Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2024.100138
Tom A.H. Janssen , Caroline V. Lowisz , Stuart Phillips
Aging is accompanied by a decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function, a condition known as sarcopenia. Muscle disuse attributed to decreased physical activity, hospitalization, or illness (e.g. sarcopenia) results in a rapid decline in muscle mass in aging individuals and effectively accelerates sarcopenia. Consuming protein at levels above (at least 50–100% higher) the current recommended intakes of ∼0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight/d, along with participating in both resistance and aerobic exercise, will aid in the preservation of muscle mass. Physiological muscle adaptations often accompany the observable changes in physical independence an older adult undergoes. Muscle fibre adaptations include a reduction in type 2 fibre size and number, a loss of motor units, reduced sensitivity to calcium, reduced elasticity, and weak cross-bridges. Mitochondrial function and structure are impaired in relation to aging and are worsened with inactivity and disease states but could be overcome by engaging in exercise. Intramuscular connective tissue adaptations with age are evident in animal models; however, the adaptations in collagenous tissue within human aging are less clear. We know that the satellite muscle cell pool decreases with age, and there is a reduced capacity for muscle repair/regeneration. Finally, a pro-inflammatory state associated with age has detrimental impacts on the muscle. The purpose of this review is to highlight the physiological adaptations driving muscle aging and their potential mitigation with exercise/physical activity and nutrition.
{"title":"From molecular to physical function: The aging trajectory","authors":"Tom A.H. Janssen , Caroline V. Lowisz , Stuart Phillips","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2024.100138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2024.100138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aging is accompanied by a decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function, a condition known as sarcopenia. Muscle disuse attributed to decreased physical activity, hospitalization, or illness (e.g. sarcopenia) results in a rapid decline in muscle mass in aging individuals and effectively accelerates sarcopenia. Consuming protein at levels above (at least 50–100% higher) the current recommended intakes of ∼0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight/d, along with participating in both resistance and aerobic exercise, will aid in the preservation of muscle mass. Physiological muscle adaptations often accompany the observable changes in physical independence an older adult undergoes. Muscle fibre adaptations include a reduction in type 2 fibre size and number, a loss of motor units, reduced sensitivity to calcium, reduced elasticity, and weak cross-bridges. Mitochondrial function and structure are impaired in relation to aging and are worsened with inactivity and disease states but could be overcome by engaging in exercise. Intramuscular connective tissue adaptations with age are evident in animal models; however, the adaptations in collagenous tissue within human aging are less clear. We know that the satellite muscle cell pool decreases with age, and there is a reduced capacity for muscle repair/regeneration. Finally, a pro-inflammatory state associated with age has detrimental impacts on the muscle. The purpose of this review is to highlight the physiological adaptations driving muscle aging and their potential mitigation with exercise/physical activity and nutrition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100138"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11732118/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142984779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100148
Manoel Rios , Ricardo Cardoso , Victor Machado Reis , Daniel Moreira-Gonçalves , David B. Pyne , Ricardo J. Fernandes
CrossFit® is popular form of fitness training but the cardiorespiratory, hemodynamic and metabolic responses have not been well characterised. We compared responses to a short Fran CrossFit® session (consisting of three rounds of 21, 15 and 9 front squat to press overhead and pull-ups) between sexes to evaluate differences in acute exercise effects. Twenty-five (15 males and 10 females) trained participants performed a prescribed Fran session at maximal exertion. Cardiorespiratory variables were assessed at baseline, during and post-exercise. The rating of perceived exertion, blood pressure, blood lactate and glucose concentrations were measured at baseline and in the recovery period. The males completed Fran session in less time (males 177 ± 15 vs females 206 ± 27 s; mean ± SD), resulting in higher peak oxygen uptake values (50.1 ± 3.3 vs 46.4 ± 2.2 mL kg −1 min −1), heart rate (187 ± 6 vs 180 ± 3 b min−1) and percentage heart rate (96 ± 3 vs 93 ± 1 %) compared to females. In addition, elevated systolic blood pressure (male 154 ± 8 vs females 149 ± 10 mmHg), double product (27,050 ± 1504 vs 25,999 ± 2253 mmHg b∙min −1), blood lactate (15.7 ± 1.7 vs 14.6 ± 2.0 mmol L−1) and glucose (132 ± 15 vs 132 ± 14 mg dL−1) values were observed in both sexes post-exercise. The substantial metabolic demands associated with a Fran session can yield similar elevations in cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic responses in both sexes, meeting the criteria for developing cardiorespiratory fitness. Complementarily, these results suggest that researchers and coaches can use the Fran session at maximal effort to assess and monitor crossfitters' training status throughout a CrossFit® season, guiding efforts towards excellence in this demanding sport.
