Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Dufresne thrives on challenges, even in a pandemic – Lethbridge Herald

By Yoos, Cam on May 4, 2020.

It takes a certain type of person to not only put themselves on the front lines of a worldwide pandemic, but to embrace the uncertainties of that experience.

I really love to be challenged, says Natalie Dufresne, a 2015 Lethbridge College Nursing graduate who now works in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Chinook Regional Hospital.

Things change every hour so we have to be very resilient and adapt very quickly, which isnt always easy. But its a part of my career and a part of my art of adapting to the world of health and wellness.

Serving her community in the midst of a pandemic wasnt on the top of Dufresnes mind when she was a 16-year-old weighing her post-secondary education options. In fact, she wasnt sure what she wanted to do. She was leaning towards a career in health care, perhaps as a speech pathologist, until her mom nudged her in another direction.

She reminded me how much I loved the TV show E.R. as kid, laughs Dufresne. I was always interested in the medical profession and she said, well, what about nursing? And I said, sure. Thats exactly how it happened.

Her time at the college feels like a blur, where she was rapidly learning the lessons that would allow her to succeed later. She remembers her instructors, like Ramona Stewart, who made her want to try harder just by their encouraging nature, and Robin Brownlee, who showed the value of patience as Dufresnes first clinical instructor. In the third year of her program, all of the pieces she learned finally connected for her during a placement in Pincher Creek.

I loved Pincher Creek the staff, the hospital, my clinical instructor, my clinical group, everything about it, she remembers. I had this moment with my patients where I connected anatomy and physiology and the disease process, and something happened in that moment where I was like, this is what I want to do.'

Dufresnes journey has now come full circle. In addition to working as an ICU nurse, she has returned to her Lethbridge College roots as a clinical instructor. Ive always liked helping students and it reminds me of my own time being terrified as a student, she says. I thought, this is like the perfect time to try teaching a clinical group. I also wanted to dive back into some of my basics like anatomy, physiology and pathways, so I thought, I might as well challenge myself a little bit and teach, because thats how you learn.'

Although it is still early in her career, Dufresne says she has found a home in the ICU, where she plays an important role in helping people.

I like to be an advocate for people who are truly experiencing the worst weeks or more of their life, she says. I like the bedside nursing part of it knowing my patient and seeing them improve is so wonderful. When youve seen a patient struggling for days or weeks and then they get better, its awesome to see.

While the next few weeks and months may challenge her like never before there are many unknowns when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic Dufresne is confident her training and outlook will serve her well in continuing to help people and adapting to whatever situation she encounters.

A long time ago one of my coworkers said, nursing is a science theres black and white, and policy and procedures that we have to follow, but its also an art. You kind of have to adapt and make it your own,' she remembers. And thats how Ive thought of it, too. Nursing is an art to me.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

See original here:
Dufresne thrives on challenges, even in a pandemic - Lethbridge Herald

Physiology

Weirton Resident Thaiddeus Dillie Named to West Virginia University’s Order of Augusta – Wheeling Intelligencer

Weirton native Thaiddeus Dillie, right, and Hurricane native Teresa Hoang stand together after being named West Virginia Universitys 2019Homecoming king and queen during halftime of Saturdays game against Texas. Dillie is a senior biochemistry major who serves as the alternate Mountaineer Mascot, a mentor for the WVU Honors College, a student life ambassador and a Student Government Association senator for the David College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Hoang is a senior computer science major who serves as a student ambassador and teaching assistant for the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. (WVU Photo/Hunter Tankersley)

Weirtons Thaiddeus Dillie will soon receive West Virginia Universitys highest student honor, joining seven others in the 2020 class of the Order of Augusta.

Also, Katherine Adase of Wheeling has been named among more than 40 WVU Oustanding Seniors.

This years Order of Augusta inductees have exceeded classroom boundaries and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to solving complex global challenges and serving others.

WVU looks forward each year to recognizing its top graduates with the Outstanding Senior award and the Order of Augusta, said Maryanne Reed, WVUs provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. These students have already shown exceptional leadership, compassion and a commitment to service at the collegiate level. They are without question poised to lead positive change in local communities and around the world.

