Articles tagged with Human Physiology
A study of Russian cosmonauts found significant changes in their bodies due to spaceflight, affecting all major cell types and organs. The research revealed that the human body lacks mechanisms to rapidly adapt to such extreme changes, leading to widespread physiological responses.
Research with house mice suggests that a strength in one area of Darwinian fitness may come at the expense of another. Good fighters and good runners had about the same body mass, despite differences in oxygen consumption during running. The findings give a clue as to how trade-offs may have shaped our evolution.
Researchers discovered that the skin microbiome contains archaea, a type of extreme-loving microbe, which vary in abundance with age. The study found that archaea were most abundant in subjects younger than 12 and older than 60, and people with dry skin have more archaea.
Researchers develop new method to calculate indoor CO2 concentrations more accurately, using established concepts from human metabolism and exercise physiology. The new approach considers body size, composition, diet, and physical activity to provide a more reliable estimate of CO2 generation rates.
Researchers identified over 1,300 genes completely knocked out in at least one individual, including the APOC3 gene, which regulates triglyceride metabolism. These individuals had low triglyceride levels and were protected from post-meal rise in plasma triglycerides.
The Salk Institute has received a $3 million gift from the Glenn Foundation, enabling continued investigation into aging and age-related diseases. The center aims to advance understanding of biological aging and its effects on various diseases, with a focus on developing interventions to delay or cure age-related conditions.
A novel microfluidic device models human kidney function, exhibiting more natural cell behaviors than traditional culturing methods. The device's glomerular filtration system is crucial for healthy cell function and accurately predicting renal drug toxicity in humans.
The National Sleep Foundation has established key indicators of good sleep quality, including sleeping for at least 85% of the time and falling asleep within 30 minutes. The report highlights areas where research is needed to further define good sleep quality across age groups.
Researchers found that people prefer large, widespread species for basic needs like food and medicine due to their ability to produce large quantities. In contrast, smaller palm species are often used for psychological and self-actualization needs with less dependency on biological traits.
Researchers developed a tiny, soft, and wearable acoustic sensor that measures vibrations in the human body, allowing for monitoring of human heart health and recognition of spoken words. The device can gather continuous physiological data and has implications for remote healthcare and communication for people with speech impairments.
Researchers at Yale and Cincinnati Children's Hospital propose that the human female orgasm evolved to stimulate ovulation, a trait shared with many other placental mammals. The study suggests that female orgasm became superfluous for reproduction later in evolution, freeing it for secondary roles.
Researchers found that SIRT3's level of mRNA decreases, but its location remains the same after endurance exercise and fasting. This suggests that the activity of this enzyme may not be directly regulated by changes in its abundance within mitochondria in human skeletal muscle cells.
A study of elite male cyclists found that chronic sleep restriction decreased energy expenditure during exercise, maximal aerobic power, and time to exhaustion. The results also showed a decrease in submaximal heart rate and peak heart rate, highlighting the impact of sleep loss on athletic performance.
Researchers at Stanford University discovered that touching a robot's intimate areas triggers physiological arousal in humans. The experiment used Aldebaran Robotics' NAO human-shaped robot and measured skin conductance and reaction time.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital developed a wearable device to monitor and control organs-on-chips, a platform for testing drug compounds. The system uses Google Glass for hands-free control and monitoring, enabling high-accuracy predictions of physiological responses.
A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Dagmar Krüger has revealed that the human gut's secretory capacity does not decline with age, contradicting long-held assumptions. The research team examined over 2200 specimens from 450 patients with bowel disease and found no correlation between intestinal secretion and age or gender.
A University of Missouri study found that men who engaged in high-impact activities during adolescence and young adulthood had greater bone mineral density than those who didn't. This association was observed across all ages, suggesting that it's never too late to start a bone-strengthening exercise program.
The Self, Motivation and Virtue Project at OU is funding interdisciplinary research on moral self and virtue development. Researchers are studying topics including integrity, cultural narratives, and Buddhism's central claims about the self.
Scientists have found that training can effectively reduce the size of the human blind spot, improving vision in individuals with age-related macular degeneration. The researchers trained participants on a direction-discrimination task for 20 consecutive weekdays, resulting in a 10% reduction in functional blindness.
Researchers at Louisiana Tech University have created a biocomposite nanomaterial that can be synthesized under physiological conditions, making it suitable for targeted drug delivery to combat diseases like cancer. The new material is also stable and resistant to agglomeration, allowing for controlled synthesis and modification.