CrossFit®是一种流行的健身训练形式，但心肺、血液动力学和代谢反应尚未得到很好的表征。我们比较了两性对短暂的Fran CrossFit®训练的反应（包括三轮21,15和9前深蹲俯卧和引体向上），以评估急性运动效果的差异。25名（15名男性和10名女性）受过训练的参与者以最大的努力完成了规定的Fran课程。在基线、运动期间和运动后评估心肺变量。在基线和恢复期测量感知劳累程度、血压、血乳酸和葡萄糖浓度。男性完成Fran疗程的时间更短(男性为177±15秒，女性为206±27秒；平均±SD)，与女性相比，导致更高的峰值摄氧量值（50.1±3.3 vs 46.4±2.2 mL kg - 1 min - 1），心率（187±6 vs 180±3 b min - 1）和百分比心率（96±3 vs 93±1%）。此外，运动后两性收缩压升高（男性154±8对女性149±10 mmHg），双产物（27,050±1504对25,999±2253 mmHg b∙min−1），血乳酸（15.7±1.7对14.6±2.0 mmol L−1）和葡萄糖（132±15对132±14 mg dL−1）值。与Fran相关的大量代谢需求可以在两性中产生类似的心肺和血流动力学反应的升高，符合发展心肺健康的标准。此外，这些结果表明，研究人员和教练可以在最大努力下使用Fran课程来评估和监测CrossFit®整个赛季的训练状态，指导在这项要求高的运动中取得卓越成就。
{"title":"Sex-related differences in the acute physiological response to a high-intensity CrossFit® workout","authors":"Manoel Rios , Ricardo Cardoso , Victor Machado Reis , Daniel Moreira-Gonçalves , David B. Pyne , Ricardo J. Fernandes","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>CrossFit® is popular form of fitness training but the cardiorespiratory, hemodynamic and metabolic responses have not been well characterised. We compared responses to a short Fran CrossFit® session (consisting of three rounds of 21, 15 and 9 front squat to press overhead and pull-ups) between sexes to evaluate differences in acute exercise effects. Twenty-five (15 males and 10 females) trained participants performed a prescribed Fran session at maximal exertion. Cardiorespiratory variables were assessed at baseline, during and post-exercise. The rating of perceived exertion, blood pressure, blood lactate and glucose concentrations were measured at baseline and in the recovery period. The males completed Fran session in less time (males 177 ± 15 vs females 206 ± 27 s; mean ± SD), resulting in higher peak oxygen uptake values (50.1 ± 3.3 vs 46.4 ± 2.2 mL kg <sup>−1</sup> min <sup>−1</sup>), heart rate (187 ± 6 vs 180 ± 3 b min<sup>−1</sup>) and percentage heart rate (96 ± 3 vs 93 ± 1 %) compared to females. In addition, elevated systolic blood pressure (male 154 ± 8 vs females 149 ± 10 mmHg), double product (27,050 ± 1504 vs 25,999 ± 2253 mmHg b∙min <sup>−1</sup>), blood lactate (15.7 ± 1.7 vs 14.6 ± 2.0 mmol L<sup>−1</sup>) and glucose (132 ± 15 vs 132 ± 14 mg dL<sup>−1</sup>) values were observed in both sexes post-exercise. The substantial metabolic demands associated with a Fran session can yield similar elevations in cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic responses in both sexes, meeting the criteria for developing cardiorespiratory fitness. Complementarily, these results suggest that researchers and coaches can use the Fran session at maximal effort to assess and monitor crossfitters' training status throughout a CrossFit® season, guiding efforts towards excellence in this demanding sport.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100148"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100161
Serena Y. Kuang , Xiaoqi Yang , Xiaonan Li
Tonicity is the most confusing concept in teaching about osmosis in physiology, biology, and many clinical disciplines. A total of seven causes (four superficial and three deep) have led to this confusion but have never been thoroughly clarified. In this article, we systematically address and resolve these causes through logical reasoning, which not only thoroughly clarifies what tonicity is, but also leads to an understanding of its physical nature and properties. Several key concepts are introduced in order to resolve the causes of confusion and lay a new theoretical foundation for studying osmosis. This article not only advances the teaching and learning of tonicity and osmosis but also provides new insights into how osmosis across the cell membrane should be studied.
