.

A key health concern for female athletes is the dominance of RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) which essential means the athlete isnt consuming enough energy to meet all their physiological demands. And this is startlingly prevalent.

In fact, Dr Moss says research indicates that 47% of female athletes are at risk of RED-S (Ackerman et al. 2019) and the health consequences of this are wide-ranging, from basic loss of energy and weakened immune function to impacts on bone density, resting metabolic rate and the menstrual cycle. And more health impacts are continuing to be discovered.

When Moss led a study into athletes in womens football they discovered that just 23% of athletes had optimal energy availability to meet their general physiological and training needs. They found that the main reason for this was poor availability in their training environment.

In mens football you might have someone there making up their protein and carb shakes before and after training but those sorts of provisions are limited for women.

There are also a lot of negative associations with carbs so theres around education also.

Many of the women have only just turned professional so have never had a nutritionist before and its really hard to break down internal beliefs they have held throughout their lives.

Of course a clear physical difference between males and females is the menstrual cycle which has a huge impact on womens physiological needs.

Dr Moss says the research into the impacts is growing but there is still a huge amount not known.

For example, it is known that during the luteal phase of the cycle (the time of ovulation, about 14 days before menstruation) energy demand increases by up to 300 calories per day and during this phase the body can find it more difficult to extract stored carbs.

This has led some researchers to hypothesise that women need more carbs during this period, while others have concluded that they would be better off with protein as the body might be able to make better use of this. The fact is the research is sparse and, therefore, inconclusive.

Dr Moss will detail all of these issues in her presentation on day three of the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit which takes place in Amsterdam next week (Oct 5-7).

There is still time to get your space at the event. For more information and to register, please clickHERE.

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Just 6% of sport science research focuses on female athletes - NutraIngredients.com

Physiology

Governor Abbott Announces $1.7 Million TWC Job Training Grant To Workforce Solutions Cameron – Office of the Texas Governor

September 28, 2022 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott today announced a $1.7 million Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to Workforce Solutions Cameron, in partnership with DHR Health. The job training grant will benefit more than 5,000 new and current health care workers in theWorkforce Solutions Cameron area by providing skills training, ensuring retention, and promoting career advancement opportunities for nurses.

"Texas' medical workforce is essential to the health and well-being of communities across our state," said Governor Abbott. "The State of Texas continues creating opportunities to bolster our health care workforce and support the dedicated nurses and medical professionals who provide crucial patient care. I thank the Texas Workforce Commission for ensuring health care workers at DHR Health in Cameron County have the training and tools needed to advance in their careers and help keep their fellow Texans healthy."

This grant allows DHR Health the opportunity to upskill its existing workforce and support the Nurse Career Ladder pathway, said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. Texas Skills Development Fund Grant Program is an important tool hospitals have to retain and advance the careers of medical professionals in their local communities.

The grant will provide technical training in high-demand skills for occupations in medical and health services. Trainings will include anatomy and physiology courses, case management skills, stroke and tomography education, radiology, pediatric, psychiatric, and trauma nursing skills.

TWC's Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez presented the grant at a ceremony today at DHR Health.

The Skills Development Fund grant program has provided training opportunities in partnership with more than 4,700 employers to upgrade or support the creation of more than 410,000 jobs throughout Texas since the programs inception in 1996.

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Governor Abbott Announces $1.7 Million TWC Job Training Grant To Workforce Solutions Cameron - Office of the Texas Governor

Physiology

Aptar and Fluidda partner to ease inhaled drug regulatory pathway – OutSourcing-Pharma.com

The partnership will be centered on Aptar Pharmas subsidiary, Nanopharm, and its SmartTrack platform that provides an alternative bioequivalence regulatory pathway for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for generic orally inhaled generic products (OIDPs).

The SmartTrack platform is used for the development of generic OIDPs for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with the company offering design and formulation development services through the integrated solution.

Fluiddas in silico platform, FRI (functional respiratory imaging), is able to produce quantitative predictions of regional drug deposition in disease state lungs using computational fluid dynamics.

Through the data gathered by the platform, drug developers can understand the availability and activity of the drug at the site of action in the lungs, alongside Nanopharms physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model platform and in vitro data.

Aptar acquired Nanopharm in 2019, as part of a strategy to expand its services and partner with pharma companies earlier in the drug development process. The parent company is a contract research and development organization focused on orally inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs).

A spokesperson for Aptar explained more about the recent partnership to Outsourcing-Pharma, Fluiddas offering (FRI) is an in silico (i.e. computer based) technology that allows Nanopharm to input data from their SmartTrack platform into their computer models to predict where and how much of the drug will deposit in the lungs of patients, and is tailored to the lung physiology of patients with different diseases because it uses real high resolution CT scans of patients e.g. asthma patients have different lung physiology than Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients.

The collaboration itself sees Nanopharm enter into exclusive agreement with Fluidda. According to the spokesperson, this means that Fluidda no longer contracts directly with pharma companies or with other service providers to provide bioequivalence for OINDPs using its FRI technology.

