Brownian movement analyzed from psychophysiological measures associated with ischemic heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease

There are several coronary diseases that human beings can suffer from, which in themselves generate health deterioration and can lead to the development of other diseases that diminish the quality of life. Ischemic diseases are unique in that they are evidenced by blockages generated by the accumulation of fat that impedes circulation, triggering heart and brain-related problems. By means of fractional Brownian motion in relation to Hurst’s parameter, an analysis of a data of 137 patients aged between 30 and 71 years, who present some type of ischemic disease such as mixed, restricted, effort angina and angina pectoris, is performed. The data used was European, which is found in the PhysioNet open-access medical research data repository, managed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computational Physiology Laboratory. This data shows the Hurst coefficient calculations associated with each type of ischemic heart disease.

A remote laboratory course on experimental human physiology using wearable technology

To help educators deliver their physiology laboratory courses remotely, we developed an inexpensive, customizable hardware kit along with freely-available teaching resources. We based the course design on four principles that should allow students to conduct insightful experiments on different physiological systems. First, the experimental setup should not be constrained to laboratory environments. Second, students should be able to take this course without prior coding and electronics experience. Third, the hardware kit should be relatively inexpensive and all other resources should be freely-available. Fourth, all resources should be customizable for educators. The hardware kit consists of commercially-available electronic components, with a microcontroller as its hub (Arduino-friendly). All measurement systems can be assembled without soldering. The hardware kit is cost-effective (~cost of a textbook) and can be customized depending upon instructional needs. All software is freely-available and we share all necessary codes in open-access, online repositories for simple use and customizability. All lab manuals and additional video tutorials are also freely-available online and customizable. In our particular course, we have weekly asynchronous physiology lectures and one synchronous laboratory session, where students can get help with their equipment. In this paper, we will only focus on the novel and open-source laboratory part of the course. The laboratory includes four units (data acquisition, ECG, EMG, activity classification) and one final project. It is our intent that these resources will allow other educators to rapidly implement their own remote physiology laboratories, or to extend our work into other pedagogical applications of wearable technology.

Virtual delivery: a panacea for the financial and ethical challenges associated with physiology laboratory classes?

There has been a gradual shift in the delivery of physiology laboratory classes over the last 30 years. For many, wet-lab demonstrations using animal tissues have been reduced or replaced with student-led investigations where students are both subjects and researchers. Despite these changes, expectations remain that physiology courses should include a practical component to encourage deeper and higher-order learning. Wet-lab tissue experiments and student-based group research formats can be expensive to run, associated with various ethical constraints, and, as discovered in these times of COVID-19, difficult to operate while adhering to physical distancing. We address the proposition that online and/or remote delivery of laboratory classes using digital technologies may provide a solution to both financial and ethical constraints of on-campus laboratory classes. Our discussions, as an international group of 10 physiologists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, revealed that although some of the financial and ethical constraints of using animal tissues and student-led investigations were addressed by the introduction of online alternatives, the construction and maintenance of online delivery modes could also be expensive and ethical issues, not previously considered, included digital equity and student data security. There was also a collective perception that if face-to-face laboratory classes were changed to an entirely virtual mode there was a risk that some intended learning outcomes would not be met. It was concluded that the “ideal” approach is likely a hybrid model whereby student attendance in face-to-face, on-campus classes is supported with interactive digital content either developed in house or obtained through third-party providers.

Aloe vera and STS solution on microbial population and vase life of Heliconia cut flowers

The use of several solutions as floral preservatives in extending the vase life of cut flowers has been an all-time research objective to meet the demands of florists and buyers. One of the major problems faced with the longevity of cut flowers is the accumulation of microorganism in the vase floral solution. This study was carried out to investigate the influence of Aloe vera gel and Silver thiosulphate solutions used as vase solution on the microbial population of Heliconia cut flowers. The experiment was carried out in the plant physiology laboratory, Floriculture programme, National Horticultural Research Institute, (NIHORT); Ibadan, Nigeria (7O25” N and 3O52” E). Six treatments supplemented with 1% sucrose were used in this experiment, they include; 1%, 2% and 4% Aloe vera gel solutions, 0.5% and 1% Silver thiosulphate solutions and distilled water (which serve as control) labeled AV1, AV2, AV3, STS1, STS2 and CO respectively. All treatments used for the vase life of Heliconia cut flowers were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different in the parameters analyzed as compared to the control. The vase life, relative fresh weight and relative water content of Heliconia cut flowers were best with Aloe vera gel solutions compared to the control with AV3 recording the longest vase life of 12 days (58.21%). The microbial population in the vases of the cut flowers was greatly reduced with the application of the silver thiosulphate solutions (STS1 and STS2) compared with the control with STS2 recording the lowest microbial colony at 32.67 CFU mL-1. Promoting the use of organic floral preservatives should be encouraged as it is eco-friendly and cost effective. The result of the study reveals that the use of 4% Aloe vera solution has the potential to reduce microbial growth and also enhance the longevity of the cut flowers.

Enhancement of antioxidant activity of kencur rhizome in the shade by potassium fertilizer

Abstracts. Kencur has been traditionally used as a medical plant for a long time. The potential content of kencur rhizomes as a medical plant lead to the idea of conducting a study that aims to determine the yield and antioxidant content of rhizomes cultivated in the shade and the effect of potassium fertilizer application. The research was conducted in two stages. The first stage was kencur cultivation in the AgroTechno-Park UB in Jatikerto from November 2020 to June 2021 designed according to the Split-split plot design (3 factor treatments). The main factor was the shade, sub plots were accession of kencur, and t doses of potassium fertilizer. The second stage was conducted in the Plant Physiology Laboratory to analyze the antioxidant content after the field experiment. The results showed that there was increased antioxidant activity in kencur rhizomes due to the use of potassium fertilizer and shade. The 25% shade produced higher antioxidants than 50% shade in both Lumajang and Nganjuk’s accessions.