A majority of the 2020 Order of Augusta scholars are members of the WVU Honors College.

Our outstanding seniors are the best of the best, showing both academic achievement and the determination and adaptability of true Mountaineers, said Dean of Students Corey Farris. We look forward to their successes, knowing they are positioned to make a difference beyond campus while carrying the Mountaineer spirit with them.

These eight students are among 49 students named WVU Foundations Outstanding Seniors.

Dillie, a member of the Honors College from Weirton, will graduate with a degree in biochemistry (ASBMB track) and a minor in business administration. He serves as a student ambassador for the Division of Student Life, peer mentor for the WVU Honors College and Student Government Association representative for the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. He also served as the 2019-20 WVU Homecoming King.

Joining him are the following students:

Noor Dahshan, a member of the Honors College from Charleston, will graduate with a degree in biology.

Abigail Kaufman, from York, Pennsylvania, will graduate with a in degree exercise physiology and a minor in medical humanities and health sciences.

Caroline Leadmon, a member of the Honors College from Hurricane, will graduate with degrees in biochemistry and animal and nutritional sciences.

Morgan McCardell, a non-traditional student and student parent from Martinsburg, has earned her Regents Bachelor of Arts.

Kristin Ruddle, from Brandywine, will graduate with degrees in biology and psychology.

David Sokolov, a member of the Honors College from Morgantown, will graduate with degrees in biology and mathematics.

Lindsey Zirkle, a member of the Honors College for Charleston, will graduate with degrees in International studies and English.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

See the article here:
Weirton Resident Thaiddeus Dillie Named to West Virginia University's Order of Augusta - Wheeling Intelligencer

Physiology

Deadly Virus Turns Honey Bees Into Trojan Horses, Rapidly Spreading the Infection to Healthy Hives – SciTechDaily

Entomology professor Adam Dolezal and his colleagues found that infection with the Israeli acute paralysis virus increases the likelihood that infected bees are accepted by foreign colonies. Credit: Fred Zwicky

Honey bees that guard hive entrances are twice as likely to allow in trespassers from other hives if the intruders are infected with the Israeli acute paralysis virus, a deadly pathogen of bees, researchers report.

Their new study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, strongly suggests that IAPV infection alters honey bees behavior and physiology in ways that boost the viruss ability to spread, the researchers say.

The most important finding of our study is that IAPV infection increases the likelihood that infected bees are accepted by foreign colonies, said Adam Dolezal, a professor of entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who led the new research. Somehow, the infected bees are able to circumvent the guards of foreign colonies, which they shouldnt be able to do.

Researchers tagged each honey bee with the equivalent of a QR code and used an automated system to study trophallaxis, a process by which the bees exchange regurgitated food and other liquids. The system allowed them to track how infection with IAPV affected the bees trophallaxis social network. Credit: Tim Gernat

Previous studies have shown that IAPV-infected honey bees are more likely than healthy bees to lose their way when returning home from foraging trips. In commercial beekeeping operations where hives are stacked much closer together than in the wild, the virus is even more likely to spread from one infected colony to nearby healthy ones.

To capture the behavior of individual bees, researchers tagged each one with the equivalent of a QR code and continuously monitored their interactions. The scientists were able to simultaneously track the behaviors of as many as 900 bees.

In previous work, study co-author U. of I. entomologist Gene Robinson and his colleagues developed this automated system to study bees engaged in trophallaxis, a process by which honey bees exchange regurgitated food and other liquids. They used this system to study how IAPV infection might affect the bees trophallaxis social network.

Honey bees touch their mouthparts and antennae together to share food and information, but the practice also can transmit viruses. Credit: Fred Zwicky

Honey bees use trophallaxis to share food with each other as well as hormones and other signaling molecules that can affect their physiology and behavior. They do it in pairs by touching their mouthparts and antennae, and each bee does this with hundreds of partners a day, said Robinson, who directs the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois. Trophallaxis is essential to the spread of information and nutrition throughout the hive, but unfortunately, a behavior performed with such close social contact also allows viral infections to be transmitted through a hive.

