Overview of the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neigut, J.

2015-01-01

In 2013, the Human Research Program at NASA began developing a new confinement analog specifically for conducting research to investigate the effects of confinement on the human system. The HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) habitat has been used for both 7 and 14 day missions to date to examine and mitigate exploration risks to enable safe, reliable and productive human space exploration. This presentation will describe how the Flight Analogs Project developed the HERA facility and the infrastructure to suit investigator requirements for confinement research and in the process developed a new approach to analog utilization and a new state of the art analog facility. Details regarding HERA operations will be discussed including specifics on the mission simulation utilized for the current 14-day campaign, the specifics of the facility (total volume, overall size, hardware), and the capabilities available to researchers. The overall operational philosophy, mission fidelity including timeline, schedule pressures and cadence, and development and implementation of mission stressors will be presented. Research conducted to date in the HERA has addressed risks associated with behavioral health and performance, human physiology, as well as human factors. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of future research plans for the HERA, including infrastructure improvements and additional research capabilities planned for the upcoming 30-day missions in 2016.

NASA Project Constellation Systems Engineering Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dumbacher, Daniel L.

2005-01-01

NASA's Office of Exploration Systems (OExS) is organized to empower the Vision for Space Exploration with transportation systems that result in achievable, affordable, and sustainable human and robotic journeys to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In the process of delivering these capabilities, the systems engineering function is key to implementing policies, managing mission requirements, and ensuring technical integration and verification of hardware and support systems in a timely, cost-effective manner. The OExS Development Programs Division includes three main areas: (1) human and robotic technology, (2) Project Prometheus for nuclear propulsion development, and (3) Constellation Systems for space transportation systems development, including a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Constellation Systems include Earth-to-orbit, in-space, and surface transportation systems; maintenance and science instrumentation; and robotic investigators and assistants. In parallel with development of the CEV, robotic explorers will serve as trailblazers to reduce the risk and costs of future human operations on the Moon, as well as missions to other destinations, including Mars. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Comprehensive transcriptional map of primate brain development

PubMed Central

Bakken, Trygve E.; Miller, Jeremy A.; Ding, Song-Lin; Sunkin, Susan M.; Smith, Kimberly A.; Ng, Lydia; Szafer, Aaron; Dalley, Rachel A.; Royall, Joshua J.; Lemon, Tracy; Shapouri, Sheila; Aiona, Kaylynn; Arnold, James; Bennett, Jeffrey L.; Bertagnolli, Darren; Bickley, Kristopher; Boe, Andrew; Brouner, Krissy; Butler, Stephanie; Byrnes, Emi; Caldejon, Shiella; Carey, Anita; Cate, Shelby; Chapin, Mike; Chen, Jefferey; Dee, Nick; Desta, Tsega; Dolbeare, Tim A.; Dotson, Nadia; Ebbert, Amanda; Fulfs, Erich; Gee, Garrett; Gilbert, Terri L.; Goldy, Jeff; Gourley, Lindsey; Gregor, Ben; Gu, Guangyu; Hall, Jon; Haradon, Zeb; Haynor, David R.; Hejazinia, Nika; Hoerder-Suabedissen, Anna; Howard, Robert; Jochim, Jay; Kinnunen, Marty; Kriedberg, Ali; Kuan, Chihchau L.; Lau, Christopher; Lee, Chang-Kyu; Lee, Felix; Luong, Lon; Mastan, Naveed; May, Ryan; Melchor, Jose; Mosqueda, Nerick; Mott, Erika; Ngo, Kiet; Nyhus, Julie; Oldre, Aaron; Olson, Eric; Parente, Jody; Parker, Patrick D.; Parry, Sheana; Pendergraft, Julie; Potekhina, Lydia; Reding, Melissa; Riley, Zackery L.; Roberts, Tyson; Rogers, Brandon; Roll, Kate; Rosen, David; Sandman, David; Sarreal, Melaine; Shapovalova, Nadiya; Shi, Shu; Sjoquist, Nathan; Sodt, Andy J.; Townsend, Robbie; Velasquez, Lissette; Wagley, Udi; Wakeman, Wayne B.; White, Cassandra; Bennett, Crissa; Wu, Jennifer; Young, Rob; Youngstrom, Brian L.; Wohnoutka, Paul; Gibbs, Richard A.; Rogers, Jeffrey; Hohmann, John G.; Hawrylycz, Michael J.; Hevner, Robert F.; Molnár, Zoltán; Phillips, John W.; Dang, Chinh; Jones, Allan R.; Amaral, David G.; Bernard, Amy; Lein, Ed S.

2017-01-01

The transcriptional underpinnings of brain development remain poorly understood, particularly in humans and closely related non-human primates. We describe a high resolution transcriptional atlas of rhesus monkey brain development that combines dense temporal sampling of prenatal and postnatal periods with fine anatomical parcellation of cortical and subcortical regions associated with human neuropsychiatric disease. Gene expression changes more rapidly before birth, both in progenitor cells and maturing neurons, and cortical layers and areas acquire adult-like molecular profiles surprisingly late postnatally. Disparate cell populations exhibit distinct developmental timing but also unexpected synchrony of processes underlying neural circuit construction including cell projection and adhesion. Candidate risk genes for neurodevelopmental disorders including primary microcephaly, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia show disease-specific spatiotemporal enrichment within developing neocortex. Human developmental expression trajectories are more similar to monkey than rodent, and approximately 9% of genes show human-specific regulation with evidence for prolonged maturation or neoteny. PMID:27409810

Toward the 21st Century: Preparing Proactive Visionary Transformational Leaders for Building Learning Communities. Human Resource Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groff, Warren H.

This package includes a description of Nova University's Human Resource Development (HRD) core seminar and seven doctoral student papers. The description (by Warren Groff) explains how a major curriculum change was made to convert the vocational, technical, and occupational specialization seminar, Personnel-Human Resources Development, to the core…

Human Problem Solving in 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pizlo, Zygmunt

2008-01-01

This paper presents a bibliography of more than 200 references related to human problem solving, arranged by subject matter. The references were taken from PsycInfo database. Journal papers, book chapters, books and dissertations are included. The topics include human development, education, neuroscience, research in applied settings, as well as…

Human Problem Solving in 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pizlo, Zygmunt

2007-01-01

This paper presents a bibliography of a little more than 100 references related to human problem solving, arranged by subject matter. The references were taken from PsycInfo and Compendex databases. Only journal papers, books and dissertations are included. The topics include human development, education, neuroscience, research in applied…

Human Problem Solving in 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funke, Joachim

2013-01-01

This paper presents a bibliography of 263 references related to human problem solving, arranged by subject matter. The references were taken from PsycInfo and Academic Premier data-base. Journal papers, book chapters, and dissertations are included. The topics include human development, education, neuroscience, and research in applied settings. It…

Develop a Skill while Learning about Human Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, R. Gene

1979-01-01

Described is a student group project involving the development of a slide presentation based on some aspect of human growth and development or educational psychology. Included in the description is a list of project titles and a sample of the project assignment outline. (JMD)

A Human Factors Perspective on Alarm System Research and Development 2000 to 2010

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

Curt Braun; John Grimes; Eric Shaver

By definition, alarms serve to notify human operators of out-of-parameter conditions that could threaten equipment, the environment, product quality and, of course, human life. Given the complexities of industrial systems, human machine interfaces, and the human operator, the understanding of how alarms and humans can best work together to prevent disaster is continually developing. This review examines advances in alarm research and development from 2000 to 2010 and includes the writings of trade professionals, engineering and human factors researchers, and standards organizations with the goal of documenting advances in alarms system design, research, and implementation.

Human Growth and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehurst, Keturah E.

This brief overview of some aspects of human development aims to enable paraprofessionals (teachers' aides) to work with teachers and children with greater understanding and effectiveness. Aspects discussed include heredity, IQ scores and learning ability assessment, principles of development, and principles of learning. (ED)

Human developmental biology viewed from a microbial perspective

PubMed Central

Charbonneau, Mark R.; Blanton, Laura V.; DiGiulio, Daniel B.; Relman, David A.; Lebrilla, Carlito B.; Mills, David A.; Gordon, Jeffrey I.

2017-01-01

Preface Most people think of human development only in terms of ‘human’ cells and organs. Here, we discuss another facet involving human-associated microbial communities. A microbial perspective of human development provides opportunities to refine our definitions of healthy pre- and postnatal growth and to develop new strategies for disease prevention and treatment. Considering the dramatic changes in lifestyles and disease patterns that are occurring with globalization, we issue a call for human microbial observatory programs designed to examine microbial community development in birth cohorts representing populations with diverse anthropologic characteristics, including those undergoing rapid change. PMID:27383979

Development of an Integrated Human Factors Toolkit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Resnick, Marc L.

2003-01-01

An effective integration of human abilities and limitations is crucial to the success of all NASA missions. The Integrated Human Factors Toolkit facilitates this integration by assisting system designers and analysts to select the human factors tools that are most appropriate for the needs of each project. The HF Toolkit contains information about a broad variety of human factors tools addressing human requirements in the physical, information processing and human reliability domains. Analysis of each tool includes consideration of the most appropriate design stage, the amount of expertise in human factors that is required, the amount of experience with the tool and the target job tasks that are needed, and other factors that are critical for successful use of the tool. The benefits of the Toolkit include improved safety, reliability and effectiveness of NASA systems throughout the agency. This report outlines the initial stages of development for the Integrated Human Factors Toolkit.

Fatal autoimmunity in mice reconstituted with human hematopoietic stem cells encoding defective FOXP3

PubMed Central

Goettel, Jeremy A.; Biswas, Subhabrata; Lexmond, Willem S.; Yeste, Ada; Passerini, Laura; Patel, Bonny; Yang, Siyoung; Sun, Jiusong; Ouahed, Jodie; Shouval, Dror S.; McCann, Katelyn J.; Horwitz, Bruce H.; Mathis, Diane; Milford, Edgar L.; Notarangelo, Luigi D.; Roncarolo, Maria-Grazia; Fiebiger, Edda; Marasco, Wayne A.; Bacchetta, Rosa; Quintana, Francisco J.; Pai, Sung-Yun; Klein, Christoph; Muise, Aleixo M.

2015-01-01

Mice reconstituted with a human immune system provide a tractable in vivo model to assess human immune cell function. To date, reconstitution of murine strains with human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from patients with monogenic immune disorders have not been reported. One obstacle precluding the development of immune-disease specific “humanized” mice is that optimal adaptive immune responses in current strains have required implantation of autologous human thymic tissue. To address this issue, we developed a mouse strain that lacks murine major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) and instead expresses human leukocyte antigen DR1 (HLA-DR1). These mice displayed improved adaptive immune responses when reconstituted with human HSCs including enhanced T-cell reconstitution, delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, and class-switch recombination. Following immune reconstitution of this novel strain with HSCs from a patient with immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome, associated with aberrant FOXP3 function, mice developed a lethal inflammatory disorder with multiorgan involvement and autoantibody production mimicking the pathology seen in affected humans. This humanized mouse model permits in vivo evaluation of immune responses associated with genetically altered HSCs, including primary immunodeficiencies, and should facilitate the study of human immune pathobiology and the development of targeted therapeutics. PMID:25833964

Relevance Revisited: Curriculum Development in the Humanities. No. II: Administrative Strategies for Curriculum Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mondale, Clarence C., Ed.

Papers presented in advance of a workshop on "administrative strategies" for curricular change in the humanities and brief summaries of discussions taking place at the workshop are provided. Background papers include: "Curricular Change and the Humanities," by Edward A. Lindell; "Developing Administrative Strategies for…

Instructor's Guide for Human Development Student Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

This instructor's guide is designed for use with an accompanying set of 61 student learning modules on human development. Included among the topics covered in the individual modules are the following: consumer and homemaking education (health and nutrition, personal appearance and grooming, puberty, menstruation, the human reproductive system,…

20 CFR 632.10 - Eligibility requirements for designation as a Native American grantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Interior, Health and Human Services or Education as the primary service delivery organization for the provision of human resource development services to Indians or Native Americans within the organization's... JTPA and other human resource development programs, including but not limited to those providing for...

20 CFR 632.10 - Eligibility requirements for designation as a Native American grantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Interior, Health and Human Services or Education as the primary service delivery organization for the provision of human resource development services to Indians or Native Americans within the organization's... JTPA and other human resource development programs, including but not limited to those providing for...

Comparative Proteomics of Human and Macaque Milk Reveals Species-Specific Nutrition during Postnatal Development.

PubMed

Beck, Kristen L; Weber, Darren; Phinney, Brett S; Smilowitz, Jennifer T; Hinde, Katie; Lönnerdal, Bo; Korf, Ian; Lemay, Danielle G

2015-05-01

Milk has been well established as the optimal nutrition source for infants, yet there is still much to be understood about its molecular composition. Therefore, our objective was to develop and compare comprehensive milk proteomes for human and rhesus macaques to highlight differences in neonatal nutrition. We developed a milk proteomics technique that overcomes previous technical barriers including pervasive post-translational modifications and limited sample volume. We identified 1606 and 518 proteins in human and macaque milk, respectively. During analysis of detected protein orthologs, we identified 88 differentially abundant proteins. Of these, 93% exhibited increased abundance in human milk relative to macaque and include lactoferrin, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin, vitamin D-binding protein, and haptocorrin. Furthermore, proteins more abundant in human milk compared with macaque are associated with development of the gastrointestinal tract, the immune system, and the brain. Overall, our novel proteomics method reveals the first comprehensive macaque milk proteome and 524 newly identified human milk proteins. The differentially abundant proteins observed are consistent with the perspective that human infants, compared with nonhuman primates, are born at a slightly earlier stage of somatic development and require additional support through higher quantities of specific proteins to nurture human infant maturation.

Transcriptional Landscape of the Prenatal Human Brain

PubMed Central

Miller, Jeremy A.; Ding, Song-Lin; Sunkin, Susan M.; Smith, Kimberly A; Ng, Lydia; Szafer, Aaron; Ebbert, Amanda; Riley, Zackery L.; Aiona, Kaylynn; Arnold, James M.; Bennet, Crissa; Bertagnolli, Darren; Brouner, Krissy; Butler, Stephanie; Caldejon, Shiella; Carey, Anita; Cuhaciyan, Christine; Dalley, Rachel A.; Dee, Nick; Dolbeare, Tim A.; Facer, Benjamin A. C.; Feng, David; Fliss, Tim P.; Gee, Garrett; Goldy, Jeff; Gourley, Lindsey; Gregor, Benjamin W.; Gu, Guangyu; Howard, Robert E.; Jochim, Jayson M.; Kuan, Chihchau L.; Lau, Christopher; Lee, Chang-Kyu; Lee, Felix; Lemon, Tracy A.; Lesnar, Phil; McMurray, Bergen; Mastan, Naveed; Mosqueda, Nerick F.; Naluai-Cecchini, Theresa; Ngo, Nhan-Kiet; Nyhus, Julie; Oldre, Aaron; Olson, Eric; Parente, Jody; Parker, Patrick D.; Parry, Sheana E.; Player, Allison Stevens; Pletikos, Mihovil; Reding, Melissa; Royall, Joshua J.; Roll, Kate; Sandman, David; Sarreal, Melaine; Shapouri, Sheila; Shapovalova, Nadiya V.; Shen, Elaine H.; Sjoquist, Nathan; Slaughterbeck, Clifford R.; Smith, Michael; Sodt, Andy J.; Williams, Derric; Zöllei, Lilla; Fischl, Bruce; Gerstein, Mark B.; Geschwind, Daniel H.; Glass, Ian A.; Hawrylycz, Michael J.; Hevner, Robert F.; Huang, Hao; Jones, Allan R.; Knowles, James A.; Levitt, Pat; Phillips, John W.; Sestan, Nenad; Wohnoutka, Paul; Dang, Chinh; Bernard, Amy; Hohmann, John G.; Lein, Ed S.

2014-01-01

Summary The anatomical and functional architecture of the human brain is largely determined by prenatal transcriptional processes. We describe an anatomically comprehensive atlas of mid-gestational human brain, including de novo reference atlases, in situ hybridization, ultra-high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and microarray analysis on highly discrete laser microdissected brain regions. In developing cerebral cortex, transcriptional differences are found between different proliferative and postmitotic layers, wherein laminar signatures reflect cellular composition and developmental processes. Cytoarchitectural differences between human and mouse have molecular correlates, including species differences in gene expression in subplate, although surprisingly we find minimal differences between the inner and human-expanded outer subventricular zones. Both germinal and postmitotic cortical layers exhibit fronto-temporal gradients, with particular enrichment in frontal lobe. Finally, many neurodevelopmental disorder and human evolution-related genes show patterned expression, potentially underlying unique features of human cortical formation. These data provide a rich, freely-accessible resource for understanding human brain development. PMID:24695229

Functional histology of the macula flava in the human vocal fold--Part 2: Its role in the growth and development of the vocal fold.

PubMed

Sato, Kiminori; Umeno, Hirohito; Nakashima, Tadashi

2010-01-01

This study aims to clarify the role of the maculae flavae (MFe) during growth and development of the human vocal fold mucosa (VFM). Our current results concerning the MFe in the human newborn, infant, and child VFM are summarized. Newborns already had immature MFe at the same sites as adults. They were composed of dense masses of vocal fold stellate cells (VFSCs), whereas extracellular matrix components were sparse. VFSCs in the newborn MFe had already started synthesizing extracellular matrices (EM). During infancy, the EM synthesized in the MFe appeared in the VFM to initiate the formation of the three-dimensional extracellular matrix structure of the human VFM. During childhood, MFe including VFSCs continued to synthesize EM such as collagenous, reticular, and elastic fibers, and hyaluronic acid (glycosaminoglycan), which are essential for the human VFM as a vibrating tissue. The MFe in newborns, infants and children were related to the growth and development of the human VFM. Human MFe including VFSCs were inferred to be involved in the metabolism of EM, essential for the viscoelasticity of the human VFM, and are considered to be an important structure in the growth and development of the human VFM. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Space Life Support Technology Applications to Terrestrial Environmental Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartzkopf, Steven H.; Sleeper, Howard L.

1993-01-01

Many of the problems now facing the human race on Earth are, in fact, life support issues. Decline of air Quality as a result of industrial and automotive emissions, pollution of ground water by organic pesticides or solvents, and the disposal of solid wastes are all examples of environmental problems that we must solve to sustain human life. The technologies currently under development to solve the problems of supporting human life for advanced space missions are extraordinarily synergistic with these environmental problems. The development of these technologies (including both physicochemical and bioregenerative types) is increasingly focused on closing the life support loop by removing and recycling contaminants and wastes to produce the materials necessary to sustain human life. By so doing, this technology development effort also focuses automatically on reducing resupply logistics requirements and increasing crew safety through increased self-sufficiency. This paper describes several technologies that have been developed to support human life in space and illustrates the applicability of the technologies to environmental problems including environmental remediation and pollution prevention.

Career Education for Mental Health Workers. Integrative Seminar in Human Service. Human Service Instructional Series. Module No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redcay, Shirley

This module on an integrative seminar in human service is one of a set of six developed to prepare human services workers for the changing mental health service delivery system. A total of eight objectives are included to help students integrate previously learned knowledge and skills into a process of assessing service need, developing treatment…

Development and Application of a Human PBPK Model for Bromodichloromethane (BDCM) to Investigate Impacts of Multi-Route Exposure

EPA Science Inventory

Due to its presence in water as a volatile disinfection byproduct, BDCM, which is mutagenic and a rodent carcinogen, poses a risk for exposure via multiple routes. We developed a refined human PBPK model for BDCM (including new chemical-specific human parameters) to evaluate the...

Development and function of human innate immune cells in a humanized mouse model.

PubMed

Rongvaux, Anthony; Willinger, Tim; Martinek, Jan; Strowig, Till; Gearty, Sofia V; Teichmann, Lino L; Saito, Yasuyuki; Marches, Florentina; Halene, Stephanie; Palucka, A Karolina; Manz, Markus G; Flavell, Richard A

2014-04-01

Mice repopulated with human hematopoietic cells are a powerful tool for the study of human hematopoiesis and immune function in vivo. However, existing humanized mouse models cannot support development of human innate immune cells, including myeloid cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Here we describe two mouse strains called MITRG and MISTRG, in which human versions of four genes encoding cytokines important for innate immune cell development are knocked into their respective mouse loci. The human cytokines support the development and function of monocytes, macrophages and NK cells derived from human fetal liver or adult CD34(+) progenitor cells injected into the mice. Human macrophages infiltrated a human tumor xenograft in MITRG and MISTRG mice in a manner resembling that observed in tumors obtained from human patients. This humanized mouse model may be used to model the human immune system in scenarios of health and pathology, and may enable evaluation of therapeutic candidates in an in vivo setting relevant to human physiology.

Development and function of human innate immune cells in a humanized mouse model

PubMed Central

Rongvaux, Anthony; Willinger, Tim; Martinek, Jan; Strowig, Till; Gearty, Sofia V.; Teichmann, Lino L.; Saito, Yasuyuki; Marches, Florentina; Halene, Stephanie; Palucka, A. Karolina; Manz, Markus G.; Flavell, Richard A.

2014-01-01

Mice repopulated with human hematopoietic cells are a powerful tool for the study of human hematopoiesis and immune function in vivo. However, existing humanized mouse models are unable to support development of human innate immune cells, including myeloid cells and NK cells. Here we describe a mouse strain, called MI(S)TRG, in which human versions of four genes encoding cytokines important for innate immune cell development are knocked in to their respective mouse loci. The human cytokines support the development and function of monocytes/macrophages and natural killer cells derived from human fetal liver or adult CD34+ progenitor cells injected into the mice. Human macrophages infiltrated a human tumor xenograft in MI(S)TRG mice in a manner resembling that observed in tumors obtained from human patients. This humanized mouse model may be used to model the human immune system in scenarios of health and pathology, and may enable evaluation of therapeutic candidates in an in vivo setting relevant to human physiology. PMID:24633240

Reducing the Risk of Human Missions to Mars Through Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Bret G.

2007-07-01

During the summer of 2002 the NASA Deputy Administrator charted an internal NASA planning group to develop the rationale for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. This team, termed the Exploration Blueprint, performed architecture analyses to develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps beyond Low-Earth Orbit through the human exploration of Mars. The previous NASA Exploration Team (NEXT) activities laid the foundation and framework for development of NASA s Integrated Space Plan. The reference missions resulting from the analysis performed by the Exploration Blueprint team formed the basis for requirement definition, systems development, technology roadmapping, and risk assessments for future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Emphasis was placed on developing recommendations on what could be done now to effect future exploration activities. The Exploration Blueprint team embraced the Stepping Stone approach to exploration where human and robotic activities are conducted through progressive expansion outward beyond low- Earth orbit. Results from this study produced a long-term strategy for exploration with near-term implementation plans, program recommendations, and technology investments. Specific results included the development of a common exploration crew vehicle concept, a unified space nuclear strategy, focused bioastronautics research objectives, and an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy. Recommendations from the Exploration Blueprint included the endorsement of the Nuclear Systems Initiative, augmentation of the bioastronautics research, a focused space transportation program including heavy-lift launch and a common exploration vehicle design for ISS and exploration missions, as well as an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy for Mars. Following the results of the Exploration Blueprint study, the NASA Administrator has asked for a recommendation by June, 2003 on the next steps in human and robotic exploration in order to put into context an updated Integrated Space Transportation Plan (post- Columbia) and guide Agency planning. NASA was on the verge of committing significant funding in programs that would be better served if longer term goals were better known including the Orbital Space Plane, research on the ISS, National Aerospace Initiative, Shuttle Life Extension Program, Project Prometheus, as well as a wide range of technology development throughout the Agency. Much of the focus during this period was on integrating the results from the previous studies into more concrete implementation strategies in order to understand the relationship between NASA programs, timing, and resulting budgetary implications. This resulted in an integrated approach including lunar surface operations to retire risk of human Mars missions, maximum use of common and modular systems including what was termed the exploration transfer vehicle, Earth orbit and lunar surface demonstrations of long-life systems, collaboration of human and robotic missions to vastly increase mission return, and high-efficiency transportation systems (nuclear) for deep-space transportation and power. The data provided in this summary viewgraph presentation was developed to begin to address one of the key elements of the emerging implementation strategy, namely how lunar missions help retire risk of human missions to Mars. During this process the scope of the activity broadened into the issue of how testing in general, in various venues including the Moon, can help reduce the risk for Mars missions.

Reducing the Risk of Human Missions to Mars Through Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G.

2007-01-01

During the summer of 2002 the NASA Deputy Administrator charted an internal NASA planning group to develop the rationale for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. This team, termed the Exploration Blueprint, performed architecture analyses to develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps beyond Low-Earth Orbit through the human exploration of Mars. The previous NASA Exploration Team (NEXT) activities laid the foundation and framework for development of NASA s Integrated Space Plan. The reference missions resulting from the analysis performed by the Exploration Blueprint team formed the basis for requirement definition, systems development, technology roadmapping, and risk assessments for future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Emphasis was placed on developing recommendations on what could be done now to effect future exploration activities. The Exploration Blueprint team embraced the Stepping Stone approach to exploration where human and robotic activities are conducted through progressive expansion outward beyond low- Earth orbit. Results from this study produced a long-term strategy for exploration with near-term implementation plans, program recommendations, and technology investments. Specific results included the development of a common exploration crew vehicle concept, a unified space nuclear strategy, focused bioastronautics research objectives, and an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy. Recommendations from the Exploration Blueprint included the endorsement of the Nuclear Systems Initiative, augmentation of the bioastronautics research, a focused space transportation program including heavy-lift launch and a common exploration vehicle design for ISS and exploration missions, as well as an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy for Mars. Following the results of the Exploration Blueprint study, the NASA Administrator has asked for a recommendation by June, 2003 on the next steps in human and robotic exploration in order to put into context an updated Integrated Space Transportation Plan (post- Columbia) and guide Agency planning. NASA was on the verge of committing significant funding in programs that would be better served if longer term goals were better known including the Orbital Space Plane, research on the ISS, National Aerospace Initiative, Shuttle Life Extension Program, Project Prometheus, as well as a wide range of technology development throughout the Agency. Much of the focus during this period was on integrating the results from the previous studies into more concrete implementation strategies in order to understand the relationship between NASA programs, timing, and resulting budgetary implications. This resulted in an integrated approach including lunar surface operations to retire risk of human Mars missions, maximum use of common and modular systems including what was termed the exploration transfer vehicle, Earth orbit and lunar surface demonstrations of long-life systems, collaboration of human and robotic missions to vastly increase mission return, and high-efficiency transportation systems (nuclear) for deep-space transportation and power. The data provided in this summary viewgraph presentation was developed to begin to address one of the key elements of the emerging implementation strategy, namely how lunar missions help retire risk of human missions to Mars. During this process the scope of the activity broadened into the issue of how testing in general, in various venues including the Moon, can help reduce the risk for Mars missions.

Developing and sustaining human resources in the health supply chain in Ethiopia: barriers and enablers.

PubMed

Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia; Traulsen, Janine M; Damene Kabtimer, Woynabeba; Mekasha Habtegiorgis, Bitsatab; Teshome Gebregeorgise, Dawit; Essah, Nana Am; Khan, Sara A; Brown, Andrew N

2016-01-01

The health supply chain is often the weakest link in achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals and universal health coverage, requiring trained professionals who are often unavailable. In Ethiopia there have been recent developments in the area of health supply chain management. The aim of this study was to explore the current status of the development of human resources in health supply chain management in Ethiopia and to identify important factors affecting this development. A series of face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders was carried out in 2014. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview guide comprised 51 questions. A qualitative analysis of transcripts was made. A total of 25 interviews were conducted. Three themes were identified: General changes: recognition, commitment and resources, Education and training, and Barriers and enablers. Results confirm the development of human resources in health supply chain management in many areas. However, several problems were identified including lack of coordination, partly due to the large number of stakeholders; reported high staff mobility; and a lack of overall strategy regarding the job/career structures necessary for maintaining human resources. Rural areas have a particular set of problems, including in transportation of goods and personnel, attracting and keeping personnel, and in communication and access to information. Ethiopia is on the way to developing a nationwide viable system for health supply chain management. However, there are still challenges. Short-term challenges include the importance of highlighting strategies and programs for human resources in health supply chain management. In the long term, commitments to financial support must be obtained. A strategy is needed for the further development and sustainability of human resources in the health supply chain in Ethiopia.

New techniques for the analysis of manual control systems. [mathematical models of human operator behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bekey, G. A.

1971-01-01

Studies are summarized on the application of advanced analytical and computational methods to the development of mathematical models of human controllers in multiaxis manual control systems. Specific accomplishments include the following: (1) The development of analytical and computer methods for the measurement of random parameters in linear models of human operators. (2) Discrete models of human operator behavior in a multiple display situation were developed. (3) Sensitivity techniques were developed which make possible the identification of unknown sampling intervals in linear systems. (4) The adaptive behavior of human operators following particular classes of vehicle failures was studied and a model structure proposed.

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

Changing innovation into a registered product: From concept to regulatory approval.

PubMed

Rhodes, Linda

2018-05-01

Innovation in animal health pharmaceuticals is important to address unmet and underserved medical needs, and often comes from products initially developed for human medicine. The purpose of the review is to help readers understand how breakthroughs from human biotechnology may be developed for use in veterinary medicine, while understanding the key drivers to success, the difficulties of regulatory approval, and the realistic risks and rewards of developing applications for animals. The types of human drugs which may be useful for veterinary applications are reviewed, including examples. The regulatory path is discussed, with a review of the various oversight agencies, and the categories of data required to be submitted, including safety, efficacy, manufacturing, environmental impact and human food safety. In conclusion, the cost, development time, and barriers to innovation in veterinary medical pharmaceuticals are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human organoid cultures: transformative new tools for human virus studies.

PubMed

Ramani, Sasirekha; Crawford, Sue E; Blutt, Sarah E; Estes, Mary K

2018-04-01

Studies of human infectious diseases have been limited by the paucity of functional models that mimic normal human physiology and pathophysiology. Recent advances in the development of multicellular, physiologically active organotypic cultures produced from embryonic and pluripotent stem cells, as well as from stem cells isolated from biopsies and surgical specimens are allowing unprecedented new studies and discoveries about host-microbe interactions. Here, we summarize recent developments in the use of organoids for studying human viral pathogens, including intestinal infections with human rotavirus, norovirus, enteroviruses and adenoviruses (intestinal organoids and enteroids), neuronal infections with Zika virus (cerebral organoids) and respiratory infections with respiratory syncytial virus in (lung bud organoids). Biologic discovery of host-specific genetic and epigenetic factors affecting infection, and responses to infection that lead to disease are possible with the use of organoid cultures. Continued development to increase the complexity of these cultures by including components of the normal host tissue microenvironment such as immune cells, blood vessels and microbiome, will facilitate studies on human viral pathogenesis, and advance the development of platforms for pre-clinical evaluation of vaccines, antivirals and therapeutics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Library collaboration with medical humanities in an american medical college in qatar.

PubMed

Birch, Sally; Magid, Amani; Weber, Alan

2013-11-01

The medical humanities, a cross-disciplinary field of practice and research that includes medicine, literature, art, history, philosophy, and sociology, is being increasingly incorporated into medical school curricula internationally. Medical humanities courses in Writing, Literature, Medical Ethics and History can teach physicians-in-training communication skills, doctor-patient relations, and medical ethics, as well as empathy and cross-cultural understanding. In addition to providing educational breadth and variety, the medical humanities can also play a practical role in teaching critical/analytical skills. These skills are utilized in differential diagnosis and problem-based learning, as well as in developing written and oral communications. Communication skills are a required medical competency for passing medical board exams in the U.S., Canada, the UK and elsewhere. The medical library is an integral part of medical humanities training efforts. This contribution provides a case study of the Distributed eLibrary at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar in Doha, and its collaboration with the Writing Program in the Premedical Program to teach and develop the medical humanities. Programs and initiatives of the DeLib library include: developing an information literacy course, course guides for specific courses, the 100 Classic Books Project, collection development of 'doctors' stories' related to the practice of medicine (including medically-oriented movies and TV programs), and workshops to teach the analytical and critical thinking skills that form the basis of humanistic approaches to knowledge. This paper outlines a 'best practices' approach to developing the medical humanities in collaboration among the medical library, faculty and administrative stakeholders.

Library Collaboration with Medical Humanities in an American Medical College in Qatar

PubMed Central

Birch, Sally; Magid, Amani; Weber, Alan

2013-01-01

The medical humanities, a cross-disciplinary field of practice and research that includes medicine, literature, art, history, philosophy, and sociology, is being increasingly incorporated into medical school curricula internationally. Medical humanities courses in Writing, Literature, Medical Ethics and History can teach physicians-in-training communication skills, doctor-patient relations, and medical ethics, as well as empathy and cross-cultural understanding. In addition to providing educational breadth and variety, the medical humanities can also play a practical role in teaching critical/analytical skills. These skills are utilized in differential diagnosis and problem-based learning, as well as in developing written and oral communications. Communication skills are a required medical competency for passing medical board exams in the U.S., Canada, the UK and elsewhere. The medical library is an integral part of medical humanities training efforts. This contribution provides a case study of the Distributed eLibrary at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar in Doha, and its collaboration with the Writing Program in the Premedical Program to teach and develop the medical humanities. Programs and initiatives of the DeLib library include: developing an information literacy course, course guides for specific courses, the 100 Classic Books Project, collection development of ‘doctors’ stories’ related to the practice of medicine (including medically-oriented movies and TV programs), and workshops to teach the analytical and critical thinking skills that form the basis of humanistic approaches to knowledge. This paper outlines a ‘best practices’ approach to developing the medical humanities in collaboration among the medical library, faculty and administrative stakeholders. PMID:24223240

Human rights, health and the state in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Rahman, Redwanur M

2006-01-01

Background This paper broadly discusses the role of the State of Bangladesh in the context of the health system and human rights. The interrelation between human rights, health and development are well documented. The recognition of health as a fundamental right by WHO and subsequent approval of health as an instrument of welfare by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights (ICSECR) further enhances the idea. Moreover, human rights are also recognized as an expedient of human development. The state is entrusted to realize the rights enunciated in the ICSECR. Discussion In exploring the relationship of the human rights and health situation in Bangladesh, it is argued, in this paper, that the constitution and major policy documents of the Bangladesh government have recognized the health rights and development. Bangladesh has ratified most of the international treaties and covenants including ICCPR, ICESCR; and a signatory of international declarations including Alma-Ata, ICPD, Beijing declarations, and Millennium Development Goals. However the implementation of government policies and plans in the development of health institutions, human resources, accessibility and availability, resource distribution, rural-urban disparity, the male-female gap has put the health system in a dismal state. Neither the right to health nor the right to development has been established in the development of health system or in providing health care. Summary The development and service pattern of the health system have negative correlation with human rights and contributed to the underdevelopment of Bangladesh. The government should take comprehensive approach in prioritizing the health rights of the citizens and progressive realization of these rights. PMID:16611360

The Constructs of Wisdom in Human Development and Consciousness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prewitt, Vana R.

Classical and contemporary research studies were examined to develop a definition of wisdom and explore its constructs in human development and consciousness. First, wisdom was defined as an emergent characteristic of mature adults that is built upon intelligence, experience, and reflection and includes metaphysical and cognitive components.…

Development of Life Support System Technologies for Human Lunar Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Ewert, Michael K.

2009-01-01

With the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle planned to be completed in 2009, Exploration Life Support (ELS), a technology development project under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Exploration Technology Development Program, is focusing its efforts on needs for human lunar missions. The ELS Project s goal is to develop and mature a suite of Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) technologies for potential use on human spacecraft under development in support of U.S. Space Exploration Policy. ELS technology development is directed at three major vehicle projects within NASA s Constellation Program (CxP): the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Altair Lunar Lander and Lunar Surface Systems, including habitats and pressurized rovers. The ELS Project includes four technical elements: Atmosphere Revitalization Systems, Water Recovery Systems, Waste Management Systems and Habitation Engineering, and two cross cutting elements, Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis, and Validation and Testing. This paper will provide an overview of the ELS Project, connectivity with its customers and an update to content within its technology development portfolio with focus on human lunar missions.

Etiology and pathogenesis of anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Sher, L

2001-07-01

The author suggests that biological abnormalities related to the development of anxiety disorders can be classified as real or relative. Individuals with 'real abnormalities' are not able to function under any circumstances, including the circumstances that are natural for humans. Persons with 'relative abnormalities' can function under the natural circumstances, but are not able to function in situations that are unnatural for humans. Unnatural situations include being in elevators, flying airplanes, driving cars, etc. The author suggests that all humans can be classified into four groups: 1. Individuals with excellent 'adaptational reserve' never develop anxiety disorders; 2. Individuals with good adaptational reserve develop anxiety disorders only if they are subjected to extremely stressful, unusual situations (e.g. being a hostage); 3. Individuals with moderate adaptational reserve develop anxiety disorders if they are exposed to unnatural situations. They have 'relative abnormalities'; 4. Individuals with poor adaptational reserve develop anxiety disorders in situations that are natural for humans. They have 'real abnormalities'. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Family Life and Human Development. Senior High School Semester Elective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

This document is a curriculum guide for a family life and human development course to be used as a senior high school elective. The purpose of the course is to help students gain a greater understanding of human sexuality and to obtain information needed for intelligent, responsible decision making. Thirteen units included in the course are…

NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team: Lunar Surface Exploration Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Rob P.

2012-01-01

NASA s agency wide Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) has been developing Design Reference Missions (DRMs) to support the ongoing effort to characterize NASA s future human exploration strategy. The DRM design effort includes specific articulations of transportation and surface elements, technologies and operations required to enable future human exploration of various destinations including the moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Mars as well as interim cis-lunar targets. In prior architecture studies, transportation concerns have dominated the analysis. As a result, an effort was made to study the human utilization strategy at each specific destination and the resultant impacts on the overall architecture design. In particular, this paper considers various lunar surface strategies as representative scenarios that could occur in a human lunar return, and demonstrates their alignment with the internationally developed Global Exploration Roadmap (GER).

The nursing human resource planning best practice toolkit: creating a best practice resource for nursing managers.

PubMed

Vincent, Leslie; Beduz, Mary Agnes

2010-05-01

Evidence of acute nursing shortages in urban hospitals has been surfacing since 2000. Further, new graduate nurses account for more than 50% of total nurse turnover in some hospitals and between 35% and 60% of new graduates change workplace during the first year. Critical to organizational success, first line nurse managers must have the knowledge and skills to ensure the accurate projection of nursing resource requirements and to develop proactive recruitment and retention programs that are effective, promote positive nursing socialization, and provide early exposure to the clinical setting. The Nursing Human Resource Planning Best Practice Toolkit project supported the creation of a network of teaching and community hospitals to develop a best practice toolkit in nursing human resource planning targeted at first line nursing managers. The toolkit includes the development of a framework including the conceptual building blocks of planning tools, manager interventions, retention and recruitment and professional practice models. The development of the toolkit involved conducting a review of the literature for best practices in nursing human resource planning, using a mixed method approach to data collection including a survey and extensive interviews of managers and completing a comprehensive scan of human resource practices in the participating organizations. This paper will provide an overview of the process used to develop the toolkit, a description of the toolkit contents and a reflection on the outcomes of the project.

Human pluripotent stem cells: an emerging model in developmental biology.

PubMed

Zhu, Zengrong; Huangfu, Danwei

2013-02-01

Developmental biology has long benefited from studies of classic model organisms. Recently, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells, have emerged as a new model system that offers unique advantages for developmental studies. Here, we discuss how studies of hPSCs can complement classic approaches using model organisms, and how hPSCs can be used to recapitulate aspects of human embryonic development 'in a dish'. We also summarize some of the recently developed genetic tools that greatly facilitate the interrogation of gene function during hPSC differentiation. With the development of high-throughput screening technologies, hPSCs have the potential to revolutionize gene discovery in mammalian development.

Teaching and Technologies for Human Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chickering, Arthur W.; Payne, Carla; Poitras, Gail

2001-01-01

Discusses the potential of emerging communication and information technologies in terms of human development. Topics include distinctions between training and education, instrumental and developmental purposes, and differentiation and integration; developmental stages theory; a leadership seminar based on developmental stages; and uses of…

45 CFR 1302.10 - Selection among applicants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... comprehensive child development services at the community level, including the administrative and fiscal....10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD...

45 CFR 1302.10 - Selection among applicants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... comprehensive child development services at the community level, including the administrative and fiscal....10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD...

45 CFR 1302.10 - Selection among applicants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... comprehensive child development services at the community level, including the administrative and fiscal....10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD...

45 CFR 1302.10 - Selection among applicants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... comprehensive child development services at the community level, including the administrative and fiscal....10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD...

45 CFR 1302.10 - Selection among applicants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., including the opportunities provided for employment of target area residents and career development for....10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT... comprehensive child development services at the community level, including the administrative and fiscal...

Humanized Mouse Models for the Study of Human Malaria Parasite Biology, Pathogenesis, and Immunity.

PubMed

Minkah, Nana K; Schafer, Carola; Kappe, Stefan H I

2018-01-01

Malaria parasite infection continues to inflict extensive morbidity and mortality in resource-poor countries. The insufficiently understood parasite biology, continuously evolving drug resistance and the lack of an effective vaccine necessitate intensive research on human malaria parasites that can inform the development of new intervention tools. Humanized mouse models have been greatly improved over the last decade and enable the direct study of human malaria parasites in vivo in the laboratory. Nevertheless, no small animal model developed so far is capable of maintaining the complete life cycle of Plasmodium parasites that infect humans. The ultimate goal is to develop humanized mouse systems in which a Plasmodium infection closely reproduces all stages of a parasite infection in humans, including pre-erythrocytic infection, blood stage infection and its associated pathology, transmission as well as the human immune response to infection. Here, we discuss current humanized mouse models and the future directions that should be taken to develop next-generation models for human malaria parasite research.

Catalyzing sustainability: Cornell University's field practicum in conservation and sustainable development

Treesearch

John Schelhas

2000-01-01

Human society is increasingly facing a variety of complex, intertwined environmental conservation and rural development issues. For example, national park objectives have expanded from the conservation of biological diversity to also include contributing to the livelihood and development needs of local people. Human settlements in fragile uplands create conflicts...

76 FR 69030 - Delegation of Authority for the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-07

... security, and other like or related policies and programs related to Human Resources management and... all responsibility for human capital management within HUD, including, without limitation, the... human capital management and programs, administering leadership and employee development programs...

NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, J. R.; Richard, E. E.

2010-01-01

The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) will provide a collaborative and virtual forum to integrate all disciplines of the human system to address spaceflight, aviation, and terrestrial human health and performance topics and issues. The NHHPC will serve a vital role as integrator, convening members to share information and capture a diverse knowledge base, while allowing the parties to collaborate to address the most important human health and performance topics of interest to members. The Center and its member organizations will address high-priority risk reduction strategies, including research and technology development, improved medical and environmental health diagnostics and therapeutics, and state-of-the art design approaches for human factors and habitability. Once full established in 2011, the NHHPC will focus on a number of collaborative projects focused on human health and performance, including workshops, education and outreach, information sharing and knowledge management, and research and technology development projects, to advance the study of the human system for spaceflight and other national and international priorities.

Transcriptional landscape of the prenatal human brain.

PubMed

Miller, Jeremy A; Ding, Song-Lin; Sunkin, Susan M; Smith, Kimberly A; Ng, Lydia; Szafer, Aaron; Ebbert, Amanda; Riley, Zackery L; Royall, Joshua J; Aiona, Kaylynn; Arnold, James M; Bennet, Crissa; Bertagnolli, Darren; Brouner, Krissy; Butler, Stephanie; Caldejon, Shiella; Carey, Anita; Cuhaciyan, Christine; Dalley, Rachel A; Dee, Nick; Dolbeare, Tim A; Facer, Benjamin A C; Feng, David; Fliss, Tim P; Gee, Garrett; Goldy, Jeff; Gourley, Lindsey; Gregor, Benjamin W; Gu, Guangyu; Howard, Robert E; Jochim, Jayson M; Kuan, Chihchau L; Lau, Christopher; Lee, Chang-Kyu; Lee, Felix; Lemon, Tracy A; Lesnar, Phil; McMurray, Bergen; Mastan, Naveed; Mosqueda, Nerick; Naluai-Cecchini, Theresa; Ngo, Nhan-Kiet; Nyhus, Julie; Oldre, Aaron; Olson, Eric; Parente, Jody; Parker, Patrick D; Parry, Sheana E; Stevens, Allison; Pletikos, Mihovil; Reding, Melissa; Roll, Kate; Sandman, David; Sarreal, Melaine; Shapouri, Sheila; Shapovalova, Nadiya V; Shen, Elaine H; Sjoquist, Nathan; Slaughterbeck, Clifford R; Smith, Michael; Sodt, Andy J; Williams, Derric; Zöllei, Lilla; Fischl, Bruce; Gerstein, Mark B; Geschwind, Daniel H; Glass, Ian A; Hawrylycz, Michael J; Hevner, Robert F; Huang, Hao; Jones, Allan R; Knowles, James A; Levitt, Pat; Phillips, John W; Sestan, Nenad; Wohnoutka, Paul; Dang, Chinh; Bernard, Amy; Hohmann, John G; Lein, Ed S

2014-04-10

The anatomical and functional architecture of the human brain is mainly determined by prenatal transcriptional processes. We describe an anatomically comprehensive atlas of the mid-gestational human brain, including de novo reference atlases, in situ hybridization, ultra-high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and microarray analysis on highly discrete laser-microdissected brain regions. In developing cerebral cortex, transcriptional differences are found between different proliferative and post-mitotic layers, wherein laminar signatures reflect cellular composition and developmental processes. Cytoarchitectural differences between human and mouse have molecular correlates, including species differences in gene expression in subplate, although surprisingly we find minimal differences between the inner and outer subventricular zones even though the outer zone is expanded in humans. Both germinal and post-mitotic cortical layers exhibit fronto-temporal gradients, with particular enrichment in the frontal lobe. Finally, many neurodevelopmental disorder and human-evolution-related genes show patterned expression, potentially underlying unique features of human cortical formation. These data provide a rich, freely-accessible resource for understanding human brain development.

Workplace Democracy: A Review of Literature and Implications for Human Resource Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatcher, Tim

2007-01-01

A review of workplace democracy revealed that both practice and research need updating. The results are discussed in terms of history, theory, research and practice. Implications for human resource development research and practice are also included. (Contains 2 tables.)

Intergenerational transmission of adaptive functioning: a test of the interactionist model of SES and human development.

PubMed

Schofield, Thomas J; Martin, Monica J; Conger, Katherine J; Neppl, Tricia M; Donnellan, M Brent; Conger, Rand D

2011-01-01

The interactionist model (IM) of human development (R. D. Conger & M. B. Donellan, 2007) proposes that the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and human development involves a dynamic interplay that includes both social causation (SES influences human development) and social selection (individual characteristics affect SES). Using a multigenerational data set involving 271 families, the current study finds empirical support for the IM. Adolescent personality characteristics indicative of social competence, goal-setting, hard work, and emotional stability predicted later SES, parenting, and family characteristics that were related to the positive development of a third-generation child. Processes of both social selection and social causation appear to account for the association between SES and dimensions of human development indicative of healthy functioning across multiple generations. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

3D tissue-like assemblies: A novel approach to investigate virus-cell interactions.

PubMed

Goodwin, Thomas J; McCarthy, Maureen; Cohrs, Randall J; Kaufer, Benedikt B

2015-11-15

Virus-host cell interactions are most commonly analyzed in cells maintained in vitro as two-dimensional tissue cultures. However, these in vitro conditions vary quite drastically from the tissues that are commonly infected in vivo. Over the years, a number of systems have been developed that allow the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) tissue structures that have properties similar to their in vivo 3D counterparts. These 3D systems have numerous applications including drug testing, maintenance of large tissue explants, monitoring migration of human lymphocytes in tissues, analysis of human organ tissue development and investigation of virus-host interactions including viral latency. Here, we describe the establishment of tissue-like assemblies for human lung and neuronal tissue that we infected with a variety of viruses including the respiratory pathogens human parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS corona virus (SARS-CoV) as well as the human neurotropic herpesvirus, varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3D Tissue-Like Assemblies: A Novel Approach to Investigate Virus-Cell Interactions

PubMed Central

Goodwin, Thomas J.; McCarthy, Maureen; Cohrs, Randall J.; Kaufer, Benedikt B.

2017-01-01

Virus-host cell interactions are most commonly analyzed in cells maintained in vitro as two-dimensional tissue cultures. However, these in vitro conditions vary quite drastically from the tissues that are commonly infected in vivo. Over the years, a number of systems have been developed that allow the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) tissue structures that have properties similar to their in vivo 3D counterparts. These 3D systems have numerous applications including drug testing, maintenance of large tissue explants, monitoring migration of human lymphocytes in tissues, analysis of human organ tissue development and investigation of virus-host interactions including viral latency. Here, we describe the establishment of tissue-like assemblies for human lung and neuronal tissue that we infected with a variety of viruses including the respiratory pathogens human parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS corona virus (SARS-CoV) as well as the human neurotropic herpesvirus, varicella-zoster virus (VZV) PMID:25986169

The old and new face of craniofacial research: How animal models inform human craniofacial genetic and clinical data.

PubMed

Van Otterloo, Eric; Williams, Trevor; Artinger, Kristin Bruk

2016-07-15

The craniofacial skeletal structures that comprise the human head develop from multiple tissues that converge to form the bones and cartilage of the face. Because of their complex development and morphogenesis, many human birth defects arise due to disruptions in these cellular populations. Thus, determining how these structures normally develop is vital if we are to gain a deeper understanding of craniofacial birth defects and devise treatment and prevention options. In this review, we will focus on how animal model systems have been used historically and in an ongoing context to enhance our understanding of human craniofacial development. We do this by first highlighting "animal to man" approaches; that is, how animal models are being utilized to understand fundamental mechanisms of craniofacial development. We discuss emerging technologies, including high throughput sequencing and genome editing, and new animal repository resources, and how their application can revolutionize the future of animal models in craniofacial research. Secondly, we highlight "man to animal" approaches, including the current use of animal models to test the function of candidate human disease variants. Specifically, we outline a common workflow deployed after discovery of a potentially disease causing variant based on a select set of recent examples in which human mutations are investigated in vivo using animal models. Collectively, these topics will provide a pipeline for the use of animal models in understanding human craniofacial development and disease for clinical geneticist and basic researchers alike. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

Molecular and functional definition of the developing human striatum.

PubMed

Onorati, Marco; Castiglioni, Valentina; Biasci, Daniele; Cesana, Elisabetta; Menon, Ramesh; Vuono, Romina; Talpo, Francesca; Laguna Goya, Rocio; Lyons, Paul A; Bulfamante, Gaetano P; Muzio, Luca; Martino, Gianvito; Toselli, Mauro; Farina, Cinthia; Barker, Roger A; Biella, Gerardo; Cattaneo, Elena

2014-12-01

The complexity of the human brain derives from the intricate interplay of molecular instructions during development. Here we systematically investigated gene expression changes in the prenatal human striatum and cerebral cortex during development from post-conception weeks 2 to 20. We identified tissue-specific gene coexpression networks, differentially expressed genes and a minimal set of bimodal genes, including those encoding transcription factors, that distinguished striatal from neocortical identities. Unexpected differences from mouse striatal development were discovered. We monitored 36 determinants at the protein level, revealing regional domains of expression and their refinement, during striatal development. We electrophysiologically profiled human striatal neurons differentiated in vitro and determined their refined molecular and functional properties. These results provide a resource and opportunity to gain global understanding of how transcriptional and functional processes converge to specify human striatal and neocortical neurons during development.