The effectiveness of combining e-learning, peer teaching and flipped classroom for delivering physiology laboratory course to nursing students

The Internet and 5G era make e-learning a vital part of modern education, and extensive evidence has shown that peer teaching and flipped classroom contribute to increased success in medical teaching. However, the applicability of these pedagogies in laboratory courses remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the academic performance, proficiency in procedural skills and perception of nursing students in physiology laboratory classes delivered using non-traditional classroom (NTC) pedagogies comprising the combination of e-learning, peer teaching and flipped classroom. Each class was sub-divided into two equal halves by successive student identification (ID) and randomly assigned to control or NTC group. Compared to control class, NTC teaching significantly enhanced mean score of six pre-class tests (67.77 ± 9.83 vs. 62.94 ± 9.70), with "B" graders increased obviously, suggesting pre-class e-learning was more effective than textbook-based preview, especially for general grasp of the topic. Similarly, average scores on post-class quizzes in NTC group was improved (79.40 ± 9.12 vs. 74.43 ± 8.88). Lesser time-cost and higher success rates were observed in trachea, artery and heart catheterizations in NTC group , although no disparities were found in ureteral intubation . Majority of (~74%) students supported the reform and shared positive experiences in NTC methodology. They reported virtual experiments and self-paced procedural skill videos affected pre- or in-class learning outcomes most, respectively. These findings indicated NTC pedagogy was workable to improve students' subject scores and proficiency in complicated and direct-viewing procedural skills, and was favorable by students.

Potential of Bacillus spp as a biocontrol agent against Ralstonia bacterial wilt in bananas

Bacterial wilt disease in banana plants caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is an important disease that can reduce banana production. Until now there is no effective method to control this disease. The use of biocontrol agents such as Bacillus spp is an alternative method of controlling R. solanacearum in bananas. The aim of this study was to determine the activity of Bacillus spp against banana wilt disease caused by R. solanacearum. In vitro testing was carried out in the Plant Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University. The study used Bacillus subtilis strain SW116b and Bacillus subtilis strain HPC2-1 isolates. The results showed that the SW116b stain Bacillus subtilis has the highest activity against R. solanocearum, which is 10.5mm, so it has the potential as a biological control agent in suppressing the development of ralstonia wilt disease in bananas.

Staff-student interactions in a physiology laboratory class: What do they involve and are they important?

Although considerable staff resources are often allocated to the teaching of undergraduate laboratory classes, there is a paucity of discussion regarding the extent and substance of the staff-student interactions that occur within classes and also whether these interactions benefit student learning in any way. Performed across four undergraduate laboratory sessions, this exploratory study aimed to quantify the interactions in terms of frequency, duration, and initiation of interactions, as well as gathering staff and student perceptions of the impact of the interactions. Staff gathered descriptive data by completing an observation checklist after each interaction and also provided their own perceptions of the interaction focus and outcome. Student perceptions were collected using an online survey after each class. Staff perceived that the most frequent achievement of the interactions was to enable students to progress with work. However, students’ perceptions suggested that staff may underestimate the impact of staff-student interactions on conceptual learning. The most striking findings were the students’ perceptions of the impact of interactions on their affective domain. On average, 93% of students agreed that when staff take an interest in their work, it motivates them to work hard, and 78% agreed that interactions with staff made the classes more enjoyable. With evidence that positive affect such as enjoyment is positively associated with aspects of learning, this is a salient finding. The study underscores the value of staff availability within the laboratory class and provides impetus to reevaluate how we perceive these interactions and their impact on student learning.

Why is it so hard to lose fat? Because it has to get out through your nose! An exercise physiology laboratory on oxygen consumption, metabolism, and weight loss

Exercise is thought to be an effective means to quick weight loss. However, few people have realistic exercise-induced weight loss expectations. Fewer understand how weight is “lost” and where the lost mass goes. Understanding that fat is “burned” with inhaled oxygen and most of the mass lost must be exhaled as carbon dioxide might help individuals create realistic weight loss expectations. The purpose of this laboratory activity is to 1) provide students with a basic understanding of the role of oxygen in fuel metabolism during physical activity and its relationship to energy expenditure and mechanical work, and 2) engage students with collection of their own data to determine a realistic timeframe for exercise-induced weight loss. In the prelaboratory, questions such as, “When you lose weight, where does it go?” are asked. A guided discussion helps students understand the basic biochemistry required for weight loss. For the activity, students complete walking or running exercise, recording the time and distance. The relationship of exercise to physics’ concepts of mechanical work and energy utilization are discussed with the concept of “calorie burn” and its relationship to oxygen consumption. Students estimate oxygen consumed and calories burned during exercise using established metabolic equations. Finally, the amount of energy (i.e., calories) equivalent to 1 pound of fat is discussed. Students calculate how long he/she would have to exercise to burn 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of fat. A person of average size and fitness, needs 60+ h of exercise to burn 10 pounds of fat. Supplementary activities including a dramatic gummy bear oxidation and the use of a metabolic cart reinforces these concepts and validates the laboratory estimates.