In the new study, the scientists saw that honey bees altered their behavior in response to infection in their own hives. IAPV-infected bees and bees that had had their immune systems stimulated to mimic infection engaged in less trophallaxis than their healthy counterparts did.

The infected bees were just as mobile as the other bees, so their lower rates of trophallaxis were not the result of sluggishness from being sick, Dolezal said. The researchers believe this change in behavior is a general response to a health threat and not specific to IAPV infection, which is in line with previous research.

When the scientists placed honey bee workers at the entrance of a foreign hive, however, the infected bees engaged in more trophallaxis with the guards, the researchers found. The guards were more likely to admit them than to let in healthy bees or bees whose immune systems had been stimulated. This response was specific to IAPV infection.

Something about them must be different, Dolezal said.

To test whether the IAPV-infected bees were giving off a different chemical odor than their healthy nest mates, the researchers analyzed the chemistry of the hydrocarbons that coat the bees exoskeletons. They discovered distinct hydrocarbon profiles for healthy bees, IAPV-infected bees and immunostimulated bees.

It seems that the virus is changing how the bees smell, and perhaps the infected bees also are behaving in a way that is meant to appease the guards by engaging more in trophallaxus, Dolezal said.

The new findings suggest that IAPV is evolving in ways that enhance its ability to infect as many hosts as possible, Dolezal said.

If youre a virus, its much more valuable to get transmitted to a new family group, like traveling from one city to a new city, he said. And so how do you get there? You increase the chances that the sick bees leaving colony A are more likely to get into colony B.

###

Reference: Honey bee virus causes context-dependent changes in host social behavior by Amy C. Geffre, Tim Gernat, Gyan P. Harwood, Beryl M. Jones, Deisy Morselli Gysi, Adam R. Hamilton, Bryony C. Bonning, Amy L. Toth, Gene E. Robinson and Adam G. Dolezal, 27 April 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002268117

The Christopher Family Foundation, National Academies Keck Futures Initiative, American Pollinator Protection Campaign and U.S. Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported this research.

Here is the original post:
Deadly Virus Turns Honey Bees Into Trojan Horses, Rapidly Spreading the Infection to Healthy Hives - SciTechDaily

Physiology

Why Depressed Moms Depress Their Kids, And How To Stop The Cycle – The Federalist

Weve all heard the saying, If moms unhappy, everyones unhappy. I think its a little unfair to moms, but its meant as a playful way of saying what most of us have experienced at some point: Moms set the mood for the family. If mom is unhappy, the whole family feels it. Mothers wield tremendous influence in the home, and for most families this isnt a problem.

Moms can have ups and downs, which doesnt seriously interfere with a childs healthy attachment or development. Yet the same isnt necessarily true for the children of mothers who suffer from depression. Moms with a history of depression may leave their kids a legacy of depression.

A recent study in the Journal of Family Psychology found that self-blame plays an important role in the link between a mothers depressive symptoms and similar symptoms in her children. Chrystyna D. Kouros, one of the authors of the study and an associate professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University, says, Children of depressed mothers are 2-3 times more likely to develop depressive symptoms themselves.

A key factor in why this happens might have to do with a childs tendency to assume blame. Children who consider themselves at fault whenever their mother is unhappy or angry are at greater risk for relational issues, victimization, and self-harm. These children are likely to believe theyre the cause of their mothers unhappiness even if theyve never been told so openly.

Kids are masters at reading a parents mood, and theyll often match it. How many times have we seen our emotions reflected back at us when we snap at our 4-year-old because weve had a bad day and he threw his toy because hes now distressed? Our kids are mirroring not only our emotions but our physiology. Infants can sense when a mother is stressed and will begin to exhibit physical signs of stress such as an increased heart rate and muscle tension.

Children are constantly taking in information about their environment and adjusting accordingly. When kids are young, they might be anxious or fearful when they sense a parent is upset. When they get older and more verbal, they may try to keep the peace by internalizing their problems or assuming the role of cheerleader for the unhappy parent.

