Recent advances in understanding the role of nutrition in human genome evolution.

PubMed

Ye, Kaixiong; Gu, Zhenglong

2011-11-01

Dietary transitions in human history have been suggested to play important roles in the evolution of mankind. Genetic variations caused by adaptation to diet during human evolution could have important health consequences in current society. The advance of sequencing technologies and the rapid accumulation of genome information provide an unprecedented opportunity to comprehensively characterize genetic variations in human populations and unravel the genetic basis of human evolution. Series of selection detection methods, based on various theoretical models and exploiting different aspects of selection signatures, have been developed. Their applications at the species and population levels have respectively led to the identification of human specific selection events that distinguish human from nonhuman primates and local adaptation events that contribute to human diversity. Scrutiny of candidate genes has revealed paradigms of adaptations to specific nutritional components and genome-wide selection scans have verified the prevalence of diet-related selection events and provided many more candidates awaiting further investigation. Understanding the role of diet in human evolution is fundamental for the development of evidence-based, genome-informed nutritional practices in the era of personal genomics.

Opening plenary speaker: Human genomics, precision medicine, and advancing human health.

PubMed

Green, Eric D

2016-08-01

Starting with the launch of the Human Genome Project in 1990, the past quarter-century has brought spectacular achievements in genomics that dramatically empower the study of human biology and disease. The human genomics enterprise is now in the midst of an important transition, as the growing foundation of genomic knowledge is being used by researchers and clinicians to tackle increasingly complex problems in biomedicine. Of particular prominence is the use of revolutionary new DNA sequencing technologies for generating prodigious amounts of DNA sequence data to elucidate the complexities of genome structure, function, and evolution, as well as to unravel the genomic bases of rare and common diseases. Together, these developments are ushering in the era of genomic medicine. Augmenting the advances in human genomics have been innovations in technologies for measuring environmental and lifestyle information, electronic health records, and data science; together, these provide opportunities of unprecedented scale and scope for investigating the underpinnings of health and disease. To capitalize on these opportunities, U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced a major new research endeavor - the U.S. Precision Medicine Initiative. This bold effort will be framed around several key aims, which include accelerating the use of genomically informed approaches to cancer care, making important policy and regulatory changes, and establishing a large research cohort of >1 million volunteers to facilitate precision medicine research. The latter will include making the partnership with all participants a centerpiece feature in the cohort's design and development. The Precision Medicine Initiative represents a broad-based research program that will allow new approaches for individualized medical care to be rigorously tested, so as to establish a new evidence base for advancing clinical practice and, eventually, human health.

Advanced Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques of the Human Spinal Cord

PubMed Central

Andre, Jalal B.; Bammer, Roland

2012-01-01

Unlike those of the brain, advances in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the human spinal cord have been challenged by the more complicated and inhomogeneous anatomy of the spine, the differences in magnetic susceptibility between adjacent air and fluid-filled structures and the surrounding soft tissues, and the inherent limitations of the initially used echo-planar imaging techniques used to image the spine. Interval advances in DWI techniques for imaging the human spinal cord, with the specific aims of improving the diagnostic quality of the images, and the simultaneous reduction in unwanted artifacts have resulted in higher-quality images that are now able to more accurately portray the complicated underlying anatomy and depict pathologic abnormality with improved sensitivity and specificity. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has benefited from the advances in DWI techniques, as DWI images form the foundation for all tractography and DTI. This review provides a synopsis of the many recent advances in DWI of the human spinal cord, as well as some of the more common clinical uses for these techniques, including DTI and tractography. PMID:22158130

Advancing a vaccine to prevent human schistosomiasis.

PubMed

Merrifield, Maureen; Hotez, Peter J; Beaumier, Coreen M; Gillespie, Portia; Strych, Ulrich; Hayward, Tara; Bottazzi, Maria Elena

2016-06-03

Several candidate human schistosomiasis vaccines are in different stages of preclinical and clinical development. The major targets are Schistosoma haematobium (urogenitial schistosomiasis) and Schistosoma mansoni (intestinal schistosomiasis) that account for 99% of the world's 252 million cases, with 90% of these cases in Africa. Two recombinant S. mansoni vaccines - Sm-TSP-2 and Sm-14 are in Phase 1 trials, while Smp80 (calpain) is undergoing testing in non-human primates. Sh28GST, also known as Bilhvax is in advanced clinical development for S. haematobium infection. The possibility remains that some of these vaccines may cross-react to target both schistosome species. These vaccines were selected on the basis of their protective immunity in preclinical challenge models, through human immune-epidemiological studies or both. They are being advanced through a combination of academic research institutions, non-profit vaccine product development partnerships, biotechnology companies, and developing country vaccine manufacturers. In addition, new schistosome candidate vaccines are being identified through bioinformatics, OMICs approaches, and moderate throughput screening, although the full potential of reverse vaccinology for schistosomiasis has not yet been realized. The target product profiles of these vaccines vary but many focus on vaccinating children, in some cases following mass treatment with praziquantel, also known as vaccine-linked chemotherapy. Several regulatory pathways have been proposed, some of which rely on World Health Organization prequalification. Copyright © 2016 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A Cryptochrome 2 mutation yields advanced sleep phase in humans.

PubMed

Hirano, Arisa; Shi, Guangsen; Jones, Christopher R; Lipzen, Anna; Pennacchio, Len A; Xu, Ying; Hallows, William C; McMahon, Thomas; Yamazaki, Maya; Ptáček, Louis J; Fu, Ying-Hui

2016-08-16

Familial Advanced Sleep Phase (FASP) is a heritable human sleep phenotype characterized by very early sleep and wake times. We identified a missense mutation in the human Cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) gene that co-segregates with FASP in one family. The mutation leads to replacement of an alanine residue at position 260 with a threonine (A260T). In mice, the CRY2 mutation causes a shortened circadian period and reduced phase-shift to early-night light pulse associated with phase-advanced behavioral rhythms in the light-dark cycle. The A260T mutation is located in the phosphate loop of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) binding domain of CRY2. The mutation alters the conformation of CRY2, increasing its accessibility and affinity for FBXL3 (an E3 ubiquitin ligase), thus promoting its degradation. These results demonstrate that CRY2 stability controlled by FBXL3 plays a key role in the regulation of human sleep wake behavior.

The effects of human interest framing in television news coverage of medical advances.

PubMed

Hong, Hyehyun

2013-01-01

The last few decades have witnessed the increasing dissemination of information on medical advances such as new medical treatments and prevention/diagnosis technologies through television news. To engage lay audiences with complex information, medical journalists often personalize news stories about medical advances by exemplifying individual patients and their personal experiences. This study investigates the effects of this journalistic technique, which is referred to as human interest framing, on audiences. The results of an experiment provide empirical evidence that the human interest framing of medical news stories can increase audiences' involvement in those stories and facilitate their positive perception of medical advances.

Advanced Video Analysis Needs for Human Performance Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Paul D.

1994-01-01

Evaluators of human task performance in space missions make use of video as a primary source of data. Extraction of relevant human performance information from video is often a labor-intensive process requiring a large amount of time on the part of the evaluator. Based on the experiences of several human performance evaluators, needs were defined for advanced tools which could aid in the analysis of video data from space missions. Such tools should increase the efficiency with which useful information is retrieved from large quantities of raw video. They should also provide the evaluator with new analytical functions which are not present in currently used methods. Video analysis tools based on the needs defined by this study would also have uses in U.S. industry and education. Evaluation of human performance from video data can be a valuable technique in many industrial and institutional settings where humans are involved in operational systems and processes.

Advanced haptic sensor for measuring human skin conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchimi, Daisuke; Okuyama, Takeshi; Tanaka, Mami

2009-12-01

This paper is concerned with the development of a tactile sensor using PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) film as a sensory receptor of the sensor to evaluate softness, smoothness, and stickiness of human skin. Tactile sense is the most important sense in the sensation receptor of the human body along with eyesight, and we can examine skin condition quickly using these sense. But, its subjectivity and ambiguity make it difficult to quantify skin conditions. Therefore, development of measurement device which can evaluate skin conditions easily and objectively is demanded by dermatologists, cosmetic industries, and so on. In this paper, an advanced haptic sensor system that can measure multiple information of skin condition in various parts of human body is developed. The applications of the sensor system to evaluate softness, smoothness, and stickiness of skin are investigated through two experiments.

Advanced haptic sensor for measuring human skin conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchimi, Daisuke; Okuyama, Takeshi; Tanaka, Mami

2010-01-01

This paper is concerned with the development of a tactile sensor using PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) film as a sensory receptor of the sensor to evaluate softness, smoothness, and stickiness of human skin. Tactile sense is the most important sense in the sensation receptor of the human body along with eyesight, and we can examine skin condition quickly using these sense. But, its subjectivity and ambiguity make it difficult to quantify skin conditions. Therefore, development of measurement device which can evaluate skin conditions easily and objectively is demanded by dermatologists, cosmetic industries, and so on. In this paper, an advanced haptic sensor system that can measure multiple information of skin condition in various parts of human body is developed. The applications of the sensor system to evaluate softness, smoothness, and stickiness of skin are investigated through two experiments.

Imagining STEM Higher Education Futures: Advancing Human Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Melanie

2015-01-01

The paper explores a conceptual approach to the question of what it means to provide a university education that addresses equity, and encourages the formation of STEM graduates oriented to public-good values and with commitments to making professional contributions to society which will advance human well-being. It considers and rejects…

Laboratory Diagnosis of Human Rabies: Recent Advances

PubMed Central

Mani, Reeta Subramaniam; Madhusudana, Shampur Narayan

2013-01-01

Rabies, an acute progressive, fatal encephalomyelitis, transmitted most commonly through the bite of a rabid animal, is responsible for an estimated 61,000 human deaths worldwide. The true disease burden and public health impact due to rabies remain underestimated due to lack of sensitive laboratory diagnostic methods. Rapid diagnosis of rabies can help initiate prompt infection control and public health measures, obviate the need for unnecessary treatment/medical tests, and assist in timely administration of pre- or postexposure prophylactic vaccination to family members and medical staff. Antemortem diagnosis of human rabies provides an impetus for clinicians to attempt experimental therapeutic approaches in some patients, especially after the reported survival of a few cases of human rabies. Traditional methods for antemortem and postmortem rabies diagnosis have several limitations. Recent advances in technology have led to the improvement or development of several diagnostic assays which include methods for rabies viral antigen and antibody detection and assays for viral nucleic acid detection and identification of specific biomarkers. These assays which complement traditional methods have the potential to revolutionize rabies diagnosis in future. PMID:24348170

An assessment of advance relatives approach for brain death organ donation.

PubMed

Michaut, Carine; Baumann, Antoine; Gregoire, Hélène; Laviale, Corinne; Audibert, Gérard; Ducrocq, Xavier

2017-01-01

Advance announcement of forthcoming brain death has developed to enable intensivists and organ procurement organisation coordinators to more appropriately, and separately from each other, explain to relatives brain death and the subsequent post-mortem organ donation opportunity. Research aim: The aim was to assess how potentially involved healthcare professionals perceived ethical issues surrounding the strategy of advance approach. A multi-centre opinion survey using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted in the six-member hospitals of the publicly funded East of France regional organ and tissue procurement network called 'Prélor'. The study population comprised 460 physicians and nurses in the Neurosurgical, Surgical and Medical Intensive Care Units, the Stroke Units and the Emergency Departments. Ethical considerations: The project was approved by the board of the Lorraine University Diploma in Medical Ethics and the Prélor Network administrators. A slight majority of 53.5% of respondents had previously participated in an advance relatives approach: 83% of the physicians and 42% of the nurses. A majority of healthcare professionals (68%) think that the main justification for advance relatives approach is the comprehensive care of the dying patient and the research of his or her most likely opinion (74%). The misunderstanding of the related issues by relatives is an obstacle for 47% of healthcare professionals and 51% think that the answer given by the relatives regarding the most likely opinion of the person regarding post-mortem organ donation really corresponds to the person opinion in only 50% of the cases or less. Time given by advance approach should be employed to help and enable relatives to authentically bear the values and interests of the potential donor in the post-mortem organ donation discussion. Nurses' attendance of advance relatives approach seems necessary to enable them to optimally support the families facing death and

Human Research Program Advanced Exercise Concepts (AEC) Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perusek, Gail; Lewandowski, Beth; Nall, Marsha; Norsk, Peter; Linnehan, Rick; Baumann, David

2015-01-01

Exercise countermeasures provide benefits that are crucial for successful human spaceflight, to mitigate the spaceflight physiological deconditioning which occurs during exposure to microgravity. The NASA Human Research Program (HRP) within the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) is managing next generation Advanced Exercise Concepts (AEC) requirements development and candidate technology maturation to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 (ground prototyping and flight demonstration) for all exploration mission profiles from Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Exploration Missions (up to 21 day duration) to Mars Transit (up to 1000 day duration) missions. These validated and optimized exercise countermeasures systems will be provided to the ISS Program and MPCV Program for subsequent flight development and operations. The International Space Station (ISS) currently has three major pieces of operational exercise countermeasures hardware: the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), the second-generation (T2) treadmill, and the cycle ergometer with vibration isolation system (CEVIS). This suite of exercise countermeasures hardware serves as a benchmark and is a vast improvement over previous generations of countermeasures hardware, providing both aerobic and resistive exercise for the crew. However, vehicle and resource constraints for future exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit will require that the exercise countermeasures hardware mass, volume, and power be minimized, while preserving the current ISS capabilities or even enhancing these exercise capabilities directed at mission specific physiological functional performance and medical standards requirements. Further, mission-specific considerations such as preservation of sensorimotor function, autonomous and adaptable operation, integration with medical data systems, rehabilitation, and in-flight monitoring and feedback are being developed for integration with the exercise

Technical advances and pitfalls on the way to human cloning.

PubMed

Mollard, Richard; Denham, Mark; Trounson, Alan

2002-03-01

There exists a widespread consensus that the cloning of human beings to term would be detrimental to both the mother and child and of little value to society. However, the ambition of a few organisations and the recent advances in cellular and molecular technologies that led to the cloning of Dolly the sheep, for example, have meant that such a procedure will be possible if not illegal in the near future. The science associated with the cloning technologies practiced in other mammalian species reported to date provide important advances in our understanding of how cells function during early developmental processes and commit themselves to specific developmental pathways. However, many technological insufficiencies remain. Both technological advances and several of the associated insufficiencies are outlined in this review.

Currently recognized clinically relevant and known genes for human reproduction and related infertility with representation on high-resolution chromosome ideograms.

PubMed

Butler, Merlin G; Rafi, Syed K; McGuire, Austen; Manzardo, Ann M

2016-01-01

To provide an update of currently recognized clinically relevant candidate and known genes for human reproduction and related infertility plotted on high resolution chromosome ideograms (850 band level) and represented alphabetically in tabular form. Descriptive authoritative computer-based website and peer-reviewed medical literature searches used pertinent keywords representing human reproduction and related infertility along with genetics and gene mutations. A master list of genes associated with human reproduction and related infertility was generated with a visual representation of gene locations on high resolution chromosome ideograms. GeneAnalytics pathway analysis was carried out on the resulting list of genes to assess underlying genetic architecture for infertility. Advances in genetic technology have led to the discovery of genes responsible for reproduction and related infertility. Genes identified (N=371) in our search primarily impact ovarian steroidogenesis through sex hormone biology, germ cell production, genito-urinary or gonadal development and function, and related peptide production, receptors and regulatory factors. The location of gene symbols plotted on high resolution chromosome ideograms forms a conceptualized image of the distribution of human reproduction genes. The updated master list can be used to promote better awareness of genetics of reproduction and related infertility and advance discoveries on genetic causes and disease mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Actinomyces and related organisms in human infections.

PubMed

Könönen, Eija; Wade, William G

2015-04-01

Actinomyces israelii has long been recognized as a causative agent of actinomycosis. During the past 3 decades, a large number of novel Actinomyces species have been described. Their detection and identification in clinical microbiology laboratories and recognition as pathogens in clinical settings can be challenging. With the introduction of advanced molecular methods, knowledge about their clinical relevance is gradually increasing, and the spectrum of diseases associated with Actinomyces and Actinomyces-like organisms is widening accordingly; for example, Actinomyces meyeri, Actinomyces neuii, and Actinomyces turicensis as well as Actinotignum (formerly Actinobaculum) schaalii are emerging as important causes of specific infections at various body sites. In the present review, we have gathered this information to provide a comprehensive and microbiologically consistent overview of the significance of Actinomyces and some closely related taxa in human infections. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Actinomyces and Related Organisms in Human Infections

PubMed Central

Wade, William G.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Actinomyces israelii has long been recognized as a causative agent of actinomycosis. During the past 3 decades, a large number of novel Actinomyces species have been described. Their detection and identification in clinical microbiology laboratories and recognition as pathogens in clinical settings can be challenging. With the introduction of advanced molecular methods, knowledge about their clinical relevance is gradually increasing, and the spectrum of diseases associated with Actinomyces and Actinomyces-like organisms is widening accordingly; for example, Actinomyces meyeri, Actinomyces neuii, and Actinomyces turicensis as well as Actinotignum (formerly Actinobaculum) schaalii are emerging as important causes of specific infections at various body sites. In the present review, we have gathered this information to provide a comprehensive and microbiologically consistent overview of the significance of Actinomyces and some closely related taxa in human infections. PMID:25788515

Cities and Urban Land Use in Advanced Placement Human Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Larry R.

2000-01-01

Discusses the cities and urban land use section of the Advanced Placement (AP) human geography course, focusing on the: (1) definitions of urbanism; (2) origin and evolution of cities; (3) functional character of contemporary cities; (4) built environment and social space; and (5) responses to urban growth. (CMK)

BOOK REVIEW: Advanced Mechanics and General Relativity Advanced Mechanics and General Relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louko, Jorma

2011-04-01

Joel Franklin's textbook `Advanced Mechanics and General Relativity' comprises two partially overlapping, partially complementary introductory paths into general relativity at advanced undergraduate level. Path I starts with the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of Newtonian point particle motion, emphasising the action principle and the connection between symmetries and conservation laws. The concepts are then adapted to point particle motion in Minkowski space, introducing Lorentz transformations as symmetries of the action. There follows a focused development of tensor calculus, parallel transport and curvature, using examples from Newtonian mechanics and special relativity, culminating in the field equations of general relativity. The Schwarzschild solution is analysed, including a detailed discussion of the tidal forces on a radially infalling observer. Basics of gravitational radiation are examined, highlighting the similarities to and differences from electromagnetic radiation. The final topics in Path I are equatorial geodesics in Kerr and the motion of a relativistic string in Minkowski space. Path II starts by introducing scalar field theory on Minkowski space as a limit of point masses connected by springs, emphasising the action principle, conservation laws and the energy-momentum tensor. The action principle for electromagnetism is introduced, and the coupling of electromagnetism to a complex scalar field is developed in a detailed and pedagogical fashion. A free symmetric second-rank tensor field on Minkowski space is introduced, and the action principle of general relativity is recovered from coupling the second-rank tensor to its own energy-momentum tensor. Path II then merges with Path I and, supplanted with judicious early selections from Path I, can proceed to the Schwarzschild solution. The choice of material in each path is logical and focused. A notable example in Path I is that Lorentz transformations in Minkowki space are introduced

Advance directives and the persistent vegetative state in Victoria: a human rights perspective.

PubMed

Porter, Deborah

2005-11-01

With advances in medical technology, it is now possible to sustain the life of a person in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) until a decision is made to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment. Who makes that decision? Under the Medical Treatment Act 1988 (Vic) there is no legally enforceable right for a person to choose, in advance, what intervention that person will and will not accept if he or she ends up in a PVS. The best that can be achieved is that a person can appoint an agent who is empowered to refuse medical treatment on the person's behalf in the event of incompetence. It is suggested that this mechanism ignores two fundamental human rights: self-determination and the inherent right to dignity. This article proposes the development of an advance directive mechanism that provides for a person to refuse, in advance, specified intervention, thereby respecting fundamental human rights and alleviating the existing need for an agent to second-guess a person's desires and best interests.

Advances in Robotic, Human, and Autonomous Systems for Missions of Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gross, Anthony R.; Briggs, Geoffrey A.; Glass, Brian J.; Pedersen, Liam; Kortenkamp, David M.; Wettergreen, David S.; Nourbakhsh, I.; Clancy, Daniel J.; Zornetzer, Steven (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Space exploration missions are evolving toward more complex architectures involving more capable robotic systems, new levels of human and robotic interaction, and increasingly autonomous systems. How this evolving mix of advanced capabilities will be utilized in the design of new missions is a subject of much current interest. Cost and risk constraints also play a key role in the development of new missions, resulting in a complex interplay of a broad range of factors in the mission development and planning of new missions. This paper will discuss how human, robotic, and autonomous systems could be used in advanced space exploration missions. In particular, a recently completed survey of the state of the art and the potential future of robotic systems, as well as new experiments utilizing human and robotic approaches will be described. Finally, there will be a discussion of how best to utilize these various approaches for meeting space exploration goals.

A Distributed Simulation Facility to Support Human Factors Research in Advanced Air Transportation Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amonlirdviman, Keith; Farley, Todd C.; Hansman, R. John, Jr.; Ladik, John F.; Sherer, Dana Z.

1998-01-01

A distributed real-time simulation of the civil air traffic environment developed to support human factors research in advanced air transportation technology is presented. The distributed environment is based on a custom simulation architecture designed for simplicity and flexibility in human experiments. Standard Internet protocols are used to create the distributed environment, linking all advanced cockpit simulator, all Air Traffic Control simulator, and a pseudo-aircraft control and simulation management station. The pseudo-aircraft control station also functions as a scenario design tool for coordinating human factors experiments. This station incorporates a pseudo-pilot interface designed to reduce workload for human operators piloting multiple aircraft simultaneously in real time. The application of this distributed simulation facility to support a study of the effect of shared information (via air-ground datalink) on pilot/controller shared situation awareness and re-route negotiation is also presented.

Handbook of Institutional Advancement. A Practical Guide to College and University Relations, Fund Raising, Alumni Relations, Government Relations, Publications, and Executive Management for Continued Advancement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, A. Westley, Ed.

The guide's purpose is to provide administrators with essential information that will maintain public confidence in higher education and ensure continued financial support. Six major aspects of institutional advancement are considered: (1) institutional relation (programs to improve communication and understanding among students, administrators,…

Human Ecology and Health Advancement: The Newcastle Experience and Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Jenny; Honari, Morteza

1992-01-01

Argues for the necessity of adopting a human ecological framework for the advancement of health. Focusing on the Australian experience, highlights the difficulties in moving beyond the narrow mold of Western Medical Science to a more holistic, quality of life orientation, and suggests that the role of education at all levels of the community is…

[Advance directives, a tool to humanize care].

PubMed

Olmari-Ebbing, M; Zumbach, C N; Forest, M I; Rapin, C H

2000-07-01

The relationship between the patient and a medical care giver is complex specially as it implies to the human, juridical and practical points of view. It depends on legal and deontological considerations, but also on professional habits. Today, we are confronted to a fundamental modification of this relationship. Professional guidelines exist, but are rarely applied and rarely taught in universities. However, patients are eager to move from a paternalistic relationship to a true partnership, more harmonious and more respectful of individual values ("value based medicine"). Advance directives give us an opportunity to improve our practices and to provide care consistent with the needs and wishes of each patient.

Inspiring engineering minds to advance human health: the Henry Samueli School of Engineering's Department of BME.

PubMed

Lee, Abraham; Wirtanen, Erik

2012-07-01

The growth of biomedical engineering at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has been rapid since the Center for Biomedical Engineering was first formed in 1998 [and was later renamed as the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) in 2002]. Our current mission statement, “Inspiring Engineering Minds to Advance Human Health,” serves as a reminder of why we exist, what we do, and the core principles that we value and by which we abide. BME exists to advance the state of human health via engineering innovation and practices. To attain our goal, we are empowering our faculty to inspire and mobilize our students to address health problems. We treasure the human being, particularly the human mind and health. We believe that BME is where minds are nurtured, challenged, and disciplined, and it is also where the health of the human is held as a core mission value that deserves our utmost priority (Figure 1). Advancing human health is not a theoretical practice; it requires bridging between disciplines (engineering and medicine) and between communities (academic and industry).

Recent advances in biodynamics of human hand-arm system.

PubMed

Dong, Ren G; Wu, John Z; Welcome, Daniel E

2005-07-01

The biodynamics of human hand-arm system is one of the most important foundations for the measurement, evaluation, and risk assessment of hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) exposure. This paper presents a new conceptual model relating factors influencing cause-effect relationships for HTV exposure, a new study strategy, and a comprehensive review of the recent advances in the biodynamics closely associated with HTV exposure. The review covers the following five aspects: theoretical modeling of biodynamic responses, vibration transmissibility, driving-point biodynamic responses, evaluation of anti-vibration gloves, and applied forces. This review finds that some significant advances in each of these aspects have been achieved in the recent years. Several important issues and problems in the biodynamic measurement have been identified and resolved, which has significantly helped improve the reliability and accuracy of the experimental data. The results reported in recent years suggest that, from the point of view of biodynamics, the frequency weighting specified in ISO 5349-1 (2001) overestimates the low frequency effect but underestimates the high frequency effect on the fingers and hand. The major problems, issues, and topics for further studies are also outlined in this paper. It is anticipated that the further studies of the biodynamics of the system will eventually lead to establishment of a robust vibration exposure theory. Although this review focuses on the biodynamics of the hand-arm system, the fundamental concepts and some methodologies reviewed in this paper may also be applicable for the study of whole-body vibration exposure.

NASA's Advanced Life Support Systems Human-Rated Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henninger, D. L.; Tri, T. O.; Packham, N. J.

1996-01-01

Future NASA missions to explore the solar system will be long-duration missions, requiring human life support systems which must operate with very high reliability over long periods of time. Such systems must be highly regenerative, requiring minimum resupply, to enable the crews to be largely self-sufficient. These regenerative life support systems will use a combination of higher plants, microorganisms, and physicochemical processes to recycle air and water, produce food, and process wastes. A key step in the development of these systems is establishment of a human-rated test facility specifically tailored to evaluation of closed, regenerative life supports systems--one in which long-duration, large-scale testing involving human test crews can be performed. Construction of such a facility, the Advanced Life Support Program's (ALS) Human-Rated Test Facility (HRTF), has begun at NASA's Johnson Space Center, and definition of systems and development of initial outfitting concepts for the facility are underway. This paper will provide an overview of the HRTF project plan, an explanation of baseline configurations, and descriptive illustrations of facility outfitting concepts.

Advancing biomaterials of human origin for tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Chen, Fa-Ming; Liu, Xiaohua

2015-01-01

Biomaterials have played an increasingly prominent role in the success of biomedical devices and in the development of tissue engineering, which seeks to unlock the regenerative potential innate to human tissues/organs in a state of deterioration and to restore or reestablish normal bodily function. Advances in our understanding of regenerative biomaterials and their roles in new tissue formation can potentially open a new frontier in the fast-growing field of regenerative medicine. Taking inspiration from the role and multi-component construction of native extracellular matrices (ECMs) for cell accommodation, the synthetic biomaterials produced today routinely incorporate biologically active components to define an artificial in vivo milieu with complex and dynamic interactions that foster and regulate stem cells, similar to the events occurring in a natural cellular microenvironment. The range and degree of biomaterial sophistication have also dramatically increased as more knowledge has accumulated through materials science, matrix biology and tissue engineering. However, achieving clinical translation and commercial success requires regenerative biomaterials to be not only efficacious and safe but also cost-effective and convenient for use and production. Utilizing biomaterials of human origin as building blocks for therapeutic purposes has provided a facilitated approach that closely mimics the critical aspects of natural tissue with regard to its physical and chemical properties for the orchestration of wound healing and tissue regeneration. In addition to directly using tissue transfers and transplants for repair, new applications of human-derived biomaterials are now focusing on the use of naturally occurring biomacromolecules, decellularized ECM scaffolds and autologous preparations rich in growth factors/non-expanded stem cells to either target acceleration/magnification of the body's own repair capacity or use nature's paradigms to create new tissues for

Maculoplasty for age-related macular degeneration: reengineering Bruch's membrane and the human macula.

PubMed

Del Priore, Lucian V; Tezel, Tongalp H; Kaplan, Henry J

2006-11-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the western world. Over the last decade, there have been significant advances in the management of exudative AMD with the introduction of anti-VEGF drugs; however, many patients with exudative AMD continue to lose vision and there are no effective treatments for advanced exudative AMD or geographic atrophy. Initial attempts at macular reconstruction using cellular transplantation have not been effective in reversing vision loss. Herein we discuss the current status of surgical attempts to reconstruct damaged subretinal anatomy in advanced AMD. We reinforce the concept of maculoplasty for advanced AMD, which is defined as reconstruction of macular anatomy in patients with advanced vision loss. Successful maculoplasty is a three-step process that includes replacing or repairing damaged cells (using transplantation, translocation or stimulation of autologous cell proliferation); immune suppression (if allografts are used to replace damaged cells); and reconstruction or replacement of Bruch's membrane (to restore the integrity of the substrate for proper cell attachment). In the current article we will review the rationale for maculoplasty in advanced AMD, and discuss the results of initial clinical attempts at macular reconstruction. We will then discuss the role of Bruch's membrane damage in limiting transplant survival and visual recovery, and discuss the effects of age-related changes within human Bruch's membrane on the initial attachment and subsequent proliferation of transplanted cells. We will discuss attempts to repair Bruch's membrane by coating with extracellular matrix ligands, anatomic reconstitution of the inner collagen layer, and the effects of Bruch's membrane reconstruction of ultrastuctural anatomy and subsequent cell behavior. Lastly, we will emphasize the importance of continued efforts required for successful maculoplasty.

Combination of Light and Melatonin Time Cues for Phase Advancing the Human Circadian Clock

PubMed Central

Burke, Tina M.; Markwald, Rachel R.; Chinoy, Evan D.; Snider, Jesse A.; Bessman, Sara C.; Jung, Christopher M.; Wright, Kenneth P.

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: Photic and non-photic stimuli have been shown to shift the phase of the human circadian clock. We examined how photic and non-photic time cues may be combined by the human circadian system by assessing the phase advancing effects of one evening dose of exogenous melatonin, alone and in combination with one session of morning bright light exposure. Design: Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind circadian protocol. The effects of four conditions, dim light (∼1.9 lux, ∼0.6 Watts/m2)-placebo, dim light-melatonin (5 mg), bright light (∼3000 lux, ∼7 Watts/m2)-placebo, and bright light-melatonin on circadian phase was assessed by the change in the salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) prior to and following treatment under constant routine conditions. Melatonin or placebo was administered 5.75 h prior to habitual bedtime and 3 h of bright light exposure started 1 h prior to habitual wake time. Setting: Sleep and chronobiology laboratory environment free of time cues. Participants: Thirty-six healthy participants (18 females) aged 22 ± 4 y (mean ± SD). Results: Morning bright light combined with early evening exogenous melatonin induced a greater phase advance of the DLMO than either treatment alone. Bright light alone and melatonin alone induced similar phase advances. Conclusion: Information from light and melatonin appear to be combined by the human circadian clock. The ability to combine circadian time cues has important implications for understanding fundamental physiological principles of the human circadian timing system. Knowledge of such principles is important for designing effective countermeasures for phase-shifting the human circadian clock to adapt to jet lag, shift work, and for designing effective treatments for circadian sleep-wakefulness disorders. Citation: Burke TM; Markwald RR; Chinoy ED; Snider JA; Bessman SC; Jung CM; Wright Jr KP. Combination of light and melatonin time cues for phase advancing the human circadian

Toward a psychology of human-animal relations.

PubMed

Amiot, Catherine E; Bastian, Brock

2015-01-01

Nonhuman animals are ubiquitous to human life, and permeate a diversity of social contexts by providing humans with food and clothing, serving as participants in research, improving healing, and offering entertainment, leisure, and companionship. Despite the impact that animals have on human lives and vice versa, the field of psychology has barely touched upon the topic of human-animal relations as an important domain of human activity. We review the current state of research on human-animal relations, showing how this body of work has implications for a diverse range of psychological themes including evolutionary processes, development, normative factors, gender and individual differences, health and therapy, and intergroup relations. Our aim is to highlight human-animal relations as a domain of human life that merits theoretical and empirical attention from psychology as a discipline. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Challenges and advances in mouse modeling for human pancreatic tumorigenesis and metastasis

PubMed Central

Qiu, Wanglong

2013-01-01

Pancreatic cancer is critical for developed countries, where its rate of diagnosis has been increasing steadily annually. In the past decade, the advances of pancreatic cancer research have not contributed to the decline in mortality rates from pancreatic cancer—the overall 5-year survival rate remains about 5% low. This number only underscores an obvious urgency for us to better understand the biological features of pancreatic carcinogenesis, to develop early detection methods, and to improve novel therapeutic treatments. To achieve these goals, animal modeling that faithfully recapitulates the whole process of human pancreatic cancer is central to making the advancements. In this review, we summarize the currently available animal models for pancreatic cancer and the advances in pancreatic cancer animal modeling. We compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of three major categories of these models: (1) carcinogen-induced; (2) xenograft and allograft; and (3) genetically engineered mouse models. We focus more on the genetically engineered mouse models, a category which has been rapidly expanded recently for their capacities to mimic human pancreatic cancer and metastasis, and highlight the combinations of these models with various newly developed strategies and cell-lineage labeling systems. PMID:23114842

Relational and Transcendental Humanism: Exploring the Consequences of a Thoroughly Pragmatic Humanism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, James T.

2007-01-01

The relational and transcendental elements of humanism are considered. Although the relational component of humanism is extraordinarily valuable, the author argues that the transcendental portion of humanism should be abandoned. The implications of a thoroughly pragmatic humanism are explored.

Advances in Residential Design Related to the Influence of Geomagnetism.

PubMed

Glaria, Francisco; Arnedo, Israel; Sánchez-Ostiz, Ana

2018-02-23

Since the origin of the Modern Movement, there has been a basic commitment to improving housing conditions and the well-being of occupants, especially given the prediction that 2/3 of humanity will reside in cities by 2050. Moreover, a compact model of the city with tall buildings and urban densification at this scale will be generated. Continuous constructive and technological advances have developed solid foundations on safety, energy efficiency, habitability, and sustainability in housing design. However, studies on improving the quality of life in these areas continue to be a challenge for architects and engineers. This paper seeks to contribute health-related information to the study of residential design, specifically the influence of the geomagnetic field on its occupants. After compiling information on the effects of geomagnetic fields from different medical studies over 23 years, a case study of a 16-story high-rise building is presented, with the goal of proposing architectural design recommendations for long-term occupation in the same place. The purpose of the present work is three-fold: first, to characterize the geomagnetic field variability of buildings; second, to identify the causes and possible related mechanisms; and third, to define architectural criteria on the arrangement of uses and constructive elements for housing.

Advances in Residential Design Related to the Influence of Geomagnetism

PubMed Central

Arnedo, Israel; Sánchez-Ostiz, Ana

2018-01-01

Since the origin of the Modern Movement, there has been a basic commitment to improving housing conditions and the well-being of occupants, especially given the prediction that 2/3 of humanity will reside in cities by 2050. Moreover, a compact model of the city with tall buildings and urban densification at this scale will be generated. Continuous constructive and technological advances have developed solid foundations on safety, energy efficiency, habitability, and sustainability in housing design. However, studies on improving the quality of life in these areas continue to be a challenge for architects and engineers. This paper seeks to contribute health-related information to the study of residential design, specifically the influence of the geomagnetic field on its occupants. After compiling information on the effects of geomagnetic fields from different medical studies over 23 years, a case study of a 16-story high-rise building is presented, with the goal of proposing architectural design recommendations for long-term occupation in the same place. The purpose of the present work is three-fold: first, to characterize the geomagnetic field variability of buildings; second, to identify the causes and possible related mechanisms; and third, to define architectural criteria on the arrangement of uses and constructive elements for housing. PMID:29473902

Advances in the surface modification techniques of bone-related implants for last 10 years

PubMed Central

Qiu, Zhi-Ye; Chen, Cen; Wang, Xiu-Mei; Lee, In-Seop

2014-01-01

At the time of implanting bone-related implants into human body, a variety of biological responses to the material surface occur with respect to surface chemistry and physical state. The commonly used biomaterials (e.g. titanium and its alloy, Co–Cr alloy, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and various calcium phosphates) have many drawbacks such as lack of biocompatibility and improper mechanical properties. As surface modification is very promising technology to overcome such problems, a variety of surface modification techniques have been being investigated. This review paper covers recent advances in surface modification techniques of bone-related materials including physicochemical coating, radiation grafting, plasma surface engineering, ion beam processing and surface patterning techniques. The contents are organized with different types of techniques to applicable materials, and typical examples are also described. PMID:26816626

Advancing the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV: a review of UN, regional and national human rights norms and standards

PubMed Central

Khosla, Rajat; Van Belle, Nuna; Temmerman, Marleen

2015-01-01

regarding the human rights of women living with HIV in relation to SRH. Conclusions A systematic approach to health and human rights considerations related to women living with HIV and SRH by international, regional and national bodies is needed to advance the agenda and ensure that policies and programmes related to SRH systematically take into account the health and human rights of women living with HIV. PMID:26643455

Advancing the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV: a review of UN, regional and national human rights norms and standards.

PubMed

Khosla, Rajat; Van Belle, Nuna; Temmerman, Marleen

2015-01-01

HIV in relation to SRH. A systematic approach to health and human rights considerations related to women living with HIV and SRH by international, regional and national bodies is needed to advance the agenda and ensure that policies and programmes related to SRH systematically take into account the health and human rights of women living with HIV.

Advancements in remote physiological measurement and applications in human-computer interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDuff, Daniel

2017-04-01

Physiological signals are important for tracking health and emotional states. Imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) is a set of techniques for remotely recovering cardio-pulmonary signals from video of the human body. Advances in iPPG methods over the past decade combined with the ubiquity of digital cameras presents the possibility for many new, lowcost applications of physiological monitoring. This talk will highlight methods for recovering physiological signals, work characterizing the impact of video parameters and hardware on these measurements, and applications of this technology in human-computer interfaces.

Beyond aerodigestion: Exaptation of feeding-related mouth movements for social communication in human and nonhuman primates.

PubMed

Murray, Lynne; Sclafani, Valentina; Rayson, Holly; De Pascalis, Leonardo; Bozicevic, Laura; Ferrari, Pier Francesco

2017-01-01

Three arguments are advanced from human and nonhuman primate infancy research for the exaptation of ingestive mouth movements (tongue protrusion and lip smacking) for the purposes of social communication: their relation to affiliative behaviours, their sensitivity to social context, and their role in social development. Although these behaviours may have an aerodigestive function, such an account of their occurrence is only partial.

Advances in diffusion MRI acquisition and processing in the Human Connectome Project

PubMed Central

Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N; Jbabdi, Saad; Xu, Junqian; Andersson, Jesper L; Moeller, Steen; Auerbach, Edward J; Glasser, Matthew F; Hernandez, Moises; Sapiro, Guillermo; Jenkinson, Mark; Feinberg, David A; Yacoub, Essa; Lenglet, Christophe; Ven Essen, David C; Ugurbil, Kamil; Behrens, Timothy EJ

2013-01-01

The Human Connectome Project (HCP) is a collaborative 5-year effort to map human brain connections and their variability in healthy adults. A consortium of HCP investigators will study a population of 1200 healthy adults using multiple imaging modalities, along with extensive behavioral and genetic data. In this overview, we focus on diffusion MRI (dMRI) and the structural connectivity aspect of the project. We present recent advances in acquisition and processing that allow us to obtain very high-quality in-vivo MRI data, while enabling scanning of a very large number of subjects. These advances result from 2 years of intensive efforts in optimising many aspects of data acquisition and processing during the piloting phase of the project. The data quality and methods described here are representative of the datasets and processing pipelines that will be made freely available to the community at quarterly intervals, beginning in 2013. PMID:23702418

Advanced simulation technology used to reduce accident rates through a better understanding of human behaviors and human perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manser, Michael P.; Hancock, Peter A.

1996-06-01

Human beings and technology have attained a mutually dependent and symbiotic relationship. It is easy to recognize how each depends on the other for survival. It is also easy to see how technology advances due to human activities. However, the role technology plays in advancing humankind is seldom examined. This presentation examines two research areas where the role of advanced visual simulation systems play an integral and essential role in understanding human perception and behavior. The ultimate goal of this research is the betterment of humankind through reduced accident and death rates in transportation environments. The first research area examined involved the estimation of time-to-contact. A high-fidelity wrap-around simulator (RAS) was used to examine people's ability to estimate time-to- contact. The ability of people to estimate the amount of time before an oncoming vehicle will collide with them is a necessary skill for avoiding collisions. A vehicle approached participants at one of three velocities, and while en route to the participant, the vehicle disappeared. The participants' task was to respond when they felt the accuracy of time-to-contact estimates and the practical applications of the result. The second area of research investigates the effects of various visual stimuli on underground transportation tunnel walls for the perception of vehicle speed. A RAS is paramount in creating visual patterns in peripheral vision. Flat-screen or front-screen simulators do not have this ability. Results are discussed in terms of speed perception and the application of these results to real world environments.

Advanced MR Imaging of the Human Nucleus Accumbens--Additional Guiding Tool for Deep Brain Stimulation.

PubMed

Lucas-Neto, Lia; Reimão, Sofia; Oliveira, Edson; Rainha-Campos, Alexandre; Sousa, João; Nunes, Rita G; Gonçalves-Ferreira, António; Campos, Jorge G

2015-07-01

The human nucleus accumbens (Acc) has become a target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in some neuropsychiatric disorders. Nonetheless, even with the most recent advances in neuroimaging it remains difficult to accurately delineate the Acc and closely related subcortical structures, by conventional MRI sequences. It is our purpose to perform a MRI study of the human Acc and to determine whether there are reliable anatomical landmarks that enable the precise location and identification of the nucleus and its core/shell division. For the Acc identification and delineation, based on anatomical landmarks, T1WI, T1IR and STIR 3T-MR images were acquired in 10 healthy volunteers. Additionally, 32-direction DTI was obtained for Acc segmentation. Seed masks for the Acc were generated with FreeSurfer and probabilistic tractography was performed using FSL. The probability of connectivity between the seed voxels and distinct brain areas was determined and subjected to k-means clustering analysis, defining 2 different regions. With conventional T1WI, the Acc borders are better defined through its surrounding anatomical structures. The DTI color-coded vector maps and IR sequences add further detail in the Acc identification and delineation. Additionally, using probabilistic tractography it is possible to segment the Acc into a core and shell division and establish its structural connectivity with different brain areas. Advanced MRI techniques allow in vivo delineation and segmentation of the human Acc and represent an additional guiding tool in the precise and safe target definition for DBS. © 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

Risk assessment model for development of advanced age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Klein, Michael L; Francis, Peter J; Ferris, Frederick L; Hamon, Sara C; Clemons, Traci E

2011-12-01

To design a risk assessment model for development of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) incorporating phenotypic, demographic, environmental, and genetic risk factors. We evaluated longitudinal data from 2846 participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. At baseline, these individuals had all levels of AMD, ranging from none to unilateral advanced AMD (neovascular or geographic atrophy). Follow-up averaged 9.3 years. We performed a Cox proportional hazards analysis with demographic, environmental, phenotypic, and genetic covariates and constructed a risk assessment model for development of advanced AMD. Performance of the model was evaluated using the C statistic and the Brier score and externally validated in participants in the Complications of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial. The final model included the following independent variables: age, smoking history, family history of AMD (first-degree member), phenotype based on a modified Age-Related Eye Disease Study simple scale score, and genetic variants CFH Y402H and ARMS2 A69S. The model did well on performance measures, with very good discrimination (C statistic = 0.872) and excellent calibration and overall performance (Brier score at 5 years = 0.08). Successful external validation was performed, and a risk assessment tool was designed for use with or without the genetic component. We constructed a risk assessment model for development of advanced AMD. The model performed well on measures of discrimination, calibration, and overall performance and was successfully externally validated. This risk assessment tool is available for online use.

On recent advances in human engineering Provocative trends in embryology, genetics, and regenerative medicine.

PubMed

Anton, Roman

2016-01-01

Advances in embryology, genetics, and regenerative medicine regularly attract attention from scientists, scholars, journalists, and policymakers, yet implications of these advances may be broader than commonly supposed. Laboratories culturing human embryos, editing human genes, and creating human-animal chimeras have been working along lines that are now becoming intertwined. Embryogenic methods are weaving traditional in vivo and in vitro distinctions into a new "in vivitro" (in life in glass) fabric. These and other methods known to be in use or thought to be in development promise soon to bring society to startling choices and discomfiting predicaments, all in a global effort to supply reliably rejuvenating stem cells, to grow immunologically non-provocative replacement organs, and to prevent, treat, cure, or even someday eradicate diseases having genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. With humanity's human-engineering era now begun, procedural prohibitions, funding restrictions, institutional controls, and transparency rules are proving ineffective, and business incentives are migrating into the most basic life-sciences inquiries, wherein lie huge biomedical potentials and bioethical risks. Rights, health, and heritage are coming into play with bioethical presumptions and formal protections urgently needing reassessment.

Age- and Activity-Related Differences in the Abundance of Myosin Essential and Regulatory Light Chains in Human Muscle

PubMed Central

Cobley, James N.; Ab. Malik, Zulezwan; Morton, James P.; Close, Graeme L.; Edwards, Ben J.; Burniston, Jatin G.

2016-01-01

Traditional methods for phenotyping skeletal muscle (e.g., immunohistochemistry) are labor-intensive and ill-suited to multixplex analysis, i.e., assays must be performed in a series. Addressing these concerns represents a largely unmet research need but more comprehensive parallel analysis of myofibrillar proteins could advance knowledge regarding age- and activity-dependent changes in human muscle. We report a label-free, semi-automated and time efficient LC-MS proteomic workflow for phenotyping the myofibrillar proteome. Application of this workflow in old and young as well as trained and untrained human skeletal muscle yielded several novel observations that were subsequently verified by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). We report novel data demonstrating that human ageing is associated with lesser myosin light chain 1 content and greater myosin light chain 3 content, consistent with an age-related reduction in type II muscle fibers. We also disambiguate conflicting data regarding myosin regulatory light chain, revealing that age-related changes in this protein more closely reflect physical activity status than ageing per se. This finding reinforces the need to control for physical activity levels when investigating the natural process of ageing. Taken together, our data confirm and extend knowledge regarding age- and activity-related phenotypes. In addition, the MRM transitions described here provide a methodological platform that can be fine-tuned to suite multiple research needs and thus advance myofibrillar phenotyping. PMID:28248225

Recent advances in research on climate and human conflict

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsiang, S. M.

2014-12-01

A rapidly growing body of empirical, quantitative research examines whether rates of human conflict can be systematically altered by climatic changes. We discuss recent advances in this field, including Bayesian meta-analyses of the effect of temperature and rainfall on current and future large-scale conflicts, the impact of climate variables on gang violence and suicides in Mexico, and probabilistic projections of personal violence and property crime in the United States under RCP scenarios. Criticisms of this research field will also be explained and addressed.

Installation of Computerized Procedure System and Advanced Alarm System in the Human Systems Simulation Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Le Blanc, Katya Lee; Spielman, Zachary Alexander; Rice, Brandon Charles

2016-04-01

This report describes the installation of two advanced control room technologies, an advanced alarm system and a computerized procedure system, into the Human Systems Simulation Laboratory (HSSL). Installation of these technologies enables future phases of this research by providing a platform to systematically evaluate the effect of these technologies on operator and plant performance.

Workshop on Critical Issues in Microgravity Fluids, Transport, and Reaction Processes in Advanced Human Support Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiaramonte, Francis P.; Joshi, Jitendra A.

2004-01-01

This workshop was designed to bring the experts from the Advanced Human Support Technologies communities together to identify the most pressing and fruitful areas of research where success hinges on collaborative research between the two communities. Thus an effort was made to bring together experts in both advanced human support technologies and microgravity fluids, transport and reaction processes. Expertise was drawn from academia, national laboratories, and the federal government. The intent was to bring about a thorough exchange of ideas and develop recommendations to address the significant open design and operation issues for human support systems that are affected by fluid physics, transport and reaction processes. This report provides a summary of key discussions, findings, and recommendations.

Combination of light and melatonin time cues for phase advancing the human circadian clock.

PubMed

Burke, Tina M; Markwald, Rachel R; Chinoy, Evan D; Snider, Jesse A; Bessman, Sara C; Jung, Christopher M; Wright, Kenneth P

2013-11-01

Photic and non-photic stimuli have been shown to shift the phase of the human circadian clock. We examined how photic and non-photic time cues may be combined by the human circadian system by assessing the phase advancing effects of one evening dose of exogenous melatonin, alone and in combination with one session of morning bright light exposure. Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind circadian protocol. The effects of four conditions, dim light (∼1.9 lux, ∼0.6 Watts/m(2))-placebo, dim light-melatonin (5 mg), bright light (∼3000 lux, ∼7 Watts/m(2))-placebo, and bright light-melatonin on circadian phase was assessed by the change in the salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) prior to and following treatment under constant routine conditions. Melatonin or placebo was administered 5.75 h prior to habitual bedtime and 3 h of bright light exposure started 1 h prior to habitual wake time. Sleep and chronobiology laboratory environment free of time cues. Thirty-six healthy participants (18 females) aged 22 ± 4 y (mean ± SD). Morning bright light combined with early evening exogenous melatonin induced a greater phase advance of the DLMO than either treatment alone. Bright light alone and melatonin alone induced similar phase advances. Information from light and melatonin appear to be combined by the human circadian clock. The ability to combine circadian time cues has important implications for understanding fundamental physiological principles of the human circadian timing system. Knowledge of such principles is important for designing effective countermeasures for phase-shifting the human circadian clock to adapt to jet lag, shift work, and for designing effective treatments for circadian sleep-wakefulness disorders.

Human Milk Macronutrients Content: Effect of Advanced Maternal Age.

PubMed

Lubetzky, Ronit; Sever, Orna; Mimouni, Francis B; Mandel, Dror

2015-11-01

Little is known about the effect of advanced maternal age upon macronutrients of human milk. This study was designed to study contents of macronutrients (fat, lactose, and protein) in human milk collected in the first 2 weeks of life in older (≥35 years) compared with younger (<35 years) mothers. Seventy-two lactating mothers (38 older, 34 younger) of newborns were recruited within the first 3 days of delivery. Macronutrient contents were measured at 72 hours, 7 days, and 14 days after delivery using infrared transmission spectroscopy. The groups did not differ in terms of maternal prepregnancy weight, height, and diet or infant birth weight or gestational age. They differed significantly in terms of maternal age and maternal weight after pregnancy. Fat content in colostrum and carbohydrate content in mature milk were significantly higher in the older mothers group. Moreover, carbohydrates in mature milk correlated positively with maternal age. Fat content at an infant age of 7 days and 2 weeks was not affected by maternal age. There was no significant relationship between maternal body weight for height (or body mass index) and energy, protein, fat or lactose content at any stage. Fat content of colostrum and carbohydrate content of mature milk obtained from mothers with advanced age are elevated compared with those of younger mothers. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between maternal age and carbohydrate content in mature milk. The biological significance of our findings is yet to be determined.

Human Relations Class. A Syllabus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillen, Mary A.

A junior high level human relations class develops human interaction and oral communication skills. A week-by-week syllabus contains the following components: introduction of the students to each other and to the principles of body language, transactional analysis, and group interaction; behavior contracts; group dynamics topics and exercises;…

Recent advances in our understanding of human host responses to tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Schluger, Neil W

2001-01-01

Tuberculosis remains one of the world's greatest public health challenges: 2 billion persons have latent infection, 8 million people develop active tuberculosis annually, and 2–3 million die. Recently, significant advances in our understanding of the human immune response against tuberculosis have occurred. The present review focuses on recent work in macrophage and T-cell biology that sheds light on the human immune response to tuberculosis. The role of key cytokines such as interferon-γ is discussed, as is the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in immune regulation in tuberculosis, particularly with regard to implications for vaccine development and evaluation. PMID:11686880

The relatives' perspective on advanced cancer care in Denmark. A cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Johnsen, Anna T; Ross, Lone; Petersen, Morten A; Lund, Line; Groenvold, Mogens

2012-12-01

In order to improve advanced cancer care, evaluations are necessary. An important element of such evaluations is the perspective of the patient's relatives who have the role of being caregivers as well as co-users of the health care system. The aims were to investigate the scale structure of the FAMCARE scale, to investigate satisfaction with advanced cancer care from the perspective of the relatives of a representative sample of advanced cancer patients, and to investigate whether some sub-groups of relatives were more dissatisfied than others. From 977 patients treated at 54 different Danish hospital departments, 569 patients provided us with the name and address of their relative. Of these, 544 received the FAMCARE scale that measures the families' satisfaction with advanced cancer care. For the four FAMCARE sub-scales, internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha; convergent and discriminant validity was analyzed using multitrait-scaling analysis. Associations between the relatives' dissatisfaction and clinical and sociodemographic variables were investigated in explorative analyses using multiple logistic regressions. Of the relatives receiving the questionnaire, 467 (86%) responded. The original scale structure of FAMCARE could not be supported in the present sample, and therefore, results are reported at singe-item level. The proportion of dissatisfied relatives ranged from 5% to 28% (median 13%). Highest levels of dissatisfaction were found for time taken to make a diagnosis (28%) and the speed with which symptoms were treated (25%). Younger relatives were more dissatisfied than older relatives. Other sociodemographic and clinical variables had little impact on the relatives' levels of satisfaction. The relatives' level of dissatisfaction with some of the areas included in this survey needs to be taken seriously. Younger relatives were most dissatisfied.