The companies stated that the first potential approval of an OIDP using the alternative bioequivalence approach is pending, and should it prove successful then Nanopharm expects demand for the companies collective service to accelerate.

Companies have to currently perform comparative clinical endpoint studies and the endpoints are indirect measures of efficacy (FEV-1 measurements). These cost tens of millions of dollars and take a lot of time, and usually fail. They fail, not necessarily because the products are not equivalent, but because there is so much patient variability in terms of their disease state/lung physiology, and importantly also because they all use the devices differently, and this has a significant impact on their performance, the spokesperson outlined, when asked on regulatory challenges for pharma companies working in the space. Such challenges could potentially be bypassed if a product can be approved on the data gathered from a bioequivalence study.

Beyond being able to provide a report on bioequivalence, the SmartTrack service can also help companies to understand the transition to lower global warming potential propellants for pressurized metered dose inhalers (PMDIs). This includes being able to understand deposition and dissolution in the lungs, which could be tested prior to undertaking clinical studies.

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Aptar and Fluidda partner to ease inhaled drug regulatory pathway - OutSourcing-Pharma.com

Physiology

Studying yeast DNA in space may help protect astronauts from cosmic radiation – The Conversation

Nuclear fusion reactions in the sun are the source of heat and light we receive on Earth. These reactions release a massive amount of cosmic radiation including x-rays and gamma rays and charged particles that can be harmful for any living organisms.

Life on Earth has been protected thanks to a magnetic field that forces charged particles to bounce from pole to pole as well as an atmosphere that filters harmful radiation.

During space travel, however, it is a different situation. To find out what happens in a cell when travelling in outer space, scientists are sending bakers yeast to the moon as part of NASAs Artemis 1 mission.

Read more: Artemis 1: how this 2022 lunar mission will pave the way for a human return to the Moon

Cosmic radiation can damage cell DNA, significantly increasing human risk of neurodegenerative disorders and fatal diseases, like cancer. Because the International Space Station (ISS) is located in one of two of Earths Van Allen radiation belts which provides a safe zone astronauts are not exposed too much. Astronauts in the ISS experience microgravity, however, which is another stress that can dramatically change cell physiology.

As NASA is planning to send astronauts to the moon, and later on to Mars, these environmental stresses become more challenging.

Read more: Twins in space: How space travel affects gene expression

The most common strategy to protect astronauts from the negative effects of cosmic rays is to physically shield them using state-of-the-art materials.

Several studies show that hibernators are more resistant to high doses of radiation, and some scholars have suggested the use of synthetic or induced torpor during space missions to protect astronauts.

Another way to protect life from cosmic rays is studying extremophiles organisms that can remarkably tolerate environmental stresses. Tardigrades, for instance, are micro-animals that have shown an astonishing resistance to a number of stresses, including harmful radiation. This unusual sturdiness stems from a class of proteins known as tardigrade-specific proteins.

Under the supervision of molecular biologist Corey Nislow, I use bakers yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to study cosmic DNA damage stress. We are participating in NASAs Artemis 1 mission, where our collection of yeast cells will travel to the moon and back in the Orion spacecraft for 42 days.

This collection contains about 6,000 bar-coded strains of yeast, where in each strain, one gene is deleted. When exposed to the environment in space, those strains would begin to lag if deletion of a specific gene affects cell growth and replication.

My primary project at Nislow lab is genetically engineering yeast cells to make them express tardigrade-specific proteins. We can then study how those proteins can alter the physiology of cells and their resistance to environmental stresses most importantly radiation with the hope that such information would come in handy when scientists try to engineer mammals with these proteins.

When the mission is completed and we receive our samples back, using the barcodes, the number of each strain could be counted to identify genes and gene pathways essential for surviving damage induced by cosmic radiation.

Yeast has long served as a model organism in DNA damage studies, which means there is solid background knowledge about the mechanisms in yeast that respond to DNA-damaging agents. Most of the yeast genes playing roles in DNA damage response have been well studied.

Despite the differences in genetic complexity between yeast and humans, the function of most genes involved in DNA replication and DNA damage response have remained so conserved between the two that we can obtain a great deal of information about human cells DNA damage response by studying yeast.

Furthermore, the simplicity of yeast cells compared to human cells (yeast has 6,000 genes while we have more than 20,000 genes) allows us to draw more solid conclusions.

And in yeast studies, it is possible to automate the whole process of feeding the cells and stopping their growth in an electronic apparatus the size of a shoe box, whereas culturing mammalian cells requires more room in the spacecraft and far more complex machinery.

Such studies are essential to understand how astronauts bodies can cope with long-term space missions, and to develop effective countermeasures. Once we identify the genes playing key roles in surviving cosmic radiation and microgravity, wed be able to look for drugs or treatments that could help boost the cells durability to withstand such stresses.

We could then test them in other models (such as mice) before actually applying them to astronauts. This knowledge might also be potentially useful for growing plants beyond Earth.

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Studying yeast DNA in space may help protect astronauts from cosmic radiation - The Conversation