Confusion also upsets a child. They know mom is sad a lot, but they dont know why, and no one talks about it. Understandably, a parent may not want to share her deeply painful struggles with kids, but theres a lot of ground between sharing too much and providing helpful, age-appropriate answers. Children who are left to figure out moms mood on their own and believe theyre at fault for her constant unhappiness risk internalizing her sadness and eventually having their own mental health issues.

To help alleviate this, moms struggling with depression may want to consider opening up to their kids perhaps sharing what depression is like and then asking them what its like when mom is sad. Children will invariably have questions mom cant answer, and mom isnt always in a position to answer them. Thats OK.

Maybe she doesnt know why she feels lousy and isnt considering how other people feel because her depression is overwhelming, Maybe if she does try to explain why shes not the mom she wants to be, she ends up spiraling into more self-loathing over her failings.

I want to caution moms against going too far down the I failed as a mother path. It does more harm than good. One, it doesnt serve the mother because its not true. Did mom do things wrong? Yes. Did mom do everything wrong? No.

Second, it puts kids who feel responsible for their mothers depression in the unfair position of having to enthusiastically assure mom she isnt a bad parent, which may conflict with what they feel, in an effort to cheer her up.

Carrying the weight of a parents unhappiness is a heavy burden for a child. It makes sense that children prone to self-blame develop anxiety and depression. Theyre internalizing moms feelings of hopelessness. This isnt the legacy we want to leave with our kids.

The good news for moms with depression is they dont have to be controlled by despair. There is always hope. The vast majority of these moms dearly love their children and certainly dont want to damage them. Even better news is that its never too late for moms to help their children stop internalizing sadness and stress.

Research shows a mothers love has the power to transform a childs emotional development and brain. Children who grew up with nurturing moms had a hippocampus 10 percent larger than that of children who grew up in a non-nurturing home.

This is important because the hippocampus part of the brain is associated with regulating emotions and memory. This tells us love can go a long way for children of depressed mothers. A critical first step, however, must be to get help. Depressed moms should seek a mental health therapist and possibly see their doctor if medication is needed. They can also ensure their kids have someone to talk to.

This confidant doesnt have to be a professional. It can be a family member or friend. One emotionally supportive, positive adult can make a huge difference for children who are depressed and blame themselves for their moms unhappiness. The more frequently an adult can reassure the child he ist to blame for his moms feelings, the more opportunities that child will have to believe it. Eventually, the child may learn to replace self-blame with self-love.

Mrs. Efferson has an M.S. in speech language pathology, and an M.S. in counseling psychology. She writes on mental health issues, and is a therapist in east Tennessee.

Read more here:
Why Depressed Moms Depress Their Kids, And How To Stop The Cycle - The Federalist

Physiology

Drink Made From Fruit and Plant Extracts May Be the Scientifically-Backed Hangover Cure We’ve Been Waiting For – Good News Network

A plant extract combination of fruits, leaves, and roots may help to relieve hangover symptoms, reveals an intriguing new study published online this week.

Furthermore, the common wisdom about what causes hangovers may be wrong. The studys findings indicate that dehydration and the associated loss of electrolyteselectrically charged minerals in the body that help balance water content and acid levelsmay not be largely responsible for all the common hangover symptoms.

Various natural remedies have been recommended over the years to ease hangover symptoms, but there was no strong scientific evidence that would advocate for their use.

In a bid to address that, German researchers at the Institute of Molecular Physiology at Johannes Gutenberg-University assessed the potential of specific plant extracts, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidant compounds to ease a range of physical and psychological symptoms associated with drinking alcohol. Their peer-reviewed, double-blind, randomized controlled trial has been published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

The plant extracts included Barbados cherry (Acerola), prickly pear, ginkgo biloba, willow and ginger root. The vitamins and minerals included magnesium, potassium, sodium bicarbonate, zinc, riboflavin, thiamin and folic acid.

Some 214 healthy 18-65 year olds were randomly split into three groups and given a 7.5 g flavored, water soluble supplement 45 minutes before, and immediately after they stopped drinking any of beer, white wine, or white wine spritzer.

RELATED: These are the 3 Most Promising Longevity Supplements From Scientific Research So Far

The first group (69) were given a supplement containing the plant extracts, vitamins and minerals, and additional antioxidant compoundssteviol glycosides and inulin. The second group (76) were given a supplement minus the plant extracts, while the third group (69) were given glucose alone (placebo).