Sensor Technologies on Flexible Substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koehne, Jessica

2016-01-01

NASA Ames has developed sensor technologies on flexible substrates integrated into textiles for personalized environment monitoring and human performance evaluation. Current technologies include chemical sensing for gas leak and event monitoring and biological sensors for human health and performance monitoring. Targeted integration include next generation EVA suits and flexible habitats.

Human pluripotent stem cells: an emerging model in developmental biology

PubMed Central

Zhu, Zengrong; Huangfu, Danwei

2013-01-01

Developmental biology has long benefited from studies of classic model organisms. Recently, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells, have emerged as a new model system that offers unique advantages for developmental studies. Here, we discuss how studies of hPSCs can complement classic approaches using model organisms, and how hPSCs can be used to recapitulate aspects of human embryonic development ‘in a dish’. We also summarize some of the recently developed genetic tools that greatly facilitate the interrogation of gene function during hPSC differentiation. With the development of high-throughput screening technologies, hPSCs have the potential to revolutionize gene discovery in mammalian development. PMID:23362344

Development of an antimicrobial stewardship-based infectious diseases elective that incorporates human patient simulation technology.

PubMed

Falcione, Bonnie A; Meyer, Susan M

2014-10-15

To design an elective for pharmacy students that facilitates antimicrobial stewardship awareness, knowledge, and skill development by solving clinical cases, using human patient simulation technology. The elective was designed for PharmD students to describe principles and functions of stewardship programs, select, evaluate, refine, or redesign patient-specific plans for infectious diseases in the context of antimicrobial stewardship, and propose criteria and stewardship management strategies for an antimicrobial class at a health care institution. Teaching methods included active learning and lectures. Cases of bacterial endocarditis and cryptococcal meningitis were developed that incorporated human patient simulation technology. Forty-five pharmacy students completed an antimicrobial stewardship elective between 2010 and 2013. Outcomes were assessed using student perceptions of and performance on rubric-graded assignments. A PharmD elective using active learning, including novel cases conducted with human patient simulation technology, enabled outcomes consistent with those desired of pharmacists assisting in antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Cell diversity and network dynamics in photosensitive human brain organoids

PubMed Central

Quadrato, Giorgia; Nguyen, Tuan; Macosko, Evan Z.; Sherwood, John L.; Yang, Sung Min; Berger, Daniel; Maria, Natalie; Scholvin, Jorg; Goldman, Melissa; Kinney, Justin; Boyden, Edward S.; Lichtman, Jeff; Williams, Ziv M.; McCarroll, Steven A.; Arlotta, Paola

2017-01-01

In vitro models of the developing brain such as 3D brain organoids offer an unprecedented opportunity to study aspects of human brain development and disease. However, it remains undefined what cells are generated within organoids and to what extent they recapitulate the regional complexity, cellular diversity, and circuit functionality of the brain. Here, we analyzed gene expression in over 80,000 individual cells isolated from 31 human brain organoids. We find that organoids can generate a broad diversity of cells, which are related to endogenous classes, including cells from the cerebral cortex and the retina. Organoids could be developed over extended periods (over 9 months) enabling unprecedented levels of maturity including the formation of dendritic spines and of spontaneously-active neuronal networks. Finally, neuronal activity within organoids could be controlled using light stimulation of photoreceptor-like cells, which may offer ways to probe the functionality of human neuronal circuits using physiological sensory stimuli. PMID:28445462

Cell diversity and network dynamics in photosensitive human brain organoids.

PubMed

Quadrato, Giorgia; Nguyen, Tuan; Macosko, Evan Z; Sherwood, John L; Min Yang, Sung; Berger, Daniel R; Maria, Natalie; Scholvin, Jorg; Goldman, Melissa; Kinney, Justin P; Boyden, Edward S; Lichtman, Jeff W; Williams, Ziv M; McCarroll, Steven A; Arlotta, Paola

2017-05-04

In vitro models of the developing brain such as three-dimensional brain organoids offer an unprecedented opportunity to study aspects of human brain development and disease. However, the cells generated within organoids and the extent to which they recapitulate the regional complexity, cellular diversity and circuit functionality of the brain remain undefined. Here we analyse gene expression in over 80,000 individual cells isolated from 31 human brain organoids. We find that organoids can generate a broad diversity of cells, which are related to endogenous classes, including cells from the cerebral cortex and the retina. Organoids could be developed over extended periods (more than 9 months), allowing for the establishment of relatively mature features, including the formation of dendritic spines and spontaneously active neuronal networks. Finally, neuronal activity within organoids could be controlled using light stimulation of photosensitive cells, which may offer a way to probe the functionality of human neuronal circuits using physiological sensory stimuli.

Human Factors Operability Timeline Analysis to Improve the Processing Flow of the Orion Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stambolian, Damon B.; Schlierf, Roland; Miller, Darcy; Posada, Juan; Haddock, Mike; Haddad, Mike; Tran, Donald; Henderon, Gena; Barth, Tim

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of Human factors and timeline analysis to have a more efficient and effective processing flow. The solution involved developing a written timeline of events that included each activity within each functional flow block. Each activity had computer animation videos and pictures of the people involved and the hardware. The Human Factors Engineering Analysis Tool (HFEAT) was improved by modifying it to include the timeline of events. The HFEAT was used to define the human factors requirements and design solutions were developed for these requirements. An example of a functional flow block diagram is shown, and a view from one of the animations (i.e., short stack pallet) is shown and explained.

critcial human health issues in connection with future human missions to mMars: the HUMEX study of ESA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horneck, G.; Humex Team

ESA has recently initiated a study of the human responses, limits and needs with regard to the stress environments of interplanetary and planetary missions. Emphasis was laid on human health and performance care as well as Advanced Life Support Developments including Bioregenerative Life Support Systems and environmental monitoring. The overall study goals were as follows: (i) to define reference scenarios for a European participation in human exploration and to estimate their influence on the Life Sciences and Life Support requirements; (ii) for selected mission scenarios, to critically assess the limiting factors for human health, wellbeing, and performance and to recommend relevant countermeasures; (iii) for selected mission scenarios, to critically assess the potential of Advanced Life Support Developments and to pro-pose a European strategy including terrestrial applications; (iv) to critically assess the feasibility of existing facilities and technologies on ground and in space as test-beds in preparation for human exploratory missions and to develop a test plan for ground and ISS campaigns; (v) to develop a roadmap for a future European strategy towards human exploratory missions, including preparatory activities and terrestrial applications and benefits. Two scenarios for a Mars mission were selected: (i) with a 30 days stay on Mars, and (ii) with about 500 days stay on Mars. The impact on human health, perform-ance and well being has been investigated from the view point of (i) the effects of microgravity (during space travel), reduced gravity (on Mars) and abrupt gravity changes (during launch and landing), (ii) the effects of cosmic radiation including solar particle events, (iii) psychological issues as well as general health care. Coun-termeasures as well as necessary research using ground-based testbeds and/or the ISS have been defined. The need for highly intelligent autonomous diagnostic and therapy systems was emphasized. Advanced life support systems with a high degree of autonomy and regenerative capacity and synergy effects were considered where bioregenerative life support systems and biodiagnostic systems become essential especially for the long-term Mars scenario. The considerations have been incorpo-rated into a roadmap for a future European strategy in human health issues for a potential European participation in a cooperative international exploration of our solar system by humans. Ref. Horneck et al, 2003, HUMEX, study on the Survivability and Adaptation of Humans to Long-Duration Exploratory Missions, ESA SP 1264

Proceedings of the Annual National Clinic on Technical Education (12th, Spokane, Washington, March 26-28, 1975). Human Resource Development: Technical Education's Challenge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutledge, Gene; And Others

This report includes the presentations of the speakers appearing before the National Clinic on Technical Education. Topics cover human resource development; the impact of technical education on economic development (in Mississippi); economics of allied health education; manpower implications of environmental protection; manpower needs for…

Resistant starch: promise for improving human health.

PubMed

Birt, Diane F; Boylston, Terri; Hendrich, Suzanne; Jane, Jay-Lin; Hollis, James; Li, Li; McClelland, John; Moore, Samuel; Phillips, Gregory J; Rowling, Matthew; Schalinske, Kevin; Scott, M Paul; Whitley, Elizabeth M

2013-11-01

Ongoing research to develop digestion-resistant starch for human health promotion integrates the disciplines of starch chemistry, agronomy, analytical chemistry, food science, nutrition, pathology, and microbiology. The objectives of this research include identifying components of starch structure that confer digestion resistance, developing novel plants and starches, and modifying foods to incorporate these starches. Furthermore, recent and ongoing studies address the impact of digestion-resistant starches on the prevention and control of chronic human diseases, including diabetes, colon cancer, and obesity. This review provides a transdisciplinary overview of this field, including a description of types of resistant starches; factors in plants that affect digestion resistance; methods for starch analysis; challenges in developing food products with resistant starches; mammalian intestinal and gut bacterial metabolism; potential effects on gut microbiota; and impacts and mechanisms for the prevention and control of colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Although this has been an active area of research and considerable progress has been made, many questions regarding how to best use digestion-resistant starches in human diets for disease prevention must be answered before the full potential of resistant starches can be realized.

Resistant Starch: Promise for Improving Human Health12

PubMed Central

Birt, Diane F.; Boylston, Terri; Hendrich, Suzanne; Jane, Jay-Lin; Hollis, James; Li, Li; McClelland, John; Moore, Samuel; Phillips, Gregory J.; Rowling, Matthew; Schalinske, Kevin; Scott, M. Paul; Whitley, Elizabeth M.

2013-01-01

Ongoing research to develop digestion-resistant starch for human health promotion integrates the disciplines of starch chemistry, agronomy, analytical chemistry, food science, nutrition, pathology, and microbiology. The objectives of this research include identifying components of starch structure that confer digestion resistance, developing novel plants and starches, and modifying foods to incorporate these starches. Furthermore, recent and ongoing studies address the impact of digestion-resistant starches on the prevention and control of chronic human diseases, including diabetes, colon cancer, and obesity. This review provides a transdisciplinary overview of this field, including a description of types of resistant starches; factors in plants that affect digestion resistance; methods for starch analysis; challenges in developing food products with resistant starches; mammalian intestinal and gut bacterial metabolism; potential effects on gut microbiota; and impacts and mechanisms for the prevention and control of colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Although this has been an active area of research and considerable progress has been made, many questions regarding how to best use digestion-resistant starches in human diets for disease prevention must be answered before the full potential of resistant starches can be realized. PMID:24228189

The normative dimensions of extending the human lifespan by age-related biomedical innovations.

PubMed

Ehni, Hans-Joerg; Marckmann, Georg

2008-10-01

The current normative debate on age-related biomedical innovations and the extension of the human lifespan has important shortcomings. Mainly, the complexity of the different normative dimensions relevant for ethical and/or juridicial norms is not fully developed and the normative quality of teleological and deontological arguments is not properly distinguished. This article addresses some of these shortcomings and develops the outline of a more comprehensive normative framework covering all relevant dimensions. Such a frame necessarily has to include conceptions of a good life on the individual and societal levels. Furthermore, as a third dimension, a model for the access to and the just distribution of age-related biomedical innovations and technologies extending the human lifespan will be developed. It is argued that such a model has to include the different levels of the general philosophical theories of distributive justice, including social rights and theories of just health care. Furthermore, it has to show how these theories can be applied to the problem area of aging and extending the human lifespan.

[Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Biomedical research and the defense of a single standard of attention in developing countries].

PubMed

Angeles-Llerenas, Angélica; Bello, María Alejandra; Dirce, Guilhem; Salinas, Mario Alberto

2004-01-01

In the Helsinki Declaration, which established the ethical principles for research with human subjects, article 5 states, "...concern about the well-being of human beings should always come before the interests of science and of society..." Research proposals should include this commitment, both in developed and developing countries. In countries like Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, much of the population experience situations of great injustice, including a lack of equal access to health care. In some cases, sectors of the pharmaceutical industry may see these deficiencies as offering opportunities for carrying out research and achieving economic profits, something which carries the risk of perpetuating and even intensifying the unjust situations and violations of human rights--these population groups already suffer from. This situation implies the need for commitment to and ethical reflection upon human rights related to health. Agreements are needed between the actors involved in health research: sources of funding, researchers, public policy makers, and the study subjects themselves, in order to protect the latter's rights, including continuity of medical treatment for research subjects, when necessary.

Development and Function of the Human Fetal Adrenal Cortex: A Key Component in the Feto-Placental Unit

PubMed Central

Ishimoto, Hitoshi

2011-01-01

Continuous efforts have been devoted to unraveling the biophysiology and development of the human fetal adrenal cortex, which is structurally and functionally unique from other species. It plays a pivotal role, mainly through steroidogenesis, in the regulation of intrauterine homeostasis and in fetal development and maturation. The steroidogenic activity is characterized by early transient cortisol biosynthesis, followed by its suppressed synthesis until late gestation, and extensive production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate, precursors of placental estrogen, during most of gestation. The gland rapidly grows through processes including cell proliferation and angiogenesis at the gland periphery, cellular migration, hypertrophy, and apoptosis. Recent studies employing modern technologies such as gene expression profiling and laser capture microdissection have revealed that development and/or function of the fetal adrenal cortex may be regulated by a panoply of molecules, including transcription factors, extracellular matrix components, locally produced growth factors, and placenta-derived CRH, in addition to the primary regulator, fetal pituitary ACTH. The role of the fetal adrenal cortex in human pregnancy and parturition appears highly complex, probably due to redundant and compensatory mechanisms regulating these events. Mounting evidence indicates that actions of hormones operating in the human feto-placental unit are likely mediated by mechanisms including target tissue responsiveness, local metabolism, and bioavailability, rather than changes only in circulating levels. Comprehensive study of such molecular mechanisms and the newly identified factors implicated in adrenal development should help crystallize our understanding of the development and physiology of the human fetal adrenal cortex. PMID:21051591

Linking Social Change and Developmental Change: Shifting Pathways of Human Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenfield, Patricia M.

2009-01-01

P. M. Greenfield's new theory of social change and human development aims to show how changing sociodemographic ecologies alter cultural values and learning environments and thereby shift developmental pathways. Worldwide sociodemographic trends include movement from rural residence, informal education at home, subsistence economy, and…

Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to study renal development and disease: sexy cilia.

PubMed

Barr, Maureen M

2005-02-01

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has no kidney per se, yet "the worm" has proved to be an excellent model to study renal-related issues, including tubulogenesis of the excretory canal, membrane transport and ion channel function, and human genetic diseases including autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The goal of this review is to explain how C. elegans has provided insight into cilia development, cilia function, and human cystic kidney diseases.

Comparison of reference doses (RfDs) developed for the protection of wildlife species in contrast to humans

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

Valoppi, L.; Carlisle, J.; Polisini, J.

1995-12-31

A component of both human health and ecological risk assessments is the evaluation of toxicity values. A comparison between the methodology for the development of Reference Doses (RfDs) to be protective of humans, and that developed for vertebrate wildlife species is presented. For all species, a chronic No Observable Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) is developed by applying uncertainty factors (UFs) to literature-based toxicity values. Uncertainty factors are used to compensate for the length of exposure, sensitivity of endpoints, and cross-species extrapolations between the test species and the species being assessed. Differences between human and wildlife species could include the toxicologicalmore » endpoint, the critical study, and the magnitude of the cross-species extrapolation factor. Case studies for select chemicals are presented which contrast RfDs developed for humans and those developed for avian and mammalian wildlife.« less

Applying Spatial Audio to Human Interfaces: 25 Years of NASA Experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Begault, Durand R.; Wenzel, Elizabeth M.; Godfrey, Martine; Miller, Joel D.; Anderson, Mark R.

2010-01-01

From the perspective of human factors engineering, the inclusion of spatial audio within a human-machine interface is advantageous from several perspectives. Demonstrated benefits include the ability to monitor multiple streams of speech and non-speech warning tones using a cocktail party advantage, and for aurally-guided visual search. Other potential benefits include the spatial coordination and interaction of multimodal events, and evaluation of new communication technologies and alerting systems using virtual simulation. Many of these technologies were developed at NASA Ames Research Center, beginning in 1985. This paper reviews examples and describes the advantages of spatial sound in NASA-related technologies, including space operations, aeronautics, and search and rescue. The work has involved hardware and software development as well as basic and applied research.

Human Resource Development, Social Capital, Emotional Intelligence: Any Link to Productivity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Kit; Nafukho, Fredrick Muyia

2006-01-01

Purpose: This article aims to offer a theoretical framework that attempts to show the integration among human resource development (HRD), social capital (SC), emotional intelligence (EI) and organizational productivity. Design/methodology/approach: The literature search included the following: a computerized search of accessible and available…

New Models and Metaphors for Human Resource Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

This document contains two reports from a poster session on new ideas and models in human resource development (HRD). The first presentation, "Two-way Customer-Service Provider Cycle" (Harriet V. Lawrence, Albert K. Wiswell), discusses a two-way supply cycle model that illustrates relational issues in customer service, including needs…

A Human Development Workshop on Cultural Identity for International Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro-Abad, Cecilia

To provide international students at New Jersey's Brookdale Community College with exercises on cultural awareness, a Human Development Workshop on Cultural Identity has been designed. The workshop includes exercises on language, cultural relationships, cultural identity, and styles of achieving. The program is designed to help students feel free…

Human Resource Development and Manpower Training. Paper Presentations: Session B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

This document contains 18 papers from the human resource development and manpower training section of an international conference on vocational education and training (VET) for lifelong learning in the information era. The following papers are included: "Use of Social and Economic Modeling to Plan Vocational Education and Training"…

Biofortification: How can we exploit plant science and biotechnology to reduce micronutrient deficiencies?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Throughout the developing world, the long-term consequences of insufficient amounts of essential micronutrients in the human diet can be more devastating than low energy intake. Micronutrients are involved in all aspects of development, growth, and physiology of the human body (including from early ...

36 CFR 73.9 - World Heritage criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town... significant stage(s) in human history; or (v) Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement or... history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of...

HRD Issues in Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

This document contains four papers from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) issues in Asia. "The Japanese Human Resource Development System" (Kiyoe Harada) provides a comprehensive model of the Japanese HRD system based on the current state of the art, including management practices and issues and trends in Japanese HRD.…

An analysis of dental development in Pleistocene Homo using skeletal growth and chronological age.

PubMed

Šešelj, Maja

2017-07-01

This study takes a new approach to interpreting dental development in Pleistocene Homo in comparison with recent modern humans. As rates of dental development and skeletal growth are correlated given age in modern humans, using age and skeletal growth in tandem yields more accurate dental development estimates. Here, I apply these models to fossil Homo to obtain more individualized predictions and interpretations of their dental development relative to recent modern humans. Proportional odds logistic regression models based on three recent modern human samples (N = 181) were used to predict permanent mandibular tooth development scores in five Pleistocene subadults: Homo erectus/ergaster, Neanderthals, and anatomically modern humans (AMHs). Explanatory variables include a skeletal growth indicator (i.e., diaphyseal femoral length), and chronological age. AMHs Lagar Velho 1 and Qafzeh 10 share delayed incisor development, but exhibit considerable idiosyncratic variation within and across tooth types, relative to each other and to the reference samples. Neanderthals Dederiyeh 1 and Le Moustier 1 exhibit delayed incisor coupled with advanced molar development, but differences are reduced when femoral diaphysis length is considered. Dental development in KNM-WT 15,000 Homo erectus/ergaster, while advanced for his age, almost exactly matches the predictions once femoral length is included in the models. This study provides a new interpretation of dental development in KNM-WT 15000 as primarily reflecting his faster rates of skeletal growth. While the two AMH specimens exhibit considerable individual variation, the Neanderthals exhibit delayed incisor development early and advanced molar development later in ontogeny. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microenvironmental Regulation of Mammary Carcinogenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

cells. These models share many of the hallmarks of multistage human breast cancer development including histological disease progression and immune cell... developed by Muller and colleagues20, represents a reasonable recapitulation of late-stage human breast cancer as determined by histological progression ...Annual Progress Report d. Develop a profile of proteolytic activities in normal and neoplastic mammary tissues from mouse models of mammary

Human Biology, High School Science Course Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Edward P.; Prickitt, Ralph

A course in human biology was developed to increase course options for students of all abilities and interest levels who successfully completed 1 year of high school science. Major topic areas of the course include: general plan of the human body; causes, cures, and prevention of diseases; human body chemistry; structure and function of cells,…

Space Station Human Factors Research Review. Volume 1: EVA Research and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Marc M. (Editor); Vykukal, H. C. (Editor)

1988-01-01

An overview is presented of extravehicular activity (EVA) research and development activities at Ames. The majority of the program was devoted to presentations by the three contractors working in parallel on the EVA System Phase A Study, focusing on Implications for Man-Systems Design. Overhead visuals are included for a mission results summary, space station EVA requirements and interface accommodations summary, human productivity study cross-task coordination, and advanced EVAS Phase A study implications for man-systems design. Articles are also included on subsea approach to work systems development and advanced EVA system design requirements.

The educator's point of view.

PubMed

Dengo De Vargas, M E

1993-03-01

Education is considered as an important means of promoting social change, and within this context how population issues can be integrated into development planning and educational practices is discussed. Education is expected to have an impact in future years, and is a necessary means of creating awareness of population-related problems; education for all is a human right. New approaches to population education must include teacher training and creation of awareness about population issues that respect cultural identity and free choice and do not influence customs and values that would run counter to the society. Educators have an ethical responsibility to address issues of population and human life; when seeking outside expertise, the nation should not be "carried away by the pressures of financial agencies which respond to foreign interests." For instance, the psychosocial dynamics and practice of sexual intercourse in Central America are different from those in North America or Europe. Sexual education must be based on sound scientific approaches, but must also include ethical values. Population education must use a holistic, intersectoral approach. Nations have human, natural, and economic resources, which must have a balanced influence. Human development involves being both the object and planner of development. Pope John Paul II noted that development must include the biological, the psychosocial, and the spiritual and reach all men. Human rights must be guaranteed. In addition to equality for women everyone has the right to dignity, education, employment, health, housing, and leisure. Quality of life is a part of human development, and is achieved through a balance between man, his environment, and resources, and liberty and peace. Educational strategies involve macro planning for placement and number of schools and teachers, and decentralizing educational services in order to reach rural areas. Formal and informal education is required. Adult education is also important in reducing illiteracy and educating about family planning. Education is a lifelong process to foster the improvement in the quality of human life and develop humanity cognitively, socioaffectively, and with psychomotor skills. Educational methods can foster a democratic experience.

BLT-humanized C57BL/6 Rag2-/-γc-/-CD47-/- mice are resistant to GVHD and develop B- and T-cell immunity to HIV infection.

PubMed

Lavender, Kerry J; Pang, Wendy W; Messer, Ronald J; Duley, Amanda K; Race, Brent; Phillips, Katie; Scott, Dana; Peterson, Karin E; Chan, Charles K; Dittmer, Ulf; Dudek, Timothy; Allen, Todd M; Weissman, Irving L; Hasenkrug, Kim J

2013-12-12

The use of C57BL/6 Rag2(-/-)γc(-/-) mice as recipients for xenotransplantation with human immune systems (humanization) has been problematic because C57BL/6 SIRPα does not recognize human CD47, and such recognition is required to suppress macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of transplanted human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We show that genetic inactivation of CD47 on the C57BL/6 Rag2(-/-)γc(-/-) background negates the requirement for CD47-signal recognition protein α (SIRPα) signaling and induces tolerance to transplanted human HSCs. These triple-knockout, bone marrow, liver, thymus (TKO-BLT) humanized mice develop organized lymphoid tissues including mesenteric lymph nodes, splenic follicles and gut-associated lymphoid tissue that demonstrate high levels of multilineage hematopoiesis. Importantly, these mice have an intact complement system and showed no signs of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) out to 29 weeks after transplantation. Sustained, high-level HIV-1 infection was observed via either intrarectal or intraperitoneal inoculation. TKO-BLT mice exhibited hallmarks of human HIV infection including CD4(+) T-cell depletion, immune activation, and development of HIV-specific B- and T-cell responses. The lack of GVHD makes the TKO-BLT mouse a significantly improved model for long-term studies of pathogenesis, immune responses, therapeutics, and vaccines to human pathogens.

Human Factors in Aeronautics at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mogford, Richard

2016-01-01

This is a briefing to a regularly meeting DoD group called the Human Systems Community of Interest: Mission Effectiveness. I was asked to address human factors in aeronautics at NASA. (Exploration (space) human factors has apparently already been covered.) The briefing describes human factors organizations at NASA Ames and Langley. It then summarizes some aeronautics tasks that involve the application of human factors in the development of specific tools and capabilities. The tasks covered include aircrew checklists, dispatch operations, Playbook, Dynamic Weather Routes, Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests, and Airplane State Awareness and Prediction Technologies. I mention that most of our aeronautics work involves human factors as embedded in development tasks rather than basic research.

Advances in Probes and Methods for Clinical EPR Oximetry

PubMed Central

Hou, Huagang; Khan, Nadeem; Jarvis, Lesley A.; Chen, Eunice Y.; Williams, Benjamin B.; Kuppusamy, Periannan

2015-01-01

EPR oximetry, which enables reliable, accurate, and repeated measurements of the partial pressure of oxygen in tissues, provides a unique opportunity to investigate the role of oxygen in the pathogenesis and treatment of several diseases including cancer, stroke, and heart failure. Building on significant advances in the in vivo application of EPR oximetry for small animal models of disease, we are developing suitable probes and instrumentation required for use in human subjects. Our laboratory has established the feasibility of clinical EPR oximetry in cancer patients using India ink, the only material presently approved for clinical use. We now are developing the next generation of probes, which are both superior in terms of oxygen sensitivity and biocompatibility including an excellent safety profile for use in humans. Further advances include the development of implantable oxygen sensors linked to an external coupling loop for measurements of deep-tissue oxygenations at any depth, overcoming the current limitation of 10 mm. This paper presents an overview of recent developments in our ability to make meaningful measurements of oxygen partial pressures in human subjects under clinical settings. PMID:24729217

Exploration Life Support Critical Questions for Future Human Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ewert, Michael K.; Barta, Daniel J.; McQuillan, Jeff

2009-01-01

Exploration Life Support (ELS) is a project under NASA s Exploration Technology Development Program. The ELS Project plans, coordinates and implements the development of advanced life support technologies for human exploration missions in space. Recent work has focused on closed loop atmosphere and water systems for a lunar outpost, including habitats and pressurized rovers. But, what are the critical questions facing life support system developers for these and other future human missions? This paper explores those questions and discusses how progress in the development of ELS technologies can help answer them. The ELS Project includes Atmosphere Revitalization Systems (ARS), Water Recovery Systems (WRS), Waste Management Systems (WMS), Habitation Engineering, Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis (SIMA), and Validation and Testing, which includes the sub-elements Flight Experiments and Integrated Testing. Systems engineering analysis by ELS seeks to optimize the overall mission architecture by considering all the internal and external interfaces of the life support system and the potential for reduction or reuse of commodities. In particular, various sources and sinks of water and oxygen are considered along with the implications on loop closure and the resulting launch mass requirements.

Simulation-Based Mission Rehearsal as a Human Activity System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-01

explain this demonstrated importance of the people involved in MR, a human activity system model of simulation-based rehearsal was developed. It provides...Implications of this human activity system view are discussed, including: places in the mission preparation process where simulation can benefit operations

Advances in the development of next-generation anthrax vaccines.

PubMed

Friedlander, Arthur M; Little, Stephen F

2009-11-05

Anthrax, a disease of herbivores, only rarely infects humans. However, the threat of using Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent, to intentionally produce disease has been the impetus for development of next-generation vaccines. Two licensed vaccines have been available for human use for several decades. These are composed of acellular culture supernatants containing the protective antigen (PA) component of the anthrax toxins. In this review we summarize the various approaches used to develop improved vaccines. These efforts have included the use of PA with newer adjuvants and delivery systems, including bacterial and viral vectors and DNA vaccines. Attempts to broaden the protection afforded by PA-based vaccines have focused on adding other B. anthracis components, including spore and capsule antigens.

HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long- duration exploratory missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horneck, G.

ESA has recently initiated a study of the human responses, limits and needs with regard to the stress environments of interplanetary and planetary missions. Emphasis was laid on human health and performance care as well as Advanced Life Support Developments including Bioregenerative Life Support Systems and environmental monitoring. The overall study goals were as follows: (i) to define reference scenarios for a European participation in human exploration and to estimate their influence on the Life Sciences and Life Support requirements; (ii) for selected mission scenarios, to critically assess the limiting factors for human health, wellbeing, and performance and to recommend relevant countermeasures; (iii) for selected mission scenarios, to critically assess the potential of Advanced Life Support Developments and to propose a European strategy including terrestrial applications; (iv) to critically assess the feasibility of existing facilities and technologies on ground and in space as testbeds in preparation for human exploratory missions and to develop a test plan for ground and ISS campaigns; (v) to develop a roadmap for a future European strategy towards human exploratory missions, including preparatory activities and terrestrial applications and benefits. A lunar base at the south pole where constant sunlight and potential water ice deposits could be assumed was selected as the moon scenario. the impact on human health, performance and well being has been investigated from the view point of the effects of microgravity (during space travel), reduced gravity (on the Moon) and abrupt gravity changes (during launch and landing), of the effects of cosmic radiation including solar particle events, of psychological issues as well as general health care. Countermeasures as well as necessary research using ground- based testbeds and/or the ISS have been defined. The need for highly intelligent autonomous diagnostic and therapy systems was considered as a driver also for terrestrial applications. Likewise advanced life support systems with a high degree of autonomy and regenerative capacity and synergy effects were considered where bioregenerative life support systems and biodiagnistic systems become essential especially for the long-term Mars scenario. A roadmap for a future European strategy leading to a potential European participation in a cooperative human exploratory mission, either to the Moon or to Mars, was produced. Ref. Horneck et al. HUMEX, study on the Survivability and Adaptation of Humans to Long-Duration Exploratory Missions, ESA SP (in press)

Vaccination via Chloroplast Genetics: Affordable Protein Drugs for the Prevention and Treatment of Inherited or Infectious Human Diseases

PubMed Central

Daniell, Henry; Chan, Hui-Ting; Pasoreck, Elise K.

2017-01-01

Plastid-made biopharmaceuticals treat major metabolic or genetic disorders, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, hypertension, hemophilia, and retinopathy. Booster vaccines made in chloroplasts prevent global infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, and polio, and biological threats, such as anthrax and plague. Recent advances in this field include commercial-scale production of human therapeutic proteins in FDA-approved cGMP facilities, development of tags to deliver protein drugs to targeted human cells or tissues, methods to deliver precise doses, and long-term stability of protein drugs at ambient temperature, maintaining their efficacy. Codon optimization utilizing valuable information from sequenced chloroplast genomes enhanced expression of eukaryotic human or viral genes in chloroplasts and offered unique insights into translation in chloroplasts. Support from major biopharmaceutical companies, development of hydroponic production systems, and evaluation by regulatory agencies, including the CDC, FDA, and USDA, augur well for advancing this novel concept to the clinic and revolutionizing affordable healthcare. PMID:27893966

Development of Methodologies, Metrics, and Tools for Investigating Human-Robot Interaction in Space Robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ezer, Neta; Zumbado, Jennifer Rochlis; Sandor, Aniko; Boyer, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Human-robot systems are expected to have a central role in future space exploration missions that extend beyond low-earth orbit [1]. As part of a directed research project funded by NASA s Human Research Program (HRP), researchers at the Johnson Space Center have started to use a variety of techniques, including literature reviews, case studies, knowledge capture, field studies, and experiments to understand critical human-robot interaction (HRI) variables for current and future systems. Activities accomplished to date include observations of the International Space Station s Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), Robonaut, and Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV), as well as interviews with robotics trainers, robot operators, and developers of gesture interfaces. A survey of methods and metrics used in HRI was completed to identify those most applicable to space robotics. These methods and metrics included techniques and tools associated with task performance, the quantification of human-robot interactions and communication, usability, human workload, and situation awareness. The need for more research in areas such as natural interfaces, compensations for loss of signal and poor video quality, psycho-physiological feedback, and common HRI testbeds were identified. The initial findings from these activities and planned future research are discussed. Human-robot systems are expected to have a central role in future space exploration missions that extend beyond low-earth orbit [1]. As part of a directed research project funded by NASA s Human Research Program (HRP), researchers at the Johnson Space Center have started to use a variety of techniques, including literature reviews, case studies, knowledge capture, field studies, and experiments to understand critical human-robot interaction (HRI) variables for current and future systems. Activities accomplished to date include observations of the International Space Station s Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), Robonaut, and Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV), as well as interviews with robotics trainers, robot operators, and developers of gesture interfaces. A survey of methods and metrics used in HRI was completed to identify those most applicable to space robotics. These methods and metrics included techniques and tools associated with task performance, the quantification of human-robot interactions and communication, usability, human workload, and situation awareness. The need for more research in areas such as natural interfaces, compensations for loss of signal and poor video quality, psycho-physiological feedback, and common HRI testbeds were identified. The initial findings from these activities and planned future research are discussed.

You and Me and Human Sexuality: A Student Booklet Written for Deaf Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas School for the Deaf, Austin.

This student booklet, designed to teach deaf adolescents about human sexuality, is written for students with a second- to fourth-grade reading level. Topics include: (1) relationships; (2) adolescent growth and development; (3) female and male anatomy; (4) conception, fetal development, and birth; (5) contraception; and (6) sexual intercourse and…

Evaluating Potential Human Health Risks Associated with the Development of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Facilities on Contaminated Sites

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

Cheng, J. -J.; Chang, Y. -S.; Hartmann, H.

2013-09-01

This report presents a general methodology for obtaining preliminary estimates of the potential human health risks associated with developing a utility-scale solar energy facility on a contaminated site, based on potential exposures to contaminants in soils (including transport of those contaminants into the air).

Recognizing and Accommodating Employees with PTSD: The Intersection of Human Resource Development, Rehabilitation, and Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Claretha; Lusk, Stephanie L.; Strause, Stephanie

2016-01-01

All employees within the workplace must be treated fairly and equitably including those with disabilities who may require accommodations that serve to increase access to and maintenance of competitive employment. Human Resource Development (HRD) researchers and practitioners have experience in accommodating employees with disabilities but are now…

Enhancing Leadership and Governance Competencies to Strengthen Health Systems in Nigeria: Assessment of Organizational Human Resources Development

PubMed Central

Uneke, Chigozie J.; Ezeoha, Abel E.; Ndukwe, Chinwendu D.; Oyibo, Patrick G.; Onwe, Fri Day

2012-01-01

The lack of effective leadership and governance in the health sector has remained a major challenge in Nigeria and contributes to the failure of health systems and poor development of human resources. In this cross-sectional intervention study, leadership and governance competencies of policy makers were enhanced through a training workshop, and an assessment was conducted of organizational activities designed to promote evidence-informed leadership and governance to improve human resources for health (HRH). The training workshop increased the understanding of policy makers with regard to leadership and governance factors that ensure the functionality of health systems and improve human resources development, including policy guidance, intelligence and oversight, collaboration and coalition building, regulation, system design and accountability. Findings indicated that systems for human resources development exist in all participants' organizations, but the functionality of these systems was suboptimal. More systematic and standardized processes are required to improve competencies of leadership and governance for better human resources development in low-income settings. PMID:23372582

The role of tumor microenvironment in development and progression of malignant melanomas - a systematic review.

PubMed

Gurzu, Simona; Beleaua, Marius Alexandru; Jung, Ioan

2018-01-01

To reveal the particular aspects of the tumor microenvironment of malignant melanomas, a systematic review including 34 representative papers was performed. The review took into account the aspects related the Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) versus mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) of keratinocytes, fibroblasts and melanoma cells, as possible tools for understanding genesis and evolution of malignant melanoma. The possible reversible features of EMT and the role of tumor microenvironment in the metastatic process were also analyzed. A particular issue was related on the cancer stem cells that include melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) and multipotent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). As the McSCs embryological development in mouse is not similar to human development, the role of stem cells in genesis and development of human melanoma should be proved in human melanoma cells only. For further development of targeted therapy, a better understanding of melanomagenesis pathways and its microenvironment particularities is necessary.

Human transgenerational responses to early-life experience: potential impact on development, health and biomedical research

PubMed Central

Pembrey, Marcus; Saffery, Richard; Bygren, Lars Olov

2014-01-01

Mammalian experiments provide clear evidence of male line transgenerational effects on health and development from paternal or ancestral early-life exposures such as diet or stress. The few human observational studies to date suggest (male line) transgenerational effects exist that cannot easily be attributed to cultural and/or genetic inheritance. Here we summarise relevant studies, drawing attention to exposure sensitive periods in early life and sex differences in transmission and offspring outcomes. Thus, variation, or changes, in the parental/ancestral environment may influence phenotypic variation for better or worse in the next generation(s), and so contribute to common, non-communicable disease risk including sex differences. We argue that life-course epidemiology should be reframed to include exposures from previous generations, keeping an open mind as to the mechanisms that transmit this information to offspring. Finally, we discuss animal experiments, including the role of epigenetic inheritance and non-coding RNAs, in terms of what lessons can be learnt for designing and interpreting human studies. This review was developed initially as a position paper by the multidisciplinary Network in Epigenetic Epidemiology to encourage transgenerational research in human cohorts. PMID:25062846

Advanced research to qualify man for long term weightlessness.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. L.

1972-01-01

NASA is in the process of conducting a broad program of research and development of technology to qualify, support, and permit the successful use of man in long-term space flight. The technological tasks include human engineering, extravehicular engineering, life support, and human research to assess the effect of space stresses on human physiology and psychology. Various testing techniques that are being used may have future relevance to world health. These include a biocybernetic approach to the study of cardiovascular stresses, measurement of blood flow by means of the Doppler effect, and a device for simulating radiation dosages similar to those produced in solar flares. The planned program includes a study of both humans and animals.

Development of an Antimicrobial Stewardship-based Infectious Diseases Elective that Incorporates Human Patient Simulation Technology

PubMed Central

Meyer, Susan M.

2014-01-01

Objective. To design an elective for pharmacy students that facilitates antimicrobial stewardship awareness, knowledge, and skill development by solving clinical cases, using human patient simulation technology. Design. The elective was designed for PharmD students to describe principles and functions of stewardship programs, select, evaluate, refine, or redesign patient-specific plans for infectious diseases in the context of antimicrobial stewardship, and propose criteria and stewardship management strategies for an antimicrobial class at a health care institution. Teaching methods included active learning and lectures. Cases of bacterial endocarditis and cryptococcal meningitis were developed that incorporated human patient simulation technology. Assessment. Forty-five pharmacy students completed an antimicrobial stewardship elective between 2010 and 2013. Outcomes were assessed using student perceptions of and performance on rubric-graded assignments. Conclusion. A PharmD elective using active learning, including novel cases conducted with human patient simulation technology, enabled outcomes consistent with those desired of pharmacists assisting in antimicrobial stewardship programs. PMID:25386016

Monoamine oxidase: Radiotracer chemistry and human studies

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

Fowler, Joanna S.; Logan, Jean; Shumay, Elena

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) oxidizes amines from both endogenous and exogenous sources thereby regulating the concentration of neurotransmitter amines such as serot onin, norepinephrine and dopamine as well as many xenobiotics. MAO inhibitor drugs are used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and in depression stimulating the development of radiotracer tools to probe the role of MAO in normal human biology and in disease. Over the past 30 since the first radiotracers were developed and the first PET images of MAO in humans were carried out, PET studies of brain MAO in healthy volunteers and in patients have identified different variablesmore » which have contributed to different MAO levels in brain and in peripheral organs. MAO radiotracers and PET have also been used to study the current and developing MAO inhibitor drugs including the selection of doses for clinical trials. In this article, we describe (1) the development of MAO radiotracers; (2) human studies including the relationship of brain MAO levels to genotype, personality, neurological and psychiatric disorders; (3) examples of the use of MAO radiotracers in drug research and development. We will conclude with outstanding needs to improve the radiotracers which are currently used and possible new applications.« less

Monoamine oxidase: Radiotracer chemistry and human studies

DOE PAGES

Fowler, Joanna S.; Logan, Jean; Shumay, Elena; ...

2015-03-01

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) oxidizes amines from both endogenous and exogenous sources thereby regulating the concentration of neurotransmitter amines such as serot onin, norepinephrine and dopamine as well as many xenobiotics. MAO inhibitor drugs are used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and in depression stimulating the development of radiotracer tools to probe the role of MAO in normal human biology and in disease. Over the past 30 since the first radiotracers were developed and the first PET images of MAO in humans were carried out, PET studies of brain MAO in healthy volunteers and in patients have identified different variablesmore » which have contributed to different MAO levels in brain and in peripheral organs. MAO radiotracers and PET have also been used to study the current and developing MAO inhibitor drugs including the selection of doses for clinical trials. In this article, we describe (1) the development of MAO radiotracers; (2) human studies including the relationship of brain MAO levels to genotype, personality, neurological and psychiatric disorders; (3) examples of the use of MAO radiotracers in drug research and development. We will conclude with outstanding needs to improve the radiotracers which are currently used and possible new applications.« less

NASA Space Flight Human System Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tillman, Barry; Pickett, Lynn; Russo, Dane; Stroud, Ken; Connolly, Jan; Foley, Tico

2007-01-01

NASA has begun a new approach to human factors design standards. For years NASA-STD-3000, Manned Systems Integration Standards, has been a source of human factors design guidance for space systems. In order to better meet the needs of the system developers, NASA is revising its human factors standards system. NASA-STD-3000 will be replaced by two documents: set of broad human systems specifications (including both human factors and medical topics) and a human factors design handbook

Community resources and technologies developed through the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program.

PubMed

Satterlee, John S; Beckel-Mitchener, Andrea; McAllister, Kim; Procaccini, Dena C; Rutter, Joni L; Tyson, Frederick L; Chadwick, Lisa Helbling

2015-01-01

This chapter describes resources and technologies generated by the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program that may be useful to epigenomics researchers investigating a variety of diseases including cancer. Highlights include reference epigenome maps for a wide variety of human cells and tissues, the development of new technologies for epigenetic assays and imaging, the identification of novel epigenetic modifications, and an improved understanding of the role of epigenetic processes in a diversity of human diseases. We also discuss future needs in this area including exploration of epigenomic variation between individuals, single-cell epigenomics, environmental epigenomics, exploration of the use of surrogate tissues, and improved technologies for epigenome manipulation.

Human-Rating Implementation for Commercial Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; Kubicek, Kate; Berdich, Debbie

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the appropriate NASA standards and Health and Medical Technical Authority (HMTA) standards for human rated spacecraft developed by commercial vendors. Included are the HMTA requirements for the Constellation Program (CxP)

Reducing the Risk of Human Missions to Mars Through Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Bret G.

2007-07-01

The NASA Deputy Administrator charted an internal NASA planning group to develop the rationale for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. This team, termed the Exploration Blueprint, performed architecture analyses to develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps beyond Low-Earth Orbit through the human exploration of Mars. Following the results of the Exploration Blueprint study, the NASA Administrator asked for a recommendation on the next steps in human and robotic exploration. Much of the focus during this period was on integrating the results from the previous studies into more concrete implementation strategies in order to understand the relationship between NASA programs, timing, and resulting budgetary implications. This resulted in an integrated approach including lunar surface operations to retire risk of human Mars missions, maximum use of common and modular systems including what was termed the exploration transfer vehicle, Earth orbit and lunar surface demonstrations of long-life systems, collaboration of human and robotic missions to vastly increase mission return, and high-efficiency transportation systems (nuclear) for deep-space transportation and power. The data provided in this summary presentation was developed to begin to address one of the key elements of the emerging implementation strategy, namely how lunar missions help retire risk of human missions to Mars. During this process the scope of the activity broadened into the issue of how testing in general, in various venues including the moon, can help reduce the risk for Mars missions.

Human influence on California fire regimes.

PubMed

Syphard, Alexandra D; Radeloff, Volker C; Keeley, Jon E; Hawbaker, Todd J; Clayton, Murray K; Stewart, Susan I; Hammer, Roger B

2007-07-01

Periodic wildfire maintains the integrity and species composition of many ecosystems, including the mediterranean-climate shrublands of California. However, human activities alter natural fire regimes, which can lead to cascading ecological effects. Increased human ignitions at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) have recently gained attention, but fire activity and risk are typically estimated using only biophysical variables. Our goal was to determine how humans influence fire in California and to examine whether this influence was linear, by relating contemporary (2000) and historic (1960-2000) fire data to both human and biophysical variables. Data for the human variables included fine-resolution maps of the WUI produced using housing density and land cover data. Interface WUI, where development abuts wildland vegetation, was differentiated from intermix WUI, where development intermingles with wildland vegetation. Additional explanatory variables included distance to WUI, population density, road density, vegetation type, and ecoregion. All data were summarized at the county level and analyzed using bivariate and multiple regression methods. We found highly significant relationships between humans and fire on the contemporary landscape, and our models explained fire frequency (R2 = 0.72) better than area burned (R2 = 0.50). Population density, intermix WUI, and distance to WUI explained the most variability in fire frequency, suggesting that the spatial pattern of development may be an important variable to consider when estimating fire risk. We found nonlinear effects such that fire frequency and area burned were highest at intermediate levels of human activity, but declined beyond certain thresholds. Human activities also explained change in fire frequency and area burned (1960-2000), but our models had greater explanatory power during the years 1960-1980, when there was more dramatic change in fire frequency. Understanding wildfire as a function of the spatial arrangement of ignitions and fuels on the landscape, in addition to nonlinear relationships, will be important to fire managers and conservation planners because fire risk may be related to specific levels of housing density that can be accounted for in land use planning. With more fires occurring in close proximity to human infrastructure, there may also be devastating ecological impacts if development continues to grow farther into wildland vegetation.

Human influence on California fire regimes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Syphard, A.D.; Radeloff, V.C.; Keeley, J.E.; Hawbaker, T.J.; Clayton, M.K.; Stewart, S.I.; Hammer, R.B.

2007-01-01

Periodic wildfire maintains the integrity and species composition of many ecosystems, including the mediterranean-climate shrublands of California. However, human activities alter natural fire regimes, which can lead to cascading ecological effects. Increased human ignitions at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) have recently gained attention, but fire activity and risk are typically estimated using only biophysical variables. Our goal was to determine how humans influence fire in California and to examine whether this influence was linear, by relating contemporary (2000) and historic (1960-2000) fire data to both human and biophysical variables. Data for the human variables included fine-resolution maps of the WUI produced using housing density and land cover data. Interface WUI, where development abuts wildland vegetation, was differentiated from intermix WUI, where development intermingles with wildland vegetation. Additional explanatory variables included distance to WUI, population density, road density, vegetation type, and ecoregion. All data were summarized at the county level and analyzed using bivariate and multiple regression methods. We found highly significant relationships between humans and fire on the contemporary landscape, and our models explained fire frequency (R2 = 0.72) better than area burned (R2 = 0.50). Population density, intermix WUI, and distance to WUI explained the most variability in fire frequency, suggesting that the spatial pattern of development may be an important variable to consider when estimating fire risk. We found nonlinear effects such that fire frequency and area burned were highest at intermediate levels of human activity, but declined beyond certain thresholds. Human activities also explained change in fire frequency and area burned (1960-2000), but our models had greater explanatory power during the years 1960-1980, when there was more dramatic change in fire frequency. Understanding wildfire as a function of the spatial arrangement of ignitions and fuels on the landscape, in addition to nonlinear relationships, will be important to fire managers and conservation planners because fire risk may be related to specific levels of housing density that can be accounted for in land use planning. With more fires occurring in close proximity to human infrastructure, there may also be devastating ecological impacts if development continues to grow farther into wildland vegetation. ?? 2007 by the Ecological Society of America.

Towards a Biosocial Perspective: Suggestions from a Biologist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flacks, Miriam

Written by a biologist, this paper is intended to present information on the sociological study of man from a biological perspective. Perspectives include that (1) sociology neglects biological variables that are part of understanding human behavior and human societies; (2) the sociobiological or evolutionary view of human development is…

Modeling human-environmental systems

Treesearch

Morgan Grove; Charlie Schweik; Tom Evans; Glen Green

2002-01-01

This chapter focuses on the integration and development of environmental models that include human decision making. While many methodological and technical issues are common to all types of environmental models, our goal is to highlight the unique characteristics that need to be considered when modeling human-environmental dynamics and to identify future directions for...

Teaching through Trade Books: Humans and the Earth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royce, Christine Anne

2016-01-01

This column includes activities inspired by children's literature. Elementary students are beginning to understand the Earth's natural processes and humans' impact on the Earth. Humans need the natural resources that the Earth produces, use these resources to develop civilizations, and make decisions to offset the damage they cause, as well as…

MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE, MA: GENE EXPRESSION IN NORMAL HUMAN KERATINOCYTES MODULATED BY TRIVALENT ARSENICALS

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic exposure has been correlated with the development of several human cancers including those found in the skin, lung, liver, kidney and urinary bladder. Humans are generally exposed to inorganic forms of arsenic, which may be inhaled or ingested. Arsenic forms mono- and d...

MEETING AT SAN DIEGO, CA: GENE EXPRESSION IN NORMAL HUMAN KERATINOCYTES MODULATED BY TRIVALENT ARSENICALS

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic exposure has been correlated with the development of several human cancers including those found in the skin, lung, liver, kidney and urinary bladder. Humans are generally exposed to inorganic forms of arsenic, which may be inhaled or ingested. Arsenic forms mono- and di-...

Human pluripotent stem cell models of Fragile X syndrome.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Anita; Zhao, Xinyu

2016-06-01

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism. The causal mutation in FXS is a trinucleotide CGG repeat expansion in the FMR1 gene that leads to human specific epigenetic silencing and loss of Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) expression. Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and particularly induced PSCs (iPSCs), offer a model system to reveal cellular and molecular events underlying human neuronal development and function in FXS. Human FXS PSCs have been established and have provided insight into the epigenetic silencing of the FMR1 gene as well as aspects of neuronal development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploration Blueprint: Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G. (Editor)

2007-01-01

The material contained in this report was compiled to capture the work performed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Exploration study team in the late 2002 timeframe. The "Exploration Blueprint Data Book" documents the analyses and findings of the 90-day Agency-wide study conducted from September - November 2002. During the summer of 2002, the NASA Deputy Administrator requested that a study be performed with the following objectives: (1) Develop the rationale for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit (2) Develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps through humans to Mars (3) Develop design reference missions as a basis for the roadmaps 4) Make recommendations on what can be done now to effect this future This planning team, termed the Exploration Blueprint, performed architecture analyses to develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps beyond LEO through the human exploration of Mars. The previous NASA Exploration Team activities laid the foundation and framework for development of NASA's Integrated Space Plan. The reference missions resulting from the analysis performed by the Exploration Blueprint team formed the basis for requirement definition, systems development, technology roadmapping, and risk assessments for future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Emphasis was placed on developing recommendations on what could be done now to effect future exploration activities. The Exploration Blueprint team embraced the "Stepping Stone" approach to exploration where human and robotic activities are conducted through progressive expansion outward beyond low-Earth orbit. Results from this study produced a long-term strategy for exploration with near-term implementation plans, program recommendations, and technology investments. Specific results included the development of a common exploration crew vehicle concept, a unified space nuclear strategy, focused bioastronautics research objectives, and an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy. Recommendations from the Exploration Blueprint included the endorsement of the Nuclear Systems Initiative, augmentation of the bioastronautics research, a focused space transportation program including heavy-lift launch and a common exploration vehicle design for ISS and exploration missions, as well as an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy for Mars.