{"title":"Unravelling tonicity: Causes of confusion and pathways to clarity","authors":"Serena Y. Kuang , Xiaoqi Yang , Xiaonan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100161","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100161","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tonicity is the most confusing concept in teaching about osmosis in physiology, biology, and many clinical disciplines. A total of seven causes (four superficial and three deep) have led to this confusion but have never been thoroughly clarified. In this article, we systematically address and resolve these causes through logical reasoning, which not only thoroughly clarifies what tonicity is, but also leads to an understanding of its physical nature and properties. Several key concepts are introduced in order to resolve the causes of confusion and lay a new theoretical foundation for studying osmosis. This article not only advances the teaching and learning of tonicity and osmosis but also provides new insights into how osmosis across the cell membrane should be studied.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100161"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144864814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100152
Ping L. Zhang , Ming-Lin Liu
Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) has emerged as a significant biomarker and mechanistic player in kidney pathology, particularly in acute kidney injury (AKI). Normally absent in healthy kidney proximal tubules, KIM-1 becomes upregulated specifically along the proximal tubule cells' surface in response to acute injury, reflecting the differential vulnerability of convoluted versus straight proximal tubules. Functionally, KIM-1 aids proximal tubules in clearing apoptotic cells and moderating inflammatory responses, thereby helping to prevent excessive immune activation during the early stages of injury. Clinically, KIM-1 is a sensitive, non-invasive biomarker for detecting proximal tubular injury, allowing for assessment in urine, plasma samples, and tissue biopsies in AKI. However, if tubular injury persists without repair, prolonged KIM-1 expression can drive chronic inflammatory responses and interstitial fibrosis, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition, KIM-1's role may extend further into promoting tubular dedifferentiation, potentially contributing to renal cell carcinoma under certain conditions. Over the past two decades, KIM-1 research has reshaped our understanding of kidney pathophysiology and immunology, spanning acute injury responses to chronic disease progression. This review aims to provide an updated synthesis of recent findings, highlighting KIM-1's role across the spectrum of renal injury and repair.
{"title":"From acute tubular injury to tubular repair and chronic kidney diseases – KIM-1 as a promising biomarker for predicting renal tubular pathology","authors":"Ping L. Zhang , Ming-Lin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) has emerged as a significant biomarker and mechanistic player in kidney pathology, particularly in acute kidney injury (AKI). Normally absent in healthy kidney proximal tubules, KIM-1 becomes upregulated specifically along the proximal tubule cells' surface in response to acute injury, reflecting the differential vulnerability of convoluted versus straight proximal tubules. Functionally, KIM-1 aids proximal tubules in clearing apoptotic cells and moderating inflammatory responses, thereby helping to prevent excessive immune activation during the early stages of injury. Clinically, KIM-1 is a sensitive, non-invasive biomarker for detecting proximal tubular injury, allowing for assessment in urine, plasma samples, and tissue biopsies in AKI. However, if tubular injury persists without repair, prolonged KIM-1 expression can drive chronic inflammatory responses and interstitial fibrosis, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition, KIM-1's role may extend further into promoting tubular dedifferentiation, potentially contributing to renal cell carcinoma under certain conditions. Over the past two decades, KIM-1 research has reshaped our understanding of kidney pathophysiology and immunology, spanning acute injury responses to chronic disease progression. This review aims to provide an updated synthesis of recent findings, highlighting KIM-1's role across the spectrum of renal injury and repair.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100152"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100164
Sarah R. Henley-Martin , Carly J. Brade , Hugh Riddell , Sophie P. Watts , Andrew J. Maiorana , Louise H. Naylor , Martyn J. Binnie , Angela L. Spence
The ‘athlete's artery’ phenotype describes exercise-induced vascular adaptation whereby athletes have enlarged conduit arteries resulting from chronic endurance exercise. However, studies remain limited to males, with few evaluating changes in response to training. This study aimed to compare upper and lower limb adaptations across a 21-week competitive season between elite female and male rowers. Twenty-one athletes (females n = 10) were assessed at three timepoints across a 21-week season: early- (ES), mid- (MS), and late-season (LS). High-resolution duplex ultrasonography assessed brachial and femoral artery diameter, flow-mediated dilation (FMD%), and ischaemic hand-grip exercise (vasodilatory capacity, VD%). Data was analysed using Bayesian repeated measures ANOVA (training × sex). The time-course for peak brachial diameter differed for sex with largest diameter for females at LS (4.3 ± 0.3 cm) compared to MS for males (5.1 ± 0.3 cm). Similarly, brachial FMD% differed by sex with training where females had largest FMD% at LS and males at MS. However, shear-normalised brachial FMD% showed no effect of training or sex. No changes in VD% were observed. Femoral artery diameter was larger in males, while no sex or training effects were evidence for femoral FMD%. In the upper limb, brachial diameter increased with training which differed by sex, suggesting a sex-specific response. While brachial FMD% also improved with training in each sex, normalising for shear rate removed all apparent differences, suggesting a shear-mediated response. Lower limb vasculature was less impacted by training, with a moderate effect for sex.