The number and type of drinks consumed was recorded as was how many times they emptied their bladder between 1,700 and 2,100 hours.

Blood and urine samples and blood pressure measurements were taken before and after the start of this four-hour period, after which the participants were sent home to sober up.

CHECK OUT: Give Yourself a Dry JanuaryYoull Sleep Better, Save Money, and Lose Weight

Twelve hours later the same samples and blood pressure measurements were taken, and participants filled in a questionnaire about the type and intensity of perceived hangover symptoms, which were ranked on a zero to 10 scale.

The average amount of alcohol consumed was virtually the same in all three groups: 0.62 ml/minute.

Analysis of all the data showed that symptom intensity varied widely among the participantsbut compared with the placebo, those taking the full supplement of plant extracts, minerals/vitamins, and antioxidants reported less severe symptoms.

MORE: Discovery of Brain Circuit That Controls Compulsive Drinking Offers Hope for Alcoholism Cure

Average headache intensity was 34% less, nausea 42% less, while feelings of indifference fell by an average of 27% and restlessness by 41%. No significant differences or reductions were reported for any of the other symptoms.

Polyphenol and flavonoid compounds in each of the five plant extracts have been associated with curbing the physiological impact of alcohol in previously published experimental studies, explain the researchers. But its not clear how.

The underlying mechanisms remain to be unravelled and surely need further investigation, according to the authors Professor Bernhard Lieb and Patrick Schmitt in Mainz, Germany.

CHECK OUT: Apples, Tea, and ModerationThe 3 Ingredients for a Long Life

No significant difference in any symptom was reported by those taking the supplement minus the plant extracts, suggesting that plant extracts were largely responsible for the observed changes, say the researchers.

And the absence of any observed impact for vitamins and minerals on their own suggests that alcohol might not affect electrolyte and mineral balance, as is commonly thought, they add.

Their analysis also showed levels of water content in the body werent significantly associated with the amount of alcohol drunk. Our results suggest that alcohol-induced increased fluid excretion does not necessarily lead to a significant dehydration process, they write.

LOOK: Sober Bars Are Giving More and More Recovering Alcoholics a Social Place for Fun Without Booze

It seems to be clear that hangover symptoms are predominantly caused by alcohol and its metabolites, rather than dehydration or electrolytes, they concluded.

Reprinted from BMJ

Treat Your Friends To This Intriguing News By Sharing It To Social Media

See original here:
Drink Made From Fruit and Plant Extracts May Be the Scientifically-Backed Hangover Cure We've Been Waiting For - Good News Network

Physiology

Hangover cure: Key could be eating fruits, roots and leaves – study finds – Sky News

Everyone has their own way of curing hangovers, whether it is painkillers or a fry-up. But new research suggests plants could hold the key to keeping them at bay.

Analysis by scientists at the Institute of Molecular Physiology in Mainz, Germany, found that people who consume a combination of fruits, leaves and roots will be less likely to feel ill.

The headaches and nausea most commonly associated with a hangover had been thought to be caused by a lack of electrolytes in the body, a combination of minerals that help balance acid levels.

But the research showed that people who took on board extra plant extracts and minerals after drinking suffered fewer hangover symptoms than those who just consumed more minerals.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal Nutrition Prevention and Health, suggested a combination of fruits, leaves, and roots reduced head pain and sickness.

A total of 69 healthy 18 to 65-year-olds were given water with a supplement including ginger root, Barbados cherry, magnesium, potassium and other plants and minerals.

They were given the drink 45 minutes before, and immediately after they stopped drinking beer, white wine, or white wine spritzer.

A second group of 76 people were given the supplement minus the plant extracts, and a third group of 69 were given a test placebo.

When questioned afterwards, those who had taken the plant and mineral mix found average headache intensity was 34% less, nausea 42% less, while feelings of indifference fell by an average of 27% and restlessness by 41%.

No significant difference in any symptom was reported by those taking the supplement minus the plant extracts, suggesting that plant extracts were largely responsible for the observed changes, researchers said.