Researchers found that people with a small opening in the heart (PFO) were more susceptible to acute mountain sickness and had impaired lung function at high altitudes. The study suggests PFOs may impair performance at high altitude due to inefficient blood oxygenation.
Kay E. Davies has made significant contributions to understanding Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder that causes rapid muscle weakness. Her research has led to the development of dystrophin minigenes and utrophin-based treatments, offering hope for all DMD patients.
Researchers created human cell lines to study gene expression in precursor cells, enabling the prediction of UCP1 expression and potential transformation of white fat cells into brown fat cells. This breakthrough offers a promising tool for developing personalized obesity treatments.
Dr. Laurel H. Carney has been awarded the William and Christine Hartmann Prize in Auditory Neuroscience for her research on auditory physiology and perception. Her work aims to understand how the brain hears and develop strategies to aid listeners with hearing loss.
WSU researchers found a direct link between BPA and estradiol's effects on sperm production, disrupting DNA interactions needed for creation. This discovery bolsters the estrogen hypothesis and suggests that endocrine disruptors like BPA impair reproduction.
A study by King's College London found that amateur cyclists aged 55-79 had levels of physiological function similar to younger individuals. The study revealed that exercise can buy extra years of healthy function compared to sedentary people, and cycling is particularly beneficial for maintaining health and wellbeing.
The Microphysiological Systems Program is developing human-on-a-chip models to study cell-cell, drug-cell, and organ-drug interactions. These models have the potential to revolutionize experimental biology and medicine by increasing efficiency and human relevance in pharmaceutical development and testing.
A University of Oregon study found that high school athletes who return to activity within 60 days experience a significant regression in their balance and walking speed, affecting their ability to perform simple mental tasks. This regression was seen in 12 of 19 athletes, with 10 returning within less than a month.
Research at the University of Basel reveals that aberrant mTOR signaling in the liver affects not only hepatic metabolism but also entire body physiology. The study found that activation of mTORC1 in the liver reduces locomotor activity, body temperature, and lipid metabolism.
Researchers at MIT developed a robot that augments the grasping motion of the human hand, working in sync with the wearer's fingers to grasp objects of various shapes and sizes. The device aims to assist people with limited dexterity in performing routine household tasks.
A recent MSU study has discovered that many preclinical models of human breast cancer can replicate several key characteristics, particularly at the gene level. The researchers analyzed 1,172 mouse mammary tumor samples from 26 different models and found that most human breast cancers can be represented by one specific strain of mice.
Associate Professor David Newman is a world leader in aviation medicine, receiving the 2014 John Paul Stapp Award for his work in aerospace biomechanics. He has made significant contributions to the field of aviation safety, focusing on pilot fitness and aviation-related health issues.
Researchers discovered a protein responsible for gas exchanges in zebrafish gills, which may mimic human kidney function. NHE3 protein controls sodium and hydrogen ions, aiding in energy-saving balance and waste removal.
Joan Chiao's research investigates how cultural factors influence basic psychological and neural processes underlying social behavior and emotion processing. The study focuses on the physiological and cultural foundations of traits such as empathy and altruism, shedding light on their role in shaping human social interactions.
Researchers have identified a specific protein involved in mediating the skin's response to UVR and found that the signal transduction cascade resembles a light-activated pathway in the eye. This new insight into the molecular pathway underlying UVR detection could lead to improved sun protection methods.
The Wyss Institute will use its Organs-on-Chips technology to test human physiological responses to radiation and evaluate drugs designed to counter those effects. The project aims to improve the national ability to respond to nuclear radiation incidents and reduce animal testing.
A team of biomechanics experts at SMU are investigating the forces involved in typical basketball collisions and their relationship to balance and body control. The research aims to estimate 'flopping' forces from video data and potentially enhance video reviews of alleged flopping.
Physiology's enduring relevancy is highlighted through Dr. Joyner's research on complex bodily functions like blood pressure and blood flow during exercise. The redundancy in human systems complicates genetic explanations for diseases, leading to a comeback of multi-directional thinking in physiology
The collaboration aims to accelerate the translation of Organs-on-Chips from benchtop to marketplace, providing more predictive and useful measures of drug efficacy and safety in humans. The Wyss Institute has developed over ten Organs-on-Chips, including lung, heart, liver, kidney, bone marrow, and gut-on-a-chip technologies.