{"title":"Vascular adaptation in elite female and male rowers across a competitive season","authors":"Sarah R. Henley-Martin , Carly J. Brade , Hugh Riddell , Sophie P. Watts , Andrew J. Maiorana , Louise H. Naylor , Martyn J. Binnie , Angela L. Spence","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ‘athlete's artery’ phenotype describes exercise-induced vascular adaptation whereby athletes have enlarged conduit arteries resulting from chronic endurance exercise. However, studies remain limited to males, with few evaluating changes in response to training. This study aimed to compare upper and lower limb adaptations across a 21-week competitive season between elite female and male rowers. Twenty-one athletes (females n = 10) were assessed at three timepoints across a 21-week season: early- (ES), mid- (MS), and late-season (LS). High-resolution duplex ultrasonography assessed brachial and femoral artery diameter, flow-mediated dilation (FMD%), and ischaemic hand-grip exercise (vasodilatory capacity, VD%). Data was analysed using Bayesian repeated measures ANOVA (training × sex). The time-course for peak brachial diameter differed for sex with largest diameter for females at LS (4.3 ± 0.3 cm) compared to MS for males (5.1 ± 0.3 cm). Similarly, brachial FMD% differed by sex with training where females had largest FMD% at LS and males at MS. However, shear-normalised brachial FMD% showed no effect of training or sex. No changes in VD% were observed. Femoral artery diameter was larger in males, while no sex or training effects were evidence for femoral FMD%. In the upper limb, brachial diameter increased with training which differed by sex, suggesting a sex-specific response. While brachial FMD% also improved with training in each sex, normalising for shear rate removed all apparent differences, suggesting a shear-mediated response. Lower limb vasculature was less impacted by training, with a moderate effect for sex.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100164"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100155
Vanessa L. Armstrong, Beth M. Lawry, Harley J. Stevenson-Cocks
Communication skills are an essential transferable skill for graduates and, for bioscience students, science communication skills are fundamental to achieving success. Increasingly, development of enhanced wider transferable skills, often outside of normal bioscience curricula, is required during university study for graduates to achieve positive outcomes amongst an increasingly competitive job market. Innovative approaches to improve student development, confidence and skill gain are therefore required to maintain positive graduate outcomes.
Using science communication as a focal point, a novel three-week summer project was developed to provide a platform for first year bioscience students’ skill gain, with a view to enhance participants’ employability particularly for attaining competitive industrial placement year positions. The project was delivered entirely remotely via Zoom and Microsoft Teams and required participants to complete three communication-focused assessments centred on recent papers highlighted by the University’s Press Office. The pedagogical impact of this summer project was evaluated through pre- and post-project surveys from four iterations of the project (2021–2024) focusing on participants’ self-evaluation of skills aligned to the University’s Graduate Framework.
To date, 89 Level 4 bioscience students at a research-intensive UK university (and its Malaysian sister campus, n = 8) have completed the project. Project participants primarily wanted to improve their Academic Writing (93 %), Communication (85 %) and Research (89 %) skills as well as their Critical Thinking (72 %), Teamwork (74 %), Collaboration (59 %) skills and Confidence (68 %). Post-project, significant increases in 16 of 18 skills were reported by participants (P < 0.05). Of 29 participants that wanted to secure a placement year, 21 (72 %) went on to do so and a longitudinal survey of these participants (n = 16 respondents) revealed they evidenced the project in their applications (100 %, n = 16) and 75 % (n = 12) were specifically asked about the project at the interview stage, using the project as evidence of transferable skill development.
The project has demonstrated strong potential to boost participants’ skill development and employability, while providing a platform for academic improvement and transnational engagement. With a simple focus on communication skills and an accessible, adaptable format, the project provides a framework for other institutions to utilise to enhance student outcomes in the biosciences and beyond.