Follow this link:
Hangover cure: Key could be eating fruits, roots and leaves - study finds - Sky News

Physiology

The Evolutionary Reasons Behind Why We Hiccup – The Swaddle

Hiccups the annoying, stubborn interrupters we all love to hate have spurred many urban legend-like stories, mostly aimed at making us feel better when they happen. Someones thinking of you, or missing you, is the most common feel-good myth we have devised to explain away the mysterious phenomenon. Familial remedies of how to cure them are also manufactured out of the same imaginations count to seven and hold your breath; pull on your tongue, swallow a teaspoon of sugar. Needless to say, none of these are supported by any conclusive scientific evidence.

Hiccups have baffled scientists for a long time they are ubiquitous but provide no physiological advantage whatsoever. And if hiccups are a vestigial (essentially useless) phenomenon, then why does the evolved modern-day human still have them? What science does know about hiccups, thankfully, provides an equally absurd evolutionary explanation worthy of challenging even the best of imaginations.

Scientists believe the brain signals that facilitate hiccups are left over from a previous evolutionary stage. Hiccups are a recurring phenomenon, examples of which can be found throughout history. Take the tadpole, for instance at a certain point in its development, it starts to transition to a full-grown frog, at which point it has both gills (to breathe water) and lungs (to breathe air). When the tadpole breathes water, it closes the glottis (the opening of the vocal cords) so that the water doesnt go into the lungs, and instead can be passed through the gills. Scientists believe the mechanism in the brain that facilitates this periodic closing of the glottis, called central pattern generator (CPG), is a vestigial remnant from when some aquatic life slowly transitioned to land hundreds of millions of years ago.

Related on The Swaddle:

Why Sneezing Is So Weird

Today, this CPG functions in a similar way in humans. Hiccups arise out of a complicated motor act, during which the diaphragm and accompanying chest and neck muscles contract suddenly. When the diaphragm is irritated for example, from heartburn, ulcers, too much food or alcohol, it can suddenly contract, pulling downwards and sucking in air. This sudden contraction causes the glottis to snap shut, preventing any air from passing to the lungs, which produces the hic sound. The subsequent burp occurs as a result of the roof of the mouth, and the back of the tongue, moving up, allowing for a huge gasp of trapped air to escape out again. This has led scientists to surmise a CPG must exist in human brains that sends this recurring, periodic signal to control movement of the glottis, much like how actions like coughing and breathing are controlled.

The CPG, however, has evolved to be conditional. Humans are not hiccuping all the time, which led scientists to explore what triggers the CPG. This, however, proved not to be an easy feat. Most research surrounding hiccups can only be conducted among people who have a pathological hiccuping problem, which scientists have traced to an infection in the diaphragm, brain lesions, or issues with any of the nerves phrenic, vagus that carry messages to and fro between the involved neural and muscular systems. In addition to gastric problems, research shows physical trauma (to the head, for example) and tumors can also cause hiccups all of which affect the operations involved in hiccups, from the stomach to the brain and central nervous system.

Another theory for why hiccups happen involve babies in utero. While they get their oxygen from their mothers placenta while in the womb, they have to immediately learn to breathe once theyre born. You have to have a breathing apparatus that is already trained, a professor of gastroenterology at Northwestern University, Dr. Peter Kahrilas, tells Live Science. Hiccups begin in-utero, Kahrilas says, as a training mechanism for babies to learn to breathe, but because the fetuses are surrounded by a sac of blood and fluid, their glottis learns to snap shut to protect their lungs. Newborns also continue to hiccup frequently in the early years of their lives, which neurology and physiology research fellow at the University of London, Lorenzo Fabrizi tells Live Science, is a way for developing brains to form body maps that help babies acquaint themselves with their breathing apparatus.

These, however, are merely logical theories. As neuroscientist Robert Provine tells Vox Essentially, we still dont know what hiccups do, and our cure for them hasnt improved since Plato.

Follow this link:
The Evolutionary Reasons Behind Why We Hiccup - The Swaddle

Physiology

Trying eating fruits, roots and leaves to tackle a hangover, say scientists – shropshirestar.com

Plant extracts could hold the key to curing hangovers, research suggests

Headaches and nausea after drinking had been thought to be caused by a lack of electrolytes in the body, a combination of minerals that help balance acid levels.