Exploration Blueprint: Data Book

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Bret G.

2007-02-01

The material contained in this report was compiled to capture the work performed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Exploration study team in the late 2002 timeframe. The "Exploration Blueprint Data Book" documents the analyses and findings of the 90-day Agency-wide study conducted from September - November 2002. During the summer of 2002, the NASA Deputy Administrator requested that a study be performed with the following objectives: (1) Develop the rationale for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit (2) Develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps through humans to Mars (3) Develop design reference missions as a basis for the roadmaps 4) Make recommendations on what can be done now to effect this future This planning team, termed the Exploration Blueprint, performed architecture analyses to develop roadmaps for how to accomplish the first steps beyond LEO through the human exploration of Mars. The previous NASA Exploration Team activities laid the foundation and framework for development of NASA's Integrated Space Plan. The reference missions resulting from the analysis performed by the Exploration Blueprint team formed the basis for requirement definition, systems development, technology roadmapping, and risk assessments for future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Emphasis was placed on developing recommendations on what could be done now to effect future exploration activities. The Exploration Blueprint team embraced the "Stepping Stone" approach to exploration where human and robotic activities are conducted through progressive expansion outward beyond low-Earth orbit. Results from this study produced a long-term strategy for exploration with near-term implementation plans, program recommendations, and technology investments. Specific results included the development of a common exploration crew vehicle concept, a unified space nuclear strategy, focused bioastronautics research objectives, and an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy. Recommendations from the Exploration Blueprint included the endorsement of the Nuclear Systems Initiative, augmentation of the bioastronautics research, a focused space transportation program including heavy-lift launch and a common exploration vehicle design for ISS and exploration missions, as well as an integrated human and robotic exploration strategy for Mars.

Next Generation Life Support (NGLS): High Performance EVA Glove (HPEG) Technology Development Element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Sarah; Barta, Daniel; Stephan, Ryan; Gaddis, Stephen

2015-01-01

The overall objective is to develop advanced gloves for extra vehicular activity (EVA) for future human space exploration missions and generate corresponding standards by which progress may be quantitatively assessed. The glove prototypes that result from the successful completion of this technology development activity will be delivered to NASA's Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and ultimately to be included in an integrated test with the next generation spacesuit currently under development.

Modelling IRF8 Deficient Human Hematopoiesis and Dendritic Cell Development with Engineered iPS Cells.

PubMed

Sontag, Stephanie; Förster, Malrun; Qin, Jie; Wanek, Paul; Mitzka, Saskia; Schüler, Herdit M; Koschmieder, Steffen; Rose-John, Stefan; Seré, Kristin; Zenke, Martin

2017-04-01

Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers, including hematopoietic stem cells and their progeny. Interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) is a transcription factor, which acts in hematopoiesis as lineage determining factor for myeloid cells, including dendritic cells (DC). Autosomal recessive or dominant IRF8 mutations occurring in patients cause severe monocytic and DC immunodeficiency. To study IRF8 in human hematopoiesis we generated human IRF8-/- iPS cells and IRF8-/- embryonic stem (ES) cells using RNA guided CRISPR/Cas9n genome editing. Upon induction of hematopoietic differentiation, we demonstrate that IRF8 is dispensable for iPS cell and ES cell differentiation into hemogenic endothelium and for endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition, and thus development of hematopoietic progenitors. We differentiated iPS cell and ES cell derived progenitors into CD141+ cross-presenting cDC1 and CD1c+ classical cDC2 and CD303+ plasmacytoid DC (pDC). We found that IRF8 deficiency compromised cDC1 and pDC development, while cDC2 development was largely unaffected. Additionally, in an unrestricted differentiation regimen, IRF8-/- iPS cells and ES cells exhibited a clear bias toward granulocytes at the expense of monocytes. IRF8-/- DC showed reduced MHC class II expression and were impaired in cytokine responses, migration, and antigen presentation. Taken together, we engineered a human IRF8 knockout model that allows studying molecular mechanisms of human immunodeficiencies in vitro, including the pathophysiology of IRF8 deficient DC. Stem Cells 2017;35:898-908. © 2017 The Authors Stem Cells published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.

Neurobiological Adaptations to Violence across Development

PubMed Central

Mead, Hilary K.; Beauchaine, Theodore P.; Shannon, Katherine E.

2009-01-01

Adaptation to violent environments across development involves a multitude of cascading effects spanning many levels of analysis from genes to behavior. In this review, we (a) examine the potentiating effects of violence on genetic vulnerabilities and the functioning of neurotransmitter systems in producing both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, (b) consider the impact of violence on the developing human stress and startle responses, and (c) brain development including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This review integrates literature on the developmental effects of violence on rodents, non-human primates, and humans. Many neurobiological changes that are adaptive for survival in violent contexts become maladaptive in other environments, conferring life-long risk for psychopathology. PMID:20102643

Human factors in software development

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

Curtis, B.

1986-01-01

This book presents an overview of ergonomics/human factors in software development, recent research, and classic papers. Articles are drawn from the following areas of psychological research on programming: cognitive ergonomics, cognitive psychology, and psycholinguistics. Topics examined include: theoretical models of how programmers solve technical problems, the characteristics of programming languages, specification formats in behavioral research and psychological aspects of fault diagnosis.

Human Resource Development: Technical Education's Challenge. Proceedings of the Annual National Clinic on Technical Education (12th, Spokane, Washington, March 26-28, 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Community Coll. District 17, Spokane.

Speeches and discussions are transcribed in this report, which also includes a listing of the American Technical Education Association (ATEA) committee members, exhibitors, officers, and directory of speakers. Speeches covered "Human Resource Development" by Gene Rutledge; "The Impact of Technical Education on Economic…

The Development of Strategic Thinking: Learning to Impact Human Systems in a Youth Activism Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Reed; Hansen, David

2005-01-01

Human systems, including institutional systems and informal social networks, are a major arena of modern life. We argue that distinct forms of pragmatic reasoning or "strategic thinking" are required to exercise agency within such systems. This article explores the development of strategic thinking in a youth activism program in which young people…

Web Accessibility and Usability of the Homepages from Academy of Human Resource Development Members' Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeng, Xiaoming; Sligar, Steven R.

2008-01-01

Human resource development programs in various institutions communicate with their constituencies including persons with disabilities through websites. Web sites need to be accessible for legal, economic and ethical reasons. We used an automated web usability evaluation tool, aDesigner, to evaluate 205 home pages from the organizations of AHRD…

Building Blocks of Contemporary HRD Research: A Citation Analysis on Human Resource Development Quarterly between 2007 and 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehdiabadi, Amir Hedayati; Seo, Gaeun; Huang, Wenhao David; Han, Seung-hyun Caleb

2017-01-01

Human resource development is known to encapsulate a collection of social science disciplines including communications, psychology, and economics. Since these and other similar areas are the cornerstones of HRD, the changing nature of HRD demands constant reflections on the value and building blocks of contemporary HRD inquiries. This article…

HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long-duration exploratory missions, part I: lunar missions.

PubMed

Horneck, G; Facius, R; Reichert, M; Rettberg, P; Seboldt, W; Manzey, D; Comet, B; Maillet, A; Preiss, H; Schauer, L; Dussap, C G; Poughon, L; Belyavin, A; Reitz, G; Baumstark-Khan, C; Gerzer, R

2003-01-01

The European Space Agency has recently initiated a study of the human responses, limits and needs with regard to the stress environments of interplanetary and planetary missions. Emphasis has been laid on human health and performance care as well as advanced life support developments including bioregenerative life support systems and environmental monitoring. The overall study goals were as follows: (i) to define reference scenarios for a European participation in human exploration and to estimate their influence on the life sciences and life support requirements; (ii) for selected mission scenarios, to critically assess the limiting factors for human health, wellbeing, and performance and to recommend relevant countermeasures; (iii) for selected mission scenarios, to critically assess the potential of advanced life support developments and to propose a European strategy including terrestrial applications; (iv) to critically assess the feasibility of existing facilities and technologies on ground and in space as testbeds in preparation for human exploratory missions and to develop a test plan for ground and space campaigns; (v) to develop a roadmap for a future European strategy towards human exploratory missions, including preparatory activities and terrestrial applications and benefits. This paper covers the part of the HUMEX study dealing with lunar missions. A lunar base at the south pole where long-time sunlight and potential water ice deposits could be assumed was selected as the Moon reference scenario. The impact on human health, performance and well being has been investigated from the view point of the effects of microgravity (during space travel), reduced gravity (on the Moon) and abrupt gravity changes (during launch and landing), of the effects of cosmic radiation including solar particle events, of psychological issues as well as general health care. Countermeasures as well as necessary research using ground-based test beds and/or the International Space Station have been defined. Likewise advanced life support systems with a high degree of autonomy and regenerative capacity and synergy effects were considered where bioregenerative life support systems and biodiagnostic systems become essential. Finally, a European strategy leading to a potential European participation in future human exploratory missions has been recommended. c2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long-duration exploratory missions, part I: lunar missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horneck, G.; Facius, R.; Reichert, M.; Rettberg, P.; Seboldt, W.; Manzey, D.; Comet, B.; Maillet, A.; Preiss, H.; Schauer, L.;

Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutter, Mary Ann G.; Drexler, Edward; McCullough, Laurence B.; McInerney, Joseph D.; Murray, Jeffrey C.; Rossiter, Belinda; Zola, John

The human genome project started in 1989 with the collaboration of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This document aims to develop an understanding among students of the human genome project and relevant issues. Topics include the science and technology of the human genome project, and the ethical and…

Human-animal chimeras for vaccine development: an endangered species or opportunity for the developing world?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In recent years, the field of vaccines for diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which take a heavy toll in developing countries has faced major failures. This has led to a call for more basic science research, and development as well as evaluation of new vaccine candidates. Human-animal chimeras, developed with a 'humanized' immune system could be useful to study infectious diseases, including many neglected diseases. These would also serve as an important tool for the efficient testing of new vaccine candidates to streamline promising candidates for further trials in humans. However, developing human-animal chimeras has proved to be controversial. Discussion Development of human-animal chimeras for vaccine development has been slowed down because of opposition by some philosophers, ethicists and policy makers in the west-they question the moral status of such animals, and also express discomfort about transgression of species barriers. Such opposition often uses a contemporary western world view as a reference point. Human-animal chimeras are often being created for diseases which cause significantly higher morbidity and mortality in the developing world as compared to the developed world. We argue in our commentary that given this high disease burden, we should look at socio-cultural perspectives on human-animal chimera like beings in the developing world. On examination, it's clear that such beings have been part of mythology and cultural descriptions in many countries in the developing world. Summary To ensure that important research on diseases afflicting millions like malaria, HIV, Hepatitis-C and dengue continues to progress, we recommend supporting human-animal chimera research for vaccine development in developing countries (especially China and India which have growing technical expertise in the area). The negative perceptions in some parts of the west about human-animal chimeras can be used as an opportunity for nurturing important vaccine development research in the developing world. PMID:20482820

Non-animal methodologies within biomedical research and toxicity testing.

PubMed

Knight, Andrew

2008-01-01

Laboratory animal models are limited by scientific constraints on human applicability, and increasing regulatory restrictions, driven by social concerns. Reliance on laboratory animals also incurs marked - and in some cases, prohibitive - logistical challenges, within high-throughput chemical testing programmes, such as those currently underway within Europe and the US. However, a range of non-animal methodologies is available within biomedical research and toxicity testing. These include: mechanisms to enhance the sharing and assessment of existing data prior to conducting further studies, and physicochemical evaluation and computerised modelling, including the use of structure-activity relationships and expert systems. Minimally-sentient animals from lower phylogenetic orders or early developmental vertebral stages may be used, as well as microorganisms and higher plants. A variety of tissue cultures, including immortalised cell lines, embryonic and adult stem cells, and organotypic cultures, are also available. In vitro assays utilising bacterial, yeast, protozoal, mammalian or human cell cultures exist for a wide range of toxic and other endpoints. These may be static or perfused, and may be used individually, or combined within test batteries. Human hepatocyte cultures and metabolic activation systems offer potential assessment of metabolite activity and organ-organ interaction. Microarray technology may allow genetic expression profiling, increasing the speed of toxin detection, well prior to more invasive endpoints. Enhanced human clinical trials utilising micro- dosing, staggered dosing, and more representative study populations and durations, as well as surrogate human tissues, advanced imaging modalities and human epidemiological, sociological and psycho- logical studies, may increase our understanding of illness aetiology and pathogenesis, and facilitate the development of safe and effective pharmacologic interventions. Particularly when human tissues are used, non-animal models may generate faster, cheaper results, more reliably predictive for humans, whilst yielding greater insights into human biochemical processes. Greater commitment to their development and implementation is necessary, however, to efficiently meet the needs of high-throughput chemical testing programmes, important emerging testing needs, and the ongoing development of human clinical interventions.

Cognition in Space Workshop. 1; Metrics and Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woolford, Barbara; Fielder, Edna

2005-01-01

"Cognition in Space Workshop I: Metrics and Models" was the first in a series of workshops sponsored by NASA to develop an integrated research and development plan supporting human cognition in space exploration. The workshop was held in Chandler, Arizona, October 25-27, 2004. The participants represented academia, government agencies, and medical centers. This workshop addressed the following goal of the NASA Human System Integration Program for Exploration: to develop a program to manage risks due to human performance and human error, specifically ones tied to cognition. Risks range from catastrophic error to degradation of efficiency and failure to accomplish mission goals. Cognition itself includes memory, decision making, initiation of motor responses, sensation, and perception. Four subgoals were also defined at the workshop as follows: (1) NASA needs to develop a human-centered design process that incorporates standards for human cognition, human performance, and assessment of human interfaces; (2) NASA needs to identify and assess factors that increase risks associated with cognition; (3) NASA needs to predict risks associated with cognition; and (4) NASA needs to mitigate risk, both prior to actual missions and in real time. This report develops the material relating to these four subgoals.

Development of Translational Methods in Spectral Analysis of Human Infant Crying and Rat Pup Ultrasonic Vocalizations for Early Neurobehavioral Assessment

PubMed Central

Zeskind, Philip Sanford; McMurray, Matthew S.; Garber, Kristin A.; Neuspiel, Juliana M.; Cox, Elizabeth T.; Grewen, Karen M.; Mayes, Linda C.; Johns, Josephine M.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of translational methods by which spectrum analysis of human infant crying and rat pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) can be used to assess potentially adverse effects of various prenatal conditions on early neurobehavioral development. The study of human infant crying has resulted in a rich set of measures that has long been used to assess early neurobehavioral insult due to non-optimal prenatal environments, even among seemingly healthy newborn and young infants. In another domain of study, the analysis of rat put USVs has been conducted via paradigms that allow for better experimental control over correlated prenatal conditions that may confound findings and conclusions regarding the effects of specific prenatal experiences. The development of translational methods by which cry vocalizations of both species can be analyzed may provide the opportunity for findings from the two approaches of inquiry to inform one another through their respective strengths. To this end, we present an enhanced taxonomy of a novel set of common measures of cry vocalizations of both human infants and rat pups based on a conceptual framework that emphasizes infant crying as a graded and dynamic acoustic signal. This set includes latency to vocalization onset, duration and repetition rate of expiratory components, duration of inter-vocalization-intervals and spectral features of the sound, including the frequency and amplitude of the fundamental and dominant frequencies. We also present a new set of classifications of rat pup USV waveforms that include qualitative shifts in fundamental frequency, similar to the presence of qualitative shifts in fundamental frequency that have previously been related to insults to neurobehavioral integrity in human infants. Challenges to the development of translational analyses, including the use of different terminologies, methods of recording, and spectral analyses are discussed, as well as descriptions of automated processes, software solutions, and pitfalls. PMID:22028695

Human Integration Design Processes (HIDP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyer, Jennifer

2014-01-01

The purpose of the Human Integration Design Processes (HIDP) document is to provide human-systems integration design processes, including methodologies and best practices that NASA has used to meet human systems and human rating requirements for developing crewed spacecraft. HIDP content is framed around human-centered design methodologies and processes in support of human-system integration requirements and human rating. NASA-STD-3001, Space Flight Human-System Standard, is a two-volume set of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Agency-level standards established by the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer, directed at minimizing health and performance risks for flight crews in human space flight programs. Volume 1 of NASA-STD-3001, Crew Health, sets standards for fitness for duty, space flight permissible exposure limits, permissible outcome limits, levels of medical care, medical diagnosis, intervention, treatment and care, and countermeasures. Volume 2 of NASASTD- 3001, Human Factors, Habitability, and Environmental Health, focuses on human physical and cognitive capabilities and limitations and defines standards for spacecraft (including orbiters, habitats, and suits), internal environments, facilities, payloads, and related equipment, hardware, and software with which the crew interfaces during space operations. The NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 8705.2B, Human-Rating Requirements for Space Systems, specifies the Agency's human-rating processes, procedures, and requirements. The HIDP was written to share NASA's knowledge of processes directed toward achieving human certification of a spacecraft through implementation of human-systems integration requirements. Although the HIDP speaks directly to implementation of NASA-STD-3001 and NPR 8705.2B requirements, the human-centered design, evaluation, and design processes described in this document can be applied to any set of human-systems requirements and are independent of reference missions. The HIDP is a reference document that is intended to be used during the development of crewed space systems and operations to guide human-systems development process activities.

The special programme of research in human reproduction: forty years of activities to achieve reproductive health for all.

PubMed

Benagiano, Giuseppe; d'Arcangues, Catherine; Harris Requejo, Jennifer; Schafer, Alessandra; Say, Lale; Merialdi, Mario

2012-01-01

The Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction (HRP), co-sponsored by the UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, and the World Bank, is celebrating 40 years of activities with an expansion of its mandate and new co-sponsors. When it began, in 1972, the main focus was on evaluating the acceptability, effectiveness, and safety of existing fertility-regulating methods, as well as developing new, improved modalities for family planning. In 1994, HRP not only made major contributions to the Plan of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD); it also broadened its scope of work to include other aspects of health dealing with sexuality and reproduction, adding a specific perspective on gender issues and human rights. In 2002, HRP's mandate was once again broadened to include sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS and in 2003 it was further expanded to research activities on preventing violence against women and its many dire health consequences. Today, the work of the Programme includes research on: the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents, women, and men; maternal and perinatal health; reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS); family planning; infertility; unsafe abortion; sexual health; screening for cancer of the cervix in developing countries, and gender and reproductive rights. Additional activities by the Programme have included: fostering international cooperation in the field of human reproduction; the elaboration of WHO's first Global Reproductive Health Strategy; work leading to the inclusion of ICPD's goal 'reproductive health for all by 2015' into the Millennium Development Goal framework; the promotion of critical interagency statements on the public health, legal, and human rights implications of female genital mutilation and gender-biased sex selection. Finally, HRP has been involved in the creation of guidelines and tools, such as the 'Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use', the 'Global handbook for family planning providers', the 'Definition of core competencies in primary health care', and designing tools for operationalizing a human rights approach to sexual and reproductive health programmes. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Gender development and the human brain.

PubMed

Hines, Melissa

2011-01-01

Convincing evidence indicates that prenatal exposure to the gonadal hormone, testosterone, influences the development of children's sex-typical toy and activity interests. In addition, growing evidence shows that testosterone exposure contributes similarly to the development of other human behaviors that show sex differences, including sexual orientation, core gender identity, and some, though not all, sex-related cognitive and personality characteristics. In addition to these prenatal hormonal influences, early infancy and puberty may provide additional critical periods when hormones influence human neurobehavioral organization. Sex-linked genes could also contribute to human gender development, and most sex-related characteristics are influenced by socialization and other aspects of postnatal experience, as well. Neural mechanisms underlying the influences of gonadal hormones on human behavior are beginning to be identified. Although the neural mechanisms underlying experiential influences remain largely uninvestigated, they could involve the same neural circuitry as that affected by hormones.

Human Eye Development Is Characterized by Coordinated Expression of Fibrillin Isoforms

PubMed Central

Hubmacher, Dirk; Reinhardt, Dieter P.; Plesec, Thomas; Schenke-Layland, Katja; Apte, Suneel S.

2014-01-01

Purpose. Mutations in human fibrillin-1 and -2, which are major constituents of tissue microfibrils, can affect multiple ocular components, including the ciliary zonule, lens, drainage apparatus, cornea, and retina. However, the expression pattern of the three human fibrillins and an integral microfibrillar component, MAGP1, during human eye development is not known. Methods. We analyzed sections from human eyes at gestational weeks (GWs) 6, 8, and 11 and at 1 and 3 years of age with antibodies specific for each human fibrillin isoform or MAGP1, using immunofluorescence microscopy. Results. During embryonic development, each fibrillin isoform was detected in vascular structures bridging the ciliary body and the developing lens, hyaloid vasculature, and retina. In addition, they were present in the developing corneal basement membranes and lens capsule. MAGP1 codistributed with the fibrillin isoforms. In contrast, the juvenile zonule was composed of fibrillin-1 microfibrils containing MAGP1, but fibrillin-2 was absent and fibrillin-3 was only sparsely detected. Conclusions. Fibrillin-1, -2, and, unique to humans, fibrillin-3 are found in various ocular structures during human embryonic eye development, whereas fibrillin-1 dominates the postnatal zonule. We speculate that vasculature spanning the ciliary body and lens, which elaborates fibrillin-2 and -3, may provide an initial scaffold for fibrillin assembly and zonule formation. PMID:25406291

Revolutionary Concepts for Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troutman, Patrick A.; Bethke, Kristen; Stillwagen, Fred; Caldwell, Darrell L., Jr.; Manvi, Ram; Strickland, Chris; Krizan, Shawn A.

2003-01-01

This paper summarizes the content of a NASA-led study performed to identify revolutionary concepts and supporting technologies for Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE). Callisto, the fourth of Jupiter's Galilean moons, was chosen as the destination for the HOPE study. Assumptions for the Callisto mission include a launch year of 2045 or later, a spacecraft capable of transporting humans to and from Callisto in less than five years, and a requirement to support three humans on the surface for a minimum of 30 days. Analyses performed in support of HOPE include identification of precursor science and technology demonstration missions and development of vehicle concepts for transporting crew and supplies. A complete surface architecture was developed to provide the human crew with a power system, a propellant production plant, a surface habitat, and supporting robotic systems. An operational concept was defined that provides a surface layout for these architecture components, a list of surface tasks, a 30-day timeline, a daily schedule, and a plan for communication from the surface.

The Role of Neighborhood Ecological Assets and Activity Involvement in Youth Developmental Outcomes: Differential Impacts of Asset Poor and Asset Rich Neighborhoods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban, Jennifer Brown; Lewin-Bizan, Selva; Lerner, Richard M.

2009-01-01

Developmental system theories recognize that variables from multiple levels of organization within the bioecology of human development contribute to adolescent development, including individual factors, family factors and the neighborhood which includes extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities provide a context for youth development,…

Transgenic mouse strains as platforms for the successful discovery and development of human therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed

Green, Larry L

2014-03-01

Transgenic mice have yielded seven of the ten currently-approved human antibody drugs, making them the most successful platform for the discovery of fully human antibody therapeutics. The use of the in vivo immune system helps drive this success by taking advantage of the natural selection process that produces antibodies with desirable characteristics. Appropriately genetically-engineered mice act as robust engines for the generation of diverse repertoires of affinity- matured fully human variable regions with intrinsic properties necessary for successful antibody drug development including high potency, specificity, manufacturability, solubility and low risk of immunogenicity. A broad range of mAb drug targets are addressable in these mice, comprising both secreted and transmembrane targets, including membrane multi-spanning targets, as well as human target antigens that share high sequence identity with their mouse orthologue. Transgenic mice can routinely yield antibodies with sub-nanomolar binding affinity for their antigen, with lead candidate mAbs frequently possessing affinities for binding to their target of less than 100 picomolar, without requiring any ex vivo affinity optimization. While the originator transgenic mice platforms are no longer broadly available, a new generation of transgenic platforms is in development for discovery of the next wave of human therapeutic antibodies.

Paving the Path for Human Space Exploration: The Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, Lauri

2016-01-01

Lauri Hansen, Director of Engineering at NASA Johnson Space Center will discuss the challenges of human space exploration. The future of human exploration begins with our current earth reliant missions in low earth orbit. These missions utilize the International Space Station to learn how to safely execute deep space missions. In addition to serving as an exploration test bed and enabling world class research, the International Space Station enables NASA to build international and commercial partnerships. NASA's next steps will be to enable the commercialization of low earth orbit while concentrating on developing the spacecraft and infrastructure necessary for deep space exploration and long duration missions. The Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle and the Space Launch System rocket are critical building blocks in this next phase of exploration. There are many challenges in designing spacecraft to perform these missions including safety, complex vehicle design, and mass challenges. Orion development is proceeding well, and includes a significant partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build the Service Module portion of the spacecraft. Together, NASA and ESA will provide the capability to take humans further than we have ever been before - 70,000 km past the moon. This will be the next big step in expanding the frontiers of human exploration, eventually leading to human footprints on Mars.

Human Thermal Model Evaluation Using the JSC Human Thermal Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cognata, T.; Bue, G.; Makinen, J.

2011-01-01

The human thermal database developed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is used to evaluate a set of widely used human thermal models. This database will facilitate a more accurate evaluation of human thermoregulatory response using in a variety of situations, including those situations that might otherwise prove too dangerous for actual testing--such as extreme hot or cold splashdown conditions. This set includes the Wissler human thermal model, a model that has been widely used to predict the human thermoregulatory response to a variety of cold and hot environments. These models are statistically compared to the current database, which contains experiments of human subjects primarily in air from a literature survey ranging between 1953 and 2004 and from a suited experiment recently performed by the authors, for a quantitative study of relative strength and predictive quality of the models. Human thermal modeling has considerable long term utility to human space flight. Such models provide a tool to predict crew survivability in support of vehicle design and to evaluate crew response in untested environments. It is to the benefit of any such model not only to collect relevant experimental data to correlate it against, but also to maintain an experimental standard or benchmark for future development in a readily and rapidly searchable and software accessible format. The Human thermal database project is intended to do just so; to collect relevant data from literature and experimentation and to store the data in a database structure for immediate and future use as a benchmark to judge human thermal models against, in identifying model strengths and weakness, to support model development and improve correlation, and to statistically quantify a model s predictive quality.

Property rights in human gametes in Australia.

PubMed

White, Vanessa

2013-03-01

It has long been a basic tenet of the common law that there can be no property interest in human bodies or body parts. However, exceptions to the rule have been recognised from the mid-19th century and developed over time. In the early 21st century, there have been interesting developments in the common law of Australia and England, with Australian Supreme Court judges and the English Court of Appeal casting aside existing exceptions, and finding property rights in human body parts, including gametes, by relying instead on a "rational" and "logical" basis to identify property interests in human body parts.

Emergence of a scientific and commercial research and development infrastructure for human gene therapy.

PubMed

Crofts, Christine; Krimsky, Sheldon

2005-02-01

A research and clinical subfield known as "human gene therapy" has grown rapidly since 1990, when the first human trials were approved in the United States. Using quantitative data, this paper describes and analyzes the research and commercial infrastructure, including academic centers, publications, intellectual property, and biotechnology firms, that has developed around the goal of discovering clinical applications for the modification and transport of DNA to somatic cells. Despite setbacks and few documented successes, the subfield of human gene therapy continues to serve as an influential clinical paradigm for the treatment of inherited and noninherited diseases.

Human Factors Principles in Information Dashboard Design

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

Hugo, Jacques V.; St. Germain, Shawn

When planning for control room upgrades, nuclear power plants have to deal with a multitude of engineering and operational impacts. This will inevitably include several human factors considerations, including physical ergonomics of workstations, viewing angles, lighting, seating, new communication requirements, and new concepts of operation. In helping nuclear power utilities to deal with these challenges, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed effective methods to manage the various phases of the upgrade life cycle. These methods focus on integrating human factors engineering processes with the plant’s systems engineering process, a large part of which is the development of end-state conceptsmore » for control room modernization. Such an end-state concept is a description of a set of required conditions that define the achievement of the plant’s objectives for the upgrade. Typically, the end-state concept describes the transition of a conventional control room, over time, to a facility that employs advanced digital automation technologies in a way that significantly improves system reliability, reduces human and control room-related hazards, reduces system and component obsolescence, and significantly improves operator performance. To make the various upgrade phases as concrete and as visible as possible, an end-state concept would include a set of visual representations of the control room before and after various upgrade phases to provide the context and a framework within which to consider the various options in the upgrade. This includes the various control systems, human-system interfaces to be replaced, and possible changes to operator workstations. This paper describes how this framework helps to ensure an integrated and cohesive outcome that is consistent with human factors engineering principles and also provide substantial improvement in operator performance. The paper further describes the application of this integrated approach in the strategic modernization program at a nuclear power plant where legacy systems are upgraded to advanced digital technologies through a systematic process that links human factors principles to the systems engineering process. This approach will help to create an integrated control room architecture beyond what is possible for individual subsystem upgrades alone. In addition, several human factors design and evaluation methods were used to develop the end-state concept, including interactive sessions with operators in INL’s Human System Simulation Laboratory, three-dimensional modeling to visualize control board changes.« less

The post-millennium development goals agenda: include 'end to all wars' as a public health goal!

PubMed

Jayasinghe, Saroj

2014-09-01

The process of identifying global post-millennium development goals (post-MDGs) has begun in earnest. Consensus is emerging in certain areas (e.g. eliminating poverty) and conflicts and violence are recognized as key factors that retard human development. However, current discussions focus on tackling intra-state conflicts and individual-based violence and hardly mention eliminating wars as a goal. Wars create public health catastrophes. They kill, maim, displace and affect millions. Inter-state wars fuel intra-state conflicts and violence. The peace agenda should not be the monopoly of the UN Security Council, and the current consensus-building process setting the post-MDG agenda is a rallying point for the global community. The human rights approach will not suffice to eliminate wars, because few are fought to protect human rights. The development agenda should therefore commit to eliminating all wars by 2030. Targets to reduce tensions and discourage wars should be included. We should act now. © The Author(s) 2014.

Alternative Splicing of sept9a and sept9b in Zebrafish Produces Multiple mRNA Transcripts Expressed Throughout Development

PubMed Central

Hannibal, Mark C.; Kimelman, David

2010-01-01

Background Septins are involved in a number of cellular processes including cytokinesis and organization of the cytoskeleton. Alterations in human septin-9 (SEPT9) levels have been linked to multiple cancers, whereas mutations in SEPT9 cause the episodic neuropathy, hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy (HNA). Despite its important function in human health, the in vivo role of SEPT9 is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we utilize zebrafish to study the role of SEPT9 in early development. We show that zebrafish possess two genes, sept9a and sept9b that, like humans, express multiple transcripts. Knockdown or overexpression of sept9a transcripts results in specific developmental alterations including circulation defects and aberrant epidermal development. Conclusions/Significance Our work demonstrates that sept9 plays an important role in zebrafish development, and establishes zebrafish as a valuable model organism for the study of SEPT9. PMID:20502708

Human factors literature reviews on intersections, speed management, pedestrians and bicyclists, and visibility

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-07-01

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is currently addressing several general safety areas, including examining driver behavior at intersections, developing tools and procedures for intersection design, and conducting human factors literature rev...

45 CFR 1386.80 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, DEVELOPMENTAL... Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. This term includes Federal funds provided under...

48 CFR 1335.001 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.001 Definitions. Human subject means a living individual... includes communication or interpersonal contact between investigator and subject. “Private information...) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects. Research...

Human factors in aviation maintenance, phase two : progress report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-04-01

In this second phase of research on Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance, the emphasis has evolved from problem definition to development of demonstrations and prototypes. These demonstrations include a computer-based training simulation for trouble...

USDOT guidance summary for connected vehicle deployments : human use approval.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This document provides guidance material in regards to human use approval required for the CV Pilots DeploymentConcept Development Phase. Background is provided on relevant Federal guidance and Institutional Review Boards,including specific reference...

Lunar and Mars missions - Challenges for advanced life support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, Michael B.

1988-01-01

The development of a suite of scenarios is a prerequisite to the studies that will enable an informed decision by the United States on a program to meet the recently announced space policy goal to expand human presence beyond earth orbit. NASA's Office of Exploration is currently studying a range of initiative options that would extend the sphere of human activity in space to Mars and include permanent bases or outposts on the moon and on Mars. This paper describes the evolutionary lunar base and the Mars expedition scenarios in some detail so that an evaluation can be made from the point of view of human support and opportunities. Alternative approaches in the development of lunar outposts are outlined along with Mars expeditionary scenarios. Human environmental issues are discussed, including: closed loop life support systems; EVA systems; mobility systems; and medical support, physiological deconditioning, and psychological effects associated with long-duration missions.

The Health Impact of Rabies in Haiti and Recent Developments on the Path Toward Elimination, 2010–2015

PubMed Central

Wallace, Ryan; Etheart, Melissa; Ludder, Fleurinord; Augustin, Pierre; Fenelon, Natael; Franka, Richard; Crowdis, Kelly; Dely, Patrick; Adrien, Paul; Pierre-Louis, J.; Osinubi, Modupe; Orciari, Lillian; Vigilato, Marco; Blanton, Jesse; Patel, Roopal; Lowrance, David; Liverdieu, Andrecy; Coetzer, Andre; Boone, John; Lindenmayer, Joanne; Millien, M.

2017-01-01

Abstract. Haiti, a Caribbean country of 10.5 million people, is estimated to have the highest burden of canine-mediated human rabies deaths in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the highest rates of human rabies deaths in the world. Haiti is also the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has numerous economic and health priorities that compete for rabies-control resources. As a result, primary rabies-control actions, including canine vaccination programs, surveillance systems for human and animal rabies, and appropriate postbite treatment, have not been fully implemented at a national scale. After the 2010 earthquake that further hindered the development of public health program infrastructure and services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with the Ministry of Public Health and Population and key health development partners (including the Pan-American Health Organization) to provide technical expertise and funding for general disease surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, and selected disease control programs; including rabies. In 2011, a cross-ministerial rabies consortium was convened with participation from multiple international rabies experts to develop a strategy for successful rabies control in Haiti. The consortium focused on seven pillars: 1) enhancement of laboratory diagnostic capacity, 2) development of comprehensive animal surveillance system, 3) development of comprehensive human rabies surveillance system, 4) educational outreach, 5) sustainable human rabies biologics supply, 6) achievement of sustained canine vaccination rates of ≥ 70%, and 7) finalization of a national rabies control strategy. From 2010 until 2015, Haiti has seen improvements in the program infrastructure for canine rabies control. The greatest improvements were seen in the area of animal rabies surveillance, in support of which an internationally recognized rabies laboratory was developed thereby leading to an 18-fold increase in the detection of rabid animals. Canine rabies vaccination practices also improved, from a 2010 level of approximately 12% to a 2015 dog population coverage level estimated to be 45%. Rabies vaccine coverage is still below the goal of 70%, however, the positive trend is encouraging. Gaps exist in the capacity to conduct national surveillance for human rabies cases and access to human rabies vaccine is lacking in many parts of the country. However, control has improved over the past 5 years as a result of the efforts of Haiti’s health and agriculture sectors with assistance from multiple international organizations. Haiti is well situated to eliminate canine-mediated human rabies deaths in the near future and should serve as a great example to many developing countries struggling with similar barriers and limitations. PMID:29064363

The Health Impact of Rabies in Haiti and Recent Developments on the Path Toward Elimination, 2010-2015.

PubMed

Wallace, Ryan; Etheart, Melissa; Ludder, Fleurinord; Augustin, Pierre; Fenelon, Natael; Franka, Richard; Crowdis, Kelly; Dely, Patrick; Adrien, Paul; Pierre-Louis, J; Osinubi, Modupe; Orciari, Lillian; Vigilato, Marco; Blanton, Jesse; Patel, Roopal; Lowrance, David; Liverdieu, Andrecy; Coetzer, Andre; Boone, John; Lindenmayer, Joanne; Millien, M

2017-10-01

Haiti, a Caribbean country of 10.5 million people, is estimated to have the highest burden of canine-mediated human rabies deaths in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the highest rates of human rabies deaths in the world. Haiti is also the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has numerous economic and health priorities that compete for rabies-control resources. As a result, primary rabies-control actions, including canine vaccination programs, surveillance systems for human and animal rabies, and appropriate postbite treatment, have not been fully implemented at a national scale. After the 2010 earthquake that further hindered the development of public health program infrastructure and services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with the Ministry of Public Health and Population and key health development partners (including the Pan-American Health Organization) to provide technical expertise and funding for general disease surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, and selected disease control programs; including rabies. In 2011, a cross-ministerial rabies consortium was convened with participation from multiple international rabies experts to develop a strategy for successful rabies control in Haiti. The consortium focused on seven pillars: 1) enhancement of laboratory diagnostic capacity, 2) development of comprehensive animal surveillance system, 3) development of comprehensive human rabies surveillance system, 4) educational outreach, 5) sustainable human rabies biologics supply, 6) achievement of sustained canine vaccination rates of ≥ 70%, and 7) finalization of a national rabies control strategy. From 2010 until 2015, Haiti has seen improvements in the program infrastructure for canine rabies control. The greatest improvements were seen in the area of animal rabies surveillance, in support of which an internationally recognized rabies laboratory was developed thereby leading to an 18-fold increase in the detection of rabid animals. Canine rabies vaccination practices also improved, from a 2010 level of approximately 12% to a 2015 dog population coverage level estimated to be 45%. Rabies vaccine coverage is still below the goal of 70%, however, the positive trend is encouraging. Gaps exist in the capacity to conduct national surveillance for human rabies cases and access to human rabies vaccine is lacking in many parts of the country. However, control has improved over the past 5 years as a result of the efforts of Haiti's health and agriculture sectors with assistance from multiple international organizations. Haiti is well situated to eliminate canine-mediated human rabies deaths in the near future and should serve as a great example to many developing countries struggling with similar barriers and limitations.

Colloquium: Digital Technologies--Help or Hindrance for the Humanities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Elton; Bissell, Chris; Hardwick, Lorna; Jones, Allan; Ridge, Mia; Wolffe, John

2012-01-01

This article offers reflections arising from a recent colloquium at the Open University on the implications of the development of digital humanities for research in arts disciplines, and also for their interactions with computing and technology. Particular issues explored include the ways in which the digital turn in humanities research is also a…

Effects of chemicals and pathway inhibitors on a human in vitro model of secondary palatal fusion.

EPA Science Inventory

The mechanisms of tissue and organ formation during embryonic development are unique, but many tissues like the iris, urethra, heart, neural tube, and palate rely upon common cellular and tissue events including tissue fusion. Few human in vitro assays exist to study human embryo...

Nous sommes tous des bacteries: implications for medicine, pharmacology and public health.

PubMed

Triggle, David J

2012-12-15

As a species we humans are outnumbered by bacteria in both cell and gene count. This somewhat humbling observation is key to the increasing recognition that the long-standing symbiotic and commensal relations between Homo sapiens and bacteria are of great significance to basic human physiology and health. Knowledge of our human bacterial environment is contributing to an understanding of a variety of disorders including obesity and metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, immunity, and neuronal development and behavior. The Human Microbiome Project is providing a genetic and ecological analysis and will serve as a parallel to the Human Genome Project. Exploration of the chemical space utilized by bacteria will contribute to the development of new small molecule therapeutic agents, including new antibiotics. And genetically re-engineered bacteria are proving to be of potential value as actual therapeutic entities. Our understanding of our bacterial world has the capability to transform radically our current approach to human health diverting it from an emphasis on acute treatments to living in healthy harmony with both our internal and external environments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current Research in European Vocational Education and Human Resource Development. Proceedings of the Programme Presented by the Research Network on Vocational Education and Training (VETNET) at the European Conference of Educational Research (ECER) (4th, Lille, France, September 5-8, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Sabine, Ed.; Dif, M'Hamed, Ed.

These proceedings are comprised of 23 presentations on research in European vocational education and human resource development. Papers include "Developing Information and Communication Technology Capability in Higher Education in the United Kingdom (UK)" (Nick Boreham); "Methodological Issues in the Study of Organizational…

Serving the New Corporation. A Background Report on the State of Human Resource Development and Its Relation to the Strategic Directions of the American Society for Training and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Society for Training and Development, Alexandria, VA.

Recent economic and technological changes, as well as changes in the very nature of work, have forced business institutions to redirect themselves. Consequently, human resource development (HRD) activities are no longer a group of diverse practices at the periphery of a few organizations. Rather, the scope of HRD has expanded to include solving…

Modeling Human Natural Killer Cell Development in the Era of Innate Lymphoid Cells

PubMed Central

Scoville, Steven D.; Freud, Aharon G.; Caligiuri, Michael A.

2017-01-01

Decades after the discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, their developmental pathways in mice and humans have not yet been completely deciphered. Accumulating evidence indicates that NK cells can develop in multiple tissues throughout the body. Moreover, detailed and comprehensive models of NK cell development were proposed soon after the turn of the century. However, with the recent identification and characterization of other subtypes of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which show some overlapping functional and phenotypic features with NK cell developmental intermediates, the distinct stages through which human NK cells develop from early hematopoietic progenitor cells remain unclear. Thus, there is a need to reassess and refine older models of NK cell development in the context of new data and in the era of ILCs. Our group has focused on elucidating the developmental pathway of human NK cells in secondary lymphoid tissues (SLTs), including tonsils and lymph nodes. Here, we provide an update of recent progress that has been made with regard to human NK cell development in SLTs, and we discuss these new findings in the context of contemporary models of ILC development. PMID:28396671

Modeling Human Natural Killer Cell Development in the Era of Innate Lymphoid Cells.

PubMed

Scoville, Steven D; Freud, Aharon G; Caligiuri, Michael A

2017-01-01

Decades after the discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, their developmental pathways in mice and humans have not yet been completely deciphered. Accumulating evidence indicates that NK cells can develop in multiple tissues throughout the body. Moreover, detailed and comprehensive models of NK cell development were proposed soon after the turn of the century. However, with the recent identification and characterization of other subtypes of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which show some overlapping functional and phenotypic features with NK cell developmental intermediates, the distinct stages through which human NK cells develop from early hematopoietic progenitor cells remain unclear. Thus, there is a need to reassess and refine older models of NK cell development in the context of new data and in the era of ILCs. Our group has focused on elucidating the developmental pathway of human NK cells in secondary lymphoid tissues (SLTs), including tonsils and lymph nodes. Here, we provide an update of recent progress that has been made with regard to human NK cell development in SLTs, and we discuss these new findings in the context of contemporary models of ILC development.

Meeting report on the 3rd International Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD).

PubMed

Gillman, Matthew W; Barker, David; Bier, Dennis; Cagampang, Felino; Challis, John; Fall, Caroline; Godfrey, Keith; Gluckman, Peter; Hanson, Mark; Kuh, Diana; Nathanielsz, Peter; Nestel, Penelope; Thornburg, Kent L

2007-05-01

Developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) focuses on the earliest stages of human development, and provides a novel paradigm to complement other strategies for lifelong prevention of common chronic health conditions. The 3 International Congress on DOHaD, held in 2005, retained the most popular features from the first two biannual Congresses, while adding a number of innovations, including increased emphasis on implications of DOHaD for the developing world; programs for trainees and young investigators; and new perspectives, including developmental plasticity, influences of social hierarchies, effects of prematurity, and populations in transition. Emerging areas of science included, first, the controversial role of infant weight gain in predicting adult obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Second, in the era of epidemic obesity, paying attention to the over-nourished fetus is as important as investigating the growth retarded one. Third, environmental toxins appear to have abroad range of long-lasting effects on the developing human. Fourth, epigenetic mechanisms could unite several strands of human and animal observations, and explain how genetically identical individuals raised in similar postnatal environments can nonetheless develop widely differing phenotypes. Improving the environment to which an individual is exposed during development may be as important as any other public health effort to enhance population health world wide.

Diagnosis of human fascioliasis by stool and blood techniques: update for the present global scenario.

PubMed

Mas-Coma, S; Bargues, M D; Valero, M A

2014-12-01

Before the 1990s, human fascioliasis diagnosis focused on individual patients in hospitals or health centres. Case reports were mainly from developed countries and usually concerned isolated human infection in animal endemic areas. From the mid-1990s onwards, due to the progressive description of human endemic areas and human infection reports in developing countries, but also new knowledge on clinical manifestations and pathology, new situations, hitherto neglected, entered in the global scenario. Human fascioliasis has proved to be pronouncedly more heterogeneous than previously thought, including different transmission patterns and epidemiological situations. Stool and blood techniques, the main tools for diagnosis in humans, have been improved for both patient and survey diagnosis. Present availabilities for human diagnosis are reviewed focusing on advantages and weaknesses, sample management, egg differentiation, qualitative and quantitative diagnosis, antibody and antigen detection, post-treatment monitoring and post-control surveillance. Main conclusions refer to the pronounced difficulties of diagnosing fascioliasis in humans given the different infection phases and parasite migration capacities, clinical heterogeneity, immunological complexity, different epidemiological situations and transmission patterns, the lack of a diagnostic technique covering all needs and situations, and the advisability for a combined use of different techniques, at least including a stool technique and a blood technique.

Generation of transgenic monkeys with human inherited genetic disease.

PubMed

Chan, Anthony W S; Yang, Shang-Hsun

2009-09-01

Modeling human diseases using nonhuman primates including chimpanzee, rhesus, cynomolgus, marmoset and squirrel monkeys has been reported in the past decades. Due to the high similarity between nonhuman primates and humans, including genome constitution, cognitive behavioral functions, anatomical structure, metabolic, reproductive, and brain functions; nonhuman primates have played an important role in understanding physiological functions of the human body, clarifying the underlying mechanism of human diseases, and the development of novel treatments for human diseases. However, nonhuman primate research has been restricted to cognitive, behavioral, biochemical and pharmacological approaches of human diseases due to the limitation of gene transfer technology in nonhuman primates. The recent advancement in transgenic technology that has led to the generation of the first transgenic monkey in 2001 and a transgenic monkey model of Huntington's disease (HD) in 2008 has changed that focus. The creation of transgenic HD monkeys that replicate key pathological features of human HD patients further suggests the crucial role of nonhuman primates in the future development of biomedicine. These successes have opened the door to genetic manipulation in nonhuman primates and a new era in modeling human inherited genetic disorders. We focused on the procedures in creating transgenic Huntington's disease monkeys, but our work can be applied to transgenesis in other nonhuman primate species.

Relations between Temperament and Theory of Mind Development in the United States and China: Biological and Behavioral Correlates of Preschoolers' False-Belief Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Jonathan D.; Wellman, Henry M.; Olson, Sheryl L.; Miller, Alison L.; Wang, Li; Tardif, Twila

2013-01-01

The emotional reactivity hypothesis holds that, over the course of phylogeny, the selection of animals with less reactive temperaments supported the development of sophisticated social-cognitive skills in several species, including humans (Hare, 2007). In the ontogenetic human case, an emotional reactivity hypothesis predicts that children with…

Academy of Human Resource Development Conference Proceedings (Honolulu, Hawaii, February 27-March 3, 2002). Volumes 1 and 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egan, T. Marshall, Ed.; Lynham, Susan A., Ed.

This document contains 143 papers and innovative sessions, three poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, and a keyword index are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 42 symposia, which were devoted to the following topics: women's HRD-related issues;…

Applications of microarray technology in breast cancer research

PubMed Central

Cooper, Colin S

2001-01-01

Microarrays provide a versatile platform for utilizing information from the Human Genome Project to benefit human health. This article reviews the ways in which microarray technology may be used in breast cancer research. Its diverse applications include monitoring chromosome gains and losses, tumour classification, drug discovery and development, DNA resequencing, mutation detection and investigating the mechanism of tumour development. PMID:11305951

Project to Incorporate Anthropological Concepts of Human Diversity in Secondary School Social Studies Curricula (Project Anthropology). Final Report, 2/1/80 to 1/31/82.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giannangelo, Duane M.; And Others

Learning modules emphasizing the anthropological aspects of human and race relations to supplement social studies textbooks used in grades 7-12 were developed. The final report describes pre-project activities, module development, and project evaluation and accomplishments. Pre-project activities included media publicity, reviewing social studies…

Tolerance Education in Morocco. "Anne Frank: A History for Today"--Learning about Our Past--Contributing to Our Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polak, Karen

2010-01-01

This paper describes recent developments in the field of history education and human rights education in Morocco. Educational reform in Morocco is ongoing and includes measures such as mandating that all schools create after-school Human Rights Clubs. These developments are then related to the possibility of teaching about the history of the…

Analysis of Human Resource Development and Utilization in Nigeria, Summary and Conclusions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education and World Affairs, New York, NY.

This report is a second synthesis of the observations and recommendations of the Education and Human Resource Development Committee's Nigerian Project Task Force, which have been in the process of formulation since early 1965. A summary report, this paper does not include substantiation of all points: it is meant to present an overview of the Task…

Academy of Human Resource Development International Research Conference Proceedings (Austin, Texas, March 3-7, 2004). Volume 1 and 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egan, Toby Marshall, Ed.; Morris, Michael Lane, Ed.; Inbakumar, Vinod, Ed.

2004-01-01

This document contains 162 papers and innovative sessions, two poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, and a keyword index are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 56 symposia, which were devoted to the following topics: HRD with International and…

Estrogens and development

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

McLachlan, J.A.; Newbold, R.R.

1987-11-01

The normal development of the genital organs of mammals, including humans, is under hormonal control. A role for the female sex hormone estrogen in this process is still unclear. However, exposure of experimental animals or humans to the potent exogenous estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), results in persistent differentiation effects. Since many chemicals in the environment are weakly estrogenic, the possibility of hormonally altered differentiation must be considered.

Deep cultural ancestry and human development indicators across nation states

PubMed Central

Sookias, Roland B.; Passmore, Samuel

2018-01-01

How historical connections, events and cultural proximity can influence human development is being increasingly recognized. One aspect of history that has only recently begun to be examined is deep cultural ancestry, i.e. the vertical relationships of descent between cultures, which can be represented by a phylogenetic tree of descent. Here, we test whether deep cultural ancestry predicts the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) for 44 Eurasian countries, using language ancestry as a proxy for cultural relatedness and controlling for three additional factors—geographical proximity, religion and former communism. While cultural ancestry alone predicts HDI and its subcomponents (income, health and education indices), when geographical proximity is included only income and health indices remain significant and the effect is small. When communism and religion variables are included, cultural ancestry is no longer a significant predictor; communism significantly negatively predicts HDI, income and health indices, and Muslim percentage of the population significantly negatively predicts education index, although the latter result may not be robust. These findings indicate that geographical proximity and recent cultural history—especially communism—are more important than deep cultural factors in current human development and suggest the efficacy of modern policy initiatives is not tightly constrained by cultural ancestry. PMID:29765628

Genetically engineered mouse models and human osteosarcoma

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer. Pivotal insight into the genes involved in human osteosarcoma has been provided by the study of rare familial cancer predisposition syndromes. Three kindreds stand out as predisposing to the development of osteosarcoma: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial retinoblastoma and RecQ helicase disorders, which include Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome in particular. These disorders have highlighted the important roles of P53 and RB respectively, in the development of osteosarcoma. The association of OS with RECQL4 mutations is apparent but the relevance of this to OS is uncertain as mutations in RECQL4 are not found in sporadic OS. Application of the knowledge or mutations of P53 and RB in familial and sporadic OS has enabled the development of tractable, highly penetrant murine models of OS. These models share many of the cardinal features associated with human osteosarcoma including, importantly, a high incidence of spontaneous metastasis. The recent development of these models has been a significant advance for efforts to improve our understanding of the genetics of human OS and, more critically, to provide a high-throughput genetically modifiable platform for preclinical evaluation of new therapeutics. PMID:23036272

Deep cultural ancestry and human development indicators across nation states.