Researchers found that high school athletes experienced compromised focus and task-switching abilities for up to two months after brain concussions. The study's findings suggest that athletes may need longer recovery periods than current practices dictate to minimize the risk of subsequent concussions.
The Wuzhishan miniature pig genome sequence has provided valuable knowledge for medical engineering and drug design. Despite high levels of polymorphism, the genome is mostly homozygous, with 84% homology between humans and pigs.
Researchers found that motor unit firing patterns varied significantly across the menstrual cycle, with a significant increase in the late luteal phase, potentially affecting joint stability and injury risk. The study suggests that hormone fluctuations may play a role in knee injuries among female athletes.
A recent study on rhodopsin in Xenopus rod photoreceptor cells reveals that the geometry of micro-compartments formed by incisures affects its signaling. The researchers found that boundary geometry, rather than heterogeneity in diffusion or bound fraction, explains differences in rhodopsin distribution
A study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology found that singing gibbons use the same vocal techniques as professional soprano singers. The research reveals a physiological similarity between gibbon and human voices, suggesting that complex vocal abilities evolved in humans were not due to unique modifications.
The Wyss Institute is developing an automated instrument that integrates 10 human organs-on-chips to study complex human physiology outside the body. This will accelerate assessment of drug safety and efficacy, informing regulatory decision-making.
Research reveals that king penguins in areas with daily human disturbance show less stress from noise and approaching humans, but experience increased heart rate after capture. The study emphasizes the importance of considering human presence effects on ecological studies and conservation measures.
A new study funded by the California Raisin Marketing Board found that eating raisins as an after-school snack prevents excessive calorie intake and increases feelings of fullness. The three-month study among normal-weight children ages 8-11 showed significant benefits from snacking on raisins.
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute have created a living human gut-on-a-chip that mimics the structure, physiology, and mechanics of the human intestine. The device supports the growth of living microbes and could help understand intestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease.
University of Missouri nutrition experts recommend eating balanced meals and farm-fresh produce to promote healthy eating choices. Families can implement healthy eating ideas by trying seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as those available at local farmers markets or grocery stores.
Research by Berthelot and Len found that athlete performance follows an exponential growth curve to a peak before declining irreversibly between the ages of 20 and 30. This pattern is also observed in other physiological parameters such as lung function and cognitive skills, suggesting a universal law governing human capability evolution.
A recent study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry suggests that vitamin A plays a more direct role than previously believed in various physiological functions. The study found that vitamin A itself is active in activating nuclear receptor TR4, which plays roles in sperm cell production, lipid regulation, and central nervo...
Physiologist E. Paul Zehr uses Batman as a framework to discuss exercise and physical training, illustrating how the body responds to physical discipline. His approach connects science to popular culture, helping students understand physiology better.
Researchers found that heat acclimation provided significant benefits for athletes competing in cool weather, including improved aerobic performance. The study's findings suggest that heat acclimation could be a practical and effective approach to improve athletic performance in cooler conditions.
A Spanish research team has created a system that measures human physiological parameters and uses them to control virtual character behavior in real-time. The goal is to create a more immersive experience by tapping into the unconscious mind.
A recent study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder found that upgrading a wastewater treatment plant in Colorado has mitigated the problem of male fish becoming feminized due to chemical contaminants. The team observed no effects on male sex characteristics after 28 days of exposure to effluent water, contradicting previous fi...
The study provides strong evidence that the NBD dimer does not fully dissociate in each gating cycle, proposing a new gating model for CFTR with two distinct cycles. This advancement sheds light on the chloride channel's behavior and may lead to improved treatments for cystic fibrosis patients.
A new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that human running speeds can exceed 28 mph due to limitations imposed by muscle fiber contractile speed. Researchers found that elite sprinters' foot-ground contact times are brief, implying a biological limit on how quickly muscles can generate forces.
A meta-analysis of 134 studies involving over 3,400 participants found that men's brain and body responses were more aligned during sexual arousal. In contrast, women's mind-body responses were less consistent. The study suggests significant gender differences in how people experience and respond to sexual stimuli.
A meta-analysis of 134 studies involving over 3,400 participants found that men's subjective and physiological measures of sexual arousal were more closely matched than women's. The researchers identified two methodological differences - the type of stimuli and timing of assessment - that may contribute to this gender difference.
Researchers charted microbial communities across the human body, finding unique and diverse populations in different regions. The study suggests that personalized microbial communities vary widely from person to person and could hold key insights into human health.