But analysis by scientists at the Institute of Molecular Physiology in Mainz, Germany, showed that people who took on board extra plant extracts and minerals after drinking suffered fewer hangover symptoms than those who just consumed more minerals.

The study published in the British Medical Journal Nutrition Prevention and Health suggested that a combination of fruits, leaves, and roots reduced head pain and sickness.

A total of 69 healthy 18 65-year-olds were given water with a supplement including ginger root, Barbados cherry, magnesium, potassium and other plants and minerals.

They were given the drink 45 minutes before, and immediately after they stopped drinking beer, white wine, or white wine spritzer.

A second group of 76 people were given the supplement minus the plant extracts, and a third group of 69 were given a test placebo.

When questioned afterwards, those who had taken the plant and mineral mix found average headache intensity was 34% less, nausea 42% less, while feelings of indifference fell by an average of 27% and restlessness by 41%.

No significant difference in any symptom was reported by those taking the supplement minus the plant extracts, suggesting that plant extracts were largely responsible for the observed changes, say the researchers.

View post:
Trying eating fruits, roots and leaves to tackle a hangover, say scientists - shropshirestar.com

Physiology

Virus-Infected Bees More Likely to Access Healthy Hives – Lab Manager Magazine

Entomology professor Adam Dolezal and his colleagues found that infection with the Israeli acute paralysis virus increases the likelihood that infected bees are accepted by foreign colonies.

Fred Zwicky

CHAMPAIGN, IL Honey bees that guard hive entrances are twice as likely to allow in trespassers from other hives if the intruders are infected with the Israeli acute paralysis virus, a deadly pathogen of bees, researchers report.

Their new study, reported in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, strongly suggests that IAPV infection alters honey bees' behavior and physiology in ways that boost the virus's ability to spread, the researchers say.

"The most important finding of our study is that IAPV infection increases the likelihood that infected bees are accepted by foreign colonies," said Adam Dolezal, a professor of entomology at the University of Illinois (U of I) at Urbana-Champaign who led the new research. "Somehow, the infected bees are able to circumvent the guards of foreign colonies, which they shouldn't be able to do."

Previous studies have shown that IAPV-infected honey bees are more likely than healthy bees to lose their way when returning home from foraging trips. In commercial beekeeping operations where hives are stacked much closer together than in the wild, the virus is even more likely to spread from one infected colony to nearby healthy ones.

To capture the behavior of individual bees, researchers tagged each one with the equivalent of a QR code and continuously monitored their interactions. The scientists were able to simultaneously track the behaviors of as many as 900 bees.

Researchers tagged each honey bee with the equivalent of a QR code and used an automated system to study trophallaxis, a process by which the bees exchange regurgitated food and other liquids. The system allowed them to track how infection with IAPV affected the bees' trophallaxis social network.

Tim Gernat

In previous work, study co-author U of I entomologist Gene Robinson and his colleagues developed this automated system to study bees engaged in trophallaxis, a process by which honey bees exchange regurgitated food and other liquids. They used this system to study how IAPV infection might affect the bees' trophallaxis social network.

"Honey bees use trophallaxis to share food with each other as well as hormones and other signaling molecules that can affect their physiology and behavior. They do it in pairs by touching their mouthparts and antennae, and each bee does this with hundreds of partners a day," said Robinson, who directs the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois. "Trophallaxis is essential to the spread of information and nutrition throughout the hive, but unfortunately, a behavior performed with such close social contact also allows viral infections to be transmitted through a hive."

In the new study, the scientists saw that honey bees altered their behavior in response to infection in their own hives. IAPV-infected beesand bees that had had their immune systems stimulated to mimic infectionengaged in less trophallaxis than their healthy counterparts did.

The infected bees were just as mobile as the other bees, so their lower rates of trophallaxis were not the result of sluggishness from being sick, Dolezal said. The researchers believe this change in behavior is a general response to a health threat and not specific to IAPV infection, which is in line with previous research.

