Physiology News and Research

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Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. The principal level of focus of physiology is at the level of organs and systems. Most aspects of human physiology are closely homologous to corresponding aspects of animal physiology, and animal experimentation has provided much of the foundation of physiological knowledge. Anatomy and physiology are closely related fields of study: anatomy, the study of form, and physiology, the study of function, are intrinsically tied and are studied in tandem as part of a medical curriculum.

Virtual reality can reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing IV catheter placement

It isn't a matter of one needle puncture. Many children coming through the doors of Children's Hospital Los Angeles are seen for chronic conditions and often require frequent visits. Painful procedures - like a blood draw or catheter placement - can cause anxiety and fear in patients.

25 Aug 2021

Study focuses on understanding how muscle fatigue and changes in gait affect older adults

Older adults on a walk or hike, or just going about their daily routines, seem to experience greater fatigue than their younger counterparts. Such fatigue may ultimately affect their ability to participate in activities that are meaningful to them and help keep them healthy.

25 Aug 2021

Researchers find clues to how lung damage develops in the aftermath of a respiratory infection

The deadliest time in a viral respiratory illness sometimes is actually after the virus is cleared from the body. Destructive processes that are set in motion during an infection crest in the weeks after the virus is defeated, leading to organ damage that can cause chronic illness or even death.

24 Aug 2021

Study suggests a balanced approach to developing safer opioid analgesics

Opioids are powerful painkillers but their use is hindered because patients become tolerant to them, requiring higher and higher doses, and overdoses can cause respiratory depression and death.

24 Aug 2021

New mathematical model can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle

Researchers have developed a mathematical model that can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle.

23 Aug 2021

Preclinical study validates crucial role of the spleen in cardiac repair

Although we can survive without a spleen, evidence continues to mount that this abdominal organ plays a more valuable role in our physiological defenses than previously suspected.

23 Aug 2021

New prediction model can identify NSCLC patients who are not likely to respond to immunotherapy

Immunotherapy agents that inhibit the molecules PD1, PD-L1 or CTLA-4 have become widely used in clinical practice to treat non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC.

20 Aug 2021

Over-the-counter acid reflux drug appears to improve the odds of survival for COVID-19 patients

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors in Wuhan noticed something surprising. Many of the elderly patients who survived the virus were poor: not exactly the demographic you would expect to fare well in a health crisis.

20 Aug 2021

New analytical method visualizes cell functions in vasculature-on-a-chip

A microphysiological system (MPS), also known as an organ-on-a-chip, is a 3D organ construct using human cells that help reveal how organs respond to drugs and environmental stimuli.

20 Aug 2021

Researchers identify key protein that plays an essential role in male fertility

Mammalian sperm cannot fertilize an egg from the get-go. It's an ability acquired only after insemination, during passage through the female reproductive tract, and requires two consecutive, time-sensitive processes to provide sperm with the physical and biochemical traits necessary to complete their fundamental job.

20 Aug 2021

People cannot perceive decrease in body temperature when exercising, study finds

In a study published this month in Physiology & Behavior, research teams at the University of Tsukuba, led by Takeshi Nishiyasu, and at Niigata University of Health and Welfare, led by Tomomi Fujimoto, have found that, when exercising, people cannot perceive decreases in their core body temperature caused by the cold as well as they can when they are resting. This research has implications for recreational activities in colder climates, such as hiking and skiing.

20 Aug 2021

Researchers use ancient mammalian proteins to develop mRNA delivery system

Using a family of mammalian proteins adopted from ancient retroviral legacy genes, researchers have developed a novel system for programmable intracellular mRNA delivery.

20 Aug 2021

Long-term circadian rhythm disruption induces Alzheimer's-like pathology in rats

Disrupted circadian rhythms, which can even be caused by chronic light exposure, affects normal physiological functions, resulting in anxiety, hyperactivity, and memory deficits.

19 Aug 2021

Research redefines dieting and the culture of weight loss

For decades, there has been an accepted definition of dieting in academia, and in society as a whole. Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in Drexel University's College of Arts and Sciences, has recently reevaluated the decades of dieting research to redefine the way researchers and the public define – and therefore understand - dieting and the culture of weight loss.

18 Aug 2021

Protein implicated in tumor growth may protect against neurodegenerative diseases

Cells translate their genetic material at rapid rates with exquisite precision to reproduce, repair damage or even combat disease.

17 Aug 2021

Scientific evidence: REHIT session on a CAROL bike contributes to greater post-exercise metabolism

The results recently published by the American Council on Exercise are significant because a meaningful increase in EPOC over the long term can have an important impact on calorie expenditure and help people achieve weight loss and weight maintenance and improve their fitness.

17 Aug 2021

Brain’s structural and functional alignment can vary with sex, age and may be genetic, study suggests

The degree to which the brain's wiring aligns with its patterns of activity can vary with sex and age, and may be genetic, suggests a study published by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The study finds that this alignment may also have implications on cognition.

16 Aug 2021

UH researcher set to explore how testosterone works in the brain

Most people have some idea about the hormone testosterone –how it regulates male behavior or how too little of it might cause a decrease in libido and too much might cause aggressive and irritable behavior. Turns out, no one yet knows how testosterone really does all that.

16 Aug 2021

Understanding how to regulate key enzyme may lead to new treatments for cancers, viral infections

A new study led by University of California, Irvine (UCI) researchers identifies two ways in which APOBEC3A - a vital enzyme that is responsible for genetic changes resulting in a variety of cancers while protecting our cells against viral infection - is controlled.

13 Aug 2021

Biomedical scientists need to do more to improve the relevance, reproducibility of cell culture research

There is an urgent need for reporting of biomedical research on mammalian cells to be more standardized and detailed and for greater control and measurement of the environmental conditions of cell cultures.

13 Aug 2021

Physiology News and Research

Virtual reality can reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing IV catheter placement

Study focuses on understanding how muscle fatigue and changes in gait affect older adults

Researchers find clues to how lung damage develops in the aftermath of a respiratory infection

Study suggests a balanced approach to developing safer opioid analgesics

New mathematical model can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle

Preclinical study validates crucial role of the spleen in cardiac repair

New prediction model can identify NSCLC patients who are not likely to respond to immunotherapy

Over-the-counter acid reflux drug appears to improve the odds of survival for COVID-19 patients

New analytical method visualizes cell functions in vasculature-on-a-chip

Researchers identify key protein that plays an essential role in male fertility

People cannot perceive decrease in body temperature when exercising, study finds

Researchers use ancient mammalian proteins to develop mRNA delivery system

Long-term circadian rhythm disruption induces Alzheimer's-like pathology in rats

Research redefines dieting and the culture of weight loss

Protein implicated in tumor growth may protect against neurodegenerative diseases

Scientific evidence: REHIT session on a CAROL bike contributes to greater post-exercise metabolism

Brain’s structural and functional alignment can vary with sex, age and may be genetic, study suggests

UH researcher set to explore how testosterone works in the brain

Understanding how to regulate key enzyme may lead to new treatments for cancers, viral infections

Biomedical scientists need to do more to improve the relevance, reproducibility of cell culture research

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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