PubMed

Sookias, Roland B; Passmore, Samuel; Atkinson, Quentin D

2018-04-01

How historical connections, events and cultural proximity can influence human development is being increasingly recognized. One aspect of history that has only recently begun to be examined is deep cultural ancestry, i.e. the vertical relationships of descent between cultures, which can be represented by a phylogenetic tree of descent. Here, we test whether deep cultural ancestry predicts the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) for 44 Eurasian countries, using language ancestry as a proxy for cultural relatedness and controlling for three additional factors-geographical proximity, religion and former communism. While cultural ancestry alone predicts HDI and its subcomponents (income, health and education indices), when geographical proximity is included only income and health indices remain significant and the effect is small. When communism and religion variables are included, cultural ancestry is no longer a significant predictor; communism significantly negatively predicts HDI, income and health indices, and Muslim percentage of the population significantly negatively predicts education index, although the latter result may not be robust. These findings indicate that geographical proximity and recent cultural history-especially communism-are more important than deep cultural factors in current human development and suggest the efficacy of modern policy initiatives is not tightly constrained by cultural ancestry.

Conserved and Divergent Features of Human and Mouse Kidney Organogenesis.

PubMed

Lindström, Nils O; McMahon, Jill A; Guo, Jinjin; Tran, Tracy; Guo, Qiuyu; Rutledge, Elisabeth; Parvez, Riana K; Saribekyan, Gohar; Schuler, Robert E; Liao, Christopher; Kim, Albert D; Abdelhalim, Ahmed; Ruffins, Seth W; Thornton, Matthew E; Basking, Laurence; Grubbs, Brendan; Kesselman, Carl; McMahon, Andrew P

2018-03-01

Human kidney function is underpinned by approximately 1,000,000 nephrons, although the number varies substantially, and low nephron number is linked to disease. Human kidney development initiates around 4 weeks of gestation and ends around 34-37 weeks of gestation. Over this period, a reiterative inductive process establishes the nephron complement. Studies have provided insightful anatomic descriptions of human kidney development, but the limited histologic views are not readily accessible to a broad audience. In this first paper in a series providing comprehensive insight into human kidney formation, we examined human kidney development in 135 anonymously donated human kidney specimens. We documented kidney development at a macroscopic and cellular level through histologic analysis, RNA in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence studies, and transcriptional profiling, contrasting human development (4-23 weeks) with mouse development at selected stages (embryonic day 15.5 and postnatal day 2). The high-resolution histologic interactive atlas of human kidney organogenesis generated can be viewed at the GUDMAP database (www.gudmap.org) together with three-dimensional reconstructions of key components of the data herein. At the anatomic level, human and mouse kidney development differ in timing, scale, and global features such as lobe formation and progenitor niche organization. The data also highlight differences in molecular and cellular features, including the expression and cellular distribution of anchor gene markers used to identify key cell types in mouse kidney studies. These data will facilitate and inform in vitro efforts to generate human kidney structures and comparative functional analyses across mammalian species. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Management Development: The State of the Art as Perceived by HRD Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothwell, William J.; Kazanas, H. C.

1994-01-01

Reviews the literature on management development and summarizes results of a survey of human resources development (HRD) professionals' perceptions about management development practices. Topics discussed include identifying management development needs; strategic business plans, succession plans, and individual development plans; frequency and…

Designing coastal conservation to deliver ecosystem and human well-being benefits.

PubMed

Annis, Gust M; Pearsall, Douglas R; Kahl, Katherine J; Washburn, Erika L; May, Christopher A; Franks Taylor, Rachael; Cole, James B; Ewert, David N; Game, Edward T; Doran, Patrick J

2017-01-01

Conservation scientists increasingly recognize that incorporating human values into conservation planning increases the chances for success by garnering broader project acceptance. However, methods for defining quantitative targets for the spatial representation of human well-being priorities are less developed. In this study we employ an approach for identifying regionally important human values and establishing specific spatial targets for their representation based on stakeholder outreach. Our primary objective was to develop a spatially-explicit conservation plan that identifies the most efficient locations for conservation actions to meet ecological goals while sustaining or enhancing human well-being values within the coastal and nearshore areas of the western Lake Erie basin (WLEB). We conducted an optimization analysis using 26 features representing ecological and human well-being priorities (13 of each), and included seven cost layers. The influence that including human well-being had on project results was tested by running five scenarios and setting targets for human well-being at different levels in each scenario. The most important areas for conservation to achieve multiple goals are clustered along the coast, reflecting a concentration of existing or potentially restorable coastal wetlands, coastal landbird stopover habitat and terrestrial biodiversity, as well as important recreational activities. Inland important areas tended to cluster around trails and high quality inland landbird stopover habitat. Most concentrated areas of importance also are centered on lands that are already conserved, reflecting the lower costs and higher benefits of enlarging these conserved areas rather than conserving isolated, dispersed areas. Including human well-being features in the analysis only influenced the solution at the highest target levels.

Designing coastal conservation to deliver ecosystem and human well-being benefits

PubMed Central

Pearsall, Douglas R.; Kahl, Katherine J.; Washburn, Erika L.; May, Christopher A.; Franks Taylor, Rachael; Cole, James B.; Ewert, David N.; Game, Edward T.; Doran, Patrick J.

2017-01-01

Conservation scientists increasingly recognize that incorporating human values into conservation planning increases the chances for success by garnering broader project acceptance. However, methods for defining quantitative targets for the spatial representation of human well-being priorities are less developed. In this study we employ an approach for identifying regionally important human values and establishing specific spatial targets for their representation based on stakeholder outreach. Our primary objective was to develop a spatially-explicit conservation plan that identifies the most efficient locations for conservation actions to meet ecological goals while sustaining or enhancing human well-being values within the coastal and nearshore areas of the western Lake Erie basin (WLEB). We conducted an optimization analysis using 26 features representing ecological and human well-being priorities (13 of each), and included seven cost layers. The influence that including human well-being had on project results was tested by running five scenarios and setting targets for human well-being at different levels in each scenario. The most important areas for conservation to achieve multiple goals are clustered along the coast, reflecting a concentration of existing or potentially restorable coastal wetlands, coastal landbird stopover habitat and terrestrial biodiversity, as well as important recreational activities. Inland important areas tended to cluster around trails and high quality inland landbird stopover habitat. Most concentrated areas of importance also are centered on lands that are already conserved, reflecting the lower costs and higher benefits of enlarging these conserved areas rather than conserving isolated, dispersed areas. Including human well-being features in the analysis only influenced the solution at the highest target levels. PMID:28241018

Light-based science and technologies and human civilization: an optical course for general education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaotong; Wang, Kaiwei; Yang, Qing; Si, Ke

2017-08-01

Starting from 2015, a general education course named "Light-based science and technologies and human civilization" has been offered in Zhejiang University. We try to give a humanism view angle to observe optics and optical engineering, and combine them with the relationship of human and the nature, the development of human society and human health. In this course we introduce different historical periods of light-based science and technologies, the great optical researchers, the typical research methods, advantages, academic discussions and the relationship with human civilization. The relevant cross-fields of learning and Nobel Prize winners are also included. This course provides the students with the typical examples about how academic revolution influences the world development, and also with humanism sight which exceeds the range of science and technologies themselves.

FRamework Assessing Notorious Contributing Influences for Error (FRANCIE): Perspective on Taxonomy Development to Support Error Reporting and Analysis

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

Lon N. Haney; David I. Gertman

2003-04-01

Beginning in the 1980s a primary focus of human reliability analysis was estimation of human error probabilities. However, detailed qualitative modeling with comprehensive representation of contextual variables often was lacking. This was likely due to the lack of comprehensive error and performance shaping factor taxonomies, and the limited data available on observed error rates and their relationship to specific contextual variables. In the mid 90s Boeing, America West Airlines, NASA Ames Research Center and INEEL partnered in a NASA sponsored Advanced Concepts grant to: assess the state of the art in human error analysis, identify future needs for human errormore » analysis, and develop an approach addressing these needs. Identified needs included the need for a method to identify and prioritize task and contextual characteristics affecting human reliability. Other needs identified included developing comprehensive taxonomies to support detailed qualitative modeling and to structure meaningful data collection efforts across domains. A result was the development of the FRamework Assessing Notorious Contributing Influences for Error (FRANCIE) with a taxonomy for airline maintenance tasks. The assignment of performance shaping factors to generic errors by experts proved to be valuable to qualitative modeling. Performance shaping factors and error types from such detailed approaches can be used to structure error reporting schemes. In a recent NASA Advanced Human Support Technology grant FRANCIE was refined, and two new taxonomies for use on space missions were developed. The development, sharing, and use of error taxonomies, and the refinement of approaches for increased fidelity of qualitative modeling is offered as a means to help direct useful data collection strategies.« less

The global cancer burden and human development: A review.

PubMed

Fidler, Miranda M; Bray, Freddie; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

2018-02-01

This review examines the links between human development and cancer overall and for specific types of cancer, as well as cancer-related risk-factors and outcomes, such as disability and life expectancy. To assess human development, the Human Development Index was utilized continuously and according to four levels (low, medium, high, very high), where the low and very high categories include the least and most developed countries, respectively. All studies that assessed aspects of the global cancer burden using this measure were reviewed. Although the present cancer incidence burden is greater in higher Human Development Index countries, a greater proportion of the global mortality burden is observed in less developed countries, with a higher mean fatality rate in the latter countries. Further, the future cancer burden is expected to disproportionally affect less developed regions; in particular, it has been estimated that low and medium Human Development Index countries will experience a 100% and 81% increase in cancer incidence from 2008 to 2030, respectively. Disparities were also observed in risk factors and average health outcomes, such as a greater number of years of life lost prematurely and fewer cancer-related gains in life expectancy observed in lower versus higher Human Development Index settings. From a global perspective, there remain clear disparities in the cancer burden according to national Human Development Index scores. International efforts are needed to aid countries in social and economic transition in order to efficiently plan, implement and evaluate cancer control initiatives as a means to reduce the widening gap in cancer occurrence and survival worldwide.

An Overview of Mars Vicinity Transportation Concepts for a Human Mars Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dexter, Carol E.; Kos, Larry

1998-01-01

To send a piloted mission to Mars, transportation systems must be developed for the Earth to Orbit, trans Mars injection (TMI), capture into Mars orbit, Mars descent, surface stay, Mars ascent, trans Earth injection (TEI), and Earth return phases. This paper presents a brief overview of the transportation systems for the Human Mars Mission (HMM) only in the vicinity of Mars. This includes: capture into Mars orbit, Mars descent, surface stay, and Mars ascent. Development of feasible mission scenarios now is important for identification of critical technology areas that must be developed to support future human missions. Although there is no funded human Mars mission today, architecture studies are focusing on missions traveling to Mars between 2011 and the early 2020's.

Revitalization of Space-Related Human Factors, Environmental and Habitability Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russo, Dane; Pickett, Lynn K.; Tillman, Barry; Foley, Tico

2007-01-01

The NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer (CHMO) recently directed that the agency establish crew health standards to aid in the development of requirements for future vehicles and habitats. Response to this direction includes development of a new NASA habitability and human factors standard and an accompanying design handbook. The new standard contains high-level, over-arching principles to assure its applicability and usability across all NASA development programs. The handbook will provide detailed design requirements and suggestions that will meet the standards. The information contained in NASA-STD-3000 will be updated and included in the new design handbook. In this approach, each new program will derive detailed program-specific requirements from the new standard using the handbook as a design guide and resource. With the completion of the standard, the focus of this year s effort is the development of the new handbook: Human Integration Design Handbook (HIDH). This is an opportunity for the space flight human factors and habitability community to consolidate up-to-date data for use by NASA programs and designers as well as outside researchers and policy makers looking for the next research focus. The goal of the handbook is to help NASA design and build human space flight systems which accommodate the capabilities and limitations of the crew so as to provide an environment where the crew can live and work effectively, safely, and comfortably. Handbook contents will address that primary goal, addressing unique aspects of space flight and habitation, including reduced gravity conditions, time lags, EVA systems and day/night cycles, not addressed in other standards or handbooks. The handbook will be divided into topics similar to NASA-STD-3000 (anthropometrics, architecture, workstations, etc.) and each topic area will contain elements for designers, human factors practitioners, program managers, operators, and researchers. The handbook will include the following elements: (1) Design considerations include a clear and concise summary of what is important to designers in space vehicle / habitat design, design information to translate Earth-base knowledge to the space environment, space issues and the data necessary to address those issues, and a consistent set of terminology. (2) Updates to Lessons Learned and example solutions from Shuttle and Station program experience will provide historical examples to help prevent repeating mistakes or reinvention of the wheel. (3) Requirements will aid in the translation of standards into program specific requirements. The scope of included requirements will define the pool that each program needs to consider and tailor for their specific program. (4) Requirements rationale will help understanding of the importance of these considerations. The HIDH development team at JSC is finalizing the format of the new handbook, prioritizing topic areas for expansion and update, and contacting subject matter experts within the scientific community to assist with this effort. Plans are also being made to continue handbook expansion and maintenance to assure it remains a valuable resource for human factors and human space flight programs.

Human genome project: revolutionizing biology through leveraging technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahl, Carol A.; Strausberg, Robert L.

1996-04-01

The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an international project to develop genetic, physical, and sequence-based maps of the human genome. Since the inception of the HGP it has been clear that substantially improved technology would be required to meet the scientific goals, particularly in order to acquire the complete sequence of the human genome, and that these technologies coupled with the information forthcoming from the project would have a dramatic effect on the way biomedical research is performed in the future. In this paper, we discuss the state-of-the-art for genomic DNA sequencing, technological challenges that remain, and the potential technological paths that could yield substantially improved genomic sequencing technology. The impact of the technology developed from the HGP is broad-reaching and a discussion of other research and medical applications that are leveraging HGP-derived DNA analysis technologies is included. The multidisciplinary approach to the development of new technologies that has been successful for the HGP provides a paradigm for facilitating new genomic approaches toward understanding the biological role of functional elements and systems within the cell, including those encoded within genomic DNA and their molecular products.

Human Centered Autonomous and Assistant Systems Testbed for Exploration Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.; Mount, Frances; Carreon, Patricia; Torney, Susan E.

2001-01-01

The Engineering and Mission Operations Directorates at NASA Johnson Space Center are combining laboratories and expertise to establish the Human Centered Autonomous and Assistant Systems Testbed for Exploration Operations. This is a testbed for human centered design, development and evaluation of intelligent autonomous and assistant systems that will be needed for human exploration and development of space. This project will improve human-centered analysis, design and evaluation methods for developing intelligent software. This software will support human-machine cognitive and collaborative activities in future interplanetary work environments where distributed computer and human agents cooperate. We are developing and evaluating prototype intelligent systems for distributed multi-agent mixed-initiative operations. The primary target domain is control of life support systems in a planetary base. Technical approaches will be evaluated for use during extended manned tests in the target domain, the Bioregenerative Advanced Life Support Systems Test Complex (BIO-Plex). A spinoff target domain is the International Space Station (ISS) Mission Control Center (MCC). Prodl}cts of this project include human-centered intelligent software technology, innovative human interface designs, and human-centered software development processes, methods and products. The testbed uses adjustable autonomy software and life support systems simulation models from the Adjustable Autonomy Testbed, to represent operations on the remote planet. Ground operations prototypes and concepts will be evaluated in the Exploration Planning and Operations Center (ExPOC) and Jupiter Facility.

Stem cell research as innovation: expanding the ethical and policy conversation.

PubMed

Dresser, Rebecca

2010-01-01

Research using human embryonic stem cells raises an array of complex ethical issues, including, but by no means limited to, the moral status of developing human life. Unfortunately much of the public discussion fails to take into account this complexity. Advocacy for liberal and conservative positions on human embryonic stem cell research can be simplistic and misleading. Ethical concepts such as truth-telling, scientific integrity, and social justice should be part of the debate over federal support for human embryonic stem cell research. Moreover, the debate should be conducted in accord with principles of deliberative democracy, including respect for people holding competing views.

An Empirical Research on the Correlation between Human Capital and Career Success of Knowledge Workers in Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Wenchen; Xiao, Hongjun; Yang, Xi

Human capital plays an important part in employability of knowledge workers, also it is the important intangible assets of company. This paper explores the correlation between human capital and career success of knowledge workers. Based on literature retrieval, we identified measuring tool of career success and modified further; measuring human capital with self-developed scale of high reliability and validity. After exploratory factor analysis, we suggest that human capital contents four dimensions, including education, work experience, learning ability and training; career success contents three dimensions, including perceived internal competitiveness of organization, perceived external competitiveness of organization and career satisfaction. The result of empirical analysis indicates that there is a positive correlation between human capital and career success, and human capital is an excellent predictor of career success beyond demographics variables.

Differentiation and Characterization of Myeloid Cells

PubMed Central

Gupta, Dipti; Shah, Hetavi Parag; Malu, Krishnakumar; Berliner, Nancy; Gaines, Peter

2015-01-01

Recent molecular studies of myeloid differentiation have utilized several in vitro models of myelopoiesis, generated from either ex vivo differentiated bone marrow progenitors or induced immortalized myeloid cell lines. Ex vivo differentiation begins with an enriched population of bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells generated by lineage depletion and/or positive selection for CD34+ antigen (human) or Sca-1+ (mouse) cells, which are then expanded and subsequently induced in vitro in a process that recapitulates normal myeloid development. Myeloid cell lines include two human leukemic cell lines, NB-4 and HL-60, which have been demonstrated to undergo retinoic acid–induced myeloid development, however, both cell lines exhibit defects in the upregulation of late-expressed neutrophil-specific genes. Multiple murine factor–dependent cell models of myelopoiesis are also available that express the full range of neutrophil maturation markers, including: 32Dcl3 cells, which undergo G-CSF-induced myeloid maturation, EML/EPRO cells, which develop into mature neutrophils in response to cytokines and retinoic acid, and ER-Hoxb8 cells, which undergo myeloid maturation upon removal of estradial in the maintenance medium. In this unit, the induction of myeloid maturation in each of these model systems is described, including their differentiation to either neutrophils or macrophages, if applicable. Commonly used techniques to test for myeloid characteristics of developing cells are also described, including flow cytometry and real time RT-PCR. Together, these assays provide a solid foundation for in vitro investigations of myeloid development with either human or mouse models. PMID:24510620

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

Sanfilippo, Antonio P.; Riensche, Roderick M.; Haack, Jereme N.

“Gamification”, the application of gameplay to real-world problems, enables the development of human computation systems that support decision-making through the integration of social and machine intelligence. One of gamification’s major benefits includes the creation of a problem solving environment where the influence of cognitive and cultural biases on human judgment can be curtailed through collaborative and competitive reasoning. By reducing biases on human judgment, gamification allows human computation systems to exploit human creativity relatively unhindered by human error. Operationally, gamification uses simulation to harvest human behavioral data that provide valuable insights for the solution of real-world problems.

[Human resources for health in Ecuador's new model of care].

PubMed

Espinosa, Verónica; de la Torre, Daniel; Acuña, Cecilia; Cadena, Cristina

2017-06-08

Describe strategies implemented by Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health (MPH) to strengthen human resources for health leadership and respond to the new model of care, as a part of the reform process in the period 2012-2015. A documentary review was carried out of primary and secondary sources on development of human resources for health before and after the reform. In the study period, Ecuador developed a new institutional and regulatory framework for developing human resources for health to respond to the requirements of a model of care based on primary health care. The MPH consolidated its steering role by forging strategic partnerships, implementing human resources planning methods, and making an unprecedented investment in health worker training, hiring, and wage increases. These elements constitute the initial core for development of human resources for health policy and a health-services study program consistent with the reform's objectives. Within the framework of the reform carried out from 2012 to 2015, intersectoral work by the MPH has led to considerable achievements in development of human resources for health. Notable achievements include strengthening of the steering role, development and implementation of standards and regulatory instruments, creation of new professional profiles, and hiring of professionals to implement the comprehensive health care model, which helped to solve problems carried over from the years prior to the reform.

Generation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells for drug toxicity screening.

PubMed

Takayama, Kazuo; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki

2017-02-01

Because drug-induced liver injury is one of the main reasons for drug development failures, it is important to perform drug toxicity screening in the early phase of pharmaceutical development. Currently, primary human hepatocytes are most widely used for the prediction of drug-induced liver injury. However, the sources of primary human hepatocytes are limited, making it difficult to supply the abundant quantities required for large-scale drug toxicity screening. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a novel unlimited, efficient, inexpensive, and predictive model which can be applied for large-scale drug toxicity screening. Human embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are able to replicate indefinitely and differentiate into most of the body's cell types, including hepatocytes. It is expected that hepatocyte-like cells generated from human ES/iPS cells (human ES/iPS-HLCs) will be a useful tool for drug toxicity screening. To apply human ES/iPS-HLCs to various applications including drug toxicity screening, homogenous and functional HLCs must be differentiated from human ES/iPS cells. In this review, we will introduce the current status of hepatocyte differentiation technology from human ES/iPS cells and a novel method to predict drug-induced liver injury using human ES/iPS-HLCs. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of the Human ABC Efflux Transporters P-gp and BCRP by the BDE-47 Hydroxylated Metabolite 6-OH-BDE-47: Considerations for Human Exposure

EPA Science Inventory

High body burdens of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in infants and young children have led to increased concern over their potential impact on human development. PBDE exposure can alter the expression of genes involved in thyroid homeostasis, including those of ATP-bindin...

Securing the Human: The Journey Toward World Law and Justice. The Whole Earth Papers, No. 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mische, Patricia; And Others

The document contains a variety of papers that examine the linkages between local concerns and global concerns and explore alternative world futures. An introductory article, "Securing the Human," discusses how the world community needs to develop adequate means to deal with crimes against humans. These means include sound analysis, spiritual…

Engineering stromal-epithelial interactions in vitro for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Crosstalk between epithelial and stromal cells drives the morphogenesis of ectodermal organs during development and promotes normal mature adult epithelial tissue function. Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions (EMIs) have been examined using mammalian models, ex vivo tissue recombination, and in vitro co-cultures. Although these approaches have elucidated signaling mechanisms underlying morphogenetic processes and adult mammalian epithelial tissue function, they are limited by the availability of human tissue, low throughput, and human developmental or physiological relevance. Objectives: Bioengineering strategies to promote EMIs using human epithelial and mesenchymal cells have enabled the development of human in vitro models of adult epidermal and glandular tissues. In this review, we describe recent bioengineered models of human epithelial tissue and organs that can instruct the design of organotypic models of human developmental processes.Methods: We reviewed current bioengineering literature and here describe how bioengineered EMIs have enabled the development of human in vitro epithelial tissue models.Discussion: Engineered models to promote EMIs have recapitulated the architecture, phenotype, and function of adult human epithelial tissue, and similar engineering principles could be used to develop models of developmental morphogenesis. We describe how bioengineering strategies including bioprinting and spheroid culture could be implemented to

Neutrophil extracellular traps form predominantly during the organizing stage of human venous thromboembolism development

PubMed Central

Savchenko, A. S.; Martinod, K.; Seidman, M. A.; Wong, S. L.; Borissoff, J. I.; Piazza, G.; Libby, P.; Goldhaber, S. Z.; Mitchell, R. N.; Wagner, D. D.

2014-01-01

Background A growing health problem, venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), requires refined diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Neutrophils contribute to thrombus initiation and development in experimental DVT. Recent animal studies recognized neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) as an important scaffold supporting thrombus stability. However, the hypothesis that human venous thrombi involve NETs has not undergone rigorous testing. Objective To explore the cellular composition and the presence of NETs within human venous thrombi at different stages of development. Patients and Methods We examined sixteen thrombi obtained from 11 patients during surgery or at autopsy using histomorphological, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses. Results We classified thrombus regions as unorganized, organizing, and organized according to their morphological characteristics. We then evaluated them focusing on neutrophil and platelet deposition as well as micro-vascularization of the thrombus body. We observed evidence of NET accumulation, including the presence of citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit)-positive cells. NETs, defined as extracellular diffuse H3Cit areas associated with myeloperoxidase and DNA, localized predominantly during the phase of organization in human venous thrombi. Conclusions NETs are present in organizing thrombi in patients with VTE. They are associated with thrombus maturation in humans. Dissolution of NETs might thus facilitate thrombolysis. This finding provides new insights into the clinical development and pathology of thrombosis and provides new perspectives for therapeutic advances. PMID:24674135

Potent cocktails: Effects of phthalate mixtures on reproductive development

EPA Science Inventory

Phthalate diesters are high-production volume chemicals used for many applications in consumer, health, medical and industrial products. Multiple phthalate metabolites have been detected in humans of all ages, including in pregnant mothers' urine and human amniotic fluid. Certain...

Framework Analysis for Determining Mode of Action & Human Relevance

EPA Science Inventory

The overall aim of a cancer risk assessment is to characterize the risk to humans from environmental exposures. This risk characterization includes a qualitative and quantitative risk characterization that relies on the development of separate hazard, dose- response and exposure...

Report of a workshop on human-automation interaction in NGATS

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-10-01

This report reviews the findings of a workshop held in Arlington, VA may 10 and 11, 2006 to consider needs for research on human-automation interaction to support NASA/FAA Joint Planning and Development Office. Participants included representatives f...

Mosquito repellency of novel Trifluoromethylphenyl amides

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Human diseases caused by mosquito-transmitted pathogens include malaria, dengue and yellow fever and are responsible for several million human deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Our current research projects focus on the development of new insecticides and repellent...

48 CFR 1335.001 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.001 Definitions. Human subject means a living individual...” includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect...) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects. Research...

48 CFR 1335.001 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.001 Definitions. Human subject means a living individual...” includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect...) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects. Research...

48 CFR 1335.001 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.001 Definitions. Human subject means a living individual...” includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect...) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects. Research...

48 CFR 1335.001 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.001 Definitions. Human subject means a living individual...” includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect...) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects. Research...

Drosophila Melanogaster as an Emerging Translational Model of Human Nephrolithiasis

PubMed Central

Miller, Joe; Chi, Thomas; Kapahi, Pankaj; Kahn, Arnold J.; Kim, Man Su; Hirata, Taku; Romero, Michael F.; Dow, Julian A.T.; Stoller, Marshall L.

2013-01-01

Purpose The limitations imposed by human clinical studies and mammalian models of nephrolithiasis have hampered the development of effective medical treatments and preventative measures for decades. The simple but elegant Drosophila melanogaster is emerging as a powerful translational model of human disease, including nephrolithiasis and may provide important information essential to our understanding of stone formation. We present the current state of research using D. melanogaster as a model of human nephrolithiasis. Materials and Methods A comprehensive review of the English language literature was performed using PUBMED. When necessary, authoritative texts on relevant subtopics were consulted. Results The genetic composition, anatomic structure and physiologic function of Drosophila Malpighian tubules are remarkably similar to those of the human nephron. The direct effects of dietary manipulation, environmental alteration, and genetic variation on stone formation can be observed and quantified in a matter of days. Several Drosophila models of human nephrolithiasis, including genetically linked and environmentally induced stones, have been developed. A model of calcium oxalate stone formation is among the most recent fly models of human nephrolithiasis. Conclusions The ability to readily manipulate and quantify stone formation in D. melanogaster models of human nephrolithiasis presents the urologic community with a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of this enigmatic disease. PMID:23500641

[Current problems in the data acquisition of digitized virtual human and the countermeasures].

PubMed

Zhong, Shi-zhen; Yuan, Lin

2003-06-01

As a relatively new field of medical science research that has attracted the attention from worldwide researchers, study of digitized virtual human still awaits long-term dedicated effort for its full development. In the full array of research projects of the integrated Virtual Chinese Human project, virtual visible human, virtual physical human, virtual physiome, and intellectualized virtual human must be included as the four essential constitutional opponents. The primary importance should be given to solving the problems concerning the data acquisition for the dataset of this immense project. Currently 9 virtual human datasets have been established worldwide, which are subjected to critical analyses in the paper with special attention given to the problems in the data storage and the techniques employed, for instance, in these datasets. On the basis of current research status of Virtual Chinese Human project, the authors propose some countermeasures for solving the problems in the data acquisition for the dataset, which include (1) giving the priority to the quality control instead of merely racing for quantity and speed, and (2) improving the setting up of the markers specific for the tissues and organs to meet the requirement from information technology, (3) with also attention to the development potential of the dataset which should have explicit pertinence to specific actual applications.

Losing Sight of the Child? Human Capital Theory and Its Role for Early Childhood Education and Care Policies in Finland and England since the Mid-1990s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell-Barr, Verity; Nygård, Mikael

2014-01-01

The international interest in early childhood education and care (ECEC) by supranational organisations, including the European Union, has grown considerably due to its dual function of sustaining parental employment and fostering child development. Focussing primarily on child development debates around ECEC, this article argues that human capital…

Academy of Human Resource Development Conference Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri, March 2-5, 1995).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holton, Elwood F., III, Ed.

This document contains papers from 23 of 25 symposia held at the 1995 Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) conference. Keynote speeches, symposium 6, and symposium 25 are not included. The 23 symposia are on the following topics: (1) HRD town forum; (2) core directions in HRD; (3) university instruction in HRD; (4) evaluation in HRD; (5)…

Development of mathematical models of environmental physiology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stolwijk, J. A. J.; Mitchell, J. W.; Nadel, E. R.

1971-01-01

Selected articles concerned with mathematical or simulation models of human thermoregulation are presented. The articles presented include: (1) development and use of simulation models in medicine, (2) model of cardio-vascular adjustments during exercise, (3) effective temperature scale based on simple model of human physiological regulatory response, (4) behavioral approach to thermoregulatory set point during exercise, and (5) importance of skin temperature in sweat regulation.

Quest for Quality. Proceedings of National Research Conference on Human Resource Development (College Station, Texas, April 22-24, 1993).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathis, Laura, Ed.; Mizer, Kaye, Ed.

Papers on the theme of quality in human resource development include the following: "Missing Link to Quality: An Examination of the Use of Steven Covey's '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' in State Agencies" (Adair et al.); "Executive Women in Business in the United States" (Bierema); "Extent and Nature of Employee Initiated Learning in the…

Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Conference Proceedings (Tulsa, Oklahoma, February 28-March 4, 2001). Volumes 1 and 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aliaga, Oscar A., Ed.

This document contains 127 papers and innovative sessions and three poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, keyword index, and a CD-ROM version of the document are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 44 symposiums, which were devoted to the following…

Artificial Gravity Research Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamman, Michelle R.; Paloski, William H.

2005-01-01

Protecting the health, safety, and performance of exploration-class mission crews against the physiological deconditioning resulting from long-term weightlessness during transit and long-term hypogravity during surface operations will require effective, multi-system countermeasures. Artificial gravity (AG), which would replace terrestrial gravity with inertial forces generated by rotating the transit vehicle or by a human centrifuge device within the transit vehicle or surface habitat, has long been considered a potential solution. However, despite its attractiveness as an efficient, multi-system countermeasure and its potential for improving the environment and simplifying operational activities (e.g., WCS, galley, etc.), much still needs to be learned regarding the human response to rotating environments before AG can be successfully implemented. This paper will describe our approach for developing and implementing a rigorous AG Research Project to address the key biomedical research questions that must be answered before developing effective AG countermeasure implementation strategies for exploration-class missions. The AG Research Project will be performed at JSC, ARC, extramural academic and government research venues, and international partner facilities maintained by DLR and IMBP. The Project includes three major ground-based human research subprojects that will lead to flight testing of intermittent short-radius AG in ISS crewmembers after 201 0, continuous long-radius AG in CEV crews transiting to and from the Moon, and intermittent short-radius AG plus exercise in lunar habitats. These human ground-based subprojects include: 1) a directed, managed international short-radius project to investigate the multi-system effectiveness of intermittent AG in human subjects deconditioned by bed rest, 2) a directed, managed long-radius project to investigate the capacity of humans to live and work for extended periods in rotating environments, and 3) a focused, investigator-initiated project to investigate system-specific adaptation to and from rotating environments. The AG Research Project also includes two major animal research subprojects: 1) a directed, managed ground-based subproject using rodents and, possibly, sub-human primates, to address mechanistic issues that cannot be studied in humans, to rapidly develop higher sample numbers than can be achieved in the human subprojects, and to establish feasible parameter operating bands to reduce the breadth of the human subprojects, and 2) a flight subproject using rodents to estimate the physiological effects of long term exposure to hypogravity and to investigate the effects of contamination by terrestrial gravity in estimating AG effectiveness. The animal flight subproject would be performed aboard ISS using the CAM module in approximately the 2008-201 1 timeframe. The paper will first present an overview of the key biomedical research questions to be answered. It will then describe the overall approaches to be utilized in developing and implementing the AG Research Project, including definition of the intended scientific research, management and development approaches, identification of roles and responsibilities, risk management, and definition of project deliverables. The primary focus of the paper will be on the first of the three ground-based human research subprojects, since it is the only one currently in development and is scheduled to start active subject investigations in April of 2005.

Human Factors in the Design of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; Byrne, Vicky; Holden, Kritina

2007-01-01

NASA s Space Exploration vision for humans to venture to the moon and beyond provides interesting human factors opportunities and challenges. The Human Engineering group at NASA has been involved in the initial phases of development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Orion. Getting involved at the ground level, Human Factors engineers are beginning to influence design; this involvement is expected to continue throughout the development lifecycle. The information presented here describes what has been done to date, what is currently going on, and what is expected in the future. During Phase 1, prior to the contract award to Lockheed Martin, the Human Engineering group was involved in generating requirements, conducting preliminary task analyses based on interviews with subject matter experts in all vehicle systems areas, and developing preliminary concepts of operations based on the task analysis results. In addition, some early evaluations to look at CEV net habitable volume were also conducted. The program is currently in Phase 2, which is broken down into design cycles, including System Readiness Review, Preliminary Design Review, and Critical Design Review. Currently, there are ongoing Human Engineering Technical Interchange Meetings being held with both NASA and Lockheed Martin in order to establish processes, desired products, and schedules. Multiple design trades and quick-look evaluations (e.g. display device layout and external window size) are also in progress. Future Human Engineering activities include requirement verification assessments and crew/stakeholder evaluations of increasing fidelity. During actual flights of the CEV, the Human Engineering group is expected to be involved in in-situ testing and lessons learned reporting, in order to benefit human space flight beyond the initial CEV program.

Conserved and Divergent Features of Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Types within the Cortical Nephrogenic Niche of the Human and Mouse Kidney.

PubMed

Lindström, Nils O; Guo, Jinjin; Kim, Albert D; Tran, Tracy; Guo, Qiuyu; De Sena Brandine, Guilherme; Ransick, Andrew; Parvez, Riana K; Thornton, Matthew E; Basking, Laurence; Grubbs, Brendan; McMahon, Jill A; Smith, Andrew D; McMahon, Andrew P

2018-03-01

Cellular interactions among nephron, interstitial, and collecting duct progenitors drive mammalian kidney development. In mice, Six2 + nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) and Foxd1 + interstitial progenitor cells (IPCs) form largely distinct lineage compartments at the onset of metanephric kidney development. Here, we used the method for analyzing RNA following intracellular sorting (MARIS) approach, single-cell transcriptional profiling, in situ hybridization, and immunolabeling to characterize the presumptive NPC and IPC compartments of the developing human kidney. As in mice, each progenitor population adopts a stereotypical arrangement in the human nephron-forming niche: NPCs capped outgrowing ureteric branch tips, whereas IPCs were sandwiched between the NPCs and the renal capsule. Unlike mouse NPCs, human NPCs displayed a transcriptional profile that overlapped substantially with the IPC transcriptional profile, and key IPC determinants, including FOXD1 , were readily detected within SIX2 + NPCs. Comparative gene expression profiling in human and mouse Six2/SIX2 + NPCs showed broad agreement between the species but also identified species-biased expression of some genes. Notably, some human NPC-enriched genes, including DAPL1 and COL9A2 , are linked to human renal disease. We further explored the cellular diversity of mesenchymal cell types in the human nephrogenic niche through single-cell transcriptional profiling. Data analysis stratified NPCs into two main subpopulations and identified a third group of differentiating cells. These findings were confirmed by section in situ hybridization with novel human NPC markers predicted through the single-cell studies. This study provides a benchmark for the mesenchymal progenitors in the human nephrogenic niche and highlights species-variability in kidney developmental programs. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Nephrology.

A call to include medical humanities in the curriculum of colleges of osteopathic medicine and in applicant selection.

PubMed

Hoff, Gary; Hirsch, Norma J; Means, J Jeffrey; Streyffeler, Lisa

2014-10-01

Medicine stands at a crossroad. Disruptive physician behavior has increased, and patient satisfaction has decreased. A growing body of knowledge demonstrates that the medical humanities assist in the creation of compassionate, resilient physicians. Incorporating medical humanities into the medical school curriculum promotes the development of compassionate, culturally sensitive physicians, and also encourages the development of resilience in health care professionals at a time when internal and external pressures on physicians are increasing. © 2014 The American Osteopathic Association.

A survey of Applied Psychological Services' models of the human operator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siegel, A. I.; Wolf, J. J.

1979-01-01

A historical perspective is presented in terms of the major features and status of two families of computer simulation models in which the human operator plays the primary role. Both task oriented and message oriented models are included. Two other recent efforts are summarized which deal with visual information processing. They involve not whole model development but a family of subroutines customized to add the human aspects to existing models. A global diagram of the generalized model development/validation process is presented and related to 15 criteria for model evaluation.

Guidance for human interface with artificial intelligence systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Scott S.; Woods, David D.

1991-01-01

The beginning of a research effort to collect and integrate existing research findings about how to combine computer power and people is discussed, including problems and pitfalls as well as desirable features. The goal of the research is to develop guidance for the design of human interfaces with intelligent systems. Fault management tasks in NASA domains are the focus of the investigation. Research is being conducted to support the development of guidance for designers that will enable them to make human interface considerations into account during the creation of intelligent systems.

Assessment of a human computer interface prototyping environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Loretta A.

1993-01-01

A Human Computer Interface (HCI) prototyping environment with embedded evaluation capability has been successfully assessed which will be valuable in developing and refining HCI standards and evaluating program/project interface development, especially Space Station Freedom on-board displays for payload operations. The HCI prototyping environment is designed to include four components: (1) a HCI format development tool, (2) a test and evaluation simulator development tool, (3) a dynamic, interactive interface between the HCI prototype and simulator, and (4) an embedded evaluation capability to evaluate the adequacy of an HCI based on a user's performance.

SimCenter Hawaii Technology Enabled Learning and Intervention Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

manikin training in acquiring triage skills and self -efficacy. Phase II includes the development of the VR training scenarios, which includes iterative...Task A5. Skills acquisition relative to self -efficacy study See Appendix F, Mass Casualty Triage Training using Human Patient Simulators Improves...relative to self -efficacy study • See Appendix F, Mass Casualty Triage Training using Human Patient Simulators Improves Speed and Accuracy of First

Health indicators and human development in the Arab region

PubMed Central

Boutayeb, Abdesslam; Serghini, Mansour

2006-01-01

Background The present paper deals with the relationship between health indicators and human development in the Arab region. Beyond descriptive analysis showing geographic similarities and disparities inter countries, the main purpose is to point out health deficiencies and to propose pragmatic strategies susceptible to improve health conditions and consequently enhance human development in the Arab world. Methods Data analysis using Principal Components Analysis is used to compare the achievements of the Arab countries in terms of direct and indirect health indicators. The variables (indicators) are seen to be well represented on the circle of correlation, allowing for interesting interpretation and analysis. The 19 countries are projected on the first and second plane respectively. Results The results given by the present analysis give a good panorama of the Arab countries with their geographic similarities and disparities. The high correlation between health indicators and human development is well illustrated and consequently, countries are classified by groups having similar human development. The analysis shows clearly how health deficits are impeding human development in the majority of Arab countries and allows us to formulate suggestions to improve health conditions and enhance human development in the Arab World. Discussion The discussion is based on the link between different direct and indirect health indicators and the relationship between these indicators and human development index. Without including the GDP indicator, our analysis has shown that the 19 Arab countries may be classified, independently of their geographic proximity, in three different groups according to their global human development level (Low, Medium and High). Consequently, while identifying health deficiencies in each group, the focus was made on the countries presenting a high potential of improvement in health indicators. In particular, maternal mortality and infant mortality which are really challenging health authorities of the first and third group were critically discussed. Conclusion The Arab countries have made substantial economic and social progress during the last decades by improving life expectancy and reducing maternal and infant mortality. However, considering its natural wealth and human resources, the Arab region has accomplished less than expected in terms of human development. Huge social inequalities and health inequities exist inter and intra Arab countries. In most Arab countries, a large percentage of populations, especially in rural areas, are deprived of access to health facilities. Consequently, many women still die during pregnancy and labour, yielding unacceptable levels of maternal and infant mortality. However, the problem is seen to be more complex, going beyond geography and technical accessibility to health care, it compasses, among others, levels of literacy, low social and economic status of women, qualification of health staff, general behaviour and interactions between patients and medical personnel (including corruption). PMID:17194309

THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS PERTAINING TO RACE AND CULTURE IN AMERICAN LIFE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GIBSON, JOHN S.; KVARACEUS, WILLIAM C.

THIS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED TO ADJUST ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE INFORMATION AND CONCEPTS ABOUT RACIAL-CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN AMERICA, INCLUDING THE LIFE ON THE AMERICAN NEGRO. ITS PRINCIPAL EMPHASIS WAS ON LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR PREPARING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN THIS AREA OF HUMAN RELATIONS.…

Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G.

2009-01-01

This document reviews the Design Reference Architecture (DRA) for human exploration of Mars. The DRA represents the current best strategy for human missions. The DRA is not a formal plan, but provides a vision and context to tie current systems and technology developments to potential missions to Mars, and it also serves as a benchmark against which alternative architectures can be measured. The document also reviews the objectives and products of the 2007 study that was to update NASA's human Mars mission reference architecture, assess strategic linkages between lunar and Mars strategies, develop an understanding of methods for reducing cost/risk of human missions through investment in research, technology development and synergy with other exploration plans. There is also a review of the process by which the DRA will continue to be refined. The unique capacities of human exploration is reviewed. The possible goals and objectives of the first three human missions are presented, along with the recommendation that the mission involve a long stay visiting multiple sites.The deployment strategy is outlined and diagrammed including the pre-deployment of the many of the material requirements, and a six crew travel to Mars on a six month trajectory. The predeployment and the Orion crew vehicle are shown. The ground operations requirements are also explained. Also the use of resources found on the surface of Mars is postulated. The Mars surface exploration strategy is reviewed, including the planetary protection processes that are planned. Finally a listing of the key decisions and tenets is posed.

The Role of the Community Nurse in Promoting Health and Human Dignity-Narrative Review Article

PubMed Central

Muntean, Ana; Tomita, Mihaela; Ungureanu, Roxana

2013-01-01

Abstract Background: Population health, as defined by WHO in its constitution, is out “a physical, mental and social complete wellbeing”. At the basis of human welfare is the human dignity. This dimension requires an integrated vision of health care. The ecosystemical vision of Bronfenbrenner allows highlighting the unexpected connections between social macro system based on values and the micro system consisting of individual and family. Community nurse is aimed to transgression in practice of education and care, the respect for human dignity, the bonds among values and practices of the community and the physical health of individuals. In Romania, the promotion of community nurse began in 2002, through the project promoting the social inclusion by developing human and institutional resources within community nursery of the National School of Public Health, Management and Education in Healthcare Bucharest. The community nurse became apparent in 10 counties included in the project. Considering the respect for human dignity as an axiomatic value for the community nurse interventions, we stress the need for developing a primary care network in Romania. The proof is based on the analysis of the concept of human dignity within health care, as well as the secondary analysis of health indicators, in the year of 2010, of the 10 counties included in the project. Our conclusions will draw attention to the need of community nurse and, will open directions for new researches and developments needed to promote primary health in Romania. PMID:26060614

Management Development in Hospitality and Tourism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teare, Richard, Ed.; And Others

1990-01-01

A theme issue devoted to management development in hospitality and tourism includes nine articles on assessing human resource needs and priorities, management development and training, preparing managers, curriculum design, supervised work experience, manager role, and the current business environment. (JOW)

Design and Construction of a Portable Oculometer for Use in Transportation Oriented Human Factors Studies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-08-01

THE REPORT DESCRIBES DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT DESIGNED TO ACQUIRE AND PROCESS INFORMATION ABOUT HUMAN VISUAL PERFORMANCE. THE INSTRUMENT HAS THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: IT CAN BE OPERATED IN A VARIETY OF TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENTS INCLUDING SIMULATO...

Categorizing Biomarkers of the Human Exposome and Developing Metrics for Assessing Environmental Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

The concept of maintaining environmental sustainability broadly encompasses all human activities that impact the global environment, including the production of energy, use and management of finite resources such as petrochemicals, metals, food production (farmland, fresh and oce...

45 CFR 1308.9 - Eligibility criteria: Speech or language impairments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN... language impairments. (a) A speech or language impairment means a communication disorder such as stuttering... language disorder may be characterized by difficulty in understanding and producing language, including...

Gene Expression of Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes Modulated by Trivalent Arsenicals

EPA Science Inventory

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is associated with the development of benign and malignant human skin lesions including nonmelanoma skin cancers. The precise arsenical form(s) responsible for this carcinogenic effect are unknown, although trivalent inorganic arsenic (...

Trial and error: how the unclonable human mitochondrial genome was cloned in yeast.

PubMed

Bigger, Brian W; Liao, Ai-Yin; Sergijenko, Ana; Coutelle, Charles

2011-11-01

Development of a human mitochondrial gene delivery vector is a critical step in the ability to treat diseases arising from mutations in mitochondrial DNA. Although we have previously cloned the mouse mitochondrial genome in its entirety and developed it as a mitochondrial gene therapy vector, the human mitochondrial genome has been dubbed unclonable in E. coli, due to regions of instability in the D-loop and tRNA(Thr) gene. We tested multi- and single-copy vector systems for cloning human mitochondrial DNA in E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including transformation-associated recombination. Human mitochondrial DNA is unclonable in E. coli and cannot be retained in multi- or single-copy vectors under any conditions. It was, however, possible to clone and stably maintain the entire human mitochondrial genome in yeast as long as a single-copy centromeric plasmid was used. D-loop and tRNA(Thr) were both stable and unmutated. This is the first report of cloning the entire human mitochondrial genome and the first step in developing a gene delivery vehicle for human mitochondrial gene therapy.

Training + Technology: The Future Is Now.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heathman, Dena J.; Kleiner, Brian H.

1991-01-01

New applications of computer-assisted training being developed include telecommunications, artificial intelligence, soft skills training, and performance support systems. Barriers to acceptance are development time, costs, and lack of human contact. (SK)

Development of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from human pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Chen, Tong; Wang, Fen; Wu, Mengyao; Wang, Zack Z

2015-07-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), provide a new cell source for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug discovery, and preclinical toxicity screening. Understanding of the onset and the sequential process of hematopoietic cells from differentiated hPSCs will enable the achievement of personalized medicine and provide an in vitro platform for studying of human hematopoietic development and disease. During embryogenesis, hemogenic endothelial cells, a specified subset of endothelial cells in embryonic endothelium, are the primary source of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells. In this review, we discuss current status in the generation of multipotent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from hPSCs via hemogenic endothelial cells. We also review the achievements in direct reprogramming from non-hematopoietic cells to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Further characterization of hematopoietic differentiation in hPSCs will improve our understanding of blood development and expedite the development of hPSC-derived blood products for therapeutic purpose. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Unexplored therapeutic opportunities in the human genome.

PubMed

Oprea, Tudor I; Bologa, Cristian G; Brunak, Søren; Campbell, Allen; Gan, Gregory N; Gaulton, Anna; Gomez, Shawn M; Guha, Rajarshi; Hersey, Anne; Holmes, Jayme; Jadhav, Ajit; Jensen, Lars Juhl; Johnson, Gary L; Karlson, Anneli; Leach, Andrew R; Ma'ayan, Avi; Malovannaya, Anna; Mani, Subramani; Mathias, Stephen L; McManus, Michael T; Meehan, Terrence F; von Mering, Christian; Muthas, Daniel; Nguyen, Dac-Trung; Overington, John P; Papadatos, George; Qin, Jun; Reich, Christian; Roth, Bryan L; Schürer, Stephan C; Simeonov, Anton; Sklar, Larry A; Southall, Noel; Tomita, Susumu; Tudose, Ilinca; Ursu, Oleg; Vidovic, Dušica; Waller, Anna; Westergaard, David; Yang, Jeremy J; Zahoránszky-Köhalmi, Gergely

2018-05-01

A large proportion of biomedical research and the development of therapeutics is focused on a small fraction of the human genome. In a strategic effort to map the knowledge gaps around proteins encoded by the human genome and to promote the exploration of currently understudied, but potentially druggable, proteins, the US National Institutes of Health launched the Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) initiative in 2014. In this article, we discuss how the systematic collection and processing of a wide array of genomic, proteomic, chemical and disease-related resource data by the IDG Knowledge Management Center have enabled the development of evidence-based criteria for tracking the target development level (TDL) of human proteins, which indicates a substantial knowledge deficit for approximately one out of three proteins in the human proteome. We then present spotlights on the TDL categories as well as key drug target classes, including G protein-coupled receptors, protein kinases and ion channels, which illustrate the nature of the unexplored opportunities for biomedical research and therapeutic development.

[A profile of the population of Indonesia: developing human resources].

PubMed

Mantra, I B

1991-01-01

Population characteristics and their implications for human resource development in Indonesia are analyzed using data from official sources, including the 1990 census. The author concludes that concurrent with some socioeconomic development have been improvements in conditions and characteristics of the population, as seen in the declines in the proportion of the dependent child population and in fertility and mortality rates. An increase in spontaneous internal migration in response to changes in local conditions is also noted. (SUMMARY IN ENG)

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.

Human Mars Landing Site and Impacts on Mars Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bussey, Ben; Hoffman, Stephen J.