Honey bees touch their mouthparts and antennae together to share food and information, but the practice also can transmit viruses.

Fred Zwicky

When the scientists placed honey bee workers at the entrance of a foreign hive, however, the infected bees engaged in more trophallaxis with the guards, the researchers found. The guards were more likely to admit them than to let in healthy bees or bees whose immune systems had been stimulated. This response was specific to IAPV infection.

"Something about them must be different," Dolezal said.

To test whether the IAPV-infected bees were giving off a different chemical odor than their healthy nest mates, the researchers analyzed the chemistry of the hydrocarbons that coat the bees' exoskeletons. They discovered distinct hydrocarbon profiles for healthy bees, IAPV-infected bees and immunostimulated bees.

"It seems that the virus is changing how the bees smell, and perhaps the infected bees also are behaving in a way that is meant to appease the guards by engaging more in trophallaxus," Dolezal said.

The new findings suggest that IAPV is evolving in ways that enhance its ability to infect as many hosts as possible, Dolezal said.

"If you're a virus, it's much more valuable to get transmitted to a new family group, like traveling from one city to a new city," he said. "And so how do you get there? You increase the chances that the sick bees leaving colony A are more likely to get into colony B."

- This press release was originally published on theIllinois News Bureau website

More here:
Virus-Infected Bees More Likely to Access Healthy Hives - Lab Manager Magazine

Physiology

Study: Protein known to expand blood vessels works differently in males and females – News-Medical.Net

A protein known to expand blood vessels -- key to controlling conditions like high blood pressure -- actually has different functions in males and females, new UC Davis Health research shows.

Conducted using arterial cells from mice, the study is the first to identify sex-based distinctions in how the protein --Kv2.1 -- works.

Kv2.1 is generally known to form calcium channels that dilate blood vessels. In arterial cells from female mice, however, it contracted blood vessels.

The research was led by Luis Fernando Santana, professor and chair of physiology and membrane biology, and graduate student Samantha O'Dwyer. It is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We were shocked at the difference and the strength of that difference," Santana said. "We think we've found the physiological explanation for what some of our clinical colleagues are seeing in patients ? some high blood pressure medications tend to work better for men, while others work better for women."

Santana and his team study calcium channels, their effects on heart muscle cells and how to alter that process to improve treatments for cardiovascular disease. They are especially interested in finding new treatments for hypertension, because it affects 45% of adults in the U.S. and is linked with serious conditions such as stroke, heart failure and aneurysm.

The current study focused on how Kv2.1 changes calcium channel organization and function. The investigators found that Kv2.1 promotes tight clustering of calcium channels. Kv2.1 expression is higher in cells from female mice, leading to larger clusters. This caused higher calcium levels in arterial cells and vasoconstriction. In arterial cells from male mice, Kv2.1 expression was not as high and calcium channel clusters were much smaller, causing vasodilation.

"This difference can only be attributed to the sex of the research mice," Santana said.

The next step, Santana said, is to determine what causes the different roles of Kv2.1. He plans to investigate the potential that sex hormones regulate the protein in arterial cells. His ultimate goal is tailored treatment strategies for hypertension for men and women.

"Until recently, the research community only used male mice to investigate heart disease," Santana said. "Our study proves what a major oversight that has been."

Other researchers on the study were Stephanie Palacio, Collin Matsumoto, Laura Guarina, Nicholas Klug, Sendoa Tajada, Barbara Rosati, David McKinnon and James Trimmer, all of UC Davis. Rosati also is affiliated with the State University of New York.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers 5R01HL085686, 1R01HL144071, 1OT2OD026580 and T32HL086350) and the American Heart Association.

"Kv2.1 Channels Play Opposing Roles in Regulating Membrane Potential, Ca2+ Channel Function, and Myogenic Tone in Arterial Smooth Muscle" is available online.

Source:

Journal reference:

ODwyer, S. C., et al. (2020) Kv2.1 channels play opposing roles in regulating membrane potential, Ca2+ channel function, and myogenic tone in arterial smooth muscle. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917879117.

Read more:
Study: Protein known to expand blood vessels works differently in males and females - News-Medical.Net