Age-related differences in human skin proteoglycans.

PubMed

Carrino, David A; Calabro, Anthony; Darr, Aniq B; Dours-Zimmermann, Maria T; Sandy, John D; Zimmermann, Dieter R; Sorrell, J Michael; Hascall, Vincent C; Caplan, Arnold I

2011-02-01

Previous work has shown that versican, decorin and a catabolic fragment of decorin, termed decorunt, are the most abundant proteoglycans in human skin. Further analysis of versican indicates that four major core protein species are present in human skin at all ages examined from fetal to adult. Two of these are identified as the V0 and V1 isoforms, with the latter predominating. The other two species are catabolic fragments of V0 and V1, which have the amino acid sequence DPEAAE as their carboxyl terminus. Although the core proteins of human skin versican show no major age-related differences, the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of adult skin versican are smaller in size and show differences in their sulfation pattern relative to those in fetal skin versican. In contrast to human skin versican, human skin decorin shows minimal age-related differences in its sulfation pattern, although, like versican, the GAGs of adult skin decorin are smaller than those of fetal skin decorin. Analysis of the catabolic fragments of decorin from adult skin reveals the presence of other fragments in addition to decorunt, although the core proteins of these additional decorin catabolic fragments have not been identified. Thus, versican and decorin of human skin show age-related differences, versican primarily in the size and the sulfation pattern of its GAGs and decorin in the size of its GAGs. The catabolic fragments of versican are detected at all ages examined, but appear to be in lower abundance in adult skin compared with fetal skin. In contrast, the catabolic fragments of decorin are present in adult skin, but are virtually absent from fetal skin. Taken together, these data suggest that there are age-related differences in the catabolism of proteoglycans in human skin. These age-related differences in proteoglycan patterns and catabolism may play a role in the age-related changes in the physical properties and injury response of human skin.

Perspectives on the Development and Future of Advanced Placement® Human Geography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrant, Barbara

2016-01-01

Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography faced a number of hurdles that nearly derailed the course before it launched in 2000-2001. A dedicated cadre of geography professionals and high school teachers rose to the challenge and the course remains one of the fastest growing AP courses currently offered by College Board. Seventeen readers and leaders…

Controlled Human Malaria Infection: Applications, Advances, and Challenges.

PubMed

Stanisic, Danielle I; McCarthy, James S; Good, Michael F

2018-01-01

Controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) entails deliberate infection with malaria parasites either by mosquito bite or by direct injection of sporozoites or parasitized erythrocytes. When required, the resulting blood-stage infection is curtailed by the administration of antimalarial drugs. Inducing a malaria infection via inoculation with infected blood was first used as a treatment (malariotherapy) for neurosyphilis in Europe and the United States in the early 1900s. More recently, CHMI has been applied to the fields of malaria vaccine and drug development, where it is used to evaluate products in well-controlled early-phase proof-of-concept clinical studies, thus facilitating progression of only the most promising candidates for further evaluation in areas where malaria is endemic. Controlled infections have also been used to immunize against malaria infection. Historically, CHMI studies have been restricted by the need for access to insectaries housing infected mosquitoes or suitable malaria-infected individuals. Evaluation of vaccine and drug candidates has been constrained in these studies by the availability of a limited number of Plasmodium falciparum isolates. Recent advances have included cryopreservation of sporozoites, the manufacture of well-characterized and genetically distinct cultured malaria cell banks for blood-stage infection, and the availability of Plasmodium vivax -specific reagents. These advances will help to accelerate malaria vaccine and drug development by making the reagents for CHMI more widely accessible and also enabling a more rigorous evaluation with multiple parasite strains and species. Here we discuss the different applications of CHMI, recent advances in the use of CHMI, and ongoing challenges for consideration. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Human-monoclonal-antibody therapy protects nonhuman primates against advanced Lassa fever.

PubMed

Mire, Chad E; Cross, Robert W; Geisbert, Joan B; Borisevich, Viktoriya; Agans, Krystle N; Deer, Daniel J; Heinrich, Megan L; Rowland, Megan M; Goba, Augustine; Momoh, Mambu; Boisen, Mathew L; Grant, Donald S; Fullah, Mohamed; Khan, Sheik Humarr; Fenton, Karla A; Robinson, James E; Branco, Luis M; Garry, Robert F; Geisbert, Thomas W

2017-10-01

There are no approved treatments for Lassa fever, which is endemic to the same regions of West Africa that were recently devastated by Ebola. Here we show that a combination of human monoclonal antibodies that cross-react with the glycoproteins of all four clades of Lassa virus is able to rescue 100% of cynomolgus macaques when treatment is initiated at advanced stages of disease, including up to 8 d after challenge.

Paclitaxel is safe and effective in the treatment of advanced AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.

PubMed

Gill, P S; Tulpule, A; Espina, B M; Cabriales, S; Bresnahan, J; Ilaw, M; Louie, S; Gustafson, N F; Brown, M A; Orcutt, C; Winograd, B; Scadden, D T

1999-06-01

Liposomal anthracyclines are the present standard treatment for advanced AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). No effective therapies have been defined for use after treatment failure of these agents. A phase II trial was thus conducted with paclitaxel in patients with advanced KS to assess safety and antitumor activity. A regimen of paclitaxel at a dose of 100 mg/m(2) was given every 2 weeks to patients with advanced AIDS-related KS. Patients were treated until complete remission, disease progression, or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Fifty-six patients with advanced AIDS-related KS were accrued. Tumor-associated edema was present in 70% of patients and visceral involvement in 45%. Forty patients (71%) had received prior systemic therapy; 31 of these were resistant to an anthracycline. The median entry CD4(+) lymphocyte count was 20 cells/mm(3) (range, 0 to 358). A median of 10 cycles (range, 1 to 54+) of paclitaxel was administered. Fifty-nine percent of patients showed complete (n = 1) or partial response (n = 32) to paclitaxel. The median duration of response was 10.4 months (range, 2.8 to 26.7+ months) and the median survival was 15.4 months. The main side effects of therapy were grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in 61% of patients and mild-to-moderate alopecia in 87%. Paclitaxel at 100 mg/m(2) given every 2 weeks is active and well tolerated in the treatment of advanced and previously treated AIDS-related KS. The median duration of response is among the longest observed for any regimen or single agent reported for AIDS-related KS. Paclitaxel at this dosage and schedule is a treatment option for patients with advanced AIDS-related KS, including those who have experienced treatment failure of prior systemic therapy.

Advancing palliative care as a human right.

PubMed

Gwyther, Liz; Brennan, Frank; Harding, Richard

2009-11-01

a matter of priority, [these] obligations." This article describes recent advocacy activities and explores practical strategies for the palliative care community to use within a human rights framework to advance palliative care development worldwide.

Relational Human Ecology: Reconciling the Boundaries of Humans and Nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNiel, J.; Lopes, V. L.

2010-12-01

Global change is transforming the planet at unprecedented rates. Global warming, massive species extinction, increasing land degradation, overpopulation, poverty and injustice, are all the result of human choices and non-sustainable ways of life. What do we have to do and how much do we have to change to allow a transition to a more ecologically-conscious and just society? While these questions are of central concern, they cannot be fully addressed under the current paradigm, which hinders both our collection of knowledge and derivation of solutions. This paper attempts to develop a new variant of ecological thinking based on a relational ontological/epistemological approach. This is offered as a foundation for the political initiative to strive for a more fulfilling, sustainable and just society. This new approach, theoretically conceptualized as ‘relational human ecology,’ offers a relational (holistic) framework for overcoming mechanistic thinking and exploring questions regarding the long-term attainment of sustainability. Once established, we illustrate how the relational framework offers a new holistic approach centered on participatory inquiry within the context of a community workshop. We conclude with discussing possible directions for future relational human ecological participatory research, conducted from the intersection of myriad participants (i.e. agencies, academics, and community residents), and the ways in which this will allow for the derivation of accurate and sustainable solutions for global change. Key words: relational thinking, human ecology, complex adaptive systems, participatory inquiry, sustainability Vicente L. Lopes (corresponding author) Department of Biology Texas State University San Marcos, TX, USA e-mail: vlopes@txstate.edu Jamie N. McNiel Department of Sociology Texas State University San Marcos, TX, USATable 2 - Comparing Orthodox versus Relational Approaches to Ecological Inquiry * Retroduction, logical reasoning that

Advancing age is associated with gene expression changes resembling mTOR inhibition: evidence from two human populations.

PubMed

Harries, Lorna W; Fellows, Alexander D; Pilling, Luke C; Hernandez, Dena; Singleton, Andrew; Bandinelli, Stefania; Guralnik, Jack; Powell, Jonathan; Ferrucci, Luigi; Melzer, David

2012-08-01

Interventions which inhibit TOR activity (including rapamycin and caloric restriction) lead to downstream gene expression changes and increased lifespan in laboratory models. However, the role of mTOR signaling in human aging is unclear. We tested the expression of mTOR-related transcripts in two independent study cohorts; the InCHIANTI population study of aging and the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS). Expression of 27/56 (InCHIANTI) and 19/44 (SAFHS) genes were associated with age after correction for multiple testing. 8 genes were robustly associated with age in both cohorts. Genes involved in insulin signaling (PTEN, PI3K, PDK1), ribosomal biogenesis (S6K), lipid metabolism (SREBF1), cellular apoptosis (SGK1), angiogenesis (VEGFB), insulin production and sensitivity (FOXO), cellular stress response (HIF1A) and cytoskeletal remodeling (PKC) were inversely correlated with age, whereas genes relating to inhibition of ribosomal components (4EBP1) and inflammatory mediators (STAT3) were positively associated with age in one or both datasets. We conclude that the expression of mTOR-related transcripts is associated with advancing age in humans. Changes seen are broadly similar to mTOR inhibition interventions associated with increased lifespan in animals. Work is needed to establish whether these changes are predictive of human longevity and whether further mTOR inhibition would be beneficial in older people. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 1355.54 - Submittal of advance planning documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Submittal of advance planning documents. 1355.54 Section 1355.54 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN... § 1355.54 Submittal of advance planning documents. The State title IV-E agency must submit an APD for a...

Pharmacists' self-perceptions in relation to the 'Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework'.

PubMed

Ali, A S; Fejzic, J; Grant, G D; Nissen, L M

2016-01-01

The Australian Pharmacy Practice Framework was developed by the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Steering Committee and endorsed by the Pharmacy Board of Australia in October 2012. The Steering Committee conducted a study that found practice portfolios to be the preferred method to assess and credential Advanced Pharmacy Practitioner, which is currently being piloted by the Australian Pharmacy Council. Credentialing is predicted to open to all pharmacists practising in Australia by November 2015. To explore how Australian pharmacists self-perceived being advanced in practice and how they related their level of practice to the Australian Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework. This was an explorative, cross-sectional study with mixed methods analysis. Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework, a review of the recent explorative study on Advanced Practice conducted by the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework Steering Committee and semi-structured interviews (n = 10) were utilized to create, refine and pilot the questionnaire. The questionnaire was advertised across pharmacy-organizational websites via a purposive sampling method. The target population were pharmacists currently registered in Australia. Seventy-two participants responded to the questionnaire. The participants were mostly female (56.9%) and in the 30-40 age group (26.4%). The pharmacists self-perceived their levels of practice as either entry, transition, consolidation or advanced, with the majority selecting the consolidation level (38.9%). Although nearly half (43.1%) of the participants had not seen the Framework beforehand, they defined Advanced Pharmacy Practice similarly to the definition outlined in the Framework, but also added specialization as a requirement. Pharmacists explained why they were practising at their level of practice, stating that not having more years of practice, lacking experience, or postgraduate/post-registration qualifications, and more involvement and recognition in practice were the

Solving Relational Database Problems with ORDBMS in an Advanced Database Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ming

2011-01-01

This paper introduces how to use the object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) to solve relational database (RDB) problems in an advanced database course. The purpose of the paper is to provide a guideline for database instructors who desire to incorporate the ORDB technology in their traditional database courses. The paper presents…

Approximating a retarded-advanced differential equation that models human phonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodoro, M. Filomena

2017-11-01

In [1, 2, 3] we have got the numerical solution of a linear mixed type functional differential equation (MTFDE) introduced initially in [4], considering the autonomous and non-autonomous case by collocation, least squares and finite element methods considering B-splines basis set. The present work introduces a numerical scheme using least squares method (LSM) and Gaussian basis functions to solve numerically a nonlinear mixed type equation with symmetric delay and advance which models human phonation. The preliminary results are promising. We obtain an accuracy comparable with the previous results.

Recent advances in the use of ZFN-mediated gene editing for human gene therapy.

PubMed

Chandrasegaran, Srinivasan

2017-01-01

Targeted genome editing with programmable nucleases has revolutionized biomedical research. The ability to make site-specific modifications to the human genome, has invoked a paradigm shift in gene therapy. Using gene editing technologies, the sequence in the human genome can now be precisely engineered to achieve a therapeutic effect. Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) were the first programmable nucleases designed to target and cleave custom sites. This article summarizes the advances in the use of ZFN-mediated gene editing for human gene therapy and discusses the challenges associated with translating this gene editing technology into clinical use.

[Projective identification in human relations].

PubMed

Göka, Erol; Yüksel, Fatih Volkan; Göral, F Sevinç

2006-01-01

Melanie Klein, one of the pioneers of Object Relations Theory, first defined "projective identification", which is regarded as one of the most efficacious psychoanalytic concepts after the discovery of the "unconscious". Examination of the literature on "projective identification" shows that there are various perspectives and theories suggesting different uses of this concept. Some clinicians argue that projective identification is a primitive defense mechanism observed in severe psychopathologies like psychotic disorder and borderline personality disorder, where the intra-psychic structure has been damaged severely. Others suggest it to be an indispensable part of the transference and counter-transference between the therapist and the patient during psychotherapy and it can be used as a treatment material in the therapy by a skillful therapist. The latter group expands the use of the concept through normal daily relationships by stating that projective identification is one type of communication and part of the main human relation mechanism operating in all close relationships. Therefore, they suggest that projective identification has benign forms experienced in human relations as well as malign forms seen in psychopathologies. Thus, discussions about the definition of the concept appear complex. In order to clarify and overcome the complexity of the concept, Melanie Klein's and other most important subsequent approaches are discussed in this review article. Thereby, the article aims to explain its important function in understanding the psychopathologies, psychotherapeutic relationships and different areas of normal human relations.

Practical management of everolimus-related toxicities in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PubMed

Grünwald, Viktor; Weikert, Steffen; Pavel, Marianne E; Hörsch, Dieter; Lüftner, Diana; Janni, Wolfgang; Geberth, Matthias; Weber, Matthias M

2013-01-01

Everolimus is an orally administered inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), an intracellular protein kinase downstream of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway involved in key components of tumorigenesis, including cell growth, proliferation, and angiogenesis. In the advanced cancer setting, based on favorable results from phase III trials, everolimus is indicated for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, advanced neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin, and advanced hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer. Additional oncology indications for everolimus include renal angiomyolipoma with tuberous sclerosis complex and subependymal giant-cell astrocytoma. Although it is generally well tolerated, with most adverse events of mild to moderate severity and manageable, everolimus exhibits a distinct adverse event profile that warrants guidance for proper diagnostic and medical management. This guidance is particularly important given the potential for widespread long-term use of everolimus. This review will focus on the most relevant toxicities associated with mTOR inhibitors and on their management. Practical treatment recommendations are presented for stomatitis, noninfectious pneumonitis, rash, selected metabolic abnormalities, and infections. Provided these events are rapidly identified and treated, the vast majority should resolve with minimal effect on treatment outcomes and patients' quality of life. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Advanced Thermal Control Technologies for "CEV" (New Name: ORION)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golliher, Eric; Westheimer, David; Ewert, Michael; Hasan, Mojib; Anderson, Molly; Tuan, George; Beach, Duane

2007-01-01

NASA is currently investigating several technology options for advanced human spaceflight. This presentation covers some recent developments that relate to NASA's Orion spacecraft and future Lunar missions.

Comparing Relations of Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement among Struggling and Advanced Adolescent Readers

PubMed Central

Lutz Klauda, Susan; Guthrie, John T.

2014-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the development of reading motivation, engagement, and achievement in early adolescence by comparing interrelations of these variables in struggling and advanced readers. Participants were 183 pairs of seventh grade students matched in gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and school attended. They completed measures of reading motivations, engagement and comprehension for information text as well as measures of general reading comprehension and reading fluency twice during the school year. Advanced readers showed stronger relations of motivation and engagement with achievement than struggling readers. However, motivation predicted concurrent engagement and growth in engagement similarly for struggling and advanced readers. These results are interpreted as support for the hypothesis that cognitive challenges limit the relations of motivation and engagement to achievement for struggling readers. The discussion also considers the impact of the focus on the information text genre on the relations observed and implications of the findings for achievement motivation theories. PMID:25663747

Advanced Plasma Propulsion for Human Missions to Jupiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donahue, Benjamin B.; Pearson, J. Boise

1999-01-01

This paper will briefly identify a promising fusion plasma power source, which when coupled with a promising electric thruster technology would provide for an efficient interplanetary transfer craft suitable to a 4 year round trip mission to the Jovian system. An advanced, nearly radiation free Inertial Electrostatic Confinement scheme for containing fusion plasma was judged as offering potential for delivering the performance and operational benefits needed for such high energy human expedition missions, without requiring heavy superconducting magnets for containment of the fusion plasma. Once the Jovian transfer stage has matched the heliocentric velocity of Jupiter, the energy requirements for excursions to its outer satellites (Callisto, Ganymede and Europa) by smaller excursion craft are not prohibitive. The overall propulsion, power and thruster system is briefly described and a preliminary vehicle mass statement is presented.

Advances in electronic-nose technologies for the detection of volatile biomarker metabolites in the human breath

Treesearch

Alphus D. Wilson

2015-01-01

Recent advancements in the use of electronic-nose (e-nose) devices to analyze human breath profiles for the presence of specific volatile metabolites, known as biomarkers or chemical bio-indicators of specific human diseases, metabolic disorders and the overall health status of individuals, are providing the potential for new noninvasive tools and techniques useful to...

Advanced Heart Failure Therapies for Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiac Dysfunction.

PubMed

Bianco, Christopher M; Al-Kindi, Sadeer G; Oliveira, Guilherme H

2017-04-01

End-stage heart failure in cancer survivors may result from cardiotoxic chemotherapy and/or chest radiation and require advanced therapies, including left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and transplantation. Traditionally, such therapies have been underutilized in cancer survivors owing to lack of experience and perceived risk of cancer recurrence. Recent data from large registries, however, have shown excellent outcomes of LVADs and transplantation in cancer survivors, albeit subject to careful selection and special considerations. This article summarizes all aspects of advanced heart failure therapies in patients with cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction and underscores the need for careful selection of these candidates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Cells Display Reduced Apoptotic Function Relative to Chimpanzee Cells

PubMed Central

McDonald, John F.

2012-01-01

Previously published gene expression analyses suggested that apoptotic function may be reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees and led to the hypothesis that this difference may contribute to the relatively larger size of the human brain and the increased propensity of humans to develop cancer. In this study, we sought to further test the hypothesis that humans maintain a reduced apoptotic function relative to chimpanzees by conducting a series of apoptotic function assays on human, chimpanzee and macaque primary fibroblastic cells. Human cells consistently displayed significantly reduced apoptotic function relative to the chimpanzee and macaque cells. These results are consistent with earlier findings indicating that apoptotic function is reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees. PMID:23029431

Placing Advanced Placement® Human Geography: Its Role in U.S. Geography Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bednarz, Sarah Witham

2016-01-01

This article examines Advanced Placement Human Geography (AP HG) in the context of its place in efforts to reform geography education. It presents a critical analysis of the AP program and its curriculum, asserting that it represents "powerful knowledge" as conceptualized by Young. It concludes with a call for research in AP HG aligned…

Next Generation Respiratory Viral Vaccine System: Advanced and Emerging Bioengineered Human Lung Epithelia Model (HLEM) Organoid Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodwin, Thomas J.; Schneider, Sandra L.; MacIntosh, Victor; Gibbons, Thomas F.

2010-01-01

Acute respiratory infections, including pneumonia and influenza, are the S t" leading cause of United States and worldwide deaths. Newly emerging pathogens signaled the need for an advanced generation of vaccine technology.. Human bronchial-tracheal epithelial tissue was bioengineered to detect, identify, host and study the pathogenesis of acute respiratory viral disease. The 3-dimensional (3D) human lung epithelio-mesechymal tissue-like assemblies (HLEM TLAs) share characteristics with human respiratory epithelium: tight junctions, desmosomes, microvilli, functional markers villin, keratins and production of tissue mucin. Respiratory Syntial Virus (RSV) studies demonstrate viral growth kinetics and membrane bound glycoproteins up to day 20 post infection in the human lung-orgainoid infected cell system. Peak replication of RSV occurred on day 10 at 7 log10 particles forming units per ml/day. HLEM is an advanced virus vaccine model and biosentinel system for emergent viral infectious diseases to support DoD global surveillance and military readiness.

Experimental evidence of age-related adaptive changes in human acinar airways

PubMed Central

Quirk, James D.; Sukstanskii, Alexander L.; Woods, Jason C.; Lutey, Barbara A.; Conradi, Mark S.; Gierada, David S.; Yusen, Roger D.; Castro, Mario

2015-01-01

The progressive decline of lung function with aging is associated with changes in lung structure at all levels, from conducting airways to acinar airways (alveolar ducts and sacs). While information on conducting airways is becoming available from computed tomography, in vivo information on the acinar airways is not conventionally available, even though acini occupy 95% of lung volume and serve as major gas exchange units of the lung. The objectives of this study are to measure morphometric parameters of lung acinar airways in living adult humans over a broad range of ages by using an innovative MRI-based technique, in vivo lung morphometry with hyperpolarized 3He gas, and to determine the influence of age-related differences in acinar airway morphometry on lung function. Pulmonary function tests and MRI with hyperpolarized 3He gas were performed on 24 healthy nonsmokers aged 19-71 years. The most significant age-related difference across this population was a 27% loss of alveolar depth, h, leading to a 46% increased acinar airway lumen radius, hence, decreased resistance to acinar air transport. Importantly, the data show a negative correlation between h and the pulmonary function measures forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity. In vivo lung morphometry provides unique information on age-related changes in lung microstructure and their influence on lung function. We hypothesize that the observed reduction of alveolar depth in subjects with advanced aging represents a remodeling process that might be a compensatory mechanism, without which the pulmonary functional decline due to other biological factors with advancing age would be significantly larger. PMID:26542518

Advances in human chorionic gonadotropin detection technologies: a review.

PubMed

Fan, Jing; Wang, Mandy; Wang, Chengyin; Cao, Yu

2017-10-01

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a glycoprotein secreted by placental trophoblast cells in pregnancy. HCG is a heterodimer composed of two different α- and β-subunits, with the latter being unique to HCG. As well as being the most important diagnostic markers for pregnancy, HCG is also a tumor marker, therefore, quantitative detection of HCG is of great value. Numerous advanced technologies have been developed for HCG concentration detection including electrochemical immunoassay, chemiluminescent immunoassay, fluorescence immunoassay, resonance scattering spectrometry, atomic emission spectrometry, radioimmunoassay, MS and so on. Some have pursued simple and easy operation, while others have emphasized on accuracy and applications in clinical medicine. This review provides a comprehensive summary of various methods of detecting HCG.

Recent advances in the prenatal interrogation of the human fetal genome.

PubMed

Hui, Lisa; Bianchi, Diana W

2013-02-01

The amount of genetic and genomic information obtainable from the human fetus during pregnancy is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Two themes have dominated recent technological advances in prenatal diagnosis: interrogation of the fetal genome in increasingly high resolution and the development of non-invasive methods of fetal testing using cell-free DNA in maternal plasma. These two areas of advancement have now converged with several recent reports of non-invasive assessment of the entire fetal genome from maternal blood. However, technological progress is outpacing the ability of the healthcare providers and patients to incorporate these new tests into existing clinical care, and further complicates many of the economic and ethical dilemmas in prenatal diagnosis. This review summarizes recent work in this field and discusses the integration of these new technologies into the clinic and society. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zebrafish Models of Human Leukemia: Technological Advances and Mechanistic Insights.

PubMed

Harrison, Nicholas R; Laroche, Fabrice J F; Gutierrez, Alejandro; Feng, Hui

2016-01-01

Insights concerning leukemic pathophysiology have been acquired in various animal models and further efforts to understand the mechanisms underlying leukemic treatment resistance and disease relapse promise to improve therapeutic strategies. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a vertebrate organism with a conserved hematopoietic program and unique experimental strengths suiting it for the investigation of human leukemia. Recent technological advances in zebrafish research including efficient transgenesis, precise genome editing, and straightforward transplantation techniques have led to the generation of a number of leukemia models. The transparency of the zebrafish when coupled with improved lineage-tracing and imaging techniques has revealed exquisite details of leukemic initiation, progression, and regression. With these advantages, the zebrafish represents a unique experimental system for leukemic research and additionally, advances in zebrafish-based high-throughput drug screening promise to hasten the discovery of novel leukemia therapeutics. To date, investigators have accumulated knowledge of the genetic underpinnings critical to leukemic transformation and treatment resistance and without doubt, zebrafish are rapidly expanding our understanding of disease mechanisms and helping to shape therapeutic strategies for improved outcomes in leukemic patients.

Zebrafish Models of Human Leukemia: Technological Advances and Mechanistic Insights

PubMed Central

Harrison, Nicholas R.; Laroche, Fabrice J.F.; Gutierrez, Alejandro

2016-01-01

Insights concerning leukemic pathophysiology have been acquired in various animal models and further efforts to understand the mechanisms underlying leukemic treatment resistance and disease relapse promise to improve therapeutic strategies. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a vertebrate organism with a conserved hematopoietic program and unique experimental strengths suiting it for the investigation of human leukemia. Recent technological advances in zebrafish research including efficient transgenesis, precise genome editing, and straightforward transplantation techniques have led to the generation of a number of leukemia models. The transparency of the zebrafish when coupled with improved lineage-tracing and imaging techniques has revealed exquisite details of leukemic initiation, progression, and regression. With these advantages, the zebrafish represents a unique experimental system for leukemic research and additionally, advances in zebrafish-based high-throughput drug screening promise to hasten the discovery of novel leukemia therapeutics. To date, investigators have accumulated knowledge of the genetic underpinnings critical to leukemic transformation and treatment resistance and without doubt, zebrafish are rapidly expanding our understanding of disease mechanisms and helping to shape therapeutic strategies for improved outcomes in leukemic patients. PMID:27165361

Heart research advances using database search engines, Human Protein Atlas and the Sydney Heart Bank.

PubMed

Li, Amy; Estigoy, Colleen; Raftery, Mark; Cameron, Darryl; Odeberg, Jacob; Pontén, Fredrik; Lal, Sean; Dos Remedios, Cristobal G

2013-10-01

This Methodological Review is intended as a guide for research students who may have just discovered a human "novel" cardiac protein, but it may also help hard-pressed reviewers of journal submissions on a "novel" protein reported in an animal model of human heart failure. Whether you are an expert or not, you may know little or nothing about this particular protein of interest. In this review we provide a strategic guide on how to proceed. We ask: How do you discover what has been published (even in an abstract or research report) about this protein? Everyone knows how to undertake literature searches using PubMed and Medline but these are usually encyclopaedic, often producing long lists of papers, most of which are either irrelevant or only vaguely relevant to your query. Relatively few will be aware of more advanced search engines such as Google Scholar and even fewer will know about Quertle. Next, we provide a strategy for discovering if your "novel" protein is expressed in the normal, healthy human heart, and if it is, we show you how to investigate its subcellular location. This can usually be achieved by visiting the website "Human Protein Atlas" without doing a single experiment. Finally, we provide a pathway to discovering if your protein of interest changes its expression level with heart failure/disease or with ageing. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trace elemental analysis of human breast cancerous blood by advanced PC-WDXRF technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ranjit; Kainth, Harpreet Singh; Prasher, Puneet; Singh, Tejbir

2018-03-01

The objective of this work is to quantify the trace elements of healthy and non-healthy blood samples by using advanced polychromatic source based wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (PC-WDXRF) technique. The imbalances in trace elements present in the human blood directly or indirectly lead to the carcinogenic process. The trace elements 11Na, 12Mg, 15P, 16S, 17Cl, 19K, 20Ca, 26Fe, 29Cu and 30Zn are identified and their concentrations are estimated. The experimental results clearly discuss the variation and role of various trace elements present in the non-healthy blood samples relative to the healthy blood samples. These results establish future guidelines to probe the possible roles of essential trace elements in the breast carcinogenic processes. The instrumental sensitivity and detection limits for measuring the elements in the atomic range 11 ≤ Z ≤ 30 have also been discussed in the present work.

Advanced glycation end products are elevated in cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and correlate with worse lung function.

PubMed

Hunt, William R; Helfman, Beth R; McCarty, Nael A; Hansen, Jason M

2016-09-01

The onset of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) exacerbates lung function decline and increases mortality. One pathway that may worsen the lung dysfunction associated with CFRD is that of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and its ligands. Human plasma was obtained from age-matched healthy, CF and CFRD patients. Plasma RAGE ligands (i.e. advanced glycation end products, S100A12, and high-mobility group protein B1) and soluble RAGE (sRAGE) levels were measured. CFRD patients had elevated plasma levels of AGEs and S100A12. Soluble RAGE, a RAGE ligand decoy receptor, was not significantly different between groups. Plasma AGE levels and S100A12 levels had significantly negative correlations with FEV1. AGEs are significantly elevated in CFRD and correlate negatively with FEV1. CFRD patients did not have significant increases in the decoy sRAGE, suggesting there may be heightened binding and activation of RAGE in CFRD exacerbating activation of proinflammatory pathways. Copyright © 2015 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide activates and modulates TRPV1 channel in human DRG neurons.

PubMed

Shepherd, A J; Mickle, A D; McIlvried, L A; Gereau, R W; Mohapatra, D P

2018-05-24

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is associated with advanced tumor growth and metastasis, especially in breast, prostate and myeloma cancers that metastasize to bones, resulting in debilitating chronic pain conditions. Our recent studies revealed that the receptor for PTHrP, PTH1R, is expressed in mouse DRG sensory neurons, and its activation leads to flow-activation and modulation of TRPV1 channel function, resulting in peripheral heat and mechanical hypersensitivity. In order to verify the translatability of our findings in rodents to humans, we explored whether this signalling axis operates in primary human DRG sensory neurons. Analysis of gene expression data from recently reported RNA deep sequencing experiments performed on mouse and human DRGs reveals that PTH1R is expressed in DRG and tibial nerve. Furthermore, exposure of cultured human DRG neurons to PTHrP leads to slow-sustained activation of TRPV1 and modulation of capsaicin-induced channel activation. Both activation and modulation of TRPV1 by PTHrP were dependent on PKC activity. Our findings suggest that functional PTHrP/PTH1R-TRPV1 signalling exists in human DRG neurons, which could contribute to local nociceptor excitation in the vicinity of metastatic bone tumor microenvironment. © 2018 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Advances in cervical screening technology.

PubMed

Stoler, M H

2000-03-01

The Pap smear unquestionably is a successful screening test for cervical cancer. However, recent advances in technology have raised questions regarding whether the conventional Pap smear is still the standard of care. This article relates issues of screening and cost-effectiveness to the state of the art in thin layer preparations, cytology automation, human papillomavirus screening, human papillomavirus vaccines, and other cervical screening adjuncts. Perhaps nowhere in medicine is clinical decision making being more strongly influenced by market and other external forces than in cervical cytopathology.

Strongyloides stercoralis and relatives: recent advances in general and molecular biology.

PubMed

Lok, James B

2014-12-01

Human strongyloidiasis is a threat to global health, presenting significant challenges in diagnosis and clinical management. The imperative to incorporate strongyoidiasis more fully into control programs for soil-transmitted helminths is increasingly recognized. The unique life cycles of S. stercoralis and congeneric species contain both free-living and parasitic generations, and transcriptomic methods have recently identified genes of potential importance to parasitism in these parasites. Proteomics recently revealed stage-specific secreted proteins that appear crucial to the host-parasite interaction. A comprehensive genome sequencing project for Strongyloides spp. is now nearing completion. Recent technical advances in transgenesis for S. stercoralis and S. ratti , including the first establishment of stable transgenic lines, promise to advance functional evaluations of genes expressed in conjunction with crucial life cycle events. Studies employing these methods recently bolstered the hypothesis that S. stercoralis uses cellular signaling pathways homologous to three that regulate dauer larval development in Caenorhabditis elegans to regulate morphogenesis and development of its infective third-stage larva. The free-living generation of Strongyloides makes classical genetics formally possible. Recent advances, such as a genetic map of S. ratti and a molecular genetic and karyotypic analysis of sex determination in S. papillosus , will greatly facilitate this approach. Advanced methods for study of chemosensation in C. elegans were recently applied to discover numerous host attractant molecules that mediate host finding and contact by infective third-stage larvae of Strongyloides spp. Finally, nucleic acid-based diagnostic methods have recently come to the fore as alternatives to parasitological and immunodiagnostic techniques.

Evaluating a national science and technology program using the human capital and relational asset perspectives.

PubMed

Hung, Chia-Liang; Chou, Jerome Chih-Lung; Roan, Hung-Wei

2010-11-01

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the performance of the National Science and Technology Program (NSTP) by targeting the Taiwan National Telecommunication Program (NTP) initiated in 1998. The Taiwan telecommunications industry has prospered, currently occupying key positions in global markets even though NTP seldom contributes positively to patent citation performance. Hence, the authors of this study investigate the qualitative perspective of intellectual capital rather than quantitative technological indices. The current study focuses on both human capital and relational assets through surveys of 53 principal investigators of NTP projects and 63 industrial R&D managers of telecommunications corporations in the Taiwan market. Results show that NSTP member quality and the flow of employment are good indicators of human capital and that both perform better than the middle value in the case of Taiwan NTP. In addition, we find that industrial participants are more likely to share R&D resources than other academic researchers with higher intention of co-publishing, co-funding, and sharing equipment and facilities. The industrial NTP participants also have higher expectations regarding achieving advanced technology breakthroughs in contrast to non-NTP industrial interviewees. Moreover, industrial participants with greater industry-university cooperation intensity indeed obtain a particular advantage, that is, greater knowledge acquisition from other fields related to the effect of knowledge spillovers through the particular NSTP linkage. Accordingly, from the perspectives of human capital and relational assets, the authors conclude by articulating the importance of absorptive capacity resulting from good human capital and knowledge spillover contributed by relational assets within governmental technology policy and NSTP programming. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human Exploration Spacecraft Testbed for Integration and Advancement (HESTIA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banker, Brian F.; Robinson, Travis

2016-01-01

The proposed paper will cover ongoing effort named HESTIA (Human Exploration Spacecraft Testbed for Integration and Advancement), led at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) to promote a cross-subsystem approach to developing Mars-enabling technologies with the ultimate goal of integrated system optimization. HESTIA also aims to develop the infrastructure required to rapidly test these highly integrated systems at a low cost. The initial focus is on the common fluids architecture required to enable human exploration of mars, specifically between life support and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) subsystems. An overview of the advancements in both integrated technologies, in infrastructure, in simulation, and in modeling capabilities will be presented, as well as the results and findings of integrated testing,. Due to the enormous mass gear-ratio required for human exploration beyond low-earth orbit, (for every 1 kg of payload landed on Mars, 226 kg will be required on Earth), minimization of surface hardware and commodities is paramount. Hardware requirements can be minimized by reduction of equipment performing similar functions though for different subsystems. If hardware could be developed which meets the requirements of both life support and ISRU it could result in the reduction of primary hardware and/or reduction in spares. Minimization of commodities to the surface of mars can be achieved through the creation of higher efficiency systems producing little to no undesired waste, such as a closed-loop life support subsystem. Where complete efficiency is impossible or impractical, makeup commodities could be manufactured via ISRU. Although, utilization of ISRU products (oxygen and water) for crew consumption holds great promise of reducing demands on life support hardware, there exist concerns as to the purity and transportation of commodities. To date, ISRU has been focused on production rates and purities for

Quality assurance and risk management: Perspectives on Human Factors Certification of Advanced Aviation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Robert M.; Macleod, Iain S.

1994-01-01

This paper is based on the experience of engineering psychologists advising the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) on the procurement of advanced aviation systems that conform to good human engineering (HE) practice. Traditional approaches to HE in systems procurement focus on the physical nature of the human-machine interface. Advanced aviation systems present increasingly complex design requirements for human functional integration, information processing, and cognitive task performance effectiveness. These developing requirements present new challenges for HE quality assurance (QA) and risk management, requiring focus on design processes as well as on design content or product. A new approach to the application of HE, recently adopted by NATO, provides more systematic ordering and control of HE processes and activities to meet the challenges of advanced aircrew systems design. This systematic approach to HE has been applied by MoD to the procurement of mission systems for the Royal Navy Merlin helicopter. In MoD procurement, certification is a judicial function, essentially independent of the service customer and industry contractor. Certification decisions are based on advice from MoD's appointed Acceptance Agency. Test and evaluation (T&E) conducted by the contractor and by the Acceptance Agency provide evidence for certification. Certification identifies limitations of systems upon release to the service. Evidence of compliance with HE standards traditionally forms the main basis of HE certification and significant non-compliance could restrict release. The systems HE approach shows concern for the quality of processes as well as for the content of the product. Human factors certification should be concerned with the quality of HE processes as well as products. Certification should require proof of process as well as proof of content and performance. QA criteria such as completeness, consistency, timeliness, and compatibility provide generic guidelines for

Developing Advanced Human Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berdich, Debra P.; Campbell, Paul D.; Jernigan, J. Mark

2004-01-01

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth's moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a system engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD's Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. These products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a

Recent advances in thermoregulation.

PubMed

Tansey, Etain A; Johnson, Christopher D

2015-09-01

Thermoregulation is the maintenance of a relatively constant core body temperature. Humans normally maintain a body temperature at 37°C, and maintenance of this relatively high temperature is critical to human survival. This concept is so important that control of thermoregulation is often the principal example cited when teaching physiological homeostasis. A basic understanding of the processes underpinning temperature regulation is necessary for all undergraduate students studying biology and biology-related disciplines, and a thorough understanding is necessary for those students in clinical training. Our aim in this review is to broadly present the thermoregulatory process taking into account current advances in this area. First, we summarize the basic concepts of thermoregulation and subsequently assess the physiological responses to heat and cold stress, including vasodilation and vasoconstriction, sweating, nonshivering thermogenesis, piloerection, shivering, and altered behavior. Current research is presented concerning the body's detection of thermal challenge, peripheral and central thermoregulatory control mechanisms, including brown adipose tissue in adult humans and temperature transduction by the relatively recently discovered transient receptor potential channels. Finally, we present an updated understanding of the neuroanatomic circuitry supporting thermoregulation. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Human Relations Education; A Guidebook to Learning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buffalo Public Schools, NY. Human Relations Project of Western New York.

This guidebook is designed to acquaint teachers with human relations classroom materials, extracurricular activities, and an inservice approach to self-evaluation. A product of an ESEA Title III program, it contains human relations-oriented lessons--divided by grade level and subject matter--intended to supplement or enrich existing curricula and…

Human Factors and Data Logging Processes With the Use of Advanced Technology for Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: Systematic Integrative Review.

PubMed

Waite, Marion; Martin, Clare; Franklin, Rachel; Duce, David; Harrison, Rachel

2018-03-15

People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) undertake self-management to prevent short and long-term complications. Advanced technology potentially supports such activities but requires consideration of psychological and behavioral constructs and usability issues. Economic factors and health care provider capacity influence access and uptake of advanced technology. Previous reviews have focused upon clinical outcomes or were descriptive or have synthesized studies on adults with those on children and young people where human factors are different. This review described and examined the relationship between human factors and adherence with technology for data logging processes in adults with T1D. A systematic literature search was undertaken by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality appraisal was undertaken and data were abstracted and categorized into the themes that underpinned the human factor constructs that were examined. A total of 18 studies were included. A total of 6 constructs emerged from the data analysis: the relationship between adherence to data logging and measurable outcomes; satisfaction with the transition to advanced technology for self-management; use of advanced technology and time spent on diabetes-related activities; strategies to mediate the complexities of diabetes and the use of advanced technology; cognition in the wild; and meanings, views, and perspectives from the users of technology. Increased treatment satisfaction was found on transition from traditional to advanced technology use-insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); the most significant factor was when blood glucose levels were consistently <7.00 mmol/L (P ≤.01). Participants spent considerable time on their diabetes self-care. Logging of data was positively correlated with increasing age when using an app that provided meaningful feedback (regression coefficient=55.8 recordings/year; P ≤.01). There were

Relation of Opportunity to Learn Advanced Math to the Educational Attainment of Rural Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, Matthew; Byun, Soo-yong; Smiley, Whitney S.; Hutchins, Bryan C.

2017-01-01

Our study examined the relation of advanced math course taking to the educational attainment of rural youth. We used data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. Regression analyses demonstrated that when previous math achievement is accounted for, rural students take advanced math at a significantly lower rate than urban students.…

A Shift From Resilience to Human Performance Optimization in Special Operations Training: Advancements in Theory and Practice.

PubMed

Park, Gloria H; Messina, Lauren A; Deuster, Patricia A

Within the Department of Defense over the past decade, a focus on enhancing Warfighter resilience and readiness has increased. For Special Operation Forces (SOF), who bear unique burdens for training and deployment, programs like the Preservation of the Force and Family have been created to help support SOF and their family members in sustaining capabilities and enhancing resilience in the face of prolonged warfare. In this review, we describe the shift in focus from resilience to human performance optimization (HPO) and the benefits of human performance initiatives that include holistic fitness. We then describe strategies for advancing the application of HPO for future initiatives through tailoring and cultural adaptation, as well as advancing methods for measurement. By striving toward specificity and precision performance, SOF human performance programs can impact individual and team capabilities to a greater extent than in the past, as well as maintaining the well-being of SOF and their families across their careers and beyond. 2017.

Human Performance Models of Pilot Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foyle, David C.; Hooey, Becky L.; Byrne, Michael D.; Deutsch, Stephen; Lebiere, Christian; Leiden, Ken; Wickens, Christopher D.; Corker, Kevin M.

2005-01-01

Five modeling teams from industry and academia were chosen by the NASA Aviation Safety and Security Program to develop human performance models (HPM) of pilots performing taxi operations and runway instrument approaches with and without advanced displays. One representative from each team will serve as a panelist to discuss their team s model architecture, augmentations and advancements to HPMs, and aviation-safety related lessons learned. Panelists will discuss how modeling results are influenced by a model s architecture and structure, the role of the external environment, specific modeling advances and future directions and challenges for human performance modeling in aviation.

Closing the loop: integrating human impacts on water resources to advanced land surface models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitchik, B. F.; Nie, W.; Rodell, M.; Kumar, S.; Li, B.

2016-12-01

Advanced Land Surface Models (LSMs), including those used in the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), offer a physically consistent and spatially and temporally complete analysis of the distributed water balance. These models are constrained both by physically-based process representation and by observations ingested as meteorological forcing or as data assimilation updates. As such, they have become important tools for hydrological monitoring and long-term climate analysis. The representation of water management, however, is extremely limited in these models. Recent advances have brought prognostic irrigation routines into models used in NLDAS, while assimilation of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) derived estimates of terrestrial water storage anomaly has made it possible to nudge models towards observed states in water storage below the root zone. But with few exceptions these LSMs do not account for the source of irrigation water, leading to a disconnect between the simulated water balance and the observed human impact on water resources. This inconsistency is unacceptable for long-term studies of climate change and human impact on water resources in North America. Here we define the modeling challenge, review instances of models that have begun to account for water withdrawals (e.g., CLM), and present ongoing efforts to improve representation of human impacts on water storage across models through integration of irrigation routines, water withdrawal information, and GRACE Data Assimilation in NLDAS LSMs.

Advancement of a 30K W Solar Electric Propulsion System Capability for NASA Human and Robotic Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Bryan K.; Nazario, Margaret L.; Manzella, David H.

2012-01-01

Solar Electric Propulsion has evolved into a demonstrated operational capability performing station keeping for geosynchronous satellites, enabling challenging deep-space science missions, and assisting in the transfer of satellites from an elliptical orbit Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) to a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). Advancing higher power SEP systems will enable numerous future applications for human, robotic, and commercial missions. These missions are enabled by either the increased performance of the SEP system or by the cost reductions when compared to conventional chemical propulsion systems. Higher power SEP systems that provide very high payload for robotic missions also trade favorably for the advancement of human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Demonstrated reliable systems are required for human space flight and due to their successful present day widespread use and inherent high reliability, SEP systems have progressively become a viable entrant into these future human exploration architectures. NASA studies have identified a 30 kW-class SEP capability as the next appropriate evolutionary step, applicable to wide range of both human and robotic missions. This paper describes the planning options, mission applications, and technology investments for representative 30kW-class SEP mission concepts under consideration by NASA

Correlation of Respirator Fit Measured on Human Subjects and a Static Advanced Headform

PubMed Central

Bergman, Michael S.; He, Xinjian; Joseph, Michael E.; Zhuang, Ziqing; Heimbuch, Brian K.; Shaffer, Ronald E.; Choe, Melanie; Wander, Joseph D.

2015-01-01

This study assessed the correlation of N95 filtering face-piece respirator (FFR) fit between a Static Advanced Headform (StAH) and 10 human test subjects. Quantitative fit evaluations were performed on test subjects who made three visits to the laboratory. On each visit, one fit evaluation was performed on eight different FFRs of various model/size variations. Additionally, subject breathing patterns were recorded. Each fit evaluation comprised three two-minute exercises: “Normal Breathing,” “Deep Breathing,” and again “Normal Breathing.” The overall test fit factors (FF) for human tests were recorded. The same respirator samples were later mounted on the StAH and the overall test manikin fit factors (MFF) were assessed utilizing the recorded human breathing patterns. Linear regression was performed on the mean log10-transformed FF and MFF values to assess the relationship between the values obtained from humans and the StAH. This is the first study to report a positive correlation of respirator fit between a headform and test subjects. The linear regression by respirator resulted in R2 = 0.95, indicating a strong linear correlation between FF and MFF. For all respirators the geometric mean (GM) FF values were consistently higher than those of the GM MFF. For 50% of respirators, GM FF and GM MFF values were significantly different between humans and the StAH. For data grouped by subject/respirator combinations, the linear regression resulted in R2 = 0.49. A weaker correlation (R2 = 0.11) was found using only data paired by subject/respirator combination where both the test subject and StAH had passed a real-time leak check before performing the fit evaluation. For six respirators, the difference in passing rates between the StAH and humans was < 20%, while two respirators showed a difference of 29% and 43%. For data by test subject, GM FF and GM MFF values were significantly different for 40% of the subjects. Overall, the advanced headform system has

Advanced oxidative protein products induced human keratinocyte apoptosis through the NOX-MAPK pathway.

PubMed

Sun, Baihui; Ding, Ruoting; Yu, Wenlin; Wu, Yanhong; Wang, Bulin; Li, Qin

2016-07-01

Impaired wound healing is a major diabetes-related complication. Keratinocytes play an important role in wound healing. Multiple factors have been proposed that can induce dysfunction in keratinocytes. The focus of present research is at a more specific molecular level. We investigated the role of advanced oxidative protein products (AOPPs) in inducing human immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell apoptosis and the cellular mechanism underlying the proapoptotic effect of AOPPs. HaCaT cells were treated with increasing concentrations of AOPP-human serum albumin or for increasing time durations. The cell viability was measured using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide method, and flow cytometry was used to assess the rate of cell apoptosis. A loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed through a confocal laser scanning microscope system, and the level of ROS generation was determined using a microplate reader. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX)4, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and apoptosis-related downstream protein interactions were investigated using the Western blot analysis. We found that AOPPs triggered HaCaT cell apoptosis and MMP loss. After AOPP treatment, intracellular ROS generation increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Proapoptotic proteins, such as Bax, caspase 9/caspase 3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 were activated, whereas anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein was downregulated. AOPPs also increased NOX4, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that extracellular AOPP accumulation triggered NOX-dependent ROS production, which activated ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK, and induced HaCaT cell apoptosis by activating caspase 3 and PARP-1.

Recent Advances in Developmental Pediatrics Related to Achievement and Social Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Wendy S.; Barabas, Gabor

1985-01-01

Recent advances related to the achievement and school behavior in children with tic syndromes, seizure disorders, and minor physical anomolies are discussed. The role of the school psychologist as liaison between the pupil's teacher, family, and physician is described, as well as his or her role with the children themselves. (Author/EGS)

Lack of association of CFD polymorphisms with advanced age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Zeng, Jiexi; Chen, Yuhong; Tong, Zongzhong; Zhou, Xinrong; Zhao, Chao; Wang, Kevin; Hughes, Guy; Kasuga, Daniel; Bedell, Matthew; Lee, Clara; Ferreyra, Henry; Kozak, Igor; Haw, Weldon; Guan, Jean; Shaw, Robert; Stevenson, William; Weishaar, Paul D; Nelson, Mark H; Tang, Luosheng; Zhang, Kang

2010-11-03

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible central vision loss worldwide. Research has linked AMD susceptibility with dysregulation of the complement cascade. Typically, complement factor H (CFH), complement factor B (CFB), complement component 2 (C2), and complement component 3 (C3) are associated with AMD. In this paper, we investigated the association between complement factor D (CFD), another factor of the complement system, and advanced AMD in a Caucasian population. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1683564, rs35186399, rs1683563, rs3826945, rs34337649, and rs1651896, across the region covering CFD, were chosen for this study. One hundred and seventy-eight patients with advanced AMD and 161 age-matched normal controls were genotyped. Potential positive signals were further tested in another independent 445 advanced AMD patients and 190 controls. χ2 tests were performed to compare the allele frequencies between case and control groups. None of the six SNPs of CFD was found to be significantly associated with advanced AMD in our study. Our findings suggest that CFD may not play a major role in the genetic susceptibility to AMD because no association was found between the six SNPs analyzed in the CFD region and advanced AMD.

Human dignity and the creation of human-nonhuman chimeras.

PubMed

Palacios-González, César

2015-11-01

In this work I present a detailed critique of the dignity-related arguments that have been advanced against the creation of human-nonhuman chimeras that could possess human-like mental capacities. My main claim is that the arguments so far advanced are incapable of grounding a principled objection against the creation of such creatures. I conclude that these arguments have one, or more, of the following problems: (a) they confuse the ethical assessment of the creation of chimeras with the ethical assessment of how such creatures would be treated in specific contexts (e.g. in the laboratory), (b) they misrepresent how a being could be treated solely as means towards others' ends, (c) they fall short of demonstrating how humanity's dignity would be violated by the creation of such entities, and (d) they fail to properly characterise the moral responsibilities that moral agents have towards other moral agents and sentient beings.

Advances in graphene-related technologies: synthesis, devices and outlook.

PubMed

Frazier, R M; Hough, W L; Chopra, N; Hathcock, K W

2012-06-01

Graphene has been the subject of many scientific investigations since exfoliation methods facilitated isolation of the two-dimensional material. During this time, new synthesis methods have been developed which have opened technological opportunities previously hindered by synthetic constraints. An update on the recent advances in graphene-based technologies, including synthesis and applications into electrical, mechanical and thermal uses will be covered. A special focus on the patent space and commercial landscape will be given in an effort to identify current trends and future commercialization of graphene-related technologies.

Human dignity: intrinsic or relative value?

PubMed

Thiel, Marie-Jo

2010-09-01

Is human dignity an intrinsic value? Or is it a relative value, depending on the perception or assessment of quality of life? History had delineated some of its key features, but the advent of human rights and the Holocaust put special emphasis on this notion, particularly in the field of bioethics. But if modern medicine regards human dignity as crucial, it tends to support this notion while assessing and measuring it. The quality of life becomes the gauge for measuring human dignity, starting from a distinction between a viable and a non-viable existence, which may eventually lead to assisted death, or to letting die. This article argues that the concept of quality of life is of great relevant for medical practice, but on the condition of not being used as a standard to measure the dignity of the individual. Rather, the quality of life should be regarded as an imperative posed by human dignity, which is necessarily intrinsic. If the quality of life measures dignity, humankind is divided into two categories: lives worthy of living, and lives unworthy of living, and society becomes a jungle. Raising the quality of life as a requirement of the inherent human dignity does not solve automatically all problems and does not eliminate a feeling of unworthiness. But it ensures its 'human' value: the equal respect for every human being.

Advanced Placement Human Geography and the Annual Meetings of the National Council for Geographic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sublett, Michael D.

