Life Lines - The Podcast of The American Physiological Society

The American Physiological Society
  • 4.6 (5)
  • NATURAL SCIENCES

Life Lines is a general interest monthly science podcast of The American Physiological Society. Visit us online at www.lifelines.tv.

  1. An Astronaut's Tips for COVID-19 Quarantine

    04/03/2020 · VIDEO

    An Astronaut's Tips for COVID-19 Quarantine

    APS' Chief Science Officer Dennis Brown, PhD, recently spoke to astronaut and APS member Jessica Meir, PhD, about her work on the International Space Station. As part of the interview, we asked her for lessons that #StationLife can teach us about living in isolation. Listen to her recommendations and read the full interview in the July issue of The Physiologist Magazine.

    2 min

  2. 01/08/2010

    Episode 29: Outtakes

    From the cutting room floor, here are some of the outtakes about physiology that we thought were just too interesting not to use: 1.    Dusty Sarazan describes one way that physiological research helped advance cardiac surgery, and also how research led to the development of the modern treadmill 2.    David Linden talks about our imperfect memories 3.    David Kraus tells us why we are so sensitive to the odor of hydrogen sulfide gas (what is hydrogen sulfide gas? where does it come from and what does it do?).

    13 min

  3. 12/08/2009

    Episode 28: 'Tis the Season That's Hard on Your Heart

    Heart attacks peak during the winter months and cold weather has been thought to be the primary culprit. But cardiologist Robert Kloner of the Keck School of Medicine and Good Samaritan Hospital found that heart attack deaths peak on Christmas and New Year's in the mild climate of Los Angeles County. Could it be that the weather is not the most important factor behind the seasonal increase in heart attacks? The show's second segment, the Buzz in Physiology, features research on how a probiotic treatment alleviated colitis in mice and how five exercises helped women office workers suffering from repetitive strain injury. (Begins at 10:55) From the American Heart Association, Heart Attack/Stroke Warning Signs. Click here. Total Time: 13:28

    14 min

  4. 11/12/2009

    Episode 27: When the Sense of Smell Fails

    What would it be like to live without being able to detect any odors? For one thing, Thanksgiving would be much less enjoyable, perhaps disturbingly so. In this episode, we talk to Robert I. Henkin of the Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington, D.C., who will tell us why people lose their sense of smell and how his research can help some people restore it. (Begins at: 02:03) The Buzz in Physiology features studies on a simple test that may determine arterial stiffness in adults older than 40, and a look at a 1950s program that tested the fitness of women to become astronauts. (Begins at: 00:43)

    9 min

  5. 10/07/2009

    Episode 26: Invention and Impact of Ultrasound

    Dean Franklin developed the first instruments to measure blood flow and the changes in diameter of the pulsating heart in conscious animals. He also pioneered the use of radio waves to measure heart and blood vessel function without wiring the body to the instrument. Dusty Sarazan, a former student of Dean Franklin, explains how these inventions led to the non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring instruments we have today. You can find the full article on Dean Franklin here and a press release here. (Begins at 02:22) A program note: We misspoke when we mentioned that physiologists made an important discovery after a giraffe frightened an instrumented baboon. In fact, a leopard had frightened the baboon. The Buzz in Physiology (Begins at 00:52) A study on how exercise helps prevent weight regain after dieting finds that exercise reduces the drive to overeat, causes the body to burn fat before burning carbohydrates and prevents an increase in the number of fat cells during weight regain. A study on how alcohol can disrupt circadian rhythm finds that chronic drinking blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock even days after the drinking ends.

  6. 09/08/2009

    Episode 25: EleComm

    You've heard the word telecomm? In this episode, we are going to coin a new word: elecomm, shorthand for elephant communication. Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell is a Stanford University professor and the author of The Elephant's Secret Sense, published by the University of Chicago Press. Dr. O'Connell-Rodwell discovered that elephant vocalizations travel through the ground, sometimes for great distances. Other elephants pick up these seismic communications and understand them. There are links to videos of three of Dr. O'Connell-Rodwell's elephant communication experiments on her website, www.utopiascientific.org or by clicking here, here and here. (Begins at 2:44) From the Buzz in Physiology (Begins at 1:13): Divers who held their breath for several minutes had elevated levels of S100B (a protein found after cell injury) in their bloodstream, which suggests that holding one's breath for a long time disrupts the blood-brain barrier. However, the appearance of the protein was transient and leaves open the question of whether lengthy breath holding can damage the brain over the long term, according to the Lund University researchers. And drinking beetroot juice boosts stamina and could help you exercise for up to 16% longer, according to a study from the University of Exeter. The study shows how the nitrate contained in the juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring. You can read the press releases on these studies: Freediving Beetroot

    19 min

  7. 08/07/2009

    Episode 24: Pregnancy and Exercise

    Episode 24: Pregnancy and Exercise When a pregnant woman exercises, is it good for her fetus? That is the question that researchers Linda May of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and Kathleen Gustafson of the University of Kansas Medical Center are trying to answer. Their work is ongoing, but it is good news, so far, for pregnant women who like to exercise. (Begins at 01:59) Buzz in Physiology (Begins at 00:47) Estrogen can halt the damage caused by a stroke by inactivating the protein, p53.  Researchers have found a way to diagnose overtraining syndrome in horses by measuring the secretion of nocturnal growth hormone.

    9 min

  8. 07/07/2009

    Episode 23: Cool Water

    Three physiologists tell us why the prescription "drink when you are thirsty" is usually the best guideline for deciding when and how much to drink. We will talk to Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School (retired); Mark Knepper, the chief of the Laboratory of Kidney & Electrolyte Metabolism of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; and Samuel Cheuvront, of the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine about water consumption. They will answer the question: "Must I drink 64 ounces of water each day?" (Begins at 3:47) To read the review of the eight-by-eight rule by Heinz Valtin, click here: In the Buzz in Physiology, we look at studies involving a prosthetic device known as the Cheetah Flex Foot and whether it gives a runner who is a bilateral amputee an unfair advantage over limb-intact runners. We also summarize a study in mice in which adult bone marrow stem cells were used as a non-invasive therapy to repair cardiac tissue. And finally, we'll look at a study that finds that electro-acupuncture successfully reduced sympathetic nerve activity, normalized menstrual cycles and reduced testosterone in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. (Begins at 1:05)

    19 min
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Life Lines is a general interest monthly science podcast of The American Physiological Society. Visit us online at www.lifelines.tv.

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