{"title":"A science communication-focused summer project boosts first year bioscience students’ skill gains and supports placement year uptake","authors":"Vanessa L. Armstrong, Beth M. Lawry, Harley J. Stevenson-Cocks","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Communication skills are an essential transferable skill for graduates and, for bioscience students, science communication skills are fundamental to achieving success. Increasingly, development of enhanced wider transferable skills, often outside of normal bioscience curricula, is required during university study for graduates to achieve positive outcomes amongst an increasingly competitive job market. Innovative approaches to improve student development, confidence and skill gain are therefore required to maintain positive graduate outcomes.</div><div>Using science communication as a focal point, a novel three-week summer project was developed to provide a platform for first year bioscience students’ skill gain, with a view to enhance participants’ employability particularly for attaining competitive industrial placement year positions. The project was delivered entirely remotely via Zoom and Microsoft Teams and required participants to complete three communication-focused assessments centred on recent papers highlighted by the University’s Press Office. The pedagogical impact of this summer project was evaluated through pre- and post-project surveys from four iterations of the project (2021–2024) focusing on participants’ self-evaluation of skills aligned to the University’s Graduate Framework.</div><div>To date, 89 Level 4 bioscience students at a research-intensive UK university (and its Malaysian sister campus, n = 8) have completed the project. Project participants primarily wanted to improve their Academic Writing (93 %), Communication (85 %) and Research (89 %) skills as well as their Critical Thinking (72 %), Teamwork (74 %), Collaboration (59 %) skills and Confidence (68 %). Post-project, significant increases in 16 of 18 skills were reported by participants (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Of 29 participants that wanted to secure a placement year, 21 (72 %) went on to do so and a longitudinal survey of these participants (n = 16 respondents) revealed they evidenced the project in their applications (100 %, n = 16) and 75 % (n = 12) were specifically asked about the project at the interview stage, using the project as evidence of transferable skill development.</div><div>The project has demonstrated strong potential to boost participants’ skill development and employability, while providing a platform for academic improvement and transnational engagement. With a simple focus on communication skills and an accessible, adaptable format, the project provides a framework for other institutions to utilise to enhance student outcomes in the biosciences and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100150
Komal Amar , Matthew Jones , Nathan Connell , Daniel Mayo , Lee Forde , Berna S. Sayan , Ale Lorente-Pons , Rachael N. Magwaza , Andrea Giachino , Niroshini Nirmalan , Sara Namvar
Simulations have become integral to medical education for professions such as nursing and medicine but are still a rare opportunity for students undertaking basic science courses including Biomedical Sciences. Many students undertaking Biomedical Sciences have a strong underlying interest in pursuing careers at the patient bedside. In this regard, Biomedical Science students often hope to secure competitive places on postgraduate courses in medicine, or physician associate studies. At the University of Salford, a significant number of students come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. These students may face additional barriers to academic confidence and a sense of belonging, which can affect their ability to competitively pursue postgraduate opportunities in medicine and related fields. Providing immersive learning experiences, such as clinical simulations, can help bridge this gap by fostering essential skills, increasing confidence, and enhancing employability.
We set out to design clinical scenarios that would develop transferable skills, especially around patient consultation, teamwork and ethical decision making. Four clinical scenarios were designed and delivered in the University of Salford state-of-the-art simulations suite. Scenarios included a lung cancer patient consultation, decision making around a liver transplant dilemma, a difficult conversation with a parent regarding safeguarding concerns, and finally an escape-game style scenario involving a zombie virus infection. These scenarios involved students becoming familiar with the ethical pillars for clinical decision making, frameworks for patient consultations, and the basics of clinical observations. We evaluated the student experience using a Likert survey.
Over a two-year period, a total of 60 students took part in the extracurricular simulation, of which 31 agreed to take part in the research survey. Results showed that the experience was largely accessed by students from widening participation backgrounds. In total, 97 % had a positive learning experience, and 100 % enjoyed taking part in the clinical simulation. We found that 90 % of students felt the experience supported the development of communication skills and teamwork, whilst 84 % reported improved employability. Furthermore, 90 % of students in this study would like to see simulation experiences embedded into their programme of study, and 91 % thought that simulations were better than traditional dyadic styles.
Collectively, these results point to the successful design and delivery of an extracurricular simulated experience and provide evidence to support the need to embed immersive simulated experiences into the curriculum of Biomedical Sciences courses.