2007-01-01

Members of the National Council for Geographic Education have been instrumental in the creation, launch, and early success of Advanced Placement Human Geography. Annual meetings of the Council have served as a forum for spreading the word about the course and its follow-up national examination and in helping teachers develop content confidence and…

Exploring How Teacher-Related Factors Relate to Student Achievement in Learning Advanced Algebra in Technology-Enhanced Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegedus, Stephen J.; Tapper, John; Dalton, Sara

2016-01-01

In this study, we examine the relationship between contextual variables related to teachers and student performance in Advanced Algebra classrooms in the USA. The data were gathered from a cluster-randomized study on the effects of SimCalc MathWorlds®, a curricular and technological intervention as a replacement for Algebra 2 curriculum, on…

Human Factors and Data Logging Processes With the Use of Advanced Technology for Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: Systematic Integrative Review

PubMed Central

Martin, Clare; Franklin, Rachel; Duce, David; Harrison, Rachel

2018-01-01

Background People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) undertake self-management to prevent short and long-term complications. Advanced technology potentially supports such activities but requires consideration of psychological and behavioral constructs and usability issues. Economic factors and health care provider capacity influence access and uptake of advanced technology. Previous reviews have focused upon clinical outcomes or were descriptive or have synthesized studies on adults with those on children and young people where human factors are different. Objective This review described and examined the relationship between human factors and adherence with technology for data logging processes in adults with T1D. Methods A systematic literature search was undertaken by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality appraisal was undertaken and data were abstracted and categorized into the themes that underpinned the human factor constructs that were examined. Results A total of 18 studies were included. A total of 6 constructs emerged from the data analysis: the relationship between adherence to data logging and measurable outcomes; satisfaction with the transition to advanced technology for self-management; use of advanced technology and time spent on diabetes-related activities; strategies to mediate the complexities of diabetes and the use of advanced technology; cognition in the wild; and meanings, views, and perspectives from the users of technology. Conclusions Increased treatment satisfaction was found on transition from traditional to advanced technology use—insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); the most significant factor was when blood glucose levels were consistently <7.00 mmol/L (P ≤.01). Participants spent considerable time on their diabetes self-care. Logging of data was positively correlated with increasing age when using an app that provided meaningful feedback (regression

Two pedigrees of familial advanced sleep phase syndrome in Japan.

PubMed

Satoh, Kohtoku; Mishima, Kazuo; Inoue, Yuichi; Ebisawa, Takashi; Shimizu, Tetsuo

2003-06-15

To determine whether a known missense mutation (bp2106 A/G) in hPer2 (a human homolog of the Drosophila period gene) for familial advanced sleep phase syndrome in a Caucasian family is involved in Japanese familial advanced sleep phase syndrome pedigrees. We identified 2 new Japanese families with advanced sleep phase syndrome, and a systematic survey was carried out in 28 relatives of theses 2 families. A total of 9 affected subjects were identified. The affected members showed significantly strong morningness tendencies compared with the unaffected members in various circadian parameters including the Horne-Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire score (77.3 +/- 4.8 vs 57.5 +/- 7.6, p < 0.001), average sleep-onset time (20:45 +/- 75 min vs 23:16 +/- 64 min, p < 0.02), and average wake time (4:55 +/- 38 min vs 6:13 +/- 25 min, p < 0.01), as well as saliva dim-light melatonin-onset time (20:15 +/- 21 min vs 22:25 +/- 65 min, p < 0.02). DNA samples were obtained from 7 affected and 7 unaffected subjects. None of the tested subjects possessed the missense mutation (bp2106 A/G) in hPer2. Furthermore, there is no significant linkage between affected subjects with hPer2 region by 2-point mapping and by direct sequencing of 23 exons of hPer2. These findings support the notion of genetic heterogeneity of familial advanced sleep phase syndrome cases in humans. The search for more familial advanced sleep phase syndrome cases and for loci other than hPer2 are necessary to further examine the roles of circadian-related genes in genetically determined human circadian rhythm disorders.

Career Education for Mental Health Workers. Human Relations Skills. Human Service Instructional Series. Module No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redcay, Shirley

This module on human relations skills is one of a set of six developed to prepare human services workers for the changing mental health service delivery system. Focus is on developing rapport and knowledge of self as a human service provider in order to develop effective interpersonal relations. Following notes on the target population (human…

Human female meiosis revised: new insights into the mechanisms of chromosome segregation and aneuploidies from advanced genomics and time-lapse imaging.

PubMed

Capalbo, Antonio; Hoffmann, Eva R; Cimadomo, Danilo; Ubaldi, Filippo Maria; Rienzi, Laura

2017-11-01

The unbalanced transmission of chromosomes in human gametes and early preimplantation embryos causes aneuploidy, which is a major cause of infertility and pregnancy failure. A baseline of 20% of human oocytes are estimated to be aneuploid and this increases exponentially from 30 to 35 years, reaching on average 80% by 42 years. As a result, reproductive senescence in human females is predominantly determined by the accelerated decline in genetic quality of oocytes from 30 years of age. Understanding mechanisms of chromosome segregation and aneuploidies in the female germline is a crucial step towards the development of new diagnostic approaches and, possibly, for the development of therapeutic targets and molecules. Here, we have reviewed emerging mechanisms that may drive human aneuploidy, in particular the maternal age effect. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed Central of the primary literature from 1990 through 2016 following the PRISMA guidelines, using MeSH terms related to human aneuploidy. For model organism research, we conducted a literature review based on references in human oocytes manuscripts and general reviews related to chromosome segregation in meiosis and mitosis. Advances in genomic and imaging technologies are allowing unprecedented insight into chromosome segregation in human oocytes. This includes the identification of a novel chromosome segregation error, termed reverse segregation, as well as sister kinetochore configurations that were not predicted based on murine models. Elucidation of mechanisms that result in errors in chromosome segregation in meiosis may lead to therapeutic developments that could improve reproductive outcomes by reducing aneuploidy. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Human performance measurement: Validation procedures applicable to advanced manned telescience systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, Richard F.

1990-01-01

As telescience systems become more and more complex, autonomous, and opaque to their operators it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether the total system is performing as it should. Some of the complex and interrelated human performance measurement issues are addressed as they relate to total system validation. The assumption is made that human interaction with the automated system will be required well into the Space Station Freedom era. Candidate human performance measurement-validation techniques are discussed for selected ground-to-space-to-ground and space-to-space situations. Most of these measures may be used in conjunction with an information throughput model presented elsewhere (Haines, 1990). Teleoperations, teleanalysis, teleplanning, teledesign, and teledocumentation are considered, as are selected illustrative examples of space related telescience activities.

Genome and Epigenome Editing in Mechanistic Studies of Human Aging and Aging-Related Disease

PubMed Central

Lau, Cia-Hin; Suh, Yousin

2016-01-01

The recent advent of genome and epigenome editing technologies has provided a new paradigm in which the landscape of the human genome and epigenome can be precisely manipulated in their native context. Genome and epigenome editing technologies can be applied to many aspects of aging research and offer the potential to development novel therapeutics against age-related diseases. Here, we discuss the latest technological advances in the CRISPR-based genome and epigenome editing toolbox, and provide an insight into how these synthetic biology tools could facilitate aging research by establishing in vitro cell- and in vivo animal-models to dissect genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying aging and age-related diseases. We discuss recent developments in the field with the aims to precisely modulate gene expression and dynamic epigenetic landscapes in a spatial- and temporal- manner in cellular and animal models, by complementing the CRISPR-based editing capability with conditional genetic manipulation tools, including chemically inducible expression system, optogenetics, logic gate genetic circuits, tissue-specific promoters, and serotype-specific adeno-associated virus. We also discuss how the combined use of genome and epigenome editing tools permits investigators to uncover novel molecular pathways involved in pathophysiology and etiology conferred by risk variants associated with aging and aging-related disease. A better understanding of the genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying human aging and age-related disease will significantly contribute to the developments of new therapeutic interventions for extending healthspan and lifespan, ultimately improving the quality of life in the elderly populations. PMID:27974723

Genome and Epigenome Editing in Mechanistic Studies of Human Aging and Aging-Related Disease.

PubMed

Lau, Cia-Hin; Suh, Yousin

2017-01-01

The recent advent of genome and epigenome editing technologies has provided a new paradigm in which the landscape of the human genome and epigenome can be precisely manipulated in their native context. Genome and epigenome editing technologies can be applied to many aspects of aging research and offer the potential to develop novel therapeutics against age-related diseases. Here, we discuss the latest technological advances in the CRISPR-based genome and epigenome editing toolbox, and provide insight into how these synthetic biology tools could facilitate aging research by establishing in vitro cell and in vivo animal models to dissect genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying aging and age-related diseases. We discuss recent developments in the field with the aims to precisely modulate gene expression and dynamic epigenetic landscapes in a spatial and temporal manner in cellular and animal models, by complementing the CRISPR-based editing capability with conditional genetic manipulation tools including chemically inducible expression systems, optogenetics, logic gate genetic circuits, tissue-specific promoters, and the serotype-specific adeno-associated virus. We also discuss how the combined use of genome and epigenome editing tools permits investigators to uncover novel molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology and etiology conferred by risk variants associated with aging and aging-related disease. A better understanding of the genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying human aging and age-related disease will significantly contribute to the developments of new therapeutic interventions for extending health span and life span, ultimately improving the quality of life in the elderly populations. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

45 CFR 1355.54 - Submittal of advance planning documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Submittal of advance planning documents. 1355.54 Section 1355.54 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN... FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES GENERAL...

45 CFR 1355.54 - Submittal of advance planning documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Submittal of advance planning documents. 1355.54 Section 1355.54 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN... FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES GENERAL...

45 CFR 1355.54 - Submittal of advance planning documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Submittal of advance planning documents. 1355.54 Section 1355.54 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN... FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES GENERAL...

Defined Engineered Human Myocardium with Advanced Maturation for Applications in Heart Failure Modelling and Repair

PubMed Central

Tiburcy, Malte; Hudson, James E.; Balfanz, Paul; Schlick, Susanne; Meyer, Tim; Liao, Mei-Ling Chang; Levent, Elif; Raad, Farah; Zeidler, Sebastian; Wingender, Edgar; Riegler, Johannes; Wang, Mouer; Gold, Joseph D.; Kehat, Izhak; Wettwer, Erich; Ravens, Ursula; Dierickx, Pieterjan; van Laake, Linda W.; Goumans, Marie Jose; Khadjeh, Sara; Toischer, Karl; Hasenfuss, Gerd; Couture, Larry A.; Unger, Andreas; Linke, Wolfgang A.; Araki, Toshiyuki; Neel, Benjamin; Keller, Gordon; Gepstein, Lior; Wu, Joseph C.; Zimmermann, Wolfram-Hubertus

2017-01-01

Background Advancing structural and functional maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes remains a key challenge for applications in disease modelling, drug screening, and heart repair. Here, we sought to advance cardiomyocyte maturation in engineered human myocardium (EHM) towards an adult phenotype under defined conditions. Methods We systematically investigated cell composition, matrix and media conditions to generate EHM from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts with organotypic functionality under serum-free conditions. We employed morphological, functional, and transcriptome analyses to benchmark maturation of EHM. Results EHM demonstrated important structural and functional properties of postnatal myocardium, including: (1) rod-shaped cardiomyocytes with M-bands assembled as a functional syncytium; (2) systolic twitch forces at a similar level as observed in bona fide postnatal myocardium; (3) a positive force-frequency-response; (4) inotropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation mediated via canonical β1- and β2-adrenoceptor signaling pathways; and (5) evidence for advanced molecular maturation by transcriptome profiling. EHM responded to chronic catecholamine toxicity with contractile dysfunction, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte death, and NT-proBNP release; all are classical hallmarks of heart failure. Additionally, we demonstrate scalability of EHM according to anticipated clinical demands for cardiac repair. Conclusions We provide proof-of-concept for a universally applicable technology for the engineering of macro-scale human myocardium for disease modelling and heart repair from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes under defined, serum-free conditions. PMID:28167635

Defined Engineered Human Myocardium With Advanced Maturation for Applications in Heart Failure Modeling and Repair.

PubMed

Tiburcy, Malte; Hudson, James E; Balfanz, Paul; Schlick, Susanne; Meyer, Tim; Chang Liao, Mei-Ling; Levent, Elif; Raad, Farah; Zeidler, Sebastian; Wingender, Edgar; Riegler, Johannes; Wang, Mouer; Gold, Joseph D; Kehat, Izhak; Wettwer, Erich; Ravens, Ursula; Dierickx, Pieterjan; van Laake, Linda W; Goumans, Marie Jose; Khadjeh, Sara; Toischer, Karl; Hasenfuss, Gerd; Couture, Larry A; Unger, Andreas; Linke, Wolfgang A; Araki, Toshiyuki; Neel, Benjamin; Keller, Gordon; Gepstein, Lior; Wu, Joseph C; Zimmermann, Wolfram-Hubertus

2017-05-09

Advancing structural and functional maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes remains a key challenge for applications in disease modeling, drug screening, and heart repair. Here, we sought to advance cardiomyocyte maturation in engineered human myocardium (EHM) toward an adult phenotype under defined conditions. We systematically investigated cell composition, matrix, and media conditions to generate EHM from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts with organotypic functionality under serum-free conditions. We used morphological, functional, and transcriptome analyses to benchmark maturation of EHM. EHM demonstrated important structural and functional properties of postnatal myocardium, including: (1) rod-shaped cardiomyocytes with M bands assembled as a functional syncytium; (2) systolic twitch forces at a similar level as observed in bona fide postnatal myocardium; (3) a positive force-frequency response; (4) inotropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation mediated via canonical β 1 - and β 2 -adrenoceptor signaling pathways; and (5) evidence for advanced molecular maturation by transcriptome profiling. EHM responded to chronic catecholamine toxicity with contractile dysfunction, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte death, and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide release; all are classical hallmarks of heart failure. In addition, we demonstrate the scalability of EHM according to anticipated clinical demands for cardiac repair. We provide proof-of-concept for a universally applicable technology for the engineering of macroscale human myocardium for disease modeling and heart repair from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes under defined, serum-free conditions. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Humanized mouse models: Application to human diseases.

PubMed

Ito, Ryoji; Takahashi, Takeshi; Ito, Mamoru

2018-05-01

Humanized mice are superior to rodents for preclinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of drug candidates using human cells or tissues. During the past decade, humanized mouse technology has been greatly advanced by the establishment of novel platforms of genetically modified immunodeficient mice. Several human diseases can be recapitulated using humanized mice due to the improved engraftment and differentiation capacity of human cells or tissues. In this review, we discuss current advanced humanized mouse models that recapitulate human diseases including cancer, allergy, and graft-versus-host disease. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Group & Intergroup Relations in Living Human Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

organizational diagnosis , the group is itself a living human system. A group may be underbounded, overbounded, or optimally bounded. The state of group...very im- portant to understand and to use in order to conduct organizational diagnosis " using group methods. 2 -43 (Alderfer, 1977b). The group...Boundary Relations and Organizational Diagnosis . In H. Meltzer and F.W. Wickert (eds.) Humanizing Organizational Behavior. Springfield, Illinois: Thomas

A Lesson Plan for Advanced Placement Human Geography®: A Site Location Exercise for New Businesses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poleski, Matthew

2017-01-01

The lesson described in this article meets several needs for Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG®) teachers. In the interest of preserving time in the classroom, this lesson is intended to be a capstone assignment, allowing students to synthesize several concepts of the APHG® curriculum, such as demography, economic development, and cultural…

Challenges of Human-Robot Communication in Telerobotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bejczy, Antal K.

1996-01-01

Some general considerations are presented on bilateral human-telerobot control and information communication issues. Advances are reviewed related to the more conventional human-telerobot communication techniques, and some unconventional but promising communication methods are briefly discussed. Future needs and emerging application domains are briefly indicated.

Approaches to advancing quantitative human health risk assessment of environmental chemicals in the post-genomic era.

PubMed

Chiu, Weihsueh A; Euling, Susan Y; Scott, Cheryl Siegel; Subramaniam, Ravi P

2013-09-15

The contribution of genomics and associated technologies to human health risk assessment for environmental chemicals has focused largely on elucidating mechanisms of toxicity, as discussed in other articles in this issue. However, there is interest in moving beyond hazard characterization to making more direct impacts on quantitative risk assessment (QRA)--i.e., the determination of toxicity values for setting exposure standards and cleanup values. We propose that the evolution of QRA of environmental chemicals in the post-genomic era will involve three, somewhat overlapping phases in which different types of approaches begin to mature. The initial focus (in Phase I) has been and continues to be on "augmentation" of weight of evidence--using genomic and related technologies qualitatively to increase the confidence in and scientific basis of the results of QRA. Efforts aimed towards "integration" of these data with traditional animal-based approaches, in particular quantitative predictors, or surrogates, for the in vivo toxicity data to which they have been anchored are just beginning to be explored now (in Phase II). In parallel, there is a recognized need for "expansion" of the use of established biomarkers of susceptibility or risk of human diseases and disorders for QRA, particularly for addressing the issues of cumulative assessment and population risk. Ultimately (in Phase III), substantial further advances could be realized by the development of novel molecular and pathway-based biomarkers and statistical and in silico models that build on anticipated progress in understanding the pathways of human diseases and disorders. Such efforts would facilitate a gradual "reorientation" of QRA towards approaches that more directly link environmental exposures to human outcomes. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Recent advances in stable isotope labeling based techniques for proteome relative quantification.

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Shan, Yichu; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

2014-10-24

The large scale relative quantification of all proteins expressed in biological samples under different states is of great importance for discovering proteins with important biological functions, as well as screening disease related biomarkers and drug targets. Therefore, the accurate quantification of proteins at proteome level has become one of the key issues in protein science. Herein, the recent advances in stable isotope labeling based techniques for proteome relative quantification were reviewed, from the aspects of metabolic labeling, chemical labeling and enzyme-catalyzed labeling. Furthermore, the future research direction in this field was prospected. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human related mortality of birds in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banks, R.C.

1979-01-01

Modern man serves as both a direct and an indirect cause of the death of birds. In the early 1970's, human activity was responsible for the death of approximately 196 million birds per year, or about 1.9% of the wild birds of the continental United States that died each year. Hunting was the largest direct mortality factor and accounted for about 61% of human related bird deaths. Control or prevention of avian depredations took about 1% of the total, and all research and propagation about 0.5%. Collision with man-made objects was the greatest indirect human cause of avian deaths. accounting for about 32% of the human related deaths. Pollution and poisoning caused the death of about 2% of the total. A relatively few species account for most of this mortality but continue to maintain large, harvestable populations, suggesting that the numbers of most bird species are essentially unaffected by the human activities discussed. Other activities of man that do not necessarily result in the death of birds but rather reduce reproductive potential are more likely to have long-term effects on avian populations.

Do Correlates of Pain-Related Stoicism and Cautiousness Differ in Younger and Older People With Advanced Cancer?

PubMed

Mah, Kenneth; Tran, Kim T; Gauthier, Lynn R; Rodin, Gary; Zimmermann, Camilla; Warr, David; Librach, S Lawrence; Moore, Malcolm; Shepherd, Frances A; Gagliese, Lucia

2018-03-01

Age differences are not evident in pain-related stoicism and cautiousness in people with cancer pain. Little is known about the factors associated with these pain-related attitudes or age-related patterns in these associations. The present cross-sectional study investigated the biopsychosocial correlates of the attitudes in younger and older patients with advanced cancer. Pain-related stoicism (fortitude, concealment, superiority) and cautiousness (self-doubt, reluctance) were assessed using the Pain Attitudes Questionnaire-Revised (PAQ-R). Participants, 155 younger (younger than 60 years old) and 114 older (60 years old or older) patients with advanced cancer completed the PAQ-R and measures of sociodemographic and medical characteristics, pain intensity, cognitive-affective pain-related responses, physical functioning, psychological distress and well-being, and psychosocial functioning. Backwards regression analyses identified correlates for each PAQ-R factor separately for younger and older patients. Activity engagement was a frequent correlate, but its relationship with concealment was the only association common to both age groups. Younger and older patients exhibited different avoidance-related constructs suggesting relational challenges in the former group (avoidant attachment) and intrapersonal fear in the latter (cognitive avoidance). Medical correlates also showed age differences: younger patients showed symptom-focused correlates, whereas older patients showed aging-related correlates. Findings support a biopsychosocial framework of cancer-pain adaptation incorporating a lifespan-developmental perspective. To our knowledge, this article is the first to identify biopsychosocial correlates of stoic and cautious attitudes toward cancer pain in younger and older patients with advanced cancer. Findings highlight possible age-related motivations for greater pain-related stoicism or cautiousness and can potentially inform interventions addressing challenges in

Morpheus: Advancing Technologies for Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olansen, Jon B.; Munday, Stephen R.; Mitchell, Jennifer D.; Baine, Michael

2012-01-01

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Designed to serve as a vertical testbed (VTB) for advanced spacecraft technologies, the vehicle provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. This allows individual technologies to mature into capabilities that can be incorporated into human exploration missions. The Morpheus vehicle is propelled by a LOX/Methane engine and sized to carry a payload of 1100 lb to the lunar surface. In addition to VTB vehicles, the Project s major elements include ground support systems and an operations facility. Initial testing will demonstrate technologies used to perform autonomous hazard avoidance and precision landing on a lunar or other planetary surface. The Morpheus vehicle successfully performed a set of integrated vehicle test flights including hot-fire and tethered hover tests, leading up to un-tethered free-flights. The initial phase of this development and testing campaign is being conducted on-site at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), with the first fully integrated vehicle firing its engine less than one year after project initiation. Designed, developed, manufactured and operated in-house by engineers at JSC, the Morpheus Project represents an unprecedented departure from recent NASA programs that traditionally require longer, more expensive development lifecycles and testing at remote, dedicated testing facilities. Morpheus testing includes three major types of integrated tests. A hot-fire (HF) is a static vehicle test of the LOX/Methane propulsion system. Tether tests (TT) have the vehicle suspended above the ground using a crane, which allows testing of the propulsion and integrated Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) in hovering flight without the risk of a vehicle departure or crash. Morpheus free-flights (FF) test the complete Morpheus system without the additional

Propelling medical humanities in China.

PubMed

Tang, Wei

2017-05-23

Advances in the study of the medical humanities and medical humanities education have been made over the past few decades. Many influential journals have published articles examining the role of medical humanities and medical humanities education, the development and evaluation of medical humanities, and the design of a curriculum for medical humanities education in Western countries. However, most articles related to medical humanities in China were published in Chinese, moreover, researchers have worked in relative isolation and published in disparate journals, so their work has not been systematically presented to and evaluated by international readers. The six companion articles featured in this issue describe the current status and challenge of medical humanities and medical humanities education in China in the hope of providing international readers with a novel and meaningful glimpse into medical humanities in China. This Journal is calling for greater publication of research on medical humanities and medical humanities education to propel medical humanities in China.

Millwright Apprenticeship. Related Training Modules. 6.1-6.12 Human Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane Community Coll., Eugene, OR.

This packet, part of the instructional materials for the Oregon apprenticeship program for millwright training, contains 12 modules covering human relations. The modules provide information on the following topics: communications skills, feedback, individual strengths, interpersonal conflicts, group problem solving, goal setting and decision…

Opening the Solar System: An Advanced Nuclear Spacecraft for Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werka, R. O.; Percy, T. K.

2014-01-01

Human exploration of the solar system is limited by our technology, not our imagination. We dream of a time when we can freely travel among the planets and truly become a spacefaring people. However, the current state of our technology limits our options for architecting missions to other planets. Instead of sailing the seas of space in the way that we cruise the seas of Earth, our limited propulsion technology requires us to depart Earth on a giant cluster of gas tanks and return in a lifeboat. This inefficient approach to exploration is evident in many of today's leading mission plans for human flights to Mars, asteroids, and other destinations. The cost and complexity of this approach to mission architecting makes it extremely difficult to realize our dreams of exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This does not need to be the case. Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been investigating the feasibility of a new take on nuclear propulsion with the performance to enable a paradigm shift in human space exploration. During the fall of 2013, engineers at MSFC's Advanced Concepts Office developed a spacecraft concept (pictured below) around this new propulsion technology and redefined the human Mars mission to show its full potential. This spacecraft, which can be launched with a fleet of soon-to-be available SLS launch vehicles, is fueled primarily with hydrogen, and is fully reusable with no staging required. The reusable nature of this design enables a host of alternative mission architectures that more closely resemble an ocean voyage than our current piecemeal approach to exploration.

Human Intergroup Relations. Certification Requirement #69.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northcentral Technical Coll., Wausau, WI.

This document provides materials for a course in human intergroup relations for preservice or inservice teachers preparing to work with a diverse, disadvantaged group of students. The information in the guide is drawn from the faculty and student support staff of Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau, Wisconsin, which serves a variety of…

Human factors of advanced technology (glass cockpit) transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiener, Earl L.

1989-01-01

A three-year study of airline crews at two U.S. airlines who were flying an advanced technology aircraft, the Boeing 757 is discussed. The opinions and experiences of these pilots as they view the advanced, automated features of this aircraft, and contrast them with previous models they have flown are discussed. Training for advanced automation; (2) cockpit errors and error reduction; (3) management of cockpit workload; and (4) general attitudes toward cockpit automation are emphasized. The limitations of the air traffic control (ATC) system on the ability to utilize the advanced features of the new aircraft are discussed. In general the pilots are enthusiastic about flying an advanced technology aircraft, but they express mixed feelings about the impact of automation on workload, crew errors, and ability to manage the flight.

Advancing Environmental Health: A Ballroom Dance Between Human Health and Earth Sciences Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, A.

2016-12-01

The mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives. Translation of this mission into a meaningful reality entails extensive interdisciplinary interactions, expertise, and collaborations between the traditional health and earth sciences communities. Efforts to advance our understanding of adverse effects and illness associated with environmental factors requires not only a refined understanding of the biological mechanisms and pathways (e.g., inflammation, epigenetic changes, oxidative stress, mutagenesis, etc.) related to function and disease, but also the incredibly broad and complex environmental exposures and systems that influence these processes. Further complicating efforts to understand such interactions is the need to take into account individual susceptibility to disease across the human life span. While it is clear that environmental exposures can be readily linked to disease in individuals and to disproportionate health disparities in populations, the underlying risk factors for such findings are often elusive. Health and earth scientists have a long tradition of crossing their scientific divides to work together on a wide range of problems and issues, including disasters. Emergency situations, such as the environmental asbestos contamination in Libby, Montana, the Gulf Oil Spill, numerous chemical releases into air and water, wildfires, the World Trade Center Attack, and responses to Ebola, and now Zika, demand the collective expertise of the "environmental health sciences enterprise" to protect the public's health, facilitate recovery, and improve future preparedness. Furthermore, such high visibility efforts stand as a clear example of what human and earth sciences research can accomplish when transformative interdisciplinary approaches and a diverse well-trained cadre of scientists dance together on the ballroom floor.

Human rights advances in women's reproductive health in Africa.

PubMed

Ngwena, Charles G; Brookman-Amissah, Eunice; Skuster, Patty

2015-05-01

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights recently adopted General Comment No 2 to interpret provisions of Article 14 of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights Women. The provisions relate to women's rights to fertility control, contraception, family planning, information and education, and abortion. The present article highlights the General Comment's potential to promote women's sexual and reproductive rights in multiple ways. The General Comment's human rights value goes beyond providing states with guidance for framing their domestic laws, practices, and policies to comply with treaty obligations. General Comment No 2 is invaluable in educating all stakeholders-including healthcare providers, lawyers, policymakers, and judicial officers at the domestic level-about pertinent jurisprudence. Civil society and human rights advocates can use the General Comment to render the state accountable for failure to implement its treaty obligations. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human Cancer Models Initiative | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

The Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) is an international consortium that is generating novel human tumor-derived culture models, which are annotated with genomic and clinical data. In an effort to advance cancer research and more fully understand how in vitro findings are related to clinical biology, HCMI-developed models and related data will be available as a community resource for cancer and other research.

Human Cancer Models Initiative | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

The Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) is an international consortium that is generating novel human tumor-derived culture models, which are annotated with genomic and clinical data. In an effort to advance cancer research and more fully understand how in vitro findings are related to clinical biology, HCMI-developed models and related data will be available as a community resource for cancer research.

Age-Related Effects of Advanced Glycation End Products (Ages) in Bone Matrix on Osteoclastic Resorption.

PubMed

Yang, Xiao; Gandhi, Chintan; Rahman, Md Mizanur; Appleford, Mark; Sun, Lian-Wen; Wang, Xiaodu

2015-12-01

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in bone extracellular matrix as people age. Previous studies have shown controversial results regarding the role of in situ AGEs accumulation in osteoclastic resorption. To address this issue, this study cultured human osteoclast cells directly on human cadaveric bone slices from different age groups (young and elderly) to warrant its relevance to in vivo conditions. The cell culture was terminated on the 3rd, 7th, and 10th day, respectively, to assess temporal changes in the number of differentiated osteoclasts, the number and size of osteoclastic resorption pits, the amount of bone resorbed, as well as the amount of matrix AGEs released in the medium by resorption. In addition, the in situ concentration of matrix AGEs at each resorption pit was also estimated based on its AGEs autofluorescent intensity. The results indicated that (1) osteoclastic resorption activities were significantly correlated with the donor age, showing larger but shallower resorption pits on the elderly bone substrates than on the younger ones; (2) osteoclast resorption activities were not significantly dependent on the in situ AGEs concentration in bone matrix, and (3) a correlation was observed between osteoclast activities and the concentration of AGEs released by the resorption. These results suggest that osteoclasts tend to migrate away from initial anchoring sites on elderly bone substrate during resorption compared to younger bone substrates. However, such behavior is not directly related to the in situ concentration of AGEs in bone matrix at the resorption sites.

Mapping and annotating obesity-related genes in pig and human genomes.

PubMed

Martelli, Pier Luigi; Fontanesi, Luca; Piovesan, Damiano; Fariselli, Piero; Casadio, Rita

2014-01-01

Background. Obesity is a major health problem in both developed and emerging countries. Obesity is a complex disease whose etiology involves genetic factors in strong interplay with environmental determinants and lifestyle. The discovery of genetic factors and biological pathways underlying human obesity is hampered by the difficulty in controlling the genetic background of human cohorts. Animal models are then necessary to further dissect the genetics of obesity. Pig has emerged as one of the most attractive models, because of the similarity with humans in the mechanisms regulating the fat deposition. Results. We collected the genes related to obesity in humans and to fat deposition traits in pig. We localized them on both human and pig genomes, building a map useful to interpret comparative studies on obesity. We characterized the collected genes structurally and functionally with BAR+ and mapped them on KEGG pathways and on STRING protein interaction network. Conclusions. The collected set consists of 361 obesity related genes in human and pig genomes. All genes were mapped on the human genome, and 54 could not be localized on the pig genome (release 2012). Only for 3 human genes there is no counterpart in pig, confirming that this animal is a good model for human obesity studies. Obesity related genes are mostly involved in regulation and signaling processes/pathways and relevant connection emerges between obesity-related genes and diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases.

Human Research Program: Space Human Factors and Habitability Element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russo, Dane M.

2007-01-01

The three project areas of the Space Human Factors and Habitability Element work together to achieve a working and living environment that will keep crews healthy, safe, and productive throughout all missions -- from Earth orbit to Mars expeditions. The Advanced Environmental Health (AEH) Project develops and evaluates advanced habitability systems and establishes requirements and health standards for exploration missions. The Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE) Project s goal is to ensure a safe and productive environment for humans in space. With missions using new technologies at an ever-increasing rate, it is imperative that these advances enhance crew performance without increasing stress or risk. The ultimate goal of Advanced Food Technology (AFT) Project is to develop and deliver technologies for human centered spacecraft that will support crews on missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.

Bridging international law and rights-based litigation: mapping health-related rights through the development of the Global Health and Human Rights Database.

PubMed

Meier, Benjamin Mason; Cabrera, Oscar A; Ayala, Ana; Gostin, Lawrence O

2012-06-15

The O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, the World Health Organization, and the Lawyers Collective have come together to develop a searchable Global Health and Human Rights Database that maps the intersection of health and human rights in judgments, international and regional instruments, and national constitutions. Where states long remained unaccountable for violations of health-related human rights, litigation has arisen as a central mechanism in an expanding movement to create rights-based accountability. Facilitated by the incorporation of international human rights standards in national law, this judicial enforcement has supported the implementation of rights-based claims, giving meaning to states' longstanding obligations to realize the highest attainable standard of health. Yet despite these advancements, there has been insufficient awareness of the international and domestic legal instruments enshrining health-related rights and little understanding of the scope and content of litigation upholding these rights. As this accountability movement evolves, the Global Health and Human Rights Database seeks to chart this burgeoning landscape of international instruments, national constitutions, and judgments for health-related rights. Employing international legal research to document and catalogue these three interconnected aspects of human rights for the public's health, the Database's categorization by human rights, health topics, and regional scope provides a comprehensive means of understanding health and human rights law. Through these categorizations, the Global Health and Human Rights Database serves as a basis for analogous legal reasoning across states to serve as precedents for future cases, for comparative legal analysis of similar health claims in different country contexts, and for empirical research to clarify the impact of human rights judgments on public health outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Meier, Nygren

A Human Relations Approach to the Practice of Educational Leadership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebore, Ronald W.

This book centers on the human-relation skills and knowledge that educational leaders need to lead public schools effectively. The purpose of the book is to help administrators and those studying to become administrators enhance their human-relations skills. The content and method of this book are centered on the first four of the six Interstate…

People On The Move: Some Thoughts On Human Dispersal In Relation To Rapid Climatic Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, W.

It is still generally assumed that the default situation for past humans must have been to be sedentary. That is to say, given a chance people would have settled in one area (with a good supply of resources) and established clearly-defined territories. Such concepts presuppose that much of human existence was conducted in climatic conditions sim- ilar to the relatively stable ones seen in the Holocene. What effects do rapid climatic fluctuations have upon environmental carrying capacity, and thus upon human mobil- ity and exploitation patterns? Such an approach could be called 'non-analogue', as it does not seek to impose [current] Holocene patterns upon the Pleistocene, in the same way that 'non-analogue' animal and plant communities are now routinely described for the same period. If one adopts non-analogue perspectives, perhaps one could also argue that in many cases mobility was the rule and not the exception. Turning the conventional wisdom around, we can ask why people should remain in an area. What are the characteristics of that area which could have encouraged people to become less mobile? I do not argue that all groups were mobile: some cannot have been, and not every member of other groups would have been equally mobile (differentiation on grounds of age and sex). In addition, mobility patterns must also have varied over time, although we should not necessarily expect a discernible linear trend either towards or away from greater mobility, because such behaviour operates within a climatic and environmental framework as well as a socio-economic one. If climate oscillated rapidly, it is feasible to suggest that such fluctuations affected environmental stability and thus carrying capacity. The resource species present and their availability would therefore affect the possibilities for human mobility. When discussing the possibilities for human dispersal into new regions, we essentially have a choice between two competing models: the Wave of Advance (sensu

Basic and Advanced Numerical Performances Relate to Mathematical Expertise but Are Fully Mediated by Visuospatial Skills

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of basic numerical processing in the acquisition of numerical and mathematical competences. However, it is debated whether high-level numerical skills and mathematics depends specifically on basic numerical representations. In this study mathematicians and nonmathematicians performed a basic number line task, which required mapping positive and negative numbers on a physical horizontal line, and has been shown to correlate with more advanced numerical abilities and mathematical achievement. We found that mathematicians were more accurate compared with nonmathematicians when mapping positive, but not negative numbers, which are considered numerical primitives and cultural artifacts, respectively. Moreover, performance on positive number mapping could predict whether one is a mathematician or not, and was mediated by more advanced mathematical skills. This finding might suggest a link between basic and advanced mathematical skills. However, when we included visuospatial skills, as measured by block design subtest, the mediation analysis revealed that the relation between the performance in the number line task and the group membership was explained by non-numerical visuospatial skills. These results demonstrate that relation between basic, even specific, numerical skills and advanced mathematical achievement can be artifactual and explained by visuospatial processing. PMID:26913930

The Relevance of Mouse Models for Investigating Age-Related Bone Loss in Humans

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Mice are increasingly used for investigation of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis because their genome is easily manipulated, and their skeleton is similar to that of humans. Unlike the human skeleton, however, the murine skeleton continues to grow slowly after puberty and lacks osteonal remodeling of cortical bone. Yet, like humans, mice exhibit loss of cancellous bone, thinning of cortical bone, and increased cortical porosity with advancing age. Histologic evidence in mice and humans alike indicates that inadequate osteoblast-mediated refilling of resorption cavities created during bone remodeling is responsible. Mouse models of progeria also show bone loss and skeletal defects associated with senescence of early osteoblast progenitors. Additionally, mouse models of atherosclerosis, which often occurs in osteoporotic participants, also suffer bone loss, suggesting that common diseases of aging share pathophysiological pathways. Knowledge of the causes of skeletal fragility in mice should therefore be applicable to humans if inherent limitations are recognized. PMID:23689830

Genomic signatures of diet-related shifts during human origins

PubMed Central

Babbitt, Courtney C.; Warner, Lisa R.; Fedrigo, Olivier; Wall, Christine E.; Wray, Gregory A.

2011-01-01

There are numerous anthropological analyses concerning the importance of diet during human evolution. Diet is thought to have had a profound influence on the human phenotype, and dietary differences have been hypothesized to contribute to the dramatic morphological changes seen in modern humans as compared with non-human primates. Here, we attempt to integrate the results of new genomic studies within this well-developed anthropological context. We then review the current evidence for adaptation related to diet, both at the level of sequence changes and gene expression. Finally, we propose some ways in which new technologies can help identify specific genomic adaptations that have resulted in metabolic and morphological differences between humans and non-human primates. PMID:21177690

Ex vivo diffusion MRI of the human brain: Technical challenges and recent advances.

PubMed

Roebroeck, Alard; Miller, Karla L; Aggarwal, Manisha

2018-06-04

This review discusses ex vivo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) as an important research tool for neuroanatomical investigations and the validation of in vivo dMRI techniques, with a focus on the human brain. We review the challenges posed by the properties of post-mortem tissue, and discuss state-of-the-art tissue preparation methods and recent advances in pulse sequences and acquisition techniques to tackle these. We then review recent ex vivo dMRI studies of the human brain, highlighting the validation of white matter orientation estimates and the atlasing and mapping of large subcortical structures. We also give particular emphasis to the delineation of layered gray matter structure with ex vivo dMRI, as this application illustrates the strength of its mesoscale resolution over large fields of view. We end with a discussion and outlook on future and potential directions of the field. © 2018 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Age-Dependent Recombination Rates in Human Pedigrees

PubMed Central

Hussin, Julie; Roy-Gagnon, Marie-Hélène; Gendron, Roxanne; Andelfinger, Gregor; Awadalla, Philip

2011-01-01

In humans, chromosome-number abnormalities have been associated with altered recombination and increased maternal age. Therefore, age-related effects on recombination are of major importance, especially in relation to the mechanisms involved in human trisomies. Here, we examine the relationship between maternal age and recombination rate in humans. We localized crossovers at high resolution by using over 600,000 markers genotyped in a panel of 69 French-Canadian pedigrees, revealing recombination events in 195 maternal meioses. Overall, we observed the general patterns of variation in fine-scale recombination rates previously reported in humans. However, we make the first observation of a significant decrease in recombination rates with advancing maternal age in humans, likely driven by chromosome-specific effects. The effect appears to be localized in the middle section of chromosomal arms and near subtelomeric regions. We postulate that, for some chromosomes, protection against non-disjunction provided by recombination becomes less efficient with advancing maternal age, which can be partly responsible for the higher rates of aneuploidy in older women. We propose a model that reconciles our findings with reported associations between maternal age and recombination in cases of trisomies. PMID:21912527

Measuring death-related anxiety in advanced cancer: preliminary psychometrics of the Death and Dying Distress Scale.

PubMed

Lo, Christopher; Hales, Sarah; Zimmermann, Camilla; Gagliese, Lucia; Rydall, Anne; Rodin, Gary

2011-10-01

The alleviation of distress associated with death and dying is a central goal of palliative care, despite the lack of routine measurement of this outcome. In this study, we introduce the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DADDS), a new, brief measure we have developed to assess death-related anxiety in advanced cancer and other palliative populations. We describe its preliminary psychometrics based on a sample of 33 patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. The DADDS broadly captures distress about the loss of time and opportunity, the process of death and dying, and its impact on others. The initial version of the scale has a one-factor structure and good internal reliability. Dying and death-related distress was positively associated with depression and negatively associated with spiritual, emotional, physical, and functional well-being, providing early evidence of construct validity. This distress was relatively common, with 45% of the sample scoring in the upper reaches of the scale, suggesting that the DADDS may be a relevant outcome for palliative intervention. We conclude by presenting a revised 15-item version of the scale for further study in advanced cancer and other palliative populations.

Rapidly quantifying the relative distention of a human bladder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Companion, John A. (Inventor); Heyman, Joseph S. (Inventor); Mineo, Beth A. (Inventor); Cavalier, Albert R. (Inventor); Blalock, Travis N. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A device and method was developed to rapidly quantify the relative distention of the bladder of a human subject. An ultrasonic transducer is positioned on the human subject near the bladder. A microprocessor controlled pulser excites the transducer by sending an acoustic wave into the human subject. This wave interacts with the bladder walls and is reflected back to the ultrasonic transducer where it is received, amplified, and processed by the receiver. The resulting signal is digitized by an analog to digital converter, controlled by the microprocessor again, and is stored in data memory. The software in the microprocessor determines the relative distention of the bladder as a function of the propagated ultrasonic energy. Based on programmed scientific measurements and the human subject's past history as contained in program memory, the microprocessor sends out a signal to turn on any or all of the available alarms. The alarm system includes and audible alarm, the visible alarm, the tactile alarm, and the remote wireless alarm.

Recent advances in CMV tropism, latency, and diagnosis during aging.

PubMed

Leng, Sean X; Kamil, Jeremy; Purdy, John G; Lemmermann, Niels A; Reddehase, Matthias J; Goodrum, Felicia D

2017-06-01

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the largest viruses known to cause human diseases. Chronic CMV infection, as defined by anti-CMV IgG serology, increases with age and is highly prevalent in older adults. It has complex biology with significant immunologic and health consequences. This article aims to summarize research findings presented at the 6th International Workshop on CMV and Immunosenescence that relate to advances in the areas of CMV tropism, latency, CMV manipulation of cell metabolism, and T cell memory inflation, as well as novel diagnostic evaluation and translational research of chronic CMV infection in older adults. Information summarized here represents the current state of knowledge in these important fields. Investigators have also identified a number of areas that deserve further and more in-depth investigation, including building more precise parallels between mouse CMV (mCMV) and human CMV (HCMV) research. It is hoped that this article will also stimulate engaging discussion on strategies and direction to advance the science to the next level.

The Transformation of Learning: Advances in Cultural-Historical Activity Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Oers, Bert, Ed.; Wardekker, Wim, Ed.; Elbers, Ed, Ed.; van der Veer, Rene, Ed.

2010-01-01

Learning is a changing phenomenon, depending on the advances in theory and research. This book presents a relatively new approach to learning, based on meaningful human activities in cultural practices and in collaboration with others. It draws extensively from the ideas of Lev Vygotsky and his recent followers. The book presents ideas that…

The contributions of human factors on human error in Malaysia aviation maintenance industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padil, H.; Said, M. N.; Azizan, A.

2018-05-01

Aviation maintenance is a multitasking activity in which individuals perform varied tasks under constant pressure to meet deadlines as well as challenging work conditions. These situational characteristics combined with human factors can lead to various types of human related errors. The primary objective of this research is to develop a structural relationship model that incorporates human factors, organizational factors, and their impact on human errors in aviation maintenance. Towards that end, a questionnaire was developed which was administered to Malaysian aviation maintenance professionals. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was used in this study utilizing AMOS software. Results showed that there were a significant relationship of human factors on human errors and were tested in the model. Human factors had a partial effect on organizational factors while organizational factors had a direct and positive impact on human errors. It was also revealed that organizational factors contributed to human errors when coupled with human factors construct. This study has contributed to the advancement of knowledge on human factors effecting safety and has provided guidelines for improving human factors performance relating to aviation maintenance activities and could be used as a reference for improving safety performance in the Malaysian aviation maintenance companies.

Application of Human-Autonomy Teaming to an Advanced Ground Station for Reduced Crew Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, Nhut; Johnson, Walter; Panesar, Karanvir; Wakeland, Kenny; Sadler, Garrett; Wilson, Nathan; Nguyen, Bao; Lachter, Joel; Stallmann, Summer

2017-01-01

Within human factors there is burgeoning interest in the "human-autonomy teaming" (HAT) concept as a way to address the challenges of interacting with complex, increasingly autonomous systems. The HAT concept comes out of an aspiration to interact with increasingly autonomous systems as a team member, rather than simply use automation as a tool. The authors, and others, have proposed core tenets for HAT that include bi-directional communication, automation and system transparency, and advanced coordination between human and automated teammates via predefined, dynamic task sequences known as "plays." It is believed that, with proper implementation, HAT should foster appropriate teamwork, thus increasing trust and reliance on the system, which in turn will reduce workload, increase situation awareness, and improve performance. To this end, HAT has been demonstrated and/or studied in multiple applications including search and rescue operations, healthcare and medicine, autonomous vehicles, photography, and aviation. The current paper presents one such effort to apply HAT. It details the design of a HAT agent, developed by Human Automation Teaming Solutions, Inc., to facilitate teamwork between the automation and the human operator of an advanced ground dispatch station. This dispatch station was developed to support a NASA project investigating a concept called Reduced Crew Operations (RCO); consequently, we have named the agent R-HATS. Part of the RCO concept involves a ground operator providing enhanced support to a large number of aircraft with a single pilot on the flight deck. When assisted by R-HATS, operators can monitor and support or manage a large number of aircraft and use plays to respond in real-time to complicated, workload-intensive events (e.g., an airport closure). A play is a plan that encapsulates goals, tasks, and a task allocation strategy appropriate for a particular situation. In the current implementation, when a play is initiated by a user, R

Audience responses to television news coverage of medical advances: The mediating role of audience emotions and identification.

PubMed

Hong, Hyehyun

2015-08-01

Exemplifying a real person in news stories has become a popular journalistic technique to describe an event or issue. With the frequent appearance of medical news reports in local television in recent years, this news presentation style is widely believed to help audiences better engage in and understand complex medical information and to influence their perceptions and judgments. In terms of television news coverage of medical advances, this study investigates how audiences respond to embedded human examples (mainly patients who experience benefits from the advances) and to overall news stories, and how such responses are related to their perception of portrayed medical advances. The experimental results indicate that news stories with a human example were more likely to intensify the audience's positive emotions than those without, which in turn influenced favorable perceptions of the described medical advance. In addition, the extent to which the audience identified with a human example (in particular, sympathy) mediated the relationship between the audience's involvement in the news story and its perception of the portrayed medical advance. © The Author(s) 2014.

The nearest relative in mental health law.

PubMed

Andoh, Benjamin; Gogo, Emmanuel

2004-04-01

This article considers the concept of the 'nearest relative' in mental health law in England and Wales and argues, inter alia, for its retention in a way that avoids violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998. It looks, first, at the meaning of nearest relative and then focuses on his/her role today, including its link with advance directives for mental health care, and on the tension between nearest relatives and approved social workers and the law. The problem exposed by JT v. United Kingdom in relation to the Human Rights Act 1998 and its implications for the future are considered. The impact of the Mental Health Bill (2002) on the nearest relative is discussed and recommendations to improve the present law are then suggested.

Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity are two important factors affecting vision-related quality of life in advanced age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Roh, Miin; Selivanova, Alexandra; Shin, Hyun Joon; Miller, Joan W; Jackson, Mary Lou

2018-01-01

Vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has a profound effect on vision-related quality of life (VRQoL). The pupose of this study is to identify clinical factors associated with VRQoL using the Rasch- calibrated NEI VFQ-25 scales in bilateral advanced AMD patients. We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients (mean age 83.2 years) with bilateral advanced AMD. Clinical assessment included age, gender, type of AMD, high contrast visual acuity (VA), history of medical conditions, contrast sensitivity (CS), central visual field loss, report of Charles Bonnet Syndrome, current treatment for AMD and Rasch-calibrated NEI VFQ-25 visual function and socioemotional function scales. The NEI VFQ visual function scale includes items of general vision, peripheral vision, distance vision and near vision-related activity while the socioemotional function scale includes items of vision related-social functioning, role difficulties, dependency, and mental health. Multiple regression analysis (structural regression model) was performed using fixed item parameters obtained from the one-parameter item response theory model. Multivariate analysis showed that high contrast VA and CS were two factors influencing VRQoL visual function scale (β = -0.25, 95% CI-0.37 to -0.12, p<0.001 and β = 0.35, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.46, p<0.001) and socioemontional functioning scale (β = -0.2, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.03, p = 0.023, and β = 0.3, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.43, p = 0.001). Central visual field loss was not assoicated with either VRQoL visual or socioemontional functioning scale (β = -0.08, 95% CI-0.28 to 0.12,p = 0.44 and β = -0.09, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.16, p = 0.50, respectively). In patients with vision impairment secondary to bilateral advanced AMD, high contrast VA and CS are two important factors affecting VRQoL.

Management of treatment-related toxicities in advanced medullary thyroid cancer.

PubMed

Brose, Marcia S; Bible, Keith C; Chow, Laura Q M; Gilbert, Jill; Grande, Carolyn; Worden, Francis; Haddad, Robert

2018-05-01

Progress in the treatment of advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) has resulted from the approval of 2 drugs within the past 5 years, vandetanib and cabozantinib. These multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) possess overlapping specificities for multiple kinase targets implicated in the progression of MTC. Both drugs are associated with toxicities, including hypertension, hemorrhage/perforation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal events, several dermatologic events, and hypothyroidism. In addition, vandetanib is uniquely associated with QTc prolongation through interaction with myocardial potassium channels, and cabozantinib is uniquely associated with hand-foot skin reaction. Treatment-related toxicities occur frequently and can be severe or life-threatening, and patients undergoing long-term treatment will likely experience adverse events (AEs). Here we offer specific practical recommendations for managing AEs commonly occurring with vandetanib and cabozantinib. The recommended approach relies on early recognition and palliation of symptoms, dose interruption, and dose reduction as necessary in order for the patient to maintain the highest tolerable dose for as long as possible and optimal quality of life. Treatment guidelines do not specify a recommended sequence for treating with vandetanib and cabozantinib; however, most patients will receive both drugs during their lifetime. The choice for first-line therapy is individualized after a risk-benefit assessment and depends on physician preference and patient-related factors, such as comorbid conditions. Because most generalist practices may not be familiar with the intricacies of agents such as vandetanib and cabozantinib, we commend that patients with advanced MTC be managed and treated by a thyroid cancer specialist with coordination of care within a multidisciplinary team. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Basic and advanced numerical performances relate to mathematical expertise but are fully mediated by visuospatial skills.

PubMed

Sella, Francesco; Sader, Elie; Lolliot, Simon; Cohen Kadosh, Roi

2016-09-01

Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of basic numerical processing in the acquisition of numerical and mathematical competences. However, it is debated whether high-level numerical skills and mathematics depends specifically on basic numerical representations. In this study mathematicians and nonmathematicians performed a basic number line task, which required mapping positive and negative numbers on a physical horizontal line, and has been shown to correlate with more advanced numerical abilities and mathematical achievement. We found that mathematicians were more accurate compared with nonmathematicians when mapping positive, but not negative numbers, which are considered numerical primitives and cultural artifacts, respectively. Moreover, performance on positive number mapping could predict whether one is a mathematician or not, and was mediated by more advanced mathematical skills. This finding might suggest a link between basic and advanced mathematical skills. However, when we included visuospatial skills, as measured by block design subtest, the mediation analysis revealed that the relation between the performance in the number line task and the group membership was explained by non-numerical visuospatial skills. These results demonstrate that relation between basic, even specific, numerical skills and advanced mathematical achievement can be artifactual and explained by visuospatial processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cilia/Ift protein and motor -related bone diseases and mouse models.

PubMed

Yuan, Xue; Yang, Shuying

2015-01-01

Primary cilia are essential cellular organelles projecting from the cell surface to sense and transduce developmental signaling. They are tiny but have complicated structures containing microtubule (MT)-based internal structures (the axoneme) and mother centriole formed basal body. Intraflagellar transport (Ift) operated by Ift proteins and motors are indispensable for cilia formation and function. Mutations in Ift proteins or Ift motors cause various human diseases, some of which have severe bone defects. Over the last few decades, major advances have occurred in understanding the roles of these proteins and cilia in bone development and remodeling by examining cilia/Ift protein-related human diseases and establishing mouse transgenic models. In this review, we describe current advances in the understanding of the cilia/Ift structure and function. We further summarize cilia/Ift-related human diseases and current mouse models with an emphasis on bone-related phenotypes, cilia morphology, and signaling pathways.

Three Experiments Examining the Use of Electroencephalogram,Event-Related Potentials, and Heart-Rate Variability for Real-Time Human-Centered Adaptive Automation Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Parasuraman, Raja; Freeman, Frederick G.; Scerbo, Mark W.; Mikulka, Peter J.; Pope, Alan T.

2003-01-01

Adaptive automation represents an advanced form of human-centered automation design. The approach to automation provides for real-time and model-based assessments of human-automation interaction, determines whether the human has entered into a hazardous state of awareness and then modulates the task environment to keep the operator in-the-loop , while maintaining an optimal state of task engagement and mental alertness. Because adaptive automation has not matured, numerous challenges remain, including what the criteria are, for determining when adaptive aiding and adaptive function allocation should take place. Human factors experts in the area have suggested a number of measures including the use of psychophysiology. This NASA Technical Paper reports on three experiments that examined the psychophysiological measures of event-related potentials, electroencephalogram, and heart-rate variability for real-time adaptive automation. The results of the experiments confirm the efficacy of these measures for use in both a developmental and operational role for adaptive automation design. The implications of these results and future directions for psychophysiology and human-centered automation design are discussed.

Open Innovation at NASA: A New Business Model for Advancing Human Health and Performance Innovations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Elizabeth E.; Keeton, Kathryn E.