2016-01-01

NASA has begun a process to identify and discuss candidate locations where humans could land, live and work on the Martian surface. These locations are referred to as Exploration Zones (EZs). Given current mission concepts, an EZ is a collection of Regions of Interest (ROIs) that are located within approximately 100 kilometers of a centralized landing site. ROIs are areas that are relevant for scientific investigation and/or development/maturation of capabilities and resources necessary for a sustainable human presence. The EZ also contains a landing site and a habitation site that will be used by multiple human crews during missions to explore and utilize the ROIs within the EZ. These candidate EZs will be used by NASA as part of a multi-year process of determining where and how humans could explore Mars. In the near term this process includes: (a) identifying locations that would maximize the potential science return from future human exploration missions, (b) identifying locations with the potential for resources required to support humans, (c) developing concepts and engineering systems needed by future human crews to conduct operations within an EZ, and (d) identifying key characteristics of the proposed candidate EZs that cannot be evaluated using existing data sets, thus helping to define precursor measurements needed in advance of human missions. Existing and future robotic spacecraft will be tasked to gather data from specific Mars surface sites within the representative EZs to support these NASA activities. The proposed paper will describe NASA's initial steps for identifying and evaluating candidate EZs and ROIs. This includes plans for the "First Landing Site/Exploration Zone Workshop for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars" to be held in October 2015 at which proposals for EZs and ROIs will be presented and discussed. It will also include a discussion of how these considerations are (or will be) taken into account as future robotic Mars missions are defined and developed. One or more representative EZs, drawn from similar previous studies involving Mars sites, will be used in the proposed paper to illustrate the process NASA envisions for gathering additional data from robotic precursor missions to assist in making a final selection of an EZ for human crews as well as the steps likely to occur during the buildup of a habitation site. Examples of the systems and operations likely to be used by human crews, assisted by robotic vehicles, to explore the scientific ROIs as well as developing the resource ROIs within the example EZs will be discussed.

A hamster model for Marburg virus infection accurately recapitulates Marburg hemorrhagic fever

PubMed Central

Marzi, Andrea; Banadyga, Logan; Haddock, Elaine; Thomas, Tina; Shen, Kui; Horne, Eva J.; Scott, Dana P.; Feldmann, Heinz; Ebihara, Hideki

2016-01-01

Marburg virus (MARV), a close relative of Ebola virus, is the causative agent of a severe human disease known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF). No licensed vaccine or therapeutic exists to treat MHF, and MARV is therefore classified as a Tier 1 select agent and a category A bioterrorism agent. In order to develop countermeasures against this severe disease, animal models that accurately recapitulate human disease are required. Here we describe the development of a novel, uniformly lethal Syrian golden hamster model of MHF using a hamster-adapted MARV variant Angola. Remarkably, this model displayed almost all of the clinical features of MHF seen in humans and non-human primates, including coagulation abnormalities, hemorrhagic manifestations, petechial rash, and a severely dysregulated immune response. This MHF hamster model represents a powerful tool for further dissecting MARV pathogenesis and accelerating the development of effective medical countermeasures against human MHF. PMID:27976688

A hamster model for Marburg virus infection accurately recapitulates Marburg hemorrhagic fever.

PubMed

Marzi, Andrea; Banadyga, Logan; Haddock, Elaine; Thomas, Tina; Shen, Kui; Horne, Eva J; Scott, Dana P; Feldmann, Heinz; Ebihara, Hideki

2016-12-15

Marburg virus (MARV), a close relative of Ebola virus, is the causative agent of a severe human disease known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF). No licensed vaccine or therapeutic exists to treat MHF, and MARV is therefore classified as a Tier 1 select agent and a category A bioterrorism agent. In order to develop countermeasures against this severe disease, animal models that accurately recapitulate human disease are required. Here we describe the development of a novel, uniformly lethal Syrian golden hamster model of MHF using a hamster-adapted MARV variant Angola. Remarkably, this model displayed almost all of the clinical features of MHF seen in humans and non-human primates, including coagulation abnormalities, hemorrhagic manifestations, petechial rash, and a severely dysregulated immune response. This MHF hamster model represents a powerful tool for further dissecting MARV pathogenesis and accelerating the development of effective medical countermeasures against human MHF.

Technology Needs to Support Future Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nilsen, Erik N.; Baker, John; Lillard, Randolph P.

2013-01-01

The Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG) under the direction of Dr. Orlando Figueroa, was chartered to develop options for a program-level architecture for robotic exploration of Mars consistent with the objective to send humans to Mars in the 2030's. Scientific pathways were defined for future exploration, and multiple architectural options were developed that meet current science goals and support the future human exploration objectives. Integral to the process was the identification of critical technologies which enable the future scientific and human exploration goals. This paper describes the process for technology capabilities identification and examines the critical capability needs identified in the MPPG process. Several critical enabling technologies that have been identified to support the robotic exploration goals and with potential feedforward application to human exploration goals. Potential roadmaps for the development and validation of these technologies are discussed, including options for subscale technology demonstrations of future human exploration technologies on robotic missions.

Human biomonitoring data interpretation and ethics; obstacles or surmountable challenges?

PubMed Central

Sepai, Ovnair; Collier, Clare; Van Tongelen, Birgit; Casteleyn, Ludwine

2008-01-01

The use of human samples to assess environmental exposure and uptake of chemicals is more than an analytical exercise and requires consideration of the utility and interpretation of data as well as due consideration of ethical issues. These aspects are inextricably linked. In 2004 the EC expressed its commitment to the development of a harmonised approach to human biomonitoring (HBM) by including an action in the EU Environment and Health Strategy to develop a Human Biomonitoring Pilot Study. This further underlined the need for interpretation strategies as well as guidance on ethical issues. A workshop held in December 2006 brought together stakeholders from academia, policy makers as well as non-governmental organisations and chemical industry associations to a two day workshop built a mutual understanding of the issues in an open and frank discussion forum. This paper describes the discussion and recommendations from the workshop. The workshop developed key recommendations for a Pan-European HBM Study: 1. A strategy for the interpretation of human biomonitoring data should be developed. 2. The pilot study should include the development of a strategy to integrate health data and environmental monitoring with human biomonitoring data at national and international levels. 3. Communication strategies should be developed when designing the study and evolve as the study continues. 4. Early communication with stakeholders is essential to achieve maximum efficacy of policy developments and facilitate subsequent monitoring. 5. Member states will have to apply individually for project approval from their National Research Ethics Committees. 6. The study population needs to have sufficient information on the way data will be gathered, interpreted and disseminated and how samples will be stored and used in the future (if biobanking) before they can give informed consent. 7. The participants must be given the option of anonymity. This has an impact on follow-up. 8. The pilot study should develop guidelines and best practice for Ethics for pan European studies. In conclusion all participants felt there that there has to be stakeholder involvement in any planned pan-European Human Biomonitoring Study and the format of the workshop was appropriate for such dialogue. PMID:18541067

Competency-based training model for human resource management and development in public sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabawati, I.; Meirinawati; AOktariyanda, T.

2018-01-01

Human Resources (HR) is a very important factor in an organization so that human resources are required to have the ability, skill or competence in order to be able to carry out the vision and mission of the organization. Competence includes a number of attributes attached to the individual which is a combination of knowledge, skills, and behaviors that can be used as a mean to improve performance. Concerned to the demands of human resources that should have the knowledge, skills or abilities, it is necessary to the development of human resources in public organizations. One form of human resource development is Competency-Based Training (CBT). CBT focuses on three issues, namely skills, competencies, and competency standard. There are 5 (five) strategies in the implementation of CBT, namely: organizational scanning, strategic planning, competency profiling, competency gap analysis, and competency development. Finally, through CBT the employees within the organization can reduce or eliminate the differences between existing performance with a potential performance that can improve the knowledge, expertise, and skills that are very supportive in achieving the vision and mission of the organization.

Inequality in Human Development: An Empirical Assessment of 32 Countries

PubMed Central

Harttgen, Kenneth; Klasen, Stephan; Misselhorn, Mark; Munzi, Teresa; Smeeding, Timothy

2009-01-01

One of the most frequent critiques of the HDI is that is does not take into account inequality within countries in its three dimensions. In this paper, we apply a simply approach to compute the three components and the overall HDI for quintiles of the income distribution. This allows a comparison of the level in human development of the poor with the level of the non-poor within countries, but also across countries. This is an application of the method presented in Grimm et al. (World Development 36(12):2527–2546, 2008) to a sample of 21 low and middle income countries and 11 industrialized countries. In particular the inclusion of the industrialized countries, which were not included in the previous work, implies to deal with a number of additional challenges, which we outline in this paper. Our results show that inequality in human development within countries is high, both in developed and industrialized countries. In fact, the HDI of the lowest quintiles in industrialized countries is often below the HDI of the richest quintile in many middle income countries. We also find, however, a strong overall negative correlation between the level of human development and inequality in human development. PMID:20461123

Bioengineering an electro-mechanically functional miniature ventricular heart chamber from human pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Li, Ronald A; Keung, Wendy; Cashman, Timothy J; Backeris, Peter C; Johnson, Bryce V; Bardot, Evan S; Wong, Andy O T; Chan, Patrick K W; Chan, Camie W Y; Costa, Kevin D

2018-05-01

Tissue engineers and stem cell biologists have made exciting progress toward creating simplified models of human heart muscles or aligned monolayers to help bridge a longstanding gap between experimental animals and clinical trials. However, no existing human in vitro systems provide the direct measures of cardiac performance as a pump. Here, we developed a next-generation in vitro biomimetic model of pumping human heart chamber, and demonstrated its capability for pharmaceutical testing. From human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes (hvCM) embedded in collagen-based extracellular matrix hydrogel, we engineered a three-dimensional (3D) electro-mechanically coupled, fluid-ejecting miniature human ventricle-like cardiac organoid chamber (hvCOC). Structural characterization showed organized sarcomeres with myofibrillar microstructures. Transcript and RNA-seq analyses revealed upregulation of key Ca 2+ -handling, ion channel, and cardiac-specific proteins in hvCOC compared to lower-order 2D and 3D cultures of the same constituent cells. Clinically-important, physiologically complex contractile parameters such as ejection fraction, developed pressure, and stroke work, as well as electrophysiological properties including action potential and conduction velocity were measured: hvCOC displayed key molecular and physiological characteristics of the native ventricle, and showed expected mechanical and electrophysiological responses to a range of pharmacological interventions (including positive and negative inotropes). We conclude that such "human-heart-in-a-jar" technology could facilitate the drug discovery process by providing human-specific preclinical data during early stage drug development. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The impact of human activities and lifestyles on the interlinked microbiota and health of humans and of ecosystems.

PubMed

Flandroy, Lucette; Poutahidis, Theofilos; Berg, Gabriele; Clarke, Gerard; Dao, Maria-Carlota; Decaestecker, Ellen; Furman, Eeva; Haahtela, Tari; Massart, Sébastien; Plovier, Hubert; Sanz, Yolanda; Rook, Graham

2018-06-15

Plants, animals and humans, are colonized by microorganisms (microbiota) and transiently exposed to countless others. The microbiota affects the development and function of essentially all organ systems, and contributes to adaptation and evolution, while protecting against pathogenic microorganisms and toxins. Genetics and lifestyle factors, including diet, antibiotics and other drugs, and exposure to the natural environment, affect the composition of the microbiota, which influences host health through modulation of interrelated physiological systems. These include immune system development and regulation, metabolic and endocrine pathways, brain function and epigenetic modification of the genome. Importantly, parental microbiotas have transgenerational impacts on the health of progeny. Humans, animals and plants share similar relationships with microbes. Research paradigms from humans and other mammals, amphibians, insects, planktonic crustaceans and plants demonstrate the influence of environmental microbial ecosystems on the microbiota and health of organisms, and indicate links between environmental and internal microbial diversity and good health. Therefore, overlapping compositions, and interconnected roles of microbes in human, animal and plant health should be considered within the broader context of terrestrial and aquatic microbial ecosystems that are challenged by the human lifestyle and by agricultural and industrial activities. Here, we propose research priorities and organizational, educational and administrative measures that will help to identify safe microbe-associated health-promoting modalities and practices. In the spirit of an expanding version of "One health" that includes environmental health and its relation to human cultures and habits (EcoHealth), we urge that the lifestyle-microbiota-human health nexus be taken into account in societal decision making. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Networks for image acquisition, processing and display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.

1990-01-01

The human visual system comprises layers of networks which sample, process, and code images. Understanding these networks is a valuable means of understanding human vision and of designing autonomous vision systems based on network processing. Ames Research Center has an ongoing program to develop computational models of such networks. The models predict human performance in detection of targets and in discrimination of displayed information. In addition, the models are artificial vision systems sharing properties with biological vision that has been tuned by evolution for high performance. Properties include variable density sampling, noise immunity, multi-resolution coding, and fault-tolerance. The research stresses analysis of noise in visual networks, including sampling, photon, and processing unit noises. Specific accomplishments include: models of sampling array growth with variable density and irregularity comparable to that of the retinal cone mosaic; noise models of networks with signal-dependent and independent noise; models of network connection development for preserving spatial registration and interpolation; multi-resolution encoding models based on hexagonal arrays (HOP transform); and mathematical procedures for simplifying analysis of large networks.

Development of Human System Integration at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; McGuire, Kerry; Thompson, Shelby; Vos, Gordon

2012-01-01

Human Systems Integration seeks to design systems around the capabilities and limitations of the humans which use and interact with the system, ensuring greater efficiency of use, reduced error rates, and less rework in the design, manufacturing and operational deployment of hardware and software. One of the primary goals of HSI is to get the human factors practitioner involved early in the design process. In doing so, the aim is to reduce future budget costs and resources in redesign and training. By the preliminary design phase of a project nearly 80% of the total cost of the project is locked in. Potential design changes recommended by evaluations past this point will have little effect due to lack of funding or a huge cost in terms of resources to make changes. Three key concepts define an effective HSI program. First, systems are comprised of hardware, software, and the human, all of which operate within an environment. Too often, engineers and developers fail to consider the human capacity or requirements as part of the system. This leads to poor task allocation within the system. To promote ideal task allocation, it is critical that the human element be considered early in system development. Poor design, or designs that do not adequately consider the human component, could negatively affect physical or mental performance, as well as, social behavior. Second, successful HSI depends upon integration and collaboration of all the domains that represent acquisition efforts. Too often, these domains exist as independent disciplines due to the location of expertise within the service structure. Proper implementation of HSI through participation would help to integrate these domains and disciplines to leverage and apply their interdependencies to attain an optimal design. Via this process domain interests can be integrated to perform effective HSI through trade-offs and collaboration. This provides a common basis upon which to make knowledgeable decisions. Finally, HSI must be considered early in the requirements development phase of system design and acquisition. This will provide the best opportunity to maximize return on investment (ROI) and system performance. HSI requirements must be developed in conjunction with capability ]based requirements generation through functional. HSI requirements will drive HSI metrics and embed HSI issues within the system design. After a system is designed, implementation of HSI oversights can be very expensive. An HSI program should be included as an integral part of a total system approach to vehicle and habitat development. This would include, but not limited to, workstation design, D&C development, volumetric analysis, training, operations, and human -robotic interaction. HSI is a necessary process for Human Space Flight programs to meet the Agency Human ]System standards and thus mitigate human risks to acceptable levels. NASA has been involved in HSI planning, procedures development, process, and implementation for many years, and has been building several internal and publicly accessible products to facilitate HSI fs inclusion in the NASA Systems Engineering Lifecycle. Some of these products include: NASA STD 3001 Volumes 1 and 2, Human Integration Design Handbook, NASA HSI Implementation Plan, NASA HSI Implementation Plan Templates, NASA HSI Implementation Handbook, and a 2 ]hour short course on HSI delivered as part of the NASA Space and Life Sciences Directorate Academy. These products have been created leveraging industry best practices and lessons learned from other Federal Government agencies.

Arts across the Disciplines: Using the Voices of the Oppressed and Vulnerable to Inspire Analytical Thinking in the Human Services Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Ardith A.; McClatchey, Irene S.

2017-01-01

This paper addresses how professors in a Social Work and Human Services Program in the Southeastern United States include voices of the oppressed and vulnerable through art forms to develop analytical thinking to prepare human service practitioners. This pedagogical practice is based on Gardner's discussion of Multiple Intelligences. The authors…

Ultrasonic Methods for Human Motion Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

contacts. The active method utilizes continuous wave ultrasonic Doppler sonar . Human motions have unique Doppler signatures and their combination...The present article reports results of human motion investigations with help of CW ultrasonic Doppler sonar . Low-cost, low-power ultrasonic motion...have been developed for operation in air [10]. Benefits of using ultrasonic CW Doppler sonar included the low-cost, low-electric noise, small size

Association of Optimism with Emotional and Cardiovascular Reactivity in Coronary Patients, and Healthy Controls

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-12

Scholars in psychology and related disciplines incorporated optimistic or pessimistic views of human nature into their theories. For example, Sigmund ... Freud (1856-1939) included both optimism and pessimism as concepts in his theory of human nature and development. He asserted that humans have a drive...drive towards death represents the pessimistic aspect of human nature ( Freud , 1964). Psychologist William James (1842-1910), was the first to consider

Human hepatocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells: a promising cell model for drug hepatotoxicity screening.

PubMed

Gómez-Lechón, María José; Tolosa, Laia

2016-09-01

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a frequent cause of failure in both clinical and post-approval stages of drug development, and poses a key challenge to the pharmaceutical industry. Current animal models offer poor prediction of human DILI. Although several human cell-based models have been proposed for the detection of human DILI, human primary hepatocytes remain the gold standard for preclinical toxicological screening. However, their use is hindered by their limited availability, variability and phenotypic instability. In contrast, pluripotent stem cells, which include embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), proliferate extensively in vitro and can be differentiated into hepatocytes by the addition of soluble factors. This provides a stable source of hepatocytes for multiple applications, including early preclinical hepatotoxicity screening. In addition, iPSCs also have the potential to establish genotype-specific cells from different individuals, which would increase the predictivity of toxicity assays allowing more successful clinical trials. Therefore, the generation of human hepatocyte-like cells derived from pluripotent stem cells seems to be promising for overcoming limitations of hepatocyte preparations, and it is expected to have a substantial repercussion in preclinical hepatotoxicity risk assessment in early drug development stages.

Three-Dimensional Visualization with Large Data Sets: A Simulation of Spreading Cortical Depression in Human Brain

PubMed Central

Ertürk, Korhan Levent; Şengül, Gökhan

2012-01-01

We developed 3D simulation software of human organs/tissues; we developed a database to store the related data, a data management system to manage the created data, and a metadata system for the management of data. This approach provides two benefits: first of all the developed system does not require to keep the patient's/subject's medical images on the system, providing less memory usage. Besides the system also provides 3D simulation and modification options, which will help clinicians to use necessary tools for visualization and modification operations. The developed system is tested in a case study, in which a 3D human brain model is created and simulated from 2D MRI images of a human brain, and we extended the 3D model to include the spreading cortical depression (SCD) wave front, which is an electrical phoneme that is believed to cause the migraine. PMID:23258956

Beyond Job Training: Rural Economic Development and the Two-Year College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Thomas A.

1990-01-01

Argues that rural two-year colleges must go beyond traditional job training programs for business/industry to have a decisive impact on local economic development. Presents a comprehensive economic development model, including human capital development; economic development awareness; and business, special group, infrastructure, and agricultural…

Development of a generic GMCC simulator.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-11-01

This document describes the development and current status of a high fidelity, human-in-the-loop simulator for Airway Facilities : Maintenance Control Centers and Operations Control Centers. Applications include Event Manager, Maintenance Automation ...

The Evolution of Lineage-Specific Regulatory Activities in the Human Embryonic Limb

PubMed Central

Cotney, Justin; Leng, Jing; Yin, Jun; Reilly, Steven K.; DeMare, Laura E.; Emera, Deena; Ayoub, Albert E.; Rakic, Pasko; Noonan, James P.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY The evolution of human anatomical features likely involved changes in gene regulation during development. However, the nature and extent of human-specific developmental regulatory functions remain unknown. We obtained a genome-wide view of cis-regulatory evolution in human embryonic tissues by comparing the histone modification H3K27ac, which provides a quantitative readout of promoter and enhancer activity, during human, rhesus, and mouse limb development. Based on increased H3K27ac, we find that 13% of promoters and 11% of enhancers have gained activity on the human lineage since the human-rhesus divergence. These gains largely arose by modification of ancestral regulatory activities in the limb or potential co-option from other tissues and are likely to have heterogeneous genetic causes. Most enhancers that exhibit gain of activity in humans originated in mammals. Gains at promoters and enhancers in the human limb are associated with increased gene expression, suggesting they include molecular drivers of human morphological evolution. PMID:23827682

IAA Space Exploration Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard Elizabeth E.

2014-01-01

The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) was established in October 2010 to facilitate development of partnerships and collaborative projects in human health and performance with a focus on Earthspace benefits. The membership, which now stands at over 135 members from around the world, was developed to span the government, academic, industry and non-profit sectors, making the NHHPC a global convener in human health and performance. International members include organizations from Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, South Africa, and India. The virtual center facilitates sharing of best practices and development of collaborative opportunities through a variety of vehicles, including annual in-person workshops, Innovation Lecture Series and Member to Member Connect webcasts, quarterly electronic newsletters, web postings, and electronic member announcements. The NHHPC has conducted four workshops leading to several collaborative projects between members, with the most recent workshop held focusing on new organizational business models for accelerating innovation. This short paper will discuss how the NHHPC facilitates partnerships and the collaborative research and technology developments projects with applications to both the NASA mission and life on Earth.

Constitutive Cyclin O deficiency results in penetrant hydrocephalus, impaired growth and infertility

PubMed Central

Núnez-Ollé, Marc; Jung, Carole; Terré, Berta; Balsiger, Norman A.; Plata, Cristina; Roset, Ramon; Pardo-Pastor, Carlos; Garrido, Marta; Rojas, Santiago; Alameda, Francesc; Lloreta, Josep; Martín-Caballero, Juan; Flores, Juana M.; Stracker, Travis H.; Valverde, Miguel A.; Muñoz, Francisco J.; Gil-Gómez, Gabriel

2017-01-01

Cyclin O (encoded by CCNO) is a member of the cyclin family with regulatory functions in ciliogenesis and apoptosis. Homozygous CCNO mutations have been identified in human patients with Reduced Generation of Multiple Motile Cilia (RGMC) and conditional inactivation of Ccno in the mouse recapitulates some of the pathologies associated with the human disease. These include defects in the development of motile cilia and hydrocephalus. To further investigate the functions of Ccno in vivo, we have generated a new mouse model characterized by the constitutive loss of Ccno in all tissues and followed a cohort during ageing. Ccno-/- mice were growth impaired and developed hydrocephalus with high penetrance. In addition, some Ccno+/- mice also developed hydrocephalus and affected Ccno-/- and Ccno+/- mice exhibited additional CNS defects including cortical thinning and hippocampal abnormalities. In addition to the CNS defects, both male and female Ccno-/- mice were infertile and female mice exhibited few motile cilia in the oviduct. Our results further establish CCNO as an important gene for normal development and suggest that heterozygous CCNO mutations could underlie hydrocephalus or diminished fertility in some human patients. PMID:29245899

Constitutive Cyclin O deficiency results in penetrant hydrocephalus, impaired growth and infertility.

PubMed

Núnez-Ollé, Marc; Jung, Carole; Terré, Berta; Balsiger, Norman A; Plata, Cristina; Roset, Ramon; Pardo-Pastor, Carlos; Garrido, Marta; Rojas, Santiago; Alameda, Francesc; Lloreta, Josep; Martín-Caballero, Juan; Flores, Juana M; Stracker, Travis H; Valverde, Miguel A; Muñoz, Francisco J; Gil-Gómez, Gabriel

2017-11-21

Cyclin O (encoded by CCNO ) is a member of the cyclin family with regulatory functions in ciliogenesis and apoptosis. Homozygous CCNO mutations have been identified in human patients with Reduced Generation of Multiple Motile Cilia (RGMC) and conditional inactivation of Ccno in the mouse recapitulates some of the pathologies associated with the human disease. These include defects in the development of motile cilia and hydrocephalus. To further investigate the functions of Ccno in vivo , we have generated a new mouse model characterized by the constitutive loss of Ccno in all tissues and followed a cohort during ageing. Ccno -/- mice were growth impaired and developed hydrocephalus with high penetrance. In addition, some Ccno +/- mice also developed hydrocephalus and affected Ccno -/- and Ccno +/- mice exhibited additional CNS defects including cortical thinning and hippocampal abnormalities. In addition to the CNS defects, both male and female Ccno -/- mice were infertile and female mice exhibited few motile cilia in the oviduct. Our results further establish CCNO as an important gene for normal development and suggest that heterozygous CCNO mutations could underlie hydrocephalus or diminished fertility in some human patients.

Exploration Life Support Critical Questions for Future Human Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwert, Michael K.; Barta, Daniel J.; McQuillan, Jeff

2010-01-01

Exploration Life Support (ELS) is a current project under NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The ELS Project plans, coordinates and implements the development of advanced life support technologies for human exploration missions in space. Recent work has focused on closed loop atmosphere and water systems for long duration missions, including habitats and pressurized rovers. But, what are the critical questions facing life support system developers for these and other future human missions? This paper explores those questions and how progress in the development of ELS technologies can help answer them. The ELS Project includes the following Elements: Atmosphere Revitalization Systems, Water Recovery Systems, Waste Management Systems, Habitation Engineering, Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis, and Validation and Testing, which includes the Sub-Elements Flight Experiments and Integrated Testing. Systems engineering analysis by ELS seeks to optimize overall mission architectures by considering all the internal and external interfaces of the life support system and the potential for reduction or reuse of commodities. In particular, various sources and sinks of water and oxygen are considered along with the implications on loop closure and the resulting launch mass requirements. Systems analysis will be validated through the data gathered from integrated testing, which will demonstrate the interfaces of a closed loop life support system. By applying a systematic process for defining, sorting and answering critical life support questions, the ELS project is preparing for a variety of future human space missions

Social Responsibility of Human Resource Development: How Our Definitions and Worldviews Impact Our Leadership Role. Town Forum. [Concurrent Town Forum Session at AHRD Annual Conference, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatcher, Timothy G.; Brooks, Ann K.

The question of whether human resource development (HRD) should assume a leadership role in social responsibility has not been seriously or rigorously addressed in the HRD literature. As a multidisciplinary field, HRD is influenced not only by societal needs but also by underlying disciplines, including economics, psychology, general systems,…

Human factors aspects of air traffic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Older, H. J.; Cameron, B. J.

1972-01-01

An overview of human factors problems associated with the operation of present and future air traffic control systems is presented. A description is included of those activities and tasks performed by air traffic controllers at each operational position within the present system. Judgemental data obtained from controllers concerning psychological dimensions related to these tasks and activities are also presented. The analysis includes consideration of psychophysiological dimensions of human performance. The role of the human controller in present air traffic control systems and his predicted role in future systems is described, particularly as that role changes as the result of the system's evolution towards a more automated configuration. Special attention is directed towards problems of staffing, training, and system operation. A series of ten specific research and development projects are recommended and suggested work plans for their implementation are included.

Building shared experience to advance practical application of pathway-based toxicology: liver toxicity mode-of-action.

PubMed

Willett, Catherine; Caverly Rae, Jessica; Goyak, Katy O; Minsavage, Gary; Westmoreland, Carl; Andersen, Melvin; Avigan, Mark; Duché, Daniel; Harris, Georgina; Hartung, Thomas; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Kleensang, Andre; Landesmann, Brigitte; Martos, Suzanne; Matevia, Marilyn; Toole, Colleen; Rowan, Andrew; Schultz, Terry; Seed, Jennifer; Senior, John; Shah, Imran; Subramanian, Kalyanasundaram; Vinken, Mathieu; Watkins, Paul

2014-01-01

A workshop sponsored by the Human Toxicology Project Consortium (HTPC), "Building Shared Experience to Advance Practical Application of Pathway-Based Toxicology: Liver Toxicity Mode-of-Action" brought together experts from a wide range of perspectives to inform the process of pathway development and to advance two prototype pathways initially developed by the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC): liver-specific fibrosis and steatosis. The first half of the workshop focused on the theory and practice of pathway development; the second on liver disease and the two prototype pathways. Participants agreed pathway development is extremely useful for organizing information and found that focusing the theoretical discussion on a specific AOP is extremely helpful. In addition, it is important to include several perspectives during pathway development, including information specialists, pathologists, human health and environmental risk assessors, and chemical and product manufacturers, to ensure the biology is well captured and end use is considered.

Infants' knowledge of their own species

PubMed Central

Heron-Delaney, Michelle; Wirth, Sylvia; Pascalis, Olivier

2011-01-01

Recognition of individuals at first sight is important for social species and can be achieved by attending to facial or body information. Previous research suggests that infants possess a perceptual template for evolutionarily relevant stimuli, which may include humans, dangerous animals (e.g. snakes), but not non-dangerous animals. To be effective, such a mechanism should result in a systematic preference for attending to humans over non-dangerous animals. Using a preferential looking paradigm, the present studies investigated the nature of infants' early representation of humans. We show that 3.5- and six-month-old infants attend more to human beings than non-human primates (a gorilla or monkey) which are examplars of non-dangerous animals. This occurred when infants were presented with head or body information in isolation, as well as when both are presented simultaneously. This early preference for humans by 3.5 months of age suggests that there is a basic representation for humans, which includes both head and/or body information. However, neonates demonstrated a preference only for human faces over non-human primate faces, not for humans over non-human primates when the stimuli were presented with both head and body simultaneously. The results show that although neonates display a preference for human faces over others, preference for the human body only develops later, in the first few months of life. This suggests that infants have acquired some knowledge about the human body at 3.5 months of age that may have developed from their privileged experience with other humans in the first few months of life, rather than an innate ability to detect humans in their entirety. PMID:21536558

Dynamic Simulation of Human Gait Model With Predictive Capability.

PubMed

Sun, Jinming; Wu, Shaoli; Voglewede, Philip A

2018-03-01

In this paper, it is proposed that the central nervous system (CNS) controls human gait using a predictive control approach in conjunction with classical feedback control instead of exclusive classical feedback control theory that controls based on past error. To validate this proposition, a dynamic model of human gait is developed using a novel predictive approach to investigate the principles of the CNS. The model developed includes two parts: a plant model that represents the dynamics of human gait and a controller that represents the CNS. The plant model is a seven-segment, six-joint model that has nine degrees-of-freedom (DOF). The plant model is validated using data collected from able-bodied human subjects. The proposed controller utilizes model predictive control (MPC). MPC uses an internal model to predict the output in advance, compare the predicted output to the reference, and optimize the control input so that the predicted error is minimal. To decrease the complexity of the model, two joints are controlled using a proportional-derivative (PD) controller. The developed predictive human gait model is validated by simulating able-bodied human gait. The simulation results show that the developed model is able to simulate the kinematic output close to experimental data.

International Human Rights and the Mistreatment of Women During Childbirth

PubMed Central

Zampas, Christina; Vogel, Joshua P.; Bohren, Meghan A.; Roseman, Mindy; Erdman, Joanna N.

2016-01-01

Abstract International human rights bodies have played a critical role in codifying, setting standards, and monitoring human rights violations in the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights. In recent years, these institutions have developed and applied human rights standards in the more particular context of maternal mortality and morbidity, and have increasingly recognized a critical human rights issue in the provision and experience of care during and after pregnancy, including during childbirth. However, the international human rights standards on mistreatment during facility-based childbirth remain, in an early stage of development, focused largely on a discrete subset of experiences, such as forced sterilization and lack of access to emergency obstetric care. As a consequence, the range of mistreatment that women may experience has not been adequately addressed or analyzed under international human rights law. Identifying human rights norms and standards related to the full range of documented mistreatment is thus a first step towards addressing violations of human rights during facility-based childbirth, ensuring respectful and humane treatment, and developing a program of work to improve the overall quality of maternal care. This article reviews international human rights standards related to the mistreatment of women during childbirth in facility settings under regional and international human rights law and lays out an agenda for further research and action. PMID:28559681

International Human Rights and the Mistreatment of Women During Childbirth.

PubMed

Khosla, Rajat; Zampas, Christina; Vogel, Joshua P; Bohren, Meghan A; Roseman, Mindy; Erdman, Joanna N

2016-12-01

International human rights bodies have played a critical role in codifying, setting standards, and monitoring human rights violations in the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights. In recent years, these institutions have developed and applied human rights standards in the more particular context of maternal mortality and morbidity, and have increasingly recognized a critical human rights issue in the provision and experience of care during and after pregnancy, including during childbirth. However, the international human rights standards on mistreatment during facility-based childbirth remain, in an early stage of development, focused largely on a discrete subset of experiences, such as forced sterilization and lack of access to emergency obstetric care. As a consequence, the range of mistreatment that women may experience has not been adequately addressed or analyzed under international human rights law. Identifying human rights norms and standards related to the full range of documented mistreatment is thus a first step towards addressing violations of human rights during facility-based childbirth, ensuring respectful and humane treatment, and developing a program of work to improve the overall quality of maternal care. This article reviews international human rights standards related to the mistreatment of women during childbirth in facility settings under regional and international human rights law and lays out an agenda for further research and action.

An Earthling to an Astronaut: Medical Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

Humans can travel safely into space in low Earth orbit (LEO) or to near-Earth objects if several medical, physiological, environmental, and human factors issues risks are mitigated. Research must be performed in order to set standards in these four areas, and current NASA standards are contained in the Space Flight Human System Standards volumes 1 and 2, and crew medical certification standards. These three sets of standards drive all of the clinical, biomedical research and environmental technology development for the NASA human space flight program. These standards also drive the identification of specific risks to crew health and safety, and we currently manage 65 human system risks within the human space flight program. Each risk has a specific program of research, technology development, and development of operational procedures to mitigate the risks. Some of the more important risks tat will be discussed in this talk include exposure to radiation, behavioral health due to confinement in a closed cabin, physiological changes such as loss of bone, muscle and exercise capability, reduction in immune system capability, environmental threats of maintaining an adequate atmosphere and water for drinking, avoidance of toxic or infectious material, protection of hearing, and human factors issues of equipment and task design. A nutritious and varied food supply must also be provided. All of these risks will be discussed and current strategies for mitigating these risks for long-duration human space flight. In mitigating these 65 human system risks, novel approaches to problem solving must be employed to find the most appropriate research and technology based applications. Some risk mitigations are developed internally to NASA while others are found through research grants, technology procurements, and more recently open innovation techniques to seek solutions from the global technical community. Examples and results will be presented from all of these approaches including the more recent use of prizes to stimulate innovation.

Integrating the Advanced Human Eye Model (AHEM) and optical instrument models to model complete visual optical systems inclusive of the typical or atypical eye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, William J., III

2012-06-01

PURPOSE: To present a commercially available optical modeling software tool to assist the development of optical instrumentation and systems that utilize and/or integrate with the human eye. METHODS: A commercially available flexible eye modeling system is presented, the Advanced Human Eye Model (AHEM). AHEM is a module that the engineer can use to perform rapid development and test scenarios on systems that integrate with the eye. Methods include merging modeled systems initially developed outside of AHEM and performing a series of wizard-type operations that relieve the user from requiring an optometric or ophthalmic background to produce a complete eye inclusive system. Scenarios consist of retinal imaging of targets and sources through integrated systems. Uses include, but are not limited to, optimization, telescopes, microscopes, spectacles, contact and intraocular lenses, ocular aberrations, cataract simulation and scattering, and twin eye model (binocular) systems. RESULTS: Metrics, graphical data, and exportable CAD geometry are generated from the various modeling scenarios.

45 CFR 1304.52 - Human resources management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... working as teachers with infants and toddlers must obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential... child care providers training on: (i) Infant, toddler, and preschool age child development; (ii... health services, including child development and education; child medical, dental, and mental health...

45 CFR 1304.52 - Human resources management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... working as teachers with infants and toddlers must obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential... child care providers training on: (i) Infant, toddler, and preschool age child development; (ii... health services, including child development and education; child medical, dental, and mental health...

45 CFR 1304.52 - Human resources management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... working as teachers with infants and toddlers must obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential... child care providers training on: (i) Infant, toddler, and preschool age child development; (ii... health services, including child development and education; child medical, dental, and mental health...

45 CFR 1304.52 - Human resources management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... working as teachers with infants and toddlers must obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential... child care providers training on: (i) Infant, toddler, and preschool age child development; (ii... health services, including child development and education; child medical, dental, and mental health...

The effects of ambient particulate matter on human alveolar machrophage oxidative and inflammatory responses

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiologic and occupational studies demonstrate that ambient PM and DEP have deleterious effects on human cardiopulmonary health including exacerbation of pre-existing lung disease and development of respiratory infections. The effects of ambient PM on lung cell responsivenes...

Proteomic Analysis of Arsenic-Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes

EPA Science Inventory

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (IAs) has been associated with the development of several human cancers, including those found in the skin, lung, urinary bladder, liver, prostate and kidney. The precise mechanisms by which arsenic causes cancer are unknown. Defining the mod...

Modern Agriculture in Advanced Placement Human Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanegran, David A.

2000-01-01

Discusses the four sections of the Advanced Placement (AP) human geography course focusing on agriculture: (1) development and diffusion of agriculture; (2) major agricultural production regions; (3) rural land use and change; and (4) impacts of modern agricultural change. Includes references and a resource list. (CMK)

22 CFR 225.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS § 225.102 Definitions. (a..., Wage and Hour requirements administered by the Department of Labor). (f) Human subject means a living...” includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect...

22 CFR 225.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS § 225.102 Definitions. (a..., Wage and Hour requirements administered by the Department of Labor). (f) Human subject means a living...” includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect...

In Praise of Robots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagan, Carl

1975-01-01

The author of this article believes that human survival depends upon the ability to develop and work with machines of high artificial intelligence. He lists uses of such machines, including terrestrial mining, outer space exploration, and other tasks too dangerous, too expensive, or too boring for human beings. (MA)

Human Exploration Framework Team: Strategy and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muirhead, Brian K.; Sherwood, Brent; Olson, John

2011-01-01

Human Exploration Framework Team (HEFT) was formulated to create a decision framework for human space exploration that drives out the knowledge, capabilities and infrastructure NASA needs to send people to explore multiple destinations in the Solar System in an efficient, sustainable way. The specific goal is to generate an initial architecture that can evolve into a long term, enterprise-wide architecture that is the basis for a robust human space flight enterprise. This paper will discuss the initial HEFT activity which focused on starting up the cross-agency team, getting it functioning, developing a comprehensive development and analysis process and conducting multiple iterations of the process. The outcome of this process will be discussed including initial analysis of capabilities and missions for at least two decades, keeping Mars as the ultimate destination. Details are provided on strategies that span a broad technical and programmatic trade space, are analyzed against design reference missions and evaluated against a broad set of figures of merit including affordability, operational complexity, and technical and programmatic risk.

Aquaculture as yet another environmental gateway to the development and globalisation of antimicrobial resistance.

PubMed

Cabello, Felipe C; Godfrey, Henry P; Buschmann, Alejandro H; Dölz, Humberto J

2016-07-01

Aquaculture uses hundreds of tonnes of antimicrobials annually to prevent and treat bacterial infection. The passage of these antimicrobials into the aquatic environment selects for resistant bacteria and resistance genes and stimulates bacterial mutation, recombination, and horizontal gene transfer. The potential bridging of aquatic and human pathogen resistomes leads to emergence of new antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and global dissemination of them and their antimicrobial resistance genes into animal and human populations. Efforts to prevent antimicrobial overuse in aquaculture must include education of all stakeholders about its detrimental effects on the health of fish, human beings, and the aquatic ecosystem (the notion of One Health), and encouragement of environmentally friendly measures of disease prevention, including vaccines, probiotics, and bacteriophages. Adoption of these measures is a crucial supplement to efforts dealing with antimicrobial resistance by developing new therapeutic agents, if headway is to be made against the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal use of human and machine resources for Space Station assembly operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Joseph C.

1988-01-01

This paper investigates the issues involved in determining the best mix of human and machine resources for assembly of the Space Station. It presents the current Station assembly sequence, along with descriptions of the available assembly resources. A number of methodologies for optimizing the human/machine tradeoff problem have been developed, but the Space Station assembly offers some unique issues that have not yet been addressed. These include a strong constraint on available EVA time for early flights and a phased deployment of assembly resources over time. A methodology for incorporating the previously developed decision methods to the special case of the Space Station is presented. This methodology emphasizes an application of multiple qualitative and quantitative techniques, including simulation and decision analysis, for producing an objective, robust solution to the tradeoff problem.

The bovine model for elucidating the role of γδ T cells in controlling infectious diseases of importance to cattle and humans.

PubMed

Baldwin, Cynthia L; Telfer, Janice C

2015-07-01

There are several instances of co-investigation and related discoveries and achievements in bovine and human immunology; perhaps most interesting is the development of the BCG vaccine, the tuberculin skin test and the more recent interferon-gamma test that were developed first in cattle to prevent and diagnosis bovine tuberculosis and then applied to humans. There are also a number of immune-physiological traits that ruminant share with humans including the development of their immune systems in utero which increases the utility of cattle as a model for human immunology. These are reviewed here with a particular focus on the use of cattle to unravel γδ T cell biology. Based on the sheer number of γδ T cells in this γδ T cell high species, it is reasonable to expect γδ T cells to play an important role in protective immune responses. For that reason alone cattle may provide good models for elucidating at least some of the roles γδ T cells play in protective immunity in all species. This includes fundamental research on γδ T cells as well as the responses of ruminant γδ T cells to a variety of infectious disease situations including to protozoan and bacterial pathogens. The role that pattern recognition receptors (PRR) play in the activation of γδ T cells may be unique relative to αβ T cells. Here we focus on that of the γδ T cell specific family of molecules known as WC1 or T19 in ruminants, which are part of the CD163 scavenger receptor cysteine rich (SRCR) family that includes SCART1 and SCART2 expressed on murine γδ T cells. We review the evidence for WC1 being a PRR as well as an activating co-receptor and the role that γδ T cells bearing these receptors play in immunity to leptospirosis and tuberculosis. This includes the generation of memory responses to vaccines, thereby continuing the tradition of co-discovery between cattle and humans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integration of advanced teleoperation technologies for control of space robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stagnaro, Michael J.

1993-01-01

Teleoperated robots require one or more humans to control actuators, mechanisms, and other robot equipment given feedback from onboard sensors. To accomplish this task, the human or humans require some form of control station. Desirable features of such a control station include operation by a single human, comfort, and natural human interfaces (visual, audio, motion, tactile, etc.). These interfaces should work to maximize performance of the human/robot system by streamlining the link between human brain and robot equipment. This paper describes development of a control station testbed with the characteristics described above. Initially, this testbed will be used to control two teleoperated robots. Features of the robots include anthropomorphic mechanisms, slaving to the testbed, and delivery of sensory feedback to the testbed. The testbed will make use of technologies such as helmet mounted displays, voice recognition, and exoskeleton masters. It will allow tor integration and testing of emerging telepresence technologies along with techniques for coping with control link time delays. Systems developed from this testbed could be applied to ground control of space based robots. During man-tended operations, the Space Station Freedom may benefit from ground control of IVA or EVA robots with science or maintenance tasks. Planetary exploration may also find advanced teleoperation systems to be very useful.

Nonclinical safety testing of biopharmaceuticals--Addressing current challenges of these novel and emerging therapies.

PubMed

Brennan, Frank R; Baumann, Andreas; Blaich, Guenter; de Haan, Lolke; Fagg, Rajni; Kiessling, Andrea; Kronenberg, Sven; Locher, Mathias; Milton, Mark; Tibbitts, Jay; Ulrich, Peter; Weir, Lucinda

2015-10-01

Non-clinical safety testing of biopharmaceuticals can present significant challenges to human risk assessment with these often innovative and complex drugs. Hot Topics in this field were discussed recently at the 4th Annual European Biosafe General Membership meeting. In this feature article, the presentations and subsequent discussions from the main sessions are summarized. The topics covered include: (i) wanted versus unwanted immune activation, (ii) bi-specific protein scaffolds, (iii) use of Pharmacokinetic (PK)/Pharmacodynamic (PD) data to impact/optimize toxicology study design, (iv) cytokine release and challenges to human translation (v) safety testing of cell and gene therapies including chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells and retroviral vectors and (vi) biopharmaceutical development strategies encompassing a range of diverse topics including optimizing entry of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) into the brain, safety testing of therapeutic vaccines, non-clinical testing of biosimilars, infection in toxicology studies with immunomodulators and challenges to human risk assessment, maternal and infant anti-drug antibody (ADA) development and impact in non-human primate (NHP) developmental toxicity studies, and a summary of an NC3Rs workshop on the future vision for non-clinical safety assessment of biopharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kliss, Mark

2001-01-01

A videograph outlining life support research. The Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise's goals are to provide life support self-sufficiency for human beings to carry out research and exploration productively in space, to open the door for planetary exploration, and for benefits on Earth. Topics presented include the role of NASA Ames, funding, and technical monitoring. The focused research areas discussed include air regeneration, carbon dioxide removal, Mars Life Support, water recovery, Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal (VPCAR), solid waste treatment, and Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWC). Focus is placed on the utilization of Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis (SIMA) and Dynamic Systems Modeling in this research.

Integration of systems biology with organs-on-chips to humanize therapeutic development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edington, Collin D.; Cirit, Murat; Chen, Wen Li Kelly; Clark, Amanda M.; Wells, Alan; Trumper, David L.; Griffith, Linda G.

2017-02-01

"Mice are not little people" - a refrain becoming louder as the gaps between animal models and human disease become more apparent. At the same time, three emerging approaches are headed toward integration: powerful systems biology analysis of cell-cell and intracellular signaling networks in patient-derived samples; 3D tissue engineered models of human organ systems, often made from stem cells; and micro-fluidic and meso-fluidic devices that enable living systems to be sustained, perturbed and analyzed for weeks in culture. Integration of these rapidly moving fields has the potential to revolutionize development of therapeutics for complex, chronic diseases, including those that have weak genetic bases and substantial contributions from gene-environment interactions. Technical challenges in modeling complex diseases with "organs on chips" approaches include the need for relatively large tissue masses and organ-organ cross talk to capture systemic effects, such that current microfluidic formats often fail to capture the required scale and complexity for interconnected systems. These constraints drive development of new strategies for designing in vitro models, including perfusing organ models, as well as "mesofluidic" pumping and circulation in platforms connecting several organ systems, to achieve the appropriate physiological relevance.

The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor regulates human fetal lung development via CFTR

PubMed Central

Brennan, Sarah C.; Wilkinson, William J.; Tseng, Hsiu-Er; Finney, Brenda; Monk, Bethan; Dibble, Holly; Quilliam, Samantha; Warburton, David; Galietta, Luis J.; Kemp, Paul J.; Riccardi, Daniela

2016-01-01

Optimal fetal lung growth requires anion-driven fluid secretion into the lumen of the developing organ. The fetus is hypercalcemic compared to the mother and here we show that in the developing human lung this hypercalcaemia acts on the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor, CaSR, to promote fluid-driven lung expansion through activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR. Several chloride channels including TMEM16, bestrophin, CFTR, CLCN2 and CLCA1, are also expressed in the developing human fetal lung at gestational stages when CaSR expression is maximal. Measurements of Cl−-driven fluid secretion in organ explant cultures show that pharmacological CaSR activation by calcimimetics stimulates lung fluid secretion through CFTR, an effect which in humans, but not mice, was also mimicked by fetal hypercalcemic conditions, demonstrating that the physiological relevance of such a mechanism appears to be species-specific. Calcimimetics promote CFTR opening by activating adenylate cyclase and we show that Ca2+-stimulated type I adenylate cyclase is expressed in the developing human lung. Together, these observations suggest that physiological fetal hypercalcemia, acting on the CaSR, promotes human fetal lung development via cAMP-dependent opening of CFTR. Disturbances in this process would be expected to permanently impact lung structure and might predispose to certain postnatal respiratory diseases. PMID:26911344

Development of a Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1992-2003.

PubMed

Murray, Jock

2003-10-01

The Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine in Nova Scotia, Canada, was initiated in 1992 to incorporate the medical humanities into the learning and experiences of medical students. The goal of the program was to gain acceptance as an integral part of the medical school. The program assumed a broad concept of the medical humanities that includes medical history, literature, music, art, multiculturalism, philosophy, epistemology, theology, anthropology, professionalism, history of alternative therapies, writing, storytelling, health law, international medicine, and ethics. Phase I of the program has provided the same elective and research opportunities in the medical humanities that are available to the students in clinical and basic sciences, and has encouraged and legitimized the involvement of the humanities in the life and learning of the medical student through a wide array of programs and activities. Phase II will focus on further incorporation of the humanities into the curriculum. Phase III will be the development of a graduate program in medical humanities to train more faculty who will incorporate the humanities into their teaching and into the development of education programs.

New technology innovations with potential for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishen, Kumar

2008-07-01

Human exploration and development of space is being pursued by spacefaring nations to explore, use, and enable the development of space and expand the human experience there. The goals include: increasing human knowledge of nature's processes using the space environment; exploring and settling the solar system; achieving routine space travel; and enriching life on Earth through living and working in space. A crucial aspect of future space missions is the development of infrastructure to optimize safety, productivity, and costs. A major component of mission execution is operations management. NASA's International Space Station is providing extensive experience in both infrastructure and operations. In view of this, a vigorously organized approach is needed to implement successful space-, planet-, and ground-based research and operations that entails wise and efficient use of technical and human resources. Many revolutionary technologies being pursued by researchers and technologists may be vital in making space missions safe, reliable, cost-effective, and productive. These include: ionic polymer-metal composite technology; solid-state lasers; time-domain sensors and communication systems; high-temperature superconductivity; nanotechnology; variable specific impulse magneto plasma rocket; fuzzy logic; wavelet technology; and neural networks. An overview of some of these will be presented, along with their application to space missions.

Environment, diet and CpG island methylation: epigenetic signals in gastrointestinal neoplasia.

PubMed

Johnson, Ian T; Belshaw, Nigel J

2008-04-01

The epithelial surfaces of the mammalian alimentary tract are characterised by very high rates of cell proliferation and DNA synthesis, and in humans they are highly susceptible to cancer. The role of somatic mutations as drivers of carcinogenesis in the alimentary tract is well established, but the importance of gene silencing by epigenetic mechanisms is increasingly recognised. Methylation of CpG islands is an important component of the epigenetic code that regulates gene expression during development and normal cellular differentiation, and a number of genes are well known to become abnormally methylated during the development of tumours of the oesophagus, stomach and colorectum. Aberrant patterns of DNA methylation develop as a result of pathological processes such as chronic inflammation, and in response to various dietary factors, including imbalances in the supply of methyl donors, particularly folates, and exposure to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, which include polyphenols and possibly isothiocyanates from plant foods. However the importance of these environmental interactions in human health and disease remains to be established. Recent moves to modify the exposure of human populations to folate, by mandatory supplementation of cereal foods, emphasise the importance of understanding the susceptibility of the human epigenome to dietary and other environmental effects.

A Four-Dimensional Probabilistic Atlas of the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Mazziotta, John; Toga, Arthur; Evans, Alan; Fox, Peter; Lancaster, Jack; Zilles, Karl; Woods, Roger; Paus, Tomas; Simpson, Gregory; Pike, Bruce; Holmes, Colin; Collins, Louis; Thompson, Paul; MacDonald, David; Iacoboni, Marco; Schormann, Thorsten; Amunts, Katrin; Palomero-Gallagher, Nicola; Geyer, Stefan; Parsons, Larry; Narr, Katherine; Kabani, Noor; Le Goualher, Georges; Feidler, Jordan; Smith, Kenneth; Boomsma, Dorret; Pol, Hilleke Hulshoff; Cannon, Tyrone; Kawashima, Ryuta; Mazoyer, Bernard

2001-01-01

The authors describe the development of a four-dimensional atlas and reference system that includes both macroscopic and microscopic information on structure and function of the human brain in persons between the ages of 18 and 90 years. Given the presumed large but previously unquantified degree of structural and functional variance among normal persons in the human population, the basis for this atlas and reference system is probabilistic. Through the efforts of the International Consortium for Brain Mapping (ICBM), 7,000 subjects will be included in the initial phase of database and atlas development. For each subject, detailed demographic, clinical, behavioral, and imaging information is being collected. In addition, 5,800 subjects will contribute DNA for the purpose of determining genotype– phenotype–behavioral correlations. The process of developing the strategies, algorithms, data collection methods, validation approaches, database structures, and distribution of results is described in this report. Examples of applications of the approach are described for the normal brain in both adults and children as well as in patients with schizophrenia. This project should provide new insights into the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic structure and function in the human brain and should have important implications in basic neuroscience, clinical diagnostics, and cerebral disorders. PMID:11522763

Communication Capacity Research in the Majority World: Supporting the human right to communication specialist services.