{"title":"Enhancing career development for biomedical sciences Students: Leveraging simulations to support patient-facing careers","authors":"Komal Amar , Matthew Jones , Nathan Connell , Daniel Mayo , Lee Forde , Berna S. Sayan , Ale Lorente-Pons , Rachael N. Magwaza , Andrea Giachino , Niroshini Nirmalan , Sara Namvar","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Simulations have become integral to medical education for professions such as nursing and medicine but are still a rare opportunity for students undertaking basic science courses including Biomedical Sciences. Many students undertaking Biomedical Sciences have a strong underlying interest in pursuing careers at the patient bedside. In this regard, Biomedical Science students often hope to secure competitive places on postgraduate courses in medicine, or physician associate studies. At the University of Salford, a significant number of students come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. These students may face additional barriers to academic confidence and a sense of belonging, which can affect their ability to competitively pursue postgraduate opportunities in medicine and related fields. Providing immersive learning experiences, such as clinical simulations, can help bridge this gap by fostering essential skills, increasing confidence, and enhancing employability.</div><div>We set out to design clinical scenarios that would develop transferable skills, especially around patient consultation, teamwork and ethical decision making. Four clinical scenarios were designed and delivered in the University of Salford state-of-the-art simulations suite. Scenarios included a lung cancer patient consultation, decision making around a liver transplant dilemma, a difficult conversation with a parent regarding safeguarding concerns, and finally an escape-game style scenario involving a zombie virus infection. These scenarios involved students becoming familiar with the ethical pillars for clinical decision making, frameworks for patient consultations, and the basics of clinical observations. We evaluated the student experience using a Likert survey.</div><div>Over a two-year period, a total of 60 students took part in the extracurricular simulation, of which 31 agreed to take part in the research survey. Results showed that the experience was largely accessed by students from widening participation backgrounds. In total, 97 % had a positive learning experience, and 100 % enjoyed taking part in the clinical simulation. We found that 90 % of students felt the experience supported the development of communication skills and teamwork, whilst 84 % reported improved employability. Furthermore, 90 % of students in this study would like to see simulation experiences embedded into their programme of study, and 91 % thought that simulations were better than traditional dyadic styles.</div><div>Collectively, these results point to the successful design and delivery of an extracurricular simulated experience and provide evidence to support the need to embed immersive simulated experiences into the curriculum of Biomedical Sciences courses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100150"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The effect of single-nanosized oxygen nanobubble water (NBO2W), an oxygen-enriched beverage, on exercise performance remains unclear. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial investigated whether NBO2W intake influences lactate threshold (LT), a key indicator of aerobic exercise performance. The participants (n = 20; age, 47.4 ± 5.0 years; female, 12) consumed either NBO2W or placebo water (PW) immediately followed by an incremental exercise test on an ergometer for symptom-limited exhaustion. During the test, the heart rate, respiratory gas analysis (VO2 and VCO2), tissue oxygen index (TOI), and blood lactate level were continuously monitored. The first administered beverage was randomly selected, with both participants and investigators blinded to the beverages. A washout period of minimum seven days was implemented between the two tests. The mean peak VO2 was 26.13 ± 5.05 mL/min/kg. Eighteen (90 %) participants exercised less than four times per week, indicating limited exercise habits. The average washout period was 9.7 ± 5.0 days. The work rate (WR) at LT was significantly higher after NBO2W intake than after PW intake (mean difference = 3.33 W, p = 0.03). The WR was not significantly different at peak VO2 or at the onset of blood lactate accumulation. Furthermore, NBO2W intake significantly increased the lactate levels 5 min post-exercise (mean difference = 0.88, p = 0.01) and decreased the TOI (mean difference = −3.8, p = 0.01). Short-term NBO2W consumption in three doses, including that on the day before exercise, did not affect the peak exercise capacity, but improved the WR at LT.
{"title":"Positive effects of single-nanosized oxygen nanobubble water on exercise tolerance: A randomized crossover trial","authors":"Yuki Muramoto , Noriyuki Ishida , Emi Minaguchi , Kazuhisa Sugai , Kyohei Daigo , Yuji Iwasawa , Genki Ichihara , Kengo Nagashima , Yasunori Sato , Kazuki Sato , Yoshinori Katsumata","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effect of single-nanosized oxygen nanobubble water (NBO<sub>2</sub>W), an oxygen-enriched beverage, on exercise performance remains unclear. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial investigated whether NBO<sub>2</sub>W intake influences lactate threshold (LT), a key indicator of aerobic exercise performance. The participants (n = 20; age, 47.4 ± 5.0 years; female, 12) consumed either NBO<sub>2</sub>W or placebo water (PW) immediately followed by an incremental exercise test on an ergometer for symptom-limited exhaustion. During the test, the heart rate, respiratory gas analysis (VO<sub>2</sub> and VCO<sub>2</sub>), tissue oxygen index (TOI), and blood lactate level were continuously monitored. The first administered beverage was randomly selected, with both participants and investigators blinded to the beverages. A washout period of minimum seven days was implemented between the two tests. The mean peak VO<sub>2</sub> was 26.13 ± 5.05 mL/min/kg. Eighteen (90 %) participants exercised less than four times per week, indicating limited exercise habits. The average washout period was 9.7 ± 5.0 days. The work rate (WR) at LT was significantly higher after NBO<sub>2</sub>W intake than after PW intake (mean difference = 3.33 W, p = 0.03). The WR was not significantly different at peak VO<sub>2</sub> or at the onset of blood lactate accumulation. Furthermore, NBO<sub>2</sub>W intake significantly increased the lactate levels 5 min post-exercise (mean difference = 0.88, p = 0.01) and decreased the TOI (mean difference = −3.8, p = 0.01). Short-term NBO<sub>2</sub>W consumption in three doses, including that on the day before exercise, did not affect the peak exercise capacity, but improved the WR at LT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100159"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144781014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100165
Nicola Morgan, Marriam Yaqoob, Matthew Allan Jones
Active and gamified teaching methods have garnered significant interest, with an increased demand for higher education institutions to enhance student engagement. One popular example of active learning is the escape room. Escape rooms are playful tools reported to increase students’ key transferable skills, which are valuable for students to boost their employability. In recent years, a transition to “digital” computerised escape rooms has allowed participants similar experiences using significantly fewer resources compared to in-person modalities. In physiology, the ability to analyse and interpret data is vital and an intended learning outcome of physiology modules/units. However, many students possess limited experience or exhibit anxiety when conducting data analysis, which leaves them unprepared to do this within a laboratory setting or employment. Therefore, this project aimed to design and develop a digital escape room to allow students to playfully build their analytical skills and assess its impact on student experience and knowledge acquisition.