2014-01-01

This paper describes a new business model for advancing NASA human health and performance innovations and demonstrates how open innovation shaped its development. A 45 percent research and technology development budget reduction drove formulation of a strategic plan grounded in collaboration. We describe the strategy execution, including adoption and results of open innovation initiatives, the challenges of cultural change, and the development of virtual centers and a knowledge management tool to educate and engage the workforce and promote cultural change.

Current advances in the generation of human iPS cells: implications in cell-based regenerative medicine.

PubMed

Revilla, Ana; González, Clara; Iriondo, Amaia; Fernández, Bárbara; Prieto, Cristina; Marín, Carlos; Liste, Isabel

2016-11-01

Over the last few years, the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human somatic cells has proved to be one of the most potentially useful discoveries in regenerative medicine. iPSCs are becoming an invaluable tool to study the pathology of different diseases and for drug screening. However, several limitations still affect the possibility of applying iPS cell-based technology in therapeutic prospects. Most strategies for iPSCs generation are based on gene delivery via retroviral or lentiviral vectors, which integrate into the host's cell genome, causing a remarkable risk of insertional mutagenesis and oncogenic transformation. To avoid such risks, significant advances have been made with non-integrative reprogramming strategies. On the other hand, although many different kinds of somatic cells have been employed to generate iPSCs, there is still no consensus about the ideal type of cell to be reprogrammed. In this review we present the recent advances in the generation of human iPSCs, discussing their advantages and limitations in terms of safety and efficiency. We also present a selection of somatic cell sources, considering their capability to be reprogrammed and tissue accessibility. From a translational medicine perspective, these two topics will provide evidence to elucidate the most suitable combination of reprogramming strategy and cell source to be applied in each human iPSC-based therapy. The wide variety of diseases this technology could treat opens a hopeful future for regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

NASA Advanced Exploration Systems: Advancements in Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shull, Sarah A.; Schneider, Walter F.

2016-01-01

The NASA Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Life Support Systems (LSS) project strives to develop reliable, energy-efficient, and low-mass spacecraft systems to provide environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) critical to enabling long duration human missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Highly reliable, closed-loop life support systems are among the capabilities required for the longer duration human space exploration missions assessed by NASA’s Habitability Architecture Team.

How Can Diet Affect the Accumulation of Advanced Glycation End-Products in the Human Body?

PubMed

Guilbaud, Axel; Niquet-Leridon, Celine; Boulanger, Eric; Tessier, Frederic J

2016-12-06

The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is associated with the complications of diabetes, kidney disease, metabolic disorders and degenerative diseases. It is recognized that the pool of glycation products found in the human body comes not only from an endogenous formation, but also from a dietary exposure to exogenous AGEs. In recent years, the development of pharmacologically-active ingredients aimed at inhibiting endogenous glycation has not been successful. Since the accumulation of AGEs in the human body appears to be progressive throughout life, an early preventive action against glycation could be effective through dietary adjustments or supplementation with purified micronutrients. The present article provides an overview of current dietary strategies tested either in vitro, in vivo or both to reduce the endogenous formation of AGEs and to limit exposure to food AGEs.

Learning multiple relative attributes with humans in the loop.

PubMed

Qian, Buyue; Wang, Xiang; Cao, Nan; Jiang, Yu-Gang; Davidson, Ian

2014-12-01

Semantic attributes have been recognized as a more spontaneous manner to describe and annotate image content. It is widely accepted that image annotation using semantic attributes is a significant improvement to the traditional binary or multiclass annotation due to its naturally continuous and relative properties. Though useful, existing approaches rely on an abundant supervision and high-quality training data, which limit their applicability. Two standard methods to overcome small amounts of guidance and low-quality training data are transfer and active learning. In the context of relative attributes, this would entail learning multiple relative attributes simultaneously and actively querying a human for additional information. This paper addresses the two main limitations in existing work: 1) it actively adds humans to the learning loop so that minimal additional guidance can be given and 2) it learns multiple relative attributes simultaneously and thereby leverages dependence amongst them. In this paper, we formulate a joint active learning to rank framework with pairwise supervision to achieve these two aims, which also has other benefits such as the ability to be kernelized. The proposed framework optimizes over a set of ranking functions (measuring the strength of the presence of attributes) simultaneously and dependently on each other. The proposed pairwise queries take the form of which one of these two pictures is more natural? These queries can be easily answered by humans. Extensive empirical study on real image data sets shows that our proposed method, compared with several state-of-the-art methods, achieves superior retrieval performance while requires significantly less human inputs.

Statin use and the incidence of advanced age-related macular degeneration in the Complications of Age-related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial.

PubMed

Maguire, Maureen G; Ying, Gui-shuang; McCannel, Colin A; Liu, Chengcheng; Dai, Yang

2009-12-01

To evaluate the impact of statin use on the incidence of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its components, choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and geographic atrophy (GA), among patients with bilateral large drusen. Cohort study within a multicenter, randomized, clinical trial. Patients enrolled in the Complications of Age-related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial (CAPT). Eligibility criteria for the clinical trial required that participants have >or=10 large (>125 microm) drusen and visual acuity >or=20/40 in each eye. Patients scheduled for their final CAPT visit after May 2005 were interviewed on their history of use of cholesterol-lowering medications, including statins. Trained readers identified CNV and end point GA (>1 Macular Photocoagulation Study disc area of GA) based on review of fluorescein angiograms and fundus photographs taken at annual follow-up visits and when patients reported symptoms. The risk ratio for participants developing CNV or developing GA associated with statin use was estimated with time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models. Development of advanced AMD, CNV, and end point GA. Among 764 patients eligible for the interview, 744 (97.4%) patients completed the interview on medication use. Statin use was reported by 296 (39.8%) of those interviewed, with the majority, 187 (63.2%) of the 296, beginning use after enrollment in CAPT. Among 744 patients, advanced AMD developed in 332 (22.5%) eyes of 242 (32.5%) patients, CNV in 222 (15%) eyes of 176 (23.7%) patients, and GA in 114 (7.7%) eyes of 80 (10.8%) patients. With adjustment for other risk factors, the estimated risk ratio for eyes (95% confidence interval) associated with statin use was 1.15 (0.87-1.52) for advanced AMD, 1.35 (0.99-1.83) for CNV, and 0.80 (0.46-1.39) for GA. The CAPT data are not consistent with a strong protective effect (risk ratio, advanced AMD among patients with bilateral large drusen.

Advances in neglected tropical disease vaccines: Developing relative potency and functional assays for the Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel hookworm vaccine

PubMed Central

Brelsford, Jill B.; Plieskatt, Jordan L.; Yakovleva, Anna; Jariwala, Amar; Keegan, Brian P.; Peng, Jin; Xia, Pengjun; Li, Guangzhao; Campbell, Doreen; Periago, Maria Victoria; Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Bottazzi, Maria Elena; Hotez, Peter J.

2017-01-01

A new generation of vaccines for the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have now advanced into clinical development, with the Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine already being tested in Phase 1 studies in healthy adults. The current manuscript focuses on the often overlooked critical aspects of NTD vaccine product development, more specifically, vaccine stability testing programs. A key measure of vaccine stability testing is "relative potency" or the immunogenicity of the vaccine during storage. As with most NTD vaccines, the Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine was not developed by attenuation or inactivation of the pathogen (Necator americanus), so conventional methods for measuring relative potency are not relevant for this investigational product. Herein, we describe a novel relative potency testing program and report for the first time on the clinical lot of this NTD vaccine during its first 60 months of storage at 2–8°C. We also describe the development of a complementary functional assay that measures the ability of IgG from animals or humans immunized with Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel to neutralize this important hookworm enzyme. While 90% inhibition of the catalytic activity of Na-GST-1 was achieved in animals immunized with Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel, lower levels of inhibition were observed in immunized humans. Moreover, anti-Na-GST-1 antibodies from volunteers in non-hookworm endemic areas were better able to inhibit catalytic activity than anti-Na-GST-1 antibodies from volunteers resident in hookworm endemic areas. The results described herein provide the critical tools for the product development of NTD vaccines. PMID:28192438

Advances in neglected tropical disease vaccines: Developing relative potency and functional assays for the Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel hookworm vaccine.

PubMed

Brelsford, Jill B; Plieskatt, Jordan L; Yakovleva, Anna; Jariwala, Amar; Keegan, Brian P; Peng, Jin; Xia, Pengjun; Li, Guangzhao; Campbell, Doreen; Periago, Maria Victoria; Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Bottazzi, Maria Elena; Hotez, Peter J; Diemert, David; Bethony, Jeffrey M

2017-02-01

A new generation of vaccines for the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have now advanced into clinical development, with the Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine already being tested in Phase 1 studies in healthy adults. The current manuscript focuses on the often overlooked critical aspects of NTD vaccine product development, more specifically, vaccine stability testing programs. A key measure of vaccine stability testing is "relative potency" or the immunogenicity of the vaccine during storage. As with most NTD vaccines, the Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine was not developed by attenuation or inactivation of the pathogen (Necator americanus), so conventional methods for measuring relative potency are not relevant for this investigational product. Herein, we describe a novel relative potency testing program and report for the first time on the clinical lot of this NTD vaccine during its first 60 months of storage at 2-8°C. We also describe the development of a complementary functional assay that measures the ability of IgG from animals or humans immunized with Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel to neutralize this important hookworm enzyme. While 90% inhibition of the catalytic activity of Na-GST-1 was achieved in animals immunized with Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel, lower levels of inhibition were observed in immunized humans. Moreover, anti-Na-GST-1 antibodies from volunteers in non-hookworm endemic areas were better able to inhibit catalytic activity than anti-Na-GST-1 antibodies from volunteers resident in hookworm endemic areas. The results described herein provide the critical tools for the product development of NTD vaccines.

Advancing health equity in the global marketplace: how human rights can help.

PubMed

Schrecker, Ted; Chapman, Audrey R; Labonté, Ronald; De Vogli, Roberto

2010-10-01

The WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) ascribed health disparities within and between countries to "a toxic combination of poor social policies and programmes, unfair economic arrangements, and bad politics." This article analyzes the relevance of the international human rights framework (IHRF) to the Commission's goal of reducing health disparities with reference to both social scientific and legal scholarship. We begin with an overview of the IHRF, demonstrating its potential as a challenge to the normative foundations of the emerging global economic order. We then survey the research literature on mechanisms to ensure accountability for realization of health-related rights, emphasizing the potential effectiveness of making human rights enforceable through the courts, and the special need for mechanisms to hold countries and international institutions accountable for obligations related to the human right to health. We conclude by identifying three key directions for further research, policy and advocacy: comparative human rights litigation, specifically the willingness of courts to address broad policy and budgetary issues; the conditions under which governments legislate or constitutionalize economic and social rights; and how rich, powerful countries affect economic and social rights outside their borders. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space Power Architectures for NASA Missions: The Applicability and Benefits of Advanced Power and Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, David J.

2001-01-01

The relative importance of electrical power systems as compared with other spacecraft bus systems is examined. The quantified benefits of advanced space power architectures for NASA Earth Science, Space Science, and Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) missions is then presented. Advanced space power technologies highlighted include high specific power solar arrays, regenerative fuel cells, Stirling radioisotope power sources, flywheel energy storage and attitude control, lithium ion polymer energy storage and advanced power management and distribution.

Health-related quality of life measurement in oncology: advances and opportunities.

PubMed

Cella, David; Stone, Arthur A

2015-01-01

The concept of health-related quality of life has a long history in the field of oncology treatment and research. We present a brief history of how the concept has evolved in oncology and the sentinel events in that process. We then focus on advances in measurement science as applied to health-related quality of life measures and argue that a compelling new set of measurement tools is now available, including brief, generic measures with good psychometric qualities (exemplified by the new PROMIS measures and the possibility of a common metric spanning all diseases). The last section of the paper turns to emerging opportunities for these measures, including in clinical trials, healthcare reform, and regulatory deliberations. Our conclusion is that health-related quality of life is more important today than it has ever been, and that the time has come for an even wider adoption of the new measures. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Some NASA contributions to human factors engineering: A survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behan, R. A.; Wendhausen, H. W.

1973-01-01

This survey presents the NASA contributions to the state of the art of human factors engineering, and indicates that these contributions have a variety of applications to nonaerospace activities. Emphasis is placed on contributions relative to man's sensory, motor, decisionmaking, and cognitive behavior and on applications that advance human factors technology.

Advancing coupled human-earth system models: The integrated Earth System Model Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomson, A. M.; Edmonds, J. A.; Collins, W.; Thornton, P. E.; Hurtt, G. C.; Janetos, A. C.; Jones, A.; Mao, J.; Chini, L. P.; Calvin, K. V.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.; Shi, X.

2012-12-01

As human and biogeophysical models develop, opportunities for connections between them evolve and can be used to advance our understanding of human-earth systems interaction in the context of a changing climate. One such integration is taking place with the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). A multi-disciplinary, multi-institution team has succeeded in integrating the GCAM integrated assessment model of human activity into CESM to dynamically represent the feedbacks between changing climate and human decision making, in the context of greenhouse gas mitigation policies. The first applications of this capability have focused on the feedbacks between climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystem productivity and human decisions affecting future land use change, which are in turn connected to human decisions about energy systems and bioenergy production. These experiments have been conducted in the context of the RCP4.5 scenario, one of four pathways of future radiative forcing being used in CMIP5, which constrains future human-induced greenhouse gas emissions from energy and land activities to stabilize radiative forcing at 4.5 W/m2 (~650 ppm CO2 -eq) by 2100. When this pathway is run in GCAM with the climate feedback on terrestrial productivity from CESM, there are implications for both the land use and energy system changes required for stabilization. Early findings indicate that traditional definitions of radiative forcing used in scenario development are missing a critical component of the biogeophysical consequences of land use change and their contribution to effective radiative forcing. Initial full coupling of the two global models has important implications for how climate impacts on terrestrial ecosystems changes the dynamics of future land use change for agriculture and forestry, particularly in the context of a climate mitigation policy designed to reduce emissions from land use as well as energy systems

Isolating gait-related movement artifacts in electroencephalography during human walking.

PubMed

Kline, Julia E; Huang, Helen J; Snyder, Kristine L; Ferris, Daniel P

2015-08-01

High-density electroencephelography (EEG) can provide an insight into human brain function during real-world activities with walking. Some recent studies have used EEG to characterize brain activity during walking, but the relative contributions of movement artifact and electrocortical activity have been difficult to quantify. We aimed to characterize movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes at a range of walking speeds and to test the efficacy of artifact removal methods. We also quantified the similarity between movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes and a head-mounted accelerometer. We used a novel experimental method to isolate and record movement artifact with EEG electrodes during walking. We blocked electrophysiological signals using a nonconductive layer (silicone swim cap) and simulated an electrically conductive scalp on top of the swim cap using a wig coated with conductive gel. We recorded motion artifact EEG data from nine young human subjects walking on a treadmill at speeds from 0.4 to 1.6 m s(-1). We then tested artifact removal methods including moving average and wavelet-based techniques. Movement artifact recorded with EEG electrodes varied considerably, across speed, subject, and electrode location. The movement artifact measured with EEG electrodes did not correlate well with head acceleration. All of the tested artifact removal methods attenuated low-frequency noise but did not completely remove movement artifact. The spectral power fluctuations in the movement artifact data resembled data from some previously published studies of EEG during walking. Our results suggest that EEG data recorded during walking likely contains substantial movement artifact that: cannot be explained by head accelerations; varies across speed, subject, and channel; and cannot be removed using traditional signal processing methods. Future studies should focus on more sophisticated methods for removal of EEG movement artifact to advance the field.

Isolating gait-related movement artifacts in electroencephalography during human walking

PubMed Central

Kline, Julia E.; Huang, Helen J.; Snyder, Kristine L.; Ferris, Daniel P.

2016-01-01

Objective High-density electroencephelography (EEG) can provide insight into human brain function during real-world activities with walking. Some recent studies have used EEG to characterize brain activity during walking, but the relative contributions of movement artifact and electrocortical activity have been difficult to quantify. We aimed to characterize movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes at a range of walking speeds and to test the efficacy of artifact removal methods. We also quantified the similarity between movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes and a head-mounted accelerometer. Approach We used a novel experimental method to isolate and record movement artifact with EEG electrodes during walking. We blocked electrophysiological signals using a nonconductive layer (silicone swim cap) and simulated an electrically conductive scalp on top of the swim cap using a wig coated with conductive gel. We recorded motion artifact EEG data from nine young human subjects walking on a treadmill at speeds from 0.4–1.6 m/s. We then tested artifact removal methods including moving average and wavelet-based techniques. Main Results Movement artifact recorded with EEG electrodes varied considerably, across speed, subject, and electrode location. The movement artifact measured with EEG electrodes did not correlate well with head acceleration. All of the tested artifact removal methods attenuated low-frequency noise but did not completely remove movement artifact. The spectral power fluctuations in the movement artifact data resembled data from some previously published studies of EEG during walking. Significance Our results suggest that EEG data recorded during walking likely contains substantial movement artifact that: cannot be explained by head accelerations; varies across speed, subject, and channel; and cannot be removed using traditional signal processing methods. Future studies should focus on more sophisticated methods for removing of EEG movement

Prediction model for prevalence and incidence of advanced age-related macular degeneration based on genetic, demographic, and environmental variables.

PubMed

Seddon, Johanna M; Reynolds, Robyn; Maller, Julian; Fagerness, Jesen A; Daly, Mark J; Rosner, Bernard

2009-05-01

The joint effects of genetic, ocular, and environmental variables were evaluated and predictive models for prevalence and incidence of AMD were assessed. Participants in the multicenter Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) were included in a prospective evaluation of 1446 individuals, of which 279 progressed to advanced AMD (geographic atrophy or neovascular disease) and 1167 did not progress during 6.3 years of follow-up. For prevalent AMD, 509 advanced cases were compared with 222 controls. Covariates for the incidence analysis included age, sex, education, smoking, body mass index (BMI), baseline AMD grade, and the AREDS vitamin-mineral treatment assignment. DNA specimens were evaluated for six variants in five genes related to AMD. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were performed for prevalent and incident advanced AMD. An algorithm was developed and receiver operating characteristic curves and C statistics were calculated to assess the predictive ability of risk scores to discriminate progressors from nonprogressors. All genetic polymorphisms were independently related to prevalence of advanced AMD, controlling for genetic factors, smoking, BMI, and AREDS treatment. Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) were 3.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-7.1) for CFH Y402H; 3.7 (95% CI, 1.6-8.4) for CFH rs1410996; 25.4 (95% CI, 8.6-75.1) for LOC387715 A69S (ARMS2); 0.3 (95% CI, 0.1-0.7) for C2 E318D; 0.3 (95% CI, 0.1-0.5) for CFB; and 3.6 (95% CI, 1.4-9.4) for C3 R102G, comparing the homozygous risk/protective genotypes to the referent genotypes. For incident AMD, all these variants except CFB were significantly related to progression to advanced AMD, after controlling for baseline AMD grade and other factors, with ORs from 1.8 to 4.0 for presence of two risk alleles and 0.4 for the protective allele. An interaction was seen between CFH402H and treatment, after controlling for all genotypes. Smoking was independently related to AMD, with a multiplicative joint

Human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in relation to access to medicines.

PubMed

Lee, Joo-Young; Hunt, Paul

2012-01-01

Although access to medicines is a vital feature of the right to the highest attainable standard of health ("right to health"), almost two billion people lack access to essential medicines, leading to immense avoidable suffering. While the human rights responsibility to provide access to medicines lies mainly with States, pharmaceutical companies also have human rights responsibilities in relation to access to medicines. This article provides an introduction to these responsibilities. It briefly outlines the new UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and places the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in this context. The authors draw from the work of the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, in particular the Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in Relation to Access to Medicines that he presented to the UN General Assembly in 2008, and his UN report on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). While the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are general human rights standards applicable to all business entities, the Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies consider the specific human rights responsibilities of one sector (pharmaceutical companies) in relation to one area of activity (access to medicines). The article signals the human rights responsibilities of all pharmaceutical companies, with particular attention to patent-holding pharmaceutical companies. Adopting a right-to-health "lens," the article discusses GSK and accountability. The authors argue that human rights should shape pharmaceutical companies' policies, and provide standards in relation to which pharmaceutical companies could, and should, be held accountable. They conclude that it is now crucial to devise independent, accessible, transparent, and effective mechanisms to monitor pharmaceutical companies and hold them publicly accountable for their human rights responsibilities. © 2012 American

Technology Roadmap Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface to Support DOE Advanced Nuclear Energy Programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Donald D Dudenhoeffer; Burce P Hallbert

Instrumentation, Controls, and Human-Machine Interface (ICHMI) technologies are essential to ensuring delivery and effective operation of optimized advanced Generation IV (Gen IV) nuclear energy systems. In 1996, the Watts Bar I nuclear power plant in Tennessee was the last U.S. nuclear power plant to go on line. It was, in fact, built based on pre-1990 technology. Since this last U.S. nuclear power plant was designed, there have been major advances in the field of ICHMI systems. Computer technology employed in other industries has advanced dramatically, and computing systems are now replaced every few years as they become functionally obsolete. Functionalmore » obsolescence occurs when newer, more functional technology replaces or supersedes an existing technology, even though an existing technology may well be in working order.Although ICHMI architectures are comprised of much of the same technology, they have not been updated nearly as often in the nuclear power industry. For example, some newer Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) or handheld computers may, in fact, have more functionality than the 1996 computer control system at the Watts Bar I plant. This illustrates the need to transition and upgrade current nuclear power plant ICHMI technologies.« less

Human toxocariasis: current advances in diagnostics, treatment, and interventions.

PubMed

Moreira, Gustavo Marçal Schmidt Garcia; Telmo, Paula de Lima; Mendonça, Marcelo; Moreira, Angela Nunes; McBride, Alan John Alexander; Scaini, Carlos James; Conceição, Fabricio Rochedo

2014-09-01

Toxocariasis is a neglected zoonosis caused by the nematodes Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. This disease is widespread in many countries, reaching high prevalence independently of the economic conditions. However, the true number of cases of toxocariasis is likely to be underestimated owing to the lack of adequate surveillance programs. Although some diagnostic tests are available, their sensitivity and specificity need to be improved. In addition, treatment options for toxocariasis are limited and are non-specific. Toxocariasis is listed as one of the five most important neglected diseases by the CDC. This review presents recent advances related to the control of toxocariasis, including new immunodiagnostics, therapies, and drug formulations, as well as novel interventions using DNA vaccines, immunomodulators, and probiotics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in Biosensors, Chemosensors and Assays for the Determination of Fusarium Mycotoxins.

PubMed

Lin, Xialu; Guo, Xiong

2016-05-24

The contaminations of Fusarium mycotoxins in grains and related products, and the exposure in human body are considerable concerns in food safety and human health worldwide. The common Fusarium mycotoxins include fumonisins, T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. For this reason, simple, fast and sensitive analytical techniques are particularly important for the screening and determination of Fusarium mycotoxins. In this review, we outlined the related advances in biosensors, chemosensors and assays based on the classical and novel recognition elements such as antibodies, aptamers and molecularly imprinted polymers. Application to food/feed commodities, limit and time of detection were also discussed.

Geography as Human Ecology: A Decade of Progress in a Quarter Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Philip W.

1978-01-01

Traces advances in human ecology from 1954-1978, considers research methodology used by geographers to study human ecology, and summarizes major research findings. Concludes that geographers should develop models to explain mutual relations of people and environment. (Author/DB)

Detection of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on human skin by in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, A. A.; Pereira, L.; Ali, S. M.; Pizzol, C. D.; Tellez, C. A.; Favero, P. P.; Santos, L.; da Silva, V. V.; Praes, C. E. O.

2016-03-01

The aging process involves the reduction in the production of the major components of skin tissue. During intrinsic aging and photoaging processes, in dermis of human skin, fibroblasts become senescent and have decreased activity, which produce low levels of collagen. Moreover, there is accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs have incidence in the progression of age-related diseases, principally in diabetes mellitus and in Alzheimer's diseases. AGEs causes intracellular damage and/or apoptosis leading to an increase of the free radicals, generating a crosslink with skin proteins and oxidative stress. The aim of this study is to detect AGEs markers on human skin by in vivo Confocal Raman spectroscopy. Spectra were obtained by using a Rivers Diagnostic System, 785 nm laser excitation and a CCD detector from the skin surface down to 120 μm depth. We analyzed the confocal Raman spectra of the skin dermis of 30 women volunteers divided into 3 groups: 10 volunteers with diabetes mellitus type II, 65-80 years old (DEW); 10 young healthy women, 20-33 years old (HYW); and 10 elderly healthy women, 65-80 years old (HEW). Pentosidine and glucosepane were the principally identified AGEs in the hydroxyproline and proline Raman spectral region (1000-800 cm-1), in the 1.260-1.320 cm-1 region assignable to alpha-helical amide III modes, and in the Amide I region. Pentosidine and glucosepane calculated vibrational spectra were performed through Density Functional Theory using the B3LYP functional with 3-21G basis set. Difference between the Raman spectra of diabetic elderly women and healthy young women, and between healthy elderly women and healthy young women were also obtained with the purpose of identifying AGEs Raman bands markers. AGEs peaks and collagen changes have been identified and used to quantify the glycation process in human skin.

How Can Diet Affect the Accumulation of Advanced Glycation End-Products in the Human Body?

PubMed Central

Guilbaud, Axel; Niquet-Leridon, Celine; Boulanger, Eric; Tessier, Frederic J.

2016-01-01

The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is associated with the complications of diabetes, kidney disease, metabolic disorders and degenerative diseases. It is recognized that the pool of glycation products found in the human body comes not only from an endogenous formation, but also from a dietary exposure to exogenous AGEs. In recent years, the development of pharmacologically-active ingredients aimed at inhibiting endogenous glycation has not been successful. Since the accumulation of AGEs in the human body appears to be progressive throughout life, an early preventive action against glycation could be effective through dietary adjustments or supplementation with purified micronutrients. The present article provides an overview of current dietary strategies tested either in vitro, in vivo or both to reduce the endogenous formation of AGEs and to limit exposure to food AGEs. PMID:28231179

Advances in Microfluidic Platforms for Analyzing and Regulating Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Qian, Tongcheng; Shusta, Eric V.; Palecek, Sean P.

2015-01-01

Microfluidic devices employ submillimeter length scale control of flow to achieve high-resolution spatial and temporal control over the microenvironment, providing powerful tools to elucidate mechanisms of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) regulation and to elicit desired hPSC fates. In addition, microfluidics allow control of paracrine and juxtracrine signaling, thereby enabling fabrication of microphysiological systems comprised of multiple cell types organized into organs-on-a-chip. Microfluidic cell culture systems can also be integrated with actuators and sensors, permitting construction of high-density arrays of cell-based biosensors for screening applications. This review describes recent advances in using microfluidics to understand mechanisms by which the microenvironment regulates hPSC fates and applications of microfluidics to realize the potential of hPSCs for in vitro modeling and screening applications. PMID:26313850

Neurolinguistic Relativity: How Language Flexes Human Perception and Cognition

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The time has come, perhaps, to go beyond merely acknowledging that language is a core manifestation of the workings of the human mind and that it relates interactively to all aspects of thinking. The issue, thus, is not to decide whether language and human thought may be ineluctably linked (they just are), but rather to determine what the characteristics of this relationship may be and to understand how language influences—and may be influenced by—nonverbal information processing. In an attempt to demystify linguistic relativity, I review neurolinguistic studies from our research group showing a link between linguistic distinctions and perceptual or conceptual processing. On the basis of empirical evidence showing effects of terminology on perception, language‐idiosyncratic relationships in semantic memory, grammatical skewing of event conceptualization, and unconscious modulation of executive functioning by verbal input, I advocate a neurofunctional approach through which we can systematically explore how languages shape human thought. PMID:27642191

Neurolinguistic Relativity: How Language Flexes Human Perception and Cognition.

PubMed

Thierry, Guillaume

2016-09-01

The time has come, perhaps, to go beyond merely acknowledging that language is a core manifestation of the workings of the human mind and that it relates interactively to all aspects of thinking. The issue, thus, is not to decide whether language and human thought may be ineluctably linked (they just are), but rather to determine what the characteristics of this relationship may be and to understand how language influences-and may be influenced by-nonverbal information processing. In an attempt to demystify linguistic relativity, I review neurolinguistic studies from our research group showing a link between linguistic distinctions and perceptual or conceptual processing. On the basis of empirical evidence showing effects of terminology on perception, language-idiosyncratic relationships in semantic memory, grammatical skewing of event conceptualization, and unconscious modulation of executive functioning by verbal input, I advocate a neurofunctional approach through which we can systematically explore how languages shape human thought.

Human performance models for computer-aided engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elkind, Jerome I. (Editor); Card, Stuart K. (Editor); Hochberg, Julian (Editor); Huey, Beverly Messick (Editor)

1989-01-01

This report discusses a topic important to the field of computational human factors: models of human performance and their use in computer-based engineering facilities for the design of complex systems. It focuses on a particular human factors design problem -- the design of cockpit systems for advanced helicopters -- and on a particular aspect of human performance -- vision and related cognitive functions. By focusing in this way, the authors were able to address the selected topics in some depth and develop findings and recommendations that they believe have application to many other aspects of human performance and to other design domains.

Functional relations and cognitive psychology: Lessons from human performance and animal research.

PubMed

Proctor, Robert W; Urcuioli, Peter J

2016-02-01

We consider requirements for effective interdisciplinary communication and explore alternative interpretations of "building bridges between functional and cognitive psychology." If the bridges are intended to connect radical behaviourism and cognitive psychology, or functional contextualism and cognitive psychology, the efforts are unlikely to be successful. But if the bridges are intended to connect functional relationships and cognitive theory, no construction is needed because the bridges already exist within cognitive psychology. We use human performance and animal research to illustrate the latter point and to counter the claim that the functional approach is unique in offering a close relationship between science and practice. Effective communication will be enhanced and, indeed, may only occur if the goal of functional contextualism extends beyond just "the advancement of functional contextual cognitive and behavioral science and practice" to "the advancement of cognitive and behavioral science and practice" without restriction. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity are two important factors affecting vision-related quality of life in advanced age-related macular degeneration

PubMed Central

Selivanova, Alexandra; Shin, Hyun Joon; Miller, Joan W.; Jackson, Mary Lou

2018-01-01

Purpose Vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has a profound effect on vision-related quality of life (VRQoL). The pupose of this study is to identify clinical factors associated with VRQoL using the Rasch- calibrated NEI VFQ-25 scales in bilateral advanced AMD patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients (mean age 83.2 years) with bilateral advanced AMD. Clinical assessment included age, gender, type of AMD, high contrast visual acuity (VA), history of medical conditions, contrast sensitivity (CS), central visual field loss, report of Charles Bonnet Syndrome, current treatment for AMD and Rasch-calibrated NEI VFQ-25 visual function and socioemotional function scales. The NEI VFQ visual function scale includes items of general vision, peripheral vision, distance vision and near vision-related activity while the socioemotional function scale includes items of vision related-social functioning, role difficulties, dependency, and mental health. Multiple regression analysis (structural regression model) was performed using fixed item parameters obtained from the one-parameter item response theory model. Results Multivariate analysis showed that high contrast VA and CS were two factors influencing VRQoL visual function scale (β = -0.25, 95% CI-0.37 to -0.12, p<0.001 and β = 0.35, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.46, p<0.001) and socioemontional functioning scale (β = -0.2, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.03, p = 0.023, and β = 0.3, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.43, p = 0.001). Central visual field loss was not assoicated with either VRQoL visual or socioemontional functioning scale (β = -0.08, 95% CI-0.28 to 0.12,p = 0.44 and β = -0.09, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.16, p = 0.50, respectively). Conclusion In patients with vision impairment secondary to bilateral advanced AMD, high contrast VA and CS are two important factors affecting VRQoL. PMID:29746512

Advances in Electronic-Nose Technologies for the Detection of Volatile Biomarker Metabolites in the Human Breath

PubMed Central

Wilson, Alphus D.

2015-01-01

Recent advancements in the use of electronic-nose (e-nose) devices to analyze human breath profiles for the presence of specific volatile metabolites, known as biomarkers or chemical bio-indicators of specific human diseases, metabolic disorders and the overall health status of individuals, are providing the potential for new noninvasive tools and techniques useful to point-of-care clinical disease diagnoses. This exciting new area of electronic disease detection and diagnosis promises to yield much faster and earlier detection of human diseases and disorders, allowing earlier, more effective treatments, resulting in more rapid patient recovery from various afflictions. E-nose devices are particularly suited for the field of disease diagnostics, because they are sensitive to a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and can effectively distinguish between different complex gaseous mixtures via analysis of electronic aroma sensor-array output profiles of volatile metabolites present in the human breath. This review provides a summary of some recent developments of electronic-nose technologies, particularly involving breath analysis, with the potential for providing many new diagnostic applications for the detection of specific human diseases associated with different organs in the body, detectable from e-nose analyses of aberrant disease-associated VOCs present in air expired from the lungs. PMID:25738426

Use of Bioregenerative Technologies for Advanced Life Support: Some Considerations for BIO-Plex and Related Testbeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Raymond M.; Strayer, Richard F.

1997-01-01

A review of bioregenerative life support concepts is provided as a guide for developing ground-based testbeds for NASA's Advanced Life Support Program. Key among these concepts are the use of controlled environment plant culture for the production of food, oxygen, and clean water, and the use of bacterial bioreactors for degrading wastes and recycling nutrients. Candidate crops and specific bioreactor approaches are discussed based on experiences from the. Kennedy Space Center Advanced Life Support Breadboard Project, and a review of related literature is provided.

A new humanized in vivo model of KIT D816V+ advanced systemic mastocytosis monitored using a secreted luciferase

PubMed Central

Bibi, Siham; Zhang, Yanyan; Hugonin, Caroline; Mangean, Mallorie Depond; He, Liang; Wedeh, Ghaith; Launay, Jean-Marie; Van Rijn, Sjoerd; Würdinger, Thomas; Louache, Fawzia; Arock, Michel

2016-01-01

Systemic mastocytosis are rare neoplasms characterized by accumulation of mast cells in at least one internal organ. The majority of systemic mastocytosis patients carry KIT D816V mutation, which activates constitutively the KIT receptor. Patient with advanced forms of systemic mastocytosis, such as aggressive systemic mastocytosis or mast cell leukemia, are poorly treated to date. Unfortunately, the lack of in vivo models reflecting KIT D816V+ advanced disease hampers pathophysiological studies and preclinical development of new therapies for such patients. Here, we describe a new in vivo model of KIT D816V+ advanced systemic mastocytosis developed by transplantation of the human ROSAKIT D816V-Gluc mast cell line in NOD-SCID IL-2R g−/− mice, using Gaussia princeps luciferase as a reporter. Intravenous injection of ROSAKIT D816V-Gluc cells led, in 4 weeks, to engraftment in all injected primary recipient mice. Engrafted cells were found at high levels in bone marrow, and at lower levels in spleen, liver and peripheral blood. Disease progression was easily monitored by repeated quantification of Gaussia princeps luciferase activity in peripheral blood. This quantification evidenced a linear relationship between the number of cells injected and the neoplastic mast cell burden in mice. Interestingly, the secondary transplantation of ROSAKIT D816V-Gluc cells increased their engraftment capability. To conclude, this new in vivo model mimics at the best the features of human KIT D816V+ advanced systemic mastocytosis. In addition, it is a unique and convenient tool to study the kinetics of the disease and the potential in vivo activity of new drugs targeting neoplastic mast cells. PMID:27783996

A new humanized in vivo model of KIT D816V+ advanced systemic mastocytosis monitored using a secreted luciferase.

PubMed

Bibi, Siham; Zhang, Yanyan; Hugonin, Caroline; Mangean, Mallorie Depond; He, Liang; Wedeh, Ghaith; Launay, Jean-Marie; Van Rijn, Sjoerd; Würdinger, Thomas; Louache, Fawzia; Arock, Michel

2016-12-13

Systemic mastocytosis are rare neoplasms characterized by accumulation of mast cells in at least one internal organ. The majority of systemic mastocytosis patients carry KIT D816V mutation, which activates constitutively the KIT receptor. Patient with advanced forms of systemic mastocytosis, such as aggressive systemic mastocytosis or mast cell leukemia, are poorly treated to date. Unfortunately, the lack of in vivo models reflecting KIT D816V+ advanced disease hampers pathophysiological studies and preclinical development of new therapies for such patients. Here, we describe a new in vivo model of KIT D816V+ advanced systemic mastocytosis developed by transplantation of the human ROSAKIT D816V-Gluc mast cell line in NOD-SCID IL-2R γ-/- mice, using Gaussia princeps luciferase as a reporter. Intravenous injection of ROSAKIT D816V-Gluc cells led, in 4 weeks, to engraftment in all injected primary recipient mice. Engrafted cells were found at high levels in bone marrow, and at lower levels in spleen, liver and peripheral blood. Disease progression was easily monitored by repeated quantification of Gaussia princeps luciferase activity in peripheral blood. This quantification evidenced a linear relationship between the number of cells injected and the neoplastic mast cell burden in mice. Interestingly, the secondary transplantation of ROSAKIT D816V-Gluc cells increased their engraftment capability. To conclude, this new in vivo model mimics at the best the features of human KIT D816V+ advanced systemic mastocytosis. In addition, it is a unique and convenient tool to study the kinetics of the disease and the potential in vivo activity of new drugs targeting neoplastic mast cells.

Associations Between Vitamin D Intake and Progression to Incident Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PubMed Central

Merle, Bénédicte M. J.; Silver, Rachel E.; Rosner, Bernard; Seddon, Johanna M.

2017-01-01

Purpose There is growing evidence of the importance of nutrition in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but no prospective studies have explored the impact of vitamin D. We evaluated the association between vitamin D intake and progression to advanced AMD. Methods Among 2146 participants (3965 eyes), 541 (777 eyes) progressed from early or intermediate AMD to advanced disease (mean follow-up: 9.4 years) based on ocular imaging. Nutrients were log transformed and calorie adjusted. Survival analysis was used to assess associations between incident advanced disease and vitamin D intake. Neovascular disease (NV) and geographic atrophy (GA) were evaluated separately. Combined effects of dietary vitamin D and calcium were assessed based on high or low consumption of each nutrient. Results There was a lower risk of progression to advanced AMD in the highest versus lowest quintile of dietary vitamin D intake after adjustment for demographic, behavioral, ocular, and nutritional factors (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43–0.83; P trend = 0.0007). Similar results were observed for NV (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.39–0.89; P trend = 0.005) but not GA (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.53–1.30; P trend = 0.35). A protective effect was observed for advanced AMD among participants with high vitamin D and low calcium compared to the group with low levels for each nutrient (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50–0.88; P = 0.005). When supplement use was considered, the effect was in the protective direction but was not significant. Conclusions A diet rich in vitamin D may prevent or delay progression to advanced AMD, especially NV. Additional exploration is needed to elucidate the potential protective role of vitamin D and its contribution to reducing visual loss. PMID:28892825

Associations Between Vitamin D Intake and Progression to Incident Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PubMed

Merle, Bénédicte M J; Silver, Rachel E; Rosner, Bernard; Seddon, Johanna M

2017-09-01

There is growing evidence of the importance of nutrition in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but no prospective studies have explored the impact of vitamin D. We evaluated the association between vitamin D intake and progression to advanced AMD. Among 2146 participants (3965 eyes), 541 (777 eyes) progressed from early or intermediate AMD to advanced disease (mean follow-up: 9.4 years) based on ocular imaging. Nutrients were log transformed and calorie adjusted. Survival analysis was used to assess associations between incident advanced disease and vitamin D intake. Neovascular disease (NV) and geographic atrophy (GA) were evaluated separately. Combined effects of dietary vitamin D and calcium were assessed based on high or low consumption of each nutrient. There was a lower risk of progression to advanced AMD in the highest versus lowest quintile of dietary vitamin D intake after adjustment for demographic, behavioral, ocular, and nutritional factors (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-0.83; P trend = 0.0007). Similar results were observed for NV (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.39-0.89; P trend = 0.005) but not GA (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.53-1.30; P trend = 0.35). A protective effect was observed for advanced AMD among participants with high vitamin D and low calcium compared to the group with low levels for each nutrient (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50-0.88; P = 0.005). When supplement use was considered, the effect was in the protective direction but was not significant. A diet rich in vitamin D may prevent or delay progression to advanced AMD, especially NV. Additional exploration is needed to elucidate the potential protective role of vitamin D and its contribution to reducing visual loss.

45 CFR 307.15 - Approval of advance planning documents for computerized support enforcement systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... computerized support enforcement systems. 307.15 Section 307.15 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public... CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMPUTERIZED SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS § 307.15 Approval of advance planning documents for computerized support enforcement systems. (a...

Next generation human skin constructs as advanced tools for drug development.

PubMed

Abaci, H E; Guo, Zongyou; Doucet, Yanne; Jacków, Joanna; Christiano, Angela

2017-11-01

Many diseases, as well as side effects of drugs, manifest themselves through skin symptoms. Skin is a complex tissue that hosts various specialized cell types and performs many roles including physical barrier, immune and sensory functions. Therefore, modeling skin in vitro presents technical challenges for tissue engineering. Since the first attempts at engineering human epidermis in 1970s, there has been a growing interest in generating full-thickness skin constructs mimicking physiological functions by incorporating various skin components, such as vasculature and melanocytes for pigmentation. Development of biomimetic in vitro human skin models with these physiological functions provides a new tool for drug discovery, disease modeling, regenerative medicine and basic research for skin biology. This goal, however, has long been delayed by the limited availability of different cell types, the challenges in establishing co-culture conditions, and the ability to recapitulate the 3D anatomy of the skin. Recent breakthroughs in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology and microfabrication techniques such as 3D-printing have allowed for building more reliable and complex in vitro skin models for pharmaceutical screening. In this review, we focus on the current developments and prevailing challenges in generating skin constructs with vasculature, skin appendages such as hair follicles, pigmentation, immune response, innervation, and hypodermis. Furthermore, we discuss the promising advances that iPSC technology offers in order to generate in vitro models of genetic skin diseases, such as epidermolysis bullosa and psoriasis. We also discuss how future integration of the next generation human skin constructs onto microfluidic platforms along with other tissues could revolutionize the early stages of drug development by creating reliable evaluation of patient-specific effects of pharmaceutical agents. Impact statement Skin is a complex tissue that hosts various

Safety and Antitumor Activity of Pembrolizumab in Patients with Estrogen Receptor-Positive/Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Rugo, Hope S; Delord, Jean-Pierre; Im, Seock-Ah; Ott, Patrick A; Piha-Paul, Sarina A; Bedard, Philippe L; Sachdev, Jasgit; Tourneau, Christophe Le; van Brummelen, Emilie M J; Varga, Andrea; Salgado, Roberto; Loi, Sherene; Saraf, Sanatan; Pietrangelo, Dina; Karantza, Vassiliki; Tan, Antoinette R

2018-03-20

Purpose: We investigated the safety and antitumor activity of the anti-programmed death 1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER + )/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2 - ) advanced breast cancer with programmed death ligand 1-positive (PD-L1-positive) tumors in the phase Ib open-label, multicohort KEYNOTE-028 (NCT02054806) study. Experimental Design: Patients with ER + /HER2 - advanced breast cancer with PD-L1-positive tumors (combined positive score ≥1) received pembrolizumab (10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) up to 2 years or until confirmed progression/intolerable toxicity. Primary endpoints were safety and overall response rate (ORR), based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1 (RECIST v1.1) as assessed by investigator review. Results: Between April 2014 and January 2015, 25 patients were enrolled. Median number of prior therapies for breast cancer, including endocrine agents, was 9 (range, 3-15). Median follow-up was 9.7 months (range, 0.7-31.8 months). Three patients experienced partial response (PR) and none experienced complete response (CR), resulting in an ORR of 12.0% (95% CI, 2.5%-31.2%); 16% of patients had stable disease (SD) and clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + [SD for ≥24 weeks]) was 20% (95% CI, 7-41). Median duration of response was 12.0 months (range, 7.4-15.9 months). The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 64%; nausea (20%) and fatigue (12%) were most common and were predominantly grade 1/2. No treatment-related discontinuations or deaths occurred. Conclusions: Pembrolizumab was well tolerated with modest but durable overall response in certain patients with previously treated, advanced, PD-L1-positive, ER + /HER2 - breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 1-8. ©2018 AACR. ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer.

PubMed

Taberna, M; Mena, M; Pavón, M A; Alemany, L; Gillison, M L; Mesía, R

2017-10-01

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is now recognised as the principal cause of the increasing incidence rates of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in some parts of the world. The primary risk factor for developing HPV-related OPSCC is oral HPV-infection and the majority of oral HPV-infections are acquired by oral sex. Progression into an OPSCC includes persistent infection with evasion of immune response in the microenvironment, the activation of viral early genes (E6, E7) in basal epithelial cells, the deregulation of cell cycle and the accumulation of chromosomal instability. Patients affected by HPV-related OPSCC tend to be younger and have better outcomes. This observation has lead current research to evaluate treatment de-escalation options to reduce long-term associated morbidity. Moreover, a different molecular profile for HPV-related OPSCC has been described, opening new options for targeted therapy and immunotherapy approaches. This paper comprehensively reviews our accumulated knowledge regarding the role of HPV in OPSCC spanning from infection to cancer development, including its clinical diagnosis, management and preventive strategies. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Validating Student Satisfaction Related to Persistence, Academic Performance, Retention and Career Advancement within ODL Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sembiring, Maximus Gorky

2015-01-01

Student satisfaction associated with persistence, academic performance, retention, and its relations to career advancement were examined. It was aimed at measuring service quality (Servqual) dimensions as a foundation of satisfaction and how, in what comportments, they were interrelated. The study was conducted under explanatory-design. Data was…

Advanced space propulsion concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lapointe, Michael R.

1993-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has been actively involved in the evaluation and development of advanced spacecraft propulsion. Recent program elements have included high energy density propellants, electrode less plasma thruster concepts, and low power laser propulsion technology. A robust advanced technology program is necessary to develop new, cost-effective methods of spacecraft propulsion, and to continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge and technology.

Pharmacy Student Learning During Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences in Relation to the CAPE 2013 Outcomes

PubMed Central

May, Dianne W.; Kanmaz, Tina J.; Reidt, Shannon L.; Serres, Michelle L.; Edwards, Heather D.

2016-01-01

Outcomes from The Center for Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) are intended to represent the terminal knowledge, skills, and attitudes pharmacy students should possess and have guided delivery of pharmacy education for more than two decades. Advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) are the endpoint of pharmacy curricula where demonstration and assessment of terminal learning occurs. This review examines published literature in relation to the most recent CAPE outcomes to determine the extent to which they have been addressed during APPEs since 1996. Details related to the APPE focus, intervention(s)/learning setting(s), and assessments are summarized according to the 15 CAPE outcomes. Further, the assessments are categorized according to the level of learning achieved using an available method. Common CAPE outcomes are highlighted, as well as those for which published reports are lacking for APPEs. The range and quality of assessments are discussed and emphasize the need for continuous improvement of scholarly design and assessment. PMID:27756935

[Technology and humanization in critical care environments].

PubMed

Marques, Isaac Rosa; Souza, Agnaldo Rodrigues de

2010-01-01

Because of the advances made with the industrial revolution through technological discoveries in machinery, professional-patient relationship has become increasingly automated, leaving the humanization in the background. The purpose of this paper was to reflect about the humanization process in intensive environments and its relation with the technology insertion. Technology contributes as an effective way to treat patients who require extreme care. However, if it is associated with humanization can achieves satisfactory results, improving the host of customer who receives the care provided by technology.

Advances in human reproductive ecology.

PubMed

Ellison, P T

1994-01-01

Human reproductive ecology pertains to reproduction biology and changes due to environmental influences. The research literature relies on clinical, epidemiological, and demographic analysis. The emphasis is on normal, nonpathological states and a broad range of ecological conditions. This review focused on the importance of age and energetic stress from ecological conditions rather than dieting or self-directed exercise in changing female fecundity. The literature on male reproductive ecology is still small but growing. J.W. Wood provided a comprehensive overview of the field. Natural fertility, as defined by Henry, is the lack of parity-specific fertility limitation. There is evidence that fertility can vary widely in natural fertility populations. There are consistent age patterns among different natural fertility populations. Doring found that there was higher frequency of anovulatory and luteal insufficiency in cycles during perimenarche and perimenopausal periods. Infertility studies have shown declines in pregnancy rates in women over the age of 30 years. Ovum donation evaluations have found both uterine age and ovarian and oocyte age to be related to the probability of a successful pregnancy. Basal follicle stimulating hormone and the endometrial thickness are important predictors of ovarian capacity and related to age and declining fecundity. Much of the literature on fecundity is derived from women with impaired reproductive physiology. In Lipson and Ellison's study of healthy women, average follicular and average luteal estradiol values declined with increasing subject age. Low follicular levels were correlated with smaller follicular size, low oocyte fertilizability, reduced endometrial thickness, and low pregnancy rates. Comparisons across populations have shown that populations experience declines in luteal function with age, but levels of luteal functions varied widely. Chronic conditions which slow growth and delay reproductive maturation may impact

Minneapolis Human Relations Program: An Evaluation 1972-1973. No. C-72-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesset, Bonna; And Others

The first phase of the Minneapolis Public Schools' Desegregation/integration Plan involved a human relations oriented staff development program which focused on improving communication skills. The goal of the Human Relations Program for 1972-73 was to change the climate in the schools in preparation for desegregation and integration. The object of…

Relating to the Experience of Contingency in Patients With Advanced Cancer: An Interview Study in U.S. Patients.

PubMed

Kruizinga, Renske; Jafari, Najmeh; Scherer-Rath, Michael; Schilderman, Hans; Bires, Jennifer; Puchalski, Christina; van Laarhoven, Hanneke

2018-03-01

Being diagnosed with incurable cancer can be a life-changing experience, evoking different spiritual questions and needs. Confronting a serious life-threatening event occurs not only often unexpected but also can disrupt a person's self-image and ideals of their personhood. This confrontation makes it difficult for people to integrate it into their personal life story-otherwise referred to as an experience of contingency. Different modes of relating to the contingent life event of having cancer have been studied in a Dutch patient population. Here we present an interview study in an U.S. population with advanced cancer patients. We included eight American patients with advanced cancer from the George Washington University Cancer Center. All patients were interviewed twice discussing their life events and life goals using a semistructured interview model. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed focusing on how patients described the way they related to the experience of having advanced cancer. The constant comparative method with a directed content analysis approach was used to code the themes in the interviews. The analyses show that the four modes of relating to contingency that we found in the Dutch study population can also be found in an American advanced cancer patient population. Differences were found in the extended way American patients described the fourth mode of "receiving." This study ensures a broader and deeper understanding of relating to the experience of contingency in having incurable cancer, which is crucial in developing accurate spiritual care in the palliative phase of patients. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fully integrated biochip platforms for advanced healthcare.

PubMed

Carrara, Sandro; Ghoreishizadeh, Sara; Olivo, Jacopo; Taurino, Irene; Baj-Rossi, Camilla; Cavallini, Andrea; de Beeck, Maaike Op; Dehollain, Catherine; Burleson, Wayne; Moussy, Francis Gabriel; Guiseppi-Elie, Anthony; De Micheli, Giovanni

2012-01-01

Recent advances in microelectronics and biosensors are enabling developments of innovative biochips for advanced healthcare by providing fully integrated platforms for continuous monitoring of a large set of human disease biomarkers. Continuous monitoring of several human metabolites can be addressed by using fully integrated and minimally invasive devices located in the sub-cutis, typically in the peritoneal region. This extends the techniques of continuous monitoring of glucose currently being pursued with diabetic patients. However, several issues have to be considered in order to succeed in developing fully integrated and minimally invasive implantable devices. These innovative devices require a high-degree of integration, minimal invasive surgery, long-term biocompatibility, security and privacy in data transmission, high reliability, high reproducibility, high specificity, low detection limit and high sensitivity. Recent advances in the field have already proposed possible solutions for several of these issues. The aim of the present paper is to present a broad spectrum of recent results and to propose future directions of development in order to obtain fully implantable systems for the continuous monitoring of the human metabolism in advanced healthcare applications.

Phase advancing human circadian rhythms with morning bright light, afternoon melatonin, and gradually shifted sleep: can we reduce morning bright-light duration?

PubMed

Crowley, Stephanie J; Eastman, Charmane I

2015-02-01

Efficient treatments to phase-advance human circadian rhythms are needed to attenuate circadian misalignment and the associated negative health outcomes that accompany early-morning shift work, early school start times, jet lag, and delayed sleep phase disorder. This study compared three morning bright-light exposure patterns from a single light box (to mimic home treatment) in combination with afternoon melatonin. Fifty adults (27 males) aged 25.9 ± 5.1 years participated. Sleep/dark was advanced 1 h/day for three treatment days. Participants took 0.5 mg of melatonin 5 h before the baseline bedtime on treatment day 1, and an hour earlier each treatment day. They were exposed to one of three bright-light (~5000 lux) patterns upon waking each morning: four 30-min exposures separated by 30 min of room light (2-h group), four 15-min exposures separated by 45 min of room light (1-h group), and one 30-min exposure (0.5-h group). Dim-light melatonin onsets (DLMOs) before and after treatment determined the phase advance. Compared to the 2-h group (phase shift = 2.4 ± 0.8 h), smaller phase-advance shifts were seen in the 1-h (1.7 ± 0.7 h) and 0.5-h (1.8 ± 0.8 h) groups. The 2-h pattern produced the largest phase advance; however, the single 30-min bright-light exposure was as effective as 1 h of bright light spread over 3.25 h, and it produced 75% of the phase shift observed with 2 h of bright light. A 30-min morning bright-light exposure with afternoon melatonin is an efficient treatment to phase-advance human circadian rhythms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phase advancing human circadian rhythms with morning bright light, afternoon melatonin, and gradually shifted sleep: can we reduce morning bright light duration?