PubMed

Hopf, Suzanne C

2018-02-01

Receipt of accessible and appropriate specialist services and resources by all people with communication and/or swallowing disability is a human right; however, it is a right rarely achieved in either Minority or Majority World contexts. This paper considers communication specialists' efforts to provide sustainable services for people with communication difficulties living in Majority World countries. The commentary draws on human rights literature, particularly Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Communication Capacity Research program that includes: (1) gathering knowledge from policy and literature; (2) gathering knowledge from the community; (3) understanding speech, language and literacy use and proficiency; and (4) developing culturally and linguistically appropriate resources and assessments. To inform the development of resources and assessments that could be used by speech-language pathologists as well as other communication specialists in Fiji, the Communication Capacity Research program involved collection and analysis of data from multiple sources including 144 community members, 75 school students and their families, and 25 teachers. The Communication Capacity Research program may be applicable for achieving the development of evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustainable SLP services in similar contexts.

Computational Model of Human and System Dynamics in Free Flight: Studies in Distributed Control Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corker, Kevin M.; Pisanich, Gregory; Lebacqz, J. Victor (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

This paper presents a set of studies in full mission simulation and the development of a predictive computational model of human performance in control of complex airspace operations. NASA and the FAA have initiated programs of research and development to provide flight crew, airline operations and air traffic managers with automation aids to increase capacity in en route and terminal area to support the goals of safe, flexible, predictable and efficient operations. In support of these developments, we present a computational model to aid design that includes representation of multiple cognitive agents (both human operators and intelligent aiding systems). The demands of air traffic management require representation of many intelligent agents sharing world-models, coordinating action/intention, and scheduling goals and actions in a potentially unpredictable world of operations. The operator-model structure includes attention functions, action priority, and situation assessment. The cognitive model has been expanded to include working memory operations including retrieval from long-term store, and interference. The operator's activity structures have been developed to provide for anticipation (knowledge of the intention and action of remote operators), and to respond to failures of the system and other operators in the system in situation-specific paradigms. System stability and operator actions can be predicted by using the model. The model's predictive accuracy was verified using the full-mission simulation data of commercial flight deck operations with advanced air traffic management techniques.

Human rights in occupational therapy education: A step towards a more occupationally just global society.

PubMed

Crawford, Emma; Aplin, Tammy; Rodger, Sylvia

2017-04-01

Education on human rights will place occupational therapists in a strong position to address societal inequities that limit occupational engagement for many client groups. The imminent changes to the Minimum Standard for the Education of Occupational Therapists engender efforts towards social change and will require university-level human rights education. This education might enhance the profession's influence on disadvantaging social structures in order to effect social change. To contribute to the evidence base for social change education in occupational therapy, this research aims to understand the knowledge, skills, confidence and learning experiences of occupational therapy students who completed a human rights course. Final year occupational therapy students responded to questionnaires which included listing human rights, a human rights scale measuring knowledge and confidence for working towards human rights, and open questions. Numbers of rights listed, knowledge scores and confidence scores were calculated. Responses to the open questions were thematically analysed. After completing a human rights course, students had good knowledge and moderate confidence to work with human rights. Three themes were identified including 'learning about human rights', 'learning about structural, societal and global perspectives on occupational engagement' and 'learning how occupational therapists can work with groups, communities and populations: becoming articulate and empowered'. Human rights education fosters the development of occupational therapists who are skilled, knowledgeable, confident and empowered to address occupational injustices, according to these research findings. To develop a more occupationally just global society, education that considers iniquitous social structures and human rights is necessary. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Managing human error in aviation.

PubMed

Helmreich, R L

1997-05-01

Crew resource management (CRM) programs were developed to address team and leadership aspects of piloting modern airplanes. The goal is to reduce errors through team work. Human factors research and social, cognitive, and organizational psychology are used to develop programs tailored for individual airlines. Flight crews study accident case histories, group dynamics, and human error. Simulators provide pilots with the opportunity to solve complex flight problems. CRM in the simulator is called line-oriented flight training (LOFT). In automated cockpits CRM promotes the idea of automation as a crew member. Cultural aspects of aviation include professional, business, and national culture. The aviation CRM model has been adapted for training surgeons and operating room staff in human factors.

Integrated Human-in-the-Loop Ground Testing - Value, History, and the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henninger, Donald L.

2016-01-01

Systems for very long-duration human missions to Mars will be designed to operate reliably for many years and many of these systems will never be returned to Earth. The need for high reliability is driven by the requirement for safe functioning of remote, long-duration crewed systems and also by unsympathetic abort scenarios. Abort from a Mars mission could be as long as 450 days to return to Earth. The key to developing a human-in-the-loop architecture is a development process that allows for a logical sequence of validating successful development in a stepwise manner, with assessment of key performance parameters (KPPs) at each step; especially important are KPPs for technologies evaluated in a full systems context with human crews on Earth and on space platforms such as the ISS. This presentation will explore the implications of such an approach to technology development and validation including the roles of ground and space-based testing necessary to develop a highly reliable system for long duration human exploration missions. Historical development and systems testing from Mercury to the International Space Station (ISS) to ground testing will be reviewed. Current work as well as recommendations for future work will be described.

What Machines Need to Learn to Support Human Problem-Solving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vera, Alonso

2017-01-01

In the development of intelligent systems that interact with humans, there is often confusion between how the system functions with respect to the humans it interacts with and how it interfaces with those humans. The former is a much deeper challenge than the latter it requires a system-level understanding of evolving human roles as well as an understanding of what humans need to know (and when) in order to perform their tasks. This talk will focus on some of the challenges in getting this right as well as on the type of research and development that results in successful human-autonomy teaming. Brief Bio: Dr. Alonso Vera is Chief of the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames Research Center. His expertise is in human-computer interaction, information systems, artificial intelligence, and computational human performance modeling. He has led the design, development and deployment of mission software systems across NASA robotic and human space flight missions, including Mars Exploration Rovers, Phoenix Mars Lander, ISS, Constellation, and Exploration Systems. Dr. Vera received a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honors from McGill University in 1985 and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991. He went on to a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University from 1990-93.

Progress and Challenges in Developing Reference Data Layers for Human Population Distribution and Built Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; Yetman, G.; de Sherbinin, A. M.

2015-12-01

Understanding the interactions between environmental and human systems, and in particular supporting the applications of Earth science data and knowledge in place-based decision making, requires systematic assessment of the distribution and dynamics of human population and the built human infrastructure in conjunction with environmental variability and change. The NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University has had a long track record in developing reference data layers for human population and settlements and is expanding its efforts on topics such as intercity roads, reservoirs and dams, and energy infrastructure. SEDAC has set as a strategic priority the acquisition, development, and dissemination of data resources derived from remote sensing and socioeconomic data on urban land use change, including temporally and spatially disaggregated data on urban change and rates of change, the built infrastructure, and critical facilities. We report here on a range of past and ongoing activities, including the Global Human Settlements Layer effort led by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Global Exposure Database for the Global Earthquake Model (GED4GEM) project, the Global Roads Open Access Data Working Group (gROADS) of the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA), and recent work with ImageCat, Inc. to improve estimates of the exposure and fragility of buildings, road and rail infrastructure, and other facilities with respect to selected natural hazards. New efforts such as the proposed Global Human Settlement indicators initiative of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) could help fill critical gaps and link potential reference data layers with user needs. We highlight key sectors and themes that require further attention, and the many significant challenges that remain in developing comprehensive, high quality, up-to-date, and well maintained reference data layers on population and built infrastructure. The need for improved indicators of sustainable development in the context of the post-2015 development framework provides an opportunity to link data efforts directly with international development needs and investments.

A Research Roadmap for Computation-Based Human Reliability Analysis

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

Boring, Ronald; Mandelli, Diego; Joe, Jeffrey

2015-08-01

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring research through the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program to extend the life of the currently operating fleet of commercial nuclear power plants. The Risk Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) research pathway within LWRS looks at ways to maintain and improve the safety margins of these plants. The RISMC pathway includes significant developments in the area of thermalhydraulics code modeling and the development of tools to facilitate dynamic probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). PRA is primarily concerned with the risk of hardware systems at the plant; yet, hardware reliability is oftenmore » secondary in overall risk significance to human errors that can trigger or compound undesirable events at the plant. This report highlights ongoing efforts to develop a computation-based approach to human reliability analysis (HRA). This computation-based approach differs from existing static and dynamic HRA approaches in that it: (i) interfaces with a dynamic computation engine that includes a full scope plant model, and (ii) interfaces with a PRA software toolset. The computation-based HRA approach presented in this report is called the Human Unimodels for Nuclear Technology to Enhance Reliability (HUNTER) and incorporates in a hybrid fashion elements of existing HRA methods to interface with new computational tools developed under the RISMC pathway. The goal of this research effort is to model human performance more accurately than existing approaches, thereby minimizing modeling uncertainty found in current plant risk models.« less

Peer-to-Peer Human-Robot Interaction for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Terrence; Nourbakhsh, Illah

2004-01-01

NASA has embarked on a long-term program to develop human-robot systems for sustained, affordable space exploration. To support this mission, we are working to improve human-robot interaction and performance on planetary surfaces. Rather than building robots that function as glorified tools, our focus is to enable humans and robots to work as partners and peers. In this paper. we describe our approach, which includes contextual dialogue, cognitive modeling, and metrics-based field testing.

A New Life, A New Brain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eliot, Lise

2001-01-01

Discusses the connection between brain development and human educational needs based on neuroscience research. Considers brain development from conception, including cell structure, myelination, and regional development of the brain, stressing the importance of a child's early environment and the prenatal vulnerability of the brain. (JPB)

You and Me and Human Sexuality. Teacher's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Emily Morrill

This teacher's manual is designed for teaching deaf adolescents about human sexuality. Each chapter is organized into topic objectives, large group content presentation strategies, small group activities, materials, and resources. Topics include: (1) relationships; (2) adolescent growth and development; (3) female and male anatomy; (4) conception,…

ESTABLISH AND STANDARDIZE METHODOLOGY FOR DETECTION OF WATERBORNE VIRUSES FROM HUMAN SOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

Research is conducted to develop and standardize methods to detect and measure occurrence of human enteric viruses that cause waterborne disease. The viruses of concern include the emerging pathogens--hepatitis E virus and group B rotaviruses. Also of concern are the coxsackiev...

The Long and Winding Path (from Instructional Design to Performance Technology).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Clay; Totzke, Larry

1995-01-01

Presents a case study based on experiences at Amway Corporation that explains how the Human Resources Development Department progressed from providing training to providing a broader range of human performance technology interventions. Strategic planning is described, including identifying incentives and required competencies, providing for…

Annotated Bibliography of Human Factors Laboratory Reports (1945-1968). Supplement 4, 1979-1983.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

A complete bibliographic reference and an abstract are given for each publication of the Human Factors Laboratory from 1979 through 1983 including in-house and contractor - developed documents. Three indexes are provided: Index by Source, Author Index , and Subject Matter Index.

Detection of the human endogenous retrovirus ERV3-encoded Env-protein in human tissues using antibody-based proteomics.

PubMed

Fei, Chen; Atterby, Christina; Edqvist, Per-Henrik; Pontén, Fredrik; Zhang, Wei Wei; Larsson, Erik; Ryan, Frank P

2014-01-01

There is growing evidence to suggest that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have contributed to human evolution, being expressed in development, normal physiology and disease. A key difficulty in the scientific evaluation of this potential viral contribution is the accurate demonstration of virally expressed protein in specific human cells and tissues. In this study, we have adopted the endogenous retrovirus, ERV3, as our test model in developing a reliable high-capacity methodology for the expression of such endogenous retrovirus-coded protein. Two affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies to ERV3 Env-encoded protein were generated to detect the corresponding protein expression pattern in specific human cells, tissues and organs. Sampling included normal tissues from 144 individuals ranging from childhood to old age. This included more than forty different tissues and organs and some 216 different cancer tissues representing the twenty commonest forms of human cancer. The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. The potential expression at likely physiological level of the ERV3Env encoded protein in a wide range of human cells, tissues and organs. We found that ERV3 encoded Env protein is expressed at substantive levels in placenta, testis, adrenal gland, corpus luteum, Fallopian tubes, sebaceous glands, astrocytes, bronchial epithelium and the ducts of the salivary glands. Substantive expression was also seen in a variety of epithelial cells as well as cells known to undergo fusion in inflammation and in normal physiology, including fused macrophages, myocardium and striated muscle. This contrasted strongly with the low levels expressed in other tissues types. These findings suggest that this virus plays a significant role in human physiology and may also play a possible role in disease. This technique can now be extended to the study of other HERV genomes within the human chromosomes that may have contributed to human evolution, physiology and disease.

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 immediate solutions that benefit both conservation and development favors dispute resolution and technical fixes, which obscures important underlying drivers of conflicts. If these drivers are not considered, well-intentioned efforts focused on human-wildlife conflicts will fail. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

3D Miniaturization of Human Organs for Drug Discovery.

PubMed

Park, Joseph; Wetzel, Isaac; Dréau, Didier; Cho, Hansang

2018-01-01

"Engineered human organs" hold promises for predicting the effectiveness and accuracy of drug responses while reducing cost, time, and failure rates in clinical trials. Multiorgan human models utilize many aspects of currently available technologies including self-organized spherical 3D human organoids, microfabricated 3D human organ chips, and 3D bioprinted human organ constructs to mimic key structural and functional properties of human organs. They enable precise control of multicellular activities, extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, spatial distributions of cells, architectural organizations of ECM, and environmental cues. Thus, engineered human organs can provide the microstructures and biological functions of target organs and advantageously substitute multiscaled drug-testing platforms including the current in vitro molecular assays, cell platforms, and in vivo models. This review provides an overview of advanced innovative designs based on the three main technologies used for organ construction leading to single and multiorgan systems useable for drug development. Current technological challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Wundt, Vygotsky and Bandura: a cultural-historical science of consciousness in three acts.

PubMed

Ferrari, Michel; Robinson, David K; Yasnitsky, Anton

2010-01-01

This article looks at three historical efforts to coordinate the scientific study of biological and cultural aspects of human consciousness into a single comprehensive theory of human development that includes the evolution of the human body, cultural evolution and personal development: specifically, the research programs of Wilhelm Wundt, Lev Vygotsky and Albert Bandura. The lack of historical relations between these similar efforts is striking, and suggests that the effort to promote cultural and personal sources of consciousness arises as a natural foil to an overemphasis on the biological basis of consciousness, sometimes associated with biological determinism.

Human Factors Operability Timeline Analysis to Improve the Processing Flow of the Orion Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlierf, Roland; Stambolian, Damon B.; Miller, Darcy; Posanda, Juan; Haddock, Mike; Haddad, Mike; Tran, Donald; Henderson, Gena; Barth, Tim

2010-01-01

The Constellation Program (CxP) Orion vehicle goes through several areas and stages of processing before its launched at the Kennedy Space Center. In order to have efficient and effective processing, all of the activities need to be analyzed. This was accomplished by first developing a timeline of events that included each activity, and then each activity was analyzed by operability experts and human factors experts with spacecraft processing experience. This papers focus is to explain the results and the process for developing this human factors operability timeline analysis to improve the processing flow of Orion.

Transcendent Pluralism: A Middle-Range Theory of Nonviolent Social Transformation Through Human and Ecological Dignity.

PubMed

Perry, Donna J

2015-01-01

Transcendent pluralism is a middle-range theory that focuses on the emergence of human dignity within relationships among diverse peoples through nonviolent social transformation. The theory proposes that contemporary social problems that negatively influence health are rooted in human and ecological devaluation and that healing is needed through the advance of dignity. The theory has been developed through both deductive and inductive processes including 4 research studies. The theory of transcendent pluralism provides a framework for nurses seeking to advance dignity. This article provides an overview of the theory's development and components.

Health and human rights in today’s fight against HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Stemple, Lara

2012-01-01

The development of the health and human rights framework coincided with the beginning of the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. Since then, the international community has increasingly turned to human rights language and instruments to address the disease. Not only are human rights essential to addressing a disease that impacts marginalized groups most severely, but the spread of HIV/AIDS itself exacerbates inequality and impedes the realization of a range of human rights. Policy developments of the past decade include the United Nations (UN) Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ General Comment on the ‘Right to Health’, the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, and the UN’s International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, among others. Rights-related setbacks include the failure of the Declaration and its 5-year follow-up specifically to address men who have sex with men, sex workers, and intravenous drug users, political restrictions placed on urgently needed US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funds, and the failure of many countries to decriminalize same-sex sex and outlaw discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Male circumcision as an HIV prevention measure is a topic around which important debate, touching on gender, informed consent and children’s rights, serves to illustrate the ongoing vitality of the health and human rights dialogue. Mechanisms to increase state accountability for addressing HIV/AIDS should be explored in greater depth. Such measures might include an increase in the use of treaty-based judicial mechanisms, the linking of human rights compliance with preferential trade agreements, and rights requirements tied to HIV/ AIDS funding. PMID:18641463

Intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae of Toxoplasma gondii induced acute ileitis in mice harboring a human gut microbiota.

PubMed

von Klitzing, Eliane; Ekmekciu, Ira; Kühl, Anja A; Bereswill, Stefan; Heimesaat, Markus M

2017-01-01

Within seven days following peroral high dose infection with Toxoplasma gondii susceptible conventionally colonized mice develop acute ileitis due to an underlying T helper cell (Th) -1 type immunopathology. We here addressed whether mice harboring a human intestinal microbiota developed intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae upon ileitis induction. Secondary abiotic mice were generated by broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment and associated with a complex human intestinal microbiota following peroral fecal microbiota transplantation. Within three weeks the human microbiota had stably established in the murine intestinal tract as assessed by quantitative cultural and culture-independent (i.e. molecular 16S rRNA based) methods. At day 7 post infection (p.i.) with 50 cysts of T. gondii strain ME49 by gavage human microbiota associated (hma) mice displayed severe clinical, macroscopic and microscopic sequelae indicating acute ileitis. In diseased hma mice increased numbers of innate and adaptive immune cells within the ileal mucosa and lamina propria and elevated intestinal secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators including IFN-γ, IL-12 and nitric oxide could be observed at day 7 p.i. Ileitis development was accompanied by substantial shifts in intestinal microbiota composition of hma mice characterized by elevated total bacterial loads and increased numbers of intestinal Gram-negative commensals such as enterobacteria and Bacteroides / Prevotella species overgrowing the small and large intestinal lumen. Furthermore, viable bacteria translocated from the inflamed ileum to extra-intestinal including systemic compartments. Notably, pro-inflammatory immune responses were not restricted to the intestinal tract as indicated by increased pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in extra-intestinal (i.e. liver and kidney) and systemic compartments including spleen and serum. With respect to the intestinal microbiota composition "humanized" mice display acute ileitis following peroral high dose T. gondii infection. Thus, hma mice constitute a suitable model to further dissect the interactions between pathogens, human microbiota and vertebrate host immunity during acute intestinal inflammation.

Parallel optical information, concept, and response evolver: POINCARE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulfield, H. John; Caulfield, Kimberly

1991-08-01

It is now possible to build a nonlinear adaptive system which will incorporate many of the properties of the human mind, such as true originality in such skills as reasoning by analogy and reasoning by retrodiction, including literally unpredictable thoughts; and development of individual styles, personalities, expertise, etc. Like humans, these optical processors will have a rich `subconscious'' experience. Like humans, they will be clonable, but clones will develop differently as they experience the world differently, make different decisions, develop different habits, etc. In short, powerful optical processors with some of the properties normally associated with human intelligence can be made. This approach can result in a powerful optical processor with those properties. A demonstration chosen for simplicity of implementation is suggested. This could be the first computer of any type which uses quantum indeterminacy in an integral and important way.

Engineering Large Animal Species to Model Human Diseases.

PubMed

Rogers, Christopher S

2016-07-01

Animal models are an important resource for studying human diseases. Genetically engineered mice are the most commonly used species and have made significant contributions to our understanding of basic biology, disease mechanisms, and drug development. However, they often fail to recreate important aspects of human diseases and thus can have limited utility as translational research tools. Developing disease models in species more similar to humans may provide a better setting in which to study disease pathogenesis and test new treatments. This unit provides an overview of the history of genetically engineered large animals and the techniques that have made their development possible. Factors to consider when planning a large animal model, including choice of species, type of modification and methodology, characterization, production methods, and regulatory compliance, are also covered. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

NASA's Exploration Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyburski, Timothy

2006-01-01

A Bold Vision for Space Exploration includes: 1) Complete the International Space Station; 2) Safely fly the Space Shuttle until 2010; 3) Develop and fly the Crew Exploration Vehicle no later than 2012; 4) Return to the moon no later than 2020; 5) Extend human presence across the solar system and beyond; 6) Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program; 7) Develop supporting innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures; and 8) Promote international and commercial participation in exploration.

A new methodology for estimating nuclear casualties as a function of time.

PubMed

Zirkle, Robert A; Walsh, Terri J; Disraelly, Deena S; Curling, Carl A

2011-09-01

The Human Response Injury Profile (HRIP) nuclear methodology provides an estimate of casualties occurring as a consequence of nuclear attacks against military targets for planning purposes. The approach develops user-defined, time-based casualty and fatality estimates based on progressions of underlying symptoms and their severity changes over time. This paper provides a description of the HRIP nuclear methodology and its development, including inputs, human response and the casualty estimation process.

Development of an Implantable Pudendal Nerve Stimulator To Restore Bladder Function in Humans After SCI

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

new version of the stimulator will be manufactured and tested again. This design-build-test cycle will be repeated multiple times during the second...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-C-0066 TITLE: Development of an Implantable Pudendal Nerve Stimulator To Restore Bladder Function in Humans After SCI...response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and

Child Development and Behavior Branch (CDBB), NIHCD, Report to the NACHHD Council

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 2009

2009-01-01

The Child Development & Behavior (CDB) Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) seeks to improve the health and well-being of individuals from infancy through early adulthood by supporting research into healthy growth and development, including all aspects of child development. The study of typical child…

NASA Human Health and Performance Center: Open Innovation Successes and Collaborative Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Elizabeth E.

2014-01-01

In May 2007, what was then the Space Life Sciences Directorate published the 2007 Space Life Sciences Strategy for Human Space Exploration, which resulted in the development and implementation of new business models and significant advances in external collaboration over the next five years. The strategy was updated on the basis of these accomplishments and reissued as the NASA Human Health and Performance Strategy in 2012, and continues to drive new approaches to innovation for the directorate. This short paper describes the open innovation successes and collaborative projects developed over this timeframe, including the efforts of the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC), which was established to advance human health and performance innovations for spaceflight and societal benefit via collaboration in new markets.

Nursing's leadership in positioning human health at the core of urban sustainability.

PubMed

St Pierre Schneider, Barbara; Menzel, Nancy; Clark, Michele; York, Nancy; Candela, Lori; Xu, Yu

2009-01-01

The United Nations predicts that by 2050 nearly three fourths of the world's population will live in urban areas, including cities. People are attracted to cities because these urban areas offer diverse opportunities, including the availability of goods and services and a higher quality of life. Cities, however, may not be sustainable with this population boom. To address sustainability, urban developers and engineers are building green structures, and businesses are creating products that are safe for the environment. Additionally, efforts are needed to place human health at the core of urban sustainability. Without human health, cities will not survive for future generations. Nursing is the discipline that can place human health in this position. Nursing's initiatives throughout history are efforts of sustainability-improving human health within the physical, economic, and social environments. Therefore, nursing must take a leadership role to ensure that human health is at the core of urban sustainability.

The Gut Microbiome: A New Frontier in Autism Research

PubMed Central

Mulle, Jennifer G.; Sharp, William G.; Cubells, Joseph F.

2013-01-01

The human gut harbors a complex community of microbes that profoundly influence many aspects of growth and development, including development of the nervous system. Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing methods have led to rapidly expanding knowledge about this gut microbiome. Here, we review fundamental emerging data on the human gut microbiome, with a focus on potential interactions between the microbiome and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and consider research on atypical patterns of feeding and nutrition in ASD and how they might interact with the microbiome. Finally we selectively survey results from studies in rodents on the impact of the microbiome on neurobehavioral development. The evidence reviewed here suggests that a deeper understanding of the gut microbiome could open up new avenues of research on ASD, including potential novel treatment strategies. PMID:23307560

Computational Modeling of Space Physiology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewandowski, Beth E.; Griffin, Devon W.

2016-01-01

The Digital Astronaut Project (DAP), within NASAs Human Research Program, develops and implements computational modeling for use in the mitigation of human health and performance risks associated with long duration spaceflight. Over the past decade, DAP developed models to provide insights into space flight related changes to the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system. Examples of the models and their applications include biomechanical models applied to advanced exercise device development, bone fracture risk quantification for mission planning, accident investigation, bone health standards development, and occupant protection. The International Space Station (ISS), in its role as a testing ground for long duration spaceflight, has been an important platform for obtaining human spaceflight data. DAP has used preflight, in-flight and post-flight data from short and long duration astronauts for computational model development and validation. Examples include preflight and post-flight bone mineral density data, muscle cross-sectional area, and muscle strength measurements. Results from computational modeling supplement space physiology research by informing experimental design. Using these computational models, DAP personnel can easily identify both important factors associated with a phenomenon and areas where data are lacking. This presentation will provide examples of DAP computational models, the data used in model development and validation, and applications of the model.

Update on the Human Broad Tapeworm (Genus Diphyllobothrium), Including Clinical Relevance

PubMed Central

Scholz, Tomáš; Garcia, Hector H.; Kuchta, Roman; Wicht, Barbara

2009-01-01

Summary: Tapeworms (Cestoda) continue to be an important cause of morbidity in humans worldwide. Diphyllobothriosis, a human disease caused by tapeworms of the genus Diphyllobothrium, is the most important fish-borne zoonosis caused by a cestode parasite. Up to 20 million humans are estimated to be infected worldwide. Besides humans, definitive hosts of Diphyllobothrium include piscivorous birds and mammals, which represent a significant zoonotic reservoir. The second intermediate hosts include both freshwater and marine fish, especially anadromous species such as salmonids. The zoonosis occurs most commonly in countries where the consumption of raw or marinated fish is a frequent practice. Due to the increasing popularity of dishes utilizing uncooked fish, numerous cases of human infections have appeared recently, even in the most developed countries. As many as 14 valid species of Diphyllobothrium can cause human diphyllobothriosis, with D. latum and D. nihonkaiense being the most important pathogens. In this paper, all taxa from humans reported are reviewed, with brief information on their life history and their current distribution. Data on diagnostics, epidemiology, clinical relevance, and control of the disease are also summarized. The importance of reliable identification of human-infecting species with molecular tools (sequences of mitochondrial genes) as well as the necessity of epidemiological studies aimed at determining the sources of infections are pointed out. PMID:19136438

When humans become animals: Development of the animal category in early childhood.

PubMed

Herrmann, Patricia A; Medin, Douglas L; Waxman, Sandra R

2012-01-01

The current study examines 3- and 5-year-olds' representation of the concept we label 'animal' and its two nested concepts -animal(contrastive) (including only non-human animals) and animal(inclusive) (including both humans and non-human animals). Building upon evidence that naming promotes object categorization, we introduced a novel noun for two distinct objects, and analyzed children's patterns of extension. In Experiment 1, children heard a novel noun in conjunction with two non-human animals (dog, bird). Here, both 3- and 5-year-olds readily accessed animal(contrastive) and extended the noun systematically to other (previously un-named) non-human animals. In Experiment 2, children heard a novel noun in conjunction with a human and non-human animal. Here, 5-year-olds (but not 3-year-olds) accessed animal(inclusive) and extended the noun systematically to humans and non-human animals. These results underscore the developmental challenge facing young children as they identify the scope of the fundamental biological term 'animal' and its corresponding, nested concept(s). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human factors in waste management - potential and reality

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

Thompson, J.S.

There is enormous potential for human factors contributions in the realm of waste management. The reality, however, is very different from the potential. This is particularly true for low-level and low-level mixed-waste management. The hazards are less severe; therefore, health and safety requirements (including human factors) are not as rigorous as for high-level waste. High-level waste management presents its own unique challenges and opportunities. Waste management is strongly driven by regulatory compliance. When regulations are flexible and open to interpretation and the environment is driven so strongly by regulatory compliance, standard practice is to drop {open_quotes}nice to have{close_quotes} features, likemore » a human factors program, to save money for complying with other requirements. The challenge is to convince decision makers that human factors can help make operations efficient and cost-effective, as well as improving safety and complying with regulations. A human factors program should not be viewed as competing with compliance efforts; in fact, it should complement them and provide additional cost-effective means of achieving compliance with other regulations. Achieving this synergy of human factors with ongoing waste management operations requires educating program and facility managers and other technical specialists about human factors and demonstrating its value {open_quotes}through the back door{close_quotes} on existing efforts. This paper describes ongoing projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in support of their waste management groups. It includes lessons learned from hazard and risk analyses, safety analysis reports, job and task analyses, operating procedure development, personnel qualification/certification program development, and facility- and job-specific training program and course development.« less

The Human Settlements Authority Act, 1988 (No. 2 of 1988), 4 June 1986.

PubMed

1988-01-01

This Act establishes in Swaziland the Human Settlements Authority, whose members are appointed by the Minister responsible for human settlements. The Authority shall "1) assist the Government in formulating policy relating to human settlements and uphold and give effect to such policy; 2) ensure the orderly development of existing and future urban and rural settlements; 3) establish a finance mechanism for ensuring the supply and maintenance of improved shelter and infrastructure throughout Swaziland, which shall include a system of revenue recovery; 4) prepare appropriate standards for the provision of land, shelter and infrastructure by both private and public developers; 5) regulate real estate transactions including the standardization of lease agreements, rent control and sale of land and buildings; 6) encourage and support research in appropriate methods of providing affordable shelter and infrastructure; and 7) perform all other acts or things as are required by this Act." Under the Act, no person shall establish a human settlement, housing scheme, or private housing scheme without the written permission of the Authority. Further provisions of the Act deal with the membership and meetings of the Authority, the granting of permission for human settlements, and human settlement development plans, among other things. On 4 June 1986, the Government of Swaziland also enacted the National Housing Board Act, 1988 (No. 3 of 1988). This Act establishes a National Housing Board, subject to the provisions of the Human Settlements Act, 1988, to "provide affordable housing generally in Swaziland and take over such housing schemes as the Government may determine." Further provisions of the Act deal with the functions, membership, finances, staffing, assets, and administration of the Board. See Swaziland Government Gazette, Extraordinary, Vol. 26, No. 581, 2 March 1988, pp. S6-S11. full text

Tissue engineering a human phalanx.

PubMed

Landis, W J; Chubinskaya, S; Tokui, T; Wada, Y; Isogai, N; Jacquet, R

2017-08-01

A principal purpose of tissue engineering is the augmentation, repair or replacement of diseased or injured human tissue. This study was undertaken to determine whether human biopsies as a cell source could be utilized for successful engineering of human phalanges consisting of both bone and cartilage. This paper reports the use of cadaveric human chondrocytes and periosteum as a model for the development of phalanx constructs. Two factors, osteogenic protein-1 [OP-1/bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7)], alone or combined with insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), were examined for their potential enhancement of chondrocytes and their secreted extracellular matrices. Design of the study included culture of chondrocytes and periosteum on biodegradable polyglycolic acid (PGA) and poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA)-poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds and subsequent implantation in athymic nu/nu (nude) mice for 5, 20, 40 and 60 weeks. Engineered constructs retrieved from mice were characterized with regard to genotype and phenotype as a function of developmental (implantation) time. Assessments included gross observation, X-ray radiography or microcomputed tomography, histology and gene expression. The resulting data showed that human cell-scaffold constructs could be successfully developed over 60 weeks, despite variability in donor age. Cartilage formation of the distal phalanx models enhanced with both OP-1 and IGF-1 yielded more cells and extracellular matrix (collagen and proteoglycans) than control chondrocytes without added factors. Summary data demonstrated that human distal phalanx models utilizing cadaveric chondrocytes and periosteum were successfully fabricated and OP-1 and OP-1/IGF-1 accelerated construct development and mineralization. The results suggest that similar engineering and transplantation of human autologous tissues in patients are clinically feasible. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Human Fetal Behavior: 100 Years of Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kisilevsky, B. S.; Low, J. A.

1998-01-01

Reviews literature on human fetal behavior. Includes descriptions of coupling of body movements and fetal heart rate and behavior maturation from conception to term. Discusses use of stimulus-induced behavior to examine sensory and cognitive development, and spontaneous and stimulus-induced behavior to assess fetal well-being. Notes research focus…

Integral Nursing: An Emerging Framework for Engaging the Evolution of the Profession.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiandt, Kathryn; Forman, John; Megel, Mary Erickson; Pakieser, Ruth A.; Burge, Stephanie

2003-01-01

Proposes the Integral Nursing framework, which combines Wilber's All-Quadrant/All-Level model, a heuristic device to organize human experience, and the Spiral Dynamics model of human development organized around value memes or cultural units of information. Includes commentary by Beth L. Rodgers. (Contains 17 references.) (JOW)

3 CFR - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Actions and Policies of Certain...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... steps backward in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights. The actions and... or institutions, to commit human rights abuses related to political repression, including detentions... against political opposition, civil society, and independent media. The government arbitrarily arrested...

Primary Humanities: A Perspective from Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Mark; Whitehouse, Sarah

2017-01-01

How the humanities subjects are represented in primary schools in Wales has been influenced by curriculum developments including Curriculum Cymraeg, the Skills Framework and the Foundation Phase. A central tenet of Welsh Government policy has been to actively encourage schools to promote a sense of "Welshness" through curriculum content,…

Using Human Factors Techniques to Design Text Message Reminders for Childhood Immunization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R.; Hart, Traci; Chesser, Amy; Williams, Katherine S.; Yaghmai, Beryl; Shah-Haque, Sapna; Wittler, Robert R.

2012-01-01

This study engaged parents to develop concise, informative, and comprehensible text messages for an immunization reminder system using Human Factors techniques. Fifty parents completed a structured interview including demographics, technology questions, willingness to receive texts from their child's doctor, and health literacy. Each participant…

Love and Social Justice in Learning for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Morwenna; Murray, Rosa

2017-01-01

The planet seems to be heading into an ecological catastrophe, in which the earth will become uninhabitable for many species, including human beings. At the same time we humans are beset by appalling injustices. The Rio Declaration which addressed both these sets of problems contains conceptual contradictions about "development" and…

Detection of fecal contamination on beef meat surfaces using handheld fluorescence imaging device (HFID)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Current meat inspection in slaughter plants, for food safety and quality attributes including potential fecal contamination, is conducted through by visual examination human inspectors. A handheld fluorescence-based imaging device (HFID) was developed to be an assistive tool for human inspectors by ...

Factors affecting the presence of human-associated and fecal indicator real-time quantitative PCR genetic markers in urban-impacted recreational beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Urban runoff can carry a variety of pollutants into recreational beaches, often including bacterial pathogens and indicators of fecal contamination. To develop complete recreational criteria and risk assessments, it is necessary to understand conditions under which human contamin...

Diversity to Inclusion: Expanding Workplace Capability Thinking around Aboriginal Career Progression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Kaye

2015-01-01

Optimally all individuals should contribute fully to the collective spirit and human capital within the workplace, supporting and enabling the development of a mature workforce. Human resource policies endeavour to address diversity and inclusion in the workplace through a variety of methodologies including training and professional development…

Comparison of Chemical-induced Changes in Proliferation and Apoptosis in Human and Mouse Neuroprogenitor Cells.***

EPA Science Inventory

There is a need to develop rapid and efficient models to screen chemicals for their potential to cause developmental neurotoxicity. Use of in vitro neuronal models, including human cells, is one approach that allows for timely, cost-effective toxicity screening. The present study...

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.

A Pedagogical Strategy for Teaching Human Development: Dyadic Essay Confrontations through Writing and Discussion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Lawrence W.

This paper integrates several contemporary issues, all of which focus on the teaching of human developmental theories. These issues include postmodern thought, higher level thinking processes, introducting conceptual conflict and arousal, motivation, and integrating the writing process into the psychology curriculum. Each issue is briefly…

COMPARISON OF CHEMICAL-INDUCED CHANGES IN PROLIFERATION AND APOPTOSIS IN HUMAN AND MOUSE NEUROPROGENITOR CELLS.

EPA Science Inventory

There is a need to develop rapid and efficient models for screening chemicals for their potential to cause developmental neurotoxicity. Use of in vitro neuronal models, including human cells, is one approach that allows for timely, cost-effective toxicity screening. The present s...

Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chess, Stella, Ed.; Thomas, Alexander, Ed.

Selected studies of infant development concern biological rhythms, pattern preferences, sucking, and Negro-white comparisons. Sex, age, state, eye to eye contact, and human symbiosis are considered in mother-infant interaction. Included in pediatrics are child development and the relationship between pediatrics and psychiatry. Environmental…

Adventures in Space Medicine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billica, Roger D.

1999-01-01

Human space flight experience has demonstrated a variety of hazards and risks to health and performance. In developing ways to help respond to these issues, the field of space medicine has developed a comprehensive program of space flight health risk management that has resulted in positive contributions to medicine and society in general. Examples include accelerated focus on critical health issues such as aging and osteoporosis, and development of new technologies such as non-invasive diagnostic testing for diabetics. The role of health care professionals in human space exploration represents a fulfillment of new adventures and expanding frontiers.

Human influenza A (H5N1): a brief review and recommendations for travelers.

PubMed

Hurtado, Timothy R

2006-01-01

Although avian influenza A (H5N1) is common in birds worldwide, it has only recently led to disease in humans. Humans who are infected with the disease (referred to as human influenza A [H5N1]) have a greater than 50% mortality rate. Currently there has not been documented sustained human-to-human transmission; however, should the virus mutate and make this possible, the world could experience an influenza pandemic. Probable risk factors for infection include slaughtering, defeathering, and butchering fowl; close contact with wild birds or caged poultry; ingestion of undercooked poultry products; direct contact with surfaces contaminated with poultry feces; and close contact with infected humans. Possible risk factors include swimming in or ingesting water contaminated with bird feces or dead birds and the use of unprocessed poultry feces as fertilizer. Clinically, early human influenza A (H5N1) resembles typical influenza illnesses, with fever and a preponderance of lower respiratory tract symptoms. Often, patients develop rapidly progressive respiratory failure and require ventilatory support. Treatment is primarily supportive care with the addition of antiviral medications. Currently, travelers to countries with both human and avian influenza A (H5N1) have a low risk of developing the disease. There are no current recommended travel restrictions. Travelers are advised to avoid contact with all birds, especially poultry; avoid surfaces contaminated with poultry feces; and avoid undercooked poultry products. The use of prophylactic antiviral medications is not recommended.

A human factors methodology for real-time support applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, E. D.; Vanbalen, P. M.; Mitchell, C. M.

1983-01-01

A general approach to the human factors (HF) analysis of new or existing projects at NASA/Goddard is delineated. Because the methodology evolved from HF evaluations of the Mission Planning Terminal (MPT) and the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite Mission Operations Room (ERBS MOR), it is directed specifically to the HF analysis of real-time support applications. Major topics included for discussion are the process of establishing a working relationship between the Human Factors Group (HFG) and the project, orientation of HF analysts to the project, human factors analysis and review, and coordination with major cycles of system development. Sub-topics include specific areas for analysis and appropriate HF tools. Management support functions are outlined. References provide a guide to sources of further information.

From Process to Product: Your Risk Process at Work

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundrot, Craig E.; Fogarty, Jenifer; Charles, John; Buquo, Lynn; Sibonga, Jean; Alexander, David; Horn, Wayne G.; Edwards, J. Michelle

2010-01-01

The Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) and Human Research Program (HRP) at the NASA/Johnson Space Center work together to address and manage the human health and performance risks associated with human space flight. This includes all human system requirements before, during, and after space flight, providing for research, and managing the risk of adverse long-term health outcomes for the crew. We previously described the framework and processes developed for identifying and managing these human system risks. The focus of this panel is to demonstrate how the implementation of the framework and associated processes has provided guidance in the management and communication of human system risks. The risks of early onset osteoporosis, CO2 exposure, and intracranial hypertension in particular have all benefitted from the processes developed for human system risk management. Moreover, we are continuing to develop capabilities, particularly in the area of information architecture, which will also be described. We are working to create a system whereby all risks and associated actions can be tracked and related to one another electronically. Such a system will enhance the management and communication capabilities for the human system risks, thereby increasing the benefit to researchers and flight surgeons.

Recommendations from a global cross-company data sharing initiative on the incorporation of recovery phase animals in safety assessment studies to support first-in-human clinical trials.

PubMed

Sewell, Fiona; Chapman, Kathryn; Baldrick, Paul; Brewster, David; Broadmeadow, Alan; Brown, Paul; Burns-Naas, Leigh Ann; Clarke, Janet; Constan, Alex; Couch, Jessica; Czupalla, Oliver; Danks, Andy; DeGeorge, Joseph; de Haan, Lolke; Hettinger, Klaudia; Hill, Marilyn; Festag, Matthias; Jacobs, Abby; Jacobson-Kram, David; Kopytek, Stephan; Lorenz, Helga; Moesgaard, Sophia Gry; Moore, Emma; Pasanen, Markku; Perry, Rick; Ragan, Ian; Robinson, Sally; Schmitt, Petra M; Short, Brian; Lima, Beatriz Silva; Smith, Diane; Sparrow, Sue; van Bekkum, Yvette; Jones, David

2014-10-01

An international expert group which includes 30 organisations (pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations, academic institutions and regulatory bodies) has shared data on the use of recovery animals in the assessment of pharmaceutical safety for early development. These data have been used as an evidence-base to make recommendations on the inclusion of recovery animals in toxicology studies to achieve scientific objectives, while reducing animal use. Recovery animals are used in pharmaceutical development to provide information on the potential for a toxic effect to translate into long-term human risk. They are included on toxicology studies to assess whether effects observed during dosing persist or reverse once treatment ends. The group devised a questionnaire to collect information on the use of recovery animals in general regulatory toxicology studies to support first-in-human studies. Questions focused on study design, the rationale behind inclusion or exclusion and the impact this had on internal and regulatory decisions. Data on 137 compounds (including 53 biologicals and 78 small molecules) from 259 studies showed wide variation in where, when and why recovery animals were included. An analysis of individual study and programme design shows that there are opportunities to reduce the use of recovery animals without impacting drug development. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Childhood Obesity? Moving Beyond Observational Evidence.

PubMed

Woo, Jessica G; Martin, Lisa J

2015-06-01

Human milk is the optimal feeding choice for infants, as it dynamically provides the nutrients, immunity support, and other bioactive factors needed for infants at specific stages during development. Observational studies and several meta-analyses have suggested that breastfeeding is protective against development of obesity in childhood and beyond. However, these findings are not without significant controversy. This review includes an overview of observational findings to date, then focuses on three specific pathways that connect human milk and infant physiology: maternal obesity, microbiome development in the infant, and the development of taste preference and diet quality. Each of these pathways involves complex interactions between mother and infant, includes both biologic and non-biologic factors, and may have both direct and indirect effects on obesity risk in the offspring. This type of integrated approach to examining breastfeeding and childhood obesity is necessary to advance research in this area beyond observational findings.

Humanism and multiculturalism: an evolutionary alliance.

PubMed

Comas-Diaz, Lillian

2012-12-01

Humanism and multiculturalism are partners in an evolutionary alliance. Humanistic and multicultural psychotherapies have historically influenced each other. Humanism represents the third force in psychotherapy, while multiculturalism embodies the fourth developmental stage. Multiculturalism embraces humanistic values grounded in collective and social justice contexts. Examples of multicultural humanistic constructs include contextualism, holism, and liberation. Certainly, the multicultural-humanistic connection is a necessary shift in the evolution of psychotherapy. Humanism and multiculturalism participate in the development of an inclusive and evolutionary psychotherapy. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Human Factors Process Task Analysis: Liquid Oxygen Pump Acceptance Test Procedure at the Advanced Technology Development Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diorio, Kimberly A.; Voska, Ned (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides information on Human Factors Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (HF PFMEA). HF PFMEA includes the following 10 steps: Describe mission; Define System; Identify human-machine; List human actions; Identify potential errors; Identify factors that effect error; Determine likelihood of error; Determine potential effects of errors; Evaluate risk; Generate solutions (manage error). The presentation also describes how this analysis was applied to a liquid oxygen pump acceptance test.

Tauopathy induced by low level expression of a human brain-derived tau fragment in mice is rescued by phenylbutyrate.

PubMed

Bondulich, Marie K; Guo, Tong; Meehan, Christopher; Manion, John; Rodriguez Martin, Teresa; Mitchell, Jacqueline C; Hortobagyi, Tibor; Yankova, Natalia; Stygelbout, Virginie; Brion, Jean-Pierre; Noble, Wendy; Hanger, Diane P

2016-08-01

Human neurodegenerative tauopathies exhibit pathological tau aggregates in the brain along with diverse clinical features including cognitive and motor dysfunction. Post-translational modifications including phosphorylation, ubiquitination and truncation, are characteristic features of tau present in the brain in human tauopathy. We have previously reported an N-terminally truncated form of tau in human brain that is associated with the development of tauopathy and is highly phosphorylated. We have generated a new mouse model of tauopathy in which this human brain-derived, 35 kDa tau fragment (Tau35) is expressed in the absence of any mutation and under the control of the human tau promoter. Most existing mouse models of tauopathy overexpress mutant tau at levels that do not occur in human neurodegenerative disease, whereas Tau35 transgene expression is equivalent to less than 10% of that of endogenous mouse tau. Tau35 mice recapitulate key features of human tauopathies, including aggregated and abnormally phosphorylated tau, progressive cognitive and motor deficits, autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction, loss of synaptic protein, and reduced life-span. Importantly, we found that sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl®), a drug used to treat urea cycle disorders and currently in clinical trials for a range of neurodegenerative diseases, reverses the observed abnormalities in tau and autophagy, behavioural deficits, and loss of synapsin 1 in Tau35 mice. Our results show for the first time that, unlike other tau transgenic mouse models, minimal expression of a human disease-associated tau fragment in Tau35 mice causes a profound and progressive tauopathy and cognitive changes, which are rescued by pharmacological intervention using a clinically approved drug. These novel Tau35 mice therefore represent a highly disease-relevant animal model in which to investigate molecular mechanisms and to develop novel treatments for human tauopathies. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Tauopathy induced by low level expression of a human brain-derived tau fragment in mice is rescued by phenylbutyrate

PubMed Central

Bondulich, Marie K.; Guo, Tong; Meehan, Christopher; Manion, John; Rodriguez Martin, Teresa; Mitchell, Jacqueline C.; Hortobagyi, Tibor; Yankova, Natalia; Stygelbout, Virginie; Brion, Jean-Pierre; Noble, Wendy

2016-01-01

Abstract Human neurodegenerative tauopathies exhibit pathological tau aggregates in the brain along with diverse clinical features including cognitive and motor dysfunction. Post-translational modifications including phosphorylation, ubiquitination and truncation, are characteristic features of tau present in the brain in human tauopathy. We have previously reported an N-terminally truncated form of tau in human brain that is associated with the development of tauopathy and is highly phosphorylated. We have generated a new mouse model of tauopathy in which this human brain-derived, 35 kDa tau fragment (Tau35) is expressed in the absence of any mutation and under the control of the human tau promoter. Most existing mouse models of tauopathy overexpress mutant tau at levels that do not occur in human neurodegenerative disease, whereas Tau35 transgene expression is equivalent to less than 10% of that of endogenous mouse tau. Tau35 mice recapitulate key features of human tauopathies, including aggregated and abnormally phosphorylated tau, progressive cognitive and motor deficits, autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction, loss of synaptic protein, and reduced life-span. Importantly, we found that sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl®), a drug used to treat urea cycle disorders and currently in clinical trials for a range of neurodegenerative diseases, reverses the observed abnormalities in tau and autophagy, behavioural deficits, and loss of synapsin 1 in Tau35 mice. Our results show for the first time that, unlike other tau transgenic mouse models, minimal expression of a human disease-associated tau fragment in Tau35 mice causes a profound and progressive tauopathy and cognitive changes, which are rescued by pharmacological intervention using a clinically approved drug. These novel Tau35 mice therefore represent a highly disease-relevant animal model in which to investigate molecular mechanisms and to develop novel treatments for human tauopathies. PMID:27297240

The Zagreb Collection of human brains: a unique, versatile, but underexploited resource for the neuroscience community.

PubMed

Judaš, Miloš; Šimić, Goran; Petanjek, Zdravko; Jovanov-Milošević, Nataša; Pletikos, Mihovil; Vasung, Lana; Vukšić, Mario; Kostović, Ivica

2011-05-01

The Zagreb Collection of developing and adult human brains was founded in 1974 by Ivica Kostović and consists of 1,278 developing and adult human brains, including 610 fetal, 317 children, and 359 adult brains. It is one of the largest collections of developing human brains. The collection serves as a key resource for many focused research projects and has led to several seminal contributions on mammalian cortical development, such as the discovery of the transient fetal subplate zone and of early bilaminar synaptogenesis in the embryonic and fetal human cerebral cortex, and the first description of growing afferent pathways in the human fetal telencephalon. The Zagreb Collection also serves as a core resource for ever-growing networks of international collaboration and represents the starting point for many young investigators who now pursue independent research careers at leading international institutions. The Zagreb Collection, however, remains underexploited owing to a lack of adequate funding in Croatia. Funding could establish an online catalog of the collection and modern virtual microscopy scanning methods to make the collection internationally more accessible. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Accurate Prediction of Drug-Induced Liver Injury Using Stem Cell-Derived Populations

PubMed Central

Szkolnicka, Dagmara; Farnworth, Sarah L.; Lucendo-Villarin, Baltasar; Storck, Christopher; Zhou, Wenli; Iredale, John P.; Flint, Oliver

2014-01-01

Despite major progress in the knowledge and management of human liver injury, there are millions of people suffering from chronic liver disease. Currently, the only cure for end-stage liver disease is orthotopic liver transplantation; however, this approach is severely limited by organ donation. Alternative approaches to restoring liver function have therefore been pursued, including the use of somatic and stem cell populations. Although such approaches are essential in developing scalable treatments, there is also an imperative to develop predictive human systems that more effectively study and/or prevent the onset of liver disease and decompensated organ function. We used a renewable human stem cell resource, from defined genetic backgrounds, and drove them through developmental intermediates to yield highly active, drug-inducible, and predictive human hepatocyte populations. Most importantly, stem cell-derived hepatocytes displayed equivalence to primary adult hepatocytes, following incubation with known hepatotoxins. In summary, we have developed a serum-free, scalable, and shippable cell-based model that faithfully predicts the potential for human liver injury. Such a resource has direct application in human modeling and, in the future, could play an important role in developing renewable cell-based therapies. PMID:24375539

Trace elements during primordial plexiform network formation in human cerebral organoids

PubMed Central

Sartore, Rafaela C.; Cardoso, Simone C.; Lages, Yury V.M.; Paraguassu, Julia M.; Stelling, Mariana P.; Madeiro da Costa, Rodrigo F.; Guimaraes, Marilia Z.; Pérez, Carlos A.