The digital escape room was created using the University of Salford's universal digital escape room platform “UoScape”. Students' perceived data analysis skills and experience upon completion were evaluated using pedagogical surveys comprising either open-answer questions or a 5-point Likert scale.
A total of 104 second-year undergraduate students completed the evaluation survey. Most students reported positive benefits to their knowledge of physiological data analysis (74.0 %), overall experience (67.3 %), experience of gamified learning (74.0 %) and that it would enhance their overall degree value (68.3 %). The majority of students stated digital escape rooms would support their education (71.2 %) and upcoming assessments (76.0 %). Individual puzzle analysis identified those with mathematical elements as more challenging than image analysis-based puzzles (73.3 % Vs 51.8 %, P = 0.0006). Interestingly, a positive correlation was observed between challenge and enjoyment within mathematics puzzles (R = 0.308, P = 0.004). Stratification based on socioeconomic factors revealed minimal impact on pedagogical measures, with only self-perceived knowledge acquisition being significantly higher in low-access populations (P = 0.046).
These data show the equitable pedagogical benefits of digital escape rooms, which enhance students’ knowledge of handling physiological data, student experience, and degree value. This highlights the benefits of active gamified teaching methods for physiological concepts within higher education.
随着对高等教育机构提高学生参与度的需求不断增加，积极和游戏化的教学方法引起了人们的极大兴趣。主动学习的一个流行例子是密室逃生。逃生室是一种有趣的工具，据报道可以提高学生的关键可转移技能，这对学生提高就业能力很有价值。近年来，与面对面的方式相比，向“数字”计算机逃生室的过渡使参与者能够使用更少的资源获得类似的体验。在生理学中，分析和解释数据的能力是至关重要的，也是生理学模块/单元的预期学习结果。然而，许多学生在进行数据分析时经验有限或表现出焦虑，这使他们在实验室环境或就业中没有做好准备。因此，这个项目旨在设计和开发一个数字逃生室，让学生们在玩耍中建立他们的分析技能，并评估其对学生体验和知识获取的影响。这个数字密室是使用索尔福德大学的通用数字密室平台“UoScape”创建的。学生的感知数据分析技能和经验完成后进行评估，使用教学调查，包括开放式回答问题或5分李克特量表。共有104名本科二年级学生完成了评估调查。大多数学生表示，他们对生理数据分析的知识（74.0%）、整体体验（67.3%）、游戏化学习体验（74.0%）有积极的好处，并将提高他们的整体学位价值（68.3%）。大多数学生表示，数字密室可以支持他们的学习（71.2%）和即将到来的评估（76.0%）。个体谜题分析发现，那些带有数学元素的谜题比基于图像分析的谜题更具挑战性（73.3% Vs 51.8%, P = 0.0006）。有趣的是，在数学谜题中，挑战和乐趣之间存在正相关关系（R = 0.308, P = 0.004）。基于社会经济因素的分层显示对教学措施的影响最小，只有自我感知的知识获取在低获取人群中显着更高（P = 0.046）。这些数据显示了数字密室的公平教学效益，它增强了学生处理生理数据的知识，学生体验和学位价值。这突出了在高等教育中积极的游戏化教学方法对生理概念的好处。
{"title":"Using digital escape rooms to enhance data analysis skills and student experience in a higher education human physiology module","authors":"Nicola Morgan, Marriam Yaqoob, Matthew Allan Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100165","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100165","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Active and gamified teaching methods have garnered significant interest, with an increased demand for higher education institutions to enhance student engagement. One popular example of active learning is the escape room. Escape rooms are playful tools reported to increase students’ key transferable skills, which are valuable for students to boost their employability. In recent years, a transition to “digital” computerised escape rooms has allowed participants similar experiences using significantly fewer resources compared to in-person modalities. In physiology, the ability to analyse and interpret data is vital and an intended learning outcome of physiology modules/units. However, many students possess limited experience or exhibit anxiety when conducting data analysis, which leaves them unprepared to do this within a laboratory setting or employment. Therefore, this project aimed to design and develop a digital escape room to allow students to playfully build their analytical skills and assess its impact on student experience and knowledge acquisition.</div><div>The digital escape room was created using the University of Salford's universal digital escape room platform “UoScape”. Students' perceived data analysis skills and experience upon completion were evaluated using pedagogical surveys comprising either open-answer questions or a 5-point Likert scale.