PubMed Central

Crowley, Stephanie J.; Eastman, Charmane I.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Efficient treatments to phase advance human circadian rhythms are needed to attenuate circadian misalignment and the associated negative health outcomes that accompany early morning shift work, early school start times, jet lag, and delayed sleep phase disorder. This study compared three morning bright light exposure patterns from a single light box (to mimic home treatment) in combination with afternoon melatonin. METHODS Fifty adults (27 males) aged 25.9±5.1 years participated. Sleep/dark was advanced 1 hour/day for 3 treatment days. Participants took 0.5 mg melatonin 5 hours before baseline bedtime on treatment day 1, and an hour earlier each treatment day. They were exposed to one of three bright light (~5000 lux) patterns upon waking each morning: four 30-minute exposures separated by 30 minutes of room light (2 h group); four 15-minute exposures separated by 45 minutes of room light (1 h group), and one 30-minute exposure (0.5 h group). Dim light melatonin onsets (DLMOs) before and after treatment determined the phase advance. RESULTS Compared to the 2 h group (phase shift=2.4±0.8 h), smaller phase advance shifts were seen in the 1 h (1.7±0.7 h) and 0.5 h (1.8±0.8 h) groups. The 2-hour pattern produced the largest phase advance; however, the single 30-minute bright light exposure was as effective as 1 hour of bright light spread over 3.25 h, and produced 75% of the phase shift observed with 2 hours of bright light. CONCLUSIONS A 30-minute morning bright light exposure with afternoon melatonin is an efficient treatment to phase advance human circadian rhythms. PMID:25620199

The lived experience of men with advanced cancer in relation to their perceptions of masculinity: a qualitative phenomenological study.

PubMed

Stapleton, Sarah; Pattison, Natalie

2015-04-01

The aim of this exploratory research was to understand how men experience their advanced cancer in relation to their perceptions of masculinity. There are differences in the way men and women experience illness and health care. There are inequalities in incidence and morbidities of many diseases as well as differences in rates of help-seeking behaviours. Theories on masculinity offer some explanation towards this. Men's experiences of advanced cancer in relation to masculinity are under reported, published literature suggests that there are certain issues or men dealing with advanced disease that justify investigation. A Qualitative approach using a Husserlian Phenomenological design was conducted. Eight men (aged 26-68) all with advanced cancer, defined as advanced or metastatic disease for which the patient had exhausted all standard therapeutic options. In-depth interviews were conducted to capture narratives of the experiences of men. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven stage framework. Themes included thwarted ambition, changing expectations, protection and provision, stoicism and coping, images of illness versus images of masculinity, importance of being a fighter and loss. Findings showed that the experiences of these men were complex and should be handled sensitively. Ideas for gender-specific interventions and further research were developed from the findings in relation to current literature. A better understanding and awareness of this in this context will help nurses to consider more subtle challenges that these patients may be dealing with that in turn could affect how they cope with the burden of cancer. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An advanced approach for computer modeling and prototyping of the human tooth.

PubMed

Chang, Kuang-Hua; Magdum, Sheetalkumar; Khera, Satish C; Goel, Vijay K

2003-05-01

This paper presents a systematic and practical method for constructing accurate computer and physical models that can be employed for the study of human tooth mechanics. The proposed method starts with a histological section preparation of a human tooth. Through tracing outlines of the tooth on the sections, discrete points are obtained and are employed to construct B-spline curves that represent the exterior contours and dentino-enamel junction (DEJ) of the tooth using a least square curve fitting technique. The surface skinning technique is then employed to quilt the B-spline curves to create a smooth boundary and DEJ of the tooth using B-spline surfaces. These surfaces are respectively imported into SolidWorks via its application protocol interface to create solid models. The solid models are then imported into Pro/MECHANICA Structure for finite element analysis (FEA). The major advantage of the proposed method is that it first generates smooth solid models, instead of finite element models in discretized form. As a result, a more advanced p-FEA can be employed for structural analysis, which usually provides superior results to traditional h-FEA. In addition, the solid model constructed is smooth and can be fabricated with various scales using the solid freeform fabrication technology. This method is especially useful in supporting bioengineering applications, where the shape of the object is usually complicated. A human maxillary second molar is presented to illustrate and demonstrate the proposed method. Note that both the solid and p-FEA models of the molar are presented. However, comparison between p- and h-FEA models is out of the scope of the paper.

Thermal Analysis and Design of an Advanced Space Suit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Chin H.; Campbell, Anthony B.; French, Jonathan D.; French, D.; Nair, Satish S.; Miles, John B.

2000-01-01

The thermal dynamics and design of an Advanced Space Suit are considered. A transient model of the Advanced Space Suit has been developed and implemented using MATLAB/Simulink to help with sizing, with design evaluation, and with the development of an automatic thermal comfort control strategy. The model is described and the thermal characteristics of the Advanced Space suit are investigated including various parametric design studies. The steady state performance envelope for the Advanced Space Suit is defined in terms of the thermal environment and human metabolic rate and the transient response of the human-suit-MPLSS system is analyzed.

New Rule Use Drives the Relation between Working Memory Capacity and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, Jennifer; Jarosz, Andrew F.; Cushen, Patrick J.; Colflesh, Gregory J. H.

2011-01-01

The correlation between individual differences in working memory capacity and performance on the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) is well documented yet poorly understood. The present work proposes a new explanation: that the need to use a new combination of rules on RAPM problems drives the relation between performance and working…

Advanced Architectures and Relatives of Air Electrodes in Zn–Air Batteries

PubMed Central

Pan, Jing; Xu, Yang Yang; Yang, Huan; Dong, Zehua; Liu, Hongfang

2018-01-01

Abstract Zn–air batteries are becoming the promising power sources for portable and wearable electronic devices and hybrid/electric vehicles because of their high specific energy density and the low cost for next‐generation green and sustainable energy technologies. An air electrode integrated with an oxygen electrocatalyst is the most important component and inevitably determines the performance and cost of a Zn–air battery. This article presents exciting advances and challenges related to air electrodes and their relatives. After a brief introduction of the Zn–air battery, the architectures and oxygen electrocatalysts of air electrodes and relevant electrolytes are highlighted in primary and rechargeable types with different configurations, respectively. Moreover, the individual components and major issues of flexible Zn–air batteries are also highlighted, along with the strategies to enhance the battery performance. Finally, a perspective for design, preparation, and assembly of air electrodes is proposed for the future innovations of Zn–air batteries with high performance. PMID:29721418

Advanced Architectures and Relatives of Air Electrodes in Zn-Air Batteries.

PubMed

Pan, Jing; Xu, Yang Yang; Yang, Huan; Dong, Zehua; Liu, Hongfang; Xia, Bao Yu

2018-04-01

Zn-air batteries are becoming the promising power sources for portable and wearable electronic devices and hybrid/electric vehicles because of their high specific energy density and the low cost for next-generation green and sustainable energy technologies. An air electrode integrated with an oxygen electrocatalyst is the most important component and inevitably determines the performance and cost of a Zn-air battery. This article presents exciting advances and challenges related to air electrodes and their relatives. After a brief introduction of the Zn-air battery, the architectures and oxygen electrocatalysts of air electrodes and relevant electrolytes are highlighted in primary and rechargeable types with different configurations, respectively. Moreover, the individual components and major issues of flexible Zn-air batteries are also highlighted, along with the strategies to enhance the battery performance. Finally, a perspective for design, preparation, and assembly of air electrodes is proposed for the future innovations of Zn-air batteries with high performance.

Speckle measuring instrument based on biological characteristics of the human eyes and speckle reduction with advanced electromagnetic micro-scanning mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Yuan; Fang, Tao; Sun, Min Yuan; Gao, Wei Nan; Zhang, Shuo; Bi, Yong

2018-07-01

Laser speckle is a major issue for laser projection displays. In various techniques of speckle reduction, speckle is quantified with a speckle contrast value. However, the measured speckle contrast is poorly suited for the subjective speckle perception of a human observer. Here, we investigate the characteristics of human eyes and propose a simplified optical transfer function of human eyes. Accordingly, two human-eye-modeled speckle measuring sets are configured. Based on the experimental set, an advanced electromagnetic micro-scanning mirror (EM-MSM) is exploited; which is of 6.5 mm in diameter and its half angle is 7.8° for a horizontal scan and 6.53° for a vertical scan. Finally, we quantitatively show that images generated with an EM-MSM exhibit superior quality. By providing human-eye-modeled speckle measuring instruments and an EM-MSM for speckle reduction, it has a promising promotion to laser projector development.

[Animal protection without limits? Human-animal relations in between anthropomorphism and objectification].

PubMed

Grimm, Herwig; Hartnack, Sonja

2013-01-01

In view of recent developments in human-animal relations, vets and ethicists face a new problem: On the one hand, animals such as mammals and birds are used extensively and are in danger to be reduced to mere production units e. g. in the agricultural production, measuring devices in laboratories, sports equipment etc. On the other hand, biologically similar animals are perceived as family members or partners and are almost treated like humans. The article summarizes the results of a workshop that dealt with reductionism and anthropomorphism in human-animal relations. Vets and ethicists tackled the question how the unequal treatment of biologically similar animals can be better understood and whether it can be ethically justified. In the first section, the problem of inconsistency in human-animals relations is briefly sketched. The second part of the article addresses the ethics of unequal treatment of similar animals in different contexts. The following section inquires possible solutions and the advantages and disadvantages of biological criteria versus social criteria in animal protection. Finally, the background and reasons for our moral intuitions of injustice associated with the inconsistencies in human-animal relations are outlined. This fourth section refers to the presentation of Peter Kunzmann during the workshop on the unequal treatment of equals.The article closes with some general remarks on the issue. One main result of the workshop can be stated as follows: Due to the fact that the various human-animal relations gain their ethical justification from different ethical reasons, the unequal treatment of similar animals in different contexts is not ethically wrong per se. However, every intrusive dealing or interaction with animals is in itself in need of ethical justification.

It Is Not Just a Matter of Having the Time: Job-Related Training Participation of Hong Kong Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, May Yeuk-Mui

2014-01-01

Participation in job-related training as part and parcel of lifelong learning is widely advocated. While many empirical research about job-related training of employees are about advanced western economies, little is known about advanced Asian economies. To fill this void in the literature, this study applies the human capital, institutional and…

Absolutely relative or relatively absolute: violations of value invariance in human decision making.

PubMed

Teodorescu, Andrei R; Moran, Rani; Usher, Marius

2016-02-01

Making decisions based on relative rather than absolute information processing is tied to choice optimality via the accumulation of evidence differences and to canonical neural processing via accumulation of evidence ratios. These theoretical frameworks predict invariance of decision latencies to absolute intensities that maintain differences and ratios, respectively. While information about the absolute values of the choice alternatives is not necessary for choosing the best alternative, it may nevertheless hold valuable information about the context of the decision. To test the sensitivity of human decision making to absolute values, we manipulated the intensities of brightness stimuli pairs while preserving either their differences or their ratios. Although asked to choose the brighter alternative relative to the other, participants responded faster to higher absolute values. Thus, our results provide empirical evidence for human sensitivity to task irrelevant absolute values indicating a hard-wired mechanism that precedes executive control. Computational investigations of several modelling architectures reveal two alternative accounts for this phenomenon, which combine absolute and relative processing. One account involves accumulation of differences with activation dependent processing noise and the other emerges from accumulation of absolute values subject to the temporal dynamics of lateral inhibition. The potential adaptive role of such choice mechanisms is discussed.

Periastron advance in spinning black hole binaries: Gravitational self-force from numerical relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Tiec, Alexandre; Buonanno, Alessandra; Mroué, Abdul H.; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Hemberger, Daniel A.; Lovelace, Geoffrey; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilágyi, Bela; Taylor, Nicholas W.; Teukolsky, Saul A.

2013-12-01

We study the general relativistic periastron advance in spinning black hole binaries on quasicircular orbits, with spins aligned or antialigned with the orbital angular momentum, using numerical-relativity simulations, the post-Newtonian approximation, and black hole perturbation theory. By imposing a symmetry by exchange of the bodies’ labels, we devise an improved version of the perturbative result and use it as the leading term of a new type of expansion in powers of the symmetric mass ratio. This allows us to measure, for the first time, the gravitational self-force effect on the periastron advance of a nonspinning particle orbiting a Kerr black hole of mass M and spin S=-0.5M2, down to separations of order 9M. Comparing the predictions of our improved perturbative expansion with the exact results from numerical simulations of equal-mass and equal-spin binaries, we find a remarkable agreement over a wide range of spins and orbital separations.

LABORATORY TRAINING IN HUMAN RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HARRISON, ROGER; OSHRY, BARRY

A SERIES OF STUDIES WERE MADE ON THE EFFECTS OF LABORATORY TRAINING IN HUMAN RELATIONS ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR OF "MIDDLE" MANAGERS. THROUGH REPEATED FACTOR ANALYSIS, THE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR DESCRIBER SURVEY (OBDS) WAS DEVELOPED BY WHICH A MANAGER AND HIS ASSOCIATES COULD DESCRIBE HIS BEHAVIOR. THE OBDS PERMITTED RATINGS ON…

A STUDY OF SOME EFFECTS OF A PROGRAMMED ORIENTATION ON LEARNING OUTCOMES OF A HUMAN RELATIONS LABORATORY. PAPER PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH (CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SEARLE, STANLEY H.; WARLOW, G.L.

TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVANCED PREPARATION IN THE HUMAN RELATIONS LABORATORY PROGRAM OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA, SEVEN DELEGATES TO A LABORATORY HELD IN JUNE 1967 RECEIVED A 27-PAGE PROGRAMED ORIENTATION TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE LABORATORY. ANOTHER EIGHT DELEGATES SERVED AS A CONTROL GROUP. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE TEST GROUP WOULD…

'Fine-tuning' blood flow to the exercising muscle with advancing age: an update.

PubMed

Wray, D Walter; Richardson, Russell S

2015-06-01

What is the topic of this review? This review focuses on age-related changes in the regulatory pathways that exist at the unique interface between the vascular smooth muscle and the endothelium of the skeletal muscle vasculature, and how these changes contribute to impairments in exercising skeletal muscle blood flow in the elderly. What advances does it highlight? Several recent in vivo human studies from our group and others are highlighted that have examined age-related changes in nitric oxide, endothelin-1, alpha adrenergic, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS) signaling. During dynamic exercise, oxygen demand from the exercising muscle is dramatically elevated, requiring a marked increase in skeletal muscle blood flow that is accomplished through a combination of systemic sympathoexcitation and local metabolic vasodilatation. With advancing age, the balance between these factors appears to be disrupted in favour of vasoconstriction, leading to an impairment in exercising skeletal muscle blood flow in the elderly. This 'hot topic' review aims to provide an update to our current knowledge of age-related changes in the neural and local mechanisms that contribute to this 'fine-tuning' of blood flow during exercise. The focus is on results from recent human studies that have adopted a reductionist approach to explore how age-related changes in both vasodilators (nitric oxide) and vasoconstrictors (endothelin-1, α-adrenergic agonists and angiotensin II) interact and how these changes impact blood flow to the exercising skeletal muscle with advancing age. © 2015 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

Low Voltage Alarm Apprenticeship. Related Training Modules. 28.1-28.12 Human Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane Community Coll., Eugene, OR.

This packet of 12 learning modules on human relations is 1 of 8 such packets developed for apprenticeship training for low voltage alarm. Introductory materials are a complete listing of all available modules and a supplementary reference list. Each module contains some or all of these components: goal, performance indicators, study guide (a check…

Similarity or dissimilarity in the relations between human service organizations.

PubMed

Bruynooghe, Kevin; Verhaeghe, Mieke; Bracke, Piet

2008-01-01

Exchange theory and homophily theory give rise to counteracting expectations for the interaction between human service organizations. Based on arguments of exchange theory, more interaction is expected between dissimilar organizations having complementary resources. Based on arguments of homophily theory, organizations having similar characteristics are expected to interact more. Interorganizational relations between human service organizations in two regional networks in Flanders are examined in this study. Results indicate that human service organizations tend to cooperate more with similar organizations as several homophily effects but not one effect of dissimilarity were found to be significant. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of interorganizational networks of human service organizations and have implications for the development of integrated care.

PROBABILISTIC MODELING FOR ADVANCED HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Human exposures to environmental pollutants widely vary depending on the emission patterns that result in microenvironmental pollutant concentrations, as well as behavioral factors that determine the extent of an individual's contact with these pollutants. Probabilistic human exp...

Recent technological advances in using mouse models to study ovarian cancer.

PubMed

House, Carrie Danielle; Hernandez, Lidia; Annunziata, Christina Messineo

2014-01-01

Serous epithelial ovarian cancer (SEOC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer in the United States with disease recurrence being the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of SEOC, the survival rate for women with this disease has remained relatively unchanged in the last two decades. Preclinical mouse models of ovarian cancer, including xenograft, syngeneic, and genetically engineered mice, have been developed to provide a mechanism for studying the development and progression of SEOC. Such models strive to increase our understanding of the etiology and dissemination of ovarian cancer in order to overcome barriers to early detection and resistance to standard chemotherapy. Although there is not a single model that is most suitable for studying ovarian cancer, improvements have led to current models that more closely mimic human disease in their genotype and phenotype. Other advances in the field, such as live animal imaging techniques, allow effective monitoring of the microenvironment and therapeutic efficacy. New and improved preclinical mouse models, combined with technological advances to study such models, will undoubtedly render success of future human clinical trials for patients with SEOC.

Recent Technological Advances in Using Mouse Models to Study Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

House, Carrie Danielle; Hernandez, Lidia; Annunziata, Christina Messineo

2014-01-01

Serous epithelial ovarian cancer (SEOC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer in the United States with disease recurrence being the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of SEOC, the survival rate for women with this disease has remained relatively unchanged in the last two decades. Preclinical mouse models of ovarian cancer, including xenograft, syngeneic, and genetically engineered mice, have been developed to provide a mechanism for studying the development and progression of SEOC. Such models strive to increase our understanding of the etiology and dissemination of ovarian cancer in order to overcome barriers to early detection and resistance to standard chemotherapy. Although there is not a single model that is most suitable for studying ovarian cancer, improvements have led to current models that more closely mimic human disease in their genotype and phenotype. Other advances in the field, such as live animal imaging techniques, allow effective monitoring of the microenvironment and therapeutic efficacy. New and improved preclinical mouse models, combined with technological advances to study such models, will undoubtedly render success of future human clinical trials for patients with SEOC. PMID:24592355

Advance care planning and physician orders in nursing home residents with dementia: a nationwide retrospective study among professional caregivers and relatives.

PubMed

Vandervoort, An; Houttekier, Dirk; Van den Block, Lieve; van der Steen, Jenny T; Vander Stichele, Robert; Deliens, Luc

2014-02-01

Advance care planning (ACP) is key to good palliative care for nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. We examined the extent to which the family physicians (FPs), nurses, and the relative most involved in the resident's care are informed about ACP, written advance directives, and FP treatment orders (FP-orders) for NH residents dying with dementia. We also examined the congruence among FP, nurse, and relative regarding the content of ACP. This was a representative nationwide post-mortem study (2010) in Flanders, Belgium, using random cluster sampling. In selected NHs, all deaths of residents with dementia in a three month period were reported. A structured questionnaire was completed by the FP, the nurse, and the patient's relative. We identified 205 deceased residents with dementia in 69 NHs. Residents expressed their wishes regarding end-of-life care in 11.8% of cases according to the FP. The FP and nurse spoke with the resident in 22.0% and 9.7% of cases, respectively, and with the relative in 70.6% and 59.5%, respectively. An advance directive was present in 9.0%, 13.6%, and 18.4% of the cases according to the FP, nurse, and the relative, respectively. The FP-orders were present in 77.3% according to the FP, and discussed with the resident in 13.0% and with the relative in 79.3%. Congruence was fair (FP-nurse) on the documentation of FP-orders (k=0.26), and poor to slight on the presence of an advance directive (FP-relative, k=0.03; nurse-relative, k=-0.05; FP-nurse k=0.12). Communication regarding care is rarely patient driven and more often professional caregiver or family driven. The level of congruence between professional caregivers and relatives is low. Copyright © 2014 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advances in memory research: single-neuron recordings from the human medial temporal lobe aid our understanding of declarative memory.

PubMed

Viskontas, Indre V

2008-12-01

To gain a complete understanding of how the brain functions, both in illness and good health, data from multiple levels of analysis must be integrated. Technical advances have made direct recordings of neuronal activity deep inside the human brain tractable, providing a rare glimpse into cellular processes during long-term memory formation. Recent findings using intracranial recordings in the medial temporal lobe inform current neural network models of memory, and may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the neural basis of memory-related processes. These recordings have shown that cells in the hippocampus appear to support declarative learning by distinguishing novel and familiar stimuli via changes in firing patterns. Some cells with highly selective and invariant responses have also been described, and these responses seem to represent abstract concepts such as identity, rather than superficial perceptual features of items. Importantly, however, both selective and globally responsive cells are capable of changing their preferred stimulus depending on the conscious demands of the task. Firing patterns of human medial temporal lobe neurons indicate that cells can be both plastic and stable in terms of the information that they code; although some cells show highly selective and reproducible excitatory responses when presented with a familiar object, other cells change their receptive fields in line with changes in experience and the cognitive environment.

Overexpression of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products and High-Mobility Group Box 1 in Human Dental Pulp Inflammation

PubMed Central

Tancharoen, Salunya; Tengrungsun, Tassanee; Suddhasthira, Theeralaksna; Kikuchi, Kiyoshi; Vechvongvan, Nuttavun; Maruyama, Ikuro

2014-01-01

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nonhistone DNA-binding protein, is released into the extracellular space and promotes inflammation. HMGB1 binds to related cell signaling transduction receptors, including receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which actively participate in vascular and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to examine whether RAGE and HMGB1 are involved in the pathogenesis of pulpitis and investigate the effect of Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on RAGE and HMGB1 expression in odontoblast-like cells (OLC-1). RAGE and HMGB1 expression levels in clinically inflamed dental pulp were higher than those in healthy dental pulp. Upregulated expression of RAGE was observed in odontoblasts, stromal pulp fibroblasts-like cells, and endothelial-like cell lining human pulpitis tissue. Strong cytoplasmic HMGB1 immunoreactivity was noted in odontoblasts, whereas nuclear HMGB1 immunoreactivity was seen in stromal pulp fibroblasts-like cells in human pulpitis tissue. LPS stimulated OLC-1 cells produced HMGB1 in a dose-dependent manner through RAGE. HMGB1 translocation towards the cytoplasm and secretion from OLC-1 in response to LPS was inhibited by TPCA-1, an inhibitor of NF-κB activation. These findings suggest that RAGE and HMGB1 play an important role in the pulpal immune response to oral bacterial infection. PMID:25114379

Advanced transgenic approaches to understand alcohol-related phenotypes in animals.

PubMed

Bilbao, Ainhoa

2013-01-01

During the past two decades, the use of genetically manipulated animal models in alcohol research has greatly improved the understanding of the mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction. In this chapter, we present an overview of the progress made in this field by summarizing findings obtained from studies of mice harboring global and conditional mutations in genes that influence alcohol-related phenotypes. The first part reviews behavioral paradigms for modeling the different phases of the alcohol addiction cycle and other alcohol-induced behavioral phenotypes in mice. The second part reviews the current data available using genetic models targeting the main neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems involved in the reinforcement and stress pathways, focusing on the phenotypes modeling the alcohol addiction cycle. Finally, the third part will discuss the current findings and future directions, and proposes advanced transgenic mouse models for their potential use in alcohol research.

45 CFR 17.6 - Advance notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Advance notice. 17.6 Section 17.6 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION RELEASE OF ADVERSE INFORMATION TO NEWS MEDIA § 17.6 Advance notice. Any respondent or prospective respondent in an agency proceeding shall, if...

45 CFR 17.6 - Advance notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Advance notice. 17.6 Section 17.6 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION RELEASE OF ADVERSE INFORMATION TO NEWS MEDIA § 17.6 Advance notice. Any respondent or prospective respondent in an agency proceeding shall, if...

45 CFR 17.6 - Advance notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Advance notice. 17.6 Section 17.6 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION RELEASE OF ADVERSE INFORMATION TO NEWS MEDIA § 17.6 Advance notice. Any respondent or prospective respondent in an agency proceeding shall, if...

45 CFR 17.6 - Advance notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Advance notice. 17.6 Section 17.6 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services GENERAL ADMINISTRATION RELEASE OF ADVERSE INFORMATION TO NEWS MEDIA § 17.6 Advance notice. Any respondent or prospective respondent in an agency proceeding shall, if...

45 CFR 17.6 - Advance notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Advance notice. 17.6 Section 17.6 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION RELEASE OF ADVERSE INFORMATION TO NEWS MEDIA § 17.6 Advance notice. Any respondent or prospective respondent in an agency proceeding shall, if...

Fully Integrated Biochip Platforms for Advanced Healthcare

PubMed Central

Carrara, Sandro; Ghoreishizadeh, Sara; Olivo, Jacopo; Taurino, Irene; Baj-Rossi, Camilla; Cavallini, Andrea; de Beeck, Maaike Op; Dehollain, Catherine; Burleson, Wayne; Moussy, Francis Gabriel; Guiseppi-Elie, Anthony; De Micheli, Giovanni

2012-01-01

Recent advances in microelectronics and biosensors are enabling developments of innovative biochips for advanced healthcare by providing fully integrated platforms for continuous monitoring of a large set of human disease biomarkers. Continuous monitoring of several human metabolites can be addressed by using fully integrated and minimally invasive devices located in the sub-cutis, typically in the peritoneal region. This extends the techniques of continuous monitoring of glucose currently being pursued with diabetic patients. However, several issues have to be considered in order to succeed in developing fully integrated and minimally invasive implantable devices. These innovative devices require a high-degree of integration, minimal invasive surgery, long-term biocompatibility, security and privacy in data transmission, high reliability, high reproducibility, high specificity, low detection limit and high sensitivity. Recent advances in the field have already proposed possible solutions for several of these issues. The aim of the present paper is to present a broad spectrum of recent results and to propose future directions of development in order to obtain fully implantable systems for the continuous monitoring of the human metabolism in advanced healthcare applications. PMID:23112644

In vitro Differentiation of Functional Human Skeletal Myotubes in a Defined System

PubMed Central

Guo, Xiufang; Greene, Keshel; Akanda, Nesar; Smith, Alec; Stancescu, Maria; Lambert, Stephen; Vandenburgh, Herman; Hickman, James

2013-01-01

In vitro human skeletal muscle systems are valuable tools for the study of human muscular development, disease and treatment. However, published in vitro human muscle systems have so far only demonstrated limited differentiation capacities. Advanced differentiation features such as cross-striations and contractility have only been observed in co-cultures with motoneurons. Furthermore, it is commonly regarded that cultured human myotubes do not spontaneously contract, and any contraction has been considered to originate from innervation. This study developed a serum-free culture system in which human skeletal myotubes demonstrated advanced differentiation. Characterization by immunocytochemistry, electrophysiology and analysis of contractile function revealed these major features: A) well defined sarcomeric development, as demonstrated by the presence of cross-striations. B) finely developed excitation-contraction coupling apparatus characterized by the close apposition of dihydropyridine receptors on T-tubules and Ryanodine receptors on sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. C) spontaneous and electrically controlled contractility. This report not only demonstrates an improved level of differentiation of cultured human skeletal myotubes, but also provides the first published evidence that such myotubes are capable of spontaneous contraction. Use of this functional in vitro human skeletal muscle system would advance studies concerning human skeletal muscle development and physiology, as well as muscle-related disease and therapy. PMID:24516722

In vitro Differentiation of Functional Human Skeletal Myotubes in a Defined System.

PubMed

Guo, Xiufang; Greene, Keshel; Akanda, Nesar; Smith, Alec; Stancescu, Maria; Lambert, Stephen; Vandenburgh, Herman; Hickman, James

2014-01-01

In vitro human skeletal muscle systems are valuable tools for the study of human muscular development, disease and treatment. However, published in vitro human muscle systems have so far only demonstrated limited differentiation capacities. Advanced differentiation features such as cross-striations and contractility have only been observed in co-cultures with motoneurons. Furthermore, it is commonly regarded that cultured human myotubes do not spontaneously contract, and any contraction has been considered to originate from innervation. This study developed a serum-free culture system in which human skeletal myotubes demonstrated advanced differentiation. Characterization by immunocytochemistry, electrophysiology and analysis of contractile function revealed these major features: A) well defined sarcomeric development, as demonstrated by the presence of cross-striations. B) finely developed excitation-contraction coupling apparatus characterized by the close apposition of dihydropyridine receptors on T-tubules and Ryanodine receptors on sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. C) spontaneous and electrically controlled contractility. This report not only demonstrates an improved level of differentiation of cultured human skeletal myotubes, but also provides the first published evidence that such myotubes are capable of spontaneous contraction. Use of this functional in vitro human skeletal muscle system would advance studies concerning human skeletal muscle development and physiology, as well as muscle-related disease and therapy.

Aesthetic engagements: "being" in everyday life with advanced cancer.

PubMed

la Cour, Karen; Hansen, Helle Ploug

2012-03-01

Living with advanced cancer can present an overwhelming challenge. It may impact the everyday life of the individual with respect to an array of psychological, physical, social, and existential issues. We focus on ways in which people with advanced cancer experience and use their engagement in daily activities when confronting nearing death. Through a phenomenological analysis based on Heidegger's thinking, we illuminate the complexities of "being toward death" and the human striving for authentic being through engagement in daily living. The main findings demonstrate how sensory experiences support being through an appreciation of everyday aesthetics. Furthermore, the making of material things was identified as a means to express the value of self and others in relation to the involved individual's past, present, and future.

Recent advances in calorie restriction research on aging.

PubMed

Chung, K W; Kim, D H; Park, M H; Choi, Y J; Kim, N D; Lee, J; Yu, B P; Chung, H Y

2013-10-01

The extension of both median and maximum lifespan and the suppression of age-related diseases in laboratory animals by reduced food intake, i.e., calorie restriction (CR) are regarded as hallmarks of CR's anti-aging action. The diverse efficacy of CR to counteract aging effects and its experimental reproducibility has made it the gold standard of many aging intervention studies of recent years. Although CR originally was used as a tool to perturb the aging process of laboratory animals as to uncover clues of underlying mechanisms of aging processes, current CR research interests have shifted to the retardation of aging-related functional decline and the prevention of age-related diseases. Advances in CR research on non-human primates and recent endeavors using human subjects offer a promising outlook for CR's beneficial effects in healthy human aging. In this review, several major issues related to CR's anti-aging mechanisms are discussed by highlighting the importance of modulating deleterious chronic inflammation at molecular levels and the impact of epigenetic chromatin and histone modifications by CR at the ultimate control sites of gene expression. The recent research on rapamycin as a CR mimetic is summarized and a brief description of intermittent feeding patterns is reviewed in comparison to the CR effect. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Passive Solar still: Recent advancement in design and related Performance.

PubMed

Awasthi, Anuradha; Kumari, Kanchan; Panchal, Hitesh; Sathyamurthy, Ravishankar

2018-05-31

Present review paper mainly focuses on different varieties of solar stills and highlights mostly the passive solar still with advanced modifications in the design and development of material, single and multi-effect solar still with augmentation of different materials, energy absorbing, insulators, mechanisms of heat and mass transfer to improve the loss of heat and enhance the productivity of solar still. The cost-benefit analysis along with the progressive advancement for solar stills is the major highlights of this review. To increase the output of solar still nowadays, applications of advance modifications is one of the promising tools, and it is anticipated that shortly more vigor will be added in this area with the modifications in designs of solar stills.

Novel Parvovirus and Related Variant in Human Plasma

PubMed Central

Fryer, Jacqueline F.; Kapoor, Amit; Minor, Philip D.; Delwart, Eric

2006-01-01

We report a novel parvovirus (PARV4) and related variants in pooled human plasma used in the manufacture of plasma-derived medical products. Viral DNA was detected by using highly selective polymerase chain reaction assays; 5% of pools tested positive, and amounts of DNA ranged from <500 copies/mL to >106 copies/mL plasma. PMID:16494735

Human papillomavirus-related content in state and tribal comprehensive cancer control plans.

PubMed

Steele, C Brooke; Thomas, Christopher N; Richardson, Lisa C

2008-01-01

Oncogenic types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) are firmly established as etiological agents for most premalignant and malignant epithelial lesions of the cervical mucosa. Genital infection with HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. Although most women infected with the virus become HPV negative within 2 years, women with persistent high-risk HPV infections are at greatest risk for developing cervical cancer. Since the development of the Papanicolau (Pap) test more than 60 years ago to screen for cervical cancer, technological advances have occurred in cervical cytology screening and HPV vaccine research. For example, in 2001, high-risk HPV DNA testing was recommended for the management of women whose Pap smears (collected by a liquid-based method) reveal atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration licensed a quadrivalent HPV vaccine for females aged 9-26 years to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous lesions, and genital warts associated with HPV types in the vaccine. New and emerging technologies in cancer diagnosis, management, and prevention are often addressed in comprehensive cancer control (CCC) plans developed by states, tribes, and territories. CCC is a collaborative process through which a community and its partners pool resources to reduce the burden of cancer. To assess whether CCC plans include HPV-related content, particularly regarding cervical cancer screening and prevention, we reviewed the most current plans available between October 2006 and January 2007 on an interactive Internet site for CCC programs (n = 53). This paper describes the contexts in which HPV-related content occurs in the plans.

Treatment challenges for community oncologists treating postmenopausal women with endocrine-resistant, hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer

PubMed Central

Gradishar, William J

2016-01-01

Community-based oncologists are faced with challenges and opportunities when delivering quality patient care, including high patient volumes and diminished resources; however, there may be the potential to deliver increased patient education and subsequently improve outcomes. This review discusses the treatment of postmenopausal women with endocrine-resistant, hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- negative advanced breast cancer in order to illustrate considerations in the provision of pertinent quality education in the treatment of these patients and the management of therapy-related adverse events. An overview of endocrine-resistant breast cancer and subsequent treatment challenges is also provided. Approved treatment options for endocrine-resistant breast cancer include hormonal therapies and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors. Compounds under clinical investigation are also discussed. PMID:27468248

Effect of sound-related activities on human behaviours and acoustic comfort in urban open spaces.

PubMed

Meng, Qi; Kang, Jian

2016-12-15

Human activities are important to landscape design and urban planning; however, the effect of sound-related activities on human behaviours and acoustic comfort has not been considered. The objective of this study is to explore how human behaviours and acoustic comfort in urban open spaces can be changed by sound-related activities. On-site measurements were performed at a case study site in Harbin, China, and an acoustic comfort survey was simultaneously conducted. In terms of effect of sound activities on human behaviours, music-related activities caused 5.1-21.5% of persons who pass by the area to stand and watch the activity, while there was a little effect on the number of persons who performed excises during the activity. Human activities generally have little effect on the behaviour of pedestrians when only 1 to 3 persons are involved in the activities, while a deep effect on the behaviour of pedestrians is noted when >6 persons are involved in the activities. In terms of effect of activities on acoustic comfort, music-related activities can increase the sound level from 10.8 to 16.4dBA, while human activities such RS and PC can increase the sound level from 9.6 to 12.8dBA; however, they lead to very different acoustic comfort. The acoustic comfort of persons can differ with activities, for example the acoustic comfort of persons who stand watch can increase by music-related activities, while the acoustic comfort of persons who sit and watch can decrease by human sound-related activities. Some sound-related activities can show opposite trend of acoustic comfort between visitors and citizens. Persons with higher income prefer music sound-related activities, while those with lower income prefer human sound-related activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attitudes About Human Trafficking: Individual Differences Related to Belief and Victim Blame.

PubMed

Cunningham, Katherine C; Cromer, Lisa DeMarni

2016-01-01

Human trafficking is believed to oppress millions of people worldwide. Despite increased media attention and public awareness campaigns in recent years, no empirical research has examined public attitudes about human trafficking. The present study examined gender, sexual trauma history, and attitudes about human trafficking as they related to belief of a sex-trafficking scenario and willingness to blame the victim for the situation. Undergraduate students (N = 409) at a large private university in the Northeastern United States completed measures in which they responded to a vignette portraying sex trafficking in the United States. Participants also reported their personal trauma history and completed a Human Trafficking Myths Scale. Results indicated that gender and human trafficking myth acceptance, but not sexual trauma history, were significantly related to participants' belief of the sex-trafficking scenario and their perception of the victim's responsibility. Potential implications and directions for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Recent advances in computational mechanics of the human knee joint.

PubMed

Kazemi, M; Dabiri, Y; Li, L P

2013-01-01

Computational mechanics has been advanced in every area of orthopedic biomechanics. The objective of this paper is to provide a general review of the computational models used in the analysis of the mechanical function of the knee joint in different loading and pathological conditions. Major review articles published in related areas are summarized first. The constitutive models for soft tissues of the knee are briefly discussed to facilitate understanding the joint modeling. A detailed review of the tibiofemoral joint models is presented thereafter. The geometry reconstruction procedures as well as some critical issues in finite element modeling are also discussed. Computational modeling can be a reliable and effective method for the study of mechanical behavior of the knee joint, if the model is constructed correctly. Single-phase material models have been used to predict the instantaneous load response for the healthy knees and repaired joints, such as total and partial meniscectomies, ACL and PCL reconstructions, and joint replacements. Recently, poromechanical models accounting for fluid pressurization in soft tissues have been proposed to study the viscoelastic response of the healthy and impaired knee joints. While the constitutive modeling has been considerably advanced at the tissue level, many challenges still exist in applying a good material model to three-dimensional joint simulations. A complete model validation at the joint level seems impossible presently, because only simple data can be obtained experimentally. Therefore, model validation may be concentrated on the constitutive laws using multiple mechanical tests of the tissues. Extensive model verifications at the joint level are still crucial for the accuracy of the modeling.

DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS FOR ADVANCED SMRs: THE ROLE OF COGNITIVE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacques Hugo; David Gertman

Advanced small modular reactors (AdvSMRs) will use advanced digital instrumentation and control systems, and make greater use of automation. These advances not only pose technical and operational challenges, but will inevitably have an effect on the operating and maintenance (O&M) cost of new plants. However, there is much uncertainty about the impact of AdvSMR designs on operational and human factors considerations, such as workload, situation awareness, human reliability, staffing levels, and the appropriate allocation of functions between the crew and various automated plant systems. Existing human factors and systems engineering design standards and methodologies are not current in terms ofmore » human interaction requirements for dynamic automated systems and are no longer suitable for the analysis of evolving operational concepts. New models and guidance for operational concepts for complex socio-technical systems need to adopt a state-of-the-art approach such as Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) that gives due consideration to the role of personnel. This approach we report on helps to identify and evaluate human challenges related to non-traditional concepts of operations. A framework - defining operational strategies was developed based on the operational analysis of Argonne National Laboratory’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), a small (20MWe) sodium-cooled reactor that was successfully operated for thirty years. Insights from the application of the systematic application of the methodology and its utility are reviewed and arguments for the formal adoption of CSE as a value-added part of the Systems Engineering process are presented.« less

An exploration of human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer prevention experiences among college women: a descriptive qualitative approach.

PubMed

Tu, Yu-Ching; Wang, Hsiu-Hung

2013-12-01

To enhance understanding of young women's experiences of human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer prevention in Taiwan. High-risk types of human papillomavirus are a key aetiologic factor behind cervical cancer. Recently, human papillomavirus vaccination is considered an effective approach to prevent vaccine-specific typed human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer in women. However, several controversial issues still arise about routine administration of human papillomavirus vaccines, and the literature on young women's protection against human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer is limited. A descriptive qualitative design categorised responses into themes. Sixteen sexually active college women (aged 20-22 years) were recruited via purposive and snow-ball sampling in Southern Taiwan. Every participant underwent an in-depth interview which was audio-recorded and fully transcribed. Analysis of the interview material was inductive and followed a thematic analysis approach. Procedures to confirm confidentiality, credibility and consistency were considered. This article provides an insight into the college women's experiences in the obstacles to and striving towards breakthroughs of human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer prevention. The obstacles include inadequate health literacy, financial difficulty, negative medical experiences and gender myths. The striving towards breakthroughs consists in self-protection and knowledge support. College women experience difficulties with human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer prevention. They desire to have a publicly funded human papillomavirus immunisation programme, friendly medical environments, sufficient knowledge and open-minded society to maintain their health. Such reflection information is helpful to design effective human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer prevention campaigns. Young women do not know how to protect against human papillomavirus infection, although human papillomavirus-related

Human Relations: The Cornerstone of a Roeper Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutz, Lori A.; Nichols, Susannah

2016-01-01

This article traces the evolution of a moral philosophy curriculum originally taught by George A. Roeper in the earliest years of The Roeper School. The first author, a student at The Roeper School in the 1960s and 1970s, describes the impact of the class George Roeper called "Human Relations" on her life. Returning to the School as a…

Advanced glycation end-products: a review.

PubMed

Singh, R; Barden, A; Mori, T; Beilin, L

2001-02-01

Advanced glycation end-products are a complex and heterogeneous group of compounds that have been implicated in diabetes related complications. At present it is not known if they are the cause or the consequence of the complications observed. We discuss the chemistry of advanced glycated end-product formation and their patho-biochemistry particularly in relation to the diabetic microvascular complications of retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy as well as their role in the accelerated vasculopathy observed in diabetes. The concept of carbonyl stress as a cause for advanced glycated end-product toxicity is mentioned. We discuss alterations in the concentrations of advanced glycated end-products in the body, particularly in relation to changes occurring with age, diabetes and its complications such as nephropathy. Problems relating to current methods of advanced glycated end-product detection and measurement are highlighted including the lack of a universally established method of detection or unit of measurement. Agents used for the treatment of advanced glycated end-product accumulation are reviewed, with an emphasis on the results of the recent phase III trials using aminoguanidine and diabetes related complications.

Advances in human genetics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, H.; Hirschhorn, K.

1993-01-01

This book has five chapters covering peroxisomal diseases, X-linked immunodeficiencies, genetic mutations affecting human lipoproteins and their receptors and enzymes, genetic aspects of cancer, and Gaucher disease. The chapter on peroxisomes covers their discovery, structure, functions, disorders, etc. The chapter on X-linked immunodeficiencies discusses such diseases as agammaglobulinemia, severe combined immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, animal models, linkage analysis, etc. Apolipoprotein formation, synthesis, gene regulation, proteins, etc. are the main focus of chapter 3. The chapter on cancer covers such topics as oncogene mapping and the molecular characterization of some recessive oncogenes. Gaucher disease is covered from its diagnosis, classification, and prevention,more » to its organ system involvement and molecular biology.« less

Foundational Methane Propulsion Related Technology Efforts, and Challenges for Applications to Human Exploration Beyond Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Thomas; Klem, Mark; McRight, Patrick

2016-01-01

Current interest in human exploration beyond earth orbit is driving requirements for high performance, long duration space transportation capabilities. Continued advancement in photovoltaic power systems and investments in high performance electric propulsion promise to enable solar electric options for cargo delivery and pre-deployment of operational architecture elements. However, higher thrust options are required for human in-space transportation as well as planetary descent and ascent functions. While high thrust requirements for interplanetary transportation may be provided by chemical or nuclear thermal propulsion systems, planetary descent and ascent systems are limited to chemical solutions due to their higher thrust to weight and potential planetary protection concerns. Liquid hydrogen fueled systems provide high specific impulse, but pose challenges due to low propellant density and the thermal issues of long term propellant storage. Liquid methane fueled propulsion is a promising compromise with lower specific impulse, higher bulk propellant density and compatibility with proposed in-situ propellant production concepts. Additionally, some architecture studies have identified the potential for commonality between interplanetary and descent/ascent propulsion solutions using liquid methane (LCH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants. These commonalities may lead to reduced overall development costs and more affordable exploration architectures. With this increased interest, it is critical to understand the current state of LOX/LCH4 propulsion technology and the remaining challenges to its application to beyond earth orbit human exploration. This paper provides a survey of NASA's past and current methane propulsion related technology efforts, assesses the accomplishments to date, and examines the remaining risks associated with full scale development.

Differences in Moral Judgment on Animal and Human Ethics Issues between University Students in Animal-Related, Human Medical and Arts Programs.

PubMed

Verrinder, Joy M; Ostini, Remo; Phillips, Clive J C

2016-01-01

Moral judgment in relation to animal ethics issues has rarely been investigated. Among the research that has been conducted, studies of veterinary students have shown greater use of reasoning based on universal principles for animal than human ethics issues. This study aimed to identify if this was unique to students of veterinary and other animal-related professions. The moral reasoning of first year students of veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, and production animal science was compared with that of students in non-animal related disciplines of human medicine and arts. All students (n = 531) completed a moral reasoning test, the VetDIT, with animal and human scenarios. When compared with reasoning on human ethics issues, the combined group of students evaluating animal ethics issues showed higher levels of Universal Principles reasoning, lower levels of Personal Interest reasoning and similar levels of Maintaining Norms reasoning. Arts students showed more personal interest reasoning than students in most animal-related programs on both animal and human ethics issues, and less norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues. Medical students showed more norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues than all of the animal-related groups. There were no differences in principled reasoning on animal ethics issues between program groups. This has implications for animal-related professions and education programs showing that students' preference for principled reasoning on animal ethics issues is not unique to animal-related disciplines, and highlighting the need to develop student (and professional) capacity to apply principled reasoning to address ethics issues in animal industries to reduce the risk of moral distress.

Differences in Moral Judgment on Animal and Human Ethics Issues between University Students in Animal-Related, Human Medical and Arts Programs

PubMed Central

Verrinder, Joy M.; Ostini, Remo; Phillips, Clive J. C.

2016-01-01

Moral judgment in relation to animal ethics issues has rarely been investigated. Among the research that has been conducted, studies of veterinary students have shown greater use of reasoning based on universal principles for animal than human ethics issues. This study aimed to identify if this was unique to students of veterinary and other animal-related professions. The moral reasoning of first year students of veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, and production animal science was compared with that of students in non-animal related disciplines of human medicine and arts. All students (n = 531) completed a moral reasoning test, the VetDIT, with animal and human scenarios. When compared with reasoning on human ethics issues, the combined group of students evaluating animal ethics issues showed higher levels of Universal Principles reasoning, lower levels of Personal Interest reasoning and similar levels of Maintaining Norms reasoning. Arts students showed more personal interest reasoning than students in most animal-related programs on both animal and human ethics issues, and less norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues. Medical students showed more norms-based reasoning on animal ethics issues than all of the animal-related groups. There were no differences in principled reasoning on animal ethics issues between program groups. This has implications for animal-related professions and education programs showing that students’ preference for principled reasoning on animal ethics issues is not unique to animal-related disciplines, and highlighting the need to develop student (and professional) capacity to apply principled reasoning to address ethics issues in animal industries to reduce the risk of moral distress. PMID:26934582

Comprehensive Control of Human Papillomavirus Infections and Related Diseases

PubMed Central

Bosch, F. Xavier; Broker, Thomas R.; Forman, David; Moscicki, Anna-Barbara; Gillison, Maura L.; Doorbar, John; Stern, Peter L.; Stanley, Margaret; Arbyn, Marc; Poljak, Mario; Cuzick, Jack; Castle, Philip E.; Schiller, John T.; Markowitz, Lauri E.; Fisher, William A.; Canfell, Karen; Denny, Lynette A.; Franco, Eduardo L.; Steben, Marc; Kane, Mark A.; Schiffman, Mark; Meijer, Chris J.L.M.; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy; Castellsagué, Xavier; Kim, Jane J.; Brotons, Maria; Alemany, Laia; Albero, Ginesa; Diaz, Mireia; de Sanjosé, Silvia

2014-01-01

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized as one of the major causes of infection-related cancer worldwide, as well as the causal factor in other diseases. Strong evidence for a causal etiology with HPV has been stated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer for cancers of the cervix uteri, penis, vulva, vagina, anus and oropharynx (including base of the tongue and tonsils). Of the estimated 12.7 million new cancers occurring in 2008 worldwide, 4.8% were attributable to HPV infection, with substantially higher incidence and mortality rates seen in developing versus developed countries. In recent years, we have gained tremendous knowledge about HPVs and their interactions with host cells, tissues and the immune system; have validated and implemented strategies for safe and efficacious prophylactic vaccination against HPV infections; have developed increasingly sensitive and specific molecular diagnostic tools for HPV detection for use in cervical cancer screening; and have substantially increased global awareness of HPV and its many associated diseases in women, men, and children. While these achievements exemplify the success of biomedical research in generating important public health interventions, they also generate new and daunting challenges: costs of HPV prevention and medical care, the implementation of what is technically possible, socio-political resistance to prevention opportunities, and the very wide ranges of national economic capabilities and health care systems. Gains and challenges faced in the quest for comprehensive control of HPV infection and HPV-related cancers and other disease are summarized in this review. The information presented may be viewed in terms of a reframed paradigm of prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases that will include strategic combinations of at least four major components: 1) routine introduction of HPV vaccines to women in all countries, 2) extension and simplification of

Advancing environmental health surveillance in the US through a national human biomonitoring network.

PubMed

Latshaw, Megan Weil; Degeberg, Ruhiyyih; Patel, Surili Sutaria; Rhodes, Blaine; King, Ewa; Chaudhuri, Sanwat; Nassif, Julianne

2017-03-01

The United States lacks a comprehensive, nationally-coordinated, state-based environmental health surveillance system. This lack of infrastructure leads to: • varying levels of understanding of chemical exposures at the state & local levels • often inefficient public health responses to chemical exposure emergencies (such as those that occurred in the Flint drinking water crisis, the Gold King mine spill, the Elk river spill and the Gulf Coast oil spill) • reduced ability to measure the impact of public health interventions or environmental policies • less efficient use of resources for cleaning up environmental contamination Establishing the National Biomonitoring Network serves as a step toward building a national, state-based environmental health surveillance system. The Network builds upon CDC investments in emergency preparedness and environmental public health tracking, which have created advanced chemical analysis and information sharing capabilities in the state public health systems. The short-term goal of the network is to harmonize approaches to human biomonitoring in the US, thus increasing the comparability of human biomonitoring data across states and communities. The long-term goal is to compile baseline data on exposures at the state level, similar to data found in CDC's National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Barriers to success for this network include: available resources, effective risk communication strategies, data comparability & sharing, and political will. Anticipated benefits include high quality data on which to base public health and environmental decisions, data with which to assess the success of public health interventions, improved risk assessments for chemicals, and new ways to prioritize environmental health research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Gene Editing and Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: Tools for Advancing Diabetes Disease Modeling and Beta-Cell Development.

PubMed

Millette, Katelyn; Georgia, Senta

2017-10-05

This review will focus on the multiple approaches to gene editing and address the potential use of genetically modified human pluripotent stem cell-derived beta cells (SC-β) as a tool to study human beta-cell development and model their function in diabetes. We will explore how new variations of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing may accelerate our understanding of beta-cell developmental biology, elucidate novel mechanisms that establish and regulate beta-cell function, and assist in pioneering new therapeutic modalities for treating diabetes. Improvements in CRISPR/Cas9 target specificity and homology-directed recombination continue to advance its use in engineering stem cells to model and potentially treat disease. We will review how CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is informing our understanding of beta-cell development and expanding the therapeutic possibilities for treating diabetes and other diseases. Here we focus on the emerging use of gene editing technology, specifically CRISPR/Cas9, as a means of manipulating human gene expression to gain novel insights into the roles of key factors in beta-cell development and function. Taken together, the combined use of SC-β cells and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing will shed new light on human beta-cell development and function and accelerate our progress towards developing new therapies for patients with diabetes.

Understanding and Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients With Advanced Melanoma

PubMed Central

Weinstein, Alyona; Gordon, Ruth-Ann; Kasler, Mary Kate; Burke, Matthew; Ranjan, Smita; Hodgetts, Jackie; Reed, Vanessa; Shames, Yelena; Prempeh-Keteku, Nana; Lingard, Karla

2017-01-01

The immune checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab represent a substantial improvement in treating advanced melanoma but are associated with adverse events (AEs) likely related to general immunologic enhancement. To ensure that patients receive optimal benefit from these agents, prompt assessment and treatment of AEs are essential. We review the efficacy and safety profiles of these immune checkpoint inhibitors and describe guidelines for managing immune-related AEs. We also present case studies describing the management of toxicities in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. These cases illustrate the importance of collecting a detailed medical history when administering immunotherapy, as this information is necessary to establish baseline, inform monitoring, and determine the etiology of symptoms. Advanced practice nurses and physician assistants are uniquely positioned to educate patients on the early recognition of AEs and have an important role in establishing appropriate monitoring and open dialogue among services. PMID:29900017

Advanced EVA Capabilities: A Study for NASA's Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concept Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, Stephen J.