2017-01-01

Systematic studies of micronutrients during brain formation are hindered by restrictions to animal models and adult post-mortem tissues. Recently, advances in stem cell biology have enabled recapitulation of the early stages of human telencephalon development in vitro. In the present work, we analyzed cerebral organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence in order to measure biologically valuable micronutrients incorporated and distributed into the exogenously developing brain. Our findings indicate that elemental inclusion in organoids is consistent with human brain tissue and involves P, S, K, Ca, Fe and Zn. Occurrence of different concentration gradients also suggests active regulation of elemental transmembrane transport. Finally, the analysis of pairs of elements shows interesting elemental interaction patterns that change from 30 to 45 days of development, suggesting short- or long-term associations, such as storage in similar compartments or relevance for time-dependent biological processes. These findings shed light on which trace elements are important during human brain development and will support studies aimed to unravel the consequences of disrupted metal homeostasis for neurodevelopmental diseases, including those manifested in adulthood. PMID:28194309

DHB Task Force Review of DoD Biodefense Infrastructure and Biological Research Portfolio

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-29

Center and Biological Defense and Research Directorate (BORD) biodefense research portfolio includes vaccines, molecular diagnostics , genomics, and...human monoclonal antibodies, and innate immune agonists); molecular diagnostics (including recombinant reagents, assay development, reagent production

Transcriptome Dynamics of Developing Photoreceptors in Three‐Dimensional Retina Cultures Recapitulates Temporal Sequence of Human Cone and Rod Differentiation Revealing Cell Surface Markers and Gene Networks

PubMed Central

Kaewkhaw, Rossukon; Kaya, Koray Dogan; Brooks, Matthew; Homma, Kohei; Zou, Jizhong; Chaitankar, Vijender; Rao, Mahendra

2015-01-01

Abstract The derivation of three‐dimensional (3D) stratified neural retina from pluripotent stem cells has permitted investigations of human photoreceptors. We have generated a H9 human embryonic stem cell subclone that carries a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter under the control of the promoter of cone‐rod homeobox (CRX), an established marker of postmitotic photoreceptor precursors. The CRXp‐GFP reporter replicates endogenous CRX expression in vitro when the H9 subclone is induced to form self‐organizing 3D retina‐like tissue. At day 37, CRX+ photoreceptors appear in the basal or middle part of neural retina and migrate to apical side by day 67. Temporal and spatial patterns of retinal cell type markers recapitulate the predicted sequence of development. Cone gene expression is concomitant with CRX, whereas rod differentiation factor neural retina leucine zipper protein (NRL) is first observed at day 67. At day 90, robust expression of NRL and its target nuclear receptor NR2E3 is evident in many CRX+ cells, while minimal S‐opsin and no rhodopsin or L/M‐opsin is present. The transcriptome profile, by RNA‐seq, of developing human photoreceptors is remarkably concordant with mRNA and immunohistochemistry data available for human fetal retina although many targets of CRX, including phototransduction genes, exhibit a significant delay in expression. We report on temporal changes in gene signatures, including expression of cell surface markers and transcription factors; these expression changes should assist in isolation of photoreceptors at distinct stages of differentiation and in delineating coexpression networks. Our studies establish the first global expression database of developing human photoreceptors, providing a reference map for functional studies in retinal cultures. Stem Cells 2015;33:3504–3518 PMID:26235913

Use of human rights to meet the unmet need for family planning.

PubMed

Cottingham, Jane; Germain, Adrienne; Hunt, Paul

2012-07-14

In this report, we describe how human rights can help to shape laws, policies, programmes, and projects in relation to contraceptive information and services. Applying a human rights perspective and recognising the International Conference on Population and Development and Millennium Development Goal commitments to universal access to reproductive health including family planning, we support measurement of unmet need for family planning that encompasses more groups than has been the case until recently. We outline how human rights can be used to identify, reduce, and eliminate barriers to accessing contraception; the ways in which human rights can enhance laws and policies; and governments' legal obligations in relation to contraceptive information and services. We underline the crucial importance of accountability of states and identify some of the priorities for making family planning available that are mandated by human rights. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human-Robot Control Strategies for the NASA/DARPA Robonaut

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diftler, M. A.; Culbert, Chris J.; Ambrose, Robert O.; Huber, E.; Bluethmann, W. J.

2003-01-01

The Robotic Systems Technology Branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is currently developing robot systems to reduce the Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) and planetary exploration burden on astronauts. One such system, Robonaut, is capable of interfacing with external Space Station systems that currently have only human interfaces. Robonaut is human scale, anthropomorphic, and designed to approach the dexterity of a space-suited astronaut. Robonaut can perform numerous human rated tasks, including actuating tether hooks, manipulating flexible materials, soldering wires, grasping handrails to move along space station mockups, and mating connectors. More recently, developments in autonomous control and perception for Robonaut have enabled dexterous, real-time man-machine interaction. Robonaut is now capable of acting as a practical autonomous assistant to the human, providing and accepting tools by reacting to body language. A versatile, vision-based algorithm for matching range silhouettes is used for monitoring human activity as well as estimating tool pose.

Human endogenous retrovirus rec interferes with germ cell development in mice and may cause carcinoma in situ, the predecessor lesion of germ cell tumors.

PubMed

Galli, Uwe M; Sauter, Marlies; Lecher, Bernd; Maurer, Simone; Herbst, Hermann; Roemer, Klaus; Mueller-Lantzsch, Nikolaus

2005-04-28

Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are among the most common malignancies in young men. We have previously documented that patients with GCT frequently produce serum antibodies directed against proteins encoded by human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) type K sequences. Transcripts originating from the env gene of HERV-K, including the rec-relative of human immunodeficiency virus rev, are highly expressed in GCTs. We report here that mice that inducibly express HERV-K rec show a disturbed germ cell development and may exhibit, by 19 months of age, changes reminiscent of carcinoma in situ, the predecessor lesion of classic seminoma in humans. This provides the first direct evidence that the expression of a human endogenous retroviral gene previously established as a marker in human germ cell tumors may contribute to organ-specific tumorigenesis in a transgenic mouse model.

Comparative immunology of allergic responses.

PubMed

Gershwin, Laurel J

2015-01-01

Allergic responses occur in humans, rodents, non-human primates, avian species, and all of the domestic animals. These responses are mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies that bind to mast cells and cause release/synthesis of potent mediators. Clinical syndromes include naturally occurring asthma in humans and cats; atopic dermatitis in humans, dogs, horses, and several other species; food allergies; and anaphylactic shock. Experimental induction of asthma in mice, rats, monkeys, sheep, and cats has helped to reveal mechanisms of pathogenesis of asthma in humans. All of these species share the ability to develop a rapid and often fatal response to systemic administration of an allergen--anaphylactic shock. Genetic predisposition to development of allergic disease (atopy) has been demonstrated in humans, dogs, and horses. Application of mouse models of IgE-mediated allergic asthma has provided evidence for a role of air pollutants (ozone, diesel exhaust, environmental tobacco smoke) in enhanced sensitization to allergens.

Human cDNA mapping using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Final progress report, April 1, 1994--July 31, 1997

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

Korenberg, J.R.

The ultimate goal of this research is to generate and apply novel technologies to speed completion and integration of the human genome map and sequence with biomedical problems. To do this, techniques were developed and genome-wide resources generated. This includes a genome-wide Mapped and Integrated BAC/PAC Resource that has been used for gene finding, map completion and anchoring, breakpoint definition and sequencing. In the last period of the grant, the Human Mapped BAC/PAC Resource was also applied to determine regions of human variation and to develop a novel paradigm of primate evolution through to humans. Further, in order to moremore » rapidly evaluate animal models of human disease, a BAC Map of the mouse was generated in collaboration with the MTI Genome Center, Dr. Bruce Birren.« less

Characterization of migratory primordial germ cells in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros of a 4.5-week-old human embryo: a toolbox to evaluate in vitro early gametogenesis.

PubMed

Gomes Fernandes, Maria; Bialecka, Monika; Salvatori, Daniela C F; Chuva de Sousa Lopes, Susana M

2018-05-01

Which set of antibodies can be used to identify migratory and early post-migratory human primordial germ cells (hPGCs)? We validated the specificity of 33 antibodies for 31 markers, including POU5F1, NANOG, PRDM1 and TFAP2C as specific markers of hPGCs at 4.5 weeks of development of Carnegie stage (CS12-13), whereas KIT and SOX17 also marked the intra-aortic hematopoietic stem cell cluster in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM). The dynamics of gene expression during germ cell development in mice is well characterized and this knowledge has proved crucial to allow the development of protocols for the in vitro derivation of functional gametes. Although there is a great interest in generating human gametes in vitro, it is still unclear which markers are expressed during the early stages of hPGC development and many studies use markers described in mouse to benchmark differentiation of human PGC-like cells (hPGCLCs). Early post-implantation development differs significantly between mice and humans, and so some germ cells markers, including SOX2, SOX17, IFITM3 and ITGA6 may not identify mPGCs and hPGCs equally well. This immunofluorescence study investigated the expression of putative hPGC markers in the caudal part of a single human embryo at 4.5 weeks of development. We have investigated by immunofluorescence the expression of a set of 33 antibodies for 31 markers, including pluripotency, germ cell, adhesion, migration, surface, mesenchymal and epigenetic markers on paraffin sections of the caudal part, including the AGM region, of a single human embryo (CS12-13). The human material used was anonymously donated with informed consent from elective abortions without medical indication. We observed germ cell specific expression of NANOG, TFAP2C and PRDM1 in POU5F1+ hPGCs in the AGM. The epigenetic markers H3K27me3 and 5mC were sufficient to distinguish hPGCs from the surrounding somatic cells. Some mPGC-markers were not detected in hPGCs, but marked other tissues; whereas other markers, such as ALPL, SOX17, KIT, TUBB3, ITGA6 marked both POU5F1+ hPGCs and other cells in the AGM. We used a combination of multiple markers, immunostaining different cellular compartments when feasible, to decrease the chance of misidentifying hPGCs. Non-applicable. Material to study early human development is unique and very rare thus restricting the sample size. We have used a combination of antibodies limited by the number of paraffin sections available. Most of our knowledge on early gametogenesis has been obtained from model organisms such as mice and is extrapolated to humans. However, since there is a dedicated effort to produce human artificial gametes in vitro, it is of great importance to determine the expression and specificity of human-specific germ cell markers. We provide a systematic analysis of the expression of 31 different markers in paraffin sections of a CS12-13 embryo. Our results will help to set up a toolbox of markers to evaluate protocols to induce hPGCLCs in vitro. M.G.F. was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) [SFRH/BD/78689/2011] and S.M.C.S.L. was funded by the Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IAP, P7/07) and the European Research Council Consolidator (ERC-CoG-725722-OVOGROWTH). The authors declare no conflict of interest.

New Strategy for Exploration Technology Development: The Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Exploration/Commercialization Technology Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mankins, John C.

2000-01-01

In FY 2001, NASA will undertake a new research and technology program supporting the goals of human exploration: the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Exploration/Commercialization Technology Initiative (HTCI). The HTCI represents a new strategic approach to exploration technology, in which an emphasis will be placed on identifying and developing technologies for systems and infrastructures that may be common among exploration and commercial development of space objectives. A family of preliminary strategic research and technology (R&T) road maps have been formulated that address "technology for human exploration and development of space (THREADS). These road maps frame and bound the likely content of the HTCL Notional technology themes for the initiative include: (1) space resources development, (2) space utilities and power, (3) habitation and bioastronautics, (4) space assembly, inspection and maintenance, (5) exploration and expeditions, and (6) space transportation. This paper will summarize the results of the THREADS road mapping process and describe the current status and content of the HTCI within that framework. The paper will highlight the space resources development theme within the Initiative and will summarize plans for the coming year.

[The virtual library in equity, health, and human development].

PubMed

Valdés, América

2002-01-01

This article attempts to describe the rationale that has led to the development of information sources dealing with equity, health, and human development in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean within the context of the Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, BVS). Such information sources include the scientific literature, databases in printed and electronic format, institutional directories and lists of specialists, lists of events and courses, distance education programs, specialty journals and bulletins, as well as other means of disseminating health information. The pages that follow deal with the development of a Virtual Library in Equity, Health, and Human Development, an effort rooted in the conviction that decision-making and policy geared toward achieving greater equity in health must, of necessity, be based on coherent, well-organized, and readily accessible first-rate scientific information. Information is useless unless it is converted into knowledge that benefits society. The Virtual Library in Equity, Health, and Human Development is a coordinated effort to develop a decentralized regional network of scientific information sources, with strict quality control, from which public officials can draw data and practical examples that can help them set health and development policies geared toward achieving greater equity for all.

Oxidative stress signaling to chromatin in health and disease

PubMed Central

Kreuz, Sarah; Fischle, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Oxidative stress has a significant impact on the development and progression of common human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and neurodegenerative diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress globally influences chromatin structure, DNA methylation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic post-translational modifications of histones and DNA-binding proteins. The effects of oxidative stress on these chromatin alterations mediate a number of cellular changes, including modulation of gene expression, cell death, cell survival and mutagenesis, which are disease-driving mechanisms in human pathologies. Targeting oxidative stress-dependent pathways is thus a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. We summarize recent research developments connecting oxidative stress and chromatin regulation. PMID:27319358

Perspectives of rural health and human service practitioners following suicide prevention training programme in Australia: A thematic analysis.

PubMed

Jones, Martin; Ferguson, Monika; Walsh, Sandra; Martinez, Lee; Marsh, Michael; Cronin, Kathryn; Procter, Nicolas

2018-05-01

There are well-established training programmes available to support health and human services professionals working with people vulnerable to suicide. However, little is known about involving people with lived experience in the delivery of suicide prevention training with communities with increased rates of suicide. The aim of this paper was to report on a formative dialogical evaluation that explored the views of health and human services workers with regard to a suicide prevention training programme in regional (including rural and remote areas) South Australia which included meaningful involvement of a person with lived experience in the development and delivery of the training. In 2015, eight suicide prevention training workshops were conducted with health and human services workers. All 248 participants lived and worked in South Australian regional communities. We interviewed a subsample of 24 participants across eight sites. A thematic analysis of the interviews identified five themes: Coproduction is key, It is okay to ask the question, Caring for my community, I can make a difference and Learning for future training. The overall meta-theme was "Involvement of a person with lived experience in suicide prevention training supports regional communities to look out for people at risk of suicide." This paper highlights the need for suicide prevention training and other workforce development programmes to include lived experience participation as a core component in development and delivery. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Living systematic reviews: 2. Combining human and machine effort.

PubMed

Thomas, James; Noel-Storr, Anna; Marshall, Iain; Wallace, Byron; McDonald, Steven; Mavergames, Chris; Glasziou, Paul; Shemilt, Ian; Synnot, Anneliese; Turner, Tari; Elliott, Julian

2017-11-01

New approaches to evidence synthesis, which use human effort and machine automation in mutually reinforcing ways, can enhance the feasibility and sustainability of living systematic reviews. Human effort is a scarce and valuable resource, required when automation is impossible or undesirable, and includes contributions from online communities ("crowds") as well as more conventional contributions from review authors and information specialists. Automation can assist with some systematic review tasks, including searching, eligibility assessment, identification and retrieval of full-text reports, extraction of data, and risk of bias assessment. Workflows can be developed in which human effort and machine automation can each enable the other to operate in more effective and efficient ways, offering substantial enhancement to the productivity of systematic reviews. This paper describes and discusses the potential-and limitations-of new ways of undertaking specific tasks in living systematic reviews, identifying areas where these human/machine "technologies" are already in use, and where further research and development is needed. While the context is living systematic reviews, many of these enabling technologies apply equally to standard approaches to systematic reviewing. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hostile takeover: Manipulation of HIF-1 signaling in pathogen-associated cancers (Review).

PubMed

Zhu, Caixia; Zhu, Qing; Wang, Chong; Zhang, Liming; Wei, Fang; Cai, Qiliang

2016-10-01

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 is a central regulator in the adaptation process of cell response to hypoxia (low oxygen). Emerging evidence has demonstrated that HIF-1 plays an important role in the development and progression of many types of human diseases, including pathogen-associated cancers. In the present review, we summarize the recent understandings of how human pathogenic agents including viruses, bacteria and parasites deregulate cellular HIF-1 signaling pathway in their associated cancer cells, and highlight the common molecular mechanisms of HIF-1 signaling activated by these pathogenic infection, which could act as potential diagnostic markers and new therapeutic strategies against human infectious cancers.

Interleukin-17 inhibitors. A new era in treatment of psoriasis and other skin diseases.

PubMed

Wasilewska, Agnieszka; Winiarska, Marta; Olszewska, Małgorzata; Rudnicka, Lidia

2016-08-01

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease caused by the excessive secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Available therapeutic options include biologic drugs such as tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors and interleukin 12/23 (IL-12/23) inhibitors. The recent discovery of IL-17, which contributes to development of psoriasis, opened new possibilities for further treatment modalities. Currently, one anti-IL17 biological agent is approved for the treatment - a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets IL-17A (secukinumab). Further clinical trials, including a humanized IgG4 specific for IL-17 (ixekizumab) and a fully human antibody that targets the IL-17 receptor A (brodalumab).

Can Chemicals in the Environment That Affect Hormone Function Disrupt Development?

EPA Science Inventory

Hormones, including estrogens and androgens, regulate the expression of genes that play critical roles in guiding the development of organ systems in the embryo. Changes in either the amount or the timing of hormone exposure can lead to altered human development. For example, hum...

The Workforce Education and Development in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lung-Sheng

2012-01-01

Workforce education and development (WED) can be broadly defined as those formal, informal and nonformal activities that prepare people for work. In Taiwan, it includes technological and vocational education (TVE), human resource development (HRD), public vocational training and adult education. In order to promote information exchanges and…

45 CFR 98.14 - Plan process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Department of Health and Human Services GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND General Application Procedures § 98.14 Plan process. In the development of each Plan, as required pursuant to § 98.17... Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs, including such programs for...

45 CFR 98.14 - Plan process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND General Application Procedures § 98.14 Plan process. In the development of each Plan, as required pursuant to § 98.17... Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs, including such programs for...

45 CFR 98.14 - Plan process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND General Application Procedures § 98.14 Plan process. In the development of each Plan, as required pursuant to § 98.17... Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs, including such programs for...

45 CFR 98.14 - Plan process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND General Application Procedures § 98.14 Plan process. In the development of each Plan, as required pursuant to § 98.17... Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs, including such programs for...

45 CFR 98.14 - Plan process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND General Application Procedures § 98.14 Plan process. In the development of each Plan, as required pursuant to § 98.17... Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs, including such programs for...

Human Centered Design and Development for NASA's MerBoard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimble, Jay

2003-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of the design and development process for NASA's MerBoard. These devices are large interactive display screens which can be shown on the user's computer, which will allow scientists in many locations to interpret and evaluate mission data in real-time. These tools are scheduled to be used during the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) expeditions. Topics covered include: mission overview, Mer Human Centered Computers, FIDO 2001 observations and MerBoard prototypes.

Development of lunar nomenclature. [conference of international scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzel, D. H.

1973-01-01

A system of unification and standardization for lunar nomenclature was developed. The following recommendations were made for use in future lunar cartography: (1) satellite craters, previously designated by letters will be named; (2) names will no longer be restricted to scientists, but will also include great contributors to human knowledge and human culture; and (3) a system of grids for dividing the moon into 144 regions and subdividing these regions into 2304 provinces will be used.

[Development of the next generation humanized mouse for drug discovery].

PubMed

Ito, Ryoji

A humanized mouse, which is efficiently engrafted human cells and tissues, is an important tool to mimic human physiology for biomedical researches. Since 2000s, severe combined immunodeficient mouse strains such as NOG, BRG, and NSG mice have been generated. They are great recipients to create humanized mouse models compared to previous other immunodeficient strains due to their multiple dysfunctions of innate and acquired immunity. Especially, the transfer of human hematopoietic stem cells into these immunodeficient mice has been enabled to reconstitute human immune systems, because the mice show high engraftment level of human leukocyte in peripheral blood (～50%), spleen and bone marrow (60～90%) and generate well-differentiated multilineage human immune cells including lymphoid and myeloid lineage cells. Using these mice, several human disease models such as cancer, allergy, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and etc. have been established to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of the diseases and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of novel drugs. In this review, I provide an overview of recent advances in the humanized mouse technology, including generation of novel platforms of genetically modified NOG (next generation NOG) mice and some applications of them to create human disease models for drug discovery in preclinical researches.

Introduction to the Special Section on Epigenetics.

PubMed

Lester, Barry M; Conradt, Elisabeth; Marsit, Carmen

2016-01-01

Epigenetics provides the opportunity to revolutionize our understanding of the role of genetics and the environment in explaining human behavior, although the use of epigenetics to study human behavior is just beginning. In this introduction, the authors present the basics of epigenetics in a way that is designed to make this exciting field accessible to a wide readership. The authors describe the history of human behavioral epigenetic research in the context of other disciplines and graphically illustrate the burgeoning of research in the application of epigenetic methods and principles to the study of human behavior. The role of epigenetics in normal embryonic development and the influence of biological and environmental factors altering behavior through epigenetic mechanisms and developmental programming are discussed. Some basic approaches to the study of epigenetics are reviewed. The authors conclude with a discussion of challenges and opportunities, including intervention, as the field of human behavioral epigenetics continue to grow. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis Maps Development of Human Germline Cells and Gonadal Niche Interactions.

PubMed

Li, Li; Dong, Ji; Yan, Liying; Yong, Jun; Liu, Xixi; Hu, Yuqiong; Fan, Xiaoying; Wu, Xinglong; Guo, Hongshan; Wang, Xiaoye; Zhu, Xiaohui; Li, Rong; Yan, Jie; Wei, Yuan; Zhao, Yangyu; Wang, Wei; Ren, Yixin; Yuan, Peng; Yan, Zhiqiang; Hu, Boqiang; Guo, Fan; Wen, Lu; Tang, Fuchou; Qiao, Jie

2017-06-01

Human fetal germ cells (FGCs) are precursors to sperm and eggs and are crucial for maintenance of the species. However, the developmental trajectories and heterogeneity of human FGCs remain largely unknown. Here we performed single-cell RNA-seq analysis of over 2,000 FGCs and their gonadal niche cells in female and male human embryos spanning several developmental stages. We found that female FGCs undergo four distinct sequential phases characterized by mitosis, retinoic acid signaling, meiotic prophase, and oogenesis. Male FGCs develop through stages of migration, mitosis, and cell-cycle arrest. Individual embryos of both sexes simultaneously contain several subpopulations, highlighting the asynchronous and heterogeneous nature of FGC development. Moreover, we observed reciprocal signaling interactions between FGCs and their gonadal niche cells, including activation of the bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and Notch signaling pathways. Our work provides key insights into the crucial features of human FGCs during their highly ordered mitotic, meiotic, and gametogenetic processes in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developed land cover of Puerto Rico

Treesearch

William A. Gould; Sebastian Martinuzzi; Olga M. Ramos Gonzalez

2008-01-01

This map shows the distribution of developed land cover in Puerto Rico (Martinuzzi et al. 2007). Developed land cover refers to urban, built-up and non-vegetated areas that result from human activity. These typically include built structures, concrete, asphalt, and other infrastructure. The developed land cover was estimated using Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite images pan...

Engineering for Sustainable Development and the Common Good

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, William E.

2006-01-01

In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) updated its Code of Ethics to include specific statements on sustainable development and at about the same time, 1994, ASCE adopted its Policy 418 on sustainable development. Sustainable development as defined by ASCE "is the challenge of meeting human needs for natural resources, industrial…

Cognitive Development in Children: Five Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Society for Research in Child Development.

Five conference reports that originally appeared as monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development concern cognition in young children. Included in a section on thought are articles on Piaget and his theories, computer simulation on human thinking, and an information processing theory of intellectual development. The development of…

Report on the 6th African Society of Human Genetics (AfSHG) Meeting, March 12-15, 2009, Yaounde, Cameroon.

PubMed

Sirugo, Giorgio; Williams, Scott M; Royal, Charmaine D M; Newport, Melanie J; Hennig, Branwen J; Mariani-Costantini, Renato; Buonaguro, Franco M; Velez Edwards, Digna R; Ibrahim, Muntaser; Soodyall, Himla; Wonkam, Ambroise; Ramesar, Raj; Rotimi, Charles N

2010-08-01

The African Society of Human Genetics (AfSHG), founded in 2003 with its inaugural meeting in Accra, Ghana,1 has the stated missions of (1) disseminating information about human genetics research in Africa, (2) establishing a mentorship network providing educational resources, including the development of appropriate technology transfer, (3) providing advocacy for human genetic research in Africa, and (4) encouraging collaborative research. Despite its young age, the AfSHG has developed a strong cadre of active researchers, both within and outside of Africa, with more than 400 members (from 16 countries across Africa as well as 8 other countries), and has held six successful meetings, five in Africa and one in the United States.

Modeling Viral Infectious Diseases and Development of Antiviral Therapies Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Systems.

PubMed

Trevisan, Marta; Sinigaglia, Alessandro; Desole, Giovanna; Berto, Alessandro; Pacenti, Monia; Palù, Giorgio; Barzon, Luisa

2015-07-13

The recent biotechnology breakthrough of cell reprogramming and generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which has revolutionized the approaches to study the mechanisms of human diseases and to test new drugs, can be exploited to generate patient-specific models for the investigation of host-pathogen interactions and to develop new antimicrobial and antiviral therapies. Applications of iPSC technology to the study of viral infections in humans have included in vitro modeling of viral infections of neural, liver, and cardiac cells; modeling of human genetic susceptibility to severe viral infectious diseases, such as encephalitis and severe influenza; genetic engineering and genome editing of patient-specific iPSC-derived cells to confer antiviral resistance.

integrated Earth System Model

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

Jones, Andew; Di Vittorio, Alan; Collins, William

The integrated Earth system model (iESM) has been developed as a new tool for projecting the joint human/climate system. The iESM is based upon coupling an integrated assessment model (IAM) and an Earth system model (ESM) into a common modeling infrastructure. IAMs are the primary tool for describing the human-Earth system, including the sources of global greenhouse gases (GHGs) and short-lived species (SLS), land use and land cover change (LULCC), and other resource-related drivers of anthropogenic climate change. ESMs are the primary scientific tools for examining the physical, chemical, and biogeochemical impacts of human-induced changes to the climate system. Themore » iESM project integrates the economic and human-dimension modeling of an IAM and a fully coupled ESM within a single simulation system while maintaining the separability of each model if needed. Both IAM and ESM codes are developed and used by large communities and have been extensively applied in recent national and international climate assessments. By introducing heretofore-omitted feedbacks between natural and societal drivers, we can improve scientific understanding of the human-Earth system dynamics. Potential applications include studies of the interactions and feedbacks leading to the timing, scale, and geographic distribution of emissions trajectories and other human influences, corresponding climate effects, and the subsequent impacts of a changing climate on human and natural systems.« less

Using iPSC-derived human DA neurons from opioid-dependent subjects to study dopamine dynamics.

PubMed

Sheng, Yang; Filichia, Emily; Shick, Elizabeth; Preston, Kenzie L; Phillips, Karran A; Cooperman, Leslie; Lin, Zhicheng; Tesar, Paul; Hoffer, Barry; Luo, Yu

2016-08-01

The dopaminergic (DA) system plays important roles in addiction. However, human DA neurons from drug-dependent subjects were not available for study until recent development in inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology. In this study, we produced DA neurons differentiated using iPSCs derived from opioid-dependent and control subjects carrying different 3' VNTR (variable number tandem repeat) polymorphism in the human dopamine transporter (DAT or SLC6A3). In addition, the effects of valproic acid (VPA) exposures on iPSC-derived human DA neurons are also examined. We present the first evidence suggesting that the 3' VNTR polymorphism in the hDAT gene affects DAT expression level in iPSC-derived human DA neurons. In human DA neurons, which provide an appropriate cellular milieu, VPA treatment alters the expression of several genes important for dopaminergic neuron function including DAT, Nurr1, and TH; this might partly explain its action in regulating addictive behaviors. VPA treatment also significantly increased DA D2 receptor (Drd2) expression, especially in the opioid-dependent iPSC cell lines. Our data suggest that human iPSC-derived DA neurons may be useful in in vitro experimental model to examine the effects of genetic variation in gene regulation, to examine the underlying mechanisms in neurological disorders including drug addiction, and to serve as a platform for therapeutic development.

Influence of resources on Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larval development.

PubMed

Nguyen, Trinh T X; Tomberlin, Jeffery K; Vanlaerhoven, Sherah

2013-07-01

Arthropod development can be used to determine the time of colonization of human remains to infer a minimum postmortem interval. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera. Stratiomyidae) is native to North America and is unique in that its larvae can consume a wide range of decomposing organic material, including carrion. Larvae development was observed on six resources: control poultry feed, liver, manure, kitchen waste, fruits and vegetables, and fish rendering. Larvae fed manure were shorter, weighed less, and took longer to develop. Kitchen waste produced longer and heavier larvae, whereas larvae fed fish had almost 100% mortality. Black soldier flies can colonize human remains, which in many instances can coincide with food and organic wastes. Therefore, it is necessary to understand black soldier fly development on different food resources other than carrion tissue to properly estimate their age when recovered from human remains.

The importance of the Non Obese Diabetic (NOD) mouse model in autoimmune diabetes

PubMed Central

Pearson, James A; Wong, F. Susan; Wen, Li

2016-01-01

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the pancreatic infiltration of immune cells resulting in T cell-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. The successes of the Non Obese Diabetic (NOD) mouse model have come in multiple forms including identifying key genetic and environmental risk factors e.g. Idd loci and effects of microorganisms including the gut microbiota, respectively, and how they may contribute to disease susceptibility and pathogenesis. Furthermore, the NOD model also provides insights into the roles of the innate immune cells as well as the B cells in contributing to the T cell-mediated disease. Unlike many autoimmune disease models, the NOD mouse develops spontaneous disease and has many similarities to human T1D. Through exploiting these similarities many targets have been identified for immune-intervention strategies. Although many of these immunotherapies did not have a significant impact on human T1D, they have been shown to be effective in the NOD mouse in early stage disease, which is not equivalent to trials in newly-diagnosed patients with diabetes. However, the continued development of humanized NOD mice would enable further clinical developments, bringing T1D research to a new translational level. Therefore, it is the aim of this review to discuss the importance of the NOD model in identifying the roles of the innate immune system and the interaction with the gut microbiota in modifying diabetes susceptibility. In addition, the role of the B cells will also be discussed with new insights gained through B cell depletion experiments and the impact on translational developments. Finally, this review will also discuss the future of the NOD mice and the development of humanized NOD mice, providing novel insights into human T1D. PMID:26403950

Health impact assessment, human rights and global public policy: a critical appraisal.

PubMed

Scott-Samuel, Alex; O'Keefe, Eileen

2007-03-01

Public policy decisions in both the social and economic spheres have enormous impact on global public health. As a result of this, and of the skewed global distribution of power and resources, health impact assessment (HIA) potentially has a key role to play in foreign policy-making and global public policy-making. Governments, multilateral bodies and transnational corporations need to be held to account for the health impacts of their policies and practices. One route towards achieving this objective involves the inclusion of human rights assessments within HIA. International commitments to human rights instruments and standards can be used as a global auditing tool. Methodological issues may limit the effectiveness of HIA in promoting health equity. These issues include the use of procedures that favour those holding power in the policy process or the use of procedures that fail to apply values of equity and participation. The identification and production of evidence that includes the interests of less powerful groups is a priority for HIA and would be furthered if a human rights-based method of HIA were developed. Because HIA considers all types of policies and examines all potential determinants of health, it can play a part when foreign policy is developed and global decisions are made to treat people as rights holders. Since the human right to health is shaped by the determinants of health, developing links between the right to health assessment (that is, an assessment of the impact of policies on the right to health) and HIA--as recently proposed by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health--could strengthen the development of foreign policy and global decisions. Such links should be pursued and applied to the development of foreign policy and to the operation of multilateral bodies.

Translation: screening for novel therapeutics with disease-relevant cell types derived from human stem cell models.

PubMed

Haggarty, Stephen J; Perlis, Roy H

2014-06-15

The advent of somatic cell reprogramming technologies-which enables the generation of patient-specific, induced pluripotent stem cell and other trans-differentiated human neuronal cell models-provides new means of gaining insight into the molecular mechanisms and neural substrates of psychiatric disorders. By allowing a more precise understanding of genotype-phenotype relationship in disease-relevant human cell types, the use of reprogramming technologies in tandem with emerging genome engineering approaches provides a previously "missing link" between basic research and translational efforts. In this review, we summarize advances in applying human pluripotent stem cell and reprogramming technologies to generate specific neural subtypes with a focus on the use of these in vitro systems for the discovery of small molecule-probes and novel therapeutics. Examples are given where human cell models of psychiatric disorders have begun to reveal new mechanistic insight into pathophysiology and simultaneously have provided the foundation for developing disease-relevant, phenotypic assays suitable for both functional genomic and chemical screens. A number of areas for future research are discussed, including the need to develop robust methodology for the reproducible, large-scale production of disease-relevant neural cell types in formats compatible with high-throughput screening modalities, including high-content imaging, multidimensional, signature-based screening, and in vitro network with multielectrode arrays. Limitations, including the challenges in recapitulating neurocircuits and non-cell autonomous phenotypes are discussed. Although these technologies are still in active development, we conclude that, as our understanding of how to efficiently generate and probe the plasticity of patient-specific stem models improves, their utility is likely to advance rapidly. Copyright © 2014 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prenatal development of the normal human vertebral corpora in different segments of the spine.

PubMed

Nolting, D; Hansen, B F; Keeling, J; Kjaer, I

1998-11-01

Vertebral columns from 13 normal human fetuses (10-24 weeks of gestation) that had aborted spontaneously were investigated as part of the legal autopsy procedure. The investigation included spinal cord analysis. To analyze the formation of the normal human vertebral corpora along the spine, including the early location and disappearance of the notochord. Reference material on the development of the normal human vertebral corpora is needed for interpretation of published observations on prenatal malformations in the spine, which include observations of various types of malformation (anencephaly, spina bifida) and various genotypes (trisomy 18, 21 and 13, as well as triploidy). The vertebral columns were studied by using radiography (Faxitron X-ray apparatus, Faxitron Model 43,855, Hewlett Packard) in lateral, frontal, and axial views and histology (decalcification, followed by toluidine blue and alcian blue staining) in and axial view. Immunohistochemical marking with Keratin Wide Spectrum also was done. Notochordal tissue (positive on marking with Keratin Wide Spectrum [DAKO, Denmark]) was located anterior to the cartilaginous body center in the youngest fetuses. The process of disintegration of the notochord and the morphology of the osseous vertebral corpora in the lumbosacral, thoracic, and cervical segments are described. Marked differences appeared in axial views, which were verified on horizontal histologic sections. Also, the increase in size was different in the different segments, being most pronounced in the thoracic and upper lumbar bodies. The lower thoracic bodies were the first to ossify. The morphologic changes observed by radiography were verified histologically. In this study, normal prenatal standards were established for the early development of the vertebral column. These standards can be used in the future--for evaluation of pathologic deviations in the human vertebral column in the second trimester.

A Temporal Chromatin Signature in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Identifies Regulators of Cardiac Development

PubMed Central

Paige, Sharon L.; Thomas, Sean; Stoick-Cooper, Cristi L.; Wang, Hao; Maves, Lisa; Sandstrom, Richard; Pabon, Lil; Reinecke, Hans; Pratt, Gabriel; Keller, Gordon; Moon, Randall T.; Stamatoyannopoulos, John; Murry, Charles E.

2012-01-01

Summary Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into cardiovascular cells provides a model for studying molecular mechanisms of human cardiovascular development. Though it is known that chromatin modification patterns in ESCs differ markedly from those in lineage-committed progenitors and differentiated cells, the temporal dynamics of chromatin alterations during differentiation along a defined lineage have not been studied. We show that differentiation of human ESCs into cardiovascular cells is accompanied by programmed temporal alterations in chromatin structure that distinguish key regulators of cardiovascular development from other genes. We used this temporal chromatin signature to identify regulators of cardiac development, including the homeobox gene MEIS2. We demonstrate using the zebrafish model that MEIS2 is critical for proper heart tube formation and subsequent cardiac looping. Temporal chromatin signatures should be broadly applicable to other models of stem cell differentiation to identify regulators and provide key insights into major developmental decisions. PMID:22981225

Complex torso reconstruction with human acellular dermal matrix: long-term clinical follow-up.

PubMed

Nemeth, Nicole L; Butler, Charles E

2009-01-01

Although reports have demonstrated good early outcomes with human acellular dermal matrix even when used for complex, contaminated defects, no long-term outcomes have been reported. The authors reviewed the long-term outcomes of 13 patients who had complex torso reconstructions that included human acellular dermal matrix. All patients were at increased risk for mesh-related complications. Eight patients died as a result of progression of their oncologic disease at a mean of 258 days postoperatively. The mean follow-up for the remaining five patients was 43.7 months. Six patients had early complications (none were human acellular dermal matrix-related) and were reported on previously. Two patients had developed complications since the initial report. One patient developed a flap donor-site seroma remote from the reconstruction site, and another developed a recurrent ventral hernia. No patients have required additional surgery for human acellular dermal matrix-related complications. This follow-up report indicates that human acellular dermal matrix repair of large, complex torso defects can result in good long-term outcomes even when patients are at high risk for mesh-related complications.

Genome editing reveals a role for OCT4 in human embryogenesis.

PubMed

Fogarty, Norah M E; McCarthy, Afshan; Snijders, Kirsten E; Powell, Benjamin E; Kubikova, Nada; Blakeley, Paul; Lea, Rebecca; Elder, Kay; Wamaitha, Sissy E; Kim, Daesik; Maciulyte, Valdone; Kleinjung, Jens; Kim, Jin-Soo; Wells, Dagan; Vallier, Ludovic; Bertero, Alessandro; Turner, James M A; Niakan, Kathy K

2017-10-05

Despite their fundamental biological and clinical importance, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the first cell fate decisions in the human embryo are not well understood. Here we use CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing to investigate the function of the pluripotency transcription factor OCT4 during human embryogenesis. We identified an efficient OCT4-targeting guide RNA using an inducible human embryonic stem cell-based system and microinjection of mouse zygotes. Using these refined methods, we efficiently and specifically targeted the gene encoding OCT4 (POU5F1) in diploid human zygotes and found that blastocyst development was compromised. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that, in POU5F1-null cells, gene expression was downregulated not only for extra-embryonic trophectoderm genes, such as CDX2, but also for regulators of the pluripotent epiblast, including NANOG. By contrast, Pou5f1-null mouse embryos maintained the expression of orthologous genes, and blastocyst development was established, but maintenance was compromised. We conclude that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing is a powerful method for investigating gene function in the context of human development.

Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0 Study: Executive Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G.

2008-01-01

The NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0 Study seeks to update its long term goals and objective for human exploration missions; flight and surface systems for human missions and supporting infrastructure; operational concept for human and robotic exploration of Mars; key challenges including risk and cost drivers; and, its development schedule options. It additionally seeks to assess strategic linkages between lunar and Mars strategies and develop and understanding of methods for reducing the cost/risk of human Mars missions through investment in research, technology development, and synergy with other exploration plans. Recommendations are made regarding conjunction class (long-stay) missions which are seen as providing the best balance of cost, risk, and performance. Additionally, this study reviews entry, descent, and landing challenges; in-space transportation systems; launch vehicle and Orion assessments; risk and risk mitigation; key driving requirements and challenges; and, lunar linkages.

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms..., questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms by the cognizant IRB; (3) Documentation of...

Human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor mRNA and protein expression during development

EPA Science Inventory

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are nuclear hormone receptors that regulate lipid and glucose homeostasis and are important in reproduction and development. PPARs are targets ofpharmaceuticals and are also activated by environmental contaminants, including ...

Subject/Author Index 1968-1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kupidura, Eva, Ed.; Kupidura, Peter, Ed.

1993-01-01

This 25-year index contains annotations of feature articles by subject and by author. Representative subjects include basic education, development education, empowerment, human rights, lifelong education, peace education, popular education, rural development, social/political action, technological advancement, and transformative research. Articles…

Integrating Human Factors into Crew Exploration Vehicle Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; Baggerman, Susan; Campbell, paul

2007-01-01

With NASA's new Vision for Exploration to send humans beyond Earth orbit, it is critical to consider the human as a system that demands early and continuous user involvement, and an iterative prototype/test/redesign process. Addressing human-system interface issues early on can be very cost effective even cost reducing when performed early in the design and development cycle. To achieve this goal within Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Project Office, human engineering (HE) team is formed. Key tasks are to apply HE requirements and guidelines to hardware/software, and provide HE design, analysis and evaluation of crew interfaces. Initial activities included many practice-orientated evaluations using low-fidelity CEV mock-ups. What follows is a description of such evaluations that focused on a HE requirement regarding Net Habitable Volume (NHV). NHV is defined as the total remaining pressurized volume available to on-orbit crew after accounting for the loss of volume due to deployed hardware and structural inefficiencies which decrease functional volume. The goal of the NHV evaluations was to develop requirements providing sufficient CEV NHV for crewmembers to live and perform tasks in support of mission goals. Efforts included development of a standard NHV calculation method using computer models and physical mockups, and crew/ stakeholder evaluations. Nine stakeholders and ten crewmembers participated in the unsuited evaluations. Six crewmembers also participated in a suited evaluation. The mock-up was outfitted with volumetric representation of sub-systems such as seats, and stowage bags. Thirteen scenarios were developed to represent mission/crew tasks and considered to be primary volume drivers (e.g., suit donning) for the CEV. Unsuited evaluations included a structured walkthrough of these tasks. Suited evaluations included timed donning of the existing launch and entry suit to simulate a contingency scenario followed by doffing/ stowing of the suits. All mockup evaluations were videotaped. Structured questionnaires were used to document user interface issues and volume impacts of layout configuration. Computer model and physical measures of the NHV agreed within 1 percent. This included measurement of the gross habitable volume, subtraction of intrusive volumes, and other non-habitable spaces. Calculation method developed was validated as a standard means of measuring NHV, and was recommended as a verification method for the NHV requirements. Evaluations confirmed that there was adequate volume for unsuited scenarios and suit donning/ doffing activity. Seats, suit design stowage and waste hygiene system noted to be critical volume drivers. The low-fidelity mock-up evaluations along with human modeling analysis generated discussions that will lead to high-level systems requirements and human-centered design decisions. This approach allowed HE requirements and operational concepts to evolve in parallel with engineering system concepts and design requirements. As the CEV design matures, these evaluations will continue and help with design decisions, and assessment, verification and validation of HE requirements.

NASA Astronauts on Soyuz: Experience and Lessons for the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

The U. S., Russia, and, China have each addressed the question of human-rating spacecraft. NASA's operational experience with human-rating primarily resides with Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station. NASA s latest developmental experience includes Constellation, X38, X33, and the Orbital Space Plane. If domestic commercial crew vehicles are used to transport astronauts to and from space, Soyuz is another example of methods that could be used to human-rate a spacecraft and to work with commercial spacecraft providers. For Soyuz, NASA's normal assurance practices were adapted. Building on NASA's Soyuz experience, this report contends all past, present, and future vehicles rely on a range of methods and techniques for human-rating assurance, the components of which include: requirements, conceptual development, prototype evaluations, configuration management, formal development reviews (safety, design, operations), component/system ground-testing, integrated flight tests, independent assessments, and launch readiness reviews. When constraints (cost, schedule, international) limit the depth/breadth of one or more preferred assurance means, ways are found to bolster the remaining areas. This report provides information exemplifying the above safety assurance model for consideration with commercial or foreign-government-designed spacecraft. Topics addressed include: U.S./Soviet-Russian government/agency agreements and engineering/safety assessments performed with lessons learned in historic U.S./Russian joint space ventures

Human innate lymphoid cells.

PubMed

Montaldo, Elisa; Vacca, Paola; Vitale, Chiara; Moretta, Francesca; Locatelli, Franco; Mingari, Maria Cristina; Moretta, Lorenzo

2016-11-01

The interest in innate lymphoid cells (ILC) has rapidly grown during the last decade. ILC include distinct cell types that are collectively involved in host protection against pathogens and tumor cells and in the regulation of tissue homeostasis. Studies in mice enabled a broad characterization of ILC function and of their developmental requirements. In humans all mature ILC subsets have been characterized and their role in the pathogenesis of certain disease is emerging. Nonetheless, still limited information is available on human ILC development. Indeed, only the cell precursors committed toward NK cells or ILC3 have been described. Here, we review the most recent finding on human mature ILC, discussing their tissue localization and function. Moreover, we summarize the available data regarding human ILC development. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Immunological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Development of Dynamic Human Reliability Analysis Simulations for Inclusion in Risk Informed Safety Margin Characterization Frameworks

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

Jeffrey C. Joe; Diego Mandelli; Ronald L. Boring

2015-07-01

The United States Department of Energy is sponsoring the Light Water Reactor Sustainability program, which has the overall objective of supporting the near-term and the extended operation of commercial nuclear power plants. One key research and development (R&D) area in this program is the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization pathway, which combines probabilistic risk simulation with thermohydraulic simulation codes to define and manage safety margins. The R&D efforts to date, however, have not included robust simulations of human operators, and how the reliability of human performance or lack thereof (i.e., human errors) can affect risk-margins and plant performance. This paper describesmore » current and planned research efforts to address the absence of robust human reliability simulations and thereby increase the fidelity of simulated accident scenarios.« less

Piloting Vertical Flight Aircraft: A Conference on Flying Qualities and Human Factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanken, Christopher L. (Editor); Whalley, Matthew S. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This document contains papers from a specialists' meeting entitled 'Piloting Vertical Flight Aircraft: A Conference on Flying Qualities and Human Factors.' Vertical flight aircraft, including helicopters and a variety of Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) concepts, place unique requirements on human perception, control, and performance for the conduct of their design missions. The intent of this conference was to examine, for these vehicles, advances in: (1) design of flight control systems for ADS-33C standards; (2) assessment of human factors influences of cockpit displays and operational procedures; (3) development of VTOL design and operational criteria; and (4) development of theoretical methods or models for predicting pilot/vehicle performance and mission suitability. A secondary goal of the conference was to provide an initial venue for enhanced interaction between human factors and handling qualities specialists.

Insights from zebrafish on human pigment cell disease and treatment.

PubMed

Cooper, Cynthia D

2017-11-01

Black pigment cells, melanocytes, arise early during development from multipotent neural crest cells. Melanocytes protect human skin from DNA damaging sunrays and provide color for hair, eyes, and skin. Several disorders and diseases originate from these cells, including the deadliest skin cell cancer, melanoma. Thus, melanocytes are critical for a healthy life and for protecting humans from disease. Due to the ease of visualizing pigment cells through transparent larvae skin and conserved roles for zebrafish melanophore genes to mammalian melanocyte genes, zebrafish larvae offer a biologically relevant model for understanding pigment cell development and disease in humans. This review discusses our current knowledge of melanophore biology and how zebrafish are contributing to improving how diseases of melanocytes are understood and treated in humans. Developmental Dynamics 246:889-896, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Ways We Serve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Gloria; And Others

1991-01-01

Four articles discuss library services to diverse user groups. Highlights include the Seattle Public Library's Human Diversity Training Program for library staff; cultural diversity at the University of Northern Colorado, including library collection development; information needs of physicists in special libraries; and library services to…

Characterizing synaptic protein development in human visual cortex enables alignment of synaptic age with rat visual cortex

PubMed Central

Pinto, Joshua G. A.; Jones, David G.; Williams, C. Kate; Murphy, Kathryn M.

2015-01-01

Although many potential neuroplasticity based therapies have been developed in the lab, few have translated into established clinical treatments for human neurologic or neuropsychiatric diseases. Animal models, especially of the visual system, have shaped our understanding of neuroplasticity by characterizing the mechanisms that promote neural changes and defining timing of the sensitive period. The lack of knowledge about development of synaptic plasticity mechanisms in human cortex, and about alignment of synaptic age between animals and humans, has limited translation of neuroplasticity therapies. In this study, we quantified expression of a set of highly conserved pre- and post-synaptic proteins (Synapsin, Synaptophysin, PSD-95, Gephyrin) and found that synaptic development in human primary visual cortex (V1) continues into late childhood. Indeed, this is many years longer than suggested by neuroanatomical studies and points to a prolonged sensitive period for plasticity in human sensory cortex. In addition, during childhood we found waves of inter-individual variability that are different for the four proteins and include a stage during early development (<1 year) when only Gephyrin has high inter-individual variability. We also found that pre- and post-synaptic protein balances develop quickly, suggesting that maturation of certain synaptic functions happens within the 1 year or 2 of life. A multidimensional analysis (principle component analysis) showed that most of the variance was captured by the sum of the four synaptic proteins. We used that sum to compare development of human and rat visual cortex and identified a simple linear equation that provides robust alignment of synaptic age between humans and rats. Alignment of synaptic ages is important for age-appropriate targeting and effective translation of neuroplasticity therapies from the lab to the clinic. PMID:25729353

Development of replication-deficient adenovirus malaria vaccines.

PubMed

Hollingdale, Michael R; Sedegah, Martha; Limbach, Keith

2017-03-01

Malaria remains a major threat to endemic populations and travelers, including military personnel to these areas. A malaria vaccine is feasible, as radiation attenuated sporozoites induce nearly 100% efficacy. Areas covered: This review covers current malaria clinical trials using adenoviruses and pre-clinical research. Heterologous prime-boost regimens, including replication-deficient human adenovirus 5 (HuAd5) carrying malaria antigens, are efficacious. However, efficacy appears to be adversely affected by pre-existing anti-HuAd5 antibodies. Current strategies focus on replacing HuAd5 with rarer human adenoviruses or adenoviruses isolated from non-human primates (NHPs). The chimpanzee adenovirus ChAd63 is undergoing evaluation in clinical trials including infants in malaria-endemic areas. Key antigens have been identified and are being used alone, in combination, or with protein subunit vaccines. Gorilla adenoviruses carrying malaria antigens are also currently being evaluated in preclinical models. These replacement adenovirus vectors will be successfully used to develop vaccines against malaria, as well as other infectious diseases. Expert commentary: Simplified prime-boost single shot regimens, dry-coated live vector vaccines or silicon microneedle arrays could be developed for malaria or other vaccines. Replacement vectors with similar or superior immunogenicity have rapidly advanced, and several are now in extensive Phase 2 and beyond in malaria as well as other diseases, notably Ebola.

Principles of establishing material cycling with a high degree of closure in the experimental model of a BTLSS intended for a rated "fraction of a human"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikhomirov, Alexander A.; Ushakova, Sofya; Velichko, Vladimir; Tikhomirova, Natalia; Shikhov, Valentin; Trifonov, Sergey V.

