The Science Of Lipids And Cell Membranes In Health-Related Research

Presentation by Ronald Hills, Ph .D., describing the work of his laboratory at UNE. The Hills Lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying biomedically relevant scientific problems. Having previously developed a suite of simulation tools for studying the molecular dynamics of membrane-protein systems, its research has since investigated the functional mechanisms of efflux transport proteins, of use for developing new therapies to overcome cellular multidrug resistance. The lab also investigates other aspects of health-related science. Student-centered scholarship in the group has included diverse topics from the development of POGIL learning activities for the classroom to reviewing health outcomes linked to nutrition and diet quality. Recent scholarship has explored the relationship between diet and the microbiome and reviewed evidence available for cardiovascular risk factors and lipid-lowering medications.https://dune.une.edu/pharmsci_facpres/1001/thumbnail.jp

Humanistic Perspectives in Criminology

In the past two decades, the field of criminology has changed dramatically. Mainstream criminology, which focused primarily on the etiology of behavior taken for granted as criminal, has been successively challenged by a number of different sociological theories and perspectives. These challenges have come from the labeling or interactionist perspective, various pluralistic conflict theories, and a number of radical, critical, or Marxist approaches. Although there are many differences among these theoretical developments, they share a common set of humanistic concerns. All of these perspectives attempt to combine a theoretical explanation of crime and social control with a practical concern for human liberation and social justice. All of these perspectives are concerned, in one way or another, with the way in which the social structuring of crime and social control affects the human rights, survival, and material well-being of people

Guide To Popular Diets, Food Choices, And Their Health Outcome

Integrative medicine is becoming increasingly important for a patient population afflicted with preventable illnesses such as cardiometabolic disease. Diet and nutrition are an under-tapped opportunity in health care for improving wellness and patient-centered health outcomes. Key nutritional principles are reviewed for alternate dietary strategies patients choose from in pursuit of healthy living or to alleviate chronic illness. Whole food eating plans are discussed including plant-based, Mediterranean, Paleo, and ketogenic diets as well as the specific carbohydrate and low FODMAP diets for colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Opposed to the traditional categorization of diets by macronutrient composition, it is more useful to discuss the nutritional quality of specific foods and available micronutrients. Cardiovascular and other risk factors are reviewed for foods and food combinations, supporting a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts/seeds, and seafood omega-3 fats.Nutrition and lifestyle education is needed to counsel patients on the best dietary strategy that ensures their adherence and improves long-term health outcomes

Multiscale coarse-graining of the protein energy landscape

Journal ArticleA variety of coarse-grained (CG) models exists for simulation of proteins. An outstanding problem is the construction of a CG model with physically accurate conformational energetics rivaling all-atom force fields. In the present work, atomistic simulations of peptide folding and aggregation equilibria are force-matched using multiscale coarse-graining to develop and test a CG interaction potential of general utility for the simulation of proteins of arbitrary sequence. The reduced representation relies on multiple interaction sites to maintain the anisotropic packing and polarity of individual sidechains. CG energy landscapes computed from replica exchange simulations of the folding of Trpzip, Trp-cage and adenylate kinase resemble those of other reduced representations; non-native structures are observed with energies similar to those of the native state. The artifactual stabilization of misfolded states implies that non-native interactions play a deciding role in deviations from ideal funnel-like cooperative folding. The role of surface tension, backbone hydrogen bonding and the smooth pairwise CG landscape is discussed. Ab initio folding aside, the improved treatment of sidechain rotamers results in stability of the native state in constant temperature simulations of Trpzip, Trp-cage, and the open to closed conformational transition of adenylate kinase, illustrating the potential value of the CG force field for simulating protein complexes and transitions between well-defined structural states

Multiscale Coarse-Graining of the Protein Energy Landscape

A variety of coarse-grained (CG) models exists for simulation of proteins. An outstanding problem is the construction of a CG model with physically accurate conformational energetics rivaling all-atom force fields. In the present work, atomistic simulations of peptide folding and aggregation equilibria are force-matched using multiscale coarse-graining to develop and test a CG interaction potential of general utility for the simulation of proteins of arbitrary sequence. The reduced representation relies on multiple interaction sites to maintain the anisotropic packing and polarity of individual sidechains. CG energy landscapes computed from replica exchange simulations of the folding of Trpzip, Trp-cage and adenylate kinase resemble those of other reduced representations; non-native structures are observed with energies similar to those of the native state. The artifactual stabilization of misfolded states implies that non-native interactions play a deciding role in deviations from ideal funnel-like cooperative folding. The role of surface tension, backbone hydrogen bonding and the smooth pairwise CG landscape is discussed. Ab initio folding aside, the improved treatment of sidechain rotamers results in stability of the native state in constant temperature simulations of Trpzip, Trp-cage, and the open to closed conformational transition of adenylate kinase, illustrating the potential value of the CG force field for simulating protein complexes and transitions between well-defined structural states.</p

Statin Treatment In Specific Patient Groups: Role For Improved Cardiovascular Risk Markers