2004-01-01

This report documents the results of a study carried out as part of NASA s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Program examining the future technology needs of extravehicular activities (EVAs). The intent of this study is to produce a comprehensive report that identifies various design concepts for human-related advanced EVA systems necessary to achieve the goals of supporting future space exploration and development customers in free space and on planetary surfaces for space missions in the post-2020 timeframe. The design concepts studied and evaluated are not limited to anthropomorphic space suits, but include a wide range of human-enhancing EVA technologies as well as consideration of coordination and integration with advanced robotics. The goal of the study effort is to establish a baseline technology "road map" that identifies and describes an investment and technical development strategy, including recommendations that will lead to future enhanced synergistic human/robot EVA operations. The eventual use of this study effort is to focus evolving performance capabilities of various EVA system elements toward the goal of providing high performance human operational capabilities for a multitude of future space applications and destinations. The data collected for this study indicate a rich and diverse history of systems that have been developed to perform a variety of EVA tasks, indicating what is possible. However, the data gathered for this study also indicate a paucity of new concepts and technologies for advanced EVA missions - at least any that researchers are willing to discuss in this type of forum.

Interpersonal Communications: A Human Relations Practicum. Training Module VIII.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Bradley

Improving human relations through better interpersonal communications is the focus of this training module. It guides trainers through the activities and lessons necessary to teach the skills which lead to effective interpersonal communication. Eight activities are described and materials, including 14 transparency masters and 7 handouts, are…

Advanced instrumentation for the collection, retrieval, and processing of urban stormwater data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Jerald B.; Bales, Jerad D.; Young, Wendi S.; ,

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, has developed a data-collection network that uses advanced instrumentation to automatically collect, retrieve, and process urban stormwater data. Precipitation measurement and water-quality networks provide data for (1) planned watershed simulation models, (2) early warning of possible flooding, (3) computation of material export, and (4) characterization of water quality in relation to basin conditions. Advantages of advanced instrumentation include remote access to real-time data, reduced demands on and more efficient use of limited human resources, and direct importation of data into a geographical information system for display and graphic analysis.

A risk score for the prediction of advanced age-related macular degeneration: Development and validation in 2 prospective cohorts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We aimed to develop an eye specific model which used readily available information to predict risk for advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We used the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) as our training dataset, which consisted of the 4,507 participants (contributing 1,185 affected v...

Short rendezvous missions for advanced Russian human spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murtazin, Rafail F.; Budylov, Sergey G.

2010-10-01

The two-day stay of crew in a limited inhabited volume of the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft till docking to ISS is one of the most stressful parts of space flight. In this paper a number of possible ways to reduce the duration of the free flight phase are considered. The duration is defined by phasing strategy that is necessary for reduction of the phase angle between the chaser and target spacecraft. Some short phasing strategies could be developed. The use of such strategies creates more comfortable flight conditions for crew thanks to short duration and additionally it allows saving spacecraft's life support resources. The transition from the methods of direct spacecraft rendezvous using one orbit phasing (first flights of " Vostok" and " Soyuz" vehicles) to the currently used methods of two-day rendezvous mission can be observed in the history of Soviet manned space program. For an advanced Russian human rated spacecraft the short phasing strategy is recommended, which can be considered as a combination between the direct and two-day rendezvous missions. The following state of the art technologies are assumed available: onboard accurate navigation; onboard computations of phasing maneuvers; launch vehicle with high accuracy injection orbit, etc. Some operational requirements and constraints for the strategies are briefly discussed. In order to provide acceptable phase angles for possible launch dates the experience of the ISS altitude profile control can be used. As examples of the short phasing strategies, the following rendezvous missions are considered: direct ascent, short mission with the phasing during 3-7 orbits depending on the launch date (nominal or backup). For each option statistical modeling of the rendezvous mission is fulfilled, as well as an admissible phase angle range, accuracy of target state vector and addition fuel consumption coming out of emergency is defined. In this paper an estimation of pros and cons of all options is conducted.

Effects of Systematic Human Relations Training on Inmate Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, E. Duane; And Others

1976-01-01

The present study was conducted to determine the applicability of human relations training in the rehabilitation of selected prisoners in a Southern prison. Inmates who participated in the study were able to learn discrimination between helpful and nonhelpful communication and to make positive gains in their work behavior. (Author)

Recent Advances in Computational Mechanics of the Human Knee Joint

PubMed Central

Kazemi, M.; Dabiri, Y.; Li, L. P.

2013-01-01

Computational mechanics has been advanced in every area of orthopedic biomechanics. The objective of this paper is to provide a general review of the computational models used in the analysis of the mechanical function of the knee joint in different loading and pathological conditions. Major review articles published in related areas are summarized first. The constitutive models for soft tissues of the knee are briefly discussed to facilitate understanding the joint modeling. A detailed review of the tibiofemoral joint models is presented thereafter. The geometry reconstruction procedures as well as some critical issues in finite element modeling are also discussed. Computational modeling can be a reliable and effective method for the study of mechanical behavior of the knee joint, if the model is constructed correctly. Single-phase material models have been used to predict the instantaneous load response for the healthy knees and repaired joints, such as total and partial meniscectomies, ACL and PCL reconstructions, and joint replacements. Recently, poromechanical models accounting for fluid pressurization in soft tissues have been proposed to study the viscoelastic response of the healthy and impaired knee joints. While the constitutive modeling has been considerably advanced at the tissue level, many challenges still exist in applying a good material model to three-dimensional joint simulations. A complete model validation at the joint level seems impossible presently, because only simple data can be obtained experimentally. Therefore, model validation may be concentrated on the constitutive laws using multiple mechanical tests of the tissues. Extensive model verifications at the joint level are still crucial for the accuracy of the modeling. PMID:23509602

Human Exploration System Test-Bed for Integration and Advancement (HESTIA) Support of Future NASA Deep-Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marmolejo, Jose; Ewert, Michael

2016-01-01

The Engineering Directorate at the NASA - Johnson Space Center is outfitting a 20-Foot diameter hypobaric chamber in Building 7 to support future deep-space Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) research as part of the Human Exploration System Test-bed for Integration and Advancement (HESTIA) Project. This human-rated chamber is the only NASA facility that has the unique experience, chamber geometry, infrastructure, and support systems capable of conducting this research. The chamber was used to support Gemini, Apollo, and SkyLab Missions. More recently, it was used to conduct 30-, 60-, and 90-day human ECLSS closed-loop testing in the 1990s to support the International Space Station and life support technology development. NASA studies show that both planetary surface and deep-space transit crew habitats will be 3-4 story cylindrical structures driven by human occupancy volumetric needs and launch vehicle constraints. The HESTIA facility offers a 3-story, 20-foot diameter habitat consistent with the studies' recommendations. HESTIA operations follow stringent processes by a certified test team that including human testing. Project management, analysis, design, acquisition, fabrication, assembly and certification of facility build-ups are available to support this research. HESTIA offers close proximity to key stakeholders including astronauts, Human Research Program (who direct space human research for the agency), Mission Operations, Safety & Mission Assurance, and Engineering Directorate. The HESTIA chamber can operate at reduced pressure and elevated oxygen environments including those proposed for deep-space exploration. Data acquisition, power, fluids and other facility resources are available to support a wide range of research. Recently completed HESTIA research consisted of unmanned testing of ECLSS technologies. Eventually, the HESTIA research will include humans for extended durations at reduced pressure and elevated oxygen to demonstrate

Structural studies of human glioma pathogenesis-related protein 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asojo, Oluwatoyin A., E-mail: oasojo@unmc.edu; Koski, Raymond A.; Bonafé, Nathalie

2011-10-01

Structural analysis of a truncated soluble domain of human glioma pathogenesis-related protein 1, a membrane protein implicated in the proliferation of aggressive brain cancer, is presented. Human glioma pathogenesis-related protein 1 (GLIPR1) is a membrane protein that is highly upregulated in brain cancers but is barely detectable in normal brain tissue. GLIPR1 is composed of a signal peptide that directs its secretion, a conserved cysteine-rich CAP (cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5 and pathogenesis-related 1 proteins) domain and a transmembrane domain. GLIPR1 is currently being investigated as a candidate for prostate cancer gene therapy and for glioblastoma targeted therapy. Crystal structuresmore » of a truncated soluble domain of the human GLIPR1 protein (sGLIPR1) solved by molecular replacement using a truncated polyalanine search model of the CAP domain of stecrisp, a snake-venom cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP), are presented. The correct molecular-replacement solution could only be obtained by removing all loops from the search model. The native structure was refined to 1.85 Å resolution and that of a Zn{sup 2+} complex was refined to 2.2 Å resolution. The latter structure revealed that the putative binding cavity coordinates Zn{sup 2+} similarly to snake-venom CRISPs, which are involved in Zn{sup 2+}-dependent mechanisms of inflammatory modulation. Both sGLIPR1 structures have extensive flexible loop/turn regions and unique charge distributions that were not observed in any of the previously reported CAP protein structures. A model is also proposed for the structure of full-length membrane-bound GLIPR1.« less

The Contextual Cat: Human-Animal Relations and Social Meaning in Anglo-Saxon England.

PubMed

Poole, Kristopher

2015-01-01

The growing popularity of relational approaches to agency amongst archaeologists has led to increased attention on the specific contexts of interaction between humans and their material worlds. Within such viewpoints, non-humans are perceived as agents in their own right and placed on an equal footing with humans, with both acting to generate social categories in past cultures. However, to date, the focus of these interpretative models has been overwhelmingly directed towards inanimate objects. Animals are generally absent from these discussions, despite their ubiquity in past societies and the frequently central roles they held within daily lives and social relations. Moreover, living animals are set apart from material culture because, like humans, they are usually aware of their environs and are capable of physically responding to them. This ability to 'act back' would have made human-animal interactions extremely dynamic and thus offers different conceptual challenges to archaeologists than when faced with objects. This paper demonstrates that the notion of performativity, combined with understanding of animals themselves, can help to comprehend these relations. It does so by focusing on one particular species, the domestic cat, in relation to Anglo-Saxon England. The characteristics and behaviour of these animals affected the ways in which humans perceived and interacted with them, so that just one individual cat could be categorised in a range of different ways. The classification of animals was thus just as fluid, if not more so, as that of objects and highlights the need to incorporate the former into reconstructions of the social in archaeological research.

Phenotypic Identification of Actinomyces and Related Species Isolated from Human Sources

PubMed Central

Sarkonen, Nanna; Könönen, Eija; Summanen, Paula; Könönen, Mauno; Jousimies-Somer, Hannele

2001-01-01

Recent advancements in chemotaxonomic and molecular biology-based identification methods have clarified the taxonomy of the genus Actinomyces and have led to the recognition of several new Actinomyces and related species. Actinomyces-like gram-positive rods have increasingly been isolated from various clinical specimens. Thus, an easily accessible scheme for reliable differentiation at the species level is needed in clinical and oral microbiology laboratories, where bacterial identification is mainly based on conventional biochemical methods. In the present study we designed a two-step protocol that consists of a flowchart that describes rapid, cost-efficient tests for preliminary identification of Actinomyces and closely related species and an updated more comprehensive scheme that also uses fermentation reactions for accurate differentiation of Actinomyces and closely related species. PMID:11682514

Techniques and applications for binaural sound manipulation in human-machine interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Begault, Durand R.; Wenzel, Elizabeth M.

1990-01-01

The implementation of binaural sound to speech and auditory sound cues (auditory icons) is addressed from both an applications and technical standpoint. Techniques overviewed include processing by means of filtering with head-related transfer functions. Application to advanced cockpit human interface systems is discussed, although the techniques are extendable to any human-machine interface. Research issues pertaining to three-dimensional sound displays under investigation at the Aerospace Human Factors Division at NASA Ames Research Center are described.

Techniques and applications for binaural sound manipulation in human-machine interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Begault, Durand R.; Wenzel, Elizabeth M.

1992-01-01

The implementation of binaural sound to speech and auditory sound cues (auditory icons) is addressed from both an applications and technical standpoint. Techniques overviewed include processing by means of filtering with head-related transfer functions. Application to advanced cockpit human interface systems is discussed, although the techniques are extendable to any human-machine interface. Research issues pertaining to three-dimensional sound displays under investigation at the Aerospace Human Factors Division at NASA Ames Research Center are described.

Biomarkers Predicting Progression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Related Disease

PubMed Central

Kanekar, Amar

2010-01-01

Biomarkers in predicting the progression of HIV infected individuals to a state of HIV disease (AIDS) are studied over more than a decade. Use of surrogate markers in the past for tracking clinical progression of the disease was limited, as little knowledge existed about the disease. The aim of this review was to address various changes in biomarker related studies taking place over the last five years, especially the trend towards use of newer biomarkers and experimentation with novel molecules in a quest for halting HIV disease progression. An open search of PUBMED database was made with search 'key words' such as 'Biomarkers' and 'AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)'.The following were the inclusion criteria for articles: a) all articles published in English language, b) years of publication between 2002-2008 and c) articles limited to adult population. This yielded a total of 417 articles. The criteria used for further judging these studies considered a) type of research design, b) number of biomarkers studied, c) validity of the biomarkers, d) techniques to assess the biomarkers and the impact of the studies in furthering biomarker research, e) sample size for the studies and f) article title or abstracts having the following key words 'biomarker' or 'biomarkers' and 'predict progression to AIDS'. A total of 27 abstracts were reviewed and 12 studies met the above criteria. These 12 different studies consisted of three reviews, four cohort designs, three cross-sectional designs, one each of an observational, and an in-vitro design. The various biomarkers emerging as a results were primarily a mix of viral, neural, immunological, HLA (human leukocyte antigen) markers along with lymphocyte counts. Although there have been quite a few advancements in biomarker-related studies, majority of the novel biomarkers discovered need to be further evaluated and replicated in bigger, long-term efficacy trials. Efforts should also be made to discover newer genetic

Human genetics and sleep behavior.

PubMed

Shi, Guangsen; Wu, David; Ptáček, Louis J; Fu, Ying-Hui

2017-06-01

Why we sleep remains one of the greatest mysteries in science. In the past few years, great advances have been made to better understand this phenomenon. Human genetics has contributed significantly to this movement, as many features of sleep have been found to be heritable. Discoveries about these genetic variations that affect human sleep will aid us in understanding the underlying mechanism of sleep. Here we summarize recent discoveries about the genetic variations affecting the timing of sleep, duration of sleep and EEG patterns. To conclude, we also discuss some of the sleep-related neurological disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and the potential challenges and future directions of human genetics in sleep research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human health risk assessment related to contaminated land: state of the art.

PubMed

Swartjes, F A

2015-08-01

Exposure of humans to contaminants from contaminated land may result in many types of health damage ranging from relatively innocent symptoms such as skin eruption or nausea, on up to cancer or even death. Human health protection is generally considered as a major protection target. State-of-the-art possibilities and limitations of human health risk assessment tools are described in this paper. Human health risk assessment includes two different activities, i.e. the exposure assessment and the hazard assessment. The combination of these is called the risk characterization, which results in an appraisal of the contaminated land. Exposure assessment covers a smart combination of calculations, using exposure models, and measurements in contact media and body liquids and tissue (biomonitoring). Regarding the time frame represented by exposure estimates, biomonitoring generally relates to exposure history, measurements in contact media to actual exposures, while exposure calculations enable a focus on exposure in future situations. The hazard assessment, which is different for contaminants with or without a threshold for effects, results in a critical exposure value. Good human health risk assessment practice accounts for tiered approaches and multiple lines of evidence. Specific attention is given here to phenomena such as the time factor in human health risk assessment, suitability for the local situation, background exposure, combined exposure and harmonization of human health risk assessment tools.

Bovine colostrum improves neonatal growth, digestive function, and gut immunity relative to donor human milk and infant formula in preterm pigs.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Stine O; Martin, Lena; Østergaard, Mette V; Rudloff, Silvia; Li, Yanqi; Roggenbuck, Michael; Bering, Stine B; Sangild, Per T

2016-09-01

Mother's own milk is the optimal first diet for preterm infants, but donor human milk (DM) or infant formula (IF) is used when supply is limited. We hypothesized that a gradual introduction of bovine colostrum (BC) or DM improves gut maturation, relative to IF during the first 11 days after preterm birth. Preterm pigs were fed gradually advancing doses of BC, DM, or IF (3-15 ml·kg(-1)·3 h(-1), n = 14-18) before measurements of gut structure, function, microbiology, and immunology. The BC pigs showed higher body growth, intestinal hexose uptake, and transit time and reduced diarrhea and gut permeability, relative to DM and IF pigs (P < 0.05). Relative to IF pigs, BC pigs also had lower density of mucosa-associated bacteria and of some putative pathogens in colon, together with higher intestinal villi, mucosal mass, brush-border enzyme activities, colonic short chain fatty acid levels, and bacterial diversity and an altered expression of immune-related genes (higher TNFα, IL17; lower IL8, TLR2, TFF, MUC1, MUC2) (all P < 0.05). Values in DM pigs were intermediate. Severe necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was observed in >50% of IF pigs, while only subclinical intestinal lesions were evident from DM and BC pigs. BC, and to some degree DM, are superior to preterm IF in stimulating gut maturation and body growth, using a gradual advancement of enteral feeding volume over the first 11 days after preterm birth in piglets. Whether the same is true in preterm infants remains to be tested. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Evaluation of advanced austenitic alloys relative to alloy design criteria for steam service

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swindeman, R.W.; Maziasz, P.J.; Bolling, E.

1990-05-01

The results are summarized for a 6-year activity on advanced austenitic stainless steels for heat recovery systems. Commercial, near-commercial, and developmental alloys were evaluated relative to criteria for metallurgical stability, fabricability, weldability, and mechanical strength. Fireside and steamside corrosion were also considered, but no test data were collected. Lean stainless steel alloys that were given special attention in the study were type 316 stainless steel, fine-grained type 347 stainless steel, 17-14CuMo stainless steel, Esshete 1250, Sumitomo ST3Cu{reg sign} stainless steel, and a group of alloys identified as HT-UPS (high-temperature, ultrafine-precipitation strengthened) steels that were basically 14Cr--16Ni--Mo steels modified by variousmore » additions of MC-forming elements. It was found that, by solution treating the MC-forming alloys to temperatures above 1150{degree}C and subsequently cold or warm working, excellent metallurgical stability and creep strength could be achieved. Test data to beyond 35,000 h were collected. The ability to clad the steels for improved fireside corrosion resistance was demonstrated. Weldability of the alloys was of concern, and hot cracking was found to be a problem in the HT-UPS alloys. By reducing the phosphorous content and selecting either CRE 16-8-2 stainless steel or alloy 556 filler metal, weldments were produced that had excellent strength and ductility. The major issues related to the development of the advanced alloys were identified and ways to resolve the issues suggested. 89 refs., 45 figs., 8 tabs.« less

Placing Science into Its Human Context: Using Scientific Autobiography to Teach Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, Felix A.; Seeman, Jeffrey I.

2001-12-01

Scientific autobiography and biography can improve chemistry learning by helping students relate otherwise abstract concepts to important events in the lives of fellow human beings. In advanced courses, reading scientific autobiography and biography can help students see how scientific collaboration, advances in instrumentation, and major events in human lives influence the development of chemical ideas over time. In addition, studying many years of an individual's research program can demonstrate the progress of science, the connectivity of research findings, and the validity of experimental results over many decades. This paper describes the use of an autobiography of an eminent chemist in an advanced undergraduate chemistry course. This approach not only enhances the teaching of chemical concepts, but it also provides students with expanded opportunities for cooperative and self-directed learning activities.

Metal homeostasis in infectious disease: recent advances in bacterial metallophores and the human metal-withholding response.

PubMed

Neumann, Wilma; Gulati, Anmol; Nolan, Elizabeth M

2017-04-01

A tug-of-war between the mammalian host and bacterial pathogen for nutrients, including first-row transition metals (e.g. Mn, Fe, Zn), occurs during infection. Here we present recent advances about three metal-chelating metabolites that bacterial pathogens deploy when invading the host: staphylopine, staphyloferrin B, and enterobactin. These highlights provide new insights into the mechanisms of bacterial metal acquisition and regulation, as well as the contributions of host-defense proteins during the human innate immune response. The studies also underscore that the chemical composition of the microenvironment at an infection site can influence bacterial pathogenesis and the innate immune system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human Metabolism and Interactions of Deployment-Related Chemicals

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-01

metabolic detoxification pathway for permethrin. Other deployment related compounds, an insect repellent (N,N-diethyl-m- toluamide) a nerve gas ...Leo, K. U. 1997. Metabolism of proposed nerve agent pretreatment, pyridostigmine bromine. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Report No. NTIS/AD...against possible nerve gas attack. It has been reported that chlorpyrifos and DEET are metabo- lized by human P450s (Tang et al., 2001; Usmani et al., 2002

Dissecting the human microbiome with single-cell genomics.

PubMed

Tolonen, Andrew C; Xavier, Ramnik J

2017-06-14

Recent advances in genome sequencing of single microbial cells enable the assignment of functional roles to members of the human microbiome that cannot currently be cultured. This approach can reveal the genomic basis of phenotypic variation between closely related strains and can be applied to the targeted study of immunogenic bacteria in disease.

Advancing mangrove macroecology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rivera-Monroy, Victor H.; Osland, Michael J.; Day, John W.; Ray, Santanu; Rovai, Andre S.; Day, Richard H.; Mukherjee, Joyita; Rivera-Monroy, Victor H.; Lee, Shing Yip; Kristensen, Erik; Twilley, Robert R.

2017-01-01

Mangrove forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services to society, yet they are among the most anthropogenically impacted coastal ecosystems in the world. In this chapter, we discuss and provide examples for how macroecology can advance our understanding of mangrove ecosystems. Macroecology is broadly defined as a discipline that uses statistical analyses to investigate large-scale, universal patterns in the distribution, abundance, diversity, and organization of species and ecosystems, including the scaling of ecological processes and structural and functional relationships. Macroecological methods can be used to advance our understanding of how non-linear responses in natural systems can be triggered by human impacts at local, regional, and global scales. Although macroecology has the potential to gain knowledge on universal patterns and processes that govern mangrove ecosystems, the application of macroecological methods to mangroves has historically been limited by constraints in data quality and availability. Here we provide examples that include evaluations of the variation in mangrove forest ecosystem structure and function in relation to macroclimatic drivers (e.g., temperature and rainfall regimes) and climate change. Additional examples include work focused upon the continental distribution of aboveground net primary productivity and carbon storage, which are rapidly advancing research areas. These examples demonstrate the value of a macroecological perspective for the understanding of global- and regional-scale effects of both changing environmental conditions and management actions on ecosystem structure, function, and the supply of goods and services. We also present current trends in mangrove modeling approaches and their potential utility to test hypotheses about mangrove structural and functional properties. Given the gap in relevant experimental work at the regional scale, we also discuss the potential use of mangrove restoration and

Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MDRC, 2017

2017-01-01

As the first major effort to use a behavioral economics lens to examine human services programs that serve poor and vulnerable families in the United States, the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project demonstrated the value of applying behavioral insights to improve the efficacy of human services programs. The BIAS…

Advancing Usability Evaluation through Human Reliability Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ronald L. Boring; David I. Gertman

2005-07-01

This paper introduces a novel augmentation to the current heuristic usability evaluation methodology. The SPAR-H human reliability analysis method was developed for categorizing human performance in nuclear power plants. Despite the specialized use of SPAR-H for safety critical scenarios, the method also holds promise for use in commercial off-the-shelf software usability evaluations. The SPAR-H method shares task analysis underpinnings with human-computer interaction, and it can be easily adapted to incorporate usability heuristics as performance shaping factors. By assigning probabilistic modifiers to heuristics, it is possible to arrive at the usability error probability (UEP). This UEP is not a literal probabilitymore » of error but nonetheless provides a quantitative basis to heuristic evaluation. When combined with a consequence matrix for usability errors, this method affords ready prioritization of usability issues.« less

Advancing Water Science through Improved Cyberinfrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, B. J.; Miles, B.; Rai, A.; Ahalt, S.; Band, L. E.; Minsker, B.; Palmer, M.; Williams, M. R.; Idaszak, R.; Whitton, M. C.

2012-12-01

Major scientific advances are needed to help address impacts of climate change and increasing human-mediated environmental modification on the water cycle at global and local scales. However, such advances within the water sciences are limited in part by inadequate information infrastructures. For example, cyberinfrastructure (CI) includes the integrated computer hardware, software, networks, sensors, data, and human capital that enable scientific workflows to be carried out within and among individual research efforts and across varied disciplines. A coordinated transformation of existing CI and development of new CI could accelerate the productivity of water science by enabling greater discovery, access, and interoperability of data and models, and by freeing scientists to do science rather than create and manage technological tools. To elucidate specific ways in which improved CI could advance water science, three challenges confronting the water science community were evaluated: 1) How does ecohydrologic patch structure affect nitrogen transport and fate in watersheds?, 2) How can human-modified environments emulate natural water and nutrient cycling to enhance both human and ecosystem well-being?, 3) How do changes in climate affect water availability to support biodiversity and human needs? We assessed the approaches used by researchers to address components of these challenges, identified barriers imposed by limitations of current CI, and interviewed leaders in various water science subdisciplines to determine the most recent CI tools employed. Our preliminary findings revealed four areas where CI improvements are likely to stimulate scientific advances: 1) sensor networks, 2) data quality assurance/quality control, 3) data and modeling standards, 4) high performance computing. In addition, the full potential of a re-envisioned water science CI cannot be realized without a substantial training component. In light of these findings, we suggest that CI

Developing a Model of Advanced Training to Promote Career Advancement for Certified Genetic Counselors: An Investigation of Expanded Skills, Advanced Training Paths, and Professional Opportunities.

PubMed

Baty, Bonnie J; Trepanier, Angela; Bennett, Robin L; Davis, Claire; Erby, Lori; Hippman, Catriona; Lerner, Barbara; Matthews, Anne; Myers, Melanie F; Robbins, Carol B; Singletary, Claire N

2016-08-01

There are currently multiple paths through which genetic counselors can acquire advanced knowledge and skills. However, outside of continuing education opportunities, there are few formal training programs designed specifically for the advanced training of genetic counselors. In the genetic counseling profession, there is currently considerable debate about the paths that should be available to attain advanced skills, as well as the skills that might be needed for practice in the future. The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors (AGCPD) convened a national committee, the Committee on Advanced Training for Certified Genetic Counselors (CATCGC), to investigate varied paths to post-master's training and career development. The committee began its work by developing three related grids that view career advancement from the viewpoints of the skills needed to advance (skills), ways to obtain these skills (paths), and existing genetic counselor positions that offer career change or advancement (positions). Here we describe previous work related to genetic counselor career advancement, the charge of the CATCGC, our preliminary work in developing a model through which to view genetic counselor advanced training and career advancement opportunities, and our next steps in further developing and disseminating the model.

38 CFR 17.85 - Treatment of research-related injuries to human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Treatment of research-related injuries to human subjects. 17.85 Section 17.85 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT... to human subjects. (a) VA medical facilities shall provide necessary medical treatment to a research...

38 CFR 17.85 - Treatment of research-related injuries to human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Treatment of research-related injuries to human subjects. 17.85 Section 17.85 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT... to human subjects. (a) VA medical facilities shall provide necessary medical treatment to a research...

38 CFR 17.85 - Treatment of research-related injuries to human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Treatment of research-related injuries to human subjects. 17.85 Section 17.85 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT... to human subjects. (a) VA medical facilities shall provide necessary medical treatment to a research...

Space Station Human Factors Research Review. Volume 4: Inhouse Advanced Development and Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanner, Trieve (Editor); Clearwater, Yvonne A. (Editor); Cohen, Marc M. (Editor)

1988-01-01

A variety of human factors studies related to space station design are presented. Subjects include proximity operations and window design, spatial perceptual issues regarding displays, image management, workload research, spatial cognition, virtual interface, fault diagnosis in orbital refueling, and error tolerance and procedure aids.

Profile of vismodegib and its potential in the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Macha, Muzafar A; Batra, Surinder K; Ganti, Apar Kishor

2013-01-01

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human malignancy. Recent advances in our understanding of the critical biologic pathways implicated in the development and progression of BCC have led to the development of the first molecular targeted therapy for this disease. The hedgehog pathway is mutated in virtually all patients with BCC and recent trials with vismodegib, an inhibitor of this pathway, have shown significant responses. This review will discuss the importance of the hedgehog pathway in the pathogenesis of BCC and describe in detail the pharmacology of vismodegib in relation to its activity in advanced BCC.

Profile of vismodegib and its potential in the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

Macha, Muzafar A; Batra, Surinder K; Ganti, Apar Kishor

2013-01-01

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human malignancy. Recent advances in our understanding of the critical biologic pathways implicated in the development and progression of BCC have led to the development of the first molecular targeted therapy for this disease. The hedgehog pathway is mutated in virtually all patients with BCC and recent trials with vismodegib, an inhibitor of this pathway, have shown significant responses. This review will discuss the importance of the hedgehog pathway in the pathogenesis of BCC and describe in detail the pharmacology of vismodegib in relation to its activity in advanced BCC. PMID:23940421

Everything safe? – Risk situations in advanced home care from the point of view of ventilated patients and their relatives

PubMed

Ewers, Michael; Schaepe, Christiane; Lehmann, Yvonne

2017-01-01

Background: The number of home mechanically ventilated (HMV) patients has been growing for years. However, little is known about requirements, processes and effects of advanced home care, provided in distance from clinics and doctors. To date, safety related aspects of the above mentioned issues have scarcely been examined. Aim: Users of advanced home care were asked about their experiences and about situations in which they felt safe or unsafe. The aim was to gain insights into the daily care provision, explore safety risks from the users’ point of view, and to develop new approaches to enhance patient safety in home care for the severely ill. Method: A qualitative explorative study has been carried out, based on semi-structured interviews (ventilated patients N = 21; relatives N = 15). Sampling, data collecting and data analysis were guided by principles of Grounded Theory. Results: Risk situations occur when (non-)verbal communication offers of HMV patients are overseen or misunderstood, patient- or technology related monitoring tasks are neglected, if coordination and collaboration requirements are undervalued and if negotiation processes as well as education and supervision needs are disregarded. Furthermore, nurses’ lack of competence, self-confidence and professionalism may produce risk situations. Conclusion: Listen carefully to patients and relatives can help to identify quality shortcomings in advanced home care, to prevent risk situations and to develop patient-centered safety concepts for this particular setting.

Obesity-related genetic variants, human pigmentation, and risk of melanoma

PubMed Central

Li, Xin; Liang, Liming; Zhang, Mingfeng; Song, Fengju; Nan, Hongmei; Wang, Li-E; Wei, Qingyi; Lee, Jeffrey E.; Amos, Christopher I.; Qureshi, Abrar A.; Han, Jiali

2013-01-01

Previous biological studies showed evidence of a genetic link between obesity and pigmentation in both animal models and humans. Our study investigated the individual and joint associations between obesity-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and both human pigmentation and risk of melanoma. Eight obesity-related SNPs in the FTO, MAP2K5, NEGR1, FLJ35779, ETV5, CADM2, and NUDT3 genes were nominally significantly associated with hair color among 5,876 individuals of European ancestry. The genetic score combining 35 independent obesity-risk loci was significantly associated with darker hair color (beta-coefficient per ten alleles=0.12, P-value=4 10−5). However, single SNPs or genetic scores showed non-significant association with tanning ability. We further examined the SNPs at the FTO locus for their associations with pigmentation and risk of melanoma. Among the 783 SNPs in the FTO gene with imputation R-square quality metric >0.8 using the 1000 genome data set, ten and three independent SNPs were significantly associated with hair color and tanning ability respectively. Moreover, five independent FTO SNPs showed nominally significant association with risk of melanoma in 1,804 cases and 1,026 controls. But none of them was associated with obesity or in linkage disequilibrium with obesity-related variants. FTO locus may confer variation in human pigmentation and risk of melanoma, which may be independent of its effect on obesity. PMID:23539184

Human Modeling for Ground Processing Human Factors Engineering Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stambolian, Damon B.; Lawrence, Brad A.; Stelges, Katrine S.; Steady, Marie-Jeanne O.; Ridgwell, Lora C.; Mills, Robert E.; Henderson, Gena; Tran, Donald; Barth, Tim

2011-01-01

There have been many advancements and accomplishments over the last few years using human modeling for human factors engineering analysis for design of spacecraft. The key methods used for this are motion capture and computer generated human models. The focus of this paper is to explain the human modeling currently used at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and to explain the future plans for human modeling for future spacecraft designs

An in-advance stable isotope labeling strategy for relative analysis of multiple acidic plant hormones in sub-milligram Arabidopsis thaliana seedling and a single seed.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaohong; Ouyang, Yue; Chu, Jinfang; Yan, Jing; Yu, Yan; Li, Xiaoqiang; Yang, Jun; Yan, Cunyu

2014-04-18

A sensitive and reliable in-advance stable isotope labeling strategy was developed for simultaneous relative quantification of 8 acidic plant hormones in sub-milligram amount of plant materials. Bromocholine bromide (BETA) and its deuterated counterpart D9-BETA were used to in-advance derivatize control and sample extracts individually, which were then combined and subjected to solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification followed by UPLC-MS/MS analysis. Relative quantification of target compounds was obtained by calculation of the peak area ratios of BETA/D9-BETA labeled plant hormones. The in-advance stable isotope labeling strategy realized internal standard-based relative quantification of multiple kinds of plant hormones independent of availability of internal standard of every analyte with enhanced sensitivity of 1-3 orders of magnitude. Meanwhile, the in-advance labeling contributes to higher sample throughput and more reliability. The method was successfully applied to determine 8 plant hormones in 0.8mg DW (dry weight) of seedlings and 4 plant hormones from single seed of Arabidopsis thaliana. The results show the potential of the method in relative quantification of multiple plant hormones in tiny plant tissues or organs, which will advance the knowledge of the crosstalk mechanism of plant hormones. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Arrested human embryos are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes than developing embryos from women of advanced maternal age.

PubMed

Qi, Shu-Tao; Liang, Li-Feng; Xian, Ye-Xing; Liu, Jian-Qiao; Wang, Weihua

2014-01-01

Aneuploidy is one of the major factors that result in low efficiency in human infertility treatment by in vitro fertilization (IVF). The development of DNA microarray technology allows for aneuploidy screening by analyzing all 23 pairs of chromosomes in human embryos. All chromosome screening for aneuploidy is more accurate than partial chromosome screening, as errors can occur in any chromosome. Currently, chromosome screening for aneuploidy is performed in developing embryos, mainly blastocysts. It has not been performed in arrested embryos and/or compared between developing embryos and arrested embryos from the same IVF cycle. The present study was designed to examine all chromosomes in blastocysts and arrested embryos from the same cycle in patients of advanced maternal ages. Embryos were produced by routine IVF procedures. A total of 90 embryos (45 blastocysts and 45 arrested embryos) from 17 patients were biopsied and analyzed by the Agilent DNA array platform. It was found that 50% of the embryos developed to blastocyst stage; however, only 15.6% of the embryos (both blastocyst and arrested) were euploid, and most (84.4%) of the embryos had chromosomal abnormalities. Further analysis indicated that 28.9% of blastocysts were euploid and 71.1% were aneuploid. By contrast, only one (2.2%) arrested embryo was euploid while others (97.8%) were aneuploid. The prevalence of multiple chromosomal abnormalities in the aneuploid embryos was also higher in the arrested embryos than in the blastocysts. These results indicate that high proportions of human embryos from patients of advanced maternal age are aneuploid, and the arrested embryos are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes than developing embryos.

Impact of DNA mismatch repair system alterations on human fertility and related treatments.

PubMed

Hu, Min-hao; Liu, Shu-yuan; Wang, Ning; Wu, Yan; Jin, Fan

2016-01-01

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is one of the biological pathways, which plays a critical role in DNA homeostasis, primarily by repairing base-pair mismatches and insertion/deletion loops that occur during DNA replication. MMR also takes part in other metabolic pathways and regulates cell cycle arrest. Defects in MMR are associated with genomic instability, predisposition to certain types of cancers and resistance to certain therapeutic drugs. Moreover, genetic and epigenetic alterations in the MMR system demonstrate a significant relationship with human fertility and related treatments, which helps us to understand the etiology and susceptibility of human infertility. Alterations in the MMR system may also influence the health of offspring conceived by assisted reproductive technology in humans. However, further studies are needed to explore the specific mechanisms by which the MMR system may affect human infertility. This review addresses the physiological mechanisms of the MMR system and associations between alterations of the MMR system and human fertility and related treatments, and potential effects on the next generation.

What have humans done for evolutionary biology? Contributions from genes to populations.

PubMed

Briga, Michael; Griffin, Robert M; Berger, Vérane; Pettay, Jenni E; Lummaa, Virpi

2017-11-15

Many fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology were discovered using non-human study systems. Humans are poorly suited to key study designs used to advance this field, and are subject to cultural, technological, and medical influences often considered to restrict the pertinence of human studies to other species and general contexts. Whether studies using current and recent human populations provide insights that have broader biological relevance in evolutionary biology is, therefore, frequently questioned. We first surveyed researchers in evolutionary biology and related fields on their opinions regarding whether studies on contemporary humans can advance evolutionary biology. Almost all 442 participants agreed that humans still evolve, but fewer agreed that this occurs through natural selection. Most agreed that human studies made valuable contributions to evolutionary biology, although those less exposed to human studies expressed more negative views. With a series of examples, we discuss strengths and limitations of evolutionary studies on contemporary humans. These show that human studies provide fundamental insights into evolutionary processes, improve understanding of the biology of many other species, and will make valuable contributions to evolutionary biology in the future. © 2017 The Author(s).

What have humans done for evolutionary biology? Contributions from genes to populations

PubMed Central

Briga, Michael; Griffin, Robert M.; Berger, Vérane; Pettay, Jenni E.

2017-01-01

Many fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology were discovered using non-human study systems. Humans are poorly suited to key study designs used to advance this field, and are subject to cultural, technological, and medical influences often considered to restrict the pertinence of human studies to other species and general contexts. Whether studies using current and recent human populations provide insights that have broader biological relevance in evolutionary biology is, therefore, frequently questioned. We first surveyed researchers in evolutionary biology and related fields on their opinions regarding whether studies on contemporary humans can advance evolutionary biology. Almost all 442 participants agreed that humans still evolve, but fewer agreed that this occurs through natural selection. Most agreed that human studies made valuable contributions to evolutionary biology, although those less exposed to human studies expressed more negative views. With a series of examples, we discuss strengths and limitations of evolutionary studies on contemporary humans. These show that human studies provide fundamental insights into evolutionary processes, improve understanding of the biology of many other species, and will make valuable contributions to evolutionary biology in the future. PMID:29118130

Assessment of human energy exchange: historical overview.

PubMed

Heymsfield, S B; Bourgeois, B; Thomas, D M

2017-03-01

Energy exchange is fundamental to life and is a cornerstone in the study of human physiology, metabolism and nutrition. A global effort is underway to further our understanding of human energy exchange and its components as a means of establishing the mechanistic underpinnings of the evolving obesity and chronic disease epidemics. The current report establishes a conceptual historical framework for examining the evolution of energy exchange concepts and measurement methods. We review developments taking place over more than 2000 years during which humans endeavored to establish the source of body heat, the 'fire of life'. Major conceptual and methodological advances over the past three centuries have incrementally advanced the field and created the energy exchange paradigm within which we now work. As in the past, innovative experimental ideas and measurement methods are now needed to answer important questions brought to light by the obesity and chronic disease epidemics. Nevertheless, older classical measurement methods based on calorimetry techniques still hold a strong position in the field as many diet and weight-related questions remain unanswered.

Treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancer with genetically modified autologous mesenchymal stem cells - TREAT-ME-1 - a phase I, first in human, first in class trial.

PubMed

von Einem, Jobst C; Peter, Sylvia; Günther, Christine; Volk, Hans-Dieter; Grütz, Gerald; Salat, Christoph; Stoetzer, Oliver; Nelson, Peter J; Michl, Marlies; Modest, Dominik P; Holch, Julian W; Angele, Martin; Bruns, Christiane; Niess, Hanno; Heinemann, Volker

2017-10-06

This phase I, first in human, first in class clinical study aimed at evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of treatment with genetically modified mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in combination with ganciclovir (GCV). MSC_apceth_101 are genetically modified autologous MSCs used as vehicles for a cell-based gene therapy in patients with advanced gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. The study design consisted of a dose-escalation 3 + 3 design. All patients ( n = 6) were treated with up to three applications of MSC_apceth_101, followed by GCV infusions given on three consecutive days starting 48 hours after injection of MSC_apceth_101. Three of six patients received a total dose of 1.5 × 10 6 cells/kg. Two patients received three doses of 1 × 10 6 cells/kg, while one patient received only two doses of 1 × 10 6 cells/kg due to a SADR. Six patients received MSC_apceth_101. No IMP-related serious adverse events occurred. Adverse-events related to IMP-injection were increased creatinine, cough, fever, and night sweat. TNF, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and sE-Selectin, showed that repeated application is immunologically safe, but induces a switch of the functional properties of monocytes to an inflammatory phenotype. Treatment induced stable disease in 4/6 patients, and progressive disease in 2/6 patients. Treatment with MSC_apceth_101 in combination with GCV demonstrated acceptable safety and tolerability in patients with advanced gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma.

Treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancer with genetically modified autologous mesenchymal stem cells - TREAT-ME-1 - a phase I, first in human, first in class trial

PubMed Central

von Einem, Jobst C.; Peter, Sylvia; Günther, Christine; Volk, Hans-Dieter; Grütz, Gerald; Salat, Christoph; Stoetzer, Oliver; Nelson, Peter J.; Michl, Marlies; Modest, Dominik P.; Holch, Julian W.; Angele, Martin; Bruns, Christiane

2017-01-01

Purpose This phase I, first in human, first in class clinical study aimed at evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of treatment with genetically modified mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in combination with ganciclovir (GCV). MSC_apceth_101 are genetically modified autologous MSCs used as vehicles for a cell-based gene therapy in patients with advanced gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. Experimental design The study design consisted of a dose-escalation 3 + 3 design. All patients (n = 6) were treated with up to three applications of MSC_apceth_101, followed by GCV infusions given on three consecutive days starting 48 hours after injection of MSC_apceth_101. Three of six patients received a total dose of 1.5 × 106 cells/kg. Two patients received three doses of 1 × 106 cells/kg, while one patient received only two doses of 1 × 106 cells/kg due to a SADR. Results Six patients received MSC_apceth_101. No IMP-related serious adverse events occurred. Adverse-events related to IMP-injection were increased creatinine, cough, fever, and night sweat. TNF, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and sE-Selectin, showed that repeated application is immunologically safe, but induces a switch of the functional properties of monocytes to an inflammatory phenotype. Treatment induced stable disease in 4/6 patients, and progressive disease in 2/6 patients. Conclusion Treatment with MSC_apceth_101 in combination with GCV demonstrated acceptable safety and tolerability in patients with advanced gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. PMID:29113291

Computational methods to extract meaning from text and advance theories of human cognition.

PubMed

McNamara, Danielle S

2011-01-01

Over the past two decades, researchers have made great advances in the area of computational methods for extracting meaning from text. This research has to a large extent been spurred by the development of latent semantic analysis (LSA), a method for extracting and representing the meaning of words using statistical computations applied to large corpora of text. Since the advent of LSA, researchers have developed and tested alternative statistical methods designed to detect and analyze meaning in text corpora. This research exemplifies how statistical models of semantics play an important role in our understanding of cognition and contribute to the field of cognitive science. Importantly, these models afford large-scale representations of human knowledge and allow researchers to explore various questions regarding knowledge, discourse processing, text comprehension, and language. This topic includes the latest progress by the leading researchers in the endeavor to go beyond LSA. Copyright © 2010 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Signaling of Serum Amyloid A Through Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products as a Possible Mechanism for Uremia-Related Atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Belmokhtar, Karim; Robert, Thomas; Ortillon, Jeremy; Braconnier, Antoine; Vuiblet, Vincent; Boulagnon-Rombi, Camille; Diebold, Marie Danièle; Pietrement, Christine; Schmidt, Ann Marie; Rieu, Philippe; Touré, Fatouma

2016-05-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein and a binding partner for the multiligand receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). We investigated the role of the interaction between SAA and RAGE in uremia-related atherogenesis. We used a mouse model of uremic vasculopathy, induced by 5 of 6 nephrectomy in the Apoe(-/-) background. Sham-operated mice were used as controls. Primary cultures of Ager(+/+) and Ager(-/-) vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were stimulated with recombinant SAA, S100B, or vehicle alone. Relevance to human disease was assessed with human VSMCs. The surface area of atherosclerotic lesions at the aortic roots was larger in uremic Apoe(-/-) than in sham-operated Apoe(-/-) mice (P<0.001). Furthermore, atherosclerotic lesions displayed intense immunostaining for RAGE and SAA, with a pattern similar to that of α-SMA. Ager transcript levels in the aorta were 6× higher in uremic animals than in controls (P<0.0001). Serum SAA concentrations were higher in uremic mice, not only after 4 weeks of uremia but also at 8 and 12 weeks of uremia, than in sham-operated animals. We investigated the functional role of RAGE in uremia-induced atherosclerosis further, in animals lacking RAGE. We found that the induction of uremia in Apoe(-/-) Ager(-/-) mice did not accelerate atherosclerosis. In vitro, the stimulation of Ager(+/+) but not of Ager(-/-) VSMCs with SAA or S100B significantly induced the production of reactive oxygen species, the phosphorylation of AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinases and cell migration. Reactive oxygen species inhibition with N-acetyl cysteine significantly inhibited both the phosphorylation of AKT and the migration of VSMCs. Similar results were obtained for human VSMCs, except that the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinases

Bioethics and the Right to Health: Advancing a Complementary Agenda.

PubMed

Gibson, Jennifer L; Forman, Lisa; Nixon, Stephanie A

2015-06-11

This special section in Health and Human Rights Journal explores the relationship between bioethics and the right to health. Although bioethics scholars may argue for a right to health, particularly in the domains of universal health coverage and global health governance, and human rights scholars may advance ethical norms in their work, there has been little scholarly attention to the intersections, synergies, and contrasts between these two areas of study. At first glance, this is surprising given that bioethics and human rights share conceptual and normative terrain in articulating guidance for action on health-related issues and international policy and practice is explicitly interrelating human rights and ethics. Copyright 2015 Gibson, Forman, Nixon. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.

Advanced planetary studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Results of planetary advanced studies and planning support are summarized. The scope of analyses includes cost estimation research, planetary mission performance, penetrator mission concepts for airless planets/satellites, geology orbiter payload adaptability, lunar mission performance, and advanced planning activities. Study reports and related publications are included in a bibliography section.

Relational citizenship: supporting embodied selfhood and relationality in dementia care.

PubMed

Kontos, Pia; Miller, Karen-Lee; Kontos, Alexis P

2017-02-01

We draw on findings from a mixed-method study of specialised red-nosed elder-clowns in a long-term care facility to advance a model of 'relational citizenship' for individuals with dementia. Relational citizenship foregrounds the reciprocal nature of engagement and the centrality of capacities, senses, and experiences of bodies to the exercise of human agency and interconnectedness. We critically examine elder-clown strategies and techniques to illustrate how relational citizenship can be supported and undermined at the micro level of direct care through a focus on embodied expressions of creativity and sexuality. We identify links between aesthetic enrichment and relational practices in art, music and imagination. Relational citizenship offers an important rethinking of notions of selfhood, entitlement, and reciprocity that are central to a sociology of dementia, and it also provides new ethical grounds to explore how residents' creative and sexual expression can be cultivated in the context of long-term care. © 2017 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Relative Binding Free Energy Calculations in Drug Discovery: Recent Advances and Practical Considerations.

PubMed

Cournia, Zoe; Allen, Bryce; Sherman, Woody

2017-12-26

Accurate in silico prediction of protein-ligand binding affinities has been a primary objective of structure-based drug design for decades due to the putative value it would bring to the drug discovery process. However, computational methods have historically failed to deliver value in real-world drug discovery applications due to a variety of scientific, technical, and practical challenges. Recently, a family of approaches commonly referred to as relative binding free energy (RBFE) calculations, which rely on physics-based molecular simulations and statistical mechanics, have shown promise in reliably generating accurate predictions in the context of drug discovery projects. This advance arises from accumulating developments in the underlying scientific methods (decades of research on force fields and sampling algorithms) coupled with vast increases in computational resources (graphics processing units and cloud infrastructures). Mounting evidence from retrospective validation studies, blind challenge predictions, and prospective applications suggests that RBFE simulations can now predict the affinity differences for congeneric ligands with sufficient accuracy and throughput to deliver considerable value in hit-to-lead and lead optimization efforts. Here, we present an overview of current RBFE implementations, highlighting recent advances and remaining challenges, along with examples that emphasize practical considerations for obtaining reliable RBFE results. We focus specifically on relative binding free energies because the calculations are less computationally intensive than absolute binding free energy (ABFE) calculations and map directly onto the hit-to-lead and lead optimization processes, where the prediction of relative binding energies between a reference molecule and new ideas (virtual molecules) can be used to prioritize molecules for synthesis. We describe the critical aspects of running RBFE calculations, from both theoretical and applied perspectives

Context in Models of Human-Machine Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callantine, Todd J.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

All human-machine systems models represent context. This paper proposes a theory of context through which models may be usefully related and integrated for design. The paper presents examples of context representation in various models, describes an application to developing models for the Crew Activity Tracking System (CATS), and advances context as a foundation for integrated design of complex dynamic systems.

Assessment of driving-related performance in chronic whiplash using an advanced driving simulator.

PubMed

Takasaki, Hiroshi; Treleaven, Julia; Johnston, Venerina; Rakotonirainy, Andry; Haines, Andrew; Jull, Gwendolen

2013-11-01

Driving is often nominated as problematic by individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD), yet driving-related performance has not been evaluated objectively. The purpose of this study was to test driving-related performance in persons with chronic WAD against healthy controls of similar age, gender and driving experience to determine if driving-related performance in the WAD group was sufficiently impaired to recommend fitness to drive assessment. Driving-related performance was assessed using an advanced driving simulator during three driving scenarios; freeway, residential and a central business district (CBD). Total driving duration was approximately 15min. Five driving tasks which could cause a collision (critical events) were included in the scenarios. In addition, the effect of divided attention (identify red dots projected onto side or rear view mirrors) was assessed three times in each scenario. Driving performance was measured using the simulator performance index (SPI) which is calculated from 12 measures. z-Scores for all SPI measures were calculated for each WAD subject based on mean values of the control subjects. The z-scores were then averaged for the WAD group. A z-score of ≤-2 indicated a driving failing grade in the simulator. The number of collisions over the five critical events was compared between the WAD and control groups as was reaction time and missed response ratio in identifying the red dots. Seventeen WAD and 26 control subjects commenced the driving assessment. Demographic data were comparable between the groups. All subjects completed the freeway scenario but four withdrew during the residential and eight during the CBD scenario because of motion sickness. All scenarios were completed by 14 WAD and 17 control subjects. Mean z-scores for the SPI over the three scenarios was statistically lower in the WAD group (-0.3±0.3; P<0.05) but the score was not below the cut-off point for safe driving. There were no

Considering Intermittent Dormancy in an Advanced Life Support Systems Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sargusingh, Miriam J.; Perry, Jay L.

2017-01-01

Many advanced human space exploration missions being considered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) include concepts in which in-space systems cycle between inhabited and uninhabited states. Managing the life support system (LSS) may be particularly challenged during these periods of intermittent dormancy. A study to identify LSS management challenges and considerations relating to dormancy is described. The study seeks to define concepts suitable for addressing intermittent dormancy states and to evaluate whether the reference LSS architectures being considered by the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Life Support Systems Project (LSSP) are sufficient to support this operational state. The primary focus of the study is the mission concept considered to be the most challenging-a crewed Mars mission with an extensive surface stay. Results from this study are presented and discussed.

Human Factors and Habitability Challenges for Mars Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban

2015-01-01

As NASA is planning to send humans deeper into space than ever before, adequate crew health and performance will be critical for mission success. Within the NASA Human Research Program (HRP), the Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) team is responsible for characterizing the risks associated with human capabilities and limitations with respect to long-duration spaceflight, and for providing mitigations (e.g., guidelines, technologies, and tools) to promote safe, reliable and productive missions. SHFH research includes three domains: Advanced Environmental Health (AEH), Advanced Food Technology (AFT), and Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE). The AEH portfolio focuses on understanding the risk of microbial contamination of the spacecraft and on the development of standards for exposure to potential toxins such as chemicals, bacteria, fungus, and lunar/Martian dust. The two risks that the environmental health project focuses on are adverse health effects due to changes in host-microbe interactions, and risks associated with exposure to dust in planetary surface habitats. This portfolio also proposes countermeasures to these risks by making recommendations that relate to requirements for environmental quality, foods, and crew health on spacecraft and space missions. The AFT portfolio focuses on reducing the mass, volume, and waste of the entire integrated food system to be used in exploration missions, and investigating processing methods to extend the shelf life of food items up to five years, while assuring that exploration crews will have nutritious and palatable foods. The portfolio also delivers improvements in both the food itself and the technologies for storing and preparing it. SHFE sponsors research to establish human factors and habitability standards and guidelines in five risk areas, and provides improved design concepts for advanced crew interfaces and habitability systems. These risk areas include: Incompatible vehicle/habitat design

Advances of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Gastric Cancer.

PubMed

Cetin, Bulent; Gumusay, Ozge; Cengiz, Mustafa; Ozet, Ahmet

2016-06-01

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world, and its prognosis remains poor with a median overall survival of 12 months for advanced disease. Advances in the understanding of molecular genetics have led to the development of directed molecular targeted therapy in gastric cancer, leading to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. In the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer, the addition of trastuzumab significantly improves survival in the first-line setting of therapy. Ramucirumab, an antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, significantly improved progression-free and overall survival and has been approved for second-line treatment of gastric cancer. Anti-mesenchymal-epithelial transition (c-MET), mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, and polo-like kinase 1 inhibitors are under investigation as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of gastric cancer. The novel therapies target the key immune checkpoint interaction between a T cell co-inhibitory receptor called programmed death 1 (PD-1) and one of its immunosuppressive ligands, PD-L1. This article reviews molecular targeted therapies in gastric cancer, in light of recent advances.