</div><div>A total of 104 second-year undergraduate students completed the evaluation survey. Most students reported positive benefits to their knowledge of physiological data analysis (74.0 %), overall experience (67.3 %), experience of gamified learning (74.0 %) and that it would enhance their overall degree value (68.3 %). The majority of students stated digital escape rooms would support their education (71.2 %) and upcoming assessments (76.0 %). Individual puzzle analysis identified those with mathematical elements as more challenging than image analysis-based puzzles (73.3 % Vs 51.8 %, <em>P</em> = 0.0006). Interestingly, a positive correlation was observed between challenge and enjoyment within mathematics puzzles (R = 0.308, <em>P</em> = 0.004). Stratification based on socioeconomic factors revealed minimal impact on pedagogical measures, with only self-perceived knowledge acquisition being significantly higher in low-access populations (<em>P</em> = 0.046).</div><div>These data show the equitable pedagogical benefits of digital escape rooms, which enhance students’ knowledge of handling physiological data, student experience, and degree value. This highlights the benefits of active gamified teaching methods for physiological concepts within higher education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100172
Austin Dada , Jing Ren , Yao Shi , Ravi Nistala
Obesity is a global health epidemic linked to numerous chronic disease conditions and consequences, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and premature mortality. CKD, which can progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD) and/or dialysis with limited treatment options beyond slowing its advancement, is increasingly being recognized as a result or consequence of obesity. This review examines the pathophysiological mechanisms connecting obesity to the development and progression of CKD, via a condition known as obesity related kidney disease (ORKD). Importantly, ORKD has a distinct set of pathophysiological lesions from diabetic nephropathy, as free fatty acid and triglyceride deposition in ORKD dominates over hyperglycemia-induced renal injury in the context of diabetes. Since T2DM is commonly associated with obesity, it is important to recognize ORKD as a distinct entity which likely needs a distinct approach towards its management. Although CKD is the end result of many pathophysiological processes including obesity, the process by which it develops in each condition is vastly different. By synthesizing current preclinical and clinical evidence, we highlight the role of obesity as a modifiable risk factor for CKD and explore obesity-targeted interventions that reduce hyperfiltration among potential strategies to reduce CKD incidence and delay progression to ESRD.
{"title":"Role of obesity in chronic kidney disease progression","authors":"Austin Dada , Jing Ren , Yao Shi , Ravi Nistala","doi":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crphys.2025.100172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Obesity is a global health epidemic linked to numerous chronic disease conditions and consequences, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and premature mortality. CKD, which can progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD) and/or dialysis with limited treatment options beyond slowing its advancement, is increasingly being recognized as a result or consequence of obesity. This review examines the pathophysiological mechanisms connecting obesity to the development and progression of CKD, via a condition known as obesity related kidney disease (ORKD). Importantly, ORKD has a distinct set of pathophysiological lesions from diabetic nephropathy, as free fatty acid and triglyceride deposition in ORKD dominates over hyperglycemia-induced renal injury in the context of diabetes. Since T2DM is commonly associated with obesity, it is important to recognize ORKD as a distinct entity which likely needs a distinct approach towards its management. Although CKD is the end result of many pathophysiological processes including obesity, the process by which it develops in each condition is vastly different. By synthesizing current preclinical and clinical evidence, we highlight the role of obesity as a modifiable risk factor for CKD and explore obesity-targeted interventions that reduce hyperfiltration among potential strategies to reduce CKD incidence and delay progression to ESRD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72753,"journal":{"name":"Current research in physiology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100172"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145464859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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