Ample evidence supports the use of statin therapy for secondary prevention in patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but evidence is wanting in the case of primary prevention, low-risk individuals, and elderly adults 65+. Statins are effective in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which has long been a target for treatment decisions. We discuss the weakening dependence between cholesterol levels and mortality as a function of age and highlight recent findings on lipoprotein subfractions and other superior markers of ASCVD risk. The efficacy of statins is compared for distinct subsets of patients based on age, diabetes, ASCVD, and coronary artery calcium (CAC) status. Most cardiovascular risk calculators heavily weight age and overestimate one’s absolute risk of ASCVD, particularly in very old adults. Improvements in risk assessment enable the identification of specific patient populations that benefit most from statin treatment. Derisking is particularly important for adults over 75, in whom treatment benefits are reduced and adverse musculoskeletal effects are amplified. The CAC score stratifies the benefit effect size obtainable with statins, and forms of coenzyme Q are discussed for improving patient outcomes. Robust risk estimator tools and personalized, evidence-based approaches are needed to optimally reduce cardiovascular events and mortality rates through administration of cholesterol-lowering medications

Efficacy Of Statin Therapy In The Elderly

Statins are one of the most heavily prescribed medications. The 2018 ACC/AHA guidelines support statin therapy for most older adults, but recommendations are less clear for those over 75. The literature was systematically reviewed for evidence of the efficacy of statin treatment in different patient populations. Significant evidence was found supporting a decreasing association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and mortality as well as decreasing statin efficacy with increasing age. The consequences of unnecessary statin therapy can be severe for older adults. Improved methods for evaluating atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, such as using negative markers to help identify those who may not benefit from statin therapy, should be more widely employed.https://dune.une.edu/pharm_studpost/1001/thumbnail.jp

Seismic Signature of a Swan Hills (Frasnian) Reef Reservoir, Snipe Lake, Alberta

Swan Hills formation (Frasnian stage) carbonate buildups of the Beaverhill Lake group are generally of low relief and considerable areal extent and are overlain by and encased within the relatively high-velocity shale of the Waterways formation, which thins but does not drape across the reefs. Consistent with this picture, prereef seismic events are not significantly pulled up beneath the reefs nor are postreef events draped across them. Indeed, the seismic images of these reefs are effectively masked by the high-amplitude reflections from the overlying top of the Beaverhill Lake group and underlying Gilwood member and cannot be distinguished from those of the basin fill. However, it is possible to identify the reefs indirectly on conventionally processed seismic sections because the image of the encompassing Beaverhill Lake/Gilwood interval varies significantly from onreef to offreef positions.One such Swan Hills formation field at Snipe Lake has an areal extent of about 90 km2 and typical reef relief of some 50 m above the platform facies. This reef is shown to be recognizable on three example seismic lines from interference phenomena that vary laterally in association with the lateral variations in thickness of the Swan Hills formation. These phenomena include an offreef peak that is one half-cycle below the Beaverhill Lake reflection trough and that dies out laterally going onreef, a tendency for the amplitude of the Gilwood event to decrease beneath the reef, and thinning of the order of 5 ms of the onreef section relative to the offreef section. Through seismic modeling, these seismic-image characteristics are seen to be predictable geophysical manifestations of the inherent geologic variations

Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications For Diet And Disease

The gut microbiome plays an important role in human health and influences the development of chronic diseases ranging from metabolic disease to gastrointestinal disorders and colorectal cancer. Of increasing prevalence in Western societies, these conditions carry a high burden of care. Dietary patterns and environmental factors have a profound effect on shaping gut microbiota in real time. Diverse populations of intestinal bacteria mediate their beneficial effects through the fermentation of dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids, endogenous signals with important roles in lipid homeostasis and reducing inflammation. Recent progress shows that an individual’s starting microbial profile is a key determinant in predicting their response to intervention with live probiotics. The gut microbiota is complex and challenging to characterize. Enterotypes have been proposed using metrics such as alpha species diversity, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes phyla, and the relative abundance of beneficial genera (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia) versus facultative anaerobes (E. coli), pro-inflammatory Ruminococcus, or nonbacterial microbes. Microbiota composition and relative populations of bacterial species are linked to physiologic health along different axes. We review the role of diet quality, carbohydrate intake, fermentable FODMAPs, and prebiotic fiber in maintaining healthy gut flora. The implications are discussed for various conditions including obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, and cardiovascular disease

Governing the transition of socio-technical systems: A case study of the development of smart grids in Korea

a b s t r a c t This paper examines the motivations, processes and outcomes of the development of smart grids in South Korea through the perspectives of governance and innovation systems. Drawing on desktop research and semi-structured interviews, this paper has two major findings. First, the development of smart grids in Korea has been shaped by various factors including macroeconomic policy, the role of the government, and experimentation. The complex interactions between these factors at the landscape, regime and niche levels has impacted on the development of smart grids. Second, while Korea&apos;s government-led approach has its strengths in driving change, it has also exposed weaknesses in the country&apos;s ability to mobilise the private sector and consumer participation. Major obstacles including partial electricity market reform and public distrust exist. A systemic perspective is needed for policy in order to accommodate the changes required for smart grid development. Regulatory reforms, particularly price-setting mechanisms, and consumer engagement are priority areas for policy change