Development of human factors guidelines for advanced traveler information systems and commercial vehicle operations : identification of the strengths and weaknesses of alternative information display formats

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-10-01

This report is one of a series produced as part of a contract designed to develop precise, detailed, human factors design guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO). The goals of the work cover...

Fatty Acid Desaturases, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Regulation, and Biotechnological Advances

PubMed Central

Lee, Je Min; Lee, Hyungjae; Kang, SeokBeom; Park, Woo Jung

2016-01-01

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are considered to be critical nutrients to regulate human health and development, and numerous fatty acid desaturases play key roles in synthesizing PUFAs. Given the lack of delta-12 and -15 desaturases and the low levels of conversion to PUFAs, humans must consume some omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in their diet. Many studies on fatty acid desaturases as well as PUFAs have shown that fatty acid desaturase genes are closely related to different human physiological conditions. Since the first front-end desaturases from cyanobacteria were cloned, numerous desaturase genes have been identified and animals and plants have been genetically engineered to produce PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Recently, a biotechnological approach has been used to develop clinical treatments for human physiological conditions, including cancers and neurogenetic disorders. Thus, understanding the functions and regulation of PUFAs associated with human health and development by using biotechnology may facilitate the engineering of more advanced PUFA production and provide new insights into the complexity of fatty acid metabolism. PMID:26742061

Dental DNA fingerprinting in identification of human remains

PubMed Central

Girish, KL; Rahman, Farzan S; Tippu, Shoaib R

2010-01-01

The recent advances in molecular biology have revolutionized all aspects of dentistry. DNA, the language of life yields information beyond our imagination, both in health or disease. DNA fingerprinting is a tool used to unravel all the mysteries associated with the oral cavity and its manifestations during diseased conditions. It is being increasingly used in analyzing various scenarios related to forensic science. The technical advances in molecular biology have propelled the analysis of the DNA into routine usage in crime laboratories for rapid and early diagnosis. DNA is an excellent means for identification of unidentified human remains. As dental pulp is surrounded by dentin and enamel, which forms dental armor, it offers the best source of DNA for reliable genetic type in forensic science. This paper summarizes the recent literature on use of this technique in identification of unidentified human remains. PMID:21731342

Advanced Ablative TPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gasch, Matthew J.

2011-01-01

Early NASA missions (Gemini, Apollo, Mars Viking) employed new ablative TPS that were tailored for the entry environment. After 40 years, heritage ablative TPS materials using Viking or Pathfinder era materials are at or near their performance limits and will be inadequate for future exploration missions. Significant advances in TPS materials technology are needed in order to enable any subsequent human exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit. This poster summarizes some recent progress at NASA in developing families of advanced rigid/conformable and flexible ablators that could potentially be used for thermal protection in planetary entry missions. In particular the effort focuses technologies required to land heavy (approx.40 metric ton) masses on Mars to facilitate future exploration plans.

Large-scale oscillation of structure-related DNA sequence features in human chromosome 21

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wentian; Miramontes, Pedro

2006-08-01

Human chromosome 21 is the only chromosome in the human genome that exhibits oscillation of the (G+C) content of a cycle length of hundreds kilobases (kb) ( 500kb near the right telomere). We aim at establishing the existence of a similar periodicity in structure-related sequence features in order to relate this (G+C)% oscillation to other biological phenomena. The following quantities are shown to oscillate with the same 500kb periodicity in human chromosome 21: binding energy calculated by two sets of dinucleotide-based thermodynamic parameters, AA/TT and AAA/TTT bi- and tri-nucleotide density, 5'-TA-3' dinucleotide density, and signal for 10- or 11-base periodicity of AA/TT or AAA/TTT. These intrinsic quantities are related to structural features of the double helix of DNA molecules, such as base-pair binding, untwisting or unwinding, stiffness, and a putative tendency for nucleosome formation.

Factors of human capital related to project success in health care work units.

PubMed

Suhonen, Marjo; Paasivaara, Leena

2011-03-01

To explore factors of human capital related to project success that employees expect from nurse managers. Human capital refers to those resources that managers working with projects possess, such as abilities, knowledge and qualities of character. The data were collected by open interviews (n=14) with nurses, public health nurses and nurse managers working in primary health care and a hospital. Data analysis was carried out using qualitative content analysis. The main factors of human capital related to project success proved to be as follows: (1) management of enthusiastic project culture, (2) management of regeneration and (3) management of emotional intelligence. Future research is needed on the kind of means nurse managers use in human capital management in projects and how they see their possibilities in managing human capital. Human capital management skills should be underlined as an important competence area when recruiting a nurse manager. The success of health care projects cannot be improved only through education or by training of nurse managers; in addition, projects need nurse managers who understand workplace spirituality and have high emotional intelligence. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Circular RNAs: Regulators of Cancer-Related Signaling Pathways and Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Human Cancers

PubMed Central

Yang, Zuozhang; Xie, Lin; Han, Lei; Qu, Xin; Yang, Yihao; Zhang, Ya; He, Zewei; Wang, Yu; Li, Jing

2017-01-01

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are newly discovered endogenous non-coding RNAs featuring structural stability, high abundance, and tissue-specific expression. CircRNAs are prevalent and conserved in mammalian cells. They are involved in cellular processes and regulate gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level by interacting with microRNAs (miRNAs) and other molecules. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs play an important role in the progression of various human diseases including atherosclerosis, nervous system disorders, diabetes, and cancer. In this review, we summarize the advances on endogenous circRNAs in eukaryotic cells and elucidate their diagnostic and prognostic significance in human cancers. Especially, we highlight the involvement of circRNAs in signal transduction pathways as well as their clinical potential to serve as biomarkers. PMID:28839467

Memory-related brain lateralisation in birds and humans.

PubMed

Moorman, Sanne; Nicol, Alister U

2015-03-01

Visual imprinting in chicks and song learning in songbirds are prominent model systems for the study of the neural mechanisms of memory. In both systems, neural lateralisation has been found to be involved in memory formation. Although many processes in the human brain are lateralised--spatial memory and musical processing involves mostly right hemisphere dominance, whilst language is mostly left hemisphere dominant--it is unclear what the function of lateralisation is. It might enhance brain capacity, make processing more efficient, or prevent occurrence of conflicting signals. In both avian paradigms we find memory-related lateralisation. We will discuss avian lateralisation findings and propose that birds provide a strong model for studying neural mechanisms of memory-related lateralisation. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Advanced Technologies for Robotic Exploration Leading to Human Exploration: Results from the SpaceOps 2015 Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lupisella, Mark L.; Mueller, Thomas

2016-01-01

This paper will provide a summary and analysis of the SpaceOps 2015 Workshop all-day session on "Advanced Technologies for Robotic Exploration, Leading to Human Exploration", held at Fucino Space Center, Italy on June 12th, 2015. The session was primarily intended to explore how robotic missions and robotics technologies more generally can help lead to human exploration missions. The session included a wide range of presentations that were roughly grouped into (1) broader background, conceptual, and high-level operations concepts presentations such as the International Space Exploration Coordination Group Roadmap, followed by (2) more detailed narrower presentations such as rover autonomy and communications. The broader presentations helped to provide context and specific technical hooks, and helped lay a foundation for the narrower presentations on more specific challenges and technologies, as well as for the discussion that followed. The discussion that followed the presentations touched on key questions, themes, actions and potential international collaboration opportunities. Some of the themes that were touched on were (1) multi-agent systems, (2) decentralized command and control, (3) autonomy, (4) low-latency teleoperations, (5) science operations, (6) communications, (7) technology pull vs. technology push, and (8) the roles and challenges of operations in early human architecture and mission concept formulation. A number of potential action items resulted from the workshop session, including: (1) using CCSDS as a further collaboration mechanism for human mission operations, (2) making further contact with subject matter experts, (3) initiating informal collaborative efforts to allow for rapid and efficient implementation, and (4) exploring how SpaceOps can support collaboration and information exchange with human exploration efforts. This paper will summarize the session and provide an overview of the above subjects as they emerged from the SpaceOps 2015

Advanced manufacturing: Technology and international competitiveness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tesar, A.

1995-02-01

Dramatic changes in the competitiveness of German and Japanese manufacturing have been most evident since 1988. All three countries are now facing similar challenges, and these challenges are clearly observed in human capital issues. Our comparison of human capital issues in German, Japanese, and US manufacturing leads us to the following key judgments: Manufacturing workforces are undergoing significant changes due to advanced manufacturing technologies. As companies are forced to develop and apply these technologies, the constituency of the manufacturing workforce (especially educational requirements, contingent labor, job content, and continuing knowledge development) is being dramatically and irreversibly altered. The new workforcemore » requirements which result due to advanced manufacturing require a higher level of worker sophistication and responsibility.« less

Symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients with advanced cancer - A population-based study in Greenland.

PubMed

Augustussen, Mikaela; Sjøgren, Per; Timm, Helle; Hounsgaard, Lise; Pedersen, Michael Lynge

2017-06-01

The aims were to describe symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Greenlandic patients with advanced cancer and to assess the applicability and internal consistency of the Greenlandic version of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 core version 3.0. A Greenlandic version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 v.3.0 was developed. The translation process included independent forward translation, reconciliation and independent back translation by native Greenlandic-speaking translators who were fluent in English. After pilot testing, a population-based cross-sectional study of patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative treatment was conducted. Internal consistency was examined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients for five function scales and three symptom scales. Of the 58 patients who participated in the study, 47% had reduced social functioning, 36% had reduced physical and role functioning and 19% had reduced emotional and cognitive functioning. Furthermore, 48% reported fatigue, and 33% reported financial problems. The Greenlandic version of the EORTC had good applicability in the assessment of symptoms and quality of life. Acceptable Cronbach's alpha coefficients (above 0.70) were observed for the physical, role and social functioning scales, the fatigue scale and the global health status scale. Patients with undergoing palliative treatment in Greenland for advanced cancer reported high levels of social and financial problems and reduced physical functioning. This indicates a potential for improving palliative care service and increasing the focus on symptom management. The Greenlandic version of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 represents an applicable and reliable tool to describe symptoms and health-related quality of life among Greenlandic patients with advanced cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in understanding Epstein-Barr virus

PubMed Central

Stanfield, Brent A.; Luftig, Micah A.

2017-01-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common human herpes virus known to infect the majority of the world population. Infection with EBV is often asymptomatic but can manifest in a range of pathologies from infectious mononucleosis to severe cancers of epithelial and lymphocytic origin. Indeed, in the past decade, EBV has been linked to nearly 10% of all gastric cancers. Furthermore, recent advances in high-throughput next-generation sequencing and the development of humanized mice, which effectively model EBV pathogenesis, have led to a wealth of knowledge pertaining to strain variation and host-pathogen interaction. This review highlights some recent advances in our understanding of EBV biology, focusing on new findings on the early events of infection, the role EBV plays in gastric cancer, new strain variation, and humanized mouse models of EBV infection. PMID:28408983

A Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) of Human Space Missions for the Advanced Integration Matrix (AIM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry W.; Dillon-Merrill, Robin L.; Thomas, Gretchen A.

2003-01-01

The Advanced Integration Matrix (AIM) Project u7ill study and solve systems-level integration issues for exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), through the design and development of a ground-based facility for developing revolutionary integrated systems for joint human-robotic missions. This paper describes a Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) of human space missions that was developed to help define the direction and priorities for AIM. Risk analysis is required for all major NASA programs and has been used for shuttle, station, and Mars lander programs. It is a prescribed part of early planning and is necessary during concept definition, even before mission scenarios and system designs exist. PRA cm begin when little failure data are available, and be continually updated and refined as detail becomes available. PRA provides a basis for examining tradeoffs among safety, reliability, performance, and cost. The objective of AIM's PRA is to indicate how risk can be managed and future human space missions enabled by the AIM Project. Many critical events can cause injuries and fatalities to the crew without causing loss of vehicle or mission. Some critical systems are beyond AIM's scope, such as propulsion and guidance. Many failure-causing events can be mitigated by conducting operational tests in AIM, such as testing equipment and evaluating operational procedures, especially in the areas of communications and computers, autonomous operations, life support, thermal design, EVA and rover activities, physiological factors including habitation, medical equipment, and food, and multifunctional tools and repairable systems. AIM is well suited to test and demonstrate the habitat, life support, crew operations, and human interface. Because these account for significant crew, systems performance, and science risks, AIM will help reduce mission risk, and missions beyond LEO are far enough in the future that AIM can have significant impact.

Women's awareness of the human papilloma virus and related health problems.

PubMed

Akyuz, Aygul; Yılmaz, Cevriye; Yenen, Müfit Cemal; Yavan, Tülay; Kılıç, Ayşe

2011-12-01

This paper is a report of a study of women's awareness of the human papilloma virus and related health problems. Cervical cancer is an important cause of mortality, making up approximately 12% of all cancers in women. Awareness on the part of carriers of human papilloma virus is crucial in preventing transmission of the infection and protecting against cervical cancer. The study was performed as a cross-sectional descriptive study. The study consists of 79 human papilloma virus-positive women who had not been diagnosed with cervical cancer and 150 women who had not been diagnosed with human papilloma virus. Data were collected via questionnaires between November 2007 and April 2008. Percentages and chi-square test were used. A significantly higher percentage of women with positive human papilloma virus knew the definition of human papilloma virus, the fact that it is transmitted via sexual contact and that it can lead to cervical cancer than did women with negative human papilloma virus. It was established that approximately half the women with positive human papilloma virus presented at the hospital with a genital wart. None of the women knew that a Pap smear test was a necessary tool in the prevention of cervical cancer. Women with positive human papilloma virus have insufficient knowledge of human papilloma virus, sexually transmitted diseases, the health risks associated with human papilloma virus and the means of preventing these risks. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the education of health workers, and especially of nurses, on human papilloma virus and its prevention. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Benchmarking Investments in Advancement: Results of the Inaugural CASE Advancement Investment Metrics Study (AIMS). CASE White Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroll, Juidith A.

2012-01-01

The inaugural Advancement Investment Metrics Study, or AIMS, benchmarked investments and staffing in each of the advancement disciplines (advancement services, alumni relations, communications and marketing, fundraising and advancement management) as well as the return on the investment in fundraising specifically. This white paper reports on the…

Pembrolizumab combined with stereotactic body radiotherapy in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus and advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a case report.

PubMed

Li, Dongqi; He, Chuanchun; Xia, Yaoxiong; Du, Yaxi; Zhang, Jing

2018-04-23

Pembrolizumab has significantly improved outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Combining programmed death-1 inhibitor with stereotactic body radiotherapy showed a slight toxicity and good benefits in recent clinical trials. However, patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus were excluded from most trials because it was assumed that their anti-tumor immunity was compromised compared with immunocompetent patients. In June 2016, a 52-year-old Chinese man presented with human immunodeficiency virus and lung adenocarcinoma (T1bN3M1b). From November 2016 to December 2016, systemic chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy for bone metastasis of femoral neck were carried out, but the tumor progressed. In January 2017, after immunochemistry detection of programmed death-1 and programmed death-ligand 1 expression (both > 50%), pembrolizumab was started. Three weeks after pembrolizumab, we combined stereotactic body radiotherapy for the primary lung tumor. He received no comfort and his CD4 lymphocyte count was stable. Human immunodeficiency virus-ribonucleic acid remained below the limits of detection. In March 2017, after three cycles of pembrolizumab and 5 weeks of stereotactic body radiotherapy therapy, he suddenly presented with palpitations. Emergency computed tomography scanning showed massive pericardial effusion and interstitial pneumonia. So we interrupted the pembrolizumab use and initiated treatment with prednisolone 1 mg/kg; however, the tumor progressed. Then, his CD4 lymphocyte count declined. Finally he died in June 2017 due to dyscrasia. Pembrolizumab combined with SBRT therapy for patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and non-small cell lung cancer may lead to serious immune-related adverse events and more clinical trials are needed.

Sex hormone pathway gene polymorphisms are associated with risk of advanced hepatitis C-related liver disease in males.

PubMed

White, Donna L; Liu, Yanhong; Garcia, Jose; El-Serag, Hashem B; Jiao, Li; Tsavachidis, Spiridon; Franco, Luis M; Lee, Ju-Seog; Tavakoli-Tabasi, Shahriar; Moore, David; Goldman, Radoslav; Kuzniarek, Jill; Ramsey, David J; Kanwal, Fasiha; Marcelli, Marco

2014-01-01

Males have excess advanced liver disease and cirrhosis risk including from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection though the reasons are unclear. To examine the role variants in genes involved in androgen and estrogen biosynthesis and metabolism play in HCV-related liver disease risk in males. We performed a cross-sectional study evaluating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 16 candidate genes involved in androgen and estrogen ligand and receptor synthesis and risk of advanced hepatic fibrosis (F3/F4-F4) and inflammation (A2/A3-A3). We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) using logistic regression and used multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis to assess for gene-environment interaction. Among 466 chronically HCV-infected males, 59% (n = 274) had advanced fibrosis and 54% (n = 252) had advanced inflammation. Nine of 472 SNPs were significantly associated with fibrosis risk; 4 in AKR1C3 (e.g., AKR1C3 rs2186174: ORadj = 2.04, 95% CI 1.38-3.02), 1 each in AKR1C2 and ESR1, and 1 in HSD17B6. Four SNPs were associated with inflammation risk, 2 in SRD5A1 (e.g., SRD5A1 rs248800: ORadj = 1.86, 95% CI 1.20-2.88) and 1 each in AKR1C2 and AKR1C3. MDR analysis identified a single AKR1C3 locus (rs2186174) as the best model for advanced fibrosis; while a 4-locus model with diabetes, AKR1C2 rs12414884, SRD5A1 rs6555406, and SRD5A1 rs248800 was best for inflammation. The consistency of our findings suggests AKR1C isoenzymes 2 and 3, and potentially SRD5A1, may play a role in progression of HCV-related liver disease in males. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and to assess if similar associations exist in females.

Different alpha crystallin expression in human age-related and congenital cataract lens epithelium.

PubMed

Yang, Jing; Zhou, Sheng; Guo, Minfei; Li, Yuting; Gu, Jianjun

2016-05-28

The purpose of this study was to investigate the different expressions of αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin in human lens epithelium of age-related and congenital cataracts. The central part of the human anterior lens capsule approximately 5 mm in diameter together with the adhering epithelial cells, were harvested and processed within 6 hours after cataract surgery from age-related and congenital cataract patients or from normal eyes of fresh cadavers. The mRNA and soluble protein levels of αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin in the human lens epithelium were detected by real-time PCR and western blots, respectively. The mRNA and soluble protein expressions of αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin in the lens epithelium were both reduced in age-related and congenital cataract groups when compared with the normal control group. However, the degree of α-crystallin loss in the lens epithelium was highly correlated with different cataract types. The α-crystallin expression of the lens epithelium was greatly reduced in the congenital cataract group but only moderately decreased in the age-related cataract group. The reduction of αA-crystallin soluble protein levels in the congenital cataract group was approximately 2.4 fold decrease compared with that of the age-related cataract group, while an mRNA fold change of 1.67 decrease was observed for the age-related cataract group. Similarly, the reduction of soluble protein levels of αB-crystallin in the congenital cataract group was approximately a 1.57 fold change compared with that of the age-related cataract group. A 1.75 fold change for mRNA levels compared with that of the age-related cataract group was observed. The results suggest that the differential loss of α-crystallin in the human lens epithelium could be associated with the different mechanisms of cataractogenesis in age-related versus congenital cataracts, subsequently resulting in different clinical presentations.

[Human machines--mechanical humans? The industrial arrangement of the relation between human being and machine on the basis of psychotechnik and Georg Schlesingers work with disabled soldiers].

PubMed

Patzel-Mattern, Katja

2005-01-01

The 20th Century is the century of of technical artefacts. With their existance and use they create an artificial reality, within which humans have to position themselves. Psychotechnik is an attempt to enable humans for this positioning. It gained importance in Germany after World War I and had its heyday between 1919 and 1926. On the basis of the activity of the engineer and supporter of Psychotechnik Georg Schlesinger, whose particular interest were disabled soldiers, the essay on hand will investigate the understanding of the body and the human being of Psychotechnik as an applied science. It turned out, that the biggest achievement of Psychotechnik was to establish a new view of the relation between human being and machine. Thus it helped to show that the human-machine-interface is a shapable unit. Psychotechnik sees the human body and its physique as the last instance for the design of machines. Its main concern is to optimize the relation between human being and machine rather than to standardize human beings according to the construction of machines. After her splendid rise during the Weimar Republic and her rapid decline since the late 1920s Psychotechnik nowadays gains scientifical attention as a historical phenomenon. The main attention in the current discourse lies on the aspects conserning philosophy of science: the unity of body and soul, the understanding of the human-machine-interface as a shapable unit and the human being as a last instance of this unit.

Advances in Rift Valley Fever Research: Insights for Disease Prevention

PubMed Central

LaBeaud, A. Desiree; Kazura, James W.; King, Charles H.

2011-01-01

Purpose of review The purpose of the study was to review recent research on Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) infection, encompassing four main areas: epidemiology and outbreak prediction, viral pathogenesis, human diagnostics and therapeutics, and vaccine and therapeutic candidates. Recent findings RVFV continues to extend its range in Africa and the Middle East. Better definition of RVFV-related clinical syndromes and human risk factors for severe disease, combined with early-warning systems based on remote-sensing, simplified rapid diagnostics, and tele-epidemiology, hold promise for earlier deployment of effective outbreak control measures. Advances in understanding of viral replication pathways and host cell-related pathogenesis suggest means for antiviral therapeutics and for more effective vaccination strategies based on genetically engineered virus strains or subunit vaccines. Summary RVFV is a significant health and economic burden in many areas of Africa, and remains a serious threat to other parts of the world. Development of more effective methods for RVFV outbreak prevention and control remains a global health priority. PMID:20613512

Control-related systems in the human brain

PubMed Central

Power, Jonathan D; Petersen, Steven E

2013-01-01

A fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience is how the human brain self-organizes to perform tasks. Multiple accounts of this self-organization are currently influential and in this article we survey one of these accounts. We begin by introducing a psychological model of task control and several neuroimaging signals it predicts. We then discuss where such signals are found across tasks with emphasis on brain regions where multiple control signals are present. We then present results derived from spontaneous task-free functional connectivity between control-related regions that dovetail with distinctions made by control signals present in these regions, leading to a proposal that there are at least two task control systems in the brain. This prompts consideration of whether and how such control systems distinguish themselves from other brain regions in a whole-brain context. We present evidence from whole-brain networks that such distinctions do occur and that control systems comprise some of the basic system-level organizational elements of the human brain. We close with observations from the whole-brain networks that may suggest parsimony between multiple accounts of cognitive control. PMID:23347645

Latest Advancement In Airborne Relative Gravity Instrumentation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brady, N.

2011-12-01

Airborne gravity surveying has been performed with widely varying degrees of success since early experimentation with the Lacoste and Romberg dynamic meter in the 1950s. There are a number of different survey systems currently in operation including relative gravity meters and gradiometers. Airborne gravity is ideally suited to rapid, wide coverage surveying and is not significantly more expensive in more remote and inhospitable terrain which makes airborne measurements one of the few viable options available for cost effective exploration. As improved instrumentation has become available, scientific applications have also been able to take advantage for use in determining sub surface geologic structures, for example under ice sheets in Antarctica, and more recently direct measurement of the geoid to improve the vertical datum in the United States. In 2004, Lacoste and Romberg (now Micro-g Lacoste) decided to build on their success with the newly developed AirSea II dynamic meter and use that system as the basis for a dedicated airborne gravity instrument. Advances in electronics, timing and positioning technology created the opportunity to refine both the hardware and software, and to develop a truly turnkey system that would work well for users with little or no airborne gravity experience as well as those with more extensive experience. The resulting Turnkey Airborne Gravity System (TAGS) was successfully introduced in 2007 and has since been flown in applications from oil, gas and mineral exploration surveys to regional gravity mapping and geoid mapping. The system has been mounted in a variety of airborne platforms including depending on the application of interest. The development experience with the TAGS enabled Micro-g Lacoste to embark on a new project in 2010 to completely redesign the mechanical and electronic components of the system rather than continuing incremental upgrades. Building on the capabilities of the original TAGS, the objectives for the

Development of Relative Disparity Sensitivity in Human Visual Cortex.

PubMed

Norcia, Anthony M; Gerhard, Holly E; Meredith, Wesley J

2017-06-07

Stereopsis is the primary cue underlying our ability to make fine depth judgments. In adults, depth discriminations are supported largely by relative rather than absolute binocular disparity, and depth is perceived primarily for horizontal rather than vertical disparities. Although human infants begin to exhibit disparity-specific responses between 3 and 5 months of age, it is not known how relative disparity mechanisms develop. Here we show that the specialization for relative disparity is highly immature in 4- to 6-month-old infants but is adult-like in 4- to 7-year-old children. Disparity-tuning functions for horizontal and vertical disparities were measured using the visual evoked potential. Infant relative disparity thresholds, unlike those of adults, were equal for vertical and horizontal disparities. Their horizontal disparity thresholds were a factor of ∼10 higher than adults, but their vertical disparity thresholds differed by a factor of only ∼4. Horizontal relative disparity thresholds for 4- to 7-year-old children were comparable with those of adults at ∼0.5 arcmin. To test whether infant immaturity was due to spatial limitations or insensitivity to interocular correlation, highly suprathreshold horizontal and vertical disparities were presented in alternate regions of the display, and the interocular correlation of the interdigitated regions was varied from 0% to 100%. This manipulation regulated the availability of coarse-scale relative disparity cues. Adult and infant responses both increased with increasing interocular correlation by similar magnitudes, but adult responses increased much more for horizontal disparities, further evidence for qualitatively immature stereopsis based on relative disparity at 4-6 months of age. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stereopsis, our ability to sense depth from horizontal image disparity, is among the finest spatial discriminations made by the primate visual system. Fine stereoscopic depth discriminations depend

Hybridization-based detection of Helicobacter pylori at human body temperature using advanced locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes.

PubMed

Fontenete, Sílvia; Guimarães, Nuno; Leite, Marina; Figueiredo, Céu; Wengel, Jesper; Filipe Azevedo, Nuno

2013-01-01

The understanding of the human microbiome and its influence upon human life has long been a subject of study. Hence, methods that allow the direct detection and visualization of microorganisms and microbial consortia (e.g. biofilms) within the human body would be invaluable. In here, we assessed the possibility of developing a variant of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), named fluorescence in vivo hybridization (FIVH), for the detection of Helicobacter pylori. Using oligonucleotide variations comprising locked nucleic acids (LNA) and 2'-O-methyl RNAs (2'OMe) with two types of backbone linkages (phosphate or phosphorothioate), we were able to successfully identify two probes that hybridize at 37 °C with high specificity and sensitivity for H. pylori, both in pure cultures and in gastric biopsies. Furthermore, the use of this type of probes implied that toxic compounds typically used in FISH were either found to be unnecessary or could be replaced by a non-toxic substitute. We show here for the first time that the use of advanced LNA probes in FIVH conditions provides an accurate, simple and fast method for H. pylori detection and location, which could be used in the future for potential in vivo applications either for this microorganism or for others.

Hybridization-Based Detection of Helicobacter pylori at Human Body Temperature Using Advanced Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Probes

PubMed Central

Fontenete, Sílvia; Guimarães, Nuno; Leite, Marina; Figueiredo, Céu; Wengel, Jesper; Filipe Azevedo, Nuno

2013-01-01

The understanding of the human microbiome and its influence upon human life has long been a subject of study. Hence, methods that allow the direct detection and visualization of microorganisms and microbial consortia (e.g. biofilms) within the human body would be invaluable. In here, we assessed the possibility of developing a variant of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), named fluorescence in vivo hybridization (FIVH), for the detection of Helicobacter pylori. Using oligonucleotide variations comprising locked nucleic acids (LNA) and 2’-O-methyl RNAs (2’OMe) with two types of backbone linkages (phosphate or phosphorothioate), we were able to successfully identify two probes that hybridize at 37 °C with high specificity and sensitivity for H. pylori, both in pure cultures and in gastric biopsies. Furthermore, the use of this type of probes implied that toxic compounds typically used in FISH were either found to be unnecessary or could be replaced by a non-toxic substitute. We show here for the first time that the use of advanced LNA probes in FIVH conditions provides an accurate, simple and fast method for H. pylori detection and location, which could be used in the future for potential in vivo applications either for this microorganism or for others. PMID:24278398

Oxylipins, endocannabinoids, and related compounds in human milk: Levels and effects of storage conditions.

PubMed

Wu, Junfang; Gouveia-Figueira, Sandra; Domellöf, Magnus; Zivkovic, Angela M; Nording, Malin L

2016-01-01

The presence of fatty acid derived oxylipins, endocannabinoids and related compounds in human milk may be of importance to the infant. Presently, clinically relevant protocols for storing and handling human milk that minimize error and variability in oxylipin and endocannabinoid concentrations are lacking. In this study, we compared the individual and combined effects of the following storage conditions on the stability of these fatty acid metabolites in human milk: state (fresh or frozen), storage temperature (4 °C, -20 °C or -80 °C), and duration (1 day, 1 week or 3 months). Thirteen endocannabinoids and related compounds, as well as 37 oxylipins were analyzed simultaneously by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Twelve endocannabinoids and related compounds (2-111 nM) and 31 oxylipins (1.2 pM-1242 nM) were detected, with highest levels being found for 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 17(R)hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid, respectively. The concentrations of most endocannabinoid-related compounds and oxylipins were dependent on storage condition, and especially storage at 4 °C introduced significant variability. Our findings suggest that human milk samples should be analyzed immediately after, or within one day of collection (if stored at 4 °C). Storage at -80 °C is required for long-term preservation, and storage at -20 °C is acceptable for no more than one week. These findings provide a protocol for investigating the oxylipin and endocannabinoid metabolome in human milk, useful for future milk-related clinical studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advance Directives - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... List of All Topics All Advance Directives - Multiple Languages To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Arabic (العربية) ... Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Page last updated on 7 December 2017

Cost-Utility Analyses of Cataract Surgery in Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PubMed Central

Ma, Yingyan; Huang, Jiannan; Zhu, Bijun; Sun, Qian; Miao, Yuyu; Zou, Haidong

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose To explore the cost-utility of cataract surgery in patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Patients who were diagnosed as having and treated for age-related cataract and with a history of advanced AMD at the Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, were included in the study. All of the participants underwent successful phacoemulsification with foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under retrobulbar anesthesia. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and utility value elicited by time trade-off method from patients at 3-month postoperative time were compared with those before surgery. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained in a lifetime were calculated at a 3% annual discounted rate. Costs per QALY gained were calculated using the bootstrap method, and probabilities of being cost-effective were presented using a cost-effectiveness acceptability curve. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results. Results Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA in the operated eye increased from 1.37 ± 0.5 (Snellen, 20/469) to 0.98 ± 0.25 (Snellen, 20/191) (p < 0.001); BCVA in the weighted average from both eyes (=75% better eye + 25% worse eye) was changed from 1.13 ± 0.22 (Snellen, 20/270) to 0.96 ± 0.17 (Snellen, 20/182) (p < 0.001). Utility values from both patients and doctors increased significantly after surgery (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007). Patients gained 1.17 QALYs by cataract surgery in their lifetime. The cost per QALY was 8835 Chinese yuan (CNY) (1400 U.S. dollars [USD]). It is cost-effective at the threshold of 115,062 CNY (18,235 USD) per QALY in China recommended by the World Health Organization. The cost per QALY varied from 7045 CNY (1116 USD) to 94,178 CNY (14,925 USD) in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Visual acuity and quality of life assessed by utility value improved significantly after surgery

Carrying on the Good Fight: Summary Paper from Think Tank 2000--Advancing the Civil and Human Rights of People with Disabilities from Diverse Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Disability, Washington, DC.

This paper summarizes a May 2000 conference about advancing the civil and human rights of people with disabilities from diverse cultures. The conference included people with disabilities from diverse cultures and members of national civil rights organizations. The conference identified five priority areas for attention: (1) cultivating leadership…

Principle of relative positioning of structures in the human body☆

PubMed Central

Meng, Buliang; Pang, Ailan; Li, Ming

2013-01-01

The arrangement of various biological structures should generally ensure the safety of crucial structures and increase their working efficiency; however, other principles governing the relative positions of structures in humans have not been reported. The present study therefore investigated other principles using nerves and their companion vessels in the human body as an example. Nerves and blood vessels usually travel together and in the most direct way towards their targets. Human embryology, histology, and gross anatomy suggest that there are many possible positions for these structures during development. However, for mechanical reasons, tougher or stronger structures should take priority. Nerves are tougher than most other structures, followed by arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels. Nerves should therefore follow the most direct route, and be followed by the arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels. This general principle should be applicable to all living things. PMID:25206733

DRUMS: a human disease related unique gene mutation search engine.

PubMed

Li, Zuofeng; Liu, Xingnan; Wen, Jingran; Xu, Ye; Zhao, Xin; Li, Xuan; Liu, Lei; Zhang, Xiaoyan

2011-10-01

With the completion of the human genome project and the development of new methods for gene variant detection, the integration of mutation data and its phenotypic consequences has become more important than ever. Among all available resources, locus-specific databases (LSDBs) curate one or more specific genes' mutation data along with high-quality phenotypes. Although some genotype-phenotype data from LSDB have been integrated into central databases little effort has been made to integrate all these data by a search engine approach. In this work, we have developed disease related unique gene mutation search engine (DRUMS), a search engine for human disease related unique gene mutation as a convenient tool for biologists or physicians to retrieve gene variant and related phenotype information. Gene variant and phenotype information were stored in a gene-centred relational database. Moreover, the relationships between mutations and diseases were indexed by the uniform resource identifier from LSDB, or another central database. By querying DRUMS, users can access the most popular mutation databases under one interface. DRUMS could be treated as a domain specific search engine. By using web crawling, indexing, and searching technologies, it provides a competitively efficient interface for searching and retrieving mutation data and their relationships to diseases. The present system is freely accessible at http://www.scbit.org/glif/new/drums/index.html. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Plants and Human Affairs: Educational Enhancement Via a Computer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crovello, Theodore J.; Smith, W. Nelson

To enhance both teaching and learning in an advanced undergraduate elective course on the interrelationships of plants and human affairs, the computer was used for information retrieval, multiple choice course review, and the running of three simulation models--plant related systems (e.g., the rise in world coffee prices after the 1975 freeze in…

Transcriptional landscape of human cancers.

PubMed

Li, Mengyuan; Sun, Qingrong; Wang, Xiaosheng

2017-05-23

The homogeneity and heterogeneity in somatic mutations, copy number alterations and methylation across different cancer types have been extensively explored. However, the related exploration based on transcriptome data is lacking. In this study we explored gene expression profiles across 33 human cancer types using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. We identified consistently upregulated genes (such as E2F1, EZH2, FOXM1, MYBL2, PLK1, TTK, AURKA/B and BUB1) and consistently downregulated genes (such as SCARA5, MYOM1, NKAPL, PEG3, USP2, SLC5A7 and HMGCLL1) across various cancers. The dysregulation of these genes is likely to be associated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer. The dysregulated pathways commonly in cancers include cell cycle, DNA replication, repair, and recombination, Notch signaling, p53 signaling, Wnt signaling, TGFβ signaling, immune response etc. We also identified genes consistently upregulated or downregulated in highly-advanced cancers compared to lowly-advanced cancers. The highly (low) expressed genes in highly-advanced cancers are likely to have higher (lower) expression levels in cancers than in normal tissue, indicating that common gene expression perturbations drive cancer initiation and cancer progression. In addition, we identified a substantial number of genes exclusively dysregulated in a single cancer type or inconsistently dysregulated in different cancer types, demonstrating the intertumor heterogeneity. More importantly, we found a number of genes commonly dysregulated in various cancers such as PLP1, MYOM1, NKAPL and USP2 which were investigated in few cancer related studies, and thus represent our novel findings. Our study provides comprehensive portraits of transcriptional landscape of human cancers.

Transcriptional landscape of human cancers

PubMed Central

Li, Mengyuan; Sun, Qingrong; Wang, Xiaosheng

2017-01-01

The homogeneity and heterogeneity in somatic mutations, copy number alterations and methylation across different cancer types have been extensively explored. However, the related exploration based on transcriptome data is lacking. In this study we explored gene expression profiles across 33 human cancer types using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. We identified consistently upregulated genes (such as E2F1, EZH2, FOXM1, MYBL2, PLK1, TTK, AURKA/B and BUB1) and consistently downregulated genes (such as SCARA5, MYOM1, NKAPL, PEG3, USP2, SLC5A7 and HMGCLL1) across various cancers. The dysregulation of these genes is likely to be associated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer. The dysregulated pathways commonly in cancers include cell cycle, DNA replication, repair, and recombination, Notch signaling, p53 signaling, Wnt signaling, TGFβ signaling, immune response etc. We also identified genes consistently upregulated or downregulated in highly-advanced cancers compared to lowly-advanced cancers. The highly (low) expressed genes in highly-advanced cancers are likely to have higher (lower) expression levels in cancers than in normal tissue, indicating that common gene expression perturbations drive cancer initiation and cancer progression. In addition, we identified a substantial number of genes exclusively dysregulated in a single cancer type or inconsistently dysregulated in different cancer types, demonstrating the intertumor heterogeneity. More importantly, we found a number of genes commonly dysregulated in various cancers such as PLP1, MYOM1, NKAPL and USP2 which were investigated in few cancer related studies, and thus represent our novel findings. Our study provides comprehensive portraits of transcriptional landscape of human cancers. PMID:28427185

HEALTH, VITAL GOALS, AND CENTRAL HUMAN CAPABILITIES

PubMed Central

Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2013-01-01

I argue for a conception of health as a person's ability to achieve or exercise a cluster of basic human activities. These basic activities are in turn specified through free-standing ethical reasoning about what constitutes a minimal conception of a human life with equal human dignity in the modern world. I arrive at this conception of health by closely following and modifying Lennart Nordenfelt's theory of health which presents health as the ability to achieve vital goals. Despite its strengths I transform Nordenfelt's argument in order to overcome three significant drawbacks. Nordenfelt makes vital goals relative to each community or context and significantly reflective of personal preferences. By doing so, Nordenfelt's conception of health faces problems with both socially relative concepts of health and subjectively defined wellbeing. Moreover, Nordenfelt does not ever explicitly specify a set of vital goals. The theory of health advanced here replaces Nordenfelt's (seemingly) empty set of preferences and society-relative vital goals with a human species-wide conception of basic vital goals, or ‘central human capabilities and functionings’. These central human capabilities come out of the capabilities approach (CA) now familiar in political philosophy and economics, and particularly reflect the work of Martha Nussbaum. As a result, the health of an individual should be understood as the ability to achieve a basic cluster of beings and doings—or having the overarching capability, a meta-capability, to achieve a set of central or vital inter-related capabilities and functionings. PMID:22420910

Disease management patterns for postmenopausal women in Europe with hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative advanced breast cancer.

PubMed

André, Fabrice; Neven, Patrick; Marinsek, Nina; Zhang, Jie; Baladi, Jean-Francois; Degun, Ravi; Benelli, Giancarlo; Saletan, Stephen; Jerusalem, Guy

2014-06-01

International guidelines for hormone-receptor-positive (HR(+)), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HER2(-)) advanced breast cancer (BC) recommend sequential lines of hormonal therapy (HT), and only recommend chemotherapy for patients with extensive visceral involvement or rapidly progressive disease. This study evaluated actual physician-reported treatments for advanced BC in Europe. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 355 postmenopausal women with HR(+), HER2(-) advanced BC who progressed on ≥1 line of HT (adjuvant or advanced) and completed ≥1 line of chemotherapy (advanced). Treatment choice was evaluated for each line of therapy. Of 355 patients, 111 (31%) received first-line chemotherapy, whereas 218 (61%) and 26 (7%) switched from HT to chemotherapy in second and third line, respectively. More patients receiving first-line HT had bone metastases (73% vs 27% chemotherapy). Patients treated with first-line chemotherapy had more brain (12% vs 3% HT) or extensive liver (13% vs 6% HT) metastases. Subgroup analysis of 188 patients who received first-line HT and had de novo advanced BC or relapsed/recurrent disease more than 1 year after adjuvant therapy found that the majority (89%; n = 167) of these patients switched to chemotherapy in second line. However, among these 167 patients, 27% had no significant changes in metastases between first and second line. Among the 73% of patients who had significant changes in metastases, 20% had no brain metastases or extensive visceral disease. Our study suggests that the guideline-recommended use of multiple HT lines is open to interpretation and that optimal treatment for European postmenopausal women with HR(+), HER2(-) advanced BC who responded to HT may not be achieved.

Prevalence and determinants of the metabolic syndrome among subjects with advanced nondiabetes-related chronic kidney disease in Gran Canaria, Spain.

PubMed

Boronat, Mauro; Bosch, Elvira; Lorenzo, Dionisio; Quevedo, Virginia; López-Ríos, Laura; Riaño, Marta; García-Delgado, Yaiza; García-Cantón, César

2016-01-01

The relationship between the metabolic syndrome and mild chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been extensively studied. This study was aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with the metabolic syndrome among subjects with advanced stages of nondiabetes-related CKD. Study population was composed of incident patients with advanced CKD not related to diabetes in a tertiary hospital from Gran Canaria (Spain) since February 2011 to December 2014. Participants fulfilled a survey questionnaire and underwent physical examination and biochemical evaluation. The sample was composed of 167 subjects (mean age 63.9 ± 13.7 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate 21.9 ± 6.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 68.9% (65.2% in men and 73.3% in women). Highest rates were observed in groups with chronic interstitial nephropathy (80%), CKD of uncertain etiology (76.7%) and CKD related to vascular causes (76.2%). Subjects with metabolic syndrome were older, had higher values of C-reactive protein and more often reported to have first-degree relatives with diabetes and to be physically inactive. In multivariate analyses, age (OR: 1.034 [CI 95%: 1.004-1.065]; p  =  0.024) and family history of diabetes (OR: 2.550 [1.159-5.608]; p  =  0.020) were independently associated with the metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among subjects with advanced nondiabetes-related CKD is high, and greater than that observed in general Canarian population of similar age groups. Age and family history of diabetes are the two factors more strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome in this population.

Public health nursing, ethics and human rights.

PubMed

Ivanov, Luba L; Oden, Tami L

2013-05-01

Public health nursing has a code of ethics that guides practice. This includes the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses, Principles of the Ethical Practice of Public Health, and the Scope and Standards of Public Health Nursing. Human rights and Rights-based care in public health nursing practice are relatively new. They reflect human rights principles as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and applied to public health practice. As our health care system is restructured and there are new advances in technology and genetics, a focus on providing care that is ethical and respects human rights is needed. Public health nurses can be in the forefront of providing care that reflects an ethical base and a rights-based approach to practice with populations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Potential of Human Stem Cells for the Study and Treatment of Glaucoma

PubMed Central

Chamling, Xitiz; Sluch, Valentin M.; Zack, Donald J.

2016-01-01

Purpose Currently, the only available and approved treatments for glaucoma are various pharmacologic, laser-based, and surgical procedures that lower IOP. Although these treatments can be effective, they are not always sufficient, and they cannot restore vision that has already been lost. The goal of this review is to briefly assess current developments in the application of stem cell biology to the study and treatment of glaucoma and other forms of optic neuropathy. Methods A combined literature review and summary of the glaucoma-related discussion at the 2015 “Sight Restoration Through Stem Cell Therapy” meeting that was sponsored by the Ocular Research Symposia Foundation (ORSF). Results Ongoing advancements in basic and eye-related developmental biology have enabled researchers to direct murine and human stem cells along specific developmental paths and to differentiate them into a variety of ocular cell types of interest. The most advanced of these efforts involve the differentiation of stem cells into retinal pigment epithelial cells, work that has led to the initiation of several human trials. More related to the glaucoma field, there have been recent advances in developing protocols for differentiation of stem cells into trabecular meshwork and retinal ganglion cells. Additionally, efforts are being made to generate stem cell–derived cells that can be used to secrete neuroprotective factors. Conclusions Advancing stem cell technology provides opportunities to improve our understanding of glaucoma-related biology and develop models for drug development, and offers the possibility of cell-based therapies to restore sight to patients who have already lost vision. PMID:27116666

Ethical issues regarding human cloning: a nursing perspective.

PubMed

Dinç, Leyla

2003-05-01

Advances in cloning technology and successful cloning experiments in animals raised concerns about the possibility of human cloning in recent years. Despite many objections, this is not only a possibility but also a reality. Human cloning is a scientific revolution. However, it also introduces the potential for physical and psychosocial harm to human beings. From this point of view, it raises profound ethical, social and health related concerns. Human cloning would have an impact on the practice of nursing because it could result in the creation of new physiological and psychosocial conditions that would require nursing care. The nursing profession must therefore evaluate the ethics of human cloning, in particular the potential role of nurses. This article reviews the ethical considerations of reproductive human cloning, discusses the main reasons for concern, and reflects a nursing perspective regarding this issue.

Investigations Into Age-related Changes in the Human Mandible.

PubMed

Parr, Nicolette M; Passalacqua, Nicholas V; Skorpinski, Katie

2017-11-01

While changes in mandibular shape over time are not widely recognized by skeletal biologists, mandibular remodeling and associated changes in gross morphology may result from a number of causes related to mechanical stress such as antemortem tooth loss, changes in bite force, or alterations of masticatory performance. This study investigated the relationship between age-related changes and antemortem tooth loss in adult humans via dry bone measurements. This study examined 10 standard mandibular measurements as well as individual antemortem tooth loss scores using the Eichner Index from a total of 319 female and male individuals with ages ranging from 16 to 99 years. Results indicate that few mandibular measurements exhibited age-related changes, and most were affected by antemortem tooth loss. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

A review of metabolic potential of human gut microbiome in human nutrition.

PubMed

Yadav, Monika; Verma, Manoj Kumar; Chauhan, Nar Singh

2018-03-01

The human gut contains a plethora of microbes, providing a platform for metabolic interaction between the host and microbiota. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota act as a link between gut microbiota and its host. These metabolites act as messengers having the capacity to alter the gut microbiota. Recent advances in the characterization of the gut microbiota and its symbiotic relationship with the host have provided a platform to decode metabolic interactions. The human gut microbiota, a crucial component for dietary metabolism, is shaped by the genetic, epigenetic and dietary factors. The metabolic potential of gut microbiota explains its significance in host health and diseases. The knowledge of interactions between microbiota and host metabolism, as well as modification of microbial ecology, is really beneficial to have effective therapeutic treatments for many diet-related diseases in near future. This review cumulates the information to map the role of human gut microbiota in dietary component metabolism, the role of gut microbes derived metabolites in human health and host-microbe metabolic interactions in health and diseases.

Influenza-Omics and the Host Response: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Powell, Joshua D.; Waters, Katrina M.

2017-01-01

Influenza A viruses (IAV) continually evolve and have the capacity to cause global pandemics. Because IAV represents an ongoing threat, identifying novel therapies and host innate immune factors that contribute to IAV pathogenesis is of considerable interest. This review summarizes the relevant literature as it relates to global host responses to influenza infection at both the proteome and transcriptome level. The various-omics infection systems that include but are not limited to ferrets, mice, pigs, and even the controlled infection of humans are reviewed. Discussion focuses on recent advances, remaining challenges, and knowledge gaps as it relates to influenza-omics infection outcomes. PMID:28604586

Influenza-Omics and the Host Response: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, Joshua D.; Waters, Katrina M.

Influenza A viruses (IAV) continually evolve and have the capacity to cause global pandemics. Because IAV represents an ongoing threat, identifying novel therapies and host innate immune factors that contribute to IAV pathogenesis is of considerable interest. This review summarizes the relevant literature as it relates to global host responses to influenza infection at both the proteome and transcriptome level. Here, the various –omics infection systems that include but are not limited to ferrets, mice, pigs and even controlled infection of humans are reviewed. Discussion focuses on recent advances, remaining challenges, and knowledge gaps as it relates to influenza-omics infectionmore » outcomes.« less

Influenza-Omics and the Host Response: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

DOE PAGES

Powell, Joshua D.; Waters, Katrina M.

2017-06-10

Influenza A viruses (IAV) continually evolve and have the capacity to cause global pandemics. Because IAV represents an ongoing threat, identifying novel therapies and host innate immune factors that contribute to IAV pathogenesis is of considerable interest. This review summarizes the relevant literature as it relates to global host responses to influenza infection at both the proteome and transcriptome level. Here, the various –omics infection systems that include but are not limited to ferrets, mice, pigs and even controlled infection of humans are reviewed. Discussion focuses on recent advances, remaining challenges, and knowledge gaps as it relates to influenza-omics infectionmore » outcomes.« less

The impact of relational norms on the effectiveness of health and human service teams.

PubMed

Amundson, Susan J

2005-01-01

This investigation examined the relationship between relational norms with the perceived effectiveness of an infrequently studied team-the health care and human service team. Twenty health care and human service teams and their team supervisors from 11 medical and social service centers participated. In separate team sessions, 85 health care and human service professionals completed the Group Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, a team effectiveness scale, and a demographic form. Each team's supervisor also rated the team's performance. Based on a Model of Group Emotional Intelligence (ie, group interaction levels, relational norms), significant correlations were found between group emotional competence and member-perceived team effectiveness. No correlations were found between supervisor-perceived team effectiveness and team group emotional competence. The relational norms of creating an affirmative environment, demonstrating a caring orientation, and building relationships beyond the team predicted member-perceived team effectiveness. This study makes an important contribution to the theory and practice of teams in health care and human service organizations. The results of the study suggest that a positive, caring, and supportive work environment impacts a team's effectiveness within such an organization.

Dengue human infection models to advance dengue vaccine development.

PubMed

Larsen, Christian P; Whitehead, Stephen S; Durbin, Anna P

2015-12-10

Dengue viruses (DENV) currently infect approximately 400 million people each year causing millions to seek care and overwhelming the health care infrastructure in endemic areas. Vaccines to prevent dengue and therapeutics to treat dengue are not currently available. The efficacy of the most advanced candidate vaccine against symptomatic dengue in general and DENV-2 in particular was much lower than expected, despite the ability of the vaccine to induce neutralizing antibody against all four DENV serotypes. Because seroconversion to the DENV serotypes following vaccination was thought to be indicative of induced protection, these results have made it more difficult to assess which candidate vaccines should or should not be evaluated in large studies in endemic areas. A dengue human infection model (DHIM) could be extremely valuable to down-select candidate vaccines or therapeutics prior to engaging in efficacy trials in endemic areas. Two DHIM have been developed to assess the efficacy of live attenuated tetravalent (LATV) dengue vaccines. The first model, developed by the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the U. S. National Institutes of Health, utilizes a modified DENV-2 strain DEN2Δ30. This virus was derived from the DENV-2 Tonga/74 that caused only very mild clinical infection during the outbreak from which it was recovered. DEN2Δ30 induced viremia in 100%, rash in 80%, and neutropenia in 27% of the 30 subjects to whom it was given. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is developing a DHIM the goal of which is to identify DENV that cause symptomatic dengue fever. WRAIR has evaluated seven viruses and has identified two that meet dengue fever criteria. Both of these models may be very useful in the evaluation and down-selection of candidate dengue vaccines and therapeutics. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Human development index, children's health-related quality of life and movement behaviors: a compositional data analysis.

PubMed

Dumuid, Dorothea; Maher, Carol; Lewis, Lucy K; Stanford, Tyman E; Martín Fernández, Josep Antoni; Ratcliffe, Julie; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Barreira, Tiago V; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Hu, Gang; Maia, José; Sarmiento, Olga L; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Olds, Timothy

2018-06-01

Health-related quality of life has been related to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among children from developed nations. These relationships have rarely been assessed in developing nations, nor have behaviors been considered in their true context, as mutually exclusive and exhaustive parts of the movement behavior composition. This study aimed to explore whether children's health-related quality of life is related to their movement behavior composition and if the relationship differs according to human development index. Children aged 9-11 years (n = 5855), from the 12-nation cross-sectional observational International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment 2011-2013, self-reported their health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10). Daily movement behaviors were from 24-h, 7-day accelerometry. Isometric log-ratio mixed-effect linear models were used to calculate estimates for difference in health-related quality of life for the reallocation of time between daily movement behaviors. Children from countries of higher human development index reported stronger positive relationships between health-related quality of life and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, relative to the remaining behaviors (r = 0.75, p = 0.005) than those from lower human development index countries. In the very high human development index strata alone, health-related quality of life was significantly related to the movement behavior composition (p = 0.005), with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (relative to remaining behaviors) being positively associated with health-related quality of life. The relationship between children's health-related quality of life and their movement behaviors is moderated by their country's human development index. This should be considered when 24-h movement behavior guidelines are developed for children around the world.

HSC extrinsic sex-related and intrinsic autoimmune disease-related human B-cell variation is recapitulated in humanized mice.