2016-07-01

A promising way to develop future biotechnical life support systems (BTLSS) is to construct experimental models and establish the cycling intended for a fraction of a human. Being of relatively low cost, such models provide an opportunity to test effectively closed process that could be further transferred to the real BTLSS with humans. Researchers of the IBP SB RAS are developing an adequate BTLSS model with the loops closed to a high degree. To attain high closure of mass exchange processes, plants in the phototrophic compartment are cultivated under intensive lighting conditions, created by using modern LED irradiators of enhanced power, equipped with lens optics. The higher plant compartment has been renewed and broadened by including soybean plants, which improve the vegetable part of the human diet and make it more diverse. It is very important that the operation of the physicochemical installation for waste mineralization fully matches the composition of the atmosphere of plant growth chambers: the purified gaseous components of this installation enter the common atmosphere of the system, without causing any deviations from the norm in the gaseous composition. This proves the eco-friendliness of the developed physicochemical method of waste mineralization and shows that the gaseous components resulting from waste mineralization can be included in the system mass exchange. A system for including human respiration into the gas exchange of the BTLSS has been developed and tested; the associated gas exchange and water exchange dynamics have been analyzed. Results of the functioning of the experimental model of the BTLSS for several months are proposed for discussion in order to get insight into the formation of dynamic characteristics of cycling processes and factors determining them. The study was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation (Project 14-14-00599) and carried out at the IBP SB RAS.

Development of male contraceptive vaccine--a perspective.

PubMed

Moudgal, N R; Jeyakumar, M; Krishnamurthy, H N; Sridhar, S; Krishnamurthy, H; Martin, F

1997-01-01

This paper reviews the recent advances that have occurred in the area of development of a male contraceptive vaccine. The vaccine candidates considered for review are hormone/hormone receptor-based proteins including luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)/LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), as well as LH and FSH receptor proteins. The review also highlights the advances in our basic understanding of gonadotrophin action which have led to development of these vaccines. Focus is mainly on studies in the non-human primate which may be directly relevant to projected studies in the human. The data indicate that the vaccines are well tolerated by the primate (including the human based on limited data) and do not give rise to any known toxic symptoms or immediate health hazards. The response to the immunogen has been uniform and it may be possible to increase antibody titres as well as prolong the immune response by adding acceptable immune stimulators to the adjuvant cocktail and developing better immunization schedules or immunogen delivery systems. Contraceptive vaccines for the male are a feasible proposition and attention should now be focussed on evaluating carefully the bioefficacy of antibodies raised to recombinant ovine FSHbeta or FSH receptor protein fragments in both human and non-human primates. The advantage of the FSH/FSH receptor over the LHRH/LH-based vaccine lies in the fact that the former does not require an exogenous testosterone supplement to maintain accessory gland function, libido etc. The LHRH/LH-based vaccine results in azoospermia, while the FSH vaccine causes the production of low numbers of poor quality spermatozoa which are incapable of impregnating cycling females.

A variety of human monoclonal antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor isolated from a phage antibody library.

PubMed

Kurosawa, Gene; Kondo, Mariko; Kurosawa, Yoshikazu

2016-11-04

When the technology for constructing human antibody (Ab) libraries using a phage-display system was developed, many researchers in Ab-related fields anticipated that it would be widely applied to the development of pharmaceutical drugs against various diseases, including cancers. However, successful examples of such applications are very limited. Moreover, researchers who utilize phage-display technology now show divergent ways of thinking about phage Ab libraries. For example, there is debate about what should be the source of V H and V L genes for the construction of libraries to cover the whole repertoire of Abs present in the human body. In the immune system, the introduction of mutations into V genes followed by selection based on binding activity, termed Ab maturation, is required for the production of Abs exhibiting high affinity to the antigen (Ag). Therefore, introduction of mutations and selection are required for isolation of Abs with high affinity after isolation of clones from phage Ab libraries. We constructed a large human Ab library termed AIMS, developed a screening method termed ICOS, and succeeded in isolating many human monoclonal Abs (mAbs) that specifically and strongly bind to various tumor-associated Ags. Eight anti-EGFR mAbs were included, which we characterized. These mAbs showed various different activities against EGFR-expressing cancer cells. In this paper, we describe these data and discuss the possibility and necessity that the mAbs isolated from the AIMS library might be developed as therapeutic drugs against cancers without introduction of mutations. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel Means for Photoprotection.

PubMed

Sondenheimer, Kevin; Krutmann, Jean

2018-01-01

Due to changes in human lifestyle (expanded sunbathing, the use of solaria, etc.) and, most importantly, increasing lifetime and thus higher cumulative exposure to solar radiation, skin aging and skin cancer have become major health issues. As a consequence effective photoprotection is of outmost importance to humans. In this regard a lot has been learned in the past about the cellular and molecular basis underlying ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced skin damage and, based on this knowledge, numerous skin protective approaches including organic and inorganic UV-filters, but also topically applicable antioxidants, DNA repair enzymes and compatible solutes as well as oral photoprotective strategies based on nutritional supplements have been developed. A new aspect is here that sun protection of human skin might even be possible after solar radiation-induced skin damage has occurred. A second, very important development was prompted by the discovery that also wavelengths beyond the UV spectrum can damage human skin. These include the blue light region of visible light (VIS) as well as the near infrared range (IRA) and corresponding sunprotection strategies have thus recently been or are still being developed. In this article we will provide a state of the art summary of these two novel developments and, at the end, we will also critically discuss strengths and weaknesses of the current attempts, which mainly focus on the prevention of skin damage by selected wavelengths but greatly ignore the possibility that wavelengths might interfere with each other. Such combined effects, however, need to be taken into account if photoprotection of human skin is intended to be global in nature.

Prospective Design of Anti‐Transferrin Receptor Bispecific Antibodies for Optimal Delivery into the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Kanodia, JS; Gadkar, K; Bumbaca, D; Zhang, Y; Tong, RK; Luk, W; Hoyte, K; Lu, Y; Wildsmith, KR; Couch, JA; Watts, RJ; Dennis, MS; Ernst, JA; Scearce‐Levie, K; Atwal, JK; Joseph, S

2016-01-01

Anti‐transferrin receptor (TfR)‐based bispecific antibodies have shown promise for boosting antibody uptake in the brain. Nevertheless, there are limited data on the molecular properties, including affinity required for successful development of TfR‐based therapeutics. A complex nonmonotonic relationship exists between affinity of the anti‐TfR arm and brain uptake at therapeutically relevant doses. However, the quantitative nature of this relationship and its translatability to humans is heretofore unexplored. Therefore, we developed a mechanistic pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic (PK‐PD) model for bispecific anti‐TfR/BACE1 antibodies that accounts for antibody‐TfR interactions at the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) as well as the pharmacodynamic (PD) effect of anti‐BACE1 arm. The calibrated model correctly predicted the optimal anti‐TfR affinity required to maximize brain exposure of therapeutic antibodies in the cynomolgus monkey and was scaled to predict the optimal affinity of anti‐TfR bispecifics in humans. Thus, this model provides a framework for testing critical translational predictions for anti‐TfR bispecific antibodies, including choice of candidate molecule for clinical development. PMID:27299941

Inferring Selective Constraint from Population Genomic Data Suggests Recent Regulatory Turnover in the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Schrider, Daniel R.; Kern, Andrew D.

2015-01-01

The comparative genomics revolution of the past decade has enabled the discovery of functional elements in the human genome via sequence comparison. While that is so, an important class of elements, those specific to humans, is entirely missed by searching for sequence conservation across species. Here we present an analysis based on variation data among human genomes that utilizes a supervised machine learning approach for the identification of human-specific purifying selection in the genome. Using only allele frequency information from the complete low-coverage 1000 Genomes Project data set in conjunction with a support vector machine trained from known functional and nonfunctional portions of the genome, we are able to accurately identify portions of the genome constrained by purifying selection. Our method identifies previously known human-specific gains or losses of function and uncovers many novel candidates. Candidate targets for gain and loss of function along the human lineage include numerous putative regulatory regions of genes essential for normal development of the central nervous system, including a significant enrichment of gain of function events near neurotransmitter receptor genes. These results are consistent with regulatory turnover being a key mechanism in the evolution of human-specific characteristics of brain development. Finally, we show that the majority of the genome is unconstrained by natural selection currently, in agreement with what has been estimated from phylogenetic methods but in sharp contrast to estimates based on transcriptomics or other high-throughput functional methods. PMID:26590212

Genetics Content in Introductory Biology Courses for Non-Science Majors: Theory and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hott, Adam M.; Huether, Carl A.; McInerney, Joseph D.; Christianson, Carol; Fowler, Robert; Bender, Harvey; Jenkins, John; Wysocki, Annette; Markle, Glenn; Karp, Richard

2002-01-01

Presents the recommendations of the Human Genetic Education Subcommittee of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) on the development of introductory biology courses for non-science majors addressing the list of concepts including evolution, transmission, gene expression, gene regulation, and genetics and society. Used an online survey to…

Environmental Education. Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Las Vegas. Coll. of Education.

This document is one of ten curriculum guides developed by the Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma (CBAHSD) Project. This curriculum guide on environmental education is divided into seven topics. The topics included are Human Carrying Capacity (The Ability to Foresee and Forestall), Human Population Growth, The Atmosphere, The…

45 CFR 1357.30 - State fiscal requirements (title IV-B, subpart 1, child welfare services).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... match the title IV-B, subpart 1 allotment may include foster care maintenance expenditures in any amount... (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND...

45 CFR 1357.30 - State fiscal requirements (title IV-B, subpart 1, child welfare services).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... match the title IV-B, subpart 1 allotment may include foster care maintenance expenditures in any amount... (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND...

45 CFR 1357.30 - State fiscal requirements (title IV-B, subpart 1, child welfare services).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... match the title IV-B, subpart 1 allotment may include foster care maintenance expenditures in any amount... (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND...

45 CFR 1357.30 - State fiscal requirements (title IV-B, subpart 1, child welfare services).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... match the title IV-B, subpart 1 allotment may include foster care maintenance expenditures in any amount... (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND...

From Mendel to the Human Genome Project: The Implications for Nurse Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Hilary; Stewart, Alison

2003-01-01

The Human Genome Project is brining new opportunities to predict and prevent diseases. Although pediatric nurses are the closest to these developments, most nurses will encounter genetic aspects of practice and must understand the basic science and its ethical, legal, and social dimensions. (Includes commentary by Peter Birchenall.) (SK)

49 CFR 236.1013 - PTC Development Plan and Notice of Product Intent content requirements and Type Approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... physical relationships in the subsystem or system; (2) A description of the railroad operation or... requirements; (5) A preliminary human factors analysis, including a complete description of all human-machine interfaces and the impact of interoperability requirements on the same; (6) An analysis of the applicability...

49 CFR 236.1013 - PTC Development Plan and Notice of Product Intent content requirements and Type Approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... physical relationships in the subsystem or system; (2) A description of the railroad operation or... requirements; (5) A preliminary human factors analysis, including a complete description of all human-machine interfaces and the impact of interoperability requirements on the same; (6) An analysis of the applicability...

49 CFR 236.1013 - PTC Development Plan and Notice of Product Intent content requirements and Type Approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... physical relationships in the subsystem or system; (2) A description of the railroad operation or... requirements; (5) A preliminary human factors analysis, including a complete description of all human-machine interfaces and the impact of interoperability requirements on the same; (6) An analysis of the applicability...

49 CFR 236.1013 - PTC Development Plan and Notice of Product Intent content requirements and Type Approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... physical relationships in the subsystem or system; (2) A description of the railroad operation or... requirements; (5) A preliminary human factors analysis, including a complete description of all human-machine interfaces and the impact of interoperability requirements on the same; (6) An analysis of the applicability...

Annotated Bibliography of Human Factors Laboratory Reports (1945-1968) Supplement #4, 1979-1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naval Training Equipment Center, Orlando, FL. Human Factors Lab.

A complete bibliographic reference and an abstract are provided for each of 66 publications of the Human Factors Laboratory from 1979 through 1983, including in-house and contractor-developed documents. Documents are indexed by source, author, and subject matter. Publications address such topics as adaptive training, air combat maneuvering,…

Preschool Drawing and School Mathematics: The Nature of the Association

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malanchini, Margherita; Tosto, Maria G.; Garfield, Victoria; Dirik, Aysegul; Czerwik, Adrian; Arden, Rosalind; Malykh, Sergey; Kovas, Yulia

2016-01-01

The study examined the etiology of individual differences in early drawing and of its longitudinal association with school mathematics. Participants (N = 14,760), members of the Twins Early Development Study, were assessed on their ability to draw a human figure, including number of features, symmetry, and proportionality. Human figure drawing was…

Human Resources Administration: A School-Based Perspective. Fourth Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Richard

2009-01-01

Enhanced and updated, this Fourth Edition of Richard E. Smith's highly successful text examines the growing role of the principal in planning, hiring, staff development, supervision, and other human resource functions. The Fourth Edition includes new sections on ethics, induction, and the role of the mentor teacher. This edition also introduces…

Human cumulative culture: a comparative perspective.

PubMed

Dean, Lewis G; Vale, Gill L; Laland, Kevin N; Flynn, Emma; Kendal, Rachel L

2014-05-01

Many animals exhibit social learning and behavioural traditions, but human culture exhibits unparalleled complexity and diversity, and is unambiguously cumulative in character. These similarities and differences have spawned a debate over whether animal traditions and human culture are reliant on homologous or analogous psychological processes. Human cumulative culture combines high-fidelity transmission of cultural knowledge with beneficial modifications to generate a 'ratcheting' in technological complexity, leading to the development of traits far more complex than one individual could invent alone. Claims have been made for cumulative culture in several species of animals, including chimpanzees, orangutans and New Caledonian crows, but these remain contentious. Whilst initial work on the topic of cumulative culture was largely theoretical, employing mathematical methods developed by population biologists, in recent years researchers from a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, biology, economics, biological anthropology, linguistics and archaeology, have turned their attention to the experimental investigation of cumulative culture. We review this literature, highlighting advances made in understanding the underlying processes of cumulative culture and emphasising areas of agreement and disagreement amongst investigators in separate fields. © 2013 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2013 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Software Engineering Principles for Courseware Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magel, Kenneth

1980-01-01

Courseware (computer based curriculum materials) development should follow the lessons learned by software engineers. The most important of 28 principles of software development presented here include a stress on human readability, the importance of early planning and analysis, the need for independent evaluation, and the need to be flexible.…

Leadership Development Seminar: Developing Human Capital through Extension Leadership Programs. Proceedings (Manhattan, Kansas, August 6, 1989).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolton, Elizabeth B.; White, Lynn

Nineteen papers are included in this document: "Potential and Impact: Assessment and Validation in Leadership Development" (Boatman); "Using an Organizational Diagnostic Instrument to Analyze Perceptions of the Virginia Extension Homemakers Council" (Newhouse, Chandler, Tuckwiller); "Image: Who Needs It?" (Hendricks,…

Viability of Welfare Technology in Mass Technical Literacy Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achintya; Prabha, Manish

2009-01-01

Each developing country should be encouraged to identify its own priorities and develop welfare technology mobilizing its own natural and human resources and should not unnecessarily imitate the stereotyped technologies from the developed countries. The existing curriculum has to be updated and strengthened to include the concept of welfare…

Protein - Calorie Malnutrition in Children and its Relation to Psychological Development and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latham, Michael C.

1974-01-01

Encompassing only human and excluding animal studies, this review surveys the literature on protein-calorie malnutrition and its possible role in retarding psychological, intellectual or behavioral development. Areas reviewed include types of protein-calorie malnutrition, the effects of malnutrition on brain development, cross-sectional and…

45 CFR 1355.25 - Principles of child and family services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND... development of children. One important way to keep children safe is to stop violence in the family including... functioning and well-being. (c) Services promote the healthy development of children and youth, promote...

Framing the Issue/Framing the Question: How are Sexual Minority Issues Included in Diversity Initiatives?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocco, Tonette S.; Delgado, Antonio; Landorf, Hilary

2008-01-01

This paper situates sexual minority issues within organizations by examining what it means to engage diversity through the perspectives of hostility, compliance, inquiry, inclusion, and advocacy. These perspectives are discussed in terms of human resource development missions of individual development, career development, and organization…

Building Shared Experience to Advance Practical Application of Pathway-Based Toxicology: Liver Toxicity Mode-of-Action

PubMed Central

Willett, Catherine; Rae, Jessica Caverly; Goyak, Katy O.; Minsavage, Gary; Westmoreland, Carl; Andersen, Melvin; Avigan, Mark; Duché, Daniel; Harris, Georgina; Hartung, Thomas; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Kleensang, Andre; Landesmann, Brigitte; Martos, Suzanne; Matevia, Marilyn; Toole, Colleen; Rowan, Andrew; Schultz, Terry; Seed, Jennifer; Senior, John; Shah, Imran; Subramanian, Kalyanasundaram; Vinken, Mathieu; Watkins, Paul

2016-01-01

Summary A workshop sponsored by the Human Toxicology Project Consortium (HTPC), “Building Shared Experience to Advance Practical Application of Pathway-Based Toxicology: Liver Toxicity Mode-of-Action” brought together experts from a wide range of perspectives to inform the process of pathway development and to advance two prototype pathways initially developed by the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC): liver-specific fibrosis and steatosis. The first half of the workshop focused on the theory and practice of pathway development; the second on liver disease and the two prototype pathways. Participants agreed pathway development is extremely useful for organizing information and found that focusing the theoretical discussion on a specific AOP is helpful. It is important to include several perspectives during pathway development, including information specialists, pathologists, human health and environmental risk assessors, and chemical and product manufacturers, to ensure the biology is well captured and end use is considered. PMID:24535319

Extracellular matrix components expression in human pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids recapitulates retinogenesis in vivo and reveals an important role for IMPG1 and CD44 in the development of photoreceptors and interphotoreceptor matrix.

PubMed

Felemban, Majed; Dorgau, Birthe; Hunt, Nicola Claire; Hallam, Dean; Zerti, Darin; Bauer, Roman; Ding, Yuchun; Collin, Joseph; Steel, David; Krasnogor, Natalio; Al-Aama, Jumana; Lindsay, Susan; Mellough, Carla; Lako, Majlinda

2018-05-17

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in numerous processes including cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, maturation, adhesion guidance and axonal growth. To date, there has been no detailed analysis of the ECM distribution during retinal ontogenesis in humans and the functional importance of many ECM components is poorly understood. In this study, the expression of key ECM components in adult mouse and monkey retina, developing and adult human retina and retinal organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells was studied. Our data indicate that basement membrane ECMs (Fibronectin and Collagen IV) were expressed in Bruch's membrane and the inner limiting membrane of the developing human retina, whilst the hyalectins (Versican and Brevican), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), photoreceptor-specific ECMs Interphotoreceptor Matrix Proteoglycan 1 (IMPG1) and Interphotoreceptor Matrix Proteoglycan 2 (IMPG2) were detected in the developing interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM). The expression of IMPG1, Versican and Brevican in the developing IPM was conserved between human developing retina and human pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids. Blocking the action of CD44 and IMPG1 in pluripotent stem cell derived retinal organoids affected the development of photoreceptors, their inner/outer segments and connecting cilia and disrupted IPM formation, with IMPG1 having an earlier and more significant impact. Together, our data suggest an important role for IMPG1 and CD44 in the development of photoreceptors and IPM formation during human retinogenesis. The expression and the role of many extracellular matrix (ECM) components during human retinal development is not fully understood. In this study, expression of key ECM components (Collagen IV, Fibronectin, Brevican, Versican, IMPG1 and IMPG2) was investigated during human retinal ontogenesis. Collagen IV and Fibronectin were expressed in Bruch's membrane; whereas Brevican, Versican, IMPG1 & IMPG2 in the developing interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM). Retinal organoids were successfully generated from pluripotent stem cells. The expression of ECM components was examined in the retinal organoids and found to recapitulate human retinal development in vivo. Using functional blocking experiments, we were able to highlight an important role for IMPG1 and CD44 in the development of photoreceptors and IPM formation. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel approaches and challenges to treatment of CNS viral infections

PubMed Central

Nath, Avindra; Tyler, Kenneth L.

2014-01-01

Existing and emerging viral CNS infections are major sources of human morbidity and mortality. Treatments of proven efficacy are currently limited predominantly to herpesviruses and human immunodeficiency virus. Development of new therapies has been hampered by the lack of appropriate animal model systems for some important viruses and by the difficulty in conducting human clinical trials for diseases that may be rare, or in the case of arboviral infections, often have variable seasonal and geographic incidence. Nonetheless, many novel approaches to antiviral therapy are available including candidate thiazolide and purazinecarboxamide derivatives with potential broad-spectrum antiviral efficacy. New herpesvirus drugs include viral helicase-primase and terminase inhibitors. The use of antisense oligonucleotides and other strategies to interfere with viral RNA translation has shown efficacy in experimental models of CNS viral disease. Identifying specific molecular targets within viral replication cycles has led to many existing antivirals and will undoubtedly continue to be the basis of future drug design. A promising new area of research involves therapies based on enhanced understanding of host antiviral immune responses. Toll-like receptor agonists, and drugs that inhibit specific cytokines as well as interferon preparations have all shown potential therapeutic efficacy. Passive transfer of virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes have been used in humans and may provide an effective therapies for some herpesvirus infections and potentially for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Humanized monoclonal antibodies directed against specific viral proteins have been developed and in several cases evaluated in humans in settings including West Nile virus and HIV infection and in pre-exposure prophylaxis for rabies. PMID:23913580

Developmental Disabilities

MedlinePlus

... help the symptoms. Treatments include physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Special education classes and psychological counseling can also help. NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Legacy of Environmental Research During the Space Shuttle Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, Helen W.

2011-01-01

The Space Shuttle Program provided many opportunities to study the role of spaceflight on human life for over the last 30 years and represents the longest and largest U.S. human spaceflight program. Risks to crewmembers were included in the research areas of nutrition, microbiology, toxicology, radiation, and sleep quality. To better understand the Shuttle environment, Crew Health Care System was developed. As part of this system, the Environmental Health Subsystem was developed to monitor the atmosphere for gaseous contaminants and microbial contamination levels and to monitor water quality and radiation. This program expended a great deal of effort in studying and mitigating risks related to contaminations due to food, water, air, surfaces, crewmembers, and payloads including those with animals. As the Shuttle had limited stowage space and food selection, the development of nutritional requirements for crewmembers was imperative. As the Shuttle was a reusable vehicle, microbial contamination was of great concern. The development of monitoring instruments that could withstand the space environment took several years and many variations to come up with a suitable instrument. Research with space radiation provided an improved understanding of the various sources of ionizing radiation and the development of monitoring instrumentation for space weather and the human exposure within the orbiter's cabin. Space toxicology matured to include the management of offgassing products that could pollute the crewmembers air quality. The Shuttle Program implemented a 5-level toxicity rating system and developed new monitoring instrumentation to detect toxic compounds. The environment of space caused circadian desynchrony, sleep deficiency, and fatigue leading to much research and major emphasis on countermeasures. Outcomes of the research in these areas were countermeasures, operational protocols, and hardware. Learning Objectives: This symposium will provide an overview of the major environmental lessons learned and the development of countermeasures, monitoring hardware, and procedures.

International trade agreements: a threat to tobacco control policy

PubMed Central

Shaffer, E; Brenner, J; Houston, T

2005-01-01

International covenants establish a role for governments in ensuring the conditions for human health and wellbeing, which has been recognised as a central human right. International trade agreements, conversely, prioritise the rights of corporations over health and human rights. International trade agreements are threatening existing tobacco control policies and restrict the possibility of implementing new controls. This situation is unrecognised by many tobacco control advocates in signatory nations, especially those in developing countries. Recent agreements on eliminating various trade restrictions, including those on tobacco, have expanded far beyond simply international movement of goods to include internal tobacco distribution regulations and intellectual property rules regulating advertising and labelling. Our analysis shows that to the extent trade agreements protect the tobacco industry, in itself a deadly enterprise, they erode human rights principles and contribute to ill health. The tobacco industry has used trade policy to undermine effective barriers to tobacco importation. Trade negotiations provide an unwarranted opportunity for the tobacco industry to assert its interests without public scrutiny. Trade agreements provide the industry with additional tools to obstruct control policies in both developed and developing countries and at every level. The health community should become involved in reversing these trends, and help promote additional measures to protect public health. PMID:16046697

Resonance Raman Spectroscopic Evaluation of Skin Carotenoids as a Biomarker of Carotenoid Status for Human Studies

PubMed Central

Mayne, Susan T.; Cartmel, Brenda; Scarmo, Stephanie; Jahns, Lisa; Ermakov, Igor V.; Gellermann, Werner

2013-01-01

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy (RRS) is a non-invasive method that has been developed to assess carotenoid status in human tissues including human skin in vivo. Skin carotenoid status has been suggested as a promising biomarker for human studies. This manuscript describes research done relevant to the development of this biomarker, including its reproducibility, validity, feasibility for use in field settings, and factors that affect the biomarker such as diet, smoking, and adiposity. Recent studies have evaluated the response of the biomarker to controlled carotenoid interventions, both supplement-based and dietary [e.g., provision of a high-carotenoid fruit and vegetable (F/V)-enriched diet], demonstrating consistent response to intervention. The totality of evidence supports the use of skin carotenoid status as an objective biomarker of F/V intake, although in the cross-sectional setting, diet explains only some of the variation in this biomarker. However, this limitation is also a strength in that skin carotenoids may effectively serve as an integrated biomarker of health, with higher status reflecting greater F/V intake, lack of smoking, and lack of adiposity. Thus, this biomarker holds promise as both a health biomarker and an objective indicator of F/V intake, supporting its further development and utilization for medical and public health purposes. PMID:23823930

International trade agreements: a threat to tobacco control policy.

PubMed

Shaffer, E R; Brenner, J E; Houston, T P

2005-08-01

International covenants establish a role for governments in ensuring the conditions for human health and wellbeing, which has been recognised as a central human right. International trade agreements, conversely, prioritize the rights of corporations over health and human rights. International trade agreements are threatening existing tobacco control policies and restrict the possibility of implementing new controls. This situation is unrecognised by many tobacco control advocates in signatory nations, especially those in developing countries. Recent agreements on eliminating various trade restrictions, including those on tobacco, have expanded far beyond simply international movement of goods to include internal tobacco distribution regulations and intellectual property rules regulating advertising and labelling. Our analysis shows that to the extent trade agreements protect the tobacco industry, in itself a deadly enterprise, they erode human rights principles and contribute to ill health. The tobacco industry has used trade policy to undermine effective barriers to tobacco importation. Trade negotiations provide an unwarranted opportunity for the tobacco industry to assert its interests without public scrutiny. Trade agreements provide the industry with additional tools to obstruct control policies in both developed and developing countries and at every level. The health community should become involved in reversing these trends, and help promote additional measures to protect public health.

Transcriptional Profiling of Ectoderm Specification to Keratinocyte Fate in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Tadeu, Ana Mafalda Baptista; Lin, Samantha; Hou, Lin; Chung, Lisa; Zhong, Mei; Zhao, Hongyu; Horsley, Valerie

2015-01-01

In recent years, several studies have shed light into the processes that regulate epidermal specification and homeostasis. We previously showed that a broad-spectrum γ–secretase inhibitor DAPT promoted early keratinocyte specification in human embryonic stem cells triggered to undergo ectoderm specification. Here, we show that DAPT accelerates human embryonic stem cell differentiation and induces expression of the ectoderm protein AP2. Furthermore, we utilize RNA sequencing to identify several candidate regulators of ectoderm specification including those involved in epithelial and epidermal development in human embryonic stem cells. Genes associated with transcriptional regulation and growth factor activity are significantly enriched upon DAPT treatment during specification of human embryonic stem cells to the ectoderm lineage. The human ectoderm cell signature identified in this study contains several genes expressed in ectodermal and epithelial tissues. Importantly, these genes are also associated with skin disorders and ectodermal defects, providing a platform for understanding the biology of human epidermal keratinocyte development under diseased and homeostatic conditions. PMID:25849374

Silicon as Versatile Player in Plant and Human Biology: Overlooked and Poorly Understood

PubMed Central

Farooq, Muhammad Ansar; Dietz, Karl-Josef

2015-01-01

Silicon (Si) serves as bioactive beneficial element. Si is highly abundant in soil, and occurs ubiquitously in all organisms including plants and humans. During the last three decades, nutritional significance of Si for plant and human health has received increasing attention. Plant Si plays a pivotal role in growth and development, and this beneficial effect depends usually on accumulation in plant tissues, which are then protected from various forms of biotic and abiotic stresses. Likewise, human exposure to Si imparts health benefits and essentially occurs through plant-derived food products. Si bioavailability in human diet, e.g., strengthens bones and improves immune response, as well as neuronal and connective tissue health. Despite this empiric knowledge, the essentiality of Si still remains enigmatic. Thus the link between Si availability for plant development and its profound implication for human welfare should receive attention. This review aims to provide a broad perspective on Si as important element for plant and human nutrition and to define research fields for interdisciplinary research. PMID:26617630

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.

Organic contaminants in African aquatic systems: Current knowledge, health risks, and future research directions.

PubMed

Gwenzi, Willis; Chaukura, Nhamo

2018-04-01

Organic contaminants (OCs) are increasingly being reported in African aquatic systems, yet a critical evaluation of the literature is still lacking. The objectives of this review were to: (1) identify hotspot reservoirs, transfer pathways and ecological and human risks of OCs, (2) identify potential interventions to minimize the health risks, and (3) highlight knowledge gaps and research constraints. OCs widely reported in aquatic systems include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, solvents, endocrine disrupting compounds, and antimicrobial resistance genes, originating from applications in crop protection, veterinary and animal husbandry, human sanitation and hygiene, human vector and disease control. Potential hotspot reservoirs of OCs include wastewaters, on-site sanitation systems, leachates from non-engineered landfills and contaminated recharge of shallow groundwater systems. OCs could be transferred into humans via drinking of contaminated water, consumption of contaminated crops and aquatic foods, and to a lesser extent, inhalation and dermal contact. Ecological effects including intersex, estrogenicity, and acute and chronic toxicity occur in avian and aquatic species. Although the evidence base of human ecotoxicological effects of OC remains weak, pesticides have been reported in human milk, serum and sperms, pointing to potential chronic and acute toxicity and endocrine disruption. The prevalence of antimicrobials and their resistance genes could in turn lead to antimicrobial resistance in humans. The lack of OC monitoring in drinking water, coupled with over-reliance on untreated drinking water vulnerable to OC contamination predisposes humans to OC health risks. Appropriate water treatment methods, were identified, and a conceptual framework developed to minimize the ecological and human health risks. Future research directions on OC hotspot reservoirs, environmental behaviour and fate, ecotoxicology, epidemiology and interventions to minimize health risks are highlighted. However, lack of advanced analytical facilities in most African countries and other developing regions will continue to constrain OC research for now and in the foreseeable future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human embryonic lung epithelial tips are multipotent progenitors that can be expanded in vitro as long-term self-renewing organoids

PubMed Central

Nikolić, Marko Z; Caritg, Oriol; Jeng, Quitz; Johnson, Jo-Anne; Sun, Dawei; Howell, Kate J; Brady, Jane L; Laresgoiti, Usua; Allen, George; Butler, Richard; Zilbauer, Matthias; Giangreco, Adam; Rawlins, Emma L

2017-01-01

The embryonic mouse lung is a widely used substitute for human lung development. For example, attempts to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells to lung epithelium rely on passing through progenitor states that have only been described in mouse. The tip epithelium of the branching mouse lung is a multipotent progenitor pool that self-renews and produces differentiating descendants. We hypothesized that the human distal tip epithelium is an analogous progenitor population and tested this by examining morphology, gene expression and in vitro self-renewal and differentiation capacity of human tips. These experiments confirm that human and mouse tips are analogous and identify signalling pathways that are sufficient for long-term self-renewal of human tips as differentiation-competent organoids. Moreover, we identify mouse-human differences, including markers that define progenitor states and signalling requirements for long-term self-renewal. Our organoid system provides a genetically-tractable tool that will allow these human-specific features of lung development to be investigated. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26575.001 PMID:28665271

Microbial metaproteomics for characterizing the range of metabolic functions and activities of human gut microbiota.

PubMed

Xiong, Weili; Abraham, Paul E; Li, Zhou; Pan, Chongle; Hettich, Robert L

2015-10-01

The human gastrointestinal tract is a complex, dynamic ecosystem that consists of a carefully tuned balance of human host and microbiota membership. The microbiome is not merely a collection of opportunistic parasites, but rather provides important functions to the host that are absolutely critical to many aspects of health, including nutrient transformation and absorption, drug metabolism, pathogen defense, and immune system development. Microbial metaproteomics provides the ability to characterize the human gut microbiota functions and metabolic activities at a remarkably deep level, revealing information about microbiome development and stability as well as their interactions with their human host. Generally, microbial and human proteins can be extracted and then measured by high performance MS-based proteomics technology. Here, we review the field of human gut microbiome metaproteomics, with a focus on the experimental and informatics considerations involved in characterizing systems ranging from low-complexity model gut microbiota in gnotobiotic mice, to the emerging gut microbiome in the GI tract of newborn human infants, and finally to an established gut microbiota in human adults. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Defining the molecular pathologies in cloaca malformation: similarities between mouse and human

PubMed Central

Runck, Laura A.; Method, Anna; Bischoff, Andrea; Levitt, Marc; Peña, Alberto; Collins, Margaret H.; Gupta, Anita; Shanmukhappa, Shiva; Wells, James M.; Guasch, Géraldine

2014-01-01

Anorectal malformations are congenital anomalies that form a spectrum of disorders, from the most benign type with excellent functional prognosis, to very complex, such as cloaca malformation in females in which the rectum, vagina and urethra fail to develop separately and instead drain via a single common channel into the perineum. The severity of this phenotype suggests that the defect occurs in the early stages of embryonic development of the organs derived from the cloaca. Owing to the inability to directly investigate human embryonic cloaca development, current research has relied on the use of mouse models of anorectal malformations. However, even studies of mouse embryos lack analysis of the earliest stages of cloaca patterning and morphogenesis. Here we compared human and mouse cloaca development and retrospectively identified that early mis-patterning of the embryonic cloaca might underlie the most severe forms of anorectal malformation in humans. In mouse, we identified that defective sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling results in early dorsal-ventral epithelial abnormalities prior to the reported defects in septation. This is manifested by the absence of Sox2 and aberrant expression of keratins in the embryonic cloaca of Shh knockout mice. Shh knockout embryos additionally develop a hypervascular stroma, which is defective in BMP signaling. These epithelial and stromal defects persist later, creating an indeterminate epithelium with molecular alterations in the common channel. We then used these animals to perform a broad comparison with patients with mild-to-severe forms of anorectal malformations including cloaca malformation. We found striking parallels with the Shh mouse model, including nearly identical defective molecular identity of the epithelium and surrounding stroma. Our work strongly suggests that early embryonic cloacal epithelial differentiation defects might be the underlying cause of severe forms of anorectal malformations in humans. Moreover, deranged Shh and BMP signaling is correlated with severe anorectal malformations in both mouse and humans. PMID:24524909

Development, implementation and critique of a bioethics framework for pharmaceutical sponsors of human biomedical research.

PubMed

Van Campen, Luann E; Therasse, Donald G; Klopfenstein, Mitchell; Levine, Robert J

2015-11-01

Pharmaceutical human biomedical research is a multi-dimensional endeavor that requires collaboration among many parties, including those who sponsor, conduct, participate in, or stand to benefit from the research. Human subjects' protections have been promulgated to ensure that the benefits of such research are accomplished with respect for and minimal risk to individual research participants, and with an overall sense of fairness. Although these protections are foundational to clinical research, most ethics guidance primarily highlights the responsibilities of investigators and ethics review boards. Currently, there is no published resource that comprehensively addresses bioethical responsibilities of industry sponsors; including their responsibilities to parties who are not research participants, but are, nevertheless key stakeholders in the endeavor. To fill this void, in 2010 Eli Lilly and Company instituted a Bioethics Framework for Human Biomedical Research. This paper describes how the framework was developed and implemented and provides a critique based on four years of experience. A companion article provides the actual document used by Eli Lilly and Company to guide ethical decisions regarding all phases of human clinical trials. While many of the concepts presented in this framework are not novel, compiling them in a manner that articulates the ethical responsibilities of a sponsor is novel. By utilizing this type of bioethics framework, we have been able to develop bioethics positions on various topics, provide research ethics consultations, and integrate bioethics into the daily operations of our human biomedical research. We hope that by sharing these companion papers we will stimulate discussion within and outside the biopharmaceutical industry for the benefit of the multiple parties involved in pharmaceutical human biomedical research.

Communicating confidence in the detection and attribution of trends relevant to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebi, K. L.

2015-12-01

Readily understandable and consistent language for describing confidence in detection and attribution statements can be developed based on the approach used by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC was founded in 1965 to provide government authorities with expert, independent, scientific opinion on the causes of human cancer. IARC developed four standard terms for evaluations of the strength of evidence for carcinogenicity arising from human and experimental animal data, and for the strength of mechanistic evidence. Evidence is categorized as sufficient, limited, inadequate, and lack of carcinogenicity. The IARC process then combines theory, evidence, and degree of agreement into a summary evaluation that includes concise statements of the principal line(s) of argument that emerged, the conclusions of the working group on the strength of the evidence for each group of studies, citations to indicate which studies were pivotal to these conclusions, and the reasons for any differential weighting of data. The summary IARC categories are: Group 1 for agents carcinogenic to humans; Group 2 includes Group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) or Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) on the basis of epidemiological and experimental evidence of carcinogenicity and mechanistic and other relevant data; Group 3 for agents is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans; and Group 4 for agents probably not carcinogenic to humans. There are obvious parallels with describing confidence in key findings on detection and attribution of a trend to anthropogenic climate change with the confidence statements used by the IARC. Developing and consistent application of similar categories along with accompanying explanations of the principal lines of evidence, would be a helpful step in clearing communicating the degree and sources of certainty in the findings of detection and attribution.

U.S. Army Medical Department Journal (January-March 2004)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

posted is relevant to both audiences. Posted information includes: (1) a warning against human use of flea and tick collars meant for animals; (2...Radiologic Chemistry team of the Center’s Directorate of Laboratory Sciences has developed a highly sensitive method for detecting depleted uranium in human ...Disease,” and the human form of the disease variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD).1 At the time, European health officials were growing increasingly

Human Factors in Automated and Robotic Space Systems: Proceedings of a symposium. Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Human factors research likely to produce results applicable to the development of a NASA space station is discussed. The particular sessions covered in Part 2 include: (1) computer aided monitoring and decision making; (2) telepresence and supervisory control; (3) social factors in productivity and performance; and (4) the human role in space systems. Papers from each subject area are reproduced and the discussions from each area are summarized.

Human Factors in Automated and Robotic Space Systems: Proceedings of a symposium. Part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheridan, Thomas B. (Editor); Kruser, Dana S. (Editor); Deutsch, Stanley (Editor)

1987-01-01

Human factors research likely to produce results applicable to the development of a NASA space station is discussed. The particular sessions covered in Part 1 include: (1) system productivity -- people and machines; (2) expert systems and their use; (3) language and displays for human-computer communication; and (4) computer aided monitoring and decision making. Papers from each subject area are reproduced and the discussions from each area are summarized.

Generation of improved humanized mouse models for human infectious diseases

PubMed Central

Brehm, Michael A.; Wiles, Michael V.; Greiner, Dale L.; Shultz, Leonard D.

2014-01-01

The study of human-specific infectious agents has been hindered by the lack of optimal small animal models. More recently development of novel strains of immunodeficient mice has begun to provide the opportunity to utilize small animal models for the study of many human-specific infectious agents. The introduction of a targeted mutation in the IL2 receptor common gamma chain gene (IL2rgnull) in mice already deficient in T and B cells led to a breakthrough in the ability to engraft hematopoietic stem cells, as well as functional human lymphoid cells and tissues, effectively creating human immune systems in immunodeficient mice. These humanized mice are becoming increasingly important as pre-clinical models for the study of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and other human-specific infectious agents. However, there remain a number of opportunities to further improve humanized mouse models for the study of human-specific infectious agents. This is being done by the implementation of innovative technologies, which collectively will accelerate the development of new models of genetically modified mice, including; i) modifications of the host to reduce innate immunity, which impedes human cell engraftment; ii) genetic modification to provide human-specific growth factors and cytokines required for optimal human cell growth and function; iii) and new cell and tissue engraftment protocols. The development of “next generation” humanized mouse models continues to provide exciting opportunities for the establishment of robust small animal models to study the pathogenesis of human-specific infectious agents, as well as for testing the efficacy of therapeutic agents and experimental vaccines. PMID:24607601

Tracing the peopling of the world through genomics

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Rasmus; Akey, Joshua M.; Jakobsson, Mattias; Pritchard, Jonathan K.; Tishkoff, Sarah; Willerslev, Eske

2018-01-01

Advances in the sequencing and the analysis of the genomes of both modern and ancient peoples have facilitated a number of breakthroughs in our understanding of human evolutionary history. These include the discovery of interbreeding between anatomically modern humans and extinct hominins; the development of an increasingly detailed description of the complex dispersal of modern humans out of Africa and their population expansion worldwide; and the characterization of many of the genetic adaptions of humans to local environmental conditions. Our interpretation of the evolutionary history and adaptation of humans is being transformed by analyses of these new genomic data. PMID:28102248

Situation awareness-based agent transparency for human-autonomy teaming effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jessie Y. C.; Barnes, Michael J.; Wright, Julia L.; Stowers, Kimberly; Lakhmani, Shan G.

2017-05-01

We developed the Situation awareness-based Agent Transparency (SAT) model to support human operators' situation awareness of the mission environment through teaming with intelligent agents. The model includes the agent's current actions and plans (Level 1), its reasoning process (Level 2), and its projection of future outcomes (Level 3). Human-inthe-loop simulation experiments have been conducted (Autonomous Squad Member and IMPACT) to illustrate the utility of the model for human-autonomy team interface designs. Across studies, the results consistently showed that human operators' task performance improved as the agents became more transparent. They also perceived transparent agents as more trustworthy.

The Importance of Training for Environmental Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furtado, Jose I.

1984-01-01

Discusses an appropriate framework for sustainable development in the Third World that concurrently addresses the efficient utilization and management of natural resources. Areas considered include: human dimension; sustainable development; complexity of inputs; kinds of training; indigenous scientific capability; transnational issues;…

Acyl derivatives of boswellic acids as inhibitors of NF-κB and STATs.

PubMed

Kumar, Ajay; Shah, Bhahwal A; Singh, Samar; Hamid, Abid; Singh, Shashank K; Sethi, Vijay K; Saxena, Ajit K; Singh, Jaswant; Taneja, Subhash C

2012-01-01

Boswellic acid acylates including their epimers were synthesized and screened against a panel of human cancer cell lines. They exhibited a range of cytotoxicity against various human cancer cell lines thereby leading to the development of a possible SAR. One of the identified lead compounds was found to be an inhibitor of the NF-κB and STAT proteins, warranting further investigations to be developed into a potential anticancer lead. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VETNET ECER 2002 Proceedings: Current Research in European Vocational Education and Human Resource Development. Proceedings of the Programme Presented by the Research Network on Vocational Education and Training (VETNET) at the European Conference of Educational Research (ECER) (5th, Lisbon, Portugual, September 11-14, 2002).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Sabine, Ed.; Griffiths, Toni, Ed.; Oliveira, Teresa, Ed.

This document contains the papers from a conference on current research in vocational education and training (VET) and human resource development in Europe. The following papers are among those included: "The Contribution of the German Pilot Project 'New Learning Concepts within the Dual Vocational Education and Training System' towards the…

Animal Models of Human Granulocyte Diseases

PubMed Central

Schäffer, Alejandro A.; Klein, Christoph

2012-01-01

In vivo animal models have proven very useful to understand basic biological pathways of the immune system, a prerequisite for the development of innovate therapies. This manuscript addresses currently available models for defined human monogenetic defects of neutrophil granulocytes, including murine, zebrafish and larger mammalian species. Strengths and weaknesses of each system are summarized, and clinical investigators may thus be inspired to develop further lines of research to improve diagnosis and therapy by use of the appropriate animal model system. PMID:23351993

Self-disseminating vaccines for emerging infectious diseases.

PubMed

Murphy, Aisling A; Redwood, Alec J; Jarvis, Michael A

2016-01-01

Modern human activity fueled by economic development is profoundly altering our relationship with microorganisms. This altered interaction with microbes is believed to be the major driving force behind the increased rate of emerging infectious diseases from animals. The spate of recent infectious disease outbreaks, including Ebola virus disease and Middle East respiratory syndrome, emphasize the need for development of new innovative tools to manage these emerging diseases. Disseminating vaccines are one such novel approach to potentially interrupt animal to human (zoonotic) transmission of these pathogens.

Functional roles of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) signaling in human cancers.

PubMed

Tiong, Kai Hung; Mah, Li Yen; Leong, Chee-Onn

2013-12-01

The fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) regulate important biological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation during development and tissue repair. Over the past decades, numerous pathological conditions and developmental syndromes have emerged as a consequence of deregulation in the FGFRs signaling network. This review aims to provide an overview of FGFR family, their complex signaling pathways in tumorigenesis, and the current development and application of therapeutics targeting the FGFRs signaling for treatment of refractory human cancers.

Intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae of Toxoplasma gondii induced acute ileitis in mice harboring a human gut microbiota

PubMed Central

von Klitzing, Eliane; Ekmekciu, Ira; Kühl, Anja A.; Bereswill, Stefan

2017-01-01

Background Within seven days following peroral high dose infection with Toxoplasma gondii susceptible conventionally colonized mice develop acute ileitis due to an underlying T helper cell (Th) -1 type immunopathology. We here addressed whether mice harboring a human intestinal microbiota developed intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae upon ileitis induction. Methodology/Principal findings Secondary abiotic mice were generated by broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment and associated with a complex human intestinal microbiota following peroral fecal microbiota transplantation. Within three weeks the human microbiota had stably established in the murine intestinal tract as assessed by quantitative cultural and culture-independent (i.e. molecular 16S rRNA based) methods. At day 7 post infection (p.i.) with 50 cysts of T. gondii strain ME49 by gavage human microbiota associated (hma) mice displayed severe clinical, macroscopic and microscopic sequelae indicating acute ileitis. In diseased hma mice increased numbers of innate and adaptive immune cells within the ileal mucosa and lamina propria and elevated intestinal secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators including IFN-γ, IL-12 and nitric oxide could be observed at day 7 p.i. Ileitis development was accompanied by substantial shifts in intestinal microbiota composition of hma mice characterized by elevated total bacterial loads and increased numbers of intestinal Gram-negative commensals such as enterobacteria and Bacteroides / Prevotella species overgrowing the small and large intestinal lumen. Furthermore, viable bacteria translocated from the inflamed ileum to extra-intestinal including systemic compartments. Notably, pro-inflammatory immune responses were not restricted to the intestinal tract as indicated by increased pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in extra-intestinal (i.e. liver and kidney) and systemic compartments including spleen and serum. Conclusion/Significance With respect to the intestinal microbiota composition “humanized” mice display acute ileitis following peroral high dose T. gondii infection. Thus, hma mice constitute a suitable model to further dissect the interactions between pathogens, human microbiota and vertebrate host immunity during acute intestinal inflammation. PMID:28414794

Micro-Inspector Spacecraft for Space Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Juergen; Alkalai, Leon; Lewis, Carol

2005-01-01

NASA is seeking to embark on a new set of human and robotic exploration missions back to the Moon, to Mars, and destinations beyond. Key strategic technical challenges will need to be addressed to realize this new vision for space exploration, including improvements in safety and reliability to improve robustness of space operations. Under sponsorship by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), together with its partners in government (NASA Johnson Space Center) and industry (Boeing, Vacco Industries, Ashwin-Ushas Inc.) is developing an ultra-low mass (<3.0 kg) free-flying micro-inspector spacecraft in an effort to enhance safety and reduce risk in future human and exploration missions. The micro-inspector will provide remote vehicle inspections to ensure safety and reliability, or to provide monitoring of in-space assembly. The micro-inspector spacecraft represents an inherently modular system addition that can improve safety and support multiple host vehicles in multiple applications. On human missions, it may help extend the reach of human explorers, decreasing human EVA time to reduce mission cost and risk. The micro-inspector development is the continuation of an effort begun under NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology Enabling Concepts and Technology (ECT) program. The micro-inspector uses miniaturized celestial sensors; relies on a combination of solar power and batteries (allowing for unlimited operation in the sun and up to 4 hours in the shade); utilizes a low-pressure, low-leakage liquid butane propellant system for added safety; and includes multi-functional structure for high system-level integration and miniaturization. Versions of this system to be designed and developed under the H&RT program will include additional capabilities for on-board, vision-based navigation, spacecraft inspection, and collision avoidance, and will be demonstrated in a ground-based, space-related environment. These features make the micro-inspector design unique in its ability to serve crewed as well as robotic spacecraft, well beyond Earth-orbit and into arenas such as robotic missions, where human teleoperation capability is not locally available.

Socio-hydrologic Modeling to Understand and Mediate the Competition for Water between Humans and Ecosystems: Murrumbidgee River Basin, Australia (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivapalan, M.

2013-12-01

Competition for water between humans and ecosystems is set to become a flash point in coming decades in all parts of the world. An entirely new and comprehensive quantitative framework is needed to establish a holistic understanding of that competition, thereby enabling development of effective mediation strategies. This paper presents a case study centered on the Murrumbidgee river basin in eastern Australia that illustrates the dynamics of the balance between water extraction and use for food production and efforts to mitigate and reverse consequent degradation of the riparian environment. Interactions between patterns of water management and climate driven hydrological variability within the prevailing socio-economic environment have contributed to the emergence of new whole system dynamics over the last 100 years. In particular, data analysis reveals a pendulum swing between an exclusive focus on agricultural development and food production in the initial stages of water resource development and its attendant socio-economic benefits, followed by the gradual realization of the adverse environmental impacts, efforts to mitigate these with the use of remedial measures, and ultimately concerted efforts and externally imposed solutions to restore environmental health and ecosystem services. A quasi-distributed coupled socio-hydrologic system model that explicitly includes the two-way coupling between human and hydrological systems, including evolution of human values/norms relating to water and the environment, is able to mimic broad features of this pendulum swing. The model consists of coupled nonlinear differential equations that include four state variables describing the co-evolution of storage capacity, irrigated area, human population, and ecosystem health. The model is used to generate insights into the dominant controls of the trajectory of co-evolution of the coupled human-water system, to serve as the theoretical framework for more detailed analysis of the system, and to generate organizing principles that may be transferable to other systems in different climatic and socio-economic settings.

Humanlike robots: the upcoming revolution in robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2009-08-01

Humans have always sought to imitate the human appearance, functions and intelligence. Human-like robots, which for many years have been a science fiction, are increasingly becoming an engineering reality resulting from the many advances in biologically inspired technologies. These biomimetic technologies include artificial intelligence, artificial vision and hearing as well as artificial muscles, also known as electroactive polymers (EAP). Robots, such as the vacuum cleaner Rumba and the robotic lawnmower, that don't have human shape, are already finding growing use in homes worldwide. As opposed to other human-made machines and devices, this technology raises also various questions and concerns and they need to be addressed as the technology advances. These include the need to prevent accidents, deliberate harm, or their use in crime. In this paper the state-of-the-art of the ultimate goal of biomimetics, the development of humanlike robots, the potentials and the challenges are reviewed.