PubMed

Borsotti, Chiara; Danzl, Nichole M; Nauman, Grace; Hölzl, Markus A; French, Clare; Chavez, Estefania; Khosravi-Maharlooei, Mohsen; Glauzy, Salome; Delmotte, Fabien R; Meffre, Eric; Savage, David G; Campbell, Sean R; Goland, Robin; Greenberg, Ellen; Bi, Jing; Satwani, Prakash; Yang, Suxiao; Bathon, Joan; Winchester, Robert; Sykes, Megan

2017-10-24

B cells play a major role in antigen presentation and antibody production in the development of autoimmune diseases, and some of these diseases disproportionally occur in females. Moreover, immune responses tend to be stronger in female vs male humans and mice. Because it is challenging to distinguish intrinsic from extrinsic influences on human immune responses, we used a personalized immune (PI) humanized mouse model, in which immune systems were generated de novo from adult human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in immunodeficient mice. We assessed the effect of recipient sex and of donor autoimmune diseases (type 1 diabetes [T1D] and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]) on human B-cell development in PI mice. We observed that human B-cell levels were increased in female recipients regardless of the source of human HSCs or the strain of immunodeficient recipient mice. Moreover, mice injected with T1D- or RA-derived HSCs displayed B-cell abnormalities compared with healthy control HSC-derived mice, including altered B-cell levels, increased proportions of mature B cells and reduced CD19 expression. Our study revealed an HSC-extrinsic effect of recipient sex on human B-cell reconstitution. Moreover, the PI humanized mouse model revealed HSC-intrinsic defects in central B-cell tolerance that recapitulated those in patients with autoimmune diseases. These results demonstrate the utility of humanized mouse models as a tool to better understand human immune cell development and regulation.

Technical advance: liposomal alendronate depletes monocytes and macrophages in the nonhuman primate model of human disease.

PubMed

Burwitz, Benjamin J; Reed, Jason S; Hammond, Katherine B; Ohme, Merete A; Planer, Shannon L; Legasse, Alfred W; Ericsen, Adam J; Richter, Yoram; Golomb, Gershon; Sacha, Jonah B

2014-09-01

Nonhuman primates are critical animal models for the study of human disorders and disease and offer a platform to assess the role of immune cells in pathogenesis via depletion of specific cellular subsets. However, this model is currently hindered by the lack of reagents that safely and specifically ablate myeloid cells of the monocyte/macrophage Lin. Given the central importance of macrophages in homeostasis and host immunity, development of a macrophage-depletion technique in nonhuman primates would open new avenues of research. Here, using LA at i.v. doses as low as 0.1 mg/kg, we show a >50% transient depletion of circulating monocytes and tissue-resident macrophages in RMs by an 11-color flow cytometric analysis. Diminution of monocytes was followed rapidly by emigration of monocytes from the bone marrow, leading to a rebound of monocytes to baseline levels. Importantly, LA was well-tolerated, as no adverse effects or changes in gross organ function were observed during depletion. These results advance the ex vivo study of myeloid cells by flow cytometry and pave the way for in vivo studies of monocyte/macrophage biology in nonhuman primate models of human disease. © 2014 Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Technical Advance: Liposomal alendronate depletes monocytes and macrophages in the nonhuman primate model of human disease

PubMed Central

Burwitz, Benjamin J.; Reed, Jason S.; Hammond, Katherine B.; Ohme, Merete A.; Planer, Shannon L.; Legasse, Alfred W.; Ericsen, Adam J.; Richter, Yoram; Golomb, Gershon; Sacha, Jonah B.

2014-01-01

Nonhuman primates are critical animal models for the study of human disorders and disease and offer a platform to assess the role of immune cells in pathogenesis via depletion of specific cellular subsets. However, this model is currently hindered by the lack of reagents that safely and specifically ablate myeloid cells of the monocyte/macrophage Lin. Given the central importance of macrophages in homeostasis and host immunity, development of a macrophage-depletion technique in nonhuman primates would open new avenues of research. Here, using LA at i.v. doses as low as 0.1 mg/kg, we show a >50% transient depletion of circulating monocytes and tissue-resident macrophages in RMs by an 11-color flow cytometric analysis. Diminution of monocytes was followed rapidly by emigration of monocytes from the bone marrow, leading to a rebound of monocytes to baseline levels. Importantly, LA was well-tolerated, as no adverse effects or changes in gross organ function were observed during depletion. These results advance the ex vivo study of myeloid cells by flow cytometry and pave the way for in vivo studies of monocyte/macrophage biology in nonhuman primate models of human disease. PMID:24823811

Stress markers in relation to job strain in human service organizations.

PubMed

Ohlson, C G; Söderfeldt, M; Söderfeldt, B; Jones, I; Theorell, T

2001-01-01

Workers in human service organizations are often confronted with conflicting demands in providing care or education. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to relate levels of endocrine stress markers to perceived job strain in two human service organizations. Employees in two local units of the social insurance organization and two local units of the individual and family care sections of the social welfare in Sweden were selected and 103 employees participated (56% participation rate). The perceived job strain was assessed with a standardized questionnaire containing questions of the demand-control model. Questions specially designed to measure emotional demands were also included. The stress markers cortisol, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, testosterone and IgA and IgG were analysed in blood samples. The main finding was an association between high emotional strain and increased levels of prolactin. The levels of cortisol, but none of the other four stress markers, increased slightly with emotional strain. Emotional strain experienced in human service work may cause psychological stress. The increase in prolactin was modest but consistent with findings in other published studies on stress-related endocrine alterations. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Advanced Computational Methods in Bio-Mechanics.

PubMed

Al Qahtani, Waleed M S; El-Anwar, Mohamed I

2018-04-15

A novel partnership between surgeons and machines, made possible by advances in computing and engineering technology, could overcome many of the limitations of traditional surgery. By extending surgeons' ability to plan and carry out surgical interventions more accurately and with fewer traumas, computer-integrated surgery (CIS) systems could help to improve clinical outcomes and the efficiency of healthcare delivery. CIS systems could have a similar impact on surgery to that long since realised in computer-integrated manufacturing. Mathematical modelling and computer simulation have proved tremendously successful in engineering. Computational mechanics has enabled technological developments in virtually every area of our lives. One of the greatest challenges for mechanists is to extend the success of computational mechanics to fields outside traditional engineering, in particular to biology, the biomedical sciences, and medicine. Biomechanics has significant potential for applications in orthopaedic industry, and the performance arts since skills needed for these activities are visibly related to the human musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Although biomechanics is widely used nowadays in the orthopaedic industry to design orthopaedic implants for human joints, dental parts, external fixations and other medical purposes, numerous researches funded by billions of dollars are still running to build a new future for sports and human healthcare in what is called biomechanics era.

Nutritional Ecology and Human Health.

PubMed

Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J

2016-07-17

In contrast to the spectacular advances in the first half of the twentieth century with micronutrient-related diseases, human nutrition science has failed to stem the more recent rise of obesity and associated cardiometabolic disease (OACD). This failure has triggered debate on the problems and limitations of the field and what change is needed to address these. We briefly review the two broad historical phases of human nutrition science and then provide an overview of the main problems that have been implicated in the poor progress of the field with solving OACD. We next introduce the field of nutritional ecology and show how its ecological-evolutionary foundations can enrich human nutrition science by providing the theory to help address its limitations. We end by introducing a modeling approach from nutritional ecology, termed nutritional geometry, and demonstrate how it can help to implement ecological and evolutionary theory in human nutrition to provide new direction and to better understand and manage OACD.

Human parietofrontal networks related to action observation detected at rest.

PubMed

Molinari, Elisa; Baraldi, Patrizia; Campanella, Martina; Duzzi, Davide; Nocetti, Luca; Pagnoni, Giuseppe; Porro, Carlo A

2013-01-01

Recent data show a broad correspondence between human resting-state and task-related brain networks. We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to compare, in the same subjects, the spatial independent component analysis (ICA) maps obtained at rest and during the observation of either reaching/grasping hand actions or matching static pictures. Two parietofrontal networks were identified by ICA from action observation task data. One network, specific to reaching/grasping observation, included portions of the anterior intraparietal cortex and of the dorsal and ventral lateral premotor cortices. A second network included more posterior portions of the parietal lobe, the dorsomedial frontal cortex, and more anterior and ventral parts, respectively, of the dorsal and ventral premotor cortices, extending toward Broca's area; this network was more generally related to the observation of hand action and static pictures. A good spatial correspondence was found between the 2 observation-related ICA maps and 2 ICA maps identified from resting-state data. The anatomical connectivity among the identified clusters was tested in the same volunteers, using persistent angular structure-MRI and deterministic tractography. These findings extend available knowledge of human parietofrontal circuits and further support the hypothesis of a persistent coherence within functionally relevant networks during rest.

Human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 is a galactolipase.

PubMed

Sias, Barbara; Ferrato, Francine; Grandval, Philippe; Lafont, Dominique; Boullanger, Paul; De Caro, Alain; Leboeuf, Bernard; Verger, Robert; Carrière, Frédéric

2004-08-10

Human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (HPLRP2) was found to be expressed in the pancreas, but its biochemical properties were not investigated in detail. A recombinant HPLRP2 was produced in insect cells and the yeast Pichia pastoris and purified by cation exchange chromatography. Its substrate specificity was investigated using pH-stat and monomolecular film techniques and various lipid substrates (triglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and galactolipids). Lipase activity of HPLRP2 on trioctanoin was inhibited by bile salts and poorly restored by adding colipase. In vivo, HPLRP2 therefore seems unlikely to show any lipase activity on dietary fat. In human pancreatic lipase (HPL), residues R256, D257, Y267, and K268 are involved in the stabilization of the open conformation of the lid domain, which interacts with colipase. These residues are not conserved in HPLRP2. When the corresponding mutations (R256G, D257G, Y267F, and K268E) are introduced into HPL, the effects of colipase are drastically reduced in the presence of bile salts. This may explain why colipase has such weak effects on HPLRP2. HPLRP2 displayed a very low level of activity on phospholipid micelles and monomolecular films. Its activity on monogalactosyldiglyceride monomolecular film, which was much higher, was similar to the activity of guinea pig pancreatic lipase related-protein 2, which shows the highest galactolipase activity ever measured. The physiological role of HPLRP2 suggested by the present results is the digestion of galactolipids, the most abundant lipids occurring in plant cells, and therefore, in the vegetables that are part of the human diet.

The Association of the Immune Response Genes to Human Papillomavirus-Related Cervical Disease in a Brazilian Population

PubMed Central

Marangon, Amanda Vansan; Guelsin, Gláucia Andreia Soares; Visentainer, Jeane Eliete Laguila; Borelli, Sueli Donizete; Watanabe, Maria Angélica Ehara; Consolaro, Márcia Edilaine Lopes; Caleffi-Ferracioli, Katiany Rizzieri; Rudnick, Cristiane Conceição Chagas; Sell, Ana Maria

2013-01-01

The genetic variability of the host contributes to the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical disease. Immune response genes to HPV must be investigated to define patients with the highest risk of developing malignant disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of polymorphic immune response genes, namely KIR, HLA class I and II, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cytokines with HPV-related cervical disease. We selected 79 non-related, admixed Brazilian women from the state of Paraná, southern region of Brazil, who were infected with high carcinogenic risk HPV and present cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3), and 150 HPV-negative women from the same region matched for ethnicity. KIR genes were genotyped using an in-house PCR-SSP. HLA alleles were typed using a reverse sequence-specific oligonucleotide technique. SNPs of TNF −308G>A, IL6 −174G>C, IFNG +874T>A, TGFB1 +869T>C +915G>C, and IL10 −592C>A −819C>T −1082G>A were evaluated using PCR-SSP. The KIR genes were not associated with HPV, although some pairs of i(inhibitory)KIR-ligands occurred more frequently in patients, supporting a role for NK in detrimental chronic inflammatory and carcinogenesis. Some HLA haplotypes were associated with HPV. The associations of INFG and IL10 SNPs potentially reflect impaired or invalid responses in advanced lesions. PMID:23936772

Does advancing male age influence the expression levels and localisation patterns of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) in human sperm?

PubMed Central

Yeste, Marc; Jones, Celine; Amdani, Siti Nornadhirah; Yelumalai, Suseela; Mounce, Ginny; da Silva, Sarah J. Martins; Child, Tim; Coward, Kevin

2016-01-01

Socio-economic factors have led to an increasing trend for couples to delay parenthood. However, advancing age exerts detrimental effects upon gametes which can have serious consequences upon embryo viability. While such effects are well documented for the oocyte, relatively little is known with regard to the sperm. One fundamental role of sperm is to activate the oocyte at fertilisation, a process initiated by phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ), a sperm-specific protein. While PLCζ deficiency can lead to oocyte activation deficiency and infertility, it is currently unknown whether the expression or function of PLCζ is compromised by advancing male age. Here, we evaluate sperm motility and the proportion of sperm expressing PLCζ in 71 males (22–54 years; 44 fertile controls and 27 infertile patients), along with total levels and localisation patterns of PLCζ within the sperm head. Three different statistical approaches were deployed with male age considered both as a categorical and a continuous factor. While progressive motility was negatively correlated with male age, all three statistical models concurred that no PLCζ–related parameter was associated with male age, suggesting that advancing male age is unlikely to cause problems in terms of the sperm’s fundamental ability to activate an oocyte. PMID:27270687

Update: Advancement of Contact Dynamics Modeling for Human Spaceflight Simulation Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brain, Thomas A.; Kovel, Erik B.; MacLean, John R.; Quiocho, Leslie J.

2017-01-01

Pong is a new software tool developed at the NASA Johnson Space Center that advances interference-based geometric contact dynamics based on 3D graphics models. The Pong software consists of three parts: a set of scripts to extract geometric data from 3D graphics models, a contact dynamics engine that provides collision detection and force calculations based on the extracted geometric data, and a set of scripts for visualizing the dynamics response with the 3D graphics models. The contact dynamics engine can be linked with an external multibody dynamics engine to provide an integrated multibody contact dynamics simulation. This paper provides a detailed overview of Pong including the overall approach and modeling capabilities, which encompasses force generation from contact primitives and friction to computational performance. Two specific Pong-based examples of International Space Station applications are discussed, and the related verification and validation using this new tool are also addressed.

NASA's Space Launch System Advanced Booster Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Kimberly F.; Crumbly, Christopher M.; May, Todd A.

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, is making progress toward delivering a new capability for human space flight and scientific missions beyond Earth orbit. NASA is executing this development within flat budgetary guidelines by using existing engines assets and heritage technology to ready an initial 70 metric ton (t) lift capability for launch in 2017, and then employing a block upgrade approach to evolve a 130-t capability after 2021. A key component of the SLS acquisition plan is a three-phased approach for the first-stage boosters. The first phase is to expedite the 70-t configuration by completing development of the Space Shuttle heritage 5-segment solid rocket boosters (SRBs) for the initial flights of SLS. Since no existing boosters can meet the performance requirements for the 130-t class SLS, the next phases of the strategy focus on the eventual development of advanced boosters with an expected thrust class potentially double the current 5-segment solid rocket booster capability of 3.88 million pounds of thrust each. The second phase in the booster acquisition plan is the Advanced Booster Engineering Demonstration and/or Risk Reduction (ABEDRR) effort, for which contracts were awarded beginning in 2012 after a full and open competition, with a stated intent to reduce risks leading to an affordable advanced booster. NASA has awarded ABEDRR contracts to four industry teams, which are looking into new options for liquid-fuel booster engines, solid-fuel-motor propellants, and composite booster structures. Demonstrations and/or risk reduction efforts were required to be related to a proposed booster concept directly applicable to fielding an advanced booster. This paper will discuss the status of this acquisition strategy and its results toward readying both the 70 t and 130 t configurations of SLS. The third and final phase will be a full and open

Sexual Reproduction of Human Fungal Pathogens

PubMed Central

Heitman, Joseph; Carter, Dee A.; Dyer, Paul S.; Soll, David R.

2014-01-01

We review here recent advances in our understanding of sexual reproduction in fungal pathogens that commonly infect humans, including Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Where appropriate or relevant, we introduce findings on other species associated with human infections. In particular, we focus on rapid advances involving genetic, genomic, and population genetic approaches that have reshaped our view of how fungal pathogens evolve. Rather than being asexual, mitotic, and largely clonal, as was thought to be prevalent as recently as a decade ago, we now appreciate that the vast majority of pathogenic fungi have retained extant sexual, or parasexual, cycles. In some examples, sexual and parasexual unions of pathogenic fungi involve closely related individuals, generating diversity in the population but with more restricted recombination than expected from fertile, sexual, outcrossing and recombining populations. In other cases, species and isolates participate in global outcrossing populations with the capacity for considerable levels of gene flow. These findings illustrate general principles of eukaryotic pathogen emergence with relevance for other fungi, parasitic eukaryotic pathogens, and both unicellular and multicellular eukaryotic organisms. PMID:25085958

Death-Related Anxiety in Patients With Advanced Cancer: Validation of the German Version of the Death and Dying Distress Scale.

PubMed

Engelmann, Dorit; Scheffold, Katharina; Friedrich, Michael; Hartung, Tim J; Schulz-Kindermann, Frank; Lordick, Florian; Schilling, Georgia; Lo, Chris; Rodin, Gary; Mehnert, Anja

2016-10-01

Distress and anxiety about issues related to death and dying is commonly experienced in patients with advanced disease and a limited life expectancy. To evaluate the psychometric properties of the German version of the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DADDS-G) in advanced cancer patients. We recruited advanced patients with mixed tumor entities (Union for International Cancer Control [UICC] Stage III/IV) treated in two German University Medical Centers during their outpatient treatment. After testing a preliminary version of the state-of-the-art translated original Death and Dying Distress Scale, we analyzed the psychometric properties of the shortened nine-item adapted DADDS-G using validated instruments measuring distress, anxiety, depression, fear of progression, and quality of life. We obtained complete questionnaires from 77 of 93 patients with advanced cancer (response rate: 83%). Participants were mostly married or cohabiting (75%), well-educated, and both sexes were almost equally represented (52% men; mean age 58 years, SD = 12). The total mean DADDS-G score was 13.3 (SD = 8.5). Patients reported to be most distressed by the feeling of being a burden to others. The exploratory factor analysis led to one factor that accounted for more than 59% of the variance. The DADDS-G's internal consistency was excellent with Cronbach alpha = 0.91. The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a very good model fit. Death-related anxiety was significantly associated with distress, depression, anxiety, fear of progression, and lower quality of life (P < 0.001). Results provide further evidence that the DADDS-G is a valid and reliable instrument of high clinical relevance for use in patients with advanced cancer. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advances in the Development of Processing - Microstructure Relations for Titanium Alloys (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-06

10.1002/9781119296126.ch29 14. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) Advances in the fundamental understanding of microstructure evolution and plastic flow during...Abstract Advances in the fundamental understanding of microstructure evolution and plastic flow during primary and secondary processing of titanium...generation of rolling-direction secondary tension stresses. Important factors in such failures have been deduced to include the plastic properties and the

Understanding domains of health-related quality of life concerns of Singapore Chinese patients with advanced cancer: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Lee, G L; Pang, G S Y; Akhileswaran, R; Ow, M Y L; Fan, G K T; Wong, C C F; Wee, H L; Cheung, Y B

2016-03-01

Quality of life concerns in patients with advanced diseases might be different from other patients and are shaped by sociocultural context. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify domains and themes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that Chinese patients with advanced cancer in Singapore considered relevant and important. English- and Chinese-speaking patients with advanced solid cancer were recruited from a tertiary cancer center and a community-based hospice for in-depth interview or focused group discussion. Thematic analysis was used to identify subthemes, themes, and domains from the transcripts. Forty-six ethnic Chinese (aged 26-86, 48% male) participated in the study. Six domains of HRQoL concerns were identified: pain and suffering, physical health, social health, mental health, financial well-being, and spiritual health. Pain and suffering are not limited to the physical domain, reflecting the multidimensional nature of this concept. Pain and suffering must also be understood within the cultural context. Healthcare relations (i.e., social health), existential well-being and religious well-being (i.e., spiritual health), and suffering (i.e., pain and suffering) are not fully captured in the existing HRQoL instruments. In addition, financial issues and the practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships emerged as unique features possibly arising from our sociocultural context and healthcare financing landscape. Socioculturally specific issues not measured by the existing HRQoL instruments for use in patients with advanced cancers or terminal diseases were found in our study. These are non-physical pain and suffering, meaning of illness, meaning of death, financial issues, and practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships.

Prediction of the Ebola Virus Infection Related Human Genes Using Protein-Protein Interaction Network.

PubMed

Cao, HuanHuan; Zhang, YuHang; Zhao, Jia; Zhu, Liucun; Wang, Yi; Li, JiaRui; Feng, Yuan-Ming; Zhang, Ning

2017-01-01

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is caused by Ebola virus (EBOV). It is reported that human could be infected by EBOV with a high fatality rate. However, association factors between EBOV and host still tend to be ambiguous. According to the "guilt by association" (GBA) principle, proteins interacting with each other are very likely to function similarly or the same. Based on this assumption, we tried to obtain EBOV infection-related human genes in a protein-protein interaction network using Dijkstra algorithm. We hope it could contribute to the discovery of novel effective treatments. Finally, 15 genes were selected as potential EBOV infection-related human genes. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

IL-17A influences essential functions of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and is involved in advanced murine and human atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Erbel, Christian; Akhavanpoor, Mohammadreza; Okuyucu, Deniz; Wangler, Susanne; Dietz, Alex; Zhao, Li; Stellos, Konstantinos; Little, Kristina M; Lasitschka, Felix; Doesch, Andreas; Hakimi, Maani; Dengler, Thomas J; Giese, Thomas; Blessing, Erwin; Katus, Hugo A; Gleissner, Christian A

2014-11-01

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Lesion progression is primarily mediated by cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. IL-17A is a proinflammatory cytokine, which modulates immune cell trafficking and is involved inflammation in (auto)immune and infectious diseases. But the role of IL-17A still remains controversial. In the current study, we investigated effects of IL-17A on advanced murine and human atherosclerosis, the common disease phenotype in clinical care. The 26-wk-old apolipoprotein E-deficient mice were fed a standard chow diet and treated either with IL-17A mAb (n = 15) or irrelevant Ig (n = 10) for 16 wk. Furthermore, essential mechanisms of IL-17A in atherogenesis were studied in vitro. Inhibition of IL-17A markedly prevented atherosclerotic lesion progression (p = 0.001) by reducing inflammatory burden and cellular infiltration (p = 0.01) and improved lesion stability (p = 0.01). In vitro experiments showed that IL-17A plays a role in chemoattractance, monocyte adhesion, and sensitization of APCs toward pathogen-derived TLR4 ligands. Also, IL-17A induced a unique transcriptome pattern in monocyte-derived macrophages distinct from known macrophage types. Stimulation of human carotid plaque tissue ex vivo with IL-17A induced a proinflammatory milieu and upregulation of molecules expressed by the IL-17A-induced macrophage subtype. In this study, we show that functional blockade of IL-17A prevents atherosclerotic lesion progression and induces plaque stabilization in advanced lesions in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. The underlying mechanisms involve reduced inflammation and distinct effects of IL-17A on monocyte/macrophage lineage. In addition, translational experiments underline the relevance for the human system. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

IL-17A Influences Essential Functions of the Monocyte/Macrophage Lineage and Is Involved in Advanced Murine and Human Atherosclerosis

PubMed Central

Akhavanpoor, Mohammadreza; Okuyucu, Deniz; Wangler, Susanne; Dietz, Alex; Zhao, Li; Stellos, Konstantinos; Little, Kristina M.; Lasitschka, Felix; Doesch, Andreas; Hakimi, Maani; Dengler, Thomas J.; Giese, Thomas; Blessing, Erwin; Katus, Hugo A.; Gleissner, Christian A.

2014-01-01

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Lesion progression is primarily mediated by cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. IL-17A is a proinflammatory cytokine, which modulates immune cell trafficking and is involved inflammation in (auto)immune and infectious diseases. But the role of IL-17A still remains controversial. In the current study, we investigated effects of IL-17A on advanced murine and human atherosclerosis, the common disease phenotype in clinical care. The 26-wk-old apolipoprotein E–deficient mice were fed a standard chow diet and treated either with IL-17A mAb (n = 15) or irrelevant Ig (n = 10) for 16 wk. Furthermore, essential mechanisms of IL-17A in atherogenesis were studied in vitro. Inhibition of IL-17A markedly prevented atherosclerotic lesion progression (p = 0.001) by reducing inflammatory burden and cellular infiltration (p = 0.01) and improved lesion stability (p = 0.01). In vitro experiments showed that IL-17A plays a role in chemoattractance, monocyte adhesion, and sensitization of APCs toward pathogen-derived TLR4 ligands. Also, IL-17A induced a unique transcriptome pattern in monocyte-derived macrophages distinct from known macrophage types. Stimulation of human carotid plaque tissue ex vivo with IL-17A induced a proinflammatory milieu and upregulation of molecules expressed by the IL-17A–induced macrophage subtype. In this study, we show that functional blockade of IL-17A prevents atherosclerotic lesion progression and induces plaque stabilization in advanced lesions in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice. The underlying mechanisms involve reduced inflammation and distinct effects of IL-17A on monocyte/macrophage lineage. In addition, translational experiments underline the relevance for the human system. PMID:25261478

Progranulin expression in advanced human atherosclerotic plaque.

PubMed

Kojima, Yoji; Ono, Koh; Inoue, Katsumi; Takagi, Yasushi; Kikuta, Ken-ichiro; Nishimura, Masaki; Yoshida, Yoshinori; Nakashima, Yasuhiro; Matsumae, Hironobu; Furukawa, Yutaka; Mikuni, Nobuhiro; Nobuyoshi, Masakiyo; Kimura, Takeshi; Kita, Toru; Tanaka, Makoto

2009-09-01

Progranulin (PGRN) is a unique growth factor that plays an important role in cutaneous wound healing. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and promotes cell proliferation. However, when it is degraded to granulin peptides (GRNs) by neutrophil proteases, a pro-inflammatory reaction occurs. Since injury, inflammation and repair are common features in the progression of atherosclerosis, it is conceivable that PGRN plays a role in atherogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis of human carotid endoatherectomy specimens indicated that vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) in the intima expressed PGRN. Some macrophages in the plaque also expressed PGRN. We assessed the effect of PGRN on a human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1) and human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). PGRN alone had no effect on HASMC or THP-1 proliferation or migration. However, when THP-1 cells were stimulated with MCP-1, the number of migrated cells decreased in a PGRN-dose-dependent manner. TNF-alpha-induced HASMC migration was enhanced only at 10nM of PGRN. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion from HASMCs was reduced by forced expression of PGRN and increased by RNAi-mediated knockdown of PGRN. While exogenous treatment with recombinant PGRN decreased IL-8 secretion, degraded recombinant GRNs increased IL-8 secretion from HASMCs. The expression of PGRN mainly reduces inflammation and its degradation into GRNs enhances inflammation in atherosclerotic plaque and may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis.

Phase III Randomized Study of Ribociclib and Fulvestrant in Hormone Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer: MONALEESA-3.

PubMed

Slamon, Dennis J; Neven, Patrick; Chia, Stephen; Fasching, Peter A; De Laurentiis, Michelino; Im, Seock-Ah; Petrakova, Katarina; Bianchi, Giulia Val; Esteva, Francisco J; Martín, Miguel; Nusch, Arnd; Sonke, Gabe S; De la Cruz-Merino, Luis; Beck, J Thaddeus; Pivot, Xavier; Vidam, Gena; Wang, Yingbo; Rodriguez Lorenc, Karen; Miller, Michelle; Taran, Tetiana; Jerusalem, Guy

2018-06-03

Purpose This phase III study evaluated ribociclib plus fulvestrant in patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer who were treatment naïve or had received up to one line of prior endocrine therapy in the advanced setting. Patients and Methods Patients were randomly assigned at a two-to-one ratio to ribociclib plus fulvestrant or placebo plus fulvestrant. The primary end point was locally assessed progression-free survival. Secondary end points included overall survival, overall response rate, and safety. Results A total of 484 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to ribociclib plus fulvestrant, and 242 were assigned to placebo plus fulvestrant. Median progression-free survival was significantly improved with ribociclib plus fulvestrant versus placebo plus fulvestrant: 20.5 months (95% CI, 18.5 to 23.5 months) versus 12.8 months (95% CI, 10.9 to 16.3 months), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.593; 95% CI, 0.480 to 0.732; P < .001). Consistent treatment effects were observed in patients who were treatment naïve in the advanced setting (hazard ratio, 0.577; 95% CI, 0.415 to 0.802), as well as in patients who had received up to one line of prior endocrine therapy for advanced disease (hazard ratio, 0.565; 95% CI, 0.428 to 0.744). Among patients with measurable disease, the overall response rate was 40.9% for the ribociclib plus fulvestrant arm and 28.7% for placebo plus fulvestrant. Grade 3 adverse events reported in ≥ 10% of patients in either arm (ribociclib plus fulvestrant v placebo plus fulvestrant) were neutropenia (46.6% v 0%) and leukopenia (13.5% v 0%); the only grade 4 event reported in ≥ 5% of patients was neutropenia (6.8% v 0%). Conclusion Ribociclib plus fulvestrant might represent a new first- or second-line treatment option in hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer.

Phylogenetic relations of humans and African apes from DNA sequences in the Psi eta-globin region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miyamoto, M.M.; Slightom, J.L.; Goodman, M.

Sequences from the upstream and downstream flanking DNA regions of the Psi eta-globin locus in Pan troglodytes (common chimpanzee), Gorilla gorilla (gorilla), and Pongo pygmaeus (orangutan, the closest living relative to Homo, Pan, and Gorilla) provided further data for evaluating the phylogenetic relations of humans and African apes. These newly sequenced orthologs (an additional 4.9 kilobase pairs (kbp) for each species) were combined with published Psi eta-gene sequences and then compared to the same orthologous stretch (a continuous 7.1-kbp region) available for humans. Phylogenetic analysis of these nucleotide sequences by the parsimony method indicated (i) that human and chimpanzee aremore » more closely related to each other than either is to gorilla and (ii) that the slowdown in the rate of sequence evolution evident in higher primates is especially pronounced in humans. These results indicate that features unique to African apes (but not to humans) are primitive and that even local molecular clocks should be applied with caution.« less

HUMAN RELATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM--A CHALLENGE TO TEACHER EDUCATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Chicago, IL.

A SURVEY OF A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 1,075 SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS HAS SHOWN THAT TEACHERS ARE CONFRONTED DAILY IN THEIR CLASSROOMS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF HUMAN RELATIONS PROBLEMS AND SITUATIONS. DECIDING HOW TO DISCUSS SUCH A CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT AS DISCRIMINATION WITH MINORITY GROUPS OR DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO SING SONGS SUCH AS "OLD…

Current understanding of mdig/MINA in human cancers.

PubMed

Thakur, Chitra; Chen, Fei

2015-07-01

Mineral dust-induced gene, mdig has recently been identified and is known to be overexpressed in a majority of human cancers and holds predictive power in the poor prognosis of the disease. Mdig is an environmentally expressed gene that is involved in cell proliferation, neoplastic transformation and immune regulation. With the advancement in deciphering the prognostic role of mdig in human cancers, our understanding on how mdig renders a normal cell to undergo malignant transformation is still very limited. This article reviews the current knowledge of the mdig gene in context to human neoplasias and its relation to the clinico-pathologic factors predicting the outcome of the disease in patients. It also emphasizes on the promising role of mdig that can serve as a potential candidate for biomarker discovery and as a therapeutic target in inflammation and cancers. Considering the recent advances in understanding the underlying mechanisms of tumor formation, more preclinical and clinical research is required to validate the potential of using mdig as a novel biological target of therapeutic and diagnostic value. Expression level of mdig influences the prognosis of several human cancers especially cancers of the breast and lung. Evaluation of mdig in cancers can offer novel biomarker with potential therapeutic interventions for the early assessment of cancer development in patients.

Health, vital goals, and central human capabilities.

PubMed

Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2013-06-01

I argue for a conception of health as a person's ability to achieve or exercise a cluster of basic human activities. These basic activities are in turn specified through free-standing ethical reasoning about what constitutes a minimal conception of a human life with equal human dignity in the modern world. I arrive at this conception of health by closely following and modifying Lennart Nordenfelt's theory of health which presents health as the ability to achieve vital goals. Despite its strengths I transform Nordenfelt's argument in order to overcome three significant drawbacks. Nordenfelt makes vital goals relative to each community or context and significantly reflective of personal preferences. By doing so, Nordenfelt's conception of health faces problems with both socially relative concepts of health and subjectively defined wellbeing. Moreover, Nordenfelt does not ever explicitly specify a set of vital goals. The theory of health advanced here replaces Nordenfelt's (seemingly) empty set of preferences and society-relative vital goals with a human species-wide conception of basic vital goals, or 'central human capabilities and functionings'. These central human capabilities come out of the capabilities approach (CA) now familiar in political philosophy and economics, and particularly reflect the work of Martha Nussbaum. As a result, the health of an individual should be understood as the ability to achieve a basic cluster of beings and doings-or having the overarching capability, a meta-capability, to achieve a set of central or vital inter-related capabilities and functionings. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Statement on Human Cloning

MedlinePlus

... form Search American Association for the Advancement of Science Statement on Human Cloning Tweet The American Association ... to implant a human cloned embryo for the purpose of reproduction. The scientific evidence documenting the serious ...

2013 Advanced Environmental Health/Advanced Food Technology Standing Review Panel Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, Susan

2014-01-01

The 2013 Advanced Environmental Health/Advanced Food Technology (AEH/AFT) Standing Review Panel (from here on referred to as the SRP) participated in a WebEx/teleconference with members of the Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) Element, representatives from the Human Research Program (HRP), and NASA Headquarters on November 22, 2013 (list of participants is in Section IX of this report). The SRP reviewed the updated research plans for the Risk of Adverse Health Effects Due to Alterations in Host-Microorganism Interactions (Host Microbe Risk) and the Risk of Performance Decrement and Crew Illness Due to an Inadequate Food System (Food Risk). The SRP also received a status update on the Risk of Adverse Health Effects of Exposure to Dust and Volatiles during Exploration of Celestial Bodies (Dust Risk). Overall, the SRP was impressed with the strong research plans presented by the scientists and staff associated with the SHFH Element. The SRP also thought that the updated research plans were thorough, well organized, and presented in a comprehensive manner. The SRP agrees with the changes made to the Host Microbe Risk and Food Risk portfolios and thinks that the targets for Gap closure are appropriate.

Child rights, right to water and sanitation, and human security.

PubMed

Pink, Ross

2012-06-15

The article explores the intersection between child rights, water scarcity, sanitation, and the human security paradigm. The recognition of child rights has been advanced through the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international legal instruments, while water rights are increasingly affirmed in international law and through the historic July 2010 United Nations General Assembly resolution that strengthened the legal foundation for water security and human rights. Yet there remains a development gap in terms of child access to clean and secure water sources for basic human development needs. The human security paradigm provides a legal and humanitarian foundation for the extension of child rights related to water and sanitation. Copyright © 2012 Pink.

Next Generation Life Support Project: Development of Advanced Technologies for Human Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

Next Generation Life Support (NGLS) is one of several technology development projects sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Game Changing Development Program. NGLS is developing life support technologies (including water recovery, and space suit life support technologies) needed for humans to live and work productively in space. NGLS has three project tasks: Variable Oxygen Regulator (VOR), Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing bed, and Alternative Water Processing. The selected technologies within each of these areas are focused on increasing affordability, reliability, and vehicle self sufficiency while decreasing mass and enabling long duration exploration. The RCA and VOR tasks are directed at key technology needs for the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) for an Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), with focus on prototyping and integrated testing. The focus of the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing-bed ventilation task is to provide integrated carbon dioxide removal and humidity control that can be regenerated in real time during an EVA. The Variable Oxygen Regulator technology will significantly increase the number of pressure settings available to the space suit. Current spacesuit pressure regulators are limited to only two settings while the adjustability of the advanced regulator will be nearly continuous. The Alternative Water Processor efforts will result in the development of a system capable of recycling wastewater from sources expected in future exploration missions, including hygiene and laundry water, based on natural biological processes and membrane-based post treatment. The technologies will support a capability-driven architecture for extending human presence beyond low Earth orbit to potential destinations such as the Moon, near Earth asteroids and Mars.

Relation between functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and single neuron, local field potential (LFP) and electrocorticography (ECoG) activity in human cortex.

PubMed

Ojemann, George A; Ojemann, Jeffrey; Ramsey, Nick F

2013-01-01

The relation between changes in the blood oxygen dependent metabolic changes imaged by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neural events directly recorded from human cortex from single neurons, local field potentials (LFPs) and electrocorticogram (ECoG) is critically reviewed, based on the published literature including findings from the authors' laboratories. All these data are from special populations, usually patients with medically refractory epilepsy, as this provides the major opportunity for direct cortical neuronal recording in humans. For LFP and ECoG changes are often sought in different frequency bands, for single neurons in frequency of action potentials. Most fMRI studies address issues of functional localization. The relation of those findings to localized changes in neuronal recordings in humans has been established in several ways. Only a few studies have directly compared changes in activity from the same sites in the same individual, using the same behavioral measure. More often the comparison has been between fMRI and electrophysiologic changes in populations recorded from the same functional anatomic system as defined by lesion effects; in a few studies those systems have been defined by fMRI changes such as the "default" network. The fMRI-electrophysiologic relationships have been evaluated empirically by colocalization of significant changes, and by quantitative analyses, often multiple linear regression. There is some evidence that the fMRI-electrophysiology relationships differ in different cortical areas, particularly primary motor and sensory cortices compared to association cortex, but also within areas of association cortex. Although crucial for interpretation of fMRI changes as reflecting neural activity in human cortex, controversy remains as to these relationships. Supported by: Dutch Technology Foundation and University of Utrecht Grant UGT7685, ERC-Advanced grant 320708 (NR) and NIH grant NS065186 (JO).

Citizenship, Multicultural, and Human Relations Education. Minimum Standards Leadership Series, 1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Minimum standards for elementary and secondary schools require that courses of study provide for the following topics: citizenship, human relations education, and multicultural education. It is educationally profitable to view these as three interdependent perspectives which shape a citizen's participation in democratic life. Cultivating these…

Advance directives: the consecration of autonomy and dignity of the human being.

PubMed

Chaves, Marianna

2013-12-01

Advance directives emerge in the doctor-patient relationship as a way to ensure that the autonomy of the patient is observed, prior to a potential state of incapacity. Thus, autonomy can be exercised ensuring patient's dignity and self-determination. Advance directives yet have the power to drive the medical practitioner and his staff so that it is given the treatment and care previously chosen by the patient. The main purpose of this paper is to show the lack of legislation on the matter in Brazil versus the recognition of Advance Directives by the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine. Can a mere resolution of the Council transform directives into enforceable wishes? This is an answer we intend to offer throughout the text.

Advancing Democratic Leadership through Critical Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lees, Kimberly A.

1995-01-01

Examines how the concepts advanced by critical theorists exemplify democratic leadership. The concept of democratic leadership is explored as a moral imperative of human issues, and the implications of leadership behavior that emulate the principles of democracy are discussed. (SLD)

Advanced glycation end products and their receptor in age-related, non-communicable chronic inflammatory diseases; Overview of clinical evidence and potential contributions to disease.

PubMed

Reynaert, Niki L; Gopal, Poornima; Rutten, Erica P A; Wouters, Emiel F M; Schalkwijk, Casper G

2016-12-01

Age-related, non-communicable chronic inflammatory diseases represent the major 21st century health problem. Especially in Western countries, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis are exponentially rising as the population ages. These diseases are determined by common risk factors and share an age-related onset. The affected organs display evidence of accelerated ageing, and are hallmarked by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been implicated in a number of inflammatory diseases and plays a central role in amplifying inflammatory responses. Advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation and accumulation is accelerated under these conditions. Advanced glycation end products are not only linked to RAGE signaling and inflammation, but to various hallmarks of the ageing process. In addition to these biological functions, circulating levels of the soluble form of RAGE and of advanced glycation end products are candidate biomarkers for many age-related inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the mechanistic connections between RAGE and advanced glycation end products and the processes of inflammation and ageing. Furthermore, through the presented overview of AGE-RAGE alterations that have been described in clinical studies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis, and insight obtained from mechanistic in vitro and animal studies, it can be concluded that these AGE-RAGE disturbances are a common contributing factor to the inflammatory state and pathogenesis of these various conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turning Avatar into Realistic Human Expression Using Linear and Bilinear Interpolations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazim Alkawaz, Mohammed; Mohamad, Dzulkifli; Rehman, Amjad; Basori, Ahmad Hoirul

2014-06-01

The facial animation in term of 3D facial data has accurate research support of the laser scan and advance 3D tools for complex facial model production. However, the approach still lacks facial expression based on emotional condition. Though, facial skin colour is required to offers an effect of facial expression improvement, closely related to the human emotion. This paper presents innovative techniques for facial animation transformation using the facial skin colour based on linear interpolation and bilinear interpolation. The generated expressions are almost same to the genuine human expression and also enhance the facial expression of the virtual human.

Human Pose Estimation from Monocular Images: A Comprehensive Survey

PubMed Central

Gong, Wenjuan; Zhang, Xuena; Gonzàlez, Jordi; Sobral, Andrews; Bouwmans, Thierry; Tu, Changhe; Zahzah, El-hadi

2016-01-01

Human pose estimation refers to the estimation of the location of body parts and how they are connected in an image. Human pose estimation from monocular images has wide applications (e.g., image indexing). Several surveys on human pose estimation can be found in the literature, but they focus on a certain category; for example, model-based approaches or human motion analysis, etc. As far as we know, an overall review of this problem domain has yet to be provided. Furthermore, recent advancements based on deep learning have brought novel algorithms for this problem. In this paper, a comprehensive survey of human pose estimation from monocular images is carried out including milestone works and recent advancements. Based on one standard pipeline for the solution of computer vision problems, this survey splits the problem into several modules: feature extraction and description, human body models, and modeling methods. Problem modeling methods are approached based on two means of categorization in this survey. One way to categorize includes top-down and bottom-up methods, and another way includes generative and discriminative methods. Considering the fact that one direct application of human pose estimation is to provide initialization for automatic video surveillance, there are additional sections for motion-related methods in all modules: motion features, motion models, and motion-based methods. Finally, the paper also collects 26 publicly available data sets for validation and provides error measurement methods that are frequently used. PMID:27898003

Early outcomes of empiric embolization of tumor-related gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with advanced malignancy.

PubMed

Tandberg, Daniel J; Smith, Tony P; Suhocki, Paul V; Pabon-Ramos, Waleska; Nelson, Rendon C; Desai, Svetang; Branch, Stanley; Kim, Charles Y

2012-11-01

To report short-term results of empiric transcatheter embolization for patients with advanced malignancy and gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage directly from a tumor invading the GI tract wall. Between 2005 and 2011, 37 mesenteric angiograms were obtained in 26 patients with advanced malignancy (20 men, six women; mean age, 56.2 y) with endoscopically confirmed symptomatic GI hemorrhage from a tumor invading the GI tract wall. Angiographic findings and clinical outcomes were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical success was defined as absence of signs and symptoms of hemorrhage for at least 30 day following embolization. Active extravasation was demonstrated in three cases. Angiographic abnormalities related to a GI tract tumor were identified on 35 of 37 angiograms, including tumor neovascularity (n = 21), tumor enhancement (n = 24), and luminal irregularity (n = 5). In the absence of active extravasation, empiric embolization with particles and/or coils was performed in 25 procedures. Cessation of hemorrhage (ie, clinical success) occurred more frequently when empiric embolization was performed (17 of 25 procedures; 68%) than when embolization was not performed (two of nine; 22%; P = .03). Empiric embolization resulted in clinical success in 10 of 11 patients with acute GI bleeding (91%), compared with seven of 14 patients (50%) with chronic GI bleeding (P = .04). No ischemic complications were encountered. In patients with advanced malignancy, in the absence of active extravasation, empiric transcatheter arterial embolization for treatment of GI hemorrhage from a direct tumor source demonstrated a 68% short-term success rate, without any ischemic complications. Copyright © 2012 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An interdisciplinary review of current and future approaches to improving human-predator relations.

PubMed

Pooley, S; Barua, M; Beinart, W; Dickman, A; Holmes, G; Lorimer, J; Loveridge, A J; Macdonald, D W; Marvin, G; Redpath, S; Sillero-Zubiri, C; Zimmermann, A; Milner-Gulland, E J

2017-06-01

In a world of shrinking habitats and increasing competition for natural resources, potentially dangerous predators bring the challenges of coexisting with wildlife sharply into focus. Through interdisciplinary collaboration among authors trained in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, we reviewed current approaches to mitigating adverse human-predator encounters and devised a vision for future approaches to understanding and mitigating such encounters. Limitations to current approaches to mitigation include too much focus on negative impacts; oversimplified equating of levels of damage with levels of conflict; and unsuccessful technical fixes resulting from failure to engage locals, address hidden costs, or understand cultural (nonscientific) explanations of the causality of attacks. An emerging interdisciplinary literature suggests that to better frame and successfully mitigate negative human-predator relations conservation professionals need to consider dispensing with conflict as the dominant framework for thinking about human-predator encounters; work out what conflicts are really about (they may be human-human conflicts); unravel the historical contexts of particular conflicts; and explore different cultural ways of thinking about animals. The idea of cosmopolitan natures may help conservation professionals think more clearly about human-predator relations in both local and global context. These new perspectives for future research practice include a recommendation for focused interdisciplinary research and the use of new approaches, including human-animal geography, multispecies ethnography, and approaches from the environmental humanities notably environmental history. Managers should think carefully about how they engage with local cultural beliefs about wildlife, work with all parties to agree on what constitutes good evidence, develop processes and methods to mitigate conflicts, and decide how to monitor and evaluate these. Demand for

Ghrelin modulates encoding-related brain function without enhancing memory formation in humans.

PubMed

Kunath, N; Müller, N C J; Tonon, M; Konrad, B N; Pawlowski, M; Kopczak, A; Elbau, I; Uhr, M; Kühn, S; Repantis, D; Ohla, K; Müller, T D; Fernández, G; Tschöp, M; Czisch, M; Steiger, A; Dresler, M

2016-11-15

Ghrelin regulates energy homeostasis in various species and enhances memory in rodent models. In humans, the role of ghrelin in cognitive processes has yet to be characterized. Here we show in a double-blind randomized crossover design that acute administration of ghrelin alters encoding-related brain activity, however does not enhance memory formation in humans. Twenty-one healthy young male participants had to memorize food- and non-food-related words presented on a background of a virtual navigational route while undergoing fMRI recordings. After acute ghrelin administration, we observed decreased post-encoding resting state fMRI connectivity between the caudate nucleus and the insula, amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex. In addition, brain activity related to subsequent memory performance was modulated by ghrelin. On the next day, however, no differences were found in free word recall or cued location-word association recall between conditions; and ghrelin's effects on brain activity or functional connectivity were unrelated to memory performance. Further, ghrelin had no effect on a cognitive test battery comprising tests for working memory, fluid reasoning, creativity, mental speed, and attention. In conclusion, in contrast to studies with animal models, we did not find any evidence for the potential of ghrelin acting as a short-term cognitive enhancer in humans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure-based assessment of disease-related mutations in human voltage-gated sodium channels.

PubMed

Huang, Weiyun; Liu, Minhao; Yan, S Frank; Yan, Nieng

2017-06-01

Voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels are essential for the rapid upstroke of action potentials and the propagation of electrical signals in nerves and muscles. Defects of Na v channels are associated with a variety of channelopathies. More than 1000 disease-related mutations have been identified in Na v channels, with Na v 1.1 and Na v 1.5 each harboring more than 400 mutations. Na v channels represent major targets for a wide array of neurotoxins and drugs. Atomic structures of Na v channels are required to understand their function and disease mechanisms. The recently determined atomic structure of the rabbit voltage-gated calcium (Ca v ) channel Ca v 1.1 provides a template for homology-based structural modeling of the evolutionarily related Na v channels. In this Resource article, we summarized all the reported disease-related mutations in human Na v channels, generated a homologous model of human Na v 1.7, and structurally mapped disease-associated mutations. Before the determination of structures of human Na v channels, the analysis presented here serves as the base framework for mechanistic investigation of Na v channelopathies and for potential structure-based drug discovery.

The Human Microbiome: Our Second Genome*

PubMed Central

Grice, Elizabeth A.; Segre, Julia A.

2012-01-01

The human genome has been referred to as the blueprint of human biology. In this review we consider an essential but largely ignored overlay to that blueprint, the human microbiome, which is composed of those microbes that live in and on our bodies. The human microbiome is a source of genetic diversity, a modifier of disease, an essential component of immunity, and a functional entity that influences metabolism and modulates drug interactions. Characterization and analysis of the human microbiome have been greatly catalyzed by advances in genomic technologies. We discuss how these technologies have shaped this emerging field of study and advanced our understanding of the human microbiome. We also identify future challenges, many of which are common to human genetic studies, and predict that in the future, analyzing genetic variation and risk of human disease will sometimes necessitate the integration of human and microbial genomic data sets. PMID:22703178

Advances in the management of orbital fractures.

PubMed

Nguyen, P N; Sullivan, P

1992-01-01

Great progress has been made in both the basic science and the clinical knowledge base used in orbital reconstruction. With this, increasing complex orbital reconstructive problems are better managed. The diagnosis, treatment plan, and the actual reconstruction have evolved to a higher level. Several areas of progress are of note: the greater appreciation of the intimate relation between the bony orbit's shape and the position of the globe; application of computer technology in orbital injuries; effect of rigid fixation on autogenous and alloplastic graft; and the use of advanced biocompatible synthetic materials in orbital reconstruction. Although this progress has great impact on treatment of orbital injuries, there are many unanswered challenges in the treatment of the fragile frame of the window to the human soul.

Intrinsic interactive reinforcement learning - Using error-related potentials for real world human-robot interaction.

PubMed

Kim, Su Kyoung; Kirchner, Elsa Andrea; Stefes, Arne; Kirchner, Frank

2017-12-14

Reinforcement learning (RL) enables robots to learn its optimal behavioral strategy in dynamic environments based on feedback. Explicit human feedback during robot RL is advantageous, since an explicit reward function can be easily adapted. However, it is very demanding and tiresome for a human to continuously and explicitly generate feedback. Therefore, the development of implicit approaches is of high relevance. In this paper, we used an error-related potential (ErrP), an event-related activity in the human electroencephalogram (EEG), as an intrinsically generated implicit feedback (rewards) for RL. Initially we validated our approach with seven subjects in a simulated robot learning scenario. ErrPs were detected online in single trial with a balanced accuracy (bACC) of 91%, which was sufficient to learn to recognize gestures and the correct mapping between human gestures and robot actions in parallel. Finally, we validated our approach in a real robot scenario, in which seven subjects freely chose gestures and the real robot correctly learned the mapping between gestures and actions (ErrP detection (90% bACC)). In this paper, we demonstrated that intrinsically generated EEG-based human feedback in RL can successfully be used to implicitly improve gesture-based robot control during human-robot interaction. We call our approach intrinsic interactive RL.

NASA Advanced Explorations Systems: 2017 Advancements in Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Walter F.; Shull, Sarah A.

2017-01-01

The NASA Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Life Support Systems (LSS) project strives to develop reliable, energy-efficient, and low-mass spacecraft systems to provide environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) critical to enabling long duration human missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Highly reliable, closed-loop life support systems are among the capabilities required for the longer duration human space exploration missions planned in the mid-2020s and beyond. The LSS Project is focused on four are-as-architecture and systems engineering for life support systems, environmental monitoring, air revitalization, and wastewater processing and water management. Starting with the International Space Station (ISS) LSS systems as a point of departure where applicable, the three-fold mission of the LSS Project is to address discrete LSS technology gaps, to improve the reliability of LSS systems, and to advance LSS systems toward integrated testing aboard the ISS. This paper is a follow on to the AES LSS development status reported in 2016 and provides additional details on the progress made since that paper was published with specific attention to the status of the Aerosol Sampler ISS Flight Experiment, the Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor (SAM) Flight Experiment, the Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) Flight Experiment, the CO2 removal technology development tasks, and the work investigating the impacts of dormancy on LSS systems.

Enhanced/Synthetic Vision Systems - Human factors research and implications for future systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foyle, David C.; Ahumada, Albert J.; Larimer, James; Sweet, Barbara T.

1992-01-01

This paper reviews recent human factors research studies conducted in the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division at NASA Ames Research Center related to the development and usage of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Systems. Research discussed includes studies of field of view (FOV), representational differences of infrared (IR) imagery, head-up display (HUD) symbology, HUD advanced concept designs, sensor fusion, and sensor/database fusion and evaluation. Implications for the design and usage of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Systems are discussed.

Regional cooling caused recent New Zealand glacier advances in a period of global warming.

PubMed

Mackintosh, Andrew N; Anderson, Brian M; Lorrey, Andrew M; Renwick, James A; Frei, Prisco; Dean, Sam M

2017-02-14

Glaciers experienced worldwide retreat during the twentieth and early twenty first centuries, and the negative trend in global glacier mass balance since the early 1990s is predominantly a response to anthropogenic climate warming. The exceptional terminus advance of some glaciers during recent global warming is thought to relate to locally specific climate conditions, such as increased precipitation. In New Zealand, at least 58 glaciers advanced between 1983 and 2008, and Franz Josef and Fox glaciers advanced nearly continuously during this time. Here we show that the glacier advance phase resulted predominantly from discrete periods of reduced air temperature, rather than increased precipitation. The lower temperatures were associated with anomalous southerly winds and low sea surface temperature in the Tasman Sea region. These conditions result from variability in the structure of the extratropical atmospheric circulation over the South Pacific. While this sequence of climate variability and its effect on New Zealand glaciers is unusual on a global scale, it remains consistent with a climate system that is being modified by humans.